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Hours before President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, the Energy Department released reports yesterday on the state of U.S. wind power that raise questions that may linger despite the new laws policy supports.

The three reports focused on onshore, offshore and distributed wind power, respectively outlined the wind industrys struggles over the past year while concluding that its healthy. The reports did not consider the IRAs possible effects on wind growth.

Thirteen gigawatts of wind came online last year, enough to power 4 million homes, DOE noted. That was the second largest amount ever, according to industry figures.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm predicted in a call with reporters the IRA would breathe new life into this industry and trigger a larger boom.

For all the fantastic growth wind energy has seen over the last decade, Im confident that the best years in this sector are ahead of us, Granholm said.

That rosy view has been backed by energy system modelers from Princeton Universitys REPEAT Project, who found American wind installations could double by 2025-2026 due to the IRA, which contains new and extended tax credits for wind production and domestic manufacturing of turbine parts (Energywire, Aug. 8).

But DOE researchers outlined problems in their reports that have acted as a drag on the industrys growth.

One problem is how long it can take to connect new projects to the grid, which can rack up development costs.

At the end of 2021, the reports say, a record amount of wind power, 247 GW, was waiting in transmission interconnection queues, including 73 GW that came onto the queue last year and 77 GW from offshore wind.

Speeding up interconnection queues may prove to be an enduring challenge for wind, despite the IRAs passage, said Ryan Wiser, a senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and corresponding author of DOEs report on onshore wind.

Were going to need to figure out how to properly move projects through the interconnection process in a faster way than we have in the past, Wiser said during DOEs media call.

New transmission lines would also be needed to connect high-quality wind resources to load centers, he added. Transmission and interconnection are key remaining barriers that are still to be resolved, he said.

An investment tax credit for transmission projects, which was promoted by transmission advocates, was left out of the IRA by congressional negotiators (Energywire, July 29).

The DOE reports also took note of market uncertainties that have plagued wind and other energy sources since the pandemic, including supply-chain disruptions and rising commodity prices.

Those reversed a decadelong trend of falling turbine prices and prompted outside analysts to predict a slower year for onshore wind additions in 2023, DOE researchers noted.

Corporate demand for clean energy contracts, state-level renewable goals and competition from cheap solar power could also change the trajectory of winds growth, among other factors, DOE researchers said.

The IRA itself may not directly address supply shortages and inflationary pressures, but the laws incentives could entice developers to invest in wind projects anyway, according to analysts from Wood Mackenzie who acted as peer reviewers for early versions of the DOE reports.

Whats important is the long-term policy horizon. Thats really critical for the industry to plan the business, invest in manufacturing and invest in projects, said Aaron Barr, the firms head of onshore wind research.

The laws policy supports would likely begin to drive winds growth beginning in 2023, said Samantha Woodworth, senior analyst for North American wind markets at Wood Mackenzie.

That could include a renaissance in U.S.-based production of turbine parts, something that could help wind developers skirt shortages of supplies from overseas, she and Barr said.

In 2021, U.S. production capacity for many wind parts declined. Blade manufacturing was hardest-hit, declining 50 percent due to the shuttering or idling of three American facilities.

But U.S. plants could launch or reopen to take advantage of the manufacturing tax credits, particularly to serve new offshore wind projects, Barr said.

The wind industry in general its mature, its become globalized, its well-established in the U.S. Its ready to go, he said. Its just been waiting on this policy signal from Washington.

Read more:
DOE outlines challenges for wind. Will the IRA help? - E&E News

Liverpool are gearing up for their trip to Old Trafford to face rivals Manchester United in the Premier League on Monday and the build-up contained a strange confrontation

Image: Jacques Feeney/Getty Images)

Liverpools trip to Old Trafford is now just two days away, but Jurgen Klopp is not busy exchanging words with Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, like you might expect.

Klopp has instead been sticking up for Uniteds under-pressure manager following two successive defeats and his comments have sparked a war of words with somebody very different. The Liverpool managers pre-match press conference on Friday did contain some of the more unusual content, with injury updates and team news also on the agenda.

Meanwhile, the Reds do not need to worry about facing Uniteds 60million new midfielder Casemiro, despite a deal being agreed with Real Madrid on Friday evening. Here Mirror Football brings you all the latest Liverpool news.

Liverpool have been hit hard by injuries of late, so the news that Roberto Firmino is fit and ready to replace the suspended Darwin Nunez against Manchester United comes as a relief.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, Jurgen Klopp said: "Bobby has trained completely normally and is ready."

The Brazilian missed Mondays 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace with a muscle complaint, but is very likely to start at Old Trafford, with Nunez out for three games after headbutting Joachim Andersen.

Firminos return is a boost, but Diogo Jota, Curtis Jones, Thiago Alcantara, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate all remain unavailable.

Read the full story here.

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Friday saw a strange spat emerge between the Liverpool manager and former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor.

Klopp had been annoyed listening to Agbonlahors analysis on talkSPORT of Manchester Uniteds 4-0 defeat by Brentford last weekend, in which he called Erik ten Hags players "amateur" and their performance "a shambles". I was close to calling in! Klopp said. He wasn't a mentality monster when we beat Villa 6-0."

Agbonlahor responded to the dig about the defeat in February 2016 by posting on Instagram about Villas 1-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield the year before Klopp became manager.

Read the full back and forth here.

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Manchester United announced on Friday evening that they had agreed a deal in principle to sign Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro, but he will not feature against Liverpool.

The 30-year-old will reportedly fly into Manchester by private jet on Saturday after United agreed to pay an initial fee of 60m plus a further 10m in potential add-ons. The five-time Champions League winner will become the clubs fourth summer signing.

However, he will not be eligible to make his debut at Old Trafford on Monday because he still has to undergo a medical and complete all the paperwork. United will therefore have to try and turn around their rotten form without him.

Read more here.

Go here to read the rest:
Liverpool news: Reds get Roberto Firmino boost as Jurgen Klopp spars with Gabby Agbonlahor - The Mirror

Actor and stuntman Kane Hodder is the man who has spent the most time behind the hockey mask in the "Friday the 13th" franchise. Hodder made his debut as Jason Voorhees in "Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood" and reprised the role three more times until Ken Kirzinger took up the machete for "Freddy vs. Jason." Hodder, who later reprised Jason for the 2017 "Friday the 13th" video game, has also played or provided stunts for a dizzying array of other movie killers, including Leatherface in "Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III," Victor Crowley in the "Hatchet" series, and even took up Freddy Kruger's gloved hand in "Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday."

In addition to his most iconic roles, Hodder has essayed dozens of other maniacs, tough guys, and bad-to-know types in films ranging from the 2003 "Daredevil" and "Monster" with Charlize Theron to "House II: The Second Story" and "2001 Maniacs." As with most genre pics, some titles are better than others, but in the case of "City Limits," it's safe to say that most, if not all movies are better than that 1984 sci-fi pic

A post-apocalyptic thriller set in a Los Angeles where a plague has eliminated most of the adults, "City Limits" features a sizable of then-up-and-coming performers, including John Stockwell, Rae Dawn Chong, and future "Independence Day" writer-producer Dean Devlin as survivors who have formed motorcycle gangs. Kim Cattrall and Robby Benson are also on hand as members of a mysterious corporation sent to rebuild the city at the expense of the bikers.

Sounds confusing and poorly conceived, you say? Well, you're right and Joel and the 'bots on "Mystery Science Theater 3000" agree, since they torched the film in their original run but if you look carefully, you'll see Hodder as a member of the DAs, a hostile biker gang. Hodder is billed as one of the Unfriendly DAs, and with his powerful build and glowering face, he's more believable than anything else in the picture.

Read the rest here:
Early Roles That Friday The 13th Actors Would Like You To Forget About - Looper

The Event Extra podcast offers one-on-one interviews with some of the policymakers, practitioners and leaders who spoke at U.S. Institute of Peace events. Each episode highlights their ideas on areas of conflict and how to achieve peace.

Adam Gallagher: Welcome, let me introduce us. Youre Rina Amiri, the U.S. special envoy for Afghan Women, Girls and Human Rights. And I'm Adam Gallagher, managing editor for USIP.org. This week marks the one-year anniversary of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Many expected that when they swept into power, the Taliban would reprise the repressive rule of the 1990s. Despite pledges of moderation and reform from some Taliban factions. One year later, those predictions have turned out to be prescient. They have swiftly reinstated many of their harshest policies pushing women out of public life and brooking dissent. Special Envoy Amiri, many of the hard-won gains made for Afghan women over the last 20 years are eroding before their eyes. Can you talk a little bit about how their lives have changed in the last year, and also what the picture is like for minorities and their rights?

Rina Amiri: Well, first, thank you very much, to you and to the U.S. Institute of Peace for continuing to keep the spotlight on the situation in Afghanistan. The last year has been nothing short of devastating for women, ethnic and religious communities. But I would say that for the population as a whole, I also hear from men, that, you know, that they're in a desperate situation. So it's, you know, it's a context in which is even more devastating, because I think that the population, what I hear over and over again, that, despite the tremendous devastation of war. Think how things have turned out. There is still some element of hope that the promise of a reform Taliban would materialize, and that they would be better than in the 1990s. And the last year, I think, has and many respects have been, the scenario that is far worse than any had had prepared themselves for, you know, for women and girls, I think that the whole world saw that overnight, they were stripped of their fundamental rights. You know, and of course, I want to qualify that. Certainly, the picture was very mixed. And that an urban centers, the women and girls had better opportunities, more advantages than those in the rural parts of the country. But when I talk to women, you know, from throughout the entire country, what I hear is devastation over the situation and that they've lost the right to work, they've lost the right to get their daughters educated, they have lost any sense of hope for the future. And for ethnic and religious communities, what they note is that they live under the shadow of threat. They don't feel safe in their communities, they don't feel safe in their homes. They don't feel safe sending their wives to give birth because of attack, the attacks on, terrible attacks that have taken place against maternity wards. They fear for their children when they send their children to school. That pervasive sense of threat is a shadow that has overtaken with their calculations and the way that they live their lives. And particularly for the Hazara community. You know, I read an assessment that there have been over 15 attacks. And it's not just the Hazara community as a religious community, but as an ethnic community where they are being specifically targeted and where they are, if they feel that they are being left as soft targets. And we hear the same thing from the Hindu and Sikh community, the Sufis, you know, just across the country of those that do not fit within the narrow confines of what the Taliban identifies as people that are aligned with what their view of the world that they are suffering tremendously right now.

Adam Gallagher: And yet over the last year, despite this sort of shadow of threat that looms over Afghan women and minorities, many have protested the Taliban rollback of their rights, including a demonstration over the weekend that was met with Taliban violence. I'm wondering if you can talk a little bit about what you see Afghan women and minorities doing to protect in their promote and promote their rights amid this sort of terrifying landscape.

Rina Amiri: I think what the world needs to take away from what we have seen from the Afghan population is that they are not a -- you know, we see that there's a narrative around Afghans as victims, but Afghans, I think are the most resilient people in the world. And the most, you know, some of the most courageous people in the world. And certainly we have seen that demonstrated, and foremost among them, I would have to say, have been Afghan women. They, we have seen over and over again, despite the tremendously harsh crackdowns by the Taliban against not just the women but against their families, that they continue to go out and protest. And they're not just protesting for their rights. They're protesting for the vision that all Afghans aspire towards, which is a peaceful Afghanistan and inclusive one on one which one which is going to be economically viable. You know, I spent a lot of time talking to Afghans both inside and outside the country and online. And they tell me that this is not this is not just a choice for them, you know, that it's not that they're not fearful. But there are some things that are more important than fear. And that is what gives them the courage that they go out. And what they're fighting for is they're fighting for the children, they're fighting for the future of the country. You know, and there are a lot of painful stories that I come across, I come across women who say that, you know, up until, like, a year ago, there were judges, there were parliamentarians, there were doctors, and now they have to go through the indignity of, you know, they put on a burqa, and they go out and they're looking for, they're put in a position of being beggars. And they know that the Taliban are more prepared to provide support for them as beggars than allowing them to be agents of their own future. And as active agents in society where they can contribute to the to the economy of the country. They're also, you know, they're incredibly pragmatic. They're not, they're not looking at this as a black and white situation. Where they find Taliban that are positioned are prepared to engage with them and to create entry points for them to work to get or to do anything constructive. They're willing to work with those Talibs. So I think beyond the, what we, what I take away is that their vision is both defined by pragmatism, as well as principles and tremendous courage. And they want the world to understand that they are not victims, that they need our support. They need us to engage them as agents of their own future, and to look at a very targeted way of how we can support them, whether that's through diplomatic engagement with the Taliban, or otherwise, but that it should not just stop just because the Taliban are being resistant to any type of movement in a positive direction.

Adam Gallagher: Yeah, and that's a good segue into my final question. But I also just want to mention that I think that point about pragmatism is so important. And you have to wonder why the Taliban can't sort of reciprocate that pragmatism, understanding that they're hamstrung, hamstringing their own economy by shutting women out of public life in this way. But to go back sort of on what you were closing there, and I'm just wondering if you can expand a bit more on how the United States and the international community can help Afghan women and minorities in this really, really tough situation. And then also, I'm wondering if you can touch a little bit on the U.S.-Afghan consultative mechanism that was launched at USIP in late July.

Rina Amiri: I think that those that understand the situation of why this issue of women's rights and human rights are important, don't approach it just from a moral or normative perspective, but from a strategic perspective, that the role of women -- we have the data, we have the data from just really very compelling evidence from all over the world. But the best way, the most economically effective way, the one that doesn't require a large intervention in the future is one in which we equip women to advance the society. And that's where we're coming from, I think, it informs why, you know, our approach. And the U.S.-Afghan consultative mechanism -- one, that it should be Afghan women and civil society, Afghan voices that are at the forefront of this discussion. They, we will be capable of making much better policies if their voices are in the lead. If they guide our assessment, if they guide our understanding. Our policies are grounded in a solid understanding and a solid engagement strategy with Afghans themselves. We seek to use their voices, to profile their voices to bring them in, in a consistent and systematic way. With the U.S. government officials across the government sitting across from Afghan women leaders, human rights, the human rights community, civil society, as equal actors trying to work together on what the specific challenges and identify solutions to develop a coherent approach to systematically engaging them, rather than having one-off consultations with Afghan women and civil society that, where the impact might be lesser than something that's more systematic.

Adam Gallagher: Thank you so much, Special Envoy Amira, for joining us this week, during this sort of somber anniversary. We really appreciate your time.

Rina Amiri: Thank you very much.

Watch the original event Engaging Afghan Women and Civil Society in U.S. Policymaking.

Read more from the original source:
Event Extra: Taliban Rule Takes Profound Toll on Afghan Women and Minorities - United States Institute of Peace

U.S. Institute of Peace experts discuss the latest foreign policy issues from around the world inOn Peace, abrief weekly collaboration with SiriusXM's POTUS Channel 124.

Julie Mason: Joining me now, Andrew Watkins is a senior expert on Afghanistan for the U.S. Institute of Peace. Here to discuss the one-year anniversary of the fall of Kabul. Andrew, good morning.

Andrew Watkins: Good morning. Thanks for having me.

Julie Mason: What a dire situation there. People are starving. Their economy is in ruins. The setbacks for women. Ugh.

Andrew Watkins: It really is terrible in so many ways. The Taliban are showing the world and the Afghan people that they understand the scope of the problems that they're facing. But they've also revealed, over the last year, just how little that they can do to grapple with the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Julie Mason: What is the situation there? What are the conditions?

Andrew Watkins: The conditions are pretty horrific. And it's only due to the intervention of Western powers like the United States and European allies, that the country hasn't reached a critical mass of starvation everywhere. But the United Nations and other aid organizations say that there are more people going hungry in Afghanistan than anywhere else in the world in Asia and Africa. This is a result of an economy that completely collapsed. When the U.S. left Afghanistan, it wasn't just our military presence, it was all of the aid and the economic assistance that had been turning their whole economy into one giant bubble.

Julie Mason: The Taliban have consolidated, sort of, security in the country. They do have that on lockdown. No major threats to their rule of the country.

Andrew Watkins: It's true. A lot of what we're seeing in the news usually has to do with fighting that's still going on in Afghanistan. There are a lot of people, for maybe obvious reasons, who don't like the Taliban, and they're trying to do something about it. But to put it in perspective, all of this is really small scale. The fact is there are people trying to resist the Taliban. From the left and the right, you have people affiliated with the former government, you have our former Afghan allies, and then all the way on the other side of the spectrum, you have terrorists who are part of the Islamic State network around the world. But the Taliban have consolidated control around the country, and they're going to control it for the foreseeable future.

Julie Mason: And the Taliban hiding al-Zawahiri or giving him safe haven in Kabul, what is your interpretation of the relationship now, between those two groups?

Andrew Watkins: Yeah, I mean, the Taliban themselves have really been caught between a rock and a hard place. It's always been a complicated relationship. You can go back to 2001 and if you look at interviews and cables from the State Department, there were a lot of people in the Taliban who didn't agree with their leader's judgment to keep bin Laden protected. And there are a lot of people in the Taliban for the last 20 years who have kind of resented the relationship with al-Qaida. Because why should they have lost everything and had to suffer through 20 years of war just for the sake of keeping a lot of people from the Arab world safe when their fight is a different fight? But at the end of the day, as a friend who's very close to people in the Taliban told me, if there are some people in the Taliban who don't like that relationship with al-Qaida, there's one thing that everyone in the Taliban likes less. And that's the idea of helping their former enemy, the United States, hunt al-Qaida down.

Julie Mason: Very interesting, because I mean, after all that money, after all those lives lost, after all those U.S. promises, to have withdrawn and then al-Qaida still operating in Afghanistan. Like what exactly was achieved?

Andrew Watkins: Yeah, I mean, that's especially hard to ask when we look at everything else, right? There were a lot of mistakes made and there was, you know, countless corruption, from the money that we spent, to what Afghan politicians did with it, but there were improvements made and we're seeing even those erode, you know, across Afghan society.

Julie Mason: Right? Exactly. Everything we said like, If you just vote. If you just turn out. If you just you know, do this, then you're gonna have all these benefits. And now, people are starving and there's nothing. That's really grim on a Monday morning but tell us about the supreme leader of the Taliban, Andrew.

Andrew Watkins: Yeah, so this is the most interesting thing we've gotten to see over the last year. The Taliban calls their government the Islamic Emirate and the head is a leader called the emir that they say has supreme authority. He acts with the authority, you know, of God himself. The reality is, though, for the last 20 years, to survive in their war against the U.S., the Taliban had to grow very flexible. They've always said in theory that their leader had supreme authority. But in reality, if you wanted to sign up with them to fight against the Americans, they were pretty flexible. They gave you a lot of autonomy to do things in your little corner of Afghanistan the way that you wanted. Since taking over the country last year, the emir has been trying in a lot of different ways to reassert his authority and become that supreme leader that they've always said he is.

Julie Mason: And how does he occupy that job? Like, what are his edicts?

Andrew Watkins: Well, the most interesting thing is that he doesn't occupy that job with the rest of the government that's based in the capital, Kabul. He sits down in the southern city of Kandahar, which now kind of has a mystique in the Taliban because it's where their first emir, and the guy who founded the Taliban, Mullah Mohammed Omar, it's where he sat for over four years. He had this attitude, you know, not that much different than how some Americans might feel about Washington D.C., that the capital, as the hub of politics, was a corrupt and sinful place. And so, he avoided it entirely. So, this guy is styling himself in the same way, there's a lot of mythology that the Taliban tell about themselves.

Julie Mason: Other matters, meanwhile, the Taliban stalling out in critical aspects of government. As we mentioned, [there is] near universal poverty in the country. And it's an interesting policy question, right? Because, Andrew, no country really seems to want to have any sort of diplomatic relationship with the Taliban, but there's still a great deal of sympathy for the people there.

Andrew Watkins: It's true. I mean, looking forward, this is really the United States struggle: how to continue to provide support for the Afghan people and completely work around the government, you know, the political force that's running the country. It's an unprecedented situation. The Taliban can't seem to make up their mind on some of the most important issues to run the country. And where they do seem to have made up their mind, it's making the wrong decisions, like hosting al-Qaida. And so, you've got a United States, and of course, we still have this huge obligation to the Afghan people with everything we invested, but trying to figure out how to remain engaged without it benefiting the Taliban, while they still figure themselves out on their path to becoming a really kind of warped version of government.

Julie Mason: Andrew Watkins is senior expert on Afghanistan at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Andrew, thank you so much for your time this morning.

Andrew Watkins: Thanks for having me.

Julie Mason: Really great to talk to you.

Read the original:
Andrew Watkins on the One-Year Anniversary of Taliban Takeover - United States Institute of Peace

ExploreThe Great Gatsby of Atlanta: History behind Coca-Cola heirs Briarcliff Mansion

When it comes to making the most out of nature in the home, Miltons Stevie Interiors takes a literal approach.

Obviously I focus on literally bringing the outdoors in, but its also about layers, texture and an earthy color palette, Meghan Basinger, CEO & Principal Designer, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Swap greys for beige. Bring texture in with rugs, baskets and antiques.

Anywhere you have a door or a window, its just another place to take advantage of incorporating the outdoors into your home, The Design Atelier added. A good pivot door opens up the space to the outdoors more substantially, as will accordion doors, garage doors, and sliding doors.

As the economy continues to struggle amid the pandemic and war in Ukraine, many home owners are looking to tighten their budgets. Luckily, there are plenty of inexpensive ways to spruce up your home.

Fresh flowers always brighten up any room, Amy Morris Interiors said. A tree in a beautiful pot can fill an otherwise empty and neglected corner.

Instead of completely redesigning their homes according to the trend, people can find accents, like solid green pillows and throws, that speak to bringing the outdoors in and make an impact without rethinking their whole space, The Design Atelier added. A plant or branch here and there also does wonders!

If you want to go fully natural and give your wallet a break, Basinger said its a good idea to go foraging.

Take a look at your yard - what can you clip and throw in a vase on your kitchen counter? she added. You dont need to spend a fortune on store-bought florals, often you have something gorgeous right in your own front yard.

Courtesy of Amy Morris Interiors

Credit: Laurey Glenn

Courtesy of Amy Morris Interiors

Credit: Laurey Glenn

Credit: Laurey Glenn

If you are willing to open your wallet, The Design Atelier knows how to get you that wow factor with house guests.

When people think of bringing the outdoors in, many gravitate towards the idea of floral prints and patterns, the company said. I like to think of the materials being used and how the interior will complement and enhance the view outside with a neutral palette or an unexpected architectural element. For example, I like wooden beams or accents that feel natural, rather than polished and pristine. Floor to ceiling windows are also a favorite of mine. It creates a sense of fluidity between the indoors and outdoors.

Amy Morris Interiors suggested keeping things simple for a sophisticated look.

I like to keep things simple and sophisticated even when it comes to bringing flowers and plants indoors, the company said. They bring a certain pop and beautiful aesthetic without being overwhelming or too dramatic.

Basinger, however, said that it also isnt a bad idea to go big.

We absolutely love to play with scale - were talking oversized, Manzanita branches are a favorite with our team - they are total scene stealers in a gorgeous vintage water pot, she said.

See the article here:
How to bring the outdoors in, according to Atlanta's top interior designers - The Atlanta Journal Constitution

DECORATING your home isn't always as easy as it seems.

There are loads of common mistakes that can instantly ruin the overall look of a room and can be pricey to put right.

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Luckily, interior designer Vivien recently revealed seven of the worst mistakes that will make your home look rubbish.

So if you've got any of these in your home, it might be time to redecorate.

Sometimes the flooring in your home is simply out of your control, especially if you're renting.

The pro explained: "If you have mismatched flooring it can make the space look disjointed and uncoordinated."

But if you don't have the budget to make the floors match you can try a large area rug to help make it feel more seamless or even stick on flooring.

The height of your furniture probably isn't something you put much thought into, especially for things like sofas, coffee tables and beds.

But if all of your furniture is the same height "it can look boring and flat," according to the pro.

Try and mix in different heights for a more dynamic space that looks loads more posh.

"If you're not adding any greenery to your space you're missing out big time," Vivien said.

Not only do plants add life and colour to a space but they have loads of hidden benefits as well.

The pro explained: "If you don't have any green in your space it's going to look very one dimensional and it can inadvertently make a space look feel quite sterile."

No one loves a DIY project quite as much as we do, but they only count if you actually finish them.

Taking on too many DIY projects will mean that your home constantly looks messy and unfinished.

"I'm not saying don't DIY, just be mindful about the projects that you take on," the interior designer said.

Impulsively buying dcor for your home might be ok if it's a pillow or a lamp, but when it comes to furniture measuring is key.

Vivien said: "Most times the perception we have in our space is easy off from reality, then you end up with something too big or too small."

It might be easy to get your bed, bedside tables and wardrobe from the same shop, but the truth is matching sets look cheap.

That doesn't mean you have to spend more money on unique pieces, but taking the time to find furniture that's different that still compliments each other will instantly make your home look more expensive and designer.

It's bad news if you've got cool temperature light-bulbs in your home, "this might be the design sin that bothers me the most," the pro said.

"They give off a very harsh light and it can feel clinical and sterile and they're just not pleasant to be around.

"Warm temperature light-bulbs have a warmth to them they give off a softer light that is much more inviting," Vivien explained.

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Read the original post:
Im an interior designer there are seven mistakes that make homes look rubbish & Im sick of seeing them... - The US Sun

THERE are some interior trends that might look great in theory, but the truth is in a small room they're just not going to work.

It turns out, making box rooms look bigger is just as much about what you don't put in there as what you do.

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The interior pro Nic Shacklock from Online-Bedrooms revealed that having carpet in small rooms will instantly make the space look smaller.

Nic said: It can be hard to know what to do with a small room and decorating it incorrectly can often lead to the room feeling much smaller than it is and can make it feel like a bit of wasted space.

Opening up a small room is all about tricking the eye and creating the illusion that the room is bigger than it actually is."

According to the pros, dark carpets in particular, like popular grey shades, are a big no-no.

If you must have carpet, try and go for one that's a lighter shade, or even better, go for a different style of flooring altogether to help brighten up the space.

Light wood flooring is always a good choice and will instantly brighten the space.

You can always add a light coloured rug if you can't part ways with your love of carpet altogether.

It's not just your carpet that's making your small rooms like even smaller though, the wrong furniture can make it feel claustrophic.

Furniture with legs will instantly open up the area.

This is simply because being able to see the floor create the illusion of more space.

Similarly, thick and heavy curtains can make a room feel closed off.

Letting in natural light is vital for small rooms, so opt for light and flowing curtains or ditch them altogether and stick to just blinds.

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Im an interior designer and you should NEVER have carpet in small rooms in your home what to do ins... - The US Sun

At the junction of augmented technology and French savoir-faire, DS 4 truly embodies two words: Refinement Engineered. Long established as a premium car marque in France, DS Automobiles, newly arrived in Ireland, embodies the spirit of avant-garde, innovation and excellence.

And as an emblem of a new generation of efficiency, DS Automobiles latest creation was imagined with plug-in hybrid E-TENSE technology. Making the DS 4 the perfect choice for those in search of personal expression, individualism and flawless aesthetics.

We ask Eilish Rickard, interior designer and founder of Eilish Rickard Interiors, to try out the DS 4 and let us know what made a lasting impression.

My favourite feature of the DS 4 is, not surprisingly, an interior detail. The supple leather on the interior of the doors combined with the concealed handles and subtle, sleek hardware make them such a joy to use every time you get in and out of the car.

I use my car as my second office as Im often on the road for more than half of the day between site visits, client meetings and sourcing trips. The easy-to-use Apple CarPlay, navigation, music and projected dashboard in the DS 4 make the driving experience seamless, comfortable and reliable while I take calls and go to and from appointments.

I also use the car to ferry the kids to and from activities. For this, the large boot is really practical as well as the adaptive features of the car like the Matrix LED vision system and the Active Scan Suspension. These features scan the terrain ahead so I never have to worry about the ever-changing Irish weather and terrain as Im multitasking with the kids and taking work calls as they come in.

My own personal aesthetic in three words? Classic yet contemporary.

There is something so effortlessly chic about French design and style; I really admire French female style icons like Carla Bruni and Jane Birkin for their strong feminine looks that are so timeless.

My favourite French find is an elegant historic hotel, Le Vieux Castillon, in the mediaeval town of Castillon-du-Gard in Provence which we visited for a long weekend. It was picturesque, with stone facades and swaying cypress trees full of character and history.

My dream road trip would be to drive through the French countryside, Provence or Bordeaux, getting lost in little villages, stopping at flea markets, maybe stumbling upon an antique shop or two, just being inspired by the stillness and quaintness of these little towns that are so unaware of their beauty.

For driving I like to wear loose clothes in natural fabrics to adapt to various temperatures between the car and places youll be getting out; I love linen for shirts and cotton for trousers which crumple less.

To keep the kids happy on long drives we usually give everyone a chance to choose their own favourite songs on Spotify, we play a lot of I Spy and, of course, eat lots of treats!

I listen to everything in the car. As I am on the road a lot I will alternate between radio, podcast and audiobooks. There is nothing like getting lost in a good book on Audible when stuck in never-ending traffic. My morning commute to work is always the radio for the news and then its music all the way to keep the energy up!

My car rules? Dont get into my car unless youre handing me a coffee! No rules really as I would be the first to break them.

I might be something of a master boot packer. For my interior design business, we always have a lot to pack into the car. Were often flattening the back seats to fill the car with furniture and accessories for shoots. We use giant, clear zip-up bags so we dont lose or damage items in smaller bags/boxes and it means there are fewer trips to load and unload the car. Since the bags are clear I can see whats in each bag immediately.

Guilty secret in the glovebox? Snacks! I have to keep the sugar levels up while on the road.

I always keep make-up essentials in my car. I use the rearview mirror to see what Im doing when fixing my make-up before a meeting. I will also always have gum, wet wipes and perfume in case any meetings run over and I have to freshen up before the next appointment.

My favourite thing about driving is freedom. The freedom to go and see my clients wherever they are or attend to any projects needs and really be there and be present on-site, theres no substitute for it. Email and phone just cant communicate the same things when it comes to design and construction, you need to see and feel a space and show your clients samples, fabrics, and materials in the actual lighting and space they will be going in.

Introducing the DS 4 where French luxury expertise and augmented technology meet. Its all in the design details and innovative tech.Visit dsautomobiles.ie for more information. Prices start from 36,300.

Original post:
Road to Perfection: Interior Designer Eilish Rickard tries out the new DS 4 - image.ie

IF YOU hate redecorating your home, you're not alone.

Although the idea of it might be fun and the end result is always nice, the actual process of stripping wallpaper, moving furniture and hanging picture frames is exhausting.

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But if you always want to your home to look chic and stylish there's one thing you can do - pick a timeless style the first time you decorate.

This comes after a viewer asked interior designer Phoenix Grey to shares some tips, they said: "Can you do some styles that are timeless?

"[I'm] remodelling my home but don't want it to be dated after a couple of years."

According to the pro there are four interior styles that will stand the test of time.

Although the pro admitted this isn't his personal style, the timeless look will age well and goes above trends.

He said: "It gets bonus points on it's beautiful detailing and the retaining structure to it's architectural roots.

"It honestly has the most beautiful character to it."

You can spot this style from the feminine features like curving lines luxurious feeling.

Phoenix explained: "Mid-century modern has to be on this list because it was significantly recognised in the 50's.

"It defined so many characteristics of design styles we see today."

If you're a fan of a more masculine feeling space, love muted tones and wood and graphic shapes, this might be the style for you.

Although elements of this style are constantly coming in and out of fashion, they'll always look timeless and posh in any home.

"I may get some hate on this one, but contemporary style is more timeless than it's not," the pro said.

The "clean and understated" is easy to adapt if you do ever want to change small elements in your home.

"The style itself draws to many influences from all the other design styles, creating a timeless look."

This style is known for its natural elements and ruggedness.

It usually incorporates wood, stone, and even leaves for an un-polished finish that still looks cohesive.

Phoenix said: "It's practical yet natural and an earthy organic pallet will always be timeless regardless of what style and design you use."

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Read more here:
Im an interior designer & there are four styles that will NEVER go out of fashion perfect if you hate re... - The US Sun