Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

When we last spoke in March, Bonny Doon resident Ann McKenzie, whose home burned down in the CZU Lightening Complex fires, was waiting on the county permits so she could start rebuilding her homeand lifeafter the fires.

Not much has changed.

McKenzie is going on her third year of living without a permanent home. She shares an RV with her husband on the property where their home once stood, and she expects it will be nearly another year before they are able to move into their rebuilt home.

One of the most frustrating parts, says McKenzie, is that they havent even been able to break ground. Thats due to the permitting process, which she says has been slow and tedious. McKenzie and her husband originally applied to get pre-clearance permits on April 14, 2021. They finally received them in May of 2022, over a year after they started the process.

McKenzie is now waiting on different permitsand so are the majority of CZU fire survivors.

Two years after the fires, 187 permits are still being processed, and the county has issued 152 pre-clearances.

Out of the 911 homes that were destroyed in the fires, only 11 have been rebuilt.

That leaves a gap of almost 600 homes that are not currently in the process of rebuilding legally. The remaining homeowners could still apply for permits, but in March, Good Times spoke with multiple people who were fed up with the lengthy permitting processafter living for two years in tents or mobile homes, in many casesand admitted they planned to rebuild illegally, without permits.

County officials say the county has tried to pare down the process as much as possible, by cutting permitting costs, setting up the Office of Response Recovery as a resource to help homeowners rebuild, and hosting informational town halls to help with the permitting process.

As for why only 11 homes have been reconstructed, a county official speculates that contractor scarcity and supply chain issues could be to blame for the large discrepancy between people with permits in hand and finalized homes. CZU fire survivors are looking at higher residential construction costs, a labor shortage problem in construction and building material shortages.

McKenzies story illustrates another reason: that even after all pre-clearance permits are issued, theres still lag time to receive the other necessary permits.

After pre-clearances, owners like McKenzie submit applications for their dwelling units building permit, which includes construction documents, geotechnical engineering report, along with any other required technical material.

McKenzies designers submitted those additional permits to 4Leaf, the countys permitting agency, on July 29.

But to her dismay and frustration, 4Leaf notified her that the Single Family Dwelling permit must be submitted separately from the Additional Dwelling Unit permit, a detail she says no one mentioned beforehand. Her designers are still separating the documents.

The whole permitting process was riddled with small (and not-so-small) setbacks like this one, according to McKenzie. 4Leaf has a processing timeline of 10 days, but McKenzie says the reality tends to be closer to a few weeks, and even sometimes a month.

McKenzies story is not unique, especially because the areas hit the hardest by the fires were in the more rural parts of Santa Cruz County. Bonny Doon, Ben Lomand and other areas of the Santa Cruz Mountains were home to the majority of the 911 houses that were burned during the fires.

Those communities have struggled the most to get up to code, according to Michael Renner, Executive Director of 4Leaf. Pre-clearances take into consideration fire access, environmental health-sewage disposal and potential geologic hazards. But the requirements to receive those permits have changed in the time that these more rural communities developed, and many people have lived in the areas homes for generations.

McKenzie just hopes that she can get all the permits soonas the rainier months loom, she knows getting the foundation done as soon as possible will be crucial, so that construction can continue throughout winter.

The day she does break ground, McKenzie plans on celebratingeven though it marks the start of another months-long journey,

Im gonna have a ceremony and a ribbon cutting, and Im gonna stand there with a shovel, she says.

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Two Years After CZU: Still Tangled in Red Tape | Good Times - Good Times

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CHICAGO (PRWEB) August 19, 2022

As communities face wildfire smoke, power outages, and extreme heat this summer, US infrastructure is not equipped to protect us. Federal tax credits soon to come from the newly passed Inflation Reduction Bill aim to reduce the cost of environmentally-friendly changes and set the stage for widespread adoption and Phius-certified passive homes are emerging as a model for how to adapt. Phius (Passive House Institute US), a non-profit and locally tailored, globally applicable passive house building standard accounting for the vast majority of all passive projects in North America, has certified more than 7.4 million square feet of passive building projects that are optimized for adaptability and resilience as climate change redefines living standards.

For example, as residents in Houston struggle with rising temperatures and potential for loss of electricity, the Fly Flat infill pocket neighborhood, designed with ever-unpredictable and more extreme weather in mind, integrated Phius passive house standards to be ready. The housing project, led by a student-driven design team, utilized modular home designs and implemented energy-outage prevention tools such as community solar and FEMA 499 strategies to design weather-resilient homes the community can thrive in for years to come. New federal tax credits will reduce the cost of solar panels and other necessary tools for preparing the homes for resilience putting more funding back to the neighborhood.

Theresa Passive House is another Phius-certified project that weathered last years snowstorm and this years summer heat in Houston, Texas with comparable ease, enjoying a key benefit of passive buildings -- the ability for the home to maintain internal temperatures for longer periods of time, even without heating and cooling. Located next to a busy highway and train line, filtered, clean air inside was a priority. Today, the ERV circulates fresh, filtered air and a dehumidifier minimizes excessive moisture.

In California, Sol Lux Alpha, developed by John Sarter, is the first Phius-certified passive house with a multi-unit nanogrid structure introduced in the U.S. housing market. This six-story, four-unit housing development offers carbon-neutral living plus a transportation system! Inhabited units generate twice as much energy as they consume. Excess energy is sent to the grid, where it can be reused for EV charging another increasingly important perk of building to Phius standards as the electric car market heats up and tax credits emerge, especially in a state where the grid is already struggling to keep up with demand during peak summer hours.

And, when wildfire smoke fills the air, one family in Seattle, Washington will breathe easy in their Phius-certified passive home, named Park Passive. The home uses an advanced HVAC system to provide the home with continuous filtered fresh air even when the air outside is thick with smoke from nearby fires. At the first sign of smoke, the family closes all windows and doors and lets the house take over from there.

These homes all share mitigation of climate change and adaptability as a result of climate change designing and building for resilience, habitability and passive survivability during power outages, fires, and other climate-driven events, said Katrin Klingenberg, executive director of Phius. In certain regions, this provides a way forward for building and home design that offers an even more important outcome: reducing electricity load for heating and cooling - critical during heat waves.

Images of the projects are available HERE. Visit http://www.Phius.org for more information.

About PhiusPhius is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization committed to decarbonizing the built environment by making high-performance passive building the mainstream market standard. We train and certify professionals, maintain and update the Phius climate-specific passive building standard, certify and quality assure passive buildings, certify high-performance building products and conduct research to advance high-performance building. ###

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New Climate Bill to Accelerate Phius-Certified Passive Home Adoption Driven by Need for Extreme Weather Resilience - PR Web

Architecture is no longer a discipline that deems only the physical as 'sacred'. The digital is fast taking over the discourse and opening avenues to new ways of thinking and experimentation, and with much acceleration by the COVID-19 pandemic, a new world has already propped above the horizon. London-headquartered Zaha Hadid Architects needs no introduction when it comes to their pioneering engagement with the built and the speculative realms. The brainchild of late British-Iraqi architect Zaha Mohammad Hadid, the practice, since the 80s, has stood out for delivering timeless architecture that fuses technology with design, and for perennially pushing the envelope to create new tools to enhance our spatial experiences.

The firm is presenting its adventures in the cyberphysical space and metaverse through an exhibition hosted at the Dongdaemun Design Museum in Seoul, Korea. Meta-Horizons: The Future Now marks the opening of the new museum which is located within the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a cultural hub and meeting place in Seouls Dongdaemun district completed by ZHA in 2014. The exhibition offers a peek into ZHAs illustrious repertoire spanning across multiple fields, from digital technology to artificial intelligence and virtual reality. One gets to experience the sheer breadth of work through three main zones of the showcase - Innovation, Imagination, and Interaction - where these categories reveal the firms recent designs, process, and research that incorporates immersive technologies, participatory design, and new fabrication techniques.

Within the first section titled Innovation: Process & Research, the exhibition focuses on collaborations across disciplines which rely on a research-based approach towards the design process and physical prototyping. The presented projects include a platform used to create customised modular homes, and a recent 3D-printed concrete bridge named Striatus, which was assembled without mortar in Venice as a result of a collaboration between ZHA and ETH Zurich. The various projects that fall under this zone represent the three ongoing research strands of the architectural practice, namely robotic technologies, folded geometries, and digital timber construction.

Within Imagination: Design & Virtual, the exhibition delves into the digital realm of things and how it continues to become more established as an activated destination integrating with the physical world. Presented within this section is ZHAs increased presence in the designing of the metaverse, with projects such as the cyber urban incubator 'Liberland', and 'NFTism' a virtual gallery space experimenting with architecture and social interaction.

The third section titled Interaction: Technologies & Collaboration puts a spotlight on technologies that enhance the seamless user experience across the world of cyber-physics, mixed reality, augmented and virtual reality. Projects presented within this section include Project Correl 1.0 a collaborative experiment in multi-presence virtual reality that illustrates the development of complex assemblies inside virtual space; and New Worlds a LOOP mixed-reality experience created by ZHVR. It is revealed as an immersive soundscape by artist Halina Rice which visitors could experience using HTC headsets.

A highlight of the overall exhibition is an immersive art project conceived by ZHA in collaboration with Refik Anadol Studio (RAS). The result of a six month-long collaboration, the artwork titled Architecting the Metaverse "extends RAS Media Labs ongoing research project and visualises their entire database of architectural documentation in the oeuvre of ZHA". Expressed as an immersive room, visitors are exposed to an infinitely reflecting mirrored tunnel that creates a perception shift by merging the boundlessness of space with the endless permutations of machine learning. Speculating on the future of architecture in the digital realm, the installation was specially conceived for the exhibition and it marks the first collaboration of media artist Refik Anadol with a pioneering architectural studio. Architecting the Metaverse is also stated to be the first of its kind in realising the machine dream of ZHAs architectural works around the world.

Meta-Horizons: The Future Now is on view at the DDP Design Museum in Seoul till September 18, 2022.

See more here:
ZHA's showcase in Seoul presents new directions of the metaverse - STIRworld

MALMESBURY: Permission is wanted in principle for the development of a self-built home on undeveloped land adjacent to the property known as Marden House, onThompsons Hill, Sherston, Malmesbury.

The proposed development will seek to provide a new access off Thompsons Hill and will provide onsite parking to meet the needs of the future residents.

The planning documents say theplanning statement demonstrates that the development is "broadly in accordance with the Development Plan as a whole".

It adds: "The Council cannot currently demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, andthe application site can be developed without harming the character andappearance of the area.

"Only limited weight should be attributed to the conflict with the housing policies of the development plan, taking account of the housing shortfall, and if any harm is identified by the technical conflict with the settlement policies this would not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits when assessed against the policies in the Framework taken as a whole. The tilted balance clearly therefore indicates that the application should be approved."

MELKSHAM: An application has been submitted for the proposed conversion of an existing barn near Melksham to form a holiday let.

Little Thornham Farm is a private dwelling on Trowbridge Road, Seend.

The barns that form this application are made up of three linked structures, two of which are two storey and a third smaller single storey lean-to on the northern end.

The application says: "The property is no longer suitable for modern farming methods and has suffered some deterioration due to lack of use. There are signs of cracking, and the original chimney has been lost. The applicants and their family occupy the main farmhouse adjacent to the barns, and work on the surrounding farm. A family member occupies an adjacent annexe in an unlisted, converted barn."

It adds: "Simeon and Amy Plumb, the applicants, have lived in the property for many years, alongside extended family and are now raising the next generation at Little Thornham Farm. Evidently it has been, and is intended to be, a long-term home for the Plumb family. There is inevitably maintenance and repair matters to attend to, particularly with the older buildings which are no longer in regular use. Therefore this presents an opportunity to diversify this element of the farm to find a new use for these buildings to ensure that they remain viable and in use for future generations to enjoy."

NETTLETON: There are plans to convertNettleton Baptist Church into holiday accommodation.

The applicants saythe conversion or re-use of a heritage asset, in this case the church, would lead to its "viable long-term safeguarding".

The site is located in the open countryside where residential development is strictly controlled.

WARMINSTER:Plans have been submittedfor a new neighbourhood of "innovative modular homes" at Bore Hill Farm near Warminster.

The revised plans have been tabled byLegal & General Modular Homes, part of the UK financial services group.

It follows the withdrawal of a previous 2021 planning application for 95 new homes on thesite, to enable further work to be carried on the layout of the development.

The revised plan features 84 homes and the provision of more green open space including a play area, and measures to promote biodiversity, such as wildflower meadow and fruit trees.

EXTENSIONS: Applications have been lodged to build extensions to houses, or to build or convert outbuildings and lofts atFlorida House, Hardenhuish Lane, Chippenham;45 Stockwood Road, Chippenham; Silverdale, Cleverton, Chippenham;6 South Street, Corsham;48 Park Lane, Chippenham;33 Bremhill, Calne;31 Golden Road, Devizes;Bourne House, The Old Severalls, Milton Lilbourne, Pewsey;67 Hawkstreet, Bromham, Chippenham;Beech Cottage, Golding Avenue, Marlborough.

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Wiltshire planning applications: Plans to convert an old church | The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald - Gazette & Herald

LAS VEGAS (KTNV)On any given night, over 5,000 people are living on the streets in Southern Nevada.

More than 10,000 will experience homelessness at some point each year.

13 Investigates continues with more on how a solution that's helped thousands of people in dozens of other cities has been rejected here in our valley.

PART ONE: Officials in Nevada demolish tiny homes built for homeless in Las Vegas

"I can put my belongings down. I'm safe," says Angela who's been homeless for several years. "I don't have to be around pimps. I don't have to be with dope pushers."

A roof over your head, a door you can lock, and a sense of safety is what advocates say is fundamental to breaking out of homelessness.

"Well, being homeless is a struggle," says Angela.

Many exist in constant survival mode.

"Homelessness itself is a full time job," says Erik de Buhr, co-founder of Community Supported Shelters in Eugene, Oregon.

"You have to think about where you're going to eat that day," de Buhr explains. "How are you going to clean your clothes? How are you going to move around your stuff? How are you going to protect your stuff? Where are you going to sleep? How are you going to rest?"

"And it's tough, you know, because you're treated like nothing in the streets," says Angela.

The idea of providing tiny shelters to the homeless isn't new. They've been doing it in Eugene, Oregon for nearly a decade.

"By providing for people a place--to have a locking, safe place where they can have some stuff and sleep," says de Buhr. "That eliminates a lot of the work of being homeless and people can start to get their head on straight and thinking about, 'Okay, What next steps can I take to improve my situation?'"

Eugene's first tiny home community was established in 2013.

And now from coast to coast, dozens of cities are embracing a variety of tiny home solutions.

There are numerous sites in the Los Angleles area. Denver has them too.

They're in Kansas City, Detroit and Nashville. Tampa, Florida and Syracuse, New York.

Pallet Shelter, one of several companies producing small modular homes, tells 13 Investigates they provided structures to 76 sites in over 40 cities.

There's even one in Reno but here in Clark County, on April 12th, the city of North Las Vegas bulldozed a group of tiny homes built on private property owned by Joseph Lankowski and his group, New Leaf. It's where Angela, Savage and Allen were beginning to rebuild their lives.

"It was a blessing. It was a blessing," says Angela.Darcy Spears: "What did it mean to you to have this opportunity? What did it represent for you looking forward in your life?"

Angela: "For one, achievement. Being human. And loved."

The destruction cost them the key things they need to get out of homelessness.

"Social Security card, birth certificate. It took me forever to get these things," says Savage.

There was no complaint filed by nearby residents or businesses. Code enforcement took action after a city employee saw a fence made from recycled pallets and reported it.

North Las Vegas code enforcement officials got a warrant that gave them the go-ahead to, "remove, demolish and dispose of all non-permitted or deteriorated structures" according to a warrant signed by a judge.

North Las Vegas declined multiple requests for an on-camera interview, providing a statement instead

"We had first aid kits. We had water," Angela says. "They were going to install showers."

Lankowski says he tried to find the process for zoning and permits.

"And we ran into a dead end because there is no zoning," Lankowski says. "There is no zoning for what we're trying to do."

With donated materials, he and his group of volunteers decided to build first, ask forgiveness later.

"The need is just too great out here," says Lankowksi.

He was hit with several code violations in April of this year, saying his group was fixing some and appealing others. The group was expecting due process but getting demolition instead.

"I'm angry! I'm hurt! Mad. It's sad," says Angela. "The whole damn thing is just sad. You take us from something and put us back. It's just sad."

Having consulted with Community Supported Shelters in Eugene, Lankowski thought North Las Vegas would see he could make something similar work for the homeless here.

"Walls, roof, carpeting," says Allen. "Everything was right. It was right."

13 Investigates talked with the Mayor of Eugene, Lucy Vinis. She says tiny home sites there haven't blown up into shanty towns or became a major safety problem.

"The opposite has been the result because we've made a commitment as a city to invest in the facilities that we need in order to enable these to be safe places," says Mayor Vinis.

An investment mayor vinis says actually saves tax dollars.

"Just health cost alone, just visits to the emergency room alone," says Mayor Vinis. "When you consider the costs of public safety."

And there is cost for public works to clean up encampments.

"We have to make those investments now because the costs just keep building," Mayor Vinis explains. "It doesn't go away."

Mayor Vinis says it's also a huge relief for law enforcement.

"This is absolutely what our police department wants," says Mayor Vinis. "These sites, once they're established, they're clean, they're safe, they're well managed. There is no negative impact on the community at all."

It's important to note, officials here tell us the city's homeless outreach team has connected with Angela, Savage and Allen.

"All they give you is bullsh*t. Excuse my language," says Angela.

Angela is beyond frustrated with the seemingly endless wait for real help and approval for housing.

"We're going to put you on this list and we're going to go and check on you. But it's always pending," Angela explains. "They give you a granola bar and a bottle of water and just, 'Have a nice day,' you know."

Advocates say that points to the overall problem of how homelessness is approached in the valley.

Darcy Spears: "They need a leg up to be more productive citizens. And it sounds like the city cut that leg off at the knee."

Lankowski: "Absolutely. You know, they need a....not a handout, but a hand up. And that's what we're trying to do is help lift them up. And what the local government's approach is, unfortunately, is kicking people while they're down, you know, by criminalizing homelessness, making it illegal to be homeless."

No one expects tiny homes to be the solution for everyone who is homeless. It's just one piece in a mosaic.

"It's not just a hope and a prayer," says Mayor Vinis. "It is confidence in human beings, that if you give them an opportunity and you support them, they can begin to build a better life for themselves."

A message the folks who briefly lived here hope our city will take to heart.

"We had so many dreams and opportunities and plans," says Angela. "And they just took it like, you know, we are trash. And that's how I feel they they they're treating us... like we're trash and we don't deserve to have a place to live."

For more information about New Leaf and their efforts to address the homeless crisis, click here.

In addition to North Las Vegas, we reached out to the City of Las Vegas and NDOT. Both were involved with destruction of shelters near I-15.

NDOT provided the following statement:

The decision to pursue this abatement was intended to ensure the safety and welfare of both the homeless and surrounding community due to significant biohazard concerns, including bodily waste, debris and intravenous drug paraphernalia accumulating inside drainage channels that feed into the Las Vegas Wash.

Other concerns included potential pedestrian-vehicle hazards from crossing the interstate, walking alongside the shoulder and/or encamping within the Union Pacific Railroad corridor, as well as obstructed driver sightlines.

We will continue to work with government and community partners to ensure that any necessary clean-up efforts are conducted responsibly.

City of Las Vegas provided this statement:

We also reached out to elected officials who say this is an opportunity to find a process to make this work in Clark County.

Read more:
Dozens of cities embrace tiny homes for the homeless; officials in Southern Nevada bulldoze them - KTNV 13 Action News Las Vegas

Jessica Anuroff'sgreentarp tent still stands on East Hastings Streeta week after the City of Vancouver ordered the cleanup of sidewalks along several city blocks of the Downtown Eastside.

But home feels different.She says most of her belongings were taken by city staff and she faces increasing uncertainty about where to go next.

"Where else do they want us to go?" said Anuroff."I'm just mainly tired and exhausted from everything."

In July, Vancouver's fire department ordered the immediate removal of tents and structures along East Hastings due to "numerous urgent safety concerns."

Last week, city staff began the process of removing tents and other structures, forcing dozens of people living in the area to move without other housingand shelter options.

Anuroff says she has little choice but to stay put, while othersin the homeless community say those who were displaced are returning because they havenowhere to go.

While the city saidthe cleanup was needed for the safety of residents, advocates say they disagree with its approach because it isbreaking apart the community anddriving people into isolation and more alternative housing optionsare needed.

Since the start of the tent removal,at least one or two people are showing up every day at the Bloom Group Community Services Society, which offers housing support for residents in the Downtown Eastside

But there is no space for them,executive director Elizabeth Barnett says.

"We are doing our best to support folks, but if the programs are full there's not really anywhere people can go," saidBarnett, adding that she feels disappointed and angry with how the city has dealt with the encampment.

"I've noticed more people in the alleys, in darker corners, people on their own, more than I've seen before," she said.

Advocates worrythe displacement means more people will use potentially toxic drugs alone.

"They have nowhere to go. So they're going to be in alleyways using alone and increasing exponentially the chance of death," said Vince Tao, a community organizer with theVancouver Area Network of Drug Users support group.

Tao said without sufficienthousing, "they're just going to move right back right to the same place the next day, or just down the block."

He said the only solution to the issue is more housing options.

According to the city's website, since 2019more than 550 social and supportive homes have opened in Vancouver which provideaffordable housing and connections to off-site services such ashealth care, mental health, or substance use services.

The city says its also working with B.C. Housing to createapproximately 350 new permanent supportive homes.

Permanent shelters and temporary modular homesalso exist to provide relief to hundreds of people living without a home, according to the website.

But there'snot enough space to help the people who have just been displaced from East Hastings, Barnett said.

"Right now, you sort of have three choices: you couch surf until you can't anymore;you live in subsidized housing if you can get in; or you live on the street. There's not enough choices there," she said.

The condition of some housing options like single-room occupancy hotels (SROs) and shelters makes it preferable for some to sleep on the streets, saysLorissa Thordarson, who lives rough in the East Hastings area.

"The buildings are disgusting.They're riddled with bugs, or rats I don't want to live in something like that," she said.

When CBC News asked the City of Vancouver where it expects displaced people to go, a spokesperson saidstaff are in daily conversations with B.C.Housing to advocate for housing and shelter needs.

"City staff have been encouraging and supporting voluntary removal of tents and belongings, and regularly sharing information in person with those sheltering outdoors," an email statement said.

It said the city's outreach team is also working with B.C. Housing to bring forward people to be considered for housing.

In a previous statement to CBC News, B.C. Housing said it does not have the spaces necessary to provide shelter for people who are being displaced in the Downtown Eastside.

"We have been clear with the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Fire Rescue Services that, on short notice, we do not have access to large numbers of new spaces in Vancouver to accommodate the timing of the emergency order," it said.

Barnettsays she'd like the city to embrace a wider range of housing alternatives such as a campground andmore harm reduction facilities, as well as subsidies for landlords to support people.

In the short term, she says she'd like to see police team up with mental health and social workers when officers are sent into the community.

And in the meantime, she emphasizes the need for compassion.

"You can't deprive people of this community they built with no other option. It's just illogical," she said.

The city did not specify if it plans to remove tents that have remained or reappeared on East Hastings.

Read more:
'Where else do they want us to go?' Downtown Eastside residents face uncertain future in wake of tent removals - CBC.ca

Once youve successfully transitioned from an apartment to a house, you may find that all your belongings fit into one room. In most cases, moving to a house will bring more space and more rooms to furnish. Theres also home maintenance and yard work to consider.

Alleviate stress later by planning and budgeting for some essential items now. From furnishings and decorative accessories to outdoor dcor and maintenance, this list will help you to start off on the right foot.

You wont regret creating a thoughtful organization plan from the start. From cabinets and pantries to bedroom and linen closets, storage bins and baskets can help you stay organized. Get started with these plastic containers from Amazon, rated the best overall in our guide to the best storage bins for getting organized. Available in seven different sizes to accommodate a range of storage needs, these bins are both stackable and versatile.

When your square footage increases, so does your floor space. Covering floors and even plain carpeting with accent rugs is a simple way to make your home more attractive and comfortable. Not sure where to find the best area rugs for your home? Try one of our reviewed and recommended selections, such as the Flourish Rug from West Elm, which we love for its sustainable construction and attractive design.

Whether its to increase privacy or to block out sunlight, youll likely need some blinds and curtains for your new home. An effective set of blinds or shades will filter out light and provide soundproofing, thermal insulation, and style. These cordless, darkening blinds from Home Decorators Collection topped our list of the best blinds of 2022 due to their faux wood design and versatility, with sizes available to suit any room.

Gaining outdoor space is a significant perk of moving into a house. Youll want to make the most of it with some outdoor furniture for alfresco dining and lounging. The Devoko 9-Piece Outdoor Patio Set will have you covered with a dining table, four chairs, storage ottomans, and included zippered cushions. Dubbed the best overall in our patio furniture guide, this set gets good reviews for its modular design with seat backs that fold down and ottomans that easily tuck under the table for storage.

The fun part of moving into a new house is making it your own. One easy way to do that is by creating a color scheme that reflects your personality. Whether your walls need a refresh or you just want to add some color to your space, a new coat of paint can make a big difference. Soothing blues and greens are popular this year. Try Behrs color of the year, Breezeway, for your next project. The sage green color is both cheerful and relaxing.

Apartment living rarely requires cutting the grass. Youll likely need to invest in a lawn mower for a new home, so you can keep your yard in good shape. Greenworks Self-Propelled Lawn Mower will make the job simple. It tops our list of the best push mowers for its cutting deck size, self-propulsion, battery power, oversized wheels, push-button start, storage, and adjustable height.

Unlike an apartment, a house wont come with a landlord to make repairs. A good tool kit will go a long way in keeping things running smoothly. Be sure your set includes a hammer, screwdriver, Allen wrench, level, utility knife, and drill. At the top of our list of recommended tool kits, the Black + Decker 8V Drill and Home Tool Kit includes all these items and more to make assembly and repairs a cinch.

A smart thermostat will not only add convenience to your home, it can also save you money on heating and cooling. Dubbed a top pick for 2022 by our experts, the Google Nest Thermostat is about as advanced as it gets. It memorizes and repeats temperature adjustments throughout the day and uses geofencing to reduce energy waste. An easy-to-read display screen and compatibility with Alexa and Google Assistant make it simple to adjust.

Avoid solicitors and other unwanted visitors by installing a smart doorbell. Adding one to your home will add both convenience and security. Most options allow real-time video and two-way audio, so you can even talk to visitors when youre not home. Chosen by our editors as the best smart doorbell, the Ring Video Doorbell 3 includes versatile installation options, a broad range of security features, and a high-definition camera.

Gone are the days of fire escape herb boxes. Its time to think bigger. A house offers the opportunity to plant your favorite flowers or try your hand at fruit and vegetable gardening. Unsure if youve got a green thumb? You can start gardening without making a considerable investment. Try our best budget pick gardening set from Abco, which includes all the necessary tools for planting and maintenance, including a transplanting tool, a weeder, a trowel, a fork, a rake, a cutter, a 25-ounce sprayer, and a pair of glovesall packed into a sweet floral gardening bag.

Keep your lawn looking green and your vegetables ripening with a good sprinkler. Dubbed as one of our favorite sprinklers, the 9-Pattern Turret Sprinkler from Gardeners Supply Company features nine optional spray patterns for the utmost control over where youre watering. Reviewers report that it is easy to adjust with ample coverage and solid construction. Bonus: The kids get to enjoy it on hot days.

Trust us, you wont regret this one. Purchasing a new shower head is a simple way to add comfort to your homeand you dont have to spend a lot either. We tried the most popular showerheads and found the Couradric Handheld Shower Head to be a keeper. During our testing, we found it to have the perfect amount of pressure and loved the six optional spray settings. The handheld sprayer makes it especially useful for families with kids and pets.

More square footage means more rooms to clean. Investing in some cleaning tools from the outset will start you off on the right foot. If theres one tool that is sure to make your life easier, its the Dyson V8 Cordless Vacuum. In fact, I described it as the most useful cleaning tool I own, in this review. If you generally hate vacuuming, the V8 is a must-have. The cordless lightweight option is small enough to tuck away in a closet, but powerful enough to clean your whole house. We think its a worthwhile investment, especially for homes where food crumbs and pet hair make a regular appearance.

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13 Things You Need When Moving From an Apartment to a House - Bob Vila

While most house hunters start with how many bedrooms they want, and what the kitchen and living room are like, the owner of this 18th-century home in an Oxfordshire village, in the UK, took an unconventional approach. Ailsa Richards is a garden designer and was far more concerned about the type of trees in the garden and whether there was scope to encourage everything from pollinators to hedgehogs into the outside space. She sees things from the outside in and so it was a 300-year-old yew tree and some gnarled old apple trees that sealed the deal on this house. No matter that the tiny two-bedroom cottage didn't have space for the growing family and that the main rooms had no view of the garden all those things could be put right over time.

Fourteen years later the house has more than doubled its footprint, with additions to the side and back. The interiors of the house, now one of the world's best homes, were inspired by its part-walled garden and the green space beyond it. The result is a harmonious and relaxing home, totally at one with its setting as the indoor and outdoor worlds merge in a soft palette of natural shades. Here's how it all came together.

(Image credit: Polly Eltes)

One of the key things in redesigning the interiors was to open up the house to the views of the garden. All the main living areas are now at the back. The new kitchen includes a beautiful bay window dining space with a custom-built banquette, perfect for admiring the garden and observing the changing seasons. From the new window seat you can see apple blossom in springtime, then swathes of hostas, hydrangeas, sedums and then seedheads and bronzed hornbeam in winter.

Kitchen ideas include a large island workspace, painted in Farrow & Ball's Stone Blue. Simple Shaker-style cabinets are topped with marble and customised with antique-style handles.

(Image credit: Polly Eltes)

A stainless steel range cooker has been fitted under a false chimney hood that conceals an extractor. Lustrous gray-blue tiles are arranged in an eye-catching herringbone pattern that echoes the herringbone flooring.

(Image credit: Polly Eltes)

This high-ceilinged family dining and living room space was part of the most recent phase of alterations to the house. Big picture windows were never part of the plan here, instead, steel framed doors frame the garden views, and add to the charm rather than revealing everything all at once. Dining room ideas for this busy family space include simple bench seats with a heavier, statement dark wood table.

At the far end of the room, living room ideas are focused on the new stone fireplace with a pair of striking orange sofas positioned to enjoy the fire, and bring out the natural tones of the wooden furniture and the flooring. A gallery display of botanical prints behind one of the sofas leaves no doubt as to the plant passion of this home's owner.

(Image credit: Polly Eltes)

If you're looking for home library ideas, there's plenty to inspire in this bright reading nook. The daybed window seat is set into a deep alcove, the perfect place to read a book, and enjoy the sounds and sights of the garden.

(Image credit: Polly Eltes)

Incorporated into the new kitchen extension, this handy space for muddy boots and outdoor gear was a must-have for its garden designer owner. Boot room ideas include smart bespoke cabinetry with pegs for coats and a bench seat and cupboard below for shoes and other outdoor clothing.

(Image credit: Polly Eltes)

Hallway ideas were about creating another room in this transitional space. Treasured family antiques the lampbase and settle seat give a homey look and have been updated with a new cushion and lampshade.

(Image credit: Polly Eltes)

At the other side of the hall, making the most of every inch, a small partners desk is the perfect fit under the stairs, and is paired with a characterful antique chair.

Staircase ideas worth borrowing from this calm space include the botanical-inspired wallpaper, Beech, from Lewis & Wood, and the neutral runner which complements the natural choices elsewhere in the home.

(Image credit: Polly Eltes)

Even the bedroom ideas in this house are inspired by nature. The calm scheme for this room under the eaves has a countryside flavor. The bedside chests and lamps were vintage finds, the dark wood furniture providing a deeper tone of brown that picks up on the earthy highlights of other accessories in the room.

(Image credit: Polly Eltes)

A garden designer's own garden is always going to be something special, and Ailsa's certainly is that. The wide plot is divided into separate 'rooms', so that you don't take in the whole vista in one glance. Tucked into one corner is a delightful shepherd's hut, built by Ailsa's husband Ben from scrap wood. The boundaries of the garden merge with the woodland beyond.

(Image credit: Polly Eltes)

For homeowner Ailsa, the interiors of the home relate to the garden, rather than the other way round. The garden always comes first.

All the changes to the house have been designed to make the garden the main focus. Originally a small cottage, built in the 1700s with just two bedrooms, the house is now more workable as a family home. Two phases of building work added three extra bedrooms and a lounge diner, and opened up the main living spaces to the garden at the back of the house.

Such was the importance of the old apple trees and that 300-year-old yew, that Ailsa surrounded them with protective frames to shield them from the worst of the building work. The trees live on, watching over the latest additions to this special home's story.

Feature: Karen DarlowPhotographs: Polly EltesGarden design: Ailsa Richards (opens in new tab)

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This garden designer's home focuses on the outdoor space | Country | - Homes & Gardens

Fashion designer Giorgio Armani and dozens of others were forced to flee from their vacation villas overnight as firefighters worked to extinguish the remnants of two wildfires on the Sicilian island of Pantelleria on Thursday.

A photo shows flames that appear to encroach on Armanis villa, but his press office said they stopped short of the property. Armani and guests evacuated to a boat in the harbor overnight.

The head of the regions civil protection agency, Salvatore Cocina, said arson is suspected in two wildfires that forced around 30 people to seek refuge in boats or on safer parts of the island. Firefighters used Canadair planes to douse the flames, along with ground teams to protect homes. Authorities said no structures appeared to have been lost.

The islands mayor, Vincenzo Campo, told the ANSA news agency two Canadairs were working on putting out the last flames on difficult terrain and that the wind had dropped off.

After the great fear of last evening and the night spent at work, Pantelleria is returning to normal, Campo said. It seems the worst is over.

Local officials appealed for any information that would help identify the cause of the blaze, which started in two points a quarter-mile apart.

Pantelleria, located between Sicily and the Tunisia, is a popular beach and trekking destination that includes ancient archaeological sites and natural geographic formations.

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Armani, others flee wildfire on Sicilian island retreat - New York Post