Create Garden Room with Natural Choice

Create a garden room from the mudroom you no longer need for kids’ snowsuits and unfolded laundry. A garden room devoted to potting plants, growing seedlings, and storing your basket collection brings the sights and smells of the good earth indoors. Here’s how to create a garden room and turn a drab space into a natural retreat.

Garden room must-haves

Sink: Keep it deep for rinsing slugs off garden vegetables or cleaning muddy trowels. A stand-alone stainless steel sink from a kitchen supply store is a workhorse ($250 to $1400), but a plastic tub ($80) will do, too.

 Countertops: When you create a garden room, more countertop is better for repotting plants or pressing seeds into soil. Counter space next to the sink makes cleanup easier. Stainless steel is best because it won’t stain and you won’t care about scratches. Cost: $75/sq. ft. If your budget is tight, use an old wood table that a few more scars won’t hurt.

Storage: Throw up some cabinets in your new garden room; you can get deals at Habitat for Humanity ReStore resale outlets ($45 for a single cabinet), rescue school lockers from a yard sale, or stack and anchor inexpensive bins to a wall. A forged iron curtain rod with some large J hooks is a great place to hang baskets for less than $100.

Light: Your seedlings and hanging plants will love natural light. Replace wood doors with a swinging all-glass door. Rip down window treatments to maximize light.

Flooring:  Choose a surface in your garden room that won’t show dirt and is easy to clean. Vinyl sheets ($8 to $10/sq. yd.), are best. Ceramic tile (typically $1 to $10/sq. ft.) is sturdy and can give a natural feel to your space. To hide dirt, use darker tiles and grout. Also, make sure you periodically reseal grout lines to keep out dirt.

Caralee Adams, a veteran journalist, has written for Better Homes and Gardens, Parents, Fitness, and The Wall Street Journal

source: houselogic

Remodeling Project of an Edwardian Terrace House

Situated in Hammersmith, London, below is a beautiful remodeling project of an Edwardian terrace house. Finished by Paul McAneary Architects, the house consists of three bedrooms with twofloor levels. The house is aimed to fulfill the client wish because they want a contemporary design and functionality. Besides that, the client also desires to have a garden as a continuation of the indoor area. The house is finished in concept that make the whole design is a 30-degree twist, offering physical and perceptive overlapping between the out and indoor. This concept let enough natural light to fill in the room during the day. The kitchen-living area is expanded to the externallandscape, giving perfect composition of connection between outdoor and indoor area. Complemented with frameless glass skylight and open façade, the area is flooded by enough sunlight. The house is adorned with a small garden area at the backyard, which is near to the kitchen area. The floating external deck is an ideal spot for enjoying the warm of the sun or evening tea with family. Here is a few from the architect “The angle facilitates the overlap between the garden and kitchen thresholds – so whilst at the sink you feel the garden is actually behind you. This conceptual idea is manifest in the details of the faceted zinc facade and the floating external deck, being cut back to a fine angled edge.”

source: homedug

Modern Roof Garden Design

Not everyone is blessed with large outdoor area, but there is always a way to create a garden to your home. Roof garden is one of useful technique that allows you to have a small outdoor space for enjoying the breeze and blue sky. The idea came from Simon Morray-Jones Architects, Clair Strong Interior Styling and UK-based BlueSky Landscape. Below garden is situated on two-storey urban apartment that present as an extension of the living area. This contemporary garden is decorated with low-maintenance plants and cozy outdoor furniture. This is a smart garden design for a busy people that will not have enough time to take care of the plants. The roof garden is also completed with a food prep space and dining areas, providing a small heaven in hectic city life. 

source : homedug