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From Our Blog

Why New Homes Need Landscape Lighting

September 22, 2022 AKDSEO

People love to show off their new homes when they purchase them. It’s easy to see homes as beautiful during the day. But what happens when it gets dark? You must consider the exterior of your home when you are building or renovating it. Here are 6 reasons why 39% of homeowners and potential buyers believe landscape lighting is essential.

1. Quality Commitment

Only 10% of homeowners/prospective buyers will accept the use of lower-quality materials to make the home more affordable. This means that 90% of potential buyers will pay more to get better quality. The quality of a home should not end after it is built. People get so involved in the interior that they forget to consider the exterior. While not everyone will see your home’s interior, anyone who drives by your house gets to see it from the outside. Landscape lighting is a great way to personalize … Read More

Kitchen

The Luna Quiltalong – Background Fabric

September 22, 2022 AKDSEO

Today we are going to be talking about background fabric. To be completely honest here, I am kind of a boring background fabric person. I like to put the focus on the feature fabrics and end up using a white, off-white, or gray most of the time.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this! Some of my favorite “safe” fabric colors are Kona Bone, Kona Snow, Pure Solids in White Linen, Cotton Couture Soft White, Kona Ash, Designer Essentials Winter White, Speckled in Dove, and Designer Essentials Natural. I use one of these colors as my background fabric at least 90% of the time.

Here are some things to keep in mind as you pick a background fabric for your quilt:

If the fabric is a print, how will the print look once it is cut into pieces and sewn back together? Sometimes larger scale prints, large dots, or stripes

Property

Discount sale of Deutsche Bank London HQ highlights market

September 22, 2022 AKDSEO

Deutsche Bank’s new London headquarters is being sold after having its price cut significantly, a disposal that lays bare the impact rising rates have had on commercial property prices.

Lendlease, the Australian developer which previously redeveloped the capital’s Elephant and Castle neighbourhood, has struck an agreement with UK landlord Landsec to buy 21 Moorfields, Deutsche’s City of London base, for £809mn.

The deal displays the chilling impact of rate rises and an expected recession on the market. Landsec was originally hoping to raise closer to £1bn from a sale, according to office agents in the capital, and 21 Moorfields was valued at almost £900mn as recently as March this year.

Since then, rising rates and inflation have added to the costs facing investors and developers and seen the market seize up.

“It’s a large-scale deal [but] 12 months ago [21 Moorfields] would have been a lot pricier, let’s put it

Bathrooms

IKEA Now Sells Secondhand Furniture

September 22, 2022 AKDSEO

published about 4 hours ago

We all know the saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” But have you ever wondered how that treasure ended up as trash in the first place?

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IKEA Norway has the answers. In an ad promoting their Life Collection 2022, the company went to various Norwegian homes and found used furniture which need new owners. The video then highlights the different reasons — some serious, others more trivial — these items are being abandoned.

For instance, a SAGSTUA bed frame is being given away after the couple who owned it got a divorce. There’s also a set of TOLEDO chairs, bought in 1977, that’s being resold after the owner died last year. Another owner has put his MARKUS chair back on the market after his girlfriend found it too tacky. And then there’s a FJÄLLBO shelf that’s been

Kitchen

The Luna Quiltalong – How much fabric do I buy?

September 21, 2022 AKDSEO

If you are new to quilting, buying fabric can be a little (lot) stressful. It is not cheap, but you are about to spend a whole bunch of your time working on a project so it is worthwhile to spend time (and a little money) buying something that you really love.

The fabric requirements for the Luna Quilt are listed in the pattern and I am going to walk you through what all of these mean, talking specifically about the lap size quilt but you can apply this to any quilt size. There are 4 different types of fabric that you will need : feature fabric, background fabric, binding fabric, and backing fabric.

The Luna Quilt Fabric Requirements

FEATURE FABRIC

These are the colorful prints in my quilt. You can choose to make your quilt from scraps, fat quarters, or jelly roll strips (or really any cut of fabric you want, it just won’t match

Property

China Vanke spin-off seeks $780mn in Hong Kong’s biggest IPO

September 21, 2022 AKDSEO

China Vanke plans to raise up to $784mn in Hong Kong from the spin-off of its property management unit, which is set to test global investor appetite for real estate-related listings after a string of high-profile defaults in the sector this year.

Onewo, a subsidiary of Vanke, said it would raise up to HK$6.2bn ($784mn) from an initial public offering of about 117mn shares priced at a range of HK$47.10 to HK$52.70 each, according to a filing with the Hong Kong exchange.

The decision to list Onewo comes as Chinese authorities step up measures to support the country’s beleaguered property sector, which accounts for about a third of total economic output, as growth in the world’s second-largest economy slows.

Demand for housing in China has crumbled after a series of defaults by developers stoked a crisis of confidence among homebuyers. Last week, state banks cut deposit rates for the first

Remodel

Low-Impact Giveaway: Enter to Win Stylish, Sustainable

September 21, 2022 AKDSEO

While researching and writing our new book, Remodelista: The Low-Impact Home: A Sourcebook for Stylish, Eco-Conscious Living, over the past few years, we searched high and low for housewares that are as earth-friendly as they are design-forward. To celebrate the book’s release next month, we’re joining with Armadillo Rugs, Rough Linen, Heath Ceramics, and Goodee to give away favorite eco-conscious finds worthy of keeping around for years (and years).

One grand-prize winner will receive a linen tablecloth and napkins, a handwoven (and hardwearing) jute rug, a made-to-last ceramic serving bowl, a natural, hypoallergenic bedroll, and a copy of Remodelista: The Low Impact Home ($35), courtesy of Artisan Books. Three runner-ups will win a Goodee Hoodie and a copy of The Low Impact Home ($35).

Enter here before midnight EST on Sunday, October 2, for a chance to win, and take a look at the prizes below:

Remodelista: The Low-Impact

Bathrooms

TV shows like The Flight Attendant

September 21, 2022 AKDSEO

We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

HBO’s “The Flight Attendant” is one of those shows that you’ll instantly be hooked on. It follows Kaley Cuoco as Cassie Bowden, an alcoholic flight attendant who can’t seem to stay out of trouble.

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During the first season, Cassie finds herself waking up next to a dead passenger in a hotel room and must retrace her steps to figure out if she has committed the murder. In season 2, it appears Cassie has finally gotten her act together. Unfortunately, things aren’t always what they appear to be. Despite being mostly sober and working with the CIA on the side, Cassie still finds herself in another murder mystery.

If you’re all caught up, you can fill the hole in

Home’s

How We’ve Gotten By for 2 Months Without a Working Kitchen

September 21, 2022 AKDSEO

We’ve officially reached the 8 week mark since our former kitchen cabinets, countertops and sink were removed by their new owners. 2 months without a working kitchen has been tricky, but here’s how we’ve been getting through it!

Kim and Scott in a partially renovated kitchen | How we've gotten by for 2 months without a working kitchen | via Yellow Brick Home — our sconces

We Set Up an Auxiliary Sink

We’re lucky enough to have a bathroom right around the corner from our kitchen, so we’ve set up a dish washing/drying station that allows us to easily clean the essentials. During this interim period, we’ve packed away (almost) all our dishes, glasses and cookware to keep them safe and dust-free. We did keep out a few coffee mugs, a stack of bamboo cups, and a nice knife to help bridge the gap. But overall, we’ve largely switched to ‘disposable’ dishes and silverware to avoid the scratches and scrapes that could result from washing metal utensils and ceramic dishes in our small bathroom sink.

Cleaning dishes and reusable plastic serveware at the bathroom sink | How we've gotten by for 2 months without a working kitchen | via Yellow Brick Home — our

Kitchen

Steamed Clams with Broth (without wine)

September 20, 2022 AKDSEO

Steamed clams without wine in a fragrant broth – delicious with hearty bread, pasta, or on their own! A simple steamed clams recipe that cooks in 10 minutes or less!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Zoup! Good, Really Good®. All opinions are 100% mine.

Steamed clams in broth without wine in a white pot.

Over the summer, I stole away for 24 hours on the Sonoma coast, a much-needed getaway I, at the time, did not realize I needed. While sitting at a rugged wood table by a fire pit, watching the ocean lap the shore, I found myself fully content. In front of me was a bowl of steamed clams in a broth kissed by its briny aroma, a hunk of warm sourdough bread, and a napkin to help me stay neat after tucking into my feast. It was the perfect meal, simple and fresh, light but satisfying.

Steamed clams are one of