#walnut stained garage door

[kingwenish]

Exterior - Traditional Exterior Image of a medium-sized, elegant, two-story concrete and fiberboard house exterior

[satan-ryoasuka]

Exterior - Traditional Exterior

Image of a medium-sized, elegant, two-story concrete and fiberboard house exterior

[lumimarjan]

Kitchen Great Room Minneapolis A mid-sized classic l-shaped open concept kitchen design with a medium tone wood floor and an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, a white backsplash, a stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, and an island is an example.

[theretirementstory]

Bonjour et bienvenue from a cloudy Bar-sur-Aube where the temperature is only 6c. It has been windy and yesterday did it pour with rain! It was wet inside and outside of my house, I really do wish that on one dry day the roofer will arrive and fix this problem. I can’t see it being done this side of Christmas but I have been wrong before 😉.

So what have I been doing this week? Well it has been week three of radiotherapy so that’s 15 sessions “under my belt” which means there are just two more sessions to go 😁. That gives me the opportunity to plan my Christmas and New Year meals. I think I have decided on the starter, Marinated Goats Cheese with Pears and Walnuts 😋, I think a light dessert too so thought pavlova or meringue with fruit and cream. I was going to have filet mignon (pork) but am contemplating a turkey breast with sage and onion stuffing, bread sauce, roast potatoes, roasted parsnips and sprouts.

The car went to the garage as it had been recalled. I waited the 45 minutes and everything was fine. That was really good news as at the moment I am out in the car every day.

With all the rain and frost we have been having the cyclamen were getting waterlogged and I really don’t want to lose them. I moved them under the laurel bush, thinking it may be a bit drier there for them. The chrysanthemums now have brown heads on the flowers but I have left them where they are.

The other afternoon I came out of the house and running up my driveway was something brown, aaargh I thought a rat then realised it was a hedgehog, what on earth was it doing out in the daylight and should it not have been curled up sleeping for the winter? I managed to get quite close to get a photo (but not close enough to see fleas etc). The next day, about lunchtime, I was going out in the car and saw the young hedgehog again walking along the grass verge, I decided if it was still out and about when I got back I would put it into a box. Well yes it was still pootling around, did I go and get a box, no I didn’t, he looked happy enough “grubbing along the verge” then he decided to cross the road, so standing downwind of him I was the “lollipop lady” I would have jumped in front of a car if it had approached (well maybe). He limboed under a neighbours gate and proceeded down his driveway. Now I had seen this neighbour walking home from the shop so I waited to tell him he had a hedgehog in his garden, he spoke to me as if to a child who had seen it’s first hedgehog 😂😂. My next door neighbour was telling me that they had had a rat in the garden (shiver) and it had come right up to their French doors and stood on its hind legs and looked inside the window (was he winding me up?). Anyway the next he knew there was a BIG hedgehog in the garden seeing off the rat (not into my garden thank goodness) was he “pulling my leg?”

I read “online” (so it must be true) that from 1 January 2024, here in France, food waste is not to be put in your dustbin, it must be composted. Well I will put my fruit and vegetable waste into my own composter but any other waste, bread, skin off meat and fish won’t be going anywhere near my own composter, I hope they have bins in town as, if that’s what they want, I will put it in there. I have been putting the sunflower heads (minus seeds) dead flowers and my vegetable peelings into the composter, not that I expect any grubs, snails etc to be in there to turn them into compost but I can just hope.

Last Sunday I went to the Marche de Noel in Bayel. What a surprise I got when I went into the Salle there were about 30 exhibitors selling all kinds of items, artists with their paintings, authors with their books, of course the association of which the knitting workshop is part, but there were stained glass items, woodworked items and the knitted, crocheted and sewn items. Although not a lot of sales on the knitted, crocheted items a lot of the stained glass items were sold. I found out afterwards that Marlene had been there but we never saw each other. What a shame, it would have been nice to catch up.

On Monday, I got a bit of a shock, according to the newspaper there was a fire at “La Pomme d’Or”hotel/bar, a woman and her daughter were taken to hospital. The fire broke out in the early hours of Sunday morning! On Friday I read that a man in his 50’s had been charged with attempted assassination and destruction of property by dangerous means. Then yesterday I read that the towns Mayor has filed a complaint for alleged theft against his deputy. Blimey it all happens in this town!

Anie is preparing for her trip to Indonesia, I have wrapped her presents and will deliver them when she returns. Monique tested positive for Covid so has not been to see me and she messages that she hopes to visit as soon as she can.

On Friday evening I met Pauline, we went to the travelling exhibition from the Centre Pompidou in Paris which had rolled up in town. I had seen it advertised weeks before and sent the piece from the journal to inform Pauline. What an exhibition! I am not big on art and to wander around a huge place looking at works is overload for me, so this grand camion with the display was perfect, a bite sized chunk not too much to overload the senses. I wanted to take photos of the lights in the street so I drove us back to town, parked by the river and we walked to opposite her grandmas house. I got one photo then we stood talking for goodness knows how long, my feet felt rooted to the spot! I had such a lovely evening that when I got home my mind was just so active and I was on a bit of a “high”.

Music slot puts in an appearance and again it’s two different songs, same title and these two were from the same year, 1979. The title is “Angel Eyes” by ABBA and Roxy Music.

“The Trainee Solicitor” and “The Ex-Graduate” have both felt a little unwell this week, is it a cold, ‘flu or Covid??? “The Trainee Solicitor” waved goodbye to his motor vehicle it has gone to the car graveyard. Good news for “The Ex-Graduate” an interview is on the cards for this week for a “real” job, she is fed up of working this interim job now so fingers crossed.

“The Daddy” had one works Xmas “do” last night, at Sneaton Hall in Whitby. I asked what was on the menu and he had no idea! Blimey me shows where my thoughts lie all the time doesn’t it? Is it a mum thing or just the thoughts of someone who loves food 😂😂.

I had mentioned to Maud that in the New Year we will go to “La Belvedere” again and have already checked out the menu 😂😂.

The cinema in town posted their programme on social media, I noticed that Napoleon was on but not in VO so I emailed and asked if they would be showing it in the original version. They replied that they are showing the film through to 19 December hopefully with a few sessions in VO but they have to get approval for that from the films distributor. Fingers crossed folks!

Last night, I decided to stuff a few dates to put with some chocolates for my ladies at the knitting group on Friday. I also found a recipe for fudge made in the microwave, sounds easy, so I may give it a try this year.

Wow there has been a lot happening this week.

The photos are of the Chateau in Vendeuvre -sur-Barse and taken from the brochure, the painting that I found caught my eye at the exhibition.

Jusqu’à la semaine prochaine

[tallbisexualwantstobeloved]

Daredevil, Crackfic challenge.

@call-me-sammy @do-androids-dream-ao3acc @whumpdoyoumean

Matthew Murdock was walking silently, focusing hard on his -available- senses to find what he was looking for.

Unfortunately, the solo vigilante couldn't seem to find it and, thus, turned to the next aisle.

As it turns out, enhanced hearing and physical abilities are not exactly suited for looking through an Aldi for clothes.

Matt passed quickly through the current aisle he was in -as all he could smell was soup- and turned to the next with the hope of finally finding the shirts he was looking for.

Why do they always change the layout of this place? He thought, annoyed.

At long last, Matt picked up the scent of new clothes, freshly out of whatever garage they were kept in before being put on the shelves.

Slowly and meticulously, he felt the cloths to check the material.

He would have to ask an employee about the colour of the shirts he was picking since he didn't want a repeat of that time; Foggy still cried with laughter when remembering that incident.

Matt held out his white cane in one hand and a shirt in the other and set to find any employee to help him.

Thankfully, he didn't have to look far as one rushed to him, immediately asking if he wanted help.

"Yes, could you tell me what colour these shirts are?" He asked, presenting the clothe to the worker.

"White." The employee said with a little too much excitement.

First day, Matt thought and asked for the size of it.

The shirt in his hand was in his size, luckily, and he went back with the same employee to get more of them.

Lord knows how easily they get dirty, so it made sense for the lawyer to buy them in bulk.

"Would that be all, sir?" The employee asked, basically balancing on the balls of their feet, in his hands were five shirts that they insisted on carrying.

Matt thought for only a second before he decided to ask about what kind of clothe detergent would be appropriate for hard stains.

The employee lead him through the building and into an aisle that had a suspicious lack of the usual scent of chemical cleaning products.

"These do wonders for all kind of stains and odors!" The worker said as Matt stood there, very much unable to see whatever 'these' were.

"Oh, shit!" Matt heard being whispered and next thing he knew there were small, odd textured balls in his fist and a slight scent of vinegar wafted in front of him.

"Throw these in with the clothes and they'll be just like new!" Matt could practically hear the worker's excited smile, just like a salesman he had seen on television one late night when his father hadn't yet returned from the ring.

Matt put on his best smile and thanked the employee before he was lead -more unwilling than not- to the checkout after saying that he didn't need anything else when he was asked.

It didn't take long for the cashier to scan his items and soon, the lawyer was on his way to his apartment to drop his things off before heading to work.

It was still early enough that he didn’t have to run but Matt didn't want to dawdle for long.

After all, he had customers waiting for him.

Unfortunately, it was while thinking of one customer that he missteped, tripping over the little crack on the pavement and falling onto the ground.

As both his hands were currently occupied, Matt didn't have a way to break his fall, unless he wasn't against using the perfectly placed trash bin beside him.

Well, he was, and thus opted to fall to the ground.

And, this being New York, the ground was the worst choice that won you four different kinds of tetanus and more importantly, dirt. So much dirt.

So, it wasn't surprising when Matt's perfectly clean-and-ready-for-lawyering shirt went from white to a nice brown-gray almost immediately.

Instantly, the people on the sidewalk on his side came to a stop, looking at the downed blind man for a moment and promptly walking away.

This is fine, Matt thought and picked himself -and his bags- up by seeing through his fire-filled world.

Once up, Matt decided to grab a fresh shirt while he left his bags at his apartment; walking a little faster since he didn't want to be late for work.

It wasn't long before he had the fresh, clean smelling, shirt on and running out of the door as quickly as a 'blind' man could without bumping into every corner.

A relatively short walk took Matt right outside the building's main door and through their office's one.

He greeted his coworkers, Foggy and Karen, as per usual and sat down on his own desk to get started on reading some new cases they debated taking.

It wasn't until an hour later that Matt got up to get [something]. The [whatever] was above his head and Matt reached his hand up to grab it, already hearing Karen getting up to help him if needed.

Foggy looked up from his own papers for a second, bit did a double take fast at the red colour on Matt's white shirt as his suit jacket lifted with the movement of his arm.

He got up and slowly walked over, Karen still looming behind the blind lawyer while said lawyer held [REDACTED] in his hand.

"Matty, can I speak to you for a second?"

Matt tilted his head slightly and nodded, allowing Foggy to lead him over to his office before closing the door.

Foggy let Matt's forearm go as soon as they were inside the small room and sighed;

"It's way too early for this, Matt."

Matt frowned in confusion at the, what felt like, scolding that was brewing inside Foggy's mind.

"It's 12 P.M., Fog, we both decided on the time to come into work." He said, genuinely confused.

"What? No, I don't mean that it's too early for work, I'm saying it's too early for all your-" Foggy waved his hand around like he was performing a spell, -Matt would have laughed, had he... you know-, "-vigilantism."

"I wasn't vigi- I wasn't fighting bad guys before work, Foggy!"

Foggy's silence said so much to Matt as he could feel the dubious side eye he was getting.

"I wasn't fighting bad guys before work today, Foggy."

He heard Foggy huff at that but he seemed to relent.

"Why are you bleeding, then?" Foggy whispered angrily.

"I'm not bleeding." Matt said, seriously confused now.

"Yes, you are." Foggy insisted.

"No." One word to kill a man.

"Matt! You have blood here!" He said and poked his finger right where the 'wound' was, absolutely taking into consideration that that could have hurt. Absolutely.

Matt felt the poke but it didn't hurt so he put his own hand above the spot Foggy had pointed at.

He felt an odd texture over the spot, unlike the texture of the rest of the shirt and realisation hit him.

"This... is an old shirt."  He said quietly, "Shit, I grabbed the wrong shirt."

"Let's just go to your apartment to grab another one." Foggy suggested, "Unless you can produce one from thin air." Matt couldn't.

Both man grabbed their suitcases before making a beeline for the exit when Karen stopped them.

"Where are you going, guys? The office is swarming with customers right now." She said as she pointed it to their very, very empty office space.

"We won't be long, Ms Paige!" Foggy announced, practically dragging Matt behind him.

-

The two avocados found themselves in Matt's apartment soon and instantly Foggy raided the closet for a clean shirt for his friend to wear while Matt took off the dirty one and threw it in the washing machine.

Foggy stopped looking through the clothes -or lack thereof- when he heard strange scrunching sounds.

The man really got a kick when he saw Matt trying to open a plastic bag with some kind of nuts in it.

"Matt..." He called out, "What have I told you about making sure you eat in the morning?"

"This isn't breakfast, Fog." Matt said while still struggling, "This is for the washing machine."

"Your washing machine is hungry?" Foggy whispered, perplexed.

"No." Double homicide.

Foggy walked closer to Matt and saw more clearly the little baggie.

"Oh, walnuts! I thought they were out of season." Foggy said in a moment of enlightenment.

"They are not walnuts, they're soapnuts!"

"They're what now?"

"Soapnuts. They're supposed to be great at cleaning even the hardest stain."

"Uh, even blood?" He sounded doubtful, as he should.

"Well, the worker at the store said they work wonders."

"Okay, but. Blood, Matt. That does not come off easily as you know."

"We'll just give it a try, Foggy." Matt said and threw some of the nuts in the washing machine before starting a half-hour cycle.

Foggy mumbled a variation of 'alright' and went back to the closet.

He grabbed a shirt that seemed new and threw it at Matt who was busy "staring" at the wall right next to the washing machine.

Matt caught the shirt moments before it fell to the floor after hitting his face and put it on with a 'thanks, Fog.

The half-hour washing cycle turned out to take up three quarters of an hour, so that was a fucking lie, and Matt got the wet shirt out of it, holding it up;

"Perfect!" He exclaimed and heard Foggy shuffling next to him.

"Matthew?" His friend said slowly, carefully.

"Mhm?" Matt replied, eloquent as ever.

"The shirt is white, right?"

"Yes. Isn't it?"

"Uh... Pastel pink has some white in it, I guess."

"Well, yes. Pastel pink has to have whit- Wait a minute!" Matt stopped abruptly, "This shirt isn't white anymore, is it?"

"Nope!" Foggy popped the 'P' like he was a 14-year-old girl getting ready to be lawfully abducted by a boy band.

"Damn." Matt sighed.

"Careful with those damns, Matthew."

"Sorry, Father- FOGGY!" Matt shouted, scandalised.

Foggy snorted as he and Matt put the, now, pink shirt away and grabbed their things to head back to the office, wondering how Karen is doing.

-

Karen sat on her desk, typing away at her computer all the people she saw today with new cases.

It was a busy day with more customers that usual.

Two.

~end

[betsyandmaxwellandduchessohmy]

can we get headcanons/reactions for a dadsona who's like, The Ernest Whisperer? they get along pretty famously, dadsona is really good at making ernest make better choices without being condescending about it. it's not perfect, but "dude, if you're gonna set fire to that trash can, you need a fuse or you'll blow your eyebrows off" is better than shutting him down or ignoring it altogether. like the mom in mean girls, steerin regina towards the Safer choice.

((I feel like I should say right off the bat; this is not part of the Lemon Boy continuity. There's two more parts to that but this isn't one of them. So Ernest is getting a bunch of love and I adore it. Honestly, Ernest is gonna be doing stupid, dangerous shit anyway, we might as well make sure he’s at least being safe about it. Also I love Ernest channeling his angst through artistic pursuits, so I’m adding it here.))

~~~

Summer had arrived. Amanda had graduated, and the kids of the cul-de-sac were free to their adventures. Which, of course, meant the troublemakers were free to their trouble.

You’d become something of an expert at dealing with the troublemakers, seeing as your daughter could be considered such by certain people, and you yourself had been considered such in your younger years by other certain people who were… probably dead by now, honestly. 

You’d gotten to know all the neighborhood kids pretty well since moving in, but you’d be lying if you said you didn’t have favorites. All the kids seemed to like you well enough - Craig’s girls invited you to their games from time to time, Joseph’s oldest seemed to have taken an interest in your garden for some reason, and Daisy and Carmensita might favor Amanda over you on any given day, but they were polite and sweet and complimented your cooking, so you weren’t too sore about it. But hands down, you got on with Ernest and Lucien the best. You remembered what it was like to be that age, and you were proud to say you’d managed to get through where others said was impassable. You could tell the boys liked you, even if they refused to admit it. Maybe they could tell that you’d been like them, once upon a time. Trouble begets trouble, after all. It felt like they’d made an unspoken bet to see who could push you further. Who could get you to agree to or help with the most outlandish thing. 

Lucien made you tag along while he did graffiti on the underside of the bridge by the dam. You lent him your spare respirator mask and kept an eye out for police and neighborhood watch.

Ernest found an abandoned factory a little ways from the cul-de-sac, and insisted on going there to fuck around. You managed to casually ask Hugo if Ernest was up to date on his tetanus shots and managed to convince Ernest not to swing from rafters or mess around with any old blades.

Lucien convinced you to give him and his friends a ride to a concert in the next city over. You paid for a last minute ticket and tagged along to make sure they’d be okay, and even managed to get a guy kicked out when you saw him slip something in one of Lucien’s friend’s drinks. 

Ernest roped you into a paintball war in the more wooded area of the park. You supplied face shields and forced disposable rain ponchos over his and his friend’s heads. They didn’t help very much or last very long, but there was slightly less paint on them than there would have been, so it was a win. As was getting the paint stains out of Ernest’s favorite hoodie.

But beyond that - beyond the bet and the games and the stupid dangerous shit you tried to buffer them from, you knew that they trusted you. By this point, Hugo and Damien knew that their kids saw you as someone safe to lean on, and while Damien was simply glad, Hugo was more than a little baffled. You offered him what advice you could, but you knew that sometimes, your dad just felt too close. Hugo was getting the hang of it, but it was easier for you.

When Damien went out of town for the weekend, it was you that Lucien called when he started feeling unsafe at the house party he’d gone to.

When Ernest’s friends ditched him when they ran from the cops, he called you to come get him from the alley he’d hidden himself in.

Every time, you made sure they weren’t hurt. You made sure they weren’t scared. You promised not to tell their dads. You took them out for ice cream or greasy all-night diner food. And you brought them home.

You were accustomed to the boys deciding that doing stupid shit sounded like the best idea in the world. So when you saw Ernest and a few of his friends bumming around the orange-clad kid’s driveway, you kept an eye on them while you went about your business. Stores had been stocking up on firecrackers since April, so you wouldn’t be surprised if the rapscallions had managed to get their hands on a few here and there. You hesitated briefly before turning your back, brushing the last few flecks into place before straightening up again, smiling down at the beautiful thing you’d made. A frown tugged at your face, though, when you went for your pocket and found you’d misplaced your lighter. Poking around the garage for a moment, you spotted it on the little table you’d set up beside the garage door. Reaching for it, you paused, poking your head out into the summer air.

Ernest and his friends had migrated to Joseph’s trash cans. There was laughter - always a good sign - and they were pressed close together to block your view of what they were doing to the poor bin, but you had the feeling it wasn't going to be good.

When you saw one of the boys pull a lighter from his pocket you turned on a dime, marching over and plucking the large cylinder off the top of the trash bags, holding it up over your head and out of reach of any of the little monsters.

“Just what in the Styx do you boys think you’re doing?” you asked. Before anyone could answer, the figures immediately scattered, like the rats in ratatouille. They all ran in different directions, seeming to think that you couldn’t catch all of them. They were right, but you only really needed to catch Ernest, who had stumbled back from the can and was looking up at you with what could only be described as a pout. Slowly lowering the bundle, you gave it a glance. 

Sparklers.

Well, at least it wasn’t bottle rockets or something. 

"I- I feel like I should ask what your thought process was here?" you confessed, looking at the bundle of unlit sparklers. There must have been well over five hundred there, how did they get a hold of that many sparklers??

"Logan saw a video of a guy lighting ten thousand sparklers on fire. They wouldn't sell us that many, but I still think it was pretty impressive."

"What's impressive is that you guys were going to stand here, a foot away from a trashcan filled with sparklers, and expected not to wind up with your faces melted off,” you laughed softly in disbelief. “You’ve lit enough stuff on fire by this point that I feel like you, of all people, should know to use a fuse, if nothing else. Where's your dad, anyway?" 

"The school," Ernest grunted, kicking at a loose pebble on the pavement. "Had some stuff to finish before he's done for summer."

You sighed, running a hand through your hair. You felt for the poor guy - reigning in reckless teens as a single parent was hard enough working from home, you couldn't imagine the position Hugo was in.

“Listen, I get the interest in firepower better than most - a little destructive force is cool and fun and all, I’m just staying there’s safer ways to go about it,” you insisted, sighing and running a hand over your face. Ernest, for his part, had the decency to look at least a little ashamed. A smile tugged at your lips as you looked back up at the garage. There was a thought... “Hey. If you’re still in the mood for some fire, I’ve got something you might like,” you offered. Ernest’s brows furrowed in confusion, and you nodded toward your garage, your smile growing just slightly when he fell into step beside you. “Y’know, my dad doesn’t really like me going into shady guy’s garages,” Ernest hummed, stepping past the garage door as if to make a point. “Sound advice. Good thing I’m not that shady,” you chuckled, mimicking Ernest’s skeptical look and throwing it back at him. “We’re neighbors with Robert, arguably the shadiest dude around. I’m comparatively way less shady. No offense to Robert. Now come check this out.” Ernest rolled his eyes, but did as instructed, stepping up to the large slice of walnut set up on sawhorses. The round of wood still had its bark attached to its edges, and black flecks were spread across the piece, shading in the image of a pair of crows perched on a gnarled branch, almost lifelike in their detail. “O… kay. What am I looking at?” he asked, arching a brow. “Like, not that it’s not cool, but… um?” You couldn’t keep the chuckle back, setting the sparkler bomb on your workbench and you pulling your lighter from your pocket. “What you’re looking at, Ernest, is best known as gunpowder painting,” you hummed, tossing up the lighter and catching it in your hand. Ernest’s expression changed from confused boredom to a level of fascination in a flash, his gaze darting up to your face. Tossing up the lighter once more, you caught it and held it out to the kid. “Care to do the honors?”

Ernest took the lighter, looking at the black flecks, and glancing warily back up at you before flicking the little device. Reaching out with a steady hand, he lit the end of the branch, watching with unbridled delight as the image went up in flames, each fleck of powder burning a small mark into the wood before going out quickly. You silently guided him back a step as the flames got higher, and for half a second, Ernest feared that the two of you might burn your garage down, until he noticed the sheet of metal you’d strung up from the garage rafters, protecting the wood. The kid laughed a little at the sight, and you couldn’t help but ruffle his hair. You knew Hugo had a fair bit of trouble with him, but he really was a good kid. He just needed a guiding hand.

Seconds later, the flames died, and the crows were burnt into the wood, beautiful and visually interesting. “That was so cool!” Ernest grinned brightly, reaching out to run his fingers over the burn marks. “Mind it- it’s still a little hot,” you warned, smiling as you moved to retrieve a container of walnut oil. “It’s a little more precise than a wood burning tool. Unlit gunpowder’s a bit more forgiving.” “Can we do another??” he asked, though his smile dimmed a bit when he saw the apologetic look you wore. “Sorry, kiddo. You’ll have to give me a while - I’m out of powder. But I’ll tell you what - once I get this bad boy to Damien, I’ll get some more powder and a few pieces of wood, and you can make your own piece, how’s that sound?”

“Seriously?”

"Hey, have I ever gone back on my word?" You asked, looking out at the cul-de-sac. The sun had begun it’s descent to the western horizon, and soon the neighborhood would be lit up and golden. “How about we have a fire? Then I can keep an eye on you till your dad gets back, and you can burn some stuff.” “I don’t need a babysitter.” Ernest rolled his eyes, but he didn’t snap the words at you, so you didn’t think he was annoyed enough to stomp off. “But you do like burning things,” you shrugged, moving toward the old fridge you’d pushed up beside the door leading into the house. “You’re welcome to a soda, if you want one.” Plucking up a small plastic cooler, you grabbed a container of kerosine, intending to squirt a little on your fire pit to get it started. When you reached for your lighter, and found it missing, it appeared instead by your face, held out by a kid who looked to be trying desperately to appear as if he wasn’t interested. A smile tugged at your lips, and you took the offered lighter. “Thanks, kiddo.” Ernest shrugged, sitting in one of the lawn chairs before standing and scooting it closer to the fire pit. You noticed a can in his hand and your grin widened. Once the fire was lit, you pulled out a can for yourself and sat in the other chair, sighing softly as you relaxed. 

“Man, you’re so much cooler than Hugo,” Ernest groaned, leaning back on his chair. You winced in sympathy for your neighbor, carding a hand through your hair. “Hey, your dad is very cool,” you insisted, earning a look that clearly asked if you were serious. “I mean it! Just because he’s more reserved and cautious than I am, doesn’t mean that he’s not cool. He’s just… Hugo is more or less the Jamie to my Adam.” Ernest looked at you blankly and you sighed, shaking your head. “Look. Hugo’s your dad. I’m not. Hugo’s the one who has to be responsible for you - It’s not any more fun being the parent that has to be responsible all the time than it is being the kid being told what to do. Your dads have been divorced how long now?”

“... year and a half,” Ernest muttered, looking uncomfortably into his soda can.

“Exactly. That’s not a lot of time to find a proper balance between Fun Supportive Dad and Authoritarian Dad. My spouse died when Amanda was still a kid, so I’ve had most of her life to figure it out and get it right, and I still don’t get it right all the time. 

“Your dad doesn’t like to do anything hastily, and I like to do everything incredibly hastily. So therein you have the dichotomy of our patterns,” you hummed, picking up your soda and taking a swig. “There’s a difference between being a good dad and a good parent. They’re not mutually exclusive, but it’s hard to strike a balance. Good parents make sure you’re eating healthy and getting good grades and learning the right lessons. Good dads… hm. Good dads…"

You trailed off, seeing out of the corner of your eye how Ernest was looking at you. Nervous, but thoughtful. Pensive. You shook your head, deciding to try another explanation.

"Okay, stop me if I start to sound patronizing."

"Kay," he agreed, seeming to brace himself. You took a deep breath, hoping beyond hope that you could word this right.

"Hugo is a single parent now. He's so emotionally invested in, and drained by, raising you right, that he doesn't have the energy to do the fun stuff that you get to do with your other dad. 

"Your other dad? He's probably more like me. But he gets to see you on the weekends. Hugo has you all week during the school year. He's the one who has to… to make sure you get up on time, to make sure you get your homework done. And because Hugo does that, your other dad doesn't have to worry about it, so he can focus on taking you fun places and doing cool stuff with you, the way I do. There's no doubt in my mind that Hugo would love to encourage a safe level of pyromania, or go to events with you, but he's busy making sure you have the capacity to be a functional adult when the time comes.”

"Okay, I… I see your point. But it's not like I'm asking him to spend time with me and my friends, or- or go to a concert with me,” he didn’t emphasize the point, but you still caught the jab. You hadn’t been able to convince Hugo to let him come to that concert with you and Lucien, and you had been worried that he was a little bitter about it. “I mean - that stuff might be nice if he wasn’t so lame. I just want him to let me do stuff with my friends. Like, trust me once in a while, y’know?” “Okay. I know how this is gonna sound, but… you gotta prove he can trust you. Kiddo, you’re a pyro in the making, and that can be scary for a parent. You gotta show him that you’re smart enough to be trusted with safety stuff. Same with school stuff, same with friend stuff. The more good decisions you make, the more he’ll trust you to make more good decisions.” Ernest sighed. Not exactly exasperated, but not exactly resigned either. “I know it’s not easy, but you don’t have to get it right away,” you assured gently, taking another swig of your soda. “And you can still do stupid dangerous shit sometimes, because stupid dangerous shit is fun and ridiculous and I know you’re never gonna fully stop.”

Your talk with Ernest lasted a lot longer than you expected, the western sky had dulled from cool blue to a soft violet once the sun sank below the horizon, and stars began to fleck the sky. You weren’t sure when the kid dozed off, but when you looked over at him, his face had gone slack and peaceful. You silently thanked the powers that be that he’d put his can in the cupholder. A flash of movement caught your eye, and you craned your neck to the side of the house, spotting a familiar figure poking his head around the corner.

“Hugo, hey,” you greeted, waving him over. The teacher tentatively made his way across the lawn, standing just behind your chair to the side opposite Ernest. “I was just coming by to ask if you’d seen him,” he confessed awkwardly, looking at his son. “He’s been here since about noon, when I stopped him from blowing up Joseph’s bins,” you grinned. Hugo gave a soft groan, rubbing his face in exasperation. “MC, I’m so sorry-” “No, don’t be! We had a great time,” you assured, giving him a grin. “I showed him my new piece, and we had a chat.” Hugo frowned curiously, but nodded, and ran a hand through his hair. You offered him a soda and he took it, seemingly without thinking “Once I get the supplies, I told him we could do some gunpowder painting. You should join us.” Hugo very nearly choked on his soda.

“Relax, it’s all very safe,” you promised, laughing softly as he recovered. “I showed him the piece I was making for Damien and he seemed interested. Might be a good outlet for the firestarter tendency.” “I see. I don’t know if I…” “Just give it a shot? It might be something fun for you guys to do together.”

Hugo gave pause, looking between you two, and you smiled when he nodded after a moment’s hesitation. “I’ll… I'll think about it,” he agreed. Smiling, you leaned over, gently shaking Ernest’s arm. “Kiddo. C’mon, time for you to head home.” Ernest grunted, half asleep even as he pushed out of his chair. Hugo moved to place a hand on his back, and either from sheer tiredness or some shade of incredible wakefulness, he didn’t push out of Hugo’s grip. “Thank you, MC.” “Anytime. I’ll let you know when I get more powder, kay, Ernest?”

The teen nodded, allowing Hugo to guide him back out of the yard. You really hoped you hadn’t gone too far today. You wanted good things for your neighbors, and you wanted to help them however you could. Hopefully you could do that without overstepping. You sighed softly, looking up at the stars spattered across the night sky and the cinders that rose from the fire. Hopefully you could help without anyone getting burned.

[stargatesandgarage]

Choose the Best in Wood and Metal Garage Doors

When looking at the readily available choices for garage doors, most purchasers will immediately find that a huge part of their inventory offered are either made from wood or steel. Between wood and steel, each has its own good and bad. Wood can be more pricey than steel. It is also considered even more visually pleasing. Steel doors, on the other hand, are more economical. They are likewise more durable. However, some people may consider them as drab, unappealing and uninteresting. At the end of the day, your selection of garage doors in Westchester will depend on your budget along with your personal tastes and choices.

Wooden garage doors are more popular for property owners who live in residences with more standard looks. These go specifically well with Victoria, cattle ranch or colonial design residences. Take a look at your home from the exterior. If you see a lot of wooden elements in your home, then you need to probably go with wooden. When dealing with wooden doors, there are also a big number of choices. You can paint them, stain them and you can even have them carved with a design of your choice if your budget allows it. Nevertheless, you should make certain that the wood you are using for your garage doors are properly weather proofed. Unattended wood can get harmed over time after exposure to the elements. The good news is that a lot of pre-made wooden garage product are already treated so chances are, you will not need to bother with this little detail.

Steel are popular generally for their rate as well as for their longevity. With proper upkeep a steel garage door can easy last a lifetime or more. They also come in a broad range of kind that you can choose from. You can also discover steel product made to mimic the appearance of wooden doors from a distance.

When selecting the right kind of garage doors, you will require to put in a lot of idea and effort. Once you have actually chosen the best doors, you should likewise work with a garage doors Westchester specialist to install it for you.

Garage door in Canada :-

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[dawnjeman]

Interior Design Ideas: Modern English Tudor Design

  Hello, my wonderful friends! It’s great to have you here for a new “Interior Design Ideas”.

Meticulously built by Hendel Homes and with interiors by Danielle Loven of Vivid Interior Design, the architectural direction of this Modern English Tudor residence expertly balances modern and traditional elements, reflecting on the common threads of an English Tudor country house and Hamptons grandeur. The result? A casual, sophisticated home that feels perfectly at ease in its Midwestern foundation.

This modern reinvention of timeless design delights with highly refined and detailed living spaces spread over three floors and I am sure this house tour will inspire you from the beginning to the end.

Try to relax, have a good time and pin your favorite interior design pictures! These stunning pictures by Susan Gilmore Photography and Landmark Photography should fill up your boards!

  Interior Design Ideas: Modern English Tudor Design

This home is a flawless modern interpretation of English Tudor architecture and it’s situated at the end of a cul-de-sac in a quiet neighborhood in Minnesota.

The stucco is custom color.

Landmark Photography.

Windows

Windows are Marvin Windows in “Bronze”.

Landmark Photography.

Front Porch

Porch flooring is stamped concrete.

Landmark Photography.

Room to Roar

This expansive home features an open layout, 7,836 square feet, 4 Bedrooms & 7 Bathrooms.

Landmark Photography.

Cars

This home is a classic car collector’s dream! The home comes with a two level four-car attached garage plus detached garage with storage for up to 10 more vehicles.

Landmark Photography.

Garage Doors

The garage doors are custom.

Landmark Photography.

Roof

Roof is combination of Cedar Shake and metal.

Landmark Photography.

Front Door

Front Door: Marvin Windows in “Bronze”. I love the symmetry the windows on each side create.

Lighting: Flambeaux Gas Lanterns – Other Beautiful Outdoor Sconces: Here, Here, Here, Here, Here & Here.

Similar Planters: Here (fiberglass) & Here (ceramic).

Gutters are copper.

Landmark Photography.

Foyer

You will find in this home an unsparing collection of exclusive finishes throughout, from designer wall-coverings, marble mosaics, double herringbone and concrete tile with vintage graphic detail to custom furniture and lighting, all presented with a curated approach that is both upscale and welcoming.

Hardwood Flooring: 6″ Riffed and quartered white oak, eased edge, custom Stain – with Herringbone inset pattern at raised ceiling locations.

Foyer Lighting – Arteriors (discontinued) – similar here.

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Great Room

The foyer opens directly to this spacious and elegant Great room. Paint color is Benjamin Moore Collingwood OC-28.

All furniture is available through the designer.

Metal and Leather Accent Chair – Casa Midy.

Landmark Photography.

Chandelier

Lighting – Visual Comfort

Landmark Photography.

Coffee Table

Black Raffia Coffee Table: Bernhardt.

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Sofas

Sofas from Hickory Chair in Designer’s Guild fabric.

Landmark Photography.

Upscale Living Room Decor Ideas:

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Fireplace

Fireplace is Limestone by Francois & co.

Art & Accessories from Vivid Home.

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Openness

The open-air environment is flooded with natural light and enhanced by a consistent color palette which connects the spaces perfectly.

Landmark Photography.

Interior Doors & Windows

Interior windows are painted to match the Marvin Bronze in “Sherwin Williams Medium Bronze”.

Pillows: Throw Pillows in Beacon Hill Fabric.

Throw: Hermès.

Landmark Photography.

Dining Room

Lighting: Visual Comfort.

Dining Table: Custom

Dining Chairs: Custom – Host Chairs in Maxwell Fabric.

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Ceiling Paint Color

Ceiling Paint Color: 50% Classic Gray by Benjamin Moore/ 50% Collingwood OC-28 by Benjamin Moore.

Landmark Photography.

Casework Paint Color

Casework Paint Color: Casework – Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-17.

Landmark Photography.

Materials

Natural metals, woods, and organic materials conform in new ways with classic silhouettes and rich textures.

Antique Dough Bowl: Here & Here.

Landmark Photography.

Ceiling Treatment

Ceiling Treatment: Reclaimed Alder Beams. The ceiling height in this space is 12′.

Landmark Photography.

Kitchen

This extraordinary kitchen features a custom range hood and open shelving in aged brass and zinc finishes. Kitchen island is made of Walnut.

Landmark Photography.

Backsplash

Backsplash is Jeffrey Court Calcutta marble mosaic tile – installed only at the range wall. Small Scale beveled subway 12″ x 12″, mesh mounted – similar here, here, here & here.

Grout: TEC Bright White.

Pot Filler: Kohler Artifacts Pot Filler.

Range: Wolf.

Similar Kitchen Hood: here.

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Perimeter Kitchen Cabinet

Perimeter Kitchen Cabinet Details: Painted Flat panel with custom moldings. Paint color is Benjamin Moore OC-17 White Dove.

Backsplash Between Fridges: Cistallo Quartzite Full Height.

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Kitchen Island Countertop

Countertop is Cristiallo Quartzite, waterfall edge.

Island Tray: Here.

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Sink & Faucet

Kitchen Sink: Kohler K6427-0 Whitehaven.

Kitchen Faucet: Kohler Artifacts Pull-Down Faucet.

Filtered Water Faucet: Newport Brass.

Paneled Dishwashers: Bosh.

Island Dimensions

Kitchen Island Dimension:  3.5 x 8′

Counterstools are available through the designer.

Landmark Photography.

Kitchen Shelves

This kitchen is full of inspiring ideas! To keep a sense of symmetry (see picture above), the designer added a glass opening to the wall with brass floating shelves.

Hardware – Ashley Norton – similar Pulls & Knobs.

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Kitchen Pendants

Light fixtures in iron and brass lend the property a distinct architectural edge. Pendants are Robert Abbey.

Landmark Photography.

Beautiful Counterstools:

(Always check dimensions before ordering.

)

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Refrigerator

A custom buffet is flanked by paneled refrigerator and freezer by Subzero.

Landmark Photography.

Flow

The optimized floor plan offers formal and informal spaces that open to the exterior grounds for fluid indoor/outdoor living and entertainment. Wall paint color continues to be Benjamin Moore Collingwood.

Landmark Photography.

TV

A TV is placed in the custom hutch.

Landmark Photography.

Family Room

The kitchen opens directly to a very comfy and stylish family room/lounge area. Notice the high ceiling, the beams and the tall windows.

Custom Sectional from Vivid Home.

Accent Chair in Clarke & Clarke fabric.

Accent Tables from Modern History & Currey & Co.

Throw Pillows in Opuzen fabric.

Lighting: Visual Comfort Extra Large Lantern in Aged Iron.

Landmark Photography.

Ottoman

Leather Tufted Ottoman: Four Hands.

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Hide & Seek

Custom Walnut doors with glass X insets conceal the butler’s pantry and a bar.

Similar Pulls: Here.

Landmark Photography.

Bar

The bar features Walnut cabinetry with Cistallo Quartzite countertop and floating brass shelving.

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Butler’s Pantry

This butler’s pantry is truly a dream! Countertop is Cistallo Quartzite.

Backsplash: Cistallo Quartzite 4″ Height.

Floor: Rift and Quartered Solid White Oak with Custom Stain

Chandelier: Visual Comfort.

Sconces: Visual Comfort.

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Paint Color

Sherwin Williams SW 7625 Mount Etna.

Roman Shade in Romo fabric.

Sink: Blanco B401734 Ikon Apron Front Sink.

Faucet: Kohler Artifacts Pull-Down Faucet.

Appliances: Wolf Ovens and Bosch Dishwasher.

Landmark Photography.

Powder Room

Located just off the mudroom, this powder room is elegant and features a gorgeous wallpaper.

Mirror: Here.

Bathroom washstand is DXV – similar here & here.

Faucet is DXV – similar here.

Sconce: Visual Comfort.

Landmark Photography.

Wallpaper

Wallpaper is Wallpaper: Osborne & Little Nina Campbell Gold Leaf On a Black Background.

Ceiling: Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black SW6258.

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Hall Paint Color

Collingwood by Benjamin Moore.

Landmark Photography.

Main Powder Room

My jaw just dropped! Vanity is Walnut, custom-designed.

Countertop and backsplash is marble.

Chandelier: Robert Abbey.

Sconces: Visual Comfort Light in Hand Rubbed Antique Brass 4”W x 20.5”H.

Vessel Sink: Konbow.

Faucet: Newport Brass.

Similar Mirror: here, here & here.

Interior doors are Alder – custom stained.

Landmark Photography.

Wallpaper

Wallpaper: Schumacher Metallic Strie Silvered Taupe (available through the interior designer).

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Home Central

Custom desk and bookcase are painted in Ben Moore White Dove OC-17. Desk top is Oak, dark stained.

Roman Shades in Robert Allen fabric.

Flushmount: Hudson Valley.

Sconces: Norwell.

Landmark Photography.

Wallpaper

Wallpaper is Innovations Achel. Ceiling paint color 50% Ben Moore Classic Gray / 50% Collingwood OC-28.

Accessories from Vivid Home.

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Mudroom

Mudroom Flooring: American Florim Charleston 3×36 Glazed Porcelain Tile, Rubble Tile, colors: White, Grey and Timber – installed in a Herringbone patterned. Grout: TEC Dove Grey.

Wall paint color is Benjamin Moore Collingwood. Cabinetry isBen Moore White Dove.

Bench is Oak with a custom dark stain color.

Baseboards: 11″ – Paint Grade.

Landmark Photography.

Stairway

Natural metals, woods, and organic materials conform in new ways, with classic silhouettes and luxurious textures.

Chandelier: Visual Comfort – similar here.

Landmark Photography.

Details

This gorgeous staircase features White Oak wood treads and wood risers. The metal railing is custom.

Window Trim: Sherwin Williams Medium Bronze.

Sconces: Visual Comfort.

Landmark Photography.

Railing

A close-up on this stunning metal railing. How beautiful, right?!

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Bonus Room

The staircase leads to the kids’ lounge/bonus room. The doorway seem here leads to the kids/teens ensuites and a laundry room. Paint color is Benjamin Moore Black Jack 2133-20.

This room features a long custom desk with White Oak top, custom cabinetry and comfortable furniture.

Art & Accessories from Vivid Home.

Coffee Table: Here – similar here & here.

Lighting: Made Goods.

Landmark Photography.

Boy’s Bedroom

Main Walls: Benjamin Moore Gentleman’s Gray 2062-20. Bookcase Wall: Benjamin Moore Gentleman’s Gray 2062-20.

Euros in Design Tex plaid.

Sconces: Savoy House.

Loveseat by Bernhardt.

Landmark Photography.

Ensuite

Cabinet: Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black.

Floor Tile: 9.5″ x 19.25″ Enlonged Hex Jeffrey Court Artic Stone Field Hex.

Countertop: Carrera Marble.

Faucet: Delta.

Sink: Mirabelle.

Lighting: Visual Comfort.

Landmark Photography.

Girl’s Bedroom

Accent wall is painted in Benjamin Moore 2117-30 Shadow. Walls are Ben Moore Collingwood OC-28.

Bed is custom. Euros are in Harlequin fabric – Beautiful & Good Quality Bedding: here, here, here & here.

Roman shade in Cowtan and Tout fabric. Bolster is in a Robert Allen fabric.

Loveseat by Bernhardt.

Landmark Photography.

Ensuite

Bathroom Cabinet: Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black SW 6258.

Floor Tile: 8″x 8″ Geometric Printed Tile Fioranese Ceramic #45 Certosa – similar style: here.

Lighting: Visual Comfort.

Faucet: Delta.

Sink: Mirabelle.

Landmark Photography.

Master Bedroom

Ceiling paint color is Benjamin Moore Black Jack 2133-20.

Nightstands: Here.

Four Poster Bed: CFC.

Fan: Minka Aire.

Landmark Photography.

Wall Paint Color

Wall color is Benjamin Moore OC-28 Collingwood.

Artwork by Emma Lawrenson.

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Fabric

Euros, Accent Pillows and Roman Shades in Kravet Fabric.

Settee is custom with Romo Black fabric.

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Master Bathroom

The master bathroom is luxurious and features a great layout. Vanities are custom stained Oak.

Freestanding Tub: Jacuzzi.

Tub Filler: DXV – similar here.

Sconces: Visual Comfort.

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Shower Tile

Shower Walls: 12x24” Honed Marble Tile – similar here.

Shower Floor: 2x2” Honed Carrara Marble Tile – similar here.

Hexagon Marble Mosaic Tile: here.

Hansgrohe Rain Showerhead.

Kohler Showerheads.

Landmark Photography.

Flooring & Countertop

Floor tile is 12×24 London Calling Honed marble tile (similar here). Wall color is Benjamin Moore Collingwood.

Countertop is white marble.

Chandelier: Visual Comfort.

Faucets: Brizo.

Sinks: Kohler.

Landmark Photography.

Bathroom Layout

Inspiring bathroom layout!

Cabinetry

I absolutely love the stain color on this Oak cabinetry. It works beautifully with the white marble.

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Make-up

Beautiful and practical make-up vanity.

Landmark Photography.

Dressing Room

The dressing room certainly has a nice view… but don’t worry! It also features automatic blinds.

Flooring: Carpet; Black Label #2403 Tip sheared wool/viscose blend.

Landmark Photography.

Laundry Room

Countertop is Quartz, Caesarstone Pebble.

Flooring: Porcelain Tile – 8 x 24 #53 West End Pulpis by Tile x Design – similar here.

Landmark Photography.

Basement Bathroom

Sink: Kohler Brockway wash sink – 48″.

Faucets: Kohler.

Soap Dish: Kohler.

Floor: 2x10” textured black ceramic tile in herringbone pattern – similar here.

Shower Floor: 1x1” Black ceramic hexagon tile – similar here.

Shower Wall: 3x12” Beveled white ceramic tile – similar here.

Sconces: Visual Comfort.

Landmark Photography.

Basement

A custom built-in whisky bar and custom-designed abstract glass shelving are just the beginning of an amazing lower level designed for fun.

The pub table/island is custom.

Landmark Photography.

Cabinetry

Cabinetry is Walnut; Dark Custom Stained.

Susan Gilmore Photography.

Countertop

Countertop is Titanium Granite.

Sink: Blanco.

Faucet: Delta.

Basement Paint Color

Basement Paint Color: Collingwood by Benjamin Moore.

Lounge Chair in Opuzen Flamestitch fabric.

Countertstools: Iron Counter Stools from Noir.

Art & Accessories from Vivid Home.

Ceiling Light: Arteriors.

Landmark Photography.

Exercise Room

The exercise room features custom stained wood with walls painted in BM Collingwood OC-28.

Landmark Photography.

Flooring

Floor: Forbo Carpet Tiles. It’s antimicrobial and wears amazing. This was a glue-down installation.

Landmark Photography.

Gym Bathroom

The gym bathroom features a custom vanity with dark quartz countertop and slab backsplash.

Similar Medicine Cabinet: Pottery Barn.

Faucet: Kohler Purist.

Similar Sink: here.

Sconces: Visual Comfort.

Landmark Photography.

Outdoors

Design meets function, delineating an optimized floor plan with formal and informal spaces that open to the exterior grounds for fluid indoor/outdoor living and entertainment.

Landmark Photography.

Screen Porch

Ceiling is Cedar planks and flooring is stamped concrete.

Landmark Photography.

Furniture

Outdoor Sofa by Century Furniture. Notice the outdoor built-in.

Fire Table from Outdoor Rooms – similar here.

Lounge Chairs from Palecek.

Custom Outdoor Area Rug.

Landmark Photography.

Brackets

Brackets are custom.

Landmark Photography.

Dimensions

The screened porch is 17’4” x 15’6”.

Landmark Photography.

View

Beautifully designed!

Landmark Photography.

Backyard Goals

Harmonious outdoor pool blends form and function to provide the complete backyard living experience with lush landscaping and an outdoor kitchen for entertaining.

Landmark Photography.

Outdoor Kitchen

The outdoor kitchen features a Cedar pergola.

Landmark Photography.

Outdoor Counterstools

The outdoor counterstools are by Palecek.

Landmark Photography.

Architecture Details

This home truly exudes inspiring architectural details that will stand the test of time.

Landmark Photography.

Trim Paint Color

Trim: Benjamin Moore Silver Fox 2108-50.

Landmark Photography.

Timeless Beauty

I woundn’t mind coming home to this!

Landmark Photography.

  Many thanks to the builder and interior designer for sharing the details above!

Builder: Hendel Homes (Instagram – Facebook)

Interior Designer: Vivid Interior Design (Instagram – Facebook)

Photography: Susan Gilmore Photography (Instagram – Facebook)

& Landmark Photography (including 1st image).

  Best Sales of the Month:

Thank you for shopping through Home Bunch. I would be happy to assist you if you have any questions or are looking for something in particular. Feel free to contact me and always make sure to check dimensions before ordering. Happy shopping!

  Wayfair: Up to 70% OFF – Clearance!!!

  Serena & Lily: HUGE Sale – Free Shipping with code: JUMPIN

  Joss & Main: Warehouse Clearout – Up to 70% off!

  Pottery Barn: Up to 20% off your order + free shipping with code “SUMMER”

  One Kings Lane: High Quality Design Decor for Less.

  West Elm: Up to 70% off clearance take an extra 20% off clearance + free shipping with code DIVEIN

  Anthropologie: See the super-popular Joanna Gaines Exclusive line!

  Urban Outfitters: Hip & Affordable Home Decor.

  Horchow: High Quality Furniture and Decor. Up to 30% off the entire site!

  Neiman Marcus: Extra 40% off your entire purchase with “SAVE40-1NSW-N7KYV”

  Saks Fifth Avenue: The Designer Sale: up to 75% off

  Nordstrom: Up to 40% OFF. New Decor!

  Posts of the Week:

2019 New Year Home Tour.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Urban Farmhouse.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: British Columbia.

Reinvented Classic Kitchen Design.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram.

Interior Design: Ideas House Tour.

Florida New-Construction Family Home.

Southern Beach House with Modern Interiors.

Traditional Kitchen Reno Ideas.

Neutral Home Interior Ideas.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Reno Inspiration.

Palm Beach, Florida Home Design.

Rustic Modern Farmhouse.

Interior Design Ideas: Colorful Interiors.

Interior Design Ideas New Home Inspiration.

Grey Kitchen Paint Colors.

“Dear God,

If I am wrong, right me. If I am lost, guide me. If I start to give-up, keep me going.

Lead me in Light and Love”.

Have a wonderful day, my friends and we’ll talk again tomorrow.”

with Love,

Luciane from HomeBunch.com

Interior Design Services within Your Budget

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from Home http://www.homebunch.com/interior-design-ideas-modern-english-tudor-design/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[architectnews]

Ranch Dressing, Mill Valley CA

Ranch Dressing, Mill Valley Real Estate, USA, California Luxury House, Californian Interior, Architecture Photos

Ranch Dressing in Mill Valley

Dec 30, 2021

Architects: Buttrick Projects Architecture+Design

Location: Mill Valley, California, USA

Ranch Dressing

Returning to the Bay Area after living in Texas for a number of years, the clients discovered an existing midcentury ranch-style house in Mill Valley that satisfied at least part of the needs; the site is amazing. Sitting atop an oak covered knoll within the Mount Tamalpais area, the location provides direct connections to wilderness and the opportunity for 270-degree views. The challenge was that the Ranch Dressing house was dated and was closed off from the surrounding views.

“It sits on an oak knoll on the middle ridge of Mount Tamalpais,” the owner noted. “You step outside and see wilderness.” The lot was ideal, but the structure itself was less than perfect. The house had very few windows that took advantage of the site’s 270-degree views. “We wanted something open and full of light,” the owner adds.

A set of additions was knit into strategic locations along the perimeter of this ‘60s boomerang plan to remedy the staid quality of the previous interior geometry and make the landscape more legible from inside.

Areas of pillowed wood siding and large windows were added to add textural relief to the expansive walls. A neutral white interior envelope, washed with daylight, becomes a background for the clients’ art collection.

The garage with a studio above acts as a sculptural element and also provides an edge to the entry court. Buttrick designed a gray aluminum sunscreen for the exterior of the expanded living room. Merten bordered the drive with a limestone wall.

The offset pivot front door is made of shou sugi ban wood. and the kitchen cabinetry, and suggested shou sugi ban, a Japanese wood-burning technique for the pivot front door. Quartzite paving grounds the entry and continues outside into the courtyard.

Inside, a rich mix of furnishings mix with a sophisticated collection of art and collectables. Interiors were curated by designer Gary Hutton who helped curate furnishings for the couple. In the living room, ‘Eternity Domain,’ 1989, by Jules Olitski hangs above a Jens Risom sofa covered with a striped Nobilis velvet.

The wing chairs and a marble-topped coffee table are by Gio Ponti, and the bamboo-silk rug is by Niba Rug Collections. Set off by Benjamin Moore’s Lush, a collection of 19th-century French majolica plates provide a backdrop in the breakfast area for the owners’ vintage walnut-topped oval table designed by Florence Knoll and Kurt Ostervig-designed rosewood butterfly chairs.

The cushion fabric is by Maharam. Soft driftwood toned oak floors visual connect the interiors to the adjacent landscape. Kitchen cabinetry is made of stained quarter-sawn oak, two shades darker than the hue of the floors. Milo Baughman-designed chrome stools with cushions covered with pony hair pull up to an island topped with honed silver travertine.

Ranch Dressing in Mill Valley, California – Building Information

Architecture: Buttrick Projects Architecture+Design

Interiors: Gary Hutton Design Construction: Cuttle Construction Structural Engineering: FTF Engineering Landscape: Les Baulines Energy Compliance: NRG

Photography by Joe Fletcher

Ranch Dressing, Mill Valley CA images / information received 301221

Location: Portola Valle,California, USA

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Mill Valley House in California Design: CCS Architecture image from architects Mill Valley House in California

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Website: Portola Valley, San Mateo County, California

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Website: San Francisco Bay

Comments / photos for the Ranch Dressing, Mill Valley CA design by Buttrick Projects Architecture+Design page welcome

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[woodentwists]

Get Best Wall Hanger To Complete Your Own Decor

Except for that large empty space on the wall near the door. We solved that last problem with a wooden coat hanger with four ancient brass coat hooks that fit perfectly into the space.

The room under consideration was a small used family room behind the house. The room was divided years before the garage by the previous owner. It was tall and narrow, with a picture window with a wall and a hand-made brick fireplace at the far end. The walls were wrapped in rough pointed pines that were fired at least a dozen times and were now uniform dull gray. The textured ceiling and fancy crown molding with solid nut pieces on top of the brick chimney gave the room an ancient and rustic feel that we wanted to preserve and enhance.

To start with, we emptied accumulated boxes, pieces of furniture and rooms, which, when there is an additional storage space in a house, start accumulating like sea floor sediment, then we clean and clean the place thoroughly. We had forgotten about the wooden floor tiles that we first hid under an old braided rug when we went in.

There was a large empty space on the wall and behind the door was an old hook of brass coat. The ancient wooden wall hanger was finally broken under the weight of several years of jackets and winter coats. The dying of that old hook was the starting point of a new form of a room that we had been close for a very long time.

Since pointed pines had been stained several times, we knew that a new coat of stains could do nothing to remove gray dullness, so we chose a thick coat of semi-gloss latex paint. We were upset about the color, but finally decided to have a custom light green, called Mint, which praises the deep walnuts of the mantelpiece and the dark varnish crown molding and trim. It looked great, and after a new coat of bright white on the roof, the room was ready to decorate.

The hook of the old coat came out of the door, pictures hung, shelves installed. A new area went on the carpet floor and a bending and a loveseat and lamp and end table were located right away. Then the focal point of the new room, 64" flat screen television, was installed above the mantle. It was perfect.

[livingcorner]

What’s The Best Wood For Cabinetry? – DC Drawers@|what type of wood is best for kitchen cabinets@|https://www.dcdrawers.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/What’s-The-Best-Wood-For-Cabinetry-1.jpg@|25

The best wood for cabinetry is widely considered either red oak, poplar, maple, mahogany, or plywood.  Which solid wood type is best for a specific project depends on budget, if the cabinetry will be painted, and personal preference.

Everyone wants to know that the home improvements they’re making are durable and add real value to the property.  So what is the best wood for your cabinets, drawer boxes, and cabinet doors?  

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Best Wood For Cabinetry

Cherry, Maple, Ash, Hickory & Oak

Birch, Beech, White Oak, & Red Oak

Walnut & Mahogany

Spruce, Pine, & Fir Softwoods

Plywood

Best Wood For Painted Cabinets

Wood Grain Paint Challenges

Best Wood For Painted Cupboards

Order Cabinet Drawers

Read about each of the different types of wood in this article to judge for yourself which wood type you want for your cabinet doors, cabinet drawers, and home.

Best Wood For Cabinetry

Your bathroom and kitchen are focal points in your home.  That means that your cabinets need to be durable, functional, and attractive quality materials. Boxed or prefabricated cabinets are built using low grade, thin materials that are overlaid with a wood veneer. Cabinets are built using hardwood solids and plywood, and both materials will matter when you are picking what is best.

Cherry, Maple, Ash, Hickory and Oak

Cabinet doors and face frames are often made from solid hardwoods. Wood species such as hickory, maple or beech will resist scratching and denting at a higher degree when compared to other softer species like walnut, alder or mahogany, but they will also cost more.

Hickory and maple for example are two of the hardest wood species that are used for cabinets and are normally more expensive than softer woods like ash or oak. Although imported or exotic species no matter what the density is will normally cost more than domestic hardwoods.

Other exceptions do include domestic hardwoods that are trendy. Cherry for instance, because of the subtle, intricate grain pattern and warm rich color is considered a luxury wood. It will normally demand a higher price than other domestic woods.

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Birch, Beech and White or Red Oak

One of the most commonly used hardwoods by cabinetmakers is medium priced red oak that has arched or complex flame grain patterns. White oak has straighter grains but it will cost more than red oak.

Other types of domestic species include beech woods that have straight graining and birch that has streak and bands of brown will be priced lower than beech because of the availability and the lost cost of birch plywood.

Walnut and Mahogany

Other types of commonly used hardwoods are the rich and dark brown walnuts and the straight grained red mahogany. Mahogany gives warmth while walnut, which is similar in cost and hardness to mahogany, happens to add elegance to cabinets.

Other wood species can be stained to match existing colors that are in the home, although some will react to staining better than other wood. Ash, pine, and oak absorb stains evenly. While Birch and maple can blotch if not prepared for stain. Walnut and cherry which are known for their colors, are better left as is.

Spruce, Pine and Fir Softwoods

Cone bearing evergreen trees provide softwoods, which are normally used for structural purposes. Whenever it is used for cabinets, softwood like pine will give a certain look to cabins, cottages, lodges and country settings with the knotty character and soft tones of amber.

Other softwoods like spruce and fir will be straight grained but they are tougher and harder than pine. These are normally used for utility or economy applications such as in shops or garages.

Cabinet Grade Plywood

Plywood is a glued and laminated wood that is engineered and overlaid with hardwood veneer and is normally less than 1/16 inch. The appearance of this is the only difference when it comes to comparing grades which is important for determining cost and quality. Plywood that is designated AA or premium will be the most expensive. It is often called one piece faced, the veneer is rotary cut in a single piece to keep it from splicing.

Grade A plywood is a bit cheaper than AA and the veneer is spliced side by side and color matched to give it consistency. Grades B, C, D, and E will be less expensive and will be lower grade in appearance with each lower level having inconsistent colors or additional streaks. Shop grade or economy plywood is the cheapest and it has allowed damage or defects. At least 85% of shop grade plywood is normally usable with a good cabinet maker that can work around the defects.

What is the best wood for painted cabinets?

Similarly, as any craftsman needs to choose what medium to utilize, woodworkers must choose what wood to work with. The appearance, shading, cost, planned utilize, workability, and maturing conduct are for the most part contemplations.

In any case, so is a wood’s paintability or capacity to take a stain. In the event that recoloring, you need to know how the wood grain will show and how the wood shading influences the shade of the stain. Here’s a snappy guide from the Pros who’ve addressed the inquiry, “What’s the best wood for painted cupboards?”

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Wood Grain Paint Challenges

Paint-review wood has a tendency to be of the more tightly grained assortments, for example, hard maple, soft maple, pine, and poplar, among others. Open grain wood has a rougher look and likely needs filler to look great when painted. It’s best to work out of tight-grain woods to keep away from this.

Poplar and delicate maple are well known for most parts of a bureau—confront outlines, end edges, and entryway boards—for the most part because of cost and workability. In any case, a few craftsmen find that poplar marks effectively. It can likewise ingest the principal layer of paint rapidly.

A portion of the other tight-grain woods are somewhat less demanding to work with, yet their accessibility or cost isn’t viewed as a sufficient exchange off. Hard maple can be another great decision, despite the fact that it can move marginally more than different woods with changes in stickiness.

MDF can be utilized for face and end outlines. A few woodworkers utilize it for entryway boards, yet it can be dubious to wrap up. Along these lines, other wood assortments are regularly utilized for rails and stiles. MDF stays prominent as it is steady and hence useful for bigger pieces. Birch plywood or prefinished plywood is another possibility for these more drawn out segments.

So what’s the best wood for painted cupboards?

Similarly, as with most things, you won’t discover any deficiency of assessments, however there seems to be some expansive concession to when the best sorts of wood are for painted cupboards. Tight-grained woods that are workable and solid remain a prevalent decision. Whatever material you pick; the staggering understanding is to set up the wood’s surface first. Utilize filler if necessary, shellac on hitches so they don’t seep through, and be sure to sand over any sharp corner that may not hold the paint. Below is a fast breakdown of the forested areas commonly found in cupboards:

Hard Maple: light, dense. Grain: stainable, close grained, and fine textured

Hickory: durable, hard, and strong; white to reddish brown. Grain: coarse and straight

Cherry: Moderately heavy, strong, and hard; sands smooth. Grain: red and finishes beautifully

Soft Maple: strong, hard, and medium density; paint grade. Grain: fine textured, close grained

Mahogany: varies in color between medium red to reddish brown. Grain: medium coarse texture, straight to interlocked grain

Beech: heavy, medium to hard, pale colored; stains and polishes well. Grain: tight and fine. Similar to birch and maple

Alder: Reddish brown color, easily dented. Grain: straight grain, even texture

Red Oak: heavy, very hard, and strong. Grain: coarse texture with easy sanding and finishing

Red Birch: red in color softer than red oak. Grain: tight grain, easy to finish

Douglas Fir: light rosy color that will redden. Grain: tight knotted and close grained

White Oak: light to dark brown in color, heavy and hard. Grain: straight grained with medium to coarse texture

Knotty Pine: lightweight with tight and small knots. Grain: straight with an even, fine texture

High Quality Cabinet Drawer Boxes

If you’re looking for the best quality cabinet drawer boxes at the best prices there isn’t a better source than Drawer Connection.  We give you your choice of wood and only source the highest quality raw materials.  All of our fabrication is high precision and made to last.  Whether you’re choosing a solid wood with a dovetail joint or a melamine with a dowel joint, every single drawer box is built to last![external_footer]

source https://livingcorner.com.au/whats-the-best-wood-for-cabinetry-dc-drawerswhat-type-of-wood-is-best-for-kitchen-cabinetshttps-www-dcdrawers-com-blog-wp-content-uploads-2017-11-whats-the-best-wood-fo/

[a1garagedoors1]

Buyer’s Guide to Choosing a New Entry Door

New Post has been published on https://fixitmag.com/buyers-guide-to-choosing-a-new-entry-door/

Buyer’s Guide to Choosing a New Entry Door

Guys Fix It Mag 👍 Repairs & DIY Magazine

This post was originally published on this site

February 21, 2020 Posted in: Garage Doors

Are you searching for a new entry door for your home? Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the options on the market or you’re unsure where to even begin. The right entry door can increase your home’s energy efficiency, security and curb appeal, but how do you decide which is the perfect door for your home?

Many homeowners may think a solid wood door will give them the authentic, warm appearance they’re seeking, but wood doors also tend to the most expensive and require the most maintenance. Others may believe they should select an aluminum door because they’re lightweight and inexpensive, but they also are less secure and more prone to damage.

Entry doors like steel and fiberglass offer a happy medium. These doors can have the look and feel of real wood without the downsides, along with the durability of wood and the affordability of aluminum.

If you’re unsure how to choose a front door for your home, follow this buyer’s guide for choosing an entry door.

The Best Entry Door Material for Your Home

Perhaps the most important consideration for your front door is the material. Though most doors combine multiple materials, the surface material is what most impacts the appearance, security, durability and price of an entry door.

What is the best material for a front door?

1. Wood Entry Door

The most common entry door material is wood. Wood doors are versatile and beautiful, with a natural look. Homeowners can typically select from various types of wood, including cherry, oak, mahogany, walnut, maple, pine and fir.

Choose a wood door with a clear finish, like polyurethane, and a durable stain. For the best protection of a painted door, a high-gloss sheen is the most reliable option. An effective finish will help prevent your wood door from swelling or absorbing moisture.

2. Aluminum Entry Door

For a cost-effective, light-weight material, consider aluminum for your entry door material. Aluminum tends to be built with parts and hardware that are longer lasting. Aluminum entry doors include insulation to prevent cold or hot air outside from entering your home but are more prone to dents than durable materials like wood. Fortunately, they’re also usually simple and inexpensive to maintain and repair.

3. Steel Entry Door

For durability and security, consider steel for your entry door material. Steel doors tend to be more durable than fiberglass or wood. They also won’t warp or crack like wood might. Though steel can be susceptible to dings or dents, they can be fixed easily.

Steel doors also tend to be quite affordable. The surface of a steel door is smooth and can be embossed with a wood-grain pattern if you’d prefer the natural look of wood. Steel doors do generally require upkeep, such as periodic repainting if the door has a polyester finish.

At Marvin’s Garage Doors, we offer a collection of steel doors for homeowners to choose from:

STEEL Collection: A steel entry door from our STEEL Collection includes high-definition panels that come in distinct styles and provide durability and beauty to your home. If you’re looking for a steel front door that makes a statement, this the collection for you. With a steel entry door, you’ll enhance your home’s energy efficiency and curb appeal.

Choose from our STEEL Collection to find the perfect steel front door for your home.

4. Fiberglass Entry Door

For a tough, no-maintenance door, consider a fiberglass door. If you live in a humid or harsh climate, a fiberglass entry door is usually a smart choice. Fiberglass doors can withstand just about any climate. Fiberglass won’t warp or rot like wood or corrode or get scratched like steel.

An important factor in the choice of your entry door material is its attractiveness. Many homeowners desire the aesthetic of real wood, but they don’t want the expense or the maintenance requirements. For these homeowners, fiberglass entry doors can be a great option. Through the use of wood-grain texturing, fiberglass doors can be stained to be similar to the look of wood and give your home a classic, elegant aesthetic.

Because fiberglass doors are durable, they’re secure. A fiberglass front door can make you feel safer in your home. Fiberglass entry doors also tend to be quite affordable and versatile. With fiberglass doors, you can choose from various styles and finishes.

At Marvin’s Garage Doors, we offer several collections of fiberglass doors for homeowners to choose from:

ARBOR GROVETM Fiberglass Collection: A fiberglass door from the ARBOR GROVETM collection is insulated, water-resistant and UV-resistant. You can choose from cherry, oak or mahogany for your wood grain veneer, along with 18 paint options and eight factory finish stains. With this collection, you can get a classic look without worrying about your front door cracking, rotting or splitting.

CRAFTSMAN Fiberglass Collection: For a clean, simple fiberglass entry door design paired with lasting durability, choose from the CRAFTSMAN collection. These doors are resistant to UV and moisture. Architecture styles such as Transitional, Mission and Bungalow look great with a fiberglass entry door from this collection.

RUSTIC Fiberglass Collection: A fiberglass door from the RUSTIC collection provides a rich cherry design for an authentic feel. Homes inspired by the Mediterranean or American Southwest architecture can be perfectly complemented by entry doors from this collection.

SMOOTH Fiberglass Collection: For a fiberglass door with the look and feel of painted wood, choose from the SMOOTH Fiberglass Collection. You can enjoy the beauty of wood without its drawbacks, like splitting or cracking. If you want a front door that adds a clean, contemporary look to your home, select a door from this collection.

Select from any of our fiberglass collections to find the perfect entry door for your home.

Entry Door Styles and Colors

Your home’s front door says something to visitors about who lives inside. As such, you want an entry door that fits the style of your home, adds aesthetic appeal and increases your home’s value.

What do you want your front door to say about you or your family? What personality do you want to convey? If you want to convey a traditional, classic style, consider a door with a wood look. If you’re nontraditional or artistic, maybe you want a door that includes unique, decorative glass to make your home stand out.

In our Arbor GroveTM Fiberglass Collection, we offer three grain options — cherry grain, oak grain and mahogany grain. We also offer nine cherry panel styles, six mahogany panel styles and seven oak panel styles. You can also choose from 18 glass options and 18 paint options.

In our Craftsman Collection, we offer a fir grain option, two panel styles and an optional dentil shelf. You can also choose from seven glass options, eight stain options and 18 paint options.

In our Rustic Collection, we offer a cherry grain option, five panel styles and 17 glass options. You can also select from eight stain options and 18 paint options. 

In our Smooth Fiberglass Collection, we offer 19 panel styles, 17 glass options and 18 paint options.

In our Steel Collection, we offer 15 panel styles, 18 paint options and 17 glass options.

Every homeowner and house is different, which is why we offer so many options and front door styles for you to choose from at Marvin’s Garage Doors. Select a front door style that suits the design of your house and increases the curb appeal.

Are you still unsure how to choose a front door style? Reach out to us at Marvin’s Garage Doors so we can help you determine which entry door style will best suit your tastes and the style of your home.

Considering Front Door Security

Homeowners shouldn’t rely on a door lock for their safety against burglars and home invaders. Burglars can pick locks and kick in doors if they want to enter a home. A front door that can provide you and your family with the security you need is an important consideration as you select the perfect entry door for your home.

1. Best Materials for Front Door Security

Reinforced steel front doors can be your best option for the security of your home, and fiberglass front doors are one of the most well-rounded options for an entry door, as they provide your home with ample security. Similar to solid wood doors, entry doors made of solid fiberglass can last for more than 100 years.

Beware of cheaper, hollow fiberglass doors, which are less secure and can crack easily. Vinyl doors tend to be hollow and can crack under the right amount of force, which makes them less secure than steel or fiberglass doors.

2. Windows vs. No Windows for Front Door Security

A door without a window provides more security than a door with a window. Front doors without windows also provide more privacy to homeowners, while a front door with windows is easier to break into.

3. Hardware for Front Door Security

Beyond the type of door you choose, you can also use a deadbolt lock and mounting screws that lodge in the framing of the door past the door jamb to make your home more secure.

Energy Efficient Front Doors

What type of door is the most energy-efficient?

1. Best Materials for Front Door Energy Efficiency

Fiberglass and steel front doors tend to have more insulation value than wood or aluminum doors. The frames offer a tighter fit, the cores are built to be energy efficient, and models with insulating glass reduce the transfer of heat.

2. Windows vs. No Windows for Front Door Energy Efficiency

A window on your entry door can negatively impact the energy efficiency of your door. Glass is a poor insulator, which makes a solid door without windows more energy-efficient than a front door with windows.

3. Reducing Heat Loss for Front Door Energy Efficiency

To ensure your front door is as energy efficient as possible, reduce the air leaks surrounding the door. Heat is lost through the air leaks around a door, so ensuring this space is sealed as well as possible should help enhance the energy efficiency of your home.

What Entry Door Is the Best Choice for Your Home?

An entry door can increase or decrease the security and curb appeal of your home, so replacing an old front door with a higher quality door is consistently a valuable investment for homeowners, especially if the added value of the door to your home exceeds the upfront cost.

What should you look for when you’re choosing a new entry door? For your new front door, you want a door that is secure, durable, visually appealing and energy-efficient.

1. Security

Reinforced steel entry doors and solid fiberglass entry doors are the best choices for the security of your home. When you choose your steel or fiberglass front door, select one without windows to ensure the entrance of your home is secure.

You can also pair your front door with an additional door to increase the security of the entrance. Beyond security, this second door can also add more protection from the weather and enhance your front door’s energy efficiency.

2. Durability

Fiberglass and steel are among the most durable options for front doors. These doors don’t warp or crack like aluminum or wood. Fiberglass can hold up against extreme climates and weather and is resistant to moisture. Fiberglass front doors also won’t scratch, corrode or rust.

For an entry door that is made to last, consider a steel or fiberglass front door.

3. Visual Appeal

Visual appeal can greatly enhance the curb appeal of your home, which can have a significant impact on the value of your property. Beyond low functionality, old, rundown front doors are unpleasant to the eye and decrease your home’s value.

A new steel or fiberglass door can provide your home with an enhanced, sleek look. These doors can be customized to your preferences and to fit the style of your home.

4. Energy-Efficient

Because steel and fiberglass front doors have more insulation than wood or aluminum doors, they are also the most energy-efficient entry door options.

If you’re seeking to keep your home energy efficient or to enhance your home’s energy efficiency, select a front door that has an adjustable threshold. Air can be blocked from flowing under the front door by raising an adjustable threshold. When you select an energy-efficient door, you can lower your heating and cooling costs.

You can keep your house cooler by choosing a front door with a transom. This is a small window that is placed above a doorway. When you push open the transom, you allow air to flow into the home, even when the door is shut. 

Contact Marvin’s Garage Doors for Entry Doors Today

Does your home in North Carolina need a new entry door? We’ve served the area for more than 40 years, and we offer several entry door options as well as service options for our residential and commercial clients. Our commitment to excellence and customer service has resulted in recognition from the Better Business Bureau. 

To learn more about how to choose an entry door or request a free estimate, contact us at Marvin’s Garage Doors today. 

The post Buyer’s Guide to Choosing a New Entry Door appeared first on Guys Fix It Mag | Repairs & DIY Magazine.

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Buyer’s Guide to Choosing a New Entry Door

New Post has been published on https://fixitmag.com/buyers-guide-to-choosing-a-new-entry-door/

Buyer’s Guide to Choosing a New Entry Door

Guys Fix It Mag 👍 Repairs & DIY Magazine

This post was originally published on this site

February 21, 2020 Posted in: Garage Doors

Are you searching for a new entry door for your home? Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the options on the market or you’re unsure where to even begin. The right entry door can increase your home’s energy efficiency, security and curb appeal, but how do you decide which is the perfect door for your home?

Many homeowners may think a solid wood door will give them the authentic, warm appearance they’re seeking, but wood doors also tend to the most expensive and require the most maintenance. Others may believe they should select an aluminum door because they’re lightweight and inexpensive, but they also are less secure and more prone to damage.

Entry doors like steel and fiberglass offer a happy medium. These doors can have the look and feel of real wood without the downsides, along with the durability of wood and the affordability of aluminum.

If you’re unsure how to choose a front door for your home, follow this buyer’s guide for choosing an entry door.

The Best Entry Door Material for Your Home

Perhaps the most important consideration for your front door is the material. Though most doors combine multiple materials, the surface material is what most impacts the appearance, security, durability and price of an entry door.

What is the best material for a front door?

1. Wood Entry Door

The most common entry door material is wood. Wood doors are versatile and beautiful, with a natural look. Homeowners can typically select from various types of wood, including cherry, oak, mahogany, walnut, maple, pine and fir.

Choose a wood door with a clear finish, like polyurethane, and a durable stain. For the best protection of a painted door, a high-gloss sheen is the most reliable option. An effective finish will help prevent your wood door from swelling or absorbing moisture.

2. Aluminum Entry Door

For a cost-effective, light-weight material, consider aluminum for your entry door material. Aluminum tends to be built with parts and hardware that are longer lasting. Aluminum entry doors include insulation to prevent cold or hot air outside from entering your home but are more prone to dents than durable materials like wood. Fortunately, they’re also usually simple and inexpensive to maintain and repair.

3. Steel Entry Door

For durability and security, consider steel for your entry door material. Steel doors tend to be more durable than fiberglass or wood. They also won’t warp or crack like wood might. Though steel can be susceptible to dings or dents, they can be fixed easily.

Steel doors also tend to be quite affordable. The surface of a steel door is smooth and can be embossed with a wood-grain pattern if you’d prefer the natural look of wood. Steel doors do generally require upkeep, such as periodic repainting if the door has a polyester finish.

At Marvin’s Garage Doors, we offer a collection of steel doors for homeowners to choose from:

STEEL Collection: A steel entry door from our STEEL Collection includes high-definition panels that come in distinct styles and provide durability and beauty to your home. If you’re looking for a steel front door that makes a statement, this the collection for you. With a steel entry door, you’ll enhance your home’s energy efficiency and curb appeal.

Choose from our STEEL Collection to find the perfect steel front door for your home.

4. Fiberglass Entry Door

For a tough, no-maintenance door, consider a fiberglass door. If you live in a humid or harsh climate, a fiberglass entry door is usually a smart choice. Fiberglass doors can withstand just about any climate. Fiberglass won’t warp or rot like wood or corrode or get scratched like steel.

An important factor in the choice of your entry door material is its attractiveness. Many homeowners desire the aesthetic of real wood, but they don’t want the expense or the maintenance requirements. For these homeowners, fiberglass entry doors can be a great option. Through the use of wood-grain texturing, fiberglass doors can be stained to be similar to the look of wood and give your home a classic, elegant aesthetic.

Because fiberglass doors are durable, they’re secure. A fiberglass front door can make you feel safer in your home. Fiberglass entry doors also tend to be quite affordable and versatile. With fiberglass doors, you can choose from various styles and finishes.

At Marvin’s Garage Doors, we offer several collections of fiberglass doors for homeowners to choose from:

ARBOR GROVETM Fiberglass Collection: A fiberglass door from the ARBOR GROVETM collection is insulated, water-resistant and UV-resistant. You can choose from cherry, oak or mahogany for your wood grain veneer, along with 18 paint options and eight factory finish stains. With this collection, you can get a classic look without worrying about your front door cracking, rotting or splitting.

CRAFTSMAN Fiberglass Collection: For a clean, simple fiberglass entry door design paired with lasting durability, choose from the CRAFTSMAN collection. These doors are resistant to UV and moisture. Architecture styles such as Transitional, Mission and Bungalow look great with a fiberglass entry door from this collection.

RUSTIC Fiberglass Collection: A fiberglass door from the RUSTIC collection provides a rich cherry design for an authentic feel. Homes inspired by the Mediterranean or American Southwest architecture can be perfectly complemented by entry doors from this collection.

SMOOTH Fiberglass Collection: For a fiberglass door with the look and feel of painted wood, choose from the SMOOTH Fiberglass Collection. You can enjoy the beauty of wood without its drawbacks, like splitting or cracking. If you want a front door that adds a clean, contemporary look to your home, select a door from this collection.

Select from any of our fiberglass collections to find the perfect entry door for your home.

Entry Door Styles and Colors

Your home’s front door says something to visitors about who lives inside. As such, you want an entry door that fits the style of your home, adds aesthetic appeal and increases your home’s value.

What do you want your front door to say about you or your family? What personality do you want to convey? If you want to convey a traditional, classic style, consider a door with a wood look. If you’re nontraditional or artistic, maybe you want a door that includes unique, decorative glass to make your home stand out.

In our Arbor GroveTM Fiberglass Collection, we offer three grain options — cherry grain, oak grain and mahogany grain. We also offer nine cherry panel styles, six mahogany panel styles and seven oak panel styles. You can also choose from 18 glass options and 18 paint options.

In our Craftsman Collection, we offer a fir grain option, two panel styles and an optional dentil shelf. You can also choose from seven glass options, eight stain options and 18 paint options.

In our Rustic Collection, we offer a cherry grain option, five panel styles and 17 glass options. You can also select from eight stain options and 18 paint options. 

In our Smooth Fiberglass Collection, we offer 19 panel styles, 17 glass options and 18 paint options.

In our Steel Collection, we offer 15 panel styles, 18 paint options and 17 glass options.

Every homeowner and house is different, which is why we offer so many options and front door styles for you to choose from at Marvin’s Garage Doors. Select a front door style that suits the design of your house and increases the curb appeal.

Are you still unsure how to choose a front door style? Reach out to us at Marvin’s Garage Doors so we can help you determine which entry door style will best suit your tastes and the style of your home.

Considering Front Door Security

Homeowners shouldn’t rely on a door lock for their safety against burglars and home invaders. Burglars can pick locks and kick in doors if they want to enter a home. A front door that can provide you and your family with the security you need is an important consideration as you select the perfect entry door for your home.

1. Best Materials for Front Door Security

Reinforced steel front doors can be your best option for the security of your home, and fiberglass front doors are one of the most well-rounded options for an entry door, as they provide your home with ample security. Similar to solid wood doors, entry doors made of solid fiberglass can last for more than 100 years.

Beware of cheaper, hollow fiberglass doors, which are less secure and can crack easily. Vinyl doors tend to be hollow and can crack under the right amount of force, which makes them less secure than steel or fiberglass doors.

2. Windows vs. No Windows for Front Door Security

A door without a window provides more security than a door with a window. Front doors without windows also provide more privacy to homeowners, while a front door with windows is easier to break into.

3. Hardware for Front Door Security

Beyond the type of door you choose, you can also use a deadbolt lock and mounting screws that lodge in the framing of the door past the door jamb to make your home more secure.

Energy Efficient Front Doors

What type of door is the most energy-efficient?

1. Best Materials for Front Door Energy Efficiency

Fiberglass and steel front doors tend to have more insulation value than wood or aluminum doors. The frames offer a tighter fit, the cores are built to be energy efficient, and models with insulating glass reduce the transfer of heat.

2. Windows vs. No Windows for Front Door Energy Efficiency

A window on your entry door can negatively impact the energy efficiency of your door. Glass is a poor insulator, which makes a solid door without windows more energy-efficient than a front door with windows.

3. Reducing Heat Loss for Front Door Energy Efficiency

To ensure your front door is as energy efficient as possible, reduce the air leaks surrounding the door. Heat is lost through the air leaks around a door, so ensuring this space is sealed as well as possible should help enhance the energy efficiency of your home.

What Entry Door Is the Best Choice for Your Home?

An entry door can increase or decrease the security and curb appeal of your home, so replacing an old front door with a higher quality door is consistently a valuable investment for homeowners, especially if the added value of the door to your home exceeds the upfront cost.

What should you look for when you’re choosing a new entry door? For your new front door, you want a door that is secure, durable, visually appealing and energy-efficient.

1. Security

Reinforced steel entry doors and solid fiberglass entry doors are the best choices for the security of your home. When you choose your steel or fiberglass front door, select one without windows to ensure the entrance of your home is secure.

You can also pair your front door with an additional door to increase the security of the entrance. Beyond security, this second door can also add more protection from the weather and enhance your front door’s energy efficiency.

2. Durability

Fiberglass and steel are among the most durable options for front doors. These doors don’t warp or crack like aluminum or wood. Fiberglass can hold up against extreme climates and weather and is resistant to moisture. Fiberglass front doors also won’t scratch, corrode or rust.

For an entry door that is made to last, consider a steel or fiberglass front door.

3. Visual Appeal

Visual appeal can greatly enhance the curb appeal of your home, which can have a significant impact on the value of your property. Beyond low functionality, old, rundown front doors are unpleasant to the eye and decrease your home’s value.

A new steel or fiberglass door can provide your home with an enhanced, sleek look. These doors can be customized to your preferences and to fit the style of your home.

4. Energy-Efficient

Because steel and fiberglass front doors have more insulation than wood or aluminum doors, they are also the most energy-efficient entry door options.

If you’re seeking to keep your home energy efficient or to enhance your home’s energy efficiency, select a front door that has an adjustable threshold. Air can be blocked from flowing under the front door by raising an adjustable threshold. When you select an energy-efficient door, you can lower your heating and cooling costs.

You can keep your house cooler by choosing a front door with a transom. This is a small window that is placed above a doorway. When you push open the transom, you allow air to flow into the home, even when the door is shut. 

Contact Marvin’s Garage Doors for Entry Doors Today

Does your home in North Carolina need a new entry door? We’ve served the area for more than 40 years, and we offer several entry door options as well as service options for our residential and commercial clients. Our commitment to excellence and customer service has resulted in recognition from the Better Business Bureau. 

To learn more about how to choose an entry door or request a free estimate, contact us at Marvin’s Garage Doors today. 

The post Buyer’s Guide to Choosing a New Entry Door appeared first on Guys Fix It Mag | Repairs & DIY Magazine.

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Buyer’s Guide to Choosing a New Entry Door

New Post has been published on https://fixitmag.com/buyers-guide-to-choosing-a-new-entry-door/

Buyer’s Guide to Choosing a New Entry Door

Guys Fix It Mag 👍 Repairs & DIY Magazine

This post was originally published on this site

February 21, 2020 Posted in: Garage Doors

Are you searching for a new entry door for your home? Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the options on the market or you’re unsure where to even begin. The right entry door can increase your home’s energy efficiency, security and curb appeal, but how do you decide which is the perfect door for your home?

Many homeowners may think a solid wood door will give them the authentic, warm appearance they’re seeking, but wood doors also tend to the most expensive and require the most maintenance. Others may believe they should select an aluminum door because they’re lightweight and inexpensive, but they also are less secure and more prone to damage.

Entry doors like steel and fiberglass offer a happy medium. These doors can have the look and feel of real wood without the downsides, along with the durability of wood and the affordability of aluminum.

If you’re unsure how to choose a front door for your home, follow this buyer’s guide for choosing an entry door.

The Best Entry Door Material for Your Home

Perhaps the most important consideration for your front door is the material. Though most doors combine multiple materials, the surface material is what most impacts the appearance, security, durability and price of an entry door.

What is the best material for a front door?

1. Wood Entry Door

The most common entry door material is wood. Wood doors are versatile and beautiful, with a natural look. Homeowners can typically select from various types of wood, including cherry, oak, mahogany, walnut, maple, pine and fir.

Choose a wood door with a clear finish, like polyurethane, and a durable stain. For the best protection of a painted door, a high-gloss sheen is the most reliable option. An effective finish will help prevent your wood door from swelling or absorbing moisture.

2. Aluminum Entry Door

For a cost-effective, light-weight material, consider aluminum for your entry door material. Aluminum tends to be built with parts and hardware that are longer lasting. Aluminum entry doors include insulation to prevent cold or hot air outside from entering your home but are more prone to dents than durable materials like wood. Fortunately, they’re also usually simple and inexpensive to maintain and repair.

3. Steel Entry Door

For durability and security, consider steel for your entry door material. Steel doors tend to be more durable than fiberglass or wood. They also won’t warp or crack like wood might. Though steel can be susceptible to dings or dents, they can be fixed easily.

Steel doors also tend to be quite affordable. The surface of a steel door is smooth and can be embossed with a wood-grain pattern if you’d prefer the natural look of wood. Steel doors do generally require upkeep, such as periodic repainting if the door has a polyester finish.

At Marvin’s Garage Doors, we offer a collection of steel doors for homeowners to choose from:

STEEL Collection: A steel entry door from our STEEL Collection includes high-definition panels that come in distinct styles and provide durability and beauty to your home. If you’re looking for a steel front door that makes a statement, this the collection for you. With a steel entry door, you’ll enhance your home’s energy efficiency and curb appeal.

Choose from our STEEL Collection to find the perfect steel front door for your home.

4. Fiberglass Entry Door

For a tough, no-maintenance door, consider a fiberglass door. If you live in a humid or harsh climate, a fiberglass entry door is usually a smart choice. Fiberglass doors can withstand just about any climate. Fiberglass won’t warp or rot like wood or corrode or get scratched like steel.

An important factor in the choice of your entry door material is its attractiveness. Many homeowners desire the aesthetic of real wood, but they don’t want the expense or the maintenance requirements. For these homeowners, fiberglass entry doors can be a great option. Through the use of wood-grain texturing, fiberglass doors can be stained to be similar to the look of wood and give your home a classic, elegant aesthetic.

Because fiberglass doors are durable, they’re secure. A fiberglass front door can make you feel safer in your home. Fiberglass entry doors also tend to be quite affordable and versatile. With fiberglass doors, you can choose from various styles and finishes.

At Marvin’s Garage Doors, we offer several collections of fiberglass doors for homeowners to choose from:

ARBOR GROVETM Fiberglass Collection: A fiberglass door from the ARBOR GROVETM collection is insulated, water-resistant and UV-resistant. You can choose from cherry, oak or mahogany for your wood grain veneer, along with 18 paint options and eight factory finish stains. With this collection, you can get a classic look without worrying about your front door cracking, rotting or splitting.

CRAFTSMAN Fiberglass Collection: For a clean, simple fiberglass entry door design paired with lasting durability, choose from the CRAFTSMAN collection. These doors are resistant to UV and moisture. Architecture styles such as Transitional, Mission and Bungalow look great with a fiberglass entry door from this collection.

RUSTIC Fiberglass Collection: A fiberglass door from the RUSTIC collection provides a rich cherry design for an authentic feel. Homes inspired by the Mediterranean or American Southwest architecture can be perfectly complemented by entry doors from this collection.

SMOOTH Fiberglass Collection: For a fiberglass door with the look and feel of painted wood, choose from the SMOOTH Fiberglass Collection. You can enjoy the beauty of wood without its drawbacks, like splitting or cracking. If you want a front door that adds a clean, contemporary look to your home, select a door from this collection.

Select from any of our fiberglass collections to find the perfect entry door for your home.

Entry Door Styles and Colors

Your home’s front door says something to visitors about who lives inside. As such, you want an entry door that fits the style of your home, adds aesthetic appeal and increases your home’s value.

What do you want your front door to say about you or your family? What personality do you want to convey? If you want to convey a traditional, classic style, consider a door with a wood look. If you’re nontraditional or artistic, maybe you want a door that includes unique, decorative glass to make your home stand out.

In our Arbor GroveTM Fiberglass Collection, we offer three grain options — cherry grain, oak grain and mahogany grain. We also offer nine cherry panel styles, six mahogany panel styles and seven oak panel styles. You can also choose from 18 glass options and 18 paint options.

In our Craftsman Collection, we offer a fir grain option, two panel styles and an optional dentil shelf. You can also choose from seven glass options, eight stain options and 18 paint options.

In our Rustic Collection, we offer a cherry grain option, five panel styles and 17 glass options. You can also select from eight stain options and 18 paint options. 

In our Smooth Fiberglass Collection, we offer 19 panel styles, 17 glass options and 18 paint options.

In our Steel Collection, we offer 15 panel styles, 18 paint options and 17 glass options.

Every homeowner and house is different, which is why we offer so many options and front door styles for you to choose from at Marvin’s Garage Doors. Select a front door style that suits the design of your house and increases the curb appeal.

Are you still unsure how to choose a front door style? Reach out to us at Marvin’s Garage Doors so we can help you determine which entry door style will best suit your tastes and the style of your home.

Considering Front Door Security

Homeowners shouldn’t rely on a door lock for their safety against burglars and home invaders. Burglars can pick locks and kick in doors if they want to enter a home. A front door that can provide you and your family with the security you need is an important consideration as you select the perfect entry door for your home.

1. Best Materials for Front Door Security

Reinforced steel front doors can be your best option for the security of your home, and fiberglass front doors are one of the most well-rounded options for an entry door, as they provide your home with ample security. Similar to solid wood doors, entry doors made of solid fiberglass can last for more than 100 years.

Beware of cheaper, hollow fiberglass doors, which are less secure and can crack easily. Vinyl doors tend to be hollow and can crack under the right amount of force, which makes them less secure than steel or fiberglass doors.

2. Windows vs. No Windows for Front Door Security

A door without a window provides more security than a door with a window. Front doors without windows also provide more privacy to homeowners, while a front door with windows is easier to break into.

3. Hardware for Front Door Security

Beyond the type of door you choose, you can also use a deadbolt lock and mounting screws that lodge in the framing of the door past the door jamb to make your home more secure.

Energy Efficient Front Doors

What type of door is the most energy-efficient?

1. Best Materials for Front Door Energy Efficiency

Fiberglass and steel front doors tend to have more insulation value than wood or aluminum doors. The frames offer a tighter fit, the cores are built to be energy efficient, and models with insulating glass reduce the transfer of heat.

2. Windows vs. No Windows for Front Door Energy Efficiency

A window on your entry door can negatively impact the energy efficiency of your door. Glass is a poor insulator, which makes a solid door without windows more energy-efficient than a front door with windows.

3. Reducing Heat Loss for Front Door Energy Efficiency

To ensure your front door is as energy efficient as possible, reduce the air leaks surrounding the door. Heat is lost through the air leaks around a door, so ensuring this space is sealed as well as possible should help enhance the energy efficiency of your home.

What Entry Door Is the Best Choice for Your Home?

An entry door can increase or decrease the security and curb appeal of your home, so replacing an old front door with a higher quality door is consistently a valuable investment for homeowners, especially if the added value of the door to your home exceeds the upfront cost.

What should you look for when you’re choosing a new entry door? For your new front door, you want a door that is secure, durable, visually appealing and energy-efficient.

1. Security

Reinforced steel entry doors and solid fiberglass entry doors are the best choices for the security of your home. When you choose your steel or fiberglass front door, select one without windows to ensure the entrance of your home is secure.

You can also pair your front door with an additional door to increase the security of the entrance. Beyond security, this second door can also add more protection from the weather and enhance your front door’s energy efficiency.

2. Durability

Fiberglass and steel are among the most durable options for front doors. These doors don’t warp or crack like aluminum or wood. Fiberglass can hold up against extreme climates and weather and is resistant to moisture. Fiberglass front doors also won’t scratch, corrode or rust.

For an entry door that is made to last, consider a steel or fiberglass front door.

3. Visual Appeal

Visual appeal can greatly enhance the curb appeal of your home, which can have a significant impact on the value of your property. Beyond low functionality, old, rundown front doors are unpleasant to the eye and decrease your home’s value.

A new steel or fiberglass door can provide your home with an enhanced, sleek look. These doors can be customized to your preferences and to fit the style of your home.

4. Energy-Efficient

Because steel and fiberglass front doors have more insulation than wood or aluminum doors, they are also the most energy-efficient entry door options.

If you’re seeking to keep your home energy efficient or to enhance your home’s energy efficiency, select a front door that has an adjustable threshold. Air can be blocked from flowing under the front door by raising an adjustable threshold. When you select an energy-efficient door, you can lower your heating and cooling costs.

You can keep your house cooler by choosing a front door with a transom. This is a small window that is placed above a doorway. When you push open the transom, you allow air to flow into the home, even when the door is shut. 

Contact Marvin’s Garage Doors for Entry Doors Today

Does your home in North Carolina need a new entry door? We’ve served the area for more than 40 years, and we offer several entry door options as well as service options for our residential and commercial clients. Our commitment to excellence and customer service has resulted in recognition from the Better Business Bureau. 

To learn more about how to choose an entry door or request a free estimate, contact us at Marvin’s Garage Doors today. 

The post Buyer’s Guide to Choosing a New Entry Door appeared first on Guys Fix It Mag | Repairs & DIY Magazine.

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[handstiedrp]

while picturesque and painted perfect, spectracy is a town steadily darkening.

something isn't right beneath the surface, and sharp secrets are spun between local businesses and bustling eateries.

                    (  below you will find an extensive list of various                         establishments + businesses offering jobs to those in town. )

                             PUBLIC SERVICE

SPECTRACY TOWN HALL

this is the beating, blistering and bleeding heart of spectracy itself. (notice the splintering silence and the secrets spun into the spiderweb that clings to the mayor’s shelf.) and in the end, there is something about a historic building such as this: its production of moonlit oaths to bestow upon the residents each opportunity that they’ve killed for and craved, but tragically missed. (”vote voclain!”, everyone cheers.) but do you ever wonder within the shadowed truths that stick between the teeth and never spill past the lips?: mayor voclain has held the throne for years and years and years. surely, this is a spider-spun piece of a puzzle that no longer fits.

SPECTRACY SHERIFF OFFICE

crawling with ever-increasing cold cases and missing persons reports, the department is finding itself both overworked and understaffed. “honestly, they’re a joke,” susan -- at the last weekend barbecue -- had laughed. but if they can’t protect us from what lies beyond white picket fences (hungry and ravenous with dripping teeth) then who will? the all-consuming shadows draw ever closer and you wonder with increasing uncertainty: who will disappear next? when will more blood spill?

GERALT M. GRIMM CENTER FOR MEDICINE

and there is just always something off about the place that’s meant to save lives: red crosses and checklists and the monitors (beep, beep, beep). the floors too clean, the sick too living — is it possible that blood is never even spilled here? but it is alone at night where you feel an unease between your bones (turn around, don’t come back; never here, never here). and maybe it’s the medications, but when you wake up you swear the nurse’s face isn’t even there.

SPECTRACY FIRE DEPARTMENT

burning, blistering, blazing. (rumor says they have ribs like matchsticks, and some would sooner strike to feed the flame than to ever put it out. but in this unholy town, there are always grasping touches of fiery hands -- of this there is no doubt.) so, now, the question is: how much longer until the department publicly drops the match? the building is falling apart due to budget cuts -- with cracking pavement, a leaky roof, and something in the garage making itself known through hair-raising whispers and a scratch, scratch, scratch.

SPECTRACY COUNTY COURTHOUSE + JAIL

it’s with a heavy gavel (an even heavier heart) — spectracy, a pleasant town, no good could go wrong. “the law is always followed! safest town of michigan” they always claim never letting you see their teeth behind the bars. but long hours and a clock that never moves, are you sure justice is served (or freedoms just taken away)?

SPECTRACY PUBLIC LIBRARY

the pages here pour a desperation that digs deep between sinew and skin. (a final dying wish.) truly, the dissatisfaction with the library is thick and heavy and far greater than it’s ever been. after all, it’s spider-spun with slow, outdated computers and they claim the book you’re searching for is never in its correct spot. (stumble between the shelves to escape the splitting silence -- to feel something slowly breathing down your neck -- to break open a book and realize the library is already dead and beginning to rot.)

SPECTRACY POST OFFICE

haven’t you heard the saying “there’s always more than meets the eye”? (if your package arrives stained with a strange dark substance, smile. it’s best not to question why.) here we have a service, small and slow and tucked between the ticking hands of time. but mail is carefully sorted by hand and things are guaranteed to get done right.

101.3 SPECTRACY FM

shakily turn up the volume -- the radio is your only comfort on the drive home tonight. (what is that sound barely heard beneath the commercial ads? something sharp. something scraping together like grinding teeth. something with a hungry bite.) you wait and you wonder: is there really no godforsaken comfort in this unholy town? (it’s always strange radio segments and even stranger music.) and it all turns to static when you dare to turn the volume back down.

THE SPECTRAL INN

here lies a paradise truly trapped in time – or so the rumors say. endlessly picturesque and forever freshly-painted, the spectral inn advertises itself as a dream-like get-away. but late at night, between the outdated decor and walls, there is something desperate and clawing and beating to be freed. a shadow stretched thin and disappearing around the corner. a wild, eternal echo and wailing weight – a single piercing scream. (“it’s so nice to have you here,” the receptionist smiles as she hands over your shiny new room key. “it’s been too quiet. and she has been so, so lonely.”)

THE SPECTRACY STANDARD

the headlines can tuck themselves between the bone and hollow out the heart. and the truth they publish can scratch down the spine -- but at least they’re honest when they tear you apart. (so pull open the pages of the newspaper and they’re stained with smudged ink and dark red.) it’s written between the lines with more on page 3: with everything we know, who will be next to wind up dead?

                              DINING

STARLA’S DINER ($)

something is dripping from the light bulbs and the jukebox won’t stop playing the same song. have you noticed how ever since sugar-sweet starla mysteriously disappeared last summer, this twenty-four hour diner has simply screamed wrong? once they called this the home of the best damn burgers in town. (but, oh, how things have so quickly turned around.) now it’s shadows spun into sub-par strawberry milkshakes and spider-webbed vinyl seats that stick to the skin. everyone pretends not to notice how sometimes -- just beyond their menus and out of the corner of their eyes -- they can still see starla’s curling grin.

LA BELLA NOTTE ITALIAN RISTORANTE ($$)

"a good night to be at la bella notte" they laugh: heartily as they pass you a bowl of their famous spaghetti. it's so unlike what you have had before, something so addicting: the sauce so flavorful, so thick; the flour crumbling between your teeth and setting in (like it's meant to be between your bones). they string the garlic along the outsides of their door, keep the smell in they claim (but what else are they trying to keep out).

NECTARINE ($$$)

it starts with soft lighting but ends with a scream spun from the sharpest smile. come, step into the finest restaurant spectracy has to offer -- so long as you wear a suit, make a reservation three weeks in advance, and don’t mind waiting a little while. (but this is the taunting truth and even your server sees it: how some here are dripping down the spine, heavy with wicked teeth and a touch of gleaming gold.) as the waiter brings back your drinks, you notice that the ice has already melted and he trembles and shakes -- a fear twisting and truly uncontrolled. (what happened to the last waiter to bring something to the table which wasn’t a “beauty to behold”?)

GITTANO’S PIZZERIA ($)

there are old sorrows forever scratched into the brick walls. isn’t it odd how one generation’s misery repeats itself through the years like a nightmare that never stops? and with only a few tables, they’ll say this place has always been too small to serve truly hungry crowds -- but it is loved by many, and the weekends have always pulled in a substantial turnout. after all, for its long-lasting existence, it has always been unbelievable breadsticks, premonitions scrawled onto receipts and that spine-chilling feeling of something’s not right, something’s not right. (when you call to place an order, a woman’s voice scratches, “we are so, so sorry about what will happen to you -- have a medium one-topping pizza on us tonight!”)

BLUEBIRD BAKERY ($$)

time takes and it takes and it never forgives. but here: between the taunting, ticking of the clock is where a world of breads and pastries and stickily spun breakfast lives. (they’ll hiss: did you see the checkerboard tiles? the chrome-and-glass displays? this is the suffocating sugar that spills between the formica counters: besides the brand new coffee bar, this bakery looks like it's trapped in a single shrieking time, like it still hasn’t aged a day.)

THE GETAWAY BAR & GRILLE ($)

yellowing photographs of the town’s athletes line the walls of the getaway (did those eyes just move?). it is a classic sports bar: angry fans, the televisions with the games. “what game’s on tonight?” it’s the same game as last night. the same game as last summer. the rips in the vinyl leak secrets onto your shoes, and when you leave, you leave covered in shadow. no one ever really gets away, after all.

LAKE SUPERIOR BREWING CO. ($$)

there are few places in town that are as lonely as this one. dark walnut timbers tower around you as you drink the homemade brew - "everything is housemade", the bartender says, "even the curses on the windows." sitting at the bar is the same bearded fisherman, drinking the same pint of stout, muttering about something on the lake isn’t right (perhaps it’s that boat you saw one night, between the hanging agate windchimes in the window.

BAB’S UNDERGROUND ($)

vinyl lined booths that stick to your skin, sticky sticky floors (covered in what? you almost ask, but no one knows - no one wants to know). you come here for the cheap shots of vodka and stay because the music compels you to dance. rumor has it that this was once a fairy revelry, and once you join you can never leave. nights spent here are nothing but blurry lights and a far-off scream that send chills running down your spine.

THE RAVEN’S CLUB ($$$)

quoth the raven, ‘nevermore’ hangs in neon script above the bar, and you think you caught the raven’s wings fluttering once, but you tell your friends and they laugh, saying it’s just the dim lighting and the absinthe served here. leather coats the booths and walls - "it must have been expensive to furnish," you say to the person sitting next to you at the bar, watching the crowd writhe in beat to the music. “not really, i just asked a few friends to help supply,” he replies. it is then you notice his hollow cheeks and and - is that blood on his fingernails?

                               EDUCATION

ABNER T. FORD ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL & ESTHER J. BOBBINS HIGH SCHOOL 

this is a realm spun in malicious rumors that build up like cockroaches and slip into every nook and cranny like dust. do you realize that we all hear the scratching and clawing coming from your locker, no matter how hard you try to cover it up? welcome one and welcome all to the claustrophobic feeling of a thousand trapped souls tucked into too-tight desks. the lunch food is abundant and nutritious, though it’s unclear whether you’ll survive eating something so grotesque.

SPECTRACY UNIVERSITY

the students here are like the dead they joke, you sell yourself to education. but they can't get rid of the dead in their eyes, and no matter how much they try to rest, they can't fall asleep. and maybe it's the labs ( bubbling and boiling brewing god knows what ) or maybe it's the readings ( recitation and memorization repetition you can't get out of your head ), but somethings just a little bit off. but its brushed aside and laughed it, it's just the stress they assure.

                              ENTERTAINMENT

THE ADESSO INSTITUTE FOR FINE ARTS

what is art? is it the way the light casts shadows among the hyper realistic marble statues that makes you look once, twice, three times at the flicker in the corner of your eye? or perhaps it’s the painting in the corner that if you stare long enough without blinking, it’s suddenly thursday when it was tuesday last you checked. better not stay too long - or you might become an exhibit yourself.

THE REVELEY THEATRE

bright, incandescent lights, the smell of sweat and paint emanating off the stage. nothing here ever changes - not the smiles on the actors’ faces, or the brushstrokes on the painted set - not even the way the queen’s skirt falls around her in the final scene of the play. it is tradition to attend the theatre during the sticky summer nights, and even though you swear you must have seen this play a thousand times over, you can never remember what happens the moment you find your seat.

GLOBAL FITNESS

and maybe there really is a truth hidden within perfection: how it twists and taunts and tangles between too-white teeth and early morning yoga and newly-purchased treadmills. (in a brightly-painted building, this gym’s level of flawlessness does nothing but crawl into bone, splinter, and kill.) “it’s a new season,” the receptionist says. “it’s a new you.” (too happy, too pleased, too eager -- isn’t it strange that she only moves her lips? isn’t it strange that she’s always here when you come passing through?)

FAUTIAN TATTOOS & PIERCINGS

do you know how small we are in light, and how large our shadows become? there is something shadow-like beneath your skin -- permanent, never fading, and beating along to your fragile heart like a drum. so who put it there?: this barely-functioning shop that tethers memories to the skin through ink and strengthens the crumbling ruins of a cobwebbed mind. (betty in the back chimes around her cigarette: "some things really do last forever.”) you and the ink are now eternally intertwined.

LE REVÉ BEAUTY PARLOR & BARBERSHOP

too-tight smiles, winding whispers and a steady snip, snip, snip of scissors. (“are you ready for your makeover?”) and it’s a careful, creeping crawl into the strangely sticky seat -- after all, the stylist’s lipstick reminds you of the blood of boys who didn’t know how to properly hold a heart. (her scissors sing: what sins have you committed? what secrets do you have yet to spill?) “oh, yes, my dear. i’m going to turn you into a work of art.”

KEARNEY ANTIQUES

dust floats through the air, coating the antiques within. there are signs within saying “do not touch” and they coat the walls, appear behind artifacts and below your feet. it is best to let the shopkeeps handle these objects - as some are far more than they seem. “can i help you?” asks the owner’s boy, and a soft brogue tints his voice as being other. you turn, startled and start to speak, but choke. (it was the dust, it is always the dust). the trinket in your hand shatters as the floor pulls itself up towards you. everything goes black.

                               LIVING

MARLEY'S MARKET

always bright -- a single patch of light within the surrounding night. but was marley’s ever considered a ‘safe haven’? was it ever anything but a truly necessary fright? (sometimes the empty shelves sing and sometimes the checkout clerk has hollow eyes). and once, in second grade, jennifer said that on aisle three, she saw a heart hidden within the ice. someone’s love chillingly stowed away in the freezer behind the frozen waffles. someone’s stifled scream and terribly twisting touch of frostbite. (but what’s the price? what’s the price?)

SPECTRACY CREDIT UNION

so much of this town is dripping poisoned paper promises and oaths boldly broken. (it’s fingers scratching in want, desires fueled by money but sometimes left unspoken.) and they’ll call this the place to get loans and services tailored tightly to all of your super-specific financial needs. (and they’ll call this the place where people whisper the loudest about wealth and the breaking blood-stained bite that it sometimes leaves.)

THE 7/5 GAS STATION

you are friends with the shadow that skirts past your vision and rustles the bedroom curtains at night. but you are not friends with the shadow that taps on your car window here where the air is thick and nothing ever feels quite right. in the end, they say this was a structure built like a shell with no intention of personality: all gray colors and mediocre coffee and a quiet quickening to get away as fast as you can. (it’s a warning bell wrapped like something unassuming. and this was your greatest mistake: you should have just ran.)

THE BLUE BOTTLE

how does it feel to drown? can you taste the burn slicking down your throat going down and down and down? (see, this is the place to purchase alcohol but never the store to linger in for too long: the night will carve out caves in your eyes and you will fall right into the blue bottle’s intoxication and brightly-blurring song.)

FRAN'S PET SUPPLIES & MORE

tucked tightly between two vacant buildings lies fran’s laughter that always sounded more like growls. it’s known for its pink paw-prints on the front windows, pastel paint peeling, and the shaky whisper from around the corner, “don’t go in there. turn around. turn around.” (because here’s the thing: have you heard the rumors that scratch and claw? apparently, a few months ago, someone realized fran was feeding the aquarium fish something that did not look like fish food at all.)

BLOSSOMS & BAUBLES

they say beauty is pain -- and the flower shop's scars bleed the reddest of rose petals. (everyone here has begun to look like a garden. shaky smiles and hands that hide a beating heart’s thorns.) and here, tucked between blooms and blossoms, everything is breath-taking and bright, but you should have been warned. the willows weep at night, and flowers are bought less for love and more for the dying or already dead. (he loves me, he loves me not. he is already lying on his deathbed.)