on house

The House at the Epicenter

The Setting

As I entered the yard with a high white fence and a big front yard, I noticed a bundle of small Hindu religious flags at the corner of the two story family house on 87th Road nestled between Parsons Boulevard and 150th Street with its back to Hillside Avenue. I was in the heart of New York’s second largest Indo-Guyanese community located in Jamaica, Queens. (The largest Indo-Guyanese community is located in Richmond Hill, Queens).

Southern Queens is one of the epicenters of the housing bubble crisis which led to the Great Recession that shattered or setback the American dream for many in the Caribbean community. I came to this house during the tax season to survey how the different socioeconomic classes (working class and middle class) were affected by the Housing Bubble Aftermath and the American public policy that tarnished the American dream for this community.

The … Read More

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on home improvement

Top 7 Home Improvement Tips You Should Know

Do you have a condo or an apartment? If you have one, you need some home improvement tips. These tips will help you maintain your home or apartment saving you some real cash in the long run. Aside from this, it will also increase the value of your home. Read on some of our tips for improving your home.

Tackle the Important Projects

Some home repair projects are urgent. If you do them in time, you can prevent a lot of damage. But if you ignore these projects, you may end up paying a huge sum to fix the damages later on. Therefore, don’t wait for the winter to approach and get these projects done as soon as possible.

Consider Professionals

Even if you love doing DIY projects, not all home repair projects should be done by you. Some repair jobs are better left to professionals. You have to be … Read More

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on decor

Rustic Chic Vs Industrial Decor Style

In interior design and home décor, there are many styles that one can choose from. There are the “pure” styles and then the mix-n-match styles. Two of the more common styles are the rustic chic look and the industrial look. Many people think these looks are one in the same. I’m here to explain why they aren’t the same style. First, a couple of questions.

What do you think of when I say rustic chic? Do you think of a farmhouse, wooden cabin feel with wood tables and exposed beams? Or do you think of quilts, repossessed distressed wood with chicken wire and galvanized metal? Both of these descriptions are correct when talking about rustic chic.

Now, what do you think of when I say industrial design style? Do you think of hardwoods, pipes and other metals? Maybe dark, neutral colors, old typewriters, and wood burning stoves? If so they … Read More

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on bathroom

The Importance of Selecting Proper Bathroom Lighting

Bathroom lighting is critical. This is usually the first room we enter in the morning, setting the mood for the remainder of the day. It’s also the room we enter when we are half asleep in the middle of the night.

Washing, putting on make-up, shaving, grooming, and taking medications are but a few of the daily routines in the bathroom. There is no other room in the home where optimizing both daylighting (natural outdoor light) and lighting (light bulbs) is more critical.

Daylighting is important for our overall health and emotions as it sets our circadian rhythms (how natural light affects and resets our biological clock and consciousness). Lighting is critical for our safety (80% of all falls for older adults occur in the bathroom) and personal grooming.

Daylighting

Nothing comes close to beating the warmth, beauty, and emotional value of windows and skylights. These brighten your mood helping … Read More

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on bathroom

Do You Have Small, Tiny Red Bugs in Your Bathroom?

Although there are several possibilities, the potential of a stored product pest infestation should not be overlooked- in particular, the presence of flour beetles.

The confused flour beetle and the red flour beetle look very similar in appearance. The best way to distinguish the two is by examining their antennae. The RFB’s antennae take on a clubbed shape with three segments at the end, while the CFB’s antennae gradually enlarge towards the tip, ending in a four-segmented club.

Another difference between the two beetles is that the RFB (primarily found in southern states) is a strong flier, while the CFB (primarily a northern pest) does not fly.

As adults, both beetles have shiny, reddish brown bodies that are about 1/8 inch long, flattened, and oval. They have a very wide food range including flour, rice, cereals, grains, spices, grain products, shelled nuts, dried fruit, chocolate, beans and other similar materials.… Read More

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on garden

The Symbolism in a Zen Garden

The primary structure of a Japanese garden is determined by the architecture that contain it; that is, the framework of enduring elements such as buildings, verandas and terraces, paths, tsukiyama (artificial hills), and stone compositions. It is ideal to set in small areas or places without enough light or ventilation required for a traditional garden.

There is a wide range of Zen thought in the Japanese garden. Here are some key elements as examples:

Gates (torii), fences, straw ropes, and cloth banners acted as signs to demarcate paces.

Bridges(hashi), passing over the bridge was analogous to passing from one world to the next. As Zen influence came into the forefront, bridges took on the more Taoist meaning of passing from the world of man into the world of nature, a move from this plane to a higher one

Water (Mizu) Buddhism always considered water the most apt metaphor for … Read More

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on interior

Professional Ethics For Interior Designers

While we have all heard these things in the past, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of a busy design business and forget some of the basics, such as professional ethics and standards. As practicing designers, we should always behave in a way that is ethical and professional.

That being said, you will not please everyone all the time. Even adhering to the most stringent guidelines, you will likely experience conflict and frustration as well as satisfaction and exhilaration. So be aware of the major areas of professional ethical concerns that could impact your relationships with clients, suppliers and other professionals. A reputation is hard to build and easy to lose so always keep the following in mind:

o Make full disclosure to your clients, clarifying the scope and cost of the job. For example, do not tell a client that you will only charge … Read More

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on kitchen

The Importance of Your Kitchen Sink

The kitchen sink should be the center of attention in your kitchen. This is a critical decision, particularly when redesigning, redecorating, or building a new home. It is important to install the right kind of kitchen sink to not only suit your lifestyle, but to last a lifetime of use and abuse.

Kitchen sinks endure a lot; depending upon your needs and how you use one, you’ll be able to find a sink that is perfect for you. Large single bowl, double bowl or even triple bowl sinks play their role very well. Also, bar sinks will complement your kitchen sink and kitchen design.

 

Depending upon how you like your kitchen styled, you should consider your options carefully. Sinks come self-rimming and undermount. Self-rimming sinks are dropped into the counter top and its rim sits on top of the counter. The undermount sink, as its name implies, is attached under the … Read More

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on house

The Indestructible House

One hundred ten years ago in 1909, a large house was constructed in St Petersburg, Florida. But it was not a typical home that needed repairing. From the time it was built, the house never had repairs and nothing had to be replaced. The locals called it a “miraculous” home because nothing ever had to be repaired. Over the past one hundred years, there was a rumor that it was indestructible and nothing could harm it.

Little is known about fifteen workers who built the house.

The only common knowledge is that they built the house in very little time. But some townspeople reported strange spooky chanting during the nights it was being built. After it was built, the workers were never heard from or seen again. Many believe the fifteen men somehow cursed the house. Was it the strange “rituals” and chanting that made the home indestructible?

The “indestructibility” … Read More

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