Maison D'or Interior Design Services

Design Tips

“What Makes A Perfect Man Cave?”

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What Makes A Perfect Man Cave?

If you’ve seen “I Love You, Man” with Jason Segal and Paul Rudd, you are familiar with what a man cave is. The man cave is a male sanctuary from the stress of the real world, where a man can drink beer, watch sports, and bond with his “bros.” It sounds silly, but men need their space as much as women do, or even more. A study found that “men’s cortisol levels actually drops significantly when they had solo leisure time.” That being said, what makes the perfect man cave? These are some essential elements that every man should have to construct their perfect man cave.

1. A Large TV
Entertainment is a must when it comes to the perfect man cave, which means a large TV is a must. The latest and greatest in television technology should adorn one side completely, preferably not facing a window to avoid a glare. This is a portal into watching your favorite sports team, where you can binge watch your favorite TV shows, and play your video games until wee hours of the night.

2. Streaming Device
Speaking of binge watching your favorite TV shows, a streaming device, such as Apple TV, Roku, or Chromecast, is essential. While you would still want to keep your cable hooked up to watch those games, a streaming device opens your world to hours of on-demand entertainment through Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Go, and much more.

3. Comfort
I say comfort because not one item can encompass the idea of what this word means. It can be a couch, a recliner, a futon, or even an oversized bean bag known as the LoveSac (they don’t really use beans). You want to make sure you have enough comfortable seating to have your boys over for that big game without feeling crowded. At the same time, you don’t want over do it and make your man cave seem cluttered. A nice sectional sofa and La-z-boy recliner will do the trick.

4. Surround Sound
Your big TV will feel even bigger with an appropriate surround sound system. Every sack or punch will reverberate throughout your man cave like you’re at the game or fight. While some are content with a sound bar and subwoofer, a. 5.1 or 7.1 sound system will have sound coming from the sides, back, and even the ceiling (depending where you place your speakers). You won’t realize how important sound is to your viewing pleasure until you try it out for the first time. Anything less will just sound distant and impersonal.

5. Bar/Refrigerator
Instead of going back into the house for another cold beer, you should invest in a refrigerator that you can keep in your man cave. Make sure it’s stocked with your favorite beverages and foods. If beer isn’t your alcoholic beverage of choice, a nice stocked bar with your favorite liquors is good to have. You can play bartender when your friends are over or just blend that perfect margarita for yourself. Either way, you have options in close proximity of your couch so you don’t miss any of that high-stake game.

Honorable Mentions

A Rug – A rug on the floor is perfect to break up the monotonous floor color. This can be a solid color or of your favorite team. It also provides something soft to rest your feet upon.

Wall Decor – Whether you’re a movie fan or sports fan, nothing is worse than a plain wall. Give your palace some personality with movie posters, sport memorabilia, or your favorite art.

Games – I’m not talking about Connect Four or Jenga (though that’s not a bad idea), but a pool table, a foosball table, or a ping pong set. One of those six-in-one game tables might be a perfect addition.

Jessica Kane is a professional writer who has an interest in interior design and home decor. She currently writes for www.custom-mats.com, a leading vendor of plain and custom mats.

How to paint a diamond pattern on your wall

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I always loved the classic look of a harlequin pattern.  I had a large wall in my basement that was screaming for attention.  I decided to roll up my sleeves and get to work.

Materials list: Painters tape, paint ( the color of your diamonds), drop clothes, roller pan, small 5″ roller (foam), magic sponge(to erase pencil lines), pencil,measuring tape, large 3 foot leveler, and small leveler.

To begin you have to decide how large you want your diamonds to be.  I wanted my pattern to have a more contemporary feel so I decided to make my diamonds large.   The rule of thumb is the height of the diamond should be twice the width.  Once you have decided how large you want your diamonds to be, take the width of the wall and divide it by the width of your diamond and that will tell you how many rows vertically to draw.  Do the same with the height of the diamond to figure out how many rows to draw Horizontally.  Once you have your measurements your wall should look like the grids below.  Next step is to draw your diamonds.  Measure each rectangle and find the halfway point of the width and height and mark them with a pencil.  Connect the dots to create your diamonds.  Below is an example:

 

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Next tape every other diamond with your painters tape.  Begin to paint.

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I advise you to remove the tape immediately after painting each diamond.  It comes off easier and reduces bleeding.

Once finished with that step your wall should look like this:

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Next tape off the rest of your diamonds.

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This is the wall before:

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This is the wall after:

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It took me 4 hours to complete.  For the color of the diamonds I mixed two leftover paints sitting in my garage; 50% Benjamin Moore Livingston Gold and 50% Latte from Restoration Hardware.  The base coat of the wall is Restoration Hardware Latte.  I didn’t have to spend money on paint.  Total cost for project $7.00 (painters tape).  Happy painting!

Philadelphia Home Show 2013

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The Philadelphia Home show is February 2nd to the 10th at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.  Check out the website www.phillyhomeshow.com for tickets and a list of exhibitors. There is a great list of celebrity and guest speakers including James Cameron from DIY’s Man Caves and Desperate Landscapes.  He will be live on stage February 9th from 12-4.  His presentation will include tips, advice and stories to make your home and garden top notch.

On my list of booths to visit is Delia Designs (booth 314).  Her focus is on creating healing environments through design.

Under the hot new products of 2013 section is Tables On The Move, booth 312.   If you live in a small space or are just looking for a piece of functional art, this is a line of tables that transition from wall art to table.  So if you are looking to get inspired in 2013 get moving to the Philly Home Show!

 

Pantone color of the year

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Benjamin Moore Amazon MossPantone has announced the color of the year and it is……drum role, EMERALD! So get ready to see this color all over this year! When I think of emerald green a few things come to mind. First the Wizard of Oz of course. Who could forget Emerald City? Second my Junior High School prom dress. I graduated Junior High school in 1989. Last the beautiful landscape of Ireland. I’ve never been there, but it is on my bucket list. I love the combination of purple with green. I think mother nature does it best. I am always excited when my Vinca vine blooms all over in the spring!    Hope you enjoy seeing emerald green this year, I know I will!

Choosing the right size Christmas tree for your space

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Many factors come into play when choosing a Christmas tree for your home.  Taking time to measure the area which you will place the tree in is an essential step.  Do not try to “eye” the space.  Simply take a tape measure and run it horizontally and perpendicular in the space you plan to have your tree.

~If the across measurement is less than 4 feet than a Pencil tree would be the best fit.   Pencil trees are typically 36” round.

~If the across measurement is 4-6 feet than a slim tree would be the best choice.  These trees typically are 36”-54” round.

~If the space is 6-7 feet across than you can opt for a medium tree.  These trees are typically 55”-60” round.

~If you have over 7 feet across than you can go for a full tree which are 61”-70” round.

Height is another factor.  You should plan on having 9”-12” of space between the top of your tree and your ceiling height.  This way you can fit a tree topper and have a couple inches of space left between the tree and the ceiling.

The above guidelines work for real or artificial trees.  The salesman on the lot can guide you to the proper size tree if you know what you are shopping for!

 

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!