Bench Ideas, Tips & Guides

There’s something fulfilling about having a dedicated space where you can get absorbed in your passion projects and mute the rest of the world. Yet, many of us refrain from starting a hobby because we think we don’t have room to do so. Not anymore.

The «big light» in your bathroom has its purpose. It helps you see which spots need shaving and wakes you up in the morning—but there's no denying it's a major ambiance killer when you're trying to unwind at night.

Your entryway is a small but mighty part of the home, and you'll want to make sure that you're designing it so that it lives up to its full potential. As a result, you'll want to be sure to steer clear of these common mistakes that pros often notice in other people's homes!

TikTok has a new design theory on the rise: anyone whose couch doesn’t touch their walls is living in luxury. Having your couch in the middle of the room, according to many TikTok users, is the mark of an expensive home.

Weekly, remove dead plant material from plants and soil. Watch for slugs and other pests on plants, in pots, under trays, in corners, and beneath benches. Sterilize pots and flats with Physan 20 (#7620) before reusing them.

Apply mist only during daylight hours to avoid excessive humidity at night, which encourages disease. Remember, when the greenhouse cools at night, the relative humidity will rise even with the misting system off. Use a 24-hour timer to shut off the misting system 2 hours before sundown.

Carnations in all their various forms are generally considered to be derivatives of Dianthus Caryophyllus, although the origin of some is not entirely clear. In North America, when referring to carnations, we immediately think of the carnation of commerce, the continuous or perpetual flowering carnation that is commonly grown under glass. There are, however, various garden types of this delightful flower that have never become so popular in North America as they are in many parts of Europe; this is because, over much of the continent, temperatures are too high for their successful, easy culture.

With winter approaching, the days are getting shorter and temperatures are falling fast. As we spend more time in the comfort of our homes, it’s always nice to get our spaces feeling extra cozy.

Move over, awkwardly placed windows. If you're dealing with windows that are positioned a bit strangely throughout your house or are oddly shaped, we're here to help.

IKEA

Our fourth advent prize draw comes with your chance to win a beautiful kiln-dried Carved Oak Rope Swing, worth £379 from Sitting Spiritually.

There are several spots around your home that generally get left out, or at the very least deprioritized, when it comes to designing—and one such area is the hallway.

Along with every new year come new home design predictions, and Houzz’s predictions are everything we thought we’d see, plus a few fun new forecasts that will be a delight to see come to fruition.

With 2023 drawing to a close, interior designers and design enthusiasts alike are already looking ahead to the New Year and the trends that are expected to be big. From trending colors to lighting trends, living room trends, bathroom trends, and more, design experts are excitedly preparing for what 2024 will bring.

We all have that one spot in our house that tends to accumulate random clutter every single day. Normally, that’s the spot near the front door—but really anywhere can become a dumping ground, including the garage, kitchen drawer (aka the junk drawer), dining table, and living room sofa. 

Trends come and trends go, and some of them involve “outdoor art” using trees and plants. One new trend is called yarn bombing. This involves using knitted or crocheted yarn to “decorate” outdoor structures, like lamp posts, benches and… trees. Are you wondering whether yarn bombing trees is detrimental? Read on for more information.

if you are not happy with the only space in your studio or an apartment, then don’t worry! Here are some out-of-the-box Balcony Decorating Ideas that will surely transform it into a magical place to be!

When it comes to designing a space, there are certain items that seem to get all the attention. In the living room, it's most likely the sofa, while in the bedroom it's no surprise that a well-designed, comfortable bed is important for a functional, beautiful space. But what about those underrated furniture pieces—the ones that add character, storage, ease, or some vintage charm? We sat down with designers to learn about the underrated furniture pieces they swear by.

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After summer, as the weather begins to cool, it can be a good time to review and assess your garden. What worked well over the current season, and what did not exactly go according to plan?

Entryways are the first thing that we see when we enter a home. They welcome us in and send us off every time we leave. As a result, they are a common dumping ground for a number of different everyday essentials, from shoes and coats to keys, hats, gloves, and sunglasses. Amidst the hustle and bustle of a busy family home, it’s common for the entryway to become overwhelmed with stuff.

When something is whimsical, it is playful, fun, fanciful, and not too serious. Your style or your home décor can be whimsical, but what about your garden? If you enjoy the world of whimsy, take it to the outdoors and design a quirky and imaginative space.

Using wood from a section of our fence that fell in a wind storm, I built a bench to encircle our large maple tree in the back yard.

If you don't have a mudroom in your home, you may be wondering how exactly to store away all of the items that are associated with having children: shoes, school supplies, sports equipment, and much more.

You need at least one roof ventilator and one side ventilator to get good air changes. The roof ventilator is the most important for allowing hot air to escape. Windows at both sides of the greenhouse can be beneficial. Louvered windows are very useful as they are easy to operate and I find hinged windows less stable in wind. Automatic ventilators are available that open the window using a plunger system. Obviously the door is a great ventilator and should be left open when temperatures reach 80 degrees or humidity is 100%. I have never needed an extractor fan but for a large greenhouse a slow moving fan can help some crops.

The Gladiolus family are fine addition to the colourful garden. They also make fascinating subjects for the gardeners who like a challenge of the show bench.

If a plant is worth growing it is worth growing well and this applies no more so than to Chrysanthemums. I have said recently that Chrysanthemums will repay the gardeners attention with a productive crop of flowers for the home, show bench or garden.

There is no reason why you should settle down for an empty, boring backyard when there is so much that can inspire you. Check out our post on how Your Backyard Can Be the Best Hang Out Place with these DIYs!

Last fall I made the tough decision to sell our hot tub. After it was removed, we were left with a big ugly hole in the deck! But I thought maybe this space could make a nice backyard lounge area?

I have always loved the look of benches made from head and foot boards, especially the ones made from metal. I found this one in the most unlikely places. It was leaning up against the side of a vault, ( a holding building for bodies to be buried in cemeteries. The caskets are kept here during winter months when the ground is frozen and graves can't be dug until spring.) It was buried half in the ground and deep in the trees. I was very excited with my find, my mother was looking at me with those eyes that quietly said my daughter has finally lost it but didn't actually say it… I went back to my mom's house and called the church secretary and asked if I could remove the bed. Ironically she didn't even know one was there. She said if I could dig it out I could have it. After some choice words under my breath, tree branches in some not so nice places, and falling on my behind while trying to get it out of the ground my determination paid off.

Hello Summer! Warm Weather and sitting outdoors enjoying company is the best! So I have to head into town to get my yard pretty! I was at my local Lowe’s scouting out flowers and picking up supplies when I ran across a 6ft preassembled pine picnic table. All I could see was a blank canvas. I wanted to create something that would be a great conversation piece, something that people would automatically ask, “where did you get that”?

Sometimes we receive calls about wasps eating outdoor wooden furniture or even structures. While some wasps like paper wasps and yellowjackets will scrape wood with their strong mouthparts to make their paper nests, they are not technically eating the wood but rather using it as building material. Other wasps will nest in holes in wood, including nail holes, drill holes, or emergence holes made by wood boring beetles. For example, powderpost beetle larvae feed and live in wood until they pupate into adults and emerge out of their wooden food source to mate. These emergence holes can be future nesting sites for a host of solitary wasps called potter and mason wasps.

Ever wondered how to make an easy cinder block bench? I had built one years ago and it was time to fix it up. A cinder block bench is easy to create, affordable, and can be put just about anywhere. You can see more of my crazy creations here

Everyone could use a little extra space for storage, but if you feel as though you've exhausted all of the possibilities in your home, you're going to want to read on, as there is definitely still hope.

I ‘VE GOT SUNSHINE, though it’s cold outside, and hardly like the month of May. The golden-leaved plants that are a backbone of the garden are seeing me through.

EUROPEAN UNION? The first Apis mellifera aka European honey bee I see each year is always having at the first Eranthis hyemalis or winter aconite to open, likewise a European species. I don’t know enough to know if their distant ancestors did the same dance way back when, but I like to wonder (and I like to imagine they might have, cause that’s how my brain works). And now I will spend 57 hours reading esoteric botanical and entomological research papers on the native ranges of each if I can even find them, because it beats reading the news lately. By a mile.March 20SURVIVORS! Lichen and moss are ancient creatures, living on earth for hundreds of millions of years already through thick and thin. When I filled the bird feeder this morning, I looked more closely than I usually do at the community that has formed using a slat of a very old wooden bench as its substrate, and just thought: right, hunker down and stay put. Thank