A table combining the tactile nature of wood with the transparency of a glass top, revealing a touch of color through two aluminum guides. The table is fitted with two side extension leaves to seat several guests. Many combinations of finishes are available, for a timeless mix that can be easily matched to several chairs in the Calligaris collection. Meet with a Design Consultant today to customize a unique look for your dining room. The Levante is paired with the Aida Plus Dining Chair, Nadira Area Rug, Pom Pom Suspension and Table Lamps, and Sipario Sideboard.

Photo: Corynne Pless © 2013 Houzz
Example of an eclectic living room design in New York

Learn seed starting basics and get a jump start on growing the flower garden of your dreams with the new book, Cut Flower Garden. In this striking guide you will find everything you need to grow, harvest, and arrange stunning seasonal blooms. With equal parts instruction and inspiration, Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden welcomes you into Erin Benzakein’s abundant, bloom-filled world, and is a feast for every flower lover’s eyes and soul. Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden. Written by Erin Benzakein with Julie Chai. Photos by Michèle M. Waite. Published by Chronicle Books.

This large living room is deceptive as the very large scale furniture makes it appear smaller than actually is. The existing large sofa is 12 ft wide. The client bought the existing furniture with the home, and they were all custom built. But she had no idea how to arrange the room and how to update the existing grey and mauve color scheme from the early 1980's. We suggested to keep the grey, but add in green and aqua based on our discussions of what colors she liked. We arranged the space into two separate seating areas and helped her select new art and accessories. We suggested she reinvent the french side chair in a blue and green color scheme with a greek key accent. And we helped our client select new fabric for the vintage acrylic chairs. The new look feels fresh and eclectic and fun. We also guided the client to the right upholsterer and seamstress and framing shop. Our client was thrilled.

Brooklyn studio apartment. Looking in from hallway. Bedroom, living room area, dining/work area.
Inspiration for a small scandinavian medium tone wood floor bedroom remodel in New York

Learn seed starting basics and get a jump start on growing the flower garden of your dreams. In this striking guide you will find everything you need to grow, harvest, and arrange stunning seasonal blooms. With equal parts instruction and inspiration, Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden welcomes you into Erin Benzakein’s abundant, bloom-filled world, and is a feast for every flower lover’s eyes and soul. Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden. Written by Erin Benzakein with Julie Chai. Photos by Michèle M. Waite. Published by Chronicle Books.

This office space was open and very large but needed to be arranged for gatherings and separate work areas. The client did not want to wall it off and lose the openness. We suggested they have a room divider hung from the ceiling for a sense of space, but not the heaviness of a wall. We designed the divider and gave the client resources as to who could build it. And we helped the client select an eclectic mix of furniture that represented iconic pieces of style thought the years. We also guided the clients with lighting and art as well as floor finishes.

Photography Urban Aisle
Example of a cottage home design design in Los Angeles

Step into an inviting entryway that exudes warmth and elegance, featuring beautiful oak wood floors that set the stage for a grand entrance. As you ascend the staircase, sleek black metal railings guide you to the second floor with a touch of modern sophistication. A striking arc-shaped frameless passage opens up to reveal the living room, showcasing captivating modern art pieces adorning the walls. Each artwork adds a pop of color and creativity to the space, setting the tone for the artistic ambience that awaits. Beneath the art display, a cozy bench with brown leather upholstery invites you to take a moment to relax and unwind. Its plush cushioning provides comfort, making it the perfect spot to pause and admire the artistic expression around you. Adding to the charm of the entryway, a special brown wood dresser with wood round handles stands gracefully. Its unique design and craftsmanship add a touch of timeless beauty to the space, offering both storage and style. On top of the dresser, a carefully arranged display of flowers and candles fills the air with a delightful aroma, creating a welcoming and serene ambiance. Amongst the elegant arrangement, a stachu (presumably a statue) adds a touch of elegance and cultural significance, becoming a focal point in the entryway. This well-curated entry to the house is more than just a pathway; it is a reflection of your style and personality. The combination of oak wood floors, black metal railings, modern art, and thoughtful decor creates an impressive and inviting space that leaves a lasting impression on anyone who steps through the door.

Their extensive artwork collection guided our furniture and color selections. We picked up the reds and oranges in this painting in the area rug, floral arrangement and window treatments.

Location, location, location! Isn’t that what all of our real-estate friends and colleagues are always telling us? Our clients made a wise choice when purchasing this beautifully located ocean front property nestled in the dunes of Palm Beach, but they were presented with a challenge: how to take this luxury townhouse from dark and dated to a chic easy breezy dream home that reflects is naturally gorgeous sun and sand dunes surroundings as well as our clients laid back personalities. Built in 1981, this dream home’s post-modern style with dark wood architectural features, cold concrete structure, and harsh lighting felt out of step by todays standards. Our solution: open the staircase and switch out the wood paneled banister for clear glass, exposing its grand design and allowing for amazing and unobscured views of the property’s outdoor spaces as well as the home’s common areas, permitting its large loft space to shine. Bedrooms were treated to neutral color-schemes inspired by the Palm Beach dunes that surround this oceanfront home. An impressive pallet of textures and materials were chosen, and juxtapositions of lux linens and natural textiles like grass wall coverings and a large arrangement of sculptural branches brings the outside, in. Big and bold custom metal sculptures were installed in the primary bedroom along with hand blown glass light fixtures, adding that touch of glam that we are known for. The private courtyard revamp is above and beyond anything you will see in Palm Beach. Playful and luxurious, it features a koi pond, a two story art installation and a dramatic custom stone waterfall. Its seating area makes great use of this homes original design by softening the heavy overhang with ceiling coverings in Peaky Cyprus and covering the walls with grass, creating a very cool and cozy space to relax and unwind. The entire courtyard is expertly illuminated by artistic lighting that makes every corner a sparkling treat for the eyes. We had fun with this ambitious project and we hope your takeaway is to let location be your guide when looking for your dream home, because anything is possible in design but great surroundings are rare treasures that must be found and cherished.

This large living room is deceptive as the very large scale furniture makes it appear smaller than actually is. The existing large sofa is 12 ft wide. The client bought the existing furniture with the home, and they were all custom built. But she had no idea how to arrange the room and how to update the existing grey and mauve color scheme from the early 1980's. We suggested to keep the grey, but add in green and aqua based on our discussions of what colors she liked. We arranged the space into two separate seating areas and helped her select new art and accessories. We suggested she reinvent the french side chair in a blue and green color scheme with a greek key accent. And we helped our client select new fabric for the vintage acrylic chairs. The new look feels fresh and eclectic and fun. We also guided the client to the right upholsterer and seamstress and framing shop. Our client was thrilled.

Photography - Kate Hansen
Entryway - eclectic entryway idea in Melbourne

interior design calgary basement renovation
Basement - coastal basement idea in Calgary

Large trendy bedroom photo in Delhi with beige walls

Photo: Lauren Dunec Hoang © 2017 Houzz
Photo of a landscaping in Amsterdam.

Every year, the same thing happens. The first real snowfall arrives, demand for de-icing materials spikes overnight, and the businesses that waited too long find themselves scrambling for supply at the worst possible moment. Facility managers, property owners, contractors, and municipalities all depend on a steady supply of salt and ice melt to keep their properties safe and operational through winter. The ones who plan ahead sail through. The ones who don't pay more, wait longer, and take on real risk. Sourcing de-icing materials well is not complicated, but it does require thinking ahead and understanding the options. The choices you make about what to buy, how to buy it, and who to buy it from have a direct effect on your costs, your reliability, and your ability to keep people safe when conditions turn dangerous. This article lays out what matters. Why Your Choice of Supplier Matters More Than You Think It is easy to treat de-icing material as a commodity, something you grab whenever you need it without much thought about where it comes from. That works fine until the moment it doesn't, usually in the middle of a storm when everyone needs supply at once and the casual sources have run dry. At that point, the relationships you built before the season become the difference between staying stocked and being stuck. Reliable supply is the whole game in winter operations. A property that runs out of ice melt during a storm faces safety hazards, liability exposure, and disruption, none of which can wait for a back-ordered shipment. This is why establishing relationships with dependable rock salt suppliers before the season starts is one of the smartest moves a facility manager or contractor can make. It locks in supply, often locks in better pricing, and removes a major source of mid-winter stress. The lesson here is to treat sourcing as a planning decision rather than a last-minute errand. The businesses that come through winter smoothly are almost always the ones that secured their supply chain early, chose suppliers who could actually deliver when it counted, and never had to gamble on finding material during a shortage. Reliability bought in advance is far cheaper than scarcity paid for in a crisis. Bagged or Bulk: Matching the Material to the Job One of the first practical decisions is whether to buy de-icing material in bags or in bulk, and the right answer depends entirely on the operation. Each format has clear advantages, and many operations end up using both for different purposes. Bagged material offers convenience, control, and easy storage. It is simple to handle, easy to distribute to different locations or crews, straightforward to store without special equipment, and convenient for spot application by hand. It suits smaller properties, businesses without bulk storage, and situations where portion control and tidiness matter. Bulk material, on the other hand, tends to make sense for large operations that go through high volumes, where buying in quantity lowers the per-unit cost and the operation has the equipment and space to store and handle it. The tradeoff is between the convenience and flexibility of bags and the volume economics of bulk. For many operations, the right approach is a mix: bulk for the high-volume core of the work and bags for flexibility, spot treatment, and locations where bulk handling is impractical. The key is to match the format to how the material will actually be stored, moved, and applied, rather than defaulting to one or the other out of habit. Thinking this through in advance avoids both the waste of over-buying bulk you can't handle and the expense of relying entirely on bags for a large operation. Rock Salt Is Not Your Only Option Rock salt, or sodium chloride, is the workhorse of winter de-icing for good reason. It is effective, widely available, and cost-efficient, which makes it the default choice for most operations most of the time. But it has limits, and understanding the alternatives helps you choose the right material for the conditions you actually face. The most important limitation is temperature. Rock salt becomes less effective as temperatures drop, and in genuinely cold conditions it can struggle to do the job at all. This is where alternatives come in. Calcium chloride, for instance, works at much lower temperatures than rock salt and acts quickly, which makes it valuable when conditions are severe or when fast melting matters. Operations that face hard freezes or need dependable performance in extreme cold often keep calcium chloride for sale on hand for exactly those situations, using it alongside rock salt rather than instead of it. The practical approach is to understand the conditions your property faces and stock accordingly. For many operations, rock salt handles the bulk of the work while a faster, colder-rated material like calcium chloride covers the extreme days when ordinary salt falls short. Matching the material to the temperature and the urgency of the situation is what separates an operation that stays ahead of winter from one that is constantly reacting to it. Securing Your Supply Before the Season Knowing what to buy is only half the equation. The other half is making sure you can actually get it when you need it, which means securing your supply before winter arrives rather than after it has already started. Timing is one of the most underrated factors in winter operations. The logic is simple. Demand for de-icing materials is highly seasonal and spikes sharply during storms, when everyone needs supply simultaneously. Prices and availability both move against the buyer at exactly those moments. By contrast, planning ahead, estimating your needs and arranging supply before the season, puts you in a far stronger position. Working with established rock salt suppliers ahead of time means your material is accounted for before the rush, often at better pricing and with the confidence that it will be there when the first storm hits. This kind of planning also lets you think clearly rather than react under pressure. You can estimate your seasonal needs based on your property and past winters, decide on the right mix of materials and formats, and arrange storage in advance. Operations that do this consistently spend less, worry less, and never find themselves making frantic calls during a storm. The effort of planning ahead is modest, and the payoff in reliability and cost savings is substantial. Storing and Handling What You Buy Securing supply is not much use if the material degrades before you can use it, which makes proper storage and handling an important and often overlooked part of the equation. De-icing materials are sensitive to moisture, and poor storage can turn a good supply into a clumped, hardened mess that is difficult to apply. The fundamentals are straightforward. Keep material dry and protected from moisture, since salt and ice melt readily absorb water and can harden if exposed. Store it in a way that suits the format, whether that means a proper bulk storage area or a dry space for stacked bags. Keep it accessible, so crews can get to it quickly when a storm hits and time is short. And handle it with the right equipment for the format and volume, which protects both the material and the people working with it. None of this is complicated, but neglecting it can undermine even a well-planned supply. Good storage practices protect the investment you made in securing supply early. There is little point in arranging your materials ahead of the season only to have them degrade before use. Treating storage and handling as part of the overall plan, rather than an afterthought, ensures that the material you secured is actually usable when the moment comes. It is the final link in a supply chain built to perform under winter conditions. Estimating How Much You Actually Need One question trips up operations of every size: how much de-icing material to buy. Order too little and you risk running short during a storm. Order too much and you tie up money and storage space in material you may not use. Getting the estimate reasonably right is a meaningful part of sourcing well. Several factors shape the answer. The size and type of the areas you treat, sidewalks, lots, entrances, and drive lanes, set the baseline for how much material each application consumes. The local climate matters too, since colder regions and those with frequent snowfall go through far more material than milder ones. Application frequency depends on how often storms hit and how quickly surfaces need to be cleared, which varies with the kind of property and the expectations of the people who use it. And the type of material plays a role, since different products are applied at different rates. Past experience is often the best guide. Operations that track what they used in previous winters, adjusted for the size of the property and the severity of the season, can estimate their needs with reasonable confidence. For newer operations without that history, it helps to plan conservatively and to work with a supplier who can replenish stock reliably, so that a low estimate does not turn into a mid-storm shortage. The goal is not perfect precision but a sound, slightly cautious estimate paired with a dependable supply relationship. That combination lets an operation keep enough material on hand to handle the season without over-committing to volume it cannot store or use. Thinking this through before winter, rather than guessing during it, is one more way that planning ahead pays off when the snow starts to fall. The Bottom Line Sourcing de-icing materials well comes down to a few straightforward principles: plan ahead, choose reliable suppliers before the season, match your materials and formats to your actual needs and conditions, and store what you buy properly. The operations that follow these principles move through winter with confidence, while those that improvise pay more and take on needless risk. Winter is predictable in one respect: it arrives every year, and demand for de-icing material spikes the moment it does. The businesses that prepare for that reality, rather than being surprised by it, are the ones that keep their properties safe, their costs controlled, and their operations running no matter what the season throws at them. A little foresight before the first snowfall pays off through every storm that follows.

Example of a trendy light wood floor living room design in London with gray walls

Example of a kitchen design in Dublin