Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

The Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka has been using elephant dung to create eco-friendly paper, which by the way doesn’t smell and is bacteria-free. Their adult pachyderms produce approximately 180 kg of waste per day, so waste management has become an issue for the orphanage, that is until they began producing paper.

The dung from each elephant can help product 115 sheets of paper, and the paper has a similar texture and look to the paper made from tree fiber. The process involves boiling, bleaching, coloring, drying and flattening the dung, and they can produce a lot of paper since they house 60 elephants. This alternative source is beneficial to the environment, because there is less elephant dung sitting on the ground and contaminating the soil and groundwater.

Now when you need to write notes to your family or grocery shopping lists, you can use this natural paper. Check out the noteboxes at the Elephant Poo Poo Paper online store.

How do you keep warm during the brisk, night time temperatures of fall? A cozy, warm throw blanket made from wool is just what you need to have on your living room couch or chair. However, you can’t just have any throw blanket. The perfect throw would be soft, lightweight, warm and stylish, so where can you find such a blanket?

Swan Island Blankets is an artisanal operation in Maine, and they spin their blankets from locally gathered wool. They have fresh colors to choose from as well as interesting patterns. For a more personalized look, you can even have the blanket monogrammed.

Their Equinox Blanket is a beige and charcoal color, and it’s designed to keep the winter cold out. Not only is this blanket functional, but it also symbolizes the Equinox, which is when day and night are equal everywhere on earth. You can get this blanket in single, double/queen and king.

Wouldn’t it be convenient if you could just open your bedroom closet and find all of your clothese neatly hanging where they belong? Or what about your laundry room? Are collared shirts littered the counter? Closets are a place to store our items, but when you have your belongings shoved away, it can be impossible to find what you’re looking for. If your closet is less than functional, turn it into your dream closet by customizing it to fit your needs.

Easy Closets is giving 40 to 60 percent off typical installed prices. Now you can have those espresso drawers, slanted shoe shelves, brushed nickel handles and crown molding. Easy Closets are simple to install, and they can help you make the most of the storage space that you have. When you shove and pile up your belongings, you’re not really using the space efficiently. So get organized and stay organized this fall.

There are several ways to revamp a chair, but if you have inexpensive ones, you can easily cover the backs with decorative paper. All you need is Kraft paper, pencil, scissors, cutting mat, sturdy patterned paper, decoupage glue, foam brush and a bone folder.

What you do is unscrew the back of the chair and trace its outline on the patterned paper. Then cut out the paper for both sides. Next, apply the glue to the paper and start brushing it onto the back of the chair. If you have any bumps, use the bone folder to smooth them out. The final step is to cover the paper with a thin layer of glue, because this will prevent it from getting dirty or coming loose.

If you want some variety, use a couple different papers for your chairs, because this can create a personalized look at the kitchen table. Just make sure the patterns have a similar color pallette.

Do the squirrels dig up your bulbs and cause your dogs to bark all day long? Put their chaotic behaviors to rest by making a special spot just for them in your backyard.

This Recycled Squirrel Jar Feeder from All Season Wild Bird Store has interesting features, and it’s a cute addition to any tree in your yard. The large glass jars enables squirrels to feed peacefully and safely high up in a tree. Surprisingly, there is enough room for two squirrels to munch away happily on sunflower seeds or corn.

Since the feeder is made from recycled plastic, it’s more durable and eco-friendly. The material is also weather resistant, and the screws are stainless steel. The entire feeder weighs 9 pounds.

If you enjoy supporting your local wildlife in your backyard, check out the various bird feed mixes that this store has to offer. There are also a few other squirrel feeder designs.

You can always use a little bit of color, and why not bring color to your casters? These slim casters from Mockett can add some color and motion to your furnuture. These would be perfect for jelly cabinets in your kitchen, and you can implement them on other items in a craft room or in your garage.

The 4 11/16” tall slim caster comes in red, orange, blue, green or translucent white. The wheel structure is metallic silver, and the tire is charcoal gray. They swivel 360 degrees, so you can move furniture with ease. These casters are an easy way to add character to your surroundings.

Mockett has other unique home accessories including specialty hardware such as coat racks, door stops, air vent grills, architectural numbers and mailboxes. If you need some eclectic door knobs or drawer pulls, check out their supply. For example, the Droop Drawer Pull looks like a bronze leaf, and it comes in other exciting colors.

Rhode Island artisan Laura Kramer has created various handblown glass designs. If you’re looking for glasses with style, personality and versatility, check out the Candy Stripe Tumblers.

These tumblers are perfect for cocktails at an afternoon luncheon, or they can be used as small vases for cut flowers. Another option is to set votive candles in them for a colorful glow. You might even find other ways to use them around your home. For instance, you could arrange three on a ledge for decoration.

The Candy Stripe set comes with four different shaped and sized vessels, which make the set unique. There is a warm, cool and black solid set, and the warm and cool would be perfect for entertaining guests in the afternoon. The black solid set has more of a dramatic presence, which would go well if you have modern or industrial decor.

The amazing colors and swirling pattern make them a cheerful accessory for your kitchen.

New York decoupage artist John Derian has created eye-catching plates, which could make a statement in your dining room. Decoupage is the art of gluing paper cutouts onto items with the use of painting effects and other techniques. It’s a time consuming art, but the end result are incredible pieces.

The Fanned Peacock is a round 13” platter that costs $185. This colorful dish would be perfect for serving hors d’oeuvres and appetizers at your next house party or casual get together. If you love pets, check out the Dog Portraits 13” platter.

Many of the pieces are nature-inspired, and there are even less conventional shaped dishes such as oblong, octagonal, hexagonal and heart. If you’re in need of some serving trays for Halloween, consider the Bat 10” x 13” rectangular tray or the Tree 8” x 10 1/2” serving tray. There are so many interesting pieces that are sure to get your guests talking.

In Japan, bamboo has been used as fencing for centuries, and this material has only recently become popular in the U.S. for flooring. This eco-friendly material has a serene presence, and it can be constructed into beautiful designs.

Bamboo has a natural color and texture that can be elegant yet simple enough to compliment any type of landscaping. Similar to wood and chain fencing, bamboo can bring privacy to your yard. However, this material is more environmentally friendly, and it can set a peaceful ambiance in your yard.

Bamboo fencing comes in either rolls or panels, and it can be constructed in the following ways:

• Misu is a screening fence with horizontal slats and vertical posts support the slats.
• Kenninji is a more classic style, which uses half-round rails and dark twine to close up gaps.
• Twig fence is a more casual look that looks like bundles of bamboo twigs.
• Yotsume is made up of horizontal rails, which are held up by pickets.
• Royanji is a short fence designed for gardens, and it’s made from narrow bamboo shoots.

With the outlets that you have is it possible to charge your phone and computer at the same time? If not, you’re not alone. Often those large chargers take up all of the space on the outlet and don’t allow room for another plug to go into the bottom. Or sometimes you have to turn the charger the opposite way, which can take up more space. So how can you charge and use all of the plugs on your wall socket?

360 Electrical has designed a Rotating Outlet. Now you can plug in everything at once, because the outlet rotates, which allows you to position the chargers in any which way. This will allow you to charge your cell phone and computer at the same time. The 4-Rotating Adaptor shown below can be plugged into any wall, and it can fit a wide variety of large plugs. This one is only available in white, but they’re rotating duplex outlet is available in four colors.