Miniature Homeless Housing Solutions

The Low Income Housing Institute is trying to solve Seattle's low-income housing crisis by building tiny shelters for the homeless. Like many large cities, Seattle has a limited budget for building low-income apartments. To combat this issue, one organization is turning to micro-housing as a potential solution.

The Low Income Housing Institute originally provided the city's homeless with tents, but quickly realized these shelters were not durable enough to withstand Seattle's tough winters. As a result, the company began producing small shacks that provide temporary shelter until permanent housing can be arranged. As of right now, there are 12 tiny shelters housing 14 homeless individuals. Although the homes are very small, they provide a safe and warm source of shelter for those who need temporary housing.

The miniature homeless shelters ultimately demonstrate how micro-living can provide a short-term solution for cities facing a low-income housing crisis.

COLOR INSPIRATION

9 NEW COLORS FROM FARROW + BALL

Farrow & Ball that I had last week when I toured their factory and headquarters in southwest England, but first, I simply must share their 9 new colors for 2016 while I’m working on the factory tour post. I saw the new colors actually being made and they are gorgeous. Meeting with Creative Director, Charlie Crosby, discussing the process of color naming and development was just fascinating, too. It was great to be in the factory experiencing the process from beginning to end for both wallpaper and paint, and to chat with the color lab guys to learn how extremely dedicated they are to each and every can of paint being made so that it is just perfect. Want to see the new colors? I’m sure you’ll love them. I’ll tell you my favorites below…

Left: Shadow White, “Shadow White is the lighter version of Shaded White so the two are linked and work perfectly together. Both names are taken from the soft tone created when whites are covered in a deep shade.” It has a shaded feeling when used in south facing rooms. // Right: Drop Cloth, “We’ve named this colour Drop Cloth in honour of all the painters and decorators who have worked with Farrow & Ball paints for so long, as it’s the traditional name for a dust sheet. The colour has a subtle touch of mystery about it.” Great choice for east facing rooms because it appears strong in the morning and more muted as the day progresses.

Left: Worsted, “Taking its name from city suiting often made from flat woven fabric, and the sleepy Norfolk village where the yarn was originally created.”  Looks strong and gritty in north facing rooms which can be super moody and fantastic. // Right:Cromarty, “The Shipping Forecast is very much part of the fabric of British life – warning all sailors about impending gales and wind. Cromarty’s name is taken from the Cromarty Firth estuary and conjures up visions of swirling mists.” Color changes from blue to neutrals in west facing rooms, a nice choice there.

Left: Peignoir, “Chemise, Blazer and Babouche are all names of colours in our paint palette that have been inspired by pieces of clothing. So with that in mind, Peignoir is named after the sheer floaty garment traditionally worn by ladies while brushing their hair in the mid-20th century, perfectly summing up the romance of this hazy grey-pink.” Suggested to pair with all white in south facing rooms for a contemporary and clean look. // Right: Yeabridge Green, “This colour was found at Yeabridge House, an 18th century Georgian Hamstone farmhouse, when the original gun cupboard was removed. This vibrant verdant green had laid untouched for many years but was amazingly still reminiscent of the lush Somerset grass that surrounds the house.” Looks great in rooms with northern lighting.

Left: Vardo “A Vardo is a traditional horse drawn gypsy or Romany wagon. A similar colour was used in the intricate patterning of these showmen’s vehicles (usually over red) which is seen as an important cultural high point in decoration during the mid-19th century.” Suggested for pairing with white and for using in west-facing rooms. // Right: Inchyra Blue, “This is inspired by a bespoke colour made for Lord & Lady Inchyra at beautiful classic Georgian Inchyra House in Scotland. Inchyra Blue is used on the exterior doors of their very impressive byre (or barn) which was restored in 2013. It nestles at the bottom of a rather grey and imposing brae (or hill) so needed to have a depth to it but also be sympathetic to its dramatic backdrop and work with the moody Scottish skies.” Looks best in west facing rooms.

Both: Salon Drab, “Room names have always proven to be popular choice for us and the use of the word Salon not only refers to the small outer room of a drawing room but also conjures up a cultural, intellectual conversational hub. A two-part name, combining Salon, the small outer room off a drawing room, with Drab, a term favoured by true colourists, which simply describes a colour as lacking in brightness.” It is suggested to use this color for darker north facing rooms to make them feel more cozy.Farrow & Ball was launched in 1946 by John Farrow and Richard Ball who shared a passion for creating paint in accordance with the original formulations, using only traditional methods in making paint (and later, wallpaper) by skilled craftsman and they wanted the ingredients to be only the best quality. from the guys in the lab who do quality assurance to ensure that all paint pots are 100% perfect before leaving the facility, to the guys who mix the colors, work on the lines and pack the paints. They were so polite and clearly dedicated to their trade; you could sense the pride and that alone was inspiring since I always pictured factory work as being either stressful or passionless (or both).I was also struck that none of the paint or wallpapers are mass-produced in some factory overseas. Everything is made right there in Dorset.

After touring the paint factory, it was on to the wallpaper factory only a few buildings away. First, their wallpapers are not made using ink (most today are), which is already impressive. Another thing that impressed me is that each background color on the wallpaper is painted with a layer of eco-friendly water-based paint (they have over 70 background colors!). Not only do I love that each roll is painted first but that they are using non-toxic paints and vanishes. I knew this though the moment I walked in because I have allergies and normally get headaches when I’m around paint and wallpaper but the paint factory only smelled a bit like clay and the wallpaper factory, like a newly cracked-open book.I am impressed by their dedication to producing products that don’t make your home smell toxic for days after it is installed. In fact, when I painted my son’s nursery a few weeks before he was born, I was surprised by how it didn’t smell at all. It made me feel safer to put a baby in the room.

ZAZZLE FOR WEDDINGS

I’m sharing some pretty things from Zazzle below that I love for weddings and parties in general that I photographed today. I am such a fan of Zazzle and enjoyed working with them to select favorite things for weddings — I picked invitations that I love, table numbers, favor bags and tissue paper that I then turned into bunting and a table runner that you can use at a bridal shower or a home-style wedding if you’re going for something more homemade.Zazzle has some great invitations as you can see from my selection above, all are super customizable from paper stock to color, layout, envelope choice, even edging (scalloped, tag, rounded corners, etc.). I find it a great way to create something from your heart if you don’t have the budget to hire out for hand lettering, you are not a graphic designer or you simply want to try making your own invitations because it feels more personal that way (we made our own together for our wedding and it worked out great).

They also have a lot of beautiful party favor bags to choose from, I like the cream, white and kraft brown personally for weddings. You can customize everything to make the bags special to you. I think the kraft brown would be great for an Autumn wedding and also perfect for a spring wedding with a natural theme.

As for table numbers, Zazzle has those covered too. Here are some of my favorites above. I actually love the idea of mixing and matching them like this but some of you may prefer using just one style which is also beautiful and much cleaner and more modern. They are all really great quality and I especially love 3, 10, 11 and 12. Which are your favorites above?

So, I have this thing with tissue paper. I’m obsessed lately! I ordered some from Zazzle thinking I’d show you how pretty it looks to wrap around favor boxes but then I thought to think outside of the box (!) and do something unusual. So I made a table runner and bunting. Unusual yes, easy yes, budget-friendly OH YES. To make the runner, you just lay the sheets from Zazzle (they are small, 10″ x 15″) in a row down the center of a table and tape them together using washi tape. When you finish the whole thing, you then fold the tape under and you’re done, a runner! You can, of course, leave it on a long table OR you can put it on a buffet cabinet like I did. This could be a darling idea for a bridal shower, right? And the leftover pieces made me think that I should avoid wasting them… So I cut the sheets in half, then folded them over and hung them on a string that I secured to the wall using simple pins. EASY. I really love how it came out…

Check out the new Invitations :)Vintage Library Book WeVintage Library Book Wedding Invitedding Invite

Size: 5.25" x 5.25" Invitation / Flat Card

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Paper Type: Signature Collection: Matte

The most popular paper choice, our Matte is ideal for invitations, RSVP cards, and other paper-based party essentials. Matte’s eggshell texture is soft to the touch with a smooth finish that provides the perfect backdrop for your chosen designs.

• 120lb, 17 point thickness.
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Rustic Deer Wedding - Orange Floral Card

New idea inspiration

TABLETOP: SPRING GREEN + WHITE LUNCHEON WITH FRIENDS

April is here! Hello dear decor8 readers, this is Anke with some fresh tabletop ideas for you today. I am already dreaming of relaxing on a green summer meadow which is why I’ve decided to create a green garland for my table theme this month. Everything else was inspired by my garland which was made using several branches of my all-time favorite eucalyptus and shepherd’s purse along with white wax flowers and tender pink flowering boronia anemonifolia (called “Duftsternchen” here in Germany).

Anke Illner for decor8

But first things first – I wove a long braid out of raffia which served as a basis. Next, I attached the shorter branches and flowers in small bundles, overlapping them as I secured to the raffia with wire. I suggest choosing flowers that can do without water for a few hours, otherwise your garland may look wilted once guests arrive! This is one reason why I use and suggest eucalyptus as a base. In the image above I have shown it on my wall but you can also lay it down the center of your table as you can see belowI’ve used large, flat bowls from Bloomingvilles’ Nordic Sand series because I love their surface, rustic look and organic shape. In my opinion, they are just perfect to beautifully present food especially pasta but also lush green salads! Just in time for spring, I served a lukewarm pasta salad made using chopped smoked salmon, green peas, sliced baby pickles, chopped apple, sour cream dressing and a lot of dill! This delicious recipe comes from Living at Home magazine. Just my taste!

Anke Illner for decor8

Anke Illner for decor8

As a Welcome to my guests (and to the brand new month of April) I placed small printed, green marbled cards on everyone’s plate. Tender patterned napkins (from Anthropologie) took my garland theme up a notch and the trendy brass cutlery added a little glamour to the decoration.

Anke Illner for decor8

Anke Illner for decor8

Finally, a promise – no more eucalyptus when I see you again in May! Instead, I’ll develop a tabletop theme focusing on color and lush blooms. I’m looking forward to this already! I’ll meet you back here with that column on May 2 so stay tuned.  Have a beautiful and hopefully sunny month of April everyone! Love – Anke

(Photography, Styling: Anke Illner. Editor: Holly Becker)