Blog Posts by Networx.com

By Linda Merrill, Networx

Many of us dream of living in a waterfront property, conjuring up images warm days and cool breezy nights. Whether it's the primary roof over your head or vacation retreat, living on the water must feel like it is vacation every day. Here are five houses that have truly captured the essence of waterfront living, from the chilly New England Atlantic waters to the warm tropical breezes of Mexico's Pacific coastline.

Interior design and photo by Linda Merrill/Surroundings.

Interior design and photo by Linda Merrill/Surroundings.

1. My Design Project: A New England Oceanfront Home

One of my favorite interior design projects to date was a Massachusetts oceanfront home that I worked on a few years ago. The chilly New England waters are refreshing on a hot summer's day, but can be gray and foreboding during the winter months. My client's house was not a typical breezy beachfront property, but was instead a nearly 100 year old stucco building with heavy millwork and dark woods. My task for the master

Read More »from 5 Houses that Bring the Water Indoors

Shower caps are great for more than just covering food.















By Sayward Rebhal, Networx

I'll admit it, I totally do it. Oh you do it too? Well that's good. Yeah, I think most people do. Of course, I'm talking about those irresistible sample-sized bath goodies you find inside hotels. I adore them! And I take them, oh yes I do, as often as I can. I just can't help myself. I'm such a sucker for anything that's miniature.

And though soaps, shampoos, or lotions sure are nice, what I'm really after is the obscure stuff: little packs of wet wipes, little bath sachets, and the most precious prized treasure of the motel room toiletry racket, the mini sewing kit. So handy! I love those.

And of course, there's always a shower cap. Does anyone even use shower caps for their intended purpose? Other than when it's soaking in hair dye, I've never actually put a shower cap on my head. I do use them . . . for unintended purposes. They're actually quite handy to have around the house. Here are a few ideas:

1. Use a shower cap in place of a zipper

Read More »from Eleven Great Uses for Shower Caps

By Noah Garfinkel, Networx

The original intent of this article was to explore possible uses for fast food other than eating. It turns out, though, that there's not a whole bunch you can do with heavily processed food other than quickly shoving it into your face and hoping nobody judges you. (The result of shoving said food in your face is a call to your local NYC plumber. I will not tell you if this has ever happened to me.) Sure, you can use a Taco Bell Burrito Supreme as a doorstop for a not that heavy door. And, of course, you can take a stab at being a carpenter by making your toothbrush stand upright by jabbing the end into a Big Mac, thereby making yourself DIY toothbrush holder. But, don't do that. Don't do either of those things. Those are both wildly gross things to do.

What you can do, however, is improvise with your fast food to make a new fast food product that eliminates the flaws in your original fast food order. For example, the biggest problem with Taco

Read More »from Fun Uses for Fast Food Products

Fostering dogs is a way to save lives and have temporary canine companionship.














If you want to have some canine energy in your life, but can't or don't want to permanently adopt a dog, you might consider fostering a dog. The energy and unconditional love a dog can provide tends to help many people feel greater sense of happiness and calm. Plus, for many of us, dogs are just plain fun. When you foster a dog, you don't have to commit to keeping the dog forever, and you're doing an act of kindness.

Robin Watkins-Farrington, of Rock Hill, South Carolina has been fostering dogs for over a year. "The dog gets to get out of the shelter and the best part is then they don't get euthanized," said Watkins-Farrington. She explained that if you are looking to foster dogs, to look up your local animal shelters and see if they have a program. Watkins-Farrington has been working with the York County Animal Shelter in York, SC. "I love fostering dogs. I know I'm saving animals. I can't save them all, but I can save one or two at a time," she said.

If you're looking for a

Read More »from Fostering Dogs: Short-term Canine Companionship

Invite love into your life with bedroom Feng Shui.














Is your love life in the doldrums? Do you crave the warmth of a lover's touch, the sharing of fun and laughter with a trusted partner, the feeling of safety and support that only a loving relationship can provide?

If you're looking for love, Feng Shui has ways to help you find what you're searching for.

Start by thinking about the place in your home where you spend the most time - your bedroom. This room, where you spend fully one-third of your life, has an outsize influence on your health, your emotional wellbeing, and especially your loving relationships.

The more time you spend in a place, the more important it is to make sure it supports and nourishes you to the maximum extent possible. In fact Feng Shui regards your bedroom as the most important room in your home and has developed specific ways to arrange it to help you attract love into your life.

As a Feng Shui consultant I've helped countless clients cultivate and nurture a healthy and happy love lives. Here are

Read More »from Seven Steps to Love with Bedroom Feng Shui

Like Greek yogurt? Give the container a second life.
How much do you spend on plastic food storage containers? And how much do you spend on yogurt? Here's an epic idea that the crunchy set has been doing forever: save your yogurt containers. You get a reusable container when you purchase yogurt.

The best ones are the quart-size containers that come with tight-fitting lids. Seven Stars Farm and Butterworks Farm make delicious and healthy organic yogurt, and they pack it into nice sturdy plastic containers. If you prefer single-serving cups, those are usually sold without lids but they still have a bevy of household uses. The best part about saving yogurt containers is that they are stackable; they nest. If you always buy the same kind of yogurt, all the better. You're less likely to get stuck with containers and lids that don't match, in that case.

An added environmental bonus: Local yogurt producers are popping up all across the country, so your yogurt has the potential to fit into a locavore food plan. If you're a New Yorker,

Read More »from 8 Uses for Yogurt Containers

Etoile Round Waste Can from Waterworks costs $3154. Huzzah.

Etoile Round Waste Can from Waterworks costs $3154.

Think of it: you spend $50K, $60K or $100K on your new bathroom and you've invested in granite tile installed by the finest tile expert in the city - will you be using a cheap $10 plastic wastebasket, or will you want something that matches the look and style you've spent time and money achieving?

Whether it's for a bathroom, home office or bedroom - the wastebasket is usually right out in the open. After all, they are functional items that are used all the time and it makes sense to have them right at hand when needed. There are some astonishingly beautiful wastebaskets available that will live up to the most luxurious surroundings. Here are eight that caught my eye:

The Smokador Wastebasket by Knoll

The Smokador Wastebasket by Knoll

Smokador Executive Wastebasket by Knoll: The Smokador Wastebasket comes from Knoll, one of the icons of mid-century modern furniture manufacturers. The simple rectangle wastebasket comes in a matte black oxide coated

Read More »from Eight Luxe Wastebaskets

The Sommer by Pappilonaire
Ever since the now defunct "House and Garden" magazine featured actress Chloe Sevigny's Manhattan apartment in 2007, the idea of a bicycle as fashionable décor item has really taken hold. Apparently, there was a concurrent trend of "beautiful bike girls" as well, according to the New York Observer.

Pretty young (and sometimes not so young) things were seen pedaling above New York City's sewers and subway lines in cute clothes and shoes but without helmets to muss their perfect-looking hair. This trend seems to ride the coattails of the green craze more than a desire for aerobic, sweat inducing, exercise.

Meanwhile, Ms. Sevigny's hip New York apartment captured many an imagination. You could literally hear a whoop emanate from the design blogosphere when the issue hit the newsstands. In particular, it was the front hall which featured a wide-board hardwood floor, Kelly Wearstler's Trellis wallpaper in green and matching bicycle positioned "just so" that stood out. There is no

Read More »from Designer Picks: Vintage-Style Bicycles