New Interior Design Trends Are Revealing

New Interior Design Trends Are Revealing

 These photos by Uydurrukcu reveal some new patterns in interior design and space design after the global recession and green movement. First consider that these photos illustrate that minimalism doesn’t always equate to modernist design. In fact spaces are designed more with efficiency in mind than strict, often cold, austerity. Most of these illustrate a return to traditional styles and a new appreciation for modesty in size and materialism. Simple colorful adornments add warmth, just as a rehabbed fireplace does. Various styles of faux-wood (often considered eco-friendly) plank floors and numerous windows generate still more warmth. Simple, meaningful art seems to add congeniality. Green room and otherwise open floor plans take advantage of modestly sized spaces. White appears to be making a big come back, and especially when combined with various hues of beige, they can bring real character to any room.

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Top 12 TV's Biggest Turkeys

In an industry propped up by hits, the programming landscape is typically dominated by misses. Roughly 80% of all new shows fail; about a third of this year's freshman crop won't even make it past January. Figures like these have driven many to question network television's costly model, but none to actually alter it. And so it goes, another season of turkeys, as we've affectionately dubbed the shows that have already gotten the ax or are dangerously close to it.

Fox's Lone Star

Status: Done
The heavily marketed show about a big oil conman leading dual lives had the benefit of critical acclaim. Everything from the soapy series' out-of-the-box premise to its breakout leading man, James Wolk, garnered praise from early reviewers. But it wasn't enough to lure viewers. Some blame the show's unforgivable plot lines about cons and adultery; others blame its hard-to-define premise and hardly explanatory title. Whatever the reason, only 4 million or so tuned in, making it the fall season's first casualty.

ABC's My Generation

Status: Done
A documentary-style drama about nine people told in two time periods, the year 2000 and today. As show-runner Noah Hawley described it in his post-cancellation love letter to the show's loyal fan base: "No doctors, no lawyers, no murders to solve. Real life is dramatic enough. That was my feeling. … It was our great experiment, and then it was over." The end came when only 4 million or so tuned in, despite a plum Thursday night slot and a costly--albeit confusing--marketing campaign. Though the series was canceled after just two episodes, Hawley has completed eight episodes for release online.

NBC's Outlaw

Status: Done
Fans may chalk up Outlaw's early demise to the show's Conan O'Brien association. After all, it was the displaced NBC host's company that produced the Jimmy Smits legal series for the network. The reality: The series struggled on multiple fronts. Critics bemoaned its improbable plot lines and poor writing, and viewers lacked interest. The drama averaged some 4 million viewers in its original Friday night slot, and its cancellation was announced after just four episodes. (The four remaining episodes aired in a Saturday night timeslot.)

ABC's Whole Truth

Status: Done
Despite heavyweight Jerry Bruckheimer's involvement, a leading lady in ER darling Maura Tierney and a cushy Wednesday evening timeslot, the legal drama failure to pique the curiosity of viewers. Thus far this season, the Tierney star vehicle has averaged only 4.3 million viewers, reports Nielsen. Co-executive producer Kristie Anne Reed confirmed the show's cancellation in late October: "ABC gave us the word," she tweeted. "We will only make 13 episodes of The Whole Truth."

NBC's Undercovers

Status: Done
For those who think networks are incapable of--or at least uninterested in--canceling a J.J. Abrams show, think again. The latest high-concept drama from the famed producer-director featured a pair of retired, married spies who were lured back to the world of international intrigue. But viewers lacked the latter. According to Nielsen, the show averaged only 6 million or so viewers and will end its run after 13 episodes.

Fox's Running Wilde

Status: Over
Despite heavy hype and an all-star pairing of Mitch Hurwitz and Will Arnett, the duo that brought viewers cult hit Arrested Development has once again failed to snag an adequately sized audience. The difference this time around is a lack of widespread critical support for the ratings-starved comedy, which has averaged about 3.5 million viewers this season. Hardly a vote of confidence: Fox benched the series for the remainder of November sweeps. (Fox pulled Arrested during the similarly important February sweeps six years earlier, and it petered out in the months that followed.) Though no network likes to throw around the term "canceled," Fox has opted against ordering more episodes.

NBC's Chase

Status: Limping Along
Though the Jerry Bruckheimer series received a full 22-episode order, it has fallen short of CSI status. While not outright nasty, early reviews were far from winning--critics called the formulaic show "mindless" and "unimaginative." Still worse, only some 5 million viewers have regularly tuned in for episodes of the action series the network had hoped to make a tent-pole.

NBC's The Event

Status: Shedding Viewers
At this rate, viewers may not get to find out what "the event" is, much less care. In spite of its heavy hype from marketers and critics alike, the network's high-concept, serialized drama billed by some as Lost meets 24 came out of the gate strong, only to fizzle in the weeks that followed. Recent episodes have averaged fewer than 6 million viewers, down from 11 million-plus on premiere night, reports Nielsen. Earlier this month, the network announced plans to yank the series for three months beginning in December.

CBS's Medium

Status: Over
After seven seasons, two network homes, several awards, even more cancellation threats and a $58 million write down, the show's star Patricia Arquette announced the CBS drama would end its run. It will feel like déjà vu for long-time viewers, since former chief Ben Silverman once canceled it on NBC, where it had run until 2005. Given the strength of CBS' schedule, the 6 or 7 million viewers who regularly watch Medium aren't as appealing--and for that matter, necessary-- as they'd likely be at a lesser-watched rival.

CW's Life Unexpected

Status: Over
Despite early critical praise, the CW series failed to generate either the pop cultural attention of Gossip Girl or the ratings success of The Vampire Diaries. Instead, the Portland-based drama about a foster child who has reconnected with her birth parents has averaged about 1.5 million viewers an episode in its second season. Though an official announcement won't come until May, Lux's season has been cut to just 13 episodes and its future is far from bright.

NBC's Apprentice

Status: Limping Along
The network's decision to bring back the civilian version of Apprentice has proved a questionable one. The Donald Trump star vehicle, which once made a catch phrase out of "You're Fired," is lacking in buzz and viewership. In recent weeks, the show's audience hovered around 4 million. The 10 p.m. hour it currently occupies on Thursday evenings will be filled by a third hour of comedy come January. The good news for The Donald and his host network: The more popular celebrity iteration will return this spring.

NBC's Parenthood

Status: Limping along
Despite an all-star cast in front of the camera (Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Dax Shepard) and behind (Friday Night Lights' Jason Katims), the series based on the late 1980s flick of the same name has struggled to find an audience. Its lackluster ratings followed a particularly rocky start care of a cancer-stricken cast member and an unrelated death on set. NBC will attempt to give the series another push with a new timeslot early next year.

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Hollywood's Biggest Turkeys Of 2010

2010 is shaping up to be a strong year at the movies with the box office on pace to be the highest ever. But there have still been plenty of bombs. To compile our list of the biggest turkeys of 2010, we compared global box office with each film's estimated budget to come up with a percentage of the budget each film earned back. They are ranked from the worst up.

Jonah Hex

Box Office: $11 million
Return Ratio: 24%
For years now studios have salivated over comic book adaptations, and the dark Jonah Hex seemed like a good bet for Warner Bros. The story of a vengeful, disfigured Old West bounty hunter had been a hit comic but it didn't fare so well when adapted for the screen. It earns the dubious title of the worst performing film of 2010 (to date).

Extraordinary Measures

Box Office: $15 million
Return Ratio: 48%
The sappy tale of a tough old doctor out to help a father with two sick young children had movie-of-the-week stink despite the presence of Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser. Audiences stayed away in droves. The film was one of the first from CBS' new film production division. The company is still waiting for a hit.

Repo Men

Box Office: $32 million
Return Ratio: 56%
This futuristic thriller from Universal Pictures starred Jude Law as a repo man who takes back human organs. Audiences and critics failed to see the heart in the film. It earned a mere 22 rating on Rotten Tomatoes and only $32 million at the global box office. Lucky for Law his previous film, Sherlock Holmes, was the best performing of his career.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Box Office: $60 million
Return Ration: 77%
Scott Pilgrim came out of this year's Comic-Con with maximum buzz, and fanboys like Ain't It Cool News' Harry Knowles raved about the film. Most mainstream critics liked it too. But audiences weren't interested. The film failed to even earn back its production budget at the box office. Director Edgar Wright has yet to commit to his next directing project.

Let Me In

Box Office: $20 million
Return Ratio: 85%
The Swedish vampire flick Let The Right One In was the kind of cult hit that begs for an American remake. So expectations were high for Let Me In, which starred up-and-comer Chloe Moretz. Sadly, the movie died a quick death in theaters, earning only $20 million globally. That's still double what the original film earned, but Let Me In had a higher production budget.

Splice

Box Office: $25 million
Return Ratio: 85%
Splice is the kind of genre horror flick that could have offered a nice return for Warner Bros. studio. It involved two scientists toying with DNA with dangerous results. But the $30 million film failed to connect with horror fans. It earned only $25 million at the box office despite the presence of Oscar winner Adrien Brody.

MacGruber

Box Office: $9.3 million
Return Ratio: 93%
Movies based on Saturday Night Live skits usually perform poorly at the box office. MacGruber was no exception. The comedy, about an inept MacGyver-esque agent, earned a paltry $9.3 million at the global box office (less than $1 million of which came from overseas). The only reason this film doesn't rank higher on our list is because it cost only $10 million to make.

Green Zone

Box Office: $95 million
Return Ratio: 95%
Matt Damon films can do very well. His three Jason Bourne movies have earned almost $1 billion at the global box office. But like any star, Damon has had his share of flops. Green Zone reunited Damon with Bourne director Paul Greengrass but failed to turn a profit at the box office.

Furry Vengeance

Box Office: $35 million
Return Ratio: 100%
Participant Media (started by eBay's Jeff Skoll) is best known for message films like An Inconvenient Truth and Food, Inc. The family comedy Furry Vengeance had a not-so-subtle message about the environment. An evil developer, played by Brendan Fraser (making his second appearance on our list) is attacked by forest animals when he tries to destroy their habitat.

From Paris with Love

Box Office: $52 million
Return Ratio: 100%
Starring John Travolta as a wild American secret agent, this is the kind of movie that should have enjoyed a nice profit had it been made on the cheap. Instead the film cost a reported $52 million. That means it earned its production budget at the box office, but with half of that money going to theater owners and advertising costs not included, the film was a dud.

Charlie St. Cloud

Box Office: $44 million
Return Ratio: 100%
Zac Efron has helped Disney earn billions with the High School Musical franchise. But when the actor branched out for a more serious film about a young man grieving over his dead brother, his young fans mostly stayed away. Charlie St. Cloud only earned its production budget at the global box office.

Edge of Darkness

Box Office: $81 million
Return Ratio: 100%
Edge of Darkness was meant to be a comeback of sorts for Mel Gibson after his drunken D.U.I. rant that hurt his career. Unfortunately for Gibson it was something of a bomb. His personal brand crashed even more when his girlfriend publicized phone tapes of Gibson (allegedly) threatening her. His next film, The Beaver, has yet to secure a U.S. release date.

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Top 10 Safest Cars in America

Today's cars are safer than ever. How do we know? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, auto fatalities are at the lowest they've been in 60 years — even with twice as many Americans holding driver's licenses and traveling four times as many miles a year. Both agencies cite stricter crash-test standards and the latest advances in automotive safety technologies as primary reasons. But which vehicles are the safest? Here are our choices for 2010. Each is an IIHS Top Safety Pick and features something unique that can help you survive a metal-to-metal mishap.

Subcompact Car: Ford Fiesta

Historically, smaller cars have some of the highest injury and fatality rates. Yet today, even the tiniest cars are designed to protect their human cargo remarkably well. The Ford Fiesta is the new benchmark, the only minicar to earn an IIHS Top Safety Pick. It offers the most standard airbags in its segment, including a driver's knee bag and side-curtain inflators. In addition, about 55 percent of the Fiesta's body is made from high-strength or ultrahigh-strength steel, including the front roof pillars. This tough but lightweight material helped the Fiesta pass new roof-safety standards, yet still allows a slim pillar for clear outward views.


Small Car: Honda Civic

America's best-selling compact car has brought peace of mind — not just on safety, but on reliability and resale value — to more than 200,000 buyers so far this year. The Civic is notable for Honda's signature Advanced Compatibility Engineering body structure. It's designed to protect not only occupants but pedestrians, with components such as a hood structure and windshield wipers that deform more easily on impact to lessen pedestrian injuries. For a budget car, this Honda offers a slew of standard safety features, including anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution for sure-footed control in panic stops.

Small SUV: Subaru Forester

For SUVs, a low center of gravity, carlike handling and all-wheel drive help keep the car on the road and minimize chances of a deadly rollover. More wagon than traditional SUV, the Subaru Forester is outstanding in those regards. While most competitors charge extra for AWD, the Subaru's sophisticated system is standard, and it's linked with electronic stability control for superior all-weather safety. And the Forester's Ring-Shaped Reinforcement Frame safety structure earns top scores from both NHTSA and the IIHS.


Family Sedan: Hyundai Sonata

The Hyundai Sonata is one of only two 2011 models so far (30 have been tested) to earn an overall five-star rating from the IIHS. "From stability and handling to crash results, it's an impressive package," says Mike Quincy, Consumer Reports' automotive specialist. The Sonata is equipped with six standard airbags, including side curtains both front and rear. Anti-lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution are also standard — along with electronic stability control, a safety feature that NHTSA reports has resulted in 35 percent fewer single-vehicle crashes and 30 percent fewer single-vehicle fatalities in passenger cars.


Midsize Crossover: Volvo XC60

No list of safe cars would be complete without a Volvo. Handsome, spacious and notably smooth-handling, the XC60 is equipped with a jaw-dropping list of safety features. At around-town speeds of 20 mph or less, Volvo's City Safety system uses a laser to detect traffic ahead and automatically brakes to prevent fender benders. At higher speeds, a collision-warning system warns drivers if it senses a risk of collision, and can automatically slow or stop the vehicle. Add to that standard all-wheel drive, rollover sensors, hill-descent control and both blind-spot and lane-departure warnings, and you have a safety cocoon on wheels.

Large Car: Buick LaCrosse

Midsize and larger sedans consistently post among the lowest fatality and injury rates of any car or truck segment, one reason why safety experts urge parents to consider putting teenagers or college students behind the wheel of a big sedan, not a tiny compact. The Buick LaCrosse incorporates GM's excellent Stabilitrak stability control system, along with the safety backup of the OnStar telematics system. A heads-up display lets the driver keep his eyes on the road, adaptive headlamps swivel up to 15 degrees to peer around curves at night, and a radar-based system alerts drivers when a car is lurking in blind spots.

Luxury Car: BMW 5-Series

Along with the Hyundai Sonata, the BMW 5-Series aced the tough new NHTSA crash tests. The BMW also brings the latest cutting-edge safety advances: adaptive cruise control, lane-departure and blind-spot warnings, and the first night-vision system that detects pedestrians and highlights them on-screen in the navigation display. The BMW's brilliant agility and braking can also bail drivers out of trouble. If a crash should happen, its Assist System, developed jointly with the William Lehman Trauma Center, not only sends automatic emergency notification, but can transmit data to alert emergency responders to the likelihood of severe injury.

Minivan: Toyota Sienna

The all-new 2011 Sienna is a huge improvement over its predecessor, especially in the safety department. An optional radar-based pre-collision system scans the road and preps the brakes for maximum stopping power if it senses a potential impact. Toyota's Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management system coordinates engine, brakes and steering to keep the car safely on course, even before wheels begin to slip. Other technological upgrades include the industry's first panoramic rear camera with a full 180-degree view, and Toyota's new Safety Connect telematics system with automatic collision notification.

Sport-Utility Vehicle: Jeep Grand Cherokee

Beneath its handsome new skin, the redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee shares its rock-solid chassis with the far pricier Mercedes-Benz ML. This IIHS Top Pick boasts roughly 45 safety and security features, including stability control with electronic roll mitigation; a 4-wheel anti-lock braking system with rough-road detection; full-length side curtain airbags, side thorax airbags and active head restraints; and a trailer-sway control. Plus, the available 4-wheel-drive systems let the Jeep waltz through rain, deep snow or mud that would stymie lesser vehicles.

Station Wagon: Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen

The Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen earns our nod because it combines honest utility and affordability with the kind of sporty European handling that can help drivers stop or steer around potential trouble. "Not only does the Jetta do well in our dynamic handling tests, but it's got great visibility and crash scores," Quincy says. That performance begins with a 4-wheel independent suspension and 4-wheel anti-lock brakes that include vented front rotors for trusty stopping power. Electronic stability control is standard for the 2011 model, while an electronic differential lock controls wheel spin in low-traction situations.

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