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September 26, 2006
Pools and Fountains
It's time to look at emptying the backyard pool. Yep it's that time of year again that we look at our above ground pools and get them ready for the winter. If you own a intex soft pool you are indeed lucky. All you need to do is drain the water out and then wash and rinse the inside and then let dry before you fold it up and put it away. Just remember that if you have chlorine left in water still that you cannot simply drain it into your yard and then into the strom drains. Let the chlorine disipate until it is not reading anymore and then drain your pool.
This is also a good time to look at your water founains and think about draining the lines for these. Remove the water pumps if you can and all fittings that go with them. Don't leave these out for the winter or they are liable to crack when they freeze. Cooler weather creates moisture in the lines and this will freeze.
Posted 09:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)September 25, 2006
Feng Shui and your home
Feng Shui is decorating your home for calm stress free living and is all about using forms with furniture arrangements that create harmony with nature. Its using circular tables and arched doorways, arrangeing your furniutre in matched pairs or groupings of three, six or nine. It is about balance having an order without being obvious.
Feng shui is not a decorating style. Rather, it is a discipline whose guidelines are compatible with many different decorating styles.
If you are using these principals in decorating do it slowly and in small chunks at a time. Fengshui decorating really is a unique way to arrange your furnishings so that they appear to be more inviting and comfortable. I am not one to get into the whole balance or spritual sense of the word but it does have strong decorating values. For instance if you where arranging furniture with a feng shui order you would not put a couch in the center of a room with the back facing the entranceway. This would be blocking your sense of welcoming into a livingroom. This is the sort of thing that I am talking about when I mention feng shui. Start in small chunks at a time at then move to the ajoining area so that everything will flow together in the room. Move things around and then wait a day or two to see how you fell about it. What you will notice lets say in the living room is after a few days of decorating that certain things in the room will look out of place or not in harmony with what you have done.
This what you are trying to achieve. Now move to the area that catches your eye or to the part of the livingroom that seems to be out of sync or place with what you have done. Change it to balance out the area you like and then move into another section of the room. If you are trying to create a feng shui bedroom the principles are the same with only subtle differences.
Posted 09:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)September 22, 2006
Colored Glass Lamps
Tiffany lighting was inspired in the nineteenth century by an American entrepreneur by the name of Louis Comfort Tiffany. This stained glass designer created beautiful works of art from glass cut to perfection, soldered together and assembled by hand. There are original pieces that are worth a fortune today and are sought after by collectors. Tiffany lighting was and still is today considered a work of art and its popularity is growing.
What I like about this style is that it goes well in a formal living room or a games room with a pool table. Choose from table lamps, floor lamps, scones, exterior and chandelier styles. They will coordinate with any décor imaginable and their designs range from floral to exotic animal prints. The effect of the light shining through them is beautiful and adds warmth to a room. Some of the fixtures have a 3D effect to them and others are made up of hundreds of individual pieces. Their look is very unique and stunning.
There are authentic pieces of tiffany lighting that are antiques and heirlooms and their prices are in the thousands of dollars. The reproductions today are full of detail and range in prices so that they can be affordable to fit anyone’s budget and décor.
September 20, 2006
Swing arm wall lamps
A perfect lighting solution for dark hallways and stairways is a swing arm wall lamp. Normally you hard wire these in but it may be too costly or just not practical to have an electrician come in to install a wall mounted lamp. So ,ost lighting stores carry this type of light fixture in a variety of plug-in models.
In small bedrooms like studio apartments it may be be better to have a plugin wall lamp instead of adding a table lamp in a corner, it will give you plenty of light for your room and for reading. For offices and foyers swing arm wall lamps are ideal when you don't want to place small tables around for lamps to sit on.
The styles made today are traditional, pin-up and contemporary, which come in brass, nickel and brushed steel finishes.
Posted 06:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)September 15, 2006
Window Coverings from Levolor
Why buy your window coverings from Levolor?
This company in our opinion is the best window fashion company to deal with. Their selection and quality in all types of window fashions is so big you will be able to find everything you need without going anywhere else.
They even give you a list of the best places to buy their blinds by typing in your zip code so you can find the closest home decorating store nearest you.
They also have a virtual room decorator that is a huge help in designing a room if you are stuck on styles and colors. You won't have any problem choosing a window blind or shade.
Who IS Levolor:
Levolor, founded in 1914 and synonymous with the 1" mini-blind, remains the most recognized name in custom window coverings today. Levolor continues to offer great blinds and shades solutions in a wide variety of vertical, aluminum and wood blinds; cellular and woven wood shades; and sheer vertical window treatments. Levolor has recently expanded its product offering to include beautiful decorative drapery hardware, distributed nationally through home centers and other retailers. Today the company is a division of Newell-Rubbermaid. a global marketer of consumer and commercial products with 2003 sales of $7 billion. Levolor is headquartered in High Point, NC. Newell Rubbermaid is headquartered in Atlanta, GA and employs over 33,000 employees worldwide.
September 14, 2006
Discount Window Blinds
Save money without loosing the quality.
If you have ever gone out to buy a new window blind you will know that they can be a very expensive investment. High quality or custom made ones with all of their hardware are one of the most expensive window finishing treatments to be found. Lower priced blinds solves that problem for many consumers and they end up with products that suit their needs at a much lower cost. These consumers may be homeowners working on a set decorating budget or a commercial space that is more interest in function that fancy designs.
Cheap blinds may be still a very good quality or even high quality discontinued brands. Each new season brings new colors and patterns to the decorating world and old stock can often be purchased for well below its original retail value.
Care should be taken when buying discount blinds that you do not end up with cheap versions of higher quality blinds. If you save on quality too much you will find you have a product that will loose their veins easily and may not have durable hardware. You may end up having to replace them far sooner than you had hoped to.
If you hope to keep your blind for a long term in your home it is worth the initial investment in a bit of quality when you purchase them. Shopping online is a good way to find many sources of discount blinds. The Internet gives consumers access to a far wider selection than they have had in the past.
Mini Blinds
Room Darkening,
Vertical Blinds,
Vinyl Blinds,
Wooden Blinds,
Faux Wood Blind,
Guide to buying blinds
September 13, 2006
Choosing a fireplace and material
Fireplaces where always used as a main source of heat and one of the most popular options or decorative features in most homes. Today they are used more as a decorative accent for in the home and now are being used outdoors. The trend seems to be heading towards outdoor kitchens and entertaining areas. In additon to keeping you warm on chilly nights, people are starting to use outdoor fireplaces as pizza and tandoori ovens.
If you are installing a new indoor fireplace or remodeling the old one take the time to choose the perfect surround and mantle so it will become the focal point of the living room or bedroom. Choose the style that fits your home if you have a modern styled home you don't want something that reminds you of the victorian area.
Choose your material: Stone facings andd dimensions and are also safer than wood or resin surrounds. But stone is expensive and can be hard to work with requiring speciial tools which adds to the cost, manufactured stone is a little cheaper and a lot lighter to work with.
Start your selection by setting a budget before you head out to shop. Remember that less weight usually means cheaper costs, because of less labor, shipping costs and quicker completion times.
For outdoor fireplaces make sure the material can with stand harsh weather like snow and rain, cement, brick and stone are usually a favorite here. You can take on this project yourself but if you are using natural stone indoors it would be best in the long run to have a professional do the work. If you are lucky enough to be using an interior designer they can help you choose your materials otherwise your local lowes or home depot sales people are very helpful.
September 12, 2006
Installing a ceiling fan
One of the easiest ways to get air flowing in a room is to intall a ceiling fan preferrabley one at least 32 inches across 36 inches is better. When installing a ceiling fan in a room that you are concerned about height then leave out the 6 inch extension part that extends from the base that attachs the fixture to the ceiling. I do this when I insall them in my childrens bedrooms when there are bunk beds within a couple of feet of the fan.
What most people forget is how to circulate the air to make a room cooler. Most of us flip the setting on the fan so that it blows air down so we can feel the breeze to keep a little cooler. For the summer time this is actually wrong. Hot air rises so there is no point pushing back down into the room.
What you want to do is change the setting on the ceiling fan so that it draws the cooler air up and cools down the warmer air near the ceiling. This is important for rooms with high or vaulted ceilings. What will happen is you will create a draft with much cooler air and will cool the entire room down and not just the lower half. For fans with lights try to keep the light off in the summer months as much as you can, you would be surprised at how much heat a 60 watt light bulb will give off.
In the winter you will want to change the direction of the fan so that it pushes the warmer air down, which will then conserve more heat in the room.
September 11, 2006
Easy decorating ideas
Here are a few easy decorating ideas that many interior decortators use when helping someone remodel their home.
Easy Create a sense of space by displaying artwork to enhance a rooms character. It doesn't matter if your tastes are contemporary or traditional or if you prefer paintings, sculptures or photographs that you have taken. Well placed artwork does have a huge impact on your living space.
If you have a flat ceiling with an attic above you can add height and volume to a room by opening up the ceiling. If you don't want to take on this larger project, you can get somewhat of the same effect by adding an archway, new doorway or a sky light.
Spend money on good decorative lighting. Just remember that you don'e light the middle of a room. Keep lighting towards the outer areas of a room so you create indirect light.
To make your walls look higher use full height wall panels, to make your room look wider cut these in half or use wainscotting.
Don't decorate each room as an individual entity. Well designed spaces flow together as a unit. For example repeat your flooring and funiture arrangements that are a feature in one room or in adjacent outdoor space so the remolded or renvated space looks and feels like a larger space. Continuity and flow contribute to a well decorated home that flows together.
You can make a connection beteween an indoor living area and the outdoor garden by bringing in natural light. If you have a waterfeature or display garden you could add a large window or french doors to connect this view to your home. If not a skylight can also create a a striking affect by bringing in natural light.
Posted 09:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)September 02, 2006
Floral prints for bedding
I cam across this site here http://designsponge.blogspot.com/, iwas looking at their new home collections. You have to see these to really appreciate the beauty and artistic designs of these floral prints on bedding and pillows. Apparently the collection is available for purchase in mid-august which also includes a beautiful new duvet cover pattern, pillows and canvas wall art.
Posted 05:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)September 01, 2006
Creative Advertising
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Posted 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)