Why your bedroom should be pink While blue is often a preferred color in bedrooms, for couples, pink might be a wiser choice.
Blue is sedative, relaxing. Great for winding down. A tranquil color makes you want to sleep. If your bedroom is purely for sleeping, then blue would be an ideal color for the room.
Pink on the other hand is romantic. A tender color associated with romance. For a couple, that would be preferable as the bedroom is more than just for sleep. The bedroom is also a place for romance. For warmth and tenderness. For love.
If you are talking about passion, you might want to paint the room a bright passionate red.
But then again, how can you sleep in a bright red room. At the end of a hard stressful day, you just want to relax in each other's company for a time of romance and then sleep when you are really exhausted. Red might by going overboard.
A pale pink is calming. A pale pink bedroom is soothing at the end of a stressful day.
A vibrant sugar pink is cheerful. An uplifting color. One of celebration. Of fun. A perfect for a romantic setting.
For a couple that is constantly fighting, how about painting the bedroom a coral pink? Or at least furnish the room with coral pink rugs, bedding and other furnishings? Walls in prisons are painted a coral pink to effectively reduce the violence of the inmates. It might help reduce the fights in your bedroom.
Researchers suggest that pink tends to calm people and get them more soft hearted. Sounds like a recipe for romance.
So to give your relationship with your spouse a boost, why not furnish your room with pink furniture, accents or furnishings from http://www.allpink.info/Pink-Living.html.
By the way, before you do paint the room, pink, get his approval first. No point starting a fight because you painted the entire room pink even though you know he hates pink.
luni, 8 aprilie 2013
Where to Buy Discount Duvet Covers -
Where to Buy Discount Duvet Covers - Many stores and websites sell discount duvet covers. People can find nearly any type of duvet cover imaginable at a low price if they know where to look. Some places always sell cheap duvet covers and do not even have to offer their products at additional discounts to have good deals. Other sellers offer occasional sales on selected merchandise from time to time. Either way, people can find the duvet cover they need at a reasonable price.
The market is crowded with duvet cover stores. These companies must undersell the competition in order to stay in business. Many duvet-cover sellers offer their inventory at discount prices year round. They figure that it is better to sell a high quantity of merchandise at low prices than to sell less at higher prices. These stores usually sell the same quality of duvet covers as stores that charge more.
Sometimes, the manufacturers sell their own products at a discount and do not even go through a store. Consumers can get good deals on these discount duvet covers because they do not have to pay any markup charged by a store.
Duvet cover stores often have temporary sales to unload some of their products. Clearance sales are a good way for stores to make room for new merchandise. They often lower the price on older or overstocked duvet cover models so that they will sell more of them and have room for newer models. The discount duvet covers are still brand new and in great shape, so the consumer gets a great product at a low price.
Discount duvet covers are a great way for people to protect their duvet from getting dirty or faded while adding to the beauty of their bedroom. Discount duvet covers are as good as regularly priced covers, so buyers do not have to sacrifice quality for price.
The market is crowded with duvet cover stores. These companies must undersell the competition in order to stay in business. Many duvet-cover sellers offer their inventory at discount prices year round. They figure that it is better to sell a high quantity of merchandise at low prices than to sell less at higher prices. These stores usually sell the same quality of duvet covers as stores that charge more.
Sometimes, the manufacturers sell their own products at a discount and do not even go through a store. Consumers can get good deals on these discount duvet covers because they do not have to pay any markup charged by a store.
Duvet cover stores often have temporary sales to unload some of their products. Clearance sales are a good way for stores to make room for new merchandise. They often lower the price on older or overstocked duvet cover models so that they will sell more of them and have room for newer models. The discount duvet covers are still brand new and in great shape, so the consumer gets a great product at a low price.
Discount duvet covers are a great way for people to protect their duvet from getting dirty or faded while adding to the beauty of their bedroom. Discount duvet covers are as good as regularly priced covers, so buyers do not have to sacrifice quality for price.
Where to Buy a Discount Platform Bed -
Where to Buy a Discount Platform Bed - Platform beds can be a wonderful addition to any bedroom - or simplification tactic for those who want a more Zen-like lifestyle - but the price can be so prohibitive. One would think that simple beds should come with simple prices - but they don't. Many platform beds can cost thousands of dollars or more for queen and king size beds.
You don't have to pay full price for a platform bed. You can take advantage of a platform bed's lovely simplicity, elegant lines, pleasingly low profile, space-saving under-bed storage space, and skeletal support - at a fraction of normal retail cost. Sometimes you'll be able to pay as little as 1/3 of the regular price.
There are a number of ways to go about finding discount platform beds. One way is to keep an eye on the local classified listings. You might be able to catch a great moving sale, yard sale, estate sale, or other kind of sale, and get a great used platform bed. Another avenue towards discount platform beds is via liquidation or closeout sales, auctions for the seized property from bankruptcies, and so on. These will yield brand new beds, sometimes for as little as one-tenth of the book cost!
Another way to find a platform bed at a very reduced rate is online. There are a number of websites promoting discounted or "overstocked" platform beds.
The other thing to keep in mind when hunting for good deals is that, just because a bed doesn't cost full price, that doesn't mean your money isn't valuable. So be sure to ask about what kind of warranty and/or guarantee is included with the platform bed.
You don't have to pay full price for a platform bed. You can take advantage of a platform bed's lovely simplicity, elegant lines, pleasingly low profile, space-saving under-bed storage space, and skeletal support - at a fraction of normal retail cost. Sometimes you'll be able to pay as little as 1/3 of the regular price.
There are a number of ways to go about finding discount platform beds. One way is to keep an eye on the local classified listings. You might be able to catch a great moving sale, yard sale, estate sale, or other kind of sale, and get a great used platform bed. Another avenue towards discount platform beds is via liquidation or closeout sales, auctions for the seized property from bankruptcies, and so on. These will yield brand new beds, sometimes for as little as one-tenth of the book cost!
Another way to find a platform bed at a very reduced rate is online. There are a number of websites promoting discounted or "overstocked" platform beds.
The other thing to keep in mind when hunting for good deals is that, just because a bed doesn't cost full price, that doesn't mean your money isn't valuable. So be sure to ask about what kind of warranty and/or guarantee is included with the platform bed.
Where did we get clocks from anyway?
Where did we get clocks from anyway? A clock is simply a device that measures time. Typical clocks have faces and hands. The long hand measures time in minutes while the short hand in hours. Clocks vary in forms, sizes and shapes but all perform the same task-to tell time. Almost all activities depend on this device, making life easier and more organized.
History of Clocks.
Way back during the old times, people rely on sun and water to measure time. Time readings were not accurate then, not until the discovery of mechanical and electrical clocks. A mechanical clock is composed of a set of gears, a spring and a weight that is responsible for the clock's movement, while an electrical clock uses electricity or battery as a power source. Later on, modern technology introduced atomic and digital clocks and still continues to study for ways to improve it.
Varieties of Clocks.
There are many different kinds of clocks. A clock that displays the current time in different parts of the world is called a world clock. A world clock is divided into zones. Each zone represents a group of countries sharing the same time.
The most common clocks are those we see hanging on walls. They can be seen on houses, hotels, banks, churches, hospitals and offices. They are almost everywhere. These clocks are called wall clocks.
Special clock parts are added to give extra feature to an alarm clock. A built-in alarm system causes the clock to automatically buzz or ring if a chosen time is up. Most alarm clocks can be seen in our bedrooms.
Grandfather clocks are big clocks-usually 6 feet tall. It has a pendulum that swings back and forth, each swing representing a second.
History of Clocks.
Way back during the old times, people rely on sun and water to measure time. Time readings were not accurate then, not until the discovery of mechanical and electrical clocks. A mechanical clock is composed of a set of gears, a spring and a weight that is responsible for the clock's movement, while an electrical clock uses electricity or battery as a power source. Later on, modern technology introduced atomic and digital clocks and still continues to study for ways to improve it.
Varieties of Clocks.
There are many different kinds of clocks. A clock that displays the current time in different parts of the world is called a world clock. A world clock is divided into zones. Each zone represents a group of countries sharing the same time.
The most common clocks are those we see hanging on walls. They can be seen on houses, hotels, banks, churches, hospitals and offices. They are almost everywhere. These clocks are called wall clocks.
Special clock parts are added to give extra feature to an alarm clock. A built-in alarm system causes the clock to automatically buzz or ring if a chosen time is up. Most alarm clocks can be seen in our bedrooms.
Grandfather clocks are big clocks-usually 6 feet tall. It has a pendulum that swings back and forth, each swing representing a second.
What is a Platform Bed? -
What is a Platform Bed? - A platform bed is a bed with no springs that is often raised on legs or framework to provide storage or "breathing" space. Platform beds are great for people who want a simpler look to their bedroom, or who live in tight spaces or small rooms. They provide firm cushioning without the bulk and bounce of a box spring. Oftentimes, people will augment their platform bed with special mattresses made of memory foam, a gel-like substance that conforms to the curves of your body, while offering full support for the skeletal structure.
Platform beds come in various sizes and styles to fit any taste. Whether you want a twin, twin long, full, queen, king, California king, or Eastern king size bed, there is a platform bed for you. Are you looking for a simple, Zen-like bed with nothing fancy whatsoever? Or do you want something a little more lavish, like gracefully swooping curves and an arching canopy?
Platform beds usually come in various types of wood or metal. You can find wood and metal platform beds in traditional, contemporary, Japanese, and other styles. You might want it to be just tall enough to store a few boxes, or you may want it to be lower to the ground for a lower profile, lending a more spacious look to your bedroom.
So platform beds are an interior decorating and organization choice. You can use the bed in your own room, or you can buy it for use as a guest bed. Your guests will love it. No matter what you use your platform bed for, you can find and buy one at an affordable enough price to fit your own budget.
Platform beds come in various sizes and styles to fit any taste. Whether you want a twin, twin long, full, queen, king, California king, or Eastern king size bed, there is a platform bed for you. Are you looking for a simple, Zen-like bed with nothing fancy whatsoever? Or do you want something a little more lavish, like gracefully swooping curves and an arching canopy?
Platform beds usually come in various types of wood or metal. You can find wood and metal platform beds in traditional, contemporary, Japanese, and other styles. You might want it to be just tall enough to store a few boxes, or you may want it to be lower to the ground for a lower profile, lending a more spacious look to your bedroom.
So platform beds are an interior decorating and organization choice. You can use the bed in your own room, or you can buy it for use as a guest bed. Your guests will love it. No matter what you use your platform bed for, you can find and buy one at an affordable enough price to fit your own budget.
What are Murphy Beds? -
What are Murphy Beds? - In a time of expensive real estate, smaller homes built on smaller lots are becoming the norm, even in the suburbs. In the city, space is at an even greater premium, as more and more people work or live in existing buildings. Any idea that makes the most of these smaller spaces is vital to the comfort of the population.
One such idea, Murphy beds, is resurfacing. The idea of the Murphy bed was born in San Francisco around 1900. The inventor, William L. Murphy, was a young, single gentleman who lived and slept in a one-room apartment. Because he wanted to entertain his girlfriend in his room, and because "proper" young ladies did not enter a gentleman's bedroom in those days, he found a way to hide the bed while he was entertaining. He invented a means of easily and automatically flipping the fully-made bed on its end into a closet, so it could be safely stored out of sight, but brought out again when he needed it.
Mr. Murphy patented his idea in 1900. He began manufacturing the beds as others heard of Murphy beds and wanted to take advantage of their space-saving properties. After the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, his invention became even more popular. Much of the city had suffered extensive damage, and the available living space was utilized to the utmost. Murphy's business prospered as he continued to improve his product.
Murphy beds rapidly spread across the country as more people moved into the cities and apartment life became a popular trend. Mr. Murphy moved his flourishing business to New York in the 1920s, where it still is today. Many of the original beds are still in use today. Now, they can be found all over the world, in apartments, hotels, hospitals, offices, fire stations, and any other building where efficient use of space is vital.
One such idea, Murphy beds, is resurfacing. The idea of the Murphy bed was born in San Francisco around 1900. The inventor, William L. Murphy, was a young, single gentleman who lived and slept in a one-room apartment. Because he wanted to entertain his girlfriend in his room, and because "proper" young ladies did not enter a gentleman's bedroom in those days, he found a way to hide the bed while he was entertaining. He invented a means of easily and automatically flipping the fully-made bed on its end into a closet, so it could be safely stored out of sight, but brought out again when he needed it.
Mr. Murphy patented his idea in 1900. He began manufacturing the beds as others heard of Murphy beds and wanted to take advantage of their space-saving properties. After the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, his invention became even more popular. Much of the city had suffered extensive damage, and the available living space was utilized to the utmost. Murphy's business prospered as he continued to improve his product.
Murphy beds rapidly spread across the country as more people moved into the cities and apartment life became a popular trend. Mr. Murphy moved his flourishing business to New York in the 1920s, where it still is today. Many of the original beds are still in use today. Now, they can be found all over the world, in apartments, hotels, hospitals, offices, fire stations, and any other building where efficient use of space is vital.
Warm Your Home with a Taste of the Tropics
Warm Your Home with a Taste of the Tropics (ARA) - Tropical decorative motifs, such as palm trees, monkeys, pomegranates, and the pineapple that symbolizes "welcome," endure for many reasons. Not only are they intrinsically graceful in their own right, but they are also evocative of a relaxed, comfortable, leisurely way of life. Their reflection of ease and warmth has made these motifs popular for generations, and they are enjoying another home fashion renaissance now.
They coincide beautifully with the trend toward such nature-friendly materials as bamboo, wicker and rattan. They also relate to increased interest in exotic places, such as Key West and Bali. Pineapples and pomegranates add an international flavor to the traditional basket of decorative fruits. Monkeys represent a gender-neutral motif, easy to decorate with and especially appropriate for shared spaces, such as the master bedroom, where men may raise objections to an abundant use of florals.
While tropical themes are ideal for decorating a vacation home in a southern climate, they can also carry their luxurious sense of comfort to the harsh winters of the north.
Patterns in the Ellison Bay collection from Maxwell's Piper Designs division offer an example. The collection takes its name from a beautiful inlet on the Wisconsin side of Lake Michigan -- an idyllic summer resort that is snowbound for much of the winter. While pineapples, interspersed with tropical flowers are in perfect sync with the surroundings in summer, they bring the welcome glow of summer to winter's short, dark days.
For added winter warmth, we used this pattern in red in an entryway. It is installed above a white molding at chair-rail height, and topped with its even more densely floral coordinating border. A harlequin pattern in matching red runs from the chair rail to the floor.
Classic ring-tail monkeys meander along tropical branches in a design in Maxwell's Vintage Colonial collection, which also contains matching borders and a coordinating cheetah print. All three help unify a master bedroom and adjoining dressing area, while also making each space distinctive. To produce a "positive/negative, reverse" visual effect, we combined the monkey wallpaper with a white background and a border of the same design on a black background.
This stunning pair of patterns extends along one wall into the dressing area that is otherwise wallpapered completely in the cheetah pattern. Because Maxwell collections use color families to make coordination easy and mixing and matching foolproof, this cheetah's spots are perfectly color-matched to the monkey's fur.
Such coordination also makes it easy to add true decorator distinction. For example, we covered the two shades on the sconce at the entry to the dressing area with the cheetah wallpaper print. Details like this bear the mark of professional interior design and become a signature of your great taste of the tropics.
The most dramatic of all Maxwell's tropical references is an innovative vertical wall mural, created for the Vintage Tuscany collection from Maxwell's LV Emmert Studios' division. It replicates a floor-to-ceiling window, complete with trompe l'oeil window panes and drawn shades, with an open view to a nearly life-size palm tree in a faux Italian courtyard. We know of no other pattern that can so completely infuse any room with the lush look of the tropics.
To locate a retailer in your area that carries the Vintage Colonial collection from S.A. Maxwell Co., Ellison Bay from Maxwell's Piper Designs, and Vintage Tuscany from the company's LV Emmert Studios, call (847) 932-3700 or visit www.samaxwell.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content
They coincide beautifully with the trend toward such nature-friendly materials as bamboo, wicker and rattan. They also relate to increased interest in exotic places, such as Key West and Bali. Pineapples and pomegranates add an international flavor to the traditional basket of decorative fruits. Monkeys represent a gender-neutral motif, easy to decorate with and especially appropriate for shared spaces, such as the master bedroom, where men may raise objections to an abundant use of florals.
While tropical themes are ideal for decorating a vacation home in a southern climate, they can also carry their luxurious sense of comfort to the harsh winters of the north.
Patterns in the Ellison Bay collection from Maxwell's Piper Designs division offer an example. The collection takes its name from a beautiful inlet on the Wisconsin side of Lake Michigan -- an idyllic summer resort that is snowbound for much of the winter. While pineapples, interspersed with tropical flowers are in perfect sync with the surroundings in summer, they bring the welcome glow of summer to winter's short, dark days.
For added winter warmth, we used this pattern in red in an entryway. It is installed above a white molding at chair-rail height, and topped with its even more densely floral coordinating border. A harlequin pattern in matching red runs from the chair rail to the floor.
Classic ring-tail monkeys meander along tropical branches in a design in Maxwell's Vintage Colonial collection, which also contains matching borders and a coordinating cheetah print. All three help unify a master bedroom and adjoining dressing area, while also making each space distinctive. To produce a "positive/negative, reverse" visual effect, we combined the monkey wallpaper with a white background and a border of the same design on a black background.
This stunning pair of patterns extends along one wall into the dressing area that is otherwise wallpapered completely in the cheetah pattern. Because Maxwell collections use color families to make coordination easy and mixing and matching foolproof, this cheetah's spots are perfectly color-matched to the monkey's fur.
Such coordination also makes it easy to add true decorator distinction. For example, we covered the two shades on the sconce at the entry to the dressing area with the cheetah wallpaper print. Details like this bear the mark of professional interior design and become a signature of your great taste of the tropics.
The most dramatic of all Maxwell's tropical references is an innovative vertical wall mural, created for the Vintage Tuscany collection from Maxwell's LV Emmert Studios' division. It replicates a floor-to-ceiling window, complete with trompe l'oeil window panes and drawn shades, with an open view to a nearly life-size palm tree in a faux Italian courtyard. We know of no other pattern that can so completely infuse any room with the lush look of the tropics.
To locate a retailer in your area that carries the Vintage Colonial collection from S.A. Maxwell Co., Ellison Bay from Maxwell's Piper Designs, and Vintage Tuscany from the company's LV Emmert Studios, call (847) 932-3700 or visit www.samaxwell.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content
Wallpaper doesn't just cover...it defines the room!
Wallpaper doesn't just cover...it defines the room! Wallpaper is often overlooked as a key part of an attractive home. The right wallpaper will add character to any room in the house, and will also allow a homeowner to cheaply and quickly change the look of their house. From a brightly decorated nursery to a soft bedroom background, wallpaper will create the right tone for any room in your house. It also gives a homeowner a great chance to express their home decorating talents. Unlike paint, so many different patterns and colors are available a homeowner is able to choose exactly the right one. There are so many wallpapers available, you are almost sure to find the one that is just right.
Some tips on maintaining your wallpaper.
If you have old wallpaper that is dirty, be sure to never wash it with water. Instead, try gently rubbing it with a steel wool pad, and afterwards be sure to apply a dry cleaning solvent. If you want to remove wallpaper, try making a mix of hot water and white vinegar. Fill a spray bottle with one half hot water and one half white vinegar and spray it on the wallpaper. Wait about five minutes, and then the wallpaper should be ready to be removed.
No matter which room in your home you're planning to decorate, you can't go wrong with colorful, decorative, wallpaper.
Some tips on maintaining your wallpaper.
If you have old wallpaper that is dirty, be sure to never wash it with water. Instead, try gently rubbing it with a steel wool pad, and afterwards be sure to apply a dry cleaning solvent. If you want to remove wallpaper, try making a mix of hot water and white vinegar. Fill a spray bottle with one half hot water and one half white vinegar and spray it on the wallpaper. Wait about five minutes, and then the wallpaper should be ready to be removed.
No matter which room in your home you're planning to decorate, you can't go wrong with colorful, decorative, wallpaper.
Walk-in Closet Organizers -
Walk-in Closet Organizers - It stands to reason that you more space you have, you more organized you will be. Why then, are so many walk-in closets disorganized messes? It seems that the more space we have, the more junk we have to fill it.
Walk-in closets offer a variety of design options. They can be filled with shelves for folded clothing or books. They can host tie racks, belt racks, and shoe cubbies. They can hold multiple garment racks for hanging clothes. Hooks and hang bars can also be installed to hold hats, robes, and other such items. Drawers or dressers can be placed inside walk-in closets to free up space inside the room.
Walk-in closets grant you the freedom to be creative. For example, islands and benches can be placed inside large closets to create the feeling of a dressing room.
Walk-in closet organizers can be purchased as kits from local home improvement stores and some department stores. These kits contain everything needed to design your basic closet
Walk-in closets offer a variety of design options. They can be filled with shelves for folded clothing or books. They can host tie racks, belt racks, and shoe cubbies. They can hold multiple garment racks for hanging clothes. Hooks and hang bars can also be installed to hold hats, robes, and other such items. Drawers or dressers can be placed inside walk-in closets to free up space inside the room.
Walk-in closets grant you the freedom to be creative. For example, islands and benches can be placed inside large closets to create the feeling of a dressing room.
Walk-in closet organizers can be purchased as kits from local home improvement stores and some department stores. These kits contain everything needed to design your basic closet
Using Vintage Hankies To Decorate The Bedroom
Using Vintage Hankies To Decorate The Bedroom Vintage hankies can make interesting wall d
Using Color To Change The Size Of Your Bedroom
Using Color To Change The Size Of Your Bedroom Did you ever wish your bedroom was bigger or smaller? Well if you don't have enough money to change the actual size of the room, then you can use paint to make the bedroom seem bigger or smaller.
Paint is well known as one of the least expensive and easiest ways to change the look of any room, but if you pick your colors carefully you can give the space a new feel as well as a new look. Certain colors can make your bedroom walls feel closer or farther away.
If you have a small bedroom and you want it to feel more spacious, then consider painting the walls a receding color. These are the blue - green - purpleish colors and any combination thereof. Look at a basic color wheel - you'll see that those colors are all next to each other on one side. You probably want to avoid the darkest of these combinations, however as painting a room in very dark tones can make it look smaller overall.
If you want to make a large bedroom feel more cozy, then paint the walls advancing colors. These are the colors on the other side of the color wheel - the reds, oranges and yellow. Bright warm colors will close in the space and make the room seem cheerful and cozy. Also if you have a large cavernous room with a very high ceiling, consider painting the ceiling a medium or dark color which will make bring the appearance back down to a normal height.
When painting your bedroom, make sure you buy enough paint to do the job! Consider how many coats you will need. A dark color may need several coats. IF you are trying to paint a light color over a dark, you may need to use some primer and also a couple of coats. 1 gallon of paint can do about 400 square feet so keep this in mind. To measure your room, go around the edge of all the walls with a measuring tape and record the total width. Measure the height from floor to ceiling and multiply by total width to get the square footage. Measure all the doors and window opening and subtract this from the total square footage (or not, it's always a good idea to have a little extra paint then not enough!).
Don't forget to protect your wood moldings with painters tape, remove all the covers from the electrical outlets and plugs and cover the floor and furniture with drop cloths!
Paint is well known as one of the least expensive and easiest ways to change the look of any room, but if you pick your colors carefully you can give the space a new feel as well as a new look. Certain colors can make your bedroom walls feel closer or farther away.
If you have a small bedroom and you want it to feel more spacious, then consider painting the walls a receding color. These are the blue - green - purpleish colors and any combination thereof. Look at a basic color wheel - you'll see that those colors are all next to each other on one side. You probably want to avoid the darkest of these combinations, however as painting a room in very dark tones can make it look smaller overall.
If you want to make a large bedroom feel more cozy, then paint the walls advancing colors. These are the colors on the other side of the color wheel - the reds, oranges and yellow. Bright warm colors will close in the space and make the room seem cheerful and cozy. Also if you have a large cavernous room with a very high ceiling, consider painting the ceiling a medium or dark color which will make bring the appearance back down to a normal height.
When painting your bedroom, make sure you buy enough paint to do the job! Consider how many coats you will need. A dark color may need several coats. IF you are trying to paint a light color over a dark, you may need to use some primer and also a couple of coats. 1 gallon of paint can do about 400 square feet so keep this in mind. To measure your room, go around the edge of all the walls with a measuring tape and record the total width. Measure the height from floor to ceiling and multiply by total width to get the square footage. Measure all the doors and window opening and subtract this from the total square footage (or not, it's always a good idea to have a little extra paint then not enough!).
Don't forget to protect your wood moldings with painters tape, remove all the covers from the electrical outlets and plugs and cover the floor and furniture with drop cloths!
Upholstery Upkeep
Upholstery Upkeep
By BatSheva Vaknin
Upholstered armchairs and sofas are comfortable and attractive additions to any home. When neglected, however, upholstery can quickly turn into next year's yard sale's featured item. Help the upholstered furniture in your dining room, living room, family room and bedroom last for years and years, by getting to know the ABC's of upholstery preventative and corrective care.
Stop Damage Before it Occurs
Protect Upholstery from: SUNLIGHT, NEWSPAPER INK, FABRIC DYES, PAINTS & POLISHES
Allow common sense to dictate what you should keep from harming your upholstered furniture. Sunlight will fade upholstery, so keep your upholstered couches, armchairs and ottomans away from the window, or else well-shaded. Put your newspaper on a coffee table or side table, to avoid ink damage to your upholstered furniture.
Other items that can cause permanent damage include dark-colored sheets and blankets, for when damp or wet, the dark dyes on these fabrics can rub off and ruin your upholstery. Finally, paints and polishes, such as nail or shoe polish, should never be used on upholstery. Make sure to cover your upholstered furniture when painting your living room, dining room, or bedrooms!
Keep it Clean!
1: Vacuum, 2: Damp-Dust, 3: Professionally Clean
Cleaning upholstered furniture is easy as 1, 2, 3. First, Vacuum as often as possible. Second, damp-dust arms and headrest areas with cleaning solution recommended by the manufacturer. Third, indulge occasionally in professional cleaning for maximum dirt and dust particle removal.
Here's a tip for keeping your favorite chairs & couches clean: Don't be fooled by the zippers on those cushions: the cushion covers are NOT meant to be removed and washed separately! Before you vacuum, remove the cushions. Beat them, rotate them, then vacuum them.
911 Emergency Care
Blot, scrape, vacuum. Read label, match spill with remedy.
Spills happen. The key to avoiding a permanent stain is to react in the manner most appropriate to the type of spill. For liquid spills, don't rub the spot, BLOT. Use a fresh, clean paper towel. For food or solid spills, first lift as much of the spill as possible with a dull knife or a spoon, scraping gently towards the center. For powder or cigarette ash spills, don't add a liquid or rub. Instead, vacuum up the spill.
When remnants of the spill still remain, use a fabric cleaner. Here are some guidelines:
Check manufacturer's label for cleaning instructions and recommendations.
Codes on the labels are as follows:
W=water based cleaning agent;
S=water-free solvent;
WS=water based or water-free agent okay;
X=clean only by vacuuming or light brushing.
Test water or cleaning agent in a hidden area of the upholstered furniture before applying to the stain.
Be patient when applying cleaning agent. Go slowly to avoid causing a ring or spreading the stain. You may need to use several doses, blotting each time with a clean paper towel. Only blot, never rub.
Use a fan or cool blow dryer to speed up drying process, working from outer edge of spill to inner. If velvet, use a brush on fabric before it dries.
If a stain remains, call a professional cleaner.
A-Z Home Stain Removal Chart:
Look it up. And remember, don't rub, BLOT!
Dry Cleaning Solvent (Energine, Carbona, K2r): Protein/Enzyme Laundry Detergent (Era) - Dilute with 30 parts water: Distilled White Wine Vinegar - Dilute with 9 parts rubbing alcohol
Ashes/Soot Alcoholic Drinks Alcoholic Drinks
Butter/Margarine Ashes/Soot Candy
Cake/Frosting/Margarine Blood Felt-Tip Marker
Candle Wax/Margarine Cake/Frosting Fruit Juice
Chewing Gum Candy Ink
Chocolate Ketchup Jam/Jelly
Coffee Chocolate Lipstick
Cosmetics Coffee Shoe Polish
Crayon Cosmetics Wine/Kool-Aide
Dairy Products Dairy Products
Gravy Egg
Grease Feces
Ink Fruit Juice
Lipstick Gravy
Mayonnaise Ice Cream
Milk/Formula Jam/Jelly
Oil Mayonnaise
Salad Dressing Milk/Formula
Shoe Polish Mud
Tar Mustard
Vegetable Salad Dressing
Sauces
Soft Drinks
Syrup
Tea
Urine
Vegetable
Vomit
Wine/Kool-Aid
Protect, clean and care for your upholstered sofas, chairs and loveseats using these tips and guidelines. With a little attention, the upholstery in your living room, dining room, family room and bedrooms will look fantastic for a long, long time.
http://www.homeandliving.com
By BatSheva Vaknin
Upholstered armchairs and sofas are comfortable and attractive additions to any home. When neglected, however, upholstery can quickly turn into next year's yard sale's featured item. Help the upholstered furniture in your dining room, living room, family room and bedroom last for years and years, by getting to know the ABC's of upholstery preventative and corrective care.
Stop Damage Before it Occurs
Protect Upholstery from: SUNLIGHT, NEWSPAPER INK, FABRIC DYES, PAINTS & POLISHES
Allow common sense to dictate what you should keep from harming your upholstered furniture. Sunlight will fade upholstery, so keep your upholstered couches, armchairs and ottomans away from the window, or else well-shaded. Put your newspaper on a coffee table or side table, to avoid ink damage to your upholstered furniture.
Other items that can cause permanent damage include dark-colored sheets and blankets, for when damp or wet, the dark dyes on these fabrics can rub off and ruin your upholstery. Finally, paints and polishes, such as nail or shoe polish, should never be used on upholstery. Make sure to cover your upholstered furniture when painting your living room, dining room, or bedrooms!
Keep it Clean!
1: Vacuum, 2: Damp-Dust, 3: Professionally Clean
Cleaning upholstered furniture is easy as 1, 2, 3. First, Vacuum as often as possible. Second, damp-dust arms and headrest areas with cleaning solution recommended by the manufacturer. Third, indulge occasionally in professional cleaning for maximum dirt and dust particle removal.
Here's a tip for keeping your favorite chairs & couches clean: Don't be fooled by the zippers on those cushions: the cushion covers are NOT meant to be removed and washed separately! Before you vacuum, remove the cushions. Beat them, rotate them, then vacuum them.
911 Emergency Care
Blot, scrape, vacuum. Read label, match spill with remedy.
Spills happen. The key to avoiding a permanent stain is to react in the manner most appropriate to the type of spill. For liquid spills, don't rub the spot, BLOT. Use a fresh, clean paper towel. For food or solid spills, first lift as much of the spill as possible with a dull knife or a spoon, scraping gently towards the center. For powder or cigarette ash spills, don't add a liquid or rub. Instead, vacuum up the spill.
When remnants of the spill still remain, use a fabric cleaner. Here are some guidelines:
Check manufacturer's label for cleaning instructions and recommendations.
Codes on the labels are as follows:
W=water based cleaning agent;
S=water-free solvent;
WS=water based or water-free agent okay;
X=clean only by vacuuming or light brushing.
Test water or cleaning agent in a hidden area of the upholstered furniture before applying to the stain.
Be patient when applying cleaning agent. Go slowly to avoid causing a ring or spreading the stain. You may need to use several doses, blotting each time with a clean paper towel. Only blot, never rub.
Use a fan or cool blow dryer to speed up drying process, working from outer edge of spill to inner. If velvet, use a brush on fabric before it dries.
If a stain remains, call a professional cleaner.
A-Z Home Stain Removal Chart:
Look it up. And remember, don't rub, BLOT!
Dry Cleaning Solvent (Energine, Carbona, K2r): Protein/Enzyme Laundry Detergent (Era) - Dilute with 30 parts water: Distilled White Wine Vinegar - Dilute with 9 parts rubbing alcohol
Ashes/Soot Alcoholic Drinks Alcoholic Drinks
Butter/Margarine Ashes/Soot Candy
Cake/Frosting/Margarine Blood Felt-Tip Marker
Candle Wax/Margarine Cake/Frosting Fruit Juice
Chewing Gum Candy Ink
Chocolate Ketchup Jam/Jelly
Coffee Chocolate Lipstick
Cosmetics Coffee Shoe Polish
Crayon Cosmetics Wine/Kool-Aide
Dairy Products Dairy Products
Gravy Egg
Grease Feces
Ink Fruit Juice
Lipstick Gravy
Mayonnaise Ice Cream
Milk/Formula Jam/Jelly
Oil Mayonnaise
Salad Dressing Milk/Formula
Shoe Polish Mud
Tar Mustard
Vegetable Salad Dressing
Sauces
Soft Drinks
Syrup
Tea
Urine
Vegetable
Vomit
Wine/Kool-Aid
Protect, clean and care for your upholstered sofas, chairs and loveseats using these tips and guidelines. With a little attention, the upholstery in your living room, dining room, family room and bedrooms will look fantastic for a long, long time.
http://www.homeandliving.com
Top Tips for Keeping Your Home Tidy
Top Tips for Keeping Your Home Tidy You've got so much tidying to do, so little time. So what's a person to do? You can either lower your standards and just ignore the mess, or you can think smart and keep your house tidy with little effort.
Unfortunately there is no way to avoid housework. But you can keep your house clean and sparkling in less than 30 minutes a day, if you just get organized.
The very first thing you need to do is gather all your cleaning supplies and place them in one spot, organized neatly. I do mean "all" your cleaning supplies, the
glass cleaner, the furniture polish, the wax, the cleaner, the dusting cloth - all of it! Next organize it in groups that make sense as to how you would use it. So if
you're going to do the windows you just have to grab all your window supplies, or if your cleaning the bathroom, you'd grab all the bathroom supplies. Use the old
KISS formula - "Keep It Simple Stupid." Don't make extra work for yourself.
Next place a clothes basket in every room where dirty clothes might land. Then train your household members to drop their dirty clothes in the hamper, and not on the floor. If it's in their room, it should be as easy to use as the floor. If you've got kids, get creative, with a hamper that's their favorite cartoon character or action figure. Make it fun!
Assign duties to other members of your house. Kids, even younger ones, can be good helpers. Give them tasks that they are capable of completing. As an incentive you can reward them. You can take them to a matinee or give them a treat if they complete their chores. If they get an allowance make them work for it. No kids, then you're on your own, unless you have a modern day husband
who participates in the household chores.
Be logical in your cleaning. There are two strategies that work well. With the first, you do a thorough cleaning once or twice a week. You choose a task, then start at one end of the house and move completely through the house until that task is done. Then start your next task. You'll save valuable time by not jumping from one task to the other.
The second strategy is favored by working woman and men, because it takes less than 30 minutes every day, and you don't have to look forward to cleaning house on your days off. With this strategy you do one room at a time, and set time limits as to how much time you'll spend in each room.. So lets say the kitchen gets 8 minutes, Bathroom gets 5, bedrooms get 5 each, and on and on, depending on how many rooms you have. You can adjust the 30 minutes up or down, but it should never be more than 45 minutes.
In the kitchen, wipe down the stove, fridge and dispose of any food that needs to be tossed. Wipe down the counter tops and the sink. Empty the dishwasher. Sweep the floor and give it a quick mopping.
In the bathroom pick up dirty laundry and toss in the hamper, wipe down the tub, shower, and sink. Clean the toilet last. Mop the floor if it needs it.
Bedrooms just need the beds made, dirty laundry picked up, and clothes put away. A quick dusting and vacuuming every third day is sufficient.
Tidy the living room, pickup books and "stuff" that are lying around. Wipe off tables. Dusting and vacuuming every second or third day is sufficient.
By doing laundry amongst other activities, you'll save yourself more time. Throw a load in while you're watching TV or making super. Fit it into other activities, so you're not faced with ten loads at the end of the week.
Get organized and cleaning your house will become a breeze. You'll have less stress worrying about it and more free time to enjoy the things you like to do!
Unfortunately there is no way to avoid housework. But you can keep your house clean and sparkling in less than 30 minutes a day, if you just get organized.
The very first thing you need to do is gather all your cleaning supplies and place them in one spot, organized neatly. I do mean "all" your cleaning supplies, the
glass cleaner, the furniture polish, the wax, the cleaner, the dusting cloth - all of it! Next organize it in groups that make sense as to how you would use it. So if
you're going to do the windows you just have to grab all your window supplies, or if your cleaning the bathroom, you'd grab all the bathroom supplies. Use the old
KISS formula - "Keep It Simple Stupid." Don't make extra work for yourself.
Next place a clothes basket in every room where dirty clothes might land. Then train your household members to drop their dirty clothes in the hamper, and not on the floor. If it's in their room, it should be as easy to use as the floor. If you've got kids, get creative, with a hamper that's their favorite cartoon character or action figure. Make it fun!
Assign duties to other members of your house. Kids, even younger ones, can be good helpers. Give them tasks that they are capable of completing. As an incentive you can reward them. You can take them to a matinee or give them a treat if they complete their chores. If they get an allowance make them work for it. No kids, then you're on your own, unless you have a modern day husband
who participates in the household chores.
Be logical in your cleaning. There are two strategies that work well. With the first, you do a thorough cleaning once or twice a week. You choose a task, then start at one end of the house and move completely through the house until that task is done. Then start your next task. You'll save valuable time by not jumping from one task to the other.
The second strategy is favored by working woman and men, because it takes less than 30 minutes every day, and you don't have to look forward to cleaning house on your days off. With this strategy you do one room at a time, and set time limits as to how much time you'll spend in each room.. So lets say the kitchen gets 8 minutes, Bathroom gets 5, bedrooms get 5 each, and on and on, depending on how many rooms you have. You can adjust the 30 minutes up or down, but it should never be more than 45 minutes.
In the kitchen, wipe down the stove, fridge and dispose of any food that needs to be tossed. Wipe down the counter tops and the sink. Empty the dishwasher. Sweep the floor and give it a quick mopping.
In the bathroom pick up dirty laundry and toss in the hamper, wipe down the tub, shower, and sink. Clean the toilet last. Mop the floor if it needs it.
Bedrooms just need the beds made, dirty laundry picked up, and clothes put away. A quick dusting and vacuuming every third day is sufficient.
Tidy the living room, pickup books and "stuff" that are lying around. Wipe off tables. Dusting and vacuuming every second or third day is sufficient.
By doing laundry amongst other activities, you'll save yourself more time. Throw a load in while you're watching TV or making super. Fit it into other activities, so you're not faced with ten loads at the end of the week.
Get organized and cleaning your house will become a breeze. You'll have less stress worrying about it and more free time to enjoy the things you like to do!
The Thrill of Triple Bunk Beds -
The Thrill of Triple Bunk Beds - Ideally, your child's bedroom offers an environment which stimulates his or her creativity and imagination, and has the ability to change over time. In achieving the latter, triple bunks beds are often helpful as they certainly reduce the square footage needed for three children to sleep.
Triple bunk beds are available with three twin-sized beds. Any other sized beds would need to be custom-made. When shopping for triple bunk beds, consider who the beds are for, your options and your budget.
Parents should be aware of the safety issues that accompany triple bunk beds. A child sleeping on the top bunk may be at least six feet in the air. Clearly, if your kids are terribly rambunctious, these beds may not be your best bet as monkey-play and bunk beds do not go together.
With regards to budget, when selecting a bunk bed, your budget needs to be high enough to ensure that the bed meets minimum safety standards put out by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Triple bunk beds are clearly a show-piece to any bedroom. They are not terribly common, and thus stand out. Kids love them since they are unique and exciting. However, parents must be sure not to let the excitement around these beds overshadow the potential safety risk, and as such, must choose a quality bed.
Triple bunk beds are available with three twin-sized beds. Any other sized beds would need to be custom-made. When shopping for triple bunk beds, consider who the beds are for, your options and your budget.
Parents should be aware of the safety issues that accompany triple bunk beds. A child sleeping on the top bunk may be at least six feet in the air. Clearly, if your kids are terribly rambunctious, these beds may not be your best bet as monkey-play and bunk beds do not go together.
With regards to budget, when selecting a bunk bed, your budget needs to be high enough to ensure that the bed meets minimum safety standards put out by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Triple bunk beds are clearly a show-piece to any bedroom. They are not terribly common, and thus stand out. Kids love them since they are unique and exciting. However, parents must be sure not to let the excitement around these beds overshadow the potential safety risk, and as such, must choose a quality bed.
The Oriental Vs. Contemporary Bedroom Design Theory.
The Oriental Vs. Contemporary Bedroom Design Theory. Dear friends,
If you have read any interior design books/articles, visited
a few websites on the internet, you will find the word theme used
quite often.
What exactly is a theme-based design?
A theme according to me is a collection of various parameters of
design of an interior space. So a theme may include a certain set
colors, materials, repetition of a certain element, such as
a decorative item, etc...
Primarily there are two basic themes under which a design can
be categorized, 1)Oriental 2)Contemporary.
Oriental Bedroom Design Theme:
These kind of themes have a still drilled down niche design
themes, such as country, rustic, vintage, elegant, etc...
One of the major thing about these kind of themes is that much
emphasis is given on the natural beauty of any material.
These designs are close to nature or are shown to be close to
nature.
These kind of design styles are very rarely found in the urban
city interiors. Mostly the countryside homes adopt these kind if
themes, to replicate the flora and fauna of the outside environment.
The designer tries to include the patters seen in nature, such as
leaves, flowers, plants. All these natural patterns are seen on
wallpaper patterns, decorative lamps, curtains, furniture
upholstery, wall paintings, etc...
Homes which are build on country side such as farm houses, the scarcity
of space is not an issue, but this creates another problem as far as
designing interiors is concerned.
A bedroom, no matter of what size it is, requires some basic
furniture elements as functional needs, such as a double bed,
dressing table, wardrobes, study tables, a book shelf etc..
It is sometimes possible that because of the large spaces, the
bedroom looks empty after the furniture is arranged. At such
times "decoration" plays a major role. During ancient years
the palaces and castles had such large built spaces, where
extensive use of decoration was used in the form of paintings,
heavy decorative flooring patterns, carvings, moldings as a
decorative architectural elements.
So in this oriental design trend, decoration of the space using
various accessories plays a major role.
Contemporary design Theme:
These kind of design themes are very new as compared to the
previously mentioned oriental design theme. But how did the
designers came along using these kind of designs?
During the starting years of the 20th century, the "Industrial
Revolution" in Europe changed the face of our planet. It
was easy to design and manufacture goods on a mass scale
with amazing speed and efficiency.
This created a flood of industries in and around the cities.
These cities attracted large amount of people to migrate from
rural areas to city centers in search of a living.
Because of this migratory effect there was a sudden need of
housing requirement for the workers. This is where the concept of
an "apartment" was introduced. Because of the pressure of demand,
a school of thoughts emerged within the architects, who
believed that "simplicity" is the need of today's era.
They thought that, the design of the building has to be simple
and easy to build, then only we can compete with the growing
demand of housing needs in cities. That's why simple designs with mostly plane and square faces with square or rectangular openings
were used. These forms and masses were easy to build and still
beautiful. If everything from "safety pins" to "space ships"
could be built on a mass scale, why not "buildings".
The school of thought believed that a plane rectangular form
is in itself beautiful and they proved this using infinite
permutations and combinations of the basic square form. That's
why decoration was given a second preference. Today we call this
school of thought as "contemporary". In contemporary design
every element has an order.
That's why in today's modern interior design, simplicity is the
key to an efficient design. Unlike the previous oriental design
theme, the contemporary design theme states that any kind of
architectural decoration is always dependent on the basic form
of the building. The form itself is so beautiful, that the need
to further decorate it is not required. Today's modern interiors
spaces are simple to understand, simple to construct, and
project a kind of simplicity.
By reading the above paragraphs some of you might say that,
decoration is no more needed. But this is not true. I am not trying
to force some ideas here. But most people confuse the whole
concept of "Interior Design" and "Interior Decoration". Both
are quite different and both have a unique value in today's
complex society.
Decoration was something the primitive man learned, looking at
the nature around him. He saw plants, flowers, birds, animals
and tried to copy these elements. We still use "embroidery" on
our dresses. But the modern design theory says that any sort
of decoration can only "enhance" the existing form, but can not
be an element of design.
What does this mean?
In the above said example the "embroidery" pattern can certainly
add to the beauty of the cloth, but the modern theory denies to
accept the cloth to be of a cheap quality. It states that every form, texture, material, shape is in itself beautiful and must be
accepted as it is. Because of this the need to further decorate it
does not arise.
Thus decoration whether used in architecture or elsewhere is always
dependant on the form on which it is used, but design is
an independent entity which does not need any justification from the
external factors.
The two design themes mentioned above are still widely used today.
The user must look upon them from a point of view of what best suits
his/her likes and dislikes. Only then can you give yourself and
your family the best quality of living.
I hope this article was informative to everyone.
Copyright Shrinivas Vaidya
If you have read any interior design books/articles, visited
a few websites on the internet, you will find the word theme used
quite often.
What exactly is a theme-based design?
A theme according to me is a collection of various parameters of
design of an interior space. So a theme may include a certain set
colors, materials, repetition of a certain element, such as
a decorative item, etc...
Primarily there are two basic themes under which a design can
be categorized, 1)Oriental 2)Contemporary.
Oriental Bedroom Design Theme:
These kind of themes have a still drilled down niche design
themes, such as country, rustic, vintage, elegant, etc...
One of the major thing about these kind of themes is that much
emphasis is given on the natural beauty of any material.
These designs are close to nature or are shown to be close to
nature.
These kind of design styles are very rarely found in the urban
city interiors. Mostly the countryside homes adopt these kind if
themes, to replicate the flora and fauna of the outside environment.
The designer tries to include the patters seen in nature, such as
leaves, flowers, plants. All these natural patterns are seen on
wallpaper patterns, decorative lamps, curtains, furniture
upholstery, wall paintings, etc...
Homes which are build on country side such as farm houses, the scarcity
of space is not an issue, but this creates another problem as far as
designing interiors is concerned.
A bedroom, no matter of what size it is, requires some basic
furniture elements as functional needs, such as a double bed,
dressing table, wardrobes, study tables, a book shelf etc..
It is sometimes possible that because of the large spaces, the
bedroom looks empty after the furniture is arranged. At such
times "decoration" plays a major role. During ancient years
the palaces and castles had such large built spaces, where
extensive use of decoration was used in the form of paintings,
heavy decorative flooring patterns, carvings, moldings as a
decorative architectural elements.
So in this oriental design trend, decoration of the space using
various accessories plays a major role.
Contemporary design Theme:
These kind of design themes are very new as compared to the
previously mentioned oriental design theme. But how did the
designers came along using these kind of designs?
During the starting years of the 20th century, the "Industrial
Revolution" in Europe changed the face of our planet. It
was easy to design and manufacture goods on a mass scale
with amazing speed and efficiency.
This created a flood of industries in and around the cities.
These cities attracted large amount of people to migrate from
rural areas to city centers in search of a living.
Because of this migratory effect there was a sudden need of
housing requirement for the workers. This is where the concept of
an "apartment" was introduced. Because of the pressure of demand,
a school of thoughts emerged within the architects, who
believed that "simplicity" is the need of today's era.
They thought that, the design of the building has to be simple
and easy to build, then only we can compete with the growing
demand of housing needs in cities. That's why simple designs with mostly plane and square faces with square or rectangular openings
were used. These forms and masses were easy to build and still
beautiful. If everything from "safety pins" to "space ships"
could be built on a mass scale, why not "buildings".
The school of thought believed that a plane rectangular form
is in itself beautiful and they proved this using infinite
permutations and combinations of the basic square form. That's
why decoration was given a second preference. Today we call this
school of thought as "contemporary". In contemporary design
every element has an order.
That's why in today's modern interior design, simplicity is the
key to an efficient design. Unlike the previous oriental design
theme, the contemporary design theme states that any kind of
architectural decoration is always dependent on the basic form
of the building. The form itself is so beautiful, that the need
to further decorate it is not required. Today's modern interiors
spaces are simple to understand, simple to construct, and
project a kind of simplicity.
By reading the above paragraphs some of you might say that,
decoration is no more needed. But this is not true. I am not trying
to force some ideas here. But most people confuse the whole
concept of "Interior Design" and "Interior Decoration". Both
are quite different and both have a unique value in today's
complex society.
Decoration was something the primitive man learned, looking at
the nature around him. He saw plants, flowers, birds, animals
and tried to copy these elements. We still use "embroidery" on
our dresses. But the modern design theory says that any sort
of decoration can only "enhance" the existing form, but can not
be an element of design.
What does this mean?
In the above said example the "embroidery" pattern can certainly
add to the beauty of the cloth, but the modern theory denies to
accept the cloth to be of a cheap quality. It states that every form, texture, material, shape is in itself beautiful and must be
accepted as it is. Because of this the need to further decorate it
does not arise.
Thus decoration whether used in architecture or elsewhere is always
dependant on the form on which it is used, but design is
an independent entity which does not need any justification from the
external factors.
The two design themes mentioned above are still widely used today.
The user must look upon them from a point of view of what best suits
his/her likes and dislikes. Only then can you give yourself and
your family the best quality of living.
I hope this article was informative to everyone.
Copyright Shrinivas Vaidya
The Many Benefits of Loft Bunk Beds -
The Many Benefits of Loft Bunk Beds - A loft bunk bed is technically defined as a bunk bed in which the top of the mattress is more than three feet from the floor. As such, virtually all bunk beds are actually loft bunk beds under this definition.
In use, however, loft bunk beds often have simply one twin bed on top with nothing underneath. In addition, they are typically more self-contained in that they include many other features and/or furniture items that typically reside in a bedroom. For instance, loft bunk beds can include both a desk and drawers underneath the twin bed on top.
Loft bunk beds, like other bunks, save space and add a creative element to a bedroom. Choices of ladders typically exist, from straight-up ladders to angled ladders. The angled ladders are generally safer, but take up more floor space.
In addition to loft bunk beds, futon bunk beds are convenient because they have the dual functionality of serving as a couch. As such, futon bunk beds represent the ultimate in space savings. They allow you to have two beds and a couch all within just a few square feet of floor space.
Loft beds are a viable alternative to traditional beds and other bunk beds. These beds can be purchased both online and offline and many options are available with regards to styles and colors. The beds are typically available in both wood and metal construction
In use, however, loft bunk beds often have simply one twin bed on top with nothing underneath. In addition, they are typically more self-contained in that they include many other features and/or furniture items that typically reside in a bedroom. For instance, loft bunk beds can include both a desk and drawers underneath the twin bed on top.
Loft bunk beds, like other bunks, save space and add a creative element to a bedroom. Choices of ladders typically exist, from straight-up ladders to angled ladders. The angled ladders are generally safer, but take up more floor space.
In addition to loft bunk beds, futon bunk beds are convenient because they have the dual functionality of serving as a couch. As such, futon bunk beds represent the ultimate in space savings. They allow you to have two beds and a couch all within just a few square feet of floor space.
Loft beds are a viable alternative to traditional beds and other bunk beds. These beds can be purchased both online and offline and many options are available with regards to styles and colors. The beds are typically available in both wood and metal construction
The Benefits of Wood Platform Beds -
The Benefits of Wood Platform Beds - Wood platform beds are beds that have no box spring and are made out of wood. Platform beds are great for complementing any d
The Benefits of Wood Closet Organizers -
The Benefits of Wood Closet Organizers - "A place for everything and everything in its place" -- did you hear that growing up? While it sounds trite, an organized home does contribute to peace of mind. When you instantly know where everything is, it is easier to feel relaxed. In our quest for cleanliness, though, our closets are often overlooked. They too easily become a catch-all for clothes, books, toys, and various other odds-and-ends.
Closet organizers help eliminate the mess. By dividing our closets into functional and usable space, they allow us to assign a "home" for all of our possessions. They also allow us to easily see when an item is out of place. This helps us to weed out the unnecessary junk.
It used to be that closet organizers were made primarily of laminate, metal, or wire. Some people had to sacrifice style for function. While they are great with some styles, laminate or wire simply doesn't match all decors. Now, though, closet organizers are available in virtually any style.
Wood closet organizers are available in many varieties
Closet organizers help eliminate the mess. By dividing our closets into functional and usable space, they allow us to assign a "home" for all of our possessions. They also allow us to easily see when an item is out of place. This helps us to weed out the unnecessary junk.
It used to be that closet organizers were made primarily of laminate, metal, or wire. Some people had to sacrifice style for function. While they are great with some styles, laminate or wire simply doesn't match all decors. Now, though, closet organizers are available in virtually any style.
Wood closet organizers are available in many varieties
The Benefits of Metal Bunk Beds -
The Benefits of Metal Bunk Beds - Metal bunks beds are very popular, particularly since they are typically less expensive than wood bunk beds. Most metal bunk beds are manufactured in Taiwan, Malaysia and Mexico and are sold in the U.S. by importers and retailers. Tubular metal is used to construct these beds and they are often painted with high gloss black, white, red or blue paint. These metal bunk beds typically sell for between $150 and $250 each.
With metal bunk beds, both the frame and the ladder are constructed of metal. Metal bunk beds can be a twin bed over a twin bed, a twin bed over a full-sized bed, or simply a twin bed over empty space where you can put a couch, desk, dresser or other items.
Metal bunk beds are generally much lighter than wood bunk beds. This makes them more flexible, allowing you to change the format of the bedroom much more easily. The lesser weight also makes them a more viable online purchase. Specifically, shipping costs are less due to weight and due to the fact that the metal tubes are much thinner than the wood used in wooden bunk beds.
Metal bunk beds are often easy to self-assemble with basic tools such as screwdrivers and pliers. Connections and welds should be checked regularly to ensure that continued stability of the metal bunk bed.
With metal bunk beds, both the frame and the ladder are constructed of metal. Metal bunk beds can be a twin bed over a twin bed, a twin bed over a full-sized bed, or simply a twin bed over empty space where you can put a couch, desk, dresser or other items.
Metal bunk beds are generally much lighter than wood bunk beds. This makes them more flexible, allowing you to change the format of the bedroom much more easily. The lesser weight also makes them a more viable online purchase. Specifically, shipping costs are less due to weight and due to the fact that the metal tubes are much thinner than the wood used in wooden bunk beds.
Metal bunk beds are often easy to self-assemble with basic tools such as screwdrivers and pliers. Connections and welds should be checked regularly to ensure that continued stability of the metal bunk bed.
The Benefits of Luxury Duvet Covers -
The Benefits of Luxury Duvet Covers - Not all duvet covers are made of standard fabrics like cotton. Some can be made of luxurious materials like satin and silk. Luxury duvet covers are often more expensive than standard covers, but they provide can provide more comfort as well as a more luxurious appearance. Different types of luxury duvet covers have unique advantages.
Satin duvet covers are very popular. Satin is a luxurious fabric that looks and feels great. Satin is a blend of other materials like silk, cotton, and rayon. The types of materials used to make the satin have an effect on the look and feel of the fabric, but all types of satin do have some similarities. Satin is characterized by its shiny appearance. One side of the material is bright and shiny and the other side has a rougher and duller look. Most people think that the dull side is the most comfortable due to its deep grain and soft feel. The shiny side is perfect for giving a bedroom a classy, luxurious look.
Silk is another material used to make luxury duvet covers. Silk is a strong fiber that does not tear or crease easily. Silk duvet covers are smooth and soft to sleep on and look great in any room. Silk comes in many different colors and does not fade as quickly as many other materials. It is a hypoallergenic fabric, meaning that no one will have an allergic reaction to sleeping on a silk duvet cover.
Silk and satin are merely two types of luxury duvet covers available. Other materials like velvet and sateen also have unique advantages. Luxury duvet covers are among the most comfortable types of bedding available. Luxury duvet covers provide beauty as well as comfort, and they come in a variety of colors and patterns to compliment the look of any bedroom.
Satin duvet covers are very popular. Satin is a luxurious fabric that looks and feels great. Satin is a blend of other materials like silk, cotton, and rayon. The types of materials used to make the satin have an effect on the look and feel of the fabric, but all types of satin do have some similarities. Satin is characterized by its shiny appearance. One side of the material is bright and shiny and the other side has a rougher and duller look. Most people think that the dull side is the most comfortable due to its deep grain and soft feel. The shiny side is perfect for giving a bedroom a classy, luxurious look.
Silk is another material used to make luxury duvet covers. Silk is a strong fiber that does not tear or crease easily. Silk duvet covers are smooth and soft to sleep on and look great in any room. Silk comes in many different colors and does not fade as quickly as many other materials. It is a hypoallergenic fabric, meaning that no one will have an allergic reaction to sleeping on a silk duvet cover.
Silk and satin are merely two types of luxury duvet covers available. Other materials like velvet and sateen also have unique advantages. Luxury duvet covers are among the most comfortable types of bedding available. Luxury duvet covers provide beauty as well as comfort, and they come in a variety of colors and patterns to compliment the look of any bedroom.
The Benefits of Air Mattresses -
The Benefits of Air Mattresses - Given the amount of time that we spend sleeping -- or trying to sleep -- it only makes sense to make our beds as comfortable as possible. Today, we have many choices in mattresses, from pillow-top to firm. But what happens if your mattress preferences change from day to day? Maybe an ultra-firm mattress works for you sometimes, but other times you prefer a softer bed. For changeable comfort, an air mattress just might be your best bet.
Air mattresses are equipped with inflatable, adjustable chambers. One such air mattress, the Sleep Number bed by Select Comfort, comes with two separate air chambers. A numbered remote dial controls each air chamber. The customer adjusts the mattress to the desired firmness -- or softness -- with the touch of a button. Since there are two chambers, each side of the bed can be controlled independently. This is ideal for partners with different mattress preferences.
LoungAir is offering a unique air mattress that converts to a lounge, chair, or recliner. Another type of air mattress is the low-cost, foldable variety. These inflatable mattresses are great for spare bedrooms, guest rooms, slumber parties, and even camping trips. Most of these air mattresses are simply put on the floor. These mattresses can be found at bedding stores such as Linens N Things and Bed, Bath & Beyond. They can also be found at department stores. At the time of this writing, WalMart was offering a two-position air mattress on a frame for $34. Some outdoor and camping supplies stores also sell air mattresses, as well as many online stores.
One company, however, created a more comfortable alternative to the on-the-floor air mattresses. The Raised AeroBed, by Aero Products International, Inc., is an inflatable bed that stands about two feet high. This type of air mattress can be inflated with a small electric pump.
Air mattresses are equipped with inflatable, adjustable chambers. One such air mattress, the Sleep Number bed by Select Comfort, comes with two separate air chambers. A numbered remote dial controls each air chamber. The customer adjusts the mattress to the desired firmness -- or softness -- with the touch of a button. Since there are two chambers, each side of the bed can be controlled independently. This is ideal for partners with different mattress preferences.
LoungAir is offering a unique air mattress that converts to a lounge, chair, or recliner. Another type of air mattress is the low-cost, foldable variety. These inflatable mattresses are great for spare bedrooms, guest rooms, slumber parties, and even camping trips. Most of these air mattresses are simply put on the floor. These mattresses can be found at bedding stores such as Linens N Things and Bed, Bath & Beyond. They can also be found at department stores. At the time of this writing, WalMart was offering a two-position air mattress on a frame for $34. Some outdoor and camping supplies stores also sell air mattresses, as well as many online stores.
One company, however, created a more comfortable alternative to the on-the-floor air mattresses. The Raised AeroBed, by Aero Products International, Inc., is an inflatable bed that stands about two feet high. This type of air mattress can be inflated with a small electric pump.
The Basics of the Murphy Bed Plan -
The Basics of the Murphy Bed Plan - As living space becomes more efficient, two social trends have converged to foster the Murphy bed's regained popularity. First, because housing is more expensive, every available area needs to be used in as many ways as possible. Multi-use rooms are an extremely effective way to expand that space. Second, the "do-it-yourself" boom is still in full swing, as people choose to economize where they can by providing their own labor. Thus, turning a bedroom or study into a multipurpose guest room/work room by building one's own Murphy bed is an increasingly popular project.
Murphy bed plans and kits are available at a variety of sources. Manufacturers and retailers of Murphy beds often offer suggestions and technical support for this project. Many of these manufactures also sell a Murphy bed Plan. Other resources are the fashionable home improvement shows and home make-over shows. Often, a video of one of these instructional programs will be available to guide the home carpenter. Carpentry books are also a good resource.
The project itself is fairly simple, involving a box that fits within another box, and that has legs that rotate in or out, depending on the position of the bed. The cabinetry that surrounds the bed can be as simple or ornate as the homeowner would like.
A place to start looking for a Murphy bed plan is the manufacturer of the special mechanism that the homeowner will need to purchase. These patented mechanisms are what allow the Murphy bed to be opened out or shut away with a minimum of effort. These businesses are also a source of technical support. It is in their interests for your project to be successful.
Simple shop tools and an intermediate level of comfort with wood-working projects will allow the home carpenter to build a custom Murphy bed for his home. Building one's own bed will allow choosing the exact woods and trims to compliment the home and match existing woodwork, for a truly built-in look.
Murphy bed plans and kits are available at a variety of sources. Manufacturers and retailers of Murphy beds often offer suggestions and technical support for this project. Many of these manufactures also sell a Murphy bed Plan. Other resources are the fashionable home improvement shows and home make-over shows. Often, a video of one of these instructional programs will be available to guide the home carpenter. Carpentry books are also a good resource.
The project itself is fairly simple, involving a box that fits within another box, and that has legs that rotate in or out, depending on the position of the bed. The cabinetry that surrounds the bed can be as simple or ornate as the homeowner would like.
A place to start looking for a Murphy bed plan is the manufacturer of the special mechanism that the homeowner will need to purchase. These patented mechanisms are what allow the Murphy bed to be opened out or shut away with a minimum of effort. These businesses are also a source of technical support. It is in their interests for your project to be successful.
Simple shop tools and an intermediate level of comfort with wood-working projects will allow the home carpenter to build a custom Murphy bed for his home. Building one's own bed will allow choosing the exact woods and trims to compliment the home and match existing woodwork, for a truly built-in look.
Ten Creative Headboard Ideas for Frugal Decorators
Ten Creative Headboard Ideas for Frugal Decorators Need a new headboard, but don't have a fortune to spend? How
about using things you already have or things that others may
want to discard to make a custom headboard that is not only
stylish and creative, but inexpensive as well!
Here are some ideas to help stir those creative juices (be
careful not to spill 'em!)!
1. Use an old door. If you want a classic wood look, sand and
stain the door to match existing furniture. Or paint the
door and distress for a vintage look. If the door is paneled,
the inserts can be painted a contrasting color, stenciled
with elegant designs, or decoupaged with fabric or handmade
papers.
2. Use a section of wooden picket or wrought iron fencing.
The sections can be painted and fastened with bolts or hooks.
3. Use trellis. Decorate with ivy, silk flowers and ribbons for
a Country French look or simply paint.
4. Use old window frames. Leave painted window frames as is for
a distressed look. Or paint a garden scene (or use a wallpaper
mural) behind the frames to give the illusion of looking
outdoors.
5. Use folding screens. An elegant folding screen with fabric
or painted panels can be easily attached to the wall or
left standing for a simple headboard solution.
6. Use vintage napkins or placemats. The linen can be hung on
curtain rod which is attached decorative rod holders just
above the bed.
7. Use scrap plywood or MDF covered by cedar siding or paneling.
The headboard can have a rustic, lodge look if covered by
cedar shakes or a more traditional look if covered by
tongue-in-groove paneling.
8. Use shutters. Stain or paint the shutters to create a country
or cottage look in your romantic bedroom.
9. Use framed photos. Create an arrangement of photos grouped
by size, frame color or theme to give the illusion of a
headboard.
10. Use a quilt or tapestry. Mount the fabric over a shower
curtain or caf
about using things you already have or things that others may
want to discard to make a custom headboard that is not only
stylish and creative, but inexpensive as well!
Here are some ideas to help stir those creative juices (be
careful not to spill 'em!)!
1. Use an old door. If you want a classic wood look, sand and
stain the door to match existing furniture. Or paint the
door and distress for a vintage look. If the door is paneled,
the inserts can be painted a contrasting color, stenciled
with elegant designs, or decoupaged with fabric or handmade
papers.
2. Use a section of wooden picket or wrought iron fencing.
The sections can be painted and fastened with bolts or hooks.
3. Use trellis. Decorate with ivy, silk flowers and ribbons for
a Country French look or simply paint.
4. Use old window frames. Leave painted window frames as is for
a distressed look. Or paint a garden scene (or use a wallpaper
mural) behind the frames to give the illusion of looking
outdoors.
5. Use folding screens. An elegant folding screen with fabric
or painted panels can be easily attached to the wall or
left standing for a simple headboard solution.
6. Use vintage napkins or placemats. The linen can be hung on
curtain rod which is attached decorative rod holders just
above the bed.
7. Use scrap plywood or MDF covered by cedar siding or paneling.
The headboard can have a rustic, lodge look if covered by
cedar shakes or a more traditional look if covered by
tongue-in-groove paneling.
8. Use shutters. Stain or paint the shutters to create a country
or cottage look in your romantic bedroom.
9. Use framed photos. Create an arrangement of photos grouped
by size, frame color or theme to give the illusion of a
headboard.
10. Use a quilt or tapestry. Mount the fabric over a shower
curtain or caf
Study of "Interior Design" as a reflection of the mind.
Study of "Interior Design" as a reflection of the mind. Dear friends, we as humans are a composite of mind, body and
spirit. All these three in proper coordination, create the
world around us. The things, which we want in life, are first
created in our mind, then our mind sends signals to our brain
and the brain sends signals to various parts of our body to
take action and thus "reality" gets created.
This means that whatever we imagine in our minds gets converted
in reality. The program of our mind decides what we imagine.
I mean if I want to decorate my bedroom, everything from the
type of furniture I choose to the budget decision will depend
upon my "broader attitude" towards life.
If I am a "budget conscious" person, then this will affect right
from the initial stages of the design. I will look at the design
from a conservative point of view. Thus everything, which gets
created in reality will have an influence of my personality.
Here I am not trying to say that only high budget designs are
good. I have seen works of many interior designers, who have
spent their entire lives on studying low cost design projects
and also have won awards for their magnificent work.
That's why any interior design project can not be fulfilled without
active participation of the client or the user. Creativity
doesn't have any boundaries of budget. Any piece of art which
fulfils the functional need and also the aesthetical need can
be easily accepted as an architectural element. Budget is
not a constraint at all. On the other hand the budget constraint
sometimes is useful to generate some good ideas for a particular
problem.
An interior designer is not an artist, because an artist basically
performs his acts to satisfy his own desire. This could be
any performing art or other forms of arts. His piece of work
may not have any functional use from user's point of view.
An interior designer is not even a technician or engineer.
Because when an engineer builds a design he need not worry of
making it "beautiful". His primary aim is to make it functional.
He puts his entire energy in making the design functional.
That's why an interior designer is one who satisfies both the
functional as well as aesthetical part of the design. Sometimes
it is easy to accomplish the functional part of an interior design,
but since the definition of beauty is different for everyone,
it is extremely difficult to satisfy each and every user's
aesthetic hunger.
This is particularly true about interiors in public spaces.
For example a bank building has a definite use and function for
all the users. We can safely create a list of functions a person
would perform when he visits a bank. But this does not
mean the bank reflects his personality, like the first paragraph
of this article mentions.
That's why interiors in public spaces always are designed by taking
into consideration something called as "mass personality".
This is a general attitude of the kind of mindset everyone would have
or is likely to have when he/she visits that space. If you
visit large corporate software office premise, you will see this picture.
Office interiors always have a certain kind of order in them.
The use of colors, design styles have a kind of commitment in
them, which is expected from you when you work there.
On the other hand a bar or a restaurant has some sort of mood
generating atmosphere, which sets you loose. Because this is
what is expected in a public space like a restaurant.
Thus any interior space is always associated with people. A space
which serves its functions best and makes the users comfortable is
bound to succeed as a favorite place.
I hope this article was informative to everyone.
Copyright Shrinivas Vaidya
spirit. All these three in proper coordination, create the
world around us. The things, which we want in life, are first
created in our mind, then our mind sends signals to our brain
and the brain sends signals to various parts of our body to
take action and thus "reality" gets created.
This means that whatever we imagine in our minds gets converted
in reality. The program of our mind decides what we imagine.
I mean if I want to decorate my bedroom, everything from the
type of furniture I choose to the budget decision will depend
upon my "broader attitude" towards life.
If I am a "budget conscious" person, then this will affect right
from the initial stages of the design. I will look at the design
from a conservative point of view. Thus everything, which gets
created in reality will have an influence of my personality.
Here I am not trying to say that only high budget designs are
good. I have seen works of many interior designers, who have
spent their entire lives on studying low cost design projects
and also have won awards for their magnificent work.
That's why any interior design project can not be fulfilled without
active participation of the client or the user. Creativity
doesn't have any boundaries of budget. Any piece of art which
fulfils the functional need and also the aesthetical need can
be easily accepted as an architectural element. Budget is
not a constraint at all. On the other hand the budget constraint
sometimes is useful to generate some good ideas for a particular
problem.
An interior designer is not an artist, because an artist basically
performs his acts to satisfy his own desire. This could be
any performing art or other forms of arts. His piece of work
may not have any functional use from user's point of view.
An interior designer is not even a technician or engineer.
Because when an engineer builds a design he need not worry of
making it "beautiful". His primary aim is to make it functional.
He puts his entire energy in making the design functional.
That's why an interior designer is one who satisfies both the
functional as well as aesthetical part of the design. Sometimes
it is easy to accomplish the functional part of an interior design,
but since the definition of beauty is different for everyone,
it is extremely difficult to satisfy each and every user's
aesthetic hunger.
This is particularly true about interiors in public spaces.
For example a bank building has a definite use and function for
all the users. We can safely create a list of functions a person
would perform when he visits a bank. But this does not
mean the bank reflects his personality, like the first paragraph
of this article mentions.
That's why interiors in public spaces always are designed by taking
into consideration something called as "mass personality".
This is a general attitude of the kind of mindset everyone would have
or is likely to have when he/she visits that space. If you
visit large corporate software office premise, you will see this picture.
Office interiors always have a certain kind of order in them.
The use of colors, design styles have a kind of commitment in
them, which is expected from you when you work there.
On the other hand a bar or a restaurant has some sort of mood
generating atmosphere, which sets you loose. Because this is
what is expected in a public space like a restaurant.
Thus any interior space is always associated with people. A space
which serves its functions best and makes the users comfortable is
bound to succeed as a favorite place.
I hope this article was informative to everyone.
Copyright Shrinivas Vaidya
Small Cabin Plans - Finding A Great Log Cabin Plan Online
Small Cabin Plans - Finding A Great Log Cabin Plan Online Small cabin plans - how do you find that special log cabin plan that is just right for you? Before the internet, you would buy some cabin plans books and look through the plans to see if any appealed to you. If you found one, you could order the log cabin plan you wanted by telephone or mail. Eventually, your plans would show up. And you can still get cabin plans this way if you like.
Fast-forward to today and the internet. Here is how to use the speed and power of your PC to find small cabin plans or anything else online. Search online by putting quotation marks around your search terms so you will get the best results, like "small cabin plans" or "log cabin plan" and so on. When you arrive at a plans site, it is important to see what kind of criteria you can enter so that you only get the kind of plans that interest you. You should be able to search by:
- Cabin size in square feet
- Number of bedrooms
- Cabin style - log cabin plan, A-frame cabin, etc.
- Number of floors
- 3-D views - are they available?
Small cabin plans would generally be considered cabins that are under 1,000 square feet, for example. You should be able to only see plans under that size. The best log cabin plan sites will have additional features you can include when searching, such as kitchen layout preferred, special rooms desired, foundation type and how you want the results sorted - by most popular plans shown first, largest to smallest and so on.
After you enter your criteria, see what plans are shown. If you get too few results, maybe broaden your criteria some so you can see more plans. As you find small cabin plans that interest you, make note of the plans number in case you want to see it again. If you find a log cabin plan you really like, then you can shift your focus to examine the plans company, prices and so on. Here are questions you should want answers to:
1. How long has the plans service been in business?
2. Can the plans service make changes to the plans for you?
3. What choices do you have in plan formats?
4. How long will it take for your plans to be done and arrive?
5. Can you get a list of materials needed to build?
Remember, rather than try and create brand new small cabin plans from scratch, you can save considerably if you can find great cabin plans that have already been built successfully somewhere. This means the plans will work. Maybe you just need to make some changes to the plans so they become exactly what you want. If you can do it this way, it will be cheaper and faster for you.
As you search online for a great log cabin plan, keep a notebook of the ideas you get when you see features and concepts in cabin plans that you like. Finding the best log cabin plan for your project is so much faster and easier with the speed of the internet. Your great small cabin plans probably exist somewhere already, which means you just need to go and find them.
Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing
Fast-forward to today and the internet. Here is how to use the speed and power of your PC to find small cabin plans or anything else online. Search online by putting quotation marks around your search terms so you will get the best results, like "small cabin plans" or "log cabin plan" and so on. When you arrive at a plans site, it is important to see what kind of criteria you can enter so that you only get the kind of plans that interest you. You should be able to search by:
- Cabin size in square feet
- Number of bedrooms
- Cabin style - log cabin plan, A-frame cabin, etc.
- Number of floors
- 3-D views - are they available?
Small cabin plans would generally be considered cabins that are under 1,000 square feet, for example. You should be able to only see plans under that size. The best log cabin plan sites will have additional features you can include when searching, such as kitchen layout preferred, special rooms desired, foundation type and how you want the results sorted - by most popular plans shown first, largest to smallest and so on.
After you enter your criteria, see what plans are shown. If you get too few results, maybe broaden your criteria some so you can see more plans. As you find small cabin plans that interest you, make note of the plans number in case you want to see it again. If you find a log cabin plan you really like, then you can shift your focus to examine the plans company, prices and so on. Here are questions you should want answers to:
1. How long has the plans service been in business?
2. Can the plans service make changes to the plans for you?
3. What choices do you have in plan formats?
4. How long will it take for your plans to be done and arrive?
5. Can you get a list of materials needed to build?
Remember, rather than try and create brand new small cabin plans from scratch, you can save considerably if you can find great cabin plans that have already been built successfully somewhere. This means the plans will work. Maybe you just need to make some changes to the plans so they become exactly what you want. If you can do it this way, it will be cheaper and faster for you.
As you search online for a great log cabin plan, keep a notebook of the ideas you get when you see features and concepts in cabin plans that you like. Finding the best log cabin plan for your project is so much faster and easier with the speed of the internet. Your great small cabin plans probably exist somewhere already, which means you just need to go and find them.
Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing
Seeking the best sourced assistance relating to bedroom decorating ideas.
Seeking the best sourced assistance relating to bedroom decorating ideas.
When you are in search of better advice about bedroom decorating ideas, you'll find it's complex separating value-packed advice from ill-advised bedroom decorating ideas suggestions and support so it's astute to know ways of judging the information you are offered.
Bedroom Ideas at Shopping.com!
Find, compare and buy Home Furnishing and other Home and Garden products at Shopping.com. Read product reviews and compare prices with tax and shipping from thousands of online stores.
Now we'd like to give you some advice which we really think you should use when you're searching for information about bedroom decorating ideas. It is important to remember that the advice we tender is only applicable to internet advice about bedroom decorating ideas. We don't offer any assistance or guidance if you are receiving information offline.
Find bedroom decorating ideas
Your relevant result is a click away!
A great hint to follow when offered help or advice about a bedroom decorating ideas web would be to confirm the sites ownership. This may reveal the operators bedroom decorating ideas identifications The easiest way to reveal who owns the bedroom decorating ideas website is to look on the 'about' page or 'contact' page.
All decent sites providing information on bedroom decorating ideas, will nearly always have a 'contact', or an 'about', page that will list the owner's details. The details should divulge a number of key indications about the site owner's capability. This permits you to make an informed assessment about the webmaster's depth of experience, to provide advice to you regarding bedroom decorating ideas.
When you are in search of better advice about bedroom decorating ideas, you'll find it's complex separating value-packed advice from ill-advised bedroom decorating ideas suggestions and support so it's astute to know ways of judging the information you are offered.
Bedroom Ideas at Shopping.com!
Find, compare and buy Home Furnishing and other Home and Garden products at Shopping.com. Read product reviews and compare prices with tax and shipping from thousands of online stores.
Now we'd like to give you some advice which we really think you should use when you're searching for information about bedroom decorating ideas. It is important to remember that the advice we tender is only applicable to internet advice about bedroom decorating ideas. We don't offer any assistance or guidance if you are receiving information offline.
Find bedroom decorating ideas
Your relevant result is a click away!
A great hint to follow when offered help or advice about a bedroom decorating ideas web would be to confirm the sites ownership. This may reveal the operators bedroom decorating ideas identifications The easiest way to reveal who owns the bedroom decorating ideas website is to look on the 'about' page or 'contact' page.
All decent sites providing information on bedroom decorating ideas, will nearly always have a 'contact', or an 'about', page that will list the owner's details. The details should divulge a number of key indications about the site owner's capability. This permits you to make an informed assessment about the webmaster's depth of experience, to provide advice to you regarding bedroom decorating ideas.
Seeking the best advice with reference to oak furniture.
Seeking the best advice with reference to oak furniture.
Sometimes when you're trying to find better-quality information about oak furniture, you'll find it's complex separating value packed information from amateurish oak furniture proposals and guidance so it's astute to know how to judge the advice that is offered.
Now we'd like to give you a few tips which we think you should use when you are searching for information concerning oak furniture. It is important to remember that the recommendation we give is only relevant to internet information about oak furniture. We can't offer you any guidance or tips when you are also conducting research in books or magazines.
Look for oak furniture
Find oak furniture at one of the best sites the Internet has to offer!
An excellent piece of advice to follow when you're presented with help or advice concerning a oak furniture webpage is to ascertain who owns the site. Doing this could reveal the owners oak furniture credentials The easiest way to find out who is behind the oak furniture web site is to look on the 'about' page or the sites 'contact' page.
All decent sites providing information on oak furniture, will almost certainly provide an 'about' or 'contact' page which will list the owner's details. The fine points should detail some key points concerning the owner's requisite knowledge. You can then make a judgement about the vendor's insight and appreciation, to offer advice about oak furniture.
Sometimes when you're trying to find better-quality information about oak furniture, you'll find it's complex separating value packed information from amateurish oak furniture proposals and guidance so it's astute to know how to judge the advice that is offered.
Now we'd like to give you a few tips which we think you should use when you are searching for information concerning oak furniture. It is important to remember that the recommendation we give is only relevant to internet information about oak furniture. We can't offer you any guidance or tips when you are also conducting research in books or magazines.
Look for oak furniture
Find oak furniture at one of the best sites the Internet has to offer!
An excellent piece of advice to follow when you're presented with help or advice concerning a oak furniture webpage is to ascertain who owns the site. Doing this could reveal the owners oak furniture credentials The easiest way to find out who is behind the oak furniture web site is to look on the 'about' page or the sites 'contact' page.
All decent sites providing information on oak furniture, will almost certainly provide an 'about' or 'contact' page which will list the owner's details. The fine points should detail some key points concerning the owner's requisite knowledge. You can then make a judgement about the vendor's insight and appreciation, to offer advice about oak furniture.
Planning Permission Tips UK - Loft Conversions in UK Properties - Do They Add Value?
Planning Permission Tips UK - Loft Conversions in UK Properties - Do They Add Value? We get a great many requests to view the potential of Loft conversions. This type of extension has remained fairly popular since I first started designing property & is perhaps even more in demand now than ever before - especially in dense urban areas where the alternative choices for that fourth bedroom are somewhat limited.
Now, the popular press would have you believe that they do not add value or have limited appeal. However, that blanket broad brush, slightly disrespectful opinion does not ring true for most of our clients. So what is going on? As always, the devil is in the detail - the detail in this respect is mainly focussed on two primary areas:
1. DESIGN and 2. DESIGN.
It's just like the location, location location slogan for house values & desirability. Fortunately, the planners have got to grips with a lot of loft conversions these days & they now have a great more control of schemes that a few years ago could have been built under Permitted Development. This means that they have encompassed 'good design guides' in an attempt to stamp out the ugly full width box dormer that turned a beautiful victorian semi into a something that looks like a car sized packing crate trying to escape from a neighbours roof.
Conversely, many people have argued that the 'chocolate box' cottage type pointy roofed dormers (as suggested by the planners) are quite simply impractical & do not provide enough space for a fully functional room which in many cases is a very valid & true point. HOWEVER, life is all about compromises & choices have to be made. Fortunately, most members of the public are now becoming far more 'design aware' than they ever used to be & slowly by slowly they are beginning to accept that the formation of more space must not be at the expense of a poor external visual impact that simply jars with the whole look of the locality. This type of poor dormer design can not only decrease the value of your own home but that of the neighbours as well.
But yet again there are exceptions. Some suburbs of London for example have a plethora of these types of loft extensions & the ones that have not yet been converted look out of place. These types of areas pay more attention to the internal design of the living space than the grotty externals - goes with the environment I suppose. Also, some areas are 70's & 80's built estates where the whole so called 'architect design' was for this style of flat roofed box dormer which is a commonly accepted fact for the area & enjoyed by many.
So, back to my original question - Does a loft conversion or extension add value? In my opinion YES in practically all cases baring a few exceptions. Should it be my first choice of residential development if my site has surrounding ground that allows alternative solutions? Well no in my opinion unless your property is a bungalow. A loft conversion for the standard 2 storey dwelling house (detached, semi or terrace) should perhaps be on the 'last option' list rather than your first choice - more to do with peoples perceptions rather than anything scientific I could quote.
When we assess a loft conversions viability we run through a sort of assessment check list before we advise our clients & we always steer them towards nice looking, well balanced, recessed type of pitched roof dormers at the sacrifice of some space rather than the 'ugly duckling' alternative. However, like all services, many clients do not value the external look as much & they insist on the largest dormer possible especially if it can be constructed under the sites Permitted Development allowances (no planning permission necessary) - Do we still take the job? - yes of course we do its our living but our sign board never goes up during the construction works.
Some people subscribing to our news letter may value our 'design lead' approach so we schedule below some of our assessment criteria relating to loft conversions that you may find useful:-
1. Does it need Planning Permission - If so utilising the councils design guides is a must. Some front or side facing dormers may still be resisted even if they are small. Velux windows often overcome these objections. In most cases, big bulky box dormers will not be allowed.
2. What area of new space does the client require - Many clients have overambitious floor space targets & visualise 3 bedrooms for example (all with ensuite of course). They fail to appreciate the loss of floor space caused by the extensive sloping soffits, & the new stairs.
3. Where can the new stair set go - Many clients fail to realise that their preferred location for the stairs does not achieve the required head room within the new floor for example. In most cases some existing floor space of the bedrooms for example will need to be sacrificed.
4. It is better to achieve one or two good sized functional rooms to compensate for the lack of head room in some areas of the new rooms rather than trying to cram in the bedroom numbers for the sake of it where the new rooms can become nothing more than single bed sleeping podules with very little inbuilt amenity value.
5. If flat roofed dormers can only be achieved due to the low ridge height then split the dormers into 2 or three smaller ones with no more than 1200mm (4') wide windows to break up its bulk. Always, always always recess the dormer into the roof slope to reduce the dormers bulk - DO NOT BUILD THE EXTERNAL FACE OF THE DORMER WALL OFF THE EXISTING EXTERNAL WALL OF THE HOUSE.
6. If a client wants a conversion with only Velux type roof lights then all well & good (much cheaper as well). However an exercise should be completed to explore the possibilities of a strategically located dormer or two that often frees up an extra 30% floor area that the client may not have realised for very little extra money.
7. Dormers are not the only design solution to more light & space - consideration could also be given to a hip to gable conversion of the side roof for example that wont look out of keeping (unless your a semi of course).
8. As a rule of thumb to the practicality of your new room in the roof - if you can already touch the ridge board when standing in the loft (about 2.3M or less), then its normally too small to form useful functioning bedrooms unless a bulky box dormer is constructed (which is what we are trying to avoid) If it is an area just for a play room or a study then all well & good but beware, many people have embarked on tight loft conversions only to realise too late that that they have no where to place the bed or locate a wardrobe.
There are a great many other issues to consider as well when completing loft conversions such as overheating, fire regs, weather protection during the works etc. & these are major discussion topics in themselves that I will leave for another day. However, the points listed above are the main ones relative to the external design & appearance of loft conversions.
Now, the popular press would have you believe that they do not add value or have limited appeal. However, that blanket broad brush, slightly disrespectful opinion does not ring true for most of our clients. So what is going on? As always, the devil is in the detail - the detail in this respect is mainly focussed on two primary areas:
1. DESIGN and 2. DESIGN.
It's just like the location, location location slogan for house values & desirability. Fortunately, the planners have got to grips with a lot of loft conversions these days & they now have a great more control of schemes that a few years ago could have been built under Permitted Development. This means that they have encompassed 'good design guides' in an attempt to stamp out the ugly full width box dormer that turned a beautiful victorian semi into a something that looks like a car sized packing crate trying to escape from a neighbours roof.
Conversely, many people have argued that the 'chocolate box' cottage type pointy roofed dormers (as suggested by the planners) are quite simply impractical & do not provide enough space for a fully functional room which in many cases is a very valid & true point. HOWEVER, life is all about compromises & choices have to be made. Fortunately, most members of the public are now becoming far more 'design aware' than they ever used to be & slowly by slowly they are beginning to accept that the formation of more space must not be at the expense of a poor external visual impact that simply jars with the whole look of the locality. This type of poor dormer design can not only decrease the value of your own home but that of the neighbours as well.
But yet again there are exceptions. Some suburbs of London for example have a plethora of these types of loft extensions & the ones that have not yet been converted look out of place. These types of areas pay more attention to the internal design of the living space than the grotty externals - goes with the environment I suppose. Also, some areas are 70's & 80's built estates where the whole so called 'architect design' was for this style of flat roofed box dormer which is a commonly accepted fact for the area & enjoyed by many.
So, back to my original question - Does a loft conversion or extension add value? In my opinion YES in practically all cases baring a few exceptions. Should it be my first choice of residential development if my site has surrounding ground that allows alternative solutions? Well no in my opinion unless your property is a bungalow. A loft conversion for the standard 2 storey dwelling house (detached, semi or terrace) should perhaps be on the 'last option' list rather than your first choice - more to do with peoples perceptions rather than anything scientific I could quote.
When we assess a loft conversions viability we run through a sort of assessment check list before we advise our clients & we always steer them towards nice looking, well balanced, recessed type of pitched roof dormers at the sacrifice of some space rather than the 'ugly duckling' alternative. However, like all services, many clients do not value the external look as much & they insist on the largest dormer possible especially if it can be constructed under the sites Permitted Development allowances (no planning permission necessary) - Do we still take the job? - yes of course we do its our living but our sign board never goes up during the construction works.
Some people subscribing to our news letter may value our 'design lead' approach so we schedule below some of our assessment criteria relating to loft conversions that you may find useful:-
1. Does it need Planning Permission - If so utilising the councils design guides is a must. Some front or side facing dormers may still be resisted even if they are small. Velux windows often overcome these objections. In most cases, big bulky box dormers will not be allowed.
2. What area of new space does the client require - Many clients have overambitious floor space targets & visualise 3 bedrooms for example (all with ensuite of course). They fail to appreciate the loss of floor space caused by the extensive sloping soffits, & the new stairs.
3. Where can the new stair set go - Many clients fail to realise that their preferred location for the stairs does not achieve the required head room within the new floor for example. In most cases some existing floor space of the bedrooms for example will need to be sacrificed.
4. It is better to achieve one or two good sized functional rooms to compensate for the lack of head room in some areas of the new rooms rather than trying to cram in the bedroom numbers for the sake of it where the new rooms can become nothing more than single bed sleeping podules with very little inbuilt amenity value.
5. If flat roofed dormers can only be achieved due to the low ridge height then split the dormers into 2 or three smaller ones with no more than 1200mm (4') wide windows to break up its bulk. Always, always always recess the dormer into the roof slope to reduce the dormers bulk - DO NOT BUILD THE EXTERNAL FACE OF THE DORMER WALL OFF THE EXISTING EXTERNAL WALL OF THE HOUSE.
6. If a client wants a conversion with only Velux type roof lights then all well & good (much cheaper as well). However an exercise should be completed to explore the possibilities of a strategically located dormer or two that often frees up an extra 30% floor area that the client may not have realised for very little extra money.
7. Dormers are not the only design solution to more light & space - consideration could also be given to a hip to gable conversion of the side roof for example that wont look out of keeping (unless your a semi of course).
8. As a rule of thumb to the practicality of your new room in the roof - if you can already touch the ridge board when standing in the loft (about 2.3M or less), then its normally too small to form useful functioning bedrooms unless a bulky box dormer is constructed (which is what we are trying to avoid) If it is an area just for a play room or a study then all well & good but beware, many people have embarked on tight loft conversions only to realise too late that that they have no where to place the bed or locate a wardrobe.
There are a great many other issues to consider as well when completing loft conversions such as overheating, fire regs, weather protection during the works etc. & these are major discussion topics in themselves that I will leave for another day. However, the points listed above are the main ones relative to the external design & appearance of loft conversions.
Part IV: What are the most popular floorplan features?
Part IV: What are the most popular floorplan features? One of the most popular questions that people ask when searching for that "perfect" house plan is "What are (currently) the most requested floorplan / home features that people are looking for"?
This particular question is one that is quite difficult to answer, in absolute terms, since each person/family can be in a completely different stage of life (senior vs. younger, families vs. individuals, etc), can have different livability needs, and can have incredibly diverse tastes in home style, building materials, etc.
As such, I'll try to provide you with several general trends, as they are, for today's current crop of stock house plan.
#1: Livability - The first key feature is that of Livability. Today's home buyer/builder wants a homeplan that fits the way that they conduct their daily lives. For many younger families, that can mean a re-purposing of a formal dining room into a children's play area or much-needed home office.
Another livability enhancement might be that of incorporating an open floorplan layout that better facilitates the interaction and close relative proximity of the family unit. Large amounts of storage space and large walk-in closets are also a feature that most home buyers are looking for in their next house.
#2: Floorplan Flexibility - Many of the more progressive stock plan design firms have realized the inherent need of floor plan flexibility, and have met those needs by including a number of multi-use type spaces in their floorplans, including flex-spaces and bonus rooms.
Generally speaking, a "flex-space" is exactly as its name implies. A flexible-space which can be used for a purpose most needed by the individual / family living in the house at the current time. The room's function might change over time, due to the family's current needs, but typical uses include an children's playroom, home study, extra storage, and/or an extra bathroom.
Conversely, a "bonus room" is usually created (by designer's intent) due to an inherent feature of the particular design style. For example, a house with a traditional style might utilize a relatively high-pitched gable over the garage area of the home. The "unused" space created by the gable and the relative location of the "bonus space" in the overall floorplan, can create a usable space that, if appropriately accessible via stairs in the floorplan layout, can create a extremely useful livable space, which would ordinarily have been included as part of the attic.
This type of space represents a extremely good value in a price per square foot regard, as its relatively inexpensive to additionally build since the core structure of the space has already been built (the floor via the roof of the garage, and the ceiling via the vaulted interior roof of the house).
#3: Split-Floorplan Layout - There are two basic types of floorplan layouts, which are primarily differentiated through their inherent treatment of the master bedrooms suite vs. other bedrooms vs. public space (i.e. great room, den, kitchen, etc.).
The first type of floorplan layout is a traditional layout whereby the master bedroom/suite is usually located on the same side of the house as the other bedrooms. The logical grouping of the home's bedroom spaces, within a relatively-contiguous location in the floorplan, lends itself to several different design styles of homes, and may be an alternative for particular groups of home-owners, including families with infants / small children and/or retired couples with little need for multiple bedrooms, who utilize the extra space as a small home office which is conveniently located.
Both the primary advantage and disadvantage of this type of layout relate to the location of the master bedroom vs. other bedrooms. For example, if you prefer more privacy in the master suite OR you have teenage/college children in the house OR "name your specific condition here...", the traditional floorplan layout would probably not be the best choice for you.
Alternatively, the split-floorplan layout addresses the shortcomings of the traditional layout by physically separating the master suite from the other bedrooms, and many times, from the more highly-trafficked public areas such as the kitchen, great room, and eating area. It is this feature that has made the split-floorplan layout increasingly popular with today's home buyers.
The primary advantages of this type of layout is that of its relative privacy and sound-deadening benefits that such a physical room arrangement can provide. The downside to this floorplan layout can be that it is sometimes a little more difficult to implement in the home design, especially on narrow lots, since certain floorplan spaces and features only lend themselves to positioning in a relatively small number of locations in the home.
For example, a foyer is normally located off the front of the house...the great room is usually (though not always) positioned in the rear center of the house to provide views of the property....the additional bedrooms are usually located in close-proximity to one another since they normally share bathrooms, etc, etc..
The combination of all these type items increase the complexity of developing a solid split-floorplan house plan design that meet all of the livability features of today's home buyer. Regardless of these type items, the split-floorplan layout continues to enjoy exceeding popularity with today's group of stock homeplan purchasers.
#4: Ease-of-Maintenance - The relative time constraints of today's family unit is at an all-time high. Many families now include two full-time working parents, additional outside work commitments, professional commitments, family commitments, and 2.5 children of varying ages. Time is a extremely precious commodity for which home maintenance is ranked right below doing your taxes and going to the dentist for a root canal.
Today's homeowners want a home that is, not only, aesthetically pleasing and functional, but also includes modern building materials and design features that utilize the most current research developments and minimize the amount of maintenance (i.e. cleaning, painting, replacing, etc) needed over time.
One example of these type low-maintenance building materials is hardy board, which is a type of exterior covering similar, in look, to wood siding but made from an extremely durable concrete base. Hardy board/plank is the trade name for one brand of concrete fiber siding, however there are numerous other similar brands.
The product does not rot or deteriorate, and with proper installation and maintenance, appears to last for very long periods of time without deterioration. Additionally, the hardy board siding does need to be painted or re-finished, as any dirt, etc. can simply be washed away with minimal effort.
These type products can help to improve the quality of life of the home owners by minimizing the time and related costs associated with maintaining a home.
The floorplan trends and "most-requested features" listed in this article convey the general interests of today's current stock house plan purchasers. It should be noted that certain parts of the country will include construction practices / demographic profiles / disparate geographical characteristics which is in stark contrast to those same characteristics evident in a different part of the United States.
In these instances, you can be assured that a designer has already developed a stock home plan design to fit your needs. A design that provides an excellent value, all the features, and a lower price than that of a fully-custom set of houseplans.
Find your perfect house plan today!!
This particular question is one that is quite difficult to answer, in absolute terms, since each person/family can be in a completely different stage of life (senior vs. younger, families vs. individuals, etc), can have different livability needs, and can have incredibly diverse tastes in home style, building materials, etc.
As such, I'll try to provide you with several general trends, as they are, for today's current crop of stock house plan.
#1: Livability - The first key feature is that of Livability. Today's home buyer/builder wants a homeplan that fits the way that they conduct their daily lives. For many younger families, that can mean a re-purposing of a formal dining room into a children's play area or much-needed home office.
Another livability enhancement might be that of incorporating an open floorplan layout that better facilitates the interaction and close relative proximity of the family unit. Large amounts of storage space and large walk-in closets are also a feature that most home buyers are looking for in their next house.
#2: Floorplan Flexibility - Many of the more progressive stock plan design firms have realized the inherent need of floor plan flexibility, and have met those needs by including a number of multi-use type spaces in their floorplans, including flex-spaces and bonus rooms.
Generally speaking, a "flex-space" is exactly as its name implies. A flexible-space which can be used for a purpose most needed by the individual / family living in the house at the current time. The room's function might change over time, due to the family's current needs, but typical uses include an children's playroom, home study, extra storage, and/or an extra bathroom.
Conversely, a "bonus room" is usually created (by designer's intent) due to an inherent feature of the particular design style. For example, a house with a traditional style might utilize a relatively high-pitched gable over the garage area of the home. The "unused" space created by the gable and the relative location of the "bonus space" in the overall floorplan, can create a usable space that, if appropriately accessible via stairs in the floorplan layout, can create a extremely useful livable space, which would ordinarily have been included as part of the attic.
This type of space represents a extremely good value in a price per square foot regard, as its relatively inexpensive to additionally build since the core structure of the space has already been built (the floor via the roof of the garage, and the ceiling via the vaulted interior roof of the house).
#3: Split-Floorplan Layout - There are two basic types of floorplan layouts, which are primarily differentiated through their inherent treatment of the master bedrooms suite vs. other bedrooms vs. public space (i.e. great room, den, kitchen, etc.).
The first type of floorplan layout is a traditional layout whereby the master bedroom/suite is usually located on the same side of the house as the other bedrooms. The logical grouping of the home's bedroom spaces, within a relatively-contiguous location in the floorplan, lends itself to several different design styles of homes, and may be an alternative for particular groups of home-owners, including families with infants / small children and/or retired couples with little need for multiple bedrooms, who utilize the extra space as a small home office which is conveniently located.
Both the primary advantage and disadvantage of this type of layout relate to the location of the master bedroom vs. other bedrooms. For example, if you prefer more privacy in the master suite OR you have teenage/college children in the house OR "name your specific condition here...", the traditional floorplan layout would probably not be the best choice for you.
Alternatively, the split-floorplan layout addresses the shortcomings of the traditional layout by physically separating the master suite from the other bedrooms, and many times, from the more highly-trafficked public areas such as the kitchen, great room, and eating area. It is this feature that has made the split-floorplan layout increasingly popular with today's home buyers.
The primary advantages of this type of layout is that of its relative privacy and sound-deadening benefits that such a physical room arrangement can provide. The downside to this floorplan layout can be that it is sometimes a little more difficult to implement in the home design, especially on narrow lots, since certain floorplan spaces and features only lend themselves to positioning in a relatively small number of locations in the home.
For example, a foyer is normally located off the front of the house...the great room is usually (though not always) positioned in the rear center of the house to provide views of the property....the additional bedrooms are usually located in close-proximity to one another since they normally share bathrooms, etc, etc..
The combination of all these type items increase the complexity of developing a solid split-floorplan house plan design that meet all of the livability features of today's home buyer. Regardless of these type items, the split-floorplan layout continues to enjoy exceeding popularity with today's group of stock homeplan purchasers.
#4: Ease-of-Maintenance - The relative time constraints of today's family unit is at an all-time high. Many families now include two full-time working parents, additional outside work commitments, professional commitments, family commitments, and 2.5 children of varying ages. Time is a extremely precious commodity for which home maintenance is ranked right below doing your taxes and going to the dentist for a root canal.
Today's homeowners want a home that is, not only, aesthetically pleasing and functional, but also includes modern building materials and design features that utilize the most current research developments and minimize the amount of maintenance (i.e. cleaning, painting, replacing, etc) needed over time.
One example of these type low-maintenance building materials is hardy board, which is a type of exterior covering similar, in look, to wood siding but made from an extremely durable concrete base. Hardy board/plank is the trade name for one brand of concrete fiber siding, however there are numerous other similar brands.
The product does not rot or deteriorate, and with proper installation and maintenance, appears to last for very long periods of time without deterioration. Additionally, the hardy board siding does need to be painted or re-finished, as any dirt, etc. can simply be washed away with minimal effort.
These type products can help to improve the quality of life of the home owners by minimizing the time and related costs associated with maintaining a home.
The floorplan trends and "most-requested features" listed in this article convey the general interests of today's current stock house plan purchasers. It should be noted that certain parts of the country will include construction practices / demographic profiles / disparate geographical characteristics which is in stark contrast to those same characteristics evident in a different part of the United States.
In these instances, you can be assured that a designer has already developed a stock home plan design to fit your needs. A design that provides an excellent value, all the features, and a lower price than that of a fully-custom set of houseplans.
Find your perfect house plan today!!
Part II: What are the most popular floorplan features?
Part II: What are the most popular floorplan features? #3: Split-Floorplan Layout - There are two basic types of floorplan layouts, which are primarily differentiated through their inherent treatment of the master bedrooms suite vs. other bedrooms vs. public space (i.e. great room, den, kitchen, etc.).
The first type of floorplan layout is a traditional layout whereby the master bedroom/suite is usually located on the same side of the house as the other bedrooms. The logical grouping of the home's bedroom spaces, within a relatively-contiguous location in the floorplan, lends itself to several different design styles of homes, and may be an alternative for particular groups of home-owners, including families with infants / small children and/or retired couples with little need for multiple bedrooms, who utilize the extra space as a small home office which is conveniently located.
Both the primary advantage and disadvantage of this type of layout relate to the location of the master bedroom vs. other bedrooms. For example, if you prefer more privacy in the master suite OR you have teenage/college children in the house OR "name your specific condition here...", the traditional floorplan layout would probably not be the best choice for you.
Alternatively, the split-floorplan layout addresses the shortcomings of the traditional layout by physically separating the master suite from the other bedrooms, and many times, from the more highly-trafficked public areas such as the kitchen, great room, and eating area. It is this feature that has made the split-floorplan layout increasingly popular with today's home buyers.
The primary advantages of this type of layout is that of its relative privacy and sound-deadening benefits that such a physical room arrangement can provide. The downside to this floorplan layout can be that it is sometimes a little more difficult to implement in the home design, especially on narrow lots, since certain floorplan spaces and features only lend themselves to positioning in a relatively small number of locations in the home.
For example, a foyer is normally located off the front of the house...the great room is usually (though not always) positioned in the rear center of the house to provide views of the property....the additional bedrooms are usually located in close-proximity to one another since they normally share bathrooms, etc, etc..
The combination of all these type items increase the complexity of developing a solid split-floorplan house plan design that meet all of the livability features of today's home buyer. Regardless of these type items, the split-floorplan layout continues to enjoy exceeding popularity with today's group of stock homeplan purchasers.
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Print Part III of this article at:
http://www.houseplancentral.com/articles.php?id=3
=============================================
The first type of floorplan layout is a traditional layout whereby the master bedroom/suite is usually located on the same side of the house as the other bedrooms. The logical grouping of the home's bedroom spaces, within a relatively-contiguous location in the floorplan, lends itself to several different design styles of homes, and may be an alternative for particular groups of home-owners, including families with infants / small children and/or retired couples with little need for multiple bedrooms, who utilize the extra space as a small home office which is conveniently located.
Both the primary advantage and disadvantage of this type of layout relate to the location of the master bedroom vs. other bedrooms. For example, if you prefer more privacy in the master suite OR you have teenage/college children in the house OR "name your specific condition here...", the traditional floorplan layout would probably not be the best choice for you.
Alternatively, the split-floorplan layout addresses the shortcomings of the traditional layout by physically separating the master suite from the other bedrooms, and many times, from the more highly-trafficked public areas such as the kitchen, great room, and eating area. It is this feature that has made the split-floorplan layout increasingly popular with today's home buyers.
The primary advantages of this type of layout is that of its relative privacy and sound-deadening benefits that such a physical room arrangement can provide. The downside to this floorplan layout can be that it is sometimes a little more difficult to implement in the home design, especially on narrow lots, since certain floorplan spaces and features only lend themselves to positioning in a relatively small number of locations in the home.
For example, a foyer is normally located off the front of the house...the great room is usually (though not always) positioned in the rear center of the house to provide views of the property....the additional bedrooms are usually located in close-proximity to one another since they normally share bathrooms, etc, etc..
The combination of all these type items increase the complexity of developing a solid split-floorplan house plan design that meet all of the livability features of today's home buyer. Regardless of these type items, the split-floorplan layout continues to enjoy exceeding popularity with today's group of stock homeplan purchasers.
=============================================
Print Part III of this article at:
http://www.houseplancentral.com/articles.php?id=3
=============================================
Organizing Your Home: The Master Bedroom
Organizing Your Home: The Master Bedroom As we move through the house, we're going to hit the master bedroom next. I want this room to be a haven and an escape for you. You won't see your room as that if you don't like it and the decorations you have in it. Remember: small steps!
1. Walk in to your bedroom as you walked in to the family room and look at it critically. Is it cluttered? What's the first thing that you notice? Do whatever that is first. If it's making the bed, do it. If it's putting dirty clothes in a basket, do that. Whatever it is, get it done.
2. Does your bedroom fall under the Law of Flat Surfaces? If so, start by clearing off the dresser(s) and headboard. If you have papers there, look through them, pitch what needs to be pitched, and file away (as you did in the study) what needs to be filed. Once you can see the tops of the dressers and headboard, run over them quickly with your duster.
3. If you have lots of things on your dresser tops and top of the headboard, the next challenge is to de-clutter. You've already done the paper-aspect of this
1. Walk in to your bedroom as you walked in to the family room and look at it critically. Is it cluttered? What's the first thing that you notice? Do whatever that is first. If it's making the bed, do it. If it's putting dirty clothes in a basket, do that. Whatever it is, get it done.
2. Does your bedroom fall under the Law of Flat Surfaces? If so, start by clearing off the dresser(s) and headboard. If you have papers there, look through them, pitch what needs to be pitched, and file away (as you did in the study) what needs to be filed. Once you can see the tops of the dressers and headboard, run over them quickly with your duster.
3. If you have lots of things on your dresser tops and top of the headboard, the next challenge is to de-clutter. You've already done the paper-aspect of this
Need More Room in Your Closet? Try a Custom Closet Organizer -
Need More Room in Your Closet? Try a Custom Closet Organizer - How much time do you spend searching for lost items? If you're like most Americans, you probably spend about four weeks a year just looking for things. Much of that time is spent rummaging through the closet, tossing aside old clothes and worn-out shoes. Imagine what you could do with that extra time.
From kitchen pantries to bedroom closets, from children's closets to office space
From kitchen pantries to bedroom closets, from children's closets to office space
Modern bedding ideas
Modern bedding ideas Modern bedding isn't just beautiful- it can also be very practical, extremely durable and quite affordable. Even luxury bedding for the modern bedroom doesn't have to break your bank account.
Our busy lives today mean there is little time to spend in traditional homemaking. Modern bedding has to fit into our modern lifestyles and provide for easy care as well as comfort. After a long day at the office, no one wants to come home and sleep on scratchy bedding. On those precious days off work, no one wants to spend all their time doing laundry and ironing pillow cases so that they have no wrinkles. With today's modern fabrics, whether it's 100% Egyptian cotton, or blends, it's just not necessary to spend lots of time spend caring for your bedding. Of course, doing laundry does take time, but you shouldn't need to spend any extra time making bedding for the modern bed look nice.
One of the most popular ways to make your bedding modern is to choose Dwell. The Dwell line was created by its designer and founder, Christine Lemieux, in 1999 because she felt there simply were too few modern, colorful, beautiful graphics and other designs in quality bedding for the modern home.
She designs bedding using very bright colors such as lime, butter yellow, chocolate, charcoal and ocean blue to create patterns like trellis, awning stripes featuring broad, bold striping, thin stripe which uses various widths of striping to create outstanding bedding patterns and dot or cube. Along with these bold graphic patterns, solid sheets and border sheets allow mix and match to create a very modern look for the bedroom.
An absolutely fabulous choice in luxury bedding for the modern room comes from Amenity. Using 400 thread count 100% cotton to create the duvet and pillow shams, the Twig design in bright blue peacock or cocoa, uses a solid background to highlight the large graphic of a tree.
Drift is another great design which features a graphic of a dandelion head against the tan or cocoa background. The Amenity Leaf design places large leaves on the solid background colors. The pillow shams for each of these selections are solid in the same color as the background of the duvet. Very modern in appearance, these bedding choices make the modern bedroom's focal point the bed. This gives a clean, uncluttered look to the bedroom by focusing attention on the bedding with these bold, modern looks.
Nygard International Home Bedding has a very modern appearance that is so modern it is almost retro!
The Coco bedding from Nygard uses "urban suede" which is a type of faux suede in large square of cocoa and black to create a great bedding set. The faux suede is created of 97% cotton and 3% spandex resulting in fabric that is soft, plush and the best part is that it is machine washable! The large blocks of color break the bed into quarters and the tailored styling make a bold, modern statement. This top quality bedding is extremely affordable- the prices are much lower than you would expect for material that looks just like suede.
Western Bedding has created an outstanding modern set of bedding that has a very Zen element.
Using black and white in tailored designs, Western Bedding has created a very striking bedding set. The comforter, created from 50% cotton and 50% polyester has solid black jacquard on one side and the reverse is a black and white graphic print. The geometric jacquard weave provides a sense of texture and is repeated in the bed skirt. The pillow shams are crisply tailored and feature cording details. The sheets and pillow cases are 220 thread count 100% cotton percale in bright white with a black twist cord detail. Add decorative pillows with engineer-sharp geometric appliqu
Our busy lives today mean there is little time to spend in traditional homemaking. Modern bedding has to fit into our modern lifestyles and provide for easy care as well as comfort. After a long day at the office, no one wants to come home and sleep on scratchy bedding. On those precious days off work, no one wants to spend all their time doing laundry and ironing pillow cases so that they have no wrinkles. With today's modern fabrics, whether it's 100% Egyptian cotton, or blends, it's just not necessary to spend lots of time spend caring for your bedding. Of course, doing laundry does take time, but you shouldn't need to spend any extra time making bedding for the modern bed look nice.
One of the most popular ways to make your bedding modern is to choose Dwell. The Dwell line was created by its designer and founder, Christine Lemieux, in 1999 because she felt there simply were too few modern, colorful, beautiful graphics and other designs in quality bedding for the modern home.
She designs bedding using very bright colors such as lime, butter yellow, chocolate, charcoal and ocean blue to create patterns like trellis, awning stripes featuring broad, bold striping, thin stripe which uses various widths of striping to create outstanding bedding patterns and dot or cube. Along with these bold graphic patterns, solid sheets and border sheets allow mix and match to create a very modern look for the bedroom.
An absolutely fabulous choice in luxury bedding for the modern room comes from Amenity. Using 400 thread count 100% cotton to create the duvet and pillow shams, the Twig design in bright blue peacock or cocoa, uses a solid background to highlight the large graphic of a tree.
Drift is another great design which features a graphic of a dandelion head against the tan or cocoa background. The Amenity Leaf design places large leaves on the solid background colors. The pillow shams for each of these selections are solid in the same color as the background of the duvet. Very modern in appearance, these bedding choices make the modern bedroom's focal point the bed. This gives a clean, uncluttered look to the bedroom by focusing attention on the bedding with these bold, modern looks.
Nygard International Home Bedding has a very modern appearance that is so modern it is almost retro!
The Coco bedding from Nygard uses "urban suede" which is a type of faux suede in large square of cocoa and black to create a great bedding set. The faux suede is created of 97% cotton and 3% spandex resulting in fabric that is soft, plush and the best part is that it is machine washable! The large blocks of color break the bed into quarters and the tailored styling make a bold, modern statement. This top quality bedding is extremely affordable- the prices are much lower than you would expect for material that looks just like suede.
Western Bedding has created an outstanding modern set of bedding that has a very Zen element.
Using black and white in tailored designs, Western Bedding has created a very striking bedding set. The comforter, created from 50% cotton and 50% polyester has solid black jacquard on one side and the reverse is a black and white graphic print. The geometric jacquard weave provides a sense of texture and is repeated in the bed skirt. The pillow shams are crisply tailored and feature cording details. The sheets and pillow cases are 220 thread count 100% cotton percale in bright white with a black twist cord detail. Add decorative pillows with engineer-sharp geometric appliqu
Master Bedroom Organization
Master Bedroom Organization In a perfect world your master bedroom should be a haven in which you and your spouse can retreat from the world and enjoy each other. Unfortunately, the same type of clutter and dust that invades every other room in your house can spill over into your master bedroom.
One of the easiest ways to spiffy up your master bedroom on a daily basis is make the bed. It's a simple as that. If you aren't someone who routinely makes the bed you'll be amazed how much better a room will look and how quickly you'll be hooked. A great facelift for a bedroom is also a simple one, it's called a "bed in a bag". These sets come with comforters, coordinating sheets, pillow shams and bed skirts. If you have a visible bathroom attached to the master bedroom it's nice to carry your color theme through to the bathroom too.
Clear off the top of your dressers. As with all flat surfaces these will tend to gather papers too. If you don't have a home office where you keep bills and other important papers, get an organizer. A good way to organize bills and papers is in an accordion folder. They can be organized alphabetically or by month. Just get them off your dresser!
Now onto the vanity. It's time to part with what you really don't use. Bottles left sitting anywhere just become dust collectors and if you haven't used that perfume in the past two years, you probably aren't going to. You can pick up some small and nifty storage boxes and use one for lipstick, one for eye makeup, and one for foundation. It's a good time to go through all your make up and get rid of what's old.
If you don't already have one, get a laundry basket for your room. These can also be decorative items. Get those clothes up off the floor. Get a shoe rack for your closet and put your shoes in the closet when you change clothes after you get home from work. Shoes left lying around in a bedroom don't just look bad - they can be a health hazard. More than one person has hurt him or herself tripping over shoes on the way to the bathroom during the night.
Now that we've beautified the bed and are going to keep it made, cleared off the tops of the dressers and organized the papers. Picked up the shoes and dirty clothes from off the floor it's time to run the vacuum.
Now sit back, relax, and enjoy your master bedroom.
One of the easiest ways to spiffy up your master bedroom on a daily basis is make the bed. It's a simple as that. If you aren't someone who routinely makes the bed you'll be amazed how much better a room will look and how quickly you'll be hooked. A great facelift for a bedroom is also a simple one, it's called a "bed in a bag". These sets come with comforters, coordinating sheets, pillow shams and bed skirts. If you have a visible bathroom attached to the master bedroom it's nice to carry your color theme through to the bathroom too.
Clear off the top of your dressers. As with all flat surfaces these will tend to gather papers too. If you don't have a home office where you keep bills and other important papers, get an organizer. A good way to organize bills and papers is in an accordion folder. They can be organized alphabetically or by month. Just get them off your dresser!
Now onto the vanity. It's time to part with what you really don't use. Bottles left sitting anywhere just become dust collectors and if you haven't used that perfume in the past two years, you probably aren't going to. You can pick up some small and nifty storage boxes and use one for lipstick, one for eye makeup, and one for foundation. It's a good time to go through all your make up and get rid of what's old.
If you don't already have one, get a laundry basket for your room. These can also be decorative items. Get those clothes up off the floor. Get a shoe rack for your closet and put your shoes in the closet when you change clothes after you get home from work. Shoes left lying around in a bedroom don't just look bad - they can be a health hazard. More than one person has hurt him or herself tripping over shoes on the way to the bathroom during the night.
Now that we've beautified the bed and are going to keep it made, cleared off the tops of the dressers and organized the papers. Picked up the shoes and dirty clothes from off the floor it's time to run the vacuum.
Now sit back, relax, and enjoy your master bedroom.
Making Your Garden an Outdoor Living Room
Making Your Garden an Outdoor Living Room Today, when building costs make large houses prohibitive, one way to extend your house is to use your outdoor space to full advantage. And many contemporary houses make many a room look larger by visually extending it into the lawn or garden.
Tricks such as glass walls, using the same wall material inside as for a continuing wall on the terrace and using the same material for the ceiling inside as on the extended terrace eaves, help to do this.
Your living room or dining room and even your bedroom or your children's bedrooms can flow right outdoors on to "floating" decks of wood, bricked terraces or lattice-roofed loggias.
However you do it, with the aid of vine, fences, shrubbery, shade trees and flowers you can make your terrace a delightful place for entertaining, sun-bathing and relaxing.
With a barbecue another dimension is added, for with your own fireplace or barbecue any terrace, lawn or garden spot can offer the blithe enchantments of dining under sun and stars.
In planning your terrace, consider installing an electric outlet for lighting, portable radio, electric spit for your barbecue, etc.
Use vines for a lattice roof (grape vines, for instance, leaf out late when shade is wanted and drop their leaves early at the beginning of cool weather, giving delicious fruit as bonus). Choose a rapid-growing vine like grape, hyacinth or the gourd vine.
Relate your terrace to the rest of your grounds with flowers and vines grown in pots, baskets and tubs. If the wall of the house next to your terrace seems bare or the profile of your cement or asphalt paving seems too sharp in contrast against the grass, soften the line with pots of plants.
Have dwarf trees on your terrace and blossoming shrubs in the terrace-retaining walls. Create interest with changes of level; build flower beds around trees, steps and walls.
For a terrace where everybody in the family assembles, have play space for young children, a sand box which can later be filled with plants, or a little square pool for sailing small boats (this can create a sense of luxury long after the children are grown up).
You need not rely on trees alone for shade. Construct a self-bracing terrace roof in an egg-crate design, using the side of your house and wood, masonry or metal pillars. Corrugated plastic and reinforced glass is in frequent use nowadays because they are watertight, yet let the sunlight through.
Coming into more and more architectural use
Tricks such as glass walls, using the same wall material inside as for a continuing wall on the terrace and using the same material for the ceiling inside as on the extended terrace eaves, help to do this.
Your living room or dining room and even your bedroom or your children's bedrooms can flow right outdoors on to "floating" decks of wood, bricked terraces or lattice-roofed loggias.
However you do it, with the aid of vine, fences, shrubbery, shade trees and flowers you can make your terrace a delightful place for entertaining, sun-bathing and relaxing.
With a barbecue another dimension is added, for with your own fireplace or barbecue any terrace, lawn or garden spot can offer the blithe enchantments of dining under sun and stars.
In planning your terrace, consider installing an electric outlet for lighting, portable radio, electric spit for your barbecue, etc.
Use vines for a lattice roof (grape vines, for instance, leaf out late when shade is wanted and drop their leaves early at the beginning of cool weather, giving delicious fruit as bonus). Choose a rapid-growing vine like grape, hyacinth or the gourd vine.
Relate your terrace to the rest of your grounds with flowers and vines grown in pots, baskets and tubs. If the wall of the house next to your terrace seems bare or the profile of your cement or asphalt paving seems too sharp in contrast against the grass, soften the line with pots of plants.
Have dwarf trees on your terrace and blossoming shrubs in the terrace-retaining walls. Create interest with changes of level; build flower beds around trees, steps and walls.
For a terrace where everybody in the family assembles, have play space for young children, a sand box which can later be filled with plants, or a little square pool for sailing small boats (this can create a sense of luxury long after the children are grown up).
You need not rely on trees alone for shade. Construct a self-bracing terrace roof in an egg-crate design, using the side of your house and wood, masonry or metal pillars. Corrugated plastic and reinforced glass is in frequent use nowadays because they are watertight, yet let the sunlight through.
Coming into more and more architectural use
Luxurious Linen - Surround Yourself With Sensual Texture
Luxurious Linen - Surround Yourself With Sensual Texture Luxury linen has been used for centuries. Writers speak in poetic terms of the lovely sensual textures and styles of sheets that were once decadent and even sinful because they were so lush and beautiful. Luxury linens were so revered that one of the most important heirlooms a mother could give a daughter on her wedding day was linen that had been passed from one to another. Quality linen was the tie that bound the generations together. Most bedding and sheets were actually made of linen and not the cotton or blends we use today. This could only have been achieved because linen is so durable and beautiful that time will enhance its beauty.
I have linen from my grandmother that is still in excellent shape today. If linen is well cared for especially in a cedar chest it will remain unstained and beautiful for years. Weavers that work with fine linen have a magic that is appreciated by discerning customers. A continuous weave with no seams is desirable and organic flax linen shows true luxury in a traditional sense. The color of linen is natural and this is the true color that most want in their fine bed linen. One of the most luxurious duvet covers I have ever seen was made of linen. Linen is elegant, beautiful, durable and a very refined fabric today. It is the strongest of natural fibers; having 2 to 3 times the strength of cotton. The natural luster comes from the wax in the flax plant. Highly absorbent and a good conductor of heat, this fabric is cool in garments. However, constant creasing in the same place in sharp folds will tend to break the linen threads. This wear can show up in collars, hems, and any area that is iron creased during the laundering. Linen has poor elasticity and does not spring back readily. This fabric is smooth and can be very lint free. Picture yourself at a fine dinner with all of your best china and the smooth linen napkins and tablecloths beside it. Nothing quite enhances the beauty of china besides linen.
If linen is not to your liking; you can shop online or any one of your favorite stores and find luxurious bedding in comforters, bedspreads, duvet covers, sheets and more in high thread count cotton. Egyptian cotton is desired because the fibers are long and lofty making for soft bedding. I love bed linen that is cool and crisp with sharp edging for a well made bed. It's great in the summer to sleep on natural fibers because sheets that are made of a polyester blend can be warmer. If you want warmer, save the polyester for flannel sheets in the winter. Go to http://www.bedding-4u.com for the most in bedding.
If you want to change up your decorating theme in a bedroom quickly, just purchase a new duvet cover. Luxurious comforters and duvets can change a bedroom into something out of a magazine without spending a fortune. If you make just that one change, you will be surprised at the difference. Don't limit yourself to cheap bedding just because you think you can't afford a complete suite. If you shop at the clearance table, you can find a piece here and a piece there to add to the bedding mix. You can make a unique statement out of fine linen at a price you can afford.
I have linen from my grandmother that is still in excellent shape today. If linen is well cared for especially in a cedar chest it will remain unstained and beautiful for years. Weavers that work with fine linen have a magic that is appreciated by discerning customers. A continuous weave with no seams is desirable and organic flax linen shows true luxury in a traditional sense. The color of linen is natural and this is the true color that most want in their fine bed linen. One of the most luxurious duvet covers I have ever seen was made of linen. Linen is elegant, beautiful, durable and a very refined fabric today. It is the strongest of natural fibers; having 2 to 3 times the strength of cotton. The natural luster comes from the wax in the flax plant. Highly absorbent and a good conductor of heat, this fabric is cool in garments. However, constant creasing in the same place in sharp folds will tend to break the linen threads. This wear can show up in collars, hems, and any area that is iron creased during the laundering. Linen has poor elasticity and does not spring back readily. This fabric is smooth and can be very lint free. Picture yourself at a fine dinner with all of your best china and the smooth linen napkins and tablecloths beside it. Nothing quite enhances the beauty of china besides linen.
If linen is not to your liking; you can shop online or any one of your favorite stores and find luxurious bedding in comforters, bedspreads, duvet covers, sheets and more in high thread count cotton. Egyptian cotton is desired because the fibers are long and lofty making for soft bedding. I love bed linen that is cool and crisp with sharp edging for a well made bed. It's great in the summer to sleep on natural fibers because sheets that are made of a polyester blend can be warmer. If you want warmer, save the polyester for flannel sheets in the winter. Go to http://www.bedding-4u.com for the most in bedding.
If you want to change up your decorating theme in a bedroom quickly, just purchase a new duvet cover. Luxurious comforters and duvets can change a bedroom into something out of a magazine without spending a fortune. If you make just that one change, you will be surprised at the difference. Don't limit yourself to cheap bedding just because you think you can't afford a complete suite. If you shop at the clearance table, you can find a piece here and a piece there to add to the bedding mix. You can make a unique statement out of fine linen at a price you can afford.
Learn some feng shui guidelines for your children's room
Learn some feng shui guidelines for your children's room By Jakob Jelling
http://www.fengshuicrazy.com
Feng shui indicates some specific guidelines regarding children's spaces and bedrooms. The way we decorate them and the way we distribute the furniture should be done by following those principles in order to achieve harmony and help your children feel comfortable in that space.
One first important aspect to have into account about a child's room is the colors within it. You should pay special attention to the colors you choose for this space, not only for the walls but for the decoration in general. According to feng shui, a child's room should be in earth colors such as light oranges, terracotta or warm yellows. These colors would make them feel safe.
Colors that are cold, such as blue or gray shades should never predominate in a child's room, since they could bring them insecurity feelings. Besides, the wall and furniture colors should be in balance as well. It is also important to remark that too bright colors are not recommended for a child's bedroom.
If your child is very active, you should balance this through the colors you choose for his bedroom; they should be light and relaxing colors such as beiges or very light oranges. On the other hand, if your child is quiet, you should choose warm orange or yellow colors which would be in balance his personality.
As with all bedrooms, the bed position is very important. First of all, your child's bed should not be right across the door. Besides, it should ideally have a wall at one side and be in such a position that allows him to easily see the door. If possible, the bed should be in a corner since that would make the child feel secure and sleep better.
Also, the position in which the child sleeps can influence the time he wakes up and how deep he sleeps. If your child has problems waking up, you should place his bed in a position which allows him to sleep with his head towards east or south. On the other hand, if he has light sleep, his head should be towards north or west.
http://www.fengshuicrazy.com
Feng shui indicates some specific guidelines regarding children's spaces and bedrooms. The way we decorate them and the way we distribute the furniture should be done by following those principles in order to achieve harmony and help your children feel comfortable in that space.
One first important aspect to have into account about a child's room is the colors within it. You should pay special attention to the colors you choose for this space, not only for the walls but for the decoration in general. According to feng shui, a child's room should be in earth colors such as light oranges, terracotta or warm yellows. These colors would make them feel safe.
Colors that are cold, such as blue or gray shades should never predominate in a child's room, since they could bring them insecurity feelings. Besides, the wall and furniture colors should be in balance as well. It is also important to remark that too bright colors are not recommended for a child's bedroom.
If your child is very active, you should balance this through the colors you choose for his bedroom; they should be light and relaxing colors such as beiges or very light oranges. On the other hand, if your child is quiet, you should choose warm orange or yellow colors which would be in balance his personality.
As with all bedrooms, the bed position is very important. First of all, your child's bed should not be right across the door. Besides, it should ideally have a wall at one side and be in such a position that allows him to easily see the door. If possible, the bed should be in a corner since that would make the child feel secure and sleep better.
Also, the position in which the child sleeps can influence the time he wakes up and how deep he sleeps. If your child has problems waking up, you should place his bed in a position which allows him to sleep with his head towards east or south. On the other hand, if he has light sleep, his head should be towards north or west.
Kids' Closet Organizers -
Kids' Closet Organizers - "Mom, I can't find my shoes!" "Dad, where's my backpack?" How many times a week do you hear these and similar cries? Probably more than you'd care to count. These frantic pleas for help can be heard daily in homes across America. Families late, children missing busses, parents stressed
If You're Looking for Bedding, Think "Pink"
If You're Looking for Bedding, Think "Pink" If you have come to a point in your life that you want a serious relationship, I would strongly suggest that you "think pink". This may sound strange to some of you, but I have discovered that the color "pink" has some interesting qualities. Pink is definitely a girly color, and it speaks of love, romance and partnership. Pink flowers, hearts, and just about anything else this color makes you feel soft and feminine. What woman doesn't love receiving even a single pink rose? The majority of the time you will think of pink for baby bedding if you are expecting a girl. Most of the gifts you receive at a baby shower will be pink for your newborn girl. Don't stop using pink for your bedding after you have grown up. There are lots of things you can do to enhance your bedroom when it comes to finding partnership and having a pink duvet cover or bedspread is just one of them.
I really wanted a serious relationship in my life so I decided to use the color pink to my advantage. If you have read about the principals of Feng Shui, you know that pink is an important color to enhance partnerships and when used in the bedroom wonderful and magical things can happen. With the intention of a loving relationship clearly in my mind, I went out and purchased a pink comforter and sheets to match for my bed. It had only a small tonal design, but I didn't want a lot of other flowers or patterns getting in the way. The color was what mattered to me, the thing that was going to jumpstart my quest for the ideal relationship. I put my new pink bedding on the minute I got home from the store and visualized what this new man would look like and the kinds of things we would do as a couple. I didn't stop redecorating my room with just the pink bed linen; throw pillows in different shades of pink were called for as well. I already had several vintage velvet pillows in the shape of hearts that were perfect. I put white lace accents around the dresser representing the lace from a wedding dress. I placed two pink candles beside the bed and immediately lit them both. Two is better than one because this also reinforces the pair and not just one single candle standing alone. I found beautiful artwork that went well with the new bedding. I had fresh pink roses in my bedroom everyday. If you want new linen for your bedroom, check out http://www.bedding-4u.com.
I also cleared out my closet of all the stuff I no longer wore, gave it to charity and created a "space" for the man coming into my life. I went through my drawers as well, and it felt good to get rid of some of the stuff I was hanging on to. You'd be surprised what you find when you go through your stuff. Clearing the clutter out of your life is also a Feng Shui principal that opens the way for something new to enter in; out with the old and in with the new as they say. Are you starting to get an idea of how you can use some common sense things to assist you in finding your right relationship?
If all of this pink, hearts and flowers are beginning to look too much like bubblegum, just take a moment and think about how you would like your bedroom to look. There are many shades of pink. You don't have to buy a duvet cover or comforter that looks like it belongs to a ten year old. Some of the salmon and mauve shades available in the bedding department are very sophisticated. If you aren't excited about lace and velvet, why not try satin with silver accents or how about rich chintz or beefy jacquards? Look for things that mean something to you. You might also have a family piece that your mother gave you, and every time you look at it, it reminds you of your parent's happy and enduring marriage. This is even more helpful when placed with intention in the room. If you find a beautiful modern bronze sculpture of a couple entwined, go for it. You might see the perfect heart grapevine wreath with roses, so hang it with love and the thoughts of things to come. If pink sheets aren't called for, why not paint the room a warm rose and change the curtains or draperies? It would still be a nice touch to buy new bedding, even if it is a shade of gray or blue as you are "preparing" your room for someone new. The style in which you decorate doesn't matter. The intention behind the changes you make is what counts.
Take a look at your own bedroom
Take a look at your own bedroom. If you want a serious relationship, what are you saying to the universe about yourself through the colors of your bedding, decorating themes and the shape of your closets and drawers? Do you have artwork on the wall that is of a woman standing alone looking at the ocean, or is the woman sitting alone on a park bench? Do you have only one end table beside the side of the bed that you sleep on? You may want to consider putting one on the other side too, inviting that other person in. Are you starting to see that what you have around you speaks volumes about what you believe about yourself and what you think is possible?
You may be wondering if the "pink" work its magic. Did someone new come into my life? Of course the color pink doesn't possess powers that mysteriously draws people to you. However, when you focus on a goal with a clear intention, you will draw energy to that goal. Plain and simple, it is the law of the universe. You will be assisted in achieving the goal and the "pink" can work to help you. The same Feng Shui principal applies to whatever you want in life, a new career, more money, better health and so on. By the way, I met my husband one week after I put the pink bedding on my bed and made my other changes. You decide for yourself if you would like to "think pink" to change your life.
I really wanted a serious relationship in my life so I decided to use the color pink to my advantage. If you have read about the principals of Feng Shui, you know that pink is an important color to enhance partnerships and when used in the bedroom wonderful and magical things can happen. With the intention of a loving relationship clearly in my mind, I went out and purchased a pink comforter and sheets to match for my bed. It had only a small tonal design, but I didn't want a lot of other flowers or patterns getting in the way. The color was what mattered to me, the thing that was going to jumpstart my quest for the ideal relationship. I put my new pink bedding on the minute I got home from the store and visualized what this new man would look like and the kinds of things we would do as a couple. I didn't stop redecorating my room with just the pink bed linen; throw pillows in different shades of pink were called for as well. I already had several vintage velvet pillows in the shape of hearts that were perfect. I put white lace accents around the dresser representing the lace from a wedding dress. I placed two pink candles beside the bed and immediately lit them both. Two is better than one because this also reinforces the pair and not just one single candle standing alone. I found beautiful artwork that went well with the new bedding. I had fresh pink roses in my bedroom everyday. If you want new linen for your bedroom, check out http://www.bedding-4u.com.
I also cleared out my closet of all the stuff I no longer wore, gave it to charity and created a "space" for the man coming into my life. I went through my drawers as well, and it felt good to get rid of some of the stuff I was hanging on to. You'd be surprised what you find when you go through your stuff. Clearing the clutter out of your life is also a Feng Shui principal that opens the way for something new to enter in; out with the old and in with the new as they say. Are you starting to get an idea of how you can use some common sense things to assist you in finding your right relationship?
If all of this pink, hearts and flowers are beginning to look too much like bubblegum, just take a moment and think about how you would like your bedroom to look. There are many shades of pink. You don't have to buy a duvet cover or comforter that looks like it belongs to a ten year old. Some of the salmon and mauve shades available in the bedding department are very sophisticated. If you aren't excited about lace and velvet, why not try satin with silver accents or how about rich chintz or beefy jacquards? Look for things that mean something to you. You might also have a family piece that your mother gave you, and every time you look at it, it reminds you of your parent's happy and enduring marriage. This is even more helpful when placed with intention in the room. If you find a beautiful modern bronze sculpture of a couple entwined, go for it. You might see the perfect heart grapevine wreath with roses, so hang it with love and the thoughts of things to come. If pink sheets aren't called for, why not paint the room a warm rose and change the curtains or draperies? It would still be a nice touch to buy new bedding, even if it is a shade of gray or blue as you are "preparing" your room for someone new. The style in which you decorate doesn't matter. The intention behind the changes you make is what counts.
Take a look at your own bedroom
Take a look at your own bedroom. If you want a serious relationship, what are you saying to the universe about yourself through the colors of your bedding, decorating themes and the shape of your closets and drawers? Do you have artwork on the wall that is of a woman standing alone looking at the ocean, or is the woman sitting alone on a park bench? Do you have only one end table beside the side of the bed that you sleep on? You may want to consider putting one on the other side too, inviting that other person in. Are you starting to see that what you have around you speaks volumes about what you believe about yourself and what you think is possible?
You may be wondering if the "pink" work its magic. Did someone new come into my life? Of course the color pink doesn't possess powers that mysteriously draws people to you. However, when you focus on a goal with a clear intention, you will draw energy to that goal. Plain and simple, it is the law of the universe. You will be assisted in achieving the goal and the "pink" can work to help you. The same Feng Shui principal applies to whatever you want in life, a new career, more money, better health and so on. By the way, I met my husband one week after I put the pink bedding on my bed and made my other changes. You decide for yourself if you would like to "think pink" to change your life.
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