Change The Style Of Your Interior With A Minimum Of Costs
November 21, 2007
The style of your interior depends for a great part on the decoration on the walls. Using the right picture on the right place can make your room look bigger. I experienced this for myself when I came in this business. I do sell reproduction paintings, you know.
Actually, I came in the reproduction painting business because I was amazed about what one painting can do to your living room. Let me explain. I had an old painting on my wall that looked very nice. But, there was something missing. I decided that I had to replace it. I always wanted a Van Gogh, but I knew I would never be able to buy one.
After a few months I discovered that there was a business that did just what I was looking for. I bought a reproduction painting from them, and this is the way my own business started. I was overwhelmed by the artistic talent of the reproductionist who captured the realistic impressionism of Van Gogh. So I decided to work together with these guys.
How to Create a Positive Environment in Your Home With Vastu
November 21, 2007
Our homes, carefully oriented, have the power to give us comfort and security and to be one of our best investments. We spend a great deal of time and money to accomplish this. However, many of us do not know if we are creating a positive and life-supporting place to live and work. Many people have reported health and financial problems after they had moved into a home or have done home improvements. Unknowingly, we may be doing more harm than good! Vastu Shastra, the architectural science with roots in ancient India, takes into account environmental factors that we may be unaware of yet influence the quality of our lives.
Vastu is the oldest and most complete system of architecture known to man. It involves assessing all environmental influences that affect us, such as geopathic stress, the five elements (earth, water, fire, air and space), the sun, moon and the planets in our solar system. It considers building orientation, placement of rooms, proportions and measurements, slope and shape of the land, location of bodies of water and other environmental and geopathic influences.
Tearing Down the House
November 20, 2007
Last year, we bought this big ol’ 1887 house. We are just now coming to grips with the magnitude of the “upgrades” planned.
With a baby on the way and Little Lady all of two years old burning calories faster than pillagers burn the Amazon rainforest, how tough can “upgrades” really be?
Ever since we bought the house, my wife has been urging me to tear “that thing” down.
“That thing”, at the foot of our lane, had been a shelter to keep kids dry while waiting for the school bus. It had seen better days. Like when paint could still be seen on the wood. Like when it stood upright ? taller even than the weeds! ? before gravity won the battle.
“That thing” was our very own Roman ruins … minus the Roman part, of course. So I finally tore it down.
“What?” my wife asked. “You tore it down?”
“Yup.”
“But how will people find us, now?”
We had used “that thing” as a marker, even a beacon. “Turn right on County Road 7, and just keep going until you see the eyesore. You can’t miss it. That’s us.”
Art and Design
November 19, 2007
Maybe you’ve faced it before ? a new house with an empty room or two. This room is just crying out for some furniture. So off you go to purchase a sofa you admire - then a chair. Or perhaps you purchase a full living room set complete with tables and rugs. With delivery a few weeks off you can just picture your living room (and not surprisingly, it looks just like the showroom). The delivery day arrives and you can’t wait to cut the tags off of your new furnishings. You may have to position the sofa a few times to get it just so, but all in all, you’re pretty satisfied ? until you notice there’s no art on the wall. And so you decide to buy some art that matches the sofa. I cringe a little while I write this, but in reality that is how many of us choose art. In fact, little confession, I still have art in my house that I bought because the frames matched!
Warm Up the Night! Patio Heaters and Fire Pits
November 18, 2007
In some areas right now, the weather is ideal for sitting outside in the evening — the bugs have gone and the sky is clear — but the nights are chilly. Don’t let the cool evenings send you inside — extend your outdoor living season by heating your deck or patio.
Different heaters are available for different needs and circumstances. A heater will be powered by propane, natural gas, alcohol-gel, electricity, wood, or wood substitutes such as charcoal or artificial logs. Depending on the size and the heat source, they may warm only a small space or heat a party-size yard.
For all heating units to perform optimally, they will need the right location. The ideal site is a combination of walls or fences (to radiate the heat back into your space) and overhead structures that will prevent the wind from blowing directly through your selected area.
Here are some tips for effective and safe use:
Light Imitating Art - How to Use Lighting as a Decorative Feature
November 17, 2007
Lighting is often thought of as a necessity, which it is, but not often as part of the decor. This is more the case in residential settings. For years architects in commercial buildings have used lighting to compliment their designs. A good example of this melding of light and art is the Chrysler building in NYC. Most of the original lighting followed the Art Deco style of the building, with many of the fixtures custom made to fit the style.
In residential settings the most common use of decorative lighting fixtures is in the form of a dining room chandelier or some wall sconces. There are so many unique and beautiful light fixtures to choose from. Using a combination of unique light fixtures, varied patterns and controls, the lighting can in itself become a work of art. Even something like recessed cans with some planning and forethought can be placed in patterns that enhance the room from a decorative standpoint.
Rodent Proofing Your Home
November 16, 2007
It’s that time of year where rats and mice are apt to enter our homes. Lets talk a bit about their abilities and senses first.
Rats and mice cannot see very good beyond 3 or 4 feet but have a very good sense of motion up to 30 to 50 feet away and for the most part they are color blind. Rodents are most active at night.
These rodents have a very good sense of taste so baits may be rejected by them if they are contaminated with insecticides or odors from other chemicals. Even touching baits after smoking a cigarette will make these rodents to shy away from the baits.
Rats and mice also have a good sense of smell. They mark pathways with urine and use their sense of smell to recognize the odors of the pathway to and from food sources.
Their hearing is much better than humans and make noises in various situations such as mating.
Rodents have a highly developed sense of touch due to their sensitive body hairs. They rely heavily on touch and smell to guide them through movements. The territories of most rats are between 50 and 150 feet from the nest. For mice the average territories within buildings are between 10 and 30 feet.
Ten Things You May Not Know About Selecting Hardwood Flooring
November 16, 2007
1) Red Oak is not the only choice
If you want your home to look like everyone else’s, this is a great choice. If you want your home to be unique try hickory, cherry, walnut, white oak, maple or many others. Go to flooring retailers or search the Internet and see what is available. If you really want red oak try using wider widths or character grade for variety and uniqueness.
2) 2 1/4 inch is not the only size available
If all you ask your builder for is a hardwood floor ? you are going to get a 2 1/4 inch red oak floor. Why? It is the most common, most produced, most stocked, cheapest option available. You can buy sizes in 3" through 12". You can put down a single width for a uniform look or multiple widths for a more random look. Typical random flooring patterns are 3"-4"-5", 3"-5", 4"-5"-6". Have fun! Make your home unique! The wider the floor the more seasonal separations between the flooring planks can occur.
3) Import Species don’t support jobs in the United States
Candle Making 101
November 15, 2007
If you’d like to try your hand at candle making, set aside two hours one day next weekend, and start with an easy project, using your old candles to test the waters. If it’s instant gratification you crave, you’ll see the fruits of your labor in just a couple of hours with a minimum expenditure for supplies.
People often speak of candle making and soap making in the same sentence as if they are similar experiences. The process is not the same. If you have thought of making your own soap, try candle making first. The process may appear similar, but it’s simpler and safer. When you make your own candles, you are simply melting wax, not conducting chemical experiments in your kitchen.
We’ll give you a play-by-play preview of the process, but consider this an overview. Before you actually set up shop and play candle maker for the afternoon, download a proper set of step-by-step procedures from the Internet. You’ll find hundreds of candle-making projects available online, but start by recycling your old candles just to get a feel for the process. In fact, in this overview, we’ll describe the process of melting down your old candles and turning them into brand new votive candles.
Tuscany Style Decorating Ideas
November 14, 2007
Earthy colors and natural materials are two basics for the "old world" style of decorating. To get an idea of the colors we’re talking about, go for a walk outside and take notice of the beautiful colors around you, the blue sky, the golden sun, even the chocolate brown of mud in the springtime. Ok, so you don’t have a view of the blue/green Mediterranean Sea but you’ve seen pictures of it haven’t you? On that walk, stroll through the produce department of your local grocery store and note the dark purple eggplants, the red peppers, yellow lemons, green olives. These are some of the colors you’ll want to consider for your Tuscany decorating. Natural materials will include wood (think rustic, sturdy type furniture), tile (colorful ceramic for wall accents) natural stone for flooring and unpolished metals such as copper, tin, or pewter for accents.
You probably already have some Tuscan influences in your home. Iron scrollwork brackets, terra cotta planters (more about these later), fruit themed artwork, colorful pottery, copper, tin, pewter items, tapestry wall hangings ? what was old is new again! Check your garage, attic or flea markets for some of these items.
