Posts tagged ‘flex’

July 15th, 2008

Decorating Trends: Choosing Unique Dining Room Light Fixtures

The dining room light fixture serves two purposes. First, it provides light by which to dine by, but more importantly, it sets the tone for the homeowner’s personal style. A grand dining room light fixture is the first thing noticed when you enter the room.

The current trend is candle style chandeliers. They are usually made of hand forged wrought iron, and can be found in single, double and even triple tiers complemented by candle style shades. Candle style shades can vary across designers. Options include resin candle shades that have the look of dripping wax. Onyx style candle shades are unique because of the beauty of natural stone mixed with wrought iron. There is also a line of shades made from real paraffin wax. These shades have the look and feel of real candle wax, but are specially formulated to accept low voltage light bulbs for the convenience of electricity using a light switch.

Some chandeliers are designed to use with real candles. Though they can be very beautiful, they are difficult to use as you need to hand light each candle and be sure to blow out when not in use. For most people, this is not very convenient.

When choosing a chandelier, you need to choose a finish that complements the other fixtures in the room. In example, you would not mix silver and brass in the same room. It is also important to match finish with the colors of the room. Cool tones are complimented by black or silver finishes. Warm tones are complimented by brass or gold finishes.

What is your dining room style? Are you more traditional or contemporary? Or are you going for an elegant look? Wrought iron chandeliers can compliment either a traditional or contemporary style, depending on the chandelier design. A more simple wrought iron piece would go well with the contemporary style, whereas a grand multi tiered chandelier would be considered a more traditional look. An elegant look would be a glass or crystal chandelier.

Though a chandelier is used as a light source, putting the fixture on a dimmer switch allows you to choose a fixture on looks first, while providing the flexibility of how much light the chandelier provides with the dimmer switch.

Lastly, be sure to determine if the chandelier you choose requires any special light bulbs, as they can be expensive and difficult to find. Ideally, the chandelier will come with the appropriate bulbs.

Julia Ritzenthaler is Owner of boutique online furniture stores, http://www.UniqueVanities.com, http://www.UniqeMirrorsOnline.com, & http://www.UniqueLightFixture.com. For more information about unique wrought iron light fixtures, visit us online or email us with your questions at uniquevanities@msn.com.

Tags: candle, candles, design, flex, ROR

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April 24th, 2008

How To Decorate a Nursery that Will Fit Your Child's Needs

Learning that you are bringing a new bundle of joy into your life and into the world is a great time of happiness for all expectant parents. It also brings a great time of anxiety and preparation as you prepare to welcome a new member or members into your family.

One of the aspects you have to consider for your new child or children is the nursery he/she/they will live in for the first several months of his/her/their life/lives.

For the baby, you need to have a crib that meets modern safety standards, since this is the place the baby will spend most of his/her time during his/her first few months of life.

You also need to decide on a good changing table; arguably, the best type to go for is a built-in low rail around the perimeter of the changing pad, to help ensure that your baby does not roll off of it onto the floor. For convenience, it would also be good if there are one to two lower shelves that can hold your diapering supplies so you can grab them quickly when it’s time to change your baby.

You should also consider your “needs” in regards to what to put in the nursery, as both you and your partner will spend a considerable amount of time in that room during your baby’s first few months of life.

Some ideas you should consider include putting a comfortable easy chair or cushioned rocking chair for yourself and your partner, as this would be an ideal place to hold your baby, change your baby’s diaper, and sing or read to your baby.

In addition, on those long nights when your baby (and you) don’t get much sleep, it would be a wise idea to put a twin bed or daybed in the nursery. Besides aiding you in getting a few winks of sleep, your child can eventually use that bed later on in his/her life.

After taking care of these essentials, you have a great deal of flexibility in deciding what else to include in the nursery, both in terms of furniture and in terms of wall colors.

The furniture you decide to furnish the nursery with will depend greatly on whether there are other children in your family that will use the nursery; if your newborn is the only one who will use the nursery, then you may consider going more for decorative items. You should make sure that whatever furniture, toys, and accessories you get for the nursery have no small parts or cords that your baby could choke on.

In addition, keep in mind that babies can’t really decipher details or determine the nuances of color until they’re around six months old, so you don’t have to spend lavishly on elaborate colors. In fact, many believe that bold patterns in black and white seem to stimulate a newborn’s eyes and brains much more than colors do.

If you prefer a lively and modern setting, you could decorate the room in black and white with red accents, but you can stimulate your baby’s mind just as much with baby toys and board books, so if this setting doesn’t match up well with your preferred style, it’s not necessary to go with black and white as your nursery’s primary colors.

If you are planning on putting nursery rhyme or fairy tale images on your nursery’s walls, make sure they aren’t scary-looking, as newborns and even young children have a difficult time distinguishing what is real from what is imaginary, and you certainly don’t want to give your young child nightmares!

Virtually, any color scheme will work, but keeping colors on the clear, light side will make a smallnursery seem larger. Plus, most babies are not fond of darker colors, especially grays.

Decorating and furnishing a nursery is a very important time in a couple’s lives, as they are preparing the very first room for their newborn(s). It’s important for them to consider safety, as well as pleasing aesthetics.

Beyond safety and providing some furnishings for the two of you to deal with baby’s long nights and diaper-changing, you have the flexibility to decorate in the way you think is most pleasing for your newborn and for yourselves. It is usually advisable to provide pleasing colors, friendly-looking fairy-tale and nursery rhyme wall characters, and develop their senses with black and white objects.

By providing a pleasing nursery for your newborn, you will help to establish a solid foundation for your child’s development.

Discover Decorating Simple, simple decorating on a budget at http://decoratingsimple.com

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April 18th, 2008

Use A Southwest Table Runner For Great Western Style Accents

A Southwest table runner is an easy way to bring out that one-of-a-kind western, rustic or Native American feel in your home decorating. Because they are easily found online and blend so well with other rustic home accessories, designers love using these rugs for log and ranch style homes. Used as western accents and also southwestern accessories, you can liven up any space and enhance western style with southwestern table runners.

The wide variety of American Indian style table runners, will allow you to be flexible with your design style or find the exact look and color you wish to create. You will definitely want to add a few of the most popular and sought-after runners or table rugs in your home decor. The making of these beautiful runners comes from a long history and are recognized as true pieces of southwestern art.

Some of the most popular southwestern and western table runners include rich colorful designs that are one of a kind and original pieces from the region or Tribe it comes from. Each type of runner combines beautiful colors and characters, symbolizing spirituality or depictions of historical events using a wide variety of colors and designs. For this reason, it is easy to find the right runner for your color scheme.

Not only is a southwest table runner admired for its incredible beauty, but the skill and hard work involved in making Native table runners is also greatly appreciated. The makers of hand woven table runners are highly skilled and start the runner making process by kneeling in front of a vertical wooden-framed loom. The designs are then put into place on the loom to create beautiful geometric characters and shapes.

In the beginning, Navajo rugs as well as those of some other Southwest Indian tribes were made of hand spun cotton thread. However, after the wool of domestic sheep was introduced to the region by the Spanish settlers, the people began to use wool to weave their colorful rugs, table runners and other traditional weaving.

Today, many of the modern southwest table runners come from areas where Spanish and Native American histories have melded together to create colorful designs. Southwestern table runners, with their natural earth tone colors and unique southwestern designs make them excellent for rustic home decorating. If you are looking for great southwestern decor, you will probably purchase from American companies or directly from Native American weavers.

Purchasing western table runners from Navajo or other American Indian tribes is a wonderful way to be part of and support this beautiful artform. You will not only own an original runner that is woven by Indians but will also help support the Native American heritage of rug making, and the people who themselves sell their art as a means of survival.

You will want to choose the table runner based on what your design needs are and what colors you will be using. You will love how a southwest table runner beautifully accents southwestern design style in your rustic or western home decor. Whether you are decorating one room in your house or decorating an entire home using a rustic theme, you will find many designs and colors available to choose from.

Among these options you will be able to choose from Zapotec runners with no two alike, to southwest table runners with southwestern style. You will love how these runners easily incorporate southwest style into your home design. Whatever your style and whatever your decorating needs, you will greatly enjoy the rich beauty and warmth created in your home by decorating with a southwest table runner.

Craig Chambers is the director of Mission Del Rey and offers free information online about choosing a southwest table runner for rustic decor. For more information visit http://www.missiondelrey.com

Tags: design, flex, free, Home Design, HTML

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April 18th, 2008

Create the Illusion of More Space with Color and Light

There is nothing less inviting than a tiny, cramped, dark little room in the house or apartment. Obviously, the first thing that needs to be done to make the room more pleasant is to get rid of the clutter. If there is a lot of furniture such as a bed, a couple of night stands and dressers crammed into the space, have a yard sale and replace the furniture with two or three basic units that have hidden storage compartments. This will immediately transform the small room. Once there is some elbow room to move around, color and lighting will go a long way in creating the illusion of more space in a small room.

Sunlight Works Wonders

Get rid of any dark, heavy window curtains. A light window blind or lace curtain will make a tremendous difference. If an outdoor streetlight is a problem and the room needs something heavier to block light at night time, try a white or pastel shade. The shade can roll up during the day to allow more natural light into the room.

Be Cool With Color

Painting a small room in white might help make it seem larger, but white is not the only color that can add depth to a small space. Warm colors have a tendency to make the walls seem closer than they really are, while the cool colors create an illusion that the walls are farther away. Light and ‘cool’ pastels, particularly those that match or ‘flow with’ the color scheme of the hallway or other attached space, can also add a sense of spaciousness to a small room. A white ceiling, complimented with a light colored flooring, will add depth.

Examples of cool colors include:

* Blue
* Green
* Violet
* Neutral colors such as white, silver or gray

Examples of warm colors are:

* Red
* Yellow
* Orange

In a larger room, the warm, fire-like colors can add a sense of comfort, but if it is a small room, they will create a sense of confinement.

Direct the Light to Create a Sense of Space

Lighting can be focused to cast shadows or highlight a ‘focus point’ in the small room. Shadows can add a sense of depth, making the room appear larger. The ‘focus point’ is something like a beautiful work of art or colorful rug that the eye naturally goes to when entering the room. When a focus point is created, the first impression is about the focus point, not the size of the room.

Portable lamps or accent lighting are flexible so that the lighting can be moved around until the right effect is achieved. Floor lamps, table lamps or torchiers are available in many colors and styles to compliment the interior decorating scheme.

Mirrors are said to create the illusion of more space in a small room, but poor use or placement of the mirrors can defeat the illusion. A large framed mirror may be more helpful than mirroring an entire wall.

When furnishing a small room, futons are an excellent alternative to traditional furniture. Since they are flexible and serve dual purposes, you will not only conserve space, but you may save money. Whether it is a faux chest of drawers, a chair set, or sleeper couch, Futon Heaven’s Gallery features a huge selection of furnishings and accessories that will give you decorating ideas. Visit http://www.futonheaven.com and take a look around.

Tags: flex, lamp, ROR

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April 7th, 2008

Chainsaw Technology – Evolving At A Rapid Pace

I remarked the other day to a buddy of mine that if chainsaws get any lighter, we’ll have to attach specially made weights to them to prevent them from floating away.

There’s no doubt that chainsaws are becoming lighter today and chainsaw users are reaping the benefits with better and easier to handle machines.

Technology has encroached significantly in all areas of industry and one has to marvel at the evolvement of chainsaws during the last decade.

The latest batch of lightweight models haven’t compromised on power and the emphasis on safety is extremely important. Manufacturers seem to be in some sort of technology race to see who can produce the most nimble chainsaw on the market. I looked at some of the models released during the past few months at a local trade show and I must say, woodcutters have some difficult choices to make. If you have been a brand loyalist in recent years you may have to start “thinking outside the box.”

I posed the question to several chainsaw dealers that if I was in the market with a mid sized budget, what could I expect for my investment. Of the number of impressive models available. Stihl’s MS230 and MS 230 C-BE models seemed to gain a strong nod of approval from the group.

It seems woodcutters have a lot of say in proceedings and manufacturers are sitting up and taking notice. One of the “bug bears” for chainsaw users over the years has been the starting functionality. Easy to start chainsaws are now here to stay and the tip is it is only going to get better. The addition of a quick chain adjuster to the above mentioned models means that adusting chain tension via tools is a thing of the past.

One complaint I hear continually amongst chainsaw users is that the weight of chainsaws can sometimes cut productive cutting time down to a minimum. Tiredness is something that can creep into the scenario and is one of the safety aspects a chainsaw user should take particular note of. I’m amazed at the technology that chainsaw manufacturers are able to include today as machines become less and less cumbersome. To give you an example of how much lighter chainsaws are becoming and how rapidly it’s happening I randomly looked at Stihl’s lightest chainsaw, the MS 192T. Would you you believe it is a whopping 26% lighter than it’s predecessor.

The introduction of lightweight chainsaws across the board means that operators now have more flexibility when it comes to the tougher pruning jobs. Again, the lightweight design of today’s chainsaws are playing a major part in cutting down the danger aspect to users. The fact they can be controlled more effectively means there is less chance of any sudden vibration causing the user to lose control.

Don’t get too complacent though; chainsaws are still a dangerous piece of equipment however, any refinements from a woodcutter’s perspective are a bonus.

Dean Caporella is a professional broadcaster with an interest in a wide range of topics. Checkout
for news and reviews in the world of chainsaws at http://www.chainsawlife.com

Tags: design, flex, test

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