Choosing the Right Chairs for Your Rooms
September 30, 2011
What type works where? Wing chairs, wood chairs, large, small, overstuffed or streamlined, they are in a world unto itself. Different types, of course, are better in different rooms and for different situations.
Upholstered Chairs
Upholstered chairs provide the greatest comfort. Upholstered furniture will last a lifetime, so it makes sense to buy quality. The guidelines for buying an upholstered chair are similar to those for buying a sofa. Check the upholstery to see how it is wrapped and covered. Check the depth of the seating and ask what it’s made of. If there is a choice of fabric, you might want to ask if it’s stain resistant.
Club Chair
Large, overstuffed armchairs are often referred to as club chairs. They encourage lounging, and if you place an ottoman in front of one of these comfortable chairs, you can create the perfect spot for doing just that.
Slipper Chair
This chair is smaller in scale than the club chair, usually armless and shorter than most chairs. The back is also lower than your average chair. The original use for a slipper chair was for drawing up close to the fireplace. It is equally at home in the living room and the bedroom and usually stands alone. You don’t often see several used in the main sitting or conversation area, but they are wonderful to draw into the group for extra seating, or for their original purpose. I have two in my living room and find them extremely convenient, as you can perch on the edge or turn easily to face people on either side of you.
Interior decorator Billy Baldwin was famous for his small-scaled slipper chairs with white slipcovers or upholstery. They were his signature and he had them in his New York City apartment as well as in his vacation home on Nantucket Island. They provide a wonderful solution for an arrangement where larger chairs might be too cumbersome. Singing the praises of the slipper chair, Mark Hampton says it is as popular today as it was a hundred years ago. Good design always prevails.
Wing Chair
A wing chair is graceful and almost architectural in design. Place it opposite a fireplace and it becomes the coziest spot to curl up with a book on a winter’s evening. “Put it in front of a bay window and suddenly you’ve got a corner office,” says New York interior designer Vicente Wolf. A wing chair is perfect for adding height and drama to a room. It can be upholstered in leather, which is a popular version, or a more refined fabric such as velvet or heavy tapestry in flame stitch patterns.
Use one wing chair by itself. Or use two, placed opposite each other on either side of a fireplace or across from a sofa with a table between. A wing chair is adaptable and can be used in contemporary or traditional settings. Larger ones are used in living rooms, while smaller versions are popular for bedrooms.
Occasional Chairs
These chairs are usually smaller than upholstered chairs and have a wood frame. There are many styles that can add accents and complement a room. An occasional chair is quite versatile, as it can be placed against a wall and easily brought into the main conversation area when extra seating is needed.
Getting Started with Your House Decoration
September 29, 2011
Gathering as much visual material as possible is a great way to begin. Nothing arms us for making responsible decisions better than information. The more you know about yourself, what kinds of environments make you feel the most comfortable, and the rooms you’re most attracted to, the more successful you’ll be at decorating your first home.
Online Help
For anyone who surfs the net, there are a number of Web sites. They all cover decorating or home-furnishings information. Some include or have links to remodeling subjects.
In order to get the most out of online time, look beyond the home page and check out all the links that might be of interest to you. You may find some surprises. The Web site listed in the sidebar (www.homearts.com) belongs to the Hearst Corporation. It features material from Country Living, Good Housekeeping, Redbook and Popular Mechanics magazines. For decorating ideas, you’ll find something in each area that may be of interest to you.
Click on Country Living and, among many other choices, there is the link to “Collecting, What’s Hot and What’s Not.”
Good Housekeeping is a good source for instant consumer ratings via their GH Institute, offering extensive descriptions, testing results, and recommendations on a variety of home related products
Popular Mechanics has a link that answers all your questions about appliance care, from how to maintain a dehumidifier to replacing a refrigerator door gasket.
Redbook has “Heloise’s Helpline” for all those household tips, as well as the antique and collectible experts Ralph and Terry Kovel, who tell you all about collectibles.
There are links to High Point, the furniture center in North Carolina, where magazine editors give their rundowns on the new furniture trends.
“Ask Peggy” is an interactive site where you can ask questions. House Beautiful editor Margaret Kennedy answers them in her column.
Books
There is an endless variety of full color, lavish picture books on different decorating styles that are excellent for reference, such as English Style, French Country Style, Caribbean Style, Italian Style, Japanese Style and Scandinavian Style. There are books devoted to styles such as Shaker, American country, Southwestern and Victorian. They offer tremendous inspiration for furnishing your own home. I often photocopy pages with details I want to remember, and I keep them in my folder.
Dining Room Design Ideas
September 29, 2011
I think the most civilized design creation is the dining room. Years ago, every respectable house had one. Dining rooms are used for all sorts of family activities that have nothing to do with eating. Kids do homework at the dining room table, families have ongoing games on the dining room table, jigsaw puzzles are left in progress for days on the dining room table, and people spend leisurely Sunday morning breakfasts with the newspaper spread out upon the dining room table.
Unfortunately, when builders save space, the first room they eliminate is the dining room. Eating is relegated to a dining area, which is either an extension of the living room or a space created as part of the kitchen. However, if you’re fortunate enough to have this marvelous luxury, you’ll want to furnish it in a style that allows it to serve many functions.
When my daughter and her husband moved into their house they practically ignored the dining room. Since they have an eat-in kitchen, the dining room seemed the least important room to fill with furniture they might never use. But then one Christmas they gave a dinner party, and suddenly the dining room demanded attention.
While you might think the dining room is unimportant, once you start using it you’ll discover the joy of having any meal, be it breakfast or Thanksgiving dinner, in this room. This is where most of us use things we might have inherited from family members: a lovely lace or crocheted tablecloth, ornate silverware, cut glass goblets, napkin rings and candlesticks, even salt cellars. None of these things seems out of place in the dining room. Of all the rooms in the house, the dining room is perhaps the least likely to be redecorated. It is in this room that you can express your talents with creative table settings, artistically arranged flowers and culinary delights.
The environment in a dining room can be one of relaxed, homey informality or one of a more formal nature. When planning the dining room, think about your lifestyle. Will the room be used for everyday activities as well as meals? How will you entertain? Will you have large family holiday meals here? Do you want your dining room to accommodate large sit-down dinners as well as small intimate ones? Your decorating choices will also be dictated by the other rooms in your home, to some degree. While the dining room can be quite different in style, if it’s seen from the living room, for example, you don’t want a change that is jarring from one room to the next. They should relate in some way, perhaps by color, furniture style or fabric. The object is to create a dining room that is functional and pleasing. If you have an eat-in kitchen for casual family dining or even informal entertaining, you might want the dining room to be more formally decorated.
Tools – Helpful Tips for Keeping Them Organised
September 26, 2011
Today’s handyman is well acquainted with the vast range of products on the market available for home renovations or touch ups. Chances are, the experienced handyman has a system for doing things, which he’s developed over years of experience. On the other hand, the average homeowner that does the occasional “tune-up”, may not be as up-to-speed on products or as organized. Still, every home needs a touch up or tune-up at some point, and there are a few of simple product ideas that anyone can implement to help the job go more smoothly.
It’s amazing just how much time can be wasted looking for lost tools mid-project. If you are the type of person that drives yourself mad by putting down your hammer or screwdriver only to forget where you’ve put it, you might want to develop a system using a few handy products.
Tool Boxes and Bags
A must have, of course is a tool box. Most of us are familiar with the hard covered metal or plastic tool boxes of the past, which came in standard red or black. Now tool boxes are popping up in a whole array of colors and sizes A new line is available in pink specifically designed to appeal to women.
Also popular are soft-sided tool ‘bags” made of durable materials like leather, nylon or canvas. Some “bags” are cleverly called “utility organizers” or “totes”. Each bag has its own individualized combination of pockets, pouches or compartments Handles are of various designs and made of rubber or metal with a moulded foam grip for easy carrying. There is even a bag that is ergonomically designed to evenly distribute weight
Why Wind Energy Is Powerful
September 25, 2011
During the 2008 election campaign, Americans became aware of the need for clean energy and there was a sudden interest in wind and solar power. In 2010, the discussion hit the national consciousness again after the BP Gulf oil spill. In 2011, the wind industry has experienced growth, but it continues to be a question mark for consumers who don’t know much about it.
What matters isthat wind industry associations and experts use public awareness campaigns to promote consumer knowledge of wind power and howto invest in this form of clean energy.
On June 1, 2011, the American Wind Energy Association issued a pressrelease regarding wind experts testifying before Congress There is renewed interest in howwind installations will affect wildlife and the environment, especially endangered bald eagles. Consumers can read more at this link: awea.org/newsroom/pressreleases/Wind-energy-leaders-testify If you have not considered the implications of wind installations under development in your state, such as the impact on wildlife, now is a good time to think about it. Start by foil owing the development of legislation in Washington, D.C., that will shape a new decade of wind industry development.
Wind energy is a renewable resource just like solar energy. Here are some things that consumers should know about wind energy:
1. Homeowners must be willing to make an upfront investment in a wind turbine system. You can hire a wind contractor to install a small turbine on the roof of your home or erect a small wind tower. Over several years, you can recover the upfront costs through energy-bill savings.
2. You can sell some electricityto a local electricity company or community-based energy cooperative. That means that your household doesn’t just enjoy savings on the energy bill. How does it work? Your home wind turbine system might collect and store more energy than your household can use. Find out about local waysto sell wind energy before investing in wind technology.
Seven Tips to a Perfect Interior Paint Job
September 23, 2011
Painting the interior of your house is the easiest way to increase the beauty and value of your home. A good paint job however takes preparation and know-how. Here are ten tips to help you get a perfect paint job.
1. It all starts with quality paint. Paint comes in thousands of colors and shades. It is sold in gallon buckets, quarts, and even five gallon buckets. Color however is not the main deciding factor in choosing paint. It is quality. More expensive, quality paints cover better, are more forgiving of mistakes, don’t run, and helps to make an amateur painter appear professional. So when deciding on a brand, opt for a mid to high priced paint versus a lower priced option. The extra expense will save time and money in the end.
2. The right colors. The colors you choose will depend on a number of factors including personal preference, your present decor, and your vision. When choosing colors be aware that the swatch color or the color on the can will not be the exact color on your wall. Light will dictate how the color appears in your home. The same color may seem darker or lighter depending on the amount of light in the room. A simple tip is to buy a small sample of each of the colors you are deciding on and simply paint two foot by two foot squares on a wall, allow them to dry, and then decide which color you prefer. Be sure to look at the colors during the day with natural sunlight if possible, with your artificial lighting, and at night. You will see that each situation gives a different hue of the same color.
3. Preparation is the key. Preparation is the key to any good job. You should start your preparation by making sure that you have all your tools and supplies. Envision yourself doing each job and make notes of what is needed. All your tools and supplies should be centrally located close to the room you’ll be painting. Keep the paint stored inside, away from traffic, and on drop cloths. This will save you a lot of headaches and clean up.
4. Room to work. Remove everything that is feasible to move out of the room you are painting. Take down all curtains and blinds. If you can’t move furniture out of the room then move it to the center and away from the walls. Be sure to thoroughly cover everything that will not receive paint. You want to give yourself room to work and use a roller with an extension handle.
5. Masking. Masking is a step that takes a while but pays off handsomely in the end. Mask anything that should not receive paint. Take off all switch plates and electrical outlet plates and put a piece of masking tape over the toggle switches and outlets themselves A good trick is to tape each screw set to the back of each plate with masking tape. Until you feel comfortable cutting in, you should mask off windows, doors, and moldings from the walls to ensure you don’t get paint on them. Another good trick is to use a twelve inch drywall knife to help protect carpet and flooring when painting baseboards and shoe moldings When it comes to masking, you can never be too careful.
6. The right brush. Choosing the right brush is critical when doing detailed cut in work. Most of your painting will be done using a roller but the most time will be spent with a brush. Choosing a brush should be as much about feel as anything. Make sure the brush fits your hand and be sure to spend the extra money for quality. For cutting in, a two and one half inch slanted brush works perfectly. For baseboards and moldings a three inch straight brush does well.
7. The right roller. Here again quality is what matters. A good roller is smooth when it rolls, light weight, and easy to use. The roller covers are easy to remove and easy to get on. Make sure that the extension handle screws on easily and is tight.
Safety Tips for Your Home: Utilities
September 21, 2011
If you are taking a vacation and plan to be away from home for more than a few days, it’s important to secure the safety of your home while you are away. A few essential steps can help to safeguard your home against potential damage. In particular, precautions should be put into place where your utilities are concerned.
• Gas- Have the Gas Company turn off your gas pilot light before you leave. Some companies will do this free or for a minimal charge. Shutting off the pilot light for your gas can prevent an explosion and the resultant fire should the gas system malfunction while you are away. Do not attempt to do this yourself, since you probably don’t have the pro per training. When you arrive home, have the gas company re-ignite the pilot light.
• Electric- Even the smallest appliance can be the cause of a fire if it has faulty wiring. Unplug all electronic devices and equipment including televisions,computers, radios, lamps and light fixtures, toasters, microwaves, toaster ovens, fans, and any other unnecessary appliances prior to leaving. Leave the refrigerator plugged in while you are away unless you have completely emptied it and cleaned it. Also, leave any appliances that are attached to programmable timer devices plugged in.
• Telephone- Delete any messages that are currently on your machine prior to leaving for your vacation. This will free up space for new messages that arrive while you are away. Do not record a new away message that indicates to callers that you are away on vacation for an extended time. There isn’t any benefit in alerting callers who could be potential burglars.
• Water- Shut off the main valve to your water before you leave. This prevents the possibility of inside flooding and damage should any pipes burst while you are away. Also, shut off outside faucets to prevent the possibility of having your water run freely while you are gone. Small neighborhood children with too much curiosity might accidentally turn on your outside faucet and not shut it back off. This would allow your water to run. Outdoor irrigation systems should also have their water supply turned off through a shut off valve. However, if you currently do not have a shut off valve for your irrigation system, you will need to leave it on.
Shower in Comfort
September 19, 2011
As showers are probably one of the most frequently used appliances in the home these days, they should befitted with the whole family’s needs in mind. The majority of showerheads tend to be mounted in a fixed position on the wall, which is designed to suit people of an average height. This idea is fine if you are an average height, but what if you are very tall, short, or even handicapped in some way? This arrangement would then begin to cause you all manner of problems, particularly when you require it for everyday use.
Showerheads can, of course, be purchased with a hose attachment that allows you more flexibility whilst showering. This sounds good in theory, but it can present you with the problem of how to wash yourself down with both hands, open the lid on your shampoo and shower gel, and hold the showerhead at the same time — not to mention the possibility of the hose getting tangled up.
The perfect answer to this problem is to purchase an adjustable extension arm. This clever device allows you to adjust the showerhead to any position you require, regardless of your height or handicap. Fitting an extension arm involves the removal of your existing showerhead, fitting the arm on to the wall and then re-attaching the showerhead – or you could buy a completely new head to go with the extension arm.
Adjustable extension arms usually come in either chrome or brass, at a standard length of 6 inches – but they can be purchased longer if necessary. You can easily fit one of these yourself, but you need to take care not to bend or damage the arm during installation – as your supplier may not refund or exchange it. Once your arm is installed, you will need to remember to check for any leaks and tighten everything up, if necessary. Using an extension arm will hopefully make a big difference to your life, whatever your size, and allow you to shower in complete comfort. You will hopefully never need to worry again, about water blasting down into your eyes or missing the top half of your body altogether.
Sizing a Solar Power System for Business or Home
September 17, 2011
With an increased interest in going green and government incentives, such as grants and tax breaks, adding a solar power system to a private home or business is now much more attainable. Installing a solar system saves the owner money on their monthly utility bill. This savings often more than compensates for the initial cost of installation. A major factor in the installation cost of a solar power system is the size of the system. How many panels you have to install to produce enough energy for your home or business greatly affects the price. Here’s what you need to know to get an estimate of how many square feet of panels you would need for the sun to produce 100 percent of your electrical needs.
Your Energy Needs
To start, you will need to know how much electricity you use daily. You can usually find this information on your utility bill calculated as kilowatts per hour (kWh). It may be listed on a daily, per month, or per year total for you to draw the information from.
Solar Peak Hours
The more sun your region gets, the more energy a single solar panel can produce. The term “solar peak hours” or “solar radiance” is a calculation of the hours of sunlight combines with the sunlight intensity for a given region. Figures reflect a year round average. You can find your solar peak hours at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Resource Assessment Program Solar Radiance Map. Most solar energy installers will also have this information on their website. As you can expect, those living in the southwestern U.S. have the highest solar peak hours while those in the most northern states receive the least. Residents in locations with a lot of sun year round will need fewer solar panels to meet their needs than those in the north. cctv might also be a good idea to protect your solar power system.
The Best Stain Removal Guide
September 16, 2011
Your daughter dribbled ice cream down her top, your son fell when climbing a tree and has blood stains on his shirt and grass stains on his shorts, your baby has vomited over your black dress, and your husband spilled his red wine on the white tablecloth. If this is a typical day in your family, you need this guide to quick and easy stain removal.
Prepare a Stain Removal Kit
An easy way to be prepared to deal with any type of stain is to get together all the essential ingredients for stain removal in one place. An empty bucket is an ideal holding tank for your stain removal kit. Your kit should contain a roll of paper towel and clean white towels or rags, talcum powder or cornflour (acts as an absorbent), pure soap, washing detergent (preferably with enzymes), nappy powder soaker, pre-wash stain remover, white vinegar, and bicarbonate of soda. You may also like to include the following products:
Cloudy ammonia is a strong alkaline cleaner, a grease solvent, and bleach in one. You need to use a strongly diluted mixture often per cent cloudy ammonia to 90 per cent water and use the mixture when wearing gloves in a well-ventilated area.
Hydrogen peroxide is an ideal stain remover for wine, coffee, and ink stains, but you should not use it on wool or silk.
Glycerine is colorless, non-toxic, and loosens stains that have set or dried.
Methylated spirits dissolves ink and grass stains. You should dilute this product, especially if using on synthetic fabrics.
Eucalyptus oil is antiseptic, water soluble oil that removes a variety of stains, especially glue, chewing gum, and grease.
Keep your stain removal kit handy in the laundry, away from children.
Stain Removal Made Easy
This list of common stains will help you to use the right products from your kit to remove the stain, both on washable and non-washable textiles.
Beer
Make up a mixture of a tiny amount of cloudy ammonia and at least a pint of water. Dab this solution on the beer stain. For non-washable products, sponge the stain with methylated spirits and rub in a small amount of pure soap. Leave the stain to dry and brush out the soap.
Blood
Soak, the washable material in cold soapy water or water with a dash of ammonia in it. If you cannot wash the product, mix cornflour or talcum powder with cold water to make a thick paste to spread over the stain. When the paste is dry, brush away the caked paste to remove the blood stain. For older or set blood stains, dab the stain with glycerine to soften the stain before treating.
Chocolate, Coffee, Tea, and Soft Drink
Mix two tablespoons of borax with a pint of water. Dab the mixture on the stain or allow the clothes to soak for a while in the mixture and then wash the clothes as you normally do. For non-washable textiles, mix water with white vinegar and methylated spirits and dab on to the affected areas.
Fruit, Fruit Juice, and Egg
Soak the item in a mixture of two tablespoons of borax with a pint of water and wash normally. For non-washable textiles, dab the stain with cold water and glycerine. Leave the stain alone for an hour and sponge the affected area with lemon juice. Wipe off with a damp cloth.
Grass
Use eucalyptus oil to loosen the stain before laundering. Dab on white vinegar and methylated spirits to remove grass stains from non-washables.
Grease
Use your water and cloudy ammonia solution to remove grease from washable clothing. Apply a small amount of eucalyptus oil to a grease stain on a non-washable item. Cover the oil with talcum powder or cornflour and leave to dry. Brush away the residue and the grease stain should disappear.
Ice-cream
Soak, in cold water mixed with your nappy soaker or washing detergent with enzymes before washing. Dab methylated spirits on non-washable textiles and then sponge the item with water to remove ice cream stains.
Ink
Methylated spirits or eucalyptus oil will remove ink stains from all fabrics
Jam or Jelly
Soak in a solution of two tablespoons of borax to one pint of water and then wash. Use one part water and three parts methylated spirits to remove jelly from non-washables.
Lipstick
Use eucalyptus oil to loosen the stain and wash normally. Dry-cleaning fluid or eucalyptus oil will remove lipstick from non-washable fabrics.
Perspiration
Apply a thick paste of the nappy powdered soaker and water to the stain. Leave for 20 minutes before washing. You will need to have non-washable garments professionally dry-cleaned.