About Lighting Your Home
February 23, 2007
Lighting is such a critical part of any home improvement project. Whether it’s a kitchen remodel or a brand new home, the lighting plan should be well thought out. In so many cases time and energy is spent on so many aspects, leaving the lighting on the back burner. It shouldn’t be. Without proper lighting all the great floors, walls, cabinets and crown moldings could end up looking just average.
I am sure you have all seen the stark contrast between a room that is properly illuminated and one that is not. A properly lit room will bring out all the best features. A crown-molding cove is a wonderful feature in a room but add some lighting in that cove and you can really bring it to life. Don’t be afraid to be a little creative. You can add lighting in places that may seem a little unusual but it can add just the right touch. For instance in a bathroom, where there is a fair amount of cabinets, adding toe kick lighting can create a very romantic and soothing atmosphere, great for lounging in that whirlpool.
Kitchen Design Online ? Understanding the Work Triangle and Kitchen Layouts
February 23, 2007
Good kitchen design online means having a layout for your kitchen that provides an efficient and pleasant area in which to prepare meals and do related tasks. Understanding the kitchen work triangle concept and basic kitchen layout types is a valuable starting point to design a kitchen online that you like.
The kitchen work triangle consists of the distance between the sink, refrigerator and range or cooktop. Each one of these areas becomes a focal point in the kitchen and forms the three points of a triangle with different distances between them. Done correctly, proper kitchen design online will give you the most efficient food preparation area layout in your kitchen.
Whether you’re remodeling an existing kitchen or building a new one, an efficient kitchen design online means that your work triangle minimizes the number of steps the cook must take between the three areas during meal preparation and cleanup. The total distance from the sink to the stove to the refrigerator and back to the sink should be not less than 12 feet total nor more than 27 feet. Each triangle leg should measure between 4 and 9 feet in length. The kitchen isles should be at least 42 to 48 inches wide to allow people to move around easily and for appliances to be opened with ease.
Ambient Orb or Mathmos Color Bubble
February 23, 2007
The Mathmos Color Bubble is made by Mathmos - the company that created the original Lava lamp back in 1967). This is a very intriguing light that illuminates in a wonderful shade of blue. The Mathmos Color Bubble is made with high-quality materials. The outer housing is made of semi-soft kind of rubber. It also features a built-in rechargeable battery with AC plug adaptor (120V) and can be used indoor or outdoors. The battery will last 3-6 hours on a full charge.
Other features of the Color Bubble:
* Built-in rechargeable battery with AC adaptor.
* Uses long-life LEDs to produce light.
* Made with high-quality materials - very durable.
* Splash-proof seal means that it can be used indoors or outdoors.
* 3-6 hour battery life for a full charge.
Ambient Orb
The Ambient Orb is a device that slowly transitions between thousands of colors to show changes in the weather, the health of your stock portfolio, or if your boss or friend is on instant messenger. It is a simple wireless object that unobtrusively presents information. Imagine if you had to go to your computer and type in your zip code whenever you wanted to check what time it was. Your important information should be as accessible as looking at a clock, now the Ambient Orb can make a variety of information just a glance away.
How to Install a Ceiling Fan - A Simple Guide
February 23, 2007
A Complete manual on how to install a Ceiling Fan may take more than just an article; it may all even take up an entire booklet. Let me just give you a simple, no-nonsense essential guide in installing a ceiling fan. Anyway, your ceiling fan manual will do the detailed explaining for you.
Speaking of a ceiling fan manual, all ceiling fans come with a manual (especially the new ones). The manual will cover the topics on how to assemble the fan and how to install a ceiling fan properly. The first thing you have to do read your manual carefully. Every kind of ceiling fan has a different manual so you also have to make sure that you are reading the manual that is designed for the ceiling fan that you will install. After which, prepare some necessary tools for your ceiling fan installation such as screw drivers, a step ladder, wire strippers, circuit testers and a drill. Next is to follow the instructions on how to assemble the ceiling fan. Then after the assembled ceiling fan is all set, do not forget to SWITCH OFF the electricity on the main circuit panel or the area where you will be working on. This is very important because you should be working without electricity flowing to prevent electrocution. Before installing a ceiling fan, be sure that you first observe this safety precaution.
Storm Warnings For Ponds
February 22, 2007
California has earthquakes; we in the south and east coast have hurricanes. One thing we all share is power outages. Ours are usually caused by storms. Most power outages last only a few hours and only happen a few times a year. A hurricane is always a threat that hopefully will never happen or have only a minimal consequence. Flooding may be more common then a power interruption and both can happen at the same time.
A well built well thought out well designed pond will survive a big storm with a long power outage, lots of rain and flooding. This pond also will be less worrisome during the numerous smaller but strong storms. The most obvious and the most popular is the garden pond. It has few fish so it does not need extra filter or aeration. There is enough surface area for oxygen levels to be sufficient. The surfaces of the pond and plants handle the filtration. A koi pond should be able to stand-alone for hours without danger of quick suffocation or toxic waste build up. The key is in the number of fish. Conditions in an over stocked over fed pond will quickly deteriorate. A lesser or under stocked pond will always be healthier, have less maintenance, and survive periods of no power.
Home Equity Loan or Home Equity Line of Credit ? Which is right for you?
February 22, 2007
The most common type of home equity loan is the term loan. This loan is set for a fixed amount of time, anywhere from five to fifteen years. Such loans are typically granted for up to 80% of the value of the home, but some lenders will lend up to 125% of the home’s value.
Is this type of loan right for you? The term loan works best for those who need to borrow a fixed amount of money for a specific purpose ? paying for a wedding, a home remodeling project, a fixed educational expense, or debt consolidation. This would give the borrower a fixed repayment schedule, where he or she would pay a set amount of money each month for a specific period of time.
An increasingly popular alternative to the home equity loan is a line of credit. This type of loan works like a credit card, and has a revolving line of credit, in which the borrower may borrow against the principal more than once over the life of the loan. The borrower is usually given special checks that he or she may use to write checks against the loan amount. The borrower may borrow a little at a time, or borrow all of the loan amount at once. Unlike the term loan, the interest rate on lines of credit tends to be variable. This type of loan works best for recurring expenses ? a complicated remodeling project accomplished in several stages, or a recurring educational expense such as annual tuition.
Each type of loan has its advantages and disadvantages; you simply need to decide if you want a fixed interest rate and fixed payments, or more flexibility in terms of when and how you pay. Your needs will determine which type of loan is best for you.
Either way, under current Federal law, the interest on a second mortgage is deductible from your income taxes up to $100,000.
Log Homes - Is a Log Home In Your Future?
February 22, 2007
Many people dream about a log home in their future but never get around to making their dream come true. Here’s how to get past the hurdles and start living your dream.
Finances are one of the most common reasons many people never live their log home dreams. The reasons may only be perceived or they may be real. But even if real, it may be possible to overcome the obstacles.
First, you’ll have to decide on a basic floorplan and house size. Selecting one of the standard plans from a log home company’s portfolio simplifies this process. The company can tell you the price of the log “kit” and may be able to give you a “turn-key” estimate for the finished house. If not, you can make a very rough estimate by assuming that the final turn-key cost will be between two and three times the cost of the kit. This estimate does not account for the cost of land.
Understand that this is simply a crude way of approximating the cost of the home of your dreams. The objective is to determine if you are even in the ballpark of a cost that you can afford.
You Have To Love The Location, Say These Owners Of Orlando Florida Villas
February 22, 2007
It has been said that in real estate there are three things that count the most: location, location and location. I recently discovered how powerful this concept can be.
Not long ago, I wrote an article about owning a vacation rental and what to consider before making the plunge ( http://www.seo-writer.net/clients/villa-ownership.html ). Like every decision, there are pros and cons, and it also depends on an individual’s temperament, comfort with risk and many other factors.
I asked a few dozen villa owners who were listed at an Orlando Florida villas rental listing site at http://www.lastminutevillas.net why they had chosen villa ownership and what cautions or advice they would offer somebody considering a Florida vacation rental.
What struck me, however, was how most of the vacation rental owners I interviewed offered more comments on why they chose Florida as a location, than why they chose to be a villa owner.
In other words, the location more than the occupation inspired villa ownership, and that location is Orlando, Florida. Considering the battering Florida had recently taken by one hurricane after another, this struck me as kind of odd. So I picked up the phone and called Stewart Granville, owner of the listing site.
Persian Carpets - Popular Styles
February 21, 2007
There are numerous styles of Persian carpets. In fact there are over 300 different variations. The following is a summary of some of the most popular ones:
1. Tabriz - these rugs are known worldwide for their exceptional quality. They have many unique designs, but the typical pattern is filled with dense floral motifs, large palmettes, vases, or vivid hunting scenes or pictorials in the field. These patterns for Tabriz rugs can be with or without a medallion, and geometric designs are also seen.
The material used for the pile of Tabriz rugs are wool, silk, or a combination of the two. A beautiful blend of fine Kurk wool and silk is the most common in fine Tabriz rugs, with wool only used in those of medium quality.
2. Isfahan - this rug is hand knotted with wool/silk on a cotton foundation. It’s main color is Sea Green with a Burgundy border. The trademark design of an Isfahan rug is the sinuous curvilinear pattern. Patterns include pictorial and tree-of-life schemes, as well as the Shah Abbas field with its floral vines.
The knotting on these rugs should be fine and even throughout. The patterns should be symmetrical. The master weaver will plan a Isfahan rug design before any work is begun.
Creative Ways to Decorate Your Walls
February 21, 2007
Moving into a new house can sometimes cause a quandry. You can stand and stare at large… blank spaces for weeks wondering just what to do with them. These blank spaces are the walls of your new house or apartment.
Most people have a hard time figuring out what to do with their walls, because their thoughts are limited to just paint and pictures. There’s actually quite a bit more you can do to decorate your walls though, and here are a few of my favorite tips:
1. Create shadow boxes. These are especially nice to do as remembrances of loved ones who are no longer with us. If you want to create a shadow box for grandparents for instance, but you don’t have anything handed down from them that could easily be used in this decoration, try visiting around to yard sales and flea markets. Find items that fit the timeframe of your grandparent’s lives, or that remind you of them fondly. Use these items in your shadow boxes, then display them in a nice area of your home to symbolize both the love you had for them, and the legacy they left behind.
