All you need to know about kitchen remodeling

As you all know kitchen is one of the most frequently used rooms at home. Apart from this, kitchen is also a place where one needs more comfort and safety. As gas cylinders and other dangerous things tend to occupy the kitchen one need to be more careful while considering the kitchen remodeling. This remodeling can be taken into consideration if the kitchen is not comfort or if you are in need of better comfort. Obviously this process may consume time and money but the outcome will provide you a secured and comfortable atmosphere to use the kitchen.

Come up with best remodeling ideas

If you have any dream about your kitchen, you can consider them while making the plan for your remodeling. Since you must invest money for your remodeling, never get compromised in designing the best plan. It is also to be remembered that you cannot remodel your kitchen more often. Hence make sure that they have all the facilities needed. For example, you can consider the features like plumbing, storage space, smoke exactor and other related aspects which are considered to be the fundamental needs of your kitchen. Apart from this, you can refer the online websites like kitchen remodeling Poway reviews, magazines and other related references to come up with best remodeling ideas. Especially in online, you can find abundant options which you can choose according to your needs.

Consider safety

As you know the chances for fire accidents are high while considering kitchen. Hence you must consider all the safety features while remodeling the kitchen. Remember that you should not dumb your kitchen with surrounded walls. But you must keep them well ventilated with windows all the sides. By doing so, you can enhance your safety features to a considerable extent. Apart from this, you must also consider installing fire alarm in kitchen. This will greatly help you in case of emergency. Apart from this, you can also install other related safety equipments which are must need for your kitchen. It is also to be remembered that choosing the necessary things for your kitchen is also an effective way to ensure the safety. That is while considering the kitchen space, you must avoid dumping unwanted things.

Hire the professionals 

If you are interested in completing all the remodeling processes without any hassles and within your budget, you can hire the help of the professional services which are widely found in the market. There are many professionals in the market who can be hired for kitchen remodeling processes. As they are professionals they will have better ideas about kitchen remodeling and they will also consider the safety features to a greater extent. Hence you can get rid of your worries once after handling the responsibility to the expert services. To get a better idea about the leading kitchen remodeling professionals and services ggrremodel.com can be referred. As these professionals are also available in online, they can be hired instantly without moving out of home.

Design Ideas to Set Your Home Apart

Homeowners are always looking for ways to set their home apart. Every homeowner wants to impart some of their personality into their home. There are many different ways you can make your make on your home, and it all depends on how creative you are willing to be.

Recent years have seen a spike in so called “man caves.” The idea of a man cave is to have somewhere the man of the house can retreat to watch sports, or movies, or generally have some alone time. While this is a good idea, flip it around and turn an area of the house into an entertainment center that everyone can enjoy. Spend some money on comfortable furniture that seats multiple people. Install an entertainment center with high definition televisions and surround sound. Make it a room that you will want to host guests in. It doesn’t, and probably shouldn’t, be used every day. But when you throw a party or event, you will have a room that will knock guests off their feet.

Another great idea is to turn a little used room into your own wine cellar. The room doesn’t have to be a large one, but if you aren’t using the space, why not use it for something unique. Creating a wine room would only require a few wine racks, and you would have no problem stocking the room if you get a membership to a wine club like Gold Medal Wine Club. The room would be a fantastic conversation piece, and also be able to store a variety of wines for when you entertain.

Chances are good that if you take a little time, you can find space to improve your home. It may take a little creativity, but the end results will be well worth it.

3 Garden Shed Ideas That Will Kill It In Your Back Garden

If you’re looking to give your garden a boost, you must consider a garden shed. What’s great about sheds is that there are lots of different styles available. Here are three amazing garden shed ideas:

Barn Style Shed

A popular choice for many people is to build a barn style shed. This is when you build your garden shed entirely out of barn wood. When everything is put together, it will look like you have a mini barn in your backyard. The key to making a shed like this look good lies in the wood. You need good stuff so it stands strong and lasts a very long time. It might be an idea to visit the supplier of the best reclaimed barn wood in North America: Barnstormerswood. This way, you’ll be getting barn wood that you know will stand the test of time.

Also, think about the colour of your barn style shed. There are lots of different shades of wood to pick from, or you could use spray paint to give a unique colour finish. A shed in this style will look very rustic and quite old school. It’s especially good for people living out in the country.

Ultra Modern Shed

If you’ve got a new-build home, then it makes sense to have a new-build garden shed too. You can create a shed that looks ultra modern and awesome. There are loads of different materials you can use to make your shed look contemporary. Some people opt for wood but use laminate sheets to coat the wood so it doesn’t look so rustic. Others will have the body made out of laminate plastic or metal sheets. Then, of course, you have a roof made out of something modern like zinc.

One of the biggest differences will be the shape of your modern shed. Most other sheds will follow a similar pattern. They’ll essentially look like a mini house with their cubed body and sloping roof. With an ultra modern shed, the style will look a lot more like a cube. The roof won’t be sloped, it will be straight so the shed looks like a giant box. This is a very modern look and will stand out in your garden.

Brickwork Shed

My final option here is a brickwork shed. You can probably already picture what I’m talking about here. It’s a garden shed made from bricks and cement, with a nice sloping tiled roof. I find this style to be very appealing in more ways than one. It almost sits on the middle ground between the previous two. It’s not as rustic as a barn style shed, yet not as modern as the other one. It fits perfectly in between the two styles, which makes it ideal for almost any garden.

Also, the brickwork can be done using different shades of brick and you could even try and create a pattern with your brick placements. Plus, it’s guaranteed to last a very long time and isn’t difficult to build all by yourself.

Lawn Care Maintenance: How to Achieve the Perfect Cut

You spend hours slaving away making your garden, specifically your grass, look as amazing as the inside of your house does. For those who take pride in their home, it often extends out into the garden with it being the finishing touch to the perfect home. Fundamental to this is keeping your lawn perfectly trimmed and neatly cut. There are a plethora of options; cut into lines, elaborate patterns or eye-catching features, despite all this, it remains essential that your lawn is maintained and cut to perfection.

The Equipment

To keep your lawn perfectly trimmed and looking sharp, you need the right equipment. The right lawn mower is the most important piece of equipment in the gardener’s toolkit. There are a wide variety on the market and finding the right one for you is an important part of achieving the perfectly cut lawn. They vary in price, size and functionality which may depend on the size of your garden. Shears are also essential for maintaining a neat cut around the edge and any flower beds you may have.

The Process

When you have chosen the perfect accessory to keep your lawn perfectly cut there are a list of essential steps to follow. Firstly it is important to ensure the blades are the perfect height for the look you’re aiming for, a vital thing is to remember is the golden rule; not cutting more than one third of the length of your grass. When you have set up your blades and are ready to begin you must keep several things in mind:

• Start from the outside and work in or side to side in order ensure you don’t trample the cut grass.
• Keep the lead over your shoulder so as to avoid any unnecessary pressure on freshly trimmed grass.
• Whilst cutting, it is recommended that you turn and cut half of where you previously cut in order to ensure each blade of grass is the same length.

Another top tip is to regularly empty the collector to ensure that clumps of grass don’t form on the blades whilst cutting. To finish, it is important to ensure a clean cut with your shears.

Long-Term Care

The long-term care of your lawn is essential. The optimum height for a perfect lawn is two and a half centimetres and bearing in mind the earlier mentioned golden rule, it is clear that the perfect lawn is a long-term process, so progress will be slow and this requires time and patience. Ensuring good drainage and regular watering are important to keeping grass top quality. There are several video tutorials online which will guide you through the process, which will give you a visual example of the tips given. An alternative to the perfectly cut lawn is an artificial Grono lawn, which requires far less maintenance and gives the same look without the long-term process required with a live lawn. Artificial lawns provide a year round perfect grass look, which may be for you!

What’s so Great About LED Street Lighting?

Earlier this year, BP released a report which suggested that the UK is the only country in the world whose total energy consumption has declined beneath its 1965 level. This might be partially explained by the fact that, since the year 2005, the country’s industrial output has fallen. But much of the change is surely due to rises in energy efficiency.

City centres across the country have been gradually introducing more efficient forms of street lighting. You might have seen new LED-powered white lights being rolled out near you. But what exactly is the point of them? And why is the technology only just arriving now?

A light-emitting diode is a small discrete electrical component which allows electricity to flow in a given direction and emits light when it does. Technological advances have meant that this technology is cheaper, lasts longer and is more powerful than ever before (while also being more energy efficient). This improvement has been exponential, in keeping with Moore’s law, which states that computing power roughly doubles every eighteen months. This means that we’re approaching a tipping point, where it can be used very cheaply almost everywhere.

LED technology is already ubiquitous. The chances are that you’re within sight of an LED right now – you might even be reading these words from and LED-powered screen. The technology has become so efficient and affordable in recent years that it has found its way into everything to do with lighting – and street lighting is no exception. LED lighting at street level, as well as ultimately reducing the tax bill, helps to make us feel safer at night time, and to deter crime.

Leicester will be among the beneficiaries of the LED revolution, with almost a million pounds being spent on the gradual rollout of several thousand traffic lights and pedestrian crossing units. This has been estimated to save the council more than £100,000 a year in energy, meaning that the project will pay for itself within a decade.

This extra illumination does, however, come at an environmental cost. The amount of light pollution produced in the urbanised world is such that those living in city centres can no-longer see the stars. This problem is so great that children growing up in such areas are barely cognisant of just how many stars there are – until they venture out of the city to find them.

If you’re looking for ways to improve the energy efficiency of your business, then replacing your older halogen lights with the superior technology is a good place to start. You might also consider upgrading your hot water boiler, or installing a smart meter, which energy giant British Gas number among the most important steps one can take in keeping a home or business as energy-efficient as possible. Not only could such a move reduce your energy bills, but there could be further knock-on benefits in the form of improved customer satisfaction and investor confidence. A good business is one constantly in search of new ways to improve efficiency and LEDs constitute an important part of that mission in the near future! If you are still wondering what else you can do to make your home more energy efficient then it is always worth calling your provider, the British Gas number for example can be found here.

Secret Havens to Explore in the UK

The UK has many wonderful travel destinations but what if you want to get away from the big crowds in hugely popular spots such as London, the Lake District and Edinburgh?

The good news is that there are some secret havens dotted around the country where you can have a fine time while relaxing and letting your stress just melt away.

The South West of Scotland

The South West region of Scotland is a delightful part of the country, with fantastic little towns such as Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbright and Gatehouse of Fleet. These towns have a number of interesting attractions. For instance, Castle Douglas is known as a gourmet food town, while Wigtown is regarded as Scotland's national book town, due to the number of book shops there. Even the weather often seems nicer here than in neighbouring regions. There are some long, sandy beaches along the coast and lots of lovely places to stop for something to eat and drink too. Historic structures such as castles and churches help make it fascinating from a cultural point of views as well. Dumfries is the easiest place to arrive to, while Castle Douglas makes for a wonderful base from which to explore the charms of the area.

The Yorkshire Moors

Calling the Yorkshire Moors a secret haven might seen a bit strong, as plenty of people are already aware of the beauty and allure of this fantastic part of England. However, there are also some less well known areas waiting to be explored. A good example in this case comes with the region to the north of Whitby. Not far from here you will find the stunning village of Sandsend, where the likes of the Sandsend holiday cottage offer a tranquil place to enjoy an unforgettable holiday. This region is famous for its food too, so be prepared to get spoiled for choice while you are staying here, with local Yorkshire delights and real ale on offer in many welcoming pubs. It is also easy to get to the Yorkshire Moors, although once you arrive you will feel as though you have drifted into a different worlds where everything is slower and the enjoyment of the simple pleasures of life is more intense.

The Pembrokeshire Coast 

This part of Wales is another region that you have probably heard of. Despite this, there are some incredible spots where you can find quiet beaches and the chance to sit back and reflect on life in a unique setting. In this case, we could look at the example of Porthmynawyd, which is near Newgale and is accessed by a footpath. It is a lovely little bay surrounded by lots of greenery. The protection it receives from the currents means that it is fantastic for swimming in, while the hidden caves here add to the overwhelming feeling of magic and mystery. Try some tasty local food in a pub or restaurant before heading off to explore more charming spots along this coast. You could also head out to Ramsey Island, where seals, dolphins and many different species of birds can be spotted.

How to Heat a Room with High Ceilings

High ceilings can be a beautiful feature in your home because they will make the home feel spacious and open. Many older homes were designed with high ceilings and they have a very elegant and luxurious look to them, especially if the ceilings have decorative patterns or carvings.

However, the disadvantage is that these types of rooms can be difficult to heat and be a little cold and drafty. Because the hot air rises, rooms with high ceilings can be very inefficient to heat. In order to save money when you are heating a room like this, keep these tips in mind:

Install a Ceiling Fan

A ceiling fan will make the room warmer because it will circulate the warm air back into the room. Make sure that the fans are turning in a clockwise direction with the flat part of the blade pushing forward. The fan doesn’t have to be spinning at full speed, it can be rotating slowly so that it doesn’t create a breeze in the room.

Location of the Heat Source

When you are putting radiators in the room it is important to think about where they are positioned. If they are close to the floor it will take more time for the heat to rise to the top of the room. This way you are more likely to get the hot air where you want it to be.

Look for Energy Saving Heaters

If you want to remove the amount of money you spend on heating, you might want to consider using an energy saving heater. These types of energy saving heaters are designed to use less energy so that you can cut down your heating bills over the long term. Check out www.electricradiatorsdirect.co.uk/ for a range of options.

Consider Underfloor Heating

Another option is to install in-floor heating, which is a very efficient type of heating for a room with high ceilings. This type of heating works by circulating warm water through a tubing system underneath the floor. This means that it doesn’t rely on any type of forced air and it will use less energy. It does have a higher installation cost, but if you use it properly it can be an efficient heating system that will save you money in the long term.

Insulating the Room

Insulation is very important when it comes to keeping your room with high ceilings warm. If the walls and ceiling are poorly insulated you will find it very difficult to maintain the temperature and you will be wasting a lot of money in heating. Check to make sure that there is no cold air leaking in through the air registers and electrical outlets. You can add caulking to these if you need to block the cold air. Rooms with high ceilings are beautiful, but they don’t need to be cold and uncomfortable places! You can keep them warmer in a more efficient way by using these valuable tips.

Energy Efficiency In The Home

Energy efficiency in the home is hugely important when it comes to cutting the cost of living. In the UK, we spent a whopping £106 a month on electricity, gas and other household fuels in 2012. This compares to a mere £69 just a decade earlier, in 2002. This is even accounting for inflation.

So what gives? Shouldn’t technology progress over time, meaning that we consume less energy? Of course, the answer’s yes. But energy prices have risen, offsetting these advances. What this means for the consumer is that it has become more important than ever to take the matter seriously.

This means taking steps to make your home as efficient as possible. Where possible, double-glazing should be installed, as well as insulation for the loft and cavity walls. Another important role is played by your choice of heating system. This can mean the difference between a wasteful household and an efficient one. In what remains of this article, we’ll briefly examine the different sorts of heaters and their merits.

Heaters come in a number of different forms. There are oil-based radiators, electric convection heaters and storage heaters, to name but a few. If you’re looking to save money on your energy bill, then investing in the right heater can make a huge amount of difference to the bottom line. Which leaves the question: which is the best electric heater?

When most people think of the electric heater, they think of the small variety that plug into the wall. These can be activated whenever you like and provide immediate heat as an when they are needed. Some come mounted onto stands which rotate, distributing heat through the room.

The main advantage of a small, portable electric heater is its flexibility. If your working hours vary, this will come in handy, since you might not always be in the house at the same time every day. This means that energy will not be wasted heating an empty home.

Storage heaters are devices designed to save money in an entirely different way. Instead of releasing their heat immediately upon request, they release heat throughout the day. They do this by heating a block of specially-made bricks throughout the night. The bricks then store the heat, radiating it slowly throughout the day. A heater of this sort can work in conjunction with the plumbing system, distributing heat throughout the building.

This approach can be more efficient in places where the energy needs are constant. Since energy is cheaper during the night-time, when demand is less, the use of a storage heater can make sense – but only when the building requires heating every day at roughly the same times.

Advanced, modern heaters, such as those available at Eco Stores Direct, often come equipped with timers and thermostats. These allow you to set a time or temperature threshold at which the heater will activate. Once you’ve set this, you can relax in the knowledge that your heater will do its job without the need for you to come to its aid every so often.

Common Problems With Flat Roofs

Flat roofs hold a number of advantages which make them attractive to homeowners looking to build an extension. The most often cited of these is that they are inexpensive and simple to install, owing to the simplicity of their design and the relatively small amount of materials they require.

That said, flat roofs do have their downsides. In this article, we’ll quickly run over a few problems commonly encountered with flat roofs and see what can be done about them.

Improper drainage

Perhaps the number one problem with flat roofs is that they cannot rid themselves of water as efficiently as their sloped counterparts. Depending on the material used, the surface of the roof might warp and buckle beneath the weight of this water, which causes a spiral effect whereby a small puddle can form in a dip in the roof, which can cause it to sink lower and thereby accommodate a larger puddle. Eventually the surface of the roof will sink to such an extent that a pinhole leak will form.

Falling objects

Flat roof owners can safeguard against this effect by ensuring that their roof is kept free of weights which will impact the surface of the roof. These impacts might come in the form of an acute shock, such as that caused by an object falling onto the roof. It might, on the other hand, be a more chronic problem – leaves and snow can gradually accumulate on a rooftop, gradually placing an undue strain on it. If the guttering should become blocked, the danger posed by precipitation will be all the greater.

If you’ve inherited a flat roof that looks in a bad way, then don’t despair. Good roofing contractors will be able to assess your roof to see whether it warrants a repair or a replacement.

Sunlight

The tar-based surface of many flat roofs is prone to blistering and cracking when exposed to long, hot summers. As the surface heats during the day, it expands, only to contract later at night when the temperatures drop. The result of this is hugely-accelerated deterioration. Newer EDPM roofs are more resistant to this sort of wear-and-tear and are thus rated with far longer lifespans.

Poor installation

We’ve already mentioned that one of the chief benefits of a flat roof is that it is easier to install than its sloped counterpart. This is especially so of newer rubber roofing technologies which can be installed without the aid of expensive (and dangerous) blowtorch equipment. However, this advantage can, paradoxically, be a disadvantage, in that it has encouraged an army of cowboys to pick up some tools and sell their shoddy services up and down the country.


The result can be roofing that isn’t sealed properly, that is uneven and otherwise fragile. This will almost inevitably result in premature leaks and other damage. Suffice to say, the best way to avoid a hefty bill later on is to invest in a reputable roofer to install the roof in the first place. If you’re in Leeds, roofers with a wealth of experience can be found at Leeds Roofing Company.

Revisiting antlers in decor

 In 2014 I wrote a post about the popularity of antlers in home design:  I had reservations about their overuse.  Whenever anything becomes too popular I am automatically reticent about employing the trend in my own home or  the homes of clients.  I decided there was a middle ground when it  comes to using antlers in an interesting way  as described in my initial post.

My antler gift finally moved indoors this summer once I decided it was suitably bleached.  The other one  was left in the flower bed.   Once moved inside it took up a  nomadic existence as you can see from the photos below.  You never knew where it would turn up.

 

On the trunk in the living room for an evening of company when you want some ambiance.  The antler served as a place holder for the remote start candles.  I love this invention;  they flicker like real candles, smell like real candles and you don't have to worry about fire.  Thanks Costco!

Or on the dining table if you want to use the the trunk for food or drinks.

or

as part of a console table vignette.

Our summer place was featured  in a local design magazine called Home and Cabin.  I needed an organic shape to add dimension to  a  vignette I created for the shoot.  My antler was perfect in scale and form.  It almost looks like writing and relates well to the other collected items on the tabletop. 

And when not in use, it resides on the floor in the corner  ready and willing to leap into service when called upon. 

I saw this  Fall application today on Pinterest and it gave me a new idea for Christmas.  Guess I'll be dragging antlers to my city home next month! This works so well because everything is bleached even the table top.  Did I mention I love bleached wood? 

Perhaps you have an antler in your life and have ideas for  its use.  I would love to hear from you. 

Building the Bridge: Real Estate and Property Management

With the extensive scope of the real estate world investing your hard earned money on it has never been so trouble-free. Let’s get it from the basics… Real Estate is the property consisting of land or buildings. Managing your properties may seem a tedious job for you. (We got that Right? Don’t Miss on this!) For the smooth management of your funds on million dollar assets property management sets a landmark for safe guarding money of its investors. Yet another question would have popped up in your minds… What is Property Management? Here’s the answer: it is the effective management of your estate belongings by its expert. (Yes! The Professional Advice)

Properties do come with a lot responsibilities and a plenty of side work in order to reap profits from your investments. To heal up this bridge, it won’t be wrong to say that real estate and property management go hand in hand. Let’s have a peek-a-boo to the benefits of handling your property under skilled hands:

• Quality Home for Quality Tenants:

(Getting it the right way!)
The foremost feature of property management is to look for right tenants for effective utilization of your assets. Efficient managers work on their toes to market the property for leasing it to the accurate residents

• A better Retention and Shorter Vacancy Cycles:

(No more losses!)

In the world of real estate, an empty house is just equal to an empty wallet for the landlord. When your previous tenant leaves you with the burden of maintaining the decorum of your house, you need to get it fixed before handing over the keys to your new tenant. You can go through property management pacific beach reviews for more relevant information.

To get a hold on this situation, property managers are swift enough for setting up the space for new families.

• Assistance in maintenance of your home:

(Sigh. Relief! Right?)

Being the owner of the property makes you solely responsible for ensuring that remains in working condition from the roof to bulbs and windows (The list seems to be endless.) A property manager has solution to this as well. He has experienced staff working under him to carry out smooth functioning of your house.

• Maintaining various benefitting reports and No weight to cope up Government policy:

(Yes, that’s what you wanted)

Property Managers be in regular touch with the owners and assist them for well-organized ongoing of their property. Also, Government policies such as taxes and other formalities have always been a headache to owners. (Right?) Managers provide transparent reports so that there are no discrepancies for giving away the duties to the state owners.

• Time to live life:

(Yes! All excited)

Having a property manager at your disposal means spending quality time with your loved ones and knowing your property is in safe hands and is taken care of no matter where you are. (Your Happy Trail)

So what are you all waiting for…? Get on and find your property’s care taker and get your life freed up from the hassles of increasing your property’s life. Don’t forget to read the property management pacific beach reviews For more information, Visit Here

The Most Famous Windows in Movies

Windows play a major part in the plots of many films made over the years. Whether it is someone asking to get in, someone smashing the glass or someone just standing there looking out, what would these movies have been like without windows?

Rear Window

Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window may be the only pane of glass to have its own movie named after it. In case you have never seen it, this 1954 classic has James Stewart's character recovering from a broken leg and staring out of his window all day long. It all seems like relatively harmless voyeurism until he appears to spot a murder being committed. The story has been parodied and covered a number of times, including by Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons, The Detectives and The Flintstones. This film proves that if you get some lovely wooden sash windows fitted then it is safest to sit and look at them rather than look at dodgy goings on outside.

Psycho

Alfred Hitchcock certainly seems to have liked featuring windows in important scenes in his movies, as Psycho is another of his classics which features one. This time, one of the most famous scenes in cinema history is the haunting image of Bates Motel with the mysterious shadowy figure of Norman's mother in the window. It is only a fleeting glance but it is an image that has become one of the iconic symbols of films that play on our fears and terrify us more with what we can't see that with what we can.

The Matrix

The scene where Neo and Trinity rescue Morpheus is one of the most dramatic and intense parts of the whole Matrix movie series. The action takes places high up in a skyscraper where rebel leader Morpheus is held captive. His rescuers turn up in a helicopter and a hail of bullets from both sides blow out the windows of the room in a few seconds time. Morpheus then jumps out of the shattered window to meet Neo in mid-air, completing one of the most outrageous rescue scenes ever filmed. You certainly won't want anyone smashing up your fine new wood casement windows like these freedom fighters did.

Salem's Lot

Speaking of terrifying windows scenes, few come close to the one in Salem's Lot in which the mist outside disappears and Danny begs with Mark to open the window. It seems safe to suggest that a lot of people were frightened to look at their window for a long time after seeing that scene. Even after all those years, it remains a powerful scene.

The Life of Brian This epic Monty Python is comedy filled with memorable quotes and classic scenes. Few if any are as fondly recalled at the window scene, though. This is where Brian's mother comes to the window and says that, “He’s not the Messiah. He's a very naughty boy”. She then pushes Brian out to address the masses below with “one or two things” he has to say.

Designer tips for your first home – Make the best out of your money

There are millions of Americans who dream of buying their home and realizing their wish of becoming a homeowner. Gone are the days of staying in a rental home and counting a fixed amount of money every month for the renter. If you have saved enough money in your bank and if you think that it is time to get a home loan, that is perhaps the best decision that you can make. And if you are someone who has already bought a home, are you considering some tips and ideas for decorating your first home in the best possible manner? If answered yes, you can take into account the tips mentioned below. Some of the hottest interior designers of America have shared their thoughts and ideas. Take a look.

1. Opt for infinity and expand your horizons: 

If you wish to make a room appear larger, you can use a round shaped rug on the floor. The circle usually represents infinity and will bring the idea of no boundaries into reality as a visual piece. Apart from creating the perception of enough space, if you place a round ottoman, this will also offer you a panoramic view of the beautiful Virginia countryside. Hence, for getting the feeling of more space, you can place a rug and an ottoman.

2. Open up and live large: 

If you open up an enclosed staircase, this can create options for displaying some of the most beautiful things that you have recently bought. If you remove the walls that run from ceiling to floor, which encases the staircase, this can add an architectural look to your living space. If the kitchen is attached there, you can also get a greater sense of kitchen.

3. Sunrooms should look sunny: 

Sunrooms should always have a feeling of openness and they should always be bathed in enough light. You should not ever think of obscuring the views with curtains, particularly when it is a sunroom with windows on three sides of the room. You can keep a warm ivory palette as this reflects light beautifully. The addition of glass is wonderful as it usually sparkles in the light.

4. Do your math appropriately: 

Chandeliers are always tricky to figure out as they are hanging in the middle of the room with no specific point of reference. Always take the width of the room in feet, then double the number and convert that to inches. The answer that you get should be the minimum dimension for the diameter of the chandelier. Also make sure that the chandelier does not hang too low over your dining table. Hence, if you’re wondering about the ways for interior decoration to look good in your room, you can take into account the above mentioned ideas and tips.

Thrifty decor: Bring on the green

Do you like a little nature inside your home?

Do you love to find something that looks good and costs little or nothing?

Do you like quick  pops of texture and colour ?

Barnacle vessel by Anita Singh

Then think ferns.  Wild ones, the ones you see growing in the woods or other damp places.  They are  a constant in my summer decor mostly because I don't have ready access to cultivated options and also because I love to create interest and a homey, nature inspired look without spending money.


Living on the edge of the ocean, in a meadow with thick woods behind me is the perfect spot for foraging for bargain accents.   I often combine sea related objects, some found and others hand crafted.

Another trick I use is to continually move around objects I have to create new looks.  My summer place is small and there isn't a lot of storage for "accessories".  The candle replaced the sculptured vessel in the photo  above.   

.   

 Then an old oil lamp replaced the candle.  So three objects different heights, different textures and different shapes is a simple formula for display.  Another trick is to mimic the shape of the table in one or more of the objects.  The circle is repeated a number of times in this vignette.

As the ferns started to wilt,  I removed them and cut some grasses and alder leaves to flesh out the display and moved it to another spot.  Leading the viewer's eye is another great trick to use for simple displays.  Your eye pops from the rope ball, to the bouy and then through to the ferns and lamp.  Again I have different textures, heights and shapes.  The added texture of the lamp base and the table creates a very inviting vignette.  

If you don't have a meadow or woods near you buying several ferns at the florist has the same effect.

Do you have a favourite go to wild plant to use in your  arrangements?

Amazing Restaurant Ambiance: Furnishing the Dining Area to Welcome Your Guests

When you enter a restaurant for the first time, your first impression isn't determined by the quality of the food being served or the friendliness of the staff. Your first impression is determined by the ambiance of the dining area, and this is true for every customer that walks into your own restaurant. So whether you are starting a big renovation or are in the early stages of opening a new restaurant, these five tips can help create a welcoming ambiance for a positive first impression.

Practicality Comes First

Before you buy even one table, chair, or paint can, make sure that they are designed to withstand the wear and tear of long-term everyday use. Commercial grade restaurant table bases and tops, chairs, fabrics, and even decorative items like throw pillows will last a lot longer than non-commercial products and tend to be easier to clean. Also, check out your state and local regulations on seating capacity, so you don't end up with too many chairs for your dining area and more hours of re-arranging.

Choose a Theme and Stick to It

How do you want your customers to feel when they walk through your doors? Relaxed? At home? Or as if they have walked through a time portal and arrived in a simpler world? This feeling should be reflected in every color you choose for your palette and every style of furniture you place in your dining space.

Use Interesting Colors

Just because a room is meant to be classy, warm, and/or sophisticated doesn't mean you have to stick only to grays, browns, and blacks. A splash of color in artwork on the walls, a patterned throw rug, or a stunning floral arrangement can create more aesthetic interest without ruining the overall theme. Bold colors like rusty orange, sunflower yellow, or eye-catching coral add warmth and interest, while cooler blues and greens create a relaxing and contemplative environment. Also, if you are working with a large space, darker colors will help each individual table feel more personal, while light colors can open up smaller rooms.

Pay Special Attention to Lighting

How many times have you walked into a well-designed restaurant with poorly thought-out lighting? Too many, most likely. A room without enough lighting can make even the most sophisticated design feel a bit like a dim and smoky barroom, but lights that are too bright can feel invasive. Whenever possible, take advantage of the natural light with large windows and sheer curtains. Otherwise, dim overhead lighting and soft lamps or sconces at every table is likely the best option. You may also consider using mirrors to reflect light throughout a large room and to create the illusion of more space in tighter corners.

Invite Nature Inside

We can't all have dining areas in whimsical garden courtyards, of course, but blurring the lines between indoors and out even a little bit invites a sense of refreshment to every space. From large potted trees to hanging greenery, elegant flower arrangements to small and trendy herb displays, there are dozens of ways to invite nature in. No matter how you want your finished space to look and feel, it can always benefit from the right choice of natural influence. The Green Restaurant Association can give you more ideas for incorporating nature into your design.

Marquis Fore has been involved in a number of restaurant and retail startups. He likes to share his industry insights with others online and is a regular contributor on a number of B2B websites.

Lightweight Roof Tiles

Tile roofs can be quite beautiful. But they are expensive to install because they require specialists. They also require a lot of maintenance. If you like the look of tile, but don’t want to deal with the headache, consider using lightweight roof tiles.

Lightweight roof tiles are manufactured in a variety of styles, designed to mimic the look of expensive tile roofs. However they have the advantage of being much cheaper, easier to install, and require less maintenance. Their light weight also makes them ideal for re-roofing projects, where weight is often a primary consideration.

Versatile and Fast

They are also much more versatile and can be used in a wider range of construction projects. For instance if you wanted to convert a flat roof to a pitched style roof, lightweight roof tiles would be the ideal choice. A pitched roof built with lightweight tile can be built right over the flat roof without having to remove it. This virtually guarantees that water will not infiltrate the roof. It is also desirable because by not having to remove the old roof, it will not disturb the tenants as much.

Installation with lightweight roof tiles is faster and safer. Their light weight make them easier to handle while at height. They can be installed far more quickly than traditional roofs due to their light weight and the fact that they are manufactured in larger sheets rather than individual tiles. To affix lightweight roof tiles, plastic coated galvanised nails are used as well as a batten system, making the lightweight roof tiles very strong and resistant to wind uplift. This is known as dry fixing and can be done in wet or dry weather.

This strength in the face of wind comes from the fact that the lateral positioning of the hardware means that all the loads on these fixings are at 90 degrees to their plane. This provides unparalleled strength. Furthermore, the strength of the roof does not rely on the dead weight of the material, as do traditional tile roofs.

Environmental Benefits

Somewhat surprisingly, lightweight tile roofs can also offer advantages to the environment. Since the overall weight of the structure is reduced, it won’t need as much structural reinforcement. This means it will use less in materials, saving resources. It will also reduce the overall cost of the project. Savings can even be made through reductions in the necessary specifications for the foundation of the building, since it won’t have to bear as much weight.

There are logistical advantages to using lightweight roof tiles in your next construction project. Due to their light weight and compact nature, they require fewer trucks to transport the materials to the site. Once on site, they take up less space and are easier to store. Easier storage also adds to ease of securing to help avoid theft, further reducing costs and increasing profit.

Considering the beautiful appearance of lightweight roof tiles, their ease and speed of installation, reduction of costs transferred to the overall project, benefits to the environment, and improved logistics, doesn’t it make sense to use lightweight roof tiles for your next roofing project?

Precast Garages

There are many good reasons to add a garage to your house or property. Beyond giving you a place to park your car and protect it from the weather, a garage can be used as an extra storage space, or a workshop. It likely will also add value to your property above and beyond the cost. If you are planning to add a garage, there are many types, sizes and construction methods to consider. One worth taking a close look at is precast garages.

Rather than being constructed on site like most garage projects, a precast garage is built in a factory and then transported to and installed on the site. This offers some advantages. For one, you could have a garage very quickly, without having to wait for it to be constructed on site. This has the further advantage of not being disruptive like a local construction project would be. A precast garage can be installed quite quickly with minimal fuss.

Precast Advantages

The fact that the garage is prebuilt in a factory has benefits other than sheer convenience however. It actually improves the quality. Concrete that has been cast in a factory is done so in a much more controlled environment, being protected from the weather and the variabilities found on a construction site. Economies of scale are also realised, in that the factory works on many projects so can get quantity discounts on materials and passing that savings on to you. Custom and one off construction increases costs.

Precast garages can be built to match your house or complement your property. Although built from cement, they can be sided with any material such as brick or wood to suit any taste. They can also be moulded in the factory to look like brick, shiplap or stone. The concrete construction ensures that the facias are maintenance free as well.

Security

A precast garage is also inherently more secure. The extreme strength and durability of concrete not only deters would be thieves but will prevent them from ever getting in should they be so foolish to try. A precast garage provides a virtual vault for your car or belongings. An added component is that this strength and durability makes a precast garage completely weatherproof and storm proof.

Precast garages can be very flexible in that you can order from a range of styles and designs to suit your taste and need. Different sizes can be ordered to accommodate whatever vehicle you have or whatever storage needs you might have. Depending on the design, you can also order different wall thicknesses and lengths. Roof pitch can be customized to create even more storage space if necessary or desired.

And finally, the cost of a precast garage is probably lower than if you were to have one cast on site. In the controlled environment of the factory, processes have been perfected through repetition. Less skilled labour is required too, all contributing to a lower price tag while at the same time increasing quality.

Given all the benefits of a precast garage, shouldn’t you consider one before having a traditional garage built?