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.   

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 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?

5 Tips to Consider Before Buying a Mattress for your Home

It is imperative on your part to purchase the right mattresses which will not deteriorate your lower back problem or any problem. Here are a few tips to consider when you are looking forward to purchase a new mattress.

Do Some Research

There are different types of options available when you are looking for a mattress. Before you finalize the purchase deal or even you start shopping, you are supposed to find a genuine and specific mattress to cater your individual requirements. In case you are suffering from lower back pain, then you cannot go for any mattress you find. Get more information from the World Wide Web to understand the type of mattress in detail. This will help you to take a more informed decision.

Consult with Your Doctor

Suppose you have a physical problem and that is the reason why you need a specific mattress. If you are not aware of the kind of mattress you must purchase, you can discuss it with your physician. Your doctor will recommend the right mattress according to your particular body ailment; this mattress will also provide you with the right amount of support.

Protect Your Mattress

After you have purchased your mattress you must take care to protect it from water and from other things as well so that it will last longer. If you have a stain on your mattress and you are claiming for a warranty, you will be deprived of that because of the stains, so make sure to keep it clean. It is also advised to take your partner along with you when you go out for mattress shopping.

Test Your Mattress

When people purchase a mattress, most of the time they hesitate to use it in the showroom. Don’t be afraid of using you can test it without any problem. You can lie down on the mattress for a couple of minutes to ensure that it provides support for your body ailment. Your mattress is where you will spend most of your time especially your whole night. Suppose you sleep for 7 hours daily, this is a big amount of time which you will spend on it. You are supposed to ensure that you will get a good night’s sleep. Mattress purchase is one of the most important purchases of your home and you cannot take it for granted. There are different types of qualities available in the market, you can purchase a mattress which satisfies your requirements and is within your budget.

Understand Your Requirements

Other than considering your body ailment, find out the mattress is according to your height. It is advisable to purchase a mattress which is 6 inches more than your height from great mattress stores San Diego. In order to get a good night sleep, it is essential to have a complete sleep system. To purchase the correct pillow is also important because in the present scenario we are living a sedentary lifestyle and that is the reason why people suffer from neck pains. This is also known as cervical spondylitis and it may aggravate if you are not using the right pillow.