Monday, July 30, 2007
Organic Bedding is a Healthier Choice
Not all cotton sheets are made the same either. Farmers use large amounts of pesticides in most commercially grown cotton. Despite everything that has been done to protect individuals from these pesticides, the chemicals are still having an effect on the environment and our lives.
The solution is to look for organic bedding. These products are made from cotton that is completely chemical free. Due to the surge in popularity of organic products, organic cotton is now being grown all over the world. There are even some companies working to develop hybrid cotton that will be a color other than the traditional white. This will give people a larger variety with out adding chemicals for coloring.
Not only is organic bedding a good choice for the environment, but the pure cotton will feel better on the skin of your family. Cotton also breathes better than a 50/50 blends. This helps to prevent night sweats, jock itch, athlete’s foot, and other conditions.
The use of organic bedding may take a little more time out of your schedule, but the health and comfort benefits for you and your family will be more than worth the trouble. As more people begin to discover the benefits of organic, the products will become more readily available. For now, a quick search online will help you find the perfect organic bedding for your home.
Polywood is More than a Plastic Chair
Since 1990, the polywood industry has been working to change the vision of what plastic furniture looks like. This new polywood furniture is designed to look like traditional lumber with grains built in. It has the strength of wood and the durability of plastic. It also has ultraviolet inhibitors built in so that it holds its color and doesn’t have to be repainted.
The polywood is being used to make everything from footstools to Adirondack style chairs. The polywood furniture can be found in colors that are bright and vibrant or more subdued and wood toned. The choices seem only limited by the imagination of the buyer. Since you can also build your deck from the same product, then it is possible to truly match your furniture and deck completely.
This is not your ordinary plastic furniture. Because of the heavy duty construction and the durability, polywood furniture falls in the category of quality outdoor furniture. Be prepared to pay a little more than you might for even traditional wood furniture. Keep in mind that the polywood will not be plagued by the elements the way wood will be. It is likely that your polywood furniture could be around for many more years than any traditional wood products.
Polywood furniture is made from recycled plastics. Not only is it a great investment for your home, but it is also an investment in the future of the planet. Take some time to investigate this new “green” product. You will be surprised and delighted at what you find it has to offer you.
Polywood is the Cedar of the Future
This new plastic lumber is finding a warm reception in the hearts of many contractors. Since polywood first began being used commercial in 1990, it has been found that it does not fade, is not effected by the elements, and is often more durable than traditional lumber used in the same applications.
Another great benefit of using polywood for a building project, like the new back deck you’ve been thinking about, is that it is not susceptible to termites or other insects. The industry has recognized that plastic lumber is the perfect solution to outdoor construction and have designed the polywood to look more like traditional wood. It can also be cut like real lumber, making it easy for even a DIYer to use.
The plastic lumber has also gained popularity in the outdoor furniture industry. The polywood can be found in bright, playful colors for use on the beach or next to a pool. It also comes in more traditional wood tones for a classic look in the outdoor room next to the pond. The best thing about the new technology is that it does not have to be repainted.
The only downfall to the polywood to date is the expense. It does typically cost more than traditional products. The industry is working hard to offer a variety of products that will entice all aspects of the public to their discover polywood. The variety of colors and the variation of sizes being offered make finding the perfect piece for your project a snap.
When the cost is taken into consideration with all the benefits – the durability, the strength, the maintenance free aspect, and especially the impact on the environment – it is easy to see how the popularity of the polywood will only continue to grow.
Recipes For Relaxation And Getting A Good Night's Sleep
Along with a whole host of things that makes staying in bed the optimal decision every morning, the actual physical comfort of the bed is the most significant. Whether you are snuggled under a fluffy blanket or lounging around under a sheet, the way you relax will drastically increase your quality of sleep.
For most people, choosing the right bedding set and bed covers will be a very important decision. The most common elements of getting a good night's sleep are centered on a person's choice of comforter sets, sheets, and pillows. As a result, there are many options available to the consumer for the finding just the right blanket and sheet sets to meet their individual needs and preferences.
Many people have varying opinions about what may be the most comfortable option for sleep. In many cases, people develop their own private recipes as to what is required for them to get better sleep, through trial and error. Once they have decided on the best recipe for good sleep, people seldom waiver from their decisions.
Comforter Sets
Comforters are the most common kind of blanket available. They are nicely decorated and are thicker than most regular blankets. Many southern homemakers refer to a comforter as a bedspread, because they are generally placed over other bedding.
Depending on the personal preference of the person purchasing the comforter set, they can be either very thick and fluffy or thin and soft. Styles and colors can also be as diverse as the bed they are placed and the people who sleep in it.
The ultimate in comforter luxury is considered to be duck-down or goose-down comforters. Faux fur and silk comforters are also indulgent items in the bedding comforter set market. These luxurious choices provide the ultimate in sleeping comfort for the discerning shopper.
Large comforters and expensive down comforters can be difficult to wash; comforters can be easily damaged if its owner uses a standard washer and dryer unit to wash the comforter. It is essential for consumers to be aware of the best way to wash a comforter before they undertake such a task. It is far too easy to destroy the fibers that give the comforter its comforting quality.
Many owners of comforter sets choose to purchase duvet covers to protect their comforters and their bedding investments. Duvet covers are slipped over a comforter in much the same way a pillowcase goes over a pillow, providing it with protection from dirt, sweat and other contaminants.
In addition to making comforters easy to take care of and maintain, duvet covers also provide the option of easily changing the look of a comforter without replacing the actual comforter set. Many women enjoy changing the look of their bedding with the seasons, such as using a bright colors in summer or a flannel pattern in winter.
Quilts
A traditional approach to bedding covers is the quilt. As one of the oldest forms of blanket making, quilting combines patches of cloth into elegant designs with splashes of color.
Quilts come in many varied and unique patterns. Small pieces of cloth are sown together and formed into squares. The squares are combined until the blanket reaches the proper size. Once the quilt is to the desired size, a backing is put on it and the quilt is made. Multiple layers or a variety of stuffing can provide limitless heating and comfort.
Even in modern times, quilts are typically handmade and used to commemorate special occasions and family gatherings. Store bought quilts are beginning to increase in popularity with traditional decorators wanting to add a nostalgic touch that require less of a personal time investment.
Considered to be an important tradition in many areas, babies are traditionally given quilts as presents upon their birth. Despite the dictation from years of customs, many people are choosing to provide store-bought baby quilts instead of homemade ones, hoping they will be more durable than their hand-stitched counterparts.
Sheets and Blankets
For those who prefer minimal coverage in their sleep, blankets and sheets provide opportunities for comfort and coolness. Living in a traditionally warm climate would make only superficial bed coverage necessary.
Even those living in cooler climates, still prefer to layer their beds with sheets and thin blankets under their comforters or quilts. Limiting most direct human contact to these lighter layers makes caring for bedding covers simple, because changing and cleaning linens is very easy.
In Conclusion
Studies show that people spend an average of a third of their lives in their beds, and that is just sleeping. Many other activities occur in bed, from family morning story time to late night intimate moments, so beds should be comfortable.
Finding the right bedding to make your bed the perfect place to sleep, can be vital to your overall health and well being. Sleep deprivation has devastating effects on the body, as well as the mental health of a person. When one is experiencing fatigue in the morning or through the day, it should be clear that the individual may need to find a better recipe for a good night's sleep. Replacing a bed is not always an option, but with the right bedding covers, many consumers will find the perfect recipe that will give them the best sleep for their investment.
No Lions or Witches in This Wardrobe
Old houses mostly weren't built with such forte quarters, and people sited their clothing in wardrobes or armoires. Even nowadays there are sometimes dwellings or homes which do not have place for built-in closets, so it is needed to procure a wardrobe.
What would be the best wardrobe for your living locale?
Frankly, you can put any closet organization organism in your living locale, even if you don't have a exclusive roomto put it in! basically protected the rails or shelves to the parapet as you would have done in the closet.
But a wardrobe perfect with decorative doors to check off the notion of the matter inside is the most common way to go.
These wardrobes, or armoires, are mostly made of wood.
Depending on your cost stretch you can get them in metal, false, particle stay, pushed wood and reliable wood.
Explore the world of antiques Antique armoires are in claim, but they can run into considerable sums of money. If you're interested in acquiring an antique armoire (an antique is distinct as an article that is over 100 existence old), then make constant you go through a sound dealer.
When you think of antique furniture such as armoires, don't think just of the classics from England such as those intended by Chippendale, Sheraton and Hepplepasty (the "big three" of British furniture makers). There's many an American antique armoire designer who deserves to be discovered. Do some seek into furniture narration in assorted countries and you'll be joyful you did.
But, if you're not in to antiques then there are quite of modern day armoires to join your wishes, vacant by a surfeit of companies. You can explore the web and find practically any design ever made.
If you like the look of metal, you can acquire very elaborate and exotic pasty metal armoires, imported from India.
There's nothing to beat mahogany or maple for classic style The classic style of wood will never go out of style, of course. hard wood armoires are luxurious, but they add such a look of style to your home, as well as assisting you to keep your clothes in style, that they can be well value the cost.
Any armoire you procure must fit into your home's decor.
You'll want to give a thought to the texture, and where you'll place it, as it won't be clearly motivated once you do so. Make constant you buy as greatly eminence as you can present, so that the armoire will last for a time.
French Furniture, The Empire Style France Archaeological Wonders of Egypt
In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte had himself anointed and crowned Emperor of France. The furniture style known as Empire is a style of majestic grandeur that Napoleon felt fitting to honor his glory. He considered himself the greatest world ruler since Julius Caesar. The Empire style is the last of the great French styles that widely influenced furniture design throughout the world. During his rule, Napoleon conquered Italy and Egypt. He was overwhelmed by his conquest of these countries. He brought back to France archaeological wonders of Egypt, the long-forgotten ancient empire. He was proud of his conquest of Italy and Egypt and proudly considered himself as the first worthy successor to Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. Furniture designed in this period was meant to imitate the designs of these great empires. Napoleon commissioned the greatest artist of Europe to create architecture and decoration that would equate the grandeur of Greece, the glory of Rome and the massiveness of Egypt.
The Empire style furniture is massive, in grand scale and very masculine. It has a severe, heavy, masculine look with no carving. The wood carving which is very common in the previous styles of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI is generally replaced with wood veneers polished to a high sheen. To equalize the bareness of wood veneer, metal gilts are used to adorn the furniture. A good clue to identifying the Empire style is the vulgar use of ormolu mounts. Ormolus are gilt-metal decorations usually in different decorative motifs. These are usually drawn from antique sources or patriotic inspiration. There are motifs derived from Egyptian archeology. Falcon, sphinxes, cobras, obelisks, winged lions are just some of these Egyptian inspired decorations. Napoleon's fascination with his conquest of Egypt and later on the excavation of ruins by the French Egyptologists created so much interest in everything related to Egypt.
There are also motifs derived from ancient Greek and Roman design. Vases, lamps, torches, heads of Greek gods, ram's head and cornucopias are among the many Greek and Roman inspired decorations incorporated into the Empire style of furniture. French Patriotism grew stronger during Napoleon's rule and it was evident in the many patriotically inspired decorations which included laurel wreaths, eagles, swords, lances, rifles, drum and bugles. The use of legs that are shaped like animals or sphinxes is very typical to the Empire style. The graceful cabriole legs of the previous styles have been replaced with the massive, more often overstated and vulgar use of legs that are shaped like animals.
The following are the general characteristics of the Empire style of furniture:
1. It has heavy masculine look.
2. Wood veneers polished to high sheen are used instead of the ornate wood carving usually associated with the previous French furniture styles.
3. The excessive use of large, often badly cast ormolu mounts.
4. Wood back chairs with upholstered seats. These include the barrel armchair which is a very typical Empire style chair.
5. The use of designs inspired by classical Greece.
6. Mirror-back console table. This is usually used by the ladies to check their no-longer floor-length hemlines.
7. The use of motifs inspired by ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece.
8. The use of Patriotic and military motifs and the use of letter "N", Napoleon's name initial.
In conclusion, it is relatively easy to recognize the Empire style of furniture with its massive appearance and overbearing ormolu mounts which usually depicts Egyptian, Greek and Roman themes. This style is a step backward from the simple but elegant Louis XVI style.
Business Card Design - How to Stand out and Get Noticed
One of the most powerful, yet over looked weapons in your marketing arsenal is your business card. If designed properly this little 3 x 2.5 piece of paper will not only let people know how to contact you it will also tell them why they should contact you. In order to be effective and get you more business your Business card must stand out, and get noticed.
How a distinctive business card resulted in a $5,000 Sale
A friend of mine and his wife recently went furniture shopping. By the end of the day they had gone to 8 stores and had 8 Business cards. 7 of the Business Cards were your garden variety white cards with one or two color writing on them.
One card was a little different. The salesman, we will call him Bob, had decided to make his card stand out a little by putting his picture on it along with a couple of color pictures of his furniture. Bob’s business card made an immediate impression.
The next day they flipped through the all the business cards that they had received the previous day. They immediately remembered Bob from his business card. They went to Bob’s store and spent over $5,000! All because of a business card.
5 Tips to make your Business Card Stand out
1 - Use Full Color Printing
In the old days full color printing (4 color printing) was extremely expensive. You could pay over $200 /1000 for high quality full color cards. Prices have dropped and you can now get beautiful full color cards printed for about the same price as a plain two color card.
2 - Use a Tagline
A “tagline” is a one sentence benefit statement. Think of your Business card as a “Mini Billboard”. Pretend that you are writing a classified ad for a newspaper. You only have a small amount of space to describe your product or service in an intriguing way … what would you write to describe it? For example: A Realtor could say “Helping Build dreams one home at a time”
3 - Put a picture on it!
I highly recommend that you put a picture on your business card. Studies have shown that people are more likely to hold on to a Business card with a photo on it. It could be your picture, a picture of your product, or a combination of both. Picture cards get attention!
4 - Don't use Business Card “Templates”
There are websites you can go to online where you can choose from pre-made business card designs called templates. The problem with this is that the more people who use these templates the more you card starts to look like everybody else’s. You want to have a business card that stands out from everybody else’s, not one that gets lost in the crowd.
5 - Let a Professional Design It
Unless you are a professional graphic designer designing your own card is like performing root canal on yourself. Its going to take a lot of time and you may not be happy with the results. Leave the designing to the professionals and use you time doing what you do best … selling your product or service!
Pacific Rim Furniture Fits All Situations
If you are looking for something on the fun side, you might look at some of the Pacific Rim furniture coming out of the countries south of the equator. These can be on the unique side, from a table shaped like an elephant to a chair shaped like a chimpanzee. It can offer design opportunities that are great for a child’s room or perfect for the family room.
The Pacific Rim furniture also has a more elegant and formal style, much of which is found in the ornate offerings of the Orient. Much of these accessories are intricately hand carved or painted with beautiful landscapes and other scenes. The care put into this style of Pacific Rim furniture is bound to make a statement in which ever room it finds itself.
It seems that the United States and Canada offer the largest variety of functional Pacific Rim furniture. Solid wood beds and dressers are typically more geometric and not decorative in design. Some of the designs even leave the bark on the wood to give the furniture a more rustic feel.
What ever your design needs, there is probably a piece of Pacific Rim furniture that will fit it. The range of styles is almost as amazing as they are fun. Finding that perfect piece is also a breeze. You can find styles of Pacific Rim furniture in most retail stores. There are also numerous online locations for your shopping ease.
Organic Bedding Gaining in Popularity
The magic of polyester lies in the chemicals that are blended to create the fabric. These same chemicals also make the fabric uncomfortable on the skin and impossible for it to breathe – which is why it is blended with other fabrics. If you think about the old polyester pants and suits from the sixties and seventies, you can imagine how uncomfortable wearing this concoctions could be. Why would anyone look for an opportunity to wrap themselves in this same compound a large part of their day?
There is a better way to spend your sleep time. Organic bedding is completely natural. Even the growing process for the cotton is chemical free. This makes the bedding breathe and often eliminates many skin complications like athlete’s foot and jock itch. The advantages of the natural bedding almost outweigh the difficulties.
There is a cost to the benefits of going natural – and it is more than just money. Because of the makeup of the organic bedding, it will have to be ironed. It is also a bit pricey and hard to come by for most people. It is likely that the popularity of the natural bedding will continue to grow. As interest increases, so will the places that offer the bedding. The competition should decrease the prices and increase the selections, which is a winning situation for everyone.
Contemporary Bedroom Furniture
Modern bedroom furniture adds a beautiful look to bedrooms. It makes the room look bigger, clean and uncluttered. Many bedroom furniture galleries offer variety of home furnishing styles including contemporary and traditional with a huge selection of platform beds and mattress sets at very reasonable and affordable rates.
Choosing furniture for bedroom requires careful and perfect planning and many factors need to be borne in mind like bedroom interiors, expenditure, personal taste etc. The tips that require for buying furniture is one should never compromise on quality even if there is any need to pay an extra price for it. It is highly advisable to do a close supervision, while selecting the bedroom furniture. And it is due to the fact that there is a likelihood that one should find both, the good quality as well as bad quality furniture being sold under the same roof.
Now, it becomes of prime importance to ensure that the furniture that is planned to buy is made using quality material. One should give high importance to fine craftsmanship, as it will also ensure the durability and save repair expenses.
Other important step is while shopping for bedroom furniture; place a higher importance to comfort than anything else. Select bedroom furniture that can accommodate a moderate size lamp, which can provide a person with adequate light to read during the night time. Many bedroom furniture sets are designed to assist people in effortlessly creating a complete matching bedroom. Every piece is manufactured to compliment and match every other piece both in look and color and every set incorporates a queen or king bed, matching night standards and variety of dressers.
Contemporary bedroom furniture pieces are very warm and livable, which allows them to fit into any number of interior living environments. Only high quality European hardware and Baltic Birch hardwood drawers are used in making modern bedroom furniture. Most of the contemporary furniture’s are extremely well made and built to last. High quality lines of contemporary home furniture and neo classical home furnishings are highly manufactured for the convenience of people. Apart from bedroom furniture, many design tables, dining sets, pedastools and desks are available in new models and styles.Get the contemporary bedroom furniture suite from many modern galleries to select affordable modern bedroom furniture sets and suites, unique retro bedroom furniture set, and bedroom chaise lounge. Choose a modern bed, contemporary bedroom suite or bedroom armoire and dresser from exclusive European designer collections. Contemporary bedroom furniture sets and suites are unique in designs.
High headboards are upholstered and can now be made to order in colors of ones own choice. Contemporary bedroom furniture sets and suites from modern galleries are elegant, stylish, and yet very well fulfills every single need of the modern, contemporary bedroom furniture where one can select and make orders online.
Choosing Furniture - The Soul of Your House
To plan the décor of your house, primarily decide on a broad outline. Picking a theme will help you decide on the nuances of what all should go into the nitty-gritty of the plan. What would you like it to look like at the end of your efforts? Archetypal to reflect your specific tastes or something generic that everyone would like? Traditional or modern? Rural settings or a more modern, chic city look? Would you prefer a conventional layout or something more adventurous to reflect your free spirit?
Having decided on the overall look thus, it is time to look around for available items to satisfy your requirements. A quick look at any routine interior designing magazine will give you a fair idea of the items available for sale. A search on the internet is likely to yield similar results, as most of the modern stores today have an online presence and give you the convenient option of placing orders online. If you have some money to spare, hiring a professional interior designer to give you a comprehensive plan would definitely be a worthwhile investment.
Let us take one case – buying a suitable table for your dining room. The choices available are many. Depending on the overall theme you decided, you could go in for traditional , handcrafted to perfection. Known for its simple, functional designs, Amish gives an ideal time-honored look. is a rage amongst traditional furniture lovers, and is sure to add that extra grace to your bedroom.
Looking for something more modern? Try out the wrought iron bed with matching side tables available at sale nearly everywhere. Strong and sturdy, it is ideal for homes with small children who can jump around with gay abandon without having to look continuously over their shoulder. Generally available in black or other dark shades, the furniture is mostly carbon-black painted. Be sure to confirm that you are getting the proper quality, as cheap variants with low cost and lower lives abound.
Decided to go in for the rural look? Straight, simple pieces are then for you. If you are talking rural, size definitely matters. Broad, straight cut, sturdy looking beds are what you should be aiming at. Thanks to the oodles of space in rural areas, the size of the furnishings is generally large. A bed for two would generally happily accommodate at least three ordinary city folk! Look around for a couple of large earthen pots, which could be modified as lamps to complete the overall look.
These are just a small selection of the possible settings. Others like Leather upholstery, Italian wood, Wood laminates, are just a few of the large variety available. Choices abound like never before. Just decide on the basics and step out – the world is your oyster.
Chandelier Pops Up In Unexpected Places
Chandeliers, which are normally found in the foyer or dining room area, are now popping up in unexpected places, such as kitchens, walk-in closets, as well as bathrooms.
Schonbek Worldwide Lighting creative director Eileen Schonbek Beer claims that she saw the trend emerge when people wanted to start putting chandeliers in intimate spaces, and evolve into the trend that it is today.
Beer believes that chandeliers are not just lighting pieces, but are also pieces of art, which is why her company created an interactive feature to its website so that people can define a space in a way that is kind of unique to them, giving the customers the ability to be creative and experiment with various styles before actually putting it up in the actual room.
Ellyn Elstien, president of Creative Closets in Allentown, Pa., believes that chandeliers can add something special to the place by giving it an ambience or an aura.
The development in chandelier styles now offers people a lot of choices, which is a big improvement as compared to before when you only had very limited choices, such as the type of material used on the armatures on chandeliers, which was limited to brass 15 years ago.
These new designs are made by the different chandelier designers due to the new and eclectic ways that chandeliers are being used nowadays, wherein such new designs include new shapes and colors for the lighting fixture.
How To Assess And Review Chandelier Quality
One way of assessing your chandelier’s quality is with the company that makes it itself. If a certain company is well-known for their high-quality chandelier products, then you can bet that their chandelier has undergone some very rigorous quality control inspections and testing’s to ensure a quality product. Usually, companies that are of high repute means that their product, from the materials that was used to make it to the actual process of how it was made, is of good quality. You can believe that the companies have inspected their product thoroughly.
If, however, you are not entirely positive of the company’s quality in their products, then you can assess and review their chandeliers quality yourself.
One thing that you need to look at when inspecting the quality of your chandelier is the chandelier’s finish. Check if your chandelier’s finish is durable and smooth. Lesser quality chandeliers will have cracks, bubbles or scratches on the surface of its finish. Your chandelier should not have any of those in the surface of its finish, so make sure that you check for those before you decide to purchase a chandelier to ensure of its good quality. It is important to know that chandelier finishes are also designed to resist tarnishing, corrosion and flaking, increasing the chandelier’s durability. So if your chandelier is easily corroded, flaked or tarnished, then it needs to be checked again for its quality.
Lights are included in the quality test of a chandelier as well. Keep in mind that chandeliers are not only aesthetic pieces, but are functional lighting pieces as well. They should be able to provide the room with its lighting requirements. Since chandeliers are placed in a room at its focal points, its lights are definitely important. Check the chandelier’s lights to make sure that it compliments the design look of the chandelier. It should also be crafted in a way that it adds to the elegance of the lamp, and at the same time give off the right amount of light to the room.
If the chandelier is a crystal chandelier, then the crystals should also be inspected. The crystals are made in different ways, and should be checked if they are created in the same manner and form. Some crystals are made by hand, while others are molded. Check them for proper cuts. Also check for the lead content of the crystal. If the crystal is of high quality, then the lead count of it should be low.
How To Choose A Chandelier For Your Dining Room
One room that can definitely benefit from the added appeal of chandeliers is the dining room, where people spend a majority of their time eating in. With the right chandelier, it can definitely make the room sparkle a bit brighter and make it more beautiful. However, there are certain factors that need to be considered in order for the room to take full advantage of the chandelier.
One factor that must be taken into consideration is the size of the room. You should always remember that the larger the room, the larger your chandelier should be. Take the sizes of the chandelier and the room, and make sure that they are both in proper proportion to each other. Placing a very large chandelier can make a small room appear very crowded, while a very small chandelier can become isolated from the whole room if the room is quite large. Make sure that you choose the chandelier that will best fit your dining room in order to maintain a balance between the room and the fixture.
Another factor to consider is the proportion of the table to the fixture that you are intending of buying. The size of your chandelier should not be within inches of the dinner plates on the table, so the table should be twice as wide as the chandelier that hangs above it in order to attain such measurements.
Once the size of the chandelier has been set, it is now time to think about the lighting requirements for the dining room. You want a chandelier that is bright enough so people can see the whole room, but not bright enough to the point that it can blind people. Your dining room should be able to set the mood for the occasion that you may need it for, so installing dimmers can be a great thing to do. It allows you to dim the lights when you want to set a romantic mood to your dinner, and set the lights bright when you are having a party with a lot of guests. The dimmers allow you to give the room the sufficient light coverage it needs for the occasion. Just make sure that you do not sacrifice your chandeliers functionality for aesthetic reasons.
Most importantly, choose a chandelier that would best compliment the dining room. There are a lot of different types and kinds of chandeliers that are available for you, so make sure that you take the time to look at each one in order for you to make the best choice for your dining room.
Buying Heirloom Quality Bedroom Furniture
1. Solid tops on the case pieces that have wood more than 3” in width that are edge glued and have the grain reversed. This will almost always prevent the solid tops from splitting due to various environmental conditions.
2. Drawers should be made with French dove tail construction. This is time tested as the best way to assemble a drawer. Drawer fronts should also be solid and not be glued or nailed onto a box being called a drawer.
3. Drawer glides of wood are the way fine furniture has been built for centuries. Many manufacturers are putting inexpensive metal drawer slides on the side of the box drawer. Metal slides rattle and rumble when opened and closed and add no value to the furniture.
4. Drawers should be dust proofed. There should be an internal divider in between each layer of drawers to keep dust or anything else from dropping from drawer to drawer.
5. Felt or velvet lined top lingerie or jewelry drawers are not a necessity but a luxury.
6. Cedar lined or cedar construction on drawers is the best way to protect your valuable clothing and adds value to the piece.
7. The bed assembly should be secure to avoid unnecessary noise. The optimal approach is to have the headboard and footboard attach to the side rails via a screw assembly.
8. Entertainment armoires should have wrap around or pocket doors (the doors slide back into the unit). This keeps them out of the way for viewing and for traveling through the room.
9. Wire management should be included in the TV armoire. You should not have to drill holes in your furniture.
Follow these rules and your bedroom furniture purchases will give you great comfort, and peace-of-mind while retaining their value for many years.
Style And Substance In Your Dining Room Furniture
Believe me- a good choice in dining room furniture makes all the difference between having to take a meal and looking forward to taking the same meal.
There are a number of items which make a complete . This includes items such as and dining room chairs. While the typical market is replete with a wide variety of choices, it is a good idea to consider the following at the time of your final decision.
The dining room is where you and your beloved family are at their relaxed best for spending some good time together. The furniture should hence be comfortable and allow you to unwind. It should be such that you can have your meals in a nice and wonderful atmosphere without any need to shift positions or be on edge. You can add a separate dining sofa to add to the charm factor if the size of the place permits.
The size and number of your dining furniture items is linked to the space you have. It is always preferable to leave open places and sufficient space in between the items to stretch yourself. Believe the saying that it is not food alone that adds to your feeling of fulfillment; it is where and how you take it that is equally important.
Most dining room furniture sets come in individual pieces as per your requirements. You may prefer to buy all your required pieces from one place to make it a complete set and ensure a uniform look. Alternatively, you may buy them separately to have a wonderful fusion of different styles and looks. The choice is yours and the options plenty. Just spend a little time thinking what would look best at your place. Remember that you are not buying only a piece of wood or steel, but something that is going to add to the soul of your home.
Also remember that you need not spend a fortune on your dining room furniture to have that dream look. If you do a bit of research and look for alternatives, you can have the best deals at a fraction of the cost of similar products available at some of the high end showrooms and furniture boutiques.
To sum up, it is always a good idea to consider various options before going for your dining room furniture. Choices are plenty and may make you confused and jittery. However, if you spend a little time in spelling out your requirements and your budget, you will surely get the best deal for your money.
Use Bedroom Furniture To Live Like A Celebrity
If you watch television shows that take you through celebrity homes, you'll find that many famous women have day beds and canopy beds. Even on a limited budget and with limited space you can create a celebrity-style bedroom that resembles this. If you have a small room to work with, opt for a canopy twin bed, saving space while still pimping out the room. If you can't afford a true canopy bed, create one of your own, all it takes is some wooden dowels to create the posts and the crossbars on top, then some inexpensive gauze-like or lace material from the nearest fabric store.
Another option, especially if you live in a studio apartment where the bedroom and living area are one and the same, is to get a day bed. These can be expensive or not, and Fashion Bed Group is one company that offers quite a few very glamorou daybeds at a very good price. Daybeds are an inexpensive way to furnish your home with a bed and a couch at one time, as well as to live the high life. A day bed is easily decorated and upgraded to give the look of the lap of luxury. Add a monstrous pile of throw pillows, and use wardrobe screens to decorate the room with an Asian theme. Add your own shrine to yourself behind the daybed headboard, building a shelf full of candles and incense that can make the area more romantic when needed.
Even your child's room can be turned into a celebrity imitation with affordable kids' beds. You can start with a plain, basic piece of wood and carve out a headboard in any shape, then paint it gold or silver to shine over your child's head. Use splashes of bright color to create the room of a rock star or soft pastels and fluffy pillows to imitate your daughter's favorite pop singer's room.
Everything else in life is influenced by Hollywood, from clothing and hairstyles to the music we listen to and the cars we drive. Home Decor is just the next big thing on the list of things for which ideas will be stolen from celebrities. Take the ideas and run with them, getting creative and making it more personal. While you should feel like a celebrity in your own home, it should still be home, so adjust any design elements that don't make you comfortable. Most of all, don't spend outrageous sums of money doing so, and stick to a budget. You can create your own celebrity haven without breaking the bank.
How to Create a Quilting Design Wall
A design wall is one of the tools that are of immense advantage to any quilt-maker. It allows her to stand back and assess the flow of colors, the combination effect and the effects of various patterns in a current quilt making project. In the initial stages, a design wall helps us to cut out and accumulate block or appliqué pieces to assess whether the selection and combination of colors are working. As work progresses, we can also mount each new section as and when we finish so that we can assess the work and make necessary changes. You can make various color adjustments in the borders based on what you perceive about the middle of the quilt while it hangs on the design wall.
How to Create a Design Wall
A further piece of good news is that a design wall is not difficult to make at all. However we must take certain aspects into consideration.
• The size – The larger the area of the wall, the bigger the design wall can be. It is best to have the design wall on a wall that you can stand at least eight feet away from. The best way to analyze a design is to review it standing away from it. The next decision to be taken is whether the design wall needs to be portable or fixed. If portable, then it needs to be small in size.
• The fabric – Depending on the size of the design wall, we need to buy fabric for both the front and the back, and cut it to the preferred size. The fabric used at the back can be the same that is used in front. We must keep in mind not to use too heavy a fabric. If the design wall is big enough to require seaming together the fabrics, using a flannel sheet can be considered. It is a good idea to pre wash all fabric used.
• The batting - Polyester is not a first-rate option for a design wall since it tends to have a good deal of loft and pills. A total cotton batting is the best choice. Quilts made with cotton batts are popular all the year round. They do not hold heat and make you feel cooler during summers. At the same time, they absorb and trap air and keep you warm on cold wintry nights.
For making the design wall, we need to stick the three layers of fabric that go into the making of the quit, batting and fastening them together with the help of safety pins. Using a walking foot, we need to stitch on the vertical, marked line down the center of the fabric and continue sewing vertical lines out to the rim of the fabric. Once that is done, we need to stitch the horizontal lines in the same manner. Once the entire vertical as well as the horizontal lines is sewn, we need to straighten and square the edges.
Now we are ready to hang our design wall and start using it. We just need to place bits of fabrics, blocks or quilt tops on the design wall, bring into line the corners and boundaries with the stitching lines. The consistency of the flannel will cause the fabric to fasten. There are times when we can use straight pins to break through the batting. This proves helpful in keeping all the sections in place.
Using a design wall will add a new level of creativity and life to your quilting and assure a design you'll be happy with for years to come.
Bathroom Furniture to Fit Your Taste and Budget
Every bathroom must have a mirror. Some of the mirrors come with hidden cabinets inside. Some of the mirrors are ornate and make a strong statement. Some of the mirrors are just simply mirrors. All of them reflect light, give the room an open feeling, and serve a functional purpose in the room.
It is just as important to have some storage in the bathroom. A vanity fits this need nicely. It is almost an iconic piece of bathroom furniture – going back to the days when it housed the basin and pitcher. You can still get a vanity that has the look and feel of the antique, or you can go with a sleeker, modern cabinet. Installing a vanity can actually be a fun project for the average DIYer, and it can save a bundle on labor costs.
Another type of storage in the bathroom furniture is a cabinet. It’s great for hiding the extra rolls of paper, cleaning supplies, or spare towels. It is another piece of furniture that can make a bold statement in the small space. Some cabinets are designed to fit over the toilet (to save room) while others are stand alone units. All of them enlarge the space by making room for storage.
Bathroom furniture today comes in marble, wood, plastic, pressboard, and even metal. There is a strong look for every taste, and a reasonable price for every budget. By utilizing the varieties that are available, you can give your bathroom a whole new look with out a lot of time or expense.
Natural Latex Mattress Is the New Foam
The natural latex comes from countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia, or Indonesia. It comes from the Hevea brasiliensis tree that is grown in the area on large tree plantations. The latex is harvested by removing thing strips of bark from the trees and allowing the substance to flow down the grooves into collection cups.
Finding a mattress that is all natural may be a difficult process. Most companies use a blend of synthetically made latex and natural latex to create their mattresses. This makes the core more resilient, according to the companies. The Naturalists are quick to disagree with this theory. They believe that there is a difference and that only an all natural latex mattress will be as durable as people desire. Since the price of these mattress can be much more than traditional mattresses (which need to be replaced every 5 to 10 years), it is important that they last a long time.
According to most experts, the natural latex mattress will last almost indefinitely. It is dense, but comfortable – mainly due to pincore holes placed through out the mattress. The larger the pincore holes, the softer the mattress.
Finding the natural latex mattress could be as simple as a few clicks of the keyboard, but remember that many companies are using a blend. Ask questions, check the company’s history, and make sure the mattress you purchase is completely natural.
While the expense may seem like a lot in the present, buying a natural latex mattress is an investment into the future. This may be one bed that you can actually hand down to your children with pride (and something that they want as well).
Quality All-Natural Bedding
All natural bedding is the healthiest choice to place in the area where you spend the most time. Blended fibers are full of chemicals, and even the cotton is heavily treated with fertilizers and pesticides while it is the field.
It has been said that the more luxurious the bedding, the better the sleep will be. Natural fibers are the quintessential of luxury. The silky smoothness of fine Italian linen, or the comfort of Egyptian cotton, natural bedding is good for the environment and good for the body.
The thing that makes the all natural bedding (like that in the SDH Far East line) so extremely luxurious is the high thread count. Many of these sheets have a count of around 500 or more. This means the weave used to produce the sheets is tight and well done. The quality of the sheets comes through the feel, but it also comes out in the durability of the product.
Not only is natural bedding eco-friendly, but it is surprising versatile in style and color. Designers offer a multitude of weavings and patters and even natural dies, while growers have experimented with cross pollinations to form colored fibers. The colors that are offered are a soft version of those available in commercially developed bedding, but there are a surprisingly large number from which to choose.
The internet has made shopping for bedding made with natural fibers an easier experience for everyone. Now it is possible to buy SDH Far East bedding, that is crafted in Italy and Germany, from anywhere in the world. The World Wide Web has certainly made this a small, small world.
Organic Wool Mattress Pads Offer a Better Night’s Sleep
There are many great benefits for the individual when it comes to having an organic wool mattress pad:
1. The wool fibers store the moisture that is naturally released by the body – which allows the body to breath easier during sleep. The fibers later release the moisture back into the atmosphere.
2. Wool acts as a natural climate control. The fibers trap pockets of air, keeping ht body warm or cool as the season requires.
3. The qualities of wool provide a safer sleeping environment. It is naturally resistant to dust mites, mildew, and mold.
Organic wool mattress pads are also great for the environment. The wool is an all-natural and a biodegradable fiber. (Amazingly, it is one of the few fibers that scientists have not been able to re-create in the lab). It is also renewable resource, since it is harvested from the hair of goats (which are not mistreated in any way). It is even a recyclable resource and can be reused in other aspects after its first life is spent.
All of these factors mean that the use of an organic wool mattress pad is not only good for your body and your family, but it is also good for your world. The health benefits reach well beyond the bedroom walls.
To find an organic wool mattress, you can check with a high end mattress store, or do a quick search on line. The cost is similar to other pads on the market, but the benefits you receive will make the choice an easy one.
What Everybody Ought To Know About Indoor Airers
A big reduction in household emissions and your eco foot print can be acheived with the use of an eco friendly airer as they require no power to operate.
Today There Are Many Choices In Clothes Airers And Indoor Airers.
Laundry airers, clothes airers and indoor drying racks have been around for years and have now evolved into unique styles and models.
From the traditional ceiling mounted clothes airers which are still found today, to the state of the art portable airer such as the Mrs Peggs Handy Line, which is lightweight, portable and folds almost completely flat.
When you are looking at purchasing a new airer you need to look at things such as how much space do you have? Does your laundry airer or clothes airer need to be fixed to the wall or can you have a portable model that you can take out into the sun on nice days?
Line space is a key point to consider when buying your indoor airer. If you have a large family you will need something that offers plenty of drying area and can take large items like sheets and large towels.
The UK and Europe are still large users of ceiling mounted clothes airers, as these use the trapped warm air in homes to dry washing and laundry.
Retractable indoor airers from manufacturers such as Hills and Austral washing lines, are also very popular as the drying lines are only seen when required, with these units often styled to blend into the décor of modern homes.
One of the key considerations when purchasing an indoor airer is the money you have available to spend as the more you have, the better airer you will get.
Very cheap models of airers can be found but often need replacing each year, while dearer models will last for years and years.
A good quality clothes airer or indoor airer will be of great benefit to the environment by saving energy, while saving you money at the same time.
Choosing The Right Dining Furniture
There are a number of little things that you need to keep in mind while choosing your dining set. The showroom, price, look and finish, make, durability factor, maintenance requirements, color scheme- all are important considerations in making your decision.
Perhaps you can take a cue from the overall color scheme of your sweet home and your other items of furniture such as drawing room furniture, bedroom set and so on. Your dining set should complement and enhance the overall look of the place
Your dining furniture may be contemporary or ethnic. It may be branded or customized. It may be having a designer label or bought from the local discount stores. It should, however, satisfy one condition. It should go well with the overall scheme of things. For example if you have given a traditional and ethnic look to your drawing room, it makes more sense to have the same touch at your dining place. While one may argue that variety is the spice of life and different style may look jazzier, having wooden and cane furniture in your drawing room and wrought iron in the dining room does not speak very highly of aesthetic sense.
If you are going in for expensive teakwood dining room set which is one of its kinds in the neighborhood, you need to take a little bit of extra care. When buying exclusive furniture, always prefer the branded stores. This way you need not worry about the being cheated when you are shelling out top dollars.
You also need to take proper care of your exclusive wooden furniture. Dust and humidity are the biggest enemies of your prized possession. So dusting and cleaning are very much required on a regular basis. Polishing and varnishing once every two years will keep your furniture in good shape for years together.
If you are going for wrought iron furniture, make sure that it is free from rust. Do not forget to sandpaper the rust as soon you see a trace of it. If left attended, it may lead to serious deterioration in the longer run. Wrought iron furniture is strong and durable and is also value for money. It is also easy to maintain and clean. Just make sure that you keep it away from corrosion and also get it coated for all weather resistance.
Your dining room furniture is a reflection of your aesthetic sense. The more time you spend in choosing the dining set for you, the more you will cherish seeing it, adoring it and using it while dining with your family and friends.
In fact a few of the modern and friendly stores allow you to choose your own style and finish while finalizing the deal. You can zero in on your choice of color, paint, style and overall look of your dining set. This will make your furniture select and exclusive, giving a unique look to your home.
How to Care for a Quilt
How to Take Care of Your Quilt
Quilts are made of various fabrics, some of them more fragile than others over time, and thus need to be taken proper care of. Follow a few basic tips to take care of all your quilts, whether you are handling, storing, or cleaning them.
Tips on handling quilts:
• You must always wash your hands or wear cotton gloves while handling your quilts.
• You must never eat, drink or smoke around the quilts.
• You must keep quilts on clean and dry surfaces.
Tips on storing quilts:
• You must store your quilts in a cool, dark, dry place. Avoid storing quilts in the attic as attics have very poor ventilation. Do not store quilts in the basement, as basements are very humid.
• You must keep your quilts out of the direct rays of the sun. The ultraviolet rays of the sun are responsible for breaking down fabric dyes and speeding up the oxidation of fibers.
• You must ensure that the quilts are kept away from insects and mice.
• The best way to store quilts is in acid-free boxes or papers. However, they can also be folded in clean cotton sheets or washed.
• You need to ensure that you do not pile too many folded quilts on top of each other. Also the quilts need to be unfolded and refolded every three to six months to avoid extreme creasing.
• You must avoid storing the quilts in plastics as they contain dangerous vapors, which might deteriorate the fabric.
• Wooden boxes can also be used for storage provided they are sealed with a defensive covering of polyurethane varnish, and then lined with unbleached, washed muslin or acid-free paper.
• You must avoid storing your quilts in newspapers and cardboard boxes, as they are full of damaging decomposing agents.
Tips on cleaning the quilts:
• The best way to clean the quilt is by vacuuming. The usual method is to lay it out on a big, dirt free surface and then tenderly move a low-suction, handheld vacuum with a small brush accessory over the quilt.
• You can also wash the quilt by the wet-cleaning method. However, it must be avoided unless handled by an expert. If you must wash it yourself, you must first test wash a small portion to check whether the dye is running out or the fabric is getting spoiled or not. You need to use a very mild detergent and a container that can take care of the entire quilt at one go.
• You must not use too much force while washing. Instead, you need to rinse the quilt gently with the palm of your hands.
• Once the washing is over, the quilt must be lifted with both arms to distribute the weight evenly. You should never lift it by one corner.
• The quilt must be laid flat to dry on a clean non-porous surface.
• You must avoid dry cleaning cotton quilts. This is essential as dry cleaning agents are chemicals that are believed to be carcinogenic (causing cancer) in nature. The various chemicals used for dry cleaning will get inside the padding and remain there.
Once you have finished washing your quilt, the next step is to dry it. You can just throw the good quality quilts in the dryer and expose them to a regular warm cycle like we do with all our clothes. If it is very delicate, you might want to dry it naturally in the air. However, as already mentioned, quilts must never be placed under direct sunlight.
So, guard your quilt and its fabric carefully! It's an heirloom in the making!
Bathroom Accessories: Bathroom Towel Bars And Accessories - How To Choose The Most Suitable
As a bath and shower are two of the focal points of just about any bathroom, the bathroom towel bar is one of those crucial bathroom accessories. As well as picking the right location for the towel bar, which should have been done at the start of the project, it is necessary to choose a type and design of towel bar which will complement the bathroom furnishings, and especially the shower and bath unit.
Towel bars, and indeed all bathroom accessories, come in so many different varieties in our modern consumer society that it is difficult not to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choice available. The first step, of course, is to consider the dcor of the bathroom itself. Towel bars are available in chrome or gold finishes, or in white, they can be mounted on the wall, or free standing on the floor. They vary considerably in size, and in the number of towels they can handle.
By far the most important of the bathroom accessories you will need to buy is the bathroom suite itself. This should be in a color which is in keeping with the dcor of the room, especially the walls and the bathroom tiles. There are many different types of integrated bathroom suites available, in both traditional and contemporary design. Many of the traditional ranges are in designs from previous centuries, such as Victorian and Edwardian designs. More modern designs include showers, which can provide invigorating air rich in negative ions.
If you are looking for a quick pick-me-up for your bathroom, one of the fastest ways you can accomplish it is to update your bathroom accessories. There are many sources for bathroom accessories online. While a brand new set of towels and matching rug and toilet cover might immediately spring to mind when pondering bathroom accessories, there are many more possibilities. Just some of the items available for bathroom accessories online are towel bars, soap dishes, rope hooks, and vanity shelves. Or how about a heated towel rack? This is a small part of the selection of bathroom accessories online.
Finally, having decided on the overall dcor and color scheme, and having fitted the bathroom suite and the faucets or taps, you will need to decide on the other fixtures, fittings, and bathroom accessories. A bidet can be an interesting and useful addition to the bathroom suite. Bidets are very common in some Latin American countries. In Argentina and Uruguay, for example, nine out of every ten houses have a bidet among their bathroom accessories. Many bidets are now even built in to toilets, and they are becoming ever more popular in the USA. Towel bars and a bathroom cabinet are the other essential parts of a complete bathroom design. Put the whole thing together in an aesthetic, and complementary design, and you can have a bathroom that is a haven of peace tranquillity and relaxation.
Remember that some bathroom accessories are essential. This includes the towel bar and the toilet tissue holder. Others are not technically essential, but nearly so, such as a soap dish or dispenser, and a vanity shelf. If you are looking to update your bathroom, a great way to make it feel brand new is to add touches of luxury like a heated towel rack or a magnifying mirror which pulls out from the wall. When buying bathroom accessories online, you can match all of these niceties to your plumbing and lighting fixtures, or create a more eclectic look.
Thanks to the modern computer and the internet it is now possible to browse the catalogs of many different retailers of bathroom accessories at the same time. With the ease and convenience of home shopping, it has never been easier to design and enjoy the bathroom of your dreams. Putting the finishing touches to your bathroom with elegant, aesthetic accessories will be the crowning glory of your bathroom design project. A well-chosen towel bar, especially a luxury heated one, can allow you to soak in the luxury of a hot bath knowing that when you leave the bath, the towel will not be far away. It may even be heated to just the right temperature.
What is Poly-Wood you say?
Well, all you environmental enthusiasts will want to pay attention very closely to this innovative, earth friendly, virtually indestructible product.
Quite simply, poly-wood or poly lumber is recycled milk jugs and plastic containers that would have normally found their way into our ever growing landfills! The ingenious inventors of this product had the future of our precious earth in mind when coming up with such a revolutionary recycled product. Need more information than that to satisfy the environmentally consciousness of your mind?
Well here we go, the plastics recycling infrastructure currently includes 2015 companies; 1,677 process post-consumer plastics, 207 process post-industrial plastics and 131 are brokers and exporters. Of the 1,677 post-consumer plastics recycling facilities, 1,295 facilities are consolidation facilities while 382 facilities are re-processors that actually grind, wash and palletize the plastics. 265 of the facilities are vertically integrated into product manufacturing such as Poly-Wood. The Midwestern US has the highest concentration of recycling plastics facilities closely followed by the Southern US. There is a growing trend to the demand and use of recycled plastics. Over 1.5 billion pounds of post-consumer plastic bottles were recycled during 1999 which accounted for 22 percent (by weight) of all the plastic bottles produced in the United States. Quite dramatically, post consumer plastic bottle recycling has increased over the last ten years from 234 million pounds to over a staggering 1.5 billion pounds.
Recycled plastics such as Poly-Wood contain no toxic preservatives is insect proof, does not promote organic growth and has a superior performance to the elements even beyond the scope of treated wood says the inventors of this every growing alternative to wood. How's that for a long lasting guarantee of performance? There are also innovative applications being proposed by the inventors of Polywood to be used as an artificial reef. The simplest design would be a box, which can be made in various sizes and with holes of various sizes to accommodate smaller fish. This Poly-wood box could then be anchored in the sand by means of blocks of concrete or old car tires. Tiers of the solid Polywood blocks anchored together could make solid reefs, which potentially could house oysters, sea grass and mussels. In this application Poly-wood has a 60 year guaranteed life span.
Once the plastic lumber is extruded and formed into various profiles of lumber it can be sawn, screwed, nailed and drilled just like wood. Poly-Wood is guaranteed not to rot, splinter or fade and the maintenance on it is virtually NOTHING! A little soap and water will do the trick, for stubborn stains bleach and water will take care of it with no problem. Goo Gone has been said to even clean stain off of the furniture! Only minutes of attention and you have your furniture looking like new again.
Poly-wood is available in a wide array of products for your outdoor living space. Adirondack chairs & ottomans, tables and dining chairs, gliders, benches, chaise lounges, picnic tables, side tables, rockers and the list goes on and on. You can quite easily furnish your entire yard, deck, poolside or patio with furniture designed and built to last a lifetime! You will also find recycled plastic garbage bins, fencing, portable bars and the like.
So, when you tired of striping, sanding, painting, treating or oiling your outdoor furniture turn to Poly-wood the environmentally friendly furniture that is forging a world of difference for the generations to come. Poly-Wood truly allows you to Sit Back, Relax and Forget about It.
5 Reasons Why Wool Bedding Is Good For Your Health
When we select poor quality bedding it can have a dramatic negative affect on our sleep pattern. It can leave us feeling irritable, weak, and with a reduced ability to perform tasks. Good quality wool bedding initially appears to be expensive when compared to synthetic bedding, but as with many things you get what you pay for. Here are some reasons why wool bedding may be the wiser choice.
Natural wool is a regulator of temperature. In practice this means that when we lay on the wool, it ‘breathes', adapting to our body temperature either to keep us warm or cool us down. It will adapt to suit us personally in all seasons, promoting a better, deeper sleep all year round.
Natural wool is allergy-resistant. Dust mites often inhabit our bedding, but with a wool duvet this is far less often the case, as wool will not support the fertile living and breeding conditions the mites need to stay alive. So long as you keep the duvet clean, you should be safe from catching allergies that dust mites can transfer to humans.
Natural wool is supportive. Wool pillows, for example, will support your head as you sleep, as they are light and soft, but do not flatten excessively, in fact they will retain their shape even after many hours under your weight. So you will no longer need to ‘plump up' your pillows during the night.
Natural wool is an absorber. When you sweat, you release moisture, but wool can absorb up to a third of its own weight without feeling wet to the touch. Wool allows water molecules to move freely and so perspiration is not such a problem, you thereby should have less chance of waking up feeling hot and sticky.
Natural wool is animal and eco-friendly. Being 100% sustainable and renewable, wool is in harmony with the environment. Its production does not involve any unnecessary cruelty to animals, which is always a comfort to animal lovers.
Sleeping under a wool duvet, on a wool pillow, and on a wool underblanket you will appreciate why wool is being used more and more in modern times. Sleeping with wool may enhance your ability to sleep fitfully to the extent that you may gain up to 800 extra hours of rest each year! You can look forward to feeling revitalised and refreshed each morning and you will notice the difference wool can make to your life.
Understanding The French Renaissance Louis XVI Style Furniture Now
The most typical feature in the constructional details of Louis XVI furniture is the leg. It is slender and tapering in chairs, generally fluted; the flutings of more costly chairs often filled for part of their length by husk-pattern carvings. A rounded moulding forms a collar at the upper end and a similar one, or a cup of acanthus leaves at the lower, the leg terminating in a plain cylindrical foot a couple of inches in height. In more elaborate pieces this foot is replaced by a moulded button as in the wide oval backed chair, in the Metropolitan Museum. Exceptions to the rule are alway true. The fluting frequently gives place in richer pieces to a rope effect. Two characteristic styles of chairs are where fluted architectural columns are used as supports, while in the other a square leg with a single canal takes the place of the usual round leg. The legs of Louis XVI furniture are always straight and taper downwards. Some of the commodes have a squat pedestal generally round but sometimes square.
At the corners of square seated chairs and the ends of mantels, or angle of a bed when a leg shaped half detached column is used, there is always to be seen either a square frame or an unframed platform of the same shape immediately above the leg. In chairs and other pieces of movable furniture, this square space is filled with a rosette, round or squared the most characteristic form when the square space is framed. The rosette is invariably round.
When the Pompeian style began to appear, the legs, while still tapering, were unfluted.
The arms of a wooden seat in the form of an armchair with open sides and upholstered arms, spring from the contour of the back and descend in a graceful curve to the required height with a padded cushion in the centre, and parallel to each other.
The typical Louis XVI arm is shorter than the depth of the chair and descends to its front corner in a smooth curve, carved with some classical moulding ornament such as the string of piastres or beads or one of the many variants of the meander or guilloche, or as on the exquisite settee, the stick and ribbon motive. The cresting ornament of this settee is a good example of the trophy of musical instruments which form so typical a feature of panel devices in the style of Louis XVI. The most common treatment of the cresting is a carved bow of wavy ribbon mingled with full blown roses and foliage. The ribbon bow shares, with the pearl or bead motive moulding and the square ornament above the leg, being the most characteristic of Louis XVI details, to such a degree that one rarely sees a piece of absolutely pure Louis XVI furniture without it, either in the wood work or in the pattern of the tapestry or patterned silk upholstery.
The causeuse type of settee popular in the previous reign, still maintained its vogue under the new sovereign.
Chairs and settees were upholstered either with Aubusson or Beauvais tapestry, designed and shaped specially to fit the back, or in the smaller circular backed chairs and completely covered wing chairs in silk and satin striped material, always in delicate pastel tones as befitted so dainty a style as that of Louis.
The outstanding features of the style in ornamental detail are not necessarily impure. The individual taste of the customer was responsible in many cases for the very handsome freak pieces which apparently transgress every law of the masters.
This Is Not Your Dad's Waterbed!
Today, you probably can't think of a single reason why you would want to have a waterbed. Nonetheless, they are still on the market and, with the new design of these beds, they've become quite popular again. The way they are structured, you'll never sink into the middle again, you'll have an incredibly difficult time trying to puncture the mattress, and you'll find a great level of support combined with custom contouring that makes waterbeds today more comfortable than many other types of beds. In fact, these modern beds are more comfortable than standard mattresses.
Here's a quick overview of how the waterbed has been modernized to make it more practical and a lot more comfortable. First of all, the water is no longer held in a single compartment. Instead, an inner chamber holds several tubes of water that can be removed one at a time and refilled should they become too empty, and, should the bed be too firm, you can simply remove a tube to create more fluid movement. Also, the water tubes are not directly accessible from the top of the mattress. Several layers go between you and the water tubes, making the waterbed virtually indestructible from your poking and prodding.
After pulling a protective plastic cover over the water tubes, there are usually two foam layers on top of the water tubes, the first thick and flat and the second with the egg carton shape for support and contouring. These offer enough protection themselves, but the packing doesn't end there. In order to assure that you won't sink into the mattress, you will zip the entire mattress closed, leaving it to appear like any other standard mattress, and the waterbed usually has a mattress topper enclosed for that added support.
With all the changes that have been made, the modern waterbed has become a standard in the home once again. These contemporary beds are almost impossible to puncture or destroy in any fashion. Waterbed mattresses can now be used with all sorts of high end bedroom furniture, including king size platform beds and wood and iron beds. Of course, to support the weight, you'll need a king size metal bed frame. All of the added padding gives you the support you need and the protection the waterbed needs while still offering that liquid motion and comfort. New waterbeds are amazing, and while they evolved from a lesser model of the past, they show few traces of the same weaknesses.
A Guide To Top-rated Mattresses
Below is a concise mattress review of the top brands of mattresses on the market today. Each mattress manufacturer offers something slightly different so choosing the best mattress is really deciding on what your requirements are and how much you want to spend.
Sealy Posturepedic Mattress
Sealy have been making mattresses since 1818 and is the largest selling brand in the United States. Because Sealy mass-produces mattresses in such large numbers, the company affords today’s mattress shopper the best mid priced mattress sets available. Sealy offers a wide selection that blends comfort and durability with value to provide the best mid priced mattresses. As well as the Sealy Posturepedic mattress, there is also the Sealy TrueForm mattress, which incorporates memory foam in its build.
Simmons Beautyrest Mattress
Pocket coil mattresses offer one big advantage over traditional spring mattresses: you aren't disturbed by your partner's tossing and turning. Unlike conventional spring mattresses, each spring is contained in its own pocket, so move movement of one spring doesn't cause movement of other around it. The pocket coil mattress isn't new; Simmons has been producing a pocket coil mattress since 1925. Trademarked as the “Do Not Disturb” mattress, Simmons claims that its pocketed coil reduces more motion between partners than any other mattress in the industry today. Depending on the size of the mattress and other options, the Simmons Beautyrest ranges from mid-price range to expensive.
Jamison Smart Coil Mattress
Inner springs aren't new, however Jamison has taken the innerspring a stage further. Jamison took the world's best coil - the tempered steel, fine wire LFK coil which is open-ended and double offset - and engineered it to produce the Jamison Smart Coil. Smart Coils are put together with alternating right-turn and left-turn construction. This means that when weight is applied, the two coils work in tandem, thereby reducing partner disturbance. You can find this inner spring system in the Jamison Balance, Equalizer, and Vita Pedic mattresses. Jamison mattresses may not be as well known as the big players like Serta or Sealy, but they have a reputation for making excellent mattresses. Prices of Jamison mattress range from above mid-price to expensive.
Tempur-Pedic Mattress
If you've been looking for a new mattress you've probably heard about memory foam. This new and amazing material responds to body heat and weight to mould to the exact shape of the sleeper's body. What this means is that weight is distributed evenly and therefore optimal support is given whilst sleeping and so almost completely eliminates pressure points. This visco-elastic material first saw use in hospitals as an aid to sleep for those with back problems or pressure sores, but has recently been introduced to the general public. Tempur-Pedic was the company that pioneered the research and use of this new mattress. Many other manufacturers have now developed their own version of memory foam mattresses but a Tempur-Pedic memory foam remains the best. Tempur-Pedic mattresses aren't cheap but you're buying the last technical advances in mattress design.
Bay Area Furniture Can Only Make Their Customers Happy
Bay area furniture makes sure that the customers are delivered with the furniture without any damages. The store also offers to deliver the furniture to customers for free, if they purchase furniture for a certain amount. They allow to customers to place orders online, and accept all major credit cards.
If the customer is not satisfied, they can also call the store and place an order. The team will be more than willing to help customers with what they want. Once the furniture is delivered, they also help with the installation. The delivery will include many areas in and around Bay area.
Customers should make sure that they give the correct correspondence address and numbers, so that it easy for both the company and themselves. The staff in the store is very professional, and will help you and advice you about what furniture you can pick for your home.
Make sure that you do not pick up the furniture in a hurry, and you should spend a considerable amount of time deciding upon the furniture you need to use in your home. This will prevent you from choosing furniture that does not fit the home surroundings. This store will also retain some money, if you want to return furniture.
The store is also unusual because they are not in a hurry to sell you their furniture. They will also take time to help you work on your ideas. The store will also ship new furniture to anywhere in the country, if you are moving and want any specific furniture from the store. They will levy a charge for this that is very reasonable.
An estimate will be given to you when for the shipping, when you buy furniture and ask them to deliver it. The team from the store is always at your service in whatever way you need them. They will be available to answer all your queries about the store and its services.
Bay area furniture also offers a great variety of the furniture in terms of needs. You can furnish your child’s room up to your kitchen without any effort. You will also get all the necessary accessories you need along with the main furniture. You do not have to go to any other store to buy anything that is left out from your list.
You should also think about buying some good coffee tables, and also a work desk for the home, as the store has some very interesting furniture of all kinds. You could also work out a budget and buy furniture over a period of time, if you cannot afford to buy everything at the same time.
Select From The Best Furniture Stores
Next you will have to make a budget for the kind of furniture that you will want to buy. You might be moving into a new house, and you will want new furniture. So accordingly you can plan the budget. You don’t have to buy it all at the same time. You can select the furniture from the store and buy it in over a few months if you must.
Before buying or selecting a furniture store, you can do some research on the Internet, about all the stores in your area. You can then compare prices, and also the services of each store before selecting one. Most of the reputed stores will also have websites that you can browse through.
Good furniture stores will have pictures and catalogues of all the furniture they have. If you want to place an order online, first call and check if the company is genuine. You also need to make sure that the websites are secure, so that your credit card payment is safe, and no identity theft can happen.
If you are choosing a good furniture store, you should also make sure that they have a team to help you with the installation. Some furniture sets will have to be set up with professionals, and thus the precaution. It is also wise to choose a furniture store that is very close to the area you live in.
You will also want to choose a furniture store that has all kinds of furniture. This will allow to make the choices, and also to be able to select from a similar range of style, when it comes to the furniture. See to it that the store is very customer friendly, and gives you all the services that you need.
If you have busy schedules, it does not matter, as most furniture stores are open on all days of the week. In a worst-case scenario, you can also order for the furniture online from a good online furniture store. The Internet has made life easier for all of us, and you only have to order the furniture from the comfort of your home.
Whether it is setting up an office or a home, most furniture shops you select will have all the necessary furniture and also accessories available for you. You will also have to go to a store if you are particularly want to set up your home in a particular style. Some stores will not have the type of furniture you are looking for, so it is best to plan first and then go furniture shopping.
It is also a good idea if you can get the help of a good interior designer, before you start spending money at furniture stores.
The Best of San Francisco Furniture
Sometimes, if you are too busy, you can also order furniture online, after going through the store catalogues. Most online stores for San Francisco furniture will have very good pictures that will help you decide what you need. They will also deliver the furniture to you at your convenience. There is even some interesting office furniture to choose from. You can buy anything from bookcases, executive desks, to chairs. Office furniture too comes in various styles and material. Good furniture is also available for the children’s room and kitchen. The kitchen will have to be very unique because you will want to feel comfortable there.
Most San Francisco furniture shops will have free delivery across the nation. This of course will be offered if furniture is bought for over a certain amount. There will also be a reasonable amount of tax charged on the order. There is also a professional team to set up the furniture for you, and you do not have to worry about that. The stores will also specify the items, which are available for shipping across the nation. They might have some reservations about shipping small furniture. Some will also be fragile, and they will not want to take the risk if trying to send that to you by shipping. Plus, there will be insurance to think of too.
If you are planning to buy furniture from San Francisco furniture shops, you will have to make sure you give them the correct address and also phone number. This will prevent them from wasting time, and also will reach you as soon as you need it. Even when the orders are charged for, the amount will be reasonable, considering the weight of the furniture. If you are wondering how you will set up the furniture, there is no need to worry. The team from the San Francisco furniture shops will do the needful on delivery. If the furniture is a little complex, and the delivery area is outside the local area, you will be given a local number, which will help you find the right people to assemble your products. The company also gives a warranty from the manufacturers, so you will also be in peace when you know that the company is doing so.
Know The Styles of San Jose Furniture
If you are planning a totally Italian style villa, then you could go in for a complete Italian furniture make over. It will be fun decorating the home, because you will be able to avail a lot of furniture hunting. You can take a color card with you, if you have already painted your house, and accordingly, you can choose the color of the furniture.While buying furniture from San Jose furniture, make it a point that you do not mismatch the style of the house with your furniture. It may not look good if you try to experiment. You will also have to complement the shades of the furniture along with the rest of the house. San Jose furniture can provide you with what you need.
If you want good bedroom furniture, you need not worry. Not only does San Jose furniture offer great creations, they also have very uniquely designed dressing tables to go along with the beds. Though there are ways to order furniture online, it is better to visit the store if you are choosing furniture.This will give you a better idea about the sizes and also the real colors. You can contact the store through a toll free number, or even mail them. If you have any doubts about anything concerned with the furniture, you can easily speak to them about it. They have an excellent customer care cell which will take care of your needs.
The store is also very professional, and takes your contact details only because they want to deliver the best to you. They also make sure that they do not pass on the contact details to anyone else. You will also have to make sure that the furniture is not damaged upon arrival. You can then exchange the furniture if you wan to.If the furniture is returned for some other reason, it is most likely to cost you an amount of the entire bill. It is always better to check for any kind of damages before buying the furniture at the store. They will also not take responsibility when it comes to fragile items, and will not deliver those. You will have to transport them yourself. All the necessary details about cost and shipping will be told to you when you buy the furniture.