home and furniture

Inspiration From The East: 3 Home Design Tips

2008-08-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

Many home and furniture decorator have been inspired by the antiqued Eastern style. And the style has become even more popular these days along with the echo of "back to nature" movement. The influence of the Eastern style can be seen in natural materials; like bamboo, rattan, or teak and by the natural color scheme used, like brown, gray, green rusty yellow, and broken white.

What could be more like heaven, than having a sanctuary with the ambiance of long holiday in the exotic Eastern tropical paradise? Steal the style of spacey and minimalist style of Japanese interior, or elegant Indonesian style from colonial era. Whatever style you will adapt, here are some tips to have an Eastern inspired home interior:

1. For the entire house:
- Put some potted plants with green leaves in the rooms. They will add a touch of tropical ambiance.
– Using wooden floors is the best way to create a warm tropical nuance for your home. – Use natural color scheme. Use broken white or crème for the color of the walls instead of plain white. You can apply certain painting techniques to have more antique effect to the walls.
– Use elements of decoration such as elegant hand made bookcases, hand crafted mirror, antique paintings, woven baskets, or perhaps, souvenirs you collected from your trip to the Eastern countries.
– Make a statement by using screen that will make a stunning filter and give a beautiful lighting effect. Or you can use a shade for your window for the similar lighting effect.

2. For Eastern inspired bedrooms:
Antique wooden beds would be a perfect choice for your bedrooms. Choose the one made from teak. This material will last forever and will give an antique feel. Check out this beautiful four-poster bed in colonial style.

3. For the furniture:
The key words for antiques Eastern style design are: natural, antique, and exotic. So avoid furniture with fine furnishing. There are wide ranges of elegant and stylish dining tables to complete your Eastern-style home. Sturdy and simple style teak dining tables will suit most of room décor, although they will achieve their best performance in eastern style room. Browse around to find furniture that best suits your style and taste.

Home Security System For Your Home and Office

2008-08-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

Security is the most important think to consider for your home or business. The peace of mind you will get for having your home and office in full protection is invaluable. Using hi-tech equipment of security system like camera surveillance system is an excellent deterrent to intrusion.

Finding the right home security system for your needs is important to you. Sun Security offers complete protection for your properties, like security cameras, surveillance cameras, camera security system, camera surveillance system, etc.
SunSecurity.com is an innovative and growth oriented company who uses a fresh and new approach to meet the security needs of millions of consumers throughout North America. Their website is filled with the newest products, the best deals, and lots of information about the latest that technology has to offer in the security industry. When you visit us at SunSecurity.com, you are doing business with a company that is enthusiastic about security. And with their enthusiasm combined with experience and product knowledge, they can match your need with exact items necessary to protect your family, your home, or your business.

One of the product featured is 4 Camera Home Surveillance System
The SUN-H4B-2 home or office surveillance system combines the technology of a top quality DVR 4 capture card with 4 of our best and most versatile CCD color indoor/outdoor bullet cameras providing you with a perfect security solution for any home or office need.

Product Description:
The SUN-H4B-2 is a 4 channels home or office surveillance system which installs into your own PC turning it into a digital video recorder. This system includes 4 high resolution indoor/outdoor bullet cameras with IR that will provide state of the art security or surveillance functions for your home or small office needs. With everything you need included, the installation is a breeze and your system will be up in only minutes. This system has every feature you could possibly want in a high quality DVR system. It features H.264 technology and is capable of recording four cameras of live video at 120FPS in real time. With a capacity of 4 security cameras connected to the system, you can view and record each camera at a professional rate of 30 frames per second (FPS). And, at a resolution of 640x480 you will see excellent detail and clear crisp images from the high resolution cameras that are included.

If you need to expand the system, you can add up to 3 DVR cards for a total of 4, creating 16 channels that will record at 480 FPS as your security needs increase.
You can remotely view live and recorded video from any computer with access to a high speed internet connection.

Most Important Features:
Supports a variety of recording modes, alarms, notifications and schedules. You can record continuous, by motion detection which will touch off the video recording, sending an email (monitoring pictures enclosed), sending an alarm by phone, and by sound, and alarm and scheduled recording. On detection, the system will begin recording, provide an on screen display, sound an alarm, send an email, or make a telephone call. The system can even respond by redirecting an optional Pan-Tilt-Zoom camera to that location or triggering an external relay. The system has other great features such as PTZ and pre-set point control, it can graph historical recording files, multi-users authority management setup, client and IE monitoring, remote view with playback, and recording and backup.
They also feature 4 camera security system for both home and business purposes.

Make A Statement For Your House With Custom Designed Sinks

2008-07-29T02:19:00.000-07:00

To make your room look luxurious you don’t have to use expensive materials for every elements. To have a luxurious bedroom, instead of using expensive curtain, full furnished bed and thick pakistani rug, spend your money on one nice standing lamp as the center point of your bedroom. But if you are planning to have a full luxury, then the use of customized furniture and fixtures is a must.

What about the bathroom? A sink is the first object one would notice when entering a bathroom. By having a great bathroom sink, you own a luxurious bathroom. Make a statement for your bathroom by using custom designed sink.
Handmade sink - which is the hottest trend in bathroom design today, has become the must-have for luxury homeowners. There are stores that provide unique and beautiful sinks in limited amount and cannot be found in most showrooms. These handcrafted sinks are made by artisan and designers. They also serve specific work or custom design to match your decor, personality and style. You can find wide ranges of materials (wood, glass, granite, onyx , marble, copper, bronze to ceramic) and colors of bathroom sinks, from classical to contemporary modern look designs. The sinks are not just limited for bathroom only, there are also special designed kitchen sinks and bar sinks to add beauty and luxury to your kitchen and bar.

Models of sinks available on the market are:
- Self rimming sinks, are designed for drop-in mounting. Some of them are also designed for under-counter mount.
- Under-counter mount sinks.
- Vessel sinks, which are very popular trend today. Vessel sinks are mounted above counter height. But some of vessel sinks have a lip that enable them to be applied as drop-in or self-rimming sinks.
- Wall-hung sinks.
- Pedestal sinks, come as individual units. But sometimes the sink can be purchased separately from the base and used as a wall-hung unit.

Whatever your choice is, match your sink with the rest of the room design theme. Accentuate this piece of art by adding a perfect lighting.

photo source: sinksgallery.com

Home Mortgage Loans

2008-07-01T02:58:00.000-07:00

Are you planning on buying a home? Or maybe you are looking for a home equity loan or home equity line of credit? The best way is to contact a trusted mortgage consultant.
A good consultant will give a low Mortgage Interest Rates. And with their ranges of products, they will design the exact formula to fit your needs. One of the mortgage consultants is Ditech (www.ditech.com). As member of the GMAC family, makes Ditech a part of one of the strongest; most experienced home finance organizations in America.

If you shop lenders by phone, the loan officer will be able to tell which programs fit and quote you rates accordingly. At Ditech they even can give approval decision right on the phone.

Your home is your asset, and you can use it to work for you. You can apply for a Home Equity Loan program offered by Ditech, so you can use the money for whatever you need, like debt consolidation, home improvements, tuition, or just for extra cash.

And now, realizing that your home is your valuable asset, you have to think that someday in the future, you will need to do some improvement for it. Ditech also offer Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC), a great program for home improvement project. This program is also very useful to pay for any financial needs that may arise in the future (such as medical bills, emergency repairs, tuition, and more).

Tips On Choosing The Right Furniture: For Your Living Room, Bedroom, And Office

2008-06-27T02:31:00.000-07:00

Choosing the right furniture may not be as easy as it sounds. Every room has it’s own purpose and function. That’s why you need to think carefully and wisely before buying furniture for it, so that you won’t find yourself later, wishing that you had bought other bed or sofa instead of those you own now.

Choosing Your Living Room Furniture
Your Living Room is a place where you spend your time with your family and sometimes with your relatives or close friends. This is the function of your Living Room. Furniture of this room usually consists of a set of sofa, chairs, decorated accent pillows, coffee table, end table, and sometimes for decoration, people add rug, floor and table lamps, also some wall arts.
- The first important factor to be considered is your lifestyle. Do you live alone? Do you have small children? Do you have pets? What is the key style of your entire house? How much budget do you plan to spend?
- In choosing your sofa, function and aesthetics require equal consideration. You may want to choose the one with beautiful look. But carefully examine the materials. Make sure the surface is easy to be cleaned, and the construction is sturdy, and that the sofa is ergonomically comfortable. The arm should not be too high, and the seat should be soft but firm so you would not ‘sink’ in it.
Sofa is the center object of attention of the Living Room. Most people want it to look inviting as one enters the room. That’s why harmony is important. If your rug already has busy motifs, then you may want to choose sofa and chairs with more neutral colors. If you carry clean and simple contemporary style for your home, then you can choose striking color contemporary sofa against grey toned-walls, for example. Although it is safer to choose furniture with safe colors that is easy to work with. That way you will be able to do a room facelift just by changing out small items, like pillows, ornaments, and wall art.

Choosing Your Bedroom Furniture
As mentioned in earlier post, bedroom is a retreat place where you spend time to relax and to have some rest. This room is supposed to give you a ‘homey’ feeling. The keyword is: Comfort.
- Choose sturdy yet comfortable bed. Use high quality bed from high quality brand. No compromise on cheap bad quality bed.
- Choose the right size bed. Examine the size of your room and what other furniture you will need.
- What other activities you usually do in your bedroom besides sleeping? You may want to complete your room with other equipment to support those activities. If you are the kind of person who cannot live far from television, you may be interested in choosing bedroom furniture set that features a TV stand.

Choosing Your Office Furniture
Choosing office furniture is extremely different from choosing furniture for your home. Good office furniture must add practical value to corporate process flow. It must be able to create an efficient working space with a supportive working environment.
- Choose compact furniture that can support many tasks but doesn’t require large space.
- In selecting chairs, think that people spend 6-8 hours a day sitting on it. Uncomfortable chairs will lead to unhealthy body and morale of the employee. You may find that extra money you spend in buying ergonomic seating is worth a company success. New office chairs from major furniture manufacturers offer options in low-back, mid-back, and high-back designs. These chairs also include a number of user-friendly adjustment controls that adjust pneumatic lift, swivel, and armrests.
- For storage or filing cabinets, choose ones that have the ability to lock the cabinets and ensure that they have safety features such as only opening on top if the bottom is already open to prevent toppling. There are two choices of materials: wood and metal. Many people prefer metal storage since it has a more modern look, lighter in weight so it can be easily moved whenever necessary.
- For conference room, choose durable, high quality furniture that symbolizes strength, integrity and unity of your team.
- As for colors, usually people use their corporate color as the main color of the office furniture.

Happy shopping!

Renovating Your Bathroom and Kitchen: How Necessary Is It?

2008-06-21T21:58:00.000-07:00

Are you being confused of whether you should renovate your house or not?

Maybe you want to give a new look to your bathroom or your kitchen that starting to look out of date and gloomy, but you are not sure whether it’s really necessary to do or not.
Think about this..
If you don’t have any plan to move out and sell your house any time soon, then this will be a perfect reason to renovate. Your house is supposed to be your retreat place. So, go ahead, you can make your bathroom and kitchen as personal as you want.
And if you have a plan to sell your house sometime in the future, then renovating your bathroom and kitchen will add value to the house. Spotlessly clean and shiny bathroom and kitchen will attract potential buyers and would possibly make a sell. Because those rooms are the first places people will consider when buying a house.

Renovating your house is always a good thing. You have nothing to lose. Well, maybe you need to consider about the budget, but this is relative. If you’re renovating right before you sell your house, you may want to keep your costs low. If you want to stay long enough, then it will be ok if you want to spend a bit more on the renovation.

When you already have a plan on renovating your bathroom, first thing to do is do some research. You may easily browse on the Internet for bathroom design ideas and products available on the market. With the result of your search, you can arrange the budget.
Many people decide to make their bathroom look luxurious because they want to make it as a special private getaway. Maybe you want to re-paint the walls, replace the outdated and broken vanity of yours or put a shower; just adjust it with your budget plan. To avoid over-budget, use quality products for main elements, such as vanity, toilet, shower or bathtub. You’d better invest in quality products from quality brands, like vanities and bathroom accessories from Fairmont designs. Remember, good quality products will last. Also choose toilet, which has features that ensures comfort. You can choose from wide range of models from famous brands, like Toto toilets, which is well known as an expert in bathroom toilets and bidets. While for other elements like walls and tiles, you can keep the old ones if they are still in good condition. You may put accessories depends on your creativity, like a jar of sands or shells, or an artistic clear pot with fresh flowers in it to add more look.

And now, how about renovating your kitchen?
You may not need to do full renovation for it. You may give it just a face lift by replacing just a few parts of your kitchen and re-paint the walls.
Use high quality products for the hardware, because the kitchen is a place where you do many kinds of daily activities. You don’t want to have a nice looking kitchen with bad quality fixtures or faucets that need to be repaired from time to time. Again, investing in high quality products is a wise thing to do. Look for high quality products from trusted brands, like faucets and fixtures by Blanco sinks.

So, renovating your bathroom and kitchen will always be satisfying and rewarding; whether you might have plan to sell it in the future or you want to stay in, renovating will add value to your home. Plan the budget carefully and wisely, and invest in high quality products so that renovating will be a cost-effective solution.

6 Important Things To Consider When Designing Your Bedroom

2008-06-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

The bedroom is one of the most important rooms in our house. In designing our bedroom, we try to make it to become as comfortable as possible. Because we all need to have a good rest so we can do all of our activities on the next day with fresh body and mind.

Here are several things to concern when designing and decorating a bedroom:
1. Pay attention to safety. Use high quality fire-resistant Mattresses for every bedroom in your house (including your children’s) for best protection. In fact, use fire-resistant fabrics for every element in the bedroom when possible.

2. Use high quality Mattress that is not beautifully designed only, but also can give you healthy and nice sleeps. The Mattress should support your body well in accordance with your body weight (can be different for each person). This is important to avoid you from having a back pain. You can choose Mattresses and bedding accessories from trusted brands and match with your needs.

3. Use soft lighting to achieve a nice, comfortable and relaxing ambience. You may want to put a reading lamp beside your bed so you can still read your favorite novel clearly before going to bed. For extra comfort, you can also use remote control dimmer lamp so you can set different light settings for different moods.

4. Use the most comfortable colors for the walls. This can be very personal since the favorite color and the effects to a person might be different to another person. You can use light lemon yellow to give you a fresh feel when waking up in the morning, or fresh apple green to give you a feel of sleeping in an open meadow, or even warm red to give you an exotic and romantic ambiance. It’s all up to you. Unless you have much extra time to re-paint your bedroom walls, use the color that you’re most comfortable with and won’t get bored easily. Remember, you will spend most of your time in your bedroom.

5. Beside paying attention to the artistic elements, you need to make your bedroom a healthy place to rest. Maintain a ‘healthy’ temperature in your bedroom (the ideal temperature for sleeping is 65 degrees Fahrenheit). Also keep the air circulation well and keep the humidity in an ideal level.

6. Minimalist style is relatively suitable for bedroom design. With minimal items of decoration you won’t need much effort to keep it tidy.(Most of the time, when getting home from your tiring routine activities, you will find yourself too tired to clean up and just want to sleep immediately).

Black & Decker 18-Volt Cordless Electric Lawncare Center #CCC3000

2008-06-05T01:53:00.000-07:00

Technical Details
* 18-volt cordless lawn care tool collection
* 12-inch string trimmer/edger, 22-inch hedge-trimmer, broom hard surface sweeper
* Durable, lightweight plastic shells
* Includes trimmer, hedge-trimmer, sweeper, 3 Ni-Cad batteries, 3-port charger, wall-mount
* Sweeper 5-1/2 pounds; trimmer/edger 7 pounds; hedge trimmer 6.4 pounds; 2-year warranty

Product Description
The Black & Decker 18-Volt cordless lawn care center includes the NST2018 Grasshog 12-inch, 18-volt string trimmer/edger, the NHT518 Hedgehog 18-volt hedge trimmer, and the NS118 18-volt Cordless Broom hard-surface sweeper. The set comes with a mountable storage station that easily stores all three tools. The battery charger can also be easily wall mounted close to an electrical outlet and can charge all three of the included batteries at the same time. All three tools use the same 18-volt batteries which can also be used with many other Black & Decker 18-volt products. In addition to the trimmer/edger, hedge trimmer, and hard-surface sweeper, the kit includes three 18-volt batteries, a three-port charger, the storage station, and all wall-mounting hardware. A 30-day no-risk satisfaction guarantee and full two-year warranty are provided.

Black & Decker NST2018 Grasshog 12", 18-Volt Cordless String Trimmer/Edger
FEATURES

* 12" cut path cuts more area per charge than other cordless trimmers
* AFS system uses centrifugal force to automatically advance line when needed
* Groom 'N' Edge
* Cordless electric trimmer provides hassle free trigger starting
* Adjustable auxiliary handle adjusts to user's height
* Two 18-volt NiCad battery packs provides plenty of run-time per charge
* Telescoping shaft adjusts for perfect length
* Lightweight design makes it easy to use by most everyone

SPECIFICATIONS
* Volts: 18
* RPM: 6800
* Cutting path 12"
* Line diameter .065"
* Weight: 6.5 lbs
* Feed system: AFS

Black & Decker NHT518 Hedgehog 22", 18-Volt Cordless Dual-Action Hedge Trimmer
FEATURES

* Powerful 18-volt rechargeable battery delivers more power and longer run-time
* Extended 22" blade provides a smooth and level cut
* 50 minute run-time trims up to 1200 sq. ft. per charge
* Low vibration, dual-action blades improve comfort and reduce fatigue
* Full two year warranty

SPECIFICATIONS
* Volts: 18 Blade length: 22"
* Cutting strokes/min: 2800
* Max. cutting capacity: 7/16"
* Weight: 6.4 lbs

Black & Decker NS118 18-Volt Cordless Broom Hard Surface Sweeper
FEATURES

* Efficient design easily clears debris from hard surfaces like patios, decks, walks, drives, and garages
* Three 18-volt rechargeable NiCad battery packs provide plenty of run-time for most clean-up tasks
* Lightweight design makes it easy to use and maintain
* Large switch for easy on/off
* Low-noise design
* Not recommended for use in grass or flower beds

SPECIFICATIONS
* Volts: 18
* Air speed: 120 mph (max)
* Weight: 5.5 lbs

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Kitchen Design Idea: French Country Kitchen Style

2008-05-21T02:47:00.000-07:00

CHARACTERISTICS
French Country kitchens are as beautiful as they are functional. In the old days of French culture, kitchen has been a place to gathering friends and family together for good food and great conversation.

French country kitchen design conjures up images of the Provence and the French countryside with it's pastoral settings, lavender fields and rustic French farmhouses. The French country kitchen represents country living that is uniquely French. In designing your French country kitchen design you discover that French country look is always very rustic, old and warm.

The characteristic of French style kitchen is the chose of natural elements, from colors to materials of the interior, from decoration to dining ware.

COLOR
For the color scheme, the palette consists of sunny yellow and soft gold, burnt rust, bright grass green and dark hunter green, cobalt blue and soft ocean tones.
You can easily get inspiration and reference by looking at paintings made by famous French impressionists like Monet, Renoir, or Manet.

Cabinets can be painted a glossy white to brighten light-filled spaces in the kitchen or they can be left as natural wood. These colors can provide a light, airy feel so you do not want to use strong colors here. In fabrics such as curtains and seat cushions you might also add paisley, stripes and floral prints to your French Country Kitchen theme.

Consider shades of red in coordinating your French Country style, such as dark red, apple red or earthen red. You can use this color on the wall to give more warm feeling or as accent on terra cotta pottery pieces or dining ware.

FURNITURE AND DECORATION
You can decorate in the style of the French country kitchen design by using vivid colors - poppy red, sunflower yellow, bright blue, meadow green, and sunset purple. Your walls and cabinets and large furniture can be painted in off white, ivory, light beige, and taupe.

There are many elements that go into the French country kitchen including the use of large pieces of furniture made mainly of light colored woods and can be decorated with ornate carving.

The usage of natural materials are an important element in walls, cabinetry and furniture that is used in the design of French country kitchens. Natural materials can be used on walls and beamed ceilings, and can be rough stained or painted plaster, or wood painted in colors.

Floors can be made of stone or brick and covered with wool or cotton rugs, a fireplace made of stone with a heavy beam that can serve as a mantel, and wooden shutters as window coverings. Furniture and cabinets can have a rustic or even a distressed look. Countertops can be done in ceramic tile with tile backsplashes.

In French country kitchen design you will find that tile, rustic urns, hand-painted European ceramics and pottery accents are used extensively. Ceramic tiles and terra cotta pottery pieces are used wherever possible. You can also add copper pots, wrought iron or brass wine rack or hanging pot rack.
To make a dramatic statement of warm French look, you can add more elements to the decoration by displaying olive oils, spices, vinegars, sauces, salad dressings and herbs in country French theme gourmet bottles. You can also display French country style trays and trivets, French wines, copper containers and French theme food canisters and have them handy for use.

Star Wars Lightsaber Duel Twin Comforter and Sheet Set

2007-11-25T09:17:00.000-08:00

Product Features

* Star Wars-themed comforter and sheet set for Twin beds
* Photo-realistic print replicates climactic duel between Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi
* Includes a fitted sheet, flat sheet, and pillowcase
* Made from 70 percent polyester, 30 percent cotton
* Machine washable and dryable

See all product description.

Product Description

It's time to refresh those threadbare Star Wars-themed linens purchased sometime circa the release of the original movie. Old-school collectors and young fans alike will want to decorate their bedrooms with this comforter and sheet set, which bear a fresh design in honor of the May 2005 release of the third and final chapter in the Star Wars trilogy, Revenge of the Sith. Sized for a twin bed, the set includes a 62-by-86-inch comforter, one fitted sheet, one flat sheet, and a standard pillowcase. All bedding components are sewn from 70-percent polyester/30-percent cotton fabric and stuffed with polyester fill.

On the main side of the comforter, the first and infamous lightsaber duel between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi is captured in a full-length image on a blue background, reminding young Jedi that one can never underestimate the power of the Force. The Star Wars logo in blue and white looms along the bottom while the comforter's side panels and reverse side are covered in blue fabric emblazoned with the word "Jedi" in turquoise blue lettering. The pillowcase features the same duel in turquoise and black silhouette on royal blue. Matching royal blue sheets are peppered with badge-style emblems of a Jedi Starfighters, the Jedi logo, and a lightsaber shield. A whole host of matching bedroom components, from pillows to curtains, is available to deck out the entire bedroom in tribute to the Jedi masters. All bedding is machine-washable and dryer-safe. --Cristina Vaamonde

For Your Home Decoration: Wood Model Schooner On Base

2007-11-25T00:24:00.000-08:00

Assembled from wood, this beautiful model schooner will speak to the mariner in all of us. It comes mounted on its own base. 20 1/2" x 5" x 18 1/2" high.

Here at captronsmercantile.com you can find large inventory of home decor and gift products which includes Nautical and American flag patriotic decoration; Clocks, and wall hangings; oil warmers, lamps, candles, and wall mirrors. Garden items include birdhouses, statues, and water fountains. Wholesale sale available for Business Owners.

Celebrate the eight-day festival of Hanukkah

2007-11-24T22:26:00.000-08:00

Product Description

Celebrate the eight-day festival of Hanukkah with the newest edition to the Judaica line by Marilyn Davidson the Menorah. This robust commemorative piece in signature metal holds the traditional nine candles (8 for the eight days that the original oil miraculously burned and another, the shammus, used to light each candle after reciting the day's blessing) and will bring light, honor, and grace to any room. Because this handcrafted piece is imminently beautiful and useful, you might want it to be the centerpiece for your table all year long. Hold candles that are 3/8" in diameter.

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Product Features

* Nambé 12-1/2-inch x 7-1/2-inch Menorah
* Hand-polished out of Nambe's alloy
* Design by Marilyn Davidson
* Nambé is featured in the MOMA and 23 museums worldwide
* Nambé metal will not crack, chip, or tarnish

Black Friday Deals

2007-11-18T21:43:00.000-08:00

Black Friday' is the day after Thanksgiving and is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season in the United States. Since Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States, Black Friday may be as early as the 23rd and as late as the 29th day of November. Retailers often decorate for the Christmas season weeks beforehand. Many retailers open very early (typically 5 A.M.) and offer doorbuster deals and loss leaders to draw people to their stores. Although Black Friday, as the first shopping day after Thanksgiving, has served as the unofficial beginning of the Christmas season at least since the start of the modern Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924, the term "Black Friday" has been traced back only to the 1970s. "Black Friday" was originally so named because of the heavy traffic on that day, although most contemporary uses of the term refer instead to it as the beginning of the period in which retailers are in the black (i.e., turning a profit).

On this Black Friday, Amazon.com won't have a cold, dark parking lot to line up in, but they will have a bunch of great deals to help you get holiday shopping done for less. This year they've created a Black Friday page for holiday shoppers at www.amazon.com/blackfriday . Amazon.com will be offering hourly deals from 6am to 6pm PST along with thousands of products on sale for a limited time. Also, customers will get gift wrapping for $.99 per item. So, this year you shouldn’t fight the crowds when You can shop online at Amazon.com from the comfort of your own homes. Shop Black Friday deals on cookware, sporting goods, apparel, tools, shoes, jewelry, and other products.

So let's go shopping on Black Friday at Amazon.com/Black friday. It's easy, and you can get what you want without waiting on the line and huge of great collections with a great deal..!

Home Decoration: Solar Power Plane Areoplane Ride Office/Home Decoration Stand Lamp

2007-11-17T23:59:00.000-08:00

Product Features

* Solar Power Plane
* Elegant Lamp and decoration on your home/office
* Fine mechanical movement
* 10"n H x 9" W

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Product Details

Product Description
Solar power plane rider can be one of the decoration on your desk now. It comes with the power cord to lit the lamp and it can drive the planes keep riding in motion. A very cool lamp product.

Mexican Arts for Your Home Decoration

2007-11-16T21:44:00.000-08:00

Mexican arts has been well known for its handwork for indoor and outdoor decoration. From chimneys, candle holder, rustic decoration, pots, to BBQ grill. Very suitable for those who love traditional look for their homes.
This is an interesting site that offer ranges artistic traditional Mexican decoration.

Denali 115-Piece Home Repair Tool Kit

2007-11-10T23:08:00.000-08:00

Technical Details

* Broad assortment of hand tools and accessories makes this a great general purpose kit for the home or shop
* Quality hand tools with professional features meeting ANSI standards
* Bit sets allow for drilling into metal, wood and concrete
* Packed in large durable nylon bag for easy and flexible storage
* Perfect for the home, shop, apartment, condo or RV

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Product Description

Every home needs a good set of basic tools, and kits are a great way to get them at a considerable savings. Three things make Denali’s 115-piece kit stand out—the price, an exceptional selection of screwdriver bits, and last but not least, the bag. In fact, it’s hard to find a set of tools as extensive as this for anywhere near this price. If purchased separately, these items would cost $150.00

This kit includes all of the tools you need for just about any household chore, from hanging pictures to fixing a leaky faucet. They are of good quality and should handle all of your household chores and repairs for many years to come. Going through this kit, I really appreciated little touches rarely seen in basic tool sets, like the soft-grip rubber cover on the tape measure that makes it easy and comfortable to hold, and the dizzying array of bits that come with the ratcheting screwdriver handle.

But what’s really brilliant is that all of these tools come in a heavy-duty nylon bag. Most tool sets come in big, flat blow-molded cases that can be awkward to store and carry. Plus, some tools invariably fall out when you open the case. That’s why most professionals, after buying a tool set, will throw away the case it came in and go out and buy a separate tool bag or chest to store their tools. The Denali kit’s bag fits easily under a sink cabinet (it actually is the size of a breadbox), and has both a shoulder strap and hand-straps that Velcro together, making it easy to carry around. The mouth of the bag has metal stabilizing rods in the zipper, so it opens wide and stays open, meaning you can set it down, and easily get to any of the tools inside while you are working. There are a ton of pockets lining the inside and outside of the bag to carry little things like nails, screws, tape, picture hangers—all of the little things that seem to crowd your kitchen drawers.

Of course, what are most important are the tools themselves. Again, this is a well-appointed set of quality tools that should outfit you for just about any household need. Here is a complete tally.

What’s In The Bag
16-ounce ripping hammer with heavy duty fiberglass handle
This is a medium-weight hammer that will handle most household jobs, with claws for pulling nails.

Torpedo Level
A good sturdy level is a must for hanging or straightening pictures, checking tabletop alignment, or mounting towel bars and curtain rods. This 9-inch, aluminum model is accurate, lightweight and easy to handle.

Tape measure
The 3/4-inch wide by 16-foot long tape measure has a thumb lock, metric and English markings, marks for placing studs every 16-inches, a belt clip, and a soft-grip rubber shell that makes it easy to grip and comfortable to hold.

Heavy-duty zinc utility knife with rubber grip

Wrenches

* 16pc hex key set
These are also called Allen wrenches. The kit comes with 8 in metric and 8 in English measurements.
* 6-piece combination wrench set with steel clip

Pliers

* 8-inch needle- nose pliers with wire-cutting blades, useful for getting into small spaces and gripping small nails, screws, nuts, etc. (meets or exceeds ANSI standards)
* 8-inch diagonal pliers (meets or exceeds ANSI standards)
* 8-inch groove-joint pliers(meets or exceeds ANSI standards)
* 7-inch nickel-coated locking pliers are essential for getting a good, solid grip, especially when working in small spaces that don’t allow you to grip with your full strength.
* wire cutters

Screwdrivers
Wow, you’d never imagine needing a star-drive screwdriver, until you buy that fancy new European dishwasher. Denali’s kit includes a ratcheting handle with a selection of interchangeable bits to provide an exceptional array of screwdrivers in all sizes and head shapes. The ratcheting handle is a nice feature, making it a lot easier to drive screws that are upside down or in tough to see places, where you really don’t want release pressure on the screwdriver handle to keep turning it.

* 14 flat head: 4, 5, 6, and 7 mm and 3/32-, 1/8-, 5/32-, 3/16- (x3), 7/32-, and 1/4- (x3) inch
* 9 Phillips head: 1x2, 2x5, and 3x2
* 3 square head: S1, S2, and S3
* 10 star head: T6, T7, T8, T10, T15, T20, T25, T27, T30, and T40
* 10 hex: 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 mm and 1/8-, 5/32-, 3/16-, 7/32-, and 1/4-inch
* 4 Pozidriv: PZ0, PZ1, PZ2, and PZ3
Poszidriv screws are similar to Phillips head screws, but are less prone to slippage at high torque and so provide better performance when working with air and power tools. Note that Pozidriv screwdrivers are likely to slip or tear out the screw head when used in Phillips screws.
* 14 nut drivers

Drill Bits
This is interesting, since the kit doesn’t come with a drill. The manufacturers apparently assume that either you have a cordless drill and will appreciate a couple of good bit sets, or that if you don’t have one, you should get one. They’re right. If you don’t have a good, basic, cordless drill, you’ll appreciate it when you do. Check out Amazon's selection of cordless drills.

* 13-piece titanium-coated high-speed steel with steel case: 1/4-, 15/64-, 7/32-, 13/64-, 3/16-, 11/64-, 5/32-, 9/64-, 1/8-. 7/64-, 3/32-, 5/64-, and 1/16-inch
* 50-piece chrome vanadium steel 1-inch screwdriver bit set can be used with either a cordless drill or the ratcheting screwdriver included in this kit.
* 5-piece masonry bit set with steel case: 5/32-, 3/16-, 1/4-, 5/16-, and 3/8-inch

Your Home A Living Canvas: Create Stunning Faux Finishes & Murals with Paint (Hardcover)

2007-11-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

Editorial Reviews

Book Description
Uncover the glory in your home! Use paint to create inspired living spaces that reflect your style and your home's character.

Once upon a time, there was a sad little Victorian house on the corner, abandoned by its previous owners and abused by time. Your Home, A Living Canvas is the Cinderella story of that house and its transformation into a charming, historic home, thanks to the loving care of acclaimed decorative artisan, Curtis L. Heuser.

From the grand staircase to the cozy third-floor master suite, this book takes you along on the complete floor-to-ceiling, room-by-room makeover. You'll learn about the design concepts and inspirations for each space, along with real-world how-to's behind the wall treatments, ceiling features, architectural highlights, and other exquisite details.

* A series of 25+ step-by-step demonstrations show how Heuser used murals, trompe l'oeil and faux finishes to blend old with new, reclaiming the spirit of the house's former glory, while incorporating unique personal touches.
* Covers a range of decorative styles, from the exotic crackle-finish bookcases in the study, to the Italian country villa-inspired kitchen, to a sophisticated dining room that embodies the Old World ambiance of classic European interiors.
* Offers a wealth of expert decorating advice on using color to evoke mood, displaying your collections, mixing and matching eclectic furnishings, and more.

Whether you're interested in a simple faux finish technique or are dedicated to preserving the architecture and charm of your own historic dwelling, this book will help you create a living environment rich in color, texture and atmosphere ... a place called "home."

About the Author
Curtis Heuser is one of the midwest's premiere Decorative Artisans, celebrating 20 years in business with the release of this much anticipated book. He is an expert in custom paint finishes, specializing in fine mural and trompe l'oeil techniques. His finely detailed work has been featured nationally on Around the House and HGTV's Before & After Show. Curtis has transformed fine interiors from across the country, finally turning his talents to the biggest challenge of all: refurbishing his own historical treasure, located in Newport, Kentucky. His efforts earned him the City of Newport's "Excellence in Historic Preservation Award" in 2005. The private residence has been spotlighted on several public home tours, including the nationally prestigious 2006 Tall Stacks Historic Home Tour, the annual Newport Victorian Christmas Tour, and the Northern Kentucky Home Builder's Remodeling Tour.

# Hardcover: 144 pages
# Publisher: North Light Books (October 24, 2007)
# Language: English

Personalized Accessories for Your Home

2007-10-27T23:39:00.000-07:00

Need something special for your house? Something unique? Something personalized? Or maybe need a personalized housewarming gift to give to your friends or relatives? Then maybe you can think of something for their homes. Personalized doormat is something that everyone would love for their homes. At www.rolandsgifts.com you can find so many models and fabrics from a variety of manufacturers. Browse through our selection of personalized Coir doormats, Olefin doormats, Vulcanized rubber doormats, Vinyl-backed coir doormats, Cedar door mats and Aluminum doormats. Also check out our selection of personalized Slate Boot Mats - a nice place to leaves your dirty shoes when you enter the house.

Or perhaps a custom address plaque? It can make a very nice present for your friends and can be very nice for your home too. Personalized address plaques can include such options as color, font, size, mounting and design. They are available in ceramics, metals or cement. They also offer personalized concrete plaques and address boulders. All these surely would add beauty and personal touch to your house.
But not only house signs, here at www.rolandsgifts.com they also offer personalized planters and crocks, personalized mailboxes, personalized cookie jars & monogrammed crystal, personalized decorative slates, birdhouses and personalized change of address and more unique gifts. They are available in a variety of colors, sizes and designs. They will absolutely make a special housewarming gift.

7pc Traditional Style Brown Finish Dining Table & Chair Set

2007-10-27T22:43:00.000-07:00

See Product Details

Product Description
7pc Traditional Style Brown Finish Dining Table & Chair Set
* You will receive a total of 1 table and 6 chairs
* Dining Table: 60-74"L 42"W 30"H
* Side Chair: 21"W 21"D 40"H
* Arm Chair: 23"W 21"D 40"H
* Finish: Medium Brown
* Material: Wood
* 7pc Traditional Style Brown Finish Dining Table & Chair Set
* Features a generously sized 14" extension leaf
* Seat cushions made of a durable yet comfortable cotton/polyester blend
* Matching mirror and server/side board sold separately
* Assembly Required

Bathroom Design

2007-08-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

As for everyone, bathroom is part of the house where you need to feel most comfort and private, beside your bedroom.

Bathroom is a place to drain out all your weariness and stress after all the activities you have experienced all day. That’s why it is very important to obtain a clean, elegant, luxurious and comfortable bathroom with proper hardware and accessories choice.

Here, at Taps4less.com you can find all hardware and accessories for your bathroom. Starting from shower enclosures, showers, electric showers, shower valve, bathroom electrical, tiles, taps, bathroom accessories, bathroom suites, bathroom furniture, bathroom cabinets, baths, bath tubs, to heated towel rails, you name it.
The price shown includes delivery. VAT will be added to your shopping cart. There are no extra charges. All orders include free delivery to any mainland UK address.

The key to a perfect bathroom interior design is, once again, a luxurious and personal touch. Taps4less.com has wide range of selections, so you will be able to choose and match them with your taste and need. For example, their selections of taps are divided into seven kind of taps: Designer, Minimalist, Modern, Wall Mounted, Classic, Traditional and Specialist. And there are hundreds of them! You will see that with just fitting a new set of taps to your bath and basin can make an incredible difference to your bathroom!

Blinds for Your Home and Office Interior

2007-08-05T00:24:00.000-07:00

Blinds is one of must-haves interior component, whether it is for office or home. It has the same function as curtains, which is to block some extra sunlight or just to give a bit shade to your interior, also to avoid exposing the interior and the activities inside to the outsiders.

But, different from curtains, blinds is much easier to maintain. And it gives a touch of simplicity, very suitable for modern and contemporary look interior.

Wood blind would be nice. It gives natural cozy mood and a touch of oriental style to the room interior. But a fabric sheer window shading goes with every style of home decor. So, what's the decision? Here, at http://www,guaranteeblinds.com/ you can choose from wide range of window blind & shade products.

Their most popular collections are: Cellular Shades, Wood Blinds – Faux Wood, Bella™ Roman Shades, Natural Wood and Bamboo, Wood Blinds – Real Basswood from wide range of products.

SALE: ALL VERTICALS NOW SIPPING WITH FREE MATCHING VALANCES!!!

Guaranteeblinds also gives tips and advice on window blind treatments that you might need, even give you free samples of blind and shades so you can be sure of what fabric or texture suits your interior most.

So now, once you have decided the perfect treatment for your windows, you can buy it online with no trouble at all, because Guaranteeblinds provides a very helpful measuring guide which is easy to follow. They will also give you comprehensive installation instructions if you want to hang your new blinds yourself. Have no time to do that? Guaranteeblinds offer a free professional referral service so you will have professional do all the work for you in no time.

Easy and very convenient!

Window Screening

2007-06-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

Perhaps Ogden Nash put it best: "God in His wisdom made the fly/ And then forgot to tell us why." It never fails: just when the outdoor temperatures grow pleasant enough for us to leave doors and windows open, squadrons of buzzing bugs bring on their assault. Happily, we have an effective countermeasure that allows us to maintain an open-door policy--insect screening.

Screening has come a long way from the bug barriers woven from horse hair a century ago. Following modification of textile looms in the 1920s, galvanized steel screening became common in homes. It protected doors and windows for decades but, because steel wire has a tendency to rust over time, it eventually gave way to a non-rusting alternative, aluminum.

Today, aluminum-- and newer vinyl-coated fiberglass-- are by far the most common screen materials used. Of the two, vinyl-coated fiberglass outsells aluminum 3 to 1 because it's about half the price. According to Frank Fitzgerald, Executive Vice President of the Screen Manufacturers Association, "There's not a whole lot of difference between the two. Historic preference plays a more important role than anything else in the selection. In certain parts of the country more people buy fiberglass, in other places it's aluminum."

Aluminum window screens
Aluminum screening is a rugged, metal mesh. To make the fabric, a 3/8-inch-diameter aluminum rod is drawn out to a .011 mil (inch) wire. The manufacturer winds this wire on a master bobbin, loads the bobbin onto a modified loom and starts the machine weaving.

Once the screen fabric is woven, it's given a finish. Aluminum screen fabric typically comes in three colors: black, dark gray and bright aluminum. Black is least noticeable from inside the house (the darker the color, the better the outward visibility in most cases, because darker colors have less light reflectance and glare). Dark gray is made to complement painted window and frame systems. Although bright aluminum looks like raw aluminum, it has a clear coating that helps maintain the material's sheen.

Aluminum window screening is made as an "18 x 16" mesh. This simply means that there are 18 horizontal and 16 vertical "yarns" (or wires) per square inch. This type of screening is typically available in do-it-yourself rolls that are 7 or 25 feet long and 24, 28, 30, 32, 36 and 48 inches wide. Longer 100-foot rolls are available in additional widths, including 18, 20, 22, 26, 34, 42, 54, 70 and 72 inches. Price runs in the area of 30 to 35 cents per square foot.

Vinyl-coated fiberglass window screens
Vinyl-coated fiberglass, the most popular screen fabric material in use, doesn't corrode, rust or stain but it will stretch and tears more easily than aluminum. Charlie Brakefield, Corporate Sales Market Manger at Phifer Wire Products, the country's largest screen manufacturer, explains, "We start with raw spun-glass filament and apply a vinyl (PVC) coating, producing remarkably strong single strands that are typically .011 mil for window screening or .013 mil for pool enclosures, patio rooms and some door screening." This is available in silver gray, dark gray and aquamarine; silver gray and dark gray are the most popular.

In addition to the conventional 18 x 16 mesh, you can buy 18 x 14 for pool enclosures, porches and the like--these generally utilize slightly larger strands. You can even buy 20 x 20 mesh, a very tight weave that stops tiny insects such as no-see-ums. "It cuts down on light transmission and breezes, so you may not want to use it unless you live in Guam," jokes Frank Fitzgerald.

Solar or "sun" screen is also made from vinyl-coated fiberglass. Used for both window and door screening and patio, porch and pool enclosures, this tightly-woven material dramatically can be a real energy saver. "This is the newest thing to come along in the last ten or twelve years," says Fitzgerald. "The shading effect is about 70% but it also blocks heat gain. It's a way of reducing your air conditioning load and a way to keep furniture and carpeting from fading. In return, you give up about 30% of the light." The newest type offers a whopping 90% shading.

During the daytime, solar screen appears almost opaque from outside but offers good visibility from inside. Five colors are available: charcoal, bronze, dark bronze, silver gray or gold. Charcoal and silver gray are the most common.

Fiberglass screening is available in the same sizes as aluminum, and up to 84 inches wide. Do-it-yourself rolls of sun screening run 30 by 60 inches, 36 by 60 inches, 36 by 84 inches and 48 by 84 inches. In addition, you can buy 100-foot-long rolls in varying widths. Price runs from 15 to 25 cents per square foot.

Specialty window screening
Solar screen is also made in a white fabric that has a different type of weave where 6 horizontal strands are grouped together as bands. This 57 x 16 mesh is used primarily as an interior rollershade--it has good visibility away from the window but is a little distorted closer up because of the woven bands. A similar aluminum product, Phifer ShadeScreen, has tiny open louvers that block most direct sunlight but allow good outward visibility. This comes only in black and costs about $1.50 per square foot.

If you have pets that constantly shred your screens, look into pet screen fabric made from heavy-duty, vinyl-coated polyester. This material from Phifer is heavier than normal screening and is seven times stronger. It's sold as a do-it-yourself product in black and gray. FlexScreen(tm) from Elgar Products, Inc., is a flexible, nylon-reinforced material that will stretch without sagging. It's sold specifically for do-it-yourself patio door screen replacement and retails for about $20 to $24 for the kit.

Those who would like to screen the garage, boathouse, porch or similar large structures during bug season will like the Garage Door Screen Kit from EZ-Screen. With this system, you circle the opening with a special tape that grabs onto the vinyl-coated fiberglass screen fabric. This do-it-yourself kit is a breeze to install; it fits openings of 7 by 9 or 16 feet and custom sizes are available. Kits run from $80 to $100. (If you have two or three smaller openings, you can chop up kits to handle the various sizes.)

Screen Tight is an alternative to conventional methods used for screening porches. A patented spline system makes installing and repairing the screening relatively easy. Vinyl bases are fastened to the porch structure, then special vinyl splines lock the screening to the base and a cap covers the connection. Including screen material, Screen Tight runs about $1 per square foot of opening; the average cost per porch is $180.

You can also get screening made from bronze wire that is 90% copper and 10% zinc, but this much more expensive than aluminum. At a higher premium, you can buy copper, brass or stainless steel. All of these except brass are typically made using a .011 wire size in an 18 x 14 or 16 x 16 mesh. Brass is made with heavier wire: .018 wire in a 16 x 16 mesh. Bronze is the least expensive, at about $1 per square foot; copper and stainless are closer to $1.20. Brass is about $2.15 per square foot. When ordering specialty metals, expect a minimum order size of about $75.

When new, bronze has a golden shine. Copper, bronze and brass will eventually take on a verdigris patina; stainless steel, the strongest, stays a shiny silver. Copper, bronze and brass should not be installed in aluminum screen door frames; where the two metals touch, they will corrode.

Pella Rolscreen offers a retractable insect screen, made specifically to fit Pella's Designer Series and Architect Series rectangular casement windows. This spring-loaded shade retracts into the head of the window. It simply slides down between side mounted guides and locks at the bottom when you want a screen. Screening is vinyl-coated fiberglass; hardware is either white or champagne colored.

Phantom screens offers retractable screens for both windows and doors. The entire screen rolls back into a tubular casing at one side of the door when not in use. When open, the screen is held in place by magnetic catches. Six colors are available. Including installation, prices run from $285 for a single door to $595 for double doors (windows are custom priced). Several types of mesh are available, from insect to solar-blocking.

Common vinyl-coated fiberglass and aluminum screen fabrics for do-it-yourselfers are sold at hardware stores and home centers. To locate and hire someone else to install or repair screening, look up "Screens--Door & Window" in the Yellow Pages. Request estimates and ask to see samples of the material they will install to be sure your new screens will meet your expectations.

Window screen repairs
Over time, screens can develop holes, sag, or work loose from their frames. All of these problems can be easily solved if they have not become too severe.

With regular maintenance, your screens can last for years. Clean screens every year or so with a stiff bristle brush. If you have galvanized metal screening, apply thinned screen enamel, paint, or varnish to them and paint the frames every few years. Clean aluminum frames with aluminum polish or steel wool and coat with a paste wax.

If your screens have wood frames, reinforcing the corners with corrugated fasteners, wood screws, glued-in wood dowels, or metal reinforcing angles will extend their life. Simple glue will not work well unless you are gluing wood grain to wood grain.

If a hole or tear is large, it's better to replace the entire screen rather than try to patch the hole.

If you notice a small hole or tear in a screen, patching it before it grows larger will prevent you from having to replace it. To glue a patch over a small hole in a fiberglass screen, cut a small patch from extra screen. Use epoxy or acetone-type glue and layer the glue until the tear is filled.

For a tear in metal screen fabric, cut a patch of metal screening that is larger than the tear. Unravel the sides, bend the end wires at a right angle, and push them through, and then bend them flat to hold the patch.

You can also remove a damaged screen and take it to a glass dealer for repair. Or, you can repair it yourself--this is especially easy to do with an aluminum-frame screen. Just pry out the vinyl splines that hold the fabric (use a screwdriver or chisel) and pull out the old screen fabric. Then cut new fiberglass screen mesh large enough to extend to the outer edges of the frame and lay it over the frame. Using a convex wheel of a screen-spline roller, force the fabric into the empty channel along one side of the frame. Then lock it in place there by pushing the spline back into the channel with the concave wheel of the roller. Pull the screen fabric taught and repeat along the other sides. Finally, trim off the excess fabric, using a utility knife.

Source: hometips.com

Contemporary Home Office Furniture

2007-06-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

Most people setting up their first home office take very little time to consider how they plan and office desksetup their office might affect their business. Setting up a home office is not something to be taken lightly. It's your business premises and needs to be designed and laid out professionally - regardless of whether or not people will actually visit it, because it will help you set the mood for your office area, provide functionality and enable you to have better work environment to complete business tasks.

Above all your office workspace absolutely needs to be comfortable, accessible and practical. Whether you have an entire room for your office or just a small corner of the house or basement the information and advice on this site is going to be useful to you and hopefully save you a lot of time, money and effort in setting up your office at home.

Off course you can use just any table and any chair available around the house, but this has the double disadvantage of making you feel uncomfortable during your work and looking extremely unprofessional if a client or supplier were to visit. It also has the psychological downside that internally you're not setting up a professional working environment so you may not take your work as seriously as a consequence.

Home office space usage can be maximized by taking advantage of contemporary furniture. This type of furniture is trendy, ergonomically designed, space saving and very appealing in appearance, so you can achieve a sophisticated and professional look with it. The contemporary furniture has many selections available at reasonable prices to fit into your new business budget.

There are so many materials for contemporary furniture to select from such as stone, glass, metal and wood. For business owners that have a flair for art and creativity there is even contemporary furniture in animal impersonations and fashionable geometric shapes. Using contemporary furniture allows more liberty in setting up the home office space because designs are more compact and there are a vast array of styles and colors to make your selection.

Have you ever tried setting up a home office area with an antique desk? After putting all your equipment on the surface area, you are literally stuck with no place for all those cables, cords, power strips and plug-in items. Using contemporary furniture for desks, filing cabinets and tables will solve the problem of wires and cables. Designers have placed holes and slots in various areas to slip the cables into out of sight and off the desktop surface. Some contemporary pieces even come with a power source outlet to minimize the use of extension cords and surge protectors.

Contemporary Design Is Always In

2007-06-12T04:22:00.000-07:00

Photos of gorgeous rooms in interior decorating books look nice, but they're harder to keep up in real life. Contemporary design provides an easy, efficient way to decorate your home.

So you've got a new home - a new apartment or a new house - and you want to decorate it. There are two ways you can do this. You can hire a professional interior decorator to do the job for you, or you can do it yourself. It's really not difficult to decorate your home yourself, as long as you do it in a systematic and methodical manner.

The first thing you have to ask yourself is - to what use is the home to be put? If you're a young couple with a child or children, you have different needs than a young couple without children. Middle-aged couples will find the same. Elderly couples will have different needs entirely - and probably a lot more possessions that they'd like to display!

But there's more than decorating a house to accommodate children. If you like to entertain family, friends and your colleagues from work, you'll want to decorate the house in a different way than if you're a home body with only a few visitors.

Contemporary Design

Despite the fact that you'll want to decorate your home differently depending on whether you have children or plan to entertain a great deal, doesn't effect the style that you'll use.

The style known as Contemporary, or Modern, is appropriate for anybody at any time. This style emphasizes minimalism - no over-ornateness and no clutter. Simplicity does not equate with starkness, of course, a minimalist room can be just as cosy as a "homey" room - but there's less things to run into in a room designed in the Contemporary way.

As with any decorating style, Contemporary design deals with lighting, the walls, the floors, the windows, the furniture, and the accessories of your home. By following the general principle of minimalism for each of these, you'll achieve an overall balance that will make your new home a delight.

Lighting? Stand alone lamps in interesting modern shapes are popular. Recessed lighting gives any room a classy, modern look.

The walls? The rule of thumb for almost all styles is to keep your walls a light color - beige or white - because such colors add brightness to the room and make it appear larger, and will not detract from any wall hangings - paintings, masks, posters, etc. - you use. These paintings, masks or posters should not cover the walls as if they were thrown there. Rather, one piece per wall is generally enough. By putting too much onto the walls, you detract from the individual pieces - they disappear and are hard to notice.

Hardwood floors are popular. Wall-to-wall carpeting again should be in light-colored shades. Yes they may show the dirt if not properly cared for, but will again make the room look larger and brighter.

Frilly window treatments are out. Some experts say that lots and lots of curtain fabric gives a luxurious feel to a room, but to someone who likes the contemporary style this simply looks over-dressed.

Frilly furniture is also out. By this I mean furniture with flowery upholstery, or ornate twists and curls. Sleek, straight lines and dark upholstery - blacks or blues - are the way to go.

Accessories? Now, they're always difficult. Practically everyone collects something - from stamps to statues to glass eggs to figurines to books. And obviously if you collect something you want to display your collection. The thing is not to overdo it. As with paintings on your walls, your collection will lose its impact if too much is displayed at one time. Every few months, exchange a few pieces with some different ones for a new look.

Don't be a slave to contemporary design however - or to any design. While it's perfectly possible to decorate every room using a single, unifying style, there's no reason why you can't vary this and do one room with a Tuscan look, another with a period look, and so on. It's what you like that matters, after all.

by Adam Peters

Photo: CARTURO BEDROOM DESIGN from contemporaryfurniture

Ideas for Your Bedroom

2007-06-08T04:54:00.000-07:00

Bedroom is everyone’s most private place. That’s why we tend to give more personal touch to it. The key is: Let your ideas flow freely.

Have you heard about Hotel FOX? It’s last year’s issue, but you can still get some inspiration from these cool and artistic style for your bedroom.

The goal of the Hotel FOX was to create a hotel for the "young urban traveler“. A hotel – a meeting point for people with various backgrounds anyway – was the perfect ‚playground’ for the project. The owners of the hotel formerly known as Park Hotel in downtown Copenhagen made newly renovated white rooms available, creating space for the unusual concepts of the artists.

Twenty-one artists and artist groups from thirteen countries and five continents ventured into new terrain and created sixty-one rooms that showcased an unprecedented diversity of urban lifestyles. Inspired by the room designs young hotel business scholars worked out a service concept that through their enthusiasm and fresh ideas became a successful continuation of the artistic room designs. Here are some of them:

Andreas Mindt: Highlights
Precise and dynamic curving lines run throughout the entire room. Fine lines become large areas, then disappearing into a counter curve. It is reminiscent of the psychedelic wallpapers of the 70s or modern “tribal tattoos”.

Vehicle details are only discovered at second glance – tail lights, wheel arches, wheel housing are visible. Sharp contrasts are mirrored in the surface of the body, therefore highlighting the reflections which appear on the car. The flow of these highlights is a benchmark for the design quality.

The type of representation is typical of computer programs that are used to analyze the vehicle shape. It was used here to develop a seemingly two dimensional graphic of the VW Fox which then allows the third dimension to appear on closer view.

The oversized representation of the highlights opens up new ways to access the vehicle design and shows the love of detail behind the VW Fox.

Benjamin Güdel: Geissenpeter
Wonder. Being Swiss, Güdel decided to use the ultimate kitsch literary theme for his rooms: The story of Heidi by Johanna Spyri. “If you come from Switzerland, like me, you always have at least one grandfather who was a farmer...” he says. “Heidi was awakened early the next morning by a loud whistle; the sun was shining through the round window and falling in golden rays on her bed and on the large heap of hay, and as she opened her eyes everything in the loft seemed to gleam with gold.” Johanna Spyri.

WK-Interact: Ecstasy
Spacing out. Interact describes his room designs as being “like a flip book in motion”. He was interested in “feeling the space” rather than just coming up with paintings for the walls. “…And heavy-hooded eyes inside her black hair / Shined at me from the depths of her hair deepest black / While my fingers pushed into her straight black hair / Pulling her black hair back from her happy heart-shaped face…” Nick Cave.

Hort: Cultivated Nature Is More Fun
Boxed in. Hort see creating a hotel room as a responsibility: “Someone is going to live in this room for a while, they are going to breathe the atmosphere more intensely than someone just visiting like at an exhibition. This is an artificial world that will surround the hotel guest from top to bottom. This room is something that can be visited again and again – like a children’s book. There are lots of little stories in the landscape waiting to be discovered.”

Container: Clubs - The Secret Palace
Feeling special. Container came up with a royal theme for their four rooms “to emphasise the feeling of being special that one gets when one stays in a hotel.” They also based their rooms on the four suites in a pack of cards. Room 309 is clubs: “FOXy deep red paints and fabrics mixed with a dark and sultry palette makes this a seductive and sophisticated room. It is designed to intoxicate and relax – like a nightclub with beautiful sexy princess women, party-divas, and men who look like clowns.”

Birgit Amadori: King's Court 1
Space. Amadori is currently very interested in myths, legends, and mystical symbols and wanted to create magical rooms (in the traditional sense) full of life and a rich diversity: “You are invited to spend a night at the King's Court. The King and Queen have gathered their magicians, jesters, fortune-tellers and other mystical courtiers to greet you. Blue represents the King's Court and is associated with trust, loyalty and honesty. Also it is the colour of the sky and the deep sea, which suggest infinite freedom.”

Birgit Amadori: King’s Forest
Space. Amadori is currently very interested in myths, legends, and mystical symbols and wanted to create magical rooms - in the traditional sense - full of life and a rich diversity: “The forest is populated with beings beyond your imagination but the FOX, traditionally known as the traveller between worlds, will be there to guide you. King’s Forest is a place of spiritual freedom, and also a place to gather energy. Take a stroll through King’s Forest and see what secrets are hidden behind its trees.”

Kinpro: Mori
Travelling imagination. Chisato’s inspiration came from her homeland of Hokkaido in the north of Japan: “There is a lot of nature and countryside there. There are four distinct seasons to the year and there is a lot of snow in winter. – ‘Mori’ means forest in Japanese. My imagination spends a lot of time in the forest because I have lived near one at the foot of a mountain since I was a child.”

Pandarosa: Supernova
Organic ideas. Pandarosa’s room concept “was inspired by projections and the way they curve around and engulf their projected surfaces” as well as “the places, food, history, people, weather, emotions and feelings we have experienced during our journeys.” The Supanova room is intended to be: “A blossoming explosion of life that expands throughout the entire room, reaching all within and creating an organic mood within an urban space.”

E-Types: Complexity-Reliability
Form and function. E-Types are also conscious of their pedagogic duties and hope that a stay in their rooms will make their guests think and reflect upon the different issues embedded in the design. “The old rule of thumb does still exist: Never trust statistics with unnamed sources. Strive to create your own understanding of the data, and question causalities. Design is, and will always be a content-driven business… We’re all in the business of making sense.”

Knowing More About Metal Roof

2007-06-05T04:35:00.000-07:00

Metal roofing systems can be fabricated in a factory and delivered directly to a job ready for installation or you can have the panels made right on the job so you can cut and shape each piece precisely and as you desire.

The natural properties of a metal roof are very impressive. Metal panels are durable and long lasting as well as virtually maintenance free. They offer tons of remodeling benefits like the ability to be installed over almost any type of existing roof system and the wide array of color options and styles that can be used to match any home style.

Standing seam metal roofs have become popular in parts of the country that present harsh weather conditions such as the Deep South, where conditions are hot and humid for many months of the year. They are also admired by northerners because of their ability to withstand heavy snow and wind loads.

Some of the other advantages of significant value are the fire resistant properties and the universal styling that enables blending to almost any home's design. Metal roofs offer what many believe to be the perfect styles for upscale homes as well as homes of lesser value, such as mobile homes. The most popular of any style is the standing seam metal roof, which has been used throughout the world on almost every type of home imaginable.

A standing seam roof is constructed of many interlocking panels that run vertically from the roof's ridge (the top of the roof) to the eave. The interlocking seam where two panels join together is raised above the roof's flat surface, allowing water to run off without seeping between panels.

Standing seam roofs come in many shapes and sizes. In some instances, the vertical panels are cut to length at a factory and delivered to the job site. Metal panels can also be made at the job using portable metal fabrication equipment. Other options include standing seam "shingles" that arrive prepackaged (typically in three to five-foot lengths) and are installed in a staggered pattern for visual effect.

Two types of methods are commonly used to secure the panels to the roof sheathing. Hidden fasteners are secured to the raised portion of each panel, and subsequently covered by the next adjoining panel during installation. The second (and less costly) method utilizes exposed fasteners that are driven through each metal panel into the roof sheathing.

Now we can discuss how standing seam metal roofs are constructed. Let's assume the metal roof panels are going to be formed on the jobsite instead of in a metal fabricators shop or factory.

The metal roof panels are made individually to accommodate the required length. This reduces jobsite waste, as short and long panels can be cut to the appropriate length. To form the interlocking panes, a metal fabrication machine called a brake is used to shape metal into various designs.

A sharp-toothed hydraulic shear cuts each panel to the appropriate length without damaging the panel ends. Although some hand trimming is involved, the panels are formed and cut to length and ready to install in just a few minutes.

Each part of the metal roof system is installed in a certain order which creates a water resistant seal. First, roofing paper is installed over the roof sheathing. Next, the roof's valleys (formed where two roof sections meet at an angle) are covered. A preformed ridge cap covers the roof's peak. Every vertical roof panel is fastened and adjoined to the ridge vent for a consistent look.

Each roof panel that runs from ridge to eave tucks neatly into the ridge vent. Clips secure each panel to the roof sheathing. Using hidden fasteners creates a more polished look once the job is completed. The next adjoining panel will cover the clips that secure each panel (left). The raised seams formed by the panel ends are crimped together to form a watertight seal.

Adjoining roof panels are crimped to one another to cover the clips. Each panel hides the clips that secure the adjacent panel to the roof sheathing. By completely covering the fasteners, they are not exposed to the elements, reducing the possibility of water damaging the roof sheathing or the structural system below.

The final results: Ridge cap, valleys and vertical sections all come together to form a watertight seal against the elements. A properly installed metal roof can go many years with little or no maintenance.

By: Shane Hester

Decorating Your Living Room

2007-05-30T23:27:00.000-07:00

There are many ways to decorate your living room. As this is usually the room where a family entertains guests and spends time together, much thought usually goes into the design. Sometimes, however, inspiration is hard to come by. Here are a few living room decorating ideas to help get your creative juices flowing.

1. Determine your design style. Look through home decorating magazines and see what you like. You may have thought that you were a country gal, but find yourself drawn to the clean lines of a modern design. Even if you like both styles, you can mix them to create a style that is your own. You can choose country items that have a more modern edge, and modern design pieces with country flair. This way you can achieve a look that you love without settling on one style.

2. One living room decorating idea that is sure to spice up your space is to choose a bold wall color. Many people shy away from saturated colors, but these are the very hues that can make a dramatic statement about your personality. If you do not want to paint all of the walls in your living room a bold color, you can paint an accent wall. These walls are great to make an impression without overwhelming the room. You can then use accessories to tie the color into the rest of the room.

3. Updating your window treatments will also go a long way towards improving the atmosphere. Choose drapes or curtains that compliment the design style you have chosen for the rest of your room. Using rich looking fabrics on the windows will add a feeling of luxury to your room, and help to bring all of your living room decorating ideas together.

4. Another key element in living room decorating ideas is lighting. Make sure your lighting is adequate, but not overpowering. Don�t use florescent lights as they are very harsh, and a living room is all about mood. Use an updated overhead fixture to provide general light, and a few lamps around the room for task lighting. Another lighting aspect that is often overlooked is the use of candles. Not only are they decorative, but they provide mood lighting as well. You can get candles and holders in all different colors and sizes to help achieve your living room decorating ideas.

5. One thing not to neglect is putting art on your walls. This helps to bring the room together and adds a personal touch. You can choose painted canvases that can look great all on their own, or a framed print in shades that compliment your color scheme. Another great wall art idea is photographs. These can be family pictures or perhaps a black and white landscape or city sky line. The key here is not to overdo it. Keep it simple and uncrowded. If your walls are too busy, it will detract from the overall atmosphere you are working to create.

Once you get started, your living room decorating ideas will flow. Begin by determining your style, and then go on a hunt for the perfect things with which to fill your home. It will be fun and the end result will be something you can regard with pride.

by Lee Dobbins

Tips on Choosing Your Summer Outdoor Furniture

2007-05-29T03:59:00.000-07:00

Choosing aluminum furniture:
In selecting aluminium outdoor furniture, check the frame structure for its thickness (about 1.4mm) and resistance to breakage by carefully examining the quality of the welding and the smooth finish. Aluminium furniture that is made with powder coating process, which is UV resistant coating, can protect the product from the sun. This means your aluminium setting will resist fading and color degradation (inferior quality looks like a water mark when damaged from the sun) for many more years than inferior quality furniture built to a budget price.

Tips of Maintenance:
There is likely no special treatment needed for good quality aluminium furniture except cleaning it from dust, because with furniture made of cast aluminium, there is absolutely no chance of rust and your set can remain outdoors for all seasons. But if the chairs have seating pads, wash them when they get dirty.

Choosing Wooden furniture (Teak, rattan or Wood):
Make sure the furniture is made of certified wood with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) strict rules of reforestation. Practicality is a must. Because the material is not so durable and weather resistant (even if is claimed to be so), it has to be easily stored when not in use, taking up just little room in the shed or garage.

Tips on maintenance:
Simply keep your furniture clean using a damp cloth and avoid permanent exposure to the elements by either covering your furniture or storing away under cover when not in use.

Colors:
The most popular colors for outdoor furniture are natural colors, such as: charcoal, sandstone and shiny silver.

Accessories:
You can choose from a wide range of accessories available, from parasols (umbrellas) and umbrella bases, outdoor furniture covers, unbreakable glass wear for outdoor use, place mats, cushions, gazebos, swing benchs, matching chaise lounges, to coffee tables or ottomans.

GENERAL TIPS:
Don’t go shopping for outdoor furniture until you have accurately measured the space you have, and bring a tape measure with you. Allow 80cm extra width on each side of the table you prefer for your chairs to move in and out. This will give you the space required. E.g. If you choose a 182cm X 106cm rectangle table, you will need a space of 342cm X 266cm to fit it with 6 chairs.

Nice Color Scheme To Try for Your Interior

2007-05-24T04:08:00.000-07:00

As we know, every color gives certain feeling and can affect one’s mood. That is why we have to be careful of what color to use for the interior of our home. What impression are we trying to achieve? What is the function of the room? After we decide the concept and style, the next step is to choose the supporting elements (furniture, and decorative elements, such as rugs, pillow, vases, paintings, etc).

Here are some examples of color scheme we can use for the living room.

NATURAL GREEN
To bring in the atmosphere of fresh meadow into your living room, you can use green color. To give more natural touch, put some live plants or flowers as decoration.
You can combine green scheme with a bit of white or yellow color as accentuation.
Tips:
–Using wood element in green-colored interior gives warm feeling.
–White window and door seal matched perfectly with green-colored room.

SENSATIONAL RED
As a warm color, red gives warmth feeling to the interior. Red brings liveliness, energy and joy mood. It also, when combined with antique furniture, gives feeling of rich and noble. But be careful not to exaggerate, otherwise you will easily get tired in the red-painted room.
Tips:
–Avoid using dark red for all the walls. Paint just one or two walls at the most. Or use dark red to give accentuation only. Try paint the wall along the stairs using dark red.
–Combine with other color to tone down the red.

MODERN MINIMALIST GRAY
Gray color scheme gives an impression of modernity and simplicity to your living room. But gray is also a dull and cold color. So, it would be better if you combine two or more colors from the scheme or combine with other color. Since gray is neutral color, you can combine it with almost any colors. Try grayish yellow or red.
Tips:
–To avoid boring look, try creative painting techniques, such as stenciling, wash paint or sponging.
–Use simple furniture and accessories for elegant and sophisticated look.

Choosing A Sunroom Plan

2007-05-21T01:38:00.001-07:00

The decision to add a sunroom to your home can be very exciting. Now you need to decide on a plan that you will be happy with but that also fits the budget you have in mind. There are many decisions to be made including doing the work yourself or selecting a contractor. The furniture you plan to put in it will also affect the plan for your sunroom. Taking the time to plan each step from start to finish will reduce the headaches you experience along the way.

What activities do you plan to use the sunroom for? In addition to enjoying the sunlight you may use it for holidays when you have extra guests in your home. Many people use it as a place for their exercise equipment. Think about these activities when you are trying to decide how big to make the sunroom.

If you decide to hire a contractor only use someone that works all year long instead of only seasonally. They are more likely to have employees who have the necessary skills needed. Seasonal contractors hire temporary workers that may not have the right skills. You want someone who has the experience to build the sunroom you want.

Select your furniture for the sunroom carefully. If you aren’t sure what will work well discuss it with the contractor. They often know what works well with a particular sunroom plan. You need something that won’t fade due to the sunlight hitting it on a daily basis. Careful planning from the very beginning can help ensure you get the very best sunroom that is exactly what you want.

By: David Faulkner
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Picture: Monticello Conservatory Sunrooms

The Monticello features a sculptured, three-tiered front design. As beautiful as it is to behold from the outside, it's even more exquisite inside. It will be your very own dream space, the perfect place to relax. Picture this conservatory with indirect lighting, comfortable furniture and a superb sound system.

FEATURES

* Crystal Achievement Award-winning all-vinyl wall panels.
* Heavy-duty window and door hardware.
* Satin white vinyl finish (clear-through).
* Casement window panels.
* Sliding window panels.
* Protective, heat-reflecting polycarbonate roof system.
* Patented roof ridge ventilation system.
* Decorative roof detailing—ornate cresting and finials.
* Operating roof vents.
* Heavy-duty all-vinyl sliding doors.
* Deluxe hinged swing-style doors.
* Vinyl-clad, high-density 7/8" thick foam kick panels.

OPTIONS

* Numerous ENERGY STAR® qualified Low-E glass systems.
* Almond vinyl finish (clear-through).
* Decorative V-grooved glass patterns in transoms and doors.
* Glass kick panels.

Guide to Painting: Faults, Preventions & Remedies

2007-05-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

PIMPLES
Cause
Particularly noticeable in shiny, gloss surfaces, these are caused by specks of dust which may have been on the surface, on the brush or in the paint itself. Or a very fine skin on the surface of the paint (especially non-drip gloss) may have got broken and worked into the paint on application.

Prevention
Make sure the surface is clean and free of dust at each stage of the work: after burning off or rubbing down, and before applying primer, undercoat and top coat. Clean the surface with a tacky (resin-impregnated) rag or a clean, lint-free one dampened with methylated spirit. Pay particular attention to corners since pockets of dust here, though difficult to clean with a rag, will be picked up on the brush and spread across the surface. Use a pointed stick under the rag to ensure every particle of dust is removed from the corners. Paint brushes must be cleaned and even new brushes need rinsing before use as the bristles will contain some dust and loose hairs. Wipe the lid and rim of the paint can before removing the lid otherwise any dust will fall into the tin. It is a good idea to transfer a small amount of paint into a clean paint kettle or other container and work from this. If dust falls into the kettle only a small amount of paint will be affected. Clean the room thoroughly before starting work and allow time for dust to settle before using paint.

Remedy
Don’t try to remove specks while the paint is still wet as you will only add to the problem by smearing the paint. Allow the paint to harden for several days; even though it may seem dry after a few hours, only the surface will have dried. Rub down the affected areas with fine wet and dry glasspaper, wash with clean water, dry thoroughly and apply a new finishing coat. Skin often forms on old paint. If you spot, carefully lift it away before stirring; if it is extremely thin you can stir it into the paint and then strain the paint through fine muslin or mesh.

FLAKING
Cause
Paint falling away from surface is due to poor preparation or bad use of primer. It can take weeks to show and will usually be confined to small areas on the surface.

Prevention
Clean and prepare the surface thoroughly. If stripping back to bare wood apply a suitable primer. Emulsion flaking from walls or ceilings normally means you have applied the paint over distemper. Before painting, remove distemper by washing and scraping of the loose material, covering the remainder with a coat of primer sealer.

Remedy
If flaking occurs in small patches, strip these areas back to the bare surface, fill depressions with fine surface filler and repaint. If flaking is extensive, however, you will have to strip off all the paint with thinners and start again or refer to the manufacturer for advice.

SLOW DRYING
Cause
Sometimes paint (particularly oil-based paint) will take a few weeks to dry or even remain permanently tacky. This indicates you applied the paint over a dirty or greasy surface, used an unsuitable thinner or did not stir the paint before applying.

Prevention
Clean and prepare the surface thoroughly paying particular attention to skirtings which tend to collect a build-up of polish from the floor. Always stir the paint. You can add a small amount of proprietary dryer to stocks of old paint but never to new paint, which should be returned to the manufacturer for testing.

Remedy
If the room is badly ventilated, open the windows for a few days to see if this accelerates drying. If not you will have to strip off all the paint with thinners and start again or refer to the manufacturer for advice.

BLISTERS
Cause
Mostly affecting exterior woodwork, blisters can vary in size from pin heads to large areas. The cause is moisture in the wood or on the surface, trapped between coats of paint, or there may be resinous knots in the wood. Another less common cause is painting over a soft, thick coat. The action of very strong sunshine when any of these conditions exist is likely to cause blistering.

Prevention
Try to paint external woodwork towards the end of the summer when, ideally, it should have dried completely. If this is not possible, try to paint in dry, warm conditions. Don’t paint immediately after rainfall or washing down, unless the surfaces are thoroughly dries off. Strip off any thick, soft paint and always apply knotting to all resinous areas after stripping back to bare wood.

Remedy
Cut off the surface of the blister and with fine wet and dry glaspaper rub back to a sound surface – or bare wood if blistering is extensive. Apply knotting and primer as necessary, fill depressions with fine surface filler and apply undercoat and top coat.

RUNS, SAGS, AND WRINKLES
Cause
Fine lines or drips on a paint surface result from bad application. Wrinkles are likely to occur on thick, sagging paint.

Prevention
Do not overload the brush and always brush out the each application before adding another. Look at the paint five minutes after application, it may still be possible to brush out any runs.

Remedy
If you notice runs before the paint has started to dry, brush them out lightly; if paint is drying, you will smear the surface. Or treat as for Pimples.

DULL GLOSS
Cause
Dull finish occurs if thinners used wrongly, surface not properly primed or undercoated, undercoat not given time to dry or finish over-brushed or painted in damp or frosty conditions.

Prevention
Prepare thoroughly. Leave the undercoat to dry for the recommended time, avoid using a thinner in gloss paint and do not apply in damp or frosty weather conditions.

Remedy
Allow the paint to dry, then rub down lightly with fine glasspaper, dust off and apply new finishing coat.

GRINNING
Cause
The color of the previous coat shows through the dry paint film indicating another coat is needed. Grinning may also occur if you use the wrong undercoat, do not stir paint sufficiently, thin it too much or overbrush finishing coat.

Prevention
Use the correct undercoat and the recommended number of finishing coats. Make sure you stir the paint according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Never brush out the finishing coat too far.

Remedy
Apply extra finishing coats as needed.

BRUSH MARKS
Cause
These can be seen in the finished paint. The cause is insufficient rubbing down of the old paint surface, faulty application (applying the paint too thickly and not brushing out correctly) or using poor quality brushes.

Prevention
Carefully prepare the surface, making sure poor paint is rubbed right back. Apply the paint evenly and finish brushing out in the direction of the grain. Slightly thin excessively thick paint and always use good quality brushes.

Remedy
As for Pimples.

Re-finishing Old Furniture

2007-05-16T03:19:00.000-07:00

What You'll Need

* Plastic gloves
* Furniture stripper
* Safety glasses
* Drop cloth
* Putty knife
* Steel wool
* Palm sander
* Sandpaper
* Rag
* Wood stain
* Clear polymer
* Small roller
* New hardware (optional)

Instructions

First, remove the old finish. There are many kinds of strippers available, ask a professional at your hardware store which ones is the right kind for the finish you wish to remove.

Place the piece on a drop cloth to protect your floor from spills. Always wear safety glasses and plastic gloves as strippers contain harsh chemicals. Pour a big dollop of stripper onto the surface of the piece. Spread the solution with an old paintbrush, coating the surface evenly. Focus on one section at a time, as the stripper has a limited active time. Let it sit until the paint becomes soft and bubbles up.

Scrape the old paint off with a putty knife, going in the direction of the grain. Depending on how old your finish is you might have to repeat this process. After you've scraped off most of the finish, dip some steel wool in stripper and remove remaining traces of the old finish. This technique works especially well on corners and grooves and hard to reach areas.

Once the finish is removed, let the wood dry thoroughly and then sand it down with a medium-to-fine grit sandpaper. You can use a palm sander or hand sand.

Now you are ready to paint your piece. Use a soft old rag to apply stain, rubbing it into the wood evenly. To protect your new finish you might want to add a clear coat of polymer. This will also add some shine. Roll it on with a small paint roller, using long, even strokes.

Installing new hardware is the perfect finishing touch. Most knobs are easily installed with a screwdriver. The screws are generally sold with the hardware.

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