Posts Tagged ‘remodelling’

How To Add Warmth With Candles

Sunday, October 16th, 2011

With our modern, demanding lives, it is all too easy to treat your home like a hotel. Many people spend less than five waking hours a day in their home and, regrettably, it often shows too. Many people’s homes have changed back to ‘cold’ houses where you store your stuff, do your laundry and sleep. In other words they lack warmth and personality.

However, warmth and personality can certainly be restored or crafted in a home by spending some time in it and imparting some of your self into your surroundings. One of the simplest methods of doing this is by the use of candles and beautiful candle holders. Candles will add plenty of warmth and personality to your home and make you want to spend more time there.

The bedroom is a good place to start. Whether you would like your bedroom to be a place of romance or of sanctuary, candles will help. A candelabrum on a table top always looks good, but so will little tea lights on the dresser. Small floating candles in the shape of water lilies or other flowers look fantastic in a bowl of water too.

Most people only cram in a shower or two a day, but it is very soothing to soak in a bath of hot water. You can make your soak in the bath even more relaxing and atmospheric by mixing tall and short candles such as pillar, votive and tea light candles placed on tiling around the room.

You can utilize candles in the kitchen for different reasons. Aromatic candles will hide the smell of foods like cabbage and other foodstuffs. Night candles will keep the room a-glow if you need to pop in and out for snacks or drinks during the night, saving switching the electric light on and off a dozen times a day. A burning candle will also remove cigarette smoke if you tend to smoke while reading the paper or chatting to neighbours around the kitchen table too.

The living room is the ideal room for using candles. There are so many varieties of candles and they are all appropriate for use in the living room. Wall sconces can be a beautiful way of burning candles in your hall and living room. In deed, candles do not even have to be lit to impart an atmosphere to your living room. Aromatic candles are just the thing for moulding the atmosphere to what you want.

You could put a candelabrum on a table or candlesticks on a fireplace or large tubular candles in the hearth. Smaller vase or jar candles will go anywhere to create the ambiance you desire.

In the dining room or at least at the dining table, candles are indispensable whether you want to create a romantic atmosphere or not. The only no-no here is aromatic candles as you do not want to interfere with the smells of the meal. Long tapering white or red odourless candles in either candlesticks or a candelabrum are best.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on a number of subjects, but is at present involved with researching decorative candle holders. If you would like to know more or check out great offers, please go to our website at Wrought Iron Light.

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Exterior Shutters For Security And Lighting Options

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

When you want to add style to your house, one way of doing this and adding security at the same time, is by having window shutters fixed to the exterior of your house. Exterior window shutters add a traditional, Mediterranean look to a property. These days, most houses have glass windows, but before that, people used shutters to regulate the light levels, prevent insects and the cold from entering and for protection.

Exterior window shutters are available in many different shapes and made from various materials, although the most common ones are wooden and oblong. The quality of the materials used will influence how long your shutters will last, because, as with all exterior goods, they will be exposed to all forms of extreme weather conditions.

Plastic, vinyl, metal and wooden shutters are available at many home improvement centres. Although they look good, shutters also have practical uses. They can prevent glaring noon sunlight from over heating your home as well as offering protection.

Cedar wood is a good choice, as are most other hard woods. Hardwoods are more resistant to rain and sunlight and, so long as they are painted, varnished or oiled regularly – at least once a year – then your shutters will give you ten or more years of effective service.

Most varieties of hardwood are very resistant to attack from insects too. This is because a lot of them contain oils that are repugnant or even poisonous to insects. However, if you are uncertain about the quality of the timber that your shutters are crafted from, you can paint them.

Painting, staining or oiling is far easier if you carry it out before you hang the shutters. If you want to use oil to take care of your new wooden shutters, first stain them to the shade that you want them to be with a stain without varnish. When you have achieved the desired shade and it has dried, pour oil linseed oil onto a cloth and rub it into the wood in circular motions. The more coats you give it the better, but it may not accept more that two or three coats.

If you choose to varnish your shutters, either stain them to the colour you require as above and then seal them with clear yacht varnish or use a stained yacht varnish without the stain. Whichever way you go, thin the first coat of varnish down until it is almost watery. Paint it on and leave to dry. Rub it down with medium coarse sandpaper and then coat it again with pure varnish. Wait for it to dry and sand it down again, but with fine sandpaper. Add at least one more coat, but it is a case of the more the better.

If you want to paint them, apply a primer or some thinned down undercoat. Wait for it to dry and sand it lightly with fine sandpaper. Next, apply a coat of undercoat that is appropriate for the finishing colour. For example, grey is good for black, brown and even green or red. Sand it down when it is dry with fine paper. Lastly, gloss your shutters with the final colour.

In conclusion, hang the shutters on appropriate hinges using brass screws. Next time, you paint or varnish your shutters paint over the screw heads, although brass never looks out of place anyway.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on several topics, but is at present involved with researching wrought iron floor lamps. If you would like to know more or check out great offers, please go to our website at Wrought Iron Light

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How Lighting Can Provide Atmosphere And Save Money

Saturday, July 23rd, 2011

There is no doubt that lighting has the greatest influence on atmosphere and. Soft lighting in a bedroom or at an intimate dinner results in a romantic ambiance; bright, purposeful lighting in the office or kitchen shows that you mean business; dimmed lighting in the living room creates a relaxing atmosphere in which to watch a film or read a book.

Understated, back lighting behind flowers or a waterfall creates a magical atmosphere, whereas severe floodlights turned on by a motion sensor would freeze most criminals in their tracks.

Getting the lighting wrong can have a gravely adverse effect on any room or occasion. Imagine a romantic dinner for two by candlelight and then imagine it by a bare 100 watt bulb hanging from the ceiling or a fluorescent tube.

It is said that the average household can save at least twenty-five percent on its electricity bills by using lighting more effectively and therefore more efficiently. More importantly, you could save more than sixty percent, if you swap from the normal incandescent light bulbs to high-output compact fluorescent lights. Sixty percent is a massive saving for you, your country and your planet.

Here are some of the means that you can achieve savings on the energy you currently expend on lighting.

Make the addition of dimmers wherever you use lighting. You can put a touch lamp dimmer into the wiring of any lamp, so that when you touch it, it changes from low, to medium, to high, to off. You will be surprised how often you will lower the light once you are able to, particularly in the case of desk or table lamps and standard floor lamps.

In a similar vein is the touch switch that you can utilize to control lighting that traditionally hangs from the ceiling. You will be able to dim the lights in any room and on the patio or deck too.

Photosensitive devices turn whatever they regulate off or on when the sun comes up. This is useful if you have motion-activated anti-intruder lighting. There is absolutely no need for it in the daytime, but you do not want to have to remember to switch it off in the mornings and reactivate it every night either.

Another use could be to turn the fishpond fountain off when it gets dark. All of these photosensitive switches can have over-ride switches too. These photosensitive devices will virtually half the cost of running the systems to which they are attached.

It is very easy to make quite substantial savings if you put your mind to it. Just moving your furniture to take full advantage of natural light can help a lot as well. Sitting near a window or in the garden to read the newspaper is much better than having to put the kitchen light on to read it in there.

In the evening it is better to switch off all the main lights in the living room if you are watching television or reading a book and place one standard floor lamp just to one side behind you. It is sufficient to read by or to save your eyes from the strain of watching TV in the dark.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on several topics, but is at present involved with researching wrought iron floor lamps. If you would like to know more or check out great offers, please go to our website at Wrought Iron Light

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Contemporary Fine Art In Your Hotel Decor

Friday, May 13th, 2011

Businesses of all kinds have come to understand that contemporary fine art makes great, yet inexpensive decor and the lighting necessary to illuminate them is useful for lighting corridors too. Hospitals, hotels, airports, restaurants and bars are jumping on the band wagon too.

There are all types of paintings and objets d’art, so many in fact that you will always be able to find something to fit in with whatever style of decor that you have. You can use contemporary fine art to give barren walls an interest and to keep people interested while they are waiting for something to transpire.

For instance, contemporary fine art displayed in a restaurant will prevent diners from becoming bored while they are waiting for their meal. Contemporary fine art in a bar will give solitary travellers something to do while they are passing an hour or two in your establishment. Likewise for hospital patients, looking at contemporary fine art might help relieve nervousness and tension.

Hotels and Guest Houses.

When people arrive to check in, you want to offer a warm, yet stylish appearance to them. Many hotel guests travel alone and spend time sitting in the lobby to pass their evenings or weekends. An interesting display of contemporary fine art will keep them amused for hours.

Put your paintings or and objets d’art at regular intervals around the walls, but do not crowd a wall. You should choose a warm, yet neutral colour for the wall’s emulsion. Lighting is also very important. Up lighting, down lighting or back lighting are common methods of illuminating pieces of art work, but you can also use spotlights to highlight something special.

The lobby can also contain a few plants and a coffee table or two with an interesting wrought iron lamp on each. A matching lamp shade helps to generate a warm, co-ordinated effect.

You should also put some contemporary fine art in the guest rooms, because, once again, many travellers are alone and have to spend hours sitting in their rooms alone. If you are stuck for a theme, think about your location. Is it near the sea or is the town famous for anything? Does it have a well-known historical connection? Once you have your theme, you will surely find pieces of contemporary fine art to decorate it with.

Try to put yourself in the shoes of the average person who comes to stay or eat at your establishment. Is he there for business or pleasure? If it’s pleasure do families come or is it largely singles? Whatever the type of hotel, guest house, restaurant or pub, you will find a theme and the rest will follow because there is so much choice of contemporary fine art.

Uniformity is a good thing when you are decorating a hotel or guest house. Try to keep everything ‘on topic’. The colours, the furniture, the plants, the contemporary fine art – the lighting should be subtle and the whole decor must be in the same theme, if it is to be hugely successful.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on several subjects, but is at present concerned with researching wrought iron floor lamps. If you would like to know more or check out great offers, please go to our website at Wrought Iron Light

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Kitchen Design And Lighting Ideas

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

If you have just moved into a new, old house, one of the first things that you will probably want to do is refurbish or remodel the kitchen, especially if you like cooking or spending a lot of time in the kitchen. If you use a kitchen a great deal, you will probably already have a good idea of what you would like the kitchen to look like eventually.

One of the first decisions to make is whether you are going to do it yourself or supervise it yourself. There is a lot of work in a kitchen makeover and I have seen amateurs spend years, literally years, doing what a professional could have done in weeks. This always leads to family tensions. Once that I know of, it even led to divorce. It seems that everybody wants to boast that they are having refurbishments done, but no one actually wants to go through the aggravation of having it actually done.

If you are not completely sure what you want your kitchen to look like, it is a good suggestion to visit show kitchens at home improvement stores and even pick up brochures there to study at home. You could also buy a few magazines and surf the Internet for suggestions.

Once you see a few examples that you like, be sure to cut out the pages and print off the image files after downloading them. This way you can build up a dossier of the things that you would like to integrate into your new kitchen..

Once you are pleased that you have all the components you like, you have to collate them. This does not have to be to scale or accurate, but just as good as you can do with what you have. Take a large sheet of paper, say A3, and mark in your kitchen’s windows and doors.

Then cut out the pictures of the items you want from the magazines and brochures and stick them in place. If you think that this is not feasible, draw them in and label them unmistakably so that you can refer back to your picture file.

You need not stop at one design, you can play about with it. If you cut the images out, but do not glue them down, you can move them around until you are contented. You may also want to get the opinions of other members of the family and have a brain storming session

When you have finished, decide how you are going to illuminate the kitchen. Do you want a hanging light over the table? Do you want spots pointing at the cooker and the sink? Do you want hidden down-lighting to shine on the work surface? How are you going to see what you are doing? It is a very important question. Wall lights are great for ambient lighting.

In conclusion, you have to choose a colour scheme and you are almost ready to start, unless you are using a contractor and then you will have to select one first, but that will make up the contents of another article.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on several topics, but is at present concerned with researching wrought iron floor lamps. If you would like to know more or check out great offers, please go to our website at Wrought Iron Light

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How To Choose Bathroom Lighting Accessories

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

You will find a wide choice of lighting fixtures in the shops and they make great bathroom accessories. The types of lighting include the soft touch and the highlights. It is up to you to pick the right lighting to fit your bathroom, however you should bear in mind that lighting contributes a great deal to the atmosphere of any room.

Selecting your bathroom lighting: It just depends on your needs and conditions. Some people will have physically-restricted lighting resources, because their wiring system may be inaccessible. Others may have a more flexible situation. Despite this, people can enjoy a wide choice of lighting to enhance the atmosphere in their bathroom due to technological advancement. You can now choose from different light bulbs and fittings to meet your requirements, no matter what those needs might be.

How do I choose the right style for my bathroom? When choosing a style for your bathroom, you should think about the choice of fixtures and light bulbs. Lighting enhances the character of any room, which is something to keep in mind as well. If you have a hard time with your sight, you may want to choose brighter lights. On the other hand, if your eyesight is still good, you may enjoy fluorescent lights, which are softer in nature.

Furthermore, you have the option of mood lights, which help you to establish a relaxing ambiance. Mood lights give similar results as candles. You also have the option of brilliant or gentle lighting. You ought to look into these forms of lighting seriously, because they have a greater effect than other kinds of lighting. Kerosene lamps are still available too. These soft, flickering lights give an old-fashion atmosphere, but even better still, lamps create an outdoor feeling.

Choosing the best beam of light to use Once you choose the style that you want, it becomes easier to decide on the right width of beam you need. Beams of light are described as: narrow beams, which are between 3 and 25 degrees wide and wide beams, which are over 40 degrees. These beams are similar to floodlights. In point of fact, the forty-degree floodlight is the preferred choice of most people.

What effects can you get from lighting? You can even choose the effect. Natural light is based on tone, texture, and colour. Florescent lights cast a blue-greenish or black-purplish beam. However, you have a wide array of colours available. Wall lights, which are lights mounted on walls, are pretty cool too. similarly, ceiling lights are hung from the ceiling and there is a widearray of fancy designs there as well such as chandeliers made of pure glass, crystal, plastic or whatever. Stand-up lamps enable you to move the lamp anywhere you like. However, almost any light you pick can be modified further by the sort of bulb you choose.

You will find a wide choice of lighting online, including the fixtures to match. You have another advantage online, because you can view pictures of your chosen lamps, lights and fittings. In addition, you can see other bathroom accessories to contrast or complement your new design. Ultimately, if you want to think about it, you could purchase the items separately and create your own lamps.

No matter what you are attempting to accomplish nowadays there are many choices. Whenever you are selecting bathroom accessories such as lighting and fixtures always think about what your bathroom is for first of all. For instance, you would not want to install a lovely stand-up light in a child’s bathroom. You would only be putting your children at risk.

Are you redecorating your bathroom or are you looking for bathroom decorating ideas? If so, please go along to our website entitled Stylish Home Decor

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Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

How to Choose Bathroom Lighting Accessories

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
by Owen Jones

There is a wide choice of lighting fixtures on the market and they make great bathroom accessories. The sorts of lighting include the soft touch and the highlights. It is up to you to choose the right lighting to suit your bathroom, but you should keep in mind that lighting contributes hugely to the ambiance of any room.

How to choose bathroom lighting: It depends on your needs. Some people will have physically-restricted lighting resources, because their wiring system may be inaccessible. Others may have a more flexible situation. Nevertheless, people can enjoy lighting that enhances the atmosphere and mood in their bathroom, thanks to technological advances. You can now choose from different light bulbs and fittings that are suitable for your needs, no matter what those needs may be.

How do I choose the right style for my bathroom? When choosing a style for your bathroom, you should think about the choice of fixtures and light bulbs. Lighting enhances the character of any room, which is something to keep in mind too. If you have a hard time seeing, you may want to select more powerful lights. On the other hand, if your eyesight is still good, you may enjoy fluorescent lights, which are softer in nature.

Furthermore, you have the option of mood lights, which assist you to produce a relaxing ambiance. Mood lights give similar results as candles. You also have the option of bright or background lighting. You should look into these sorts of lighting seriously, because they have a greater effect than other kinds of lighting. Oil lamps are still available too. These soft, flickering lights create an old-fashion atmosphere, but even better still, lamps create an outdoor atmosphere.

Selecting the right beam of light to use After you have picked the style that you like, it becomes rather easier to decide on the correct width of beam you need. Beams of light can be described as narrow beams, which are between 3 and 25 degrees wide and wide beams, which are over 40 degrees. This range of beams is similar to floodlighting. In point of fact, the forty-degree floodlight is the preferred choice of most people.

What type of effect do you get from lighting? You can even pick the effect. Natural lighting is based on tone, texture, and colour. Florescent lights create a blue-greenish or black-purplish beam. However, there is a wide selection of colours available. Wall lights, which are lights mounted on the walls, are pretty cool as well. Similarly, ceiling lights are mounted on the ceiling and there is a widearray of cool designs there as well such as chandeliers made of pure glass, crystal, plastic or whatever. Standard lights enable you to move the lamp anywhere you like. Virtually any light you pick can be modified further by the type of bulb you choose.

You will find a wide choice of lighting on the Internet, including the fittings to match. You have an advantage online, since you can see images of your chosen lamps, lighting and fixtures. Furthermore, you have the choice of other bathroom accessories to contrast or complement your remodelling. At the end of the day, if you are clever about it, you can buy the items separately to manufacture your very own lights.

No matter what you are attempting to accomplish these days there are many choices. Whenever you are selecting bathroom accessories such as lighting and fixtures always think about what your bathroom is primarily used for first of all. For example, it would not be a good idea to install a fancy stand-up lamp in a kid’s bathroom, you would only be putting your children at risk.

About the Author:
Are you doing up your bathroom or are you looking for bathroom decorating ideas? If so, just go along to our web site entitled Stylish Home Decor

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Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Bathroom Lighting Accessories

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009
by Owen Jones

You will find a wide array of lighting fixtures on the market and they make fantastic bathroom accessories. The kinds of lighting include the soft touch and the highlights. It is up to you to choose the right lighting to fit your bathroom, but you should keep in mind that lighting contributes hugely to the atmosphere of any room.

Choosing your bathroom lighting: It all depends on your needs. Some people will have physically-restricted lighting resources, because their wiring system is not easily accessible. Others may have a more flexible situation. Nevertheless, people can enjoy lighting that improves the atmosphere in their bathroom thanks to technological advancement. You can now choose from different light bulbs and fixtures that meet your needs, no matter what those needs may be.

How do I select the correct decor for my bathroom? When selecting a style of decor for your bathroom, you should consider the choice of fittings and light bulbs. Lighting improves the character of any room, which is something to keep in mind as well. If you have a hard time with your eyesight, you may decide to select more powerful lights. However, if your vision is still good, you may prefer fluorescent lights, which are softer in nature.

Furthermore, there is the choice of mood lights, which help you to produce a relaxing atmosphere. Mood lights give similar results as candlelight. You also have the option of brilliant or gentle lighting. You should look into these kinds of lighting seriously, because they have a greater effect than other forms of lighting. Kerosene lamps are still available as well. These soft, flickering lights create an old-fashion atmosphere, but even better still, lamps give an outdoor atmosphere.

Choosing the best beam of light to use Once you pick the style that you like, it is easier to work out the right width of beam to use. Beams of light are described as: narrow beams, which are between 3 and 25 degrees wide and wide beams, which are over 40 degrees. These beams are similar to floodlights. In point of fact, the forty-degree floodlight is the preferred selection of most people.

What effects can you get from lighting? You can also pick your effect. Natural light is based on tone, texture, and colour. Florescent lights create a blue-greenish or black-purplish beam. However, there is a wide array of colours available. Wall lights, which are lights mounted on walls, are pretty versatile as well. similarly, ceiling lights are hung from the ceiling and there is a widechoice of cool designs there as well such as chandeliers made of pure glass, crystal, plastic or whatever. Standard lights enable you to move the lamp anywhere you please. However, virtually any light you pick can be modified further by the sort of bulb you use.

You will find a wide selection of lighting on the Internet, including the fittings to match. You have another advantage online, since you can see images of your chosen lamps, lights and fixtures. In addition, you can choose other bathroom accessories to contrast or complement your remodelling. Ultimately, if you think about it, you can buy the bits and pieces separately and invent your own illumination.

No matter what you are attempting to achieve nowadays you have many options. When you are choosing bathroom accessories like lighting and fixtures always think about the style of your bathroom first. For instance, you would not want to install a lovely standard light in a child’s bathroom. You would only be putting your children at risk.

About the Author:
Are you doing up your bathroom or are you looking for bathroom decorating ideas? If you are, please go along to our website entitled Stylish Home Decor

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »