Organic Home Furniture Goes Mainstream
September 3, 2010
Organic Home Furniture Goes Mainstream
by: Chris Robertson
Organic foods have been around for decades, and those concerned about the pesticides and chemicals used in industrial farming have long turned to organics to ensure that the foods they eat are healthy and pure. Increasingly, though, people who don’t consider themselves to be naturalists or environmentalists are embracing eco-friendly foods and home furnishings.
Whether out of a concern for the diminishing rain forests or for the chemicals found in the carpet that their baby crawls on, there is a growing market for eco-friendly furniture and home furnishings. From organic mattresses made from cotton and wool to wood furniture made from reclaimed wood, there is a myriad of eco-friendly home furniture from which to choose.
Typically, manufacturers of eco-friendly wood furniture and decorative wood home furnishings use reclaimed timber. In other words, the wood that is used to make furniture was logged long ago and was once a bridge or other structure. By using reclaimed wood, furniture makers recycle timber that has already been logged instead of cutting down trees. Similarly, makers of eco-friendly bed linens use cotton grown on small organic farms or wool harvested organically raised sheep.
Spring Is Around The Corner - How is your Garden?
September 1, 2010
Spring Is Around The Corner - How is your Garden?
by: Anita Johnston
Spring is in my opinion the most wonderful time of year for the gardener. You can shake of that winter weariness and get ready for a new gardening season.
The most difficult part of spring gardening is trying to manage your impatience. Don’t start digging around too early. The soil must be dry enough to have it fall apart when you pick it up. When it still sticks together like glue that’s definitely not the case.
Early spring is the best time of year to change (parts of) your garden design. You can transplant existing shrubs and perennial plants before they begin to leaf out. This also is the time to prune your trees and shrubs. Cut back the remaining dead foliage from last season and remove dead, damaged or diseased branches of trees and shrubs.
And then flowers! That’s really what spring is about isn’t it! There are many that are suitable for cool spring weather. Think of sweet alyssum, some snapdragons, stock and sweat peas. You can also start some perennials like hostas and daylilies.
Custom Log Home Design Ideas
September 1, 2010
Custom Log Home Design Ideas
by: David Buster
Custom log home design ideas can be used to help create the dream log home you’ve always wanted. Perhaps you have some custom log home design ideas on paper as you’ve been collecting design ideas. That’s a great way to plan and organize your ideas, by making a scrapbook of the things you may want in your log home design. Here are some tips for custom designing your log home:
1. Explore and Select Your Log Home Style - select the log home style that you really want and like, a style that excites you. Will you prefer the manufactured or handcrafted log home style? Manufactured log homes are made with logs that are milled into a desired shape, producing uniform logs without taper. The logs used generally range in length from 10 to 18 feet.
A custom log home design using manufactured logs can vary considerably in shape and appearance because the logs have different shapes and there are different corner styles. You can obtain kits ranging from just the logs and fasteners to more complete systems that include the roofing materials, doors, windows and even more.
Log Home Designs - Basic Concepts
August 31, 2010
Log Home Designs - Basic Concepts
by: David Buster
Log home designs can be divided in several ways. Understanding log home designs and basic concepts can help you select the design that is best for you. As you are getting involved in the design process, consider these basic concepts as they apply to your design:
• Shape of Log Used - the logs used in your log home can be shaped in various ways. They can be full round, D-shaped, square shaped, rectangular shaped or Swedish cope style. D-shaped logs will have one side of the log flat with the other three sides being rounded. The Swedish cope style has a portion of the bottom of the log cut out so that the log rests more securely on the log beneath it in the wall.
• Type of Log Wood - there are many wood species commonly used in log home designs. There is no such thing as a “best” wood to use, rather, each species has advantages and disadvantages. Wood types include cedar, cypress, Douglas fir, hemlock, lodgepole pine, oak, spruce, white pine and yellow pine. If log home designs, construction and maintenance are done properly, any of these woods will provide many decades of enjoyable log home living. If not designed, built and maintained properly, none of the woods will hold up very well.
Compare international moving companies and shipping services for well-organized move.
August 29, 2010
Compare international moving companies and shipping services for well-organized move.
by: Paul Hawson
International moving is a job for well-organized professionals how can take care after the never-ending amount of details. Yet, thousands of people relocate from one nation to another every day. These people neither have the information, nor the gear to get fully prepared for the upcoming move. International moving .biz has both the tools and the information for the relocating individual and family. The company supplies moving quotes, explain about the different shipping methods, advice you with relocation tips for every major city around the globe and much more. Connect now to http://www.InternationalMoving.biz and have an easy and well-organized move!
International Moving .biz platform is simple and easy to use allowing customers to find the precise information and services they need. One of the most helpful resources is the moving and shipping quotes supplied free of charge. Customer’s fills a short request form with their moving details. Such details include basic moving details (countries, dates), and data regarding your favorite moving methods (air, sea, road). In no time international moving and overseas shipping quotes are delivered. The shipping quote service provided through http://www.OneEntry.com a leading international movers quotes provider. Finding international moving company has never been easier. http://www.InternationalMoving.biz allowing customers to chose from a variety of international moving companies.
Log Cabin Floor Plans - Finding Great Log Cabin Plans
August 28, 2010
Log Cabin Floor Plans - Finding Great Log Cabin Plans
by: David Buster
Log cabin floor plans - how to find special log cabin floor plans that are just right for you? You can try and create brand new plans from the beginning. However, you will save considerably if you can find log cabin plans that have been built successfully already. That’s important, because that means the plans will work. Even if you need to make changes to the plans, it will still be cheaper and faster for you.
Here are tips on finding log cabin planbs that may be just right for you:
• Buy Cabin Plans Books - whether online or in stores, you can find books of log cabin and log home plans. Look through the plans to see which ones you like. If you find one or more, you could order the log cabin plan you wanted by telephone or mail.
How to Keep Your Bathroom Looking Showroom Perfect
August 27, 2010
How to Keep Your Bathroom Looking Showroom Perfect
by: Al Hansen
Those beautiful bathrooms you see in fancy kitchen and bath showroom
stores that feature elegant crystal clear glass shower doors, polished fixtures,
imported tile and marble always look spotlessly clean. How do they do it?
In your bath at home it’s probably a different story. Having unsightly water spots everywhere, like your glass shower doors, walls, fixtures, and mirrors, can leave your bath looking embarrassingly unpresentable all the time.
Well, believe it or not, there is an easy way to keep your bath looking “showroom-perfect” all the time. Best of all, it does not take the employment of a full-time cleaning
staff or a huge amount of special effort. The trick is to squeegee the glass shower
doors, tile, marble, and mirrors immediately after bathing, while the surfaces and you are
still wet. The procedure takes just seconds and helps you avoid a huge cleanup job later. And, secret be known, it’s kind of fun ….no kidding!
The only thing you have to remember to do after squeegeeing is to leave the
Foo Dogs Lead the Pack: Antiquity Art is in Style
August 26, 2010
Foo Dogs Lead the Pack: Antiquity Art is in Style
by: Chris Robertson
As the saying goes, what’s old is new again. That’s never truer than when it comes to home decorating. Buddhist art in general - and Foo Dogs in particular - has become increasingly popular with professional and amateur decorators alike. Many people were first exposed to Buddhist art when feng shui - the Chinese art and science of arranging space in harmony with the environment - first became popular. Although feng shui has is roots in Taoism, the Chinese incorporated Buddhist art, such as Foo Dogs, into the design of their buildings from the second century B.C.
Foo Dogs, sometimes known as guardian lions, are generally placed on either side of a building’s entrance. According to Buddhist tradition, Foo Dogs are the guardians of Dharma, or the Truth. Typically displayed in pairs, the male lion has his paw on a representation of the Earth, and the female has her paw on her cub. Male Foo Dogs protect the actual building, while female Foo Dogs protect those inside the building. Historically, they were placed at the gates of temples, at the entrances to tombs, and at the front of altars. Today, replicas of Foo Dogs are often used outdoors as decorative elements at the bottoms of driveways or indoors near the front doors.
Build Your Décor Around the Furniture You Love
August 25, 2010
Build Your Décor Around the Furniture You Love
by: Chris Robertson
When it comes to home decorating, it’s difficult to know where to begin. Like an artist with a blank canvas, you look at the room you’ve chosen to decorate and try to envision the finished masterpiece. However, with a plethora of home decorating styles from which to choose, that vision can be fuzzy. You may even feel overwhelmed by the possibilities and paralyzed by the thought that you’ll make choices you won’t be able to live with. When that’s the case, it’s time to go back to the drawing board.
The first step in home decorating is to define your personal taste and style. Invest your time in looking through magazines and cutting out pictures of home decorating styles, furniture, and accessories that appeal to you. Once you have a collection of several dozen pictures, lay them out in front of you. You’ll begin to notice a pattern of the style that appeals to you. Are you attracted to the dark wood of antique furniture, or to the minimalist lines of modern furniture? Do you imagine yourself surrounded by the muted colors and furniture that remind you of a beach house, or by rich colors and the ornate elegance of the Victorian era?
What To Consider Before You Start Decorating Your Home
August 24, 2010
What To Consider Before You Start Decorating Your Home
by: Roger King
The success of any decorating scheme depends on how well it suits all the members of your family. To create a décor that you will be happy with, think about what you want and also what you don’t want. It’s a good idea to know what you have before you begun to change things. As you begin to pull your design ideas together, think about your preference and what will work in your home.
Color can work wondersit can change the look of a room and change your feeling about the room. You can start by looking through magazines, and catalogs. Give yourself plenty of time, it will take longer than you think, and your ideas will develop as you go. Gathering samples is a great way to begin. If you are starting with a color, your samples might include fabric, paint chips, wallpaper, carpet, wood, stone, and tile.
