Decorating With Stained Glass

Filed Under (Interior Design) by Robert Cooksey on 19-10-2008

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by Robert Cooksey

It’s easy to decorate your home using stained glass, and it’s a way to provide an elegant look without a decorating overhaul. You can use stained glass in just about any room in the house. That includes the dining room, living room, kitchen, entryway, office, and bedroom. Stained glass even looks great in the bathroom!

Stained Glass In The Kitchen: You can insert stained glass into kitchen cabinet doors to spice up your ordinary cabinets. For an added effect, install an electric light inside the cabinet to make the glass glow. Custom stained glass panels in front of kitchen windows or smaller stained glass window corners are also a way to add stained glass to your kitchen. You can also use a panel as kitchen wall art.

In the Living Room: Full and partial window panels also work great in the living room, as do pieces with mirrors included. Think about a stained glass fireplace screen if you love to watch the flames dance. Be sure you choose one with clear beveled pieces as well as colored panels - they’ll act as prisms, casting sparkles from the firelight. More choices in the living room include stained glass chandeliers, lampshades, and candle holders. As long as they don’t overwhelm the room, they’re an excellent addition.

Stained Glass Dining Rooms: If you have a large dining room table, think about using large centerpieces made from stained glass to act as a focal point. On the other hand, a small or narrow feeling dining room can be helped by using wall pieces with large mirrors. That’ll increase the appearance of size.

Bedroom Stained Glass Decorating: Decorate your bedroom using stained glass objects like candle holders, terrariums, and jewelry boxes. Mirrors can be used to make this room look larger, too. However, beware of overdoing it - you don’t want your room to look enormous! Use wall pieces and stained glass window ornaments to tie it all together.

Bathrooms and Stained Glass: The bathroom might seem like a strange place to use stained glass, but this versatile material works here, too Think about using stained glass in cabinet doors, around mirrors and in bathroom windows. Colored and textured glass can admit light without allowing you to be seen from outside.

Stained Glass In The Office: Nice looking offices can be created by incorporating stained glass in cabinet fronts, drawers, window panels and more. Smaller accents include desktop sculptures, business card holders, and other items.

Stained Glass Entryways: Stained glass gives you the opportunity to make a great first impression. Use it in your front door, or in the sidelights in your entryway. Panels over the door and other accents are also a great choice.

Stained glass adds a beautiful personal touch to any home, and can work with most decorating schemes. There are lots of sizes, colors and themes available. To find out more, talk to your local stained glass artist or retailer today.

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Asian Interior Design Methods Were Developed Through Centuries

Filed Under (Interior Design) by Rob Carlton on 19-10-2008

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by Rob Carlton

If you put up a few Asian language symbols on the wall and add a gong, you think your Asian decorating scheme is complete - right? Many people believe this. What they don’t realize is that Asian interior design methods were developed through centuries of trial and errors and profound ingenuity.

The roots of Asian or Oriental history are interpreted wisely, and always adapted to be a part of today’s modern design technique. It is not unusual to see Asian interior designs in the US. Yet, if all you see is a Chinese eatery, then you have no clue of what is Asian interior design. The real Asian characteristics of interior design are most unusual, insightful and unique, something most Western societies have not truly understood but have unwittingly dealt with every day.

Perspective In Asian interior design, the notion of point of view is most vital. If you ever have strolled around an Asian structure, you will soon become aware of the concept of setting off a room by either dropping down one area or raising another. Asian interior design is to present the view of perspective and to assist a room appear bigger than it really is.

Various Western societies use reflectors to attain the same effect, whereas the Asian societies favor the use of forced perspective in a room. Today, with the tendency toward expertise in enhancing a space size, it is hard to give reason for this sort of design technique. However, it can be valuable if done appropriately.

Gold Dragons Asian culture is celebrated for its dragons but this is one more piece of Americanization at work. For Asian interior design, it is not essentially the image of a dragon that signifies what they are attempting to say but instead, the idea of a mural revealing a story. Eastern dragons may be from Korea, Japan, or China. There are small but delicate distinctions amid them. Numerous flora and fauna add to the dragon’s body. Dragons just turn out to be a popular part of Asian culture that Western cultures have singled out but, if you get a hold of genuine Asian design, you will see tiny scrolls fashioned from bamboo with complete tales on them. This folklore with wall hangings has been going on for ages and has endured into modern times.

Many features of Asian interior design revolve around allowing light to stream in freely with no requirement for power and artificial light. The way an Asian home is typically set up is a throw back to the days before power lighting when the outside light were expected to light up the entire house. It is not seen as much today but the idea of letting the outside light flow in liberally is a very Asian concept.

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Bamboo Flooring Adds Warmth to Your Home

Filed Under (Interior Design) by Doug Watson on 19-10-2008

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by Doug Watson

Bamboo flooring has become more popular recently because it is good for the environment and it is very durable. It is a good alternative to hardwood flooring. Bamboo is a kind of grass that grows in Southeast Asia and China. It is not as expensive as other flooring options but it is high in quality.

Professional in flooring always look for durable, attractive, affordable material to recommend to clients. They know that consumers will want high-quality flooring which looks nice and will hold up to everyday lifestyles. Bamboo Flooring is suitable and will make a fine choice.

Bamboo stalks mature in only three to five years and can grow up to 50 ft. Since bamboo renews itself naturally it is an environmentally friendly alternative to harvesting trees that can take from 50 to 100 years to mature. Even though it is a grass, bamboo grows into a material that is very hard and durable. In addition, bamboo can grow in areas with relatively poor soil, where other crops are impractical. Even after harvesting bamboo will continue to grow vigorously, making it one of the fastest growing plants in the world.

Bamboo flooring will also add value to your home because it is hard, durable and beautiful. It is just as good as any other kind of traditional hardwood flooring. Bamboo Floors looks great and are practical. It has also become more popular recently because it is environmentally friendly.

Both bamboo and hardwood flooring share common colors like honey, light and dark wood, as well as amber. The darker colors are created with pressure steaming and carbonization techniques to reach the same effect as hardwood. They can be arranged in flat grain or vertical patterns as well.

Installation can be accomplished by gluing, floating or ’secret nailing’. The boards can be glued directly to the subfloor or glued tongue to groove (floating). A secret nail gun can be used to shoot nails at a 45 degree angle through the tongue into the subfloor. It is called secret nailing because the tongue and nail heads are covered by the next board. Pre-finished and unfinished bamboo panels are available and available online through flooring vendors.

Timeless contemporary appeal, and warm, comforting ambiance, are just some of the adjectives used to describe the new bamboo flooring option. It brings added value to your home as well as being reasonably priced, fashionable, durable and environmentally friendly. Being an cheaper alternative to the expensive traditional hardwood floor and easy to maintain, a homeowner looking or shopping for new flooring should seriously consider bamboo.

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Understanding How to Use Feng Shui Colors

Filed Under (Interior Design) by Kyle Richey on 18-10-2008

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by Kyle Richey

Some people are under the mistaken impression that there are so-called right and wrong feng shui colors for the home or office. For example, many assume that red and black are predominant colors since they associate these with the Asian culture, that gold is meant to bring prosperity, or that you should have a red front door because it is lucky.

These things are actually incorrect assumptions about the use and application of feng shui colors, however, this doesnt mean that there are no real principles to following when it comes to the colors in your home or office. To really understand these, here are some simple tips to remember.

Real Feng Shui Colors Create Mood

Even biologists and scientists are in agreement that color affects your mood. If you are surrounded by bright, cheerful colors, you will feel more enthusiastic and upbeat. If you are surrounded instead by warm, dark colors, you will feel relaxed and calm. When you are thinking about using feng shui colors, you need to think about which mood you want to create in each room.

If you want your living room to be a relaxing, peaceful place, for example, the soothing and dark shades of warm brown, cocoa, tan, deep green or terracotta might work well. White and yellow are frenetic and bright colors and probably won’t work so well. If you have a room in which you want to create energy, such as a family room or kitchen, these bright colors would probably work well.

Feng Shui Colors are Balanced

Some people think that if something is good, more is even better. This doesn’t apply to everything and certainly does not apply to feng shui colors. Bright, bold colors might be good for creating enthusiasm and energy but if you go overboard and use too much of these colors in the room, the resulting bombardment of color can make you feel anxious and tense. Warm, dark colors can be relaxing and soothing but too much can make you feel closed in, depressed and even smothered.

Balance and harmony are essential feng shui elements in all its applications and this is definitely the case when choosing feng shui colors for your room. Don’t use all one shade or color family for the whole room but dress down or dress up your colors using accents in differing shades. For example, if you have a warm brown living room, you might like to have artwork, afghans or cushions in bright yellow or white.

Real Feng Shui Colors Make You Feel Positive!

Whatever your choice of colors when applying feng shui techniques, take a step back and ask yourself how that color makes you feel. If you absolutely hate it, then its not for you, regardless of what some so-called expert tells you. Real feng shui colors are meant to encourage positive energy, and using colors you hate will do just the opposite.

Researching and finding out what true feng shui is all about will help you to understand how it should be applied in your home or office.

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The Brilliance of Tech Lighting

Filed Under (Interior Design) by Fabian Toulouse on 17-10-2008

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by Fabian Toulouse

When it comes to lighting, it is best to think low. Warm up your room with the beauty and convenience of low wattage lighting. Low wattage lighting helps you conserve energy, lowering your electric bill and reducing your carbon footprint. With a monorail lighting system you get even lighting and such a breathtaking fixture, you will wonder why you waited so long. The monorail comes in single or double arrangements with an array of shade styles. Moreover, there are many finishes available in chrome, bronze, nickel and more.

The available installations can be fit into any room and match any decor. A little inspiration is all you need to transform any room with natural looking light. If you are at a loss for ideas you can always peruse a fixture gallery, and get inspired by lighting variations. Enjoy chic and savvy lighting fixtures fix for any room. Living room and bathroom, kitchen and bedroom can all enjoy elegance with a stunning lighting makeover.

If you are planning on designing your own lighting pattern, check out an accredited step-by-step process on how to successfully create your lighting transformation. You will have to decide where you want to place the lights and accompanying fixtures. Choose the shape you want your monorail to take on. Your monorail will need to run right in line and beneath a junction box with a surface transformer.

It is essential you determine how many pieces of railing you need to provide the length of lighting that you require, and to choose which end caps you want to finish the design. We will let you know if your ceiling, wall or other location can accommodate your ideas. When you choose the transformer, it will depend on how much wattage your light will be utilizing. You can choose to have your monorail hang down from the ceiling up to 8 feet.

Explore the array of lighting variations from Tech Lighting. Their bold designs incude the Kable light and the stunning Freejack. The Kable light is a great idea for a garage or exercising room, while the Freejack can make an art display room a hit. In addition to our ceiling and wall collections, we also have a nice selection of very original chandeliers. To check out all that we have to offer, you can visit a local showroom or find a representative or authorized reseller near you. Whether you choose our designs for your residence or business you will be glad you chose Tech Lighting, to make your dreams of tasteful and stylish lighting a reality.

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Modern Lighting: Light Is Life

Filed Under (Interior Design) by Fabian Toulouse on 17-10-2008

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by Fabian Toulouse

Light is life. Light color, lighting level, changes from light to darkness and modeling all impact on our daily lives, our mood and on our sense of well being. Above all, light is the medium through which we are able to see things. Approximately 80% of the information we receive about the world is gathered through our eyes. When we have insufficient light to see, we cannot get our bearing and then we feel insecure. Our sense of security is restored at night only when we have the privilege of having artificial light. Over the centuries, “light” as a phenomenon has been studied and its mysteries have been explained by physics. Light is visible electromagnetic radiation that is transmitted by a source of light and travels in waves.

Hundreds of thousands of years ago humans used fire not only as a heating source but as a source of light as well. Campfires and torches brought both light and life into caves into the sun’s light could not penetrate. As different settlements developed, lighting found a variety of application outside. Around 260 B.C., the Pharaohs in Egypt discovered how to harness light as a means of signaling. In 378 A.D., Antioch is alleged to have had working street lights. In 1783, oil lamps were widely used as utensils. In 1879, Thomas Alva Edison “re-invented” the light bulb. It had originally been developed 25 years earlier by Johann Heinrich Goebel, a German clock-maker.

Approximately 10% of the total electrical consumption is used for lighting. About 80% is consumed by commerce, industry, transport, and public authorities. Only about 1/5 is used in private household lighting. The lighting industry has many energy-saving options available, which include efficient electronic control gear, long-life light bulbs, fluorescent light bulbs that help save on energy and the length of time between light bulb changes and luminaries. The aim of all of these innovations is to maximize output, minimize input, and improve lighting’s quality.

If you visit a lighting website, you will find a host of modern lighting fixtures. These fixtures often include multi- and mini-pendant lights, chandeliers, large pendant lights, bowl pendant fixtures, and linear suspension light fixtures (better known as pool table lights). Most reputable sites will feature transitional, contemporary ceiling lights selection features a number of different lamping options such as incandescent, halogen and fluorescent.

Some innovative designs can be found on the Lumens website. They offer a range of beautiful chandeliers from such leading manufacturers as Forecast Lighting or Fontana Arte. The best thing about Lumens is that you can get the largest selection of all of the best products from all over the world in just one place. This company is the best at carrying all sorts of modern lighting products. If you cannot find it on their website, all you have to do is contact a customer service representative and ask. Chances are excellent that you will find what you are looking for at Lumens.

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