There is nothing like flowers to brighten a room, and a floral centerpiece makes any dinner a special occasion. Although it is simple and convenient to grab a bunch of flowers at the grocery store, the quality of such a purchase is questionable. The blooms have traveled from the wholesaler to the warehouse and then to the store itself, taking precious time off their short lives. A better way is a stop at a local florist, selecting each flower individually and making your own bouquet to suit your decor and your needs. Buying by the stem is also cheaper and a lot more fun.

Carnations and alstroemeria are both long living flowers that come in a wide array of colors. Button poms and mums can remain beautiful for up to two weeks as well. Asiatic lilies, casa blancas and star gazers will all eventually bloom though not all the buds will open at the same time. However, if your intent is to enjoy your purchase for as long as possible, these are good buys as well. Roses, the most popular choice, don’t last very long, though they do look wonderful for the few days they do. Gerber daisies are also varied in color, and their large single blooms make a dramatic statement in an arrangement, but their longevity is questionable.

The easiest way to start is by choosing a color you like or a particular flower that appeals to you. Then you add those blooms that either compliment your initial choice or contrast it. Of course you can just buy a quantity of your favorite flower, a filler (baby’s breath, caspia, solidago or statice)and some greenery as well, plunk it in a vase and you’re done. But there isn’t as much challenge to that as there is mixing the selections your florist can provide.

Try and make the stop to your florist the last one on your way home. Cut flowers need water to survive and the bottom of the stems close within a few minutes after being removed from their water source and keeping cut flowers without water and in a warm enviroment like your car hastens their demise. You can get your flowers water tubed, attached with removable vials of water that will keep them fresh for over 24 hours, but it’s an unnecessary expense to incur if you’re going straight home. Also, your florist should also be able to provide you with a packet of flower nutrient that clarifies the water and extends your bouquet’s life.

When you arrive home, you should cut the flowers again, as short as possible to fit your vase. The shorter the stem, the longer a flower will last. Start with the greenery, add your primary flower, then the complimentary and contrasting ones and end with the filler to plug the gaps. A general rule of thumb claims that an arrangement should be one and a half times higher than its vase, but rules were made to be broken, too. When you have the look you want remember to add water to the container each day, keeping your creation beautiful for as long as possible.

Homebuyers want light, light and more light. So when they walk through a home with transom windows and arched palladium windows, they fall in love.

Soon after moving in, however, the honeymoon period fades. That transom window over the sliding doors offers a not-so-lovely view of the ceiling of the porch. And the arch over the front door can seem very plain without an expensive treatment.

Replacing the window with decorative glass would be cost-prohibitive, and even window coverings – which often must be custom made for such specialized sizes – would be pricey. What’s more, a window covering could block most of the natural light the glass lets in; eliminating the very reason the windows were attractive in the first place.

Many homeowners are finding an affordable solution in "Wallpaper" for Windows! by EtchArt.

For as little as $25 for a transom window or $50 for an arched window, Wallpaper for Windows gives windows the look of etched or stained glass, improving the situation without blocking the light. Installation takes just minutes, with no more tools required than a spray bottle.

Adhesive-free Wallpaper for Windows uses a patented static cling film to adhere to the glass. When it is time to redecorate, it pulls off easily, leaving no residue, and can be reused elsewhere.

Expect to field some questions if you choose to use Wallpaper for Windows, “My neighbor asked me about it immediately,” said Jeanne Grier, a Cleveland resident who uses the product on several windows in her home. “It was very easy, very easy,” she said.

Visit www.wallpaperforwindows.com to see the latest in glass decor.

As inventor and president of "Wallpaper" For Windows!, Larry Cashion has helped tens of thousands of people decorate and resolve living space issues with this award winning decorative window film. Featured on ABC’s Good Morning America, Numerous HGTV shows, Better Homes & Gardens magazine, and many others. Media page at http://www.wallpaperforwindows.com

The use of color is also something very personal. It stimulates our senses, power our mood, and helps create a particular ambiance. How we respond to an individual color depends on our nature, extroverts tend to feel happy with bold colors, while introverts prefer more passive colors. Through using specific combinations of color, combined with a careful consideration of simple color schemes is often the most effective.

Try not to use more than one or two principal colors in a room, as well as a contrasting or balancing tone. The best way to choose a background color for the room is to trial with a palette of different shades and tones, in combination with the color and textures of the furniture and materials. Remember the general color schemes of a home have to be in agreement. The walls define the space in a room, while the colors, to a large degree, define the mood.

Colored light, furnishing materials, and structural proportions, we can create a home that is welcoming, helpful, and comfortable. Walls are similar to background music: each color tone is like a musical note can create a pleasant-sounding harmony while others grate with each other. The color with which we surround ourselves will without doubt have an effect on us, and so it is important to feel comfortable with our choice. A discussion with a professional color consultant can help to decide individual needs and select appropriate color.

Colors can be divided into three main groups: those that stimulate and uplift, those that relax and calm, and those that provide harmony or balance. So, having taken a number of things into thought when decorating a room, such as the size of the space, the amount of light, the function if the room, and the style and mood we wish to create, we finally, and most importantly, need to consider the needs of the people who use it.

About The Author: Roger King has been involved in home interior painting for several years, and has been helping people find and review the best value for interior painting solutions. Visit his Web site http://www.decorativeinteriorpainting.com to learn more about this service.

Murphy beds have been in existence since about 1900, when William L. Murphy invented the patented mechanism to hide his bed away in the closet of his one room apartment while he entertained. The beds have been in use ever since, always appreciated by city apartment dwellers and homeowners who needed an extra bed in a multipurpose room.

During World War II and directly afterwards, the beds dropped in popularity, first because of the scarcity of steel, and then because people were moving out of the city to larger, suburban homes, and space was not at such a premium. In the decades of the fifties and sixties, the beds were mainly remembered as props in slap-stick comedy, or the place to hide the body in a mystery story.

Now, Murphy beds are experiencing resurgence, as professional people move back into the cities and make their smaller living spaces more functional. Many apartment dwellers are finding these beds already existing in older buildings, especially in places like San Francisco, where the Murphy bed was invented, and where many Murphy beds were sold for the apartments built between the 1906 earthquake and World War II. Antique Murphy beds are now much sought after conversation pieces and design focal points, as well as practical, still-functioning pieces of furniture.

Antique Murphy beds are also being sold in fine antique stores all over the country. Many of the original mechanisms still function and the cabinetry used to create the units can be quite beautiful. Buyers should remember, however, that a true Murphy bed is not going to be older than the invention, patented in 1900. The piece may be housed in a cabinet that is older than the patent, but the mechanism cannot be older than that. The buyer should be knowledgeable about the furniture of the period as a whole, and about the mechanism itself. Intelligently purchased, these beds can be an investment and a functioning piece of furniture.

Murphy Beds Info provides detailed information on murphy beds, murphy bed plans, wall beds, bed libraries, and antique beds. Murphy Beds Info is the sister site of Bunk Beds Web.

I’ve lived in three apartments, one condo, one cabin, and six houses. During that period, I experienced a variety of furnishings and interiors. Different color schemes, themes, layouts, and traffic flows. Each seemed to go with our lifestyle or age. For example, in the beginning, avocado green and harvest yellow appliances were all the rage. Bright foil-covered wallpaper and Formica countertops were huge. So went followed the decorator trends like everyone else. In later years, our taste changed and we toned down our interiors. We also learned about quality versus price, comfort versus style, and fad versus classic design. It was an education process.

I have pictures of every house I ever owned. It’s a rude awakening to relive the past experiences and try to understand our mindsets during certain eras. Or make that, errors. The outlandish wallpapers that were a pain to put up and seam, were just one instance. I can still visualize an orange shag rug. We had scoop chairs that were amazingly uncomfortable and plastic beads for a window treatment. Slowly, we evolved back to a civilized world. The sad part was that we made all these poor decisions out of free will. We got to choose anything and everything we wanted, and, unfortunately, did.

But we were influenced by: (a) television shows, (b) decorator magazines, (c) salespeople, (d) friend’s and family’s homes, (e) model homes which we loved to tour, and (f) our own taste in color, style, and fashion. This holds true for most everyone to this day. But it doesn’t have to be so. To prove it, you should see what we’ve done in our present home. We designed it to strictly suit our needs. Notice I said ‘our’ needs. That means, we didn’t consider anyone else. It’s custom designed around our lifestyle.

Here are some examples. We don’t encourage overnight company and, therefore, don’t have a ‘spare’ bedroom. We eat at a large, solid quartz kitchen counter. It also serves as a workspace and where we read the morning paper. We don’t own a kitchen table, because we don’t need one. Instead, our eat-in kitchen serves as our office area. It contains his and her desks for our home-based web business, ‘The Nurse’s Choice,’ including computers, fax machine, copier and other office equipment. A reclining chair and couch face the glass doors so we can look out toward the back yard and our mountain view. The former formal dining room, is a combination game area with a chess set and gaming table and music room, There, I play the keyboard, harmonica, bongos, and guitar. The living room has just a couch and widescreen television in an entertainment center. In the ‘country’ corner, is our imitation mountain fir tree, large hand-carved, wooden bear and logs. At Christmastime, the tree lights up.

The rest of the house is also designed to fill our needs. The second bedroom serves as a gym with exercise equipment and a large walk-in, custom-designed, closet with built-ins for my wife’s clothes. The master bedroom has another widescreen television so we can watch movies in bed. There I have my closet, also with custom built-ins. The third bedroom is a hobby room for craft projects and has a single sofa. The closet is also custom-built for our travel gear as we are gone a lot.

We chose all the bath and kitchen cabinet woods and colors. All the floors are tile with a few area rugs because we hate wall-to-wall carpeting that holds dirt and dust. Every wall is painted in a color because we dislike white walls. All the lighting was designed and installed to enhance and provide what was needed for each space.

I have my own wants and tiled the garage floor, to keep it easier to clean and insect-free. There, I have a custom workbench, storage cabinet, and custom lighting. Everything is stored off the floor and I even have a phone.

The back and front yard is low-maintenance with a minimum of plants and trees. It’s on a drip system, grass-free with river rock, and a block wall fence that never needs painting. All of these things were our choice. We ignored what is traditional and opted for personal function. It’s a great house and suits us to a ‘T.’ In the beginning, we got a few comments from visitors but they understand this is our home and our design. We don’t need or intend to please anyone else.

And that is the premise. Make a house your own. It doesn’t have to meet anyone else’s agenda or standards. Make the choices that you have to live with, not the other relatives. If they were making the mortgage payments, then I could understand. You’re the one that spends the time and it’s your money. Invest in yourself and lifestyle and you’ll be better off But remember, it’s your castle and treat it that way. And so, if you need to install an alligator-filled moat…

Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master’s Degree from Monmouth University. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. He has authored 6 books and a novel, "Pursuit of the Phoenix," available at amazon.com. His latest book is, "Inside the Yellow Pages." Currently, he is the Marketing Director for thenurseschoice.com, a Health Information and Doctor Referral site.

As living space becomes more efficient, two social trends have converged to foster the Murphy bed’s regained popularity. First, because housing is more expensive, every available area needs to be used in as many ways as possible. Multi-use rooms are an extremely effective way to expand that space. Second, the “do-it-yourself” boom is still in full swing, as people choose to economize where they can by providing their own labor. Thus, turning a bedroom or study into a multipurpose guest room/work room by building one’s own Murphy bed is an increasingly popular project.

Murphy bed plans and kits are available at a variety of sources. Manufacturers and retailers of Murphy beds often offer suggestions and technical support for this project. Many of these manufactures also sell a Murphy bed Plan. Other resources are the fashionable home improvement shows and home make-over shows. Often, a video of one of these instructional programs will be available to guide the home carpenter. Carpentry books are also a good resource.

The project itself is fairly simple, involving a box that fits within another box, and that has legs that rotate in or out, depending on the position of the bed. The cabinetry that surrounds the bed can be as simple or ornate as the homeowner would like.

A place to start looking for a Murphy bed plan is the manufacturer of the special mechanism that the homeowner will need to purchase. These patented mechanisms are what allow the Murphy bed to be opened out or shut away with a minimum of effort. These businesses are also a source of technical support. It is in their interests for your project to be successful.

Simple shop tools and an intermediate level of comfort with wood-working projects will allow the home carpenter to build a custom Murphy bed for his home. Building one’s own bed will allow choosing the exact woods and trims to compliment the home and match existing woodwork, for a truly built-in look.

Murphy Beds Info provides detailed information on murphy beds, murphy bed plans, wall beds, bed libraries, and antique beds. Murphy Beds Info is the sister site of Bunk Beds Web.

Feng Shui is the Chinese art of placement of objects. The objects are placed in such a way that it radiates positive energy all around. Feng Shui is used and practiced by not just Chinese but millions of people throughout the world.

For a prosperous business and a happy home, you need to follow certain Feng Shui guidelines, some of which are outlined below:

The energy (chi) that enters the house or office should not leave immediately, it should stay in the house and flow without any impediments and hence the front and back doors should not be in a straight line. If the front door and back door are in a straight line, place a few objects or place curtains to impede the view.

Never keep a mirror in front of your bed as it will cause restlessness and you will not be able to sleep properly and this will affect not just your home but your business life as well.

In the office you should have a wall behind your chair and you should face the door, this will bring good luck and success in your chosen profession.

The bathroom is also important, always keep the toilet lid down and if water is leaking from taps, get it rectified as it is considered to be bad chi.

Consult a Feng Shui practitioner to get finer details regarding the placement of objects.

Paul has been providing answers to lots of queries through his website on a wide variety of subjects ranging from satellite phones to acne. To learn more visit http://www.askaquery.com/Answers/qn1627.html

You are welcome to republish the above article only if you add our hyperlinked URL.

In a time of expensive real estate, smaller homes built on smaller lots are becoming the norm, even in the suburbs. In the city, space is at an even greater premium, as more and more people work or live in existing buildings. Any idea that makes the most of these smaller spaces is vital to the comfort of the population.

One such idea, Murphy beds, is resurfacing. The idea of the Murphy bed was born in San Francisco around 1900. The inventor, William L. Murphy, was a young, single gentleman who lived and slept in a one-room apartment. Because he wanted to entertain his girlfriend in his room, and because “proper” young ladies did not enter a gentleman’s bedroom in those days, he found a way to hide the bed while he was entertaining. He invented a means of easily and automatically flipping the fully-made bed on its end into a closet, so it could be safely stored out of sight, but brought out again when he needed it.

Mr. Murphy patented his idea in 1900. He began manufacturing the beds as others heard of Murphy beds and wanted to take advantage of their space-saving properties. After the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, his invention became even more popular. Much of the city had suffered extensive damage, and the available living space was utilized to the utmost. Murphy’s business prospered as he continued to improve his product.

Murphy beds rapidly spread across the country as more people moved into the cities and apartment life became a popular trend. Mr. Murphy moved his flourishing business to New York in the 1920s, where it still is today. Many of the original beds are still in use today. Now, they can be found all over the world, in apartments, hotels, hospitals, offices, fire stations, and any other building where efficient use of space is vital.

Murphy Beds Info provides detailed information on murphy beds, murphy bed plans, wall beds, bed libraries, and antique beds. Murphy Beds Info is the sister site of Bunk Beds Web.

It is history and centuries of craftsmanship woven together, spread out in the middle of your living room floor. It could be a magnificent colored canvas that speaks of age and timelessness, adding a breath of the classic to the modern structure that is your home.

Kings and queens could have reclined on one such rug at one time, while the secrets its making remain closely guarded among the tribesmen working quietly in the remotest regions of what is now known as the carpet capital of the world – Iran.

Carpets take years to weave one, and it is all done meticulously excruciatingly by hand. It is made of authentic natural wool, silk, cotton, or a combination of these materials.

For these reasons, a Persian carpet has been long regarded as precious. The least expensive costs around $200, while a 4 x 6 ft piece that took a family in the city of Qum at least a couple of years to create would be sold for $4,000 - $5,000. As for antique pieces of rugs that are preserved in the museums, the figure would simply be astronomical.

The modern carpets or rugs may not have the sense of history like Persian carpets, but they can just as effectively meet a homeowner’s requirements.

Rugs, a smaller version of carpets – are for specific areas, with standard sizes varying from 3 x 5 ft to 9 x 12 ft. The smallest rug is similar in size to a coffee table. In effect, a rug is simply a patch over a certain perimeter. It can be spread under a particular piece of furniture, as opposed to a carpet, which may cover the entire floor.

Experts say that rugs are totally made for accents, aesthetics, to soften the look of a room. They can also be used for comfort as some people find it uncomfortable to walk on a wooden floor.

Rugs, as well as carpets, can provide some means of safety or heighten the sensuality factor in certain parts of the house.

Today’s modern rugs are available in three yarn categories:

1. Wool

It is a natural fiber. It is softer and naturally resilient. If a person step on it, it bounces back. It does not look worn after time has passed.

Wool rugs also have a safety attribute that homeowners would welcome. They are naturally “flame-retardant.” If something burns them, it just scorches the surface. If a cigarette is accidentally dropped on the rug, for example, that particular spot will blacken out but it will not burn or melt.

2. Nylon

It has the same flame-retarding quality, but when burned, it will turn “plasticize” and emit fumes, which could linger for some time, particularly in a closed room.

3. Polypropylene

It is the least expensive among the three. It is neither as soft as flame-retardant as wool and nylon. However, there are currently treatments to make it achieve what wool and nylons can do.

Modern rugs can last up to 20 years, needing only occasional cleaning. Experts recommend that it is best not to shampoo rugs right away. Just vacuum it regularly, depending on the foot traffic it is exposed to.

Finally, try to keep in mind that when you are set to purchase a rug, try to ask yourself some questions like, “Where will it be used?” or “What will it be used for?”

Having carefully taken all those things into account, you should then have a clear idea of the kind of rug that would make a worthy addition to your home.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides rug resources on http://www.about-rugs.info

There are almost as many types of air pollution as there are potential solutions. No matter what type of air purification system you’re looking for, you should know that there is not one product on the market today that can solve every problem.

The best approach to figuring out what type of air purification solution is going to be best for you, is to first understand the different types of pollution.

For example, these are the five major types of air pollution:

1. Odor Causing Pollution. Odor comes from many different places - food, animals, human bodies, cigarettes, cigars and pipe smoke, sports shoes, clothing and equipment, etc. Although not necessarily dangerous, if you’ve ever walked into your teenage son’s room after he’s come back from a football game and taken a deep breath - you know it can be very unpleasant!

Recommended Solution: Currently, the best solutions on the market for this type of pollution are odor sponges, ozone and oxidation.

2. Particulate Causing Pollution. Particulates are those little floating things you see when the sun comes shining in through your windows, and include dust, dust mites, dust mite feces, pet dander, skin flakes (what dust mites eat), pollen, smoke particles and allergens.

Recommended Solution: Currently the best solutions on the market for this type of pollution are infiltration and negative ions.

3. Microbial Causing Pollution. Microbials are microscopic bacteria, fungi, mycotoxins created by a fungus, mildew, mold spores and viruses. They can be as small as .001 microns. Microbials love to live in warm, damp places, or under your carpet, in your walls and in heating and air conditioning ducts.

Recommended Solution: Currently the best solutions on the market for this type of pollution are those that produce oxidation, which kills microbials.

4. Chemical Fumes and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). This type of pollution comes from chemicals like benzene and formaldehyde, the chemical fumes that are constantly seeping from carpets, upholstery, furniture, draperies, household cleaning products, beauty products such as nail polish, removers, etc. They also come from cigarette, cigar and pipe smoke, building construction, etc. Many of these chemicals have been identified as carcinogens.

Recommended Solution: Currently the best solution on the market for this type of pollution are products that produce catalytic oxidation.

5. Radon Gas Pollution: Radon is a completely odorless, tasteless and colorless gas, and is the heaviest of all known gasses. It is caused by the radioactive breakdown of uranium inside the earth. When radon is cooled below freezing, it turns a brilliant phosphorescent shade of yellow, which turns orange-red as it gets colder. Radon is also the second leading cause of lung cancer. Smoking exacerbates the affects of radon. Radon is found all around us, in our homes, our yards and the world around us.

Recommended Solution: The best solution to this form of pollution is to first of all test your home (a simple test is available at most hardware stores) and then to seal all cracks and openings in your home’s foundation. If the problem merits it, you may need to have a certified contractor install a ventilation system inside your home.

With this basic understanding about pollution you are now ready to make that all important decision about which system is going to be best for you. The choice is yours!

James Louis writes about things that impact our society. One of his pet peeves is home air pollution. To get more information about how you can solve your home pollution problems visit: http://www.air-purifier-info-site.com