Archive for March, 2007

Posted on Mar 31st, 2007

The method of Wallpaper border removal depends on what the Border was applied on, like painted wall or not, was it applied over wallpaper, and what was used to hang the wallpaper border. If it’s on wallpaper, it can be easily peeled off. However, if it’s on a painted wall, dampening the lower layer with warm water, and letting it soak for a while considerably make the job easier.

You can use any commercial chemical wallpaper remover if the border is a genuine Wallpaper border and is reasonably new. The remover will reactivate the adhesive and let you scrape off the paper with a scraping tool. However the chemical usually won’t permeate if the wallpaper border has a vinyl outer covering. Use a perforation tool to break the surface so the moisture can reach the adhesive.

Peel the wallpaper border with soft metal or plastic scraper, and not tools like strong metal scrapers or filling knives, which may result in unwanted scratches on the wall. If the Wallpaper border material is fibrous, like paper, you can use a garden sprayer to drench it with the chemical remover, and then remove the remaining residue. Use a wallpaper steamer to reactivate the paste. You can then easily scrape of the paper.

You can also use steam removal method for Wallpaper borders. First, steam the surface of the wall. Start from the bottom to the topmost part, one section at a time. If the wallpaper border uses extremely strong adhesive, you may need to steam each strip twice or thrice before removing. Use a broad knife to scrape a strip of wallpaper off the wall, working from the bottom up. And while the adhesive is still warm, scrape each strip of paper. Using warm water and sponge, remove remaining adhesive residue.

Wallpaper Borders provides detailed information about wallpaper borders, discount wallpaper borders, kids’ wallpaper borders, and more. Wallpaper Borders is affiliated with Discount Kitchen Cabinets.

Posted on Mar 31st, 2007

Selecting an interior designer is the most important decision that you can make before investing a lot in a home decorating project. Assuming you can afford the services of an interior designer, you have many choices of designers available. How do you go about selecting an interior designer? If you have the time to go through an interview process, this is the best way.

Get three different recommendations for good interior designers that belong to the American Society of Interior Designers. Then ask each one of the three designers if they would do a free consultation with you about the space you are working with. Take good notes during the consultation, not only about their design ideas, but also other factors including cost, how they relate to you, and whether you think their sense of style is compatible with yours.

Once you have had a consultation with each interior designer, carefully go over your notes. Also, if they have any online portfolios of their previous work, spend some time looking at those. Which designer is the best fit for your room? Don’t assume that a designer with a distinctly modern edge to their work will be able to change their stripes for your ultra-traditional project unless they have done it before and you like the results.

If you are looking for an interior designer and have a very limited budget, consider possibly hiring an interior design student to work with you on your home. They would appreciate the work experience and probably also expect to be paid less money than an established interior designer.

Kevin Lynch is a successful author and regular contributor providing advice and tips on home decor at e Home Decorating, his site and articles are dedicated to helping you with your home decorating needs and wants.

Posted on Mar 30th, 2007

Though Wallpapers and Borders are typically meant for walls, they can be very useful for decorating a host of other items in the house. If you have a few extra leftover strips, you can really keep yourself busy using only a pair of scissors, glue, your creativity and imagination.

If you had bought a themed Wallpaper Border, with pictures such as animals, sceneries, flowers, etc, you can frame and hang a piece on the wall where you applied the Wallpaper border, but not on the Border itself. This will give a very nice blending effect if the picture comes along with a background pattern.

You can give a little flair to your old kitchen cabinets, cupboards, organizers and trash bins by covering them with leftover strips. Choose designs that will complement the room; for example, Borders that have pictures of food for your kitchen furniture.

Wallpaper Borders can also be used to cut out figures of your favorite animals, teddy bears, dolls and other shapes. Paste them on the walls, mirrors, shelves, doors etc. You can also use these figures to make refrigerator picture frame magnets by using cardboard and a piece of magnet.

If you have some ugly looking cornice around the house, why not put in a little style by covering it up with a pleasant looking Wallpaper Border that will be able to blend with the Wallpaper. You can do the same thing with those old books on the shelves that have mottled black-and-white cardboard binding or covers that have faded.

Besides these great ideas, Wallpaper Border leftovers also come in handy if you have hobbies like decoupage. You can blend the Border strips along with the other papers and create wonderful patterns and designs.

Wallpaper Borders provides detailed information about wallpaper borders, discount wallpaper borders, kids’ wallpaper borders, and more. Wallpaper Borders is affiliated with Discount Kitchen Cabinets.

Posted on Mar 30th, 2007

Having a nice house is everyone dreams. In fact, everybody wants to have their own house. Unfortunately not everybody is fortune to have a house of their own. So, once you have, you sure what to arrange the house as good as you can. But sometimes you have difficulties in choosing the best materials for you house, especially for your floor.

Obviously they are different rooms in you house and each room may need different flooring. To pick what best flooring material for you house is something that you have to think about. Picking the right type of flooring for your home involves asking some questions and giving some honest answers. You need to pick what’s right for you, your finances and your lifestyle. Finding a floor covering that is suitable for every aspect of your circumstances is key to getting the equation right.

When you shop for flooring materials you will find great range of wonderful flooring materials in the market. From what you see, sure it will be difficult for you to decide. Buying flooring material certainly need some honest judgment from yourself and also the condition of your house.

To help you finding the right flooring materials for your house, here are some check lists you might want to consider:

* Find out about your area. Is your house located in the moisture area, cold or warm climate? Is it a high traffic area or quite? Or is it occasionally prone to flooding? Knowing your house location will make you easy to choose the right flooring materials. For example, if your house located in the moisture area, find out what is the cause. If it can be eliminated you could then enjoy a much wider choice of flooring for your home. If moisture is a permanent problem you should choose flooring that does not rot and will not absorb water, such as stone, marble and granite, or concrete slabs. If you live in a very cold area and especially if you have children, you’d probably be better off using carpet as a favorite, with other flooring materials such as linoleum thrown in for areas such as the kitchen.

* Now, let see about you. Do you like the contemporary look for interior decorating? Or are you fundamentally a traditionalist at heart? If you look for different flooring which matches with interior decorating, maybe you could consider hardwood flooring materials. Or for a cheaper alternative, think of using laminated flooring or bamboo flooring. These two are perfect for those who like modern decorating styles too. This is the stylish, yet practical answer to the question of what to put on the floors. Laminated flooring is just so easy to take care of, you can’t do anything but love it. A quick wipe over from time to time is all it needs. No oiling and no scrubbing are needed.

*See how is your house foundation is. If you don’t want to have your floor covering became unstuck or crack and chip, better not laying any of the natural stone flooring products on a base that is in any way unstable. It won’t work. Take the time and expense to put right any defects in your foundation first so that you can really appreciate the look of your finished new floor. Probably you may use wood for that kind of foundation. . It will adding atmosphere to your home too. You will find that it copes with the structural movement where it is pretty resistant to a great deal of family traffic.

* Check your garage flooring. Garage is one part in your house which most people fail to take advantage of their garage, which is a shame. In order to get the most use out of your garage, you need to take care of it. This is where garage flooring comes in. Floor covering in your garage can totally change the look of the room. More importantly, it can save you a great deal of concrete floor repair over the life of your house. Without any protection, your concrete garage floor is doomed to crack and suffer from moisture exposure. Not only will the right garage floor coat improve the look of your garage, but it will also protect this excellent space from moisture and the elements.

* If you are redecorating your home and your budget is limited, by all means get the best price you can find. A building materials wholesaler who supplies the trade can be your best bet for quality discount flooring. You can take advantage of their bulk buy savings Buy the best flooring materials you can stretch to. Why? Basically because the floor you choose will have a profound effect on the finished look of your home.

By knowing that information, hopefully you can choose what best for you. Having a good and comfortable house is everyone’s dreams. Home Sweet Home. Good luck!

Tony Gevano interest in observing people’s way in choosing things and wrote almost anything he likes. Find more about the Website at http://www.moregaragefloor.info; http://www.thelaminatingfloor.info; and http://woodfloor.101.info

Posted on Mar 29th, 2007

Deciding what kind of Wallpaper Borders to put up for your kid’s room can be time-consuming. It’s important that you choose a theme that your child will appreciate. A great Wallpaper Border decoration for kids does not need to have multiple designs. A simple, yet interesting design can really enhance your kid’s room decoration. Here are a few simple, yet great ideas.

Kids, especially boys, love Movie-themed Wallpaper Borders. For example, if your kid is a Star Wars fan, you might want to buy Border patterns decorated with the movie characters, spaceships and other gadgets used in the movie.

Wallpaper borders with Story Book or cartoon characters can really add color and light to your kid’s room. Choose from a variety of fairytale or comic book characters like the little mermaid, Peter Pan, Puss in Boots, Garfield, Asterix etc.

Transportation themed Wallpaper Borders can also be fun. You can get Borders that feature your kid’s favorite automobiles. For example, if your child likes trains, it’d be a great idea to put up train track borders on his wall.

If your kid has a favorite animal, he’d love to have pictures of it on his wall. There are hundreds of animal Wallpaper Borders to choose from such as horses, lions, dogs, tigers, cats, etc. Go for the colorful ones because some Animal Borders may not be specifically designed for kids.

You can do a lot with colors too. Camouflage Borders can give a very nice army-themed room decoration while blue, tan and ivory combined with a blend of various wild animals can produce the perfect Safari look. Little girls also love colors. So if you have one in the family, get Borders dotted with pink hearts, colorful little elves, butterflies and fairies.

Wallpaper Borders provides detailed information about wallpaper borders, discount wallpaper borders, kids’ wallpaper borders, and more. Wallpaper Borders is affiliated with Discount Kitchen Cabinets.

Posted on Mar 29th, 2007

Buying sheets is not as easy as it used to be or should be. There’s such a wide variety of styles, colours and fabrics to choose from. You may go to a store wanting plain white cotton sheets but end up so confused because you have so many different types of cotton, that you may go home with the wrong one (in most cases) or end up buying something you don’t want.

The amount of time you’ll find yourself spending in trying to choose the right type of bed sheet can be VERY frustrating and buying online makes this process even harder because you can’t FEEL how soft/rough the fabric is. Frankly speaking, most people would rather spend that valuable time doing something else.

Well, here are a few pointers you should keep in mind when you want to buy sheets for your bed or anybody else’s bed for that matter. These are just a few simple ‘rules of thumb’ for selecting the right sheets. Once you understand these, there’s no reason why you should not be able to choose the best sheets for yourself, your family and guests each and every time. You can literally order online as though you went to the store in person.

So here we go…in order of importance, here’s what you should look for when shopping for sheets:

1. The Weave

The very first thing to consider when buying ANY type of bed linen is the weave.

Simply put, the weave describes the way the individual fibers of the fabric have been woven or twisted together when the fabric was being made.

For example, if the fibers have been twisted together very tightly, then you get a sturdy fabric, but if the fibers were twisted together loosely, then you get quite a flimsy type fabric.

So in other words, the weave of the fabric will determine how crisp, smooth, wrinkly (especially after wash), cool (on the skin), soft, warm, clingy, durable and even how shiny your sheets will be.

2. Thread Count

The next thing to consider when shopping for sheets, after the weave, is the thread count.

The thread count is the number of threads woven into one square inch of fabric and can range from 180 to over 2000 threads per square inch. The higher the thread count, the softer the fabric.

When shopping for a sheets look for thread counts of between 200 – 250 as a bare minimum. The higher this figure gets, the more luxurious the bed linen!

Sheet prices are based on the thread count. The higher the thread count the more expensive the sheet.

Caution:
Although a high thread count would normally mean that you get a better quality of sheet, please don’t consider thread count alone when making your buying decision. Remember that you may get a fabric with high thread count but of poor fabric quality and inferior weave! So consider everything if you want to buy the best.

3. Length of Fibers

The best types of sheets have a high thread count, good weave and are made with long fibers. Long fibers give sheets a silky smooth feel.

If you want fabrics that have long fibers and are generally smooth to the touch, you should look for Egyptian, supima and pima cottons. These cottons have the longest fibers around (Egyptian cotton has the longest fibers from group).

4. Standard Fabrics for Bed sheets

Fabrics come in two types; natural and synthetic.

Natural fabrics, like cotton, silk, linen and wool, are made by nature, whereas synthetic fabrics (nylon and polyester) are man-made.

As a general rule, natural fabrics are more breathable and most people find them more comfortable.

Synthetic fabrics are good value for money and are generally warm.

When choosing fabrics, quality is a must. Always look for a good combination of weave, thread count and fibers. Again, to make your life a just little easier, here’s a list of some standard fabrics used in sheeting at present:

Cotton in general:
Excellent for comfort and durability. A natural fabric which is very breathable.

Egyptian Cotton:
The highest quality cottonavailable. Very long fibers, giving it great softness, luxury and smoothness. Feels great against the skin!

Supima and pima cottons:
Also have long fibres and feel soft and smooth to the touch.

Cotton and Polyester combination:
Although the polyester can pill over time, these types of fabrics wrinkle less and are easy to iron. The polyester adds durability to the fabric.

Silk:v As you know, silk is the QUEEN of luxury. This is also a natural fiber. It’s value is measure on it’s weight (it’s called the ‘momme weight’). The higher the momme weight is, the better the quality of the silk. An average silk sheet would weigh between 10-12 momme fabric.

Before you rush off to buy sheets for your bed, you must know what size sheets your bed will take! If you don’t, you’ll be wasting your time.

So be prepared. You should also measure the height of your mattress and keep this information with you when you choose your sheets.

Here are the basic sheet sizes you should keep in mind:

Twin: flat (66 x 96 inches), fitted (39 x 75 inches)

Full: flat ( 81 x 96 to 100 inches), fitted (54 x 75 inches)

Queen: flat (90 x 102-106 inches), fitted (60 x 80 inches)

King: flat (109 x 102-106 inches), fitted (78 x 80 inches)

California King: flat (102 x 110), fitted (72 x 84)

Lucia Izuogu
Buying bedding can be confusing and time-consuming — But NOT Anymore!
http://www.betterbeddingbuying.com

Posted on Mar 28th, 2007

Using Wallpaper Borders is an affordable and easy way to add some flair to your room decoration but if you do not choose the right color, design or pattern, you might not be able to achieve the desired effects. Deciding what kind of Wallpaper Borders to buy can be very tiring and complicated, so take time and plan ahead before making any decisions.

You have multiple options before deciding which make and material to buy. For example, Borders made with natural fabric or grass are beautiful but they are also difficult to clean, expensive and difficult to hang. The most common materials like Vinyl are not too stylish but they are much cheaper and easier to clean, install and remove.

The design and pattern depend on personal tastes but it is important that you choose ones that will complement your walls and rooms. Horizontal patterns, for instance, can make a room seem visually wider while Vertical patterns make the ceiling seem higher. Picture themed Wallpaper Borders also add fun and life to a room décor. For example, Kitchen walls decorated with Borders dotted with pictures of different foods can produce a very refreshing look and effect.

Depending on what and if pre-coated adhesive is used to hang the paper, there are three types of Wallpaper Borders - Self Adhesive, Pre-pasted and Non-pasted Wallpaper borders. Self-Adhesive is the most convenient because all you need to do is peel off the plastic covering in the back and put it on the wall, without having to buy additional adhesive or paste activator.

Wallpaper Borders are not forever. They will fade or wear out in time. Choose the ones that are easily removable such as Peelable or Strippable Wallpaper Borders which can be stripped away by simply pulling away from the wall.

Wallpaper Borders provides detailed information about wallpaper borders, discount wallpaper borders, kids’ wallpaper borders, and more. Wallpaper Borders is affiliated with Discount Kitchen Cabinets.

Posted on Mar 28th, 2007

Since conservatories have so many windows, choosing conservatory blinds is extremely important. The blinds are a major part of the room’s decor and can really help create a strong, beautiful design. Luckily, there are many wonderful blind styles to choose from.

People choose to use blinds in their conservatories for several reasons. First, even with e-glass, windows let in some heat and sunlight. Since a conservatory is almost all windows, even a small amount of heat coming in each window can really increase the room’s temperature to an uncomfortable level. In addition, the sun’s rays can damage furniture and fade upholstery over time. People also buy blinds for the conservatory to provide privacy from prying eyes. This is especially important for conservatories facing a busy street, as the feeling of being watched will often cause homeowners to end up spending very little time in the room. Additionally, many homeowners use blinds as design elements to help give the room a finished look. Before you shop for conservatory blinds, you may want to find out if your windows come in standard sizes. Often, conservatory windows are custom windows, designed to fit perfectly together. Each window needs to be measured and blinds need to be custom made.

Roman blinds are a classic design that is popular for any room in the house. These blinds come in a variety of colors and fabrics and can really help enhance the room’s design. However, they do occasionally have problems with pleats not falling back into the original position.

Pleated blinds are made of cloth or special materials that hold the shape of the original pleats. These blinds are a good choice for the conservatory because they are usually neutral in color and go well with any décor.

For a rich look that goes well with Rattan furniture, you may want to look at wooden blinds. These blinds are available in a wide range of wood finishes or can be purchased with a painted finish. They are very durable and fall into their original position when drawn up and down.

When you think of roller blinds for the conservatory, you may be thinking of the unattractive white vinyl roller blinds that were common several years ago. However, modern roller blinds are available in a wide range of colors and can have attractive decorative trims. These blinds are popular because you can raise and lower them with a quick tug

When they are choosing blinds for the conservatory, many home owners forget to look at roof blinds. However, a conservatory with a glass roof can turn into an oven by mid-afternoon without blinds. These blinds are specially designed to be installed across the roof area of the conservatory. Be sure you look for blinds with an automated control system, so you do not have to manually open and close them.

Matthew Anthony contributes to many sites including conservatories and window blinds.

Posted on Mar 27th, 2007

Nothing blends in quite so well with a "back to nature" setting as rustic log patio furniture. Pine and cedar furniture designed for your log cabin, lakeside villa or mountain chalet will not only look great, but be extremely functional as well.

Rustic log furniture is one of the hottest trends in home decorating, and it’s not likely that’s going to change any time soon. While pine and cedar are two of the primary woods used to manufacture rustic log patio furniture, other types of wood such as teak may also be used. If left unfinished, your rustic patio furniture will age to a barnwood-style gray when left out doors. If you wish to preserve the natural color of the wood, you may finish the furniture with waterproof finish. Many manufacturers also offer a variety of outdoor paint colors as well.

Rustic Patio Options for Every Deck

A white cedar or pine rocker is a great starting point for the great out-of-doors. And there are a myriad of other seating options to choose from. Double rockers, high-back rockers, gliders, tete-a-tete’s, porch swings and yard swings are just a few of the available seating ideas for your deck, patio or garden. Some rustic chairs come with cushions, others may look good with an ottoman to prop your feet up on.

There are also a number of rustic picnic table options, not to mention log style benches which are especially handy around a roaring fire or when seating a number of guests. The bottom line is, that just about any type of wood furniture you can think of in a non-rustic style, is also available in rustic. If you want a rustic piece that you haven’t found readily available online, most log furniture manufacturers are great at working out custom orders.

The only problem I have ever really had in trying to get custom furniture from the Amish was explaining why we wanted to put a television in the "wardrobe", turning it into an entertainment center. For some reason, my customer’s desire to fit a TV into an armoire wasn’t the Amish could readily related to–although they were still more than happy to oblige by modifying their design to meet our specifications.

A Natural Fit to the Great Outdoors

Rustic wood furniture is just a natural fit to an outdoor environment. It seems so much more relaxing than patio furniture made from plastic, composite or other materials. Many log furniture manufacturers use treetops of logs cut for log cabins, so even if you feel like "saving a tree" you are enhancing–rather than hurting–the environment by furnishing your patio, deck, or gazebo with rustic outdoor furniture.

Cari Haus sells log furniture and log beds from http://www.rusticdecorator.com/

Posted on Mar 27th, 2007

Since there has been a trend in recent years towards more earthy color tones for interior decorating, Native American Indian art can fit in nicely as part of home decor. Most subjects used in Native American Indian art tend to be focused on nature whether the pieces are prints, carvings or pottery. Colors tend to be earthy shades of browns, reds, blacks and yellows since the main raw materials are wood as in carvings from the Pacific Northwest region and clay from the Southwest. Even painted wood carvings or pottery tend to have natural colors often found in nature such as greens and blues. All of these colors work well with the more natural styles of interior decorating today.

The Pacific Northwest region which covers the states of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia (Canada) and the southern part of Alaska, produces some excellent Native American Indian art in the form of wood carvings. This is not surprising since the Pacific Northwest is abundant with forests which have provided the wood as raw material for the region’s Native American Indian art. The wood is sometimes painted in striking colors or just stained with natural looking browns. Either way, such pieces fit in perfectly in rooms with earthy color tones. I have seen walls of living rooms, bedrooms, office den rooms, hallways and even bathrooms enhanced with Pacific Northwest Indian art in the form of both prints and wood plaque carvings. The Pacific Northwest Native American artists also make some of the most striking aboriginal masks in the world which are also suitable for hanging on walls.

Native American Indian art as home decor helps bring in an atmosphere of nature in the overall interior decorating of a room. This is because of their natural colors and also their subject matters which tend to be animals such as eagles, bears, thunderbirds, killer whales and salmons. Pacific Northwest Native art in particular gives homes in that region a local flavor. Many homes in this part of North America have this type of artwork as part of interior decorating. This style of Native American Indian art is still relatively unknown to many parts of North America and the rest of the world so for homes outside of the Pacific Northwest region, a nice wood carving can be seen as exotic treasure brought back from a homeowner’s travels. Check out some examples of Pacific Northwest Indian art either in a gallery or online and imagine how a piece or two can be part of your home’s interior decorating.

Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery (http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca), an online gallery specializing in Inuit Eskimo and Northwest Native American art including carvings, sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous information resource articles with photos of authentic Inuit and Native Indian art as well as free eCards.

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