Archive for October, 2008
Looking For Lighting Inspiration
If you are getting tired of your home and it’s very bad lighting design I have an idea for you. In these rough economic times you now have things available to you that you once did not, such as high end homes and their lighting. If you are stuck as to what do do with your home check out these homes when there is an open house. Look at how they have their lighting done and see if it will work in your home. Sometimes seeing something in real life is much different then seeing it in a magazine or a picture.
I would suggest that you try to look at homes that are similar to yours or look at homes that are the exact opposite, but something you like. Remember when you do this though that not everything you want will be able to work in your home. Some homes have really high ceilings that support a large chandelier, your home may not. So what are you waiting for? Go check out those homes.
Find The Affordable Seating You Need
When it comes to seating we all need it, from the business down the street looking for commercial bar stools to the home owner looking for a table that seats 20 for entertaining. We need to sit down and relax with each other, but if the seating is uncomfortable and doesn’t look good we don’t tend to stay around too long. That is where getting good quailty and looking seating comes into play.
Recently I was looking around online and found this great website affordable Seating that has really great furniture for home and business use. In fact I’m going to be recommending them to a friend of mine who is looking for a bench seat to put in her dinning room. Affordable seating carries some great restaurant booths that would work perfectly for her and her kids will love them. The price is great and she can get it in green to match the rest of the room. Another reason I’m recommending it is that she’s not very internet savvy and the site is very easy to get around and find what you need. So if your looking for some new Affordable furniture for your home, check affordable furniture out.
Upgrading To Electric
My mother and step dad, with my help have decided to upgrade our propane to electric so they have been out looking at tank less water heaters, stoves and furnaces for the last 2 weeks. Monday they finally bought the tank less and are working on getting it put in. I still think that is the best way to go as it really can cut down on your electric bill.
The good news is they also don’t have to buy a stove as a friend of mine has one she is giving us. upgrading to either electric or just getting new appliances can be expensive at first, but if you can find some cheep or free things it helps, also once you do get everything upgraded the savings will start. I recommend getting new appliances if yours are more then 15 years old or are not an energy star product. In this economy saving money is a big deal and think about it this way, if you are buying new appliances to save you money your also helping the economy buy buying something.
Green Design And Comfort With Varier
Known for their stylishness and eco friendly design Varier is a wonderful furniture design company with amazing furniture and a great head on their solders. They are located in Scandinavia where green design and living is the normal way of life. All of their furnishings are hand made in a factory that uses the waist from their furniture making process to power the factory. This is something that I look for when buying furniture and plan on using their products not only in my next school project, but adding them to my must check out folder for clients once I start designing.
Varier has some amazing New Designs for Comfort available for everyone to use. These designs allow the body to act naturally and feel more comfortable by not forcing you into an uncomfortable position. One of my favorite ones is the chair pictured above, called the peel it has style and looks very comfortable, almost like when I sit in it my body will be wrapped up in this chair. It also comes with a footrest, headrest and it moves in a 360 rotation so you can get things done or just sit back and relax. It’s modern design fits into most new homes and really does make a statement. It’s also available in a club chair without the headrest and footrest. If your buying new furniture for your home you really should take a close look at Varier, they have an outstanding collection that is not only beautiful, but is good for our environment.
Renovating Your Family Room With Recessed Lighting
When it comes to home renovations, there’s a lot to think about. You could re-do your floors, ceilings, walls, cabinetry, bathroom fixtures – the list seems endless! Lighting is another big renovation project you should probably consider. Lighting is essential for two reasons – the obvious one being that it’s functional, filling a room with light. Additionally the right lighting can set a mood and create ambience. Recessed lighting is an excellent option if you are trying to create a contemporary, modern feel for your space. Recessed lighting takes the focus off the light fixtures and put it’s on the room itself, highlighting either beautiful wall art, or newly stained hardwood floors. When renovating a room that gets a lot of used, like a family room or den, recessed lighting is an excellent choice.
Used both as task lighting and directional lighting, recessed fixtures have the ability to completely transform a room. Your family room is likely going to be used for different activities including reading, playing board games, eating, watching television, and entertaining guests. Given the variety of activities going on this room, a dimmer switch is a must have. A dimmer switch makes the room even more versatile, giving you the power to adjust the intensity of the light at any given moment.
Additionally, the addition of recessed lights really highlight the quality workmanship that you’ve had done to your space. Hardwood floors and freshly painted walls look infinitely better and brighter under the beams of some strategically placed recessed lights. Lighting an entire space with recessed lighting is a bad idea however, as it will bring a real harsh and unflattering light quality to the room. Having additional light coming from an eye level is important, for instance floor lamps, sconces, and table lamps all help to even out the brightness and glare coming from the recessed fixtures. Another thing to keep in mind when lighting your family room is not to light a task area like a table or in front of a mirror from above where you plan on sitting or standing. You want the light to hit in front of the person, which will help avoid unnatural shadows and be generally more flattering.
By adding the recessed lighting to your family room, you help make the space comfortable and relaxing – two essential qualities for any family room.
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