HOME DECORATING IDEAS

by: Jeff Lakie

When it comes to furniture, you have several different types. There is basic, custom handcrafted, and thrift shop types to name a few. The basic type of furniture is found in any retail store and can be an affordable and fashionable way to create just the right atmosphere in any room.

Furniture can be a utilitarian device in your home or it can define your personality. In some cases it can do both. Certainly you have been in the home of a friend or relative and wondered what the heck they were thinking when they decided to put that couch and that table together. Furniture is a personal aspect of the home, and discovering ones personality in their furniture choice and decoration attempts may be frightening at best.

There are times though when financial limitations cause a slight change in what you want in furniture and what you can actually afford. Going into debt over furniture is never a wise decision. Using your imagination and utilizing that which you can afford in an imaginative way is not only fun but also it allows a whole new meaning for your personality to pour through the grand design of your home.

Lets face it we can't all be interior design specialists, nor do we all wish to be. There is nothing wrong with wanting your living space and the furniture in it to reflect a refined element. Decorating your home in the style of say, Early American Flea Market is not really a refined definition of style. However if you possess the innate quality to lean toward eclectic and have the great luck of making that work for you… Early American Flea Market is not such a bad “style” after all.

Some people have a talent for accurate furniture choice and decorating specific rooms or areas. But mostly the coming together of a room works simply because they are not afraid to let their true colors show. Basic furniture has its place in our society and in the “true colors” part of decorating a home. There should never be any qualms about utilizing all the styles and colors of basic furniture available. And you should always let your spirit flow.

About the author:
Jeff Lakie is the founder of furniture Resources a website providing information on furniture

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Posted by Fitness Shoes at 3:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

by: Edward Green

If your tiled floor is in an Edwardian property and beautifully coloured you are probably looking at an Encastic tiled floor. Most of the encastic tiled floors we restore have had a real beating. Smashed tiles, glue where carpet was probably stuck to it at one stage, old solvent based polishes.

The point is, once restored the floors are superb and an absolute joy to look at. It requires quite a bit of work but they really are worth it. The tiles themselves are clay information with the various rich terracotta colours burnt in making them extremely durable. They are made by mixing wax and turpentine and then heat bonded. Even when heavy objects are pulled across the tiles and deep scratches occur the colour will still be there unlike most modern day tiles.

The word encaustic comes from the Greek word enkaustiko which literally means "burnt in" the tiles are still available today for repairs from good stone suppliers such as our www.marblemasteruk.com/shop.

Clean the tiles is a relatively painless task as you can use a mild alkaline detergent and a good stone sealant from the shop to easily look after them.

Marble Master offers a restoration service for Georgian and Edwardian tiled hallways and fire surrounds.

Call us for more information on 0800 7317232

About the author:
Edward Green owns and operates the highly successful Marble Master Ltd Company. Marble Master specializes in Restoration and Refinishing of all types of natural stone and consultancy services to Architects, Restoration Companies and Interior Designers. http://www.marblemasteruk.com

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Posted by Fitness Shoes at 3:28 AM | Permalink | Comments

by: Sharon Wong

All homebuyers want as much house for their money as they can get. Many buyers are looking for a larger home because they've outgrown their current one, and especially desire more closet and cupboard space as well as larger rooms.

Visual space makes your home appear larger by allowing the buyer's eye to move from one side of the room to the other without interruption, giving the illusion of more space and openness. In contrast, a cluttered room stops the eye repeatedly and gives the illusion of less space.

In order to make your home appear larger, decluttering and removing unnecessary furniture is essential. The goal is to create a comforting atmosphere in which buyers can imagine their furniture and belongings easily fitting in. Once a buyer has this image in their mind, you're one step closer to a sale!

Follow these easy tips to add space and openness:

1. Pack away family photographs and small accessories. Family photographs make your house personal, but you want the buyer to see the house as theirs, so pack away all family pictures and mementos, including awards, trophies, plaques, etc. Small accessories (knickknacks, collections, figurines) distract the buyer by focusing on many small items instead of large, open spaces. These items should also be stored away.

2. Take small pictures off the walls. Small pictures break up the space of a wall and cause the buyer to stop and look at the pictures instead of allowing their eyes to see the wall without interruption. Keep large pictures above areas you want to highlight, such as over the bed, fireplace or sofa.

3. Leave accessories that add color and interest. A room without any accessories feels cold and sterile. Large accessories such as books, chunky candles and silk flowers should be left to give the room warmth and character.

4. Store small and unnecessary furniture. Many pieces of furniture, such as TV trays, end tables, and magazine racks can be put in a storage facility or at a friend's until you move. This immediately creates space between the larger pieces and makes the room appear more spacious. Now is a good time to decide what you'll take with you when you move and what you want to get rid of. Keep larger pieces of furniture in place (sofas, dining room tables) so the buyers can get a better idea of how their furniture will look in the space.

5. Clear off countertops. Remove all personal items in the bathrooms and kitchen. Items such as makeup, medicine and toothbrushes can be left in baskets on a shelf, to be brought out when you need them. In the kitchen, remove salt and pepper shakers, the dish rack, and small items on windowsills and on top of the stove. Clear countertops of all but large items such as canisters, a colorful cookie jar or a decorative plate. Have as few items as possible on the countertops to give the illusion of extra space.

6. Show off your closets. Perhaps number one on the buyer's "must have" list is more closet space. To make even small closets appear large, show shelf and clothes pole space by packing up and storing out-of-season clothes and sporting equipment, and donating unneeded items to charity. Now is the time to sort through all that clutter and decide what to keep and what to discard. You'll be amazed at how big your closets will look to you and your buyers!

You may think after all these changes that your house doesn't look like your own, but remember, the house you sell is not the same as the house you live in. By creating visual space, you are allowing the buyer to easily imagine integrating their life into your home - the first step to selling your home faster and for more money!

About the author:
Sharon Wong is President of Ready Set Sell(r) and an accomplished interior designer. Since 1991, her company has helped home sellers get the quickest sale and the highest price for their homes. Sharon also teaches Realtors(r) how to ready their customers' homes for a fast and profitable sale. Her company offers in-home consultations, seminars, videos and articles to help in the home selling process. For more information about her services and products, visit her website at http://www.ReadySetSell.com

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Posted by Fitness Shoes at 3:23 AM | Permalink | Comments

by: Jeanette Joy Fisher

How to Light Up Your Home for Joy

Do you love the winter holiday season or does this time of year cause you stress? One way to lower your holiday stress, using fewer decorations, decreases your "just have to much to do" list.

However, you still want to display Christmas candles because these decorations bring smiles to you and your loved ones. As days grow shorter and cooler and the suns sets earlier, people naturally crave the warmth and comfort of light, especially natural sources such as a bonfire or the flame of a Christmas candle.

Christmas Candle Tips

Luminaries
Save your energy and your money. You don't need to line your entire sidewalk with luminaries. Get a similar effect with four large candles in clear glass containers near your front door. These glowing candles will welcome your guests without all the work of gathering bags, buying votive candles that just burn up fast, and shoveling all that sand.

Window Candles
Many cultural holiday traditions include placing a lighted candle in front windows to be seen from the outside. Pamper yourself. Place a candle in any dark window at night. Rather than peering into a dark void, you'll focus on the cheerful flame and feel comforted and uplifted.

Gift Yourself
Create a nightly quiet ritual for yourself in a quiet place away from distractions and the hustle of the holidays. Place candles around your bathtub and unwind, or by your favorite reading chair and instead of reading sit in the quiet and reflect upon the brightness of a single candlelight. Listen to quiet music or simply enjoy the peace and stillness. Ponder the joys in your life and express gratitude. This quiet time may be your most treasured gift to yourself.

Candlelight Carol-Sing
Recycle last year's greeting cards by cutting each into a disk or rounding the edges, punch a hole in the center, and slide a taper candle half-way through the hole. Gather your friends and family around the piano or hearth and sing familiar Christmas carols as each person holds their own candlelight. Pause to reflect upon the fact that each individual brings their own special light to the world and recognize the common spiritual light in each of us.

Candle Night-Night
When it's time to settle the children down to bed on Christmas Eve, calm them with a soothing candlelight ritual. My daughter’s children walk to bed, each carefully carrying a lighted candle through a dark hallway, singing "Silent Night."

Happy Holidays!

About the author:
Free holiday decorating ideas teleclass, "Interior Design Secrets to Glorious Holiday Decorating" and more holiday decorating tips Joy Holidays Decorating http://JoyHolidays.com

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Posted by Fitness Shoes at 3:22 AM | Permalink | Comments

by: Jimmy Sturo

Roman shades are a simple and elegant window treatment to block the sun or prying neighbors. Nicer than plain plastic shades, but less expensive than ornate window shades, Roman shades provide the perfect start to a beginning home decorator.

Roman shades can be purchased from home improvement or department stores, or they can be custom made by in interior designer. The cheapest way to decorate your home with Roman shades is to make them yourself. Get ready to refresh your math skills!

To make Roman shades, first measure the window you’d like to put them in. Measure the height and width of the window from inside its frame. Or, if you want the shade to cover more than the window, measure the height and width of the surface the shade will cover. Your shade will probably need to be between 45 and 54 inches wide.

Before you shop for your fabric, you’ll need to calculate the number of dowels and the amount of fabric you’ll need. To figure out how many dowels you will need, divide the window height by six to nine inches, which will be the space between each dowel fold. You’ll need to find a number that goes evenly into your window height. For example, if your window height is 64 inches, divide by six. You’ll then need eight dowels for eight pleats. Each dowel needs 1.5 inches, so multiplied by eight, you’ll need an extra 12 inches of fabric. You’ll also need an extra six inches of fabric to mount the shade, meaning you’ll need 18 extra inches for this example. Add this to your window height to get your final height. Add two inches of fabric to your window width. Now you have the size of the fabric you need. Whew!

Next, the fun part: selecting the fabric of your shade. Shades without busy patterns are the easiest to work with because you won’t need to make sure the pattern blends seamlessly with each fold. If your window gets southern light, consider picking a near-shear fabric. This will produce a warm, soothing light in your room. Take a picture or your room, fabric swatches of your furniture, and a paint sample of your room when you shop. You don’t want to finish making your Roman shade to discover it clashes with the rest of your room!

While you are out buying your fabric, buy the rest of your supplies:

Drapery-lining fabric. You’ll need an extra 0.25 inches to cover the mounting board.
Blind cord
Window cleat
Quarter-inch diameter window dowels, 0.25 inches smaller than the window width
A wooden mounting board, 0.25 inches smaller than the window width that’s 1x2 inches.
Half-inch diameter shade rings
Screw eyes
Staple gun
Chalk or air-soluble marker
Yardstick

The easiest way to make a shade uses lots of pictures and few words. Find instructions at a home improvement store or for free online to make your own Roman shade. Find patterns that make the type of Roman shade you want, whether it is flat, pleated, or with a sunburst. You’ll probably need a sewing machine to make the Roman shade quickly, especially to attach the lining to the fabric. With patience you can make your own Roman shade.

About the author:
Roman Shades Info provides detailed information about bamboo, fabric, discount, and custom Roman shades, as well as advice on how to make Roman shades, and more. Roman Shades Info is the sister site of Shutters Web.

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Posted by Fitness Shoes at 3:21 AM | Permalink | Comments

by: Nicolette Dial

One of the best things you can do as a homeowner is to use some of your home equity dollars to finance home improvements. Not only will the additions make your home more attractive and pleasant to live in, but certain projects will bring a significant return on investment when the time comes to sell your home. The following 5 projects have been proven to add extra dollars to the average home resell prices. The statistics are courtesy of “Remodeling Magazine.” ROI stands for “return on investment”

1. Minor Kitchen Remodeling: Average cost = $8,655. Average ROI = 88%.

A minor kitchen remodel usually includes replacing the cabinets and countertops with higher quality materials or increasing the total amount of cabinet storage and countertop surface area. It would also most likely include the addition or upgrade of appliances such as garbage disposals, built in microwaves, dishwashers, and higher quality refrigerators.

2. Bathroom Remodel: Average cost = $9,135. Average ROI = 81%

This project would include things such as installing attractive countertops such as stone, granite, or marble. The fixtures would need to be upgraded and the shower and bathtubs should be resurfaced. Also, any tiling would need to be grouted. Other things that could increase the value of a bathroom remodel would be adding an extra sink basin, converting a bathtub to a Jacuzzi, or installing additional showerheads.

3. Major Kitchen Remodel: Average cost = 31,090. Average ROI = 71%

The major kitchen remodel is very costly and will take much more work than the minor remodel. The major version will require all appliances to be replaced. Whenever possible, appliances should be made in stainless steel. The countertops should be made of stone or granite. The floors might be replaced with high quality laminate flooring. The addition of a kitchen island or a centrally located stove could work. For a major kitchen remodel, you should consult a contractor and possible an interior designer. This is definitely not a do it yourself project.

4. Outside Deck: Average cost = $8,022. Average ROI = 55%

The deck is self-explanatory. The larger the deck, the higher the return on investment will be. The deck should obviously be coated with a nice looking finish that matches the outside of your home, and needs to be treated with a high quality water seal.

5. Hardwood Flooring: Average cost = Varies. Average ROI = Varies

The cost and return on hardwood flooring varies greatly based upon the total amount of rooms and surface area is remodeled. Also, the choice in the variety of hardwood will impact the value. Certain woods like Oak and Cherry are more valuable than others. Also, it is very important to properly maintain your hardwood floors. Flooring that is scraped, scratched, dull, or water stained can actually decrease the value of your home. If you have active children, you might want to stick to carpeting.

About the author:
Nicollette Dial is a freelance author who comes from a family of contractors. She contributes to several home improvement websites, including http://www.allhardwoodflooring.info

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Posted by Fitness Shoes at 3:20 AM | Permalink | Comments

by: Joel Walsh

With the new craze for interior decorating inspired by "home makeover" television programs, more and more people are tempted to hire a professional decorator, even if they can't afford one.

Simplicity: the Art of Home Decorating

If you're thinking about breaking the bank for the sake of a beautiful room, think again. You don't have to spend as much as an oil tycoon to have a home every bit as beautiful. Here's why:

A pair of human eyes can only take in so much, no matter how much is put before them.

The secret is not to aim for beauty that comes from opulence, but for a simple beauty. And simple beauty is usually less expensive.

The best way to go for simple beauty in interior design is to make the focus of a room a single well-chosen decorative element.


Art Prints: Simple Home Décor Focus

But what single beautiful element could you actually afford?

Unless you happen to get really, really lucky at a crafts fair or estate sale, there's only one sure way to buy high taste on a low budget. Not original paintings or expensive wallpaper. Just a well-chosen print of a painting or photograph that reflects your style and taste and matches your room.

Surprised at such a simple answer to the decorating conundrum? Perhaps, like most people, you do not understand what art prints really are.


What Art Prints Are Not

Art prints are not posters.

Posters are made using paper stock similar to what magazines use. Art prints are made using special heavier print stock especially for prints.

Posters often play rather loose with the original image, cropping it, resizing it, adding text, or even changing shading. Prints will typically come much closer to the original, and will rarely crop the original image or alter its appearance significantly.

Posters are vastly less durable than art prints. You can expect a high-quality print to last decades without showing signs of age.

Art prints are not reproductions (though they are close).

Reproductions of a work of art, usually a painting, involve using exactly or nearly exactly the same brush strokes and materials, which is why they are so expensive. Prints, meanwhile, reproduce the look of the artwork without reproducing every detail of it. For instance, even though many prints of paintings use textured surfaces or even artificial brush strokes, the exact brush strokes of the original are not copied.

Reproductions also have to be conserved as carefully as original paintings in most cases, or they will fade. High-quality prints are given protection against fading, either in the form of a coating to the surface, or a Plexiglas case.

Reproductions, being paintings, are not very durable, and must be treated with special care. Prints, though not indestructible, are more likely to survive accidents. Some prints can even be washed with glass cleaner.

Of course, no art print will be a good anchor for a room's décor if it's not well chosen. Unfortunately, many people either don't have any particular tastes when it comes to art or décor, or else do not trust their own taste. Luckily, the internet puts the accumulated knowledge of thousands of decorators, artists, and art experts at your disposal. Thanks to the internet, your home can look as good as the ones on TV.

About the author:
Joel Walsh writes for a1-paintings with a buying guide for art prints.

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Posted by Fitness Shoes at 3:19 AM | Permalink | Comments

by: Jimmy Sturo

In interior design, the blinds found on windows and doors are major decorating elements. Blinds made of wood or those with a wooden look add a feeling of warmth and coziness to the atmosphere in the room. They provide privacy without looking stark. They have an inviting look and add beauty to the rest of the furniture in the room. Interior decorators prefer wood blinds for their warmth, versatility, and durability. They can be custom-crafted to suit the décor of any room.

Wood blinds give a natural look to the room with a graceful charm. They look much better than traditional curtains or shutters. They look pretty from both inside and outside the window. In addition, window wood blinds are good insulators from heat or cold. For humid areas like windows in the bathrooms or in the kitchen, faux-wood blinds, which look exactly like wood blinds, can be used.

Wood blinds are crafted from two different types of wood in most cases: Ramin wood and Bass wood. Bass wood is the most preferred since it has more distinctive grain and is stronger. It is also good for staining. Blinds can be constructed with a no-hole option that enables the blinds to make the room really dark. Using a 3-inch valance on these blinds is very decorative. Ramin is the less expensive alternative and generally uses a 2-inch valance at the top of the window to hide the metal head rails.

Wood blinds come in lots of varieties--vertical blinds, woven wood blinds, faux wood blinds, wood mini blinds, etc. They are also available in various shapes, stains, colors, and shades and can be created from different varieties of wood. Window wood blinds can be custom ordered. They can be fitted with other optional features like fabric tapes, cord-want tilt and motorization, light-blocking, UV control, and anti static control.

The size of the slats has to be determined when buying wood blinds. One-inch slats are for French doors and smaller windows whereas two inch slats look good on windows of any size and shape. Blinds that have slats bigger than two inches look like plantation shutters and provide maximum see-through space when open. Other options provided with wood blinds are cordless operation and valance upgrades as per customer requirements.

Wood blinds are available in home improvement centers and stores that provide home/interior decoration services. Nowadays, blinds can also be ordered through online stores with catalogues on their website. They can be ordered as per custom requirements also. Ordering wood blinds online directly from the manufacturer can be very inexpensive.

About the author:
Wood Blinds Info provides detailed information about custom, discount, woven, and faux wood blinds, as well as wood mini blinds, wood vertical blinds, and more. Wood Blinds Info is the sister site of Mini Blinds Web.

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Posted by Fitness Shoes at 3:18 AM | Permalink | Comments

by: Pamela Cole Harris

Everybody has had one or two. You know, those little hole or indentations in the walls behind a door, or behind a picture. If you live in a home, hang a picture, or have children accidents happen! But repairing those accidents is easy. I kid you not even yours truly, Little Miss Fumblefingers, has done it! All you need is a little spackle compound, a putty knife, some 150-grit sandpaper, and some peel stick wallboard tape.

Patching Peeling Paint:
a. Scrape away all the loose paint with a putty knife (A table knife will do in a pinch, but come one! Putty knives are cheap!).
b. Apply spackle to the edges of the remaining paint with the putty knife (that you just bought!).
c. Sand the dry patch with 150-grit sandpaper until it is smooth to the touch.
d. Paint with matching paint (always keep a little bit of your original paint color for small jobs such as these.)

Filling Nail Holes:
a. Using your trusty putty knife, apply a small amount of spackle to the nail hole.
b. Let the spackle dry.
c. Lightly sand the area with the sandpaper.
d. Dampen a sponge and wipe away the dust residue from the patch.
e. Before you paint, touch up the spot with primer.

Filling Shallow Dents and Holes:

a. Again with the putty knife, scrape away any loose plaster, paint or drywall paper.
b. Fill the hole with a small amount of spackle.
c. Using the smallest putty knife you have that will reach from one side of the whole to the other (to avoid making a dent with the knife edges), smooth out the spackle until even with the surrounding sheetrock.
d. Sand the area with sandpaper and prime.

Cracks in Plaster:

a. Scrape away any wall texture or loose plaster with a putty knife (do you know it makes a good pancake turner too?)
b. Use the wallboard tape to reinforce the crack.
c. Apply spackle to barely cover the tape. Don�t make the spackle repair too thick or the spot will just re-crack and you will be right back where you started!
d. If you must, apply a very thin second coat to cover the edges of the tape.
e. Sand lightly with sandpaper and prime. It might be necessary to re-texture if your wall is textured.

There you have it! Simple, isn'it? Come on, admit it! So with patching holes and dents under your belt, you are ready for another challenge. How about replacing those kitchen cabinets? A new hardwood floor? Just check http://www.homeandgardenmakeover.com to learn how!

About the author:
Pamela Cole Harris has been a writer and designer for 35 years (Yikes, has it been that long?) Enjoy her tongue-in-cheek approach to inexpensive interior design at: http://www.homeandgardenmakeover.com and http://www.diy-homedecor.com

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Posted by Fitness Shoes at 3:15 AM | Permalink | Comments

by: Pamela Cole Harris

Everybody has had one or two. You know, those little hole or indentations in the walls behind a door, or behind a picture. If you live in a home, hang a picture, or have children accidents happen! But repairing those accidents is easy. I kid you not even yours truly, Little Miss Fumblefingers, has done it! All you need is a little spackle compound, a putty knife, some 150-grit sandpaper, and some peel stick wallboard tape.

Patching Peeling Paint:
a. Scrape away all the loose paint with a putty knife (A table knife will do in a pinch, but come one! Putty knives are cheap!).
b. Apply spackle to the edges of the remaining paint with the putty knife (that you just bought!).
c. Sand the dry patch with 150-grit sandpaper until it is smooth to the touch.
d. Paint with matching paint (always keep a little bit of your original paint color for small jobs such as these.)

Filling Nail Holes:
a. Using your trusty putty knife, apply a small amount of spackle to the nail hole.
b. Let the spackle dry.
c. Lightly sand the area with the sandpaper.
d. Dampen a sponge and wipe away the dust residue from the patch.
e. Before you paint, touch up the spot with primer.

Filling Shallow Dents and Holes:

a. Again with the putty knife, scrape away any loose plaster, paint or drywall paper.
b. Fill the hole with a small amount of spackle.
c. Using the smallest putty knife you have that will reach from one side of the whole to the other (to avoid making a dent with the knife edges), smooth out the spackle until even with the surrounding sheetrock.
d. Sand the area with sandpaper and prime.

Cracks in Plaster:

a. Scrape away any wall texture or loose plaster with a putty knife (do you know it makes a good pancake turner too?)
b. Use the wallboard tape to reinforce the crack.
c. Apply spackle to barely cover the tape. Don�t make the spackle repair too thick or the spot will just re-crack and you will be right back where you started!
d. If you must, apply a very thin second coat to cover the edges of the tape.
e. Sand lightly with sandpaper and prime. It might be necessary to re-texture if your wall is textured.

There you have it! Simple, isn'it? Come on, admit it! So with patching holes and dents under your belt, you are ready for another challenge. How about replacing those kitchen cabinets? A new hardwood floor? Just check http://www.homeandgardenmakeover.com to learn how!

About the author:
Pamela Cole Harris has been a writer and designer for 35 years (Yikes, has it been that long?) Enjoy her tongue-in-cheek approach to inexpensive interior design at: http://www.homeandgardenmakeover.com and http://www.diy-homedecor.com

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Posted by Fitness Shoes at 3:15 AM | Permalink | Comments

by: Kenny Hemphill

Thinking about system? You’re not alone. Home theater is one of the fastest growing areas areas in home entertainment and the advent of DVD recorders means your set-up can now be entirely digital, without an inch of video tape in site.

Installing a home theater is a big decision and requires careful planning. Luckily there are a number of resources around to help you and you needn’t be a technical expert or a hi-fi buff to get the job done.

One of the first decisions you’ll need to make before you set about installing a home theater is whether your going to dedicate a whole room to the theater or whether it will share a space with a lounge, dining room, or office. Having a dedicated room allows you to position seating and speakers in the optimum position and you can seriously consider a projector and screen without it looking as out of place as it might in your living room.

Obviously budget is another consideration and this will dictate which equipment you buy initially and what you save for another day. As a bare minimum you’ll want a DVD player, widescreen television, and a surround sound audio amplifier and speakers. We’d recommend opting for a DVD recorder like this one from Phillips, or this from Panasonic. They’re obviously more expensive than a DVD player, but will give you much greater flexibility. And don’t forget to budget for cabling, its a very important part of installing a home theatre and one that’s often overlooked.

You’ll also want to think about the interior design of a dedicated home theater room and of course the seating is all important. You’re going to spend hours and hours watching movies and the last thing you need is uncomfortable seats.

About the author:
Kenny Hemphill is the editor and publisher of Master Home Theater Design, a website which provides information, articles, and tutorials on issues and products related to getting started with Home Theater.

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Posted by Fitness Shoes at 3:13 AM | Permalink | Comments

by: Edward Green

For honed marble used as traffic surfaces, care should be taken to prevent accumulations of liquids or other materials that result in safety hazards and staining. Regular daily mopping should be performed. Floor marble is any honed finish that is used as a traffic surface. These surfaces should be mopped and scrubbed in a manner that will not leave a hazardous slippery film.

Again, wet with hot, clean water and then lightly sprinkle an abrasive cleaner (i.e, chlorine bleaching type household scouring cleanser) over the wet stone, or put 1-2 handfuls into a pail of 2-3 gallons of hot clean water.

Using a scrubbing motion, mop the marble surfaces with this solution (or with hot clean water if you are sprinkling the cleaner directly on the stone). Rinse with clean hot water and dry with mop or cloths. Power scrubbers can also be used for the procedure.

Often it is also desirable to protect special interior areas and to enhance the coloration of Honed marble in areas where a polished finish is not practical. In such cases sealers may be applied after the marble has been cleaned. This minimizes maintenance and prevents staining - especially around toilets and urinals in restrooms or in food preparation areas and busy building entrances.

Sealers should only be applied to clean interior marble. Always follow the manufacturer's directions for proper application. Terrazzo sealers are excellent for this purpose. So are silicone based stone sealers.

In all cases sealers should be made of a clear, hard finish type suitable for traffic surfaces and definitely non-yellowing. Do not use soft finish waxes, paste wax or resins. These coatings can collect dirt and grit. Some acrylic-base liquid floor waxes can be used in place of permanent sealers, but may give limited life.

The products for the maintenance of Honed Marble and all other stone is available from http://www.marblemasteruk.com/shop

About the author:
Edward Green owns and operates the highly successful Marble Master Ltd Company. Marble Master specializes in Restoration and Refinishing of all types of natural stone and consultancy services to Architects, Restoration Companies and Interior Designers. http://www.marblemasteruk.com

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