Archive for February, 2010

Considering Red Bar Stools

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

Every man has a dream of the perfect rec room in their home.  Whether it's a basement fully decked out to be the sports center of your dream, or a side room down the hall with a built in bar, there are many options to creating a good looking man den.  One of the first things you will want to look at to give the room the perfect touch is seating.   If you are looking to punch up the style of your home, consider red bar stools. Why red bar stools? Because bar stools are versatile pieces of furniture which can be used in nearly any area of your home, and there are actually many different types of red bar stools that can add a wide range of  themes depending on what exactly you're looking for.  Using a bar stool in the color red acts to accentuate the piece and make it a visible style element in any room.

Red bar stools can obviously be used at your kitchen or dining room island area to add a colorful seating touch. Many people prefer more neutral colors in these areas. By using red bar stools you add a unique addition that lets your kitchen or dining room area stand out.

Another place to use red bar stools is in a living room or entry way. Just use the bar stool to hold a potted plant, a treasured photo or any work of art. The red color of the bar stool automatically draws the eye to that piece. Also, by using a bar stool rather than merely a table or easel to display these objects, you are again creating a simple, yet unusual and dramatic style element to your home.

So next time you are shopping for a great addition to your home furnishings, consider red bar stools for the different areas of your home.

Vessel Sinks For Every Taste

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

Vessel sinks are a wonderful and beautiful way to add style and elegance to any bath. With a wide array of colors, style and material your bathroom becomes the show room of your home. Perfect for the person with a parade of family and friends passing through their home you can make each bathroom visit impressive and unique.

Choose a plain or opaque glass sink with a bowl design to complete your counter work inside the home. Light green with gold flecks, smoke color, red swirls, and beautiful blue sinks in every shade gives you a large choice of decorator style for every taste.

There are many online companies dealing in the sales of vessel sinks. They are ready to complete your order and provide delivery service in a timely manner. You can find every style and even the most artistic taste will have a range of choices.

For the more abstract customer vessel sinks can be found in black glass with artwork and paintings to match walls and personalities of the individual. Your bathroom becomes a focal point of the best art in the home with the right sink.

Create a modern and clean style with a metal vessel sink with a high shine or a brushed metal look. This is a great style for the heavy metal music lover. Add to this facets to match and posters on your walls so your guest can relax in the best of their own personal world.

Even the Goth personality can find the perfect vessel sink in colors of shiny black, abstract mixed colors and designs of various styles. You can add special attachments in old Victorian style for the facets for an added illusion of another time.

Each persons taste in home décor is different and so are your choices in vessel sinks. Prices range from a budget expense to special orders. Sinks can be ordered with additions that will make it unique and one of a kind. It is the perfect home improvement solution for individual personalities.

Decorating Your Fireplace Mantel

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Once you have selected the perfect fireplace mantel for your home, the next consideration is how to properly decorate it. Essentially, there is no right or wrong way of decorating as its all a matter of personal preference more than anything. It does, however, help to know the various methods of decorating that may help you choose which arrangement best suits your style.

Balance Your Mantel

One of the most popular types of decorating when it comes to fireplace mantels is symmetrical design. This basically means having pieces on either side of teh mantel in similar or matching sizes that balance each other out. This works best when you have a pair of matching candlesticks you can display on either side, or two family photos in matching frames to display. There is typically a large center piece displayed on the mantel itself or hung above it, such as a piece of artwork or a mirror. Symmetrical decorating is beautiful, although some people find it too formal for their tastes.

Slightly Off Balance

Just as symmetrical decorating is all about balance, asymmetrical decorating is just the opposite. With this style, it is common to use a large decorative object on one side of the fireplace mantel, and a smaller items, or group of items, on the other side. While not completely mismatched, the balance tends to shift down from one side of the mantel to the other. Care should be taken to maintain an overall theme, however, by using items similar in design or color scheme to keep the visual effect cohesive.

Center Your Style

For larger mantels, a centered design often works well. This essentially uses one larger decorative piece surrounded by smaller pieces in the center of the mantel. It creates a center focal point while also giving the opportunity to display an array of smaller items.

Keep It Simple, Or Not

The other two styles of decorating are completely opposite of one another. The first is to select only one main item to display on or above your fireplace mantel. This gives a very clean and sophisticated appearance. The other is to put whatever you want to on the mantel with the belief that the more, the better. This often provides a warmer, more family oriented style.

Fore even more information on fireplace mantels, visit the Heating and Air Guide.

Art Deco Decor Today

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Some people are intimidated when it comes to choosing a specific style of decor for their homes.  Truth be told, the majority of households today are most likely a combination of styles unless someone in the family has made a true effort to bring a specific theme into prominence.  Some of the more common themes are country and contemporary, but some people like to take on something just a little bit different.  A very elegant style that has made a resurgence in popularity is art deco design.

Art deco is a style based on geometric designs and elegant stylings.  Shiny metals like chrome and silver are often found accenting curves and lines.  The style is simple, but drips of elegance.  To get an idea of what art deco looked like in its original form, one should check out images from the latter part of the 1920's through the end of the 1930's.  The style can be seen in everything from art deco furniture to architecture.  One of the most famous examples of this style in architecture is the Empire State Building.

Although the style originated in France, the United States grabbed on to it and fell in love with it.  Houses build during the time borrowed elements of the style in not only the architecture itself, but also in every aspect of the decor used in the houses.  Mirrors, light fixtures, and wall hangings all were based on the shiny metals and elegant lines.

The style fell out of grace for a while as the country focused on the war effort during the forties.  Rationing and other factors led the nation to change its priorities.  Other decor styles became more popular, but art deco never really went away.  When the 1980's arrived, the United States was ready to dust off the old style and make it new again.  Art deco came back into the popular culture and it is still popular today.  For an elegant look that shows an appreciation for a truly classic vintage movement, art deco is hard to beat.

Patience is the Most Important Tool When Building a Walk In Shower

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

The process of building a walk in shower can be tedious, but every step is important and should never be rushed.  Depending on what kind of shower you're installing, there may be fewer steps, or more steps...how much patience you can bring to the project will be critical in ensuring a favorable outcome.

You can buy completely pre-fabricated units in different walk in shower designs that you literally just drop into place and glue in. However, you really need to prepare the spot where you'll put it carefully. The pipes and openings for faucet, knobs and shower head must be perfectly aligned. The floor must be perfectly level. The walls to which the shower will be adhered must be solid and cured if recently built. Patiently paying attention to every detail before putting the walk in shower in place will ensure a professional installation.

The same is true of semi-framed walk-in shower, or other walk in shower kits that comes even partially fabricated. Proper preparation of the space is essential. Additionally, the glue and caulk must be allowed to cure at the optimal temperature range for as long as the manufacturer directs before using the shower. So however anxious you are to use your new shower, patience here will pay off in a much longer life for your new shower later.

If you have decided to go with a completely customized shower that you install yourself, maybe using glass block or tile, then you will need even more patience. Accurate measurement and careful positioning of each tile is necessary, and this can only be done by a non-rushed, patient person. It doesn't require any great skill (although professional contractors would surely disagree with that statement) but if you are patient enough and willing to redo your work if it isn't quite right, you can completely install a custom tiled walk in shower yourself and no one would know you did it. You can find a lot of the materials you need in a walk in shower shop.

Because you need to let the grout, mortar, adhesive and caulk all cure properly before proceeding to the next step, a tiled or glass block walk in shower requires a lot longer to install. This is not a weekend project! You will need to be able to bathe elsewhere for at least two weeks while you build this in your spare time. Again, patience will pay off in the long run, so keep the faith.