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Posted By Houston Decorator on August 25, 2010

If you have a small kitchen, it can be a worry and you know it. In many homes, the families spend their time in the kitchen with either each other or any company that visits. If it feels that you can barely move around in your kitchen, you can use a few easy tips to make it appear larger. The tips in this article will help you turn your kitchen from one that has a constricting feel, into one that you will truly enjoy.

Before starting up, clear out anything that isn’t a complete necessity from your cabinets and cupboards. Sure this has nothing to do with opening up the visual space of the kitchen, but it certainly helps you feel better when you open u a cupboard or cabinet and you don’t have any clutter.

First of All, Organize

A kitchen’s space can be decreased is the counter top is cluttered and messy. Small appliances, plants, canisters and other knick-knacks don’t necessarily take up much floor space, but they do diminish the size of the room buy making it look unorganized and cluttered. With clutter-free, open counter tops you will be able to create an airy and spacious look.

Walls and Floors

This is something you might already know, but your room can be expanded by using light colors. It’s time to make a change if your walls are dark or covered with wallpaper. Strip away your wall paper; anything that has small prints, flowers or intricate designs makes the room look smaller. When painting the room, use a coat of butter yellow or any other light paint; not only is it visually appealing, but the light color will visually open up the space as well.

Floors should also be kept light. Natural wood or pine stained in a very light shade will look really clean if you have wood floors. If you have linoleum or ceramic tiles, make sure to keep them light colored as well; preferably in a cream or sand shade.

Cabinets

New cabinets can be really expensive, therefore most people cannot afford them. Just as your walls and floors are light in color, your cabinets should follow the same rules. You can give your dark cabinets a face lift yourself and save some money. By updating the look of your cabinets, the atmosphere of your kitchen will be transformed. Sand down the cabinet’s finish, apply a couple of coats of a light shade, and some decorative hardware should be added. A coat of polyurethane can be applied to protect the paint and give it a nice sheen.

A good way to make the room look more spacious is by opening up your windows and letting in some natural light. Leave your window over the sink open without any curtains or other treatments, if you can. You can keep the airy appeal if you can’t leave them open as long as you keep it sheer and light colored.

The floors shouldn’t have any unnecessary furniture or accessories on them. If you have lots of things taking up space on the floor, move them out. You will have a much more spacious looking room by keeping your counter tops, floors and kitchen table clean. As soon as you put some of these tips to work for you, your kitchen will look as though it has doubled in size.

Avo Barsoumian has been in the home flooring and interior design industry for over 25 years. He is the owner of Carpet Wagon, a family owned home flooring company in Glendale. The carry the best in elegant hardwood flooring, beautiful laminate flooring and plush carpeting. Searching for that perfect cheap carpets for your new home or laminate wood floor to redecorate your older house? Then give Carpet Wagon a call.

Category: Kitchen Remodeling | No Comments »
Tags: decorating, kitchen decorating, kitchen improvements, kitchens

Posted By Houston Decorator on August 25, 2010

When it comes to buying a cordless leaf blower you know autumn is about to approach. It is time to take care of falling leaves and getting your yard work done. To make this task as effortless as possible you might consider to take things a step further and look into buying a 3 piece set of gardening tools such as the Outdoor Tool Combo Kit from WORX that comes with a Blower, a string trimmer and on top of that with a hedge trimmer.

Maybe you have seen features on TV already introducing the GT Trimmer that doubles as an edger and which has become the most popular tool in this kit and has even won an award for the leading features it comes with.

Next is a light weight cordless leaf blower which you sweep hard surfaces, driveways, patio or your deck with effortlessly.It operates on a 120 mph blower speed and in that stands conveniently out from the crowd.

Lastly, the cordless hedge trimmer enables you to give your hedge a neat cut. I has a 20″ cutting bar, dual action cutting blades and a dual safety switch for maximum security. A 3-position front handle with quick release makes handling this trimmer a safe choice.

All gadgets of his 3 piece tool kit are easy to handle. The manufacturer has made sure that they offer soft grip handles for best user comfort. They come cordless so that no irritating cords are in the way you might get your feet tangled in. Their electric motors run on an 18 volt battery which allow for many hours of garden work before you need to but them into the charger again.

The product convinces in both features and price and is a great choice in easy to handle gardening tools.

Sam is an expert on Gardening and author of this article. He has extensive experience with gardening tools, outdoor equipment and green houses. He has been writing articles for various sites for over 3 years. Come visit his latest website cordless leaf blowers which helps people find the best WORX cordless leafblowers.

Category: Yard Equipment | No Comments »
Tags: cordless leaf blowers

Posted By Houston Decorator on August 24, 2010

The true cost of a paint or coating is not just the price per gallon/liter. It’s the how much labor it takes to apply on how much surface area along with the time it will last before requiring recoating.

There are direct and indirect costs. Direct cost is the price per gallon/liter, while indirect or overall cost includes the costs of the product plus the man hours to apply it onto how much surface area and for how long the products life cycle is.

Time is the largest factor to take into account. This refers to how much manual labor in what period of time is used to apply the product, and how long it will last without the product breaking down needing reapplication.

Sustainability also affects the true cost of a coating. If a coating breaks down and has to be removed and replaced in a shorter period of time, it will be more expensive in terms of time, money and the environment. Being sustainable means that it will hold up for extended periods. And at the end of its service life, it is simply recoated, bonding with itself, giving another extended life cycle. This lessens the creation of unwanted waste that incurs fees for transportation and storage.

A good coating can also save on replacement fees such as in the case of wind and weather resistance. Having a surface that’s coated with quality materials and turning it seamless prevents the wind from getting beneath it and ripping it off. This comes into play especially during high weather events such as heavy wind and rains during hurricanes and typhoons. Studies show that if there are open seams or joints, wind can get beneath the surface and rip or tear off building components.

The best way to make a surface wind and weather resistant is to completely seal it so there are no gaps, holes or openings for the weather to get behind it. This can be accomplished with high quality coatings.

In all roofing with seams that allows wind to get around and beneath them, makes them easy targets for storm damage. This is especially so on shingled or tile roofs, which have many unsealed lips and joints. Instead of allowing a roof to be ripped off during a turbulent weather occurrence they can be simply sealed with a quality green coating. Sealing all surfaces with a green coating, especially roofs, provides a seamless, continual, monolithic membrane that will prevent wind and rain damage.

Another indirect cost, which is more of an intangible although equally if not more important, is the impact the product has on the environment. If a coating has to be removed and replaced, it generates waste that needs to be transported, and stored in overflowing landfills. These landfills are showing tremendous output of C02 emissions that produce green house gases contributing to global warming/climate change.

Another potential environmental cost of a coating is in energy savings. For instance, a white solar reflective coating that repels the heat of the sun off a building and the roof keeps a building cooler. In return, it requires less air conditioning, thereby saving energy and reduces our global footprint.

A lot of project estimates are based on direct costs. Studies show that for every dollar that is spent on a direct cost, there is another dollar spent on an indirect costs, such as downtime on a building and relocation fees to move occupants.

At most times, when a coating breaks down prematurely, it has to be replaced or the surface it was protecting starts to wear away contributing to even larger removal and replacement costs. This can be simply prevented by using a high quality coating that has a longer life cycle. Understanding all these factors gives us a good grasp of the true cost of a paint/coating.

GLOBAL Encasement, Inc is a Pro Planet Positive Company, of high quality, water based, fully tested and approved, Class A Fire Rated, award winning, environmentally friendly, non-toxic protective green coatings for renewable/sustainable waterproofing, roofing and most interior and exterior building surfaces. GLOBAL Encasement Inc.’s Environmentally Advanced products have always been Green and can be warranted to last for twenty years.

Category: Painting | No Comments »
Tags: cost of paint, exterior paint, green coating, green paint, interior paint, sustainable

Posted By Houston Decorator on August 23, 2010

If you’re one to tackle do-it-yourself projects and are itching to do some home renovation, a good place to start is cabinets-both kitchen and bathroom. Old, worn, and out-dated cabinets are an eye-sore, even if the rest of the room is updated. Luckily, cabinets can easily and inexpensively be refinished to look modern and new.

Refinishing cabinets is a step-by-step process; if you want the best results you need to follow all of the steps. First, begin by removing all of the doors from the cabinets and then also remove the hardware. Cleaning is the next step: scrub all dirt and grease off with a rag and hot soapy water. Next, sand off the old finish from the doors and then wipe away the dust.

After the cleaning and sanding is done, you can begin the painting process. Using an oil-based primer allows the paint to go on evenly and as the color you want it to be. As you apply the primer, do so as evenly as possible and check for any drips or streaks. While the primer on the doors dries, apply primer on the cabinet box as well. Once all surfaces are dry you can paint; use the same techniques you did with the primer. Painting cabinets white, a light color, or a bright color will make the room feel fresher and cleaner. Finish off the cabinets with updated hardware-either store bought or revamped. In the end you’ll have new-looking cabinets that will add instant style to your home.

Panama Cabinet Company ( http://www.panamacabinet.com/ ) is one of the best cabinet Panama City has to offer.

Category: Cabinets | No Comments »
Tags: Cabinets Panama City

Posted By Houston Decorator on August 22, 2010

Do you enjoy mowing your lawn? If you do not find the common household chore enjoyable, or find that you absolutely dread this job, the problem could be the mower or lawn mowers that you are using. By selling or recycling your old model and splurging on a new one, you may find that you simply can’t spend enough time clipping the lawn.

Many reputable companies out there specialize in making great lawn mowers. These companies include Husqvarna, John Deer, Exmark, Yard Man, Toro, Ariens, and more. These companies not only make a high quality product with a warranty included, but they also manufacturer replacement parts and replacement blades just in case you go a little wild and break something. Do not worry if you end up with a flat tire after running over a roofing nail, as they can be replaced or repaired easily and inexpensively.

In the past, you had to push a heavy mower in the hot sun. With today’s lawn mowers, you can ride in comfort with a beverage in the cup holder and a cushion seat while working on your tan. They go in multiple speeds, forwards and backwards, and some can maneuver some amazing turns. Listen to your mp3 players as you coast around the yard. Forget your real life worries and pretend that you are racing in the Indy-500. Do not think that you will have to spend over $1000 either. If you keep your eyes open for a sale or clearance model, and shop in off peak seasons, you may be able to get a great model for around $300! Also, keep your eyes open for a factor refurbished or store returned machine, as these are just as good as the brand new ones only you save hundreds of dollars off the manufacturer’s retail price.

Buy a new mower and throw away your old rusty lawn mowers for an easier start too! A new model will roar to life at the turn of a key. No longer will you have to push the pump and primer button five times, walk behind the mower, hold the safety handle down, while pulling as hard as you can on a cord just to get it started. If you hate pouring gas, you may want to go with a new electric version that plugs right into the wall. Toss your old one, and go with a new one to see all the fun you have been missing!

Dave Gorski writes about lawn mowers at: http://www.lawnmowersfacts.com

Category: Yard Equipment | No Comments »
Tags: Ariens, DR, Exmark, FLymo Vision Compact 380, Husqvarna, mower parts, replacement blades, riding, tire, Toro

Posted By Houston Decorator on August 21, 2010

Some rooms naturally have a focal point, whereas other rooms might require you to add something to create that focal point. Before you do add anything, look closely at the room to see if it has something to offer already. You might already have something like a fireplace in the room that is already a natural focal point and can be easily played up when decorating.

Look for large pieces you already have in the room that might make a good focal point, such as a oak bookshelf, an entertainment center, wood dressers, or even a couch. Creating a focal point might be as easy as rearranging some furniture, or you might have to start from scratch in choosing the proper focal point for a room.

The Fireplace as a Focal Point
A fireplace provides a great natural focal point for any room. If you have a fireplace in the room, here are some ways you can draw attention to it.

By arranging the furniture around the fireplace, you can create an instant focal point, but there are also other avenues you can take. You might draw attention to that area by painting the wall the fireplace is on a different color than the rest of the room. You can also draw more attention there by changing the style of the fireplace or adding a new mantle to it. You might also place some great dcor items on the mantle or hang a large piece of art over it.

The Couch as a Focal Point
A favorite couch makes a great focal point that can easily be achieved with some rearranging of the room. Do make sure the couch is in great condition, though. If not, then you might consider adding a slipcover.

You can draw attention to the couch by adding colorful or patterned pillows or a throw to it. Then arrange the rest of the furniture so it is facing the couch. The best place for a large couch is in the middle of the longest wall in the room. You might consider adding side table to the couch as well.

The Armoire or Entertainment Center as a Focal Point
If you want to highlight an entertainment center or armoire in a family or media room, you need to make sure you concentrate on the quality of the product. After all, you dont want an entertainment center thats cheap-looking to be the main focus of the room. So be sure to invest in a quality piece of furniture thats also attractive.

You might also consider finding a piece with doors in order to hide any electronics. For some additional style, add flower arrangements, candles, and frames to the furnishing.

There are many more ways to create a focal point in a room. There will be different pieces in different rooms that you might want to show off. For instance, many people choose to have their bed be the focal point of a bedroom. With a little creativity, youll be able to show off and highlight your focal point in any room.

Category: Home Improvement, Interior Decorating & Design | No Comments »
Tags: decorating, focal point, interior decorating interior design

Posted By Houston Decorator on August 21, 2010

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a silent killer and is a lethal gas that is all too often present in high volume within our homes. Opinions vary regarding the best place to mount a carbon monoxide detector. It may seem logical to simply plug-in your CO detector at the nearest power source available, namely a floor level wall socket, but ground level is going to be the wrong answer. Choosing an inefficient or ineffective location to mount a carbon monoxide detector is a common mistake many home owners often make. Here are a few simple things to keep in mind to keep your household safe from the dangers of CO poisoning.

The chemical properties of CO are such that it is slightly lighter than air, meaning in a stable environment with little cross-breeze CO will generally collect from the top down in a closed room. For this reason the first thing to consider when you mount a carbon monoxide detector is relative height compared to ground level. The best bet is to mount your carbon monoxide detector on the ceiling just like you would with a typical smoke detector.

Keep your CO detector mounted away from bathrooms, laundry rooms, or any other area that gets more humid than the rest of the house. Humidity interferes with the internal working of most CO detectors. Also be sure to mount a carbon monoxide detector at between ten to twelve feet away from any gas power appliances or cooking devices. Having a carbon monoxide detector mounted near these areas may give a false positive alarm and cause undue wear-and-tear to your device, not to mention wear-an-tear on your nerves. Garages are also another source of many false alarms automobiles moving in and out and laundry appliances usually installed here. Garages are often too cold for proper operation in areas of the country that experience extended cold temperatures.

No matter how big or small your home may be, it is always best to install more than one device in the event either one fails to successfully alarm if CO reaches dangerous levels. A good general guideline is to have one device per level of your home, including the basement, or no less than two devices in a one-story dwelling. Always mount CO detectors near bedrooms or areas where you may often sleep, like family rooms or lounge areas. The idea here is to get woken up when the alarm sounds.

When you mount your carbon monoxide detector, take your time and think about how CO is likely to accumulate within your home. Also be mindful of where placement will most likely alert you if the danger threshold is reached. With these things in mind your family will sleep safe from the dangers of CO poisoning.

Joel Henderson is passionate about safety within the home. You can read more about detectors carbon monoxide at DetectorsCarbonMonoxide.com.

Category: Appliances | No Comments »
Tags: carbon monoxide, carbon monoxide detector, detector mounted, monoxide detector, mount carbon monoxide

Posted By Houston Decorator on August 20, 2010

If you are an avid movie fan then it’s no surprise that you sometimes find yourself dreaming of having a cutting edge home theater entertainment in your house. There is an increase in some of the major entertainment appliances such as TV sets, DVD and Blu-ray players, front projectors, amplifiers and sound systems, and even cordless headphones. The TV set alone has a myriad of types and features – plasma TV, Internet TV and etc. The more updated and stunning your home theater room is, then it is likely that you don’t just enjoy watching movies, you experience them as if they are real in front of you.

A typical home cinema or home theater set-up includes the following basic electronic equipments: a large screen television, a DVD player, and a surround sound speaker system with subwoofer.

1. A large screen television. To recreate a cinematic grandeur, most people prefer widescreen television sets that are quite bigger than the standard size television with the most hyped features and technologies. Always go for the television sets that reduce blur (anti blur technology) and TV sets with higher frame rates so that you don’t have to go through loss of details especially for fast moving images. Currently there are two popular types of TV: the LCD and the plasma. The LCD TV has wider ranges of sizes and they are brighter and better especially in bright rooms. Plasma TV on the hand has unlimited viewing angle unlike LCD TV that is likely to degrade the picture when viewed from an angle. The plasma TV works best in dark rooms. Amazingly there are LCD and Plasma TV that can access the internet – thus, “internet TV” – via broadband connection. This is considered to be quite an entertainment boon for people who prefer to subscribe movies on the internet rather than illegally download them through torrents.

2. DVD / Blu-ray player. The DVD player is a device that plays discs under DVD-video. HD DVD (high definition) is one of the successors of DVD which produces an even better picture quality than the usual DVD. The storage capacity of a typical DVD player is 4.7 GB, while the HD DVD can accommodate 15 GB. On the other hand, a Blu-ray player is another successor of the DVD format, in which a movie lover can enjoy an even higher definition discs while watching a movie. The Blu-ray is currently the ultimate answer to an utmost HD enjoyment in home theaters.

3. Surround Sound Speaker System. A typical layout for the surround sound speaker system comprises of channel system with a receiver, two front speakers, center channel, two rear surround speakers and a subwoofer. This would supremely render your audio quality in its highest, to go along with the high definition picture quality.

Other home theater accessories may or may not include cordless headphones, LCD projectors, amplifiers, and many more.

Are you looking for more information on headphones? Click here for info on cordless headphones.

Category: Audio & Video | No Comments »
Tags: home cinema, home theater, home theater accessories, home theater entertainment, theater accessories

Posted By Houston Decorator on August 19, 2010

One of the many things in life that seems to fade away when a person enter adulthood alongside cotton candy and candy necklaces would have to be black lights. This kind of lighting is usually only significant for a few school dances in junior high, but how they work is pretty interesting for anyone who thinks learning is a lifetime pursuit.

Most of us have been introduced to the light spectrum at some point, but we will refresh in case 7th grade science was some time ago.

The spectrum goes as follow:

Radio – Microwave – Infrared – Visible – Ultraviolet – X-Ray – Gamma Ray

These waves go from long wave length to short and as humans we can only see the waves in the middle of the spectrum, appropriately labeled “visible”. Within the “visible” section we can see light in the different colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet. After violet we hit ultraviolet light which our eyes cannot see.

Why the lengthy, and probably a bit dull explanation you are asking? Simply so that we can all completely understand the next statement-

Black lights produce ultraviolet light, which we cannot see. However, we can see a glowing purple sometimes, which makes perfect sense because it is just a step below on the light spectrum.

But the waves that we cannot see coming out of the black light really isn’t what makes them special; it is the way they make everything in the vicinity seem to glow. What we see glowing is actually any substance that emits light when it is hit with some sort of radiation, this is known as a phosphor.

Many things are a phosphor. Natural phosphors include teeth and fingernails and some manmade materials with phosphors include some fabrics (think of the glowing white t-shirt), highlighters and television screens.

Black lights are available in two bulb types – one like the traditional incandescent bulb and another like a CFL.

The tubular shaped bulb is like a CFL light becauseit is filled with an inert gas and a bit of mercury, but the phosphor coating is different from a traditional CFL in that the one used in a black light soaks up dangerous waves and only emits ultraviolet light to shine (and a little bit of violet sometimes).

The black light that is basically just an incandescent includes a light filter which absorbs everything the filament emits except the ultraviolet light.

So there you have it: two pretty typical bulbs, CFLs and incandescents, jimmy-rigged a bit to release only ultraviolet light and we have black light ready to make phosphors out there glow!

Of course, black lights aren’t only used at dance clubs; there are many practical uses as well. Mechanics use them to find tiny leaks by injecting fluorescent dye into the liquid that might be leaking, police use them to check if money is counterfeit since US money has an invisible fluorescent strip in each bill and forensic scientists use the lights at crime scenes to find fingerprints and other evidence.

Whether used to solve a crime or just to make the dance floor glow – black lights can be a fun thing to have around.

C. Hilios writes for ATG Stores. Check out the black light selection at DJ Lighting Effects and Disco Lighting Effects.

Category: Lighting | No Comments »
Tags: black light, black light cool, black lights, light bulb, ultraviolet light

Posted By Houston Decorator on August 18, 2010

If you want to decorate your apartment but you don’t have the budget to invest in a massive makeover then you can simply choose from some of the ideas listed below. You should know that there are various things that you could do even with a small amount of money.

Hanging photos or pictures on your walls is something nice that can brighten every room in the house. But for this you need nails and a hammer. If you don’t own such things that you can simply choose to buy some adhesive hooks. These are great options because the glue is really strong and it will surely hold. And when you get tiered of a painting you can simply change it or remove the hook without damaging the walls.

Some people live in small apartments that as a consequence have small closets. But if the amount of clothes is piling up then you should not despair because there is a simple answer to this also. You can just invest in an extra rod. This can be easily place underneath the existing one creating more space for your clothes.

Another tip for those that live in a small home is the multifunctional furniture. For example, if your living room is also your bedroom you can just invest in a couch that turns into a bed. This is also a good trick if you have a bedroom but no guest room where to accommodate your friends when they are spending the night.

A lively apartment is a lot more fun than a simple one. So, you should try to find some colorful curtains to brighten the place up. Also, if you have some old pillowcases that have beautiful patterns but they cannot be used anymore then you could cut some of them and sew them all together creating beautiful bed-coverings or couch covering.

These are just some of the ideas that could help you transform you place in a more lively and effective home. So, why don’t you give them some thought?

Choose to buy curtains that fit your home perfectly and make it more lively.

Category: Interior Decorating & Design | No Comments »
Tags: color, curtains, decorate