Archive for the ‘Interior Design’ Category

Thinking of remodeling or renovating your kitchen? Here are a few tips for preparation and avoiding common pitfalls.

If you have a large kitchen remodeling project you will need to set up a temporary kitchen a different part of the house. It’s important that the location you choose is convenient and have unrestricted access to water and allow you to keep foods refrigerated as well as heat foods up. It’s also a good idea to have easy access to portable cooking appliances such as a microwave, electric wok and electric frying pan. Daily life must go on and you don’t want to be eating take-out every night or running to the neighbour’s house every time you need something from the refrigerator.

Here are the Top 5 Most Common Mistakes in Kitchen Remodeling:

1. Damaging the wall as you remove old cabinets

2. Damaging bench tops, cabinets or floors you plan to re-use

3. Not shutting down utilities before starting your project

4. Allowing dust and debris to spread throughout the house

5. Not allowing enough time to complete your project

Before You Get Started
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The word futon comes from the English spelling for a Japanese-style bed known as a “shikibuton,” or floor mat. The classic Futon sits straight on the floor though there are now many designs of the bi-fold that have legs
The first futon introduced into American culture was constructed of a simple cotton mattress that could be placed directly on the floor and easily folded to save space.

Since then, in the American bedding industry, futons have evolved to a dual-purpose seating and bedding product that offers an alternative to the traditional sofa bed.

Futons are not fireproof. Today’s version of the futon usually has a frame, cover, and mattress that may contain cotton batting, synthetic batting or polyurethane foam padding materials that may catch fire if touched by a cigarette, match, lighter, or other open flame.
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The futon is a lot more than the previously dubbed spare room, TV room accoutrement. This newly transformed space saver has a new audience appeal in the young and old alike. Not only is this modern day marvel inexpensive but it is quality-made, durable futon furniture and is available in a range of styles to fit any budget and decor, giving you a real value for your home furnishing’s dollar.

The designs of futons have evolved over the years. They’re using more streamline designs, for a contemporary and modern feel. This ultra stylish, and functional both for you budget and life style also comes with an additional edge that is unsurpassable allowing it to be in a class of its own. Futons are great for your back. Due to the fact that most futons are constructed with slats, and a cotton mattress, usually 3 – 6 inches thick. This causes the futon mattress to be slightly firmer than a standard bed mattress. The health implication here is that of a firmer mattress, which allows your spine to keep a straighter posture. Most futons are also made with natural or organic fibers, which provide better insulation, keeping you warmer at night as you sleep.

Futons, having the ability to transform itself from a couch to a bed, reduce the need to purchase extra (and in many cases, needless) furniture. Futons also need far less flipping than standard bed mattresses. On the rare occasions when you might feel the need to flip a futon mattress, they are lighter, and easier than their competitors. This feature also makes futons a breeze to clean. These convenience factors are the main reasons why so many home owners are opting to include a futon in their house.
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The Japanese are the ones who started the futon bedding system. Actually, they used the word “shikibuton”, meaning mattress; it was the Americans who named it a futon. Unlike the Japanese, the American concept included the mattress, the convertible furniture it sits on, or both.

Basically, a futon acts as a sofa during the day and is converted into a sleeping space at night. Some of the futons have wooden frames that can be folded and put away to save space. The futon sofa has cushions that are usually stuffed with cotton batting and that can be found in a wide range of colors, sizes and fabrics. Those used to sleeping and sitting on a futon sofa rave about the good back support it provides. Another plus point of futon mattresses and cushions is that they can be conveniently moved outdoors to air out. Sometimes, the futon sofa may need some assembly. The most important thing to do while assembling the sofa is to take your time; it is best to devote a whole afternoon to assemble it. It is advisable to take an inventory of the parts of the sofa before starting. And, you should read the instructions not once, but twice for clarity. If using power tools while assembling the sofa, be careful as these tools are so strong that they may over-tighten or strip out the hardware used to hold the frame together.
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Sitting in an office all day long can get monotonous. Break through the daily rut by dressing up your office with some cool office furniture. Unless you operate your own office, you may not have total control over your office furniture. Most employers, however, won’t mind if you bring in a piece or two of your own furniture to make the space more comfortable and personable.

If you are bored with your current office look, bring in a new piece of furniture.

Maybe your office could benefit with a piece of furniture as simple as a new bookcase. If it’s a simple bookcase, dress it up with some fun accessories. Or bring in a small dresser that can help hold files, personal belongings or simply serve as a top to display your favorite photos from home.

You don’t have to buy a new bookcase or dresser for your office. Take an old piece of furniture from your home or hit the yard sales over the weekend and update it to fit your office space.

If it’s truly funky furniture you’d like to add to your office, you can find it. If you don’t have a local retailer, take your search on line. You can find chairs that look like puckered lips, exotic faux-fur chaise lounges, chairs that look like high heel shoes and lots of other fun, funky furniture ideas. Basically, if you can think of it, you can probably find the furniture you’d like! Your search may take a little while and you might pay a pretty penny, but it will be worth it if you find the funky furniture that makes going to work fun!
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Curio cabinets have become a delight in themselves as they showcase your favorite things and mementos to friends and family, keep all your dear treasures in one place to admire them in wonderment everyday, or protect your growing collection of porcelain dolls from your 5-year old.

Curio cabinets started as places to keep curios – defined in the dictionary as curious or unusual objects of art or knickknacks and whatnots that are perhaps worthy of collecting because of their oddity. This definition could, of course, include silver spoons from Alaska, all assortments of wedding and christening favors, crystals, face masks from Africa and possibly even shrunken heads from the Amazons of Ecuador and Peru.

Nowadays, however, you can use curio cabinets for anything:

- Show off your family’s sporting interests by displaying your son’s bowling trophies next to your husbands autographed baseballs.

- House your priceless family heirlooms – such as, great grandma’s turqoise and silver comb, grandpa’s golden pen, mum’s old sapphire brooch which you wore on your wedding day and your son’s first baby photo.

- Or perhaps, protect from dust and grime the brass alto saxophone that you know you’ll learn to play one day in your retirement years.
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Antique furniture is one of the keys to decoration. Gracefully bestowing style on a room is not as expensive as you may think. Going to an antique dealer can turn out to be quite costly because you end up having to pay for restoration. However, if you look around in secondhand markets you are likely to come across some surprising finds at reasonable prices.

Here are ten household helpful hints for furniture styles and placement:

1. If there is a special piece of antique furniture in the room it will probably become the central feature, so organize according to it.

2. Restoring, stripping, or painting a piece of furniture can give it a new lease on life.
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These days furniture slipcovers can be found for seats of all shapes and sizes, from wing backed chairs to sectional sofas, from loveseats to ottomans. Fitting a new slipcover to a favorite piece of furniture offers a simple yet effective way to instantly improve its appearance and give it a fresh lease of life. Ready made slipcovers for sofas and chairs are the cheapest option, but even having fitted slipcovers custom made can be relatively inexpensive, especially when compared to the costs of re-upholstery or buying a whole new suite. A real benefit of a slipcover is that it can be easily replaced whenever you fancy a change, or if it needs to be washed.

Furniture in many rooms can be slipcovered. In the family room, sofa slipcovers, as well as looking pretty, have the practical function of protecting your existing fabric from everyday wear and tear. Why not buy a few sets of discount slipcovers if you’ve got pets of small children? That can be an affordable way to always ensure you have spare furniture covers in case of accidents! Most modern slipcover materials are designed to be easy to care for and are fully machine washable. It can be worth spending a bit more on hardwearing fabrics such as cotton, particularly for seats that get used regularly. Why not look for matching recliner chair covers for a stylish, coordinated look?
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