Archive for the ‘Interior Design’ Category

Furniture restoration is heard in a variety of settings. If you like watching do-it-yourself shows, shows that help determine the value of antiques, like the Antique Road Show on PBS and other similar programs, you may someday find yourself looking around your home and thinking you’ve got some furniture restoration projects you wouldn’t mind taking on yourself.

Some furniture restoration projects are fairly simple and straightforward. Getting rid of a waxy build-up on an antique table or roll top desk, for example, is a project that may be different and much more difficult than what it was originally anticipated to be. What you thought was just build-up may actually be deterioration of the item’s finish.

Before immediately going to furniture refinishing, however, there are steps you can take to make sure you are doing the job right. In some cases, by removing the build-up, you can see that the project may be as simple as cleaning the surface with a soft rag and mineral spirits. In other cases, refinishing furniture is the only way you can fix the problem; this is often the case when the surface finish has been softened and cleaning it leaves exposed wood.

Rather than stripping the finish of many wood tables, cabinets and desks, the weekend do-it-yourself project doer often looks at the possibility of refinishing furniture by painting over the existing finish. Before taking on this method of furniture refinishing, you should make sure the original finish does not have cracks within it, otherwise those cracks may show even after your furniture refinishing project has been completed.

If the finish is bad, removing it should be the first step you should always undertake in your furniture restoration project. If the finish is fine, you’ll be able to move straight into preparing the surface for refinishing. By wiping down the surface of furniture you are working with, you can remove skin oils and furniture polishes you’ve used while cleaning or even traces of food or drink that have been left on the surface of the furniture.

Once you know the surface is clean, the next step in your furniture-refinishing project will be to sand the surface; this makes it easier for a coat of paint to stick. After sanding, be sure to wipe off any dust that may be on the surface with a damp rag. Let the furniture dry and apply your first coat of paint, cleaning up after you’re done.

Of course, your furniture-refinishing project’s goal may be to remove color from the table, desk or cabinet – not to add a new layer to it. In this case, you’ll need to strip the wood and possibly bleach out a previous stain that may have been darker than you would have preferred it.
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Whether it’s an apartment, condo or house, buying your first home can be exciting as well as expensive. After depleting your savings account purchasing your home, you might start to feel the pinch when it comes to furnishing it.

Here are some tips to get the look of luxury without the price tag:

• Be Resourceful. How do you find quality furniture without paying a high price? If you’re willing to put in some time, buying unfinished or used furniture to refinish can save you a lot of money and leave you with the same look for less.

• Sniff Out Bargains. Hunt for fix-me-up furniture in attics, garage sales and flea markets. Some of the best pieces could be hiding in a friend’s or relative’s attic. Keep in mind that finding the perfect piece may not be love at first sight. Look beyond the surface to see if there is potential for refurbishing.

• Transform Timeless Furniture. Before you take home any piece of furniture, check for structural flaws such as cracks, loose joints, lifted veneer, warped surfaces or uneven legs. If the integrity of the piece is still good, refinishing it can change the appearance from old and worn to beautiful and timeless.
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They are part of an Chicago graphic design and web development agency, with plenty of experience in the field of graphic design, and they are more than prepared to take care of your needs.

ArtVersion Chicago, IL is a well-known creative agency, having only the best professionals working on graphic design, web site design and logo development (among many other services and business solutions offered). They are extremely efficient at what they do, not only taking care of web development, but also of various projects, logotype design and the creation of business promotional materials. In all aspects of graphic arts and company branding, they clearly depict their creativity, working to help businesses around the globe survive the competition through effective and strategic presentation. No matter if you are interested in corporate identity, corporate ad design or any other services provided by this Chicago design firm, they’ve got it all covered.

After analyzing your company and the objectives you intend to reach, the specialists working for ArtVersion will make sure that they adapt to your requirements. Your company profile will be represented with precision, regardless of the services you desire. The main intention of ArtVersion’s Chicago graphic design specialists and professionals working on web development is to attract and maintain the interest of your clients. They will assure that your website is created to maximize leads, and you will soon occupy a top place on the market, reaching your target audience.
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A kitchen can be more than just about its role in function, organization and efficiency. Kitchens need a personality and a look and feel that can liven up the senses in addition to being a functional place for the preparation of food. The French Country Kitchen design is one of many classic kitchen design themes that you could consider. It can provide your kitchen with a traditional look that has its roots in the hillsides of rural France. It is a style that can fit into both rural farmhouses and in the grandest chateau.

French country kitchen design conjures up images of the Provence and the French countryside with its pastoral settings, lavender fields and rustic French farmhouses. The French country kitchen represents country living that is uniquely French. In designing your French country kitchen design you discover that the French country look is always very rustic, old and warm.

There are many elements that go into the French country kitchen including the use of large pieces of furniture made mainly of light colored woods and can be decorated with ornate carving.

Color & French Country Kitchen Design
Color is an important place to start the design process. You can draw inspiration from some of the principle French impressionists like Monet and Renoir, Van Gogh. Colors that are used in the French country kitchen style can include sunny yellow or soft gold, bright red and rust, grass green, cobalt blue and soft ocean tones.
You can decorate in the style of the French country kitchen design by using vivid colors – poppy red, sunflower yellow, bright blue, meadow green, and sunset purple. Your walls and cabinets and large furniture can be painted in off white, ivory, light beige, and taupe. Cabinets can be painted a glossy white to brighten light-filled spaces in the kitchen or they can be left as natural wood. These colors can provide a light, airy feel so you do not want to use strong colors here. In fabrics such as curtains and seat cushions you might also add paisley, stripes and floral prints to your French Country Kitchen theme.
Natural Materials
Natural materials are an important element in walls, cabinetry and furniture that is used in the design of French country kitchens. The materials used in creating a rustic French country kitchen look include natural stone floors, granite counter tops and tumbled marble back splashes. These natural materials can be used on walls and beamed ceilings, and can be rough stained or painted plaster, or wood painted in natural colors. Floors can be made of stone or brick and covered with wool or cotton rugs, a fireplace made of stone with a heavy beam that can serve as a mantel, and wooden shutters as window coverings. Furniture and cabinets can have a rustic or even a distressed look. Countertops can be done in ceramic tile with tile back splashes. Read the rest of this entry »

Choosing a quality shower door is a great addition and investment into any home. So what is a frameless shower door, and is it better than framed shower doors? And what options are available for consumers? These are important answers to have before going shopping for a new shower door.

What is a Frameless Shower Door? A frameless shower door is a glass shower enclosure that has little or no aluminum around the sides of glass panels. For example, side panels may be framed with aluminum, but main glass door has no framing. In some cases, there is very little noticeable framing. Thickness of glass varies among products, however, thicker is better as it provides more advantages.
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Fountains are one of the most comforting and beautiful elements found in garden design. Any time you think of a world-class garden that you have seen and been impressed by, it almost certainly will include some sort of fountain or other water element. Whether it is in Italy, Japan, Spain or any other country, everyone around the world understands the need for a beautiful garden to also be a place of relaxation and meditation. Not just visually relaxing, but every bit as important if not more so — calming and soothing to the ear. Nothing accomplishes that more than water in motion.

The Japanese, especially, seem to have a deep understanding of how important water elements are because they blend it so magically with the calm of their beautiful and serene gardens. They immediately bring to mind Koi ponds and the art of Feng Shui.

The types of garden fountains today are almost endless. They include every material and every design imaginable. From indoor to outdoor, floor to wall, tabletop to pedestal; you will find them in virtually every natural and man-made substance known to man. Some of the most popular are natural stone, brass, copper, etched glass, slate and stainless steel.

If you have a large estate or lot, they are especially beautiful in ponds and lakes. On smaller lots, simple backyard fountains or swimming pool fountains can also be very attractive.

Something new to me and absolutely charming is a “rain chain”. You add them to your gutter system and they become linked funnels that channel the rain gently from the roof to the ground, sparkling and bubbling as it flows.
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Just as a necktie establishes the style of a man’s suit, trimwork often makes the most definitive statement about the style of a home. Simply put, very often the trim in a room speaks volumes.

Very often those trimmings are constructed from medium-density fiberboard (MDF) because architects are finding this material has the inherent ability to outperform lumber in every important aspect. MDF, as its name implies, is made from wood and agricultural fibers. This means it has a much denser makeup and smoother surface.

Another advantage MDF has over lumber is that it offers larger maximum piece dimensions. This means that lengths of up to 16 feet are available with full thickness. There are no knots or splits to deal with and no warping. It is also lighter to work with (20 percent lighter) and a lot easier to caulk. What’s more, because trim is something that buyers look for in a new home, the advantages of MDF are something contractors and builders are very much aware of.
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Living room furniture is very important especially if one is looking to create a more relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. People feel at ease if they are sitting on comfortable couches. Therefore, it is important for any person looking for living room furniture to make wise decisions based on these and more factors. It is wise to also take into consideration the decorative qualities that one wants to fulfill, the space one has to place the furniture, and the needs that the family may have concerning the furniture. Furniture types can range from modern to traditional, black or white, bright and bold to conservative motifs. Whichever the preference is, it is important to pick furniture that can last for a long time and is trendy enough to withstand the changing of times.

There are times when one does not really need new living room furniture or they may just have new furniture but they want to dazzle it up.  This can be made possible with a little ingenuity of the home owner’s part. The use of pillows, rugs, lamp and even color patches and splashes around the room and furniture can be a great way of adding pizzazz to a dull room. The best living room furniture is one that serves the purpose intended for it and adds even more charm to the room that one has placed it.