1. Decorations

When the Christmas Season comes it is time to put away all the autumn and/or summer decorations and replace them with pretty candles in the colors that you have chosen for the 2011 Christmas Season. Do not forget the colored, scented dry leaves and flowers, which complete the décor perfectly.

Christmas Lights are also an important part of the decorating process. You can use the lights both indoor and outdoor, having a varied range of colors and shapes at hand.

Christmas Figurines such as Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman or Rudolph the Reindeer can be placed on the lawn or on the balcony so that all your neighbours envy you for the wonderful decorated house.

2. Christmas Cleaning

Dusting more than the usual is what most of us do when Christmas comes, due to the fact that visitors are more likely to come now that you have some free from work days.

Washing all the autumn clothes that you will not touch until next year is also something that you should do in order to be able to put them away and make space for all the pretty winter clothes.

3. Accessories

Globes, bows and tinsel can be used in the most simple way to accessorize your home and get it in the Christmas Mood. Color and shimmer has to be everywhere, lights and candles can not miss from any home. Hot chocolate, biscuits, cookies and tea are the ingredients that should not miss from any home, and we can not forget CANDY CANE!!!

Starting with Christmas Cleaning and going on with decorating the house for Christmas, singing Christmas Songs, getting yourself and your living space ready for the Christmas Feast is extremely important, with this you can get in the perfect Christmas Spirit.

It’s already December and everywhere you can hear Christmas songs and see plenty of decorations laying on the shelves of the stores. The colors, the joy, the snow and all the stuff that gets you in the Christmas mood are already here, only one question remains unanswered and that is : Which are the Christmas 2011 Trends?

Depending on the budget you have for decorating the Christmas Tree and the Christmas Table you can mix the old decorations with some new ones or you can completely renew your Christmas Decoration Collection.

2011 Christmas Trends mean not only plenty of color, at your choice mainly but also mixing different type of materials in decorating both the Christmas Tree and the Christmas Table.

         Christmas Tree Decorations

If you do not have a budget limit when purchasing new Christmas Tree decorations then you can go all out on purple globes, bows, tinsel but you can also mix the purple decorations with a touch of silver. Let’s not forget about wonderful handmade decorations, which add a special touch to any Christmas Tree, you can use the ones you already have in your decorations collection, wood handmade trains, knitted stuff that looks so pretty on your Christmas Tree (you can dye the knitted stuff if you want everything to be in the same tone).

Depending on the size of the Tree you can purchase big or small globes, the 2011 Christmas Trends say that big globes are in but you have to take into consideration the size of your Tree, otherwise you risk to have a silly looking Tree. Big globes in dark purple or any other shades of purple are the perfect decorations for the 2011 Christmas Tree.

When it comes to the Christmas Tree the purple and silver mix of colors is the perfect choice if you want a Tree that’s in this winter.

           Decoration the Christmas Table

When it comes to choosing the colors for the Christmas Table, usually what most people have in mind is red and white and maybe a touch of silver. This year is the time to make a change! You already have a purple decorated Christmas Tree, now it’s time to match your Tree with the Christmas Table.

A dark purple Tablecloth, with some white, silver or even purple napkins would make the perfect décor for a family Christmas Dinner.

You could also play it the other way, white tablecloth and dark purple tableware, and let’s not forget the essential stuff such as some dark purple candles mixed with some white ones, some globes and a nice central piece made out of fir, globes and tinsel to complete the perfect décor.

In the next Christmas Related Post you can find out more about central pieces that help you complete the Christmas Table.

The factors we have to take into account when starting such a project are the following :

1. The purpose of a Greenhouse

In order to be able to access the other tips you need to know what will you use the greenhouse for, will it be just a space used for starting seeds in late winter to get a jump start on spring planting? Another thing you have to take into account is what types you want to grow so that from this you can find out what size your greenhouse has to have.

2. The size of your Greenhouse

Greenhouse kits come in a variety of styles and sizes. Some are rounded, others are square with pitched roofs, some are shaped like a barn. Most come with coated aluminum frames that resist corrosion and have coverings that are made of twin-walled or triple-walled plastic that allows in filtered light. The coverings generally come in 3.5mm to 8mm. Greenhouse kits made with thicker 5mm to 8mm plastic coverings work particularly well in mountainous area and in areas with heavy snow, extreme cold and strong winds. Greenhouses kits can be as small as 4′ x 6′ or much larger at 8′ x 24′. Greenhouse kits come in two types, freestanding or lean-to’s.

3. The location of your greenhouse

A greenhouse may be placed on the lawn, over bare gravel, on a brick patio, or on a concrete slab. Greenhouse kits generally do not require a fixed concrete slab as a base. It is important to place the greenhouse on a surface with good drainage. A lawn or gravel will provide good drainage.The best location for a greenhouse is on the south or southeast side of the house in a sunny location. The next best location is on the east side, since it will continue to get sunshine in November and December. After these locations, the next best locations are southwest and west. It is not a good idea to place a greenhouse on the north side.

Greenhouses need at least five or six hours of unobstructed light during the winter, so placement under trees is not recommended. Putting a greenhouse under a tree can also create the risk of falling branches or tree limbs that can damage the greenhouse.

One should try to avoid placing the greenhouse where it may be exposed to heavy winds. If a location is generally windy, the greenhouse should be anchored using long stakes in addition to any anchors that may come with the greenhouse kit.

Towel radiators work in two ways. Of course, the easiest by far is the electric, which simply plugs in. The other works by allowing hot water or steam, as in a room radiator to pass through metal tubes to heat your towel for you. This requires some work to install, but it is not impossible.

• • If a radiator heater exists in the bath, so much the better. Turn the water off to the unit and drain completely the hot water system.

   

  • Use a reciprocating saw or hacksaw to cut the hot water and return lines. Cut above the floor as high as you can. Remove the old unit.

   

  • If the installation is to be made in another part of the bath, the water and return lines must be extended. If possible, remove flooring to place the pipes out of sight.

   

  • Hold the new unit against the wall and mark its location.

   

  • Cut and dry fit, that is do not solder yet, fittings and pipe from the old heater to the new unit.

   

  • Solder the fittings and the pipe pieces together.

   

  • Solder a threaded copper adapter onto each end of the hot water and return line pipe.

   

  • Repair the floor, if necessary.

   

  • Thread a chrome nipple with a shut off- valve into the end of each adapter and tighten with an adjustable spanner.

   

  • Mark the positions of the hanger bases on the wall.

   

  • Use the appropriate fasteners, screws, toggle-bolts, etc., to attach the bases to the wall.

   

  • Attach the unit to the installed hanger bases. If the markings were off, the bases need to be adjusted or moved.

   

  • Use the adjustable spanner to attach the shut off valves to the appropriate pipes and tighten.

   

  • Turn on the water and check for leaks. If any appear, turn the water off and repair the leaks before trying again.

Other radiators in the house will not be affected adversely by the installation. Of course, with the water drained from the system, air will be present in the pipes, so they will need to be bled prior to use.

Homeowners may find this a DIY project worth taking on, for others, it may prove intimidating. In that case, a licensed plumber will do the work. Check with local building societies to see if a permit or inspection is needed for this installation. If so, obtain the necessary permits before starting. If renting, get the landlords written permission before installing anything. Perhaps the landlord would do the job.

Having towel radiators can make the difference in the morning. For electric models in non-heated bathrooms, it will heat the bathroom as well as the towel. Your family will appreciate it.

Company Profile:

Screwfix is the UK’s largest direct and online supplier of trade tools, accessories and hardware products. With over 30 years’ experience in the industry, they despatch tens of thousands of parcels every week for next day and weekend delivery to tradesmen, handymen and serious DIY enthusiasts all over theUK.

To view the full range of towel radiators from Screwfix customers can visit their website.

Crater Lake, an installation project by 24° Studio will be exhibited at Kobe Biennale 2011 from October 1 through November 23. The project was one of the winners for Shitsurai Art International Competition organized by the city of Kobe, Japan. This multi-use environmental installation serves as a meeting place where every area can be used as seating for visitors to contemplate the surroundings, thus invoking a social interaction within and around.

Project Description:

The design motive was influenced by the history of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995 that led to inevitable changes within built environment sparring only the nature that surrounds Kobe.  This devastating experience is remembered by Kobe residents making them a persistent and tight community, but remaining open and friendly to the visitors of the city.  Strong social ties between people helped them to overcome the disaster and rebuilt the city making it a better living environment.  However in the everyday life without problems and crisis, the face to face social interaction between people is decimating and it is one of the biggest problems in our technology driven time.

Crater Lake, an installation – environment where people have a place to meet to observe the beauty of the surrounding environment and more importantly to call forth an emphasis on sustaining social interaction, which was the important catalyst that brought Kobe residents to revitalize their city after the disaster.  The installation is situated in the man-made Port Island, Shiosai Park that provides a vast view of the Kobe urban center, its surrounding mountainscape and seascape. Design intent of Crater Lake installation is to take this unique location into advantage; by creating an undulating wooden landscape that provides a variation of open and unconstrained settings with 360° viewing vista.

Every surface may be utilized as seating and lying down surface.  Additional seating stools are set in the middle of the space that can be reorganized accordingly to the user’s preferences.The gentle hill surfaces invites people of multiple generations by providing spatial conditions that allow to interact with the landscape space like a playground device, relax in the shade of the mount, and socialize by seating in preferred order.

Design

Multiple ideas and materials were tested to realize the complexity of smooth and undulating form.  Wood was chosen for its strong structural capacity, ease of work with, and natural qualities.  One of the main issues was to express continuous and smooth surface without using costly techniques of wood steaming, bending or digital fabrication.  The solution was to divide the circular surface into a number of radial parts, with optimal number of 20 parts. Factors that determined this optimal number were, overall surface expression, production schedule, and transportation method (vehicle bedsize).  These 20 radial parts were preassembled off the site and transported by a vehicle to the main site of Shiosai Park.

Standard wood and off-the-shelf hardware were used in construction to avoid any costly customized fabrication process. 2×4 studs were used for all structural members and 30×60 mm treated cedar wood was used for the surface. The structure of radial parts consists of series of free-form ribs composed in segmentations with horizontal support and cross bracing for rigidity.  Each radial segment has 64 surface planks that are attached to three structural ribs that are rigidly connected between each other with horizon-tal supports.  The surfaces with the most anticipated traffic flow have narrow spacing between each plank. And as the mount becomes higher, the spacing distance of surface planks increases, allowing users to climb the mount. The rising mount resulted from understanding the site and seasonal conditions, function-ing as a sun shading and wind protection from the bay winds when sitting at inner area.

It is extremely obvious that Headboards are in again but the question that would not leave my head is why? Is it due to the new and improved designs or due to the functionality they offer?

Even though most of you know what a headboard is i feel the need to resume it in a few words for those who do not. The headboard is a piece of furniture that attaches to the head of the bed, it can be used to retain pillows, provide and secure backing the the bed upon which you relax or just be the focus point of the room.

As all furniture pieces nowadays, the headboard is available in a wide range of fabric colors, textures and styles. Due to it’s natural properties of durability, leather is one of the top option when choosing headboard material.

Strong, secure and durable, headboards are designed to be easily fitted onto any bed. As the range of headboard styles and materials is so wide, the perfect headboard can almost certainly be found for any bedroom. However the option of having your headboard and bed made at the same time is appealing but you can also have just your headboard crafted to exact personal requirements and specifications.

Being all aware of the fact that the bedroom is the most important room in the home, it leads us to the conclusion that this is the room in your home that needs to be the most comfortable and aesthetically suited to the person using it.

Nowadays, the home bar is becoming more and more appealing to people and home bars of all shapes, sizes and materials are available all around the world. Thus people are willing to purchase a bar and accessorize it, it is important to pay attention to a few pieces of advice in order to be able to accessorize it properly.

First thing you need to have in mind when going „bar shopping”is the size issue. It has to be the right size for the room in which it will be set up, take into account that you want your friends sitting around and beeing able to move around so do not choose the biggest bar you can fit in the room.

Secondly, we are all aware of the fact that seating is an important element in the bar space. Having a huge variety of bar stools from which to choose it should be easy to find the perfect ones to complete the design/theme of your bar. When choosing keep in mind that matching colors, style and materials is really important.

Accessories are  important pieces meant to complete the decor of the bar. Everything from a wine rack, to drink coasters, needs to be purchased to make more enjoyable the bar experience. You can purchase spouts, nozzles, mixers, wine openers, and a variety of other objects to help make your bar more functional.  Do not forget the color and material matching issue here also.

When decorating a bar, whether in your home, or in a restaurant, it is important to remember that this is supposed to be a social setting. The main aim is to create an atmosphere which is comfortable and friendly.

Green Over Grey, a Vancouver, Canada-based company that design and install green walls (also known as living walls), have produced the largest outdoor green wall in North America.

Located in White Rock, a suburb of Vancouver, the green wall covers 3000 square feet of the Semiahmoo Public Library and RCMP Facility.

The unique design is nearly 3,000 square feet and consists of over 10,000 individual plants representing more than 120 unique species. It includes ground covers, large perennials, shrubs and small trees.

A green wall, also known as a living wall is a self-sufficient vertical garden that is attached to the exterior or interior of a building. The technology being used is soil-free, and the plants receive water and nutrients from within the vertical support instead of from the ground. It closely mimics how plants grow vertically in nature such as on cliffs, bluffs, tree branches or next to waterfalls.

“The large diversity of plant species chosen creates a balanced ecosystem that is an urban oasis for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds,” says Patrick Poiraud, Principal at Green over Grey – Living Walls and Design, the Vancouver-based company designing and constructing the wall. “The living wall helps to insulate the building, purify the air and transforms the grey concrete into hundreds of shades of green.”

With more people starting to make a sufficient income online, it is no surprise that home offices are becoming more prevalent around the world today. However, many people who first begin working in their personal home office often do not have the first idea of how to actually decorate it!

Fish tanks for example are seen in many ‘standard’ commercial offices and are actually a wonderful addition to a home office. Not only do they look attractive but the soothing effects of trickling water and fish going about their everyday business makes us human beings feel calm and at ease with the world.

If you purchase a small sofa, this gives people a comfortable place to sit and when your visitors come round you don’t have to place them on small uncomfortable office chairs when talking to them over business matters. For people working at home, a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere should be on the top of the list of one’s priorities. You may even want to buy some magazines and maybe even a few books to place under your coffee table for not only your visitors, but also for your own down-time.

Many home offices have plain coloured walls and maybe even bookshelves that make effective partitioning for a bland wall. There are certain colours that are not recommended for an office , aggressive colours such as red can actually make you feel agitated and  stressed. Colours such as browns and creams are a good shade for an office as these have been proven to be calming and beneficial to one’s overall well-being.

The way you dress your windows will also have a profound affect on your mood and your work out-put. Struggling to see your pc screen due to screen glare can easily be overcome by using Venetian blinds as you’ll be able to adjust the louvres to provide you with natural light in which to work and prevent the sun blinding you. At Terrys Fabrics you can find a superb range of Venetian blinds in a wide range of colours to suit your home office décor beautifully. They also have an stunning range of curtain poles for those who prefer to use curtains as their window dressing to give their office a more informal look.

So remember, when looking to decorate your home office try to add things that make you feel happy, like pictures of family and friends mixed with soothing colours and traditional décor. Decorating and creating your home office should be a fun and relaxing time, so decorate it in stages and only decorate the office with the things you feel most at ‘home’ with.

However, a little planning goes a long way, whatever it is that you’re doing. So before setting to work with the spoils from your latest splurge at the DIY store, take stock. From the obvious materials to the often less obvious such as home emergency cover for those un-expectant and potentially financially crippling breakages, there’s often more to think about that you’d first realise.

1. Have you got everything you need?
There’s nothing more frustrating than getting part way through a job and having to stop to go and get some more supplies. So before starting your redecoration project, ensure you’ve got plenty of brushes, paint and wallpaper – not to mention paste, which can run out quicker than you think.

2. Have you planned what you’re doing?
It’s a good idea to have mapped out exactly what you want to do, ideally with drawings and colour schemes. Getting halfway through a job with no idea of what the finished job will look like could prove to be a disastrous move – or at the very least leave you with a very testing conundrum.

3. Do you know exactly what you’re doing?
Be realistic about what you want to do when carrying out a job. This could save a lot of time, money and heartache in the long-run. It could be the case that you need to bring in a professional to do some of the job, especially if it’s something technical like sorting out the wiring of new lights.

4. Are you covered with insurance?
Before carrying out any DIY job, check your home insurance, especially if you don’t have accidental damage cover. You may be surprised at how quickly things can go wrong when you’re hammering nails into walls or attaching skirting boards – but knowing your insurance would cover any mishaps could offer extra peace of mind.

5. Know when to call in an expert
If the job’s not going as well as you’d expected, know when the time is right to give up the ghost and call in a professional decorator. It’s better to decide this now than soldier on, knowing in your heart of hearts it’s ultimately going to look a bit rubbish.