Home and Garden Articles
posted on 3 January 2012
In France it is still possible to find some wonderful traditional furniture. France has a great and long tradition of making fine furniture and rustic farmhouse style furniture has often been made out of oak.
In the area where we live in northern France, there are still many large farm properties where one can find original, untouched pieces of stunning French furniture.
These are often large in dimension and scale and include oak farmhouse tables with carved or simple rustic chairs, large oak settles and coffres (blanket boxes), armoires (or wardrobes), buffets or side dressers with plate rack tops or enclosed glass doors.
Armoires are found in both bedrooms and dining rooms, and store not only clothes but also bedding and crockery. Some of the buffets are over eight foot in height and many carry extremely intricate and decorative carvings. These were traditionally given as wedding gifts to young couples setting up home and are often referred to as 'marriage' pieces. |
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posted on 29 December 2011
I love almost everything about my house - it has a timber frame building and in fact, a lot of timber is used throughout the house. We’ve lived here just over two years, and plan on staying for a long time. It’s on a quiet dead-end street with a small river at one end and protected park land running behind our yard. The only thing that I would change is the amount of storage space we have. You see, the house is a Cape, which means the ceilings upstairs are slanted in some spots. The closets are tucked into these odd corners, which works great in terms of not having wasted space in the room, but leads to the closets being oddly shaped. Plus, there is no attic, just two small eave spaces, one of which also stores our furnace. Because we do not have a basement either, to put the furnace in. There is no garage as well. So our water heater is in the laundry room, which doubles as a pantry, and all our yard and camping equipment is in the shed. So to make this house perfect, I’d like to add some more space to it by squaring off the upstairs rooms. This would make the closets normal shapes and would allow for a regular attic to put the Christmas decorations and out-of-season clothes in. This would really make the house perfect: location, character, and space. |
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posted on 28 December 2011
The term 'Clean Energy' implies a lack of dirt. I guess that is true of the sun and wind. For example wind energy is supplied by a turbine which is mounted on a pillar up high to catch the wind that doesn't reach down as far as the ground. The only source of the power, is the wind, which is clean and free. There is of course the manufacture of the turbine to take into consideration but once you have your turbine , it should be low cost to maintain and as long as there is wind to blow, there will be energy . Wind energy is not a new thing, there have been windmills for centuries but the energy they provided was much more centralized. Wind turbines feed into the national grid and so benefit many more people. Then there is Solar energy - via the solar panel - which is also very clean and abundant providing we have daylight. The newer Solar cells are photo-Voltaic and more efficient in less strong sunshine ,it doesn't even need to be a very sunny day for them to be effective at harvesting power from the sun. Solar panels can fit on the roof and their energy can be fed into the building on which they are mounted, while excess can once again feed into the national grid. Together they can help to reduce the need for fossil fuels, they do not pollute the air,water or land and they can be sited conveniently. |
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posted on 17 December 2011
Never mind regular house flies - they're easily dealt with using fly killer - it's fruit flies are annoying. Everyone gets them though, because they travel home with people in their fruit and vegetables from the store. They are a common problem for a lot of people since people often buy fresh fruits or vegetables in the summer. That's why a fruit fly catcher is a wonderful thing. There are other options to try for catching fruit flies. Sprays don't really work too well because the flies are hard to see since they are so small and the spray drifts back in your face. Fly tape doesn't often work because they are so light they can sometimes get off it and aren't attracted to it like house flies are. The fly catcher I make is extremely good at catching them safely and easily. Take an empty two liter soda bottle. Put something they like down in the bottom: bread is very popular, and so are fruits. Take a piece of paper, about the size of a grocery store receipt or atm receipt, and wrap it around your finger so it twists into a cone shape. making sure there is a small hole at the bottom of the come like a funnel. Push the cone down into the top of the bottle, and fold the edges over the side of the bottle, squeezing them to seal them around the top. The flies will go down into the hole into the bottle, but when they try to fly up, they go to the top of the bottle and forget about the hole in the cone. Once there are a bunch of flies in there, push the paper in quickly and screw the top on, and throw the bottle away. To catch bees, use a canning jar with small holes in the lid. Fill the jar 1/3 full of honey. The bees climb in through the holes, and fall back down and drown cause they are too fat and full when they try to fly up. To get rid of mice, put fabric softener sheets all around the floors by the baseboards and any holes and in drawers, they hate the smell of the fabric softener sheets. It works good in cars with mice in them too. To chase off raccoons, put out an open bottle or bowl of vinegar, they hate the smell of it. Cockroaches are persistent, but you can easily kill them by putting out boric acid powder, sprinkle in on floors behind stoves and refrigerators, or leave a plate full of it with a piece of food on top. The boric acid powder sticks to their legs and they carry it back to the nest where it kills others. For common house flies, I prefer fly tape, it's safer than breathing in sprays. If you have a flying insect in the house, just about any aerosal can of spray will do to freeze their wings by making them sticky. Hair spray is wonderful for spraying on spiders. Even an empty spray bottle can be filled with water and dish soap to make a sticky spray that will make their legs and wings stick together. The same spray bottle of dish soap and water can also be used to spray on plants in the garden to keep bugs from eating them. My vet recommended using Dawn dishwashing detergent on a baby animal because he said it doesn't irritate the skin, and it suffocates fleas. If you have fleas, use a good floor spray from the vet to keep rekilling them. Try these tips for keeping those pesty pests away! |
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posted on 3 December 2011
If I ever have the money, time and motivation, I have a unique idea to change something about my house. This idea revolves around using sustainable energy supplies. I would adopt such measures which would fullfil my dream of making use of sunlight to generate the electricity for the house. First of all, I would make the roof of my house and tile it with solar panels. This would give me enough power for at least the lighting 24/7 and some of the heating (though I live in a hot country). Any shortfall in power, well - I can rely on the grid as a backup, but for sure my solar panels would reduce my power bills. A friend of mine has just this very setup and he saves a fortune in power bills. I'd make sure the flooring used polished hardwoods - this would keep the house cooler in the day time. |
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posted on 19 November 2011
Last year I installed some new decking joists. This year though - I have bigger projects in mind. If I had the finances to redo a part of my house, I would definitely choose to purchase and install a whole new set of carpets. The ones that we currently have are about ten years old and they are just not holding up well. Whoever owned the place before us did not take care of them adequately, not to mention that they chose the ugliest piece of carpets I have ever seen. Especially now that it is winter, I would like to be able to walk around in my house and see some comfy and cozy looking carpet. I would want something high quality but reasonably price that I could use through out the entire four thousand square feet that we have. I would want a neutral color as well which would be loads better than this ugly grayish brown color we have right now. I hope to accomplish this project with the help of my husband in the near future. |
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posted on 11 November 2011
If there is one thing I've learnt from gardening, it's that pests like mealybugs can never be eliminated fully, only controlled for the time being. Keeping pests out of the house is easier with things like fly screens for doors since there are specific ports of entry.
When it comes to the garden, even if you deploy the strongest, most devastating chemical spray that money can buy and your government allows, trust me. They'll be back, with thousands of offsrping, just waiting to climb back onto your plants and suck the living sap out of them. What you can do, however, is keep their numbers in check before the population explodes. Here, as in so many other aspects of life, vigilance is key. Keep an eye out for the beginnings of infestations by checking on your plants every few days. This doesn't have to be as obsessive as it sounds surely, as a keen gardener, you'll be doing this anyway. The only difference is now you know what to look for. If you start seeing powdery white clusters in the nooks and crooks of your houseplants and the odd adult mealybug here and there, sweep them away fast with some rubbing alcohol, or those handy pre-injection swabs. Getting rid of the early colonisers will save you a lot of trouble down the line. For more developed infestations, it's time to visit the garden store for sprays - pick something that you agree with (ethically, ecologically and so on) and zap the whole plant with it. Every day, for several days until the coast is clear or the bottle is used up. This is important because the first round is only going to get rid of the adults, not the eggs lying around waiting to hatch. Keep it up, and you should be mealybug-free in no time! |
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posted on 15 September 2011
One weekend, Joy invited her good friend, Cathy to see her house which at that time was still under construction. Cathy, who brought along his boyfriend, Andres, was in awe as she looked at the fruit of Joy's hard work. She can't believe how beautiful the house turned out to be. She turns to Joy and said, I am so happy for you, my friend. It sure is a lovely home. I feel proud to see what you have accomplished - all with hard work and pure determination. Congratulations, Joy. You truly deserve this. Joy looked at her in the eye and said, Oh no, you're not crying now, are you? It's not even done yet. By the way, do you know someone who can do structural decking for me? At that point, Andres butt in, I think I can help you with that. Handing Joy a piece of paper, he said, Here, call this number and look for Bill. Tell him I referred you to him. He's good. Joy was very glad of course. She knew that Andres wouldn't refer Bill to her if he wasn't really good. |
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posted on 26 June 2011
One kind of the American country-style decoration is through rustic country decors. This traditional décor borrowed some of its ideas from the English, Swedish and French styles. One can describe this type of décor as rather charming, non-fussy, coarse but with homey and endearing qualities. The use of wood, rough finishes, simple lines and aged surfaces are co-related with rustic decorations. When you want a home with a rustic country theme, then look into handcrafted stuff and furnishing that will connect your back with nature. These are usually made from pine and wood or hand-painted with flowers, animals, leaves etc.
Rustic home are best paired with rustic-themed window treatment ideas. Natural to light and bright fabrics work great with a rustic theme. There are different types of fabrics and you can find a variety of styles for your treatments. Flowing and light fabrics are great during the summer especially if you pick pastel colors and printed with paisley flowers and leaves. |
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posted on 17 June 2011
The water problems and the leakage problems in this respect is something very uncertain. If either of the problem strikes anybody, it is recommended that one should plan out things before acting upon them, such as plumbing estimates for the task at hand.
A plumbing estimate enables one to have a fair idea about the cost which would incur them while dealing with the problem, and thus curtail the unseen and unwanted expenses. This should be done in order to design the expenses in such a way that it should fit in the pockets of the individuals and match their budget.
This can be done either by individuals, or one can even sit with the hired plumbers and chalk out the entire plan. One can even take the assistance of plumbing estimates, which helps one in calculating the total expenses which would incur them. It is always suggested that one should go for self plumbing estimate than exploring other options which might not be dependable in nature. |
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posted on 9 June 2011
The process of relocating a residence is not an easy one right from labor to expenses it requires everything. The moving packing experts are there for an individual to make this process easy. There are movers who take up the task for packing the belongings of an individual and then moving it to the required destination.
Some moving packing teams only move the belongings of an individual and do not pack them. Now this again depends upon the wishes of the customer about what kind of services they are looking for.
The service charges of the latter moving packing would be less when compared to the former. One can browse through the net to get the details of the moving services available in the market and make selections out of it.
The official website of the moving packing agency would contain all the information regarding the services offered by the agency along with their services charges with contact details. |
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posted on 2 June 2011
Bathroom vanities are not just a means of bathroom storage they are also one of the best ways to bring beauty to your bathroom! However, most people believe that vanities are just another one of those things that only wealthy people could have in their homes. After all, these vanities are expensive as they are beautiful.
So what could be done if you want to beautify your bathroom, but are tied down by your budget? It is simple, really. There are plenty of less costly alternatives to the more expensive models of vanities. I can assure you, cheap bathroom vanities do exist!
One alternative you could consider is to purchase a DIY kit. These cheap kits are available in your local home improvement store. They also come with clear, step-by-step instructions, making it easy for anyone to put together their own vanities. Although it may take a bit of patience and time, this alternative saves you tons of money on the model, as well as labor costs! |
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posted on 28 May 2011
One of the more important aspects of any outdoor kitchen is the flooring. It does not only provide decorative functions but it is an important safety feature as well, especially if you have kids in the house or if you will be spending a lot of your time there. Below are outdoor kitchen flooring options that you can consider:
• Repurposed brick – this material is versatile considering that it can stand different weather and climate and it can be readily cleaned. The downside is that it can chip and crack easily but this can be addressed by finishing it with a special coating.
• Cast concrete tile – this type is easy to clean and doesn’t require polishing as it already has a finished coating that makes it look new and clean for a long time.
• Travertine – this is specially suited if you want a Mediterranean-style or Old World Kitchen, also its rugged yet polish finish is practically slip-free even when wet and it comes in many colors.
• Slate – this is best for contemporary kitchen. It is basically low-maintenance and very durable and has a wide range of color options. |
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posted on 24 May 2011
If you have noticed the toilet sink not having enough of water when you flush, you may be facing water leakage woes. You can check your toilet sinks to know if you are a victim to water leakage issues by doing the following 4 steps
Shut the main valve that supplies water to the sink.
Fill the tank to the brim and drop in some dark food coloring to check for water leakage.
If you see the toilet bowl filling with colored water after a few minutes, you are then sure of a water leakage issue.
If that’s the case then call a local plumber at once to fix the water leakage problem.Remember folks, the same can be done for other toilet fixtures and even pipes as well, which are used for water storage needs. We hope you now are able to handle the water leakage issues at your home, have a good luck!! |
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posted on 21 May 2011
My parents bought a new house and it is much larger than their current one with a huge backyard field with large trees. My mom called me yesterday asking if I could help her look for outdoor fireplace designs because she wanted something more permanent and sturdy than a portable one. I told her that I would like to help her out so that I will have a contribution to their house somehow but I needed time so that I could ask a few of my designer friends to come up with something fitting to what they want. I am extremely proud of my parents both of them are sources of inspiration not only to our family but to those who know them as well. They have been through a lot trying to build a good life for all of us while regularly volunteering in the community as well. I am so happy that they can finally enjoy the fruits of their labor because both of them truly deserve it. |
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posted on 25 April 2011
Companies have adopted a certain behavior that is not pleasing at all, this is because when they make it to the top they tend to relax and offer services that are not of good quality. Looking at career men and women who forget that making it to the top is not a problem but remaining there is, it is very disappointing to see them relaxed. Companies like those engaged in professional carpet cleaning are the ones suffering from this kind of problem. It is important to know that many people are working hard to remain at the top most position and once you relax you will find yourself fighting for the first position once again. There are many ways in which you can improve your company by making sure the services being offered are perfect and workers are being paid for a job well done. In this case, there will always be room for improvement whether you are on the top position or still working hard to make it there. A company should always desire to remain at the top whatever the case. |
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posted on 22 April 2011
Not everyone is blessed with spacious bathrooms. Mostly bathrooms are one of the limited spaces in our house or place. bathroom design is the best option if you cant do bathroom remodeling due to some limitations each person might have depending in their situations.
Here are specific ideas that you can do to design your small bathroom in a way that it would look bigger than its normal size plus the impact of making it more comfortable and relaxing to stay to. First, is changing your bathroom’s wall color. Not everyone might know this but light soft colors can make a space look bigger than it’s normal. Second, adding mirrors inside your bathroom or to a small place could help it appear bigger than it really is because it captures lights and reflects it back into the room making it brighter. Lastly, is to limit your items and fixtures in the bathroom and make sure its always clutter free, in this way your bathroom will not be only be clean but will look bigger since there are no other unnecessary things that eats up your space. |
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posted on 20 April 2011
Coming up with the right design for your bathroom tiles could be very tricky, especially if you’re not the creative type that loves to play with different colors and textures. But with a little imagination and a lot of effort, you will be able to come up with your own bathroom tile design ideas.
To help you come up with some designs, you can try looking in different magazines or home improvement books that have a section on the bathroom. You might even get some other tips on your bathroom remodeling! You can also try logging on to some websites or making an online search of…yes, bathrooms. It may sound a bit silly to Google the word “bathroom”, but you’ll be surprised at the results you will receive! There are lots of pictures of bathroom designs that may inspire you. You may even incorporate some of their designs into your own. If you are still uninspired, you may consider consulting an interior designer. Aside from finding the best design for your bathroom, he will be able to assist you, should you have any other concerns with your bathroom design. |
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posted on 19 April 2011
Most closets are created with the standard design of a simple clothes rod and a single shelf. This may make a closet look spacious but in the long run as you accumulate stuff this won’t be a convenient design to hold all your clutter. Convert your closet storage design into a more practical layout so you can neatly organize and store all your stuff.
Assess the size of your closet and determine all the available space that you can utilize. Add a shelf above your clothes rod for storage of items that you use the least like clothes from last season or your folded linen. Redesign your cabinet by adding more shelves at the bottom designated for your shoes. If your cabinet is high enough, install a second clothes rod on the midsection of your closet. This gives you more space to hang your clothes. Use the back of the closet door to hang a full length mirror or mount hooks to hang your ties, belts and hats. |
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posted on 17 April 2011
Air compressors have so many uses in the home. Aside from inflating your tires with it you can use this tool to operate other tools like nail guns, drills and impact wrenches. If you’re thinking of buying this equipment you can find them in the automotive section of a local retail store. Here are a few tips in how to buy a portable air compressor for sale.
Look at the compressor’s power source. There are basically two kinds of power sources for air compressors and that is the fuel type or the electrical one. If you will be working with your air compressor away from an electrical source then a fuel type model will be best for you. Look at the requirements of your power tools and multiply that by 1.5. The total should be the power capacity of the air compressor that you are buying in order to operate your heavy-duty tools. Last of all, decide on the type of mount that you will use for your air compressor. It will all depend on how you are going to use it. |
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