Category Archives: Home & Garden

Decorating a New Home

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I had wanted to move out of my little guest house for some time.  It was so very little, with just two windows.  Two windows?  That’s just not right.  I am a painter, and along with having basically no room to move around my little house as the walls were lined with stacks of canvases, there was not enough light coming in at all.  So when I had finally gotten into a gallery, and began to make a much more substantial living on my art, I decided it was time to look for a new space.  I was hoping to find an old warehouse downtown, with high ceilings, lots of wide open space, and you guessed it—loads of windows.  When I found the perfect one it was time to move in and make it a home/studio.

The walls are bare brick, perfect.  The floor is cement, perfect.  And the windows and the wide openness has allowed me to breathe for the first time in my life.  Being downtown however, I did need to find a way to give myself a little more privacy, and at Next Day Blinds, reviews are rare as the customer service is impeccable.  I found the perfect window shades.  The salespeople knew what I was looking for, privacy but with the ability to let in the light as I needed it, and their suggestions helped a great deal.  They even helped with shades for the skylights.

Next was my bathroom.  I know that the cloth shades were most likely not going to work for a room that is often hot and humid, and the salesperson suggested a number of options as far as blind are concerned.  He told me that the vinyl ones would be easier to clean, but I choose some wooden blinds. The wood had been treated and as long as I kept up with them, the humidity would not have much of an effect on them.  Now I finally have the space to paint, and the vibe to create is just overwhelming.  My new home is perhaps not the kind of home many people would find appealing, but for me, it is bare and open, with a bit of style provided by the window coverings at Next Day Blinds.  And now, time to paint!

Fireplaces Accessories Enhance Style, and Provide Functional Purposes

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Even with the modern designs of fireplaces today, and with the safety features of them, a fire needs to be watched constantly.  And the fireplace, especially the wood burning fire places, need to be cleaned.  And, of course, the home must be decorated accordingly, so when taking care with and care of fireplaces, accessories become a part of the whole.   Any fireplace can be turned into a design masterpiece, as well as providing you with the necessary tools, with the addition of the perfect accessories.  It takes a special touch to create a warm and cozy atmosphere in your home.

The fireplace will add much on its own, but the perfect accessories will enhance the balance, add some personal flair to your mantle, and serve to make guests feel much more at home.  Andirons are one of the first items to consider, as they are not only beautiful, but they are functional as well.   They replace the grates, hold the logs on the fire, and add to the elegance of any fireplace.  Fireplace rugs running along front?  Again, the fire resistant materials add to the safety and to your peace of mind, while adding to the color and the overall decor of the room.  A fire back will add to the color of the fire itself, creating a beautiful reflection and creating the illusion that the fire is much bigger than it actually is.

It is the definition of smoke and mirrors, or of fire and mirrors as the case may be.  Other decorative options such as great caddies for firewood, great pokers and brooms with hand painted designs…the options really are limitless.  Fireplaces are functional, but their beauty can not be denied, nor can the beauty of one of the elements be denied.  By installing a fireplace and adding just the right accessories, you will transform your house into a home, and a welcome refuge for your family and for your guests…a soft glow that will soothe the soul.

A Little Install

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Now that you have spent your weekends looking through the stoves for sale adds and finally found your gem, it’s time to get it installed. Maybe you are great at this sort of thing and want to learn how to do it yourself. If that is true, you should consult the professionals for the best advice in the matter. If you just want to learn a little lingo about fireplace installations and maybe just have a little idea of what is inside the walls of your home then read on.

The most important part of the installations would be the chimney. All wood stoves really really really need a chimney. A good one to not a stovepipe hanging out the window. Get a good masonry chimney or a stainless steel class A chimney that is UL approved. If you are going to put in a Class A Insulated chimney it will be called HT which means High Temperature chimney. There are a few designs to choose from depending on whether you are working with a single level or double level home. It makes a difference if you are going to run the chimney up the outside of your wall. It also matters whether the roof is slanted or straight. No matter what design you are going with, It must come up 3 feet above the roof surface and 2 feet taller than any other piece of the roof or house that is within 10 feet.

Now be care full with masonry chimneys. Make sure you get a great reference and check previous work. One of the problems that is common is that they are built to large and not insulated which creates poor draft and to much creosote formation. Make sure there is enough clearance from other flammable areas like siding and wood framing. Make sure there is enough room built in for the expansion due to heat. If the Flue expand and it was not expected than the tiles could crack and damage the liners. So it does take a some good knowledge to install a stove so maybe the best lingo to remember and ask for is the Hearth Professional. At least that should get you to the right person with a phone call.

All May Enjoy the Luxury of a Spa

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For all you proud owners and users of portable spas and hot tubs: do you know the history of spas and where they originated from? Back in the day, hot tubs and spas were made out of wood, which were extremely relaxing to sit in, but they soon became a troublesome health risk; infections and bacteria proliferated from the damp wood.  But technology has advanced and the spas of today are much different, much easier to take care of.

Today, you can get portable spas that are made with acrylics, plastics and steel. Plus, you can get a wide variety of spas with shapes like a heart or get a size as small as a table or big as an entire room. Spas were created back in the day with only one shape and only one size. Back then, the technology of the powerful jets, nozzles, heaters, wave generators and filters weren’t even a consideration. So, the atmosphere created with innovative technology, which we have today, wasn’t even possible back then. Try to imagine sitting in a spa without the massaging jets aimed at your entire body. Doesn’t seem so desirable.

They had to have attendants constantly running in and out to fill the spa with hot water. Spas were probably more expensive to maintain than what they cost today. The chemicals we use today, to keep the water microorganism free, wasn’t available back then, so they frequently had to change the water, which meant all spas had to be near a large water source and spas were for the elite only. Today, we can put a portable spa in our backyard and not have attendants running around disturbing our peace of mind. Today, we have the luxuries that was reserved for select few back in the ancient world. Modern times has afforded us the pleasures once known only by the very wealthy. We can relax in the comfort of our own backyard spa and feel like royalty without the court.