Create and Furnish Your Outdoor Lounge In Style

Home Decor - Dec 02,2015 - No Comment

An ideal place to relax on a late summer evening is an outdoor lounge. Create your own private space by curtaining of a corner or nook in the space available outside your home. If you have a garden then a lounge facing the will be ideal to catch the evening breeze or if you have pool a lounge by the poolside will give your hours of fun.

For lounges enclosed by curtains add some comfortable chairs and sofas. Add some soft lighting and play soft tunes on an old record player and you can enjoy some pleasant romantic dinners outdoors. The lounge can also be an extension of your kitchen or living room. It can be on your front or back yard. It’s the private outdoor space to hang out with friends and family and enjoy nature. You can hold barbecues and cocktail nights when the weather is warm and pleasant or just have a quite enjoyable night with a glass of wine.

Furnish your lounge so, people can unwind and loosen up in comfortable settings. The furniture in the lounge can be anything metal or wooden, modern or rustic depending on your taste. Walnut or teak furniture are also available but that depends on your budget and how much you are willing to splurge on your outdoor lounge. You can have recliners, ottomans and deep seating sofas. You can choose rustic, classic or contemporary designs for the furniture slipcovers to add color and vibrancy to your lounge furniture. Select comfortable furnishings, as this is mainly a space for relaxation. Buy a pedestal table with a counter top to hold your food and drinks.

If you have beach side or poolside lounge then choose chaise lounge chairs or wicker lounge chairs. Fix a umbrella to give some shade for people lounging on chairs and chaises. Add elegant cushion slipcovers and some low oval tables to place drinks and lotions. You can add footstools to add more comfort. A few folding chairs will be ideal so, people can move them around and talk with people relaxing on the lounge chairs.

You can also invest in a small portable bar for your lounge to hold drinks and ice. It would be nice to sip on ice cold drinks on hot days. Also, you don’t have to carry your drinks too and fro from the house when you have lots of guests.

Remember, that the furniture set in your lounge may be exposed to the elements so buy quality outdoor cushions and covering materials. The furniture should also be suitable for all weather conditions. Else, you can buy inexpensive slipcovers that can be replaced easily and give a new fresh look to your lounge every summer.

Another option for people who use their outdoor lounge only occasionally is to rent the loungers and couches from furniture rentals. You could easily rent two seaters, cane or aluminum tables, a lazy boy, an ottoman, recliners, chaises, portable or retro bistros and patio furniture to have a nicely furnished lounge for your outdoor party. What’s more there is no need for any off-season maintenance. Just rent them when you want and return once you are done.

Cushion Slip Covers : How Can They Make Your Room Brighter And Beautiful?

Home Decor - Nov 27,2015 - No Comment

Chairs without a cushion slip cover often look drab and dreary.

The usual colors of store-bought cushion chairs can put even a normal person to sleep. The same old beige, brown or white can make your room look boring, gloomy and dull. It’s time you added some color and vivacity to your living spaces.

Buy a lively and vibrant chair slip cover in bold patterns to instantly make your den or dining area brighter and beautiful. Bright and colorful cushion slipcovers can add a designer look to your home.

Not just chairs, you can buy slipcovers for sofas, loveseats, recliners, wingback chair and dining table chairs. Color coordinate your contrasting pieces of furniture with the new decor of your home and instantly transform tired-looking old furniture and give it imaginative and modern face. This is an incredibly simple and effective way to “not” buy new furniture and get more out of your old ones.

Whatever be the shape – round, oval, square or rectangular you will find suitable slipcovers in online stores like Amazon, Target, and SureFit. Offline you should find them at any of the furniture and fabrics stores. You can buy a spare set for special occasions or when ever you fancy a change.

Cushion slip covers give you the freedom to experiment with your room’s look and feel. They add flexibility to your furniture. A few tastefully placed cushions, pillows and throws can give your room a new perspective.

Choose rich maroons, reds and gold and give your room an authentic Arabic feel. Throw a carpet on the floor and add a hookah to the side to complete the whole picture. Buy pastel colors, add some paper ornaments to the room to give a Japanese look, or try the Egyptian or Indian look with rich embroidery and sequins on slipcover.

You’ll change the atmosphere of your room by simply changing your cushion slip covers. It’s as simple as that.

If you can’t find what you are looking for in the readymade section try making them yourself. The amazing variety of materials, colors and patterns available in the fabric’s section will completely floor you. It is easy to sew slipcovers for your chairs. Add piping and some tassels and you will find that you have created a beautiful piece of cushion cover that you can be proud of. This can be fun project that you can finish over a weekend.

When buying slipcovers at discount sales make sure you buy the right size with elastic. The elastic will help by giving a snug-fit to your furniture. The furniture will have appearance of having been upholstered recently.

Also, make sure the fabrics are durable and easily machine washable. Check for color-fastness and shrinkage. No use buying expensive materials that can’t be washed at home.

The dry cleaning costs can add considerably to your monthly expenses. Cotton, damask, denim, stretch denim, and twill are the most commonly used materials for chair slip cover. These materials are easy to maintain which is a huge advantage in their favor.

Where Can I Find Wood Venetian Blinds For My Window?

Home Decor - Nov 20,2015 - No Comment

A wood Venetian blind is made from natural woods like dark wood, real oaks, beech, white, pecan, teak, mahogany, birch, artic white, light oak, cinnamon, golden oak, hickory, walnut, sugar maple or dark cedar. These also come in painted wooden, woven wood or bamboo. The variety and range of wooden blinds is truly amazing.

Wood venetian blind is usually made of high quality parts and color coordinated. The cordless ones are easily operated using buttons or tabs to move the blinds to different angles. These are usually expensive but are durable and make for stylish interiors. Nothing can beat the charm of wood.

You have to note though that unless marked made of real oak or real mahogany, most of the wooden blinds are made from basswood timber and then it is stained or painted to resemble other wood species. So, if you try to match your flooring to your wooden blinds it may not be the exact match as flooring are made of real wood species. Also, you have to remember that in nature there is lot of variation. So, one wooden sample made of real mahogany may not match another real mahogany sample exactly. You have to give some allowance for these variations. Wooden blinds also come painted in different colors to match the room decor and they are covered with lacquers to make them resistant to scratches.

To answer the original question of where to buy wooden blinds? There are many stores that sell them. Online and offline literally hundreds of stores sell great quality wood blinds. Bali Blinds, Blinds Galore, Blinds Direct, Hillary, Kresta, Hunter Douglas, Blinds To Go, Home Depot, Target, Wal-Mart are just a few of trusted names in blinds. You should be able to pick some great bargains if they are having clearance sales which happen yearly once for most real world stores.

If you want, you can order these blinds from the comfort of your home. Make sure you take the correct measurements of the different windows and doors in your home that need blinds. If you are not sure about this the stores themselves provide guidelines on how to take measurements and what allowances to be made. Select from vertical or horizontal, roller or roman, Venetian or shutters, size of slats, the type of wood, color painted or natural wood stains and so on. Once you have decided on some basic criteria, ask for samples before you make a final decision. Make sure to place an order soon after you order the samples because some types go out of style soon and they may not available if you take a long time to place your order.

A wood venetian blind is highly effective in temperature control and looks appealing too. It keeps the room cool and comfortable in summers by keeping direct light out. In winters the rooms retain the warmth from heating longer as wood is a bad conductor of heat. So, go shopping. Buy a wooden blind of your choice and enjoy the beauty for years to come.

Why Ready Made Roller Blinds Are More Convenient To Buy?

Home Decor - Nov 06,2015 - No Comment

Ready made roller blinds are much cheaper than custom made or made to order blinds. Roller blinds come in high quality fabric, woven wood, bamboo and many other types of materials. They are particular suitable as window treatment for wide windows, French and bay windows. These are available in PVC and water resistant materials. They are highly suitable for conservatory and glass houses. You can also use solar shades or outdoor roller blinds for covering patios and decks to cut out the harsh afternoon sun.

These roller blinds can cut the amount of light and heat coming into the homes and cut your energy bills too. You can order your roller shades in white to reflect the maximum amount of light and keep your rooms cool in summer. Don’t worry about operating the huge roller blinds that cover a full side of the room. They come with electric motors attached which easily rolls and unrolls the blinds. Gone are the days when heavy drapes and curtain materials where used to provide wall to wall coverage. Today ready made roller blinds come in a variety of sizes, colors and materials to match every requirement. If it does not match your needs then you can always buy custom made blinds. These made to measure blinds are usually more expensive.

If you have a skylight then you may want to control the amount of light coming through. You can use ready made roller blinds for your skylights too. If you need complete darkness then blackout roller blinds are also available. Vinyl or bamboo or other patterned or woven roller blinds for office rooms can set them apart from the rest of the house.

Kids and pets have got themselves into serious life-threatening situations with blinds that come with cords. If you have blinds with cords around your home then ensure that the cords are not hanging loose or tied together and at a height where kids and pets can entangle themselves in it. Better still get them changed into cordless one with the retrofit parts kits available in many stores online and offline which convert these unsafe blinds to safer alternatives. Best is to replace the blinds with cords with newer cordless varieties. You can opt for low cost aluminum mini blinds or faux wood blinds for kitchens and bathrooms if cost is of major concern.

With ready made roller blinds you can just pick from the already available range of blinds and shades. You don’t have to go through the hassle of picking out the right material, shade, design, pattern and a hundred other things. Experts have already chosen and designed the best roller blinds for reasonable cost. Any customization will involve extra work and that means extra cost for you.

Also, there is no waiting times with ready made off the shelves blinds. You just order and it is delivered to you right away. With made to order ones you are not sure what the final outcome will be. If you are not satisfied it is difficult to modify without extra expense. That’s the reason why buying them ready made is more convenient.

Why Are Patterned Roller Blinds The Best Choice?

Home Decor - Oct 31,2015 - No Comment

Patterned roller blinds are great to cutout light and cover up doors and windows that are exposed to too much sunlight. They are also convenient to operate. Just pull them up or down as need be. No need to worry with all those strings and knobs like in venetian blinds. These are great for large windows and doors where the cost of up putting other type of blinds will cost a fortune.

So, what’s the difference between ordinary roller blinds and the patterned ones? Patterned roller blinds comes beautiful designs and patterns usually found only in window curtains. You won’t find them in the regular window blind which come in a variety of colors but no designs to break the monotony. These blinds with patterns are classy and stylish and at the same time they help in light and temperature control.

Choose designs that fit the mood of the room or the room decor. Many people avoid blinds and shades because they did not like to make their rooms dull and dry with the staid, bald colors of the blinds. They want the vibrancy of the curtains and coverings that come in a million designs to choose from. Roller blinds with patterns are a happy mix of the colorful and vibrant curtain and a stylish window blind.

It is important that you buy the roller blinds from reliable and trusted brand name companies. The reason for this is the roller mechanism that comes with the blinds is an important piece of equipment. If it does not work properly the whole process of rolling and unrolling the blinds will become a huge chore that will put you off them. A quality roller mechanism that works smoothly is a must for the effective utilization of patterned roller blinds.

Cheap roller blinds may come with great patterns and beautiful designs but with bad quality head rails, clips, roller mechanism and other accessories. For example some companies supply plastic head rails for blinds whereas aluminum is much better for added strength. Others supply Velcro strips for holding up valances instead of strong clips. The Velcro can weaken over time and the valance may fall over someone’s head or over treasured ornaments breaking them.

Readymade blinds are always cheaper than custom made or made to measure blinds. So, if you have standard sized windows go for ready made ones as they save you a lot of money. If you manage to buy them during a sale or using a discount coupon that saves you even more money. Warehouses and factory outlets usually have clearance sales once a year. Take advantage of these to get good quality stuff for less money.

People do not realize that if they upgrade their window treatment before putting up their home for sale the value of the house goes up several times more than what they spend on the treatment itself. It’s a good idea to buy cheap but good quality patterned roller blinds for your bay windows and French windows as replacement for old tired curtains before putting the house up for sale. The new owner may eventually replace the window treatment but they will appreciate the new roller blinds anyway.

Why Do You Need To Buy Made To Measure Blinds?

Home Decor - Oct 24,2015 - No Comment

Made to measure blinds are a great way to control the amount of light entering a room.

Certain rooms of the house need minimum amount of light and it is not possible to get completely dark rooms with just heavy curtains or draperies. But with black out blinds that are completely opaque you can cut out the light and make it as dark as possible.

Why do you need blackout blinds? Shouldn’t rooms be bright and sunny? That’s a valid point.

But, you don’t want bright rooms late in the night. Bedrooms need to be really dark to get a good night’s rest. It is tough to sleep if there is light streaming in from street lights or a bright moon is shining outside. In certain parts of the world it remains quite bright late into the night in summers. In such situations you can’t get to sleep with it being so bright outside. It is essential to put up blinds that make the room dark.

Kid’s bedrooms are another area where too much brightness is not welcome. Have you tried putting to bed a hyper active child in a bright room? They simply won’t settle down. But in a dark room they will readily go to bed. So, to help children sleep for their mid-day naps and to put them to bed early at night blackout blinds are very useful.

A point to note here: Kids and pets have got themselves into serious life-threatening situations with blinds that come with cords. Make it a point to buy cordless blinds for all kids’ rooms. If you have corded blinds around your home then ensure that the cords from the blinds are not hanging loose or tied together and are situated at a height where kids and pets can reach them or get entangled themselves in it.

Better still get them changed into cordless one with the retrofit parts kits available in many stores online and offline.

Another room that needs blackout blinds is rooms with home theatres or movie projectors. Even small amounts of light can spoil the movie watching experience. The images being projected on the screen can’t be seen if the room is bright. Blackout blinds completely cut off all light from such rooms.

It is better to buy custom made blackout blinds whether it is vertical, roman, roller or pleated blinds. That way you can get the perfect fit for your window and there won’t be any light that filters through any gaps between the window and the blinds. You can buy made to measure blackout blinds from any online stores like Kresta, Hunter Douglas, Blinds Direct, Hillary or Bali Blinds or offline you get them at Home Depot and many others.

Made to measure blackout blinds will be expensive as the order is customized to your requirements and this take time and effort. To lower your costs you can order only made to measure blinds for windows with unique sizes and order the standard sizes for the other standard windows. If your costs are going out of your budget range then you can order curtains and drapes as window treatments in cheaper fabrics for some rooms that do not need high quality window treatment like garages, store rooms and attics. Buying them at a wholesale store reduces the costs even further.

Solar Energy Business – A Success Story Just Waiting To Happen

Home Remodeling - Oct 20,2015 - No Comment

Solar energy business is a boom area in recent times, and this explosive growth has accelerated thanks to the flurry of incentives, rebates and grants offered to both consumers and researchers in the field. If you have been thinking about starting a solar energy business, you probably were confused by the plethora of options available, or put off by the fierce competition in many of them.

But it doesn’t have to worry you, because opportunities are cropping up in the solar energy business space literally every day. Let’s take a look at some innovative ways green energy business is tapping into this frantic demand for solar energy and renewable power for homes and offices.

Solar Thermal Technology

A solar energy business that’s importing technology from Israel to generate power in Souther California is BrightSource Energy, an Oakland, CA firm. By using mirrors in arrays that are structured in a way that concentrates the sun’s rays, the start up solar energy business generates electricity which will be distributed through Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric companies. The technology is sound and investors are so confident in the future potential that they have contracted for 14 such solar thermal energy plants to be build in the next 6 years.

Solar Inverters

Solar energy business has been hampered by one limitation of solar panels. Home solar panels generate direct current which cannot directly be used for household purposes. It needs to first be converted into alternating current (AC), which requires an expensive inverter.

But a smart solar energy business called Enphase Energy has shrunk the size (and the price) of inverters to the extent that they can fit within the solar panel itself! Not only does the cost of solar panel installations drop, this solar energy business has helped boost overall power output and can allow quicker identification of any problem panels.

Automating Energy Exchange Data

While home solar panels are popular today, the biggest early adopters of solar energy were commercial enterprises and businesses. They were the earliest to buy and install solar energy panels and other clean energy sources. The downside for these relatively bigger installations is the lack of granular and reliable data about performance of the devices.

A smart solar energy business has stepped in to fill this gap. Fat Spaniel Technologies offers sensors and software that allow businesses to manage their solar energy use, and even offers a service to automate it all. Not only can this help monitor performance, it also lets the data be exchanged and shared with relevant third parties like energy utilities and carbon credit programs.

Managing Multiple Devices

The typical solar energy business today sells a slew of devices that are installed into the home and provide clean energy. Solar panels may generate electricity. Solar water heaters may heat the home and provide water needs. And a myriad of other devices power many other appliances and utilities around the household.

GridPoint is a solar energy business startup that has created a software platform to help manage these various devices that generate and utilize power. For the right prospect, this can be an enormously valuable service, and is one more way solar energy business owners can tap into this hot and growing market.

Renewable Energy Business Opportunities – How To Seize Them & Profit

Home Remodeling - Oct 17,2015 - No Comment

Renewable energy business opportunities are exploding, with new avenues opening up literally every day. Thousands of companies are innovatively stepping up to the challenge, creating exciting products and services that serve the needs of their clients in an environmentally friendly way.

If you’re an entrepreneur seeking entry into the renewable energy space, you’ve got your work cut out. The first step is to research how others are using the technology in this space, and in this article we will look at a few options that are already in the works and looking to enter the market shortly.

Converting Coal Into Gas

Traditional approaches to generating natural gas from coal are both energy intensive and generate green house gases including carbon dioxide. GreatPoint Energy is a Massachusetts based business that grabbed one of the obvious renewable energy business opportunities – and came up with a proprietary catalyst that did this at a fraction of power expenditure, and in a way that isolates the CO2 emissions, allowing the gas to be stored underground.

The natural gas generated is of extremely high quality regardless of the coal, and that’s why the interest in this technology has peaked. A industrial scale plant is scheduled to begin operations in China shortly.

Harnessing Nights For Your Days

Here’s another of those exciting renewable energy business opportunities. Ice Energy, a Colorado based start up, is taking advantage of the cheap and plentiful supply of electricity at night to store ‘cold’ for later use next day!

The Ice Bear is a tank that freezes water at night outside buildings. Then, during the day when air conditioners are working full blast and energy consumption peaks, the Ice Bear runs the coolant from the AC machine through the ice blocks, cooling them effectively and lowering the energy needs of the machine during the day. Most renewable energy business opportunities are so simple and sweet – you just need to be looking out for them!

Green Incinerators?

Or take a look at this renewable energy business opportunity. Waste disposal is an old business. But transforming waste into clean fuel or electricity is not. It’s new – and InEnTec is at the forefront of this technology. By using ultra-hot plasma, this green energy business is converting medical, industrial and even radioactive waste into diesel or ethanol, which can be used as fuel.

Green Devices Get Online

The company behind this renewable energy business opportunity is called the “Cisco of the smart grid”. Silver Springs Networks developed technology that gives every energy saving device an Internet address! This means the device can be controlled and managed remotely by occupants of the building, as well as utility owners. This helps maximize efficiency. The technology is so exciting that major investors include the biggest electric companies like GE and PG & E.

Renewable energy business opportunities abound. There are a limitless range of options that any smart green energy entrepreneur can tap into. All it takes is a little creativity, bold activity and a willingness to take some small risks for big gains.

Create and Furnish Your Outdoor Lounge In Style

Related Posts:

Cushion Slip Covers : How Can They Make Your Room Brighter And Beautiful?

Related Posts:

Where Can I Find Wood Venetian Blinds For My Window?

Related Posts:

Why Ready Made Roller Blinds Are More Convenient To Buy?

Related Posts:

Why Are Patterned Roller Blinds The Best Choice?

Related Posts:

Why Do You Need To Buy Made To Measure Blinds?

Related Posts:

Solar Energy Business – A Success Story Just Waiting To Happen

Solar Thermal Technology

Solar Inverters

Automating Energy Exchange Data

Managing Multiple Devices

Related Posts:

Renewable Energy Business Opportunities – How To Seize Them & Profit

Converting Coal Into Gas

Harnessing Nights For Your Days

Green Incinerators?

Green Devices Get Online

Related Posts: