Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Bathroom Storage Set

Bathroom stuffs will also need its proper place to be safely kept. End your problems by adding the Panda Storage Set. This is an ideal solution for storage in any bathroom. This piece of furniture is an ideal upgrade for bathroom makeovers. It features its neutral tones and straight lines. The bathroom shelving is constructed from environment-friendly bamboo and recycled glass. This is a convenient way to supply an additional storage to your home most especially on bathroom area and help the environment. You can put your towels here, bathroom supplies, shower caps, and other things you need in bathroom. The Panda Storage set is easy to assemble although it will require you to ask help from your friend or a neighbor. More than just a piece of functional furniture, it is designed to make your bathroom stylish and attractive.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Recycle Your Old Furniture

• Instead of throwing away your old furniture, you can still repaint it or rewordked it to complement it n the style that your prefer.
• Get a new environment for your old furniture. You can freecycle it. Not only you save space on your house but your furniture is used by others.
• If you have the heart of a giver, you can just donate it to a thrift store, domestic abuse shelter or another non-profit of your choice.
• Using steel and aluminum, you can scrap it, and some plastic furniture can be melted down and reused. Put them into your plastic milk jugs and think for some ways to be recycled.
• You can sell it. Place it on ads or simply display them on your yard.
• Place your furniture outside with a “free” sign and wait them to disappear.
• Give it to someone you know just staring out.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Old Furniture Refinishing

After you repair your old furniture, the next process would be refinishing. The dented parts of the furniture are re-glued or replaced as needed. Keep in mind that to repair your damaged furniture cost you a little fraction of the cost of new furniture. Furniture is just a simple task but if you are not confident that you can do it, better seek a reputable professional to make sure that you get the best out of your old furniture.
The refurbishing process will only need for relatively newer furniture to give it a transformed look. This furniture will only demand a little makeover so you can just apply minor sanding to remove accumulated dirt and wax. Unlike refinishing, refurbishing is a cheaper option. It is highly recommended for unpainted wooden furniture and antiques due to its obvious benefits. Whatever you choose, these two options will renew the look for your old furniture aside from it will save you from buying a new one.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Spicy Red for Living Room

Add a spice for your life by adding a splash of red in your living room. A vibrant space with color red is truly fresh and fun, without being overwhelming. A white sofa will aid to offset the multiple hues of red, keeping the room anchored. You can add your pillows with white pillowcases. Although this is ideal, it doesn’t really limit you from adding more color and texture with additional throw pillows. Keep in mind to use the different shade of red for the room to prevent this from looking over powering. You can also add area rugs which is a good way to put additional texture and color tones to any room. The matting offsets the artwork and keeps it from blending in with the walls. Choosing the right color is essential in decorating your home. Don’t let bright colors scare you. Just enjoy and have fun expressing your personality in your home living space.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Renovate Your Old Furniture

Makeover for your old furniture is a great idea not to mention that it can save you from buying a new one. You can renovate your old furniture by means of re-finishing and repairs. You can simply removing the paint or polish using the sand paper so that the furniture grains are evidently visible. This process is called refinishing. This method can also take out the stains by using a sand paper or a good stain-removing agent. This old furniture will now have a brand new look according to your preferred color. This technique is principally useful in re-doing a solid piece of furniture like Amish Oak furniture. You can supply a new paint with by glazes, crackled paint and others.

Reinventing a new design of upholstery, slipcovers, cane chairs and wicker furniture is a slightly typical task. But as much as possible, these kinds of home decors will professional help to get them into original shape.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

How to Paint Old Furniture

• Lay down a drop cloth or old sheet to shield your floor against paint splatter.
• Wipe your furniture with mineral spirits.
• Use sandpaper and remove the gloss and give your paint a surface to adhere Or you can choose to paint or varnish stripper to take the furniture to the bare wood. Follow the manufacturer's directions carefully and sand after the process is completed.
• Make necessary repairs by means of using wood filler or wood spackle. Make sure to carefully follow the manufacturer's directions and sanding after filler/spackle has dried fully. Remove any dust residue by wiping the surface with tack cloth.
• Apply a heavy duty primer and allow drying carefully.
• After the primer has dried, the next step is sanding the surface lightly with 220-grit sandpaper and wipe down with tack cloth.
• To dry completely and lightly sanding between the coats, apply 2 - 3 coats of your topcoat allowing each coat, wiping down with tack cloth.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Do-It-Yourself Sanding Furniture

Instead of stripping the finish of many wood tables, cabinets and desks, as a diy-er you always look for the opportunity of refinishing furniture by painting over the existing finish. You must ensure that the original finish does not have cracks within it, or else those cracks may show even after your furniture refinishing project has been completed. This is the necessary consideration before you refinish your furniture.

If the finish gets bad, the first step you should always undertake in your furniture restoration project is the removal process. But if the finish is juts perfect, you can now move straight into preparing the surface for refinishing. 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. But how do you do this? Simply wipe down the surface you are working with.

Monday, December 22, 2008

The Right Wood for Your DIY Bedroom Furniture

Nowadays, there are so many types of premium quality wood that have been developed by modern technology. Most of them are made from wooden 'sheet' materials; these are flat sheets of laminated or compressed wood products. They are known for being naturally stronger, more flexible and less capable of splitting than ordinary timber.

Good news for those who are planning to make their own beds because they can select their material like teakwood, rosewood and laminated box. You can also decide the height and width of your wardrobe. It must suit however on the sliding doors where it offers space solving storage and easy access to your clothes.

Of course, you will also decide the height of your bed. You can create headboards that are sleek and chic and will look good with cabinet tablets. You can also look for stylish lamps. It will also depend on the kind of ambiance that you like to portray on your own bedroom.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Restore Your Teak Patio

There is no need to hire for professional cleaner to clean your weathered teak patio. All you need is caustic soda.

1. Remove the piece from any finished surfaces or remove any items that will affect cleaning process. Wet the wood thoroughly using the hose.
2. Open the applicator lid of the first cleaner. It is ideal to work on a small area at a time that overlaps each area. Go from top to bottom without allowing the cleaner to dry on the wood.
3. Use the soft bristle brush or pad to scrub the base of the teak patio. Rinse thoroughly, and then apply the acid on the same area. Scrub it in the same manner, and the wood will then turn much lighter.
4. Finally, rinse the teak patio with water. The furniture material must appear lighter and cleaner. Repeat the same procedure if you still see any marks of stains. The wood will lighten as it dries.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Disassemble Your Office Cubicle

Cubicles come in different shapes and sizes. They are fashioned from light materials and some even with windows. It is easy to build office cubicles but do you know how to disassemble them when needed?

1. Inspect your cubicle and check if it has rods, screws, or spring lever attached to it. Grab a friend or a chair if you think you might need help.
2. The middle desk is the best place to start because this is the portion that holds both sides of the cubicle walls together. Check for the screws connected to it or if it has release spring level near the back wide part of the walls.
3. Go underneath the desk and place your feet against the bottom of the desk. Hold it so it won’t fall on your face when your disable the desk part of the cubicle.
4. Use the flat head screw driver and wedge the latches off the cubicle wall. Most of the desk have hooks and must be pushed and pulled.
5. Check the side walls and see how they connect.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Do-It-Yourself File Cabinet

File cabinets are costly. So to save many, here are some steps that you need to follow to make your own file cabinet. You can organize tow things that you can buy from your local furniture discount store.

1. Sort out your mess of papers to identify how much room you need to store essential things. You shred and discard other papers that are not needed.
2. Go to your discount store or a fancy store. Buy the plastic milk crates and the hanging file folders with tabs.
3. Take out the hanging files folders and put them next to your sorted out papers. Pick of a stack of papers and organize them in separate hanging folders by subject. In the file folders, fill the tabs with accurate subject.
4. Place the hanging folder in the milk crate. This will perfectly suit on your papers and you can slide folders back and forth to find your documents easily.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Creating Your Own Cheap Desk

1. Prepare your supplies. You need tow saw horses, wooden board, glue, shellac, and paint.
2. Gather your covering materials. You can cover your desk with black and white materials. You can use used newspaper for background and glue cartoons.
3. It’s time to use your glue and shellac after gathering all of your materials. Glue all the pictures and pieces onto the board. Cover everything with a thin layer of shellac when finished.
4. Paint. Paint the saw horses if you want to make your cheap desk even more personalized. Ensure that they are completely dry before you put the pieces together.
5. Put them together. It’s time to put your desk furniture together after each part is finished. Check if all the pieces are completely dry. Stand the saw horses up and place the board on top, making sure that they are in accurate length apart to support the weigh of the board and anything that will be place on it.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Fixing a Wobbly Wood Chair

Buying a new furniture like your chair is expensive nowadays. So instead of replacing it, why not repair it by yourself? Here are some simple ways to

1. Place the damage chair upside down on top of the plastic tarp or drop cloth.
2. Cautiously measure the length of each leg to identify the wobble maker and its length.
3. Make a pencil mark at the same length as the wobbly one of the other three legs.
4. Use a sand paper for each of the longer three legs until you reach the pencil mark. Begin with 80-grit coarse sandpaper and ending it with fine (220-grit) sandpaper. It’s perfect to sand outdoor to keep the fine wood dust particles from permeating your home.

If the chair has metal, cork, or plastic glides, examines the legs to desire that one is not missing. Buy a replacement right away if a glide is missing. This is a small disk used to secure the floors from furniture.

Friday, December 12, 2008

What’s the Right Desk for You?

There are many types of desk that fit on your specific needs and purpose. Not al desks are created for computers. For instance, if you are working at home with papers and pens, there are specific desk that will suit on what you need.

• Student desk- it features drawers under one side of the writing’s surface. On the other hand, the other one is open beneath in order to accommodate the sitter. This is also an ideal add-ons to your bedroom.
• Secretary desk- unlike student desk, it has fewer drawers below the writing desk yet it has a when to be closed when not in use. A closes secretary desk bears resemblance to a small armoire and ideal to put in living room.
• Writing desk- it normally features enough surface for writing or placing a laptop. It has few cubby holes and typically some type of closable top. This writing desk can be a cool piece of addition in a bedroom.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

How to Choose an Office Chair

The ergonomic desk chair is perfect for office to help you avoid strain on your back and neck due to sitting for long periods of time. However, buying this chair will consider a budget. Here are some few reminders that make an office chair and ergonomic chair.

• Size- the chair is adjustable according to your height. Most seats are varying from 16 to 21 inches. The seats require being deep enough. So when you sit back in the desk chair, you will have about two inches between the edge of the seat and the back of your knees.
• Structure- this chair must have a lumbar support, a place where the desk chair curves in at the lower back. Ensure that you can rest your arms without the suffering from shoulder strain and your forearms will not touch the armrest while you are typing.
• Material- an ergonomic chair has a breathable cloth fabric that will provide comfort.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Home-made Kitchen Cabinets

Instead of buying kitchen cabinets which can be very expensive, why not design your own? All you need to have is the right tools and plans you will realize that have some carpentry skills.

Getting Started

1. Measure the dimension of your kitchen by making a scale drawing that includes the cabinets you want to build. There are lots of sites in the net that will provide you cabinet building plans.
2. Visit you local lumber supplier that sells cabinet. Check for different types of finished wood and note the price.
3. Once you choose your, give your measurement to a lumber store employee.

The Construction Procedure

1. Design the final draft of kitchen dimension. Don’t forget to calculate the cabinet measurement. Ensure that your cabinet is perfectly arranged.
2. Create a list of supplies that you will need such as the exact dimension of the wood pieces. Buy your supply from a home improvement or lumber supply store.
3. You can now build your cabinets following the step by step plans of your choice.
4. Stain or paint your newly accomplished cabinets following the instructions of product label.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Create You Own Dining Table

Here are the simple and basic steps in designing your own dining table.

1. Buy a piece of plywood with the thickness of ¾ inches.
2. Cut off 6 inches the plywood using the table saw and design curved corners by utilizing the router.
3. Get a piece of wood lumber cut into four pieces to size. You can also buy ready made table legs.
4. Look for a flat surface and put the plywood with the underside up. Screw on each leg and join it using the drill and screw driver. Connect the legs by means of 2 inch screws on each leaving 5 to 6 inches overhand on each corner.
5. Toss the table over ensuring that it is eve. You can make necessary adjustments when you think it is unstable.
6. Sand the top and sides of the table top until it is smooth and free from splinters. Use tack cloth in removing the dust.
7. As a finishing touch, paint the completed table and let it dry before using.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Home-made Daybeds

If you need to have the kind of room that can be functional more than just a dressing, why not construct a daybed? Daybed is the ideal option for a small room because they will only need a little space.

1. On a chosen wall, center a sturdy prebuilt bed frame.
2. Put down a twin mattress on the frame top.
3. To make it stylish and creatively designed, accessorize it with a colorful and bed skirt, comforter, and pillows that will match together.
4. You can make use of the unfinished base cabinets in making end tables.
5. Provide a finished look by adding a plywood plank to the top of the cabinet.
6. Add the base molding across the bottom.

You may choose to paint using the same base color as the walls and dry brushed in black. These components which act as the “arms” of the daybed will identify its boundaries and give extra storage space for your room.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Ensuring balance in home decor

The balance in interior decorating should be within your reach. And just like ratio and proportion, balance is one thing any serious interior decorator should have in mind. Balance in general is just like the balance that you know all along in other subjects. In short balance is known as the arrangement of the objects that create an even feel in the room. If you think that the home furniture is well balanced with the new home accent, then yes you know that there is an appropriate balance in your room. The balance that you can strike in the room can be asymmetrical or symmetrical. Symmetrical balance is the kind of balance that is achieved when the objects are arranged like a mirror image. The other type of balance is known in the industry as asymmetrical balance yet the home furniture are not arranged in a mirror image. Example is a console table with floral arrangement at one end and a candle on the table on the other.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Caring tips for Flokati rug

When you are gifted with the Flokati rug t match any furniture then it is imperative that proper attention and maintenance should be done on this particular area rug. When you own then it is recommended that you comb the flokati rug with the use of a wide-toothed plastic hairbrush or you can use the simple wood or the plastic garden rake in order to fluff this area rug. Shaking the rug will also bring in the results and shaking the area rug will fluff up the new rug. Washing the area rug is a good idea as well. If the area rug is small then this can be placed on a washing machine on a gentle cycle and can be dried out even under direct sunlight. If you own a larger area rug then the rug should be washed in a commercial washer and you can find one in the many Laundromats in your area. You can add a mild detergent as the water is filling in and you can only add the rug after the detergent has mixed well with water.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Stripper of paints

So you have already painted an area in your house, and suddenly a friend of yours wants to remove that paint and suggested a newer and better one. If you would like to remove the paint and re-paint the area, so what needs to be done? Well if you check out the market right now you will be surprised at the number of tools that can be used by the interested DIY homemaker if she wants to remove some of the paint. She can take advantage of the paint removes, the varnish removers or the wax removers. These are commercial products that can be used on the floors, the trim, the window frames, home furniture and objects. Just a warning though; though strippers can help in removing the paint, you need to take note that these strippers are highly dangerous. Strippers are highly caustic and can cause severe burns on the skin when not used the right way.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Indoor fountain for the DIY homemaker

Indoor fountains can do wonders for indoors too. If in the past the idea for fountains will be for the outdoors only, this time a lot of people are taking interest in fountains that can be used indoors. This is an easy indoor improvement that can be accomplished by the DIY type of person. Most of the time the fountains that can be used in any homes are pre-made and this can be installed by the DIY homemaker in less than an hour. These products and home accents are designed and manufactured with functionality in mind and some of the available fountains in the market may require no plumbing attachment or other home furniture or structure modifications. These home accents don’t even need regular attention from homemakers. Wall fountains that can be used in many homes can range in sizes, colors, shapes and patters. For this reason, fountains can be customized to suit the needs of the family. Great to match the furniture.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Selecting the best lights

Busy moms will find it hard to find the best match of lighting for their targeted room. This is true because for every task at hand, a very special lighting can be used. For this reason, it is always suggested to ask yourself first where the lamp or the light will be used and for what purpose. One type of lighting is the recessed strip lighting which can be useful for providing that counter top light in the kitchen. The accent lighting can be used to show off the plants in the garden or in the living room and this can be used as well to show off the many kinds of plants, pictures, collections and other interesting architectural features in the room. The narrow beam halogen down light can be used to light a single piece of home furniture or accent in any area of the house.