Decorating With the Color Red and Stainless Steel to Compliment Your Red Cookware and Red Pot Rack

When it comes to decorating, many today prefer vibrant colors. If you have decid2234ed to decorate your kitchen, and welcome some assistance, maybe you will love the few suggestions I would like to offer. These suggestions will work with any color seam, but, let's say you have chosen one that is red, white and black. A red kitchen is HOT, and easy to accessorize. Red cookware along with a red pot rack would be perfect accessories to start with, but before talking accessories, let's first plan the basics well.

You may choose to paint your entire kitchen a shade of red, or simply a main wall, but remember, if your current dwelling is not a permanent one, or you may be thinking of selling your home soon; it would be good to simply paint your walls white. Before you do any painting, why not consider a glass tile backslash that has varying shades of red. To get some ideas on decorating with glass in your kitchen visit: thinkglass.com. Get paint samples to help you decide, which shades of red (found in the glass tile), you would prefer having as a wall color. Your accessories can duplicate the other shades of red that are found in your backsplash. In addition, a backsplash of glass mosaics tile with a shade of rich red included with multiple colors might be another option. Some paint samples are a nice size, allowing you to tape then to your wall(s). Let it stay taped to your wall(s) for a day or two. This way you can get a good feel, for whether or not you would want your wall(s) to be that color.

For window treatments, try repeating the shade of red in your red accessories (cookware and/or pot rack), in a valence. If you prefer a well lit kitchen, it may be good to use white paneled curtains. In addition how about doing a white marble tile floor with matching granite counter tops, and black appliances. With a black and white layout your red accessories would certainly POP. You may find the perfect flooring at daltileproducts.com. For countertops visit: asgranite.com, or silestoneusa.com. Remember to eliminate any clutter on your countertops, which would detract from the overall appearance of your kitchen. Should your kitchen cabinets need a face-left visit signaturecustomwoodworking.com.

With the basics established, try playing around with additional touches to see how they would provide the perfect look you want to achieve. For example, black wrought iron would make a good appearance, and so would stainless steel. Stainless steel is a popular choice that is more contemporary, and has a clean look. Black wrought iron is popular as well, however, not contemporary.

Do not forget to use plants, which will add a warm touch to any dcor. If you do not have a bulkhead over your kitchen cabinets, a plant, or two, or three (depending on the space), will do well. Some would prefer artificial plants, in out-of-the-way areas, to eliminate the care that live plants would require.

If you have a sizable kitchen try creating symmetry by placing a tall floor plant in the center of a wall that is only about 7' to 8' long. Hang a semi-circle or oval pot rack on one side of the plant, and a few perfectly arranged small to medium size pictures on the other side of the plant. Rather than a grouping of small to medium size pictures, you may prefer one medium to large size picture. You will need to play with the placement of these objects to see what catches your eye.

I hope these suggestions have proved helpful for you, so happy decorating.

Resources:

- Alex Medina - Discount Tile (Phone: 304-253-1254)
- Bernie Kole, Kole Construction (Phone: 843-252-7109)
- Dave Walker, Walker Expert Painting, LLC (Phone: 516-221-5300
- Karesh Mirror & Glass (Phone: 630-754-4000)
- Pinellas Pasco Glass (Phone: 727-943-9402)
- Josh Vogel, J. Vogel Tile & Flooring (Phone: 727-643-2475)

A tremendous amount of time and care went into creating this site that features some of the best stainless steel cookware products, colorcast cookware, and pot racks available in the market today. It is a secure site that is maintained with frequent regularity, so you can shop with ease. Have a Happy shopping experience when you visit.
http://www.cookware-stainlesssteel.com

Know Your Remodeling Project Well

Remodeling can be a very fun and lucrative venture to take on. There are so many wonderful ideas for remodeling a kitchen, bathroom, or den that one may get confused on just where to start first. This article will help you find some direction for your next remodeling project.

One reason why you remodel is to make a change, but you should always be thinking about value whenever you take on a remodeling project. The first thing you need to decide when considering a remodeling project is whether or not you will do it your self or hire out.

Hire A Remodeling Professional

Some remodeling jobs are simply better to hire a licensed professional rather then take it on yourself. Hiring a good remodeling professional is often more cost effective than doing the project yourself. You can save money if you know a little about the project before seeking bids.

Know Your Stuff

Make sure you are aware of the different grades of materials that are available for your job. If you know for certain what materials you want installed for your remodeling project then you can have the contractors give a consistent bid. You can usually get by much better with medium grade materials. It is very rare that you need to install the most expensive stuff out there, but you will also fail if you go too cheap.

Be Well Informed

The more you know the better remodeling job you will get. If the builder knows that you have doe your research it will cause them to pay much more attention. You may think that all professionals are created equal, but never assume that. You need to be well informed, but make sure you are not making things up or they will see right through you and the opposite may come to you.

Find more helpful remodeling tips by visiting http://best-home-improvement-projects.com where you will find helpful r21E6emodeling tips, advice and resources to include Remodeling.

Tips For Remodeling Your Home

Remodeling part of your home can be a great idea for homeowners in a down market. Perhaps its just what your house needs to get that second look from the perspective home buyer, or you just want to make your home better. The most common remodeling projects are for the kitchen, bathroom, basement, and garage with bathroom remodeling having the highest cost recoup ratio of them all at 91% (according to a study at houstonproperties). Before you get started on a major remodeling project, there are few things to keep in mind.

Don't remodel your house to try and increase the value, it does not work that way. Remodeling work will increase the value of your home, but not beyond the cost of the work. If your house has been sitting on the market for a long time and you think there is a part of the house that has been turning away buyers for aesthetic reasons, that might be a room to consider remodeling. The main reason one should consider remodeling a room in their house is for themselves and nothing more.

Once you decide to begin a remodeling project, there are a few things to keep in mind. If you are remodeling to try and move your home on the market, spend your money "where the water is" (kitchens and bathrooms). These areas tend to have the highest cost recoup ratio. If its going to be a kitchen remodeling job, make sure to move your refrigerator and microwave to places where they can still be used. If any remodeling will be going on around furniture, make sure to use lots of tarps to protect from dust and paint. Also, if your having some painting done, make sure your contractor leaves a couple of cans for touch ups and scratches later on.

Once you have chosen a contractor, review the design plans and brainstorm ideas that might conserve cost. Make sure to agree upon specific materials that are important to you in the remodeling process. For example, if you are set on a certain brand name cabinet, or certain type of marble counter tops, make sure to put those details in writing with your contractor. Before you begin, make sure you remove any valuables from the house to avoid any problems. Lastly, its common knowledge to only higher contractors who are licensed, bonded and insured, but it is best to ask for paperwork that verifies everything is accurate and up to date.

For information on remodeling in Atlanta. Please go to http://www.remodeling-in-atlanta. More information is available on Kitchen Remodeling in Atlanta.

Walk In Baths Features

Walk In Baths have many bespoke features to help improve access and the bathing experience for the user. Some features will be offered as standard on a walking in bath ''package'' whilst others will be added extras. It is important to understand these features and what is including in your quote, before making the decision to buy.

We have complied a list of main features to help you research;

Thermostatic Mixer Taps - The addition and quality of the mixer tap is vital to a walking bath as the user will be sat in it when filling. It is thus essential that the water is easily controlled, filling at the correct temperature and at a sufficient rate.

Quick Fill - As with the above fill time is a key factor when deciding on a walk in baths. Manufactures now offer different ''quick fill'' systems that increase the flow of water and reduce filling time.

Grab Rails - The accessibility of grab hand rails is an important factor in the safety of a walk in bath.

Slip Resistant Floor - Look closely at the fool material to ensure it offers good grip when wet to improve safety. Some walk in baths offer the option of a rubber mat to help improve grip.

Safety Seating - Some walk in baths can be fitted with a seat to help accessibility and use.

Quick Drainage - As with the mixer tap drainage time is crucial as the user will be in the bath as it empties. If a bath takes to long to empty the user may suffer from the cold, especially if they are elderly. Some walk in baths can now be fitted with dual drainage systems that can half the time the bath takes to empty.

Hydrotherapy System - This creates a Spa / Jacuzzi effect using jets mounted around the bath. These systems can be beneficially for some medical conditions or simply to ease aches and pains.

Walk in baths features

Renovations and Home Appraisals - How Do They Connect?

Home styles can come and go and sometimes come back again just like wardrobe fashion. Renovating / remodeling one's home can improve the value of the house. You can use different styles and layouts for remodeling a 100 year old house and make it look brand new depending on the structure. One can also restore the home's original design by carefully reproducing the exact qualities and materials used like hard wood, mouldings, glass, and the like. These changes can affect even the hundred year old home's appraised value.

Appraisals are usually used for a variety of purposes. Every year the county estimates the value of a person's house to determine the amount of taxes that individual must pay. Renovations affect the value of the appraised amount. The appraisers take i16CCnto consideration the amount of renovation done as this increases a property's value. So generally it follows that with the increase in amount is an increase in the house's value thereby, increasing the property tax.

In real estate, appraisals are very important, it helps buyers, sellers, and lenders correlate their prices and in determining the value of the house. A buyer wants to insure that he is getting his money's worth. You see despite visible renovations there might be other property discrepancies. A seller also has to have an appraiser, especially for a newly renovated property. When the seller renovates his property's value changes, so he must be able to determine the value at which he can sell his asset.

Sometimes, renovations can become a bargaining chip when determining a house's appraised value. The magnitude of a certain renovation can make or break the appraised price. A renovation cannot just be considered as just that; value and quality of the materials used also becomes a considering factor. The amount of renovations done is also very important, as it affects the labor intensive factor of the renovation.

But not all renovation are positive, it can also bring about the probability that the appraised value may go down. There are after all unnecessary renovations as deemed by a certain transacting party. Also, there is the fact that the renovation may have been "at the wrong place"; the "wrong place" in a sense that there were more urgent aspects of the house that needed attention but was not given the needed care. The renovation then becomes useless and does not change the house's appraised value or bring it down.

A home in repair or undergoing renovations can still be appraised. Banks or independent appraisers, need only be given the renovation plans and shown that the owner is financially capable to undertake such plans then they provide a ball park appraised value. It should however be kept in mind, that a person's taste differ from one to the other. Renovations done by a certain home owner may not be to the liking of another. And this does affect the appraised value.

One must also take not that an appraised value is just an assumption of the price of the property and not the actual price; it may or may not be close to the selling price. So it must not be taken to heart, but merely used as another piece of information.

http://realestatepress.org - Real Estate Press

Vanessa A. Doctor from Jump2Top - SEO Company

Log Homes And Timber Frame Homes

Log Homes and Timber Frame Homes may have the lowest carbon footprint of any other type of construction. A carbon footprint is the measurement of carbon dioxide released as a result of using a particular product or other human activity. Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere and major contributor to global warming.

A report prepared by the Edinburgh Center for Carbon Management (ECCM) compared the carbon dioxide footprints of three structures and the benefits when more timber was introduced into the construction. The results were astounding. ECCM estimated that there could be up to an 88% reduction of greenhouse gases by using log or timber structural elements wherever possible rather than other conventional building materials. The reduction of greenhouse gases was achieved by replacing materials high energy, high CO2 production values, such as steel and concrete, with solid wood. The report states that the production of steel and concrete materials accounts for 10% of the total global emissions of greenhouse gases. These materials have a high CO2 output created du100Aring the extraction of raw materials, refining, processing and manufacturing of the finished product. As reported in a study published by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, the energy consumed to process a tree into a finished sawn timber is about one-tenth of steel production.

In another report prepared by The Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM) compared four different structure using different wall systems - two woods, one concrete and one steel. The report found that the steel wall system generated 33% more greenhouses gases than wood and the concrete wall generated 80% more greenhouse gases than wood. The study also reported that the wood structures out-performed the steel and concrete houses in energy use and the impact on air and water quality.

Wood walls are typically framed or solid. Conventionally framed walls use a combination a several materials including processed wood products such as plywood or other laminated wood products, fiberglass insulation, exterior siding, interior sheetrock and some type of wall covering. Solid wood walls using logs or timbers have basically one product - the log or timber. The energy consumed and the CO2 produced in the production of logs and timbers is a fraction compared to the production of all the various materials in a conventionally framed wall.

Consumers are much more aware the environmental impact of using different materials and are being increasing sensitive to the hazards of exposure to chemically processed materials. Logs and timbers are 100% natural. As a natural product, they do not emit VOCs or other pollutants into the outdoor or indoor space. Trees are produced from soil, water and air combined with the energy from the sun, in a miraculous process of photosynthesis. Ecologically and environmentally, solid wood is the only building product that is renewable, biodegradable, recyclable, energy efficient and extremely beautiful.

Sustained and plantation forest growth actually reduces greenhouse gases by consuming CO2 out of the atmosphere while the trees are growing. Political pressure to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, such as the Kyoto Protocol, is sure to continue and it will become increasingly important to find solution. The use of solid wood construction such as log homes and timber homes can make a positive contribution.

Footnotes: 1Forestry Commission Scotland Greenhouse Gas Emissions Comparison - Carbon benefits of Timber in Construction. Aug 2006. 2Wood - another low carbon footprint solution. Feb-Mar 2006, ECOS 13. 3The environmental performance of renewable building materials in the context of residential construction Perez-Garcia, John, Bruce Lippke, David Briggs, James B. Wilson, James Boyer, and Jaime Meil. - http://www.corrim.org/

Get more information on log home construction or timber frame homes

Jim Young is the president of PrecisionCraft Log Homes and presides over the Log Homes Council for the National Homebuilders Association. Jim set the stage for a full service approach to designing, producing, and building log homes with the industry's first Total Log Home Solution, which is a PrecisionCraft hallmark.

Home Construction or Remodeling Contractor

Choosing the right Contractor is the most important aspect of any home construction project. You must take your time and do your research to find a good qualified contractor if you want excellent quality at a fair price. When we built our new home we spent many hours finding the best contractors for each aspect of building our new home. We developed a method that served us well and it is as follows:

Determine exactly what you want done and write it down. This may sound a little basic at first blush, but it is so important. Remember what is not well defined is easily manipulated. If it is not in writing, it can be disputed. You do two things when you define your project in detail, and in writing. You find any missing aspects that you may have overlooked and you have good definition and expectations for your contractor.

Get three (3) bids for each trade that you will hire. Never rely on one bid, and always meet the contractor face to face at the site where the work is to be done. If you are uncomfortable with the contractor when they are bidding the job how is it going to be when the two of you have to work out the details of your project. Remember cheaper is not always better!

Ask each contractor for references and make sure they are bonded and insured. Check their references and call the BBB (Better Business Bureau) in your area to see if they have any outstanding complaints.

Make sure they dont sub the work out to a contractor that is not insured or bonded. It is very common for a contract company to sub out work to contractors that are not insured and bonded. Another danger of the contractor subbing work out is if they dont pay their sub, the sub can put a mechanics lien on your house and you will have to pay even if you have already paid the contractor.

Set a definite timeframe for the work to begin and for completion and get it in writing. Nothing is worse than to have a project drag on not knowing when they are going to show up and finish.

Never, ever pay for the entire project in advance. If you do the contractor has no incentive to finish or even start. When you no longer have the money you are no longer in control! It is customary with most contractors that you pay a portion up front. On a large project hold back as much money as you can until the end. The incentive to finish must be motivated by the cash at the end of the project.

For more information on finding and qualifying contractors visit www.Build-YourOwn-Home.com

George Stevens is the popular author of the Website http://www.Build-YourOwn-Home.com teaching you how to build your own home. and Build-Your-Own-Home.com All Rights Reserved

Window Coverings 101 - To Inside Mount or to Outside Mount, That Is The Question

After much thought this morning I have gathered thoughts on the best way to answer a question from a client that came to me yesterday. Specifically, their question was more about Window Coverings in general rather than a specific type of covering. This gives me a unique place to start which really should be the way I start all my articles. The question was: "What is the difference between "Inside Mount" and "Outside Mount" when it comes to Blinds, Shades & Shutters?" I have laid out the basics below so please read on...

The first thing to understand is when selected "mount type" in Window Coverings; you may not have a choice at all. If your home builder mounted the glass or window frames so that you do not have a Window Well (a recessed area which holds the Window frame and glass) you don't have a choice.

There simply is no "inside" to order a Blind or Shade made as an Inside Mount. That being said, I would like to address the large portion of readers who do have the choice of how their Blind are mounted.

Determine your goals -

Do you want the most privacy? The most light control? The lowest price? The least obtrusive style?

If so, you are describing Inside Mount Window Treatments. They fit neatly inside the home builder's window well and are by far the most popular way to mount Window Blinds. I have an illustration of Inside Mount Blinds applications which can be seen here.

Do you want to enlarge the look of your Window? Do you want to frame your view? Are you mounting to a door or to a window where there is no window well to allow an inside mount?

If so, you are in need of an Outside Mount Window Treatment. They mount onto the face of the wall surface and normally mount above the window header a few inches to allow for brackets. It is also important to order these Window Covers a few inches wider than the window to make certain you get privacy on both sides of your Blind or Shade. Again, I have assembled an illustration here to show the differences of the two styles and how to measure for each.

Next week, I will go over Window Covering Installation in detail.

Brad A. Hall, President
The Blind Factory
http://www.theblindfactory.com
19 Years of Window Coverings experience.