Archive for December, 2009

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Creative Foyer Lighting

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

Lighting is an important part of any home improvement project. Foyer lighting is especially important in home improvement because the foyer is the first room that guests see when they enter your home. Great foyer lighting will set a great first impression. Here are some tips to keep in mind when choosing foyer lighting in your home improvements.

One of the tricks to great foyer lighting is to have the outside porch of your home look nice also. This sets a great stage for when people enter your home. If your porch is cluttered and poorly lit, it has a negative effect on the inside. Make sure your porch is part of your home improvement project by painting anything that needs it, de-cluttering, and setting out a few pretty potted plants. Pay attention to the porch lighting as well since it will help to emphasize your foyer lighting.

Using a combination of foyer lighting fixtures in your home improvement project will help create depth. For example, if you are creating foyer lighting for a two story foyer, you may want to use a beautiful chandelier as well as a table lamp or some lower wall sconces. A smaller foyer may lend itself better to recessed lighting and some pretty wall sconces, or a simply a single overhead fixture.

Consider putting your foyer lighting on a dimmer switch. This will allow you to change the level of lighting according to the time of day it is. It will also help you to create any specific ambiance you are looking for. Dimmer switches are a great home improvement convenience and are relatively simple and inexpensive to install.

Since a foyer is the entrance to the rest of a home, great decor is important. Accenting that great decor is even more important. What good is a beautiful foyer if no one can see it? This is where special foyer lighting is so useful. If you have nice pictures on your wall, you can showcase them with track lighting that can be moved to highlight specific portions of your decor. Track lighting is a relatively simple home improvement project that can add great drama and interest to your foyer lighting.

Another creative type of foyer lighting is to include lights in your decorations. This lends itself especially well to country themes. If, for example, you have a wooden evergreen tree, creative foyer lighting would be to string tiny white lights on the tree. It gives a soft and cheery glow to your home. Other ideas would be putting lights behind larger, leafy plants to give indirect lighting or include small lights in wreaths or over window treatments.

Foyer lighting is a very personal home improvement project. There are so many choices of fixtures and many ways to display them. Think about what kind of feel you want in your home and plan your foyer lighting to help you accomplish this goal.

Get more FREE home improvement tips today at our website. Visit Home Improvement Tips today or check out more information Foyer Lightings

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Lighting Categories Defined

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

What’s the point? Lighting is lighting, after all. This brief article is a straightforward attempt to get you to think about lighting from a functional point of view. That is: What is it supposed to accomplish? Start with one room or outside area and think about what the lighting in that area should be like to make the area as useful, functional, attractive and safe as possible.

What do you want to be able to see? Do you want attention focused on certain areas or objects in the room or in the area? Do you want the visitor to this area impressed with the entire area so that they pause a moment before walking in? Or, do you want the area to have a taste of mystery that may invite the visitor to discover “treasures” located there? Is your primary goal to keep visitors safe as they travel through the area?

I believe too many homeowners think about lighting as an afterthought and consequently miss what will really bring a room or an area alive.

So, when you are planning your lighting scheme, use the following four general categories as a guideline to help you decide how much of each type of lighting would best serve the purposes you are trying to achieve.

AMBIENT LIGHTING

This is just a fancy term that means the light that is naturally available. The most typical ambient light is from windows or other openings to the outside world. It is also known as available light and is to be considered the “base” lighting for a room or an area. This type of lighting comes from a variety of directions as opposed to the other types of lighting. Ambient lighting (or general lighting) is typically seen as the starting point for lighting a space or a room.

In addition to natural light, ambient light can also include any other types of lighting that gives an area overall, more or less, even lighting. This includes built-in fireplaces, recessed ceiling lights, surface-mounted ceiling fixtures or even floor lamps and table lamps. The basic function of ambient lighting is to diffuse lighting throughout a room or an area, eliminating shadows and reducing lighting contrasts throughout.

In larger areas such as garages and utility rooms, ambient lighting can be provided by strategically placed fluorescents. Fluorescents can also be used in kitchens as a substitute for the natural ambient lighting provided by windows during the daylight hours.

Not to confuse the issue, but ambient lighting can, in some cases, be achieved by the combination of the other types or categories of lighting mentioned in this article.

ACCENT LIGHTING

Accent lighting is really a subset of decorative lighting. Its function is to focus attention to the special features of your home such as plants, statuary, other artwork such as paintings, collectibles and anything else you want visitors to pay special attention to.

This is directional lighting, which highlights an object or attracts attention to a particular area. The job, in using this type of lighting, is to create a sense of separation from other areas in the room. Fixtures that serve this purpose are spotlights, floodlights, sconces or any type of fixture that can be adjusted and focused. Small collectibles or high-quality books can be highlighted with a strategically placed table lamp with a shade that is narrow enough to keep the light directed where you want it directed.

If you have a “trophy” kitchen and you want to highlight special features, accent lighting will fill the bill.

TASK LIGHTING

Just as it implies, task lighting should be designed to make certain things you routinely do around the house easier. Food preparation is a task that can usually benefit from task lighting. The eating area(s) are also good locations to consider task lighting (perhaps on dimmer switches). Reading, doing homework and working in a home-office also need specially directed task lighting to make the various jobs easier to do and to avoid eyestrain. Desk lamps, special appliance lights and ceiling pendants are all examples of lighting fixtures that are frequently used as task lights. Again, dimmer switches are often useful, allowing task areas to be turned back into ambient-lighted areas when not in use.

It’s important to position task lights, particular those used for reading, in such a way that glare is avoided. This can sometimes be accomplished by using dual light sources that provide cross lighting that will minimize or eliminate glare and shadows.

DECORATIVE LIGHTING

When the functional lighting has been completed, it’s time to get to the fun stuff: Decorative Lighting. Although this is where you can really put character in your home, you have to be careful not to overdo it. If you have an entryway or foyer that is large enough to accommodate a chandelier, by all means, use one. Consider wall sconces in hallways and on stairways.

You do need to keep in mind that decorative lighting can, if not done with care, overpower the other lighting sources that you’ve worked so hard to develop. A word to the wise is to use a few very high quality decorative pieces rather than a large number of “nice” pieces.

In closing, please remember that careful planning in your lighting design will provide a very functional and comfortable living environment as well as showing off the features in your home that you are particularly proud of.

Chuck Lunsford is the content manager for LightnBreezy.com, a well-known source for indoor decorative, ambient, and accent lighting fixtures. LightnBreezy.com features hundreds of products to choose from. To order your discount lighting fixtures made by Westinghouse, visit us at LightnBreezy.com.

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Interior Design Resolutions – 10 Simple Redesign Ideas to Redecorate and Refine Your Home

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

It’s that time of the year again, when we resolve to make changes that will improve
our lives. Your home is a big part of your life and a comfortable, inviting space can
really make a difference in how you feel every day. It seems only fitting that we
should add some design resolutions to our yearly ritual.

So here’s my top 10 take on the design resolutions that I believe can make a real
difference in your home.

1. Designate a space for clutter and resolve to keep it cluttered. Surprised? While
it’s true most people would put getting rid of clutter at the top of their lists, I’ve
been in enough homes to understand that if clutter is part of your lifestyle, it will
just keep coming back. I do, however, believe that it’s possible to control the
impact of clutter in your home – and it’s simple. Choose a spot that’s not visible
from the public areas of your home and designate a surface, chest or cabinet of
some sort for the paper and other things that usually end up in piles all over your
home. Give yourself permission to toss anything you don’t want to deal with
immediately into your clutter area without even thinking about organizing, filing or
putting it away later.

Trust me, if you have no area for clutter you will spontaneously make one, and
another, and another. If you have a designated area, it will contain the clutter and
keep you from feeling overwhelmed by it. You’ll have a much easier time with
everything in one spot when you do decide to sort it all out and, in the interim, at
least you will know where to find everything you can’t find.

2. Try at least one new color in your home to break your “color habits”. Be bold, do
something unexpected or something you’ve always wanted to try. If you are really
hesitant, put the color inside a closet door – somewhere where you can see and
react to it. The room which makes me smile in my home is one in which the painter
made a mistake and used a color that I never would have chosen for myself. As I
was awaiting his return visit for a repainting, I discovered that every time I walked
into the room it made me smile. The room has been repainted a few times over the
years, but always with what I call “my happy mistake.”

3. Pick the room or area in your home in which you find it hard to relax and do three
things to make the room quieter. For example, think about replacing high contrast
colors with a monochromatic scheme or toning down the color with a more muted
version. Try simplifying the lines in the room and paring down accessories. Get
those bookcases in shape, with all books flush to the front of the shelves in size
order, and create some empty wall and tabletop space where the eye can rest.

4. Conversely, pick one room or area in your home that feels bland and the most
uninteresting and do three things to elevate the tempo and energize the room. Try
introducing higher contrast or bolder colors. Layer in accessories, some interesting
coordinated fabrics in the form of throws and pillows, and some new textures.
Replace large artwork with a grouping that will add motion to the room.

5. Make at least four changes in your home to freshen it up for the spring and
summer. Change or reduce the number of layers in your window treatment to let
more of the outside in. Do what your grandmother did – use lighter slipcovers on
upholstery and seasonal accessories such as bowls of fresh summer fruit and vases
of fresh flowers. Pick up those heavy rugs. Now is the time to send them out for
cleaning. Replace them with light floor cloths or leave the floors bare for a cooling
sensation underfoot.

6. Rethink the least used room or area in your home. It may be great to look at, but
if it isn’t serving any function, you can do better. s its formality no longer
appropriate for your lifestyle? Are your college-aged kids really going to miss the
playroom? Should you have retired that home office when you retired?

7. Walk through your home room by room and consciously gauge its impact on
your senses by isolating various aspects of the experience. What do you see, hear,
smell? What can you touch? How does it make you feel? Make adjustments in each
room as needed so that the experience is always pleasant and inviting, and
appropriate for the room and its function.

8. Create a space just for you. It can be as simple as a chair in which you can
escape with a good book or an entire room. Surround your space in your favorite
colors and textures. Make it a place you can use for your most relaxing activities
and the best spot you can imagine for just sitting and doing nothing at all. Sit in you
personal space at least 10 minutes every day.

9. Approach the design and decoration of your home with joy. Whether it’s a little
change or a major renovation, try to focus, not on the chores involved, but on the
vision you have and the progress you are making toward it. Appreciate the changes,
and appreciate yourself for making them.

10. Invite guests a least once a month. When we tidy up for guests, we reawaken
our consciousness of all the little things that we can do to make our home inviting
and comfortable, details that often get lost in the chaos of our daily lives. Your
guests will feel it, but more importantly, so will you.

Peggy Berk is an award-winning interior decorator and certified interior refiner who has worked with a wide variety of residential and commercial clients throughout the New York Metropolitan Tri-State Area and Florida. Her design firm, Area Aesthetics ( http://www.areaaesthetics.com), specializes in interior redesign, home staging and full service interior decorating. Peggy is the featured designer on the Home Decor Exchange where she answers readers’ decorating questions and writes a column for “HDE Monthly.” Author of many articles in her area of expertise, she also writes the monthly “Rental Redesign” column for Rental Decorating Digest.

To see before and after photos of her one-day room redesigns, read what New York’s top real estate brokers have to say about her home staging services, or submit your decorating questions, visit her Web site at: http://www.AreaAesthetics.com

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Decorate with Style by Choosing Appropriate Art for Your Room

Monday, December 28th, 2009

Like other accessories, artwork can either be disruptive and jarring to the eye or put
the perfect finishing touch on any room. You can find many books in your local
library or home decor store loaded with the “do’s and don’ts” of artwork. However,
one author’s do is often another’s don’t, so it’s not surprising that artwork can be a
source of confusion.

There are many aspects to choosing artwork to complement your room, but if you
get the two basic considerations right, you should be onl your way to a harmonious
display.

A formal portrait in oil can look very out of place in a casual family room. Likewise,
those posters that graced the walls of your college dorm probably aren’t right for
the living rooms of your post-student years. So the first step in choosing artwork
for any room is to make sure that the piece is in harmony with the mood and style
of the room. Evaluate the artwork by asking the following questions:

Is the piece suitable for formal or casual rooms?

While the formality of a piece can be modified to some extent with the type of
frame and mat used, there are pieces which just don’t make the transition well. On
the other hand, there are many types of artwork which work equally well in formal
or casual rooms. Artwork should always enhance the mood of the room and, in fact,
can play a major role in establishing the appropriate mood.

Is the subject matter of the artwork appropriate for the room?

While many advise restricting depictions of food or dining scenes to the dining
room or kitchen, I think it is more a question of the piece’s style and that each piece
should be evaluated based on its own character. It is, however, advisable to keep
erotic art in private areas of the home, usually a bedroom. Very personal photos
should also be confined to non-public areas of the home. If the subject matter is
disturbing in any way, try to place the piece a room where the viewer has physical
and emotional distance from it, such as a hallway. Never use pieces of this nature
in dining rooms or bedrooms.

Is the quality of the piece suitable for the room?

An aspect of harmony often overlooked is the issue of quality. A room will look
much more cohesive if everything in the room is of a similar quality. It holds true
for artwork, as well. Bear in mind that the style and materials used in matting and
framing can have a major impact on the overall quality of a piece.

The second basic consideration in choosing artwork for you room is the shape and
size of the area in which the artwork will hang. If you draw a mental box around the wall space available for the piece, its shape will become immediately apparent to you. Vertical spaces should be filled with vertical artwork whose relative
proportions approximate the shape of the wall area. Horizontal wall spaces take
horizontal pieces. Square spaces can be used for square or round frames. As to
size, be guided by the size of the wall space as well as the scale of the furnishings
immediately surrounding it.

Peggy Berk is an award-winning interior decorator and certified interior refiner who has worked with a wide variety of residential and commercial clients throughout the New York Metropolitan Tri-State Area and Florida. Her design firm, Area Aesthetics (http://www.areaaesthetics.com), specializes in interior redesign, home staging and full service interior decorating. Peggy is the featured designer on the Home Decor Exchange where she answers readers’ decorating questions and writes a column for “HDE Monthly.” Author of many articles in her area of expertise, she also writes the monthly “Rental Redesign” column for Rental Decorating Digest.

To see before and after photos of her one-day room redesigns, read what New York’s top real estate brokers have to say about her home staging services, or submit your decorating questions, visit her Web site at: http://www.AreaAesthetics.com

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Six Steps to Choosing the Perfect Paint

Sunday, December 27th, 2009

Have you ever wanted help choosing a perfect paint color but didn’t need a full
service designer? Consider calling an interior redesigner. Interior redesigners offer a
new type of design service that specializes in adding those finishing touches that
make all the difference!

To give you an example of how a redesigner might work with you on your color
consultation, here are several techniques I use to help my clients:

1. We choose one or two of your favorite colors already present in the fabrics in your
room. If you are starting with an empty room, we establish your new color scheme
by looking at completed rooms you love in decorating magazines. You can also take
pictures of model home rooms you like or even go online and search websites that
show thousands of photos of professionally decorated rooms. The are there for the
purpose of giving you ideas for your home.

2. Then we look for paint in matching, paler, deeper or muted versions of those
colors. If you choose neutral colors (i.e., wheat, stone, white, etc.), they can flow
into adjoining rooms as well.

3. Next we use the paint to create a large, portable “paint chip” by painting a 3’x4’
piece of “Foamcore” board (available in art & craft stores). The reason we do that
instead of painting lots of patches of colors on the wall is you need to see the color
next to anything major that is staying in the room(s) like the flooring, furniture and
artwork. You also need to check the color in low-light and high-light areas of your
rooms both at night and during the day.

4. We then simulate that color in your room by using your paint chip as a backdrop
for a vignette: I’d arrange an upholstered chair, a side table and a lamp, a plant and
a few accessories. I would even hang a small picture on the “wall” to complete the
illusion. Live with it for a few days if you are not sure…I recommend living with it
even if you are sure!

5. Then, we step back and see what the effect is. It’s a very realistic way for you to
see the color. Avoid just using the small color patches on the wall to test as all you
can determine is how the color looks next to the others and the original color on the
wall, and nothing else. Plus, surrounding colors will throw off your perception of
each test color. Use the vignette instead, and if you love how that looks, you’re just
about assured of loving the entire room feeling that way!

6. If the color isn’t quite what you want, we can still use that information to make
further decisions. You will always know why you don’t like it. For instance, the
yellow may have too much olive in it to your eye, so we go back to the paint chips
and pick one that moves more towards a true yellow.

Don’t get discouraged if you need to test a few times to get the right color. It
doesn’t mean you (or your decorator) have not made good choices to begin with. It
may simply mean that the paint chips are not created with real paint but are made
with printer ink and so are just a facsimile. In the end, it is worth it to go through
the testing process to find the paint color you will love living with.

The best part? Find the perfect wall color for your rooms and your furnishings will
feel right at home…and so will you!

Mary L. Brown of One Day Design is an interior re-designer who specializes in quickly transforming rooms using the furniture, accessories, and artwork people already have to give them a professionally decorated look! She’s been featured on FOXTV, NBC and HGTV. Download Mary’s FREE “Top 10 Decorating Mistakes (and How to Avoid or Fix Them!)” and sign up for her FREE decorating eNewsletter at http://www.OneDayDesign.com.

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Easy Tips for Choosing Slipcovers for Your Family Room

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

If you’re looking to change up the theme or style of your living room, you don’t necessarily have to buy all new couches and chairs. Slipcovers are a great way to quickly change the style and color of a piece of furniture. Here are some helpful hints to help you get started in looking for new slipcovers for your family room furnishings.

Choose Cotton or Polyester-Blend Slipcovers for High-Traffic Areas
For high-traffic family rooms, your best bet will always be a slipcover that’s a cotton or polyester blend. This type of material will hold up the best when it comes to wear and tear. It does tend to wrinkle, but you can run an iron over the slipcovers and the wrinkles come right out. You should be able to find cotton and polyester slipcovers that are relatively inexpensive, although there are higher-end cotton slipcovers available as well.

Buy the Appropriate Size Slipcover
If you find the perfect slipcover for your couch but it’s not quite big enough, do not try to use it. Slipcovers that are too small for a couch or chair just end up looking too tight. You also will most likely be able to see parts of the couch peeking out from under it. It’s not any better to use a slipcover that’s too large for a furniture piece. The furniture will only end up looking very sloppy and unpolished. In order to make sure that you get the perfect fit, be sure to measure your furniture before you look for a slipcover.

Decide What Type of Slipcover You Prefer
Some like the look of slipcovers that form fit against the couch so that you can see every line in the couch. Others prefer a looser-fitting slipcover that will simply drape over the furniture and hang loosely off the couch. One thing to remember is that with tight-fitting slipcovers, you may find that you’re constantly rearranging it whenever people sit on it and move about. You may also find that this type of slipcover has a tendency to rip more easily from being pulled too tight or in a wrong direction. Decide what type of slipcover you want based on your preferences and the style of the room before you go out and buy one.

Slipcovers can be used in a room’s design for a variety of different reasons. They are a great way to hide those stained or ripped cushions that are otherwise in great condition. When redecorating, they can be used to inexpensively change the look of the room. Or they can be changed with the calendar in order to give the room a more seasonal look. Do be sure, however, to choose your slipcovers carefully, as once you slip them over the furniture, they will become one of the main focuses of the room.

About the Writer…
Leon Tuberman has been in the home furnishings and interior decorating industry for four decades. He owns and operates his family owned furniture store. They have a large inventory of handcrafted American built solid wood furniture for your bedroom, home office and living room. It doesn’t matter whether you’re shopping for a oak coffee table for your family room or a wood nightstand for your master bedroom then they carry everything you need.

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Feng Shui Bedroom Tips

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

You may have spent generous amounts of time and money decorating the “public” spaces in your home. Living rooms, great rooms, kitchens and powder rooms are often considered top priorities because these are the spaces most commonly inhabited by guests. However, it is even more important to consider the design and decor of your bedroom.

Although you may be the only person who ever uses this space, the principles of Feng Shui hold that bedrooms are crucial because they express our most personal traits and impact the way we sleep, feel and interact with the outside world. Follow these tips to help create the bedroom of your dreams:

•Put your bed in the “command position.” This places the bed as far from the door as possible while still allowing you to see the door from the bed. However, it is important that the bed not be directly opposite the doorway. The back of the bed should be against a wall or in a diagonal corner position. If your bed will not fit into the room’s command position, hang a small mirror so that you can see a reflection of the doorway from your bed.

•A solid headboard symbolizes solid support in your life.

•Do not store anything under your bed. This practice creates stagnant, blocked energy that can negatively impact you during sleep.

•Surround yourself with your favorite things. You should love to be in your bedroom, surrounded by things that evoke positive feelings. A calm, peaceful space will also encourage a good night’s sleep.

•One mirror is enough. Too many mirrors activate energy flow and can disrupt sleep. Mirrored closet doors can be major culprits in contributing to insomnia. If you can’t sleep well, cover your mirrors for a few nights. You may be surprised to find that your sleep improves in a less active environment.

•Master bedrooms benefit from warm colors. Warm tones help enhance communication while cool colors, such as blue, green and white, may have the opposite effect. Accessories in warm hues can help to counteract the effect of cooler colors in the bedroom.

•Avoid artwork that is aggressive, active or sad. Instead, surround your sleeping space with images that inspire, calm and uplift you. Paintings or photos of peaceful scenes that you love to imagine yourself in are excellent choices.

•Remove the television. The reason is simple: TVs activate energy flow, which is the wrong idea for this restful, relaxing space. By eliminating TV in the bedroom, you will also enhance your communications and relationship with your partner. If you believe that you must have a television in the bedroom, be sure to put it in a cabinet where you can shut the doors over it before you go to sleep.

•Keep your bedroom tidy and your closet door closed. Remember, your bedroom should be relaxing, comforting and nurturing. The chaos of clutter degrades your ability to relax.

By keeping these principles in mind, your bedroom can become the heart of your home – a peaceful haven that allows you to face the world in a more positive and productive state of mind.

Linda Binns shows you how to be more successful in all areas of your life by working with your environment. She is giving away FREE Feng Shui Success Secrets. To get access to these powerful and practical secrets that can help you transform your life – go to http://www.fengshuiexplained.com now.

Linda Binns is author of Feng Shui for Your Relationships: Changing Your Environment to Create Better Relationships. She has been a Feng Shui Practitioner, Author, Speaker and teacher for over 10 years. She has appeared internationally on television and radio and in local publications. Linda is also the founder of The Feng Shui Success Institute – which teaches in-depth Feng Shui training and practitioner certification.

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Feng Shui Tips for Wealth

Monday, December 21st, 2009

What is feng shui and are there any feng shui tips you can use to increase your wealth?

Feng Shui (pronounced fung shway) is a 3,000 year old Chinese process that involves adapting your surroundings or environment to help you attract more positive energy, or chi, into your life.

Feng Shui is looked upon by some as a sort of pseudo science. However, beyond the basic guiding principles is the underlying fundamental assumption that clearing away your mental and physical clutter while bringing in elements of joy, peace and harmony will help improve all aspects of your life. When looked at in that light, how can incorporating these feng shui tips not help you?

Feng Shui means the wind and the water, two of the core elements in Chinese lore. It follows the philosophy that individuals are more or less affected by the surroundings they are in. If you can improve your surroundings, you can improve various aspects of your life.

Along with the basic feng shui guidelines it is essential that you incorporate a willingness to believe that what you are doing will help you. When you decide to Feng Shui your home or office, you are declaring that you want something positive in your life, that you are looking to make a change for the better.

The main thrust of Feng Shui states that what energy you send out to the universe will come back to you. If you have positive energy and send that out, you will get positive energy back.

Creating a feng shui environment is all about creating an environment that will help you attract more positive energy. The more positive energy you attract the more positive energy you’ll be inclined to project to others, helping you generate a positive feedback cycle.

In regards to wealth, there are feng shui tips you can use to attract more abundance into your life.

The idea of wealth means a lot of different things to different people. Of course, increased money flow comes instantly to mind. However, being in a state of wealth is not limited to just a financial state. Feng shui is used to increase the wealth of our non material assets as well. That includes helping to foster a calm, clear, relaxed state of mind, as well as a joy for life that is intended to be transferred to our friends, our family, our coworkers, and all we come into contact with. This is real wealth.

There are specific techniques or tips you can use to increase your wealth using feng shui methods. You can bring Feng Shui wealth into your home or office by clearing out negative energy draining elements and adding positive wealth attracting elements.

First impressions are extremely important in Feng Shui; make sure that your home is a home that is warm and inviting. Also make sure it is thoroughly cleaned, organized and clutter-free.

One of the best feng shui tips for wealth is to bring in flowing water into your home. You want the water to be clean and free flowing. This can be easily done by investing in one or more waterfall fountains. They are becoming more common and increasingly sophisticated and beautiful. Along with the beautiful appearance comes the soothing sound of the falling water when the fountain is on lending a more relaxed atmosphere to any environment.

You can also set up a fish tank to attract wealth. Place the fish tank in any room except the bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen. Some sources say that it is good to have a number of goldfish in the tank and one black colored goldfish to attract and absorb the negative energy. If one of the goldfish dies, beyond being sad for the loss, believe that the goldfish has absorbed any negative energy that has been around.

Soothing pictures of water can also be used to enhance the energy flow and attract abundance into your life. You should never have pictures of horrendous water scenes in your home. Avoid any turbulent water or storm type pictures; these can add negative energy to the surroundings as well as your thoughts!

Speaking of pictures, feel free to decorate your home with positive motivational pictures and symbols that will help reinforce the notion that you are an abundance attracting magnet and that your home is the ideal environment for maintaining a super successful attitude.

Where is you feng shui wealth corner?

Do you know which corner of your house is designated as the wealth corner according to feng shui principles?

Wealth can be found in the southeast corner of your home or office. You will need to find the southeast corner of each room. You need to include the bathroom, garage and basement if those are involved. If you have more than one floor you must locate the southeast corner of every floor. The important southeast corners of your home are the bedroom, living room, bathrooms, and kitchen. These are the places where we spend most of our time.

As a result, it might be a good idea to add some water elements in the southeast corner of your rooms. Having said that, some feng shui authorities note that certain geographical areas are better served with certain colors.

While we don’t want to get bogged down in the details just know that while the feng shui wealth corner is in the southeast, that the south as a whole is often represented by the element of fire. Hence, without getting too carried away, you might want to limit the water flow to the southeast corner so as not to douse the fire element, often said to represent your own inner fire.

The use of feng shui colors is another consideration when applying feng shui principles to your home or office. For instance, red and green represent the colors of wealth. If you can, place red flowers in your home. These can be real or silk. Also, have live green plants in as many rooms as possible. Not only is this great at bringing the beauty of nature inside, but it can also increase oxygen levels in your house, contributing to your energy level. Keep bowls on your tables filled with produce and fruit; use a small bowl so that you can give the illusion of more.

Declutter your house, and bring in elements of life, light and joy. Allow your home to be a calm and peaceful place to be. The whole notion of feng shui is great as a general guideline. Keep to the spirit of feng shui and you should attract all manner of wealth into your life.

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Feng Shui – What You Need To Know About Feng Shui

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

Do you wonder what is Feng Shui? The Chinese philosophy of Feng Shui (pronounced fung schway) has been in existence for thousands of years and focuses on achieving harmony, balance, and exuding a positive flow of energy known as chi. The basic principle of this ancient art form is that the environment in which you surround yourself in will have a direct impact on every possible area of your life. Also called the art of placement or positioning, Feng Shui relies heavily upon the five main elements within our environment, which are water, fire, earth, wood and metal, along with the four directions, north, south, east and west.

The placement or positioning of objects in a room dictates more than just how it might look, or how well the pieces may or may not match the others. Chi and the main concept of the art form recognizes that those five vital elements greatly affect balance and the delicate flow of chi with their continually changing levels of energy.

Each of the elements may interact with each other, either negatively or positively, and each room in the home should have the correct balance of anywhere from three, to all five of the elements. Using your own personality and lifestyle as a general guideline, you can gauge the correct combination of elements that will balance your living space once you learn and understand the purpose and meaning behind each one.

The Five Feng Shui Elements

Water: Water has the capability of being both calming and peaceful as in still waters or in a gently flowing stream, or it can be violent and destructive in the case of flooding. Water elements throughout the home renews the flow of chi and is said to rejuvenate both the spirit and body.

Fire: The ever powerful element of fire explodes with enthusiasm and sparks an endless flow of creativity wherever it is. Fire need not be used in abundance, as is the case with other elements, as too much may overpower and remove chi from a room rather than enhancing or increasing it.

Earth: Earth represents a strong foundation, rational thinking, and a sense of stability. However, too much of this particular element may also smother the flow of energy, ultimately counteracting its original, positive effects.

Wood: Wood symbolizes personal development, creativity, and exudes an independent aura of quiet, but strong, unwavering energy. Wood is used to represent the most determined individual who make it his purpose to benefit from this natural element’s chi.

Metal: For wisdom and mental strength and maturity, look to the element of metal which also represents wealth and prosperity when displayed in the home.

To begin implementing the tenets of this highly revered philosophy into your own life, you should:

- Familiarize yourself with your own soul, your inner self, and who you really are deep inside when you are completely alone with your thoughts.

- Focus intently on putting yourself in control of your life and the direction it will take as opposed to allowing negativity to influence the path you ultimately follow.

- Train yourself to visualize the flow of chi that radiates from every part of your body, permeating the air and affecting everyone near you, sharing your positive energy and harmonious thoughts with all.

- Fully open your mind and soul to receive a regular return of positive energy from your surroundings.

Put together, you will have a better idea of what is feng shui and as such will be in a better position to appreciate it.

Dramatically increase your wealth by learning how Feng Shui decorating and Feng Shui design for your home and office can enhance your Feng Shui wealth today.

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How to Choose Quality Door Locks

Saturday, December 19th, 2009

When you choose locks for the door of your home, it is only natural to want locks that look very stylish. It is more important for you to choose locks that will actually do the job you want them to do – lock the door and keep it closed. Therefore you need to look for style and function in choosing quality door locks. Having good locks on the doors is the first line of defense in preventing burglars from stealing your prized possessions.

Two of the top name brands in door locks are Schlage and best. However, just because the locks have this name on them doesn’t mean you should buy the first ones you see on the shelf of the store. All locks should meet certain requirements. You have to choose a lock that will not open easily when you kick the door or one that will not keep the door closed in the event of a gale of wind on the door. The locks you choose should have large thick throw bars, which will give the door the support it needs.

Even though sets of door lock come with the screws you need for installation, you should look at using longer screws. That is because the ones included in the packaging tend to be short that don’t go into the door jambs very far. By choosing to use longer screws, you will ensure that the lock will withstand a lot of pressure before giving way because it will take a lot of pressure to loosen the screws that are embedded deeply into the jamb.

Along with choosing the door locks that you use to open the door from the outside, you can also install a deadbolt above the lock. These do not have a knob to turn on the outside and are flat against the door. When locked, the only way they can be opened from the outside is with a key.

Another factor you have to take into consideration in choosing door locks is the corrosion factor. Some locks will not stand up to the corrosion that salt water causes. If you live near the salt water and your door receives spray from the water in windy weather, you may find that this mars the look of the door handle and knob. You have to read the fine print on the back of the packaging to find out the kind of material it is made from.

For more information on door locks and other related topics, visit Doorlandia at http://www.doorlandia.com.

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