Types of Lamps - Incandescent & Florescent

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First, in talking about "types of lamps" we're not talking that thing sitting on your desk or standing behind your easy chair. What you and I call a "lamp," meaning a table lamp, or a chandelier, or a floor lamp, is referred to in the world of interior design as a "fixture," and the word "lamp" is used to refer to the bulb. There are two basic types of lamps — incandescent and fluorescent. Each has particular advantages and disadvantages.

Incandescent lamps are the ones that you're most accustomed to seeing used in residential lighting, and yet they have really only one major advantage over fluorescent lamps: the light they produce has a warm cast that is soft, natural, and flattering to skin tones.

Incandescent lamps have many disadvantages, compared to fluorescent lamps: they are hotter, burn out faster, and use much more electricity for the same brightness.

But the advantage of providing a softer light makes them the most popular choice for home lighting. Imagine trying to create a romantic dining situation in the harsh fluorescent lighting you'd find in an office, and you'll get the picture right away of just how important it is to forego the benefits of fluorescent lamps when you're planning the lighting in a home.

But what about fluorescent lamps?

If incandescent lamps have the advantage of producing a softer, more flattering light, why would anyone use fluorescents?

These lamps have three important advantages over other lamps.

• First, they produce cool light —they don't produce heat.
  
• Second, they are long-lasting, burning for up to ten times as long as incandescent lamps.


• Third, they are much more cost-effective because they produce three to four times as much light for each unit of electricity.

The disadvantage to fluorescent lamps is that they produce a light with a green-blue cast that is unflattering and harsh. While some fluorescent lamps are made with coloration that is designed to soften and warm the tones produced, most interior designers avoid these types of lamps because the light they emit is never as soft and natural as that emitted from incandescent lamps.

Fluorescent lamps are preferred for commercial use, where their long life, cool operation, low operating cost, and high efficiency are important, such as in large offices, stores, or apartment building hallways.

What does all this mean to you?

It means that in most residential rooms you should opt for the warm, natural look of incandescent lamps. Use incandescent lamps in living rooms, dining rooms, dens and bedrooms.

Where might you use fluorescent lamps in the home?

At one time, because of their narrow shape, fluorescent lamps were the only logical candidates for strip lighting — the hidden lighting that you would place under a shelf where you need particularly strong, focused light. As such, they became standard for lighting kitchen work surfaces, being suspended under upper kitchen cabinets, and they are still frequently used for this purpose. Because of their bright light, even illumination and low operating costs, fluorescent lamps are also frequently used in rooms that require a lot of even lighting and where mood isn't quite so important, such as workshops, garages, and laundry rooms.

Even so, you can see that most of the lamps you'll be using in residential design will be incandescent. For the most part, fluorescent lamps are used in work places, whether at home, in an office, or in another work situation. The light they produce is harsh, but that also means that it's perfect for when you need to see details clearly, such as when you're performing open-heart surgery, or doing needlepoint, or making sushi. Fluorescent lights have gotten a bad rap — for quite some time they were not favored because their very rapid flickering was blamed for tiring the eyes and other problems.

But today, there are updated fluorescent lamps from which you can choose, some of which even fit into a regular fixture, just like an incandescent bulb. These are designed to have a long life, and can last up to eight years. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, people are using incandescent and fluorescent lamps about the way you'd expect: Of residential households, 98 percent use incandescent, 42 percent use fluorescent. Of commercial buildings, 59 percent use incandescent, 92 percent use fluorescent. Because fluorescent lights consume approximately 75-85 percent less electricity than incandescent lights, you can see why it's important to consider using these for places where a great deal of light is needed much of the time, such as in hospitals, offices, and other workplaces.

By Sarah Van Arsdale

Courtesy of Sheffield School of Interior Design
Continue to Read Lamps & Room Lighting Suggestions - Incandescent Lighting

Decorating a Living Room: Arranging Furniture

Living Room Decorating: Your living room will be a place for family or friends to sit and visit, so a special effort should be made to create a comfortable harmonious environment. Usually this is the first room you see upon entering your home, it is also a room that must show well and in most cases carry more than one function such as a playroom, office and even a dining room.

To arrange furniture and create a living room that fits your lifestyle you will need to follow the directions as outlined in Where To Begin. True beginners would do well to review the articles listed in Interior Design 101 to get an understanding of decorating basics.

Placement of Furniture
A helpful tool we found for arranging furniture pieces without lifting a finger were these cardboard furniture templates and grid. Furniture arrangements should have a purpose. Activity areas should be reflected and distinguishable in each area of your room. A small room should have at least one conversational area, while larger rooms may incorporate additional furniture groupings. A good rule of thumb is to seat at least six people comfortably.

Placement of your living room furniture should center around a focal point which may be an entertainment center, fireplace or large window. After selecting your focal point, group your furniture around it, being sure to take the size of your space into consideration. If you are living in a small space you may only need a sofa, arm chair and a few end tables. Larger spaces may include coffee tables a few more chairs and a larger sofa.

Don't feel it is necessary to go out and buy all new pieces of furniture when you decorate. If you have a sofa in good functional condition, you can use one of the many styles of slipcovers available, pre-made for standardized sofas, chairs and loveseats. Throw pillows are also another decorating option.
Read more about: Organizing Home Decor Accessories

Suggestions
Use area rugs to define seating areas. If you are dealing with a large room that has multiple seating areas, this will help characterize each area while tying together the scheme. Rugs are also useful for covering up unattractive carpeting or floors!
The lighter, neutral shades of walls generally found in rental buildings are actually a benefit. This color scheme leaves room for selecting furniture in basically any color, scheme or style.

Article courtesy of http://www.rentaldecorating.com/LivingRoom.htm

Organising Kid Rooms Made Easy With Teamworks

Whether you're decorating an empty kid’s room from scratch, freshening up their room with a little paint, creating a functional storage system or simply trying to clear the clutter - it's important that you work as a team. Decorating and organizing kid rooms takes teamwork. Of course, with babies and toddlers you need to take full control but as your children grow so should their responsibility in caring for their room.

In order for kids to have a space that’s really theirs, we need their input. Likes and dislikes need to be discussed. As well, compromises need to be made when it comes to room color, furniture, stuff, cleanliness and how to mesh everything together in one room.

Kid’s outgrow their rooms almost as fast as they outgrow their clothes. Not the physical space but its storage capacity and décor. Interests and hobbies change, more and more stuff comes and in most cases, very little goes out. They may outgrow their toys but they aren’t always willing to part with them. And, although a juvenile train border works well in a three year old boy’s room, your eight year old hockey fanatic is getting a little tired of falling asleep with the little engine that could.

To create functional and age appropriate room you need to take into account not only your child’s personality and their current interests but also what type of organizational system that will work in both their favor and yours. One that your child can easily stay on top of and one that keeps you off their back.

But before painting or looking at wallpaper or border samples you need to turn your thoughts to organizing. There’s no point redecorating your child’s room before organizing it.

Teaching kids to be organized is a lot like shoveling while it’s snowing. It seems like the whole experience will get you nowhere but the good news is that it can be done, and your effort does pay off in the long run. But it’s not a one shot deal. Organizing kid rooms is an ongoing process that must be revamped constantly to keep up with changing needs. It takes planning, patience and perseverance.

First, we must have our own organizing act together in order to assist our children with theirs. Children learn what they live. They model what they see. How can we teach our children something we couldn’t be bothered to do for ourselves?
The key is to become your child’s organizational consultant. Acting as their guide, survey what’s working and what’s not. To find an organizational system that matches her schedule and activity level consider your child’s lifestyle. Does she play mostly in or out of her room? Where does she do her homework?

Organizing kid rooms effectively is all about organizing with your children instead of for them. By becoming a united force you have a greater chance of devising an organizational system that will work.

For more tips on partnering with your child and teaching kids to be organized visit http://www.decorating-kids-rooms.net your one stop resource for organizing and decorating ideas. In addition to being co-owner of the website, Sherrie Le Masurier is a professional organizer who specializes in helping parents organize and decorate their kid's rooms. Copyright 2007.

Simple Ways to Decorate your Walls on the Cheap

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Decorating walls seems to be a huge dilemma for some home decorators, but it need not be. Here are a few quick and easy ways to dress up your walls, on a budget!

The most common mistake most people make when decorating their walls is to sprinkle things around just to fill empty space.

Solution: Draw an imaginary rectangle on the main focal wall in the room you wish to dress up. Fill that rectangle with a grouping of related art, such as portraits, plates, or clocks. This makes a stronger impact for the room than the "sprinkle" effect.

Try to hang larger scale items to make your rooms seem bigger. This doesn’t mean you have to run out and spend hundreds or thousands on a large painting! Hang a rug or a pretty quilt.

Create a dramatic wall hanging with a large piece of plywood, some paint, and one inspirational word in large letters. "Faith", "Believe" or "Dream" are great ones.Then sketch on your word in blocks with pencil, and fill in with paint.

Try setting off a special portrait or a wall collection by painting a background "frame". Make the frame at least 4-6 inches larger than the art, tape off with painters tape, and fill in with a darker version of your wall color. Paint a simple border and background in neutral colors.

If you have dozens of different sized frames and pictures, tie them together by painting the frames all the same color. Black gives an elegant touch to any style décor. White is very fresh, and a bright color can be found in a contemporary design.

Consider using stencils to add detail and design to your walls. It’s easy, relatively fast, and inexpensive. Pick up a simple design to wrap around windows and doors, or to add detail to your painted "frames" around your wall art groupings.

Finally, look at unconventional items to use as wall art. A weathered piece of driftwood accents over a doorway, or an old wooded box can hang as a curio cabinet. Simple wooded blocks can be attached to the wall as candleholders or display shelves. Your children’s christening dress can be hung as memory art, or you can frame a piece of the maternity dress you loved while you were pregnant with your youngest. Use your imagination!
Decorating walls doesn’t have to be daunting, just use these easy ideas to get you started!

Kathy Wilson is a home and garden writer, author and consultant and is the home decorating expert for LifetimeTV.com.

Visit her for more home and garden ideas at http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com and http://www.TheGardenGlove.com. Also visit her at http://www.Women-on-the-Net.com where any woman can learn to make money on the internet!

Design Elements

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A well-decorated room can still lack personality. To give your room a personality, choose from among these basic design elements, modify them to suit your tastes and implement them in a way which is just right for you.

Theme

A 'themed' room says something about you, the person who has done it, your family or the place where you live. A theme will also provide you a place to showcase your collections, prized possessions, arts and crafts.
There are endless possibilities for using themes, but once you decide upon one, it will give you focus, as it will eliminate many things which don't fit into it. This results in great ease in shopping, planning, implementing etc. Some best decorated rooms have had themes like Water, Nature, Eighteenth Century England, Contemporary, Ethnic, Pastels etc.

Artifacts

A piece of artistic value will always give your room that special touch you have always wanted. It can add texture and depth to a room. Depending upon your theme, the artifact may be an an antique chair, a painted bookshelf, an original painting or even an original watercolor by your local artist.

Collections

It is the most effective way to display your collections in a special arrangement. Whether you collect shells, dolls or trinkets, arrange them tastefully instead of just lining things up in a row. Lining things looks even worse when objects are small in size. Instead, group them together to project variety within your collections. Lovely trays, glass cupboards, corner shelves etc. are some ideas for displaying your collections.

Color

Color does not get limited to painting the walls of your room. Use colors that make you feel good about them in fabrics, linen, pillows, shelves, curtains etc. Blend colors to suit your style.
Add fabrics to liven up your room with a print that contains the color of your upholstery. To maintain harmony in colors, use the same accent at least THRICE around the same room. For eg. pillows, tablecloths and curtains could have similar accents. For more on using colors, read my article 'Using Colors in Your Room'.

Use of the above elements will still leave everything to your own imagination and creativity. These will only help you in drawing out a plan for your Home-Decorating exercise. The details of the plan are still left to you to fill up.

Happy Decorating!

Article by Lata Budhrani, the Founder/Editor of Dot Com Women, a premier women's website and online community. Visit her at http://www.dotcomwomen.com. lata@dotcomwomen.com Courtesy of www.Craftopoly.com

Taking Care of Your Apartment & House Plants

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Plants are wonderful for bringing color and vitality into your apartment. If you’ve had a bad experience with caring for plants in the past, perhaps the following tips can help you grow and maintain healthy pots of greenery.

Check the plant tag:
Plants purchased at the nursery or garden center typically have an information tag inserted in the soil or a sticker at the side of the pot. This provides you with the name of the plant, amount of light required, and frequency of watering and fertilization. Plants that need high light or direct sunlight should be placed outdoors or at a window which receives lots of light, while plants that are in the medium to low light categories can survive in lower temperatures and in partial to full shade.

Monitor your plant:
When you first bring your plant home, check on it weekly to become familiar with the level of care it needs. In particular, determine the amount of watering your plant requires. Some plants require consistent moisture at the roots while others need the soil to dry out before the next watering. Check the foliage of your plant for signs or health, weakness, or disease. You may need to move its location so it gets more sunlight, or treat it with insecticidal soap. Remove dead flowers and leaves regularly.

Regulate water:
Over-watering is a frequent cause of plant death, since excessive water in the soil reduces the oxygen supply needed for the plant roots to thrive. You can do a quick test of soil moisture by pressing your finger into the soil and assessing if the soil is sufficiently moist such that watering is not needed that day. Another quick test is to pick the pot up and determine if it is still heavy from water weight. Or, for a foolproof method, use a moisture meter that can be purchased from the nursery.

Choose the right container:
If you are growing your plants from seed or bulb, or replanting a young plant, it is important that you select a container that will allow your plant to grow without restriction. Determine beforehand how deep the roots need to grow and how big the plants will get, so you can space them accordingly.

Remove dust:
Indoor plants tend to accumulate dust over time, which hinders the leaves from respiration and photosynthesis, and can attract plant pests as well. A good practice is to wipe down the leaves with a wet cloth to remove dust and dirt. For plants with smaller leaves, spray them with water using a hand sprayer or under a showerhead.

Article by Jessica Ackerman
A prolific writer for Wall Decor and Home Accents, and she provides valuable tips and advice on the many ways to decorate walls to match every taste, style, and budget.

Basic Home Decorating - A Balanced Approach

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Decorating a home is about finding a comfortable balance between the different furnishings in the space. This balance is achieved by placing objects with varying characteristics in places where they compliment one another. The idea is to create relationships between your possessions, in order to develop a whole which is more impressive than the sum of its parts.

Scale
Scale refers to the size of architectural features and furnishings within a space. With scale, finding a balance is particularly important, as otherwise you will get a room that feels chaotic, and looks peculiar.
Large rooms should generally be furnished by larger items. Tall armoires, high backed sofas, and shelves that reach towards the sky are all different objects you can use to put a larger room into perspective. If you have a smaller space, create the illusion of height with shorter possessions.

Scale is also about creating a room that matches your own size. If you are a tall person, you will want possessions which don’t make you feel like you are living in a doll house. If you are petite, you don’t want the room to tower over you.

If you are a large person living with someone who is tiny, you will have to balance big and small furnishings as if they were on a see saw, to create a space which is not only scaled to match you both, but which also has an inherent harmony to it.

Contrast
Controlling contrast is a relatively difficult balancing act when decorating a room. It is like trying to tame fire, it can be very useful, but if it gets out of control it can destroy the whole design.
Contrast is red napkins on a white tablecloth. It is a green wall clock on a stark black wall. Contrast makes the design interesting, adding an exciting power to the ambience of a space

However, using too much contrast can create a room which is muddied and chaotic. People will feel agitated in the space, and their thoughts will become disordered. It can even make the room irritating to be in.

You have to try and find ways to create contrast, without overwhelming the space. Try using tiny accents throughout the room, so that the overall order of the space can tone down the bright colors in small places.
Alternatively you can use a single bold contrast, such as a bright yellow pillow, or a pair of luxuriously red curtains, to create a focal point which will give the room an inherent premise.

Rhythm
Rhythm is the art of creating a theme throughout a space. The theme does not necessarily have to be overt, such as animal prints, or historical geography, it can be as subtle as a color, or series of contrasts, or even a series of patterns which are all reminiscent of one another. When you are able to create rhythm in a room you can bring the entire space together, giving it a single purpose, and a unified artistic vision.

These are just a few of the considerations that professionals decorators bear in mind when creating beautiful and comfortable interiors. While the art of creating a space is much more complex than these concepts, they can help to keep you grounded and give you direction when creating your home.

Article provided courtesy of http://PebbleZ.com