Today’s article is about “Wood blinds and plantation shutters – secure yourself with a tinge of elegance ”
Almost every year we eagerly wait for the spring sunshine to roll into our rooms through the windows and fill our lives with sunny hopes. It is with this point of view in mind that most of us in the recent times prefer to invest in shutters and blinds rather than curtains. They are not only versatile but are also quite impressive by looks as they are available in a variety of shades and patterns.

Wood Blinds

Wood blinds provide you something more than mere privacy. Moreover, they also help in keeping the room cool around the clock. Wood blinds are usually made of ramin wood or basswood. They come in an assortment of varieties, like bamboo wood blinds, vertical wood blinds, faux wood blinds. They can be customized according to the theme of your rooms. It is better to buy wood blinds from those manufacturers who will provide you with after-sales service.

Due to recession pangs, many individuals are now opting for wood blinds as they striker a lighter blow on our pockets. Also, they are quite durable and you will be amazed by the striking similarity between faux and the real ones.

Plantation shutters

What makes plantation shutters such a favorite within the household is the modishness and splendor that they lend to the home decor. Since these shutters are louvered ones, they are comparatively easier to open and close. Moreover, they are available in both raw and roughly finished varieties.

If you just take a stroll to the local hardware store, you may find them in a variety of colors and patterns that may leave you spoilt for choice. The primary reason as to why the plantation shutters have shot to such huge popularity is the security and privacy that it provides. Besides this, you can also control the ventilation and sunshine with these shutters.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Like any room in your house, bathrooms can start to look worn and outdated after a few years, but often a lot of the jobs involved in redecorating this type of room are more labor intensive than other more basic rooms in the house. Most bathrooms have certain fixtures and fittings such as baths, sinks, tiles and toilets that can be expensive and difficult to replace, but there are ways to spruce up your bathroom without spending a lot of time and money:

• The suite – it was once the latest thing to have bathroom suites (bath, sink and toilet) in pastel colours, but this has really gone out of fashion and will make a bathroom look outdated whatever you do to the rest of the room. Therefore if you do have one of those coloured bathroom suites then one of the ways you can instantly refresh the decor is to replace this with a plain white suite. You can get great deals on plain white baths, sinks and toilets from both trade and DIY suppliers.
• Tiles – retiling a bathroom can be a big, expensive job, but you can freshen up the tiles that are already there by giving them a really good clean and then re-grout them, which is a much easier and cheaper task than replacing them and will give the bathroom a clean, fresh look.

• Flooring – flooring in the bathroom can get easily worn, but as these are normally small flooring areas it is not too expensive to completely replace this. If you have carpet think about replacing it with linoleum, which is long lasting, comes in a wide range of colours and designs and is cheap and easy to lay down.
• Paint – sand down the skirting boards, cupboard doors and window and door frames and freshen them up with a couple of coats of glossy white paint. You could also think about repainting the ceiling as well, as this can really brighten up your bathroom and maximise the natural light. If your walls are painted, and you afford it, think about giving them a fresh coat as well and this could be a good time to choose a new, more daring colour scheme.
• Blinds, shower curtains and bath mats – if you are a really tight budget then just replacing the old shower curtain, blind/curtains and bath mats can really brighten a room up, and you could also think about buying some new matching towels as well.

Hope you will find these tips helpful – don’t forget to post your comments.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Lot’s of people love pets, they can be your companion and your best friend! But, even if your pet is house trained, accidents can happen and cause your home to smell!

Carpet can easily hide those little accidents! If you can’t see the stain, then you’re not going to be able to clean it. Sometimes following the smell don’t always work, especially when the smell travels throughout the entire room!

One of the easiest ways to find that hidden urine smell is with a UV light! Turn off all of the lights and close the curtains so that the room is completely dark. Turn on the UV light and the pet stain will magically appear!

Now that you know where the stain is, you can easily clean it up. One organic solution that will usually work well is to mix some baking soda and vinegar together. Use a cloth or a soft brush to clean the area with the solution.

Never scrub your carpet with a brush, it can damage the fibers and loosen them eventually causing a bare spot! If the stain and odor persist, purchase a cleaner made especially for pet stains and follow the directions!
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Popularity: 6% [?]

Feng Shui is a complex theory, and involves many different principles that are designed to make living and working spaces more positive for each individual, by balancing energy (Yin and Yang). It takes many years to become a professional Feng Shui consultant, and a complete Feng Shui house makeover would first involve working out your Kua, which is the number that determines which factors are best for you individually, and is based on a simple system of using your birth date (from the Chinese Lunar Calendar) and your sex, using this calculation:

1. Males – 10 minus the last two digits of the year you were born (if two digits add these together until they are one digit)
2. Females – 5 plus the last two digits of the year you were born (if two digits add these together until they are one digit)

Your Kua is important when working out factors such as the way your head should point to whilst you are sleeping, which is very important in Feng Shui, as north, south, east and west or all assigned different properties in relation to your Kua. The majority of Kua’s have westerly affinities and so arranging your bed in this direction is luckiest for most, with the north and south bringing more disruptive influences:

Kua 1 and 4 people – you have an affinity with the east, and the direction of southeast is thought to be the luckiest, and a good direction to face your head whilst you are sleeping. Avoid west or northeast directions as these can bring harmful influences your way.
Kua 5 person – if you are male, you will have an affinity with the northeast, if you are female then it will be for the southwest. The opposite directions will bring trouble and difficulties if used by the other sex.
There are some basic Feng Shui principles that can apply whatever you Kua, and these are simply and easy to use in your own home
Mirrors – these are both good and bad in Feng Shui, as they deflecting and absorb harmful influences, but they are uniformly thought to be negative in bedroom spaces, as they interfere with the flow of chi (energy) whilst you sleep. If you do have a mirror in your bedroom, move it or hand a cloth over it when you are not using it, and do not face it opposite a door or window (it will reflect all the energy coming in).
Windows – energy comes into your house through the windows, and so they should be clean and clear of clutter, with the drapes pulled back during the day.
Corners – corners funnel negative energy, so avoid putting any seats here and instead deflect negative energy by placing a positive object in this space, such as a plant or glass cabinet.

Popularity: 13% [?]