Decorating a dining room in a farmhouse is a project that uses elements of farmhouse-style interior design, which is a combination of Early American and country decors. Farmhouses are a perfect venue to incorporate this relaxed type of style and it enhances the simple architectural lines of many farmhouses. Clean design lines, distressed wood finishes, antique collectible accents and muted color palettes combine to turn a into a charming space to entertain family and friends for years to come.
Instructions
1. Paint the walls. Highlight the overall farmhouse interior decor theme by painting the walls a nature-inspired muted color, such as sage green, sky blue, wheat tan, cloud white or country red. Adding a touch of gray to the desired color gives the hue a softer appearance and creates a perfect muted tone for the backdrop of the room.
2. wood furniture. Select a distressed wood, rectangular table for the dining room space with chairs in an arrow-back or ladder-back design. Farmhouse dining rooms usually include antique pieces, so choose a table and chair set that has a vintage, weathered look for maximum visual appeal.
3. Incorporate wood floors. Choose distressed wood floors in light or dark hues for a weathered, rustic appearance to the room. Amplify the country feel with a large, colorful braided rug under the dining room table.
4. Add a hutch. Fill the open shelves with earthenware bowls, white pitchers, old transferware dishes or antique stoneware in hues that complement the decor of the room.
5. Hang a chandelier. Choose a chandelier in a hand-forged, dark metal in a decorative design, a pierced tin style or an Early American faux candle variety with simple lines for an accent to your dining room space.
6. Select farmhouse-style curtains, such as swags or valances in checked patterns, rooster designs or homespun fabrics.
7. Add artwork. Hang framed pictures on the walls in farmhouse themes, such as roosters, cows, barns, sunflowers, sheep or apples. Choose rustic, weathered wood frames and hang them at eye level for maximum visual appeal and optimal enjoyment.
A bathroom on a houseboat looks similar to a regular house bathroom. The difference is that a houseboat has its own water and sewage system. The sink and shower in a houseboat bathroom gets water from the onboard freshwater holding tank. The freshwater holding tank has a water hose connection that can be reached from the outside of the boat. At that connection, the tank can be filled with water. To fill the tank, one end of a hose is fitted onto the tank connector and the other end of the hose is attached to a city water source at a harbor. When a houseboat is parked for a long length of time, it can stay hooked up to a water hose, for an unlimited source of water.
Sewage Holding Tanks
The sewage on a houseboat empties into holding tanks that are located on the boat. The sink and shower empty into a gray-water holding tank. The toilet empties into a black-water holding tank. Holding tank treatment chemicals are put into the holding tanks through the sink and toilet to prevent bad odors. Holding tanks can be emptied at a harbor or at sea. To empty a holding tank at a harbor, one end of a sewer hose is connected to the holding tank. The other end of the sewer hose is connected to the harbor sewage system. The valve on the tank is opened, allowing the sewage to empty. Boats that are equipped to empty sewage out at sea have a button located inside the boat that opens the tanks. Each country has different regulations that stipulate how far a boat must be from shore before it can empty its sewage in the water.
Other Types of Toilets
Some houseboats have been-fitted with alternate types of toilets, to eliminate the need for a black water tank. The two main types of toilets that do not require a black-water tank are composting toilets and incinerator toilets. Marine composting toilets work the same way as house composting toilets do. The only difference is that marine composting toilets are made smaller so that they can fit in a smaller space. Composting toilets use little to no water to operate. Dirt and a substrate such as sawdust is kept inside the composting toilet. Waste mixes with the dirt and substrate and biodegrades into compost. Incinerator toilets are made out of steel. They actually burn the toilet paper and waste.
Considerations
Houseboat bathrooms require a couple of special considerations. Nothing should be put into the toilet except urine, feces and toilet paper. Other items can clog the plumbing in the sewage system. The gray-water and black-water tanks must be emptied regularly for both odor control and to empty them when they are full. In hotter weather, the tanks need to be emptied more often, because the hot weather makes odors develop faster. If the tanks are not emptied when they are full, they leak, causing an unsanitary mess. When a houseboat is not hooked up to a permanent water supply at a harbor, water must be used wisely. Houseboats come with different size freshwater holding tanks, but no matter how big the holding tank is, the waster supply is limited. On a long trip, water should be used sparingly to make the supply last. Gauges on the boat show how full the freshwater, gray-water and black-water tanks are.
Cottage-style decor encourages a sense of relaxation, so it's perfect for a master bedroom. Here are some ways to get the look.
Instructions
1. Choose a traditional-look bed: old maple in spool/spindle style, wicker, iron, brass, or a white-painted four-poster.
2. Dress the bed in a light, homey fabric - eyelet, cotton chenille, pillow-ticking or awning stripes - or a pieced quilt. Continue the pillow shams and dust ruffles.
3. Look for non-matching bedside tables in wicker or with simple turned legs.
4. Top tables with traditional lamps that reflect humble origins: simple ceramic, terra cotta, milk glass and wicker, or choose candlestick lamps. Use fabric shades in solids or in patterns such as small floral motifs or checks.
5. Don't worry about matching the bed to the chest of drawers to the tables; you can tie diverse styles together by painting them the same color. White is a good finish choice.
6. Dress the windows simply with tabtop curtains, flounced priscillas or Cape Cod curtains; 2-inch wood blinds work well, too. Choose a treatment that allows sunlight to flood the room.
7. Deck the walls and floors with old-fashioned, casual favorites: floral or striped paper or pastel paint for the walls; nubbly cotton chenille, striped rag rugs and braided rugs underfoot.
8. Decorate your tabletops with folk-art animals, dried flowers or casual cut-flower arrangements or ceramic figurines. Carry out the theme with potted-plant cachepots, baskets, or old-fashioned dishes that can serve as catchalls for pocket change and keys.
9. Add (if your room's large enough) an antique-style oak chair, topped with a ruffled cushion.
Paint your bathroom to evoke the essence of Italy.
Get your paint brushes ready if you want to stylize your bathroom to evoke the traditional atmosphere of Italy. Italian-style bathrooms can range in design, giving you the option to create a luxurious and ornate bathroom by using gold hues, painting stylized trim, and even small murals on the bathroom walls.
The Regal Bathroom
Create a regal bathroom, similar to the bathrooms that the Italian elite enjoy. The key to evoking a sense of old wealth is to use gold paint to embellish trims in your bathroom. Select a gold paint that has glitter or gloss. If possible, select light fixtures to match. Paint the bathroom walls with a mellow and muted color, such as pale blue to create contrast in the design.
Stucco Walls
Add texture to your bathroom walls to create the unique old stucco look of many Italian houses. Select a mellow and relaxing color for the bathroom walls. Mask the trim and paint all walls with the color you selected. Allow the paint to dry completely. Choose a second color that is slightly lighter than the base color. Apply a small amount of paint to a dry brush and apply the paint lightly in patches. Smear the patches with a dry rag to create a stucco effect. If desired, you can also apply Venetian Plaster over the base coat to create a three-dimensional effect.
Trim Design
Spruce up the look of your bathroom by adding unique designs to the trim around the bathroom walls. This is a quick and simple way to make your bathroom appear ornate without being overwhelmingly busy. Outlined flower or grape illustrations, even a scroll design will accent your bathroom walls, evoking the ambiance of Italy.
Italian Murals
Show off your artistic skill by creating paintings of the Italian countryside in your bathroom. To prevent the bathroom from becoming too busy, the paintings should be small rather than occupying the entire bathroom walls. Paintings of villas, wineries, cities, and countrysides will take you back to the Old Country.
Tags: your bathroom, bathroom walls, bathroom evoke, gold paint, walls with, your bathroom evoke, your bathroom walls
You don't need to remodel your bathroom, just add some fresh new color with accessories!
Winter is gone and it is time to give interior a lighter, fresher feel. Spring up your bathroom in no time with these simple, affordable bathroom decorating ideas that can carry your look from spring to summer.
Instructions
1. De-clutter and deep clean your bathroom. Keep your bathroom counter top as clutter free as possible. Do a deep spring cleaning of your entire bathroom and re-organize your cabinets if necessary.
2. The first bathroom decorating idea is to get a new towel that will add a splash of fresh spring color to your bathroom decor colors. Try to pick a color that will feel light and springy, but will also take you into the summer too. I like teal or aqua color. Head to your local TJ Maxx, Marshalls or Ross to get your new spring towel at a low price. Add a complimentary colored hand towel to lay over your main towel. I chose beige because the combination reminds me of the beach.
3. Freshen up your bathroom decor colors with some sea shells. You can use any glass container lying around and fill it with seashells or sea glass to add color. I just found a big conch shell and put it on the counter. (If you watch Oprah, you probably know her best friend designer Nate always recommends having sea shells or something from the ocean in every room).
4. Add a fresh fragrance. Find a fresh smelling reed diffuser or candle that you can put in the bathroom. This will perk you up every time you walk in.
5. Now to freshen up your shower experience, go out and pick out a fresh new invigorating shower wash that will perk you up and remind you of sunny warm times. My personal favorite is by Bath and Body Works, True Blue, Need a Margarita? It just makes me feel light and happy.
Tags: your bathroom, that will, bathroom decor, bathroom decor colors, , decor colors
A bathroom sink that drains slowly can really back up the morning routine as every person in your household waits for it to drain before they can get themselves ready in the morning. You can easily fix this by learning unclog a bathroom sink that drains slowly.
Instructions
1. The first thing you should do if you have a bathroom sink with a slow drain is to flush it with hot water. Often, bathroom sinks become clogged do to a mixture of gel, toothpaste and other personal care products that become sticky and hard when they dry. Hot water helps to loosen these products back up and move them down and out the drain pipe. When flushing with hot water, begin slow depending upon how clogged the sink happens to be. At least run a sink full of hot water and wait until it drains before repeating the procedure. However, it should get faster and faster until you can easily leave the hot water on and flush the drain pipe.
2. Should hot water not solve the problem, take off the drain cover of the sink and check to see if visually can spot anything that is obstructing the drain. Often, hair collects around the top of the drain that can slow it down.
3. Investing in a drain cleaning product that alleviates plumbing problems is also a way to get your drain unclogged and back to its normal speed. However you should use care when doing this since the chemicals can present health problems if they come in contact with your skin or eyes.
4. If the chemicals do not work on your drain, consider investing in a plumbing snake. These long wire coils are flexible for you to maneuver through your pipes. Doing so often helps break up any clogs or chunks, thus allowing water to move rapidly down the drain. Be careful though if you have used chemicals prior to this step, since some of this can come out on the plumbing snake and present a problem if not washed off immediately.
5. Sometimes clogs and slow moving drains are a result of a much bigger problem with your plumbing system. If nothign works, call in an expert to fix the problem for you. While it will cost, you should have your bathroom sink unclogged in no time and your morning routine back to normal.
Tags: bathroom sink, back normal, bathroom sink that, down drain, drain pipe
White vinegar handles general dirt, hot water deposits, soap scum and mildew, which means it works well at cleaning most kinds of bathroom floor and wall tile. The exceptions are marble, travertine or granite tile, which may be damaged by acidic cleaners such as vinegar. Vinegar is safe for ceramic, porcelain, vinyl and laminate tiles and makes them clean and shiny.
Instructions
1. Pour ¼ cup of white vinegar into a bucket containing 1 gallon of warm water, as suggested by Ecocyle for cleaning ceramic tile. This vinegar and water solution may be used on all tile materials except for natural stone such as marble, granite and travertine.
2. Put on rubber gloves. Dip a clean sponge in the solution.
3. Scrub down all wall tile, if applicable, with the sponge soaked with the vinegar and water solution. For any mildewed areas, add a little extra vinegar by pouring vinegar directly on the sponge and wiping this over the mildew.
4. Sweep tile floor and then mop it with the vinegar and water solution. Leave the room and let the vinegar have some time to kill mildew. Housecleaning 411 recommends waiting 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Rinse off the mildewed areas of tile on the walls with a sponge, dampened in clean water. Mop the floor with clean water to rinse away the vinegar water solution.
Tags: vinegar water, vinegar water solution, water solution, clean water, mildewed areas, wall tile,
Hotels with separate children's bedrooms are available in Orlando, Florida.
Home to Walt Disney World, Sea World, Universal Orlando and more, Orlando, Florida is the ultimate family destination. Though there are hundreds of hotels and resorts in this area, many families want a hotel that has separate bedrooms for children. Some Orlando hotels have designed their rooms with these families in mind, and two and three bedroom guest rooms are available across the city.
Residence Inn Orlando by Marriott
Located in the southwestern Orlando area, all of the guest rooms at the Residence Inn Orlando are suites. For families needing an extra bedroom for children, the Residence Inn offers two-bedroom suites with separate living rooms and dining areas. Guest rooms at this hotel include fully equipped kitchens, a work area with a desk, an iron with ironing board and a grocery shopping service. Other amenities featured at the Residence Inn include complimentary breakfast, on-site laundry services and a fitness room. Children of all ages will enjoy the outdoor swimming pool and hot tub. The Residence Inn is located close to Sea World, Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando.
Residence Inn Orlando
11000 Westwood Blvd.
Orlando, Florida 32821
407-313-3600
marriott.com
Nickelodeon Suites Resort
Rooms at the Nickelodeon Suites Resort are all designed with decor featuring children's favorite Nickelodeon characters. This hotel offers guests one-, two- and three-bedroom suites, each including fully equipped kitchens, 32-inch flat screen televisions, high speed Internet access and in-room safes. The Nickelodeon Suites Resort features amenities like mini-golf courses, a mall, a kid's spa, shows featuring Nickelodeon characters and numerous dining options. The resort is also home to an award-winning water park that features water slides and a 400-gallon water dump tank. The hotel is located near local attractions like Walt Disney World and Blizzard Beach.
Nickelodeon Suites Resort
14500 Continental Gateway
Orlando, Florida 32821
407-387-5437
nickhotel.com
Staybridge Suites Orlando
Located in Lake Buena Vista, Staybridge Suites Orlando is an all-suite hotel that offers two-bedroom suites for families wanting a separate children's bedroom. Fully equipped kitchens, luxurious linens, cable televisions with DVD players and free high speed Internet access are just some of the amenities in each guest room at . This hotel also has a heated swimming pool, a children's pool, an exercise room and a game room. Staybridge Suites offers complimentary shuttle service to Disney World, and Sea World and Universal Orlando are located just a few miles away.
Bedroom doors are simple to unlock from the outside.
If you accidentally lock your bedroom door or need to access the bedroom in the event of an emergency, one of two methods will do the trick. Most lock sets for interior doors are designed with a mechanism that allows to door to be unlocked from the outside. The first unlocks doors with rotating locks and uses a small flathead screwdriver to turn the locking mechanism. The second opens lock sets with push-button locks and uses a rigid pin to push a latch that unlocks the door. Either procedure takes just a few seconds to perform.
Instructions
Bush-Button Lock
1. Locate the small hole in the center of the outer door knob.
2. Insert the lock release pin supplied with the lock into the hole. Alternately, a small screwdriver, heavy-duty paperclip or nail will also work.
3. Push the pin straight into the hole and up against the latch mechanism that releases the lock.
4. Push firmly on the lock latch mechanism until you feel the latch release. The lock set is now unlocked.
Rotating Lock
5. Locate the small hole in the center of the outer door knob.
6. Insert a flathead screwdriver small enough to fit into the hole, through the hole in the door knob.
7. Direct the screwdriver straight into the hole until it stops. Turn the screwdriver carefully, putting pressure on the screwdriver, until the tip of the tool enters a small slot in the lock mechanism.
8. Rotate the screwdriver while in the slot, counterclockwise. If the lock does not turn, rotate the screwdriver in the other direction. Rotating the screwdriver unlocks the door.
Tags: into hole, door knob, center outer, center outer door, door knob Insert, flathead screwdriver, from outside
chairs made of leather are elegant and easy to care for.
Dining room chairs made of leather are chosen for a variety of reasons. Leather-bound chairs complement or coordinate with almost any decor. Traditional, transitional and modern chairs are transformed by leather upholstery. Leather is an attractive choice, because you don't have to worry about food and beverage stains as you do with cloth-covered dining room chairs. Also, they are comfortable, and you can find them to fit your budget.
Tradtional Dining Room Chairs in Leather
Make it leather for a traditional chair seat and back.
Traditional dining room chairs get a sleeker look when you select leather for the seats and backs. There is a full spectrum of colors to choose from. Reproductions or originals of period furniture, such as Queen Anne, Colonial, Hepplewhite and Sheraton, become very elegant and up-to-date in leather. Other traditional styles, such as Duncan Phyfe and Arts and Crafts, also take on a more sophisticated look with leather upholstery.
The Parsons Chair in Leather
The leather transitions into any decor.
Transitional furniture, the combining of traditional styles with the elements of modern design, is prevalent in today's dining rooms. Most representative of this is the Parsons Chair, with its clean lines that go with almost any transitional mode dining room table. You can find them in black, brown, camel, tan, red, cream and white leather. Parsons Chairs are armless, with cushioned seat and back, and some versions have a cutout in the back and straight wooden legs.
Modern Leather Dining Room Chairs
The sleek look of modern leather dining room chairs.
From the days of the Roman Empire, Italy has long been known for its fine leather. For the most sophisticated modern design, the world had long looked to Italy for its inspiration. Names like Roche Bobois, Missoni and Linea Italia are associated with the finest-quality leather furniture. Their dining room chairs are molded into shapes and either are totally bound with leather or have very linear metal legs or bases.
Taking Care of Your Leather Dining Room Chairs
Leather is so popular because it is durable, luxurious and relatively easy to maintain. To keep it fresh and lush, simply dust the leather chairs when you dust your dining room table. You can also use a damp, soft cloth periodically. This will help keep the leather from drying out. Every six months or so, rub the leather of your dining room chairs with product specifically formulated to clean and rejuvenate leather.
Inspire romance by creating a tropical paradise in your bedroom.
Enjoying romance often proves to be difficult in a stark-white or messy bedroom. If you are experiencing a lull in the romantic side of your relationship, make over your bedroom and turn it into a romantic space. A romantic bedroom makeover will help set the stage for romance's return and bring it back nearly every time you walk into the room with your .
Setting the Mood
Setting the mood is one of the first steps when it comes to bringing romance into the bedroom. Experiment with lighting and scents to create the perfect mood in your bedroom. Hang decorative candle holders or wall sconces for candles to create a lot of soft light in the room or place candles throughout the bedroom, such as on the dresser or a nightstand. Only light candles when in the room and keep them away from fabrics to avoid a fire hazard. Add small lights to the room or install a dimmer switch to change the tone of the lights in the room. Decorative candles or sachets placed in the room will provide a romantic scent.
Romantic Colors
Avoid plain white walls or busy wallpaper when attempting to create a romantic feel in your bedroom. Paint the walls a neutral ivory or tan and accent the room with light pinks or blush colors and gold tones. At the opposite end of the spectrum, paint the walls a deep red or burgundy and accent the room with lighter colors. Furniture made from a darker wood, such as mahogany or dark cherry, adds to the romantic feel more than lighter-colored furniture.
Choosing Fabrics
Fill the room with high-quality fabrics to help create a romantic feel. Use silk or satin sheets on the bed and cover them with a lush comforter in a solid color or with a simple pattern that contains gold or silver accents. Cover the bed with soft pillows and velvet accents. If you have a four-poster bed, drape sheer fabric between the posts. Include additional places to lounge in the room, including soft rugs with floor pillows or a chaise lounge with a velvet or chenille throw covering it.
Theme Rooms
Create a theme room to help you and your significant other escape into romance. Create a tropical getaway with light beach-inspired colors, a small indoor water fountain and a mural of a tropical scene on the wall. If you and your significant other have a favorite vacation spot, decorate the room to bring back memories from that place, including pictures of your trips there. Create a rustic lodge with wood accents, animal pictures and flannel sheets or paint a Parisian-inspired mural on the wall and accent the room with antiques to channel the city of love.
Tags: room with, your bedroom, accent room, accent room with, romantic feel, significant other
If you have exposed sheetrock in your bathroom, you'll need to clean it often to ensure that it doesn't develop common bathroom stains such as soap scum, hard water residue and mold. Mold commonly grows in bathrooms because they are often the most humid room in your home, and because mold needs moisture in order to survive. Prevent mold from growing by airing out your bathroom after every shower by opening windows and turning on exhaust fans. Cleaning mold growth as soon as it develops will also help prevent it from growing out of control. Be careful when cleaning sheetrock as it is extremely sensitive to moisture.
Instructions
1. Put on gloves, goggles and a dust mask to protect yourself from the mold spores and from the bleach solution.
2. Open the window in to ventilate it, but close the door to help ensure that the mold doesn't move to another area of your home.
3. Mix 1 cup bleach with 1 gallon hot water.
4. Dip a sponge into the bleach solution and wring it out as much as possible so that it is just slightly damp. Never apply too much moisture to sheetrock as water can deteriorate it.
5. Rub the sponge over the surface of the sheetrock mold. Allow the solution sit on the area for 10 minutes.
6. Scrub the sheetrock with a soft-bristled brush until you loosen all of the mold growth.
7. Wipe the mold off with paper towels.
8. Rinse the sheetrock with a water-dampened sponge, but do not apply too much water.
9. Dry the walls completely to prevent the mold from growing back.
Tags: from growing, , apply much, bleach solution, ensure that
You can use a small cabin for a trip like a vacation getaway, a hunting excursion or just a retreat from the hustle and bustle of your normal workweek. You can build this simple, inexpensive and easy-to-maintain cabin yourself in your spare time with regular carpenter's tools. Even if you have never attempted a project of this magnitude, with a little planning and hard work you can end up with professional results.
Instructions
1. Design a floor plan. Keep it simple for ease of construction and to keep costs down. A 24-by-24-foot cabin will be more than big enough for a bedroom, a full bathroom, kitchen and eating area and a small living area or den. Make a material list and price all of your supplies before making any purchases. Plan ahead and have all of your materials on hand before starting construction.
2. Determine the type of foundation you want for your cabin. Use concrete pillars (stacked concrete blocks) set on undisturbed virgin soil for a quick and easy foundation. Dig 3- to 4-foot-deep holes and set 6-by-6-inch pressure-treated wood posts into concrete for a more permanent foundation. Pour a concrete foundation for the most longevity and a more traditional look.
3. Construct the cabin's floor joists from 2-by-10-inch lumber on 16-inch centers. Use pressure-treated lumber for termite and moisture resistance. Cover the joists with 3/4-inch oriented strand board for the subfloor. Nail together the outside walls from 2-by-4 lumber, using the cabin's floor as your workspace. Raise the walls and brace them using scrap lumber. Build your inside walls in the same fashion. Lift the roof trusses into place and nail them to the outside wall top plate. Brace as needed until the walls and roof are sheathed.
4. Use metal roofing and siding for a maintenance-free exterior. Screw roofing panels directly to 2-by-4 furring strips installed at 3-foot intervals across the roof trusses. Install a vapor barrier or house wrap to the exterior walls before installing the siding. Use color matched screws with weatherproof rubber washers to attach roofing and siding panels.
5. Install standard-size windows and doors from your building center to save costs. Flash all of the window and door openings using black tar paper. Carefully level windows and attach to the wall framing using 2-inch galvanized screws. Shim and level the doorjambs and screw through the jambs into the wall framing.
6. Insulate your cabin using fiberglass rolls. Use cans of expanding foam to seal all cracks and holes. Add plumbing and electrical wiring if needed. Use drywall for interior walls or wood paneling for a more rustic look. Add kitchen cabinets and countertops. Check salvage shops for used cabinetry and fixtures to save money.
7. Install a stand-alone wood-burning stove or use a vent-free propane wall heater for more even and reliable heat. Plumb your gas lines iron pipe. Use a portable 50- or 100-pound propane tank for your fuel supply if your cabin is in a remote area.
Tags: your cabin, cabin floor, roof trusses, roofing siding, using black
Cherrywood is unlike all other woods. Although it is considered a hardwood, it has an unusual curly that creates many problems for the wood finisher during staining and finishing. Cherrywood requires some extra attention to detail when prepping the wood for staining, when staining the wood, and when adding a finish. However, refinishing cherrywood is a moderately easy task, and you can usually refinish in one day or less.
Sanding
First, remove any finish that remains on the table. Although you should never sand bare cherrywood with a coarse sandpaper (60 or 80 grit)--usually, the darker the finish, the coarser the paper you use--you need to do so here to remove the old finish. Once the finish has been removed, smooth the bare wood with 120, 220 and 320 sandpaper. Always sand with the if possible. Pay attention to small crevices and carving. Use a dental pick to get into the hard-to-reach areas.
Staining
Cherrywood darkens over time without any staining; however, if you want that dark color immediately, stain the table with a cherry stain. First, condition the wood with an oil-based wood conditioner; oil-based products dry more quickly than water-based. Make sure to get the conditioner into the end grains of the wood, as well. Failure to condition the wood will result in blotches in the curly pattern of the wood grain and darker end grains. Allow the conditioner to dry per the instructions on the can, and then apply an oil-based gel stain. The gel stain will also help prevent blotches. Apply stain more than once if you want a darker color. When the piece is fully dry, apply the finish.
Finishing
Apply a coat of thinned polyurethane finish (1 part paint thinner to 4 parts polyurethane) using a cotton rag. Once this coat has dried, wipe over the entire table with 3/0 steel wool. The wool will smooth out any uneven areas in the glaze coat and knock down any rough ridges or bubbles. Apply another two or three coats of unthinned polyurethane, using a fine-bristle brush or by wiping it on. Choose satin, semigloss or gloss for the finish.
Laying floor tile in a small bathroom involves the same process as doing it in a larger bathroom, but you can take some additional aesthetic factors into consideration to help the floor tile make the small bathroom feel a little bigger. Using smaller tiles (thus allowing you to lay more of them) gives the illusion of more floor space than there actually is. Light rather than dark colors always make a room feel more spacious.
Instructions
1. Turn off the water valve behind the toilet. Disconnect the water line from the toilet with your wrench, loosen the two floor bolts on the base of the toilet, and lift the toilet out. You will be left with a toilet drain hole in the middle of the floor.
2. Use a chalk snapline to divide the floor into four even squares, with two intersecting lines. The intersection should be in the center of the floor.
3. Use a notched mortar trowel to spread thinset mortar over the intersection, covering a few square feet of floor surface. You will still be able to see the lines through the mortar.
4. Press the first floor tiles in place in the mortar, at the intersection of the lines. Put spacers between them. Build out from there, spreading more mortar as needed and working your way out toward the edges of the floor.
5. Cut the partial tiles along the wall and the tub on a platform tile cutter as needed. Use tile nippers to break and shape the tiles to go around the toilet drain, leaving about ¼ inch of space between the edges of the tiles and the drain. (It doesn't matter that the edges of the tiles around the drain will be jagged and uneven, since the toilet base will be covering it.)
6. Let the tiles set for 12 hours. Remove the spacers. Grout the floor, using a grout float to press the grout into the spaces. Use a damp sponge to wipe off the excess grout.
7. Allow the grout to dry for a full day. Reinstall the toilet, using the reverse process you used to install it. Caulk about the toilet base.
Use your hutch or buffet to enhance your dining room decor.
Decorate your dining room buffet and hutch to complement the style, color scheme and decor in your dining room. Your buffet and hutch can serve as a storage area to keep extra items put away--but close at hand--and a display area to show off your most treasured items. Either way, it should accentuate your style and bring you joy to look at it.
Dishes
Dishes are an obvious choice for a hutch, as the original purpose of a hutch was to display one's finest china. If your dining room is decorated in a Victorian or formal style, display your china set. Display an array of dishes if you have an eclectic collection of different sizes, colors or textures. If you have mismatched pieces from various sources, or collect hand-painted dishes, these would work for a country or casual dining room. The dishes do not have to match, unless you want them to. Instead, focus on creating a balanced display that works in harmony with the rest of your decor.
Art
Art is another subjective display choice. If your dining room serves as the center of your family's activities, consider displaying items that come from the members of your household. Display tiles or plates with your children's handprints or artwork. Display their latest photos in picture frames that they painted. Show off the mugs and vases that your little ones sculpted or decorated. These items will delight your heart each time you sit down to share a meal, and make the kids feel special to see their handiwork in such a prominent way. Display sculpted statues, hand-blown glass vases or other contemporary art in a contemporary dining room. The type of art that you display in the hutch should reflect the style and colors found elsewhere in the room.
Collectibles
Your dining room buffet and hutch is one of the most logical places to display your collection. If you collect various clocks, arrange them in the hutch in a pleasing way. Pottery, bottles, glass, vases, dishes, baskets, books, crystal figurines, bear knickknacks, seashells, cultural artifacts, model ships inside of bottles or any other collection that you have can decorate the hutch as long as it fits in with the dining room decor. If you have a variety of different collections, rotate the items every couple of months to keep your display fresh and interesting, and give each of your collections time to shine.
Display Options
Paint, stain, distress or stencil your buffet and hutch to fit in with the room and collection. For example, if you have a collection of dishes, tea cups, paintings and vases with rose patterns, stencil a small rose pattern around the edges of the hutch to fit in. Distress your hutch to fit in with a worn, country cottage or farmhouse look. Add spotlights to shine on your most treasured pieces.
Arrangement
Use each opening to display a piece that is similar in size and shape to create a balanced and pleasing look. Avoid stuffing the hutch with too many small collectibles or they will look cluttered and get lost in a sea of "stuff." Instead, arrange a couple of smaller pieces in front of larger pieces to keep your eyes moving around to take in each piece. If all of your pieces can stand on their own, fill each display area with one piece.
Tags: dining room, your dining, dining room, hutch with, your dining room, buffet hutch, buffet hutch
Humidity and heat create suitable growing conditions in bathrooms.
Mushrooms may add color and variety to an outdoor garden or lawn, but mushrooms that sprout up in your bathroom are a cause for concern. Bathrooms provide mushrooms with ideal growing conditions. Even though many mushrooms are harmless on their own, the presence of mushrooms in your bathroom is indicative of much more significant moisture problem that may lead to more serious mold infestations.
Causes
The fungal spores that generate mushrooms are microscopic and light enough to be carried by even small gusts of wind. Spores are present on clothing, window screens and plants, but two of the single-cell spores must combine in order to begin mushroom growth. Since mushrooms require high humidity and low-light, oftentimes the conditions inside your home don't support mushroom growth, but bathrooms are particularly well-suited for sprouting mushrooms. High heat, excess moisture and low-lighting provide the conditions that allow mushrooms to flourish in bathroom floors, walls or even ceilings, particularly around areas where moisture collects or pools.
Risks
Though the threat of poisonous mushrooms may be the first concern you consider, the mushrooms themselves are unlikely to pose a serious threat to your health. A majority of mushrooms are harmless, though you should not eat any mushrooms that grow in your bathroom as a matter of caution. Bathroom mushrooms are a sign of a significant moisture problem in your bathroom that could support more harmful growth of black mold or mildew. Mold and mildew flourish in the same conditions that support mushroom growth, and exposure to mold poses a risk of serious allergic reactions or respiratory illnesses according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Removal
Initial removal of large mushrooms is as simply as donning a pair of rubber gloves and picking the offending fungi out of the floor, wall or ceiling. Once you remove the largest parts of the mushrooms, copper- or neem oil-based fungicides are an effective treatment for killing the remaining structures of the mushrooms. Using fungicides indoors requires proper ventilation as well as eye and mouth protection. If you prefer to not use fungicides, a diluted solution of bleach and water is also an effective means for killing mushrooms. Full eradication may require several applications of either a fungicide or a bleach solution.
Prevention
Treating existing mushrooms in your bathroom with a fungicide is not enough to prevent future fungal problems in your bathroom. If the levels of humidity in your bathroom are high enough to support mushrooms, they are also high enough to support the growth of toxic mold or structural damage to underlying wood structures in your bathroom. Ensure that is fitted with a ventilation fan to remove humidity from the room. Wet towels also provide a breeding ground for mold and mushrooms, so hang towels to dry or transfer them immediately to a washing machine. If the seals around your toilet or bathtub are leaking or pooling water, have them repaired by a professional contractor. If your water damage problem is severe, you may need to replace flooring or walls with new, dry wood.
Tags: your bathroom, mushroom growth, conditions that, enough support, , high enough
Heavy urine odors in the bathroom are overwhelming.
Whether it comes from a potty-training child or an elderly parent who suffers from incontinence, frequent accidents in your mobile home bathroom can lead to an overwhelmping urine odor. Urine has a protein in it called urea. Most surface cleaners do nothing to break down the odor-causing proteins, resulting in only a temporary fix for urine smells. To get rid of the human urine odor in your mobile home bathroom, use supplies that break down and absorb uric acid so your bathroom can be completely deodorized.
Instructions
1. Mix enzymatic pet odor neutralizer and water in a bucket according to the manufacturer's directions.
2. Put on rubber gloves to protect your hands from germs and bacteria. Soak a clean cloth in the enzyme solution. Wring out excess moisture.
3. Wipe down all surfaces in the mobile home bathroom where urine has come in contact. Include the areas surrounding the toilet and the entire floor surface. Allow the enzyme solution to sit on the surface for 10 to 15 minutes to break down and absorb the proteins from the urine.
4. Empty out the enzyme solution and rinse out the bucket. Fill the bucket with 1 gallon of hot water. Add 2 cups of white vinegar and 1/2 cup of baking soda to make an all-purpose cleansing solution that deodorizes the bathroom surfaces.
5. Dampen a clean cloth with the vinegar and solution. Wash the walls, bathtub, sink and toilet to clean and deodorize the bathroom and remove the urine smell. Use a mop to clean the floor. Rinse the cloth frequently throughout the cleaning process.
6. Moisten two cotton balls with 2 drops of essential oil on each. Use lemon essential oil, vanilla or mint to absorb odor and add a fresh scent.
Tags: break down, , home bathroom, mobile home bathroom, your mobile home, baking soda, break down absorb
Turquoise is a specific blue, based on the color of the semi-precious stone with the same name. This color is quite bold but blends nicely with brown to create a bright, earthy feel to your decor. However, finding art and other decor items that follow this theme is not always easy on a fixed income. Put together this look by using a little creativity to find and make items within you budget. Gather parts of the decor slowly as you run across treasures that work with both the color palette and your available cash.
Instructions
1. Use dark brown wood furniture in the bedroom. This furniture is widely available, making it easy to find at a bargain. Buy new furniture on sale or look for used furniture online or through garage sales and thrift stores.
2. Paint the walls to bring out the turquoise and brown look. Use a turquoise accent wall and paint the other walls a more neutral color, such as cream, or paint all the walls a bold turquoise. Use painter's tape to create brown and turquoise stripes on the wall by using the painters tape as guidelines on the wall. Alternatively, print out stencils and and use them to put shapes on the wall. Spray the stencils with a stencil adhesive and use a roller brush to paint inside the stencil. Try a turquoise wall with brown bird silhouettes by painting the inside of a stencil with brown paint to create the silhouette. Black or dark grey paint also works for silhouettes.
3. Accent the room with cheap turquoise and brown finds, such as turquoise throw pillows or a brown armchair.
4. Convert discount finds to match the theme. Try reupholstering a brown chair with a turquoise printed fabric. Spray paint a white lamp shade with turquoise paint and complete the look with a brown lamp base. Frame decorative wallpaper to create wall art or use the wallpaper to make a plain picture frame match the decor.
5. Complete the look using neutrals such as blacks, creams and whites. Try a white trim around the walls, windows and doorways, black lamps or cream-colored curtains. These colors will help break up the solid brown and turquoise look and are easy to find at a bargain because they are common and widely available. Try thrift stores, online buy and sells and local discount stores to find neutral furniture and accessories at a deal.
Tags: with brown, brown turquoise, color palette, easy find, easy find bargain, find bargain, inside stencil
Choosing chairs for a round dining table requires measuring your dining table as well as deciding the style of dining chair you would like purchase. Checking the fit and dimensions of your chair selection with your dining table is very important. Some stores will allow you to try out a chair at your house prior to purchase, but sometimes you will have to order based solely on dimensions. When selecting the style of your chairs, make sure they complement the style of your table as well as the overall style of your home.
Instructions
1. Measure the diameter of your table top as well as the height from the floor to the top of the table. If your table has an apron, or overhang, measure the height from the floor to the bottom edge of the apron. Write these dimensions down.
2. Research the type of chairs you would like to purchase. Decide if you would like chairs with arms or without. Traditionally you would choose one or the other, but not a mix of both, for a round table. Consider the material you would like for your chairs, wood, metal or plastic. Chairs are also available in fully upholstered, partially upholstered or in non-upholstered styles.
3. Shop for chairs for your dining table. Bring your measurements along so you can make sure the seat height will work with your dining table. Sit in any chairs you are considering to make sure they are comfortable before you make a final decision. Think about the other materials, fabrics and colors in your home to make sure you are choosing chairs that will complement your style and color palette.
4. Measure the seat height for the dining chairs you select. A 10- to 12-inch difference between the seat height of your dining chair and the height of your dining table's top is recommended. If you have selected armchairs for your round dining table, make sure to measure from the floor to the highest point on the chairs arm. This dimension should be smaller than the height of the apron and tabletop measurement. If it is larger, the chair's arms will prevent the chair from sliding under the table.
5. Measure the length and width of the seats on the chairs you have selected. Cut cardboard or newspaper in these dimensions and place them around your dining table to calculate how many chairs you can fit around the table. Allow approximately 6 inches between each chair to avoid crowding. If you are purchasing chairs from a furniture store with knowledgeable salespeople, they may be able to draw a diagram of your table and chair selections to make sure they will work together.
Tags: dining table, your dining, make sure, your dining table, would like
Even the most careful individuals are likely to end up with stains on their dining room chairs eventually. During dinner parties when the table is crowded or during family get-togethers when the little ones are present, accidents are more likely to occur. Fortunately, the spills on your dining room chairs do not have to become permanent stains. With the right products and a few simple steps, your chairs will look as good as new.
Determine Proceed
Before applying any cleaning products to your dining room chairs, it is imperative to check the cleaning code of the fabric. This can usually be found on the underside of the chair seat. An "S," on your chairs means that only a cleaning solvent made for fabrics should be used to clean the spot because water will cause the color in the fabric to run. A "W" on the chair indicates that the fabric should be cleaned only with water. An "SW" indicates that either detergent or water can be used. Most common fabrics used to cover dining room chairs will be "SW." If the chairs do not have a cleaning code imprinted on them, test any cleaner on an inconspicuous area of the chair first to check for color-fastness. Allow the spot to dry before proceeding.
Remove the Stains
If the fabric allows, apply a stain remover used for laundry or upholstery directly onto the affected area. Allow the cleaner to penetrate the stain for at least fifteen minutes. If the fabric is water-safe, use a damp white cloth to blot the stain. Use your knuckles to push forcefully into the fabric. If the fabric should not be touched by water, use a dry white cloth. While blotting, do not rub the fabric, as it can weaken the fibers and lead to premature wear. If the stain is not completely removed in one treatment, apply additional cleaner and wait fifteen more minutes before blotting again. If your fabric can only be cleaned with water, try blotting the stain with a damp cloth. Dining chairs made with this type of fabric will likely need to be treated by a professional upholstery cleaner.
Avoid Future Stains
To avoid future spills penetrating the fabric, consider laminating the fabric on your dining room chairs. This can be done at any professional upholstery shop. Or for a quick fix at home, purchase dining room chair covers that can be slipped on and off with ease. Anytime a spill occurs, simply toss the cover in the wash.
Tags: dining room, dining room chairs, room chairs, your dining, your dining room
Banquette seating makes efficient use of your space.
Move away from the standard dining room set-up and tailor a banquette to fit the individual needs your dining space and your lifestyle. Whether you dream of a sunny breakfast nook, or a banquette the length of the room for additional guest seating, you can create a banquette to suit any room. Experiment with fabric and pattern to add a hint of color to your dining space.
Booth
For a booth, create two parallel areas of banquette seating with a table between them. For this application, a rectangular table works best. The length of the banquettes depends on how much space you have to work with and the seating you require. It is best to seat up to three people on each side for a total of six. Tailor the booth to work for your space. One idea for the exposed back of one side of the booth is to add a shelf to store placemats and cloth napkins.
Corner or Nook
A corner or nook consists of an L-shape and is tucked into a corner. The shape of the table can be round or square but a third option is to have a square table modified to avoid anyone from bumping into the corner as they walk past. One of the corners can be cut off or rounded for a smoother finish. In addition to the L-shape of the banquette, you can add a few chairs.
Banquette Furniture
Banquette-style furniture can be purchased in pieces to be added to one side of a dining room table. Designs range in styles and include modern, traditional and eclectic. Wooden benches and upholstered pieces are some of the options available. Creative use of cabinets and drawer systems can be designed with a banquette and attached by screwing them together. Look for discount cabinets left over from kitchen remodels for a cost-effective approach. Design a flat top with a cushion and a cushion for the back to complete the look.
Accessories and Options
Building your own banquette affords you the option of adding additional storage to your kitchen or dining area. Options include cupboard doors, drawers and shelving. The banquette can also be built in a way that allows you to open the seat (akin to a toy box) for extra storage space. Keep your cook book collection on display in the shelving exposed on one side of the banquette. Accessorize the seating area with cushions, placemats and cloth napkins to be changed out with the seasons. Choose a wipeable material for the banquette itself, to care for it and promote its longevity.
Design your hotel room around your favorite vacation destination.
Designing your bedroom around a theme can turn your main living space into a relaxing getaway. Incorporating your favorite pastimes or places into your bedroom can inspire and calm you. If you love to travel, or don't travel as often as you like, designing your bedroom around a hotel theme will make you feel that you're far away from your hometown. With simple tweaks and cost-effective purchases, creating your own hotel bedroom is within your reach.
Instructions
Designing Your Hotel Bedroom
1. Choose a setting for your hotel room. Hotels are associated with vacations, and designing your new hotel room around your favorite destination will make every trip to your room seem like a mini-getaway. If you love to lounge at the beach, ski in the mountains or stroll the streets of Paris, incorporate images of these settings into your room. Clip advertisements and pictures from magazines or use your own personal photos. Create a faux "window" along one wall, with images that reflect the sort of view you'd like to see from a far-off hotel room. Have a CD handy with music that matches your themel, such as Beach Boy jams or Italian opera.
2. Create the look of a presidential suite with richly colored fabrics and window dressings. Hang a thick, soft, white robe from the back of your bedroom door and place white slippers at the foot of your bed. Outfit your bed with Egyptian linens that have a high thread count, plus down pillows and a down duvet. If your bedroom has a connecting bathroom, display neat, stark-white towels. Place an illuminated makeup/shaving mirror on the countertop. You can even purchase small, individual-size toiletries like shampoo and miniature soaps.
3. To create the full effect of a typical hotel room, certain niceties can be included. Display a small coffeemaker with individual-size coffee packets on your dresser. If you receive a daily newspaper, place it at the bottom of your bed or by the door. Keep valuables in a locked safe. Get the feel of having 24-hour room service by stocking a mini-refrigerator with essential snacks and beverages. You can even put a bellhop bell next to your bed.
Tags: hotel room, your bedroom, your favorite, your hotel, your hotel room
Of all the rooms in your home, your bedroom should feature a decor that suits your unique style and needs. Hawaiian-themed bedrooms remain a perennial favorite because they create the sense of a relaxing, natural retreat in the bedroom. You can do a quick Hawaiian update in the bedroom by switching your textiles and investing in some thematic wall art or spend more time and money for a full Hawaiian bedroom makeover.
Instructions
1. Consider the variety of Hawaii decor themes. You can go Polynesian with bright tropical prints and an ocean-inspired palette. Add some kitschy style to your bedroom with a tiki bar-inspired look. A beach party and surfing theme recalls Elvis in the movie Blue Hawaii.
2. Establish the theme by painting or finishing the walls. You can do a simple tropical backdrop by using ocean blue, bottle green, mango orange, lemon yellow or brilliant red on an accent wall. If you prefer to paint all four walls, go with cheerful yellow or periwinkle blue and add accents of brighter shades. For a tiki look, you can install wood paneling or hang raffia mats or cover a wall in a packaged mural featuring a bamboo forest. For surfing style, a wall mural of waves breaking adds an exciting backdrop.
3. Transform your bed or bedding to fit the Hawaiian decor theme. Keep the look sleeker and more sophisticated with a platform-style bed frame in a medium or dark stain and leaf green or ocean blue bedding or go bolder and brighter with prints of tropical flowers or jungle vines. Add to the jungle theme by suspending a mosquito net or a canvas canopy over and around your bed.
4. Complement the decor with other furnishings and accessories. Use natural materials and items from nature to evoke Hawaii's natural wonders. Rustic wooden furniture with bold lines works well with this look, as does an Asian-influenced design of unadorned, simple wooden frames that have low profiles. Bring beach-inspired furniture indoors by including a wicker table and chairs at the window or a metal garden cart covered in blossoming plants in a dark corner. Line a floating shelf, windowsill or tabletop with shells, coral, sea glass, sand dollars and stones to evoke the ocean.
5. Illuminate different parts of your Hawaiian bedroom with accent lighting. A pair of wall sconces with flower-shaped fixtures might frame a painting or mural. Use torch-style floor lamps to evoke tiki torches. Table lamps can feature stained glass shades with ocean colors. Tea lights give your room the warm glow of an open fire at a beach party.
A different dining room idea would be to cast aside the room you normally eat in and locate it elsewhere.
Dining rooms used to be more formal because the preparation of food was more formal. Families gathered at the dining table to discuss the day's events. Those more formal days of dining room use are disappearing with each passing year. Today's dining table is just as likely to house a computer as it is to be used for serving a full course meal. Take a chance on doing something different with your dining room that takes into account the evolving nature of the room itself.
Offbeat Decorating
Many times a dining area is not utilized as often as it could because it just isn't a very exciting place to be. Consider taking a chance on a different kind of design by going with an outlandish paint scheme or wallpaper that would be overpowering in a larger room. If you enjoy the surrounding, you are more likely to use the room. Make a vibrant and even offbeat decorating statement utilizing the confined space of the average dining room. Think of raised pattern wallpaper or velvet wall covering or a hand-painted mural.
Add a Window
Knock out a wall in the dining area and install a bay, bow or greenhouse window. The greenhouse could be a place where you raise your own herbs and spices. The bay or bow window could be a spot for decorating with larger plants, or you could install a cabinet area beneath that houses your plates, silverware and glasses.
Indoor/Outdoor Dining Area
Another idea that involves knocking out the wall means pushing your dining room into the outdoors. Extend the dining area with a nook that is placed outdoors in a screened area. This gives you the nightly option of choosing to dine indoors or moving your dinner plans outside. Install a waterfall in the yard so that outdoor dining is accompanied by the serene sounds of gently running water.
Recessed Pin Spotlights
Get rid of that cheaply manufactured chandelier that was there when you bought the house, and light your dining room with ceiling-recessed pin spotlights. This type of lighting provides a more dramatic effect than the standard overhead fixture. Wire a dimmer to the recessed lighting so that you can alter the mood from romantic to family-friendly get-togethers involving the whole brood.
Trading Spaces
Consider moving your dining room to another area of the house than the area that the architect designed. Use the proximity of the dining area to the living room to extend the functions of that room. Use an extra room as a formal dining area rather than a spare bedroom. The closet area can be pressed into service to hold your dishes, silverware and other dining essentials. Creating a formal, separate dining area may just create a need for more formal dining rites that the whole family begins to look forward to each night. Cast away the television and get back to the ideals of dining time as family time.
Tags: dining area, dining room, more formal, your dining, your dining room
The State of Georgia, as have a majority of states including neighboring Florida, has adopted a standardized code concerning public restroom facilities for "customers, patrons and visitors." Georgia has modeled its regulations on a standard established by the International Plumbing Code (IPC), which sets minimum requirements for plumbing systems and their design. Out of necessity, Georgia's "separate restroom" standards are extremely flexible in order to accommodate a wide variety of public needs and demands.
IPC Guidelines
The IPC guidelines adopted by the state of Georgia are very straightforward. So are the exceptions.
Separate Facilities
The code simply states, "Where plumbing fixtures are required, separate facilities shall be provided for each sex."
Exceptions to the Rule
There are, however, three exceptions to the "separate facilities" requirement.
Extreme Flexibility
The first exceptions to the "separate facilities" requirement are restrooms in private facilities. The second exception excludes every businesses with less than 15 employees. The final exclusion is granted to "tenant spaces with a total occupant capacity, including both employers and customers, of 15 or less."
Tags: exceptions separate, exceptions separate facilities, facilities requirement, public restroom, separate facilities,
The bedroom often gets cluttered with various objects. This may be because these objects should be in your bedroom, but limited storage space keeps these items from being put away. A solution to this is to install cabinets in your bedroom. The problem with cabinets is that they take away floor space. If you have hanging cabinets, however, you can have a place to store everything and not give up floor space.
Instructions
1. Use the stud finder to find two wall studs in the area you would like to hang your cabinet. These should be about 16-inches apart. Mark their locations with the pencil.
2. Decide how high you want the bottom of your cabinet to be from the ground and measure that height from the floor. Mark this location with the pencil on one of the .
3. Place the piece of 1-by-3 on the wall so the top of it is at the mark where the bottom of your cabinet is supposed to be. Make sure this is level and screw it into the wall studs. This will provide your cabinet a level place to rest as you are installing it.
4. Place the cabinet on the 1-by-3 so the back of the cabinet is flush against the wall. Screw the cabinet to the wall through the back of the cabinet and into the wall studs. Use four screws per stud--two on the top and two on the bottom.
5. Remove the 1-by-3 and spackle any holes which might be in the wall. Cover the Spackle with paint.
Tags: wall studs, your cabinet, , bottom your, bottom your cabinet, floor space
Small bedrooms provide the perfect place to escape the day because they are intimate and cozy. A woman's bedroom that happens to be small might seem like a decorating challenge, but it doesn't have to be. The most important thing to keep in mind is that your bedroom should be a retreat from the rest of the world. You can accomplish decorating a small bedroom with a feminine touch in no time at all.
Instructions
1. Decorate your bedroom with furniture that fits. Keep furniture and accessories to scale and use pieces with clean lines for a comfortable look. Avoid overstuffed pieces and pieces with ornate inlays.
2. Paint your bedroom with a color you love. White is not the only option for small rooms. Try shades of green for a sense of energy. Blue tones are soothing and work well in bedrooms. Yellow will add warmth to your bedroom. Lilac and light shades of pink are other options for rooms with feminine appeal.
3. Select fabrics that will give the room a feminine look. Chintz instantly gives bedrooms a soft and cozy feel. Lace and vintage linens offer a look of romance.
4. Hang curtains that keep the room feeling open and feminine. Hang them close to the ceiling and on the outside of window frames. This creates a sense of spaciousness in the room. Use sheers for a light and romantic look or opt for a swag of floral fabric to enhance the room's romantic mood.
5. Choose accessories that enhance femininity. To keep a small bedroom from looking smaller, keep out the clutter. Choose only items you need. Look for nightstands and vanity tables painted white or with a distressed look for a vintage, lived-in look.
6. Hang mirrors in your bedroom to make the room feel larger and add a romantic quality. Choose a mirror with a frame that coordinates with your d cor to give your room a finished look.
7. Select items for your bedroom that serve multiple purposes. Decorative or stackable boxes hide clutter and help a room feel unified. A trunk at the foot of the bed gives you a place to store seasonal clothing or linens.
Tags: your bedroom, bedroom with, bedroom should, bedroom that,
Soundproof your bedroom to keep sounds from entering or exiting.
Noise from the environment, your neighbors and even people inside your home can easily slip into your bedroom. Not only does it interfere with your sleeping, but it can make doing anything inside your room difficult. Reading a book or even listening to music is hard to do when you hear noises coming from outside. Soundproofing your bedroom nearly guarantees that you'll start getting a good night's sleep, every night of the week.
Instructions
1. Check your bedroom for any signs of holes or cracks, including cracks around electrical boxes and windows. Any small hole allows noise from the outside to get inside your bedroom. To block out those sounds, cover all the holes with acoustical caulk.
2. Change the door to your bedroom, opting for a door with a solid core. Traditional interior doors have a hollow core, which can't block sound waves like solid-core doors do. Add weather stripping around the door to serve as an additional blocker of sound.
3. Add drapes or wall hangings around the room, to block out more noise. The fabric acts as a buffer, absorbing many of the sound waves before they reach your ears. Use drapes on the windows in your bedroom and use the on shared walls and other spaces where you have a problem with noise.
4. Make your own drop ceiling-style piece, with fabric and thumbtacks. Hang sheets of fabric from the ceiling, adding thumbtacks at each corner to secure the pieces. Cover the majority of the ceiling with the fabric. This helps block out some of the noise and is cheaper than installing a drop ceiling.
5. Install thick carpeting on the floors of your bedroom, especially if you have neighbors below or share a house with roommates. The sound waves pass through the floor easily, but carpets helps muffle the noise. Plus, it reduces the noise that others hear when you walk around your bedroom.
Tags: your bedroom, , sound waves, from outside, wall hangings, with fabric
A stacked bedroom plan is beneficial for families with young children, allowing ease of access to parents.
When buying either an existing home or custom plans for a new build, it is helpful to potential buyers to understand the various floor plans available, as well as the lingo used by real estate agents and builders in describing the architecture. A stacked bedroom is one that is grouped in a cluster with the other bedrooms in a home, in the same hallway, rather than spread throughout the house or down separate hallways. This design comes with both advantages and disadvantages.
Design History
A stacked bedroom floor plan was typically used in small homes, such as those built after World War II, and in country farmhouses. While many modern floor plans allow for the master bedroom to be separated from other bedrooms in the home, stacked bedroom plans are on the rise again. In 2009, Coastal Living Magazine listed two such floor plans -- the Bluffton House and the Sea Island Cottage -- as among the top 10 favorite floor plans for consumers building a coastal-style home.
Benefits
Having a stacked bedroom plan allows for children to be situated close to parents in a master bedroom. Nurseries can be next door. This floor plan also allows greater safety in the event of a fire or an intruder; occupants can be alerted quickly and easily for evacuation of the home. During a remodeling of bedrooms, a smaller second bedroom positioned next to a master can be converted into a larger master, or a master can be fashioned from two small bedrooms -- usually at a lower cost than adding on to the home.
Disadvantages
A lack of privacy is one disadvantage to a stacked bedroom design, especially in homes with thinner walls or less insulation; noise carries easily between rooms. House guests have a lack of privacy with bedrooms and bathrooms clustered together. Resale value on homes with a stacked bedroom floor plan can be lower than those with a split bedroom floor plan, or the house may be harder to sell.
Cost Difference
With newly built homes, designing a stacked bedroom floor plan requires less hallway space in the design, saving on home-building costs. With a preexisting structure, expanding two stacked bedrooms into a larger room rather than adding on to the home can contribute to substantial savings. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms can be positioned outside in the hallway to allow access to all rooms; this saves on the cost of individual or hard-wired alarms in each room. Heating and cooling costs can be greatly affected as vents in other areas of the house can be closed at night when those rooms are not in use.
If you're in a home without a formal dining room, converting a spare room into a dining room is an efficient way to use the space. And it's much less hassle and less expensive than knocking down walls and building additions onto the house. A small bedroom, for example, can easily be repurposed for this usage. After a weekend's worth of effort---or less---your home will have the formal dining room you've always wanted.
Room Prep
Clear the bedroom out completely, removing every piece of furniture. If there is carpeting in the room, remove it if you can. Dining rooms are usually uncarpeted; plus, this makes cleaning spilled food or drink much easier. Once the room is empty, paint the walls. In a small room, using lighter colors makes the space appear bigger, so try a white, or a pale or pastel shade.
The Furnishings
Use appropriately sized furniture.
Do some space planning to decide what furniture to use and where to put it. First consider size. Since the bedroom is small, using only table and chairs is best; use larger pieces such as a buffet or china cabinet only if not too obtrusive. Look for a small or round square table instead of a long rectangular one. When placing furniture in the room, allow for the location of any windows, for easy access to doors, and for the most efficient flow of movement in the room.
End Product
Decorative accents and finishing touches pull the room together.
Pull the dining room together with . Replace the ceiling fan or light with a chandelier. Place a potted plant or corner shelving unit in a corner. Put curtains on the window. Hang pictures on one wall. Mount shelves on another wall and place neatly stacked plates and bowls on them, or decorative affects such as candles, pretty pottery, dining-themed words carved in wood such as "Eat Well" or "Kiss the Cook" or "Bon appétit!" or other knick knacks. Place a centerpiece and table settings on the table.
Tags: dining room, finishing touches, formal dining, formal dining room, into dining, into dining room
If you love to entertain a big group for dinner but do not have the space to keep a full-length table on display year round, why not make an expandable dining table? An expandable table is a practical choice if your family is small but you entertain a lot of friends and family on special occasions. The table can be kept for regular daily use at its smaller size, with 4- to 6-person seating capacity, and then expanded later on to allow 14 or more people to dine together.
Instructions
Expand Using Expandable Wooden Supports
1. Remove the wooden dining table top from the legs. This section is a tutorial for tables made of wood only. Go to Section 2 if you want to expand a dining table with top made of glass or ceramics.
2. Mark the center of your table, draw a straight line from top to bottom.
3. Cut the wooden dining table in half or along the line you just drew to ensure that it is centered. Use a table saw that can cut through a long length, adjusted to the thickness of the wood. Do this along the shorter length of the table if it is rectangular in shape.
4. Use a medium grit sandpaper to remove the splinters along the cut; sand until it is smooth. Then stain the edges with a finish to match.
5. Measure the length and width of the piece that would go to the middle, which will be the added leaf. The length should match that of the existing pieces if you are creating the leaves for a square or rectangular table. For round or oval table, measure the longest part, usually the very center of the table, which will be your basis for measurement.
6. Cut the piece of wood to be used as the table leaf. You can cut one piece at 30 inches wide or two pieces at 15 inches wide each. You can match the wood with the same type of material or use a 3/4-inch thick plywood and just stain it with the same finish later on. It is not really a must to match the wood grain and material because this piece will be hidden most of the time. You can cover it with tablecloth when in use to hide imperfections.
7. Measure the width of the expansion in the middle. Cut four pieces of 2 x 4-inch solid wood lumber based on the measurement leaving 4 inches on each side as overlap. These cut pieces will be used as wooden supports that glide in and out. Create a tongue and groove by carving the wood to allow the wooden sections to slide inside one another by a groove. Add metal tracks and track rollers for ease of operation. When the table is expanded, the gear glides out to expand, revealing the opening for the table leaf. Then, when you push the table back together, it should glide through smoothly to close.
8. Test out the expandable table and see how it operates. You may need to adjust the nuts and bolts for tightness or add more groove to allow for smoother gliding operation.
Expand by Creating a Bigger Removable Top
9. Create a removable table top that you can easily put on top of your existing table and then stow away when not in use. In this section you can expand the capacity of a glass top, ceramic top or wooden top table because you would not need to alter or cut the existing table. This type of technique is used by conventions centers, hotels and restaurants if they need bigger tables to accommodate bigger groups that want to be seated together.
10. Measure the width and length of the existing table. Based on this measurement, create a table top with added 18 inches on . If it is a square or rectangle, add 18 inches on all four sides. For round or oval table, add 18 inches to the whole circumference to create a bigger table top.
11. Transfer the measurement or dimension on a piece of plywood or MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard). Using MDF is ideal because it is light and easy to work with. The plywood is thicker and heavier but more sturdy.
12. Trace the shape of your new table top based on the measurement. For a circular shape, you can use a pencil tied to a piece of yarn. Measure the yarn same as the circumference of the table. Then holding the tip of the yarn in the middle, move the pencil around to draw the perfect circle. If it is too wide for you to handle, you can nail down the end of the yarn at the center of the wood, then move around while drawing the circle.
13. Cut using a circular saw or a jigsaw for round or oval tables; use a table saw for a square or rectangular table.
14. Use sandpaper to smooth out the edges.
15. Stain or paint the table top with the matching color of the other wood pieces on the existing table, or you can leave it unfinished if you are using tablecloth each time you entertain.
16. Try the table top for size and sturdiness. Depending on how large it is compared to the original table top, you may want to use additional support or clamps to keep it in place while in use to avoid toppling over. You may also use big strips of double-sided tapes or Velcro to hold it in place. Store when not in use.
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Public restrooms at crowded venues often become messy due to overuse. Buessiness that want to make a good impression on guests and provide a higher level of customer service can employ restroom attendants to stay in the bathrooms. A restroom attendant maintains the restroom facilities, which contributes to a more positive experience for guests. In nicer venues, the restroom attendant provides personal care items in addition to cleaning services.
Responsibilities
Restroom attendants ensure that public restrooms are clean and functional. This includes replacing supplies, wiping counters, mopping up excess water and fixing broken sinks and toilets. In a posting for a restroom attendant position at the Red River Valley Fair in West Fargo, North Dakota, the restroom attendant is expected to do more than clean and maintain the facilities. She must also satisfy the needs of guests and respond to emergency situations such as a fire or tornado. The restroom attendant is also expected to be "aware of all activities at the fairgrounds and report any suspicious activities to management." Some restroom attendants also direct guests to open stalls. This helps make the lines move faster.
Qualifications
Some restroom attendants have high school diplomas but some businesses do not require diploma. This is an entry level job that is taught through on-the-job training. In the United States, male restroom attendants work only in men's rooms and female restroom attendants work only in ladies' rooms.
Other Considerations
A restroom attendant must have communication skills and excel at customer service. She must be both assertive and tactful in her interactions with guests. She must work well in a fast paced environment. She must be able to stand for long periods of time and lift up to 60 pounds. Finally, a restroom attendant must be honest, hardworking and pay attention to detail.
Time Commitment
Restroom attendants work when the business is most crowded. Many restroom attendants at restaurants, clubs, theaters and sports arenas work evenings, weekends and holidays. Shifts may extend late into the night and not end until after the business is closed.
Salary and Job Outlook
Many restroom attendants work for tips. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics does not keep separate data on restroom attendants, but they can be grouped with locker room, coat room and dressing room attendants. People in these professions made an average of $9.49 per hour or $19,750 per year in 2009. These positions are expected to grow between 7 and 13 percent by 2018, which is an average rate of growth.
Tags: restroom attendant, restroom attendants, attendants work, restroom attendants work, attendant must, attendants work only, customer service