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There are four methods for installing a wood floor: nail down, staple down, glue down, and free-float. If cement is the base of your floor, then you can only use glue down and free-float. If you have plywood, then you can use any of the four choices. This article explains how to go about the installation of free-floating floors.

The four methods from easiest to hardest are:

Free-float: requires little to no experience, and will help you save money on the cost of installation. If you have no experience, this is the one recommended.

Glue down: recommended for people with some experience. This method is not that difficult if your sub-floor is flat or requires only a minimal amount of preparation.

Staple down: this method requires skill with power tools. You may be able to rent the stapler that is needed for this job.

Nail down: if you need to read this article to find out how to install a floor, this method is not for you. It requires experience and specific tools.

Free-Float Installations

Floating floors are installed as a panel system, rather than as individual strips of wood. Most panels come in 8″ by 96″ lengths, and fit together with a tongue-in-groove method. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions during the entire installation or your warranty will not be eligible. The recommended adhesive is aliphatic resin glue as it is white, dries within an hour, and is
cured in 24 hours. Ensure that all excess glue is wiped away with a damp sponge as you proceed.

1. Allow the boards to sit in your house for 3 days before installing them so that they acclimatize to the moisture in your house and don’t expand or contract too much once installed.

2. Lay down the manufacturer recommended underlayment on your sub-floor. Cut it with a utility knife to fit the room exactly. Products are usually made of foam or plastic or a combination.

3. Fit the first board into the corner. Leave a gap between the wall and flooring for the wood to expand. Use a wood spacer.

4. Fit the next board into the first - they should fit well with their special grooves.

5. Ensure they are fitted tightly and place a spacer near the joint.

6. Apply adhesive on the edge of the next board, but not in the groove unless specified by the manufacturer’s instructions. Most floors only require adhesive on the edges and not on the ends.

7. Position the new board in place and hammer it together with the adjacent board to secure. To protect the flooring, place a scrap piece of wood in between the flooring and hammer. Alternatively, you could use a tapping block.

8. Repeat until you reach the last board. The last one may require cutting in order to fit.

9. To fit the last board in place, use scrap wood to protect the wall, and a pry bar to lower the last board into place.

This method of installing wood floors has several advantages.

Save time: minimal sub-floor preparation is required

Floating floors are stable and forgiving since the foam placed on the sub-floor hides imperfections

In comparison to other installation methods, floating floors allow for the natural expansion of wood without leaving gaps - the panels are glued together so the floor expands as a whole. This is particularly important in areas where temperature changes vary significantly between seasons

Because the hardwood flooring is not fastened directly on the sub-floor, creaking sounds will not be heard.

[tags]free float, installation, hardwood floors[/tags]

Decorating and furnishing a small apartment or studio can be challenging, but when done correctly your small spaces will look and feel more spacious. When selecting furniture for your small space always choose smaller pieces that have a more open design. A love seat with exposed legs, two small side chairs, and a small round glass top coffee table, is a better choice than a large sofa with hidden legs, love seat, and a large solid wood coffee table. When arranging your furniture be aware of traffic patterns, all traffic should flow uninterrupted through your room. In a living room, start decorating with the sofa or love seat. When arranging your furniture, start with the largest piece on the largest wall and facing your focal point. Then create a conversation area by placing a side chair on each side of the love seat. Place your coffee table where it can be reached from all three sitting places.

However, in small spaces, be careful not to over use accessories. Remember, less is more, if you want to create that open feeling. Mirrors and shiny reflective accessories help create the illusion of more space. Larger patterns should be limited to pillows and smaller accessories, rather than a large sofa or love seat. When choosing color schemes, select soft and monochromatic colors. Use the same or similar colors for your large pieces of furniture and walls, and keep your ceiling lighter than the rest of the room. Use a soft even light and eliminate shadows that tend to slice a room up into smaller spaces. Incandescent lighting will also soften a room. Avoid ceiling lighting, as this will visually lower your ceiling. Keep your apartment simple and clean.

Decorating provides detailed information on Decorating, Home Decorating, Bedroom Decorating, Bathroom Decorating and more. Decorating is affiliated with Web Site Design.

[tags]Decorating, Home Decorating, Bedroom Decorating, Bathroom Decorating[/tags]

Having pure drinking water is a very important step toward maintaining good health, but these days there are more options for ensuring a clean, pure water source than ever before. In fact, there are several different kinds of water filtration systems available for home use including the water pitcher filter, faucet filters,undersink filters,and whole house filters.

But how do each of these water filtration systems work, and which models have been shown to be the best quality units to buy according to consumer review organizations and surveys?

Water pitcher filters are extremely easy and simple to use, as all you have to do is fill the pitcher up and and watch the water filter through. Their simplicity and portability make them a very popular choice for lots of consumers. According to information gleaned from several water filter reviews the PUR Ultimate Pitcher is rated very highly for removing off-tastes and many contaminants and cysts. The filter is able to handle up to 40 gal. before needing to be replaced at a cost of nine dollars each. The biggest drawback with water pitcher filters is that they take a while to actually work, about 15 minutes at a time. So if you need drinking water quicker than that, a different water filter system will be needed.

Faucet mounted water filters are very popular these days and you see them advertised almost everywhere. They are very easy to install for even the most technically challenged among us, and are much quicker than water pitcher filters. They mount on the end of your water faucet and allow you to choose between either straight tap water or filtered water by just flipping a lever. They are very inexpensive to buy and their filter cartridges usually last two to three months. One of the most highly rated models of faucet mounted water filters is the GE Smartwater GXFM03C, which performed extremely well in most tests for both off-tastes and pollutants. It is capable of filtering out down to .5 microns for contaminants, and also does very well on sediments and cysts.

Undersink water filters usually do a little better job than the water pitchers and faucet mounted filters. However, often professional installation will be desired unless you are extremely handy around the home. Some advantages of using undersink water filters are that the water flow is extremely good, and the filters only need to be changed about once every six months or so at a cost of $20 each. A very highly rated model of undersink water filter is the Kenmore Dual 38460. All consumer reviews and ratings of this particular product were extremely high, and it would most likely make an excellent selection.

Whole house water filters do just what the name implies, they provide water filtration for the entire home simultaneously without having to be installed at each individual water faucet. Many homeowners see that as a real advantage, however the biggest disadvantage would have to be the fact that these kind of water filters will most likely require the services of a professional plumber to install properly, adding to its overall expense. Once again, Kenmore makes a highly recommended model according to most consumer reviews, the 38440. It attaches to the water main and can provide filtered water not only for drinking but for bathing, laundry, and other uses as well. Water flow rates are exceptionally good, and filters only need to be changed about every six months at a cost of about $15 each.

By reading through consumer reviews and ratings, you can get a pretty good idea of which models seem to be performing best for most people. Hopefully the information we have provided here will help you choose a high-quality, reliable, water filtration system for your home.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including home improvement. You can find home water filter systems and water filter reviews by visiting our Home Improvement website.

[tags]water filter, water, water filtration, reverse osmosis, drinking water, home improvement[/tags]

Tired of ogling the latest styles in brand name home furnishing stores and catalogues, only to find that the price of one little coffee table equals more than half your monthly salary? Don’t be discouraged with a little ingenuity, your home can be as beautiful and stylish as a Hollywood celebrity’s, for just a fraction of the cost.

* Start with the walls. It’s easy to forget that sometimes just adding a fresh coat of paint or changing the color of your walls can give your living room, bedroom, or dining room a brand new look and feel.

Wallpapering is another way to jazz up a room but don’t break your budget hiring a contractor. Consider wallpapering just one wall, or only wallpapering borders.

* Create atmosphere with Light. Don’t overlook the power of a lamp. The right lighting can transform any room. Forgo overhead lighting for lamps, and stay away from halogen unless it fits into your modern decorative scheme.

Wall sconces are another great way to add a stylish touch to any room. Look for the type that lends itself to easy, self-installation.

* Accessorize. Another inexpensive way to create a designer look is to buy a few key accessories, like silk pillows, chenille throw blankets, and fresh-smelling candles. Choose an elegant centerpiece for your dining room table or coffee table, like floating white candles, fresh flowers, or a ceramic or glass fruit bowl.

Pictures, photos, prints and paintings can be hung around a room to create whatever look or feel you desire. Shop flea markets and thrift stores for prints and interesting photographs, or go to a discount store for frames and hang some of your own creations.

* Buy furniture that won’t break the bank. Shop smart for couches, lamps, tables, entertainment centers, and more. Estate sales, consignment stores, flea markets, junk and thrift stores can be gold mines for second hand but stylish furniture.

If you don’t want second hand, shop clearance sales or online. Online furniture stores can be treasure troves for good deals, since they generally have little overhead and therefore don’t pass those costs on to you, the consumer.

* Can’t afford a new couch? If you are somewhat handy with a sewing machine, use discounted fabric or beautiful sheets to sew yourself a couch cover. Still have energy? Create more cheap but beautiful “new” furniture by sewing upholstery covers for your armchairs or dining room chair seat cushions.

If you can’t sew, buy a shabby chic slipcover or tuck in a large beautiful sheet or blanket for a homemade slipcover. Finally, consider simply rearranging your furniture finding a different wall to put your couch against can create a whole new look for your living room.

Use any or all of these tips to achieve the style you want at a low, low cost. Amaze your friends and family with your stylish home, then dazzle them with the shoestring budget you had to work with. Go ahead! It’s your home and you deserve the best without having to spend the most.

Please find the original article and more information about this subject at http://www.homeandliving.com/DesignAdvice.aspx?Category=YourStyleYourBudget

When Yale graduate, BatSheva Vaknin is not writing helpful and insightful articles like the one you just read for http://www.homeandliving.com, she writes plays, screenplays and short stories. In fact, she has just completed her first novel.

If you would like to publish this article own your site, please feel free to do so. Please let us know the URL of the posted article by emailing the URL to customerservice@homeandliving.com. All we ask is that you include the whole article, without changes, including the link to the original article location, author information, this disclaimerand the following link.

Find great home furniture online at http://www.homeandliving.com…

[tags]FURNITURE, interior decoration, livingroom furniture, bedroom furniture[/tags]

So! You want to do your own concrete cutting, huh?

My only piece of advice is: Sub it out. Professional concrete cutters make our lives so much simpler, and save us valuable time and money at the same time. Professional concrete cutters are set up to handle any size concrete sawing job, and even the small concrete cuts can cause big problems for an un-experienced worker. Concrete cutting isn’t something you want to hand off to an apprentice with a rescue saw and a particle mask because you will scare him away forever.

Most people will agree that concrete cutting saws that use diamond blades will make short work of cured concrete and rebar, but few will argue that the best way to make a doorway, window or an opening in a concrete wall is to form it correctly while the wall is being poured. Unfortunately even experienced carpenters can make mistakes. The most common reasons for cutting a freshly poured foundation are to widen existing openings; cut for forgotten doorways, windows, add utility penetrations and to add forgotten beam pockets. Home renovations and additions have their own set of conditions, many times limiting access to the cuts. What’s the best way to deal with this? Call a professional!

“I wish I could tell you how many times New Hampshire Concrete Cutting has had to “bail out” both contractors and homeowners who have started concrete cuts and cannot finish them,” says Robert Short General Manager of New Hampshire Concrete Cutting located in Manchester, NH. “Everyone runs to Home Depot to rent the equipment and spends an enormous amount of time trying to perform concrete cutting just to waste time, money and make a giant mess and then they call us to finish up anyway.

When they finally break down and call us they’ll either admit right away something like “I was a moron and I tried it myself” or they’ll be too embarrassed and blame it on the neighbor or their brother-in-law.” “We use the right equipment and our men are trained to do the job quickly and correctly.” Bob’s company uses track mounted diamond wall saws made by a manufacturer called Dimas USA, which can cut up to 27 inches deep when they are equipped with an enormous 60″ diameter blade. Generally only a 30″ blade is used to cut 12″ deep from one side of a concrete foundation.

Titanium tracks mounted to the concrete wall are used to guide the large concrete cutting saw with the diamond blade along the wall for a perfectly plumb and smooth cut. The concrete saw glides along each track, cutting deeper on each of several passes until the diamond blade completely penetrates the wall. Water keeps the blades cool and helps control dust during the cutting process. Even with this state of the art setup it can still take two to four hours to cut and drop a residential doorway opening.

Remember, safety is a priority in the concrete cutting field. If you decide to do it yourself, just plan on getting hurt. Noise levels from the saws and hammers are extremely intense, dust containment is critical, eye protection is crucial, and tipping out and dropping a 2,500 pound doorway cutout can be quite the difficult task. If you do rent the equipment and try to do the concrete cutting yourself don’t say we didn’t warn you. Good Luck!

© 2006 New Hampshire Concrete Cutting and Core Drilling, All Rights Reserved

New Hampshire Concrete Cutting and Core Drilling provides concrete cutting and core
drilling services to the contractor and homeowner in New Hampshire or NH. Visit our
website at http://www.affordableconcretecutting.net for more information on concrete
cutting and core drilling.

[tags]home improvement,do it yourself,diys,home repair,concrete[/tags]

Indian craftsmanship has always enjoyed a fame that has invited both respect and pillage from the earliest days. Whether it is stone work on temples or standalone articles, terracotta figurines, jewelry pieces, woodwork or graphic and plastic art, the craftsmen from this country have always been welcomed by connoisseurs of beauty. At times, however, this fixation with beauty sacrificed utility and comfort - this tendency resulted in ornate and complicated creations like a wooden throne, for example, that would have raised the goose-bumps, but would also have given a nasty backache. Local tradition and culture contributed to the furthest development of ornamental woodwork - for palaces, temples, public houses, works of arts, etc - but did not generate any utilitarian furniture of the kind we modern dwellers of the world are used to. One big reason for this was that eating was mainly done on floor, and sitting and resting on charpoys (simple string bed with wooden posts). The main thrust to furniture development was given by foreign influence.

When the Portuguese, the first Europeans to come to India, arrived, they did not find any familiar furniture, it was them, and later, the Dutch, the French and the English, who inspired the composition of domestic furniture to cater to their settlements. The Indian carpenter turned out to be precocious in adapting foreign designs and inducing in them an indigenous flavor of craftsmanship. Thus, as Joseph Butler mentions in an article in Encyclopedia Britannica, “India’s place in the history of furniture is that of an adapter or transformer of imported Western styles rather than a creator of independent styles of its own.” It was the play of these influences that gave birth to the Mughal style, the Goanese, the Indo-Dutch style, the use of ebony and ivory in the manner of Chippendale and Sheraton.

English predominance since the 18th century resulted in English influence in furniture styling, and this became so popular that even Indian rulers became patrons (this latter tendency could simply be a reflection of the Anglicization of the rulers, of their desire to identify with the ruling class). In the 19th century, the ornamentation assumed primacy, divorcing itself once again from utility.

A tropical country with about eighty varieties of hardwood available for woodwork, India has an old tradition of furniture making. Subsequent to the English influence who cultivated teak as a ‘royal tree’ for shipping industry (teak is tremendously resilient to water and weather), teak assumed tremendous popularity for quality woodwork. Almost all large articles were composed on wood. Royal houses and rich households have always been the traditional patrons of the furniture industry, and even today the royal palaces strewn across the four corners of India feature some of the most illustrious examples of indigenous woodwork. Frederick Litchfield’s Illustrated History of Furniture (1893) mentions many such marvels that still mesmerize. Like the two wooden teak doors sent as gift to the Indian Government and now kept in the National Museum (Kolkata). Or the shisham wood (rosewood) carved window at Amritsar with its overhanging cornice, ornamental arches with pillars and intricate work on the body. Royal gifts sent to the Queen and the King as well as the Princes also showed an obsession with details that is unique to India. Even today, much of British royal furniture is of Indian vintage.

In the years since the British left the furniture industry in India has evolved. Utility and simplicity gained primacy over art. Price considerations have driven down ornamentation to the minimum, and cheaper wood varieties have come to be used to cater to the huge low cost demand. Yet, in niche areas the old forms of furniture still continue to be crafted. In many places, like Rajasthan, that still has a royal ethos in a Republican India, with its dozens of Palaces’, the old form of furniture making is still preserved. Here, one can take a time travel and find works of an earlier day being crafted with the same expertise. Exported around the world wherever antique and ornamental furniture is appreciated, the Jodhpur furniture forms the focal point of this industry. Nowadays foreign designs are adapted with local styles that are hugely popular with Western customers. Once again we are back to the Portuguese days when designs were an inventive amalgamation of European sensibilities and Indian craftsmanship.

Written by http://www.eastwindtraders.com/ team. EastWindTraders.com is an American company involved in importation of custom designed line of unique handcrafted wooden and leather furniture, antiques and more. Furniture sourced from India and China, feature impeccable craftsmanship with custom made designs.

[tags]Eastwind furniture, woodworks, woodcrafts etc[/tags]

The kitchen is probably one of the most important and complicated rooms (besides the bathroom) to design or remodel in a home. Few rooms see so much activity and also challenge designers with such an array of practical, technological, and esthetic considerations. A new kitchen can be an excellent investment in most homes, which is why it must be a well designed kitchen or it can become a financial liability. Whether it is a remodel or a completely new kitchen in a new home, designing a kitchen that meets the requirements of being functional, aesthetically pleasing and be within your budget is on easy task.

Because kitchen design can be so highly specialized and complex it is a good idea to hire an independent kitchen designer before hiring a general contractor. Contractors tend to lack sufficient design experience and creativity needed for good kitchen design.

Kitchen designers understand how a kitchen works. The kitchen designer can analyze the family’s lifestyle, interests in cooking and entertainment. The designer can ask questions, discuss needs and goals, appliance integration, and budget as well as considering ideas that the contractor or family members might not be able to come up with. By bringing in the kitchen designer early in the project it is possible to keep cost down considerably.

The kitchen designer while not having experience in engineering details can nevertheless assist with layout, choice of materials, and how the room will look and function. Because it is so easy to become overwhelmed by the number of available choices when it comes to design elements the kitchen designer is needed to help the homeowner when looking at design options such as, appliances, cabinetry, countertops, and flooring. The certified kitchen designer is trained to take your concept and turn it into a workable vision. They can coordinate materials and color to the best effect and define the best space usage as well as assist in other aspects of the kitchen design project such as electrical, plumbing, structural, flooring, appliances and tile.

In hiring a kitchen designer it is important to look for one who is certified. To receive certification the kitchen designer must have seven years of hands-on experience as well as course instruction in room layout, storage planning, cabinet installation and lighting design. The designer must pass a series of test administered by the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA). As members of NKBA, kitchen designers keep up with all of the latest design trends as well as the most recent developments in materials and techniques. They can draw up fully developed plans in compliance with the NKBA’s kitchen planning standards.

Most kitchen designers will have either be affiliated with a showroom or have an extensive portfolio to show off their work. They can manage an entire remodeling project, or just provide design services only. They have the ability to be able to create a warm, pleasant, interesting kitchen design and at the same time solve problems having to do with storage capacity, accessibility, functionality, ventilation, and lighting.

James Mahoney is the author of many kitchen design articles and has a site about kitchen design ideas at Kitchen Designers Ideas.com. He also publishes a newletter on kitchen design.

[tags]kitchen design, kitchen remodeling, kitchen idea, kitchen planning[/tags]

Discount living room furniture is furniture you buy at a discounted rate. The best time to look for discount living room furniture is when a furniture company has a factory discount sale. One then visits this factory to choose one’s required living room furniture.

If your new home is located in a pre-planned community, you can try checking out the developer’s model home for discount living room furniture. The furniture here may be a little worn, but it’s a great way of getting coordinated living room furniture sets. Most of the big furniture stores also have scratch-and-dent rooms where they keep their slightly damaged, and heavily discounted, furniture. If there are any wholesale furniture warehouses in your area, you could also consider looking there. It is always better to buy wholesale furniture than retail furniture.

Another great source for discount living room furniture is the flea market. However, finding one may involve a lot of time and effort. Just as the early bird gets the worm, the best discount living room furniture at the flea market goes quickly. So visiting a flea market early is the only way to get good discount living room furniture as late arrivals are usually left with leftovers. When going to the flea market to buy furniture, it is better to take a list of the furnishings you require. This is because flea markets can be huge and easy to lose focus in. It is also better to take the dimensions of your living room and a tape measure to see if the furniture that you intend to buy fits with your plans. Remember, when venturing to buy discount living room furniture at the flea market, with bargaining, the discount furniture ends up even cheaper.

Living Room Furniture provides detailed information on Living Room Furniture, Cheap Living Room Furniture, Discount Living Room Furniture, Contemporary Living Room Furniture and more. Living Room Furniture is affiliated with Upholstered Ottomans.

[tags]Living Room Furniture, Cheap Living Room Furniture, Discount Living Room Furniture, Contemporary Liv[/tags]

There are many materials used for countertops, laminate, ceramic and porcelain tile, marble, granite, stainless steel, synthetic epoxy compounds and hardwoods. One of the newest materials to be used for countertops in the residential market is concrete.

What advantages does a concrete countertop provide to the homeowner - primarily the ability to create a unique aspect of your room. Unlike most countertop materials concrete has the advantage that you can embed objects in such as a piece of ceramic or porcelain tile to act as a trivet or a cutting board which is level with the surface. Concrete can be cast into almost any shape imaginable and it can be textured or polished.

It is possible to have sinks cast directly in the concrete countertop or you can choose to have a surface or undermount sink made of another material.

Concrete generally compares in price per square foot with marble and granite. The price is based on the complexity of the form, any embedded objects and the surface finish rather than the actual size of the countertop. When shopping for a concrete countertop it is important to visit the manufacturer and discuss the details.

Edges of a concrete countertop can be finished with traditional styling and shapes, but with concrete, it is also possible to provide decorative inlays such as brass or stainless steel strips.

Depending on the manufacture and the shape of the required countertop it can be formed directly in place or at the manufacture’s facility. Having it manufactured in a controlled environment production facility, generally provides a better product.

The coloring of concrete is accomplished by blending color pigments into the concrete mix. Hence, the color is not on the surface but is throughout the countertop.

It is important to point out that a concrete countertop is not created with general purpose concrete available in 60 pound bags at your local home improvement center. Depending on the manufacturer the concrete will have epoxies and materials such as fiberglass added to the blend to provide strength.

Surprisingly, concrete countertops are generally not recommended for outdoor use. Freezing problems in cold climates and UV problems in very sunny climates can cause problems with the finish.

A concrete countertop is not made to be a cutting surface. Besides the fact that you can scratch the finish with a knife blade, it will destroy the knife blade edge as well. As a cutting surface, concrete is no different than natural stones such as marble or granite. Concrete also reacts in the same manner as granite to excessive heat. Areas that experience excessive heat may flake.

It is important to apply a good finished sealer to concrete to avoid possible staining by acid based products such as red wine, vinegar, tomato and lemon juice. Some manufacturers use an epoxy finish that is actually harder than the concrete itself. Other’s use a penetrating sealer and wax combination.

For additional information on countertops or other home renovation projects, visit Renovation Headquarters.

[tags]concrete,countertop,kitchen,bathroom,advantage,disadvantage,marble,granite,epoxy,polymar,diy,[/tags]

1.Color and design are critical.
Paint bedrooms with calm, soothing colors. Good color choices for bedrooms are skin colors: yellows, browns, taupes, pinks, or beige. Avoid blue or dark-colored ceilings, wallpaper with plants or flowers (a feng-shui no-no for bedrooms), actual plants or flowers in the bedroom, or water elements, such as fish, lakes, or water.

2.The bed is where it’s at.

Make sure the bed is at the widest part of the room and the door to the room can be seen from the bed. This is a critical feng shui element. Bed placement is extremely important especially if the bed is placed on the same wall as the bedroom door. This will bring serious disagreements for the couple.

The bed should also not face a bathroom, see a toilet, share the same wall as a toilet, or be directly opposite a door. It’s also best if the bed doesn’t face a closet or bookshelves of some kind.

Also, be sure to give yourself some support. Beds that have the headboard to a window give little support. If this is the best (or only) position for the bed, place a wooden screen between the bed and the window to simulate a wall or hang heavy drapes that can be closed at night.

Headboards are best if they are solid. Iron bars can create headaches and lack of support. Lastly, don’t go out without making your bed. Really, now, how hard is it to make a bed?

3.Look Up.
Got a ceiling fan whirring above your bed? Lots of us do. This could be cooling you down literally and romantically. Ceiling fans above the bed disrupt your body’s chi (energy) — and your romantic chi. You also might avoid turning on the fan for a week and see what happens who knows? If you are trying to conceive, turn the fan off altogether.

4.Look down.

If there’s junk piled under the bed, remove it. Store soft items such as winter clothes, blankets, or pillows, if you just have to. Be absolutely sure there are no dangerous items such as guns, knives, or other harsh instruments under the bed. These harm your health, your romance, and your sleep.

5.Remove reflections.
Mirrors and televisions should not be in the bedroom — or any reflective surfaces. This creates disruptive chi in the bedroom that harms sleep — or creates divorces.

6.Decorate sparingly.

Decorating the room correctly is important. Look at all the elements here to get more ideas about appropriate decorating for your romantic retreat.

Absolutely no plants, water, and flowers in the bedroom. Take all plants, flowers, and water features out of the bedroom. Water and plants can drown the energy in a bedroom. Even pictures featuring water, ice, or snow are poor bedroom decorating choices.

Flowers give off too much male (yang) energy, also making a poor choice for a restful bedroom. Dried flowers should be removed as they are dead energy. Seeing or hearing water from the bed (view of the bathroom, maybe?) can create financial problems and sinus/respirator problems.

7. Remove objects of work.

These can be treadmills or other exercise equipment, desks, computers, bookshelves filled with work-related books, or objects that remind either of you of something to do. Even hobbies and projects are not good choices for your love nest.

8. Keep it clean.

The bedroom is the place where you restore yourself after a long day. It should be clean and neat. Make sure it is cleaned regularly, or you can expect problems with health or finances. This also includes closets in your bedroom. Make sure they are neat and that you can find what you are looking for quickly.

Lastly, make needed repairs. Ask yourself if your room is in good working order? Is the carpet coming up or do the windows stick? Your room must function well on all levels. This includes making sure the door opens and closes correctly - and locks, too! Oil creaky door hinges.

Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter feng shui e-zine and is dedicated to helping her readers develop successful, prosperous, and supportive environments with feng shui. To subscribe, logon to www.redlotusletter.com and receive this special report Fr*ee “16 Feng Shui Secrets for Greater Prosperity.”

kweber@redlotusconsulting.com

[tags]feng shui, interior decorating, interior design, home improvement, bedroom designs[/tags]