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New interior Design Psychology ideas help you sell your kitchen. You may ask: “Sell my kitchen?”

Yes. Kitchens sell houses. Therefore, prepare your kitchen with home staging ideas for a top-dollar sale.

Seven Interior Design Psychology Home Staging Strategies for Kitchens:

1. Light up dark areas. For a thrifty solution to brighten dark counters, use plug-in night lights. Also, a small lamp looks great on a countertop because the warm pools of light feel “homey.”

2. Soften the hard surfaces with fabric, including window treatments and new hand towels.

3. Remove all appliances from the countertops. This one step, clearing counter eye-clutter visually expands your kitchen. Each item on the countertop stops the eye for a second. Fewer accessories let the buyers’ eye roam freely and they get the impression of a large countertop expanse. If needed, use a bowl of fruit or flowers to brighten the space.

4. If you decide the kitchen cabinets must be replaced, choose light wood or white finish to reflect light in a dark kitchen. White cabinets convey a sense of cleanliness and spaciousness. Wood cabinets in major cities recover 90-130% of the cost to put it in when you sell.

5. For a moderately priced home, laminate countertops mimic limestone or granite and provide a smooth surface. Upscale buyers prefer granite countertops, but large-scale ceramic tiles with small grout margins produce an effect similar to granite for a fraction of the cost.

6. Luxury home buyers look for walk-in pantries, wood or stone flooring, built-in wine coolers, water-filtration systems, built-in microwaves, and custom lighting. All buyers expect a garbage disposal, a dishwasher, and a ventilation system over the stove.

7. Modern, sleek kitchens don’t need softening of the all-hard surfaces (countertops, flooring, cabinets, etc.). However, homes showcasing a relaxed, inviting atmosphere benefit from visually softening additions like new colorful hand towels, a carpet under foot at the sink, and pot holders on hooks near the stove.

No matter your budget, prepare your home for a top-dollar sale. Little home staging strategies entice a buyer to say, “This is my new kitchen.”

Copyright © 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved. (You may publish this article in its entirety with the following author’s information with live links only.)

Jeanette Fisher teaches home sellers five ways to use home staging to sell their homes for top dollar–Fast. For free “Design Psychology for Selling Houses” ebook, visit http://www.sellfast.info

[tags]Prepare Home for Sale,Home Staging,Kitchen,Interior Design Psychology[/tags]

Compost is basically a matter comprising of dead organic matter used as manure for plants and gardens. Two different forms of compost are used invariably in gardens and while making pots. They are usually prepared at home by recollecting the kitchen remains and are mixed with the soil to form a substance called compost. This mixture is then heated at a given temperature to dissolve the particles and destroy the weedy seeds present.

The procedure to make compost is given below. Leave a corner of a room empty to occupy it with a bin. The material required to make a compost include grass clippings, vegetable remains, decayed flowers, leaves, newspapers etc. Grass should be used in smaller quantities, as it prevents enough air from entering into the heap. Spread the mixture on the ground of 1 m or at the bottom of the compost bin. Mould the heap into a layer of 15 m. To speed up the process of composting add a compost activator or sprinkle it with manure. Place a black colored plastic at the top of the layer. In order to prevent the heap from drying away completely, puncture it a few times. To maintain the plastic covering for a long time place large stones and leave it for three months. Alternatively, you may heat the mixture after a period of 2 to 3 weeks. Use a tuning fork to gear up the process of composting. It takes about 3 months for the compost to mature and become completely usable.

Test a sample of the heap by actually sniffing it. If it does not smell sweet then it has not been added with compost activator. Therefore recompost this portion. Finally when it is ready you can use the compost anywhere in the garden.

Paul has been providing answers to lots of queries through his website on a wide variety of subjects ranging from satellite phones to acne. To learn more visit http://www.askaquery.com/Answers/qn1534.html

You are welcome to republish the above article only if you add our hyperlinked URL which is mentioned above.

[tags]compost, gardening manure,[/tags]

Will milk or red wine permanently damage or stain the floor?
Ideally, you want to make sure the prefinished boards are sealed on all sides with polyurethane to protect them. In addition to this, ask your supplier if the floor will be clamped up tight when laid - this is important. Sanded and polished floors have a coating over the entire surface. Both finishes help protect the raw material from absorbing such spills however all spills should be cleaned up as soon as possible. If the polish layer is removed the floor will be more susceptible to potential staining.

Can termites eat the floor?
Internationally, Bamboo is regarded as termite resistant. However, experience has shown that termites can eat bamboo flooring. Therefore, you will need to make sure your supplier will impregnate the raw material with the mineral boron which has the effect of improving the floors already natural resistance. It is important to note that the floor is not termite proof, so prevention is better than cure.

What happens if my floor gets flooded?
It really depends on the severity of the flooding, and is dependant on the volume of water spilt on the floor and how long it remains on the floor before it dries or is drained away. In minor flooding scenarios often there is no change to the floors appearance, however instances of major flooding can result in the floor having to be repaired by replacing boards in the damaged area or by sanding and polishing. Long periods of excess water tend to damage the polish on the surface of the boards. Quality boards are engineered in such a way that help them to be more resistant to moisture than a solid timber floor and are therefore can often withstand these situation with more resilience. These built in features include; coating the boards with polyurethane on all surfaces and having a cross lamination layer that includes a humidity expansion gap. It is also understood that the bamboo fibre is regarded to be more water resistant than most timber fibers.

How do I care for my Bamboo Flooring?
Caring for your Bamboo Floor is very easy and when you purchase your bamboo floor, you should make sure you receive a floor care kit which includes a guide to maintaining and repairing your floor. A quick guide to maintain your floor’s beauty:
1. Install protector felt on furniture
2. Use area rugs on high traffic pathways
3. Place mats at exterior doors to trap sand and grit from incoming traffic
4. Remove spills promptly
5. Vacuum or sweep floor regularly with a soft broom to remove sand and grit
6. Quality suppliers tend to recommend using Micro fibre cleaning mops

What happens if I damage my bamboo floor?
It is inevitable that your floor will become damaged at some point. This is no different to solid timber, laminate or any other wooden flooring. The type of damage will dictate the best course of action. Ideally, your supplier should provide a care kit wtih your purchase - the kit should include a number of products that you can use to fix minor damage yourself for example scratches and dents. Your supplier should be able to instruct you or at times even carry out the repair work.

With quality products, damaged boards can be easily rectified. In most cases a great result is achieved by simply cutting out and replacing the damaged boards returning your floor to it to original condition.

The process is a little more complicated for sanded and polished floors as you may require an additional coat of polish or a resand over the entire floor once a board has been replaced.

Mark Hutchison is the Managing Director of Bamboozle, a premium bamboo flooring company in Western Australia. Mark is a winner of Business News’ “40 under 40 Awards” for his outstanding achievements. Visit his website http://www.bamboozle.com.au for more information on Mark and bamboo floors.

[tags]Bamboo, Flooring, Floors, Home Improvement, Timber, Home, garden, bamboo floor, wooden, wood floor[/tags]

Summer decorating is a wonderful time to lighten up the colors and fabrics in your home. While you may not be able to decorate every room, there are numerous ways to add summer flair. You can decorate with a summer theme such as fruit (apples, strawberries, grapes), flowers (roses, carnations, daisies), or seaside nautical in addition to following some of the ideas listed below.

1. Replace heavy drapery with light sheers. The sheers provide an airy appeal while letting in the sunshine. If removing your existing drapery is not an option, consider changing just the valance and tiebacks to a lighter color. Another option is to use grapevine wreaths, strands of beads, artificial flowers, or decorative ribbons as your tiebacks or swag holders.

2. Store away items that are not useful in the summer such as blankets, throws, and heavy quilts.

3. Lighten up the color of your sofa by placing a slipcover on it or replacing your dark colored pillows with lighter colors.

4. Place light colored slipcovers on your all-wood dining room or kitchen chairs.

5. To add a lighter summer touch to your dark wood tables, use white lace or doilies as runners or tablecloths.

6. If you have a heavy bedspread, considering replacing it with a lightweight linen blanket.

7. Bring in the outdoors by adding fresh flowers in vases or baskets to counters, tabletops, and nightstands.

8. Add summer accessories around your home such as birdhouses, sea shells, bowls of fruits or vegetables, and summer reading materials.

9. If you have dark lampshades, replace them with lighter ones.

10. Repaint a dark hallway in your favorite hue such as buttery yellow, a creamy tan, or a fresh apple green.

11. Display a grouping of floral plates on a wall, hutch, or fireplace mantle.

12. Clean out the ashes in your fireplace and fill the firebox with a large artificial fern or a basket of colorful flowers.

13. Place twigs in tall vases and set on each side of the fireplace mantle.

14. To add summer whimsy to your bathrooms, hang lightweight fabric shower curtains printed with ladybugs, bees, flowers, or palm trees. Display matching hand towels and rugs to continue the summer theme.

15. Change the layout of your furniture to give your rooms a fresh, new look.

Decorating your home for the summer does not have to be complicated or cost a lot of money. As you can see from the ideas listed above, a new lamp shade, adding new fabrics, or changing the paint color of a room can breathe new life into your interior design. So, have fun and use your imagination to bring some fresh new looks into your home for the summer season.

Lesley Dietschy is a freelance writer and the creator/editor of The Home Decor Exchange and the Home & Garden Exchange. The Home Decor Exchange is a popular home and garden website featuring resources, articles, decorating pictures, free projects, and a shopping marketplace. The Home & Garden Exchange website is a link exchange program and directory dedicated to the home and garden industry, as well as offering free website content and promotional ideas. Please visit both websites for all of your home, garden, and website needs.

http://www.HomeDecorExchange.com

http://www.HomeGardenExchange.com

[tags]decorate, decorating, decor, summer, ideas, seasonal[/tags]

Organic gardening is easy to learn, it can save you money, and it can provide you and your family with a beautiful lush garden full of fresh produce. To garden organically you’ll want to learn how to worm compost, make compost tea, and regular plain old compost.

Organic gardening can save you money, it’s good for our envirnonment, and it’s just plain fun. It can also serve as a good learning experience for your children. If you have a decent sized yard with a tree or two then you probably have enough leaves to start a compost bin. A compost bin doesn’t have to be fancy, it can be just 4 takes in the ground with chicken wire wrapped around them. But, if you can afford it they make some very nice compost tumblers for a hundred dollars or more. If you’re quite the handy man, you can even make a compost tumbler yourself. That’s a whole nother article though, I’m afraid. A good compost tumbler is easy to turn and aerate your organic matter. Aeration is essential to making compost fast. The natural composting process will happen on it’s own over a period of several months to a year or more. But, if you want to acelerate the process and get more compost more often, you need a compost tumbler.

Compost tumblers are great for your excess outdoor garden trimmings, but there is something else called a worm bin that you need for your excess kitchen scraps. A properly designed worm bin has several levels whereby worms can travel freely to and from. Once they digest the bottom layer of kitchen scraps, they can travel up to the layer above to begin working on new scraps. The bottom layer can be easily removed to harvest the good soil that the worms leave behind. Once, you have purchased a worm bin, you’re going to need to purchase some composting worms. The worm that is best adapted for worm bins is called a red worm. Earthworms prefer to dig down deep in your garden soil to do their good work, but they do not do well in worm bins. You’ll want to get yourself at least a pound of red worms to start your worm bin off to a good start. If you can afford it get two or three pounds of worms.

The third method of organic gardening that I will introduce you to is compost tea. Compost tea is made from soaking finished compost in a bucket of water over a period of two to three days. Make sure that the compost you use is finished. This means that the compost has had time to age and breakdown into a dark rich soilike organic material. You also want to let your water sit out for a while to let the chlorine evaporate. Otherwise, the chlorine can kill the good bacteria that you want to multiply to make your compost tea. You need to aerate the water with an aquarium pump so that beneficial bacteria can multiply in favorable conditions. You will also want to add some brown sugar or molasses to feed these bacteria. Otherwise, if you fail to aerate and feed the good bacteria, harmful bi-products will form in your tea which can harm your plants in your garden.

I hope I have spurred your interest in learning more about organic gardening with this brief introduction to the practice. There are plenty of more resources online to learn more about organic gardening. Please feel free to post a question in my organic gardening forum if you have additional questions and I’ll do my best to find an answer for you.

[tags]organic gardening, compost, worm bins, composting, compost tea[/tags]

For people who spend a great deal of time in front of the computer, especially those who run online businesses, one of the most important office furniture decisions involves picking the right computer furniture. This is because several studies in recent years have shown that the furniture that we use in the office has a direct effect on our work productivity, which also affects our earnings. Given this, there is now a need to be selective with our office furniture purchases. One way of doing this is to pick furniture which are ergonomically designed.

Factors to consider

Ergonomics is defined as “the applied science of equipment design, as for the workplace, intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort (American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language). In other words, furniture that are ergonomically designed are designed to make the experience of using them not only more comfortable but they also help your body to be in the proper positions while you do your work. It would then be a good idea that before buying office furniture, you can try simulating your position on the furniture because this will give you an idea of the level of comfort that the furniture can give you.

Another important consideration is organization because a desk that can allow you to put other materials apart form your computer in an organized manner can also lead to higher productivity. To be able to achieve this, getting a large desk would be a good option because these tables allow you easy access to other materials you may need without having to stand up and sift through materials in other areas. Apart from this, buying a larger table would also save you money because you would eliminate the need to buy smaller tables for your printer, your fax machine, and other items.

Picking the right office furniture can have tremendous effects on your productivity due to the comfort that you would feel while you use them. Given this, it is very important that when you pick your office furniture such as your computer desk, you should look for those that are ergonomically designed and those that are capable of providing convenience with regard to how you organize your materials on top of it. Doing so can not only increase your productivity but it can save you money as well.

Computer Furniture provides detailed information on Computer Furniture, Home Computer Furniture, Office Computer Furniture, Kids Computer Furniture and more. Computer Furniture is affiliated with Patio Furniture.

[tags]Computer Furniture, Home Computer Furniture, Office Computer Furniture, Kids Computer Furniture[/tags]

Apart from complimenting your newly painted walls with soft furnishings and effective flooring, home decor accessories in a room are just as equally important. Accessories ranging from flowers in a contemporary vase to art pictures hanging on your walls, all add the finishing touches to any room. Above all, accessories add personality to a room, they inject your own personal touch making your home unique to you and comfortable and inviting for you and your family.

Decorating with Art Pictures

You will be surprised at the important role that art pictures play in home decor accessories. Not only do pictures add your own personality into the room, they absorb noise and can actually help change the illusion of a rooms’ shape if placed in the right places. For example:

• horizontal landscape pictures help widen a room;

• Portrait floral pictures help give the illusion of height; and

• one large picture reflected through a mirror gives the sensation of additional broader space.

Creating Art Arrangements:-

For a maximum effect and to make interesting wall arrangements that can become a dynamic focal point of the room, try to hang smaller pictures in a cluster.

If you hang an even number of smaller prints tightly together in a cluster, this will help balance out a large space and give a window effect in a small space. Remember to hang the prints together tightly to create one unit and one focal point.

For larger pictures, place them in proportion to the furniture. For example, hang a large picture approximately six to nine inches above a sofa or at eye level. By hanging a larger print too high above any piece of furniture can leave both pieces feeling disconnected.

Tips Before Hanging Art:-

Before hanging any art on a wall, try different combinations of arrangements. Use painter’s tape and brown paper bags and keep rearranging the bits of paper on the wall until you have come up with a great picture arrangement.

Always hang prints at eye level and use your hand in between pictures as a guide to space large and medium sized pictures.

Create Illusions with Mirrors

Mirrors are great to help create the illusion of space. By cleverly placing mirrors on an adjacent wall to a picture or something which is interesting in your room, will reflect the image and add a sense of space.

For darker rooms, hang a decorative mirror near a window. The light will then bounce off the mirror into the room portraying more natural much-needed light back into the area.

To give the illusion of depth in a room paint one of your walls in a darker contrasting color to your other walls. Then hang a mirror on that darker wall. This instantly gives the additional sense of depth to the dimensions of the room.

Lighten-up with Light Fixtures

Light fittings are one of the most important elements of home decor accessories as they set the ambience of the room. By using different types of lighting you can create different moods on different areas of the room, at different times of the day.

For example:-

• accent lighting such as a spot light is used to emphasize wall paintings, ornaments or other interesting areas in a room;

• soft lighting used by small wall light fittings or table lamps, help create a gentle romantic mood;

• general lighting such as a ceiling center light, strip light or bright wall lamps are used for everyday purposes.

Tip: use a dimmer switch to create different moods with your lighting.

Adding Color with Flowers & Plants

Fresh flowers are always a wonderful accessory in a home. They are easy to blend in with any rooms accent and you can swap and change the color, type of flower and position at any time. They are such an easy and adaptable accessory to have. If you are allergic to flowers, try silk flowers instead - sometimes it is hard to distinguish between real flowers and silk ones…

By placing plants throughout your home helps add natural color, texture, and also softens the area making it more appealing to spend time there. Don’t forget to use attractive plant pots and containers for your plants - they are a home decor accessory too!

Area Rugs and Textiles

Area Rugs:-

Area rugs add warmth and texture to a room. They help soften wooden or hard floors and add contrasting colors and patterns into the room.

First you must determine what you want the rug for - is it a focal point? or do you want to group furniture on it? Secondly, you must measure what size rug you need before you go shopping.

Other Textiles:-

By using other types of textile home decor accessories, you can create additional comfort and softness in using:-

• scatter cushions made with different types of material;

• throws on your sofa or lounge chair;

• napkins, place mats and tablecloths in the dining room or kitchen;

Summary

Home decor accessories play a crucial part in your home decorating. Even if you don’t need to repaint your walls, you can still change the look of your room. By rearranging furniture and wall pictures, adding soft light fixtures, flowers arrangements and plants, the placement of an area rug and using different textiles in a room, all help create a new look to reflect you and your personality.

Claire Bowes is a successful freelance writer and owner of Online Home Improvement Ideas.

[tags]home decor accessories, home decorating ideas, home decor ideas, home improvement, DIY,[/tags]

How you dress your windows is an important piece of your overall design and a lot of thought should go into the style and fabric used for your bedroom window treatments.

How do you know which window treatment is right in your bedroom?

There are 3 basic types of window treatments that can be used alone or in combinations. Here’s some tips on these basic types and what style of room you might choose them for.

Curtains and Drapes

Curtains and drapes are a style of window treatment that most of us can recognize but there’s many variations on this old standby. If your bedroom design is simple, you might choose just plain sheers as these will go well with many themes including a romantic theme, a modern theme and anything in between.

Valances can be used to soften the top of the window. They are great if you don’t want to cover up a great view but also don’t want the window to look too bare. Typically valances are made from fabric but you can build them form wood and decorate them with an aged or stencilled paint to go with your Tuscan or French country design. Fabric valances can go with almost any bedroom decorating theme depending on the fabric you choose and can be used in conjunction with sheers to give you a bit of privacy.

Drapes are an elegant bedroom window treatment. If you have a romantic, French or Victorian theme some heavy drapes in rich fabrics can transform your bedroom into one fit for a queen. Heavy drapes look best on tall windows, but if you short squatty windows like most homes built in the 60’s - 80’s don’t let that deter you from using great drapes. You can always just keep them closed to hide the window behind and no one will ever know the difference!

Wooden Shutters and Blinds

Indoor wooden window blinds are a great way to add privacy to your bedroom and can be used alone or with curtains, drapes or valances.

There are 2 styles of shutters - plantation shutters and caf

Laminate flooring is a new type of flooring, one that has been on the market for just a few years. If you have not seen laminate flooring in a home yet, you are going to be in for a big surprise. Laminate flooring is all about obtaining that real wood floor look, without having to have all the needed care for a wood floor in the long run. This type of flooring can be installed in any room of the home, where lots of moisture is not going to be found. If you have a laundry room where you have water dripping on the floor all the time, you may want to avoid putting laminate flooring in that room. Laminate flooring is great in the bedroom, in the hall, in the living room and so much more.

Laminate flooring is easy to care for. To clean a laminate floor in your home you will need just a dust mop or a very dry wet mop. As with a wood floor, you really don’t to over wet the flooring in your home. The flooring that is too wet, all the time is eventually going to warp. The water will get in the material and hold that water. As the water dries out the material in the laminate flooring is going to move and change just as real wood does. Don’t worry, laminate flooring installed properly and care for can last years and years in your home, often times longer than linoleum or tile flooring.

Laminate flooring can be installed in any room of the home, which has a level floor. If you have a floor where the sub floor is not even or level, you should install a new sub floor before putting the laminate flooring down. Laminate flooring is going to ‘go’ together and ‘fit’ together better when it is all level, and it is going to last longer as it is going to connect together best when on a level surface.

You can install a laminate flooring in a bathroom where you control the amount of water on the floor. You can also install a laminate flooring in the kitchen if you are careful about how much water and spills you have on the flooring. These same principles apply to wood flooring as well so don’t worry about being the ‘first’ to do this. Laminate flooring can be installed in the family room or in the basement rooms where you spent a lot of your time. Laminate flooring is going to keep your home cool, and it great if you have pets so you can just sweep up for hair off the floors in your home.

Copyright 2006 - Ivar Rudi. Ivar suggests you find great market for less by shopping online today. For more information and resources about this subject check out: http://www.laminate-flooring-guide.org/
and also http://www.prefab-homes.biz/

[tags]Laminate flooring,home,floor,wood,wood floor,kitchen,rooms,remodeling[/tags]

Is your living room a place for show, only used when you’re entertaining? Living rooms, as their name suggests, should not only reflect who you are to the outside world, but they should also be lived in. Here are some suggestions for making your living room warm and inviting for guests as well as functional and comfortable for family members.

If your living room is large, divide it into smaller areas through the positioning of furniture. You want the “conversation pit” to be cozy a couch and loveseat and a couple of chairs around a large cocktail table will seat many people, yet they’ll all be able to hear what the others are saying. A great place for family meetings as well as for entertaining. Make sure all seats are within reach of a table someplace to set down those drinks and chips!

Face the couch to an architectural focal point, such as a fireplace or a large window that looks out to your garden or the city lights. If you don’t have an architectural element to work with, create one by hanging large pictures or a mural on a wall. This allows people to admire the art and it’s safer than hanging anything heavy right above the seating (especially in areas prone to earthquakes!). Hang cloth wall hangings or small pictures on the wall behind the couch. Don’t, however, hang a mirror where people will see their reflection all the time. Not everyone is thrilled by his or her image.

If you divide your living room in two or three seating and/or dining areas, use rugs to define the conversation grouping, another under the dining table, and another to set off a place to exhibit the Buddha you brought back from Thailand or a wall of bookcases that not only hold your books but also display your collection of antique toys or Bennington pottery. Area rugs work well over waxed hardwood floors or neutral, wall-to-wall Berber-style carpeting.

A decorative room divider, such as Japanese shoji screens, can be used to separate a large room into a living room and a TV room. In a smaller place, face the couch to a wall unit that holds the television it’s sure to become a favorite gathering spot for the family.

The days of covering the “good” living room furniture with plastic are over! Leather or the new microfiber fabrics are easy to clean, look great, and can survive guests, kids, and pets. If the furniture is in neutral colors, add colorful decorative pillows. Remember to keep a few throw blankets around to stay cozy on cool nights.

If your living room walls are painted in light neutral shades, you’ll be able to change the furniture and decorative touches easily. Other ways to change the look of your living room are by adding tall plants or a silk tree, a permanent flower arrangement in a basket or tall vase, or even a fountain and small pond in a large enough space.

Don’t forget about lighting! Floor lamps, especially in dark corners, can brighten large areas, while table lamps can provide good light for your favorite reading/knitting chair. An arrangement of candles on the mantelpiece or a table adds ambiance to your living room. Now go ahead, live in your living room!

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

PARVATI MARKUS is a writer/editor with a Masters in Creative Writing from Antioch. She works with The Kabbalah Centre and freelances on non-fiction books and articles. As a recent arrival in L.A. Parvati is completing her “residency requirement” by writing a screenplay.

If you would like to publish this article on your own 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 disclaimer and the following link.

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

[tags]furniture, home furniture, living room,[/tags]