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Adding the autumnal warmth to a room can mark the change in seasons for the entire family, ushering in football, holidays, and cups of cocoa after school. And it can be easy, dramatic, and inexpensive! Follow these three simple steps to take any (or every!) room in your home from summer simple, to fall fabulous in just one day!

Step One- Add rich, warm color! Whatever your main wall color is in your room, paint your focal wall a deep shade of that color. No major color scheme change here, everything you already have in that room will still work because you are just amping up the present color scheme. For instance, if your walls are a pale peach, paint your focal wall a rich terra cotta. Light sage? Paint that focal wall a deep warm green. Just have white walls? Here is your chance to develop a color scheme and bring a lot of warmth into your room. Pick any one color you love, plus white, and you have a color scheme! Still love your white walls? Then paint the focal wall a rich cream, or even a chocolate brown. Remember, its just paint, and you can always paint it back in an afternoon with a cheap can of paint!

Step Two- Change out a few of your accessories… pick up a couple of candles in your new rich focal wall color and set them out on a pretty plate, or add just one throw pillow to the couch and chair in that color. Pick up some ribbon in that hue and use it to tie back curtains, or wrap it around pillows a few times and tie with a pretty bow. Add a throw blanket from the linen closet draped over the easy chair, and a stack of books on the end table to read on a cool night. You don’t need to go buy out the home section, just add a few quick touches to warm up the room.

Step Three_ Add nature! Nothing says the harvest season like displaying the fruits of natures bounty in your home. Set out a bowl full of nuts and nestle a candle in the middle, scatter pressed fall leaves over your mantel or coffee table, or tie branches into bundles, add some dried flowers and hang over doorways. Display fruits and veges on your kitchen counter or take the kids on a nature walk and fill a large clear jar with gifts from Mother Nature. (Always follow laws about collecting, however).

There you go, three quick steps and in one day you’ve created a room for your loved ones that breathes the comfort and cozyness of fall!

Kathy Wilson is an author, columnist, and editor of The Budget Decorator, Decorating Your Small Space, and Decorating Cottage Style. For hundreds of free budget home decorating ideas, visit her now at http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com. Be sure to sign up for her free newsletter while you are there!

Kathy Wilson
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/add-fall-style-to-any-room-in-a-day-54393.html

You probably think that staging is something that should be left to Martha Stewart and Hollywood set designers, something tedious to be avoided. Whether tedious to you or not though, I will say this: in a slow real estate market, you need an edge. That edge doesn’t have to come from spending ten grand on an in-ground pool, it can come from a few tricks to make a subconscious impression on every potential buyer or rental tenant who walks through your house.

Visual Staging

Let’s start with real estate fundamentals before we get fancy. Is your House clean? Not “broom clean,” whatever that means, but SHINY clean, spotless clean, eat-off-the-floor clean. People are vain, and like to look at their reflection in the granite countertop.

Another fundamental is landscaping. Keep in mind that the outside of the property is the first thing people see, and you want make a good impression so that your buyer or rental tenant isn’t jaded against everything afterwards.

When you’re fixing the house up, spend a little time coming up with a color scheme for the walls before you paint. White reminds people of hospitals, and I don’t know about you but I hate hospitals. Look for warm colors, but keep them light; you don’t want people thinking they’re in a mud hut or something.

Accent your colored walls with whatever you can: trim, curtains, draps, carpet, door mat, whatever. Make sure the colors complement each other, because clashing will undo all your work.

If you have it sitting in storage, consider putting some furniture in the house, but don’t bother spending money on it.

What you SHOULD bother spending money on is a flat screen television, because they’re now cheap but still have that slick panache. Include it with the house, and they’ll fall head over heels.

Auditory Staging

We’re going to get a little more subtle now, away from the initial visual things we did specifically to be noticed. With auditory staging, we want to create an effect that potential buyers or rental tenants may or may not actually be aware of, and all the better if they don’t ever know why they liked the house so much.

Auditory staging serves two purposes: 1. block out irritating background noise, and 2. creating a pleasant emotion in people subconsciously.

To block out noise, consider a hedge or fence or other landscaping, which also serves a visual role). Since you already bought a TV, why not use it? Turn it on when you first walk in, and leave it on, but beware: you’ll want it to already be on the right channel, at the right volume. My personal favorite is lounge music or jazz; it’ll arouse old childhood feelings of nostalgia.

Fountains (indoor or outdoor) are also a great way to do it all, as they block out noise, offer a pleasant gurgling sound, and look good. They don’t have to be expensive either, so check out some discount home & garden stores.

Olfactory Staging

You have to be careful with smells, as they can easily become overpowering and unpleasant. Aim for subtlety, and keep it consistent with just one smell for the whole house.

Flowers are great because they’re subtle and visual, but they’re high-maintenance as you have to water them, prune them, replace them, etc.

Alternatives include incense, candles, plug-ins, or air freshener as a last resort. Choose carefully, because some smells stick around! Spices are strong but neutral; who doesn’t like the smell of cinnamon?

There are probably thousands of houses for sale in your real estate market, and your house isn’t any different fundamentally from the others. So the trick is to convince potential buyers or rental tenants that yours is better without ever having to say it, so get subtle and watch them fall in love!

G. Brian Davis
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/real-estate-staging-how-to-sellrent-it-now-742966.html

Whether you know it or not, your home is probably already drawing on an awful lot of Scandinavian style already. If you have any simple wooden furniture or you have been to places like Ikea or Ilva of late then chances are you are already on your way to a fully themed house. And therefore may I commend you on your good taste and eye for classic 20th century design, not to mention subtle referencing of one of the most important periods in British design history….no, I’m not talking about Ikea’s opening day, exciting though it was- I really do like love those meatballs.

You see, the Scandinavian home-style invasion occurred much earlier than most of us realise. The material shortage during WW2 brought about an enforced change in regards to what was considered good design. Simplicity was favoured over needless decoration, and only materials that were in plentiful supply were to be used. The elegant furniture of Scandinavia which was sourced from the plentiful blonde wood forests was welcomed almost immediately and has continued to influence, if not shape and lead, contemporary design ever since.

The way to achieve a truly Scandinavian look is by retaining a room’s simplicity. Furniture should be light and functional rather than ostentatious. Try to represent nature in your themes and even include one or two plants to a room. The old stereotype of wall to wall pine couldn’t be further from the truth, what you are trying to achieve is actually a very streamlined and modern feel. Try to limit what you include in a room as you want to maintain a calm, uncluttered ambience. Favour light wooden blinds or a cheap roller blind over fussy curtains and include lots of low lighting such as table and floor lamps to promote relaxation.

Ensure you maintain a unified colour scheme throughout the House as this will promote harmonious feelings and create some airiness. White is a typical background scheme and really does match up well with blonde wood but if this is a little too sterile for you then opt for pale green or Egyptian cotton. For flooring you wont go wrong with classic oak, but to add a little twist to a classic theme (something the Swedish love to do) why not choose a more unusual wood such as Maple or Iroko? Either way, top off your flooring with a huge oversize rug to give a really cosy finish. To really add comfort add lots of natural throws in both the living area and bedrooms and on the bed go for a charming embroidered duvet cover in morning snow white.

As a final touch, mirror the whimsical and playful approach to design favoured by Scandinavians by spreading some block colours in the shape of a novelty clock or some bright cushions or even a beanbag. The brilliant thing about the Scandinavian look is that it so easy to achieve and doesn’t make a room appear too obviously themed. It is a really cost effective style to adopt- not least of because you will probably already own furniture that is perfect for the look.

Terry Henman
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/scandinavian-simplicity-698673.html

Now we are at the tail end of a not so Indian summer, it is only natural that we are bracing ourselves for another very English winter. Darker days and chilly evenings can really have an adverse affect on the spirit, so to help stave off the gloom, below are a collection of handy tips that’ll keep you warm and cosy whilst giving your home some seasonal style without breaking the Christmas piggybank.

The first step to take is to decide on what mood you want to create in your home and create a sympathetic background through the use of colour on your walls. Colours are extremely powerful in the way they appeal to our senses, and can therefore really improve our mood if used correctly. If it is a cosier feel that you want for your home, choose an earthy tone or colours with a red hue. Alternatively you could add some much needed lightness and sparkle that will really blow away the January blues through the use of winter whites. Much softer than the bright whites of summer, winter whites come in a variety of gentle off white tones are available in most DIY stores.

With your backdrop painted it is now time for the much less demanding task of accessory shopping- although if you are reading this in December it’s probably best to stick to the online variety.

Candles are the cheapest way to spread a warm glow throughout your home. Available in many styles they will really help set the scene at the dinner table or shed some light on a reading corner, so be sure to keep a plentiful stock of them handy. Sticking with the subject of lighting, try resituating your mirrors just behind any lamps or lights, they really help spread the light by reflecting it back into the room rather than swallowing it up the way matt painted walls sometimes can. You also might want to change your patterned or dark coloured lampshades for lighter coloured ones which will allow much more light to escape through the fabric.

Adding layers of fabric for texture will definitely add warmth to any space. Think woollen throws, suede rugs, silk cushions, heavy curtains. They are cost effective and easily packed away over warmer months, so really layer up your fabrics and soft furnishings for amazing winter style.

Seasonal furniture is probably taking it a little too far for most of us but small inexpensive items that enable you to add the natural richness of dark wood will make all the difference. Picture frames, magazine racks or ornaments all come in limitless shapes and sizes and lots of different tones of wood so try make use of them.

Remember, keeping your home in line with the seasons need not cost the earth. Small changes such as arranging your seating around the fireplace will make all the difference with just a few of the cheap and cheerful extras mentioned above thrown in to really set the scene. Once you get finished your home will be a place you are happy see out the colder months in complete festive comfort in the company of your loved ones. You’ll be sorry to see spring……well, almost.

Terry Henman
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/seasonal-home-style-685339.html

Solving air flow problems in your home

Basic things that the homeowner can check to help air flow:

First and foremost, check your furnace filter to see if it is dirty and if so, remove the dirty filter and install a new furnace filter. Plugged furnace filters restrict air flow by creating a pressure drop. Next, walk around your house to see if any cold air returns have anything such as couches, rugs or cabinets obstructing the vent. If anything is obstructing the vent, then remove these obstructions so that the cold air return, which is an air intake, can draw in enough air. Last, but not least, walk around your home to check to see if all supply registers (heat vents that blows out air) are open. All supply registers should be open. A popular homeowner misnomar, is that by shutting off certain vents throughout the house will cause other vents to blow harder. This simply is not true, because CFM (a measurement of air flow, cubic feet per minute) is determined by the pipes diameter and only so much CFM can ever blow out due to the size of the round, regardless if other registers are shut off or not. Shutting down too many supply registers usually causes more harm than good by creating pressurization problems with the overall duct system, that in an extreme case can actually cause your furnace to short cycle on a high limit and hence increases the cost on your utility bill while working key HVAC components and parts to reduce their life expectancy. Never buy and install heat vent filters either, because these filters really cause pressurization problems too. If there is too much dust blowing out of the vents, then the best thing that you may consider is to have the HVAC system cleaned out thoroughly with the power vacuum/air sweep method in air duct cleaning by an ACCA (Air Conditioning Contractors of America) member company. An average price for a 1 furnace home would cost between $400.00-$700.00 to do the job correctly, depending on where you live in the country and depending on the service providers cost to operate.

Some solutions that an HVAC company or contractor may suggest:

Very often in older homes, air ducts are sized incorrectly due to building departments in the past not emphasizing the importance of properly sized air duct construction and the by the fact that the builder wanted to save a buck to construct his own ductwork rather than paying a heating and cooling professional to install the ductwork properly. In recent years, many building departments throughout the United States really have zeroed in on enforcing proper duct design, so in most newer homes indoor thermal comfort has improved drastically. Some of the things that your licensed HVAC company or contractor may suggest to you to drastically help your older homes air flow is as follows:

• Let me tear out all of your ducts and start over! (That would be sweet, however in many instances that is just not practical due to cost, time and a big mess!)
• I can bandaide your homes HVAC system by replacing your old inefficient furnace with a Rheem 80% AFUE 2 stage variable speed furnace equipped with the GE ECM motor. Visit www.luckyduct.net to learn more about the GE ECM motor. The GE ECM motor operates 30-40% more efficiently than a standard conventional multi-speed motor and sustains constant CFM even if your ductwork is undersized and restrictive. What this means is that vents that seem to never blow air with your inefficient old furnace will all of a sudden blow air after the new Rheem furnace equipped with the GE ECM motor is installed. The ECM motor also allows homeowners to qualify for a $50.00 EPACT tax credit that you can receive when you do your taxes, so even the Federal government wants you to go for it!
• For some reason your home does not have enough return air openings to even allow enough air to enter the duct system at all! We need to build additional return air openings into your ductwork so that we can get additional CFM into the HVAC system so that your AC indoor evaporator coil can stop freezing. Good golly, you’re paying more money on cooling not to mention the fact that your AC doesn’t even keep your house cold enough! Let’s fix that and add some new return air openings so that you can save some money on your utility bill and actually cool down this summer too!
• Let’s go ahead and rip out the 4″ diameter supply runs and install 6″ diameter runs so that we can circulate more air into that sun room!
• You know, your ducts amazingly enough are sized correctly, but all of the air is escaping into unfinished portions of the House because the construction of the ductwork is very loose. Let’s go ahead and seal up every trunk line connection, brace, joyce and end cap with mastic duct sealant. By sealing up every duct connection on the entire system we’ll see if we can blow those curtains side ways afterall! No, just kidding, but the air will come out a touch harder, though as a result in sealing up the ductwork better and you will see a significant reduction in your utility bill because the system will only cycle half as often now.
• You know, for some reason all of your ductwork is sized correctly, but the return leg that is attached to your furnace is severly undersized and is acting like a choke point. Lets rip this leg out and install a bigger one with a greater dimension!
• You know, your homebuilder really got cheap and should have installed 2 seperate systems considering that your home is 3600 Sq/ft. Two smaller systems will actually cost you less on the utility bill to operate and will provide greater comfort. Save up some money and lets build that second system in the attic!
• You know, the most cost effective thing that I can think of that will improve your indoor comfort tremendously is to simply just zone your current system so that 3 different thermostats will control 3 different temperatures in your home. Aprilaire and Honeywell make great zoning systems and we usually can get this system installed from $3800.00-$6,000.00 depending on how fancy of a system you want to have installed!

You see some of these bandaide jobs will cost just a few hundred dollars, while some solutions may cost a few thousand dollars, but in the end after the corrections are made, your utility bill will probably reduce a bunch and you’ll finally have true indoor comfort that you didn’t have before. Many HVAC companies and or contractors will give you more than one option to consider as well so that no matter what you decide on some sort of indoor air comfort solution will be achieved to atleast improve the comfort situation. The best thing that you can do as a homeowner is to select an ACCA member heating and air conditioning company or contractor to ensure that your comfort specialist has all of the latest and greatest training, tools and professional assistance to best serve you as a customer. In the long term you won’t regret it because you will save some money on the utility bill and you will be much more comfortable in your home as a result.

Article By: Mike Meincke

Managing Member

Lucky Duct, LLC

www.luckyduct.net

Mike Meincke
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/great-information-on-how-to-solve-air-flow-problems-in-your-home-683430.html

Many people have hobbies. Retirees and Housewives often have hobbies to help keep them occupied during moments of relaxation or boredom. But not many people realize that you can make money from most hobbies. By taking your hobbies and turning them into cash at flea markets and swap meets, you can easily earn a modest income while having fun.

Crocheting is one of the highest paying hobbies. Crochet thread is often inexpensive while still being durable, washable, and delicate in appearance. Crocheted table cloths, curtains, for more details visit to www.positive-idea.com and bedspreads can be completed within a month by most experts in the craft, and can be sold for hundreds of dollars depending on size and pattern.

Other home decoration hobbies like wreath making, basket weaving, or wood working can also be turned into easy income. Quilting is also a great hobby to make money from. Since fewer and fewer people know how to quilt, a hand made quilt is hard to come by, and therefore valuable. You can often make at least a fifty percent profit on your completed quilts. Baby quilts are also very popular.

Sewing and knitting of any kind can be very profitable hobbies. Knit sweaters, baby hats, booties, mittens, and other items can be big sellers at flea markets and swap meets. Clothing items can also be sold at these locations very easily. Well made home sewn clothing is often stronger than the cheap clothes that you can get at the local department store, but can be sold for the same price or for more details visit to www.profit-pulling-niches.com less while still earning the seamstress quite a bit of money. Wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and prom dresses can be huge income earners for the expert seamstress.

One of the best hobbies to make money from is gift baskets. Decorating jars and other containers using appliqué, ribbons, and paint can be combined with the creative mixture of perfumes, bath oils, and bubble baths to make very pretty, country style gift baskets. These bath baskets are great for gifts all season round, including mother’s day, birthdays, and Christmas, making them a very profitable hobby.

Gardening is also one of the more profitable hobbies. If you like to garden but don’t really need everything you plant, you can take the left over to a farmer’s market. You can also simply set up a stand on the side of the road in some communities. Fresh produce is a great commodity, and can earn you a hefty income in the spring.
www.activities-little-fingers.com
www.arts-crafts-for-all.com

abhay.jan2009
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/crocheting-is-one-of-the-highest-paying-hobbies-733360.html

Happy Monday!

It’s the end of the month, and for us in the retail travel industry, it means a lot of fussing around, reconciling accounts and auditing figures. It’s more fun than your average trip to the proctologist, let me tell you.

Today started out with a real cracker though. A lady of Asian descent approached me not long after we had opened, and asked me “Where is the snow, and where can I find ski hire”. This was followed by her husband requesting accommodation for ”Lovely Ski chalet, with many happy, snow playing events”.

Now, if you look at the map, the man of the manor and I live on the Gold Coast, in the state of Queensland, in Australia. The last time there was any snow here, was possibly when Tyrannosaurus Rex had his own high rise cavern in Surfers Paradise. If it ever does start snowing in this part of the world, one can safely assume that those who rubbish the idea of Global warming, will be sending Al Gore a Hallmark card saying “Ooops …Our Bad”.

What my two Japanese friends were looking for was actually “Queenstown”.

A simple mistake to make for sure, and easily rectified by jumping on a plane and flying four hours south to the South Island of New Zealand.

Kudos to their Travel Agent!

Everyone has probably heard of the story about a travel agent who picked up a call from a woman trying to make a domestic flight in the US.
“I want to go from Chicago to Hippopotamus, New York” she said.
The agent was at a loss for words. Finally, the agent: “Are you sure that’s the name of the town?”
“Yes, what flights do you have?” replied the customer.
After some searching, the agent came back with, “I’m sorry, ma’am, I’ve looked up every airport code in the country and can’t find a Hippopotamus anywhere.” The customer retorted, “Oh don’t be silly. Everyone knows where it is. Check your map!” The agent
scoured a map of the state of New York and finally offered, “You don’t mean Buffalo, do you?” The woman paused, and then exclaimed happily “That’s it! I knew it was a big animal!”

You may think this is quite absurd, but the sheer volume of similar stories which have made their way to my ears from colleagues, is scary, to say the least. I have encountered a surprisingly large amount of unusual (read: Sorry but are you on crack?) queries myself.

I have been working in travel in one capacity or another, for quite a few years now, and it is quite a rewarding career. The opportunities for personal travel are terrific, as long as you don’t mind turning prematurely gray in the process.

Over the years, I have had clients from Brisbane ask me innocently whether they require a visa for Hobart, or what exciting Australian sights they might see on their walk from Alice Springs to Darwin (The obvious answer being: A lot of bones from previous tourists who had the same bright idea!).

Now, I do realise, that some people may be very new to the whole travel thing, and patience must be exercised with those who are just a little nervy about taking the first steps to seeing the world outside of the Rooty Hill RSL.
It is, however, a little difficult to keep a straight face when the first question out of a client’s mouth is “Does Social Security have its own airline for people on the dole?” (The appropriate answer to this is: Yes, but be prepared to wear your sturdiest runners, as that tarmac can get a little hot on the soles during that run-up.)

To be fair, it is not just clients that are eligible for the all-hallowed ‘D’OH” award.

A few years ago, one of my esteemed colleagues, who will remain nameless, greeted a most distressed women who stumbled into the store in tears, needing to get to a funeral, in Panama City.
We get ‘compassionate’ flight requests all the time, and they are never pleasant, so my colleague jumped on the system, found the lady flights, booked and sent the tickets straight to the airport, to try and make the arrangements as smooth as possible for the grieving woman.

Fast Forward to 24 hours later….

I received a phone call from the same lady who advised me that ,whilst my associate had been most prompt and sensitive in her service, she was currently in Panama City…Panama.

The funeral was in Panama City….Florida/US.

She noted that, even though the airport facilities were somewhat clean, and the dozens or roaming militia men carrying Tommy guns were not hassling her at present, she really needed to be at least another 10,000 miles away to attend the service.
I think I can safely speak for the rest of my workmates, that our collective and immediate response was a loud and panicked expletive (Think: Duck…one consonant replaced)

Even I have managed to stuff up my own travel arrangements (You know how it is - mechanics have the worst cars, plumbers always have a dripping tap…dentists with breath that could kill a man at ten paces).
On a recent trip to Singapore, I thought I would be a bit of a smarty-pants and book my own accommodation online (Even though the internet is a travel consultant’s mortal enemy). I found a great hotel, smack bang in the middle of China Town called the “Royal Peacock”…elegant looking suites, cheap rate and breakfast included. Giddy Up!

After an 8-hour flight and arriving at 05:45 in the morning, those lush looking suites and hot breakfast was about all I could think about.

When our cab driver dropped us off, I thought perhaps he had made a mistake.

No, there was the sign “Royal Peacock”, slightly obscured by boards covering two of the main WINDOWS.

It wasn’t until we had checked in and put our bags in a room with no sheets on the beds, and a smell that really, could only be urine (no matter what positive spin you put on it, urine is urine) that I thought perhaps, my choice might have less than inspired.

Eager to keep our distance from the large, unidentifiable green stain on the curtains, we decided that we would grab the freebie breakfast and then maybe look for another hotel.

My friend who was traveling with me at the time, is not a bad looking bloke, but even he was rather surprised to find several women hanging onto his shoulder and offering their hotel “turn down” services over cold rice porridge and crackers.

And when I say turn-down services, I am not talking about a little chocolate on your pillow.

Only a travel agent could book herself into a brothel!

Considering this, I kindly explained the “Queenstown/Queensland” situation to my new-found friends and re-routed their ticket to Christchurch, free of charge.

Lord only knows, I may possibly need some similar treatment down the track if/when I send an unsuspecting thick-accented American to Auckland , and not…Oakland.

Kylie Evans
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/thank-you-for-booking-with-travel-agent-xhave-a-safe-flightto-wherever-you-may-end-up-678918.html

The immense popularity of the retro themes of the 1960’s has unfortunately meant it has been a little overused. This has lead some style conscious homeowners to look back a little further to the 1950’s and even 1940’s for a historical reference point. Though paired together under the banner of “vintage”, the two decades did actually have quite different looks and nuances. Here we will take a look at both periods and see how simple it is to recreate the increasingly popular vintage look for our own homes.

Very much taking its lead from turn of the century British interior design, the 40’s style was still concerned with heavy use of floral wallpapers and fabrics. For a sincere recreation of this particular feature, look for wallpapers, curtains and cushions that contain daisies and rosebuds. Colours to include are pinks, greens and blues that have a grey tinge to them as colour schemes during the 40’s were generally quite muted. In keeping this muted look, settees should be covered in either cool green or beige velvet. If you cannot find a settee in these classic colours simply buy some cheap fabric in the style you want and have some slip covers made up. As in the case of Victorian style, a dark wood finish was favoured for furniture, however it was now much less decorative and more streamlined. Look for sleek sideboards in a dark wood finish for the sitting room and delicate dressers for the bedroom also in a dark wood to remain faithful to the 40’s look.

If it is a little less formality you desire then advancing a decade to the 1950’s will give you the same vintage feel but with a much lighter tone. Fabrics and wallpapers remain heavily patterned but now they are concerned with geometric designs inspired by new sciences of the period. Recreate this look with polka dot cushions and curtains matched with starburst or atom print wallpapers. All should be in sugary reds, blues and yellows.

Make your House as open plan as possible. The popularization of the television meant homes in the 1950’s were built in a much more open style than anything seen previously so that wives preparing meals could still be reached by advertising! The 1950’s home recognized the emerging importance of the kitchen as the hub of family life so lots of attention was given to their design and the appliances that went in them. Things to include in yours are a chequerboard vinyl floor, melamine fitted kitchen and lots of chrome appliances. The effect is purposefully quite brash as what you are trying to recreate is very similar to the American-style diner. A cheap roller blind will really finish off the look but if you really want to splash out why not add an oversize pastel coloured fridge-freezer- a real icon of the period.

Whichever end of the vintage era you lean towards you are sure to be delighted with the finished result. Vintage style is set to grow massively in popularity over the next few years and its timelessness will ensure your home is still looking top notch by the time vintage means 2008.

Terry Henman
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/go-vintage-to-remain-contemporary-706618.html

You’ve finally done it. You moved out and got your own place, but now what? Now it’s time to start gathering everything you are going to need to live life in your new apartment. If you have a generous family, you may find that many people will be willing to donate to your cause and help you get started off on the right foot. There are a few key essential requirements that you are going to need and then you can start picking up smaller items, as you need them.

The first and most important thing you are going to require is a mattress and bed. You might be able to make it a few nights, but you are definitely going to need one. At the very minimum, a mattress on the bed is going to do. The size of bed you get is up to you but you are probably going to want at least a full size or queen bed. If you don’t have that in your budget, you may have to go with a twin. You may also need to measure the room to see what size bed you can fit in the room. You will also need sheets to fit, a mattress pad, blankets and some pillows, of course.

Trashcans are a necessity. You will probably need at least three of them. You definitely need one in the kitchen, the bathroom and your bedroom. You underestimate how much trash you have when you can’t throw it away.

Not all apartments will come with a shower curtain, so you may need one of those as well. Shower curtains come in a wide variety of styles and designs. Some are rather cheap and will work great until you find one that you really like. Don’t forget the shower rings as well.

Curtains and blinds are also a necessity. You don’t want people to be able to see into your apartment. Blinds and curtains proved a layer of privacy that we all take for granted. You will need to measure your WINDOWS for blinds and curtains and you will need to be prepared to spend a little bit of money on them, as they can be somewhat expensive.

If you can’t round up a dresser, you still have several options for storing your clothes. One is to hang everything up and then use decorative baskets or bins to store your socks, underwear and things that don’t hang. You can also get plastic stackable drawers and there are shelves that hang in closets that can Dinnerware be purchased.

Dinnerware, cups and utensils are essential if you are going to eat. It is cheaper to eat at home, and healthier, so you will need utensils and pots and pans for cooking.

A fan is just a necessity. Many people have become accustom to sleeping with a fan on for noise and to block out the noise from traffic and neighbors. In the summer it will keep you cool and in the winter they will circulate the heat to keep you warm.

A couch or futon is also a huge necessity. Not only do you need a place to sit and watch television, but you are going to need a place for your company to sit as well.

For more Apartment searching and living tips visit Memphis Apartments at http://www.MemphisApartmentstv.com and Nashville Apartments at http://www.NashvilleApartmentstv.com.

Kevin Lloyd
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/what-you-need-for-your-first-apartment-107919.html

Many people live in apartments that are above businesses. Such apartments might be above businesses such as bowling alleys, quickie marts, laundry mats, or taverns just to name a few examples. A common complaint about living in such apartments is the commercial noise that comes with the property. Even though such apartments can be rented really cheap because of the known noise factor. The tenant, in some cases can reduce the amount of noise from the business downstairs.

In such cases look at the apartment in question, … the first thing and most important is the apartment floors. Does the apartment have bare floors, or are they carpeted? Next, … how do you have the apartment furnished? Do the windows use shades or blinds, … or do they have curtains? Lastly, … are there any wall hangings?

I’d like to point out that large, hard, flat surfaces can be very good sound reflectors; Example being bare floors, walls and ceilings. A good example of this is walking through a concrete parking structure or empty wareHouse, … noticing every step you take can be heard throughout the area. This is because the sound is contained and bouncing around off the hard surfaces creating a mild echo in some situations. The same can hold true with a apartment that has bare floors and walls. In a home, some of these noises can be greatly reduced if not eliminated (echoing for sure).

If the home doesn’t already have carpeting, get the building owners permission to put some in, and reap the benefits of having it when it’s installed.

If installing carpeting to control noise from the floor below you as well as dampen sound that is generated within your home, … consider the following. Assuming the building owner gave permission to do carpeting, don’t just throw a layer of wall to wall carpeting across your floors. First of all show your appreciation for the permission by having your carpeting installed by carpet installers. Now, … your choice of carpet should include the installation of a good sound deadening carpet under pad. Then the carpet of your choice gets installed over the carpet pad. This single project alone will show the biggest difference in how sound is heard in your home. Any echo effects you may have had in your home should be drastically reduced if not eliminated totally. Sound experienced from downstairs should also be greatly reduced or muffled.

A couple more steps you can take to reduce noise in your home is to make sure you are using curtains on your WINDOWS. Curtains being made of fabric rather than a hard material will absorb sound rather than reflect it. Curtains can do this not only by the material they are made of, but the design of curtains also assist in doing this. Curtains are not flat, … they have a wavy design to them. Believe it or not, this too can play a roll in how sound carries in a area.

Wall hangings, … remember what I said about large flat hard surfaces being a reflector of sound? If your home has large sections of wall space that aren’t being used, … you can put up some wall hangings of any kind to break up that flat surface. This can be almost anything to do this, … picture frames, wall figurines, candle holders or if you really want to kill some sound, put up a fancy decorative wall rug (again, fabric absorbs sound, it doesn’t reflect it). Of coarse for anyone who doesn’t know what a wall rug is, I should point out that even though the word rug is used, it’s not something you would put on your floor. Wall rugs are made the same way as throw rugs, but meant to be hung on a wall. Wall rugs come in all different sizes and themes, … and very in price quite drastically depending on what quality and size you get. I saw one on the internet that I’m thinking about getting. It was a 5’ x 3’ and had a black background with a gold border that had tassels on the gold border. The theme was a picture of a knight holding a sword. A little pricey at three figures, but I have a feeling I’ll be buying it.

Finally, … cloth furniture over vinyl or leather furniture is another option. Of coarse this is something you wouldn’t do unless you planned on replacing your furniture anyway or haven’t yet purchased furniture. Otherwise this would be a pretty expensive project.

Reporter Joseph Toth

Washington Micro Bank BBS

Joseph Toth
http://www.articlesbase.com/interior-design-articles/sound-deadening-at-home-679968.html