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Friday, December 19, 2014

Different Styles of Wooden Fences for Your Beautiful Home

Your sweet home can look even more beautiful with various different ideas used on the exteriors. We spend a lot of money on the interior decoration of our houses but using a few special thoughts can equally make our home look wonderful and welcoming from the outside. Besides this, there are reasons such as privacy and segregation from neighborhood, safety and protection reasons for which we wish to have a boundary installed to define our particular premises. The idea of using wooden fences to fulfill the above requirements can be quite useful as it comes with many other advantages.

Deciding the type of fence to be installed varies from home to home and city to city due to architectural design and landscape differences. Hiring professional expertise in the US for this would be a wise decision as quality, perfection and other elements need to be taken into consideration before simply installing the fences. There are several such fence contractors available such Delaware fence contractor.

As the topic says, here we will be discussing the different styles of wooden fences for your beautiful home.

Wood Panel Fencing



This type of fencing is used very often by several houses to mark their boundaries and fulfill their privacy objective. It enables you to obtain independency from the neighborhood setting. Each of the panel is four to six feet tall and come in dog eared or pointed pickets. These offer a secure boundary for children and pets too and can be painted in the color of your choice to match the surroundings.


8 Foot Fencing



As the name suggests, these are high fences rising to 8 feet in height. They are ideal in hilly areas where there is no composed landscape and therefore some houses are above the others. To protect privacy, people prefer to install high fences so others are not able to see inside. When these are installed, it must be made sure that the land is dug deep inside so the fixation is strong.

Post-and-Rail Fencing



Split Rail (or Post-and-Rail) fencing is so beautiful; it adds a country-side look to the landscape of any house. These fences are particularly used for separating certain areas on your land. Rails of height 8 to 11 feet are available.

Vinyl Fencing



If you have installed the vinyl fence, you can stay tension fee about its maintenance for a long time. It is attractive and does not rot or fade its quality due to weather impacts. It is considered a good choice for homes and is available in wood and rail fencing.

Wood Picket Fencing



Wood picket fencing is ideal for homes as it offers various different styles and designs of fencing. These designs are quite unique and look beautiful. They are usually painted white and can easily be identified by their equally spaced vertical boards, attached to horizontal rails.

They mark the home boundaries and are mostly low in height but that is what the beauty of such fencing is. As mentioned above, these are painted white and will often need maintenance in the shape of painting or replacement due to the damages caused by weather.

Bamboo Fencing



The name clearly suggests that we are talking about the fence created by use of bamboo. Bamboo fences are famous for the unique look they provide. No doubt bamboo is available in abundance and it is very strong as well. Bamboo fences can be formed in many different styles and they ideally look beautiful with their natural color. Additionally, they are considered less expensive as compared to the vinyl fences.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

The importance of comfortable furniture


Many workers now spend much of their days sitting at desks staring at computer screens. On the face of it, this might not seem like a particularly hazardous activity. However, dangers can lurk even in the most seemingly benign environments. One potential problem for office workers is poor-quality seating. Chairs that don�t meet the required standards can cause their users to adopt awkward postures. In turn, this can lead to back pain and a variety of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). According to figures provided by the Health and Safety Executive, 526,000 cases of work-related MSDs were reported in 2013-14.

Providing your employees with well designed and made office furniture products could help reduce the risk that they will develop potentially debilitating MSDs. With stockists such as Furniture at Work� offering a wide range of ergonomic and affordable desks and chairs, there really is no excuse for not making your staff comfortable.

This brief guide draws attention to the importance of comfortable workplace furniture. It also highlights the most important features of good quality products.

Your legal responsibilities


There is a sound business case for providing your personnel with effective furniture, and we�ll come to that shortly. However, first and foremost you must consider your legal responsibilities. As an employer, you have a duty to ensure that you provide appropriate furniture. A number of pieces of legislation relate to this aspect of workplace management, including the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

Broadly speaking, these laws require you to provide furniture that is suitable and safe. It must also meet the needs of the individuals who use it and the requirements of the tasks they perform.

If you don�t meet these responsibilities, you may find yourself in big trouble. The costs of any legal claims made against you could quickly mount up and put a serious dent in your finances. Also, your firm�s reputation may be tarnished if you end up in the courts.

A sound business decision


It�s not all stick when it comes to providing suitable furniture; there is plenty of carrot too. By making sure your workers are comfortable, you stand to boost productivity, which is good news for your bottom line. You could also reduce sickness absence caused by bad backs and other MSDs.

In addition, by providing your personnel with good quality furniture, and a pleasant working environment more generally, you stand to further your recruitment and retention efforts.

What to look for in your seating and workstations


Chairs are arguably the most important element of workplace furniture. When you�re searching for new seating, make sure it is height adjustable. Chairs should also be wide enough to seat users comfortably. The front of these products should be rounded and well-padded to ensure it doesn�t dig into people�s thighs. In addition, the backrest must give firm support to the lower and middle part of the back.

Armrests aren�t essential for most jobs. However, if you opt for products with this feature, make sure the arms are either adjustable or set back from the front edge of the seat. This will ensure that users can draw their chairs up close to their work surfaces. Meanwhile, if workers can�t place their feet flat on the ground easily, you will need to provide them with footrests.

Workstations are another essential component of office furniture. When you�re choosing desks or tables, try to opt for versions with a maximum thickness of 30mm. If surfaces are thicker than this, there is a risk that they won�t provide enough clearance for people�s thighs.

These products should also be big enough to allow all the relevant work equipment to be used safely. For example, they should be able to accommodate computers at the appropriate distance from users.

As long as you appreciate the importance of comfortable office furniture and make sure you source suitable products, you should be able to steer clear of any problems.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Making the most of your food preparation area


There has never been a better time to test your skills in the kitchen. With the abundance of ingredients now available, plenty of recipes and advice online and gadgets galore to aid your foodie efforts, you should be able to create edible masterpieces. However, to cook up a storm you need a well designed and finished kitchen. If you think your food preparation area could do with a revamp, take heed of the following advice.

Make sure your worktops are up-to-scratch


Firstly, you�ll need a worktop, and a good quality one at that. Having a stable surface to slice and dice on is crucial if you�re to impress with your culinary concoctions. Timber versions are among the best in terms of appearance and practicality. Firms like Worktop Express offer a host of products in timbers such as oak, walnut, bamboo, iroko, beech, wenge and ash.

When you�re ordering your wooden kitchen worktops, make sure you purchase enough for your food prep zone. For example, if you tend to share your kitchen, you�ll need enough surface space to accommodate everyone.

If you don�t have enough room along your walls, it�s worth considering adding an island unit to the middle of your kitchen. This will give you extra work space.

Create an effective work triangle


You might often hear the term �work triangle� come up in reference to kitchen planning. This refers to your cooker top, sink and fridge. The received wisdom is that these objects should be in close, but not too close, proximity to each other. Experts suggest this can help you to work more efficiently.

This makes sense. After all, you don�t want everything to be crammed together because this could make cooking awkward. At the same time, it�s important that these important elements are close enough to ensure that you don�t find yourself constantly dashing from one end of your kitchen to the other.

Incorporate plenty of storage


Plenty of storage is a must in kitchens. You�ll need somewhere to stow all your cutlery, crockery, glassware, pans and food. It�s also handy to have homes for all the gadgets you use when preparing your dishes.

Rotating corner units and full-height shelving or cabinets can help you to take full advantage of all the available space. You can add special organisers to these units to enable you to keep all your items in order as well. By ensuring your cabinets are neat and tidy, you�ll avoid those dreaded cooking panics when you can�t find the vital ingredient or piece of kit to complete a dish.

Install effective lighting


Last but by no means least, think about your lighting. There is an impressive selection of lighting products to choose from these days, meaning you shouldn�t struggle to find the ideal solutions for your kitchen. As well as ceiling lights, it�s important to have cooker top and under cabinet lights. This will ensure you can see exactly what you�re doing when you�re busy preparing food. Whether you�re stirring stews or chopping chillies, you�ll benefit from the ideal level of illumination.

If your food preparation area doubles up as a dining space, make sure you can change the ambiance of the room with a few lighting adjustments. For example, it�s worth fitting your main lights with dimmer switches so you enjoy intimate dinners with loved ones without the full glare of bright lighting to contend with.

By following simple design principles like these, you should be able to make the very most of your kitchen. In turn, this will help you to turn out dish after dish of sumptuous food.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Luxury design trends for 2015


If you�re wondering how contemporary luxury homes will be transformed in 2015, be sure to check out the new, emerging design trends; they cater to a wide range of preferences when it comes to popular materials, d�cor, color schemes and furniture.

Core concepts


Green living is right up there at the top of the pecking order when it comes to home design, with stylists for 2015 choosing to emphasize individual personality, creativity, serenity and simplicity as important features and championing a focus on the unique character of the homes being decorated. Blending traditional, retro, exotic, ethnic and contemporary styles is finding favor, as designers experiment with fresh, creative design ideas and materials: your home can be rustic, yet glamorous; clinically spare, yet chic.

Complement or contrast


When it comes to color, choose a scheme that draws inspiration from your favorite color palette, such as shades of blue � for example, gray or light blue at the paler end of the spectrum through to deep purple or navy blue at the darkest point. Global color authority Pantone has suggested that purple will play a major role in home d�cor during 2015.

Alternatively, contrasting colors can also work well: black and white carried through from furniture to wall coverings or rugs and spiked here and there with rogue items such as scatter cushions or flowers in bright red, silver or gold (again, based on a tip from Pantone) make for a very striking design statement.

You will also find that the antithesis of all this color control is a style of d�cor, particularly popular for bedrooms, that is inspired by carefree, bohemian, Gypsy styles and thus a riot of colorful patterns. Team bright bedspreads, pillows and other vibrant fabrics with neutral doors and walls; use plantation shutters either to reinforce the neutral tones or to highlight a featured hue, such as yellow, green or red.

Materials matter


Rustic antique pieces of furniture, as well as modern ones, can be combined successfully with bold contemporary colored glass and ceramic items. In the same way sophisticated and flowing, gently curved decorating fabrics will soften exposed brick walls and concrete surfaces. Trends for 2015 indicate that you can make the most of the luxurious, warming glow from polished metal by including suitable items in a variety of settings. Also, metal, white marble and wood combinations will be popular trends for both classic and contemporary furniture.

Scandinavian influences continue to make a major impact on interior design, with strong adherence to minimalist lines and simple elegance. Salvaged wood, stone and metal add luxury and elegance to spaces � functional furniture need not be unattractive, so say the design gurus, and it is better if materials are found from eco-friendly sources. Natural wood is always appealing and can be combined successfully with a variety of other materials, including glass, marble and plastic.

Whatever your preferences, contemporary or traditional, your opinion matters and there are bound to be design options and color palettes to ensure you can give your home the touch of luxury that is right on trend for 2015.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Making the Most of a Slope: Nevair Court, Highton, by JAM Architects

When you picture a perfect indoor/outdoor house in your dreams, it might well look like this Nevair Court family home in Highton, by JAM Architects. Overlooking Australia�s Barrabool Hills, the house is set on a steep incline overlooking the Moorabool River valley, terrain that presents its own challenges even without trying to accommodate north-facing views, outdoor living space, and a need for privacy! Nevertheless, this contemporary space has it all, from smooth modern lines to casual, neutral d�cor and no-nonsense comfort, an uncluttered style that encourages barefoot relaxation from the moment you step inside. Expansive glass is a focal point, allowing great vistas and floods of natural light; even a corner of the living room is virtually an unbroken panorama to enjoy by day or night.


Both house and landscape are structured in a series of levels, with slatted screens to provide privacy over bedrooms and baths and a fa�ade of steel-gray that seems to grow naturally out of the rough, boulder-filled terrain beneath it. In fact, rock and stone here form an elegant d�cor element all their own: witness the terraced retaining walls next to the driveway and the clever stone mailbox! Hardy, drought-resistant plants dot the hillsides and the rough surface with welcome green; more green borders the elegant pool and provides a nice edging for concrete paving stones that lead around toward an outdoor barbecue and dining area. Understated and unfussy in its approach, this home makes the most of a limited lot, tames the slope, and gives owners a terrific entertaining space with multiple options�from JAM.










Bartow Point House by Rethink Design Studio

Sit down, relax, and put your feet up; it�s no doubt the first thing that enters your mind when you see the homeowner doing just that in this traditional dwelling with deft modern touches by Rethink Design Studio. A Savannah, Georgia, family of four looked to update their riverfront home; with custom-designed furniture and clever use of the palette, Rethink has �rethought� the d�cor into fresh, clean lines and contemporary ambience. Case in point: the comfy lounge area, seen from above, is a perfect amalgam of homey traditional details and modern coloration, its walls a pearly off-white brightened by tall windows. Warm wood grain, paired with a central brick fireplace, gives the room a serene feeling that invites relaxation, while the styles of coffee table and handy fireplace �poufs� are pure contemporary fun.



 An open-plan kitchen with marble-topped table is only steps away from the couches; a cleverly angled wall nook houses a piece or two of art, shelving space, and a blackboard for a family �hub� that�s head and shoulders above the ordinary. A large center island encourages more than one cook to rub elbows in the space; the palette of off-white and charcoal carries through to drawers beneath the island and to walls of cabinetry that contribute to a beautiful uncluttered look. Touches of bright color in framed artwork and a nifty red mixer keep the palette from being bland, while clerestory windows and reflected light from the living room keep it from being too dark. A traditional remake that gives a growing family plenty of options: that�s this Bartow Point Drive home by Rethink Design Studio.





Floor-Level Windows Make for a Unique CZZ House by Vanguarda

Take a minimalist design; materials such as stone, masonry, and glass, and interesting angles and positions for windows, and you have this unique �look� in a one-story home from Vanguarda Architects. The home, made up basically of a �box,� differentiates spaces within and without by means of clever detail and floor-level glass that helps break up an unrelieved wall of stone here, affording a great backyard �bower� feel there. And, in an area where space is at a premium � note how close neighboring houses are � this solid fa�ade and that glass, give the owners a privacy they wouldn�t have with more traditional style picture windows, or even bay windows at normal levels. Ingeniously enough, the glass also serves as a connector between master suite and outside.



The front entrance is conveniently covered by an overhanging roof; enjoy the surprise of an internal courtyard, its stone patio surface holding a mini-garden of planters, and its presence a neat divider (and a source of light!) between private and public parts of the home. At the back of the house, you�ll find the heart of family gatherings and entertaining: a kitchen, living room, and dining room, illuminated both by the expanses of glass across the back, and by windows off the interior courtyard. Surrounded by climbing green, a pergola shelters the deck with its stone barbecue, a clever reiteration of the front stone wall. This wing of the home also includes guest quarters and a powder room, laundry, and a study. Simplicity itself, with simple materials: that�s CZZ house by Vanguarda.













A Johannesburg Crown Jewel of Luxury: Glass House by Nico van der Meulen

For a client desiring a �contemporary mansion� that provided an �informal lifestyle on a grand scale,� Nico van der Meulen�s design presents soaring volumes and high style. The home includes a small formal lounge with intimate conversational space, an open-plan family room, dining space for 20, and smaller breakfast room. Also part of this space are a kitchen with pantry; walk-in coolers; a lanai, bar, and indoor/outdoor pool; and a gym, billiards room, and home cinema. Smaller kids are taken care of with a splash pool, plus a playroom next to the kitchen, and finishing off this �grand scale� is parking space for 14 cars plus a staff cottage. From a water feature at its core, the house spreads out in a horseshoe, with frameless glass folding doors from dining room to atrium, family room, lanai, and gym.


Amazingly enough, with six suites, staff cottage, and indoor/outdoor living as a constant, climate control is no problem. The staircase sits over a solar-heated pond that, together with the indoor pool and heat storage tanks, helps keep the interior of the home at a constant temperature all winter. Clever use of exterior beams keeps the interiors of the master suite open, without the need for corner supports�but that�s just a technical way to explain an interior that�s airy, flowing, and lavish. Suites have privacy and seclusion without feeling �cut off� from the remainder of the home, and access between spaces is effortless. It�s safe to say that in this gleaming Glass House, the clients ticked off every item on their wish list for a home to dream of, thanks to Nico van der Meulen.