Archive for May, 2007

18
May
2007

Decorating business

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businesscardart

If you your work involves meeting a lot of people, you might have a few, or lot of business cards. If not, you have friends who do. I saw this on a website where the owner of hundreds of business cards had the brilliant idea that instead of throwing them away, he would decorate his office walls with them. As single cards, there’s not much of a decorating accessory, but as you stack up a few types and colors, they can become a great brick for a mosaic on your wall. The method is up to you, make a pattern, form an image or just stack them up randomly. With a little planning and persistence you could end up with a neat office wall to look at, instead of the boring blank one you have now. If you don’t want to ruin the wall it is advisable to stick them on a huge cardboard which you hang on the wall like a painting. But it is entirely up to you. Just make sure you get lots of colors, as the most usual business cards are white.

Posted in Decorating tips

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18
May
2007

The food washer

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At first we did the dishes and washed our clothes manually. Then along came the washing machine. Shortly after, the dishwasher made its appearance on the market, so we do the cleaning without the mess. food washerIt also saved us time. Now, the only thing we wash manually are the fruits, vegetables and other things we eat to clean them from bacteria before we eat or prepare them. Or do we? It seems that they came up with an automated solution for this one as well. The Clean Cuisine product washing machine is made to handle this task with the recently developed Activated Oxygen technology to rid your food of bacteria, germs, pesticides and so on. The result is a clean, disinfected, safe-to-consume product, to protect you from all the food poison related illnesses that record a few million cases every year, curable, but undesired nonetheless. Maybe this information will make the price of almost $200 more accepted.

Posted in Kitchen Design

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17
May
2007

Sink maintanance

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sink cleaning

I don’t watch television too much, but I often see these commercials for Mr. Propper or something, that’s used for cleaning your pipes in case of clogs or bad odors. Every time I see them, I remember to clean my pipes, as I share the drain with the next door neighbor and we often get bad odors in our kitchens. But here’s the catch: I don’t use Mr. Propper or any cleaning product. What I use is a combination of three, very common kitchen ingredients, probably very familiar to many or all of you: vinegar, baking soda and water. So what I do is boil a liter of water or so, put a cup of baking soda in the drain, add a cup of vinegar and quickly two cups or more of boiling water. It basically does the same as the commercial cleaning products. The difference is that you don’t get that detergent smell after the process. The baking soda and the vinegar react violently, producing and effervescent product that cleans your pipes and burn any kind of grease in the drain. I don’t know if it’s common to you, but I often use this combination to clean my own digestive pipes (of course without boiling the water). It’s not recommended for frequent use in your body though. For pipes, it’s just fine, at least I can’t think of any way it could damage them.

Posted in Do it yourself

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17
May
2007

Have a seat on your coat

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hood chairI’m talking about the Brodberg & Ridderstrale’s Hood Chair. Might make you curious the first time you see it. It is a kinky design inspired from the idea of toss-your-coat-anywhere. It’s most intriguing part is the hood at the back which could serve as a storage place for clothing items or just a place for your pet kitten that loves to share the room with you. The interesting part will be when it starts playing with your hair while you watch TV. Other than that, it’s a
fairly ordinary chair, made of plywood, felt and steel, I’ve seen many similar chairs, without the hood of course.

Posted in Furniture

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16
May
2007

Painting kitchen cabinets

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Given the working circumstances in kitchens it is nearly impossible not to get messy now and then. Sometimes, this “messy” turns out to be just the thing to leave our kitchen furniture marked forever. Well, maybe not forever. If you have (once) white kitchen furniture like I do, and it is getting kind of yellowish from steam and brownish from stains, but can’t afford replacing it, just calm down, you can paint them. Many people think that if a cabinet has some kind of decoration, than painting is not recommended. WRONG! A flat cabinet would look horrible after painting, just like flat doors, due to the large texture less surface. However, if the cabinet has a little decoration, a raised border the texture is replaced.

white cabinetSo, go down to a hardware store, buy a good quality latex based trim paint, and start repainting. Paint all the faces if you like to move your furniture around. You never know what is exposed, paint both inside and outside, both sides of the doors (it is recommended to remove the doors and drawers before you start the whole operation). Don’t forget about the drawers, of course, all sides (the bottom and back sides are optional). Let it dry, remount and see what you get. Keep the remaining paint, it will be good for future repairs, and it is advisable to buy a Magic Eraser, in case you screw up during the operation.

Posted in Furniture, Kitchen Design

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16
May
2007

Kids room flooring

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HopskotchIf you want to add something original to your child’s room, especially for a little girl, this Hopscotch carpet idea is suitable enough. It’s both playful and good looking.

There are a few tips in applying this little project:

1. Create your plan in advance, including colors and layout.

2. Make a cardboard template for the numbers to ease your work.

3. Apply a dry brush paint on the carpet in the desired shapes and colors. Be precise and creative.

Now, the idea for your kids is cute, but also predictable. Imagine this little design in your home office, or kitchen, where adults rule the grounds. That would be more intriguing, wouldn’t it? If you live in a flat, I don’t recommend this in your kids’ room, just think of all the arguing with the downstairs neighbors. If you decide to lay down this idea, be sure you won’t regret it. Your children sure won’t.

Posted in Decorating tips, Design Ideas, Kids room

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15
May
2007

Choosing an office chair

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office chairWhat to take in consideration when preparing to purchase new seating for your office. The first thing you need to consider is why you want a new chair. The old one is broken, or wasn’t comfortable enough. If you spend a lot of time at your desk comfort is a must. Try to find the most cushioned chair you can find. Otherwise, your bottom might get sore, just like mine is now. On the other hand, if you use your chair less then 4-5 hours a day, don’t drop out on a model you like just because “it’s not soft enough”.

Second, synchronize with your desk and rest of the furniture. You shouldn’t break the harmony of the room just because you couldn’t find a suitable style that meets your needs. With such a wide market, I think it’s nearly impossible not to find something to match both your needs AND your style. Take your time and browse.

Don’t neglect sizes either. It is important that the chairs support matches your proportions. Don’t just think that it’s adjustable, try it out, watch out for arm support, back support and head support (optional). These would be the basics, but remember: need come first, then the rest. Don’t harm your health just because of style or fashion.

Posted in Furniture, Interior design

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15
May
2007

Massage bathmat

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bathmat

This nice little bathmat combines it’s main function, that of not letting the floor soak and you to slip, with the comforting feeling of a foot massage right while you wipe yourself dry. Not to mention the great looking design. I only wish it would come in other colors too, but I guess that won’t be a problem, after buyers get to request that. Other than this, it’s pretty ordinary, I just like how it looks… a lot.

Oh, and one more thing. It isn’t cheap. Find out yourselves.

Posted in Decorating tips

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15
May
2007

Place…cork?

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cork

I saw the idea on the internet, the bastards were selling them at nearly $4 a piece. Sure, they weren’t made of real corks, and you could personalize a set of place cards, but why not do it yourself? All you need to do is drink a dozen bottles or so, of the same wine/champaign, practice on a piece of foam and get right to the action. Two precise cuts per cork is all it takes, and a great party with your friends. You didn’t plan on drinking all that wine on your own, did you?. This question will also be raised on thanksgiving, by your mother, when she sits down to the place marked by her name.

Posted in Design Ideas

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14
May
2007

Mini bar at home

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martini_largeAre you planning on setting up a mini bar in your living room? Or perhaps your dining room. Wherever you decide on placing it, here are some of the must-haves of your “home entertainment center”, as listed by a barman:

1. Jiggers, for measuring your shots. If you’re not the scrooge type, a couple of pourers for the bottles should do the job just fine.

2. A shaker, if you feel like preparing the cocktails yourself. You might want to learn a few moves as well.

3. A strainer for emptying the shaker from ice, fruit chunks or other remains that go in the drink.

4. A muddler.

5. A bar spoon, for stirring, if you don’t feel like learning those moves. Don’t worry, you can still impress by learning how to make layered cocktails… you can use this long handled spoon for this as well

Some of the things that you already must have in your home are a knife, a juicer, a chopping board and whatever you may think of. Oh…don’t forget the drinks!

Posted in Decorating tips, Interior design

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