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Open ceiling plans are found in offices and commercial buildings where a large amount of ceiling space needs to be covered. For some buildings, leaving open rafters and ductwork is an affordable option, but many businesses prefer a more decorative option. Open grid ceilings are one alternative that works especially well for ceilings that have strange contours or changes in height.
If the perimeter and the area of a square are the same, the length of a side of the square will have a very particular value. Find out what number the length is of a side of a square to make the perimeter and the area the same with help from an experienced math teacher in this free video clip.
Primitive pillar candles are traditionally hand rolled during their creation process. Find out how to hand roll primitive pillar candles with help from a craft expert in this free video clip.
Adding color, texture and a personal touch is key to accessorizing your home. Crisp, clean, balanced, organic, bold and recycled are the accessory trends hitting today’s living rooms, and the good news is that you don't have to spend a lot of money to give your home pizzazz.
If you have a staircase with unsightly balusters, then you can remove them and install wrought iron balusters within one day with a little patience, hard work and help from an assistant. Make sure you rent the equipment you need ahead of time if you do not already own it.
Some items require more than a tack or nail hammered into the wall to hang them. Large, heavy items, such as stereo speakers, need special tools to attach them to walls while other items, like towel racks, are designed in a way that requires mounting rather than hanging. Use keyhole mounting brackets for these types of home improvement projects.
In a plan to beautify your property, hard work can pay off in one season in the garden or by painting clapboards or trim. Some projects, such as a wrought-iron fence, may take longer. If you have a wood fence, start by replacing the gate; bolt gates that come with posts attached directly onto fence posts on either side. If your gate comes with only a box of hardware, however, you’ll have to hang the gate on wood posts until the budget allows the purchase of more fencing.
A hanger grid attaches to a picture frame at the top and provides a spot where the frame can rest upon the hanger attached to the wall. Hanging a picture with a hanger grid already on the frame will save you the bother of putting the grid onto the frame yourself, but you'll need to take into account the placement of the grid to ensure that the frame is accurately placed on the wall.
Often, the main attraction of the picture window is the scenery that lies outside. That’s no reason to neglect the area around your window inside. Like a frame around an actual picture, swags and jabots add visual interest and highlight what’s in the center. Jabots come in pairs, with the outer edges draping longer than the center edges. Hanging swag, drapes along the top of the picture window, is a simple process when you have jabot curtains.
Ideally, interior doorway trim should match or complement the other décor and molding in the room to instill continuity. Traditional, country, arts and crafts, Victorian and modern are among the most popular styles in interior design. Often, wood molding is used when decorating a doorway. Painting and accessories are an alternative embellishment to traditional doorway molding.
In the Nintendo DS game "The URBZ: Sims," you assume the role of the hero to free the city from the clutches of the game's villain. One mission requires you to decorate the stage of a cinema for the local actors. The items you choose to decorate with can have a big impact on your finances and whether you advance.
Handrails and balusters play important safety roles on any staircase or elevated structure, but they have more than functional value; they also have aesthetic worth. Railings assist in getting up and down a staircase, and they can prevent people from falling when they lose their footing; balusters or railing spindles will keep a child from falling through -- but that doesn't mean they can't be decorative as well. Spindles or balusters are the supports that connect the handrail to the staircase. Wrought-iron spindles make a secure barrier at the side of the stairs while also providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
The reason hard surfaces -- such as tile floors and glass windows -- produce an echo is because they are unable to break up sound waves the way softer textiles can. Big rooms, however, are not always designed with this aspect of acoustics in mind. Even small noises can seem loud in a large space, and become irritating or distracting over time. The solution, then, is to deaden the sounds. Deadening sounds in a big room requires the addition of softer textiles so that the sound can be absorbed more efficiently.
Lace adds a feminine flair to a throw pillow for a bedroom or a Victorian-style parlor. A lace ruffle is simply a gathered width of lace, attached to the perimeter of your throw pillow. The lace is easiest to add while you're assembling the pillow. To add a lace ruffle to an existing pillow, you need to remove the stuffing or pillow form from the pillow and separate the front and the back of the pillow. Back the lace with fabric or leave it plain.
Wrought iron porch railings can be a suitable complement to a home’s exterior. However, if you desire to up your curb appeal and present a more inviting porch for your home, you may want to replace it with wood. Wood adds warmth and style to any porch. A wooden railing mounted to posts with metal brackets will provide a nod to the traditional wrought iron railing while giving your home the warmth and beauty of wood. These dimensions are for a 48-inch porch railing, but you can modify them to fit the size of your own porch railing.
A fountain provides the sound of flowing water that many people find soothing and relaxing. Fountains are available in a choice of styles, designs and materials to add to your garden or landscape. Resin and concrete products offer homeowners a choice of fountains at a more affordable cost than the more expensive options of natural stone or metals. Resin and concrete fountains each have their own advantages to suit a wide range of tastes.
When a large, decorative frame is hung over a sofa, it becomes the focal point of the space. A focal point grabs your attention upon entering a room, so hang decorative frames that pull the overall look of the space together. A grouping of frames can create a cohesive style, too.
Whether they follow the traditional carved design or have a contemporary flair, all cuckoo clocks have in common the trademark call of the cuckoo announcing the hour. Although several legends exist giving credit to different creators, by the 1800s the Black Forest region of Central Europe was well-known for the production of high-quality cuckoo clocks. Most cuckoo clocks run on one of four weight-driven mechanical movements: the one-day movement, the one-day musical, the eight-day movement and the eight-day musical.
Striped rugs can bring your color scheme together -- and pairing them with striped accessories gives your room a fresh look. Stripes are easy to work into any design scheme. Techniques for decorating with horizontally and vertically striped rugs can help you define space in your home and even create the illusion of longer or wider areas in hallways or rooms.
Mist fountains serve dual functions — adding beauty and serenity to your room while humidifying and removing dust particles and bacteria from the air. The hanging variety of mist fountains provides a shepherd's hook on which the mist fountain is suspended, similar to a hanging flower basket. The hanging mist fountain comes in tabletop versions and floor versions depending on size. For your hanging mist fountain, assemble the shepherd's hook unit or hang the mist fountain basket from the ceiling with additional hardware.
A jug tabletop fountain is a beautiful and relaxing addition to your home decor, but due to its design, it is not always obvious how to best hang one on a wall for a more out-of-the-way installation. Due to the wide variety of jug tabletop fountains available, a shelf is often the most reliable method for mounting one; but if you want to hang your fountain on the wall with no visible support, thin chains are the most versatile and attractive wall attachment method.
Wrought iron gates create an elegant, traditional note for driveways, entranceways and yard. These gates are often fabricated by local metal shops, but do-it-yourselfers with knowledge of welding and other metalworking equipment can create their own gates in either complex scrollwork or simple, Mission-style designs. If you plan on fabricating a wrought iron gate for your property, you must consider some basic features of the gate, such as the height, the space between rails and how the gate will swing after installation.
Technical terminology often causes confusion, particularly when it is provided without explanation or without context. Take, for instance, the term “PSI Wrought Iron.” This term contains two separate elements, “PSI” and “Wrought Iron,” which, when put together, describe one of the material properties of wrought iron. Understanding what all this means requires a look at wrought iron and, in particular, methods used to measure the strength of materials such as iron.
Adding a lighted archway to your outdoor event brings elegance and a touch of romance, as well as a little more light once the sun falls. Arches made of wood and metal, as well as those fashioned from existing trees, are a staple of outdoor weddings. Increase the beauty and character of any lighted arch by adding decorations according to your own personal touch.
If you are living in a small space, such as a dorm room or studio apartment, you want to create a personalized feel without clutter or taking up room. Even a 10- foot-by-12-foot sleeping and sitting area can be made comfortable and welcoming with a few small decorating touches. You don't have to live in a boring room with a prison-like feel just because it is small.
If you need to build a new shower, and are not using a pre-built or pre-formed shower pan, you will use a shower membrane, which is just another name for a waterproof barrier. This membrane is often called a shower pan liner, because it lines the shower and protects the walls from water. Installing a shower with one of these liners requires some masonry skills and lots of work, but it is achievable. Just give yourself at least a full weekend to complete the job.
An indoor fountain, whether as a serene centerpiece for a room or as part of an indoor water garden, adds a natural element to the decor. You can build your fountain from an almost infinite number of components, including the vessel to hold the water, the size of the fountain and its decorative touches. Using pebble tile creates an undulating surface for the flowing water. Build on the basic design with different sizes of containers and multiple tiles.
Wool rugs make a room feel warmer and more inviting, but you might not want to incur the expense of buying one from a department store or home decorating shop. One solution is to make a wool rug yourself using basic raw materials, such as wool batting. Wool batting must be felted together and blocked in order to create a usable wool rug, which is accomplished by utilizing a few basic tools found at any supermarket or craft supply store.
Create a horizontal mirror feature on any wall in your home to open the space and give the room a light feel. Experiment with the style of the mirror's frame to find a combination that will work in your home. Take into consideration existing frames, moldings and architectural details you can use to complement or contrast with the mirror.
Decorators often use mirrors to provide the illusion of airiness and space. Many restaurant owners employ multiple mirrors to make a dining area appear more expansive. Whether your home is large or small, decorating with multiple mirrors is one way to put your own personality and style on display.
Velvet, a favorite fabric of kings, creates a sumptuous effect in home decorating. The sensuous texture, rich colors and lush effect of velvet furniture, drapes and accessories suit a romantic bedroom, a retro, antique or contemporary living room or add luxury to a den. Using velvet with sustainable materials, such as bamboo mats and furniture, creates a green, spa effect. Alternatively, you can play up the retro flair of velvet and go with tufted velvet furniture and soft Elvis paintings.
You may think of a manual typewriter as the computer's old-fashioned, less-capable grandparent, but in the right hands, it's an artistic tool. For seven decades, the late Paul Smith surmounted the challenges of cerebral palsy to create works using only the symbols on the top row of keys, typed with the shift lock engaged. Even young artists work in the medium, using different machines for different output styles. Whether you create simple doodles, cross-stitch patterns, portraits of pets and people, or elaborate landscapes, the techniques of typewriter artistry offer genuine expressive potential.
The easiest way to hang a picture on your wall and know it's secure it to hang it from a stud. This vertical board behind the drywall gives your wall fastener something substantial to hold to, preventing the type of damage that heavy pictures can do to drywall by pulling down on hooks or nails. If mounting the picture directly even with a stud isn't an option, you need to provide other support to spread the weight across a larger area on the wall. Use a toggle bolt to give your picture hook the security you're missing when you hang…
The contrast between the background and the focal point of a silhouette can grab attention, even with its simplistic design. Whether you use silhouettes of family members or other generic graphics, silhouettes add a decorating flair to your home. Decorate interior rooms using silhouette graphics to add bold and contemporary accessories, not only to walls but to other areas of your home, as well.
Replacing a wrought iron railing with a wood banister can update an outdated look. While wrought iron is a durable material, it might show signs of damage, including signs of rusting, if used outside. A wood banister has a classic and timeless look that changes an interior or exterior space and works with a variety of different decorating styles. Make the banister the same height and length as the original iron railing.
A water fountain can add to the aesthetic value of your home by serving as a centerpiece for your living room, den or family room. The sound of running water also may contribute to a relaxing atmosphere, helping to make your home a place for you and your family members to unwind after a long day. You can build your own large wall fountain, which allows you to customize the fountain to the room's size and decor.
A tambour braid, or chain, is an age-old technique for finishing rugs or making lace and other intricate projects. Tambour braids may be simple single-strand braiding that are used to finish the edges of a rag rug or complex multi-strand braids that create intricate patterns to create tambour rugs or lace designs. The tambour braid interlocks each loop with the prior loop to form a strong chain of thread, yarn or rag that stabilizes the remaining needlework.
The most notable feature of shag carpets and rugs are their thick, luxurious pile. Shag carpets and rugs have long, uneven fibers, giving the rugs a shaggy, messy look. Rocky rugs are a specific band of shag rug made from heavy, felted wool dyed in earth colors. Shag and Rocky rugs and carpets can add contrast and texture to room furnishings, and provide a nice, soft place to walk, sit or play.
Cuckoo clocks, because of their intricate designs and predictable hourly and half-hourly floor shows, are a delight to their owners and conversation pieces in the home. Sometimes, cuckoo clocks stop functioning properly due to age, worn parts or breakage from mishandling. It's better to let the factory restore the clock if the problems are severe or if the warranty is still in effect, but there are a few things the owner can do to try to make a cuckoo clock run smoothly and properly without leaving the home or calling a clock repair technician.
Versatile wrought iron lends itself to products as diverse as wine racks, curtain rods and, of course, furniture. Although most wrought-iron furniture finds its home outdoors, indoor pieces feature the same durability, resistance to corrosion and timeless, attractive styling. Even amateur do-it-yourself enthusiasts can redo indoor wrought-iron chairs, a process that helps save money by transforming the old and worn into the bold and new.
Decorative trims give fabric items a finished look. Delicate lace trims complement the soft and flowing look of batiste fabrics. Both lace and batiste require proper handling because these fine materials are easily damaged by snags and pulls. Sewing the lace on correctly ensures that the lace and fabric look their best.
Noisy neighbors are unbearable, particularly when they live right above you. Reduce the problem by soundproofing your ceiling. You could install a false ceiling to drown out the noise, but this is a costly venture. Fortunately, you can reduce the amount of noise that enters your apartment from above by installing a rug on your ceiling. This soundproofing option is less complicated, and you can complete it in a few hours. It requires a few tools and supplies that you may already have.
Light shelves are reflective devices that serve as overhangs inside and outside high- and low-rise offices, retrofitted structures and institutional buildings. They are usually located near window openings to intercept and reflect light evenly throughout the room. Light shelves’ reflective capabilities are partly due to the materials used to minimize lighting near windows and enhance daylight quality inside buildings.
Rotational molding uses Microthene polyolefin powders, a plastics resin, to make hollow products of any shape or size. The frame allows the roto mold to rotate in a biaxial motion, while the resin is being heated. Making a frame for a roto mold requires fabrication and mechanical skills. You must make a frame capable of rotating in two directions at the same time. The size of the frame will depend on the size of the roto mold you are using.
Wrought-iron gates can be beautiful, adding an elegant touch to any yard, garden or driveway. Despite their visual complexity, most wrought-iron gates have simple hinges, consisting of a bent bolt that fits into a small shaft attached to the fence. You can hang your own wrought iron gate with less than an hour's work, though you may need the help of an assistant if the gate is too heavy to lift on your own.
Wrought iron gates are often baroque in appearance, with metal twists and turns that lend a complicated elegance to any yard. This complexity is merely on the surface, however -- most of these gates have very simple hinge systems, making installation a project that anyone can tackle. By sliding hooked hinge bolts into small barrels attached to the gate's support columns, you can assemble a wrought iron gate in only a few minutes.
If you're looking to infuse your home with vibrant color and eye-catching decorative accents, consider decorating with an Arabian-theme. Whether you want to pay homage to your Arabic roots, or you simply want to create a stimulating, yet relaxing space, this style of decor is well-suited for you. Opulent decorative accents play a major role in this style, but they can be costly. Instead of purchasing pre-made Arabian-style decor, create your own to give your home a personalized and striking look.
Hanging decorative lighting on siding is a much simpler task today than it was just a few years ago. You now can hang string lighting using convenient plastic clips that you slide under the lip of the siding and lock into place. These easy-to-use clips, which come in small or large sets, are sold at most hardware stores. There are several types of clips available to coordinate with a variety of decorative lighting styles and siding materials, such as wood, vinyl, aluminum and masonry board.
Black Forest cuckoo clocks have been made since the early 1700s in the Black Forest region of southwestern Germany. They operate with decorative weights that hang under the clock, usually resembling pine cones. They chime on the hour and half hour, many with a small decorative bird coming out of a small door on the clock. They usually require manual winding on a regular basis. Black Forest cuckoo clocks must be handled with care and properly maintained to ensure a long life of accurate operation.
Wrought iron railings can be found on many historic buildings, giving properties a look of solidity and craftsmanship. Wrought iron often is used for contemporary buildings, as well, because of its timeless beauty and longevity. Wrought iron railing construction must follow specific building codes that ensure its strength and safety. Issues such as weight load, height and rail spacing must pass stringent inspection by trained building inspectors.
