African Home Decor: November 2013

Garden

Gardens are not only for lawns and household play fields, but can also be perfect locations for storage sheds wherein one can just basically stock unused household stuffs in the shed. As part of the entire house exterior, it is only but proper that garden sheds will also look presentable and in-relative to the house's design.

In order not to be a total complete eyesore, garden shed designs should be well-planned. Shed plans should be in harmony with the available space in the garden as well as the design befitting the house's style. Furthermore, garden shed designs should serve its purpose to the owners in general.

The following are some basic tips on how to build your garden shed:

Space. Before one make his/her own storage building plans, one has already the estimate of the space where the garden shed will be placed. Aside from the space available, decide also which part of the garden it will be located. Make sure that it will not be located somewhere near the main road so as to avoid blockage of the pathway in the future.

Layout. On a piece of paper, have a layout of your garden shed designs. One needs not to be an architect or engineer for this matter; a basic design of the garden shed - such as how it looks like - will do since this will only serve as a guide to the carpenter or designer in building the shed. If one is really very intricate about it, he/she can hire a designer or architect to make the storage shed plan.

Materials. In the storage building plans, also include the kind of materials which you like for your garden storage shed. Most of which are made out of wood as woods are deemed as perfect materials for a garden storage shed. Aside from the fact that woods are cheaper, it can also blend well in the environment of a garden wherein shades of green and earth colors fill the area. It is advisable, however, to put wood treatments in certain parts of the garden storage shed. This is to prevent pests or house bugs in getting into the woods.

If you cannot do it on your own, find someone who is learned and skillful in carpentry and designing storage sheds. Look for highly qualified individuals who can construct your garden storage shed. This does not only entail a sturdy garden storage shed output, but also a saving from time and materials used.

Picture Frame

Your picture frames protect some of your family's greatest treasures- your family pictures. Help keep them protected and looking wonderful for years by following these two simple steps.

Reproduce Your One-of-a-Kind Photographs

In this day and age of modern technology and computer-stored images, there's still no substitute for protecting your most precious memories by making duplicates of them. Your wedding photo may be prominently displayed in a perfect sterling silver picture frame, but if it's the only copy you have, then it's not all that protected.

If you have old photographs the best way to protect these most precious pictures is to have them professionally duplicated. For your important new pictures that you already have on disc, you should also consider making an extra copy of your print in case the disc gets damaged. You then want to store these copies in a safe, secure place. Whatever you do, never keep your original photos in the same place as the copies. If you do, you may risk losing them as accidents, like fires, floods and other catastrophes do happen. While you may have insurance to cover the physical cost of these items, if you lose them, you'll lose them forever. Make sure to store them in a safe, dry location away from your home. A safety-deposit box is a prime example.

Clean Your Frames on a Regular Basis

One of the simplest ways to ensure that your picture frames last is to clean them regularly. Just like any item in your house, picture frames collect dust. And if not regularly cleaned, eventually dust will work its way inside the picture frame and leave the frame and picture looking dirty.

To minimize the dust that can build up, simply dust regularly with a slightly damp cloth. If your picture frame has been neglected a bit, you'll need to do a more thorough job and remove the glass and picture. To clean the entire wood frame, inside and out, first lay it on a soft, thick towel face down. Never set a precious frame, like a sterling silver picture frame, on its front side without something protecting it. This could damage the glass or scratch the metal or wood, which could be a major challenge to fix.

Once you open up the frame and carefully remove the picture and the glass and clean the glass thoroughly. I suggest using a cloth to clean the glass as paper towels can leave an acid residue behind that can damage your pictures over time.

For your wood frames, use a damp cloth or dust cleaner. Don't, whatever you do, clean the picture frame while the picture is inside.

For metal frames, such as a silver plated frame, the best solution is to use a damp towel and wipe it down. This way you eliminate the risk of using a cleaner that could damage your metal frame as some metals react badly with some cleaners.

For older solid pewter frames or sterling silver frames that are tarnished, use a high quality silver cleaner and follow the directions on the bottle carefully. If your frame is tarnished, always test a small portion along the bottom of the frame (or on the back) to make sure the cleaner won't damage your picture frame. If your sterling silver frame or silver plated frame doesn't look tarnished, then don't use a cleaner as the frame probably has a lacquer finish and can only be cleaned with a damp cloth and water.

Kitchens to be Thankful for

It is the time of year where we all sit down to a great fall feast and talk about the things we are most thankful for. Will you be home today? Grandma’s? Maybe it is your first time celebrating the holiday somewhere new, but wherever you are, be thankful. I am thankful for the family and friends that I will be blessed to spend time with in this holiday season. What are you most thankful for?

Whether you are celebrating Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, fall harvest, or your family just wants an excuse to eat a ton of food and watch football all day, it is likely that we will all be spending a significant amount of time in our beloved kitchens. No matter what your reasons, plans, or traditions, celebrate the season and enjoy the wonderful dishes prepared for you or by you in your kitchen.

The kitchen below offers a warm, neutral, color scheme and wood accents which set the scene for holiday traditions. With an extended island that offers seating for three there is ample counter space to place the dishes that have been loving prepared for a gathering of any size.

From our kitchens to yours, we wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving.

How To Plan Your Kitchen

When you hear the words 'kitchen remodel,' what comes to mind? Doing dishes in the bathtub for 2 months while the contractor fails to show up? Cabinets coming in that are the wrong size or color? Headaches beyond measure? Budgets running out of control?

It doesn't have to be this way, you can get your kitchen remodeled with a little efficient planning ahead. Be prepared for the occasional surprise, or cost overrun, but don't let them dominate the project - here's how.

Start with a plan - starting with a solid plan will get your project off on the right foot. Get several contractor's opinions and learn as much about the design process as you can, even if you are not doing the work yourself.

Get several bids - this will help with your budget, you'll know pretty much what to expect before you start. It helps to budget an extra 5%-10% for the unexpected cost overruns. If you don't have to use it, well, you'll make your banker happy.

Plan for time without your kitchen - you won't likely need to move out of the house for an extended period of time, but you'll want to eat a few meals out - this can add up. Be sure to build it into your budget.

Order your cabinets and other materials so they will be in and delivered a short period of time before you need them, and allow time for back-orders and other things that might slow the project up.

Stick to your plan. Once you have your plan in place, try to resist the urge to make changes, this will significantly slow the project down. Time is money and changes generally cost both.

How To Decorate A Home

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