Bathroom Renovation - A Step by Step Guide

Bathrooms are one of the smallest rooms in the house and they are also one the most costly to renovate. Bathroom renovation is a job that, if done well, can add value to a home and a great space full of design and light.

Bathroom design

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Bathroom design is the first area of your bathroom renovation you need to get right. Just replacing the existing bathroom with the same design may not be enough. The key to great bathroom design is to design it with the people that are going to use it in mind. However be sure that your bathroom design also has a general use factor as well. For example: If you were designing a bathroom for families you could still design the bathroom with easy access to the shower and bath. This would ensure that the design would also work for people with limited mobility. This means if you decide to sell your home or if you are renovating for profit your design has a wider market appeal. Great bathroom design also uses the space well, taking into account the light or window space, size of fittings, and drainage options. Draw out a plan to scale and right down the sizes of your room. Mark the existing drainage points and then and water inlet points. Write down a wish list of the bathroom fittings to need and want with their sizes. Now marry the two together and see what fits. Note: Most bathroom drainage and water inlet points can be moved but this does come at extra cost.

Bathroom Renovation - A Step by Step Guide

Bathroom remodel

If you have decided to do the work yourself or part of the work it is time to hire a skip bin and pull out the old bathroom. If your home was made pre 1980 you may have fibro bathroom wall linings with asbestos in it and great care will need to be taken. You will need some full body disposable overalls, eye protection, and quality dust mask. Check with your local building authority or council regarding the regulation on bathroom asbestos wall lining removal.

Remove everything except the plumbing. If you keep the bathroom plumbing in place you will not have to turn the water off for the whole house. Also you will need to jack hammer the floor tiles up and the sand and cement bed that they are laid on.

Bathroom Renovation and construction

Bathrooms must be construction properly from the ground up to ensure that the finished job is correct and true. This also ensures the design and look of the bathroom will have a great finish

The Bathroom Renovation Process

Install water and drainage pipe and electrical wires. Install wall lining and ceiling and then install the bath hob and bath. Waterproof the floor and shower and bath recess. Correct the fall of the floor with sand and cement ready for tiling. Lay floor and wall tiles and then grout. Install new bathroom vanity, fittings, and taps - install new electrical. Paint ceiling and final clean.Step one - Plumbing and electrical

At this point all new plumbing is installed for clean hot and cold water and drainage. Careful attention needs to be taken when positioning the new plumbing so that the plumbing fittings are correct when the tiling is finished. For example: To centre a fitting in a shower recess you must take into consideration the thickness of the wall board, tile glue and tile so the fitting will be centred after the tiles are in place. The same applies to installing drainage pipes for a toilet; the wall lining and tile thickness must be taken into account so the pipe is in the correct position when the toilet is installed after tiling. Also rough in the any new electrical wires without connecting them to the mains power.

Step two - Install wall and ceiling linings

Install your 6mm wall lining being careful to nail the fibro board every 150mm without nailing into the new pipes and electrical wires. The best way is to measure and mark the pipe and wire layout onto your new wall board with a pencil as you go. Screw up (or nail) the ceiling lining, plasterboard is the most common. However if you are laying your tiles from floor to ceiling do not install the cornice as this is best done after tiling. If you are not tiling to the ceiling go ahead and install the cornice after the wallboard and ceiling lining have been installed. Also if your bath is not freestanding you can now make up the frame and install the bath. Ensure the bath is installed correctly allowing for the thickness of the tiles and glue.Be sure to check all linings and pipes before you continue with your bathroom renovation.

Step three - Waterproof your bathroom

Waterproof your bathroom floor, shower recess, and around the bath. When waterproofing the floor ensure that the waterproofing comes 100mm up the walls. The shower recess will need to be waterproofed 100mm above the shower rose outlet. Also the bath should be waterproofed 100mm above the lip of the bath right around and to the floor. At the doorway install a 25 x 25mm aluminum angle glued into place with quality silicone and waterproof into the lip. Your whole bathroom should now the tanked, so the all water will only go down a drain. Bathroom waterproofing tip: waterproofing is an easy job but quality and accuracy is most important.

Step four - Lay in the cement screed for the floor.

Before the floor tiles can laid the floor must be smooth and fairly flat with a slight fall to the drainage outlet. To do this you must use sand and cement mix and it is best to add a waterproofing agent into this as well. With a level, set the floor level at the doorway. Use the top aluminum angle as the finished floor level and measure down the thickness of the tile plus 10mm for the glue. Mark right around the bathroom with a level and then screed in your sand and cement mix with a 1 to 3 degree fall to the top of the drain outlet. Take your time and get it right with the finished level as smooth as possible. When the sand cement mix has set but is not dry (you can walk on it but you it is still a bit soft) rub it over with a house brick. This will remove all the small highs and lows and check with a level as you go. Let the bathroom floor fully dry and then you should have a great surface to tile onto. Tip: the more work you put into the floor screed the easier your tiling will be.

Step five: Tile floor and walls

Lay your tiles on the floor first and then grout. Then lay your wall tiles making sure that they are level as you lay. Once the bathroom tiles have been cut and laid, grout all your tiles and then buff the tiles clean.

Step six: Install plumbing fitting and fixtures

Install all your plumbing fittings and taps. Also fit all your towel rails and soap holders. Fit your new bathroom vanity making sure it is level and sealed around the top with silicone and also seal around the bath. Tip: make sure they are in the right place before you drill into your tiles.

Step seven: painting, and cleaning - enjoy

Paint your ceiling and do a final clean making sure everything is fitted correctly and that there are no leaks in your plumbing. - Enjoy your new bathroom.

Bathroom Renovation - A Step by Step Guide

By Steven Robinson - Renovation Robot
Want to know more and see repairs in action then visit the Renovation Robot web site for free advise and tips! Click here ----> http://www.renovationrobot.com.au/bathrooms-ceramictiles/bathroom.html.
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Reading Blueprints - 15 Tips to Help You Understand Drawings, Elevations and Floor Plans

Blueprints are nothing more than copies of the final plans drawn up for the home owners' approval. Highly detailed, these documents contain a wealth of information. Typically, a blueprint package includes a set of drawings called elevations, illustrating exterior and interior walls. But that's not all. The package contains other drawings. One is of your building site, and another drawing illustrates the foundation of the house. The reflected ceiling plan reveals where light fixtures are to be placed.

In addition, each blueprint incorporates a materials list with sizes and quantities of all necessary components required to construct the building features. This information enables the contractor to compile building costs. There is one additional category of blueprints-the floorplans-with which people are probably the most familiar. Here's an insider's guide to reading the plans to your dream home.

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1. Scale and dimensions are clearly indicated.

Reading Blueprints - 15 Tips to Help You Understand Drawings, Elevations and Floor Plans

The scale of blueprints may be 1/4-inch or 1/2-inch to the foot. Whatever the scale, it will be noted in one of the lower corners of the blueprint. All blueprints to the house are drawn to the same scale. Dimensions are noted in feet and inches. In most cases, the length and width of all the exterior walls are shown in addition to dimensions of each room. With this information in hand, you can easily determine which rooms are best sized for various family activities. You can also plan for the arrangement of furnishings.

2. Exterior walls are represented by thick parallel lines, and interior walls are represented by thinner lines.

The placement of the walls, particularly the decisions you make regarding the interior partition walls, greatly affect the layout of your home. And, if you can understand the exact placement when you first receive the blueprints, you'll likely make fewer changes as the process evolves, cutting down on unnecessary and unforeseen expenses to your project.

3. Rooms are clearly labeled by function- kitchen, living, dining, etc.

Built-in items within rooms also are presented in a logical fashion. For example, as you study the documents, fireplaces, closets and built-ins become obvious. Also apparent are the placement of kitchen and bathroom fixtures, counters, sinks, cabinetry and kitchen appliances.

4. It's easy to determine ceiling configurations and two-story rooms.

A series of parallel dashes across a room denotes a ceiling beam; an arrow accompanied by the word "sloped" marks a cathedral ceiling. A double-height room is easy to spot. The blueprint of the lower level bears the notation "open to above" and the upper level "open to below."

5. Doors are represented by a straight line.

When you study the blueprint of the floorplan, pretend that you are walking through the actual house. Visualize the two-dimensional blueprints in a three-dimensional form. This technique helps you transform the data and symbols into something more real. A good place to start is at the entryway. From there, you can clearly see the overall organization of the home's interior. In houses designed today, rooms are placed into one of three zones dedicated to living (family room, dining room and living room), work (kitchen, laundry and utility rooms) or sleeping (bedrooms and corresponding bathrooms). They appear as if open with a thinner, curving line showing the space required for them to close.

French doors have two straight and two curved lines. Two overlapping sets of straight lines is the symbol for sliding glass doors. Parallel solid lines within walls are windows. Like doors, overlapping lines indicate sliding window units. As you study the placement of windows and doors, you can determine if they will permit good ventilation and natural lighting of the interior, as well as make the most of exterior views and provide sufficient access to the outdoors.

6. On the blueprints of a two-story house, you will encounter a staircase, revealed by a group of parallel lines.

The number of lines is equal to the number of steps. The lines are accompanied by arrows. Those labeled "up" mean that the staircase leads to a higher level; conversely, those labeled "down" lead to a lower level.

7. Letters on the drawings serve as keys to the information listed in the margins.

For example, on the blueprint of the floorplan, a series of circled letters beginning with "A" refer to the types of doors selected. This "door schedule," as it is called, coordinates the location of each door, as well as the style and size. A closet door, for example, has a circled letter at the proper place on the blueprint. In reading the blueprint, the corresponding margin notation may read something like "2'-0" solid core flush door, paint-grade veneer."

8. Openings on the blueprint for windows bear a number within a circle.

This marking refers to the list of window styles and sizes cited in the window schedule in the blueprint margin. As an example, a bathroom window may bear the designation of "1" in a circle. Looking at the window schedule, the circled 1 may be listed as a "3'0" x 2'10" awning window."

9. The same approach applies to electrical symbols.

Here are some common examples: A capital "S" stands for a wall switch that controls an overhead light fixture. A capital "S" with a subscript "3" refers to a three-way wall switch. A capital "J" in a box marks the location of a junction box. A capital "L" in a circle is the site of an exterior light fixture. A triangle indicates the location of a telephone receptacle.

10. Large letters accompanied by carets (>) pointing toward each wall refer to an elevation, or drawing, of the wall as it will appear when built.

An exterior elevation is illustrated by a large letter and a 90-degree, angled line to the side.

11. The placement of appliances and fixtures is easy to determine.

The symbol for a kitchen range or cooktop is four circles within a square. Bird's-eye drawings are used to represent the refrigerator, kitchen sink, bath sinks, toilets and showers. In the kitchen, a series of dashes accompanied by the notation "DW" mark the location of an undercounter dishwasher. Look carefully to see that the appliances have been placed where you want them. Again, visualize yourself inside of the home, preparing meals (or doing the dishes).

12. Tile flooring also is easy to spot.

It is illustrated by an expanse of small squares in the bathroom or in front of a fireplace drawing.

13. Elevations represent how the walls of the house will appear when built.

Interior wall elevations include drawings of fireplaces, cabinets and shelving, windows, doors and other desired built-in elements. Exterior elevations note the location of windows, doors and other items such as roof eaves.

14. Accompanying the elevations may be some drawings which outline the construction details.

Frequently, you'll find drawings outlining the configuration of exterior corners. Or, you may be given the foundation footings and column bases, indicating depths and widths.

15. Sections provide a see-through representation of the house.

You can visually see how various elements of the house will align when construction is completed. This is helpful in visualizing porticos and other details of the facade, as well as outdoor decks, arcades and any decorative aspects. If this seems too overwhelming, don't try to absorb all of the information that blueprints provide at one sitting. Study them in a leisurely manner, allowing the house to reveal itself to you gradually over time. Then, when you have a firm idea of what your new log home will look like and how it will function, you'll have much more confidence in your leap of faith to start building.

Reading Blueprints - 15 Tips to Help You Understand Drawings, Elevations and Floor Plans

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as seen on tv Tadpoles Three Bulb Chandelier in Black Onyx

Tadpoles Three Bulb Chandelier in Black Onyx Specification

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Tadpoles Three Bulb Chandelier in Black Onyx

Color:Black Onyx, Light Bulb:(3)25w B9 Cand C Incand A beautiful mini-chandelier for your little girl's room. Chandelier has glass and acrylic beads and dangles. Hang either with cord and plug as swag, or professionally install with included chain and ceiling cover plate.

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Light Bulb Wattage: What Is The Right Wattage?

Any electrical contractor can explain that choosing the right light bulb wattage is not as simple as it seems. The first step is to select the proper wattage for the fixture that will not cause overheating or fires. Next, consider how wattage affects energy efficiency in the home. For example, a standard incandescent light bulb between 75 and 100 watts can be replaced with a 20 watt fluorescent bulb to achieve the same amount of light. Lastly, think about how much light output is required for the area, be it a kitchen or bedroom.

Selecting Wattage to Match Fixture

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It's always important to match light bulb wattage with the fixture's specifications. An electrical contractor can explain that this is an important safety measure and prevents overheating. A common sign that the wrong light bulb wattage has been installed in a fixture is a brown spot on the insulation. The wiring may also become brittle from constant exposure to high temperatures from the bulb. Using the same wattage as required on the fixture's warning label can prevent accidental household fires.

Light Bulb Wattage: What Is The Right Wattage?

Hunter 82004 Orleans Bathroom Fan with Light, Imperial Bronze Specification

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Hunter 82004 Orleans Bathroom Fan with Light, Imperial Bronze

The Hunter Orleans 82004 is a bathroom exhaust fan in the Imperial Bronze finish. This exhaust fan is UL Approved for use over Shower Enclosure / Tub with GFCI Circuit and comes with a Five Year Manufacturer's Motor Warranty.

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Efficiency and Fluorescent Lights

It can be necessary to consider how a high wattage affects the efficiency of energy use in the home. Generally, the efficiency of higher watt bulb is greater and produces more light than a smaller watt. For this reason it's best to use one fixture with a bright bulb instead of two lamps with dimmer bulbs. When it's time to change an incandescent light bulb there is no need to get the same wattage if a fluorescent bulb will be installed. This is because fluorescent bulbs achieve the same light output at 20 watts as an incandescent does at 75.

Light Bulbs for High Visibility

Choosing light bulbs for a kitchen require a bit of care as a lot of visibility is needed. In general, workspace lighting should be at least 100 watts of incandescent or 25 watts of fluorescent lighting. Workspace lighting may come from either ceiling fixtures or under-cabinet lights. An electrical contractor can properly install both of these fixtures. Aim for at least 100 watts of incandescent or 25 fluorescent lightings watts for every 50 square feet of kitchen space. This ensures the area is brightly light and everything is visible.

Ambient Lighting

To determine the right ambient lighting for a living room or bedroom, a simple formula can be used. First, take the dimensions of the room and multiply to find the square footage. Multiply the square footage by 1.5 to get the total amount of illumination needed. A 12' by 16' room, for example, has a square footage of 192 with 288 watts necessary. For a room this size, select two table lamps with 150 watt bulbs or 8 fixtures with 40 watt bulbs to give off the correct amount of light.

Because choosing the right wattage for a home can be difficult, it can be helpful to consult an electrical contractor to determine how to properly light a room. In general, areas that require high visibility like the kitchen may need light bulbs with a higher light output. Bedrooms and family rooms can get by with lower watts for ambient lighting. Fluorescent and incandescent bulbs give off different amounts of light with the same wattage, making it important to compare light output as well. As any electrical contractor knows, the most important thing is to use the right wattage for any fixture to prevent overheating and the potential for fires.

Light Bulb Wattage: What Is The Right Wattage?

With over 30 years of experience, Bob Lord is an expert at installing and repairing electrical wiring. Bob has a unique and outstanding knowledge of residential and commercial electrical installation and repair.

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Neon Lights

Neon lights are gas discharging lights used as light sources for indoor and outdoor illumination applications. They were first produced by Georges Claude, an eminent French chemist, in 1910. They became commercially available in the early 1920s.

A neon light consists of a cathode and anode, fixed one at each end of the tube. When electric current is passed through this glass tube containing neon gas, the potential between the anode and cathode causes the electrons in the gas to ionize and glow in a bright color.

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Neon lights work on relatively high voltage. Unlike incandescent lights, they have no filaments and have a typical lifespan of 10,000 to 25,000 hours. These lights operate under a wide temperature range from -40°C to +150°C. They are least affected by mechanical shock or vibration.

Neon Lights

Neon lights come in a wide range of brilliant eye-catching colors. These colors are produced by mixing neon gas with other gases, by coating fluorescent powders and by using colored glass tubes. Typical color produced by a neon light is bright reddish-orange. By using other ways to create new colors, neon lights can emit colors such as green, yellow and blue. For example, when argon gas is mixed with neon gas in a glass tube it will emit a blue-color light.

Small neon lamps are used as indicators in electronic equipments whereas larger lamps are used in signboards. Due to its long lifespan and low current consumption, they are good as nightlights. Nowadays, application of neon lights is devised in digital logic circuits, binary memories and frequency dividers.

Neon lights are used mainly by business firms for advertising purposes. They use neon lights in their banners and signboards for catching attention of the general public. They have a significant role in generating sales. Banners and signboards written in bright and brilliant colors of neon lights are really a dazzling way to attract business.

Neon Lights

Lights provides detailed information on Lights, Christmas Lights, Light Fixtures, Light Bulbs and more. Lights is affiliated with Halogen Light Bulb.

Wall Washing

Wall Washing is a beautiful effect that can be easily achieved with recess lighting. Wall washing is just that, it bathes the wall in a soft light, to highlight the area, but not be overly bold about it. Where accent light tends to be more specific to a painting or sculpture, wall washing is softer.

For instance, in an office, there might be behind the desk various diplomas and certificates on the wall. Well placed recess lighting can wash the wall in a soft light, that brings attention to those items, but not in a glaring way. Or maybe, on a side wall, there is a bookshelf, loaded with wonderful tidbits of information. Washing that in light provides a beautiful affect while actually helping one to read the spines.

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For a more simple example think of a hallway, lighting the walls to enhance the path. Significantly a different look, than that one overhead light, bright as it is, that doesn't quite reach both ends of the hall. Or just bathing a wall in the living room might help to make a smaller room look a little larger. Maybe you have painted an accent wall in your bedroom, and want to bring a little attention to that. Give the room it's own mood, creating a specific atmosphere.

Wall Washing

And what if that accent wall is textured?!

By placing the lights a little closer to the wall and a little closer together, you can create shadow, enhancing the textures already present. So an accent wall done in stucco, will stand out even more that it did before. You might consider doing this over your fireplace to enhance the craftsman ship of the brickwork or any number of textured vertical surfaces.

Don't think of walls as just a necessary means to hold up the roof. Let recess lighting help you to use them to make the room stand out.

Wall Washing

Find out what else you don't know about recess lighting! Join us on our website: http://www.recessedceilinglights.org/recess-lighting-15/

Rustic Log Cabin Decorating

Rustic or log cabin decorating can seem like an overwhelming task but don't let it get you down. Start small using rustic décor elements but plan big with an entire log cabin interior design laid out. Break it down into rooms or living areas and take it step by step.

Plan Big with Log Home Interior Design Themes

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Start with choosing an overall décor theme. Many people like the wildlife themes for cabin decorating, like moose, bear, wolves, elk or ducks. If you go this route make sure you really love it because it becomes very easy to select log cabin decorating elements with moose or bear and pretty soon you can be overrun with woodland animals in your cabin. Nature themes include pine cones, pine trees and maple leafs.

Rustic Log Cabin Decorating

Other log cabin interior design themes are areas and eras such as Lake Cottage décor, Western Ranch, the Lodge look, North Woods, Southwestern and Adirondack style. Each of these cabin decorating themes looks great and many rustic décor accents and furnishings can be found in these styles for your country lodge or log cabin.

Don't be afraid to mix them up the way you like it. Pick and choose different rustic design elements from various sources; maybe decorate different rooms in your cabin in different rustic themes to give that rugged rustic country appeal.

Another idea for a log home interior design theme would be an eclectic mix of antiques and imported items. This really opens things up and almost anything that interests you can be incorporated into your overall log cabin decorating plan.

Start Small with Log Cabin Decorating Elements

Start with individual cabin decorations like rustic lighting fixtures. A cabin-style combination light and fan can anchor an entire room. Or plan around different dominating features, like the fireplace. The stone hearth and log mantle can suggest cabin decorating themes, like birch-bark canoes and pine trees, bear switch plates and moose coat hooks, metal art ceiling lights, a wrought iron fireplace screen silhouette or twig furniture.

Or start with a small room - the smallest room in the house makes planning easier to visualize. Make your bathrooms stand out with rustic hardware or wrought iron towel bars. Add a substantial outdoor-themed mirror and bear or moose light switch covers. Rustic bathroom vanity lighting sets the mood.

Colors and Textures

Log cabin interior design can be overwhelmed by the monolithic look of wood everywhere you turn. With log walls, hardwood floors and log or paneling on the ceilings, the dominating visual aspect is wood. Some people like this, but others would rather have some colors thrown in to the mix to set off the beautiful golden wood tones of the logs and timbers.

Don't be afraid to install some drywall on your interior walls. Use this as a blank canvas to add color to a room. Add a texture to the walls with plaster and give it some depth. A bright color will reflect the cabin lighting and brighten the entire place. Muted earth tones blend well with the log cabin look and provide some contrast with the rich tones of the logs.

Light Fixtures and Lighting

Log cabin light fixtures take on a new role with their ability to set a mood or enhance a rustic décor theme. Log homes are not ordinary and their light fixtures should not be either. The high cathedral ceilings of a Great Room call for large, dramatic light fixtures such as an antler chandelier, a cedar log chandelier or a birch bark canoe chandelier that focus the eye and make a statement. Use pine cone wall sconces or twig wall lamps to continue the natural rustic décor on stairs. Rustic table lamps and dining lights round out your theme.

Fireplaces

What would a log cabin be without a fireplace? Nothing sums up the rustic coziness of log home living like a stone fireplace set against logs and timbers. While there are many factors involved in designing the perfect fireplace, the most noticeable features will be the hearth and mantle. Using artificial or manufactured stone for the hearth facing can reduce the weight load by a factor of 6 or 7.

Choosing a mantle can be an intensely personal choice and a key feature of your log cabin decorating, but you can rarely go wrong with using a massive timber made of reclaimed wood, or a red cedar log sawn in half and resting on two log corbels, or a rough-sawn slice of a log with the bark side showing, or stone slabs set on a recess above the fireplace. This is a chance to let your imagination free, but remember that there are minimum clearances required for flammable materials.

Iron Railings for Log Cabins

An ideal combination in nearly every log cabin decorating theme is wrought iron with the logs and timbers. They complement each other with their strength and rustic simplicity. Iron railings contrast nicely with the lighter wood inside and anchor down the feeling of solidity and permanence.

Log Cabin Flooring

Your floors are one of your largest log cabin decorating elements, but their importance is often overlooked or minimized. The choices you make for your log home flooring will partly dictate the overall design and look of your cabin. You can make the flooring a significant décor item or you can choose to make your flooring become a background for show pieces like soft leather couches, rustic wood tables and wrought iron benches.

You can make a small room feel larger by using flooring that is lighter in color than the walls. Mix up your cabin flooring with stone or tile at the entrances that get the most wear. Blend or contrast this with hardwood flooring and use area rugs to soften the hardwood and help define interior spaces. Spice it up with cowhide rugs and pillows.

Kitchen Cabinet and Bathroom Vanity Hardware

An easy upgrade to your log home interior design is replacing your kitchen cabinet hardware and your bathroom vanity hardware. This is easily done with just a screwdriver and you can choose from dozens of different rustic décor styles such as bear and moose drawer pulls, brass pine cone knobs and bear silhouette door knob backing plates.

Log cabin decorating or log home interior design can be as simple as choosing a few rustic décor elements to enhance your cabin decorating or as grand as selecting an overall theme for your log cabin interior design and ensuring that everything is designed and crafted around that theme.

Rustic Log Cabin Decorating

If you enjoyed reading about rustic decorating, you may enjoy learning more about log home interior design.

Brian Gabriel is a licensed contractor, mechanical engineer and log home builder in the mountains of western North Carolina. He is the author and designer of the website Log Cabin Connection, created to offer advice, tips, ideas and resources related to log cabins.

Combine Colors Like a Design Expert

Choosing the right colors when designing the spaces in your home is probably the one key component in creating beautiful interior designs

It's hard to believe that something as simple as color can have such an impact on our lives, both mentally and visually. Small spaces seem larger and large spaces become cozy and warmer. Color can visually raise or lower a ceiling and certain colors can even hide imperfections.

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So how do you choose the right colors for the rooms in your home? And how will you know what colors work well together? First it's important to start with a color you like. Don't choose a color combination simple because a designer or magazine tells you it's "correct" and then up living with colors that you hate.

Combine Colors Like a Design Expert

Using a Color Wheel

Start by purchasing a color wheel at your local arts and crafts supply store. The color wheel can serve as a guide in helping you select the right color combinations for your space. You'll want to then choose your favorite color and use that as the base for your color scheme. From this point you have several options.

Obviously the simplest color scheme involves taking your single most favorite color and using it throughout a room in varying shades. This is called a monochromatic color scheme which simply employs the use of one color.

Using an adjacent color scheme consists of using three colors that are next to each other on the color wheel such as yellow, yellow-orange and orange. An adjacent color scheme is fairly safe and tends to work well in almost any room.

A complementary color scheme combines two colors opposite each other on the color wheel, red and green, violet and yellow and blue and orange. If you choose this color scheme it's important to have one color as the dominate color and use the other two as accents.

The split complement color scheme uses a primary color along with colors on either side of its complement. This combination can include greens, reds and violets. It can be a difficult color scheme to create but is also extremely striking when done right.

Make Yourself Look Like a Color Professional

You don't need to be an interior designer to put together a color scheme that makes your home look beautiful. By simply educating yourself with a little color savvy you can make your home look like it was designed by a professional.

By building the right color scheme in a room, you can create an atmosphere that suits your particular lifestyle needs.

Combine Colors Like a Design Expert

Tori Spade works for Your Home Supply (YHS), the definitive website for Home and Garden products and information on a variety of home improvement products.

http://www.YourHomeSupply.com

Dramatic Powder Room Makeovers

Your guest bathroom, or powder room, presents a great place to start with your home makeover. This small room takes less money and effort to decorate than your larger rooms. Plus, you get a chance to develop you personal home interior design skills without committing to a huge project.

Because guests view this little space privately, visitors take more time to notice the interior design details. For this reason, you want to showcase great design to make a good impression. Also, hospitality shines in a well-appointed guest bath where it takes just a couple of splurges on extravagant fixtures to make a huge impact that your guests will remember. Company may not remember your living room walls because they're focusing on the people in the space, but they will remember your powder room.

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What if you don't have a powder room and guests use your children's bathroom?

Dramatic Powder Room Makeovers

Tadpoles Three Bulb Chandelier in Lavender Topaz Specification

• Faux crystal chandelier brings elegance to a little girl's room
• Three 25-watt candelabra bulbs included
• Hang as a swag lamp and plug in, or professionally install as a ceiling fixture
• Includes a chain and cover plate for hanging

Brand : Tadpoles

Tadpoles Three Bulb Chandelier in Lavender Topaz

cchapl005 Includes: -Three 25-watt candelabra bulbs included.-Chain and cover plate included for hanging. Dimensions: -Dimensions: 13'' H x 8'' W.

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Children appreciate being treated as adults and don't need a childish bathroom. Don't use juvenile-patterned wallpaper or accessories.

Keep bathtub toys in the bathtub (in one of those plastic-coated wire baskets) and hang a ceiling to floor curtain in front of the bathtub. This curtain can be hung in front of the normal plastic liner from the ceiling. For small bathrooms, where the daylight comes in over the bathtub, use white or another light-emitting fabric. A curtain made of soft gauze or cotton does double duty: it softens the space with fabric while masking the bathtub, which is not a guest-bath feature.

Powder Room Basics

To finish any proper powder room, you need a great sink, faucet, and cabinet with a large mirror, plus the toilet. If you're working on a budget, look for sinks on sale at a warehouse store or at Habitat for Humanity's thrift store, ReStore. Don't buy a poorly constructed cabinet; look for an antique dresser or buffet that spans the wall space.

Dramatic powder rooms emphasize remarkable mirrors. You may be tempted to keep the ugly wall-mounted medicine cabinet, but if you truly want an impressive guest bath, hang a spectacular mirror instead.

Store toothbrushes and other necessities in the cabinet below and move medicines to the kitchen, out or reach of children.

If you need to replace the toilet, which only needs to be functional because the other details will outshine it, look for a toilet which blends in with your home's style.

Powder Room Makeover Tips

Besides the bathroom fixtures, your flooring, walls, and ceiling offer the most economical home makeover opportunities. Because of the small area, you can use large ceramic tiles that mimic stone, marble, or even wood. Also, linoleum comes in a multitude of interesting patterns and has the benefit of being warmer to bare feet than tile.

The area that makes the greatest interior design impact, the walls and ceiling, give the best place to have fun with your home makeover. Decorative paint finishes, like subtle layering of glazes, add the designer's touch without the expense. Choose colors that harmonize with the rest of your home to reinforce your color theme. Use color psychology to make your powder room present a cooling oasis or a warming shelter.

Use an essential oil diffuser to help your powder room smell as good as it looks. Avoid unnatural sprays that cause irritation to those with sensitivities.

The final interior design detail, exquisite lighting, doesn't need to kill your budget. Perhaps your dining chandelier would make a better statement in your bathroom than it does in your dining room. If you life in a climate with high humidity and hot summers, a ceiling fan helps keep the room cool. Look for a fan with lights that point upward. Lights shining down on you in a small space feel over-powering. Also, use wall sconces on either side of the vanity mirror instead of the usual builder's light fixture above the mirror.

Finishing touches, guest towels, hard soaps, and lotions make your guests and yourself feel pampered. Choose generous, thick, and soft hand towels to add softness to an otherwise hard surface space.

Because people feel more comfortable in smaller bathrooms which offer privacy, a guest bathroom offers the perfect place to practice your design skills. Splurge a little on lavish wall finishes and guest towels to showcase your home's interior design.

Copyright © 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved. (You may publish this article in its entirety with the following author's information with live links only.)

Dramatic Powder Room Makeovers

Jeanette Fisher, author of Joy to the Home Journal and interior design and real estate books, has researched the effects of environment on emotions for over 15 years. Besides flipping houses, Jeanette teaches college courses on Design Psychology and professional real estate investing seminars. For free Design Psychology ebooks, visit http://www.designpsych.com

Rules of Thumb For Light Spacing

The following guidelines are based on practical rules of thumb and may be helpful in planning how to place your lights.

For general lighting in the home downlights with the equivalent of a 100watt incandescent are a good choice. New downlights have been designed for compact fluorescent lamps which can save up to 80% of the power required for a conventional incandescent bulb. If fluorescent lamps are not suitable for any reason there are halogen lamps available as replacements for conventional bulbs which save 30% of the power and are dimmable.

Ceiling Fixture Lighting

The spacing of these downlights should be about three quarters of the height of the ceiling, e.g. if the stud height is 2.4 meters then space the lights at 1.8 meters.

Rules of Thumb For Light Spacing

Tadpoles Three Bulb Chandelier in Lavender Topaz Specification

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Brand : Tadpoles

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An attractive alternative although more expensive is to use a combination of single and multiple low voltage downlights

These distances are conservative and take no account of the light fittings design. The data sheets of most lights give an SHR figure. This is the maximum space to height ratio for the spacing of that light. To find the spacing multiply the SHR by the height of the light. eg 8 foot stud, SHR 1.25 the spacing would be 8 x 1.25 = 10 feet.

Halogen lights are used for lighting working areas such as kitchen, laundries and bathrooms because of the quality of light they produce. An advantage of 12 volt halogen downlights is the variety of bulbs available.

Halogen lamps are available in 20watt, 35 watt and 50 watt and special fittings take 100 watts, but the advantage is that each is available in beam angles of 10, 24, 36 and 60 degrees. This means that you can change the bulb to get a narrow beam or to spread the light.

The spacing of 50 watt halogen lights should be about half of the distance from the bench to the ceiling. e.g. if this distance is 1.4 meters then the lights should be spaced about 0.7 meters apart, or half the distance from the floor to ceiling for general lighting.

Highlighting a wall can make a room appear larger, or used in an entry can make the hall seem inviting.
Halogen 50 watt lights are usually used and these are spaced about one quarter of the height of the wall out from the wall. The lights are spaced about the same distance apart along the wall, and tilted to shine about one quarter of the way down the wall.

If a wall has an interesting texture, then grazing it with light is a popular option. In this case 50 watt halogen lights are fitted about 300mm out from the wall and spaced about 450mm apart along the wall.

Highlighting a painting is usually done with a halogen 50 or 35 watt light. If the light is recessed into the ceiling place it in line with the centre of the painting. The distance out from the painting should be about two thirds of the distance from the centre of the painting to the ceiling. Make sure that the halogen bulb has a UV filter or the light will bleach your painting.

Rules of Thumb For Light Spacing

To see any of the products mentioned in the article and to check some of our latest projects visit our website http://www.nzlightingltd.co.nz

Where to buy Tadpoles Three Bulb Chandelier in Lavender Topaz

Tadpoles Three Bulb Chandelier in Lavender Topaz Specification

• Faux crystal chandelier brings elegance to a little girl's room
• Three 25-watt candelabra bulbs included
• Hang as a swag lamp and plug in, or professionally install as a ceiling fixture
• Includes a chain and cover plate for hanging

Brand : Tadpoles

Tadpoles Three Bulb Chandelier in Lavender Topaz

cchapl005 Includes: -Three 25-watt candelabra bulbs included.-Chain and cover plate included for hanging. Dimensions: -Dimensions: 13'' H x 8'' W.

Click to see Item Offers Special Prices

Available Discount online Stores

Installing a Stained Glass Lamp Above Pool Table

As with any indoor sport you need a sufficient amount of light above a pool table. Pool table lights are often placed at the ceiling above pool table. These lights must be strong enough without hurting the eyes. This way, the players can clearly see the table, as well as the balls. Most pool table tops are deep green, and with poor lighting it is difficult to see anything but the green. Not only that, but a good light over a pool table also adds to the ambiance of the room. So much that people like to add neon lights around the perimeter of the room, in the darker areas, for an added effect.

If you want to install a stained glass lamp above your pool table, you should choose a light that has at least four 100-watt light bulbs in it. Modern lamps provide sharp looks and different colors to fit any lifestyle. You should consider height of the ceiling and room capacity when choosing the right lamp.

Ceiling Fixture Lighting

The lamp should provide an adequate amount of light over the entire pool table. Also, the bottom of the light should hang down between 30 and 35 inches from the top of the table. Be aware that this type of lamp is usually heavy because of the thick glass and metal that frames it. You don't want a stained glass lamp to fall down from the ceiling, do you? To avoid this possibility, you'll need to secure the lamp in a special way, as opposed to a light weight lamp.

Installing a Stained Glass Lamp Above Pool Table

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Hunter 82004 Orleans Bathroom Fan with Light, Imperial Bronze

The Hunter Orleans 82004 is a bathroom exhaust fan in the Imperial Bronze finish. This exhaust fan is UL Approved for use over Shower Enclosure / Tub with GFCI Circuit and comes with a Five Year Manufacturer's Motor Warranty.

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To start with, you'll need to remove any existing light before you proceed. If the light you're installing is a swag stained glass lamp that hangs from a chain on the ceiling, then you'll only have to install a metal hook for the lamp to hang on. To do this securely, you'll need to use a stud finder to locate a stud in the ceiling. You need to locate a stud as close as you can to the spot where you want the stained glass lamp to hang. Mark the found spot, and then use an electric drill to carefully bore a starter hole in the ceiling. Then, insert the metal hook and turn the threads into the ceiling as far as it will go. Finally, hang the swag stained glass lamp up on the hook, and run the decorative chain and wire up and out of the way.

On the other hand, if the stained glass lamp needs to be connected to an electrical box above it, then you'll need to install it to an existing one. If no box exists, you'll need to install one. It would be a good idea to check with your local codes and permits department before you begin. You'll need to be aware of what the specific laws are regarding the wiring. And, be sure that the electrical box you install has a stud in the middle of the fixture. Before you start this all, make sure you read and follow the manufacturer's instructions and pictures that came with the electrical box. Then, after you shut off the power to the room you're working in, you'll need to cut a hole in the ceiling for the box to go in. You'll need to run a wire, if there isn't already one, from your breaker or fuse box to the box.

Install the stained glass lamp onto the box by attaching the fixture to the electrical box. Use a hickey, which is a metal piece with a hole in the middle of it. The hickey fits over the stud and a nut is placed on it afterward. It helps to secure the fixture to the electrical box which is secured to the ceiling. Finally, make sure you have everything connected properly, and then turn the electric back on.

Installing a Stained Glass Lamp Above Pool Table

Get expert advice about stained glass and stained glass lamps at http://www.articlefog.com/category-stained-glass.htm Here you can find out how to select and buy stained glass lamps, how to take care for your stained glass lamp and how to decorate your home with stained glass lamps.