Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Kitchen Lighting Design

Kitchen Lighting Design
Time and money spent remodeling your kitchen causes one to want to do it "right." Your kitchen cabinets and decor is not only complimented but is completed with a proper lighting plan. Many lighting supply stores have folks on staff who are trained to help you design just such a plan.

Lighting for your kitchen should create different dimensions to your kitchen. To achieve that you should incorporate at least 3 of the following types of lighting. Each way will have not only a different feel but will provide a unique function. And by adding dimmer switches to any of the following you can create even more dimensions to your kitchen.

Recessed Lighting

There are a couple of ways that you can use recessed lighting. The first is to use it as a wash of light over the fronts of your cabinets as well as your work areas. A spot would give you a narrower beam of light that could create shadows either wanted or not wanted. A flood light would give you more of a wash of light.

The second function of recessed lighting in a kitchen is to illuminate the whole room. If you have a large kitchen you might decide to use some additional recessed lighting around an eating cove or along walk way areas that might appear dark otherwise.

Track Lighting

Track lighting can be used for the same functions of the recessed lighting. It can either provide light above counters and cabinets so that you can see in the cabinets. Or it can light up dead spaces. Track lighting generally comes down a little from the ceiling. The amount of distance is dependent on how high your ceiling is.

There are basically two styles of track lighting. One that is a straight bar that can either be installed flush with your ceiling or lowered a bit. The second is more of a funky artsy style that is often curvy. They can take LED light bulbs or more often Halogen light bulbs.

Some use track lighting for the design element. Others might use track lighting for the mere fact that you don't have any space above your kitchen to put a recessed can. There are remodel cans that can be installed from below if you can not get to the crawl space above your kitchen. But when you don't have that space is the time someone might opt for track lighting.

Under Counter

Under counter lighting is really more important than most think. The main function is to light up your work area on your counters. It also lights up the area under your counter where recessed or track lighting will not reach.

When under counter lighting is installed it should be installed under all of your cabinets. They either come in the form of low voltage puck lights or string of fixtures that hold a long tube style light bulb.

Pendant Lights

Often you will see pendant lights in groups of three. Always try and install an odd number. Occasionally, two will suffice but one or three is much better. Today pendants enhance the décor or feel of your room. Manufacturers offer many different styles of pendant lights. Those styles enhance your décor whether you are decorating your home in a modern style, traditional style or any other fancy you have.

Pendants are used above kitchen islands or bars. Here, you will want to hang your pendant at 72" from the floor. This will allow anyone standing on either side of the island or bar to have a conversation without having the pendant in the middle of their eye sight line. And it won't be so high that you are blinded by the light bulb if you happen to look up.

Over Table Lighting

Larger pendants and chandeliers are common place in a kitchen over an eating area. These provide an anchor above your table and complete the space whether it is portioned off by a wall or is a part of another room.

You will want to hang a chandelier or pendent in the center of where your table will be. Now, if you live in an older home like mine the electricity doesn't always come out of the ceiling in the right place. What we've done is to place a hook above the center of our table. We insured the cord of the chandelier was long enough to drape from the power to our hook and fall to right length.

Over an eating table you will want to hang your fixture at 60" from the floor. For the same reasons I've noted above with pendant lights, you will want to be able to converse with someone across the table but not be blinded by the light bulbs when you look up into the fixture.

Accent Lighting

Kitchens today are built much larger than they use to be. As a result you have a lot more space to play with. Accent Lighting is not only decorative but can provide function as well. We use ours in the event someone needs to visit the refrigerator or get a glass of water in the middle of the night but doesn't want to completely wake up in the process.

Small portable lamps can be placed on counters where there are no upper cabinets. You might also be able to find one small enough to go under the upper cabinets. These will most always have a clip on shade. Meaning, it's a shade that fastens to your light bulb and isn't connected to the body of the lamp.

Islands are great places for table or buffet lamps. On the corner of an eating bar or an out of the way place can add some style and whimsy to your kitchen. And if you don't happen to have pendants above your island, a portable lamp can provide some height to the area.

Some kitchens are built with seating areas connected. Here you will most definitely want to either use floor lamps or table lamps if you have enough space for a side table next to your reading chair.

Romantic Bedroom Design

Romantic Bedroom Design
The various furniture, bed, wallpaper and lighting is an integral part when it comes to designing a more romantic setting for a bedroom, and for most designers, choosing more vibrant colors and lighting is the main key for a romantic bedroom design.

For most walls, setting different shades of red are one of the more popular shades when it comes to painting the walls, also includes hanging pictures that does not seem too suggestive. Picturing a room that gives warmth as well as allowing the mind to suggest heat into the body. More so when it comes to setting a room with a more nautical approach, like some beach hotels where bedrooms would give an impression of having a hut or cottage near the sea.

Various furniture ranging from rattan or bamboo love seats, beds and chairs would allow a feeling of relaxation that coaxes any bedroom user to pass time with their nighttime activities. For some city dwellers, certain furniture can still elicit a sense of romance, especially when it comes to antiques like hand-me-down furniture that tells a history. It could be anything from dresser drawers, armoires, and even mirrors.

Lighting can be anything from sconces, ceiling lamps and fans, good to capture the essence of the wind coming from the sea. Though it revolves any design that depict sea life as well as old ships, but nothing too gaudy that would seem cheap to begin with. Dimmer switches is a must-have, especially to set the mood the way the bedroom wants it to be upon entering. This can also be done by allowing the switches to turn on the desk lamps upon entering.

As for beds, there is nothing much too particular, unless if it were a king sized one. But having pillows, sheets and quilts for cold weather and with similar vibrant colors are used in order to create a theme. Simply using quilts that are not too heavy would allow more comfort, rather than being burdened by the weight.

There is not much to do when creating a romantic bedroom design all because of choosing the right colors to create an impression. For most, it has something to do with the layout, meaning the bed has to be placed in front when a couple enters the room for the first time and lighting is dimmed enough to give an impression of serenity.

Museum of Arts and Design

Museum of Arts and Design
Museum of Arts and Design is also known as the American Craft Museum. An acronym, MAD is widely used to refer to this museum. The museum contains a large variety of collection that represents the cultural icons of the New York City. There is a large range of artistic ornaments is put into display that is made from variety of material such as clay, stone and glass.

History

Aileen Osborn Webb is the famous craft creator in the United States. She is the one who sets up the American Craftsmen's Council in 1942. She has the honor to come up with the suggestion of museum. She always wanted to establish a museum to remind the people about the importance of the crafts.

The MAD was established by Aileen Osborn Webb in 1956. It relocated to the present location, i.e. at 40 West 53rd Street. The architect of present design of the building was Roche Dinkeloo.

Visiting the Museum

The museum remains closed on Monday and also on all the major holidays such as Christmas, New Year, and Thanksgiving. The museum remains open from Tuesday to Sunday and the opening hours of the museum on these days are from 11am to 6pm. On Thursday, the opening hours of the museum are from 11am to 9pm.

The Mad gift store remains open from Monday to Saturday and the opening hours of the store are from 10am to 7pm. The store timing on Sunday is 10am to 6pm.

Pay What You Wish Day is celebrated on every Thursday and the timing for this event is 6pm to 9 pm.

Handicapped facilities are provided in the museum for disable people. Signing language Interpreters are available and some wheelchairs also.

Things to Do and See

There is a lot of art work put for exhibition in the museum. When you enter the museum, you will see several galleries that features variety of crafts made from metal, wood and clay. Some galleries also feature fiber and glass ornaments.

The Permanent Collection

The museum offers more than two thousand art objects for exhibition. Most of the work displayed in permanent collection is made by American artists. However, you will get the opportunity to see the work of some Australian, Asian and European artists also in the permanent collection section.

Changing Exhibitions

Here you will come across the Contemporary Netsuke, masterful miniatures that provide information about the history of miniature carvings in Japan and also the Radical lace and Subversive knitting exhibition which help you understand how fibers are used to create artistic craft. The collection in this exhibition changes from time to time.

Daily Tours

You can participate in the guided tour of the museum from 11am to 1pm. Guided tour is for anyone who wants to participate in it.

War Museum Concept Design

War Museum Concept Design
This project is a museum concept design i did for my university project in 2004. i decided to choose War Museum as my museum project subject, to show my reaction against war. the war that i experienced in my childhood. War is not what we need now in the world.

Rattan Furniture – Best As Outdoor Furniture

 Rattan Furniture – Best As Outdoor Furniture


Rattan furniture is a distinctive style of furniture constructed traditionally from kind of climber plants which are used widely in cane furniture industry. It is used mainly in making furniture, mats and baskets for hundreds of years to construct furniture and household goods. It has been a popular construction material due to its durable properties and various furniture items made of this species of plants are rattan beds, tables, chairs, dining set, outdoor furniture sets, sofa sets, couch, seating, shelf and recliner. When the rattan is used in furniture it is often constructed using the wicker process. Traditional rattan outdoor furniture doesn’t require a great deal of maintenance is not at all difficult. To keep it in its best condition just a wipe with a dry cloth is needed. The resulting furniture is a tough durable object that can last between 15 and 25 years if properly maintained.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Restaurant Furniture For Your Dining Establishment

Restaurant Furniture For Your Dining Establishment
If you have a dining establishment to run you probably have to consider important things that your customers would love to keep them coming back to you. First of all you have to make sure that the food you will be serving is delectable, and probably the next thing that you should consider is the ambiance. If you have the right restaurant furniture to captivate your customers' interest then you will definitely have them coming back to you.

Those who have their own restaurants and bars have to keep in mind customer satisfaction all the time. Aside from the usual expectation of those who dine in, one should be able to exceed them to make sure that every single customer that comes into to the restaurant or the bar would come back again and again or even refer the place to others. More often it is the food together with the ambiance that makes people coming back, that is why it is necessary for you to not only prepare the best cuisine but also acquire quality restaurant furniture that people would love to admire.

Now, you might find it a bit challenging to find the right kind of furniture to use for your restaurant, but with enough research, you can then assure yourself that you will be able to make the right decision in finding the best furniture for your dining establishment. The first thing that you have to do is to try searching for the right furniture provider that is capable of providing you the right choices when it comes to dining furniture and you will surely be able to impress your customers from time to time.

More often you can get access to restaurant furniture which are made out of wood. It would definitely look more elegant if your tables and chairs would be made out of wood. It does not have to be old designs, you can also make use of the contemporary furniture designs which these furniture suppliers can provide you.

It is not that hard to find the best supplier for your dining furniture needs. The first thing you have to do is to search easily for options online, evaluate which would be more economical for you and appealing for you customers.

Hotel Reception Furniture

 Hotel Reception Furniture


If you run or own a hotel, you will no doubt be aware that there is a lot of traffic passing through the reception area on a daily basis and this is mostly due to the new residents arriving and the old residents leaving. In the meantime though, where do people sit? You need to have suitable hotel reception furniture in place so your residents can rest their tired feet. It could be that they are waiting for a taxi to arrive, if they are leaving, or they may have arrived and their room isn't quite ready yet, so staying in the lobby area might be the only option. That's why you need to make sure you provide comfortable seating in the reception area for your guests.

Comfort Tips

Your choice of hotel reception furniture needs to be in-keeping with the rest of your hotel. Aesthetics are important and so too is the comfort factor. If your hotel guests are going to reside in the reception area for a while, they need something that is going to be comfortable to sit on. An upholstered chair with a good supporting back is important, as too is the chair depth. You don't want something really low to sit on so that you end up 'sinking' in to it - once in, you might not be able to get out easily! The most convenient option is to look for furniture that is appealing and encourages the visitor to sit down.

Appeal To The Potential Guests Too

It may be that someone has called in to your hotel to just pick up a brochure as they consider a stay with you, but they want to just sit down and have a read through first. This is your cue to make sure the hotel reception furniture is inviting and comfortable enough for the visitor to sit down and feel happy that this is the hotel he or she wants to stay at.

Leave A Lasting Impression

There are many hotels around the UK that don't make comfort a priority. This could be an uncomfortable bed, restaurant chair or even an overly small bathroom. These factors all add up and can make for a rather unpleasant stay. Since the reception area is the first place people stop when they walk in, and quite possibly the last place people stop as they leave, then you need to ensure that hotel reception furniture offers the utmost in comfort and style. Leave a lasting impression and your paying residents will be sure to return.

Consider The Space Around You

You don't need to fill or overcrowd your reception area with seating though - keep it neat, tidy and spacious. The smaller the area, the higher the emphasis on choosing furniture that complements the décor and makes people feel like there is room to move around. A stylish upholstered chair and a contemporary coffee table can make all the difference to a reception area and, depending on the size of your hotel, you can add more furniture if you feel confident there is enough space.