Relocating? Got Furniture?

There are many businesses out there which rent furniture by the month. You need a couch? Rent one for only $40 per month. Need a lamp? You can get one for $12 a month. Now,
let’s see, in one year you would have paid $480 to use the couch and you wouldn’t own it. The lamp would have cost you $144 and it’s the same situation ~ at the end of your lease, you still own nothing.

Most of us would think it foolish to rent furniture. But, that isn’t always the case. There are situations where renting may be the best option. Consider these scenarios:

• Your company transfers you to a new location but the rest of your family is staying in your present home until the school year ends and that’s 4 months away. You buy a house and live in it until your family arrives. Do you go out and buy new furniture or do you rent a few necessities in the meantime?

• Right after you get married, you move into a new home. You and your spouse haven’t decided how you
want to decorate your home. Do you rush your decisions or do you rent furniture until you find the style that will please you both?

• You graduate from college and accept a position in an unfamiliar city. You find an apartment that has everything you want, except furniture. You can’t afford to go out and purchase the items you’ll need right away. What do you do?

If you find yourself in any of these situations, renting all or part of your furniture may be a viable option. The thing you have to keep in mind is that it’s never a long-term solution. From the figures in the first paragraph, you can see how expensive renting is over the long haul.

However, when you find yourself without furniture, short term rental may be your best option. If you don’t have the cash or credit to purchase what you need, or if you only plan to be without furniture for a little while, short-term rental may be the best solution.

Most furniture rental companies offer several options from which to choose. Most of them also offer packages in
different price ranges, depending on the style and quality of the furniture you require.

• The bedroom package usually includes a double or queen-size bed, night stand and lamp, and 1 chest.


• A living room package provides a couch, end table and lamp, cocktail table, and a chair.


• A dining room package includes a table and 4 chairs.


• A complete home package includes all of the above.


• You can also rent any accessories you may need, including cookware and china, rugs, additional lamps, TV’s, stereos, etc.


As long as you rent only what you need and do so for as short a time as possible, furniture rental may be the solution you need. But, don’t forget to calculate the cost of your rent or mortgage along with the cost of your furniture rental before you decide which package to choose.

If money is an issue, one question you need to ask yourself is this: do you really need the most expensive package or can you get by with the more generic and economical choice for 2 or 3 or 4 months? Unless you plan to do a lot of business entertaining, the answer is obvious.

In short, furniture rental can be an economically sound solution to your problem, if you use your common sense and don’t get in over your head. It beats sleeping on the floor any day!

Buying a new bed? Some tips for you

So you are browsing the market for a new bed. Super, but remember that during the average 10-year lifespan of a bed you will spend about 29,000 hours in it. So it pays to be cautious while purchasing one, especially when it comes to choosing bed frames. Here are some commonsense tips to make you a happy owner of the bed which will give you sweet dreams.

First, you'll want a bed that's big enough for you and your partner. But how big is big enough – king size, queen size or normal sized bed? There is only one way to find out: Lie on the prospective bed with arms stretched on your sides. Now that will give you an idea on how much space you require (plus your partner's).

Of course you need to consider your height, too. The idea is that you need as much space to be comfy as you sleep without falling off or waking your partner up. And, yeah, you need to make sure it fits comfortably in your bedroom, leaving enough space around.

Then comes the bed's height. You'll want to get on and off the bed with ease, which in other words means the bed frames should be of right height. Again, it's best to try getting on and off the bed while you are choosing the right one.
Lastly, carefully consider the brand and the price. Though all cheap beds are not bad but then branded ones have a lot going for them like quality, warranty…the works. They wouldn't have become well known for nothing. But just because the bed is pricey doesn't mean that it’s the best.

Tips for choosing mattresses

Since one-third of your life is spent sleeping, take your time and consider the following advice before purchasing a new mattress:

-The right mattress is a matter of personal preference. No one mattress is right for everyone. Choose a mattress that allows for a balance between adequate back support and comfort. Not to forget it should fit the bed frame snugly.

-If you are shopping for a mattress that provides maximum amount of support, be aware that a medium-firm mattress may be more comfortable because it allows the shoulder and hips to sink in slightly and prevents the stiffness that comes from sleeping on a surface that is too hard.

-Higher quality mattresses usually have more coils and thicker padding and also tend to be more expensive. Be on the lookout for discount offers and promotions at mattress stores. Shopping after a price comparison would help you get the best price after finding the right mattress.

-Try the mattress out before buying. If two people will be sleeping on the mattress, both should test it at the same time to make sure they have enough space and are both comfortable on the same style of mattress.

- Purchase bed mattress only from a store with a good reputation. Make sure you have a good understanding of the customer service offered by the mattress store, such as delivery options, warranty, removal of old mattresses and especially the store's return policy. Many reputable mattress stores will allow a mattress to be returned if the customer is not satisfied.

Remember that most buyers use a mattress for ten or more years before replacing it for a new one. Take your time, choose quality, watch for sales and sleep tight.

Follow the tips mentioned here and hopefully you won’t go wrong. On that note, simplicity is good and never buy something with gadgets that you don't know how to operate. So there! Happy buying and sweet dreams.

What to Look For in Selecting Kitchen Flooring

Many homeowners tend to make the mistake of not giving enough thought to flooring options. The right flooring can make a big difference in a kitchen. For instance flooring with light or neutral tones creates an impression of light and space. Stronger colors might work in a small kitchen, but not in a larger one.

The kitchen flooring is the foundation which your kitchen literally rests. By failing to give more consideration to your flooring options and selecting the wrong flooring will insure that an otherwise outstanding kitchen will look only average, and become dated sooner.

When selecting kitchen flooring, it is a good idea to select something that has elements of beauty and durability. Kitchen flooring can accent the counters, cabinets, and appliances. It must also be able to stand up to everyday wear, such as spills and heavy foot traffic.

When it comes to choosing materials for your kitchen flooring be sure to take into consideration both your budget and lifestyle. The choice of kitchen flooring material can be quite broad. Among the choices are vinyl in sheet or tiles, ceramic tile, wood floors and new laminate materials. How to you decide the best one for your kitchen flooring?

You need to do your own research and get the best advice you can from professional contractors and kitchen designers.

Popular Flooring Options:

• For durable and more cost-effective flooring materials then look into vinyl or ceramic tiles.

• Vinyl is durable, inexpensive and available in sheets or tiles, in smooth or knobby. It is the most popular choice when it comes to kitchen flooring, and is available in a large selection of styles, colors and patterns. Vinyl kitchen flooring is generally popular all over the country.

• Laminate kitchen flooring is also popular across the country as well. This is a new product that has grown out of the countertop business. It is created by laminating a photograph of wood grain, stone, or other surfaces, directly to the flooring material. It has the advantage of a quick installation time and is very durable.

• Ceramic tile is beautiful and sturdy, and is the ideal material to clean up spills. Another thing to consider is that some of these choices are probably more common in one part of the country than others. For instance ceramic tile is used for kitchen flooring in the West and South. Wood floors are more prevalent in the Northeast and Midwest.

• Stone type is a good choice if you are looking to create a unique, beautiful kitchen floor. However because stone tile is cut out of boulders, they generally come in odd and inconsistent sizes and shapes, and they are expensive.

• Hardwood kitchen flooring lasts much longer than many options, however it does need to undergo refinishing from time to time. It is available in a wide variety of colors and grains and it can be installed in strips, planks, or parquet squares.

When selecting materials for kitchen flooring, you must consider materials that are both beautiful and durable. Kitchen flooring can be used to accent the counters, cabinets, and appliances. However kitchen flooring must be able to take everyday wear and tear such as spills and heavy traffic. It's important to select the right material when it comes to Kitchen Flooring. Are you looking for the beauty and durability of travertine or the warmth of hardwoods? By making the correct decision now you can guarantee that a quality kitchen floor will keep its beauty and last a lifetime.
When designing your ideal kitchen remember that light or neutral tones emphasize the impression of light and space, just as darker shades can create feelings of warmth and intimacy. A floor's finish can even effect perceptions of size and space. A high gloss finish can contribute to the perception of spaciousness. A more subdued or a matte finish can make a space look smaller.
Ultimately the best way to make the decision on kitchen flooring material to look though free samples from warehouse wholesale industries and showrooms in your area. Feel the materials they have and see the quality they offer.

A Guide to Platform Bed Plans

Do you want to try your hand at building a platform bed? For those of you who don’t yet know what a platform bed is, it’s an exciting, old way of sleeping that incorporates a simple, elegant frame and a single mattress. Its lines have been used in Europe, Scandinavia, and Japan for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Platform beds can be made of wood or metal. If you’re looking to build a platform bed, you’re probably thinking about wood.

Platform beds can be extremely simple. The extremely simple platform beds have no headboard or footboard, and certainly no canopy. They incorporate slats, which, in effect, replace the need for a box spring, since, because they are sturdy yet somehow slightly flexible, support the single mattress on top. The result is that you get a good night’s sleep, are very comfortable, and yet don’t end up with back pains or numb muscles in the morning.

It’s ever better for your back than sleeping on the floor. And now, with the rapid proliferation of memory foam, your platform bed can be even more comfortable and healthy. Memory foam is a gel-like polymer that accepts your shapes and bones, but supports it fully. (It was first used in hospitals, and is now a popular mattress and pillow material.)

Platform bed plans can be more complex too; you can add headboards, footboards, canopies, even extra flourishes and storage units. You can build the storage units as one with the bed frame, or you can create rolling drawers supported by castors, so that the drawers are modifiable and easily maneuverable throughout your bedroom.

It’s not the most difficult job in the world for a handyperson. If you want to build a platform bed, you can order platform bed plans from any of a number of plans retailers. Woodworking clubs, furniture enthusiast groups, and other organizations can give or sell you plans. You can also buy plans online.

Lamps: History of Lighting

Numerous references from olden ages have illuminated the fact that lamps have been used to spread light, even before electricity was invented, and lighting was given a new meaning. The use of lamps can be broadly classified into two eras: The pre-electrical era and the post electrical era.

Lamps: The Pre-electrical Era

The invention and first usage of lamp can be dated back to 70,000 BC. At that time, there was no metal or bronze to make lamps instead the then civilization used hollow rocks and shells. These hollow rocks were filled with moss and other natural substances and then soaked in animal fat. Animal fat acted as oil and this is how the first lamps were ignited.

With the advent of pottery, and the bronze and copper age, humans started to make lamps that imitated other natural shapes. Wicks came into existence much later and were used for controlling the flame or the rate of burning. In the 7th century BC, Greeks started using terra cotta lamps, which replaced the handheld torches. The word lamp has been derived from the Greek word lampas, which means torch.

Lamps and the Design Change

There was a major change in the design of lamps in the 18th century, when the central burner was invented. With the invention of the burner, a separate fuel source was made from metal. Another small change made was the addition of a metal tube that could be adjusted to control the intensity of the flame or light.

This was an important discovery in terms of lighting because with adjustment, humans were able to diminish the lighting or make it bright as required. Another aspect was added to the new lamp, which was in the form of small glass chimneys. The role of the glass chimney was to protect the flame as well as control the air flow.

Swiss chemist Ami Argand used the hollow circular wick in an oil lamp for the very first time in 1783.

Fuels for Lighting

Different kinds of fuels have been used for lighting a lamp between 70,000 BC and now. Most of the early forms of fuel were beeswax, olive oil, animal fat, fish oil, sesame oil, whale oil, nut oil etc. These were also among the most commonly used forms of fuel for lighting a lamp till the late 18th century.

Around 1859, the first drilling process was initiated to find petroleum and with the advent of kerosene, which is a derivative of petroleum, lamp became more popular and usage increased. Kerosene enabled lighting was first introduced in Germany in 1853.

During the same time two other products were used for lamp lighting purposes and they were natural gas and coal. The first use of coal gas lamps was in 1784.

Electrical Lighting Lamps
Lamps have actually come a long way from usage of coal gas to electricity. In 1801, Sir Humphrey Davy of England invented the electric carbon arc lamp, which was the first of its kind. The working principle for this lamp was simple and included hooking of two carbon rods to an electrical source.

The carbon rods were kept at a distance from each other so that electrical current could flow through the arc and thus vaporize carbon to create white lighting. Around 1857, A.E. Becquerel of France came out with the theory of fluorescent lighting in lamps. In the 1870’s, the unthinkable happened with Thomas Edison inventing the first electric incandescent lamp. Since then incandescent lamps were used for lighting purposes in homes till about the early 20th century.

In 1901, Peter Cooper Hewitt patented his new invention, the mercury vapor lamp. This was another type of arc lamp that enhanced lighting using mercury vapors, which were enclosed in a glass bulb. The Mercury vapor lamps set the prototype for fluorescent lighting lamps.

The Neon lamp was invented by Georges Claude of France in 1911 followed by Irving Langmuir, an American who invented the electric gas-filled incandescent lamp in 1915. In 1927, Hans Spanner, Friedrich Meyer, and Edmund Germer patented the first fluorescent lamp. The fluorescent lamps provided better lighting as compared to the mercury vapor lamps because they were coated from inside with beryllium.

Since then we have been using different form of lighting in lamps, which includes Mercury vapors, incandescent lamps and even today, in some corners of the earth people still use the old wick and oil lamp for lighting their homes.

10 Neat Ideas To Consider When Remodeling Your Bathroom

Out of all the home improvement projects, few can provide the benefits of a bathroom remodeling project. Remodeling the bathroom is a great way to add real value to your home. On the plus side of that, it will increase the enjoyment level of yourself and your family.

There are a number of things to consider before undertaking such a major project. They are:

1. Keep your eye on the ball. It is important to see the bathroom remodeling project as a whole project. Even though there are many small hurdles to tackle, it is important to see the project as a whole.

2. No remodeling project can be successful without a realistic budget. Take the time to draw up an honest budget, and try your best to stick to it.

3. Get a reliable contractor. For most people, remodeling the bathroom is not a do it yourself project. It is important to find a contractor who has experience with plumbing and remodeling bathrooms.

4. Get a detailed inspection of your bathroom done before you start. A good idea would be to have a plumber inspect your bathroom for leaks and other problems before you start.

5. Now is your chance to be more energy efficient. Chances are you will be able to save money in the long run by installing low flow toilets, water saving showerheads and other energy efficient fixtures.

6. Stay organized. Proper organization is essential to a successful bathroom remodeling project. Use a calendar to keep track of important deadlines, and remain organized as you go forward.

7. Draw your proposed bathroom design. If you want a larger bathtub, or even a jettub, be sure to draw it out and make sure you have enough space. There is also software where you can input your design including fixtures, furniture, flooring and more. Either way works great.

8. Storage space is at a premium in many modern bathrooms. See if you can remodel to gain more cabinet and storage space.

9. Be sure to shop around for what you need in order to get the best price. The prices on the same fixtures can vary quite a bit between stores.

10. A fresh coat of paint can make a huge difference when remodeling the bathroom, but many people fail to take this important and inexpensive step.

I also suggest that you go out and have fun looking at the bathrooms in show homes. They have all of the latest trends in the marketplace and will save you much time and effort in trying to come up with ideas yourself. This would be a great aid in the placement of fixtures and you can see, for example how important cupboards and storage are. The main thing to remember is have fun and enjoy the project and your new bathroom!

20th Century Home Decorating Guide

The custom of appropriate and harmonious treatment of home decorating, interior decorations and suitable furniture, seems to have been in a great measure abandoned during the present century, owing perhaps to the indifference of architects of the time to this subsidiary but necessary portion of their work, or perhaps to a desire for economy, which preferred the cheapness of painted and artificially grained pine-wood, with decorative effects produced by wall papers, to the more solid but expensive though less showy wood-panelling, architectural mouldings, well-made panelled doors and chimney pieces, which one finds, down to quite the end of the last century, even in houses of moderate rentals. Furniture therefore became independent and "beginning to account herself an Art, transgressed her limits"... and "grew to the conceit that it could stand by itself, and, as well as its betters, went a way of its own."

Interior Conservatory Finishing

The interiors, handed over from the builder, as it were, in blank, are filled up from the upholsterer's store, the curiosity shop, and the auction room, while a large contribution from the conservatory or the nearest florist gives the finishing touch to a mixture, which characterizes the present taste for furnishing a boudoir or a drawing room.

There is, of course, in very many cases an individuality gained by the "omnium gatherum" of such a mode of furnishing. The cabinet which reminds its owner of a tour in Italy, the quaint stool from Tangier, and the embroidered piano cover from Spain, are to those who travel, pleasant souvenirs; as are also the presents from friends (when they have taste and judgment), the screens and flower-stands, and the photographs, which are reminiscences of the forms and faces separated from us by distance or death. The test of the whole question of such an arrangement of furniture in our living rooms, is the amount of judgment and discretion displayed. Two favorable examples of the present fashion, representing the interior of the Saloon and Drawing Room at Sandringham House, are here reproduced.

How The Gather Inheritance Influenced On The Home Decorations

There is at the present time an ambition on the part of many well-to-do persons to imitate the effect produced in houses of old families where, for generations, valuable and memorable articles of decorative furniture have been accumulated, just as pictures, plate and china have been preserved; and failing the inheritance of such household gods, it is the practice to acquire, or as the modern term goes, "to collect," old furniture of different styles and periods, until the room becomes incongruous and overcrowded, an evidence of the wealth, rather than of the taste, of the owner. As it frequently happens that such collections are made very hastily, and in the brief intervals of a busy commercial or political life, the selections are not the best or most suitable; and where so much is required in a short space of time, it becomes impossible to devote a sufficient sum of money to procure a really valuable specimen of the kind desired; in its place an effective and low priced reproduction of an old pattern (with all the faults inseparable from such conditions) is added to the conglomeration of articles requiring attention, and taking up space.

The limited accommodation of houses built on ground which is too valuable to allow spacious halls and large apartments, makes this want of discretion and judgment the more objectionable. There can be no doubt that want of care and restraint in the selection of furniture, by the purchasing public, affects its character, both as to design and workmanship.