Saturday, October 1, 2011

Space Conscious Dwellings Of Small End Tables Ideal

Designers talk a lot about scale. Now, it is true that small end tables will upset the visual balance a bit, winnowing under weight of a larger love seat or sofa. There are things you can do to fix this. One is to use slightly taller lamps that still have a small base. For instance, you may want to forego a ceramic or pot style lamp and use one with a candlestick post. This will make the table look bigger than it really is and the added height of the lamps will help add visual weight as well.

You can also choose to increase the scale by going with small end tables that are more solid. Instead of selecting an open design, you may want to go with a cabinet design to give the appearance that they are substantial pieces. If you go with an open design with just a top and legs, it can make your small end tables appear even smaller than they really are.

If you do have small end tables that are open, you may want to consider adding a contrasting linen or lace piece to the top and even have it extend over and down the sides some. This will give your table a bit more bulk without taking up added space.

For really small homes, you can eliminate one of the end tables entirely. While it's nice to have end tables on both ends for convenience and balance, there is no hard and fast rule requiring this. You may be able to make due with a single table and perhaps add a floor lamp on the other side to add light and even things out visually.


While homes seem to be larger than ever, many homeowners are in the process of downsizing these days, either because of economic circumstances or simply a desire to live a simpler life.

Just because you live in a smaller dwelling doesn't mean that you have to give up the comforts of home you've become so used to. Rather, you may simply need to change some of the furnishings, keeping your favorites and then balancing them with smaller support pieces.

Perhaps no example is better than the use of small end tables. Love seats and sofas are big-ticket items and most people will want to take them to the new home. Unfortunately, furniture scaled for a home may look a bit cramped in a smaller home or apartment. This is where small end tables can save the day. You can change the scale of your end tables while still keeping your favorite upholstered furnishings.

Smaller end tables aren't just for the living room. If you have two end tables, you can repurpose the second one in another room. For example, you can use one as a nightstand in a second bedroom or even the master. You can also convert one into an accent table and place it in a corner of the bedroom or any room in the home. Add some photos or a floral arrangement and you'll have a nice addition without having to break up the set permanently.

If you have a large bath, you can add a smaller table there as well. Here you can keep reading material or some lotions and other toiletries for guests to use. If your table has drawers, you can keep clippers, Q-tips and other necessities so guests don't have to feel awkward looking through your cabinets in search these items that everyone seems to need, but no one can find. You can even add a little touch of bed and breakfast by putting a folding tent sign that says that these things can be found in the drawer.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Designer Children's Nursery Furniture - A Justified Pleasure?

There are polarized opinions on how much money we should spend on the nursery rooms of our nation's newborns. We all, however, want our babies to be safe and secure and most of us want our new arrivals to sleep in an atmosphere of love and comfort. Indeed, some would say that an investment at this point in a child's life would actually make a marked difference on the developed person, the child will eventually become.

Designer Nursery interiors may not be everyone's cup of tea, as a full-blown investment of their precious baby funds. There is a wide and wonderful selection of nursery furniture available for every level of lifestyle and budget. As I discovered; you don't have to buy the whole display, however, one or two key designer nursery furniture items can certainly prove to add core value to a nursery's ambience; thus satisfying the (mainly) maternal urges to create a palace for our little Prince and Princesses.

A plain traditional cot may be all you wish to have as the centrepiece of your nursery creation or, another option may be to look at the choices of extravagant, beautiful bassinets and cradles, available at the more exclusive and up market stores. From Hollywood stars of the 50's to the modern day Divas, society has a voyeuristic fascination in how celebrities dress their children and their nurseries. Celebrity nurseries displayed on line and, in the high-end lifestyle magazines, can stir up our creative imagination and, fill our minds with ways in which to adorn our little one's nursery rooms.

Those privileged affluent parents amongst us, will plan out an elaborate nursery some months in advance; making choices from a wide array of select custom pieces to complete their child's microcosmic setting. These bespoke luxury purchases are designed and built by artisans and craftsman, with great vision and awareness of children and their parents' wishes and, they have the talent and skill to create the finished article required.

Even the choice of mattress for our babies little bodies to rest on, can range from thin standard polyurethane foam (offering minimum support) and synthetic mattresses (which do not allow moisture to evaporate), to organic baby mattresses; free from synthetic chemicals, plastics and PVC. Recent concerns over formaldehyde exposure to children are now leading parents to choosing natural as the best option. Experts in infant safety suggest that a firm, flat mattress, without soft bedding underneath your child, greatly reduces the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) when baby sleeps on their back.

Changing tables are now seen as a standard inclusion in a modern day nursery setting and, are regarded these days as an essential item. This feature can add to the look and feel of the room, as well as providing useful storage space and the obvious practical platform for dealing with the business end of our cherubs. Prevention of backache and a hygienic workstation are all positive elements to this modern day service station.

Choosing appropriate bedding for babies can be a difficult process. Organic products not treated with any formaldehyde or chlorine bleach, are seen as the best choice for the health conscious. Pure organic bedding is made from cotton grown without chemicals and pesticides. Organic bedding composition is softer and will assist in maintaining an ideal body temperature for baby throughout the seasons. A baby's body temperature balance usually means they will have a better nights sleep. If baby sleeps well then so do baby's parents. Sleep deprivation, as every parent will tell you, is a form of psychological torture and can cause misery and arguments galore.

However you choose to decorate your baby's nursery is a matter of personal preference and taste. Your own creative talents and craft artistry can directly affect the amount of money you have to spend. A hand painted mural, for example, can be a more delightful decoration than any designer wallpaper. Your child's nursery is personal to you and your family so decorate it in the style you want to and don't hold back from looking around or be daunted by stylish nursery boutiques, where one or two key items my be waiting to be picked out by you and settled beautifully, as core focal points in your baby's special room.

Choosing Ergonomic Chairs for Your Office

When you start working in an office, normally, the first thing that you will recognize is the fact that you have to spend a lot of time on your desk. The more highly paid the job is, the more time you are likely to spend glued to a computer screen or working on a briefing. On the other hand, if you have been professionally working for a couple of years now, I'm sure that you will be quite familiar with the routine that is normally followed.

Consequently, spending too much time at your desk can take its toll on your body. You might not feel it right now but sooner or later, your body will start to show it in the form of back pain, neck aches, leg bending problems and other such medical issues. These can become worse as you grow older. So what is it that you can do to remedy these issues? The answer is to purchase an ergonomic office chair.

Nonetheless, there are numerous models of ergonomic chairs available on the market. It becomes quite difficult to decide which one you would like to get. Therefore, this article will provide some information on the attributes that an ergonomic chair should possess and what you should be looking for when shopping for these chairs.

The first issue is that of seat height and an ergonomic chair must possess a pneumatic adjustment lever that allows the user to adjust the height of the chair from about 16 to 21 inches. This height range is optimal for almost every user allowing him or her to place their feet on the ground.

On the other hand, seat depth and width of an ergonomic office chair is another important factor that must be taken into consideration. Optimally, the width of the seat should be between 17 and 20 inches whereas the depth of the seat should be such that a person can sit in the chair with his or her back aligned with the backrest. Also, the distance between your knees and the front of the chair should be about 2 but not more than 4 inches. An ergonomic chair also allows you to adjust the recline angle of the back rest in accordance with your requirements.

Lumbar support is also one of the most vital features offered by an ergonomic chair. Every human being possesses a lumbar spine that needs support while an individual is sitting down. If you continue to sit for excessive periods of time without catering to the support requirements of your lower spine then you will find yourself suffering from terrible back pains. An ergonomic chair provides proper lumbar back support through its adjustable features, height and width.