Dramatic Designs- Black and White Home Decor

When it comes to home decor, certain looks are timeless. This is especially true when it comes to color palettes that are used to choose home accessories and decor for a space. Black and white home decor is a look that has come and gone over the years, and recently has grown significantly in popularity. Here’s the low down on black and white accent furniture and home accessories how to create a dramatic space using them.

Black and White Home Decor

First and foremost, if you’re looking to work with black and white home accessories and decor, it absolutely does not mean that you need to paint your walls a stark white, or a dark black. While this can help you to create a more dramatic look, it’s not necessarily a “must do” for this type of home decor.

Secondly, if you find small home accessories that you enjoy but they’re not the right shade, don’t be afraid to tackle them with a can of spray paint. Remember, that chess set with the red and blue chess pieces can instantly become a black and white piece of home decor if you spray paint the chess pieces black and white instead. Remember, home decor and home accessories are versatile!

Dramatic Designs- Black and White Home Decor

Third, do not be afraid to mix in a third or even a fourth color. Black and white are very crisp, clean colors and they can become dull or dreary in some instances. By adding a few pops of color, you can add some interest and flair to any space.

When working with black and white, don’t forget about having proper lighting. Black absorbs light quite easily, so you may find that you need a bit of additional lighting in order to create a warm and inviting space, or even just to have adequate lighting, period. Work with different lamps and other light fixtures to create ample lighting for your space. Remember, lighting is an important part of interior design and home decor.

With furniture, you can go a number of different ways. While the contemporary style of today, with it’s clean lines and fluid curves, is a great choice, it’s not the only option out there. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of furniture to find the right look to compliment your black and white decor scheme. Other looks that are particularly trendy currently include the exaggerated forms of Baroque style furniture, mid century modern and Art Deco.

Black and white decor can be extremely dramatic, but it can become overwhelming or even dull. For this reason, it’s important to choose pieces that you are drawn to in order to create a space that you enjoy most. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself yearning to redecorate long before it’s even necessary. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Visit Arcadian Home, do some shopping, and add some black and white accessories to your home decor!

Tips for Buying Chandeliers

Tips for Buying Chandeliers

So you've decided you need a new chandelier. What now? Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you shop.

Getting the Right Size Chandelier

For starters, remember that lighting from a chandelier, no matter what the setting, should make a room, people, home furnishings and prized possessions look their very best. So it's important to hang the chandelier in the right spot and at the proper height for maximum impact.

A chandelier in a dining room setting should be positioned in the center of the dining table and room proportions.

Avoid purchasing chandeliers that are larger than the width of your table, as people may bump into it when getting up. A handy rule of thumb is that a chandelier should be 12 inches narrower than a table and have at least 48 inches of space from each of the room walls or edges.

Hang a chandelier approximately 30 to 34 inches over a table with an 8 foot ceiling height. If your ceiling is higher than 8 feet, mount the chandelier an additional 3 inches higher for each foot of ceiling.

Tips for Chandelier Bulbs

Keep in mind that lighting from a chandelier that beams directly onto a person from above can cast unflattering facial shadows. The heat from bulbs directly overhead can also be uncomfortable.

Avoid high wattage chandelier light bulbs. They will increase the heat and cause excessive table glare.

Try adding shades to chandelier candelabra bulbs or a wall dimmer to help you control the light and set a more flattering mood.

When a chandelier has no central downlight, you can enhance the dining room table setting and centerpiece by using Recessed adjustable fixtures with narrow beam bulbs. Aim these bulbs at a dining table centerpiece to create additional visual interest in conjunction with the chandelier.

Entryway Chandeliers for the Foyer

In an open lobby or larger foyer setting, an entryway chandelier can provide an important transition from outdoor to interior spaces and set the mood for your entire home. Hang the chandelier high enough to illuminate stairways or side passages; about knee-level of the upstairs landing is a good standard.

Chandeliers in a lobby setting can be wider or taller than dining room pieces so that they comfortably fill a space without appearing too small. You should also allow for at least 6 1/2 feet of clearance from the floor.

More Chandelier Tips

Pendant chandeliers for kitchen islands and dinette tables demand a little different approach. Depending on their arrangement and number, position the pendant 30" to 34" inches up from the table surface.

Dress up the hanging wire or chain of a chandelier by covering it in a narrow sleeve of fabric. Fabric should be three times longer than the chain to achieve a gathered appearance. This is a great idea for holiday looks!

Shopping For The Best Discount Chandeliers

Congratulations! You have decided to add the amazing look and warmth of a chandelier to your individual living space. While choosing the right type of chandelier for your home can often be difficult (crystal, rustic, contemporary, etc.), it is also a purchase that can represent a substantial investment. In fact, many chandeliers can cost upwards of several thousand dollars, depending on the materials used in design. With that being said, there are several merchants that offer outstanding discount chandeliers. How can you feel confident when shopping for the best discount chandeliers? In this article, we’ll take a look at some common sense tips that may just end up saving you major money on your chandelier purchase.

Shopping For The Best Discount Chandeliers

First and foremost, determine the type of chandelier that you are interested in buying. Once you identify the particulars of the piece you want to purchase, it will be much easier to find the right discount chandelier for you. What are the things to consider when shopping for the best discount chandelier? Naturally, you will want to have an idea of the style of chandelier you are searching for based upon the style of your home. It wouldn’t make much sense to buy a crystal chandelier if you live in a log cabin; conversely a contemporary chandelier would probably look out of place in a large mansion. You should then decide whether you prefer glass or metal, and how many lights you want your chandelier to have. Once you have a pretty good idea of the type of chandelier you are looking for, it will make shopping for the best discount chandeliers a painless process.

You should approach buying a discount chandelier much in the same way you would a car. Compare, compare, compare. There are literally hundreds of discount dealers out there, and they all offer unique chandeliers at varying prices. By searching several different merchants and the pieces they offer, you will be able to search out the best discount chandelier at the lowest price.

One tool that you should definitely consider when shopping for the best discount chandeliers is the internet. There are so many more retailers available online than in your local area, and many of them can offer rebates, free shipping, and/or custom designs. In addition, web sites such as ebay and ubid allow people from around the world to sell chandeliers at very low prices. One last advantage of using the internet when shopping for the best discount chandeliers is the ability to see detailed photos and receive in-depth details about the chandeliers you are interested in. Whereas your local merchant may only have a handful of chandeliers in the style you prefer, the internet is sure to have lots of choices at great prices.

A chandelier is sure to give any room in your home a whole new personality; an interior fashion face-lift if you will. By following the tips discussed above when shopping for the best discount chandeliers, you will be sure to find an amazing chandelier at an unbeatable value.

Different Types Of Contemporary Chandeliers

It wasn’t long ago that the mere mention of the word “chandelier” would conjure up images of lavish glass and crystal objects hanging in every room of some 18th century mansion. All right, so that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but the general impression people have regarding chandeliers is that they are too bold, too fancy, and most of all too expensive. While this may be true of some higher end chandelier designs, there are many different types of contemporary chandeliers that can add originality and style to your home at a very reasonable cost. What’s more, these chandeliers can offer a whole new way of looking at the rooms you may be taking for granted. Let’s examine some of the different types of contemporary chandeliers that may be a perfect fit in your life.

Different Types Of Contemporary Chandeliers

The main purpose that a contemporary chandelier serves is to give your home’s modern décor an additional focal point, without being over-the-top. While a crystal chandelier is certainly a beautiful piece in the proper setting (such as a spacious dining area or a Victorian style bedroom), many of us live in more laid-back settings. Different types of contemporary chandeliers represent perfect complements to nearly any modern interior living space.

What are some different types of contemporary chandeliers? For starters, contemporary chandeliers can be made of many different metal finishes, such as bronze, brass, nickel, chrome, and silver. They can also be designed with glass, which tends to be more expensive than chandeliers made of metal. What really sets contemporary chandeliers apart from fancier counterparts is the attention to shape, design, and function. In fact, most contemporary chandeliers implement various color schemes and patterns, which help to add a distinct and warm glow to any room. Contemporary chandeliers also feature unique patterns of not only shades and holders, but also of the lights themselves. The features on most contemporary chandelier shades are what make them so distinctive, and in most cases the only limit to these designs is your own imagination. As for the lights, very few contemporary chandeliers use candles, but instead offer porcelain lighting for a subtle ambience. How many lights are used in most contemporary chandeliers? This is again dependant upon your personal taste of style; these chandeliers can feature as few or as many as you desire. The options truly are limitless with these different types of contemporary chandeliers!

The days of classifying chandeliers as pricey or garish are certainly behind us. With so many different types of contemporary chandeliers available, we now have the ability to turn our own homes into something of an art gallery. These intimate pieces are sure to give the rooms in your home a different personality, and they are sure to become a topic of conversation (and admiration) among your family and friends. Whether you decide on a contemporary chandelier that is simple and understated, or one that is bold and colorful, you can’t go wrong with adding any one of the many different types of chandeliers to your home’s interior.

Chandeliers - A Lighting Option You Should Consider

Lighting makes a room. As a quick rule, the more lights or lighting options the better. A chandelier in the center of a ceiling should be one of the options you install if you are doing any room makeover.

Chandeliers were originally designed to hold lots of candles and give a central light in a room. An electric light bulb achieves this more simply. Chandeliers now are decorative objects in their own right.

The effect of a chandelier with lots of light bulbs in a room is stunning. A modern chandelier gives a real touch of class to your décor and it makes a wonderful centrepiece. There are various types and costs associated with them.

Chandeliers - A Lighting Option You Should Consider

A crystal chandelier, assuming you love lead crystal, really is a thing of beauty. The pieces of crystal arranged around the light bulbs refract the light from the bulbs and appear in a rainbow of different colors. You must use clear glass bulbs though. The commonly used opaque bulbs diffuse the bright light source of the bulbs' hot filaments, so you won't get any sharp refractions to speak of, no bright colors.

Chandeliers are meant to be brightly lit and should not be combined with dimmer switches.

Antique chandeliers may be in brass and are extremely heavy, modern ones are heavy enough. Installing a chandelier is a job for the professional. Your installer will use winches and pulleys to raise the chandelier to ceiling height before attaching it to a strong fixing point. He will not just hang it over a screw on a crossbeam, but will ensure that it will stay up for ever.

There are other types of chandelier, some of which are more suited to wall mounting, like the ones made from deer antlers.

You can find chandeliers at antique dealers and auctions as well as lighting retailers and the ubiquitous EBay.

An Introduction To Chandeliers

Chandeliers are special decorative lights that have been used now for many years. They are in themselves a very traditional form of lighting, and have an elaborate history.

Chandeliers have always been associated with elegance, wealth, and beauty. Originally, chandeliers were used in medieval churches for their efficient illumination of large halls. They were generally created in the form of a wooden cross with a number of spikes which candles could be secured to, and the whole assembly was hung from a rope suspended from the ceiling.

An Introduction To Chandeliers

Today, chandeliers are often the centerpieces of a well decorated home. They are designed to float in the room as an important part of the decor, and are the perfect way to set the mood in your home.

The type of bulbs used for chandeliers are small, lower wattage bulbs that are generally formed in the shape of a candle flame, although not all chandeliers are limited to small bulbs. The chandeliers available now are far more colorful than they were in the past. They are reaching new heights with dazzling effects. Some chandeliers are so big they fill vast halls and are studded with precious stones and gold.

When selecting a chandelier for your home, it can become a little difficult as there are so many different varieties and sizes to choose from. Never in the long history of chandeliers has there been so much choice as there is today.

Some people prefer to choose an oversized chandelier for their room, as this can be used to complement the decor, but undersized chandeliers must be avoided unless you are planning to install more than one.

Custom made chandeliers are an option that is available which will give you the finish you require. These are beautifully designed to bring you years of enjoyment. Then there are crystal chandeliers which are one of the most traditional ways to compliment a dining room setting. They are valued for the warm light they give off and the sparkle they add to a room. Finally, there are wrought iron chandeliers which are classic yet still so elegant in their simplicity.

The position of the chandelier is very important so that you get the full benefit from the light it provides. If you are installing a chandelier in your dining room, it should be positioned precisely over the center of the table.

Once you have made your choice of the perfect chandelier, you will be able to sit back and enjoy the brilliant beauty that it adds to your home.

Chandeliers - What You Need To Know Before You Buy

here is no denying that chandeliers are perfect lighting choices for dining rooms. Not only do they provide excellent ambient lighting, they add an undeniable element of style and sophistication to any décor. But have you ever noticed how some chandeliers just do not seem to fit in with the dining room they are illuminating? Perhaps they are too big and seem to overwhelm the table. Other chandeliers just do not seem to match the other design elements of the room. To help you avoid these design faux pas, here are some tips when choosing dining room chandeliers.

Chandeliers - What You Need To Know Before You Buy

Even before deciding upon the style, it is important to first determine what size of chandelier you will need. To do this, measure the width of your dining room table and then reduce this figure by 12 inches. This figure should roughly equal the diameter on most chandeliers and produce a well-proportioned effect in the room. Once you determine the ideal size, it is time to start shopping for chandeliers that will accentuate the décor of your dining room.

Chandeliers definitely shape the mood in any room and you should find one that accurately represents the atmosphere you wish to create. If you are looking to create a more dignified and formal atmosphere, then crystal chandeliers are definitely a great choice. However, both Mission and Tiffany style chandeliers also lend themselves to an elegant and refined dining experience so be sure to browse through these styles before making a decision. For those interested in creating a more relaxed and casual atmosphere, Rustic or Traditional style chandeliers are certain to please.

Once you have decided upon the size and style of your chandelier, you must next decide on what kind of lighting effect you are looking for. While all chandeliers direct light upwards and bounce it off the ceiling to produce a warm glow throughout the room, some are designed to produce downlight. These chandeliers better illuminate the dining room table and provide an added benefit of accent lighting for centerpiece displays. For some, it is possible to produce the downlight effect by adding miniature lamp shades around each of the light bulbs.

Finally, chandeliers must be mounted at the proper height to provide the proper aesthetic appearance as well as provide adequate illumination. In rooms with ceilings less than 9 feet tall, chandeliers should be mounted 30 inches above the dining room table. If the ceiling is 9 feet tall or more, mount the chandelier an additional 3 inches higher from the table.

A chandelier in your dining room is something that will set the tone for all of the family meals for years to come. It is important to make sure that you select one that will influence the atmosphere without completely dominating it. By using the tips provided above, you should be able to find the chandelier that will provide a dining atmosphere conducive to your tastes. Above all, remember to have fun when shopping for chandeliers and do not be in a hurry to “just find one” because you will have to live with your decision for years to come.

สวนลอยฟ้า Roof Garden จัดสวนบนดาดฟ้า วิถีคนเมือง

Roof Garden สวนลอยฟ้า

จัดสวนบนดาดฟ้า สร้างป่าสีเขียว บนยอดตึก

เมื่อพื้นที่ป่าไม้ กลายเป็นพื้นที่เมือง หรือป่าคอนกรีตในยุคสังคมปัจจุบัน แน่นอนว่า เราคงไม่สามารถเปลี่ยนแปลงวิถีชีวิตของสังคมโลกได้ แต่สิ่งที่จะทำได้นั่นคือ การเพิ่มพื้นที่สีเขียว ที่ขาดหายไป ทดแทนกลับคืนมา แม้จะเป็นเพียงพื้นที่เล็กๆ แต่หากเราร่วมมือ ร่วมใจกัน ก็สามารถเป็นพื้นที่ป่าขนาดใหญ่ได้เช่นกัน สำหรับไอเดียดังกล่าวนี้ “บ้านไอเดีย” นำเสนอ สวนลอยฟ้า (Roof Garden) ปัจจุบันได้รับความนิยมสูงมากในต่างประเทศ สถาปนิกรวมถึงผู้คนทั่วไป เริ่มเห็นถึงความสำคัญของต้นไม้กันมากยิ่งขึ้น เนื่องด้วยสภาพอากาศของโลก ที่เปลี่ยนแปลงอย่างรวดเร็ว ภาวะโลกร้อนที่นับวัน ยิ่งทวีความรุนแรงมากยิ่งขึ้น

ออกแบบโดย : Secret Gardens of Sydney

สวนลอยฟ้า สามารถประยุกต์ใช้ได้ดีกับบ้านหรืออาคาร ที่มีดาดฟ้า อาจเป็น ทาวน์โฮม ทาวน์เฮ้าส์ ตึกแถว คอนโด อาคารสูง โรงแรม และอื่นๆ ที่เป็นลักษณะอาคารมีดาดฟ้า พื้นที่ชั้นบน ส่วนใหญ่นิยมเก็บถังน้ำ หรือทิ้งไว้ว่างเปล่า สำหรับเจ้าของกิจการ โรงแรม คอนโด หรือที่พัก อาจจินตนาการถึงภาพอาคารของคุณ ซึ่งหากมีสวนสวยๆ บนอาคาร แน่นอนว่า สิ่งนี้ย่อมมีผลต่อจุดขายแน่นอน คงดีไม่น้อย หากลูกค้าได้มีพื้นที่สวนสาธารณะบนอาคาร ทั้งได้รับความเป็นส่วนตัว พื้นที่พักผ่อนที่สดชื่น อาจเป็นตัวเลือกสำคัญในการตัดสินใจซื้อหรือเช่าที่พัก เอาหละครับ ชมกันไว้เป็นตัวอย่าง บนดาดฟ้า ก็สามารถสร้างสวนสวยๆ ขนาดใหญ่ ไม่ได้น้อยหน้าไปกว่าบนดินกันเลย