There are a large variety of patterns ranging from subtle to very bold. I’m drawn to the more bold, colorful fabrics. These chairs were given new life with this bold Madeline Weinrib Ikat fabric.

The trend is so big I’ve seen designers mimic the look with paint on the walls. When done in a subtle pattern it look stunning.

There are outdoor Ikat fabrics as well. Add some Ikat pillows to your outdoor furnishings and you will get a more finished looking outdoor “room” with a tropical feel.

Since you’re trying to save money and have never built a bunkbed structure like this before, let’s start with a simple design. To build a twin-over-twin sized bunk structure that adequately and stably sleeps two children, you’ll first need to have the appropriate building material for the main frame. Wood is a good choice for first-time builders, as it is easily cut and manipulated, and won’t require welding or other more advanced processes that metal bunks would need. When choosing a wood, select something strong and durable. Most hardwoods work well, such as birch, oak, or cherry. If you’d like to save on expenses, you can choose pine as well. Pine is perfect for painting later so you don’t have to stick with the natural wood color if you don’t want to. If you do choose pine though, be sure to uses a southern yellow pine. White pine is quite soft, and wouldn’t be stable enough for bed building.

Once you’ve picked out and purchased your building material, you’ll have to lay everything out to begin building. Start with the base of the lower bunk, as this will help to support the rest of the structure. When all else fails, always start from the bottom and work towards the top. Since this is your first bunk building project, measure the width of the base slightly larger than is typical, to provide extra foundational support. The base should extend several inches further than the size of the twin mattress being placed on it, and it should be completely flat. Use a level to ensure the base is flat in its entirety before moving on.

Once the base has been constructed, you’ll have to assemble four beams that will support the top bunk. Use as few separate pieces as possible, as that will help to improve structural integrity. The beams should be evenly spread out, and you can use supplemental cross pieces to connect the beams for further support. You can use metal clamps and nails to secure the wood.

After that section is finished, you’ll simply need to build the support section for the top bunk. This layer should be slightly smaller than the base, and considerably lighter (though still strong enough to support the full weight of a body). Line up the top section so that is sits directly over the base, and so that weight is distributed evenly between the four beams. If effectively installed, there should only be a little give on the support beams when a body moves around on the top bunk, and the base should be stable regardless. Once stable, you’ll be able to craft some bars for the top bunk to prevent rolling off, and you’ll also have to install a small ladder so your child can climb to the top bunk and access it easily.

Paint and design is up to you or the taste of your children, as really, your concern should be on bed sturdiness and child safety. Though exact measurements will depend on the type of building material you use and the construct of the room you’re putting the bunk bed set in, so long as you test for sturdiness and strength along the way, the set should hold up well.

My favorite site for wall decals is Blik. Blik was the brain child of Scott Flora, an architect, and Jerinne Neils, a food writer. While trying to decide what to do with their own walls they came up with this brilliant idea. The application of their product is perfect for any home or business space. I love the flexibility. Change your mind, no problem. This is perfect for a child’s room. The walls can be changed as they get older. Bringing them from infancy to teenage years easily.

Blik’s newest product is the pattern wall tile. You can create a feature wall, an accent over the bed, cover closet doors, or well you name it… we can go on and on. The tiles are self-adhesive and can be repositioned and moved easily. These self-adhesive fabric tiles are eco-friendly, non-toxic and free of both PVC and phthalates.

So there are no longer excuses for you to live with white walls. Get creative and have fun.

My first apartment was a second-story condo in an urban complex, far displaced from the groomed suburban landscapes and sprawling gardens I had grown up with. My only connection to the outdoors was a small porch, surrounded by brown siding and a fading carpet of artificial turf.

To add a little color to the patio, I adopted a few small tomato plants from a friend who had started his garden indoors, and planted them in large pots near my railing. To my surprise, they started to grow. Soon I had filled the 5′ x 10′ space with more than a dozen ceramic pots, plastic containers, and beach pails filled with peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and pole beans. Before I knew it, my porch was a curtain of green and my meals regularly featured home-grown vegetables.

Well-planned patio gardens allow gardeners to make the most of a small space while maintaining a degree of control not available to those who plant in the ground. If a plant is not getting enough sun, it can be moved. If it is not draining properly, more holes can be added. Healthy plants prevent pests, and some, such as slugs, are not even a factor. Watering is more efficient, because it must be done by hand, making a patio garden ideal in a drought situation. And at the end of the year, even inexperienced gardeners can enjoy a bounty of vegetables thanks to the built-in advantages of garden containers, which include regular drainage and nutrient-rich soil.

Herbs also make great container plants, as they survive in generally drier conditions. Pots offer the opportunity of bringing herbs inside when the weather gets colder. However, many herbs are fast-growing, so it’s best replant the container each spring.

Starting a patio garden is not difficult. Here are a few tips:

1. Start with 4″ plants, which can be found at most nurseries. With a little creativity, just about any vegetable can be planted in an above-ground container, however, the most common seem to be tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, beans, and spinach

2. The size of a plant can vary depending on the variety of seedling used. Make sure containers are large enough to accommodate a full-sized plant. Most tomatoes will need at least an 18″ square container. Peppers, however, are perfectly happy in smaller pots.

3. Cover the holes at the bottom of the container with small rocks to improve the soil drainage.

4. Part-fill the container with compost. A slow-release fertilizer can be added at this stage to distribute nutrients as the compost dries out. Fill the remaining space with a nutrient-rich planting soil.

5. Water the plants and let them drain. Take them out of their pots and arrange in the container, packing in tightly. Fill in any gaps and firm all the plants in place. Keep the soil below the rim of the pot for easier watering.

6. Water the container well and move it to its final position. Arrange plants according to their needs. Tomatoes prefer a south-facing porch with full sun, while spinach and lettuce are happier near the house in partial shade. Make sure the place where you want to plant gets at least six hours of direct sun every day.

7. Trellises, cages or poles will be needed for tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and other vines. Patio gardeners can also take advantage of permanent features, such as fences and railings, to support their plants.

8. Containers need to be watered at least once a day in summer. They also require regular fertilization. A fertilizer dilutor can be clipped on to the hose to feed plants as you water.

With just a little time and imagination, any drab patio can become home to lush green vines, red peppers, juicy tomatoes, and succulent cucumbers. Why not start today?

About The Author

Jill Homer is a freelance writer who is happy to provide articles for your home and gardening needs. For more information, contact her at jill@biketoshine.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jill_Homer

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Mother Nature is crying for help. We have used and abused our resources, and now we are giving them a slow death with chemical pollutants. But you can begin to make a difference. In many ways and one of the ways is just by changing the way you launder, can help in reducing pollution levels.

The environment is changing and degrading fast, everyday each of us are adding to the increasing pollution. Even when we are cleaning our clothes, we are polluting the air/land and water around us. How? Through the detergents that we use. Yes, these chemical detergents, that are readily available in every store, are nothing but one of agents of severe pollution.

They are made of harmful chemicals, that make the product non biodegradable. Some common anti environmental ingredients that you will find in detergents are: linear alkylbenzenesulfonate or LAS, and nonylphenoxyethoxylate or NPE, synthetic smell. Some other harmful ingredients of a chemical laundry detergent are:

EDTA
DEA
SLS or SLES
1-4 Dioxane
Ammonia
Glycol ether
CA 65
SARA title III
Phosphates
Formaldehyde
Alcohol
Butyl

These chemicals are highly toxic and can cause severe harm to your health as well as pollute the environment. They can cause severe rashes and allergies on your skin, not to mention the way they attack the fibers of your clothes. Have you ever wondered why do you need fabric softeners? The answer lies in the massive chemical treatment the clothes receive in every washing in such chemical detergents.

So, what to do now? The right way is to Go Green. Stop buying such chemical products, and switch to more eco friendly options. A natural or an eco friendly detergent is plant-based, has the pH neutral, is and 100% biodegradable. Moreover, they come in ultra concentrated formulas which mean you use less and it lasts longer. They contain no dyes, and have no or little smell. You have to do the washing everyday, then why not switch to a green option, right now, so that tomorrow, your home doesn’t add to the local pollution level! If you are thinking, is eco friendly detergent, the rel=nofollow [http://www.time2gonatural.com/]best laundry detergent then you are right. As they really help in reducing the negative impact on the environment. Every major change begins locally, and in this case, it can start from your home. Make a difference by giving up on the chemical detergents, do not be misled by their claims of a ‘clean wash’. They are dirtying the environment and the planet with their toxins. The minute they flow out of your house’s drain, they start polluting the water body ahead, and don’t ever stop, as they are not biodegradable.

What you can do is, to choose a laundry product that is safe for your clothes, your skin and also does not pollute the water downstream. The next time you go to the store, make sure to explore the natural, eco friendly and green options available. Be aware, and read the ingredients’ list in the back of the product. So not buy anything with NPE or Chlorine. Look for natural products made with vegetable oils. A little positive effort from your end can set off a chain of betterment, that will prevent the Planet from degenerating so fast. Remember, every little bit helps.

Go Green with natural soaps and soap nuts, as they also make great eco friendly laundry products. They are non-toxic and biodegradable, and do not harm the environment at all.

The writer is a consultant with Time 2 Go Natural. She recommends you strongly to buy soap nuts for a healthier environment, as it’s everybody’s responsibility.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vineet_U_Ghai

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You can search for specific colors or browse the full Sherwin-Williams color palette and fine tune the colors using lightness, saturation and hue features. The ColorSnap® app also helps you select coordinating colors, so if you suffer from color stress this is the tool for you.

Did I mention this is all for free? Go to the Sherwin-Williams web site to download the ColorSnap® app.

Carry the black to other parts of the room with your accessories: Candle sticks, pillows, lamps or a large mirror with a black frame. Found a brass chandelier at a flea market? Spray paint black and give it new life.

I recently visited Inspired Interiors in Fort Lauderdale and they have a black wall that looks spectacular. They specialize in painted furniture and the black walls set off the furniture beautifully. The artwork in this photo is the beautiful work of Gisele Haselbarth.

Julia West Home is located in Toronto and from what I can tell they don’t have an online shopping cart. They have other double duty furniture pieces on their site at JuliaWestHome.com. Check it out, dove-tail joints, I give this one a thumbs up.

This is a classic look that instantly adds sophistication to any room. Robin Bruce is creating tufted furniture in a 21st Century way. Unexpected fabrics and new lines give this classic a new life.

Robin Bruce by Rowe offers a line of tufted furniture that is affordably beautiful.

RobinBruce.com

I recently visited a friend who moved into his new condo. His ceiling is painted with stripes of different widths. The color choices for the stripes are perfect. This is a drop ceiling over the kitchen. It probably is used for air conditioning duct work. I think this solution is the best I’ve seen for turning a low ceiling area into an asset. I was sorry I didn’t bring my camera. So here is the photo taken with my iPhone.

He hired professional painters. I think they did a great job. The stripes were perfect. What do you think?