In the days of the 1800’s people would play piano in the evening and in auditoriums by the light of a candle. It was not only dangerous but made it very hard to read the music and to see the keys. Another issue the piano player had to deal with was the glare that came from the glowing candle, reducing their sight of the music and potentially causing severe eye strain. An inventor looked at this issue and placed a cover on the back of a candle that reduced the glare and focused the light from the candle onto the piano keys and the sheet music in front of the player. The piano lamp was created.

When electricity became more popular and the light bulb came along it was not long afterward that the same issue regarding glare with the electric light bulb arose. The light bulb was much safer than the candle, to be sure, but the glare in the eyes of the piano player was rough on the eyes and caused a lot of strain for evening and auditorium players. The cover was then affixed to the top of the light bulb to reduce the glare and the piano lamp light fixture was a staple for anyone serious about playing a piano.

There is a fancier model of piano lamp that are called candelabras. These are multi-light arrangements that typically sit on top of grand pianos. They are very formal and a more expensive than a regular piano lamp, costing $200 to $1,000 dollars depending upon the style you are interested in purchasing. The candelabra is attractive, as most piano lamps are, but the main reason for having a piano lamp is still to display light on sheet music and the piano keyboard. piano lamps are not limited to use with grand pianos. They fit well on console, studio and upright pianos.

While most piano lamps are placed atop the piano at the center, several models are vertical lamps that raise from the floor. These lamps have great benefits in that they can be arranged to display light from many angles at just about any height that the player wishes to have it be displayed. The main characteristics among different models of piano lamps is that they are all hooded to reduce the direct glare into the eyes of the player while lighting the keys of the piano. Many players purchase a piano lamp to further display their piano as a showcase of their house. The piano lamps can be beautiful as well as being very functional.

A piano lamp can come in many different styles and are made of many different materials. Brass and chrome are the most popular materials used to make a piano lamp. Many enameled surfaces are used in the manufacturing process to allow for more affordability and style.

The shelf style (sits on top of the piano) piano lamp is usually height adjustable, and many feature a weighted base to allow for increased stability. Many times the base is made of a more expensive and heavy product such as marble, to add beauty to the lamp as well as a great weight which serves the function. A very practical feature of a piano lamp is a counter-weighted arm, which many piano lamps have, preventing the lamp from getting top heavy regardless of its positional setting.

Piano lamps are produced to be either plug-in or battery-powered. Several companies also manufacture piano lamps that clip-on directly to the sheet music stand of a piano. These are most often used on grand pianos (called grand piano lamps ) but are also handy for upright and console pianos. An electric piano lamp is normally designed for either one or two light bulbs of 40-watts or less.

You can purchase piano lamps at furnishings stores, music stores or online. The price in US dollars of a piano lamp ranges from as low as forty to as high as hundreds of dollars. With all the varieties and styles available, rest assured you will find one to suit your tastes and your budget.

From their very inception, piano lamps have replaced the need to use candles to provide light and add a nice mood to a piano recital or concert. Modern piano lamps are much safer and can be even more beautiful than the nicest candelabras from times of old.

With our hectic schedules and fast paced lives, it is no wonder that "nostalgia" is one of the fastest growing interior decorating trends. A cottage style decorating scheme combines nostalgia with country in an attempt to redress life's balance.

Cottage Style Decorating - Reading Corner
Introduce an air of elegance into your living room with refinement that speaks of more leisurely days. Install a reading corner. All you need is a comfy armchair and a side table piled with your favorite books (classics of course), family photographs and small vases of flowers. Sit, unwind, relax and go back to a more simple time.

More enchanting cottage style decorating coming soon.

Japanese décor is diametrically different from Western décor in form, function and principle. Where Western décor is more flexible and is really an adaptation of various art forms, Japanese décor is influenced by and has remained true to ancient traditions.

Because of the fundamental differences between the two, trying to mix and match Japanese décor with Western décor would require careful thought and a precise eye for detail and a lot of planning.
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You do not have to be Martha Stewart to understand interior decoration. In my opinion, in fact, the stuff that she does is just a little bit tacky. Everyone thinks of her as an expert on interior decorating tips, but what she really is an expert on is marketing. No interior decorating tip is universal, and every single person that there is has different ideas about what makes the perfect home for them. If you are looking for interior decorating tips, the interior design magazines are good place to start, but they are not the whole story.

It all comes down to this: the best interior decorating tips are the ones that come from someone whose house you admire. They might be an interior designer, or they might be just an ordinary homemaker like yourself. There really is no such thing as an expert in interior design as far as I am concerned. On the contrary, anyone can be an artist in their own home. The key is to find what you like and make it happen. If you can do this, you can give interior decorating tips to anyone in the entire world. After all, there are a million Martha Stewart's who look good in a sort of plastic way, but how many people are there out there whose homes make them truly happy?

Nonetheless, it is worth your while to peruse some of the interior design magazines. Although you may or may not like the stuff that is inside them, they are always a good place for you to start. This is because interior design magazines are packed with ideas. They have thousands and thousands of interior decorating tips. If they are tips that you like, you can use them. If, on the other hand, you do not like the interior decorating tips, you can always feel free to come up with your own. Just looking at the interior decorating tips in these magazines, however, will really get your creativity flowing. It is a fact that one of the best ways to get ideas come, especially when none are forthcoming, is to look at what other people are doing and see if you like it. You can even get interior design tips off of the Internet if you want to. This is one of my favorite sources, because anyone out there is free to post their own ideas and other people react to them.

If you have a large family, chances are that your foyer or front hall is run over with coats, hats, boots, shoes, umbrellas and the like. With many families the clutter only gets worse when it comes to the winter months when extra pieces of clothing and footwear are needed, but not always. The front hall is the first thing that your visitors see when they come to your home. Why not go through pains to ensure that you give off the best first impression possible by cleaning up your front hall a little bit? It should not be too difficult to do so; pick up a few home organization items like a shoe rack, a Oak coat rack or a peg rack, and an umbrella basket to catch all of the personal odds and ends that must be shed when your family walks through the front door.

Maple coat racks Can Bring Character to Your Home

One of the best ways to reduce the amount of clutter that litters the first few feet of your home is to invest in a coat rack. Many people feel that coat racks are overrated, but that may not necessarily be the truth. Depending on what your personal style is for your home, coat racks may just be an excellent way of bringing home something a little different from what you are used to. When was the last time that you went into somebody’s home and saw a peg rack in the front hall? Dare to be different and clutter free when it comes to your home, and start with a good coat rack.

Shoe Racks Can Make All the Difference

A shoe rack can make all the difference when it comes to getting the clutter out of your front hall. There aer many different types of shoe racks out there; there are those that have to do with personal style and looking good and there are those that are just for efficiency purposes.

Shoe racks are designed to prevent you from having to walk across the home to put your shoes away, but also add a certain element of style to the home–in most cases. Whether you have high stiletto heels or mud filled shoes to keep off of the carpet, there are plenty of racks out there that can give you a place to store your things without really infringing upon your personal style.

Shoe racks and coat racks can make a huge difference when it comes to home organization. Most people fail to realize what a few simple design elements can do for their décor, and between a good coat rack and a big enough shoe rack your front hall should be clean and clear in no time at all.

Actually, feng shui and decorating are a blend of both art and science. There are no hard and fast rules about applying feng shui to your life. A true feng shui guide will never tell you that you have to paint this room that color or put this object there.

When applying the principles of decorating and feng shui, you need to exercise caution and show balance. Again, no hard and fast rules, no right and wrong answers, just some principles that you need to interpret for yourself.

Decorating and feng shui are also to do with science as well as art. There are facts behind de-cluttering, color and so on. Scientists know how tense people feel when their environment is cluttered. Color does actually affect our moods.

The shape of the bedroom is very important in feng shui. A rectangular or square room is the best. If your bedroom is oddly shaped, you can use a room divider to help it maintain a more rectangular shape.

Warm colors can promote feelings of relaxation and tranquility. Bold, bright colors can be a great pick-me-up and promote vitality. Soft colors can be calming whereas vibrant shades can make you feel in control and full of energy.

You should also avoid having any overhead beams above the bed or windows behind the headboard. Mirrors facing the bed also negatively affect the Chi of the area.

Additionally, Feng Shui Garden Landscape Design the entryway to ones home and to every room in your house also does much to set a mood or tone. When you apply principles of decorating and feng shui, be sure to think about this type of first impression.

Decide what your impression of the room's atmosphere is, and how you feel immediately upon looking at the room. If you apply these simple principles of decorating and feng shui, you can start experiencing the art and he science of this ancient practice, with highly beneficial results.

For more Feng Shui Tips please visit our website at www.fengshuiforbetterliving.com

Many factors play a role in deciding on the right covering for your window. The main reasons as to why you should fit window coverings are light control and privacy. Other factors include
life expectancy, durability, cleaning, formality,
safety, versatility, and the price.

The most difficult factor to control is light, with most window coverings falling into one of five categories:
1. Transparent - Clear, without obstruction
2. Translucent - Diffused light, which prevents the perception of distinct images
3. Filtered - Muted light in bright conditions
4. Semi-Opaque - Surfaces imprenetrable by light, yet it also allows some light through the gaps
5. Opaque - This is where all light is blocked

Privacy can be achieved with almost any type of window covering. The window treatment simply needs to be translucent or better to diffuse images. Frosted glass or glass block can even help to give adequate levels of privacy.

A window opening by nature is a harsh environment that is subject to direct sunlight, humidity, and temperature. Add these factors to frequent use and its simple to understand why windows coverings need to be constructed well. The life expectancy is usually less for fabric window treatment that can fade with time. Solid coverings, such as shutters, have a long life span.

Each and every window covering will collect dust and dirt. Fabric coverings are the most difficult to clean, and are subject to stains. The furniture quality window coverings will normally wipe clean with a light solution.

Some coverings will work well in formal settings, while others will work best in casual living settings. Alternate styles are versatile and blend in well with almost any style of room.

Small children in the home will usually come in contact with windows and their coverings. Some coverings will have cords to raise or lower for better visibility. Although they are handy to have, they can be dangerous if they come within reach of a child.

While there is a discrepancy in the costs of window coverings, it's very important to weigh the overall value involved. The term "value" is often overused, although when purchasing long term household items it is necessary to consider the return on the investment.

Window coverings on the low end of the price spectrum will usually have a short life expectancy and low durability. The higher priced coverings, such as shutters, are designed to last the lifetime of the home - all the while retaining the original character.

Shutters offer a hard window covering that is semi opaque when closed, although they provide great visibility when opened. The furniture quality wooden shutters can be either painted or stained in order to meet the needs of most decors. All shutters are extremely durable and offer a long life span.
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Interior decoration is big business nowadays. Decorating your house to your heart's content is not something restricted only to the elite few. Almost everybody wants his/her home to be that perfect place to come back to, after a hard day's work when decorating with interior light fixtures.

Even people with pretty restricted budget splurge on doing up their homes by adding exterior light fixtures to the exterior of their home. And the good news is that with enough intelligence and a little tact, creating a beautiful home doesn't always need a lot of money. If you are bored with your old décor and want to modernize it, or if you are someone who just wants to deck up a home in modern style then contemporary table lamps are just the right thing for you. They are extremely economical and will probably fit the bill even if you are on a modest budget. And once you have set up some contemporary lamps, you can see your home visibly take on a snazzier, more modern look.

Contemporary table lamps and contemporary light fixtures have various things going for them, which probably explains their tremendous popularity. They provide the perfect blend of modern lighting solutions with aesthetically pleasing designs. A great looking and working contemporary table lamp, as mentioned earlier can do wonders for your home. In fact, if you have the perfect lamp, it can serve as the center point in your room, around which you build your entire décor.

The best part about these lamps is their multi-functionality. They are not restricted only to your living room, but can fit into pretty much any room in your house. A contemporary table lamp can brighten up your night table, providing aesthetic pleasure as well as the functionality of a reading lamp. If you have a den, try placing a lamp there. The warm light is great for creating a cozy atmosphere.

Traditional lamps are all very well, but you can easily tell the contemporary ones apart by looking at the material they are made of. Usually, the materials can vary greatly ranging from chrome-brushed steel to glass shades which come in multiple colors. While choosing a contemporary lamp, your options are literally infinite. The market is inundated with attractive lamps in every conceivable shape and size, color and material.

One of the best parts about modern lamps is the cost. It is friendly to the modern budget and you do not end up burning a hole in your pocket. This is also largely due to the fact that there are numerous designers who come up with designer-inspired stuff, but at a much lesser price. In fact, if you are lucky, you can get yourself a great bargain by buying contemporary lamps for a mere pittance such as $80.

A new and more popular trend nowadays is favoring contemporary table lamps over older, functional ones. The newer lamps not only provide a better lighting, but can also be had for a fraction of the price. Besides, these lamps are also extremely pretty and exquisitely designed, providing that much needed elegant quality to a home décor.

So to conclude, while buying a contemporary table lamp might sound like a great way to beautify your home, it would best serve your purpose to shop around a bit taking into consideration various factors, like size, material, color, use, functionality etc. before making your final decision. Happy shopping!

Did you ever try to figure out what would be a perfect fireplace to accent our room only to fumble without a clear picture of what that might be? Do you need a few fireplace hearth ideas? If you answered yes to these questions, you've started reading the right article.

First and foremost, when it comes to flammable materials, you have to make sure that you get everything correct. You are going to be handling fire, so no matter what you might think is a good design. Your first challenge is figure a way to keep it from igniting, that it is up to code and inspected and that whether you get a contractor to put it in or do it yourself, that all the materials and building construction is good quality.

Fireplace hearth ideas abound, but stone is the first and obvious choice. Flag stones can be used, with irregular shapes that extend out into the room. Patterns and designs can adorn the stone, even cutting out the homeowner's country, state or county of birth carved out of the stone pieces. There is a wide variety of stones to choose from. A personal rock collection would also serve as a beautiful enhancement.

Another popular hearth idea is to use tiles that can be mixed and matched with patterns that form either an orderly or disorderly pattern depending on personal preferences. This is where you can exercise your creative touch and express your inner personality. Regardless of which path you choose, make sure the stone is good quality and the tiles that you choose are heat resistant with mortar that is heat resistant rather than the garden variety mastic. While a contractor will more than likely know this, you should double-check.

Metal has also been used, although a bit more rarely than stone or tile. If you are looking for something unique, this might be the way to go. You will create something that is the envy of guests and friends. There is a diverse selection of brushed or patterned stainless steel designs hammered out of aged copper and brass. You might even consider combining metal with tiles or use metal tiles, adding stone and metal tiles together. It's up to you. Remember, though, that metal conducts heat better than ceramic or stone, so you'll have to be careful about touching it.

Wood is an option, although further back and away from the fireplace opening to insure no accidental fires occur. While the wood can be part of the hearth, care should be taken that it isn't placed too close. These are just a few of the hearth ideas available. Check with your local building supply store for more.

Many people prefer homes with large rooms rather than small, cramped rooms. How do you create a cozy environment in these large rooms? Here are 10 tips that will help you make a large room cozy and welcoming.

Large rooms in a home give you more storage room and keep your home from feeling cramped and crowded. But what do you do with all of that space? The following tips will help you create an atmosphere that is warm and cozy in the largest of rooms.

Have more than one grouping of furniture. For example, in a large living room, you can have a comfortable grouping for watching TV and another grouping for conversation or playing games. In a large kitchen, you can have an area set up for preparing meals, an area set up for dining, and even a cozy little corner for relaxing and enjoying a cup of tea of coffee.

Use colors to your advantage. Light colors are used to make smaller rooms seem larger. So, it only makes sense that dark colors would make a large seem smaller. Bring the natural colors of autumn into your home to make larger spaces more inviting. Using darker colors on high ceilings can give them an illusion of being lower and minimizing the height.

Use a few pieces of oversized furniture in order to keep your rooms from appearing under-furnished. Many times you can find furniture that also functions as storage spaces. This will help to keep the room organized as well as make the room feel cozy.

Centrally located rooms, such as living rooms, can be used for more than one purpose. For example, if you have a large living room, you can divide the room into different areas that serve a different purpose - combine a home office, family room, and activity area into one room.

Use plants and accessories to fill some of the empty space and make the room more inviting. Purchase large plants rather than multiple smaller plants that can make the room seem cluttered.

Use large paintings and pictures on the walls rather than cluttering the walls with too many small pictures. Larger frames will give the dimensions of the wall a smoother look. Also use larger knick-knacks and other decorations in a large room. Filling the space with small knick-knacks will create a cluttered atmosphere rather than a neat, welcoming atmosphere.

Use patterns for furniture and wallpaper that is large-scaled and have rich colors. This will detract from the size of the room and put the focus on the details of the room instead.

Use area rugs to change the focus from the size of the room to the specific furniture groupings. If you have several groupings, an area rug in each grouping will place the focus on that specific grouping rather than the room as a whole. Consider a round area rug under that round table; a cozy shag area rug under the coffee table and an oriental area rug under the reading lounge.

Placing furniture away from the wall will help to use up some of the extra floor space and create a sense of coziness in a large room.

Large rooms give you the opportunity to use built-in furniture. For example, a built in entertainment center can be used to create a cozy area for watching TV, and built in bookshelves can create a cozy reading niche for the times when you would rather enjoy a relaxing read.

Having a home remodeling project can be as exciting as moving into a new house but there are many choices and decisions to be made; this is the stage many people get tied up on as they just have information overload and cannot make a choice on what they want. The next aspect of any remodeling, outside or inside is the expense related to those plans. The budget does control what gets done, whether the best materials are used and even those who will do the job so it is not a subject to be rushed.

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To this end, it is often easier for a professional contractor to budget for the work as he will now how to source the materials and how much they should cost. Once you have employed a contractor you will need to decide who is responsible for the supplies that are to be used and this needs to be set before any work is started.

Once you have this out of the way you may also want to let your neighbors know that you will be carrying out some remodeling work. Next, take your measurements carefully, and carry out plenty of research concerning the types of products available on the market to help you accomplish your remodeling goal. It is important if you are taking responsibility for the home remodeling materials that you have sufficient budget and a comprehensive list of everything the contractor will require.

There are those who like to carry out as much of the works as possible but will still employ the services of a contractor to consult and ensure the plans are sound. A general contractor negotiates a contract for the entire project, and either completes the specialized work with his own crew, or sub-contracts to other various house remodeling contractors. Alternatively you can hire services of a general contractor or even specialized contractors for your entire project or just certain aspects of it.

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The need for home remodeling is on the rise as many people like the neighborhood they live in and the affordability of their existing homes. Many home improvements are based on what's popular in a particular region or city so it is best to check to ensure what you are planning fits in well with what is happening elsewhere. The type of remodeling work you are considering will obviously depend on your circumstances and if you intend to stay, then area fashions will not be your major concern.

Although if you are looking carry out home improvements to raise the value of your home you will need to consider just what is being looked for in a property.

A common mistake homeowner's make is assuming that when they sell they will get back the money they invest in any improvements they have made to their home. Home remodeling should in theory increase the value of your home but it can also be a project where the whole family can get involved.

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‘Any color, as long as it is pink!’. That’s your cue for decorating a girl’s bedroom.  From soft baby pink to bold shocking pink and many shades between, you cannot go wrong with ubiquitous pink. Combine that with a sea of frills and lace; a touch of buttons and bows, and you have a room that any girl would love to call her own.
Sugar and spice and everything nice with large dollops of pretty pinks, lovely lavenders and peachy pastels; that’s what little girl’s rooms are made of. Soft airy curtains and a canopy bed would be just the things to complete this picture perfect room.  Stenciled butterflies, flowers and vines make the walls come alive in a rhapsody of colors. Though little girls absolutely adore pink, they also love pretty colors of every hue.

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There are many, many styles to choose from when decorating your home. Many styles are representative of different eras of North American history while other styles are representative of lands throughout the world.

With so many styles to choose from, finding the style that suits you may not be an easy task. If you find it hard to choose one certain style, don’t be afraid to combine several styles in order to create your own unique style that to represent your individuality. Here are a few more styles for you to choose from:

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One of the first decisions you will have to make before decorating your home is choosing the style. Together we will explore some of the many styles in which your home can be decorated and some of the colors and furnishings that make each style unique.

Style is something that is as unique as the individual that chooses the décor of a home. There are many decorating styles to choose from, some of which can be combined to create your own unique style. The following descriptions can help you to decide which style you choose for decorating your home:

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One of the nicest parts about decorating your rooms with country chic is that you can’t really go far wrong, no matter what style you choose. Your comfort and your taste are deciding factors and there aren’t too many rigid rules to break. Follow your heart when decorating your rooms with a country chic.
Rustic country style décor calls to mind a lifestyle is as close to nature as you can get. Though it is a little less tied together and little more rough-hewn than other decorative styles, it has a simple, natural, one-of-a-kind beauty all its own.

Neutral hues ranging from white and bone to greens, blues and other earth tones are the appropriate colors for country style home décor. Stenciling around windows and in areas where the ceiling meets the walls is frequently seen.

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