Make Your House Your Home ? How London Interior Design Companies Work With Lighting Part Ii: Natural Lighting Effects
Natural light is responsible for everything we see in the world around us. At interior design companies, light informs the designers’ perception of colour, it determines how we read, shape and texture, and it animates our surroundings with patterns of light and shadow. Yet despite its importance, light is often taken for granted – even by some of London’s better-known interior design companies. An increasingly urban lifestyle does not lend itself to making the most of daylight and often many of our waking hours are spent indoors in semi-darkness. Interior design companies are out to change this, and in this second article of my two-part series on “How Interior Design Companies Work with Lighting” I will reveal the secrets of natural light and its influence on design, drawing from my experience in London working with some of the capital’s most prestigious interior design companies.
By observing natural light, we can start to appreciate how light actually works. Interior design companies often talk of principles such as downlighting, where afternoon sunshine grazes a wall of illuminated foliage; backlighting, where a leaf is revealed in silhouette during a fresh London dawn; crosslighting, where the surface texture of brickwork or gnarled wood is emphasised; and spotlighting where a narrow shaft of light catches an object in its path, perhaps as a train turns a corner in a London Underground tunnel. Interior design companies rely on their experience in harnessing the ability of shadows to conceal. Some of the most adventurous clients demand special effects – I have seen interior design companies being asked to recreate the “drama of a rainbow as it paints a coloured arc across the sky.” Definitely not a straightforward project! Nonetheless, each light effect has its own character and contributes to a harmonious balance.
I once saw top professionals from a famous London interior design company actually sitting down with graph paper to chart the passage of the sun during a twenty-four hour period for a prestigious residential project. The client was a feng shui practitioner, and he had asked the interior design company to guarantee a positive orientation for his living spaces. After plotting out the sun’s pathway, the interior design company used CAD to project how the sun would appear during different seasons – taking into account how little daylight there can be during London winters. The result was breathtaking and a stunning example of how natural lighting can be used to “make a house a home.”
Interior Design London – Global Interior Design Consultancy Company in London, UK for interior design services.
Feng Shui In The Home – Is It The Right Style For You?
The use of feng shui in the home is the source of some debate for many would-be home decorators. Some people believe in its healing powers while others think it’s nothing more than the lastest hyped up fad.
However, if you are like most people and don’t have a strong opinion either way about this subject, then allow me to shed some light. Below is an explanation of what feng shui is and what it represents. But more importantly, you’ll be able to determine if it right for you and whether you should you use feng shui in the home.
Feng shui in the home can be a source of relief for some people and disbelief for others. Some home decorators swear that balancing the five elements (wood, water, fire, metal and earth) creates warmth and harmony.
One key aspect of this balancing act consists of using colors and shapes that represent the elements and rearranging furnishings to complete the effect. Other decorators, however, are more skeptical and see feng shui in the home as just hogwash. They don’t believe it is neccessarily to have all the blancing in place to create a beautiful room.
So, which side of the fence do you come down on? Does feng shui in the home have any appeal to you? If so, are you drawn to it because you feel that you need balance in your life? Or do you simply seek a new creative twist for decorating your home? Either way, feng shui may still be worth trying.
Feng shui stresses creating an enivironment of harmony in the home. By melding the five elements together in a productive and harmonious cycle, you just might enjoy their pleasing characteristics. Feng shui advocates say that, if your home is dominated by only one or two of the elements instead of having them all represented, the home’s level of “Chi” will be weakened. This, in turn, could result in problems for those living there.
So what do you think? Does this have any appeal to you? If not, no problem, but you could be missing out on something that could also be a lot of fun.
Whether you’re looking for spiritual counsel and view feng shui as a possible answer, or if you’re simply tired of the way your home looks now and desire a more flowing design, feng shui could help. Of course, some feng shui advocates believe that, if you are not seeking balance in your life, you should bypass feng shui decorating all together.
There’s certainly no reason to take that advice. While feng shui may not serve its original intent, it can still result in absolutely beautiful rooms. The rooms in your home can flow seamlessly and seem more uniformed, instead of looking like a messy garage with items and accessories all jumbled. The great thing about feng shui is that it can help bring a finished and polished look to rooms that seemed disorganized.
So, is feng shui the right style for you? It your choice, but I think it’s more than worthy of a try.
Michael Holland is the creator of Home Decorating Made Easy.com. His web sites offers lots of FREE decorating tips and ideas for decorating your home.
Boost Your Energy | Space Lift: Feng Shui Your Home Ep. 6
Elizabeth explains the invisible energy in everyone’s homes that is sucking you dry. Special thanks to Williams-Sonoma Home. Special thanks to Baker Furniture Los Angeles. Created by Erin Copen and Elizabeth Chamberlain, Directed by Sheri Hellard, Produced by Eliza Steel. Spacelift is a 60Frames original series. For more information, please visit us at www. 60frames. com.
Feng Shui Colors – Bring Serenity to Your Home
Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese art of placement, has been practiced by Chinese peoples for thousands of years, and now captures the minds of people from all corners of the earth. Homes, offices and businesses often apply feng shui colors to help them with the right design to help create health, balance, love and even attract wealthiness into the space or more pleasure in the bedroom! Colors for feng shui are a great way to add a harmonious touch to any decorating project. Here are some tips to help you get going.
How Feng Shui Colors Work
The Feng Shui system arranges the house into 8 regions, and says that putting the correct color elements in the proper place enhances the positive vibes of that area and bestows prosperity, long life and luck to those who live in that home. The effects that the Feng Shui colors have on your home and overall well-being are briefly outlined below:
Blue usually represents calm, meditation and peace; utilize this color in the knowledge area of your home for the maximum effects in your life. Green is related directly with life, longevity and hope. As the trees and gardens stands for life and prosperity, this color also gives the inhabitants of the house harmony and vitality.
Further down on the spectrum is red. Amongst all the colors for feng Shui, this color is the most influential color. The Chinese view Red as a very vibrant color, and in Feng Shui it symbolizes truth. If used well, it is said that it brings luck, power, glory and happiness. This will actually enhance the fame and good reputation of your home if applied correctly.
Like red, purple is affiliated generally with power, and also with the royal lifestyle and attitude. This color has the power to generate your wealth if used correctly, according to the Feng Shui colors guide. Pink, derived from red and white, is used for enhancing relationships and romance.
For children, look at white, one of the most important Feng Shui colors, which will bring you spiritual lucidity and moral purity. Black, on the other hand, is very crucial among the Feng Shui colors while not always thought of as lucky. It is usually balanced with other colors which result in the absorption of the negative energy, or chi, in that area. Used in the correct area, each of these Feng Shui colors has the ability to bring you luck and prosperity. Books are ready to help guide you in using Feng Shui principles. Using this Chinese Feng Shui system is a great way to bring spiritual elements, abundance and balance into your home.
For more information, check out the website Feng Shui Secrets or read the interesting articles at Feng Shui. Ron King is a web developer; visit his website Authoring Articles.
Copyright 2008 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact and the links live.
The Power of Feng Shui to Sell a Home
Feng Shui is a type of Chinese design that helps to bring positive energy to a home. The way in which you have things laid out can influence what type of feelings people entering the home are able to receive. Using the power of Feng Shui you will be able to sell your home in less time. This is because the decision to buy a home is also an emotional one.
The feelings that people have when they are in your home can determine whether they are interested in buying it or not. Chances are they have already decided they like the location, the size of it, and the price before they schedule a time to come see it or stop in for an open house.
To do this, you want to start with the outside of your home. That is the first thing people are going to see when they are coming to look at it. Have some fun making changes but you also need to be tuned into what is going on. Go to the end of your driveway and take a note of what you see. Write down how you feel about your home from that distance. Let the words flow and don’t criticize what you are writing down.
Adding some nice plants to your landscaping makes the home inviting. You don’t need to have very many of them to make a nice transformation. If you have an entry way, a table with some fresh flowers is a great way to bring positive energy into the home. One area that you want to offer a very relaxing look into is the bathroom. Here you should have things set up to show it as a room where a person can completely pamper themselves.
You also need to create positive energy in the bedroom and the kitchen. Why? The theory behind this Chinese method of decorating is that a person should feel confident that they can eat, sleep, and get clean with positive elements all around them. Perhaps this is why you feel great when you go to a certain hotel or stay with a particular friend but you don’t get the same types of feelings when you are at other locations.
Avoid having mirrors offered as soon as a person walks into your home. This is said to result in the positive energy being reflected back out of the home instead of into it. The entire concept of Feng Shui is quite fascinating. In fact, you may want to read books about it so you can decorate your new home according to the guidelines that it offers. The more you learn about Feng Shui the more you can get your home for sell ready using those techniques.
There are feng shui consultants out there too that you can hire to come do an assessment of your home. They will walk you through what changes need to be done and why. They can also help you with accomplishing them. The cost of hiring such a consultant varies by location. You may have to look around online to find someone in your area. It certainly won’t hurt to contact them to see what they have to offer.
The power of Feng Shui is something you can use to quickly sell your home. It is a way to get positive emotions running through a person. They may not even realize that you have things set up that way because many people aren’t familiar with this type of positive energy. What they will know though is that they love your home and that they feel very good when they are in it.
Instant Interiors is the best team of interior designers that re-invent your property for sale to motivate buyers, to pay a premium price. The professional home decorating company Sydney also providing excellent home decorating services and decorating furniture Sydney.
Seven Ideas for Starting a Home Business
Forget get-rich-quick programs. If you want to earn some extra money in your extra time, or if you are a stay-at-home mom, take a look at these ideas for starting a home based business. They require a very small investment (less than $100) to get started, and have been tested and proven prosperous by thousands of people.
1. Direct Sales
No matter what your interests and hobbies are, there is a company out there selling products for it. They are recognized as Direct Sale Companies. You earn money through person-to-person sales, retail, home parties or fundraising. Some companies will bestow you with a website for online sales.
The worst thing about this type of job is that is based solely on commission and you need to sell consistently in order to bring in a profit. The good part? Commissions are usually high (20-50%) and you can earn free merchandise as a reward for good sales.
To get started, you need to invest in a Starter Kit from the company, which usually includes sample products, brochures or catalogs, and all necessary forms and applications.
Some companies with a proven record of good sales are: Pampered Chef (sells cookware, kitchen gadgets, and seasonings; Starter Kit is $90), Petra Fashions (lingerie; Bronze Kit is $79; others available), Discovery Toys (educational toys, books, games, and software; Standard Kit, $99), Country Bunny Bath & Body (bath, body, and spa products; their Managing Services Program is $89), White Lily Candles (Choice Kit, $80; cheaper kits are available).
2. Sell Discount Healthcare Plans
Discount benefits plans can be medical only, or cover dental, vision, prescription, and sometimes chiropractic services. They are aimed to people without insurance that want to save money on medical assistance. This is a relatively new service, so there is little competition out there and a potential for great income.
Although you start with direct sales, you can also make money by persuading other brokers, which would earn a commission for you with every sale they make.
AmeriPlan is the top selling plan on the market. You pay $95 for the Basic Broker Kit and then $35 each month to continue as a broker. This includes a free coverage plan for you and all household members and a free website to promote your business. You earn a 30% commission on every enrollment.
3. Sell Crafts
If you are an artist of some kind, you already have the foundation for a new business. Ceramics and pottery are particularly saleable, but you can branch into anything you like, from wood ornaments to pressed flowers to scrapbooking.
Start small, attending craft or county fairs, flea markets, or renaissance fairs. Talk to other artists to see what sells and what doesn’t. If you form a friendship with another crafter, you can offer to share the expenses of a booth with him or her. In smaller fairs, you can buy your own table. Unless you think of participating only in fine art and juried shows, keep in mind that most crafts are impulse buys and they should be priced accordingly (usually under $50).
Other places to sell your crafts are consignment shops and farmers markets. Also check sampler, an online magazine that will advertise your crafts for a small commission on sales.
4. Private Tutor
If you are qualified in an academic subject, you could take up tutoring. Math and foreign languages are always in demand, but many other subjects work as well. You can also offer after-school assistance with homework or test preparation.
Another alternative is to teach an arts and crafts or any other specialty class at a local community center. After you’ve gained some experience, or if you are truly an expert, search for a Learning Annex and examine the possibilities of teaching a workshop or presenting a lecture.
There is little to no investment required to set up this business, unless you count some incidentals, such as office supplies and maybe some used books (visit library sales for this) on the subject you are considering to teach.
5. Cleaning Services
Begin by advertising in the service directory of your local newspaper and taking on small, general house cleaning jobs until you get used to the dynamics of it. Later on you can pursuit companies, building managers, office directors, etc. for large scale jobs, which offer the benefit of being more regular and can guarantee a fixed income.
Most jobs will provide you with their own cleaning supplies, so there is little investment required on your part aside from advertising expenses.
Although not mandatory in many cities, consider getting licensed. Not only it will provide some sort of insurance should something happen to you while at work, but it will also open doors to major companies that may be hesitant to hire you otherwise.
6. Consulting Services
A consultant is an expert in any subject who helps others make the best of an event or a situation. A prime example is the bridal consultant, who’s in charge of planning a wedding to the minimum detail. Other popular areas of consulting: Art, Image, Feng Shui, and Websites & Computers. Event Planners are also consultants with a different name; so are Life Coaches, a very popular and rewarding enterprise nowadays.
Find a niche you can fill. Although there are thousands of feng shui consultant, you can differentiate yourself by specializing in Feng Shui for busy people or Feng Shui for the newborn.
Start by picking a area you enjoy and learning as much as you can about it. Find an online class, attend workshops and lectures, or consider a professional degree if one is available on your field.
Build a portfolio. Offer your services for free to friends and family members in exchange for reference letters. Take a few representative photographs of the final product for your portfolio.
A good place to get started is The Association of Professional Consultants (CONSULTAPC).
7. Pet Services
Pet Sitting – Just as the name infers, it entails taking care of animals, usually when the owners go away on vacation. Many pet sitters take animals into their own homes (works only if you have the space and no pets of your own) or visit the animals twice daily. Do not limit yourself to dogs and cats. There is an ever increasing market for owners of birds, fish, and other small animals.
Dog Trainer – Dog trainers help with proper housetraining methods, teach animals to follow commands, and provide assistance with choosing the right type of breed for every individual. They can also handle common behavior problems (excessive barking, biting, etc.) and train animals for shows and competitions. The National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors (NADOI) offers assistance to potential dog trainers, as well as a certification exam. Check their website for more information.
Dog Walker – Although the primary responsibility is simply to take the animals out for a walk, many dog walkers do much more than that. To set yourself apart, you can learn to plan exercise routines for overweight pets, administer medications, or offer pet boarding as part of your service. Most dog walkers take several dogs at a time and charge by the hour; you can also offer the option of “private walking” and charge more.
Dog Groomer – Dog groomers are in charge of maintaining the overall appearance of the animal, including trimming and shampooing the coat, nail clipping, and brushing and combing. Many start working at pet shops or boarding kennels to gain experience before opening their own business. Mobile dog grooming is a flourishing business, which entails the groomer driving to the client’s house, usually in a van, which is equipped with all necessary tools for a complete grooming. For more information, check the NDGAA (National Dog Groomers Association of America) website.
Michael Warren is a successful internet marketer, and the owner of Newbie Web Marketing 101. He helps people promote their online business by offering his expertise in proven internet marketing strategies. Visit learn How to Market Your Business Over the Internet for more information.
3 Amazing Feng Shui Tips on How to Enhance Your Personal Romance Through Your Home
If there is one important place for you to feng shui your personal romance and love, that will be your home. Your home is the most important place to apply the principles of feng shui to enhance your personal romance and love. Romance in a relationship is the cord that makes the heart beat the strongest. Without it, love can weaken and even disappear. By applying feng shui correctly to your home and any other space, you can activate your personal love luck and give you happiness with your significant other. The following tips will teach you how to activate your romance luck and bring ever-lasting love into your life.
1. Hang A Fan With Peony Flowers In Your Bedroom
The “Moutan” flower of peony can be helpful to women who are keen to settle down. Hang a fan with peony flowers in your bedroom to vastly improve your chances of finding someone who is willing to settle down with you.
2. Energize The Southwest Corner Of Your Home
The Southwest corner of your home is the corner that governs the luck of love and romance. Natural crystals are especially effective for energizing the Southwest corner of your home. Place a crystal on the Southwest corner of your living room or bedroom to activate and enhance your romance luck.
3. Keep The Television Out Of Your Bedroom
Nothing kills romance like the drone of late night television. Keep the television out of your bedroom if you want to attract romance luck into your life.
Swanton Mah is a freelance feng shui consultant. Along with his love partner, Celeste Tanne, they own and operate 101FengShuiTips.com which offers feng shui cures and remedies. For more Feng Shui tips and guide on home living and arrangements and how to learn and apply Feng Shui yourself, go to => http://www.101fengshuitips.com
How The Chi Energy Of Feng Shui Can Improve Your Home And Life
The ancient art of Feng Shui is basically the practice of managing the energy in your environment. This energy is also known as “Chi”. Since everything in the universe is made up of Chi, the logic behind Feng Shui is that it is possible to arrange the objects in your environment to direct and control the flow of this energy.
Feng shui “experts” disagree on how literal you need to be when practicing the art, as well as how to interpret the five elements that comprise the Chi energy. But they do agree that the elements are fire, earth, wood, water and metal. Fire is the element that symbolizes passion. Earth creates patience and a relaxed environment. Wood is the symbol for creative thinking and innovation. It is also used to make you more popular and increase your circle of friends. Water symbolizes clear communications, whether verbal or through the written word. Metal symbolizes a successful career, including pay raises and promotions.
Today, most modern practitioners of Feng Shui tend toward symbolic interpretations. For instance, someone hoping to increase their wealth might bring into their house a small statue of the tortoise sitting on top of a pile of Feng Shui coins. Rather than thinking that the statue will magically and automatically deliver wealth, the practitioner will use the statute to remind herself to stay focused on building her professional skills and sticking to her budget. By focusing on those activities she can increase her income, decrease her expenses and increase her wealth. So the Feng Shui statue won’t make direct deposits to her bank account, but it will help her to focus and control her energy if she uses it properly.
Proper use of Feng Shui objects includes taking care of them and treating them with reverence and respect. Actually, this makes sense when you stop to think about it. In the example of the “money statue”, in order for it to be effective in helping the practitioner remember her goals, it has to be a positive reminder every time she sees it. So it would not be effective if she let the statue get dusty, piled things on top of it so that it could not be seen or otherwise neglected it.
Looking at Feng Shui in this light, it’s easy to see that there are a lot of modern applications for this ancient wisdom. People today are constantly looking for ways to decrease the chaos and stress in their lives, and to introduce peace and harmony into their environments. And that’s exactly what Feng Shui is designed to do. To find out more about this practice, go to => http://www.101fengshuitips.com.
Swanton Mah is a freelance feng shui consultant. Along with his love partner, Celeste Tanne, they own and operate 101FengShuiTips.com which offers feng shui cures and remedies. For more Feng Shui tips and guide on home living and arrangements and how to learn and apply Feng Shui yourself, go to => http://www.101fengshuitips.com
The Feng Shui Kit: The Chinese Way to Health, Wealth, and Happiness at Home and at Work
Product Description
Have you ever wondered why you feel at home in some places but not in others? Or why you feel uneasy in a room you have never set foot in before? The ancient Chinese art of feng shui – the art of perfect placement – holds the answers to these questions, and many more.
The Feng Shui Kit contains everything you need to benefit from this fascinating art. Find out how the flow of life-giving energy, or ch’i in and around your home and workplace could be affecting your health, wealth and personal happiness. Use the specially designed feng shui compass and ruler to discover your lucky and unlucky directions, forces and colors for every situation. And the pa kua mirror provided will deflect malign forces and spirits. The book contains full instructions and draws upon the wisdom of one of the few fully qualified feng shui masters living in the west, Man-Ho Kwok. Whether it is rearranging a bed or desk, or deciding upon the location of your new home, The Feng Shui Kit will help you feel in complete harmony with your surroundings.
The Feng Shui Kit: The Chinese Way to Health, Wealth, and Happiness at Home and at Work