Proyek Balai Pertemuan Bantuan Menpora Ambruk di Bali

Proyek Balai Pertemuan Bantuan Menpora Ambruk di Bali


Gianyar - Sebuah proyek wantilan atau balai pertemuan serba guna di Gianyar, Bali, ambruk sehingga mengakibatkan satu buruh bangunan sekarat. Proyek ini merupakan bantuan dari Kemenpora melalui anggota DPR Wayan Koster.

Bangunan ini ambruk karena diduga tidak memenuhi standar kualitas. Wantilan di Banjar Perasada, Desa Pering, Blahbatuh, Kabupaten Gianyar yang dalam proses pengerjaan tiba-tiba ambruk pukul 11.00 Wita, Kamis (17/2/2011).

Atap bangunan yang terbuat dari tiang beton, kayu, dan genteng ini ambruk rata dengan tanah. Hanya tersisa beberapa tiang pancang yang masih berdiri.

Ambruknya wantilan ini menimpa enam buruh bangunan. Satu korban, Abdul Gafur yang saat kejadian masih berada di atap, tertimpa reruntuhan atap. Ia pun menderita cedera kepala berat. Gafur sempat dirawat di RSUD Sanjiwani, lantas dirujuk ke RSUP Sanglah karena luka kepalanya sangat serius.

Sedangkan lima korban lainnya, diantaranya Totok, Arif, dan Adi hanya menderita luka ringan. Mereka sudah diizinkan meninggalkan rumah sakit.

Kepala Desa Pering, Ketut Sudiartana menduga bangunan yang baru dikerjakan sekitar dua bulan ini ambruk karena kualitas bahan bangunannya buruk. Bangunan ini sudah mencapai tahap penyelesaian atap. Kerangka dan pondasi bangunan terbuat dari beton.

Bangunan wantilan ini disebutkan merupakan bantuan dari Kemenpora senilai Rp 700 juta. "Bantuan ini dari Kemenpora yang disampaikan oleh anggota DPR RI Wayan Koster," kata Sudiartana.

Proyek tersebut kemudian ditenderkan. Masyarakat pun tak pernah mengetahui riwayat proyek tersebut.

"Tiba-tiba sudah ada proyek wantilan ini. Warga dan aparat desa tidak tahu sehingga tidak ikut terlibat dalam pembangunan wantilan ini," kata Sudiartana.

(gds/fay)



sumber : detik

Hotel Tertinggi Dengan Sentuhan Armani

Hotel Tertinggi Dengan Sentuhan Armani
Armani Hotel Dubai - Takaran orang sukses sekarang bukan hanya punya rumah mewah, kapal pesiar, atau pulau. Buat hotel sendiri seperti Giorgio Armani.

armaniNama Armani lebih kondang sebagai label busana papan atas. Tapi ia tidak mau berhenti berkarya. Menyusul perancang lain yang lebih dulu melebarkan sayap membangun hotel seperti Missoni, Krizia, Moschino, dan Bvlgari, Giorgio Armani membangun hotel bintang lima di lokasi prestisius, Burj Khalifa, Dubai, yang diklaim sebagai gedung tertinggi di dunia.

Hotel Armani menempati lantai 38 dan 39 dari 160 lantai yang ada di Burj Khalifa. Tidak seperti koleksi busananya yang muncul sekali-kali dalam fashion week, setiap sudut hotel yang dirancang sendiri oleh Giorgio Armani siap memamerkan sentuhan sang maestro setiap saat. Tengok saja Armani Prive VIP Lounge, yang namanya diambil dari koleksi couture Armani.

The Armani Hotel Dubai jumawa masalah fasilitas. Ia tidak menawarkan dua atau tiga restoran, tapi delapan restoran yang membawa koki terbaik dari seluruh dunia, mulai dari masakan Italia, India, Jepang, dan Mediterania.

Suatu saat di Dubai, nikmati sejenak sentuhan Armani dalam akomodasi Anda. (Teks dan Foto : Daily Mail)



sumber : astaga

Sang Arsitek Untuk Sirkuit AS

Sang Arsitek Untuk Sirkuit AS

Ketika diputuskan akan diselenggarakan balapan di Amerika Serikat (AS) untuk musim 2012 di Austin Texas, pihak promotor langsung menunjuk arsitek terkenal Hermann Tilke untuk mendesain sirkuit.

Pihak promotor Full Throttle Production mempercayai Tilke untuk mendesain sirkuit dengan kualitas yang bagus dan cocok untuk balapan.

Herman Tilke adalah arsitek asal Jerman yang keahliannya dalam mendesain sirkuit Formula One (F1) sudah tidak diragukan lagi. Salah satu karyanya adalah sirkuit di Bahrain, Istanbul (Turki), Singapura, Sepang, Abu Dhabi dan masih banyak lagi di beberapa negara.

Pihak promotor mengaku belum siap untuk memberitahukan lokasi sirkuit kepada publik. Namun hanya memberikan sedikit bocoran bahwa rancangan sirkuit hasil sang desainer handal itu sangat memuaskan.

“Trek akan menjadi bangunan yang permanen dengan fasilitas kualitas dunia. Penggemar dapat menikmati hasil keahlian Tilke yang terkenal dengan desain tempat yang prioritas di bangunan yang hijau dan trek yang sangat bagus buat balapan,” ujar pihak promotor dikutip Autosport Kamis (27/5/2010).
Manajer pihak promotor Tavo Hellmund mengakui waktu yang diberikan untuk membenahi sirkuit hingga tahun 2012 sangat sempit tapi tidak membuatnya cemas dan akan berusaha untuk tepat waktu.okezone

Tips Membeli Batuan Alam

Tips Membeli Batuan Alam


Ada beragam material dapat dipakai untuk melapisi dinding. Batu Alam salah satunya. Aksen dekoratif yang indah dapat tersaji jika kita cermat dalam memilih Batu Alam dan memasangnya.Batu alam membuat tampilan ruangan jadi alami. Bentuk, tekstur, dan motifnya mampu membuat suasana ruang berubah sejuk alami.Dalam pemasangan Jenis Batu Alam & Jenis Batuan Alam, batu alam dapat menghasilkan beragam pola dan tampilan. Batu alam dapat dipasang dengan pola seperti batu bata dinding, kotak-kotak bujur sangkar, dan susun sirih. Selain juga pemasangan Jenis Batu Alam & Jenis Batuan Alam maju mundur. Pilihan pola ini dapat disesuaikan dengan keinginan atau sesuai dengan karakter batu yang dipakai.Batu candiBatu ini berupa lempengan. Mudah menyerap air karena berpori besar.

Teksturnya kasar. Apabila terkena air, warna batu lebih kelam. Biasanya semakin hitam. Ukuran yang tersedia: 10cmx20cm, 15cmx30cm, dan 20cmx20cm. Tersedia pula ukuran lebih besar, berkisar antara 20cmx30cm, 20cmx40cm, dan 40cmx40cm, carilah jenis batu di Jual Batuan.Umumnya batu candi digunakan pada eksterior. Misalnya di teras, selasar, dan pagar. Namun tak tertutup kemungkinkan, batu candi dipakai pada interior. Biasanya hanya hanya sebatas pemanis ruangan.Batu parasMaterial Alam Beda dengan batu candi, batu paras memiliki tekstur lebih halus.

Proses pembuatannya dibantu mesin penghasul. Warna pun lebih terang. Ada yang kuning, hijau, cokelat, dan putih. Ukuran yang umum diperjualbelikan adalah 10cmx10cm sampai 20cmx40cm.Batuan Alam ini cocok di segala ruang, eksterior maupun interior. Sebagai aksen dinding atau lantai. Namun jika aplikasi batu paras di ruang eksterior perlu proses coating. Tingkat porositasnya yang tinggi membuat batu ini mudah lembap dan ditumbuhi lumut.

Hal penting yang perlu diketahui saat pemasangan Batuan Alam, gunakan adukan semen yang lembek agar batu dapat terikat kuat pada dinding.Batu kaliBongkahan menjadi ciri utama batu kali. Batu ini biasa digunakan untuk fondasi rumah. Meski begitu, tersedia juga batu kali lempengan. Bentuk dan ukurannya biasanya tidak teratur. Lempengan batu ini biasa dipakai untuk lapisan dinding ataupun lantai.Bentuk dan ukuran yang tidak beraturan jelas membuat proses pemasangan agak sedikit ribet. Butuh tukang ahli supaya hasil rapi disini anda dapat menemukan batu alam Jual Batu Alam & Jual Batuan Alam.Batu andesitMaterial Alam Batu ini paling keras di antara batu alam yang umum dipakai. Tingkat porositasnya paling kecil, karena berpori rapat. Warnanya gelap. Ukuran yang tersedia mulai 5cmx20cm, sampai 20cmx40cm, dengan ketebalan 3-4cm.Seperti halnya batu paras, penggunaan batu ini cocok di segala ruang. Pola yang banyak digunakan adalah susun bata. Pola ini menjadikan struktur pelapis dinding ini kuat karena saling mengikat temukan batu di Jual Batu.

Natural dengan Batu Alam

Natural dengan Batu Alam

Selain menyisakan ruang untuk ditanami rumput atau tanaman lainnya, ada hal lain yang bisa membuat rumah kita memiliki kesan “kembali ke alam” (back to nature), yaitu dengan menggunakan batu alam.

Dulu, penggunaan batu alam pada rumah hanya sebatas untuk mempercantik elemen bangunan luar rumah saja, seperti pagar, garasi, pilar atau taman. Namun, seiring berkembangnya pola hidup masyarakat yang lebih back to nature, batuan alam kini menjadi salah satu elemen menarik untuk ditempatkan di area dalam rumah.

Tidak hanya memberikan nuansa alami, jenis batu alam juga dapat menimbulkan suasana lebih sejuk di dalam rumah. Anda pun bisa lebih santai dan relax bersama keluarga tercinta.

Sama halnya dengan area luar rumah, untuk menciptakan kesan alami di dalam rumah, Anda bisa memilih sendiri penempatan batuan alam yang sesuai dengan interior rumah Anda.

Untuk menggunakan batu alam pada lantai, pilihlah jenis-jenis batuan alam yang permukaannya halus dan teksturnya tidak tajam, seperti batu andesit, batu candi, marmer atau batu paras. Hal ini dimaksudkan agar tidak melukai kaki ketika diinjak. Sedangkan untuk dinding, Anda bisa memilih jenis batuan alam yang sama dengan batu alam untuk lantai, atau yang permukaannya lebih kasar dan tidak rata, seperti batu kali.

Batu Andesit adalah batu yang sangat fleksibel, bisa ditempatkan di lantai maupun dinding. Karena selain kuat, jenis batuan alam andesit juga tahan lumut. Andesit memiliki warna yang beragam, seperti andesit Cirebon yang memiliki warna abu-abu gelap dan terang, motifnya ada yang berbintik-bintik serta polos. Lalu andesit Tulungagung yang memiliki tiga warna, yaitu hitam, abu-abu dan hijau. Serta andesit Pemalang yang punya ciri khas warna abu-abu kecoklatan.

Batu untuk lantai yang lain adalah batu candi. Sepintas, batu Candi mirip dengan andesit. Namun, warnanya hitam dan memiliki pori-pori yang cukup banyak. Sementara untuk marmer, Anda bisa memilih marmer berdasarkan nama daerah di mana jenis material batu tersebut berasal, seperti marmer Tulungagung, Bandung dan lain sebagainya. (untuk keterangan lebih lengkap, baca artikel Marmer dan Jenisnya).

Untuk batu Paras, Anda bisa memilih salah satu diantara 2 jenis batu alam yang umumnya ada di pasaran, yaitu batu paras Yogya dan Bali (Pawon). Batu paras Yogya memiliki warna dasar putih bersih dan krem. Aneka batu Paras Bali atau batu pawon memiliki warna dasar abu-abu dengan garis-garis kuning dan coklat di permukaannya. Jenis batu paras putih (Yogya) memiliki kepadatan yang baik sehingga paling kuat dibandingkan jenis lainnya yang tidak terlalu padat.

Jenis atu alam untuk dinding, yaitu batu kali, memiliki ciri fisik yang agak berbeda dari batu alam untuk lantai. Batu kali berbentuk bongkahan dan ukurannya tidak teratur. Biasanya batu ini digunakan untuk pondasi rumah, namun untuk pemasangan pada dinding, Anda bisa memakai yang berbentuk lempengan.

www.solusibangunanmu.com

Batu Alam Untuk Material Bangunan

Batu Alam Untuk Material Bangunan


PEMANFAATAN batu alam dari panjual batu untuk mempercantik elemen bangunan masih menjadi tren di kalangan masyarakat. Aneka batu alam dari penjual batuan tersebut biasa digunakan sebagai material bangunan untuk dinding yang diletakkan di area carport, teras, pilar, taman, hingga kamar mandi.

Material alam bangunan dari penjual material yang sedang "naik daun" ini berhubungan dengan pola hidup masyarakat yang back to nature, baik makanan, obat-obatan hingga tempat tinggal. Secara spesifik tujuan pemakaian batuan alam dari penjual batu alam adalah agar tampilan bangunan tidak monoton, kaku dan masif. Selain itu, pemilihan jenis batuan alam dari penjual batuan alam sebagai elemen bangunan dapat menyeimbangkan komposisi suatu bangunan secara menyeluruh.

Mengenai hal itu, Imam Rasyidi, kontraktor dari PT Rumah Idaman Indonesia (RII) menjelaskan cara pandangnya. "Pengaplikasian jenis batu alam dari penjual batu di rumah dapat memberi kesan rumah bervariatif dan tidak perlu mengecat terus menerus. Selain itu, jenis batuan alam dari penjual batuan dapat membuat tampilan hunian terasa tidak monoton," kata Imam saat dihubungi okezone melalui telepon genggamnya, Selasa (27/5/2008).

Namun untuk mengaplikasikan jenis material batu alam dari penjual material perlu mengetahui ragam dan fungsi dari seluruh jenis batu alam yang ada di penjual batu alam. Hal ini diperlukan guna meminimalisir kesalahan dalam pengaplikasian batu alam. Sehingga aneka batu batu alam dari penjual batuan alam yang lebih cocok digunakan untuk interior tidak akan digunakan untuk eksterior. Terutama perlu menyelaraskan dengan gaya rumah yang digunakan untuk membuat penampilan jenis batu alam terlihat dinamis. "Jenis batuan alam untuk interior sebetulnya batuan alam yang tidak banyak berlumut, sedangkan untuk eksterior sebaiknya dipilih material alam yang lebih kuat, karena ada jenis material alam yang tidak kuat digunakan di luar rumah. Selain itu, jenis batu alam yang digunakan pun harus dipilih sesuai langgam bangunannya," tutur lulusan Universitas Indonesia itu.

Ditambahkan oleh pria yang pernah menjadi staf pengajar di almamaternya itu, jenis batuan alam yang merupakan batu dari alam itu diambil dan diolah sedemikian rupa untuk berbagai macam keperluan dan dan aktivitas. Jenisnya yang beragam membuat manusia berusaha mengolahnya menjadi berbagai macam bentuk dan fungsi. "Seiring dengan perkembangan zaman, maka terdapat beberapa jenis batu alam yang dapat dipilih yaitu mulai dari batu candi, batu paras Yogya, batu granit hingga andesit," jelas pria yang dulu bekerja di pasar modal itu.

Adapun pola pemasangan batu alam itu sendiri, menurut Imam, harus disesuaikan dengan jenis batu alamnya yang bermacam-macam. Dalam proses pemasangannya pun memiliki tingkat kesulitan yang berbeda. Pola pemasangannya sangat menentukan penampilan batu alam.

Tidak semua batu alam dapat dipasang dengan pola yang sama, hal ini disebabkan oleh sifat fisik dan tekstur batu alam yang berbeda-beda. Mulai dari berbagai macam bentuk finishing hingga batu alam andesit yang menjadi favorit hingga bentuk mosaic batu alam yang eksotis. "Pola pemasangan batu alam tergantung pada kreativitas arsiteknya. Ada yang ingin mengaplikasikan batu alam dengan pola penyusunan sederhana tanpa banyak ukiran, ada yang mengombinasikan ukiran dengan pola-pola tertentu," pungkasnya. (nsa)

http://lifestyle.okezone.com/

Memasang Material Alam

Memasang Material Alam


Memasang batu alam tak jauh berbeda dengan memasang keramik. Namun, tentu saja ada beberapa hal yang berbeda. Berikut tips memasang Jenis Batu Alam & Jenis Batuan Alam :

1. Sebelum dipasang, sebaiknya Batu Alam direndam dalam air. Sebab batu alam memiliki pori-pori yang besar sehingga bila ditempel langsung biasanya mudah lepas(jenis jenis batuan alam ini dapat anda temukan pada Material Alam, Jenis Material & Jual Material.

2. Bila akan dipasang pada dinding, kupas acak permukaan dinding agar batu alam akan lebih kuat menempel pada dinding, sebaiknya anda mencari Material Alam, Jenis Material & Jual Material pada toko yang bener - benar sudah profesional.

3. Gunakanlah semen khusus atau semen instan agar Jenis Batu & Jenis Batuan alam lebih kuat menempel, untuk mendapatkan batuan alam yang berkualitas sebaiknya anda membeli di Toko Jual Batu, Jual Batuan, Jual Batu Alam & Jual Batuan Alam yang sudah berpengalaman,

4. Batu alam memiliki presisi yang tidak terlalu pas. Penyimpangan ukuran pada batu alam bisa mencapai 5 mm atau bahkan 1 cm. Kalau sudah begini, hasilnya bisa dipastikan tidak akan rapi. Karena itu perhatikan benar presisi batu pada saat membeli, dan gunakan tukang yang sudah berpengalaman dalam pemasang batu alam

5. Batu Alam relatif berat karenanya Anda membutuhkan semen yang lebih banyak, mutu pasir yang baik dan air yang bersih sebagai 'lem' penempel. Makin rendah mutu adukan, makin mudah batu tersebut lepas (Anda mau batu alam berkualitas dan murah coba anda cek disini Jual Batu, Jual Batuan, Jual Batu Alam & Jual Batuan Alam). Pastikan pula adukan semen diaplikasikan secara merata pada permukaan batu Batuan Alam yang akan ditempel jangan hanya bagian tengahnya

6. Jangan membiarkan bekas semen di permukaan Jenis Batu Alam & Jenis Batuan Alam sampai kering. Batu Batuan Alam memiliki sifat porous (menghisap air) sehingga apabila semen didiamkan di permukaan batu sampai kering, maka akan sangat sulit dihilangkan

7. Setelah pemasangan, sikat permukaan Jenis Batu & Jenis Batuan dan keringkan. Lalu lapisi dengan cairan coating. Apabila sering terkena air permukaan batu akan anti jamur dan lumut serta mengkilat sampai setengah tahun. Jika selalu kering tentunya akan tahan lebih lama lagi.


Sumber: Republika Online

Weekend Project Home Design Software $39.99!

Sometimes, okay basically every time, you remodel your house whether it is a big or small project, comes stress. Well now thanks to interior designer Kristan Cunningham, as seen on HGTV and The Rachel Ray Show, there is a computer program to make projects a little easier.

Weekend Project is a computer program that is designed to help you get started and finished quickly with your project. Kristan Cunnigham offers tips and more in-depth how-to articles from other professionals. Just load the software on any Windows XP and higher computer and you are good to go. There are even pre-defined projects such as: Adding a new sink to your bathroom, Updating your kitchen appliances with the help of an extensive object library, Check out a new paint color for your room with a click of the mouse, Use PhotoView to check out a new landscape design, and Add new lighting and turn on those lights to see the end result.

I know I am a visual person and for the $39.99 this home design software program seems definitely worth it. Right now, I am actually struggling with picking colors for our rooms so I am really considering this program. We also want to update one of our bathrooms and this would be a nice way for me and my husband to agree on a design.

Drum Lamp Shade - What is it?

By Jim Hoyle

The answer to that question use to be very simple. But today, we are stretching the definition. Traditionally these lamp shades are similar to a cylinder with fairly straight sides. Just think of an oil barrel!

However, today drum lamp shades take on many variations of form and design. You will find modified versions which have a relatively narrower top diameter. There are bell shape versions with graceful curving sides. There are V shaped notch designs in the top and/or bottom rims. There are shallow shades which are short and stocky in appearance, also called Bouillotte lamp shades.

Drum lamp shades are very functional because they not only diffuse light outward through the shade fabric, they also reflect light downward and upward where it can diffuse of the ceiling.

Generally, these lamp shades are relatively larger compared to others which allows the usage of larger wattage bulbs and therefore more light output.

Drum lamp shades were extremely popular from the early 20th century up through the 1980's when they fell out of favor. Today they are becoming extremely popular and they are "new again". Nearly all home design magazines are filled with drum shades. You will see them being used throughout all rooms of the house.

Although there are plenty of options, here are some lamps that simply "cry out" for drum shades:

Hollywood Regency Lamps

Stiffel Lamps and Lamps With The Stiffel Look

Antique Ornate Metal Lamps

Antique Crystal Lamps

Antique Porcelain Lamps

Antique Capodimonte Lamps

George and Martha Washington Lamps

Antique Lamps Circa 1950 - 1980

New Reproduction Lamps of all styles listed above and many others

In summary, most lamp styles can be used with a drum lamp shade. It depends a lot on personal preference and the look you wish to achieve with the lamp.

Good luck on your next lamp shade project.

Torchere Glass Lamp Shade Replacement Types

By Jim Hoyle

There is hardly any more confusion in the lighting industry than how to select a replacement glass shade for a torchiere lamp.

First let us define a torchiere lamp. A torchiere lamp is any table or floor lamp whose light is directed upward by means of a glass, metal, stone, plastic or other type of reflector. These lamps take many forms and are made of many materials but most commonly made as floor lamps.

The word "Torchiere" is derived from the French word "Torche" torch.

These popular lamps provide excellent area lighting because they bounce light off the ceiling and diffuse it throughout a large area of the room.

There are four (4) basic types of torchiere glass.

1) Dish type torchiere glass (most common) is a dish or bowl shape glass shade with a 1 5/8" wide center hole that simply slips down over the electrical socket and rests upon a metal or plastic holder. There is a threaded ring which screws down over the electrical socket to hold the glass in place. This type torchiere glass is usually frosted white, beige or plain white.

2) Reflector waffle pattern opal white torchiere glass is a cone shape glass shade available in two (2) common sizes: 2.75" fitter that is 10" wide and the other is a 2.25" fitter that is 8" wide. This torchiere glass usually has a waffle type pattern pressed into the surface of the glass although there are some with no pattern in the glass. These torchiere glass shades were very popular in the 1920's and 1930's and were found on many 6 way floor lamps that had 3 arm lights plus a center light. They are also available on some modern lamps as well as some floor lamps without arms. Many of these lamps are designed for a fabric lamp shade to rest upon the reflector glass. This arrangement not only provides excellent area lighting but also excellent reading light.

3) Long neck torchiere glass is a larger glass, usually around 13-16" wide with a long neck that fits down inside a 2.75 - 3"" wide holder. This glass shade has the appearance of a very wide funnel with neck. These are the most expensive type of torchiere glass shades.

4) Stiffel replacement torchiere glass is made specifically to fit lamps from this lamp maker.

If you need further help selecting the correct torchiere glass for your lamp, be sure to contact a professional full service lamp company with lots of experience with torchiere lamps.

Good luck on all your lighting projects.

Best Regards - Jim Hoyle

Biography: Since 1979 Jim Hoyle has owned and operated Lamp & Home Outlet - North Carolina's Most Exclusive Unique Lamps and Lamp Shades. Jim designs and manufactures fine cast metal table lamps and floor lamps and collects, sells, repairs, restores and appraises antique lamps from special acquisitions and estates worldwide. His company also specializes in lamp and home decor factory buyouts and warehouse closings.

George and Martha Washington Lamps - A History

By Jim Hoyle

Sorry, but these lamps really have little to do with George and Martha Washington except for their fashion of clothing and dress.

Most George and Martha Washington lamps were made of porcelain circa 1940. They were commonly made with real 22 K gold trim. Try as much as you like but you can never duplicate the gold color trim used in these beautiful porcelain lamps unless you use real gold.

Although commonly called George and Martha Washington lamps, the decorative figures adorning these porcelain lamps actually represent wealthy members of the court of French King Louis XV around 1765.

The decorative figures are usually in various states of romance, picnics,dancing, poetry, singing, etc. The original paintings on many of these lamps were originally from the French artist Jean- Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806). Fragonard was well known for his very lewd and hedonistic art that was highly sought after by wealthy art patrons of Louis XV's morally loose and fun loving court. George and Martha lamp decorations represent Fragonard's much more reserved paintings.

George and Martha Washington lamps are no longer being produced and the value of these vintage lamps continue to rise.

George Washington lived from 1732- 1799 so he was alive when the original designs were created for these beautiful lamps in France.

In 1775, the Continental Congress appointed Washington commander-in-chief of the American revolutionary forces. He was later elected president in 1789 but George and Martha Washington had nothing to do with these lamps except they both had a similar fashion of dressing which was also common in France during that period.

- Jim Hoyle

How To Turn Your Guest Room Into A Tuscan Retreat

By Lee Dobbins

Your guest room is a place to make your guests feel welcome and what better way then to add some sunny and warm Tuscan decor!

Regardless of your budget you can get the look of Tuscany in your guest room by making a few changes such as wallpapering and coordinating your bedding and pillows to give the room a look of old Italy. A budget remake can encompass simple changes to accessories while a top notch remodel can include alterations to lighting fixtures, flooring, wall coverings and decorative accessories as well as new bed and bureaus.

Great lighting is a must in most rooms and the guest room is no exception. To enhance your Tuscan home décor theme, you might want to keep in mind the style of light fixtures as well as the type of light. Most guest rooms can make good use of night stand lamps in addition to overhead lighting. When you are decorating with a Tuscan style, try installing rustic ceiling fixtures with alabaster wall sconces and avoid any lighting that is too modern or shiny like chrome or stainless steel.

The flooring can make a big difference, but if it costs too much for new floors for your guest room then work with what you have by covering them with area rugs that have a Tuscan look. If new floors are in your budget, consider using aged hardwood floors or Italian tile or marble.

Decorative items are vital to pulling your Tuscan home décor design together. You can even totally alter the appearance of your room by simply changing the accessories! Concentrate on choosing bedding, pillows and artwork, in colors that compliment your Tuscan design. You'll be amazed at how easy and inexpensive it is, and what a huge difference these changes make! Make sure to incorporate plenty of antiques in conjunction with majolica pottery which can be purchased either new or old. You could even try some country wooden items mixed in with a few shabby chic crystal accessories with drippy prisms to get a professional look for your guest room. Extra touches like lots of silk flowers and plants can help give your room a picture perfect designer appeal.

One thing to keep in mind when decorating your guest room with a Tuscan home décor theme is your wall color. For this design style the colors are important - consider using golden mustard yellow and earthtones as a paint color. Try using a faux plaster with an aged patina on the walls, or use faux painted walls that look antique and resemble old cracked plaster. You don't have to get too fancy or spend a lot of money and if you are afraid of too much color, simply paint the walls a neutral shade and play up the color with accents.

It's not necessary to have a coordinating bed, bureau, and side table but the guest room should have plenty of antique or reproduction furniture. To really compliment the Tuscan theme, bring in furniture that has a hand painted or antique finish.

What you put on your windows can enhance your Tuscan home décor theme. There are a variety of window treatments that go great with this style, particularly if you use coordinating fabrics, but be sure to avoid anything too cutsey or frilly. To get a nice look in your guest room you should try using panel drapes or sheers.

One vital area that is frequently overlooked when decorating your room is the wall space. Any wall can look wonderful with great accessories and wall art. Try adding antique paintings or perhaps a wall mural of a Tuscan country side to your guest room walls to enhance the warmth of your Tuscan decorating style. An interesting addition could be a mural of a small vignette or nook with an Italian flair.

Achieving a great Tuscan look in your guest room doesn’t have to be difficult if you pay attention to detail and match your accessories and furniture. You may find that you’ve done such a great job with your Tuscan home décor that your guests don’t want to leave!

How To Add French Country Style To Your Kitchen

By Lee Dobbins

You don’t have to be a decorator to get a add a bit of French country style home décor to your kitchen. Little changes like adding stencils to the walls and coordinating your tablecloths and dishware can do wonders to make your kitchen seem like an old French country Inn.

You don’t have to go out and buy all new furniture, but for a great French country look, you should have some antique looking painted pieces. Anything with hand painted stenciling or chippy or aged paint will do. If your cabinets are tired, try repainting them with a worn look as this can be much less costly than buying new ones and will do wonders for the room.

Decorative accessories are vital to pulling your French country style home décor design theme together. You can totally change the appearance of your room by simply replacing the accessories! Concentrate on getting tablecloths, dishware and canisters, in colors and patterns that match your French country look. It's amazing the difference a few alterations can make! You should to add in a variety of wooden bowls in addition to chippy painted items and you can even try some scrolly decorative flea market finds as well as vintage fabrics which you can use as curtains, on the tables or hang from your cabinet and stove handles.

Lighting is key in any kitchen and your French country kitchen is no exception. When considering lighting in a kitchen, you must provide good overhead lighting as well as task lighting. If you are decorating with a French country design style, try installing a painted or crystal chandelier with crystal lamps or scones and be sure to avoid anything that is too modern with straight lines.

How you dress your windows also effects your French country style home décor look. There are multiple window coverings that go with this design, particularly if you match other fabrics or colors in the room, but you should avoid heavy contemporary fabrics. Try using a nice toile print curtain, or sheers with a great distressed paint wooden valance.

Painting your walls can be one of the biggest and least expensive changes in your French country style home décor decorating project. For this look the room colors make a big difference - you should think about using either light yellow or pale blue either in your wall color or your accessories. Try using a light colored paint with crown moldings on the walls, or if you want something different go with stenciling.

After you paint the walls - don’t forget to decorate them! Try using country style paintings with a French flair or interesting old kitchen utensils that you can hang on groupings on the wall. Buy interesting old plates and tureen covers at flea markets and yard sales and use fancy hangers or silk ribbon to hang those on the walls for an interesting effect.

Getting a great French country look in your kitchen can be as simple as just buying new decorative accessories or as involved as replacing everything. Either way, working on the details and making sure to match your furniture and decorative accessories will help you pull off a great new French country style home décor look that you can be proud of!

Lee Dobbins writes for A Kitchen Decorating Idea where you can get more great kitchen decorating ideas.

How To Create A Spicy Mexican Kitchen

By Lee Dobbins

Show your family that spice isn’t just for cooking by decorating your kitchen with Mexican home decor!

Even if you’ve never decorated before you can get a great Mexican look in your kitchen by changing minor accessories such as tablecloths and dishware and adding some colorful paint to the walls. A good remodel can include alterations to flooring, lighting fixtures, decorative items and wall color as well as your kitchen table and chairs.

It's not critical to have a matching table and chair set but the kitchen should have a variety of bright colored or rustic furniture. To really showcase the Mexican design style, try using items with a painted distressed finish.

Your window treatments are important to your Mexican home décor design. To get a great design in your kitchen go with using a simple valance or shutters or a wooden valance painted with distressed paint. There are numerous treatments that you can match up to this decorating style especially if you match fabrics to your window treatments, but you should take care to avoid heavy drapes or modernistic looking treatments.

Decorative accessories are a must to pulling your Mexican home décor look together. Even if you can't do anything else - you can get a new look by adding different decorative items! Concentrate on buying tablecloths, dishware and canisters, in colors and patterns that match your Mexican design style. You won't believe the impact a few simple changes can make! You should to include lots of old rustic pieces in addition to wrought iron pieces and you can even try some colorful hand painted wooden pieces to get a unique look for your kitchen. Incorporating additional touches like vintage hand painted Mexican pottery can make your room appear like it was done by a professional.

What's on your floor can add to the decorating scheme, but if you can not buy new flooring in your kitchen then work with your floors by covering them with area rugs that have a Mexican look. If you do want to go with new floors, try rustic hard wood or tile floors.

Lighting is necessary in your home and the kitchen is no exception. To compliment your Mexican home décor design, you should consider light fixtures in terms of type as well as style. When you are incorporating a Mexican look, try a tin chandelier with scrolly metal wall sconces or anything wrought iron or rustic looking.

A vital ingredient when decorating your kitchen with a Mexican inspired style is your wall coverings. For this decorating style the room colors make a big difference - consider adding reds and bright blues either in your wall color or your accessories. Try using a stucco on the walls, or maybe go with faux paint that resembles plaster. You don't have to get too fancy or spend a lot of money and if you are afraid of too much color, simply paint the walls a neutral shade and put the color into your flooring and accents.

The most important and most fun part is adding art and decorations to your walls. Try adding a hand painted mural or hang some vintage Mexico travel prints to your kitchen walls to really bring out the spice of your Mexican design style. You can also fill the wall with mexican pottery plates and platters hung in wrought iron plate holders or hang shelves and fill them with colorful and interesting Mexican clay jugs.

Getting a great Mexican look in your kitchen doesn’t have to take a lot of money or time. Smart shopping for accessories and making a few simple changes can add a little zing to your room in no time!

Antique Floor Lamps - World's Best Reading Lamps

By Jim Hoyle

First let us define ANTIQUE FLOOR LAMP. Of course a floor lamp normally rests upon the floor as opposed to resting upon a table, the wall or the ceiling. The general definition of an ANTIQUE means something from a bygone era. This places the term outside the legal arena and into common usage. "Era" is general perceived and is defined as a long indefinite time period which also works out perfectly for this general definition. This general definition works perfectly since any identification of an "Antique Floor Lamp" is fairly useless without some time period designation normally in the form of circa 1905 which literally means "about the year 1905". So I will use the term ANTIQUE FLOOR LAMP on this basis and often substitute it with the term VINTAGE FLOOR LAMP. This discussion does not address modern reproductions of antique lamps which is another subject to itself.

More and more people are learning to appreciate the quality and styling of antique floor lamps especially as most of the ones being produced today are molded plastic and literally made to be thrown away. Most all floor lamp makers from the turn of the century made their lamps from heavy metals such as cast iron, brass, steel and cast zinc sometimes combined with marble, onyx, glass and stone. Our lamp shop regularly restores these antique floor lamps for resale as well as for our customers' own use. From our 30 years of experience it is clear that many of these antique floor lamps will last for hundreds of years. The electrical components, the fabric shades and the painted finishes often need restoration but most were made with such fine quality, that they are a much better value than brand new high end lamps that sell for many hundreds of dollars. You will find some other surprises about these collectible works of art below.

High quality, beauty and function were powerful influences on the makers of antique floor lamps. Many people are aware of their outstanding quality and beauty but completely surprised about the highly developed functional and technical characteristics. There are far too many examples to list here but I will mention a couple of the more important ones.

The brightest lamp that you can purchase today in any store was designed and made circa 1920. It is also the most versatile lamp that you can buy anywhere. Further it will outlast most any modern lamp that you can find at any price. This antique floor lamp is known by a numerous names such as: 6 Way Floor Lamp, Reflector Floor Lamp, and "JUNIOR". The design begins with a heavy metal base sometimes highly decorated with an upright tubing leading up to a central electrical socket surrounded by 3 arm lights (4 lights total). The central light takes a 3 way bulb (low-medium-high) that is often a MOGUL size which is larger than a standard socket with higher wattage (100-200-300 watts). The three arm lights are controlled by a switch that can turn on separately just 1, 2 or all 3 of the arm lights. Further, many of these JUNIORS had a small light under the base which provided a very subtle night time floor light operated by a foot switch mounted on the side of the base. As if this were not enough, the central top socket is encased in a large metal cup which holds a white waffle patterned glass bowl that reflects light upward to bounce of the ceiling. A fabric or silk shade (also called JUNIOR shade) rests upon the glass reflector bowl to reflect light downward for reading. A single arm light can provide a simple night light or at it brightest setting, it can light up an entire room. There is no brighter lamp or more versatile lamp available anywhere today and it was designed and made nearly 100 years ago!

One of the best reading lamps in the world was also designed circa 1920. It has been highly imitated but it still remains unchallenged. The Bridge Arm Floor Lamp or Bridge Lamp has a typical floor lamp design with metal base and upright standard which can take the form of various types of decorated tubing, twisted iron rods, etc. At the top of the standard is a decorative cast metal arm with a graceful arc or curvature which ends with an electrical socket pointing downward and covered by a fabric or glass shade. This has the effect of offsetting the light by about 14-18" from the upright standard at the same time lowering it so that it is closer to the reading material or work project. The result is an excellent reading lamp or work lamp which places the light bulb very near the task at hand. Many of these Bridge Arm Floor Lamps have convenient pull chains which hang below the bottom of the lamp shade for ease of operation.

Of course there are many other kinds of antique floor lamps such as torchiere, two light, curved arm, swing arm, etc. Even the oldest and most dilapidated of these well built heirlooms can be brought back to life with some scrubbing, sanding, painting, rewiring and sometimes soldering or welding.

If you want to buy a lamp that you can give to your grand kids, consider buying an antique floor lamp.

Classy Homes - Several Beautiful Victorian Styles

By Anne Clarke

If you have always loved the classy, unparalleled appeal of Victorian-style furniture, wall décor, and other home design accessories, why not consider going Victorian the next time you re-decorate? When you choose a home design with a Victorian style, it reflects a very classy taste. Your home will be elegant and alluring when you decorate with Victorian-style home furniture and accessories. There is beautiful Victorian style furniture available for bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, outdoor décor, and much more.

Elegant railings, bed posts, and vanities all inspired by this particular style can make your home more alluring than ever. So if you are having trouble trying to decide on what to do to re-decorate and design the perfect look for your home: look around at the Victorian styles available right now! Victorian furniture and other Victorian-style home décor is very popular in magnificently decorated homes. Everything from wall art, lighting, chairs, beds, lounges, tables and much, much more are available to choose from when you re-decorate your home in the Victorian style.

One of the most simple as well as elegant types of furniture there are is the Victorian lounge-style chair. As classy as it is comfortable, sprawl out on your Victoriana Chaise Lounge and love the look of your new home decor design. Simple drawers and night stands, as well as desks, rolling serving carts, and even fireplace designs are beautiful in an overall Victorian home design. Available in old-fashioned wooden designs, hand-carved Victorian furniture is some of the classiest furniture you can possibly choose to accentuate your home. Practical and beautiful, types of furniture such as Lazy Susans and elegant rolling serving carts are common Victorian décor. From spice-racks for the kitchen to bedroom chests of drawers and more, a simple change in furniture can completely transform the overall ambiance of any room.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for Web sites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background also includes health and fitness, gardening, and fashion. For more of her useful articles on home decor, please visit Home Decor, supplier of fine home

Spruce Up Your House With A Country Style Home Decor Theme

By Lee Dobbins

Regardless of your budget you can use country style home décor to change your home from boring to beautiful. Simple changes like stenciling and coordinating your wall art and pillows can be an inexpensive way to give some country charm to your home. Some other things you can change, depending on your budget, include flooring, lighting, accessories, wall coverings, window treatments and furniture.

It is important that your flooring match your overall colors and design theme, but if you can’t afford new floors then you can cover your current floors by using small rugs with a country look. If you are lucky enough to be able to afford new floors, you might try hardwood floors and soften them up with braided rugs.

An important change you should consider for your country style home décor look is painting or wallpapering the walls. For this theme the colors are important - you should think about adding blues, reds and greens either in your wall color or your accessories. Try using a paint with wallpaper borders on the walls, or try a matching wallpaper and border set. You don't have to get too fancy or spend a lot of money but a nice color on the walls can work wonders. If you are afraid to put color on the walls you can cover the walls in a neutral shade and play up the color with accents like pillows, rugs and curtains.

Good lighting is a must in any household. To augment your country style home décor design theme, you need to consider light fixtures in terms of both type and style. While you are going for a country theme, you may want to look at installing plain overhead lighting with table lamps but try to steer clear of anything which is too fancy with lots of sparkly crystals.

Decorative accessories are essential to pulling your country style home décor theme together. You can totally alter the appearance of your room simply by replacing the accessories! Concentrate on shopping for wall art, pillows and knick knacks, in patterns and colors complimentary to your country Style. You'll be amazed at how simple and cheap it is, and what an incredible difference these changes make! Be certain to add in lots of vintage country pieces as well as handmade bowls, baskets or boxes and you may even try certain interesting tins and old painted items found in garages and basements to really spruce up your home. Extra touches such as old fashioned signs in either wood or tin can give your home a designer look.

Country furniture can be comfy and overstuffed but you really need to watch the pattern of your upholstery. Plaid is a popular country theme, but if you prefer something more subtle you can get upholstery in a solid color such as red, blue or even tan and spruce it up with plaid or patterned pillows. To really pick up on the country design style, try using furniture made from pine with a plain stain or a painted finish.

How you dress your windows are important to your country style home décor look. There are many window treatments that can enhance this design, particularly if you match fabrics to your window treatments, however you should avoid contemporary style prints. You can match your curtains or drapes to the fabrics on your furniture, use plain sheers or sheers with a valance. Even just wooden blinds can work well with the country look.

One area that is often ignored when redecorating your room is the wall space. Even the ugliest walls can be enhanced with beautiful paintings and wall art. Try adding folk art paintings, stencils or a hand painted mural to your walls to highlight the charm of your country design.

Achieving a fabulous country look in your home can be as basic as just buying new decorative accessories or as involved as replacing everything. Either way, paying attention to detail and making sure you match your furniture and decorative items will help you accomplish a decorative new country style home décor theme that you can be proud of.

Design Tips to Make a Small House Feel Larger

Well I’ve struggled with what advice I should give you all. I’ve been through the remodel process now and I’ve supervised at least a dozen others in the past year. I have a wealth of advice to give you so if you have any particular questions just ask. Leave a message for me on our blog.

The most consistent compliment we get on our home is how cool it is for a little house. Our house is just over 1100 sq.ft. but because of a few things we have done it feels much larger. I thought I would give you all a few tips on how to maximize your space and make your home feel much larger than it actually is.

First here are a few to trick the eye and make the space feel larger.

1. Use similar objects to make your eye go from one space to the other. This can be achieved with simply aligning the trim through one space into the other. Or you can paint things the same color so that your eye reads this as one big field.

2. Use the old adage bring the outside in to full effect. Its true, it works, and it couldn’t be easier. Make your outdoor spaces mimic your indoor spaces. Match as many materials, textures, and color as you can.

3. Layer spaces to create visual interest in the overall volume of a house. That wall doesn’t always have to go to the ceiling, pull it down a little and let the ceiling plane continue to the next space.

Here are some space saving ideas we used.

1. Built ins, Built ins, Built ins. One of the great things about doing your own remodel is that you can build built ins that function for there specific task. We built in our closets and dressers as one

2. Use drawers on you lower kitchen cabinets. It makes it much easier to use every available inch of cabinet space when you don’t have to get on your hands and knees to get to that back shelf.
A few general things that help our house feel large.

1. The biggest advantage our little house has is its abundance of natural lighting. We have 24 windows in our little house, which allows us to use the space framed by our landscaping.

2. Our house wastes very little space for circulation. We dont have long hallways to get to rooms, you walk through each space to enter another. You would be suprised at how much space a hallway take up.

3. You have to have very minimal clutter, you can’t be pack rat. One of the quickest ways to make a house feel small is allowing to much buildup of objects .

If you have any other space saving tips, or you see anything else on our blog you like and want me to comment on just ask. There are different opportunities that present themselves throughout the remodel process and those are the things that make or break a project. So when the opportunity arises go for it.

Design Icon: The Sputnik Chandelier

Every once in awhile, I am moved to do a little research on an object that has become a style icon, like the “Sputnik”-style chandeliers that used to just come with tract houses back in the day and now show up regularly in midcentury retro spaces and on the pages of Met Home. This one, the “Orbit” chandelier is one of its recent incarnations—and it’s only $249 at Z Gallerie.It’s not hard to see why the lamps got their name if you know what Sputnik looked like. Here it is, the first satellite to orbit the earth, a silver orb the size of a basketball trailing four long antennae.Interestingly enough, the first “Sputnik”-style lamps were produced 3 years before Sputnik made its historic journey in 1957. Back in 1954, Gino Sarfatti designed a series of four chandeliers for Lightolier, which were called Astral, Skyrocket, Sparkler, and Mobile. Here are two of them, above.

Lightolier, which is still one of the great lighting companies of the world, discontinued Sarfatti’s 1954 line around 1959, by which time dozens of copycats were already on the market.Enter Lincoln Center, New York City’s nexus of high-culture performing arts buildings, which broke ground in 1959 in a neighborhood where “West Side Story” had just finished filming. Now considered‹by some at least‹as a masterpiece of its period, Lincoln center¹s simplified white columns and arches were not universally well-received. Writer and critic Penelope Gilliatt famously quipped that Lincoln Center looked like it had been ordered over the phone by Mussolini, a snide reference to Il Duce¹s obsession with grandiose deco-inspired architecture (the opera house is on the left in the photograph above).The Metropolitan Opera opened at Lincoln Center in 1966 with Franco Zeffirelli’s over-elaborate debut production of Samuel Barber’s “Antony & Cleopatra,” which nearly killed diva Leontyne Price, who was trapped inside a pyramid by malfunctioning scenery that was creating a widening abyss at her feet. Above, just for the fun of it is a photo of poor Leontyne with costar Justino Diaz on opening night.

As part of the décor of the new opera house, which was designed by architect Wallace K. Harrison, a number of crystal “Sputnik”-style chandeliers were hung in the lobby and above the orchestra (these raise and lower for increased dramatic effect). Here's a night shot of the Lobmeyer chandeliers above the Met's lobby.

These stunning works of art were produced by the historic Austrian company J. & L. Lobmeyer (founded in Vienna in 1823). Fantastic in their own right even now, the dazzling starburst chandeliers not only epitomize the 1960s, they foreshadow the phenomenal work in contemporary crystal chandeliers currently spearheaded by Nadia Swarovski at her family’s firm.

Hotels are still influencing home décor

irst it was hotel bed linens, then spa-like bathrooms. Now it seems that hotels are influencing our interior and exterior home décor, design elements that only used to be seen at five star hotels and resorts. A recent Miami Herald article “Outdoor chic: Backyard furniture has gone uptown, upscale” got us thinking: even if the recession affected travel plans for some, many are incorporating that vacation vibe into their home.
Sufficient outdoor furniture used to be a table with four chairs for the patio and maybe a few chaises by the pool. No longer. Outdoor furniture has gone uptown with styles as varied and as comfortable as what we put indoors, and making a fashion statement. But be forewarned. Because this is fashion, like haute couture, it often is expensive. One can easily spend $4,000 for a dining table and four chairs or $3,000 for a chaise.

The recent International Casual Furniture and Accessories Market in Chicago proved how fashionable outdoor furniture can be. Sectionals. Beds with canopies. Motion furniture that rocks or reclines. Mahogany frames painted to withstand the weather. Chat groups of four chairs surrounding a table with a fire pit. Cuddle chairs for two or for you and your pooch. Colors inspired by the fashion runways.

Also, manufacturers say Floridians have a major impact on outdoor furniture trends.“We base our season on what Florida does,” says Teresa Buelin, sales and marketing operations manager for Laneventure, which introduced several products, including outdoor beds and cuddle chairs. “They are ahead of the rest of the country.”
Richard Frinier introduced the South Beach Collection for Century Leisure. The collection includes side chairs and tables for terraces and balconies as well as sectional, lounge and dining pieces for larger outdoor spaces. “South Beach is a compelling American destination city,” Frinier says. “You feel a little more alive when you are there. I wanted to design something that would be smart, durable and comfortable for the vertical living and loft spaces that demand a chic but soft-modern aesthetic.”