Philippine Butterfly

Archive for the ‘Home Improvement’ Category

Along with spring cleaning comes the nagging thought that the entire house needs an overhaul. Cleaning the blinds may call attention to how worn out and faded they have become. In these cost conscious times, you may hesitate to actually invest in purchasing new window treatments. The question then becomes how do you know when it is time to update your windows?

The first sign is the deterioration of your existing treatments. Are your vinyl blinds cracking or breaking? Have your curtains faded so many shades that they are a completely different color? Do your wood blinds have splinters and faded spots? Treatments that are discolored, damaged, or are no longer functioning properly should be replaced.

You should also consider if your window treatments are cost effective. Good blinds, shades and shutters can help protect your home from the damaging effects of sunlight or even insulate a room from cold or hot temperatures. While the savings many be small, if your current treatments have gaps due to warping or because they were not custom fit, you may want to consider getting treatment that will provide better protection from environmental factors.

Lastly, if the design in your home is more than five or six years old, it may make you and your family feel tired. This is partially due to the fading of color, but also to the impact of familiarity. Updating the windows, even if you can’t afford to do the entire room, may breathe new life and energy into a tired design.

To achieve multiple layers with outdoor lighting, you’ll need to plan with depth and dimensions in mind. Plan a design around four distinctive layers of illumination. Some should distinctly overlap one another and others should blend and synthesize together.

Every outdoor lighting design is different and must be planned around the unusual dimensions of a yard and its contents. Sculptures, fountains, bridges, rock formations and ornamental structures are great for providing accents or feature lighting opportunities.

Depending on the overall emotional tone you plan to create, any number of light fixture styles and types can be used to illuminate any object. Trees are great for providing moonlighting opportunities with the use of concealed mercury vapor lights.

You might find that you’ll want to install fixtures that are completely hidden, this way they only illuminate the object of interest. You might go the opposite route and use highly decorative, visible outdoor light fixtures that add an additional aesthetic to your yard.

If you are uncertain as to the type of outdoor lighting to use, always call a professional and ask about specialty commercial grade fixtures, particularly ones for mood-setting effects . Consider having them come to your home for consultation. Most times consultation if free.