Designer Ideas

The last post talked about outdoor patio enhancements and one of the key items was market umbrellas.  I thought this item deserved a post of its own as I’ve recently gone through the search for the perfect umbrellas for my patios, I have three in my house.

When looking at umbrellas, consider how mobile you want them to be.  Will it go in the center of a table and be fairly fixed or do you want the option to move it around the yard or patio?  It’s a good idea to invest in a couple bases, one that is more sturdy and fixed and one that has wheels.  You can also find one that provides both options, but this can be more costly. Costco has great bases for about $60 but these are heavy so make sure you have some help carrying it to it’s final destination. You can also get water or sand filled bases for about $40 and while these are easy to lift and move, they are not as secure, so if you live in a windy area, go for the sturdier kind.

Now for the umbrellas themselves, make sure you get a good quality fabric like Sunbrella that is UV protected and limits the amount of fading.  For shape you can get round or square in various sizes.  For my patios, I mixed them up.  Upstairs I have smaller 6′ square umbrellas for each balcony patio and downstairs I have two 9′ round umbrellas, one in a table and one next to some chaise lounges.

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Nothing says tranquility and comfort like a nice cool breeze.  Something about the movement of air and the circulation gives a sense of relaxation and ease that brings on memories of summer vacations and tropical locales. You can create this wonderful feeling in any room in your house with ceiling fans.

Ceiling fans provide a nice transition between seasons and can reduce electricity bills by bridging the gap between slightly warm and uncomfortable to full blown summer heat. Adding ceiling fans to your home also provides an aesthetic benefit as they can add character and dimension to rooms.  You can choose from a wide variety of fans from tropical leaves to more ornate blades or traditional classic designs.  You may want to also consider the lighting in your room, as this is a great way to add additional ambient or overhead lighting.  Many fans now have reverse mode for winter and have light dimming options for even more versatility.

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Many companies have lost the art of good exhibits and displays.  They have either gone over the top and loose the focus and purpose of exhibits or they have gone on the cheap and not thought enough about how they are presenting their image to new and potential customers.  This is something that has been a pet peeve of mine since my old days of working for an exhibit company.

The key to a good display design is knowing your audience and your display locale.  Will you been presenting your brand or company on a trade show floor or will it be at an outdoor event?  Is it simply to spruce up your main entrance and lobby area, which many companies fail to do so in a way that reflects the core culture and personality of the company.  Many job applicants, new customers and business partners often get the wrong impression about a company by the image they were given as they waited.  When you are considering your next display, think about the imagery used, this includes your logo and any branding communications; consider the flooring and don’t be afraid to mix surface materials like adding plush area rugs to hard wood floors.  Consider your backdrops and how you are ultimately displaying your products or service offerings.  Lastly, make sure you incorporate good overhead and spot lighting to light up the different focal points.

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With summer firing up and the spring cleaning behind us, it’s a natural extension to start thinking about our outdoor entertainment, leisure and enjoyment.  This post will give a few ideas on easy and inexpensive things to do to spruce up your outdoor patio.

First on the list, clean and restore any outdoor furniture you have that might have taken a toll over the winter months.  Sand and repaint or restain the furniture and wash or replace any cushions.  You can find lots of cushions in bright colors and patterns on sale at places like Pier 1, Cost Plus World Market and online.  Next consider the flooring.  Most patios have a rough surface which isn’t all too inviting, so get a nice floor mat or outdoor area rug that fits your space and try to have it coordinate with your cushions.  You can add a market umbrella for style and function giving you and or plants some much needed shade from the summer sun.  Speaking of plants, add a few plants that are low maintenance in bright cheerful colors.  Last add a few outdoor candles and you’re all set.

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Finally the metro sexual, emo and punk grunge styles have faded into yester year leaving room for the new trend in men’s fashions, pure masculine, no nonsense style.  It’s about time that men’s fashions have returned to the sharp finesse of the early sixties when class and exquisite taste were just as important as accessories.

Save for the hip hop moguls, who have been accessorizing for some time now, men are starting to accessorize again for everyday wear.  Cufflinks, rings, watches, necklaces and bracelets are all making a comeback in today’s fashionable male. Some of the initial trend setters were mens titanium rings, which exude sharp, stylish, fashionable and confident traits of today’s power suit wearing man, a man with wit and substance.  It’s not just about the style or accessories however, it’s also about the attitude and statement made, which lets face it, is hard to do or be taken seriously if the message is delivered via a sweat suit donned, scruffy faced and shaggy haired man who looks  two days beyond the frat house glory days.  No, this stylish man of today is sleek, cool, sexy and presentable at all times.  This is the man that captures the eye and interest of today’s wanted woman.

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Beautifully add warmth and appeal to the senses with scented candles.  Candles are a great way to add a welcoming touch to any room.  The clean burn of many candles is a benefit and nothing beats the glow of a real candle.  Don’t get me wrong, I like the flameless candles for many reasons, their safety, the timer option and the convenience, but where it really matters, I only use real candles.

My two favorite types of candles are soy candles, which I love for their clean they burn. Soy wax doesn’t not produce the black soot like paraffin does. The other favorite is Kringle Candles.  These candles are so amazing.  Their presentation is unmatched and they last for a really long time, as much as 50 hours for certain sizes.  The intense fragrance they provide is truly amazing. My favorite scents are Fresh Mint and the French Lavender. I highly recommend these candles as gifts or to stock up in your own home, making each room fragrant and inviting.

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A great way to immediately open a room is with a mirror.  Large or small, a mirror can not only reflect certain aspects of scenery, wall art, accent pieces, floral arrangements or amazing views, but it can also visually open a room by making the room appear to be twice its size.

There are many options of mirrors to choose from, rectangle, square, round, oval or unique shapes.  And there is also a wide assortment of styles, from vintage, shabby chic, classic, white washed, ornate or eclectic.  The frames can be made of stone, tile, wood, metal or other hard substrates, the possibilities are literally limitless.  Once you decide on the location and style of mirror, make sure that how you display the mirror is top in your priorities as you don’t want the mirror to be subject to falling or breaking.  Not only would this be high on the list of superstitions, but mirrored glass is extremely sharp and potentially dangerous. Now, go find a mirror and see your views expand.

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The key to designing your custom engagement ring is finding something that will reflect your style now, your love for each other over the years and all that is yet to come and making sure that the ring you have designed is representative of not just your love for her, but your lifestyles.  You need to consider your price range, the type of metal alloy you want, platinum, gold, or alternative metals like titanium or tungsten.  And of course, you’ll want to think about the stones.  If you’ll have a solitaire diamond, pave or several diamonds surrounding your center stone or incorporate other precious gems like sapphire.  You can also consider yellow diamonds or pink diamonds for a different look.

If you’re looking for custom engagement rings orange county, look for reviews on local jewelers for designers who are not only going to give you a fair price, but outstanding service.  One of these jewelers is Simone & Son Jewelers in Huntington Beach.  They are known for their custom designs from vintage to classic, ornate to traditional or a combination.

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My husband and I have been in search for the perfect hutch for our living room.  We have an open floor plan in our house where the living room and family room are essentially one big room which made the selection of the right hutch a bit of a challenge. Not to mention that we needed a decent amount of storage. Ultimately, we found the perfect hutch for our room.

While we looked at several and even bought another one before we discovered it wasn’t actually big enough to take up the space in our room, the winner was this great hutch.  We got it in a deep mahogany wood that matches the other furniture in our house.  It has three drawers which are great for storing extra silverware, place settings and entertaining essentials, and it has four cabinets two smaller ones and two larger ones, which provides the perfect amount of storage for glassware, serving sets, bowls and platters.  It’s solid wood surface and top provides great counter top space for entertaining or for everyday use a great place to display framed pictures, wine accessories and candles.

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As you may or may not be aware, prom is right around the corner and many young ladies are in search of the perfect prom dress.  When it comes to designer dresses, there are many options, but most important is finding the right style dress for your physique.  Whether you search online or you make a trip to a local dress shop, make sure to read these tips before saying yes to the dress.

If you have a petite frame, a nice A-Line dress is a good option as well as long prom dresses.  If you are taller or have a thin, straight frame, you may want to consider short dresses.  Curvy and pear shaped gals will look amazing in empire waist dresses and halter top dresses.  And strapless dresses tend to look great on all frames, but keep in mind that dancing is the primary objective and no one wants to be heaving up their dress all night, so if you go the strapless route, make sure to invest in some fashion tape to help secure the dress and add a little extra support.

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