Fireplace Directory

Archive for March, 2010

          Why You Need A Real Estate Agent When Building A Home

                                    <a href="http:// www.billremington.com/">

                       In Prosper, Plano, Frisco and McKinney Texas

1. Builders represent themselves and not the buyer of a new home. Most buyers of new homes do not understand codes, standards and technical information regarding the construction of a new home.  A seasoned realtor does..
2. Most buyers will use a builder’s floor plan without consulting an architect.  A good realtor will insist on a professional architect’s input.   Architects will introduce ideas and standards that builders want to avoid.
3. Typically, 4-6 meetings are conducted between the builder and the buyer before a contract is executed.   Usually the buyer signs the contract on the spot.  However, if a realtor is present, the realtor insists on waiting several days so that additional negotiations can take place. .
4. Most buyers will do only a walk-through with the builder.  A good realtor will insist on an inspection by a licensed inspector prior to closing and will attend the inspection with the buyer.
5. A realtor attending all of the meetings with the buyer and the builder will yield better results because a good realtor will have input that a buyer may not have because this is what a realtor does.
6. Building a home, which is usually the largest asset a buyer will ever own, without a realtor is like going to a trial without a lawyer.  You need the representation of a professional.
7. Realtors know what upgrades add future value to a home.
8. Realtors know how builder’s sales representatives earn their commissions and can negotiate a better sales price.
9. Realtors understand builder pricing versus timing and can therefore negotiate a better sales price.
10. Wrap the house in insulation?
11. Seal the garage floors
12. Radiant barrier in garage attic ceiling too?
13. If answer from builder is "it meets code", this means minimal.
14. Use 2×6’s to double insulation
15. Brand of appliances, HVAC, sprinkler system?
16. Does brick continue to top of Chimney on exterior?
17. The warranty can be negotiated on the home.  Is there a warranty on landscaping?  Sprinkler system?
18. Soils test on foundation?  Let’ take a look at it.
19. Pest controls on new home? How long? Warranty service?  Termite treatment?
20. Negotiate title insurance: builders slip it in as a cost to buyer.  Significant cost 1 percent.

This is just a few key questions that a seasoned agent will review with a buyer and builder.

Bill Remington  www.billremington.com

Bill Remington
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/how-to-get-the-most-when-building-new-home-725421.html

Knowing that you need to better read this topic I recommend that you take Five minutes to read what we have to say. As our lives today are very hectic we tend to look for ways to relax and unwind. One of these n-ways is with the use of a sauna. These saunas come in different models but you should be able to find one that is desirable for your home and your budget. You can also try your hands at building a sauna.To build your very own sweat room you can find versatile companies that will sell you ready to set up pieces so that you can start building a sauna that is configured according to your needs. These companies will send you the required material and instructions so that you will be able to see how to being fixing your sauna room up.

Before you start the task of building a sauna that you can happily relax in, you should make sure that all of the sweat room pieces and tools are within your grasp. These tools will by and large be ones that you have at home. To start building a sauna room in your home you should select the place where this sauna will be placed.

The place that you select for your future sauna should be large enough to adapt about five or six people relaxing within of the room. There should be room to place wooden benches against the walls so that the occupants of the sauna will be able to lie down full length if they wishing to.You should make sure that the offend and the walls of your sauna are made from wood that is easy to clean and this same wood floor needs to be heat and fire resistant. The best case of wood that is considered as being suited for your sauna is Cedar wood.When you are <a href="http://www.build-portable-steam-sauna.com/Build

ing-A-Sauna.php”>building a sauna, you will need to insure that there are no metal(a) fixtures or pieces that can be felt up anyplace in the room. As the heat from the sweat room is very hot the metallic pieces or fittings should be embedded deep in the walls and flooring. You will also have to design the roof of the sauna so that it is high enough for the heat to circulate about the sauna.As the sauna is where you will be relaxing your tired muscles you should ensure that there is an outlet for your stove to produce the heat that it of necessity without causing any damage to the sauna.These are just a few of the items that you will need to think about when you are building a sauna for your home. The main fact that you will need to remember is that a sauna is release to a place where you can relax, therefore you may want to bargain a readily built sauna.

I want this article provided you with the information you were looking for. I have many other articles online that may be of interest to you.

Michael Malega
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/building-a-sauna-information-118360.html

During the holidays, all too often in our rush to get everything done to make the season special we overlook some of the basic safety precautions necessary to make everything magical. Home fires is one of the leading causes of holiday disasters and these fires are more often than not, completely preventable. Rapid Refile, LLC, a document restoration and disaster recovery service, has put together a very helpful fire prevention guide for home owners to follow this holiday season to ensure a safe and disaster-free celebration.

The following is some of the recommendations they have compiled (see full article for references):

Christmas Tree Safety and Fire Prevention:

• Keep trees securely upright in a stand to ensure that it will not accidentally tip over or be knocked over by children or pets.

• Keep your tree away from any and all heat sources.

• Make sure natural trees are well watered.

• If you have purchased an artificial tree, please make sure it is labeled “fire retardant”.

• Unplug the tree lights before leaving your home or before going to bed.

• Avoid using real candles on a tree. Real Christmas trees contain natural oils that are very flammable, especially if the tree is dry.

• Use a maximum of three strands of tree lights on a single extension cord.

Holiday Lighting Safety:

• Unplug any lighting, indoor and out, before going to bed.

• Never leave any candles unattended.

• Avoid using live candles with a flame on windowsills and mantles.

• Do not let pets or children chew on strands of lights.

• Make sure the cords used for lights and other decorations are not frayed.

• Do not run electrical wires under rugs.

• Make sure all candles are in sturdy holders that will not tip over and are placed away from furniture and other home accessories.

• Trim candle wicks to a ¼-inch in height.

Fireplace & Woodstove Fire Prevention:

• Have a professional inspect your fireplace annually.

• Inspect your stove or fireplace for any cracks regularly.

• Always use a screen in front of your Fireplace while it is burning.

• Do not burn your Christmas tree, wreaths, or leftover wrapping paper in a fireplace or stove.

Additional Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Tips:

• Exercise caution if using a space heater in a bedroom. Never place a heater next to a bed, as blankets could ignite. Place the heater in a place where a sleepy person getting up in the middle of the night will not trip over it.

• Keep fire extinguishers handy on every level of your home in a place where they can be easily accessed. Keep an extinguisher in your kitchen and by any fireplaces or stoves.

It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of the season and forget some of these basic and not so basic rules for keeping a home and your family safe from a potential fire hazard. Take the time to look over your family room, bedrooms and any other place where you may have a fireplace, heater or Christmas tree to ensure you have a fire disaster-free holiday season.

Ben Anton
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/fire-safety-how-to-protect-your-home-during-the-holiday-season-697105.html

We’ve had some very frigid days in the northeastern US and Canada the last few weeks. Those of us who have a crawl space underneath part of our home have felt plenty of chilly floors underfoot and cold air on our ankles.

You may think that putting a heater in your crawl space will leave you with warmer feet. But in fact sealing and insulating your crawl space will not only address your indoor discomfort with cold, drafty floors, it will also avoid problems such as mold and rot in the crawl space itself, and will improve the health of your home overall.

For starters, let’s clear up a common mistake about the air flows in a crawl space. For many years, homeowners, homebuilders, and building inspectors have believed that a crawl space needs exterior venting on opposite walls, so that air can flow from one vent to the other, drawing out any extra dampness from the enclosed space. But the most recent studies show that ventilating a crawl space creates a very different result, known as the stack effect.

In a nutshell, with a good supply of outside air coming from your crawl space, all you need is a few cracks or hair’s width openings between the crawl space and the living areas, and a few drafts at the top of the house, such as old windows or a poorly sealed attic hatch, and your house starts acting like a giant Chimney stack. Hot air rises, so the heated air inside your house works its way out the top openings, pulling cold air up from the crawl space.

The result is that the humidity and cold (and mold spores and dust) from the crawl space get drawn into your home, raising your heating costs and endangering your well-being. Ironically, the better you ventilate your crawl space, the more heat gets drawn out of your home through upstairs cracks.

Even in warmer months, when there is no stack effect from a crawl space, ventilating both ends of the crawl space doesn’t actually do much for airflow or humidity. There is no effect of rising heat to make the air flow through the vents, if they are both at the same level. And this approach basicaly amounts to treating the symptoms – poorly at that – instead of curing the disease. The disease, in this case, is excessive dampness and air entering the crawl space, and excess heat transfer during colder times of year between the crawl space and the outdoors.

You may find that your builder scoffs at the idea of insulating and sealing a crawl space. It defies conventional wisdom – and it also contravenes many local building codes that were developed from that conventional wisdom. But you’ll improve your indoor air quality, cut heat loss, and resolve any problems with humidity, mold, or rotting wood down below, if you set this out-of-date belief aside and do what recent research shows is most effective.

To properly seal and insulate your crawl space, start by removing any sharp objects such as old nails, glass shards, or sharp stones from the crawl space floor, so that you don’t hurt your hands or knees as you work (it is a “crawl space” after all). Also, you’ll be placing a plastic liner on the floor and you don’t want any sharp objects to push through the barrier and cut it as you are installing it.

Buy a liner made specifically for the task – or look for a suitable, thick polyethylene plastic. Not the 6 mil typically used for a vapor barrier – you need to go to 15 or 20 mil thickness if you want a liner that will last. The liner should be large enough to cover the whole floor along with the walls – preferably without your having to cut extra pieces for the walls. The best way to compute the size is to add twice the wall height to both the width and length of the floor, and then add 10% extra to account for the slope of the floor. So if you have 2 foot walls around the crawl space and a 15 x 20 foot space, you’ll need a sheet 21 by 29 feet. It’s better to buy a bit too much liner than to find yourself having to cut and tape on small pieces when you find out you didn’t buy enough to begin with!

Close off any ventilation openings, and for crawl space windows, either replace them with energy efficient ones, or at least ensure that they are not cracked or drafty. You may want to cut out rectangular sections of foam insulation to close off the window areas, as this will add an extra level of insulation to windows as well as cut down on drafts. Also check that any doors to the outside are also well weatherstripped.

If part or all of the walls are wood framed, place batt insulation against the wall between the studs; if you have masonry walls, use foam board. Be sure that any large gaps in the walls are patched first – any place where you can see outdoor light shining in from the outside.

Lay the liner over the crawl space floor, and up the walls. Trim the excess pieces off where the wall corners meet. Staple the vapor barrier to the studs, and seal all staple holes and any cuts or breaks in the poly with mastic tape.

Don’t do just part of this job. If you seal the ventilation without adding the vapor barrier, or put in the liner without insulating, you will run into trouble later on. And do it all within a week or two – don’t make this one of those projects thattakes months or years.

Once you have properly sealed and insulated your crawl space, you will find your home much more comfortable in winter. Your floors will be warmer, you’ll have fewer drafts, and your home will be safe from the health effects of crawl space mold and mildew. In fact, so will the crawl space itself.

And remember the notion we started with, that a crawl space heater might solve the problem of cold on your floors during this chilly winter? Well, if you follow the guidance above, you won’t need such a heater. We sealed the crawl space below our breakfast nook a while back, and the breakfast nook became so much more comfortable, we were able to disconnect the baseboard heaters that had been installed in the kitchen extension when it was built.

Robin Green
http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/staying-warm-this-winter-whats-the-right-approach-a-crawl-space-heater-or-proper-insulation-728094.html

Tarps are great for home use. You may be a homeowner and yet not already have some tarps. If so, you could probably use some for different things around your house. Think of all the places they would help.

1. Painting. You might want to redecorate your home by painting your rooms in different colors. Some ceiling types need a periodic coat of paint as well. Good canvas tarps are excellent for catching the drips to keep paint off your carpet. At the same time, they are not slick, so your ladder will be perfectly stable.

2. Firewood. People who have a Wood Stove or Fireplace may go through a lot of wood, especially during cold winters. The best course of action is to have plenty of firewood stacked up ahead of time. You can cover the wood with green tarps to keep it dry and help it to age properly.

3. Roof. If you have an older home, it might have leaks in the roof from time to time. If you know this is a possibility, it makes sense to have silver tarps on hand to cover the hole until a roofer can come and fix it. Otherwise, precipitation can enter through the open roof and down through your ceilings. To keep you interiors dry, get strong, heavy duty tarps.

4. Grill. Your barbecue grill will last much longer if you cover it with a tarpaulin. Even if you cook all year round, you can keep it covered in between uses. You might like to use clear tarps for this if you have a neutral color scheme on your patio. If your exterior has bright colors, you might use green tarps, blue tarps, yellow tarps, or orange tarps.

5. Moving. Most homeowners move items from time to time. You might be hauling home a new chair to save on delivery costs. You might be moving an antique desk to your home from the estate of a deceased relative. In any case, economical blue tarps are fine for the job of covering the item until it reaches your residence.

6. Lawnmowers, snow blowers, and tillers. If you have any equipment that you use to keep up your property or home garden, you will need to cover it when you are not using it. You may have a shed to keep it in. However, if it must remain outside, it is wise to cover it with tarpaulins.

7. Boats. You might have recreational boats that you keep at your home. When they are setting idle, you can take good care of them by covering with strong white tarps. These tarpaulins have a high mesh count to make them last and last through many seasons.

The longer you live at your home, the more uses you will likely find for tarpaulins. You can find them in a wide variety of sizes to be used for many different kinds of chores. Even the most heavy duty poly tarps and canvas tarps are fairly inexpensive considering the use you will get out of them.

Robert Page
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/home-uses-for-tarps-730884.html

There’s something about compact fluorescent (or CFL) bulbs and the light they put out. The light looks different from what we’re used to with energy-wasting incandescent bulbs. Why is that? And is there a CFL that comes close to the light quality of incandescents?

There are two ways to describe indoor light: its color temperature and how it renders color on other objects.

Color temperature is easy to describe. As an example, look at an incandescent lamp, and then look at an overhead fluorescent tube. The lamp’s light is warm, yellowish and cozy, like a candle or a Fireplace. The fluorescent tube’s light is colder and bluer in quality, more like daylight. Color temperature is measured in kelvins–the higher the value the cooler the light. So 2700K-3000K is considered “warm white” when you see that term on CFL packs, and 4100K+ is “cool white.” For indoor use you definitely want “warm white,” and if the pack lists the kelvin value then the lower the better.

The second factor is a bit harder to quantify–basically it speaks to how richly colors on an object look when you shine a light on them. Think of how different your skin and clothes look under an incandescent lamp and an outdoor street light. Under the first, your skin tone and clothes look vivid and full of life; under the second, they look pale and dead. This difference in how objects are rendered is measured by what’s called the Color Rendering Index (CRI). A score of 100 denotes incandescent light that perfectly renders color.

The issue with CFL’s is that their CRI falls short of incandescents. They generally have a CRI score of around 70. That causes skin color, clothes, and other things around the lamp to not look quite as vivid, hence the difference in light quality we see.

However, not all CFL’s are alike and some definitely render color better than others. Which one is the best?

I have tried many CFL bulbs–I’m picky and the light quality of most CFL’s bothers me. After many tests with bulbs from different companies I can say there is one unqualified winner: the N:Vision compact fluorescent light bulbs sold at Home Depot. They come in several color temperatures, but you want the “warm white” ones in the green packaging for indoor use. They have a CRI of around 82, far superior to most other bulbs. Their light is bright and warm, and I have even come to prefer them over incandescents for general lighting.

It’s important to switch to CFL light bulbs since they use far less energy. Now we can do so without sacrificing most of the light quality we expect indoors. Try out the N:Vision CFL bulbs and I think you’ll agree.

Joseph Barrios
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/how-to-pick-the-best-compact-fluorescent-light-bulb-738456.html

During the holidays, all too often in our rush to get everything done to make the season special we overlook some of the basic safety precautions necessary to make everything magical. Home fires is one of the leading causes of holiday disasters and these fires are more often than not, completely preventable. Rapid Refile, LLC, a document restoration and disaster recovery service, has put together a very helpful fire prevention guide for home owners to follow this holiday season to ensure a safe and disaster-free celebration.

The following is some of the recommendations they have compiled (see full article for references):

Christmas Tree Safety and Fire Prevention:

• Keep trees securely upright in a stand to ensure that it will not accidentally tip over or be knocked over by children or pets.

• Keep your tree away from any and all heat sources.

• Make sure natural trees are well watered.

• If you have purchased an artificial tree, please make sure it is labeled “fire retardant”.

• Unplug the tree lights before leaving your home or before going to bed.

• Avoid using real candles on a tree. Real Christmas trees contain natural oils that are very flammable, especially if the tree is dry.

• Use a maximum of three strands of tree lights on a single extension cord.

Holiday Lighting Safety:

• Unplug any lighting, indoor and out, before going to bed.

• Never leave any candles unattended.

• Avoid using live candles with a flame on windowsills and mantles.

• Do not let pets or children chew on strands of lights.

• Make sure the cords used for lights and other decorations are not frayed.

• Do not run electrical wires under rugs.

• Make sure all candles are in sturdy holders that will not tip over and are placed away from furniture and other home accessories.

• Trim candle wicks to a ¼-inch in height.

Fireplace & Woodstove Fire Prevention:

• Have a professional inspect your fireplace annually.

• Inspect your stove or fireplace for any cracks regularly.

• Always use a screen in front of your fireplace while it is burning.

• Do not burn your Christmas tree, wreaths, or leftover wrapping paper in a fireplace or stove.

Additional Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Tips:

• Exercise caution if using a space heater in a bedroom. Never place a heater next to a bed, as blankets could ignite. Place the heater in a place where a sleepy person getting up in the middle of the night will not trip over it.

• Keep fire extinguishers handy on every level of your home in a place where they can be easily accessed. Keep an extinguisher in your kitchen and by any fireplaces or stoves.

It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of the season and forget some of these basic and not so basic rules for keeping a home and your family safe from a potential fire hazard. Take the time to look over your family room, bedrooms and any other place where you may have a fireplace, heater or Christmas tree to ensure you have a fire disaster-free holiday season.

Ben Anton
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/fire-safety-how-to-protect-your-home-during-the-holiday-season-697105.html

Santa Claus

The origin of Santa Claus begins in the 4th century with Saint Nicolas, Bishop of Myra, an area in Turkey. By all accounts St. Nicholas was a generous man, particularly devoted to children.  After his death around 340 AD he was buried in Myra, but in 1087 Italian sailors purportedly stole his remains and removed them to Bari, Italy, greatly increasing St. Nicholas’ popularity throughout Europe. His kindness and reputation for generosity gave rise to claims that he could perform miracles and devotion to him increased. St. Nicholas became the patron saint of Russia, where he was known by his red cape, flowing white beard, and bishop’s mitre.  After the Reformation, European followers of St. Nicholas dwindled, but the legend was kept alive in Holland where the Dutch spelling of his name Sint Nikolaas was eventually transformed to Sinterklaas.  Dutch colonists brought this tradition with them to America in the 17th century and here the Anglican name of Santa Claus emerged.

Other countries feature different gift bearers for the Christmas or Advent season: La Befana in Italy, The Three Kings in Spain, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, Christkind or the Christ Child in Switzerland and Austria; Father Christmas in England; and Pere Noël, Father Christmas, or the Christ Child in France.

In 16th-century Germany fir trees were decorated, both indoors and out, with apples, roses, gilded candies, and colored paper.  In the Middle Ages, a popular religious play depicted the story of Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

Christmas Trees

It is thought that protestant reformer Martin Luther first adorned trees with light.  While coming home one December evening, the beauty of the stars shining through the branches of a fir inspired him to recreate the effect by placing candles on the branches of a small fir tree inside his home.

The Christmas Tree was brought to England by Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert from his native Germany.  The famous Illustrated News etching in 1848, featuring the Royal Family of Victoria, Albert and their children gathered around a Christmas Tree in Windsor Castle, popularized the tree throughout Victorian England.

Christmas Stockings

According to legend, a kindly nobleman grew despondent over the death of his beloved wife and foolishly squandered his fortune.  This left his three young daughters without dowries and thus facing a life of spinsterhood.

The generous St. Nicholas, hearing of the girls’ plight, set forth to help.  Wishing to remain anonymous, he rode his white horse by the nobleman’s house and threw three small pouches of gold coins down the Chimney where they were fortuitously captured by the stockings the young women had hung by the Fireplace to dry.

Mistletoe

Mistletoe was used by Druid priests 200 years before the birth of Christ in their winter celebrations.  They revered the plant since it had not roots yet remained green during the cold months of winter.

The ancient Celtics believed mistletoe to have magical healing powers and used it as an antidote for poison, infertility, and to ward off evil spirits.  The plant was also seen as a symbol of peace, and it is said that among Romans, enemies who met under mistletoe would lay down their weapons and embrace, hence the origin of the kiss under the mistletoe.

Holly and Ivy

In Northern Europe Christmas occurred during the middle of harsh winter weather, when it was thought that ghosts and demons could be heard howling in the winter winds.  Boughs of holly, believed to have magical powers since they remained green through the harsh winter, were often placed over the doors of homes to drive evil away. Greenery was also brought indoors to freshen the air and brighten the mood during the long, dreary winter.

Legend also has it that holly sprang from the footsteps of Christ as he walked the earth.  The pointed leaves were said to represent the crown of thorns Christ wore while on the cross and the red berries symbolized the blood he shed.

Poinsettias

A native Mexican plant, poinsettias were named after Joel R. Poinsett, U.S. ambassador to Mexico who brought the plant to America in 1828.  Poinsettias were likely used by Mexican Franciscans in their 17th century Christmas celebrations.  One legend has it that a young Mexican boy, on his way to visit the village Nativity scene, realized he had no gift for the Christ Child.  He gathered pretty green branches from along the road and brought them to the church.  Though the other children mocked him, when the leaves were laid at the manger, a beautiful star-shaped flower appeared on each branch.  The bright red petals, often mistaken for flowers, are actually the upper leaves of the plant.

Christmas Cards

A form of Christmas card began in England first when young boys practiced their writing skills by creating Christmas greetings for their parents, but it is Sir Henry Cole who is credited with creating the first real Christmas card.  The first director of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, Sir Henry found himself too busy in the Christmas Season of 1843 to compose individual Christmas greetings for his friends.

He commissioned artist John Calcott Horsley for the illustration.  The card featured three panels, with the center panel depicting a family enjoying Christmas festivities and the card was inscribed with the message:  ”A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to You”.

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer

The Chicago-based Montgomery Ward department store, had been purchasing and distributing children’s coloring books as Christmas gifts for their customers for several years.  In 1939, the owners asked one of their own employees to create a book for them, thus saving money.  A copywriter, 34-year old Robert L May wrote the story of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and 2.4 million copies were handed out that year.  When May’s brother-in-law, songwriter Johnny Marks, wrote the lyrics and melody for the song “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” in 1947, the Rudolph phenomenon was born.  The song sold two million copies that year, going on to become one of the best selling songs of all time, second only to Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”.

Christmas Carols

Carols were first sung in Europe thousands of years ago, but there were not Christmas carols.  They were pagan songs, sung at the winter solstice celebrations as the people danced round stone circles.  The word carol actually means dance or a song of praise and joy.

Early Christians took over the pagan solstice celebrations for Christmas and gave people Christian songs to sing instead of pagan ones.  Soon after this many composers all over Europe started to write carols.  However, not many people liked them as they were all written and sung in Latin.  This was changed by St. Francis of Assisi when, in 1223, he started his nativity plays in Italy.  the people in the plays sang songs or “canticles” that told the story during the plays.  The new carols spread to France, Spain, Germany and other European countries.  Most of the best known carols such as Once in Royal David’s City and Away in a Manger are relatively recent having been written in America during the 19th century.

Isn’t history fascinating? Want to learn more? Come join boomeryearbook.com

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Dr Karen
http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/christmas-traditions-727758.html

We are looking at buying a house, and one we like has some bad Chimney problems. It needs serious repairs, and maybe even replaced. We could write in that the seller fixes that, but what would that be worth?

It is a wood burning Fireplace and the chimney is brick. The house is two stories, built in the late 70s and in central Ohio.

The only way to get any reasonable idea is to contact contractors and get at least 3 bids.

Rustic used to mean ‘rickety and cheap’, but rustic style is all grown up and now borders on sophisticated and trendy. Beautiful woods, polished logs, and twiggy charm has made rustic one of the most popular styles in the market today. Steven Spielberg has some. So does Sharon, Rick, and Rosanna. And even with all of that popularity and charm, it is, thankfully, one hot trend that is still easily affordable.

Other natural materials that can worked into the overall design are stones, perhaps for a Fireplace, flagstones for an entry way, and such items as evergreen branches and pinecones. The evergreen is especially popular for Christmas decorating, though pinecones are interesting accents for rustic home furnishings at anytime of the year. The outdoors can be brought into the house by potting native plants in stoneware or earthenware crockery, pottery, or terra cotta containers.

When Solomon, the wise king of the Old Testament, built the Temple of God, he used many precious stones and much fine gold. But he also used natural materials. “Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God. . . . . And the greater house he paneled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains. And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim” (2 Chronicles 3:3, 5-6).

Find lots of decorative accessories for a rustic interior, including lamps, clocks, candle holders, and much more. AND Bring color, texture and charm to your home with rustic furniture for the 21st century.

The Temple of God was uniquely designed and magnificently furnished. The royal style will never be confused with rural elements. But the design incorporated motifs and themes that were significant to the Israelites. This significance can be incorporated into country home furnishings by using items that invoke memories and traditions. Family photographs, treasured heirlooms, and cherished mementos can be artfully and tastefully displayed to invoke tradition and heritage. Needlework created by beloved family members can be transformed into creative wall hangings.

Even a quilt, if properly handled, can be displayed as a work of art. Many people make a hobby of finding unique items to add to their rustic home furnishings by visiting flea markets, antique stores, online auction sites, or thrift shops. Yard sales (known as tag sales in some parts of the country) are a great source for finding that perfect piece at a discounted price. For lots of people, the hunt is as much fun as acquiring something new.

No matter where a person lives, in an urban high-rise, a suburban ranch house, a rural farmhouse, or a wilderness log cabin, country decorating can create a relaxing and comfortable environment for family and friends. Natural materials, treasured heirlooms, and unique collectibles add to the rooted ambience of both country and rustic home furnishings.

Other furniture, such as tables, bookshelves, and an entertainment unit may be weathered or painted pine or perhaps crafted from aspen logs. Some pieces may be lightly painted in neutral colors or blues or greens. A red-barn color palette is also popular for country home furnishings. Coarse and unfinished pieces are perfect choices for this decorating style.

One of the fastest ways to add a dose of interest to a home is to bring in some textures. Rustic furnishings do that with charm and style.

Krista QQ(www.123giftfactory.com)
http://www.articlesbase.com/interior-design-articles/use-rustic-home-furnishings-to-create-a-country-home-in-the-city-down-719322.html