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Double Towel Bar Offers Simple Solution to A Damp Problem

It seems that wherever we move, wherever we visit, there’s rarely enough storage room for all our belongings. This seems most pronounced in the places that work hard for us-kitchens, garages, but especially in those workhorse rooms, the bathrooms. While it’s logical to add a third bay for more storage in a garage or build a kitchen spacious enough for to store all the gadgets and seating for an entire little league team, the bathroom often gets a shortchanged. A linen closet, great. Cabinets below the sink instead of a pedestal-another great storage solution. But, really, when it comes to the bathroom, getting creative with storage is necessary.

A friend and I visited the new home of an old neighbor, and we would be sharing a bathroom during our visit. When we got the house tour, I loved what she did to her guest bathroom. It wasn’t huge, but I could tell she took her time when she selected the bathroom hardware. When I was finishing my shower, I was delighted to see what Sally did to make a little better use of the space in there–she invested in a double towel bar. Linda and I did not have to wrestle for space to hang up our damp terrycloth. What a great idea!

When I got home I checked some websites specializing in bath hardware. I wanted to copy her good idea and improve the limited hanging space I had in my master bath.

What were my options? Like the traditional towel bars, I could find a double towel bar in all the standard sizes: 18, 24, 30 and 36 inches. I wanted one in a transitional style-with traditional lines but a contemporary finish. I found them with the newest finishes, like brushed nickel and oil-rubbed bronze. But if I wanted clean-lined stainless steel, I could find one of those, too. I saw traditional polished brass and antique reproductions-I could find a double towel bar to outfit any bathroom my taste desired.

My shopping curiosity was piqued, and I kept shopping online. I remember having a house with a short wall outside the bathtub-definitely not enough room for even the shortest towel bar. I found a double towel bar that swung out from the wall. It would have been a perfect solution to accommodate both mine and my husband’s wet towels.

I found another option, too-a hotel towel shelf with a double bar below. What a great storage idea-store folded bath towels and wash cloths on top, and hang the gently-used towels on the double towel bar below.

If you’ve got a linen closet for storing towels and still like this idea, you can get the hotel towel shelf with a double bar below, but instead of a rack, you can choose one with a tempered glass shelf. Install one of these near the bathroom sink, and you can place your cosmetics, a scented candle, and a pot of lucky …

Essential Accessories For Your Dining Room Bar

Setting up a dining room bar can seem like a complicated, expensive process. The truth is that is can be as complicated or as simple as you want it to be. It all depends on what type of set up you want. There’s an endless amount of bar accessories available for anyone that wants a professional bar in their home. But, if you just want a nice bar where you can entertain family and friends, there’s really only 5 essential bar accessories that you need.

Bar Ice Bucket and Tongs

While you can always run back and forth to the refrigerator for ice, it’s much easier to have a ice bucket at your dining room bar. Invest in a good quality insulated ice bucket. A cheap ice bucket just won’t keep the ice frozen for very long. Choose a fairly large sized ice bucket if you do a lot of entertaining. And, keep some ice tongs close at hand so that you don’t have to handle the ice.

Essential Glassware for Your Home Bar

If you don’t already have bar glasses and don’t want to purchase them, your regular kitchen glasses will work just fine. But, if you’re going to have a nice bar in your dining room, you really should have the right glassware. Every bar needs shot glasses and if you plan on fixing mixed drinks, you really need some 7 ounce glasses. If you plan to serve wine, you will need a set of wine or champagne glasses. And, if you love beer, you might want to add some beer mugs to your glassware collection.

Bar Jigger

A bar jigger is an essential bar accessory if you want delicious mixed drinks. Even a professional bartender would have trouble guessing at the perfect amount of ingredients. Choose one that has a 1 1/2 ounce measure on one end and a 3/4 ounce measure on the other end. Although a glass jigger will work, a stainless steel jigger will provide the best results. Glass jiggers generally hold more alcohol than the stainless ones.

Drink Shaker

If you want the best tasting cocktails, you are going to need a drink shaker. There are two different types of shakers, the Cobbler shaker and the Boston shaker. The Cobbler shaker has three separate pieces, the tumbler, the lid and a cap that fits on top of the lid with a built-in strainer. The Boston shaker only has two pieces, a glass container that will hold around 500 ml and a metal one that will hold about 900 ml. Either type of shaker will work just fine for most home bars. However, if you purchase a Boston shaker, you will need a separate strainer.

Barspoon

A barspoon does a lot of different jobs so it’s very important that you have one for your dining room bar. Not only is a barspoon used to stir cocktails, it’s also used to measure some of the ingredients. You can …

Build a Privacy Fence For Your Yard

Before you decide to build a privacy fence for your yard, there are several items you will need. You will need posthole diggers, a hammer, concrete, stakes, string, skill saw, nails or screws, drill, tape measure and a speed square.

Before you start to dig the holes for your fence, you must mark a fence line. This way you know where your fence is going to be. In addition, you will need to measure the area of your fence line with a tape measure. The reason you are going to be doing this is that, this way you can get an exact reading of how much material you will need by measuring square feet.

You are going to want to drive metal stakes ever 6 to 8 feet apart, for this is where your fence posts are going to be. After you have driven all the stakes in the ground were, you are going to have your fence. Take some sting and go around each stake this way you get a straight looking fence. For a privacy fence, you are going to want to buy 8-foot post.

Set all of the fence post about 1/3 or their total length buried in the ground for support use gravel followed by concrete, then use a level to make sure you post is level. Be sure you make sure each post is level, then after you have put up all the post and leveled then. Let the concrete dry for a day, so you know they are secure.

The next morning check the post to see if you can move them, if not then you can continue to build your fence. When arriving at the hardware store look for the longest 2 x 4’s you can find. You are going to get as many (2 x 4’s) as you need in order to start from one end of your fence to the other.

While you are there at the hardware store, you might as well get the fence boards that you will either be nailing or screwing to your fence. You may want to just, grab a bundle of these because you may end up using all of them.

This type of privacy fence is easy to build and anyone can do it, there is however, a little bit of measuring and mathematical skills required. In addition, afterward you will have a beautiful looking fence, while you are still at the hardware store; buy you some stain finish to apply to your fence.…

How to Buy a New Dining Room Set: Ask Yourself These Questions First

Buying a new dining room for your home is not an easy task like grocery shopping or buying tickets on-line for the next big Billy Joel concert. A perfect dining room purchase requires imagination, careful planning and follow-through. Too many times a loving couple, man or woman will venture into a furniture store to buy what they think will be an awesome dining room set that they will cherish and enjoy, only to choose a set that they dislike two days into their five year relationship. They should have done their due diligence at home.

Being at the store without knowing exactly what they want and what they will need for their family will lead to a house full of anxiety if the furniture store delivers their chosen set, and the set is completely wrong for their household. Save yourself the hassles, arguments and intense anger by planning first.

Ask yourself these questions before you arrive at any store:

1) Is the dining room set for everyday use, for formal occasions or do you need a dining room set for formal occasions and everyday use?

2) How many people will be sitting at your table enjoying two or three meals a day? Comfort and convenience are a major factor.

3) How much room do you have in your eating area? Measure accurately, in feet and inches, the entire room available. If necessary, lay some newspapers down on the floor to give you an example of available space. Don’t forget about the chairs. They take up space; however, they are not always “pushed in” under the table. Measure your available space with the chairs situated as if a person is seated in a comfortable position.

4) This is an easy question; what color set do you like?

5) Do you want a regular, standard 30″ height table or do you want the newest style, a 36″ counter height table with the 24″ dinette chairs acting as barstools? 24″ stools have become the latest fad; however, they are sometimes not the most comfortable. The foot supports, known as stretcher bars, must be placed in the correct position for optimum comfort and some people’s legs tend to tire when they are not comfortably resting on the floor. Double check and try to imagine sitting on a counter height set, before you make the purchase, for at least 20 minutes.

6) What kind of table top do you want: tile, marble, solid wood, melamine / painted paper finish or Formica? The most durable scratch resistant table tops are Formica and marble. The other finishes need placemats for table top protection if you want to keep your table looking fresh and elegant.

If you answer these questions before you visit a variety of furniture stores, your chance of a buying the right dining room set increases. Careful planning is the key to a great purchase that you will be happy about for …

Tips for Wallpapering Your Dining Room

Wallpaper is very fashionable at the moment and it is especially nice in the dining room. Why? Well, wallpaper adds a warmth through its design and texture, it helps to make a room feel cosy, lived in, more luxurious and creates the perfect ambeince for lingering over a meal, having an extra long chat over coffee after your meal, for creating the room that you want to spend time in.

How do you ensure that the wallpaper you choose is right for your dining room? How do you ensure it won’t overwhelm the room? What do you do if you don’t have a room for dining but a small area in an open place space or in the kitchen? Follow our tips for ideas on how to achieve that perfect space.

If your dining area is in a large open place space or at one end of the kitchen, then you need to create a zone for dining, rather than it looking like it is a table and chairs in the middle of a larger area. You can achieve this zone by wallpapering an area of the wall beside your dining table. You can do this in two ways – you can create a large panel by marking out an area approximately the width of the table and chairs and using architrave or wooden mouldings to create a large rectangle and simply wallpaper within it. The panelling will give it a nice finish. Alternatively, use wallpaper panels. Wallpaper panels are individual strips of wallpaper that have their own individual story or design within each one – they can be used singly or in multiples and you can mix and match wallpaper panels for your own individual design.

If the dining room is small, a busy or large scale wallpaper design might be overwhelming. Wallpaper a feature wall in your chosen wallpaper and keep the other details simple and plain so they aren’t all fighting for attention. Let the wallpaper be the feature and ensure your dining table accessories are in plain or co-ordinating colours. If there are alcoves within the room, you could wallpaper each of the alcoves.

Wallpapering the whole room is the pi?�c?� de resistance and can look magnificent as well as ensuring it is creating that comfortable convivial atmosphere for dining. Choose a wallpaper that has a small design or is light in colour. Yukari Sweeney’s Manor House wallpaper is an example that is perfect for dining rooms as the design incorporates chandeliers and candleabras, yet it is understated enough not to overwhelm a room.

If you have never used wallpaper before, the dining area is a lovely zone to start in.…

Tips on Buying a Dining Room Chair

There are things you need to consider when buying a dining chair such as comfort, style and design. With the variety of styles and designs offered by the furniture market, it can be quite challenging to look for the appropriate chair in this room.

Nevertheless, choosing a dining room chair is not that complicated as long as you know the essential elements to look for. Arriving at a decision on these elements will make it easy on getting the ideal chair for your needs.

How to choose the size

The size is the first thing that you need to know. It should fit in your dining room and the table. To do this, get the dimension of the room and table to know the size and the number of chairs you will need. Allot a space between the chairs to prevent elbows from knocking each other.

Will it be with arms or armless?

This will depend on your choice although armchairs are expected to be placed on the head of the table while armless chairs are positioned on the sides.

You can change this customary arrangement however, depending on your area and the mode you want to have. Having space that is more visible is the advantage of having armless chairs. On the other hand, providing more comfort for the elderly and those with health issues concerning their knees are the advantage of armchairs.

How to choose a style

Either you buy a whole set or buy the table and chairs individually. Whatever you choose, you must decide on the style that you want. Will it be casual or formal?

Some chairs have a solid back while others have an open back. They can be made of wood, metal, acrylic or upholstered. Check on all its sides – the back, seats, legs and arms (if you go for chairs with arms) and decide which will complement well with your dining room and table.

Deciding on the comfort-ability

Sit on the chair and lean your back on it. Does the seat support your bottom well? Is the height just enough for the table? Feel the cushions if you are getting an upholstered chair. Do you feel the frame or are there any bulges?

Choosing the material

The material used will determine not only its look and the way it feels but its durability as well.

Wood is the frequent material used. It is multipurpose and offers a variety of styles and finishes.

Giving you more choices for color and patterns are the upholstered ones.

Those made in acrylic fits a small dining room or a contemporary theme.

Metal offers a pensive appeal. You can go for those that are opaque or the hefty ones such as wrought iron. To have disparity, you can mix a rattled surface wooden table with your metal chairs.

Providing you style and texture are those made of wicker or rattan.

You can also have a mixture of these materials …

Building a Fence

when I moved house a couple of years ago, there were a a few selling points that really had me keen to buy. However, when visiting the garden, i was a bit put out to see that there was only a knee-high wire fence separating me from the neighbours! Now, I was sure they were delightful people, but I like some privacy in my garden, so one of the first things I did was to build a fence.

If you have visited a DIY store recently, you have probably seen the pre-made wooden panels of fencing that are for sale. and if you have taken the time to check out the price tag, so have probably turned away pretty quickly as well! i wanted something that would look good, and be far more solid and cheaper than these flimsy things.

The first thing to do is take your material list from the plans to a lumber yard. a basic fence will be composed of posts, rails and planks. There are literally hundreds of possible designs. Even something as simple as setting the wood horizontally or vertically will change the appearance of your fence quite a bit. i went for a simple vertical design.

The first step is to set your posts in concrete at intervals of 6 to 8 feet. This was all marked very clearly on the plans that I was following. They reminded me to make sure the posts were aligned. This is a key step because if you forget it, you will have a hard time digging out the concrete and starting again!

I used a simple vertical design, with 4 inch planks screwed to the cross-beams. This was a good choice for my yard because the side is not completely straight and it allowed me to follow the curve. I made the whole thing a touch under 6 foot high, again just following the plans. Once finished, i whitewashed the whole thing which gives it a clean, old-fashioned look.…

The market is currently flooded with properties, whether we’re talking about homes, land, condos or anything in between. This is why it’s so difficult to find the right type of real estate when you’re ready to buy. Give this article a thorough read before you decide to invest your money in any venture.

Look for alternative sources in reaching your down payment goal. Sometimes you may have the option to apply for government programs that will assist with the purchase. First time home buyers should always exercise this option, as it can save you an immense amount of money which can be used to begin your life in your new home.

Don’t let the decor or minor cosmetic issues keep you from buying what would otherwise be your dream home. Simple home improvements like repainting, changing (or just cleaning)carpeting, or upgrading fittings and tiling, could turn something you find ugly, into something that feels like it was a custom built home just for you.

Look at a lot of houses before you buy, even if you love the first property you tour. It can be easy to fall in love with the idea of buying a house and then, consequently, the first property you see. Make sure to tour many other properties for comparison, just to make sure that the house you choose has everything you want or need.

Buying a home that is up for auction is a great way to get a fabulous home for far less than what it is worth. It is a game of sorts that many investors play so it can be difficult for the average home buyer to win the auctions that are held.

As the government is subsidizing your home purchase, buying a home not only provides housing to you and your family, but it has tax advantages too. All of the property taxes and mortgage interest you pay on the property can be deducted from your gross income, which may significantly reduce your taxable income.

Before you begin looking for a home to buy, know what you can afford. There are many affordability calculators online that take various factors into account, but they are still only guidelines. You may prefer to spend a little less on a house payment to make sure one spouse can stay home with kids, or you might want to go a little higher to avoid having to move again in a few years.

When looking to purchase a house, and it is possible you will resell, keep in mind the number of bedrooms will determine how easy your house will sell later on down the road. Homebuyers like three and four bedroom houses the best. If you buy a house within that range, more buyers will be interested in your house when it comes time to resell.

As we mentioned in the opening, you will find a lot of properties out there when you’re a real estate buyer. It can be quite confusing and even quite …

Dining Room Furniture – The Best Choice For Your Home

The dining room is one of the most important places in your home that you would either like to improve or to continuously maintain. That is why it is essential that you get hold of the right dining room furniture that will not only suit your needs but will also show the importance of this room for your family.

Since the dining area is where we most likely eat with our family and friends, you should look for the best dining chairs and dining table available for your very own home. This may be a bit challenging because of a lot of options available out there when it comes to furniture, however, with enough research on what you should consider and look into to come across the perfect dining room furniture for you; you will surely be able to get hold of the right choice.

Aside from the best dining chairs and table, you can also search for cabinets, chest, drawers, china cabinets crockery cases and other options when it comes to finding the right furniture that would fit your dining room. Of course it is important for you to make sure that the place where you would like to spend your time discussing the daily events at school, at work or anywhere else while eating your meals; must look special and must be comfortable for you and these people who mean to you a lot.

Now to make sure that your dining area would look as pleasing and comfortable as it could be, you may want to check out some resources which could help you with deciding on what dining room furniture design would best fit your dining area and what would best match the walls the ceiling the flooring and everything that is already set up for styling this room.

One of the best resources that you may look into is by searching for interior decorating styles and designs available online. If you subscribe to home depot magazines, you can also get modern ideas from there. Keep in mind that having the right furniture for any room in your house is essential and will definitely give you the right comfort from your very own home.…

Finding the Right Fence Contractor

Finding the right fence contractor does take some time and effort if you want to get the job done the right way the first time. Determine how much money you can afford to spend on the equipment, supplies, and labor. Then pick out the style or design that you want to have built. You can do this by contacting several builders. Keep reading to find out how to find the best contractor to do this job for you.

Call the American Fence Association at (800) 822-4342. Ask for information about finding a professional in your area. This organization will be glad to assist you. Most fencing organizations screen their contractors to make sure they can actually do the work. For example, they offer educational opportunities and certification in the field. When you use the services of an association, they are normally free, quick and easy to use. Consumers do not have an obligation to buy anything.

Contact several ones by using a professional group. For instance, you can contact a Home Builder’s Association or a Carpenter’s Club. Read magazines and publications about hiring general contractors. This will help you hire the right person for the job. Get six quotes and narrow the search down to three price quotes and read all the fine print. Select the vendor that you know will deliver the best service for you and your budget.

Finally, using the services of a fence contractor association has many advantages. Most importantly, they help you avoid dealing with someone that might take your money and run. Some of the services through a specialty group are guaranteed or they will make sure that everything is done according to the way you specified. Home associations can also offer reduced rates to consumers. Do not for get to use the Internet to help you along the way because it is also an excellent resource.…