HOME DECORATION USA

Do you want that vintage look for your home? That old world decor - those wooden beams and that oh-so-rich wooden flooring! If yes, then explore the usage of reclaimed wood. This type of wood is environment friendly, looks great and stable. Today, you have a few companies which supply reclaimed wood to help you realize your dream. There are companies online that offer reclaimed-wood flooring at exciting prices. These companies are suppliers of an array of products related to wood, like reclaimed wooden furniture, flooring, beams and so on.

These companies procure reclaimed wood from mills and factories belonging to the 19th century, grain elevators, wooden dams and barns found all over the USA. Keeping in mind the kind of look you want for your home, you may go for the wide plank flooring or the reclaimed strip flooring. You can also pick your choice from the numerous types of reclaimed wood like Hickory, Maple, Antique Oak to name a few.

To match up with your flooring and interiors, go for the reclaimed beams to create an unparalleled look! Barns of the 19th century, textile mills, warehouses and more are the sources from where these beams are obtained by the vendors. Further, these beams are available in various wood species including Wormy Chestnut and Heart Pine. Pecky Cypress is yet another variety of reclaimed wood used to build beams. Owing to its poriferous look, the wood features high in the list of architects and home decorators to produce a distinct look. It is also used across luxury houses, fishing and hunting inns for beautification purposes. The wood species is available in various sizes and lengths. Usually, a lead time of two to four weeks is required to get this particular variety of reclaimed wood.

The best part about purchasing reclaimed-wood from one of the reputed online vendors is ease of ordering. They also provide you dependable shipping and transportation service, making your buying experience an unforgettable one!

If you are still looking for a specific type of wood or a particular kind of look for your home; the vendor companies will provide you assistance to explore your options and help you get that desired look.

Create a trendy kitchen in one of this years hottest color schemes, Teal Blue and Lime Green! It's easy to pull off this hot new trend when you follow the tips and tricks outlined in this article.

The biggest concern that people have when considering this color scheme for their home decor, is "how do I pull this off, without it coming across busy and overpowering". This can be achieved by finding the correct balance in your home decor. You're not going to want to make everything in the room teal blue and lime green, the key is to incorporate those colors into a neutral base color scheme.

First you will want to start with a light color base on your walls. This can be achieved with a color of fresh white paint but I think that you can achieve a much more polished room design by choosing a faux wallpaper in a white or light cream. A metallic sheen wallpaper would set a fabulous tone for this room decor theme.

After you have your base layer completed it is time to bring color into the room. This can be done by using a bold stripe window treatment with dominant colors of teal blue and lime green. You can balance the strong visual lines of the window treatment by adding solid elements in the kitchen such as the back splash and the cupboard. The color scheme is carried throughout the room with small accents such as the cushions that atop your kitchen stools.

You can create an interesting visual focal point in your kitchen by designing your own kitchen island. This can be done by using two shelving units with a work surface placed across the top. This is a much more cost effective option for developing an island in your kitchen and you won't have to pay for custom woodwork.

Interior Designers USA

You may be bursting at the seams with natural talent, but if you want to become an Interior Designer in the US or Canada, you need to be licensed by the NCIDQ (National Council for Interior Design Qualifications). In the past, many individuals may have had the talent but not the financial resources to follow their dream of becoming a designer, but now a window of opportunity has been opened wide by a European organisation called Limperts Academy of Design...

In the USA & Canada, the NCIDQ are responsible for official licensing through their examination, which is required by anyone wishing to practice interior design in many states. Limperts Academy of Design offer a BTEC HND (Higher National Diploma)in Interior Design that meets the NCIDQ education requirements of 60 semester credits. Students can complete this program in as little as two years, and after gaining the specified amount of work experience they will be eligible to sit the NCIDQ examination. A significant benefit of the course structure offered by Limperts Academy of Design is that home study removes international borders and many obstacles that have previously existed. One such obstacle is the cost of education in the US, where a typical 2 year college course will cost in the region of $50,000. A similar college program in Europe will be a fraction of that cost and indeed, this HND in Interior Design is available for less than the cost of a typical semester in the US.

With financial barriers removed in this way, you have the opportunity to explore your natural talent and study while you continue to earn in your full time employment. Limperts Academy of Design also structure this particular program so that after successfully completing the first part of the program, students will be awarded a Diploma in Interior Design. This will enable you to begin building your work experience as you continue to study. The benefits of this approach are obvious and Limperts Academy are the only course provider to deliberately structure their courses this way and offer this level of flexibility. So you really can have your cake AND eat it!

Limperts Academy of Design specialise in professional design training programs that train students through home study. Their Head Office is based in Ireland and they have enrolled students in over 17 countries, helping them to achieve standards of excellence through distance learning that were previously described as "impossible". Their commitment to providing quality training programs has resulted in unique teaching and student support systems that produce unparalleled results. Principal Maria Flynn sums up their approach, "We don't just teach design, we encourage each and every student to access and nurture their own natural sense of flair and creativity. We also teach the technical and practical skills necessary to translate those design ideas into reality."

Differences Between Interior Design & Decorating

When it comes to home improvements, you often hear the terms interior decorator or interior designer. Usually these terms are interchanged, but did you know these two actually differ? Let us learn and differentiate the two, should you be interested to pursue a career in either one of them.

First let us look at what an interior designer does. They are the creative professionals who work on the structural aspect of a house. They need to make designs, sketches, plans under strict safety codes and regulations. But prior to this, an interior designer is required to take classes to get at least a diploma, better yet a bachelor's degree or even proceed for masters. After that, they are still subjected to licensing exams, which would allow them to work especially in certain states. Some interior designers who get enough education and experience can also proceed to work as certified architects.

An interior decorator on the other hand does not require that much formal training and a license in order to work. Their training demands are less rigorous. Some decorators are self-taught, as long as they have the right aesthetics to beautify a space, while others can opt to take short training programs or an associate's degree in a community college.

The nature of their work also varies in that an interior decorator is concerned mainly on the appearance of a space. This would include things like what colours the walls should be, what drapes would complement it, how many throw pillows to include, or should you be placing a carpet in the area. They can even change the floors or mouldings on the ceiling, but they cannot change any standing structure. Just as their title imply, they only make decorative alterations and improvements.

Interior designers work more closely with architects, although designers cannot alter or move load-bearing structures, they can change the non-load bearing fixtures in a space. To do this, they would need a design, which can range from a sketch to a plan which he can also render in 3D. They also work with other elements such as lighting, doors, or windows. It is also their job to see to it that a design falls within safety regulations.

A designer's concern is more about the total appearance of an area, including its architectural elements, while a decorator is limited only on good arrangements for a better living space.

If an interior decorator selects the kind of furniture to place in a room, the interior designer goes steps further because they know how to design, select materials and make furniture. Another thing is that an interior designer focuses on one area, while a decorator can work with various spaces.

These differences make it clear that an interior designer and interior decorator are two different professions. Although they are in the same ballpark, but they both play different games.

If you find yourself interested in the interesting and challenging field of interior designing, we at Raffles Design Institute can provide you with the best education and training. We prepare our students to be globally competitive through our industry relevant curriculum, intensive training programs, and experienced lecturers. We have a total of 38 colleges, in 35 cities, in 14 countries.

Interior Decorator Expert

So you're tired of looking at your house. It's looked the same for years and you just can't take it anymore. Should you sell it and find a new place to live? That's certainly one option, but if you happen to like your neighborhood then you could just do some home decorating and make it look like new. So if you've decided on the latter, you will need some interior decorating ideas.

Living / Family Room
It's time to get rid of the old sofa and, yes, even that favorite recliner that your father-in-law falls asleep in every time he visits. If new furniture is an option, great! But if it isn't, look for some great furniture covers. Furniture covers can change the whole look of a room for a fraction of the cost of new furniture, and the recliner will still be just as comfy. If you happen to have both a living room and a family room, try switching the furniture around. You probably spend more time in one room than the other and switching the furniture between the two rooms every so often will make them both last longer and give you a new look to work with.

Have your carpets cleaned and paint the walls. Don't be afraid of color! The best interior decorating experts will tell you that white walls are boring. Take a swatch from the furniture, or a throw pillow, and find paint that matches one of the colors in it. Make sure not to use the primary color of the furniture on the walls, you don't want them to blend. You do want good contrast. Get some new window dressings and nic-nacs and your room will look like brand new.

Kitchen
Interior decorating in the kitchen is a bit more difficult, but there are a few ways to make it look new. Start with some new window dressings, a throw rug under the table, and a nice new border on the freshly painted walls. If that's not enough, you could paint your cupboards and install new handles and pulls, or remove the upper cupboard doors if it's not too much of a mess inside. This will make your kitchen look much larger and more open. A nice, new faucet goes a long way in a kitchen, too.

Bedrooms
Clean the carpets and paint the walls. Replace the window coverings and the bed linens, and rearrange the furniture. You're not just sleeping in there, right? We all know that the bedroom is often our only retreat, so you want to make it a nice, new room to relax in. Put a comfortable chair and a small bookcase near a window and make a nice reading corner. For the kids' rooms, take them to the paint store and let them pick out their own colors and decorations. Let the kids go online and look for awesome things for their rooms. You will be the coolest parent around if you let the kids decorate their own spaces.

Bathrooms
There's not much interior decorating that can be done in a bathroom without replacing the fixtures. You can certainly replace the shower curtain, window coverings, accessories, and toilet covers and rugs. Make sure to put a fresh coat of paint on the walls, too.

For more Information on this topic  a free Online Home & Garden Renovation & Design Directory in 100 Cities in North America. Featuring over 1 million free Real Estate Classifieds, Helpful Articles, Contests, Virtual home tools, Qualified Trades, Forums, a moving center, get free quotes for Insurance, Moving, Mortgages, Contractors, Find Foreclosures and Much More...

ASID - American Society of Interior Designers

All architecture is based on the human form. All human beings, even primitive ones, eat, sleep, walk and converse. All architecture and furnishings reflect these human activities. Civilized human beings attempt to perform these activities with some degree of grace and harmony.

Over the millennia, harmonious proportions and relationships between human beings and their  built environment have been studied, recorded and documented. When Leonardo da Vinci drew his "Vitruvious man", he was echoing archetypal principles, which had already been discovered by the ancient Romans and Greeks.The ancient Greeks believed in sacred geometry and harmonious relationships of octaves based on the seventh in the musical scale, as well as fourths and fifths that produced the so-called music of the spheres. Sacred geometry extended to the built environment, and it was believed that divinity created through geometry.

The ancient Chinese also believed in harmonious relationships between human beings and our built environment and established an elaborate system of synchronizations through the practice of Feng-sui.

So where does that put us in modern and contemporary society? Why do we look at endless arrangements of furnishings and buildings as if anything new could be created? It is necessary for a human body to sit- therefore it is inevitable that a chair would be created. It is necessary for a human body to sleep, therefore it is inevitable that a bed would be created. It is necessary for a human being to converse with other human beings, therefore two seats must be positioned for conversation to occur. We must eat, therefore we must have eating utensils, and by extrapolation, tables. If all of these furnishings are to be placed in a useful, pleasing and harmonious relationship to each other and to the human beings who use the furnishings, we then have interior design. Our endless fascination with the built environment is also indeed inevitable, after all, it is the reflection of ourselves- our body, soul and mind. Interior design and architecture has very little to do with "style" and "taste" and "money" as modern publications would want us believe. In reality interior design and architecture has to do with much deeper and inescapable expressions of the human psyche, body and soul.

That is why interior design for the human spirit is a pressing psychological and physical need in contemporary society, and that is why I am writing this document.

Let us start with scale....

The first sacred principle for design is Scale.

An infant is tiny. We place our infants in furniture that is scaled down to their tiny proportions, cribs and cradles and high chairs. Looking at an infant in a king-sized bed is comical, and perhaps even unsafe. In order for the infant to be safe and comfortable, they must be placed in surroundings scaled to their size. So we can see that scale is of the utmost importance in architecture and furnishings. Why are most standard door openings 6'8" high? Because most adult human beings stand under 6'2" tall. This is not to say that there are not exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, the 6"8" door opening is scaled to the prevalent human proportions of our society. So after millennia of research into human proportion, we finally have agreed upon a modern standard for a door opening. Of course, if we wish to have a more imposing door, perhaps we will make it 8 feet tall. A cathedral or public space may have grand doors that are 10' tall. But of necessity we will feel most comfortable with a doorway that is scaled to our proportions, and we discovered this many millennia ago. So scale is of the utmost importance when designing for human beings. It is important because it is one of the four sacred principles of design.

Let us continue with proportion ....

Proportion is similar to scale. But proportion has to do with the relationships of parts to the whole, while as scale has to do with the relationship of the whole to a greater whole. A well proportioned chair maintains its ratios and proportions whether the entire object is scaled larger or smaller. So with proportion we examine the parts to the whole, and with scale we examine the entire object as regards its greater environment. And architecture reflects the proportions and scale of the human body. Proportion is another of the four sacred principles of design.

Let us continue with relationship . . .

Everything in the built world exists in some relationship to something else. As a matter of fact, everything in life relates to some aspect of something else. Without relationship, we have no method for comparison. All of our perceptions of size relate to one object in relation to another object. So even if an object is perfectly proportioned and scaled to its environment, if it is not in proper relationship to other objects in the environment, things will look disjointed and goofy.

Let us continue with context . . .

In speaking and writing, we have a context for our descriptions. A narrative that is taken out of context can seem completely irrelevant if not false. Every environment has a narrative, a story it tells. So the architecture and design of a space speaks a narrative to us as we enter and look around. The site and the exterior architecture should tell us something of the interior space. In our own home, the interior space should speak to us of our deepest longings and fulfill our deepest aspirations. But there must be context. A single persons home may reflect their personality entirely, while a family home with four children may speak of that context, and perhaps the narrative would be completely inappropriate for the single person. All of these considerations must be invoked when designing space.

A methodology for creating harmonious interiors

1. You must determine the scale of what you hope to accomplish.

2. You must determine the proportions of what you hope to accomplish.

3. You must determine the relationship of your project to yourself, your significant others, your community, and the world at large.

4. You must determine the context of your project in relation to your personal narrative.

Your first plans should be done in black and white with rudimentary measurements. You are looking for scale and proportion, not a finished product. In the second stage, you can start filling in actual color, products, and specifications. In the third stage, you edit. Everything that does not enhance your narrative needs to be edited out. In the fourth stage, you actually build, install and finish.

The process of design should be uplifting and creative, not stressful and money-oriented. When you truly have realized a harmonious plan, you should feel that all of your emotional and financial energies have been well spent. In regards to this, a talented designer should also make you feel like your money and efforts have been well spent.

US Interior Design Firms information

There are many areas of design that the aspiring designer can begin their career in. Interior design career information can be found online or from your local library or even from contacting a local design firm. Like any career, it can be hard to find work without experience. Student's expectations are high after years of hard work and long hours studying.

Getting an education is the starting point for an interior design career. Information on finding a quality-accredited school can be found in your local yellow pages or on the internet. Once you have graduated, it can still be tough to find work. However, it just takes time. Be patient and persistent!

An important thing to consider is that you should focus on your strengths in the design field. For example, if you are strong in residential design then focus your job search to firms that specialize in residential interior design. You can always work on areas you are not as strong in once you have been hired for your first job. Working on your own in the evening can also improve your skills. You can even offer your services free of service as a volunteer for a few hours a week just to gain some valuable experience and knowledge.

Your research on interior design career information will provide you with many different areas that you can work in such as healthcare, retail, government, residential and commercial.
Spend some time at the local library doing valuable research on interior design career information. You will be able to locate information on names of interior design firms and their addresses, their telephone and fax information along with the contact name at the specific design firm.

When searching for any new job you must have a resume and cover letter that look great. Try to keep the resume on one page. Many people are now burning their resume to a CD and presenting it that way. If you have a website of your portfolio, make sure you include that with your resume. Your resume is a vital tool when doing your interior design career information and job search. About a week after you have mailed your resume, place a call, introduce yourself, and perhaps even secure an interview. This is an important part of the job search strategy and many individuals ignore it.

Your interior design career information plan should also include employment agencies. Many firms go through agencies when they need extra help. Many of these types of positions are temporary in nature. This would be a good way to get your foot in the door and make a good impression. You may not be hired after the temporary position expires but you may get yourself a good reference and valuable experience.

We hope that this information has helped in your interior design career information search. An interior design career can be very flexible or structured depending on the design niche you decide to pursue. Remember that perseverance will get you that dream design job you have always wanted. Do not give up!

Career In Interior Design

There is more to Interior Design than home decorating. The career opportunities for interior design graduates are endless.

According to the United States Department of Labor, employment of interior designers is expected to grow 19 percent from 2006 to 2016, faster than average for all occupations.

If you are interested in a hands-on education, working with the latest design software technology that results in a wide variety of fulfilling positions, this may be a career path for you. Earn a Bachelors of Science in Interior Design or an Interior Design & Decorating Associates degree and start your career as a

Green Designer - Green designers work with builders, specifying eco-friendly materials from renewable resources and designing energy efficient homes & buildings in Florida.

Healthcare Designer - Designing the interior structure of hospitals, doctor offices, medical clinics and facilities. A healthcare interior designer job is to make sure the medical facility is built within the governed regulations and technical requirements needed to function. Also, a major role of a medical interior designer is to design the clinic for optimal operational productivity and increasing the bottom line.

Buyer or Purchasing Agent - Working for large retail stores, department stores and furniture stores. A Buyer decides what merchandise will be sold at a store. Professional Buyers travel to trade shows and are innovators for the latest trends.

Hospitality or Service Designer - Working with hotels/resorts, sports stadiums and restaurants. A hospitality designer creates a pleasant & functional space for people to gather.

Set Designer - Working on television, exhibit, movie and theater sets. A set designer works closely with the director and studies the script to determine the appropriate set design. This includes selecting the furniture, wall & floor coverings and other props to give the set the desired mood and time period of the script.

Government Designer - Designing the interiors for public buildings such as court houses, training facilities and jails. Designers who specialize in public buildings concentrate on accessibility design and operational design. During the interior design process of government buildings the interior designers make sure the accessible environment meets the needs of people who are blind or have poor vision. Also, the designer is responsible to design the facility to meet the needs of the service it provides.

Preservationist -Working with historic buildings and museums. A Preservationist helps preserve, conserve and protect buildings and its materials of historic significance.

Event Designer - Designing and decorating corporate parties, charity balls or other large gatherings

Exterior Decorating

The basic exterior look of your home depends on two main elements: the house and the yard. Learn to integrate these elements together, so that they appear like natural extensions of each other. If, for example, you decide to use landscaping and ornaments to accentuate your front lawn, use a simpler design for the actual house, so that both elements work together rather than compete against each other. Experiment to find which element is stronger (not all lawns are created equal), and use the other to bring attention to it. At the very least, make sure that your house looks like it belongs on your lawn, and wasn't just plopped there by some kind of giant accident.

It's a Landscape!

One of the most underused tools in exterior decorating is the actual look of your neighborhood - both manmade and natural. Many homeowners focus so much on just their own homes that they forget to take a step back, quite literally, and look at their homes from a distance. This means that they are blind to the look of other houses, and the general environment, of their neighborhood. Don't make that mistake.

Here's a tip: take some photographs of your home. Not only are they great mementos (and start to achieve nostalgic status in a few years), but they flatten the view of your home so that you're forced to see the background as well as the foreground. On these photos, look below, around, and above your home to see what colors, shapes, and objects dominate. If there are jagged, snow-capped mountains in the background, for instance, take that into account, and use rounder, darker colors to create contrast. If your home is surrounded by trees, use earthy tones to mask elements that you don't want catching anyone's eye.

Avoid the Black Sheep

Some homeowners, in an attempt to be different - and under the assumption that everything different is automatically good - go overboard with differentiation, and create a house that sticks out like a sore thumb rather than as the best of the bunch.

A good example is roof color. In some subdivisions, and even in some small towns, there are bylaws in place that limit the type of shingle a homeowner can have (or even enforce a certain color!) in order to create a sense of visual, neighborhood cohesion. However, simply because an area does not have this type of restriction does not mean that you should slap a batch of neon green shingles on your roof just to stand out.

In many circumstances, it is often desirable to mimic some of the existing mood of a neighborhood, rather than reinventing it. If your entire street consists of brown-roofed homes, perhaps you should look into a brown roof as well - and show off your creative side on another part of the home! Which brings us to...

The General Rule

The whole point of exterior decorating is to make your home look better than the houses around it. In order to accomplish this, it has to be different from its neighbors. Use your yard and the look of your house, as well as the environment around it, to achieve this goal. However, keep in mind that not every house that sticks out actually looks good! Remember, the best sprinter in the world is not the one who can pole vault the highest.

In other words, you want your home to be all the things that the neighboring houses are - but to be them better. Do not go so overboard with changes (like neon green roofs!) that your house stops looking like a house.

Interior Design Degree

Earning an Interior design degree is becoming one of the more popular degrees offered by accredited colleges and universities. At this time, Interior design is regulated in 24 states. Thus if you are interested in entering the world of interior design it is highly recommended that you earn a bachelors degree in Interior Design before applying for your interior designers license.

Not only is an interior design degree extremely important, knowledge of CAD software (computer-aided design) is equally important for the new interior designer. Employers prefer the graduate who can navigate the modern technologies because it is time saving and highly cost effective.

Earning an online interior design degree is very much in vogue, thus the emphasis on the CAD software. Due to the advent of the internet, more and more schools are reaching out to students from around the world.

Interior designers must be intelligent and creative in order to economize the limited amount of space available in some of the world's larger cities. An interior design degree will provide the student with the knowledge and practicality in order to meet the ever-changing demands placed on the busy interior designer.

Clearly, an interior design degree is the first step in building your career in interior design. To develop your natural talent and creativity you need the proper training and education. To become established in the interior design world you must have a formal college interior design degree.

The successful interior design degree graduate will use their creativity to design private homes, corporate offices, retail stores and restaurants. The designer will use their knowledge of color, architecture and creative design to create beautiful living and work spaces.

Interior design degree programs teach skills in graphic drawing, color theory, interior finishing, and space planning and construction technology. Students will learn all aspects of the technical, creative and even the human element factors in interior decorating and design. Building codes and safety factors are also covered in depth.

When researching an interior design degree program find out whether the school offers knowledgeable industry professionals as instructors. You want to learn from the best! Another important factor in choosing a school is whether or not the school offers online training as well as in class training. That way you may be able to study on your own time, which many of today's students require.

Interior design degree programs teach the student the historical perspectives of human environment, interior design practices and the techniques of working with interior design professionals along with the responsibilities and ethics that go along with the profession

Discount Home Decor

Home furnishings can be very expensive, if discretion and research is not applied. Discount home furnishings make the renovation of a home an affordable affair. There are many suppliers that allow the buyer to compare the discount prices of different stores, online. These discount home furnishing stores reduce costs considerably.

Sometimes, a small antique piece catches the fancy of the customer. It could enhance and give the room an exclusive look. The customer's desire to own the same is understandable, but the price may be the constraint. There are many discount outlets that offer a variety of such decorative articles at very reasonable prices.

Many curios, hand carved photo frames, candle stands and elegant vases are available. Discount curios for showcase cabinets are a favorite among discount shoppers.

These items are discounted to meet the existent competitive rates. Each store displays work of excellent craftsmanship. It is essential to do a little research on the store and supplier, before a purchase. If it is a reputed store offering the discounted sale, the buyer need not worry about the quality of the product. If the store is new, then checking the quality of the item, with the help of a professional, is beneficial.

Furnishings available online can be shipped to the customer. It is important to identify a supplier who will cancel the order, if the item turns out to be of inferior quality. In addition, it is essential to get a supplier who does not charge for shipping discount furnishings. The customer can choose from the classic designs, the regulars and the custom made variety.

Discount home furnishings are a boon for low budget shoppers. Customers can avail of the curios or decorative articles at discount shops. These could be used to give the room or home an antique look.

So you have been thinking that it is time to do some remodeling in your home, but with the economy tanking and your pocketbook telling you that you just can't afford it, there are some options available to you. Discount home lighting is a great way to brighten up your home without laying out a lot of cash.

And with so many styles of lighting available these days, with a little patience and searching you should have no trouble finding something that fits the decor of your home, whether it is traditional or contemporary.

Maybe the best place to look for discount home lighting these days is on the Internet. With so many websites out there devoted solely to home decor and lighting, it would definitely be worth the time to surf around and do some comparison shopping.

If you have not shopped for home lighting fixtures in a while, you will likely be amazed at all the choices that are out there, from track lighting to pendant lighting to recessed lighting, the selection is endless. So before you shop, it would not be a bad idea to know a bit about what you are looking for ahead of time.

Another good source of discount home lighting is neighborhood yard sales and flea markets. As the saying goes, "One man's trash is another man's treasure," so you shouldn't have much problem finding quality lighting products for a fraction of their value.

If you look hard enough, you might even be able to find some valuable antique lighting that would not only give your home a more elegant appeal but it can also be worth some money. You shouldn't forget about the online auction sites such as eBay. Many times, you can get like-new lighting for the price of used lighting.

And when it comes to discount home lighting, don't forget about the outside of your home. A great alternative in these energy-conscious times is the use of solar outdoor lighting. While this may cost a little more than traditional lighting, it will eventually pay for itself in the form of reduced electric bills.

You'll still be achieving a discount on your home lighting; you'll just be receiving it on the back end. Keep in mind that just because your budget says you can only afford discount lighting, the term "discount" doesn't have to mean a sacrifice in quality.

Outdoor Decorating

Your outdoor decor is just as important as your indoor decor. It could be even more important considering it is the first thing people see when they go to your house. There are so many ways to make the outside look nice. Trees, flowers, garden statues, furniture and the list goes on.

I will only be talking about a few of things to spice up the outside. Some people think that to have a nice yard is to have a really elaborate outdoor kitchen or living area. That is not exactly true. You can decorate your yard or garden with cheap wind chimes and birdhouses and it will be very pretty. Not everyone has the money for the outdoor kitchens/living areas, so I want to show you things most people can do to add a bit of beauty and relaxation to your yard.

Birdhouses add beauty in a couple different ways. One, it can show your personality and second it brings the birds. Birdhouses are a bit tricky. Make sure that your birdhouse is natural. Birds want to feel safe and if you draw a lot of attention to a birdhouse they won't feel secure. Birds naturally find or make their homes so they have a place to hide from predators. Bright colors draw attention that they don't want. There are many different options for birdhouses. Find something you are interested in such as lighthouses or maybe you have always wanted a Victorian house. You may think of your interest as bright however if you look you can find a birdhouse that is neutral and reflects your interest.

Wind chimes are another simple way to add decor to your outside. They come in many different kinds. Whether you like hummingbirds or fairies you can find a wind chime to show your interest. They also have a soft tone to calm things down outside. Just be careful that you don't put too many out or you may have too much noise. Sitting outside should be peaceful and too many wind chimes may take away from the natural sounds of the outdoors. Most people like to put them on a porch, however, you can hang them anywhere you like. Try hanging one from a tree or in your garden. I love wind chimes because they can bring a bit of color to your house and they are a cheap way to decorate.

Gardens are pretty on their own, however, they are fun to decorate as well. The flowers or plants that are in gardens can take a lot of work. The beauty they offer is worth the effort. Sometimes putting little figurines or statues in a garden really livens it up. Garden gnomes and garden frogs are popular figurines people put in their garden. Don't hide the figurines though.

If you have an entrance for your garden this is a good place to put them. They are small but make a big impact. Some of them have nice little sayings on them so when you are needing something positive in your day you can go to your garden and read it. There are two benefits to this. First, you have words of wisdom and second you can look at your garden!

With summer here there are so many activities going on. Sometimes it's nice to sit back and relax. Hammocks are a great way to do this. I recently found out that they make hammock chairs. You get the benefit of a hammock and your not laying down. Hammocks are usually thought of as hanging from trees. The nice thing about them is that they can come with stands so you can put them anywhere.

There are different types of hammocks so you can choose one that would fit your taste. Hammocks give you a chance to enjoy the outdoors and relax. Whether its reading a book or watching nature you can relax while doing it.

Decorative Home Accents

Are you ready for a little change in your home atmosphere? Have you considered totally redecorating, but then you not exactly where to begin? Why not add some decorative home accents to make your place look more unique and enjoyable? By adding a few decorative home accents, you are beautifully expressing who you are and what your home stands for!

Accents can be conversation pieces. In other words, when you have company over and are running out of things to entertain them with, a conversation piece might spark up something for you to discuss.

There are wide arrays of decorative home accents available. Accents can range from vases, votives, to artist made bowls. Finding the right accent to spruce up your home can be a pleasurable experience. You want to find the precise accent that will add comfort to your home. A home with decorative home accents can make a guest feel more welcome.

The following are a few ideas that can get you started,

* Lawrence Essentials has carved a beautiful rectangle bud vase, which is made out of resin. This vase makes lilacs look really elegant!

* Jan Barboglio's collections have two really distinct votive holders. The Basket Flower Candle Holder is made up of iron and holds a hand-blown glass for votives. This piece will add warmth to your home. The Rail Votive Holder is an iron railroad candle holder that can hold up to 12 votives. This hand finished piece is quite an embellishment.

* You can infuse any room with style by setting an artist made bowl on a table or a shelf. The Mary Jurek Fidelia Bowl is a very popular artistry bowl made out of hammered stainless steel. This textured bowl can be used to attractively hold many assorted objects!

These are just a few home décor accents that you could use to add charm to one of your rooms. There are many collections that are created with themes. Use these themes to decoratively express yourself.

You could also purchase a home décor accent as a gift. Coming up with creative ideas for a gift can be rather cumbersome. Shop for home décor accents the next time you have to purchase a gift for a special occasion. Many people are on limited budgets and won't spend extra to add to their home décor. Because of this fact, giving a gift such as a vase, votive, or artist made bowl will be used and much appreciated.

Accents can create such a unique and pleasant atmosphere that you will want to show your home off! Therefore, take the time to enhance the look of your home by adding your own personal touch! And if you don't want to purchase it for yourself, purchase it for someone else to brighten up their home. There will always be a place in a home to liven up  therefore, you can never go wrong with purchasing home décor accents.

Decorators Interior

An interior decorator is a person whose task is to put into shape the loveliest place in your life - your house. The responsibility of these people is to design not only the most beautiful homes and apartments but also offices, cultural establishments educational institutions (kindergartens, schools, colleges, institutes, universities), sports establishments (stadiums, sports palaces), nutritional establishments  medical establishments (hospitals, health centres, preventoriums, polyclinics), public offices etc. Interior decorators make our surroundings look as beautiful as possible. At first they understand what you would like to have, then they imagine it, and only after that they create it.

The profession of an interior designer is not easy as it needs not only a creative hand and wonderful imagination, but also some education in this sphere. The matter is that the profession of a designer unites several separate professions - the profession of an artist, and that of a maker-up, a psychologist, and a manager, and even an expert in marketing. Depending on a stage of work it carries out functions of various professions.

A person willing to become a professional designer should pursue a diploma or cover a degree course in interior decoration. What is the most important in this kind of educations is that it gives correct orientations in imagination and plays an important role in developing person's creative skills. The profession of an interior designer is mostly associated with females as it requires sensitive perception. Still nowadays, a lot of men are interested in it as well.

It should be mentioned that an interior decorator can have rather high wages. But one also needs to be a real professional in this sphere. If a person wants to become a successful Interior Decorator the following several tips will be of great help.

There are various ways to become a successful. Following are some of the useful steps that need to be followed to become one:

The first step is eye training:

Only a person with a good eye for design can become a nice designer. In other words, once a designer sees an object of his or her future creation, he or she should be able to instantly define what is made right, what's wrong and what should be improved about the interior of that room. It's a good advice that an interior decorator should train his eye constantly. But the question is how can he do it? First of all one should listen to other people's opinions about what they like and what they don't. Next, one should review famous magazines demonstrating the most popular design tendencies of contemporary life, regularly visit the most beautifully decorated rooms. Besides, one can get more experience in the field while attending art galleries, furniture showrooms, historic objects and houses lovely designed for sale.

The second step is self-education:

No doubt, a good Interior Decorator should have excellent knowledge involving house decorating like styles of decoration, wall coverings, kinds of floorings, window treatment, space planning, usage of colors, light, furniture, accessories etc. One can learn the basics of design via the Internet educating with the help of special websites. Today a lot of books in interior design are published. Besides, speaking to more experienced decorators will be also of great help.

The third step is more practice:

It is correctly said that in any field practice makes a man much more experienced and this statement concerns also interior decoration. One should never stop practicing because the wonderful work done in the past is able to give a lot of visibility and knowledge. Just like any other activity, the activity of an interior decorator requires constant learning and practicing. It will help to develop one's talent and skills.

The fourth step is volunteering:

While a person is not a successful interior designer one should be encouraged to serve other people with one's knowledge of the field. Although it won't bring one much money or even no money at all, one should be sure that he gets something much more important - experience. Volunteering to work for others will help a person to become an excellent designer in future. Besides, one will have clients who already trust him or her and can advise that designer to other people.

The fifth step is to have a portfolio:

It is very important for any interior designer to have a portfolio. A portfolio is an example of a decorator's work used to display artwork, using photographs etc. A nicely made portfolio will be your guarantee to conquer your client's attention, so make sure that your portfolio is really great!

The sixth step is getting a job or business:

Job: In order to become a super interior decorator, it is actually very important to take up a job. Experience and practice in this sphere play a great role in the future activity of any interior designer. So, after one has completed the interior decoration course it would be wonderful to receive a job of an Interior Decorator as soon as possible.

Business: Many people work better independently. That's why it will be better to start an own business for them. It will give an opportunity to expose one's works independently, thus, all the credit will be directly received.

The seventh step is observing:

To become a really sensitive designer one should observe nature because it's the nature that is the best example of a wonderful design. Trips to the mountains or to the forest will be of great help. Interweaving of branches, slopes of mountain cliffs and beautiful linings of caves can display an original example of a designer's new project which can be made a reality later. One should be very attentive as even in the most plain place one can find a creative solution of design. A true designer should not be afraid of experiments and to use new material in his work never used before (wood, stones). It is very important to travel to the countries which are founders of arts, to pay attention to different kinds of cultures - the cultures of China, India, Egypt, Old Rome and to use these achievements in work.

Interior Decorating Ideas

Creativity is the core of interior decorating. You need to let loose your imagination, aesthetic sense, and intelligence, and cull out as many ideas as possible. Interior decorating can be compared to poetry, as both are vast and simply do not seem to have a definite end. You can go on and on and on.

There are several styles of interior decorating. You can browse through them leisurely, compare and contrast their features, advantages and effects, and then select the best option. Broadly speaking, interior-decorating Ideas can be obtained from catalogs, brochures or promotional advertisements released by interior decorators or designers.

Before deciding to adopt any particular idea, its feasibility, affordability, and flexibility needs to be determined. You should never go just by appearance, but consider the appropriateness of the idea. Interior decorating can be obtained from various styles belonging to different areas. The most popular among them are colonial, post-colonial and Georgian.

Primarily, interior-decorating Ideas can be either contemporary or exotic. It depends on the individual's taste and perception of beauty.

The field of interior decorating is undergoing constant change and growth. It can also include insect and pest-control measures like termite control.

Interior decorating ideas can prove very useful when combined with scientific principles. A small example for this can be seen from a study made by Michigan State University Extension, which found that among the materials used for flooring, slates retained the maximum percentage of heat. On the other hand, bricks absorbed the least percentage of heat.

Interior decorating ideas communicate to the guests too. Hence, the theme of an interior decorating Idea should be to adorn a building in a suitable way. Interior decorating does not stop with mere decorating. It should be an ongoing activity and take into account maintenance, repair, and preventive measures too.

Home Interior Decorating

Here is no better haven than our home. "East or West, home is the best," is a common saying. Whoever it may be, whatever position he or she may hold, finally everyone returns home to find peace and relax.

A home is cozier and more comfortable than any other place. We build our homes with the utmost care and sincerity. After all, it is a place where we spend most of our lives.

Home decorating means a lot to the owner. It also demands hard work and devotion, as it is not an easy task. Decorating includes both the interior as well as exterior aspects.

As far as home interior decorating is concerned, every nook and corner has to be studied so that the available space is utilized to the maximum. A good interior decorator should be able to help you in selecting the correct interior decorating solution for your home. Before actually starting the work, you need to be sure whether the emphasis is going to be on beauty, comfort, or the appearance of your home.

You need to attend to all parts, namely, doors, windows, floors, furniture and accessories. For windows, curtains, blinds, rods and panels should be attractive and appealing. Some people prefer light colors, while others prefer heavy and striking upholstery. Doors can be tastefully designed and the material itself can be exotic.

There is a wide range of flooring options available. You can choose from marble, granite tiles, bricks, slates, concrete, or steel. To add more color, suitable carpets can be spread. Rugs can be used to complement them.

Walls, pillars, and other standouts can be decorated using artifacts, paintings or wall hangings. Modern arts are becoming a common choice.

Not just the living room, but also every part of your home needs your attention. The kitchen should be convenient and easy to use. The gas tables, racks and shelves, cooking range, utensils, and all other accessories should be chosen carefully and arranged neatly to avoid messing them.

Further, furniture selection should be done wisely. The sofa sets, chairs, dining table, dressing table and cots must reflect your taste

home decorators collection

Collections are a wonderful window into a person's personality and are an extension of hospitality. They almost always invite conversation which makes them the perfect way to accessorize a home. We are going to focus on what makes a collection, how to collect, collections for display, and how to arrange collections of smaller items.

A similar element in most great interiors is their collections. Hill wood, the very grand home of Marjorie Merr weather Post in Washington D.C. had its' interiors designed around the superb collections of Russian porcelain and other objects she acquired during her lifetime. I'm not suggesting that the rest of us have interiors that revolve around museum quality collections, but rather that personal collections belong in anyone's home.

Collections are what you can decorate a room around. They can provide inspiration in color or theme. In the living room for a seaside retreat in Florida the bowl of seashells on the cocktail table inspired the entire room. There is a comfortable club chair upholstered in a sophisticated seashell motif fabric from which a custom rug got its' sand dollar inspiration and colors. I then took a piece of this fabric and had a large entrance hall mirror fabricated in real seashells that matched those in the fabric. Interior designers love it when a client has a collection because that is the soul of the home which can provide direction. What a good collection does is make a home real.

In the dictionary, the definition is to gather, assemble and accumulate. Nowhere is there a description to look at a picture from a catalogue and click "purchase", assembling an entire collection all at once. Take your time to collect what is meaningful to you. This brings life and interest to a collection.

When you are on vacation ignore the touristy trinkets focus on objects that would fit into a collection, bring back a great pair of candlesticks, picture frames, dishes, appropriate artwork, a chair, or some beautiful art glass. This can save you a lot of unnecessary clutter. Collect some shells or stones from a walk along the beach. Look for items that you would display or use in your home. How wonderful is it to have someone ask about the grouping of boxes you have on your table and can tell the tale of stumbling upon a certain in this tiny little shop in Italy, another one was made by your great grandfather, etc.

From early childhood I have collected rocks and seashells. The stones aren't on display other than a couple of special polished Petoskey stones from where I grew up. The seashell collecting has evolved. It started very small and recently grew to large groups from different locations. I have a large glass vase is filled with shells collected early every morning before work when I was on a design job in Naples, Florida, described above. From there it evolved further in to large groups of certain types of shells from our vacations. I now have a collection of glass jars that house collections of shells. Who knew they would become popular again?

The key to collections is editing. The first is to edit what you are going to collect. Try and steer yourself to items that are attractive and meaningful rather than kitsch or something inherited from a family member that you wouldn't have selected on your own. Determine what items that you like, have always been drawn to AND would look appropriate in your home. If you live in a very specific period home your collections may revolve around appropriate items for that period. Sometimes the locale such as seaside, tropical, mountains, etc. can inspire you.

Next you edit what you are going to display and where. One particular room or location in your home might be appropriate for a specific collection. A collection of blue and white china would look fabulous arranged and hung on a butter yellow dining room wall. As with any accessorizing in your home remember, a woman never wears every item in her jewelry box at once. Restraint is key. For the collection of blue and white china, what is on the wall only represents a small portion.

One of the most dramatic ways to display a collection is en masse. I once heard a woman describe her beautiful collection of crosses...a few in every room. Yikes, that isn't a collection it is a statement - one she didn't want to make. She had seen crosses displayed on a wall in a magazine and that made it "okay" for her to display her collection. Spreading the items throughout her home diminished their importance as a collection and instead displayed her lack of confidence. Group items together. Bold is beautiful. Scattered is whimpy. When the entire collection was hung on a two story entrance stairway wall the effect was stunning.

Wall hung items can make a great collage. Select your wall and measure the dimensions. Mimic this same space on a floor or table top so you can play with your arrangement until you are happy with it. Martha Stewart had a great idea in one of her magazines to lay the items out on a large sheet of paper, trace their shapes and then hang the paper on the wall to check your layout. This allows you to make sure you have the appropriate spacing. Then you can use the paper as a template to hammer or screw in all of your hooks or hangers. Large wall hung collections are a simple way to fix a dull and boring stairway wall. The trick is to limit the amount of space between the items to inches rather than feet and treat the entire group as one large object.

Little cubes or shelves are also a way to hang a small collection of items on a wall. These are available at many mass market retail stores (Target or Ikea) and catalogues (West Elm). In the old days, people used elaborate, often carved wood wall brackets to display valuable china and porcelain pieces or other objects. This traditional approach can be used in either a modern or contemporary interior with new or antique wall brackets. You could use wall brackets for a few special items interspersed into your wall collage of a larger collection. This would work well for a pair of small vases that coordinate with the blue and white china collection mentioned previously.

Tabletop items can be easy. Stones, shells, coral, or other smallish items can be placed in a simple bowl or on a wonderful tray. Larger ones can be placed in a group or on their own depending on size, directly on a table. Groups of small boxes, vases, or candlesticks make a stunning display in the center of a cocktail table. Just remember to think of it as a cityscape or skyline so you allow differing heights of items. Not everything has to line up in terms of size or height but you need to create an order to maintain the balance in the display. Collections of books can also be artfully placed or stacked in groups on a table. The key to modern tabletop displays is simplicity. Create displays that allow for empty spaces too. Do not cover every inch of the tabletop. However, in older homes with period correct interiors this is appropriate.

These are only a few suggestions. It would be impossible to mention every possibility. People collect all kinds of things. The important thing is to create order and dramatic impact in any collection placement whether it is your husband's model car collection, a child's fairy collection or even a teenager's collection of photographs.

Collections are a point of focus, an area to beckon the viewer's attention. A pleasant way to direct this focus is to allow the area surrounding the collection to remain quite. Sometimes this means blank or empty and other times depending on your collection it just means uncomplicated. The point is when you display a collection nothing else in the immediate area should complete with it for the viewer's attention. After all the time and effort you put into this collection you want to be certain it has pleasant impact.

Lisa M. Smith is an interior designer and owner of Interior Design Factory, Ltd. She specializes in creating beautiful and inviting residential interiors that are timeless and look collected, not like a showroom. Real design for real people. She produces individualized results using creative solutions and often designs furniture, cabinetry and lighting specific to her customers needs to create interiors that are liveable and tell a story. Good design is for everyone and available in every budget.

Interior Design Factory also has commercial clients who are looking for the same attention to detail as residenti

Home Decorating

Many different sources were used for this article. I hope you find it both interesting and helpful.

When choosing a theme or style for decorating your home, there are many to pick from. One of the most popular decorating themes today is country home decorating. Perhaps it is the most popular because it provides an inviting atmosphere and overall friendly feeling. Country home decorating, because of its cosy environment, is enjoyed by the people who live there as well as all those who visit.

As with any home decorating project, a homeowner must first decide where they want to use country home decorating. Some people choose to use this theme throughout their entire home while other decide to use country home decorating focusing on just one or two rooms, for example the kitchen and the living room. Because this style is meant for people who enjoy simplicity and the nature, some homeowners may decide to carry the country decorating theme through the entire living space.

Country home decorating combines colors which are clean and bright with country furniture and accessories. When choosing colors for country home decorating, light to medium shades of white, yellow, pink, green or brown are good choices. Colors should reflect a rustic feeling. To add to the painted walls, a homeowner or decorator may decide to use stencils with country character such as flowers or plants, fruits or vegetables. Wallpaper boarders are also often used in country home decorating. It is fine to use these additions but the rule of thumb is to make certain the patterns do not clash.

In keeping with a rustic and simple theme, country home decorating uses wood, natural wood. When deciding on a material for a country floor, natural wood is a nice choice. Of course using natural wood throughout a large area can be costly. If looking for a less-expensive way to give floors a country look, a light shade of carpet might be considered or laminate flooring. These options would also work well with the country home decorating theme. Other suggestions for country floors are flagstone or tile. Some homeowners, if they are really creative, decorate their floors with stencils and create patterns. Another great way to jazz up a space is to use area rugs. In keeping with the country home decorating theme, those with an authentic look create a warm and cozy feeling. Hooked, quilted and braided rugs make beautiful additions to a country floor.

In addition when choosing furniture to compliment country home decorating, light wood or wicker is suggested. Again, these materials reflect the beauty of nature. If a homeowner or decorator decides fabric would accent their furniture, such as cushions or slip covers, floral patterns or checkered fabrics add to the authentic look.

After all, accessorizing a room always adds to its beauty. When buying accessories to fit in with a country home decorating theme, it is good to keep in mind the type of atmosphere you are trying to create, a warm and inviting space. Simplicity goes a long way in country home decorating. It is recommended to never use too many decorations and choose accessories that family and friends will enjoy. Photos in simple wooden frames, plain mirrors, plants and fragrant candles dress up country home decorating. Window treatments should also be simple. Lace or shutters give a cozy country feel. Country home decorating can be interesting and fun. Perhaps the main detail to keep in mind is simplicity. Try not to over-decorate, remember too many patterns will clash. Too many decorations will eliminate the amount of space in a room. Country home decorating creates a relaxing and friendly environment, meant to be warm and cozy.

So that's the information I have on that subject. I hope it was helpful and you were able to get something out of it.

Think Before You Purchase Custom Radiator Covers

When decorating a room, a radiator may be a challenging detail to get around. Not only do they take up much needed space, but in most instances they are also unsightly. Since you don't really have the option of moving or removing your radiator (unless you are prepared to undergo a major renovation!) you have to make the most of it and design and decorate your space around it. Believe it or not, there are ways to make radiators ergonomically and aesthetically friendly if you have a custom built radiator cover made. A custom radiator cover can be designed to fit your existing design and décor atheistic, while also providing a useful storage solution for smaller rooms.

Here are a few tips to help you purchase a custom radiator cover:

1. Find a manufacturer that has years of experience building radiator covers. Not only do they know what materials to use, but they will provide you with a design that works for your room. No two spaces are alike, even if they have the same radiator. If you decide to pay for a custom radiator cover than you want to work with a manufacturer that will actually customize it to meet your needs!

2. Make sure you are getting quality materials! Because of the constantly changing temperatures around a radiator, material and paint options are very important. A combination of ply woods, MDF (a synthetic material that deals well with temperature change), and metal grills are the best way to go. Avoid solid woods as they have a tendency to expand and contract when exposed to temperature change (that may cause cracking) and steer clear of flimsy materials such as flake board and laminates. Your radiator cover is going to be put through the ropes come winter, and you don't want to worry about how temperature fluctuations might affect it.

3. Make sure your design works ergonomically. You can design a radiator cover with a built-in bookcase or other useful feature such as a display case or working surface. This is especially important if you live in a studio or small apartment with limited storage and surface space. You don't want to bring in any furniture that is just going to take up space-everything you bring in should actually ADD space.

Thinking About Remodeling Your Bathroom?

Of all the rooms in the home to remodel, the bathroom is one of the most popular. It is a high traffic room that deserves the attention. Outdated bathrooms can feel dirty even when clean and bring down the overall appeal of a home. Thankfully, renovations are generally affordable and there are upgrade options for a full range of budgets. Here is some advice to those that are thinking about starting the remodeling process...

The first thing you can do is decide what kind of budget you want to work with. There are plenty of options for upgrades in all different price ranges. Decide what budget you want to stay in and then go from there.

You probably already have a style or finished product painted in your mind. But do you know what materials you want to use or have you considered all the smaller upgrades like hardware that can be involved with bathroom renovations? A contractor can help you not only design within budget, but they can help turn your vision into reality by showing you a full range of product and service options. They can work through installations quickly if you want a project completed within a time frame. Additionally, products installed by professionals typically are paired with lifetime warranties. It is best to find a contractor with years of experience and a respectable reputation.

Bathtub liners are a nice upgrade and they do not require demolition of existing walls or tiles. This is a quick installation that can really improve a dated tub. It is a great idea for those looking for an affordable upgrade and want to cover cracked or unattractive preexisting designs. Consumers are reminded that this option is not meant to be a solution to mold. If your tub shows signs of rotting or mold it is best to replace the entire unit.

Tile shower replacements are another upgrade to consider. Often times tiles in the shower will crack or the grout between the tiles is not sealed effectively. This also causes mold as water makes its way through the cracks. In this case the only way to fix the problem is by replacing the tiles. One piece shower bases are recommended to completely avoid future leaking.

How To Remove Rust From Metal

One of the unfortunate realities of metal ownership is that, given the right conditions, some of them will rust. This cannot only be an unsightly flaw in your otherwise useful metal products, but it can also greatly affect the integrity of these items. So, how does rust form and what can we do to remove it?

What is rust? Rust is an iron oxide and is one of the most common types of corrosion. It forms due to an anode metal giving up its electrons when it comes into contact with a liquid conductor of electrons (an electrolyte), oxygen and a cathode (a metallic substance that accepts electrons). During this process, the electrons flow from the anode metal, through the electrolyte and to the cathode, eventually causing the anode metal to fade away (or rust). Add salt to the electrolyte, and the rusting process will occur even faster.

In short, when iron (an anode metal) comes into contact with oxygen and water (an electrolyte), the metal begins to rust away.

How to remove rust? There are a number of ways that you are able to quickly and efficiently remove rust from the surfaces of your metal items, including:

• Using a wire brush or steel wool to scrub the loose rust from the metal's surface. For smaller rust stains, this method may be effective enough in removing the corrosion, but in bigger ones it can remove up to 50% of the imperfection.
• Use a commercial rust remover if you wish, but you must keep in mind that they are highly toxic to humans. If you do decide to use one of these products, ensure that you use it outside in a well-ventilated area and wear the appropriate safety gear (rubber gloves and a mask).
• Use white vinegar. For small metal items, like jewellery and nails, put them in a small bowl of vinegar and let them soak for a few minutes. Once you remove them, dry them with a clean rag. If you notice any more rust, you can put the metal through one more time. For larger metal items, like bikes and chairs, soak a rag in some vinegar and use it to scrub at the surface. Then, soak some steel wool in vinegar and scrub it over the surface too.
• Use baking soda, lemon juice and vinegar for a high power rust-removal solution.

It is always best to try and remove rust as soon as you notice it developing on the surface of your metal items. This is because, if the corrosion is left unattended, it can actually weaken the metal considerably. And, after all, removing rust from metal is not an overly trying task to complete.