A Guide to Platform Bed Plans

by: Elizabeth Morgan

Do you want to try your hand at building a platform bed? For those of you who don’t yet know what a platform bed is, it’s an exciting, old way of sleeping that incorporates a simple, elegant frame and a single mattress. Its lines have been used in Europe, Scandinavia, and Japan for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Platform beds can be made of wood or metal. If you’re looking to build a platform bed, you’re probably thinking about wood.

Platform beds can be extremely simple. The extremely simple platform beds have no headboard or footboard, and certainly no canopy. They incorporate slats, which, in effect, replace the need for a box spring, since, because they are sturdy yet somehow slightly flexible, support the single mattress on top. The result is that you get a good night’s sleep, are very comfortable, and yet don’t end up with back pains or numb muscles in the morning.

It’s ever better for your back than sleeping on the floor. And now, with the rapid proliferation of memory foam, your platform bed can be even more comfortable and healthy. Memory foam is a gel-like polymer that accepts your shapes and bones, but supports it fully. (It was first used in hospitals, and is now a popular mattress and pillow material.)

Platform bed plans can be more complex too; you can add headboards, footboards, canopies, even extra flourishes and storage units. You can build the storage units as one with the bed frame, or you can create rolling drawers supported by castors, so that the drawers are modifiable and easily maneuverable throughout your bedroom.

It’s not the most difficult job in the world for a handyperson. If you want to build a platform bed, you can order platform bed plans from any of a number of plans retailers. Woodworking clubs, furniture enthusiast groups, and other organizations can give or sell you plans. You can also buy plans online.

About the author:
Platform Beds Info provides detailed information about contemporary, Japanese, discount, and wood platform beds and platform storage beds, as well as platform bed frames and plans. Platform Beds Info is the sister site of Futons Web.

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A Dehumidifier Wrings Out Your Home

by: Beverly Marshall

Anyone that has a home office or bedroom in the basement knows how valuable a dehumidifier can be. Without it, the basement would be damp and useless, mold and mildew would grow promoting ill health and insects would have a perfect place to live. Your basement is underground, humid and in constant contact with the cool damp earth. If you don’t control the moisture and humidity throughout the year through dehumidifiers, your carpet and furniture could be ruined, even photographs can be destroyed. I have always found that I am more comfortable when the humidity is lower. I don’t like hot weather, but I would rather have it be dry and hot than cool and damp. What is it they say? “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.” You might want to consider installing a ceiling fan to work in tandem with the dehumidifier. You can find all kinds of styles at http://www.portable-air-conditioiner-4u.com. They help circulate the air, will dry out the basement even more and you will feel much more comfortable. Ceiling fans don’t cool the air, but you will feel better because of evaporation than if no fan were there at all.

Excessive moisture can be present in the air any time of the year, so it is important to have a dehumidifier that can deal with hot and cold climates. In order to dry out all parts of the home, consider a portable dehumidifier with wheels and a handle for ease of movement from room to room. Place your portable dehumidifiers in various positions around your apartment or home. Experiment with the settings depending on the local forecast and the time of day. Generally, the humidity level decreases at night as a result of cooler temperatures. When using a dehumidifier in rooms that are especially damp such as a basement, keep the doors and windows closed as much as possible. Keep closet doors open to dry out shoes and clothing. Also make sure you put only clean clothes in the closet or in enclosed places as just a little bit of soil is enough to breed mold and mildew. You must clean your dehumidifiers on a weekly basis. Mold spores, bacteria, mildew can accumulate in the dehumidifier's grate. Make sure you unplug the unit before removing water or doing any cleaning.

Living in a home with mold and mildew is terrible for your respiratory system. All kinds of allergy symptoms can arise when your home is too humid. When you take control of your environment through the use of a dehumidifier, ceiling fan, air conditioner, or other cooling system, you will have a better place for your family to live and work. Portable cooling systems also reduce the strain on the environment. You are only working with one small space and not a complete home so you are using less energy, saving you money and power usage for the community. If you have a particularly hot and humid summer, this can really make a difference. The technology we have today gives us many reasonably priced options for keeping cool, dry and comfortable.

About the author:
Beverly Marshall is a successful freelance writer offering guidance and suggestions for consumers buying portable air conditioners, ceiling fans, dehumidifiers, air filters and more. Her many articles can be found at http://www.portable-air-conditioner-4u.com; She gives information and tips to help you save money and make informed buying decisions.

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A Change in Season Reflects a Change in Mood

by: ARA

(ARA) – Change is in the air. Fall is here and winter isn’t far away. It’s one of the busiest times of year for interior decorators.

“The reason we’re so busy is people really get energized in the fall,” says Thomas Pheasant, an award winning interior designer from Washington, D.C. “The change in temperature serves as a signal to start focusing more on the indoors to get ready for winter.”

Pheasant says one of the best, and easiest places to start, is in the room where you spend a majority of your time: the bedroom. “You don’t have to start moving furniture all over the place to change the look of the room,” says Pheasant. “Changing your bedding and curtains is often all it takes to make a dramatic difference.”

Pheasant says the same colors you see on the trees outside --- orange, gold, red, brown and olive green -- have great appeal indoors. “They really set the mood of the season, especially when combined with paisley and velvet textures.”

The bedroom isn’t the only place where bold color and texture changes will have a quick and noticeable impact. You can also set the mood of the season by putting some dried leaves or branches on the coffee table, and colorful pillows and a slip cover on your sofa. A seasonal bowl of apples on the dining room table, along with slip covers on the chairs, will also make a big impact.

So where do you start if you want to bring the fall “look” into your own home? “Start with materials. The kinds of fabric or color you choose can really change the attitude of the room,” says Pheasant. “Velvet and damask are formal patterns that are more appropriate for fall and winter. Linen, paisley and leather are more modern and better suited for spring and summer.”

Pheasant recommends you take his ideas to an interior designer for help implementing them. “Mistakes are expensive. Professional designers have resources available that most people do not. Hiring someone can make your life so much easier,” says Pheasant.

If you ultimately decide to take Pheasant’s advice, pieces from his collection of furniture and accessories are sold at Baker Furniture and over 200 other independent dealers throughout the country. Log onto www.bakerfurniture.com for access to a retail store directory.

Courtesy of ARA Content

About the author:
Courtesy of ARA Content

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Accessorize Your Bedroom For A Beach Décor Theme

by: Lee Dobbins

Using accessories is a fun way to accent your bedroom for a beach theme. You will find that you can dramatically change the look of your room simply by making small changes with the accents. See how easy it is to get a designer beach theme look in your bedroom without shelling out the big bucks.

If you’re not sure exactly what you want in your beach desing, try looking in decorating magazines and books to get a flavor of the accessories you would like to see in your bedroom. For keeping the beach look consistent, you’ll have to limit yourself to only purchase the accessories that match your theme.

Colors for a beach décor should make you think of the beach. Light and breezy with lots of blues and maybe even some yellows. If you prefer neutral tones think of the beige of beach sand and the color of shells.

Incorporate sea shells, ocean prints, and other seaside accents that will help bring out the beach in your bedroom. You should group your accessories in odd numbers. It always looks nice if your groupings consists of tall and short accessories mixed together. An interesting group of accents might consists of some shells aside a nice beach theme frame and a taller lamp.

Use beach theme prints and photos on your walls to establish the theme throughout your bedroom. Many people do not know how to correctly hang a piece of art and this makes a big difference to the visual appeal. Whether you are hanging a large oil painting or a small print, the middle of the piece should be at eye level. If you have a large piece of artwork you can try using it as a headboard. When hanging prints or photos behind a table, always place them 7 to 10 inches above the table. Hang pictures in circular, triangular, or rectangular geometric groupings to add interest.

When accessorizing your bedroom don’t forget about the lighting. When purchasing lamps make sure to buy ones that go with the beach theme you want to create. For beach style lighting try using clear glass lamps filled with shells or figural light house shaped lamps.

Area rugs can define a space and pull your bedroom together. Rest furniture completely on the rug for a warmer effect. Only use rugs that go with your beach accessories.

Using pillows can add interest as well. Use several at the top of the bed and vary the texture colors and patterns while still keeping the color and theme within your overall bedroom design.

Don’t think you have to buy everything for your bedroom at once. Shop around to find the perfect accessories to match the beach theme in your bedroom. You can find bargains at consignment stores flea markets and yard sales.

About the author:
Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.bedroom-designs-and-decorations.com/where you can find out more about decorating your bedroom. Read more articles on bedroom decorating at: http://www.bedroom-designs-and-decorations.com/articles8.html

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Accent lighting - Adding the right touch to your home lighting

by: Nicole Martins

Accent lighting - With highly functional task lighting, spaces like the laundry room are brightly lit so that you can see the whites versus the darks. However, such bright light does not create a soft mood or add drama; for this you choose accent lightings.

Accent the mood with wall dimming options

First stop in creating mood and accent around the home is to incorporate wall dimmers to light fixtures, including ceiling mounts and chandeliers. This approach is very commonplace and gives you options to fully accentuate the room or produce softer more gentle lighting.

Emphasize artwork and wall hangings with accent lights

Adding a wall mounted museum light or picture light is an excellent way to accent fine artwork; two sconces positioned on each side of the painting will also add emphasize. This can be done with any wall hanging: mirrors frames are nice to accent.

Living room: downlights can emphasize an area

For social areas such as the living room you can both soften lighting and gently accentuate an area. For example, adding a couple of down lights in the ceiling over a living room sofa, toned down with dimming options, can cast gentle pools of light. This can accentuate the focus to this area while providing spillover light to the walls and washing the whole room with pleasant light.

Accentuate and decorate a kid's room with string lighting

For kids rooms string lighting can create wonderful accent to a nicely decorated bedroom. You can buy them in shapes and themes such as: submarines, cars, hearts, stars and more. Not only will this add a nice accent and touch; colorful lights can be used at night for children afraid of sleeping in complete darkness. For more information about home lighting, please visit http://www.chandeliers-and-home-lighting.com

About the author:
Nicole Martins is a contributing author and publisher to http://www.chandeliers-and-home-lighting.com,an online resource providing you with great information, articles of interest and reviews of the best selling chandeliers online.

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