If you had a pool where your thoughts could drift away, at least a few troubles of the day would be dragged along by the evaporated water. Imagine having some breakfast with eggs and bacon, maybe some pancakes, a beer or a cup of tea, something to add that little extra. That’s what pools are for. Of course, to top it all of you get some privilieged bragging rights, nothing wrong with that.

If you want a pool you have to consider what type of pool you want. There are four different basic variations, including: Gunite (concrete) Pools, Fiber glass Pools, Vinyl Pools and Above-ground Pools. All of them have their specific uses.

The most permanent – and expensive – are the Gunite Pools, or concrete pools as they’re also called. The price range goes all the way from $15,000 to $40,000. Sure it’s the price of a new car, but when you’ve decided to get a pool most people have come to the point where they want to hammer down the final nail on where they’re going to stay. It’s a hefty investment after all.

The coming of a new baby into a family is special and exciting with a lot of concerns. One major concern is the baby room.

Aside from the crib, there are a lotto think about: baby clothes, feeding bottles, suitable music, and so on. For parents who have a spare room and the budget, they also create the baby room complete with the new wall painting or wallpaper. For other parents who will have their new baby in their room, they create a corner with a baby ambience.

Sometimes, parents are undecided on what kind of decorations to have in the baby room (or corner) even if they already know the sex of the unborn child. Many times, parents can also be stereotyping when it comes to the color of the room, like pink for a girl and blue for a boy. This can also be a point of argument. So, why not let the baby decorate the baby room?

If you want to change the entire look of a room, new furniture would be an effective, but expensive, way to do that.  If new furniture is not in your budget you may want to consider slipcovers.  New coverings for the furniture can alter the look of a room more effectively than almost any other change you can make. In its simplest form a slipcover might just be a particularly beautiful piece of fabric arranged over a footstool and tied to fit at the corners.  Slipcovers, in general, are those removable loose covers that can be replaced fairly quickly when a change is needed.  Slipcovers, either bought or handmade, can be instrumental in bringing a breath of fresh air into any room. They can hide faded, stained, or outdated furnishings.  You can make the look casual or formal depending on your desires.  A fitted, well-tailored slipcover takes the look of upholstery but can still be removed for cleaning.

 

Footstools and kitchen stools respond well to coverings. An antique embroidered bridge cloth or a leftover yard of fabric from a decorating project makes a new cover in minutes. Color variety makes a refreshing change from all-of-a-kind chairs in the dining room. Slipcovers can also work miracles with furniture pieces that don’t quite match, in either style or color. Coordinating slipcovers can turn mismatched sofas and chairs into a matched set or instantly convert that old couch you have from college into a stunning new sofa.

 

The fabric you choose for slipcovers will help determine the final appearance of the project.  Find the perfect color—but also take fiber content and weave into consideration.  Natural fibers are more comfortable to use.  These include cotton, linen, ramie, and silk.  Generally speaking these fabrics tend to wrinkle.  Often man made fibers are blended with natural fibers to improve durability and wrinkle resistance.  Fabrics made out of synthetic fibers are not a good choice as they are slippery and may not hold their shape.  Also, make sure that any slipcover fits the furniture they are covering—especially if you are going for a more sophisticated look.  Measure your sofa or chair carefully.  If you are buying slipcovers you may want to try some quick tailoring and tuck here or there.

 

For apartment dwellers who might find themselves living with neutral walls and carpeting, slipcovers are also a good choice. It is a fast easy way to change the look of your apartment.  You can add warmth and interest to drab spaces through the use of bright-colored slipcovers and appealing pieces of art.

Decorating with slipcovers affords you the chance to try different looks on to see which you prefer without spending a ton of money and being stuck with the look for much longer. You can have lighter colors in the spring and summer and choose cozy colors for fall and winter.

Slipcovers are a designer’s secret weapon. They are washable and versatile. They add flair, give new life to furniture, protect upholstery, and dress up any room in the house without blowing your budget.

 

If you have ever gone to purchase a can of top coat or finish coat, you most likely have been confused by the words varnish, polyurethane, lacquer and shellac. How do you know which one to get for your specific project? Aren't they all basically the same? The answer is that, no, they are not the same. Each one has a distinct purpose and is not recommended to be used in place of another one. Here is how to finally tell the difference between them all.

1) Varnish

As we strive to clean up our environment and lifestyle, the cleaning products we use every day in our homes can be switched to all natural replacements, such as vinegar. When you use natural products instead of man-made ones, you are eliminating harmful chemicals from your home. Buying a jug of white distilled vinegar is far less expensive than buying a bottle of window cleaner or toilet bowl cleaner, for example. It is also a great bacteria and germ killer because of its natural acidity level.

Vinegar has long been used as a natural and effective household cleaner. There are many ways in which you can use vinegar to clean that you would probably never even think of doing. Here are just a few tips you can use for your next cleaning session. Remember to never mix vinegar with ammonia, as it produces harsh vapors. Also, never use vinegar on marble because it may damage the surface.