The Map Magazine

Buying patio furniture was one of the best things I could have done for myself when I was a student. Keep in mind that I did not have a patio or even a front lawn. I got the patio furniture because I was too poor to furnish my apartment with proper in door things. It was a choice between one or two wooden chairs or a room full of patio chairs and tables.

A lot of people have done this I might add. With me it was nothing original. But in my case things did get out of hand, though I still think it was for the best. As my first year went on a lot of people took a liking to my place because the patio furniture gave it that nice relaxed, outdoorsy feel. In the dead of winter people seemed to enjoy the fact that they could come into my place, lay back on the patio furniture and have a drink.

It was after someone got me a plant that things started to escalate. Why the plant was given to me I will never know but one person liked it and then the next. This prompted a bigger plant to be brought and then one more. With all the foliage around the crowding patio furniture it truly began to look like I was living outside, or that outside was living inside.

This prompted people to add to my patio furniture a park style bench. This went against the wall where a tree was then painted. My place became a free for all and everyone was adding their own touch until my whole apartment looked like you had just walked onto a patio.

Years later I can’t sit on anyone’s patio furniture without remembering my outdoor indoor apartment.

Van Whitsett has published a number of articles, both online and offline. For more on patio furniture, visit: Patio Furniture

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Stress can play havoc with your immune system. Doing a balancing act between all our daily chores saps our energy and leaves us tired and lethargic. Soaking in the gentle heat of steam sauna can invigorate your sagging spirits and revitalize your body.

Even with all the benefits offered, you may not like the idea of rushing to your local spa every time you want to sit and unwind in sauna. If you use your local sauna very often it’s time to consider installing one in your home.

Designers generally suggest having room for one to four people for in-home sauna. The rooms are made from good quality wood or board sheathing. Walls are not painted, as the paint may peel off or become dull with the high temperatures and moisture present in the room. Inside the sauna, dry heat is produced by the help of bathers pouring water on heated plates or stones. The stones or plates are heated by a heat source like an electric stove, gas fire, or wood. Some people believe that wood-heated saunas give a more pleasurable and authentic experience as compared to saunas heated by electricity. Heat generated in a sauna relaxes your muscles and causes perspiration, which in turn, cleans pores and leaves a radiant look on your face.

It is indeed a luxury to have your personal sauna at home. You can step in to unwind and relax whenever you wish. Once you have decided to have one in your house, you can choose from various brands and styles like the traditional sauna, the Finnish rock sauna, or you can even consider having an infra-red one. While having a sauna is considered an asset in a big house, it may become a liability if you happen to live in a small apartment. Moreover, if you plan to sell your property in future, the new owner may prefer having an extra bathroom instead of a space-occupying sauna facility.

Before you buy your personal sauna facility, make sure your family and you are physically fit to enter the sauna room. The temperature inside the sauna can harm persons with high blood pressure, pregnant women, older people, and small children.

Steam Saunas provides detailed information on Steam Saunas, Home Steam Sauna, Sauna Steam Rooms, Sauna And Steam Baths and more. Steam Saunas is affiliated with Sauna Kits.

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Have you ever wondered what those funny windows you see on buildings were called?

According to wikopedia, The definition of a window is “… an opening in an otherwise solid, opaque surface through which light and air can pass. ” By definition, this includes the early windows which didn’t have any protection from the wind or rain. Early windows used shutters to protect the inside of the house from the elements. Modern windows may have be single, dual, or triple paned.

There are may different window styles, those more common today which are usually dictated by the weather conditions common to the area. Coastal climates, with stronger winds, tend to have smaller outward-opening windows while inland areas tend to have larger windows, with commonly open inwards.

* Replacement: is a framed window designed to slip inside the original window frame from the inside after the old sashes are removed

* New construction: a window with a nailing fin designed to be inserted into a rough opening from the outside before applying siding and inside trim.

Common styles are:

* Double-hung sash window: a Vertical style window with two parts (sashes) which overlap slightly and slide up and down inside the frame.

* Single-hung sash window: one sash is movable and the other fixed.

* Horizontal Sliding sash window: has two or more sashes that overlap slightly but slide horizontally within the frame. If there are 3 part, the center typically is a fixed panel.

* Casement window: An outward-opening window with either side-hung, top-hung, or combination of sash types. Often they have fixed panels on one or more sides of the sash. These are opened using a crank, by friction stays, or espagnolette locking.

* Tilt: a window which can open inwards at the top or can open hinged at the side.

* Jalousie window: A window comprising many slats of glass that open and close like a Venetian blind usually using a crank.

* Skylight: A flat, sloped, or bubble window built into a roof structure for daylighting.

* Bay: A multipanel window, with at three sections set at different angles to create an expanded area for shelving/sitting while allowing more light into the room that a flat window. The window creates a “seat board”, a small seating area or shelf often used for plants or items that would take up floor space. A bay window may be rectangular, polygonal or arc shaped. If arc-shaped it is a bow window.

* Bow: a type of Bay window, but arc shaped with four or more glass sections to simulate a rounded appearance.

* Fixed: A window that cannot be opened. A non-opening window is sometimes called a “light” because its function is limited to allowing light to enter without any outside air.

* Picture: A very large fixed window in a wall, which provides an unimpeded view “as if framing a picture”.

Classic styles:

* Clerestory: A fixed, vertical window set in a roof structure or high in a wall, used for daylighting. You’ll see these in the old churches around the world, like Notre Dame. Clerestory lights are any rows of windows above eye level for providing light.

* Oriel: Projects from the wall, and were originally a form of a porch. Often seen on upper stories of older buildings. Often supported by brackets, or by corbels (a type of architectural bracket), they do not reach the ground. These are the rounded columnar windows you see on older buildings.

* Palladian: A large arched window which is divided into three parts. The center section is larger than the two side sections. Renaissance and classical architecture often have Palladian windows.

Eileen church, webmaster for www.windowsf.com is a big fan of windows and the use of windows. She operates a web site that is devoted to windows and window resources. Her email is eileen@windowsf.com

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Whether you are working with existing furnishings and fabrics or “starting from scratch” with an empty room, you should always use the elements and principles of design as a guide in choosing everything. The elements are your tools or raw materials, much like paints are the basics to a painter. The elements of design include space, line, form, color, and texture. The principles of design relate to how you use these elements and are balance, emphasis, rhythm, proportion and scale, and harmony and unity.

Element #1: Space
Space defines the boundaries and sets the limits on the functional and decorative things you can do. Usually you will not determine the space; instead, you will be faced with the challenge of using the existing space effectively.

Element #2: Line
The lines in a room are second only to color in importance when it comes to setting the overall mood or feeling of a room. The lines of window fashions should support the dominant line of the room. In most situations, the dominant line is straight (vertical, horizontal or diagonal) rather than curved. Your choice of emphasizing the direction of lines will determine the mood you want to create.
• Vertical lines add height and dignity, creating a more formal atmosphere. Vertical lines also balance the horizontal lines found in most furniture.
• Horizontal lines tend to create a restful, informal feeling. They work well in casual rooms or as relief to the strong verticals of formal rooms.
• Diagonal lines attract attention and lead the eye. They can be disturbing unless supported by verticals or opposing diagonals.
• Curved lines add a softening effect and keep the room from becoming too stiff. Use curved lines with some restraint to keep the room from becoming too soft and overly feminine.

Element #3: Form
Lines that join together produce the form, or shape, of an object, which in turn impacts the overall feeling of a room. Straight lines create rectangles, square and triangles. Curved lines form circles and ovals. The rectangle is the most popular form and is often the dominant shape in a room. Triangles provide stability and curved shapes soften the contours of objects.

Element #4: Color
More than any other element, color can make a room beautiful. Color can set the mood. It can make a room warmer or cooler, larger or smaller. It can hide unsightly features or call attention to the center of interest. Even with the simplest furnishings, the proper use of color can transform a room.

Element #5: Texture
Texture is playing an increasingly important role in home decorating. Visual texture is a material’s apparent smoothness or roughness. To maintain and enhance a casual feeling, use fabrics that are more heavily textured, nubby or rough visual texture. Smooth, shiny surfaces such as silk, moir©, chintz and silk-like looks support a more formal feeling in a room. Using several levels of complementary textures adds variety and maintains interest. However, it is a good idea to avoid dramatic contrasts in texture.

About the Author
Kathy Iven, Columbus, OH
kathy@fabricfarms.com
Kathy Iven is the owner of Fabric Farms Interiors, located in Hilliard, OH. Fabric Farms Interiors specializes in home d©cor fabrics and trims. They also offer custom drapery, bedding and upholstery services. The company was founded in 1971 and is the largest home d©cor fabric store in Central Ohio. To learn more, visit www.fabricfarms.com All rights reserved.

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