An Alley

The alley leads visitors to the entrance of Zoology Museum inside the Bogor Botanical Gardens. This time I captured it from the entrance side. Interesting shadows on the floor!

 The Weekend in Black and White

8 Beautiful Touches to Add to Your Home

Fireplace Grate -image:balsamhill.com

Are you looking to breathe new life into your home? If you don't have the money for an extensive remodel, it can seem like a daunting or even impossible task, but it doesn't have to be. Here are just eight simple touches that can rejuvenate your living space.

1. New Lights

You don't have to knock down a ceiling and install a skylight. Just put sconces on the walls, add a few visually appealing floor lamps or arrange candles in strategic areas around the room.

2. Fireplace Grate

Most homeowners don't even think about their fireplace grate until it breaks, but if you replace that old, grimy one with something beautifully and intricately iron-wrought, your fireplace can become the centerpiece of the living room. 

3. Decorative Throws and Pillows

Turn your den into the coziest, most welcoming room of your entire home. Spread decorative throws and pillows across all of your couches, chairs and chaises until no surface is left with a sharp edge.

Wreath

4. Holiday Decorations

The next time Christmas rolls around, don't be satisfied with a limp wreath on the door. Go all-out with lights, tinsel and mistletoe. You'll also want to buy a tree worthy of the holiday. You can read reviews of Balsam Hill trees and other similar companies to learn more.

5. Plates and Bowls

Your tableware says a lot about you, especially if it's cracked and chipped. Replace your old collection with something nicer. Look for pieces that come in a set and are decorated with subtlety.

6. Tablecloth

When was the last time you replaced your tablecloth? Start rotating them regularly depending on the season. For example, use the red-and-green variety for winter or a rabbit-themed one for spring.

7. Wall Art

Liven up your walls with something new. Hang paintings and portraits; frame all of your photos; paint yourself a mural. You can even use stencils to make your wall art unique to your home.

8. New Furniture

This is slightly more expensive than other entries on this list, but it still won't break the bank. If you're completely fed up with your boring living room, look into replacing your couch or buying a new television. One big-ticket item can effect everything else around it.

These are just eight ways to redecorate without remodeling your home entirely. The smallest of changes can transform a room, so don't be afraid to experiment until you find something that works for you!
 

Precautions to Take During a Mirror Supply or Transportation

Receiving a mirror supply from your dealer is never a problem because your mirror supplier is likely to take the necessary precautions to make sure the consignment reaches your home or commercial location safely. But when you have to relocate and move your precious mirrors to a new place, you will need take special precautions to make sure there is no breakage or damage to these very fragile items.

Ensure that the Mirrors are Clean 
Prepare each mirror for transportation by cleaning it down thoroughly. This step is essential to make sure there are no grits or sharp particles that might scratch the surface of the mirror. You will also need to take special care of the reverse of the mirror where the reflective coating of the mirror is applied. Any scratches on it and the front of the mirror will show unsightly dark patches. It will also be easier to manage the mirror if all the oils and grease is cleaned off completely.

Use Masking Tape 
The masking tape you use on the mirror will protect the mirror by allowing it to bend very slightly in case there is bumping or knocking during transportation. Use a roll of masking tape that is typically used by decorators and create an ‘X’ pattern connecting the four corners of your mirror. Even if the mirror is round or oval in shape, you can use the same pattern. Next create additional ‘X’ patterns in the four empty spaces around it. In case, there is an accident and the mirror does break in transit, the tape will serve to hold the pieces together and not let it shatter completely.

Arrange for the Proper Packing Cases  
Check with the moving company or a glass and mirror supply company close by for cases that are appropriately sized to pack your mirrors. You could also opt for the four-piece packing box that can be fitted on the four corners of the mirror. These kind of cases are flexible and can fit any sized piece. Make sure you pack them separately from other items and also choose individual packing for each piece. 

Package by Using Cushioning 
Now that you have chosen the correct cases, you will need to pack the proper materials to cushion the mirror so that it is protected from accidental impacts. Use packing paper rolled into cylinders and place them on all four sides of the mirror as a buffer between the mirror and the case. Also wrap the mirror carefully with paper or furniture pads for further protection against scratches. Next you could slide the package into the case, place more cylinders on the box opening and tape it shut. Many glass supply companies use this idea. 

Alternatives

For additional protection, you could wrap the glass in a thick blanket, comforter, eiderdown or quilt or heavily corrugated cardboard. You could also use bubble wrap. Take care to secure the corners and edges properly, especially if the mirror does not have a frame. Finish by using more masking tape to keep the packaging in place. Do remember to mark the box clearly so handlers are warned that it contains fragile items. 

Transportation Tips 

When placing the mirror in the moving van, never lay it flat but instead, set it on the edge in an upright position along its longer side. Also check that it does not lean at a more than 10 degree angle. Make sure it is packed on all sides with heavy duty furniture that is not likely to shift when the van is moving. For example, a cushioned sofa or mattress would be perfect. Also take care that the other objects you place beside it are not likely to topple on top and crush it. Placing the mirror on its corner is another no-no. That’s because the corner is likely to shatter under the weight of the mirror.

For additional tips on how to move your mirror safely, you could contact your local mirror supply company or contact us at Texas Custom Mirrors. We have the answers to all your mirror-related needs from framing, decorating, installing, replacing, moving and any other issue you might need help with. Contact us today!!

  

Unique Design Furniture to Enhance Beauty of Home

Home furniture is now becoming a status symbol for the modern families. Every piece of furniture we want for our house, we want it to be distinct and unique in itself so that it can beautify our homes and make it stand out from others. Here we share a few unique design of furniture that would make your home unmatched.

What if you can use your space as living room in a day and bedroom in night, a bed that can be fold in the wall and flipped out on board whenever needed. It can save you a space of whole room and can be used whenever you like to. 

A convertible sofa could add a lot more chic to your house. You could fold it as a trunk, open it and use it as a dining table with cushioned chairs and also use it as a sofa. You would love to see the confused look of your friends when they see your sofa becoming your dining table.

Could a small staircase be of any other use in furniture? Yes it can have a range of drawers to reduce the space small things in house could occupy. It can have more stairs as the drawer to keep more things into it and you would not even need any stool to reach the top most drawer as the drawers are already a part of staircase you can just climb over it.

Most of us think of owning a pool table but at the end of the day we do not have space for it. But Flap dining table gives you a chance to accommodate your pool table into your dining table. All you need to do is remove the upper flap of the table and your dining table becomes a pool table. It can also store the snooker balls in its drawer. So, it combines your food and entertainment together.

If you always thought of a type of furniture which looks good and also takes less space Obelisk furniture is all you need. It can be divided to form a set of chairs and table and stacked together it takes a shape of a rocket like structure, which occupies very less space and is ideal for outdoor purposes also.

Are you fond of ping pong? Could you imagine it could be a part of your house entrance? You wouldn’t believe that creativity can make your door a ping pong board when turned horizontally. You could call your friend for a ping pong game on your leave or evenings to have fun. It folds and adjusts itself as a board and a door in a very simple way. It would have markers and net over it to reduce your part of stress. So install it and go ping pong at your doorstep.

All these changes in your house would not only enhance its beauty but also give a chance to flaunt it in front of your friends. So, get ready to carry a new attitude and tease your neighbours.