A Chair

 One of four chairs at a modest barbershop where my husband usually has a hair cut every month. 

The Weekend in Black and White

Home Theater Design: Points to Keep In Mind to Maximize Entertainment Pleasure

A home theater can be one of the most entertaining and amazing devices to own. There is absolutely no doubt of the fact that a home theater can be placed in a den by itself and can quickly become the reason why your social life becomes even more hectic!

 

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Bringing together friends and family to watch a ballgame in your den can become standard practice. So, when it comes to home theater design, points to keep in mind that will go a long way in ensuring that you enjoy your possession immensely are a good idea!

It is likely that you spent a long time in choosing your home theater system. You thought about many things before deciding on the gadget that appeals to you. Some of the things that you have probably done are:

• Reading through customer reviews on the Internet,
• Finding out about the brand and their customer service,
•  Asking your friends and colleagues about their recommendations and
• Weighing the costs and features of different brands.

So, it does stand to logic that you can pay an equal amount of attention to home theatre design elements as well.

Acoustics

Your home theatre will probably sound very different in your house than when you heard it in the showroom or the shop. Therefore, it is extremely essential for you to find out from the sound technician about how to install your home theatre in order to ensure that the acoustics of your room are taken into account.

Of course, good home theatre manufacturers will always give you the support and services of audio experts who may even come to your house before you install your home theatre. So it is a good idea to find out if you can get hold of this kind of support from your home theatre make-up.

The technical stuff

There is quite a big list of some of the technical points that you should take care of when installing your home theatre. Some of the things that you must cater for are:

• Reducing the vibrations that may otherwise go on to reduce sound transmissions,
• Catering for reflection of sound that emanates from your speakers,
• Looking out for echoes or reverberations and 
• Determining something known as point of reflection which deals with pinpointing the location where the sound waves from the home theatre speakers hit the walls of the den.

There are quite a few things that you can do to enhance sound absorption and take care of sound reflection as well. For instance, if you cannot invest in acoustic wall panels, then try and go in for fabric wall panels that can take care of sound absorption.

Infrastructure

You also need to look at the size of the room in which you are going to install your home theatre. Depending on the home theater design, you need to ensure that there is comfortable viewing distance and enough place for a lot of people to sit down comfortably. If you are planning to install your home theatre in the basement, then you should ensure that the basement is completely dry and is not in danger of any kind of water seepage. 

Why Interior Design should Start at the Front Door

The poor humble hallway. It is the forgotten hero of the home, a means to an end that serves to function and functions to serve and little else. But with a touch of design flair and careful thought, the hallway has chance to become the most treasured room in the house. And here's how:

Little luxuries.

Even the most functional hallway can be rejuvenated by a simple design touch. For the smallest of spaces, a splash of bright paint can make a style statement. There's little need to be afraid of the traditional theory that small spaces need to be kept neutral to create a sense of space   in fact, a dramatically different colour scheme in the hallway can create an intimate welcome and a real talking point. Alternatively, a more flexible approach would be to invest in a pretty but functional runner to brighten up your home's entrance or a bold lighting fixture to create a big impact in a small space. Or for a truly personal touch, turning treasured photos into wall art or creating a striking collage can add interest in an otherwise dull situation.

Sophisticated storage.

There is nothing worse than a cluttered hallway that has become a dumping ground for shoes, coats, scarves and everything in between. Storage is essential and making it part of the design can ensure that hallways are kept clean and tidy at all times. Wall-mounted shelves and hooks are efficient, but for a true touch of style investing in a piece of luxury furniture such as a designer console table can turn the functional into the fashionable. Even the smallest of hallways can also benefit from the addition of a bookcase. Whether in a sleek and contemporary finish or a traditional and antique style, shelving can add distinctive character to any home's hallway.

Perfect practicalities.

If your home is lucky enough to benefit from a larger than average entrance space, why not consider really turning the hallway into a functional and usable space? Although the tradition of the telephone table has been somewhat usurped by the advent of mobile technology, its re-introduction could add a touch of vintage style to your home. Selecting a matching seat, or if the space allows, a luxurious chaise longue, can return the everyday simplicity of a phone call into a true event. Not only that, but seating of any kind can add a welcoming warmth that is decidedly absent from most hallways. A chic interior design finish can also be achieved by creating a sense of symmetry in larger entrance halls: a central round table flanked by complementary furnishings either side creates a focal point for not just the hallway, but the house as a whole.

Spending time to consider the design potential of a hallway, no matter its shape and size, is well worth it. It is an opportunity for luxury in moderation, a quick burst of style and design experimentation and it should be neglected no longer.

AUTHOR BIO

Smith is a home and interiors expert. He prides himself on sourcing luxury furniture for clients and homes of all types and she writes regularly on the topic of design for a range of websites and publications.

Practical Tips to Choose a Plumber

Every building owner or occupant will need a few tradespeople to help keep the building in perfect working condition. One such trade person who is exceedingly important is a plumber. A plumber performs the very important task of keeping the water connections in the home in working order.

 

His or her work can include:

·         Installing all pipes - inlets and outlets - in a building,

·         Maintaining all these pipes in working order,

·         Repairing problem areas such as leaks and bursts and

·         Staying within the legal regulations of the country or location that he works in.

Interestingly, according to statistics from the United States Department of Labor, the median pay for plumbers in the year 2010 was $22.43 every hour.

It can become extremely important for you to have a plumber who can be readily accessed when you have some problems with your pipes and tubes. Keeping a few practical tips to choose a plumber can go a long way in helping you enjoy a drip free dwelling.

Look for personal recommendations

One of the easiest things to do and the simplest as well is to ask your neighbors and friends for recommendations. For sure, they would be using plumbing services, and listening to their opinions can go a long way in helping you choose the perfect plumber. They may also be able to give you tips and suggestions on how much he charges and the quality of work that he renders. Thus, seek personal recommendations actively.

Looking through the Internet and telephone directories

You can locate quite a few plumbers by simply conducting a search on the Internet for them. All you need to do is to enter search terms such as ‘plumbers in Minnesota’ or wherever you may be living. But once you have shortlisted a few candidates, you need to call them up and assess whether they sound professional and responsive over the telephone. Probably thereafter, you could trust them with small jobs first and then move on to bigger jobs once you have developed a certain sense and level of confidence in the services.

Ask for their license or certification details

Most regions in the USA need trades persons to be certified. Therefore, asking for their license number or registration number is an extremely good idea because this will give you a sense of trust that a plumber is registered with your local business bureau. You could also extend this to finding out whether the plumber is registered with professional trade associations or bodies. For instance, the Institute of Plumbing or the Association of Plumbers does have its own list of plumbers.

Longevity and professionalism

One of the important tips to choose a plumber is to ask him how long he has been in the business. A good plumber will always give you client recommendations and details of how long he has been in the business. Rely on your visual examination of the plumber as well. If he looks neat and clean and is carrying his tools, which should also look neat and clean; in a very organized manner then he is probably the right man for the job.