Decorating with Metal for a Modern Home

Decorating with metal in modern homes is proving popular and there’s seemingly no end of possibilities for homeowners to pursue. From metal lamp shades to metal coffee tables and metal wall sculptures, homeowners are presented with a wide array of possibilities when decorating their modern homes with metal.

Metal art - Back in fashion

Metal art, particularly metal wall art, was popular in the 60s and 70s and then kind of disappeared; however, it’s making a reappearance and resurgence due much in part to television shows like Mad Men.

This, however, doesn’t mean that metal art only works well with homes decorated in styles from those periods as it is proving very popular in modern homes, so think 2000 onwards rather than the 60s and 70s.

Offsetting metal art, fittings and furnishings

When decorating modern homes with metal art, fittings and furnishings it’s highly recommended that homeowners offset the use of metal with organic materials like wood as the often cold appearance of metal can make modern homes look somewhat cold and uninviting.

This doesn’t detract from the unique appearance of metal art, fittings and furniture in any way, but instead makes for a more inviting home; moreover, it doesn’t take much at all to make an item of metal furniture more inviting, for example, placing a wooden bowl on a metal coffee table, a vase with fresh flowers in the middle of a metal dining table or a colourful cushion on a metal chair.

Metal sculptures and modern homes

Metal sculptures can make quite an impression in modern homes though they also lend themselves well to traditional homes, especially religious art like Buddha sculptures, the likes of which are constantly being reinvented by modern artists whilst still retaining their traditional and timeless charms.

Metal sculptures can be bought online at Amazon or eBay, directly from artists who work in metal at markets and their home studios and many of the metal sculptures that people purchase to bring a sense of uniqueness to their modern homes are acquired on a commissioned basis, with customers discussing their ideas with artists and allowing them their artistic freedom to create something inimitable and unique.

Metal art and decoration ideas

There are seemingly no limits to using metal decorations in modern homes. Metal wall art is among the most popular variety of metal art in modern homes, with many homeowners creating eye-catching focal points in the middle of blank walls and others using smaller, coordinated pieces spread across walls.

The colour of your walls is important to consider when purchasing metal wall art, as are the colours of your furniture, though silver metal wall art works well with most colours and can make quite a dazzling centre piece on any wall when well selected and hung at the right level so as to catch the eye of those who enter the room in which it’s hung.

 

image:houzz.com

Metal furniture

There are many benefits afforded to homeowners who opt for metal furniture over other varieties of furniture, especially those who have a taste for metal decorations, including durability and longevity, its hygienic properties and the ease in which it’s cleaned.

Metal furniture is popular both indoors and out, though any metal furniture placed outside must be properly treated so as to not rust as this would detract from its appearance and may also pose a safety threat.

When decorating your modern home, don’t overlook the amazing possibilities that metal art, fittings and furniture presents and explore the possibilities presented to you thoroughly - there are so many ways to make your modern home even more unique with metal.

About the Author:

Ashley Cherry is a writer for Alroy Sheet Metals Ltd, a company based in the UK with more than 50 years of experience in providing quality sheet metals. Details about their services can be found on www.alroys.com.

Lessons on Reticulation – Perth Lawn Care Specialists Share Smart Tips for Effective Yard Watering

A big, well-maintained lawn presents a lot of benefits to property owners, aesthetic- and function-wise. However, the process of making sure the yard is beautifully landscaped and cared for is rarely an easy one. You cannot just rely on nature to take its course; like all living things, grass and plants need to be nurtured well so they can develop to their fullest potential as property assets.

One of the important things to consider for effective lawn care is proper reticulation. Perth lawn and garden experts say that creating a smart water distribution system can address a large chunk of the issues most lawns experience. Those bare spots and withered grass concentrated on certain areas that often require new turf laying, Perth lawn care specialists say, can be prevented if property owners would go beyond the basic hose or sprinkler watering system.

To “hydrate” the entire lawn, a network of watering systems must be created, and when this network is created, the scheduling and the amount of water dispersed can be programmed as well. The good news is that all these are possible with advanced and strategic reticulation systems, for garden technology has become quite smart; property owners can minimise their efforts but actually achieve much better results.

Now, to further make reticulation more effective, here are some important lessons on watering to consider.

Water enough.Too much or too little is rarely good for the development of grass and other plants. “Just enough” means one inch of water a week for lawns, and thoroughly moist soil for both new and long-established plants. Do monitor the soil moistness around new plants because they tend to drink up more water as they’re growing their roots. As for established ones, make sure the wetness of the soil goes down a couple inches deep – just stick an index finger into the soil to check how deep the water was absorbed.

Water on schedule.Timing plays a great role in proper reticulation. For yard sprinklers, scheduling them to run for about 30 minutes in the morning, three to four times a week will make sure grass is adequately hydrated. This routine is especially necessary for new lawn installation, Perth lawn service professionals claim. For drip bags, on the other hand, they must be set on the ground right next to new plants which naturally need more water; the drip bags can provide hydration for three to five hours.

Author Profile: Kenneth Lawrence is a passionate “Handyman.” He is also a content creator who writes about home renovations and repairs, kitchen improvements, exterior and interior designing, landscaping and other related topics that can help homeowners. To know more about lawn care tips, he visits www.fitchcontracting.com.au

Modern Lighting is Practical and Beautiful

Modern interior lighting is able to enhance the looks and add beauty to your home's decor in every room. Eye-catching accents can be accomplished with lighting fixtures of all designs and colors that can enliven the home décor of every room and also fit into your budget.

Your foyer and hallway are the first areas that guests see, so modern wall sconces with one or several lights are the perfect answer as accent pieces.

A brilliant chandelier can make your dining room sparkle exquisitely and create praise as visitors relax and dine in a beautiful atmosphere.

For floor lamps, there is a wide range to suit any taste. A floor lamp at the side of a sofa or favorite reading chair in the living room is a must. They can be sleek or practical or have wild designs and shapes and be an unusual piece of art.

Modern Table Lamp

Contemporary and trendy table lamps can be easily moved from room to room when you want to do a bit of redecorating.

Under counter lights in the kitchen can offer great lighting for doing all kinds of jobs on the counter space. Moreover, today’s kitchen is not only for preparing meals but has become the favorite place for the family to gather. Choices of light fixtures can provide sufficient light to make everything easy on the eyes.

Your bedroom may need just a simple ceiling light, perhaps as part of a ceiling fan, with the addition of a colorful table lamp or two.

Modern sconces with four or more lights in different sizes, shapes and designs will wonderfully enlighten your bathroom. Keep in mind that the lighting at the mirror in the bathroom must be free from shades and glaring light.

In the office, you want lots of light to shine on your computer and desk. Choose from various styles of table lamps if you want to deviate from the usual functional desk lamp.