Archive for January 2012
Interior Design – The Meaning of Colors
January 31, 2012 | 
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We live surrounded by colors, shades and light. Each tone and sometimes we don’t even notice it, influences our mood, each color has a meaning and intertwines with our frame of mind. There is nothing arbitrary in this world: it’s all harmony. Have you noticed? There are days you feel like wearing black and days you feel like adding color to your life, spicing it up a little by wearing an orange top or a lime green scarf, or a mysterious dark red evening dress. You can choose the colors for your wardrobe according to your mood and change them as often as you like, but you cannot change the colors of a room so easily. When you start decorating a room it is very important that you choose the colors right.
Interior designers use a color wheel to choose colors and tones that match. You should know that there are active colors (such as red, yellow and orange), passive colors (blue, green and purple) and neutral colors (white, black, gray, beige and brown). It is very important that you know how each of these color groups might influence a room. For example, warm colors tend to stand out; neutrals, as their name suggests are….. neutral; and passive colors calm the atmosphere.
You should find a way to balance the tones, to create the mood you long for. You want a room full of energy, use orange. You want passion – red is the answer. You want to chill – take blue. So let’s see what each color means, for colors are not given the same meaning all over the world.
Red is for many the color of passionate love: a red rose, a red box of chocolates on Valentines Day, a red heart, but in South Africa red means mourning. Red is also the most common color found in national flags. That is because in ancient times flags were usually used on the battlefield and red gave the signal for battle. Red is also the color of blood – red eggs at Easter symbolize the blood of Christ and good luck. Red is good luck also in China, where it is also used as wedding color. If you like red, creating an interior decoration with a Chinese theme is a perfect choice.
Green is the color of nature. You find it everywhere: in trees, grass and even some fruits. It relaxes and inspires. In ancient times green was the color of honor and victory. In Ireland, this is still the color of good luck. Choose an Irish theme if you like dark green. Blue is the most common color used in interior decoration – it relaxes and refreshes, it provides for a feeling of safety. This shouldn’t be a surprise: as you know blue is also the color for police uniforms. If you choose blue for your home, you cannot go wrong. But blue is a cold color, so balance it with orange or yellow.
Purple is a royal color. In ancient times purple was difficult to obtain – the color was extracted from Purpura snails. This is also the color of inspiration, so if you are an artist, a room with purple accents might stimulate your mind. As purple is believed to help kids develop imagination, it is often used to decorate children rooms.
Yellow and orange are extremely warm colors. They are usually associated with the sun and with tropical fruits (oranges, bananas, lemons). Both have a positive impact, however yellow could be taken as a symbol of jealousy and deceit and let’s not forget that some time ago, in Spain, executioners wore yellow. Take care how you use orange and yellow in interior decorations: both stand out and tend to dominate the room. Black and white are neutral. Both symbolize mourning, each for different civilizations. But hey, almost each color symbolizes mourning for some: red for South Africans, blue for Iranians, purple for women in Thailand, yellow for Egyptians, white for Chinese and Japanese, black for Europeans and Americans. But black and white are both very elegant and, while you should not paint your walls black, you could choose black furniture to give your interiors a feel of opulence and strength. White is purity, kindness, peace and loyalty.
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Ornamental Trees and Plants – Home and Garden
Ornamental plants and trees are used for decorative places and not for earning wealth. In residential landscaping, ornamental trees usually mean smaller trees that cannot support tree houses, hammocks or tree swings. You can have a tree in your backyard even if you do not have too much space. You can choose small ornamental trees which will give you the pleasure of having trees in your yards without affecting its appeal. For truly small areas, you can opt for ornamental plants which can add fragrance or beauty for your home.
The best possession in a home owner’s landscape is the flowering ornamental trees which combine the size of a small tree with the beauty of a flower. This can add a lot of beauty to your yard and enhance the home decor. While it comes to choosing ornamental trees or plants there are several options. You can choose a saucer magnolia with its pinkish blossoms or crape myrtles on account of their blooming period which is quite long. You can also choose dogwood trees on account of their horizontal branches.
While opting for landscaping, some house owners prefer the weeping ornamental trees. These trees have long and looping branches which add to the aesthetic value of the house. Some trees such as the weeping cherry tree are also trees that flower. Even in this case you can choose from a variety of trees according to their flowering traits, size and seasons of growth.
While thinking of remodeling your house and incorporating landscaping you can also choose ornamental plants which can increase value during decorating the interiors. Shrubs are unique because they do not have the single trunk and in this way they differ from the trees. Some shrubs that are trimmed to give the look of a trunk are called the ornamental plant. Ornamental plants require great care to give great results and in this way they differ from the ornamental trees which can grow even without diligent care.
Landscaping ads value of your home and must be considered during home improvement. It is also essential to maintain the garden area well after such ideas are incorporated. A home gardener can be appointed to prune and trim and the plants at regular intervals so that the beauty and atmosphere is beautifully maintained and the home becomes a truly heavenly place to reside in.
Growing Healthy Foods in Your Home Garden
More and more people are getting into growing their own fresh fruits and vegetables by planting a home garden. Many are enjoying their fresh garden produce during the growing season and are also preserving it for later use by freezing and canning. Even those who were not previously interested in gardening have become motivated to grow their own produce as they have learned that store-bought fruits and vegetables are often nutrient-deficient.
Not only that, but for many people starting and cultivating a home garden for the purpose of providing wonderful foods for the table is an enjoyable endeavor. Gardening has long been a popular hobby for many people all around the world, but when you add the extra incentive of being able to provide your family with nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables that have not been contaminated with chemicals and pesticides, it is easy to see why the popularity of the garden has grown.
In addition to concerns about the quality and safety of store-bought produce, another reason why people love to have a home garden bursting with wonderful foods is that you can go out and pick the vegetables at just the right time to assure freshness. Compare this with tomatoes, for example, that are picked long before they ripen, transported, stored and finally put on the store shelf.
In that scenario, which is common of the vast majority of produce sold in the grocery stores today, the tomato has been detached from its life-giving parent plant for many days and sometimes weeks. But with a vegetable garden just outside your kitchen door, you can pick your tomatoes when they are at their peak of ripeness and be able to have the freshest tomatoes to add to your salad or for your famous tomato sauce.
Most of the common and popular vegetables that are available in the produce sections of grocery stores can be grown in home gardens. Some of the most popular varieties are carrots, green beans, potatoes, peas, beets, broccoli, cabbage, and many varieties of squash, just to name a few.
And don’t forget about all of the wonderful berries that can be home grown as well. Technically a fruit, tomatoes are one of the most popular foods that people enjoy including in their home gardens. They are easy to grow and simply delicious plucked off the vine.
Produce from a vegetable garden can be used immediately or it can be frozen or canned for later use, and many people include herbs in their gardens too. In fact, herbs can be even more convenient as they can even be grown indoors, making your gardening efforts even more simple and easy. And, just as those fresh vegetables taste better and are better for you, you will also find that fresh herbs from the garden are superior in taste and flavor as compared to the dried and packaged varieties.
Aside from all of the benefits of a home garden for providing wonderful food and tasty herbs for your meals, many people simply love being in the garden, weeding, watering and tending their crops. There is a great sense of satisfaction in planting and tending the garden and in seeing your efforts bloom and grow. And, sharing a meal of good food with friends is a feeling many people treasure.