Kew Gardens – Enjoy Sheer Beauty and Elegance of a Dazzling Landscape

Posted on by

Kew Gardens is a dazzling assortment of gardens and glass houses disseminated in a mammoth area of 3000 acres. Located on the south bank of the Thames River between Richmond and Kew, the Kew Gardens houses an unthinkable array of attractions with delightful landscapes, formal gardens and green houses.

The Kew Gardens was founded by Lord Capel of Tewkesbury and was later extended by Princess Augustan and after some temporary set backs, was enlarged into the massive venue it is today. The captivating glass houses are some of the most fascinating features in the garden and these constitute of the Princess of Wales Conservatory, the Palm House, the Temperate House, Alpine House and many other alluring glass structures. The Prince of Wales Conservatory was built to acknowledge the service rendered by Princess Augusta and contains a fine display of plants in an enticing natural setting. The conservatory’s most highlighted feature is its ten climate zones each contributing to the needs of diverse plant groups. Kew Gardens was adorned by a variety of Alpine Houses since 1887 but today the Kew Alpine collection is housed in an outstanding Alpine House which was established in 2006.

The formal Gardens collection has a mass array of gardens such as the Colour Spectrum, Secluded Garden, Rose Garden, Bamboo Garden and the Azalea Garden, each excelling due to its perpetual charm and elegance. Kew’s wildlife and conservation related areas are yet another appealing feature with a range of attractions such as the Compost Heap, Gravel Pit, Bee Garden and Stag Beetle Loggery. The Stag Beetle Loggery is a unique sky scraper style structure constructed to encourage the breeding of the stag beetle, Britain’s biggest native beetle while the Compost Heap deals with extensive composting programmes. The gardens are also home to a themed plant collection allowing its visitors to enjoy a splendid range of themed gardens such as the Lilac Garden, Marine Display, Rose Garden, Grass Garden, Holly Walk and Crocus Carpet. Its endless attractions also include a number of museums and galleries and Kew Gardens also hosts a variety of research and educational programmes throughout the year.

With such a varied array of attractions the Kew Gardens, also known as The Royal Botanical Gardens surpasses as one of the must see attractions in London. A wide range of hotels in London provide convenient access to this renowned site.

Buying Frugal Furniture

Posted on by

Buying furniture can take a big bite out of your wallet. Even with careful thought and wise shopping, it is a major expense. Sometimes it is worth paying a little more money to get a piece that will last for years, rather than a very inexpensive item that will fall apart or become hopelessly outdated in a short time. On the other hand, some people pay outrageous sums of money for their furniture. Most of us neither want to do that, or have the financial means to do so.

There are some basic rules you can follow to keep the cost of buying furniture down, while selecting items that will serve you best for years to come. There are also factors to take into consideration so that your furniture stays in good condition, is comfortable for you, and well used.

Here are some guidelines:

– Remember the design element of scale. Some sofas are oversized, and others are small and seem to hug the ground. IKEA is a discount store that sells a lot of very low furniture. If you have a big room, you will want larger pieces. Smaller sized furniture looks better in small rooms and apartments. IKEA manufactures their furniture in Scandinavia, where dwellings are typically smaller than American sized spaces. Another benefit of their furniture is that it is fire resistant. You can only find that at two retailers in the US.

– Another thing to consider when buying sofas is the height of your family members. You will not be comfortable sitting in a sofa when your feet do not reach the ground. On the other hand, if your knees are in your face, the sofa is too small for you. This is why couples should always shop together for furniture.

– Buy the best quality furniture that you can afford, preferable used. You can find bargains in the chipped and dented section of many department stores, as well as in the classifieds. If you have children, your furniture is not going to remain pristine anyway, and a few scratches are nothing to get concerned about if the quality is good.

– Keep your large upholstered pieces in a neutral color and in a classic style. Visit Goodwill to visualize what happens to trendy pieces. Very few people are comfortable with a lime green or burnt orange sofa in their living room. Colors return, but they are in different shades. The hottest bright green now is a kiwi color. I personally like that color, and have a futon cover in that shade. When it becomes hopelessly outdated, I hope to just replace the cover. When your furniture is in a solid color, it is very easy to drape an afghan, quilt, or blanket over it to hide worn spots. You can make it last a lot longer that way.

– When buying wood furniture, as a general rule, the darker the wood, the more formal it is. Again, if you shop at IKEA, you will notice all their furniture is casual, and almost all of it is stained in a light color, like pine or birch. Wood grain with a lot of red in it, like mahogany, is difficult to blend with lighter colors. For the most versatility, buy your wood stained in medium to light shades.

– When you look at the upholstery fabric on your furniture, remember that it is only as strong as its weakest fiber. When I was taking my Interior Design classes in college, we tested the fibers in fabric. We pulled them apart, and ran tests on them for several things, including strength and durability. Fabric that is made from several different kinds of fibers will probably not be as durable as a closely woven fabric made with one material. These are usually fabrics with a very smooth texture and tight weave. Pieces that can be used in several ways, and in different rooms of your home, will serve you for years. Buy real wood when possible, and you have many options to stain and paint over the years as needed.

– Buy furniture you know you will use. Think about the function of each piece. Be sure you are spending money on something you really need.

– Use multi-purpose pieces whenever possible. If you are short on space, placing a television on a bookcase is more practical than placing it on a stand. Use small bookcases for tables, trunks for coffee tables, and bed units with drawers in the frame for children. You can also hide a lot of stuff under fabric-covered tables. You can buy simple cardboard stands, meant to be covered, or make one yourself by cutting a circle out of plywood and putting it on a sturdy base.

– Finally, remember that mixing and matching is now in full fashion. You want your room to look like it has evolved over a period of time. This gives it the character and warmth you do not find in a furniture showroom.

Make good use of furniture that comes to you from all sources. Reupholstering chairs is not hard, and stripping wood and refinishing or painting it is a do-it-yourself project. Careful shopping, including buying interesting used pieces, will give character and personality to your home. It is also fun to be surrounded by items that have a history or story associated with them, rather than a trip to the local furniture store.

Unfinished Wood Floors Sanding – An Overview

Posted on by

There will most likely come a time when refinishing the surface of the wooden floors in your home becomes necessary. In this article, you will learn more about the significance of each of the processes involved when it comes to the unfinished wood floors sanding. This is important because a better understanding of the processes can spell the difference between the success and the failure of the sanding for the surface of your floor.

If you are prepared to make the wooden flooring in your home look as good as new, you may ask the contractors to perform the following set of procedures: (1) staining; (2) sanding; and (3) applying finishing touches to the surface of the floor. The contractors should be ready to move out all of the pieces of furniture in the room where they will perform the unfinished wood floors sanding. After this, the contractors will need to remove the top layer of the flooring that previously sealed the surface from environmental elements. This phase may take up to around eight hours to finish.

If you want to retain the shade of the flooring, the contractors may be forced to perform additional sanding and finishing for the wooden surface. This especially holds true if the surface of the floor has been previously bombarded with lots of scratches and gouges that peek on the surface. For this task, the contractors will use numerous types of sandpaper with different degrees of roughness.

Once the surface of the floor has been stripped of chemicals and other coatings, the contractors may then apply the new shade for your floor. Ideally, you should have discussed this matter with the team even before you appointed them to visit your home for the renovation. Stains are the tinting substances of choice for the contractors. Compared to the sanding phase, the contractors can finish this job more easily. However, the drying process may take up most of the time for the flooring surface.

If you think the surface of the floor will only require minor changes, you may ask your contractors to perform screening and finishing for the surface. However, you should take note that the procedures will not readily strip off the top coat of the flooring once the procedures have been performed on the surface. This may also include the blotches and other forms of stains that may be present on the surface. As soon as the contractors have finished their screening tasks, you may then behold the appearance of the newly sanded flooring.

These are just some of the things that you should definitely keep in mind when it comes to unfinished wood floors sanding, as far as the steps in the entire task are concerned. You are not encouraged to perform by yourself any of the procedures mentioned above because these typically require the proper knowledge and skills that will ensure the procedures are executed properly and efficiently. Also, the procedures will require the contractors to make use of specialized equipment.

General Safety Tips To Stay Safe While Installing An Electrical Panel

Posted on by

Electrical panels have the core function to provide a constant supply of energy to all the sub circuits and it is essential to keep the safety notes at the time you install the device as to avoid any electrical hazard later. Thus, before you go to install the device, it is important to go through these points and ensure the proper safety of the whole system.

Tips To Stay Safe While Installing The Electrical Panel:-

  • Avoid Water – The water and electricity can never be together at the application, despite the fact electricity is generated from water. It is important to be on the safe side than curing the pain later. While you install the system, remember to keep it high enough from the reach of water. The equipment and circuit should have distance from the water as it increases the conductivity of electrical current.
  • Prevent Shocks – Apart from keeping the equipment away from the water, you should also pay attention to the bare wires. Uncovered wires are the main cause of electric current as if you touch the end by mistake. You can cover these ends with a cap so the insulator eliminates the direct contact with the copper and prevents getting a shock.
  • Check For Live Wires – Energized wires are the dangerous to death and checking for such wires regularly while working is better to save yourself from the hazards. Never assume that electrical equipment is uncharged even when left isolated for a long time. While installing the panel, check twice for any energized wires as to avoid the problems and to ensure there is no current running through them.
  • Overload Protection – The main reason of blasting of the panel is over loading and avoiding this point helps you to prevent the damages as well as danger to life. At the time, you install the panel for your industry, calculate the voltage requirement, and add a 25% surplus in that so you can be prepared for the next installations and you will not end up installing the device over again for every additional equipment.
  • Equipment Reliability – The electrical panel is designed to provide constant supply of power from the main circuits to the sub circuits. It necessary to maintain a good ratio of voltage supply with the basic requirements, therefore, always you should always remember to keep an eye on the ideal ratio to avoid any problems. If anytime you feel the panel tingly feeling, disconnect it as sooner as possible and stop using that at the time.