Creative Home

Archive for July, 2009

Upholstery dry cleaning is essential to keeping your upholstered fabrics looking new and keeping them fresh. You do have the option of dry cleaning or steam cleaning. Here are comparisons to help you decided which method will work best for your upholstered fabrics.

1 – Steam Cleaning
This is the method that is usually recommended by the upholstery makers. This is because it deep cleans, as opposed to other methods that only clean the surface. In other words, if you have an upholstered chair, only steam cleaning will extract any dirt from beneath the upholstery fabric, removing the dirt from the padding below. This is also a preferred method because the dirt that is extracted is contained in a tank and will not allow it to fly around the air in your home.
2 – Dry Cleaning
The method has no drying time, which is a plus to many people. The upholstery is covered with a powder that is damp which contains detergent and a solvent. It is then rubbed into the surface to loosen debris, and then vacuumed out. As discussed above, this method will only clean the surface of your upholstery, but is a good option if your upholstery is not heavily soiled and you are just wanting to remove the dust and freshen the fabric.

Decorative lighting in the home can set into play a variety of moods. It can relax us, cause us to wax romantically poetic, invigorate us or cause our eye to be captivated by an item that is splashed in its warm illumination. Therefore, decorating with light is a very important part of the home decoration and design process and shouldn’t be neglected.

Decorating a living space where you want to create a comfortable atmosphere of texture and interest requires utilizing several gentler and lower light sources compared to a strong and intense overhead light. Spaces such as living rooms, bedrooms and dens are areas where several people might gather for a relaxing conversation or where one or two might sit to enjoy a peaceful time of reading a book or doing needlepoint. In these cases, using a table lamp in one area, a couple of sconces in another and a puck, track or under cabinet light source in yet another would do wonders for mood enhancement.

The great thing about using several different light sources in a living space is that you can accent different areas of the same room or create higher or lower illuminations depending on the desired result or task. Various moods can be set for guest entertainment, family game night, a session of bill paying, or a cozy snuggle.

Natural lighting is best for day time decoration enhancement. Placement of furniture should be considered with this in mind when planning for interior design. A comfortable chair set by a window receiving full daylight makes an ideal morning or afternoon getaway to relax with a book. Living room or dining room furniture facing the setting sun is also a great way for the family to gather together and enjoy the colorful rays of a late afternoon.

However, even during times of daylight, there are dark or shadowed areas that could benefit from the warm glow of a small light source. Consider placing a puck light or a touchier lamp in such a space to even out the light effect. Placing a small strip light under a shelf of a corner display case could also do the trick.

Turning a house into a home is more than just furniture and material decorations. Creating beautiful and soothing textures and patterns with various light sources is a decorating art form in itself and should be utilized to its fullest when planning the warmth.