Instead of paying an arm and a leg for a designer bathroom that someone else has designed for you why not do it yourself? Designing your bathroom yourself isn’t as difficult as it might sound, it might save you a quite a bit of money and it’s a very satisfying feeling to know that it was you that created it.

Measure and draw your bathroom to scale

The first thing you should do is measure and draw out your existing bathroom on a sheet of squared paper. Try to be as accurate as you can because every inch might count depending on what you want to get in your new bathroom and how much space you have to play with.

Measure the distance between opposite walls on both sides of the room in case the room is wider at one end than the other. Measure floor to ceiling and the position and size of windows including the depth of the window. Also measure the size, position and shape of any irregularities in the room such as pipework.

Draw a floor plan of your bathroom from above and a plan of each wall. When you’ve finished you will have 5 drawings and a set of measurements. Make sure that you take these and a tape measure with you wherever you go because you will need to use them often.

Forget about bathroom showrooms and magazines for now

Magazines and showrooms are trying to sell you something and they will naturally go out of their way to show things in the most appealing way, which may not always be the most practical or realistic way for you. You will be using these resources of course but leave them until you have a better idea of what it is you want in your new bathroom design.

Make use of a digital camera

Take a digital camera with you whenever you’re in bathroom design mode and use it to make a visual record everything you come across. Note down what each image is about and file it away carefully on your computer for later. This is an excellent design technique and most people don’t do it.

Visit your friends

Most people are happy to talk about their bathroom especially to a friend and especially if they have recently remodeled their bathroom. Make a point of visiting all of your friends and start to build a folder full of ideas based on what they have done in their bathrooms.

Ask as many questions that you can think of to find out what their ideas were, how their ideas changed, what they like about their bathroom and just as important, what do they dislike about the room. Make good notes that you will understand when you read them later.

Most people will either have remodeled their bathroom in the last few years or know of someone who has. If your friend knows of someone with a new bathroom ask them if they can arrange for you to go and see it. The more you see the better.

Look over some houses for sale.

Real estate agents in your area will arrange for you to go and view properties for sale and if you tell them that you are looking for a great bathroom they will try and find them for you.

If you don’t feel comfortable doing this because you have no intention of buying a new property then I suggest that you try and get over it. It’s a great way to get ideas for your own bathroom and who knows what might happen when you start looking. You wouldn’t be the first to do this kind of research and end up buying a new property so don’t feel bad about doing it.

Buy some magazines

By now you should be feeling confident about what it is you are looking for. Now is the time to find a few good magazines on remodeling and home improvement to crystallise your ideas.

Visit showrooms

Now that you know what it is that you are looking for it’s time to visit the showrooms in your area to see what is available and match your ideas to items that you can buy. Make notes and take lots of pictures with your digital camera of everything interesting that you find.

Pick up brochures on home improvement and bathroom remodeling

Always pick up as many brochures as you can find when touring the showrooms. Circle the items that you are interested in and make sure you write down prices and thoughts that you have at the time.

Research the Internet

Last but not least, make full use of the Internet to find product specifications, contractors and ideas on web sites all over.

Have fun remodeling your bathroom.

Creating a garden that satisfies the hunger for beauty, while catering to life needs becomes more than just planting. There is no need to spend a fortune on a professional garden designer when you can create your own garden design on your computer with 3D landscape 2 Deluxe.

This advanced garden design program provides you with realistic 3-D views and you can even see your garden change through the seasons. The program is packed with lots of design tips.

Whether you are a professional landscape designer or a gardening enthusiast, 3D Landscape 2 will help you achieve the look you’ve always wanted before lifting a space.

A simple mouse click places trees, shrubs and flowers and over 100 garden design features such as brick pathways, wooden fences, lights and retaining walls.

Over 100 step-by-step explanations, and what tools and materials you will need are all included in this informative CD. We want to be able to use our garden designs, to entertain friends, children to play, and just to sit and enjoy the environment.

Some of the invention is related to fauteuil style of chair that range between £189 up to £389 to personalize your living room of its elegant design. The other invention is related to dragées mariage which offer the service of marriage preparation of catering and souvenir.

At least, there is also matériel golf which can train your golf hobby into its new challenge and fun for different sensation in life.

Materials And Ornaments For Careful Finishes

On secretaries and tables, a common ornament of this description of furniture, is a column of mahogany, with a capital and base of bronze (either gilt, part gilt, or green), in the form of the head of a sphinx with the foot of an animal; console tables are supported by sphinxes and griffins; and candelabra and wall brackets for candles have winged figures of females, stiff in modeling and constrained in attitude, but almost invariably of good material with careful finish.

The bas-reliefs in metal which ornament the panels of the friezes of cabinets, or the marble bases of clocks, are either reproductions of mythological subjects from old Italian gems and seals, or represent the battles of the Emperor, in which Napoleon is portrayed as a Roman general. There was plenty of room to replace so much that had disappeared during the Revolution, and a vast quantity of decorative furniture was made during the few years which elapsed before the disaster of Waterloo caused the disappearance of a power which had been almost meteoric in its career.

What Books To Consult

The best authority on Empire Furniture is the book of designs, published in 1809 by the architects Percier and Fontaine, which is the more valuable as a work of reference, from the fact that every design represented was actually carried out, and is not a mere exercise of fancy, as is the case with many such books. In the preface the authors modestly state that they are entirely indebted to the antique for the reproduction of the different ornaments; and the originals, from which some of the designs were taken,are still preserved in a fragmentary form in the Museum of the Vatican.

Classic Designs And Ideas

An arm chair and a stool, together with that of the tripod table which are favorable examples of the richly-mounted and more decorative furniture of this style. While they are not free from the stiffness and constraint which are inseparable from classic designs as applied to furniture, the rich color of the mahogany, the high finish and good gilding of the bronze mounts, and the costly silk with which they are covered, render them attractive and give them a value of their own. By reading the books proposed above you definitely can break the look of the interior design of your house, and will learn how to include empire furniture into home decorating ideas and plans.

Before you go out and buy lights to hang on everything not moving, let me give you some tips first.

Here are my dos and donts for using Holiday Lights.

1) Do pick a theme for your decor, like all white lights or blue or red. This will make more of an impact and ads some design style. No offense to the multi-color lovers out there. That is a different look all together that is equally charming. Those people might use jewel tones for candles and ornaments to add to the colorful scene.

2) Do not use different light sets together. Some people mix up their old and new lighting and I don’t like to see this. When you are dealing with electricity, even this low voltage type, you need to think about fire safety. Before you string up the lights outdoors and indoors, maybe you can take your kids or a small group of kids to your local firehouse to teach them some things about fire safety. This time of year is high on the list for fires caused by dried live trees lit up with faulty lighting. Call the fire house first to see when they could give you the tour and talk to your group. Then, throw out those old lights and buy them all from one place. GKI Bethlehem Lighting is my favorite if you can find them, but GE or another brand name would be a safe bet too.

3) Do wrap the lights loose around the branches or railings. Some times lighting gets too tight and can cause those blackouts in the strands we hate to see. One tip is to string your lights while they are on. Yes, this is not a hazard unless you get a call or a visitor. In that case, turn them off until you can get back to decorating. This keeps them cool and you can be sure to see any outages before you finish decorating. Once all the lights are in, then add the BLING!

4) Do not plug in more than 4 to 6 light strands together. Most companies will tell you on the packaging how many lights can snap together without over loading the little fuses. You may want to get extra bulbs and fuses when you are at the store, they never have them after the season is underway. If you think you will need extra, buy them all together when you get the big sale price. Yes, they may knock off another $2 later, but please save your self some headache and time…buy them now. You will spend more in time and gas going back for more lights, trust me. 100 count light sets, you can bet no more than 5 linked together. 25 and 50 count, I would make sure no more than 6 together. From my experience, and I have seen my share of Macy’s decorating, you can use the 6 ft and 8 ft extension cords to add more lights. The cords are easily hidden. No one will see it and you can be sure the lights will stay on and not blow a circuit or a fuse. You can also use black electrical tape to make sure the connections are safe and secure. This is a good husband job, they love hanging the lights. You can come back with your ornaments and glitter flowers when he’s done.

5) Do not over load your outlets. If you have any questions, electricians don’t mind a short consultation to let you know how to wire your Holiday decor. Better safe than sorry when you are lighting up like an airport outdoors. There are decorating companies that can help you and they know exactly how to wire everything safely.

6) Do have fun with your kids or friends in this process. Many times I have invited people over for drinks, music and games when we decorate for the Holidays. Make it an event to remember. They lights are great and all, but sharing memories with loved ones is priceless. That’s why we really have these Holidays anyway, right? There are religious events all through this season, but lets not forget the message of those celebrations. Peace! Joy! Love!

7) Do send me pictures, I would love to see your design work. If you get into a tough spot, I am available through email or a phone call. Ask all the questions you like, I am ready to help you. If you live in New York and don’t have the time to decorate, call me. Tell me what color you want and how you want it to look. My team and I will have you Decked Out in a Flash. Then you can enjoy your party and lavish in all the compliments when the music is rocking.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!