Innovative Interior Design Solutions by PTCDesign

Feng Shui To Improve Business & Office

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 07:56:25 GMT

Part One: Guardians at the Door

In traditional Feng Shi, statuary in the form of lions, lion dogs and dragons are often placed at either side of the front door of a business to protect it against negative energies brought in by visitors to your business. The most commonly known of these statues are Fu Dogs which are half lion, half dog. They come in every material imaginable but the best ones are said to be maid of stone or marble. Very small businesses can place small red lacquered or ceramic Fu Dogs at the door of their business. In this case the size of the Fu Dogs doesn't matter as long as they are placed on either side of the front door.
Fu Dogs, especially the large ones, are usually placed outside the front door, but small business owners can place them inside the business. It is not correct to place Fu Dogs on a windowsill or side by side to each other above a doorway. You need to stick to the traditional "guardian placement of having them on either side of the door. If you don't want the placement of your Fu Dogs to be obvious it is also permissible to bury the Fu Dog one inch beneath the ground on either side of the entrance to your retail or home business. If you decide to bury them, make sure that they are standing up right, and not face down or face up in the ground.

You will find many variations of the Fu Dog in retail stores and in online Feng Shui emporiums. Some Dogs and lions will have a cub beneath one paw and others will show the paw resting on a globe or a treasure chest.
The most important thing to remember is that the male figurine that holds the globe or cub beneath his left OR right paw should be placed on the left side of the door (as you are looking out of the front door.
The female figurine will always have the globe or cub beneath her left paw. She should be placed on the right side of the door.
Both are always positioned lookimg out into the street ...never looking inside the business or looking at each other!
Fu Dogs symbolize a powerful protection for your home or business. Almost every home or business in Asia is complemented by a pair of lions, dragons or Fu Dogs either inside or outside their front door.

Part Two: General Tips for Improving Business and Office

The most ideal locations to situate a home or business office in a building, in order of best to second, third ad fourth best are the North (the Career Sector), the Southwest (the Wealth sector), the Northeast (Skills and Talents sector) or the South (the fame and recognition sector.
Always sit with a solid wall behind your back to ensure that you have support in your life, never sit with a window behind you.
- In the office always place the fax machine, telephone, and computers in the southeast wealth sector as this will attract more contacts.
- Position your desk to have a clear view of the door. If this isn't possible, hang a small mirror so you can easily view the door's reflection.
- Don't put a shelf over your desk. This symbolizes burdens the world crashing down on you at any moment. Your world could fall down on you at any moment.
- Avoid having sharp accessories, such as a paper cutter blade or the corner of a Xerox machine pointed at your desk. It is shar chi that symbolizes the cutting knife-edge or a disapproving finger.
- Make sure that you can walk completely around your desk in a full circle. This makes sure colleagues or workload does not cramp you.
- Do not have clutter in your office. Desktops must be kept tidy and clutter free. Avoid placing In and Out trays on your desk.
- If you own a NCR or cash till try and place that in your southeastern wealth corner as well.

Placing a bell above cluttered areas can stop negative chi from accumulating
- Avoid placing cactuses in your office as the needles of these plants are thought to create negative shar chi.
- In your office, never have the main door opening into your desk as this causes you to be faced with unexpected situations to deal with.
- Do not place your desk in a room so that it is between two doors because this causes chi to rush by and pass you by along with all of your good fortune.
- Never set your desk at the top of a staircase as chi will roll down the stairs and cause you loss of opportunity and wealth. If this is unavoidable, place a mirror above the front door looking in.
- If people entering your business immediately face a wall and a long corridor try placing a hanging crystal in this area to allow good chi to accumulate. Also place mirrors here to direct the chi into your office.
- Do not place large electric equipment, such as photocopy machine or microwave near to the main door. This causes the dispersal of good chi.
- Do not place paper cutter or fax machines or any machine with a blade next to the front door. The "cutting" energy can cause staff and customers to be unpleasant and even possibly to back stab and fight each other.
- Do not place an empty vase next to the main door, as empty vessels suck good chi trying to enter your place of business.
- Place a fish tank or fishpond in the southwestern corner of your office. If this is not possible consider building a koi pound in the southwestern sector outside your building.
- To enhance your wealth and prosperity, position your indoor water feature in the southeast element of your home or office. For career luck, place it in the north.
- If you have a company signboard or logo it should be optimally placed in the southeastern area, the Southern area or the northern area.
A lucky toad or frog placed near your front door

Part Three: Chinese Charms For the Office

- Hanging a picture of a mountain behind your desk provides your business with extra stability.
- Place a hanging crystal in your window, this will activate chi, as well as looking fantastic, when the hits them they produce the most amazing rainbows
- Place a statue of a Dragon with a Pearl in his mouth on the right side of your desk looking out the door. It can also be placed looking at a water fountain. The Dragon with the pearl signifies the potential to become a world leader in business.
- Place a figurine of the Three legged Toad or Frog near your front office entrance, facing into your office for luck and wealth, or place it in the southwestern sector of your office to magnify your wealth luck. Always leave the coin in its mouth.

- Placing a crystal or quartz ball near the telephone phone to encourage more business calls.
- If you have any negative energy directed at your front office door, placing Ba Gua mirrors in a mirror so that they look outside will disperse the negative energy.
- Place a statue of lucky Chinese Cat near the front door to attract business.

- Tie together eight Chinese coins with red thread (or purchase a ready-made version) and use this as a bookmark for your accounting and order books.

- A poster of eight horses or eight fishes placed near the front door can also attract customers to your front door.
A fountain placed in the Southwest or North can attract money

Part Four: The Chinese Salt Water Cure for Business
This is a thousand-year-old feng shui remedy that is supposed to assist businesses with the following symptoms:
- Employees and yourself constantly being ill with throat or stomach ailments
- Problems with teeth
- Insomnia
- Loss of income
- Legal issues
- Car Accidents
- Metal machines malfunctioning
- Frequent accidents as the result of contact with metal
- Malfunctioning fans
- Malfunctioning clocks
- Computers malfunctioning
- Threat of bankruptcy
- Overall feeling of bad luck
These symptoms may indicate that your place of business is being overwhelmed with bad chi. This is when a little known cure called The Salt Water cure might be in order to help you prevent a worse case scenario such as a lawsuit or bankrupt.

Salt Water Cure Instructions:
- First of all remove all red ribbons and thread from the eastern and southern sectors of your home. These areas represent the over all condition of the health of your business as well as your good reputation.
- Fill two glass jars, such as a jam jar three quarters full with rock salt.
- Place six Chinese coins on the top of the salt in each of the jars. Make sure that these coins are placed Yang Side up, meaning that that the side displaying the four Chinese characters is visible to you.
- Fill each jar with spring water.
- Place one jar in your Southern sector of your office and the other in the eastern sector.
Over time the contents of the jar will become form crystals. Make sure you add a tiny bit of more water to the jar each day. The crystallization of the salt symbolizes the absorption of negative energy. Try to leave the cure in place for about a year or until you feel confident that your business is once again being blessed with positive chi.

Area Rug as Accent

Sun, 18 May 2008 14:05:05 GMT

Area rugs are one of the easiest and most effective methods of altering a room's interior - the perfect accessory to really set off your home’s beauty. An area rug will not only bring comfort, grace & romance to your home, but are even beautiful to look at and wonderful to walk and lie on. Besides, area rugs help to insulate your home and reduce noise, especially on hard flooring like tiles and wood.

Area rugs allow a room’s purpose to be defined. Specific areas can be divided and identified just by placing a rug in the center of that space. For example, in a very open plan apartment or a studio apartment where your living, eating and sleeping spaces are all located within the same four walls, a few well-placed area rugs can immediately define each area as a separate room, thereby giving you a greater feeling of room identity with obvious boundaries determining exactly where one area stops and another one begins.

The benefits of using an area rug rather than a fitted carpet are quite obvious; they look great on all kinds of flooring, can easily be moved around to accommodate new furniture and new interior design themes besides permitting you the luxury of changing the color scheme or design of your house or apartment on a regular basis.

What is more, should you move to a new house or apartment, the rugs can simply be rolled up and transported over to your new place!

The weaving of area rugs has evolved over the years to produce exciting styles, textures and designs to mix-n-match with your decor. Area rugs made with wool are thought to be much more durable than those made with alternative materials. The complicated, geometric designs that often feature in round area rugs, often necessitate that the furniture should be placed symmetrically around them. And if you are planning a traditionally themed interior, don’t hesitate to look at contemporary area rugs.

Many of the latest rug designs work equally well alongside classic and antique furniture as with stylish, cool, crisp contemporary interiors. And if a low budget is your dilemma, despair not. For today, it is relatively easy to find a good quality discount area rug.

Finally, whoever coined the alliteration – smug as a bug in a rug… must have definitely done so curled up in front of the open fire on a cold winter’s night, relaxing on a beautifully soft and fluffy shaggy area rug!

PAINT EFFECTS

Thu, 08 May 2008 10:00:53 GMT

There are varying levels of skill involved in paint effects, but some of the simplest techniques will produce very attractive results.

Be sure all ladders are safe and correctly placed. Keep children and animals away from the work area. Work in a well-ventilated room and away from naked flames.
Paint effects are great fun and can make your home attractive, adding texture and interest.
Most of the techniques covered here are best suited to large areas, such as walls. Some, such as stencilling and graining, are equally effective on smaller areas, on woodwork and furniture.
Paint effects mainly consist of applying a coloured glaze overa basecoat of a lighter or contrasting colour, which has already dried, then working the surface in a number of creative ways whilst the glaze is still wet. All the effects can be achieved with inexpensive tools and materials, and all areopen to experimentation. You may even create a new style and unique effects!
2- Planning the work
Decide in advance the size and area that you need to cover in one go, and where your finishing point will be. Try to make this at a natural break in the surface area, such as the corner of the wall or a skirting board, as it is very difficult to blend in an edge of paint once it has dried.
With large areas, you may need a helping hand to enable you to work quickly over the surface.
Have all materials and tools to hand before starting the work, with all ladders or steps set up in their best position to get the area covered quickly and efficiently.

Practice the paint technique and experiment with colour on aboard before embarking on a whole wall.
3- Preparation

The majority of paint effects today are created using water-based paints and products that are easier and friendlier to use as opposed to the oil-based products which need some experience to master.
Apply the basecoat of silk emulsion (1) to a surface thathas been well prepared with all the 'making good' work done well in advance. See ou'How To' on Interior Painting. Matt emulsion is not a suitable basecoat becausis too porous, making it hato move the glaze over the surface and create the effectApply the basecoat evenly to achieve the best finished result.

The basecoat must be perfectly dry before starting work withthe glaze.
Some of these techniques can get a little messy so make sure any furniture left in the room, and surfaces not being worked on, are well protected.
4- Preparing the glaze
Traditionally, paint effects were created using a glaze made from oil paints and an oil-based scumble glaze applied over an eggshell base. But these are really quite difficult to use. Luckily, there are now water-based equivalents available, which are much easier and more pleasant to use, and can beapplied over a silk emulsion paint base.
You can buy ready mixed water-based glaze products or effects paint. But if you can't find the colour you want there are many ways of making up a water-based glaze.
It is possible to just add water to emulsion, but this dries almost immediately once applied, giving you very little time to work, and is quite tricky. If using emulsion paint, adding three parts water to one part emulsion is a good start. Test out the mixture on a board to see the effect and add more water or emulsion as required.
You can buy clear glaze products so that you can add paint to make up your own coloured paint effects glaze. These glazes are sold under a great variety of names, including 'scumble' and 'clear base', and can be used with various paints, but the way they work is basically the same. This 'product' prolongs the drying time of your glaze, and therefore making the whole process easier, as well as giving a translucent effect. Follow the instructions of the glaze product you have chosen to use.
Make sure you mix up enough mixture to complete the job, but keep a record of the proportions of materials in your glaze in case have to mix more.
Be prepared to experiment; try out a few mixes on pieces of hardboard painted in your chosen basecoat and look at themfrom a distance to gauge the overall effect.
5- Colour washing
This is perhaps the most basic technique, which can produce a variety of effects from bold brush strokes to a soft-feathered look. First apply your basecoat and allow this to dry thoroughly. When dry, apply your glaze liberally to the surface with a colourwash brush, working in a random criss-cross manner through the glaze over the surface (2). The more you brush, the softer the brush strokes become. You can further work the glaze with a dry softening brush, again used in a random criss-cross direction.
When dry, you can add another coat to deepen the effect if you wish or even add a toning colour of very thin glaze of a different shade. Building colour with a number of coats is theway to create a rich, deep-bodied effect.
Clouding is similarly easy; instead of manipulating the glaze with a large brush, you can use a soft cloth or sheep skin painting mitten to 'wash' the glaze onto the surface in small or large circular motions.
6- Rag rolling

Apply your basecoat and allow it to dry thoroughly, then apply your diluted glaze randomly using a brush or roller, with the basecoat just showing through. Take a slightly dampened cotton rag, roll it into a sausage shape and then roll it randomly across the wet surface of the glaze (3). This will have the effect of removing areas of glaze to reveal an intricate pattern. Renew or wash out your rags as they become saturated. Shammy leather is another good materialfor this technique, as are rag rollers made especially for this effect (4). Alternatively, ragging is a very similar effect, using a damp cloth that has been scrunched up into a ball. This can then be dabbed randomly over the wet glaze.

7- Bagging
This is essentially the same as rag rolling but is done with a crumpled plastic bag or with a bagging roller. It gives a much crisper effect with sharper contrasts between the basecoat and the glaze. Again, you can alter the technique by scrunching up a plastic bag into a ball.
8- Combing
When your basecoat is dry, apply your glaze evenly over the surface with a brush. Take a rubber paint effects comb and drag it across the surface in either random or geometrical patterns to obtain the effect you want. Wash out the comb regularly to avoid clogging. Most combs come with various sized teeth for different textures and effects.
The combing technique can also be used to create a wood graining effect.
9- Graining
Combing, dragging and graining can be combined to create quite stunning wood-grain effects.
This technique is ideal for smaller areas and furniture. Use a paintbrush to apply the basecoat, finishing in straight lines to simulate the direction of wood-grain. Allow it to dry.
Apply the glaze, again with a paintbrush along the 'grain', you can then either comb or drag over the glaze to achieve a basic wood pattern. Straight away, using a rubber rocker or a specially designed graining tool, you can now work over the glaze to create 'knots' and more elaborate grain effects. Starting from the top, with the graining tool tilted so that the semi-circular ridges are facing you, pull the grainer through the glaze. Rock it slightly as it glides through to givesome knots, remembering to keep it moving. By experimenting with the tool, you can either create elongated knots by pulling the tool in long sweeping motions, or small knots by using short sharp movements. Always keep the toolmoving along the surface as you rock it back and forth. Dragging the rocker straight through the glaze will also give a different finish.
A soft dry paintbrush can then be dragged across the
surface to soften the whole impact.
Experimentation is the best way to perfect this slightly more complicated technique.
10 - Sponging
For this you will need a natural sponge; imitation ones simply don't work as well. Sponging can be built up using two or more colours to add to the effect.
Apply the basecoat and allow to dry. Next, wet your spand allow it to swell to full size, then wring it out well until it's slightly damp. Dip it into the glaze and dab it over the surface with light pressure covering the whole surface with slightly overlapped dabs (5). onge
Allow this to dry, then add another coat, if required, either of the same colour or of a matching tone. You will need to clean your sponge fairly regularly to avoid it becoming clogged, making a splodge rather than a textured pattern.
11 - Stippling
This is very similar to sponging and gives a finer, more mottled appearance.
Stippling can be used as an effect in its own right, or can be used to disguise brush or roller marks before applying another technique such as rag rolling. When the basecoat is dry, apply the glaze and stipple it with the bristles of a special stippling brush. This will create a fine, even effect with a textured finish.

12 - Stencilling
This is quite a different paint effect to the others mentioned, as it is usually used to create a specific design or pattern onto a previously painted surface. It uses its own paints and generally is used in smaller areas such a furniture or as a border. The advantage of this is that it can be done in stages, working on one small area at a time.
You can buy ready-made stencils or you can make your own. There are also a great variety of stencil paints available, but youcan also use any emulsion paint, wood dyes and oil paints.
Once you have decided where you would like to apply the stencil, attach it with low tack masking tape. With a stencil brush or sponge, stipple the paint through the stencil (6). Use very little paint and build up the design and colours in stages. If you use too much paint, the pattern will smudge. Stencil patterns can be created using a single colour and motif or several colours and designs.
13 - Spattering
Once again, this is a very simple process, well known to toddlers and schoolchildren - who are natural-born experts. It involves splashing wet paint, varnish, ink or stain onto a clean, dry surface.
The method is to use a short stick held in the hand and to knock a loaded paintbrush against it so that a spray of droplets spatter onto the basecoat. Don't have your brush too wet. You can control this by knocking off the excess paint into a tray or onto a rag before approaching the work area. You will soon find the optimum amount you need on the brush and learn how hard you should knock it to obtain your desired spatter.
This technique can be used on projects of all sizes, using very small paint brushes and thin glazes on small objects, or large ones on walls. Once again, you can stop in the middle of the process if you wish.
It's very effective in giving stone effects, such as granite, when three or four colours are overlaid. Allow each coat to dry before adding another. Finally, you may want to seal the whole surface with varnish for protection, especially if you have used inks and stains for any of the coats.
Paint effects are creative fun so, above all, enjoy doing them!
14 - Dragging
Dragging is another method of wood graining, and can be developed further to achieve fabric and linen effects.
Apply the glaze to the dry basecoat. Then, using a long bristled dragging or flogging brush, firmly drag the brush over the glaze holding it as flat as possible. Keep going until you have reached the edge of the area that you wish to paint. Repeat this all along the surface.
By dragging over the surface again at right angles to the first coat you can produce a fabric effect.

DIY- Do It Yourself

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:38:36 GMT

DIY goes back through the ages: since the beginning of time, people have used their own abilities and available tools and technologies to take care of their own needs, make their own clothing, and so on.

I shall post some DIY ideas that you might find useful. After all, everyone wants to do away with hiring someone to do some repairs at their home. If you know how to remedy it, it saves you a lot of money...and makes you feel good too, since you have somehow felt that you are useful at home.

Here are some tips:

Pests around the house

Ants - Bats - Bedbugs - Bluebottles - Carpet Beetles - Cockroaches - Death Watch Beetles - Earwigs - Fleas - Flies - Mice - Moths - Rats - Spiders - Wasps - Woodlice - Woodworm

REMEMBER: This sheet suggests the use of certain poisons and chemicals to control the pests - these can be dangerous. Always handle with care and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

ANTS
The common garden (flying) ant is black, about 3-4 mm long and usually lives in outdoor or underfloor nests. Swarms of short-lived flying ants emerge to mate in August. Although garden ants are a nuisance, they are not significant disease carriers.
Pharaoh Ants are reddish in colour and about 2 mm long. They are fairly common in flats and hotels and spread disease from drains to food. They nest within the building structure and may well be hard to get at.

Remedy:
Find the nest entrance and pour boiling water over the nest site. Then apply an insecticide powder. An insecticide lacquer can be applied around door thresholds or wall/floor junctions where ants run. Ant Bait work so that the ant takes the bait back to the nest, killing the whole colony after a few days; lay in along where ants run. If you have a Pharaohs infestation, you may need to contact a local pest control contractors or Environmental Health Department.

BATS
Bats sleep during the day, hanging upside down from the roof rafters or on an outside wall. Contrary to popular ideas, they do not like belfries as they like drought free locations. Various types are native to Britain and are usually seen around dusk as they sweep across the sky catching air borne insects. They cause no harm and under British law, can only be handled by licensed people.
Remedy:
Law protects all species of bat found in the UK as they are endangered species, it is illegal to kill or even disturb bats in their roosts. If you have a colony of bats, you should contact the Nature Conservancy Council, they will arrange for a person to visit the site and advise on the best course of action.

BEDBUGS
The adult bug is brown and about 3.5 mm long. They feed on blood, they have a needle sharp bite which pierces the skin of a sleeping human or other warm blooded animal. After it has finished feeding, the swollen bug will then crawl away to its' hiding place to digest its' meal. You may also find them under loose wallpaper or in crevices in the furniture.
Remedy:
Try to avoid them in the first place, good cleaning and using clean bed linen will reduce the chances of an infestation. If you have an infestation, you will need to have the premises, clothing and bedding sprayed with an insecticide spray, but this is best left to the experts - either from a local pest control contractors or Environmental Health Department.

BLUEBOTTLES
These large, buzzing flies have shiny metallic blue bodies and are 6 - 12 mm long. They are attracted to dead meat, on which they lay their eggs as well as feeding. They are often found around refuse tips, rotting animal matter, dirt and dustbins. They spread disease between their various landing places.
Remedy:
Keep dustbins clean, with tight lids and away from doors and windows, Keep meat and other food covered. Use an insecticide dustbin powder. Indoors, use a vapour insecticide strip or aerosol fly-spray. You could also fit fly screens over kitchen windows.

CARPET BEETLES
The Varied Carpet Beetle is 2 - 4 mm long, like a small, mottled brown, grey and cream ladybird. The larvae are small and covered in brown hair and tend to roll up when disturbed. The adult carpet beetle can fly and lives outside the house, feeding on pollen and nectar. Sometimes they lay their eggs in empty birds' nests, but they also like felt, fabric and accumulated fluff in buildings. It is the larvae that do the damage, which usually consists of well-defined round holes along fabric seams.
Remedy:
Check the loft and eaves for old birds' nests or dead birds and remove them. Keep fluff and debris under control within the house, including the airing cupboards, shelves, floorboards, carpets and upholstery. Vacuum carpets on a regular basis. Lift carpets and underlay and clean floors and carpet thoroughly. An insecticide is needed to deal with a bad carpet beetles infestation and affected items can be sprayed or dusted.

COCKROACHES
Distinguished by their very long, whip-like antennae, flat oval bodies and rapid jerky movements. The adult German cockroach is brown and about 12 mm long, the Common or Oriental cockroach is about 20 mm long. They eat all kinds of food - meat, vegetables, fruit, bread, even paper and leather. Cockroaches thrive around heating ducts and boiler rooms of large centrally heated buildings and cluster around pipes, stoves and sinks, especially in humid areas. They taint food with an obnoxious smell and may be carriers of various diseases, including serious food poisoning.
Remedy:
Control is seldom easy because it is difficult to get the insecticide to the insect. The insecticide should have sufficient persistence to kill baby cockroaches as they hatch. If this fails call in your Environmental Health Department or pest control contractor.

DEATH WATCH BEETLE
A woodboring beetle, the grubs eat old hardwood. Adults rarely fly, so infestations are generally restricted to areas where previous infestations have not been completely eradicated or where old, infected timber has been introduced. They prefer hardwood, not the softwoods
used in modern softwood house timbers. Grubs live up to ten years inside timber, emerging as adult (mottled grey/brown) beetles about 7 mm long. They produce a rapid tapping sound by beating their heads against the wood as a mating call.
Remedy:
Persistent and thorough use of a proprietary woodworm killer will deal with small outbreaks. Call in a wood preservation company for large infestations.

EARWIGS
Earwigs are easily recognisable by the pair of pinchers at the end of their abdomen. They are dark reddish-brown, with light brown legs, about 15 mm long. They are primarily nocturnal, with some species being attracted to lights. They are considered scavengers, eating almost anything, but some are predatory. They also eat live plants.
They can be found in the homes, but prefer cracks and crevices. Their populations will build up around foundations. They can produce large populations rather quickly. Earwigs can live in habitats that also house other insects. Their habitats are environments like mulch, pine straw, leaf litter, etc.
Remedy:
The removal of their habitats is very important for controlling earwigs .
Vapour strips can be hung around all entry points, windows, doors, plumbing under sinks, skirting boards etc. Spray can be used in uninhabited areas such as garages and basements. In addition, spray the area around the outside of the house. Alternatively baits are available which can be laid down in the general area of infestation.

FLEAS
Their little 2 mm bodies are flattened from side to side and they are well known for their ability to jump. The tiny white eggs are laid in small batches on fur, hair, feathers or the sleeping places of the host (human, animal or bird). Adult fleas feed on blood and their bites can cause intense irritation. The cat flea is the most common and readily bites humans. August and September is when they are at their peak.
Remedy:
Treat any infested pets with a special veterinary aerosol, powder or shampoo - injections are now available from vets to protect pets for a period of time. Burn infested bedding and spray or dust a suitable insecticide into all cracks and crevices in walls and floors. Remove old birds' nests etc. from around the house.

FLIES
Around 10 mm long, the House Fly is the most common pest in buildings and is found in most homes. They feed by vomiting saliva on to the food surface, treading it in and sucking up the resulting liquid! The fly is a health hazard; it passes on dangerous germs from the last place that it visited - which could have been anywhere from a dustbin to animal droppings!
Remedy:
Scrupulous hygiene and prompt disposal of all rubbish will discourage flies. Keep food covered and site dustbins away from doors and windows. You can also fit fly screens to doors
and windows.. There are a number of fly-killer aerosols on the market as well as impregnated plastic strips giving off insecticide vapour.

MICE
Mice are usually detected from their dark coloured droppings as well as noticing damage to stored food, packaging or woodwork. Mice have a compulsive need to gnaw; electric cables, water and gas pipes, packaging and woodwork can all be seriously damaged. They climb well and can squeeze through very small gaps. They contaminate food and can carry many diseases, particularly food poisoning.
If you live in or near the country and think you have mice, you may have field-mice or other furry creatures; they cause just as much damage but tend to be less dangerous.
Remedy:
Keep your home mouse-proof, this means blocking all possible routes into the house. While they can get into a cavity wall or roof space, they will be very hard to eliminate - check that the structure around all pipes projecting through the outer skin of the house are fully sealed. Proprietary mouse killers are available for household use and more powerful methods are available but can only be used by pest control contractors or environmental health departments.
There are humane mouse traps available. They usually consist of a box that the mouse is tempted into. Once trapped you simply let the mouse free into an open area a long way from your home.

MOTHS
The clothes moths have infested many households. Two kinds are common:
• The case-making moth is so called because the caterpillar spins a shelter case of silk and bits of the material on which it is feeding.
• The webbing clothes moth, the most abundant and injurious species, spins silky webs as it moves over a piece of material.
The adult moths are probably harmless. The clothes moth stays in dark places and flies very little. However the female begins to lay eggs, before it is a day old, and lays about 100 in the 7 to 14 days of its life. The soft, white eggs are laid loosely upon the material on which the larvae are to feed. They are easily dislodged and crushed, so that anything that is regularly brushed or shaken should not become moth infested. In warm weather the eggs hatch in from four to eight days. In colder weather, hatching may take as long as three weeks. The larvae eat furiously for about 40 days before turning into pupae. The pupa stage lasts eight to ten days in warm weather, and three to four weeks in the winter in a heated building. Eggs, larvae, and pupae die quickly at low temperatures.
It is the larvae that does the damage to clothes and are about 12 mm long white worms. Adults are yellow-brown, with narrow wings, about 12 mm long. They eat protein based material, they have an unusual ability to digest keratin. Keratin is found in woollens, furs, hair, leathers, hides, feathers, horns and stored meat and dairy products. Clothes moths hardly ever damage synthetic materials. Keratin is also found in hair, skin and nail tissues. Clothes moths will damage silk and linens, and synthetics, but it will be incidental, while the larvae are eating their preferred foods. They particularly damage fabrics stained from oil from human hair, human sweat, urine, beer, milk, soft drinks and juices.
Remedy:
The first order of business is to clean stored clothes. It is important to identify the source of infestation. Besides looking where clothes are stored, look around your baseboards for fluff. At times they can be found in your kitchen and in bird nests. Vacuum very well all the cracks and crevices of the infested area and spray with a suitable aerosol and place a cloth moth trap. The old fashion moth balls (with their distinctive smell) can also be used when storing clothes.

RATS
The Common, or Brown Rat is about 250 mm long and is a creature of habit, living both above and below ground. The Black Rat (the original plague carrier) is smaller - about 175 mm long and is an agile climber. They breed rapidly and, like mice, need to gnaw constantly. Brown Rats burrow underground or into soft material; refuse tips, loose soil under sheds and straw are likely sites. They damage woodwork, plastic and pipes and will sometimes strip insulation from electric cables by their gnawing (until they met their maker in a flash!). They spread many diseases including food poisoning. They contaminate more food than they consume and their urine can pollute stagnant water.
Remedy:
Block off gaps under sheds and move loose piles of wood. Do not encourage rats by leaving scraps of food out of doors, if you think you have an infestation, stop feeding the birds as you could be feeding the rats. Poison is available as proprietary, ready-mixed bait. Serious or persistent infestations should be dealt with by a pest control contractors or Environmental Health Department.

SPIDERS (if you call him a pest !)
House spider help us by eating a large number of household pests. None of the native British types are poisonous to man. The reason why they are often found in baths and sinks is that they cannot climb smooth surfaces, so if they fall in, they are stranded.
Remedy:
To remove a spider there is no need to kill it. Simply place a carton over it, then slip a piece of thin cardboard between the carton and the surface to form a lid. Then take the sealed container out of the building and let the spider go.

WASPS
Around 10-20 mm long. The queen wasp is larger and hibernates over winter, making a new nest in the spring in which she lays her eggs. If annoyed or threatened, wasps will sting. They can come into the house where they are attracted to sweet things (jams, fruit etc.).
Remedy:
You can fit screens over windows if wasps are a major problem. Individual wasps can be killed with a fly-killer aerosol. The old-fashioned method of filling ajar one-third full with jam and water, covered by a punctured paper lid will drown them. If you find a wasps nest in a wall or bank, and are brave, apply a powder insecticide product from a puffer pack labelled for wasp nest control. Thoroughly spray nests in roofs or sheds with an insecticide. This can be dangerous as the wasps can become angry and attack any animal (including humans) in the area and is best performed by professionals. Some local councils will do it for free.

WOODLICE
Typically 12 mm long, with oval, grey segmented bodies and 14 legs with prominent antennae. Woodlice are quite harmless although may damage plants indoor and out.
Remedy:
Not necessary to remove them unless they persist. Put right any dampness, remove infested vegetation and use an insecticide powder or long- lasting spray around door thresholds.

WOODWORM
This is a term used for the destructive larvae of several species of wood boring beetle. The first sign of woodworm is the appearance of neat round holes 1-2 mm across in wooden surfaces, often accompanied by tiny piles of wood dust. The adult Furniture Beetle is a small brown insect about 5 mm long who can fly and lay eggs on rough, unpolished wood. The grubs bore straight into the wood - leaving no trace until they emerge as beetles three or more years later, usually between May and September. They are usually introduced into the house in second-hand furniture, tea-chests and the like but they can also fly in through windows from nearby dead branches of trees. They may attack floorboards, joinery and, more seriously, structural timbers.
Remedy:
In furniture, woodworm can be cured by application of a woodworm killer which will penetrates quickly and can be applied using a brush or spray. As the pest is inside the wood, the liquid should be applied quite generously. You can also buy an insecticide polish as a precaution against woodworm. You can buy proprietary fluid used by the experts and treat woodworm in structural timbers yourself. All timbers should be cleaned first and any roof insulation material will have to be removed temporarily so that you can get at the joists. Cover electric cables and the cold water storage tank. Lift floorboards to get at the undersides and joists. You can have detailed surveys, reports and estimates carried out by specialist wood preservation companies and many cover their treatments by long term guarantees - this may help if you sell the house so it is worth considering the additional initial cost for a subsequent benefit.

REMEMBER: This sheet suggests the use of certain poisons and chemicals to control the pests - these can be dangerous. Always handle with care and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Lets talk about Asian Finds

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 06:16:28 GMT

Orientique Enterprise

A place where you can find great Asian Furnitures that would fit your specific needs in your abode. The stores are located at Mandaluyong: Warehouse 2 Pines Street Cor. Sheridan Sts, Phone (632)746-6839 Fax (632) 687-2849; Alabang: 304 Home Precinct, Commerce cor. Filinvest Ave., Filinvest Corporate City Phone (632)771-1062 & 771-0660. The shops are managed by owners Mohammad Arshad, Lolita Arshad and their daughter Shala Arshad-Remo.

The term Oriental where the shops name was derived from is used as an adjective akin to "eastern": for example, the Philippine island Mindoro is divided into two provinces whose titles include the words "oriental" and "occidental" respectively. Traditionally, the Orient referred primarily to the cultures and countries of what are now considered Eastern Europe, Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Western Asia. This particularly included Persia, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, and Egypt. As awareness of the countries of Eastern Asia grew in Western European and American consciousness in the late 19th century, the term came to refer primarily to China, Japan, and the surrounding nations. Remnants of the older conception of the Orient still exist in the English language in such collocations as "Oriental rug" and "Oriental harem". In popular usage, the Orient is most often used in reference to the countries of East Asia, including China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia,Singapore, Vietnam, and sometimes the rest of Southeast Asia. The term "Oriental" refers to people, goods and culture from those areas. Asian countries such as India, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka are no longer generally considered by some people to be part of the Orient.

Because Asia is the largest continent in the world, the term is sometimes limited to only furniture made or originated from Far East AsiaChina and Japan, which is usually characterized with bamboo, or red color with some Asian characters or symbols on it. However, with globalization nowadays people are more familiar with other parts of Asian culture. Southeast Asian furniture such as Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Javanese, and Balinese furniture are now becoming recognized and appreciated. Other Asian furniture such as South AsianIndian are also becoming more popular as one of the trends in interior decorating. There is also the colonial furniture made for the British during their rule in Asia, which includes furniture mostly from India and Burma (now already antique) and their reproductions. Southeast Asian furniture are usually dark brown in color with a lot of Hindu-influence carving. Some may have Polynesian accents such as those from eastern parts of Indonesia. such as and

Orientique is known for having great collections of wooden furnitures like Wooden Almirahs. Wooden Bed, Wooden Book Racks, Wooden Cabinets, Wooden CD - Racks, Wooden Chairs, Wooden Tables, Wooden Wine Racks, Wooden Boxes and more wooden furnitures.

"My Dad and I like to go to out of the way places to find very rare pieces. Furthermore, we modify primitive pieces and turn them into new useful fixtures such as making a door into a coffee table or dining table," Shala eagerly stated.

Lolita also prided, "Our collections use sustainable natural resources to reflect the current world trends of simplicity, elegance & modern comfort. After undergoing drying & treatment processes, every piece of furniture is hand-made and hand-finished by skilled professionals."

INDIAN WEDDING GAZEBO
used for the wedding ceremony for most Indian Weddings.
It is made of Burmese Teak wood, over a hundred years old.
The whole design is hand-carved by Indian Sculptor
even the roof part.

DAYBED
made of hand-carved Burmese Teak Wood.
Can be used as an accent piece or as the main
focal point of a living room.

WOODEN CARVED DOOR
(leaning on the wall)
hand-carved Burmese
Teak Wood Door.
The design is intricately done with metal
works as accent. Hundred year old door from
the Palace in Rajasthan, India.

COFFEE TABLE
Antique Indian Door Panel
converted into a coffee table with beveled glass top;
Burmese teak wood.

MATRIMONIAL CABINET
hand carved horse-design
dowry cabinet made of Shisham Wood from India.

DINING TABLE (FOR 6)
Burmese antique wood door converted
into a Dining Table with embossed tiles as accent design.

BOOKSHELF
Antique Burmese Teak wood used
for storing books and documents
from India.

WOODEN DOOR
Burmese Teak Wooden Door with
Elephant (Ganesh) carving as its main
design from India

They offer its discriminating clientelle ornate wooden pieces procured from all corners of India, China, Indonesia and Pakistan including handmade carpets from Iran, India and Central Asia (namely, the former USSR).

** Take advantage of their SALE this March 2008.
55% OFF in celebration of their 8th year here in the Philippines.

Designing with a Budget

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:41:45 GMT

We love to make our house a home that you love to live on. Some people are scared to design their homes thinking that decorating and renovating can be too costly! If you love decorating and you love a challenge then you'll love the challenge of decorating on a budget. There's nothing quite like fighting your impulses to buy everything you see just so that you keep to your budget, and trying to get everything you need to decorate your house without breaking your budget. It is a losing battle I can tell you that much.

Sometimes the desire to buy the amazing things you see in the home improvement stores can be almost overwhelming. There isn't too much that you can do about that except to move on as quickly as possible on to the next item on your list.

That said, decorating on a budget can be quite fun if you can manage to loosen up a bit and not drool all over the expensive items. There are many inexpensive items you can buy that will look like their expensive cousins if they're displayed properly. And that's really the challenge of decorating on a budge, the ability to take an inexpensive item and be able to disguise its true worth and make it look like a hundred bucks instead.

Then you also have the challenge of actually staying within your budget. That is more of a challenge than anything else as I regularly tend to go overboard. Unfortunately if you're decorating on a budget then the very last that you want to do is to go overboard.

If you do spend more than is feasible on one particular piece then you can be sure that everything else on your list is going to get thrown off and no matter how hard you try it will be difficult to get everything back on track.

The only way that you could even justify going way over budget for one piece of furnishing is if the quality is exceptional and if you're were thinking of making it the key piece of the room. If that's the case then you can always get away with something as your other pieces will necessarily be less expensive. In this case what you need to do is to highlight this expensive piece and use the other pieces to enhance it.

How can we save in re-designing our house?

Decorating mistakes can be very expensive and reflect heavily in the final result of your project and your overall happiness. When decorating on a budget it is important to remember some important design concepts to save you time and money by doing it right the first time.

Choosing style, space planning, color schemes, the use of focal point and visual weight objects, and lighting are all key elements in all good design. Familiarity with materials and furnishings is also important to ensure your chosen look will not be outdated tomorrow and that it will flow with other areas of your home.

Many people think that in order to upgrade their kitchen, they need to replace their cabinets. In fact, cabinets installed in homes today last significantly longer than the standard laminate countertops. The good news is that your cabinets may actually be in fine shape. With the exception of the floor, countertops are the most frequently used surface in your house. Focus your investment where it will have the biggest impact.

The money you spend on high-quality surfaces is a long-term investment in the beauty of your home. You can always upgrade to finer appliances, but a countertop is the cornerstone of your kitchen. Thinking of the long-term value of a premium surface will help you avoid making decisions that will cost you more in the long run.

The proper use of lighting is another important aspect of interior design. From ambient accent lighting to task lighting, proper lighting can be the difference between a professional, polished look and a disappointing result.

Smaller rooms can be made to appear larger by placing decorative etched mirrors on one of the walls. This gives the illusion of added space, while adding the decorative touch to the wall.

Outdated but stylish calendars make absolutely wonderful framed posters for almost any wall in the home. Instead of tossing out last year's old calendar, save it and clip out the photos you like. Measure the size of the photos and find frames, and arrange them in your rooms. These are great for smaller areas that need a little something to spruce up the walls.

Using Color to Change the Size of a Room

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 15:56:55 GMT

Do you want to lower your ceiling, but don't want to employ a builder?

Then don't, employ a painter instead!

By painting your ceiling a dark color you automatically perceive that it is lower.

That is because dark colors advance. So of course to make your ceiling appear higher, paint it in a light color - preferably white!

It seems so simple and it is.

In general to make walls advance towards you, paint them a dark color. To make them recede away from you, paint them a light color.

If you have a rectangular room and want to make it look more square, then paint the two smaller end walls a darker color and have the long walls a light color. This will bring the end walls forward and make the room appear more symmetrical.

If you want to create a cosy room, choose a warm dark color. This will make the space feel warm and the dark color will enclose the room making it feel intimate.

To make a large open and spacious room, white (or as light as possible) would be the best choice, as white reflects light and the room appears larger.

Changing the perception of a room's size is easy!

Just Use Color.

Choosing Color

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 09:01:49 GMT

When selecting colors from small paint chips or swatches, remember that they will look considerably darker when they have been painted on all the walls.

You can add sparkle and a new dimension to your walls by using metallic paints. To make them really stand out from a crowd add halogen lighting and watch your walls sparkle!

For selecting colors when you are dividing areas of a wall, use the darkest color to the bottom, this will help ground the scheme and not leave it floating. It is also more pleasing on the eye. This works well if you are using a chair rail, paint the darker color below this.

Use accent colors more than once in a room to create harmony and balance, if you want to use a stand alone color, then make this a focal point.

Color schemes work best when you use one dominant color as the main theme and scatter accent colors around the room to add detail, pattern and texture.

A monochromatic scheme is the easiest type of color scheme to create, but can fail miserably if you do not add texture and pattern into it. It will appear flat and boring. Think in three dimensions of one color.

To ensure balance in a room, don't group your color or pattern in one area, make sure it is evenly spread around the room, this makes it comfortable for your eye and creates a harmonious feel.

One of the first things to remember when selecting colors is that cool colors recede and warm colors advance and that dark colors look heavy and enclosing, light colors make the room look larger and lighter, this will get you a simple way to rule out colors and concentrate on the colors that will work in the space.

To ground a color scheme select a dark flooring, the opposite works for making a space float or feel open, select a very light floor color.

Color selection for rooms that receive a lot of natural sunlight should be from the cool colors and vise versa, rooms that recieve little or no natural sunlight should select colors from the warm color rage.

The amazing thing about technology is that we can now color match anything! Simply take a sample of the item you want to match to your paint store and they can analyse it. They can then work out a formula to recreate it in a paint color especially for you.

Scale is important to remember when you are selecting color, a deep strong color can look great in a small piece, but all over the walls can be intimidating.

Select from your samples as you would see them finished. For example lay the carpet sample on the floor, hang up the fabric at the window, and have the paint or wallpaper vertically against the wall. It is important to visualise these in 3d and in the correct light.

Patterns give a room personality. Ensure that they are not solo artists! Unless you are going to make a feature or focal point, then use patterns more than once in a room. If you want to use more than one pattern in a space, ensure that there is an element that brings them together, for example a color, design, emblem, or motif.

Dickson Furnitures

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:53:05 GMT

Interior Design Spaces

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 09:27:09 GMT

Interior design starts with many challenges. It is an exciting process that requires time and attention to consider all details to avoid costly problems and mistakes. Interior design defines how yor home will look. Interior design includes many elements such as design style, color of walls, furniture, design accessories, lignting, flooring, and more.

First of all decide what kind of interior design style you would like to have in your home. Do not forget that interior design is not only how yor home will look from inside. It will affect your comfort and feeling of home. There are many styles of interior design for choosing. Country, carribean, english, gothic, modern, neoclassical, contemporary, victorian, and other interior design styles have many details and feature to consider.

Style of interior design will define color scheme of your rooms. For example, modern design has bright and sharp colors to emphasize power and expressiveness. From another hand English Interior Design style has soft and consistent colors. Remember that wall will have these selected colors for long period of time. Look for colors of interior design that will make you comfortable and balanced because home is a place to rest and accumulate power. Before painting all walls in selected colors first try it on small surface to see how it looks.

Next step is choosing type and color of furniture for interior home design. Make a list of elements you would like to have and look at these elements in different colors. The best way is visiting your local retail stores. Try to imagine how furniture with different colors and types will fit your new interior design.

Interior design of your home is way to express yourself. Interior design shows your friends and guests about your internal world and preferences. Try to be consistent and keep the same style for all rooms and areas of your home.

If you have some queries or comments about interior design, PTCDesign will gladly be of help.

DICKSON-FURNITURE, Greenhills, San Juan Opening soon!

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 03:44:32 GMT

Established in Hong Kong in 1981, Dickson Furniture moved its factory to Houjie Town of Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China in 1984. Dickson Furniture now occupies a corporate headquarter facility with a total area of approx. 60,000m², which includes a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant, a multi-storey office building, a recreation centre and a staff dormitory building altogether. Over 700 employees are working for your success all the time. Total investment of at least USD 13 Million, we specialised in modern home furniture by utilising advanced manufacturing equipment imported from Germany and Italy. Stress has been put on advanced management method since its birth. We are a high quality company certified with ISO9001 Quality System since 1999, our monthly output has reached USD 3 Million and our products are distributed all over the world. Up to now, over 40 franchise shops, under the Dickson name, have opened with total area of approx. 15,000m² in China. During the 20 years of striving for development, Dickson Furniture has encountered numerous challenges and hardships. At the same time, we have amassed a wealth of valuable experience and knowledge in furniture making. The company has won countless honourable prizes from major furniture trade shows and exhibitions in China, and it is well respected and widely recognized as a renowned furniture company in the industry. Dickson Furniture has the capability to design and make leading-edge furniture products on parallel with international quality standards.

Dickson-Furniture will soon open here in the Philippines, with its first Manila branch located at 228 Ortigas Avenue, Greenhills, San Juan (corner Roosevelt). Our grand opening will be on October 2006. Come visit and join us in experiencing the great living ideas of the future.

You may visit our website at http://www.dickson-furniture.com

pristine cartera

Photo Album: February, 2008

Sun, 18 May 2008 21:08:05 GMT

February, 2008

red carpet3.jpg

A Night with the Stars_view2.jpg

red carpet.jpg

A Night with the Stars_view2.jpg

red carpet4.jpg

red carpet2.jpg

Photo Album: Select Care Phils.

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 13:26:02 GMT

Select Care Phils.

white wall

Huddle Room

Inner Wall Area

on-going fotos

Receiving Area

on-going fotos

Photo Album: Offices

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:46:01 GMT

Offices

Marl'sRM.jpg

Mics+room.jpg

WorkStation 2.jpg

xerox-1.jpg