Author Archives: Jennifer

How to Use Dining Room Chandeliers

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There are not hard and fast rules about how to decorate a dining room with chandeliers but it is important to get one that you like because it is likely going to be a focal point of your room. One suggestion is that the circumference of the chandelier should be about a foot less than the width of the table at its widest point. This is so people do not bump their head on the light fixture when they get up from the table.

Another guideline is that the chandelier should not be closer than four feet from any wall or closer than 48 inches from any cabinet or other piece of furniture.It is important to get a chandelier that is big enough or it might get lost in the room.

When hanging the chandelier you should make sure that it is hung low enough to light up the eating area. However it should not be in the way of seeing people seeing each other while they are talking or eating at the table.

There are all kinds of different styles of chandeliers and the best one for you is going to have a lot to do with your décor. A simple crystal chandelier goes with just about anything. A lot of crystals make it more ornate which goes best with more formal dining room furniture. Simple candle styles go with about anything.

Rustic style dining rooms look good with a wagon wheel or wrought iron style of chandelier. Wooden or natural chandeliers, like those made from deer antlers, look great with older style furniture.
Stark wrought iron chandeliers in white or black look best with the plain lines of mission furniture. Wrought iron chandeliers also look fabulous with Goth décor and dining rooms done in a slightly distressed shabby chic fashion.

You can also get chandeliers that are in a starburst shape with offshoots that look like Christmas light bulbs. Sometimes these also look like orbs or circling planets. This type of chandelier best suits Fabulous Fifties type décor.
Faux metal shapes and artistic looking optic fibres are associated with chandeliers that suit a room from the sixties and seventies. Gold or copper metal chandelier arms are more late seventies in feel. Silver metal arms are more associated with the sixties, nineties and this decade.

Keep in mind too that if you are going to get a chandelier with crystals that you can get them in different colors. This can make a big difference in the look of the room.

How to Make a Headboard

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You do not have to buy an upholstered headboard to make your bed look more fashionable. You can easily make one yourself. All you need is a tape measure, paper to make a pattern, plywood, sandpaper, saw, upholstery foam, decorative fabric, a stapes gun, cording, braid and any trim you desire to make it look nice.
Your first step is to measure the bed and decide how wide and tall you want the headboard to be and what shape you want it to be. The most attractive headboards are equal to or slightly wider than the width of the mattress. When it comes to how tall it should be they tend to look the most balanced with about eight inches of headboard rising above the pillows leaning against it.
To decide on a shape cut different ones out of paper and simply position it against the bed. It should be quite evident to you what might look best. Some people like a plain rectangle shape and others might like a head board with rounded corners or a beveled top.
Once you have decided on a shape you can use the paper as a pattern to cut a shape out of plywood using a power saw. You can then lightly sand around the outer edges of the plywood headboard with sandpaper. Cut a sheet of foam to the size of the wood frame and then secure it in place with tacks and spray adhesive. You can then cover the layer of foam with upholstery batting that is two or three inches thicker than the wood. This layer is then covered with plain sheeting and then wrapped in the outer layer of decorative fabric you have chosen. The fabric is stapled to the back of the headboard so that it is smooth.
It is not necessary but you can also staple a plain lining to the back of the headboard to hide raw hem edges. You can trim the top edge of the headboard with cording or ribbon. Some people even quilt the headboard with buttons so that areas of it puff out. It is easy to get really creative and attach all kinds of ornate details to your headboard if you think it looks good. You can also use any fabric you want including patent leather, satin or vinyl.
Most home made headboards can be stabilized behind the bed but you can also attach legs to it if you want it to be freestanding.