Author Archives: Jennifer

How to Decorate With Seashell Art

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One of the nicest ways to decorate your summer home or cottage is with seashell art. Seashell art has a rustic, natural serenity that compliments other types of décor as well including contemporary, Swedish and retro fifties, sixties and seventies designs.

One of the most interesting one-of-a-kind wall hangings to come along late is the Starfish embedded in copper tablet. Starfish have a beautiful natural copper bronze color that naturally compliments copper that has a green patina. The patina color comes from the oxidization of the copper.

You can also get beautiful scallop shells that have been embedded into copper in the same way. The scallop has a very elegant shape that is reminiscent of an open woman’s fan.

This type of art looks great outside, as a plaque in just about any room and as unique décor for a bathroom. They would look quite enchanting in a grouping on a tile wall around a pool, pond or hot tub. You don’t have to worry about this type of copper being around water as it is coated with a special sealant to preserve its color.

Starfish and scallops come in all shapes and sizes so you will find that these come in all shapes and sizes as well. A twenty-two square inch example makes a wonderful centerpiece in any home whether it is on the coffee table or hanging on the wall.

Driftwood and sea glass art objects have a pretty, weathered quality that looks great anywhere in most cottages. It is very common to find picture frames and mirror frames made of this material. Some mirrors are dressed up with panels made up of assorted sea glass stones and seashells.

A popular item is the Ocean in a Box which is a “beach scribble” written in sand on a beach and then handcrafted. Words like “Welcome”, “Faith” and “Time” are scribbled in the sand. You can also get symbols like Peace Signs and Hearts. These pieces are handcrafted by Maine artists so you can also get them customized.

There are also many artists who create unique abstracts out of objects from the beach if you like your collectibles to be a little less New Age or kitsch in look.

How to Decorate With Desk Lamps

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Buying desk or study lamps can be almost as personal as choosing a pair of glasses. This is because of all of the lamps that you could possibly purchase these lamps must be easy on your eyes. The type of study or desk lamp that is best for you is probably dependent on your reading and study habits are and also how good your eyes are.

For example a lot of the study lamps and desk lamps that are out there on the market come with halogen bulbs in them. However halogen bulbs, which are the brightest bulbs you can buy are not the ideal type of light for everybody. For one thing halogen bulbs are so bright that they can cause contrast and glare to be a problem when you are studying print. This can be very fatiguing on the eyes and even cause you to see spots of green and red if the glare on the page has enough contrast.

If you find that the glare of halogen bulbs is hard on your eyes then there are thousands of study and desk lamps on the market that take ordinary incandescent bulbs, or energy saving bulbs. If you like a really bright light when you study but don’t like halogen bulbs, you can also try using a full spectrum light bulb in your desk or study lamp. That way you get the brightness of daylight without the headaches that can be caused by halogen light.

Desk and study lamps that use regular bulbs come in a variety styles. The design element that seems to mostly define a study lamp or desk lamp is the bendable neck that is usually made out of plastic or metal. This helps you focus the light where you need it most, however unlike halogen lamps, these more old fashioned lamps also have a bit of a soft glow that helps light up the rest of the room.

Not all desk lamps or study lamps have bendable necks. One very classic style that can be found in almost every lighting or hardware store has a squat, curved neck. Usually an oblong shade, made of brass or green glass, sheds light on the surface of the desk. This type of study or desk lamp, which reminds one of something that belongs in crime writer Raymond Chandler’s office, also looks good on top of a piano and poised so that it lights the piano keys.