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Tips For Cost Effective Ways To Create Ambience & Memories When Hosting At Home Gatherings

admin — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 05:51:22 +0000

In an unsteady economy isn’t it nice to know you have designed a custom home, full of Amish hardwood furniture you can enjoy and entertain on in a much less costly fashion than dining out? If you don’t always find the joy in eating and entertaining at home it may be you are lacking an important component. Ambience is the key element that changes your at home gathering to a memorable event, not the amount of money spent. Creating an inviting atmosphere around your hand crafted Amish table is less about setting that table withe xpensive food and drink and more about setting a feeling, a mood. With simple things you most likely have around the home, or can pick up very inexpensively, you can turn a so-so brunch, dinner or lunch into an outstanding happening.

FLOWERS & FOLIAGE-

Quite simply, flowers can create a theme. They can also indicate a seasonal direction to your celebration. While it would be nice to be able to afford a fresh cut bouquet from even the grocery your arrangements do not have to include even a single bloom or blossom. For instance, a contemporary theme, one of bold sparseness, can be reflected in a tall glass vase, weighted with river rocks or glass baubles and holding long, wispy wooden stems or branches cut from your yard. Seasonal fruit vines or branches, again found in the great outdoors, filled and flowing from a vase speaks to the local fruits you may serve. Even a bowl of colorful vegetables can add a pop of color.

By placing a coordinating wreath at the door you can easily carry the theme from your threshold to your foyer and living room and then to your Amish custom built dining room suite. If you have an old wreath just recycle and reclaim it by adding fresh touches to it, or create one from vines or bendable branches. A door piece does not have to be round but instead can be a gathered and beribboned bunch of florals or foliage.

Inexpensive candles always highlight the most simple table arrangements. If the theme is a tea party, why not fill the tea pot with blooms? A garden theme looks great with already owned garden tools as a center piece. Stop and look around before going out to buy a new centerpiece, but never skip on the center piece, since it is high impact for low cost and a focal point of the meal.

TABLE LINENS-

Table linens can range from a coveted vintage lace table cloth, to an Amish quilt or to a crisp and inexpensive fabric piece or sheet. A set of plain white napkins is always a great investment. The napkins can be bound with something carrying the theme of the day or the theme of the floral and foliage arrangements. A simple ribbon makes an understated napkin ring. Large napkins can even be converted to placemats when unfolded. Stained napkins and table cloths can be bleached out or tea stained into a recycled and highly fashionable shabby chicness.

WHO’S WHO-

If you want to provide a sense of elegance and thoughtfulness, make each guest a place card. The art of using place cards kicks any tea, lunch or dinner up to the next level and can be created for virtually nothing. While even nicely printing each guest’s name on a simple tent-folded, plain 3 x 5 card is a statement, you can also pick up a favor for each guest at a dollar store. A small frame holding their place card, a basket of candies with their name attached, a candle with a labeled name, a sachet with the name in marker…the list of place card favors is endless and very affordable.

Another fun thing to do is to create a menu for each plate. Today’s computers usually come with templates to create cards and menus, or you can search online. It adds a touch of fun and class.

COLORS-

Something as simple as color can actually be a theme for your event. All white, or the latest trend of using only black and white, can develop a boring dinner party into something spectacular for no added costs. If you use bold colors remember do not mix even one pastel and visa versa and keep the coloring throughout the arrangements and the linens.

MIX AND MATCH-

Can’t afford additional place settings or maybe you don’t have a set of fine china at all? Thrift stores hold treasured pieces of china and glassware that can be bought for pennies to create an eclectic and enviable dinnerware collection that no one else has. While an entire table of matching dishes is indeed very elegant it can also be cost prohibitive and even blah. Why not show some imagination and pick out the best of each find you can. You can even mix it with your own set of dishes to extend them when the guest list grows longer than your place settings.

By using these tips and more to come here at Amish-Furniture-Home.com you can host and enjoy many cost effective and unforgettable events with your well appointed Amish built furniture investments.

Brighten Your New Year…Go Green With Lighting and CFL Light Bulbs

admin — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 04:52:28 +0000

No matter how well designed your home is poor lighting can have a negative impact on the ambience and even paint scheme. Misplaced lighting, as well as a poor choice of bulbs, can cause squinting and color schemes, and even things like food, to appear to fade into unwanted shades. One lighting source in use, and in controversy, today is the newer compact fluorescent lights called CFLs, or other wise known as “green” lighting. ‘Low-energy’ light bulbs are smaller version of the fluorescent tubes that are used in commercial settings.

In theory, CFLs use up to 75 per cent less electricity than the ‘light equivalent’ incandescent bulb, although many experts believe that even used in the correct manner, the direct energy saving may be more like 25-30 per cent than 75 per cent. Also CFLs may last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Whether you decide to switch out a few bulbs or the entire household, indoors and out, here are a few points to consider about the new green bulbs.

LIGHT LEVELS – A CFL bulb that uses 13-18 watts supposedly produces the same amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb, but this is in controversy. In practice, to replace a 60-watt incandescent you need a 20-watt CFL to achieve about the same lighting level.

LIGHT QUALITY – the illumination quality from a CFL is truly a judgment call. The light is different than that of an incandescent. CFLs may appear gloomy, yellowed or dull to some people while to others it is described as soft, warm and even.

HEAT SOURCE – When considering removing all incandescent bulbs remember that incandescents actually contribute a very noticeable amount to the ambient warmth of your home. A surprisingly high 85-90 per cent of an incandescent bulb’s energy is converted into heat. Consider how many bulbs you have in your home and you can quickly deduce that a very high amount of heating is produced in the evenings when everyone is home. This additional heat can affect the air conditioning costs negatively and the heating costs positively.

ACCURATE LIFE SPAN – Since a number of factors can drastically reduce the life of your CFL bulb, thus reducing any cost advantage, it is advantageous to educate yourself on the nature of the bulb. Some things that reduce its life expectancy are:

Turning the bulb on and off too frequently
Using the bulb upside down because the light rises and overheats it.
Using it in a recessed or enclosed position because of the overheating issue.
The cold (they also take a few minutes to warm up so may not be optimal if you need quick access to a garage, chilly basement or stairwell.
Using an incompatible incandescent dimmer system, electronic timer, motion detector or light detector
Using them anywhere that vibration affects them

TOXICITY VS. GOING GREEN – Ironically, some of the controversy over these “greener” alternatives is caused by the fact that they contain environmentally dangerous toxins. Some people even believe they cause headaches. Because of the toxic elements they must be disposed of properly and with some inconvenience. CFL bulbs contain 5mg of mercury or approximately a pin head‘s worth of mercury. Old thermometers contained 500 mg. The instructions for clean up if you should break a CFL bulb seems ominous when you read you must open the windows and leave the room for 15 minutes, don rubber gloves and not vacuum a hard surface because it will spread the fumes. It also advises that you pick the pieces up with duct tape then wipe everything with wet towels, followed by a double-bagging ceremony. You must then drive them to a specialist recycling center.

UV RAYS – CFLs emit a small amount of ultraviolet light that should be considered when using around people with medical conditions that make them highly sensitive to UV light.

A Brief History of Holiday Christmas Wreaths: From Advent Wreaths to Amish Wreath Quilts

admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:04:00 +0000

Wreaths on the door year round are welcoming sights but no more warm a welcoming beacon than at Christmas time. No matter if your wreath graces the door of an Arts & Crafts bungalow or an ultra contemporary modern design, a wreath says home. Today, wreaths are used all year long but particularly as holiday adornments on front doors or even as attractive center pieces.

The wreath has a long history, dating back to the ancient cultures of the Persian Empire. From sporting events, to scholars and kings to religious associations the wreath is a long standing icon. Originally called a “diadem”, wreaths were a circle of fabric, used as a headband, and sometimes adorned with jewels. Diadema is a Greek word, meaning “a thing bound around.” Recognized by athletes worldwide, the Olympics used these circles of laurel leaves to crown the victors of ancient Olympic Games. When the Olympic Games started migrating from city to city, each venue would award wreath headdresses made of branches from local trees.

It was not only the Olympians who adorned themselves with wreaths. A symbol for peace, olive branch wreaths became in vogue. While the Romans tried to shun the fashion of wearing diadems it was not long before the upper classes wore garlands of oak leaves and laurel. The symbolism of laurel wreaths spawned the phrase “to earn your laurels.” Long recognized as an insignia for military attire and political status, even Julius Caesar was crowned with a wreath of fresh laurel.

As the Romans conquered the world, all roads led to Rome and the entire world shared in Roman culture. Other countries soon designed head wreaths of their own. From the head wreath idea evolved “crowns”. In fact, the word crown derives from the Latin word “corona”. Corona means garland or wreath. So important had the head wreath became in New Testament times that in the now infamous scene of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion the Roman soldiers placed a wreath thorns as a crown on Christ’s head and mockingly declared him “King of the Jews”.

No one knows for sure when wreaths went from head wear to home décor but simple deduction assumes that as victors came home they displayed their awards on the walls of their homes.

One particular wreath is seen only at Christmas, the Advent wreath. Advent, or “coming”, is the season celebrated in the Christian church symbolizing waiting and preparing for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus or Christmas. The Advent wreath may have had its inspiration from the Swedish Crown of Lights. The Swedish Crown was a candle-bearing crown worn by young Swedish girls to celebrate a young Christian martyr named Lucia, who gave her entire dowry to the poor.

As pagans were evangelized wreaths, like many other religious practices, may have been incorporated into church ordained Christmas practices to appease the new converts. In Eastern Europe people had used candles to light up wreaths made of evergreen leaves in winters. This pagan practice supposedly brought about and early spring and longed for sunshine. The traditional Advent Christmas wreath has four candles in the circle and one candle in the middle. The wreaths are made of evergreen leaves a symbol of the permanence of life. The wreath’s circle shape also symbolizes no beginning or end and that God is eternal.

Interestingly, the wreath is a symbol used in many Amish quilt designs. From circles of tulips to boxes of simply wrapped Christmas presents, the Amish women have added them into quilts even more welcoming than a well placed wreath. Whether you have hung a holiday wreath proudly at your threshold or assigned one to the center of your highly polished solid wood Amish crafted dining room table, rest assured your Christmas wreath is part of a long and interesting historic tradition worldwide.

Basic Steps Towards Making an Arts & Crafts Grand Entrance

admin — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:27:48 +0000

While Arts and Crafts architectural appeal begins at the curb the interior appeal begins with the entrance hall or foyer. This area gives the guest the legend to the home’s décor intention. The entryway is the pivotal point, the hub of the home, where everyone must come through to get to the rest of the rooms. As first impressions go, an Arts and Crafts home should begin its personal statement of honest simplicity at its threshold.

Every home’s entryway is sized differently but no matter what we have to work with, a grand hall and staircase or no formal entry at all, we can create the illusion of a welcoming room for guests. Treatment of the entryway should create a warm place for greeting and welcoming the arrival of both family and friends. Using organic elements like woods and metalwork accessories and lighting you can create the cozy Arts and Crafts bungalow you desire.

Whether your home has a hardwood entryway or tiled foyer the laying down of a warm rug in deep red hues as a runner or full rug makes a large statement of style and reception. Pick out a signature piece for your themed entrance like a formal hall table or library table crafted in sturdy native hardwoods. There are many to choose from, like one of the many Amish created Mission inspired tables. This sturdy and well used table will help organize the home and family by having a place for mail, keys and homework.

If there is no hall closet for coats and winter accessories then a rack hung on the wall will be needed. If space or arrangement allows then the next most important piece is a handsome but utilitarian wooden chair or bench near the door. This seating will allow you a place to take on and off your shoes, help children with coats, a seat for guests to wait, or even a practical place to put bags and coats as you enter the home. A solid wood dining room chair or leather upholstered chair is a wise selection for durability since this is a high traffic area.

Placing a metal ware or a naturally painted and glazed pottery bowl on the hall table for keys and loose change will keep the table neat and the keys easier to find. A metalware lamp, preferably in bronze with an amber glass shade will cast a warm golden glow over your entry portal. Lanterns with candles lit or lantern-shaped electrical lighting in sconces or chandeliers add the elements desired in Arts and Crafts designs. The placement of a long case modern Grandfather inspired clock made by Amish innovators is perfection in the one area where time is imperative; in the comings and goings of the front door.

If you are looking for single piece that is full of decorative impact as well as functionality there is no better piece to invest in than an Amish Hall Tree or Hall Bench. No solitary piece of furniture functions so inclusively as, for example, the Rustic Hall Bench. The Rustic Hall Bench is a solid wood paneled bench with architectural interest as well as coat racks, seating and storage.