Best Ideas for Dining Room Lighting

Dining room lighting should be soft and warm, making mealtime pleasant and welcoming for family and guests. Harsh, bright lights are better suited to a cafeteria than a comfortable home dining space. Suit your fixture to your home's design and add sources of ambient light to supply an alluring glow. Don't forget dimmers, which let you adjust lighting to the meal, it could be a romantic dinner for two or perhaps a family dinner for 12.

Chandeliers

Chandeliers provide a classic look for dining room, hanging low within the table as both a design element along with a light source. If your home has older charm, consider an old-fashioned chandelier with crystal or glass droplets. Brass chandeliers are usually considered outdated. More modern chandeliers are often made of metal with various finishes, for example antique bronze, brushed nickel or black. For those who have an older brass chandelier, you are able to paint it to give it a brand new look. Many metallic paints can be found in spray cans, making the task easy and quick.

Choose a chandelier that masks the sunshine bulbs so they do not shine directly to the table. Bare bulbs produce a harsh light and can even shine in diners' faces. Choose a chandelier with shades that face the ceiling and never the table; if your chandelier is glass or crystal, ensure the bulbs will be pointed toward the ceiling or their light will be diffused.

Sconces and Candles
Sconces give a soft glow to your walls and therefore are a beautiful way to bring ambient light to your dining room. They are available in many different styles to fit your decor. The flickering light of candles is yet another welcome addition. Choose unscented candles so nothing competes using the enticing smell of your food. In households without young children, candles make a lovely centerpiece for that dining table; otherwise, they can occupy an area on a buffet or shelf within the room.

Lamps
Using lamps on the buffet or other piece of furniture within the dining room provides another chance of dining room lighting that is also a design element. It is important for the scale of the lamps to complement the scale of the furniture they occupy. Lamps which are too tall or way too short will look awkward. If your furnishings are spare and streamlined, a more sophisticated lamp will look out of place; if it's delicate and elegant, a chunky lamp won't do. Make use of a critical eye to decide if the lamp you've chosen is appropriate. Convey a lamp on each end from the serving piece for a classic, symmetrical look.

Rope Lighting
In case your room has a tray ceiling or else you have art niches or any other display areas in your dining area, rope lighting is a subtle and fascinating way to dress up those areas. Rope lighting is flexible enough to go around an arch and could be cut to fit the space.

Backyard Landscaping Ideas to Suit Your Needs and Lifestyle

Backyard landscaping can be as complex or simple as the people living in the home. Before starting a landscaping task for your backyard, you need to have a concept of how you will be using the backyard. Are you entertaining? Do you have kids that are looking to play? Another thing to consider is when much time you are willing to spend looking after the attractive backyard landscaping. How you landscape your backyard can produce a big difference in the value of your house.

Before you start thinking of ideas for your backyard landscape, choose how you plan on using the yard. For those who have young kids you probably will want grass to allow them to play. You also need to be careful of safety. A pond or perhaps a fire pit can be extremely dangerous for any young child. If you plan on entertaining, you'll need lots of room for people to sit down and socialize. If you like to garden, section off a bit of your yard to show off your green thumb.

Kid Friendly Backyard Landscaping Ideas

Backyard landscaping for children can be simple. A large grass area will give you a place for tag, football games and tea parties. A pleasant idea is to frame the yard with concrete curbing and fill the exterior with rock. You can have the concrete dyed to complement whatever color you choose. The curbing may also be angled so it is easier to mow. Forget about pushing the lawn mower as much as the wall, just mow as much as the curbing and be done.

In case your children have grass allergies, artificial grass may be the answer. This synthetic grass feels and looks like the real thing. No more mowing or watering as well as your yard will always look good.

Backyard Landscaping Suggestions for Entertaining

The backyard, if landscaped right, is definitely an extension of your living space. If you value to BBQ then a built-in barbeque is a must. Your backyard barbeque could be basic, with just a grill or is often as complex as a whole outdoor kitchen. Basic options include adding a sink, refrigerator and stovetop. The sky and your pocket may be the limit for other add-ons like a wine chiller, a smoker along with a vent.

Another backyard landscaping idea would be to add a fire pit. Imagine your friends and relatives all seated around the fire sipping wine and achieving a good time. Having kids does not mean you can't have a fire pit, however, you need to make it safe. You will find lids that can be purchased which cover up the fire pit when not in use to help keep from prying little fingers. A stone bench as well as other seating is a good idea to add a final touch to your backyard landscape.

Backyard Landscaping Suggestions for Small Yards

If you have a little backyard, don't despair. You'll have a nicely landscaped yard by using a few simple ideas. Think vertical. Plants could be hung in pots around the walls to provide you with extra space. Simple is the best for small yards. Dwarf trees provide the small backyard owner a choice of adding trees to the landscape, without overpowering the yard.

Backyard Landscaping Suggestions for Gardeners

Backyard landscaping for that gardener can mean a small portion of ground set aside just for them. Frame your garden area with a small white picket fence to assist hide the garden when there is nothing growing. If you have a small yard, or even the yard has already been landscaped and also you don't want to tear it out, container gardening may well be a good idea. By using containers a gardener can grow what they need, where they want and the smartest thing is they don't have to worry about weeds.

Additional Suggestions for Backyard Landscaping

Statues are an attractive backyard landscaping option. They may be whimsical like a garden gnome, to Zen as with an Asian tea house. Remember scent when you think of your backyard landscaping. Night blooming Jasmine is an excellent way to add a calming scent for your yard. Roses are also try this.

Backyard landscaping should reflect those who plan on using it. What you want to complete in your yard should be the first thing you consider when deciding on landscaping. Jot down your ideas. You might not be able to turn your backyard to your dream overnight. But by recording your ideas, you can create a wish list that may help you get there eventually.