As you browsed through the internet for patio umbrellas you may have noticed that there are many different fabric options available. With so many choices, you may ask yourself, “What is the difference between all of these fabrics?” In this article, we will cover the different fabric types in order to help you choose the best option for your outdoor space.

Sunbrella Fabric

Sunbrella is a common name when it comes to fabric. In fact, many people actually use the term “Sunbrella umbrella” when requesting information. However, there is actually no such thing as a Sunbrella Umbrella. Sunbrella is simply a fabric manufactured by Glen Raven mills. But because Glen Raven has been a leader in the manufacture of performance fabrics for forty five years, people assume they also make umbrellas. Sunbrella is a heavy duty solution dyed acrylic fabric made with locked-in colors. The long life of Sunbrella’s fabric colors are one of the main reasons to purchase umbrellas made with this product. Umbrellas and cushions with this durable fabric come with a 5-year fade warranty and typically last longer then any fabric in the industry.

Sunbrella is also well known for its UV-Ray resistance, Sunbrella umbrella fabrics have been tested and proven to give up to 98% UV protection in shade applications and have been awarded the “Seal of Recommendation” by The International Skin Cancer Foundation. Along with UV protection, and color retention Sunbrella has a great water-repellency. This doesn’t mean that it’s water-proof, but because the fibers are woven so tightly there is a high degree of water resistance that allows them to remain outdoors even in light rain.

Suncrylic Fabric

Suncrylic is another solution dyed acrylic fabric you can get on your outdoor umbrella canopy. Slightly less heavy than Sunbrella, Suncrylic also offers a high degree of UV resistance and water repellency. The biggest difference between Suncrylic and Sunbrella, is in the fade resistance ability and the warranty offered. Suncrylic fabrics are warranted not to fade for a period of 1 year from time of purchase.

Olefin Fabric

Another fabric choice for patio umbrellas is Olefin. This is also a solution dyed acrylic fabric that is considered to be high density yet light weight. Olefin is a woven fabric that holds its color well, provides protection from harmful UV rays, and resists staining. It’s durable and easy to clean, with a one year warranty against fading. Texsilk is one brand of Olefin fabric that can be used as an umbrella canopy. While Texsilk is water resistant, it can be machine washed for easy cleaning.

Polyester Fabric

Just like acrylic, polyester is a man made fabric. This fabric is light, breathable and less expensive to manufacturer which is why it is commonly used by both clothing and outdoor furniture manufacturers to manufacture economically suited products. Polyester is not a natural water or fade resistant fabric. For this reason, polyester canopies are sometimes coated with polyurethane or Scotch guard protection to aid in fade resistance. While patio umbrellas with polyester fabrics are economical, there are certain qualities about them that may be undesirable to some consumers. The primary reason for upgrading to an acrylic type fabric is because polyester fabrics typically fade much faster then anything else in the market. Specifically, if you are in a harsh or extreme weather region of the country like Arizona, polyester fabrics may not be the best choice for you unless you are diligent in covering them or storing them when not in use. If do purchase an item with polyester fabrics, it is best recommend to stick to anything above 600 thread count or more to get the best value for your money! Also, here is a quick tip: You will notice much less fade problems with lighter colored polyester fabrics. White, natural and beige seem to last much longer then blues, reds and blacks.

Additionally, it is important to keep polyester fabric umbrellas away from any source of flame, such as torches, candles and patio heaters because it is flammable.

Coolaroo Fabric

Coolaroo is a unique canopy fabric that provides up to 90% UV block while also keeping temperatures cool under the shade. Shading your patio table or chairs with a Coolaroo canopy reduces temperatures up to 30%. This breathable fabric is resistant to mildew, is easy to clean and comes with a 5-year warranty against UV damage.

So there you have it, a wide range of fabrics and colors to choose from whether you buy an aluminum patio umbrella or a wood market umbrella for your next outdoor patio umbrella purchase.

Jennifer Drozd is a foremost expert in outdoor decor including, market umbrellas, patio furniture, Sunbrella patio umbrellas, outdoor cushions and patio heaters. Her articles and work is widely distributed and she is a regular contributor to PatioShoppers.com and ePatioUmbrellas.com.

Security is on the mind of the homeowner more and more, with break-ins occurring more frequently. A smart burglar will observe a homeowner’s habits, particularly when the lights go out at night. The proper outdoor lighting can assist in deterring a potential threat, but needs to be well thought out. Outdoor lighting combined with sensitive motion sensors provides a sense of security, especially with a home that has numerous dark corners.

Creating a plan for exterior security lighting is not difficult, but should be thoughtfully considered to avoid blind spots. Motion sensor spots can be mounted anywhere on the house, on posts, in trees, or other structures surrounding the home. They can also be incorporated into landscaping lights to look more natural. It is important to position these lights so that they are not easily reached by an intruder, who will destroy or disable them in an instant. The professional installer will also assist in the correct settings to prevent an over sensitive system that is activated by birds and squirrels.

Smaller homes do not need a vast number of lights to create deterrence, and can benefit from those in the obvious areas – front door, garage, and back door or deck. A larger home with more architectural features often creates blind spots, and should use exterior security lighting near these areas. New construction provides the ability to add breaker switches for hard wired lighting, but there are plenty of options that work off of simple battery packs. The benefits of motion sensor lighting are that they conserve energy by not being on all of the time and that they will surprise and scare away most intruders.

A well designed lighting plan for the exterior of a home will not only consider security, but maintain an aesthetic quality. The home should be accentuated by light that washes its features in a warm tone, without creating a glare inside the house or into the neighbors’ windows. The exterior lighting plan can be wired in conjunction with a home security system for additional protection.

Doorways and windows should be the first areas consider for illumination. A prowler will seek out these areas as easy targets. Lighting these areas will be the first on the list.

A lighting professional can assist in recommending the right product for the exterior of a home. Installing flood lights on a dimmer system allows the homeowner greater control to change the light for different situations. The entire backyard plan should consider the lot’s perimeter in order to create a greater piece of mind. Various types of bulbs are considered based upon their intensity, with the most popular being halogen or incandescent.

Outdoor lighting for security reasons is also a great excuse to provide lighting that shows off landscaping features. Fire pits, water features, and lush plantings can be highlighted with controllable lights that highlight an entire area. This provides extra protection for the homeowner who is outside using these areas at night. In essence, the best of both worlds occur, because the homeowner is given reassurance, and the home and surrounding grounds will be lit in a beautiful way.

Whether you’re seeking the ultimate chandelier, new fixtures for a kitchen remodel, stunning nighttime landscape effects or a complete lighting package to showcase your new home, you will find great tips in our Lighten Up Blog and Videos.

Eric Lebersfeld is an expert at assisting Homeowners, Builders, and Interior designers in selecting the perfect lighting for their homes and projects. We have over 3000 lights on display in our showrooms and over 500,000 on our website http://1800lighting.com. Capitol Lighting provides the most rewarding shopping experience possible allowing our customers to shop on-line or in-store. We have the same guaranteed low internet pricing everyday. We are proud of our 85 year reputation as trustworthy and ethical business partners with both customers and suppliers.

Forget about installing old-fashioned floodlights in the garden when you are having a party. With the variety of choices that are now available, it is worth every penny to invest in some classy outdoor lighting with the help of a specialist or designer.

You may have landscaped your garden but the clumsy looking lights that you have installed look incongruous in your new setting. So it is apt to consider setting up a few inexpensive solutions. It is important to plan the exterior lighting system with the experts and watch the change that transforms your garden or backyard. The lifestyle of the homemakers must be kept in mind while designing the outdoor lighting features.

Techniques you can use

The plants in the garden can be lit up by the means of frontal or bottom lighting. Bottom lighting creates a soft and subtle illuminating effect. On the other hand frontal lighting helps to create a superb effect by focusing on the strongest feature in your garden. Usage of soft green lights in the shrubs makes the foliage look greener.

Landscape lighting would highlight the plants and trees and night. If you happen to have a pond, a set of innovative lights around it can accentuate its beauty.

You can also light up pathways in different styles for your visitors to walk through. Avoid glaring lights which can blind you! Using diffused and dim lights near to the ground or a little bit higher will demarcate the path and make it easier for the guests.

Since green technology is a necessity and in demand these days, you can also make use of lamps powered by solar technology. This requires no wiring and is easy to install. Again, less power is consumed in this regard.

There is no better way to create a quaint and magical effect in your outdoors than with the help of a lantern. Lanterns have an old world charm. They can be used in different ways to highlight the special niches of your outdoors. Hanging lanterns installed over tall porches and entrances look great.

A few outdoor lighting fixtures can do wonders by creating a friendly and warm ambiance. The silhouette of trees and the shadows thrown in the background would bring out a diffused and calm atmosphere. Tones of red or yellow add to the warmth of the evening. These solutions would not demand a big budget. It all depends on how you plan and innovate with the few resources at hand.

Looking for more information on Outdoor Lighting visit http://www.lampsusa.com an online store to buy contemporary and modern home decor accessories for home and office.

If you suffer from low light levels in your bathroom, help is at hand in the form of illuminated bathroom mirrors; all that leaning over the wash basin and squinting as you try to get your mascara in the right place can now be relegated to the past.

In today’s doll-sized houses with squeezed in bathrooms, not everybody has the benefit of natural light flooding into the bathroom, particularly when it comes to en suites. And even if you are lucky enough to have an enormous bathroom with dual aspect windows, you still need to use some sort of lighting illuminate your beauty at night. You don’t need us to tell you that the central ceiling light just isn’t up the job. At the very best this type of light casts unflattering shadows, at the very worst it can make you look as if you’ve died but not lay down yet.

All that functionality aside, illuminated mirrors also provide very relaxing light levels that are ideal for a long relaxing soak in the bath. Like candle light but without the flames.

Choose your lamps wisely and you will remove the perennial problem of steamed up mirrors too – halogen lamps give out enough heat to warm the glass thereby preventing condensation! The halogen light spectrum is also very close to that of natural daylight (although slightly warmer), so your skin tone will look good by this light too. The only downside of tungsten halogen lamps is that they can be quite expensive to run and have a useful life of only 2,000 hours.

So, if costs and energy usage are more important to you than looking pink and rosy, you should perhaps consider fluorescent illuminated mirrors. Modern fluorescent lamps are far removed from their ancestors, gone is the popping and flickering of old. They have a useful life of around 10,000 hours, after which time you’ll need to replace them as the light quality deteriorates. So, in effect, they last five times as long as halogen bulbs.

Because of the way they are made – the lights are placed behind a sheet of mirrored glass that has had some of the silvering removed by sandblasting – illuminated mirrors are easy to clean too. The front of the mirror remains smooth and there are no tiny inaccessible gaps where dust and soap scum can build up.

For those of us whose eyesight isn’t what it once was, you can even get illuminated magnifying shaving mirrors! Whilst it’s impractical to produce large magnifying mirrors due to the processes involved, it’s relatively easy to produce smaller mirrors. And that means no more wearing your mascara as eyeliner because you couldn’t quite see where it was going.

All illuminated mirrors tend to be good-looking, but some are far more than that. Designers have used LED lamps to create some stunning effects, from infinite pinpricks of light to Hollywood glamour.

On reflection, an illuminated bathroom mirror is probably just what you need.

Want to find out more about illuminated mirrors, then visit Duncan Munday’s site on how to choose the best illuminated bathroom mirror for your bathroom including great advice in the regularly updated blog.

Are you looking for a unique look that is going to set your home apart, and do you love the idea of getting the look that you want? Antiques can be a great way to help you decorate your home and there has never been a better time to get started!

In the first place, remember that decorating with antiques is nowhere near as difficult as you might think. Antiques can be found everywhere, whether you are shopping at estate sales or online and if you know how to shop, they are not going to be nearly as expensive as you might fear.

Remember that you should always know how much your antiques are worth when you are shopping. While you will be surprised at some of the prices, remember that a well made object that has survived in good shape is going to be worth the money that you pay for it. On the other hand, if the shop seems amenable, feel free to make a counteroffer. Do not be afraid of haggling!

Another thing that you should keep in mind when you plan to decorate with antiques is the fact there are sites online that have plenty of pictures of what you might be looking for. One thing many people do not grasp is that your antiques should have a very unified look; do not start by simply jumbling in every piece of furniture that looks old!

When you are planning to design your home and use antique furniture or antique ornamentation, consider what era of history you are hoping to duplicate. Some people find that using things like the heavy dark furniture (such as an antique wardrobe) that was very popular in the Victorian Age is perfect for them, while other people prefer the airy look of the Art Deco movement which is more to their tastes.

While decorating with antiques can be fairly simple, do make sure that you have a theme and a general look that you are going for. Do you want the home looking a little cluttered or are you more interested in open spaces? There are many choices available, so take a look at pictures from the period you are trying to duplicate.

When people think about antiques, they often find themselves thinking about metal and wood, but do not forget you should also consider things like textiles. Antique rugs can actually be used, but in some cases, with smaller, delicate woven rugs, they might make lovelier wall hangings This is an aspect that does not occur to many people.

Consider the effect you want to achieve in decorating with antiques. There are a number of options open to you and the more you know about one type of furniture and the kind of effect you want to create, the better off you will be!

Find out more buying antiques and our a great place for shopping for them, by visiting our about page: http://www.beauchampantiques.com/aboutUs.php.

When it comes to decorating your home, whether it is for holiday occasions or simply for the day to day, all that matters is your taste. Sure, you can get great ideas from looking in all of those home and garden magazines or by watching Martha Stewart on television, but some of those things are just too involved for the busy homeowner. If you have a family to feed and drive around and work, odds are you are not going to be spending your time cutting out images from stencils and making your own wall art. While this is a great idea and it could be fun for the kids to get involved, it just isn’t that likely for most of us.

Some things that you can do as it relates to your home decorating are modifying your lighting and other things in your home. Interior lighting is one of the most dramatic ways to change the look inside your home with really no material changes necessary. Just by changing how light strikes your walls and ceilings differently, you can create dramatic effects with your current artwork and other home furnishings. Speaking of which, another way to get some instant change in your home decor is to just rearrange what you’ve got. Not only is this a great way to give your space a fresh new look, you can also save money in the process.

Saving money with home decorating is key. The costs can add up very quickly, especially if you are shopping retail. Most people don’t know that interior decorators and designers get quite a discount from the furniture manufacturers in order to have some exclusivity with them. The designers benefit by having a way to offer something additional to their clients and the manufacturers have ‘salespeople’ promoting their products. You can also find great pieces at the overstock stores and auction sites online. If you have more eclectic tastes or want things to be a bit more shabby sheik, you can go to garage and estate sales and find very unique pieces for quite a bit less than the new retail prices.

In the bedroom, you also have choices that can make your sanctuary come to life. Bedding is one of those things that can make all the difference. Not only can it complement or create the look for you in that space, but you will sleep much better at night. A good night’s sleep will go a long way toward making you feel better at home. You should buy the highest thread count sheets you can afford. This will ensure that you not only get quality sheets, but also that you feel that luxurious feeling each night you rest your head.

Michael J.M. recommends Home Bedroom Decor to learn about such things like lighting and other specific home decor ideas.

You can have a room that is beautiful and practical; it just starts with being really honest with yourself about your lifestyle?

How do you want your home to function?

We want you to be conscious of the importance of how your home functions in your daily lives. Perhaps comfort is important to you or aesthetics is a priority when choosing a style. Regardless of your preferences we recommend that you identify any problems and you deal with the practical and functions of the room first. Once you have recognize those issues, we move to the things that you like about your room and more importantly how you in vision your room. Make a wish list and try to identify which design in best suit your personality and serve your functions.

Interior Design Styles: Which one is Right For You?

Most people choose their decorating style for very personal reasons- for a lot of people it is simply a matter of taste. Sometimes is hard to recognize which style is your favorite. We recommend that you look at a few style magazines, and look in your closet for a few of your favorite styles. If you continue going back to a specific style most likely that is the style that is going to make you happy. Sometimes we find that clients are torn between a couple of styles, in this case we ask you what are the characteristics you like about both and we try to marry them in one cohesive style. All of these factors can be manipulated to some degree to suit your own personal taste and lifestyle no matter what your budget.

Things to think about when choosing a style for your home?

- Does a certain style remind you of a wonderful holiday or trip? A summer holiday to Tuscany or a week on a tropical beach.

- Perhaps you have always longed to go to – Africa, Japan, or Europe and you love everything about that country.

- Or you like modern interiors because of its simplicity and its minimalist of space and clean lines.

- Are you into an old fashioned look? You have your gramma’s antiques and you would love to incorporate them into a traditional design.

- Would love to relax in the country? Cottage relax look with romantic prints and nature inspired furniture.

- You want something glamorous that reminds you of Old Hollywood and black and white movies.

- Young and Fun is your style, nothing too serious but instead you want it to be bright and happy.

In addition to drawing from these solid examples, you should also think about the relationship between the space and the way the room will be used. Remember, there are plenty of decorating styles to choose from, and there are no hard fast “rules” when it comes to interior design. Foremost should be what makes you feel comfortable and “at home.” You might want to combine country French with a touch of modern or ethnic global colors with traditional style furniture. It’s up to you and the sky is the limit when it comes to combining styles and looks.

Giselle Ulmo is experience style trend designer for the home and fashion industry. She shares a strong belief that all budgets deserve good design. For great design style references and affordable interior design services. Check out: http://www.roominteriorsonline.com

The Feng Shui dragon is one of the most auspicious of all ancient Chinese symbols. It is not only one of the most powerful of the Feng Shui cures but is the embodiment of yang, the strong masculine energy.

The Feng Shui dragon is best known as the traditional cure for wealth and prosperity. If you consult the Bagua, the Feng Shui energy map, you will learn that the financial area of your home is in the southeast.

According to Chinese astrology, the wealth star changes every year. For 2009, southeast is the luckiest sector, with star 8 as the wealth star. Fire colors are recommended in 2009 to decorate your home office. A golden dragon here is the penultimate prosperity cure. If your southeast area is missing or incomplete, you can use a mirror to balance out the space. Chinese coins can also bring good fortune.

Traditionally dragons were believe to be able to control the climate. Wind, clouds and rain, all beyond our control, were thought to be controlled by dragons. This makes the Feng Shui dragon a powerful symbol for agricultural businesses and those businesses that rely on the weather.

Because the dragon is the embodiment of male energy and success, it makes a great housewarming or business gift for the man in your life. Selecting a dragon with a pearl or crystal in its claw symbolizes power, good fortune and a wealth of opportunities.

To strengthen the love and marriage area of your home, consult your Bagua, then be sure to pair the Dragon with the Phoenix. This pairing is the ultimate symbol for marital bliss.

Dragons also symbolize the number 9, the number of luck and good fortune in Chinese tradition… Having a dragon with the number 9 is a good way to bring good luck to those who possess it. Don’t be tempted to place 9 dragons in your home for extra luck, the maximum number of dragons recommended is five.

The dragon carries a strong energy of activity and creativity, so avoid using in low energy areas like the bathroom or garage. Place the dragon around eye level, and not too much higher, and always treat the dragon with respect. Don’t stick it in a closet! Place him in an open space, facing towards the center of the home, but not against a wall or corner. If there is a pearl or crystal in its claw, never face them towards a door or window.

Placed with honor, the Feng Shui dragon can bring success to many areas of your life, and allow you to harness the power of the dragon!

Feng Shui dragon, and to learn how to incorporate these principles into more balanced home decorating, without spending a fortune, visit: http://www.fengshuilight.com

The practice of Feng Shui is often referred to as a system for living in “harmony with nature.” For me, this explanation conjures up images of fields and forests, when in fact most of us are living and working indoors. Does this mean you have to spend more time outdoors to achieve the kind of balance Feng Shui adherents are referring to? Does this mean that apartment dwellers and workaholics cannot enjoy good Feng Shui? Absolutely not!

While it is enviable that some people can spend a lot of time out doors and luxurious homes are often built in the scenic mountains or at the beach, there is also an unseen, powerful aspect of nature going on right inside your home, right inside every single structure built on this planet. The Chinese call it “chi” and East Indians call it “prana.” These energies exist within our own bodies and they also exist in our surroundings. There is a constant ebb and flow and co-mingling of energies inside our bodies and our immediate physical environment. And that is one reason why having a wood framed bed could have a different affect on you than a wrought iron bed frame. There is a transferring of energies from one object to another.

This is also why a blue room will have a different affect on your body than a yellow room. Everything in your physical environment can affect your body, intellect and emotions.

Many people have had an introduction to Feng Shui through the media and what gets discussed most often is the concept of “chi flow.” This often boils down to furniture arrangement and architectural features in how they affect invisible air currents within our home or work place. These energy flows are determined to be healthful or hurtful depending on a number of factors. For example, we like to arrange a desk so that you can see and sense incoming people into a room. Having your back to a door can be unsettling and the chi flow will be hitting your back. If there is substantial clutter in a room, it will inhibit a healthy circulation of the air currents in the room, eventually resulting in ill health for the occupant.

What is less known about traditional Feng Shui is how we can alter the magnetic field of a room using raw elements. These elements are water, wood, fire, earth and metal.

An example of water is a fountain. Wood can be a live plant. Fire is real fire burning or a large display of red color. Earth is something really made or stone or soil. Metal can be copper, brass, bronze, gold or silver. Our own bodies possess ratios of these five elements as well, with our bones being an example of the earth element.

A common misunderstanding about Five-Element-Theory, even amongst Feng Shui enthusiasts, is that you can create balance by representing all these elements together in a room. This is the furthest thing from the truth. As elements, they have both a productive and a destructive relationship with each other. For example, water nurtures wood the way a plant is watered and it grows. This is an example of a productive relationship. However, water can destroy fire, so they are rarely put together in the same room. And putting all the elements together will cancel out all their affects. So, to learn how to use the elements powerfully and correctly, one must train in the traditional Feng Shui schools in the same way that one studies Chinese medicine over a period of time and with qualified instructors.

In Feng Shui philosophy, we want to live in harmony with our own environment and the good news is that we can control a lot of those energies. Given that there is so much in this world which we cannot control, Feng Shui principles can provide both protection from harmful circumstances as well as ways to enhance areas that are already good, making them even better.

Beginning in February of 2009 (for one year), there will be a particularly harmful energy residing in the west sector of every person’s home. This is one of nine different annual energies that can be calculated. And by using a compass and learning how to divide up a floor plan, you can learn how to locate the west sector of your home. For some people this is going to land in a relatively unimportant area like a bathroom or dining room. For others, this harmful annual energy will have a big influence if the west sector is someone’s bedroom or entrance. This annual energy is related to sickness, depression, bleeding or miscarriage. It is a type of earth energy that is obviously considered negative and it needs to be weakened or depleted so that it will not have an influence on the occupants. Metal happens to be the element which will drain or weaken this annual influence in the West in 2009. This is just one example of using Five Element Theory correctly and strategically to improve health and well-being. What would be a disaster waiting to happen would be a large display of red color (fire element) in the West in 2009 because fire strengthens earth and you do not want to strengthen a visiting energy that can cause sickness, depression, or bleeding.

Every house is a combination of positive and negative influences, permanent as well as transitory. This is why Feng Shui can be called a predictive art like astrology: because some permanent energies are determined based on when a structure is built and others come and go with yearly cycles.

Join Kartar Diamond of Feng Shui Solutions for local or long distance assistance. You can learn feng shui from an experienced expert or you can have Diamond assess your space and give you all the answers you need to balance and enhance your own personal or professional surroundings.
Visit us on the web at http://www.FengShuiSolutions.net