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Wine is produced all over the world from single varietal grape selections to popular varietal blends to please almost every palate, from the novice to the seasoned wine taster. Red wine happens to be the most popular choice the world over.
Barolo and Barbaresco
Derived from the Nebbiolo grape, Barolo wines are typically deep red with a thick and complex flavor that is sometimes flowery, reminiscent of violets and roses. Other flavors are fruit, licorice or oak. Barolo should be enjoyed at 60F and can age for 5-10 years. Barbaresco is a red wine that is more elegant and aromatic, though still powerful. In a way, Barbaresco is the younger brother of Barolo. Both of these red wines are made in the Piedmont region of Italy and pair well with grilled meats.
Beaujolais Nouveau
A very young, light, fruity wine meant to be served chilled, around 55F, with dominant flavors of strawberry and raspberry along with a grapey appeal that is virtually free of tannins. It is grown from the Gamay grape in the Beaujolais region (part of Burgundy) of France. Beaujolais Nouveau is released annually on the third Thursday of November. In food pairing, it goes well with grilled or roasted meats both light and dark, a variety of pastas, salads and cheeses.
Cabernet Franc
Originally from the Bourdeaux and Loire Valley region, Cabernet Franc enjoys the growing climates of California, Washington State, Australia, Chile, Canada, and South Africa. It is a wonderfully fruity wine, having lower tannin levels and a more distinct flavor reminiscent of berry; mainly blueberry, raspberry and at times plum. Cabernet Franc is more subdued and softer than its cousin Cabernet Sauvignon and is sold as a single varietal. However, it is ideal for blending with its cousin Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Cabernet Franc is best served at 59-64F and pairs well with Mediterranean Greek and Middle Eastern dishes as well as poultry and pasta.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Originally from Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon has a tremendous presence in the California wineries where the grape favors the warmer climate, and enjoys the popularity as the most sought after red wine. Cabernets are medium-bodied to full-bodied and characterized by a high tannin content which provides structure and intrigue to the wine and supporting flavors reminiscent of a rich, ripe berry, tobacco and sometimes green pepper. Cabernet Sauvignon is an ideal wine for aging, with 5-10 years being optimal for peak maturation. The longer maturation process allows the wine's flavors to mellow, and makes the Cabernets ideal for blending with other grapes, primarily Merlot to add appealing fruit tones, without sacrificing character. Cabernet Sauvignon is best served at 59-64F, and pairs wonderfully with red meats, lamb, cheeses of strong flavor and dark chocolates.
Cotes du Rhone
Southeastern France's Rhone Valley produces some of that country's best bargain red wines offering good flavor, generally full-bodied with rich but smooth tanins, with plenty of food pairing options. Grenache, Syrah and Viognier are the primary varietals grown in the region. Red and rosé wines are made from Grenache Noir, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignane, Counoise and Mourvèdre grape varieties. With the exception of Northern wines using a majority of Syrah, product must contain a minimum of 40% Grenache to be blended into the Côtes du Rhône. Best served at 59-64F and pairs well with game and other rich meat dishes.
Malbec
Originating from Bordeaux France, Malbec is generally a grape used for blending. In the sun-drenched climate of Argentina, Malbec has found renewed appreciation and acclaim and has become Argentina's signature grape producing a medium to full-bodied red wine. Malbec wine is reminiscent of ripe fruit flavors of plums and blackberry jam. The tannins are typically a bit tight with an earthy, wood appeal making for a fairly rustic wine that is quickly making a new name for itself with red wine lovers. Malbec is best served at 59-64F and pairs well with tomato-based sauces, Italian fare, red meat, Mexican, Cajun, and Indian dishes.
Merlot
A soft, medium-bodied red wine with juicy fruit flavors reminiscent of plums, cherries, blueberries and blackberries mixed with black pepper tones. Tannin levels are fairly low. Merlot is a prime wine for consumers just getting into red wines. Merlot originated from the Bordeaux region of France and is often blended with other varietals, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Blending Merlot with these wines mellows and softens the Cabernets. Merlot wines are very versatile with food pairings and are best served at 55- 60F degrees and enjoyed with poultry, red meat, pork, pastas, and salads.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is a lighter flavored and colored red wine with flavors reminiscent of plums, tomatoes, cherries and red berries and, depending on the varietal's growing conditions, an earthy or wood flavor. Pinot Noir is planted in California, Oregon, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, and other regions around the world. You are likely to pay a little more for Pinot Noir because it is produced in smaller quantities than most of the other popular red wine types. Pinot Noir is a versatile food wine best served at 55-60F, pairing well with spicy seasonings, creamy sauces, beef, ham, lamb, pork, poultry and fish.
Sangiovese
Italy's most commonly planted red grape varietal predominantly producing the popular wines Chianti and Chianti Classico, wines of medium- to full-body with a tannin structure range from medium-soft to firm, and a medium to high acidity content. Flavors associated with Sangiovese wines are reminiscent of cherry, plum, strawberry, cinnamon and vanilla with a finish that can range from elegant to bitter. Best served at 59-64F, Sangiovese varietal wine pairs well with chicken, red meat, fish, lamb, pork, pastas, stews or well-aged cheeses
Shiraz/Syrah
Australia and South Africa call it Shiraz. In France, it is known and grown as Syrah, but it happens to be the same grape varietal that produces a deep-purple color and bold, spicy, red, medium- to full-bodied wines with firm tannins with rich flavors reminiscent of black cherry, blackberry, plum, bell pepper, black pepper, clove, licorice, dark chocolate and smoked meat. Best served at 59-64F, Shiraz/Syrah pairs wonderfully with spicy Mexican, Cajun and barbeque dishes, grilled fare, beef stews, red meats, even pizza and meat lasagna.
Zinfandel
California's #2 most widely planted red wine grape. Originating in Croatia, not southern Italy as previously thought, where it is a kin to the Primitivo grape . DNA "fingerprinting" recently proved that both Zinfandel and Primitivo are clones of the same grape. California is the largest grower of Zinfandel and produces various styles, ranging from a blackberry and black pepper, to light and juicy-fruity, to rich, elegant, oaked red with medium to high tannin levels and higher alcohol content. "Zin" is frequently blended with other grapes. Best served at 59F, Zinfandel pairs well with grilled red or white meat, fish, lamb, gorgonzola cheese and dark chocolate. Lighter Zinfandels can also pair well with rich, creamy pastas, rotisserie chicken, duck, baked Italian dishes like lasagna, cannelloni and Cajun to Asian fare.
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King Wicker Headboard Panasonic Lumix Camera Accessories High Optical Zoom Digital Camera
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You have heard the message by now: Melanoma is deadly. You also probably know that it is the fastest growing cancer in the United States and that one American every hour dies from melanoma. Millimeter for millimeter, it is the deadliest cancer. Rather than bore you with statistics on this horrid disease, allow me to share with you some fascinating background you may not have heard before.
There are few historical accounts of melanoma. It was not officially recognized as a disease until 1806 in France. Several years prior in 1787, a perplexed Scottish surgeon named John Hunter was confronted by a large black growth on the jaw of a thirty-five year man. He described it as a "cancerous fungus". Not knowing what it was, he did what surgeons do: he cut it out. Amazingly, it wasn't until 1968 that somebody first looked at it under a microscope confirming it was a melanoma. It had been preserved all this time at the Royal College of Surgeons of England Hunterian Museum in London and still can be viewed today I'm told. The patient evidently sought out Dr. Hunter a few years later for a recurrence of the growth in the same spot. In a drunken brawl he had been beaten with a stick and the "soft black mass" returned. The fate of the patient is lost to history. But we do know that it was highly unlikely his melanoma returned due to the beating he took.
Since then, there has been no shortage of melanoma. It might surprise you to learn that many of the leading researchers for melanoma are based in Australia, not the US. In the 1870's the British government established an Australian penal colony and sentenced criminals to live out there days with kangaroos. The forced emigration of pasty white English convicts to the sunny continent has led to an epidemic of melanoma several generations later. Australia holds the distinction of being the melanoma capital of the world. We are not far behind however. In 1935 it was estimated that only one in every 1500-2000 Americans would get melanoma. Several decades of bikinis and tanning salons later, the rate is now 1 in 65 and worsening each year. Predictions are now being made for 1 in every 33 of us in the near future; a staggering increase.
Interestingly, melanoma is one of the few diseases I can name that tends to affect people from higher socioeconomic groups disproportionately. It is believed this is due to disposable income taking families to equatorial destinations for vacations. Vacations in Cancun and Florida equal short but intense periods of sun exposure-the exact same exposure one gets from a tanning bed. It is believed that all those high school girls who tanned for prom back in the 80's and 90's account for the skyrocketing rates of melanoma we are seeing in women under 40 currently. Along with breast and thyroid cancer, melanoma is one of the most common cancers in young women. If you watch Grey's Anatomy you know that one of the favorite lead characters (a thirty-something blond) died from melanoma a few seasons back. While normally, I don't pay much attention to those shows, I applaud the effort of the writers in raising awareness of this issue. Governor Brown just outlawed tanning bed use for those under 18 in recognition of the link between ultraviolet light and melanoma.
Tanning is not the sole cause for melanoma however. If only this horrid disease were that simple. Genetics play an equally sinister role in this story. We've known for a long time that if you have melanoma, your first degree relatives are much more likely to get melanoma as well. Many of the new treatments specifically target various genetic mutations and genes associated with melanoma. Shared genes with pancreatic cancer and possibly now even some forms of breast cancer are being studied. But tanning is not off the hook. If someone's genetic makeup is the dry cornfield, tanning is the match and kerosene.
As far as mammalian skin goes, human skin in general is a disaster. It offers virtually no protection from the sun. Even very dark African American skin has only a natural SPF of around 13-20. Pig skin is the closest equivalent to human skin in its make-up and organization. Surgical trainees usually begin their studies by operating and sewing pigs' feet and we still sometimes use pig skin grafts when necessary. It has been said "Also like humans, pigs enjoy lying in the sun, tan in response to the sun, and enjoy drinking large quantities of beer."
Now to bore you with a little scientific background: The melanocyte is a cell in our skin that makes our color. Melanoma is the uncontrolled growth of melanocytes. One bad mutation begets two. Then two begets four. Four begets sixteen, and on and on. The normal melanocyte resembles an octopus and makes the pigment in our skin. Its long tentacles deliver the pigment (melanin) to the other skin cells. The purpose is to shield the other skin cells from sun damage by absorbing the rays from the sun. When you tan, the melanocytes rev up production to make more of this shield. When you see tanning, you know DNA damage has occurred in the skin cells. Thus I like to think of a tan as tears of the melanocytes cried over their neighboring cells.
We are in the midst of a skin cancer epidemic with no end in sight. While most skin cancers are not life threatening, they can necessitate extensive surgery and cause deformities that need surgical correction. However, melanoma is a different story. Luckily, the North State enjoys a stellar collection of dermatologists and surgeons skilled in these arts. While almost 100% curable if caught early, melanoma has a dismal survival rate once it spreads beyond the skin and into other organs. There is no known definitive cure. (please read that last statement again)
Up until the last few years, we have really been no better off in the treatment of advanced melanoma than Dr. Hunter was back in 1787. The lack of progress in almost 225 years is embarrassing to me as a dermatologist. Now the research pipeline is full of treatments coming our way. A melanoma vaccine led the way and has been extensively studied but has not lived up to the hype yet. One recent breakthrough medication turns the immune system against the melanoma cells. Unfortunately for Brits, it has just been rejected by England's national health care panel as not cost effective for their society. The drug boasts a 20% three-year survival rate (or put another way a full 80% of people with metastatic melanoma who take it, will pass away in three years). At 0,000 per patient per year, it certainly raises a lot of philosophical and ethical quandaries. Luckily, there are handfuls of other promising new treatments on the horizon. Hopefully they may be priced more reasonably.
If you or someone you know has metastatic melanoma, talk to your doctor about enrolling in a study. Gone are the days when you will be randomly selected to receive the study drug or doomed to unknowingly receive the sham placebo treatment. I have several patients with advanced melanoma doing quite well in a few studies thus far. It also gives meaning to their suffering and a chance to fight back. While preparing this article it dawned on me that perhaps no other cell in the body has been responsible for more misery in mankind than the melanocyte. Historically, the functions of your melanocytes could doom you to a live of slavery, limit your martial prospects, curb your economic potentials, or simply make you drink from a different water fountain.
In conclusion, I would encourage each of you to see a dermatologist for a full skin exam. You may say to yourself, "My moles look fine. Nothing has changed". To which I would ask, "Would you bet your life on it?"
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There are several different types of furniture available today to suit diverse styles and tastes. The environment that you live in portrays the person you are. Your furnishings and the décor that you style your home in represent your choices as well as your personality traits. Thus, not only should the living space designed and created by you be comfortable, but also adaptable to changing fashions and trends.
Let's take a closer look at some of the most common styles of furniture being designed today.
Contemporary
Also known as modern, it is created to be comfortable, solid and more than anything natural. With not too many trappings, the colors mostly resonate around black, white, beige, brown and taupe. Polished surfaces, sleek and geometric designs are often the characteristics that represent contemporary furniture. Though the colors are simple, they are used in a bold and vibrant way for a true contemporary look. For instance, stark white cushions on black upholstered sofas makes for a bold statement. A lot of metal, fibreglass, aluminium is also used. The most essential feature of this kind of look is that every piece of furniture is striking and sophisticated. Most people today enjoy designing their house and office both, in the contemporary style.
Traditional
The quintessence of traditional furniture is dark woods with ornate carvings and a majestic appearance. The final look is busy with floor layouts matching the details of the furniture. With classic features of form and ornament, the lines of traditional furniture tend towards being elegant. Queen Anne, Chippendale, Hepplewhite etc are some of the common types of traditional furniture.
Urban
The more modern trend, urban leans towards the minimalist. The woods have either a black finish with brushed aluminum highlights and glass or light, blond woods with brushed aluminum and glass. The pieces are small scaled and designed to fit small apartments.
Country and Cottage
Lighter shades of woods, muted colors, simple lines and vintage fabrics make for country and cottage styles. The most important aspect of this type is comfort and color. Furniture is sometimes painted or decorated and furniture lines are simple and graceful. Textures include baskets, bead-board walls, natural fibers in floor and window coverings, and weathered finish on wood furniture.
Transitional
Simpler lines than those found in more traditional styles, but not as simple as contemporary. Transitional furniture is about melding comfort and simplicity of the contemporary with the graceful styling of traditional furniture.
Eclectic
An eclectic style is a reflection of an individual's love of different design aspects from different time periods or styles. The overall look of an eclectically styled room though unique, is amalgamated harmoniously through the creative use of color and finish, shape and texture.
Rustic
This style of furniture represents lots of exposed woods, walls, columns and beams, simple lines and a practical feel. Often wood panelling and stone are also used. Rustic furniture looks tough and durable while the accessories are primitive and somewhat minimized.
Amish
If you are looking for good handcrafted furniture, Amish furniture is a great style to consider. Most Amish furniture is composed of oak, cedar or pine. You can find everything from living room to bedroom to office furniture in the Amish furniture style.
Art Deco
Art Deco is both, geometric and streamlined with bright colors, strong vertical lines and rounded corners. While often Art Deco pieces are made of exotic woods, the use of use of bakelite and Formica also abound. Juxtaposition of opposing elements is common to this style - for instance, rare and expensive jade and inexpensive bakelite.
Colonial
It simplifies the look of European furniture and leans greatly towards Queen Anne and Chippendale styles. Chairs characterize spindled legs and backs rather than ornate designs.
When it comes to home improvement, putting your best foot forward means having a front door you can be most proud of. More than the porch or patio, the front door is the focal point of a house. In the eyes of onlookers and visitors, it is the platform on which you convey your house's personality. Aged wood doors might suggest an easygoing unit whereas sleek steel doors might hint at an urban household. Certainly, fiberglass entry doors signify that you are getting the best of both worlds. They are lightweight yet hardwearing. Long after your neighbors' wooden doors can no longer stand fluctuating temperatures and repeated use, fiberglass will continue showing its worth. It is only a matter of finding the right one for your functional and aesthetic needs.
1. Do not settle for just one.
Wood, fiberglass and steel are the current choices of surface material for doors in the market. In the past, a door would have been built from one of these materials alone but there are newer doors made from a combination of materials. Some doors have a steel interior and wood exterior. Steel rusts and dents while wood rots, cracks, splits and bows. Wood expands and contracts as the weather changes. Fiberglass is not vulnerable to such wear and tear as wood and steel are. Your best option is an entry door of composite material in which fiberglass is the main make, perhaps with a wood frame where handcrafting and other exquisite detailing are achievable.
2. Look at the big picture.
The door is an entryway to the house and must harmonize with it. Fiberglass entry doors straddle looks, with classic and modern styles complementing the natural and man-made elements of the outdoor environment. Be sure to browse through a broad selection of panel styles, glass configurations, pre-finishes and finishes. These diverse features have come to be offered with architects, remodelers and homeowners in mind. A wood grain finish like oak or mahogany approximates real wood, evoking warmth and traditional beauty against a siding like brick or concrete. Remember that exterior doors should go with interior and patio doors as well as windows, which in turn should not clash with important furniture like a sofa or bed, so having hints of wood on the front door might be sensible.
3. Consider name-checking.
Big brands are in the lead of advancing fiberglass entry doors in the market, recognizing that they have become increasingly popular. Long trusted names like Masonite and Milgard are focused on quality control, as with the former's high-end Barrington product line and the latter's vertically integrated production. Benchmark by Therma-Tru, recognized product pioneers, and Feather River are zooming in on innovation, both having entry door systems that offer security and peace of mind. As door makers vie for market leadership, they would naturally make a wider variety of better products available to you conveniently. Test these products as a point of reference - latch one, lock another, swing them open and close. Taking cues from name brands when fiberglass door shopping should help you make informed choices in regard to functionality and design.
4. Think long-term.
Fiberglass door products already come at competitive costs due to rising customer demand. In addition, they insulate 3 to 5 times better than doors made from wood and help brighten rooms with natural light, which means you can save energy. On top of these, they are unlike wood doors that necessitate constant repairs and quicker replacements. Fiberglass entry doors are a smart investment for their durability, efficiency, contemporary appeal and staying power. Buying one will cost you less in the long run.
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Check this out to get some practical window treatment ideas for your own home. Guides to the do's and dont's. They should give you some food for thought before you leap in and get started. (The other option...brick your window up and have done with it. What do you think?)
Answers to a Tall and Narrow window?
My window treatment ideas for this kind of window. Set the curtains wider than you would normally. This gives the illusion of a wider window. Make the rod or track around 30cm wider each side of your window. Rather than the usual 20cm. Then when you open your curtains don't push them back as far as you would normally.
Wide window causing a problem?
Window treatment ideas for this kind of window are to not set the curtains to wide off the window. Probably only 15cm at most. Even though you have a lot of fabric to stack back when they open. You can use tie backs to hold them off the window. Another option is to use a thinner fabric.
Another thing that works well to give the window height is a valance or pelmet. Only rather than the usual 20cm depth make it 30 -35cm deep and fix it higher on the wall. So with the curtains not set to wide and a deeper top treatment this gives the illusion of a squarer window.
The dreaded arched windows!
Best window treatment ideas for arched windows. Most folks find this style of window a real pain.
It can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it.
The easiest thing to do is so simply fit a curtain rod straight across over the window and hang a pair of curtains. Just simply treat it like any other window.
If you want to work with the shape (talk about making life hard for yourself) and have curved top curtains that drapes back into tie backs, then this what you must do. On the width measure every 15cm across the window put markers on the window sill. Then note the full window width.
Next measure and make a note of both outside straight edges up to where the arch starts. Finally at each of the markers on your window sill measure straight up from the sill to where the tape measure touches the curve. make a note for a these vertical measurements. It's a good idea to make a quick sketch of the window and jot your sizes next to the places where you measured.
If someone is making the curtains for you just give them the sizes as measured. If your having a go at making yourself then (take a tranquilizer) you need to multiply all your width sizes by 2.5 to allow for gather.
What to do with a door curtain!
Window treatment ideas for doors. Normally you would have a single curtain drawing back to the hinge side of your door. It makes a lot of sense to have the curtain tied back. (otherwise your door curtain will end up flapping like supermans cape every time someone opens the door on a windy day)
Sometimes there is not enough room on the hinge side of the door for the curtain to stack back off the door properly. You can have the curtain draw back the opposite way as long as you have room to draw the curtain completely clear of the door.
If you only have a small space on the hinge side of your door and no room the other side. Then the best option is to have an eyelet curtain on a rod with 1.5 X width of the door. This will stack back into a very small space.
Kitchen window Ideas
Window treatment ideas for kitchens. Your over sink curtains should be a few cm's short of the work surface even if this means just reaching the window sill. Also generally tied back to avoid splashes. (your kitchen floor will still end up flooded when the kids wash up after dinner, but at least your curtains should stay dry)
Another suggestion is don't use curtains and if you need privacy then fit a roller blind with moisture resistant fabric.
Another thing to consider if you really do want curtains is having unlined curtains made of a good polycotton fabric. This will enable you to launder your curtains whenever they get cooking smells on them.
Great Ideas for you bathroom
Window treatment Ideas for your bathroom. If you have a window over a bath or shower. Then don't bother with curtains full stop. It will be a complete waste of time and effort.
Really the only practical thing to do is fit a roller blind with a moisture resistant fabric.
If your window is away from the bath or shower then go for it and have some curtains. Even still keep them short and have them unlined. also pick a fabric that will launder well and dry well if they become damp with steam in the bathroom. Polycotton fabric are very good for this.
One last idea is to have a polyester sheer curtain on a rod drawn right across your window and scooped back into a hold back arm that matches your curtain rod. Dressed properly this can look very soft and feminine. Whilst giving you some privacy.
Patio doors and French doors!
Window treatment ideas for patio and French doors. these are great windows to have allowing lots of light into your room.
One of the drawbacks can be lack of privacy on occasion, or the sun maybe a problem.
An easy way to solve this is to fit a sheer curtain on its own rail fixed in the window recess behind your proper curtains. You can then open and close them to suit.
Panel track blinds a really great idea for large windows like this. They are very modern and contemporary. They can be opened and closed by moving the panels by hand or by pulling a cord. Just like a standard corded curtain rail.
The proper panel tracking system is a fairly pricey piece of kit. There are other ways of getting a similar look. I am sorting out some info on this and will put a new article out very soon
I hope this helps you with your "odd" shaped window.
Bar stools are as important as the best wine in your bar. It is said that if you don't get a good stool to sit on, you won't enjoy the drink. By a good seat it means that not only it should be comfortable it should be attractive too besides having other minor and major specifications. Nowadays, there are lots and lots of options available, may be the number match to that of the number of the brands of beer available in the whole world. But the irony is that not many match all the required specifications. The options available in the material that we can use are metal, wood, bamboo, iron, etc. The styles available are retro, swivel, whether it has back or not, different metal colors, different designer fabrics, whether it is meant for indoors or outdoors and so on and so forth. We as the owner of our bar, we are the best judge of our bar and hence we are the only one who can decide, which is the best for ourselves. At times we want to make our own bar stools to cater our need. Here are some tips to make one yourself.
First of all you have to decide between the material and that in turn will also decide about the portability. Obviously the wood ones offer easy portability. Similarly if you think that children would be using that too often then bamboo ones would be better. You might also want to consider wood ones in that case. If you are an art lover and want to have some carvings and designs, then we would recommend you wood ones. If your house is of ethnic style then it is the wrought iron that will suit your need the most.
Then we think the height is the most important that you should consider. Although people have their own standards but it all depends on the height of the counter. Remember that calculating wrong seat heights is one of the most important reasons why people are unsatisfied with their stools. You should leave anywhere between 9 to 13 inches from the top of the seat to the counter.
The next is the style and color. If you want to choose from the innumerable designs or you want to give stress on comfort or you want something to write on the back then the swivel is the best for you. You can carve anything from the name of the basketball team you support to your wife's name. The color-coding will depend on the amount of light available in the bar and the color of your walls although black can suit every background.
Now let us talk about blend. The best among the blend is the wood and the metal. In this category some people make a metal frame with a wooden seat. In some others, the metal seat on the metal frame is carved and painted in such a way that it gives an impression of wooden seat, which means a durability of, wooden with a visual picture of wood.
Your guest bathroom, or powder room, presents a great place to start with your home makeover. This small room takes less money and effort to decorate than your larger rooms. Plus, you get a chance to develop you personal home interior design skills without committing to a huge project.
Because guests view this little space privately, visitors take more time to notice the interior design details. For this reason, you want to showcase great design to make a good impression. Also, hospitality shines in a well-appointed guest bath where it takes just a couple of splurges on extravagant fixtures to make a huge impact that your guests will remember. Company may not remember your living room walls because they're focusing on the people in the space, but they will remember your powder room.
What if you don't have a powder room and guests use your children's bathroom?
Children appreciate being treated as adults and don't need a childish bathroom. Don't use juvenile-patterned wallpaper or accessories.
Keep bathtub toys in the bathtub (in one of those plastic-coated wire baskets) and hang a ceiling to floor curtain in front of the bathtub. This curtain can be hung in front of the normal plastic liner from the ceiling. For small bathrooms, where the daylight comes in over the bathtub, use white or another light-emitting fabric. A curtain made of soft gauze or cotton does double duty: it softens the space with fabric while masking the bathtub, which is not a guest-bath feature.
Powder Room Basics
To finish any proper powder room, you need a great sink, faucet, and cabinet with a large mirror, plus the toilet. If you're working on a budget, look for sinks on sale at a warehouse store or at Habitat for Humanity's thrift store, ReStore. Don't buy a poorly constructed cabinet; look for an antique dresser or buffet that spans the wall space.
Dramatic powder rooms emphasize remarkable mirrors. You may be tempted to keep the ugly wall-mounted medicine cabinet, but if you truly want an impressive guest bath, hang a spectacular mirror instead.
Store toothbrushes and other necessities in the cabinet below and move medicines to the kitchen, out or reach of children.
If you need to replace the toilet, which only needs to be functional because the other details will outshine it, look for a toilet which blends in with your home's style.
Powder Room Makeover Tips
Besides the bathroom fixtures, your flooring, walls, and ceiling offer the most economical home makeover opportunities. Because of the small area, you can use large ceramic tiles that mimic stone, marble, or even wood. Also, linoleum comes in a multitude of interesting patterns and has the benefit of being warmer to bare feet than tile.
The area that makes the greatest interior design impact, the walls and ceiling, give the best place to have fun with your home makeover. Decorative paint finishes, like subtle layering of glazes, add the designer's touch without the expense. Choose colors that harmonize with the rest of your home to reinforce your color theme. Use color psychology to make your powder room present a cooling oasis or a warming shelter.
Use an essential oil diffuser to help your powder room smell as good as it looks. Avoid unnatural sprays that cause irritation to those with sensitivities.
The final interior design detail, exquisite lighting, doesn't need to kill your budget. Perhaps your dining chandelier would make a better statement in your bathroom than it does in your dining room. If you life in a climate with high humidity and hot summers, a ceiling fan helps keep the room cool. Look for a fan with lights that point upward. Lights shining down on you in a small space feel over-powering. Also, use wall sconces on either side of the vanity mirror instead of the usual builder's light fixture above the mirror.
Finishing touches, guest towels, hard soaps, and lotions make your guests and yourself feel pampered. Choose generous, thick, and soft hand towels to add softness to an otherwise hard surface space.
Because people feel more comfortable in smaller bathrooms which offer privacy, a guest bathroom offers the perfect place to practice your design skills. Splurge a little on lavish wall finishes and guest towels to showcase your home's interior design.
Copyright © 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved. (You may publish this article in its entirety with the following author's information with live links only.)
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During the Great Depression, women made up 25% of the work force, but their jobs were more unstable, temporary or seasonal then men, and the unemployment rate was much greater. There was also a decided bias and cultural view that "women didn't work" and in fact many who were employed full time often called themselves "homemakers." Neither men in the workforce, the unions, nor any branch of government were ready to accept the reality of working women, and this bias caused females intense hardship during the Great Depression.
The 1930's was particularly hard on single, divorced or widowed women, but it was harder still on women who weren't White. Women of color had to overcome both sexual and racial stereotyping. Black women in the North suffered an astounding 42.9% unemployment, while 23.2%. of White women were without work according to the 1937 census. In the South, both Black and White women were equally unemployed at 26%. In contrast, the unemployment rate for Black and White men in the North (38.9%/18.1%) and South (18%/16% respectively) were also lower than female counterparts.
The financial situation in Harlem was bleak even before the Great Depression. But afterward, the emerging Black working class in the North was decimated by wholesale layoffs of Black industrial workers. To be Black and a woman alone, made keeping a job or finding another one nearly impossible. The racial work hierarchy replaced Black women in waitressing or domestic work, with White women, now desperate for work, and willing to take steep wage cuts.
Survival Entrepreneurs
At the start of the Depression, while one study found that homeless women were most likely factory and service workers, domestics, garment workers, waitresses and beauticians; another suggested that the beauty industry was a major source of income for Black women. These women, later known as "survivalist entrepreneurs," became self-employed in response to a desperate need to find an independent means of livelihood."
Replaced by White women in more traditional domestic work as cooks, maids, nurses, and laundresses, even skilled and educated Black women were so hopeless, ''that they actually offered their services at the so-called 'slave markets'-street corners where Negro women congregated to await White housewives who came daily to take their pick and bid wages down'' (Boyd, 2000 citing Drake and Cayton, 1945/1962:246). Moreover, the home domestic service was very difficult, if not impossible, to coordinate with family responsibilities, as the domestic servant was usually on call ''around the clock'' and was subject to the ''arbitrary power of individual employers.''
Inn Keepers and Hairdressers
Two occupations were sought out by Black women, in order to address both the need for income (or barter items) and their domestic responsibilities in northern cities during the Great Depression: (1) boarding house and lodging house keeping; and (2) hairdressing and beauty culture.
During the "Great Migration" of 1915-1930, thousands of Blacks from the South, mostly young, single men, streamed into Northern cities, looking for places to stay temporarily while they searched for housing and jobs. Housing these migrants created opportunities for Black working-class women,-now unemployed-to pay their rent.
According to one estimate, ''at least one-third'' of Black families in the urban North had lodgers or boarders during the Great Migration (Thomas, 1992:93, citing Henri, 1976). The need was so great, multiple boarders were housed, leading one survey of northern Black families to report that ''seventy-five percent of the Negro homes have so many lodgers that they are really hotels.''
Women were usually at the center of these webs of family and community networks within the Black community:
"They ''undertook the greatest part of the burden'' of helping the newcomers find interim housing. Women played ''connective and leadership roles'' in northern Black communities, not only because it was considered traditional "woman's work," but also because taking in boarders and lodgers helped Black women combine housework with an informal, income-producing activity (Grossman, 1989:133). In addition, boarding and lodging house keeping was often combined with other types of self-employment. Some of the Black women who kept boarders and lodgers also earned money by making artificial flowers and lamp shades at home." (Boyd, 2000)
In addition from 1890 to 1940, ''barbers and hairdressers'' were the largest segments of the Black business population, together comprising about one third of this population in 1940 (Boyd, 2000 citing Oak, 1949:48).
"Blacks tended to gravitate into these occupations because "White barbers, hairdressers, and beauticians were unwilling or unable to style the hair of Blacks or to provide the hair preparations and cosmetics used by them. Thus, Black barbers, hairdressers, and beauticians had a ''protected consumer market'' based on Whites' desires for social distance from Blacks and on the special demands of Black consumers. Accordingly, these Black entrepreneurs were sheltered from outside competitors and could monopolize the trades of beauty culture and hairdressing within their own communities.
Black women who were seeking jobs believed that one's appearance was a crucial factor in finding employment. Black self-help organizations in northern cities, such as the Urban League and the National Council of Negro Women, stressed the importance of good grooming to the newly arrived Black women from the South, advising them to have neat hair and clean nails when searching for work. Above all, the women were told avoid wearing ''head rags'' and ''dust caps'' in public (Boyd, 2000 citing Drake and Cayton, 1945/1962:247, 301; Grossman, 1989:150-151).
These warnings were particularly relevant to those who were looking for secretarial or white-collar jobs, for Black women needed straight hair and light skin to have any chance of obtaining such positions. Despite the hard times, beauty parlors and barber shops were the most numerous and viable Black-owned enterprises in Black communities (e.g., Boyd, 2000 citing Drake and Cayton, 1945/1962:450-451).
Black women entrepreneurs in the urban North also opened stores and restaurants, with modest savings ''as a means of securing a living'' (Boyd, 2000 citing Frazier, 1949:405). Called ''depression businesses,'' these marginal enterprises were often classified as proprietorships, even though they tended to operate out of ''houses, basements, and old buildings'' (Boyd, 2000 citing Drake and Cayton, 1945/1962:454).
"Food stores and eating and drinking places were the most common of these businesses, because, if they failed, their owners could still live off their stocks."
"Protestant Whites Only"
These businesses were a necessity for Black women, as the preference for hiring Whites climbed steeply during the Depression. In the Philadelphia Public Employment Office in 1932 & 1933, 68% of job orders for women specified "Whites Only." In New York City, Black women were forced to go to separate unemployment offices in Harlem to seek work. Black churches and church-related institutions, a traditional source of help to the Black community, were overwhelmed by the demand, during the 1930's. Municipal shelters, required to "accept everyone," still reported that Catholics and African American women were "particularly hard to place."
No one knows the numbers of Black women left homeless in the early thirty's, but it was no doubt substantial, and invisible to the mostly white investigators. Instead, the media chose to focus on, and publicize the plight of White, homeless, middle-class "white collar" workers, as, by 1931 and 1932, unemployment spread to this middle-class. White-collar and college-educated women, usually accustomed "to regular employment and stable domicile," became the "New Poor." We don't know the homeless rates for these women, beyond an educated guess, but of all the homeless in urban centers, 10% were suggested to be women. We do know, however, that the demand for "female beds" in shelters climbed from a bit over 3,000 in 1920 to 56,808 by 1932 in one city and in another, from 1929 -1930, demand rose 270%.
"Having an Address is a Luxury Now..."
Even these beds, however, were the last stop on the path towards homelessness and were designed for "habitually destitute" women, and avoided at all cost by those who were homeless for the first time. Some number ended up in shelters, but even more were not registered with any agency. Resources were few. Emergency home relief was restricted to families with dependent children until 1934. "Having an address is a luxury just now" an unemployed college woman told a social worker in 1932.
These newly destitute urban women were the shocked and dazed who drifted from one unemployment office to the next, resting in Grand Central or Pennsylvania station, and who rode the subway all night (the "five cent room"), or slept in the park, and who ate in penny kitchens. Slow to seek assistance, and fearful and ashamed to ask for charity, these women were often on the verge of starvation before they sought help. They were, according to one report, often the "saddest and most difficult to help." These women "starved slowly in furnished rooms. They sold their furniture, their clothes, and then their bodies."
The Emancipated Woman and Gender Myths
If cultural myths were that women "didn't work," then those that did were invisible. Their political voice was mute. Gender role demanded that women remain "someone's poor relation," who returned back to the rural homestead during times of trouble, to help out around the home, and were given shelter. These idyllic nurturing, pre-industrial mythical family homes were large enough to accommodate everyone. The new reality was much bleaker. Urban apartments, no bigger than two or three rooms, required "maiden aunts" or "single cousins" to "shift for themselves." What remained of the family was often a strained, overburdened, over-crowded household that often contained severe domestic troubles of its own.
In addition, few, other than African Americans, were with the rural roots to return to. And this assumed that a woman once emancipated and tasting past success would remain "malleable." The female role was an out-of-date myth, but was nonetheless a potent one. The "new woman" of the roaring twenties was now left without a social face during the Great Depression. Without a home--the quintessential element of womanhood--she was, paradoxically, ignored and invisible.
"...Neighborliness has been Stretched Beyond Human Endurance."
In reality, more than half of these employed women had never married, while others were divorced, deserted, separated or claimed to be widowed. We don't know how many were lesbian women. Some had dependent parents and siblings who relied on them for support. Fewer had children who were living with extended family. Women's wages were historically low for most female professions, and allowed little capacity for substantial "emergency" savings, but most of these women were financially independent. In Milwaukee, for example, 60% of those seeking help had been self-supporting in 1929. In New York, this figure was 85%. Their available work was often the most volatile and at risk. Some had been unemployed for months, while others for a year or more. With savings and insurance gone, they had tapped out their informal social networks. One social worker, in late 1931, testified to a Senate committee that "neighborliness has been stretched not only beyond its capacity but beyond human endurance."
Older women were often discriminated against because of their age, and their long history of living outside of traditional family systems. When work was available, it often specified, as did one job in Philadelphia, a demand for "white stenographers and clerks, under (age) 25."
The Invisible Woman
The Great Depression's effect on women, then, as it is now, was invisible to the eye. The tangible evidence of breadlines, Hoovervilles, and men selling apples on street corners, did not contain images of urban women. Unemployment, hunger and homelessness was considered a "man's problem" and the distress and despair was measured in that way. In photographic images, and news reports, destitute urban women were overlooked or not apparent. It was considered unseemly to be a homeless woman, and they were often hidden from public view, ushered in through back door entrances, and fed in private.
Partly, the problem lay in expectations. While homelessness in men had swelled periodically during periods of economic crisis, since the depression of the 1890's onward, large numbers of homeless women "on their own" were a new phenomenon. Public officials were unprepared: Without children, they were, early on, excluded from emergency shelters. One building with a capacity of 155 beds and six cribs, lodged over 56,000 "beds" during the third year of the depression. Still, these figures do not take account the number of women turned away, because they weren't White or Protestant.
As the Great Depression wore on, wanting only a way to make money, these women were excluded from "New Deal" work programs set up to help the unemployed. Men were seen as "breadwinners," holding greater claim to economic resources. While outreach and charitable agencies finally did emerge, they were often inadequate to meet the demand.
Whereas black women had particular hard times participating in the mainstream economy during the Great Depression, they did have some opportunity to find alternative employment within their own communities, because of unique migration patterns that had occurred during that period. White women, in contrast, had a keyhole opportunity, if they were young and of considerable skills, although their skin color alone offered them greater access to whatever traditional employment was still available.
The rejection of traditional female roles, and the desire for emancipation, however, put these women at profound risk once the economy collapsed. In any case, single women, with both black and white skin, fared worse and were invisible sufferers.
As we enter the Second Great Depression, who will be the new "invisible homeless" and will women, as a group, fare better this time?
References:
Abelson, E. (2003, Spring2003). Women Who Have No Men to Work for Them: Gender and Homelessness in the Great Depression, 1930-1934. Feminist Studies, 29(1), 104. Retrieved January 2, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.
Boyd, R. (2000, December). Race, Labor Market Disadvantage, and Survivalist Entrepreneurship: Black Women in the Urban North During the Great Depression. Sociological Forum, 15(4), 647-670. Retrieved January 2, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.
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Bunk beds can be made of either wood or metal, or, in some (rare) cases, the combination of the two. Both options have their pros and their cons; wood is definitely a prevalent choice among manufacturers, but that does not mean metal bunk beds don't have their place on the market -- on the contrary.
Metal bunk beds give out a modern, contemporary look. They can be constructed of steel tubes, metal rods or wrought iron, with tubular design being the most common type found on the market today. Quality metal products are coated with so called powder-coat finish which is considerably tougher than conventional paint and offers a much better resistance toward scratching, chipping, UV damage and rust. It also looks great, although the finish reportedly tends to rub off for a while when the product is new.
Since metal allows for relatively easy shaping, many modern metal bunk beds feature appealing curvy forms which adds to their attractiveness. They are also priced a little lower, which is due partly to lower production costs, and partly to their simplicity; metal bunk beds generally come with less optional items and additions than their wooden counterparts and that of course shows in the price.
Wooden bunk beds constitute well over three quarters of the bunk bed market today and as a result they come in a larger variety of styles and shapes and arrangements and also offer more in the way of optional items: stairways, ladder types, underbed sleep/storage units, drawers etc.
There are many wood species utilized in bunk bed production -- here are some of the the most common ones.
Maple -- a long time favorite of American furniture makers, and bunk bed manufacturers are no exception. The wood is hard and heavy, with high resistance to abrasion and wear and has a fine, uniform texture. Color ranges from creamy white to dark reddish brown.
Oak -- another hard and heavy wood with medium crushing strength and excellent wear-resistance. The texture is medium to coarse, with pronounced figure. Depending on the species, the color can be white to light brown to pinkish-redish brown.
Cherry -- medium density wood with good bending properties and medium strength and shock resistance. It has a fine, uniform, straight grain, smooth and satiny texture. The heartwood of cherry varies in color from rich red to reddish brown and will darken with age and exposure to light.
Rubberwood -- an increasingly popular Asian hardwood, also known as eco-friendly hardwood, or the Rubber Tree. The wood is appreciated for its dense grain, stability, attractive color and acceptance of different finishes. It is also valued as an "environmentally friendly" wood, since it makes use of trees that have been cut down at the end of their latex-producing life cycle and are always replaced with new seedlings.
Engineered Wood -- manufactured by bonding together wood strands, particles, veneers, lumber or other forms of wood fiber to produce a larger and integral composite unit that is stronger and stiffer than the sum of its parts. The most common types of engineered wood used in furniture manufacture are MDF (medium density fiberboard) and veneer. MDF is made from fine wood dust mixed with a binder (a special sort of glue) and heat-pressed into panels. Veneer refers to thin slices of wood that are glued onto core panels (typically, wood, particle board or medium density fiberboard) to produce flat panels. Veneer can incorporate beautiful symmetric and consistent grain patterns and can be shaped into graceful curves which is not possible with solid wood. It should be mentioned that with today's advanced manufacturing processes composite materials are often even stronger and more durable than their solid counterparts.
In the end, the choice between wood and metal usually comes down to aesthetics and functionality; for some environments, metal bunk beds with their simplicity and contemporary look will just be a natural fit, but for most people bunk beds made of wood are probably the better choice: first, they will better blend in with the rest of the furniture, and second they come in a larger variety of styles and configurations and have a greater assortment of optional items available -- there is something for anyone's taste and budget.