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10 Essential Ingredients For Setting Up The Perfect Home With Roommates

Have you ever wondered how to set up the perfect home when living with roommates? Well the wait is over. As you'll discover creating the perfect home is a bit like baking the perfect cake - it's all about the ingredients.

The key to setting up the perfect home with roommates is finding the right combination of ingredients for you. This combination will be different for each household as roommates have different ideas, thoughts and personalities.

It's never too early or late to create your perfect home. You can plan your home with your new roommates before or when moving in, or alternatively with existing roommates to decide how you would like to live in the future. It's a good idea to sit down with all of your roommates to discuss and find the perfect combination of these essential ingredients. This way you can make sure that all roommates are happy and everyone's idea of the perfect home is created. Also, taking the time and planning how you would like to live, can save you time, money and hardship.

Simply, take these 10 essential ingredients, give them a bit of your own personal touch and you'll be able set up the home that's right for you.

1. Dwelling Type
Do you wish to live in a house, apartment or townhouse? The type of dwelling determines not only the rent but also the amount of maintenance that needs to be done. For example, when living in a house you will need to make sure the lawn is mowed and the garden kept tidy.

2. Lease
Will each person need to be on the lease or will the leaseholder sublet to other roommates? This is an important decision as it can have serious legal consequences for each roommate.

3. Rent
Does the rent include expenses like telephone, electricity and household items or will these be extra expenses and paid for separately? You will need to decide how and when the rent will be collected as well as how much money needs to be put aside for common household items like dishwashing detergent or light bulbs.

4. Extra Expenses
Will expenses like telephone, cable TV and/or Internet be divided equally or on a user-pays basis? When implementing a user-pays system, you will have to decide how everyone's usage will be calculated, for example, each roommate may need to enter their own pin number when using the phone.

5. Conflict Resolution
How will disagreements and disputes be handled in the household? Having a plan will allow conflicts to be solved quickly and easily.

6. Grocery Shopping
Do you wish to share grocery shopping expenses and buy items as a household or prefer each person be responsible and buy their own food and grocery items?

7. Household Chores
How will the house or apartment be kept tidy and clean? Will each person be accountable for a few chores or will everyone tidy up after themselves? You may like to set up a roster so each roommate knows which chores they need to do.

8. Furniture and Shared Household Items
Will roommates need to bring their own furniture and how will common living areas be furnished? You may also wish to create a plan on how to deal with damaged furniture and breakages.

9.Entertaining
Do roommates need to check with each other before throwing a party or can friends of roommates come and go as they please? Roommates with different social habits often have different ideas about entertaining so having some guidelines may come in handy.

10. Special Household Rules
Do you wish to make any special household rules, for example, roommates need to give 2 weeks notice before moving out? It's important that everyone knows these rules before they move in and agree to follow them.

These 10 key ingredients brings your household back to the drawing board and lets you put the pieces of the puzzle together one piece at a time. It clarifies what's important to each roommate so that you can create a home that runs smoothly and happily. So, just remember, when you take the right ingredients and the right roommates, you can build the right home for you.

Happy Roommate Hunting

posted by xtrx @ 11:28 PM 0 comments

How To Select a Table Lamp or Floor Lamp

A "how to" on lamp selection or home decorating should first address the fact that individuals may have strong personal tastes or preferences. After 25 years of close personal relationships with designers, decorators, store buyers and most importantly the retail customer, we have evolved a unique perspective on how to select a lamp.

I remember an interesting event that occurred in 1979 while attending the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, North Carolina. A designer came into our showroom where we were exhibiting our lamps, pictures, other accessories and furniture. She carried with her a catalog page from one of the country's largest retailers at that time. On this page was a listing in tabular form, showing the "exact" shade size to order if your lamp was a particular height. Imagine that in today's market ! Obviously it would not work at all.

We will not be quite that specific but instead offer you some guidelines that will give you confidence in selecting a lamp for any area of your home or office. We also consult with hotels, motels, casinos, nursing homes, prisons and other institutions. These situations have unique considerations that must be addressed individually but many of the same principles apply.

Before you go looking for a lamp, ponder some questions. You may be surprised how much this pondering will help. A journalistic approach will help you to formulate in your own mind just how to select a lamp.

Who - What - Where - When - Why and How

Who are you? Are your tastes and your current home decor formal, casual, country, contemporary, etc. Your living area is a reflection of who you are and what you like. So, who are you? Do you just want to do something on a whim (in the way of home decor), then perhaps you are not so concerned with what your current theme is about. Otherwise you will want your new lamp to "fit in" with what you already have and like in your home.

What is the main purpose, the primary use for the lamp you are considering: reading, writing, work project, area lighting, accent lighting, an object of art, a beautiful specimen lamp, just something pretty that will light up an area? What colors are you using in the room where you are putting your new lamp? Remember, you are just pondering for the moment. For now simply hold these considerations in your own mind and give them some thought.

What room is the lamp going to be placed: living room, den, bedroom, dining room, foyer, kitchen, bathroom, game room, entertainment room, etc?

Where exactly is the lamp to be used: a table, a desk, night stand, counter top, mantel, book case, chest, dresser, sideboard, armoire, etc?

When will you typically be using the lamp: morning, noon, afternoon, bedtime, after supper, late night? Will others be in the room with you when you are using the lamp? Will the light from the lamp affect others in the room?

Now that you have pondered the above ideas, let us look at some specifics especially sizes. Home decor items are very important as they relate to each other in the same room. How big is the table, counter, shelf, etc. where the lamp will sit ? A large lamp on a small table or small area will appear overpowering. A small lamp by itself on a large table or in a large area will appear lost.

How large is the room where the lamp is to be used? A tiny lamp left exposed in a huge room will appear lost and vice versa. How high are the ceilings? Many medium to large homes today have 17' or taller ceilings in the great room. Generally a 30" tall (or above) end table lamp is right at home in a room this size. Of course a lamp sitting on the bookcase in this same room may only be 12-15" tall. The mantel lamp in this same room may be 25-35" tall. Think of relativity (remember Einstein).

The construction material of your new lamp can be extremely important. The most durable materials are cast metals, stone, porcelains, crystals, glass and wood. All of the antique heirloom lamps that we see and work with today are made from these materials and they very handsomely stand the test of time. Resin or poly resin and hydrocal are not recommended for any lamp that you wish to keep as these materials nearly self destruct.

Still pondering ? You should already be well on your way to fine tuning what you need. If you find that you still need help, free consultation is available from some home dcor manufacturers via the internet.

posted by xtrx @ 8:16 PM 0 comments