Carter Hardware

Carter Hardware is the pre-eminent showroom on the west coast.

Best products and original designs

We have the widest variety of products and services in the western U.S., specializing in the best products and original designs.

Saturday, May 31, 2014

How You Can Be Your Own Interior Designer

Have you often drooled over homes that are as beautifully decorated as those found in design magazines? Well, you do not need to envy them anymore. You can turn your home into a space to be proud of. The only thing you require is proper advice. Keep reading to find helpful advice on redecorating your home to look like the magazines.


When you are putting together a home office make the most use of the space you have. Some important things to consider are good lighting and a comfortable chair and desk. The goal should be to create an area in which you enjoy working, and including visual interest in the space is part of this.


For an interesting interior design look, try using a variety of patterns and textures to the room you are decorating. These textures help to draw the eye and add interest to otherwise boring items. If your design plan is contemporary, then patterns and texture are required to get the right look.


When you are furnishing a small space, use furniture that can be used in different ways. Ottomans are a great piece of furniture to use for its aesthetic benefits and practicality. This makes the most out of your small area by serving as a table and as a place to sit. Items that have multiple purposes are efficient space savers for a smaller room.


Art in your home should be at eye level to give off the best type of effect. Placing art at the wrong height can destroy the effect you were trying to create.


A well-designed home does not have to be out of your reach any more. Use the tips and advice below to turn your home into something to be envied. Do not let interior design intimidate you any more; decorate your home with the tips shared in this helpful article.



How You Can Be Your Own Interior Designer

Saturday, May 24, 2014

What Plants To Use In Your Backyard Garden

There many reasons for making home improvements. Projects come in all sizes and skill levels, from basic, hour-long replacement jobs to big additions that take months. No matter how big or small your project is, pre-planning can help you save money and make the project as much fun as it can be. Reading on will provide you with some helpful information that you may need.


Keep your air conditioning filter as clean as possible. When the filter is clogged, your house uses more energy. The unit might also end up running much longer than it ought to. Change out your filters monthly to avoid buildup.


Before starting any project, you must have a good idea of the changes you will be making. Developing a plan is a very important part of finishing your project on time and under budget. Making constant changes to your project after you start can be expensive and time consuming. You will have happier contractors when you can tell them precisely what you want, also.


You only need PVC cement and PVC primer to attach two PVC pipes. You must use these specific items, since others won’t work. Make sure the pipes have no water on their surfaces.


Working with the correct tools will make a big difference in the quality and ease of the job. When you are using the right tools, it will be easier to get the job done properly. Ensure that you completely understand how to use any tool you are working with to ensure safety.


These are just a few of the ways you can start improving your home. Just know that you could easily get addicted to improving your home when you are doing it the right way. Following the advice you’ve read here can help you approach home improvement the right way. After you have done a few projects, you will be interested in taking on more challenging home improvement tasks.



What Plants To Use In Your Backyard Garden

Look At These Design Tips To Make Your Interior Space A Dream

Many people want a home that reflects their personality and makes them feel comfortable each day, and that’s simple enough to do with interior designing. Things like decorating with your favorite art or putting up the perfect drapery is a fun way to beautify your home. Read on to find useful information regarding interior design that will add a whole new showcase level to your home.


Pick the mood that you want a room to convey before beginning the design process. Moods can extend from bold and exciting to tranquil and soothing. Picking a mood before you begin will help inform the decisions that go into planning for the space, and will create a more cohesive feel in the end.


Always remember to enhance lighting whenever possible in any room. If you are lacking in window area in your room, you should paint the walls a light and bright color.


When designing a kid’s room, fix it from a kid’s perspective. Small children do not view their room in the same manner that you do. Children need furniture and storage options that are accessible to them. Look at things through your child’s eyes and and at their level and get rid of anything that might harm them.


When designing a kitchen, counter tops are the perfect place to get creative. Though granite is a great, traditional option, surfaces such as cork, wood or even concrete can offer great appeal. These options are sometimes less expensive, and they give your kitchen a unique look that is truly your own.


You need to look at all of the elements. The key to a great room is using the accent pieces in the best way possible. For example, new cabinet knobs or window dressing may be just as effective at transforming the look of a room as purchasing big-ticket furniture.


Any home can be improved through interior design. Interior design brings out the artist in each of us. It’s hoped that this article gave you a new perspective on utilizing interior design in your life.



Look At These Design Tips To Make Your Interior Space A Dream

Saturday, May 17, 2014

House Need Work? Try These Home Improvement Ideas

Home improvement projects can be very difficult, especially if you don’t know what you are doing. If you aren’t sure of where to start as you begin planning your home improvement project, then you should probably see if these tips are good advice for you to follow in getting the projects started and getting them done right.


Changing your air filters is really essential. In addition to making your home’s air more healthy, it’s also helpful for air conditioning and heating units. Most service calls that get repairmen out to homes are thanks to dirty filters building up crud in the machines.


When replacing baseboards, stained wood offers more appeal than painted baseboards. Stained wood baseboards can help to add depth to your room and make it seem more appealing. In addition, stained baseboards hide scuff marks and are easier to maintain than painted baseboards. Stain is also very affordable and you can find it in a wide range of colors.


Knock out that bubble in the vinyl flooring! It’s simple to slice into these bubbles to let the air out. The bubble will collapse in the short term. After this you need to insert some glue to keep the floor sealed. Purchase the type of glue that fills a syringe to complete your project.


Rarely you may find water leaking underneath the sink or possibly from the faucet, but do not try to repair the leak on your own. For now, make sure you catch all the leaky water until a plumbing professional can come over and properly fix the problem.


Using these tips can help you gain more insight and understanding regarding the potential issues that can pop up during the phases of your home improvement project. The tips can also help you see if you can finish the job on your own or if you need a helping hand.



House Need Work? Try These Home Improvement Ideas

Learn To Decorate In A Few Easy Steps

Most people want to update their home, but believe it will be too expensive. Fortunately, there are some great ways to improve the look of your home without spending a lot of time, effort, and money. Continue below for some helpful tips.


Whenever you are redesigning a room in your home it is extremely important that you choose the right color scheme. Make sure you know what colors go with what so as to avoid clashing; this will result in a well balanced look for the entire room. Do not use a lot of bright colors together.


The ideal office space should be designed with fashion and function in mind. Comfort cannot be compromised when purchasing a chair and desk, and the right lighting is also very important. The space should be somewhere that you look forward to working in and you can even make it visually interesting at the same time.


A good thing to remember with interior design is to put in unique colors and patterns. The patterns and textures will draw attention to all of details you are incorporating into the space. Textured fabrics with interesting patterns give a modern designer touch to your home.


You can save money in your design budget by shopping at discount stores. Designer goods are very expensive and it’s easy to find comparable goods for lesser costs. In the end go with the cheapest price available so you can save a lot of money.


Never try to decorate a room without removing clutter first. Every home can be cleaned up in some way, cleaning up some clutter is the best way to start. Give your excess things to charity, a recycling center, or have a yard sale and earn some cash off them!


As you have seen, you do not have to be a genius to give your home a great new look. Even if you’ve never thought of yourself as a creative person, you can explore your own potential by giving your home a makeover.



Learn To Decorate In A Few Easy Steps

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Improving Your Home? A Few Steps To Success!

Before you decide that you can’t tackle a home improvement project, do a little research and you will find that there are several you can do on your own with little hassle. Use the tips contained in this article to better understand your role in your home improvement projects.


Your kitchen remodeling budget can be reduced greatly if you opt to refinish cabinets in lieu of replacing them. You can create a new and attractive look just by painting the bases and installing new hardware and doors. It will bring your kitchen into a much more modern look without the high ticket price.


Empty shoe boxes can be an inexpensive way to increase the storage space in any room. Find a bit of fabric or wallpaper with a nice print, and cover the shoe boxes in the design you like best. You can increase your storage space in an attractive way by doing so.


Stained wood is almost always more appealing than painted wood on baseboards. This look is considered classic, and most homes can benefit from the more natural appeal. Painted wood tends to show every mark you could ever imagine, whereas stained wood camouflages imperfections much more easily. The numerous colors of stain available ensure that you will find the right color for your home.


It may be time to get a new hinge for your door if you can’t find any other way to silence the squeak. Your local hardware store will carry what you need. Simply disassemble the hinge and attach each side of it to the door and wall frame. Lastly, line up the hinge and slip the pins inside.


If you are thinking about home improvement, you might be overwhelmed by everything that is required. There is a lot of preparation, understanding and planning that you are going to need to do, though you have to start with what is important to the project that you are going to be doing. The advice that has been provided to you will help you make ideal choices.



Improving Your Home? A Few Steps To Success!

Friday, May 9, 2014

Great Tips On How To Become A Better Interior Designer

Many people want nicer-looking homes, but fear that interior design is too expensive. This article contains heaps of awesome tips and tricks to help you get the job done. Keep reading to find out some great info.


Aim to create a unique mood for each and every room in your home. Knowing the mood you want will make it easier to choose the furnishings and accessories that will create the effect. For example, you might want a bright color for an office or craft room but a soft shade for a relaxing lounge area. Let the desired mood and the intended use of the room be your guide.


Pick a mood or theme you want to have going on in your living space before beginning a design project. Moods can vary, depending on how you feel as it can be wild or someplace that is nice and relaxing. Choosing a mood helps give you an overall guideline for what you are going to do in the room.


An excellent tip for interior design is purchasing some excellent art. You may not have been putting a lot of thought into art, but one small piece of artwork can unify the look of a room. A painting can inspire the decorating for the rest of the room.


Let your children make some of the decisions regarding the design of their own bedrooms. It is easy to overlook the fact that kids will not necessarily view the room in the same way that you do. Children need furniture and storage options that are accessible to them. Try to see things from the child’s perspective and you will be able to eliminate potential hazards.


As you now know, interior design isn’t only for the super creative. With the proper advice, you’ll have no trouble turning your home into something you can be proud of.



Great Tips On How To Become A Better Interior Designer

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Simple Ideas For Success At Your Next Home Improvement Project

Do you desire to feel good about making home repairs? Maybe it’s about saving money or maybe it’s about doing the project all on your own. Regardless of what you want to create, you need to learn more about home improvement and how you can prepare your different projects.


Be on the lookout for any carpet installation sales or promotions at your local home improvement retailers. Often, they will reduce the cost of installation to extremely low levels to help sell the actual carpet. Since the installation is so cheap during these times, this is when you should have it done.


You can decrease energy costs and still have a well-lit exterior by switching out your always-on lighting system for one that is motion-activated. You can turn on the lights yourself or adjust how sensitive it is.


Working with the correct tools will make a big difference in the quality and ease of the job. Making sure you have the right tool for the job guarantees the work can be done right and as easy as possible. You should also make sure to read the instructions on using the tool correctly for the best results on your project.


A way to stop bugs from getting into your home, and saving money while you’re at it, is to simply seal openings or cracks. Add sealants or caulk around windows, doors and baseboards. Once the caulk is dry, there will be no bugs getting in nor well tempered air getting out.


To make your walls look their best, you do not necessarily need expensive artwork, you can decorate the walls with tiles. Choose a couple of 3D tile colors and arrange them decoratively for a creative artistic presentation.


The advice you have read can help you out with almost any home improvement project. You don’t have to hire experts for every little thing around the home. Follow the tips presented here for successful DIY home improvement.



Simple Ideas For Success At Your Next Home Improvement Project

Friday, May 2, 2014

Think Your Home Will Never Be Picture Perfect? These Interior Design Tips Can Help!

A large part of designing for the interior is to select colors and to arrange furniture. You will discover many great tips and tricks in this article. Read through these ideas to find things that will work for your decorating needs.


Keep in mind the usage of the room space when you are planning a design. If it is a kid’s room that you’re designing, play with bright and vibrant colors to match the energy of the child. But you don’t want to use overly casual furniture in an elegant dining room that you use for business dinner parties.


You want to maximize the space you have when adding a home office. Comfort cannot be compromised when purchasing a chair and desk, and the right lighting is also very important. Your work space should invite you to work, while making your work time comfortable as well as interesting to look at.


Whenever installing wall art, make sure it is being hung at eye level. If the art piece is too low or too high it can throw off the balance of the room and make the room seem disorganized.


Avoid clutter at all costs. Having too much accessories or furniture in your room can make it look cluttered and smaller than what it actually is. Keep furniture to the minimum to keep as much space open as possible.


Do not try to save money by choosing a lower-quality paint. Quality paint will last longer, has better coverage and will save you time and money. Purchase high quality paint and your design will last much longer.


You should now have a few great ideas about how to decorate your home. You can be happy with the decorating in your home. Bookmark this article, roll up your sleeves and get started on creating the home of your dreams!



Think Your Home Will Never Be Picture Perfect? These Interior Design Tips Can Help!