How To Achieve A Country Style Hallway

The details may differ by country, but country style at its heart is an open, comforting, natural look. Vintage pieces and natural materials conjure images of life out where there is more land than people. English country style features neutral and pastel colours, in combination with the bare wood.

Hallways by nature are transitions. They serve to link together the various rooms of a house and are usually given only a passing thought. With hallway decorating less is more, but function and fashion can go hand in hand to achieve a comfortable inviting look.

Colours and Materials
Country style favours natural materials like wood and stone. If the function of the hallway necessitates some sort of easy to clean material like vinyl or linoleum, pick some that has a natural stone pattern. Metals should be used as accents only and kept dark and simple, like tin, iron, or copper. A little rust or patina is welcome and adds to the timeless vintage look of the room.

Hallways need to tie the rooms of the house together, and colour plays a big part in this. If using colours other than white, keep them muted unless they fit with the colour schemes around them. American country style uses reds and blues, but natural earthy colours also work. Leaving wood bare works well, and distressing the wood gives anything a nice vintage look. If the hallway or stairwell is small and closed, light colours will open it up and give it the illusion of space. Dark colours will likewise pull the walls and ceilings closer for a cosier feel.

Furniture and Decoration
The country style hallway is a functional space. For a front hallway key holders, coat stands, and hangers can add decoration as well as provide a lived-in look that will make visitors instantly feel at home. Go with wicker baskets rather than clunky wooden shelves. Slim open leaning ladder bookshelves will also help to keep the space light and airy, serving as an elegant and attractive storage solution.

Interior hallways that are large enough would do well with a bench or wicker chair in a corner or off to the side. Some seating will help to make the hallway feel like a room in its own right. Baskets can also be placed underneath for more storage.

Barn stars are also a great piece of decoration. Made of tin, they come in all sizes and look very good on a wall or hung on the sides of furniture. Add a little rust to age them up, and what was once on the side of a barn will look right at home on the wall of your hallway.

Candles make wonderful accent pieces. A nice scented candle on a simple dark metal or wood stand can fit in anywhere. A bit of potpourri to add more scent while the candle is out will keep the hallway smelling pleasant. Candles come in a variety of colours wide enough to fit into any scheme, and always add a bit of country charm.

Lighting
Proper lighting is important for real country style. Artificial lighting can throw a harsh glare through the hallway and ruin your hard decorating work. Use natural-looking incandescent bulbs instead of gas-based lighting like halogen and fluorescent. If the hallway has a window, use drapes instead of blinds to keep the window as unobstructed as possible. Let the outside light fill the hallway as much as possible. Keeping the wall and window frame white or a light colour will help shift focus to what lies beyond.

With a bit of paint and a few decorative touches here and there and perhaps some hall furniture, any hallway can become the warm heart of a cosy country home.

Ways To Repurpose Old Traffic And Parking Signs

Go green. Its a phrase thats thrown around often these days, but you might be wondering what old traffic and parking signs have to do with this. How can you recycle these old and rusted signs? Here are ten creative ways you can reuse your old signs.

1.Decoration for your space. Old parking and traffic signs are a great way to add some pizzazz to any attic, basement or man cave. Even if the signs are slightly rusted or tarnished, that only adds more character to your decoration.
2.Construct unique furniture. Since traffic and parking signs are often made of aluminum or other bendable materials, you can form old signs into furniture fairly easily. For example, you might choose to create a chair or desk.
3.Recondition the signs. Depending on how much wear and tear your traffic and parking signs have been through, there are instances in which your signs could be resurfaced and cleaned to be brought back to life.
4.Create innovative household items. Besides constructing furniture out of old traffic and parking signs, you can also create other household items. For instance, some green artists have taken to cutting up old traffic signs to create things like coasters, light switch plates and much more.
5.Make one-of-a-kind wall art. Whether you choose to hammer an old parking or traffic sign directly into your wall, or opt to create a collage or mural of old signs, this type of artwork can be a great addition to any space.
6.Cut house numbers. Another innovative use for old traffic or parking signs is to cut out your house number from them. With house numbers like this, youll stand out from other houses on your block.
7.Make jewelry. You can create jewelry out of just about anything these days, and old signs are no exception. Since theyre easy to bend, take your old signs and make bracelets out of them.
8.Jazz up your refrigerator. Eco-friendly artists have been taking old traffic and parking signs and molding them into magnets for your refrigerator.
9.Make dinnerware. If youre looking for a great conversation piece for your next dinner party, consider making decorative and usable platters out of old traffic signs. Youll need to make sure they are cleaned and sanitized before serving any food.
10.Recycle them. If you cant find a particular use for them yourself, most traffic and parking signs can be recycled. Contact your local government for information on how and where to recycle your old signs.

When its time to replace your old traffic and parking signs, dont just throw them out. Get creative and find ways to repurpose your old signs.

Checklist For Opening A New Office Location

If you have started a small business from your home, there comes a time where you might need to open a new office location outside of your home. For this reason, it is helpful to have a checklist for opening a new office location because you could have a lot of details to complete, unless you are considering the advantages offered by executive office suites. Most situations will require you set up utilities, purchase office equipment, figure out kitchen lunch storage and arrange your data filing, storage and other details.

Executive office suites can eliminate many of these items because they will often furnish everything you need to operate a virtual office location, except office furniture and sometimes, they will sublease furnished spaces! If you consider the advantages of executive office suites, when compared to the many items on the checklist for opening a new office location, your list is much shorter and more affordable. Some of the amenities that might be furnished will include fax, copy and mailing services, secretarial services with call forwarding reception and even shared business centers, conference rooms and video-conferencing facilities are included, which could be items on your checklist, otherwise.

Another part of the checklist for opening a new office location might not include an on-site fitness center or indoor track, lounge or child-care facilities, but with executive office suites, it is possible these are already offered. There are a number of larger companies that will sublease executive office suites, but these are becoming a popular way to open a new location because they require little effort and the checklist is quite short. Otherwise, you will definitely need a checklist for opening a new office location, because the list can be quite long:

Desk, comfortable chair, file cabinets, lamps and overhead lighting
Client seating or reception area furniture
Fireproof safe to store valuable files, checks, cash
Calculators, labeling machine, postage meter, worktables, bookcases
Decorations, whiteboard and markers, wastebaskets, fire extinguisher, first-aid kit
Photocopier, paper shredder, alarm system, radio
Desktop computer, monitor, printer, keyboard, mouse, modem, CD writer, digital camera, PowerPoint projector, scanner, software programs, payment processing programs, desktop publishing, website building and accounting software
Telephone line, internet connection, toll-free line, telephones, fax machine, cordless phone, answering machine, speakerphone, tape recorder, cellphone with internet features, cordless headset
Business cards, stationery, envelopes, stamps, printer cartridges, floppy disk, pens and pencils, fax paper, file folders, scissors, staplers, notepads and miscellaneous supplies like paper clips, staples, white-out and any promo items.

As you can see, this is a general checklist for opening a new office location and there are quite a few things you could eliminate, if you consider the advantages of executive office suites. Since many of the office services are included, you may just need a modular desk and storage unit, along with your personal laptop and you are ready to set up shop. This could be the main reason that executive office suites have become a popular way to open a new office location!