“Old”, is ‘hip’, ‘with-it’, ‘cool’….’phat’, even. And although these terms may not be so ”in” – depending on your generation –, ”heritage”, ”antique”, or simply trusted, beloved and admired things of the past are again “in vogue”.

Clothes that mimic those we relinquished to the rag bag (and wouldn’t be caught dead in) have become the rage, and wind-storm-look hairdos and retro-look furniture have become as coveted as true antique heirlooms are by avid collectors.

Old-time vegetables and flowers are also making a comeback in many a garden, and among these are roses. “Antique/Old Garden/ Heritage” roses, –showing that “heritage” means something. Old is good.

Rose enthusiasts everywhere are turning again to antique roses for their gardens, for good reasons. The many advantages of these old garden roses are being rediscovered. Their general ease of care, as compared to some of their more sensitive, more “modern” cousins, is one of their prized winning attributes. Not all heritage varieties are immune to the dastardly black spot disease, but most suffer little from its effects, and this eliminates the regular spray programs required by more delicate cousins. Other diseases and insects aren’t usually major problems with this group…assuming you have provided them with proper nurture.

Old Garden roses are known for their gloriously abundant perfumes, and they need less major pruning. As more hardy shrubs or climbers, they lend themselves to many landscape uses, allowing them to socialize and adorn our yards with vertical bloom and graceful arches in various areas, as opposed to confinement to one rose bed or area.

Some of these ‘old’ standbys can tolerate light shade as well. They can demand less water and fertilizer than do the “newer” hybrid teas, for instance. And they can be rooted fairly easily for propagation, offering a pat to the pocket book as well.

So why, with all these wonderful habits, did they pass into the shadows? As with fads in any area of consumerism, the “new ” versions capture the tide. With introduction of the Hybrid Tea, the excitement of a totally “new” look in roses, along with much larger blooms, and a nearly constant blooming ability lasting through the growing season, caused quite the stir. New colors were subsequently introduced as well, bringing delight and variety to the mostly pastel range of the Antiques.

The exquisite, high-pointed, high-center bloom of the Hybrid Tea came to be the darling of the twentieth century, and the most recognized form of rose yet today. The trade off for all this beauty, charm, and grace was a loss of scent and the need for more maintenance. Like ladies of high fashion, many newer versions require more “polish” to keep them happy, they may have some of the robust genes of their parentage diluted, and demand more attention to maintain their most lovely qualities.

I enjoy and relish the personalities and various attributes of adornment of all my roses. The modern versions and the old garden. I can’t, however, imagine my yardscape without the perky, petite, sprays of pink blooms of my trusty fairy roses, that have staunchly held up to mounds of snow, provided cover to many a mother rabbit and babies, and staunchly faced some unhappy heat of summer, yet keep coming back for more to spread and adorn the drive. Nor can I imagine trading my Zepherine Drouhin, for a modern climber. This old garden rose lavishly drapes my walkway arbor with gorgeous, large, deep pink blooms and provides an exquisite perfume that literally makes my heart sing. Neighbors may wonder as I linger for minutes on end with my nose shoved between the lattice, inhaling blossom after blossom of heady, intoxicating perfume…with no worries about thorns! This wonderful Bourbon Rose is thornless!

So, the next time one of your progeny or loved ones implies that you are “out of it, old fashioned, set in your ways, stuck in a rut”, –or whatever the phrase of the day may be…tell them they’re” trippin’…chill out”.

And then tell them this story about antique roses. Old is good. And show them your roses. But hand them one with a thorn…

Cathy @ The-Rose-Zone.com

Persian rugs can be classified into Persian City Rugs and Persian Tribal Rugs. Each type within these two is normally named after the city or tribal name in which it is manufactured and designed. These are some of the most popular Persian rugs (the first four fall under Persian City Rugs):

Afshar Rugs: These are smaller rugs usually designed with geometric pattern. Multiple connected medallions in diamond shape, All-over gul farangi (roses), botehs, and chicken-like motifs (Afshar-e-Morghi) are the common designs. Colors range from dark red, reddish brown, brown, dark reddish-blue, dark blue, burnt orange, ocher, and camel. The foundation is often wool, but cotton foundation may also be used in some rugs.

Tabriz Rugs: Most of the designs are curvilinear though geometric are also found. The symmetric (Turkish) knot is common with numerous colors used in one rug, and very diverse in palette. The common background and border colors used in this design are pink, peach, camel, beige, and ivory. The overall look of Tabriz rugs is pastel. Motifs may come in an assortment of colors such as blue, green, yellow, orange, and lavender. The foundation is usually silk and wool pile with silk highlights.

Kashan Rugs: About 95% of the Kashan rugs pattern is curvilinear. An elongated diamond-shaped and lobed medallion with floral pendants is a popular traditional design. This design usually has a navy medallion with similar corners and border in a red background or vise versa. Vase, hunting and pictorial are also popular. The common background Kashan rug colors are navy, rich red, beige and ivory. Other colors such as red, blue, turquoise, ocher, beige, white, brown and occasionally green are used for the designs.

Kerman Rugs: These are also mostly curvilinear in pattern. They are famous for Kerman pictorials which fall under the pictorial category of pattern. Traditional Kerman designs include all-over floral, boteh, stripes, paneled garden, prayer, vase, garden, hunting, animal, and pictorials using both Persian and European themes etc. Modern versions consist of Aubussons or Koran (Quran) medallion-and-corners with an open field. Rich red, red-blue, lime green, pink, ivory, gray-blue, turquoise, orange, champagne and beige are some of the colors commonly used.

Baluch Rugs: These rugs are hand-woven by the nomadic people of the Baluch tribe in southern Iran, following an ancient Persian tradition, dating back to 2500 years. The design is unique with an overall pattern, with rich burgundy with some navy and ivory as the main colors.

Shiraz Rugs: Hand-woven rugs made in Shiraz, Central Iran, simply done with crudely done with the pile cut long with plain color schemes. Geometric motifs, small animals or plants are commonly used in the designs with selvages done with a barber-pole effect using two colors. Red is the main color used.

Wiss Rugs: These tribal handcrafted rugs come from the village of Wiss, near Hamedan in Iran. Traditional dense floral patterns with vases, foliage, palmettes, and garden elements are commonly used. Dark shade of red or burgundy is the main color. Wiss rugs are known for the resemblance to Arak and Tabriz designs.

Acrylic paint comes in a tube, just like oil paint. However, since acrylic paint is water-based meaning it dissolves in water instead of oil-based meaning you need to dissolve it in oil or turpentine, it’s much easier to clean up after. You can soak your brushes and clean your hands in plain tap water, instead of smelly and flammable chemicals.

Another advantage to acrylic paint is that it dries much faster than oil paint usually overnight. If you’re working on a painting that needs to be done on time, that’s important. Acrylic paint was developed as a water-based alternative to traditional oil paints.
Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry. Depending on how much the paint is diluted with water, the finished painting can resemble a watercolor or an oil painting.

Acrylic paint is a fast-drying paint containing pigment suspended in an acrylic polymer resin. Different from oil painting as watercolor is different from oil painting. There are techniques, which are available only to acrylic painters, and there are also restrictions, which are unique to acrylic painting.

Acrylic paints can achieve an oil-paint-like effect, and do so in much less time. Applied to look like oil paints, acrylics are somewhat limited due to the superior color range of oil paints, and the fact that acrylic dry to a shiny, smooth.

Acrylics paints are sometimes used in place of watercolors because acrylics dry closer to the desired color slightly darker, usually, while watercolors dry lighter and often unpredictably, especially for beginning artists.

When you go out to look for carpeting it’s best that you do some homework first. Before you go to the store you should know a bit about the available carpet types you’re going to be presented with. Have an idea of what each of the carpet fibers have to offer as far as durability and ability to repel stains.

Most wall to wall carpet is produced of man made fibers such as olefin, nylon, polyester, acrylic or blends of these fibers. PET is made of recycled plastic. PET is one of the strongest man made fibers and is stain resistant.

Acrylic carpeting is very similar to wool (wool is considered the best carpeting available) and is sometimes called man-made wool. It resists moisture, fading, mildew, crushing and staining but is not recommended for high traffic areas in the home. Nylon carpeting is popular due to it’s durability. It resists mildew, staining and soiling. Nylon carpet is recommended for all traffic areas. It is one of the most expensive of the synthetic fibers but cheaper than wool. Olefin is a very low cost easy care material that is often used in indoor/outdoor carpeting. Olefin is colorfast and strong and easy to clean. One drawback to olefin is that it can be easily crushed depending on the pile. Polyester is luxurious and durable however is not good for high traffic areas in the home.

Another consideration would be the density of the carpet. You want a high number of fibers per square inch. A closely packed pile is an indication of a well made carpet. Check the carpet backing closely to make sure you don’t see any bare areas.

The two most popular types of carpeting today are loop pile and cut pile. Loop pile has individual strands of yarn pulled through the carpet backing twice, creating a small loop. Cut pile has the loop cut at the top, leaving tufts of yarn that stand straight up. A cut pile carpet is generally more durable than a looped pile carpet. Cut pile carpets come in a variety of styles such as shag, textured, saxony and velvet or plush. Loop pile carpets would be a berber, cable or sisal. Loop pile carpets are a good choice for high traffic areas.

Ask to see the manufacturers performance rating guidelines on any carpet you are interested in.

Doing your homework before you purchase goes a long way to insuring you make the best decision. The old saying “an informed consumer is a happy consumer” hold true.

Nitrogen is vital to your lawn and is one of the most popular fertilizers. You need nitrogen because chlorophyll depends on it as do other proteins and amino acids.  These in turn are what makes your lawn green and causes it to grow well.

Some things to look for to see if your grass has a nitrogen deficiency are; if it turns yellow despite watering, the grass doesn’t grow quickly, diseases are present in your lawn, or if the grass turf starts getting thinner.

Depending on the time of year, your budget, and the climate there are three basic types of nitrogen used in fertilizers that are popular to apply.

1.  You will find isobutyledenedinurea (IBDU) which decomposes slowly and will feed your grass over a longer period of time.  It will often take a couple of weeks to decompose enough for you to see it’s effects on your lawn.

This is the most expensive form of nitrogen fertilizer because of the way it is manufactures and it’s uniformity.  It’s uniformity also makes it very easy to apply.

2.  There is also sulfur-coated urea.  It depends on how thick the sulfur coating is to determine how quickly it will dissolve and feed your plants.

S.C.U. will release quicker when the temperature is hotter, the lawn is wetter, or if the grass is healthier.

3.  The last one I am going to mention is urea, a fairly inexpensive nitrogen. It is the cheapest nitrogen to produce as well as the fastest acting.

You can often see results over night, it is that fast.  But it gets depleted quickly and if you over apply it you can easily burn your yard up and kill your grass.

So the next time you go shopping for fertilizers with nitrogen check the labels and ask lots of questions.

There are plenty of fun ways that you can craft your way into the 4th of July.  If you are looking for some great Independence Day craft ideas, we have some for you.  But, before you look at those options, all you have to do to come up with your own is to think about the day, the reason for the day, the colors and the fun it will offer.  There are plenty of things that you can do to make this day truly amazing.  If you are ready to celebrate, here are a few craft ideas to take into consideration.  You can find full details on how to make them throughout the web or use your own creativity.

The Pinwheel.  Nothing shouts Happy 4th like the pinwheel.  TO make them, simple fold a piece of paper into a star shape.  You will want to create a center section that will allow you to place a push pin through it.  Have the kids color the paper red, white and blue before they begin folding.  You’ll need to squares to work with.  Place the two sheets together.  Then, cut the first sheet from the corners towards the middle about half way.  Fold the corners to the middle, secure with push pin around a pencil at the back.

Flags.  Flags are the most traditional of ways to celebrate the 4th.  For a simple design, have your child color a picture of the flag on a piece of paper.  Then, attach one side of the flag to popsicle sticks for a pole and they have a great looking flag to wave!

Stars.  Another great way to show your pride is with stars.  Here have each child decorate paper stars on the front and the back in a wide range of designs.  Anything goes!  Red, white and blue work best.  Then, place a small hole through the top of each and string them together.  You can hang at your 4th of July celebration for a great way to celebrate.  It makes a great decoration for around the table too.

You can find lots of fun craft projects for the 4th of July.  In fact, you can make it a history lesson with a few great fact sheets, coloring sheets about the Founding Fathers and a wide range of other things.  One thing is for sure.  You will want the kids to enjoy themselves.  Just getting out the red, white and blue finger paint and letting them go at it is enough to make this a very special celebration of the 4th of July!

For the person who wants to give their garden a face lift they have some options available to them. These options will range from simply adding new plants and other garden accessories to your garden to hiring landscaping firms. You could look at some landscaping ideas before you begin any major sweeping changes to your garden however.

By looking at these landscaping ideas first you have the ability at hand of seeing what items you might like to have in your garden. These ideas will also let you see how you can reasonably change your garden – no matter how big or small – into one which reflects your personality.

One of the best ways to finding good landscaping ideas is to look at magazines which deal with this area of gardening. You can also get lots of ideas for a great looking garden from exhibitions which are sponsored by landscaping firms. As these places are always on the lookout for new clients they will have the most current ideas and trends featured in their exhibitions.

There may be instances where you will have the opportunity of buying items which can help you develop an idea around which your landscaping ideas can develop. As the key to a great looking garden depends on how all of the items in the garden meld together you will need to think about where all of the items should be placed before you start transforming your garden.

This is vital for your landscaping ideas to come out in the way that you want. You can solidify the look of the garden by sectioning your garden out. This sectioning out can be done on a piece of paper or you could use one of the many landscaping software programs. These programs will allow you to see how various ideas can be incorporated together.

As the program will give you a rough working idea it is even better if you look at each part of the garden and see how you can change the garden’s look. Now if you feel like it you have the chance and ability of making sure that every bit of the garden shows some interesting item, feature or plant in the various seasons. This seasonal garden look is just one of the many landscaping ideas that you can try out.

There are many different landscaping ideas that you can try out. While many of these ideas may require you to spend loads of money there are others that you can try. These different landscaping ideas whether they are simple or complex ideas all have the same end goal in sight, and that is to make your garden look unique.

Take Away All Interior Design Ideas

Why should the interior design of your home be any different from anyone else’s?  It could be so much easier to simply follow the crowd and show no fear about a lack of originality if every home was pre-packaged with a unit appearance.  Here are some ideas to keep the interior of your home as conformist as you can, and perhaps these will allow you the simple peace of a non-designed house.

First – please be sure to remove all coordination from your home.  Recent studies have shown that balancing the cloth of your living room upholstery to the window and floor treatments can spark sensations of appreciation and pleasure in household members and guests.  It is therefore critical for the practicing conformist to remove all hints of matching or complimentary designs from his or her household.

After dealing with those messy matching issues, be sure to walk through the rest of the interior searching for original art pieces such as paintings, sculpture and folk art.  An interior which includes originality in their wall décor would evoke a sense of personality and interest in guest of the home, and it should also be noted that these guests might then find themselves assuming the “good taste” of their host.  That defeats the purpose.

To the delight of the true conformist, many interior designs are stagnating into set themes.  But you must take this a step further, and be certain that no new design or decorating ideas are found throughout your home.  Do not allow any inspiration to come from, say, your favorite books, magazines, or movies.  In fact, stop using any of things for entertainment.  They will only lead to further thought “outside the box.”

Use your head people.  Actually, do not use it at all, because that is the best way to avoid any originality or sensationalism in any interior design ideas.  It is, unfortunately, too easy to find simple inspiration throughout your daily life.  It is imperative that you do not write any of these ideas down, and then you will have a chance to forget your initial reaction and idea and move along in your simple, easy, and non-threatening little life.

Interior Design Tips

An interior designer faces many of the same questions when faced with a residential client.  Issues such as theme and fundamental style are not frequently an issue with the home client.  But there will always be concerns about painting walls, the furniture currently inside the home, and of course the floors.  There are tips to alleviate concerns and questions regarding these specific design problems.

“What about this color of paint? It is too bright/dark/soft/etcetera.”  The first and best tip to eliminate concerns about paint choices is to purchase a sample of paint to place on the wall.  Then, there will be a true understanding of what the actual appearance of a color will be. However, many colors – especially darker ones – attain their true beauty from the look of the entire wall after being layered with several coats of paint.

Trust a color pallet and a designer, but of course only follow intuition.  A color that is difficult to stomach may settle eventually to delightful surprise, or it may lead to a horrible bellyache.  Only cover a wall with a design’s color that will provide security and happiness in a homeowner.

“Should existing and endurable furniture be reupholstered?”  An excellent tip to be considered: evaluate the furniture for style and value versus the cost of the reupholstering.  An antique chair that fits the feeling of a formal living room that was purchased for many thousands of dollars would be an excellent candidate as long as replacing the original upholstery did not degrade its value or worth.

“I don’t know what to do about my floor.”  Decisions about floor designs should be based on a person’s budget, the room’s use, and personal preference.  Certain floor treatments are incredibly expensive, such as hard oak floors, and they may not be practical in an area where stomping kids thrash through the interior.  Carefully weigh options such as dying carpet or laying rugs over existing hard floors.  It is all a matter of personal preference.

Actually, all interior design should be a matter of personal preference. It is not worth any expense to put something in a home that will force a homeowner to cringe every time he or she looks around.

You’ve put a lot of thought into selecting the perfect fabric for your custom-made draperies or your newly upholstered furniture.  Now, do you know how to take care of the fabric to make it last longer?

Fabrics must be protected from the sun
Draperies should be lined, and also interlined, when fragile fabrics are used such as silk.  Shades should be drawn during the day and awnings should be used whenever possible.  Window glass magnifies the destructive elements in the rays of the sun.  The winter sun and reflection from the snow are even more harmful than the summer sun.  Trees and shrubbery help protect windows.

Colors can fade by oxidation if fabrics are kept in storage for too long a period without airing.  Impurities in the air may cause as much fading as the direct rays of the sun.

Use a dry cleaner specializing in home furnishings
Dust has impurities, which affect fabrics.  Vacuum fabrics often.  Dry cleaning should be done at regular intervals before excessive soil has accumulated.  Very few fabrics are washable.

Fabrics wear out…they are not indestructible
Wear will vary with the amount of use.  Some weaves are stronger than others are.  A favorite chair will not last as long as a seldom-used showpiece.

Finishes may help fabrics resist soil and stain
Applied finishes help fabrics resist spotting, but they are not necessarily the end-all to every problem.  Light colors are likely to benefit most.  Dining room chairs will soil no matter what is used.  A finish does not eliminate the necessity of properly caring for fabrics.  Spots should still be given immediate attention by a professional dry cleaner.

Synthetic fibers
Synthetic yarns have made impressive strides in advancing the technology of weaving, but they cannot perform miracles.  Performance will vary with the construction of the fabric and its application.

A kitchen can be more than just about its role in function, organization and efficiency.  Kitchens need a personality and a look and feel that can liven up the senses in addition to being a functional place for the preparation of food.  The French Country Kitchen design is one of many classic kitchen design themes that you could consider.  It can provide your kitchen with a traditional look that has its roots in the hillsides of rural France.  It is a style that can fit into both rural farmhouses and in the grandest chateau.

French country kitchen design conjures up images of the Provence and the French countryside with its pastoral settings, lavender fields and rustic French farmhouses.  The French country kitchen represents country living that is uniquely French.  In designing your French country kitchen design you discover that the French country look is always very rustic, old and warm.

There are many elements that go into the French country kitchen including the use of large pieces of furniture made mainly of light colored woods and can be decorated with ornate carving.

Color & French Country Kitchen Design
Color is an important place to start the design process.  You can draw inspiration from some of the principle French impressionists like Monet and Renoir, Van Gogh.   Colors that are used in the French country kitchen style can include sunny yellow or soft gold, bright red and rust, grass green, cobalt blue and soft ocean tones.
You can decorate in the style of the French country kitchen design by using vivid colors – poppy red, sunflower yellow, bright blue, meadow green, and sunset purple.  Your walls and cabinets and large furniture can be painted in off white, ivory, light beige, and taupe. Cabinets can be painted a glossy white to brighten light-filled spaces in the kitchen or they can be left as natural wood.  These colors can provide a light, airy feel so you do not want to use strong colors here.   In fabrics such as curtains and seat cushions you might also add paisley, stripes and floral prints to your French Country Kitchen theme.
Natural Materials
Natural materials are an important element in walls, cabinetry and furniture that is used in the design of French country kitchens. The materials used in creating a rustic French country kitchen look include natural stone floors, granite counter tops and tumbled marble back splashes.  These natural materials can be used on walls and beamed ceilings, and can be rough stained or painted plaster, or wood painted in natural colors.  Floors can be made of stone or brick and covered with wool or cotton rugs, a fireplace made of stone with a heavy beam that can serve as a mantel, and wooden shutters as window coverings.  Furniture and cabinets can have a rustic or even a distressed look.  Countertops can be done in ceramic tile with tile back splashes.
Accent Pieces
In French country kitchen design you will find that tile, rustic urns, hand-painted European ceramics and pottery accents are used extensively.  Ceramic tiles and terra cotta pottery pieces are used wherever possible.  Add copper pots and a French country kitchen can can encompass many old world decorating colors.

A kitchen can be more than just about its role in function, organization and efficiency.  Kitchens need a personality and a look and feel that can liven up the senses in addition to being a functional place for the preparation of food.  The French Country Kitchen design is one of many classic kitchen design themes that you could consider.  It can provide your kitchen with a traditional look that has its roots in the hillsides of rural France.  It is a style that can fit into both rural farmhouses and grand chateaus.

The materials used in creating a rustic French country kitchen look include natural stone floors, granite counter tops and tumbled marble back splashes.