Throw light on a lamp problem

I HAVE 9 a floor lamp in my conservatory with a 4ft paper shade on it. I have searched everywhere for a replacement shade without luck. Can you help? - Mavis, by email ZENA SAYS: 2 That's a very unusual size. Try the place where you bought it - otherwise it will be cheaper to buy a whole new floor lamp!

Ikea (www.ikea.co.uk) have a good range from as little as pounds 8.16. Also look at Argos and B&Q. My last suggestion is to re-cover what you have with wallpaper covered in a fire-resistant spray - available from craft shops. Here are two examples: Aesops Fables covered lamp, pounds 44 per roll, or Albany 96981, pounds 19.99 per roll - both from www.wallpaperdirect.co.uk

Modern Designer Cool Unique Contemporary Floor Lamps

Select from the cool designer and unique collection of contemporary floor lamps at Spacify to impart a unique style to your home d�cor. You can put these floor lights in your living room or bedroom to add an artistic modern touch to the area. You will find our collection of modern floor lamps simple yet exhibiting an unmatched beauty that will make even a neglected corner in your home sparkle with true class and sophistication. From black modern to unique wood, Spacify offers cool modern and best floor lamps and lighting.

Lamps are often an overlooked element of the overall design of the room. A traditionally shaded floor lamp provides a subtle touch of beauty and is a wonderful accent to the upholstery of bedroom and living room furniture. Tall floor lamps are a great addition behind a couch or chair as they help extend the room up and visually connect lower furniture to higher decor features such as ceiling moldings, trimmings and wall art. Fine Art Lamps offers a wide selection of world renowned floor lamp designs.Bring home lighting that not only fits in with but enhances your home decor. The Scala Arc Lamp will add a modern touch to any space with its slender curves, smooth finish and interesting shade.This floor lamps features a fully-adjustable, articulated arm body structure in extruded, brilliant, natural anodized aluminum. Joints, tension control knobs and mountings are polished die-cast aluminum, and cables are stainless steel. The diffuser is available in a choice of sizes in parchment paper or in a palge grey stain and polycarbonate fiber blend.In addition to a regular bulb these lamps come with soft halogen lighting which illuminates the bubbling water within the base. There are colored gel filters available that can be placed within the base that change the color of the bubbling water to suit your mood and to match your interior decor and furniture. These items are very nice to stare at and after awhile the flow of bubbles is mesmerizing and can facilitate daydreaming, contemplation and relaxation.Spacify.com has the latest designs for Modern Floor Lighting (http://www.spacify.com/floor_lighting-487-11.html) and Designer Lighting at affordable prices. It will surely beautify your home and will give you the right ambience you have always wanted.

Spacify.com has the latest designs for Modern Floor Lighting (http://www.spacify.com/floor_lighting-487-11.html) and Designer Lighting at affordable prices. It will surely beautify your home and will give you the right ambience you have always wanted.

What Can Modern Floor Lamps Do For Your Home?

Modern floor lamps can help to add extra style to a room as well as making the most out of open and empty space. There are various different designs to choose from so it should be easy to find one which you like.

* How much do you have to spend on the lampTo make the most out of your room, making the right decision is imperative. If you bought any old floor lamp, you risk making the room look unbalanced or slightly off. So by taking the time to find the right lamp makes it all worth while. Try considering a few of these pointers when choosing a modern floor lamp:-Decorating a house can be hard work, but after it is finished it is certainly worth it. You could have repainted all of the walls, ripped out old appliances etc but it can sometimes look bare after all of this. Adding extra features to the room after it has been decorated helps to make the room look complete. With all of the added extras you can use like furniture, something that can add extra class to the room is modern floor lamps.It is amazing how much difference using a floor lamp can make when adding it to a room. A room could have been feeling empty or it could have too much space and it helps to make use of this space in a good way. They can also add extra light into the room when it is dark and they also help to improve the mood of the room.What should you consider when buying a modern Floor Lamp?There are many different types of modern floor lamps out there which cater for everyone’s differing tastes and needs. You may want a tall lava lamp for one of your rooms and for another room you may want a tall floor lamp to add extra sophistication. They can come in so many different styles and colours which makes it easier to find one that you like. Some people may like wooden ones whilst others may go for aluminium or metal ones. It is entirely up to your own personal taste.* How much space do you have for the lamp?* How often will you use it? Is it there for decoration to the room or do you need it?* How tall do you want the floor lamp to be and will it fit in the room properly?How Can You Benefit From Using Modern Floor Lamps?The benefits of a floor lamp are clear to see and that is why getting the right one can make the world of difference.* Will the style of the floor lamp suit the d�cor of the room?

The benefits of a floor lamp are clear to see and that is why getting the right one can make the world of difference.

Liberty lifts lamp to N.J. fans, executives

Team hoping its stay in Newark attracts local sponsors

"More people will come to our arena during what is historically a slow time for arenas," Vanderbeek said of the summer, with the Liberty's regular season lasting until early September.While the WNBA has a devoted fan base, its economic scale is minimal when compared to its male counterpart. Team salaries are capped at roughly $800,000, with player salaries ranging from $36,570 to $103,500, which also means ticket prices are cheaper - Liberty individual game tickets range from $10 to $250.WHAT WAS BUILT as a home for a professional ice hockey team has rapidly become a basketball empire.E-mail to: akitchenman@njbiz.com"About a third of our fan base was in New Jersey before we made the move to the Prudential Center," said Kristin Bernert, team vice president of marketing. "We felt that given the size of the northern New Jersey market, we thought there was an opportunity to expand even more."The Liberty are owned by Madison Square Garden Inc., whose MSG Sports division also includes the Knicks and Rangers. The company was spun off from Cablevision and also owns the Garden.Prudential Center Chairman Jeff Vanderbeek said the new relationship would bring several benefits to the arena.Vanderbeek said the arena has had success when it has drawn new fans, such as the women's basketball fan demographic.Scott O'Neill, MSG Sports president, said the company has a good understanding of the New Jersey market, which he called "Knicks country." The strengths of the market include a "first-class building" in the Prudential Center, residents with high discretionary spending and large participation in youth basketball, O'Neill said.The Liberty went 22-12 in 2010, and while the team hasn't yet won a championship, it was runner-up in four of the league's first six seasons.The Liberty have been among the attendance leaders in the WNBA since the league was launched in 1997, and averaged a league-leading 1 1,069 fans per game last year, according to WomensBasketball Online.com.Bernert said the WNBA has been successful both with women business leaders and "dads with daughters."Prudential Center officials expect the arena to be third in the country this year in the number of high-level basketball games it hosts. And Newark Mayor Cory Booker and others have expressed optimism that the arena will attract a permanent NBA team after the Nets decamp for Brooklyn."They say, Oh, my God, we haven't seen anything like it/ and they come back for something else," he said."The more basketball we play, the more successful" the arena is seen as a basketball venue, Vanderbeek said. "You have to believe it's a step in the right direction."The Liberty, which will play the first of 1 7 regular- season home games June 11, have been forced to make the temporary move due to ongoing renovations of its home of Madison Square Garden. As renovations have been limited to the summer, they will not affect the seasons of the arena's other tenants, the New York Rangers and Knicks.O'Neill said winning fans over to the sport is similar to the marketing work done by any business.The strategy depends heavily on fans using mass transit, though the arena said more than half of New Jersey Devils hockey fans ride the train or bus to get to Newark.Meanwhile, while the Liberty's front office works to build a New Jersey following, Prudential Center executives are catering to the Manhattan fan base, emphasizing the arena's short distance from the Garden - a 15-minute train ride from Penn Station, which is beneath Madison Square Garden."They now have the option to not only take their daughters to men's sports," she said, adding that the Liberty play "incredible basketball.""We continue to be among the league leaders in the metrics that we measure," he said, noting while the Liberty are entering their 15th season, the Rangers are 85 years old and the Knicks are 65. "It's still a very young business. When people come see the game, they always come back. It's a wonderful sport to watch. That's what you see on a day-to-day basis."It started with the New Jersey Nets, which shared the Prudential Center's floor with the S et on Hall Pirates while the NBA franchise's new home in Brooklyn, N. Y., awaits completion. Then it was the NCAA Tournament, which hosted the successful East Regional s in the Brick City. And last week, the New York Liberty held its first exhibition game to open a three-year homestand at the arena.

E-mail to: akitchenman@njbiz.com

Analysis of The Night Cafe - Vincent van Gogh

Vincent's Two Cafes

Van Gogh's two ultra-famous caf� scenes comprise a study in opposites. Though both paintings employ Vincent's famous bold and furious brushstrokes and striking colors, the two pictures feel entirely different. One, "Caf� Terrace at Night," is lovely and full of a frothy light, a night scene with stars outside the caf� on the Place de Forum. The other, "Night Caf�," is, in the artist's own words, "�one of the ugliest I have ever done," a collection of clashing colors in the dreariest atmosphere.So Koberling and fellow architect Arthur M. Atkinson crafted a dynamic first floor showcasing fans, sweepers, electric waffle irons, lamps and many other electrical appliances, all of which PSO then sold. Many of these newfangled gadgets could prove their effectiveness in a five-room model home inside the first floor, with marble floors, walnut-paneled walls and a full complement of furniture. Sidewalk shoppers also got a taste through gothic arched display windows highlighting washing machines, refrigerators and ranges.Perspective and warm complementary colors draw the viewer into the painting and beyond. The graphic texture of the street's cobblestones invite the eye toward the little caf� itself, with its tiny white tables on the street, repeating the spheres of Vincent's stars hung in the Prussian blue sky. The awning and walls of the caf�, warm yellow, cut into the sky to enhance both colors and form the main composition.Van Gogh loved the night. He writes, "I have a terrible need of--dare I say--religion�then I go outside at night and paint the stars." He painted this night scene on the spot, at night, using no blacks. His father was a preacher and Vincent went into the ministry for a while. It was later that this artist, now a star himself posthumously, decided his ministry would be to find a way to give hope and consolation to humanity through his art."It's really nice, other than the floor layouts are somewhat dated," said Atkinson. "You would probably lay it out differently than they did, but it has some great bones to it."The blaze started in a spare bedroom, where a desk lamp on the floor next to a bed had been left on.There is no doubt he succeeded. Upon first glance, the viewer almost tends to glance away, as if burned. Fully two-thirds of the painting is the floor of the caf�, executed in sulphuric yellow with exaggerated lines of perspective that yank the eye into the painting. Next, a green billiard table, outlined in heavy black, stops us cold. Beside the table stands a figure in a light-colored coat, staring out at us without expression.But with its business busting - PSO's electrical light and power connections leapt 1,090 percent in just over a decade to 31,121 by 1928 - the power company wanted its Tulsa headquarters to demonstrate the value of electricity to modern life."If we could get fully leased, we'd do that," Atkinson said. "We've had a bid to do that and it is very expensive. Unless the building performs better, we're really not in the plans to do that."

Van Gogh loved the night. He writes, "I have a terrible need of--dare I say--religion�then I go outside at night and paint the stars." He painted this night scene on the spot, at night, using no blacks. His father was a preacher and Vincent went into the ministry for a while. It was later that this artist, now a star himself posthumously, decided his ministry would be to find a way to give hope and consolation to humanity through his art.

Author: Elizabeth Harding

These Walls: Transok Building in Tulsa

When renowned Tulsa architect Joseph R. Koberling Jr. returned from a year in Europe, he bore such disgust for its "soulless" contemporary constructs that he determined to elevate the joy of life in a new art deco design for Public Service Co. of Oklahoma.

While the architects incorporated art deco even into those fixtures, from chevrons in the torch holders to stepped-back geometric motifs across the spandrels, the nighttime glow from that 210,000-watt system instantly emerged as the structure's standout feature.Like many tenants past and present, McDaniel would love to see the beacons lit anew. He's offered to create an LED system allowing computer control, but at just 40-percent occupancy, Atkinson said the building does not generate enough cash flow to justify a fix some sources estimated could cost $60,000 or more.Both paintings were made in Arles after van Gogh had lived and studied in Paris, and met various French impressionists. His own style became much lighter, less moralistic and more rife with color.Lee Anne Ziegler, executive director of the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture, noted the architects incorporated a number of art- deco standards throughout a reinforced concrete and steel structure designed to support eight stories, but limited at first to five. Vertical piers rose from ground to rooftop, flowing past recessed upper windows framed in steel. Painted spandrels atop the structure extended these vertical lines into the sky.The Transok Building retains a puzzling office layout imposed at some time through a history of internal renovations. It also boasts a charming art deco lobby, high ceilings and beautiful brass work."I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day." Vincent van Gogh"I have tried to express the terrible passions of humanity by means of red and green," van Gogh wrote. Yellow walls give on to blood-red walls that lead to an obtrusive green ceiling, and lining the walls are the locals at the bar tables, hunched over in late-night stupor. Lamps hang from the ceiling, surrounded by Vincent's wheels of curving yellow strokes.Transok represents the only Kanbar property with its retail space fully leased. It also boasts updated electrical and fire alarm systems.The other van Gogh caf� painting, "Caf� Terrace at Night," shows the exterior of a caf� which still stands in Arles, though it was renamed The van Gogh Caf� and remodeled to closely resemble the painting which immortalized it. He painted this work in a flurry, using many of the same techniques he employed in his drawings. This is one of his most beautiful paintings, full of the light and peace he sought, but never found."It's got one of the best views out of these windows," said Stuart McDaniel of GuRuStu Group, a tenant since 2008. "You are working in a piece of art instead of a box with four sides. Especially for us, being a creative firm, it provides inspiration and fun, each being able to see that on your way to work."The PSO kept the 600 S. Main St. tower its home for decades, adding two recessed floors in 1961 to house offices and mechanical systems. When the utility renovated downtown's Central High School in 1978 for its new Tulsa base, subsidiary Transok Pipeline took over the 1929 structure - and the name stuck even after the pipeline departed. Kanbar acquired the 66,000-square-foot tower in 2005."Everybody loves that building," said Atkinson. "You take people to all our properties and that will be the one they say, 'I really like that.'"An estimated 7,000 people streamed through the building on opening night, the Tulsa Tribune reported on April 17, 1929. As Tom Herick's Orchestra serenaded guests, PSO handed out brochures calling the building "The Monument in Light."The bedroom was damaged in the blaze and the first floor was smoke logged.

"If we could get fully leased, we'd do that," Atkinson said. "We've had a bid to do that and it is very expensive. Unless the building performs better, we're really not in the plans to do that."

Author: Kirby Lee Davis

Lamp starts fire in home

A DALTON couple escaped a fire at their home.

Andy Flynn, watch manager at Huddersfield fire station, said: "They were very lucky as the only smoke alarm was in the attic."But the topper came with Oklahoma's first architectural use of light, as recorded in the National Register of Historic Places. The engineer in Atkinson built 48 second-floor flood lamps into the gray Bedford limestone skin, the 500-watt bulbs sending vertical colored shafts up the limestone to the roof, where another 78 lights hidden in ornamental cornices created a golden crown."Night Caf�" depicts the interior of a pool in Arles' Place Lamartine. A more striking van Gogh canvas would be difficult to find, but no one could call this particular picture beautiful. It was the artist's intention to show the lowest edge of humanity, without adornment, with as much impact and sincerity as possible.The woman had been working late and returned home to find smoke coming from upstairs.A stark black and white clock depends in the background, impossible to miss. It is almost a quarter past midnight in this desolate scene. "Night Caf�" is one of Vincent's most powerful communications through art of the human condition and human emotions.

Andy Flynn, watch manager at Huddersfield fire station, said: "They were very lucky as the only smoke alarm was in the attic."

How to Photograph Jewelry

Photographing jewellery can be tricky, but with a few concepts and budget below US$500 it is possible to achieve near-professional look of the photographs. This guide is intended for absolute beginners. Terminology is simplified, and camera adjustments are discussed with only jewellery in mind.

1. EquipmentAlso known as ISO number. This used to be film property, and expressed in numbers like ISO200, ISO400, ISO800 etc. The higher the number, more sensitive the film, less light it needs, and thus more expensive. In Digital SLR's this is merely just a setting, but the higher the number, more noise camera will capture. The more light you have, you can go lower with this number. For our limited lighting, ISO800 or ISO1600 will be fine, but try not to use ISO3200 -- it adds visible noise.1.3 TripodAdd to Digg Bookmark with del.icio.us Add to Newsvine1.1 Digital SLR4.3 Shutter SpeedLearn the following 5 camera adjustments: Aperature (f-number), Sensitivity (ISO number), Shutter Speed (Exposure), White Balance, and Focus. These 5 are your bread and butter.With different colours present in every light source, our eyes naturally adjust to what white is. Cameras try to do the same and for general photography are quite good at it. However, for jewellery, you'll want to try all manual pre-sets yourself and chose best result. If everything fails, manually adjust white balance, until it's good. You won't need to keep changing this setting from one jewellery piece to another.Photo tent will help a lot, but is not mandatory. You get find them for as little as US$20. Terminology varies, so "Photo Tent" will also be called "Light Cube", or "Soft Light Box". Do your searching and find one approx 20" (50cm) in size.Whatever you do, avoid mixing light types. Use only non-fluorescent lights, and isolate your photo 'lab' away from natural light.Avoid using any flashes. Don't use camera's built in flash. Don't buy stand-alone flashes. In fact, don't buy any lighting equipment. Desk lamps 60W-100W will do just fine.Through July, customers will save 20% on the Omikron Design collection. All designs are in stock and include free shipping and no sales tax.Digital SLR will allow you to manually adjust every aspect of the camera. Automatic modes are not appropriate for jewellery.5. Post-ProcessingFor more information or high resolution images, please contact: Alexis Endicott YLighting.com | YLiving.com Tel: 800-236-9100 Email: Email Contact4.2 SensitivityAlso known as exposure, it is a measure of time camera will be taking the light. When photographing moving objects, you would want this fairly short: 1/200 or or 1/400. However, we're taking static objects, and with the tripod camera is static as well. This gives us flexibility in going as low as 1/30 or 1/10, or even 1/2. Value 1/2 means that camera takes light from the object for half a second. If anything moves during that half a second, photograph will be blurred.Biggest spend for near-professional look of jewellery photography is for the digital SLR. This is an absolute must. Second-hand camera will be as good. Camera without many features and without high Mega-Pixel rate will work just as fine. 3 Mega Pixel is more than enough.Jewellery neck stands look effective only on some pieces, but for most laying on the white surface is the best.If your background is black, you'll want it under-exposed. This will keep the black background black, remove some imperfections, but leave the jewellery just fine.Position the lights as described above. Two desk lamps with soft light (irrelevant if you are using photo tent -- the tent is there to soften the light), and reflector light at the front. I keep the cube open at the front, for easier adjustments and photographs, unless jewellery is highly reflective of the image of me taking photograph.3. Jewelry ArrangementAbout Omikron Design Omikron Design's (OmikronDesign.com) main objective is to produce objects that enhance and illuminate spaces through light and outstanding design. The company's designs, which are made in Milan, Italy, combine the performance of lighting technology to an exclusive industrial design. The Omikron Design collection is dedicated to those who need imagination and beauty to live.About YLighting YLighting ( www. YLighting.com ) was founded in 2001 with the idea that modern lighting is functional art but buying it shouldn't be a project in itself. We travel the world to find exciting new designs and give our customers the finest in modern and contemporary lighting, ceiling fans and accessories. We carry over 5,000 designs across more than 110 brands and are one of the largest retailers for brands such as Artemide, Flos, Modern Fan, Foscarini and Louis Poulsen. YLighting serves design-savvy customers, trade professionals and businesses. Our website is a comprehensive lighting resource with the largest collection of product-specific lighting data available.2. SetupNote that what makes the difference is the quality of the optical system, not the number of actual pixels.Crop to the area you want to keep, save in internet-friendly format (eg 400x300) and you've got a near-professional photograph. Reuse the same photograph for 'zoom-in' crops. You won't be making images larger, instead you'll be cropping from your original, adjusting and saving.4.5 FocusAdjust shutter speed freely until you get desirable effect. In fact, when taking photographs of jewellery against white background, you will want photos over-exposed. Over-exposure should affect only the white background, where small imperfections of white surface will vanish into pure white. If your camera has light meter, it will display a warning that you have too much light, number 2 or 2.5 could be flashing in your viewfinder. This is good :-).4.6 Taking photographsYou will need 3 lights. Two matted lights -- soft lights, and one reflector light. Place one matted light left of the area for jewellery, and one to the right. Place reflector light near where the camera is.Jewellery is static. It's easy to use manual focus, but auto-focus seems to work just as fine. If camera keeps focusing on the incorrect part, just switch to manual, and away you go. For most applications, auto-focus will be fine though.To have freedom with many settings that will be a must, we will have to use longer exposures. For longer exposures to achieve maximum sharpness, we'll need a tripod. Our hand shakes too much, when camera runs at exposition 1/2s or 1/5s. Buy a 'tripod' for US$10-$20. You don't need a heavy duty tripod. If your setup will be on a desk, you can chose mini tripod - approx 10" (25cm), and stand tripod on the desk as well, or longer tripod, approx 50" (125cm) and stand it on the floor.The two-story, six-unit, woodframe apartment building had a manual fire alarm system, but there were no smoke detectors in the unit of origin, and the building was unsprinklered. The men's second-floor apartment was originally a two-bedroom unit, but a third bedroom had been added by installing foam board insulation that divided the living room. A power strip under the bed provided electricity to several appliances and high-intensity grow lamps in the new room; an extension cord was used for some of the connections.Also known as f-number. This setting widens or narrows the lens, limiting the amount of light that comes into the camera. This directly affects shutter speed, and film sensitivity (since we're using digital camera, film sensitivity is adjustable like anything else).This setting is responsible for the 'focal lenght'. With high f-number eg f/22 or f/11, when taking jewellery photographs, parts that are close to camera will be focused as well as parts that are further away. With low f-number, eg f/2, only the focused part will be in-focus, and parts of jewellery that are further apart or closer to the camera will become fuzzy. Use this setting as it suits you. You may want to create certain effect, but if you don't, keep this setting to f/11. Overdoing this setting will limit the light coming into the camera, and you'll have to make sacrifices elsewhere to compensate.The occupant of the third bedroom told investigators that he got up to use ihe bathroom and iound a fire at or near the end of his bed when he returned. He tried to alert the other two occupants before he ieft the apartment. A second occupant's clothing caught fire as he escaped, causing severe burns from which he died eight days later. The third occupant was briefly seen near a window, but firefighters later found him in his bedroom, where he had apparently tried unsuccessfully to break out a window using an end table. He had died of smoke inhalation.Omikron Design joins styles of classic European designers such as Vico Magistretti, Piero Castiglioni, and Carlo Forcolini with innovations of young designers such as Gabi Peretto, Jonathan Maltz and Nanni Holén. Their approach is to produce objects that enhance and illuminate spaces through light and outstanding design. As such, their designs are functional, stable, elegant and not susceptible to momentary trends.Digital camera with 6 mega pixels or more will preserve enough of the detail for zoom-in's. If not happy, re-take photos of the detail.View Omikron Designs at YLighting: http://www.ylighting.com/omikron-design-lighting.html .

Copyright (c) 2006 Sasha Petrovich

Author: Sasha Petrovich

Overloaded power strip causes deadly fire

OREGON - Two men died in their apartment as the result of a fire that began when an overloaded power strip heated an appliance cord, which ignited nearby combustibles.

4.1 AperatureUniform background colour is recommended. White background works great. Black background is a little harder to work with. I use one of the white wooden shelves that was sitting in the garrage. Hardware stores will sell these for a few dollars.

The building, valued at $188,520. sustained an estimated $31,500 in damage. The unit's contents, valued at $94,500. sustained Sl 5.000 worth of damage.

Author: Tremblay, Ken

YLighting Launches Exclusive Italian Lighting Collection, Omikron Design

YLighting, the leading modern lighting retailer, announces the launch of the new lighting collection from Omikron Design. This collection of design-driven Italian lighting includes floor lamps, wall, ceiling and suspension lights. YLighting is the only retailer in the United States with rights to sell Omikron Design.

Set your camera to manual. This is where you can adjust all settings yourself. You can leave auto-focus on if you wish, that is about the only setting you can have automatic. Disable camera flash. With static lighting and without using flashes, you can spend time moving the lights until you get perfect setup, before taking shots.Spend time arranging jewellery. Clean the jewellery if needed. Polish and remove finger prints. Lay it nicely. For chains, spend time to even out all links and to lay it in a perfect circle. For fashion jewellery this may be a little tricky simply because it's made of various materials and it just doesn't like to sit perfectly on its own. Use blue-tac to fix it where you want it.Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=1312012Copyright (c) 2006 Sasha Petrovich4.4 White Balance4. Taking PhotographsThe building, valued at $188,520. sustained an estimated $31,500 in damage. The unit's contents, valued at $94,500. sustained Sl 5.000 worth of damage.

For more information or high resolution images, please contact: Alexis Endicott YLighting.com | YLiving.com Tel: 800-236-9100 Email: Email Contact

Bringing Your Basement to Life

People don�t always spend a generous amount of time in their basement and therefore, it often doesn�t get the attention it deserves. This often carries through when the home is for sale. Research shows us that kitchens, bathrooms and living rooms are main areas of interest to buyers, so when we are selling we focus on making these rooms look great. But, let�s not forget that a simple basement makeover can also help you earn top dollar for your home. It adds that extra living space that home buyers are looking for and gives a feeling that the home is complete. Here are some ways to achieve a more livable and sellable basement.

As Well as Interior Lighting, Find Top Brands for Landscape Lighting and SaveAir it outIf You know What You're Looking for, You'll Save TimeIt�s time to get rid of these unused items and store those that are used neatly. Today�s buyer is looking for space. If you are showing a home with a basement that is crowded to the rafters with stuff, potential buyers question whether or not there is enough room for their belongings. An attractive and functional storage area allows the buyer to see the potential for storage and makes it easier for them to see the real value in the space.Maybe you have too much furniture upstairs and you would like to clear some of it out for a cleaner, neater look. Why not find pieces to put in the basement. You can do the same with choice pieces of artwork, as well. Sometimes you can create a great room just by rearranging and repurposing pieces that you already own.Once you've decided on a lighting style, you should then be able to customize your search for details such as: price, brand, size and finish. This is also a great way to educate yourself. Take advantage of the many thousands of photographed fixtures and information such as lamp fixture size, finish, price and brand.Basements tend to have lighting issues so be sure that any windows are unobstructed. Clean these windows inside and out and use minimal window treatments to allow as much light in as possible. Don�t let there be a single shadowy corner. Bring in table lamps and floor lamps to light these areas. Install fixtures if your basement is lit by bare light bulbs. Make sure light switch plates are clean and in good repair. Any lights that have pull cords should have a clean, neat looking cord even in unfinished parts of the basement such as the furnace room.You don't need to be a lighting expert to shop by style: all you have to do is find a fixture that matches your home d�cor. If, for example, you are looking for a chandelier to hang over the dining table of your farmhouse, a rustic chandelier would be a good style choice. A well organized website should be intuitive and easy to navigate. Look for online lighting stores that begin with the type of fixture you are looking to buy: chandeliers, wall sconces, exterior fixtures. From there, the site should take you to a selection of lighting styles: Rustic, Traditional, Contemporary etc.You Don't Need to be a Lighting ExpertPermission to reuse or redistribute these materials is hereby granted provided they are reproduced or redistributed in their entirety with full attribution. (c) 2008 Colette RobicheauAn inviting and functional basement can add a lot of value to your home. So, make sure you are using the space to its full selling potential. Don�t let it be �just a basement�, turn it into another room in your home, full of potential for the future home owners.To begin with, here are several types of interior fixtures available for your home: sconces, chandeliers, table and floor lamps, pendants, ceiling mounts, track lighting, recessed lighting and bathroom fixtures. Exterior fixtures include: landscape lighting, exterior sconces, exterior pendants, exterior ceiling fixtures, post lanterns, and flood lights. Take a look at the best ways to find these fixtures online; no matter what stage of the search for home lighting you're in, the internet is a valuable resource.Paint is always an inexpensive, easy way to make a room look updated. Use neutral colors when painting furniture or walls. You want the potential buyer�s to focus on the features of the room, not the furniture in it. They may have a different style than you, and you want them to be able to imagine their things in your house. Tear down that old paneling and paint a nice neutral color or add a fresh coat of paint to wainscoting. You won�t believe the difference!The most popular time to shop for exterior lighting is during spring and summer. With beautiful weather and people spending more time outdoors entertaining, this is the time to light up decks, patios, and landscapes to create ambiance, and safety. In the front of the home, with entry areas and walkways, exterior lamps and lighting are essential for safety and home security year round. Top exterior lighting manufactures of 12 volt, low voltage lighting includes: Focus and Arroyo Craftsman. Yet there are several other top lighting manufacturers that focus on the exterior niche as well. Take a look at Kichler, Progress, Hinkley and Sea Gull. If you are looking for name brand quality, one of the best approaches is to comparison shop online. Then, find a reputable online lighting retailer that offers a low price guarantee (read the policy carefully). This way, you can get the best price available for that brand.Purge It

Permission to reuse or redistribute these materials is hereby granted provided they are reproduced or redistributed in their entirety with full attribution. (c) 2008 Colette Robicheau

Author: Colette Robicheau

3 Great Reasons to Shop for Home Lighting Online

If you are a consumer who knows just what brand or style of lighting fixtures you are looking to buy, the internet can save you money. Conversely, if you are just learning about what lighting fixtures, interior and exterior, are available for your home, the internet is a great place to get educated

Move ItGranted, when you go to a quality lighting showroom the store will be aglow with chandeliers and light fixtures. What happens when you are looking for a particular brand or fixture and they simply don't have it in stock? With the internet, knowing a particular fixture model or brand, means that you can search specifically for your product. This can also save you the time and the hassle of going to the store and then having to wait while the store to orders your particular fixture.Touching up old furniture can be an affordable way to add to your basement as well. A new coat of paint on that old table may be just what it needs to look new and modern.Don�t let the stigma of a basement being a musty place hold true in your house! Remove carpeting that is worn. Check for mold and water damage and take care for your own health in fixing these problems. Use a dehumidifier or air purifier to clear the air. If the furniture that has been down there retains that musty and dusty smell, get it cleaned or let it go. To make the basement feel like part of your home, make sure it is well heated and not drafty. Keep in mind that if you don�t use your heater often, it will have a dusty smell when you turn it on. So, be sure to turn on the heat on well in advance of potential buyers coming to see the house.Store itIf you enjoyed this article, please pass it along to others who would find it useful and sign up for our Organize Anything newsletter on our homepage at www.organizeanything.com.Light it

The most popular time to shop for exterior lighting is during spring and summer. With beautiful weather and people spending more time outdoors entertaining, this is the time to light up decks, patios, and landscapes to create ambiance, and safety. In the front of the home, with entry areas and walkways, exterior lamps and lighting are essential for safety and home security year round. Top exterior lighting manufactures of 12 volt, low voltage lighting includes: Focus and Arroyo Craftsman. Yet there are several other top lighting manufacturers that focus on the exterior niche as well. Take a look at Kichler, Progress, Hinkley and Sea Gull. If you are looking for name brand quality, one of the best approaches is to comparison shop online. Then, find a reputable online lighting retailer that offers a low price guarantee (read the policy carefully). This way, you can get the best price available for that brand.

Author: Nicole Martins

Can you shed light on my problem?

I HAVE a dark corner and want to place a Tiffanystyle lamp in it to give soft light. I want to display it on a corner unit, maybe using some kind of corner shelf that's a little out of the ordinary, but find them very pricey. Any ideas? - Christine Hunter, by email

ZENA SAYS: Why bother with a shelf? If you buy a floorlamp, you won't need anything to rest it on. This Tiffanystyle floor lamp has an antique weathered bronze finish with a dragonfly motif and measures 173cm tall with a diameter of 34cm. It will take a 60w or 15w low energy bulb (pounds 148.05 from www.lighting-direct.co.uk). It may cost a bit more than a table lamp but you won't have to pay anyone to fit a shelf and it's completely portable if you decide to try it in another room or corner.

Author: ZENA ALLI

Research and Markets: Luxury Furniture, Lamps & Floor Coverings Snapshot Report 2010

DUBLIN -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/06784f/luxury_furniture) has announced the addition of the "Luxury Furniture, Lamps & Floor Coverings Snapshot Report 2010" report to their offering.

Finally to create the �Ultimate Game Room� you need a TV. One should be mounted on the wall in the vicinity of the pool table / poker table and the other in a sitting area for kids to play video games. This is a must. No game room is complete without a TV or two for the big game.Visit http://www.game-room-decorating-ideas.com/ to find other fun and interesting information on creating your ultimate game room. You'll find information on other decorating themes like Western and Hawaiian themes and much more at http://www.game-room-decorating-ideas.com/game-room-themes.html . To view game room posters go directly to http://www.game-room-decorating-ideas.com/picture-and-poster.htmlNow you have all the ingredients you need for creating the �Ultimate Home Game Room�. There are always fun and different accessories you can add to spice it up even more but with the basics covered you�re ready to start having the best parties and get-togethers on the block!To do this you start with the wall colors. The best looking game rooms have two-toned wall color schemes. This means a top border around the room that�s 12-24 inches in width. Then paint the rest of the room a complimentary color.

"This report is written specifically for marketers that want the most up-to-date and salient facts to help them understand the trends in the current market and ways they can address their challenges. Unlike Unity Marketing's in-depth market research reports, this snapshot report gives the marketer the most important consumer data that will bring dimension to business planning. It doesn't overwhelm the busy executive with a lot of excess baggage they don't need, but presents them with the facts and figures they need to make decisions," explains Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing and author of Shopping: Why We Love It and How Retailers Can Create the Ultimate Customer Experience.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/06784f/luxury_furniture

Basement Renovation

A finished basement can be a great place where you can entertain your family and friends by putting in a recreation room which includes a pool table, ping pong table, pinball machine, and/or dartboard.

Contained in this new concise snapshot report are these essential facts and figures that can give direction to luxury marketers' business and strategic plans.So what�s best? Checkered tiling is what �Ultimate Game Rooms� are all about. Match the tiles up with your wall color for the ultimate effect. Whether you use 6x6, 8x8 or 12x12 tiling squares it�s a checkered floor that makes your game room �Ultimate�.Basement renovation planning is key to the success of your basement. For instance, if you decide you want a wetbar and/or bathroom, you will need to have the plumbing done first. This would be a top priority because the plumbing usually goes beneath the cement floor. After the plumbing is completed, you need to plan and install the electric which may include hiring a certified electrician. Your plans should include enough electrical outlets, telephone lines and cable hook-ups. These will be used for your television(s), lamp(s), computer(s), electronic games, and a computer modem. Once installed, you must decide on paneling, dry walling, or painting to cover your cement walls. Although paneling might be cheaper, the refined look of drywall makes it the material of choice for finished spaces.Let�s start with furniture. If you�re creating a theme then your furniture must match. For example if you want a �Beach or Hawaiian Theme� then the best pub tables, pub chairs and accessories would be made of wicker or rattan. If you�re creating a Green Bay Packer�s Theme then you�d want chrome bar stools with green or yellow vinyl cushion covers to match. Otherwise if you just want a great game room make sure you bar stools and pub tables match.1. Look for basement foundation cracks. Hairline cracks in the basement can be the fault of improper curing where as large cracks are most likely caused by settling. Both can be repaired with hydraulic cement if the crack is not active i.e. whatever caused the crack is no longer an existing problem. If the basement crack is still active then the crack patching may be re-opened later.Paneling can look dated and does not always last long.To control noise, have thick wall to wall carpeting and a high quality pad can absorb much of the sound. You can use sound deadening material below any underlayment or subfloor. This is nice especially if the basement is used for a bedroom or office. An easy way to reduce noise is by installation of thick insulation between ceiling joists.Next comes the flooring. There is a variety of floors that can be put into game rooms. A few examples would be hardwood, vinyl, cork, bamboo, carpet tiling, ceramic tiling, area rugs and wall-to-wall carpeting. If your game room is located in a basement that eliminates most if not all hardwoods because of moisture problems in basements.Luxury Furniture, Lamps & Floor Coverings Snapshot Report 2010.Creating Your �Ultimate Home Game Room�The next phase in your plans should be the stairwell. Some professionals suggest you should open up the stairwell and install a banister because a basement typically features stairwells that are enclosed. By opening up the basement stairwell you remove some of the basement like atmosphere. Some designers would like to see the doorways of the basement widened and employ arches and columns to dress them up. Examples include French Doors for privacy or a partial separator using decorative glass to add elegance to the basement room.

After your basement renovation are complete, start adding the "toys" that will make it an enjoyable area where you get away from it all.

Author: Keith Hoyng

Creating The Ultimate Home Game Room

Creating the �Ultimate Home Game Room� isn�t as hard as you may think. �Ultimate� doesn�t necessarily mean the most expensive game room either. It just means it�s ultimate for you, your family and your friends.

It�s time to liven things up with �Music�. You can�t have an ultimate game room without music. A Juke Box is best when it comes to game room music. Whether it�s a 1946 Rockola or a retro looking CD Juke Box it doesn�t matter. It�s having a jukebox that counts most. Yes a 400 CD changer with a nice surround sound stereo system works even better but looks mean a lot when creating a game room. Just hide your CD or stereo in the corner.Think about �Other Game Room Games�. For example if you have a 1950�s Theme then an Elvis Pinball Machine fits right in. Also a retro slot machine would be fun to have. A Pachinko Game or Pachislo is a great family game from Japan worth mentioning. And �Dart Boards & Poker Tables� are in high demand these days and there is such a large variety out there you�ll have no problem finding one for your game room.2. Look for basement moisture problems. Moisture problems may be tough to fix. Water is persistent and can make its way through the basement walls that are considered permeable. An easy way to test water problems is to tape a piece of aluminum foil to various places on the basement walls and floors. Seal the edges of the foil tightly and leave in place for several days. After several days, if moisture droplets appear beneath the foil then moisture is going through the basement masonry. If the moisture appears on top of the foil, the problem is condensation from basement humidity. Look for other water problems by looking in the underside of the basement's first subflooring for signs of leaks. Fix any faulty pipes and fixtures. Look for brownish stains on the basement subfloor and sides of the basement joists. This will indicate active or an old leak that has been repaired. If the stain is spongy, an active leak exists.A variety of games, some for the adults and some for the kids are what you need. Games can get a little expensive so don�t buy new, buy second hand from an online auction site or look in your local paper for used games. It�s not how new they are it�s how FUN they are! Don�t have enough space? Then try a �Combination Game Table�. They have combos from 3 in 1 to 15 in 1 game tables.Now you�re ready to decorate your walls! Posters, Tin Signs, Neon Signs, Clocks and more are what you�ll need to get started. Have a movie theme then find some great movie posters online to fill up your room. Actually it�s best to have an assortment of each. Leave gaps and spread all your cool stuff out. You want them to be noticed and admired not lost in a mess of other posters and signs. Remember you just spent a few days painting your game room so don�t cover it up. With a general game room theme vintage tin signs are always a big hit. Plus one or two neon signs add atmosphere. Don�t overdue the neon though just choose a few favorites.Before a basement renovation you should:"This report is written specifically for marketers that want the most up-to-date and salient facts to help them understand the trends in the current market and ways they can address their challenges. Unlike Unity Marketing's in-depth market research reports, this snapshot report gives the marketer the most important consumer data that will bring dimension to business planning. It doesn't overwhelm the busy executive with a lot of excess baggage they don't need, but presents them with the facts and figures they need to make decisions," explains Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing and author of Shopping: Why We Love It and How Retailers Can Create the Ultimate Customer Experience.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/06784f/luxury_furnitureIt�s fun choosing a color scheme. Use your favorite sports team, your high school / university colors, the colors of your home country or a favorite painting or place you�ve visited. If those colors aren�t good just select Two Great compatible colors. It�s usually best to make the darker color your border color and the lighter color as your main wall color. This brightens up the room and helps your cool signs and posters to display better.Now it�s time to find the best TABLE GAMES. Besides the cost it�s room size that determines which games to include in your game room. By far every �Ultimate Game Room� needs a billiard table. Now days you can get a variety of fabric colors besides green. Also you can find themed billiard tables like NASCAR and more. Two other great additions are foosball and air hockey. Easy to play fast paced games. They also come in a variety of sizes and fun designs. Table Tennis is a fun game but not everyone knows how to play and they take a lot of space if they don�t fold up so you may want to add other games first. One game that is overlooked too much is Shuffleboard. It�s GREAT for the whole family and it�s easy and fun to play.Now comes the �FUN PART�. You can either theme your game room or create a general all out fun game room.The basics for every game room include �games & signs�. That�s all it takes to create your game room. Of course some organization is also needed, you don�t want a mess of posters, pub signs and neon signs taking up your walls.After your basement renovation are complete, start adding the "toys" that will make it an enjoyable area where you get away from it all.In below-ground basement renovations, should you want to add a kitchen or bath you can tie into the plumbing system that is in place above. You can buy toilets and lavatories that are specifically designed for below grade applications.The next thing to consider is the lighting. If you have a theme, say a sports theme, then find pub lamps, swag lights and floor lamps that have your favorite sport or team�s name on them. For an Asian theme you�d want bamboo lamps and hanging lanterns. For general game rooms, bar lights with your favorite drink or food would be perfect!It includes details, facts and figures taken from Unity Marketing's Luxury Report 2010: The Ultimate Guide to the Luxury Consumer Market, which is based upon quarterly surveys among 1,000-1,200 affluent consumers (incomes $100,000 and above) conducted throughout 2007, 2008 and 2009.When installing the ceiling, stay away from suspended ceilings because they make the basement look like a basement. Consider using tray ceilings. When choosing the color for painting, use a light, bright, or dramatic color scheme. With these colors, you can turn that dark gloomy basement into a room that opens and brightens.

Visit http://www.game-room-decorating-ideas.com/ to find other fun and interesting information on creating your ultimate game room. You'll find information on other decorating themes like Western and Hawaiian themes and much more at http://www.game-room-decorating-ideas.com/game-room-themes.html . To view game room posters go directly to http://www.game-room-decorating-ideas.com/picture-and-poster.html

Author: Joe Schmieder

Peace of library is rudely interrupted; EXHIBITION CELEBRATES 30th ANNIVERSARY OF ADULT COMIC VIZ

Byline: DAVID WHETSTONE

"We've got books here with cartoons from the 18th Century which are just as rude."Aurelio Montes is a pioneer in the production of Chilean premium wine. "Before the earthquake, I never dreamed we would have such an event. Fortunately much of the wine lost was second stock in tank that we sell in bulk. But we lost 17% of our wine stock in Colchagua," said the chairman and winemaker of Montes Wine.CAPTION(S):As for the rest of the room, our favorite piece is our sofa table. It's not behind the sofa, though. We use it as an anchor piece against one of our walls. There are lamps on both ends and it's filled with photos of both our families. It's always a great conversation starter.There is also a programme of events including cartoon workshops and talks.Fortunately, the quake arrived as the first white grapes of harvest trickled into wineries. The weather cooperated with no heat spikes, while irrigation remained problematic. Some winemakers such as Grant Phelps at Casas del Bosque were simply lucky. The week before, Phelps had moved wine from barrel to tank to begin bottling blends. He lost the equivalent of 15 barrels of wine, but only one tank.Wineries such as Amayna in the San Antonio Valley benefited from owners with real estate backgrounds, who built with strong structural safeguards and experienced minimal damage.Our living room has two focal points, the fireplace and our TV armoire. Unfortunately, the armoire ended up next to the fireplace, simply because of the cable jack. It does work there quite well, but ideally we would have liked to move it around to some different places to get a feel for where it worked best. Just goes to show you that sometimes you have play the hand you're dealt.The tank crushAfter the color was set, we had to think about what to put on these walls...PaintWall DecorWe had the color scheme...our favorite latte, a little red, a bit of of gold...we knew the size...then we saw it in the framed art and wall decor section at Kirkland's. The frame was the perfect thickness...the colors were just right and the size looked like it would fit pefectly above the mantle. Sometimes you just have to go for it.Where was our primary light source? For us it was recessed lighting over the mantle. In other words, not alot!Several Veramonte stainless steel tanks were damaged. Owner of the company and Agustin's son, Agustin Francisco Huneeus succinctly summed up the damage: "The bolts at the base failed, and the legs of the tank buckled over."When it came to add lamps to our decor, we had to figure out the answers to some pretty important questions."We didn't have water for six days. Fortunately we had irrigated the week before, due to hot weather. It will be expensive for us to pump from the Maipo River, but we are buying a generator anyway," Gomez said.

LAUNCH: Chris Donald at the Lit & Phil in Newcastle for the Viz exhibition CHEEKY HUMOUR: Some of the Viz cartoons on display in the Lit & Phil's gallery. The show originally opened in London last year

Preparing for the big one: what American vintners can learn from Chile's magnitude 8.8 quake

The weather at Santa Rita Winery on Feb. 26 was warm and breezeless. It was an ideal setting for a tasting on the patio at the winery's hotel, an hour south of Santiago, Chile. While sipping 2008 Medalla Real Carmenere with winemaker-marketing director Maria Cecila Pino, I learned that Carmenere was rediscovered at the Claro Wine Group's sister winery, coincidentally named Carmen.

There is a small admission charge to the exhibition which is being held in aid of the Lit & Phil. And while items such as the Queen Mumorial tea-towel and the model of Viz's fictional home town, Fulchester, are not for sale, you can buy a special bag with both the Viz and Lit & Phil logos on it.My wife and I aren't professionals. We just know what we like. When we run into a problem, we face it, break it down, and decide what looks best. With good information and a little bit of time to spend, you can make your living room "the" room that everyone talks about when they come to visit.No flow of electricity or waterJust so happens that in one of our previous homes, the walls were about the same color. It was time to sell and there was this empty space above the mantle. What would be just right there? Wrought iron? Something black and white? Some professional wall art?Wineries that dry farm, such as O. Foamier and Gillmore in Maule, were immune to irrigation problems. But in the San Antonio region, marketing director Claudia Gomez and the Amayna winery team had reviewed the need for generators the week before the quake and chosen not to buy."There is no reason why we shouldn't have this exhibition here," said Chris.But maybe that should read until today. For last night Viz co-founder Chris Donald officially opened the 30th anniversary exhibition of his mischievous mag in the Lit & Phil's ground floor gallery.Meanwhile Viz co-founder Simon Donald sent up a famous John Everett Millais painting called Bubbles, used to advertise Pears' Soap in Victorian times, with a vulgar version showing Johnny Fartpants.Nearly everyone in a long swath of Chile's wine regions--from Casablanca, Colchagua and Maule to Bio-Bio--felt the impact of the quake personally or professionally. From the tasting room to the cellar and barrel storage, wineries hurried to assess business losses. Though the cleanup took only days, projects to rebuild infrastructure, equipment, storage and their communities will take much longer."We had the space and, frankly, this part of the place is under-used."I hope what you've gotten out of this article is that style is not confined to a single term; like contemporary, traditional or country. Style is your state of mind and what appeals to you.Maybe you live by the water and nautical fits your style. In that case, blues, whites, greens and yellows may work for you. If you live in a downtown loft, you may want an industrial look with white and silver elements. If you're in search of the perfect country look - try some softer, blues, reds, browns, and maybe some yellows.At Estampa Vineyards in Colchagua, the 9-year-old outer winery building suffered minimal damage due to walls and roof construction made of polyurethane covered with metal siding: lightweight, flexible and very resistant. But an inner concrete structure that housed the tasting room and wine bar collapsed. "The twolevel structure just fell down," said head winemaker Ricardo Baetting.When electrical lines went down, the power surge at Casas del Bosque blew the transformer and failsafe mechanism to trigger the generator. Without surge protection, however, Phelps found that circuitry in the higher voltage equipment used in computer controls was damaged. Since then, he has experienced intermittent problems with the circuitry that runs the presses.Cartoonist Davey Jones's cartoon image of Gilbert Ratchet Vitruvian Handyman is a spoof of a famous scientific drawing by Leonardo da Vinci.Also without water for six days, Baetting picked Sauvignon Blanc at higher Brix levels than normal, but Estampa's water reservoirs suffered no damage. Other wineries experienced failure of reservoir walls and broken piping from canal systems.Six days later in Santiago, I caught up with international vintner Jose Manuel Ortega. Owner of O. Fournier wineries in Spain and Argentina, Ortega was making his second long trip over damaged roads from his Mendoza home to his leased production facilities in Chile's Maule Valley. He was eager to talk with me about recovery efforts and to deliver glass lab equipment to restock his smashed cellar.LightingOverall impactPhil Wente of Wente Vineyards in Livermore Valley, Calif., got a voicemail from Veramonte soon after the quake. What information could the fourth-generation winegrower share about anti-seismic stainless tank design?Chris pointed out that the creators of some of Viz's many rude and funny characters are actually quite a brainy bunch.I had obviously not read the guidebook, which footnoted Chile's potential for earthquakes, but I knew instantly that idyllic dinners sipping Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon were to be displaced by the reality of the terremoto in South Central Chile, home to the country's burgeoning wine regions.A few hours later, at 3:34 a.m., I learned that 90 seconds is an eternity. The earthquake roared in at 8.8 on the Richter scale and wouldn't stop. I awoke to the sound of two trains ramming the room as lamps and paintings fell. One train bounced beneath me as the earth shook sideways and vertically. Another thundered overhead as plaster, furniture and fixtures fell on the floor above.The quantity of lost wine varied greatly by proximity to the epicenter, type of equipment and building construction. Structural problems at Veramonte, opened in 1995 in the Casablanca region, occurred only on a balcony used as a vista point. About 240,000 liters--6% of wine inventory--was lost.When we moved into our house, the walls were off-white. Not bad, definitely versatile, but not for us, and definitely not for our furniture and accents. We used our favorite wall color, Sherwin Williams Latte , and...WOW!!!! The room just popped! When your paint colors complement your furniture and accents, and your furniture and accents complement your paint colors...you win. Your style starts working for you.George Stephenson demonstrated his miners' safety lamp there in 1815 and electric lightbulb inventor Sir Joseph Swan lectured there in 1880.

Several Veramonte stainless steel tanks were damaged. Owner of the company and Agustin's son, Agustin Francisco Huneeus succinctly summed up the damage: "The bolts at the base failed, and the legs of the tank buckled over."

Author: Deborah Grossman

Stylish Living Room Ideas From Our Home To Yours

Decorating our home has become a labor of love for us. By far, our favorite room to decorate has been our living room. This space has become the centerpiece of our home, in addition to being the room we spend the most time in. We've used color, a mix of traditional and contemporary furniture, wall art, and eye-catching accessories to create a stylish living room design that is still functional and comfortable. We hope by giving you some ideas from our own living room we'll spur your creativity and point you in the right direction to making your living room your favorite room.

LAUNCH: Chris Donald at the Lit & Phil in Newcastle for the Viz exhibition CHEEKY HUMOUR: Some of the Viz cartoons on display in the Lit & Phil's gallery. The show originally opened in London last yearAmid the original artwork of Viz favourites such as Biffa Bacon and Roger Mellie, Lit & Phil board member Chris Purser said: "As far as we are concerned, Viz is quintessentially Geordie and Tyneside. "The show was in London last year and someone said to them, 'You are taking it to Newcastle, aren't you?'. They hadn't thought about it.The last major earthquake was an 8.0 off the coast of Valparaiso near Santiago in 1985. "At that time, there were some vineyards planted but no wineries in the nearby Casablanca wine region," Phelps said. "A whole generation of winemakers began working since then, who didn't hear the stories of the damage and personal destruction from workers and management."Piping is a major factor, Baetting added. His PVC pipes for water-cooling two tanks broke, but this represents only 5% of his total tubing and plumbing. "PVC pipe is so easy to repair, but it's also easy to break."And between now and September 4 that studious atmosphere might be punctuated with the sound of raucous guffaws.Back in San Francisco a few weeks later, I met Julio Bouchon Lyon, vice president of J. Bouchon Winery (seen after quake, at left) in the Maule Valley. "In Chile, we have a culture of earthquakes, and every house has a secure place," he said. "Ours was under a doorway in the front room. We're lucky we weren't there--the roof caved in that portion of the adobe home built in 1892."In April, the Chilean trade association Wines of Chile revised the initial estimate of wine losses from $250 million to $305 million. The group anticipates no decline in exports, due to stock on hand from the larger-than-normal 2009 harvest, but premium wine prices have dropped, partly due to the global economic crisis.The exhibition includes original artwork and Viz merchandise.What kind of lighting did we want to use? Add a light to the ceiling fan - table lamps - floor lamps? Eventually we combined table and floor lamps with a style somewhere between mission and contemporary. Believe me, these two styles go together better than you might think.Did we want to separate a TV watching area and a reading area? Not really, because there just wasn't enough room.With all the online resources these days, it's really easy to find pieces that go with your colors, before you even leave the house.FurnitureAs in all disasters, the area's infrastructure imploded. Electricity and water were shut off for days or weeks. Generators were not an instant panacea. Baetting could have turned on the gas generator at Estampa within minutes to save leakage from a punctured tank. But in the darkness, he couldn't identify the one tank with the small leak--nor could he tell if electrical cables had been cut. "We were concerned about fire from broken wiring or if we would experience more damage from the constant, powerful replicas (aftershocks).""Agustin Huneeus (Veramonte's founder) probably remembered the big Greenville 5.5 earthquake that hit here in 1980, when he worked nearby. That quake, although not strong on the Richter scale, had an unusual upward movement. We lost a large number of tanks and worked with suppliers on a new design with better functionality on the Z-axis as well as the X and Y-axis. We designed for a 7.0 quake with concrete tank bumpers, which have worked well," said Phil's brother Eric, chairman of the board at Wente.We choose a neutral color scheme for our living room. Brown is Jen's favorite color and I love all the tones and colors you can mix into a neutral scheme - like red, gold, bronze, maize, and orange. Next we're going to mix in a bit more black.Then there is the send up of WH Auden's famous poem The Night Train, featuring Postman Plod in the Viz version.Chilean vintners were happy to share their experiences with their American counterparts and impart information about how to prepare for earthquakes and minimize winery losses.Even today, with its huge library of old books, the place has an air of quiet erudition.

My wife and I aren't professionals. We just know what we like. When we run into a problem, we face it, break it down, and decide what looks best. With good information and a little bit of time to spend, you can make your living room "the" room that everyone talks about when they come to visit.

Author: Todd Marsha