It was close to a year ago that I wrote about an amazing piece of software called Floorplanner, advertised as the easiest way to create and share interactive floor plans that could save me hours of back-breaking labor. As if it were possible, the product is now improved and looking for beta testers. The new version features 3D objects, easier surface drawing, faster speed and some interface refinements. The 3D objects addition is by far the greatest improvement on an already booming business: over 10,000 floor plans are saved on their site daily by their 500,000 registered users.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and The Home Depot has announced a recall of about 14,000 candle holders. Sunlight that passes through the glass can cause nearby flammable items to ignite. The sun-shaped candle holder is glass and metal and was sold in four colors (red, green, blue and yellow). The product's hang tag has “15.75" Candle Holder” printed on it. The candle holder was sold at The Home Depot stores in the southern and western regions of the U.S. from January 2008 through March 2008 for about $10. Consumers should stop using the candle holder immediately and return it to The Home Depot for a full refund.
Although it is not a web site you would normally turn to for home improvement tips, Shape.com has a great article about creating a healthy home office. Here are the tips summarized:
Soothing colors - Use muted tones instead of bright colors and don't use white.
Ergonomic workstation
Fully adjustable seating
A footrest
Hands-free headset
Heavy duty paper shredder
Natural elments - Put in potted plants and fresh flowers
A calming foundation - Meaning, one of those tabletop water fountains
Proper lighting - The computer screen should be brighter than the overhead light.
One planner/calendar Read detailed explantions of each point at Shape.com. Also, you may want to check out some relevant home office articles on our site: Creating "Creating Your Home Office Plan" as well as one showing you how to make your home office more energy-efficient called "The Green Office."
Highlighting the efficiency of LED lighting, the world's largest LED free-hanging chandelier was illuminated on April 2, 2008 by Meyda Lighting in Utica, N.Y. But the truly amazing thing was the lighting power of the chandelier was equivalent to 720 100-watt incandescent light bulbs but only used the power equivalent of 11 100-watt incandescent light bulbs, an energy savings of 98.5 percent. Yowza! The chandelier is 35 feet in diameter, 17 feet tall and weighs 7,000 pounds. Not only is the chandelier energy-efficient but, as you can see from the photo, it's also beautiful.
I was discussing mattresses today with a BobVila.com colleague, and she mentioned that she was thinking about buying a new one. Coincidentally, I stumbled across this article tonight from BestStuff.com, a site devoted to consumer product news and reviews, which lists the top 10 things you should look for when selecting a new mattress. eHow.com also has a 10 tips list. With a quick search, I found Back Designs Inc., a site that includes a detailed explanation of finding a mattress that truly fits you. All this useful information should let my colleague have a good night's sleep and not worry too much about finding a mattress.
Homeowners looking to jazz up their drab bathroom mirrors can't go wrong with MirrorMate, an affordable custom framing solution. The frames come in 35 different styles and are custom cut to fit the mirror's height and width. According to the MirrorMate web site, assembly and installation after delivery take about 20 minutes. That sounds like the amount of time I want to spend assembling a frame. The price of a MirrorMate frame is around $109 to $189, much less than the cost of buying a whole new mirror.
Sad to see the end of winter? Sorry to see your skis packed away for the season? Well, one company's innovative design lets you use them year-round. Green Mountain Ski Furniture
recycles old skis and snowboards into "usable art" such as Adirondack ski chairs, ski benches and outdoor furniture. They'll even custom-design and build products with your own old gear. Not only is the furniture attractive and practical, but the company's helping the environment. They pick up any old equipment for free in Vermont, where they are located, and encourage people from outside the state to mail anything to them to donate.
