TopSlide Table Saw Slides?

When it comes to Drawer Hardware, we've always felt confident that we have just about any application your can name covered - including a few that never even occurred to us. In an effort to get the most out of a less-than sprawling home shop, hobbyist woodworkers are often driven to great lengths in making their working space layout more efficient. This week’s solve-a-space-issue prize has to go to Randall Richards of Chatsworth, GA. Using a pair of our new TopSlide Heavy Duty Drawer Slides to support his trusty Craftsman table saw, he’s now able to handle large-scale ripping jobs without having to drag the heavy beast all over the shop. In his words:

“I have an old Craftsman table saw that I have used for about 30 years. I always had to drag it around the shop. If I wanted to rip a full piece of plywood, I always had to have help. I designed this table to allow me to rip plywood by myself. I used the heavy duty drawer slides to allow me to slide the saw left of right. This way, the stock coming out of the saw can all slide out on the table. It works even better than I expected that it would. Now I have to devise a clamping system to hold the saw in place. I am presently using spring clamps, but I plan to add a clamp to the saw that will clamp down on the slide.”

A very clever solution, we think, and the slides fit the bill perfectly. With a 220 lb. load rating, the pair of Series 758's chosen are sure to offer decades of smooth, stable support. Randall’s is one of the first reviews we’ve received for our new TopSlide line of ball bearing and undermount drawer slides (they’ve only been out for a couple of weeks, after all). But we expect lots more. Engineered in-house by Rockler (after 50-plus years of experience with drawer hardware of all sorts) TopSlide drawer slides are designed to satisfy even stringent requirements of drawer hardware connoisseurs.

And it appears to have worked: in blind “taste tests” conducted by Rockler, customers picked TopSlide time and time-again as the smoothest operating slides among top brands. Even better, through careful design and as-careful sourcing, we’re able to offer them at a price that’s actually less than most of the premium slides you’re used to seeing. What else could you ask for? How about an unconditional lifetime guarantee? If you’re skeptical, or just think a-slide’s-a-slide’s-a-slide, we invite you to try a pair and judge for yourself - risk free. If you don’t agree that TopSlide represents a standout value, just send your purchase back for a fast and full refund.

The TopSlide line covers the full range of common and not-so-common applications. Along with the central player in the TopSlide line - the 100 lb. full extension Series 757 - you’ll find a variety of special application slides. The 757 A, for example, has handy horizontal tabs on the drawer member of the slide designed to support shelves and pullouts in perfect alignment and simplify the installation process. You’ll also find heavy-duty slides in various load ranges, over travel slides, economical 3/4 extension sides, and a premium, fully concealed undermount option in the Series CC44. We also have a second line of slides. For budget-sensitive projects, Rockler CenterLine drawer slides offer reliable service at an exceptionally wallet-friendly price.

Okay, but with all of these options, how will you ever pin down the perfect slide for your projects? The answer is: with a quick look at our handy TopSlide Guide. There you’ll find an easy-to-use reference containing slide dimensions, applications and capabilities, all to help you choose exactly the slides you need and get them ordered and on their way as quickly as possible. And if you need more advice, as always our renowned technical support staff are on hand to help you out – even if the advice you seek relates to a more “creative” application, like the latitudinally positionable table saw mentioned above.

http://www.rockler.com

Customer Reviews

Make Free E-Z Plans Easier

What's better than a free woodworking plan? How about a free woodworking plan that's doable in a weekend, doesn't require Norm's shop, and doesn't leave you hunting around for obscure materials or strange, exotic hardware items. That, we think, is what makes Rockler E-Z Plans such a perennial favorite. Perfect for woodworkers with beginning to intermediate skill, the free E-Z Plans lean toward compact projects that require only affordable, readily available materials, nearly all of which can be purchased right here on the Rockler website.

But on top of that, there's an added bonus tacked on to many of plans, and we can't even take the credit: quite a few have gathered a legacy of customer reviews that not only offer an unbiased opinion on the overall quality of the project, but also include tips and insights that can help make the project go smoothly, or even help you decide if it's the right one for you.

Say, for example, you're wondering whether your modest shop is up to the task of our Mail Truck E-Z Plan, you might take heart from the results customer Wayne A. Tippin Sr. got with just a few basic tools:

"I saw the mailbox banks on your website and I wanted to make them for my four grandchildren, hoping the trucks would remind them of me many years from now. Unfortunately, I don't have a table saw, a router or any sophisticated machines. What I do have is a circular saw, an orbital sander, and a hand-held jigsaw. Well, we must make do with what we have, right? I had to hold the edges against the sander to round them. I think they're not so bad, for an amateur.

"Thanks for the bank idea - they aren't professional, but 'Grandpa made it for them.' It means more than you know."

Or, if you scroll down the page a little ways, you might decide not to follow the instructions at all. After all, the plans are just suggestions. We're always happy to see creative departures, like this custom mini-mailbox posted by Marvin R Lybbert, from Moses Lake, WA. along with its inspiration and a few kind words:

"After being a Letter Carrier for 42 years I wanted to make a mailbox bank that I used every day. So I built the collection box bank pictured [to the right]. Your products and your service is 'First Class'."

None of the Rockler E-Z plans will land you an elaborate and gorgeous period highboy, but they will give you a fun, manageable project to keep for your own enjoyment or give as a gift. If you're not sure which one to try, the customer reviews can help you choose. Or they may help you think out side of the box and put your own custom spin on a project, like A. O. from San Diego, CA did with our Hour Glass Timer project and a little ingenuity:

"I ordered this hourglass and made one for my boyfriend's 40th birthday. It was a challenging project as I do not own a router or lathe, but I purchased 7' diameter x 3/4' thick pre-cut wooden pieces from a craft store for the top and bottom, and drilled a 1/2' hole partway into the center of each wood piece to allow the hourglass to 'seat'. (The blown glass piece has a metal covered protrusion on each end that is 1/2' in diameter.)

"I used 12' threaded rods (covered by steel rods) for the spindles. This allowed me to adjust the height of each rod by screwing cap nuts ('acorn' nuts) onto the threaded rods to level the piece. (I countersunk holes halfway into the top and bottom wood pieces to allow the nuts to sit deeper into the holes.) The nuts became the 'feet' of the piece, and looked great with the steel rods. I agree that a template for the holes would have been quite useful -- that was the most difficult part of the project for me.

"I sprayed clear coat on the steel rods (after cleaning and polishing them) to protect against rust, and sprayed the wood pieces with a dark grey gloss paint prior to assembly. I also used small black O-rings from the faucet repair section of my hardware store between the rods and wood, and on the ends of the glass piece to help it seat into the wood.

"The finished product turned out just as I had envisioned it, and was more modern and "metallic" looking than one made with turned wooden spindles and stained wood. My boyfriend said it is the best gift he's ever received! I really liked that the glass piece from Rockler is so large, and the color of the sand (light tan) was much better than other similar products I found with white sand. I would definitely order this product again."

Options for Building Drawers

As you may have discovered, there are many ways to build a drawer box. What’s your favorite? Whatever it is, your method of choice almost certainly reflects the importance you place on durability, aesthetics and last but not least, getting done fast.

In building drawer boxes, you have three joinery decisions to make: how to join the sides to the front, how to join the sides to the back, and how to join the bottom to all four. As far as we know, the last is a forgone conclusion: Nearly everyone slips the drawer bottom into a groove at the bottom of the front and sides, and either uses the “open back” method (cuts the back so that its bottom edge will end up level with the top of the groove) or grooves the back as well.

Attaching the sides the back, and especially attaching the sides to the front, is another matter. Here, opinions vary and many methods are championed. If you’re new to drawer making, a good way to sample the available techniques and pick up a few techniques is to start with a joinery book. Bill Hylton’s Chests of Drawers, for example, covers drawer building basics as well as taking the reader step-by-step through a number of projects, all of which involve many drawer making opportunities.

Not surprisingly, Hylton and numerous other experts favor a couple of drawer construction methods: For joining the sides to the front, most prefer either half-blind dovetails (for aesthetics and durability) or some type of lock joint, such as that produced by the Drawer Lock Router Bit (for speed and durability) - for more on getting started with either of these methods, see “Drawer Box Joinery Tips”. When it comes to joining the sides to the back, the winners seem to be through dovetails for fancy stuff, and a simpler joint, such as a dado or rabbet and dado for production work.

Still, there are other methods to consider. For some woodworkers, a reinforced butt joint is sufficient. People use everything from biscuits to dowels and even pocket screws (later concealed by the drawer front) to shore up the strength of the inherently weak butt joint. A while back on the Women in Woodworking Forum, woodworker and author Carol Reed posted this interesting and very simple doweling technique in answer to a question on easy drawer box construction possibilities:

“The simplest joint is a butt joint. That said, it needs to be reinforced and that depends on your tooling.

The slickest reinforcement I have ever done was to drill holes through the joint (after the drawer box dried) and glue in dowels. Better than metal fasteners because glue is also used. But that takes a means to drill precision holes for the dowels. A simple guide with your cordless works. In my case I had a floor drill press where the table dropped far enough to do even large drawers.”

If you wanted to give that a try but don’t have a drill press, you could easily handle the alignment problem by constructing a simple jig to go along with an inexpensive drill guide.

Another method, although one that’s hard to duplicate in a most home shops, is “chuck and bore” joinery. In this widely used, established method, round pins cut from the ends of the drawer fronts and backs are glued into corresponding holes in the drawer sides. And while you probably won’t cut this joint in your garage, it’s still one of the easiest ways to end up with solid birch drawer box parts. With Rockler’s Custom Drawer Program, you can simply phone in the sizes of the parts you need and have them delivered to your door, guaranteed square and ready to assemble.

There are many other possibilities, and you might prefer something that we’ve left out. Some woodworkers like a sliding dovetail for joining the sides to the front, and plenty of other’s are happy with a dado joint and staples for both front and back. Our position is this: There’s a lot to be said for time-tested and widely favored methods, but we’re always willing to keep an open mind to new possibilities, like this innovative technique extracted from the ever fruitful Woodweb Knowledge Base:

From contributor O:
For an attractive, durable and inexpensive drawer box, you can use maple print melamine board - 5/8" thickness is good - and screw, nail or staple the box together. Use a dab of melamine glue if nailing or stapling. Then get a roll of Dovetape by 2M corporation which has end-grain dovetail patterns on a transparent self-stick mylar backer (available in mock unfinished end grain for the look of kit drawers or pre-finished end grain to look like you did it yourself). Apply the Dovetape to the front and back edges of the drawer box and there it is. Be sure to locate the nail/staple/screwheads so the mock dovetails cover them.

//www.rockler.com/

Garden designs

Create a haven from the midday sun while enjoy the closeness of nature by placing a parasol in the corner of your garden. Team this with vibrant garden furniture in zesty colours and take pleasure in relaxing in your contemporary outdoor space.

Decorative garden

Add decorative details to your garden to give it a

touch of style . Place a striking piece of ironwork against a light-painted wall - this will show off the detailing in all its glory - and then dot small sculptures around the space to play with scale

Mediterranean-style courtyard

Featured at the Tatton Park Flower Show, the Mediterranean-style theme of this courtyard is created by red paving stones teamed with painted walls. Fiery coloured flowers are partnered with cordyline, olive and palm trees to add to the Mediterranean feel. A corner seating area features a pergola, wooden benches painted red and matching cushions. The nearby wat

er sounds from the bubbling pot complete the sense o

f calm.

Summer retreat

Reclaim your shed, paint it mint green and sky blue, then add

some classic wicker furniture for the ultimate retreat at the end of your garden. Give it a homely feel with cushions in retro flor

al prints and a pretty painting. Add a rug for extra comfort, and hang a voile curtain across the door so you can shelter from the sun but still enjoy the breeze.

Urban-chic garden

Create a comfy, alfresco seating area with a modern rattan sofa and armchair and pick a dining set in black and chrome for a contemporary look. Brighten the look with silky red and lime cushions and include plenty of striking foliage in co-ordinating planters and finish them off with a few pebbles around the base

http://www.housetohome.co.uk/galleries/gardens

V Ray

V RAY
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BEAT THE RECESSION - SPREAD YOUR PAYMENTS FOR THE DECORATOR COURSE AND DIPLOMA COURSE AND PAY 0% INTEREST!

PREFER TO PAY IN FULL? HERE'S A GOOD REASON TO DO JUST THAT!

PAY IN FULL for the Interior Decorator Course or the Professional Interior Design Course to receive a stylish black 8GB iPod Nano FREE!

Until June 30th 2009, pay your tuition in full on registration for the Interior Decorator Course, or the Professional Diploma Course, and receive the new 8GB Apple iPod Nano©. Your free Nano will be shipped upon successful grading of the first test in your course. Only one offer per newly enrolled Diploma Course or Interior Decorator Course student. iPod offered in black only. Name and image copyright © 2008 Apple Inc.

All fees are quoted in Pounds Sterling. If you live in the US, Canada or the Americas you must enrol via our US Office.

Please click a button below to see tuition fees for your chosen course

http://www.rhodec.edu/fees.php

Learn the Ancient Art of Feng Shui Design. Feng Shui Photo Feng Shui is a Chinese system approach to interior design that has been practiced for thou

Learn the Ancient Art of Feng Shui Design.

Feng Shui is a Chinese system approach to interior design that has been practiced for thousands of years. It is often characterized by a minimalist appearance,because of its emphasis on de-cluttering, but its principles are compatible with virtually any style of architecture or interior design.

The practice of Feng Shui emphasizes the need for people to live in harmony with their environment. To apply Feng Shui you need a complete understanding of the Chinese concepts of Ch'i (energy), Yin and Yang, and the Five Elements. The Sheffield Course in Feng Shui Interior Design gives you all the information you need about the principles of Feng Shui. You will learn all about the different techniques for using Feng Shui to create harmonious, beautiful interiors with unique, personalized styles. It will also give you the business information you'll to become a professional Feng Shui consultant.

Students of Sheffield's Feng Shui Interior Design Course come from all walks of life and all levels of experience. Some of our graduates are established interior designers who want to broaden their areas expertise through a Sheffield Certificate in Feng Shui Design. Others are interested in beginning a brand-new career. And some simply want to use Feng Shui to decorate their own homes with beautiful designs that promote successful lives and relationships.

Your Comprehensive Feng Shui Interior Design Training Includes:

• Six Feng Shui Study Guides that include articles by top Feng Shui experts.
• Three comprehensive textbooks: Feng Shui Revealed,The Feng Shui House Book,and The Western Guide to Feng Shui.
• DVDs that give you the opportunity to watch Feng Shui masters at work.
• Audio CDs that reinforce the most important ideas from your lessons and feature discussions with professional Feng Shui designers.
• Unlimited access to a Sheffield Student Advisor who is a working Feng Shui designer.
• Feng Shui Design Project Kits — as you complete each Project it will be evaluated by a professional Feng Shui designer who will thoughtfully record comments for you on audio.
• Colored pencils and pen.
• Feng Shui journal.
• Special Feng Shui tools: A crystal,mirror,and wind chimes.
• Audio CD holder.
• Portfolio binder for your Sheffield Feng Shui Study Guides.
• Certificate of Completion.

We're so sure you'll be satisfied with your Feng Shui Course, we offer a No Risk Refund Policy unlike any in the industry. Start your new career now by clicking here for a FREE Course catalog or find out more by calling 800-445-7279.

About Sheffield's Feng Shui Course Expert.

The materials for the Feng Shui Design Course were created by Sheffield in collaboration with R.D. Chin, an internationally recognized Feng Shui designer. He runs a successful Feng Shui consulting business, Space Alignment-Feng Shui Space Design, which has offices in Amsterdam and New York City. He has created Feng Shui designs for hundreds of clients, including art galleries,theaters, corporate offices,and private homeowners.

R.D.'s work has been featured in many publications worldwide, including Metropolitan Home, House Beautiful, The New York Times,and The Wall Street Journal. In addition to his Feng Shui background, R.D. is a trained architect and interior designer.

R.D. contributed to the creation of Sheffield's Feng Shui Interior Design Course in many different ways. His book Feng Shui Revealed is one of the textbooks for Sheffield's Course, and he is featured extensively on the audio and video portions of the Course. He also worked as a consultant with Sheffield to create educational materials that give students the practical information they need to become skilled Feng Shui designers.

Meet Jennifer Frank

Jennifer Ellen Frank is a Feng Shui & Interior Designer who integrates the classical Chinese form of Feng Shui with related traditional, spiritual practices. She combines more than 24 years in the design field—interior design, home textile design, home product development and home styling for interiors—with more than 24 years of study in eastern philosophies. In this way, she bridges interior design, Feng Shui and spiritual practice to create wealth, health, harmony and balance within the home and workplace.

Read more about Jennifer Ellen Frank

Wedding

Turn Your Love for Party Planning into a Career.

Wedding and event planning is an incredibly exciting and fast-growing field. Nowadays, many brides — and their mothers — are too busy with to devote months of time to planning a wedding. And the modern bride feels that it's very important to host a special day that will be remembered as an event with a unique style and flavor. For these reasons, a growing number of couples now seek the outside assistance of a professional wedding and event planner.

The Complete Course in Wedding & Event Planning.

This Course thoroughly addresses everything you need to know about the art and business of wedding and event planning. From creating a guest list, to hiring vendors, to creating a beautiful wedding design, we cover everything you need to orchestrate a memorable event.

Whether you want to become a professional party planner or just plan your own wedding like a pro, the Sheffield Wedding and Event Planning Course will teach you how to avoid common pitfalls, keep the planning process organized, and create fashionable events. Click here for a Free Course catalog.

Your Comprehensive Wedding and Event Planning Training Includes:

• Your Comprehensive Wedding and Event Planning Training Includes:
• Twenty complete lessons — with special "Look Book" supplements.
• Six Sheffield Study Guides that lead you step-by-step through your lessons. .
• Six Workbooks that let you practice everything you've learned.
• Personal Student Advisor — a working party planner who is available to answer all your questions..
• Unlimited support from the Sheffield faculty that includes professional wedding and event planners who are willing to answer all your questions.
• Two Virtual Internship projects, which will be carefully evaluated by a working wedding planner
• Three special supplements describing how to start a business and succeed in the professional world.
• Sheffield Graduation Certificate.

Start your new career as a wedding and event planner now! Click here for a FREE Course Catalog or call 800-445-7279.

About Sheffield's Wedding and Event Planner Expert.

Xochitl Gonzalez is a co-founder of Always a Bridesmaid, a successful New York City wedding planning business. Before establishing her own company, she worked as a corporate event planner for the advertising industry's prestigious Clio Awards. She has also been recognized by New York Magazine as one of NYC's premiere wedding planners.

The texts for Sheffield's Wedding and Event Planning Course were updated with Xochitl's assistance, and she wrote a series of informative "letters from the instructor" for the Course Study Guides. Best of all, you will have the opportunity to listen to Xochitl discuss her professional experiences on a series of audio CDs that will provide you with hours of insider insights into the wedding and event planning profession.

www.sheffield.eud

Redesign Me Special 2009 - The Art of Redesign

Like many people, I’m really good at telling everyone else what to do: how to ditch a bad boyfriend, how to lose five pounds, and of course, how to light their living room and arrange their furniture. But when it comes to managing my own life, I’m just as much of a disaster as the next guy.

At least I know this about myself and I don’t try to pretend otherwise. I’m never sure about where my furniture should go or how to make the best use of space.

So when my neighbor, Carolyn Gregg, invited me in for coffee and I saw her apartment, and it looked so perfectly organized, I was thrilled when she offered to re-design my place. No purchasing necessary — no buying new curtains or getting a cute bookshelf. In fact, she assured me that she wouldn’t even make me get rid of anything; she would find a spot for everything I had. It would just be a new spot.

The funny thing is, Carolyn Gregg isn’t even an interior designer, or a re-designer. She is a floral designer, so she is making good use of her impeccable design sense. But as soon as she stepped into my front hall, I knew that she knew this redesign stuff inside and out.

We started with a tour of the living room, study, and bedroom, so she could get the big picture. I showed her my extra lampshades, pointed out the cute little bench in the bedroom.

Then, we started in the bedroom. Before I could say “feng shui” she was pushing the dresser over so that its feet were all on the rug; before, it had been off the rug by about two inches. She took down the small framed photo that had been to the side of the dresser and put it aside. Then we moved the blanket chest from the corner to right under the big window.

And then it got challenging. Before, I’d had two matching end tables on either side of the bed, but they didn’t quite fit and they meant that there wasn’t much space between the door to the room and the end table on the door side of the bed.

“Let’s get rid of one of those tables,” Carolyn said. I pointed out that according to the rules of Feng Shui, there should be a table with lamp on both sides of the bed, especially if one wants to attract or keep someone sharing that bed.

“Let’s just see,” she said. We moved the table out and put it in the living room, and she put the lamp on top of the radiator instead (I keep the radiator off at all times, so no danger there).

And then it got even more challenging. “Let’s move the bed, just six inches toward the window,” Carolyn said. This took some doing, but eventually, we moved it, so that now it was centered with the window at the foot of the bed. Then the remaining table could be moved as well, affording more space by the door.

The results: dresser fully on the rug, bed centered to window, one table removed to make more space, blanket chest moved to anchor the window, little luggage bench moved to bedside.

Next stop, living room.

Here, the sofa was against the windows, with the coffee table in front of it, with the two chairs facing the sofa. The room was split into two sections; by the bookcase, I had a curved red bench, with two spare kitchen chairs on either side.

Before I could say, “Hans Wegner,” Carolyn was rolling up the rug and pushing the sofa around. Every now and then she’d stop, and say, “Wait. Let’s think about this minute,” and her eyes would go unfocused, as if she was looking at something I couldn’t see. “Okay,” she’d say, “let’s move this table over here.”

Before

After

It was a little like having a tornado take over, but a very controlled tornado. I’m not sure how we did it, but when I looked up, the furniture was all in different places, and suddenly the room seemed to have expanded.

The best part of this was that Carolyn moved the chest I inherited from my mother onto the opposite wall, centered under the heavy mirror. Now, the oil portrait of my father, painted by his father, really stands out, where before it got kind of lost on one of the longer walls. This portrait shares the chest with a figure that belonged to my mother, and with two figures in clay made by my sister, a ceramicist. This feels to me now like it’s my family altar, and makes me feel happy and loved every time I walk in the room.

One change affected by this rearrangement was that now, there is easier flow from the kitchen/dining area across the living room and into the bedroom/study area. The flow, however, is interrupted from the front hall into the living room, as now the sofa cuts the living room. But I think this is better, because I only come into the house once, but I go from study to kitchen a few hundred times during the day.

By moving the chest to the other wall, I no longer have the outlets and cable cord for the television. Not that I ever really had cable, but the cord somehow makes it that I can get the few stations I get — without it, I get nothing. But this actually has been a big improvement in my life. I now keep the t.v. and DVD player stashed in a corner, and it only takes about three minutes to set them up and then take them down again. That’s just enough so that it’s a little inconvenient so that I don’t just automatically turn the t.v. on when I could be making better use of my time. And yet it’s easy enough so that I can throw it together if I really want to watch an episode of “House Hunters.”

Finally, we tackled the study. One of my desks was in front of the large window, which at the time I’d thought was nice, making it as if I was sitting at the window. But Carolyn said that without the desk there, I’d be closer to the window, able to really look out over the pretty garden, and that gave us space where we could put the low glass case that had previously been in the living room. The whole room suddenly opened up, and I couldn’t wait to get to work.

Before

After

The overall effect of Carolyn’s work on my place is that it looks pulled together as never before. It looks kind of professionally done, even though I still have my junky old stuff. Somehow, Carolyn’s Midas touch limned everything with gold, or at least with a really great high-gloss polish.

Resources

Carolyn Gregg Flowers
www.carolyngreggflowers.com

The Magic of Color: Color Trends 2009

Color. Our world is saturated with it, from the bright yellow of fresh daffodils to the dark rusty red of an exposed brick wall; color can change the whole look of a room.

In Designer Monthly's The Magic of Color, we look at a different color each month. As you learn in the first Unit of the Sheffield Complete Course in Interior Design, a designer has available an infinite range of hues, both natural and man-made. When painting, you can combine colors to form other colors, in an endless array of shades. Manufacturers of everything from throw pillows to lampshades can also produce this vast palette. And then you must also consider the artwork that will hang in the rooms you design.

Welcome to the world of color. Everywhere we turn, there it is the deep indigo blue of a favorite old sweater, the glossy green of rhododendron leaves in a rainstorm, the rich brown of the soil as you begin to plant your spring flowers. We hope you'll join us each month on this exciting journey, as we take a close look at a color we love.

With the economic sinking faster than Bernie Madoff’s reputation, with much of the northern hemisphere blanketed in snow and sheltered with grey skies, it’s time to start thinking about color. Rich, wonderful, mood-changing color.

To find out where color is headed for 2009, we went to the people at Benjamin Moore. There, we got some good news: neutrals are in — way in — but they’re brightened by organic bright colors. The neutral backgrounds set off these brights, making them really pop, and bringing a room to new life.

According to Doty Horn, color forecaster for Benjamin Moore, the new colors will be complemented by a more simple design, which is to be expected as we move into more lean economic times.

“Simplicity is the theme for 2009, and this is reflected in the way we will pare down; there will be a rawness of living and the acceptance of what is,” she said.

The colors, however, are sure to pick up our spirits.

“As we move into 2009, timeless neutrals can be splashed with organic brights, a sign of hope for a brighter future and sound economic times,” Horn said.

And the use of neutrals isn’t because we’re all too depressed to be able to think about color; to the contrary, the neutrals help give us comfort and stability in difficult times. “The economic times will influence us to rely on the neutrals mentioned above and ‘ground’ or stabilize our surroundings,” Horn said.

Where last year saw an increase in the use of black and white, this year that color is shifting to bring in more neutrals. “The neutralization of color has gained momentum. The fusion of the black and white story has brought the grayscale, and all of its nuances, to the forefront. These grays are accented with rich and complex color,” Horn said.

This doesn’t mean that the colors are only neutrals; in fact, they’re balanced and complemented by more complex colors. This means a designer will be looking at which tones in a neutral will be best complemented by which complex colors.

“The mix of organic and the urban grey/neutrals are also key,” Horn said.

The use of color, of course, varies around the world, which each culture and sub-culture identifiable by its predominant colors. As interest in China, Russia, and the Middle East increases, so do does interest in the colors of those places.

One big influence on color is to be found in the changing political landscape in the United States, and with the influence the new First Lady brings to design. Michelle Obama, Horn pointed out, is partial to wearing brights, and the reverberations of this will be felt for quite some time.

“This can single-handedly influence the fashion direction we may see in seasons to come. Nancy Reagan did with the ‘Reagan Red’ and Barbara Bush with ‘Bush Blue,’” she said.

— Sarah Van Arsdale

Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our interior design and wedding and event planning distance education courses.

Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter and receive updates when there are new design articles on this website

www.sheffield.eud.

Study MBA Program from Top B-Schools of

USA \ UK

MBA (Masters in Business Administration) is in real demand all the time and is as popular as ever, even in a highly changeable market.. And if someone pursues their MBA from a reputed international business school, it’s an icing on the cake. Almost every student of top business schools is bagging lucrative opportunities from the international job market.

For the students desired to build their career in the competitive business world, MBA is a best option to choose. Almost every university is now offering various specialized MBA programs with explicit curriculum covering all the essential elements of business and management. MBA program is linked to accounting, consulting, education, e-business, engineering, finance, global management, health care, hospitality and tourism, knowledge management, marketing, media, project management, sport management, telecommunications, health care, and technology management are available.

Why Study an MBA Program

In the present international business market, every professional job requires to have the business management and administration skills, which can be acquired through an MBA program. In addition to the basic business knowledge, MBA program enhance the individuals’ ability to compete with other professionals for current and future job opportunities. The study of business management

Holding an MBA degree can offer excellent opportunities for the students who are in search for a career in the competitive business world. It is specifically designed to withstand the rapid changes in the business arena. The program aims to develop the skills of independent search and decision-making based on the broad systematic knowledge. It is a tough educational program where students acquire new knowledge and skills.

CHOOSE A BEST MBA COLLEGE

It is really tough work to find a good college for your MBA program. It is a time consuming and stressful for you and your family. You have to research the top MBA colleges which are famous and ranked higher. To minimize your efforts in choosing the best business school, Impel has shortlisted top Business Schools of top three study destinations (as per Annual Rankings of Business Schools worldwide by Financial Times). They are:

Top Business Schools USA

1. Harvard Business School
2. Stanford University
3. University of Pennsylvania
4. Northwestern University (Kellogg)
5. Columbia University (NY)
6. Duke University (Fuqua)
7. University of Virginia (Darden)
8. MIT (Sloan) School of Management
9. University of Chicago
10. University of Michigan

Top Business Schools USA

1. London Business School

2. Cranfield School of Management

3. Edinburgh University Management School

4. Manchester Business School

5. Ashridge Management College

6. Imperial College University of London

7. Warwick Business School

8. Lancaster University

9. City University Business School

10. University of Bradford Management Centre

Top Business Schools Australia

1. Melbourne Business School

2. Macquarie University

3. Australian National University

4. University of Canberra

5. Australian Maritime College

6. University of Tasmania

7. Charles Sturt University

8. University of New Castle

9. AGSM

10. Southern Cross University

Besides theses Universities/Business schools, you can find several other good and top institutions for MBA program

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Tips to choose the best Online Degree Program

With lots of job cuts around the world, it is the period of survival of the fittest for the employees. Only people with great skills and lots of knowledge will be able continue in their careers while other non-performing employees with basic education will be fired.

To survive and progress in the career world, some advanced education is indispensable. However, you cannot get into regular education programs which require physical presence in the classroom sessions as you will not be able to take off work in the current employment conditions.

This is where the online degree programs come into play. With the help of these online degree programs, you can get advanced education at your convenient time and venue. Due to this reason, online programs have gained huge popularity today. With the huge popularity of the online education programs, countless numbers of online training schools have popped up. It is pretty difficult to choose the best online program that is available today. Spending a few minutes reading this article will save hours of your precious time spent in finding the best online education program.

3. Choose the Online Education Program based on employee demand

You will be well aware of the fact that not all the online degree programs will help you to get a career as soon as you get your degree. You should select the online education program based on the demand. For example, there are lots of open careers in business management and administration now. Hence the online business degree programs will be the best ones to choose for career advancement today. Getting a bachelor’s degree or associate degree in business administration or management through these online education programs will help you to advance to the next level of your career faster than ever before.

2. The Accreditation

Accreditation of the online program is one of the most important things to be noted. You should always remember the fact that there is no use in owning an associate or bachelor’s degree offered by a non-accredited training school. Opting such online programs will be a complete waste of time and money. Hence you should make sure that the online program of your choice is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It is also very much important that the online education program should be regionally recognized.

1. Flexibility of the online classes

Though some of the online programs promise classes to be conducted according to your convenience, they often fail to keep their promise. You will be forced to cope up with the schedule laid by the online degree program once you have joined them. Hence it is very much important to look for online programs which offer education completely based on your convenient time.

All the above mentioned tips will help you to find the best online degree program that is available today.

The author of this article knows the techniques to find the best online programs. With her years of experience in finding the best education she has helped many job seekers around the globe to get the right education to get into aspiring careers. When it comes to getting the best online education, she recommends argos

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