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We’re currently living in a day and age where the ecology of our planet is becoming a very important issue in everyday life. The way we use and re-use our resources as well as how we manage our homes and lives in green culture provides us an opportunity to make choices in helping to promote a cleaner healthier planet. Part of those choices stem from using more energy efficient light bulbs. Recycling our plastics and paper. Even making choices about the furniture we purchase. In this article we’ll take a look at some things we can do to recycle and re-use our older furniture as well as some tips on eco-friendly furniture products.

When purchasing new furniture or beds we often need to think about the furniture being replaced as part of the circle in promoting good ecological habits. There are several options that we can use to recycle or re-use your old furniture.

1.) Consider donating your furniture. Businesses like the Salvation Army or Goodwill Industries puts your older furniture back into circulation for others to use. The proceeds they generate from your furniture in turn helps to provide jobs and allows your furniture to find new life with a new family.

2.) Recycle your furniture. Wood furniture “can” be recycled at your local recycling center. There are also many local authorities who can assist in helping you to safely dispose of your furniture for recycling.

3.) Offer it to your family or friends. Your older furniture may be in tip top shape and if that’s the case you may still have sentimental feelings towards it and want to keep it in the family. If that is the case you can offer it to those you know who may have a need for the furniture.

4.) Try selling it. Many times your furniture may hold good resale value if it is a name brand or high-end piece of furniture. If that is the case why not sell it in a local newspaper ad or try selling it through online auctions like ebay or other online marketplaces.

Many of the options above give the added benefit of the furniture being safely and responsibly recycled or re-used which is an important step before shopping for new furniture and creating good eco-friendly habits. We need to avoid having older furniture added to landfills and we should make every effort to find a safe means of recycling our older furniture. After you’ve made arrangements to have your older furniture recycled or re-used you’ll want to start looking at some alternatives available in eco-friendly materials for furniture. There are many options available in furniture but one such material is becoming quite popular in green furniture. It’s called bamboo.

Bamboo is an interesting ecological friendly choice for a wide variety of products. What makes this product considered a green choice in furniture though is the process through which it is harvested and replanted. Many believe bamboo is a type of wood but it actually is classified as a grass. From the time it is seeded to the time it reaches maturity for harvesting is approximately 5-7 years. The stalk of the bamboo hardens and becomes tighter (harder than maple wood) which is then harvested and processed into a variety of products including boards which can be used for building and construction. It can be reseeded once harvested in as little as three months and because bamboo grows so quickly often reaching heights of 70 feet tall, this replenishment is quick with little to no impact on the environment.

Many domestic hardwoods like oak or ash do make great choices for furniture. In this modern age of resource conscious ecological living though many of us recognize that once an oak or ash tree is harvested it takes almost 40-45 years for a new one to be planted and grown to maturity. Many lumber companies do act responsibly with their cutting and harvesting of those trees but the maturity. However, if alternatives exist (like bamboo) and can be used in certain types of furniture in place of other woods then we should consider those resources ahead of others. Bamboo beds, nightstands, dressers and bookcases are just some of the many pieces of furniture made from this plant. The bamboo plant is even used in making fabric which is used in many types of mattress coverings.

In this article we looked at the two aspects of purchasing new furniture. We examined the responsibilities of what we should do with the older furniture. In the way of donating it, recycling it, giving it away or selling it. Doing these things allows our older furniture to be recycled and re-used creating a positive environmental impact. When getting ready to find new furniture we explored alternatives to domestic woods in the way of bamboo. Bamboo is fast growing, can be reseeded in less than three months after harvesting and provides material even harder than maple. Bamboo is a positive resource for eco-friendly furniture and if it is an available option should be considered ahead of other products. These suggested practices are not only good for you and others but for our environment as well.

If you paint with oils you will need a solvent to clean your brushes and thin your paints. Of course, if you paint with water soluble oils then your solvent will be water.

Turpentine is a standard solvent used to thin ordinary oil paints. You can purchase turpentine in any art supply store or hardware store. In some cases, the kind of turpentine you buy in a hardware store may be fresher because of the shorter turnaround time.

Some artists work with mineral spirits. These are also available in hardware stores. To save money, buy the largest available quantity and use a smaller container when you do your actual painting.

Tube oil paint (i.e., oil paint directly from the tube) can be difficult to manipulate. Some colors are stiffer than others and may be hard to evenly distribute over your canvas. To solve this problem, artists often need to mix their tube paints with a so-called painting medium.

A painting medium is a liquid solution that makes the oil paint smoother and easier to manipulate. Adding any one of a number of different painting mediums changes the consistency of the paint. Some mediums are meant to make the paint thinner for glazing and others are meant to make the paint thicker for impasto painting. There are also mediums to shorten or lengthen the drying.

 

The most basic medium is regular turpentine. Adding a little turpentine thins oils paint. Another frequently used medium is linseed oil, which makes the paint more fluid but, over time, it also tends to yellow the paint. The most commonly used medium is a combination of turpentine and linseed oil, sometimes with the addition of a little damar varnish.

Begin by experimenting with a half-and-half mixture of turpentine and linseed oil. Because linseed oil slows down the drying process, you may want to increase the proportion of turpentine. A good mixture is three parts of turpentine to one part of linseed oil.

Once you find the medium you like, mix a batch and store it in a tightly sealed jar. As you paint, dip your brush into the medium, then add a little paint, then mix them together on your palette (mixing surface).

Preliminary compositions can be drawn on your canvas with a so-called thin turp wash, i.e., a little bit of paint with a lot of turpentine. A turp wash evaporates very quickly, so you can quickly paint over them.

In general, the more turpentine you use the matter the finish will be and the more linseed oil you use the glossier it will be. If you like robust, permanently visible brushstrokes, you may want to use less medium. Dry brush is one technique where you do not add any medium at all.

Special painting mediums are also available that change the oil paint in different ways. The most common are those that shorten or lengthen the drying time of the oil paint. Check your art supply store or the Internet to see the available types of mediums. All medium bottles will show instructions on how best to use the particular medium.

Oil paintings must be varnished to protect them from undesirable elements such as dirt and toxins. Varnish is a clear solution made from a resin and turpentine or some other solvent.

In art-supply stores you will see two major types, retouching varnish and picture varnish. Depending on the paint layer thickness, it can take six months or more for an oil painting to dry. In the meantime, the surface of the painting needs to be protected with a coat of retouching varnish. After the varnish is applied, the turpentine evaporates, and leaving a thin protective coat. You can apply retouching varnish as soon as the paint feels dry to the touch.

 

Picture varnish contains more resin than retouching varnish. It should be applied about six months after you complete a painting. If you paint with impasto-like brushstrokes, you may have to wait as long as a year before applying the final coat.

 

Both types of varnish are applied in the same manner. Using a broad, flat nylon brush, apply the varnish evenly using horizontal strokes. You can also use retouching varnish to brighten dry dull patches in your painting.

Designing a custom bathroom is a timely job when you are creating your dream bathroom. It will go faster when you set your theme after what style of bathroom vanity you choose. Your decorative mirror is the element of your personalized theme and it is noticed by all your guests when they enter your bathroom. To make your bathroom stand out more than other bathrooms you should make sure that it is something that is going to influence your entire theme.

A bathroom vanity is essential in your bathroom because people see it when you enter and exit the bathroom. Your guests use the sink before they exit the room so they also focus on the stylish mirror. The mirror is part of the vanity set because you cleanse your hands while also checking if your make up still looks fresh and your hair is still in place.

The attention that needs to be brought to the guests when they enter the room isn’t drawn to the bathroom vanity it is drawn to the expected mirror positioned over the sink. Since the importance of your mirror is crucial, you need to make sure that it fits into your theme and giving off the value that you expect in your bathroom design. If the centerpiece of your bathroom stands out, the rest of the room will also.

The numerous methods used to accent the details within your bathroom can be done by using the correct size of bathroom vanity and mirror. Also you need to make sure that the vanity and the mirror are trimmed with the same color. When you use a larger vanity you need to use a larger mirror also. To get the warm feel in your bathroom you could use a wood vanity and mirror set or a stone finished counter top.

If you are looking for something that has bold colors, the popular underwater design would fit in your bathroom. You can use a brightly colored shower curtain with some vinyl wall decorations of fish. You could also use a silver accented framed underwater design. If you are really into customizing your bathroom design, you can order a fish shaped mirror to show that you are sticking with the underwater theme. When you use such drastic pieces makes the bathroom vanity stand out when your guests enter your bathroom for the first time.

The sink, shower, and toilet are permanent fixtures. The other two large components to designing your bathroom are the bathroom vanity and mirror. By showing your creative side when choosing your vanity and mirror, they reflect all throughout the room in your customized theme.

You need to make sure that you pick the precise image you want your guests to experience when they enter your bathroom. When you are designing your bathroom, you can look for ideas online or go to your local hardware stores for different ways to put colors to work in a room. When you search for the style you are hoping to achieve then you will be able to pick out your bathroom vanity and custom mirror to be your bathroom’s centerpiece. You need to remember that your bathroom will remain with your guests when they leave your home.