Contemporary Furniture by Avetex Furniture

Contemporary furniture that looks elegant, comfortable with ergonomically designed is the need of every person in addition to food and clothing. This finest furniture gives your home a new look and you feel comfortable and satisfied. There are various online showcases, where you can visit online and can select the furniture which best suits you. Whether you are looking for a dining set, a bed or sofa or flat panel of TV, these online stores show you the glimpses of these items available with them with complete information and specification.

Use of Technology:

To improve and utilize the contemporary furniture, the technology has played a key role in influencing the style of this furniture. Manufacturers and designers of these contemporary furniture not only uses technology to provide them with an elegant look, but the use of light, color and aroma therapies creates an unforgettable experience. Today’s cutting edge technology trends are capable to add not only the look and comfort but also belongingness to this contemporary furniture.


Colors in Contemporary Furniture.

One of the biggest problem people face is the color. Most of the people may like particular furniture, but the color may obstruct their decisions. Many designers are putting lime green, aqua or orange red in place of the traditional Christmas red and green color to give the elegant and sleek look to the designs. Some designers suggest adding textures to the furnishing. Luminous colored glass and crystal add features in every home.


Use of glass in furniture:

Most of the contemporary furniture designers select glass, as it transmits light, for various applications. Glass, if polished at the edges, beveled at the edges, colored, textured or tempered costs more. Glass if, properly manufactured and steps like annealing and tempering has been carried out, well designed and innovative work on it will add an enhanced look and elegance at your home.


Furniture for dinner room:

The dining table is one of the important focal point of dining room. The contemporary table reflects the taste of homeowner and residents of the house. Some of the interior designers suggest a rectangular or round table with glass top. If the table is provided with a handicraft based and decorated at the center, it will be a unique and will add the elegant look to dining room.

Not only table should be customized, but wall treatment and silverware should also be taken care of. Most of the rich people may order customized dinnerware and silverware designed by professional designers. Some of the designers suggest that traffic light cover plates are one option as these are unique, less costly modern and recycled options.

Now a days many people prefer sterling silver in place of custom silverware. These being more traditional, require more care than the steel. These are not only glittering and elegant pieces at the dining table, but impresses your richness also.

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Dirt, dust, and your carpet - An inside look at just what is living in your floors

Hiding in your carpet, mattress, pillows, curtains, upholstery are dust mites. How many? The average life span of a mite is about 2 months and they can double in numbers if the conditions are right, every twelve hours. If you consider the math, that is well over a hundred or so thousand corpses of mites per year in your home. Not only that, but each of those mites can produce up to 20 fecal matter deposits per day which equates to millions of deposits per year. To further put it in perspective, it’s estimated that one tenth of the weight of your mattress or pillow after three years of usage is comprised of fecal matter from the common household dust mite. Why your home? Mites eat dead skin cells and the average person sloughs off millions every few days.

These skin cells are abundant in your mattress and pillows, in the places that you live and therefore make it a good environment for them to exist in. Mites thrive in the humidity that most households are kept at and like the air slightly moist and humid. So our homes are perfect conditions for them to live in. In addition to mites, pet dander is another invader. Pet dander is impossible to avoid even if you yourself do not own a pet. Pet dander is comprised of dead skin cells that are sloughed off of dogs mixed with saliva, urine traces, and allergens from the environment such as pollen and spores of various sorts. This all gets together in a sticky mess and we call it pet dander. Dander gets tracked in off your shoes, into your carpet and also from just being around other human beings that may have pets at home. There are about 70% of American households that own pets so a person at work that brushes up against you by accident, or your children from other children at school, or someone hugging you potentially may have dander on them from a cat or dog and will get it on your clothes, and you may track it into your home. These two are perhaps of the most potent allergens to most people. They really affect health and actually can lead to asthma triggers if not taken care of. Finally dirt is one of the most deadly things for your carpet to endure. When you walk on your carpet, whatever is on your feet is ground into the fibers of the carpet. IF there is dirt and soiling agents on your feet or shoes, these get ground into the fibers too. Once they are in there, it will cause them to unwind and fray. Straggling hairs will then combine in a mat like fashion and create uneven little clumps in the carpeting thus minimizing the longevity of your carpets and rugs.

What do you do about all these invaders and these microscopic vigilantes that are wreaking havoc on your home and family? Prevention is key. There was a study conducted at the Florida Solar Energy Center by Subrato Chandra and David Beal that studied five homes across the US but focusing on Florida. They found that prevention and good cleaning habits are vital in controlling these allergens. Using control groups and scientific collection principles, they found that homes that had poor vacuuming tools (those older models that did not have HEPA filters but rather just used bag filtration) or schedules that allotted for only one cleaning per week were much more prone to have mites and dander and levels of which were significantly more higher in comparison to those who vacuumed twice per week with a vacuum that had a HEPA filter such as the Dyson vacuums or a centralized unit that was housed outside of the home. The vacuuming was performed on the floors, furniture and mattresses.
In addition they found that if a dehumidifier was used in each bedroom, that the levels were also much lower. If you own an older home, it’s recommended that you have a Vacuum with greater suction ability. Dyson Vacuums tend to work best for collecting mites, dander, and dirt because over time, these get compacted into the deep layers of the nap in the carpet and only something with significant suction power can remove the lower nap dirt and allergens. It is also recommended that once or twice per year that your carpet is professionally cleaned and bed linens are washed in hot water each week.

Do not allow your home to be invaded any longer! Plan your attack on mites, dander, and dirt. It may be a small world out there, and we may not be able to segregate ourselves from it, but we do not have to go quietly into the night.

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Basic Cookware Explained

What is All-Clad stainless steel cookware and why is it the best top-of-the-line bake ware you can buy? All-Clad cookware is made with a heavy aluminum inside which extends up the sides of the pan. It is coated with a stainless steel cooking surface and has an outside layer of magnetic stainless steel. This type of bake ware is ideal for cooking on a gas stove where the flames can burn up the sides of the pots and pans. These types of pots and pans are heavier than the less expensive kinds that you find at cheap discount stores. This cookware is extremely popular among the expert chefs, holds up well in high heat up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and it comes in a nonstick version as well.

Maybe you like to do lots of browning. If so you may want to use uncoated or non coated cookware for your favorite recipes. A top brand of uncoated pots and pans are made by Wolfgang Puck. Chances are you will never see a review that will not give Wolfgang Puck high marks for its baking performance and price value. Uncoated bakeware has an aluminum plate as the foundation or base. It does not run up the side as does the All-Clad type which is a big reason why uncoated is less expensive.

Calphalon nonstick bakeware is a hard anodized aluminum bake ware with a nonstick coating. If you are looking for a cheaper brand that will perform almost as well as the more expensive ones this may be what you are searching for. Plus it is also lighter in weight than most All-Clad varieties or brands. It may require a little more energy on your part during cleanup though since most Calphalon nonstick pots and pans are not dishwasher safe. Another positive aspect to this type of cookware is that it can be used in your oven in temperatures up to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Similar to Calphalon, Emeril (Emerilware) is a high quality cookware that compares favorably to other top-of-the-line pots and pans and is a very good value for the money. Your favorite recipe will still taste delicious. Famous TV chef Emeril Lagasse has this line made by All-Clad which is similar to their hard anodized cookware. The major difference is the designs added to the pieces. This cookware is made of hard anodized aluminum with nonstick cooking surfaces. It is not recommended for the dishwasher, but comes with a lifetime warranty. That is something you do not see everyday.

The debate about nonstick or uncoated has endured for many years, but which is actually better? Experts have always said that uncoated cookware gives better results, but nonstick has its advantages too. Fried eggs and pancakes are a couple of obvious examples of foods that are more fun to cook or bake on a nonstick surface. No more sticking to the pan during cooking or cleanup. Scraping cooked eggs off the pan is not one of the most enjoyable cooking activities. High quality nonstick skillets will contain a fully coated aluminum plate bonded with stainless steel allowing for even heat distribution. You can also find top brands that are dishwasher safe, although most manufacturers will recommend hand washing.

Starting with high quality cookware is a must if you are looking for the most enjoyable cooking experience. And before you can purchase the most ideal bakeware for your needs you have to ask yourself a few questions. How much can I afford? Will it bother me if they are not dishwasher safe? Do I want nonstick or uncoated? Would I prefer better cookware or easier cleanup? After answering these questions you will have a much better idea as to the type of cookware best suited for your personality.

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Double your turnover - without really trying

“Would you like fries with your order?” No doubt you’ve heard that question a million times. Especially if you have young children who ‘help’ you choose where to eat. That phrase may irritate the hell out of us – but it does dramatically increase the turnover of a certain chain of restaurants.

Why do you think they do it? Is it because they care about their customers and whether they have ordered enough to eat? I don’t think so. It’s doubtful if their motives are that altruistic.

No. It’s purely about increasing sales, and therefore profits.

It’s called ‘Add-on Selling’, and that particular company not only pioneered but mastered the technique of getting you to buy more than you intended. And if you can apply it to your business, you can watch your business skyrocket without the need for any advertising, special promotions, discounts or any other business-building tools you can dream up. Imagine how difficult it would be to increase your turnover by 25%. (If it wasn’t difficult, why haven’t you done it already?)

How does ‘Add-on Selling’ work? Easy. It’s a matter of disciplining yourself to think ahead one step beyond the purchase your customer is making right now.

Let’s say you have a sports store and a customer is buying a new pair of football boots for his son. Once the new boots have been chosen, it would be logical to suggest a new pair of shin guards or comfort insoles with the purchase. Or boot cleaning products, or spare studs and laces. Products they will have to buy eventually anyway – but probably somewhere else. Why not have them buy those items – now – from you. They are only about one quarter the price of the boots and are an easy addition for the customer since it is not a lot of extra money. But it has increased your turnover by 25%! As simple as that. And even if you only succeeded half the time, if you did that with every second customer, your sales for the day would be up by 12.5%. Every day!

How much would that mean to you at the end of the month, end of the quarter, end of the year? A substantial amount, I’d bet. And what did it cost you? Precisely nothing!

Every time a customer makes a buying transaction with your business you suggest an additional, complimentary product to go with it.

How about a butcher shop? When a customer buys a chicken, they will also need seasoning mix, or stuffing, or gravy mix. If you have those products on hand it’s an easy question to ask your customer what they are going to stuff the chicken with. Or what they are going to do about gravy. Hey, presto – you have the solution ready for them. It’s an easy buying decision for your customer because it won’t cost very much extra, and they have their wallet or purse out already. An extra 15-20% profit for you. Do that with every second customer and watch your profits explode!

Or your timber yard. Find out what your customer is going to do with the timber through the judicious use of open questions, and suggest that your customer will also need nails, screws, glue, hammer, saw and spirit level. Or whatever. And, of course, you have them there for your customer to take away with them saving time later on. Advantage to them, advantage to you. Win/Win.

Or a wedding shop – now there is a goldmine. Once the dress has been chosen, there’s the shoes, underwear, jewellery, make-up, cosmetics, wedding cars, speech writer, and of course all the men’s outfitting. Your imagination can run wild with that one, not to mention your turnover.

Get the picture? This is the easiest way to increase your business – starting today! There is no special equipment you have to buy, no elaborate training to attend, no particular stock to order and no extra staff to hire. You have it all there already. And it costs you absolutely nothing!

The next area of no-cost increased sales is equally simple to do. Package selling. What is package selling? Putting together groups of products that go to make up something larger than each of the individual products themselves.

Take the example we used before of the timber yard. You group together the joists, decking timbers, nails, screws, glue, measuring tape and spirit level and a set of easy-to-read instructions to build a garden patio in one afternoon. The ‘DIY Outdoor Centre’ will cost your customer less as a package than the individual components would if bought separately, but you have a bigger sale value as they are buying everything from you. And they are buying the convenience.

Or if you sell cars. Your ‘Sports Package’ could consist of sporty alloy wheels and special tyres, a sports steering wheel and go-faster stripes; your ‘Family Package’ could be a roof-top luggage holder, DVD player with games console and a car fridge; your ‘Executive Package’ could be tinted windows, cruise control and stackable CD player. And two dozen golf balls! The options for this industry are virtually endless, limited only by your imagination.

What about those people who sell kitchen appliances? Your ‘Breakfast Package’ could have a kettle, toaster, coffee maker, and omelette pan; the ‘Bakers Package’ could be a set of mixing bowls, cake tins, wooden spoons, icing kit and oven gloves; the ‘Steak Lovers Package’ would be a ridged pan to give the striped effect on the meat, tongs, steak knives and mustard selection.

You get the idea. Whatever you package together is a good deal for the customer, not only in terms of the cost of the package, but also the fact that they get everything they need in the one single purchase. They save money and you make sales of a much larger value to each customer. And your profits go up. Again, Win/Win.

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Home appliances, Select them on Price or Energy Efficiency?

For many people, price is the most important consideration when buying appliances. What they forget, however, is that there are two prices for anything which consumes power, the buying price and the running price. Buying appliances with energy efficiency in mind may cost more up front but save you money in the long run.

Most modern appliances like refrigerators and washing machines carry a label indicating their energy efficiency. Products which use the least amount of power are qualified to use the “Energy Star” label. This is a government backed program aimed at providing consumers and businesses information about saving energy.

In order to be labelled ,energy efficient, a product must meet certain criteria. For example, refrigerators must use 15% less electricity than the minimum standard set by the federal government. Office equipment must automatically switch to a low-power sleep mode after a certain period of inactivity.

Almost every major appliance such as air conditioners, freezers, furnaces, and pool heaters qualify for the Energy Star label. Buying an Energy Star product will save you money on your utility bills and will be better for the environment. Using less electricity in the home means less fossil fuel consumed by power producing plants, and less greenhouse gas emissions.

Will an energy efficient product save you money? Absolutely! Each product has a label which says how much energy it consumes. You can use this information to figure out exactly how much power you will save over the life span of the appliance. Factor in rising energy costs and your savings are even more. The energy efficiency of any product is dependent on the engineering of the various parts that use power. For example, an air conditioner has a circulation pump, a fan, and a motor to turn the blades, as well as electronic components for controlling the temperature. Each one of these can be designed to save energy, so the overall energy efficiency is affected by the quality of these components.

Some local governments offer incentives for people to buy energy efficient products. Be sure to get informed – you may qualify for rebates or low interest loans to purchase these items.

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