AU Blogspot

                              Image courtesy of Okimi.

Feng shui (“wind and water”) is a well known ancient Chinese art of placement. According to this art, the way in which energy flows through a garden or a home has a negative or positive effect on the owner of the place. Nowadays, according to modern feng shui theory: marital bliss, business success and even fame can be a part of one’s life if the furniture is placed properly in the house and there is a balanced Feng Shui
Garden landscape design.

Deborah Gee, an expert in the art of using feng shui has made a video to aid people tie together and use chi, the “life force” properly. The concept of chi is central to the principles of Feng Shui. To correctly handle and apply chi in a garden requires handling of three basic elements:

Water – it is represented by ponds, streams or fountain in feng shui, (feng shui fountains) or also a river of stones; and symbolizes wealth and prosperity.

Mountains – it can be symbolically signified by planting beds that are raised, shrubbery and tall trees and symbolizes energy.

Greenery – this can be represented by the green grass and anything which is green around.

One of the key factors that need to be considered with feng shui is balance. The three basic elements of water, mountains and greenery should be placed close to each other. Sharp items should be placed near pathways. They direct sharp chi at people who pass by and disrupts the internal flow of energy, in turn causing a lot of stress and tension. Circular or meandering pathways in the garden are much better; straight ones and the latter create a wave of fast moving chi that may be the cause of feeling uncomfortable. Making the garden flat is a common mistake that most garden designers make. A flat garden does not encourage chi flow. Different levels and layers make chi flow smoothly in the garden. Additionally, curves in the garden help in improving the chi flow. (more…)

                           Image courtesy of Front Design.

The design applications provided by the latest in motion capture/rapid prototyping technologies are empowering new designers to experiment like never before.  Front is a furniture design company based out Sweden and they have pioneered the use of this amazing technology, which allows the user to take their traditional free hand sketches and translate them into 3-D digital files; the process doesn’t end there though.  These virtual design files are then transformed into actual physical models that mirror what one originally began as a free-hand sketch!  It’s quite an abstract process to describe with words, so I’ll let the following video show you what’s it all about.  Whether you’re a graphic, web, fashion, or interior designer—you should feel excited that such tools are becoming increasingly available on the market at affordable prices.  Have you had an opportunity to work with a design program of this nature?  Let us know.  

Ryan Rode
Ashworth University  

Planning and deciding on a theme for holiday light decorating can take up an entire holiday… but the holidays would not be dazzling and bright without holiday decoration lights.

Special thanks to Benjamin Graves for permission to use this photo.

Holiday lights are available in different shapes and sizes and can be placed in different locations with different patterns. People living in apartments can decorate their windows with the holiday lights and those having balconies can drape lights all over their balcony door and railings.

Holiday decorations are incomplete without holiday decorating lights. Lighting has more or less taken over holiday candles as they burn for longer periods of time and are safer for decoration when compared with candles. With the passage of time the style of lighted holiday decorations has evolved to the level where it has become an art itself. One can put their imagination in use for holiday decorations and light placements in and around their house. (more…)

                          Thanks to Dave Bonta for permission to use this Photo. 

Wallpaper is something which makes your walls look beautiful and attractive, but you must know how to remove wallpaper before putting it on the wall so that you know all the pros and cons before going for it. 

After a certain period of time, the wallpaper starts looking worn out and old and the question of how to remove it arises. On the face of it, the answer to this question sounds too easy i.e. to remove the wallpaper - simply peel it off from the wall. But when you really try removing wallpaper, you come to know that it is much more difficult than it sounds.

Wallpaper removal becomes easier if the paper is strippable, i.e. it peels off easily leaving behind only the glue and no messy, sticky paper patches. A simple test on a small area will decide whether the paper is easily peeling off or not. This easily removable wallpaper can be removed with the help of sponge, some hot water, and a knife. After moistening the wallpaper with the help of a sponge soaked in warm water, one should wait for a while, allowing the glue beneath to loosen before removing it with the help of a knife. Once the paper is removed, the walls can be rinsed with a neutralizing solution to make them ready for fresh painting.

In a case where the wallpaper is too old and cannot be easily removed, the task of removing this old wallpaper can prove to be quite difficult. This scenario dictates that you employ some wallpaper removing tool to remove the actual wallpaper its’ associated glue. (more…)