The Flying Bed:

Well, it’s not really flying – more like floating. This amazing bed was created using an insane amount of magnets which keep it levitating in the middle of the room. Cables are attached to the mattress to ensure that it doesn’t wander off (or possibly skyrocket into orbit). This amazing sleeping accessory comes at a price though – around $1.5 million.

The Molecule Bed:

This portable mattress is made up of 120 comfortable orbs that are covered by elastic fibre. The shape of the mattress can be structured in a variety of different ways. This will definitely put the fun back into the bedroom. Don’t stop there though; this awesome mattress could also be put to good use by wrapping it around yourself and rolling down a hill. I don’t know how much fun it would be sleeping on it every night though…

The Rocking Bed:

Yes, it rocks – literally. Based off of an antique rocking chair, this mattress is surrounded by a large oval wooden frame and looks awesome. Gently rock yourself off to sleep every night – or, go ballistic and see if you can get it to spin around completely. Either way, it would be a solid investment.

BedUP:

We’ve all seen those beds that fold up into the wall, but what about a bed that rises into the roof! Ideal for small bedrooms where space could be an issue. Simply pull it down when you are ready to hit the hay and, after a nice comfortable slumber, push it back into its cave.

The Coffin Bed:

Ok, so sometimes you need to scare people away from your house so that they will never return. Leave one of these lying around and you are sure to get that reaction. To really sell the point, try talking in a Russian accent and leave puddles of tomato sauces in random places around the house.

These designs don’t fit the criteria of a pressure relieving mattress and they certainly aren’t the best if you’re looking for back pain relief but it might still be fun to have a few in the house for the epic entertainment value.

Making the switch from traditional appliances to eco-friendly models can be a daunting task. You trust the reliability that comes with many of these brands, but the truth is that the world is changing and we need to take drastic steps to ensure that our future is a bright one. Changing certain appliances to a more eco-friendly option could make a massive difference if done by the masses, and it all starts with you.

• Refrigerator:

An essential household appliance, your fridge and freezer could be using far too much power than is really necessary. Either look for the Energy Star logo or discuss your eco-friendly options with the sales consultant. Should you not really have the funds at present, just be sure to keep your fridge and freezer clean, especially the latter as it will result in reduced CO2 emissions.

• TV:

You spend hours in front of it pulling a strange face and filling your mind with knowledge – now make sure you can do that without harming your surroundings. OLED technology is available now and consumes far less electricity then traditional TV’s or flat screens.

• Heater:

When winter rolls in, the first thing to come out of the cupboard is likely to be your heater. This device ensures that your home is a toasty haven for you to retreat to after being out in the cold. Eco-friendly options, like infrared heaters, will save you a whole lot of money in electricity bills during this time as some models may only use one kilowatt of power in one hour, plus there is no need for gas cylinders.

• Geyser:

When it comes to saving costs, the geyser is probably the biggest concern. Nowadays you can get highly effective and affordable solar geysers, cutting out the need to use harmful gasses and also combating excessive power consumption.

• Stove:

This is a part of the home that people around the world are looking to change. Wealthy groups are using big, expensive traditional stoves that release emissions and consume power. Poorer groups of people are cooking on open fires, leading to increased deforestation, more pollution and increased danger. Bosch and Siemens Home Appliances Group have come up with something that could be revolutionary though – the Protos. This eco-friendly stove is being made affordable so that everyone can make use of it, and it simply runs on plant oils to ensure that there is almost no need for traditional fuel and energy.

Despite the empty promises and perhaps over zealous claims, there are a few things happening which touch on the grand nature we’ve come to expect from house hold appliances in the 2000’s. Take these few kitchen appliances from the intern program of Electrolux.

Bifoliate Wall-Mounted Dishwasher

The brain child of Lithuanian designer Toma Brundzaite, this handy space saving unit “uses ultrasonic wave technology to clean, making it more efficient and eco-friendly than today’s dishwashers.” This according to its creator, who is perhaps one of the few people who understands what “wave” energy really means. It looks space age and handy, which is all I care about.

Scan Toaster

While scanning images onto your morning toast may not seem to be the most imperative function of your day, it certainly would be a flashy one. Electrolux Design Room entrant Sung Bae Chang came up with the idea when he realised that a great deal of people didn’t have time to make their toast at home in the mornings. He created this USB linked toaster which does its duty while hooked up to your PC and as an added bonus, can scan images onto your breakfast.

Sook Social Networking Recipe Maker

Social networking has become a massive deal so what’s the next logical step; why, socially networking your recipes says inventor Adam Brodowski. This wireless kitchen device concept creates, displays and shares recipes, bringing social networking into your very kitchen. It also manages to ‘taste’ ingredients with its electronic tongue and suggests recipes that could be made from the leftovers in your fridge, which can then be shared with your online friends who are equally bereft of culinary ideas for the evening.

Teleport Fridge

In a somewhat more fanciful display, Thai student Dulyawat Wongnawa entered his idea for a fridge unit which makes use of possible future technology that allows for teleportation of produce at the touch of a button. Rather than waiting for an hour in supermarket queues or ordering your goods online and waiting for delivery, the young industrial design student suggests the use of a touch screen operated fridge unit that will teleport your orders in and automatically teleport expired products out – bad news for the condiments at the back of your fridge.

These are the homes you could only dream about living in:

Villa Leopolda

Built in 1902 by King Leopold II of Belgium, this 19-bedroom villa is home to Lily Safira, the widow of French Banker Edmond Safira. A movie theatre, various kitchens and a bowling alley are all thrown in when you hand over $525 million for the ownership papers.

Dracula’s Castle

Towering out of the lush greenery in Romania you will find Dracula’s Castle. It was built in the 14th century and has been declared a national monument and museum. Put on makeup and burst into all of the 57 rooms before telling guests: “I vant to suck your blood.” How much will it cost you to play this silly charade for a couple of weeks until you get bored? $135 million.

Hearst Mansion

Ever dreamed of knocking on the door of David Beckham to borrow a cup of sugar, or standing at the fence discussing science with Tom Cruise? At Hearst Mansion in Beverley hills- you can as it neighbours these stars. This famous house was used in the movie The Godfather. It was also the venue chosen by President John F Kennedy for his honeymoon. You will get 29 lavish rooms, three pools and a whole lot more – for the bargain price of just… $165 million!

The Pinnacle

Definitely not the biggest or the most expensive but this snow-covered mansion thrives on location. The owners of the Yellowstone Club in Montana live in the biggest and best property on the golf and ski resort. It boasts only 10 bedrooms and sophisticated heating systems throughout the property, including the bathrooms and driveway. What would a life of skiing and golfing in Montana cost you? A cool $155 million.

Antilia

South of Mumbai, you will find a tower of sheer opulence consisting of 27 stories. This residential building will be home to head of the Indian Petro-chemical Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani, his wife, his three children and his mother. Simple math reveals that they will each have five stories, with two to spare. Actually, six stories are dedicated to Ambani’s extensive car collection (around 170 cars). Gardens, gyms, a cinema, a floor filled with fake snow and 600 permanent staff members who will cater for their every whim are all part of the package. When Ambani is not travelling via road, he can simply head home by helicopter and land on any of the three helipads. What is the value of this futuristic home/skyscraper? Pocket change at just $1 billion.

Ask yourself the following questions so you can find the right garden furniture for you.

What do you use your garden for?

Firstly, what do you do in your garden?  Do you love digging up weeds, planting new flowers and sewing vegetable seeds?  Or do you prefer eating al fresco and lazing around in the sunshine?  Perhaps you have children and need space for them to run around and play?

This will give you an idea of the types of garden furniture that you might need, so you can start to make plans.
 

What size is your garden?

No approximate measurements or sweeping statements such as “big” or “small” – get out your tape measure and get the exact dimensions.

Unless you have acres of space, you will need these measurements to give you a reality check.  Yes, a gazebo would provide a perfect spot to watch the world go by, but if it takes up half your garden it just won’t work for you.
 

When do you want to use your garden?

Do you want to be able to enjoy the outdoors year-round, come rain or shine?  Or do you only want to sit out and soak up the sunshine?

This will give you a guide to the types of material you can buy.  Most metals, plastics and synthetic forms of natural fibres, e.g. faux rattan are suitable in all weather conditions.

Wooden garden furniture is usually much more vulnerable to the changing seasons.  You may even need to bring wooden chairs inside during the winter months.
 

How much time can you give to maintenance of your furniture?

You may think of mowing the lawn and weeding the flower bed when it comes to maintaining your garden, but your furniture needs TLC too.

Wooden garden furniture is vulnerable to the effects of the weather.  But with correct maintenance (i.e. applying protective coatings when the weather is dry) it can last for years.  If you want to spend less time on upkeep of your garden, plastic furniture may be your best bet.
 

What’s your style?

And, of course, while the practicalities should guide your thinking, don’t choose garden furniture simply because it ticks all the boxes.  Look for pieces that suit your style and that will work with the type garden you want to create.

Choosing the right furniture for your garden can be a tricky task.  By deciding what you need before you splash the cash, you can make it easier, so you can rest assured that you have picked the best garden furniture for you.

Garden & Homes Direct is an online supplier of discount garden furniture and accessories, helping you to create your perfect garden.

You’ll need:

• MDF (medium density fireboard) for the sides of the crib
• One crib to be decorated
• Measuring tape
• Paint – primer, colored emulsion, and a pencil
• A jigsaw
• Sand paper or a sanding machine
• Screws, and a drill

Four easy steps!

First of all, you will need to decide what shapes you would like to apply to the sides of your crib. It can be anything that is compatible with the shape of a crib – for the purpose of these instructions let’s say that you have decided to make your baby’s crib into a pirate ship.

Second, you will need to draw your template around the crib on a sheet of construction paper. Once you are happy, you need to draw your template onto two different sheets of MDF, and cut them out twice. An electric saw will work best, but MDF is so easy to work with that you will even be able to do this with a hand-saw. The two halves of your ship will need to be sanded after that.

Once your two halves are ready, you can then screw them onto the crib. Make sure there is no sharp stuff that can poke the baby. Before you start painting, fill in any holes created when you screwed the MDF into your crib up with poly filler.

Finally you are now ready to paint your ship! You need to prime it first, and then you can paint over this with colored emulsion. Before you start painting on the details, it helps to draw them on in pencil so you know what you are doing.

Trying To Conceive is a blog about fertility, pregnancy, and other reproductive issues. With their free ovulation calendar , women can find out when to expect their most fertile days and increase their chances of getting pregnant sooner.

If you’re considering a move across country or across the world, downloading these apps for your phone will make packing, planning and transitioning to a new country easier and less stressful. Get ready for a move-in celebration because these apps will shift your move into high gear.

Moving Gist

I love this app because it breaks down the moving process and offers you to-do lists based on your move date. It’s almost like having a personal assistant – it won’t bring you a morning latté, but it will make sure you’re buying boxes or hiring a moving company at the right time. Five stars for knowing what to do and when to do it. App site

Moving Van

Can’t find your bowls? No problem with the Moving Van app. This tool will help you inventory each of your boxes by tagging a picture to the box number. Your box inventory list will also help you determine where each box goes once it reaches its destination – very clever! App site

myLanguage Translator Pro

When moving to a new country, you have a few options for communicating with natives – you can learn sign language, hire a translator or buy an app for $4.99. If you decide to go the app route, myLanguage Translator Pro is a good option because it not only translates phrases real-time, it also detects dialect by region and will help you learn the language in no time flat. App site

With these tools in-hand and a good moving company by your side, you should be able to handle a long-distance move with ease, grace and style. Enjoy the journey ahead!

Jess Powell, northAmerican Van Lines Moving Company

Decorative fences are good for homeowners who don’t seek privacy as their primary goal. They are typically no more than 2-3 feet high and have loose construction. They won’t stop a stranger or even some animals from entering the garden, not to mention that everyone will be able to see inside it. Obviously such fences are only good for safe areas. Then why so many people like them? Because they are beautiful! Decorative fences can be made of wood or metal, can have various ornaments and figures, can be painted or not.

If you have decided to install such fence in your garden the best advice is to browse the web for pictures and see how different designs fit different garden styles. You can always use landscape designer advice and have a custom built decorative fence but it’s going to cost more than buying ready panels.

Decorative fences look best in gardens with more space and green grass, with less plants and trees.

On the other hand, practical wooden fences can fit literally every garden style, because they can have any design. Wooden fences can be made from planks and boards, or from wood branches in rustic style, or even from whole trunks if you want a tall and extremely durable and safe privacy fence. The main issue with wooden fences is they require proper treatment and maintenance. During long winters or rainy seasons wood tends to rot and loses its color and durability.

Wooden fences make great friendly garden design if you place wooden benches next to them, even outside the garden area.

They are the most common choice of people who like to build things themselves – they are easy to build and allow limitless room for creativity.

If you are mostly interested in longevity, you may want to consider a wrought iron fence. While expensive, a quality wrought iron fence is going to outlive even your house. Build it once and forget. It will keep interlopers away without hiding your beautiful garden from being seen. When bought as ready panels such fences are easy to install even from a non-professional.

Don’t forget to apply some corrosion treatment to this type of fence, otherwise longevity will remain only on paper.

Bamboo fences on the other hand are quite easy to install and can be also used for privacy and safety. They are surprisingly strong and durable, and much stronger than wooden ones. The main disadvantage is they quickly rot, crack and split if exposed to harsh weather conditions. Painting and treatment is not as sustainable on bamboo.

Vinyl fences are weather resistant – they will not crack, rot or mold, they are cheap, easy to install, easy to clean, and typically need no painting. If practice and costs are most important for you, no doubt install vinyl fence – they are sold as panels in many colors and shapes.

If beauty is more important for you, if you want natural or rustical design, or environment-friendly fence, then forget about vinyl.

If you want to live in a castle, have plenty of time and money and value safety and privacy most you may consider building your fence from dry stones or bricks.

Finally if you are looking for long lived and low-maintenance fence, why don’t you consider a living fence? They are beautiful, ensure privacy and even security if you add some prickly plants in them. A high living fence can even block wind much better than other types of fences. This fence is the best way to remain environment friendly – it can be home for insect, birds and rodents. Disadvantages? Very few: your fence may need extra water and it can compete with crops for nutrition. If you control the growth of your living fence, you should be out of trouble!

Author bio: Bob Johnson enjoys outdoor DIY projects and manages a site about outdoor garden benches.

Why You Should Choose Contemporary Kitchen Cabinets

Choose contemporary styles because you don’t want an outdated looking kitchen – plain and simple. Unless you are trying to achieve a rustic style, classic kitchen cabinets with their wood and stain finishes can make your kitchen seem smaller than it truly is. If you go with a dark color stain, your kitchen can look dark and foreboding rather than warm and inviting. Also, if you are trying to spruce up your home’s resale value, going with classic style kitchen cabinets might not appeal to a younger demographic. Installing contemporary kitchen cabinets in your home will up the resale value and provide a clean, updated look. Contemporary kitchen cabinets come with great, space saving designs and awesome features that you never even knew you wanted (or needed). Tired of having to get a stool to reach things in the top cabinet? Modern and contemporary cabinets come with pull down features that bring items once out of arms reach to eye level. Amazing!

Features Your Cabinets Should Have

If you are used to doing things the old way with your cabinets, you might not even be aware of any of the new features that are available. This is why you must visit a kitchen cabinet showroom where the designers can show you all of the new features available. There are cabinets that no matter how hard you slam them, will close quietly and softly, cabinets that slide away neatly beneath your countertop for a sunk-in look, cabinets that have temperature controls built in, and as mentioned before, cabinets that pull items from the top shelf down to eye level. There are some kitchen cabinet features that you never knew existed, but once you see them, are convinced that you can’t live without.
Take the time to explore all of your options when selecting new kitchen cabinets. No matter what direction you choose, you will be investing a significant amount of money in them, so get the features and styles you want – don’t settle.

About the Author: Aaron Garcia is a home owner who has been through more than a couple kitchen remodeling projects.

Hardwood flooring is the more traditional choice, and has been used in homes for many years. Hardwood floors retain a timeless beauty, and they come in a huge variety of wood grains and patterns. These floors are extremely durable and long-lasting, and may raise the value of a home. However, they are prone to scratches and nicks. Most hardwood flooring only has to be scraped, resanded, and refinished on an average of fifteen years, but those who are more particular may find it necessary to refinish their hardwood floors more often. This raises the cost of maintenance.

Even with discount hardwood flooring, installation can be pricey because the floor is sanded and finished onsite, requiring many more hours of labor. Expertise is also important in installation of hardwood flooring to make sure the job is done right. When done correctly, there is nothing like genuine hardwood flooring to lend a desired ambiance to a room.

Laminate flooring is constructed by taking a photo of the flooring to be depicted, and transferring it onto the flooring tile. The different layers that make up the flooring are then bonded, resulting in a strong, long-lasting laminate floor that looks almost exactly like the original. Laminate flooring is coated with an extremely durable aluminum oxide coating that is even said to be resistant to scratches, nicks, and dents.

Because of its synthetic nature, laminate floors are more affordable, and installation is so simple that some even install laminate flooring as a do-it-yourself project. The flooring is manufactured with a unique click-lock system that allows installation as a ‘floating floor’; it is not attached to the subfloor. This eliminates the need for messy nails or glue, and the floor comes prefinished, and does not require sanding, staining, and finishing. Taking all of its benefits into account, some say that laminate flooring does not sound like real hardwood when walked on, and if not installed properly, it can buckle due to changes in temperature and humidity.

Customers face a difficult decision in flooring. Based on individual lifestyle, homeowners must decide whether they want to invest in a floor that will last practically forever, or choose a more budget-friendly option that will look great, but when it comes down to it, is still an ‘imitation’.

Bio:

Tom Foley is a home improvement and flooring consultant for affordafloors.com. Affordafloors offers quality hardwood floors, laminate flooring, and other flooring options, with exceptional customer service and budget pricing.