Rattan is durable and lightweight and is also fairly flexible, making it a versatile option for furniture making. Not only that, it is a highly attractive and low maintenance option for furniture.

 How Rattan Furniture is made

These are slender stemmed, vine like palms that are easy to harvest. The strands of this palm range from a few millimeters to several centimeters in thickness. The outer skin of the palm is used for weaving purposes whereas the inner core is used for other processes. This inner core is known as wicker, which is used for types of furniture, baskets, plant containers and other products.

Rattan plants are of various different types and colors. The palm fronds are cut into sections and then processed to make them suitable for weaving and so on. These versatile palms can be colored and stained to achieve various different looks.

The Pros of Rattan Furniture

Rattan is highly versatile in that it can be used for indoor and outdoor furniture. It is a highly popular choice for patio furniture, garden furniture, and for other outdoor spaces such as conservatories, pool sides etc.

Rattan is also able to withstand the weather outdoors; so in many cases it can be used as outdoor furniture around the year.  It is possible to use this furniture for offices, bedrooms, dining rooms and so on.

Certain types of poly rattan furniture, is even more weather resistant and requires little or no maintenance.  For this type of rattan, all you probably need for cleaning and upkeep is mild soap and water.

Probably the most significant advantage of rattan furniture is the attractive look of this type of furniture. Exclusive looking and aesthetically appealing, this furniture is a hot favorite with interior designers, landscape artists as well as home owners.

Since this material can be woven into different shapes and designs, there is little need for using nails and screws as used in other types of furniture. Also unlike other types of furniture, rattan doesn’t warp and get misshapen.

Disadvantages of Rattan Furniture

Rattan furniture will usually need cushions and other types of upholstering to make the furniture comfortable and useable. However this also requires you to be careful about leaving the furniture out in the rain and sun.

Though hardwearing and long lasting, rattan furniture could eventually become dry and brittle. The paint or stain may also fade and/or start to chip if there is too much exposure to the sun, wind and rain.

Another possible disadvantage is that rattan furniture may be quite expensive because it is often made by artisans who weave the material by hand.  This however can also be viewed as an advantage because you do end up supporting local artisans and indigenous industry.

Author Information:

Sarika Periwal is a design and decor writer who has written articles for many blogs and online publications over the years. She recommends using rocking chairs made of rattan. For other home furnishing needs, consider visiting this online furniture outlet that specializes in handcrafted furniture. 

Little confession: one day I received multiple questions about my beer, and having not tried it yet, I became very antsy and decided to taste it prematurely. How big of a difference does a week of sitting in the bottle take? A LOT. That first sampling, I was incredibly upset with the taste and feel of the beer. It was overcarbonated, tasted watery and barely vanilla-y — I was disappointed, and had a very hard time convincing myself that its underwhelming taste was because it needed more time. I saw my dreams of becoming a craft brewing go down the drain with the beer I couldn’t finish.

If you ever do decide to make your own batch one day, the keyword to remember from the day you buy your ingredients until the moment you crack open that bottle is patience. Patient while you wait for the beer to boil to its exact temperature, patient while it ferments for two weeks, and patient while it sits in the bottle, taunting you and your thirst. You can’t rush something like flavor, it just has to happen naturally.

So, I’ve decided to name my beer Unicorn Stout: one because it’s a Russian Imperial Stout, and two because is there any creature mightier than a unicorn? I think not!

Why did you decide to become a web designer?

I was playing in a band which required a website. After my bass player made one using Wix, I became very intrigued and began to design some sites of my own. After being featured on the Wix home page a few times, and with the encouragement of some friends, I quit my job waiting tables and pursued web design full time.

What is your favorite aspect of owning and running a creative business?

I am my own boss and can work from anywhere. I have become quite the cafe connoisseur. Also, the motivation to work hard to please clients is a lot more real and satisfying because it’s my reputation on the line.

Why do your websites stand out from the pack?

My websites generally tow the line between very clean and artsy. I like to make sure that websites look professional without looking sterile or boring. We work very closely with our clients to create a custom website, tailor-made to represent their business. We want the customer to FEEL something about the product. I don’t use templates; I work from the ground up.

What tools have most helped your business to thrive?

Being a WixPro and my subsequent involvement in the Wix Arena have gotten me so many great clients! Also the evolution of the Wix platform into HTML5 has really expanded my business, as people are flocking to get set up in the new medium.

How do you promote your service?

I used to go to street fairs, open mics, and door to door and just ask if they needed a website. That was tough. I tried flyering too. I got a few clients but that was all a lot of work. The best way is through the Wix Arena and word of mouth.

What would your advice be to other designers looking to start a business?

“Don’t knock the hustle.”

Below I’ve selected collection of quality freebies practically every web designer will love. Included are user interface elements, menus, buttons, icons, plus a few other rare goodies up for you to grab! If you have created freebies or know of something we missed, do let me know in your comment!

Candy Stat Bars

RGB Sliders

Metal chromed text effect – Free PSD and style fx

On / Off Switches and Toggles

Big volume knob

Eco-friendly tags and stickers

Dark Orange UI Web Kit

Settings Drop Down Menu

Breadcrumbs

Custom Audio Player

Flip Clock

Magnifying Glass Icons

Portfolio Website Template

Blugraphic Modern Ui Kit

Reproduction Ps Vita

Fresh App – Free Website Desgin PSD

Psd Stamps

Download buttons

Product Options Popup PSD

70+ user interface elements

There hasn’t been a better time than the present for mobile workforces, and one device in particular has pushed mobile utilities to the edge of what’s currently possible.

It’s been know that good things come in small packages and today I picked a few apps that will inspire you and help you make the right design choices. Many of these apps are available for both the iPhone and the iPod Touch. Some are free, and others cost a little scratch, but all hit our bar of usefulness. Read on and let us know what apps you’re using too!

iDesign

myPANTONE

The Typography Manual

AppomniFocus

Cinemagram

Harvest

Palettes

Todo

What The Font 

Mill Colour 

TypeDrawing 

Hipstamatic

NightCamera

Visualator

What inspired you to start Ethikus?

Quite simply, we were inspired by a need that we had personally. I wanted to “vote with my wallet” and use our dollars to support businesses (and business practices) that we believed in, but I couldn’t find an easy way to do it. Of course, I was also sensitive to the need because of my background in sustainability, and I realized that it was a lot more rewarding to discuss ways to make a small business owner more sustainable than a huge corporation – there was no bureaucracy standing in the way!

What is the company’s mission?

The whole point of Ethikus is to make sustainable shopping and eating fun and easy. We want to give people the information and tools they need so they can align their everyday purchases with their values. When enough folks begin to patronize the local establishments that do good with their business practices, it sends a signal that people want businesses to support community, environment and employees. We are here to help consumers articulate that demand, and create chain-reaction good by encouraging positive changes to business practices.

What have been some of your favorite projects?

Shop Your Values Week was definitely our favorite and most ambitious undertaking. In less than 6 months, on limited resources, we built a community of nearly 5000 New Yorkers, 30 community and non-profit partners, and 219 local businesses to all be a party of a city-wide celebration of the stores and restaurants that do good. We held fun events, had discounts and incentives at all participating business, and really raised the city’s awareness of all the great establishments that are supporting their community, environment and employees.

How do you think Ethikus will change the way we consume?

How? Simply by providing the information people want, by being an authoritative guide and source for what local businesses are doing what, and holding fun events to get people engaged!

What do you think is the most effective way to inspire others to shop ethically?

By showing how easy it is, and connecting with people through their passions. It works both ways; small business owners are also really passionate individuals, and when consumers see that, and share values with them, it just becomes a matter of telling them the address! But on a larger scale, we just would love to show a map with hundreds of pins across it showing Do Good local businesses with all their data, so when a person looks at it they think “hey, yeah, I can do this, there are so many it’s easy!”

Do you think you’ve had to innovate new ways to communicate with your community in order to achieve your goals and if so, how have you done that?

Yes, and it has been difficult. We’ve gone through several ‘catchwords’ and the earlier ones didn’t stick. Now we’re focusing on things like ‘simply doing good’ and ‘discover/explore’ to get people interested in the concept of shopping and eating better, then we explain the breadth of what we’re trying to do (in an ‘About Us’ section or something).  We found that holding concrete events really helps engage early users, like Meetups and parties and free food, of course, to get them out and meet them in person is quite rewarding. And of course the usual social media and email streams have been helpful, but it was our community and organizational partners who really spread the word. We partnered with dozens of great organizations who emailed local businesses they had relationships with to get them on board for SYVW, and they reached out to their communities, so we had dozens of large organizations reaching out for us! Many of the participating businesses tweeted and posted on facebook about the event as well.

Compared to other sustainable initiatives, what makes Ethikus unique?

I think that we try to create change through partnership / collaboration. We know that changing buying habits is not easy – and reaching an entire city even harder. But we’re not doing it alone. If we create collaborative events like Shop Your Values Week and support partner initiatives in the same vein, then we aren’t starting from scratch and we can scale quickly.

Where do you see Ethikus going in the future? What are the big picture projects?

In the future we want to develop a great app so people can quickly and easily find participating businesses near them. We want to redesign the site to make it easier to discover places and to get new places to sign up. We are also totally in for another Shop Your Values Week and are really hopeful about getting it into new cities! We have many plans and ideas, so stay tuned.

Web design is, of course, one of the most essential aspects of running a successful website. As any website owner knows, when trying to make your business standout from online competitors, you can’t get by without unique design features. It’s also likely that you know how quickly and regularly web design techniques are advancing…but just how did it all begin?

Since the Internet was only invented in the 1960s, and did not become available as a widespread method of communication until the late 80s, the history of web design is quite a short one.

The first early trying in web design didn’t commence until the Internet began to transform from a tool used solely for communication to one used for browsing and viewing information. This change eventuated around 1993 when the first web browser was developed. Prior to this, the Internet had only been used to transfer basic information between computers using telephone lines. The first browser allowed Internet users to view documents using HTML, however modem transfer rates were slow so the quality of graphics and amount of text was limited in order to maintain accessibility.

Nevertheless, people were amazed by the possibilities of the Internet and the first browser quickly attracted millions of users worldwide, prompting the 1994 establishment of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which outlined goals, and standards of web design. These rules outlined HTML as the primary coding language of websites and also prevented the ownership of web design codes by particular companies. Standards set out by the W3C are still active today, providing standard web design guidelines that enable search engines and browsers to effectively display and index web pages.

Since the mid-late 1990s, developments in web design have enjoyed a meteoric rise. While early websites were primarily text documents with very few graphics, the increasing speed of modern modems has meant that web design has developed to include a greater range of colored layouts, animated text and high quality graphics.

Today’s high-speed broadband and wireless Internet connections mean that the possibilities for advancements in web design are limitless. Increased speed of Internet connections has allowed creative web design techniques to developed, giving us the kinds of website we are seeing to today that tend to be unique and vibrant in appearance and functionality.

Full color text, video, animations, flashing banners, polls, quizzes, games, interactive images, forms and search tools are just some of the web design elements we take for granted, without realizing what recent innovations they actually are. Can you even begin to imagine what kinds of web design will be possible in another fifteen to twenty years?

Graphics and animations that hover in mid-air without need for a monitor or screen? Websites that employ the principles of Artificial Intelligence to provide a truly personalized service? Who knows what’s in store in the world of web design, but one thing’s for certain, it’s one of the most actively progressive and exciting elements of the contemporary computer industry and one that can work magic on the web presence of your company.

The first main coding language that I will talk about is HTML, HTML is an evolving language, one that has been complicated at times by some browsers developing their own tags, and has slowly been developing into a single standard. HTML 1.0 was the first public release, and as website creation wasn’t widespread, the language was quite limiting. The first official standard was HTML 2.0, released in November 1995. This included everything from HTML 1.0 but added some new features. It defined many core features for the first time and remained the standard until January 1997. HTML 3.0 was proposed in April 1995, introducing new and improved abilities, but as browsers were slow in implementing these. HTML 3.2 became the standard in January 1997 and was W3C’s first work, removing the nuisance browser-specific tags and leaving advances made there for later releases. In April 1998 HTML 4.0 became the standard. The last iteration of classic HTML, it represented a great evolution in standards with the focus being on internationalization and support for a new presentational language, namely cascading stylesheets (CSS). HTML 4.0 offered three kinds: Strict (in which deprecated elements were forbidden), Transitional (in which deprecated elements were allowed) and Frameset (in which mostly only frame related elements were allowed). It soon underwent a few minor revisions and HTML 4.01, the final version of the specification, became the standard in December 1999.

In January 2000, XHTML 1.0 became the recommended joint-standard with HTML 4.01. XHTML marked something of a departure and was an XML formulation of an HTML specification. There weren’t many new or deprecated tags and attributes, but accessibility and functionality were increased.

In May 2001 XHTML 1.1 was released, based on XHTML 1.0 strict but including minor changes. In August 2002 XHTML 2.0 became a working draft but will never become a standard and support will end for this in December 2009. This was inevitable because XHTML 2.0 was not backward compatible and failed to offer any compelling new features, relying on semantic precision rather than the realities of web design. Rather than an update on 1.1, it was really a new XHTML-inspired language, one that browsers did not feel the need to implement. XHTML 5, which is an update to XHTML 1.1, is being defined alongside HTML 5 in the HTML 5 draft and will no doubt be the future of html (although won’t be fully supported for years).

HTML 5 will be the obvious choice of the future, but until it is distributed amongst all browsers, HTML 4.01 and XHTML 1.1 are both fine. XHTML is not that different from HTML 4.01 but is stricter, meaning that validation is easier. The most important differences are that elements must be properly nested, they must always be closed and in lowercase, and XHTML documents must have one root element. HTML 5 allows you to use either the stricter syntax of XHTML 1.1 or the open syntax of HTML 4.01, meaning that your written XHTML 1.1 can be converted to HTML 5 by simply changing the doctype. And unlike XHTML 2.0, HTML 5 has many new features, such as audio and video embeds, multi-column layout tools, offline data storage, and native vector graphics.

DHTML (Dynamic HTML) isn’t actually a language (or a web standard) but rather a marketing term originally coined by Microsoft to describe IE4′s implementation of the combination of HTML, JavaScript, DOM and CSS. DHTML allows documents to be animated (react to user events). The DOM (Document Object Model) is a W3C standard for the specification of how objects in Web pages are represented, such as text, images, links, etc. It defines what attributes are associated with each object and how the objects and attributes can be manipulated. DHTML relies on the DOM to dynamically change the appearance of Web pages after they have been downloaded to a browser. The term DHTML will no doubt be replaced with newer buzzwords, such as DOM Scripting or AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML).

The second language I will talk about in web design in CSS, Cascading Style Sheets, CSS has reinvented the way website designers not only create the look and feel of a website, but also how they keep that look consistent throughout the entire website.

Whether it’s a one page or 100 page website, CSS makes updating each page much simpler. With Cascading Style Sheets, a designer has one area or file uses to add pictures, change the font or color of the text, change the background color or image and update the entire look of a website.

CSS is a syntax used in the markup languages HTML and XHTML and has limited use in XML documents. CSS is used in almost every aspect of today’s website designs.

CSS hasn’t always been the web designer’s outlet for a ‘simple fix’ method to revamp or give a website a ‘face lift’. After years of trial and error testing,

CSS is still a work on progress. With ever changing browser support and new browsers being continually created, finding the correct syntax for CSS is a constant and everlasting project.

Since the beginning of style sheet usage in the 1970’s, it has evolved through widespread study and testing. It wasn’t until the mid 1990’s that CSS was introduced to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). At that time, W3C members became involved in its development, as well. In the late 1990’s, CSS was ready to be used and in December 1996, the syntax became official.

Even with the support from the W3C, Internet Explorer 3 was released in 1996 with very little support for the highly useful style sheet syntax.

Three years later, Internet Explorer 5 was released and had a nearly 100% compatibility and support for CSS. As with any new Internet language, however, bugs and inconsistencies were major obstacles.

Introducing different variations of CSS, such as CSS1, CSS2 and CSS3, aided in weeding out the properties that browsers simply wouldn’t support. Creating a standard for CSS and browser compatibility was mandatory for a successful syntax and style tool. By using variations from all forms of CSS, CSS2.1 was created in late July 2007. By 2008, the latest and greatest version of Internet Explorer, IE8, allowed for full support of the CSS2.1 syntax in its highest quality ‘web standards’ mode.

Today there are still several quirks and tweaks in CSS and some website designers use CSS filters and hacks to workaround inconsistencies. Keeping a consistent appearance in ALL Internet browsers is the main goal and reason for constant research and testing as newer versions of CSS are established.

CSS3 is currently in the works. This newest version of the elder syntax will involve several of the same elements included in prior versions. W3C keeps an ongoing record of its work and studies on CSS3.

As specified by most CSS syntaxes, the width and height of block-level elements should be included for all information and content within the box, not including the surrounding padding, margins, borders, etc…this is to be added afterwards. However, some web browsers, IE5 and earlier, were programmed to include the padding and margins within the block elements, therefore expanding the size of the block seen by the browsers and misconstruing the layout of web pages using the CSS syntax.

Several workarounds have been invented to force IE5 and earlier versions to display the layout of web pages as the CSS programmer intended. Along with the famous box model bug, arose a workaround called the ‘box model hack’.

Though the ‘box model hack’ was developed to improve compatibility of CSS in web browsers, most designers currently find the ‘hacks’ to be unreliable and have opted to use CSS filters to insure proper viewing of web pages in earlier versions of IE.

With a history of limitations and disadvantages in using standard CSS to style websites, the current and future advantages of style sheets to create a consistent and flowing feel to one’s website are well worth the minor hindrances of certain elements contained in CSS attributes.

HTML5 and CSS3 are the future of web design, but you don’t have to wait to start using them. Even though the specification is still in development, many modern browsers and mobile devices already support HTML5 and CSS3.

What makes HTML5 and CSS3 so exciting is that they allow developers to create functionality and effects with text and multimedia that were previously left to

third-party programs like Flash, or were included on web pages as images. For example, with HTML5 and CSS3, rounded corners and drop shadow text can now be directly by the browser, rather than through the use of images.

It’s also going to make viewing video on your phone or mobile device much easier because instead of having to load a plug-in to play the video, it will be playing off a standard multimedia framework.

Even if you don’t watch a lot of online video and don’t have a mobile phone that supports multimedia, you’ll see a concrete benefit from the new systems: better searches.

Right now, many sites use Flash to create animations and other effects that aren’t supported by the old HTML, and search engines can’t read and catalog the information on Flash sites. The new standards will lessen the need for Flash and allow developers to use text instead of images. The search engines will then be able to pick up this text and search it, thus making your search results both more concise and more comprehensive at the same time.

Internet Explorer doesn’t currently support the new standards, and the other browser companies are debating what format to use for showing video in your browser. The next big task will be to get an HTML5 compliant browser onto every computer in the world. So it may be some time before you see benefit of the new standards firsthand.

That said, the possibilities that they offer for developers and web surfers are so great that we have no hesitation in saying that the future of the web belongs to HTML5 and CSS3.

We talked with Joe Scola of ABID Technology, an interactive tool that lets you click on things that interest you while you’re watching videos online. It’s a very neat idea — check it out on their site!

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Tell us a bit about ABID and what prompted you to start a company like it? Every entrepreneur wants to change the world, and ABID is our way of trying to do so. Our goal is to transform the way viewers will interact with their video content for years to come. We believe people are in constant search of accessing information, and we’re aiming to deliver that experience through an added layer in video content. We see this as one small piece in the future of information exchange. We’re still a young company, and although we’re very pleased with the goals we have accomplished, there is still a long list of milestones in front of us. But that’s the exciting part.

Can you describe your past positions and how they led up to the creation of ABID? I’ve always been attracted to the visual arts, this led me to a BS in Film and Video at Drexel University. After Drexel, I fell into a sales and marketing position with a fortune 100 company. This experience had opened me up to a brand new side of myself. I wound up building new skills and excelling in the industry, but the limitations of working for a large corporation had slowly started to rub me the wrong way. I had ideas, so did my colleagues, none of which were being heard. It was during this experience I had met my future business partner, and we decided it was time to take action.

“If we couldn’t make change through the company we were working for, then we would create our own. Six months later, ABID was born.”

What’s one golden piece of advice you’d offer a young company? I would say, be prepared to work harder than you imagine. Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. Be passionate about whatever it is you’re aiming to create, building a company comes with many ups and downs, you’ll need that passion to get you through the challenges that lie ahead.

How do you imagine ABID Technology and Creative Village could work together? Creative Village has some incredible resources, I especially love their blogs and the inspiration they provide.  It would be wonderful to attend some of the networking opportunities and exciting events they’ll be hosting. They’re a company that seems to have a deep understanding of entrepreneurship, startups, and they’re providing new tools for guidance in those arenas, and that’s something close to home for me. I would also imagine that when it’s time to expand ABID, our recruitment process would be made much easier working together with Creative Village.

What’s next for ABID? We’re currently wrapping up an incredible internship program we created and hosted in Philadelphia, and we’re extremely proud of all the students who participated. In the next couple months we’re planning a soft launch with release-1 of our product. The product is something we’ve kept tightly under wraps, and we’re very excited to begin testing it with partners.

If you knew you were about to eat your last meal, what would you have and where would you have it? I would start with some grilled calamari salad, followed by homemade manicotti with my Great Aunt Elda’s famous sauce. After the main course, a Saint Joe’s cake would be my dessert of choice, and would of course be accompanied by a double espresso. A light digestive of sambuca in a snifter glass with 3 coffee beans would polish off the perfect meal. I would enjoy this final palatable goodness overlooking the Mediterranean from the town of Aquavella in Salerno, Italy. It’s where my grandfather was born, a place of humble beginnings and true beauty.

Thanks to Joe and ABID Technology for giving us a peek into the life of an entrepreneur! Keep checking back for more interviews like this and find out the different paths there are in starting a business.

In order to keep your ideas fresh and sharp, here are some tips I’ve found useful at my internships:

Brainstorm: If you have weekly meetings with your team, take advantage of them. This is your chance to bounce ideas you have off of others to see what sticks. This is especially useful if you’re responsible for a weekly task, such as blog posts, since you’re bound to run into at least one roadblock. Asking others in passing for ideas is simple and pays off.

Read the news: I found a lot of my blog and social media content through internet inspiration. Staying on top of current events gives you an extra edge because the content you write or ideas you suggest are relevant and interesting to others – some may not even know about it yet and you get to be ahead of the curve.

Observe: All too often I realize that I’m spacing out rather than observing my surroundings. By being aware of what’s around me and studying human behavior, nature, new architectural developments, I’m able to gain inspiration from very unlikely sources.

Do new things: This one is a double whammy. Obviously, you could learn something new and shed light on a world you’ve never experienced before. The kicker is that you can learn something about yourself you never knew before, which can have a dramatic affect on your thinking. For instance, when I started taking kickboxing classes, I discovered that I’m able to withstand a lot more physical torture than I had previously thought, and that truly shattered the invisible barriers I had set for myself.

Make a Daily Plan

The foremost thing to do is to make a detailed plan. Having a plan in mind helps you manage your time efficiently. Break your ultimate goal into pieces and integrate them into your daily plan. Make the plan feasible and devote the same amount of time everyday to it. Once the work becomes a routine, you will find yourself making progress easily and will eventually reach your goal.

Do Not Overthinking the Past

We all have that moment. If we did something wrong or would have done it better in a different way, we will keep thinking about it, consciously or unconsciously. However, think about how much time we can have to spend focusing on the past everyday? The past is past, and nothing can be changed. If you can’t do anything about it, let it go, and focus on now. Don’t waste your current time on the past. Live in the present.

Do Not Work on One Task for a Long Time

If you work on one single project for too long, it might decrease your productivity. You might end up spending more time than you should. Say, you may take four hours to finish a task that can be normally done in just two hours. If you feel that you can’t focus or you become less productive, take a break. Go exercise or work on other projects. Remember that time passes quickly. You need to concentrate and use the time efficiently.

Use the Fragment of Time Smartly

It is easy to find some pieces of time here and there everyday. It could be a 10-minute coffee break, a 15-minute gap between meetings or a 30-minute ride on the commute. Do not overlook those little chunks of time. Use it wisely and you will make a big difference. Some recommendations include reading a book, clearing your mind, following up the news, or even networking. Do not waste it.

Sacrifice Leisure Time for the Good

After a hard day’s work, we all want to watch TV and relax for the rest of the day. However, if you have your own goal and wish to achieve it, you’d better give up your leisure time. We surely need to rest once in awhile, but you have to push yourself if you want to do something more. Time is limited, so use it for the most important things. This is not easy, because you have to constantly challenge yourself. But if you make it, you will find yourself in a better life.

Finally, a quote I want to share with all of you:

“Dost thou love life? Then waste not time; for time is the stuff that life is made of.” – Benjamin Franklin

What you can use Room Dividers or Partitions for

In short you then may wish that you had more walls! Building walls however is neither very economical nor very practical. In some cases it may be structurally impossible to put up a wall in a certain position. And then there is the fact that walls are not portable! This is where room dividers come in.

A partition or a room divider will create a separate space without the feeling of enclosure or being divided. If for instance you want to create a small space for a home office – you can carve out this space from a larger drawing room area by using a room divider. This will give you space to spread out and make place for all of the office paraphernalia. So your office stuff will not look incongruous in a drawing room setting and the divider will give you a measure of privacy. And since this home office is not a separate room you can still hear and keep an eye on what is going on in the rest of this house.

Room dividers are also useful for creating a partition between the drawing room and the dining area. This can also be a useful way to create segments within a children’s room, when two or more kids desire some privacy and personal space.

Another really great thing about room dividers is that many of them are portable structures that are not fixed and can be moved. Many types of room dividers can be the collapsible sort that can fold out of the way when not required. Also if your room divider is movable, it can be moved to increase or decrease the area of the partitioned space. When it is no longer required you can simply remove it without further ado.

Ideas for Room Dividers and Partitions

Shelves are an excellent way to create a room divider or a partition. The shelves can be floor to ceiling or they could reach part of the way up, depending upon how enclosed you want the space to be. Also the shelves can extend as much away from the wall as you want partitioning as much or as little of the room as you may desire.

You can use the shelves to display decorative items, store books and so on. An entertainment center can also make a useful room divider or partition.

A glass partition is another good option. Smoked glass is more private while clear glass is less so. You could even use mirrors to create such a partition.

Wooden lattice panels are a popular room divider option. Folding panels are always useful when picking a room divider because they are more versatile and portable.

About the Writer:

Sarika Periwal writes about interior design and decor. She recommends trying hardwood furniture from www.amish-furniture-home.com which is sure to last you for a long time due to its superior quality of raw material and joinery. Read more about how to take the right kind of care of your furniture here: www.amishtables.com/our-furniture/care.

So many current students and fresh grads would do anything to win a position at a start-up, but has it becoming a mindless desire molded by hype from our peers and media outlets? They’ve almost become this sort of mythical, romanticized ideal we millennial creatures put on a pedestal and drool over, but do we really know why it’s great to work at a start-up?

Currently interning at a young start-up, RentShare, and even at a small company like Creative Village/Creative Interns, I wanted to share the benefits I’ve personally experienced by going into the office every week (thus, it by no means is a checklist for all companies you may encounter):

• It’s small: Some may even call it “intimate” (but that’s a little weird). One of my favorite things about being part of a small organization of about 5-7 people (it fluctuates with the hiring of new interns) is that I actually get to know my coworkers and talk to them on a one-on-one basis. It makes the ambiance seem more like a team rather than a bunch of coworkers, which is great for morale.
• Your work matters: Not that it doesn’t elsewhere! But what I noticed when writing blogposts or press releases or even managing some social media is that since I’m part of a smaller team, my task has a larger impact on the company goals. I’m much more accountable for the work I put out and that itself is a motivator.
• Your ideas get picked up: Since team meetings are smaller and you are most likely in direct contact with the CEO and other super important figures, you get a chance to pitch your ideas and elaborate on them. The beginning stages, in my opinion, are so great because the white board isn’t full yet, so no idea is easily dismissed. The best part is when everyone starts to voice their suggestions on how to make your idea better, and an thought you jotted down in your notebook suddenly becomes a working project. That’s what happened with my Neighborhood Profiles series!
• Witnessing a company GROW: This part is super exciting. You get to see the baby steps of an organization become toddler steps, and then big kid steps, and then adult steps! I’ve always wanted to enter the stage of a company where one new sign-up was to be celebrated — it definitely makes you more personally invested in the company.
• Lunch is fun: No, really, this is important! I’ve really become friends with the people I work with which is something that is entirely undervalued in the workplace. Being close with your coworkers allows for easier communication and teamwork. Plus, you should like the people you work with, right?

Remember, these are only what I’ve personally seen first hand after working at a start-up. If you disagree or have something else to add, I’d love to hear it in the comments section!

I hope you enjoy the video, and let me know what you think about it.

Go for International Companies

Aim at Midsized Companies Instead of the Large Ones

But sometimes, after such high or achievement, creative professionals fall in the trap of, what Oprah would say, “chasing the phenomenon.” They try to seek greater glory from such creative high and when unattained, falls into utter frustration to the point of depression. It’s a dilemma that Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love fame demystifies and rectifies in this inspiring TED talk on nurturing creativity.

Her message to all artists: Keeps showing up and doing the craft that you love no matter what!

The process of brewing beer is one to be respected: it takes knowledge of chemistry, a meticulous and patient eye watching over, and instinctual taste buds. I had no idea until I was actually in the brewer’s seat, choosing from a huge collection of recipes and brainstorming how I wanted to alter it to my liking, that homebrewing takes a lot more skill than most people would assume. My goal is to describe my experience so maybe you curious readers will want to try someday.

First, we needed all the necessary supplies which you can get in a starter homebrewing kit — it includes things like steeping bags and bottle caps. After finding a recipe that I wanted to make, we bought the ingredients: hops, dry malt extract, barley, yeast (and whatever else your recipe calls for) at a local brew supply store and brought it home, making sure everything that needed to be refrigerated went in the fridge.

Hops

One thing I learned was how crucial it was to sanitize EVERYTHING before letting it touch your precious beer using a diluted iodine solution. Now for the brewing: we steeped our crushed malt and barley in what was basically a giant beer sock in boiling water for 30 minutes, adjusting the heat so the water would stay at 150 degrees more or less.

Sanitize!

We brought the giant pot of malt and barley tea outside and used a larger flame to bring everything to a rolling boil. Once it began boiling, we slowly and carefully added the liquid malt extract (which is thicker and stickier than molasses) making sure to stir well and scrape the bottom to avoid burning.

See? Giant beer sock

This is when it got the most dangerous since adding the malt extract to the rolling boil caused a lot of hot chemical things to happen. We had to be careful of it boiling over (which it did) by keeping our feet very far from the base of the pot — but don’t let it boil over too much otherwise you’ll lose a lot of the key malt flavor in your beer. The timing of adding ingredients is crucial. Adding the hops in at different times alters the flavor tremendously, so follow your recipe carefully in order for it to end up the way you want it to.

After that, we had to let it cool down to room temperature using a water bath. Since the liquid was still extremely hot, we had to switch the water every few minutes until it came down to 80 degrees — cool enough to add the yeast. Sprinkled the yeast on top, put the lid on, and placed it in a cool room (it has to stay between 60-80 degrees). Now, we wait. About one week until we can add flavorings, which in our case is vanilla bean!

Look at all that beer!

It was and still is a long process, but when the day comes where I can taste my hard work, it’ll be worth it (I hope). I’m sure this is how everyone feels doing anything they love, whether it’s at work or home — the end product is worth all the time and effort you put in during the process.

I’ll update you readers on how it tastes when it’s ready in a few weeks!

Up first was Content First!, A lecture by Jeffrey Zeldman. The talk addressed the need for a new approach to web design by putting the viewer first and using small screen or mobile web design as inspiration.

As an example of content “don’ts”, Zeldman pulled up a screenshot of the homepage of the East River Ferry, notifying passengers of delays. He pointed out that the site, intended to aid the viewer, was oversaturated with unhelpful content; including the phrase “East River Ferry” displayed about 4 times in various heading weights while the actual delay notice was small and buried beneath.

Another example offered was that of a movie review site that used the same text size for all its content, including its long list of links; which could be found on every page. Zeldman explained that not only was this a problem in content hierarchy, but also an unnecessary amount of links. Maybe this was helpful as far as SEO marketing was concerned, but a headache for the actual target – the viewer.

But the viewers are learning to fight back against this anti-user behavior; changing text size or colors for legitimate concerns (e.g., bad vision, color blindness) or people using apps like instapaper for easier mobile readability.

So does that mean the web is dead as we know it?

Praising minimalist web design (like the famous “Minimal” Blogger template) and new techniques like responsive design and progressive enhancement, Zeldman says it doesn’t have to be. A company may want a page overrun with SEO content or a few camouflaged ads, but this will only hurt them in the end. At the end of the talk, Jeffrey boiled down the talk into four major points (pictured above) as well as his this parting advice:  put content first and scrubs away the unnecessary extras – the result is a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

Sites like Pinterest are a good way for people – not just women – to stay in touch with their creative side and at the same time build a visual portfolio that is representative of who they are.

Just like any writer has a portfolio of their clips, a person in the visually creative field – photography, graphic design, stylist – could turn their Pinterest page into boards of their work along with other pins that could help define who they are as a professional. Imagine it as a visual portfolio that you can keep updating as your ideas change.

Here is a great guide by Onward Search on building the perfect Pinterest portfolio. Good luck!

With summer finally here, many college students and recent graduates have already started their internship programs. However, there are quite a few still trying to land an internship opportunity. If you are one of those that have been sending out a number of resumes but receiving no responses, it may be time to re-examine your resume. Having a solid and polished resume improves your chance of getting the internship you want. Is your resume good to go? Here are a few questions to consider before submitting your resume:

Is your resume grammatically correct?
There’s really nothing more important than having a grammatically correct resume. It is a must for any applicant who wants to secure an internship. Typos, misspellings or other simple mistakes on the resume will lead you to nothing but rejection. Proofread, proofread, and proofread until it’s perfect.

Is your resume just one page?
Studies show that employers only spend 4 or 5 minutes on a resume. As such, it’s highly recommended that your resume should not exceed one page. A short, simple and clear resume makes it easy for employers to know your focus, and a one-page resume is enough to show all your key skills and experience. Don’t make it comprehensive. Even people who have 30 years experience are suggested to limit themselves to one page, not to mention college students or recent graduates. So think about what’s really relevant to the position you are applying for, and exclude experiences that are irrelevant or less important.

Does your experience demonstrate your strong soft skills?
In addition to the right education and relevant work experience, according to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers also look for strong soft skill sets in their new hires’ resumes, such as the ability to work in a team, leadership abilities, written communication skills, and problem-solving skills, etc. In fact, as we may see in many internship postings, soft skills are part of the essential requirements. While students or recent graduates do not have many work experiences to put on their resume, soft skills become a crucial criteria for companies to decide whether to choose one over the other.

Have you had your resume professionally critiqued?
Before sending out your resume to your ideal companies, it’s extremely helpful to have it reviewed by career coaches and professionals. Those people are experts in the field and they can bring valuable and professional feedback to your resume. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, there are many great places to go for free resume reviews. The best place is your school’s career center where you can receive good resume critiques from the school career counselor. Many industry events and career fairs also offer free resume critique seminar. In addition, use your personal connections with professionals in the industry to get your resume reviewed. Make sure to use all these resources and have your resume exposed to as many people as possible for the best results.

Is there a local address on your resume?
Believe it or not, your address on the resume is also an important element for employers to filter candidates. Although some companies hire out-of-state interns, many prefer local residents, especially when there’s a large pool of candidates. So be sure to have a local address if you decide to apply for internships in a certain region. I personally got a lot of inquires about my current location when I tried to apply for internships in New York City with my non-NYC address. Employers do look at your address. To increase your chances of being hired, get a local address or simply remove your out-of-state address on your resume.