Formal living rooms are rarely used from my experience. I can't tell you how many times I have "re-done" them for clients because after living in a home for a while the home owner realizes that they are wasted space. My advice to you about a formal living area is to leave it undone for 3-4 months and utilize the rest of your new home. See what is missing. Do you need an office, a den? A library? Quiet reading area? An exercise room? A craft room? Or maybe you really do need a formal entertaining area for your multitude of guests that come around every weekend where you entertain very high-brow style. But figure that out first otherwise your investment will be wasted. Part of why you and your husband are drawn to different furnishings is for these reasons: 1) The function of the room is not well established. So he envisions sitting on a big bulky comfy couch watching TV, and you envision sipping tea on a gorgeous ethnically inspired piece of furniture and chatting with your friends. This can only be vetted out with time and understanding how you as a couple will use all of your house. 2) You have different ideas about home design. Your husband is interested in comfort and you are interested in style. You will need to find a happy medium. Instead of saying well his style isn't going to fit with my style, think about how he can have a comfortable piece of furniture in the room that is perhaps tailored enough to go along with some beautifully wood carved, ethnic pieces. And this may actually enhance the look and make it look less "themed". And at the end of the day you may want to consider hiring a designer to help you through the process - often times that can help you weed through the process of balancing out form and function and his wants and your wants in the space. Best of luck!

1.When to Pull the Trigger The first step in calculating your ROI is to examine your existing lighting. It might be strange to hear this from a company that manufactures LED fixtures, but the technology is not the right fit for every facility and budget — at least not yet. Project managers should be wary of any company or salesperson that tries to claim otherwise. The next decade will likely bring new capabilities and cheaper technology. If you have a facility full of modern fluorescents that are well-placed, you may be wise to switch to LED fixtures in phases. Begin with the areas where LED light can have the biggest impact, like high-volume production lines, warehouse aisles, cold storage and cranes. These areas can suffer significant productivity losses when lighting goes out and stopping production during normal shifts is not an option. The best results from a full LED retrofit will be seen in facilities still using metal halides or other high-intensity discharge lamps, as LEDs have the potential to cut lighting-related energy expenses in half and decrease overall energy use by up to 50 percent. 2.The Site Visit: They Should Come To You Once you’ve decided on an LED retrofit, the first step is a site visit. There is no universal standard or equivalency formula that ensures quality coverage when switching out metal halides, flourescents and LED fixtures. Each type of fixture distributes light differently, so a 1-to-1 fixture swap rarely produces the ideal coverage. Because of that, any responsible lighting project design should begin with an in-person inspection. Light levels are impacted by a variety of factors including placement, obstructions, wall colors and the amount of dirt and dust present. The same plan won’t work for a cold storage facility in Houston that works for a manufacturing plant in Kansas, even in a building with the same square footage.If companies offer over-the-phone or over-the-Internet quotes based on the idea of equivalencies, they are offering rough estimates, not guarantees. On the other end of the spectrum, specialty firms also charge exorbitant fees for engineer-designed layouts. Good project management includes a no- or low-cost site visit in your scope of work and a specialized layout that is part of a larger project management cost. 3.A Good Quote: It’s a Workhorse, Not a Unicorn There are three key elements to project management: quality, service and price. Every manager wants the unicorn — a company that delivers high-end products for a low price with services like installation and rebates. But that’s not a sustainable business plan. If companies promise you the impossible, or even just a high-end fixture at a bargain price, they’re probably stretching the truth to make the sale. Be leery.Instead, a good quote offers expert advice, outlining how you should devote your project resources to maximize your ROI. If your budget is limited, or allocated over a five-year period, then a strong quote will include installation in phases. The quote is your blueprint, so it should focus on your goals and resources instead of offering canned options or simply replacing halides or fluorescents. A well-designed LED layout will account for changes in light distribution because LED output is more focused horizontally and vertically than light from older technologies. You’ll likely need grid adjustments involving electricians and other contractors. Aside from seeing your goals and having a clearly articulated implementation plan, a strong project proposal should also spell out who will take responsibility for everything from electricians to contractors to scheduling. If the contract is unclear or the sales reps sidestep the issue — walk away from the deal. It’s more valuable to pay for good service than to pay twice for bad service. 4.Installation Done Right: Avoid Costly Disruptions The most important question to ask a potential project management coordinator is “Can you guarantee installation that minimizes work interruptions?” Paying for project management is valuable, but only if the project management works. Demand a single point of contact, accessibility during installation and confirm a clear plan of responsibility for potential delays. Installation is one of the hidden costs of retrofit projects. On paper, coordinating your own retrofit installation reduces the project costs, sometimes significantly. In practice, your own lack of expertise can cause hiccups in the process that can cost valuable production time and staff time, and reduce the overall quality of your LED investment.It’s essential your project manager understands local, statewide and national energy codes. This is a key detail that may help you weed out the light bulb salesmen from the lighting experts. If no one is talking codes, then you’re more likely to be left with a liability than an upgrade. 5.Closeout Procedure: Don’t Walk Away Before You Measure Before you end the project, the company you hire should come in with reliable technology and measure the new light output in your space. If you don’t hit your foot candle goals or if the occupancy sensors aren’t working properly, your point of contact should make it right, at no additional cost. The final step in the close-out procedure – the rebate – should also be free of charge. Rebates can cover up to 50 percent of your total project costs when switching from an older or inefficient system. Push back if your project manager asks for rebate fees or guarantees a rebate as part of a price reduction plan. A rebate is an estimate and it’s critical to understand that rebates are not guaranteed. Local and state rebates can depend on the money available to the issuing agencies or factors outside the scope of your project. Utility providers qualify the availability of funds only at the start of projects and typically must visit your facility to validate the existing system compared to the LED system being installed. Relying on remaining available rebate dollars that may be exhausted prior to your approval and start date may leave you frustrated with your project. When you are ready to speak to someone about a lighting retrofit for your facility, contact our professionals at Worldwide Energy. After explaining the process of upgrading your lighting, you will see that our practices follow Mike’s guidelines laid out in the article. When you work with Worldwide Energy, you get an experienced and efficient team working hard to provide you with the best service available.

Selecting floor tiles requires a certain level of perfection. Floor tiles need to be durable, strong, and at the same time be visually appealing. There are many different types of floor tiles available, but the most suitable types are Porcelain, Glazed Ceramic and Vitrified tiles. Each have different features and suit a different purpose, let us compare these 3 types to know which tile suits you the most. Porcelain Tiles: Porcelain tiles are full-body ceramic tiles that is most used when it comes to floor tiles. They hold higher density and MOH’s scale rating with very low porosity. These floor tile designs have a water absorption rate of less than 0.5 percent. Due to their low-slip factor and water absorption rate, they are the most purchased floor tiles for bathrooms. The clay used to build these floor tiles is denser when compared to others. Advantages of Porcelain Tile: Wide range of colours, sizes, thicknesses, and finishes. Resistant to the most common acids which damage the calcium in marble Due to low porosity and high natural stain resistance, they are easy to clean. They retain their colours even after being exposed to sun, weathering or smog for longer duration. It contains no waterproofing chemicals, varnishes or resins and does not give off any gases even when exposed to flames. Glazed Ceramic Tiles: Ceramic tile is made from clay and sand. But the glazed ceramic tiles have a liquid glass coating on the surface. The liquid glass coating creates the texture, design and color of a glazed tile and protects the body of the tile from staining. Due to this extra layer, custom tile designs can be added to them. This allows the floor tiles designs to be available in multiple colours. Due to their vibrant allure, they are mostly used as floor tiles for kitchen and bathroom walls. Advantages of Glazed Ceramic Tiles: Glazed ceramic floor tiles are stain resistant due to the presence of the liquid glass coating which makes the tiles durable, less porous and strong. Similar to porcelain tiles, they also retain their original colours even after being exposed to sun and harsh weather. They are most cost effective tiles. The Ceramic tile prices can be easily fit into your budget. These floor tiles are scratch resistance, but continuous damage can render them useless. Vitrified Tiles: Vitrified tile is a ceramic tile with very low porosity. They are often used outdoors due to their water and frost resistance. Vitrified tiles are manufactured through a process called vitrification which gives them their low porosity. These tiles are mass produced by machines therefore making vitrified tile prices low and easily affordable. These tiles are the most sought after floor tiles for bedroom and living room. Advantages of Vitrified Tiles: Vitrified tiles are Time Savers as it takes very less time to lay these floor tiles. These tiles are pre polished during the time of production, and does not need extra time for polishing while setting the tiles on the floor. They have more strength and scratch resistance than marble or granite which are more prone to breakage. Despite their high durability and strength, they are thinner and light in weight. These tiles are non-porous due to which they are totally spill resistant and stain resistant. Now that we have known what these 3 types of tiles are suited for, now comes the important questions! What will be their price? Where can we buy them? Can we order good quality tiles online? Is this service available in Hyderabad, India? For all your questions, I have a single answer!! XFACTORY.IN It is an e-commerce platform that helps you buy all kinds of building materials online. It is a one-stop store for buying products from different categories like Cement, Steel, Paint, Tiles etc. from all top brands in the market. They have different brands of tiles like Cera, Kajaria, AGL and many more to choose from. If you are from Hyderabad and need to renovate your flooring. This is definitely the right place to check! Do tell me how did you find this discussion in the comments! Thank you for reading!!

Gazzala, You are taking a very wide shot. Without the pics and relative dimensions it's not feasible to give you any meaningful suggestion. Style Spa pieces are usually particle board furniture and it is not suggested to move them often. Your husband seems to suggest for the same reason. Thanks, Nitin Cornerstone Designs, Bangalore.