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How to Add a Personalised Touch to Thank You Cards

Sending a thank you card when you have received something amazing, or when someone has done something nice for you, is the perfect way to show your appreciation for their kindness. You can take this one step further by adding a personalised touch to make it even more special.

Let’s take a look at five different ways that you can add a personal touch to your thank you cards:

Add a Photo: One of the most effective ways to make a thank you card more personal is to add a printed photo onto the front of the card. This is easy to organise through a professional printing company. It can be sent after a party or special occasion such as a wedding and feature a photo of the person at the event. This can be organised within a few days and it will cost around C$3 per card.

Add a Personal Message/Name: Instead of sending out a generic thank you card, you can get the recipient’s name printed onto the front to show them how much their good deed means to you. You can also write a personal message inside the card that tells the person why you want to say thank you, rather than writing a general thank you message that could be aimed at anyone.

Add a Surprise inside the Card: You can put things inside the card to show your appreciation and to make your card a little more fun. This might be some confetti if you want to say thank you for attending a wedding and this is a cheap way to make a card more exciting to open.

Send a Photobook: A thank you card doesn’t have to be a regular thank you card and instead you can send something more personal like a photobook from an online company like Photobox. These books feature a selection of photographs of your choice put together into a book and they are a great way to show your appreciation to someone special.

Add a Voucher: If you would rather send a card than a present, you can always send a thank you card with a voucher inside. The gift voucher is a nice way to say thank you to someone; purchase a voucher from a shop that you know the recipient really likes to make it more personal.

These examples are some great ways to jazz up the way you say thank you in the future and hopefully you can create some new ideas of your own by taking inspiration from some of the above.

October 27, 2015
The Hottest Interior Design Trends To Watch In 2016

From the latest innovative textile material to the hottest new trend in state-of-the-art fitted kitchens, 2016 is set to be the year we’re all going to be talking about. Whether your style is contemporary, avant-garde or minimalist, interior design trends for the New Year are focused towards turning your home into a desirable space that will embody definitive style.

Take note to embrace your home’s quirks to maintain the balance between the old and new styles. Enjoy the journey of curating anew but concentrate on opting for those that will make your space not only feel rejuvenated but also most importantly, you.

Texture Contrasts
First and foremost, the sole object of desire in almost every room will focus on creating depths of texture that represent all things cosy and comfortable. Playful yet sophisticated, favourites are faux fur, suede and brushed velvet mixed together to create relaxing silhouettes. Harness the power of textiles to create your very own sense of warmth, colour and emotional interest to make your home feel, well, truly like a home.

Colour Drama, Everywhere
Translating to wall colours and ceramic backsplashes, dramatic colour is back. Creating bold, statement-colour combinations, the aim is to use strong shades to create fluid movement from room to room. Hard textures like cement and wood are even playing a key role in this trend as well as the mixing of metallic and metals. Be brave in creating truly custom looks and consider injecting geometric patterns in a harmonious fashion. Additionally, find a thread of colour that you can continue from room to room to create visual harmony, as while opposites attract, your taste will need to bind it all together.

Eco & Sustainable
From the padding in our sofas to the premium wood sourced for counter worktops, sustainability is at the heart of everything next year. Think re-purposing, reinventing, reusing and recycling – things that interior designers and smart consumers are already starting to do now. Excellent instant inspiration can be found online from sites like Pinterest. The key learning is to find new uses for old things and reinvest in pieces you’ll love and enjoy for years to come. Inject more greenery into the home to carry on the ethos.

Kitchen = Heart of The Home
Easily the most well trafficked room in the house, 2016 sees the kitchen remain as the focus and heart of the home. Celebrating its ability to operate as a multi-purpose space for friends and family, there is further rising popularity for open plan flooring. Carrying over from 2015, fitted kitchens are echoing smart functional designs that casually blend into every nook. Ways to adopt this would be installing smart storage: toe-kick drawers underneath lower cabinets, pull-out shelving and built-in charge ports for tablets and other technology devices.

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October 13, 2015
Smart Home Automation with Home Control Systems

What does a sluggish night in on the sofa, returning home to an ice block and wasting electricity in an unpopulated room all have common? They are crying out for smart home automation. Before you say it, it’s not a fad, it’s the future and despite a few initial teething problems the smart home is blossoming into quite a catch, even for stout traditionalists.

The main premise of the smart home is to make the homeowners daily routine fluid, convenient and cost effective. First to hatch within the smart home nest are products that coincide with our nearest and dearest necessities, with lighting and heating the most prominent subjects within modern automated controls. These ingenious developments have helped to transform some of our core and most important applications from regular time consuming machines into instantly accessible machines, extended with further control and modification for the user.

So Who Are The Consumers At The Heart Of ?

Although the smart home excitement has its obvious admirers from the Trekkie-esque technology enthusiasts its appeal can be benefited across a large demographic; from the lazy to the busy and the old to the young, all walks of life can embrace this operation. Unless you’re a straight up technophobe and find new inventions offensive, there really isn’t any reason to hate on smart home automation – apart from the spending money part, which in reality shouldn’t come as a surprise because nothing comes free and certainly not innovative home gadgets.

So who is the leading market for smart home products? Well as briefly stated before, its audience is broad and diverse but the early success of the smart home would suggest it has struck a real chord with hectic family households and swanky new builds. These particular groups are noticeably different and you could even go as far as saying their reasonings are too. The busy family home seeks smart automation for its convenience factor, whereas contemporary new builds look to fill their interiors with state-of-the-art accessories for a more aesthetically pleasing and luxury service.

As daunting as new technology can sometimes be, one of the most attractive factors about smart home technology is that most of the devices replicate already existing applications, in both appearance and at some degree function as well. The only difference being you can control your devices using a smart app (on the phone or tablet) or designated remote controls provided by the smart brand.

So What Scenarios Could Smart Home Automation Help You With?

You’ve forgotten to turn the lights/heating off but you’re out of the house. No need to travel home! Simply log into your smart home app to access control over your appliances.

It’s winter and you want your home to warm up before you get back. Again, log into your app but this time instead of switching off the sockets, turn on the heating to make the home toasty before your return.You want your heating/lighting to come on at designated times. You can pinpoint the exact dates and times of when you wish your heating or lights to turn on. These modifications can include or exclude certain rooms and certain heaters at precise times.

Timing is key for the family home. With busy schedules that run on set times, including dropping off the kids to school, driving to work, picking them up, arriving home, dinnertime, bathtime and bedtime – having your electrical appliances set up and working in tune with your routine can be a weight off your aching shoulders.

You want to use less energy. If used correctly smart home automation products can help to reduce the amount of energy you use, simply by prioritising what is powered and at what times. However energy monitoring with smart products can go a whole lot deeper as some brands sell energy monitors to provide real time displays of the energy you are using. This can be a great feature for making positive changes to how much energy you use at home.

You are injured, ill or slumped out on the sofa watching TV. If the main light is overbearing and you wish to turn it off or dim it down but you can’t or don’t want to move from your position you can use the smart app or remote control to control the dim or completely switch off the lights from the comfort of your sofa.

You are scared your children will meddle with the controls. Not to worry because most smart home automation controls have child lock settings built in, this means your scheduled operations will not be affected and your children’s own safety will remain intact with sockets and other electrical accessories completely locked until an authorised adult unlocks the system.

So What Does The Future Of The Smart Home Hold?

The bigger picture focuses on every electrical device within the home, which will soon share the ability to communicate and interact with one another. This could be the kettle turning on at a particular time to signify the toaster turning on too, meaning morning coffee and toast combines for a speedy breakfast service. This sort of integration will open up the doors for a fully functioning fluid home – that dances to the beat of your drum, whatever the tune may be.

Conserving energy is another big feature, as design teams across the world work together to try and find solutions for the most efficient home. Plans are in the offing to use power grids to harness energy and provide electricity to homes, with even those without access to the grid being able to share power with neighbouring properties.

Home entertainment will also see ground breaking changes as technicians implement augmented, virtual and mediated reality to produce larger than life interactions and performances from television screens inside the home. When playtime is over and it’s back to work the future home will be well prepared for connecting the massive influx of work-from-home employees. The stay at home office will be well prepared to host advanced communications between the entire work force.

Although smart home automation is still somewhat finding its feet among general consumers it’s got a bright future and is continuing to evolve. We’ve turned a significant corner from the marvels of a lighted kettle and for anyone who is fearful of the smart home intrusion try not to fret because it’s availability, functionality and responsiveness makes it suitable all types of property.

Written by Thomas Bray – Content/Marketing manager for online electrical wholesaler, Direct Trade Supplies.

October 13, 2015
Holiday Villa mixes luxury with Mykonian Architecture

The islands of Greece are well known for their breathtaking panoramas, magnificent seascapes, and uniquely built, white, modular houses. It is here in Mykonos that you will find this absolutely decadent villa that emanates true Greek architecture, while capturing the traditional spirit of this island.

Villa Thea, located on the island of Mykonos, is a peaceful sanctuary, carved into the side of a hill with that typical “all white Greek look.” But there is nothing typical about this fascinating luxury retreat. Built just above Lia Bay, it gives the sensation that it’s floating on a cloud, an expression of ethereal beauty, especially with its magnificent infinity pool.

The fascinating characteristic of this villa, however, is not just its seaside views, but its rather unique exterior: outdoor terraces offer plenty of lounge areas characterized by its stone encasings and wooden furniture accents. A host of outdoor areas provides little garden getaways and pergola-covered lounge areas for the ultimate vacation sanctuary. There is also a mixed vibe of modern and natural design, the perfect example being the pool: one end begins in a completely modern style and runs into the opposite end that seems to resemble the sea and coastline itself with rock formations in the middle. An outdoor kitchen is a perfect accent to this exquisite vacation home.

The color schemes throughout the interior and exterior of Villa Thea are also particular and help capture the spirit of its Greek origins. Turquoise shudders offset a stone façade that mixes against the white walls and multi-colored steps leading into the house. The use of stone, even on the interior, is quite particular as well. Stone benches outside are offset by stone based tables with rustic wooden tops. A stone-based outdoor daybed is a wonderful design accent with a cover that closely resembles a worn fishing net for that extra nautical touch.

The interior of the villa is quite particular as well, maintaining the same white stone walls for a rustic beach look. You’ll also notice that everything in the house from the walls to the furniture are quite rounded for a very particular design accent. The rounded white stone furniture becomes one fluid form: the sofa melds into the fireplace that flows into the wall. Even the kitchen is quite particular and is quite reminiscent of an adobe house. A great design accent in several rooms of Villa Thea are also the fireplaces built into the wall for that truly cozy feel.

One luxury villa, so many design inspirations: a truly inspiring residence with quirky details, set against the backdrop of a stunning seascape.

October 13, 2015
Getting the “Hung” of It: Comparing Single and Double Hung Windows
Single and double hung windows look very similar so it’s no wonder that a lot of people confuse the two. A closer look, however, will reveal that they are actually very different from each other. To determine which one is right for you, comparing single and double hung windows is the way to go as a better understanding of each will help you pick out what will suit your needs perfectly.

The Comparison

The easiest way to tell single and double hung windows apart is through how they are constructed. When closed, the two look the same but you’ll see the stark difference between them once the windows are in use. Essentially, single and double hung windows differ in that the former only has one operable sash and the latter has two movable sashes. The two are designed to look like they have two sashes but only in double hung windows can you use both sashes.

Single and double hung windows also differ in terms of:
- Ventilation Control– With double hung windows, you can control ventilation by adjusting sashes, allowing you to better use them to effectively catch a breeze or let warm air out of the home. Single hung windows, on the other hand, can only offer one type of opening since only the lower sash is operable.
- Style – Both windows can accommodate a range of material options and styles. Just make sure you pick out what will complement your home and you’ll be fine.
- Price – A single hung window is cheaper to install than its double hung counterpart, partly because it is lighter and it has fewer moving parts, which makes it easier to handle. A single hung window also features less moving pieces so it is easier to repair, which also makes the task more affordable compared to if a double hung window is repaired. Keep in mind though that repair costs are still generally determined by the kind of problem being addressed.
- Maintenance – Cleaning is a breeze when you have double hung windows because the sashes can be tilted inward for better access. In single hung windows, you can easily get to the lower sash but cleaning the outer side of the upper sash can be troublesome.
- Energy Efficiency – A single hung window is better at minimizing air leakage as the fixed upper sash offers less opportunities for air to pass through. A double hung window, on the other hand, has more moving pars, which makes it more vulnerable to air leakage. Both, however, can be fitted with low-emissivity window glass that reduces heat let in by a window without affecting the amount of natural light streaming in. Opt for double glazing and you’ll also enjoy better insulation.
Now that you know how single hung windows differ from double hung ones, you are now better equipped to make the right choice between the two. Should you need help in choosing, don’t hesitate to get in touch with your local window contractor for assistance.

Author Bio:

Nick Little is Executive Vice President of EcoView Windows & Doors and has more than 20 years of experience in the replacement window and door industry. He’s been an active participant in the industry’s progress from plain wood windows to the exceptionally energy efficient vinyl replacement windows EcoView installs today.
September 23, 2015
5 Creative & Modern Office Designs That Make Work Fun
All work and no play indeed would make an office workspace a dull place to work in. Today the information age has paved the way for new technologies, leading to a wider distribution of work and increased mobility to work from anywhere. So then why is it that coming together as a collaborative team is still a very important factor and is leading some industry giants like Google and Facebook to hire celebrity architects for renovating their office space? That is because co-creation has become the dominant factor when innovating something different and creative.

Businesses today try to lay more emphasis on collaboration in order to drive better innovation and increased production. Entrepreneurs try to build up a place where people having different skills, knowledge and experience come together to build a collaborative whole. Hence, building your office space to best complement the work structure of your employees matters a lot today than what it was previous. But the best office space can be the one that can best compliment both the cultures of working together and being apart.

Here’s why –
- The importance of working collaboratively
Collaboration leads to high scale performance and delivery. Great ideas should be executed faster and perhaps this is why man needs advanced technology and a common space where everyone can come together and work as a team. Of course, faster delivery and proper implementation of ideas and strategies become possible with the coexistence bond and trust among each other, and this is what makes innovation successful.
- The importance of being apart
Individuality brings more control and choice of thoughts. In some cases, this is important before all the heads can come together and begin joining the dots to great innovation. And for that matter, different kinds of works are sometimes best done by an individual when in different work settings. Creativity is something that should be spontaneous they say, but then, serendipity is not something that you are going to get amidst an environment full of cacophony.

Entrepreneurs may today look forward to hiring more talented people than ever and surround themselves with people who can bring on board unlimited creativity. But the point is, it just does not help to build up the work culture you desire. Besides, why would someone desire to work in an office that simply does not inspire them or bring motivation to their work? Employees are just as demanding as you are, and the best ones are always on the lookout to associate themselves with office environments that look desirable and are highly effective.

Building Up Office Personality Matters

An office space is not just about being comfortable and spacious. While both are essential for enhancing employee productivity, nevertheless, setting up office cubicles Irvine CA, chairs and desks should be based on your office personality. What type of office is yours? Is it fun and interesting? Or does it have to be a little bit serious?

Whatever your business calls for, make sure that your workspace architectural layout plan draws emphasis on factors like concentration, collaboration, socialization and creation. This helps to build up an open environment that gives people more choice and control over their work process, while simultaneously helping to maintain the serendipity they need, to avoid bumping into each other.

Every great work needs some inspiration and to begin planning your own office space, here is a look at how the big giants have gone creative with their office interior designs –

#1 – Google

There are innumerable reasons to envy Google employees and their work environment. While most offices have their employees spend their office hours hunching over and working in box cubicles and under harsh fluorescent lights, Google employees have something to gloat about their office awesomeness. And why not, when they can get to zoom through their workspace on scooters, slip down from one office floor to another in spiraling slides and even grow vegetables in their personal office garden. As interesting and unconventional as it sounds, the architectural designs help to serve the purpose of bringing together creative people as well as engineers, to generate better ideas, trigger maximum creativity and at the same time ensure happiness to clients

#2 – Facebook

One of Facebook’s motto talks about bringing “your authentic self to work“. The Manhattan headquarter tries to keep its staff upbeat by providing amenities like the ping pong table and a basketball arcade game in the dining area, a per-person budget for hacking and designing their individual office space and vending machines for dispensing office supplies. But Manhattan is not alone since Facebook is known for delivering some of its most impressive office spaces all over the world. The Facebook office in California is known for providing a fantastic work environment with big spaces for work, relaxation and even a separate place to skate and dance. Pretty impressive indeed!Need we say more?

#3 – AOL

The company seems to have taken out a leaf from Google’s book in their attempt to get rid of the blank corporate facade look and replace it with designs that are fun, fresh and inspiring. Their office space includes everything that one can expect – from big internet companies such as bright color splashes, large kitchens, game rooms, pool tables and creative working places.

#4 – Selgas Cano

Size remains irrelevant when we look into the interior decoration of Selgas Cano office. Located in the middle of the forest, the office is placed partly underground and partly above the ground as the employees can enjoy a great view into the woods while working. Designed by Iwan Baan, the office space has a light and airy architecture, clean lines with colorful details and a more relaxed environment close to nature with big empty rooms and harsh lighting system.

#5 – Zappos

This popular online shoe retailer has largely stuck to the cubicle office design. However, they encourage their staff and give them the freedom to go ahead and decorate individual spaces as they wish to. That means each cubicle has its own specialized design and some of them come decked with toys and trinkets hanging around. This makes the office space more enjoyable and less sterile. Office employees can even contribute individual ideas and opinions when it comes to designing the conference room. What’s more! The office also offers a short trip to outsiders who wish to take a short round to learn about the company.

Work Space Still Matters!

And hence you should be also concerned about the interior design of your office that can leave an impact on the behavior and thinking of the people around. Not all offices spaces can turn out to be the same and while some designs may affect the morale of the workers thus leading to reduced productivity, others can inspire people and motivate them to become more creative. Whether you decide on an open floor plan or a more private one, make sure your layout design is as supporting and empowering as possible in building up the right work culture for greater productivity.

Author Bio: Jessica Parker is an interior designer and a guest columnist for some of the top interior design magazines. She likes to experiment a lot with spaces and home and office are some of the key places where she devotes her attention the most.
September 23, 2015
Five Consumer Trends Driving the Adoption of LED Lighting

Light serves as an opportunity for creating space, managing moods and improving the quality of life. The appropriate solution for any kind of lighting application must be based on a well-balanced consideration of certain factors like materials being used, environmental constraints, aesthetics of the setting and many more.

When consumers think about energy-efficient lighting, often many of them get discouraged in memory of the conventional CFL bulbs. When the CFL bulbs were being first launched, consumer acceptance slowed down because of the fact that most of the products were not being made up to the consumer expectations and preferences. Thus, they always search for refined ways that would come with improved efficiency and enhanced aesthetics.

LED lighting solutions come with an array of promising benefits, which altogether have made it a recommended choice of experts. The consumer adoption for LED technology indicates a particular trend, which surely influences the demand and supply of such products. Following here are some of them.

Affordability

With detailed observation, the owners of Various Lighting Shops in Melbourne have come to the conclusion that the sales figure of LED lighting fixtures will continue to rise as the prices of such products will continue to come down. So, the demand and price of these productsare inversely related to each other.

Familiar Shapes

The LED lighting sources come with the ability of illuminating the space in advanced ways by not making use of conventional lighting fixtures. However, this transition certainly will require sometime. The recognizable lighting fixtures are still significant for continued LED adoption. For example, the A-line pattern LED bulbs that come with common basic appearances like the standard incandescent bulbs.

Adjustable Light Tone

Consumers of recent times look for adjustable LED bulbs that emit a ‘cool’ white light in kitchen or can also be used to generate a ‘warm’ white light in living area based on task or time, preference and many other factors. Nevertheless, the ability is not so affordable when compared with a product for mainstream adoption.

Wireless Lighting Control

The well-informed consumers always look for simple and convenient dimming features for sockets, which are not fixed to the dimmer switches. With the advancement of technology, manufacturers have started to design such LED solutions that come with the superior feature of wireless lighting control.

Options for Various Applications

The prospective buyers look for LED bulbs that can be used in combination to prevailing lighting fixtures of the home, such as from recessed lighting to table lamps. Though the market is flooded with a range of options, there are not so much realistic LED options that suit that match the linear work lights and enclosed fixtures.

On a concluding note, people are looking for lighting solutions with long-term cost savings, environmental benefits related to energy-efficient lighting, extended service life, however, they always look for products, which fit the prevailing lifestyle. Proper Usage of LED Downlights in Melbourne has gained massive popularity; as such lights offer greater illumination and match the aesthetics of conventional lighting solutions.

September 23, 2015
Management of a small architecture firm

Speaking about skill, there isn’t a big difference between a small Pakistani architectural firm and a large corporation. If you’re passionate about making an architecture firm, it is ensured that you have the skill to make unparalleled designs. However, out-skilling your competition alone cannot guarantee whether you will be a successful firm. It may seem counterintuitive but being a great architect and being a great booming business is not the same thing. That is why along with being an architect; one has to be an entrepreneur and a business leader before they can expect any growth in their company. For this end, management of a firm, that is, how you run your small business is the key to becoming not only a skillful architect, but also a successful one.

Better get professional services for your architecture marketing since they have a better understanding when it comes to outlining your goals and engaging future clients to build your firm.

Start with end-goals

When setting up a small firm, you should know what your end goals are. How would you want the business to grow? What type of work would you be doing? Will you target a niche market or are you going to hunt for any contract available? Ideally you will have answered these questions before you start the work. It’s best to know what your end goals are and work to achieve those end goals instead of making a business and hoping for the best.

Similarly, making a profit plan should be something you should do at the start so you know what kind of revenue you generate versus what you plan to generate. This sets a goal profit which you should be achieving as it includes how many employees you have and their salaries, along with other company expenses like office space, money used on materials, etc. This will help you prepare for the expenses in advance and will set a precedent for your work. It will also help you manage your finances in a more organized manner and prepare you for unforeseen expenditures.

Market yourself

Yes, for a small firm you won’t have a lot of employees and different specialized departments. But aside from the core architects team, a marketing executive is one person you most definitely need to hire. This may seem like an unnecessary expense, but marketing is a time consuming and dedicated task. Especially if you have no previous marketing experience, dedicated marketing personnel will help you with the image building of your firm to make it a recognized brand. It will help you reach your targeted audience and form ties with other potential clients, making the firm to grow and expand its business.

In modern times, the definition of marketing has grown much more than what it originally was. A person with marketing experience or knowledge can make and handle your social media pages and optimize your customer relations. They can identify competitions and exhibitions where your firm can show off the designs which are an important aspect of your firm. And most importantly they will do all this without making you stressed about it and you can focus on other more daunting tasks. Companies without proper marketing strategies cannot compete with those who are more established and thus, have a better network.

Be more business oriented

For most small firms, customer care would be of the utmost importance. What you need to know however, is the difference between customer service and being run over. Here, your two roles need to be incorporated together. The architect in you and the businessman in you, both need to be equally assertive. The architect will be able to sell the designs and skills, but the businessman should be there, with his knowledge of financial management, should be able to charge for your services accordingly. Here your budget management and profit plan will help you charge according to exactly what you offer, and more importantly, would be able to justify what you are charging.

The key here would be to draft the contract according to the services you are providing and what is off-limits. If the customer wants extra work done, he should be paying extra. Yes doing free ‘add-ons’ can be considered a marketing strategy, but only if the cost to the company is compensated in the expected profits. Instead of making a judgment call, discuss this with your marketing personnel or go over your budgets and financial books before you end up losing more money than intended.

Importance of management

Being business oriented can make you think that your architecture firm isn’t doing what you wanted it to, but without focusing on the business side of your firm, you would be a firm without direction. It would be like working on a great project without knowing where your project is supposed to go. Of course you can still reach the end, but the results would only be subpar compared to what you could actually achieve.

Author Bio:

Nabeel Abbas is an experienced author, having more than 9 years of experience under his belt, is currently contributing as a senior author for Amir Adnan Associates (http://www.ameradnan.com).

September 16, 2015