How to Decorate Using Stylish Doorsets

Changing the look of the doors both in and outside of your house might be as simple as changing worn brass knobs for brand new door handles. However before you decide on the appropriate style of door knob you need to know what kind of hardware best fits your door.

The most common doorset is called the Conversion Doorset. These fit any type of door – vintage or modern. This is the doorknob we are most familiar with, the one with a round knob and lock set into a squarish metal plate. This type of door handle set comes in brass, nickel, pewter, chrome and aluminum l. This is not the most elegant choice but it certainly may be the cheapest options for redecorators on a budget and also for those who tend to be very concerned about security between rooms.

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The next most common type of doorset is called the Mortise Doorset. These compliment the look of vintage doors. These usually fit a brass or crystal doorknob and the faceplate is vertically rectangular with an old fashion keyhole below. Of course this type of doorset comes in all kinds of filigreed and decorative versions as well depending on the era it is trying to imitate. A Mortise Doorset could boast an Arts and Crafts Design, a Victorian design and even a Gothic style.

Rim doorsets consist of a lock that slides inside the door. All that is exposed is a metal faceplate shaped like a ring and the doorknob itself. This type of door handle looks best for contemporary homes. One way to give a door a more elegant and crisp feel is to combine a rim lockset with a crystal glass doorknob. Many companies now sell this type of door handle and lock combination.

If you live in a really old house, you might be faced with the problem of enhancing the look of heavy sliding wood doors that have locks that don’t work or that are rusty looking. The good news is that many companies sell lock and latch sets that can help freshen up the look of these beautiful old doors. This type of latch and lock combination is called a Pocket Doorset.

Once you have determined the type of door handle set that is likely to fit your door you can then go ahead and explore the infinite choice of designs that are offered by both contemporary and antique reproduction manufacters of door handles and locks.

How to Decorate Your Home With Houseplants That Clean The Air

If you are worried about Dirty House Syndrome (indoor pollution in your home) you don’t have to worry about buying an air cleaner. Mother Nature already produces her own natural air cleaners – houseplants. Some houseplants are very efficient at removing all kinds of toxins from the air including the formaldehyde fumes that are emitted from new carpeting. If you burn a lot of essential oils and are worried about the residual carbons that can linger in the air afterwards then air-cleaning houseplants might be in order.

Indoor air pollution is considered by many experts to be one of the main threats to health in the twenty first century. People are getting ill in what are called “sick buildings”. To make matters even worse, statistics show that most North Americans spend 90% of their entire life indoors in buildings that may be off gassing chemicals and particulates.

Many palms and tropical plants naturally purify the air. Among the two most effective are the Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens), the Dwarf Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii). Plants from the Ficus family are also pretty air purifiers and include the Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica) and the Weeping Fig.

The Lady Palm is also excellent for removing chemical vapors and it is every easy to take care of. The Bamboo palm is top rated by NASA for removing benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene from the air. with its attractive, broad shiny leaves survives in less light then most houseplants from the ficus family. It can also survive cooler temperatures (down to forty degrees.) It is very easy to grow and known for its ability to effectively remove all of the types of toxins but particularly formaldehyde from the air.

This is a beautiful South American plant that produces beautiful white shell shaped flowers called spathes. The plant sends up stiff white spathes and can reach a height of two to three feet. It excels when it comes to removing alcohols, acetone, trichloroethylene, benzene and formaldehyde from the air.
\In the fern family, which is probably the least expensive, the top three air cleaners English Ivy, the Australian Sword Fern and the Boston fern. Other assorted plants that combat indoor air pollution are Posths (Epipremnum aureum), any of the many varieties of Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) and English Ivy. Just a note here about English Ivy – it is also used to draw prosperity into a home if you are into gathering lucky plants that also clean the air.