"decor" news and stories

Have you ever had to quickly run to your computer to use google or had to search through the indices of a few cookbooks to look for equivalent measure conversions? If so, you'll probably like this idea from a practical standpoint, and if not, you might like it from an artistic one. This Equivalent Measure wall transfer is easily applied to a kitchen wall or cabinet by rubbing the design with the included burnishing tool. Once on, it is permanent and can easily be washed without rubbing off, although it won't damage the wall in any way. It lists common equivalencies that most cooks will need to reference from time to time and has a graphic of lightly colored measuring spoons in the background, which gives it a slightly "country" feel and prevents it from looking like you simply decided to write on your wall. It measures 14" x 19" and comes in light or dark brown.

If you have neat writing or are reasonably artistic, you might want to consider skipping the $70 expense and trying to do it yourself.

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How interested are you in accessorizing your cereal? Personally, I'm quite satisfied with my relatively plain bowls and prefer to spice up my cereal - especially hot cereals - with actual spices or sugar. When it comes to using cereal to accessorize other things, I'm willing to be a bit more open, so the idea of the Cereal Bowl Light is an interesting one. It is a real light that has been built into a cereal bowl and is topped of with real Fruit Loops and a spoon. When the spoon is touched, the light turns on.

The seller says that it is "the best thing that you will ever buy in your life," and while I'm not trying to cast doubt on the seller's sincerity and think that the light is interesting in a pop-art sort of way, it's probably neither the best thing you will ever buy nor is it "the coolest light on earth." It is the best, and possibly only, cereal bowl light and a must-have for anyone who really loves their cereal.

[via coolhunting

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The Cupple Cup Holder is a set that includes four ceramic coffee mugs and a wall-mounted ceramic and rubber holder. These cups make me a bit nervous because, at first glance, they appear none too steady. At the same time, however, they seem like a great idea.

The cups have a projection with a round end, rather than a handle, and that end can be inserted into the rubber sockets of the holder, suspending the cups anywhere you might want to use them. For example, the piece could be mounted along the wall next to your coffee maker. Not only will the cups be at hand all the time, but because they can be stored upside down, they will always be dry and drip free.

Besides, the design is no less safe (in terms of the risk of breaking a cup) than more traditional mug racks, which could tip over and do not come with the mugs included.

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Does design matter when you dine? Or perhaps more importantly, does it impact where you dine?

Travel + Leisure gave their 2006 Restaurant Design Award to Mix, in Las Vegas. Pictured here, it isn't a design that would work just anywhere, but for Vegas, its over-the-top glamour is simply perfect. And that is how design comes into the dining experience.

Design contributes to ambiance, and having an appropriate atmosphere can be a more important factor than we realize when choosing a restaurant. In an unfamiliar city, you might glance through unfamiliar doors to see if it's "your kind of place." But design isn't limited to expensive, fancy restaurants, either, though the term is certainly thrown about more when taking about higher-priced venues. Family-friendly places, for example, still want to look family-friendly to help draw customers in a make them feel welcome. They might use bright colors and will try to have comfy seating.

It is true that design alone isn't likely to bring you back if the food and service aren't up to scratch, but, like a photo in a cookbook, it can definitely draw you in.

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As though we don’t have enough dieting fads thrown at us from all directions, there is a new one which suggests that the color of your walls could be making you fat. According to dietician Lisa Dorfman, blues and greens will make you less hungry than warmer colors, like reds. Lighting is also important to dieters, as those who eat in dim light are more likely to binge.

Excuse me while I take a brief break to paint my kitchen. But what of the non-paintable surfaces? Does laminate make you feel full, or should you use a tile floor?

This is the most ridiculous dieting idea that we have seen yet. Changing the color scheme of your house in an attempt to alter your diet is like deciding to buy air freshener for you car after it's been in an accident: it doesn't really hurt anything, but it doesn't directly address the problem in the way that eating less food (or getting the car repaired) would. Putting aside the issue of actual color choice, there is one thing about painting your walls that will keep you out of the kitchen for a while: very few people actually enjoy the smell of wet paint and you certainly won't want to be eating in a freshly painted kitchen. Just try not to head for the nearest fast food place while you wait for your cool, calming kitchen to dry.

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