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Space Saving Solutions - Mount your TV from the Ceiling

Ceilings are often one of the emptiest spaces in a room - often they only have lights and sometimes smoke alarms or fans.  Walls and floors, on the other hand, tend to appear quite busy.  It is unusual to find homes where ceilings have been decorated very interestingly, or are thought of much when interior decor is decided, but there are ways in which people can make the most of ceiling space, and an example of this is using ceiling brackets for televisions. 

In the past some buildings, such as homes owned by very affluent people, large public buildings and churches occasionally had highly decorated ceilings.  Even small churches and chapels tend to have high ceilings with beams or pillars, which act as support, but also encourage worshippers to gaze upwards - the direction associated with God and heaven.  It is very unusual for everyday households to have decorated ceilings, though some rooms for children may have murals which extend that far.  In truth, ceilings are sometimes one of the ugliest aspects of a room.  Some are used purely to attach lighting systems which are not very aesthetically pleasing, and are otherwise ignored, despite the fact that there are numerous uses for ceiling space.  Some people have ingenious ways of making use of this often overlooked space, using specialist shelves to store books, DVDs or videos.  This both saves space on the floors or walls, and if assembled with care, looks great.  It is important to make sure any item placed on a ceiling shelf is secure so it doesn't fall, and this is why many use them purely for light weight items.  Some pin up art work on ceilings, or hang chimes, mobiles and other ornamental objects from them.            

Using ceiling brackets to support a television can be a very practical way of space saving.  This can be particularly important in smaller spaces, for example, children's bedrooms or kitchens.  Having televisions placed quite high can also help parents to prevent youngsters from sneaky nocturnal viewing in some cases.  Ceiling brackets can also help to keep televisions out of harm's way.   In kitchens there can be a lot of dirt and potential splashes, but if a TV is placed high up, away from any steam, the main cleaning job for its owner will be occasional dusting.  Speakers can also be attached to ceilings if the appropriate fittings are used. 

As well as a potential space for storage and for placing lighting and televisions, ceilings can also be used for more practical, though possibly less aesthetically pleasing, applications.  It is possible to have rails or lines that can be used for clothes drying in the winter, bicycle racks and similar storage solutions.  These are very useful when space is limited.  How individuals use the space in their home is down to personal taste, budget and practicality.  At the moment many of us are feeling the strain financially and some families cannot easily progress up the housing ladder to bigger homes as they would do usually, so ways of making the very best of the space available is vital.           

About the Author

Phil is part of the team at AVNow. If you are looking for helpful advice on which TV Brackets are best for your new flat screen TV then contact check out the options at AVNow.

Wall Mount Accessories - Have You Thought of These?

So many times I have been contacted by my web site enthusiasts interested in knowing what is available in different and unusual wall decor. They want some information on wall decor that will set them apart from the usual boring “Same old, same old.”

They also say that they would like to decorate their walls in a way that would express themselves as individuals who don’t necessarily follow the crowd. They ask for my suggestions of what I believe to be tastefully and uncommonly artful wall decor.

For some time I researched their need and after careful study, I have come up with some suggestions that just might help them out. Keep in mind that when it comes to wall decor, there are unlimited directions that one could pursue.

Because I have limited space here on this page, I will give some examples of what I believe to be unusual wall decorations. From there I hope to get the imaginations of those of you who are looking for this information, a sort of kick start to your own exploration of unexpected wall decor.

So I started out by locating Metal Wall Art and Sculptures. These are fascinating creations that will give the room a three dimensional artful appeal. There is something here that is sure to please anyone who is looking for different.

The first metal art I will go over with you is Laser Cut Metal Wall Art. From pieces sculpted into the shapes of suns, animals such as horses, deer, dolphins in tropical scenes, cowboy boots and hat, elk in forest scenes, butterfly and flowers, Azaleas with hummingbird and so much more laser cut metal wall art. You just have to go online to see for yourself how different and beautiful this art truly is.

Staying in metal wall art, the next pieces I found are called steel image wall art. This particular art form is produced from medium gauge steel. The image is then laser cut and formed into art. The steel is then hand brushed to a rich textured finish. The unique colors available are from a process called Kaleidikolor. The final process is powder coating to assure durability for both inside and outside wall hanging applications.

I found a variety of different topics made into Kaleidikolor art forms. Some of these topics included gecko metal art, different forms of sun and moon metal art, a variety of different trees such as Aspen and Aspen branches of different sizes, Hummingbird metal art, North American animals of the wilderness and so much more.

I don’t have enough space here to provide you with all that is offered in this Kaleidikolor art. You’ll have to go online and see for yourself all the magnificent metal Kaleidikolor art offered to truly appreciate this art form. There are literally hundreds of pieces in different topics to choose from.

Wall Planters are another form of wall art that will enhance the atmosphere of a room. These beautifully crafted plant holding devices are a welcome addition to the total presentation, giving the room in which they are displayed an elegant touch of harmony only nature’s plant life can provide.

Most of your wall planters are made of Iron. Many of these iron wall planters are constructed of iron rods bent into artful shapes or crisscrossed and welded together to form wall planters of exquisite style. Some of this metal artwork has metal framework while others do not.

Other forms of metal wall planters have artfully curvaceous wall mounted hanging brackets with metal mesh baskets hung by artful chains. After you have securely anchored the bracket to the wall, all you have to do is put a plant into the hanging basket and enjoy the heavenly scent of fresh flowers in bloom.

Staying with metal wall planters, let’s explore one more version. This version is called the Wall Mounted Planting Bowl. This is different from what I have written about so far.

These beautiful wall mounted planting bowls are cast iron molds. All these wall mounted planting bowls use cultural period designs and castings that once graced Europe’s cities, towns and estates. The handcrafted detail of these wall mounted planting bowls brings out the extremely artful display of a bygone era.

For a more rustic look you can go with a wooden three shelf wall plant holder. This shelf wall plant holder has the look of a picket fence. If you have rooms in your home with a country or rural theme, then this shelf wall plant holder will fit in quite well.

My last example of is often overlooked, but should never be ignored. This wall mounted art gives you a world of possibilities.

Let me ask you, “When was the last time you switched on or switched off a light in a room of your home? Did you notice something different on the wall? Did you have a feeling that something magical happened every time you used the light switch on the wall?”

If not, then you probably haven’t opened yourself up to the world of Wall Switchplates. Most people decorate rooms of their home without even thinking about what the right wall switchplates would do to enhance the room. Are you one of those?

Well, today I will educate you to what is available in wall switchplates. I’m sure this information will surprise most of you reading this. You probably have no idea on the enormous amount of themes that these small but room enhancing artifacts are available in.

Get ready to have your mind blown. Here are a few examples of the themes that wall switchplates are available in. You have Abstract, African, Animals/Farm, Animals/Pet, Animals/Wild, Antique, Art, Asian, Baroque, Beverages, Birds, Books/Letters, Borders, Caribbean, Celtic, Children's, Christian, Classic, Country, Dancing, European, Extra Functionality, Fantasy, Fish, Flowers/Plants, Fruit, Games, Geometric, Global Spirit, Grab Bag, Hearts, Holidays, Insects, Kitchen, Latin-American, Music, Ocean, Odd Shapes, Patterns, Retro, Rustic, Scrolls and Swirls, Solid Color, Southwestern, Speckled, Sports, Sun/Moon/Stars, Victorian, Western, Whimsical and Wine/Grapes to choose from.

As if that wasn’t enough, you have colors to choose from. The colors offered are Beige/Brown, Black, Blue, Gray, Green, Ivory/Almond, Metallic, Multiple, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Teal, White and Yellow. Take your choice…

We’re not done with wall switchplates yet. You also have a choice of finishes. Your choices when it comes to wall switchplate finishes are Antique Brass, Polished Brass, Satin Brass, Bronze, Dark Bronze, Oil Rubbed Bronze, Chrome, Satin Chrome, Copper, Mirror, Nickel, Satin Nickel, Pewter, Verdigris, Weathered Black, Weathered Rust, Distressed and Hammered. And we’re not finished yet.

And now, you also have choices of what material your wall switchplate is made from. Here your choices are Aluminum, Brass, Ceramic, Decoupage, Masonite, Mirror, Pewter, Plastic, Polymer Clay on Plastic, Questech, Steel, Wood and Wrought Iron. Are you beginning to see the big picture?

Wall switchplates are a fascinating subject to study. Always take notes…

Well, there you have it. I attempted to introduce different and unusual wall mount accessories. These items are not your usual run-of-the-mill wall decorations. If you want to express yourself outside of the box, then go for it…

About the Author

Barbara Tobiasz is an expert in interior/exterior decorating. Along with her husband Joe, they own and operate Wall-Decor-Concepts.com. For more information on Wall Mount Accessories, go to Wall Accessories page on: http://www.Wall-Decor-Concepts.com