A formal definition of symmetry: having sides or halves that are the same : having or showing symmetry
You describe something as asymmetric when it lacks the mirror-image quality of symmetry.

Below is a guest post specifically on achieving symmetrical design in a kitchen.

How to Achieve Symmetry in Kitchen Design

Symmetry creates visual balance, which brings with it a sense of order and peace. Striving for symmetry in your kitchen design can make your kitchen a more relaxing and enjoyable space to work in. This is especially important, considering the kitchen is often the most used room in the house. The following design ideas can help you bring much-needed symmetry to your own kitchen’s design.

Look to the Light

Lighting is one of the first places where asymmetrical choices can affect the mood. Begin first by balancing the overhead fixtures. Replace a single off-center fixture with two evenly spaced fixtures, or use a larger center fixture. This will add balance to the room.

H/T thekitchn.com

If your kitchen has a large window at one end, hang a mirror at the other end or use mirrored tiles for a back splash opposite the window. This will help balance the light from the window.

Rooms with additional lighting, such as task or under cabinet lights, also benefit from symmetry. Make sure these lights are used evenly throughout the room, or that the fixtures are hidden away when the lights aren’t in use.

Shelving and Storage

Your storage solutions are another simple way to add symmetry to the kitchen. If you have exposed shelves or storage, opt for two of each. For example, frame in each end of your pantry with exposed shelves. If you run shelves above the sink, use an even number. The goal is to keep everything balanced.

Seating Strategies

A large kitchen island doubles as an in-kitchen eating area, homework station, or just a place to relax. This means you need seating in your kitchen.

The amount of seating depends on the size of your island. Generally, you can easily fit up to three stools along one side of an island. One stool will look unbalanced, while two or three provide more symmetry. Make sure the stools all have the same color and design so they can carry the symmetrical look to completion.

Cabinet Balancing

Cabinets are a more costly change, but they will provide the most bang for your decorating dollar. Make sure the cabinets you choose are all the same height. You can select cabinets of different widths, but balance them on either side of a focal point. Generally, the focal point is the sink or oven range.

H/T modernir.blogspot.com

Opting for cabinets in a single color can provide a cleaner, more symmetrical look. Also, make sure that the knob or handle design is the same throughout the entire kitchen. For example, avoid opting for handles on drawers and knobs on cabinets; instead, use the same on both the drawers and the cabinet doors.

Finish With the Accessories

Accessories are the final key to symmetrical design. Whether it’s balancing any artwork on the walls, or centering a hanging pot rack perfectly over the center island, balance is necessary. Don’t overlook your counter tops when arranging items. For example, balance a pretty soap dispenser on one side of the sink with a lovely glass vase with a single flower on the other side.

Early this morning I dug up some beets from my raised garden bed.  I took the time to really look at the marvel that had been produced from a tiny seed.  The color of the beets are very on trend right now.
They are the color of Marsala–Pantone’s 2015 Color of the Year.

And nature shows us what other colors work beautifully with Marsala–a rich organic green is the perfect complimentary color.  After all, red and green are compliments on the color wheel and the two tones of those colors are the same saturation level.

Beyond the color of the beets, their stems, and leaves, I also took the time to examine the contours and shapes of the beet and it’s stems and leaves.

I have often said the easiest way to check it color combinations will work well together is to look to nature.  Flowers, trees, shrubs all seem to magically grow and bloom in just the right colors.

So what to do?  A higher quality resin wicker ?  Different colored outdoor cushioning?

NO!!  Gloster Outdoor Lounge Cloud and Nomad  is our design solution. The main upholstery will be neutral- Lunar fabric. Pops of bright color will be used on accent pillows and on the Nomad seating

Under the high top table, an outdoor area rug will be placed to provide color and visually tie the area to the rest of the furnishings.

We are very excited to see this outdoor living space become reality.  Our clients who value unique design are thrilled with the design plan!

It will be about 8 weeks from order placement to installation.  In Arizona this actually times very well as our weather will be on the way to bearable temperatures again beginning in late September.

5 Elements of a Perfect Man Cave

Women may loathe them, but man caves are becoming more popular than ever. After all, men enjoy having their own area to watch games, drink beer, and enjoy some privacy. In fact, some studies have shown that man caves can even reduce stress. If you’re ready to start work on your man cave, make sure you have these five essential elements:

1 – Big TV
The main point of a man cave is to escape from the stress of life; for most men, this escape comes from watching sporting events on their televisions. Generally, a man cave will have an especially large TV. If you can fit it in your budget, a nice surround sound system is a wonderful addition. Keep lighting in mind when you’re deciding where to place the TV; you won’t want a glare on the screen.

2 – Comfy seating
You’re going to need to be able to relax while enjoying your private space, so smart seating choices are a must. While style may be the most important feature for seating in the living room, comfort is paramount in a man cave. For that reason, men will generally choose overstuffed couches or a set of recliners. Additionally, dark fabrics or leather will match just about any man cave decor.

When planning the seating, think about how many friends you’re likely to have over at a time; you’re going to need a place for each of them to rest. However, you might want to keep a few folding chairs handy for when you host extra large crowds.

3 – Privacy
A man cave wouldn’t be much of a man cave without privacy. After all, men need to feel like they can be men in their own space. If your man cave is going to take up one end of a large room, consider putting up a wall. If a new wall just isn’t possible, privacy screens may work well too.

If you can get it into your budget, soundproofing a man cave is always a good idea too. While it may sound a bit excessive, just take a second to think how many times you’ve been asked to turn the TV down. Then, think about how many times you had to ask your children to quiet down. A soundproofed man cave eliminates those problems and gives you ultimate privacy.

4 – Refrigerator
For a space to truly be a man cave, alcoholic beverages must be consumed there. However, having to leave the man cave to grab more refreshments will cause you to miss key parts of the big game; not to mention, who really wants to walk all the way across the house to get more beer? A refrigerator or even a mini-fridge will solve that problem by keeping frosty beverages close at hand.

5 – Manly decor
There’s no space for flowers, delicate birds, or frilly pillows in a man cave. Rather, the decor should be based around your favorite things. Frequently, men will paint their man cave the colors of their favorite team.

Besides colors, however, you’ll also want to think about other decor basics. While it is a manly space, an accent rug is still a good idea; besides adding good design to the room, it can keep spilled snacks off the carpet. Next, consider hanging blackout curtains over any windows to prevent glare. Finally, put in a unique lamp or two; there are plenty of beer themed lamps that will complement the space perfectly.

Jessica Kane is a professional writer who has an interest in interior design and home decor. She currently writes for http://www.custom-mats.com, a leading vendor of plain and custom mats.

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3 Ideas for Bathroom Lighting
By Jane Blanchard

Your day starts in your bathroom. Why settle for anything less than the best? Unfortunately, most bathroom lighting is completely neglected, leaving the room feeling sterile or depressing — and not allowing yourself to see you in good light. Instead of simply accepting it as it is, use these ideas to light your bathroom to give you a bright start to your mornings.

Mirror Lighting

Via Modernize

How many bathrooms have lights directly on top of the mirror? While ceiling lights are perfect for providing good visibility, they’re hardly romantic or helpful when you have to groom up close. Because of the stark shadows they create, applying your make-up or shaving your face can be extremely hard to see. Instead, turn to lights that fit on the sides of the mirror. These include sconces, bath bars and vanity lights. They are far better for lighting the face in a way that lets you successfully groom. If there happens to be no room for side lighting, opt for a horizontal vanity light to fit across the top of the mirror. The best are those with bulbs of different shades to maximize clarity.

Daylight Model

Another way to spruce up the bathroom is to mimic natural light. Even if you have a window, the sun may or may not ever stream into the bathroom. Aside from this, daylight is what will reflect off of your clothes and hair so trying to capture its essence is important to making sure you are ready to take on the day. For this choice, you’ll want to invest in white shades that are clear, frosted and any other option. This, however, will depend on the type of bulb you use. The varying kinds render colors differently so not all “white” categorizations can be trusted. For LEDs, go for temperature ranging from 2700K to 3000K. Compact fluorescent bulbs should always have a color rendering index at or above 90 and should have the same temperature range as the LED. Finally, incandescent bulbs must be labeled “white” or have the previously indicated temperature range.

Mood Lighting

Finally, it’s important to remember that the bathroom is not always a room used for getting ready for the day. In fact, it is often used for bubble baths and other relaxing activities. Because of this, you’ll want to make sure there are at least two settings for the lights. This, however, can be achieved through more than just extra lighting fixtures strewn about. For those who like what they have, install a dimmer. With this, you can control the intensity of the lights. For those that like a lot of decorative additions, bring in flush ceiling lights or small chandeliers to act as relaxed mood lighting. Even more than this, lamps can be brought in, assuming there is enough counter top space.

To learn about more creative ways to light up your home, visit Modernize.com.

Below is a guest post on the subject of using LED lighting options for the interior and exterior of your home (or office for that matter!). S Interior Design specifies LED light options for all of our client projects.    Even if it is simply replacing existing recessed can light bulbs with an LED option, the new light output can make a big difference in how the space looks.
Attractive and Smart Indoor & outdoor LED Lights For your Homes

People keep going on about climate change – There is all this talk of gloom and doom and death as a result of it. This talk is not totally unfounded. There are lots of problems with greenhouse gases, and energy wasting, and all kinds of other things that are causing serious harm. As a result of this, the name of the game has become energy efficiency.  It is one way to help out with the environment.

Besides all of the greater good stuff, energy efficiency is also just smart. In the long run, efficiency equals more money saved. And LED lights are an example of energy efficiency at its finest.
A question that a lot of people have is what LED lights are exactly. Simply put, they are a replacement for the current florescent light bulbs we use. Another question many people have is why should I care? For one, LED lights are environmentally friendly. They help to reduce dangerous emissions such as aforementioned greenhouse gases. LED lights also make use of renewable energy. They are very kind to the environment indeed. But it isn’t only the environment that benefits. If you don’t have to keep buying new light bulbs you will be saving money as well. All in all, LED lights are a great substitute for traditional lighting.

LED lights are great and all, but they suffer from a problem that many environmentally sound resources do. The problem is that people know almost nothing about them. (this is the sort of Con) 

Because of this, a lot of people don’t want to take the time to learn how to install and/or make use of LED lights. They don’t want to jump over that extra hurdle. It is simply easier to stick with the old light bulbs you have than try and figure out how LED lights work.

Well that’s what this article is for, to show how the ins and outs of LED lights in a practical sense so that you can be using them that much quicker.

The main thing this article can do to help you get cracking with your new LED lights is to dispel the mysticism that comes with them. Like with a lot of new energy saving technologies like wind or solar power, there are these ideas that they are some kind of alien thing that is beyond us. Really, LED lights are just an alternate form of lighting, much like light bulbs. You still use the same lamps and other lighting fixtures you would normally use, you are just replacing the light source inside them. And what you are replacing it with is a light emitting diode (or LED).

How to make use of LEDs? Well, for the most part, they aren’t going to function much differently from your traditional old fashioned light bulbs. One of the main things that you need to remember when dealing with LED lights is the problem with heat. One of the nice things about LED lights is that they don’t burn out like a regular light bulb will. Over time an LED light will dim. It will slowly die out over a very long period. However, if you want to maximize the usage you get out of your LED lights you need to make sure that it does not get overheated.

A heat sink is one of the most common devices used by LED light manufacturers to make sure this does not happen. What a heat sink does is take the excess heat let off by the LED light and disperse it. The heat spreads throughout the air and dissipates over a large area. Using such a device, an LED light can last for a very long time without the need for replacements. As long as you manage your heat sources properly the LED lights will not cause any problems and you can enjoy sustainable lighting at your fingertips.
As mentioned before, the concept of LED lights is often made out to be this foreign thing. People fail to realize that we already make use of LED lights in our daily lives all the time. If you have ever seen a traffic light or exit sign, that is a prime example of LED lights at work. One of the most common examples of LED lights is emergency lighting. Police and other such sirens use LED lights, as do other such warning indicators.

There is all the standard stuff like lamps and chandelier type installations you can have in your home. It is easy enough to put overhead lights into the ceiling itself. This is all the standard stuff, but you can also easily get more creative. If you want to have an artistic look, LED lights can easily accommodate that as well. The way LED lights are designed, they can fit into almost anything you want them to. You can put lights in your walls. You can have various artistic structures in your home that make use of LED lights. LED lights can be suited to whatever style of home you want to have. The other beautiful thing about LED lights is that you can find them in a wide variety of colors.

The truth is white LED lights do not exist. Multiple LEDs are combined together with various filters and such to create the white light look. If you want deep purple or bright red lights in your home it is simple. But as said before, LED lights can still easily accommodate the more traditional look if that is what you want.

Now don’t go thinking that LED lights are just for indoor use. People often overlook the benefit of outdoor lighting. Though the season has just passed, LED lights can make great holiday decorations. If you want decorations for any time of year, LED lights work wonders in your yard. The LED lights can also be used to simply extend your evening hours during the warmer months. If you want to keep sitting outside and enjoying the nice weather, then just install a few LED lights.

I mean, obviously you don’t need an article to tell you to use lights to give you more light. The thing is LED lights are especially good for outdoor furnishing. The problem many people have is that they want to lighten up their yard and/or garden so they can enjoy it for longer periods of time, but they don’t want a large prison spotlight blaring over their property. Clearly you want the lights to compliment your existing arrangement.

When coming up with design ideas for outdoor lighting, you do not want to think of your garden as an obstacle to overcome. Think of your garden as an artistic amplifier. You can make use of the plants and shrubs. Say you have a trellis or arch with vines snaking up it. Well, it is a simple matter to thread a string of LED lights in between them. It can give you a very nice visual effect. You can also place various LED lights throughout the garden itself. Use them to accentuate the plants. Strategically put LED lights behind some of your shrubs to give them a beautiful glow. You can even hide them so that the LED lights themselves are not visible because the plants are obscuring them. Always a crowd pleaser is the lighted pathway. You can have a bright and beautiful walk through your garden at night. There are nigh on infinite ways to make use of your garden to really get good mileage out of your LED lights.

Of course, when thinking about lighting up your garden, you are primarily thinking about personal use. You can have the simple wall lights that illuminate your patio at night if you want. As mentioned previously, LED lights can be great for complex and artistic as well as simple and functional.

Another thing you can think about as far as outdoor decorations go, is adding in features specifically to compliment the lights. If you want you can have a lit fountain in the center of your garden or yard. If you have a low stone wall you can shine light on it for dramatic effect. The real trick to outdoor LED lighting is to work with the features you already have and play off them, rather than to try and work around them. And while you can, do not feel like you have to buy additional items to go with the LED lights. You do not have to turn your backyard into an artistic display, though you totally can if that is what you want.
The thing to remember with LED lights is that they come in all shapes and sizes and forms. It will be no problem to find LED lights that will work with whatever outdoor environment you have. You can also set up timers or other devices to ensure you get the most energy efficiency for you dollar. Furnishing your outdoors with LED lights is easy.

Despite what you might think, LED lights are not all that expensive. A lot of people think that new and innovative technology means bigger price, but that is not always the case. Often times it means cheaper rather than steeper. In a lot of cases, the new models or newer technologies are easier and cheaper to make than the older less efficient versions, so they can afford to sell them for less. And with a product like LED lights that is made with renewable energy, there’s simple more resources available to produce them so there is not going to be a lack of supply to drive the demand up really high. Also the thing is with energy efficient products such as LED lights, the companies that use them often do not have profit as their primary motivation. Yes, every company wants to make money. But a lot of times, people start companies that sell things like LED lights because they want people to start using more energy efficient equipment, so they try hard to make it affordable. Even if it isn’t the company, you can always find people who want to bend over backwards to help others become more energy efficient. There are plenty of other tips and tricks if you want to save money. Buying in bulk often helps you to get discount prices. Especially if you can tag your purchase on with another. For instance, if your office is upgrading to LED lights you can add your own supply on to the order, that way you can save on shipping and often get bulk discount rates. Also, if you have the time and/or skill, you can do a self-installation of the LED lights. This can save a lot. And like I said before, if you take good care of the LED lights they will be much much longer lasting than a normal light bulb could ever be, so you will not have to buy nearly as many.

All in all, LED lights are an investment. They pay off in the long run, if you can afford to wait that long you will end up saving money by making the switch. Also, they are designed to save you money. And getting them is easy. Plenty of companies sell LED lights. The two mentioned previously in this article (OSRAM and Energy Star) are just a couple of examples. It is a simple matter of one Google search or phone call and you can find the LED lights that work for you and are within your price range.