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With the multitude of garden furniture and accessories available, setting up your deck has become an art like interior decorating. We would like to share a few traps you should avoid so that your investment doesn’t make you grind your teeth.

The first too often neglected point: keep the barbecue away from the dining table and entrances to the house. It’s become normal to see people smoke outside of houses to avoid the toxic effects of indoor smoke, so why be subject to barbecue smoke when you’re outside? Suddenly your subtle sweet wine no longer tastes the same! And how can you pay attention to what your host is saying if you’re stuck in a cloud of smoke?

Second: avoid smooth, pale fabrics as they tend to highlight stains. Even if they’re nice or in fashion.

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The first picture that comes to mind is the Moroccan pouf. Stars, colours, leather—Moroccan poufs add an exotic touch to your decor.

A bit of history.

According to the Grand Robert, the word pouf first appeared in 1458. The word is an onomatopoeia that evokes a fall. The modern definition of pouf is “A large firm cushion used as a low seat or footstool” (Canadian Oxford Dictionary). The ones with legs are generally called ottomans or footstools. The definition dating from 1829 might be more appropriate for today: “A large, low stool, generally cylindrical, and covered with thick upholstery.”[……]

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Feel like freshening up your decor now that spring is here? Changing the colour of a wall can do miracles. Virtual paint makes it child’s play to imagine the effect of a colour on a wall, furniture or an accessory. We had a look at a few sites for you that offer a virtual paint service: CIL, Sico and Benjamin Moore.

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Just try it out. With children big and small. Use musical instruments as decorative items. Leave them lying around and see how people react.

Maybe you’re thinking about the djembe, flute and synthesizer? Interesting. But have you ever heard of the tamböa, cajón and darbouka?[……]

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Who has never seen a wall covered in family photos from grandparents to grandchildren? With new technologies, family trees are getting a makeover.

To add to or replace the faces of your family members, you can now display more and more original photos: your DNA and fingerprints.[……]

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