The 101-story, 492-meter-high Shanghai World Financial Center finally opened its doors last week, becoming the world's second tallest building after Taipei 101, which has a lower roofline but a higher spire. Designed by New York architects Kohn Pedersen Fox, it contains not only premium office space but also the world's highest hotel, the Park HyattShanghai—and dwarfs China's former tallest building, the 420.5m Jin Mao Tower next door. The project is the brainchild of leading Japanese property developer Minoru Mori, president and CEO of Mori Building Co., Ltd., and the man behind Tokyo's celebrated Roppongi Hills development. He first conceived the idea of the Shanghai project 15 years ago, and has remained committed to it ever since, despite years of delays caused by the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s, as well as anti-Japanese sentiment that led to a change in the building's design. He spoke to NEWSWEEK's Duncan Hewitt in Shanghai. Excerpts:

For many years there occurs in a modern bathroom a silent battle between necessary practicalities and designers' ideas. Now and again people place there something out of the common. One of the demonstrative examples of this kind might be a bathtub, made of a natural wood. By some reason, we believe that water and wood are incompatible. But let's remember ancient small tubs, casks and troughs. Well, we might consider a wooden bathtub a distant descendant of its archaic ancestors, and it looks into the future with quite confidence.

Surely, wood is not too fit for making bathroom fixtures, but a general trend to sacrifice more functionality for glamorous exterior brought blocks of rich woods back to circulation. Moreover, a certain role was played by a change in the social outlook, and by the aspiration to bring to one's life more of naturalness and, of course, a fashion for all real. As a result, wood has become a terrific lure for effeminate consumer. A possibility to have in one's bathroom a rare, stylish and actually symbolic object has totally compensated for some non-practicality and complicity of care.

Not only wooden bathtub, but stylish bathtub.
During several last centuries practically all the vessels, which crossed the expanses of the seas and oceans of the Earth, were being built only from wood. This centuries old experience was picked up by the modern producers of wooden bathtubs. They use for their production only those species of woods, which naturally possess a high stability towards moister attack, like teak wood blocks, mahogany, wenge wood, larch, i. e. those, which historically were most valued by shipbuilders. A costly and sophisticated modern bathroom technology, with the help of which the bathtubs are protected from ruinous impact of moisture, is a fruit of handling development for ships and yachts hulls. A special chic is in trying to preserve wood in its primeval beauty, to minimize all perceptible coatings. Smooth and streamlined, these bathtubs are made from excellently fitting fragments, they are polished and in some cases covered with additional varnish, and as a result, they form an absolutely whole structure. A beautiful texture of the block becomes a further decorative factor. Naturally, every producer keeps the details in secret.

But some secrets leak out.
Bathtubs by their exterior often remind graceful barks and yachts. An interesting fact: one of Italian factories, which in its time built yachts, was now retrofitted to produce bathtubs!

Very logical that this very outline has become one of the most popular among designers. These bath tubs are especially good for new bathroom designs, styled in such popular now trends as Zen, ambient and minimalism. They not only daintily accomplish the interior, but called in the first place to attract major attention namely to themselves, and they are the main style-forming factor in the bathroom all in all. Usually, such a bathtub is placed in the middle of a bathroom, often on a podium, so as to arrest the attention of all who enter.

The other rather widespread types are massive rectangular bathtubs, performed from a block of natural wood, or specially treated plywood. It might seem at the first glance that they must be not that comfortable, but it's not true. In order that a person felt comfy inside such a fairly hard and deep rectangular structure, a smoothly bent bed with a headrest is placed there

SOME THING SPECIAL STAIRS

The decision to attempt acoustic ceiling removal is not something most people jump into without a bit of forethought. There are both pros and cons to consider before making a choice to either keep that popcorn ceiling or scrape it off and replace it with some type of wall texture. I have tried to cover the most important issues in this article to help you make the choice best for your situation.

The Pros of Acoustic Ceiling Removal

- The money: Acoustic removal usually increases the value and marketability of your home, sometimes dramatically. A textured ceiling is by most opinions far more appealing and buyers will pay for what they like.
- Removal reduces the nesting places for bugs such as dust mites and spiders. In my experience, it is more likely than not to see spider webs on close examination of an older acoustic ceiling.
- Because the rough acoustic ceiling texture tends to trap light and create a shadowing effect replacing with modern knockdown or similar texture can make the room appear much brighter and more open.
- The new ceiling can be painted the same color as the walls or a different color if you desire. You are not stuck with an "acoustic white" or one of the shades of yellow acoustic tends to turn over the years.
- Cleaning the dust and dirt that accumulates around ceiling vents and ceiling fans is next to impossible with out damaging and/or creating a mess of acoustic kernels on an acoustic ceiling.

The Cons of Acoustic Ceiling Removal

- The money: Removing a popcorn ceiling, repairing the drywall, applying texture, priming and finally painting can be very expensive if done by a contractor.
- Sometimes acoustic is applied because that gnarly texture hides damage. Hidden damage usually means more time and material which equals money out of your pocket.
- The removal process can be a lot of work if done yourself. There is a lot of information out there on the web to help guide you through the process. In fact, our site, BigRehab.com, has a systematic manual on the process. Removal is hard work that requires a certain level of skill, skill that only comes with experience. Before taking on the removal of an entire home, I highly suggest you get started by doing a small bedroom or office to size up what you are getting into. Many errors in coating the drywall or applying the texture will not be seen until the paint is applied and has dried.
- Some popcorn/acoustic ceilings contain asbestos. If your ceiling contains asbestos above the threshold level you must follow your state and local laws regarding removal and disposal of this hazardous waste product. This will include multiple air samples, protective clothing and respiration gear, specialized sealers, portable showers, heppa air filtration, etc. Can you see the dollars piling up yet? Asbestos removal is very expensive.

Popcorn or Texture

As you consider these issues and come to a decision do not overlook one of the most important factors: You. Is looking at those ugly ceilings something you want to do for the rest of the time you own your home? Ultimately optional home improvement projects such as removing your popcorn ceiling come down to what your desire is for the home you live in

Why Is Bedroom Furniture Important?

The bedroom is your sanctuary from the outside world and your bedroom furniture should reflect this. Eco-Furniture.com carries traditional and contemporary bedroom furniture sets in a variety of woods and finishes so you can create a place of tranquility and relaxation all your own.
A platform bed is the ideal centerpiece for the contemporary bedroom with its low-profile frame and clean, simple lines. Platform beds don’t use box springs, instead relying on a series of slats to support the mattress. So if you’re looking to add a modern flair to your bedroom, consider a sleek new platform bed from Eco-Furniture.com.
If it’s a more traditional look you’re interested in, Eco-Furniture has you covered with a great selection of four-poster and canopy beds, as well as classic sleigh beds. These bed styles have been staples of American homes for over a hundred years and continue to add warmth and charm to bedrooms today.
Eco-Furniture has a great selection of contemporary bedroom furniture, specializing in platform beds and modern bedroom sets. A new bedroom furniture set can do wonders to unify the look in your bedroom with matching finishes and bed frames. If you’re looking for a more traditional or transitional bedroom furniture look, Eco-Furniture.com has exquisite canopy beds and classic sleigh beds in matching bedroom sets as well. Also browse through our collection of mattresses including the world famous Royal Pedic Mattress and Natura Mattress.