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Wall Decoration Tips and Tricks

March 12, 2014adminDIY Projectsdecorating, design, DIY projects, home decor, home improvement, home trends2 Comments

Many homes have walls that are bare and boring, making them seem more like government buildings, rather than an area where people live, breathe and enjoy life in general. One of the worst mistakes most people make is using the vision of others, instead of trusting their own sense of aesthetics. You should always ask yourself one very simple question: Does it look good? If you can answer that question clearly and if the area looks as good as you want it to be, then you’re great. If you answer that question with anything less than that, then this means it’s time for some changes and something brand new on the horizon. Begin with the following tips that should only serve as guidelines, not the rule of thumb:

You can use fabric to find a great way to make your walls look both stylish and useful. Many of us often underestimate how much can be accomplished through such means. You may be surprised at how much can be done by using fabric as a cover for walls as well as making a very unique and unforgettable visual style of your own. You can either use it as a type of wallpaper or as a window dressing as well.

You should next decide on a theme of your choice, as this will have to encompass the entire room. A very important choice, as you will be seeing these decorations for years to come in most cases, so choose wisely.

Up next, you will need to pick a colour scheme. Colours are one of the most important aspects of decorations. You need to be very careful about your choices of colours, as they will also have a profound effect on the room you’re planning on decorating. So, follow the trends, but also stick to your personal vision and sense of aesthetics.

You can also use pictures as a powerful tool of decoration, making them an inseparable part of what you can do with it. If you want to create an interesting, stylish wall, then you need to use pictures strategically for maximum effect. If you use too many, then you risk creating a stifling effect more akin to a classic conspiracy theory pad than a great-looking and well-decorated apartment.

Experiment as much as you feel you need to with your walls, but make sure you have everything flowing just right in your room. If you want to make sure you have a working room, make sure you work toward a more harmonic look, rather than something strange and off-beat. Symmetry can be a great source of calm and stress-relief.

For more tips: Battersea man with van

Calm Your Inner Christmas Beast With Simple, Festive Decor

December 20, 2013adminHolidays, Home Improvement Tipsdecorating, DIY projects, Holidays, home decor, home improvementLeave a comment

Nearly half of people surveyed in a recent Huff Post poll listed a disorganized home as a major source of stress. With the holidays looming, the stress level in your home may already be approaching critical mass. Don’t add to the clutter and confusion by dragging out boxes full of disjointed knick-knacks in the name of Christmas decorating. Transform the rooms of your home instead into a quaint and calming Christmas wonderland by using easy ideas that add shine and sparkle to your doors, windows and holiday tree. Go cozy, primitive or opt for all-out glitz with ornaments, garlands and greenery you make yourself out of items garnished from the local forest.

Handmade Ornaments

Nothing says lovin’ like a tree decked out in crafty goodness. You’ve seen all those Pinterest boards specializing in decorative uses for everyday items: burlap, chalkboard paint, stick-on gems and more. Find fun and easy ideas online, and take a tour through the holiday section of your local craft store to find the supplies needed to create unique and heirloom-quality Christmas ornaments for your tree this year.

Burlap-Stuffed Balls: Cut simple strips of rustic burlap fabric, and stuff them inside clear glass Christmas balls. Finish off your primitive ornament with a small raffia bow glued to the top.
Melt-Art Ornaments: Drop small shavings of colorful crayons inside clear glass Christmas balls, and use a hair dryer to create one-of-a-kind melt-art ornaments.
I-Spy Christmas Balls: Fill clear plastic Christmas balls with tiny trinkets and clear vase filler or sand to make ornaments that double as I-Spy games for the kids.

Christmas Greenery

Bring the aromatic best of the outdoors inside with fresh greenery picked yourself, or buy in bulk from the local florist. Pine boughs, mistletoe and holly stems all make festive garlands for your mantel, around your doors and windows and as filler in your seasonal arrangements. The large, flexible needles of the white pine tree are especially popular in garlands and wreaths as they mold themselves well around curves. They also smell divine.

Seasonal Accessories

Deck your decor with cute seasonal accessories like stenciled pillows, vinyl wall quotes, quilted table runners and cheery tablecloths. Adding Christmas-themed accessories gives your space that festive feeling with minimal work involved. It also makes un-decorating after the holidays much easier. For an even simpler solution, use two-sided accessories that celebrate fall on one side and Christmas on the other. Changing out the seasons is as simple as flipping over a pillow or turning a chalkboard to the reverse side.

Primitive Window Treatments

Capture the feel of a homespun country Christmas by switching out elegant drapes and curtains in lieu of more minimalist treatments that lend themselves to decking. Find window shades online that mount inside your window frames, leaving your rods free for garlands, greenery or a simple string of white lights entwined with grapevine. Attach decorations to your rods using strips of torn homespun material tied crudely into bows.

Feng Shui for the Home

December 17, 2013adminHome Improvement Tipsdecorating, DIY projects, health, home trendsLeave a comment

When we’re in the process of renovating a room or our entire house, the motivation is usually aesthetics and function. However, another thought that might be worth pondering when you’re improving on a room is how will these changes make me feel and how will it affect my life outside my home. The idea that our immediate surroundings are connected to our human experiences is the center principle on which Feng Shui is based on.

Feng Shui which literally translates to “wind-water”, originated over 3,500 years in China. It was originally used to designate the placement and orientation of predominantly spiritually significant objects, like tombs. Since then, millions of people all over the world have used the principles from Feng Shui to organize their home and work space in a way that is designed to invite more positive and prosperous energy into your life.

With a practice that is as old as Feng Shui is, it can be a bit overwhelming for beginners.Thankfully, this infographic below by Soothing Company, offers a helpful blueprint for employing this Western style of Feng Shui, which does not rely on compass directions. All you have to do to use the chart below, is to align the lower portion of the plan with the wall of the front door of your house. Check it out below!

Great Interior Design and Home Decoration Articles

December 17, 2013adminHome Improvement Tipscolor schemes, decorating, DIY projects, home trendsLeave a comment

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How to Decorate for the Holidays with a Theme

December 6, 2013adminHolidayschristmas, decorating, Holidays, home decorLeave a comment

Christmas is around the corner and one can help bring in the festive mood and grooving moment by adorning the house with Christmas home decorations.

Bring in the joyous moments by importing some essentials into your home to decorate your living room with a theme.

1. White Christmas Theme

If your curtains, furniture, carpet and walls are pale colors, this kind of theme can give an appealing Christmas home decoration.

In this theme, the ornaments have a pearl combination and can be available in all retail stores or online. The Christmas tree can be an artificial white tree made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or an evergreen conifer such as pine or fir can be bought and cotton sprinkled giving the feeling of snow and depicting the North Pole.

To decorate according to this theme, you can buy white candles and then keep them around the Christmas tree in white transparent jars. For gifts, wrap them in white or silver paper. You can also decorate your center table with white roses. Also, hang white stockings around the fireplace or on the Christmas tree. And don’t forget some background music to add flavor to the whole scenario.

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2. Red Ornamental Theme

Bring Color to the living room by adorning it with color Red.

Make sure the Christmas tree has red ornaments. The candles are red in color with poinsettias placed at every nook and corner while your furniture can also add in the touch of Christmas by being bright red in color or any bright shade.

Gifts can be wrapped in red or any bright colors and placed under and around the Christmas tree. Red peppermints can either be hanging from the Christmas tree or can be placed on the center table surrounded by red candles. Red Velvet cake can also be another addition to the center table.

Red Christmas stockings can also focus attention on the theme.

Adorn the fireplace with red elves or red ornaments. Red Christmas wreaths can also add in beauty to the whole scenario.

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3. Rustic Theme

If your furniture is in the shade of brown or charcoal and your walls are dark, no worries since there are ideas for you to indulge in the festive mood using a rustic theme.

Make sure your ornaments are red or are wood burns as ornaments. Pine Cones also bring out the rustic theme when decorated along the fireside or are hung around the Christmas tree. Green Wreaths with pinecones embedded in them can be either hung on the walls or placed on a window. Mistletoes with pinecones can be made and hung around your home.

You can decorate the center table with pinecones or multi colored ornaments all placed in a big bowl. Place white lighting in a transparent jar while decorating the area around it with red ornaments. Then put poinsettias around the Christmas tree to give a flavor of red to this theme. This can help accentuate the room while bringing in the rustic Christmas theme to your home.

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4. Red & White Theme

When shades of red and white are mixed, it also gives a beautiful touch to the room while adding color and joy to any occasion.

If your couch has a pale color, you could bring in color by adding in ornaments of bright red to the Christmas tree and adding poinsettias to the corners of the room or around the tree. Peppermint ornaments can also be made and hung either around the fireplace or on the Christmas tree.

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Decorating with a theme is fun and always pleasant to the eyes. Make your indoors upbeat with the holiday spirit and have a joyful celebration!

Author bio: Tiffany Faming is a passionate writer. She loves to write on family, custom gifts, home décor and gardening. She recommends using Amazon Promotional Code as a great idea to save money on your Christmas purchase. Please visit her Google+ to see more amazing tips.

4 Clever Tricks That Can Make Your Small House Seem Larger

August 29, 2013adminHome Improvement Tipsdecorating, DIY projects, home decor, home improvement, remodeling tipsLeave a comment

small room — Image is credited to the user WelcometoAlville through Flickr’s Creative Commons

Nothing is worse than moving all of your stuff into a new home only to discover that it’s a lot smaller than you remembered on the walkthrough. As many homeowners have learned the hard way, a small room stuffed with a lot of clutter can make it feel as if the walls are closing in on you.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to open up a small home to make it feel more spacious than it really is. With a little bit of redecorating, you can use light and color to create the illusion of depth and space in even the tiniest of rooms. For example, here are a few tricks that will make even the stuffiest rooms in your house feel large and comfortable.

1) Put Your Sofa on Stilts. When it comes to purchasing furniture for a small home, it’s not the size that matters – it’s the elevation. Both smaller and larger pieces of furniture can work in a compact room so long as they sit on raised legs. By raising your sofa, bed and/or chairs up on stilts, you allow more light to penetrate the room, which creates a convincing illusion of depth and space. This is especially effective in rooms with large windows.

2) Clear Up Your Cabinets. Traditional solid-panel kitchen cabinets can easily overpower a tiny kitchen. To make your cooking area appear larger, replace those wooden cabinet doors with glass panes. By allowing you to see all the way through to the back of the wall, glass-paneled cabinets will make your kitchen seem more expansive. To enhance this effect, try to clear out the clutter in your cabinets before you have company over. Unstack your bowls and plates and store some of your lesser-used dishes out-of-sight under your counter or in a closet. You’d be surprised at how well a few empty shelves can make a room seem larger.

3) Let the Light Shine In. The more windows a small home has, the better. Seriously. Natural light makes any room feel larger, so you should try to let in as much of it as possible. If you don’t have space to install windows, then consider adding glass-paneled doors or skylights to open up your living room or bedrooms. Even a few frosted glass panels can make a huge difference in how large your room appears.

4) Open Up Your Doorways. When renovating a small home, try to open up your doorways to make them as tall and as wide as possible. Remove whatever doors aren’t necessary – or invest in pocket doors – to create distance around the house. You can add to this effect by placing a piece of art on a wall directly opposite an open doorway. The art will catch a guest’s eye, causing them to look down the hallway, which will give them the impression that the room they’re in is larger than it really is.

Don’t let a small home stifle your family. The next time you decide to renovate or redecorate, use these tricks to make your living space seem large and luxurious.

Bio: Lucy Clark is a featured writer for DIYMother.org. Last month, she installed a new set of kitchen cabinets using only her tool kit and an unbreakable iron will. She currently lives in North Dakota with her husband and two daughters.

The Benefits of Wood Blinds

August 23, 2013adminhome improvementdecorating, home decor, home improvement3 Comments

They Give Your Home a Classy Look

There are several reasons why a homeowner or tenant might want to choose wood blinds over other window shading options. First of all, they can give a space a classier look, and not just because they have a more natural appearance. Wood blinds, like other kinds of wood decor, can be stained or painted. Some people might want to give their wood blinds a clear stain to accent the natural grain of the wood, while others may paint their blinds to match the rest of their decor. This gives the blinds a versatility that other blinds lack.

Speaking of versatility, another great advantage of having wood blinds is that there are several styles available. For example, bamboo blinds are great for a more casual space, while wooden French blinds can add class to a more formal room. Wood blinds can be made from practically any kind of wood and the individual slats can be cut into any size.

They Provide Excellent Privacy

Because wood is much thicker than plastic, vinyl, fabric or practically any other kind of material that may be used to make window shading, they can add much more privacy to a space. Like any good blinds, wood blinds will let plenty of sunlight into a room when they are open. When they are closed, however, they act almost like shutters, blocking out most sunlight and making it nearly impossible to see through a window from the outside.

They are Easy to Keep Clean

Cleaning blinds is always a hassle. The slats tend to gather dust that can go unnoticed until collected in thick layers, giving the blinds a grimy look. This is especially true with plastic blinds with smaller slats. On the other hand, wood blinds have larger slats that make them easier to dust. They can even be cleaned being taken down from a window, something that cannot be said about other blinds. Because they can be cleaned so easily, they will last longer and give your home a fresh look for longer periods of time.

They Save Money in the Long Run

Although wood blinds purchased from the right place won’t cost much more than other blinds, they are still more expensive. This might turn some people off, but the truth is that wood blinds can save people money in the long run. They last longer than plastic or vinyl blinds. In fact, many high-quality wood blinds can stay in place for years without needing to be replaced or even cleaned as often as other window shadings.

Although wood blinds are rarely found in most retail stores, they can still be found in many decorating home stores. Custom wood blinds can also be ordered from many manufacturers by Internet or telephone at reasonable prices.

If you are looking for a way to add a touch of class to your home that will last for a long time with minimal maintenance, consider wood blinds. They can be painted or stained to fit practically any decor, offer more privacy than other blind options, are easy to clean and can save you money in the long run. Check out your nearest home improvement store, decorating house or simply conduct an Internet search to learn more about the options that may be available to you.

This article was provided by Chase Roberts, home & garden expert and interior designer in training. If you are looking for a classy look to liven up your interior, Chase recommends considering a change of blinds. Easily looked over in home redecorating, wood blinds make a perfect addition to any home.

5 Ways to Spice up Your Home Decor

July 22, 2013adminDIY Projectsdecorating, DIY projects, home decor, home improvement, home trendsLeave a comment

Are you bored with the look of the rooms in your home? Would you like to spice things up a bit? Here are some simple tips to update the look of anyone room in your home even if you’re working with a tight budget.

1. Put some decorative pillows in the rooms

Decorative pillows are a great way to express your personality and add a little something special to any room in your home. Be adventurous! Try different colors, textures and patterns. If the pillows you fell in love with at the department store don’t quite thrill you when you get them home, simply return them and try again. Most department stores have great sales on decorative pillows making them a terrific choice for updating any room in your home.

2. Change the paintings on the walls

If your old paintings have been hanging on the walls for years, then it is high time you change them with some new ones! The walls of your home are a wonderful place where you can express your personality and show off your imagination.

3. Be a little eccentric

Try to be a little more unconventional when it comes to home decoration and interior design. Interior design trends are constantly changing so don’t worry too much about adhering to any strict rules.

For example, try to mix modern art with more traditional furnishing and decorations. One idea is to put a modern flat screen TV in a living room that is furnished in a classical style and add a couple of paintings with floral motives around the TV to create the necessary balance.

4. Stickers here, stickers there, stickers everywhere

The easiest way to hide an ugly spot on the walls without painting the whole wall is to use some decorative wall stickers. This is not only very easy and effort-free, but it is also inexpensive. Decorative stickers are the perfect way to make your home different, especially if you want to add an artistic and more urban touch here and there.

5. Change the night lamp

Your bedroom is one of the most intimate and important places in your home. Something as simple as changing your night lights can make the room more comfortable and bring a sense of piece and calmness.

Author Bio: July Minor is blogger and writer that loves home improvement. She owns a small company that provides one off cleaning Belgravia in London, UK. July loves to spend her free time sharing her decorating ideas with her readers.

How to Turn Your House into an Elegant Home

July 18, 2013adminDIY Projects, home improvementdecorating, DIY projects, home decor, home trendsLeave a comment

Creating a beautiful and timeless look in a home shouldn’t require a herculean amount of effort if a few basic principles are followed. There are many ways to dress up a room, but none will be as aesthetically pleasing or serene as including a timeless design in a home. If you want to achieve an elegant look to your room or home, here are some tips to follow:

Minimize the Excess Clutter

If you have a small space, you may have rooms that do double duty, but keeping the room uncluttered and free of unnecessary objects is a way to ensure the space does not become overwhelming. If your office doubles as a spare guest room, then a good way to ensure elegance is to use an armoire or cabinet that doubles as your desk space to keep unwanted papers and clutter out of sight when a guest is using the room.

Choose a Focal Point

Whether it’s an original or vintage piece of art or a stunning mirror, each room in your home should have a focal point. A fireplace, fountain, or large portrait will set the tone of the room and give you the ability to decorate around your focal point.

Choose a Color Scheme

Your color scheme is a reflection of who you are as well as your tastes. If you’re attempting to create serenity and elegance, a muted or lighter shade may be the key to achieving this look. However, if you’re more interested in bolder colors with a slight flare for the dramatic, a darker color is the way to go. Additionally, once you’ve chosen a color scheme, all of the furnishings in the room should adhere to this scheme.

Keep It Neat and Tidy

Nothing can ruin an elegant home faster than uncleanliness and disarray. If you’re not the neatest person in the world, a slight investment in weekly housekeeping, or cajoling your children into helping you keep up with the clutter, may be necessary. Cleanliness is one of the main keys to giving off an air of sophistication in your home. Keeping your counter tops clear, your bookshelves dusted, and your windows sparkling shows that you have pride in your home and enjoy keeping it well maintained.

Keep Cords and Wires Out of Sight

Much like keeping your home neat and tidy, keeping unsightly cords out of the way is a must. There are many ways to do this and a visit to your local home-improvement store could easily elicit some ideas that are inexpensive and easy to do. You may want to invest in a power strip to concentrate all power cords in one area, and mask this with a potted plant or side table.

Consider Cohesiveness

If the inside of your home is a calm oasis, the outside of your home should reflect those same inviting qualities. Invest a weekend into trimming the hedges, cutting the grass, painting the siding, or planting shrubs and flowers. Creating a unique theme between the inside and outside of your house can be a great way to add balance to your home. The inside of your home is where you’re going to spend most of your time—but creating an overall picture of elegance starts from the curb.

This article was written by Kevin Law, a freelance blogger and retired home contractor. When Kevin doesn’t have his hands dirty in a home renovation project, he hopes to provide helpful insight into DIY home projects, and is currently looking into adding a fixture from Fathom Fountains.

Fun Focal Points For Your Home

July 3, 2013adminDIY Projects, Home Improvement Tipsdecorating, DIY projects, home decor, home improvement, home remodeling, home trends, remodeling tipsLeave a comment

Whether you are moving into a new apartment or home or redecorating your current living space, creating fun focal points will make each room feel unique. Focal points are a great way to express your sense of style, reflect your personality, and are a way to take a regular old room and make it an amazing room. Just one small change can take a space from ordinary to extraordinary!

How about a new painting in a bare room? A couple of pieces of upscale furniture? Modern LED light fixtures? Perhaps a new entertainment system? You can even create fun focal points outside. How about a new play-set? A gazebo? A zen garden? A lot can be considered a ‘focal point,’ as long as it attracts people’s attention and is fun.

Here are some fun focal points you can consider for your home or yard.

Fireplace

Sometimes creating a focal point is just a matter of reworking something that is preexisting. If you already have a fireplace but it doesn’t attract much attention, consider sprucing it up. A few fun ideas are:

• Paint the brick

• Add a mantle or header – this can even be done for plain gas fireplaces

• Change the mantel or header

• Redecorate the mantel with statement artwork or vases

Decorative Walls

Creating a statement wall is another way to take a preexisting room and drastically change its appearance. You can create one wall that pops, or do the entire room in a bold wall covering. A few fun ideas are:

• Add decorative wall paper: Wallpaper has really come a long way with a vast variety of colors, textures, and patterns.

• Add a wall sticker: This is an enlarged piece of art that can be ordered in a variety of shapes and sizes.

• Paint a wall so it pops: This could be done by creating one wall in a standout color, or painting a unique pattern, texture, or finish.

• Add panels: There are a variety of textures of wood, stone, or fabric panels that can be added to your wall to create fun focal points. These panels can even be custom built to incorporate your entertainment system or to include custom-lighted walls.

A Statement Piece

Finding a statement piece that calls attention when you enter the room is a great way to create a focal point. Consider a unique piece of art, a standout couch and chairs, or a beautiful antique piece that can be used as the inspiration for how you design your entire room. A few fun ideas are:

• A unique piece of art: This could be a sculpture, wall art, or a series of strategically placed vases.

• Distinctive furniture: This could have a standout pattern or color, a unique shape or texture, or be accented by one-of-a-kind pillows.

• An antique piece: An intricately crafted armoire, a table you just can’t take your eyes off of, or an antique piece reupholstered in a modern fabric.

The Great Outdoors

There are several strategies you can take with your landscaping that will not only create a focal point, but will make it the ideal place to entertain. A few fun ideas are:

• Build something: This could be a beautiful patio, deck, archway in the yard, or a gazebo.

• Plant an eye-catching tree: The type of tree will need to be determined by the climate in your area, but consider standout tress like a flame maple, a Japanese cherry blossom, a weeping willow, or a twisted or sprawling tree.

• Build a secret garden: Create an enclosed flower garden with a small pathway that leads to a man-made pond.

• Other elements: This could include a rock garden, a fountain, a bonfire pit, or a gaming area.

Creating fun focal points both inside and outside of your home allows you to express your signature style, makes your home uniquely yours, and gives you a place you enjoy sharing with your friends and family.

Guest Post By:

This article was contributed by Chase Roberts, home & garden connoisseur, personal decorator, and all-around handyman. If a gorgeous new patio or driveway is your idea of a unique outdoor focal point, Chase recommends Houston Pavers, highly-skilled pavers in Houston TX

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