How To Add Interest To Your Home With Oriental Home Decor

The decor that is used to decorate an oriental style home is very ornate and colorful. Traditions from the Orient are displayed throughout these pieces. The pieces themselves can be found on walls in the form of artwork, displayed as statues or other “show” pieces, or the designs could be shown through the very furniture that is placed throughout the home.

Panel pieces in threes are very popular for displaying artwork in the oriental tradition. The artwork itself varies by what is displayed on the panels, but it is typically very traditional and colorful. There is a lot of gold, red, and black used as colors in this artwork. Large, wall-sized fans are also popular for decorating in the oriental tradition. Again, the artwork displayed will vary, but the colors will be similar to those used in panel paintings. The displays may include traditional oriental women complete with hair pulled back and wearing traditional clothing, likewise for Oriental males. They may also display the mythological creature so often seen in oriental design, the dragon, often breathing fire from its mouth.

Colors of walls in an oriental decorated home are most typically white. The red, gold, and black are most often reserved for the complimentary pieces. Clean lines are important to the Oriental home, so the walls will enhance those clean lines by having been painted either white or very light beige. Those walls will be lined on the bottom by wood grained shoe moulding and trim around doorways in the home. This further adds to those clean lines displayed throughout the home.

Knickknacks will be sparse. They will be well chosen after much contemplation. Not all Oriental pieces are red, black, and gold. Some use blues, blacks, and yellows too, but the first are the most typical. These traditional colors will be found in a lot of the knickknacks that will be displayed throughout the home. There will be only a few chosen and they will compliment one another. Plants will also be sparse. An orchid is a popular choice for Oriental decorating, but many green leafy plants will be appropriate too. Orchids can be hard to care for, so some may choose a simply ivy instead.

Artwork, other than fans and panels, will compliment the color choices of the knickknacks displayed. They will compliment the gold in a statue or the red sprinkled throughout the serving dish. There will never be too much color in the artwork, it should be simple, just like everything else discussed here.

Furnishings will be lower than typical to enhance the Zen tradition originated in the Orient. Some furnishing may not have legs at all, they may be nothing much more than cushions on the floor. Coffee tables and end tables will also be placed lower than their American counterparts. Again, this is to compliment the furnishings that are set lower. Often the legs of the furniture and coffee and end tables turn in. This shape goes along with the Oriental tradition.

An Oriental home is a clean one that displays its cleanliness through the undisturbed lines in the home. There will never be clutter in this style home. All pieces will have been chosen with much effort. The homes become pieces of artwork themselves and bring peace and serenity to those that are living among them.

Casual Living Room Design Tips

When creating a design for your living room, keep in mind how the living room will be used. A living room with surround sound, for example, will require a particular design in order to get the full effect of that sound. Whether there is surround sound or no sound, a living room should be a room that creates a relaxing atmosphere in which one can read quietly, visit with friends, or any number of things in a comfortable manner.

Consideration of furniture is important. A casual living room will not have stiff furniture that provides no comfort when sitting. That type of furniture should be reserved for waiting rooms at a doctor's office or school rooms. A comfortable living room's couches and chairs will be made out of soft, perhaps plush fabrics that invite a person to relax on them. Their comfort will be further enhanced by soft, plush pillows of the same fabric. Some will even add pillows that contrast with the colors of the couches or chairs. This furniture is something that can be relaxed and socialized on in complete comfort.

Flooring is another important consideration for this room. Hardwood floors are very popular right now, yet they do not have to be the only choice. Hardwood is pretty and easy to clean, yet it's cold. If your home is often cold and you're looking for economical ways to keep it warmer, carpeting is one way to do that. Carpeting will hold the heat in the room better than hardwood flooring which will make the room warmer longer. This will in turn use your furnace less and your money will be saved. However, if you have allergies to dust or other airborne particles, carpeting may not be a good choice. No matter how often you vacuum, it can be very difficult to get those allergens out of the air. For this type of person, a hardwood floor would probably be the better choice because there will be less fibers in the room to hold in those allergens.

Television and sound system would also be a consideration into your design. If your television is large, it will take a large portion of area in the living room. Alternately, if it is small it won't take up as much room. Either way, the seating and sound should be surrounding the viewing area at a reasonable distance for both sight and sound. If you have surround sound, you have the advantage of bringing the sound to the seating area. Otherwise, the seating should surround the television at a distance that makes listening happen easily.

Living rooms should be places of comfort. They should be conducive to visiting and mingling with guests as well as watching television. With the listed tips above, your living room will bring comfort and joy to all of its inhabitants.

How To Decorate Your New Home

You are really excited because you are moving into a new home and although it is structurally sound the interior decorating is not quite to your taste. Sometimes when people sell their homes they do a good job of presentation but when they have moved out and the furniture is gone then the cracks begin to show. The lighting may have obscured the fact that the ceiling is dingy and the curtains may have hidden the peeling paint on the window frames. Whatever the situation it is usually the case that most people get involved to some extent in new home decorating.

You bought the house because you liked the general scheme of things but now you have decided that the avocado bathroom suite really isn’t to your taste. You have a couple of options here, you can get hold of a couple of cans of special bathroom paint and cover it up so that all you need to replace is the toilet. On the other hand you might decide that white bathroom suites are a must for you and a complete change is called for. If this is the case then it is a good idea to go to a specialist bathroom outlet or one of the discount do it yourself outlets. If you do some rudimentary research and look around you may find that you can get a new bathroom suite quite cheaply – then you are left with the problem of installing it.

Unless you are used to a mix of plumbing and electric and unless you have a kind relative or friend who is in the trade then you will probably have to have a professional in to install it. New showers are a particular problem for beginning do-it-yourself enthusiasts and really require professional expertise.

If the bathroom suite is ok then perhaps the smallest room in the house would benefit from a coat of paint or maybe some new tiles. Even a new blind would brighten a tired bathroom.

If the kitchen is the bug bear in your new home then try updating the cabinets, either with new doors or just a coat of paint. Paint the walls if they really need it but don’t go for bright colors – they soon look tired. Neutral is best, then add color with blinds and accessories

Before you make any decisions take a good look around your new home. Decorating may not be the answer. Unless there are things that you feel you feel you really can’t live with then try using different furniture arrangements and swapping curtains i.e. living room to bedroom etc. Get some potted plants if you don’t have them because they brighten any room.

Know Your Options When It Comes To Discount Home Improvement

There are always good money to be saves with a discount home improvement. Such discount enables you to build the asset value up in your home, but at only a fraction of the cost. The main discount home improvement store I would like to highlight here is the Habitat for Humanity discount home improvement store. We all know quite well the benefits of Habitat for Humanity. They help low income people to be able to have better homes, and this is an improvement for the quality of living for those in the low-income bracket.

Discount Home Improvement - More Information on the Habitat for Humanity Discount Home Improvement Center

We are currently in a home improvement boom stage right now. The Habitat for Humanity discount home improvement center hopes this will boost the nonprofit’s ability to improve their organization. This store and many others sell discounted home items to those who are looking for do discount home improvement options for their homes.

Discount home improvement is a great way to enhance your rental estate. If you can have them with discount prices, you are putting a minimal amount of an investment into the building and getting higher investment out of the estate. This is why the real estate business is booming. Buying the property, renting it and fixing it, ends up giving you the perfect opportunity to take equity out of the home itself.

Finding good discount home improvement centers like the Habitat for Humanity can easily be done via the online internet. When browsing the internet, you can find many discount home improvement websites out there. Make sure you do your research to get the best home discount prices. Some websites will say they are discount home improvement websites, but end up not being much of a discount in the end.

Purchasing fixtures and faucets, etc. can all enhance the value of your home, as the quality of your home can make you feel good while you live in it. If you are tight on cash flow, looking for discount home improvement centers is the way to go to save yourself some money. Besides, after you shop at your discount home improvement center, you can go out and buy yourself a big meal! I’d rather buy a steak than spend more money on the drywall.

Make sure you order your products correctly before you initially plan to start the project. It may take some time for everything to be processed and shipped out to you, unless you are lucky enough to have a discount store near where you stay. If you want your items to be there on time, then you have to make sure you factor this into your plan. Otherwise, have fun shopping and getting all your home improvement items at a discounted rate! Oh yes, and that steak too!

Small Bathroom Lighting

Small bathrooms might be those added under a stairway or in a spare closet. They might be for children, adults, or both. A small bathroom might be a guest powder room off the foyer or living room. One thing they have in common is that they are – small. Another thing they have in common is that they call for special lighting.

Small bathroom lighting is dependent, in part, on the use of the bathroom. One type of bathroom light fixture might convey a warm, cozy feeling for dinner guests. Another type of bathroom light fixture might make the small bathroom seem spacious – or provide light for reading while relaxing in a deep soak tub.

Warm and Cozy Lighting

You can make a small bathroom feel warm and cozy rather than claustrophobic by adding the right light fixtures. Suppose this is a small half-bath meant primarily for guests to "freshen up" before dinner. You've used small-patterned deep red and gold wallpaper for warmth. What kind of light fixtures should this small bathroom have?

Try recessed, can ceiling light fixtures focused on work areas. Or use indirect lighting around the perimeter of the ceiling-wall junction. On either side of the mirror above the sink, add a wall sconce light fixture. Avoid large wall sconces, or those that protrude too far from the wall, as they will make the room look cluttered. Layering these two types of light fixture will give you warm, gracious lighting in a small bathroom for guests.

Bright Enough for Reading

If the small bathroom in your home has a soaking tub, or one used by children, you will want good lighting in the tub area. Most lighting above tubs and showers is diffuse lighting, which is fine for a quick shower or bath. Diffuse lighting is also good over-all lighting to soften the entire bathroom. However, if you want to read – or get paint off of a child – you may want brighter, more concentrated lighting. Use a focused flood or halogen light fixture on the wall above the tub.

Choose safe, moisture proof light fixtures for this area. "Make sure that your lamps are UL rated for damp locations insuring safety," says Todd Phillips, president of lighting manufacturer Quoizel.

Space Enlarging Lighting

You can never have too much light in a small bathroom, as long as you use it properly. Perhaps the best idea for small bathrooms is to begin with indirect lighting around the ceiling for overall softness and warmness. Then consider these possibilities.

1. If your small bathroom has a window, use light-admitting, sheer curtains at the window. Add a shade that can be drawn for privacy.

2. Light shower or tub with separate wet area light fixtures, strong enough to permit easy personal grooming, but with dimmer switches for atmosphere.

3. On either side of the vanity mirror, use warm fluorescent vertical wall sconces to provide even facial illumination. Place a halogen light above the mirror for cross illumination. Place these mirror surrounding light fixtures on a separate switch.

4. Run a linear light fixture along the vanity toe-space to provide a soft night light.

5. For a family use small bathroom, place a halogen or flood light near the toilet, focused as a good reading light. Install a separate switch.

With all of these light fixtures layered in a small bathroom, you will always have exactly the amount of light you need for any given task. Yet you can make it cozy with dimmer switches, safe with night lights.

Helpful Tip

Small bathroom lighting need not be garish or insufficient. You can have plenty of light or cozy lighting if you layer your light, and control it with separate and/or dimmer switches.

Decorating Ideas for Small Rooms

* Make the most of decorating small rooms. Color plays a vital role in a small room. It sets the decorative style and scheme, but also can change the room's appearance. Use bright colors on the walls. Darker colors may be more popular but using bright colors makes a room seem more spacious. For example: Cool colors such as blues, greens, (some) purples make a small room appear larger and airier. The reverse is true of warm colors such as reds and yellows as they will make a small room seem more intimate and intense.

* A home decorating tip for integrating color into mostly white rooms—blend, blend, and blend! There are many shades of white and cream that work nicely with "graduations" of accent colors. Visualize three shades of rosy pink pillows against a white sofa!

* Decorating ideas include painting the ceiling a lighter color than the walls. Use smaller patterns in wallpaper and furniture upholstery. Large patterns may be used in accessories such as pillows and throws.

* Select fewer, larger pieces of furniture to make a room appear more open and less cluttered opposed to putting lots of small pieces of furniture in the room. Taller furniture should be placed along a far wall while shorter furniture may be placed away from the wall giving a sense of spaciousness.

* The use of screens will help divide multi-purpose rooms in a small house or apartment. A bedroom or living room may have one corner as an office. A screen will provide privacy as well as hiding the “trappings” of the work area.

* Daybeds with a pullout trundle are the answer for small bedrooms. They will accommodate two people but take up less space in the room on a daily basis. The room can also be used as an office, craft room or quiet sitting room.

* Use textures for interest in a small room. Combining textures in your decor will give a small room interest, appeal, dimension and depth. Choose accessories and fabrics with texture for the best impact; for example: wrought iron, glass, stone, metal, chrome, copper, bronze, mirrors, detailed finishes, textured fabrics, shiny fabrics, and unique area rugs to mention a few.

* Mirrors are a great way to create an illusion of space. If you have a wall in front of the entrance as you enter your home, hang a unique mirror on that wall to open it up and add interest to the area.

*Quick change artist! Move furniture and furnishings around! Don't be afraid to rearrange items in your home. Just changing the accessories or pictures from room to room can bring about a huge change.

Furnish Your Home on a Budget

Let’s face it – you need furniture. Sure, you can cut corners by going Japanese and using your coffee table as the dining table, or by transforming your living room into a Middle Eastern pillow lounge. But in the end, you’ll need at least a few basic pieces of furniture, even for the most spartan of living conditions. Don’t worry – saving money on your furniture is easy and doesn't mean sacrificing the quality of the product. Just follow some of these easy guidelines.

Look for furniture on sale

This might seem a little obvious, but if you really put the effort into sniffing out the best sales, you could save a bundle on furniture. More often than not, the best deals on furniture come every January and July. And if you’re looking for outdoor furniture, August is best.

Also check back at the end of every month. The majority of the furniture companies function on monthly basis – computing their sales, releasing their promotions and introducing new furniture. There may be certain items that won't be offered the following month, so these lines of products may be offered at a very low price. And since most of the furniture companies pay sales people on commission, they’ll be a little more desperate to make the sale when the month is running out.

Apply for the credit card being offered by the furniture shop

This is a tricky one. You can get a great deal on your furniture purchase with the retailer’s in-store credit cards. Depending on the store and the sale, you may be able to reduce or eliminate your interest payments and sales tax, or you may be offered a special discount available only to cardholders. All you have to do is apply for this credit card and you can get discounts on anything you want.

But be careful when using this strategy. The temptation is to spend beyond your means just because you have the available credit. Read the fine print of the terms and conditions carefully. If you’re confident you can pay off your bill in the allotted time, then you’ll be fine. If not, be careful – interest rates after your introductory period may jump as high as $25%!

Search online

If you’ve seen a certain piece of furniture you like in a store near you or in your favorite magazine, check the internet for a better price. Get as much information about the manufacturer and the piece name and Google it – you may be able to find some deep discounts. But don’t forget to check the shipping rates and taxes that may be applied to your purchase or you might not be saving as much as you think.

Buy used furniture

Buying second-hand is great because it saves you money and reuses materials that might otherwise wind up in the landfill. Check your telephone book for local thrift shops, reuse centers or charity shops. Be creative! If you find a nice sturdy couch you love, but the fabric’s worn thin, you can have it reupholstered or covered in new slipcovers.

If you live near a college town (especially a wealthy college town), you’re in luck. Watch the thrift stores extra closely each spring around move-out time – you’ll be amazed at the things students will leave behind. Better yet, if you know someone who will be moving soon, offer to take that old piece of furniture off their hands. They may be so excited not to have to deal with moving it themselves that you’ll get a great price, or even a free piece of furniture. Before you know it, you’ll be on your way to your very own, fully furnished home.

Redecorating Your Apartment? Do It Up Perfectly On The First Try

Redesigning the interior décor of a family home is such a great and rewarding adventure. However, it can also be aggravating if you are working on a limited budget and don’t plan every last detail. Of course, no one can tell you what decorating style will work best in your home – only you know that with certainty. What we can say with certainty is that there are several surefire tips that will help you make the most of your interior design budget, and get it right the first time around.

De-clutter Your Home – Clutter means mess and no place can be peaceful and restful with chaos everywhere. Before you start your interior design project, de-clutter your home. It allows you to start with a clean slate. It also means you have a good idea of what you what you need to purchase for your new design scheme; what you want to keep and what you need to get rid of. It is a very educational task!

Learn to Thrift Shop – Whether it is yard sales or church bazaars; a second hand store or a local retailer – sales and discounts are everywhere if you just keep your eyes open and your pocketbook closes! Home décor planning does not mean that everything you buy has to be new.

Don’t Forget ‘Cozy’ – It goes without saying, we all want the home that is on the cover of this month’s home and garden magazine but will it work for your family? More times than not, the answer is no. The expertly staged rooms you see on the glossy pages of magazines are beautiful to look at but in the real world, not comfortable and homey. Yes, it is necessary to inject a sense of style to your interior design, but more importantly you want comfort and coziness.

Give Eclectic a Try – It doesn’t always have to match and very often a space that is too perfectly matched falls way short on originality and character. Don’t be afraid to mix and match patterns. For example, plaids, florals and stripes actually go really well together if you keep the color palette and style in check. Add an upholstered ottoman in a different color or create a focal wall that is filled with your favorite art.

Don’t Be Afraid of Color – A bold color on one wall or on a piece of well placed furniture can give a room a whole new look and feel. Don’t be afraid to experiment with color – after all, if you hate it, just repaint it! Spaces that are painted all white are austere, cold and boring. Color can also be used in your furniture fabric, throw rugs, toss cushions and drapery panels. Use your imagination and make color your friend – your home and your family will praise you for it.

Get Rid of the 50” Television Eyesore – The big black box of death when it comes to interior design – there is no quicker way to spoil the look and feel of a room than to set a huge projection TV down in the corner of the room. If you must have a large screen TV, replace it with plasma or LCD TV that can be inconspicuously and elegantly placed on a wall.

Don’t Forget About Your Family – Of course you are redecorating for you but don’t forget about the other occupants in the house! If you have kids aged 5 or younger, a white sofa hardly seems practical no matter how fantastic you think it will look. If you have older teens in your house, look for fabrics such as rayon and chenille that are stain resistant and durable. If you have animals, look for hard wood or laminate floors instead of carpet that will collect and trap your pet’s hair and dander.

How To Create An Indoor Herb Garden

The use of fresh herbs for cooking is becoming more popular now than it has been for along time. Our forbears knew both the medicinal and culinary powers of herbs but it is only recently that fresh herbs have regained their popularity with home chefs. That combined with the fact that many of us are now apartment dwellers with no gardens mean that an indoor herb garden can be both decorative and useful.

Herbs will grow better in a pot rather than a box and glazed pots are better than clay as the soil will not dry out so quickly. For the same reason a plastic pot can be just as effective but whether glazed or plastic there is one point to be careful of when using non-porous pots. On no account should you over water your herbs because they could become waterlogged and subsequently rot.

One option is to have an attractive container, which will hold a number of 5 inch porous pots. I have even seen someone make a herb garden using pots placed in a large antique fish steamer.

If you go to your local garden center they should be able to advise you on the best soil mix for your herbs. These days it is easier to use a commercial preparation rather than earth as you can be sure that it will be disease free.

When it comes to potting your herbs drainage is important. If you are using non porous containers place a few pieces of broken china or brick to aid the drainage.

Partly fill you pot with your potting mixture, make a hole for the herbs root and gently place it in the pot. Then you can pack more of the mixture around the herb and top up to about 1/2inch from the top of the pot. Sprinkle some water on the pot and keep it in the shade until the herbs begin to appear.

So what type of herbs should you grow in your indoor herb garden? It really is down to personal taste but some of the ones I would consider growing are Chives, Lemon balm, Mint, Rosemary, Sage, Tarragon and Thyme.

Once your herbs start appearing they only need light and water. Providing it is not in direct sun light a window shelf could be an ideal place for your herb garden or failing that anywhere that it is reasonably light. Herbs do not need a lot of watering and once a week should be adequate for most condition. If the soil feels dry then it is time to water. At other times you can use one of those water spray cans just to give the leaves a wetting if you wish.

An indoor herb garden can be both decorative and functional. They also have the added advantage that many herbs give off a delightful aroma so there will be no need for potpourri or air fresheners.

Getting Your House Organized

In this modern world, when distant populations are connected by computers and modern communications, when we are all aware of so many possibilities, we seem to have less time and space to enjoy the abundance around us. Today it is common for both spouses work outside the home. Everyone comes home exhausted from work at the end of the day, needing to tend to children and pets, to produce a nourishing meal for the family, to exercise for the allotted time, and to maintain a marital relationship. The last thing you want to do is get your house organized, but it may be the clutter in your house that is slowing you down and helping to make you feel tired.

IF you spend significant amounts of time looking for items that have been “put in a safe place,” if you struggle to clean your house because of the clutter, if you avoid having friends over because of the mess, if you would be embarrassed for your employer to drop by your home unannounced, you are in danger of letting the clutter take over your life. It is time to take on the task of getting your house organized. When you are finished, you will discover that you have much more free time at the end of the day. Basic tasks are simplified when you know where all the tools are. Everyone is happier when homework and bills aren’t misplaced in piles of clutter. And it is amazing how quickly a house can be cleaned when it is only necessary to clean the house, instead of having to pick up the mess in the house and then clean it.

If the task seems overwhelming, if you can’t think about organizing the entire house at once, take heart and start small. Begin with an area that will make a true impact on your life from the beginning—your clothes closet. If your closet is cleared out and arranged efficiently, you will be able to spend less time finding clothes to wear when you are getting ready for work in the mornings. Because your wardrobe will be organized, you will be able to dress more quickly and attractively. And when you shut that closet door in the morning, you will know that there is a small part of your house that is neat and clean. Just knowing you have made a start will give you the motivation to clear another section, until you have finished organizing the entire house.

Spend an hour in your nearest hardware store to get some cluttered closet help. There, you will find lots of ideas for how to organize, along with supplies for adding an extra shelf or closet rod if necessary. Also, pick up some paint. One of the first things you will need to do for this project is to empty the closet of everything. This is an excellent time to wash the walls, repair or replace fixtures and shelves, and repaint.

Another source of cluttered closet help is a book on how to sort through and organize your wardrobe. All your clothes should be in view. Make a pile of clothing that you haven’t worn in two or more years. These items may not fit, they may need mended, or dry-cleaned they may be out of style, or they may be worn out. If it is an item that you would wear if it were fixed, and that goes with other items you are keeping, put it in a pile for repairs. Otherwise, give it away. If your closet is small, consider storing off-season clothing in another closet or storage container. Keep your fresh, new closet for the clothing you actually will wear now.

At this point, you may sort in any way you want—by color, by type of clothing (i.e., pants, blouses, and jackets), or by style (i.e., professional, casual, or dressy). This is a good time to utilize some of the many new closet organizers available now. You may want to invest in hangers for belts and scarves, special pants hangers or suit hangers. If space really is at a premium, consider an over-the-door hanger or a hanger that can handle multiple items. There are closet organizers for every article of clothing.

When you are finished, immediately discard the pile to be given away, take the pile to the cleaners, and sit down to mend what is left. Congratulate yourself on a job well-done! You have taken the first step on the way to getting your house organized.

How to Creatively Decorate Using Floor Lamps

When it comes to setting the mood or atmosphere in a room, not only does proper illumination add to the allure of your personal space, but also the sources of light. While table lamps and ceiling lights serve a functional purpose, floor lamps are expansive in the many different ways one may decorate their space and showcase their creativity. Whether you choose an antique selection to brighten your den or side with a traditional Victorian fringe design for the bedroom, the never-ending possibilities of a floor lamp shine through in the mind-boggling variety in choices.

Antique Lamps

There is a certain elegance and intrigue associated with displaying an antique floor lamp. In home design, the mystery and unknown past of such an item is enough to spark the imagination, as well as provide a delightful conversation topic when family and friends visit. Today, there are manufacturers that strive to recreate this very look by emulating flowery, ornamental approaches towards antique furniture, which allows homeowners to match their lighting sources with other elements of their décor.

A few common features of antique lamps include the stained-glass lampshade, brass finishes, and intricate designs. When one is interested in truly decorating their home with antique floor lamps, genuine specimens may cost quite a bit, such as French antique lamps carrying a price tag of more than thousands of dollars. Usually, an antique or antique-styled floor lamp is selected because of its look and fit within a setting, rather than bringing light into the room.

One-of-a-Kind Pieces

Floor lamps are also known to serve as a work of art, as some artists fashion one-of-a-kind pieces that sometimes depict odd, creative, or unusual displays. Some of the unique possibilities of artsy floor lamps include planetary designs, sculpted wooden figures, wild animals, and abstract images. Artistic floor lamps may also use unusual objects to construct the base of the lamp, such as animal antlers, petrified wood, branches, or heat-treated metal. They may rise in the air like an ivory torch or bring the look and feel of fantasy with fairies decorating their base.

Some floor lamps are fashioned with a specific art movement in mind, such as colorful Art Deco pieces. Artists may also hand craft their samples and hand paint customized detailing on the outside of the shade to add characteristic touches for home and/or office use.

Regional Flair

Floor lamps are sometimes used to represent or pay homage to regional pride, as seen in Southwestern selections showcasing characteristic elements added to a lamp, such as images of cacti and rattlesnakes. A New York City-themed floor lamp may showcase a silhouette of the Empire State Building. Cozy wilderness scenes of Colorado and other rustic locations may utilize the image of wild critters, such as the grizzly bear or bald eagle.

Create a Mood

Floor lamps allow individuals to create a mood within their home or office that becomes the focus of the space when one enters the room. A gateway to the past may come alive with a Victorian-style street lamp displaying the soft, burnt orange glow of a custom crafted glass lampshade. Perhaps, the theme of your living room is Oriental – a solid hardwood floor lamp with a Chinese raw lacquer finish with mother of pearl and metal chrome accents will fit into the décor. Color also helps create a mood, such as the vibrant shades of red in Asian-style floor lamps.

Mix and Match Color Bulbs to Match Lampshades

The unique part of purchasing a floor lamp is that you may change lampshades to the base of your favorite lamp, just as you can match different colored light bulbs to create varying effects within a room. Depending on the time of day and other outside factors, various lampshade colors transform light into an array of shades, but red, blue, green, and even yellow lights can establish the atmosphere into a controlled setting, such as a romantic environment to a room set aside for contemplation, withdrawal, or reflection.

In conclusion, the many uses and décor ideas regarding floor lamps are quite vast, as homeowners may choose from a host of inviting and exciting selections on the market. Today, an assortment of contemporary, traditional, hip, artisan, and antique lamps expand the possibilities of floor lamp interior design.

What To Consider When Decorating Your Home

Home decorating for many people is about designing a living space into a personalized environment where you feel at ease and at home. Home decorating is an wonderful way of taking an out dated space and transforming it into a bright, happy atmosphere. It is not only about designing, organizing your living space, painting and manual labor. It's about accessorizing your living space which makes home accents just as important, if not more so.

Decorating your home is something you can do with confidence. Decorating on a budget can be exciting if you approach it creatively. Decorating living space to living space, and acquiring a few pieces at a time makes decorating your home less stressful and takes the strain off your wallet. Decorating your living space should be a fun experience when you use your home decor to show your personal style and taste. This also assist in making your life at home more comfortable. Decorating is a exciting, creative way to show some of your interests and tastes, as well as those of your family.

It’s always best to plan ahead of time, before you actually start a home decorating project, whether large or little, it’s a good idea to understand what is involved and to think about how it will be completed. Before you engage in decorating your living space, you should envision exactly what you want people to experience once they walk into the living space. Most home interior design is varied in style, with a selection of traditional and contemporary furnishings, meshing new with the old. You should carefully choose furniture that suits your family and arranging the pieces in a way that coincide with the home decorating theme. Home decorating can involve a variety of different hues, fabrics, furniture, flooring and accessories. Once you researched such things as color and how it can be applied, room proportions and planning, you'll see yourself designing new ideas for your home decorating.

Design comes from within and is a reflection of your personality. Before you start to decorate, remember that most likely never is a living space decorated in one style. Most home interior design is assorted in style, with a blend of traditional and contemporary furnishings.

Accessories, are usually not something that is easily copied exactly, thus, more than anything else, accessories add personality to a living area. Accessories add character to your home. whether those accessories are art work or accent pillows, try accessories that show a interesting detail and stylish decor. By purchasing the most genuine accessories, you will be able to transform your living area design to look like it was decorated by a professional minus the high cost. To highlight your interior design display a variety of home accents like stuffed animals, artwork and photos in frames.

Home decorating is often seen as a desire however, it should be an exciting experience. It is of interest to anyone who wants their living space to look beautiful. Decorating your home is a memorable experience and one that will be cherished for many years to come.

Home Decorating Ideas For Every Room In The House!

People are always asking me for free home decorating tips and ideas. They want to know what I think is the best way to decorate a room. I say to that, the best way is the way YOU like it! Remember, you're the one living in it, not your friends or relatives. So YOU need to be happy with it. And most of all, comfortable in it. And that's the best free home decorating tip I can give you.

So, what is it that you like in a room? Do you know? Have you given it much thought? What is your favorite style? What about color? There are certainly many questions you must answer to get started with your home decorating ideas.

So how do you get started? Start with your favorite book store or library to browse the many home decorating magazines and catalogs that are available. Depending on the room you are decorating, will of course determine which ones to research. There are many to choose from.

You'll find free home decorating tips and ideas for kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms, and more, and for every style such as country log homes, contemporary or modern, traditional, Victorian, mobile, new homes or renovating existing homes and so much more.

You'll find floor plans, tips, ideas and advice in these decorating magazines and catalogs that will get you well on your way to some great ideas you can incorporate into your particular project.

Also, another way to gather great free decorating ideas is to visit your local home decorating and supply store. It's a great place to visit for do it yourself home decorating projects such as plumbing, wallpaper, paint, stencil, better home and gardens, home office, tile, kitchen appliances, bathroom fixtures, carpet, and much more!

There you will find many products that you will like and and best of all you will begin to understand what it is that you do like; your styles, your colors and all the other grand pieces that fit together to make the most inviting, aesthetically pleasing and most comfortable room that you can enjoy living in.

I believe I have collected some of the best home decorating products, tips and ideas right here, online. So enjoy! Happy home decorating!

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Five Great Budget Decorating Tips for Your Bedroom

For most of us, our bedroom is a space for us to relax and leave the stress of the work world behind - or, in my case, hiding! We dream of calm and elegant surroundings - and our dream can be made a reality on a budget. Now wipe that skeptical look off your face! Let me show you how!

1. Bedding. If you want to decorate your bedroom on a budget, start with a neutral spread and bedskirt. Having neutral bedding will provide a foundation for more adventurous additions. And neutral doesn't have to be boring! Try different textures and weaves that will liven up your palette.

2. Pillows. Go wild with pillows and accessories. You can add color, shine, glitter, and class with small pillows. And they are inexpensive! Visit the remnant bin at your local fabric store. Find some luxurious fabrics to make very elegant pillows.

3. Accessories. Use your creativity to make gorgeous accessories. For instance, an old covered pressed or cut glass butter dish (the rectangular kind) can make a wonderful candle holder. Just take all of your old half used candles and melt them in an old saucepan. Pour the wax into the top of the butter dish turned upside down. Add wicks and let the wax cool. Use the bottom of the dish as the new lid. It's so pretty. You can also add tall slim candles to vintage vinegar cruets for an elegant display on a bedside table or dresser.

4. Bench. If you can't afford a bench at the foot of your bed, use an inexpensive garden bench or paint an old coffee table and add a cushion to the top. Pr if you would rather have seating and don't have occasional chairs for the space, try using dining room chairs with reupholstered seats.

5. Wall Art. Scour thrift shops and yard sales for mirrors large and small. Paint them all white or black. Group together on the wall to add pizzazz to the wall.

And I couldn't leave you without one additional tip:

6. Headboard. Group those same mirrors together above the bed to give the impression of a headboard. Or cut two pieces of heavy cardboard or foam core the height and width of a poster. Then frame each board with a poster sized black frame. Mount the two frames over the bed for an elegant headboard.

A little creativity will help you turn your plain bedroom into that dream retreat you want. Then even a skeptic like you relax!

Easy And Thrifty Ways To Design

Designing a room for whatever purpose you want it for can now be done easily. You don't need to be an expert or a professional interior designer or decorator to be able to create a dramatic change with an artistic approach in your own space or probably, a room in your house. You don't need to really spend a big amount of money to get that million dollar look in to your own room either. You just have to maintain a good level of creativity and the passion to really achieve the look that you want for your room.

First of all, make sure that you clean the room that is involved. Throw out all the old stuff that you have and bring in the new ones. If you have new stuff together with the new ones, you can separate them or better yet; keep the old ones stacked in a room and leave the new ones behind. You really don't need to clutter a room with so many things. Sometimes, it's better to only see a few organized things. It creates a soothing feeling.

Play with the different colors and sizes of pillows. Put them on your furnitures. Fluffy throw pillows are a chair's or sofa's best friends. They never fail to emphasize a simple structure of a sofa for instance with their great patterns and color combination.

Organize the things you think you will always need. Since they need to be readily available for you, put them in a fancy container within reach. This way, it won't obstruct with the color or look of the rest of the room.

Rearranging the furnitures in a room also offers more option for you. Try out different arrangements before settling what you like best. Do a proper comparison. This way, you will see which arrangement is better for the makeover that you are trying to pull.

Rugs! Don't ever forget to utilize rugs to maximum level. That is, when you already have placed properly the necessary wall décor, curtains and even lamps to its proper places. Rugs, should also blend with the entire concept but it can also contrast with the furnitures. Whichever way you prefer, make sure that it does look good.

These steps aren't very difficult to do and don't even take an entire day to finish. Make sure you maintain this look until you decide on changing it again.

The most efficient way of designing a room in your house is to first experiment with the furniture and current decoration that you already have in it. Yes, experimenting with the different elements that are within your reach before deciding for a life-changing interior design is what any person should do first-hand.

The reason is simple. It prevents an individual from spending money on a concept that won't be as effective as the original idea. Play around and rearrange the furniture to different positions and angles. From there, think about how you would like the room to look. You can even conceptualize the entire look of a room to how it should connect to the next room so it doesn't appear as if it is the only furnished space in the entire house.

If you are planning to change the paint of the wall as well; you might want to test a small portion of the desired color to a small area. Doing it this way first is also convenient and cost-efficient because if the paint either didn't turn out the desired color you wanted (when dry) or meet your expectations in filling the room as desired; you wouldn't regret it for wasting your money on nothing.

Still related to colors but on lighting this time, take a look at your room. The windows and the doors will serve as passageways for the outdoor light to illuminate your room. This will also affect whatever color you want to paint your walls. Make sure, above everything else, that the color you want to use doesn't contradict the natural lighting of the room.

As for the right drapes or curtains, don't ever think that the color green or purple or white is enough to inform the sales person that it is the exact color you want to bring home. To make sure you don't order or purchase the incorrect color for your curtains, and to relieve you from any headache as well; simply bring with you a fabric that has the exact color that you desire. This will also lessen the problem for the salesperson you are going to deal with.

Materials that are used for interior designing nowadays are getting expensive and it does take a lot of thinking and shopping around to find the right one for your concept. The tips mentioned are going to help in making interior designing by yourself easier without busting your budget.

Five Things To Consider When Designing Your Dream Kitchen

Are you planning on purchasing new kitchen cabinets? Whether for a newly constructed home or for a remodeling project, consider one important factor, your kitchen is the heart of your home! It is not just a place to dine; it is also the main gathering place for family and friends and a place for entertaining. This is particularly true with today’s popular open floor plans and great room designs. Because your kitchen plays such an important part of your home there are a few things to consider in your planning process.

1) Kind in mind future buyers

Even if you are currently building your dream home, it is possible that someday you will have a need to sell your home. Or, if you are remodeling your existing home to make it more comfortable for you and your family, you may still find the need to sell it someday. Because of this, even if you aren’t ready to sell your home today you should always ponder what potential buyers would think of your kitchen cabinet selection and layout because opinions of your kitchen can drastically either increase or decrease your selling price. A practical kitchen layout is typically everyone’s goal, but cabinet styles and finishes are more of a personal choice. Are you attracted to traditional styles or more modern styles? Do you like kitchen cabinets with distinct wood grain or ones with nearly no grain? Whichever you personally prefer always keep future buyers in mind as it can play an important part in your bottom line.

2) The Work Triangle

All homeowners seek a functional workspace in the kitchen. In planning your kitchen layout it is important to consider the distance between your sink, stove and refrigerator in relationship to each other. Connecting these three workstations from their center points should create an invisible “work triangle.” According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association the sum of the three distances should be no more than 26 feet, with no single side of the triangle being less than four feet or more than nine feet. There are a couple things to consider with planning a well-designed work triangle; watch out for any triangle legs that may intersect an obstacle like an island, and make sure that no major traffic patterns cross through the work triangle. Proper planning of your “work triangle,” taking all obstacles and limitations into review, will help create a functional workspace that will be both practical for you and your future buyers.

3) Kitchen cabinet storage is key

When designing your dream kitchen it is key to consider your storage space, along with ample countertop space. Kitchen cabinet layout services are available to help you maximize your space and create the best flow of cabinetry. The first place to look for extra storage space is your corners. In small, tight kitchens a blind corner cabinet can be used to get the most use out of the corner. However, to get the most efficient use of the corner space a lazy Susan corner cabinet or easy reach cabinet should be used. These cabinet options maximize the corner space while allowing easy entry to it contents. Or try adding rollout trays in your base kitchen cabinets to help access your pots and pans, or in your pantries in order to reach cans and dry goods more easily. Another suggestion would be to include a 24” deep bridge cabinet in your kitchen cabinet layout above your refrigerator. Most people keep unused or seasonal items above the refrigerator for the simple fact that they can’t reach the cabinet. Therefore, consider a 24” deep refrigerator cabinet for easier access.

4) Use kitchen cabinets to create islands or peninsulas

Kitchen cabinets can be configured to create center islands or peninsulas. These cabinet configurations are very attractive to homeowners with an open floor plan. Using kitchen cabinets this way creates an area for a breakfast nook with the ability to pull up stools. Kitchen cabinets used in this manner instantly increases seating space, which is ideal since kitchens are typically gathering places. Islands and peninsulas also create more storage space.

5) Bells and Whistles

Just like purchasing a new vehicle, there are upgrade options to consider when purchasing your new kitchen cabinets. For example, what type of drawers do you want in your base cabinets? Will the standard particleboard drawer secured with glue and staples be sufficient? Or would you prefer an all-wood drawer constructed with dove-tailed joints? Or better yet, would you want the all-wood, dove-tailed drawer with full-extension drawer glides that include a silent close feature? Other construction upgrades can include all plywood construction, and custom depth cabinets. Besides construction upgrades there are accessory cabinets that provide you with some “bell and whistle” qualities that can give your kitchen a custom and personalized look. Give consideration to glass door cabinets for displaying your keepsakes or china dinnerware, an appliance hutch for hiding small appliances on your countertop, roll out trays for base cabinets, integrated waste baskets, corner shelves, and wine racks. When selecting your bells and whistles keep in mind both your budget and overall functionality and flow of your kitchen for optimal results.

Remember, your kitchen is the heart of your home! Success in constructing a timeless, comfortable space is creating a balance between an efficient layout and design with your personal tastes, while keeping with the end goal of adding value to your home.

How To Improve And Renovate Homes

Basically, home improvements refer to the method of refurbishing, repairing, or making add-ons to one’s home. In this way, homeowners get to change, alter, or modify their homes without having to change the whole house.

Because most homeowners would like to save more money, they usually undergo home improvements that employ the do-it-yourself system wherein they just buy the kits and are responsible for doing all the required steps.

Today, there are many commercial establishments that offer home improvements. One of the most well known businesses that are into home improvements is the Lowe’s home improvements.

Here is a list of some facts about Lowe’s home improvements. This will give you an overview of the company and probably the main reasons why Lowe’s has continuously been on top of the list in the best home improvements businesses.

Explore your options, make sure you have a list of credible lending institutions to choose from when refinancing. It would do well if you had a list of institutions followed by the pros and cons plus the terms to each lending institution.

Many financial institutions will offer some sort of credit product especially tailored for home buyers and homeowners who seek to remodel. The best place to start looking is your local bank. Not only are they legal, they are also stable, and will prove to be the standard by which you make your financial decisions.

Try exploring the loan plans of the bank you deposit with. They will usually give you better interest rates than other banks. When visiting your bank for this purpose, it will do no harm to seek customer service personnel who can explain to you the various loan products and services their bank offers and the ins and outs of managing such agreements. Good banks will also offer advice on what course of action would be best for such situations, having had much experience with such.

If the water that you just poured slowly seeps into the floor and creates a visible spot, it may already need refinishing touches. You may want to keep it in your to-do list and schedule a time when you can do the refinishing. However, if the water seeps in as quickly as you had poured it, then don't waste more time. Your floor definitely needs refinishing, and soon.

Refinishing your wood flooring would require equipments such as a drum sander. Other equipments may be needed for other more detailed tasks in the finishing process. You need not buy those equipments, though. These equipments are available for rent in your local home shops such as Home Depot. You can rent them on a daily or weekly basis.

Different grit papers are used in the drum sander for different floor types. The lower the grit paper number is, the coarser it is for use on more damaged woods. Once you have chosen the right grit paper, you can now start sanding the wood using the equipment. It is suggested that you do the sanding diagonally on both ways then along the grain.

How to Decorate Your House - for Almost No Cost!

Everyone wants to have a home like those featured in Architectural Digest, but if you're like most, your finances will not allow for it. There are, however, several approaches to decorating and designing that you can take without breaking the bank.

A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for brightening up a room, or even changing it completely. Having a room professionally painted can be pricey, however, depending on the contractor hired and the type of services provided. Rather than hiring someone, painting is a skill that is easily acquired and can even be fun to do. While it may be time consuming, it is not a difficult skill to master. A roller, pan and brush set will cost about $10.00, and a gallon of paint between $20.00 and $30.00. Add in some extra money for spackle to fill any cracks or nail holes, some primer or a base coat, drop cloths and paint remover. If you figure on two gallons of paint, depending on the room's square footage, you could have a white-walled room turn a beautiful hunter green for less than $150.00 all told! In the end, you will be left with a freshly painted, new look and the pride of having done it yourself.

Another way to save money decorating is to shop the yard sales. Sound silly? It's not. Springtime is a great time to do this, as many people are cleaning out their closets and putting things in the yard that they no longer want or they simply don't have room for. You've heard the saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure?" This can be your opportunity for treasure hunting! How many times while shopping have you stepped into an expensive boutique or gallery, just to window shop, and while browsing spotted the ‘perfect' oversized vase for your floor, or a really odd sculpture or ironwork that would be just right for your living room? Yard sales are full of these type items! Because proud homeowners re-decorate every few years, they put perfectly good (and pricey!) merchandise out for sale to the highest bidder. If you do not live in the suburbs, you can still take advantage of these type sales at your local flea market on a Saturday morning or the market on your block.

Want a completely FREE solution? Move some furniture! Not only can you change the look of your home by moving furniture within a room, you can even get creative and change the actual rooms themselves. Why not? If you have a large spare bedroom on the second floor that you have been using for a guest room, why not make this into your growing toddler's bedroom and convert his or her room to the less used, smaller guest room? If you have a family room and a living room that are approximately the same size but in opposite areas of your home, why not simply reverse the floor plan? You would be amazed at the difference this can make in livening up a house that has become stale in the decorating department. If this seems too drastic for you or you don't have the extra rooms, even moving furniture within a room can be a completely cost-free way to renovate.

Who says decorating has to be on the inside of the house only? The first impression you and your guests will have is of the outside of your home. Many people spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars in landscaping, when this cost can be cut significantly by doing your own outdoor gardening, planting and decorating. Rather than having a master plan scoped out by a professional, get creative and think of what colors and types of plants you enjoy looking at and what will grow well in your environment. It is then just a matter of buying the soil, plants, potters, and perhaps some decorative stones to lay around the new plants. This process will not be cost-free, but will be significantly less money to do it yourself than to hire a landscaper. It will also be a great excuse to get outside, enjoy the fresh air, and get some exercise! You can think of the colors you like most, and start with plants in those color schemes. Consider whether you like low-lying plants, or whether you may need to shade certain areas of your property. If so, perhaps you can consider strategic tree planting, so that you have beautiful and mature trees down the road that otherwise would have cost a fortune to have put in. Stones can be relatively inexpensive depending on where you get them and what type they are, yet they can beautify a garden, walkway, path or planted area tremendously. This is something you can add to your landscaping creation as well.

Whether indoors or out, you don't have to break the bank to have a beautiful home. A bit of creativity and a few dollars can go a long way to making the home of your dreams if you take advantage of these few simple suggestions.

Choosing the Best Cheap Carpet for Your Own Individual Needs

What carpet will work best for my needs? What questions should I ask the carpet store before purchasing my carpet? How can I tell if the carpet is a quality carpet versus an over priced carpet? These are the questions that my clients ask me when they are considering purchasing a new carpet for their home. I will attempt to answer these questions and keep you from spending too much money or not enough money to achieve your new carpet needs. The first question you should answer is How long do I want the carpet to last? To simplify the answer to this question we will categorize the expected carpet life into under 5 years.

Many people just want to put carpet into their home for resale purposes and wish to spend the least amount of money as possible. Other people wish to replace just their family room for a few years and then replace the whole house once the upstairs or less used carpets are also ready for replacement. If you want just a few years of use, Olefin carpet may be the best carpet for you. It is simply less expensive. It is also colorfast and will not discolor or fade easily. The down side to Olefin carpet is that it will mat easily and not perk up as much once it is cleaned. It will also absorb oils and not release them easily or some times not at all. As a carpet cleaner, we like Olefin the least since it does not respond to cleaning as well as most other carpets. Now that you decided that Olefin is best for you, How should you pick out your olefin carpet?



One of the biggest mistakes people make with Olefin carpet is getting a carpet yarn that is tall. Olefin is very heavy and if you take a tall heavy fiber and support it with lots and lots of other tall heavy fibers they will mat and tangle and not look very good. Your best bet is to get a very short olefin fiber that will not mat. When you compare the Olefin carpet between stores you want to make sure that you are comparing carpets of equal density. The store should be able to tell you how dense this particular carpet is. Make sure that you are getting the price for a square yard of carpet and not a square foot. Also, make sure that you compare the same thickness of carpet pad and if the carpet installation and carpet stretching is going to be knee kicked or power stretched. You might also want to ask if the installer working for the store is an employee or if they are a sub contractor? Do they guarantee the carpet installation? You might want to check the store and installer on the BBB web site. I would compare three stores for price. Remember to compare the store for the same:

1. Fiber content (are they made of the same stuff? Olefin)

2. The carpets thickness.

3. Are they all using square yards?

4. Cost of the same thickness carpet pad.

5. Cost of installation.

6. Is the installation under guarantee?

7. Are the installers power stretching or Knee kicking?

8. How much do they charge for old carpet tear out?

9. How much do they charge for old carpet removal?