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Smart Tips for Home Decorating on Budget

November 23, 2009 By: admin Category: home decor

home-decorating-tipsDo you want to create a fresh new look in your home? If yes, you might be happy to learn that there are several points you can do to give your home a face lift without having to break the bank. In fact, with these tips for decorating on a budget, you can enjoy a whole new look without having to spend a great deal of money.

Tip 1: Do it yourself

You can save a significant amount of money if you do your home decoration project by yourself. It depends on the size of the project, you can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars to do your own work. By using what you already have, you can enjoy a new look without overspending. In addition, nothing beats the thrill of taking on a home decorating project and knowing that you did the project yourself.

Tip # 2: mix and match

In order to create high-end look, you might want to try to mix and match more expensive with those cheaper items. Through investment in a few key pieces of a little more money, you can get away with adding those that are less expensive because the higher-end item will pull them all together.

Tip # 3: Play with paint

You may be surprised the difference is that the new layer of paint can make. Even if you do not want to change the color, refinishing your paint will help to brighten it back up and bring out the rich hues of the color you have selected. If you are ready for a real change, however, you might want to consider a complete change in color. (more…)

How to use Home Decor Accessories to Create a New Look in a Room

October 07, 2009 By: admin Category: home decor

home-decorApart from complimenting your newly painted walls with soft furnishings and effective flooring, home decor accessories in a room are just as equally important. Accessories ranging from flowers in a contemporary vase to art pictures hanging on your walls, all add the finishing touches to any room. Above all, accessories add personality to a room, they inject your own personal touch making your home unique to you and comfortable and inviting for you and your family.

Decorating with Art Pictures

You will be surprised at the important role that art pictures play in home decor accessories. Not only do pictures add your own personality into the room, they absorb noise and can actually help change the illusion of a rooms’ shape if placed in the right places. For example:

* horizontal landscape pictures help widen a room;
* Portrait floral pictures help give the illusion of height; and
* one large picture reflected through a mirror gives the sensation of additional broader space.

Creating Art Arrangements:-

For a maximum effect and to make interesting wall arrangements that can become a dynamic focal point of the room, try to hang smaller pictures in a cluster.

If you hang an even number of smaller prints tightly together in a cluster, this will help balance out a large space and give a window effect in a small space. Remember to hang the prints together tightly to create one unit and one focal point.

For larger pictures, place them in proportion to the furniture. For example, hang a large picture approximately six to nine inches above a sofa or at eye level. By hanging a larger print too high above any piece of furniture can leave both pieces feeling disconnected.

Tips Before Hanging Art:-

Before hanging any art on a wall, try different combinations of arrangements. Use painter’s tape and brown paper bags and keep rearranging the bits of paper on the wall until you have come up with a great picture arrangement.

Always hang prints at eye level and use your hand in between pictures as a guide to space large and medium sized pictures.

Create Illusions with Mirrors

Mirrors are great to help create the illusion of space. By cleverly placing mirrors on an adjacent wall to a picture or something that is interesting in your room, will reflect the image and add a sense of space.

For darker rooms, hang a decorative mirror near a window. The light will then bounce off the mirror into the room portraying more natural much-needed light back into the area.

To give the illusion of depth in a room paint one of your walls in a darker contrasting color to your other walls. Then hang a mirror on that darker wall. This instantly gives the additional sense of depth to the dimensions of the room.

Lighten up with Light Fixtures

Light fittings are one of the most important elements of home decor accessories as they set the ambience of the room. By using different types of lighting you can create different moods on different areas of the room, at different times of the day.

For example:-

* accent lighting such as a spot light is used to emphasize wall paintings, ornaments or other interesting areas in a room;
* soft lighting used by small wall light fittings or table lamps, help create a gentle romantic mood; · general lighting such as a ceiling center light, strip light or bright wall lamps are used for everyday purposes.

Tip: use a dimmer switch to create different moods with your lighting.

Adding Color with Flowers & Plants

Fresh flowers are always a wonderful accessory in a home. They are easy to blend in with any rooms accent and you can swap and change the color, type of flower and position at any time. They are such an easy and adaptable accessory to have. If you are allergic to flowers, try silk flowers instead – sometimes it is hard to distinguish between real flowers and silk ones…

By placing plants throughout your home helps add natural color, texture, and also softens the area making it more appealing to spend time there. Don’t forget to use attractive plant pots and containers for your plants – they are a home decor accessory too!

Area Rugs and Textiles

Area Rugs:- Area rugs add warmth and texture to a room. They help soften wooden or hard floors and add contrasting colors and patterns into the room.

First you must determine what you want the rug for – is it a focal point? or do you want to group furniture on it? etc.. Secondly, you must measure what size rug you need before you go shopping.

Other Textiles:- By using other types of textile home decor accessories, you can create additional comfort and softness in using:-

* scatter cushions made with different types of material;
* throws on your sofa or lounge chair;
* napkins, place mats and tablecloths in the dining room or kitchen.

Summary

Home decor accessories play a crucial part in your home decorating. Even if you don’t need to repaint your walls, you can still change the look of your room. By rearranging furniture and wall pictures, adding soft light fixtures, flower arrangements and plants, the placement of an area rug and using different textiles in a room, all help create a new look to reflect you and your personality.

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Unique Home Decor – Thinking Outside The Box

October 02, 2009 By: admin Category: home decor

Making your home uniquely yours

Home accents and surroundings today offer much more opportunity for self expression. Don’t be afraid to try something different. I’d rather decorate my home with items that appeal to my own individuality, than adhere to someone’s standards of what is the norm. Artisan crafted products truly create the ability to make one’s castle their own. It is our hope that by providing you with suggestions and ideas, we are encouraging you to enhance your home in a style befitting your distinctive personality.

The charm of artisan crafted items is in the originality it provides. Imagine decorating your bathroom in tropical decor, accented by a hand painted shower curtain. The bathroom is the one room that is often overlooked, but it need not be. Add an artistic designed mirror that reflects your unique persona. One of the most exciting changes you can make to a bathroom is the addition of a distinctive toilet seat. Believe it or not, there are many design possibilities.

Decoupage is a popular craft that turns ordinary items into incredible works of art. A simple glass bowl becomes a cherished heirloom. You can turn a tray or platter into a relative’s favorite gift. The possibilities are limitless, and the works created are quite stunning.

Lighting is another outstanding way to set your rooms off. Don’t be afraid to add color. Versatile and vibrant, lamps are stylish accents that can turn a whole room around without much effort. Lighting comes in many different shapes and sizes for table, floor, and ceiling. There are many options and you are only limited by your imagination. It’s a simple change that can make a dramatic change.

Don’t forget your walls! Everyone has paintings and photos adorning their walls. Be different, add a piece of metal wall art. There are patterns available for everyone’s taste, so don’t be shy. Try something new and out of the ordinary. Like the title says, don’t be afraid to step out of the box. You’ll be rewarded with a home that is a representation of your unique personality.

Last, but not least, simple accessories provide the finishing touch to your unique home. The small things sometimes make the most difference.

Switchplates
There are many different types of switchplates that can perk up a room while keeping within theme.

Picture Frames
Picture frames have become very popular over the past several years and there are literally thousands of designs to choose from.

Clocks
We can’t forget a very simple, yet important addition to every home in the world. Everyone needs a clock, but it doesn’t have to be your average run of the mill clock. Don’t settle for dull and boring, when you can have unique and striking in appearance.

Hand Painted Mailboxes
Another simple but profound change you can make is with the addition of a hand painted mailbox. Today, you can get a mailbox custom painted in any design you desire.

There are many more accents which seem subtle, but really play an important role when decorating your home. We must not forget the many styles of mirrors, outlet covers, fans and more. The possibilities really are limitless. It is our mission to impart to everyone, don’t settle for ordinary, when you yourself are extraordinary.

Improve Home Decor And Reduce Stress

September 05, 2009 By: admin Category: home decor

There are not many things as lovely to watch or as pleasant to listen to as the soothing sounds of an indoor fountain. If selected and purchased with care, and maintained properly, an indoor fountain will continue to give pleasure for many years to come.

Naturally, one of the most important things to keep in mind when selecting an indoor fountain is whether it goes well with your home decor or clashes with it. For example, a minimalist Chinese design will look out of place in an elaborate Victorian Style room, but it may go beautifully in an elegant modern room. A fountain in a room that doesn’t suit it will stand out like a sore thumb and look out of place, not the effect you want to achieve! Select your fountain with your room in mind, and you’ll save a lot of hassle and the need to redecorate down the line.

It is not necessary to seek out or purchase the most expensive fountain you can find, but you should avoid very cheap ones, unless there’s a good reason for them to be so cheap (a well-known brand on sale at a store going out of business, for example). You should always make sure to get an indoor fountain with at least a one year limited warranty. You don’t want to have to replace your fountain every six months, and if something does go wrong in six months, you at least want to know that you don’t have to pay for replacing it. An indoor fountain becomes more than just a piece of room decor; it becomes part of the fabric of your life, a little piece of stability and tranquility no matter what life throws your way. You want one that will last and be pleasing to the eye and ear.

Lastly, a word about maintaince and care. Some fountains may come with care instructions; follow these carefully, to the letter. If your indoor fountain doesn’t come with instructions for proper care, there are still some things that can be done to keep it working at its peak efficiency for a long time to come. Make plans to change the water out at least once every three months. If you have pets, or your house stays fairly dusty, it should be done every month. Clean the fountain itself every six months or so with warm water and mild dish soap. Above all, keep it free of debris. Floating flowers in it may be romantic, but if even one petal clogs the filter, it can be a pain to clean and repair.

Simply Perfect Home Decor

April 20, 2009 By: admin Category: home decor

Home is the abode for the good hearted. For the rest it is just a house. And the difference can be shown clearly by the décor used to decorate the home. Some like it rich and expensive, while for others it is just simply perfect home decor.

Whatever may be your budget or taste, the home decorating market has the items for all. One can decorate every room of the house or just the single living room. The primary thing is to have an exquisitely decorated home at an economical rate.

A small room can be decorated in such a way, that it can appear pretty spacious. When you are planning to start the home decor project it is important to jot down the essential ideas and goals of decorating the home, along with the budget. Without such a blueprint it might become difficult and confusing. There are many details that need to be worked upon while decorating a home. This includes the theme, materials and intentions for the space being decorated. Previous planning is very necessary.

After creating the blueprint for your home decorating project, the next action is to check the budget. The decorating materials and accessories could be expensive depending on your idea. Once you start decorating the home decorating, even small expense jumps up keeping you flabbergasted. There are many ways to choose the décor depending on your likes and interests. Ideas like country decorating, provides a sense of warmth and coziness. Again a theme like modern décor can be loud and alive. Hence it is advisable to decide your own theme and style.

The imagination and creativity is the key for a simply perfect home décor and it is most important part of decorating a home. There are many home decorating tips found in magazines books, on television programs and on the internet. Decorating your home is an exciting proposition and it can as exhilarating as you want it to be. Today’s retailers have plenty of wall items and wrought iron items, which can be great way of decorating the home. By just placing a new décor item in your room a statement can be made about your taste. Moreover, adding a small item or items will not clash with your other home décor and you will still have more things to add to your booty of décor.   A well designed style home has many dark, rich colors. There is a focus on angular and square shapes. There is a lot of taste and design that goes into a mission style design.

So go ahead and add the unique flavors and colors to your home with just a simply perfect home decor.