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Posts tagged: Decorating

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Fall for Home Decorating

Autumn is the time of year in which you can literally smell the changes. Leaves are burning, peanuts are roasting, and most people are just beginning to fill a hint of a chill in the air. More than smelling the changes that are coming you can see them. Leaves begin to take on brilliant hues and the colors are spectacular to watch and witness. This is the time of year that thoughts begin to turn to football, hiking, and the upcoming holidays (for there are quite a few on the horizon).

Fall contains two primary holidays for many people. Those include Halloween and Thanksgiving. Keep these holidays in mind when planning your primary fall home decorating scheme and make small adjustments in order to accommodate the holidays. Personally, I love the colors associated with autumn. The yellows, shades of gold, orange, and brown are favorites for my decorating taste. I always regret a little that this time of year is often overshadowed by Christmas as it approaches and the expectations of others that I decorate for Christmas almost immediately after celebrating Thanksgiving.

For those who lack inspiration when it comes to home decorating for fall, keep the colors mentioned above in mind. One great theme to incorporate into the decorating process would be the theme of leaves. Leaves falling from the trees are one of the most common associations with this time of year and it is a great look to incorporate into your home. You can even find leaf garlands in fall shades if you are inclined to look for them. Leaves can also be incorporated into lovely centerpieces and floral arrangements to hallmark the season.

Harvest is another common association with autumn. This is also rather easy to incorporate into most home decorating designs. Gourds make an excellent accent piece for this time of year and you can find real ones in almost any vegetable market along with many realistic imitation gourds. These can be used, much like or along with leaves, as part of centerpieces, in floral arrangements, in tabletop decorations, and even to hold place cards for large gatherings. They are incredibly versatile as well as colorful and make a great addition to any autumn home decorating venture.

Pumpkins are essentially gourds but they have a special place all their own in the fall home decorating scheme. Pumpkins have a special association with both Halloween and Thanksgiving (pumpkin pie anyone) and should not be overlooked as an important tool for decoration. In addition they are just bright, colorful, and cheerful to have around the house. To avoid the stench of rotting pumpkins simply avoid carving them if you intend to keep them around for a little while. Those that are carved should be placed outside and only carved within days of the ‘big day’.

A great centerpiece idea in general for fall would include a large bowl, in outstanding fall colors such as a burnt orange or a shade of gold. For the first part of autumn you can fill the centerpiece with candies that are wrapped in fall colors. This is ideal for family munchies as well as trick or treaters that may find their way to your door on Halloween. Once this holiday has ended you can fill the bowl with colorful leaves and gourds to complete the look. This should carry you through Thanksgiving when it is time to begin thinking about Christmas decorations and wintertime rather than fall.

Whether you adore fall like I do or dread its appearance each year for whatever reason there is little denying that fall is ripe with decorating ideas and ideals. Take the time to look around your local craft stores and see where inspiration strikes. It is never too early or too late in the year to begin thinking about what you are going to do for your home decorating plan in the seasons to come.

categories Home Decorating

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Decorating Your Home With a Creole Twist

Of all the styles of architecture and decorating around the world very few have taken the best of all the others and made it a little bit better in quite the way that the style often referred to as “French Creole” has managed to do. The truth is that while this style of architecture that New Orleans is famous for is really heavily borrowed from many other cultures and yet uniquely New Orleans at the same time.

Creole architecture for many brings to mind intricate wrought iron work, long shutters (to cover the windows during hurricanes originally), huge windows and doors (these were designed larger than typical homes in other parts of the country in order to create breezeways for the wind to come through in the sweltering hot summer months), and bright colors that you aren’t likely to find in most million dollar neighborhoods. This style of architecture and home décor is also famous for huge balconies-also with wrought iron railing.

The amazing thing about the Creole style of home decorating is that there is no one identifiable feature that labels a design style as decidedly Creole. Lagniappe is a term that people here quite often in and around New Orleans. For those who do not know, it means “a little something extra”. From an extra donut to a freebie bookmark and many things in between, that little something extra has a long history in New Orleans from the architecture to the music there always seems to be a little something extra that you couldn’t get anywhere else.

The interior design style of the Creole is also very similar. Some consider it gaudy but the locals consider it that little something extra and it is. You may find a little Gothic style, a little bit of Jazz, and a whole lot of Mardi Gras in one room and it s quite all right because you are getting all that and just a little bit of lagniappe too. Home decorating in Creole country is an art form that defies logic and yet makes perfect sense for the rich culture and heritage that it encompasses.

For those that need a little inspiration who would love to incorporate a little Cajun or Creole spice into their living spaces, perhaps the following suggestions will prove to be helpful.

1) Red peppers. Nothing says spice quite like a red pepper. There are all kinds of items you can find with red peppers in them these days from wallpaper borders to hand blown glass peppers, jar toppers, pot holders, kitchen towels, strings of lights for patios-even kitchen canisters decorated with red peppers. There are all kinds of options available to incorporate this theme into your home or one room of your home.
2) Music notes. Most people cannot think of Cajun country without thinking of the music that calls this great section of the country home. Music notes are a great way to symbolize the music that made New Orleans famous.
3) Mardi Gras Masks. Many people find that New Orleans symbolizes Mardi gras in their hearts and minds though New Orleans is not the birthplace of Mardi gras. The masks are a way that people from around the country can bring the ’spirit of New Orleans’ home with them and decorate their homes with that attitude that can only be referred to as Creole in many hearts and minds.
4) Food. Believe it or not the food is as much a part of the Creole home as any other design element. For this reason a French Creole style kitchen is often the way to go when it comes to home decorating in the Creole fashion. The kitchen is the heart of a Cajun home and food is what makes it that heart. Use jars of beans, rice, pastas, and other lagniappe as part of the overall design and you might just be amazed at just how Creole the room begins to look.

The most important thing to remember is that Creole is more of an attitude than a design style. Bring the attitude of “No Worries” into the design features of your home and you will have the true Creole style to an art.

categories Home Decorating

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Home Decorating With a Moroccan Theme

A Moroccan theme is a beautiful addition to almost any home decorating plan. With the beautiful colors, rich textures, and lush fabrics there is no doubt as to the reason that this style of decorating is becoming so popular around the world. These are some of the most beautiful and in some ways the most exotic styles of decorating that you will find around the world.

The Moroccan style is quite lovely and includes many bold colors and textures to keep not only your eyes occupied but also your other senses as well. The good news is that it is bold enough that it is still relatively new as far as decorating styles within the US goes. This means that you aren’t likely to have the identical interior décor of your neighbor, friends, or cousin down the way. Even if they adore what you have done and want to imitate it within their own homes, chances are they will not choose the exact designs, patterns, colors, and textures that you have chosen since there are so many fabulous things from which to choose.

Mosaics are perhaps my favorite touch from this part of the world. They are beautiful and very versatile. They can be used for almost anything. I have seen stunning tables, trays, light fixtures, candle holders, wall sconces, and wall art that was made from mosaic tiles. In fact, this style of artwork (or whatever you might wish to call it) is growing in popularity in the states exponentially in recent years. People are often trying to imitate the style or at the very least purchasing products that incorporate the style.
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Paint the Home Decorating Tool of Champions

We all know intellectually that color can have a significant impact on any room in the home. However, knowing and seeing the truth in action are two entirely different things. The true impact of color on the overall look and feel of a room is nothing short of phenomenal. If you have any doubt, try painting a room in a color you do not like and see how little time you are willing to spend in that room-even if it was a favorite room before it was painted.

For this reason you need to consider carefully the combinations of colors you wish to incorporate into each room of your home and how these colors will affect the rooms they will be ‘overflowing’ into. It is true that most people are attempting to trend away from the idea of having the same color in every room of the house. Instead more people are opting to have every room as a fresh palate whenever possible. This allows for maximum options when it comes to decorating a home and allows each room to be similar to some degree but maintain its very own unique personality if that is your wish.

Paint is an amazing instrument for home decorating when you think about it. In addition to the ability to change the color of a room, paint can actually do so much more when artfully or craftily applied. You can create beautiful murals on your walls that tell stories about your family or simply that express an emotion or sentiment of the moment. Paint can be used in order to write messages to occupants of the home or visitors on the wall as well, or to stencil borders that are sure to delight all who enter. All of this and so much more can be accomplished with the simple application of paint and a little bit of skill.

In addition to these things above there are faux finishes and textures that can be created with the use of paint. One that is a current favorite on the market is a faux plaster affect that is achieved with paint, a lot of hard work, and a rock solid set of instructions. The result of this labor can be nothing short of stunning as a design or home decorating affect. Taking the time to learn skills such as this can not only improve your enjoyment of the painting process but putting these skills in action can greatly improve your enjoyment of your home.

In addition to the faux finishes that can be achieved with paint there are other textured paint affects that many people are learning to their great joy and amazement. The results of many of these efforts is a beautiful and tastefully decorated home at significantly less than half the cost that hiring a professional to do the work would have cost. Many of these things can be achieved with paint and a few special brushes or rags alone further indicating the profound affect that a can or two of paint really can have on almost any room in your home.

If you are inclined to learn a little more about paint and the impact it can have on your home all together check with your local home improvement store and see if they are offering any painting workshops in the near future. These workshops provide excellent instruction and information that will prove useful many times over while you are making your home decorating decisions and improvements.

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Home Decorating-Old World Style

The “Old World” Style of Decorating is one that brings all of the elements of nature into play. Metals, clay, stone, wood, and countless other elements combine to create an atmosphere that is as charming as it is ageless. This is what old-world means in a modern kitchen. Despite the idea that this would be an inexpensive method of decorating the truth is that this style of decorating for a kitchen, probably more so than any other room in the home, can add up fairly quickly. The good news is that the results are typically breath taking when all is said and done.

The kitchen of a home is often the family center. This is the room in which meals are prepared and sometimes eaten. It is also the room where families congregate and discuss plans for the evening and the events of the day. It is often the location in which homework is completed and heartaches are commiserated with pints of ice cream. Your kitchen is the one room in the home that will probably experience more emotional moments than any other room in your home. For this reason it makes perfect sense that it would be the most expensively and extensively decorated room within your home.

When beginning with the walls for an old-world kitchen you may want to consider plaster or some soft of faux finish that looks like plaster in order to give the walls of your kitchen a truly ancient appearance. Aged yellows and shades of gold are an excellent choice for these walls as it will blend nicely with the terra cotta and stone accents that should grace the remainder of the kitchen as well as the darkly stained woods. Of course the walls are just the beginning.

You will want to insure that the lighting doesn’t go against the old world home decorating that you are incorporating by being too modern and bright in appearance. Wrought iron light fixtures and chandeliers as well as low light wall sconces work wonderfully in an old-world style kitchen. Keep in mind that many of the old style home decorating ideas can spill over into the rest of your home from your kitchen or can be used in order to set your kitchen apart as the warm center of your home. Either way a kitchen such as this will make a stunning impression.

Candles may also be used in order to enhance the old world appearance of your kitchen. Of course candles are a great touch in every room of the house as far as I am concerned. They can be used to create an atmosphere, set a mood, or simply as a method of adding a subtle hint of fragrance to the air. In addition to candles, grapes are another great addition to an old-world style kitchen. From wine to the simple pleasure of grapes straight off the vine these tasty fruits are almost a must in a kitchen of this nature. Wrought iron wine racks large and small are a common addition to most kitchens of this nature. These racks may be used to hold wine as intended or can be used for other creative purposes such as to hold kitchen towels or some other creative means for those who do not drink wine.

Pottery and terra cotta are also welcome additions in this type of kitchen. They, much like the plaster, the colors, the wood, and the stone add another degree of warmth to a room that simply exudes warmth and charm to all who enter. Use pottery to hold commonly used utensils, straws, toothpicks, fruits, and vegetables that do not require refrigeration. Use platters as art and terra cotta planters to hold herbs that are growing along the windowsill. In other words, let your imagination soar when creating the old-world atmosphere in your kitchen. You just might be surprised at where it takes you.

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Home Decorating: Bathroom on a Budget

When it comes to home decorating there are few rooms that have quite the impact of a bathroom or kitchen when being decorated. There is something wonderful about taking a tired old bathroom and making it seem bright and shiny once again. Most people, however, cringe at the thought of a bathroom remodel fearing the absolute worst when it comes to their financial situation once all is said and done. The good news is that small steps can lead to big changes in rooms as small as bathrooms. These small steps do not have to have large prices in order to be highly effective.

My suggestion with a bathroom is to assess where the worst blemishes and eyesores may be. Painting the walls can be a good place to start but you should first decide whether you are planning to remove any cabinetry. This is one room where it is best to save the painting for later in the project rather than the beginning. The vanity in many bathrooms takes up a good deal of real estate. Gone are the days when chunky cabinets were the popular choice for bathrooms. Now people want the bathrooms to have the appearance of a wide-open space. This means that cabinets and vanities are becoming smaller rather than larger.

Most homeowners find that the removal of bulky cabinetry in the bathroom often leads to some degree of patching required for the drywall and noticeable gaps in flooring. These will need to be addressed fairly quickly, which means that now is a good time to select color options for the walls and flooring. Smaller bathrooms do well with lighter colors on the walls in order to give them a larger appearance. Use towels and decorations to bring in darker accents but keep the walls light and bright. Also choose paint that can withstand the high humidity of bathrooms.

Flooring in a bathroom also needs to be able to withstand high heat and humidity as this room is rather abusive to floors and walls. For this reason, hardwood is not the floor of choice for most bathrooms. Ceramic tile is an excellent choice and not terribly expensive. There are also some laminates that are designed to respond well to a high humidity environment such as will be found in a bathroom. Choose flooring that will accent the walls and the overall sense of décor you are hoping to achieve when decorating your home and bathroom, as this is not something you are going to want to change often.

The toilet in a bathroom is fairly simple to purchase but I recommend leaving it be unless it absolutely needs to be changed. This is not a simple procedure for the novice and experts are expensive. In this case “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” is an excellent motto to live by. The same holds true with the shower. If, however, you simply cannot live with your shower (or bathtub) as is, you may want to try hiring professionals to come in and resurface your tub. This is much less expensive than purchasing a brand-new tub and will have yours looking bright, shiny, and as good as new. Again you can avoid the high cost of a plumber despite the fact that you are paying for professionals to resurface.

To top things off, you will be amazed at the difference that new knobs, fixtures, and hardware can make in a bathroom. Add a couple of lamps for subtle lighting and some decorative touches of your own and you have a brand new bathroom without spending a king’s ransom in order to do so. The shower curtain and ‘guest’ towels should be your largest splurges in your bathroom, as they will tie the room all together. You shower curtains and towels will blend the colors and designs in order to create the overall atmosphere you should be hoping to achieve in your bathroom. And all of this can be accomplished one step at a time no matter how sparse your budget may be.

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A Cabin Theme for Your Home Decorating Needs

When it comes to home decorating there is one thing that must be said-people seem to long for the simple life and cabin living. Of all the styles of decorating and décor this is one that seems to be repeated most often but in different ways. Seriously there are all kinds of ‘cabin’ décor websites, magazines, brochures, books, and how to videos all over the place than probably any other style of decorating.

One reason for the phenomenal popularity of this particular type of home decorating style probably has a little bit to do with the simplicity of it. There are no hard and fast rules, there aren’t fancy faux finishes and textured painting that needs to be done in order to complete the look and there aren’t overly complicated rules for what is and isn’t acceptable. From the bear budget to the champagne and caviar crowd there is some sort of décor available that will suit not only the home decorating needs but also the need for quality as well.

Another thing that many find appealing about a cabin themed home decorating plan is that it simply exudes warmth year round. From the dark colors to the flannel materials and the soft homespun simplicity of the design many find it simply irresistible. One thing that is obvious in this style of decorating is that it appeals to those who love home and hearth and warmth and good will far more than modern touches and design elements. This is not a hard plastic sort of design style and it shouldn’t endeavor to become one as the two styles are almost systematically opposed to one another.

If you want the warmth of a Montana cabin in your home every day of the year this is one great way to do it. Bring the bears, the moose, and all the furry forest friends to frolic in your living room, on your light fixtures, and in your dreams as you fall into restful sleep each night. From the bedroom to the bathroom and the kitchen in between the cabin style of home decorating is one that is making great waves in the market place.

You will find many stores online and locally that cater to the cabin loving audience for hardware, knick-knacks, and what knots galore. The thing to remember is that the design essence isn’t the little touches you add along the way, it’s the warmth of wood, fire, leather, and wrought iron. These are the materials that will establish the cabin appeal more quickly than any of the little touches you can add along the way. Drywall and plaster simply cannot carry the look. Knotty pine or some other rich style of wood is the best option for walls when pulling off a cabin home appeal.

More importantly than anything though is the need to include a little bit of yourself in the design. Do not hesitate to carve your initials with a heart into the wood of your walls. It is one more thing that will be not only endearing but also appropriate to the home and the atmosphere. There is a type of innocence about a cabin style home and the little touches such as that will leave a lasting impression.

categories Home Decorating