Joglosmart Furniture Design

Bathroom Decor

2009-02-05T05:07:00.000-08:00

Decorating your bathroom is vital to exceeding the bland and generic stock bathrooms. With the help of this section, your bathroom will become personal and more comfortable. All the articles found here contain helpful information about bathroom tiles, creating a spa out of your bathroom, and choosing the bath tub right for you.

Bathroom Decorating Made Easy

2009-02-05T04:55:00.000-08:00

Probably the hardest room to decorate in a home is the Bathroom. Often, in older homes, the bathroom is small and utilitarian. There may be no windows, and ventilation in older homes often suffers. After the kitchen, the Bathroom is the most popular room to redecorate. If you are planning to sell the home, concentration on bathroom décor will go a long way in making the sale. Here, we will discuss bathroom decorating– what adds value if you are looking to sell, and what you can do to make a bathroom makeover an outstanding one.

Things To Consider

Because you are often limited in space in a bathroom, every effort must be made to insure that the bathroom looks larger than it really is. Lighting and choice of paint go a very long way here. Let’s look at these.

Bathroom Lighting

Here, we want to not only make the room bright and airy, but want lighting that is beneficial for grooming. Vanity lighting is of particular importance. Most bathrooms have bar style bathroom lighting which is designed to hang above the mirror. Although it can look great and add lighting to a heavily used area of the bathroom, experts say that it is not so good for grooming. Instead, they recommend that vanity lighting should be balanced on both sides of the vanity mirror. This lighting should be at face level, and even though each family member is of different height, the lighting should be geared towards the woman in the home. The goal is to provide shadow free lighting when the woman applies makeup. Wall scones on each side of the mirror are a big help in this situation.

Fluorescent lighting in the bathroom is frowned upon by many experts, because the lighting gives off different colors which are not conducive to good grooming. This is especially true when a woman applies makeup. The down side to this is fluorescent lighting is required in the bathroom in some states. You can work around this by working with a home designer, who can advise you on the type of bulb to use that gives more complimentary color.

Choosing The Right Paint

When considering paint for the bathroom, be sure to get a paint that can easily be washed without finish being removed. Because of the steamy, damp environment, paint in the bathroom can get infested with mildew or mold. When shopping for bathroom paint, be aware of the brands on the market today. Many of them are resistant to these unwanted elements. A semi-gloss paint has a high sheen that is easy to wash, making it perfect for fighting the threats of dirt, mold, and moisture. Think twice before considering a stippled or textured wall treatment, as this provides a haven for mold and mildew, and is much harder to clean.

Modern décor in a bathroom is a simple matter of picking the right colors, accessories, and paying attention to detail.

Source Article : By Alden Smith, Alden Smith is an award winning author and regular contributor to DoItYourself.com. He writes on a variety of subjects, and excels in research.

~Cool and Clear Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-26T05:18:00.000-08:00

Blue and white is a timeless decorating scheme that appeals equally to boys and girls, big kids and small. In a stressful world, blue can bring home a serene feeling -- something a teen may especially appreciate.

Pale blue and white look great with modern furniture, especially
when you use accents in vibrant red. Retailer: Gautier USA, Inc.

If your youngster's room is on the small side, a blue-and-white scheme creates a more spacious feeling. To start the decorating process, let your child choose a shade of blue he or she likes best. Sky blue and baby blue are lighthearted favorites that work well in a contemporary setting. For a traditional scheme, rich cobalt is the classic most associated with blue-and-white porcelain.

Don't stop there, however. There are many other blues from which to choose, from teal and turquoise to periwinkle and indigo. Whatever shade appeals to your teen, blue really goes the distance.

Making the transition from a juvenile room to a more adult look, while still retaining a sense of individuality, can seem like a daunting task. However, with the help of these decorating ideas, you and your teen should have no problem creating a room that is tasteful but unique.

Source : HowStuffWork

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Mary Wynn Ryan is the author of numerous interior design books including The Ultimate Kitchen, The Ultimate Bath, Cottage Style, Fresh Country Style, and Garden Style. She has written about home furnishings and interior design for various magazines and served as Midwest editor of Design Times magazine.

Heidi Tyline King is an accomplished writer and editor. She has written extensively about America's arts, culture, history, nature-based attractions, and decorating projects, including All About Paint and Wallpaper, Beautiful Wedding Crafts, Pelican Guide to the Florida Panhandle, The Unofficial Guide to the Southeast with Kids, and others.

~Fresh and Frolicsome Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-26T05:17:00.002-08:00

Yellow-green, the color of young lettuce, is one of the most versatile hues around. Virtually every color pairs nicely with it, from sedate navy to cheery orange. But, when you pair yellow-green with red-violet, its color wheel complement, you get a scheme that's truly delightful.

A bed ensemle of frisky butterflies matches well with garden-fresh colors.
Retailer: Bombay Kids

This room shows how foolproof it can be. Against a chartreuse ground, bright white and magenta stand out as freshly as tulips in a spring field.

Even if your furniture is a darker wood you don't want to paint, this green keeps the whole scheme light and bright. It's a look that's fun and feminine and not at all babyish. If your girl is looking for a more sophisticated take on pastel pink and green, this may be it!

On the next page, you'll find a design utilizing a color pairing that never goes out of style.

~Cool and Clear Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

Source : HowStuffWork

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~Rustic Retreats Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-26T05:17:00.001-08:00

Teens crave a space of their own to get away from it all, and this handsome room fulfills that need without any fuss. Whether the room is as small as a bunkhouse or as big as all outdoors, the decorating style known as "lodge" can make it a getaway any boy would enjoy.

A big room can still be cozy with a warm color scheme of forest green and
taupe, which also brings the calm tones of nature indoors.
Manufacturer: Stanley Furniture Co.

Start with simple squared-off furniture in strongly grained oak or pine, or go for even more rustic pieces made of coarse-hewn or peeled logs. Add homespun fabrics in ticking stripes, lumberjack plaid, or other timeless country patterns.

A color scheme of red and hunter green or red and denim blue will give a rich, lively contrast to neutral wood tones. Let your boy's interests dictate the accessories, whether he's into cowboys or camping.

The next page offers more decorating ideas with a different kind of outdoor style.

~Fresh and Frolicsome Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

Source : HowStuffWork

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~Blue Reigns Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-26T05:16:00.001-08:00

Not every girl goes for pink in a big way, and some lose interest in it when they reach their teens. No problem! Versatile and popular, blue is a decorating idea just as likely to win her favor.

© Alain Giguere
Creamy yellow glazes simple furniture for a luscious look that's
rich against French blue walls. Manufacturer: EG Furniture

Blue is widely used in the bedroom because it's inherently soothing. In a south- or west-facing bedroom, the color is a practical choice because it's psychologically cooling. What's more, if your teen's room is on the small side, pale tints of blue work like white to visually expand the space.

Virtually any color looks fine with some tone of blue, but you may want to create contrast with darks and lights. Royal or navy blue comes alive with yellow; pale blue looks sophisticated next to deep magenta or fuchsia. Either way, blue is clearly cool.

On the next page, you'll learn how to "stay cool" with your teen by transforming the bedroom into a private getaway. ~Rustic Retreats Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

Source : HowStuffWork

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~Space-Age Sleek Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-26T05:15:00.000-08:00

Just how modern can contemporary style be? Very! Teens are essentially forward-looking beings, so it's no surprise they're often attracted to decorating ideas with a sleek modern style.

Go beyond bedroom basics and add pieces that befit a chic studio apartment,
such as a scaled wall unit or a dining/work table perfect for studying.
Retailer: Gautier USA, Inc.

There's a practical aspect, too: If your teen's room is small, simply styled light-color modern furniture can help it look more spacious, and laminate surfaces make cleaning a breeze. What's more, even lightly scaled modern pieces may be big on savvy storage.

Decorating's a snap as well. You can emphasize the cool spacious factor with blue and green backgrounds and add warmth with yellow and orange. Furniture like this would be as much at home in a first studio apartment as in a teen's bedroom, so, if you shop carefully for quality, you might be able to send him or her off with the basics.

On the next page, learn how you can make basic blue go a long way.

~Blue Reigns Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

Source : HowStuffWork

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~Definitely Hot Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-26T05:14:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, you weren't supposed to use hot pink and orange together, but the 1960s changed all that. Today's teens love the intensity of these saturated tropical color combinations. Adding vibrant colors to your teen's space has become a timeless decorating idea.

Large areas of brilliant sunset orange are balanced by lots of cooling white
and naturally finished wood floors. Manufacturer: Stanley Furniture Co.

As exciting as they are, hot colors can be wonderfully livable. Just balance areas of dazzling color with areas of white, another neutral, or a pale tint of one of your hot colors.

Funky flowers are a great motif for this color scheme, but just about any motif your teen enjoys can be worked into a one-of-a-kind design. Florals are just the start of what you can find in today's contemporary fabrics, wallcoverings, and accessories, so let your girl shop for her current favorites. Balance busy prints with areas of solid color to create visual breathing room.

For more visually pleasing decorating ideas that keep your teen's bedroom sleek and modern, turn the page. ~Space-Age Sleek Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

Source : HowStuffWork

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~Sport Authorities Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-26T05:13:00.000-08:00

Successful, active teens have more complicated studies and more elaborate hobbies than their younger siblings, but they're still kids who need room to move. Great decorating ideas incorporate these hobbies into your teen's room.

© Laurence Taylor
This bedroom sports a scaled-down basketball court done up in favorite
team colors. The shelving echoes the Cubist-inspired bed ensemble.
Designer: Montanna & Associates. Architect: Tom Price

Sleek, well-designed storage furniture can house a multitude of things in an orderly way. Even if orderliness is too much to hope for, furnishings like these at least keep the clutter out of sight and off the floor.

If your teen appreciates the natural warmth of wood furniture and built-ins, follow through with fabrics that echo these tawny tones. If he prefers an industrial look, you can furnish his space with laminates in cool neutral shades and inject a bit of warmth with red or another hot accent color. Either way, strive for simplicity, minimal hardware, and maximum freedom of movement.

Give your teen freedom of expression with hot decorating ideas, found on the next page.

~Definitely Hot Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

Checkmark Shelves

What You'll Need (for each checkmark)

2 lengths 1x10-inch pine shelving, 10 and 20 inches long
Hammer and 4 to 6 brads
Wood glue
Damp rag
Fine-grade sandpaper
Paint and paintbrush
Pencil
Screws and 3/4-inch-wide keyhole plates, 3 each
3 drywall anchors
Screwdriver

1. Using hammer, tap brads about 11/2 inches apart along 1 side edge of 10-inch length of shelving so brads are secure but not through wood. Apply line of glue along same edge on opposite side of brads.

2. Place 20-inch length of shelving perpendicular to other piece so edges are aligned. Hammer pieces together; wipe away excess glue. Let dry, then sand smooth and wipe clean. Apply 2 coats of paint; let dry between coats.

3. Position shelving on wall as desired, marking screw holes with pencil. Attach keyhole plates to edge of checkmark at top, bottom, and top of bottom portion of checkmark. Using screwdriver and drywall anchors, secure screws into wall, leaving unscrewed about 1/4 inch. Hang shelf onto screws.

4. Repeat steps for more checkmark shelves.

Source : HowStuffWork

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~Soft Impressions Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-26T05:12:00.002-08:00

If you prefer to invest in traditionally styled furniture but your teen longs for a more modern look, one easy way to compromise is with fabrics and colors.

© Stacey Brandford
Contemporary floral and plaid prints in soft lime, lilac, and white
create a romantic scheme your teenage daughter won't outgrow.
Designer: Susan Comfort, INTERIORS by Decorating Den

This room's scheme of pale lime and lilac creates an airy, youthful feeling that's enhanced by the contemporary floral patterns. Adding to the lighthearted ambience, trompe l'oeil lattice and vines are hand-painted on the wall.

You could create a similar effect with just about any other fresh, light color scheme, such as aqua and peach. To create a modern feeling with traditional furniture, keep the backgrounds simple -- no busy wallpapers or elaborate draperies. Contemporary prints, such as these abstract watercolor florals (large scale for the bed, smaller scale for the window valance), enhance the fun-loving look.

On the next page, you'll get more fun decorating ideas that bring favorite hobbies into your teen's space. ~Sport Authorities Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

Source : HowStuffWork

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~Naturally Smart Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-26T05:12:00.001-08:00

If you and your child appreciate modern style, you may be open to today's inventive combination units that put sleep, storage, study, and play areas all together. Cleverly designed and wonderfully functional, these spacesaving systems have warm appeal when they're made of naturally finished wood.

This room combines function with modern style; the bunk bed not only works
as a sleeping area but also as a storage space and a sturdy desk.
Retailer: Gautier USA, Inc.

When it comes to decorating a room around a unit like this, soft contemporary style is a natural. Bright colors and stylized motifs lend a cheerful note that appeals to any age, from tot to teen.

To complete the room, desks, bookcases, and other furniture pieces are widely available in naturally finished wood. Look for those with polyurethane-lacquered worktops that extend the life of the wood without obscuring its attractive grain. Can you have a casual room and substantial furniture? Naturally!

If you and your teen are butting heads when it comes to modern versus traditional, find solutions on the next page. ~Soft Impressions Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

Source : HowStuffWork

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~Easy Chic Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-26T05:09:00.002-08:00

Decorating ideas for your teen's bedroom don't have to be expensive. If you think you have to invest in a wealth of brand-new matching furniture to set up a cool teen's room, take a second look. Pink and white never looked so hip!

© Michael Dunne
A black garden bench has an airy look that keeps it in sync with the light look
of this room. Find reasonably priced furniture at resale shops.
Designer: Laura Bohn Design Associates. Architect: Shope Reno Wharton

A collection of unmatched pieces with graceful lines finds a home in this rather spacious room, but, even without the square footage, a space like this is anything but square. Are these pieces French antiques or just inspired finds? Who needs to know? The classic girl's room recipe of powder pink and white is enlivened by touches of dramatic black plus a rainbow of interesting jewel tones.

Look for furniture like this everywhere from casual outdoor furniture stores to resale shops, and keep function in mind. Without trying too hard, the result is an enviable offhand charm that can go the distance.

You'll find more smart ways to decorate your teen's bedroom on the next page.~Naturally Smart Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

Ribbon Bulletin Board

What You'll Need

2 pieces of cork, each 16 inches square
16-inch square foam core
Craft glue
20-inch square quilt batting, 1/2 inch thick
20-inch square cotton fabric
Hot-temperature glue gun and glue sticks
6 yards satin or grosgrain ribbon, 1/2 inch wide
Scissors
Tape measure
15 to 18 matching buttons
Matching thread and needle

1. Use craft glue to attach cork piece to foam, and let dry. Glue second cork piece on top of first; let dry.

2. Place batting over board so 2 inches hangs over on each side. Hot glue batting edges to back of board, making sure it is straight and lies smooth. Put fabric over batting, and secure in same manner as batting.

3. Starting in bottom left corner, stretch piece of ribbon diagonally over board. Let last 2 inches of each ribbon wrap around back of board. Glue ends in place. Continue attaching ribbon, moving up board diagonally and spacing each ribbon 4 inches apart. When completed diagonally in 1 direction, attach ribbon in opposite diagonal direction to create a checkerboard effect.

4. Position button over intersection of 2 ribbons, and stitch in place. Repeat at all ribbon intersections.

Source : HowStuffWork

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~Playful Color Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-26T05:09:00.001-08:00

A deeper shade of turquoise adds depth
to this room, while contrasting orange
and lime green inject excitement.
Manufacturer: Stanley Furniture Co.

Color scheme is an important decorating idea for your teen's bedroom. The right colors can do a lot for your outlook, and your teen is at least as sensitive to emotional currents as you are. You can't protect her from every bump, but, when she gets home, you can wrap her in a comforting, uplifting environment that starts with colors she loves.

Once you've nailed the color scheme, furniture and accessories can be much easier to pull together. If you're shopping, a new bedroom group in warm wood looks great against cool-colored walls, while warm-tinted walls take the chill out of cool laminates.

Choose a contrasting color or two for accents; when the mood strikes, she can change them and get a whole new look with the basic background hue. That's a guaranteed mood-lifter.

Get more mood-lifters on the next page, where you'll learn how to decorate a chic room with inexpensive ideas.~Easy Chic Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

Source : HowStuffWork

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~Color Me Confident Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-26T05:06:00.000-08:00

Dramatic fuchsia, magenta, and
shocking pink fill this room with color.
Retailer: Bombay Kids

Fearless, passionate color is a decorating idea that electrifies these teen rooms with individuality and youthful flair. The eye appeal of this space illustrates an established decorating rule: You can use a variety of strong colors in one room if they're of a similar intensity that creates balance.

Color is the most compelling, emotionally charged element in any decorating scheme, and, for many youngsters, identifying a favorite color is important to developing a sense of self. This cheerful room shows how far you can go to indulge a favorite hue or two -- and still have a room you won't need to close the door on.

So go ahead and indulge your child in his or her best-loved shades. Simple treatments and a few well-placed neutrals can tame the mix in style.

On the next page, you'll learn how you and your teen can play around with the colors you've chosen. ~Playful Color Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

Source : HowStuffWork

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Safety Tips for a Teenager's Room

2009-01-26T04:16:00.002-08:00

If you didn't redecorate your youngster's room during the preteen stage, you will probably want to do so now. Ideally, you and your teen can work together to create a look you're both happy with and one that can last awhile. For starters, new wall paint and a new bed ensemble can be had on most budgets. If the room needs adult-size furniture, good quality hand-me-downs can enjoy a new lease on life with custom refinishing. A computer armoire or a desk/hutch may be the only "new" pieces really needed; if so, ready-to-finish furniture stores offer pieces you can finish to coordinate with existing furniture pieces.

Natural wood in a comtemporary style offers both cool and warm qualities.
Retailer: Gautier USA, Inc

If your teen is the responsible type, new carpeting or area rugs also may be worthwhile now. For practicality's sake, you'll still want to skip the pastel velvety carpets in favor of a more robust variety in a tweedy midtone hue. Oriental-style rugs, with their jewel-tone patterns, give an opulent grown-up look and hide spills, too. For another adult touch, replace floor cushions and beanbag chairs with a small easy chair for a guest. The more the room looks like a hip studio apartment, the better most teens will like it. Not coincidentally, this approach will let the room do double duty throughout the college years, too.

Aside from a dramatic-looking bed, the best investment you can make for your teen, if the budget allows, is a professional closet-organizing system. A walk-in closet is a dream come true for most girls and many boys, but even if the closet is small, a professional system can make the very most of the space. If a closet consultant is outside the budget, check out the do-it-yourself racking and stacking systems available through home storage and organization specialty retailers.

Large framed cork bulletin boards corral posters and other teen treasures; if you provided bulletin boards for your preteen, you may want to change the cover fabric and add an extra board or two. Teens have many of the same hobbies as preteens, but by now, they've also got serious levels of homework and lots of post-high school planning to do. Make it easy for them to build their futures from a safe place, right at home.

More than anything, a bedroom needs to be safe and secure. Keep these tips in mind when you're planning a room for your child, and you'll have both a comfortable kid and your own peace of mind.

Source : HowStuffWork

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Safety Tips for a Preteen's Room

2009-01-26T04:16:00.000-08:00

Children ages nine to 12 are at a crossroads between childhood and the teenage years. Bedroom decor becomes a major means of self-expression at the same time it becomes a significant way to gain peer approval. While toys are still important, hobbies, collections, electronic equipment, music, and clothes are much more so. Storage for all these items can be a challenge, but they can provide a basis for decorating, too.

A girl who loves vibrant colors and
patterns may use calendar pages,
posters and photos to express her
personal vision. Manufacturer: 3M

Preteens and teens tend to want a real hand in decorating their rooms, so encourage them to express their individuality with displays of equipment, trophies, and decorative motifs that symbolize their accomplishments and interests. Just be sure to leave room for the usual celebrity posters and memorabilia, too.

One of the best gifts for a child this age is a large (22x26-inch or more) cork bulletin board, stylishly framed and covered in a kid-friendly fabric. Depending on your child's tastes, fabric depicting everything from rainbows to race cars can be used to cover a corkboard. For a more ageless, chic look, consider a leopard or zebra skin print, jewel-tone stripes, or another funky pattern that works with the room's color scheme.

At this age, bunk beds and other childish structures will probably fall out of favor. A bunk bed set that can be converted into two twin beds or a daybed that has a studio apartment look will probably meet their needs better. Girls may want a dressing table, student desks may be outgrown, and the open-bin storage units from earlier days may no longer handle the job.

If you've already purchased furniture with an eye to the future, a classic twin bed or a daybed with a trundle will do just fine. If not, now may be the time to buy a full-size (double) bed or a more grown-up-looking twin bed. Dressers and chests of drawers gain new importance as do hutches or bookcases with open shelving to display trophies and other treasures.

A full-size desk and an adjustable-height desk chair are essential now, as many preteens start preferring to do homework in their rooms. At this age, unsupervised Internet use can pose a danger, but a computer is likely to be a schoolwork necessity. You may want to designate your child's bedroom desk as the spot for paperwork and simple project typing and leave the Internet-connected computer in the family room. Wherever they work, kids of all ages need good task lighting positioned so that there is ample illumination on pages but no glare on the computer screen.

Preteens don't play on the floor much any more, but they still love to lounge there. If you've got the "no messy snacks in the bedroom" rule down pat, you may want to indulge your youngster in a new carpet now. New rug or not, a few big colorful floor pillows will be an instant hit with the after-school and sleepover crowd.

Most kids at this age are much more interested in clothes than ever before, but, unfortunately, they are seldom more interested in taking care of them. Plenty of drawers and cubbyholes or shelves can make it worth their while to be neater: With everything visible, it's easier and faster to put together outfits on those rushed school mornings. Hooks or pegs will still work better than hangers, but you can start making the switch now by offering some of each.

If you're waiting until your preteen is a little older to redecorate, you'll find safe decorating tips for teen bedrooms on the next page.

Safety Tips for a Teenager's Room

Source : HowStuffWork

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Safety Tips for a Grade-Schooler's Room

2009-01-26T04:14:00.000-08:00

In the early grade-school years, roughly ages six to eight, children have more opinions on decorating ideas and can begin to articulate what they like in a way that you can use. The line between reality and fantasy is still blurred at this age, so you'll need to interpret and help them compromise. If your child wants a tree house to sleep in, a bunk bed customized with a trompe l'oeil rendering of leafy trees gives this childhood dream practical expression. The latest movie or cartoon hero plays big at this age, and all you may need is an easily strippable wallpaper border and a coordinating toss pillow to make the grade.

By age six, most kids are able to safely use bunk beds and loft beds, but be sure upper berths have safety rails on both sides and that the mattress sits well below the top of the rail. If space is tight, loft beds with storage and a desk configuration below make a clever solution kids will love. Because they're double-decker, you can usually fit two such structures into even a small shared bedroom.

Instead of second berth below, the lower space of a loft bed can be used
as storage drawers, bins, and shelves. Retailer: Gautier USA, Inc.

Sleepovers start becoming important for young grade-schoolers, so consider how you'll accommodate these visitors. A trundle bed is ideal, but an inflatable air mattress or even a sleeping bag on an area rug will often do the trick. (Be sure to have a night-light in the bedroom and bath plus a lighted path to the bathroom for the comfort and safety of young guests.)

By age eight, most kids have outgrown their child-size table and chairs, so if you haven't put a desk and work chair in the room, it's probably time. Even if your child does most homework at the kitchen table or in the family room, he or she needs a dedicated study spot to stash paperwork and start responsible work habits.

Plan for a student desk and chair -- or a full-size desk and a chair that has a seat that can be raised -- plus a two-drawer file cabinet or equivalent storage. If your child will be using the computer anywhere in the house, make sure it's on a desktop that allows for comfortable, strain-free use. Kids have enough challenges sticking to a task without having to cope with premature aches and pains. In addition, good task lighting is essential to prevent eyestrain, so be sure to put a lamp at your child's desk and another at bedside.

Toys of all kinds proliferate more than ever at this age, and, now that the choking danger is past, you can expect to find tiny Lego blocks, Barbie shoes, and other miniature items migrating all over the house. More storage with more cubbyholes, drawers, and compartments really come in handy now, and you can be fairly inventive in your storage solutions. If you want kids to help with picking up, opt for good-looking open storage containers. For clothes as well as toys, systems that require neat stacking and folding may not work as well as those that allow items to be tossed into storage units. You might decide to choose your battles and be satisfied as long as they stash all similar items together -- off the floor.

To further clear out the clutter in a grade-schooler's room, kids this age might be willing to part with some of the toys, clothes, and collections from their younger years, but don't be surprised if they are a bit ambivalent. Giving to children in need may inspire some altruistic youngsters, while other kids will get excited if you hold a garage sale and let them keep the money made from their old toys and clothing. If all else fails, you can transfer your children's outgrown items to the attic or the basement for the time being. Remember: The important thing is to make more room for everyday living -- kid style.

When that transition from everyday kid to everyday preteen takes place, your child's room will likely need a change, as well. Get decorating ideas for a safe preteen space on the next page.

Safety Tips for a Preteen's Room

Source : HowStuffWork

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Safety Tips for a Preschooler's Room

2009-01-26T04:12:00.000-08:00

Somewhere around age two, children start perceiving colors and details more and their ability to move around and explore is up and running full tilt. At this point, you can indulge yourself and your little one in decorations that feature storybook or cartoon characters, but don't invest a lot unless your budget is ample, as tastes change often at this age. Keep safety in mind, and avoid decorative items with small parts -- anything reachable will be subjected to a taste test!

If your child hasn't left the crib yet, now's probably the time. Youth beds are available in a variety of amusing forms, from sports cars to rocket ships, but their appeal may be limited and their quality is often questionable. If you don't like faddish toddler beds but are worried about putting your child into a full-height twin bed, a practical alternative is to simply put a good-quality twin box spring and mattress on the floor. For the year or two you'll be using it, this interim solution may be easiest. A colorful, washable comforter and bed linens make the look complete.

Storage space is essential to keep toys
and clothes off the floor, and a fun
furnishing like this chest will make
putting things away child's play.
Manufacturer: Straight Line Designs Inc.

Toy storage is paramount at this age. Kids accumulate lots of playthings but are easily overwhelmed by even simple cleanup efforts. Make things easier on yourself and on them with lots of low, open storage bins, baskets, and shelves. Choose pieces with smooth surfaces and rounded corners for safety's sake. Under-the-bed storage drawers on wheels are another practical option to help keep less-used items available but not underfoot. A classic toy chest with a flat top can provide ample storage plus an extra play surface. (Just make sure to reinforce hinges and remove lock.) A low chest of drawers is usually sufficient for storing young children's clothes, but you may also want to provide a few low, rounded pegs to make quick work of hanging jackets, overalls, and robes. Hangers are a hassle for youngsters, so plan to hang dressy outfits yourself or provide extra pegs so kids can help.

At this age, children want to play wherever you are, so have some good-looking, easily accessible baskets for collecting toys that tend to end up all over the house. If you have the space, dedicate some low shelves for toys in the family room. If space is too limited, a couple of large handsome baskets stationed in the family room can make short work of cleanup.

In the family room or in their own rooms, children this age will happily play on the floor, so make sure it's still as clean and comfortable as when they were crawling and falling. Wall-to-wall carpeting offers great comfort but can take a beating with craft projects. Consider layering a washable rug or two, or use nonslip rugs on top of easy-to-clean resilient or wood flooring. (Don't use carpeting remnants over carpets or rugs; the rough burlap backing will damage the underlying carpet.) Avoid very dark or very light solid color rugs and carpets that show every spill and stain; opt for midtone hues with some gray, brown, or taupe undertones. For example, choose olive green instead of lime green, royal blue instead of baby blue, teal instead of turquoise blue, burgundy instead of bright red, and mauve or antique rose instead of pink. A strongly patterned rug in midrange jewel tones, including just about any Oriental rug, will hide stains even better and add timeless style.

A child-size table and chairs come into their own for this age-group. Charming affordable sets abound at ready-to- finish furniture shops, and pieces you customize now may be treasured for generations. A small table can become a lamp table later; small chairs work as timeless accessories to hold potted plants on the porch or a colorful stack of towels in the bath. If space or budgets are tight, a round-cornered end table and a footstool or ottoman can stand in as pint-size furniture, as long as the seat and table height are right. Let your child try it out: Make sure there's enough table surface to spread out projects and that the child's feet fully touch the floor.

To complete the room, station a small additional table at bedside to hold a lamp and storybook. A floor lamp is an alternative if space is tight, but be sure it has a heavyweight base to keep it from tipping over during boisterous play, and don't use halogen lights where children can reach them (they are dangerously hot).

Children ages two to five are mentally developed enough to have scary thoughts and feelings, but most still don't have the ability to distinguish real from fantasy information. Even if you are vigilant about protecting them from violent or menacing images on television shows and movies, little ones often find nighttime very frightening. To ensure adequate sleep, close closet doors, put on a small night-light, and provide a security blanket or another "lovie" to cuddle with. These usually count more than all the adorable accessories in the world.

Another scary step in your child's life is starting school. The next page offers decorating ideas for a safe grade-schooler's room.

Safety Tips for a Grade-Schooler's Room

Source : HowStuffWork

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Safety Tips for a Toddler's Room

2009-01-26T04:08:00.000-08:00

Babies who are old enough to crawl, let alone toddle, are at their most challenging in terms of safety. At this stage they can perceive colors better than infants, but they still lack the ability to understand, say, a storybook scene on a wall.

Lower shelves can stash toys where
toddlers can easily reach them without
climbing. Stylist: Amy Leonard.
Manufacturer: The Glidden Company

Keep decorating ideas simple for awhile yet, and concentrate on making sure every square inch is clean and safe. For example, no hanging tablecloths, no exposed electrical outlets, no breakable or heavy items on tables and shelves, and no sharp corners on any furniture.

Tots making the transition from crawling to toddling will use any available vertical item to pull themselves up, so choose furniture pieces that are sturdy and stable.

For the inevitable tumbles, make sure floors are clean and resilient or softly covered with carpeting or rugs. If you don't have wall-to-wall carpeting, use slip-proof pads under every rug. Vinyl resilient tiles and wood flooring are more forgiving than ceramic tile or stone, but nonslip rugs can make a real difference on any floor.

Depending on how active or how tall your child is, you may want to make the transition to a low youth bed now. If there's even a chance your child can climb out of the crib, it's time to move on.

The next page provides safe decorating tips for when your child moves on to the preschool years.

Safety Tips for a Preschooler's Room

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Safety Tips for a Baby's Nursery

2009-01-26T03:52:00.000-08:00

Babies' needs are crucial but simple: a safe nest to sleep in, a safe place to have diapers changed, and a comfortable spot for you to sit while feeding, cuddling, and rocking him or her. In fact, a comfy rocking or gliding chair is as important as a bed and changing table. Scientific research has shown that babies actually need a lot of cuddling in order to thrive, physically as well as mentally. If you are a new parent, you'll probably be tired and stressed, so make it as easy as possible to spend cheek-to-cheek time with your baby. You'll both be healthier!

A rocking chair makes it easier to spend more time with
your baby, with is better for both the baby and you.

Babies sleep most of the time, so a comfortable bed is a must. A bassinet or cradle may be charming, but it's only safe for a few months before babies start moving and rolling. If you do use a bassinet, be sure it's on a sturdy base that won't move. If you're using a cradle, make sure the cradle won't rock more than a few inches either way so that baby and all don't fall. A more practical solution may be a well-made crib; you can swaddle a young infant to give him or her the comforting sense of being in a smaller enclosure. (Don't fill the bed with stuffed animals and pillows, though. Except at playtime, confine the soft stuff to securely tied bumper pads and relatively thin blankets that won't pose a smothering hazard. Babies can often get themselves into situations they can't get out of!)

A changing table will get a lot of use, so be sure to get a good one. You can make a changing table out of a waist-high chest of drawers, but be sure you add a top with a low guardrail as well as a waterproof pad. A chest may be more versatile later, but it generally is not as safe and, therefore, not recommended. In addition, diapers and clothes will be easier to reach if you opt for a changing table with open shelves below. Choose a unit with a safety strap to go across baby's middle, or make sure you can get at things you need with one hand while keeping the other on your little wiggly worm at all times.

To aid with midnight feedings and diaper changing, use an overhead light on a dimmer that you can switch on from the door for your safety's sake. Choose a room-darkening shade to facilitate daytime naps.

When it's time to decorate walls, remember that, until they're between six and nine months old, babies can't see subtle colors and details. Black-and-white and other strongly contrasting colors work better as do simple patterns. A proven favorite is two dots and a curve within a circle that suggests human eyes and smiling mouth.

If you don't care for vivid color schemes, choose a pastel you'd like to use longer term and pair it with a dark or bright accent hue you can change when your child gets a bit older. Another option is simply to stick with more restful pastel hues throughout the room and provide visual stimulation with age-appropriate toys.

Although newborn babies' sight may be lacking, their hearing and sense of touch are almost fully developed at birth. Indulge them with safe toys in a variety of textures and soft melodic sounds. Crib toys and mobiles that move or play music will appeal to most babies as well as add attractive color and pattern to the room. Just make sure that any hanging toys your baby can reach are safe and that they do not have small detachable parts.

At toddler age, your child's reach will have increased a great deal. The next page explains decorating ideas that keep your toddler safe.

Safety Tips for a Toddler's Room

Source : HowStuffWork

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Lure of the Sea Kids' Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-06T20:00:00.001-08:00

For a youngster who can't get enough of the water and rustic environs in general, this seafaring space is a permanent island getaway.

Jay Rosenblat
A boat makes a charming bed for a young sailor. Designer: Diane Boyer, ASID,
Diane Boyer Interiors, A Division of Bill Behrle Associates. Window treatment:
L&G Decorator Workroom. Trompe l’oeil painting: Holsten Interior Artisans.

Jay Rosenblat
A weathered Adirondack chair makes
a classic perch for gazing out to sea.
The hand-painted floorcloth puts sea
and sand at a young mariner’s feet.

A small room with awkward eaves may seem an ambitious canvas for a seascape, but a masterpiece of trompe l'oeil painting turns the whole room into a natural setting that blurs the boundaries of ceiling, walls and floor.

Craggy rocks, beach, sea grass, fir trees, rustic little boats and a sea that meets a cloudy sky all weave a spell.

In decorating as in advertising, power comes from having one big idea on which to work variations. With a big idea like the sea, it would be easy to take a side trip from this rustic fishing village to a treasure island or a tropical getaway, depending on your child's personal preference.

There are many big ideas for kids' bedrooms out there. With help from this article, you can find the one that's right for you.

Source : HowStuffWork

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Garden Flair Kids' Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

The mother of this Garden Flair Kids' Bedroom's occupant is a Montessori teacher who believes everything around the child will affect the development of her daughter's personality.

Steve Martin
A laser-cut border of cascading leaves suggests an airy pergola, enhanced by
a wrought-iron daybed. Designer: Gloria Rinaldi, INTERIORS by Decorating Den.

Steve Martin
A charming mix of fabrics gives this
window seat a feeling of luxury and fun.

Inspired by her own childhood garden memories, the mother requested a garden-theme room that could grow along with her young daughter. The decorator obliged with a complementary color scheme and a mix of pretty but not childish fabrics.

Walls the color of Granny Smith apples make a background both soothing and lively; accents in rosy red add punch.

While the wealth of dressmaker details on pillows and other fabrics are delightful, this room is practical, too. The window seat contains a number of roomy storage drawers, the trundle daybed will host sleepovers through the teen years, and there's plenty of floor space for play.

Personality abounds in the decorating idea on the next page, a seafaring theme.

Lure of the Sea Kids' Bedroom Decorating Idea

Source : HowStuffWork

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Crayon Box Colors Kids' Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-06T19:54:00.001-08:00

When your vision for a room is bigger than your budget, reach for a can of paint. It delivers the fastest, biggest change for the smallest investment, and your choices are unlimited.

Spaceships decorate these bed linens, but you can find the same rich blue on
a host of patterns. Stylist: Amy Leonard. Manufacturer: The Glidden Company.

A slatted table and chairs create
a parklike feeling that’s enhanced
by the cheerful Kelly green hue.

Changing the wall color will have a great impact just by itself, but why stop there? Unite an array of unmatched furniture pieces by using paint colors that harmonize with the walls, and you'll have a pulled-together look without breaking the bank.

In this room, pale blue walls visually expand the space; rich blue and green furniture blends in and preserves the room's visual flow.

Against this cool blue and green background, hot red and yellow accents really pop. What kid wouldn't love it?

Being cool is fun, but it's important to think about substance, too. The next page shows how a decorating idea can stimulate your child's development.

Garden Flair Kids' Bedroom Decorating Idea

Ribbon-Hung Chalkboard
What You'll Need

Bulletin board
Black chalkboard paint
2 small paintbrushes
6-inch-long piece of trim, same width as frame
Hammer and 3/4-inch-long brads or finishing nails
Waterbase latex paint
2 lengths 15-inch grosgrain ribbon, 1 inch wide

1. Paint back side of bulletin board (except frame) with an even coat of black chalkboard paint. Let dry; repeat twice.

2. To make chalk holder, center piece of trim on front of chalkboard over frame. Tack in place with small brads or finishing nails.

3. Paint 2 coats latex paint on chalk holder and frame, letting dry between coats.

4. To attach ribbon, thread end of 1 ribbon length through hanger on back of board, and tie into knot to secure. Repeat for second piece of ribbon. Bring free ends of ribbon together and tie into a knot. Hang on wall as desired.

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Outlook: Cool and Sunny Kids' Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-06T19:54:00.000-08:00

Bright and light, hues of blue, green and yellow are kid-friendly favorites in just about any setting.

Naturally finished birch wood and a gently curved traditional design make this
group a standout. The unit incorporates a computer desk. Manufacturer: PJ Kids.

In these rooms, the appeal of an analogous blue/green/yellow scheme is set off by the warm natural wood tones of the furniture. Pieces with simple, graceful lines and comfortably rounded corners are always winners.

Kids everywhere throw clothes, toys,
and what have you under the bed.
A captain’s bed makes that habit
a neat one. Manufacturer: PJ Kids.

The ones shown here are traditionally styled,
but it's possible to find "soft contemporary" pieces with a similar pleasing feeling. With colors this inviting, you may want to stick with solids, but stripes, checks and simple plaids are other popular choices for both boys and girls.

If and when your child's tastes change, you can change patterns and colors with ease. The basic furnishings will look just as great, whatever next year's look may be.

Changing colors is also the most inexpensive way to change decor, as seen in the decorating idea on the next page.

Crayon Box Colors Kids' Bedroom Decorating Idea

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Old World Enchantment Kids' Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-06T19:52:00.000-08:00

The young girl who lives here loves pink and yellow, but her mother didn't want an overly bright treatment her daughter would tire of quickly.

Greg Page
In this comfortable room, the bed becomes a lovely focal point with a graceful
swag suggesting a canopy. Designer: Alan Nugent, INTERIORS by Decorating Den.

Greg Page
A simple knotty pine desk and hutch,
whitewashed so the knots show
through, is decorated with a few
delicate accents in watercolor tints.

The solution was to use romantic, subtle versions of the favored hues: porcelain pink, mauve, antique ivory and old gold.

The girl's existing furniture, simple whitewashed pine with a French country feeling, worked nicely in the space. A simple swagged fabric treatment makes the bed a focal point; a few special vintage pieces, such as the faux bamboo end table and the circus rocking horse, enhance the nostalgic ambience.

Delicate trompe l'oeil fairies, leaves and vines embellish the walls but with a subtle touch. This is a space she'll cherish, now and through the years.

If you do favor bolder colors, the decorating idea on the next page demonstrates how to use them gracefully.

Outlook: Cool and Sunny Kids' Bedroom Decorating Idea

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That Sporting Life Kids' Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-06T19:45:00.000-08:00

If you've got a youngster who's an avid sports fan or active player, you can't miss with a room designed around his or her athletic passions.

Handsome traditional furniture doesn’t look fussy in this lively room. A rich blue
background and fun accessories give a vibrant feeling. Retailer: Bombay Kids.

Any young player or fan would warm up
to a sports-embellished quilt set
like this one. Retailer: Bombay Kids.

Sports themes have always been popular for boys, and the classic look of these rooms, done up in neutrals and primary hues, shows the timeless versatility of this approach.

These days, however, you can also find sportif ensembles for girls in feminine aqua and lilac as well as the usual gray, blue, tan and red. If your youngster isn't set on particular colors, consider adopting the two-color scheme of a professional or college team your family follows.

Unlike many other youthful enthusiasms, a love of sports may last, and you'll have yourself a winning formula for decorating.

For something more subtle, the garden-inspired decorating idea on the next page might be your thing.

Old World Enchantment Kids' Bedroom Decorating Idea

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Room to Grow Kids' Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-06T19:42:00.000-08:00

A room furnished only with a computer desk and a dresser was begging for romantic additions to make it a pretty nest for a young girl.

D. Randolph Folds
A simple slatted bed and a cushy full-size armchair plus ottoman give this room
comfort to spare. Designer: Connie Thompson, INTERIORS by Decorating Den.

D. Randolph Folds
A mix of raspberry stripes, yellow
checks, and pink-and-yellow parrot tulip
fabrics creates a cheerful, feminine
look the occupant won’t outgrow.

With the purely practical furniture already in place, the homeowner's attention turned to creating a breezy garden-inspired getaway. While this room isn't skimpy, the design
devices used here would work miracles in
any small room.

Sky blue walls give the room an airy feeling that's enhanced by the graceful tall window on one wall. A wonderful trompe l'oeil garden mural visually expands the room even further. Incredibly, the mural isn't an expensive hand-painted one; it's actually wallpaper.

The space-expanding approach extends to the floor with the use of an eye-catching rug laid on a diagonal. The result is a cool, comfortable space that can go the distance.

If your girl (or boy) is more of an athlete, check out the sports-themed decorating idea on the next page.

That Sporting Life Kids' Bedroom Decorating Idea

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Components of Fun Kids' Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-06T19:39:00.000-08:00

Fun, flexible, free-spirited and fuss-free: That's all the best of modern style, and it's all here.

Tom Bonner
Intensely colorful bed linens and imaginative artwork give this soothing, neutral
room a jolt of excitement. Designer: Alla Kazovsky. Manufacturer: Kids’ Studio.

Tom Bonner
This combination drawer and open shelf
storage unit maximizes space.

This room for a young boy is hard-working and great-looking, too. Rather than focusing on one theme, this room lets its young occupent keep all his favorite treasures around, from superheroes to dinosaurs to trains.

What helps keep the room from looking too cluttered is storage -- and lots of it. Open storage is a smart solution, and, in this room, it's also an attractive one.

Furniture is smooth Finnish birch plywood, but the principles could be applied to virtually any material, from unpeeled cedar logs to laminate. What's key is the focus on providing kids with just what they need for sleep, study, storage, self-expression -- and good old-fashioned play.

Girls might prefer a delicate, romantic look, like that in the decorating idea found on the next page.

Room to Grow Kids' Bedroom Decorating Idea

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On the Frontier Kids' Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-06T19:36:00.000-08:00

Cowboy style was always a lure for boys, but the American Girl doll phenomenon has popularized frontier lore for girls, too.

Jennifer Krough
Bandanna-print rugs and retro cowboy
memorabilia give this room a look
that’s warm and fun. Manufacturer:
The Warm Biscuit Bedding Co.

Today, both boys and girls can find themselves in rustic, easy-to-live-with frontier style, and, if you enjoy country style or collect Americana, it's easy to bring the look to kids' spaces.

Many Shaker- and Early American-style furnishings are perfect for children's rooms because these designs are so simple and practical. For example, wall racks with pegs for clothing were frontier fixtures, and they're much easier for kids to use than hangers in closets.

Contoured wood chairs are sturdy and comfortable, quilts are colorful and washable, and frontier-style heirlooms are already weathered and faded. And if you find yourself stuck for a color scheme, all-American red, white, and blue is a natural.

Practicality is a hallmark of modern design, too, as demonstrated in the decorating idea on the next page.

Components of Fun Kids' Bedroom Decorating Idea

Bright Ideas

Virtually any object can be made into a lamp. The easiest way to do this is to purchase a lamp kit at a hardware or home supply store. This kit will include electrical wiring, foundation supports, and a harp for holding a lamp shade.

Begin by finding a base to match your decor. Clay pots, glass hurricane shades filled with buttons or shells, tightly woven baskets, pottery, and wooden items all work well. If the item is not hollow, drill a hole wide enough for electrical wiring to thread through. Assemble the lamp parts as indicated in the diagram, beginning at the base of the lamp and working up to the socket. Top with a coordinating shade, and voila! You have an instant conversation piece.

Source : HowStufWork

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Garden District Kids' Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-06T19:30:00.000-08:00

A charming take on garden style, this room owes a bit of inspiration to the French-infused look of New Orleans or Savannah.

Travis Manning
Diamonds, hand-painted on the wall and sewn into a luxurious quilt, create
a subtly dynamic feeling. Designer: Diane Holdren, Holdren’s Interiors, Inc.

While many garden schemes for girls use more obvious ice cream tints, this room's chic color scheme is grounded in subtle sage and celery greens. These go-with-everything tints appeal to more sophisticated tastes and look great with periwinkle and mauve.

The real stars of the room, however, are the wonderful hand-painted images that embellish walls, trim and even the bed's headboard. They're whimsical without being too sweet, so they won't be outgrown too quickly.

Travis Manning
Wonderful hand-painted garden designs give a large door great visual
interest. An iron birdbath lamp continues the garden theme.

Against this background, pale furniture with hand-painted garden accents really shine. A few amusing accents, such as lengths of white picket fence, complete a garden space with perennial appeal.

Staying in the past but moving westward, the decorating idea on the next page takes on a frontier theme.

On the Frontier Kids' Bedroom Decorating Idea

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~The Use of Marble Or Ceramic Tiles When Remodeling

2009-01-06T07:55:00.000-08:00

The Use of Marble Or Ceramic Tiles When Remodeling

The drop in real estate prices has resulted in many home sellers wanting to find ways to increase the resale value of their homes. One of the best ways to do this is to remodel and wall tiles can be used to achieve just. This is ontop of their other aesthetic use which to add beauty and increase the attractiveness of a home. Remodelling of houses has a significant effect on the market value of the house. A very important area in a house and which increases its value is the bathroom and the kitchen. These can be rejuvenated with a touch of the right wall tiles. Though other areas like the bathroom, backyard, porches can also be remodelled , it is the kitchen and the bathroom that can be the main selling points of a house. Wall tiles are available in a variety of colours, textures and types the most common being porcelain, stone, glass, ceramic as well as marble. More and more people are giving walls their due attention when it comes to remodeling because transforming a wall is the easiet way to transform a home. Porcelain wall tiles are the most common although we are starting to see marble rising in significance. Marble is very elegant although it still costs more than its counterparts porcelain and ceramic and therefore is reserved for those with a higher budget. Marble is actually a modified form of limestone which is derived from metamorphic rock and originates when there are chemical and structural changes in limestone. It contains calcite which is a crystalline form of calcium carbonate CaCo3. Marble has a very elegant feel and appearanceand is attractive because it is quite resistant against weather. Because of this, it was traditionally used in Roman and Greek buildings so as to add grace and elegance to them. There are many sculptures in many ancient cities which are a testimony of the elegance of marble in construction and modeling. Today, marble is mostly used in office buildings and homes of higher income individuals and families. It is also used in artistic work such as renovations and remodelling. One thing with the use of marble is that it comes in a variety of colours, designs, patterns and shapes which makes it the most preferred choice for beautification and decoration of dwellings and offices. It adds to the value of the structure. Marble tiles have indeed proved itself not only in decoration of floors but it has a great impact on the beauty of any part of the house as a decoration alternative. It gives a new life to every part of a house in which it is used. It makes it look alive and more sophisticated and elegant. Marble tiles can really do wonders to change the look entirely. As far as shaping marble is concerned, it is quite flexible and can be easily given various shapes which helps to fit it in to various structures and sculptures of various shapes and sizes. It is a really good alternative for walls and adds to its beauty and appeal.

Looking for ceramic wall tiles? Check our complete guide to complete wall tiles when buying.

~Glass Shelves Tips For Expert Use'

2009-01-06T07:30:00.000-08:00

Glass Shelves Tips For Expert Use

Right through the beginning of time, man has used wood for various purposes, and the biggest reason for this is that it is one of the easiest products to obtain. To get wood, one has to do nothing but just cut down a tree which involves very little use of technology. Man did these in medieval times and in modern times, the craftsmen have learnt a lot of new techniques and making furniture out of wood is not the same. Te designs look very attractive and flashy. And this is the reason wood is the main requirement for furniture making. In particular, wooden shelves have been really popular because they blend perfectly with the rest of the furniture and are easy to assemble, and not to forget the fact that they do look really beautiful. But recently Glass shelves have also gained popularity and the reason of which can be known here. Glass as a material looks attractive and reflective. Wherever you see any modern interior design magazines, you will find that glass blends in a very attractive manner with green plants which makes a room not only professional but also livable and yes it also makes the room spacious. So overall it can be said that glass is the future of living room and bedroom decor. Glass is also easier to maintain when compared with wood. Wood has it side effects when it comes to cleaning because it requires timely dusting. Special care has to be taken when cleaning wood because it cannot be cleaned with just water and a sponge or a piece of cloth. It requires a special cleansing veneer which makes wood shinier and long lasting. But it goes with its disadvantages too like the veneer is expensive and may not be easily available. And also everyone cannot apply the veneer because there is a specific procedure to be followed. But when it comes to glass, there is absolutely no need for any costly material and needs only a cheap cleansing agent like Cleanex which is available easily. Also its application is very simple and requires just a cloth or sponge. And when it comes to the case of strength, glass is no way behind wood. Wood, which has been used for a long time to make furniture has and advantage of being resilient product and good looks. But Glass is again taking over wood in this matter because of its added strength. The glass used for shelves and the one used for making glass products are no way related., because the glass used in shelves is specially treated to be strong enough. This one is called tempered glass which is like a lot stronger and resilient than the normal glass and has the capability to handle high pressures when heavier items are placed on it. This fact cannot be ignored because we place many things like heavy books and stereo systems and TV and we expect it to handle every possible pressure.

Looking for custom glass shelves? Check our complete guide to the best glass shelves when buying.

Raring to Go Toddler Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-05T18:54:00.001-08:00

Lots of little guys are crazy for vehicles -- especially race cars. If you've got car-loving kids at home, why not indulge them?

Adrian Mendoza
A wall becomes a play surface when areas are covered in Velcro hook and loop
fasteners. Designer: Julia Dutton Haidlen, ASID, J. Haidlen Design Associates.
Architect: Scott Meyers, DelValle Homes.

This room's winning formula starts with primary colors plus black and white -- all eye-catching colors with proven kid appeal. Then, it features an array of race car motifs to spark added excitement.

Each area of the room carries the theme to triumph. For example, a ho-hum view didn't stop the action: An over-the-top valance uses bright high-contrast colors and dashing shapes to give kids plenty to look at.

Adrian Mendoza
The view outside this bedroom is of a neighbor’s wood fence,
but that doesn’t matter a bit when the window valance is this exciting.

An ordinary wall is transformed into fun topography that adds visual interest but actually works as a miniature "roadway." A few big gestures like these makes a dramatic difference in how a room looks.

Toddlers have vivid imaginations. Using the ideas in this article, you'll be able to transport your young boy or girl to a magical play place every time they enter their room.

Race Car Valance

What You'll Need

Tape measure
Approximately 2 yards fabric
Scissors
Sewing machine
Iron and ironing board
Synthetic fiber
Pins
Approximately 2 yards polyester quilt batting, 1/2 inch thick
Craft glue
Staple gun and staples

1. Measure cornice you want to cover. Width of fabric piece for valance should equal front facing of cornice width plus widths of both sides plus 6 inches. For fabric height, measure height of front facing and add 4 inches.

2. To cover cornice, sew together race-car-theme fabrics to create desired pattern. To make checkerboard points, cut 12 to 16 triangles from fabric. Each triangle should be about 7 inches long and 6 inches at its widest point. With right sides facing, stitch each triangle together, leaving straight bottom edge open. Turn and press, then lightly stuff each with synthetic fiber. Center triangles along bottom edge of fabric for front facing. With right sides facing and raw edges aligned, stitch points in place.

3. Affix quilt batting over front and sides of cornice with craft glue. When dry, stretch fabric taut so it's aligned with cornice board and checkerboard points hang from bottom edge. Wrap fabric edges around to back of board; staple fabric in place. To cover top, stretch fabric over dust board. Wrap fabric edges around to back of dust board, and staple in place. Continue smoothing and stapling until fabric lies flat. Mount cornice.

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Fairy-Tale Forest Toddler Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-05T18:54:00.000-08:00

An enchanted forest figures importantly in many beloved fairy tales, so it's no wonder stepping into this room evokes a magical feeling.

A pretty, Gothic-style window gets the royal treatment, but the use of simple
checked fabric keeps the mood light. Designer: Mark Wilkinson.

A glorious mural, depicting castles, mountains, wildflower fields and garland-twined trees, runs ceiling to floor around the entire room.

Against this background, an armoire out of Beauty and the Beast, a Goldilocks bed and other charming elements make this space a dream come true for an imaginative youngster.

A cottage-style chair cozies up to a well-made little vanity that’s pretty
but not pretentious. A wicker hamper stashes dirty clothes in style.

The room has been decorated to please a girl, but, with a change of bedding, window treatments and rugs, it would work just as well for a budding Robin Hood.

Well-constructed wood furniture is key: It's got the timeless charm you'd expect to find in a storybook cottage, but it's sturdy enough for real life today.

Of course, a young boy also might prefer a classic racetrack theme. Find out how to execute this concept on the next page.

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Princess in Residence Toddler Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-05T18:50:00.001-08:00

Pink ruffled curtains are a familiar sight in little girls' rooms, but that's just the beginning in this marvelous space.

Recalling Cinderella’s enchanted pumpkin turned coach, this marvelous little
nest cuddles a young lady in comfort and style. Designer: Mark Wilkinson.

On the walls, murals feature magical ponies and ballroom swags, and the ceiling's rosette is embellished with faux tassels.

A ceiling-height castle is beautifully
detailed for maximum charm. Inside,
it’s a storage unit for toys and clothes.

Within the room, beautifully made wood furnishings blur the line between furniture and theater. Each piece is thoughtfully designed to evoke fairy tale ideas, but each is also crafted for simplicity and safety.

While white furniture is a popular choice for young girls' rooms, this room shows that's not always necessary to create a feminine feeling. Paired with pink, rosy red and gold, the warmth of natural wood has its own allure. In the right hands, it's downright magical.

Every princess needs a fairy tale. Find out how to build one into your toddler's room on the next page.

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Girlhood Charm Toddler Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-05T18:49:00.000-08:00

A pastel palette of the lightest greens, pinks, yellows and blues -- all frosted in white -- gives these bedrooms a gentle feminine feeling.

Bill Matthews
A house-shape bed with a cubbyhole/dollhouse footboard is charming, cozy
and very clever. Designer: Pamela DiCapo. Retailer: Lauren Alexandra.

A closer look, however, shows that these spaces have been planned with the needs of active young girls in mind. Furniture is scaled for little ones, beds are free of pointed posts or other dangerous elements, and there's plenty of storage for all her favorite things.

What's more, while the look is undeniably girlish and delicate, it's not overly fragile. Patchwork and checked fabrics, knotty pine that's been painted and distressed, and nostalgic accents all contribute to a sturdy country look.

Bill Matthews
Old-fashioned elements such as a daisy-top table, an Adirondack chair,
and a ball fringe on the bed skirt help create nostalgic appeal.
Designer: Pamela DiCapo. Retailer: Lauren Alexandra.

You'll find cute pieces like these in ready-to-finish furniture stores and resale shops as well as kids' specialty retailers.

Every girl likes to feel like a princess. The next page shows you how to make her feel like one in her room.

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Garden Bright Toddler Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-05T18:43:00.000-08:00

Fresh-picked charm abounds in this lively room, thanks to a lime and aqua color scheme that can please your girl for a long time.

Bradley Olman
The floral graphics are fun if subtle, but the pint-size armchairs really give this
room its one-of-a-kind flair. Designer: Terri Ervin, INTERIORS by Decorating Den.

With the exception of a few floral graphic treatments, this is not a flowery space. Plaids and checks in frisky tints create a look that's feminine but cool and sporty at the same time.

The room takes a casual tongue-in-cheek approach to garden style, with amusing results. A few giant flowers on the walls and floor, larger-than-life dragonflies at the window, and window boxes filled with whimsical wooden blooms set the stage with charm.

Bradley Olman
This large walk-in closet under the eaves makes a charming
playroom hideaway adjacent to the pretty bedroom.

A surprising mix of wicker and leather-upholstered furniture adds punch to this confident, cheerful space.

Active young girls might prefer the strong-but-feminine touches of the Girlhood Charms theme, found on the next page.

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Step Right Up Toddler Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-05T18:39:00.001-08:00

The circus has always been a popular theme for a child's room, but this interpretation is more dramatic and sophisticated than most.

Barn red, slate blue and tawny brown shades leap from the walls
onto the room’s furnishings. Designer: Mark Wilkinson.

Simple yet comfortable, this furniture
withstands climbing kids in style.

A masterful mural that ranges around the room is an extraordinary piece of art that doesn't rely on bright colors for its drama.

Befitting the rich, relatively quiet palette, the furniture is also something special. A fusion of Craftsman, Asian and modern styles, these pieces are strikingly handsome yet sturdy enough for active kids.

If you appreciate the timeless, resilient appeal of classic wood, metal and cloth toys, you'll find it satisfying to furnish your treasured little one's room with the same kind of heirloom quality.

Years from now, you'll still be glad you did. Your child and grandchild might be glad, too!

Another theme very common to children is the garden. Find out how to bring that concept to your toddler's room on the next page.

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Feminine Charms Toddler Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-05T18:39:00.000-08:00

Wallcoverings and fabrics make it easy to create a lighthearted, girlish look in any bedroom, as these pretty spaces show.

Henry Biber
Simple details, such as the whimsical bed skirt and practical door gate,
enrich the look of a little one’s bedroom. Retailer: The Magic Moon.

Coordinating wallpaper and fabric
patterns lets you celebrate the “bear”
essentials throughout your child’s room.
Manufacturer: Brewster Wallcovering Co.

Whether you prefer a clean contemporary
palette or a softly antiqued one, pastel florals, stripes and plaids create simple charm.

To give a girlish scheme a little extra
substance, ground it with a piece of interesting furniture with good lines, some eye-catching details and perhaps an heirloom background.

In the rooms shown here, that job is done by
an elaborately scrolled daybed and a
weathered armoire with latticed doors.

Pieces like these have staying power that can last until your girl heads off to college and can be just as charming in a guest room later.

All children love the circus, which is
represented in the decorating idea found
on the next page.

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Castle Keep Toddler Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-05T18:36:00.000-08:00

If your youngster is blessed with a good-size bedroom and you've got a connection with some talented craftspeople, the sky's the limit when it comes to imaginative design.

A room-height castle complete with whimsical guards makes this
little boy’s bedroom a dream come true. Designer: Mark Wilkinson

A castle-style storage unit features
lots of kid-size drawers plus cubbyholes
for fast work of straightening up.

This lucky youngster's room is a total fantasy environment. It's practical, too: Just about every medieval castle element leads a double life as a storage unit.

To create a similar effect, a good understanding of the historical architectural icons that say "castle" is useful. This is, after all, a little boy's room, where bold and simple shapes work best.

Start with a big, kid-friendly idea, plan it out in detail, and you'll have a room memories are made of.

If you're looking for a space designed specifically for girls, check out the Feminine Charms idea on the next page.

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Fabric Fair Toddler Bedroom Decorating Idea

2009-01-05T18:33:00.001-08:00

Pretty, scalloped furniture pieces are the stock in trade of juvenile bedroom groups for girls.

Bill Matthews
Layered lightweight cotton print fabrics give a blithe, countrified air to a charming
four-poster bed. Designer: Pamela DiCapo. Retailer: Lauren Alexandra.

Bill Matthews
Details on a little desk are picked out in
paint, and a simple wood chair gets
comfy with cushions and cheerful bows.

But once you've found the necessary bed, dresser and desk, then what?

This beguiling room shows just how much further you can take a look with the right mix of paint and fabrics. The effect is captivating, thanks to a wonderful color palette and loving attention to dressmaker details.

A scheme of chartreuse, pink, and white creates a lighthearted ambience. Bigger furniture is off-white with pretty lines; small accessories of knotty pine are enhanced with custom-painted treatments.

What's really special is the sprightly mix of simple cotton fabrics and trim. Small-, medium-, and large-scale prints are used lavishly, but they're balanced for visual harmony and united by a shared color scheme.

The result? Springtime, year-round.

To go from springtime to medieval times, check out the castle decorating idea on the next page.

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The Feng Shui Home Decorating

2009-01-04T22:59:00.000-08:00

The Feng Shui Home Decorating

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When it comes to home decoration, there is a huge amount of information and methods as to how you can decorate your home. In other words, there are no fast or hard rules as to how the interior of a home needs to be decorated, and this is why the vast array of interior decor concepts is as prevalent as they are today. Some people insist on decorating their own interior in spite of a lack of talent that borders on infamy. There are also people who have decorated their homes in such a way that the interior takes on a tacky quality that makes those apartments look like a retirement community apartment. There are people who have a sense of decorum and taste that inspires creativity. Sometimes that creativity is inspired by one of their hobbies, and the art of Feng Shui home decorating is such a concept. Feng Shui brings the eastern concept of meridians and chi and takes it from the internal and brings it out and about into the external world. Well, perhaps this is not entirely accurate. All enlightenment comes from within oneself and not from any external object. But, quality Feng Shui home decorating can provide an environment that is more conducive to the channel of the all important life energies that humans need in order to live to their fullest potential. People cannot exist if they are performing at a level that is below their physical and mental health. People must feel a sense of personal balance and internal joy or they will succumb to the common maladies that plague our minds and infect our bodies, it is no secret. What is so critically important is that we return ourselves to that natural balance our body requires so we may function effectively, and this is what Feng Shui truly represents at its core. Feng Shui home decorating can be considered a base for our health. It is not a cure. It can rid us of each of our mental and physical illnesses. What feng shui can provide us is an environment that promotes well being, health, positive state of mind, which are very important in any persons life. By embracing such decorating, you can make your personal dwelling into an "incubator" for positive health and wellness. Feng Shui home decorating can provide you with a base for developing the placid health our bodies require. There are those who are not one hundred percent true believers in the benefits. There are non-believers whenever a mystic subject is brought up. And it will be so always probably. It is not so much what other people believe in so much as it is whether or not one is benefiting from the life enhancing stimulation that Feng Shui provides. It is important that you believe in what you are doing, and if you apply feng shui decorating principles to your home, and believe, you will create a healthy state home.

Would you like to know more about Feng Shui?

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Asian exotically unusual!

2009-01-04T22:56:00.000-08:00

Asian exotically unusual!

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Home d?cor is a subject that has fascinated mankind for ages. Since the time of prehistory, man has always taken pride in decorating his caves with wall arts and figurines. Today, the art of home interior decorating has transformed itself to a full-fledged profession. A number of styles and fashions have come into the play in this field. The arena of home interior decorating has undergone a huge change, as the world had grown closer through communication. Thus, with greater levels of communications being established all around the world, the influences of different cultures have crept into the world of home interior decorating and have redefined the art of home d?cor itself. One of these styles that have been brought in from foreign lands is the home d?cor style called the Asian.Bring home the exquisite elegance of the east with the Asian style of home interior decorating. The look that this style demands is one that stresses on the subtle while hinting at the bold. A greater emphasis is placed on the accessories than is natural in any other style of home interior decorating. You have a greater scope of experimentation with colors than any other style would allow you. Beginning with gray and silver, a number of colors gel well with the walls of the interiors of this style of home interior decorating. If you have chosen gray or silver as the base of the shades of color for your walls, you can accentuate the quaint exotic feel of the style with accessories that are colored in shades of blue or purple. Another important and oft used color combination is the combination of white and silver which is guaranteed to give a completely regal feel to the entire d?cor of the room. A variation that is guaranteed to bring in a dash of freshness to your interiors is the use of colors like orange and lime citrus.You could leave the floors bare or cover them up with a Tibetan rug that is sure to do wonders in enhancing the Asian style of home interior decorating. You could also add in a couple of bamboo-framed mirrors and night lamp stands for the entire look of the orient to be accentuated. An additional feature of variation could be brought about by the addition of a piece of furniture that is perhaps not so often seen in the western styles of home interior decorating. Thus, you could perhaps add a touch of oriental magic with the addition of a treasure chest with a lacquered lid in the center of the room, which could perhaps double up as a coffee table. The lacquered look goes extremely well with most of the furniture that is associated with this style of home interior decorating. The Asian look of home d?cor is one that can provide you with the maximum scope for using antique pieces of furniture. Try and use symmetry and color wherever possible keeping in mind that no other style of home d?cor allows one as much scope for using the unusual as much as the Asian style of home interior decorating leaves room for.

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Tropical returning to nature!

2009-01-04T22:52:00.000-08:00

Tropical returning to nature!

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The Tropics have always represented a sense of the exotic to most of us. It is perhaps this desire for the exotic that has translated itself to forming one of the most sought after designs in the world of home d?cor. Today as more and more people are opting for the tropical style of home interior decorating, a thorough study into the intricacies of the style would be a welcome breather. As you embark on this journey to the land of the exotic, be ready for lots of sunlight, bright colors and a whole new definition of life for your homes. Make the room as ornamental as you want it to be as no other style of home interior decorating will allow you as much scope of variation and experimentation as the tropical style will allow you to. Stress on openness with a number of windows and doors opening out to accentuate the breeziness flowing around the room can help to create the ambience of a tropical paradise.Let the natural sunlight flow in as this will enhance both the lighting of the room as well as increase the feel of good living that this style of home interior decorating emphasizes. Fresh and lively, this theme of home interior decorating is all about being natural. Experiment with colors as bright colors gel with the interiors of the rooms decorated in this theme of home d?cor. If you are using wallpapers, you can have a greater range of options to choose from as a number of patterns go well with the look of tropical home d?cor. Thus, be bold and express yourself with patters like pineapples and palm trees, patterns that you would definitely think twice about while using other styles. Wood is the order of the day and the spirit of innovativeness continues with the furniture as well. If expenses are not an issue, you could opt for heavy furniture made from exotic wood like Teak, Rosewood and Koa.If you prefer your furniture to be lighter choose from lighter variations of natural wood like Cane, Sea Grass, Water Hyacinth, Banana Leaf and Rattan, which can be adapted to construct furniture ranging from chairs, sofas, tables and even beds. An important point to keep in mind is that though the style offers enough room for experimentation, it is best to keep the style to a moderate level. This is essential as otherwise the end result could well turn out to resemble a jungle more than a living space! Keep the furniture comfortable, as it is important to keep in mind that a basic function of a house, room or any living space is to provide comfort and cheer to its inmates. Experiment with colors. For a soft muted look one could choose a neutral color shade for the walls and contrast it with bold patterned upholstery. For a really tropical look one could throw in a few faux animal prints!

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Classic Conservative cozy homeliness!

2009-01-04T22:49:00.000-08:00

Classic Conservative cozy homeliness!

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Decorating a home is a matter of personal taste and affinity. A home is a reflection of one?s own personality and thus, while choosing one?s home d?cor, most of us opt for a style that make us feel comfortable and at peace with ourselves. One of the styles that most people are comfortable in is the home d?cor theme of the classic conservative, which lets the householders be themselves. When you choose this theme of home interior decoration, let calm sophistication be your buzzwords. One of the most important reasons which account for this style of home d?cor is the fact that most of us have grown up in surroundings that instill in us the peace and security that all of us associate with our childhood. While planning out the interiors in this theme of home d?cor, the look that one would want to achieve would stress on a more formalistic pattern that would accentuate the traditional styles of home interior decoration.Symmetry is very important in this theme both in the case of furniture as well as in the lines, which concern the interiors. Since the style ranges on the conservative mode and pattern of home interior decorating one of the greatest criticisms levied against the style is the fact that rooms designed following this style are often too traditional to leave any room for innovation or experimentation. However, there are as most experts on home d?cor who feel that there is a lot of scope for experimentation within the realms of this pattern. The pattern of symmetry is evident throughout the room as most furnishings and accessories are arranged in pairs. The lines that this design demands too are neat and straight and as the name suggest, classic-conservative. One of the ways of adding variation to the straightforward pattern of the room is by introducing curved furniture or accessories in the interiors which can provide a much needed variation while keeping the traditional outlook of the theme intact.Using period furniture for the d?cor of these rooms can help to accentuate the look of antique elegance. An effective variation can be brought about through upholstered furniture, though keeping in mind that the pattern of the furniture used for the purpose should gel well with the overall theme of traditional good living that the theme stresses on. This theme of home interior decorating offers its followers plenty of scope for experimentation through the usage of colors. You can opt for a number of colors and patterns starting with floral to even geometric ones. For those who love contrasts one could also arrange the walls to be painted in neutral and softer hues with the upholstery and flooring in darker and more vibrant shades and patterns that are sure to redefine home d?cor with a new vigor. Understatement is the key to the entire issue with a stress on non-jarring homeliness.

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Urban a bold statement!

2009-01-04T22:44:00.000-08:00

Urban a bold statement!

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In today?s world of speed and fast changes it is important to adapt both ourselves as well as our homes to a style that is suited to our changing environment. Our homes are an extension of ourselves and hence most of us prefer our homes to be what they should be like a reflection of our own likes and dislikes. With a number of influences creeping up nowadays, our tastes have also been transformed to accommodate a more cosmopolitan taste for home interior decoration. One of the styles that have emerged out of these transformations is the urban style of home d?cor. The style, which emerged around the 90?s, was developed in a form that stressed on minimalism and informality. This style developed even more with the passage of time as more and more cosmopolitan influences started creeping into it.The initial look chosen for this design was a minimalist one that can today be referred to as slightly uninviting as well. However, today, as the style developed the urban look of home interior decoration have changed to a more inviting and warm one that has found popularity with both the younger as well as the comparatively older generations. The style has been made more popular by its clean and chic look, with neat lines that are well defined and accentuated. Fresh and cool, this style has found its patrons, predominantly, in the ?Generation Next?. You can experiment with this style of home d?cor playing with both the colors as well as the patterns. Bold is the word of the day, so put on your thinking caps as you plan out your interiors in this style of home interior decoration. While playing with the colors and patterns of this style of home d?cor, make sure to keep the interiors simple, as simplicity is definitely the buzzword of the day. Lines are the most important factor in this style of home d?cor so do not try to experiment with the lines too much. Keep them simple yet stark, with a definite geometric pattern linking the entire room together.You can also play with colors keeping in mind. As the theme itself ranges on the bold, you can opt for anything stretching from combination of neutrals to white or pitch black and even colors that are flamboyantly bright and warm. Play around with rugs making sure of the pattern though. Opt for rugs that are focused more on a geometric pattern. Carpets are extremely important in this style of home d?cor, as a carpet not just provides a sense of warmth that is extremely essential in this style of home interior decoration, but also because it instills inside the room a sense of sophistication and gives it a visual character that is extremely attractive. Accessorize with zebra pillows or cushions that are modeled on the pattern of leopards. With the entire theme planned now all you have to do is to get set for entertaining at the house-warming party!

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Country Style return to our roots

2009-01-04T22:40:00.000-08:00

Country Style return to our roots

In a world where styles and fashion change with the passage of time, it is hardly surprising that this change of taste will also affect the interiors of our homes. Our homes are precious to all of us, being built by us as a definition of everything we ever craved for. Thus, to most of us our homes are an extension of ourselves, not just a structure made of concrete, bricks and glass. Thus, most of us project our homes in the way we want the world to see our dreams, our aspirations and ourselves. Home d?cor can range from a number of styles a predominant one of which is the country style. Elegant and sophisticated, country styles in the arena of home interior decoration are fast catching up amongst the masses. Made popular by its distinctive neatness and well-maintained look the country style of home interior decoration is one of the easiest home d?cor styles that can be achieved.The country style is a broad generic term in which a number of other styles can be accommodated. These include the styles that are defined by the various geographical boundaries of our world. In today?s hectic world where all of us are caught in a maze of deadlines and appointments it is very important at times to rejuvenate ourselves. One of the best ways of doing this is to surround us with things that add a feel of harmony and peace of mind to our lives. It is from this sentiment that the country style of home d?cor has been given prominence. The country style of home interior decoration can differ from one geographical region to another and thus, while working on this style it is important to keep in mind your individual taste, social and geographical backgrounds. A country style of home interior decoration can add an effect of calm and tranquility to our homes.To start off the style, it is best to choose white as the main color for the walls of your house as the simplicity of the color can help to accentuate the other accessories and help to create an overall look of elegance. Choose the upholstery in such a way that an overall look is achieved that creates a feel of a lived in look that works wonders in bringing about a look of countryside well being. Soft, muted colors help to build up this aura as well and thus, you can experiment with various neutral shades stressing on the pastel colors to create that sought after ambience of countryside beauty. The options available for the furniture that you need for this look in home d?cor are immense. Keep a look out for bargains at your nearest flea market for the furniture best suited for this look. Accessorize your room with perhaps a simple rug that can add to the warm, lived in look of the place and make your country style of home d?cor one of the most sought after resorts in the world!

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Home Decor Styles a study of aesthetics!

2009-01-04T22:25:00.000-08:00

Home Decor Styles a study of aesthetics!

Human beings have always been blessed with a sense of exquisiteness and aesthetics that has always encouraged them to seek beauty all around themselves. One of the most important areas where we try to incorporate artistic beauty is our home, the place where we seek solace, rest and peace of mind after the end of a hard day?s work. Thus, for most of us, our homes are not just a structure made up of four walls and a roof; it is an extension of our own selves, our minds and our hearts. Thus, it is hardly surprising that most human beings use their home d?cor as a means of expressing their personalities, desires as well as their dreams. In today?s world, home interior decoration is not just an art; it has been transformed into a profession. Thus, in case you want to decorate your house or an individual room, you can be sure to find just the perfect home interior decorator who will understand exactly what you want and transform your house to the dream home that you had in your imagination.However, if you want to set up your home yourself, adding your personal touches to make every nook and corner more special, nothing could be better than that. If you are a novice with very little idea of how to decorate your home, there can be reason to fret. Help is here at hand with easy availability of research material and home interior decoration tips almost all around us. Whether traditional, modern or a blend of both, interior decoration is today an easy Do-It-Yourself method that can transform your house into an absolutely exotic world that you will love to inhabit. Styles differ with time as do taste and the materials available around us. Thus, one needs to keep oneself up to date about the various styles and materials that are in vogue at present. Styles can differ as they are based on personal choice and the suitability and availability of the materials needed for the style.While planning out your home d?cor, it is best to keep in mind the climate as well as the needs of your family. For example, homes for families with small babies should sport a style that is neat and childproof, with not too many showpieces lying all around the place. You can choose a style that is uniform throughout the house or have specific styles for specific rooms. Thus, you can perhaps choose a contemporary style for your bathrooms while you plan a Victorian style of home interior decoration for your bedrooms. You can also do up your interiors keeping in mind a specific theme. Themes range from floral to tropical and even western styles or perhaps something that is completely your own definition of an ideal living space. So, activate your creative skills as you seek out a whole new world of beauty and glamour through the arena of home interior decoration.

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Contemporary an elegance that thrills!

2009-01-04T22:18:00.000-08:00

Contemporary an elegance that thrills!

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It is said that our homes are one of the most accurate images of our personalities, mirroring our tastes, likes and dislikes. Thus, while planning your home d?cor make sure you project exactly the face that you want the rest of the world to see. If you belong to one of the swanky, smart individuals who make up most of the mass of our generation next, then, the right theme for you would be the latest to hit the circles of interior decoration. Opt for the minimalist look that is the latest buzzword in the world of home d?cor. Though dismissed by older generations of interior experts as cold, most of today?s younger professional home interior decorators feel that the look that this theme presents is more welcoming and warm than that presented by its predecessors. One of the most important things to keep in mind while executing this theme is the fact that the look that one should aim to achieve is one that would be minimalist and clutter-free.Make sure that the floors are bare with a smooth finish, preferably of wood, tile or vinyl. Just in case you cannot do without carpets, opt for the down-to-earth patterns which are either geometric or plain. Avoid floral patters and prints both in the carpets as well as in the upholstery. The fabric to be used for the upholstery should be preferably natural like wool, cotton, silk or jute with colors that are neutral like black, white or gray. The minimalist look that this theme of home interior decoration demands should also be portrayed in the furniture of the room. Thus, while investing in the furniture, make sure that sofas, chairs and beds are simple without any skirts, trimmings, fringes or tassels. If you feel that the minimalist contemporary look is becoming too cold for the ambience that you want to project you could add a dash of warmth and color by using dashes of bright accessories.For example, you could perhaps use brightly colored cushions on the sofa that could add a variation and life to the stillness of the room. It is advisable to keep the walls bare with perhaps just a hint of color here and there by using a picture or two. Make sure that the pictures do not draw too much of attention to themselves as this can make the rest of the room look bare in comparison and spoil the general effect that the ambience of this theme of home d?cor aims to create. The walls should be like the upholstery painted in shades of color that are either white, black or neutral as this plays a very important influence on the overall impression that you want to project. In most cases, lighting is emphasized in the rooms, which are furnished keeping in mind the contemporary look as that helps to a large extent in removing the aura of bland vacuum that the theme is associated with.

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Bamboo Style a Natural Alternative

2009-01-04T22:09:00.000-08:00

Bamboo Style a Natural Alternative

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All of us love to surround our world with things, which are both beautiful as well as exotic. Since our homes are one of the most intrinsic parts of the world around us, most of us love to make these dwelling places more than a structure made up of four walls and a roof. In today?s world, the styles for home d?cor can range from a number of themes, designs and materials. While planning your home decor, you can either opt for the theme being implemented throughout the house or use one specific theme for a specific room. It is best to make an assessment of your needs before embarking on the process of home interior decoration. The next point to keep in mind would obviously be taste and your personal likings and disliking. You can then choose from a host of themes that can stretch from Victorian to more contemporary ones, which are more suited to our modern, urban tastes.One of these modern themes include home d?cor ideas that are really catching up with the mass is the use of bamboo. Eco-friendly and beautiful, bamboo has a number of advantages that account for its popularity as both a theme of home interior decoration as well as an means of home d?cor. Transform your home to a tropical paradise of peace and harmony with the use of bamboo. Another benefit of using bamboo is the fact that the material is famous for its sheer versatility. You can incorporate it into almost anything beginning with floorings to even towels! The only point to keep in mind while using bamboo as the theme for decorating your home interior decoration is the fact that the glue that is used for sealing the sheets into a pattern should be a non-toxic one. This is especially important in the case of flooring made up of bamboo as using cheap glue or the flooring can cause the floors to dent and also cause them to give out a harmful gas called Formaldehyde.One can also match the curtains with the flooring with convenience as bamboo curtains can be easily purchased all over the world. It is best to keep the interiors of the room cluster-free while using this theme, as this would go a long way in enhancing the ambience of peace and solitude that is almost synonymous with the theme. The color that this theme would necessarily involve would be slightly muted and one that is quite fashionable in today?s world. In case you want to add in a spot of brightness at places you could add in a couple of bright cushions and a rug in a corner. Add a special touch with perhaps a light stand that could be dimmed for an evening of sweet nothings with that special somebody! To add a bit of freshness to the room, accentuate the muted sophistication of the theme with a couple of bright hibiscus flowers or perhaps that exotic beach painting you had spotted and make your home interior decoration an art that will never cease to amaze the rest of the world!

Source : SymphonyHomeDecorating

Home Decor Styles

2009-01-04T22:05:00.000-08:00

Home Decor Styles

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Bamboo Style a Natural Alternative All of us love to surround our world with things, which are both beautiful as well as exotic. Since our homes are one of the most intrinsic parts of the world around us, most of us love to make these dwelling places more than a structure made up of
Contemporary an elegance that thrills! It is said that our homes are one of the most accurate images of our personalities, mirroring our tastes, likes and dislikes. Thus, while planning your home d?cor make sure you project exactly the face that you want the rest of the world to see. If
Home Decor Styles a study of aesthetics! Human beings have always been blessed with a sense of exquisiteness and aesthetics that has always encouraged them to seek beauty all around themselves. One of the most important areas where we try to incorporate artistic beauty is our home, the
Country Style return to our roots In a world where styles and fashion change with the passage of time, it is hardly surprising that this change of taste will also affect the interiors of our homes. Our homes are precious to all of us, being built by us as a definition of everything
Urban a bold statement! In today?s world of speed and fast changes it is important to adapt both ourselves as well as our homes to a style that is suited to our changing environment. Our homes are an extension of ourselves and hence most of us prefer our homes to be what
Classic Conservative cozy homeliness! Decorating a home is a matter of personal taste and affinity. A home is a reflection of one?s own personality and thus, while choosing one?s home d?cor, most of us opt for a style that make us feel comfortable and at peace with ourselves. One of the
Tropical returning to nature! The Tropics have always represented a sense of the exotic to most of us. It is perhaps this desire for the exotic that has translated itself to forming one of the most sought after designs in the world of home d?cor. Today as more and more people are
Asian exotically unusual! Home d?cor is a subject that has fascinated mankind for ages. Since the time of prehistory, man has always taken pride in decorating his caves with wall arts and figurines. Today, the art of home interior decorating has transformed itself to a
The Feng Shui Home Decorating When it comes to home decoration, there is a huge amount of information and methods as to how you can decorate your home. In other words, there are no fast or hard rules as to how the interior of a home needs to be decorated, and this is why the vast

~Create A Mural In Your Home

2009-01-04T21:53:00.000-08:00

Create A Mural In Your Home

How can you create a mural that looks hand painted on your wall without a single drop of paint? Try the new thin as paint mural transfers that you simply rub on your wall. Create fabulous murals by rubbing mural transfers on your walls. Like a tattoo for your walls, these thin as paint murals are a cinch to put up and no removal is necessary. They can be simply painted over. They can go on flat or textured walls. Search on-line for wall transfers or mural transfers. Make sure you order one that says it is as thin as paint, not a vinyl sticker, if you want the look of a hand painted mural. When you receive your mural open it up. Cut out around separate mural design elements. Keep the backing paper in place, because you can tape the sheets together in a non-design place, until you decide on the placement. When you have the design exactly where you want it, remove the protective backing paper and smooth the transfer against wall with your hand. Starting at a corner of the design, rub design firmly with enclosed applicator tool. As you rub, pay extra attention to edges and small parts. Start peeling away transfer sheet and check the transfer progress as you go. You can put the transfer sheet back over the design and smooth your hand over the mural to make sure it is completely bonded to the wall. On textured surfaces, use your palm to easily press into any grooves in your wall. Leave the backing paper on until you have the design exactly where you want to transfer it. Take a little time to plan where you want to put the mural. Some murals will come as elements that you cut out and space however you would like in your room. Larger murals will come in large pieces, and they will fit together like puzzle pieces and will tell you which piece to put up first then each piece will fit into place. You can see through the transfer paper, so they are quite easy to line up. If this is a design that needs to be straight, then you will need to get out your trusty level. It will make all the difference in the world if you take the time to do this. Level marks will be printed on designs that need leveling, so you can line the mural up easily with a level mark on your wall. You do not want to tape a design onto a section of mural that has already been rubbed on the wall. Removing the tape could pull up the design. Remove the backing paper and smooth the mural onto the wall from the center out with your hands, which will eliminate any air pockets. However, if you do get a small bubble, you can usually just press it down. If you have any larger air pockets, then simply prick with a pin to let air out and smooth down. The murals are self sealing and any pinpoint will not be visible. Start rubbing in a corner of the design as you gently pull away the transfer sheet. Pay extra attention to any edges or small parts of designs. You can check your progress as you lift the sheet. If you see that a bit of the design does not transfer, then just place the sheet back in place and rub again. You can tape the transfer sheet to the wall so it does not shift while you are rubbing the image. Do not lift the transfer sheet completely off until you see that it has transfered completely. After you have transfered the design, place the empty transfer sheet back down over transfered image and smooth over the entire design to ensure a complete bond to the wall.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for home goods, home supplies, home automation and security. Follow these links to find the best home goods, murals, and home automation and security.

Source : SymphonyHomeDecorating

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~A Variety Of Styles In Furniture Collections

2009-01-04T21:41:00.000-08:00

A Variety Of Styles In Furniture Collections

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To suit your home, your tastes, your styles, there are different types of furniture in varied materials such as styles, sizes and of course price range. Your home depicts who you are and what you are. Furnishing home with appropriate furniture and accessories is of great concern for every body. Fashions change, designs change, and accordingly your taste and style changes. There is a large selection of furniture styles that is currently available out of the market. The traditional styled furniture is usually made of darker woods with intricate carvings which give a kind of majestic feeling. The lines of the traditional furniture tend towards elegance and sensuous curves. Contemporary style of furniture is made of lighter woods, have simple lines and clean feel, uses metals and exposed woods, plastics and stone. The room using such style of furniture contains neutral colors as well as elements of bold color. Art Deco style is a more contemporary style that has bright colors, strong vertical lines, and rounded corners. The pieces are made of exotic woods. Some common art deco styles are seen in cocktail tables and radio cabinets as this style considers low height items like low chairs very informal. The Victorian furniture style is characterized by rich brocades and velvets. Mauve, burgundy and dark blue and green combined with lace and fringe compliment Victorian furnishings. Porcelain dolls, wicker, hats and hat boxes, dried flowers are wonderful accent pieces in a Victorian decor. Modern or Urban Style is a style of furniture that is usually depicted by polished surfaces and sleek shapes. Generally considered a minimalist type of style, urban or modern furniture is made of wide variety of materials from wood to steel, wrought iron, fiberglass, aluminum, sliver, plywood, vinyl etc. This type tends toward smaller scaled pieces which would fit well in a room. The room shows lots of open space, bright lighting and sleek geometric shapes. High tech items are also visible. The main colors in the modern/urban style are basic and cool with splashes of bright colors. Retro Retro furniture is reminiscent of pop art. The rustic style generally gives the log cabin-type rustic decor depicting a simple style typical of country life. Interiors are usually primitive with exposed walls and wood paneling. Furniture appears to be heavy duty. Lodge furniture style is generally heavy and substantial-looking. Cottage furniture style is painted or decorated where comfort and color reign. Furniture lines are simple and graceful. Shaker furniture style depicts clean, spare lines, which tends to be of light color and not very heavy. An eclectic style of furniture encompasses a variety of styles, reflecting different design aspects from different time periods. The eclectic styles are brought together by using different colors, textures, shapes and finishes. The coastal furniture is very simple and comfortable, made of bamboo and rattan, bringing in mind the tropical surroundings of the Caribbean. Antique furniture does not mean old furniture but furniture of high quality and artistic merit that has transcended over a long time. This type of furniture is usually made of solid wood and impeccably handmade by skilled craftsmen.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for home goods, home supplies, home automation and security. Follow these links to find the best furniture collections, home supplies, and home automation and security.

Source : SymphonyHomeDecorating

~More Tuscan Kitchen Decorating Ideas

2009-01-04T21:27:00.000-08:00

More Tuscan Kitchen Decorating Ideas

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More and more people today find that the thought of a sunny cottage kitchen in the Tuscan country side as their ideal kitchen environment. If you long to have that cozy cottage feel in your own kitchen, then the good news is that it is easy as well as simple to do it yourself. One of the main reasons that Tuscan kitchen is such a hot decorating trend is that it celebrates the simple things in life, which are food, friends, and family. A Tuscan kitchen is more functional than fussy, and decorating in this theme is as simple as paint and a few touches. The walls in a Tuscan kitchen tend to have a unique kind of old world look. You can achieve this using a faux painting technique. First, you paint the walls a bright base color such as butter scotch or butter yellow, then you sponge on a deeper shade so that the walls will look as though they have faded in some spots. There are many books and Internet sites that will give you step by step directions on this method of applying paint, as well as product suggestions. If you want to go that extra mile, then you can texture your walls using a joint compound mixed with paint. Pouncing the mixture onto the walls will create a colored, rustic roughness characteristic of an authentic country kitchen in Tuscany. The next places to paint are cabinet doors, but be sure to use a strong and contrasting color that will really give your Tuscan county kitchen character. Deep reds and bright forest greens are especially popular on cupboard doors. While you are out looking for just the right shade of paint, then spend some time in the hardware section of your home improvement store. This is where you will find the pulls and handles to add the finishing touch to your Tuscan cabinet doors and drawer fronts. Heavy, burnished metal or ceramic knobs will both look great in your kitchen. Now that you have the back ground set, it is time for the focus pieces. A Tuscan country kitchen hearkens thoughts of family and friends. A large table with simple chairs is a sure invitation to your own family to spend quality time in the kitchen. Brightly colored seat cushions will make the chairs even more inviting, and a wooden bowl of fruit and nuts is sure to encourage a long visit. Browse through your kitchen supply stores and you will find a dazzling array of decanters for oils and spices. In a Tuscan county kitchen, cooking ingredients are often stored in plain sight. Glass jars filled with dried beans and pasta should line your counters, along with a variety Terra Cotta planters and cooking utensil holders. Pewter and copper vessels are also a good choice you are your Tuscan kitchen. If you have the floor space, then use a free standing metal rack or a wooden rack, which can be used to hold commonly used pots and pans, as well as sunflower print table linens. Pots of herbs on a windowsill and trailing house plants on top of the refrigerator add even more of an old world feel to your new kitchen look.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for home goods, home supplies, home automation and security. Follow these links to find the best home goods, Tuscan kitchen, and home automation and security.

Source : SymphonyHomeDecorating

~Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Wall Mirrors

2009-01-04T20:58:00.000-08:00

Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Wall Mirrors

Many bathrooms and walls the world over share one thing in common; wall mirrors. People the world over use mirrors for grooming purposes and that is why they are prevalent in the bathrooms although they can also be found in other rooms as well. Mirror designers have made some great innovations and we see mirrors almost as a sign of modern of progress. In many cities across the world, mirrors are even used to construct entire buildings. There have been great innovations in the area of interior design as people have become more brazen in the way that they decorate their homes. Mirrors to be exact have also experienced a renaissance. It is easy to now see mirrors being used for dual purposes; for grooming purposes and for decorative purposes. That means we can find wall mirrors in the traditional places such as bathrooms, bedrooms and dressing rooms and we can also encounter then in less traditional places such as living rooms and this becoming increasingly common. There has thus been a surge in mirror sales and inquiries. Mirrors can be found in many places. Many people buy their mirrors at large department stores such as Wal-mart, Target, JC Penny and also local specialized mirror sellers which can easily be located in the yellow pages. There are also other great places to buy mirrors and this is online at places like E Bay and Craigslist. These are auction type sites where people post items that they want to sell at below market. Before you buy a wall mirror, it is wise to conduct some research. This is because different seller sell mirrors at different prices and in these economic times, you want to make sure you have the best the best value for your money. Larger mirrors generally tend cost more and this is mainly because of how they are made and who the maker is. Mirrors also cost different depending on whether they are imported or made. These are all factors that influence how much money you will spend on the mirror. So conducting the right research is key to getting the best value for your funds. The Internet is a great place to do price comparisons. Large departmental stores such as Wal-mart boast some of the best and lowest prices although this is just as assumption which sometimes in not entirely accurate. It is true that you may find mirrors cheaper at Wal-mart by simply shopping around but the Internet offers even more options not to mention product reviews. E Bay continues to dominate the Internet bargain shopping world simply because of the nature of the selling and buying. At E Bay ordinary people like you and me post their items for interested buyers to bid on them. Prices are usually far lower than at regular stores. This is why it is essential to do your price comparison and research. As we mentioned, the Internet also offers product reviews where people that have purchased wall mirrors can write about their experiences.

Looking for discount wall mirrors? Check out the complete guide to wall mirrors when buying

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~The Technology Behind Modern Shower Heads

2009-01-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

The Technology Behind Modern Shower Heads

Many of us undoubtedly marvel at the exquisite shower heads that we find in elegant hotels and homes. These are essentially the new generation shower heads that actually control the volume of water and the temperature emanates from them. Other than the water, they actually go a step further and massage and tone the skin. Shower head technology that has recently emerged has totally revolutionized the way people take a shower or pamper themselves while in the bath or tub. Technological innovations in shower head technology now lets you conserve water and energy without necessarily sacrificing your much-needed comfort! Take for instance the oxygen-infusing shower head which almost miraculously converts a trickle of water into a powerful jetstream that cleans and soothes the body including the relaxation of tight joints. This works by injecting air bubbles into the water stream and then jetissoning it up to a flow of water for maximum comfort. This water-saving shower head is so ideal that it uses only 1.5 gallons per minute something that many convectional showers struggle to achieve. You can imagine the savings in water and energy when you use an oxygen infusion shower head. We are in an environmental war and there is a move by major world governments to stir their local populace into conserving energy and water. All across the US and the rest of the world, the water table is subsiding and there is a frantic need to conserve. The new shower heads to hit , the water shortages in the world are bound to get more acute. That is why it is imperative that we reevaluate the choices we make regarding water today to ensure that water supplies remain stable. The water-saving oxygen shower head is definitely a step in the right direction. Here is how it works: #When you turn on the tap or faucet, the water enters the shower head and is then infused with oxygen for your best shower. The shower head then increased the water pressure partly to optimize the force of the stream and also to avoid dirt from clogging the head. There is therefore a guarantee never to clog. This shower head gives you a terrific shower all while utilizing a much lesser amount of overall water than a traditional shower head. This makes it the perfect water-conservation tool. Another added boon is that the shower head releases a much wider spray that covers a wider body surface. This is ideal for full-body shower spray which translates to a better shower experience. This stylish shower head comes with an adjustable chrome look that adds to the interior design and look of your bathroom plus it is so easily adjustable one can adjust it with one hand even with eyes closed. The installation is pretty hassle free and devoid of any screws or plumbing experience.

Looking for filtered shower heads? Check out complete guide to shower heads: everything about shower handsets, electric shower heads, shower heads cleaning as well as shower head reviews

Source : SymphonyHomeDecorating

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Interior Decorating Ideas

2009-01-04T20:07:00.000-08:00

	Out of Ideas for your Next Interior Decorating Project? Are you Looking for a Home Interior Decorator? Find useful information that will hopefully provide you with new home interior decorating ideas. Learn about colors, space design concepts and more. You will also find some resources for different styles of home decor such as contemporary or traditional themes. ~The Technology Behind Modern Shower Heads ~Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Wall Mirrors ~More Tuscan Kitchen Decorating Ideas ~A Variety Of Styles In Furniture Collections ~Create A Mural In Your Home ~Glass Shelves Tips For Expert Use' ~The Use of Marble Or Ceramic Tiles When Remodeling
	Home Decor Styles
	Interior Decorating By Room
	Interior Decorating Elements
	Intro to Home Decorating
	Techniques and Projects

The Planning Basics of Home Interior Decorating - By : Julien Raynal

2009-01-04T19:46:00.000-08:00

"Home decor styles range from a number of themes, designs, and materials.
While planning your home decor project, you can either opt for the theme being implemented throughout the house or use one specific theme for a specific room."

All of us love to surround our world with things, which are both beautiful as well as exotic. Our homes are one of the most intrinsic parts of the world around us. Therefore, most of us enjoy making our homes more than a mere structure made up of four walls and a roof. Home decor styles range from a number of themes, designs, and materials.

While planning your home decor project, you can either opt for the theme being implemented throughout the house or use one specific theme for a specific room. For example, a house was once designed in such a way that each room was decorated with the styles of the different countries the home owner had visited. All rooms included authentic art and furniture from each visited country.

An assessment of your needs is preferrable before embarking on the process of a new home interior decorating project. The next point to keep in mind would obviously be taste such as personal likings and dislikings. You can then choose from several themes that can stretch from Victorian to more contemporary themes, which are more suited to the modern and urban lifestyle.

One of the modern themes including home decor ideas that are really catching up is the use of bamboo. Eco-friendly and beautiful, bamboo has a number of advantages that account for its popularity as a first choice for home interior decoration. Transform your home to a tropical paradise of peace and harmony with the use of bamboo. Another benefit of using bamboo is the fact that the material is famous for its sheer versatility. You can incorporate it into almost anything beginning with floorings to even towels!

The main point to remember when using bamboo for decorating your home interior is the fact that the glue that is used for sealing the sheets into a pattern should be non-toxic glue. This is especially important when bamboo flooring is glued with inexpensive or low quality glue. The flooring can cause the floors to dent and also cause them to give out a harmful gas called Formaldehyde.

Curtains can also match with the flooring with convenience as bamboo curtains can be easily purchased all over the world. It is best to keep the interior spaces clutter-free while using bamboo flooring, as this would go a long way in enhancing the ambience. The color that this theme would necessarily involve would be slightly muted. Furthermore, this color is quite fashionable in this decade. In case you want to add color to the space, cushions and rugs make make nice floor decor additions.

To add a bit of freshness to the room, accentuate the muted sophistication of the theme with a couple of bright hibiscus flowers and perhaps a well chosen painting with a color selection that matches the home decor accessories.

Julien Raynal - Julien has been in the home interior decorating business for more than four years. He discovered is passion for home related topics when he started his retail business for the home. After years of experience, his goal is to bring to the internet a wealth of useful information that will inspire the online population with powerful home decorating images and articles.

Website: SymphonyHomeDecorating

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Lighting Design Tips

2009-01-03T17:34:00.000-08:00

This elegant chandelier and matching wall
sconces provide different lighting
options while dining.

Nothing kills a romantic dinner faster than glaring lights. The soft flicker of a candle or a lantern plays to our moods, giving the scene just the right amount of intriguing glow. At the reverse end of the scale, a home office requires a good deal of light for reading documents and writing.

With these lighting design tips in mind, consider the mood and the function of the room you are creating. A bedroom may need only assorted table lamps to feel and function properly, while a kitchen demands a full menu from task lighting for performing specific chores safely to overall ambient light to render the room friendly.

Of course, natural light is the most welcoming light of all. Rooms with a surplus of windows or a bank of French doors tend to be more cheerful. A large skylight positioned over the breakfast table or in the bedroom allows the sun to pour in, and with it, up go our spirits. A glass-block window in a shower or beside a bathtub floods the bathing area with sunshine but protects our privacy so we gain the best of both worlds. Look around. Perhaps you can squeeze a window in on the stair landing, in the bathroom, or in the laundry room, transforming what was a dingy throwaway area into a bright space.

Employing the benefits of both natural and artificial light is a good way to reach a happy medium. Lighting specialists plan light in very technical terms using site-specific mathematical equations to achieve their results. If you're remodeling, don't miss the opportunity to make some fundamental improvements.

A pro's expertise can transform the interior and exterior of your home. Cognizant that the correct amount of light enhances the way we live, specialists remember even the small details such as low-voltage lights in closets and spotlights to show off your paintings. Whatever your plan -- remodeling or upgrading the lighting you already have -- it will help to get an overall sense of what kinds of lighting are available and how each performs before you shop. Lighting stores have designers on hand to answer questions and to help you make the best choices. Although no rules govern how much light a specific room warrants, a number of guidelines exist.

Turn It On
Figure every room needs an average of 200 watts for every 50 square feet. Bulbs with higher lumens (an international unit that refers to the amount of light a bulb produces) are more efficient given the same wattage (the amount of electrical current consumed by the bulb). Packages list both lumens and wattage so it's easy to check. Elderly family members may require more wattage to be comfortable. Your eyes' pupils, as you age, have less flexibility and demand greater brightness. Studies show an average 50-year-old gets as much light from a 100-watt bulb as a 20-year-old gets from a 50-watt bulb!

The recessed lighting over the cabinets brightens the room without harsh glare.

When you want to increase lighting in, say, the family room, either double the amount of light sources or, if the fixtures can take it (be sure wattage never exceeds a manufacturer's recommendation), double the wattage of the bulbs. Keep in mind that where the light source is located, what the colors of the walls and furnishings are, and what kind of a shade the light wears will make a difference.

Lightbulbs vary, too. The most common -- incandescent bulbs -- have a tungsten filament and produce a yellowish white light. Fluorescent bulbs use just a fraction of the electricity that incandescent bulbs do and last up to 20 times longer; this is the reason they are so often used in commercial settings. We usually think of fluorescent bulbs as slim tubes, but they can also be purchased as screw-in types to be used in place of incandescent bulbs in a standard light socket. Look for them in a rainbow of quirky, fun colors or, to impart a more natural cast, warm white.

Halogen bulbs emit an extremely bright, white light, which makes them useful as spots and downlights. These also have a longer life and provide more lumens per watt than regular incandescent bulbs. On the downside, halogen lights, which closely mimic daylight, generate intense heat and can pose a greater fire hazard. A halogen light should never be put near a curtain or come in contact with plastic materials.

A proper lighting plan will include the right combination of ambient (overall) lighting to illuminate the space, task lighting to provide illumination for specific activities such as reading or playing games, mood lighting to create an agreeable atmosphere, and accent lighting to focus attention on specific objects like that new sculpture in the living room. Install dimmers on your lighting fixtures in order to fine-tune -- increasing or decreasing -- the illumination as you choose.

These pendant lamps provide sufficient
light and compliment the vertical
lines of the kitchen.

Lighting Fixtures
There's no set rule that dictates you must have a traditional fixture in a traditional room just as there is no real reason that lamps -- safely installed -- need to be quarantined to the usual spots. Try one on top of the vanity or on the kitchen counter. An unexpected element like an ornate chandelier over a country table or a hanging pendant lamp with a pale silk shade by a chintz-covered chaise just increases the dynamics. Matching the style of the room to the style of the fixture, though, will help focus and narrow your search. An electrician's labor is fairly expensive so it's backward economy to buy anything less than the best quality and most wanted fixtures you can afford.

Generally, contemporary fixtures in materials such as polished chrome and stainless steel are at home in ultramodern settings; traditional fixtures like candlesticks, porcelain ginger-jar lamps with cloth shades, sconces, wrought-iron standing lamps, and banker's lamps -- just to name a few -- are most content in traditional settings. Track lights, with halogen or incandescent bulbs, are perfect for any situation -- kitchen, family room, or office -- because you can aim the light exactly where you want it.

And, more costly since they involve construction, recessed spotlights or floodlights will provide any room with ambient or task lighting. A favorite of decorators, unobtrusive recessed lights fit every room style. Make a lighting list, and carry it with you when you start out. Remember a great-looking fixture derives as much attention as an art object. If you find one you know is perfect for your decoration, don't pass it by!

Room by Room
For the bedroom, versatile and popular swing-arm lamps, available in any number of finishes and looks, render nighttime reading enjoyable and leave bedside tables free for books and other paraphernalia. Include a three-way switch for a choice of light level, and position the lamp no more than 12 inches away from the bed. Swing-arm lamps will work anywhere space is constricted such as near a desk or phone. Overhead fixtures should be selected to echo the room's style.

Forego a mundane institutionallike fixture for a reproduction-period light, a modern hanging lamp in glass and steel, or a zany ceiling spotlight with a trio of adjustable halogen lights. Standing floor lamps used to be quite routine but no longer. How about a torchère with a lacquered steel base and a plastic, sherbet-colored shade to jazz up your teenage daughter's room?

According to style, a living room can easily be enhanced with recessed lighting or the appropriate sort of overhead fixture such as a low-voltage chandelier or a pendant lamp used primarily for decorative purposes. At a minimum, a small living room should also include four table lamps or a combination of floor and table lamps to form plenty of welcoming pools of helpful illumination. Tiny low-voltage halogen uplights (inexpensive can lights that sit on the floor) throw light up to be reflected from walls and ceilings. Also inexpensive and portable, popular uplights are a fine way to provide indirect light when recessed lighting is out of the question.

Family rooms and dens -- home to all sorts of activities -- demand general background illumination just as living rooms do. Table lamps and downlights will provide ample light whether family members are reading or playing a game of chess. As a rule, the bottom edge of the lamp shade should be at eye level of the person seated near it. If you want a standing lamp to function for reading, stand it behind the chair. For safety, run exposed cords along the baseboard or behind furniture -- never under a rug. You don't want the light from a fire to be a source of illumination.

A chandelier suspended over a dining room table (about 30 inches above is the norm) acts as a focal point while shedding light on delicious meals, welcome guests, and other objects that tend to gather there. To foster a stay-and-linger sort of mood, though, it's wise to include a dimmer. When you need the table for another job like laying out a sewing pattern or going over bills, it will be easy to pump up the brightness. For a low level of general illumination in the dining room, sconces and low-voltage recessed lights are often included along with a chandelier.

The romantic lighting compliments
this luxurious bathroom.

Kitchens require light in every square foot. A good-quality ceiling fixture or recessed or track lighting will prove invaluable. Note that the wattage will need to vary according to the color of your walls and surface treatments as well as their reflecting values. A forest-green counter, for example, will absorb light and may make food preparation dangerous.

Be aware that adequate lighting sources should be installed directly above the range and the sink, the situations where you least want shadows for preparing and cooking. Strip lights mounted beneath the cabinets will illuminate work spaces below -- so you'll at least see your finger before you accidentally cut it.

Bathrooms -- where we primp and groom -- need high-voltage lighting especially near the mirror. If you want, hunt for fixtures that duplicate the era of an older room or create some romance there instead: Sparkly crystal sconces near an etched mirror over a delicately skirted sink would be especially pretty. Bracketed fixtures or sconces could be situated on either side of a mirror or medicine cabinet, or a light could be positioned right above the mirror. A waterproof fixture in the shower is always helpful and necessary. The specific level of light necessary will depend on the room and your personal preferences. For instance, you might want to include a dimmer so you can soften the mood while you enjoy a long, leisurely herbal soak.

Shade-SavvySometimes just a new shade -- trimmed with beads or fashioned of a playful animal print -- will catapult a lamp into the future. Instead of trying to find a ready-made shade that matches a particular wallpaper or fabric, it will be easier if you custom-order one or allow the shade to provide an accent color. Custom-ordered shades (a lamp store can refer you to a source) are more expensive but well worth the cost. An expert will craft a shade out of anything you desire, from silk to handmade paper.

To procure the proper fit, take your lamp along with you with the bulb you're planning to use in place. Before you finalize the sale, ask the salesperson to turn on the light. Light changes the appearance of a shade. And here's another secret: Pristine white shades, despite their innocent look, will sometimes make a room appear dingy. Consider a high-energy color instead.

A lamp's bulb and harp (the two-piece element used to secure the frame) should remain hidden from sight. And, in general, the shade should not be taller than the base. If you unearth the right shade but it sits too low, buy a shade riser. A shade riser is a postlike adapter, available in varying sizes from 1/2 inch to 2 inches, that screws into the top of the harp to lift the shade so it sits higher on the base.

It might seem like endless variations are available when it comes to lamp shades. Avoid confusion by keeping the six basic styles in mind. And feel free to experiment as well. A little serendipity is good.

Square- and rectangle-shaped shades complement square or almost square bases.
Drum shapes team best with column lamps.
Ovals are often preferred in tight spaces since they can be pushed against a wall.
Bell shapes, seen frequently in Asian-style rooms, partner happily with urn- or vase-type bases.
Empire shades--narrower at the top than the bottom--mesh well with all sorts of bases.
Coolie shades have an outdated name, but their classic, wide, hatlike shape continues to be a favorite atop a wide base.

Source : HowStuffWork

To learn more about interior design and get tips and information on decorating your home, visit:

Interior Decorating: Get tips on how to decorate your home and read about organizing a project and selecting an interior design that fits your lifestyle.
Decorating a Room: Find out how to decorate a room from floor-to-ceiling.
Decorating Styles: Are you traditional or eclectic? Learn about decorating styles for your home.
How to Design a Kitchen: Create a kitchen that works for you and get tips on how to choose and place appliances and create a decorating scheme.
Kids' Rooms: Get tips on decorating your child’s room, with information on colors, smart strategies, and money-saving tips.

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Tips for Decorating with Texture and Patterns

2009-01-03T17:32:00.000-08:00

The black and white checkered floor
run throughout the house,
and the white tiles on the wall
compliment the patterned floor.

Decorating with texture and patterns makes a room interesting and alive. Contrasts of smooth and rough, thick and thin, shiny and dull pump up the interest quotient and prevent a room from appearing too staid. That's why the pros mix stripes with checks, pile rugs on tiled floors, and marry leather with wicker.

A room full of the same thing is boring. Instead, you could combine surfaces, finishes, and even periods. A 19th-century sideboard, for instance, might hold a pair of stylish lamps from the '30s; in the living room of an urban town house, a raffia armchair could be included to deformalize taffeta drapes. Magic happens when elements with diverse qualities are brought together. Happily, many times, this allows us to use what we have -- baskets, books, quilts -- in a fresh manner.

Layers -- a pillow atop a pillow, chair pads on rush seats, matchstick blinds with cotton drapes -- cook up warmth. Especially in cold climates, textures relieve rooms of any sterile or chilly overtones. Of course, how you introduce texture will depend a great deal on the style of your decor and the room's application. An elegant dining room will call for a more subtle hand than a mountain ski retreat. In the dining room, flame-stitch fabric on the dining chairs and a large, heavily textured oil painting is all that's needed. Inside the lodge, Navajo blankets, chenille sofas, and leather armchairs will turn up the heat and form a pleasing interior.

Kitchens and baths exhibit an interesting array of textures. Shimmering surfaces like granite, tile, stainless steel, glass, and mirror are the norm. Even plug-in appliances with their shiny profiles contribute to the picture. But so many hard-edged materials call out for a bit of relief found in a brick hearth, a wood ceiling, or a colorful kilim rug. If you favor a pared-down contemporary style, consider including a warm-hued oak floor or cherry cabinets to mix it up. A butcher-block top on an island, a window seat with a cushion, or a single shelf displaying three or four pieces of rustic pottery in earthlike colors will help balance the overall modernity of the setting.

The patterned pillows integrate the patterned floor against the plain sofa.

Be it a flowery needlepoint rug or a stencil used on walls, patterns like textures pick up the tempo of a room and support its theme. Guiding rules? Less pattern in a room that's meant for quiet like a bedroom, and exercise restraint when it comes to big, wild patterns. As beguiling as those patterns may seem now, they are the ones you're most apt to tire of quickly. Leopard prints and bold plaid, in the right setting, look fantastic together.

However, less-flamboyant rooms will do as well with similar patterns in the same color or with patterns that are not alike but share the same color range. Small-scale repeats in soft furnishings like cushions and upholstery of a larger-scale pattern found at the windows is a well-tested technique. Over the years, certain patterns have become linked with very distinct styles. A faded chintz translates English; a blue-and-white toile is all about France. Study your building blocks -- walls, ceiling, and floor -- to see how texture and pattern could benefit them.

Texture unifies the chair, pillow,
and bookshelf.

Ceilings, depending on your decor, can be wallpapered, painted with textured paint, or covered with a material such as tin. Certain heavy papers with embossed patterns can be applied to a ceiling and also painted. Tin ceilings that are most often associated with the 19th century are replicated today in easily installed tiles of steel, brass, or chrome. Tongue-and-groove ceilings, painted or unpainted, are traditional in New England's seaside houses and also on porches.

If you're building a new house, keeping the beams exposed in, say, the family room will add country-house charm as well as texture. Suspend baskets, bunches of dried herbs or wildflowers, or strings of heady garlic from the beams, and gain yet another tactile bit of interest. A ceiling draped with fabric or tented is romantic or fun. Bold red-and-white stripes, for instance, imbue a child's room with a jolly circus ambience.

Fabric is an age-old wall treatment, too -- from vibrant wall hangings to voluminous curtains suspended from rods affixed just below the ceiling. Quality fabrics such as ticking, wool, burlap, or imitation suede can also be glued to walls like paper. Rather than dress the whole room, consider covering one wall behind a four-poster bed or a writing desk. Upholstered walls also add texture and, with batting underneath, are a high-end remedy for battling obtrusive noise.

Decorative paint treatments such as dragging or sponging are relatively easy and will also hide wall imperfections. And realistic, nature-inspired wallpapers interject texture, pattern, and style. Consider ones like grass cloth or cork for an Asian- or Caribbean-inspired room, or choose papers that simulate bamboo, stone, or wood. Some papers also copycat faux finishes, murals, and architectural details such as plaster ornamentation and wood moldings. To help you achieve a custom look, many of the sample wallpaper books are set up to display complementary colors, patterns, and textures all together. Transport several sample books home, see how the papers are affected by light, and observe which ones will best suit your furnishings before you order.

The checkered backsplash compliments the color and texture of the countertop.

Even at ground level, texture and pattern matter. Luckily, scores of choices exist for all kinds of spaces and styles. Choose your material according to how the room is used as well as how you want it to look. In a kitchen, the options could be anything from resilient rubber flooring like you might find in busy restaurants to rustic terra-cotta tiles like you might find in Mediterranean homes. Cement with wood inlays is a good-looking partner for commercial-style appliances in a contemporary or a country kitchen.

This bedroom is pulled together by the pattern and texture on the
bedspread, night stands, pillows, and framed picture.

Play a little! If the room is carpeted, layer on some area rugs to bring it up to date. For a quick breath of summer, toss a sisal rug down on a hardwood floor, and lay a colorful floor cloth out in the sunporch. Even in a tiny powder room, a small easy-to-launder throw rug (anchor it on a no-skid mat for safety) reverberates with style.

Color, texture, and patterns lend personality to a room, but lighting is crucial. You can single-handedly destroy the soothing comfort of a bedroom with harsh overhead lights or diminish the excitement of a play room with soft, fuzzy lighting. On the next page, learn how to properly light your home.

Source : HowStuffWork

To learn more about interior design and get tips and information on decorating your home, visit:

Interior Decorating: Get tips on how to decorate your home and read about organizing a project and selecting an interior design that fits your lifestyle.
Decorating a Room: Find out how to decorate a room from floor-to-ceiling.
Decorating Styles: Are you traditional or eclectic? Learn about decorating styles for your home.
How to Design a Kitchen: Create a kitchen that works for you and get tips on how to choose and place appliances and create a decorating scheme.
Kids' Rooms: Get tips on decorating your child’s room, with information on colors, smart strategies, and money-saving tips.

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Decorating with Color

2009-01-03T17:29:00.001-08:00

The green walls and red chairs energize this room and work well together
because they are complimentary colors.

Decorating with color reveals quite a bit about a person. Right now, you're probably wearing your favorite hue -- taupe, lavender, pink? Studies have shown that color, in every aspect of our lives, affects us emotionally and physically.

Orange, for instance, stimulates the appetite. Don't be surprised if you find yourself feeling hungrier in a kitchen or a restaurant that's painted the color of your morning juice. People tend to be more "up" in red rooms, more subdued in those that are blue. Hospital rooms are often painted a pale, serene green, a shade of well-being.

With color you can manipulate the proportions and mood of a room, making it seem smaller or larger, loftier or more intimate. On the whole, rooms washed with an abundance of natural light are best painted either white or a pale color; darker rooms are more attractive in a rich, warm color. No light in the kitchen? Buttery yellow walls can bring in the sun. Have an upstairs hall that's too long and too narrow? An end wall painted a warm marigold color will dispel that gloomy corridor feeling forever. Tones of sand and blue-gray together are like a day at the shore. Dazzling jewel tones add brilliance. Historical colors such as ochers, reds, and blues (Williamsburg blue being at the top of the charts) conjure up period backdrops.

All that said, color can often seem the most confusing aspect of decorating. Overwhelmed by hundreds of choices, you have probably forgotten that, unlike lots of other elements you may not be too thrilled with like the tiles on the floor or the shingles on the roof, the wrong color paint is easily remedied. If you don't like it, pick up the brush and try again. Rather than be intimidated by color, use it to forge rooms that make you happy every single day.

Whirling the Color Wheel
You'll feel more confident if you understand how colors interact with each other. The physicist Isaac Newton developed the first color wheel way back in the 17th century when he was studying the effects of a beam of light shining through a prism.

The color wheel, consisting of 12 colors, is the prismatic spectrum of rainbow colors set forth as a circle. The three primary colors -- red, yellow, and blue -- are spaced equally around the wheel. The secondary colors -- orange, green, and violet -- which are created by mixing two primaries in equal amounts, are set between them. Tertiary colors -- colors such as yellow-green, blue-violet, and red-orange -- are an equal blend of a primary and a secondary color and make up the remaining half-dozen colors.

All the other colors outside of the wheel are variations of those 12 colors mixed with white or black or each other. When white is added to color, it creates lighter values called "tints." Adding black or gray to a color forms darker tones called "shades." Celery is a very pale tint of green, while avocado is one of its shades. The term "tone" refers to the value, or intensity, of a color.

The soothing blues and greens open the space and make it appear larger.

Artistry
Some of the most successful decorating themes occur when colors of equal intensity or strength are combined; for example, pastels such as pinks and peaches that have a similar lightness or vibrant hues of red, yellow, and blue that share the same depth. If it's zing you want, combine two complementary colors; they're "complementary" because they lie directly opposite each other on the wheel.

Red and green, for example, are popular partners often found in high-style country rooms. For heightened drama in a stark modern setting of glass and chrome, a less-familiar union would be a purple sofa littered with plump yellow pillows. A color will clash with the colors to the right or left of its complement on the wheel, for instance apricot with purple-blue. Still, not all clashes are bad news. Modernists often pair colors like bright yellow and royal blue successfully.

Cool colors -- like green, blue, and violet -- will make your living room appear larger because they seem to push the walls away. Warm colors -- oranges, reds, yellows -- do the reverse. Paint your bedroom a charming Tuscan apricot, and the space will feel marvelously cocoonlike. A dark color will add mystery and romance (on a practical note, dark rooms also remain cleaner-looking longer). A color plan that includes any three consecutive colors or any of their adjacent tints and shades will zap the room with life. Gardeners often follow an analogous scheme in their flower borders with waves of fiery red melting into drifts of orange and yellow or, the opposite, red blooms flowing into crimsons and violets.

Soothing monochromatic themes utilize one color like blue or gray in a variety of tones or gradations. Smoke-colored walls, silvery velvet drapes, and a dark gray sisal carpet on the floor of a New York apartment affords the owner the feeling of living on a cloud. Want to know all your choices for, say, a green scheme? Paint manufacturers have made it foolproof with chips and charts that follow every color's logical progression. To ease our bewilderment, handy aids such as large L-shaped chips exist to judge trim colors and flip charts of suggested color combinations. Some stores even rent pints of a paint for a minimum fee to ease the process along.

The monochromatic orange in this living room infuse it with warmth and coziness.

Think of your background color as a plate on which you are presenting all the other elements: furnishings, accessories, art. An accent color should be the garnish (the green parsley or the bright red cherry) you place on top. If you appoint a color like cobalt blue or plum as your accent color and adhere to a neutral palette, it will be much easier to shift moods or to alter the look of a room according to season with throws, rugs, cushions, pillows, and slipcovers. A pearly colored living room? Come winter, swap lime-green sofa pillows for chocolate-brown. A bright-white-tiled bath? Hang up navy-colored towels as a nautical nod to summer in lieu of red (too winter holidayish). Colors, like fashions, tend to follow the fads. A neutral palette, however, will never look like yesterday's news (think of 1950s pink), an important consideration if you are someday going to place the house on the market.

Kids love color and the more colors the merrier. Kids' artwork is proof. And today there are any number of freewheeling colors based on crayons along with awesome special-effect finishes like glow-in-the-dark paint and glitter. Forego the ubiquitous pale blue and pink for something newer like luscious peach or pale lavender, the color of morning mist. Still, if you're looking to keep the same recipe for a number of years, neutrals such as creamy ivory or pastels will adapt best for them as time goes by and they mature.

Let playful furniture in primary colors be the high jinks for a young child. In an older child's space, one color used on all the furniture (white, cornflower blue, or buttercup-yellow) will give the room a tidier, more uniform feel. Rather than installing walls, you could use different colors to designate different areas: Paint the study zone bright green; put restful moss wallpaper behind the bunk beds.

Children appreciate being included in making the decisions regarding their rooms. Rather than confront them with a zillion choices, though, narrow it down to three or four colors you think are appropriate and then let them choose.

The splashes of color against the white sofa fabric pick up the colors in the mural.

Unbeatable White
White or off-white is a timeless background upon which any style can be superimposed. In the 1920s, Syrie Maugham created an all-white drawing room in her London home that became a landmark in the world of interior design. White can be elegant as in an ultramodern loft or homey as in an all-white beach cottage. White unifies a small space. Paint the floor white as well as the walls and windows, and a tiny room will feel more open. Add snowy window treatments -- a roll-up shade of white denim, white shutters, or celestiallike white shears -- and expand the setting still farther.

Contrary to what you might think, white is not boring. Sun-bleached seashells heaped in a bowl offer a host of variations. Follow their cue, and combine several different tones of white: Paint the ceiling a bright, wake-up white; color the walls a more forgiving creamy-white; and dress the chairs and couch in slipcovers of natural cotton. When you need a punch of color, add a bouquet of flowers.

White walls and white linens on dark furniture keep the room
calm, cool, and clean looking.

The Final Decision
Tote home a handful of paint chips or strips in the same color range, and tack them on the wall. Observe how they are affected by continuously changing natural and artificial light. White daylight is made up of all the colors of the spectrum. The color of your walls will depend on how much white light is reflected and how much is absorbed. Switch on a lightbulb that does not have the same balance as the spectrum, and you might notice a more blue or yellow tint.

When you have finally selected your colors or whittled it down to one or two, paint them on a wall and live with them for a couple of days. It will help if you paint a large area rather than just applying a puny dab. If the color seems too dominant, switch to a lighter value on the paint strip. If you're still undecided, trust your instincts. Color is, above all else, very personal. Family and friends aren't going to judge your rooms in technical terms anyway. All they will know is that you're content and that your bedroom looks beautiful. In the end, that's what counts.

Color isn't the only thing to make a room pop, however. Texture and pattern offers contrast and spices up an otherwise uniform room. On the next page, learn how to incorporate texture and pattern into your home.

Source : HowStuffWork

To learn more about interior design and get tips and information on decorating your home, visit:

Interior Decorating: Get tips on how to decorate your home and read about organizing a project and selecting an interior design that fits your lifestyle.
Decorating a Room: Find out how to decorate a room from floor-to-ceiling.
Decorating Styles: Are you traditional or eclectic? Learn about decorating styles for your home.
How to Design a Kitchen: Create a kitchen that works for you and get tips on how to choose and place appliances and create a decorating scheme.
Kids' Rooms: Get tips on decorating your child’s room, with information on colors, smart strategies, and money-saving tips.

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Source Article : By Alden Smith, Alden Smith is an award winning author and regular contributor to DoItYourself.com. He writes on a variety of subjects, and excels in research.

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