Decorating

Bob Bastian asked:


There is lot of things that you will want to do to make your home look stylish and modern. There are going to be a lot of decorating challenges if you are living in a home that is very old. You are going to have to replace and update many of the rooms, but you will also need to keep in mind that there are modern home decorating tips that you can find and use from the net as well.

If you would really like to give your home a new look, you may want to think about going online and looking for a modern home decorating tips site so that you can find out what is new in home decorating and how you will be able to properly update your home. You will also find a lot of great ideas from looking through modern magazines and seeing what the Internet has to offer to you picture wise. You will find that there are a lot of new decorating ideas, but what is new and in is constantly changing. You will want to go online and just take a browse and look to find some inspiration.

You will also want to think about the price of what it is going to cost you to have a modern home. You will want to make sure that you stick with a budget and that you figure out what it is that you would like in what rooms. Each room will need a theme, but the house should also have a flow. Make sure that you think about the way that you decorate one room, because the next room must be able to flow nicely from design to design. Keep in mind that it can get a little expensive and silly when you start adding a lot of expensive pieces into a small room.

You will also find that the modern home is very lovely in a simple way. Simple is the way to go. You can always have that one room of your home that is expensive and lovely, but for the rest of the home you will want to be simple and comfortable for all who enters. You will want to make sure that your home is nice and stylish, but also useful and comfortable.

It is very important that you learn how to decorate your home modernly so that your home doesn’t seem dated out of sorts.

Lee Dobbins asked:


We all want our bedrooms to be delightful and inviting as well as being a haven away from all the stresses that the modern world throws at us but many of us don’t know how to properly decorate the bedroom without spending lots of money on professional consultation. Hopefully these bedroom decorating tips will help you create the room of your dreams.

1. Using accents. The best way to achieve this is by using decorative pillows. Pile them high on your bed using a variety of shapes, styles and sizes, colours and patterns. Also candles are a great accent item not only can they add a splash of colour but they provide a wonderful mood altering scent as well. Scent in any bedroom is quite important, so why not look at placing some potpourri in a few small pots to complete the effect.

2. If you want to add enchantment and wonder to a little girl’s room why not consider using special lighting. A small decorative chandelier can be quite inexpensive and your daughter will enjoy looking at the sparkling light.

3. If you want to achieve a fresher look in your bedroom then why not consider using neutral colours. So many items within a bedroom can easily be adapted to match each season all you need to do is change the duvet cover, pillows and pictures for this to be easily achieved on a regular basis. Using netural colors on the walls will help you be able to change the color of the room easier simply by changing out the bedding and accents.

4. If you want to make your decor a little more personalized why not gather a few small mementos based around a particular theme and display them in a picture frame with added depth (shadow box). Just think about the smile that will come to your face every time you see those memories before you. You can also create little vignettes on a side table or bureau of favorite items. When grouping items, remember, that it is best to group in odd numbers - 3 or 5 items together will look better than 2 or 4.

5. If you want to create the illusion of more space in the room then use cool light colours (whites, blues and greens) which will make the walls seem to recede. Also it is a good idea to paint the moldings around the room to match the walls and this will also create the illusion of space. It is also important that you look at the size of the furniture for the room, placing a king sized bed in a small room will just not work and by keeping the room clutter free you will be able to make the most of the space available to you.

These bedroom decorating tips might seem simple and inexpensive, but they can really do the trick and help you to get a designer look in your bedroom for less.

Bowe Packer asked:


If you want to redecorate your house there are many things that you can do. What happens though if you want to redecorate your bathroom? It’s not as tough as you might think and there are rather a few things you can do to change your existent bathroom decor to something newer and more upbeat. And it doesn’t need to be expensive either. Lets take a look at a few things that will get you started.

You can get a good looking bathroom even if you are on a tight budget. You will inevitably need to cut a few corners but they won’t need to be drastic or anything too dramatic. One of the best n-ways to boost your john if you’re on a tight budget will be to go at it slowly. Take it a piece at a time or even a particular set at a time and change your old bathroom decor to suit your new bathroom decor. This also provides you the time to ponder, research ideas and evaluate your ideas.

The problem with that though, is that you might not get to see a striking change taking place, alternatively you’ll have a gradual change which can be rather unsatisfactory sometimes. So another thing you can do would be to change more or less the whole of your bathroom decor all at once. This can be more comforting to the individual and can brighten your day considerably when you see the changes that have been wrought. Of course if your budget allows this kind of activity.

The best place to start though, whether you’re on a awful budget or not, is by fetching the time to sit back and think about what you want changed about your bathroom decor. Unless you’re amply redesigning your bathroom then it’s almost a presumption that you won’t change around any of the fittings. So if you have decide not to re-design, your next need is to decide what it is about your old bathroom decor that you disfavor so much and what it is that you want to change.

This process, many times, can be the longest. Because it requires you to think, imagine and visualize what you see unsuitable in your bathroom. Trust me, once this process is done you will be happy you did it. when in this process be sure to document and take notes so you can refer to them later. This way you aren’t shooting from the hip. We all know what happens when we do this. We buy things we think we like, out of impulse, and later realize it really isn’t what we wanted.

This might not be as easygoing as you think as not everything is physical at first glance. That’s why you need to sit back and take a good hard look at what you need to do about your bathroom decor. To get the best effect let’s start with the walls. Does it need a fresh work of paint or can you get away with a few strategically located pictures and prints.

If you have a rain shower drapery does that need to be replaced, and what about the rugs and mats as such? Another good place for you to start is with a color intrigue in mind. If you can settle down on what you want your bathroom to look like in the last analysis - inside rationality of course - then you can proceed from there.

Now if all of this seems overwhelming to your, don’t worry. Research, understand and learn the fundamental concepts of interior design and decorating. With this knowledge you will feel confident in your approach. Also, let me clarify here - I am not talking about a 4 year degree. I am talking about the fundamentals to boost your confidence to get started. So, let us wrap up with a knick knacks.

A few knick knacks here and there which will enhance your lavatory should do the trick. Intersperse them with a few expensive cardinal pieces and your new bathroom decor should be all that you could want or need. Please, don’t go crazy with the knick knacks. If you feel it is too much, then I would say it is too much.

Lee Dobbins asked:


A home theater needs to be functional before it’s anything else. Those who have put in the expense to build a “theater” in their home need to be sure the sound and visual and placement of seating is just right before they’ll delve into decorating, but when that time comes, there are some tips to add to the room aesthetically without taking away any of the functionality.

A room of this sort is bound to have floor speakers, and speakers that surround your peripherals and centrally located speakers for both the front and back of the sitting area. In some of the newer homes or the more expensive remodels, some, if not all, of these speakers may be placed in the walls of the home. Yet usually the floor speakers will remain out and near the television. The tops of which may be a prime opportunity for knickknacks when decorating. There may be shelving on the walls in this room for speakers or for remote controls. Those shelves are also a great place for decorative touches.

A typical theater room is designed something like this: The television is centrally located either mounted on the wall or standing just in front of it. There are floor speakers on either side of the television and another smaller speaker centrally located above the TV. There will be more speakers either mounted or on stands placed on either side of the seating area and one more speaker centrally located behind the seating area. Finally, there will be a special speaker called a subwoofer placed somewhere to the side of the seating area. The seating area is located around what some refer to as the “sweet spot” because during the action scenes in intense movies when the music swells, the vibrations of that sound are felt in the seating area. All of this is necessary for the functionality of the theater room. What’s left is what you have to decorate.

In order to keep the functionality of a theater room, you must realize that the room needs to be dark. This is no room for growing plants or bright colors painted on the wall. Rich earthy tones will work here. Along with this, keep knickknacks to a minimum. This room is for viewing the television, not your china collection. Do not place fragile things in this room. There will be much vibration in this room and that may cause a fragile item to fall from its perch and break. Keep your decor simple here. Use rugs to add color to the room and hang pictures to add depth to the walls. Do not clutter up this room with much more than this.

Before anything else, a home theater needs to be functional. If you’ll also entertain in this room, keep your decor to a minimum and use unbreakable items. Add color through the means discussed above and be okay with a sparsely decorated room. It will provide much enjoyment and sometimes simple really is best.

Bridget Greuel asked:


Are you having a difficult time trying to match the colors of the different pieces in your room’s color scheme? Do you want to know how good Interior Designers solve this tough problem? I’ll let you in on the secret…they blend the colors in the room instead of matching the colors. Don’t be afraid because you can do it too. In fact, I really recommend it because it will allow you the freedom of being able to easily incorporate more exciting pieces into the room’s color scheme and it will also make your life easier too since you won’t end up going crazy trying to make all of your room’s decor match perfectly!

How do you determine what items blend in your room and what items don’t? A real good rule of thumb is to stand back and look at all the pieces in question together and to go with your gut feeling or (if you don’t quite trust your eye for color) seek out a second opinion from a good friend or family member with a good eye for color. This method of blending not matching is especially helpful when you’re working with a pattern that may take on one general color when viewed from a distance. I also like to take a close look at each patterned piece to see which colors they’re comprised of to see if the piece is a fit. Be sure to have fun and remember; blend not match!

You can find more fun and exciting design and decorating tips on our website which features art and decor tips for contemporary homes and also art and home decor shopping.

Lee Dobbins asked:


Your home has a small kitchen and you want to redecorate? Below you will find some decorating tips for a small kitchen which will hopefully help you achieve the desired result.

When redecorating a small or compact kitchen it can be quite a challenge as not only do you want to maximize the space you have available, but you also want the kitchen to live up to its full potential. The real key to making this work is to simplify as much as possible and hopefully the list below will help.

1. Only use smooth lines and simple patterns as they will help to create the illusion of space in the kitchen.

2. If at all possible align the appliances flush with cabinets so that you have one continuous unbroken surface and reduce the number of visual elements in the room by using simple cabinet styles. With the wall cabinets you have fixed higher up then why not replace the plain doors with glass fronted ones or do not have any doors at all. This can help to reduce the feeling of being boxed in that solid wood causes.

3. When choosing a colour scheme go for something in a neutral or pastel tone and limit the number of colours and patterns that you use in the decorating. Where at all possible keep the colour of the cabinets, walls and floors similar as this also helps create the illusion of space in such small areas. Use bolder colours only as accents in the room say as the handles on the cabinets.

4. Also if at all possible make sure that you have shiny work surfaces and diagonal patterns on the floor as these also create an illusion of space.

5. Remove all clutter. Do not place anything on the surface of your refrigerator. With some kitchen companies they can make panels to match cabinet doors for your refrigerator which will make it almost disappear. If you want to display items then place them on top of cupboards rather than on the counter tops. Any small appliances, recipe boxes and spices should be placed inside cabinets.

6. To expand the volume of the room further using light and windows. Certainly a kitchen full of light is more appealing and easy to work in. Expand this further if at all possible by placing either opposite or close to the window in question a mirror which will help to reflect more light in to the room.

As you can see just a few simple changes will soon help to make your small kitchen look bigger and brighter and thus more welcoming to the user.

Roger King asked:


Your bedroom should be a place where you can ‘get away from it all. Doing a bedroom-decorating project adds to your individual taste and a key thought. Above all things, you want it to be at ease. Think of your bedroom as a retreat, and let your imagination go!

Quality linens not only look great, they feel wonderful too. The higher the thread count, the more durable the fabric.

Painting is one of the easiest bedroom decorating ideas and most affordable ways to transform your haven. Once your walls are painted, wallpaper borders are a simple way to add attractive detail and integrate individual appearance.

Draperies and blinds provide some privacy, shy away from anything that’s too heavy or overwhelming. Your floor and floor coverings aren’t just something you walk on. They play a key role in your bedroom-decorating look, and feel of the room.

Most likely than in any other room as you’re more likely to look at it in here, your bedroom ceiling is important. Whether you like natural woods, painted furnishings, lacquer, or steel, try to choose bedroom decorating pieces that enhance the look you’re trying to create.

This is an affordable way to light up your sense of style. Lighting can help create a relaxing mood, when it’s soft and indirect. Here’s an area where your bedroom decorating ideas and personal tastes and creativity can really come through. Select a few pieces that you really love.

If you can walk into your bedroom and think, ‘I love this!’ you’ve done a great job. Keep comfort and your personal tastes in mind, and you should end up with your bedroom decorating project that’s wonderfully and restful.

Lee Dobbins asked:


Windows, an often forgotten aspect of interior decorating are essential elements in any decorating theme. It’s simple enough to understand why - after all, aside from looking outside or letting in sunlight, what other importance do windows have, contrasted to how a large wall or fireplace might look? The truth is that decorating your windows is a vital part of your overall decor. To really make your decorating theme fabulous, think about a few of the window decorating tips below.

No matter what design theme you have chosen to decorate in, installing window treatments in coordinating styles and colors will really help your design look great. For example, adding wood blinds in place of drapes or curtains to a lodge, cabin or other wood type style decorating theme will help continue the theme throughout the room. The blinds can help give you privacy and also let light filter in adding to the ambiance of the room design.

Decorating your windows might even go beyond the curtains and drapes - if you have wood windows you might consider sanding them down and staining or painting them in a different color. It’s now decorating secret that a new coat of paint will make your windows look like new. Install little clasps or stylish safety locks onto the frame also, giving the windows not only more security, but also a stylish and practical look at the same time.

Making use of scallops and side tabs is another window decorating tip which works well in many design themes. Using these, you can tie the drapes or curtains back opening up the window to let light in. Using a scalloped valance, you can add style to any window.

Mixing materials is another approach that can look fresh. You can mix different style and pattern fabrics along with other materials. If you like the ease and convenience of wood blinds, then mix them with fabric window treatments to soften up the window decor.

If the room your window is in is more of a material laden design, then decorating your window with vertical blinds may be the answer. Here, you can achieve the look of a drape but with a simpler to care for window treatment. Plus you can merely wipe them down or vacuum to clean.

Next time you redecorate, don’t forget these window decorating tips when it comes time for your window treatments. Whether you simply add a few touches or do a whole new look on your windows, they are a pivotal element of any design theme.

Lee Dobbins asked:


Most people spend a lot of time decorating their home for the holidays, but when it comes to the kitchen many are a at loss as to how to spruce it up for Christmas. Here are some easy and inexpensive ways that you can get your kitchen into the holiday spirit.

One thing that adds a lot to the kitchen at any time of year is to decorate above the cabinets. If you have a space between the tops of your cabinets and the ceiling, then you have a great place decorate! For the holidays, you can put up some garland or greenery. Maybe add some red bows or ornaments and little white lights for the season. If you already have decorations up there, you can work around those or go all out by replacing what you currently have up there with Santa’s, trees and other holiday decorations.

You might already give your kitchen table a festive look by putting a holiday centerpiece in the middle, but why stop there? If your table is big enough, you can put a small tree on it! Maybe one of those quaint Victorian bottle brush trees would look neat? Just something about 2 or 3 feet tall and not so wide that it takes up the whole table.

Of course, you’ll want to complete the look by leaving your table set with a Christmas theme dishes, placemats, glasses and silverware. Just leave it setup all during the holidays and it will add a great festive look to your table. If you are on a budget, shop at your local consignment store, thrift store, or flea market for holiday themed tableware.

Another way to dress up your table is to give it a great holiday tablecloth. If you are really ambitious, you can even make or buy matching slipcovers for the chairs. Even non-upholstered chairs can be made to look cozier with fabric slip covers that slip over the backs. Some cover the seat and whole chair while others are made to only cover and decorate the back.

Another place you can add some holiday décor is around the windows. You can drape garland or greenery over your valances or tops of your curtains and put Christmas candles in the window. You can even buy fake snow for the panes. One little touch that looks great is to take a nice piece of ribbon and hang an ornament in each of the windows.

Our final Christmas decorating tip really rounds out the look and pulls the room together is holiday accents! Buy pot holders, kitchen towels and throw rugs with a holiday theme and splash them around the room to complete the look. If you are really ambitious, you can get cookie jars, canisters and other counter top items in the Christmas theme. Again, try yards sales, consignment stores and even antique stores for inexpensive items to use in your decorating.

Jeff Alderman asked:


 Fall Decorating Tips To Warm Your Home

 

When the weather begins to turn cold, take cues from fall to warm up your world. Think about the decorating styles that appeal to you and use the following tips for guidance:

 

·         Look to Elemental Colors:  Air, Earth, Fire and Water; nature inspires the most beautiful colors. Colors reflecting Air will make your home breathe. Earth inspired colors will ground and calm a room. Colors pulling from Water inspire playful fun and those reflecting Fire will say bold confidence.

 

·         Take Natures Cues:  As the air turns cool, nature gives us clues as to which colors make your home feel warm and cozy in the fall. Look around at the fall foliage and you’ll see vibrant golds, rich reds, deep chocolate browns and toasty oranges. These colors inspire life and energy as the days get darker and cooler. Look for ways to incorporate these colors and sceneries into your room décor. National Geographic Wallpaper or wall murals can help create this inviting nature setting. 

 

·         Go Natural:  With the increasing focus on the environment, there are abundant products available today that reflect and are good for nature. These products often incorporate earthy colors and textures; a perfect theme for fall.  Choose eco-friendly shades which are PVC-free and 100% recyclable like American Blinds® Roller Shades.  Check out the eco-friendly wallpaper made from recycled material or sourced from managed forests.

 

·         ‘Tis the Season:  Carve out a tall pumpkin and use it as a flower vase or use small pumpkins for candles.  A throw pillow, bowl of fresh citrus fruit or a bouquet of cut flowers are inexpensive ways to provide some color pop while welcoming your guests with the feel of nature.

 

·         Come Together:  Gather around the fireplace. Rearrange your furniture to set your fireplace, instead of the TV, as the focal point of the room. Footstools, ottomans, and floor pillows by the fire create an inviting, warm atmosphere that will get you through the harshest days of winter. And if you don’t want the hassle of starting and maintaining a fire, try placing tall white candles in the fireplace for a similar glow.

 

·         Go Vibrant:  Add a few splashes of vibrant color.  They enrich any look and keep you from feeling drab.  Deep colors also inspire confidence.  Use an area rug to add warmth and personality to any room.

 

·         Go Circular:  Designing a wreath is one of the easiest DIY projects you could hope for.  And this time of year there is an abundance of colorful items to choose from at your local craft store or around your home.  Get the kids involved and make it a family project.

 

·         Prepare for Winter:  Now is the time to prep your home. There are several easy steps you can take. Consider insulating cellular shades or lined window treatments such as thermal curtains or foam-backed draperies for older, drafty windows. Insulate your water heater with insulation wrap. Seal leaks and drafts with caulk or weather strips. Clean your furnace and change your air filter. And lastly, but certainly not least, install a programmable thermostat. This allows you to conserve energy during the day while you’re at work and at night while you sleep, but still come home or wake up to a warm, cozy home.

 

This fall season homeowners can add color and style even on a budget.  Enjoy the new, quick way to navigate and shop for the perfect, energy efficient window treatments from American Blinds, Wallpaper and More, at www.americanblinds.com.