Using Color And Fabrics At Home
Sometimes, personality and character just seem to be missing from a room. Often these spaces are just plain dull or boring, or there’s simply nothing there to create interest. Does it just so happen that this describes your home? If you feel like the rooms in your home are nothing special, there are some quick and easy ways to add warmth and personality through the use of color and texture. Even better, you don’t need to spend a great deal of money to do this.
More times than not, those rooms that are an entire sweep of beige and cream can really use a little drama. Whether you are trying to achieve a room that’s vibrant and energetic or tranquil and relaxing, all this and more can be achieved with various textures and colors. If you’re looking for ways to transform a room, here are some tips to get you started.
When Tranquility Is What You’re After
If you’re looking to create a sense of relaxing tranquility, neutral colors are your best bet. Colors of Earth such as sky blue, tans, and terra cotta create an aura of calm and peace. Go for cream-colored carpets and walls, accented with the hues of the sunset. Splashes of terra cotta and sky blue in artwork, throw pillows, and accent rugs can complement furnishings that are light in color. In terms of texture, pillows, rugs, and wall hangings can be nubby or sleek.
Warm Things Up and Welcome Visitors
With warm colors, you can create a vibrant atmosphere that welcomes anyone to your home. You’ll add a spicy appeal to your décor by using all the colors of autumn: oranges, reds, brown, rust, and navy blue. If you’re trying to achieve a warm, comfortable look, choose furnishings with bold patterns tha include the colors of fall. To be sure your throw pillows aren’t competing with the patterns of the furniture, choose ones in solid colors that coordinate with the rest of the décor. Create a focal point by painting a single wall deep orange and decorating it with a large print.
Jazz It Up with Energy!
Jazz up any small room or space that simply looks blah. With bright, vibrant colors, you can make even the plainest of rooms take on a whole new life. For a botanical look, choose shades of bright green, orange, blue, and peach. Or create an accent wall or two by painting them a bright, bold color.
Add some throw pillows into the mix with the wildest, boldest patterns you can find. Liven up the room with some botanical prints or abstract art on the walls and a geometric or abstract patterned throw rug on the floor. Now all you have to add are a few exotic looking plants. When everything comes together, you won’t believe your eyes! When you’re trying to create a room that exudes energy, bright colors and bold prints are essential to this look.
Color has a profound effect of everyone. This is why it’s so common for people to be able to name their favorite color. Not only do colors make you feel calm, relaxed, energetic, sexy, or playful, it does the same for your rooms. You don’t need to settle for a boring, lackluster home that has no personality. Liven up the look by adding some color and texture into the mix. Even on a shoestring budget, it’s possible to add character and personality that will totally transform the look of your home.
About the Author…
Leon Tuberman has 40 years of experience in the home furnishings and interior decorating industry. He owns and operates his family owned furniture store. They have a huge inventory of handcrafted American built solid oak furniture for your bedroom, home office and living room. It doesn’t matter whether you’re shopping for a oak bookshelf for your office or a wood tv stand for your media room then they have everything you need.
Adding Contemporary Style to Your Home
For those who like to keep current with the styles and designs of today, a contemporary style might be the perfect dcor choice for your home. Todays contemporary styles are a far cry from several years ago and are no longer as cold and unwelcoming as they once were. Rather contemporary styles today tend to be lighter, comfortable and very welcoming.
What exactly comprises the contemporary look? The basic components of this design style are simplicity, clean lines, and sophistication. When decorating your home in a contemporary style, focus mainly on size, shape, and color. The fresh, sleek look that results will fit just about any room in the home. Following are some other important features of contemporary style for you to consider.
Contemporary Color Choices for Your Room
Contemporary styles tend to incorporate mostly neutral colors, although modern variants are adding more colors such as blues and greens into the mix. Traditionally, black is often the color used to ground the dcor, creating a base for the look. Walls should be kept neutral; stay with tones such as light gray, white, and light tan.
One new trend in contemporary styles revolves around monochromatic themes. Here you might choose one or two complementary colors such as green and blue and work only with those colors, adding just a punch or two of a neutral color such as black or white. Thus, for instance, you may coordinate white pillows with a modern light-blue chair.
Accentuate the Lines and Geometry of the Room
Essential to contemporary style is distinct lines in the design. You can use geometric shapes and bare windows to establish definite lines in your dcor. Dont overcrowd the space. You need each and every piece to stand on its own and not get shuffled in with everything else.
Choose Sleek and Modern Furniture
Look for sleek and modern looks with geometric patterns when you go to furnish your room. Rather than a big plush, comfy sofa, you might go with a sleek wrap-around sofa with exposed peg legs for that contemporary look. Upholstered furniture should be neutral, in tones such as white, black, tan, and gray. Avoid furniture with frilly accents or pillows, or pieces with skirts or trim on the bottom.
Contemporary Dcor Thats Basic, Bold and Functional
Its important to remember that with contemporary style, less is more. In other words, you need to eliminate the small, cute, little things and focus on larger objects. Things such as floral or paisley prints, as well as fringe and ruffles, should definitely be avoided.
When it comes to contemporary dcor, go basic, bold, and functional. For instance, a simple large candle on a dish may be all thats needed on a shelf or table. Another contemporary accent might be a glass vase with colored balls or marbles. Just limit your accents to one per surface area, and keep some surfaces bare.
Contemporary style can create a great look for practically any room in your home and can be achieved with something as simple as new living room or bedroom accents. Be sure this is the style you want, however. Its notoriously difficult to use contemporary pieces in other decorating styles.
For the past 25 years Avo Barsoumian has helped home owners with their home flooring and interior decorating needs. He is the owner of Carpet Wagon, a family owned flooring company in Pasadena. The carry the best in elegant hardwood flooring, beautiful laminate flooring and plush carpeting. Searching for that perfect carpet barn for your new town house or carpet instalation to redecorate your older house? Then give Carpet Wagon a call.
Feng Shui In 5 Easy Steps
Many people like to practice feng shui in the bedroom. This is because feng shui is the ideal way to create a bedroom that’s a peaceful retreat and the proper setting in which to get restful sleep every night. When you practice feng shui, you can design and decorate a balanced room filled with positive energy.
When it comes to decorating with feng shui, there are several guidelines, but some are more important than others. Follow some of these feng shui tips to create a bedroom that’s both balanced and peaceful.
1. Your bed should be the main feng shui element in the room.
In your bedroom, wooden beds are the primary source of intimate, personal energy. You want your bed to meet your every need, from the headboard to the mattress. So if you have to make a choice, choose to invest your money in the bed.
2. Place the bed according to the feng shui position for optimal positive energy and love.
When arranging the room, you should be able to see the doorway from the bed, but it shouldn’t be directly in line with the door. Choose a strong supporting wall against which to place the bed.
3. You should have balanced energy on both sides of your bed in feng shui.
So you either need to have side tables on both sides of the bed or none at all. You also don’t want to have any sharp angles from the tables or other furniture in the room facing the bed.
4. Remove the television so that it doesn’t throw off the balance of the room.
This is a key part of feng shui. Removing as many electrical appliances as possible from the bedroom keeps less electricity flowing through there. By removing electrical flow from the room, your body won’t take in those harmful EMFs that can cause an internal imbalance. Also, when you don’t have the distraction of a television or computer, you’ll be able to get better sleep at night.
5. When designing your bedroom, don’t get obsessed with the rules of feng shui.
For instance, your bedroom may be too small for you to follow all the correct guidelines of feng shui. If you focus too much on what’s “correct,” you may end up feeling stressed out and disappointed. Keep in mind that, in the end, feng shui is really about positive energy. If you do what you can with the space you have, then you’ll be able to make the room comfortable for you.
For some people, feng shui is either too difficult to incorporate or they just don’t believe in it. However, the basic principle is simply to create the healthiest, most comfortable room possible. Feng shui has been born from a long philosophical tradition that demonstrates how these decorating principles can improve your sense of being and life. If you want to improve your bedroom and the feel of your wooden bedroom furniture or just want to double check your feng shui, these tips should help get you started.
Simple DIY Decorating Projects!
Many homeowners like to do their own decorating projects themselves. This is a great way to ensure that your style and personality always come through your decorating. Here are 5 great DIY decorating projects that you can do for your home.
1. Paint the Walls
Painting is by far the easiest and most effective way to entirely change the look of a room. Remember, the color of the walls is going to influence the entire rooms decor. If you begin a painting project, you want to be sure you do it properly and prepare the walls as needed. This includes filling in cracks and then sanding them down so that the wall is smooth and crack-free. You will need to first put on a coat of primer, and depending on the color and the saturation of the wall, you may have to put on a few coats of paint.
2. Install Molding on the Walls
Molding instantly adds a new touch to your walls. If your wall is boring, molding will give it some interest and appeal. You might install crown molding to the top of the wall or go a different route and install a chair rail in the middle. Remember, you always want to paint or stain the molding before you nail it to the wall. Afterward, you can go back and touch up the nail holes with paint.
3. Personalize the Lampshades
If you cant find the exact lampshade youve envisioned or just want to create something that shows your style, then consider designing your own lampshade. This is easier than it sounds. Simply take a white or cream-colored lampshade and cut figures or designs out of a dark paper such as black or red. All you need do is to tape the paper to the inside of the lampshade. What will result is a designer lampshade that reflects your own personal style. You can also personalize the lampshade by adding embellishments and ribbon as well. This is wonderful way to accent a oak end table in your family room.
4. Make Your Own Artwork for the Walls
Even if you cant paint or draw very well, that doesnt mean you cant come up with your very own artwork to hang on the walls or to place in a bookcase. All you need to do is to get creative and use items you already have. Examples of this would be photographs, postcards, and book images to hang on the wall. Another easy idea is to put together a collage of items found in nature. Or take a frame or blank canvas and wrap it in a patterned fabric that fits the style of the room. If you put together two or three different patterns stretched on different sized frames, you can hang them all together in a cluster on the wall.
5. Make Your Own Window Treatments
If you arent handy with a sewing machine or a needle and thread, there are many different non-sewing techniques you can use to make your own curtains. By taking a long silk scarf and draping it over a window curtain, you can create instant interest around any window. Other instant window treatments include such things as placemats and tablecloths. For those who do sew, you can find plenty of patterns to make your own window treatments from whatever fabric you like.
Great DIY decorating projects dont have to be difficult. These are only 5 of the many different types of projects you can take on so you can decorate your home in your own personal style.
5 Tips for Decorating Your Dining Room
If your dining room gives off a dull and boring feel, it might be time to change the room’s style. You can do plenty of things to bring more life to the dining room, tie the room together and make it more stylish. With these tips you’ll be able to style any dining room.
1. Find an area rug that matches the colors of the dining room. There should be enough room on the rug to fit it under the table and chairs, even if the chairs are pulled out. However, your rug shouldn’t be so big that there is no room between the rug and walls.
As a rule, you should probably measure the perimeter of the table and then add about four feet in each direction for your rug. If you really want to change up the room, choose an area rug that is really different and redecorate the room based off the rug.
2. Include a centerpiece on your dining room table. A great way to add color to the room is with a flower arrangement. You can add light to the room with candles, while using a glass bowl or vase filled with fruit will add an earthy atmosphere to the room. Be creative when it comes to your centerpieces. Depending on the season, or just your mood, you should change the centerpiece.
3. You can add style to the room by buying a piece of artwork or set of shelves. Check the walls of your room to see in there is anything on the walls. You can hang two or three smaller pieces of artwork on a wall that ties them together or you can simply use a single, larger piece. If you hang one or two shelves on the wall you will have the choice decorating the walls with pictures, candles or other items instead.
4. Add style to the room with the dining room table. You can give the room a finished look by setting out a nice china set with placemats or an elegant tablecloth. This will help give the room an inviting tone instead of a cold and uninviting one to guests.
You’ll never have to grow tired of the table if you simply change the place settings on the table, this way you can also keep the main setting of the table.
5. Add more style to the room with a new light fixture. Add new lighting to the room with chandeliers above the table or tall standing lights in the corners of the room. The chandelier you choose should go with the style of the room. You can give the room the right amount of light by simply adjusting the height of the chandelier.
You have many choices when it comes to changing up your dining room and adding style to it. Be creative with your work, think about what you want for the room and then make it happen.
Avo Barsoumian has been part of the interior decorating and home flooring community for the past 25 years. He is the owner of Carpet Wagon, a family owned home flooring company in Pasadena. They have a huge selection of elegant hardwood flooring, beautiful laminate flooring and plush carpeting. It doesn’t matter whether your searching for carpet installation for your new condo or solid hardwood flooring to remodelupdate your older house then Carpet Wagon has exactly what you’re looking for.
Decorating 101: Retro Kitchen
A great theme for a kitchen is black-and-white retro. Even though this retro style goes way back, through the years it’s become a classic. If you’re considering a retro theme for your kitchen, then here are some tips to get you started.
Use Red as an Accent Color in the Kitchen
If you want to make your retro kitchen look more authentic, accent the black-and-white color scheme with some red. By adding touches of red, you can bring some interest and color to the room while still maintaining the retro feeling. Have you ever seen a black-and-white diner or kitchen from years ago? They almost always incorporate red into the design. You can decide how much red you end up using in the kitchen. You can add smaller touches, such as with items like placemats and window treatments, or larger accents as with a backsplash or the color of a wall.
Flooring Options for a Retro Kitchen
If you’re designing a retro kitchen, one of your best flooring options is a black-and-white tiled floor. You can definitely enhance that retro look by creating an alternating pattern of black and white tiles, which will give the room that old-diner feel. Of course, you can also find laminate flooring with a black-and-white checkered pattern if you want to go a cheaper route. You might want to skip wood flooring in your black-and-white kitchen design, but if you’re really set on that, then at least try to find a darker wood. You should be able to find at least one area rug with black, white, or red in it to place on top of the wood floor and complement the retro look.
Cabinets for a Retro Kitchen
As with the flooring, try to stay away from cabinets that are wooden. Instead, paint the cabinets white. You might even consider painting them black, depending on your wall color and how daring you feel. Use silver retro pull handles to add accents to the cabinets. If you’re looking for a more unique style, try hand painting your own cabinet pulls with a checkered or geometric design.
Choosing Appliances for a Retro Kitchen
Back in the day, most kitchens had white appliances, as that was the standard for refrigerators. These days there are so many different options for appliances that you can play around with the different choices. Stainless steel appliances, for instance, would look great with a retro kitchen style. You might also consider going with black appliances, but that would depend, of course, on how much black you’ve used in the rest of the room. Remember, you don’t need to strictly stick to retro options. You can always give your black-and-white retro kitchen a modern twist.
If you’re looking to give your kitchen a unique style, a black-and-white retro theme can be a great way to decorate your kitchen. Just be sure to remember that although you want a stylish kitchen, you also want to make sure it feels comfortable and inviting, as your family will most likely spend a lot of time in there.
About the Writer…
Leon Tuberman has been part of the furniture and interior design business for four decades. He owns and manages his family owned furniture store. They have a huge inventory of handcrafted Amish built solid wood furniture for your bedroom, living room and wood office furniture. Are you searching for a wood file cabinets for your office or a wooden bed for your master bedroom then they probably have everything you need.
5 Simple Ways to Improve the Feng Shui in Your Bedroom
Many people like to practice feng shui in the bedroom. With feng shui, you can create a bedroom that’s a peaceful retreat and the ideal place in which to get restful sleep every night. Feng shui is basically about creating a balanced room that’s filled with positive energy.
When it comes to decorating with feng shui, there are several guidelines, but some are more important than others. Follow some of these feng shui tips to create a bedroom that’s both balanced and peaceful.
1. Your bed should be the main feng shui element in the room.
In your bedroom, wood beds are the primary source of intimate, personal energy. An uncomfortable bed can make it very difficult for you to get restful sleep at night.
2. Place the bed according to the feng shui position for optimal positive energy and love.
When arranging the room, you should be able to see the doorway from the bed, but it shouldn’t be directly in line with the door. The bed should also be on a strong supporting wall.
3. According to feng shui, both sides of your bed need to be balanced in energy.
This means you have the choice of placing side tables on both sides of the bed or on neither side. Also, try to keep any sharp angles—either from the tables or from the other furniture in the room—from facing the bed.
4. When you remove the television, you maintain balance in the room.
The less electricity flowing through your bedroom the better, as removing as many electrical appliances as possible is a key part of feng shui. EMFs can cause an internal imbalance, and your body doesn’t take them in when you remove electrical flow from the room. The distraction of a television or computer can also keep you from getting good sleep at night.
5. Don’t become preoccupied with the rules of feng shui in your bedroom.
For instance, your bedroom may be too small for you to follow all the correct guidelines of feng shui. This attitude can cause you to feel stressed out, creating disappointment. Keep in mind that, in the end, feng shui is really about positive energy. Concentrate in making the room comfortable for you by doing what you can with the space that you have.
Some people may not believe in feng shui; others may find it too difficult to incorporate into their décor. However, the basic principle is simply to have the healthiest, most comfortable room possible. Feng shui decorating is accompanied by a long philosophical tradition, which demonstrates exactly how these principles can improve your sense of being and your life. If you’re looking to improve your bedroom or simply the feel of your wood bedroom furniture with some feng shui techniques, these tips can help get you started.
How to Decorate in a Shabby Chic Style
If you love the antique look of worn furnishings but simply cannot afford to redecorate at this time, there may be another option. Don’t go out and buy pricey antiques to achieve the look you’re going for. Shabby chic décor will give your home a similar atmosphere and won’t cost you a bundle of money. This style creates a cozy, relaxed, and romantic feel. With shabby chic, you can almost picture those soft, warm breezes floating across the room.
Soft and Sensuous
Shabby chic provides a feminine look of light and white-washed décor that many people-especially women-just love. In this décor, furniture looks just a little worn around the edges, and curtains of muted pastels blend softly with the rest of the room.
Go for fabrics that are satiny or nubby-or anything in between. Or combine those ultra-smooth satins with nubby textures to create a more interesting look.
In a shabby chic décor, the older an accessory looks, the better. This is a style that is meant to look relaxed and comfortable-and a bit old-fashioned. It’s fine if the furnishings you currently have are more modern-you won’t have to go out and buy all new pieces. For instance, you can transform your coffee and end tables by sanding off the finish, painting them an antique white color, and then lightly sanding those edges and other areas on the tables that would naturally wear. Then, voila! You’ve created a shabby chic look without having to go out and spend hundreds of dollars on new tables.
Elegance on a Budget
If you want a relaxed elegant look but need to stay within your budget, shabby chic is a great style option. It’s not unusual to find the perfect shabby chic accent or accessory like a oak coffee table at a flea market. For shabby chic decorating, certainly “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
Slip covers are almost a necessary accessory with this style. Start by covering your sofa with an antique white slip cover. Then you can add mismatched throw pillows that are similar in color but have different textures and patterns. As long as the colors are complementary, you can create stunning combinations, such as a satiny floral placed next to a nubby plaid.
The Finishing Touches
So now let’s turn to accessorizing. Fortunately, shabby chic makes this super easy as well. Staples in shabby chic décor are flowers and other greenery. You can either buy a few fresh flowers at the market or pick some of your own if you have them. Find an old-looking vase for your oak dining table, but don’t try to arrange them perfectly. You want the finished result to look a little thrown together. With shabby chic, you want the look to be relaxed and elegant but not too perfect.
Lighting accessories are another great place to get creative. Antique-looking chandeliers and candle holders can be the perfect accent for this décor. Find lamp shade decorated with glass or crystal beads to add to the antique look. Another great fit is lamp shades that are painted. Remember, you are striving to find things that look as if they come from another era.
If you’re looking for a unique style that won’t break your budget, shabby chic is it. With this style, you can create a look that’s light, open, airy, relaxed, romantic, elegant AND feminine-all in one. With shabby chic, you can create an original look that you can enjoy with total ease and comfort.
Five Feng Shui Ideas for Your Bedroom
Many people like to practice feng shui in the bedroom. With feng shui, you can create a bedroom that’s a peaceful retreat and the ideal place in which to get restful sleep every night. Feng shui is basically about creating a balanced room that’s filled with positive energy.
Although there are seve ral guidelines to follow when it comes to decorating with feng shui, some are more critical than others. If you’re looking to create a balanced and peaceful bedroom, here are some feng shui tips that can help get you on your way.
1. The main feng shui element in the room should be your bed.
The primary source of intimate, personal energy in you bedroom is your wood bed. If you have to choose, the place you want to invest your money is in the bed so that it meets your every need: from the headboard all the way down to the mattress.
2. You can create optimal positive energy and love with a feng shui placement of the bed.
The bed should be placed so that you can see the doorway, but you don’t want it directly in line with the door. You also want the bed to be on a strong supporting wall.
3. You should have balanced energy on both sides of your bed in feng shui.
So you either need to have side tables on both sides of the bed or none at all. No sharp angles should face the bed, either from those tables or from other furniture in the room.
4. Remove the television so that it doesn’t throw off the balance of the room.
The less electricity flowing through your bedroom the better, as removing as many electrical appliances as possible is a key part of feng shui. EMFs can cause an internal imbalance, and your body doesn’t take them in when you remove electrical flow from the room. The distraction of a television or computer can also keep you from getting good sleep at night.
5. Don’t get obsessed with the rules of feng shui.
For instance, your bedroom may be too small for you to follow all the correct guidelines of feng shui. This attitude can cause you to feel stressed out, creating disappointment. Keep in mind that, in the end, feng shui is really about positive energy. Concentrate in making the room comfortable for you by doing what you can with the space that you have.
Some people may not believe in feng shui or find it too difficult, but its goal is to create the most comfortable, healthiest room you can. A long philosophical tradition accompanies feng shui decorating. This demonstrates how the principles can improve your sense of life and being. If you’re looking to improve your bedroom or simply the feel of your oak bedroom furniture with some feng shui techniques, these tips can help get you started.
Lighting for Your Kitchen
Depending on the style and layout of your kitchen, chances are that you have many more lighting options than you think you do. When it comes to kitchen lighting, you have plenty of options. However, not every selection will fit every type of kitchen. Here’s a list of options to consider when choosing your kitchen lighting.
Under-the-Cabinet Lighting Can Enhance the Look
If you’re looking for lighting to enhance the look of your kitchen, consider under-the-cabinet options. The key to this kind of lighting is to pick a type of light that best fits your layout, particularly that of your cabinets. You need to consider all the issues before you dive into the project; for instance, there may be areas in the room that you don’t want lit. You have three different under-cabinet lighting options that you can choose from, including incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps, and LED lights. By researching each type of lamp, you can determine what will work best for you and your kitchen.
Decorative Lighting Can Add Style
If first and foremost you want your new lighting to fit the style of the room, then you should look at decorative lighting. You might choose a light that hangs from the ceiling or one that lies flush with it. Chandeliers and pendant lights are just two examples of decorative lighting options. These types of lighting fixtures not only look attractive but also will provide plenty of light for the room. If you want to make the light look even more appealing, choose a fixture that will match your kitchen’s theme or style.
Track Lighting Is Great in the Kitchen
If you have visited any new homes of late or seen pictures in recent design magazines, you may have seen track lighting in the kitchen. More and more people are going with track lighting in the kitchen these days. Track lighting allows you to direct the light wherever in the kitchen you need it most—for instance, by the stove or near the countertops. In recent years, track lighting has also become way more attractive, as it now comes in many different styles and designs. If you’re really looking to get creative, rather than getting track lighting in a simple straight line, consider a track that’s curved or in an “S” shape.
Recessed Lighting Is Common in Kitchens
Recessed lighting is another popular kitchen light option. This type of lighting involves the lights being installed right in the ceiling. Similar to track lighting, most recessed lights are aim-able, so that you can point the light at whatever spot you want in the kitchen. Recessed lighting goes great with modern and contemporary kitchens, as it offers a clean and streamlined look. Plan on hiring a professional to do the installation in the ceiling, as this will ensure that it’s done properly and safely.
These days, you have so many different lighting options for your kitchen. Do your research, and you should be able to find a light that matches your kitchen’s style and highlights your beautiful space.
About the Author…
Leon Tuberman has been part of the home furnishings and interior decorating business for 40 years. He is the owner and manager of popular furniture store in California. They carry a large selection of USA made solid oak mission furniture for your living room, dining room and bedroom. Are you looking for a dining table or a full dining set for your formal dining room then they probably have everything you need.