Archive for the ‘Accessories’ Category
December 29th, 2009 | 
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Bored of the tired, old look of your house? Designing your new house? Either way, window treatments are very much on the horizon.
Window treatments have changed and evolved with time. From the rich drapes of the Victorian era to the minimalist looks afforded by simple blinds, the options are diverse enough to be confusing. So, the first step is to have some idea about what kind of window treatment you want in the room.
If you have decided to stick with window curtains, then, you need to keep a few things in your mind. The right curtains can add to the ambience of the room. It can breathe an air of beauty, restfulness or excitement to the room. However, if you make the wrong choice, it can spoil the entire feel of the room. So, getting yourself the right curtains needs some planning.
Designs:
Lace? Sheer? Velvet? Silk? Printed? Plain? You got it. Too many options. If you’re a novice who wants a stunning interior without having to spend through your nose for the services of an interior designers, the best way is to grab a few copies of a home-style magazine. Visit show homes and attend exhibitions. You will pick up some excellent color schemes and new ideas this way.
Room specific:
Window curtains have to be room specific. So, the curtains you use in the sitting room will be different from those in the children’s bedroom, which will certainly be different from those that you’ll be using in the kitchen. Window curtains have to reflect the atmosphere of the room. For example, dining rooms can carry off a dramatic look, while the children’s bedroom can make use of a vibrant and colorful look.
Color:
The color for the curtains must blend nicely with the color of the adjacent walls. Do not use a very dark color right next to a light colored wall as this may create a severe effect. Try to reduce the impact of a dark window curtain by using a lighter trim or alternating it with a sheer, light colored curtain. Small windows can do without large, overwhelming prints. Instead go for self prints or small prints.
Material:
In any room, the material on the windows must be in line with the material on the upholstery or furniture. Sheer materials are in vogue these days and they are a fine choice because they impart an airy look to the room. However, sheer curtains allow a lot of sunlight and afford little privacy. So you need to combine them with drapes. While selecting window curtains that are always exposed to sunlight, choose a material and color that does not fade over time. South facing rooms are particularly prone to this problem.
The above tips can help you select the right window curtains. If you find it difficult to imagine your window treatment, try to sketch it on paper. This will help you see whether the treatment is too heavy or just right. Again, a magazine or some pictures from the internet could be helpful.
Buying the curtain is only half the job. Make sure that you get it sewed properly. Only this can give your room the beautiful look that you want.
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There are several ways to add a little interest to any room in your house. One of the most inexpensive ways is to accessorize with pillows. Many rooms are just an amalgam of furniture, drapery, home electronics and house plants. Often, these items are just thrown together without any thought as to what matches, what compliments or how everything is tied together. When you’re decorating, it is important to think of your room in question as a canvas. On this canvas there should be unifying elements that bring everything to a common theme.
Let’s say you have a typical family room. There’s a window with some drapes on one wall. There’s a very comfortable dark colored, fabric couch on an adjacent wall. You have an audio/visual system sitting across from that. There may be a coffee table and some end tables surrounding the couch. It would be great to throw some paint on the wall, nothing too bright or exotic. Paint just a few coats of color to add interest to the room or try one accent wall with a strong hue. This will help to not overwhelm the room with color. A window treatment may also add visual interest. And at the end of all this, the accessories you choose can finish off the decorative task.
Adding decorative pillows to your furniture can be an amazing compliment to a dull room. As well as softening up the space, making it feel cozy. You could have a few accent pillows that sit on the sofa and have a color that matches that new coat of paint or the colorful window treatment. You could choose a sofa pillow that is a complimentary color, such as a brown sofa set off by light blue or light green accent pillows. The color combinations are a matter of taste, and you can have fun finding out which colors you love and also add flair to your particular room.
Along with your sofa pillows, floor pillows can also add to the décor of the room and actually become soft furniture themselves. You can stack them in the corner or lean them against the wall, and they can be used if you need extra seating. The best thing about floor pillows is there are so many color and fabric choices that you can match them to your decorative sofa pillows, paint colors, window treatments or anything in your comfortable room.
Bean bags serve the same purpose as floor pillows. They can be great accessories to soften a room, and add a little accent color. Bean bag chairs are more appropriate decoration for a more casual room, like a bedroom or family room, than say a forming living room. But using these soft items such a small decorative pillows, floor pillows and bean bag chairs can really help to tie a room and a color scheme together.
With so many color and fabric choices available today, the possibilities are endless on spicing up your current décor with some colorful accessories. Decorative accent pillows, floor pillows and bean bags can be used together, or individually to add a little something extra to any room in your house. Be creative, experiment and have fun!
Pillows for your Home
A simple home decorating idea to invigorate a room is to let it reflect the change in seasons. Here are several home decorating ideas for making those seasonal transitions simple and easy.
Home decorating ideas for making the switch to summer:
*Replace heavy draperies with lace curtains or sheer panels to give that light, airy look.
*Rearrange furniture to let in light and air and to take in the view of outdoors
*Drape a summery throw over the sofa or use striped or lighter-weight white or cream slipcovers.
*Put away the heavier wool rugs and use cotton rugs, straw mats or leave the floors bare.
*Dress up the fireplace with dried flowers, a candle arrangement, or unique, summery home decor.
*Add a touch of color with items such as painted flower pots and colorful table linens.
*Bring the garden indoors with a wicker chair, a glass-top wrought iron table and birdhouses.
Home decorating ideas for transitioning to winter:
*Use traditional wool, Oriental, or Navajo rugs as area rugs over carpet or bare floors.
*Add winter warmth to any décor with velvet slipcovers and chenille and mohair throws.
*Burrow under flannel sheets, vintage quilts and comforters for a good night’s rest.
*Go for deep, rich colors—navy blue, russet, burgundy, and eggplant
*Bring the outdoors inside with a rustic basket filled with pinecones and urns filled with evergreens or branches with winter berries.
*Display bowls of winter fruits on tables and countertops—apples, pears, and pomegranates.
*Provide a soothing, comforting glow to any room in the house with candles.
*Bring furniture closer together for that warm, cozy feeling.
See how easy it is to shift from one season to the next by implementing these simple home decorating ideas. Don’t forget to add a touch of spring and fall décor for the in-between seasons.
Why use “a touch of red” in your home decorating idea? Red is the warmest of all colors and symbolizes vitality, energy, action and confidence. It makes a bold statement and is, incidentally, the color most chosen by extroverts. This article gives practical tips on using “a touch of red” in your home interior as well as suggestions for using “a touch of red” in various decorating styles.
In feng shui decorating, red is associated with power, love, inspiration and pleasure. Accent colors, such as red, which are more dramatic, are used in moderation, such as a single piece of art work or furniture. The reason is: the more intense the color, the less of it is needed for it to be effective. Thus, use lighter colors for larger areas with accents in more vibrant, dramatic colors. What an interesting home decorating idea!
A recent home decorating idea in our home became a reality by using “the touch of red” concept. Window coverings were installed on a series of three windows in the dining area. The coverings consisted of four vertical drapery panels made out of wool tapestry-looking fabric. The background of the fabric is medium tan with subtle red, green and blue flowers. The panels are outlined in a navy/small beige polka-dot fabric. A 6-inch cornice board covered with the same navy fabric completes the look. This window treatment may sound quite “busy” but is very pleasing to the eye.
To complete the home decorating idea of a “touch of red” look in the dining area and because the wool fabric is somewhat bulky, red tassel tie backs were added to the panels. In addition to the tassel tie backs, red was incorporated in the large picture on the dining room wall, in the table centerpiece and in a red chair cover. Another decorating project completed!
How can you use red décor and red accents in your home decorating ideas? Here are a few suggestions:
*Rustic Decorating Style – Red, green and black plaid work very well as accents.
*Modern Decorating Style – Basic and cool colors with a splash of bright red.
*Oriental Decorating Style – Think of using those luscious silk prints.
*Shabby Chic Decorating Style – Use red as an accent to contrast with the white shabby chic.
*Art Deco Decorating Style – Red is a vibrant and energetic color for this style.
*French Country Decorating Style – Use red to build on the rooster collections of this style.
*Cottage Decorating Style – Red is a great accent in cotton fabrics for cottage decorating.
*Mediterranean Decorating Style – Make use of red accessorized with blue and gold.
By being creative and using your imagination, you will have fun decorating with “a touch of red.” Make your home the envy of the neighborhood!
For ideas on keeping your home organized, download a free copy of the ebook “The Essential Guide to Organizing Your Home”. This ebook has many practical, easy-to-use tips to make home organization a reality. Click here for your free download.
Solve Your Decorating Challenge
By Vickie Morrow
You’ve moved into your new home, unpacked the boxes, arranged and rearranged the furniture, hung a few things on the walls. Hmmm. You know, or think you know how you want your rooms to feel but can’t get from the builder white walls and your old stuff to that wonderful comfy inviting look you got when you were in the model of the home you purchased?
Before you panic and true anxiety sets in know there are more easy solutions at your fingertips than ever before. There are decorator magazines, home decorating shows, web sites, retailers, great books with very good instructions. Visiting model homes again will help. “Okay, “ you say, “I see them, I buy them, I visit them, I like them, but how do I do it? I don’t know where to begin.”
Start with one room you love in a magazine or model home. We’ll call it your dream room. If you can go to the model home to feel and study the space or the room you will get the best results. Ask if you may take pictures in the models too. This will help when you get home and when you shop. Take a tape measure and a spiral notebook with you to make notes and draw sketches. I like the ones with plastic tabs and pockets inside.
Let’s start decorating by seeing what we like.
Are all the walls the same color and the ceiling too? What color(s) is the room? Write this down. Is there a chair rail or decorative molding at the ceiling, wall covering or faux painting? What is on the floor? Is there tile, wood, carpet, area rugs? What color and texture and pattern? Is the area rug braided or a Persian rug or a contemporary design diagonally placed partly under one of the chairs and sofa?
What style is the furniture? Is it all a matching set? Do all the woods match? Maybe the sofa and club chairs are the same style and wood finish but the chairs have a patterned upholstery and the sofa is a solid or striped fabric. Write this down.
How is the furniture arranged? Does the sofa sit in the middle of the room separating the conversation area from the game table, or is all the furniture pushed up against the walls? Draw a little floor plan so you don’t forget when you get home.
The windows. Are there blinds, shutters, a valence or draperies? Are the rods large or small, wood or metal with huge finials? Make a note of it. If there are panels at each side of the window, do they go all the way to the floor? What color are they? Do they match the walls or are they the same fabric as the toss pillows on the sofa? Is it the drapery hold back that catches your eye? You will have to consider the exposure and privacy out your own windows when you make your final window treatment selection.
The pizzazz is the accessories. This is often what many people love most about the model homes or magazine pictures that inspire them. The details, the little things we all love to collect and buy when we shop. This is what pulls the room together and gives it your personality. In the room you love, what kind of lamps are there? Is there a place to store the things you will need to put away? Are there several things grouped on the coffee table? What sizes are they? Is there something pretty tall, a large round platter set on a stand and a box all grouped together? If there are photographs on the end tables, how big are they and how does the frame style work with everything else in the room?
What is on the walls? Is there one large picture over the sofa or is there an arrangement of black and white photos in different size frames? What color is the matting and how much space from the photo to the frame? Is there a special mosaic you like? Details, details, details. Draw a sketch of the picture arrangement and the sizes in your notebook.
Congratulations. You have just completed the first step to decorating your own home.
You know what you want, how it goes together and what it will look like. You don’t have to break the bank now to create your room. You probably already have the furniture pieces and accessories. You may already have the lamps and area rug as well. For more decorating tips and ideas go to www.inoutdecor.com You may just have everything you need to recreate and rearrange.
Get started. Go to the paint store and select the paint chips you think best match your dream room. Grab several samples, color can be deceiving and they can look different depending on the light. Take them back to the model home and see which ones match the best. Buy the paint and paint the room.
Your window treatment. If you copy your dream room exactly make sure you have the right privacy and exposure considerations covered. This is where a lot of people go astray. They think they like shutters and buy them. Then they don’t like them and also wonder how their dream room went wrong. Your dream room may have been more airy with a shade and drapery panels on large wood poles. The wrong blinds, shutters or draperies and hardware can be a costly mistake that you probably won’t change.
Arrange your furniture for conversation, TV watching, family fun, reading, eating or homework keeping in mind your dream room. Was all the furniture lined up on one side of the room? Your sofa may be the wrong color and your chairs may need to be redone. That doesn’t mean you have to buy all new; consider slipcovers. You can buy them or make them. Get slipcover instructions at www.inoutdecor.com Be sure your accessories are things you want around you and are of a grand enough scale for your space. Voila! You’re on your way to decorating confidence and living in the home that makes you and your family happy.