Category — Interior Decorating
How to Decorate A Small Living Room
Many homes have living rooms that are small, where it feels like there’s hardly even enough room to walk between the furniture. Unless you like a cluttered look, it’s hard to know what to do with a room no larger than 200 square feet. Fortunately, you have plenty of options.
If your living room or family room feels way too claustrophobic, you can start by dressing it up with vibrant colors and patterns. All too often, homeowners will lighten up the area a little too much-a common error. The fear of adding to a cluttered look can result in a boring, sterile room consisting of a sea of white: white walls and furniture, with very little hanging on the walls.
Decades ago, the presiding recommendation was that you “open up” small spaces with super-light colors such as white and linen. But now things have changed. These days, people want a living room that bursts with color and vibrancy. The room can be made to look airy, spacious, and very inviting. Using the right colors and patterns is the trick here. Here are a few tips that can help you take that small, drab living room and transform it into a beautiful space that’s just bursting with personality.
- Choose a light shade for the room, but stay away from white. Take a swatch of the fabric you intend to use that contains the shade of paint you’re looking for. If you’re looking for a great color that lends a botanical feel to the room, consider celery green or vibrant peach. Paint both the ceiling and walls a lighter shade of whatever color you choose. Then you can paint any doors in the room, baseboards, and other trim a darker complementary color.
- Use botanical prints to liven up a bare, uninteresting wall. You might take these from old books or anywhere else you can find them. Find a shade for the mat that complements the picture as well as the paint color you’ve chosen for the room. You might even group several together on one wall, creating a focal point splashed with color.
- Add a light, airy feel to the room with sheer silky curtains. Place your curtain rod up close to the ceiling, allowing the sheer curtains to touch the floor. By making the ceiling appear higher, you give a more expansive look to the window area.
- Use furniture that looks sturdy but isn’t overstuffed or bulky. Find patterns with colors that contrast and also complement your walls, curtains, and other décor. It’s great to include bold, contrasting patterns here. In fact, sometimes bold strips are a perfect touch. By creating a lively look, the smallness of the room gets lost in the inviting, vibrant atmosphere.
You might also add a unique and interesting touch to the décor by recovering the seat cushions of a solid-toned couch in a colorful, fun pattern. You might also want to use end tables or wood coffee tables that fold up or a narrow profile wood tv stand, if you have them. This way, you can open up the floor area after your guests have gone by storing them away.
This is just the beginning of the many ways you can open up those tight spaces in your home. These are just a few suggestions to help get your creativity flowing. When dealing with a small space, use your imagination, and most of all, have fun with it.
August 30, 2010 No Comments
Transforming the Look of Your Living Room
The look and feel of a room can easily be changed no matter its size or style. Your room might feel as if it will always be small and congested because of its size. On the other hand the living room may just have too much space for its own good. Maybe there is a lack of interest in the room or it’s just too cluttered and messy. Your biggest problem won’t seem so big when you get some simple solutions for it. The ideas in this article will help create your living room into one that you, your family and guests will love.
Make a Tiny Room Look Bigger
There are several things that can be done to make a small living room appear larger. Start off by painting the walls and ceilings a light color. The ceiling will appear higher and the room will feel larger with the use of a light color. You should also think about using furnishings with light tones in the room, such as pale blue, beige and tan. Try your best to stay away from any woods that are dark in color like mahogany, and try to go with natural woods or pine finishes.
You can open up more floor space by setting furniture against a wall whenever you can. Remove clutter and attempt to keep the room clutter free by avoiding knick-knacks and other small accessories that will make the room look congested and cluttered. You can add color to the walls without having to take visual space from the room by using no more than a single large accent per wall, as long as it is bright colored it will help light up the room. If you can leave your windows bare, do so; if not, use light-weight fabrics and sheers.
Cozy up a Large Room
Your living room might have the opposite problem of being too large. This problem may just make the room seem cold and fell lacking in personality. Burgundy, navy and green colors will help to add an intimate and appealing ambience to the room. Other tones that work just as well are browns, gold tones and autumn colors. Consider painting two opposing walls in a rich shade as a contrast for the other walls, as you don’t have to paint every single wall a dark color. Think about choosing to paint your ceiling in a darker tone if it’s high beamed or in a cathedral style. This will make the ceiling appear to be lower.
You need to draw in a room that is too spacious. This can be done by removing your furnishings from the wall; this will help to make the room feel smaller and intimate. Position a sofa and chairs around a coffee table in such a way that you will face visitors. Doing this will make the room feel more personal and intimate, Your décor must be a good size, larger décor will do well in a room like this; in short your furnishings and accessories must be kept to scale. Large prints should be used to decorate the walls as well.
Too many accessories and accents can truly make a room, large or small, look junky and cluttered. Smaller rooms do perfectly well with bright and sunny accents. Patterns and prints that coordinate with the living room’s main color should be used for a larger room. The room’s cold ambience will diminish with them as depth and dimension will be added to the room.
By combining these ideas with some of your own you will surely create rooms that are filled with style and personality.
Avo Barsoumian has been part of the interior decorating and home flooring community for the past 25 years. He owns and operates a carpet installation company in Los Angeles. The offer the largest selection of elegant hardwood flooring, beautiful laminate flooring and plush carpeting under one roof. It doesn’t matter whether your searching for laminate hardwood floors for your new condo or carpet roll to makeover your older home then Carpet Wagon has exactly what you’re looking for.
August 25, 2010 No Comments
Used Cubicle Furniture Dos and Don’ts
When buying used cubicle furniture, you could end up doing one of two things: buying them extremely cheap and getting the quality you pay for (i.e. average to poor), or buying them reasonably-priced (still much lower than brand-new) and getting quality office furniture that is hard to distinguish from its brand-new counterparts.
Used cubicle furniture is often a great solution, particularly for startup new businesses or for home office setups. Sure, new office furniture is (and always will be) ideal, but if budget and time constraints exist, then used office furniture is a great start. You get low-priced office furniture that does the same job as brand-new.
Besides, when the table will spend most of its time covered in paperwork and cubicle accessories, who’s going to notice it didn’t come brand-new… and who’s going to remember a few years down the road?
Benefits of used cubicle furniture
Used cubicle furniture provides many of the key benefits offered by new furniture, with the additional advantages of lower cost and faster turnaround time.
Unlike suppliers of brand-new office furniture, though, few used office furniture dealers will have the full range of product you want. It’s like buying a used car – instead of being able to select the kind and color you really want, sometimes you’ll have to make do with what’s available.
The best of the used breed are refurbished or remanufactured used cubicle furniture from Knoll, Steelcase, and Herman Miller – these products undergo a remanufacturing process that strips the fabric, cleans and refinishes work surfaces and metal components, and replaces worn surfaces with recycled material.
Used cubicle furniture prices
How much should you pay for used cubicle furniture? Depends on what’s available, what you’re looking for, and what you think is acceptable.
Name brands like Steelcase and Herman Miller will be more expensive, but their general reliability and sturdiness means that these items will come in rather good condition.
Lesser-known brands may come cheaper, allowing you to buy more complete workstations and cubicle accessories at a set budget – but quality may be an issue for these used cubicles, with noticeable wear and tear and questionable integrity. Remember: lower quality cubicles at the outset = much lower quality when buying these items used!
Where to buy used cubicle furniture?
Used furniture retailers exist in every major city in the U.S. These furniture retailers will offer complete sets of the used furniture you want, provide after-sales service, and possibly offer a warranty for your purchases. Of all your used furniture options, this will be the least cheap, but you pay for the more varied choices and peace of mind after the purchase is made.
You might also consider buying your used cubicle furniture from Craigslist. Craigslist is a great go-to place for used furniture in your area; many offices simply sell their used office furniture when moving, instead of paying big bucks to move their furniture with them.
To search Craigslist for used cubicle furniture, just click on your city, then select the “Furniture” category. Look for listings that describe the item you’re looking for, or use the search function to enter keywords pertinent to your needs.
Finally, you might check out your local thrift shop for used furniture that might fit your needs.
Cubicles.com is the poster child for “One Stop Shopping” when it comes to you and your office project. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, we know exactly how to take you from an empty room to a fully functioning office- all you’ll need to do is provide the employees!
August 15, 2010 No Comments
Things to Think About When Shopping For a Double Duvet Cover Set
There is nothing better than having your bed covered with a double duvet. Duvets are warm, comfortable and beautiful to look at. You can find a duvet in any size for your bed, from single to king. Before you head out shopping for a double duvet cover set however, there are a few important pointers you should keep in mind. When you have a basic idea of what you are looking for the whole shopping process will become much easier on you.
The most important thing to consider when shopping for your duvet is what material it is made of. This is not only for aesthetic purposes but even more importantly, the quality of the piece. Different materials last longer than others. Silk and satin bed sheets for instance, may be very pretty to look at but the problem with these types of materials is that they easily stain and wrinkle. You don’t want to have to constantly be changing your sheets or worrying about spilling getting cream, dirt or other spills on it. This is your bedroom and your bed, the one place you should be most comfortable in your home.
You also want to consider material for warmth purposes. If you live somewhere with a cooler climate, look for a thicker material that is going to cover you well and keep you warm through the night. There are also thinner duvets you can purchase, if you plan to use it year round and don’t want to get too hot.
Of course price is always an important issue. The best idea is to determine a budget you are comfortable working with then take some time to shop around and get a better idea of the asking prices for duvets you like. Never just buy on impulse because you find one you think you like. Always do comparison shopping before making any final decisions.
If you are looking to buy a double duvet cover or some satin bed sheets check out Home and Garden Wisdom!
July 30, 2010 No Comments
Getting That Perfect Country Decor Made Simple
If you’re living in an apartment, chances are that you’re living in the city. If you long for the warm and cozy atmosphere of a country home yet live in an apartment, this is something you can certainly have. Just because you live in a big or small city doesn’t mean you have to live in a home that’s not welcoming or comfortable. You want to walk in the door to your home and feel like you’ve been transported to the country, recalling the scent of wildflowers and how fresh air can seem to flow through every fiber of your being. If you’re currently living in a blank, expressionless apartment, here are some tips on how to turn that space into a real home.
Start with the Furniture
When it comes to country style, the look requires lots of wood—in fact, the more, the better. Your oak dining room table, sofa, and other large pieces can be made of a natural-looking wood, such as knotty pine. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to spend a fortune; many of these items can be found used at flea markets or online.
Oak end tables are essential furniture pieces as well. Once you arrange the tables, casually drape lace doilies or checked-pattern cloths over them. Then you have a place to display candles in jars scented like cinnamon, vanilla, or apple pie for a country appeal.
Decorate the Walls for Added Interest and Depth
Bare walls can lead to a cold room atmosphere, given that they tend to look very stark and blank. Choose some rural or black-and-white prints framed in wood to warm up your walls with. Or create a great focal point for the room by hanging a country-style quilt alone on a large wall.
Don’t Forget the Kitchen!
Continue with the natural or knotty pine wood theme in your kitchen with a country table—if you have the space, of course. Top the table off with a checkered or lace cloth for a continuous country feel. If a table isn’t going to work in the space you have, use antique-looking bar stools at the counter instead. Wooden bowls and spoons, country candles, and wildflower arrangements can also help enhance the country atmosphere. Other nice touches with a country feel include a wicker centerpiece for the table and a wooden spice rack for the countertop.
Add Accessories and Accents You Love
The primary things to remember in a country-style décor are plenty of natural, exposed, or antique-looking wood, and simply patterned cloths for the tables. Also don’t forget to get a little of your unique personality into the mix by adding those accessories and accents you truly love. Other items that will add a country flair to your décor include country-style candles, natural flowers, quilts, wicker, and bookcases filled with old or leather-bound books.
Often, apartments tend to look and feel the same and not very inviting. Make your living space your own by warming it up. You will love coming home to a style you adore after a hard day’s work. With a country décor, your home will feel comfortable, cozy, and truly welcoming. Say goodbye to that sterile apartment and transform that space into a place you will love calling home!
July 29, 2010 No Comments
5 Tips for Adding Accessories to Your Home
You can accessorize the room of any home in a few simple ways, whether it’s looking boring to you or you just want to do something different with it. A lot of money and an interior decorator aren’t necessary for decorating a room. This article will provide you with a few ideas on how to accessorize a room in the home.
Throw Pillows Can Add that Extra Flair that You Need
The sofa or a chair should have complementary throw pillows added to it. You could also use a throw blanket on the back of a sofa. Accessories that are the exact same color don’t add interest and design to an item, so make sure to avoid this when using them on your sofa or chair.
If your sofa is tan, look for throw pillows with a design that don’t use tan as the main color. The room should hold other complimentary colors that can be added to the sofa.
Update Your Lighting Fixtures
A new glow can come along with the simple act of updating lighting fixtures. Think about getting new fixtures for the room if your current ones are older or a little small. It’ll be really easy to find inexpensive, easy to install fixtures. Your new fixture should not only make the room brighter but it should also fit the room’s design style.
Go Green with Your Living Room Accessories
Using a houseplant or vase of flowers you can add more color to the room. If you posses the necessary skills, you can create a beautiful floral arrangement or you can go to a craft store for a very beautiful fake flower arrangement.
Placing the flower arrangement in a more prominent spot in the room can cause it get more attention. Your house plants, real or fake, follow the same rules. You can draw more attention to a fireplace by decorating it with two houseplants.
Fill Up a Blank Wall with Pictures and Frames
Consider purchasing picture frames in various sizes and placing them on a wall that otherwise would be boring. You can find many stylish and unique picture frames that can help add interest to the room. You can always go for a more dramatic look by using black and white or matted pictures.
Reorganize Knickknacks with Shelving
If there is a large amount of knickknacks in your home and they keep getting lost, why don’t you consider grouping them on a mantle or shelving on the walls? Instead of just getting lost in the mix, your knickknacks can really accessorize the room if you display them in a stylish arrangement.
By adding simple accessories to the room you can really customize, redecorate it and switch around the design. If you are really looking to go different, try adding a new piece of furniture, like a coffee table, or move the furniture around. You shouldn’t have to work too hard or pay too much money to add accessories to the room. Instead use your creativity and let your style show.
For the past 25 years Avo Barsoumian has helped home owners with their home flooring and interior design needs. He owns and operates a flooring installation company in California. The offer the largest selection of elegant hardwood flooring, beautiful laminate flooring and plush carpeting under one roof. Searching for that perfect mohawk carpet for your new home or carpet for sale to redecorate your older home? Then give Carpet Wagon a call.
July 27, 2010 No Comments
Kitchen Floor Ideas
When you choose flooring for your kitchen, it will depend on the style and look you wish to achieve in the room. Although people tend to go for certain flooring options more than others, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to fall in line. Consider some of these different ideas for a kitchen floor.
Wood Flooring for the Kitchen
It’s very common for kitchens to have wood flooring. In fact, wood floors are one of the most popular types of flooring available. If you decide to go with wood floors, you’ll have several different types of wood to choose from. The warmth of the wood will add character to your kitchen space, whether you stick with a basic pine slat or choose the trendier, environmentally friendly bamboo wood flooring. Consider your kitchen’s style and theme, and choose a color and type of wood to fit that.
Tile Flooring: Timeless and Tasteful
Kitchen tile is another very popular type of flooring. Tile flooring offers a variety of options, from different colors and designs to a variety of materials. You can pick from plain tiles floors, ones that resemble stone or are decorative, or others that are laid out in a design. Not only do ceramic and porcelain tile require little maintenance, but they are also resistant to stains and scratches. On the downside, they can crack, so you do need to exercise some caution not to drop anything upon your tile floor.
Laminate Flooring in the Kitchen
Laminate flooring is a less expensive choice for the kitchen. When it comes to the new laminate flooring, you may be surprised at just how many options you have to choose from. Laminate floors that look like wood and can pass for a real genuine wood floor are one popular option for the kitchen. Also available are laminate floors that look like tile as well as plain laminate floors, which can provide the perfect neutral in a visually striking kitchen. Laminate floors can be installed easily and they cost much less than a tile or real wood floor, making them a popular flooring choice.
Concrete Flooring in the Kitchen
Concrete floors are becoming increasingly popular, although not many people think of them for the kitchen. Many people don’t realize that a concrete floor designed for the kitchen is different than a regular concrete floor. Rather, these are decorative and stained concrete floors. They can have patterns and color incorporated into their matrix. Concrete floors are extremely durable—and are also very reasonable when compared to a real wood floor.
Vinyl for a Kitchen Floor
Another inexpensive flooring option for the kitchen is vinyl tile or sheet. When people think of vinyl, they often think of the old linoleum floors of the past, but vinyl has actually come a long way. These days you can find all different patterns, colors, and designs in vinyl that will bring style and beauty to any kitchen. One of the best advantages to vinyl is that you can really save money by installing the floor yourself. With its versatility, you can make a clear statement with that vinyl tile floor or let it be a quiet, calming addition to your kitchen. Whatever type of vinyl floor you choose to install is up to you, as there are thousands of options.
These are just a few of the many flooring options you have to ch oose from for your kitchen. First narrow down your selection, and then go out and see what’s locally available. You may be surprised to find out just how many options you really have.
About the Writer…
For over four decades Leon Tuberman has helped people with their home furnishings and interior decorating needs. He owns and manages his family owned furniture store. They have a huge inventory of handcrafted Amish built solid wood furniture for your bedroom, dining room and living room. Are you searching for wood filing cabinets for your dorm room or dining tables for your kitchen or dining room then they probably have everything you need.
June 29, 2010 No Comments
6 Tips on Using Dark Wood Picture Frames
Through Dark Wood Picture Frames you can display your photographs or some of your art works. It can be a very nice way to show off your creativity. They are so alluring that it becomes almost impossible to resist yourself from looking at them. You will find a huge variety of options to pick from. There are variations in material used, colour, design, style and shapes. Here we are going to give you few suggestions on the use of moulds made up of dark wood.
1.First step you need to take is the selection of your photograph. Try to figure out its style, whether it’s contemporary, traditional or modern. Now have a close look on its colours. Valiant colours and bold art work can be best matched with dark wood frames. So your selection is really important in determining the overall look of your image.
2.Dark wood is renowned for its complementing nature. It goes really well with decor of your home. For instance, if you have shades of red in your painting then you can opt for a dark red wood; it will bring out the tones more significantly.
3.Styling of frame is really important. For instance, if you have a modern picture or painting then you can go for plain and simple clean-lined up frame of chocolate brown shades. And if you have something more traditional then go for carved and ornamented moulds to provide that aesthetic look. In this way you can match your picture with the framework.
4.Size is also a matter of consideration. For large portraits, large and thick frames are recommended whereas for small size images a thinner frame along with white matting would really work. Sleek designer frames are just perfect for contemporary interiors.
5.You can also make use of silver and golden borders to make it look more graceful. It gives a more stylish yet sophisticated outlook to your portrait.
6.You can also get some personal message engraved on it while gifting it to someone.
Picture frames, if creatively designed, can also be used as a present for your loved ones. They look extremely elegant, stylish and catch one’s attention instantly.
For any help on picture frames uk, check out the info available online; these will help you learn to find the wood picture frames dark!
June 25, 2010 No Comments
How to Pick the Perfect Bed!
I have put together really nice rooms all throughout my house, but my favorites are the bedrooms. They are done very well, as they match perfectly, and make use of the space. I am able to set up a bed frame, choose a good mattress, and use nice comfortable comforters and sheets in order to make the sleeping experience as heavenly as possible.
People usually come to me and ask how they can duplicate this same process in the interiors of their homes. I tell them that it’s a very easy thing to do as it only takes some thought, and follow through. I have really distilled the ordeal into just a few steps. Here they are.
- Know the design of the room. You must understand what look or motif you are going after with the layout and style. It’s important to make sure that this is what you really want.
- Recognize what you’ve got to do to make it work. Now that you know the style you’re going for, how can you apply that to your bedspreads, your mattresses, your down comforter sets. How do you make it work with everything regarding the bed itself?
- What kind of comfort do you want in your bed? Ask yourself this question, and think about what level of physical comfort you want to achieve, and then match that stylistically to what you want in terms of decor.
I love my bedroom. I enjoy hanging out in it and spending time with my lover lying in bed. It’s a great thing to know you can relax in both comfort and style!
A leading interior design expert, Kristen Lumbato helps people perfect their bedrooms. Get her brand new course on mastering your interiors with down comforter sets FREE for a short time. Also grab her review of visco elastic memory foam matter toppers now, for a limited time! Kristen loves bedding!
June 24, 2010 No Comments
How to Adopt the Country Decor Style
The pottery is made of ceramic and they are painted with bright colors. The main theme of this form of interior design is the rustic look and all the decorating styles are based in and around it. There is also the very rustic tree trunk coffee table that cannot be missed. These are some of the common styles that you get to see and experience in a country home and these are precisely the things that give it that very warm and homely touch.
Features of Country Home decorating style
The main feature that you will see in every aspect of the variants and decorating styles is the simplicity in design. The main idea that is conveyed is that of being comfortable and friendly and these characters are emphasized in every corner of the house.
When preparing the interior design of a country house it is necessary to keep in mind that the common features need to be displayed. Everyone who enters a house decorated in this style should experience the hospitable environment. Therefore the colors and the texture of the furniture and the upholstery are very bright and exuberates the cultural background of the country.
Home Styling the traditional way
The common colors used are the earthy colors of brown and red and this is what creates the very welcoming and warm atmosphere. Though all these are the common features of the country home you can style it and customize it according to your choice and preference. One thing that should definitely be an important feature in a house that is being decorated in this style is the tree trunk coffee table. Without this very important feature a house is incomplete and in fact, the entire house exists in and around this table. Therefore it does not matter if you are building a new home or simply renovating your existing home, if a country style house is what you are looking for then remember to adopt all the above mentioned styles and features to get that authentic and traditional country home.
So you are you interested on interior design, Phil Caxton is the editor of many articles on interior design published at home-decorating-reviews.com. More articles on tree trunk coffee table and decorating styles at http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com/rustic-style.html.
June 17, 2010 No Comments