AfrikBoutik Blog

Decorating Your Bedroom With a Western Theme …

Creating a bedroom with a Western style can actually have an inviting and masculine feel to it. Mixing and matching different items associated with the West like wooden carvings or cowboy hats can truly make your room your personal space. To create a cowboy or western style for your room, here are a few ideas you can use.

The color of the wall of your room will be very important. Warm and vibrant colors are usually used to depict a western mood to it. A western look often consists of browns, blacks, tans and other dark colors. To highlight the color contrast, select white ornaments for a splash of brightness. One good idea is to use white cow print fabric to make the bed set and curtains. A white carpet with dyed with black odd shaped spots will also create a dramatic effect for your room.

Decorating the wall with western wall art is an artistic way of incorporating the western theme. Sometimes you can find these inexpensive wall art in garage sales and flea markets. Take the time to visit these places because you’ll never know you might just find the perfect piece of art to hang in your room.

Hanging up a rope lasso or making small ones glued to your lampshade can also show a western theme to it. You can also cut pictures of horses, cattle, or Indians and use this as a border around the top of your room.

Decide on having your floor generally made out of hardwood. Also choose area rugs which are flat woven styles or maybe even fake fur skins.

To create a cowboy look and feel, decorate your room with saddles and leather straps. These can be draped over your table chair. Use your imagination and come up with ingenious ways on how to make western accessories using horse shoe, Indian outfits and cowboy hats.

Using items made of iron such as iron lamp bases and cabinet knobs will fit well in a Western room.You can decide to design your room in a number of ways. You can go with the country theme or even the old west route. It really depends on your preference. Include things such as cowboy boots and guitars to enhance the western culture in your room.

Nowadays, there are available door knobs in the market with designs that reminds us of the Wild West. Choose a design you like and replace your old door knob with this western-inspired knob.

Alternative wall hangings can include horse whips, chaps and stirrups. Wooden items can be found in craft stores. There are numerous shapes and sizes to choose from. Paint these shapes and hang them on the wall.

Window treatments should be in basic colors and not too drastic. Look for wooden shutters or simple curtain panels.

Old trunks and stressed wood furniture can be placed inside your room and will definitely keep the western look going.

Incorporate all these ideas from painting your room with dark colors up to hanging up the western wall art to achieve the Western look you want to accomplish. After you have all the furniture and decorations in place, you will have produced a warm, cozy bedroom where you can enjoy and relax. It will be like living in the Wild West but still in the comfort of your bedroom.

Author: Alyssa Davis

Decorating Ideas for a Tuscan Kitchen

As the concept of Tuscan kitchen decor becomes more popular, homeowners are attracted to the simplicity of this decoration scheme. As with anything, you can spend a lot of money to get this look in your kitchen, but here we take a look at some simple low cost ideas to decorate your kitchen with a Tuscan decor.

More and more people today find the thought of a sunny cottage kitchen in the Tuscan countryside as their ideal. If you long to have that cozy-cottage feel in your own kitchen, the good news is that it’s easy to do-it-yourself!

One of the reasons Tuscan kitchen is such a hot decorating trend is that it celebrates the simple things in life: Food, friends, and family. A Tuscan kitchen is functional, not fussy, and decorating in this theme is as simple as paint and a few touches.

The walls in a Tuscan kitchen have a unique, old-world look. You can achieve this using a faux painting technique. First, you paint the walls a bright base color such as butterscotch or butter yellow. Then, sponge on a deeper shade so that the walls look as though they have faded in some spots. There are many books and Internet sites that can give you step-by-step directions on this method of applying paint, as well as product suggestions. If you want to go the extra mile, you can texturize your walls using joint compound mixed with paint. “Pouncing” the mixture onto the walls creates a colored, rustic roughness characteristic of an authentic country kitchen in Tuscany.

The next places to paint are cabinet doors. Use a strong, contrasting color to really give your Tuscan county kitchen character. Deep reds and bright forest greens are especially popular on cupboard doors. While you’re out looking for just the right shade of paint, spend some time in the hardware section of your home improvement store. This is where you’ll find the pulls and handles to add the finishing touch to your Tuscan cabinet doors and drawer fronts. Heavy, burnished metal or ceramic knobs will both look great in your kitchen.

Now that you have the background set, it’s time for the focus pieces. A Tuscan country kitchen harkens thoughts of family and friends. A large table with simple chairs is a sure invitation to your own family to spend quality time in the kitchen. Brightly colored seat cushions make the chairs even more inviting, and a wooden bowl of fruit and nuts encourages a long visit.

Browse through kitchen supply stores and you’ll find a dazzling array of decanters for oils and spices. In a Tuscan county kitchen, cooking ingredients are often stored in plain sight. Glass jars filled with dried beans and pasta should line your counters, along with terra cotta planters and cooking utensil holders. Pewter and copper vessels are also a good choice you’re your Tuscan kitchen. If you have the floor space, freestanding metal or wooden racks can be used to hold commonly used pots and pans, as well as sunflower-print table linens. Pots of herbs on a windowsill and trailing houseplants on top of the refrigerator add even more of an Old World feel to your new kitchen look.

Author: Kathy Burns-Millyard

Bed Decorating Ideas That Will Spice up the Bedroom

Having the right bed decorating ideas can instantly spice up your bedroom. It sound basic, but before I start dishing out some great bed decorating ideas, I want you make sure that you know the basics. The bedroom is one of the most private rooms in your home, so don’t be afraid to have a little fun and let your imagination run.

When you first enter a bedroom, what is the first thing you notice? In most cases, it would be the bed. Typically, the bed has a huge influence on the presentation the bedroom. So if a bed is boring, uneventful and stale, then it would be safe to assume that the room is the same. If a bed is fun, exciting and a pleasure to be in, then most likely the bed the biggest reason why.

There are so many bed decorating ideas available to you the list is endless. Take for example a comforter set. The comforter is the iron horse of bed design and function. Not only can you get a comforter that is comfy and warm you can change up the design and color by merely switching duvet covers.

With just one item you can change the whole feel of an entire bedroom. You can go from modern luxury to rustic simplicity all with the change of a cover. And, in this case you sacrifice nothing because you get comfort and design all in one.

Once you have had your fun with your comforter covers
, the another bed decorating idea would be doing something creative with your pillows. Pillows come in various shapes and sizes, so you have tons of choices to choose from. Picking pillows for your bed can be fun and it can really get the creative juices flowing.

There are pillows and throw sets that go together wonderfully and are often thematic in nature. The possibilities are truly endless with throws and pillows. The only trouble here is making up such an ornate bed in the morning! But, it is worth it when you think about the beauty of a well decorated bed. Your guests will certainly appreciate it.

Possibly the most special part of using bed decorating ideas to spice up a bedroom is the price. Bed decoration is relatively inexpensive compared to, lets say, a total makeover for your bedroom. You can change up your bedroom many times a year or even every week if you want to at very little cost. If you want to change the look of a comforter, just purchase a duvet. If you think you pillows need a little help, get a pillow case. It is very simple and very cheap.

Let your imagination run rampant and start thinking up bed Decorating ideas for your bed. There is no end to the possibilities. If you need additional help, ask your friends and family for suggestions and use combinations of your ideas and others to create something truly unique. Decorating your bed is cheap and can be lots of fun, so get to it and see what you can come up with.

Author: Zachry Nest

Rejuvenate a Living Room for Less: Inexpensive Living Room …

Living rooms tend to be a very popular space in the home and a place where the family congregates and relaxes. Because the room is so well, lived in, the furniture takes a serious beating and the decorative elements get stale fairly quickly. Use the following tips to give your living room a fresh new look for not a lot of money.

Shop your Home

Scour your own home, from storage areas to other rooms to see if there are any pieces that can be swapped out for something in your living room. You can even take old furniture and find a slipcover or have it reupholstered to give it new life.

Focus on One Piece

Turn one decorative piece or large piece of furniture into the focal point and decorate around it. One high quality piece will carry the room in most cases and allow you to decorate lightly around it.

Go Eclectic

Rather than buying all expensive pieces that always match, look for eclectic pieces from all over with a unifying theme, color, style or just pieces that particularly appeal to you.

Change the Cushions

A popular trend is cushions that don’t precisely match the rest of the couch. Keep your basic couch, but have some slipcovers custom made for the cushions and replace them. You can always go back to your original covers in the future. Look for something vibrant and exciting and use a different type of fabric.

Go Monochromatic

Rather than using contrasting colors for pillows, throw rugs, curtains and other accessories, go for a monochromatic look to keep everything unified. Use shades of the same color for variation and visual interest.

Go Bold and Colorful

If you’ve already got a pretty monochromatic color scheme, go the other way. Add a few unexpected splashes of color. Step away from the standard accessories for color and add a chair or area rug that is full of color and brings a new sense of energy to the room.

Rearrange the Furniture

Just a simple change of your furniture arrangement can really give the room a new look. If you’re able to change the traffic flow of the room you’ll give it an even different feel. If you have more than one focal point in the room, switch the focus from your old focal point to another.

Change the Focal Point

Your living room should be arranged around a focal point, so by changing the way your main feature appears you’ll create a big difference in the room. Purchase a new entertainment center for your television. Retile a fireplace or replace the mantle. If a window is your focal point, change the window treatment.

To give your living room a new look and a different feel, try to step out of the room and see it in a different way, push furniture to the sides of the room if it will help you picture it in a different way. Living room redecorating projects don’t need to be expensive and they don’t even require replacing all of your existing pieces. The above living room decorating tricks are a great way to create a fresh, new environment for your family to gather together in and relax.

Author: Kristin Abraham

Decorating the Laundry Room – Function Doesn’t Have to Be Boring …

When you think of “laundry room,” a dark, dingy basement may come to mind. Or, a small closet with a washer and dryer hidden next to, or…shudder…IN, the garage. But, these days, laundry rooms are coming out of the closet. They can be decorated, and look just as nice, as the rest of your home.

Of course, you still have to pay attention to the natural function of the room. Hiding the washer and dryer is an option, but how much trouble will it be to get to if it’s draped with fabric or covered by a “counter” that can be lifted off. Personally, I’d rather be able to use them without having to work too hard to get to them.

First, take a good look at the space available. Maybe you do just have a closet. If so, you’re options are limited. If there are no cupboards above the machines, or if the shelves are inadequate, it shouldn’t cost too much to replace them. Choose quality cabinets that look high end…even if they’re not.

If you’re lucky enough to have a real laundry room, you have a host of options. You will need cabinets of some sort to hide detergent, fabric softener and such, but you can also add other, more decorative, items. Even though the cabinets should look good, they should also have enough shelving inside to keep everything organized. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to move a bunch of stuff out of your way to reach the fabric softener.

If there’s room, provide a counter or even a small table for folding your laundry. It’s very inconvenient to have to carry laundry to another room just to fold it.

Paint can give your room a huge boost. I tend to choose more cheery colors such as yellows or a melon color. Laundry room walls don’t “have” to be white! Whatever color you choose, make it one that you can live in harmony with; you’ll be spending a lot of time there.

Choose window coverings that are pretty but make sure they are washable. The natural moistness of the room can cause dampness and dirt to stick to fabrics that remain in the room long term.

Use rugs on the floor. They can not only add bright splashes of color, but can add comfort to an area where you might need to stand for some time. Especially, if you have an ironing area in the room. Bathroom rugs work well because they are meant to absorb water. They are available in a multitude of colors so you’re sure to find something to fit your color scheme. And, while thinking about the floor, carpet just doesn’t work where water is likely to be spilled; tile or vinyl flooring is a much more sensible choice.

Posters and pictures in the room can add whimsy. I’ve seen some very cute posters that would be suitable for a laundry room on eBay. Humorous pictures can give a utilitarian room character. Fun murals painted on a wall can also be a great way to add fun and color to the laundry area.

Make sure your laundry room has plenty of light. Lighting will brighten the space as well as make it easier to see those pesky stains.

There are also some things you must have in a laundry room. A waste basket hampers for sorting laundry, and someplace to hang delicate items. Buy pretty ones! Using colors that are appropriate to your color scheme go a long way to making the room more inviting.

Some homemakers create a kind of “family center” in the laundry area for leaving messages, and sometimes a craft area to keep children’s inevitable messes from the rest of the house. My daughter even has a small television in her basement laundry room so her kids can go watch their favorite shows when mommy has something she’d rather watch in the family room.

Decorating the laundry room is important to anyone who has to spend a lot of time in one…which is the majority of us! Why should the laundry area be dark and grungy…make it a room you want to be in.

Top Spring Decorating: Getting Rid of the Winter Blahs

The days are beginning to feel warmer, and the landscape with its many shades of green is awakening. One only needs to listen to the birds in the early morning to know that spring will be here before long. This is a wonderful time of the year to include a touch of the outdoors in your home interior decorating ideas.

Let’s start with bird-themed home decorating ideas which can be used in every room. A pretty birdcage makes a whimsical three-dimensional framework for a spring display. Inside of the birdcage place a craft-store twig nest with faux eggs or a petite flower arrangement.

Ceramic egg cups can be used for decorated Easter eggs, jelly beans or pastel candies.

To bring the bird-themed decor into the powder room, use iron-on transfers to print or color-copy a picture of a bird onto a linen guest towel.

Look for egg-shaped soaps at specialty shops to use in your guest bathrooms.

Bird-inspired iron-on transfers can also be used on table linens. Inexpensive paper coasters featuring pictures of birds add a further touch to the springtime table.

Another natural look to add to your spring decorating ideas is the color, green. Whether you use leafy lettuce green or a serene shade of mint, you will find that a wide range of green represents what you already find in nature.

Green is synonymous with life and renewal and is plentiful in our natural world. It is a peaceful color with calming effects. Use a variety of shades of green for a fresh, springtime feel.

Because of the endless selection you will have no difficulty finding a suitable shade of green paint color. However, if you don’t want to make a long-term commitment, adding home accessories in the desired shade of green is an easy and effortless way to add nature’s color.

Home accessories in shades of green include glassware, vases, pillows, afghans/throws, artwork and fabrics.

Something as simple as putting garden magazines and flower books on the coffee table will help to bring nature inside and add color to your room.

Simplify your interior decorating by displaying only the things you love. Clutter is distracting and adds stress to your life because of constant upkeep.

Spring is the time for renewal, beautiful flowers, green grass and the songs of birds. Enjoy each and every day!

Every spring is the only spring, a perpetual astonishment!

Author: Lynn Cressy

The appeal of Parisian decorating

Parisian-style decorating is all about exquisite detail, well-worn but gleaming antique furniture, yards of brocade or velvet draperies, gold and gilded accents on furniture and accessories. The French love to decorate their walls, so I would start there. Paneling and crown molding will elongate your room and make the ceiling feel higher. You can either install real panels and intricately carved moldings, or use paint to create the grace and glamour on the walls.

The base coat is mustard yellow. Two-foot and 3-foot panels were taped off; I used a hand-cut stencil for the top of the panels. Fill in the taped borders with white paint. Add a shadow line with brown paint and an artist’s brush down one side of the panel molding and along the bottom. Remove the tape and apply a thin coat of white glaze (1 part white latex paint, 1 part water-based glazing liquid, 3 parts water) over the entire wall, brushing in one direction up and down. Repeat the veiling technique, brushing on the glaze inside the panels to imitate the look of linen. To complete the French panels, you will need a decorative stencil and watercolor pencils. Color the image with gray for shadow, yellow for highlights and brown for the centers. The color does not have to be dark. Dip an artist’s brush into water and go over the colored-pencil area using long strokes. The water reacts with the watercolor pencil to give a watercolor appearance. Protect the watercolor stencil with spray acrylic varnish.

Build on this elegant theme with one or two crystal chandeliers, gold-plated sconces and black-framed scenes of Paris. Choose carved-wood furniture with rounded legs, and silk, velvet or brocade upholstery. Chairs should be comfy, just this side of shabby chic. Black is an important element; use it in wrought-iron fireplace accessories, frames or painted tables.

Nothing matches in this charming style. Pick pieces for their age and because you love them. This is a style that is created over time. Finish with a vase or bottle collection in brilliant jewel tones of ruby red, emerald green and royal sapphire blue to celebrate Parisians’ special version of joie de vivre.

Author: Debby Travis

Using African Decor For Entryways

African decor can add spice and zing to any sleepy or boring entryway in your home. For example, an African framed or textured mirror on an entryway wall can add an element of space and openness. A mirror placed correctly on a sleepy entry wall can give any dreary space added life and sparkle. A skillfully placed mirror can perform multiple interior design duties. For example, an African styled mirror can add the illusion of space and depth to your entrance.

If placed across from a window, a mirror will help to reflect sunlight and make your entryways lighter and brighter. Nothing greets a guest to your home better than a bright and cheerful entrance. For your entryway consider an African patterned or Moroccan flavored rug or other floor covering. You’ll find rugs or other types of floor coverings with colored patterns work to hide dirt, scuffs and wear.

For that African feel, you can give your entry a warm, cozy feeling by using natural or organic floor coverings. Natural materials like wool, cotton, even sea grass and many other organic floor materials will give any floor the African interior look many people desire.

Greet Your Guest With A Touch of African Flair

African textures and designs for an entry provides an exciting and spicy first impression for visitors. African wall decor can help to great your guest without taking up valuable space. African wall accents is a quick way to add depth and uniformity most boring and fractured entryways lack. One of the first places someone walking into your home looks is on your walls, do they reflect the right mood to your guest?

African mosaic wall or floor decor, such as mosaic tiles can give a boost to your depressing entrance. The exotic and adventurous look of North African Moroccan tiles feel of a Moroccan palace.

Planning African interior designs and accents will help to add character and clarity to any listless entrance. With so many colors, textures, patterns and styles to choose from, you’re limited only by your creativity and vision. With so many choices available, you have the benefit of adapting an element of African decor to any interior design challenge you may face, whether it’s big or small.

African Accents Can Balance Other Design Choices

Most African decor blends well with any contemporary or traditional interior decor you may already have. You can use an African accent to enhance your other design choices. You can often use certain African design pieces to help balance the rest of your decor choices.

African home decor can do more to create the mood you want your entrance to convey. For example, your entryway can reflect a bold and exciting atmosphere, a warm and cozy mood or a combination of styles. The flexibility continues as a popular benefit of using African accents.

Yes, the entrance to your home reflects the mood and personality of it’s owner to visitors. What does your entryway say about you to your quest? By using African decor you have a variety of ways to express your mood, attitude or sense of adventure.

Author: Roy Primm

Valentine’s Day Decorating Ideas

Love decorates the mood every February 14 and the Valentine’s Day decorations speak the heart for you ! So all you have to do this Valentine’s Day is to make the ambiance irresistibly romantic and set the decorations warm, snug and love-ly.

Whether it be a Valentine’s Day party or just a cozy dinner date with your beloved, the Valentine’s Day decorations are not to be ignored. The decorations, of course, help you get into the feel of the day and set the ball rolling.

Valentine’s Day decorations can be done with flowers, ribbons, candies or just with paper and cloth. No matter which way you do it, the decorations for Valentine’s Day should just be perfect and help set the stage for a memorable celebration.

So if you need a little help on how to kick off the Valentine’s Day decorations, read on.

The first thing that should be kept in mind before laying your hands on Valentine’s Day decorations is that red or shades of red is the color to go for. So make sure you have lots of red, crimson or pink around. The flowers, curtains, bed-spreads, table-spreads, carpets, balloons, and even cutlery and other decorative pieces can be in red just because it’s Valentine’s Day. With so much of red around, all the blues are sure to disappear soon only to leave you with a rosy feeling of love, luck and joy ! Now for some romance and mystery fill water into big glass bowls and float a few heart shaped candles in them. You can also strew rose petals around the candles to couple up the warm glow of the candles with the sweet aroma of roses. These make wonderful Valentine’s Day decorations if placed on the centre table or next to the bed or better still on the dinner table.

Now if you are a little tight on budget, then this Valentine’s Day decoration idea is just the thing for you. Many flowers are damaged while shipping and florists often sell the petals at really low rates. So you can buy lots of these petals and leave them carelessly around the home maybe near the bath tub or at the doorway. Or you can just make a trail from the door to the bedroom for your valentine to walk on when he/ she returns home. Isn’t that good for a simple and affordable Valentine’s Day decoration?

At the Valentine’s Day party, arrange for red punch and pink lemonade. Food sure add to your Valentine’s Day decorations, don’t they ? So check out how the menu adds a facelift to the decor of the day have a few heart-shaped cookies, candies, pizzas, sandwiches and of course that big, heart shaped chocolate cake. Now decorate the dinner table with a red table cloth and have silver tableware placed on it to enhance the look. To take it a step forward, make sure you dump a lot of petals and heart-shaped red confetti around the plates, on the entire table.

You can also stick heart shaped little cutouts on the red table-cloth to give a personalized touch to your Valentine’s Day decoration. Any party decoration is incomplete without balloons, ribbons and streamers. Same holds true for Valentine’s Day decorations. So do get loads of those chic streamers, balloons and red ribbons on February 14. Try to get many heart shaped balloons and hang them from the ceiling. Interlace the balloons with streamers and have a totally dressed up room on Valentine’s Day !

And when talking about Valentine’s Day decorations, how can one leave out the flowers ? Yes, flowers make for the prettiest decorations on any occasion and so are a favorite with most people. Since it’s Valentine’s Day, roses should top the charts, but you can also deck up your room with other bright flowers with a perceptibly nice fragrance such as hydrangeas and hyacinths. Here come the candies now.

Candies are the most coveted items on the Valentine’s Day list for sure. And so include them in your Valentine’s Day decorations as well. Take long wine glasses and stuff them with assorted candies and place them on the centre table. Not only will it add a dash of color to the room, but it will also keep the theme of sensuality going. Now if you have a child at home, dress him/ her up as cupid. Ask your guests to come early, before the bed time of the child. Make the kid greet the guests with a miniature bow and arrow. Not only will this be the cutest piece of Valentine’s Day decoration, it’ll also make the child feel special and involved. Gift baskets make good centerpieces too. And at the end of the party, give out the gifts from the basket as party favors. Make the basket attractive by adding lots of Valentine’s Day goodies like candies, teddies, fruit cakes, etc. Cover it with ribbons and confetti and transform it into a beautiful Valentine’s Day decoration.

Deck up your house this February 14 and have a dreamy Valentine’s Day ! Let the decorations do the talking for you. Try out these Valentine’s Day decorations and romance up your house.

You can combine these decorations with your own decorations and wait for the accolades to flow in ! Just enjoy the beauty around and feel beautiful inside with your parship by your side.

Author: Sean Carter

How to Properly Decorate a Small Bathroom

Few households have a spacious bathroom. In a house, the most common area that is usually put in the least of one’s worries is the bathroom. As long as the area is clean, people won’t really make an effort to do something about it.

However, you have the choice of turning your small bathroom into a pleasing and peaceful place of solitude. It is that one place in the house where you cannot be disturbed and where your business is specifically your business. It is only natural to turn that space into something you can spend a lot of time in.

First and foremost it should be comfortable. If the bathroom is small, decorating it usually is in the bottom part of your priorities. This is the normal way of thinking. What you should remember is that decorating is not about putting a bunch of stuff together. Decorating can also mean taking things out to make something more beautiful.

In the case of a small bathroom, you have to take out unnecessary things and learn what you should keep and what you should not. Compartments are your friends, as well as colors. Get rid of things that are taking way too much space. Let things hang and do not keep things on the floor.

Choose a light paint color for the walls. Dark colors make rooms look smaller than it actually is while light colors create a refreshing and wide appeal. Pick pastel colors for the bathroom walls and something neutral for the tiles.

Mirrors can create an illusion of space so be sure to put up a big mirror in the bathroom. It will reflect the colors and trick the eye into seeing the room bigger than it actually is.

Never underestimate lighting. Natural light works best on small spaces so make sure there’s plenty of it in your bathroom. Consider adding a good window or a skylight. For wall lights, wall sconces add warmth and security appeal to the bathroom.

On a final note, you can likewise utilize accessories in the bathroom by mixing in bright colors to match the neutral tones of the bathroom. Playing with colors add character and depth to the room. Caution should be practiced though since cluttering the bathroom with accessories will only make the bathroom look messy.

The trick to creating the illusion of a spacious bathroom is through the use of neutral colors and natural light. Getting rid of the clutter and adding just the right amount of accessories will make your bathroom spacious yet interesting.