Modern rules for home decoration


October 12th, 2008

If you have been thinking of your home for a long time, read this article. With changing times, there have also been some changes in the trends of home. There are some rules that you need to follow in order to your home in a stylish way. Here are some steps to follow:

• Step 1: Arrange the hardware
You must have an of the hardware available in your home. You must take into account everything including bell pushes, door handles, decorative , lever latches, clavos nails, door knockers etc. You must also include window door, garage and cabinet hardware.

• Step 2: Allot places
Now locate different hardware to such as , , outdoors, bathroom etc. Try including a wish list column while planning for the .

• Step 3: Browse
Browsing through some of the beautiful web pages will give you an of the kind of look that will suit a specific area of your house.

• Step 4: Reshuffling
You would not believe that sometimes, simple reshuffling of old in your house can do wonders to the whole environment. It may also prove to be beneficial to replace your hardware.

• Step 5: Hues
Go for light cool colors to make your personal space feel more airy and open. This will also provide new life to your room. For best results, try opting for super of greens and blues.

• Step 6: Mono chromatic
If you want your room to look bigger and brighter, opt for hues that belongs to the same family. Mix the colors with tone-on-tone woven upholstery fabrics, beautiful and soft tonal and textured wall finishes. Remember that cool colors and beautiful warm colors on wall surfaces work towards providing open look to a room.

• Step 7: Wall and colors
It is not a good to use contrast colors in a room as these tend to break up a space. Try coordinating wall and colors.

• Step 8: Allow some light
You must focus on allowing some light into your house. If natural light is not possible, you may use artificial lighting.

• Step 9: Love nature
Back to nature is the new mantra. Try following the of exquisite vintage interiors and give it a touch of glamour. You would simply love the end result.

• Step 10: Nordic
This is all about going for cool, comfy, soothing and fresh color palatte. The best thing to try would be soft shades of green belonging to the forest.

your house is all about using some tricks. Following the tips mentioned above will help you.

Ideas for kitchen decorating to blow your mind


July 17th, 2008

is supposed to be the most used room in the house. There are several that you can come across, these days. These ideas were not present a few years ago.

When it comes to the , it can be very difficult to decide on the kind of look that would be better for your that would prove to be the best. There are different options such as and the latest cookery space available on the market, these days.

The allows you to hide all your appliances behind different cabinets. The clean lines and smoothed out edges look great. You can also hide all your appliances into the walls or place them into countertops.

You can find latest appliances for your that can easily blend into the décor of your . It is possible to coat huge appliances such as ovens and refrigerators with facing similar to cabinets.

Here are some useful tips to your in .

Colors
You must focus on using fresh, clean and warm colors to your in . The ideal colors would be shades of whites, pinks, greens and yellows.


Try adding some to your such as flowers, vegetables, fruit and plants to give your the feel that you want to achieve.


Try using lighter woods or wicker to make your look beautiful. You need to upholster the in either floral or gingham patterns. You can save a lot of money via creating slip covers for your old instead of purchasing new .

Flooring
The flooring of your should be created from such as tile, wood or flagstones. Incase, these do not suit your , try using wall to wall carpeting or lamination. The color of the flooring should be given good importance. The lighter the , the betters. You can even use braded or hooked rugs. This will give an authentic look to your .

Accessories
Accessories would be the final thing to consider when your . Try looking for accessories that will work best and suit well. You may try putting your family pictures in wooden frames. A painted rustic scene would be a great .

Remember that you need to have an open mind when the . This way, you would be able to follow some of the great ideas available for in .

Decorating your Home with African Art


May 26th, 2008

Being the second largest continent in the world, is as beautiful as it is diverse and is constantly changing. Believed to be a name originated from the latin word ‘aprica’, which means sunny, is home to a large number of ancient tribes. Due to this, the tradition, culture, forms, music form and religious practices of each tribe varies from country to country. Scientists also believe that is the original home of the human race and the foundation of today’s civilization.

This vast ocean of culture, tradition and forms have captivated the attention of lot of people and African art has found its way into our daily lives, especially in the of one’s home. The African theme is a very popular decorating art with its wide range of soothing color options and earthy fabrics and other choices. Whether a person is looking to a , a , a , a bathroom, a baby’s room or even the whole house, using an African theme can change the look of the entire house into a faraway haven.

African artifacts include subtle animal prints, masks, statues and rich nature-based color tones. Using these tribal treasures, a room or even an entire home can be given a warm and wonderful ambiance. The most popular of is masks. African tribal masks are available in a variety of colors like bright red, green, orange, blue or dark wood shades. These masks can be placed in the coupled with African statues and smaller masks, teak and several animal print rugs. The colors of these masks can be co-ordinated with the sofas in the . These masks also look great as the dining room decor with a beautiful nature inspired table linen cloth placed on a dark wood dining table along with an African mask on the wall. The master can be drastically altered by strategically placing a few ancient masks on the wall and draping the four poster bed with animal print bed linen. This theme can be extended into the bathrooms also.

In case an individual is looking for African art on a then there are cheap options available in a large number of shops selling items like antique stores, flea markets or thrift shops. Although, the items that an individual might get at these stores may not be genuine . In case an individual is particular about getting genuine forms, then the local auction house can help and at a relatively less expensive cost and also in good condition. Another option to ensure that the is genuine African art is to consult an antique professional.

Innovative ideas for choosing color Schemes for your Home


April 30th, 2008

An expensive sofa set with high end products to spice up the interior look of an your home can all go to waste if the correct wall colors are not selected to offset the decorative look. Color co-ordination with the of home, look of home, personality of the people who live in that home is necessary to achieve that picture perfect look for your home. Choosing a can be confusing what with all the different colors and the textures available in the market. It can be an imposing task to choose the right wall color that matches with the decor you have chosen for your home. A few but innovative ideas can help you choose the correct for your home.

In the event you are moving into a new home and have the option of your home from scratch then, starting with choosing the of your home can give you a good of which colors might best suit your needs. Next, you can get on to choosing the fabrics to suit your sofa sets, table linen, bed linen etc. Out of these, fabric should serve as the anchor fabric. The background color of this fabric can be used as the wall color. The brightest color in the fabric can be used for accessories and the mid tone color in the fabric can be used to make large pieces or even the flooring. However, a choice of 3 colors will suffice for the . To get the maximum effect for a brighter room, you should use the background light color in 60% of the space available including and accessories, the mid-tone color in 30% of the space and the brightest color in only about 10% of the space.

Another way to decide the of your house would be to decide the geographical direction of each and every room, the amount of natural light allowed in the room during the day time and size and the utility of the room. For example mild or light colors can be used for a room facing north as this room receives the minimum of natural light while a west facing room can have a side wall with a bright color as the natural light in the room during the day would be the maximum. However, again if this room is the master or the guest a bright color might be too strong and create too much visual stimulation.

Also, if the size of the room or the house is small then using bright shades can make the room look even smaller. Use of lighter colors gives the illusion of space. The color of the and accessories can then be decided to suit the color of the walls.

New Decorating Trends


April 23rd, 2008

As people’s lives get busier and busier, a home is not just another place to sleep at night. A home has become a place of peace, a place to relax and rejuvenate for another busy and stressful day. With this in mind, more and more people are looking to their homes in a way where a home is simple, functional, low maintenance and yet elegant, warm and inviting.

As with everything else, people’s demand sets the trend on and some of the latest trends ensure that a home gives maximum functionality, minimum maintenance and looks warm and creative without being loud and opulent. Hand crafted and accessories like intricately carved statues and metal with detailed scroll work is in high demand this season. Leather combined with different fabrics to create different textures is also in high demand.

Another trend that has caught on with homeowners are do-it-yourself projects like home made lamp shades, self woven curtains, hand made sofa throws and even hand knitted table cloths. A traditional decor which looks colorful and elegant is also in this season. pieces reflecting nature like bamboo flooring, and rattan have also caught attention. Along side this, ethnic from different countries, traditions and periods are in demand. Mild wall colors like beige and gold with warm browns and pumpkin spice or even shades of blues and greens offset in a neutral background are the choice of the season for their soothing feel.

As far as is concerned, huge bulky is out and multi-purpose and space saving is in, which gives maximum storage. Narrower sofas, coffee tables doubling as dining tables or small dining tables with stool chairs are in to save space. Functional like lighting has become a popular option for small homes where different light sculptures serve the need of lighting as well as add a decorative piece of to the room. Most of the making a come back this season is artistic with curves rather than straight lines and clean cuts.

Another decorative and functional item making a big comeback this season is room divider screen. With homes getting smaller, making wooden doors can substantially reduce space. A room divider screen can be put into place when the need arises to separate two portions of a home and can be removed to enlarge the space and make it look like a big room. Another popular functional decor is the counter height bistro table which adds a casual touch to the dining atmosphere allowing the family to relax and have a quick meal.

With these new trends, a home can be made multi-functional and multi-purpose while at the same time giving it a spacious and clutter free look.

Recharge Your Home With Your Own Decorating Ideas


February 25th, 2008

A tastefully decorated home speaks volumes about your personality. It reflects your aesthetic sense and creative spirit. a home to match your personal aura may not always be a very expensive proposition. Your ideas and your ability to use small things to your home can even work wonders.

The first point about home begins with adopting a holistic approach. Consider your home in its entirety and not in segments. Whatever theme you choose should preferably be applicable for the entire room. Mixing of themes in one room generally does not go well. If you belong to the classical old school, go for gothic , subtle colors and ornate décor. If you are absolutely modern in , then you must be looking for new generation in wrought iron or steel, dark and bold shades of color, lots of gadgets and contemporary décor to spruce up your room.

Small things like vases, murals, , lamp shades, antique items, pictures, wall papers, mirrors and show items carry lot of importance in giving your home décor the right dimension. Vases with ornate or floral designs have unique appeal. If you have a particular theme for a room, your murals, wall papers, and pictures must match that theme. Say, you are doing a room on an African Safari theme. Use Savannah wall papers, African masks, jungle décor, animal pictures and knick knacks, rugs looking like on the floor and lots of here and there to create a lively jungle ambience in your room. Lamp shades always create special effects with their light and . If you are having a party, you can switch on to bright lights and twinkling LEDs, but when you are planning to listen to some music in a pensive mood, corner lamp stands with their mystic shades are always the perfect choice.

In order to prevent your home from getting a stale look, you must always change the room décor periodically. Rearranging the , changing the cushion covers, hanging a new set of curtains, bringing in some new plants, changing the showcase artifacts and décor items and laying a new area rug are some good ideas. Removing clutter always creates additional space and breathes life into your home. This must be done regularly. Ideas are all that create the best decorated homes. The best tip in , therefore, is to continuously refurbish your bank and experiment on new things.