Archive for the ‘Home Decor’ Category

The south western region of the United States is all about Spanish & Mexican blend of cultures (though each have their shares distinguished), desert locales and a plot for many big time classic flicks. If you wish to decorate your room in a similar fashion, you need to do a thorough research of the native trends. You can add bright colors & elements like turquoise, beige, pink & red to illuminate the theme. You will have to opt for wooden or clay components, as against the new age trends. Wooden tables with brightly colored tops go well with the theme and should be coupled with leather seating.

The picture frames should include south western elements or plots like horses, desert wildlife and so on. The artifacts can be of native American style, like the Kokopelli. Hand crafted accessories like baskets & pots made by the native Indian artisans will surely lighten up the place.

Though advancements have lured humans away to the technological wonders, some of the best things in the world are still lying under the natural domain. As against the modular chic homes, many people still prefer the comfy feeling of an Alpine chic. If decorated properly, this place can serve as the perfect mountain getaway & can offer you a lazy comfort, even during the harshest weather conditions. One can also add a few new age elements, just to keep the cabin ready for an occasional complaining guest.

Make sure you have rugs which match the theme (like natural floral or animal prints). You can buy bulky rugs – these go perfect with the wooden background. Do not add fancy colors, instead go for mild shades like beige. You can decorate the walls with nature oriented picture frames. You can experiment with some out of the box lighting ideas, since you can do a lot on a wooden canvas.

Though many house owners like to play it in the new age league, there are still many genuine souls who like to paint their home decor to make it look like a paused old classic fairytale. The twenties came along with some memoirs which have left an impression even to the new age. The decade came along with important inventions in the field of technology, science & medicine. If you wish to remodel your house based on the twenties theme, there are some things which you need to be aware of at every step.

One of the many additions can include brass or bronze fixtures coupled with Persian carpets& Tiffany styled lamps. Though this sounds uninviting, the walls need to be left empty as much as possible, since the era did so. Polished wood or marble flooring, though a costly alternative, will match the theme perfectly, provided it is matched well with the rug & drapery.

California is the heavenly abode for millions of flocking tourists & relocating celebrities. It has a perfect blend of multiple cultures (like Spanish & Asian), new age lifestyle full of glam & glitter, and a trove of natural treasures. If you wish to decorate your house based on a Californian style, you will have to do a thorough prior research. Your project will not be simply restricted to adding a couple of county souvenirs.

Owing to the state being a home to the rich & famous, your home should inherit the same blood line when it comes to flaunting. The design should speak a few lines, yet make a big statement. If you wish to go into the native scene, you can opt for the old Spanish styled white walls & wrought iron artifacts. You need to add multiple shades of red to make a nice ethnic impression. You can also think of giving it a vineyard feeling.

Though many people openly mock supernatural belief systems, it is intriguing how increasing number of them are adopting these systems themselves. The Feng Shui (which literally means ‘wind water’) is an ancient belief system in the Chinese civilization, which has now made a permanent mark over the globe. It associates the five basic elements and specific shapes to be used to bring happiness & luck to the household. It makes use of special conditions and/or objects to be placed & oriented in the pre-specified way so as to facilitate the flow of positive energy around the place.

While decorating your place based on the Feng Shui ideology, one should give a brief thought to colors – since every color means something. The lighting used should be calm (and possibly natural) and not straining to the eye or the flow of Chi (energy). You can also make use of wood or decorative crystals.

Making big changes in your house can also make big changes in its visual appeal – however, there are a set of guidelines to be followed so as to ensure your tedious efforts do not go in vain. When you want to work on your walls, for example when you want to carve a shelf out of it, you need to observe optimum care. Not only do you have the restriction of the shelf width of 16 inches (owing to the presence of stud walls) but also because of the network of electricity & plumbing lines that run within the wall.

Mark the end points of your shelf carefully. Make sure the lines go straight or else you will end up carving a sloping shelf. Once done with the marking, use a wallboard saw to cut the shelves. Use lumber to make the shelf planks. Install them using properly aligned screws.

Do It Yourself styled home improvement projects are gaining a lot of momentum, especially because people tend to merge them with their creative designs, creating elegant outputs. Though making a chair does not sound much of a creative job, it will surely be one, especially if you are planning to make a wicker chair. Such chairs are built on a wood or steel platform with threads of rattan or bamboo weaved over it in a typical pattern. Such chairs add a good visual appeal to your interior as well as garden or patio.

Select the type of raw material (like rattan, willow, etc.) and an appropriate frame (wood or plastic preferably). Soak the raw material in water for a couple of hours & start securing them on the frame using hammer & nails. Use a good latex paint; opt for at least two coats. Add a coat of marine varnish over it.

There are a lot of welcome remodeling projects you can undertake within your dressing room (or the bedroom, if that is where your dressing table stands) like changing your old curtains to trendy styled new ones, or maybe adding a picture mosaic to the empty focal point wall. When it comes to your dressing table drawers, you might want to add a velvet coating to one of your drawers, specifically the one which carries your precious fragile jewelry items.

Velvet has its own unique texture & rich feel. It also provides a soft surface for your fragile jewelry items to rest upon. Once you decide upon the color of your velvet sheet, measure the dimensions of your drawer & buy the sheets accordingly. Cut the pieces in appropriate sizes. Clean the drawer neatly & stick the pieces (removing the peel of back). Make sure you do not allow the formation of air bubbles in between.

Homemakers are constantly on the hunt for getting the best ideas so as to keep their house with the living fashion trends. Though the bigger remodeling projects, like changing a staircase or adding a porch. cost a lot of money, their are still many small scale projects which can definitely add appeal to the house. For example, you can think of putting on a new set of curtains – or maybe something interesting like painting your old book case with fresh vibrant colors, all by yourself.

Choose the shade of color you wish to apply. Scrape the old color & paint a coat of primer. Use a roller paint brush for easy application. Let it dry & apply a second coat of primer. Once done, apply at least three coats of paint, giving ample time for drying. Make sure you choose complementary shades of colors to apply on the shelves & the outer casing.

People often get confused about enhancing the appeal of their homes. With a lot of reference material for home decor (like websites & self help books), one is bound to get confused. However, you can plan your line of projects easily once you decide where you wish to start. They say – you should start where it starts. It means that the best place to start with the remodeling is the place which will be exposed first to your guests – the entrance. Many people tend to ignore this corner, maybe owing to its small size, yet one should give thorough attention to it.

IT is good to work over a theme. You can add some mirrors & a couple of western style cowboy artifacts to convert the entrance in a cowboy style entrance. You can go ahead & put a collage of decorative stones over the walls & floor to create a natural appeal.