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Interior Design & Decorating Information

Decorating on a Dime


Decorating your home and office can be a challenge if you are on a budget. There are so many different options, and most of them are outside of your financial grasp. A good piece of art work could cost you thousands, not to mention framing. How then do you decorate on a dime?

Decorating With Lights and Shades


Candlestick, lamp and fixtures for electricity must accord with the lines of your architectures and furniture. The mantelpiece is the connecting link between the architecture and furnishing of a room. It is the architect contribution to the furnishing, and for this reason the keynote for decorator.

Lamp Shades Decorate a Room


When redecorating a room, don?t forget about your lighting. While it may seem that you will have to purchase all new lamps for your new décor, sometimes all you need is a new lampshade. Replacing a lampshade is a lot cheaper than purchasing a whole new lamp.

The Art Of Selecting Your Homes Art


Art should be personal. Selecting pieces that you reallylove should not be influenced by the color of the carpet oryour couch. To really make a statement, art should be chosenbased on it's own merits.

Vintage Hearth Accessories Heat Up Your Fireplace


Curling up near a cozy fire is a wonderful winter pastime but you?ll need the right tools to tend your fire. Vintage fireplace accessories can add just the right atmosphere to your décor. Here?s what you?ll need to keep your fire aglow.

7 Tips to Care for Your Antique Furniture


During your spring cleaning, don?t forget to think about yourantiques. In this month?s column, we?ll give you seven tips to helpyou care for your antique furniture.

Are You Hiring The Wrong Florist?


Many people agree that flowers are one of the most importantelements in your design. From big parties to smallget-togethers, flowers can bring that added touch to anysetting. If you are planning to appoint a florist for yourevent, discuss what you want to achieve with your flowers.Many people do not know what they require and will be leftwith disappointing flowers. Lots of hosts or organizers hireflorists that can turn out to be a disappointing investment. If you follow the5 rules laid out below, you will invest in a good floristthat knows exactly what you like and can use flowers to reinforcethe mood you must create.

Pool Table Lights Guide: How To Light Up Your Game


The proper pool table lights is critical to playing your best game of pool. The ideal pool table light fixture is attractive, unobtrusive, and provides just enough illumination without creating a glare. Choosing the right pool table lights for your home need not be difficult. Just keep a few points in mind.

Freestyle with Metal and Format: The Milan FuoriSalone 2005 event.


This Italian lifestyle project, underlined by the aroma of espresso coffee, is divided into three thematic areas showing different ways of rendering the multifaceted personality of today's ceramic tiles, an irreplaceable part of home decor.

Country Decorating Ideas - Create Warmth and Charm with Country Style Decorating Ideas


Country decorating ideas can help you create a home that is warm, inviting and the perfect home to live in. Country style decorating ideas help you capture the spirit of country living during modern times. If you are restoring a country home, try to keep the original woodwork, windows, floors, fixtures and cabinetry unless they are beyond salvaging. For decorating a new or existing home, there are choices you can make that will provide you with the charm and comfort of life in the countryside.

7 Tips To Note When You Decorate Your Home


When you decorate your home, think twice about the colors you use. Plan out properly the color scheme before you even buy the paint.

Fireplace Candelabras - The Easy Alternative To Burning Wood


It wasn?t that long ago that the fireplace was the main source of heat in most every home. The hearth was a place for families to gather so that they could enjoy each other?s company while they read, played games or worked on a hobby. And let?s face it. Houses in those days were cold. If you weren?t in front of the fireplace, you could be quite chilly.

Fireplace Accessories - Adding The Finishing Touch To Your Hearth


Back in the day, fireplaces were an integral part of heating the home. People relied on the heat which radiated from their fireplace as their main heat source. Today?s modern heating systems have negated the need of the fireplace in the home, but many people continue to incorporate the fireplace into their existing and new home construction. One of the reasons why this is the case is that the peace and comfort gained from a gently crackling fireplace simply cannot be obtained any other way. Many people like nothing better than a warm, cozy fire on a brisk fall day or cold winter?s night.

Rustic Country Decor - How to Decorate Cottage Style Homes


Rustic country decor and how to decorate cottage style homes are extensions of American country style decorating. In addition, traditions are borrowed from French, English and some Swedish country looks. Rustic country decor can be defined as coarse, charmingly simple, unfussy, unfinished and yet with endearing qualities. Rustic country decorating includes the use of natural woods, aged surfaces, rough finishes and simple lines. Cottage style homes are comfortable, modest, quaint homes that can be made of thick stone or log wood.

Area Rugs Will Add That Special Look And Feel To Your Home


Decorating with area rugs is one of the easiest ways to update, revitalize and beautify your home. Rugs can add dramatic color and design to every room; create a focal point or define areas; add warmth to the look and feel of tiles, stone, or concrete; protect hardwood floors or wall-to-wall carpeting; and tie elements of a room together. You can change rugs when the seasons change and take them with you if you move. It is not surprising that area rugs are of great interest to the do-it-yourself decorator. Some Things to Think About Color is probably the most important element in decorating and should top the list of your requirements when selecting area rugs. If a room has a lot of bright colors and looks very busy, choose a neutral color and a subtle design for the rug. If the colors of the room are soft and neutral, you can add a splash of color and interest with a bright rug and a dramatic design. If you want to enhance the color scheme that exists in a room, select a rug that repeats the dominant or accent colors; if the color scheme hasn?t been chosen, buy the rug of your dreams and decorate the room around it.The pattern on the rug must not clash with patterns on the wallpaper, window coverings, cushions, and other fabrics in the room. Dark colors add warmth, and light colors will make the room appear more spacious. The amount of traffic is also a consideration. If there are children or pets, or the rug will get steady use, dark colors and intricate patterns will not show dirt as much or as quickly as light colors.If you buy a rug for the bathroom, make sure the colors are compatible with the color of the bathmat. (Or buy a new bathmat.) It is also important that a rug in the bathroom not be adversely affected by moisture especially if it will be underfoot when you step out of the shower or bath. Maintenance is an important consideration when choosing rugs not only for the bathroom, but also the kitchen, the hall, or the room of a child. Select designs and colors that don?t show the dirt, and are stain resistant and easy to clean.It is a good idea to add padding under a rug because it will not only keep the rug from moving, it will also extend its life, absorb sound, and make vacuuming easier. If you are placing a rug over wall-to-wall carpeting, choose a thin under-pad coated with an adhesive.Check the Size You Need If you want an area rug to cover most of the floor in a room, the same amount of bare floor should be exposed on all sides of the rug, even if the room is an irregular shape or there is a closet or fireplace extending into it. If you are not able to arrange that, try and have the same amount of floor showing on two parallel sides.When defining an area ? a conversational grouping, for instance ? there should be no more than two feet of empty rug extending out from behind the furniture. A rug used in this fashion will unify the items placed around it if the rug is large enough to accommodate at least the front legs of each piece of furniture.If you are going to place a large rug in the bedroom, it need not be centered but the same amount of floor should be visible on two or three sides of it. In the dining room, the rug should extend eighteen inches to twenty-four inches beyond the table. An eight- by ten-foot rug will work in most living rooms and dining rooms. A six- by four-foot or a six- by nine-foot rug will be fine if it is for a small area, such as under a coffee table, in which case, the entire coffee table should be on it and all other furniture set back from it at an equal distance.If you have trouble visualizing what a rug will look like in a room and can?t decide what size would be best, use masking tape to define the space. If that doesn?t help, cut pieces from a paper roll or lay out bed sheets to cover the area before you decide what size to buy. You don?t want any surprises.Create Special Effects If a rug is to be the focal point of a room, consider purchasing one with a central medallion, which is a popular design for an oriental rug. If the medallion will be hidden for the most part by a piece of furniture ? the dining room table or a bed, for example ? forget the medallion and select a rug that has an allover design, or one with detail on its borders.Oriental rugs ? a term which refers, in decorating lingo, to rugs from any Asian country ? are popular in modern as well as traditional homes. Expect to pay more for an imported Persian rug, considered by many to be superior to all other oriental rugs. Tibetan rugs are also a beautiful and popular choice and not as expensive, or you can choose a rug from Afghanistan, Egypt, Pakistan, China, or from many other Asian countries.If the room has an early American theme, a round braided rug, popular since the early settlement of North America, will probably be very suitable. Using a Navajo rug, with its geometric designs and flat weave, can reinforce a southern or desert theme. If your tastes run more to the comfort and appeal of animal fur or wool, forget the tiger skin and look for a flokati rug ? a hand-woven Greek woolen rug with a thick, shaggy pile ? it may create just the look you want.Contemporary rugs come in every variety of color, design, texture, size, and price. Don?t overlook them when you are searching for the perfect area rugs, even if your house is decorated in a traditional style. Just as a traditional rug can look great in a modern home, a contemporary rug can add to the appeal and charm of a traditional home. Let your creative spirit soar ? and make sure the rug can be returned or exchanged in case you discover your creative spirit soared in the wrong direction.Cost is a Consideration The cost of a home rug is closely related to the fiber from which it is made. The most expensive natural fiber will be found in a wool rug; other less expensive natural fibers are cotton, jute, silk and sisal (hemp). Popular synthetics favored for quality rugs are acrylic, polypropylene (olefin), and nylon.If you are on a tight budget, look for discount and bargain outlets, but be sure the dealer is reputable, there is a wide selection, and check the warranty and the return policy before you buy.Area rugs are available in a wide variety of styles, and there are sizes to fit every room and prices to fit every budget. Shop until you find exactly what you want.

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