New Ideas for Decorating Your Home Office

Not only are more people working for themselves these days, many companies are discovering that having employees work from home is an efficient way to do business. To make sure you home office is conductive to work, there are a few simple touches you can do to liven up the environment while maintaining professionalism. Instead of a stagnant office, try to make your decor refreshing and in harmony with the rest of your home.

Try a monochrome color that you like. A monochrome theme provides a focused work style environment with a stylish appearance. Clean lines with bold injections of black or white is the new chic. It is important for your office to be integrated, but it should also feel like a place for work, not living. A alternate color style creates a separating mood between the office and home. Try some professional-looking wood blinds in the home office. No longer only for the film noir detective, modern wood blinds can come in any color or style to match your office. Wood blinds reek of success.

For a cheaper alternative, roller blinds can be used to regulate the optimum amount of light entering the workplace. Blinds especially reduce glare on sunny days. Venetian blinds can be tilted to according to the amount of light you want to enter the room. Venetian and roller blinds also come in colors, as well as black and white to match the monochrome effect. Inspirational artwork is also a good idea. Now, pictures can even be printed on roller or wood blinds. A picture of a serene outdoor setting can help alleviate claustrophobia, and allow for mini daydream breaks throughout the day.

A study, on the other hand, is less formal than the home office. It can be a place to entertain either guests or clients. The classic study look is leather chairs and wooden furniture, warm lighting and curtains to create an intimate location. Warm hardwood blinds, perhaps stained in cherry help complete the study. Wood flooring is another step that will make the room seem warm in winter. Wood is actually also a good insulator, so hardwood floors and blinds will also keep the study cool in summer. Study decoration is in marked contrast to the uniform office. A study is often a hectic collection of personally selected objects that are somehow unified by the force of the occupant. Don't feel strange about leaving a pile of books around. Distractions are good in a study. They give easy conversation points, or just something for your kids to mess with instead of you. Large bamboo blinds look fresh. The days of a fireplace are gone in most locations, but warm tones and conservative artwork replicate the ambiance of the traditional study.

Home offices often use a converted loft, garage or addition to the house. This offers the perfect chance to create your own world in the office or study. Surround yourself in the perfect environment and watch the work fly by.

Choosing the Suitable Curtains for Your Kitchen

Drapes can set off any window. Whether it is a bedroom or day room, the choice of curtains helps to create a certain ambiance in a room. Kitchen curtains compliment the decor created by the cabinets, table tops, counter tops, and flooring, while also creating privacy and blocking beams of blinding sunlight. Kitchen curtains come in several sizes, styles and prints to match any theme.

A common theme found in many kitchens is the country theme. This theme creates an at-home feeling and inspires home cooked meals and dining. Finding a curtain theme that will match your table top settings, table cloth and dishes is important. Most country themed kitchen designs are plain or flowered patterns that come in red, blue, yellow and green. Kitchen drapery includes window panels and valances to match. Most window panels are tie back in style.

There are also kitchen curtains made of embroidered or lace material. Because kitchen windows are generally smaller than other windows in the house, they are usually set up as tiered panels or valances. With the tiered panel, the top panel will expose some of the window to allow sunlight to come through. There are endless themes to choose from at any curtain retailer.

Many manufacturers sell kitchen drapery at wholesale prices. With a slow economy, the Internet leads in sales of all types and curtains are no different. Many online distributors offer curtains at discounted prices such as Swags Galore and Budget Blinds. Because of the elimination of overhead, online stores are perhaps the most affordable option in buying drapery and rods. Make sure to measure your windows and purchase curtains that will adequately cover your kitchen window. Kitchen valances and curtains can be a great addition to top off the decor of all kitchens. They will help create any atmosphere you desire.

Some Ideas of Bedroom Decorating

When you have looked at your pictures and worked out what bedroom interior design ideas they have in common then you can start planning your bedroom design. Some points to remember are:

Color helps create mood but it isn't the only thing to affect it. When people are considering ideas they often think that color is the only important factor. That isn't true. Think about the idea of space - an uncluttered room is much more calming than one with lots of furniture and ornaments for example. Light is another thing that affects mood. Everyone realizes that subtle lighting is much more calming than bright lights but many people still go for bold lighting in the middle of the room without considering other options.

Themes can pull a room design together. When you are considering interior design ideas, think about themes - you might want a country theme, an urban loft theme, a Japanese theme, a Moroccan theme... all of these can have many elements all coming together in a coherent design.

Think about patterns. If you are looking for individual interior design ideas, think about the patterns you are using. Some people seem to be able to combine patterns effortlessly whereas others struggle. The key point to remember if you are using patterns in bedroom interior design ideas is that it is easy to mix colors or patterns but much harder to mix both!

Bedroom interior design ideas can be very individual but if you keep these ideas in mind, You should be able to have a wonderful room to spend time in.

Decorating Ideas for Spring

It's about time to open up the beach house or second home in the hills. This can be a daunting task or it can be fun, which way you go is up to you. Generally, if you have to do it, you may as well be happy about it. This article will help you add fun to the task of updating your cabin in the woods or your cozy home at the beach. Even though financial times are tough right now, you can still toss some springtime into these places without breaking the bank. These same ideas can be used in your full time home as well.

If you're not sure how to make your home suit your style, stop now and gather your thoughts. Peruse online stores for furnishings and accessories that you like. There are even free quizzes online to help you discover your own style. As you look at things or furnishings for your home, copy and paste pictures of the things you like the most to your word processing program and save them. Create an online booklet for yourself that helps to define your style. To keep your selections within your budget, see how many things you already have that can easily take on a new look with a little effort. You may be surprised at how easy these kinds of transformations can be.

Let's use a country or rustic theme as an example. Maybe now you have an eclectic or mis-matched grouping now, and you want to carry a rustic sort of theme. Using the furniture you already have, can you add country accessories to achieve your look? Maybe you will need to sand down a piece of furniture and re-stain it, or apply a coat of paint to achieve your look. Change the least expensive items first such as the throw pillows, pictures on the walls and area rugs. You could perhaps add a hand-made afghan throw to the back of your sofa.

New curtains can really change the appearance of a room too. Moving from heavy drapery to light airy options will give the entire room a totally different feel. Try to stick with light colors and fabrics that have a print that follows your theme. If you really want to keep heavier drapes at your windows to reflect sun and preserve air conditioned air, simply add tie backs with artificial flowers that compliment your theme. A touch of perfume made from a flowery scent will add to the ambiance you're trying to create.

If you have a lake house or cottage at the beach, you may want to redecorate with a nautical theme. It's easy to go nautical on a tight budget! A quick trip to your local dollar store will produce a bounty of goods to either use as they are or to create specialty items you've made for yourself. As you peruse the shelves, look at things for what they are, then do a double take to look at things for what they could be. This may take some practice, but you'll catch on quickly. For instance, you could make a wreath from a wreath form, some artificial water lilies, a frog from the children's toy section, and perhaps a lighthouse magnet or two. You now have all the pieces and parts to create a beautiful nautical themed wreath to welcome your guests.

The same idea applies well to the little bags of colored sand at the dollar store. Grab two or three bags of assorted colors of sand, one picture frame, and one piece of poster board. You can draw a very simple beach scene. Add glue to one section at a time and sprinkle the sand on top; allow that to dry. Repeat each step, moving from bottom to top or top to bottom as you go. When all sections are completed and dry, hold it up outside to allow the excess sand to fall off. Place your picture in your frame and hang it proudly! You just created your very piece of artwork to display for your guests, even if you have no artistic ability!

Some Ideas on Decorating Office

Interior decorating for an office is one thing most people employ an expert to do on their behalf. Frequently, an interior designer does the initial designing as well as some decorating if the building is new. Nevertheless, if the building is new and the office is designated as the individual tenant's obligation to decorate, then that is another story.

Interior decorators can offer swatches on upholstery items, palates of paint samples along with other samples for workplace décor as well as furnishings. They use modern furnishings, art deco, antiques, folk artwork and several other art items in order to encourage a comfortable office space unique to the actual client's wishes. The designers provide numerous options to match the requirements of the client and try to bring the components of the area together with the decorations requested by the clients.

Interior decorators focus on things like curtains and window blinds, artwork items, buying furniture and watching for particular pieces of art that would highlight the floor space and office space generally to give visitors to the office a warm and inviting feeling. Depending what type of office space is required by the client is determined by how much furniture is going to be made available and can also help figure out what kind of furniture to purchase.

For pediatricians, for instance it might be wise to have a dedicated area for children with a TV as well as VCR or DVD player available complete with overstuffed chairs along with other comfortable furnishings. Lawyers would not require lots of various furnishings pieces spread throughout the office; actually their office furniture could even be more for elegance than for comfort simply because wait times are rarely long in an attorney's office. A psychiatrist's office might consist of lots of various furniture pieces but should absolutely be decorated in earth tones as well as neutral colors. Someone who is a consultant for businesses might get by with lots of primitive folk art.

Interior decorating a workplace differs from decorating a home. You do not just want to have your requirements met but you want your office personnel to feel warm and welcomed at their job and also you want the visitors to the office to feel totally welcomed by the decor plus the individuals who work at the office. Understand your clientele and know what they'll want and what they will expect once they come into your office for a visit. Then, communicate that to the interior designer who's taking care of decorating your office.

White Bedroom Creation

When it comes to creating or decorating a bedroom, you can afford to get very innovative. The options available in terms of bedroom furniture are countless and diverse. You need to keep one thing in mind. The bedroom is one place where you will want to rest, and it should always be comfortable and not too cluttered.

White furniture can impart a bright and vivid feel to your bedroom

You will have a lot of options to decide from when you are creating a bedroom. Firstly, the nature of the furniture that you choose is very important. Dark coloured wood furniture is the traditional choice of most people. However, you do not need to limit yourself to just that. White bedroom furniture is a very good option which is contemporary, clean and glossy. Everything from a wardrobe, drawer chest to dressing tables are available in a white finish. The major upside which you get from this kind of bedroom furniture is that the entire bedroom looks clean and serene.

You do not need to limit furniture to just bed frames

When you are deciding on furniture for your bedroom, bed frames are the obvious choice. You do not need just bed frames. Side tables, wardrobes, blanket boxes are also very essential in completing the entire decor. Bed frames are available in a very wide variety. You can decide from wooden to aluminium finished beds whose height and size will depend upon your needs. Even here you can decide to go for white bedroom furniture. Aluminium finished beds are contemporary and seem to be less bulky than their wooden counterparts.

Always make sure that you bedroom furniture is actually needed

You should never fill up your bedroom with useless furniture, because it will only make it more uncomfortable. The things that any bedroom needs the most are beds, tables and wardrobes. Bedside tables will help you keep all useful things close to the bed. Wardrobes and bookcases can be included in the bedroom if you have enough places and can use the same. Dressing tables are also additions to the bedroom furniture but you can always decide to not include them.

Do not forget the importance of good mattresses

You cannot get a good night's sleep without a good mattress. So whenever you decide to set up your bedroom, always remember to be extra careful in deciding on the mattresses. Foam, coil sprung and latex mattresses are just a few of the varieties in which you will find them available. When it comes to deciding on bedroom furniture, you need to focus more on comfort and usefulness rather than something which only looks good. If you wish to be able to fill the room with things that you need without dark, bulky furniture then white bedroom furniture will allow you this freedom. It's white glossy finish will lend a unique touch to the entire room.

Decorating the bedroom will be an enjoyable experience. All you need to do is choose whatever best suits your taste and then let it complete your furnishings.

Green Decoration with Clay Pots

The hottest month of the summer is yet to come, but people in the tropical countries like India are already bracing up for the season and the scorching heat. Very soon, electronic home appliances markets will be abuzz with the new launching and lucrative discount deals of various brands producing refrigerators. And who knows, you will be one of the first ones to grab one of these deals to enjoy a cool and comfortable summer ahead. But, why not try a different option this time? Buy yourself a big clay pot or "matka", as they call it in India, and enjoy a chilled drink each time you fill thirsty.

Drinking water from an earthen pot is a healthy way to beat the summer heat. The water stored in a clay pot has a refreshing flavor and gets cooled to as much as 14-15 degree Celsius within a few hours. The water, in fact, is just at the "right temperature" in a clay pot - neither too warm for a summer sip, nor too chilled like refrigerated water, which is infamous for causing instant throat infections.

Wondering how does clay pot cool water in it? Now this is very basic science. Like any earthenware, a clay pot is porous in nature. It has no coating on its outer surface whatsoever. So, when water is poured into it, the inner walls absorb some amount of water and moisten the outer surface. This moisture when evaporates uses up the inner heat of the earthen pot, and consequently, brings down the overall temperature of the container. This effect works as long as the pores on the clay pot are kept clean and moist. For this, you just need to cleanse your pot on a regular basis, and you have a perfect chiller for your home. And the good thing is, this chiller does not increase your electricity bill either.

So, as you go green to quench your thirst this summer, use some creativity to make your clay pot look beautiful and befitting for your gorgeous home decor. Earthen pots available in the market come in various shapes and sizes. While a small pot may be easier to handle, a larger matka is always preferable for storing more water in summer days because you never know when your taps run dry. But nowadays, earthen pots are also available with small taps fitted to their sides and little above the bases. Go for this variety as they are really easy to use.

Now, once you have got yourself an earthen pot, take out your paint brushes and colors and start painting it. At first, hand-polish the outer surface of the pot with a piece of sand paper, and color it with enamel paint. Then, after the paint dries thoroughly, put on the base color and leave it to dry. Now, draw the pattern of your choice around the clay pot with a pencil or a piece of chalk. Once done with it, fill the designs with different colors, leave it to air dry. Finally, put a coat of varnish paint to give it a shining finish. But be careful with the last step - an overdose of varnish paint, can clog your pot pores for good. So, just go in for a single coat, and your decorative clay pot is ready.

White Bolster Pillow in Your Home

The bolster pillows are best known for their décor, warmth and comfort. After a full days' hard work all you need is sound sleep to attain freshness again. Bolster pillow provides you desirable comfort and keeps you fresh. However, using a white one is going to provide you desired freshness.

As far as the use of the pillow is concerned, everyone wants to use the pillows to get the comfort. However, although the primary use will always remain the same, improvisation in the designs and styles have given shapes to our new demands. Every user wants to use the pillows in the bedroom, drawing room and even at the garden. Due to the wide range of the use, the bolster pillows are best suited to address every person's daily use. Apart from the coziness and warmth, the pillows provide support top your neck and back. These are best known for their decorative quality. Popularly known as the throw pillows, these pillows are being used in the drawing rooms. But their quality and comfort has made it mandatory for the bedroom and all other rooms and outdoor also.

Why one should opt for the white color when it requires a lot of maintenance? A lot of people think this way. But the question in itself gives the answer. White bolster pillow should be used because it requires maintenance. In the absence of maintenance, your pillow will be exposed to unhygienic conditions as it is going to attract lot of dust, insects and fungal also which can enhance your chances of getting infected. So don't you think this is going to defeat the very purpose of using a pillow. By using it you will maintain high hygiene level and being the most common thing in your bedroom and drawing room, the it is going to augment healthy environment.

White color is known for the peace and elegance also. White bolster pillow are going to add sheen and elegance to your drawing room or bedroom. Apart from the high comfort level to be provided by these, these are going to be appreciated by your guests also. It will remain fresh for longer duration.

You can select from a wide range. You can make selection from the number of designs available in the market. You can go for the designer's choice also.

So don't hesitate, just go ahead and get some white bolster pillows for your bedroom and drawing room. So hold tight and sleep right!

Bedroom Curtains Can Make You Relax

Those of us that are fortunate enough to have a roof over our heads usually have a bedroom of sorts to either share with a family member or friend or a loved one. In most cases it's a place to get away from the noise of the day and relax. Not only do we need a place to sleep but we need a place to feel comfortable. We can do this in different ways, but one way to this end is with special room decoration.

One of the ways to do this is with bedroom curtains. They can provide privacy by being able to be closed at will, enjoyment, by the color and style, temperature, by the "weight" of the curtain. First, we should select the style of our bedroom curtain. Unlike many of the other rooms in the house, the Bedroom is usually little less formal, so we don't have to have special or formal curtains. The bedroom curtains are more demonstrative of yourself in a relaxed mode. Therefore you may prefer a light touch with sheers with heavier drapes to the side.

Depending on the direction of the morning sun you may want the curtains to block out that bright light, especially if you are a late sleeper, because of work hours or other reasons. You can augment that with "pull" drapes or tiebacks to open the curtain during the day. If you don't need fancy fabric or cords and special pressing done to the drapes, you may want to use just blinds or shades to give you the privacy and darkness needed.

If you’re going to sew your own curtains you will want to use "pre-shrunk" fabric before starting to cut and sew. Make sure you let the fabric hang for 24 hours or more before you hem the bottom of the curtain to the length that's right for the window.

Because of the effect of sun light on fabric you should use curtain liners to help eliminate the fading of light colors and some fine fabrics like silk. This is usually a problem in rooms that face a bright sun shining in. What type of Fabrics should you use? Some thick cloth fabrics make good sound absorbers when needed in a bedroom that will be used for listening to audio and watching television or just loud talking, especially if the "unit" will be on a solid wall where the sound will go through or bounce off. With all of the variations that are on the market today, you should have no problem coming up with the exact curtain that you need for your bedroom. Just don't get set on one thing that you think you've got to have before you check out what's available. Remember it's your bedroom and the curtains will reflect your personality to other people that see them. Enjoy!

Decorate Your by Adding Kitchen Accessories

The kitchen is the one room in the house where we spend a substantial amount of time. We prepare meals at least two or three times in there everyday. It's only fair that this wonder-producing room looks neat and organized, not in a strict, depressing way but in a fun, casual way. The best way to achieve this is by accessorizing it. Carefully chosen accessories warm up the kitchen and make it comfortable. There are many accessories you can choose from. Some of them may be basic, others may be purely aesthetic. As long as you do not end up cluttering the room, feel free to display those antique pieces you pick on your travel around the world in the kitchen.

An accessory that comes in handy when you pile up things is the drawer divider. It has the magical power to transform a messy drawer into a neat cabinet in a flash. This is especially so with multi-level compartmentalized junk drawer inserts. With a drawer divider, you can easily separate one set of kitchen equipment from another so that they do not mix up in the drawer and create a jumble. Or you can buy divided trays which fit into the drawers so that all you have to do is put what you want exactly where you want it.

Have glass doors on your cupboards if you have lovely pieces you don't mind showing off. It can also be placed on the cabinet top, as long as you do not use the top as your work area. You can also experiment with colored, stained, frosted, wavy or seeded glass. This is wonderful choice for those of us who have qualms about displaying what we have in the cupboard. Nevertheless, they look really cool and in some cases may even look more chic than clear glass. Of course this will depend largely on the rest of the decor around the kitchen. Remember to keep the look neat.

Wire storage is a good accessory that is very practical. You can use it to hold wraps, foils, platters, towels and canned goods among other items. The beauty of wire storage is that you can tuck it inside a cupboard door, behind a pantry door or under a shelf. If storage is a challenge for you, they are a great choice. With several of these, you can easily store quite a pile of items. Slightly different from wire storage but serving more or less the same purpose are pot racks and chrome rails. Pot racks can be hung from the wall or ceiling and are used to hang pots, pans and other cookware. All you need is a hook to hold them in place and your worries about space will be gone. Modern day chrome rails are beautiful pieces of art. Place them inside the cabinetry, under the upper run and hang your utensils, oil bottles and condiments.

Fitted sinks are another choice accessory which makes cleaning convenient. There are different styles from which you can chose, the conventional sink and divided ones, those with garbage disposal pockets.

These are just some of the accessories you'll find indispensable in the kitchen.

Decorating Your Wall by Using Belgian Tapestry

The empty walls in your home can be brought to life by the vibrant colors of Belgian tapestry. Renowned worldwide as fascinatingly colorful and with its historic elegance, the Belgian tapestries are quite frankly the center of attraction. The history of tapestry in Belgium goes back many centuries. Heavily influenced by French weaving, it also includes a myriad mix of European and Medieval art and craft movement; it brings out breathtaking colors and finely detailed patterns. So if you are thinking about Belgian tapestry you have come to the right place. We will give you the complete guide on everything you will need to know that will help you make your decision.

The rich history of Belgian tapestry is attributed to the wide variety of designs, exciting and vibrant colors. Almost anywhere in tapestry showrooms you will find Belgian tapestry displaying the beautiful landscapes, historical moments, old country markets and of course the traditional country life of Belgium. In fact you can even find hunting scenes as part of the country life montage as a design. The weaving is done by the most creative artisans who have been trained in the art and crafts. In fact it shows the true craftsmanship of an artisan on recreating Belgian tapestries in perfect detail. The thread is used from high quality fabric which brings out those exciting colors which signifies Belgian tapestry.

There are various categories of tapestries from Belgium. The three most widely popular ones are mentioned below:

• Landscape and Lake Tapestry: Capturing the magnificence of the country side of Belgium with the breathtaking natural beauty which takes you on a journey
• Nobles and Knights: perhaps the most intricate in its design of nobles and knights in all their regal clothes
• Unicorn: Completely influenced and inspired from the French iconic Lady and the Unicorn

The elegance and grace of the Belgian tapestries adds a lot of class to your home decor ideas. Over the years these designs have grown in stature due to its creative appeal. The tapestry comes in many sizes and it entirely depends on your requirement. It is quite obvious that the sheer beauty of the Belgian tapestry design becomes the center of attraction. You might have to look into arranging some of your furniture to ensure the tapestry does find its rightful place as a central character to your home decor theme.

For the office use as well, Belgian tapestry designs such as the nobles and knights leave an inspirational and encouraging environment for the people. It is full of positive energy and sophistication

We sometimes forget the nitty-gritty aspects of things how to fix a wall hanging tapestry. What we advice is that you buy a rod which is specifically meant for tapestries. The rods hold the entire wall hanging together. Depending upon the fabric used it is also important to check at the time of buying how the tapestry can be cleaned in normal cases like dust accumulation.

Using Room Dividers for Home Additions, Apartment Living, or Restaurant Expansion

In the past 15 to 20 years, the trend for house design, as well as restaurant floor plans, has had a huge emphasis towards an open floor plan. An open floor plan lends itself well to entertaining and creating a spacious and airy feeling. Unfortunately, an open floor plan does not necessarily fulfill the need for a private room which can be dedicated to a home theater set up with a controlled acoustic environment, game room, or private dining.

The most recent trends in custom built homes have been to dedicate a room to a home theater setup or game room. If the home is already built, building an addition can be cost prohibitive to which any builder can attest. With the economy still in a recession and real estate values diminished, it may not make financial sense to add onto a home at this time. Should the home owner live in a loft-style abode in New York or similar city, building an addition is not usually an option. However, there are creative and tasteful alternatives which are inexpensive.

Restaurants, much like apartments, are not usually able to receive a building addition due to property space constraints and other buildings already attached. The only answer is to make use of existing space in a manner to maximize flexibility. Room dividers are the answer.

Many individuals may remember room dividers as those tacky accordion-styled sliders used in elementary schools and high schools. Forget about the tacky. Options available today have left those unimaginative and boring dividers behind. Whether the home owner or restaurant owner has a modern, industrial, or vintage decor, there is a style of room divider which will complement the interior space.

Room dividers, much like extra large pocket doors, help to break up an open and airy space into a more intimate and cozy environment. By installing room dividers, it can allow for multiple groups to make use of an area without distracting or bothering another. Sectioning off a portion of the living quarters or family room of a home can add to an individual's privacy while at the same time creating a whole new look to an otherwise stagnant floor plan. In a restaurant setting, private parties or business luncheons can be accommodated.

There are a variety of styles and materials on the market from which to choose. A transparent or frosted separation will lend itself nicely to a modern or industrial setting, while a more conservative and toned down tan or darker finish will be more appropriate for the traditional decor.

How to Decorate Kids Rooms

Thinking of refreshing the look of your young children room? Well, don't think too long - they will be grown-ups before you know it! Having done up some children's bedrooms in my last few projects, I thought I might just want to share my thoughts on creating cozy spaces for the young.

When you're decorating kids rooms, always have a budget and a plan. As children's likings change really fast, keep the shell and foundation of the room, like the walls, curtains, floor and furniture flexible enough to accommodate their evolving preferences. Choose a paint color that isn't too trendy so it can withstand the test of time. Always ask them to give feedback on whether they like the tones chosen. To create visual interest, you can add wallpaper borders (which can be removed easily in due course) as accents. For more dramatic impact in the room, consider painting a large wall mural (which can be easily painted over later).

Go for fabrics that are colorful but of good quality when it comes to window treatment. Avoid overly childish patterns unless you are prepared to replace the set of curtains every now and then. And try not to build in any furniture until the kid's physical size, preferences and needs have more or less 'stabilized'. Younger children will find it more comfortable to write on those lower tables meant for kids (available at all good departmental stores). And feel free to explore colors and patterns for beddings, as these are replaceable as they grow out of those 'kid's room' look.

Kids tend to have a theme in mind for their personal haven. Listen to them, and try to incorporate appropriate elements to bring out that particular theme. Remember - when kids get to be involved in the decision-making, they are more likely to "own" their new décor and keep it clean and tidy!

How to Find Antiques for Home Decorating

Finding the right antiques for your home can be an exciting and eventful journey. It may not always be fast, but there are different routes you can take to get the desired result. Of course you may have simply inherited your antiques; but then something such as this can be the spark to make you want to collect more and more. We're here to let you know where to go to find the top antique treasure troves. Make sure you have the correct antiques insurance - no matter where you buy your antique items - as it can give you a peace of mind to enjoy your pieces properly.

Auction

An auction house is one of the most notable places to find the antiques you are searching for, but also shows you items you may not have thought of yourself. Many of these salerooms have auctions either weekly, bi-weekly, twice a week, or monthly. However, most will have a viewing prior to the auction where you can have a closer look at the pieces you are interested in. If you are the winning bidder, keep in mind that commission will be added to your bid, which pushes the price up.

Online Auction

An online auction may sound risky but it can often be a fruitful search. As you can put in the keywords of what you are searching for, you will be able to see the products available, the current bid prices, how long is left on the auction, and how much the postage will cost you. The main problem is one of trust; you must assume that the seller is being honest about their item. However, if you succeed at an online auction, you may end up getting an item you want at a very desirable price.

Car Boot Sale

One person's junk is another person's treasure, and this is certainly the case at car boot sales. In fact, a lot of the time, a seller may not even know the full value of the items they are selling, which works for the knowledgeable people scanning the stalls for hidden gems. Look out for particular markings on items, and any damage they may have, as this should help you to make an approximate valuation.

How to Select an Area Rug

Area rugs are becoming so popular in western cultures and in particular black rugs are now being used to make a distinctive style statement in the center of a room. Black rugs used to be hung on walls as they were thought to be too costly and of high quality to be placed on the floor. Now, aside from black, there are so many colors, designs, patterns, quality and styles to choose from it become overwhelming. It is very important you select the correct area rugs for your home no matter what the décor. You can choose from traditional to contemporary designs to achieve that perfect look.

Here are some tips that you can follow in order to select a great area rug.

1. Design. When selecting the design then think about the statement the rug will make in the room. Are you going to use it as a standalone rug or underneath a coffee table or other furniture? Select a rug that matches the other colors in the room so this way it will tie the room together.
2. Color. When you are looking for that perfect area rug for a room with light or dull colors then select a rug that is either black, dark brown or has a brown border. If you have not used black anywhere else in the room then this dark rug will look perfect in the room. Another tip would be just to choose your favorite color and add white to it. However, if you are looking for a rug or ways to make a room look more spacious then a white or soft colored wool rug is just what you need.
3. Size. If you are looking for an area rug for a bigger room then placing the rug in the middle of the room will define a room's space. Then you can place furniture around it and it should measure 4'x6' or 6'x8'. If you are looking for a rug to place on a hardwood or tiled floor then make sure that you are leaving at least eight inches of free space on all sides of the rug. A rug that measures 8'x11' or bigger is ideal for dining rooms, living rooms or family rooms. 3'x5' to 4'x6' is the perfect measurement for area rugs if you are looking to place them in a kitchen, bathroom, entrance or underneath a table. However, it is very important to remember that you should always choose a rug that you love and that catches your eye and do not choose a rug just because you think it will look right in the room.