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Home Decorating: Bathroom on a Budget

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It’s a wonderful feeling to take a tired, boring, old bathroom and completely redecorating it, it’s something close to magic, to make it shiny and new once again without fearing that you’ll have to spend way too much money on it. As you can imagine I’ll say, there are small steps that can be translated into big changes and these small steps are inexpensive and highly effective.

The very first thing I recommend to do is to assess the damage, really look at the worst there is to fix. Painting may seem like the obvious starting point, but first, you should decide if you plan to remove cabinets because it’s very popular nowadays to give the bathroom the appearance of a wide-open space.

In case you do decide to remove cabinetry, this removal often leads to some patching that will need to be done to fix the drywall and the gaps that will be left in the flooring. This is why choosing the colors for the walls and the floors should be on the top of your list. If the space in your bathroom is small, light colors tend to open the space, and make the room seem larger. In this case, keep the walls bright and the towels and decorations darker, and remember to use paint that can stand the humidity.

Keep this last thing in mind when choosing your flooring; it needs to withstand heat and humidity like a champion because this room’s floors and walls receive quite a bit of abuse. This is why hardwood is a no go for bathroom; instead, ceramic tile is a great choice. Likewise, there are laminates designed to respond well to these environments. Remember to choose flooring that will bring your walls to the forefront, and also the overall character you hope to give to the room.

The toilet is a simple purchase, but if it doesn’t need absolute changing, then I a suggest you leave it just as it is. You know what they say, and they’re right, if it’s not broken… The same applies to the shower or bathtub. In case you truly can’t live with your shower or bathtub as it is, you have the option of resurfacing your tub which is much less expensive than buying a new one and it will look good as new.

Now to the little details like changing the knobs, fixtures and hardware. You can also add some lamps to bring subtle lighting to the room; decorative touches of your very own are always welcome. Some people like you use decorative soaps, flowers, the sky is the limit. The shower curtain and the towels have the ability to tie the room together, so make sure to play with and blend the colors and designs that go along with your vision. Remember: one step at a time, one piece at a time, one room at a time.

Wintertime Home Decorating

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People don’t notice that Christmas is just the beginning of the winter season, and Christmas decorations are temporary additions to our homes that tend to last little more than a month, which leaves two more months or so of houses full of scattered decorations. What begins with a bang, ends with a whimper. There are many hallmarks of winter that tend to be swept up by the Christmas décor category. In fact, anything that brings warmth and joy it’s an excellent decorating idea for this icy season. Hibernating animals, as weird as that may sound, give out a feeling of winter.

 

Try using bears, either black or polar bear, as a theme to make your house cozier for those cold, hard winter nights. Flannel can also be used to complete the look with style, and you can use it in many ways, either in throws, bedding or curtains. These type of decorations are trending, so you shouldn’t have any problem finding cuddly bear things.

 

There’s nothing that can make justice to the beauty of a roaring fire to bring warmth and light to those harsh winter days and nights. It’s not quite winter if there’s not a fireplace burning bright. It’s soothing and comforting to sit around a fireplace with your loved ones and getting your hands and feet warm and toasty, and don’t forget the hot cocoa. Keep cozy blankets around!

Candles can also add warm to the rooms they touch, there’s something very calming about a little spotlight of brightness nearby. What’s also nice about candles is that they come in a wide variety of fragrances and some of them are just perfect for wintertime, so keep this in mind as you shop!

Fragrances are important when you want to create a specific, appropriate atmosphere for your home during the seasons. You can also use pillows and blankets as decorations, they’re just another way to bring some much-needed warmth into your home.

And they’re also just beautiful and appealing; they call you to cuddle up, to curl up in a ball on the couch and relax, forget about the cold for a while. Plus, it’s a good idea to have them on hand for the unexpected chills that come and go!

Don’t allow for the celebration of winter to end once the Christmas tree is put away, winter can be harsh, it can be uncomfortable, so you need any tool available to make yourself comfortable and ride out the cold. Do this, embrace the season with grace, warmth, affection and laughter, and your home will feel like the world’s most wonderful refuge.

Home Decorating for Spring

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Rebirth is Spring’s theme. It’s the time of the year when people begin coming out of hibernation and start shaking off the final remains of winter, windows start opening again and you can leave the house in lighter clothes again.

Many people associate this time of the year with cleaning, not so much with decorating, and actually, there are very few times when decorating is more appropriate. I mean, you and I both know this is the time of the year we actually enjoy cleaning.

In the summer we’re constantly cleaning the house, the kids are always tracking mud, grass, dirt, and who can possibly know what else. This makes cleaning a chore and yet we still have the energy to take out our patriotic colors and celebrate in our very best American style. No matter how busy we may be cleaning and consuming great amounts of lemonade, we never miss decorating and taking the effort to brighten up our homes.

During winter and thanksgiving we clean because we have no choice, our entire circle of friends and family will be over and they expect our homes to be impeccably beautiful, and we also take pleasure in this being so. Achieving this is quite an accomplishment because we all know how the rush of the holidays can be hard to handle.

So, Spring seems to be the time of the year where cleaning is inspired. Yes, inspired, but this inspiration may run short when it comes to home decorations. If this is the case, these following ideas are meant to lend a helping hand:

  • Flowers: nothing says Spring more than flowers. They bloom all around us and fill our air. Command nature and use them, fresh cut flowers and candles can be used to create harmonious and beautifully delicate arrangements and centerpieces to place around the house.
  • Candles: yes, they deserve their own spot. Candles are soothing, relaxing, invigorating, welcoming, elegant, and they also smell great. They’re useful for any time of the year, really, and if you choose bright spring colors and fragrances they will go along nicely with the environment.
  • Towels: you might take them for granted, but they make a subtle little decoration. You’ll want bold colors once again, in our kitchen and your bathrooms. Simple touches like this can boost up your attitude about cleaning, decorating, and also cooking.
  • Fragrance: most people don’t realize fragrances are actually a form of home decoration, but they delight our noses, and they make us feel at home as soon as we walk in and we recognize the smell we have chosen for our house to have
  • Put out bowls of potpourri, fragrance bowls, dried fruits, etc. It’s an inexpensive way to light up your home and make our nose happy. You can even make it yourself!
  • Fruit have bowls of fresh seasonal fruit around the house. This adds, even more, fragrance to your home, it’s also pleasing to the eye, and edible on top of that. Just make sure they’re eaten before they get too ripe!

I hope this was useful to you and you leave this post inspired to try these things, mix them up and see what works best for your home.

Tuscan Style – A Great Home Decorating Idea

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If you’re having a block in the decision-making process of what to do with your home, Tuscan style is a great decorating theme that will open your imagination up. This is a very attractive style because it’s subtle in its elegant and it’s simple, which is always good news because it means it won’t take a whole lot of money or effort to use it in your home.

Tuscan style is an Italian country design which means that it uses a palette of earthy tones because it’s meant to bring nature inside. You really won’t be disappointed with this unique, beautiful style.

If you make the jump and decide to go Tuscan, you’ll be using textures. A lot of them, because this style likes to mix different types of textures like stone and tile for the floors, which helps create that natural atmosphere we’re looking to accomplish.

On the walls, we suggest plaster as it adds that bit of extra texture and it makes for a great opportunity to have a little fun. Tables are often made of stone or tile mosaics which are just gorgeous and imposing in its elegance.

You have probably learned by now that any home decorating theme can’t run away from wood, and why would anyone want to do that? Tuscan style is no exception; it makes great use of this resource in the form of an exposed framework made from large wooden beams.

This style also makes use of wood furniture and the goal here is to make it look aged which can be accomplished with a good old staining technique. Antique furniture would be the ideal choice and it often is, but that doesn’t mean you can’t accomplish the same beautiful results on a budget.

This decorating style is not only based on nature, but also on cultural heritage; this is why the use of accessories is very much encouraged. Homemade accessories are most used in the Tuscan decorating style, as well as ceramics, wine and wine glasses, candlesticks and copper pots.

Other great ideas include glass jars filled with olives, and terra cotta pots or vases are some of the Tuscan favorites because this is a very popular color in Tuscan décor.

Tuscan fabrics play a big role in decorating, so keep an eye out for fabrics made of burlap, abaca fiber, banana tree fiber, savannah and tobacco cloth, to recreate natural spaces.

What’s best about these materials is that they’re extremely versatile and they can be used for anything you can think of; curtains, drapes, blinds, dividers, screens, placemats, floor mats, etc.

When looking for the right colors, think of red and yellow. These colors are often used in tassels o painted beads to accessorize the drapes, and more importantly, to accentuate them. You can also make use of yellow or red ribbons to accessorize things such as candlesticks, vases or jugs.

You can even use flowers in these colors to make beautiful arrangements to place around the house, and you can do just the same with fruits; you can play around with shades of yellow, red, and orange with fruits like bananas, apples, oranges, tangerines, etc.

Anything that resembles the sea, the earth or the forest is most welcome when thinking about decorating in Tuscan style, these things help create that warm, inviting feeling we all want our homes to have and inspire.

Interior Decorating Plans for your Home Bar

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The home bar area is where you go to enjoy yourself and also the company of friends and loved ones visiting your home. It’s the place where you can have a quiet drink after a long day, where you can receive people and have a pleasant conversation.

It’s a great addition to your house and if you plan on giving it some constant use, it’s important to have a decorating plan, it’s important to give it a voice, to give it character so that people will be attracted to it as soon as they see it. You want it to be seductive and relaxing!

When thinking about what to do to this particular area you might want to continue the general theme of décor you’ve employed around your whole house, but it’s not terribly important to stick to the same theme.

This can be your chance to try something different, and make different themes coexist in harmony. Because the home bar is a place to have a few drinks, sit down and talk, relax, you’ll want to pick calming colors such as a palette of blues and greens.

When it comes to furniture you’ll definitely want bar stools and boy do you have options! You have, of course, the standard wooden bar stool that are very pragmatic because they will match almost every design style out there, so it will make your job that much easier if you’ve chosen to decorate this space in a different theme than the rest of the house.

You’ll also find fancy stools with upholstery made in different types of leather, and you’ll have the option between those that swivel and stationary stools. Now that’s a choice you’ll have to make having comfort in mind, since you’ll be sharing the space a lot, it’s best to do everything in your power to make people want to stay right where they are and enjoy the space you’ve built.

Accessories for your home bar include music, which means a stereo system. Keep in mind that accessories for this kind of space should be entertaining, and fun. They should be attractive to the eye and they should inspire the mood that you wish to celebrate in this type of space.

Who doesn’t like listening to music while spending some time together? Maybe you can even include a small television set, and it will make a great spot for watching football or hockey games and sharing with friends.

Because the home bar’s main feature are the beverages, you’ll have to include in your decorating plans a cooler or a bar refrigerator to keep everything you need cool and ready to drink.

Many people also decide to install a bar sink which is extremely comfortable and practical, it will save you countless trips from the bar to the kitchen sink. Glassware is also a very important feature, it’s essential to have different sizes and styles of glasses so you can offer variety in your drinks.

Another way of adding an extra touch to your bar is finding interesting bottles or maybe starting a collection of beer cans or shot glasses to display. Coasters and drink removers are also one of the little things you can do to add some character to your home bar.

In lighting you will find many different choices, such as track-lighting and recess lighting to name a couple. Many people prefer recess lighting because it gives the bar a neat and tidy finish, and you’ll have the option of having the lights up for when you have a big, energetic party or dim it down if you just want to create a more relaxing, smooth environment.

Simple Ideas for Decorating the Interior of your Home

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Is it that time? The time to redecorate the interior of your home? Does this make you excited or frustrated? Does the prospect of redecorating your home make you feel adventurous or just tired already? I’m sure there are mixed feelings when it comes to decorating the interior of our homes.

Not everyone is super creative or crafty, and this might lead people to believe that they’re incapable of decorating. Some people just don’t enjoy this type of projects, and some can’t wait to get to work. There’s always help available for every need, so don’t worry.

If you’re one of those people that truly hate the idea of decorating your interiors, then hiring a professional decorator might be the best solution for you. They will work with you and help you choose a decorating design that fits you and your home, along with colors, flooring, furnishings and accessories.

They will do all the planning for you but you’ll probably also need to hire a painter and someone to install your flooring. If you can afford it, then great, but not many people can.

For other people, on the contrary, decorating interiors can be an exciting proposition. They certainly won’t have any trouble finding the information they will need as they are many magazines intended for this purpose, as well as DIY books that give specific and easy to follow step-by-step details for what to do to interiors.

The Internet is, of course, another great resource, there are countless sites dedicated to home decoration that will help you through the process. There are also many TV shows and reality shows about reconstruction and redecoration that give out extremely helpful tips.

One of the first steps to take once you decide you’re going to decorate the interior of your home is to decide which rooms and how many of them you’re going to make changes to. Choosing the theme is also important because it will get you thinking about colors, furnishings, fabric and accessories you might want to use.

This particular decision can be tricky because there are many themes to choose from, among them you have: Victorian, Cottage, Modern, English Country, French Country, Traditional, Medieval, Moroccan, Asian, Art Deco, Southwestern, and many others.

Once you’ve made this decision, the next is to pick the materials based around the theme you chose. This is where home decorating resources can come in handy because you’ll have an expert guide to choosing a color palette, which fabrics work best for your theme, the most comfortable furnishing and the best accessories that will accent and compliment your space. Have fun with it, there’s no reason to experience any frustration at all during what can be a very wonderful process of revitalization.