Home Decorating

Utter the two words home decorating in a crowd or women and the place will go
mad. These two words seem to breathe fire in women's bellies. Most women love
the idea of home decorating. When discussed in a crowd, there will likely be
all sorts of ideas and tips passed around. For some strange reason the female
population enjoy making changes, especially to their homes. The idea of getting
rid of the old and bringing in the new gets women all excited.

Many people like change, women and men, boys and girls. Home decorating is a
great way to make immediate changes in a person's space. Even slight changes in
home decor can make a space seem new and refreshed. Home decorating is an
excellent way of taking a tired looking space and transforming it into a
bright, happy atmosphere. It is a terrific way to bring people up when they are
feeling down.

Home decorating can involve all kinds of different colors, fabrics, furniture,
flooring and accessories. Some people spend thousands of dollars decorating
their homes while other people use only imagination to make magnificent
changes. Home decorating depends on the individual's taste, their intentions
and of course their finances. When people have plenty of money to use for home
decorating, often they will hire a professional home decorator.

Hiring a professional home decorator is a great opportunity to have a home
transformed into a trendy environment. Home decorators are in touch with the
latest trends and styles in home decorating. With their talent and experience
they are able to take a plain, boring room and transform it into a happening,
exciting space to hang out in. With regards to home decorating, if a person
desires something totally unimaginable, they might want to hire a professional
home decorator.

Home decorating is very important to some people. In fact there are those who
make changes in their home each and every season. Most people like to do a
little home decorating at Christmas time but there are those who like to jazz
up their home in the spring, summer, fall and winter. Using home decorating
tips and ideas, people transform their homes to fit the each season.

When a homeowner is trying to sell their home, a bit of home decorating may
increase their chances of success. People viewing a home are often attracted to
the cosmetics of the space. Home decorating provides a homeowner the opportunity
to give their home a face-lift before putting it on the real estate market. With
a few slight changes to the furniture placing in a room, perhaps a calming color
on the walls and a bouquet of flowers in a lovely vase on a table, a potential
buyer might be won over. When a home is nicely decorated, there is evidence
that the homeowner takes pride in their home and cares for it. This would
certainly make a good impression on a potential buyer. Just a few little home
decorating tricks may be responsible for selling the house.

Ideas for Decorating A Home

When people think about making changes to their home, either one or two rooms
or the entire space, most often they imagine color. Generally people choose
colors they are fond of or those which correspond with pieces of furniture.
When searching for ideas for decorating a home, one idea which is perhaps
overlooked is decorating with the two basic colors -- black and white.

Black and white, used in decorating, creates drama and pizzazz. It is said that
every room can benefit by using a touch of black. Black is a color which anchors
and grounds a room. Adding sophistication, black is definitely a color that
demands attention. Ideas for decorating a home using black may include
accessories such as light fixtures, trim or furniture. Black serves to add
definition to focal points of a room. Black is just one color that stands out
or makes a statement.

Using black and white when decorating a home, provides a clean, fresh, elegant
atmosphere. This combination can be added to any room in a home making it a
sophisticated space. Black and white are often used in contemporary home
decorating and often used to accent other colors in French Country design. It
may be hard to visualize but there are many ideas for decorating a home using
only these two basic colors.

The floor is a great place to start in decorating a space. Black and white
vinyl tiles laid alternately makes a beautiful checkerboard pattern and looks
clean and elegant. Black marble used on the floor, accented by wide white
baseboards, another beautiful idea for decorating a home. White ceramic tiles
with a black border or simply paint the floor black or white and use stencils
of the opposite color for decoration. These are great ideas for decorating a
home.

White walls, is there anything more perfect? Painting the walls white or even
an off-white, would make a perfect background for accessories such as artwork
framed in black. That you can imagine. Elegant black window treatments or black
shutter against a clean, crisp white wall would definitely create an aura of
sophistication. Perhaps a glass-top table with black iron trim and black
chairs, these are terrific ideas for decorating a home using black and white.

A bedroom decorated using black and white would be lovely. An iron bed-frame in
black or white, covered with a striped black and white comforter. For the pillow
shames, you could use either all black or all white and could add throw cushions
in the opposite color. A nice leather black or white chair in the corner would
be certainly accent the room. Then the white walls with an elegant piece of
artwork, framed in black hanging on it, this would surely add to the
contemporary feel. Black furniture against the crisp white walls would look
neat and tidy. Jazz up the room with accessories such as pewter or silver
candlesticks, jugs or vases. If you think the room needs a little color to
complete the look, perhaps a throw or cushion in a bold color like red or gold,
for the chair in the corner of the room would be enough to accent the room.
Ideas for decorating a home, they are numerous. Finding one that suits you and
those that live in your home is important. It's nice to do something radical
and off-the-wall but remember you must be able to live with it for awhile.

Home Interior Decorating

Home interior decorating is a perfect opportunity for you to express yourself.
Home interior decorating allows you to showcase your interests; interests in
furniture, art and even different cultures. Every decorating style is
different, with some being elaborate while others are plain. However, there is
a home interior decorating style to suit your personality as well as your
budget.

Budget is usually at the top of the list when making plans for home interior
decorating. It is easy to look at a picture and want to recreate it in your
space. Sometimes the details in home decorating pictures are quite expensive
which may introduce obstacles for you. There's no need to be disheartened
however, there are always alternate ideas to help you achieve your ideal space.
Resources such as magazines, books, television programs and Internet websites
are very helpful with suggestions and ideas for home interior decorating. Using
these resources you're bound to find alternatives to any problems you may have
with home interior decorating.

If you are an individual who loves color and authentic home interior
decorating, there are several designs to choose from. Primitive home interior
decorating is interesting because it concentrates on old and handmade items.
This is a wonderful opportunity to display collectables and handed down
treasures. This style suggests using accessories and furniture which appear
extremely old, worn, stained or antique. If you are a person who likes
antiques, primitive interior decorating might be right for you. When choosing a
paint color for this design, dark and warm shades are recommended. Deep grey or
red brick would work well in this space.

Another home interior decorating design that you may find interesting is
whimsical decorating. This design allows you to go wild with your imagination.
Using any and all of your favourite colors, you space should be decorated
thoroughly with various patterns and colors. This home interior decorating
design is all about color. The important detail to remember however is, if you
choose bold vibrant colors, stay within that hue of color. If you decide to use
pastel colors, stick with colors in the pastel palette.

If you have difficulty moving from the past into modern home interior
decorating, traditional design may be for you. This home interior decorating
style combines the modern look with the elegant look of the past. Space is
important in the traditional design. To help create a spacious atmosphere,
neutral colors such as neutral, beige or mushroom is recommended for the walls.
To add a punch of color to this traditional design, darker colors such as
burgundy, mauve, blues and greens are suggested for the upholstery, fabric,
rugs, etc. When choosing accessories for this home interior decorating design,
china and crystal objects will compliment this style. You might also like to
add some artwork to your space. Paintings with wood frames go great with this
traditional theme.

There are just three of the many designs for home interior decorating. There
are many and there is one, just for you. Browsing sources about home interior
decorating designs will give you a better idea of their characteristics
regarding color, furnishings, flooring and accessories. With your individual
tastes and interests at the forefront, you ought to be able to find a style
that works for you. Home interior decorating can turn your home into an oasis
of pure enjoyment.

Inexpensive Home Decorating Ideas

Home decorating is not something that requires a vast fortune in order to do.
Nor is it something that must be accomplished all at once. The ideal manner to
decorate a home is one step at a time, one room at a time. This makes the
process much less stressful, more enjoyable, and imminently more affordable.
Some great ideas are to start small then work your way up.

Paint is one of the least expensive things you can do to a room that will have
the most immediate and profound impact on the overall look and feel of the room
in question. By selecting the paint colors and painting the walls before
anything else is done everything else can be done in order to match the colors
you have placed on the walls. More importantly, paint is something that the
average person is capable of doing on their own rather than being forced to
hire experts in order to get it done. Any home improvement project that you can
do yourself will save more money than you can imagine along the way.

Once you've managed changing your walls, you may wish to change your window
treatments. Roman shades are an excellent choice as they are rather simple to
make (which would leave you only the cost of the fabric and supplies) but they
are not the only option. I would recommend some sort of curtains as a form of
window treatment as they are much more personal than the typical mini blinds
found in so many homes today. Curtains or Roman shades can be purchased to
match the colors on your walls and should not be a terribly expensive
investment.

Flooring has in the past often been out of reach of those seeking to casually
improve the look of a room. New technology and materials have made new flooring
a valid option even for those who are on seriously limited home decorating
budgets. Laminates are a good option for those who love the look of hardwood
but cannot afford the expense of materials and/or labor for these floors in
their homes. Laminates can often be installed by even those with limited skills
and make a very noticeable change in the look and feel of a room. Peel and stick
tile is another option for those whose budgets will not accommodate laminate
flooring. Check out the options and the prices at your local home improvement
store. You just might be amazed at what you can afford.

Rather than purchasing new furniture to make an impressive impact on the look
of your living area, try furniture covers. These can often be purchased in
shades that will match your new decor and are much less expensive than new
furniture leaving money for the little touches that matter so much in the
overall look of the room. Besides, when friends and family walk in and see the
changes they will be shocked and amazed. They may even be convinced that you do
in fact have new furniture.

Mirrors are excellent tools to use when decorating a home. More importantly,
they are rather inexpensive for the most part. Mirrors also lend the appearance
of a much more wide-open space than having no mirrors would accomplish. If you
have a fire place, strategically located mirrors can spread the warmth and
coziness (if not the heat) of a fire throughout the room making the room as a
whole seem like a much more enjoyable place to escape the winter "blahs".

Artwork, candles, vases, and floral arrangements can be purchased one piece at
a time in order to give the room a more polished look. Once you've decorated
one room in your home with these budget tips in mind you can move on to other
rooms in your home and incorporate the same ideals as you go. Remember that
decorating your home doesn't have to cost a fortune but it will require some
patience and planning on your part. With this in mind, there should be nothing
to stop you from heading out today and getting to work on your new home
decorating plans.

Fall for Home Decorating

Autumn is the time of year in which you can literally smell the changes. Leaves
are burning, peanuts are roasting, and most people are just beginning to fill a
hint of a chill in the air. More than smelling the changes that are coming you
can see them. Leaves begin to take on brilliant hues and the colors are
spectacular to watch and witness. This is the time of year that thoughts begin
to turn to football, hiking, and the upcoming holidays (for there are quite a
few on the horizon).

Fall contains two primary holidays for many people. Those include Halloween and
Thanksgiving. Keep these holidays in mind when planning your primary fall home
decorating scheme and make small adjustments in order to accommodate the
holidays. Personally, I love the colors associated with autumn. The yellows,
shades of gold, orange, and brown are favorites for my decorating taste. I
always regret a little that this time of year is often overshadowed by
Christmas as it approaches and the expectations of others that I decorate for
Christmas almost immediately after celebrating Thanksgiving.

For those who lack inspiration when it comes to home decorating for fall, keep
the colors mentioned above in mind. One great theme to incorporate into the
decorating process would be the theme of leaves. Leaves falling from the trees
are one of the most common associations with this time of year and it is a
great look to incorporate into your home. You can even find leaf garlands in
fall shades if you are inclined to look for them. Leaves can also be
incorporated into lovely centerpieces and floral arrangements to hallmark the
season.

Harvest is another common association with autumn. This is also rather easy to
incorporate into most home decorating designs. Gourds make an excellent accent
piece for this time of year and you can find real ones in almost any vegetable
market along with many realistic imitation gourds. These can be used, much like
or along with leaves, as part of centerpieces, in floral arrangements, in
tabletop decorations, and even to hold place cards for large gatherings. They
are incredibly versatile as well as colorful and make a great addition to any
autumn home decorating venture.

Pumpkins are essentially gourds but they have a special place all their own in
the fall home decorating scheme. Pumpkins have a special association with both
Halloween and Thanksgiving (pumpkin pie anyone) and should not be overlooked as
an important tool for decoration. In addition they are just bright, colorful,
and cheerful to have around the house. To avoid the stench of rotting pumpkins
simply avoid carving them if you intend to keep them around for a little while.
Those that are carved should be placed outside and only carved within days of
the 'big day'.

A great centerpiece idea in general for fall would include a large bowl, in
outstanding fall colors such as a burnt orange or a shade of gold. For the
first part of autumn you can fill the centerpiece with candies that are wrapped
in fall colors. This is ideal for family munchies as well as trick or treaters
that may find their way to your door on Halloween. Once this holiday has ended
you can fill the bowl with colorful leaves and gourds to complete the look.
This should carry you through Thanksgiving when it is time to begin thinking
about Christmas decorations and wintertime rather than fall.

Whether you adore fall like I do or dread its appearance each year for whatever
reason there is little denying that fall is ripe with decorating ideas and
ideals. Take the time to look around your local craft stores and see where
inspiration strikes. It is never too early or too late in the year to begin
thinking about what you are going to do for your home decorating plan in the
seasons to come.

Decorating Your Home With a Creole Twist

Of all the styles of architecture and decorating around the world very few have
taken the best of all the others and made it a little bit better in quite the
way that the style often referred to as "French Creole" has managed to do. The
truth is that while this style of architecture that New Orleans is famous for
is really heavily borrowed from many other cultures and yet uniquely New
Orleans at the same time.

Creole architecture for many brings to mind intricate wrought iron work, long
shutters (to cover the windows during hurricanes originally), huge windows and
doors (these were designed larger than typical homes in other parts of the
country in order to create breezeways for the wind to come through in the
sweltering hot summer months), and bright colors that you aren't likely to find
in most million dollar neighborhoods. This style of architecture and home decor
is also famous for huge balconies-also with wrought iron railing.

The amazing thing about the Creole style of home decorating is that there is no
one identifiable feature that labels a design style as decidedly Creole.
Lagniappe is a term that people here quite often in and around New Orleans. For
those who do not know, it means "a little something extra". From an extra donut
to a freebie bookmark and many things in between, that little something extra
has a long history in New Orleans from the architecture to the music there
always seems to be a little something extra that you couldn't get anywhere else.

The interior design style of the Creole is also very similar. Some consider it
gaudy but the locals consider it that little something extra and it is. You may
find a little Gothic style, a little bit of Jazz, and a whole lot of Mardi Gras
in one room and it s quite all right because you are getting all that and just
a little bit of lagniappe too. Home decorating in Creole country is an art form
that defies logic and yet makes perfect sense for the rich culture and heritage
that it encompasses.

For those that need a little inspiration who would love to incorporate a little
Cajun or Creole spice into their living spaces, perhaps the following
suggestions will prove to be helpful.

1) Red peppers. Nothing says spice quite like a red pepper. There are all kinds
of items you can find with red peppers in them these days from wallpaper borders
to hand blown glass peppers, jar toppers, pot holders, kitchen towels, strings
of lights for patios-even kitchen canisters decorated with red peppers. There
are all kinds of options available to incorporate this theme into your home or
one room of your home. 

2) Music notes. Most people cannot think of Cajun country without thinking of 
the music that calls this great section of the country home. Music notes are a 
great way to symbolize the music that made New Orleans famous. 

3) Mardi Gras Masks. Many people find that New Orleans symbolizes Mardi gras in 
their hearts and minds though New Orleans is not the birthplace of Mardi gras. 
The masks are a way that people from around the country can bring the 'spirit of 
New Orleans' home with them and decorate their homes with that attitude that can 
only be referred to as Creole in many hearts and minds. 

4) Food. Believe it or not the food is as much a part of the Creole home as any 
other design element. For this reason a French Creole style kitchen is often the 
way to go when it comes to home decorating in the Creole fashion. The kitchen is 
the heart of a Cajun home and food is what makes it that heart. Use jars of 
beans, rice, pastas, and other lagniappe as part of the overall design and you 
might just be amazed at just how Creole the room begins to look.

The most important thing to remember is that Creole is more of an attitude than
a design style. Bring the attitude of "No Worries" into the design features of
your home and you will have the true Creole style to an art.

Asian Inspired Home Decorating

There are very few themes for decorating a home that capture the imagination
quite like an Asian inspired theme. There are many reasons for this one of
which is the rich colors, fabrics, and textures that are the hallmark of these
themes. There is a simplistic elegance about Asian decor that is almost
impossible to imitate in other methods. It is simply put, stunning to walk into
a room or a home that has been decorated in an Asian inspired motif.

This is not one of the lesser styles of decor when it comes to price. This
elegance comes at a rather high price for the average consumer. However, the
sparseness of this home decorating style make it possible when other styles
with this sort of price tag would not be possible. One of the most important
things to remember when attempting to bring an Asian style of decor into your
home is the heavy reliance upon color and texture.

Dining rooms are particularly stunning when decorated in an Asian style. In
this situation not only can the implements added to the room serve to improve
and enhance the decor but also the placemats on the table can serve as an
important tool in establishing the theme of this supremely elegant room.
Chopsticks and dishes, particularly tea servings are other great enhancements
to an Asian dining room. This is a room that many families will enjoy dining in.

It is recommended that because of the expense involved in many Asian themed
home decorating styles that only one or two rooms in the home should be created
based upon an Asian theme. This will keep the costs down as well as making those
rooms focal points within the home rather than having the splendor lost among
the excess.

If you are having a rough time narrowing down the two rooms, the bathroom also
makes an excellent room in which to incorporate an Asian inspired theme. This
is a room in which people go to relax and wash away the worries and stress of
their days. For this reason, it makes perfect sense that some of the more
tranquil and relaxing design accents of an Asian decor would be appropriate.
Candles, figurines, calligraphy (waterproof of course), and Asian artwork make
excellent touches for a bathroom, as do the more tranquil colors of some Asian
inspired rooms. Fountains can be added to the room for an added taste of
relaxation. Be sure that there is plenty of storage space as clean lines and an
uncluttered surface are also important for the overall peaceful affect you
should be hoping to achieve.

If either the dining room or bath or unappealing to your home decorating
desires for an Asian theme you may want to take the theme into your bedroom.
There are very few more romantic themes to incorporate into a bedroom than an
Asian theme. You can use fabrics to create a very romantic atmosphere, rice
paper window coverings to protect those inside from prying eyes, and candles
throughout the room to finish off the creation. Furnishings in this room should
be sparse and uncluttered. And Asian screens can be used in order to 'section
off' the room or hide the piles of laundry or cluttered areas that you wish not
to be detract from the overall romance of the room. Fans make a lovely
decoration for the walls in a bedroom as does Oriental art or framed
calligraphy in the words of love. Use wall sconces and indirect lighting rather
than harsh, glaring overhead lights.

An Asian theme can be one of the most beautiful in the realm of home decorating
if you are truly willing to invest the time and money it takes to do this theme
properly. It can also be one of the most gaudy if you choose cheap and tacky
decorations rather than quality accessories. If you choose to incorporate this
theme into your home I hope you will keep that in mind while you are shopping.

A Patriotic Home Decorating Theme

Are you hard core red, white, and blue? If so, then your country needs you to
stand up and present your true colors to the world. This can be easily
accomplished by celebrating everything American with your home decorating
plans. Believe it or not patriotic is the thing to be in post 9-11 America and
the way you decorate your home can let the world know exactly where your true
convictions lie.

There are many things you can do to bring Old Glory front and center within
your home that do not require you to drape your furniture with the American
flag or having the flag hanging in every window. In fact, most would frown on
that particular practice. One thing that can be said without fail though is
that nothing can change the overall impression a room gives as completely as a
bucket of paint and a brush. In other words, the best place to begin is often
with the walls of your home. Painting a backdrop of red and trimming with blue
and white makes a bold and powerful statement. It's also a rather lovely
statement if you choose the correct shades of red, white, and blue.

In addition to paint there are all kinds of country style decor that would
compliment a patriotic theme quite nicely. From stars that are designed to hang
on the wall to patchwork quilts in these patriotic shades and a quilt rack that
can either stand against the wall or hang on the wall. Quilts are outstanding
choices to bring colors into a room as well as an excellent method for adding
warmth. In addition to many quilts there are also plenty of throws and blankets
that can bring these colors front and center in almost any room of the home.

In addition to walls, furniture can be painted in order to match the walls and
other colors you'd like to incorporate into the room. There is nothing quite
like walking into a home that has its full patriotic splendor shining for all
the world to see. It's a beautiful thing made even more poignant now that the
initial wave of patriotism following the September 11th attacks has faded
somewhat. For those that are true patriots there are few better ways to show
that than by making your home a testament of your patriotism.

Candles are another great way to display your patriotic spirit. Red, white, and
blue candles are made in many wonderful styles, sizes, and fragrances. You
should be able to find something appropriate in this color combination if you
look hard enough. More importantly, fragrance is a great (and often overlooked)
way to add another dimension to your home decorating endeavors. If you want to
truly make an impression burn apple pie scented candles on a regular basis so
that your home almost always smells as American as apple pie. In addition to
candles of course there are fragrance warmers, air sprays, and simmering pots
in which this scent can be found (particularly if you prefer a scent layering
affect in your home).

Whether you simply like the look of patriot blue or you feel that you are a
true American through and through there are very few wrong reasons to
incorporate the red, white, and blue that represents America into your home
decor. Patriotism seems to be a dieing art once again; perhaps your bold
statement can inspire others to do the same.

A Cabin Theme for Your Home Decorating Needs

When it comes to home decorating there is one thing that must be said-people
seem to long for the simple life and cabin living. Of all the styles of
decorating and decor this is one that seems to be repeated most often but in
different ways. Seriously there are all kinds of 'cabin' decor websites,
magazines, brochures, books, and how to videos all over the place than probably
any other style of decorating.

One reason for the phenomenal popularity of this particular type of home
decorating style probably has a little bit to do with the simplicity of it.
There are no hard and fast rules, there aren't fancy faux finishes and textured
painting that needs to be done in order to complete the look and there aren't
overly complicated rules for what is and isn't acceptable. From the bear budget
to the champagne and caviar crowd there is some sort of decor available that
will suit not only the home decorating needs but also the need for quality as
well.

Another thing that many find appealing about a cabin themed home decorating
plan is that it simply exudes warmth year round. From the dark colors to the
flannel materials and the soft homespun simplicity of the design many find it
simply irresistible. One thing that is obvious in this style of decorating is
that it appeals to those who love home and hearth and warmth and good will far
more than modern touches and design elements. This is not a hard plastic sort
of design style and it shouldn't endeavor to become one as the two styles are
almost systematically opposed to one another.

If you want the warmth of a Montana cabin in your home every day of the year
this is one great way to do it. Bring the bears, the moose, and all the furry
forest friends to frolic in your living room, on your light fixtures, and in
your dreams as you fall into restful sleep each night. From the bedroom to the
bathroom and the kitchen in between the cabin style of home decorating is one
that is making great waves in the market place.

You will find many stores online and locally that cater to the cabin loving
audience for hardware, knick-knacks, and what knots galore. The thing to
remember is that the design essence isn't the little touches you add along the
way, it's the warmth of wood, fire, leather, and wrought iron. These are the
materials that will establish the cabin appeal more quickly than any of the
little touches you can add along the way. Drywall and plaster simply cannot
carry the look. Knotty pine or some other rich style of wood is the best option
for walls when pulling off a cabin home appeal.

More importantly than anything though is the need to include a little bit of
yourself in the design. Do not hesitate to carve your initials with a heart
into the wood of your walls. It is one more thing that will be not only
endearing but also appropriate to the home and the atmosphere. There is a type
of innocence about a cabin style home and the little touches such as that will
leave a lasting impression.

Christmas Home Decorating

Christmas is the one time of year that most people pull out all the stops when
it comes to decorating. There is no such thing in the eyes of many as excess
and the one who gets started last is the one who often finishes last. Each year
the displays, lights, and sounds grow larger and more complex. The problem is
that most people cannot keep up with the newest, latest, and greatest in
Christmas decorations. For these people there should be no worry. Christmas is
a celebration of good will and not a competition to have the grandest display
(at least that is what it should be).

Hopefully, the ideas below will help you enjoy decorating your home for
Christmas once again as a passion for the holiday rather than a competition.
The most important thing is that you choose Christmas decorations that have
meaning to you rather than the decorations you feel your friends and family
will like. Christmas is very personal and different to every person that
celebrates the holiday. Not everyone that celebrates this particular holiday
will celebrate in precisely the same way.

If the nativity scene is central to your Christmas celebration then by all
means be sure to include it. You should not, however, feel compelled to include
it if you have a more secular than religious view of the holiday. Angels are the
same way though there are many who have little religious use for angels that
still hold them in high regards as decorations around Christmas each year. Go
with your preferences and convictions and you might find that the process is a
joy rather than a chore.

I am a fan of Christmas decorations I love the blinking lights and the beauty
of the greenery mixed with bright shades of red and gold. I love the fact that
200 houses can be decorated for Christmas inside and out and it is very
unlikely that any two will look the same. I love the fact that for one month
out of the year children are looking out their windows in awe at the bright
lights and the cheery characters that light up the cold wintry rooftops all
around.

If you are lost when it comes to decorating ideas of your own, my biggest
suggestion is to pick what you like most about Christmas and choose your home
decorating style around that one thing. As the years go by, inspiration
strikes, and you find more things to like or dislike about Christmas your
decorations can change accordingly. Perhaps the greatest thing about decorating
your home for Christmas is that nothing is set in stone. If it worked last year,
that doesn't mean it will work for this Christmas and there is no reason you
should feel compelled to do it.

Some great ideas or themes for Christmas home decorating include the following:
snow globes, cherubs, angels, Santa Clauses, snowmen, birds, candles, wreathes,
and stockings. While this is by no means an exhaustive list of Christmas
decorations it is a good place to start when ideas are needed. Favorites of my
children include cartoon characters, gingerbread men, gingerbread houses,
balls, grape clusters, and ribbons.

If you want to create a truly special style of home decorating for Christmas
try a homemade Christmas. This means that all the ornaments, centerpieces,
wreaths, garlands, and decorations are made by hand rather than purchased
whole. It will certainly make an impression on visitors and you and your family
can enjoy the process of creating your very own Christmas decorations for the
holiday season.

There are so many wonderful ideas, tips, and tricks when it comes to decorating
your home for Christmas that it is incredibly difficult to point to one specific
idea and say 'this is it'. However, finding a theme that speaks to your heart is
what Christmas is all about. Well that and spending time with those who mean the
most to you in the world.

Bringing the Old West to Modern Home Decorating

What could be more fun when you think about it than incorporating the age-old
story of cowboys and Indians into your home decor? For those who love a great
story and have a wild sense of adventure this could be an incredibly fabulous
design theme for your next home decorating project. This is a great way to
bring the rustic charm of the old west into the modern world of today's busy
lifestyles.

Immediately visions of the hacienda with knotty pine and leather upholstered
furniture comes to mind. Massive fireplaces and antlers everywhere are also
first and foremost in my mind when this design idea pops into my head. The
possibilities are as endless as your imagination and only limited by your
budget in all honesty. This is a look that could be pulled off however on
almost any budget for those that are willing to make a few thrift store
purchases along the way while investing a fair amount of elbow grease.

One thing you want to be careful of with this particular theme is not taking it
too far. This could be so easy to do and it will only subtract from the charm
and appeal if you do so. Choose the accessories carefully but implement them
minimally. This should also help with potential budget restrictions as well as
keep you on track for finding the perfect accessories rather than picking up
everything you see only to find later that many simply will not work with the
style and design you are hoping to achieve in the long run.

Wood floors and wood paneled walls are a great statement for this sort of decor
as well as stone for a fireplace (if there is a fireplace of courses). You want
solid furniture rather than something that appear fragile or dainty and you
definitely want to keep the room masculine in appearance if at all possible.
Home decorating in the style of the old west isn't for bachelors alone but too
much of a feminine touch will simply kill the appeal all together. In fact, the
less feminine touches the better save these touches for a romantic bedroom or
bathroom rather than the primary areas that friends and family will visit.

You will also want to take great pains to imitate the rustic nature of the old
west within the kitchen. No delicate china patterns or tables with legs that
look like that might fall off with a hard wind. This is a 'mans' style of
decorating and it needs to look as though it will withstand any punishment a
man can dish out in order to maintain the fun and light appeal of the remainder
of the home. You can find modern sinks, fixtures, and hardware that are designed
to resemble those of the old west and beyond if you look in the right places.

For those who are looking for something a little out of the ordinary this is
one style of decorating that definitely fits the bill. See what wonderful
schemes and dreams you can come up with and what sort of tall tale will go
along with your old west design story then create the story within the walls of
your home. There is no better way to go about home decorating than this.

Wintertime Home Decorating

Most people begin the home decorating process for winter with a bang only to
end with a whimper. Far too few people realize that Christmas is only the
beginning of the winter season and that while Christmas decorations are a nice
addition, they are also a temporary decorative addition in most homes lasting
little more than a month if that long. This leaves two more months of winter
with a sparsely decorated home in many cases.

There are many things that are associated with winter however far too many of
these things have been swept under the category of Christmas decor and their
values as simple hallmarks of winter have been forgotten or relegated to the
mere distinction of yet another Christmas decoration. Winter months for some
are long and cold. Anything that brings a feeling of warmth and cheer into the
home is for the most part an excellent idea as a winter home decoration.

Believe it or not, hibernating animals for many brings about a feeling of
winter. Try using black bears as a home decorating theme to make your home feel
a little more cozy and better prepared for the cold nights of wintertime.
Flannel is a great companion to these delightful black bears and can be used in
throws, bedding, and curtains in order to complete the look with style and
finesse. In fact, you might want to throw in a few flannel pillows so that you
can attempt to hibernate right alongside the cuddly black bears. These are
quite popular home decorations as of late so you should have no problem finding
a bear or two unless you happen to be in my neighborhood because I've probably
snapped them all up already.

Fireplaces. There isn't enough that can be said about the ability of a nice
roaring fire to add warmth and a wintertime glow to almost any room. It really
isn't winter for most people unless there is a nice fire burning in the grate.
The warmth is so much more than merely physical it is also soul soothing and
comforting to watch a fire burning brightly before your eyes while warming your
cold hands and feet. These nifty devices can also add a touch of romance to your
winter nights so be sure to keep cozy blankets and candles close by as well.

Speaking of candles. Much like a fireplace candles add a warm cheerfulness to
the rooms they touch. There are certain fragrances that are perfect for
wintertime candle burning but even less appropriate fragrances are often
welcome during winter months as they provide the soft glow that makes the world
seem so much smaller and friendlier in the process. Keep this in mind as you are
shopping for your winter home decorating ideas as well as the fact that
fragrances matter when creating an atmosphere so choose the fragrances
appropriately to the season.

Use pillows and blankets in your winter decorating to add layers of warmth and
comfort as well as visual appeal. It is amazing the things that the mind can do
in the winter but one of the more amazing things it does is convince you that
you are warm when you are surrounded by warmth. With blankets and pillows
lining your sofas and chairs however, if your mind doesn't convince you there
is always the option of just bundling up and letting your body convince your
mind. There is also something soothing about the comfort and close softness of
the pillows and blankets whether one is in perfect health or really feeling the
chill of winter down to their bones.

Don't let the celebration of winter end when the Christmas tree comes down.
Find ways to incorporate warmth into your home decorating style that only
winter can accommodate. Embrace the season with affection and laughter and all
that enter your home will be warmed by the charming atmosphere inside.

Thanksgiving Home Decorating

Thanksgiving is a time of year in which families from all across the nation
gather together and enjoy the presence of each other and give thanks for the
fact that we live in this great country and have the means with which to
celebrate in this manner. It is a great time that is representative of the hand
of friendship that was extended to us in the past and the season of harvest.

Thanksgiving takes place during the autumn season, which makes it an ideal time
to decorate in the splendid colors of fall. These colors are not the bright
colors that represent spring and summer or the sparking colors that epitomize
Christmas but the colors of nature once she has seasoned and matured a bit. The
colors are nothing short of spectacular and provide an excellent palate upon
which you can decorate your home.

The leaves and foliage of fall make excellent arrangements and garlands. If you
want to hold onto the look for years to come and incorporate them into your
regular fall decorating rather than simply enjoying them for one Thanksgiving
holiday there are plenty of excellent and life-like silk leaf garlands that
will make excellent additions to your home decorating contributions. The better
quality you find in these the more likely they are to stand up to years of
service and storage. The same holds true with any imitation items you purchase.
Better quality typically indicates a much longer shelf life.

Fall fruits and vegetables also make excellent decorations when it comes to
giving thanks and home decorating. In fact, the food from the harvest and the
friendship of the Indians was the very reason for the first Thanksgiving why on
earth shouldn't it be included in your celebration of thanks?

Wreathes in fall colors are another excellent idea for decorating your home for
Thanksgiving. It makes all who enter feel welcome and it is appropriate for the
season. There is no such thing in this day and age as an all season wreath
though there are many that can be adjusted to meet the needs of each season
with simple steps. A grapevine wreath is a good start and can easily have
seasonal things tied or attached to it in order to experience greater longevity.

Pilgrims also make an excellent addition to your Thanksgiving decorations. They
were after all the original celebrants of this tradition that has become a
holiday for this great nation. You can have your children help select or even
make the pilgrims that you will be adding to your decorations as well as a
handprint turkey or two. Not all home decorations need to be expensive or
elegant. Sometimes the simplest decorations drawn by the hands of a child are
the ones that make the most memorable impressions on friends and family alike.

Cornucopias are another great centerpiece and decoration for the Thanksgiving
holiday. Not everyone has a large enough dinner table to accommodate one of
these but they also work well on a buffet, a hall table, and almost any other
location your heart can desire and you can manage to fit it in.

If all else fails however, the food for Thanksgiving is all the decorations
that some at your table will need. Do not forget the meaning of this season a
time to give thanks for all the blessings in your life and enjoy the food and
the decorations but more importantly enjoy the friends and the family.

Paint the Home Decorating Tool of Champions

We all know intellectually that color can have a significant impact on any room
in the home. However, knowing and seeing the truth in action are two entirely
different things. The true impact of color on the overall look and feel of a
room is nothing short of phenomenal. If you have any doubt, try painting a room
in a color you do not like and see how little time you are willing to spend in
that room-even if it was a favorite room before it was painted.

For this reason you need to consider carefully the combinations of colors you
wish to incorporate into each room of your home and how these colors will
affect the rooms they will be 'overflowing' into. It is true that most people
are attempting to trend away from the idea of having the same color in every
room of the house. Instead more people are opting to have every room as a fresh
palate whenever possible. This allows for
maximum options when it comes to decorating a home and allows each room to be
similar to some degree but maintain its very own unique personality if that is
your wish.

Paint is an amazing instrument for home decorating when you think about it. In
addition to the ability to change the color of a room, paint can actually do so
much more when artfully or craftily applied. You can create beautiful murals on
your walls that tell stories about your family or simply that express an
emotion or sentiment of the moment. Paint can be used in order to write
messages to occupants of the home or visitors on the wall as well, or to
stencil borders that are sure to delight all who enter. All of this and so much
more can be accomplished with the simple application of paint and a little bit
of skill.

In addition to these things above there are faux finishes and textures that can
be created with the use of paint. One that is a current favorite on the market
is a faux plaster affect that is achieved with paint, a lot of hard work, and a
rock solid set of instructions. The result of this labor can be nothing short of
stunning as a design or home decorating affect. Taking the time to learn skills
such as this can not only improve your enjoyment of the painting process but
putting these skills in action can greatly improve your enjoyment of your home.

In addition to the faux finishes that can be achieved with paint there are
other textured paint affects that many people are learning to their great joy
and amazement. The results of many of these efforts is a beautiful and
tastefully decorated home at significantly less than half the cost that hiring
a professional to do the work would have cost. Many of these things can be
achieved with paint and a few special brushes or rags alone further indicating
the profound affect that a can or two of paint really can have on almost any
room in your home.

If you are inclined to learn a little more about paint and the impact it can
have on your home all together check with your local home improvement store and
see if they are offering any painting workshops in the near future. These
workshops provide excellent instruction and information that will prove useful
many times over while you are making your home decorating decisions and
improvements.

Home Decorating with Textured Paint

Textured paint and faux finishes have become more popular in recent years than
at any other point in history. One reason for this is because so many home
improvement stores are offering classes for those who are willing to pay the
price for the paint so that the average Joe or Jane can recreate these fabulous
finishes on their own walls as well. The fact is it is truly amazing what works
of art can be created with the clever and creative use of textured paint.

Faux finishes can be used to create the illusion of anything from plaster or
brick to leather and a few amazing things in between. Those who are skilled at
applying faux finishes are in great demand for their artistic talents though
most home owners can do a passable job if they are willing to take the time
required to properly learn the technique. Even wood grains can be imitated
through the use of a talented faux finisher and paint.

Using textured paints and faux finishes can be done in almost any room in the
house though they seem to be most common in living rooms and kitchens as a
major design feature. There are some ambitious homeowners who have decided to
take this style of painting into every room of the home. While it may seem a
good idea in theory there are some drawbacks to this as well.

First of all, textured paints and faux finishes are very time consuming. If you
are hiring a professional to do the work their time is a lot of your money and
this is something that really needs to be considered. Is the amount of time
really worth the reward of the finished project as far as you, as the
homeowner, are concerned? Most people find that it isn't worth all that much
money and time but others really appreciate the look and feel that it is vital
to their enjoyment of their homes. Whichever category you fall into it is
important that you realize that this could become a costly proposition.

Another thing to consider is that many who manage to bring a texture or faux
finish of some sort into every room of their homes often decide after a little
while to remove some of their hard work. The reason for this is that in small
doses faux finishes and textured paints are novel and spectacular. In large
doses they can be more than slightly overwhelming and, more importantly,
unimpressive. There is something to be said about the fact that sometimes less
is more.

This doesn't mean that some homes do not wear faux finishes beautifully in
almost every nook and cranny. Some homes are simply meant to be decorated from
one end of home to the other end. These homes are simply lovely no matter how
many new finishes are added to the walls, furniture, fireplace mantles, and
bathroom cabinets. There never seems to be too much in these homes. There are
some homes however that beg for moderation when it comes to designs such as
this. Listen to your home when decorating and you should have a much better
decorating experience overall without overwhelming either your home or your
guests.

If faux finishes and/or textured painting is something you would like to
incorporate into your home decorating plans you should be delighted to discover
that there are many, many resources both online and offline that can assist you
with your goals. The first and best choice is to check with local hardware and
home improvement stores in order to see if they are offering any free workshops
on faux finishes or textured painting in your area. If they are then you are
set. However, if they are not your local library may prove to be a valuable
source for videos, magazines, and books that offer step-by-step instructions.
The Internet is also an excellent source. Do not forget the value of spaces
such as YouTube and Google Video as they may have some actual demonstrations or
how to videos to help as well.

Home Decorating With Southwestern Flair

There is something to be said about a southwestern styled home decorating plan.
It is undeniably beautiful and in incredibly elegant when done with an eye for
the real beauty of this style of architecture and design. More importantly, in
the right home, this style of decor can be nothing short of fun. From geckos to
cowboys, and cacti to anything in between there are plenty of options from which
to choose when it comes to southwestern design.

The southwestern design and decor style is more than one thing. It is more like
a lifestyle-much like the Creole home decorating style. There are many things
that make the southwest such a wonderful place to live and visit. It makes
perfect sense that many would want to bring these things into their homes in
order to experience them day after day, even when the southwest seems so very
far away. In fact, even those who have never seen or experienced the
southwestern states of the US for themselves have found the style of
architecture and decor to be enchanting enough to want to incorporate it into
their homes.

For those who are unfamiliar with home decorating in a southwestern style this
is a style that makes copious use of the elements when decorating. Metal, clay,
water, plants, and animals are essential to this style of decor. Colors are also
important to this style of decor. The colors required to pull this look off are
going to be decidedly sun baked and not bright and bold as other design styles
call for. Pottery is also a very important design style of this type of decor.
Have fun and be imaginative. Incorporate wall art into the room, some properly
colorful throw rugs, and some clever baskets and pottery for storage and effect
and before you know it you will have a beautiful room in the grand southwestern
style.

Don't make it too neat but at the same time do not allow clutter to get a grip
either. Decorate with living in mind and create a room that provides a few
hiding places for those stray items when company pops in unexpectedly while you
are at it. Pottery and baskets provide the perfect opportunity for this. Just
make sure that you do put the items where they belong afterwards or you are
going to find your pottery overflowing.

One thing to keep in mind about the southwest is that it holds its ties to the
old west rather closely. This means that you are quite likely to find a cowboy
or two sitting right next to an old Indian or riding on the back of coyote.
There are no hard and fast rules in the old west or the modern southwest other
than he who has the quickest draw makes the rules. Enjoy the process of
decorating in this grand style and you will have won half the battle. More
importantly however, do not over think it. If it looks too contrived the look
will simply fall flat. Pile blankets and rugs in the corner on top of the
baskets in order to create height as well as easy access to those items when
the temperatures suddenly dive at night-this is the desert right? Or at least
that's the atmosphere you are going for. If you are really adventurous hang a
lasso over the door somewhere for real southwestern effect.

Home Decorating with Native American Touches

There really is no style of home decorating that can be identified as decidedly
Native American. There are however touches that can be added to almost any style
of decor. The trick is always a matter of incorporating these things without
making them seem out of place. Of all the design styles that exist, and of
course depending on the tribe in question, the southwestern style of home
decorating and design would actually make a good match for many Native American
artifacts, touches, and artwork.

Pottery is central to a Native American theme. Different tribes had different
styles of creating pottery. If you have a favorite tribe or a favorite style of
pottery you may want to build the remainder of the room or design area around
the pottery you love as it is quite personal to many people and not all styles
of pottery will match all other styles of weaving, carving, basket making, or
artwork. Pottery is very useful in a kitchen if you plan to use some of it in
this room. Not only can most pottery be baked when cooking but it also works
wonders for storing things like utensils that you would like to have in reach,
strays, napkins, and any other things you can think to store within the pottery
you have available. If you are going to pay for it you may as well put it to
good use.

Speaking of artwork. There are some beautiful Native American prints as well as
some 'sand art' that is a must have for a room that is trying to capture the
spirit of the Native American or at least a specific tribe and incorporate that
spirit into their homes. I think this is a beautiful idea for those who wish to
pay their respects to those who are ancestors to many of us. Not that the
pottery mentioned above isn't art work in and of itself but the addition of art
that can be placed on the wall is a welcome addition in many homes.

Keep in mind also that many Native Americans played the flute. Some people
display a collection of Native American flutes next to their prized pieces of
art. There really is no wrong way to go about home decorating when it is your
own home that is being decorated. Select the things you like, omit the things
you do not like. You do not even have to be loyal to one tripe, design, style,
or region when decorating your home. Some people have happy little collections
that are filled with all kinds of odds and ends pieces from a wide variety of
artistic styles along the way.

For those who are hoping to stick with a somewhat Native American theme baskets
are once again a good selection to add to the collection. Baskets are not only
lovely but also incredibly useful for holding blankets, throws, rugs, pillows,
knitting supplies, magazines, and anything else you do not wish to have
cluttering the living spaces of your home. They are even quite good about
hiding remote controls for the electronic equipment when you place them
cleverly throughout the room.

The best suggestion for those who wish to honor their Native American neighbors
and ancestors by incorporating the artwork and designs into their home
decorating plans is not to spend too much time planning. The Native Americans
appreciated nature and allowing many things to happen naturally. Use this
opportunity to learn this very important lesson while incorporating other great
things you appreciate about them into your home.

Home Decorating with Baskets

There are very few things you can add to your home decor that will have quite
the versatility of baskets. Baskets are not only decorative touches, they also
blend well with almost any decor and in most cases are quite willing to suit
dual purposes as both decoration and much needed storage.

Below you will find some clever ways to use baskets. Enjoy!

1) Mail sorter. Try hanging a row of baskets near your entryway. As you are
walking into your home while sorting the mail slip the appropriate piece of
mail into the corresponding basket. Have one basket for each family member and
drop the junk mail into the wastebasket you've placed just below the row of
baskets on your wall. This way everyone has easy access to his or her mail and
junk mail is handled as well. 

2) Kitchen organizer. There are many jobs in the kitchen that baskets pull off 
beautifully. One such job is that of napkin holder. There are actually baskets 
by a famous brand that are the absolute perfect size for holding napkins for the 
dinner table. Additionally taller baskets make excellent holders for kitchen 
utensils that need to be within easy reach of the stove. There are even small 
baskets that make excellent holders for small jars of frequently used seasonings 
such as salt and pepper. Keep your eyes open the next time you're in the kitchen 
and consider all the great ways baskets could help out. 

3) Knitting supplies. Larger baskets are excellent tools for taming the beast 
that can easily become your supply of knitting tools and notions. Limit your 
collection to one large basket and eliminate the things that will not fit. This 
keeps you on top of your knitting supplies while keeping them out of site and 
protected from dirty baby paws. 

4) Umbrella holder. This is an excellent use for a basket if you have one of 
the proper size. Place it on the floor next to your coat rack or closet or in 
your entryway and you will always have ready access to your umbrellas when bad
weather comes your way. 

5) Magazine holder. This is one very common use for baskets but one that should 
very well be mentioned. 

6) Toy box. This is perhaps a favorite among parents who are fortunate enough 
to have an extra empty basket at any given time. Anytime unexpected company shows 
up this is an excellent tool for quickly gathering all stray toys and getting 
them out of sight. 

7) Office supplies. There are many baskets that make excellent organizers and
holders for office supplies. From pen and pencil holders to those that are
ideal for paper clips, sticky notes, and liquid paper there are many baskets
that are almost ideal for a home office. 

8) Laundry hamper. This is yet another great use for a basket. They are able to 
breathe by the very nature of their design so that if for some reason a wet 
washcloth or damp towel gets thrown in it doesn't necessarily spell ruin for the 
whole batch of laundry.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the virtues of baskets but a good
place to start the next time you are having an internal debate about whether or
not to invest the money in a good quality basket for your home decorating needs.

Home Decorating With a Nautical Theme

For those who love the sea and everything it represents there is no better
theme to bring into their home decorating plans than a nautical theme. The
theme itself is perfectly lovely and suitable for homes and homeowners that are
not so in love with the mystery and romance of the deep blue sea. For those who
do love the idea of sailing off into the sunset however, this is an excellent
choice for home decorating.

There are many ways that a creative mind can incorporate a nautical theme into
the home decorating plans. One of these ways is by using darkly stained
wainscoting for the lower half of your walls along with a chair rail in order
to imitate the wooden interior of finer sailing vessels. This imitates the
interior of a sailboat and some powerboats. This is an impressive addition in
most homes and quite ambitious in some as it is not the least expensive method
of decorating. The effects however are stunning when used for this purpose.

Another great idea is to use a marine shade of blue for curtains and window
coverings and have them made of the same type of materials that sail covers are
made of on a sailboat. If you are truly ambitious you could elect to paint the
walls in this marine shade of blue and select another color for the curtains or
wooden blinds instead. However, white walls are perfectly acceptable when it
comes to creating the look and feel of the interior of a boat.

Rope is another great tool to use in order to make the nautical theme a bit
more authentic. You can twine rope around picture frames, candleholders, and
all manner of other things in order to incorporate the rope into the room
without having it look out of place. If you are truly ambitious you could even
string a hammock in some forgotten corner of the room in order to hold coats in
the wintertime or merely to authenticate the theme to some degree.

Portals, clocks, barometers, and such make excellent art in a nautical themed
room. Other great additions would include items such as seashells, sand
dollars, model boats, and artwork depicting the sea. For many, this is where we
feel most at home, we derive our inspiration, and we literally feel as though we
can truly commune with Mother Nature.

No nautical themed room or home is complete without a lighthouse to guide weary
sailors home at the end of a long journey. Do not neglect an important feature
such as this in your nautical themed home decorating ventures and purchases. If
you are lost as to how to subtly incorporate this into your room you may want to
look up a talented artist by the name of Thomas Kincaid. He is known as the
painter of light and has managed to capture the essence of lighthouses in a
manner that no other artist has been able to duplicate. One of his paintings
would make an excellent addition to your nautical theme.

A nautical theme for home decorating is a great way to go for many families and
for many reasons. All in all it isn't the most expensive of decorative themes
though it isn't by any means the least expensive either. The good news is that
there are very few absolutely right or wrong ways in which to achieve the look
and atmosphere you are hoping to achieve.

Home Decorating With a Moroccan Theme

A Moroccan theme is a beautiful addition to almost any home decorating plan.
With the beautiful colors, rich textures, and lush fabrics there is no doubt as
to the reason that this style of decorating is becoming so popular around the
world. These are some of the most beautiful and in some ways the most exotic
styles of decorating that you will find around the world.

The Moroccan style is quite lovely and includes many bold colors and textures
to keep not only your eyes occupied but also your other senses as well. The
good news is that it is bold enough that it is still relatively new as far as
decorating styles within the US goes. This means that you aren't likely to have
the identical interior decor of your neighbor, friends, or cousin down the way.
Even if they adore what you have done and want to imitate it within their own
homes, chances are they will not choose the exact designs, patterns, colors,
and textures that you have chosen since there are so many fabulous things from
which to choose.

Mosaics are perhaps my favorite touch from this part of the world. They are
beautiful and very versatile. They can be used for almost anything. I have seen
stunning tables, trays, light fixtures, candle holders, wall sconces, and wall
art that was made from mosaic tiles. In fact, this style of artwork (or
whatever you might wish to call it) is growing in popularity in the states
exponentially in recent years. People are often trying to imitate the style or
at the very least purchasing products that incorporate the style.

Fabrics used in Moroccan design and home decor are among some of the most
stunningly beautiful fabrics you will find in the world. In fact, many people
decide on this sort of theme for the fabric alone and even many who have passed
on a Moroccan theme for their homes have still managed to squirrel away some of
the fabric in order to create beautiful pillows and curtains. The fabrics are
worth taking a look even if you aren't seriously considering incorporating this
style of design into your home decorating plans.

The furniture when selecting this style of design for your home is very ornate
and beautiful. Moroccan craftsmanship is not to be under stated, as it is very
lovely. Now for some, the furnishings are a little much but the other touches
of Moroccan decor are perfectly inline with personal preferences. If you are
one who feels this way it is not an uncommon feeling. While the work is
beautiful it can definitely be overwhelming. However, there is nothing wrong
with taking the design aspects you like from the Moroccan style of home decor
and not borrowing those you aren't perfectly delighted with.

One thing that very few people complain about however is the rugs. Persian rugs
are by no means inexpensive but they are most definitely worth every penny paid
for them when they are made well. These are some of the most highly prized and
sought after rugs around the world not only for the richness of their colors
but also for the intricateness of their design.

Be sure to consider the value that a Moroccan decorating style could add to
your enjoyment of your home. While it isn't for everyone as a whole, there may
be bits and pieces that are absolutely perfect for you.

Home Decorating-Old World Style

The "Old World" Style of Decorating is one that brings all of the elements of
nature into play. Metals, clay, stone, wood, and countless other elements
combine to create an atmosphere that is as charming as it is ageless. This is
what old-world means in a modern kitchen. Despite the idea that this would be
an inexpensive method of decorating the truth is that this style of decorating
for a kitchen, probably more so than any other room in the home, can add up
fairly quickly. The good news is that the results are typically breath taking
when all is said and done.

The kitchen of a home is often the family center. This is the room in which
meals are prepared and sometimes eaten. It is also the room where families
congregate and discuss plans for the evening and the events of the day. It is
often the location in which homework is completed and heartaches are
commiserated with pints of ice cream. Your kitchen is the one room in the home
that will probably experience more emotional moments than any other room in
your home. For this reason it makes perfect sense that it would be the most
expensively and extensively decorated room within your home.

When beginning with the walls for an old-world kitchen you may want to consider
plaster or some soft of faux finish that looks like plaster in order to give the
walls of your kitchen a truly ancient appearance. Aged yellows and shades of
gold are an excellent choice for these walls as it will blend nicely with the
terra cotta and stone accents that should grace the remainder of the kitchen as
well as the darkly stained woods. Of course the walls are just the beginning.

You will want to insure that the lighting doesn't go against the old world home
decorating that you are incorporating by being too modern and bright in
appearance. Wrought iron light fixtures and chandeliers as well as low light
wall sconces work wonderfully in an old-world style kitchen. Keep in mind that
many of the old style home decorating ideas can spill over into the rest of
your home from your kitchen or can be used in order to set your kitchen apart
as the warm center of your home. Either way a kitchen such as this will make a
stunning impression.

Candles may also be used in order to enhance the old world appearance of your
kitchen. Of course candles are a great touch in every room of the house as far
as I am concerned. They can be used to create an atmosphere, set a mood, or
simply as a method of adding a subtle hint of fragrance to the air. In addition
to candles, grapes are another great addition to an old-world style kitchen.
From wine to the simple pleasure of grapes straight off the vine these tasty
fruits are almost a must in a kitchen of this nature. Wrought iron wine racks
large and small are a common addition to most kitchens of this nature. These
racks may be used to hold wine as intended or can be used for other creative
purposes such as to hold kitchen towels or some other creative means for those
who do not drink wine.

Pottery and terra cotta are also welcome additions in this type of kitchen.
They, much like the plaster, the colors, the wood, and the stone add another
degree of warmth to a room that simply exudes warmth and charm to all who
enter. Use pottery to hold commonly used utensils, straws, toothpicks, fruits,
and vegetables that do not require refrigeration. Use platters as art and terra
cotta planters to hold herbs that are growing along the windowsill. In other
words, let your imagination soar when creating the old-world atmosphere in your
kitchen. You just might be surprised at where it takes you.

Home Decorating: Kitchen on a Budget

Decorating a home can be a trying thing to do with the best of budgets. The
fact that you do not happen to have large lots of money lying around however
should not prevent you from having a lovely kitchen to call your own. The
kitchen is after all, the heart of any home and you want this room to be one
that invites everyone to come, congregate, and pitch in (one can always dream
right?). This is the reason that you want your kitchen to shine above all other
rooms in your home though. The kitchen should radiate warmth and home to all who
enter.

Truthfully speaking there are many things you can do in your kitchen that will
greatly impact the overall look of your kitchen without changing anything
structurally within your kitchen. If you have wallpaper, remove it and try
paint. There are all kinds of great things you can do in the kitchen from
plaster, which goes amazingly well in a kitchen, to faux finishes and textures,
and glazes for added impact. The walls in the kitchen are your canvas and the
world is at your disposal. Just remember to try to tie the walls into the
floors and cabinets or at the very least to the floors and cabinets you hope to
have in your kitchen someday.

In addition to painting the walls in your kitchen you may also want to consider
painting, staining, or antiquing your cabinets. I know that some jaws just
dropped to the keyboard. How dare I suggest such a thing as painting wooden
cabinets? The answer is simple really. It is much cheaper than replacing them
and much simpler than staining them. Really it boils down to a matter of
choice. My first choice wouldn't be painting but then again, there are times
when painting is a viable option. It will greatly change the overall appearance
of the kitchen if nothing else.

Moving right along. Another great change that isn't terribly expensive to make
in the kitchen is hardware. The simple act of changing the door handles and
drawer pulls on your kitchen cabinet can result in an almost instant facelift.
When these changes are combined with painted or stained cabinetry the effects
are nothing short of stunning in many cases. It's the little things that often
have the greatest impact so keep this in mind when planning your changes.

The floors of your kitchen are another rather inexpensive change that can be
made despite preconceptions. Keep in mind that you do not have to go top of the
line in order to enjoy huge changes in the appearance of your floors. There are
laminate floors that are rather inexpensive to install as well as many forms of
peel and stick tile that can bring about impressive results for very little
effort and without professional skills. Any floors that you are capable of
installing yourself will save a lot of money and can make a huge difference in
the appearance and your enjoyment of your kitchen.

Perhaps the biggest coup of all when it comes to changing the appearance of
your kitchen is the ability to apply stainless steel PVC contact paper to your
kitchen appliances in order to give them the instant appearance of stainless
steel. This is a very inexpensive method for updating the overall appearance of
your kitchen in a matter of minutes and at a cost less than that of replacing
one appliance. For your countertops an inexpensive and terribly disruptive
alternative to replacing them all together is to apply peel and stick tile over
your existing countertops.

As you can see there are many ways in which you can improve and enhance the
warmth and coziness that you want your kitchen to convey without shattering the
piggy bank in the process. More importantly, you should keep in mind that taking
on one project at a time allows you to make the adjustments in your own time and
as finances allow.

Home Decorating in the Tudor Fashion

Tudor style home exteriors are rather easy to identify. Many people drive by
them quite regularly with jaws dropped and eyes wide at the simple beauty and
elegance of this style of architecture. From humble cottages to grand castles
the Tudor styfragrance balls, dried fruit, and other delights. Gourmet potpourri can be
found in all kinds of gift and fragrance shops and is a rather inexpensive way
to add a fragrant touch to your home decorating as well as the fragrance of
your home. 

5) Fruit. Have bowls placed throughout your home filled with fresh
fragrant fruit. Not only does this add yet another layer of fragrance to your
home but it is also visually appealing and edible. There are three checks in
the 'pro' column for this simple decorative step and I have yet to find one in
the 'con' column unless you consider the fact that it must be eaten before it
gets too ripe.

For those needing springtime home decorating ideas and inspiration I hope this
has helped. If you haven't found some outstanding suggestions above I at least
hope that you will have been inspired to find your own fabulous finds for
spring decorating.

Home Decorating for Halloween

If there is ever a time of year when the ghosts and goblins roam the streets of
the modern world, that time would be Halloween. Today's ghost and goblins are
probably a little more frightening than at any other time in history but they
are often tempered by a princess seeking frogs and a few witches and wizards
along the way. Halloween is a great day to be a kid but can also be a great day
for grown ups as well. Decorating for Halloween can be almost as fun as going
out and begging for candy any day of the week.

Besides, having a well decorated home for this holiday gives you the perfect
excuse to scare the evil out of some young ghoul or vampire that thinks he or
she has the market cornered on frightening. The really cool thing about
decorating for Halloween is that it is not one size fits all. You are perfectly
free to find some very scary home decorations for this delightful holiday or
take on a kinder, gentler, more kid friendly style of decorating. Either
decision is yours and yours alone and should carefully monitor the
scare-ability of your own children when deciding. You certainly don't want them
afraid to come home.

For a more frightening Halloween scene you will probably want to use some
strobe lights, frightening music and sound effects, dry ice in order to
incorporate spooky fog, and plenty of spider web type netting in order to give
those who dare approach your door bells a complete and thorough case of the
willies. Doesn't this sound like so much fun? Coffins with headless straw men
are also a great addition as well as skittering spiders and the occasional
chainsaw or two. A glow in the dark hockey mask may also be a good choice.
Bodiless heads suspended by fishing wire are also quite the highlight for a
true and robust fright.

If your goal is to create a kid friendly Halloween atmosphere there are
cheerful pumpkin decorations that can be found in many shapes and sizes as well
as Casper the friendly ghost, Frankenstein pi�atas, and countless other fun
party favors that are designed to bring entertainment and delight rather than
terror and far. String pumpkin lights around the porch for added lighting and
another friendly face in addition to keeping plenty of candles and lanterns lit
nearby. Not all trick or treaters are older kids who appreciate a good scare so
keep this in mind as the little ghosts, goblins, princesses, and super heroes
arrive.

For adult gatherings all bets are off when it comes to home decorating for
Halloween. There are all kinds of themes that can be followed from the
incredibly zany and outrageous to the frightening or flamboyant. The biggest
suggestion in these matters is to have fun at all times and bring the be the
life of the party rather than having the decorations upstage your efforts. Far
too many people spend more time concerned with how they will decorate their
homes rather than wondering how they will decorate themselves for the
festivities. If you find the perfect costumes all eyes will be on you and not
your decorations.

Favorite suggestions for adult parties would include strobe lights, much like
the frightening scene described above, low additional lights, perhaps black
lights near the food and drink area of the party. More dry ice (if tolerable
some people have difficulties with the smell particularly those with allergies
or asthma so you may want to avoid this inside your home and leave it for the
exterior). Bales of hay in the corner make excellent additional seating and can
contribute to the harvest/autumn/Halloween atmosphere you are attempting to
create. Just remember that the underlying goal is for you and your guests to
have a great time. Have good food, good music, and good friends, and the
decorations really and truly should be a secondary concern.

Home Decorating: Bathroom on a Budget

When it comes to home decorating there are few rooms that have quite the impact
of a bathroom or kitchen when being decorated. There is something wonderful
about taking a tired old bathroom and making it seem bright and shiny once
again. Most people, however, cringe at the thought of a bathroom remodel
fearing the absolute worst when it comes to their financial situation once all
is said and done. The good news is that small steps can lead to big changes in
rooms as small as bathrooms. These small steps do not have to have large prices
in order to be highly effective.

My suggestion with a bathroom is to assess where the worst blemishes and
eyesores may be. Painting the walls can be a good place to start but you should
first decide whether you are planning to remove any cabinetry. This is one room
where it is best to save the painting for later in the project rather than the
beginning. The vanity in many bathrooms takes up a good deal of real estate.
Gone are the days when chunky cabinets were the popular choice for bathrooms.
Now people want the bathrooms to have the appearance of a wide-open space. This
means that cabinets and vanities are becoming smaller rather than larger.

Most homeowners find that the removal of bulky cabinetry in the bathroom often
leads to some degree of patching required for the drywall and noticeable gaps
in flooring. These will need to be addressed fairly quickly, which means that
now is a good time to select color options for the walls and flooring. Smaller
bathrooms do well with lighter colors on the walls in order to give them a
larger appearance. Use towels and decorations to bring in darker accents but
keep the walls light and bright. Also choose paint that can withstand the high
humidity of bathrooms.

Flooring in a bathroom also needs to be able to withstand high heat and
humidity as this room is rather abusive to floors and walls. For this reason,
hardwood is not the floor of choice for most bathrooms. Ceramic tile is an
excellent choice and not terribly expensive. There are also some laminates that
are designed to respond well to a high humidity environment such as will be
found in a bathroom. Choose flooring that will accent the walls and the overall
sense of decor you are hoping to achieve when decorating your home and bathroom,
as this is not something you are going to want to change often.

The toilet in a bathroom is fairly simple to purchase but I recommend leaving
it be unless it absolutely needs to be changed. This is not a simple procedure
for the novice and experts are expensive. In this case "if it ain't broke don't
fix it" is an excellent motto to live by. The same holds true with the shower.
If, however, you simply cannot live with your shower (or bathtub) as is, you
may want to try hiring professionals to come in and resurface your tub. This is
much less expensive than purchasing a brand-new tub and will have yours looking
bright, shiny, and as good as new. Again you can avoid the high cost of a
plumber despite the fact that you are paying for professionals to resurface.

To top things off, you will be amazed at the difference that new knobs,
fixtures, and hardware can make in a bathroom. Add a couple of lamps for subtle
lighting and some decorative touches of your own and you have a brand new
bathroom without spending a king's ransom in order to do so. The shower curtain
and 'guest' towels should be your largest splurges in your bathroom, as they
will tie the room all together. You shower curtains and towels will blend the
colors and designs in order to create the overall atmosphere you should be
hoping to achieve in your bathroom. And all of this can be accomplished one
step at a time no matter how sparse your budget may be.

Free Home Decorating Ideas

Everyone appreciates home decorating ideas when planning to make improvements
to their home. You may have visions of your own about how your new home decor
would look but it's always nice to have an alternative plan. There's definitely
home decorating ideas that you haven't discovered. There are constantly changes
being made regarding trends in home decorating. Checking out new home
decorating ideas may give birth to a new home decorating plan for your space.

Being able to find home decorating ideas is a treat but having access to free
home decorating ideas is a real gift. Good news, there are free home decorating
ideas available to you. Often when you pick up a magazine, perhaps while waiting
at the doctor's office, something in the home decorating section catches your
eye. Relaying tips and techniques for home improvements, this magazine is
offering you free home decorating ideas. Another great source of information
regarding home decor and decorating is a catalog from major stores such as
Sears, Zellers or Ikea. Advertising their products, they use illustrations of
fully decorated rooms. Browsing catalogs such as these you'll find many free
home decorating ideas.

Taking a trip to your local furniture store or department store is sure to 
provide free home decorating ideas. Many stores have displays which are regularly 
changes to share new and trendy home decor. The front window of a furniture store 
is a great place to catch a glimpse of beautifully arranged home decor. Again, 
window displays such as this can be considered free home decorating ideas.

One of the best sources of free home decorating ideas is the Internet. There
are hundreds of sites on the Internet related to home decorating with thousands
of free home decorating ideas. There are sites which explain in depth the
various home decorating designs and offer ideas to help you achieve these
styles in your own home. Some sites offer step-by-step instructions for
do-it-yourself home decorating and renovating projects. These free home
decorating ideas are your chance to create rooms and spaces similar to those
decorated by professional interior decorators. With the aid of these free home
decorating ideas, you'll be equipped to transform your home into something you
only dream off. You may be very surprised at what you can actually accomplish
as an inexperienced interior decorator.

Decorating a home or space is a very exciting activity. It does require a whole
lot of effort regarding planning and the actual decorating, but the results are
definitely worth it. Being able to sit back after living through weeks or
renovations and home decorating is a delight. Being able to look around your
home at the beautiful changes and realize you are responsible, that feeling is
overwhelming. To know that you were able to achieve these results by using free
home decorating ideas may be astonishing. You may feel so great about your
accomplishment that you'll be eager to take on another room. When you are ready
to begin another home decorating or renovating project, you'll be able to plan
it with added confidence realizing there are thousands of free home decorating
ideas to help you out.

Decorating Your Home Gym

Homeowners are famous for renovating and redecorating. It there's a space in
their home that needs a new look, out comes the color swatches and home
decorating magazines. It doesn't matter which space you decided to decorate, a
bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen or even a home gym. Home decorating can make
improvements to any area in your home. Decorating your home gym is probably not
at the top of your list but why not add some life to the room which is meant to
be motivating and full of energy.

If thinking of decorating your home gym, you might first of all consider the
purpose of this room. A home gym is a space used to exercise, work-out and
recharge your batteries. This area is intended to be motivational and used by
energetic people. With these factors in mind, decorating your home gym should
enhance the space, add to the environment and improve the room's appearance.

Decorating your home gym may require some thought and imagination. This task
could be difficult for you if the home gym is not one of your favourite rooms
in the house. If you're not an active person or interested in using your home
gym, finding ways to improve the space may not really interest you, at least
not as much as decorating your kitchen would. If you're having trouble coming
up with ideas for decorating your home gym, you may want to seek advice or flip
through a few home decorating catalogues.

Picking a theme for your home gym may be challenging. It's not exactly a spot
to put a fancy, slip-covered country chair. Simple colors won't likely fit your
home gym. Decorating your home gym ought to breathe life into the space. Using
bright colors and lots of lighting might improve the atmosphere, adding energy
to the room. When decorating your home gym you might want to choose a modern
theme. Using vivid colors and trendy furniture would definitely make the room
feel alive.

Deciding on accessories for your home gym might be interesting. Pretty flowers
and fancy ornaments won't bring anything to your home gym. This is a space
created for working on your physical strength and appearance, not meant to be
quiet and serene to work on your spiritual strength. When decorating your home
gym remembering the room's purpose should be able to help with ideas for
accessories. Clocks make nice additions to home gyms. When working out people
are constantly timing themselves and their progress. A good stereo system might
be considered when decorating your home gym. Listening to music, loud lively
music, helps set the mood when exercising. A television is a must in your home
gym. Watching your favourite television program is a great distraction when you
are using stationary exercise equipment. You get all caught up in the program
and before you realize it, you've peddled the exercise bike for thirty-five
minutes.

Although initially you may have been a little apprehensive about the idea of
decorating your home gym, once you get involved in the project and get your
creative juices flowing, you'll be surprised at what you can accomplish. With
help from other sources like home decorating magazines, this project may be
just the motivation needed to entice you to use your home gym on a regular
basis.

Decorating your Home for Christmas

Christmas is an extremely busy time of year. By the time you get you shopping
done, gifts wrapped and your cookies and cakes baked, it's likely you don't
have the energy left to put into extravagant decorating. Although less than
energetic, you still want your home decorated for Christmas. After all,
Christmas is just not the same without lights and decorations.

Decorating your home for Christmas doesn't have to be stressful. There are many
things you can do and items you can use to dress up your home for this wonderful
season. One suggestion when decorating your home for Christmas is using ribbon.
If you have a decorating theme for Christmas, regarding color, choose ribbon to
correspond with your theme. You can tie ribbons to all sorts of items in your
home such as chair backs, wreathes, basket handles, stair railings and even
doorknobs. Ribbons and bows are very festive. A good idea is to choose ribbon
which can be easily untied and retied. This way you can reuse the ribbon
another Christmas season.

Using holiday tableware is nice when decorating your home for Christmas. Search
your home for anything Christmas, plates, bowls, mugs, glasses, any piece of
tableware that has a Christmas theme. Make sure to use these items each and
every meal, every day throughout the Christmas season. Another good idea is to
buy a few pieces each year. In time you'll have enough tableware to serve the
entire community.

Lighting is important when decorating your home for Christmas. During the month
of December turn off your lights. Make use of your candles in every room of your
home. Place candles on the dining table, on the coffee and end tables in the
living room and perhaps place a nice scented pillar candle in the bathroom.
Don't just put them there for decorations but also make sure to light them each
night. If you have a fireplace, make sure to light it and enjoy it. A fireplace
creates a cozy atmosphere which is nice when guests are visiting.

Decorating your home for Christmas should always include a Christmas tree.
After decorating the tree with your homemade ornaments and strung popcorn, use
the leftover branches to make arrangements for your home. Put the greens in a
basket or bowl, add pinecones, bows and ornaments. Use the branches to make
swags to hang over doors throughout your home. Take the evergreen sprigs and
place them around your home, on windows, on a bookcase shelf or on a ledge.
Evergreen branches and sprigs certainly reflect Christmas. Not only do they
look nice but they spread a lovely aroma throughout the home.

Christmas is a time for celebrating. It's a time to pull out all the stops.
Snow is always nice for Christmas. When decorating your home for Christmas, why
not use snow, artificial snow to add a sparkle to your home. Sprinkle it on the
dining table, the hutch or the fireplace. Use ornaments which reflect light and
hang them around your home, from doors or even indoor trees and plants. This
will definitely look dazzling at night as the candle light flickers off the
ornaments. Decorating your home for Christmas shouldn't be a dreadful task but
a delightful experience. One thing to remember when decorating your home for
Christmas is not to over-think your plan. Keep it simple because simplicity is
elegant and beautiful.

Decorating the Interior of your Home

Is it time again to consider decorating the interior of your home? Are you
enthused about this possibility or are you frustrated? Does the thought
decorating the interior or your home make you want to skip town or does it make
you anxious and excited? There are certainly mixed feelings when it comes to
decorating the interior of homes. Not everyone is creative or skilled. They
might assume they are incapable of interior decorating. Some people simply do
not like this sort of project. Then there are those individuals who can't wait
to roll up their sleeves and get into the paint and plaster. There is plenty of
help available for every single individual, no matter what their feelings are
regarding decorating the interior of their home.

If you absolutely hate the idea of decorating the interior of your home, a
professional interior decorator might be the best solution for you. They will
work with you to help you choose a decorating design including colors,
flooring, furnishings and accessories. They will put the plan in motion but
you'll probably need to hire a painter or someone to install your flooring.
This is a great option if you can afford it but many people do not have the
funds to pay a professional interior decorator, a painter and a flooring
installer.

If you are an adventurous person, decorating the interior of your home could be
seen as just one more exciting encounter. You'll have no problems finding
information about decorating the interior of your home. There are many
magazines published every month which provide information and instructions for
decorating the interior of your home. There are books, do-it-yourself books
that give specific step-by-step details for decorating the interior of your
home. The Internet is a great resource base for interior decorating
information. Hundreds of sites are filled with useful details to help you plan
your decorating and help you through the process. The television is also a good
source regarding decorating the interior of your home. There are several reality
television programs that can instruct you and give you ideas for your home
decorating project.

When you decide to decorate the interior of your home, you must first decide
which room or rooms you will be changing. Choosing a theme will help you make
decisions regarding color, furnishings, fabric and accessories. There are many
themes to choose from including Victorian, Cottage, Modern, English Country,
French Country, Traditional, Medieval, Moroccan, Art Deco, Southwestern, etc.
Once you decide on a theme, you can then pick materials based around this
interior home design. Using the various resources available for decorating the
interior of your home, you ought to be capable of picking a color palette that
will enhance your room, choose fabric that will add warmth, select furnishings
which are comfortable and accessories which will accent and compliment your
space. With the many resources available to you, many of them offering free
home decorating ideas, you should be able to make decorating the interior of
your home an exciting adventure with little or no stress and frustration.

Decorating A Log Cabin

Decorating a log cabin or even a cottage, usually takes in the country theme.
Keeping with the various aspects of nature and its simplicity and freshness, a
log cabin ought to provide peace and tranquility. Most log cabins are in the
forest or country areas. Using a country style would mean bringing the beauty
of the outside, inside. Decorating a log cabin or a cottage shouldn't be too
difficult using the country theme since the ideas and color schemes sitting
right outside the window.

Using nature as an example when decorating a log cabin, using natural wood for
flooring and furniture would definitely fit. Birch, pine or cedar would
certainly compliment any space especially a log cabin or cottage. To keep the
natural look of the wood, you could choose to leave it in its original form or
using stain would give the wood a rustic look. Whether you are choosing
authenticity or a newer look, wood is surely the best choice when decorating a
log cabin.

You may decide to bring old furniture from home to your log cabin or cottage.
Using slip covers for the couch or chairs can help make the furniture look new.
If decorating a log cabin, you may choose to paint the furniture. This too will
give it a fresh new appearance. When choosing colors for slip covers or paint,
you might consider warm colors in light to medium shades. Yellows, browns or
terracotta add warmth to a space. When you're decorating a log cabin, the
emphasis is generally focused on warmth and cosiness. A log cabin doesn't
require paint for the walls, however if you're decorating a cottage, you might
pick similar colors for your walls.

Fabrics to use when decorating a log cabin should probably include bold colors
and nature themes. Floral patterns are also nice in a cottage or log cabin
setting. You could use these fabrics in window coverings, bedspreads or throws
and slip covers. To keep with the theme of nature, you could choose accessories
taken from the outdoors such as dried flowers or pieces of old wood made into
candle holders. People tend to gather things from the outdoors while on a hike
or stroll along the river. These items can be used as accessories as well as
mementos.

When decorating a log cabin or cottage, one factor which isn't really important
is your budget. This type of decorating can incorporate items from home or even
those picked up at a flea market or garage sale. Handmade trinkets and
decorations are also nice when decorating a log cabin. As long as the
accessories help to achieve the overall goal of warmth and an atmosphere that
is welcoming, any items chosen are fine. A log cabin or cottage is a place
designed for relaxation. When decorating a log cabin or cottage, this should be
kept in mind. Whatever makes you happy and helps create a space you enjoy and
feel comfortable in, go with it. Just remember to have fun.

Country Home Decorating

When choosing a theme or style for decorating your home, there are many to
choose from. One of the most popular decorating themes today is country home
decorating. Perhaps it is the most popular because it provides an inviting
atmosphere and overall friendly feeling. Country home decorating, because of
its warm environment, is enjoyed by the people who live there as well as all
those who visit.

As with any home decorating project, a homeowner must first decide where they
want to use country home decorating. Some people choose to use this theme
throughout their entire home while other decide to use country home decorating
focusing on just one or two rooms, for example the kitchen and the living room.
Because this style is meant for people who enjoy simplicity and the nature, some
homeowners may decide to carry the country decorating theme through the entire
living space.

Country home decorating combines colors which are clean and bright with country
furniture and accessories. When choosing colors for country home decorating,
light to medium shades of white, yellow, pink, green or brown are good choices.
Colors should reflect a rustic feeling. To add to the painted walls, a homeowner
or decorator may decide to use stencils with country character such as flowers
or plants, fruits or vegetables. Wallpaper boarders are also often used in
country home decorating. It is fine to use these additions but the rule of
thumb is -- to make sure the patterns do not clash.

In keeping with a rustic and simple theme, country home decorating uses wood --
natural wood. When deciding on a material for a country floor, natural wood is a
nice choice. Of course using natural wood throughout a large area can be costly.
If looking for a less-expensive way to give floors a country look, a light shade
of carpet might be considered or laminate flooring. These options would also
work well with the country home decorating theme. Other suggestions for country
floors are flagstone or tile. Some homeowners, if they're really creative,
decorate their floors with stencils and create patterns. Another great way to
jazz up a space is to use area rugs. In keeping with the country home
decorating theme, those with an authentic look create a warm and cozy feeling.
Hooked, quilted and braided rugs make beautiful additions to a country floor.

When choosing furniture to compliment country home decorating, light wood or
wicker is suggested. Again, these materials reflect the beauty of nature. If a
homeowner or decorator decides fabric would accent their furniture, such as
cushions or slip covers, floral patterns or checkered fabrics add to the
authentic look.

Accessorizing a space always adds to its beauty. When buying accessories to fit
in with a country home decorating theme, it is good to keep in mind the type of
atmosphere you are trying to create, a warm and inviting space. Simplicity goes
a long way in country home decorating. It is recommended to never use too many
decorations and choose accessories that family and friends will enjoy. Photos
in simple wooden frames, plain mirrors, plants and scented candles dress up
country home decorating. Window treatments should also be simple. Lace or
shutters give a cozy country feel. Country home decorating can be interesting
and fun. Perhaps the main detail to keep in mind is simplicity. Try not to
over-decorate, remember too many patterns will clash. Too many decorations will
eliminate the amount of space in a room. Country home decorating creates a
relaxing and friendly environment, meant to be warm and cozy.

Choosing Home Decorating Fabric

An important aspect of home decorating is choosing home decorating fabric. When
picking a theme such as Victorian, Modern or Oriental, the choice of fabric
makes a difference to the overall theme. There are many kinds of home
decorating fabric. If you are looking for fabric that compliments a particular
theme, perhaps doing a little research regarding the theme would be helpful.
This sort of information can be found in home decorating magazines, books and
also the Internet on home decorating websites.

If you decide to use a Victorian theme for your decorating project, whether you
do one room or the entire house, it is essential to remember that Victorian
decorating is quite elaborate and tend to be very feminine. Choosing home
decorating fabric for a Victorian theme, you should strive to pick those which
resemble those used during the Victorian period. Home decorating fabric for
bedding and curtains should be made from heavy materials. Choices such as
velvet and brocade are popular for Victorian home decorating fabric. To
accessorize the fabric, ribbons and bows, face and beads can be used as trim.

Choosing a modern theme would suggest the use home decorating fabric which is
bold and vibrant. Modern home decorating is usually based on an open concept
with big spacious rooms. The large space is intended to draw your attention to
the various details in the room which would include home decorating fabric.
These bold and vibrant fabrics, used in curtains, slip covers or throw pillows,
will certainly stand out in a modern, spacious room with light to cool colors
used on the walls. In this situation, the home decorating fabric would
definitely be noticed and appreciated.

Oriental home decorating seems to be popular nowadays. Its unique design with
accessories such as Chinese dragons, elephants, fans and screens, make a room
interesting and a great topic of conversation. Home decorating fabric or an
oriental theme usually includes coral, red, ivory and jade colors. The most
popular fabric used in oriental home decorating is silk. Using silk in colors
like coral or red would definitely stand out and compliment the rich dark wood
furniture recommended for oriental decorating.

Home decorating fabric is sort of like icing on the cake. You add great pieces
of furniture to a space with walls painted in beautiful colors. Then to accent
the furniture or a window, you choose home decorating fabric. A window, because
it provides access to the outside, is always a focal point in any room. Using
fabrics made from materials suited to the theme, your window treatments would
definitely draw attention to the window.

If you are wondering where to find home decorating fabric, there are several
places to shop. You may want to buy slip covers, cushions or curtains that are
already made. Department stores have a great selection. There are also stores
that specialize in home decor. These would certainly provide a selection of
home decorating fabric. If you are a crafty individual, you may choose to make
your own decorative items for your home. Again, department stores usually stock
a big variety of fabric. There are fabric stores in most areas as well. If
undecided regarding what you should use or would like to use in home decorating
fabric, the Internet will surely be able to provide links taking you to all the
right places.

Using a Home Decorating Catalog

There are thousands of items to choose from when changing or improving your
home decor. Some people are certain of what they want while others need help
making a decision. Using a home decorating catalog would definitely help
deciding what to use to make improvements to your home decor. In fact a home
decorating catalog will likely offer so many choices, choosing a theme
shouldn't be a problem.

A home decorating catalog is a great place to view photos of the various
decorating themes available such as Mediterranean, Traditional, Primitive,
French Country or Contemporary, just to name a few. With bedrooms, bathrooms,
kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms featured in the home decorating
catalog, you are given the perfect opportunity to see exactly what these themes
are all about. Chances are, while browsing a home decorating catalog, something
will jump off the page at you. There'll definitely be a room or space that
interests you and provides inspiration for your home decorating project.

Using a home decorating catalog can be quite easy nowadays with access to the
Internet. Many home decor stores and businesses use the Internet to advertise
their products. This is great news for you since finding the theme and
materials you need for your project is as easy as connecting to the Internet.
Once connected to the Internet, you'll be able to view the numerous home
decorating catalogs made available for your convenience. You won't have to
suffer through long ling-ups at the department store in town or go looking for
an item in a flyer only to find it isn't in stock. The online home decorating
catalog website is equipped to provide information regarding what's available
and what's not. There's also no problem finding a sales clerk when using an
online home decorating catalog. That can be very frustrating if you are
shopping at a home decor store in your area. No line-ups, no waiting and no
disappointments; three great reasons to use a home decorating catalog online.

Many online home decorating businesses will mail out copies of their home
decorating catalog. This is great too because it gives you a chance to show
others the items which interest you and get their opinion. Everyone in the
family can have time to mull over your ideas for the home decorating project.
Although an online business might send you out their home decorating catalog,
you'll still have the opportunity to buy directly from them. Chances are you'll
be given the option of either ordering over the telephone or ordering online.
Using payment methods like credit cards, Paypal and C.O.D., you'll be able to
order any product from the home decorating catalog and have it delivered right
to your door.

You started out being unsure regarding decorating design. By using a home
decorating catalog, you not only made your decision, you were capable of
choosing flooring, paint colors, furniture and accessories for your space.
Using a home decorating catalog, you were able to take those choices and turn 
them into orders, which eventually became realistic. Using a home decorating 
catalog, you probably achieved much more than you thought or imagined for your 
home decorating project.

Unique Home Decorating Ideas for the Christmas Holiday

Home decorating is great any time of the year but it seems to be exceptionally
popular during the Christmas holiday. When November rolls around, people are
making plans to decorate and are searching for unique home decorating ideas for
the Christmas holiday. Since this season only comes once a year, people tend to
go all out, filling their homes with festive ornaments and decorations.

There are many home decorating ideas for the Christmas holiday but finding
unique ways to jazz up your home may not quite so easy. This might be where
your imagination steps in. You may have visions of what you'd like but turning
that vision into reality may seem inconceivable. When it comes to unique home
decorating, nothing is too difficult to accomplish. With the right materials
and help, you can work on your unique home decorating ideas for the Christmas
holiday.

Fortunately professional home decorators and home decor businesses understand
the need for help in home decorating. Because if this need, they publish
magazines and set up websites featuring decorating tips, including unique home
decorating tips for the Christmas holiday. Actually these home decor
specialists usually publish material according to the season. A special
publication is often printed for the Christmas holiday. If searching the
Internet, you'll find many sources for unique home decorating ideas for the
Christmas holiday. It's easy to run out to a department store and pick up
whatever is in style this year but many people would rather have their own
unique decorations at Christmas time.

When home decorating for the Christmas holiday, people generally stick to the
traditional red and green theme. This is unfortunate since there is a wide
range of colors that could be used at Christmas time to enhance your home.
Trendy decorating magazines will likely suggest you use any color you like to
create those unique decorations. Often you'll see purple, blue and yellow used
in Christmas presentations in store windows. Unique home decorating ideas for
the Christmas holiday is all about individuality. Using your ideas and your
imagination, you can create something totally individual, unlike any other
decorations. If your creation is a hit, it may not be unique the next Christmas
holiday.

Unique home decorating ideas for the Christmas holiday should include
traditional things such as pine cones, poinsettias, holly berries and
cranberries. These items make great additions to Christmas arrangements, trees,
table settings, wreaths and anything to do with home decorating for the
Christmas holiday. Unique home decorating ideas for the Christmas holiday, no
matter what materials are used, will certainly be a reason for conversation
when guests come to visit. When on the topic of home decorating for Christmas,
perhaps your guests may be able to share a few unique ideas with you. It might
be wise to jot down any suggestions and ideas for Christmas decorating. Since
you're unlikely to use these ideas until the next Christmas holiday, these
great tips and suggestions just may be forgotten and once again you'll be
searching for unique home decorating ideas for the Christmas holiday.

Tuscan -- A Great Home Decorating Idea

If you are having difficulty making a decision about a home decorating theme,
tuscan style is a great home decorating idea. Many homeowners are attracted to
the tuscan style because it combines subtle elegance with simplicity. Using a
palette of earthly tones, tuscan style, which is an Italian country design, is
meant to bring the outdoors inside. This great home decorating idea uses
distinct materials to help accomplish this goal. Tuscan style is unique as well
as beautiful.

When deciding to use a tuscan theme to decorate your home, you'll be using
textures. This home decorating idea implements the use of various textures,
such as stone and tile for the flooring. This helps to create a natural
atmosphere. Plaster is suggested for the walls to add texture. This would
provide an opportunity for you to be creative and even have fun. Tables are
often made of stone. Tile mosaics are another recommendation for tables in
tuscan home decorating.

Any home decorating theme that focuses on nature uses wood. Tuscan style makes
great used of wood. One example of this is the exposed framework constructed
from large wooden beams. This great home decorating idea uses wood in
furniture. The goal is to make it look aged in appearance. This can be
accomplished using staining techniques. Of course if wanting furniture which
looks really old, antique furniture would be the ideal choice.

Tuscan decorating is based on a cultural heritage. By using accessories this
tuscan heritage can be brought out. Accessories that are homemade are common
for this home decorating idea. Ceramics are a big thing in tuscan decorating.
Silver frames, silver candlesticks, copper pots; these are all common in tuscan
design. Wine and wine glasses, these are also popular accessories for this great
home decorating idea. Large glass jars filled with olives, another great idea
for tuscan decorating. Terra cotta is a popular color when using the tuscan
theme so it might be nice to use terra cotta pots or vases.

Tuscan fabric is in a class of its own. When using this home decorating idea,
you will be looking for fabrics made of burlap, abaca fiber, fibers from the
banana tree, savannah cloth and tobacco cloth. These are all fabrics used to
create a natural space. These materials are quite versatile and can be used for
just about anything in your decorating project. Curtains, drapes, blinds,
dividers, screens, placemats, floor-mats, these can all be created from the
various tuscan fabrics because of their weight, density and flexibility.

This great home decorating idea makes use good use of colors such as yellow and
red. These colors are probably used in tassels or painted beads in tie-backs to
accent the drapes. Using yellow and red ribbon to decorate accessories like
candlesticks or jugs is common in tuscan decorating. Any material or accessory
which resembles the sea, the earth or the forest, make great additions to
tuscan style home decorating. This great home decorating idea found in tuscan
style, is a good choice for your space. The color, texture, fabric and
accessories will create a warm and inviting feeling in any space in your home.
This theme of simplicity and nature is a great home decorating idea.

Sharing Home Decorating Ideas

Great home decorating ideas are meant to be shared. When discovering a new home
decorating technique, why not share it with a friend or family member? There is
always someone in a circle of friends who is making changes to their home
decor. There are so many wonderful fabrics, colors and accessories on the
market today. It is difficult to resist the opportunity to decorate your home.
A stroll through a building supply store or department store automatically
produces home decorating ideas. People who like change are likely to take these
home decorating ideas and turn them into reality.

When visiting a friend's home for coffee, it is a common practice to check out
their space. If it's a home you visit often, no doubt you'll notice changes
right away. Those changes will probable turn into a conversation about home
decorating. If something in the decor really catches your eye, no doubt you
will question the friend regarding where they bought it or what gave them the
idea? If you are interested in making similar changes at your home, no doubt
the friend will share their home decorating ideas with you.

You're hosting a dinner party for a group of people from work. Making sure to
pull out all the stops you spend hours decorating the house. The changes you
make or things you add may not seem out of the ordinary to you but, a guest may
think it is magnificent. Dinner conversation will probably turn
into sharing home decorating ideas. The men in the group may not be too
thrilled but the women -- they'll be in the element.

Sharing home decorating ideas might simply mean suggesting a neutral color for
a room instead of a bold color. Offering advice to a friend regarding window
treatments might be considered sharing home decorating ideas. There are many
ideas and suggestions a person can pass on about home decorating. If you have
good home decorating ideas, why not share them with a friend who seems to need
help in that area. Your ideas may be just what the friend's space requires. Who
knows, sharing your home decorating ideas may even make your friendship stronger.

There are many opportunities to share home decorating ideas. Group gatherings
are a great chance to talk about home decorating. When shopping at a department
store or a paint shop, perhaps an employee who is knowledgeable about home
decorating will voluntarily share their ideas with you. Family magazines are a
good source for home decorating ideas. Usually these magazines provide a photo
with all relative information regarding the home decorating. There are books
published which are filled with home decorating ideas. These books can usually
be found at a local bookstore or you may want to check with online bookstores
as well. The Internet is a great resource when seeking home decorating ideas.
There are some sites which are developed by professional home decorators to
advertise their skills and promote business. There are also sites, accessible
by anyone, which shares home decorating ideas. Finding great ideas for
decorating your home is not a problem. However, if you discover techniques and
tips which you think would benefit someone else, you really ought to share them.

Online Home Decorating Catalogues

Home decorating is often seen as a necessity however, it should be an exciting
experience. There are so many home decorating styles to choose from, so many
colors, such a selection of furniture and accessories. Having to renovate or
change your home decor should be a period of refreshing. The whole point in
redecorating, whether necessity or not, is to improve your space in order to
make it feel new and create an atmosphere that makes you happy.

Deciding on a home decorating theme may be difficult since there are so many
great ones to choose from. Browsing online home decorating catalogues may help
you to make up your mind regarding what's best for your space. Online home
decorating catalogues are quite convenient because they don't require you to
leave your home. Without stepping outside of your house, you can browse for
hours, numerous online home decorating catalogues.

Because there are so many online decorating catalogues, you might want to
narrow the search. If you're looking for a particular item such as furniture,
there are online home decorating catalogues which specialize in furniture only.
If you are looking for accessories for a particular theme such as contemporary
or French country, there are online home decorating catalogues that
specifically deal with accessories for your home. There are catalogues for
flooring, lighting, paint and any item you might choose to use in your home
decorating project. The Internet provides a world-wide shopping center. Access
to home decorating catalogues from all over the world gives you a selection
that no department store could offer.

Picking items from online home decorating catalogues will provide you an
opportunity to find unique items for your home. A great example of the benefits
of online home decorating catalogues from other parts of the world is, using
tuscan design for your decorating project. Because this is a theme that is
derived from the cultural heritage of Italy, finding accessories or even fabric
to fit the tuscan theme may compel you to shop from an online home decorating
catalogue from Italy. If you live in North America, chances are you aren't
going to hop on a plane, go to Italy and shop for accessories and fabric. The
online shopping option allows you to have the things you want for your home
without going out and searching. With buy direct online shopping, it's as
simple as finding the articles you want, whether a pair of silver candlesticks
or a terracotta jug, using various forms of payment, you can order these items
and have them shipped to you from anywhere in the world.

How do you access these online home decorating catalogues? The Internet makes
it very easy for you to find these catalogues. Using Google, Yahoo or any
search engine will put you in touch with a very long list of online home
decorating catalogues. If looking for a particular type of catalogue such as
one specializing in furniture, simply perform a search for online home
decorating furniture catalogues. Search engines are equipped to locate anything
you need to find. If it's on the Internet, the search engine will locate it for
you. Once you find what you are looking for, pour yourself a cup of coffee, put
your feet up and spend the evening browsing online home decorating catalogues.

Mobile Home Decorating

Mobile home decorating presents challenges regarding space. The rooms in mobile
homes are small and will require ideas and tips about decorating small spaces.
If you have plans for decorating your mobile home, they may need to be
compromised somewhat because of the space. However, there are ways to achieve
your ideal theme in mobile home decorating.

The first step in mobile home decorating or decorating any small space is to
get rid of the clutter. Sort through your things and get rid of any unnecessary
or unwanted articles. This will automatically make your space look bigger. Find
places to hide things like under table skirts or behind closed doors. Making
sure everything is neatly stored and out of view will open up the space. While
moving things and clearing away, you may want to rearrange your furniture. Make
sure large pieces of furniture are not blocking walkways or entrances. Also
place tall pieces of furniture on a wall and not in an open space. Mobile home
decorating is about creating space in an area that doesn't have much space.

Choosing color is important in mobile home decorating. In order to create an
open, larger atmosphere, you should use light, cool colors. Painting your walls
in soft tones of blue or green will provide an open, airy feel. You should also
choose colors within the same color family in mobile home decorating. Not only
when picking paint colors but also when choosing fabric for curtains or
upholstery.

Rooms look larger when they are well-lit. In mobile home decorating it is very
important to ensure rooms have plenty of light. Stay away from heavy curtains
or drapes for your windows. Use window treatments that are lighter to allow the
brightness from the outside in. To provide plenty of light in your rooms, have
lamps, track lighting or recessed lighting installed. Small spaces need more
light.

There are little tricks for mobile home decorating. Using reflective materials
is one trick to make a room appear larger. Using mirrored tiles or a large
mirror on a wall will definitely make a room look larger. You may not be fond
of mirrored walls but this may be one compromise you'll have to make. Another
trick is to use see-through materials. This will make objects look further
away. This idea could be used in shower doors or table tops.

When choosing furniture for mobile home decorating, it is better to pick big
pieces. This may sound strange but a few bigger pieces of furniture, is much
better than several small pieces of furniture. Using several pieces, the space
is cluttered while two or three bigger pieces will allow for more openness in a
room. If covering your furniture, be sure to pick plain colors instead of
prints, plaids or stripes. If wanting to add something extra, use texture but
also in plain neutral tones. Choosing plain colors and neutral colors for
light, sheer window treatments, bedskirts and tablecloths will provide an airy
feeling as well. Owning a small home like a mobile home can provide problems
when decorating but if you follow advice and suggestions for mobile home
decorating, your home could be comfortable and feel much larger than it
actually is.

Log Home Decorating

Log home decorating is perhaps on of the more fun decorating projects. Using a
cottage theme, log home decorating provides you an opportunity to draw from
nature and implement some of your favourite objects. If you are a person who
spends a lot of time at your cottage or log home, no doubt you've started a
collection of treasures to display. Family photos and handmade ornaments are
popular accessories for log home decorating. Any object reflecting family
memories are great for a log home or cottage.

A log cabin is a home away from home. It is intended to be warm and cozy for
all those who visit. Choosing earthly colors for paint and fabric would help
create this atmosphere in log home decorating. This environment is meant to be
welcoming and cheerful. Adding some vibrant colors and patterns in cushions and
slip-covers will certainly brighten the space and enhance your log home
decorating.

Usually people try to find used furniture for their log home or cottage. You
many have some unwanted furniture at home such as a chair, a table or a couch.
Instead of discarding them, why not take them to your log home. Flea markets
and garage sales are great places to find amazing furniture to use in your log
home decorating project. Remember, one person's junk is another person's
treasure. Old wooden pieces of furniture are perfect for log cabin decorating.
You may want to leave them in their original state or to give them a newer
look, you may want to paint them or if it's a chair, perhaps make nice
slip-covers in a bright floral pattern.

Besides the mementos you brought from home, there are many accessories you can
use in log cabin decorating. Trying to keep with a cottage theme, you might
look for baskets made from natural materials that you can hang from the ceiling
or place on a table, wooden bowls, galvanized tin pots and buckets, old jars or
jugs, there are countless objects you could use to accessorize in log home
decorating. Trying to create a feeling of warmth and cosiness, you could have
handmade quilts in your log cabin. Handmade items make wonderful additions to
log home decorating.

When choosing flooring for a log home or cottage, natural wood such as birch,
cedar or pine, are great choices. You can leave your wood floor in its natural
form, allowing it to age and remain authentic looking. You can also pick from
many beautiful wood stains to use on your floor which will protect it and also
compliment it. Area rugs are nice in log home decorating. Area rugs make a
space cozy especially when laid on a wood floor.

Log home decorating allows you to be in touch with nature and all the wonderful
materials it has to share. The very structure of the building is made of logs
which came from the forest. The scent of the logs alone, add to the natural
feeling in a log cabin. Log home decorating is a project that may never be
completed. You'll always find something special that can only be appreciated in
your log cabin or cottage.

Interior Decorating Plans for your Home Bar

Your home bar is an area that is enjoyed by you as well as those who visit your
home. Although a home bar is not essential in a home, it is a great addition to
any space. If intending to use this space often, interior decorating plans for
your home bar are important. Finding techniques and ideas to make this space
welcoming and enjoyable would be a great asset.

Depending on the general theme of your home decor, you might want to use
similar ideas and techniques in interior decorating plans for your home bar.
However, it isn't necessary to stick with the same theme. You can easily use
different design themes throughout your home. Since your home bar is a place to
sit back and relax, you might want to pick calming colors such as blues and
greens. These colors provide a soothing and relaxing atmosphere.

When picking furniture in interior decorating plans for your home bar, you'll
definitely need bar stools, There are all sorts of bar stools to choose from.
There's a standard wooden bar stool which is practical since it matches nearly
any design style. There are fancier stools with upholstery done in different
color leathers. Some bar stools are able to swivel and others are stationary.
This decision in your interior decorating plans for your home bar should
probably be based on comfort since this space is used for socializing.

Interior decorating plans for your home bar ought to include accessories that
are entertaining such as music. A stereo system would certainly make your home
bar a big success. People like to listen to music when sitting and chatting. If
your budget will allow it, perhaps you could include a small television in
interior decorating plans for your home bar. It would be a nice spot to sit,
have refreshments and watch the football or hockey game.

Obviously your home bar will require beverages of some kind. Your interior
decorating plans for your home bar must include a cooler or bar refrigerator in
order to keep the drinks cold. Many people install a bar sink in their home bar.
This is a convenience since it eliminates the need to bring glassware back and
forth to the kitchen to wash. Of course you will need glassware included in
your interior decorating plans for your home bar. Choosing different sizes and
styles of glasses would be a good idea since not everyone will require the same
type. There are many little details you could include in your interior
decorating plans for your bar. Keeping with the color scheme you might pick
coasters and other accessories to match.

Lighting is very important when making interior decorating plans for your home
bar. There are different choices of lighting such as track-lighting and recess
lighting for example. Many people use recess lighting in their home bars. This
is a neat and tidy method of installing lighting. Having the lights installed
in the home bar is popular. Lighting that can be adjusted up or down is also a
good idea for your home bar. If entertaining a big crowd you may want the
lights up but if sitting relaxing alone, you may enjoy a quieter and dimmer
atmosphere.

Ideas for Home Office Decorating

Every room in a house requires a face-lift or organizing once in awhile. Many
people have home offices which require decorating. If this is your dilemma, you
have help since there are many ideas for home office decorating. Planning a home
office project doesn't have to be expensive which is great because perhaps you
can afford a professional decorator to transform your home office. Creativity
goes a long way when you are home office decorating.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a separate room for their home office.
The main thing to remember in home office decorating is to do your best with
what you've got. You may have to set up your home office in a closet, a corner
of your living room, on a stair landing or in a spare room. Wherever your home
office may be in your home, there are ways to decorate it, making it a
comfortable and enjoyable place to work.

Once you've decided on a space for your home office, you'll need a plan. Doing
the home office decorating yourself will save time and money. Painting is
something you can definitely do. When choosing colors for your home office, a
fresh lively color or a calming color would be the best choices. These tones
will set the mood for your work space. To jazz it up a little, you might want
to use stencilling around your desk or perhaps wallpaper one wall to enhance
the space you have.

When looking for ideas for home office decorating, why not look around your
home. No doubt there are pieces of furniture that aren't being used. Perhaps
there's a comfortable chair you can take for your home office. If space is a
big issue, you might want to build a desk. Building a desk for your home office
decorating project can be as simple as laying a piece of board on top of a
filing cabinet or a smaller table. Home office decorating doesn't mean you have
to rush out to an office furnishing store and max out your credit card. You can
decorate a home office using items you already have or if you'd like something
different, why not visit a few charity shops or garage sales. You are
guaranteed to find something useful that will cost you very little.

If you'll be spending a fair amount of time in your home office space, it is
important to include details that will inspire you such as artwork or music.
Lighting is also essential in a workspace. If you are decorating a small area,
lamps may be best for lighting. Plants are also nice in a home office. Choosing
a favourite plant to put in your workspace would surely be inspiring. Photos of
family and happy memories are nice to have in your home office. If space is an
issue, you may want to choose one wall to hang your artwork and photos. Another
wall can be used for shelving, to store your office supplies, books and
necessities for your work. It would be great if you could leave at least one
wall fairly clear, too much is often distracting. There are many great ideas
for home office decorating. If you seem to be a standstill with your project,
make use of some of the great resources available such as home office
decorating magazines and catalogues, television decorating programs and the
Internet. Each of these suggestions will provide many useful ideas for home
office decorating.

Home Decorating Pictures

The quote, "a picture is worth a thousand words" is true for many, many
situations. This famous quote even applies to home decorating. Many people draw
their inspiration for their decorating projects from home decorating pictures.
It's difficult to visualize a room decorated using the various design themes.
You many think the French Country style is perfect for your kitchen but when
you actually see this style used in home decorating pictures, you may change
your mind. Contemporary style is hot nowadays with its trendy accessories,
fabric and furniture but is it for your home? Browsing home decorating pictures
of contemporary design will help you decides whether it's for your home or not.
Tuscan design sounds beautiful when you read about it in magazines and books
but until you see those home decorating pictures using tuscan design, you can't
be sure if it would work in your home.

Home decorating pictures are very beneficial when making plans to decorate both
the interior and exterior of your home. Pictures either confirm your visions or
provide a totally different reality. Home decorating pictures offer you an
opportunity to browse and pick a design that best suits you and your home.
There are so many designs to choose from, some you've probably never heard of.
Current home decorating pictures offer you a chance to view all of the latest
trends in home decorating for each and every room in your home.

Home decorating pictures portray homes and spaces that often seem out of the
realm of possibility for you and your home. Because these spaces are so
elegantly decorated and look so perfect and professional, you may assume it
cannot be achieved in your space. This is not true. Home decorating pictures
give you the finished product, the end result of much planning and work. Home
decorating is a process and you too can work through this process to create
rooms similar to those in the home decorating pictures. With the thousands of
resources available to homeowners today, there is no reason you cannot have an
elegant dining room just like the one you saw in home decorating pictures.

There are so many magazines, catalogues, books and websites related to interior
home decorating. These resources provide many useful tools and offer great
advice for decorating your home. When you begin your planning, you can't
imagine your space will resemble those in the home decorating pictures. The
great news is -- it certainly can. Using home decorating pictures as guides for
your planning, you can choose colors, furnishings and accessories to improve
your space and make it picture perfect. In home decorating, almost anything is
achievable if you are willing to be open-minded and accept advice. Many home
decorating pictures display rooms in bold colors that you just can't imagine
using in your home. This is when you have to relax and go out on a limb. In
order to get that picture perfect room, you may need to compromise your normal
methods of decorating. However if you definitely want the bathroom in the home
decorating pictures, you'll need to put away those normal habits and adopt
brand new ones.

Home Decorating Magazines

You know your house needs improvements. You know you need to redecorate. You
can't seem to come up with ideas for decorating your home. You need
inspiration. Where do you go for help? One great source of home decorating
ideas and inspiration is home decorating magazines. These publications provide
a look into the world of home decorating and offer suggestions and tips to help
you decorate your home. Home decorating magazines provide pictures of homes and
rooms that were remodelled which may inspire you to recreate that space in your
very own home.

There are many home decorating magazines available. Most of these magazines not
only provide pictures and ideas but also offers the customer an opportunity to
buy directly from them items you like in their magazine. Many magazines are
advertised on the Internet. With websites displaying their ideas and pictures,
you can browse these sites in your search for a decorating style. These online
magazines will likely offer you a chance to buy directly from them via the
Internet.

Home decorating magazines are constantly in circulation. Some of the popular
home decorating magazines are listed here:

* Traditional Home -- This magazine has its main focus on traditional decor and
historical homes. Articles are written that allow you to visit historic places,
gathering ideas and tips for decorating a traditional home. This home
decorating magazine offers information on furniture, window treatments and
color schemes.

* Country Living -- This is a magazine which is published monthly and offers
ideas about country decor, crafts, and antiques. It also provides tips for
traditional cooking. This home decorating magazine provides details regarding
furniture, window treatments, fireplaces and historic colors.

* Elle Decor -- This home decorating magazine is published semi-monthly. It is
a magazine dedicated to focusing on modern design with a French influence.
Focusing on luxury living, furniture style and planning your room, this
magazine intends to offer the average homeowner ideas and tips to achieve this
terrific style for their homes.

* Better Homes & Gardens -- This popular magazine provides the reader with
information about various subjects relating to the homeowner and their family.
This information includes ideas for home decor as well as garden decorating.
Better Homes & Gardens also publishes a seasonal magazine which focuses on
decor with a lot of information regarding specific projects.

* Metropolitan Home -- Published six times a year, this home decorating
magazine provides details about renovating and designing modern urban homes.
This magazine focuses on contemporary design and current trends. It offers the
reader information regarding transforming a traditional home or space into a
modern, contemporary environment.

These home decorating magazines are great sources or inspiration if you are
having difficulty coming up with ideas and techniques for your home. Providing
detailed information and vivid photos, these home decorating magazines offer
you instructions and often step-by-step directions to achieve the desired look.
Each of these magazines also offers you, the customer an opportunity to buy
directly from them. This can make your job so much easier if you see a room or
space in the magazine that you like. Buying directly from them, you have a
chance to recreate that beautiful space in your home.

Home Decorating Fabrics

Home decorating fabrics are meant to compliment a room. Beautiful fabrics can
improve any space. Home decorating fabrics are used in upholstery, couch
covers, slip-covers, bed coverings, window treatments, table coverings, etc. A
room without home decorating fabric is plain with a cold feeling. Using home
decorating fabrics, a space can be transformed into an inviting, warm and cozy
place to relax and enjoy with family and friends.

Because home decorating fabrics are an essential part of decorating a space, it
is important to choose those that correspond with the other objects in the room.
It's easier to pick home decorating fabrics if you are using advice and
suggestions for a particular decorating design. Without any direction, your
interior decorating project can become frustrating and discouraging. Instead of
working toward your dream home, you'll find yourself caught up in a nightmare.

There are plenty of home decorating themes to choose from. Each of them has
their own color and style for home decorating fabrics. With a theme to guide
you, choosing home decorating fabrics shouldn't pose a problem. For example if
you choose a tuscan theme, the home decorating fabric choices would include
woven textures such as burlap, fabrics made from the abaca fiber and fabrics
made from the banana tree fibres, savannah cloth and tobacco cloth. Tuscan home
decorating fabrics tend to be heavier but they are very flexible and versatile.
If you use the tuscan theme as your guide, these home decorating fabrics could
be used for blinds, drapes, slip-covers and even perhaps even area rugs.

If you decide you like the cottage theme, home decorating fabrics would include
floral patterns and bright colors. Cottage decorating, with regards to
upholstery and the various projects requiring fabric, suggests bold and
colourful patterns. Although a floral pattern is the most popular in home
decorating fabrics for the cottage theme, printed fabrics with vegetables or
fruit are also quite often used.

Choosing the Victorian theme would suggest you choose home decorating fabrics
such as velvet or brocade in rich colors of blue, green, burgundy and so on.
Victorian home decorating fabrics are meant to be quite feminine as well as
elaborate. These materials are used for curtains, bedding, slip-covers, etc.
You might even want to trim these home decorating fabrics with lace, beads or
ribbons.

These are just a few examples of home decorating fabrics used in relation to
different themes. You must choose fabrics that speak to you. It's also
important to remember that home decorating fabrics can be quite expensive. Once
you've decided on a fabric and purchase it to use in your home, you may have to
live with it for a long time. For this reason it is best to be absolutely
certain before making that final decision. Home decorating fabrics often
require special care for washing. If you'd rather a fabric that is easy to care
for, make sure this is considered when choosing home decorating fabrics.
Remember this is your space, your decision and it should meet your needs. There
are thousands of home decorating fabrics to choose from. By using available
resources such as home decor magazines, home decorating catalogues, Internet
websites and of course fabric stores in your area, you ought to be capable of
making a sensible decision and appropriate choice for home decorating fabrics.

Home Decorating Catalogs

Plenty homeowners use home decorating catalogs to order items to make
improvements to their home or to get home decorating ideas. Home decorating
catalogs usually provide photos of complete rooms and the opportunity to
purchase any or all of the items used to create the room. For people who are
not creative, these catalogs are great resources for decorating tips for their
home. If money is not a problem, they could buy everything featured in the home
decorating catalog to create the exact same room in their own home.

Home decorating catalogs are normally made available by major department
stores, building centers and home decor shops. These stores provide customers
the option of visiting the store to purchase merchandise, some will provide a
delivery service or mail service and others have online home decorating
catalogs available to shop from. Home decorating catalogs are published for the
benefit of the customer. These publications entice people to visit the stores
hopefully with the intention to buy. Many stores send their home decorating
catalogs to customer through the mail. Providing information regarding location
and telephone numbers, people can easily access their stores.

People can get a mental image of what their space could look like by looking at
the vivid pictures in home decorating catalogs. These books provide hours of
enjoyment for people who are fascinated with new trends in home decorating.
Providing examples of new colors and new accessories, home decorating catalogs
offer people an opportunity to stay in touch with fashion and even explore new
possibilities for their space.

Home decorating is usually divided into different categories regarding style.
Some of these styles or themes include country, French country, English
country, modern, traditional, Oriental, Victorian and old world. Each of these
themes would have an individual section in home decorating catalogs. These
individual sections focus on furniture, color, fabric and accessories which
relate to the theme. If a homeowner was interested in changing the theme in
their home from country to Oriental, browsing through home decorating catalogs
would provide useful information and an opportunity to purchase items to help
transform their home.

Online home decorating catalogs provide people an even better opportunity to
look at available merchandise. The Internet, with its capabilities is equipped
to provide enhanced images. With this in mind, a person would be able to get a
clearer image of the items in an online home decorating catalog. Not only would
online home decorating catalogs provide better images but they are very
convenient. Online shopping is quickly catching on in society today. More and
more people are taking advantage of the convenience offered through shopping
online. Without leaving the comfort of home, a person can spend hours browsing
online home decorating catalogs. If they find an item or group of items they'd
like to purchase, they can do so online. With methods of payment such as credit
card, Paypal or C.O.D., people can order what they need or want from online home
decorating catalogs. Home decorating catalogs, either online or a publication,
provide people with access to everything they need to improve a room or their
entire home.

Home & Garden Decorating

Home and garden decorating is a hot topic. This is evident in television
programming. Every second television show is related to decorating your home
and garden. Programs such as The Decorating Challenge, Curb Appeal and The
House Doctor are great examples of home and garden decorating shows. These
programs are quite interesting and quite helpful for people who are looking for
ideas to make changes to their home and garden. These shows take everyday living
spaces and transform them into beautiful, inviting places. Since these programs
generally work with a budget, they help people realize that home and garden
decorating can be accomplished without going to great expense. They also
demonstrate that even small changes can make an enormous difference in home and
garden decorating.

Home and garden decorating involves anything, materials, paint, fabric,
accessories; items that can be used to make decorative improvements to a home
or garden. When considering making changes around the house or in the back
garden, some people may feel intimidated because they aren't creative nor do
they have any crafty skills. Home and gardening programs, magazines, books and
catalogs, show homeowners that it isn't necessary to be a skilled individual to
make home and garden decorating changes. These resources teach people that
simple, basic changes and additions can transform a space, either home or
garden, into something completely different and beautiful.

Many homeowners and decorators decorate so that the home and garden compliment
each other. When people have beautiful gardens, they often like to have that
beauty brought into their living space. One easy way to accomplish this is to
display, fresh-cut flowers from the garden, throughout the home. Flowers
provide a lovely, fresh scent and add color to any space. When home and garden
decorating, perhaps a homeowner might like to bring the country theme in their
home, out into their garden. A patio could easily be decorated to portray
country home decorating. This would allow people to enjoy the warmth and
coziness of country decorating both inside and outside the home.

There are many home and garden decorating ideas. A person could take a drive
around town and find details of other houses and gardens which interest them.
They can then take these ideas back to their own home and garden. Window boxes
make lovely decorations for any home. These decorations, filled with seasonal
flowers, can be enjoyed both inside and outside the home.

Home and garden decorating can add hours of fun to your day. Since it's your
space anything, that interests you, goes. If you're a person who doesn't like
clutter, redefining your property may be a simple as removing unwanted items
from your home or cutting down overgrown trees from your garden. You'd be
surprised at the difference this could make in your home and garden decorating
plans. A fresh coat of pain on the interior or the exterior of your house will
certainly be an improvement. Replacing the wooden planks on a patio and
finishing them with a rich stain would definitely compliment your garden as
well as your home. There are many home and garden decorating ideas. When you're
out with a group of friends, why not ask for home and garden decorating
suggestions. Once you begin your decorating project, you'll discover all sorts
of techniques to make improvements to your home and garden.

Helpful Home Decorating Tips

When making plans for a home decorating project, it is important to sit down
and write down your ideas and goals. Without a plan the experience may become
confusing and frustrating. There are many details to work out when planning to
decorate your home such as theme, materials and intentions for the space being
decorated. It is pointless to get up one morning thinking I'll decorate my
dining room today. It would be a nice thought but without previous planning,
doubtfully the project would amount to much. Home decorating tips such as this
are helpful.

After jotting down ideas and goals for your home decorating project, the next
phase might be to consider your budget, how much can you afford to spend on
redecorating. Materials and accessories could be costly depending on what your
decorating plans are. If desiring to make changes to your entire home, you
should have access to a sufficient amount of money. Helpful home decorating
tips should always make your budget a priority. There are hidden costs when
making huge improvements in your home. Once the home decorating begins, little
expenses seem to jump out of the woodwork. Planning a home decorating project
that fits your budget is a helpful home decorating tip.

Once you are all straightened out regarding the financial situation, you will
want to choose a style or them for your home decorating project. There are many
to choose from and the decision should be made based on your likes and
interests. Country decorating provides a sense of warmth and coziness, while a
modern theme might be loud and alive. Remember when planning to decorate, this
theme may be around for awhile. For this reason another good home decorating
tip is, choose a theme or a style you can live with.

After making a final decision about your decorating theme, a helpful home
decorating tip might be to sit down and sketch your plan on paper. Using a
pencil and paper, sketch a diagram of the area you are about to decorate.
Considering the size, spend some time arranging and rearranging, through
drawing, the items to go in this space. Using a mental visualization and the
sketch, you should be certain of your goal before the actual work begins.
Another helpful home decorating tip at this stage of the game is aiming to
highlight.

Your imagination, your creativity -- these are two great assets in home
decorating. Perhaps one of the most helpful home decorating tips is to make use
of your own creative abilities. When your project begins, if an idea pops in
your head or you discover you'd like to try orange instead of beige, go for it.
Often times it's those off the wall ideas that make a space look astonishing.
It's your home, your idea, use your judgement.

There are many helpful home decorating tips. They can be found in home
decorating magazines, books, on programs or on the Internet. If having concerns
and inhibitions about starting a decorating project in your home, you could
certainly get some helpful home decorating tips from these sources. Decorating
your home is meant to be an exciting and joyous occasion. The number one tip
for home decorating is have fun.

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