Thursday, July 26, 2007

Interior Painting Ideas

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Painting is an important home decorating activity and it is important that you get the right set of ideas before you proceed with the activity. Combined with the right set of lighting ideas for your home, good Interior painting ideas can make your room transform from a drab area to a high energy, awe inspiring room.

Before proceeding to paint you need to check if the room is a high activity area, do you want serenity and relaxation in the room, what are the colors that dominate the furniture tones, are you averse to a certain color. Now why is color an important aspect and why is featured in many interior painting ideas? Simple because color is a mood regulator and scientific studies have already affirmed the fact that right shade of colors can alter your mood.

Use color shade cards to select the color that best suits the interior. One idea suggests that in interior paintings neutral colors make the best choice and are safer options as compared to bright colors.

Different rooms will have different color schemes and painting applied to it. For instance for the bedroom it is recommended that you color the interiors with shades that are neutral, calm, serene and sleep inducing. Avoid glossy color painting in the bedroom as the reflection could be a disturbance to you.

Another idea suggests that you avoid painting the interiors with bright colors. For the bathrooms, paint the interiors with colors that are aquatic or neutral. Of course the paint has to be waterproof. Recommended colors for painting the bathroom interiors include aquamarine, shades of blue, green, peach.

For the living room, again it is recommended that you color the interiors with neutral color, shades of peach, beige, pink or light grey. The kitchen is a high activity room and is representative of energy and constant activity so it is ok to use shades of red.

Another idea to consider when painting the interiors is to use stencils of varying shaped and apply it at discretion and with a little creativity. You could apply rubber stamps when painting your interiors.

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Americana Home Decoration

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Home decoration is as important as the home itself, a well decorated home gets glances of appreciation and awe from visitors and vice versa. Instead of implementing the conventional, experiment with themes. Lets talk about the Americana theme. In keeping up with patriotism and to show the patriotism in our homes there is nothing better than the red, blue and white color to adorn the walls and decorations in our homes.

Now the red, white and blue are primary colors and lend a strong contrast to each other, hence it has to be used with discretion to prevent losing the effectiveness of these colors. According to an expert in the field of Americana house design and ideas it is important that when the walls are colored in pure white, not beige or in paler shades but off white to accentuate the other colors.

Do not paint the walls blue or red as they are dark colors and could leave the house looking dark. However, a single portion of the wall for example the wall behind the bed can be painted in red or blue color. The blue can take paler shades and not the dark, solid blue color. Another enhancement to this Americana theme would be lending a rustic, old western or country theme to the house. Once you have the colors in place decorate the house with matching accessories to fit the party theme or complement a variety of home decor styles; rustic folk art, farm, patriotic, teddy beats, western (horses etc.).

Americana is a reflection of the Great American dream right from the early days and farming has been one of the precursors of this great success story. The Americana theme should adorn the house with relics and pieces of the farm legacy. For eg. Wall Clocks, Wood Serving Tray, Tile Serving Tray, Large Glass Cutting Board, Small Glass Cutting Board, Coffee Mugs, Framed Trivet, Corkboard, Oil Bottles.

July would be an excellent time to redo the theme and apply the Americana decoration ideas. Change the home furnishings and accessories with the red, white and blue. The great colors look great in a traditional or a contemporary setting. The Denim is an American invention and for a change you could consider changing the upholstery in denim material in great shades of blue. Patriotic cutlery and dinnerware, table linen and centerpieces will also match the occasion and make the house look great. For the outdoor, consider using hammocks of red, white and blue.

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Window Treatment Ideas

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Good window treatment can change the appearance of your room and the use of proper fabric to drape your window gives it an elegance and grace. One of the most popular window treatment ideas is to the use of drapery, i.e. fabric to change the layout and look of the window. With proper fabric application over your window, dual purposes can be served. It will not only serve its function of covering up the window, offering you privacy, dimming the outside light but also beautifies the room.

Windows can have structural work or hooks that can be concealed by using the appropriate concealment. Cornices and valances can be used to conceal these irregularities; a valance is an ornamental drapery hung across a top edge or a short drapery, decorative board, or metal strip mounted especially across the top of a window to conceal structural fixtures; a cornice is an ornamental horizontal molding or frame used to conceal rods, picture hooks, or other devices.

Now when considering the fabric for your window ensures that it matches the decor, theme and ambience of your room. Improper coloring and fabric choice can ruin the efforts. For instance, if the fabric for the window is too light or faded, the window treatment will appear ineffective and the whole idea of the window treatment is neutralized. Too bold or dark colors can divert more than usual glances to your curtain which could negate the general theme of your room.

Use colors that are beige or neutral in color as the background of the fabric and sewn or decorated by a myriad of colors in a good pattern. It is also a good window treatment idea to have your curtain fall all the way to the floor and this gives it a nice appearance. When washing, cleaning or ironing the curtain fabric it is important that care is taken about the heat applied or the chemicals used. Look into the fabric instructions and dry-clean it with caution. These days sewing the curtain to the window rod isn’t necessary; there are special fixtures that can be ironed on to curtain fabric which holds on to the rod. As an option you could use spot or focus lights on the curtain fabric.

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