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Monday, March 31, 2008
Powder Rooms are great fun to decorate because of the general small size of them, which allows you to make a great statement with a small investment of time and money. These small bathrooms are strategically placed for guests and lend well to fun themes. One such theme you can use in your powder room is a nautical theme.
You can accomplish a nautical themed bathroom quickly and inexpensively. The best place to start is with paint. Paint the walls a crisp white color. When the white paint has dried, use navy blue paint and painters tape to make vertical pinstripes. You can choose to skip this step and wallpaper the upper portion of the room in a blue stripe while leaving the lower portion of the room white. Regardless of which option you choose, accent the room with a nautical rope themed wallpaper border.
Next, purchase nautical accessories for the room. Purchase nautical theme hand towels to use in the bedroom. These typically come in blue or white and are embroidered with a gold anchor. You can also find nautical theme bathroom rugs for your bathroom. Finally hang a unique nautical themed mirror in your bathroom. Something in a porthole shape would be fun. Another great idea for a nautical theme mirror for your powder room is this Sandomar Yacht metal Wall art with Mirror. 
This three-dimensional 32"W x 32"H metal yacht has a mirror big enough to allow your guests to check themselves in it. You can use it as the main mirror in your powder room, or you can also use it as a secondary mirror / wall art, placing it by the door to allow guest to take a second look before leaving the bathroom.
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Saturday, March 29, 2008
I love kitchen themes that are not necessarily based on food. One kitchen decorating style I love in Americana. Americana decorating features home decor with stars and stripe accessories based on the American Flag in the colors of red white and blue. If you are now picturing a table draped in a flag and a striped kitchen, think again. Americana style kitchen decor is much more beautiful and subtle than that.
To decorate your kitchen in Americana Style, you would first start with the neutral decor that most kitchens begin in. The background of your Americana kitchen can be modern, country, or traditional. You can have dark wood kitchen cabinets or a white painted kitchen. With your base kitchen in place, you can begin decorating in Americana style.
You can find many Americana fabrics from which you can make your window treatments and seat cushion covers. Your fabric can be as subtle as simple red checks or plaid, to having a bold stars and stripe print. You can also use these fabrics to make a table runner or place mats.
In addition to adding Americana Fabric, you can hang Americana decor, trinkets, and other forms of metal wall art. You do not have to go out and buy all of these items at once; you can accumulate them over time. I like to purchase Americana decor items in July, after Independence Day. In the meanwhile, while you are waiting for those great Americana items to go on sale, purchase a nice star set to hang on your wall like this Horgana USA Three Metal Wall Stars set.
These cute metal stars are boldly decorated with the stars and stripes reminiscent of the United States Flag. There are three stars in the set, which are 24", 18", and 12" in diameter.
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Thursday, March 27, 2008
One of the biggest trends in decorating these days is the theme of contrasting colors and finishes. From clothing, to fabrics, to home accents, you will find black with white, soft with hard, and shiny with dull. The contrast of color, textures, and finishes makes today's furnishings and
home decor items popular.
Right now, I am in the market for a new sofa. I have kept my search strictly to leather as my heart is set on it. I have looked at leather sofas in all shapes, sized and forms. I like brown leather sofas with curved wooden arms and legs as these materials juxtapose nicely. I am seriously drawn to sleek black leather sofas with stainless steel legs in postmodern 1920's style. However, the item that most caught my eye is a large leather sectional upholstered in both leather and suede. Talk about opposites! This piece has me completely spellbound.
I have found myself strangely attracted to wall decor that features colors and finishes that one would not normally mix as well. One such piece is the
Elenio Metal star with Mirror. 
This starburst style
wall art mirror is a new take on the old retro style, but updated with a rust colored metal finish. The juxtaposition of the shiny mirror with the weathered metal makes this a truly unique piece of wall art. At 36" in diameter, this wall art mirror would look great above just about any fireplace or sofa, as well as in the dining room or foyer.
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Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Nothing brings a room to life like a well-painted mural. Murals bring children's rooms to life by adding a touch of imagination. Murals turn bathrooms into stunning spas. Murals turn basements into vacation-like retreats. As someone who has painted numerous murals over the years, one of the things I like to do is to bring a mural to life by integrating three dimensional wall art into the mural.
In a garden room mural, for example, you can add a real wrought iron gate, or you can affix flowering vines to a painted trellis. You can create a glamorous dressing room effect for a teenage girl by installing a series of arched mirrors around which you can add architectural elements. I have seen boys rooms painted to resemble a racetrack with a race car bed appearing to come out of the painting. I have personally painted a room to resemble the inside of a garage and then added tools, signs, and other garage items to the walls.
Another idea for a three dimensional mural effect is an undersea mural where you can paint an underwater effect on the wall and then add undersea art to it. One example of such undersea art to go into your underwater mural would be this Large Fish Metal Wall Art.
This 36"W, 25"H abstract wall art piece resembles both a single fish and a school of fish at the same time. It would be perfectly at home in a small bathroom with a water theme, or a sophisticated child's bedroom.
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Sunday, March 23, 2008
Some people seek out antiques for home decorating, learning how to spot and purchase antique furnishings, how to tell reproductions from the real thing, and educating themselves on the value of antiques. Other people acquire antiques without ever seeking or desiring them. While these inherited furniture pieces do not necessarily fit into the home, it is hard to get rid of something that has strong sentimental value. Whether your home design style is traditional, ethnic, or modern, here are some ideas to make antique furnishings work in your home.
Showcase your antiques. Do not hide your antique furnishings in corners where they will not be noticed. Instead, put them in a place of prominence for the entire world to see. Just as a diamond is not out of place in a bowl of pearls, your antique furniture can also add more shine to what you already have.
Balance out your antiques. If you have a single piece of antique furniture, you can balance it out by purchasing one or two other furniture or wall art decorations that coordinate well with your antique home decor item. These Oslo square iron wall decor plaques would help balance out a lone antique armoire or dresser well. 
This set of four wall plaques shows that you have an appreciation for antique items but they will not be lost in a modern or eclectic home. Each plaque measures 20.5 x 20.5, and help to create a romantic, old world feel.
Modernize your antiques. You can modernize your antique furniture pieces without destroying the integrity and value of them. You can replace drawer knobs with modern knobs (keeping the original knobs stored within the item). You can slipcover chairs and other upholstered pieces. (Do not refinish or re-upholster antiques without checking with an antique specialist).
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Friday, March 21, 2008
Decorating a sunroom can be very tricky. The purpose of having a sunroom is to enjoy the great outdoors without being exposed to the bugs or excessive heat. Therefore, the goal in decorating a sunroom is to add enough furnishings and home decor to make it comfortable and attractive without doing so much that it distracts from the view. Here are some ideas for decorating your sunroom.
Consider the function of the sunroom. You can use your sunroom as an informal dining area. It can be a place to play games and relax. It can even be used to watch television. The function of your room will help you decide what kinds of furniture you will need.
Choose furnishings for the sunroom carefully. Because your furnishings will be exposed to a great deal of sun, you must be careful to get items that will not wear and fade from the exposure. Choose for indoor/outdoor decor items in teak and wicker instead of items upholstered in vibrant colors and fragile fabrics.
Do not forget to add wall hangings. Sunrooms usually consist of three walls of windows and one wall that connect it to the house. Do not forget to add some wall art to this fourth wall that can stand up to the sun exposure. Once such wall decor item is this set of Three Rossum Metal Wall Stars. 
Made of maintenance free sturdy aluminum, these beautiful walls stars will add interest to your sunroom wall. The bronze finish is guaranteed to not fade. The stars are 12", 23", and 20" diameter, so they will fill a large space easily. They can also be displayed separately.
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Wednesday, March 19, 2008
While formal dining rooms are probably the least used room in an entire home, they have the capability of being the room that adds the most impact and style to the home. A homeowner can use the dining room to set the mood for the entire home, or can choose a theme that makes it stand out on its own. One theme that is perfect for a formal dining room is Tuscan style.
To create a Tuscan Style Dining room, the first thing you have to do is add architectural home decor elements to the room. If your dining room already has columns, you are halfway there. If your dining room does not have columns, you can have some built, or you can create a trompe l'oeil affect using wallpaper or hand painted columns. Another thing you can do to add a Tuscan feel to your dining room is to give the ceiling a decorative finish. You can have it painted to resemble clouds, or you can add a gold leaf finish.
Furniture for a Tuscan Style Dining room should resemble 18th century Italian Provincial of which you can easily find reproductions. Chairs should be richly upholstered, and lighting fixtures should have an antique bronze finish. Window treatments should be simple, but the fabrics should be luxurious.
There are numerous accessories that would go well in a Tuscan style dining room. Antique decorative sconces would be a great addition, as would this Laurel Grape Rectangle Decorative Iron Wall Plaque. 
At approximately 2' high x 4.5 feet wide, this wall art is on an impressive size and would serve well as a focal point in your Tuscan dining room. This cast iron wall hanging features grape vines and on a wood look frame and can be hung horizontally or vertically.
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Monday, March 17, 2008
I love decorating for fall. The reason might be that it is so cost effective to go outside and gather materials that can be used to bring in the brilliant colors and smells of the season into the home. On the other hand, it could be that I love the relaxing atmosphere that fall decorating creates. As fall turns to winter, I often put off changing my decorating theme because I find the subtle but rich hues of fall far more attractive to that of the bolder holiday season. If you are anything like me, you should know that you could keep your fall decor all year long.
While items brought in from the outside to spruce up your home for fall will certainly fade, paint and purchased home decor in the colors and theme of the season will not. There is no reason why you cannot paint your home in the rich hues of yellow, orange, red and brown of falling leaves. There is not reason your wall art decor cannot celebrate the fall season all year long.
One example of wall art that emotes the fall season all year long is this Metal Tree Leaves plaque.
This rustic metal wall hanging is inspired by the beauty of autumn, but will look great in your home all year long. The metal is finished in rich earth tones and patinas. This three-dimensional wall hanging is both beautiful and practical. It can be hung on any wall in the home, both inside and outside. The 44" wide X 24" high plaque can be hung horizontally or vertically.
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Saturday, March 15, 2008
When decorating formal rooms in your home, it helps to have a theme. After all, formal rooms generally get less traffic and activity when compared to the family room, bedrooms, and the kitchen. Since it is a special occasion room, it could be fun to make it truly special. Creating a theme, whether subtle or bold will help to give you direction when buying furnishings and
wall décor items for your formal living or dining room.
Formal room themes can be based on a vacation spots you have visited like, like Italy or Hawaii. You can also base your formal room theme on its major function. For example, if you have a piano in your formal living room or your child uses it to practice the violin or harp, why not create a music room theme. In addition to your musical instruments and formal room furnishings, you would need to find wall décor that would tell the visitor at first glance what the theme of the room is.
A great piece to put in a formal room with a music theme would be a musical
wall art sculpture such as the Asovia Musical Note Metal Wall Art. This wall décor item is 49” wide by 21” high. Its design of it reminds the observer of music in motion. It has freeform floating staff lines with musical notes on it.
The
Asovia Musical Note Metal Wall Art piece is a beautiful and unique item that would look great hanging over an upright piano, or over a sofa. This musical note metal wall art would also look great in the bedroom, or hallway. It makes a great gift for anyone who has a love for music.
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Thursday, March 13, 2008
Every decorated room should have several key elements. These key elements include color, style, comfort, and something unexpected. Having an unexpected item in your room’s décor is what makes the room truly personal. Unexpected items reveal something about the personality and inner psyche of the homeowner.
So what qualifies as something unexpected? It can be anything that one would not normally expect to be in room, but somehow still fits. It would catch the visitor’s eye, and possibly elicit a comment, but never turn them off. It would also fit into the overall design style of the home. An unexpected, but still good-taste-worthy item might be a mannequin sitting on a ledge in a loft apartment. It can be industrial items transformed to fit residential use. It can also be a traditional piece of wall décor that represents an item you would not expect on a wall.
One item that you would only expect to see in the wall of a loft or modern home is a bicycle. However, if you are the traditional type with an affinity for bicycling, you could consider buying an item like the Poznan Bicycle Metal Wall Hanging. This metal wall art piece takes an otherwise industrial item and recreates it into a classic wall piece. With dimensions of 39.5” wide and 34” high, it is the perfect size to fit on the wall above your favorite chair or your in your foyer. If you want to use the Poznan Bicycle Metal Wall Hanging on a feature wall, consider purchasing two or three and installing them in a straight line on the wall. Now that would be unexpected!
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Saturday, March 1, 2008
It can be a challenge to decorate a small dining room.
Finding appropriate furniture, rugs and
wall decorations for the home is a little more difficult when dealing with limited space.
With a little creativity, however, you can create big time elegance in your little room.
You’ll need to find furniture that not only fits, but is of the proper scale. You want to be able to walk easily around the table. If the table is too large, it will make the entire room look even smaller. An option for seating a larger crowd is to purchase a table with leaves. Then you will have the option of expanding the size of the table only when you need the extra seating.
Paint the walls a lighter shade, especially if there isn’t a lot of natural light, to make the room look larger. Hanging a mirror, perhaps between some metal artwork, will also make the room appear larger.
You’ll also want to choose artwork that is of the proper scale. Whether your style is traditional or modern, you’ll want to find appropriate wall decorations that aren’t so large as to overpower the room.
Of course, painting and prints are available in any size and can be found in styles that match any décor. For more modern rooms, metal wall artwork is a great addition. Choose smaller pieces, such as the Compona Metal Wall Art. 
This hanging sculpture features shades of black and brown. It’s small enough to fit on even a secondary wall in your dining room. This piece of art is visually interesting enough to be the focal point of the room, or consider purchasing two and use them to flank a simply framed mirror.
With a few special touches, your little dining room can be big on style!
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