Mediterranean design included elements from many provinces.  You will find Italian influenced art.  You will find European elements.  You will also find a touch of Spanish and Turkish extravagance.  If you like Mediterranean design, you have many choices, probably too many choices when choosing design elements for your home.  This is why focusing on one region of the Mediterranean will make your home more cohesive.   

If you were to focus on Turkish design elements, for example, you would look for items with rich but natural colors as you would find in most Turkish décor.  You will also look for ornate designs with intricate detail and gilded in gold.  Intricate textural designs are key to Turkish designs, as are deep red woven rugs. 

An example of a décor item that is truly Turkish in nature is this set of Bergama metal wall vases, which is inspired by the city of Bergama in the Izmir Province of Turkey. 

This set of wall vases has a wrought iron detail with fleur-de-lis and a diamond pattern on the base.  The color is rich, yet natural shades of brown, and it is accentuated with gold to emphasize the details.  To add to the beauty of these vases, you can add green ivy plants that flow over the sides.  These will look great in any room, such as the dining room, as an accent wall, or as a major decorative feature in your bathroom. 

Mediterranean Décor is really big right now, and the price tag is big as well.  With its inspiration in Italian Villas, Provincial Hideaways, and Turkish Palaces, you can see that these items would not be easy to come by.  Still, you can take inspiration from Mediterranean décor to spice up your home, even when on a budget.  Here are some tips you can follow. 

Color:  Mediterranean colors pick the most brilliant tones from nature.  Look for reds that mimic the color of poppies and red peppers.  Use oranges, that mimic velencia oranges and terra cotta roofs.  Look for natural gold and lemon yellows.  Olive greens, and mint are popular for green.  As for blue, pick colors like Mediterranean, Adriatic, and Aegean.  Eggplant purple, white-wash white, and glossy blacks are also colors to use in Mediterranean design.   

Texture:  Furniture and wall décor are meant to be felt as much as looked at.  In addition to textured walls, fabrics and wood should have fine details that cause you to run a finger across it in curiosity.   

Eclectic:  Mediterranean décor does not have to be matchy and balanced.  .  You wont find a three piece living room suite  in a Mediterranean home.  You will instead find pieces that coordinate well and look good together.  Also avoid setting up your home in a way that is symmetrical and it takes away from the eclecticism  of Mediterranean style.   

This Ankara Metal Wall Planter set is a good example of Mediterranean Décor Style.  The color is a rich brown of the earth. It will make a perfect base for ivy plants and the occasional bright flowers.   It has a fine details that are intricate in nature.  The pieces are of varied sizes that allows you to coordinate a room without being too predictable and symmetrical.  The wall vase pieces in this set are 18, 15, and 14 inches, and can be used to accent a single wall, a hallway, or to place around a large room. 

A  couple in Roswell GA are building a 10,000 square foot house on two acres of property.  The house will feature 10 foot ceilings, exotic hardwood floors, oversized fireplaces, and wood beams.   The home has murals, stone accents, French doors, a pools, hot tub, and out door kitchen.  My favorite part of the house would have to be the mosquito spray system around the pool area.  (AJC.COM)

Reading stories like this always makes me wonder what I would do with that kind of space.  Being a minimalist at heart 10,000 square feet is difficult to fathom in the first place, but if I had a really decorate 10,000 square feet, I think the home would be as open as humanly possible with simple but natural details and high end work areas in the kitchen, baths, and laundry.   

I would guess that I might treat my walls as if they were an art gallery hanging wall plaques, paintings, and unique pieces of art. .  I mean, if you are going to have 10,000 square feet of floor space, can you imaging how much wall space you would have.  In having that much wall space, I might experiment a bit and get a piece that I might not normally purchase.   

This Magra Rainbow Rings Contemporary Metal Wall Hanging for example, is probably the unique piece of art I have ever encountered.  It is made up from four brushed aluminum rings and an acrylic ribbon that ties the rings together. It is Height: 36" x Width: 68" x Depth, has a one year warranty, and can be displayed horizontally or vertically.  You can even display it on a diagonal if you wish.   This piece would fit well into any contemporary through eclectic home and add a burst of color to any room.  With an art piece this bold, you won’t need any other focal point in the home. 

 If you like this art piece, you will also love this one too. 

Industrial art is any art that uses common material to make extraordinary things.  Industrial art is often abstract in design and is most often found in industrial environments.  With the insurgence of warehouses being transformed into residences, industrial art has found its way into these homes.  It has also found its way into homes that are not industrial in design.   

How do you know if industrial art is right for your home?  Firstly, it is right for your home if you find yourself attracted to it.  Secondly, you would need a few furniture pieces, wall finishes, or other abstract art to balance it.  Your decorating style would have to be eclectic, modern, or contemporary in nature.   

This Main Contemporary Big Swoosh Metal Wall Art is a great piece to bring into your home whether you live in a warehouse apartment, and industrial love, or a contemporary home on a cul-de-sac.  If you bring this piece into your home, you may want to accent it with a couple more metal wall art pieces, or with metal finishes on your walls or some of your furniture.  For contrast, in texture, you may want to display it on a brick wall, or a faux finished wall that has an aged effect.

 This wall art sculpture is made of hand brushed aluminum and acrylic ribbon.  It is forged by skilled artisans and is functional with a built in light bulb to further enhance brilliant colors and textures.  The art sculpture is 3X 5 feet in size and weight 47 pounds.  It is a great item to feature in any room of the home.

Abstract art is art that while it is beautiful and pleasant to look at, doesn’t represent anything in particular.  While it may have been created with an idea or inspiration in mind, viewers are very likely to see something completely different from what the artist intended.  Considering the fact that abstract art has no set theme, choosing the right piece for your home can be can be confusing.  Here are some tips you can use. 

Look at the types of furniture that you typically purchase for your home.  Do you like straight angles and lines, or do you prefer fluid curved lines and circles in your furniture styles.   

The Livenza Silver Runs Through It Contemporary Metal Wall Hanging, for example would be well suited to a home where sofas have metal legs, and tables have glass tops and a curved sculpted bases.  It would be a great compliment both warm and cool toned décor with the bronze rings and silver flowing detail.  It would also go better in a home with curved details rather than straight lines in the design.   

If your home décor fits any of these description, you will definitely like this very large (3 X 6 foot) wall art piece.  It is made of forged and sculpted metal by skilled artisans and comes with hardware for hanging this 28 pound piece.  It will make a great focal point for any room in the home. 

If you like this ring based abstract art, you may also like this one too.

There are many types of modern décor available for people who want to decorate their home in a contemporary way.  There is modern, ultra modern, post modern, Neo Classical modern, retro modern design and more.  The one thing each of these modern styles has in common with the others is the fact that all types of modern décor have roots in the past.   

Platform beds have their roots in the enclosed bed of yesteryear that were used to give sleeping people privacy and keep them warm.  The only difference is the walled sides have been removed.  You will find many sleek glass tables with table bases reminiscent of sculpture of yesteryear or curved wood legs.   

Another example of Modern wall  décor with traditional influence is this Tesino Scarf Dance Contemporary 3 pc Metal Wall Hanging.  At first glance, it is a truly modern piece made from different types of metal in finishes of silver, rust, and a “root beer” color.  If you look at it more closely, you will see that it pays homage to a Henri Matisse French painting from 1954 called La Dance.  This derivative of the classic art piece has three dancers instead of the original five, and it uses a scarf theme to add fluidity in the painting.  Anyone who likes modern or more traditional art would feel comfortable with this set hanging on his or her walls.   

The Tesino Scarf Dance Contemporary art piece weighs 20 pounds and is 42” X 54” in side (combined).  It has a one-year warranty and hardware for hanging the art is included. 

If you admire African art, there is no reason you have to fit into a special ethnic group to display it in your home and enjoy it.  African art is made for both Africans, African descendants, and non-Africans to enjoy.  You do, however need to find a way to make it fit into your overall design style without overwhelming it.  Here are some things you should consider when purchasing African art for your non-ethnic home.

Make sure it fits into your overall design scheme.  Look at the colors and tones of the artwork and make sure it coordinates with other décor in your home.  This Taho African Trio Contemporary 3pc Metal Wall Sculpture for example, would go great with neutral colors, leather furniture and dark wood floors.  If you have other artwork in your home with these kinds of colors and tones, this item will not seem out of place.

Do not get carried away.  Your home décor may seem out of place with your personality if all of your art and décor are African American in nature.  While an African theme is perfectly acceptable, in one room only, or in subtle way, if people who enter your home assume someone from Africa lives there, you may have gone over board.

Balance it out.  Just as having too much African Art in your home, can seem a bit overwhelming, having only one-piece can be a bit underwhelming.  For example, if you are going to have the piece of art pictured in this article, you may also want to purchase a few woodcarvings, and African drum or an African Map. At the very least purchase three dimensional wall art  with the same tones and feel as the African Art. 

The Wall art  featured above is a three piece set that when combined is 42” high X 54” wide.  It is about 1 ½ inches thick and is made of rootbeer (metal), silver, an bronze.  Since it is a heavy cumbersome piece, it comes with its own hinging hardware.  It comes with a 1 year warranty and weighs 28 pounds. 

When someone says the words “contemporary art”, most people think abstract art are images that are less than realistic.  Meanwhile, contemporary art is defined as any art produced since the 1950’s.  This means that just about anyone can find a piece of contemporary art that suits his or her decorating style.  This means it is perfectly acceptable to purchase contemporary art for your home. 

Contemporary art can be a major investment depending on the popularity of the artist (many of whom are still living).  If you are looking to purchase a painted piece of investment art or a print, be sure that the artist has signed the piece and dated it.  There should be some markings on the artwork that makes it unique or that indicates that it is at least rare.

Contemporary art comes in many styles.  You can find abstract wall art, impressionistic, photorealism, Electronic art, and even software art to display in your home.  You will find subjects like painted ladies to wonderful floral designs and art that blurs the lines between the styles and subjects. 

One piece of artwork that blurs the line between subjects and styles is this Sesia Super Nova Contemporary Metal Wall Hanging.  It can resemble different subjects depending on the angle of your glance and the mood of the observer.  It appears to be a floral piece and abstract work at the same time.  Similarly, it could easily be mistaken for photography or even a painting, but it is actually made from forged metal.   This three-piece art set can be displayed in any number of ways and when displayed together is 42” H X 54” wide.  It is about 1 ½ inches deep (thickness). 

Whatever type of contemporary art you decide to purchase, the most important thing is that you like it to the point of having an emotional response to it.  Never purchase art that you are only luke-warm about in opposed to being absolutely crazy about it. 

In decorating our homes, sometimes we take ourselves far too seriously.  We make a plan and follow it closely.  We don’t deviate from a long list of do’s and don’ts.  We agonize over every little detail and call our friends for advice.  But sometimes, it pays to just have a little fun with your decorating.  Here are some tips you can try.

Use your accessories creatively.  Use a fireplace screen as the base of a table.  Use dining room chandelier in walk in closet.  Re-appoint a twin bed as a sofa.  Think out of the box when decorating. 

Add a bright color.  Of course it is wise to only use neutral colors in permanent fixtures in your home.  Still the occasional brightly colored room or item can help infuse your personality into your home. 

Purchase something extravagant.  Sometimes the occasional splurge on a home decorating feature is enough to make the rest of your home’s décor appear to be more valuable.  After all, no one expects to find a $400.00 mirror over a desk that was purchased at a garage sale for $15.00, but it would certainly be wise to combine the two. 

One such item that fits these criteria is this Washington Rectangle Swarovski Wall Mirror is a creative item that combines genuine Swarovski crystals into a wall art mirror where one would not expect to find such crystals.  It is a bright color and will instantly make your home seem more fun.  It is also a bit extravagant with 150 Swarovski crystals in a festive sunburst design. 

This wall art mirror is 44 inches by 33 inches. It can be displayed horizontally or vertically and will look great in just about any room.  

Keep your patterns to a minimum.  Find one or two patterns that you like but make sure that they don’t compete with each other.  If one pattern is intricate and rich in detail, the other pattern should be complimentary, and have a simple pattern.  Other fabrics should be solid in color and also complimentary to the original. 

In the matter of furniture, stick to simple items with clean lines.  Avoid items with too much ornamentation and choose furnishings that are solid in nature but well built.  Purchase the best items your money can buy, while looking for quality that will withstand the test of time.  Avoid trends and stick to the classics. 

Simple accessories and wall décor should also be well built and simple.  The beauty in such accents should be in special touches that makes the items unique.  In addition, you should not go overboard with the number of wall decorations in a room.  Strive for balance in your room, buying accessories in sets of two and creating a sense of symmetry in your rooms.

Speaking of simple but beautiful wall décor accessories, this Nevada Rectangle Swarovski Wall Mirror is a beautiful and well constructed mirror walnut finish mirror that has been embedded with approximately 500 Swarovski crystals in the frame.  With items this impressive in your home, you can see how just a few simple items will make your home shine. 

Decorating one room to suit the tastes of two completely different people can be a difficult thing to do.  Most couples fight over colors and patterns until they aren’t sure they want to be a couple anymore, and some couples just end up with one person giving up and letting the other take over.  

There really isn’t any reason to be unhappy about choosing décor for two.  I have found that the best solution for my family, is to let one person choose the colors, while the other chooses the patterns and finishes.  My bedroom for example is muted sage/ olive green color, with rust and beige accents.  These were certainly not my first choice of colors.  What I did with these colors however was my choice.  I found a wonderful flower pattern in the rust and beige color to cover the walls in a section of the room, and to use as window toppers.  Curtain panels are in a beige plaid that both of us liked, and the wall is the deep masculine green color I mentioned.  I change out bed linens seasonally between these colors and we are both very comfortable in the room.  

If you are having this dilemma, I strongly suggest that you make a compromise of this type.  If one person chooses the colors, and the other the items, it will be hard for either person to be unhappy in the room.  

A good example of an item that would suit one person’s colors and another persons tastes could be this Georgia Round Swarovski Wall Mirror.  This porthole style wall art mirror is in a deep navy blue color with black accents that would certainly suit any man’s sensibilities.  It is however, embedded with 250 crystals, transforming it into a lavish piece to add to any woman’s collection.

A Spanish style kitchen has much of the same charm and architecture as a typical Italian Kitchen.  However, it takes home décor to a more brilliant level.  Where Italian décor is peaceful and relaxing, Spanish décor is vibrant and exciting.  Here are the basics of creating a Spanish style kitchen.   

A Spanish style kitchen theme works best with traditional cabinetry that is a little on the rustic side.  Simple but boldly carved cabinet doors should be accented with wrought iron handles to add a Spanish flair.   

Paint colors for a Spanish style kitchen are rich without being overwhelming.  This is a great opportunity to do a fun faux effect on the wall, with a golden yellow background and rich brown glazing.   

Furniture is what really defines Spanish décor.  You will find a mixture of wood and wrought iron.  Upholstery is usually kept to a minimum and leather is often used.  When fabric is used, it is usually in a tapestry weave. 

Accessories in the Spanish style are quite simple yet very beautiful.  Take for instance this Santiago Antique Glass Candle Lantern with scrolled wrought iron work and clean lines.  This lantern stands are 18”H X 11.5” across and will make a great table centerpiece on its own or serve as part of a collection of candle lanterns. 

Purchasing home accessories and wall décor can be an incredibly difficult task.  Some people can search for hours and find nothing that they like.  Some people like everything they see and have trouble making a decision.  But how do you know which accessories to purchase?  Here are some tips you can use. 

Purchase accessories that catch your eye.  It takes time to fight the right accessories for your home.  Nothing is more important in choosing accessories than finding items that you like, since you will have to live with them.  Start your search by just walking through home décor and accessory stores and take note of the items that catch your eye.  Eventually a pattern will emerge that makes your personal tastes in home accessories clear. 

Do not purchase accessories that you are not in love with.  It is so easy to purchase everything that matches, or to purchase whatever your friend or mother tells you to purchase.  Resist the pressure to purchase items that you don’t absolutely love.  It is rare that you will later fall in love with a home accessory that you didn’t love in the store. 

Purchase home décor items that fit with the style of your home.  If you are one of those people who likes everything they see, you can edit your home accessory choices by sticking to items that match the style of your home.  If you have an arts and crafts style home, then you should not purchase a shabby chic white-washed mirror. 

For example, if you are looking for accessories for your Italian style home, then you want to purchase a home accessory item like this Prato metal/glass candle lantern.  Looking at it, you can see the distinct Italian styling from the curved ironwork to the Italian pattern on the class that resembles stencil work on Venetian plaster.  This wall art lantern is 36” high X 11” wide and will look great hanging in the wall in your foyer, dining room, living room or bedroom. 

It was recently announced that the family of John Wayne, owners of Wayne Enterprises and “The Duke’s Brand” is planning to introduce a new line of furniture and accessories for the home.   

The furniture is planned to fit the lifestyle and sensibilities of the actor famous for western movies and military movies.  According to the Sun-Sentinel website, Homeowners can expect to find comfortable furniture “that is meant to be lived in and not displayed”, with masculine and western elements.  (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/home/sfl-flhg10waynesbmay10,0,4516582.story)   

The star branded furniture should be available for sale almost 30 years after John Wayne’s death, in two or three years.  In the meantime if you want create a home décor style that reminiscent of John Wayne; there are some steps you can take in the meanwhile.   

Look for furnishing items that are rustic and weathered without looking old and worn.  Leather should be aged, but not damaged, wall decorations should be from nature, and reminiscent of salvage and old world décor.  Instead of traditional wall art consider hanging items like wagon wheels, iron wall grates, and wall lanterns like this Modena Metal Candle Wall Lantern.   

• November 2007