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Ways to Decorate the Living Room According to Seasons

Monday, September 26th, 2011

Decorating your home to match different holidays and seasons can be a lot of fun for decorators both amateur and professional. Customizing your space as the seasons change can keep things fresh and interesting. If you keep the big ticket fixtures – like furnishings, flooring and wall color – in your living room neutral, you can play with seasonal color palettes to add spice and flair with your accessories. When planning your seasonal decor, consider how your family and guests will experience the living space. What will they see, hear, touch and smell? What do you want people to see first? What part of the room do you want to make the biggest impression? Answering these basic design questions before undertaking a seasonal decorating plan will save you a lot of guessing time, as well as increase your chances of creating a beautiful and satisfying environment.

Autumn September -November
Holidays/unique elements to consider: Halloween, Veteran’s Day, Labor Day, harvest, leaves change color, Thanksgiving, back to school, elections.
Sights: Use accents in warm fall colors from nature. Pumpkin orange, russet red, butternut squash gold, pecan brown as well as colors from your spice rack (paprika, cumin, cayenne, and clove) look great against neutrals and add warmth and depth to your space. Consider adding wool throws, toss pillows, art and decorative pieces in these shades to instantly add autumn flair.
Smells: Scented candles and other home fragrances can make your home feel very inviting. While baking and actual apple pie with fresh ground cinnamon or a hot loaf of pumpkin or zucchini bread are the most authentic ways to add scent, using a candle scented with spiced apples, sugar cookies or pumpkin pie can add a nice touch.
Textures: In autumn we all pull out our cool weather sweaters and prepare to hunker in for the winter. Make cold weather seem inviting by using cozy woven fabrics and other rich textures throughout your living space. Wool, velour, corduroy, denim and canvass are all wonderful autumn fabrics.
Feelings to evoke: Coziness, comfort, warmth.

Winter December – February
Holidays/unique elements to consider: Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s day.
Sights: Colors associated with winter are very cool and crisp. Blue and gray dominate, with white, silver and midnight blue accenting. Religious holidays have associated colors as well, including red and green for Christmas, blue and white for Chanukah and gold, red and green for Kwanzaa.  Holiday decorations are likely displayed prominently in December, but accenting your normal decor with winter colors after the holidays can create a look that is both crisp and polished.
Smells: The holidays usually mean homes are filled with the smells of fresh baked goods and delicious holiday meals. Additional scents to consider include pine, peppermint, cranberry, merlot and mocha.
Textures: Soothing, soft and warm fabrics and textures invite family and guests to curl up with a cup of cocoa. Consider a fluffy lap sized duvet, beautiful handmade quilts or a cashmere throw on the back of the sofa, paired with a few winter hued toss pillows. Accent with a dash of smooth, cool silk or taffeta in an icy blue.
Feelings to evoke: Holiday cheer, companionship, peace and goodwill.

Spring March – May
Holidays/unique elements to consider: Mother’s day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, blooming flowers, spring cleaning
Sights: Spring is the perfect time to fill your home with fresh flowers. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and lilies in a rainbow of spring colors can instantly make the stuffiest space feel fresh and new.  Stash away the heavy winter blankets and accessories and bring out decorative pieces in lightweight fabrics and crisp colors. Take your color cues from springtime flower gardens and blooming trees by bringing in soft pastels, bright greens and yellows and creamy vanilla shades of white.
Smells: Nothing smells better than a fresh spring breeze, throw open the windows and let Mother Nature help clear out the last of the winter stuffiness in your home. Fresh flowers will tint the air with delicate perfume. Additionally, it never quite feels like spring until the cleaning is done and the whole house smells lemon fresh and polished for spring.
Textures: Go for soft, lightweight textures.  Silk, cotton and linen are classic and cool. Spring is a great time to play with pattern as well as texture, consider adding some accents in a spring inspired floral or stripe.
Feelings to evoke: Renewal, contentedness, energy.

Summer June – August
Holidays/unique elements to consider: Independence Day, Father’s Day, Flag Day, barbeques, the beach, family vacations.
Sights: Accessories in bright summer colors pop against a neutral background. Turquoise blue, sea green, coral, sandy browns and sunny yellows all add a summer feel. Color cues can also be taken from summer produce stands, bright leafy greens, bold berry colors and rich tomato reds are perfect colors to accent hot summer days.
Smells: Nothing smells more like summer than freshly mown grass, earthy food fresh from the garden and warm ocean breezes. Fill your home with smells of freshly squeezed lemons, meat from the grill and summer flowers.
Textures: Like spring, summer is a time for lightweight, natural fiber fabrics like cotton, raw silk and linen. Take cues from the fabrics you enjoy wearing in the summer as you choose your accent pieces. Crisp, light colored fabrics make even the hottest day feel as cool as a cucumber.
Feelings to evoke: Relaxation, cool comfort, vacation.

Jessica Ackerman from WallDecorandHomeAccents.com, has skills in all areas of wooden wall hangings and tree of life wall sculpture.

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Unique Ideas for Decorating Foyer Walls

Sunday, September 25th, 2011

Decorating a foyer can be a daunting task.  In most modern open concept design homes, the foyer is little more than the area around the front door.   Many homes feature two story foyers, which can provide an even bigger design challenge, both literally and figuratively.  There are several things you can do to spice up the entry way to your home without spending a lot of money.

Photo collage – Hang a set of related photographs in frames on your wall in a pattern, giving the impression of a much larger piece of art.   Keep at least one element consistent, such as using black and white photographs or using the same color frame and matting to give your collection an intentional look.   This project can be done very inexpensively if you have a color printer available – find a series of images on the web, print them on cardstock and place them in frames picked up at the local flea market or garage sale.  Paint mismatched frames or use them as is for a great shabby chic look.  In this image, the Za Za Hotel has created a striking display of celebrity drawings in identical frames hung in a grid, but the effect can be just as lovely in a freeform design.

Wall decals – Wall decals are the next big thing in home decorating, and can be perfect for livening up foyer walls.  Dozens of online retailers sell wall decals in a variety of patterns and colors, or you can make your own.   Craft stores sell die-cutting machines with a limitless amount of options for creating the perfect piece of art for your walls, or if you’re artistic and good with a craft knife, you can create and cut out your own designs.  Cling vinyl, which will stick to flat surfaces without an adhesive, can be purchased in nearly any quantity and is widely available at craft stores and online auction sites.

1.    Organization station – If you manage a busy family, the foyer can be a great place to keep track of complicated schedules and the items we all seem to need when we come and go from our homes.  Consider hanging an attractive calendar, cubbies with electronics chargers, key hooks and closed storage for shoes and cold-weather wear.   Several companies make customizable wall organization systems with combinations of writing surfaces, pin boards, storage shelves and hanging compartments.  Especially handy decorators who know their way around power tools could easily create a completely customized organization wall system for very little money.

Mirrors – a mirror is pretty standard in a foyer, but mirrors are classic décor pieces for a reason – they can make a space feel much larger by reflecting both space and light.  A mirror is also practical to have by the front door for last minute checks before heading out, and mirrors come in an infinite number of styles and sizes.  In this image, the decorator has used an ornate, oversized mirror to create a dramatic entryway in very little space.

2.    Think like a hotel – Think of your favorite hotel and how it has appointed its lobby.  While your foyer at home may not be nearly as expansive or architecturally stunning as the foyer at a hotel, you can borrow ideas and translate them to fit into your décor.   What elements make you feel as though you are somewhere special?  Fresh flowers, exquisite furniture, beautiful art?  Looking at public spaces you enjoy can help you define your own style, and provide hints at how you can achieve your own version at home.

Play with bold color – A foyer wall is the perfect place to play with a bold, daring color you want in your home but aren’t brave enough to use to paint an entire room.  A two-story wall painted a bold color is an art piece in itself, as well as making a dramatic backdrop for an art collection.  In this image, the decorator has painted the walls a very bright pink – not a color many people would expect to find in an entryway – but brings it together with coordinating fabrics and furnishings, causing the bold color to blend into the background while making the pieces in the room shine.  While this style isn’t for everyone, it does demonstrate how effective strong color can be in a foyer.  The accent colors are equally bold, yet the overall picture is very polished.

3.     Make an art niche – A small wall can be a great backdrop for some of your favorite decorative pieces.  In this photo, the decorator used a painting, a two light sconce and a small table of items to create a very welcoming, warm area in a tiny amount of space.  Note how the art pops against the bold, textured wall color.

Family memory wall – While a collection of family photos is always touching, think outside of the box if you’d like to pay tribute to your family’s accomplishments on your foyer walls.  Instead of limiting yourself to school photos and wedding pictures, find creative ways to display your family’s history.  Frame a piece of your wedding dress with pressed flowers from your bouquet or a great piece of art your child created at school.   Make scrapbook pages of your family’s vacations and frame them to hang.

Jessica Ackerman of WallDecorandHomeAccents.com, is an interior designer who illustrates how simple it can be to use wooden wall artwork and large abstract wall art.

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Suggestions for Hanging Wall Art in Groups

Saturday, September 24th, 2011

Creating an art wall is one of the quickest ways to personalize your space.  A grouping of carefully selected art pieces can bring a bland space to life, and is perfect for renters who can’t paint but still want to bring some sass to living spaces.  Creating a delightful wall takes only your imagination, a hammer, some nails, a ruler, a level,  a few pieces of paper cut to the shape of your art and a roll of tape.

Basic Tips
No matter what you plan to do with your walls, the steps to create the best look are the same.  Once you’ve chosen your pieces, trace each onto a piece of newspaper and cut them out.  Use these to try out different arrangements before you hang the actual art. Use your ruler and level instead of trying to guess or eyeball where each piece should go.  Mark nail holes with a pencil and apply a small piece of clear tape on the wall before driving in the nail to prevent drywall or plaster from cracking.  When you’re satisfied, replace the paper decoys with actual art.

Find A Common Thread
Here we see a simple arrangement of five paintings by artist Marisa Haedike.   Connected by a color palette and similar theme, the paintings stand out against the mustard yellow background.  Like an outfit that makes you feel like the best possible version of yourself, a well planned art grouping can turn a nice room into a fantastic room.  This type of wall art group is the easiest to master, even for those who don’t consider themselves decorators.
Start with five paintings which are similar in size, are the right scale for the wall, and share at least one characteristic.  That characteristic can be the same kind of frame, a color or subject, but make sure you can visually connect each image to every other image.  Hang in two lines, either horizontally or vertically, with two pictures in one line and three in the other.   Voila, instantly gorgeous wall.

Create an Illusion
This photo illustrates how you can create a headboard from a collection of framed art.  The soft pastels and gentle images in the photo wall balance beautifully with the white room and the black and white graphic on the blinds.  The overall affect is both soothing and sophisticated, classic and chic.  A monochromatic room can feel very stark, but the art selection and the rich textures in this room keep the look inviting.

Make the Most of Your Home’s Quirky Details
Here, the photo collection helps make an eleven foot wall feel less intimidating.   The decorator took advantage of an odd space in a client’s bathroom by filling it with beautifully framed family photographs.  The black, silver and white frames bring the collection together while the careful arrangement of the grid pattern creates a striking and dramatic focal point in the unusual space.

The soaring, narrow wall could easily make the small restroom feel even smaller than it is, taking advantage of it as a natural focal point was a smart decorating choice.  The rest of the bathroom, including fixtures, walls and countertops, appears to be pure white, which is a perfect backdrop for this collection.  The small individual image size makes the wall feel like a patchwork quilt.

While the frames are different shapes and sizes, there is a certain amount of symmetry in this design.  Notice that the four long rectangular frames are identically sized and used as anchor pieces in the corners of the design.  The four similarly shaped small square frames are also grouped in twos, giving the overall design balance. Creating this wall is as simple as the five art piece mentioned previously, just on a larger scale. Pick the art you want to use, lay out your design with paper patterns,  and check every piece with a ruler and a level.

Get Crafty
The following images show different ways to create an art wall group with a variety of projects.  If you fancy yourself as artistic, you may wish to try your hand at creating your own art.  Not only will you save money, you’ll also have a wall you know is completely one-of-a-kind.

Fabric Finesse
This individual uses beautiful fabric samples in a bright spring time color palette to create a bright and cheerful art grouping.   To recreate this look, gather an assortment of fabric scraps and head to the local hardware store to purchase a couple of sheets of hardboard, which is essentially pegboard without the holes.   If you don’t have the resources to cut the board to size yourself, ask the hardware store to cut your sheets of hardboard down to size for you.   Sand the edges of the cut pieces to remove any rough patches, then stretch each piece of fabric around a piece of board and secure to the back with a staple gun.  Avoid using glue or other adhesive which may bleed through fabrics.

Quick and Gorgeous
This project is as simple as purchasing 12 LP record album cover frames and decorative paper.  Paper designed for scrapbook pages ( 12” x 12”) is the perfect size and comes in an endless variety of colors and patterns.  Simply slide paper into the frame, measure and hang.

A collection like this is only limited by your imagination.  Consider using record album covers, wrapping paper, fabric, art paper or your own art in place of the scrapbook paper.   Remember to keep your images connected in some way to give your overall project a sense of being intentional  and put together.   Even a grid of identical solid colored blocks can be visually interesting .

An Artist’s Interpretation
Finally, this image illustrates what a really talented digital artist can create.  This collage is made of photos, much like the tower in the bathroom above, but the artist has taken the images a step farther by personalizing the individual pictures with his or her own stamp.   The vintage, sepia toned images used as a foundation are beautiful alone; with the artist’s additions they become extraordinary.

Jessica Ackerman is a freelance writer and works for WallDecorandHomeAccents.com. She shares her wealth of knowledge on wood wall art and tree of life wall art.

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Ideas for Decorating a Contemporary Bedroom with Bright Colors

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

Contemporary design is a perfect choice for decorators who love bright, dynamic colors. While some contemporary design elements focus on clean lines and minimalism in a neutral or black/white color scheme, there is plenty of room for bright splashes of punch color. The bedroom, long seen as a room, which needs to be decorated in soothing, pale colors, can actually be a great place to experiment with bold color. While we all use our bedrooms to relax and unwind, bright colors can help us brighten our moods in the mornings and energize us to face the day. In this article, we will look at five fun and funky contemporary bedrooms, which have used bright, fun colors to create awesome sleeping spaces.

Sleek and Understated
This gorgeous bedroom is a wonderful example of the power of color in minimalist design. Without the painting over the bed and the bright cerulean stripe, this room would be boring and feel bottom heavy. The flash of blue is both a surprise and a delight to the eye; as a result, it makes the room feel lighter and balanced. Waking up in a bad mood in this room seems impossible.

Lighthearted and Funky
This room is an experiment in contrast. The solid white walls, ceiling, bedding, floor and furnishings create a perfectly blank canvas. The decorator has added layers of shades of green, gold and blue to create a very contemporary space with a sense of humor. The mix of old and new materials in the décor above the fireplace, as well as the hodgepodge of styles of fabric used on the pillows and throws in the room create mini-juxtapositions throughout the space. Note the deep turquoise sari fabric on the bed and the black, white and yellow French toile on the bedside lamp. The butterfly mirror, the Eames chair in the corner and the miniature fireplace add a hint of quirkiness and fun to the space as well.

Lofty Ideals
As many individuals and families continue to move into refurbished loft spaces, many decorators are faced with the beauty and the challenge of decorating around open brick. An open brick wall can add so much texture and character to a room, but it can be difficult to keep it from becoming dominant. In this photo, the teenage room owner has created a bold color palette to compliment the brick. Sticking with red, orange and beige with accents in black and white makes the whole room work together. Notice how few patterns are used – brick has a bold pattern already, the solid colors do not compete.

Trendy Chic
This room features an up to the minute color scheme. Apple green, pumpkin orange, chocolate brown and charcoal gray in combination are very hot right now. It is a very crisp, fresh color scheme, which pops against basic black and/or white. The individual who decorated this room made a wise choice about using trendy colors and confined the use to the bedding. Replacing a duvet and sheets when this palette goes out of style will be simple and relatively inexpensive. Adding lots of light keeps the room bright and functional for many purposes.

Shapely Chic
This sitting area demonstrates how to add splashes of color and shape to a contemporary space. The rounded backs on the loveseat and chairs, as well as the bright and cheery round rugs and the fun hanging lights add softness to the hard, square lines of the room. Even the utilitarian light fixture in the center of the ceiling has several circular elements. This room is a great example of how a little color can go a long way in creating a fun, unique space with lots of visual interest.

Online contributing editor for WallDecorandHomeAccents.com, Jessica Ackerman has extensive design experience, using tree of life wall hanging and wooden wall hangings.

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Use Contemporary Art to Update a Fireplace

Thursday, August 25th, 2011

A fireplace can’t help but be a focal point: It draws you in with its warmth and comfort, as well as its style and design. However, if the fireplace is in disrepair or is woefully outdated, it will have the opposite effect. You won’t be able to take your eyes off it, but for all the wrong reasons. In a contemporary room, an outdate fireplace will be a real detriment to the overall decorative effect of the room.  Using contemporary tile and art are the easiest ways to make a dated fireplace more in step with current times.

Updating with Tile

One of the easiest ways to update a fireplace is with modern tile; glass tiles or modern metallic tiles will take a boring old fireplace into wow factor territory in no time. Granite and marble are also great choices because they look sleek and smooth and hold up well under the heat generated by the fireplace. You can mix and match tiles to create a unique look or use a single style throughout. Modern mosaic tiles are also a great way to introduce multiple, coordinated colors to the fireplace.

Tiling a fireplace is not rocket science but is not the easiest project in the world, either. You must carefully plan and measure before purchasing and installing tile. It is best to create a template and lay out the tiles first on the floor to be sure that they will fit in the allotted space. If your fireplace is currently covered in brick, you will need to install cement board over the brick so that there is a smooth, even surface for the tile. If you have any questions, check with the pros at a local home improvement store; but if you really doubt your abilities, hire an experience tile installer to do the job for you.

Using Contemporary Art to Update a Fireplace

If tiling the fireplace is not in your skill set or budget, you have other options. If the brick is hideous, you can simply paint it. A hardware, paint or home improvement store can guide you with regards to the proper type of product, tools, prep and so forth. Very often, just painting a red brick fireplace in a creamy shade of white gives it an instant update. You can also change a dated fireplace screen or doors to something more modern like brushed nickel.

Once the fireplace is ready, hanging a gorgeous piece of modern art above it will make it instantly modern and stylish. Framed abstract paintings and contemporary metal wall art or metal wall sculptures are beautiful, modern choices that make outstanding focal points. You can accent the artwork with simple modern pottery, metal cylinders, glass sculpture, candle scones and holders or other items that echo the style, shape and spirit of the artwork. A tall metallic or glass vase on the hearth with a few simple branches is a nice finishing touch. Keep things streamlined and simple and make the arrangement asymmetrical. This will prevent the arrangement from looking too traditional and drawing you back into the time warp that you are trying to escape!

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Unique Decor: Kuba Cloth Wall Hangings

Sunday, May 22nd, 2011

It’s easy to find wrought iron wall art or grapes wall hangings from any local or online store, But when you are looking for something unique to create a focal point in your family room, consider creating a wall hanging from a section of kuba cloth. An intricate African textile, the kuba cloth is rich in tradition and offers bold graphic artwork that would be the perfect centerpiece of a focal wall in your space.

Just finding its way to the U.S, kuba cloth is made from the leaf of a rafia tree, and for this reason it is also known as rafia cloth. Rafia cloth was created by the Kuba tribe of the Congo. They were the first to cut and weave strips of the rafia leaf to make fabric. The Kuba people consist of several different subgroups, and each group makes the fabric a little differently. The shape of the cloth and symbols used on it may change depending on which Kuba group created the cloth, but the way that the cloth is made is the same among all of the groups.

Kuba cloth is thick and brittle, and it is ornamented with symbolic patches. It is thought that these patches were probably used to repair damage to the fabric that most certainly was a common occurrence because of the inflexibility of the fabric. As time went on, the symbols took on meaning, and now the symbols are frequently arranged in the kuba cloth to actually tell a story.

Kuba cloth is hand crafted from beginning to end, and creating it is a very labor-intensive process. Simply fashioning a piece of cloth the size of a place mat can take up to a few days. The process begins with the men gathering the rafia leaves and dying them in the mud, camwood tree secretions or indigo. After the leaves are dyed, they rub the fibers in their hands to soften them and get them ready for weaving. The men weave the base cloth, and then they hand it off to the women to embroider it.

The embroidery process is hugely time consuming. The women take a few rafia fibers and thread them through a needle and run it into the front of the cloth, through the back of the cloth and back out the front again. Then they cut the fibers with a knife and continue to do this for literally hundreds of times on each cloth. It is a little like hooking a rug, but on a much finer scale. After the fibers are in place, the woman rubs over the fibers with the edge of a knife, fluffing and splitting the ends so that the pile completely hides the ground cloth. This is the embroidery process that creates the symbols and designs.  Most of the embroidery is done from memory to create the beautifully intricate designs found on a piece of kuba cloth.

The designs that find their way into the kuba cloth patterns are too numerous to mention. A couple of hundred have been cataloged, and they also appear with regularity through the Kuba culture. Because of the method that the Kuba women use to create the embroidered design by simply interlacing a few strands of rafia with the warp and weft of the background cloth, you would expect the designs to very symmetrical.  However, the women seem to prefer a more fluid interpretation of their art form, and they incorporate deliberate variations in the pattern specifically to break its symmetry.

These beautiful cloths are meticulously crafted and they make a stunning statement as a wall hanging in any style room from contemporary to traditional.

Photo credit to munyui.

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Decorating with Dishware in the Dining Room

Saturday, May 21st, 2011

From tree wall hangings to modern metal wall clocks, accessories really add personality to a room’s design, and in the dining room, part of the accessory pool is dishware. Whether it is fine china or every day dishware, oftentimes dishes can play a major part in defining how a dining room looks. Displaying dishware as part of the dining room’s design is a lovely way to add style and color to a dining room while making use of favorite dishes. Typically a homeowner loves their dishes, and using them to decorate the dining room is a perfect way to use it in between meals.

Dish Display

Of course dishes can be neatly stacked and stored in a cabinet or hutch, but since dishware is typically colorful and attractive, it makes the perfect accessory for the dining room. As a matter of fact many styles of dishware can actually double as artwork, because their designs are so detailed and intricate. Even if displaying all of the pieces of dishware would overpower the room, it might be a good idea to select a few of the specialty pieces to showcase in the dining room. For example, make a display of teacups and saucers, or arrange a grouping of platters. Even a simple display with just a sugar and creamer can add a little interest to a sideboard display. Frequently the colors and shapes found in the dishware pieces are the perfect complement for the dining room’s overall design.

Finding Patterns that Mix and Match

Another option is to collect interesting pieces of dishware and display them as a grouping. For example, collecting teacups and saucers in all different patterns is a great way to add a colorful and interesting display to a dining room. The collection is appears unified even though the patterns are all different, because it is only teacups. Another way to collect and display interesting pieces of china is to feature them in the dining room in unexpected ways. For example, select a colorful cream pitcher to use as a vase and fill it with flowers. Use small bowls or plates as bases for a group of pillar candles. Collect dinner plates and hang them on the wall in a grouping. Or set the table with a couple of place settings to help make the dining table the focal point of the room.

Inspiring Dishware Design

Dishware is also a great place to look for inspiration when decorating a dining room. By coordinating colors and shapes with dishware, the room will immediately take on a cohesive look. Matching wall or trim color to a hue found in the dish pattern instantly ties these two design elements together. Another option may be to repeat part of the dishware pattern on the wall by hanging wallpaper that echoes some of the patterns found in the dishware. Rather than hang wallpaper or wallpaper border, echoing the pattern in stencils is also an excellent way to bring the dishware pattern onto the wall. When stenciling the wall, the stencil can be a border around the entire room, or it may cluster around a doorway or piece of furniture. Using fabric paint, the dishware design can also be added to placemats and tablecloths truly customize dining room decor.

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Seasonal Decor from Mother Nature

Thursday, May 19th, 2011

If you just take a look around your own yard or garden you can find all kinds of decorative accents from Mother Nature that are free for the taking. Not only is this an inexpensive way to decorate, but items from nature give your home a personal look that reflects the seasons and the indigenous nature of your particular geographic area. Here are some tips for decorating with Mother Nature season by season.

The Floral Beauty of Spring and Summer

Spring and summer are prime time when it comes to decorating with flowers. From the earliest crocus and tulips to the peonies, delphiniums and roses of high summer, your own garden can be the source of ever-changing displays of fresh flowers. Don’t feel intimidated by thinking that you have to create big formal arrangements. Inexpensive vessels like pitchers, small vases, glass jars and teacups can be used for easy, casual arrangements that can grace the kitchen table, window sills, or a bathroom vanity. A single rosebud in a bud vase is a romantic touch to a bedside table. In addition to flowers, you can decorate with other summertime treasures, like seashells and beach glass, can be glued onto plain frames or lampshades, displayed on shelves or shadow boxes, or gathered bowls or jars.

The Bounty of Autumn

As summer winds down in August and September, gather up bunches of zinnias, sunflowers, black-eyed Susans and grasses for bountiful displays. Think ahead and dry some flowers and herbs for winter displays. Lavender, statice, straw flowers and seed heads can be tied together with twine and hung upside down in a cool dark place to dry. Display them on top of hutches, in vases, or tucked on a shelf. Pressed dry flowers and petals can be framed and used as wall art.

Potted mums and pansies are inexpensive and plentiful at farmers markets and even your local supermarket, or cut mums from your own yard and display them in a vase. Other fall favorites like Indian corn, pumpkins and squash make easy displays on shelves and mantles or stack miniature pumpkins on a cake stand for a charming fall centerpiece. Gather up acorns to display in glass hurricanes along with a pillar candle. Wipe them off and spray them with a clear sealant and let dry before using them. You can also spray them with metallic paint for a festive look as Thanksgiving approaches. Autumn leaves can also be used on table displays or pressed under glass and hung as wall decor.

Serene Winter Decor

While you may think of winter as gray and bleak, there is much still offered by Mother Nature, even in northern climates. Of course, for the holiday season, swags, roping and wreaths made from evergreen boughs and sprigs of holly add rich scent and beauty to doors, mantles, banisters and around window frames. Beyond the holiday season, however, all is not barren. Twigs and branches make starkly architectural displays in tall vases or can be bound together and used as tree wall sculptures. Pussy willow branches add soft touchable texture or use the deep red branches from a red twig dogwood to add cheerful touch; weave dried grapevine through a wrought iron wall art to add dimension. Simple touches like a basket full of pinecones and cinnamon sticks tied with ribbon or a tiered platter stacked with clove-studded oranges add fragrance, color and detail.

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Teen Girl Bedroom Decor: Fun Color Themes

Friday, April 15th, 2011

Teen girls are usually oh so ready to makeover their rooms with style and sophistication. Most are ready to leave pastel colors behind and all are more than happy to ditch the themed bedrooms of their childhoods. Many teen girls prefer hot bold colors, and while painting a wall in neon pink may be a parent’s idea of a decorative faux pas, the good news is that there are ways to compromise and create a look that your teen will love without offending parents. Unlike teen boys, teen girls are often excited and eager to help with their bedroom makeover and it’s always a good idea to get her ideas on color choices and decor preferences.

Here are some ideas to get both of you inspired.

The Ever-Popular Pink and Purple

It’s hard to determine which color is more popular with teen girls – pink or purple; in most cases at least one of these colors will be in the mix for the new bedroom color scheme. It’s also likely that parents will find their teen girl gravitating to a really dark shade of either color and that’s ok because hot pink and deep purple are very appealing against white walls. That’s right – white walls. Go this route and deep pink and purple accents will just pop. You can find tons of accessories in these colors – from retro 60’s style ‘flower child’ bedspreads, to lamps, wall art and wall decals, flower wall sculptures, pillows and bedding accessories. It’s also easy and inexpensive to pick up second hand furniture and paint it in her chosen shade of pink or purple; bedside tables, desks, bookcases, wall shelves, mirrors and trunks can be treated this way for a really fun and colorful look. Combine the colors in youthful fabric patterns like polka dots, wavy stripes or mod flowers.

Fresh and Juicy Color Motifs

Teen girls also like trendy color combos like white and lime green, hot pink and bold orange, or lemon yellow and bright green; very often, they’ll see these contemporary palettes used in home decor magazines and be itching to copy the look. Combinations like tangerine, melon and sage green are all the rage and it’s easy to find bedding and other accessories in these colors; finding a trendy pattern that incorporates her chosen colors almost does the decorating for you. This is because these hot trendy color combos are very easy to combine with white or black. For example, use mimosa yellow walls with white trim and black furniture; toss in black and white toile fabric and black French inspired accents and you have a room that’s instantly ooh-la-la. Other popular combinations include lime green/hot pink/white or pink/tangerine/white or sophisticated apple green and black.

Stark is Hot

Teen girls are all about drama and what is more dramatic than the stark contrast of black and white? This combination is instantly stylish and sophisticated while being very easy to pull off. Simply combine white walls with glossy black furniture, and bedding and fabrics in black and white polka dots or the eternally popular zebra stripe. Bring in a touch of hot pink or electric yellow for a trendy look your teen will adore.

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Delivering a Powerful Punch with Tribal Art

Sunday, January 16th, 2011

One unique art form that is used for decorating the home (and the body) is tribal art.  Tribal art features interesting symbols depicting health, love, power, and protection, among other elements.  Some tribal art symbols have particular meanings in various other cultures while some have been created in modern times for their aesthetic beauty.  You can deliver a powerful punch to your home decor in several ways with tribal art.

Perhaps you haven’t heard of tribal art, or maybe you have only seen tribal art tattoos. That doesn’t mean you are outdated, you’re simply one of the few that have not yet experienced this contemporary craze.  Historically, tribal art has been reserved merely for tattoo artists, jewelry, clothing and African American decor, but rarely if ever applied to everyday interior design for the home.

Diverse Artwork

Despite popular belief, there is more to tribal art than simply thorny vines and wavy lines that are combined to create a tattoo.  Tribal art actually is the incorporation of various types of native art, which includes religious symbolism, and is often the term that is used when referring to cave drawings and similar ideas.  And although tribal art is often displayed only in black and white, tribal art is available in a plethora of colors and hues to create interesting and beautiful designs that seem to narrate a story.

Tribal art can become a great conversation starter, or can be used to promote prosperity and peace, bestow blessings on a new home or a new marriage, or even to draw protection for the inhabitants of a home. Yes, tribal art can deliver a powerful punch to the home.

Finding Tribal Art

While tribal art is not as ubiquitous as Southwestern wall decor or metal door toppers, because tribal art is becoming more popular than ever before, it is easy to find great tribal art options in a variety of places. Home decor stores and home improvement stores are just the beginning when it comes to sources for tribal art. There are also thousands of online décor websites where you can find trendy tribal art for the home.  From exceptional wall sculptures to interesting prints and framed wall art, there are a lot of different decorative items that can be purchased to make a bold statement within the home.  You can also sometimes find tribal art when shopping online auction sites.

Common Symbols

The most common symbols that are used in modern tribal art are the thorn-riddles vines and curvy lines that are also popular with tattoos, but other symbols are popular as well.  Abstract male or female forms, like stick figures with longer arms and legs are quite the trend, as are pregnant figures.  Dogs, snakes, horses, and monkeys are popular animal motifs found in tribal art.

Symbols like the sun or moon, and religious symbols like talismans and amulets are sometimes seen in tribal art, as well, although they are less popular.

The colors used in tribal art are without limit, but common color schemes and themes seen in popular items include yellow, red, white, black, and often, green or blue.  These colors were found in ancient art because of the limited availability of dyes.  Now, however, any color imaginable is available.

Photo credit to srbyug.

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