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| Interior painting ideas to beautify your home |
| Wednesday, March 21, 2007 |
 Interior Painting IdeasTo Bring Your WallsTo Life
By using any of the interior painting ideas and techniques below, you'll be doing your family and yourself a big favor. Why?...
Because next to lighting, paint is the most influential home interior decorating element in setting the mood of a room.
Although the thought of painting is more frightening than a root canal for many people, I am a huge advocate for getting rid of those stark white walls.
Here's why…
Your home is the place you go to get away from the stress of work and traffic, and it gives you a sense of security and comfort. So why not use one of the best and least expensive home interior decorating techniques to help create the sanctuary you want.
You'll find that the interior painting ideas presented in this document will serve you well…
Science has shown that color can and does affect us psychologically. Some paint colors provide a cooling effect, while others impart a sense of warmth. Click here to learn more about colors...
So do yourself a favor and visit your local hardware or paint store and grab a handful of paint swatches that match your style and personality.
 If you're interested in adding texture and depth to a room, also consider one of these decorative interior painting ideas:
- Wall Stenciling - this interior painting idea involves applying color to a wall, floor, or ceiling through cutout areas of a template that create a design. When the cutout template or stencil is removed, the pattern remains.
The pattern can be of anything you like including animals, stars, geometric patterns, flowers, the alphabet, etc. The process is very easy and it will add texture to your room. Also, a stencil design can be used over and over again anywhere in your home. Faux painting - (pronounced "foe") means "false". To faux paint is to paint one object to resemble another. With this interior painting idea, you can use paint to create the illusion of natural materials such as wood, marble, granite, etc Rubber Stamping - Personally, this is my favorite interior painting idea. That's because it's super fast and easy, and will give you unbelieveable results! Okay, back to paint swatches. Narrow your selection to a few colors that seem to complement, rather than compete with, your furniture and furnishings. Don't select very bright colors unless you are certain that you want your walls to be the focal point in the room. Your best bet is to find the most neutral shades for the colors that you have in mind. For example, if there are seven shades of red paint, the most neutral shade will be the one in the middle of the bunch. Before you finalize your decision, return to the paint store and purchase small cans of paint for the top two or three colors that caught your eye. Also pick up some inexpensive 3" brushes. You'll want to paint 12" x 12" patches of the colors on your walls. Leave the patches there for at least a day so that you can evaluate how well they will work in the room, and how they look in natural and artificial lighting. On more than one occasion, I have found that a color on the wall appeared to be darker than the swatch. This method allows you to make any color adjustments or to simply start over. Of all the interior painting ideas, selecting your paint color in this manner will save you the most disappointment. When you're ready to buy paint, don't let price be the only factor influencing your buying decision... Spend a few more dollars for high quality paint that will last longer and look better. After all, which ever interior painting idea you choose, you'll want everyone to think and say..WOW! Here's a quick reference to the various types of paint: Select The Right Type of Paint These interior painting ideas will guide you to the appropriate paints for each area of your home. Flat paint - lowest sheen available
- the standard for most walls
Satin paint - has a slight sheen and are easier to clean than flat paint
- can be used on any wall, but test in a small area first to see if you like it
Semi-gloss paint - great for kitchens, bathrooms, and children's rooms because they are highly durable
Gloss paint - has a high sheen and are usually used on doors and in areas that are susceptible to getting dirty
- used a to trim base boards and door frames
The amount of paint you need for each room will depend on the size of the area to be painted. Use this formula as a guide: Total length of all walls x Average wall height = Total Area For example, if the total length of all four walls in your living room is a combined 80 feet (20 ft. x 4 walls) and the wall height is 9 feet, then the total area for the room is 720 square feet (80 ft. x 9ft). A gallon of paint will cover about 375 square feet. So for your living room, you would need about 2 gallons of paint (720 sq. ft. /375 sq. ft. per gallon coverage). An excellent source for viewing paint swatches online is Decorate Today - Paints. There is an "interactive color palette" and you can even order paint samples for FREE! Also, instead of using the paint formula above, Decorate Today - Paints has a "paint calculator" that will perform the same task after you enter your room dimensions. By the way... Since I subscribe to Consumer Reports, I checked out their review of interior paints in the June 2001 issue. Decorate Today offers Pittsburgh brand paints, so I wanted to see how they faired. The Pittsburgh - Manor Hall paints were rated as Very Good. The only level above this one was "Excellent". Prepare Your Walls Before Painting Them You may be tempted to move the furniture to the center of the room and start painting right away. But if you take a few moments and prepare your walls properly, you'll be much happier with the finished product. While the following interior painting ideas may be common sense, it is important that you keep them in mind. Remove - light switch and outlet plates
- light fixtures (or cover them well)
- drapes, curtains, lamps, furniture
Patch - nail holes, dents, and cracks with spackling
- let the spackling dry before painting
Sand & Scrape - remove loose paint
- sand to even any edges
Apply A Primer - if you selected a dark paint color
- if you removed wallpaper (do not paint over wallpaper)
- if your walls are new or show lots of damage
I hope these interior painting ideas have been helpful.
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posted by Admin @ 12:21 PM  |
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| Tips to create a home office design that will be functional and attractive |
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 Create A Home Office Design That MatchesYour Work Style
Whether a hideaway or bustling business center, create a home office design that is both functional and attractive.
However, to create a home office design that will meet your needs, you should first identify all the activities that will occur in that space.
For example, will you be the only user or will it also be a room for your children to do homework, play videos, or watch television?
Some home offices also double as guest bedrooms. Will this be a requirement for your new home office?
After identifying the activities, you should make sure that the infrastructure for your home office design is in place.
Here are the basics:
- Obtain conduit material to neatly hide power cords and computer wiring
- Make sure that you have enough electrical outlets and telephone jacks
- Make sure that you have power surge protectors for equipment
- Confirm that cords connecting your computer and its components are long enough
- It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll use my home office below as a starting point to provide you with a few home office design and decorating ideas.
My office space is 10 ft. x 11 ft. and I wanted to design it as a stylish, yet efficient business center. So, as with all key rooms that I've covered on this home interior decorating web site, I first identified a focal point. A focal point gives the eye an initial point of interest so that it can begin to take in the interior landscape of a room with ease.
 If your focal point is not an architectural element, such as a fireplace or windows with a beautiful view, you'll have to create one. In my case, I chose a mahogany table desk as the focal point. The desk is 62" (L) x 30" (W) x 30" (H) and is arranged at an angle across the room.
I went with a table desk for two reasons. First, I loved its elegant, hand carved legs and classic look…
Second, the desk is open underneath which allows the eye to appreciate it and then move on. A solid desk of similar size would have cut the room in half and overwhelmed it. Take a look at the picture again and imagine the room with a weighty desk that is closed underneath…Too much, right?
That's why you'll want to keep this in mind for your home office design.
Your focal point doesn't have to be a desk, but whatever it is, make sure that it's eye-catching.
 Here are some other home office design suggestions:
Arrange your work area in an L or U shape - this way you'll have all your important items within easy reach.
Consider a computer armoire - if you don't want your home office design to look like an office or if the space doubles as a guest bedroom, a computer armoire would be perfect. It will hide computer equipment, save on space, and make a beautiful furniture addition….perhaps even a focal point You'll also have extra space for a wall bed or a daybed. Install the right lighting - you'll want a desk lamp so that you have adequate task lighting, and a second lamp or built-in lighting fixtures for general lighting. Use a dimmer switch for built-in lighting. You'll find great lighting and lamp ideas at Bellacor. Purchase a comfortable chair - if you plan on spending lots of hours at your desk, make sure that you get a comfortable chair with adequate back support. Consider one that swivels if you'll be turning to retrieve papers or to answer the phone. Install sufficient shelving - you'll need shelving for reference books and to display collectibles and personal items. Built-in shelving would be an excellent space-saving choice, but there are plenty of quality assemble-it-yourself options. Consider modular storage pieces - they come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from stackable cubes to shelves and have optional lids, doors and drawers. Once you've identified the major home office design components, you'll want to go back and add the furnishings and accessories to make it homey. Hang art that you love as well as family photographs. Display collectibles in dramatic fashion. If you could use art for your walls, I recommend that you visit All Posters and check out their huge selection of prints. For interesting collectibles, try Sovietski Collection, which offers some of the most unusual antique artifacts from the old Soviet Union and Europe. Another winner is Novica, which is affiliated with National Geographics, and has earthy, handmade products from all over the world. . Additional home office decorating touches to my office are shown in the picture to the right. I hung a blackboard as a fast and easy way to track important appointments and as a general "to do" list. For guest seating, I chose Director Chairs. These are great because I can change out the fabric in a snap for an updated look. If your home office design ideas include a furniture makeover, Furniture Find offers thousands of brand name furniture at discounted prices. Also, you'll find lots of online images that give great decorating ideas. A major benefit of Furniture Find is that they carry many more items than any brick and mortar shop. And through their free Personal Shopper service they will search high and low for any item that you can't find on their web site. So even if you spot something you like at your local furniture store, put Furniture find to work to see if the price can be beaten. You have nothing to lose! I hope these home office design ideas have been helpful.
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| posted by Admin @ 11:40 AM |
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| Decorating Kids Rooms - Planning Makes Perfect! |
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Decorating kids rooms can be a rewarding and fun project. You'll feel good about what you've accomplished and your child will have a cool personal space to spend time in and to have their friends visit.
When you start to look at decorating kids rooms you have to keep a budget in mind. Paint can range from fifteen dollars to fifty dollars a can.
Wallpaper can be even more expensive. Perhaps you are going to consider panelling on the walls. Floor coverings also have to be considered...do you keep the rug they have, change it, put in hardwood?
These are all questions you will have to ask when you plan on decorating kids rooms. What about the details? You may want to go so far as to consider mouldings, window casings and door trim.
Not to mention lighting fixtures, curtains, vents, light and outlet covers. I mean, hey, if you are decorating kids rooms and Junior chooses a Star Wars décor with a Luke Skywalker emphasis then, darn it Mom, you'd better have light sabres on the light covers and vent covers in the shape of star ships.
 
Now lets think about the work involved. Who is going to do the work? Do you know how to do it? What special tools will you need, and do you have to buy them?
How long will it take...be realistic then add another two weeks (trust me, it always takes an extra two weeks).
Where will your child sleep while the redecorating is going on? Certainly you can't expect Junior to sleep in his room while there are paint odours fuming around in there.
When you plan on decorating kids rooms you should think about the work load and time because this contributes to an important by-product of an renovation project...STRESS.
Let's talk about color. For some of us a sense of color comes naturally, but for others we are like a fish out of water. My child loves pink, so should my accent be purple or should I chose a contrasting tone?
Maybe I should use a neutral. When decorating kids rooms the color scheme is important so spend some time with your child to work it out.
Here are some of the basics: red, green and blue are the primary colors and those are mixed to make up the colors of the rainbow. Then you have white, black, grey and creams that make their own category of neutrals.
Try to choose the colors in your scheme with the same general intensity. A bright orange will not go with a dark, dull green, but a medium orange goes great with a medium green.
When in doubt look at what the pros do. You'll find brochures in any paint and decorating store that will show you what colors go together. Heck, just look at company logos: MacDonalds red and yellow; Sprite's lime green and lemon yellow.
So when you are decorating kids rooms take the time to plan out the colors you will use.
When decorating kids rooms ask yourself the question "when will this décor go out of style". If your child loves Power Rangers today and you put up that wall paper, in one to two years he may hate it and you'll find yourself decorating kids rooms twice in a span of three years.
THis is not only a hassle but pricey as well.
One final side note. Remember that if wallpaper isn't your thing, you can always paint the wall your child's favorite color and then accessorize it with artwork or posters. This will also pull the theme together. So check out these poster ideas for inspiration:
>>Music
>>Sports
>>Comics
>>Fantasy
>>Movies
I hope these ideas for decorating kids rooms have been helpful.
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| posted by Admin @ 11:11 AM |
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| Bringing Light to Your Basement |
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One of the most challenging parts of decorating a basement is lighting.
Many finished rooms have rather low ceilings, and this can cause the room to appear dark and almost cave-like.
Another fact to contend with is that many basements are entirely underground, therefore not even having the option for windows. This lack of natural lighting only adds to the cave-like issue.
So what can you do about bringing light into an otherwise dark room? The first step is to accentuate any natural lighting that is available. If you do have even one lone window, make sure your window treatments allow you to access any available sunlight.
Use pale, partially translucent curtains that are easily tied back, or decorative blinds that pull up or to the side. If you have one room in your basement with windows and one without, consider the placement of the door between them and how much light can be transferred through the doorway.
Perhaps the opening can be broadened into a double doorway to allow more light to pass through. And doors with clear windowpanes work really well in between such rooms to allow any natural light to travel into the further regions.
Another way to make the most of the lighting you have is to paint the walls a light color. Not necessarily white, just light. While at first this may not sound too interesting in the decorating sense, it can really help with your lighting challenge.
And the walls in a basement can become a backdrop for artwork and other decorative touches in the room.
Once you’ve capitalized on all available natural light, or if there is not any available, what next? Because of the low ceilings mentioned earlier, recessed lighting is a great option in a basement.
These lights can be placed to give off a lot of light without taking up valuable headroom in your basement.
Recessed lights can also be strategically placed over the areas of most use, such as seating areas, tables, or workspaces.
If you don’t have room in the ceiling for recessed lights, track lighting can also work well in low ceiling spaces such as basements. Track lights can be placed in areas of low walking traffic, and aimed at areas of high use such as the seating or work areas mentioned before.
With track lighting, as with recessed lighting, you can put light just where you need it.
For practical workspaces such as study areas and worktables, halogen or florescent lighting works well. Florescent lights give off a lot of bright light so they may be more tempting to use in basements, but halogens may be more practical.
Halogens can be put on dimmer switches to allow you to choose how much light you need by what activities you are doing in a particular area. Halogen lamps can also offer you more decorating choices than florescent lights.
Getting the right light is definitely the first step to decorating your basement area. After all, what good is the rest of the decorating process if you can’t see the room? |
| posted by Admin @ 10:57 AM |
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| 10 Home Decorating Ideas To Quickly |
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Not all home decorating ideas require a heavy investment of time and money.
If you're looking for a few affordable home interior decorating ideas to freshen up a room over a weekend, try these ten:
- Rearrange The Furniture- Pull your furniture away from the walls. Try positioning it at intriguing angles. In the picture below, the sofa is arranged diagonally across my narrow living room. This makes the room look wider and provides a warm, inviting layout.
- Paint A Wall- Paint one wall your favorite color and make it the focal point. Hang interesting art on that wall and move a nice piece of furniture there. (Note: Make sure that the color is one that is shared with several other objects and fabrics in the room.)
- Bring In Plants- Greenery always adds a breath of fresh air to a room. If you don't have a green thumb, try silk plants and trees. The quality has gotten so good that its hard to distinguish them from the real thing.
- Lay An Area Rug- An area rug is a wonderful way of defining a conversation area. Try one that complements the room. Lay it at an angle beneath your coffee table.
- Hang Pictures or Mirrors- Hang pictures that reflect your personality. Try frames that are more ornate. When hanging a mirror, try and position it so that it reflects and nice view or an interesting architectural element.
- Group Figurines- Pull out your favorite collectibles. Show off your personality. Find a display area and group related objects together, in sets of three or five. Try and vary the shapes.
- Add Decorative Pillows- The good news about decorative pillows is that they are an easy way to add textures and patterns to a room. Still better, they can be changed to jazz up a sofa or chair before your room is ready for a major makeover.
- Replace Lamps- Lamps are probably the one thing in your home that will give others a clue that your room is outdated. Seek out new and fresh lamps that make a statement.
- Add A Throw Or Afghan- Similar to decorative pillows, throws and afghans add texture to your furniture. They come in all kinds of natural and man made fabrics. Find a pattern and style that you like.
- Eliminate Clutter- You'll hear me say this again and again. Clutter has a way of eliminating the desired mood and effect of any room. Find storage spaces for papers, toys, and other items that take from the personality of a room.
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| posted by Admin @ 10:32 AM |
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| Decorating Childrens Rooms: Important Design Tips! |
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When decorating childrens rooms you must consider these frequently over-looked elements that will make it child-friendly.
As you might expect, decorating childrens rooms is a bit different than decorating adult bedrooms.
While adults spread their living activities among several rooms in the home, children will try to jam nearly all of their activities into one room.
To children, a bedroom is a place to play games, read, listen to music, wrestle, display or hide prized possessions, or just to be alone sometimes.
However, decorating childrens rooms is a great opportunity for you to show off your playful side, do some family bonding, and allow your children to be creative. Use the ideas for decorating childrens rooms below to help plan your decorating project. But, please keep one thing in mind.
"The room should reflect your child's personality, not yours"
Strategy # 1 For Decorating Childrens Rooms - Talk To Them Talk to your child or children and find out what activities they enjoy. What brings them the most comfort? What's their favorite color? What's unique about their personality that you can build a theme around? Whatever their interests are, find a way to work them into the new décor… This will make your child feel comfortable, safe and happy. For example, I have a friend whose son loves jungle animals, therefore choosing an African theme for his room was easy.
Her daughter is very spiritual and has a favorite stuffed Beanie Baby toy named Halo. These two elements led to the idea of decorating her daughter's room in cherubs and soft white clouds.
Strategy # 2 For Decorating Childrens Rooms - Let Them Help Give your child a say! Allow them (with a little guidance) to choose colors, pick decorative pillows, decide how they want to display their collectibles, and so on…. Their room should be fun, yet timeless. Consider their age and keep in mind that today's child will be tomorrows teenager. The décor should be flexible enough to allow your child to grow and accommodate their changing tastes and needs. As an example, replacing the comforter and decorative pillows to reflect the room's new theme are two quick ways to avoid having to completely redo the room every couple of years. Strategy # 3 For Decorating Childrens Rooms - Make It Multi-Functional As I mentioned, children use their room for many activities besides sleeping. Here are some specific areas that you should consider designing to make the room multi-functional: A play area. Play areas for younger children may include an arts & crafts center. Most children love to draw and color, so set aside a comfortable space for working on crafts.
You may also want to consider hanging a chalkboard which can be used for drawing or it can be a great teaching aid for you. A reading area. Most children love to read. Provide a quiet and comfortable space that will entice them to do this. If you have the space for a comfy chair, perfect. If not, an over-stuffed floor pillow or two should do the job. Also remember that good lighting is essential for this activity. That reminds me. Since your little ones spend so much time on the floor, take a look at the rugs at Kid Carpet. These are some of the most decorative and unique rugs, designed especially for decorating childrens rooms, that you'll ever see. Space to entertain friends. This becomes more important as children get older. They'll want to spend time in their room with their friends. Depending on their age, a small entertainment center, that includes a radio, CD Player, perhaps a TV and VCR may be appropriate. As an example, my friend's daughter loves music. She has a small CD Player that allows her to spend quiet time listening to music or dancing and singing-along with her little brother. But for your own sanity, you may want to include headphones. A display area. Children love pictures. So dedicate a wall (or use a corkboard) to display your child's favorite photographs and artwork. Pictures of family and friends will add to the comfort of the room.
In addition, chronological pictures of the child as they grow are interesting and will add familiarity and warmth. Children are very proud of their artwork…display it with pride!
You should also dedicate space or shelving for displaying collectibles, trophies, and other personal items.
Strategy # 4 For Decorating Childrens Rooms - Storage Solutions Keeping your child's room organized will be one of your greatest challenges. Try these storage solutions to help keep clutter out: Shelving is a quick and easy way to store items. Built-in shelving is more decorative, but there are plenty of free-standing shelving options Large decorative wicker baskets for toys, books, socks, etc. Plastic (see-through) storage containers would work well Closets should contain plenty of shelving and racks for clothing and shoes. Make sure that children's clothing are within their reach.
Strategy # 5 For Decorating Childrens Rooms - Window Treatments Keep the window treatments simple and follow these guidelines: Avoid long (to the ground) draperies, especially in young children's rooms. Shades, blinds, valances, cornice boxes and shorter curtains would be better choices. Ensure that hardware on the blinds or window treatments are safe guarded, especially in babies' rooms. Use a lining on curtains for privacy and light control. (Especially for those early risers who automatically wake up with the sun.) Fabric should be versatile and simple. Patterns should be repeated in other items in the room such as decorative pillows, matching lamps, and artwork
Strategy # 6 For Decorating Childrens Rooms - Lighting When decorating childrens rooms you should include both task lighting and soothing lighting. If they do homework in their room, good lighting is essential. A reading lamp is a must for the reading area and the bedside table. For quieter times, install a dimmer switch or three-way lamp to provide soft lighting. A nightlight is also important for children who are not quite comfortable with the dark and for safety reasons (so they can see where they are going if they wake in the middle of the night). Strategy #7 For Decorating Childrens Rooms - Fabrics It will be easier to co-ordinate the room if you limit the color choices and keep your fabrics simple. This will also allow you to make changes easily as the child grows. After all they are children and will get bored quickly! When they do get bored, purchase new decorative pillows and linen. Let your children help you pick them out. They'll be happy and you'll avoid having to redo the entire room. Strategy # 8 For Decorating Childrens Rooms - Wall Coverings Use a wall covering (paint or wallpaper) to add splashes of color, texture, and excitement to your child's bedroom walls. Paint a cherub border with a soft cloud ceiling or wallpaper an African Safari theme on a wall. Allow your child to join in. They'll love helping and will have a sense of pride and accomplishment when the project is done. For really cool decorative painting ideas that you can apply to children's rooms or any room, for that matter, I recommend that you investigate using rubber stamping on your walls. In addition, Decorate Today - Wallpaper & Fabrics offers hundreds of wallpaper design and border ideas. You'll find Disney characters, athletes in action, animal prints, beanie babies, and tons more. Strategy # 9 For Decorating Childrens Rooms - Childrens Bedroom Furniture At a minimum you will need a bed, desk, lamp, and side table for your child's room, especially for teenagers. Your bed options include: Make sure that the furniture you choose for decorating childrens rooms is durable. This is a child's room and it must withstand years of wear and tear. Use slipcovers whenever possible. They are removable, washable, and will extend the life of your furniture. If you're in the market for childrens bedroom furniture, I recommend that you first check out Furniture Find. They offer thousands of brand name furniture for decorating childrens rooms at discounted prices. Also, you'll find lots of online images that give great decorating ideas. A major benefit of Furniture Find is that they carry many more items than any brick and mortar shop. And through their free Personal Shopper service they will search high and low for any item that you can't find on their web site. So even if you spot something you like at your local furniture store, put Furniture Find to work to see if the price can be beaten. You have nothing to lose! Children are great at sponge painting, stenciling, and crafts. They will appreciate and enjoy the room more if they participate.
So remember to make this a home interior decorating project that will be fun for you both!!!!! Labels: Decorating Childrens Rooms |
| posted by Admin @ 9:10 AM |
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