Home Decorating Ideas for any Budget

By John Tillman

In this book you will find a collection of home design ideas and principles. Th e book focuses on design ideas for different themes and styles ranging from seas onal and holiday themes to ethnic and regional themes. There are also specific tips and ideas pertaining to individual rooms and house types. Furthermore, the ideas presented in this book can work with any budget. You don t need to take th e ideas and turn them into an elaborate project, however you very well can do th at if you want to! All the best, John Tillman

A Cabin Theme for Your Home Decorating Needs When it comes to home decorating there is one thing that must be said-people see m to long for the simple life and cabin living. Of all the styles of decorating and dcor this is one that seems to be repeated most often but in different ways. Seriously there are all kinds of 'cabin' dcor websites, magazines, brochures, boo ks, and how to videos all over the place than probably any other style of decora ting. One reason for the phenomenal popularity of this particular type of home decorat ing style probably has a little bit to do with the simplicity of it. There are n o hard and fast rules, there aren't fancy faux finishes and textured painting th at needs to be done in order to complete the look and there aren't overly compli cated rules for what is and isn't acceptable. From the bear budget to the champa gne and caviar crowd there is some sort of dcor available that will suit not only the home decorating needs but also the need for quality as well. Another thing that many find appealing about a cabin themed home decorating plan is that it simply exudes warmth year round. From the dark colors to the flannel materials and the soft homespun simplicity of the design many find it simply ir resistible. One thing that is obvious in this style of decorating is that it app eals to those who love home and hearth and warmth and good will far more than mo dern touches and design elements. This is not a hard plastic sort of design styl e and it shouldn't endeavor to become one as the two styles are almost systemati cally opposed to one another. If you want the warmth of a Montana cabin in your home every day of the year thi s is one great way to do it. Bring the bears, the moose, and all the furry fores t friends to frolic in your living room, on your light fixtures, and in your dre ams as you fall into restful sleep each night. From the bedroom to the bathroom and the kitchen in between the cabin style of home decorating is one that is mak ing great waves in the market place. You will find many stores online and locally that cater to the cabin loving audi ence for hardware, knick-knacks, and what knots galore. The thing to remember is that the design essence isn't the little touches you add along the way, it's th e warmth of wood, fire, leather, and wrought iron. These are the materials that will establish the cabin appeal more quickly than any of the little touches you can add along the way. Drywall and plaster simply cannot carry the look. Knotty

pine or some other rich style of wood is the best option for walls when pulling off a cabin home appeal. More importantly than anything though is the need to include a little bit of you rself in the design. Do not hesitate to carve your initials with a heart into th e wood of your walls. It is one more thing that will be not only endearing but a lso appropriate to the home and the atmosphere. There is a type of innocence abo ut a cabin style home and the little touches such as that will leave a lasting i mpression. A Patriotic Home Decorating Theme Are you hard core red, white, and blue? If so, then your country needs you to st and up and present your true colors to the world. This can be easily accomplishe d by celebrating everything American with your home decorating plans. Believe it or not patriotic is the thing to be in post 9-11 America and the way you decora te your home can let the world know exactly where your true convictions lie. There are many things you can do to bring Old Glory front and center within your home that do not require you to drape your furniture with the American flag or having the flag hanging in every window. In fact, most would frown on that parti cular practice. One thing that can be said without fail though is that nothing c an change the overall impression a room gives as completely as a bucket of paint and a brush. In other words, the best place to begin is often with the walls of your home. Painting a backdrop of red and trimming with blue and white makes a bold and powerful statement. It's also a rather lovely statement if you choose t he correct shades of red, white, and blue. In addition to paint there are all kinds of country style dcor that would complim ent a patriotic theme quite nicely. From stars that are designed to hang on the wall to patchwork quilts in these patriotic shades and a quilt rack that can eit her stand against the wall or hang on the wall. Quilts are outstanding choices t o bring colors into a room as well as an excellent method for adding warmth. In addition to many quilts there are also plenty of throws and blankets that can br ing these colors front and center in almost any room of the home. In addition to walls, furniture can be painted in order to match the walls and o ther colors you'd like to incorporate into the room. There is nothing quite like walking into a home that has its full patriotic splendor shining for all the wo rld to see. It's a beautiful thing made even more poignant now that the initial wave of patriotism following the September 11th attacks has faded somewhat. For those that are true patriots there are few better ways to show that than by maki ng your home a testament of your patriotism. Candles are another great way to display your patriotic spirit. Red, white, and blue candles are made in many wonderful styles, sizes, and fragrances. You shoul d be able to find something appropriate in this color combination if you look ha rd enough. More importantly, fragrance is a great (and often overlooked) way to add another dimension to your home decorating endeavors. If you want to truly ma ke an impression burn apple pie scented candles on a regular basis so that your home almost always smells as American as apple pie. In addition to candles of co urse there are fragrance warmers, air sprays, and simmering pots in which this s cent can be found (particularly if you prefer a scent layering affect in your ho me). Whether you simply like the look of patriot blue or you feel that you are a true American through and through there are very few wrong reasons to incorporate th e red, white, and blue that represents America into your home dcor. Patriotism se ems to be a dying art once again; perhaps your bold statement can inspire others to do the same. Asian Inspired Home Decorating

There are very few themes for decorating a home that capture the imagination qui te like an Asian inspired theme. There are many reasons for this one of which is the rich colors, fabrics, and textures that are the hallmark of these themes. T here is a simplistic elegance about Asian dcor that is almost impossible to imita te in other methods. It is simply put, stunning to walk into a room or a home th at has been decorated in an Asian inspired motif. This is not one of the lesser styles of dcor when it comes to price. This eleganc e comes at a rather high price for the average consumer. However, the sparseness of this home decorating style make it possible when other styles with this sort of price tag would not be possible. One of the most important things to remembe r when attempting to bring an Asian style of dcor into your home is the heavy rel iance upon color and texture. Dining rooms are particularly stunning when decorated in an Asian style. In this situation not only can the implements added to the room serve to improve and en hance the dcor but also the placemats on the table can serve as an important tool in establishing the theme of this supremely elegant room. Chopsticks and dishes , particularly tea servings are other great enhancements to an Asian dining room . This is a room that many families will enjoy dining in. It is recommended that because of the expense involved in many Asian themed home decorating styles that only one or two rooms in the home should be created base d upon an Asian theme. This will keep the costs down as well as making those roo ms focal points within the home rather than having the splendor lost among the e xcess. If you are having a rough time narrowing down the two rooms, the bathroom also m akes an excellent room in which to incorporate an Asian inspired theme. This is a room in which people go to relax and wash away the worries and stress of their days. For this reason, it makes perfect sense that some of the more tranquil an d relaxing design accents of an Asian dcor would be appropriate. Candles, figurin es, calligraphy (waterproof of course), and Asian artwork make excellent touches for a bathroom, as do the more tranquil colors of some Asian inspired rooms. Fo untains can be added to the room for an added taste of relaxation. Be sure that there is plenty of storage space as clean lines and an uncluttered surface are a lso important for the overall peaceful affect you should be hoping to achieve. If either the dining room or bath or unappealing to your home decorating desires for an Asian theme you may want to take the theme into your bedroom. There are very few more romantic themes to incorporate into a bedroom than an Asian theme. You can use fabrics to create a very romantic atmosphere, rice paper window cov erings to protect those inside from prying eyes, and candles throughout the room to finish off the creation. Furnishings in this room should be sparse and unclu ttered. And Asian screens can be used in order to 'section off' the room or hide the piles of laundry or cluttered areas that you wish not to be detract from th e overall romance of the room. Fans make a lovely decoration for the walls in a bedroom as does Oriental art or framed calligraphy in the words of love. Use wal l sconces and indirect lighting rather than harsh, glaring overhead lights. An Asian theme can be one of the most beautiful in the realm of home decorating if you are truly willing to invest the time and money it takes to do this theme properly. It can also be one of the most gaudy if you choose cheap and tacky dec orations rather than quality accessories. If you choose to incorporate this them e into your home I hope you will keep that in mind while you are shopping. Bringing the Old West to Modern Home Decorating What could be more fun when you think about it than incorporating the age-old st

ory of cowboys and Indians into your home dcor? For those who love a great story and have a wild sense of adventure this could be an incredibly fabulous design t heme for your next home decorating project. This is a great way to bring the rus tic charm of the old west into the modern world of today's busy lifestyles. Immediately visions of the hacienda with knotty pine and leather upholstered fur niture comes to mind. Massive fireplaces and antlers everywhere are also first a nd foremost in my mind when this design idea pops into my head. The possibilitie s are as endless as your imagination and only limited by your budget in all hone sty. This is a look that could be pulled off however on almost any budget for th ose that are willing to make a few thrift store purchases along the way while in vesting a fair amount of elbow grease. One thing you want to be careful of with this particular theme is not taking it too far. This could be so easy to do and it will only subtract from the charm an d appeal if you do so. Choose the accessories carefully but implement them minim ally. This should also help with potential budget restrictions as well as keep y ou on track for finding the perfect accessories rather than picking up everythin g you see only to find later that many simply will not work with the style and d esign you are hoping to achieve in the long run. Wood floors and wood paneled walls are a great statement for this sort of dcor as well as stone for a fireplace (if there is a fireplace of courses). You want so lid furniture rather than something that appear fragile or dainty and you defini tely want to keep the room masculine in appearance if at all possible. Home deco rating in the style of the old west isn't for bachelors alone but too much of a feminine touch will simply kill the appeal all together. In fact, the less femin ine touches the better save these touches for a romantic bedroom or bathroom rat her than the primary areas that friends and family will visit. You will also want to take great pains to imitate the rustic nature of the old w est within the kitchen. No delicate china patterns or tables with legs that look like that might fall off with a hard wind. This is a 'mans' style of decorating and it needs to look as though it will withstand any punishment a man can dish out in order to maintain the fun and light appeal of the remainder of the home. You can find modern sinks, fixtures, and hardware that are designed to resemble those of the old west and beyond if you look in the right places. For those who are looking for something a little out of the ordinary this is one style of decorating that definitely fits the bill. See what wonderful schemes a nd dreams you can come up with and what sort of tall tale will go along with you r old west design story then create the story within the walls of your home. The re is no better way to go about home decorating than this. Choosing Home Decorating Fabric An important aspect of home decorating is choosing home decorating fabric. When picking a theme such as Victorian, Modern or Oriental, the choice of fabric make s a difference to the overall theme. There are many kinds of home decorating fab ric. If you are looking for fabric that compliments a particular theme, perhaps doing a little research regarding the theme would be helpful. This sort of infor mation can be found in home decorating magazines, books and also the Internet on home decorating websites. If you decide to use a Victorian theme for your decorating project, whether you do one room or the entire house, it is essential to remember that Victorian deco rating is quite elaborate and tend to be very feminine. Choosing home decorating fabric for a Victorian theme, you should strive to pick those which resemble th ose used during the Victorian period. Home decorating fabric for bedding and cur tains should be made from heavy materials. Choices such as velvet and brocade ar e popular for Victorian home decorating fabric. To accessorize the fabric, ribbo

ns and bows, face and beads can be used as trim. Choosing a modern theme would suggest the use home decorating fabric which is bo ld and vibrant. Modern home decorating is usually based on an open concept with big spacious rooms. The large space is intended to draw your attention to the va rious details in the room which would include home decorating fabric. These bold and vibrant fabrics, used in curtains, slip covers or throw pillows, will certa inly stand out in a modern, spacious room with light to cool colors used on the walls. In this situation, the home decorating fabric would definitely be noticed and appreciated. Oriental home decorating seems to be popular nowadays. Its unique design with ac cessories such as Chinese dragons, elephants, fans and screens, make a room inte resting and a great topic of conversation. Home decorating fabric or an oriental theme usually includes coral, red, ivory and jade colors. The most popular fabr ic used in oriental home decorating is silk. Using silk in colors like coral or red would definitely stand out and compliment the rich dark wood furniture recom mended for oriental decorating. Home decorating fabric is sort of like icing on the cake. You add great pieces o f furniture to a space with walls painted in beautiful colors. Then to accent th e furniture or a window, you choose home decorating fabric. A window, because it provides access to the outside, is always a focal point in any room. Using fabr ics made from materials suited to the theme, your window treatments would defini tely draw attention to the window. If you are wondering where to find home decorating fabric, there are several pla ces to shop. You may want to buy slip covers, cushions or curtains that are alre ady made. Department stores have a great selection. There are also stores that s pecialize in home dcor. These would certainly provide a selection of home decorat ing fabric. If you are a crafty individual, you may choose to make your own deco rative items for your home. Again, department stores usually stock a big variety of fabric. There are fabric stores in most areas as well. If undecided regardin g what you should use or would like to use in home decorating fabric, the Intern et will surely be able to provide links taking you to all the right places. Christmas Home Decorating Christmas is the one time of year that most people pull out all the stops when i t comes to decorating. There is no such thing in the eyes of many as excess and the one who gets started last is the one who often finishes last. Each year the displays, lights, and sounds grow larger and more complex. The problem is that m ost people cannot keep up with the newest, latest, and greatest in Christmas dec orations. For these people there should be no worry. Christmas is a celebration of good will and not a competition to have the grandest display (at least that i s what it should be). Hopefully, the ideas below will help you enjoy decorating your home for Christma s once again as a passion for the holiday rather than a competition. The most im portant thing is that you choose Christmas decorations that have meaning to you rather than the decorations you feel your friends and family will like. Christma s is very personal and different to every person that celebrates the holiday. No t everyone that celebrates this particular holiday will celebrate in precisely t he same way. If the nativity scene is central to your Christmas celebration then by all means be sure to include it. You should not, however, feel compelled to include it if you have a more secular than religious view of the holiday. Angels are the same way though there are many who have little religious use for angels that still h old them in high regards as decorations around Christmas each year. Go with your

preferences and convictions and you might find that the process is a joy rather than a chore. I am a fan of Christmas decorations I love the blinking lights and the beauty of the greenery mixed with bright shades of red and gold. I love the fact that 200 houses can be decorated for Christmas inside and out and it is very unlikely th at any two will look the same. I love the fact that for one month out of the yea r children are looking out their windows in awe at the bright lights and the che ery characters that light up the cold wintry rooftops all around. If you are lost when it comes to decorating ideas of your own, my biggest sugges tion is to pick what you like most about Christmas and choose your home decorati ng style around that one thing. As the years go by, inspiration strikes, and you find more things to like or dislike about Christmas your decorations can change accordingly. Perhaps the greatest thing about decorating your home for Christma s is that nothing is set in stone. If it worked last year, that doesn't mean it will work for this Christmas and there is no reason you should feel compelled to do it. Some great ideas or themes for Christmas home decorating include the following: snow globes, cherubs, angels, Santa Clauses, snowmen, birds, candles, wreathes, and stockings. While this is by no means an exhaustive list of Christmas decorat ions it is a good place to start when ideas are needed. Favorites of my children include cartoon characters, gingerbread men, gingerbread houses, balls, grape c lusters, and ribbons. If you want to create a truly special style of home decorating for Christmas try a homemade Christmas. This means that all the ornaments, centerpieces, wreaths, garlands, and decorations are made by hand rather than purchased whole. It will certainly make an impression on visitors and you and your family can enjoy the process of creating your very own Christmas decorations for the holiday season. There are so many wonderful ideas, tips, and tricks when it comes to decorating your home for Christmas that it is incredibly difficult to point to one specific idea and say 'this is it'. However, finding a theme that speaks to your heart i s what Christmas is all about. Well that and spending time with those who mean t he most to you in the world. Country Home Decorating When choosing a theme or style for decorating your home, there are many to choos e from. One of the most popular decorating themes today is country home decorati ng. Perhaps it is the most popular because it provides an inviting atmosphere an d overall friendly feeling. Country home decorating, because of its warm environ ment, is enjoyed by the people who live there as well as all those who visit. As with any home decorating project, a homeowner must first decide where they wa nt to use country home decorating. Some people choose to use this theme througho ut their entire home while other decide to use country home decorating focusing on just one or two rooms, for example the kitchen and the living room. Because t his style is meant for people who enjoy simplicity and the nature, some homeowne rs may decide to carry the country decorating theme through the entire living sp ace. Country home decorating combines colors which are clean and bright with country furniture and accessories. When choosing colors for country home decorating, lig ht to medium shades of white, yellow, pink, green or brown are good choices. Col ors should reflect a rustic feeling. To add to the painted walls, a homeowner or decorator may decide to use stencils with country character such as flowers or plants, fruits or vegetables. Wallpaper boarders are also often used in country home decorating. It is fine to use these additions but the rule of thumb is to m

ake sure the patterns do not clash. In keeping with a rustic and simple theme, country home decorating uses wood nat ural wood. When deciding on a material for a country floor, natural wood is a ni ce choice. Of course using natural wood throughout a large area can be costly. I f looking for a less-expensive way to give floors a country look, a light shade of carpet might be considered or laminate flooring. These options would also wor k well with the country home decorating theme. Other suggestions for country flo ors are flagstone or tile. Some homeowners, if they re really creative, decorate t heir floors with stencils and create patterns. Another great way to jazz up a sp ace is to use area rugs. In keeping with the country home decorating theme, thos e with an authentic look create a warm and cozy feeling. Hooked, quilted and bra ided rugs make beautiful additions to a country floor. When choosing furniture to compliment country home decorating, light wood or wic ker is suggested. Again, these materials reflect the beauty of nature. If a home owner or decorator decides fabric would accent their furniture, such as cushions or slip covers, floral patterns or checkered fabrics add to the authentic look. Accessorizing a space always adds to its beauty. When buying accessories to fit in with a country home decorating theme, it is good to keep in mind the type of atmosphere you are trying to create, a warm and inviting space. Simplicity goes a long way in country home decorating. It is recommended to never use too many d ecorations and choose accessories that family and friends will enjoy. Photos in simple wooden frames, plain mirrors, plants and scented candles dress up country home decorating. Window treatments should also be simple. Lace or shutters give a cozy country feel. Country home decorating can be interesting and fun. Perhap s the main detail to keep in mind is simplicity. Try not to over-decorate, remem ber too many patterns will clash. Too many decorations will eliminate the amount of space in a room. Country home decorating creates a relaxing and friendly env ironment, meant to be warm and cozy.

Decorating A Log Cabin Decorating a log cabin or even a cottage, usually takes in the country theme. Ke eping with the various aspects of nature and its simplicity and freshness, a log cabin ought to provide peace and tranquility. Most log cabins are in the forest or country areas. Using a country style would mean bringing the beauty of the o utside, inside. Decorating a log cabin or a cottage shouldn t be too difficult usi ng the country theme since the ideas and color schemes sitting right outside the window. Using nature as an example when decorating a log cabin, using natural wood for f looring and furniture would definitely fit. Birch, pine or cedar would certainly compliment any space especially a log cabin or cottage. To keep the natural loo k of the wood, you could choose to leave it in its original form or using stain would give the wood a rustic look. Whether you are choosing authenticity or a ne wer look, wood is surely the best choice when decorating a log cabin. You may decide to bring old furniture from home to your log cabin or cottage. Us ing slip covers for the couch or chairs can help make the furniture look new. If decorating a log cabin, you may choose to paint the furniture. This too will gi ve it a fresh new appearance. When choosing colors for slip covers or paint, you might consider warm colors in light to medium shades. Yellows, browns or terrac otta add warmth to a space. When you re decorating a log cabin, the emphasis is ge nerally focused on warmth and cosiness. A log cabin doesn t require paint for the walls, however if you re decorating a cottage, you might pick similar colors for y

our walls. Fabrics to use when decorating a log cabin should probably include bold colors a nd nature themes. Floral patterns are also nice in a cottage or log cabin settin g. You could use these fabrics in window coverings, bedspreads or throws and sli p covers. To keep with the theme of nature, you could choose accessories taken f rom the outdoors such as dried flowers or pieces of old wood made into candle ho lders. People tend to gather things from the outdoors while on a hike or stroll along the river. These items can be used as accessories as well as mementos. When decorating a log cabin or cottage, one factor which isn t really important is your budget. This type of decorating can incorporate items from home or even th ose picked up at a flea market or garage sale. Handmade trinkets and decorations are also nice when decorating a log cabin. As long as the accessories help to a chieve the overall goal of warmth and an atmosphere that is welcoming, any items chosen are fine. A log cabin or cottage is a place designed for relaxation. Whe n decorating a log cabin or cottage, this should be kept in mind. Whatever makes you happy and helps create a space you enjoy and feel comfortable in, go with i t. Just remember to have fun. Decorating the Interior of your Home Is it time again to consider decorating the interior of your home? Are you enthu sed about this possibility or are you frustrated? Does the thought decorating th e interior or your home make you want to skip town or does it make you anxious a nd excited? There are certainly mixed feelings when it comes to decorating the i nterior of homes. Not everyone is creative or skilled. They might assume they ar e incapable of interior decorating. Some people simply do not like this sort of project. Then there are those individuals who can t wait to roll up their sleeves and get into the paint and plaster. There is plenty of help available for every single individual, no matter what their feelings are regarding decorating the in terior of their home. If you absolutely hate the idea of decorating the interior of your home, a profe ssional interior decorator might be the best solution for you. They will work wi th you to help you choose a decorating design including colors, flooring, furnis hings and accessories. They will put the plan in motion but you ll probably need t o hire a painter or someone to install your flooring. This is a great option if you can afford it but many people do not have the funds to pay a professional in terior decorator, a painter and a flooring installer. If you are an adventurous person, decorating the interior of your home could be seen as just one more exciting encounter. You ll have no problems finding informat ion about decorating the interior of your home. There are many magazines publish ed every month which provide information and instructions for decorating the int erior of your home. There are books, do-it-yourself books that give specific ste p-by-step details for decorating the interior of your home. The Internet is a gr eat resource base for interior decorating information. Hundreds of sites are fil led with useful details to help you plan your decorating and help you through th e process. The television is also a good source regarding decorating the interio r of your home. There are several reality television programs that can instruct you and give you ideas for your home decorating project. When you decide to decorate the interior of your home, you must first decide whi ch room or rooms you will be changing. Choosing a theme will help you make decis ions regarding color, furnishings, fabric and accessories. There are many themes to choose from including Victorian, Cottage, Modern, English Country, French Co untry, Traditional, Medieval, Moroccan, Art Deco, Southwestern, etc. Once you de cide on a theme, you can then pick materials based around this interior home des

ign. Using the various resources available for decorating the interior of your h ome, you ought to be capable of picking a color palette that will enhance your r oom, choose fabric that will add warmth, select furnishings which are comfortabl e and accessories which will accent and compliment your space. With the many res ources available to you, many of them offering free home decorating ideas, you s hould be able to make decorating the interior of your home an exciting adventure with little or no stress and frustration.

Decorating your Home for Christmas Christmas is an extremely busy time of year. By the time you get you shopping do ne, gifts wrapped and your cookies and cakes baked, it s likely you don t have the e nergy left to put into extravagant decorating. Although less than energetic, you still want your home decorated for Christmas. After all, Christmas is just not the same without lights and decorations. Decorating your home for Christmas doesn t have to be stressful. There are many th ings you can do and items you can use to dress up your home for this wonderful s eason. One suggestion when decorating your home for Christmas is using ribbon. I f you have a decorating theme for Christmas, regarding color, choose ribbon to c orrespond with your theme. You can tie ribbons to all sorts of items in your hom e such as chair backs, wreathes, basket handles, stair railings and even doorkno bs. Ribbons and bows are very festive. A good idea is to choose ribbon which can be easily untied and retied. This way you can reuse the ribbon another Christma s season. Using holiday tableware is nice when decorating your home for Christmas. Search your home for anything Christmas, plates, bowls, mugs, glasses, any piece of tab leware that has a Christmas theme. Make sure to use these items each and every m eal, every day throughout the Christmas season. Another good idea is to buy a fe w pieces each year. In time you ll have enough tableware to serve the entire commu nity. Lighting is important when decorating your home for Christmas. During the month of December turn off your lights. Make use of your candles in every room of your home. Place candles on the dining table, on the coffee and end tables in the li ving room and perhaps place a nice scented pillar candle in the bathroom. Don t ju st put them there for decorations but also make sure to light them each night. I f you have a fireplace, make sure to light it and enjoy it. A fireplace creates a cozy atmosphere which is nice when guests are visiting. Decorating your home for Christmas should always include a Christmas tree. After decorating the tree with your homemade ornaments and strung popcorn, use the le ftover branches to make arrangements for your home. Put the greens in a basket o r bowl, add pinecones, bows and ornaments. Use the branches to make swags to han g over doors throughout your home. Take the evergreen sprigs and place them arou nd your home, on windows, on a bookcase shelf or on a ledge. Evergreen branches and sprigs certainly reflect Christmas. Not only do they look nice but they spre ad a lovely aroma throughout the home. Christmas is a time for celebrating. It s a time to pull out all the stops. Snow i s always nice for Christmas. When decorating your home for Christmas, why not us e snow, artificial snow to add a sparkle to your home. Sprinkle it on the dining table, the hutch or the fireplace. Use ornaments which reflect light and hang t hem around your home, from doors or even indoor trees and plants. This will defi nitely look dazzling at night as the candle light flickers off the ornaments. De corating your home for Christmas shouldn t be a dreadful task but a delightful exp erience. One thing to remember when decorating your home for Christmas is not to

over-think your plan. Keep it simple because simplicity is elegant and beautifu l. Decorating Your Home Gym Homeowners are famous for renovating and redecorating. It there s a space in their home that needs a new look, out comes the color swatches and home decorating ma gazines. It doesn t matter which space you decided to decorate, a bedroom, a bathr oom, a kitchen or even a home gym. Home decorating can make improvements to any area in your home. Decorating your home gym is probably not at the top of your l ist but why not add some life to the room which is meant to be motivating and fu ll of energy. If thinking of decorating your home gym, you might first of all consider the pur pose of this room. A home gym is a space used to exercise, work-out and recharge your batteries. This area is intended to be motivational and used by energetic people. With these factors in mind, decorating your home gym should enhance the space, add to the environment and improve the room s appearance. Decorating your home gym may require some thought and imagination. This task cou ld be difficult for you if the home gym is not one of your favourite rooms in th e house. If you re not an active person or interested in using your home gym, find ing ways to improve the space may not really interest you, at least not as much as decorating your kitchen would. If you re having trouble coming up with ideas fo r decorating your home gym, you may want to seek advice or flip through a few ho me decorating catalogues. Picking a theme for your home gym may be challenging. It s not exactly a spot to p ut a fancy, slip-covered country chair. Simple colors won t likely fit your home gym. Decorating your home gym ought to breathe life into the space. Using bright colors and lots of lighting might improve the atmosphere, adding energy to the room. When decorating your home gym you might want to choose a modern theme. Usi ng vivid colors and trendy furniture would definitely make the room feel alive. Deciding on accessories for your home gym might be interesting. Pretty flowers a nd fancy ornaments won t bring anything to your home gym. This is a space created for working on your physical strength and appearance, not meant to be quiet and serene to work on your spiritual strength. When decorating your home gym remembe ring the room s purpose should be able to help with ideas for accessories. Clocks make nice additions to home gyms. When working out people are constantly timing themselves and their progress. A good stereo system might be considered when dec orating your home gym. Listening to music, loud lively music, helps set the mood when exercising. A television is a must in your home gym. Watching your favouri te television program is a great distraction when you are using stationary exerc ise equipment. You get all caught up in the program and before you realize it, y ou ve peddled the exercise bike for thirty-five minutes. Although initially you may have been a little apprehensive about the idea of dec orating your home gym, once you get involved in the project and get your creativ e juices flowing, you ll be surprised at what you can accomplish. With help from o ther sources like home decorating magazines, this project may be just the motiva tion needed to entice you to use your home gym on a regular basis. Decorating Your Home With a Creole Twist Of all the styles of architecture and decorating around the world very few have taken the best of all the others and made it a little bit better in quite the wa y that the style often referred to as "French Creole" has managed to do. The tru th is that while this style of architecture that New Orleans is famous for is re ally heavily borrowed from many other cultures and yet uniquely New Orleans at t

he same time. Creole architecture for many brings to mind intricate wrought iron work, long sh utters (to cover the windows during hurricanes originally), huge windows and doo rs (these were designed larger than typical homes in other parts of the country in order to create breezeways for the wind to come through in the sweltering hot summer months), and bright colors that you aren't likely to find in most millio n dollar neighborhoods. This style of architecture and home dcor is also famous f or huge balconies-also with wrought iron railing. The amazing thing about the Creole style of home decorating is that there is no one identifiable feature that labels a design style as decidedly Creole. Lagniap pe is a term that people here quite often in and around New Orleans. For those w ho do not know, it means "a little something extra". From an extra donut to a fr eebie bookmark and many things in between, that little something extra has a lon g history in New Orleans from the architecture to the music there always seems t o be a little something extra that you couldn't get anywhere else. The interior design style of the Creole is also very similar. Some consider it g audy but the locals consider it that little something extra and it is. You may f ind a little Gothic style, a little bit of Jazz, and a whole lot of Mardi Gras i n one room and it s quite all right because you are getting all that and just a little bit of lagniappe too. Home decorating in Creole country is an art form th at defies logic and yet makes perfect sense for the rich culture and heritage th at it encompasses. For those that need a little inspiration who would love to incorporate a little Cajun or Creole spice into their living spaces, perhaps the following suggestion s will prove to be helpful. 1) Red peppers. Nothing says spice quite like a red pepper. There are all kinds of items you can find with red peppers in them these days from wallpaper borders to hand blown glass peppers, jar toppers, pot holders, kitchen towels, strings of lights for patios-even kitchen canisters decorated with red peppers. There ar e all kinds of options available to incorporate this theme into your home or one room of your home. 2) Music notes. Most people cannot think of Cajun country without thinking of th e music that calls this great section of the country home. Music notes are a gre at way to symbolize the music that made New Orleans famous. 3) Mardi Gras Masks. Many people find that New Orleans symbolizes Mardi gras in their hearts and minds though New Orleans is not the birthplace of Mardi gras. T he masks are a way that people from around the country can bring the 'spirit of New Orleans' home with them and decorate their homes with that attitude that can only be referred to as Creole in many hearts and minds. 4) Food. Believe it or not the food is as much a part of the Creole home as any other design element. For this reason a French Creole style kitchen is often the way to go when it comes to home decorating in the Creole fashion. The kitchen i s the heart of a Cajun home and food is what makes it that heart. Use jars of be ans, rice, pastas, and other lagniappe as part of the overall design and you mig ht just be amazed at just how Creole the room begins to look. The most important thing to remember is that Creole is more of an attitude than a design style. Bring the attitude of "No Worries" into the design features of y our home and you will have the true Creole style to an art. Fall for Home Decorating Autumn is the time of year in which you can literally smell the changes. Leaves are burning, peanuts are roasting, and most people are just beginning to fill a hint of a chill in the air. More than smelling the changes that are coming you c

an see them. Leaves begin to take on brilliant hues and the colors are spectacul ar to watch and witness. This is the time of year that thoughts begin to turn to football, hiking, and the upcoming holidays (for there are quite a few on the h orizon). Fall contains two primary holidays for many people. Those include Halloween and Thanksgiving. Keep these holidays in mind when planning your primary fall home d ecorating scheme and make small adjustments in order to accommodate the holidays . Personally, I love the colors associated with autumn. The yellows, shades of g old, orange, and brown are favorites for my decorating taste. I always regret a little that this time of year is often overshadowed by Christmas as it approache s and the expectations of others that I decorate for Christmas almost immediatel y after celebrating Thanksgiving. For those who lack inspiration when it comes to home decorating for fall, keep t he colors mentioned above in mind. One great theme to incorporate into the decor ating process would be the theme of leaves. Leaves falling from the trees are on e of the most common associations with this time of year and it is a great look to incorporate into your home. You can even find leaf garlands in fall shades if you are inclined to look for them. Leaves can also be incorporated into lovely centerpieces and floral arrangements to hallmark the season. Harvest is another common association with autumn. This is also rather easy to i ncorporate into most home decorating designs. Gourds make an excellent accent pi ece for this time of year and you can find real ones in almost any vegetable mar ket along with many realistic imitation gourds. These can be used, much like or along with leaves, as part of centerpieces, in floral arrangements, in tabletop decorations, and even to hold place cards for large gatherings. They are incredi bly versatile as well as colorful and make a great addition to any autumn home d ecorating venture. Pumpkins are essentially gourds but they have a special place all their own in t he fall home decorating scheme. Pumpkins have a special association with both Ha lloween and Thanksgiving (pumpkin pie anyone) and should not be overlooked as an important tool for decoration. In addition they are just bright, colorful, and cheerful to have around the house. To avoid the stench of rotting pumpkins simpl y avoid carving them if you intend to keep them around for a little while. Those that are carved should be placed outside and only carved within days of the 'bi g day'. A great centerpiece idea in general for fall would include a large bowl, in outs tanding fall colors such as a burnt orange or a shade of gold. For the first par t of autumn you can fill the centerpiece with candies that are wrapped in fall c olors. This is ideal for family munchies as well as trick or treaters that may f ind their way to your door on Halloween. Once this holiday has ended you can fil l the bowl with colorful leaves and gourds to complete the look. This should car ry you through Thanksgiving when it is time to begin thinking about Christmas de corations and wintertime rather than fall. Whether you adore fall like I do or dread its appearance each year for whatever reason there is little denying that fall is ripe with decorating ideas and ideal s. Take the time to look around your local craft stores and see where inspiratio n strikes. It is never too early or too late in the year to begin thinking about what you are going to do for your home decorating plan in the seasons to come. Free Home Decorating Ideas Everyone appreciates home decorating ideas when planning to make improvements to their home. You may have visions of your own about how your new home dcor would look but it s always nice to have an alternative plan. There s definitely home decor

ating ideas that you haven t discovered. There are constantly changes being made r egarding trends in home decorating. Checking out new home decorating ideas may g ive birth to a new home decorating plan for your space. Being able to find home decorating ideas is a treat but having access to free ho me decorating ideas is a real gift. Good news, there are free home decorating id eas available to you. Often when you pick up a magazine, perhaps while waiting a t the doctor s office, something in the home decorating section catches your eye. Relaying tips and techniques for home improvements, this magazine is offering yo u free home decorating ideas. Another great source of information regarding home dcor and decorating is a catalog from major stores such as Sears, Zellers or Ike a. Advertising their products, they use illustrations of fully decorated rooms. Browsing catalogs such as these you ll find many free home decorating ideas. Taking a trip to your local furniture store or department store is sure to provi de free home decorating ideas. Many stores have displays which are regularly cha nges to share new and trendy home dcor. The front window of a furniture store is a great place to catch a glimpse of beautifully arranged home dcor. Again, window displays such as this can be considered free home decorating ideas. One of the best sources of free home decorating ideas is the Internet. There are hundreds of sites on the Internet related to home decorating with thousands of free home decorating ideas. There are sites which explain in depth the various h ome decorating designs and offer ideas to help you achieve these styles in your own home. Some sites offer step-by-step instructions for do-it-yourself home dec orating and renovating projects. These free home decorating ideas are your chanc e to create rooms and spaces similar to those decorated by professional interior decorators. With the aid of these free home decorating ideas, you ll be equipped to transform your home into something you only dream off. You may be very surpri sed at what you can actually accomplish as an inexperienced interior decorator. Decorating a home or space is a very exciting activity. It does require a whole lot of effort regarding planning and the actual decorating, but the results are definitely worth it. Being able to sit back after living through weeks or renova tions and home decorating is a delight. Being able to look around your home at t he beautiful changes and realize you are responsible, that feeling is overwhelmi ng. To know that you were able to achieve these results by using free home decor ating ideas may be astonishing. You may feel so great about your accomplishment that you ll be eager to take on another room. When you are ready to begin another home decorating or renovating project, you ll be able to plan it with added confid ence realizing there are thousands of free home decorating ideas to help you out . Helpful Home Decorating Tips When making plans for a home decorating project, it is important to sit down and write down your ideas and goals. Without a plan the experience may become confu sing and frustrating. There are many details to work out when planning to decora te your home such as theme, materials and intentions for the space being decorat ed. It is pointless to get up one morning thinking I ll decorate my dining room to day. It would be a nice thought but without previous planning, doubtfully the pr oject would amount to much. Home decorating tips such as this are helpful. After jotting down ideas and goals for your home decorating project, the next ph ase might be to consider your budget, how much can you afford to spend on redeco rating. Materials and accessories could be costly depending on what your decorat ing plans are. If desiring to make changes to your entire home, you should have access to a sufficient amount of money. Helpful home decorating tips should alwa ys make your budget a priority. There are hidden costs when making huge improvem ents in your home. Once the home decorating begins, little expenses seem to jump

out of the woodwork. Planning a home decorating project that fits your budget i s a helpful home decorating tip. Once you are all straightened out regarding the financial situation, you will wa nt to choose a style or them for your home decorating project. There are many to choose from and the decision should be made based on your likes and interests. Country decorating provides a sense of warmth and coziness, while a modern theme might be loud and alive. Remember when planning to decorate, this theme may be around for awhile. For this reason another good home decorating tip is, choose a theme or a style you can live with. After making a final decision about your decorating theme, a helpful home decora ting tip might be to sit down and sketch your plan on paper. Using a pencil and paper, sketch a diagram of the area you are about to decorate. Considering the s ize, spend some time arranging and rearranging, through drawing, the items to go in this space. Using a mental visualization and the sketch, you should be certa in of your goal before the actual work begins. Another helpful home decorating t ip at this stage of the game is aiming to highlight Your imagination, your creativity these are two great assets in home decorating. Perhaps one of the most helpful home decorating tips is to make use of your own creative abilities. When your project begins, if an idea pops in your head or y ou discover you d like to try orange instead of beige, go for it. Often times it s t hose off the wall ideas that make a space look astonishing. It s your home, your i dea, use your judgment. There are many helpful home decorating tips. They can be found in home decoratin g magazines, books, on programs or on the Internet. If having concerns and inhib itions about starting a decorating project in your home, you could certainly get some helpful home decorating tips from these sources. Decorating your home is m eant to be an exciting and joyous occasion. The number one tip for home decorati ng is have fun. Home & Garden Decorating Home and garden decorating is a hot topic. This is evident in television program ming. Every second television show is related to decorating your home and garden . Programs such as The Decorating Challenge, Curb Appeal and The House Doctor ar e great examples of home and garden decorating shows. These programs are quite i nteresting and quite helpful for people who are looking for ideas to make change s to their home and garden. These shows take everyday living spaces and transfor m them into beautiful, inviting places. Since these programs generally work with a budget, they help people realize that home and garden decorating can be accom plished without going to great expense. They also demonstrate that even small ch anges can make an enormous difference in home and garden decorating. Home and garden decorating involves anything, materials, paint, fabric, accessor ies; items that can be used to make decorative improvements to a home or garden. When considering making changes around the house or in the back garden, some pe ople may feel intimidated because they aren t creative nor do they have any crafty skills. Home and gardening programs, magazines, books and catalogs, show homeow ners that it isn t necessary to be a skilled individual to make home and garden de corating changes. These resources teach people that simple, basic changes and ad ditions can transform a space, either home or garden, into something completely different and beautiful. Many homeowners and decorators decorate so that the home and garden compliment e ach other. When people have beautiful gardens, they often like to have that beau ty brought into their living space. One easy way to accomplish this is to displa y, fresh-cut flowers from the garden, throughout the home. Flowers provide a lov

ely, fresh scent and add color to any space. When home and garden decorating, pe rhaps a homeowner might like to bring the country theme in their home, out into their garden. A patio could easily be decorated to portray country home decorati ng. This would allow people to enjoy the warmth and coziness of country decorati ng both inside and outside the home. There are many home and garden decorating ideas. A person could take a drive aro und town and find details of other houses and gardens which interest them. They can then take these ideas back to their own home and garden. Window boxes make l ovely decorations for any home. These decorations, filled with seasonal flowers, can be enjoyed both inside and outside the home. Home and garden decorating can add hours of fun to your day. Since it s your space anything, that interests you, goes. If you re a person who doesn t like clutter, re defining your property may be a simple as removing unwanted items from your home or cutting down overgrown trees from your garden. You d be surprised at the diffe rence this could make in your home and garden decorating plans. A fresh coat of pain on the interior or the exterior of your house will certainly be an improvem ent. Replacing the wooden planks on a patio and finishing them with a rich stain would definitely compliment your garden as well as your home. There are many ho me and garden decorating ideas. When you re out with a group of friends, why not a sk for home and garden decorating suggestions. Once you begin your decorating pr oject, you ll discover all sorts of techniques to make improvements to your home a nd garden. Home Decorating Catalogs Plenty homeowners use home decorating catalogs to order items to make improvemen ts to their home or to get home decorating ideas. Home decorating catalogs usual ly provide photos of complete rooms and the opportunity to purchase any or all o f the items used to create the room. For people who are not creative, these cata logs are great resources for decorating tips for their home. If money is not a p roblem, they could buy everything featured in the home decorating catalog to cre ate the exact same room in their own home. Home decorating catalogs are normally made available by major department stores, building centers and home dcor shops. These stores provide customers the option of visiting the store to purchase merchandise, some will provide a delivery serv ice or mail service and others have online home decorating catalogs available to shop from. Home decorating catalogs are published for the benefit of the custom er. These publications entice people to visit the stores hopefully with the inte ntion to buy. Many stores send their home decorating catalogs to customer throug h the mail. Providing information regarding location and telephone numbers, peop le can easily access their stores. People can get a mental image of what their space could look like by looking at the vivid pictures in home decorating catalogs. These books provide hours of enj oyment for people who are fascinated with new trends in home decorating. Providi ng examples of new colors and new accessories, home decorating catalogs offer pe ople an opportunity to stay in touch with fashion and even explore new possibili ties for their space. Home decorating is usually divided into different categories regarding style. So me of these styles or themes include country, French country, English country, m odern, traditional, Oriental, Victorian and old world. Each of these themes woul d have an individual section in home decorating catalogs. These individual secti ons focus on furniture, color, fabric and accessories which relate to the theme. If a homeowner was interested in changing the theme in their home from country to Oriental, browsing through home decorating catalogs would provide useful info rmation and an opportunity to purchase items to help transform their home.

Online home decorating catalogs provide people an even better opportunity to loo k at available merchandise. The Internet, with its capabilities is equipped to p rovide enhanced images. With this in mind, a person would be able to get a clear er image of the items in an online home decorating catalog. Not only would onlin e home decorating catalogs provide better images but they are very convenient. O nline shopping is quickly catching on in society today. More and more people are taking advantage of the convenience offered through shopping online. Without le aving the comfort of home, a person can spend hours browsing online home decorat ing catalogs. If they find an item or group of items they d like to purchase, they can do so online. With methods of payment such as credit card, Paypal or C.O.D. , people can order what they need or want from online home decorating catalogs. Home decorating catalogs, either online or a publication, provide people with ac cess to everything they need to improve a room or their entire home. Home Decorating Fabrics Home decorating fabrics are meant to compliment a room. Beautiful fabrics can im prove any space. Home decorating fabrics are used in upholstery, couch covers, s lip-covers, bed coverings, window treatments, table coverings, etc. A room witho ut home decorating fabric is plain with a cold feeling. Using home decorating fa brics, a space can be transformed into an inviting, warm and cozy place to relax and enjoy with family and friends. Because home decorating fabrics are an essential part of decorating a space, it is important to choose those that correspond with the other objects in the room. It s easier to pick home decorating fabrics if you are using advice and suggestio ns for a particular decorating design. Without any direction, your interior deco rating project can become frustrating and discouraging. Instead of working towar d your dream home, you ll find yourself caught up in a nightmare. There are plenty of home decorating themes to choose from. Each of them has thei r own color and style for home decorating fabrics. With a theme to guide you, ch oosing home decorating fabrics shouldn t pose a problem. For example if you choose a tuscan theme, the home decorating fabric choices would include woven textures such as burlap, fabrics made from the abaca fiber and fabrics made from the ban ana tree fibres, savannah cloth and tobacco cloth. Tuscan home decorating fabric s tend to be heavier but they are very flexible and versatile. If you use the tu scan theme as your guide, these home decorating fabrics could be used for blinds , drapes, slip-covers and even perhaps even area rugs. If you decide you like the cottage theme, home decorating fabrics would include floral patterns and bright colors. Cottage decorating, with regards to upholster y and the various projects requiring fabric, suggests bold and colourful pattern s. Although a floral pattern is the most popular in home decorating fabrics for the cottage theme, printed fabrics with vegetables or fruit are also quite often used. Choosing the Victorian theme would suggest you choose home decorating fabrics su ch as velvet or brocade in rich colors of blue, green, burgundy and so on. Victo rian home decorating fabrics are meant to be quite feminine as well as elaborate . These materials are used for curtains, bedding, slip-covers, etc. You might ev en want to trim these home decorating fabrics with lace, beads or ribbons. These are just a few examples of home decorating fabrics used in relation to dif ferent themes. You must choose fabrics that speak to you. It s also important to r emember that home decorating fabrics can be quite expensive. Once you ve decided o n a fabric and purchase it to use in your home, you may have to live with it for a long time. For this reason it is best to be absolutely certain before making that final decision. Home decorating fabrics often require special care for wash

ing. If you d rather a fabric that is easy to care for, make sure this is consider ed when choosing home decorating fabrics. Remember this is your space, your deci sion and it should meet your needs. There are thousands of home decorating fabri cs to choose from. By using available resources such as home dcor magazines, home decorating catalogues, Internet websites and of course fabric stores in your ar ea, you ought to be capable of making a sensible decision and appropriate choice for home decorating fabrics. Home Decorating Magazines You know your house needs improvements. You know you need to redecorate. You can t seem to come up with ideas for decorating your home. You need inspiration. Wher e do you go for help? One great source of home decorating ideas and inspiration is home decorating magazines. These publications provide a look into the world o f home decorating and offer suggestions and tips to help you decorate your home. Home decorating magazines provide pictures of homes and rooms that were remodel led which may inspire you to recreate that space in your very own home. There are many home decorating magazines available. Most of these magazines not only provide pictures and ideas but also offers the customer an opportunity to b uy directly from them items you like in their magazine. Many magazines are adver tised on the Internet. With websites displaying their ideas and pictures, you ca n browse these sites in your search for a decorating style. These online magazin es will likely offer you a chance to buy directly from them via the Internet. Home decorating magazines are constantly in circulation. Some of the popular hom e decorating magazines are listed here. * Traditional Home This magazine has its main focus on traditional dcor and histo rical homes. Articles are written that allow you to visit historic places, gathe ring ideas and tips for decorating a traditional home. This home decorating maga zine offers information on furniture, window treatments and color schemes. * Country Living This is a magazine which is published monthly and offers ideas about country dcor, crafts, and antiques. It also provides tips for traditional c ooking. This home decorating magazine provides details regarding furniture, wind ow treatments, fireplaces and historic colors. * Elle Dcor This home decorating magazine is published semi-monthly. It is a maga zine dedicated to focusing on modern design with a French influence. Focusing on luxury living, furniture style and planning your room, this magazine intends to offer the average homeowner ideas and tips to achieve this terrific style for t heir homes. * Better Homes & Gardens This popular magazine provides the reader with informat ion about various subjects relating to the homeowner and their family. This info rmation includes ideas for home dcor as well as garden decorating. Better Homes & Gardens also publishes a seasonal magazine which focuses on dcor with a lot of i nformation regarding specific projects. * Metropolitan Home Published six times a year, this home decorating magazine pr ovides details about renovating and designing modern urban homes. This magazine focuses on contemporary design and current trends. It offers the reader informat ion regarding transforming a traditional home or space into a modern, contempora ry environment. These home decorating magazines are great sources or inspiration if you are havi ng difficulty coming up with ideas and techniques for your home. Providing detai led information and vivid photos, these home decorating magazines offer you inst ructions and often step-by-step directions to achieve the desired look. Each of

these magazines also offers you, the customer an opportunity to buy directly fro m them. This can make your job so much easier if you see a room or space in the magazine that you like. Buying directly from them, you have a chance to recreate that beautiful space in your home.

Home Decorating Pictures The quote, a picture is worth a thousand words is true for many, many situations. This famous quote even applies to home decorating. Many people draw their inspir ation for their decorating projects from home decorating pictures. It s difficult to visualize a room decorated using the various design themes. You many think th e French Country style is perfect for your kitchen but when you actually see thi s style used in home decorating pictures, you may change your mind. Contemporary style is hot nowadays with its trendy accessories, fabric and furniture but is it for your home? Browsing home decorating pictures of contemporary design will help you decides whether it s for your home or not. Tuscan design sounds beautiful when you read about it in magazines and books but until you see those home deco rating pictures using tuscan design, you can t be sure if it would work in your ho me. Home decorating pictures are very beneficial when making plans to decorate both the interior and exterior of your home. Pictures either confirm your visions or provide a totally different reality. Home decorating pictures offer you an oppor tunity to browse and pick a design that best suits you and your home. There are so many designs to choose from, some you ve probably never heard of. Current home decorating pictures offer you a chance to view all of the latest trends in home decorating for each and every room in your home. Home decorating pictures portray homes and spaces that often seem out of the rea lm of possibility for you and your home. Because these spaces are so elegantly d ecorated and look so perfect and professional, you may assume it cannot be achie ved in your space. This is not true. Home decorating pictures give you the finis hed product, the end result of much planning and work. Home decorating is a proc ess and you too can work through this process to create rooms similar to those i n the home decorating pictures. With the thousands of resources available to hom eowners today, there is no reason you cannot have an elegant dining room just li ke the one you saw in home decorating pictures. There are so many magazines, catalogues, books and websites related to interior home decorating. These resources provide many useful tools and offer great advic e for decorating your home. When you begin your planning, you can t imagine your s pace will resemble those in the home decorating pictures. The great news is it c ertainly can. Using home decorating pictures as guides for your planning, you ca n choose colors, furnishings and accessories to improve your space and make it p icture perfect. In home decorating, almost anything is achievable if you are wil ling to be open-minded and accept advice. Many home decorating pictures display rooms in bold colors that you just can t imagine using in your home. This is when you have to relax and go out on a limb. In order to get that picture perfect roo m, you may need to compromise your normal methods of decorating. However if you definitely want the bathroom in the home decorating pictures, you ll need to put a way those normal habits and adopt brand new ones. Home Decorating Utter the two words home decorating in a crowd or women and the place will go ma d. These two words seem to breathe fire in women s bellies. Most women love the id ea of home decorating. When discussed in a crowd, there will likely be all sorts

of ideas and tips passed around. For some strange reason the female population enjoy making changes, especially to their homes. The idea of getting rid of the old and bringing in the new gets women all excited. Many people like change, women and men, boys and girls. Home decorating is a gre at way to make immediate changes in a person s space. Even slight changes in home dcor can make a space seem new and refreshed. Home decorating is an excellent way of taking a tired looking space and transforming it into a bright, happy atmosp here. It is a terrific way to bring people up when they are feeling down. Home decorating can involve all kinds of different colors, fabrics, furniture, f looring and accessories. Some people spend thousands of dollars decorating their homes while other people use only imagination to make magnificent changes. Home decorating depends on the individual s taste, their intentions and of course thei r finances. When people have plenty of money to use for home decorating, often t hey will hire a professional home decorator. Hiring a professional home decorator is a great opportunity to have a home trans formed into a trendy environment. Home decorators are in touch with the latest t rends and styles in home decorating. With their talent and experience they are a ble to take a plain, boring room and transform it into a happening, exciting spa ce to hang out in. With regards to home decorating, if a person desires somethin g totally unimaginable, they might want to hire a professional home decorator. Home decorating is very important to some people. In fact there are those who ma ke changes in their home each and every season. Most people like to do a little home decorating at Christmas time but there are those who like to jazz up their home in the spring, summer, fall and winter. Using home decorating tips and idea s, people transform their homes to fit the each season. When a homeowner is trying to sell their home, a bit of home decorating may incr ease their chances of success. People viewing a home are often attracted to the cosmetics of the space. Home decorating provides a homeowner the opportunity to give their home a face-lift before putting it on the real estate market. With a few slight changes to the furniture placing in a room, perhaps a calming color o n the walls and a bouquet of flowers in a lovely vase on a table, a potential bu yer might be won over. When a home is nicely decorated, there is evidence that t he homeowner takes pride in their home and cares for it. This would certainly ma ke a good impression on a potential buyer. Just a few little home decorating tri cks may be responsible for selling the house. Home Interior Decorating Home interior decorating is a perfect opportunity for you to express yourself. H ome interior decorating allows you to showcase your interests; interests in furn iture, art and even different cultures. Every decorating style is different, wit h some being elaborate while others are plain. However, there is a home interior decorating style to suit your personality as well as your budget. Budget is usually at the top of the list when making plans for home interior dec orating. It is easy to look at a picture and want to recreate it in your space. Sometimes the details in home decorating pictures are quite expensive which may introduce obstacles for you. There s no need to be disheartened however, there are always alternate ideas to help you achieve your ideal space. Resources such as magazines, books, television programs and Internet websites are very helpful wit h suggestions and ideas for home interior decorating. Using these resources you re bound to find alternatives to any problems you may have with home interior deco rating. If you are an individual who loves color and authentic home interior decorating,

there are several designs to choose from. Primitive home interior decorating is interesting because it concentrates on old and handmade items. This is a wonder ful opportunity to display collectables and handed down treasures. This style su ggests using accessories and furniture which appear extremely old, worn, stained or antique. If you are a person who likes antiques, primitive interior decorati ng might be right for you. When choosing a paint color for this design, dark and warm shades are recommended. Deep grey or red brick would work well in this spa ce. Another home interior decorating design that you may find interesting is whimsic al decorating. This design allows you to go wild with your imagination. Using an y and all of your favourite colors, you space should be decorated thoroughly wit h various patterns and colors. This home interior decorating design is all about color. The important detail to remember however is, if you choose bold vibrant colors, stay within that hue of color. If you decide to use pastel colors, stick with colors in the pastel palette. If you have difficulty moving from the past into modern home interior decorating , traditional design may be for you. This home interior decorating style combine s the modern look with the elegant look of the past. Space is important in the t raditional design. To help create a spacious atmosphere, neutral colors such as neutral, beige or mushroom is recommended for the walls. To add a punch of color to this traditional design, darker colors such as burgundy, mauve, blues and gr eens are suggested for the upholstery, fabric, rugs, etc. When choosing accessor ies for this home interior decorating design, china and crystal objects will com pliment this style. You might also like to add some artwork to your space. Paint ings with wood frames go great with this traditional theme. There are just three of the many designs for home interior decorating. There are many and there is one, just for you. Browsing sources about home interior decor ating designs will give you a better idea of their characteristics regarding col or, furnishings, flooring and accessories. With your individual tastes and inter ests at the forefront, you ought to be able to find a style that works for you. Home interior decorating can turn your home into an oasis of pure enjoyment. Home Decorating: Bathroom on a Budget When it comes to home decorating there are few rooms that have quite the impact of a bathroom or kitchen when being decorated. There is something wonderful abou t taking a tired old bathroom and making it seem bright and shiny once again. Mo st people, however, cringe at the thought of a bathroom remodel fearing the abso lute worst when it comes to their financial situation once all is said and done. The good news is that small steps can lead to big changes in rooms as small as bathrooms. These small steps do not have to have large prices in order to be hig hly effective. My suggestion with a bathroom is to assess where the worst blemishes and eyesore s may be. Painting the walls can be a good place to start but you should first d ecide whether you are planning to remove any cabinetry. This is one room where i t is best to save the painting for later in the project rather than the beginnin g. The vanity in many bathrooms takes up a good deal of real estate. Gone are th e days when chunky cabinets were the popular choice for bathrooms. Now people wa nt the bathrooms to have the appearance of a wide-open space. This means that ca binets and vanities are becoming smaller rather than larger. Most homeowners find that the removal of bulky cabinetry in the bathroom often l eads to some degree of patching required for the drywall and noticeable gaps in flooring. These will need to be addressed fairly quickly, which means that now i s a good time to select color options for the walls and flooring. Smaller bathro oms do well with lighter colors on the walls in order to give them a larger appe

arance. Use towels and decorations to bring in darker accents but keep the walls light and bright. Also choose paint that can withstand the high humidity of bat hrooms. Flooring in a bathroom also needs to be able to withstand high heat and humidity as this room is rather abusive to floors and walls. For this reason, hardwood i s not the floor of choice for most bathrooms. Ceramic tile is an excellent choic e and not terribly expensive. There are also some laminates that are designed to respond well to a high humidity environment such as will be found in a bathroom . Choose flooring that will accent the walls and the overall sense of dcor you ar e hoping to achieve when decorating your home and bathroom, as this is not somet hing you are going to want to change often. The toilet in a bathroom is fairly simple to purchase but I recommend leaving it be unless it absolutely needs to be changed. This is not a simple procedure for the novice and experts are expensive. In this case "if it ain't broke don't fix it" is an excellent motto to live by. The same holds true with the shower. If, however, you simply cannot live with your shower (or bathtub) as is, you may wan t to try hiring professionals to come in and resurface your tub. This is much le ss expensive than purchasing a brand-new tub and will have yours looking bright, shiny, and as good as new. Again you can avoid the high cost of a plumber despi te the fact that you are paying for professionals to resurface. To top things off, you will be amazed at the difference that new knobs, fixtures , and hardware can make in a bathroom. Add a couple of lamps for subtle lighting and some decorative touches of your own and you have a brand new bathroom witho ut spending a king's ransom in order to do so. The shower curtain and 'guest' to wels should be your largest splurges in your bathroom, as they will tie the room all together. You shower curtains and towels will blend the colors and designs in order to create the overall atmosphere you should be hoping to achieve in you r bathroom. And all of this can be accomplished one step at a time no matter how sparse your budget may be. Home Decorating for Halloween If there is ever a time of year when the ghosts and goblins roam the streets of the modern world, that time would be Halloween. Today's ghost and goblins are pr obably a little more frightening than at any other time in history but they are often tempered by a princess seeking frogs and a few witches and wizards along t he way. Halloween is a great day to be a kid but can also be a great day for gro wn ups as well. Decorating for Halloween can be almost as fun as going out and b egging for candy any day of the week. Besides, having a well decorated home for this holiday gives you the perfect exc use to scare the evil out of some young ghoul or vampire that thinks he or she h as the market cornered on frightening. The really cool thing about decorating fo r Halloween is that it is not one size fits all. You are perfectly free to find some very scary home decorations for this delightful holiday or take on a kinder , gentler, more kid friendly style of decorating. Either decision is yours and y ours alone and should carefully monitor the scare-ability of your own children w hen deciding. You certainly don't want them afraid to come home. For a more frightening Halloween scene you will probably want to use some strobe lights, frightening music and sound effects, dry ice in order to incorporate sp ooky fog, and plenty of spider web type netting in order to give those who dare approach your door bells a complete and thorough case of the willies. Doesn't th is sound like so much fun? Coffins with headless straw men are also a great addi tion as well as skittering spiders and the occasional chainsaw or two. A glow in the dark hockey mask may also be a good choice. Bodiless heads suspended by fis hing wire are also quite the highlight for a true and robust fright.

If your goal is to create a kid friendly Halloween atmosphere there are cheerful pumpkin decorations that can be found in many shapes and sizes as well as Caspe r the friendly ghost, Frankenstein piatas, and countless other fun party favors t hat are designed to bring entertainment and delight rather than terror and far. String pumpkin lights around the porch for added lighting and another friendly f ace in addition to keeping plenty of candles and lanterns lit nearby. Not all tr ick or treaters are older kids who appreciate a good scare so keep this in mind as the little ghosts, goblins, princesses, and super heroes arrive. For adult gatherings all bets are off when it comes to home decorating for Hallo ween. There are all kinds of themes that can be followed from the incredibly zan y and outrageous to the frightening or flamboyant. The biggest suggestion in the se matters is to have fun at all times and bring the be the life of the party ra ther than having the decorations upstage your efforts. Far too many people spend more time concerned with how they will decorate their homes rather than wonderi ng how they will decorate themselves for the festivities. If you find the perfec t costumes all eyes will be on you and not your decorations. Favorite suggestions for adult parties would include strobe lights, much like th e frightening scene described above, low additional lights, perhaps black lights near the food and drink area of the party. More dry ice (if tolerable some peop le have difficulties with the smell particularly those with allergies or asthma so you may want to avoid this inside your home and leave it for the exterior). B ales of hay in the corner make excellent additional seating and can contribute t o the harvest/autumn/Halloween atmosphere you are attempting to create. Just rem ember that the underlying goal is for you and your guests to have a great time. Have good food, good music, and good friends, and the decorations really and tru ly should be a secondary concern. Home Decorating for Spring Spring is a time of renewal. It is the time of year when people across the count ry begin shaking off the final dregs of winter, opening their windows, and hangi ng clothes on the lines to dry. It is the time of year that many people associat e with cleaning but very few associate with home decorating. Sadly enough there are very few times of year when it is more appropriate to decorate your home. Fa ce it, for most of us, this is the only time of year that we are actually happy about cleaning. During the summer months we clean because the kids (young and old alike) are con stantly tracking dirt, mud, grass, and goodness knows what else into the house. Cleaning in these days is a chore and yet we still manage to bring out the patri otic colors and celebrate America in style. Goodness knows how with all the extr a cleaning that is going on and the nearly double amounts of lemonade and iced t ea being consumed daily. Still we manage to decorate and take great joy in doing so as if some right of passage has been achieved by our home decorating efforts . During the Thanksgiving and Winter months we clean house because we have no choi ce. Friends and family will be coming over and they expect our homes to be well decorated and clean. This I must tell you is quite the accomplishment with the r ush of the holidays afoot and yet somehow we manage to muster up some Christmas cheer when others are around while playing Mr. Scrooge when it comes to running the mop and the broom around our rooms. Spring is the one time of year in which our cleaning efforts are nothing short o f inspired. Yet it is also the spring that often eludes us when it comes to insp iration for decoration. Perhaps we are too tired from all of our cleaning effort s to seek the inspiration to decorate. If this is the case with you, then my hop

e is that some of the ideas mentioned below will help bring some serious decorat ion inspiration your way. 1) Flowers. Spring is the time of flowers. They are all around us. Use fresh cut flowers and candles to create beautiful arrangement and centerpieces throughout your home. 2) Candles. While briefly mentioned above they deserve their own spot among the top five to say the least. Candles can be soothing, relaxing, invigorating, insp iring, beautiful, elegant, and simply smell good. Candles are great no matter wh at time of the year it is however, if you select candles in bright spring colors and fragrances you might be amazed at exactly how uplifting these candles can b e. 3) Towels. Yes I said towels. In your kitchen and your bathrooms you need bright , bold colors that signify spring, birth, and renewal. These little touches can make a huge difference in not only your attitude about cleaning and decorating b ut also your attitude about cooking. 4) Fragrance. While most people do not realize that the fragrances we use in our homes is a type of decoration. It makes our noses happy to some degree but also the potpourri and candles are often decorations in and of themselves. Put out b owls filled with brightly colored and lightly scented fragrance balls, dried fru it, and other delights. Gourmet potpourri can be found in all kinds of gift and fragrance shops and is a rather inexpensive way to add a fragrant touch to your home decorating as well as the fragrance of your home. 5) Fruit. Have bowls placed throughout your home filled with fresh fragrant frui t. Not only does this add yet another layer of fragrance to your home but it is also visually appealing and edible. There are three checks in the 'pro' column f or this simple decorative step and I have yet to find one in the 'con' column un less you consider the fact that it must be eaten before it gets too ripe. For those needing springtime home decorating ideas and inspiration I hope this h as helped. If you haven't found some outstanding suggestions above I at least ho pe that you will have been inspired to find your own fabulous finds for spring d ecorating. Home Decorating for Summer Summer is the perfect time of year to wear your true patriotic colors. This is t he time of year to enjoy watermelon, fried chicken, corn on the cob, and apple p ie. It is the time of year when days are long, nights are hot, and watching fire flies light up the night sky is one of the many joys that should not be forgot. Summer home decorating styles should keep all of these things in mind and so muc h more. Sunflowers are an excellent place to begin when it comes to summer decorating. T hey make an excellent statement and immediately (for many) bring to mind sunshin e and summertime. The bright yellow of these flowers is a great accent for almos t any room in the home and they are quite common in the silk form, as they have experienced some degree of popularity in recent years. This means you can enjoy the beauty of these sunflowers summer after summer if that is your wish. Baskets are also a great thing to collect for summertime decorating. You can pla ce some of the beautiful sunflowers in baskets throughout the house for added ef fect. Baskets can also be used to tame the clutter, hide the bills, and hold the utensils in the kitchen. These are quite versatile and usable in almost every r oom in the house. Some even use baskets in the bathroom in order to hold hand to wels and/or wash clothes. Baskets also transition well into other seasons if you elect to change the liners or add seasonally appropriate ribbons to the exterio r of the baskets. If you are handy with the paint brush some excellent summer decorating ideas inc

lude painting old wooden tables and chairs white and sponging on either apples o r watermelons according to your fancy. A small round table with a couple of chai rs can make an excellent (and often inexpensive) addition to a sunroom or breakf ast nook. Of course you could also stencil on some sunflowers, sunshine, or stic k figures playing ball. Whatever strikes your fancy would be a great addition to this clever home decorating idea. If you'd like a little sizzle to your summer theme try going for a Moroccan nigh ts theme in your home. Mosaics candle holders and wall sconces coupled with a fe w large pillows in rich fabrics can greatly enhance this atmosphere without brea king the piggy bank in the process. Candles and indirect lighting further enhanc e the mood as well as incense burning in the background. Others prefer to lend their home decorating skills for summertime to the exterio rs of their homes. This is often accomplished by creating an outdoor living area . Even most mass retailers are getting in on the profits that can be had by crea ting an elegant exterior living area for most families. Gone are the days when p lastic chairs were adequate for the demands of consumers. Today's outdoor living area is filled with elegant and element friendly furnishings that appeal to man y different design styles and tastes. In addition to the many wonderful furnishing options for exterior living areas m any families are choosing to incorporate outdoor fireplaces in order to make the living area livable during other times of year than summer as well as outdoor c ooling systems that help families keep their cool while enjoying the great outdo ors during summer time. By creating an atmosphere outside your home where you ca n enjoy the summer you are making the most of the space that is available to you and bringing a good bit of the cooking outside which often helps keep energy co sts down as well. Summertime is a great time for home decorating for those who are inclined to let their imaginations run wild. This is one time of year when most people can reme mber what it felt like to be a kid out of school and relish the memories. Capita lize on those fond memories and incorporate them into your dcor for an amazing ap peal. Home Decorating for the Basement The basement is often a neglected point in many homes around the country. This s pace in many homes is more utilitarian than functional. The sad thing is that th is space could be so much more for those who are interested in taking the time a nd paying the attention required to change the look from functional to fabulous. In many basements this will require a little more than minor home decorating sk ills while in other basements around the country all that is needed is a little color and a lot of style to make the basement the most in demand room in the hou se. One common complaint that people have about basements is the fact that they are so dark and dreary. The reason for this is that most basements have little natur al light that is allowed to flourish due to a serious lack of windows. However, this can also work to your benefit if you decide to use the basement as a media area. In fact, with the low ceiling and low light in the basement, this is proba bly the most perfect area in your home to turn into an excellent media room comp lete with surround sound and theater style seating. The only problem in this cas e will be getting the neighbors to quit begging to watch this week's newest DVD release at your house rather than their own. To pull this off you will want dark er colored walls, floors, and ceiling in this room, a large screen television, c omfortable seating and plenty of tables upon which you can place your beverages and popcorn.

Another great idea for basements is an artist or music studio. Basements can eas ily be portioned off into smaller rooms and all kinds of lighting can be install ed in order to accommodate the lighting needs of many artists (keep in mind that one size does not fit all and artists that need natural light in order to work will not find most basements accommodating). By creating a smaller room, particu larly for musicians, you are allowing yourself the additional option of soundpro ofing or at the very least dampening the room in order to save not only your ear s but also the ears of the neighbors and animals that live nearby. These rooms c an be simply furnished and decorated with music notes, a music stand, a comforta ble place to sit, and the equipment needed to create music for musicians or an e asel, art supplies, wash basin, comfortable seating, and perhaps a futon for rel axation for artists. If you are in need of a quiet place that is removed from the family in which to work (and who isn't really) the basement offers an ideal workspace for that prov ided you could get the lighting you need. Most people will need a professional t o install the lights in a basement but most people will definitely need addition al lighting in the basement in order to find the space tolerable for work. Howev er, once the lighting situation is taken care of, the basement does make an exce llent office space for many people. Try adding filing cabinets and photos, perha ps a fountain in order to make the area more serene and conducive to the work th at needs to be done. Of course you will want comfortable seating and adequate de sk or work table space as well. Design this room as you would any home office an d it should do just well regardless of your home decorating talent. One thing you need to keep in mind when it comes to home decorating and the base ment is that many basements have a tendency to seep in high humidity or after he avy rains. Dehumidifiers assist with this problem but you may need to decorate w ith this in mind if the water and moisture is problematic. You will want to avoi d mold and mildew at all cost, as they will ruin any potential enjoyment of your basement. Cork and ceramic tile are excellent flooring choices in this case and moisture barriers are an excellent idea to install before 'finishing' a basemen t. Home Decorating in the Tudor Fashion Tudor style home exteriors are rather easy to identify. Many people drive by the m quite regularly with jaws dropped and eyes wide at the simple beauty and elega nce of this style of architecture. From humble cottages to grand castles the Tud or style of architecture is very memorable indeed. When decorating the interior of a home in the Tudor fashion there is no set in stone rules though there are s ome touches that are the hallmarks of Tudor style and beauty. One thing you can do to bring a touch of the Tudor style to your home, even if y our home wasn't built in the Tudor style is to incorporate the use of beams in t he interior as decorative touches. When the original Tudor style of architecture was about this was more a design of need than one of opportunity. Today the pan eling serves as a simple reminder of the beauty that has earned this period in h istory and architecture such fame. This is only one method however, that can be used in order to establish a Tudor style upon the interior of a home. The floors in Tudor homes were typically made of either brick or flagstone. Many people today opt for stone tiles in order to portray a remarkably accurate look with a modern twist. These floors were often covered with ornate Oriental rugs (in wealthier homes) or small wool rugs in more humble abodes. If attempting to imitate the wealthier Tudor styled homes nothing short of Oriental style rugs wi ll do in the more prominent areas of the home. Keep in mind that there are reaso nably beautiful imitations currently on the market at prices that the average ho meowner can afford.

Ornate wall tapestries often graced the walls in order to complete the richness of the look in wealthier homes. This is a style that is often imitated in homes attempting to cling to their Tudor roots around the world. It is a beautiful aff ect however and one that is very well worth adding to your home if you are seeki ng to incorporate a Tudor style in your home decorating efforts. As far as the bedroom goes, the beds were the focal points of these rooms. Solid ly built four post beds were the thrones in these homes and made fit for the kin g of any castle no matter how humble it may be. The posts and feet on these beds were ornately carved and quite beautiful. This is a remarkable recreation to in clude in your home in order to bring about an authentic Tudor atmosphere for the interior decorating. In wealthier homes, rich fabrics canopied these massive be ds in order to provide privacy and elegance. In order to create an authentic Tudor atmosphere in a home of today you would al so want to incorporate some sort of wrought iron chandeliers into the home as we ll as wall sconces for lighting. This is the style of lighting that was often us ed at the time and will lend credibility to the scene you are attempting to recr eate. This to me is one of the most stunning effects that can be incorporated in to a home decorating plan in this day and age. If timeless beauty and elegance a re the goal, then this is definitely a style of dcor you will want to consider fo r your home.

Home Decorating: Kitchen on a Budget Decorating a home can be a trying thing to do with the best of budgets. The fact that you do not happen to have large lots of money lying around however should not prevent you from having a lovely kitchen to call your own. The kitchen is af ter all, the heart of any home and you want this room to be one that invites eve ryone to come, congregate, and pitch in (one can always dream right?). This is t he reason that you want your kitchen to shine above all other rooms in your home though. The kitchen should radiate warmth and home to all who enter. Truthfully speaking there are many things you can do in your kitchen that will g reatly impact the overall look of your kitchen without changing anything structu rally within your kitchen. If you have wallpaper, remove it and try paint. There are all kinds of great things you can do in the kitchen from plaster, which goe s amazingly well in a kitchen, to faux finishes and textures, and glazes for add ed impact. The walls in the kitchen are your canvas and the world is at your dis posal. Just remember to try to tie the walls into the floors and cabinets or at the very least to the floors and cabinets you hope to have in your kitchen somed ay. In addition to painting the walls in your kitchen you may also want to consider painting, staining, or antiquing your cabinets. I know that some jaws just dropp ed to the keyboard. How dare I suggest such a thing as painting wooden cabinets? The answer is simple really. It is much cheaper than replacing them and much si mpler than staining them. Really it boils down to a matter of choice. My first c hoice wouldn't be painting but then again, there are times when painting is a vi able option. It will greatly change the overall appearance of the kitchen if not hing else. Moving right along. Another great change that isn't terribly expensive to make i n the kitchen is hardware. The simple act of changing the door handles and drawe r pulls on your kitchen cabinet can result in an almost instant facelift. When t hese changes are combined with painted or stained cabinetry the effects are noth ing short of stunning in many cases. It's the little things that often have the greatest impact so keep this in mind when planning your changes.

The floors of your kitchen are another rather inexpensive change that can be mad e despite preconceptions. Keep in mind that you do not have to go top of the lin e in order to enjoy huge changes in the appearance of your floors. There are lam inate floors that are rather inexpensive to install as well as many forms of pee l and stick tile that can bring about impressive results for very little effort and without professional skills. Any floors that you are capable of installing y ourself will save a lot of money and can make a huge difference in the appearanc e and your enjoyment of your kitchen. Perhaps the biggest coup of all when it comes to changing the appearance of your kitchen is the ability to apply stainless steel PVC contact paper to your kitch en appliances in order to give them the instant appearance of stainless steel. T his is a very inexpensive method for updating the overall appearance of your kit chen in a matter of minutes and at a cost less than that of replacing one applia nce. For your countertops an inexpensive and terribly disruptive alternative to replacing them all together is to apply peel and stick tile over your existing c ountertops. As you can see there are many ways in which you can improve and enhance the warm th and coziness that you want your kitchen to convey without shattering the pigg y bank in the process. More importantly, you should keep in mind that taking on one project at a time allows you to make the adjustments in your own time and as finances allow. Home Decorating-Old World Style The "Old World" Style of Decorating is one that brings all of the elements of na ture into play. Metals, clay, stone, wood, and countless other elements combine to create an atmosphere that is as charming as it is ageless. This is what old-w orld means in a modern kitchen. Despite the idea that this would be an inexpensi ve method of decorating the truth is that this style of decorating for a kitchen , probably more so than any other room in the home, can add up fairly quickly. T he good news is that the results are typically breath taking when all is said an d done. The kitchen of a home is often the family center. This is the room in which meal s are prepared and sometimes eaten. It is also the room where families congregat e and discuss plans for the evening and the events of the day. It is often the l ocation in which homework is completed and heartaches are commiserated with pint s of ice cream. Your kitchen is the one room in the home that will probably expe rience more emotional moments than any other room in your home. For this reason it makes perfect sense that it would be the most expensively and extensively dec orated room within your home. When beginning with the walls for an old-world kitchen you may want to consider plaster or some soft of faux finish that looks like plaster in order to give the walls of your kitchen a truly ancient appearance. Aged yellows and shades of go ld are an excellent choice for these walls as it will blend nicely with the terr a cotta and stone accents that should grace the remainder of the kitchen as well as the darkly stained woods. Of course the walls are just the beginning. You will want to insure that the lighting doesn't go against the old world home decorating that you are incorporating by being too modern and bright in appearan ce. Wrought iron light fixtures and chandeliers as well as low light wall sconce s work wonderfully in an old-world style kitchen. Keep in mind that many of the old style home decorating ideas can spill over into the rest of your home from y our kitchen or can be used in order to set your kitchen apart as the warm center of your home. Either way a kitchen such as this will make a stunning impression .

Candles may also be used in order to enhance the old world appearance of your ki tchen. Of course candles are a great touch in every room of the house as far as I am concerned. They can be used to create an atmosphere, set a mood, or simply as a method of adding a subtle hint of fragrance to the air. In addition to cand les, grapes are another great addition to an old-world style kitchen. From wine to the simple pleasure of grapes straight off the vine these tasty fruits are al most a must in a kitchen of this nature. Wrought iron wine racks large and small are a common addition to most kitchens of this nature. These racks may be used to hold wine as intended or can be used for other creative purposes such as to h old kitchen towels or some other creative means for those who do not drink wine. Pottery and terra cotta are also welcome additions in this type of kitchen. They , much like the plaster, the colors, the wood, and the stone add another degree of warmth to a room that simply exudes warmth and charm to all who enter. Use po ttery to hold commonly used utensils, straws, toothpicks, fruits, and vegetables that do not require refrigeration. Use platters as art and terra cotta planters to hold herbs that are growing along the windowsill. In other words, let your i magination soar when creating the old-world atmosphere in your kitchen. You just might be surprised at where it takes you. Home Decorating With a Moroccan Theme A Moroccan theme is a beautiful addition to almost any home decorating plan. Wit h the beautiful colors, rich textures, and lush fabrics there is no doubt as to the reason that this style of decorating is becoming so popular around the world . These are some of the most beautiful and in some ways the most exotic styles o f decorating that you will find around the world. The Moroccan style is quite lovely and includes many bold colors and textures to keep not only your eyes occupied but also your other senses as well. The good n ews is that it is bold enough that it is still relatively new as far as decorati ng styles within the US goes. This means that you aren't likely to have the iden tical interior dcor of your neighbor, friends, or cousin down the way. Even if th ey adore what you have done and want to imitate it within their own homes, chanc es are they will not choose the exact designs, patterns, colors, and textures th at you have chosen since there are so many fabulous things from which to choose. Mosaics are perhaps my favorite touch from this part of the world. They are beau tiful and very versatile. They can be used for almost anything. I have seen stun ning tables, trays, light fixtures, candle holders, wall sconces, and wall art t hat was made from mosaic tiles. In fact, this style of artwork (or whatever you might wish to call it) is growing in popularity in the states exponentially in r ecent years. People are often trying to imitate the style or at the very least p urchasing products that incorporate the style. Fabrics used in Moroccan design and home dcor are among some of the most stunning ly beautiful fabrics you will find in the world. In fact, many people decide on this sort of theme for the fabric alone and even many who have passed on a Moroc can theme for their homes have still managed to squirrel away some of the fabric in order to create beautiful pillows and curtains. The fabrics are worth taking a look even if you aren't seriously considering incorporating this style of des ign into your home decorating plans. The furniture nd beautiful. vely. Now for oroccan dcor eels this way when selecting this style of design for your home is very ornate a Moroccan craftsmanship is not to be under stated, as it is very lo some, the furnishings are a little much but the other touches of M are perfectly inline with personal preferences. If you are one who f it is not an uncommon feeling. While the work is beautiful it can

definitely be overwhelming. However, there is nothing wrong with taking the desi gn aspects you like from the Moroccan style of home dcor and not borrowing those you aren't perfectly delighted with. One thing that very few people complain about however is the rugs. Persian rugs are by no means inexpensive but they are most definitely worth every penny paid for them when they are made well. These are some of the most highly prized and s ought after rugs around the world not only for the richness of their colors but also for the intricateness of their design. Be sure to consider the value that a Moroccan decorating style could add to your enjoyment of your home. While it isn't for everyone as a whole, there may be bi ts and pieces that are absolutely perfect for you. Home Decorating With a Nautical Theme For those who love the sea and everything it represents there is no better theme to bring into their home decorating plans than a nautical theme. The theme itse lf is perfectly lovely and suitable for homes and homeowners that are not so in love with the mystery and romance of the deep blue sea. For those who do love th e idea of sailing off into the sunset however, this is an excellent choice for h ome decorating. There are many ways that a creative mind can incorporate a nautical theme into t he home decorating plans. One of these ways is by using darkly stained wainscoti ng for the lower half of your walls along with a chair rail in order to imitate the wooden interior of finer sailing vessels. This imitates the interior of a sa ilboat and some powerboats. This is an impressive addition in most homes and qui te ambitious in some as it is not the least expensive method of decorating. The effects however are stunning when used for this purpose. Another great idea is to use a marine shade of blue for curtains and window cove rings and have them made of the same type of materials that sail covers are made of on a sailboat. If you are truly ambitious you could elect to paint the walls in this marine shade of blue and select another color for the curtains or woode n blinds instead. However, white walls are perfectly acceptable when it comes to creating the look and feel of the interior of a boat. Rope is another great tool to use in order to make the nautical theme a bit more authentic. You can twine rope around picture frames, candleholders, and all man ner of other things in order to incorporate the rope into the room without havin g it look out of place. If you are truly ambitious you could even string a hammo ck in some forgotten corner of the room in order to hold coats in the wintertime or merely to authenticate the theme to some degree. Portals, clocks, barometers, and such make excellent art in a nautical themed ro om. Other great additions would include items such as seashells, sand dollars, m odel boats, and artwork depicting the sea. For many, this is where we feel most at home, we derive our inspiration, and we literally feel as though we can truly commune with Mother Nature. No nautical themed room or home is complete without a lighthouse to guide weary sailors home at the end of a long journey. Do not neglect an important feature s uch as this in your nautical themed home decorating ventures and purchases. If y ou are lost as to how to subtly incorporate this into your room you may want to look up a talented artist by the name of Thomas Kincaid. He is known as the pain ter of light and has managed to capture the essence of lighthouses in a manner t hat no other artist has been able to duplicate. One of his paintings would make an excellent addition to your nautical theme.

A nautical theme for home decorating is a great way to go for many families and for many reasons. All in all it isn't the most expensive of decorative themes th ough it isn't by any means the least expensive either. The good news is that the re are very few absolutely right or wrong ways in which to achieve the look and atmosphere you are hoping to achieve. Home Decorating with Baskets There are very few things you can add to your home dcor that will have quite the versatility of baskets. Baskets are not only decorative touches, they also blend well with almost any dcor and in most cases are quite willing to suit dual purpo ses as both decoration and much needed storage. Below you will find some clever ways to use baskets. Enjoy! 1) Mail sorter. Try hanging a row of baskets near your entryway. As you are walk ing into your home while sorting the mail slip the appropriate piece of mail int o the corresponding basket. Have one basket for each family member and drop the junk mail into the wastebasket you've placed just below the row of baskets on yo ur wall. This way everyone has easy access to his or her mail and junk mail is h andled as well. 2) Kitchen organizer. There are many jobs in the kitchen that baskets pull off b eautifully. One such job is that of napkin holder. There are actually baskets by a famous brand that are the absolute perfect size for holding napkins for the d inner table. Additionally taller baskets make excellent holders for kitchen uten sils that need to be within easy reach of the stove. There are even small basket s that make excellent holders for small jars of frequently used seasonings such as salt and pepper. Keep your eyes open the next time you're in the kitchen and consider all the great ways baskets could help out. 3) Knitting supplies. Larger baskets are excellent tools for taming the beast th at can easily become your supply of knitting tools and notions. Limit your colle ction to one large basket and eliminate the things that will not fit. This keeps you on top of your knitting supplies while keeping them out of site and protect ed from dirty baby paws. 4) Umbrella holder. This is an excellent use for a basket if you have one of the proper size. Place it on the floor next to your coat rack or closet or in your entryway and you will always have ready access to your umbrellas when bad weathe r comes your way. 5) Magazine holder. This is one very common use for baskets but one that should very well be mentioned. 6) Toy box. This is perhaps a favorite among parents who are fortunate enough to have an extra empty basket at any given time. Anytime unexpected company shows up this is an excellent tool for quickly gathering all stray toys and getting th em out of sight. 7) Office supplies. There are many baskets that make excellent organizers and ho lders for office supplies. From pen and pencil holders to those that are ideal f or paper clips, sticky notes, and liquid paper there are many baskets that are a lmost ideal for a home office. 8) Laundry hamper. This is yet another great use for a basket. They are able to breathe by the very nature of their design so that if for some reason a wet wash cloth or damp towel gets thrown in it doesn't necessarily spell ruin for the wh ole batch of laundry. This is by no means an exhaustive list of the virtues of baskets but a good plac e to start the next time you are having an internal debate about whether or not to invest the money in a good quality basket for your home decorating needs. Home Decorating with Native American Touches There really is no style of home decorating that can be identified as decidedly

Native American. There are however touches that can be added to almost any style of dcor. The trick is always a matter of incorporating these things without maki ng them seem out of place. Of all the design styles that exist, and of course de pending on the tribe in question, the southwestern style of home decorating and design would actually make a good match for many Native American artifacts, touc hes, and artwork. Pottery is central to a Native American theme. Different tribes had different st yles of creating pottery. If you have a favorite tribe or a favorite style of po ttery you may want to build the remainder of the room or design area around the pottery you love as it is quite personal to many people and not all styles of po ttery will match all other styles of weaving, carving, basket making, or artwork . Pottery is very useful in a kitchen if you plan to use some of it in this room . Not only can most pottery be baked when cooking but it also works wonders for storing things like utensils that you would like to have in reach, strays, napki ns, and any other things you can think to store within the pottery you have avai lable. If you are going to pay for it you may as well put it to good use. Speaking of artwork. There are some beautiful Native American prints as well as some 'sand art' that is a must have for a room that is trying to capture the spi rit of the Native American or at least a specific tribe and incorporate that spi rit into their homes. I think this is a beautiful idea for those who wish to pay their respects to those who are ancestors to many of us. Not that the pottery m entioned above isn't art work in and of itself but the addition of art that can be placed on the wall is a welcome addition in many homes. Keep in mind also that many Native Americans played the flute. Some people displ ay a collection of Native American flutes next to their prized pieces of art. Th ere really is no wrong way to go about home decorating when it is your own home that is being decorated. Select the things you like, omit the things you do not like. You do not even have to be loyal to one tripe, design, style, or region wh en decorating your home. Some people have happy little collections that are fill ed with all kinds of odds and ends pieces from a wide variety of artistic styles along the way. For those who are hoping to stick with a somewhat Native American theme baskets are once again a good selection to add to the collection. Baskets are not only l ovely but also incredibly useful for holding blankets, throws, rugs, pillows, kn itting supplies, magazines, and anything else you do not wish to have cluttering the living spaces of your home. They are even quite good about hiding remote co ntrols for the electronic equipment when you place them cleverly throughout the room. The best suggestion for those who wish to honor their Native American neighbors and ancestors by incorporating the artwork and designs into their home decoratin g plans is not to spend too much time planning. The Native Americans appreciated nature and allowing many things to happen naturally. Use this opportunity to le arn this very important lesson while incorporating other great things you apprec iate about them into your home. Home Decorating With Southwestern Flair There is something to be said about a southwestern styled home decorating plan. It is undeniably beautiful and in incredibly elegant when done with an eye for t he real beauty of this style of architecture and design. More importantly, in th e right home, this style of dcor can be nothing short of fun. From geckos to cowb oys, and cacti to anything in between there are plenty of options from which to choose when it comes to southwestern design. The southwestern design and dcor style is more than one thing. It is more like a

lifestyle-much like the Creole home decorating style. There are many things that make the southwest such a wonderful place to live and visit. It makes perfect s ense that many would want to bring these things into their homes in order to exp erience them day after day, even when the southwest seems so very far away. In f act, even those who have never seen or experienced the southwestern states of th e US for themselves have found the style of architecture and dcor to be enchantin g enough to want to incorporate it into their homes. For those who are unfamiliar with home decorating in a southwestern style this i s a style that makes copious use of the elements when decorating. Metal, clay, w ater, plants, and animals are essential to this style of dcor. Colors are also im portant to this style of dcor. The colors required to pull this look off are goin g to be decidedly sun baked and not bright and bold as other design styles call for. Pottery is also a very important design style of this type of dcor. Have fun and be imaginative. Incorporate wall art into the room, some properly colorful throw rugs, and some clever baskets and pottery for storage and effect and befor e you know it you will have a beautiful room in the grand southwestern style. Don't make it too neat but at the same time do not allow clutter to get a grip e ither. Decorate with living in mind and create a room that provides a few hiding places for those stray items when company pops in unexpectedly while you are at it. Pottery and baskets provide the perfect opportunity for this. Just make sur e that you do put the items where they belong afterwards or you are going to fin d your pottery overflowing. One thing to keep in mind about the southwest is that it holds its ties to the o ld west rather closely. This means that you are quite likely to find a cowboy or two sitting right next to an old Indian or riding on the back of coyote. There are no hard and fast rules in the old west or the modern southwest other than he who has the quickest draw makes the rules. Enjoy the process of decorating in t his grand style and you will have won half the battle. More importantly however, do not over think it. If it looks too contrived the look will simply fall flat. Pile blankets and rugs in the corner on top of the baskets in order to create h eight as well as easy access to those items when the temperatures suddenly dive at night-this is the desert right? Or at least that's the atmosphere you are goi ng for. If you are really adventurous hang a lasso over the door somewhere for r eal southwestern effect. Home Decorating with Textured Paint Textured paint and faux finishes have become more popular in recent years than a t any other point in history. One reason for this is because so many home improv ement stores are offering classes for those who are willing to pay the price for the paint so that the average Joe or Jane can recreate these fabulous finishes on their own walls as well. The fact is it is truly amazing what works of art ca n be created with the clever and creative use of textured paint. Faux finishes can be used to create the illusion of anything from plaster or bri ck to leather and a few amazing things in between. Those who are skilled at appl ying faux finishes are in great demand for their artistic talents though most ho me owners can do a passable job if they are willing to take the time required to properly learn the technique. Even wood grains can be imitated through the use of a talented faux finisher and paint. Using textured paints and faux finishes can be done in almost any room in the ho use though they seem to be most common in living rooms and kitchens as a major d esign feature. There are some ambitious homeowners who have decided to take this style of painting into every room of the home. While it may seem a good idea in theory there are some drawbacks to this as well.

First of all, textured paints and faux finishes are very time consuming. If you are hiring a professional to do the work their time is a lot of your money and t his is something that really needs to be considered. Is the amount of time reall y worth the reward of the finished project as far as you, as the homeowner, are concerned? Most people find that it isn't worth all that much money and time but others really appreciate the look and feel that it is vital to their enjoyment of their homes. Whichever category you fall into it is important that you realiz e that this could become a costly proposition. Another thing to consider is that many who manage to bring a texture or faux fin ish of some sort into every room of their homes often decide after a little whil e to remove some of their hard work. The reason for this is that in small doses faux finishes and textured paints are novel and spectacular. In large doses they can be more than slightly overwhelming and, more importantly, unimpressive. The re is something to be said about the fact that sometimes less is more. This doesn't mean that some homes do not wear faux finishes beautifully in almos t every nook and cranny. Some homes are simply meant to be decorated from one en d of home to the other end. These homes are simply lovely no matter how many new finishes are added to the walls, furniture, fireplace mantles, and bathroom cab inets. There never seems to be too much in these homes. There are some homes how ever that beg for moderation when it comes to designs such as this. Listen to yo ur home when decorating and you should have a much better decorating experience overall without overwhelming either your home or your guests. If faux finishes and/or textured painting is something you would like to incorpo rate into your home decorating plans you should be delighted to discover that th ere are many, many resources both online and offline that can assist you with yo ur goals. The first and best choice is to check with local hardware and home imp rovement stores in order to see if they are offering any free workshops on faux finishes or textured painting in your area. If they are then you are set. Howeve r, if they are not your local library may prove to be a valuable source for vide os, magazines, and books that offer step-by-step instructions. The Internet is a lso an excellent source. Do not forget the value of spaces such as YouTube and G oogle Video as they may have some actual demonstrations or how to videos to help as well. Ideas for Decorating A Home When people think about making changes to their home, either one or two rooms or the entire space, most often they imagine color. Generally people choose colors they are fond of or those which correspond with pieces of furniture. When searc hing for ideas for decorating a home, one idea which is perhaps overlooked is de corating with the two basic colors black and white. Black and white, used in decorating, creates drama and pizzazz. It is said that every room can benefit by using a touch of black. Black is a color which anchors and grounds a room. Adding sophistication, black is definitely a color that dem ands attention. Ideas for decorating a home using black may include accessories such as light fixtures, trim or furniture. Black serves to add definition to fo cal points of a room. Black is just one color that stands out or makes a stateme nt. Using black and white when decorating a home, provides a clean, fresh, elegant a tmosphere. This combination can be added to any room in a home making it a sophi sticated space. Black and white are often used in contemporary home decorating a nd often used to accent other colors in French Country design. It may be hard to visualize but there are many ideas for decorating a home using only these two b asic colors.

The floor is a great place to start in decorating a space. Black and white vinyl tiles laid alternately makes a beautiful checkerboard pattern and looks clean a nd elegant. Black marble used on the floor, accented by wide white baseboards, a nother beautiful idea for decorating a home. White ceramic tiles with a black bo rder or simply paint the floor black or white and use stencils of the opposite c olor for decoration. These are great ideas for decorating a home. White walls, is there anything more perfect? Painting the walls white or even an off-white, would make a perfect background for accessories such as artwork fram ed in black. That you can imagine. Elegant black window treatments or black shut ter against a clean, crisp white wall would definitely create an aura of sophist ication. Perhaps a glass-top table with black iron trim and black chairs, these are terrific ideas for decorating a home using black and white. A bedroom decorated using black and white would be lovely. An iron bed-frame in black or white, covered with a striped black and white comforter. For the pillow shames, you could use either all black or all white and could add throw cushion s in the opposite color. A nice leather black or white chair in the corner would be certainly accent the room. Then the white walls with an elegant piece of art work, framed in black hanging on it, this would surely add to the contemporary f eel. Black furniture against the crisp white walls would look neat and tidy. Jaz z up the room with accessories such as pewter or silver candlesticks, jugs or va ses. If you think the room needs a little color to complete the look, perhaps a throw or cushion in a bold color like red or gold, for the chair in the corner o f the room would be enough to accent the room. Ideas for decorating a home, they are numerous. Finding one that suits you and t hose that live in your home is important. It s nice to do something radical and of f-the-wall but remember you must be able to live with it for a while. Ideas for Home Office Decorating Every room in a house requires a face-lift or organizing once in awhile. Many pe ople have home offices which require decorating. If this is your dilemma, you ha ve help since there are many ideas for home office decorating. Planning a home o ffice project doesn t have to be expensive which is great because perhaps you can afford a professional decorator to transform your home office. Creativity goes a long way when you are home office decorating. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a separate room for their home office. The main thing to remember in home office decorating is to do your best with wha t you ve got. You may have to set up your home office in a closet, a corner of you r living room, on a stair landing or in a spare room. Wherever your home office may be in your home, there are ways to decorate it, making it a comfortable and enjoyable place to work. Once you ve decided on a space for your home office, you ll need a plan. Doing the h ome office decorating yourself will save time and money. Painting is something y ou can definitely do. When choosing colors for your home office, a fresh lively color or a calming color would be the best choices. These tones will set the moo d for your work space. To jazz it up a little, you might want to use stencilling around your desk or perhaps wallpaper one wall to enhance the space you have. When looking for ideas for home office decorating, why not look around your home . No doubt there are pieces of furniture that aren t being used. Perhaps there s a c omfortable chair you can take for your home office. If space is a big issue, you might want to build a desk. Building a desk for your home office decorating pro ject can be as simple as laying a piece of board on top of a filing cabinet or a smaller table. Home office decorating doesn t mean you have to rush out to an off ice furnishing store and max out your credit card. You can decorate a home offic e using items you already have or if you d like something different, why not visit

a few charity shops or garage sales. You are guaranteed to find something usefu l that will cost you very little. If you ll be spending a fair amount of time in your home office space, it is impor tant to include details that will inspire you such as artwork or music. Lighting is also essential in a workspace. If you are decorating a small area, lamps may be best for lighting. Plants are also nice in a home office. Choosing a favouri te plant to put in your workspace would surely be inspiring. Photos of family an d happy memories are nice to have in your home office. If space is an issue, you may want to choose one wall to hang your artwork and photos. Another wall can b e used for shelving, to store your office supplies, books and necessities for yo ur work. It would be great if you could leave at least one wall fairly clear, to o much is often distracting. There are many great ideas for home office decorati ng. If you seem to be a standstill with your project, make use of some of the gr eat resources available such as home office decorating magazines and catalogues, television decorating programs and the Internet. Each of these suggestions will provide many useful ideas for home office decorating. Inexpensive Home Decorating Ideas Home decorating is not something that requires a vast fortune in order to do. No r is it something that must be accomplished all at once. The ideal manner to dec orate a home is one step at a time, one room at a time. This makes the process m uch less stressful, more enjoyable, and imminently more affordable. Some great i deas are to start small then work your way up. Paint is one of the least expensive things you can do to a room that will have t he most immediate and profound impact on the overall look and feel of the room i n question. By selecting the paint colors and painting the walls before anything else is done everything else can be done in order to match the colors you have placed on the walls. More importantly, paint is something that the average perso n is capable of doing on their own rather than being forced to hire experts in o rder to get it done. Any home improvement project that you can do yourself will save more money than you can imagine along the way. Once you've managed changing your walls, you may wish to change your window trea tments. Roman shades are an excellent choice as they are rather simple to make ( which would leave you only the cost of the fabric and supplies) but they are not the only option. I would recommend some sort of curtains as a form of window tr eatment as they are much more personal than the typical mini blinds found in so many homes today. Curtains or Roman shades can be purchased to match the colors on your walls and should not be a terribly expensive investment. Flooring has in the past often been out of reach of those seeking to casually im prove the look of a room. New technology and materials have made new flooring a valid option even for those who are on seriously limited home decorating budgets . Laminates are a good option for those who love the look of hardwood but cannot afford the expense of materials and/or labor for these floors in their homes. L aminates can often be installed by even those with limited skills and make a ver y noticeable change in the look and feel of a room. Peel and stick tile is anoth er option for those whose budgets will not accommodate laminate flooring. Check out the options and the prices at your local home improvement store. You just mi ght be amazed at what you can afford. Rather than purchasing new furniture to make an impressive impact on the look of your living area, try furniture covers. These can often be purchased in shades that will match your new dcor and are much less expensive than new furniture leav ing money for the little touches that matter so much in the overall look of the room. Besides, when friends and family walk in and see the changes they will be shocked and amazed. They may even be convinced that you do in fact have new furn

iture. Mirrors are excellent tools to use when decorating a home. More importantly, the y are rather inexpensive for the most part. Mirrors also lend the appearance of a much more wide-open space than having no mirrors would accomplish. If you have a fire place, strategically located mirrors can spread the warmth and coziness (if not the heat) of a fire throughout the room making the room as a whole seem like a much more enjoyable place to escape the winter "blahs". Artwork, candles, vases, and floral arrangements can be purchased one piece at a time in order to give the room a more polished look. Once you've decorated one room in your home with these budget tips in mind you can move on to other rooms in your home and incorporate the same ideals as you go. Remember that decorating your home doesn't have to cost a fortune but it will require some patience and planning on your part. With this in mind, there should be nothing to stop you fr om heading out today and getting to work on your new home decorating plans. Interior Decorating Plans for your Home Bar Your home bar is an area that is enjoyed by you as well as those who visit your home. Although a home bar is not essential in a home, it is a great addition to any space. If intending to use this space often, interior decorating plans for y our home bar are important. Finding techniques and ideas to make this space welc oming and enjoyable would be a great asset. Depending on the general theme of your home dcor, you might want to use similar i deas and techniques in interior decorating plans for your home bar. However, it isn t necessary to stick with the same theme. You can easily use different design themes throughout your home. Since your home bar is a place to sit back and rela x, you might want to pick calming colors such as blues and greens. These colors provide a soothing and relaxing atmosphere. When picking furniture in interior decorating plans for your home bar, you ll defi nitely need bar stools, There are all sorts of bar stools to choose from. There s a standard wooden bar stool which is practical since it matches nearly any desig n style. There are fancier stools with upholstery done in different color leathe rs. Some bar stools are able to swivel and others are stationary. This decision in your interior decorating plans for your home bar should probably be based on comfort since this space is used for socializing. Interior decorating plans for your home bar ought to include accessories that ar e entertaining such as music. A stereo system would certainly make your home bar a big success. People like to listen to music when sitting and chatting. If you r budget will allow it, perhaps you could include a small television in interior decorating plans for your home bar. It would be a nice spot to sit, have refres hments and watch the football or hockey game. Obviously your home bar will require beverages of some kind. Your interior decor ating plans for your home bar must include a cooler or bar refrigerator in order to keep the drinks cold. Many people install a bar sink in their home bar. This is a convenience since it eliminates the need to bring glassware back and forth to the kitchen to wash. Of course you will need glassware included in your inte rior decorating plans for your home bar. Choosing different sizes and styles of glasses would be a good idea since not everyone will require the same type. Ther e are many little details you could include in your interior decorating plans fo r your bar. Keeping with the color scheme you might pick coasters and other acce ssories to match. Lighting is very important when making interior decorating plans for your home b ar. There are different choices of lighting such as track-lighting and recess li ghting for example. Many people use recess lighting in their home bars. This is

a neat and tidy method of installing lighting. Having the lights installed in th e home bar is popular. Lighting that can be adjusted up or down is also a good i dea for your home bar. If entertaining a big crowd you may want the lights up bu t if sitting relaxing alone, you may enjoy a quieter and dimmer atmosphere.

Log Home Decorating Log home decorating is perhaps on of the more fun decorating projects. Using a c ottage theme, log home decorating provides you an opportunity to draw from natur e and implement some of your favourite objects. If you are a person who spends a lot of time at your cottage or log home, no doubt you ve started a collection of treasures to display. Family photos and handmade ornaments are popular accessori es for log home decorating. Any object reflecting family memories are great for a log home or cottage. A log cabin is a home away from home. It is intended to be warm and cozy for all those who visit. Choosing earthly colors for paint and fabric would help create this atmosphere in log home decorating. This environment is meant to be welcomi ng and cheerful. Adding some vibrant colors and patterns in cushions and slip-co vers will certainly brighten the space and enhance your log home decorating. Usually people try to find used furniture for their log home or cottage. You man y have some unwanted furniture at home such as a chair, a table or a couch. Inst ead of discarding them, why not take them to your log home. Flea markets and gar age sales are great places to find amazing furniture to use in your log home dec orating project. Remember, one person s junk is another person s treasure. Old woode n pieces of furniture are perfect for log cabin decorating. You may want to leav e them in their original state or to give them a newer look, you may want to pai nt them or if it s a chair, perhaps make nice slip-covers in a bright floral patte rn. Besides the mementos you brought from home, there are many accessories you can u se in log cabin decorating. Trying to keep with a cottage theme, you might look for baskets made from natural materials that you can hang from the ceiling or pl ace on a table, wooden bowls, galvanized tin pots and buckets, old jars or jugs, there are countless objects you could use to accessorize in log home decorating . Trying to create a feeling of warmth and cosiness, you could have handmade qui lts in your log cabin. Handmade items make wonderful additions to log home decor ating. When choosing flooring for a log home or cottage, natural wood such as birch, ce dar or pine, are great choices. You can leave your wood floor in its natural for m, allowing it to age and remain authentic looking. You can also pick from many beautiful wood stains to use on your floor which will protect it and also compli ment it. Area rugs are nice in log home decorating. Area rugs make a space cozy especially when laid on a wood floor. Log home decorating allows you to be in touch with nature and all the wonderful materials it has to share. The very structure of the building is made of logs wh ich came from the forest. The scent of the logs alone, add to the natural feelin g in a log cabin. Log home decorating is a project that may never be completed. You ll always find something special that can only be appreciated in your log cabi n or cottage. Mobile Home Decorating Mobile home decorating presents challenges regarding space. The rooms in mobile homes are small and will require ideas and tips about decorating small spaces. I

f you have plans for decorating your mobile home, they may need to be compromise d somewhat because of the space. However, there are ways to achieve your ideal t heme in mobile home decorating. The first step in mobile home decorating or decorating any small space is to get rid of the clutter. Sort through your things and get rid of any unnecessary or unwanted articles. This will automatically make your space look bigger. Find pla ces to hide things like under table skirts or behind closed doors. Making sure e verything is neatly stored and out of view will open up the space. While moving things and clearing away, you may want to rearrange your furniture. Make sure la rge pieces of furniture are not blocking walkways or entrances. Also place tall pieces of furniture on a wall and not in an open space. Mobile home decorating i s about creating space in an area that doesn t have much space. Choosing color is important in mobile home decorating. In order to create an ope n, larger atmosphere, you should use light, cool colors. Painting your walls in soft tones of blue or green will provide an open, airy feel. You should also cho ose colors within the same color family in mobile home decorating. Not only when picking paint colors but also when choosing fabric for curtains or upholstery. Rooms look larger when they are well-lit. In mobile home decorating it is very i mportant to ensure rooms have plenty of light. Stay away from heavy curtains or drapes for your windows. Use window treatments that are lighter to allow the bri ghtness from the outside in. To provide plenty of light in your rooms, have lamp s, track lighting or recessed lighting installed. Small spaces need more light. There are little tricks for mobile home decorating. Using reflective materials i s one trick to make a room appear larger. Using mirrored tiles or a large mirror on a wall will definitely make a room look larger. You may not be fond of mirro red walls but this may be one compromise you ll have to make. Another trick is to use see-through materials. This will make objects look further away. This idea c ould be used in shower doors or table tops. When choosing furniture for mobile home decorating, it is better to pick big pie ces. This may sound strange but a few bigger pieces of furniture, is much better than several small pieces of furniture. Using several pieces, the space is clut tered while two or three bigger pieces will allow for more openness in a room. I f covering your furniture, be sure to pick plain colors instead of prints, plaid s or stripes. If wanting to add something extra, use texture but also in plain n eutral tones. Choosing plain colors and neutral colors for light, sheer window t reatments, bedskirts and tablecloths will provide an airy feeling as well. Ownin g a small home like a mobile home can provide problems when decorating but if yo u follow advice and suggestions for mobile home decorating, your home could be c omfortable and feel much larger than it actually is.

Online Home Decorating Catalogues Home decorating is often seen as a necessity however, it should be an exciting e xperience. There are so many home decorating styles to choose from, so many colo rs, such a selection of furniture and accessories. Having to renovate or change your home dcor should be a period of refreshing. The whole point in redecorating, whether necessity or not, is to improve your space in order to make it feel new and create an atmosphere that makes you happy. Deciding on a home decorating theme may be difficult since there are so many gre at ones to choose from. Browsing online home decorating catalogues may help you

to make up your mind regarding what s best for your space. Online home decorating catalogues are quite convenient because they don t require you to leave your home. Without stepping outside of your house, you can browse for hours, numerous onli ne home decorating catalogues. Because there are so many online decorating catalogues, you might want to narrow the search. If you re looking for a particular item such as furniture, there are online home decorating catalogues which specialize in furniture only. If you are looking for accessories for a particular theme such as contemporary or French c ountry, there are online home decorating catalogues that specifically deal with accessories for your home. There are catalogues for flooring, lighting, paint an d any item you might choose to use in your home decorating project. The Internet provides a world-wide shopping center. Access to home decorating catalogues fro m all over the world gives you a selection that no department store could offer. Picking items from online home decorating catalogues will provide you an opportu nity to find unique items for your home. A great example of the benefits of onli ne home decorating catalogues from other parts of the world is, using tuscan des ign for your decorating project. Because this is a theme that is derived from th e cultural heritage of Italy, finding accessories or even fabric to fit the tusc an theme may compel you to shop from an online home decorating catalogue from It aly. If you live in North America, chances are you aren t going to hop on a plane, go to Italy and shop for accessories and fabric. The online shopping option all ows you to have the things you want for your home without going out and searchin g. With buy direct online shopping, it s as simple as finding the articles you wan t, whether a pair of silver candlesticks or a terracotta jug, using various form s of payment, you can order these items and have them shipped to you from anywhe re in the world. How do you access these online home decorating catalogues? The Internet makes it very easy for you to find these catalogues. Using Google, Yahoo or any search e ngine will put you in touch with a very long list of online home decorating cata logues. If looking for a particular type of catalogue such as one specializing i n furniture, simply perform a search for online home decorating furniture catalo gues. Search engines are equipped to locate anything you need to find. If it s on the Internet, the search engine will locate it for you. Once you find what you a re looking for, pour yourself a cup of coffee, put your feet up and spend the ev ening browsing online home decorating catalogues. Paint the Home Decorating Tool of Champions We all know intellectually that color can have a significant impact on any room in the home. However, knowing and seeing the truth in action are two entirely di fferent things. The true impact of color on the overall look and feel of a room is nothing short of phenomenal. If you have any doubt, try painting a room in a color you do not like and see how little time you are willing to spend in that r oom-even if it was a favorite room before it was painted. For this reason you need to consider carefully the combinations of colors you wi sh to incorporate into each room of your home and how these colors will affect t he rooms they will be 'overflowing' into. It is true that most people are attemp ting to trend away from the idea of having the same color in every room of the h ouse. Instead more people are opting to have every room as a fresh palate whenev er possible. This allows for maximum options when it comes to decorating a home and allows each room to be similar to some degree but maintain its very own uniq ue personality if that is your wish. Paint is an amazing instrument for home decorating when you think about it. In a ddition to the ability to change the color of a room, paint can actually do so m

uch more when artfully or craftily applied. You can create beautiful murals on y our walls that tell stories about your family or simply that express an emotion or sentiment of the moment. Paint can be used in order to write messages to occu pants of the home or visitors on the wall as well, or to stencil borders that ar e sure to delight all who enter. All of this and so much more can be accomplishe d with the simple application of paint and a little bit of skill. In addition to these things above there are faux finishes and textures that can be created with the use of paint. One that is a current favorite on the market i s a faux plaster affect that is achieved with paint, a lot of hard work, and a r ock solid set of instructions. The result of this labor can be nothing short of stunning as a design or home decorating affect. Taking the time to learn skills such as this can not only improve your enjoyment of the painting process but put ting these skills in action can greatly improve your enjoyment of your home. In addition to the faux finishes that can be achieved with paint there are other textured paint affects that many people are learning to their great joy and ama zement. The results of many of these efforts is a beautiful and tastefully decor ated home at significantly less than half the cost that hiring a professional to do the work would have cost. Many of these things can be achieved with paint an d a few special brushes or rags alone further indicating the profound affect tha t a can or two of paint really can have on almost any room in your home. If you are inclined to learn a little more about paint and the impact it can hav e on your home all together check with your local home improvement store and see if they are offering any painting workshops in the near future. These workshops provide excellent instruction and information that will prove useful many times over while you are making your home decorating decisions and improvements. Sharing Home Decorating Ideas Great home decorating ideas are meant to be shared. When discovering a new home decorating technique, why not share it with a friend or family member? There is always someone in a circle of friends who is making changes to their home dcor. T here are so many wonderful fabrics, colors and accessories on the market today. It is difficult to resist the opportunity to decorate your home. A stroll throug h a building supply store or department store automatically produces home decora ting ideas. People who like change are likely to take these home decorating idea s and turn them into reality. When visiting a friend s home for coffee, it is a common practice to check out the ir space. If it s a home you visit often, no doubt you ll notice changes right away. Those changes will probable turn into a conversation about home decorating. If something in the dcor really catches your eye, no doubt you will question the fri end regarding where they bought it or what gave them the idea? If you are intere sted in making similar changes at your home, no doubt the friend will share thei r home decorating ideas with you. You re hosting a dinner party for a group of people from work. Making sure to pull out all the stops you spend hours decorating the house. The changes you make or things you add may not seem out of the ordinary to you but, a guest may think i t is magnificent. Dinner conversation will probably turn into sharing home decor ating ideas. The men in the group may not be too thrilled but the women - they ll be in the element. Sharing home decorating ideas might simply mean suggesting a neutral color for a room instead of a bold color. Offering advice to a friend regarding window trea tments might be considered sharing home decorating ideas. There are many ideas a nd suggestions a person can pass on about home decorating. If you have good home decorating ideas, why not share them with a friend who seems to need help in th

at area. Your ideas may be just what the friend s space requires. Who knows, shari ng your home decorating ideas may even make your friendship stronger. There are many opportunities to share home decorating ideas. Group gatherings ar e a great chance to talk about home decorating. When shopping at a department st ore or a paint shop, perhaps an employee who is knowledgeable about home decorat ing will voluntarily share their ideas with you. Family magazines are a good sou rce for home decorating ideas. Usually these magazines provide a photo with all relative information regarding the home decorating. There are books published wh ich are filled with home decorating ideas. These books can usually be found at a local bookstore or you may want to check with online bookstores as well. The In ternet is a great resource when seeking home decorating ideas. There are some si tes which are developed by professional home decorators to advertise their skill s and promote business. There are also sites, accessible by anyone, which shares home decorating ideas. Finding great ideas for decorating your home is not a pr oblem. However, if you discover techniques and tips which you think would benefi t someone else, you really ought to share them. Thanksgiving Home Decorating Thanksgiving is a time of year in which families from all across the nation gath er together and enjoy the presence of each other and give thanks for the fact th at we live in this great country and have the means with which to celebrate in t his manner. It is a great time that is representative of the hand of friendship that was extended to us in the past and the season of harvest. Thanksgiving takes place during the autumn season, which makes it an ideal time to decorate in the splendid colors of fall. These colors are not the bright colo rs that represent spring and summer or the sparking colors that epitomize Christ mas but the colors of nature once she has seasoned and matured a bit. The colors are nothing short of spectacular and provide an excellent palate upon which you can decorate your home. The leaves and foliage of fall make excellent arrangements and garlands. If you want to hold onto the look for years to come and incorporate them into your regu lar fall decorating rather than simply enjoying them for one Thanksgiving holida y there are plenty of excellent and life-like silk leaf garlands that will make excellent additions to your home decorating contributions. The better quality yo u find in these the more likely they are to stand up to years of service and sto rage. The same holds true with any imitation items you purchase. Better quality typically indicates a much longer shelf life. Fall fruits and vegetables also make excellent decorations when it comes to givi ng thanks and home decorating. In fact, the food from the harvest and the friend ship of the Indians was the very reason for the first Thanksgiving why on earth shouldn't it be included in your celebration of thanks? Wreathes in fall colors are another excellent idea for decorating your home for Thanksgiving. It makes all who enter feel welcome and it is appropriate for the season. There is no such thing in this day and age as an all season wreath thoug h there are many that can be adjusted to meet the needs of each season with simp le steps. A grapevine wreath is a good start and can easily have seasonal things tied or attached to it in order to experience greater longevity. Pilgrims also make an excellent addition to your Thanksgiving decorations. They were after all the original celebrants of this tradition that has become a holid ay for this great nation. You can have your children help select or even make th e pilgrims that you will be adding to your decorations as well as a handprint tu rkey or two. Not all home decorations need to be expensive or elegant. Sometimes

the simplest decorations drawn by the hands of a child are the ones that make t he most memorable impressions on friends and family alike. Cornucopias are another great centerpiece and decoration for the Thanksgiving ho liday. Not everyone has a large enough dinner table to accommodate one of these but they also work well on a buffet, a hall table, and almost any other location your heart can desire and you can manage to fit it in. If all else fails however, the food for Thanksgiving is all the decorations that some at your table will need. Do not forget the meaning of this season a time t o give thanks for all the blessings in your life and enjoy the food and the deco rations but more importantly enjoy the friends and the family. Tuscan A Great Home Decorating Idea

If you are having difficulty making a decision about a home decorating theme, tu scan style is a great home decorating idea. Many homeowners are attracted to the tuscan style because it combines subtle elegance with simplicity. Using a palet te of earthly tones, tuscan style, which is an Italian country design, is meant to bring the outdoors inside. This great home decorating idea uses distinct mate rials to help accomplish this goal. Tuscan style is unique as well as beautiful. When deciding to use a tuscan theme to decorate your home, you ll be using texture s. This home decorating idea implements the use of various textures, such as sto ne and tile for the flooring. This helps to create a natural atmosphere. Plaster is suggested for the walls to add texture. This would provide an opportunity fo r you to be creative and even have fun. Tables are often made of stone. Tile mos aics are another recommendation for tables in tuscan home decorating. Any home decorating theme that focuses on nature uses wood. Tuscan style makes g reat used of wood. One example of this is the exposed framework constructed from large wooden beams. This great home decorating idea uses wood in furniture. The goal is to make it look aged in appearance. This can be accomplished using stai ning techniques. Of course if wanting furniture which looks really old, antique furniture would be the ideal choice. Tuscan decorating is based on a cultural heritage. By using accessories this tus can heritage can be brought out. Accessories that are homemade are common for th is home decorating idea. Ceramics are a big thing in tuscan decorating. Silver f rames, silver candlesticks, copper pots; these are all common in tuscan design. Wine and wine glasses, these are also popular accessories for this great home de corating idea. Large glass jars filled with olives, another great idea for tusca n decorating. Terra cotta is a popular color when using the tuscan theme so it m ight be nice to use terra cotta pots or vases. Tuscan fabric is in a class of its own. When using this home decorating idea, yo u will be looking for fabrics made of burlap, abaca fiber, fibers from the banan a tree, savannah cloth and tobacco cloth. These are all fabrics used to create a natural space. These materials are quite versatile and can be used for just abo ut anything in your decorating project. Curtains, drapes, blinds, dividers, scre ens, placemats, floor-mats, these can all be created from the various tuscan fab rics because of their weight, density and flexibility. This great home decorating idea makes use good use of colors such as yellow and red. These colors are probably used in tassels or painted beads in tie-backs to accent the drapes. Using yellow and red ribbon to decorate accessories like cand lesticks or jugs is common in tuscan decorating. Any material or accessory which resembles the sea, the earth or the forest, make great additions to tuscan styl e home decorating. This great home decorating idea found in tuscan style, is a g ood choice for your space. The color, texture, fabric and accessories will creat

e a warm and inviting feeling in any space in your home. This theme of simplicit y and nature is a great home decorating idea. Unique Home Decorating Ideas for the Christmas Holiday Home decorating is great any time of the year but it seems to be exceptionally p opular during the Christmas holiday. When November rolls around, people are maki ng plans to decorate and are searching for unique home decorating ideas for the Christmas holiday. Since this season only comes once a year, people tend to go a ll out, filling their homes with festive ornaments and decorations. There are many home decorating ideas for the Christmas holiday but finding uniqu e ways to jazz up your home may not quite so easy. This might be where your imag ination steps in. You may have visions of what you d like but turning that vision into reality may seem inconceivable. When it comes to unique home decorating, no thing is too difficult to accomplish. With the right materials and help, you can work on your unique home decorating ideas for the Christmas holiday. Fortunately professional home decorators and home dcor businesses understand the need for help in home decorating. Because if this need, they publish magazines a nd set up websites featuring decorating tips, including unique home decorating t ips for the Christmas holiday. Actually these home dcor specialists usually publi sh material according to the season. A special publication is often printed for the Christmas holiday. If searching the Internet, you ll find many sources for uni que home decorating ideas for the Christmas holiday. It s easy to run out to a dep artment store and pick up whatever is in style this year but many people would r ather have their own unique decorations at Christmas time. When home decorating for the Christmas holiday, people generally stick to the tr aditional red and green theme. This is unfortunate since there is a wide range o f colors that could be used at Christmas time to enhance your home. Trendy decor ating magazines will likely suggest you use any color you like to create those u nique decorations. Often you ll see purple, blue and yellow used in Christmas pres entations in store windows. Unique home decorating ideas for the Christmas holid ay is all about individuality. Using your ideas and your imagination, you can cr eate something totally individual, unlike any other decorations. If your creatio n is a hit, it may not be unique the next Christmas holiday. Unique home decorating ideas for the Christmas holiday should include traditiona l things such as pine cones, poinsettias, holly berries and cranberries. These i tems make great additions to Christmas arrangements, trees, table settings, wrea ths and anything to do with home decorating for the Christmas holiday. Unique ho me decorating ideas for the Christmas holiday, no matter what materials are used , will certainly be a reason for conversation when guests come to visit. When on the topic of home decorating for Christmas, perhaps your guests may be able to share a few unique ideas with you. It might be wise to jot down any suggestions and ideas for Christmas decorating. Since you re unlikely to use these ideas until the next Christmas holiday, these great tips and suggestions just may be forgot ten and once again you ll be searching for unique home decorating ideas for the Ch ristmas holiday. Using a Home Decorating Catalog There are thousands of items to choose from when changing or improving your home dcor. Some people are certain of what they want while others need help making a decision. Using a home decorating catalog would definitely help deciding what to use to make improvements to your home dcor. In fact a home decorating catalog wi ll likely offer so many choices, choosing a theme shouldn t be a problem. A home decorating catalog is a great place to view photos of the various decorat

ing themes available such as Mediterranean, Traditional, Primitive, French Count ry or Contemporary, just to name a few. With bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, dini ng rooms and living rooms featured in the home decorating catalog, you are given the perfect opportunity to see exactly what these themes are all about. Chances are, while browsing a home decorating catalog, something will jump off the page at you. There ll definitely be a room or space that interests you and provides in spiration for your home decorating project. Using a home decorating catalog can be quite easy nowadays with access to the In ternet. Many home dcor stores and businesses use the Internet to advertise their products. This is great news for you since finding the theme and materials you n eed for your project is as easy as connecting to the Internet. Once connected to the Internet, you ll be able to view the numerous home decorating catalogs made a vailable for your convenience. You won t have to suffer through long ling-ups at t he department store in town or go looking for an item in a flyer only to find it isn t in stock. The online home decorating catalog website is equipped to provide information regarding what s available and what s not. There s also no problem findin g a sales clerk when using an online home decorating catalog. That can be very f rustrating if you are shopping at a home dcor store in your area. No line-ups, no waiting and no disappointments; three great reasons to use a home decorating ca talog online. Many online home decorating businesses will mail out copies of their home decora ting catalog. This is great too because it gives you a chance to show others the items which interest you and get their opinion. Everyone in the family can have time to mull over your ideas for the home decorating project. Although an onlin e business might send you out their home decorating catalog, you ll still have the opportunity to buy directly from them. Chances are you ll be given the option of either ordering over the telephone or ordering online. Using payment methods lik e credit cards, Paypal and C.O.D., you ll be able to order any product from the ho me decorating catalog and have it delivered right to your door. You started out being unsure regarding decorating design. By using a home decora ting catalog, you not only made your decision, you were capable of choosing floo ring, paint colors, furniture and accessories for your space. Using a home decor ating catalog, you were able to take those choices and turn them into orders, wh ich eventually became realistic. Using a home decorating catalog, you probably a chieved much more than you thought or imagined for your home decorating project. Wintertime Home Decorating Most people begin the home decorating process for winter with a bang only to end with a whimper. Far too few people realize that Christmas is only the beginning of the winter season and that while Christmas decorations are a nice addition, they are also a temporary decorative addition in most homes lasting little more than a month if that long. This leaves two more months of winter with a sparsely decorated home in many cases. There are many things that are associated with winter however far too many of th ese things have been swept under the category of Christmas dcor and their values as simple hallmarks of winter have been forgotten or relegated to the mere disti nction of yet another Christmas decoration. Winter months for some are long and cold. Anything that brings a feeling of warmth and cheer into the home is for th e most part an excellent idea as a winter home decoration. Believe it or not, hibernating animals for many brings about a feeling of winter . Try using black bears as a home decorating theme to make your home feel a litt le more cozy and better prepared for the cold nights of wintertime. Flannel is a great companion to these delightful black bears and can be used in throws, bedd ing, and curtains in order to complete the look with style and finesse. In fact,

you might want to throw in a few flannel pillows so that you can attempt to hib ernate right alongside the cuddly black bears. These are quite popular home deco rations as of late so you should have no problem finding a bear or two unless yo u happen to be in my neighborhood because I've probably snapped them all up alre ady. Fireplaces. There isn't enough that can be said about the ability of a nice roar ing fire to add warmth and a wintertime glow to almost any room. It really isn't winter for most people unless there is a nice fire burning in the grate. The wa rmth is so much more than merely physical it is also soul soothing and comfortin g to watch a fire burning brightly before your eyes while warming your cold hand s and feet. These nifty devices can also add a touch of romance to your winter n ights so be sure to keep cozy blankets and candles close by as well. Speaking of candles. Much like a fireplace candles add a warm cheerfulness to th e rooms they touch. There are certain fragrances that are perfect for wintertime candle burning but even less appropriate fragrances are often welcome during wi nter months as they provide the soft glow that makes the world seem so much smal ler and friendlier in the process. Keep this in mind as you are shopping for you r winter home decorating ideas as well as the fact that fragrances matter when c reating an atmosphere so choose the fragrances appropriately to the season. Use pillows and blankets in your winter decorating to add layers of warmth and c omfort as well as visual appeal. It is amazing the things that the mind can do i n the winter but one of the more amazing things it does is convince you that you are warm when you are surrounded by warmth. With blankets and pillows lining yo ur sofas and chairs however, if your mind doesn't convince you there is always t he option of just bundling up and letting your body convince your mind. There is also something soothing about the comfort and close softness of the pillows and blankets whether one is in perfect health or really feeling the chill of winter down to their bones. Don't let the celebration of winter end when the Christmas tree comes down. Find ways to incorporate warmth into your home decorating style that only winter can accommodate. Embrace the season with affection and laughter and all that enter your home will be warmed by the charming atmosphere inside.