10 Ways to Brighten Up Your Home on a Budget

By Lisa Feege

1. Add a statement cushion. Want to add some wow to your room? A simple but bold cushion can do just that. Pick a striking colour or strong design and place it on your favourite chair for an instant effect.

2. Fed up with bland, white rooms? Add some punch to your room by adding key accessories in a bright, vibrant accent colour. Stick to a single accent for maximum 'wow'. Try a deep purple, bold teal or striking red for a strong focal point.

3. There's no better way of adding your personality to your home than some fun accessories. Quirky wall art, intriguing antiques, fun tea towels all work well, create a talking point and bring your home to life.

4. Be brave, mix some contrasting styles for a fresh, intriguing look. Try teaming florals with stripes, contemporary with classic, brights with pastels. The braver you are the more individual your look.

5. Colour coordinate between rooms. Treat your whole home as a single painting and make sure the colours flow. Pick one accent colour for paintings, cushions, bed linen and vases to create a natural link from one room to another.

6. If you're on a budget but fed up with the same furnishings why not rotate your look between rooms - move your living room cushions to a bedroom, swap over curtains and rotate art for cheap, fresh style.

7. Make your kitchen the heart of the home with some lively accessories. Interesting tea towels look great framed, oven gloves and aprons can add some instant pizzazz and a jazzy notice board adds instant appeal.

8. Be unique, look out for new designers and fresh styles. Avoid the high street and search online for the latest designs. One stand out item can add more impact than main stream products.

9. Add texture as well as colour; look out for new materials including organic and eco wool and try different shapes and sizes to vary your style.

10. Experiment with colour; not sure about that lime green but why not try it with a soft purple for a striking but less dazzling effect. Love orange but don't want a tango effect, go for a single cushion, contrast with a deep blue for a stunning and sophisticated look.

So what are you waiting for? Reinvigorate your home for 2012 - pick your colours, follow our tips and get shopping!

Lisa Feege writes for http://www.maisonvive.co.uk, which aims to liven up the home through its range of colourful, luxury soft furnishings from leading designers and brands.

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Bamboo Blinds - The Excellent Window Alternative

Autor: 60capp11 :: Views: 124

Provenance Bamboo Shades by Hunter Douglas

The versatility associated with bamboo blinds make them an ideal choice for homeowners looking for something a little different. The touch of 21st. century refinement added to ancient culture has transformed the bamboo blind into a more than adequate replacement for traditional blinds.

Bamboo blinds are becoming a preferred window treatment for many homeowners who are discovering the natural beauty of bamboo. Not only do they compliment most decors but enviromentalists will love you for using them.

If you are thinking about installing bamboo blinds there is still a little due diligence required on your part before parting with your hard-earned cash. For example,it can sometimes be a little mis-leading when choosing your colors. Why? Because bamboo colors and patterns can vary significantly from any sample you look at. What may appear, perhaps greenish in a sample, could in fact be more of a brownish color by the time your finished product is ready to be installed. This is obviously a point you'll need to raise with whatever company you are dealing with.

There are plenty of advantages to consider with bamboo blinds. Cost is an important ingredient in any product purchase and bamboo blinds provide an inexpensive alternative to traditional blinds. Many people opt for roll up blinds such as the Roman bamboo shades which are easy to maintain and roll into layers which provides a neat and tidy appearance. These blinds have a rather thin slat which makes the roll up process a breeze yet wider slat design is also available for those preferring a more non-traditional appearance.

Bamboo blind installation is reasonably straightforward. Once you have selected your design and your blinds are ready to be installed, the installation process should be a breeze for any budding handyman. However, for those less gifted in this area and with a little handyman phobia, you should have your bamboo blind installed by a professional or an understanding friend or relative skilled in this area. I want to point out though, you should always make sure you understand the installation process from the beginning. Some bamboo blind dealers may offer free installation while others will charge a fee. If you have the know how, then do it yourself. If not, ask from the outset about installation; is there, or is there not a fee involved?

Finally, one of the things I like about shopping for bamboo blinds is the ease in which the internet is able to bring them to me. Shopping for bamboo blinds online is virtually hassle free. The only drawback is the color issue. As mentioned earlier, the color you see in a display photo may not be the exact same color blind that is delivered to your door. Clearly clarify this before making your purchase.

Source: Free Articles

Measuring For Your Perfect Shutters

Graber shutters

By Jamie Simpson 

Before picking out the perfect wooden interior shutters, you will want to make sure that you measure carefully to ensure the perfect fit. It is essential to determine the size of your window before ordering. Picking out shutters that fit poorly will ruin the effect that you are trying to achieve.

Luckily, measuring is pretty simple and can be carried out in a mere matter of minutes. Before you start, it is important to remember to measure all of the windows that you want to fit. Although some windows may look identical in size to others, they may vary slightly, and even the smallest variation can make a big difference.
Many people choose to make the installation on the interior these days. This style of shutter is particularly easy to install and measure. The most popular type of shutter for the interior is typically made of wood.

Inside installation requires a square window opening measurement. In order to make sure that the opposite corners are equal to each other, you must measure diagonally. This is best done with a metal tape measure as it is more likely to be accurate. The rule of thumb when making this or any other kind of measurement is to measure three times to ensure that you have an accurate reading.

Start measuring from the left side of the inside recess across to the right side. The width should be taken at three different parts of the window. If there is a difference between these three widths, you must use the smallest of the three when making your purchase.

Next, measure from the top to the bottom of the inside recess. This measurement is known as the drop and should also be taken at three different points. The shortest drop length is the one that needs to be taken into consideration this time.

In order to install on the inside, there must be a clearance depth of at least two and a half inches from the very back of the shutter to the window. Otherwise, your shutter will be unable to function fully.

If your numbers don't quite measure up there is no need to worry. Installing on the exterior of the window is also a popular and effective option. The great thing about choosing an exterior instillation is that that clearance depth is not an issue. This means that you will only need to concern yourself with the other two measurements and start choosing the perfect type of shutter for your home.

Many companies these days also offer a complimentary measuring service. If you are still confused about how to measure for your perfect shutters, a professional measurer can help you to make sure that your chosen model is made to measure.

Find out more about interior wooden shutters.

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Blinds 4 Less of Southern California
We Measure and Install for You
(961) 924-9435
http://blinds4less01.com

How to Express Yourself in Your Bedroom

By Luningning De Guzman 

Hunter Douglas Applause honeycomb shades

Your home should speak about you. Therefore, it is necessary that you are able to have the design that is not only good for the eyes of your friends and family but it should be something that you really want. An interior designer may make your home look superb; however, it may not reflect your personality.

Your bedroom is one of the areas in your home that must reflect your individuality. Since it is your own room, you can set the rules and design it in whatever manner you want it. Here are a few tips on how to express yourself in your bedroom.

Set a theme for your bedroom. You can start from the things that interest you most such as music, books, sports, nature, movies, theater, etc. Let your hobby be the central theme of your bedroom. You can also pick a choice from having a country, Disneyland, royal or modern style theme. Choose your furniture based on this theme so everything will be in the proper symmetry.

Choose the colors that speak about you. If you go for bold and cheerful colors, then do so. It can also be pastel so long as you like the color and one that will make you happy even when you feel low. If you go for darker colors, apply a lighter shade of the same color on one side of your room to break the dullness. Remember, colors play a very important role in our emotions so combine happy hues to darker colors. You can also have varied patterns and textures on your wall that gives a clue to your personality. If you love to paint, you can paint on one side of your wall.

Choose the appropriate lights. Lights can play up or play down the ambiance of your room. Use task lights to give focus to your painting or any work of art on your wall. Make use of table and stand lamps to create varied effects.

Choose lighting fixtures that can project a romantic mood or a happy mood. If you love music and play some instruments, you can have some accent lights that look like little spotlights when you practice.

Hang your photos or posters of your favorite celebrities, singers, sports people, tourist attractions, etc. You can put together your photos since you were young and make a collage. A picture of your family activities can also be made into a collage. Anything that is about you can be displayed on your wall - remember this is your own area. It can also be our own work of art. If you love to draw or paint, then display it in your room.

Choose curtains that appeal to you most. It does not have to be the same as those in the living room. You can also make use of a room divider to have a separate study area. If your room divider is plain, then put some decorations on it or make it as your canvass for your own painting or drawing. If you love to compose poems, then post some of them on the divider.

If you love to read, have enough storage for them. You can have a built-in shelf if your room space is small. Otherwise, you can opt to have a bookshelf or a headboard with shelves.

Adorn your bedroom with your mementos from your past travels or from the gifts that you have received from friends and loved ones. If there is an artist in you, you can create some trinkets and decorate your windows and door.

Feel free and let your imagination run wild to express yourself in your bedroom. It is your own private space and must make you happy and contented when inside the room. The important thing is you love and enjoy the look of your bedroom.

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Tips to Become an Interior Designer

By Paula M Dungan 

Although many people have talent when it comes to decorating their personal spaces or even those of their friends or families, there is far more to a career in Interior Design than being able to match a couch to a wall covering. A true designer has a degree in Interior Design that includes many related subjects that help to understand the underlying concepts of how and why certain things work together and others do not.

When you study Interior Design, the first thing you learn is computer skills. Just as with any other profession today, there are many computer aids and programs that can assist a designer in their work. You also need to use programs that allow you to make presentations or advertising materials or properly process photos.

The next thing on the agenda is drawing. You have to learn to draw. A designer's life is full of proposal drawings, floor plans, sketches of items to be built and a million other kinds of drawing. Drawing teaches you how light and shadow play off one another and how to sketch realistically in three dimensions. Drawing leads to color theory, which is a designer's best friend. Once you understand the interplay between colors and all of the subtle enhancements of each color that are possible, it is easy to apply a sophisticated palette for any design assignment.

It is at this point that it starts to get more difficult. Digital visualization means being able to design floor plans and furnishings in a manner that allows you to see them in three dimensions, top, bottom and at 360 degree rotation. Following this you move right into basic drafting. Some designers work right behind architects and construction crews, so an understanding of blueprints and the procedure by which they are developed is essential.

There are also courses on textiles, kitchen and bath design, art history and commercial design, among many others. You can get an associate's degree in Interior Design in two years. If you do not wish to attend school or if you are not sure about your future in design, you may elect to take a twelve month diploma course called Residential Planning. In the diploma course, you learn all of the basics, but don't get as intensely involved in kitchens and baths, art history and commercial design.

Studying Interior Design is delightful; it seems more like play than work. Anyone, who wants a career that combines a love of art and color, with the intense desire to create beautiful spaces; should consider acquiring an education in Interior Design. Even if you never have a career as a designer, you will soon find yourself living in increasingly attractive surroundings. You just won't be able to help yourself.

Paula Morris-Dungan attended Art Institute of Pittsburg for Residential Space Planning and Interior Design. She spends her spare time remodeling and designing the interior of her 80+ year old house. She is a full-time freelance writer who writes for blogs and a discount fabric store about various topics including paint, and interior design in general.

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