| |
| |
|
Interior Decorating Information |
|
|
|
Add Summer To Your Home
Here's a decorating challenge just for fun in this hot humid mid-summer month. What colors are hot this summer? Turquoise, Coral, Raspberry, Green and Candy striped colors. They seem to be all of the colors we want around us for the hot weather. White is easy to use and is always good for the hot months, but the trendy colors can be a bit difficult to add to our existing rooms. If you want to have a little decorating fun, pick just one of the hot new colors and find a way to add it to every room in your house. Keep in mind that this is just for fun, so you can use accessories such as vases, pottery, baskets, paper fans, picture frames, ribbons, pillows, colored stones and marbles, even children's beach toys. In short, any inexpensive temporary item with a summery feel can be used to jazz up your room as long as it is in the color you have decided to use. Keep in mind whether the color you've chosen is going to complement or contrast with your existing colors. If it is a contrasting color you will need it to be a little more pervasive to have a good effect. You don't want just one bright spot of color in an otherwise subdued room unless it is a very large item and you are going to use it as a focal point. Two lime green pillows and a lime green scarf over a lampshade, as well as a small vase used in the room make a statement. One pillow gets lost and has no impact. If your room already has bright colors you can get away with just one touch of color. The bright colors that are so hot this year tend to look contemporary so use care when incorporating them into a more traditional setting. If you have a formal or traditional room you can find your accents in more traditional items, such as Asian or Mexican pottery, inexpensive glassware, candles, candlesticks and shantung pillows or silk throws. If you really want a challenge put a dollar amount on what you can spend for each room to do this; perhaps no more than twenty dollars per room. I have a perfectly lovely small, frosted, apple green bowl, which I picked up in a dollar store several years ago. It holds roses beautifully and adds a lovely accent tucked into the corner of a shelf, on a window sill or on an end table Now for the fun! Decide which color you want to use. Then hit the flea markets, yard sales and import stores. This is something that can become a family activity. Children and husbands, even hard to entertain teenagers, can enjoy finding the perfect item. After all, it really is a treasure hunt. If you don't have family that would enjoy something like this, it is a wonderful chance to have a day with friends. Throw in lunch or tea or pack a picnic and enjoyment is assured. At the end of the summer you can throw these items away, but you may find that you've become quite attached to them and the memories they represent and you want to keep them for another summer. No matter what you decide you've made decorating your home a great summer activity. Indra A Books, author of this and many other lifestyle articles, is the owner and founder of ON THE GO 4 U, Personal Shoppers & Concierge Service in the Washington DC metropolitan area. The company's creed is to provide its clients with the ultimate life management experience. In addition to its shopping and concierge services, ON THE GO 4 U also publishes a monthly e-zine and conducts workshops on wardrobe, entertaining and decorating. For more information about the author and ON THE GO 4 U, please visit http://www.onthego4u.net Content for this article was provided by Suzanne Copenhaver, design consultant to ON THE GO 4 U, who has a lifetime of experience decorating less than ideal spaces. © 2005 Indra A Books for ON THE GO 4 U
MORE RESOURCES:
Interior-Decorating - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Heres Why Interior Decorating Makes A Statement About You Interior decorating is that medium which can make your closed spaces convey to the observer a lot about you and your lifestyle through strategic use of elements which range from the visual (color, lighting, form) to the tactile (surface, shape, texture) to the auditory (noise, echo).The more alluring the result, the more the aesthetic, practical and technical appreciation for these elements the designer must have. Light Imitating Art - How to Use Lighting as a Decorative Feature Lighting is often thought of as a necessity, which it is, but not often as part of the decor. This is more the case in residential settings. Can Bamboo Flooring Really Help Save The Worlds' Environment? Probably not on its own, but its an excellent example of how consumers can vote with their buying dollars to sway market demand to bring more environmentally friendly products into the marketplace.Bamboo flooring is a rising trend in home flooring and a great alternative to traditional hardwood floors. Rustic Country Decor - How to Decorate Cottage Style Homes Rustic country decor and how to decorate cottage style homes are extensions of American country style decorating. In addition, traditions are borrowed from French, English and some Swedish country looks. Take The Clothes Off Your Rooms and Let Them Breathe Its summertime and the livin' is easy or at least you want it to free, easy and comfortable in the summer heat. We all want to lighten up and just breathe and move freely in the summer. Preserved Flower Candles Putting flowers in your candle will add a unique look, while preserving your favorite flower.Written by Expressive CandlesWe have been asked many times, how to put flowers and other objects on the outside of a candle. A Guide to Wine Racks It is a cliché that wines get better with age. How a wine ages will depend on how the wine is stored. Displaying Posters: Some Ways You Never Thought Of How many ways can you display posters? With the easy availability of thousands of inexpensive posters online, you can turn any house or apartment into a unique art gallery!Sure, a poster can be hung on a wall, or attached to it with tacks or tape. But often a more interesting look comes from placing a grouping of posters on the same wall. Three Ways to Add Charm and Style to Your Kitchen I like decorating my kitchen with a cozy, warm, inviting, homey feeling to it. Usually I'm fighting for all the space I can get in my kitchen too. A Vanity Bench Adds a Romantic and Old World Feel to Your Bedroom Decor One of the easiest ways to add a romantic or "Old World" feel to your bedroom's décor is by adding a vanity bench or set. By placing one of these vanity benches in your bedroom or dressing space, you can create a design element that cannot be obtained using other types of furniture. Simplicity with Your Home Wall Decor I can still picture my roommate as she lay stretched out on the floor, rummaging through a pile of Martha Stewart magazines. It was our mutual friend's birthday and we preferred to deliver our own personalized birthday gifts. Kitchen Decorating Is Easy To Do Kitchen decor themes can turn a dull kitchen into a beautiful living space. Being the central gathering place for family and friends, the right theme can make any occasion a memorable event. Getting a Grandfather Clock at a Discount Whether it is a basic bong-bong-bong or a thrilling symphony, the sound of a grandfather clock faithfully chiming the hour is music to the ears for many people. However, the high price tag makes the clock strikes flat for the majority. Make Your Own Fishing Decor from Fishing Gear Decorating with old, used fishing gear is fun, creative and inexpensive. It's pretty easy to find unique fishing gear to use as decorating items for your log cabin or home. Bringing the Inside Out The time of year is here when we all start spending more time outside. Look at your deck or backyard as an additional room. Tuscany Style Decorating Ideas Earthy colors and natural materials are two basics for the "old world" style of decorating. To get an idea of the colors we're talking about, go for a walk outside and take notice of the beautiful colors around you, the blue sky, the golden sun, even the chocolate brown of mud in the springtime. What is a Duvet Cover? A Duvet Cover is actually just another name for a Bed Comforter Cover. It's like a very large pillow case, is is normally used to cover a down comforter. Bakers Wine Racks: Sophisticated Style Nothing sends a message of sophistication and style quite the same way that an exquisitely styled baker's rack complete with a wine rack does. When it comes to home accessories, baker's racks have long been a favorite of consumers due to their versatility, beauty, and practicality, and the baker's rack with wine rack stands out as a favorite. Where to Find a Cheap Adjustable Bed Adjustable beds are no doubt very expensive. But the benefits procured from adjustable beds make them seem very affordable and worthwhile. How to Buy Discount Bamboo Flooring Bamboo flooring is a relatively new alternative to standard hardwood floors. It offers similar and perhaps superior qualities of strength, hardness, and appearance.
|
| home | index |site map |
| © 2006 |
