Let your Personality Color your Home Decor...

Setting out to decorate a new home or redecorating your current abode without a plan can be like driving around an unfamiliar city without a map—you may end up somewhere, but it’s probably not where you wanted go and you may have no idea how you got there. And you may just end up somewhere pretty ugly. Formulating a plan, however, can be a difficult task. Thumbing through home and furniture magazines often just leads to little more than an increased risk of paper cuts, and watching the countless home decorating “reality” shows, while sometimes entertaining, rarely results in an epiphanous (no, its not a word) moment. Actually, according to dictionary.com, it is a word, so take your red squiggly underline and shove it, Microsoft. Anyways…oh yeah, having a plan. This plan I speak of, doesn’t have to be a 10-page manifesto or even a loose outline, in fact, it doesn’t really have to be put in writing. I say, let your personality be your guide.

As hokey and simple as that may sound, it works. Too many people decorate their homes to please or impress others. Unless you’re a close friend or relative or Martha Stewart, this is just ridiculous (I‘ve heard she can be a little harsh). Remember, you live in your home, not them. Let your home be a reflection of yourself by choosing colors, furniture, and accessories that show your personality, as deranged and anti-social as that may be.

Many people with bright, vivacious personalities like bright, vivacious colors. Go figure. But these gregarious individuals often temper this when it comes to decorating their homes. You don’t have to make your home look like Rainbow Brite (for those not in the know, she’s a brightly colored 80’s cartoon character) threw up all over the place to inject your personality. Pick a few colors and stick to them. As with most decorating schemes, bright colors work well when set against light, muted ones, like shades of white or beige. Paint your walls these muted colors and then go crazy adorning them with brightly colored artwork and accessories. Same thing goes for furniture. Back away from the teal couch and the orange upholstered chair. Look for boring colors and then add your personality in the form of pillows and throw blankets. If these tips still don’t allow you to fully express how wild and crazy you are, experiment with your bedroom decor. You’ll offend less people that way.

On the other side of the coin we have the more straight-laced, conservative types. Bright colors give these people headaches, as do the aforementioned people who like bright colors. But what these plodding individuals lack in personality they more than make up for with grace and sophistication, and this should come through in their home decor. Whether your style preference is contemporary, traditional, or somewhere in the middle, you can create a look that personifies you and at the same time is decidedly un-boring. Furniture and lighting isn’t the difference-maker here, it’s the accessories and decorations you should focus on. Artwork and other embellishments such as plants, knick-knacks on shelves, and framed photos can breathe life into rooms with less color. And speaking of color, you can still make a statement without fuchsia walls or a red leather sofa. The trick is to mix in lights and darks to create contrasts wherever you can. Use black and charcoal against whites and light grays or experiment with the many shades of brown, from light tans to deep, dark chocolate brown.

Home Decorating Ideas ? Changing Seasons!...

A simple home decorating idea to invigorate a room is to let it reflect the change in seasons. Here are several home decorating ideas for making those seasonal transitions simple and easy.

Home decorating ideas for making the switch to summer:

*Replace heavy draperies with lace curtains or sheer panels to give that light, airy look.

*Rearrange furniture to let in light and air and to take in the view of outdoors

*Drape a summery throw over the sofa or use striped or lighter-weight white or cream slipcovers.

*Put away the heavier wool rugs and use cotton rugs, straw mats or leave the floors bare.

*Dress up the fireplace with dried flowers, a candle arrangement, or unique, summery home decor.

*Add a touch of color with items such as painted flower pots and colorful table linens.

*Bring the garden indoors with a wicker chair, a glass-top wrought iron table and birdhouses.

Home decorating ideas for transitioning to winter:

*Use traditional wool, Oriental, or Navajo rugs as area rugs over carpet or bare floors.

*Add winter warmth to any décor with velvet slipcovers and chenille and mohair throws.

*Burrow under flannel sheets, vintage quilts and comforters for a good night’s rest.

*Go for deep, rich colors—navy blue, russet, burgundy, and eggplant

*Bring the outdoors inside with a rustic basket filled with pinecones and urns filled with evergreens or branches with winter berries.

*Display bowls of winter fruits on tables and countertops—apples, pears, and pomegranates.

*Provide a soothing, comforting glow to any room in the house with candles.

*Bring furniture closer together for that warm, cozy feeling.

See how easy it is to shift from one season to the next by implementing these simple home decorating ideas. Don’t forget to add a touch of spring and fall décor for the in-between seasons.

Home Decorating On A Budget...

For those who are trying to decorate a home, but need to stick to a specific budget may want to learn how to approach the art of buying decorating accessories and items. You will want to think about setting your budget together before you end up buying things to decorate. You will find that there are some things that you will want to purchase to go cheap when it comes to decorating. You will want to keep a few ideas in mind and you will also want to sit down with some mail catalogs and other magazines to see if there is anything that interests you. You will want to make sure that you consider the budget with every purchase that you make.

When it comes to home decorating you will want to focus on the areas that people are going to see on a regular basis. You will want to make sure that you first take care of the entry-level rooms first, because most people do not go upstairs when just a guest. You will find that there are many ways that you will be able to decorate, even the smallest of spaces, however, you will want to keep the three basic decorating tips in mind.

First, you will need to keep in mind fabric. Fabric is a cheap and easy way for you to be able to make a dramatic effect in any room. You will be able to add a whimsical look to any room and it is very nice to add bunting fabric in the setting rooms and in the family rooms.

Secondly you will find that candles are cheap and easy to use in the decor of your home. It makes any home seem more like a family home and you will also find that there are tons of ways to use the candles. You can use candles to make a dramatic effect as well. You will be able to keep you home decorating simple with candles, but you will at least be able to give the home a clean, country look or rustic medieval look.

When it comes to mirrors you will be able to sue them to your advantage. You should be able to use the mirrors in a way that will allow you to play around with the size of a room. Mirrors tend to make small or narrow rooms seem so much bigger. You will want to keep in mind that these tricks are used in practically any home. You’ll love the fact that people see your room differently over a couple candles and a good-sized mirror. You will find that this is a great and cheap way of doing things.

Creole Home Decorating Ideas to Try Out...

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 way that the style often referred to as “French Creole” has managed to do. The truth is that while this style of architecture that New Orleans is famous for is really heavily borrowed from many other cultures and yet uniquely New Orleans at the same time.

Creole architecture for many brings to mind intricate wrought iron work, long shutters (to cover the windows during hurricanes originally), huge windows and doors (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 million dollar neighborhoods. This style of architecture and home décor is also famous for 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. Lagniappe is a term that people here quite often in and around New Orleans. For those who do not know, it means “a little something extra”. From an extra donut to a freebie bookmark and many things in between, that little something extra has a long history in New Orleans from the architecture to the music there always seems to 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 gaudy but the locals consider it that little something extra and it is. You may find a little Gothic style, a little bit of Jazz, and a whole lot of Mardi Gras in 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 that defies logic and yet makes perfect sense for the rich culture and heritage that 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 suggestions 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 are 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 the music that calls this great section of the country home. Music notes are a great 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. The 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 is the heart of a Cajun home and food is what makes it that heart. Use jars of beans, rice, pastas, and other lagniappe as part of the overall design and you might just be amazed at just how Creole the room begins to look.

Moroccan Furniture: 3 Ways to Bring Life Into Your...

One of the most popular decor that you can incorporate in your home includes Moroccan furniture as well as accessories. If you want interior design, you can add both functionality as well as art to your home.

Moroccan furniture uses the look of Moorish ethnic design that will invoke beauty as well as charm in your home. Everyone wants their home to look a bit different than other homes and one way to do it is to use Moroccan furniture as well as other decor that will all blend together but add warmth and comfort, as well as artistic flavor to your home decor. One of the reasons why Moroccan furniture is so very well liked is that it will blend in well with your existing furniture.

3 Ways to Use Moroccan Furniture Inside and Outside

1.Moroccan furnishings look wonderful and vibrant when you use them to create Moroccan living rooms. Not only are the vibrant colors that are used in Moroccan sofas, chairs and tables easy to blend with other furnishings in your home, but you can also use Moroccan lamps and continue to add to this decor. One of the best aspects of creating a Moroccan living room is the fact that you do not need a lot of furnishings for your Moroccan living room to come alive. In addition to that, as Moroccan lamps are truly works of art themselves, they tend to be the focal point.

You can decorate your home using these furnishings that are affordable and make a good choice for someone just starting out who wants to gradually add to their living room decor with these furnishings.

2.For the bedroom, Moroccan bedding will do wonders. The bedding itself is made from vibrant colors and exquisite materials. In addition to bedding, you will want your Moroccan bedroom to have hand carved bedroom Moroccan furniture as that includes beds, mirrors and dressers.

Of course, you will also want to throw in a few Moroccan lamps as well as a rug to give the room a great deal of Moroccan warmth. If you are looking or interior design that is both artistic and functional, you should consider Moroccan furniture for your bedroom.

3.You have your choice when it comes to outdoor tables for Moroccan patios. These include mosaic tables as well as other outdoor Moroccan furniture including fountains and patio furniture.

Your deck or patio will take on new life when you incorporate Moroccan furniture into the mix. In addition to mosaic styling, you can also find wooden tables as well as those that are intricately carved when you are looking for Moroccan furniture for the outdoors. Of course, you will want to use Moroccan lanterns as well.

One of the best aspects of using Moroccan furniture is that it is timeless. This means that it will fit in to any decor that you already have. You can gradually start incorporating the Moroccan furniture into your living space and will find that you enjoy gathering more of the furniture, lamps as well as accessories that make Moroccan furniture so very timeless, useful and artistic.

If you want to start using Moroccan design, take a look online at some of the most beautiful and original designs in furniture, lamps and bedding that use Moroccan design and Moroccan furniture.