Archive for December, 2011

Home Decor Ideas For Small Rooms

What do you do if your room makes you feel claustrophobic? You feel cramped in those quarters, but there isn’t much you can do about it, or is there?

Windows that face the outdoors would help tremendously but there is only so much you can do about the structure of the room. The landlady may kick you out if you knock a hole in the wall to create a window, but there are other ways of bringing in the light.

Okay, before we even talk about light, is the room cluttered up?

The first thing you should do in a cramped space is to declutter. Get rid of all the things you don’t need. As for what you really need, plan out where you can keep them so that you have as many clear surfaces as possible in the room. The less clutter there is, the more spacious, or at least, the less cramped and stressful the room would feel.

Keep all the papers out of sight. Organize them in files, or boxes and hide these boxes in odd corners in the room, out of sight.

By the way, how well is your room organized? Many rooms might have unused spaces beneath the window or they may be oddly shaped. Make the most of those odd spaces by building in cabinets or storage spaces and keep your belongings there out of sight, to reduce clutter.

Get a magazine rack to keep your newspapers and latest magazines in. Then keep that magazine rack near the wall. Actually, keeping the furniture against the wall leaves you more space in the center of the room for you to move around.

Take a leaf out of the Shaker’s book. You know the Shakers style of home decorating. Where simplicity counted, neatness and practicality was everything. They had pegs on racks to organize all their things and racks are great space savers, highly practical and get you organized.

Instead of claustrophobic, think cozy. Go for rich fabrics that lend the room texture and an air of luxury. Cover the floor in the center of the room with a large rug to give the room that luxe finish.

Fake a ceiling to floor, wall to wall window by draping curtains against an entire wall, to give the illusion that there is a window and therefore, more space behind that curtain.

Make the most of whatever light your room may have with the introduction of mirrors placed strategically around the room, to visually double the space in the room.

Have you seen a room with a wall lined with mirrors? Those mirrors make the room look twice its size, the reflection of the room through the mirror makes it look as if there is an identical extension of the room on the other side of the wall.

There is no need to feel claustrophobic in your room. With a few carefully planned touches, your tiny room can look more spacious and feel cosier.

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Beach House Decor

Most people love the beach, which is probably one of the reasons why beach house décor is so popular. Whenever you decorate your house in this manner, you will see significant results, as this type of look can completely change the way that your house is perceived. Many different things can be added to your house to achieve this look, so make sure that you take the time to explore all of the beach art that is available. Decorating your home does not have to become a chore when you have these types of items from which to choose. You can be creative or have a look completely designed for you, depending on how you feel about the home decoration process.

The home renovation process scares off many people, as they cannot see the big picture. These individuals tend to look at how much work everything will take to be done, rather than breaking things down piece-by-piece and looking at the gradual results. By breaking things down into smaller tasks, you will begin to see results almost immediately, which will help with the process as a whole. One of these tasks, of course, could be to fill your home with beach house décor, as this will change the look of the interior of your house significantly and will allow immediate results to be shown.

Once you have an idea of the beach art that you want to include in your home, you can begin with the next stage of the decoration process. The beach house décor that you choose can be implemented immediately and those who see it will certainly enjoy what you have done. Make sure that you ask around whenever you see something that you like, as many businesses will have this beach art present. Once you have located the exact items that you want, you can begin purchasing them. Keep in mind that you may have to visit a number of different locations before you can come up with the exact look that you want, but it will all be worth it in the end.

The main reason why you would purchase beach house decor is to make your home look better, without having to spend too much money. This furniture and beach art can usually be found for great prices and it will create a relaxing atmosphere in your home. The coastal look that you will achieve is something that every visitor will notice and most will appreciate thoroughly. Many people will put shells and things of that ilk around their homes when they go for this look, so make sure that you explore those items if that is what you are looking to do.

You might even find some beach themed paintings in your search, which will add to your beach house décor greatly. These paintings can usually be found for low prices, especially if you purchase them from an unknown local artist. Many online retailers now sell this beach art as well, so it has never been easier to go with this look inside your home.

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Top Beach House Decorating Ideas

Having a beach house or just decorating your home to give you that free and easy feeling can be done without great expense. Beach house style is cool, breezy, clean and crisp. To achieve a beach style motif you must take all your decorating clues from nature. You can bring the elements of the sand and surf into your home and relax in a serene setting. Below are a few of the top nautical home decor ideas and secrets to making your home reminiscent of the beach.

First thing you will need to do is to get rid of the clutter. Beach decor is a minimalistic tableau. Less is really more when you see the awesome ways you can decorate without having a lot of items strewn around.

Choose sea inspired colors for your walls. Any of the cool hues on the color wheel will do nicely. Pastel blues, pinks, corals and other soft natural colors will give you a great canvas to work from.

Make liberal use of stark whites, this will give an open and airy feel to any room.

Use plank like paneling in the bedrooms to give it that beach shanty appeal. Keep it simple and basic. Using colors that complement each other.

Use wide slat blinds and/or gauzy type curtains for your window treatments. The entire effect should be one that brings to mind a fresh ocean breeze, and the window treatments blowing in it.

Natural wood floors are great in a beach setting. The use of throw rugs that bring out the warmth of the wood will be a good addition as well. Again stick with the lighter colors.

Tile floors can also be a great beach decorating option. You can enhance the cool tiles with rugs; the balance of smooth with texture gives you the contrast found in the great outdoors.

Use slip covers that match the rest of the decor to give your home that “vacation like” feel. Make liberal use of ottomans, not only do they look great, they also provide extra seating, or you can just throw your feet up and relax.

Wicker furniture has long been a favorite of decorators when planning a beach house theme. The furnishings add to the image of being in an ocean front bungalow. Glass vases filled with colorful flowers will compliment any decor.

Do not stop with the indoors carry your theme out onto the patio with a great set of Adirondack chairs and a matching table. Use candle lanterns to add a warm glow to the night as you sip a glass of wine and admire the sunset.

If you follow these tips you are sure to have a home that will take your breath away each time you enter through the doors. Use plants that are found near, in and around bodies of water to complete the effect.

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