Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Bedroom Decorating Ideas - Tips on how to Use Painted Lamp Shades

Painted lamp shades provide beautiful rustic style for any home lighting fixture. The charming style they enhance in your home will have your friends talking about your great interior design long after they leave. In fact, I love these wonderful shades so much that I have even given them as gifts to friends and family.

These lamp shades are a unique way to bring out interesting rustic or Native American style in your home decorating and complete a look that is certainly amazing.

From interesting portrayals of American Indians and extraordinary mountain terrain, to detailed paintings of dry desert landscape and Native homes, you will definitely be amazed with how these hand painted lamp shades complement your home's western design and style.

The thing I like most about decorating with leather lamp shades or giving them as gifts, are the variations in shade colors and options to choose from.

You can decide between fascinating artwork on dyed pigskin leather lamp shades that come in many different colors, or select a painting you like on a traditional rawhide shade in a light or dark color.

No matter which you choose, you will no doubt find one that combines with your color scheme and your decorating needs. The amazing craftsmanship of the hand-stitched leather on the leather lamp shade adds great character and genuine American Indian style to your rustic cabin or country home.

Trying to simply enhance southwestern style in a room in your home?

The nicest thing about painted lamp shades is that they look equally as well in an office, den, bedroom, living room and anywhere else you wish to incorporate western style. The exciting thing about painted lamp shades is that they are a simple way to alter your home lighting or makeover a room without going into debt or remodeling.

Try painted lamp shades on unique southwestern style lamps such as wrought iron or antler lamps to create a true rugged mountain look, or simply replace the shade on the regular style lamps that you already have to bring out Native style.

Often used on chandelier lamps for illuminating large rooms or for table lamps and desk lamps, painted lamp shades are great for anywhere you would like to add a splash of color with rustic style. You will be excited to see how easily a lamp shade can revolutionize the look of the entire room and bring rustic style decorating to life in your home.

Combine painted leather lamp shades with other western or rustic style items for true rustic style.

Painted lamp shades look great when used with Indian blankets and throws, kiva ladders, powwow drums, or Indian baskets and pottery. These incredible shades are difficult to buy in traditional stores where southwestern decorating items are sold, but you can find them online.

If you love the designer style homes typically found in the southwestern states, or are simply looking for a way to add great rustic design to your interior decorating, try using the exquisite art of painted lamp shades.
Use Painted Lamp Shades To Enhance Beautiful Southwestern Home Decorating

Bedroom Decorating Ideas- Home Decorating Tips For The Budget Minded

A home is quite an investment. Sometimes there is little left over for decorating. With the improvements that have been made to many standard materials, this is no longer the problem that it once was.

f you are decorating on a budget, one of the first things that you
may want to make peace with is that it will probably take you a bit
longer to accomplish your goals than someone that can afford to just
go out and buy exactly what they want.

It will also take a little work on your part in the creation of some of the things that will adorn your home. You will have to get your elbows dirty in the process as you will personally take part in some of your decorating projects.

Paint is cheap, hiring a painter is not. When you've decided on the colors you want and which rooms will be painted, go to the hardware store, buy some paint, brushes, rollers, paint trays, drop cloths, and any other painting material youmay need.

If you are ragging or sponging your paint, you will need additional materials. Carve out an afternoon or two of your busy life and paint away. Be sure to clean
all items thoroughly when done otherwise you may end up wasting money
on additional painting supplies. Thanks to;home Decorating Tips For The Budget Minded - BargainBanter

Bedroom Decorating Ideas - Tips for Summer Decorating

With the summer's heat upon us it's a good time to think about cool decorating tips. We asked Vern Yip, host of HGTV's "Deserving Design" and a judge on the network's "Design Star" reality show, for some of his best tips for summer decorating.

We caught up with him for a phone interview in Atlanta during a break in taping "Deserving Design." For summer, think bright colors, comfortable style and easy entertaining. That backyard patio is an area where plenty of outdoor entertaining will take place this summer. So get it in shape for the season.

"The one thing that's really changed is a lot of retailers and manufacturers are now making products that are designed for the outdoors that could be used indoors," Yip says. "The outdoors should be thought about as another room for your house. Now we have rugs that are meant to be outdoors year-round and really comfortable lounge furniture and even accessories. Even those not specifically meant for the outdoors can often be left out year-round."

Your patio or deck is an extension of your living space.

"There are wonderful fabrics and accessories and drapes and rugs that really are now another way for us to enjoy the outdoors more," Yip says.

When the party goes from daytime to evening, make sure you have the right lighting to keep conversation flowing.

"Candlelight is always one of the best ways to create an incredible atmosphere and relax and converse and have a drink," he says.

Everybody looks great by candlelight. Don't limit it to little votive candles. Try hanging beautiful chandeliers from a tree or hanging them above your main seating area from the apex of an outdoor tent or cover or from a pergola."

Dress home for summer

Moving indoors, there are easy things to do to give a summer feel.

Summer is really about renewal. A lot of people have kids on vacation, the weather is generally nice and bright, and it's an opportunity for you to really inject some great color in your space, and you can easily do that through drapes, throw pillows, through artwork, even a coat of paint," Yip says.

"People are now dressing their rooms for the seasons. They have neutral-colored sofas and carpet or hardwood floors, and they change things out for the season."

Easy colors to use inside include green and orange. Those colors are popular year-round, Yip says, but in the summertime, opt for shades of green and orange with bright yellow undertones.

"Color is really, really big this season," he says. "It's surprising because usually when the economy is bad, the colors go dour, but not this year, even though we're facing higher gas prices and higher bills. Maybe it's a way to cheer up."

Pops of color

Every room in the house can use its own burst of summer color.

"I always keep bowls of apples around the house because they stay fresh for four to five weeks in a bowl and add that organic element," Yip says.

"I don't like plastic fruit and flowers because I feel like they sap the life out of a room, but ... Granny Smith apples or Red Delicious are $1.99 a bag, and they stay there for weeks."

The key thing to remember is "summer is about embracing the season. It's as simple as introducing a bright vase with flowers." Thanks to; Summer dressing for your home | hattiesburgamerican.com | Hattiesburg American

Bedroom Decorating Ideas - Tips on Planning your Family Room

Family rooms by their very name are for the family and, when most of us think of family, we think of relaxation and fun, as well as informal settings for carefree entertaining.

This is a room in which we can truly "let our hair down." It demands space for our hobbies, be they reading, watching TV, playing games or needlework. It also calls for some imaginative planning so all members of the family feel this is truly "their" room.

Careful planning of your family room is a must. Be sure to make a list of all the activities and functions the room will encompass. Only then can you make truly wise decisions about furniture and other finishes.

Comfort is essential in the selection of your upholstered furniture pieces. Do you like cushy seats and over sized pieces? Or do you prefer a comfortable seat in a smaller scale?

Fabric choices for furniture pieces are important, as this room is apt to get the most use of all the rooms in your home. Choosing a fabric that is durable and stain resistant is key.

Fabrics such as leathers, micro suedes and chenilles are comfortable and fairly easy to maintain. Plain fabrics with varying textures and patterned fabrics such as plaids, stripes, small prints and checks are most at home in family rooms.

The addition of large and small coffee and end tables will ensure there is lots of places to set food and drinks. Look for stacked or folded pieces to allow you the opportunity to increase table space as needed.

An entertainment centre to house your electronics is a must. Entertainment centres offer you a place for everything and can act as a focal point in the room. When possible, consider a unit with extra storage that can hold items such as CDs, DVDs, games and magazines.

A game table may also be an important addition to this room. Be sure to allow for adequate lighting when you select its place in your room. Ping-pong, pool and air hockey games are often a welcomed addition to this room. Of course having the proper space is a requirement of the type of game you select.

Flooring options in the family room should be easy to maintain and durable while still working with the rest of the flooring in the home. Wood and laminate floors are great choices for these rooms and can be warmed up with the addition of an area rug.

Choosing the right window treatments for your family room depends on the type of activities you will be focusing on. If you will mostly be watching TV and movies, why not consider room-darkening blinds? If the room will be used for family activities, a window treatment that lets the light in may be a better option.

There's no better way to finish off a room and complete a look than by adding accessories. Toss cushions are a fun and simple way to bring in colour, not to mention how comfy they are when you're watching TV or cuddled up with a good book. For easy maintenance in a bustling home, why not consider beautiful permanent plants and or trees to help fill in empty space?

Lamps add to the décor and also offer additional light to enhance the ambiance for particular tasks.

If you follow these ideas when decorating your family room I am sure it will become an integral part of your family home!

Sarah Pacey is the award-winning owner of the local Interiors by Decorating Den, which serves commercial and residential interior decorating needs from Oromocto to Grand Falls. Contact her office today with questions or to book an in-house consultation at 392-8882 or by e-mail at paceyteam@decoratingden.com.