Tuesday, March 15th, 2016

FFDM’s Brentwood Collection features these lovely wooden ensemble. ‘Notice how the book shelf also served as a divider for the room?
Having a small home shouldn’t be considered a burden. The small square footage given to you can still be a blessing. You just need to find out how to configure the space and designate the areas that would go therein. Your goal now is to find flexible solutions that would not eat up that all too valuable space in your home. There are many clever ways of using room dividers to partition off parts in your home.
Room Divider Use
These clever uses of home dividers will give you a sort of new wall in your home. Just imagine all the things that you can do with it. Have fun!
Tags: divider, folding screens, headboard, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, room divider
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Tuesday, March 15th, 2016

Marriage is pretty much like the harmony achieved by these two lovely chairs from the Harbor Springs Collection of FFDM; it’s a balance between yin and yang, dark and light, the groom and the bride.
Here comes the bride, all dressed in white…
You know very well how the song goes and how happy the ceremony itself is. Equally thrilling is the wedding reception where every family member, friend and colleague is in attendance.
A lot of wedding reception halls or venues already include free decoration with the rent; however, if you want to use your own design, then you should go right ahead and do that.

Line the aisles with Thomasville Living Room Donatello Petite Pedestal 83435-420 a. This is perfect for those wedding flower arrangements.
Wedding Reception Theme
Decorating a wedding reception hall is not complicated at all. You may ask your family and friends to pitch in with a little something and help. Be sure to check that the space is available for all of you for no less than a full day before the actual reception.
Begin by deciding on the color scheme and the theme that you would use. You may look for ideas online or from wedding magazines. Rental businesses also rent out their decorating supplies for all the DIY brides and caterers.
The theme that you have used for your wedding could also be carried out to the reception decor. Pick linens, flowers and decorating materials that are in the same hue as your color scheme or the motif of the wedding ceremony.
A lot of couples think of wedding as a religious tradition being carried out to seal their union. With this, you have the freedom to use as many religious symbols as you can in your wedding reception hall. These symbols reflect your faith so for Roman Catholics, you may use white flower arrangements symbolizing purity; for Jewish couples, there’s always the braided ribbons and sashes; while the Hindu couple can incorporate the kalash and some mango leaves to their decor.
Brides and grooms may also want the season to be reflected on their wedding reception venue. Being married during the winter shouldn’t stop you from using a Winter Wonderland theme. A fall wedding could use a plethora of colors ranging from golds, oranges, reds, greens and browns. Use acorns as table centerpieces. Spring weddings, on the other hand, could use the bright flowers of the season as decor – there are freshly-bloomed daffodils, tulips or lilies. Summer receptions could use a lot of magnolias and roses.
Ceilings, Walls and Windows
If you need to create a unique look for your wedding reception hall, you need to consider decorating the ceilings, walls and windows, too. You can use several materials to create a place that will become memorable for you and all your guests.
Use silk, cotton, linen, or just about any kind of cloth to dress up the walls and windows. Tulle has also been used by a lot of couples in the past. Wrap the cloth around railings, and drape it all around the tables and windows.
Have fun decorating with bows and flowers. You can also buy disposable ribbons if you don’t want to use cloth. Tie the ribbons around tables and chairs or use them to create beautiful bows on the railings, back of chairs, and on windows.
The wall could be the perfect gallery for family photos or the couple’s gathered pictures over the years. You can also hang your favorite artworks on the walls of your wedding reception space.
Glowing lanterns and decorative mobiles can be installed on your wedding reception hall ceiling. These will definitely draw the guests’ eyes upward. They will also creatively balance the decor that you have set up below.
Other Decor
Make sure to include cards, table signs, tents, centerpieces, drinkware and dinnerware on your list of materials for your wedding reception hall project.
You also have the option to use disposable catering supplies especially designed for wedding and other elite events.
Tags: McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, wedding design, wedding reception, wedding reception hall, wedding reception hall design
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Monday, March 14th, 2016

Accessories Uttermost Waters Edge Hand Painted Art 34290: Water will always be an important element in Feng Shui. This painting depicts the beauty and calmness of this element.
Furniture placement and feng shui are closely linked as the former is a key element in the positive or negative flow of chi. It is crucial that furniture placement would not interfere, block, force, or even distort the positive flow of energy. Since this is so, you wouldn’t want to cram furniture pieces and accessories in a very tight place. If you need breathing space, so do does every room in your home.
Simple Feng Shui Rules
Now let’s get down to business. The first rule that you’ll have to remember is to raise the chairs, beds, and couches off the floor – but just a few inches, of course. This will allow the chi to flow freely throughout the room.
The best design approach is minimalism. Position every piece of furniture so that they face the entryway. Keep in mind that the entryway controls the chi as it flows into the room. This is true for desks, couches, stove, sink, beds and chairs. If this is a tad more difficult to achieve, then at least there should be no less than three feet of space between furniture pieces. This is also true with the night stand next to your bed and that couch paired to the coffee table.
Accessorizing can add your personal touch in any room. Place stuff that you usually use at eye level. This isn’t just great for chi, it is also functionally awesome since you can reach for them whenever you need ‘em.
Place your framed pictures at a level when they are not too high above eye level when you are seated. Hang huge pictures over an equally large furniture.
Furniture arrangement can bring about good fortune into different aspects of your life.
Here are some areas believed to be affected by feng shui –
Family
This is the area where you want to be the luckiest. In essence, this is the west. The colors that you are supposed to use here are dark blue, white, or yellow. Fill your home with family photos, toys, framed awards and certificates, stones, crystals and any round-shaped accessories.

FFDM’s Boulevard Collection features these lovely wooden ensemble. Mirrors and wooden furniture are must-haves for all feng shui enthusiasts.
Fame
Treat this is the southern part of your home. This is that area that gets the most amount of sunlight. If letting in the sun is not possible, then make sure that you install ample lighting and heating fixtures.
Colors that are best used here are red and yellow. This is a great place to put all the objects that embody you. Here, you should place trophies, awards and every awesome photo of yourself. Wooden objects and electrical appliances should be placed here.
Business
This should be the northern part of your home, a place that is situated near the main entrance. Colors that make the chi flow are black, dark blue, white and gray hues. Place irregular-shaped accessories in copper, bronze or gold color. Of course, place your best desk, phones and computer here.
Health
The colors black, green and red work well in this eastern part of your home.
Put images of fish ponds, trees and streams; add some organic accessories such as potted plants to complete the look in this area.
Add some bright lights to optimize the positivity.
Money
This is the southeast part of any home. Use red, black, or green here. Round leaf potted plants are wonderful accessories. Tie a red ribbon around the pot then place coins right under the plant. Don’t put electrical appliances, pointy plants and coffee pots here.
Love
Now this last area should interest a lot of people the most. This should be the southwest part of your home. Use furniture or accessories that are yellow or brown. Fire colors like pink and red work great here, too. Put metals, stones, crystals, photos and romantic objects in this room.
Water is a wonderful element to use in this area.
Tags: arranging furniture, furniture, furniture arrangement, furniture placement, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings
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Monday, March 14th, 2016
Every voracious reader in the world would understand that one of the most precious things they’d want to have is a peaceful reading nook (for some, they wish for time to read more works). Imagine having all the time in the world to read a good – no, a great – book, seated in a comfortable chair, with a hot mug of cocoa in your hand; what a blissful world it would be.
Other read in their bedroom or the living room but one who reads a lot would know that there should be a spot that has been especially designated for reading. Besides, don’t you deserve to have your own private spot?
Reading Corner Necessities
Okay, so a nook’s a nook. It can be a section of your sitting room or it could be in a remodelled basement.
There are but two necessities inside this room so, yeah, they’re going to be easy to commit to memory. The first is a chair and the other is proper lighting. It is up to you to add some extras if you want to personalize your reading corner.
So there you go – a comfortable chair and good lighting.
When it comes to the best reading nook seat, remember that the key word will always be comfort. Comfort is defined differently by every person. For a lot of people, comfort is spelled as an overstuffed seat, even a chaise lounge where you could stretch out and relax. This chair must also have an excellent back support, preferably with upholstered arms so you’d be truly comfortable while you’re reading.
Children and teens might choose their reading corner seat to be a simple beanbag or just a pile of oversized cushions.
Have fun in picking your reading corner chair. Of course, make sure that its color, texture, pattern, and overall look will harmonize with your chosen theme for the room where your reading corner is in. Go ahead, experiment and let your imagination run wild.
Would you like some zebra prints on your chair? How about the toned down beauty of paisley? For a more soothing touch, go for something green, light blue or yellow.

Fine Furniture Design Living Room Sandal End Table 1220-970 offers numberless nights of adventurous reading.
As for the lighting, take note that insufficient lighting will make reading difficult. Dim lighting will also strain your eyes and cause headaches. Overhead lighting shouldn’t be enough for a reading area. The best kind of illumination is to set up a floor lamp right behind your reading chair.
A floor lamp will cast ample light on your book’s pages and won’t hurt your eyes. Pick a lamp that uses 50 to 150 watts. The lampshade should be translucent instead of opaque.
If you situated your chair beside a nightstand or a dresser, then shop for a table lamp or bedside lamp that you can perch on the nightstand.
Reading lamps make a nice addition to your room decor. So you can choose materials that satiate your taste. Jazz up your reading corner, add a few extras, you’re the boss after all.
What’s Extra?
As soon as you’ve shopped for your chair and the lamp beside it, it’s time to think of some extras that you could add to make your reading nook a lot cozier. Consider adding a decorative basket or box that can hold magazines or some more of your favorite reading materials.
A plush throw blanket will also be great while you’re reading during wintry evenings. Having a tiny table to hold your mug of hot cocoa or a glass of wine will also be a nice addition. Just to define the nook, you can also add an area rug underneath your chair. An ottoman or a footstool should complete your specialized corner.
And your reading corner is complete. Now go, find your favorite book and enjoy!
Tags: McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, reader's nook, reading area, reading chair, reading corner, reading corner design, reading nook, reading nook design, reading nook essentials, reading spot, reading zone
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Monday, March 14th, 2016
Homeowners have always looked at the garage as extra square footage especially when they want to enlarge their living space. You don’t have to do full scale addition when you want more rooms in your home. Yes, your garage is the perfect space that can add approximately 600 square feet (the estimated available space in a two-car garage). You also spend a lot less if you redesign your garage instead of toppling down walls and creating a whole new section in your home.
Garages already come with foundation walls and a roof, hence, you can use these existing structures for your new room. You’d probably spend about $20,000 to $50,000 if you want to convert the two-car garage and add simple features.
Having a bathroom in your plan means shelling out an additional $15,000-$25,000.
Garage Conversion: Let’s Commence
Garage conversions are not an easy job to tackle. You need to be patient and cautious as you go about with the 4-6 week conversion. The tasks included in this project are –
No Longer A Garage
Now don’t make the mistake of making your garage into a room that still looks pretty much like a garage only it’s now filled with furniture. You need to fully transform your former car barn into a true section of the house, one that has no evidence of the former garage door opening and tools shelves.
Add plenty of windows so that more daylight can seep through the new room. You may commission an architect or a professional interior designer to add the design elements for you.
The conversion of your garage to a living space is equal to giving up your parking spaces which are protected from the harsh elements. You will now need more frequent car washes since you will be parking your vehicles outside.
There are alternatives, of course. A full-height basement, for instance, is a better option because it has floors, walls and ceiling that are already in place. You can remodel the basement in place of the garage at just about the same price that has been quoted above.
This will allow you to keep the garage where you can still store your tools and park your cars.
The garage parking space kept intact is yet another option. Just add a living space atop it. You’ll have to tear off the current roof in order to accommodate a second storey. You also need to beef up the garage structure so you can build a new living space over it.
This will involve more work so prepare to invest $50,000 to $100,000 for this option. Check the local building codes as there may be height restrictions. Only then can you begin planning whether you would want an industrial, traditional or contemporary theme. Start planning also for the data network and telephone connections especially if you are going to convert the area into a home office.
Only convert the garage space if restrictions have been checked and the available spaces are at a premium. If you are convinced that you need to convert the garage space still, then be prepared to make provisions for vehicle parking lot.
Tags: garage makeover, garage remodel, garage remodeling, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, remodeling the garage
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Thursday, March 10th, 2016
Have you ever been invited to a sitting room? Did you know exactly where to go?
Consulting the dictionary will give you a synonymous meaning to both the sitting room and the living room – this isn’t exactly right, though. The sitting room in the olden days just did not transform into a living room.
Sitting Room vs. the Living Room
The living room is often the biggest room in a home. This is often adjacent to the dining room and could also be an extension to the main entrance.
A sitting room does not necessarily have to be the biggest room inside a house. In fact, it can be situated anywhere and it even serves more purpose if it is placed right next to the kitchen since it is the place where you and your family can relax after enjoying a meal prepared in the heart of your home.
You can play host and welcome guests into the living room. It is for this purpose that it is much like the dining room where you can socialize and entertain people. The living room has to have a sofa set that offers both elegance and comfort. Other furniture pieces that you should invest in are an armchair, a center table, a TV stand, perhaps even a coffee table.
Decorative items such as floor lamps, a portrait and artworks can be added according to your preferences.
As to the sitting room, you have the leeway to put in any kind of furniture that you want. It is a simple room in your home, sometimes it’s not even a room but just a section. Possible parts of a sitting room’s design are bookshelves, sound system, a fireplace, a desk and a chair, TV, and a small center table. The sitting room can be the venue for playing games, eating, surfing on the Internet, talking or just reading some good books. You can also listen to your favorite music in that section of your home.
The living room accent is a crucial part of the design. Whether you choose a formal or modern design, you have to consider harmonizing every single aspect of your design. As for the sitting room, all you need to worry about is the setup of things that you will need for your daily activities.
The living room paint color should be appropriate to your chosen design, accents, even the lighting.
Should the sitting room be located in the same room as your living room then be sure to fuse the design elements that you used for each section.

Hooker Furniture Home Office Studio 7H Chapter Two Sofa/Bookcase Console 5398-80161 is perfect for the sitting room slash reading corner.
Sitting Room Design
The sitting room can look elegant even if it is lacking in square footage. In fact, you can make use of the limited space to bring in unique design elements such as French doors which can make the room appear more spacious. A trumeau right above the fireplace can offer the needful proportions as the eyes are drawn upwards. You don’t have to worry too much about adding a lot of decorative elements. A duo of floor lamps would do as are draperies that represent the pattern, texture and colors of your chosen theme.
If you happen to be blessed with woodworks in your sitting room, then you can bank on the warmth that they offer. Do not paint the fireplace or the panelled walls. Allow the richness of the wood grain and plush rug, even the colorful draperies to add drama.
Allow a little contrast on the light and dark elements in your sitting room. Focus on or highlight the architectural elegance that your sitting room might hold. Sophisticated architecture can also be simple.
Tags: adding colors to a home, French doors, living room, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, sitting room, sitting room designs, sitting room needs, sitting room requirements
Posted in Living Room Design, Special Rooms In Your Home | No Comments »
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