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Your Child’s Playroom: His Dominion, His Choice

Wednesday, March 16th, 2016

Winners Only Home Office Cape Cod White Youth Bookcase BP136B

Winners Only Home Office Cape Cod White Youth Bookcase BP136B

If you have extra square footage in your home and you are the parent of a lovely child, then what’s keeping you from turning that extra space into your little one’s playroom?  This is a place where you will be able to store his toys, even his clothes if the space permits. A lot of kids would like to have a space that they could call their own. This place has to be safe, though especially when your child is only a toddler.

There are various ways to furnish and design your child’s playroom. Keep in mind that your child does not need anything fancy just to have fun. Before you set out to decorate your kid’s room, consider some elements that will make your project a success.

Winners Only Living Room Cape Cod Chocolate Youth Hutch BG150H is great for teenagers who want to study and surf the net in their "playroom".

Winners Only Living Room Cape Cod Chocolate Youth Hutch BG150H is great for teenagers who want to study and surf the net in their “playroom”.

First, Some Safety Tips

First things first when you have to decorate a room. Safety always comes first no matter how old your child is. Even young adults and teens need to take the necessary precautions when considering a fun playroom.

Safety doubles, though, if you are setting up a playroom for toddlers and younger children. You’ll have to be more careful of outlet placement, corded blinds, the use of lead paint, and setting up cabinet doors. Plan for all these well before you begin buying the materials that you would use for the playroom project.

Still for younger children, think of using foamed bins or storage boxes. The heavy types can cause head or body injuries should the kid pull them off the shelves.

Buy the heavy type of furniture, the kinds that won’t even budge even if an adult would get pull onto it. Bookcases or cabinets manufactured with light materials can topple over and injure kids or even adults.

Consider installing internet access if a teenager is going to be the one to use the room. A TV access would also be a good addition but be sure that you set up the parental controls for both.

Carbon monoxide detector should also be installed. Ask an expert about it soon.

Tweeners can also find a haven in their new playroom. Create a safe environment where they have control and space yet with you still protecting them.

Choose an Appropriate Theme

Picking the theme or color palette for the playroom can be fun. Allow the kid to choose according to his taste. Large patterns and bright colors are great for children. A schoolhouse theme can add interest to the new playroom.

Playroom Furniture

Begin with the basics when it comes to this. Every playroom in the world needs enough storage, a table and a good number of chairs. Be sure to buy the durable type of furniture so you can use them for a long time.

Be able to provide a study table for teenagers, plus some board games and relevant books. There is a lot more to life than enjoying electronic games and you can let them know that by stuffing the room with good books and wholesome games.

You may also set up a section for artwork. Have an easel stand at the corner or use the walls to hang paintings.

For the more serious teens or children, there is always a way to make the space a more quiet one. You don’t have to separate the kid from the rest of the family, though. Design the playroom in such a way that he has his own space but it is a room where everyone in the family is still welcome.

The playroom should contain most of your child’s ideas but it is also a project that you can both work on. See how fun it can be.

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What to Know Before Buying a Home: 5 Amazing Tips

Tuesday, March 15th, 2016

Picture this wooden beauty welcoming you on the entryway of your new home! Featured furniture is from FFDM's Harbor Springs Collection.

Picture this wooden beauty welcoming you on the entryway of your new home! Featured furniture is from FFDM’s Harbor Springs Collection.

So, you’re a would-be home buyer; what sort of advice are you now looking at regarding this big project of yours? There are many tried and tested pieces of advice for future homeowners but the housing market presents an ever-changing tide so you need to know the latest trends and how to use them to your advantage.

It’s time to keep an open mind and see what options lay before you. Move quickly but with a cautious mind all the time. Find a home that will suit your needs but not keeping your taste take a backseat.

Begin Searching Early

The best guideline out there is to begin your shopping for a home early enough. If you are serious about purchasing, know that there are many other hunters out there. Just think about the volume of house hunters and you would pretty much have an idea on how the search would go.

Doing the task early would help you get better mortgage rate and a better price. See if you can schedule your shopping during the off-peak months.

Shop and Compare

Do shop around. Work hard on the mortgage as you would when shopping for a home. Do not presume that the fixed mortgage at 30 years is the only best option for you. Mortgage rates are forecasted to reach 4.65% by the end of 2016. A lot of home buyers are still not aware of their choices in mortgage products that will eventually affect their payments.

Think about this – lower interest rates have a significant effect when you want to qualify for a loan in buying a home. This will also save you thousands of dollars as you pay the loan in the years to come. So, yeah, do shop around – we can’t reiterate that enough.

The Century Furniture Bedroom Mendoza Bed With Upholstered Headboard - Queen Size 5/0 709-155 spells luxury and comfort.

The Century Furniture Bedroom Mendoza Bed With Upholstered Headboard – Queen Size 5/0 709-155 spells luxury and comfort.

Choose a New Home

One thing that can ease the pressing housing issue is new construction but a lot of people do not even consider this option. Many people do not know about new homes because they initially feel that they are not the right options for them. To them, it can be too expensive but they can never be more wrong.

The number of new houses on the market has been forecasted to increase at 16-percent. You can work this lack of awareness to your advantage since you will have less competition.

New homes are often more expensive but they all come with warranties on the appliances and structures. This means you won’t have to worry about repairs or maintenance for a number of years.

The Competition

So who are out to shop for homes this year? First, there are the millenials. These have increased incomes and growing families, they are the ones that top the list when it comes to wanting a new home.

Your next competitors are the Gen X’ers. They account for about 20% of homes bought during 2015. These are those who are 35 to 44 years old who have rebounded from the financial crisis in the past years.

Couples who are looking to retire or relocate also still comprise a huge chunk of the home buying population. There are couples that are out to sell their old homes, especially during this month or the next (known as the home-buying months). These are also the ones who want to customize their home and the interior design of their new place.

Don’t Forget the Furniture

What would a new home be without new sets of lovely, durable furniture? Buy the basic pieces for every room – a sofa set, center table, vases, artwork, carpet for the living room; the bed, nightstand, and a closet for the bedroom; a dining set for the dining room; etc.

There is nothing that could be more fulfilling than furniture purchase once you cap your home buying project.

 

 

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Clever Use of Room Dividers

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?

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.

Hickory White Living Room Chaise 4239-02: Chaises are also an awesome "not-obvious" dividers.

Hickory White Living Room Chaise 4239-02: Chaises are also an awesome “not-so-obvious” dividers.

Room Divider Use

  • There are folding screens that are available in casters which you can easily move around. These take up very little visual weight so they can be useful inside small spaces.
  • You can also effectively use wallpapers to signal the end part of a room and the beginning of another. Use patterns that are easy on the eyes such as a nature theme. Find light-colored wallpapers to balance the black paint, say, in an adjacent room.
  • Do not visually close things off. Play using different levels inside a room. A child’s bedroom could be made more interesting by having an elevated bed.
  • A room divider is pretty much a wall that has been freed from its structural duties. Folding screens can be easily used to serve different purposes. They can divide space, bar passages, create privacy, even conceal not-so-pleasant views.
  • The room divider could also come with a lace design to make it look more chic. There are also tri-panelled models that can come with different motifs. They do not just delineate a room but also serve as beautiful backdrops especially if you have a well-chosen design.
  • Minus the nook, curtains have long served their purpose as a divider. Curtains can split any room in half. Just hang one on a conduit and you’ve set up a unique divider.
  • Sometimes, all that an individual needs is a narrow wall. You can have the feeling of spaciousness if you install a mirror facing a window. The entire wall can be mirrored or you can opt for the decorative ones that come in different fashionable materials.
  • A headboard can also double as a wall especially if the living room stands just right behind your bed(room). This kind of partition can also be applied if you have the master bath behind the headboard.
  • Find a bulky cabinet that will serve as a storage unit and as a divider in your cozy home. Extra seating can also be propped against the walls as you employ this kind of arrangement.
  • Invest in bookcases. These furniture pieces are not just a perfect home for your collections of books, framed photos, and knickknacks but also a divider between the living room and the bedroom.
  • Vertical spaces can be beautifully filled up by potted plants.
  • You can also be more innovative by stringing a thick rope from the ceiling down to the floor. This will provide a mental sectioning of the area. Jute rope should do the trick.
  • Another version of the rope trick is to create it with dowels.
  • Putting barn doors on sliders is also a unique way to divide any room. These are sturdy, beautiful doors that will surely catch the eye of your visitors.
  • Furniture pieces that have been placed back-to-back or right next to each other can also save space. Begin by putting a desk right by the shelving unit. You can also place a chaise right at the foot of your bed.
  • Hanging pots on a ceiling rack is also a unique way to divide the rest of the house from your kitchen.

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!

 

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Smart Ways to Decorate a Wedding Reception Hall

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.

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.

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.

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Feng Shui and Furniture Placement

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.

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.

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.

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Reading Corner: The Bookworm’s Haven

Monday, March 14th, 2016

What every reading nook needs is a great chair that offers comfort.

What every reading nook needs is a great chair that offers comfort.

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.

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!

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Garage to Living Space: From Drab to Perfection

Monday, March 14th, 2016

This Flexsteel sectional (from the Vail collection) screams "garage-no-more".

This Flexsteel sectional (Vail collection) screams “garage-no-more”.

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 –

  • Raising the floor to a certain height that will allow insulation over the current flooring.
  • Insulating the ceiling and walls
  • Setting up the heating and cooling for the new room. This can be done by linking it to the house’s existing system or installing an independent one.
  • Electrical service upgrade to make way for a bigger load
  • Toppling walls in case you want to embrace an open floor plan
  • Insulated stud walls replacing the garage doors
  • Adding other doors and windows
This Highlands collection set from FFDM is perfect for the garage turned bedroom or guest room.

This Highlands collection set from FFDM is perfect for the garage turned bedroom or guest room.

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.

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The Sitting Room

Thursday, March 10th, 2016

 

This chair from FFDM's Campton Grove Collection is just the right size for a sitting room.

This chair from FFDM’s Campton Grove Collection is just the right size for a sitting room.

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.

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.

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Creating a Lovable, Pre-Loved Home

Thursday, March 10th, 2016

 

The vases of flower and the lovely photograph add a different character to this traditional setup. Featured furniture is FFDM's Vintage Classics.

The vases of flower and the lovely photograph add a different character to this traditional setup. Featured furniture is FFDM’s Vintage Classics.

Who among you have zero household complaints? Just think of closets with the wrong size, dripping faucets, and an outdated kitchen and you know very well why remodelling must be done ASAP. Whether you have just moved into a pre-loved home or are staying in your home for years, it is crucial to learn some tips that would make your home – a sweet home.

Lovely Pieces Should Dominate

If the wallpaper has been boring to your sight for the longest time, then why don’t you create a gallery right on those ho-hum walls? Hang your kid’s lovely artwork or figure out how to hang all of the special family photographs that you have earned through the years. Add some knick-knacks to create an atmosphere that is screaming one thing – you.

Adding all the things that you love at random places will help you focus on what’s lovely later on. If you are bummed that your TV got broken, then look at all the beautiful stuff that you own. Other homes don’t have a chandelier or others live in less square footage. Just be grateful.

Bring In the Greeneries

A potted plant that is placed strategically can instantly bring life to a monotonous surrounding. Greeneries are beautiful and organic and they are naturally able to provide beautiful designs. Add to this the fact that they can also add to your well-being and there is simply no reason to exclude them from your interior design project.

Get Rid of Annoying Stuff

Do set aside a weekend for cleanup and repairs. Anything that has gone kaput should be fixed such as loose fixtures, tiny holes, and nail trims that are no longer in place. You shouldn’t get used to that wobbly doorknob, no one should.

Imagine this Accessories Uttermost Daria Antique Mirror Photo Frames S/3 18567 holding your family's lovely photographs. It would be divine.

Imagine this Accessories Uttermost Daria Antique Mirror Photo Frames S/3 18567 holding your family’s lovely photographs. It would be divine.

Accessorize

Pick up some colorful pillows. They are inexpensive and could instantly add coziness to any room. Do you own a worn-out couch? If you’re still saving for that lovely sectional sofa, then it’s time to freshen up by adding some colorful pillows.

Another accessory that you can add which will serve as a storage piece is a tray. Tidy up by adding a cute tray that will hold all of those stray magazines, catalogues, keys, jewelry, bedside books or eyeglasses. Before you put these things into the tray, though, pre-qualify what is garbage and what are necessities.

Make Your Bed

This is one task that you should make every single day. The most successful people do this and so should you. Making your bed is a step towards making good habits so go ahead and do it. It will also brighten up your bedroom in ways that you have never imagined.

Set Up Spaces for Conversation

Many people set up their living room furniture and appliances towards the television. Don’t fall to this mediocrity. You can also create a special spot for your chairs which will instill a close-knit feeling inside your living room. The visitors will surely feel this the moment they step into your well-placed chairs, coffee table, and accessories.

You’re the master in creating a lovable pre-loved home so go ahead and unleash your imagination. Consult relatives who have remodelled their homes in the past. Read interior design magazines and websites so you can get more ideas for your interior design project. If you have time to ride around, then hop into your car and go to a section of your city or town that you haven’t explored in the past. You might discover home designs that you could use.

Having a pre-loved home need not be a challenge. You just have to know how to dress it up so you would be able to appreciate it more.

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Cardinal Decorating Mistakes To Avoid

Thursday, March 10th, 2016

 

Investing in quality furniture will save you more money than falling for cheap ones that you'll say goodbye to in just a few weeks or months. Featured furniture pieces are from the Biltmore Collection of FFDM.

Investing in quality furniture will save you more money than falling for cheap ones that you’ll say goodbye to in just a few weeks or months. Featured furniture pieces are from the Biltmore Collection of FFDM.

The whole process of decorating is often a hit and miss procedure. Don’t fret because there is no need to learn an entire interior design book just to be good at beautifying your home. Here are some highly regrettable disasters in decorating and how you can avoid them –

Saying No to Color Swatches

Who would paint walls without testing the color first?

Apparently, a lot of homeowners.

You shouldn’t automatically paint your walls with the color that you love. Even when you love purple, it just might not work inside your living room. Different colors can look differently on walls than they often do on the paint chips.

Painting mere swatches, primarily, and finding out how they look under various lighting conditions could cause some delays but this will save you bigger frustrations in the future.

Un-Ready for High Maintenance Decor   

A lot of homeowners also fall into the tempting feeling of buying marble countertops. They probably were coaxed by their friends or neighbors about the beauty of marble as a material not considering the energies required in maintaining such a beauty. Pretty soon, they end up regretting their previous decision.

If you don’t want to fall into the same trap, consider the improved quartz countertops.

This is also what happens to people who purchase a shag rug, not realizing that it sheds a lot. You should be a vacuum goddess in order to keep up with the shedding of such a rug. If you don’t have time for such chores, then better say no to this plush rug.

Playing – Unsuccessfully – With Colors

Sure, colors can easily up the wow factor inside any home but you have to be careful in using the kind of colors that will really evoke interest. For instance, buying a loud colored sofa means you have to tone down on the rest of the interior design elements. Adding over-the-top prints elsewhere or anything brighter on the walls, ceiling or floor would instantly create chaos.

If you do not want to have one particular furniture or element to dominate the room, then learn to play with neutrals and adding a dash of color here and there.

Capel Incorporated Floor Coverings Metro Retro Shag Rug 3250RS03000500550 is a beautiful sight to behold inside your home. Be sure to care for it so that it remains a lovely floor piece.

Capel Incorporated Floor Coverings Metro Retro Shag Rug 3250RS03000500550 is a beautiful sight to behold inside your home. Be sure to care for it so that it remains a lovely floor piece.

Rush Decorating

If you think that you can complete your decorating project in just a day, then you’re thinking wrongly. Having a set of furniture in your living room on the very day that you get the key to your new home may be tempting but pretty soon, you’ll realize that it may not be a total match to the architectural structure of your home or the theme that you eventually choose.

Rushing to buy that perfect wallpaper will just burn a hole in your pocket. Take the time to choose the pattern, texture and color for your wallpaper as this will help in gluing the rest of the design elements.

Furniture Mishaps

Another disadvantage in hustle decorating is putting all the things that you own (read cramming!) inside a room. Most of the time, collections and photographs, even artworks crowd the walls. Add the bulky furniture and you’re set to completely fail.

Another downside to rush decorating could be falling for a cheap piece of furniture. Keep in mind that reupholstering can be pretty pricey so it is best to invest in furniture that will last for many, many years. Buying brand new furniture is like buying a new car. You will always have fewer to zero problems with the brand new piece.

Apart from problematic cheap furniture, another probable problem that you would encounter when it comes to buying furniture is to choose ones that do not harmonize with the rest of your design elements. Do understand scale and proportion in order to successfully create a lovely room.

Follow these simple guidelines and you will not commit decorating mistakes the way others before you have done.

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