Simple Ways to Decorate your Walls on the Cheap

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Decorating walls seems to be a huge dilemma for some home decorators, but it need not be. Here are a few quick and easy ways to dress up your walls, on a budget!

The most common mistake most people make when decorating their walls is to sprinkle things around just to fill empty space.

Solution: Draw an imaginary rectangle on the main focal wall in the room you wish to dress up. Fill that rectangle with a grouping of related art, such as portraits, plates, or clocks. This makes a stronger impact for the room than the "sprinkle" effect.

Try to hang larger scale items to make your rooms seem bigger. This doesn’t mean you have to run out and spend hundreds or thousands on a large painting! Hang a rug or a pretty quilt.

Create a dramatic wall hanging with a large piece of plywood, some paint, and one inspirational word in large letters. "Faith", "Believe" or "Dream" are great ones.Then sketch on your word in blocks with pencil, and fill in with paint.

Try setting off a special portrait or a wall collection by painting a background "frame". Make the frame at least 4-6 inches larger than the art, tape off with painters tape, and fill in with a darker version of your wall color. Paint a simple border and background in neutral colors.

If you have dozens of different sized frames and pictures, tie them together by painting the frames all the same color. Black gives an elegant touch to any style décor. White is very fresh, and a bright color can be found in a contemporary design.

Consider using stencils to add detail and design to your walls. It’s easy, relatively fast, and inexpensive. Pick up a simple design to wrap around windows and doors, or to add detail to your painted "frames" around your wall art groupings.

Finally, look at unconventional items to use as wall art. A weathered piece of driftwood accents over a doorway, or an old wooded box can hang as a curio cabinet. Simple wooded blocks can be attached to the wall as candleholders or display shelves. Your children’s christening dress can be hung as memory art, or you can frame a piece of the maternity dress you loved while you were pregnant with your youngest. Use your imagination!
Decorating walls doesn’t have to be daunting, just use these easy ideas to get you started!

Kathy Wilson is a home and garden writer, author and consultant and is the home decorating expert for LifetimeTV.com.

Visit her for more home and garden ideas at http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com and http://www.TheGardenGlove.com. Also visit her at http://www.Women-on-the-Net.com where any woman can learn to make money on the internet!

Design Elements

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A well-decorated room can still lack personality. To give your room a personality, choose from among these basic design elements, modify them to suit your tastes and implement them in a way which is just right for you.

Theme

A 'themed' room says something about you, the person who has done it, your family or the place where you live. A theme will also provide you a place to showcase your collections, prized possessions, arts and crafts.
There are endless possibilities for using themes, but once you decide upon one, it will give you focus, as it will eliminate many things which don't fit into it. This results in great ease in shopping, planning, implementing etc. Some best decorated rooms have had themes like Water, Nature, Eighteenth Century England, Contemporary, Ethnic, Pastels etc.

Artifacts

A piece of artistic value will always give your room that special touch you have always wanted. It can add texture and depth to a room. Depending upon your theme, the artifact may be an an antique chair, a painted bookshelf, an original painting or even an original watercolor by your local artist.

Collections

It is the most effective way to display your collections in a special arrangement. Whether you collect shells, dolls or trinkets, arrange them tastefully instead of just lining things up in a row. Lining things looks even worse when objects are small in size. Instead, group them together to project variety within your collections. Lovely trays, glass cupboards, corner shelves etc. are some ideas for displaying your collections.

Color

Color does not get limited to painting the walls of your room. Use colors that make you feel good about them in fabrics, linen, pillows, shelves, curtains etc. Blend colors to suit your style.
Add fabrics to liven up your room with a print that contains the color of your upholstery. To maintain harmony in colors, use the same accent at least THRICE around the same room. For eg. pillows, tablecloths and curtains could have similar accents. For more on using colors, read my article 'Using Colors in Your Room'.

Use of the above elements will still leave everything to your own imagination and creativity. These will only help you in drawing out a plan for your Home-Decorating exercise. The details of the plan are still left to you to fill up.

Happy Decorating!

Article by Lata Budhrani, the Founder/Editor of Dot Com Women, a premier women's website and online community. Visit her at http://www.dotcomwomen.com. lata@dotcomwomen.com Courtesy of www.Craftopoly.com

Taking Care of Your Apartment & House Plants

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Plants are wonderful for bringing color and vitality into your apartment. If you’ve had a bad experience with caring for plants in the past, perhaps the following tips can help you grow and maintain healthy pots of greenery.

Check the plant tag:
Plants purchased at the nursery or garden center typically have an information tag inserted in the soil or a sticker at the side of the pot. This provides you with the name of the plant, amount of light required, and frequency of watering and fertilization. Plants that need high light or direct sunlight should be placed outdoors or at a window which receives lots of light, while plants that are in the medium to low light categories can survive in lower temperatures and in partial to full shade.

Monitor your plant:
When you first bring your plant home, check on it weekly to become familiar with the level of care it needs. In particular, determine the amount of watering your plant requires. Some plants require consistent moisture at the roots while others need the soil to dry out before the next watering. Check the foliage of your plant for signs or health, weakness, or disease. You may need to move its location so it gets more sunlight, or treat it with insecticidal soap. Remove dead flowers and leaves regularly.

Regulate water:
Over-watering is a frequent cause of plant death, since excessive water in the soil reduces the oxygen supply needed for the plant roots to thrive. You can do a quick test of soil moisture by pressing your finger into the soil and assessing if the soil is sufficiently moist such that watering is not needed that day. Another quick test is to pick the pot up and determine if it is still heavy from water weight. Or, for a foolproof method, use a moisture meter that can be purchased from the nursery.

Choose the right container:
If you are growing your plants from seed or bulb, or replanting a young plant, it is important that you select a container that will allow your plant to grow without restriction. Determine beforehand how deep the roots need to grow and how big the plants will get, so you can space them accordingly.

Remove dust:
Indoor plants tend to accumulate dust over time, which hinders the leaves from respiration and photosynthesis, and can attract plant pests as well. A good practice is to wipe down the leaves with a wet cloth to remove dust and dirt. For plants with smaller leaves, spray them with water using a hand sprayer or under a showerhead.

Article by Jessica Ackerman
A prolific writer for Wall Decor and Home Accents, and she provides valuable tips and advice on the many ways to decorate walls to match every taste, style, and budget.

Basic Home Decorating - A Balanced Approach

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Decorating a home is about finding a comfortable balance between the different furnishings in the space. This balance is achieved by placing objects with varying characteristics in places where they compliment one another. The idea is to create relationships between your possessions, in order to develop a whole which is more impressive than the sum of its parts.

Scale
Scale refers to the size of architectural features and furnishings within a space. With scale, finding a balance is particularly important, as otherwise you will get a room that feels chaotic, and looks peculiar.
Large rooms should generally be furnished by larger items. Tall armoires, high backed sofas, and shelves that reach towards the sky are all different objects you can use to put a larger room into perspective. If you have a smaller space, create the illusion of height with shorter possessions.

Scale is also about creating a room that matches your own size. If you are a tall person, you will want possessions which don’t make you feel like you are living in a doll house. If you are petite, you don’t want the room to tower over you.

If you are a large person living with someone who is tiny, you will have to balance big and small furnishings as if they were on a see saw, to create a space which is not only scaled to match you both, but which also has an inherent harmony to it.

Contrast
Controlling contrast is a relatively difficult balancing act when decorating a room. It is like trying to tame fire, it can be very useful, but if it gets out of control it can destroy the whole design.
Contrast is red napkins on a white tablecloth. It is a green wall clock on a stark black wall. Contrast makes the design interesting, adding an exciting power to the ambience of a space

However, using too much contrast can create a room which is muddied and chaotic. People will feel agitated in the space, and their thoughts will become disordered. It can even make the room irritating to be in.

You have to try and find ways to create contrast, without overwhelming the space. Try using tiny accents throughout the room, so that the overall order of the space can tone down the bright colors in small places.
Alternatively you can use a single bold contrast, such as a bright yellow pillow, or a pair of luxuriously red curtains, to create a focal point which will give the room an inherent premise.

Rhythm
Rhythm is the art of creating a theme throughout a space. The theme does not necessarily have to be overt, such as animal prints, or historical geography, it can be as subtle as a color, or series of contrasts, or even a series of patterns which are all reminiscent of one another. When you are able to create rhythm in a room you can bring the entire space together, giving it a single purpose, and a unified artistic vision.

These are just a few of the considerations that professionals decorators bear in mind when creating beautiful and comfortable interiors. While the art of creating a space is much more complex than these concepts, they can help to keep you grounded and give you direction when creating your home.

Article provided courtesy of http://PebbleZ.com

Choosing A Colour Scheme

If you feel helpless when it comes to picking and blending colors, your answer could be as far away as your nearest pillow.
Here is a quick way to create a color scheme for your home with PICK - SEE -LMD .

PICK a Pattern:
Starting with a pattern is the easiest way to create a color palette for your decor. Choose a pattern from any object you already have and love such as a pillow, picture or piece of furniture. This will be your color palette !

SEE 3 Colors:
Select a light, medium and dark color from your pattern to be used as your foundation. You may want to go to a hardware store and select color chips from the paint department that match your pattern to carry with you in case you come across a great find and need to know if it matches.

LMD (Light, Medium and Dark):
How you use these colors can affect the overall appearance of your room.
Light- Is the Background- this is usually easy to achieve since most rentals are equipped with light to off-white walls.
Medium- Large furniture and windows - Since the color of these objects will blend with the above lighter selection, the medium furniture will ground the room and give it a foundation.
Darker- Accessories. Since your eye is drawn to a darker more intense color you will be able to arrange you accessories in a manner to guide the eye flowing through your room.

PICK - SEE - LMD Use it whenever you are trying to pull together a color coordinated room.

By Tammy Jo Schoppet
Founder of Rental Decorating Digest

Tips on Budget Decorating

Home decorating on a budget is the ultimate adventure in decorating. It requires a little bit of planning, creativity, and patience. If you are like me, sometimes you wish you could be a genie and wiggle your nose and **poof** it's done. However, that takes away from all the fun!

Follow these tips and you'll have a home that looks like a page out of your favorite magazine!

Visit Furniture Showrooms
Make notes of styles of furniture you like. Also, take note of colors and fabrics that create a "warm" feeling inside of you. By visiting showrooms you can get an idea of the new trends and styles.

Browse Through Decorating Magazines
Magazines are a source of inspirational ideas. Create a scrapbook of magazine clippings and refer to your book when shopping for your home.

Shop Second-Hand Stores
One person's trash is another person's treasure can never be so true. One place to look is the classifieds in your local newspaper. I have found great deals on furniture in thrift stores and auctions. Don't worry if an item is not in the best of shape. A coat of paint will work wonders for some furniture. Slipcovers can update an old couch or chair.

Color! Color! Color!
To create a dramatic, inexpensive change to your home, paint the walls a new color or buy new curtains. Keep in mind the moods that colors can create.

Create Your Own Art
For me, one of the best parts of decorating is creating my own original works of art to hang on the walls. It could be as simple as collecting leaves when they have turned colors and creating a picture collage. A nice frame makes any work of art look classy. Take a drawing, photography or painting class at your local community college. Gain inspiration by browsing through art books at your local library or bookstore. If you're into black and white photos, but do not want to pay the high price for this type of art, buy a book or calendar of your favorite photographer and frame the pictures. Editors Note: Posters are a great way to decorate and are in expensive to purchase online.

Shop Discount Stores
Thank God for discount stores! This place will save you a ton of money on accessories. You will find little treasures such as candle holders, candles, potpourri, and knick knacks for very little money. Who will ever know?

Be Patient!
Take your time and shop during sales. Decorating should be fun. Remember, Rome was not built in a day!

Maria Palma is a writer, painter, jewelry designer, interior decorator, and real estate consultant based in San Diego, California. Her 2 websites

http://www.salondemaria.info/ & http://www.homesolutionssandiego.com/

Tips on Cleaning and Caring for Upholstery

We invest a lot of money in our furniture. So knowing how to clean and care for our upholstery is essential. Here are some general care guidelines to consider before cleaning.

Caring for Upholstery

You can increase the life of upholstery by following a few simple rules:

1. Vacuuming and light brushing on weekly basis helps to eliminate dirt before it becomes embedded in the fibers, causing the fabric to abrade.

2. Turn and reverse loose cushion every week to allow even distribution of wear and tear.

3. Clean spots and stains quickly.

4. If you have a large family, consider using nylon covers for your upholstery. It is long lasting and you can remove most stains easily.

Cleaning Upholstery

Clean your upholstery with an effective cleaner. Choose one that is safe on your fabric and does not contain harsh chemicals to avoid having any sticky remains.

Getting a cleaning solution that cleans, remove stains and control odors is a good choice. It saves you time and money.

•Always vacuum or brush your upholstery first to remove dust and loose hair.

•Apply the cleaner and brush firmly any stained areas.

•Wait for one minute or less then wipe away the cleaner with a damp cloth or sponge.

•Keep your upholstery dry while cleaning it to avoid damage. Open a window or use air condition and allow it to dry thoroughly.

Identify Stains

Before trying to remove a stain from your upholstered furniture, you need to know the type of fabric you have. Most manufacturers put cleaning codes on the furniture hangtag or label. These codes tell you the best way to clean and remove stains. Here is a list of those codes:

•WS:fabric may be cleaned with water-based cleaning agents and foams, as well as with mild, water-free dry cleaning solvents.

•W:use water-based cleaning agents or foams only.

•S:use only mild, water-free dry cleaning solvents.

•X:do not use foam or liquid agents on this fabric. You can vacuum or brush lightly to remove soil and grime.

Removing Stains

You should inspect your upholstery for spots and stains and identify your problem areas. Usually a good cleaner can clean and work on removing the stains as well. But for the tough and sticky stains like grease, crayon, gum, and ink, treat the stain first before cleaning. A great option to use is a powerful solvent containing citrus , which break down tough stains easily leaving fresh smell.

•Always pre-treat stains first for color fastness in an inconspicuous area.

•Spray directly on stain and let stand for 30 seconds.

•Scrub with a brush and let is sit for 2 to 4 minutes.

•Clean with a damp sponge or rinse with water.

If stain persists, repeat treatment and rewash. To remove stains from non-washable upholstery, use an effective product made especially for dry cleanable fabrics . It is an excellent pre-treater with a lot of convenience and ease of use. Spray the soiled part and blot immediately from outside to the center, to avoid the clean part from leaving a mark.

Article by Vincent Platania who represents the Fuller Brush Company. Fuller Brush has been in business since 1906, and offers safe, environmentally friendly products for keeping your home and your body clean. Visit http://www.fuller-brush-products.com

The impact of Colour on your Living space

Perhaps many of you are contemplating new decorating and painting projects and perhaps aren’t aware of the impact that color has on our mood. Before you pick up that paint brush or roller, read through our color psychology information. It just might help you set the appropriate mood for your indoor space.

• Red packs a wallop, physiologically speaking, increasing blood pressure, heartbeat and energy in most people. It instills feelings of intimacy and passion. Red also increases the appetite, which explains why it is used so often in restaurants, and why it can be a good choice for a formal dining room.

• Orange, like red, tends to warm a room, but in a more friendly and welcoming way. As a result, paints in various shades and tints of orange work well in living rooms and family rooms.

• Yellow is also warm and welcoming, but it is more attention- getting than either red or orange. For this reason, it is a good paint color to use in poorly lit foyers or dark hallways.

• Blue, which is part of the cool color palette, makes us feel calm and tranquil, so it is ideal for use in bedrooms. But since blue works as an appetite suppressant (perhaps because there are few blue foods) it is not the best option for a dining room ... unless you're on a diet.

• Green is another relaxing color that is much more versatile than blue. Light greens are ideal for bedrooms and living rooms; midtones are good for kitchens and dining rooms (many foods are green). Also, because green is calming, it is often used in hospitals, workplaces and schools.

• Violet is a tricky color, psychologically speaking. Many adults dislike purples, but are fond of the rose family, which can work in many rooms, including dining rooms, bedrooms and libraries. Young children, on the other hand, respond favorably to violet, so this color can be used successfully in children's bedrooms and play areas.

These general guidelines are a good starting point in your search for a paint color. But remember that color choice is a very personal matter. You're the one who has to live with your new paint color, so choose a hue that suits you, your family and your lifestyle.
And after investing time to select just the right color, make sure it continues to look that way long-term by investing in a top quality paint.

Article by Debbie Zimmer

The Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute

How to make your room look larger

Small rooms can feel confining and uncomfortable. Luckily we can utilize certain design concepts that fool the eye and make our rooms seem larger. Try these inexpensive decorating tricks to make your rooms live bigger.

1. Use Light Colors
Light and brightly colored walls are more reflective, which will help to maximize the effect created by natural light. This does not mean you have to live with white walls. There are a wide range of light colors paints available, such as light green or cream beige.
Once you've chosen your wall color, choose your trim and moldings colors.

Paint your trims and moldings in either the same hue as the walls, or a lighter color. Lighter objects appear closer while darker or shadowed objects appear further away. When you paint your moldings a lighter color, the wall appears further back - thus making your room appear bigger.

Now, don't be worried that your room is going to be bland and uninviting, bolder and darker colors can be be used in furniture, artwork and accessories.
If your colors are already dark, try to move the darker colors to a 'background' role while maximizing your neutral white or ivory. Be careful when using wallpaper. Solid colors are the safest, with tiny patterns taking a close second. Whatever the wall color or finish, we recommend the ceiling in a small room be painted stark white to maximize brightness.

2. Mirrors
Mirrors can have a favorable impact on a room's appearance. A large mirror in the room will reflect light around the room. The mirrors also reflect both natural and artificial light to make a room brighter during the day and night. They bounce light deep into the room, making it appear larger. This is especially effective with near a window so the outdoors can be reflected.
Use glass-front or mirrored cabinet doors to make spaces feel large and uncluttered. Large, expansive mirrors over vanities, mirrored wardrobe doors or a floor-to-ceiling wall of mirrors (combined with our decorating suggestions) can make even the smallest of spaces seem larger.

3. Arrange Furniture At Angles
Arrange some of your larger pieces of furniture at a angle. You don't have to place the furniture at an exact 45 degree angle, often a lesser angle looks best if you can balance the look with another furniture piece.
Setting your furniture at an angle works because the longest straight line in any given room is it's diagonal. When you place your furniture at an angle, it leads the eye along the longer distance, rather than the shorter wall. As an added bonus, you often get some additional storage space behind the piece in the corner, too!

4. Scale Furniture
Keep furnishings in scale with the rooms. In small rooms, use slim rockers, open-back chairs or a simple sofa or love seat rather than overstuffed furnishings to avoid overpowering the space.
There are stores that deal exclusively in furniture for apartments and mobile homes. Despite its slightly smaller size, scaled-down furniture can be beautiful. An open headboard is best for a small room. When furnishing, keep the view at eye level unobstructed. Taller furnishings should be placed at the end of the room opposite its main entry.

Article by Olivia Filipetto, publisher of www.bedroomfurniture.com, providing all you need to know about enhancing your bedroom and buying bedroom furniture.

Basics on Hanging Pictures & Wall Art

An arrangement of favorite, framed photographs, wall art, and collectibles can add personality and warmth to any room. When done correctly, wall art can change the focal point or the entire look of any room.

1. Pictures should hang just above eye level. There is great debate over what "proper eye level" is. Some say "eye level" should be considered as if viewers were standing. Others say "eye level" should be considered as if viewers were seated. Still others say that "eye level" should be determined according to the primary use of the room. (This means, if most of the time people are standing in the space, like a hallway, then "eye level" should be directed at viewers who are standing. In a room where viewers will spend the majority of the time seated, like a living room, 'eye level" would be from a seated position.)

How and where should wall art be arranged? Well, ask yourself where you would like the "eyes" to focus.

2. Creating a group of art or photos on a wall is an excellent way to create an interesting focal point. This task, however, requires extra planning. I would suggest that you map out the way that you would like to arrange your pictures on the floor, first. (This way, you can move them around without leaving nasty holes in the wall!) The secret to arranging art on the wall is simple...balance, balance, balance!

Use a measuring tape to be sure that the distance between several pictures that will hang in a row is equal. Four small pictures on the left of a large picture can be balanced with two medium sized pictures on the right. (Remember: This only works with careful consideration to balance. Be patient, take your time, measure, and plan.)

3. Consider lighting to emphasize your arrangement. When lighting is directed to the arrangement, it commands even more attention. Be careful of lighting that is bright. This type of lighting should be subdued and not produce glare.

4. Add diversity to the arrangement. Use frames and mats that are different sizes and shapes, but compliment one another.

5. Pay attention to "balance" in your entire room. Be careful not to put everything in one part of a room. Leaving the other walls bare will throw the balance of the entire room off.

Article courtesy of : http://www.rentaldecorating.com/

Know your wood

Clockwise : Solid wood, Particle board, Plywood , MDF board

Some of the common timber materials use in local furniture manufacturing:

1. Plywood
Pros: Can be bent, very durable, easy to work with, easily available
Cons: Difficult to cut bull-nose or round edge
Use : Most local custom-built furniture

2. Particle board
Pros: Very suitable for knockdown furniture, come laminated, flatter surface
Cons: Vulnerable to water or damp areas, tend to warp after sometimes, can’t hold screw or fittings well
Use : Most imported knock-down furniture

3. MDF board
Pros: Suitable for spray painting, easy to cut round corners, very smooth surface
Cons: Tend to warp after sometimes, can’t hold screws or fittings well, vulnerable to water and damp areas
Use : Most spray-painted furniture

4. Solid wood
Pros: Authentic look, very durable , can stain in deeper shades, very strong
Cons: Very expensive, limited by sizes, scarce resources
Use : For table, chair legs etc

Suitability
1. Plywood : Kitchen cabinet, wardrobe and all other built-in furniture.

2. Chipboard : Desk, low shelf, TV cabinet, sideboard – loose furniture.

3. MDF board : Coffee tables, bedside cabinet and low credenzas –
loose furniture.

4. Solid wood : Dining table & chair legs, beds and other furniture parts that need strong support.

Wood Works

Hardwood trees have broad leaves, produce a fruit or nut,
and generally go dormant in winter. They get their name
because they have fibre which acts as structural reinforcement.

Softwood trees are conifers or trees that bear cones.
Examples of softwoods are pine, spruce, cedar and fir.

Besides Teak, these are other popular woods used in
furniture production:

• Walnut



• Hard Maple



• White Oak



• Nyatoh



• Ramin



• Meranti Bakau

Different wood will give you different result,
thus selecting the right wood to go with your
preferred design is vital at the beginning.