Category Archives: Hints and Tips

Perfect for the Kitchen: Food Themed Art

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At first glance this photograph might appear to be of an exotic type of marble or granite. Or perhaps a marbleized paper or faux painting technique. It is none of those things. It is a cross section of a cabbage shot in close-up. Yes, cabbage.

 

Food based art and photographs can be beautiful and food themed art is also the perfect wall accessory for the kitchen and dining room.

 

Kitchen walls are typically filled with cabinetry and appliances, but rarely is ever wall surface filled. Most kitchens are left with some blank wall space and some more than others depending on the size and style of the kitchen layout. What to put on these blank kitchen walls can be challenging.

 

It is not wise to put original oil or acrylic paintings near a cooking area. Grease in the air can cling to the surface of the artwork. Dining rooms are a better choice for paintings like these that are not framed behind glass. Watercolors, drawings, collages and photographs can all be hung in the kitchen since the majority of time they are framed with glass to protect their surfaces.

 

Choosing what food themed art to hang can be based on several factors, including the style of your kitchen, your favorite food and other colors in the flooring and cabinetry of the kitchen. Traditional kitchens would do best with traditional still life style art, while contemporary and modern kitchens could have food art that was more abstract. Be inspired by food photography to take your own shots and frame them.

One Man's Trash

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The saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” has never been more appropriate for decorating than it is today. Design shows routinely feature treasures found at local flea markets, thrift stores and even the curb. One famous designer routinely features these finds on his nationally syndicated design show.

 

What is it about flea marketing, thrifting and local curb scouting that appeal to so many DIY and professional designers? The answer may be as simple as the thrill of the hunt. Once you find one amazing treasure for very little money or no money, you might be hooked. For others, thrifting for decorating their home may be one of budgetary necessity. When buying a new home closing costs, moving and necessary repairs can eat into the decorating budget. Being resourceful and clever means decorating with found objects and pieces rather than buying everything new.

 

Condition is key when converting trash to treasure. A coat of paint can easily transform something that is in good condition but has issues on the surface.  Rugs and carpets should be free of set in stains and strong odors. A good professional cleaning can restore a dirty rug to showroom clean. Found electrical things like lamps and lighting should be in good working order or be prepared to have them rewired for safety.

 

Looking past the scratched surface or ugly paint job to the form of the piece, these clever thrifters and flea market aficionados can turn trash into treasure to decorate their homes.

Home Decor – The Power of Green

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Green as a color or green as an environmental movement can be a powerful addition to a space. Green color can be introduced through paint and fabrics, rugs and accessories in both color and environmental friendliness.  A simple way to be green in both senses is to have house plants in your home.

 

Not only do houseplants add a pop of green color to a room, they can also clean the air.  Great for a room like a nursery or home office where you spend a lot of time. Variations of house plants do a better job than others cleaning the air, so do your research or ask at your local garden center.

 

A hot trend in decorating right now is terrariums. If you hear the word terrarium and think of a school project, think again. Today’s terrariums are stylish and chic. What they do have in common with the old school terrariums of your childhood is that they are a great DIY project. Almost any glass vessel, from a mason jar to a fishbowl, can be turned into a terrarium. This is a great project to do with your kids.  It is a nice way to introduce them to growing plants, which could lead to an interest in a kitchen garden.

 

Terrariums are great decoration for a shelf, table or even the kitchen window sill. Check online for tips and tricks to designing and maintaining a chic and stylish terrarium. House plants and terrariums are a great way to go green in your home.

How to Make a Small Home Feel Larger

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Having a large home is a luxury that most people aspire to obtain. However, we live in a time of economic uncertainty where buying or upgrading to a larger home is not an option for most Americans. Having the home of your dreams maybe have to be put on hold, but don’t feel stuck in your current living situation. Chances are your home is a suitable size for your needs; you just need to take some manageable steps to make it feel larger. Here are few tips for creating the feel of having more space without the cost of adding a new room or buying a new house.

One factor that determines how large a home feels the “diagonal view”, or the line of vision that extends from one corner of the house to another. The farther that your eye can see inside a house, the larger that house will feel. A house can have a lot of square footage, but if every room is divided by walls that limit your line of vision the house will feel small. Removing a wall, widening an entrance, or cutting a window in a wall to connect two rooms can go a long way in creating the illusion of having more space.

A more inexpensive option to create more space is removing clutter around the house. Piles of unneeded and used items lining walls or sitting in corners quickly make a room feel crowded and small. Unnecessary furniture and wall-hangings can have the same effect. Keeping a clean, uncluttered home works wonders in creating the illusion of more space.

Furniture takes up the most space in a home and should therefore be given the most thought to make sure you don’t waste space. When choosing furniture try to put larger pieces along the wall to maximize space in the center of the room. Eliminate furniture that is not functional or is simply collecting dust.  Consider hanging your TV on the wall instead of adding an extra piece of furniture to set it on.

Paint your walls with lighter colors. Dark colors make a room feel small and cozy. Using a cream or other light color will open up a room and give the feeling of more space. Using natural light to brighten rooms also gives the feel of more space. Skip the extra costs involved in moving to a new house and make the house you’ve got feel larger.

Guest author Derek Dasher writes for http://www.topalarmsystem.com.                        Derek enjoys writing about home improvement and design

 

 

Coordinating Decor Colors

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Good design has a synergy between colors in the room. The wall, floor, furnishings and accents all work in harmony to create a beautiful color palette for the room. For professional designers and decorators, designing the color palette is a key part in the overall finished room’s successful design.

 

Learning to coordinate colors between different design elements can help you create a room that has a professional polished look.  Coordinating colors doesn’t mean using the same color on every surface and object. This picture illustrates how you can coordinate colors between two surfaces by using paint chips to find the perfect match.

 

Picking up a color from one piece and bringing onto another surface can unite the two pieces.  The paint chips pick up a highlight color in the wall paper.  The same process can be used for the flooring and upholstery in the room.

 

Using a single jumping off point unifies the overall design in the room.  In this case the wallpaper is the starting point. Paint color is next. Once the paint color is chosen the paint chip can be used to select carpeting or an area rug. Upholstery can pick up another color from the wallpaper.

 

Wallpaper, pillows or other fabrics are great places to begin when coordinating colors for a room. Once you have the main colors coordinated you can introduce contrasting colors that appear on the opposite side of the color wheel from the main colors in the room. Use these in objects and small pops around the  room.

The Importance of Measurements

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In carpentry there is the adage “measure twice, cut once”. This saying can be applied to decorating as well as carpentry.  Getting measurements right can save you time and money and headaches. Whether you are measuring for an area rug for the living room, curtains for the bedroom or a new sofa for the family room, make sure your measurements are accurate. Write down your important measurements in your home notebook or design file for future reference.

 

Few things are worse in decorating than finding something you love and getting it home to find out it doesn’t fit the space it was intended for. This might be okay if it is a bowl or an inexpensive accent. If it is the custom upholstered sofa you’ve waited two months to have delivered it can be more than disappointing.

 

Professional designers will begin by measuring the size of the room so that they know what will work with the scale of the space. Buying a nine foot sofa for a room that can only handle a seven foot sofa will make the space feel cramped and crowded. Once you have your room measurements you will have a base on which to build the design.  You can even make small examples of the furniture you are thinking about bringing into the room to scale to see how they will all fit in the space. Scale representations of furniture and rugs can help you visually plan a layout before you have furniture to move around. This will save your back as well as your wallet.

Choosing the Right Size Area Rug

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Hardwood floors are the perfect backdrop for an area rug. Hardwood floors are durable and stylish but can be hard and cold under foot. They don’t invite you to sit down and sprawl out to play a game on the coffee table or watch movie like carpet does. An area rug is the perfect compromise between the beauty of wood and the comfort of carpet.

Once you decide you want an area rug for your hardwood floors, you’ll want to make sure you select the right size for the space. Measure your room and then measure your seating area. Buying a rug too big for the room is a mistake you don’t want to make, nor do you want a rug that is too small.

 

If the area rug is too large it will hide all the beautiful wood floors. Too small and the rug will feel like Aladdin’s magic carpet. The right scale area rug should allow some of the wood floor at the perimeter of the room to still be visible. For a seating area, the area rug should accommodate the furniture so that each piece can be on or touching the rug. For a dining room, the rug should accommodate both the table and the chairs when they are pulled back.

 

If you are unsure what size rug to purchase, measure before you buy. You can also tape out the standard rug sizes on your floor to see how each size rug will fit in the space.

Putting Pattern on Your Walls

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Everywhere you look today there are patterned walls.  Blogs, shelter magazines, and design shows are all featuring pattern on the wall. These patterned walls can be done with paint, stencils, fabric and wallpaper.  Which material you choose is a matter of personal choice and how much time and effort you want to put into this trend.  If you’ve ever removed wallpaper from the wall, you know it can be more work removing it than installing it.

 

Wallpaper is the classic choice for adding pattern to walls. Wallpapering a room can be done by a DIYer but it isn’t a simple task.  Do your research before running out and buying the paper and paste.  There are many tutorials online about installing your own wallpaper. If you do it yourself, start with a single wall or a small space.

 

Paint can be used to make patterns on the wall that range from simple stripes down with painter’s tape to elaborate stencil patterns that resemble hand-painted wallpaper.  Painting a pattern on the wall can take longer than hanging wallpaper but is easier to cover up and less expensive for materials.

 

Fabric can also be applied to the walls for instant pattern.  Simple starch and water will hold the fabric on the wall. This is a great option for renters who can’t wallpaper or paint.

 

Complement your patterned walls with a patterned area rug for layers of pattern in the room. Or keep it simple with solid colored carpet or area rugs on wood floors.

Putting Pattern on Your Walls

Posted on by
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Everywhere you look today there are patterned walls.  Blogs, shelter magazines, and design shows are all featuring pattern on the wall. These patterned walls can be done with paint, stencils, fabric and wallpaper.  Which material you choose is a matter of personal choice and how much time and effort you want to put into this trend.  If you’ve ever removed wallpaper from the wall, you know it can be more work removing it than installing it.

 

Wallpaper is the classic choice for adding pattern to walls. Wallpapering a room can be done by a DIYer but it isn’t a simple task.  Do your research before running out and buying the paper and paste.  There are many tutorials online about installing your own wallpaper. If you do it yourself, start with a single wall or a small space.

 

Paint can be used to make patterns on the wall that range from simple stripes down with painter’s tape to elaborate stencil patterns that resemble hand-painted wallpaper.  Painting a pattern on the wall can take longer than hanging wallpaper but is easier to cover up and less expensive for materials.

 

Fabric can also be applied to the walls for instant pattern.  Simple starch and water will hold the fabric on the wall. This is a great option for renters who can’t wallpaper or paint.

 

Complement your patterned walls with a patterned area rug for layers of pattern in the room. Or keep it simple with solid colored carpet or area rugs on wood floors.

Wine Storage in the Kitchen

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Americans are having a love affair with wine to the point that wine storage is becoming a standard feature in kitchen designs.  Whether you are a wine connoisseur or the occasional wine drinker, you’ll want a place to store your bottles in your home.  Wine cellars, wine fridges and wine racks are the most common ways to store wine in the home.

 

Wine connoisseurs who have the space will probably have wine cellars in their home with proper temperature control. If you don’t have space for a proper wine cellar, a wine refrigerator is probably your best choice. These small refrigerators can store both white and red wine at the perfect temperature. Wine refrigerators can be installed in a kitchen island or row of lower cabinets. These refrigerators can also be installed in a bar area or pantry if your do not have the room in the main kitchen. Adding a wine fridge definitely will give your kitchen an updated feel.

 

If you are a more casual wine drinker or want to display your bottles, a wine rack on the counter can serve your needs. Do not store wine or liquor above the refrigerator as the heat can destroy the wine. Better to create wall or counter storage as seen here.  Built-in wine storage is a nice feature in a kitchen and along with stainless steel appliances, stone counter tops and wood floors can give your kitchen the look of an update without a huge renovation or remodel or the cost that come with it.