Moroccan decorating ideas
When decorating your home Moroccan style, make sure to use bright natural colors. The colors like green and blue, found in the sea of the area, and the ones like gold and yellow, found in the surrounding desert, should be used as much as possible. You can combine other colors like vibrant red, orange or purple with blue or gold to create an effervescent ambience. Feel free to use of vibrant colors such as pink fuchsia, lavender, and orange while keeping the aesthetics in mind.
Bring Nature Home
For creating the tropical atmosphere seen in Morocco, you can make extensive use of plants. The more exotic the plants, the better look they will bring to your house. At the same time, they will also provide you with some greenery in the concrete-jungle’ world of today. If it is feasible, you can also get textured walls.
Moroccan Lighting
Lighting plays a very important role in adding that perfect Moroccan flavor look to your home decor. Moroccan light fixtures are totally different from those used in the other parts of the world. Moroccan light fixtures include Moroccan sconces, Moroccan chandeliers, Moroccan lanterns, Moroccan hanging pendants, and Moroccan lamps.
Extensive Use of Textures
Moroccans love extensive use of textures in their home. So, if you want to have a Moroccan style look, rule out too much use of smooth and sleek materials. In fact, the fusion of multiple textures and shapes will be best. You can have darkened wood plank floors, which can be covered with natural fiber rugs of sand-ish color. This will not only add texture to the room, but also provide you with some comfort under the feet. You can also try draping fabric from the ceiling.
Some Other Tips
Colorful mosaic tables not only give a Moroccan feel to your place, but also help to brighten up a dull room.
Use of handmade Moroccan tiles will go a long way in creating a Moroccan decor.
Use of Moroccan tent as a Moroccan lounge getaway in your own backyard.
Use of Moroccan wood lattice screens also known as Jali Screens in your windows doors, kitchen and bath cabinet doors, or even as a room divider wall
Last but not the least, you can buy silk bed covers or cushion covers, in jewel tones, to create that perfect Moroccan style look.
Painting Tile Floors – Cheap Interior Decorating
Paint for home decorating is not just limited to the walls. You can do so with your tile floors. This is a cheap alternative for replacing the tiles. Paint can make your floor look new and not much effort comes with this easy to do task.
If you have dark, dingy tiles, painting them is the inexpensive solution that will allow you to give your entire room a new look. After you have painted the tile floors, you can throw down an area rug or area rugs to even give it more color and pizzazz.
You should make sure that you either use an enamel paint to paint the tile floors or use a gloss overcoat to enable you to keep the floors clean and the paint on the tile.
There are basically two types of paint that you can use when you are painting tile floors. These are latex or enamel paints. Latex paints are less harmful when it comes to fumes and are water soluble.
Enamel paints contain more toxic fumes and need to be cleaned up with paint thinner or alcohol. Enamel paints will not be as quick to come up off of the floor as will latex paints and have a tendency to wear better.
Latex paints will come up with wear and need a gloss overcoat. If you use a gloss enamel paint, you can get the entire project done quicker.
Another method of painting is by using a spray paint. It is quick, effective and cheap. Just make certain that the room is not enclosed when spray painting. Have proper ventilation and let the floor dry before placing area rugs.
If your tile floor is in the kitchen or bathroom, you will want to be sure to choose area rugs that are heavy enough not to slip, but can easily be thrown in the washing machine. You can find some heavy rag rugs that fall into this category. You want to be sure that the rugs will not slip out from under you when you are walking on them.
Rug guards are sold so that they can secure the rug to the tile or floor underneath and are an excellent option when it comes to using area rugs in the home and preventing accidents.
Rugs for the bathroom should be easy to wash. Rubber supported rugs are ideal to resist slips from the wet floor. Many accidents occur in the bathroom because of slippery floor during or after showers. Don’t underestimate a simple fall. It can be very dangerous. You want to make sure your bathroom rugs are proper enough to avoid such mishaps.
Author: Jonas Marks
Decorating for Pets: Adapt your Interior to Accommodate Pets
Pets are important parts of our lives, no matter what type of pet you own. Home owners and decorators alike are taking this into consideration and building and decorating homes around pets. With the following pet decorating tips you can make your home friendlier for your pets while keeping your style integrity and comfort in mind.
Choose the Right Fabrics
One of the most important decisions you can make when you have pets in the house is what type of fabrics you’ll be bringing into your home. Velvet works as a hair magnet and should be avoided at all costs, so should expensive materials like silk or chintz that are delicate and difficult to wash. You want something that is both stain resistant and doesn’t attract fur. Some pet friendly fabrics include crypton, leather and ultra suede. You should also keep your pet’s fur color in mind when selecting fabric colors. A solid white couch in a home with three black puppies is a bad idea.
Use Washable Bedding
You’re not the only one that thinks your bed is a cozy place for a nap, pets often head to the bedroom for a mid day snooze so you’ll either want to train your pets not to sleep on the bed or get washable bedding to eliminate fur build up and clean up accidents. You will also want to put a mattress pad down between your mattress and sheets in case there is an accident of sorts, you want to keep your mattress free of stains and odors.
Consider the Flooring
Shag carpeting with pets is a bad idea. In fact, if you can avoid carpeting altogether you’ll do a better job of keeping the floors clean and hair free. But if you do want to the comfort of carpeting, consider only using a low pile carpet with a single woven loop. This will protect it from nail snags and make it easier to clean.
Create a Pet-Friendly Entrance
If your pet goes outside then its ideal if you can have an entrance and exit for your pet that is designed to deal with the muddy paws and other dirt they bring in after exploring outside. Select flooring that is easy to wipe clean and have storage in the area where you can keep leashes, toys, and cleaning products for quick and easy access.
Look for Attractive Pet Accessories
It’s a multimillion dollar business that has been ignored in the past but savvy designers are finally getting in on the scene and creating pet accessories that are both fun for pets and attractive in your home. They may cost a bit more but combining functionality and appearance is worth it.
Keep it Clean
Keep your interiors looking their best by keeping them as clean as possible with frequent vacuuming, wiping down surfaces and furniture, and sweeping. Even the best decorated home looks a bit shabby when it’s covered in fur and smells of pets.
Author: Kristin Abraham
Cheap Decorations: Decorating Ideas for those low on Cash
Do it yourself decorations are perfect for this time of economic down trend. However, your home’s aesthetic appeal should not be neglected just because of the credit crunch. Do it your self and find cheap or even free materials. DIY is especially a great idea to try out during the Christmas or the fall winter season. Before you cancel your decorating plans, read these cool and easy tips to complete the beauty and sanctity of your lovely home.
If you think you aren’t good at doing it yourself (DIY), then consider this the best time for you to learn and master these skills to use for the rest of your years. Think of all the money you’ll save and all of the cool stuff or essentials you’ll finally be able to buy for yourself. Woodworks, sewing, painting, and cutting are quite easy to learn. All you need to do is want to learn. Anyone, and I mean anyone, can do these things. If you don’t have anyone to teach you and you do not want to spend some money on a book, then look no further because all the easy instructions you need are right here on the internet. Aside from the obvious benefit of saving money, you will also find that DIY decorating or creation of decorations is a very therapeutic project. Loosing yourself in the pursuit of your knowledge of perfection will be very fun.
* Paint your wall – Look at your house and see which base wall you would like to paint. Painting a single wall is very easy to do, however the effect it has on the entire room would be quite big. For one thing, the shade and the tint in the room are permanently altered by the colored wall. It will reflect its color into the entire room.
* Keep an eye out for bargains.
This might be a little harder to master. You need a well-educated taste in furniture before being a master at buying the best decorations. Decorating your house with other people’s stuff might be an idea that takes some getting used to for some individuals. Also, you need to know which items would blend in harmoniously with everything that already exists in your house.
* Rearrange your furniture
You have probably thought of doing this thing for years. It is never too late to start now. Take out a useless ottoman, push everything to the right, change one long seat for another, and remove unnecessary stuff. You will be surprised at how new your house would feel like once you simply move a few things. The effect of this would be to freshen up the place once instead of buying new decorations or decorating by using home based materials.
Feng Shui Decorating
Feng Shui, you have heard it mentioned but still are unsure what it really is. Well let’s find out the true meaning of Feng Shui. Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of placement and stands for wind and water.
The Chinese used this system to balance out the energy patterns of their physical environment with spiritual forces. Their ultimate goal was to achieve harmony, comfort, and balance, first within their environment and then within their lives. In the Chinese culture the gentle wind and the clear waters have always been linkedwith good health and a good harvest. So from this good Feng Shui means good livelihood and good fortune. On the other had bad Feng Shui means misfortune and hardship. So Feng Shui is a very important part of the Chinese lifestyle.
Feng Shui is based around Taoist and their vision and an understanding of nature. This focuses specifically on the belief that land is a living being and is filled with Chi. The ancient Chinese felt that the land’s energy could either help the kingdom prosper or cause it to fail and fall apart.
There are three principles behind Feng Shui. They involve design, placement, and proportion throughout the space. Without these three principles everything would become unbalanced and interfere with a person’s health and happiness within their environment. The main tools that are used during the Feng Shui analysis is the Ba-Gua which is an octagonal grid that contains the acient symbols of the great I Ching and the compass.
The I Ching is an ancient oracle which is what Feng Shui is based around. Knowing the Bagua for both your home and also your work space will be a great help to you to completely understand how the connection of certain specific Feng Shui in certain areas of both your home and work space can be linked to certain areas and parts of your overall life.
Now we move on to putting the Feng Shui into your home. Generally a consultant would come into your home and look at the five elements wood, fire, earth, metal, water (xuan kong flying star (north star), color, positioning of all the furnishings, and offer out cures for the problem areas).
The colors associated with Feng Shui are: wood is blue and green, fire is red and some of the items for this would be a tea light or a tamp lamp with a red shade, earth is beige and yellow and the items for this would be a terra cotta pot with soil and a rock statue, water is blue and black and the items here could be a fountain or aquarium, and metal is an accent color made up of silver, gold, copper, and bronze.
When it comes to the positioning of your furniture you should always face it in the direction of all the action such as the front door or street. This will give you the perfect flow of Feng Shui. Yang is considered to be the most active energy. It is usually lively and busy such as a public place or a flowing river. This is generally the most windowed side of your home. It should contain a nice view and it is usually a living or family room.
Ying is considered the least energy. This is usually found in the sitting direction of an alley or backyard. Shade trees highlight this area making it quiet and relaxing. This can be the side of the property and you would find the bedrooms in this area.
Decorating Your Dining Room With Glamour And Style
For some an Italian Kitchen decorating theme will put some old world charm into their kitchen and make it a place where the family will be willing to sit in. One such Italian design is the Tuscan style which incorporates warm earth tones along with natural materials and architectural accents that will give any kitchen a time worn look. But you do not need to buy any priceless antiques in order to achieve the Tuscan look for your kitchen. Below are a number of things that will need to be included when designing and decorating your kitchen in an Italian style.
Color
The colors you use should mimic the colors of the Tuscan landscape such as rich golds, earth tones and sometimes even tones relating to the sea will provide you with the look you are after. If you are able to purchase some Majolica pottery (new or old) and use the colours on this to influence the colours of your walls and floors. It is important that you use natural materials like stone, slate, granite or terracotta for the flooring and countertops as this will only help to enhance the Italian look that you are trying to create.
Lighting
When looking for lighting for your Italian themed kitchen then think old world and steer well clear of any new or modern styles. Why not see if you can get lights that are made from antique wrought iron. But you can include recessed lighting for use as task lighting. It is important to get the right look for an Italian kitchen that you stay away from lights that have a shiny look, instead stick with those that have muted metal finish.
Accessories
It is very easy to buy accessories for your Italian kitchen theme brand new today, but why not take time and scour your local antique stores for some real antiques instead. If you can look for old pottery bowls and pitchers as well as wooden bowls that have been painted or antiques. As a nice addition to your Italian style kitchen include some Majolica ware. Why not buy a whole set of this pottery to be have for everyday use. It is vital that you include lots of decorative jars in your design that have either peppers and ropes of garlic on them or peppers and grape vines on them. Then to soften the look up use lots of greenery (herbs in pots are a good idea).
Above we have provided you with a few ideas for your Italian kitchen decorating scheme and it can be easily achieved with either the purchase of new accessories or by looking around your local antique shops. But what ever way you decide to do it you will soon have a kitchen that is charming and full of character.
Author: Lee Dobbins
Decorating Your Bedroom With a Western Theme …
Creating a bedroom with a Western style can actually have an inviting and masculine feel to it. Mixing and matching different items associated with the West like wooden carvings or cowboy hats can truly make your room your personal space. To create a cowboy or western style for your room, here are a few ideas you can use.
• The color of the wall of your room will be very important. Warm and vibrant colors are usually used to depict a western mood to it. A western look often consists of browns, blacks, tans and other dark colors. To highlight the color contrast, select white ornaments for a splash of brightness. One good idea is to use white cow print fabric to make the bed set and curtains. A white carpet with dyed with black odd shaped spots will also create a dramatic effect for your room.
• Decorating the wall with western wall art is an artistic way of incorporating the western theme. Sometimes you can find these inexpensive wall art in garage sales and flea markets. Take the time to visit these places because you’ll never know you might just find the perfect piece of art to hang in your room.
• Hanging up a rope lasso or making small ones glued to your lampshade can also show a western theme to it. You can also cut pictures of horses, cattle, or Indians and use this as a border around the top of your room.
• Decide on having your floor generally made out of hardwood. Also choose area rugs which are flat woven styles or maybe even fake fur skins.
• To create a cowboy look and feel, decorate your room with saddles and leather straps. These can be draped over your table chair. Use your imagination and come up with ingenious ways on how to make western accessories using horse shoe, Indian outfits and cowboy hats.
• Using items made of iron such as iron lamp bases and cabinet knobs will fit well in a Western room.
• You can decide to design your room in a number of ways. You can go with the country theme or even the old west route. It really depends on your preference. Include things such as cowboy boots and guitars to enhance the western culture in your room.
• Nowadays, there are available door knobs in the market with designs that reminds us of the Wild West. Choose a design you like and replace your old door knob with this western-inspired knob.
• Alternative wall hangings can include horse whips, chaps and stirrups. Wooden items can be found in craft stores. There are numerous shapes and sizes to choose from. Paint these shapes and hang them on the wall.
• Window treatments should be in basic colors and not too drastic. Look for wooden shutters or simple curtain panels.
• Old trunks and stressed wood furniture can be placed inside your room and will definitely keep the western look going.
Incorporate all these ideas from painting your room with dark colors up to hanging up the western wall art to achieve the Western look you want to accomplish. After you have all the furniture and decorations in place, you will have produced a warm, cozy bedroom where you can enjoy and relax. It will be like living in the Wild West but still in the comfort of your bedroom.
Author: Alyssa Davis
Decorating Ideas for a Tuscan Kitchen
As the concept of Tuscan kitchen decor becomes more popular, homeowners are attracted to the simplicity of this decoration scheme. As with anything, you can spend a lot of money to get this look in your kitchen, but here we take a look at some simple low cost ideas to decorate your kitchen with a Tuscan decor.
More and more people today find the thought of a sunny cottage kitchen in the Tuscan countryside as their ideal. If you long to have that cozy-cottage feel in your own kitchen, the good news is that it’s easy to do-it-yourself!
One of the reasons Tuscan kitchen is such a hot decorating trend is that it celebrates the simple things in life: Food, friends, and family. A Tuscan kitchen is functional, not fussy, and decorating in this theme is as simple as paint and a few touches.
The walls in a Tuscan kitchen have a unique, old-world look. You can achieve this using a faux painting technique. First, you paint the walls a bright base color such as butterscotch or butter yellow. Then, sponge on a deeper shade so that the walls look as though they have faded in some spots. There are many books and Internet sites that can give you step-by-step directions on this method of applying paint, as well as product suggestions. If you want to go the extra mile, you can texturize your walls using joint compound mixed with paint. “Pouncing” the mixture onto the walls creates a colored, rustic roughness characteristic of an authentic country kitchen in Tuscany.
The next places to paint are cabinet doors. Use a strong, contrasting color to really give your Tuscan county kitchen character. Deep reds and bright forest greens are especially popular on cupboard doors. While you’re out looking for just the right shade of paint, spend some time in the hardware section of your home improvement store. This is where you’ll find the pulls and handles to add the finishing touch to your Tuscan cabinet doors and drawer fronts. Heavy, burnished metal or ceramic knobs will both look great in your kitchen.
Now that you have the background set, it’s time for the focus pieces. A Tuscan country kitchen harkens thoughts of family and friends. A large table with simple chairs is a sure invitation to your own family to spend quality time in the kitchen. Brightly colored seat cushions make the chairs even more inviting, and a wooden bowl of fruit and nuts encourages a long visit.
Browse through kitchen supply stores and you’ll find a dazzling array of decanters for oils and spices. In a Tuscan county kitchen, cooking ingredients are often stored in plain sight. Glass jars filled with dried beans and pasta should line your counters, along with terra cotta planters and cooking utensil holders. Pewter and copper vessels are also a good choice you’re your Tuscan kitchen. If you have the floor space, freestanding metal or wooden racks can be used to hold commonly used pots and pans, as well as sunflower-print table linens. Pots of herbs on a windowsill and trailing houseplants on top of the refrigerator add even more of an Old World feel to your new kitchen look.
Author: Kathy Burns-Millyard
Bed Decorating Ideas That Will Spice up the Bedroom
Having the right bed decorating ideas can instantly spice up your bedroom. It sound basic, but before I start dishing out some great bed decorating ideas, I want you make sure that you know the basics. The bedroom is one of the most private rooms in your home, so don’t be afraid to have a little fun and let your imagination run.
When you first enter a bedroom, what is the first thing you notice? In most cases, it would be the bed. Typically, the bed has a huge influence on the presentation the bedroom. So if a bed is boring, uneventful and stale, then it would be safe to assume that the room is the same. If a bed is fun, exciting and a pleasure to be in, then most likely the bed the biggest reason why.
There are so many bed decorating ideas available to you the list is endless. Take for example a comforter set. The comforter is the iron horse of bed design and function. Not only can you get a comforter that is comfy and warm you can change up the design and color by merely switching duvet covers.
With just one item you can change the whole feel of an entire bedroom. You can go from modern luxury to rustic simplicity all with the change of a cover. And, in this case you sacrifice nothing because you get comfort and design all in one.
Once you have had your fun with your comforter covers
, the another bed decorating idea would be doing something creative with your pillows. Pillows come in various shapes and sizes, so you have tons of choices to choose from. Picking pillows for your bed can be fun and it can really get the creative juices flowing.
There are pillows and throw sets that go together wonderfully and are often thematic in nature. The possibilities are truly endless with throws and pillows. The only trouble here is making up such an ornate bed in the morning! But, it is worth it when you think about the beauty of a well decorated bed. Your guests will certainly appreciate it.
Possibly the most special part of using bed decorating ideas to spice up a bedroom is the price. Bed decoration is relatively inexpensive compared to, lets say, a total makeover for your bedroom. You can change up your bedroom many times a year or even every week if you want to at very little cost. If you want to change the look of a comforter, just purchase a duvet. If you think you pillows need a little help, get a pillow case. It is very simple and very cheap.
Let your imagination run rampant and start thinking up bed Decorating ideas for your bed. There is no end to the possibilities. If you need additional help, ask your friends and family for suggestions and use combinations of your ideas and others to create something truly unique. Decorating your bed is cheap and can be lots of fun, so get to it and see what you can come up with.
Author: Zachry Nest
Rejuvenate a Living Room for Less: Inexpensive Living Room …
Living rooms tend to be a very popular space in the home and a place where the family congregates and relaxes. Because the room is so well, lived in, the furniture takes a serious beating and the decorative elements get stale fairly quickly. Use the following tips to give your living room a fresh new look for not a lot of money.
Shop your Home
Scour your own home, from storage areas to other rooms to see if there are any pieces that can be swapped out for something in your living room. You can even take old furniture and find a slipcover or have it reupholstered to give it new life.
Focus on One Piece
Turn one decorative piece or large piece of furniture into the focal point and decorate around it. One high quality piece will carry the room in most cases and allow you to decorate lightly around it.
Go Eclectic
Rather than buying all expensive pieces that always match, look for eclectic pieces from all over with a unifying theme, color, style or just pieces that particularly appeal to you.
Change the Cushions
A popular trend is cushions that don’t precisely match the rest of the couch. Keep your basic couch, but have some slipcovers custom made for the cushions and replace them. You can always go back to your original covers in the future. Look for something vibrant and exciting and use a different type of fabric.
Go Monochromatic
Rather than using contrasting colors for pillows, throw rugs, curtains and other accessories, go for a monochromatic look to keep everything unified. Use shades of the same color for variation and visual interest.
Go Bold and Colorful
If you’ve already got a pretty monochromatic color scheme, go the other way. Add a few unexpected splashes of color. Step away from the standard accessories for color and add a chair or area rug that is full of color and brings a new sense of energy to the room.
Rearrange the Furniture
Just a simple change of your furniture arrangement can really give the room a new look. If you’re able to change the traffic flow of the room you’ll give it an even different feel. If you have more than one focal point in the room, switch the focus from your old focal point to another.
Change the Focal Point
Your living room should be arranged around a focal point, so by changing the way your main feature appears you’ll create a big difference in the room. Purchase a new entertainment center for your television. Retile a fireplace or replace the mantle. If a window is your focal point, change the window treatment.
To give your living room a new look and a different feel, try to step out of the room and see it in a different way, push furniture to the sides of the room if it will help you picture it in a different way. Living room redecorating projects don’t need to be expensive and they don’t even require replacing all of your existing pieces. The above living room decorating tricks are a great way to create a fresh, new environment for your family to gather together in and relax.
Author: Kristin Abraham
