Chinese New Year - Door and Window Decorations

The Chinese (Lunar) New Year will fall on February 2 in the year 2011. It will be the year of the Rabbit as well. How do the Chinese prepare for this huge holiday, their biggest, most important holiday of the year? Cleaning, cooking, shopping, and decorating the house are their main preparations.

The two main things people will use to decorate their house (after they have thoroughly cleaned it, of course) is to hang up Chun Lian outside of their doors. Since most Chinese homes only have one entrance, they just buy (or receive on from their bank or employer) one set of chun lian. Chun lian are often referred to as "couplets" by Chinese who speak English. They are rhyming poems comprised of three parts. The three parts are each written on a separate piece of paper. A short piece is hung above the door and two longer sections are hung on either side of the door. The longer pieces have words that are opposites but they must also have some rhyme to them. The shorter top piece is a summary of the other two pieces. In ancient times scholars would have competitions to come up with new poems to demonstrate their mastery of the language and their creative talents.

Decorations

Some craftsmen will use their calligraphy skills to earn money by writing these poems on pieces of red paper. THey will usually use black or gold ink. In most large cities in China you can get a simple set of them for under US. You can also purchase printed chun lian at most markets prior to the Chinese New Year.

Another Door decoration that Chinese will put up is a square piece of paper with one Chinese Character 'fu' written on it. However the paper is turned so it is similar to the shape of a diamond and the character is upside down. It's a creative play on words. The character will almost always be upside down.

On their windows, Chinese will often put some red paper cuttings of Chinese characters or things that are considered lucky. This year you will find many paper cuttings of rabbits since it is going to be the year of the rabbit.

Not everybody puts up these decorations on their doors. usually it's the younger generations who do not follow all the old traditions. My Chinese born husband says that many holiday traditions and practices have already changed from when he was a child.

Chinese New Year - Door and Window Decorations

Char is an English teacher in China and has spent the last six years living in a small town teaching English. You visit my lens about the Chinese New Year and find out where to get Chinese Party Supplies for your Chinese New Year's party.

Create a Relaxing Room With Bamboo Decor

Bamboo décor adds a very unique and light colored feeling to any room. If you have a spare room or in tandem, one of the unique things that you can do is possibly turn it into a tea room. This article will look at a couple of possible suggestions you might use to convert a room into a very unique experience.

Lack of color selection

Decor

The one drawback to bamboo is that it lacks in its color selection. You are usually pretty much limited to lighter or darker shades of bamboo. However this does not mean that it should be something you stay away from. Choosing light colors can really brighten up her room and give it a very comfortable feeling.

However if you're looking for a warmer feeling that you might look in a darker bamboo décor for any kind of the team room or just a nice sitting room for reading and relaxing.

Slow down and decompress

In today's stressful times and fast paced world we oftentimes simply do not take the time to sit down and relax and lower our stress levels. By adding bamboo décor to your room and creating a nice place where you can find some peacefulness in a room - You might find that you spend more time to decompress and slow down a little bit and that might be a very healthy advantage for you.

Bamboo décor can be found online or in specialty shops. However I'm often surprised at how many unique bamboo items all fine and bargain bins. This can be a great way to save some money on very high-end products.

Create a Relaxing Room With Bamboo Decor

If you need more helpful Home Decor information try visiting http://home-decor-helper.com, a website that specializes in providing helpful home decor tips, advice, and resources to include Bamboo Decor.

Decorating a Room with Disney Cars Room Decor

With the popularity of the recent Disney Pixar Cars movie, chances are that your little boy is wanting Lightning McQueen, Mater, and all their friends to now grace every surface of his bedroom. Decorating a room with a Disney Cars room décor is fairly easy and inexpensive. Merchandise is available all over the web and if you are lucky, you may also find an item or two in the stores. Because of the popularity of the movie, all Cars merchandise has been extremely popular so I have learned that when you find an item you want that isn't sold out, you have to move quickly and buy it.

So what is available for decorating a Disney Cars theme room? Well first, you will have you choice of a couple of beds. A Disney Cars toddler bed is available as is a Lightning McQueen Race Car bed that comes in a twin size. You will also be able to find Disney Cars toddler bedding and twin size bedding sets.

Decor

It doesn't stop with just beds and bedding though. The amount of Disney Cars room décor available extends to wall art, room decals, lamps featuring Lightning and Mater, and even dresser knobs featuring many of the movie's key characters. You will also be able to find Disney Cars furniture pieces including toy boxes and table and chair sets for your Disney Cars theme room.

So if your little boy has been dreaming of a Disney Cars themed bedroom, you will have no trouble coming up with enough Disney Cars room décor to create the Lightning McQueen room of his dreams!

Decorating a Room with Disney Cars Room Decor

© Copyright Rebecca Johnson, All Rights Reserved

Rebecca Johnson is the mother of a three year old son who is a Disney Cars fanatic. She owns a website about decorating rooms for babies and young children. Visit it for more information about decorating a Disney Cars theme room including the best places to find Disney Cars room décor.

Wall Decorating Ideas

If you want to avoid having the rooms in your home look cold and without personality, make sure you do not have any stark spaces in them. When you want to add some life to a room and give it character, you have to add some wall decor to relieve that monotony of blank walls. Here are some great ideas to bring this kind of life to your walls.

One of the best and easiest way is to add texture to the wall. There are so many wallpapers that have texture, and it is a simple task to paper the wall or walls with a wallpaper that has a raised design, or is made to look like bamboo or linen. Of course, this can be brought to an extreme, and there have been avant garde decorators who adhered straw or paper bags to a wall to achieve texture, but this is not a solution that is for everyone.

\"decorating Ideas\"

Wallpaper is still the tried and true way to add texture as well as color to your walls, and if you start to look at some of the wallpaper books in a decorating store, you will be amazed at the variety of styles you can achieve, and leave the straw out in the barn for the animals!

You may also consider wall hangings to remedy a bland wall. A beautiful old quilt adds a lovely touch of texture and color, and also spotlights a unique family heirloom. This is one of the nicest ways to add texture, since it is done in such a personalized way.

Another very personalized way to add texture is to display a collection on a wall. For example, a gentleman who collects antique tools might consider hanging them on a wall in a family room in an interesting pattern. Now they are serving a function, and he has also succeeded in removing some clutter from his garage.

How about using old doll clothes or dresses to perk up the walls in a girl's room? Here you are sure to have plenty of color, and the textures of old dresses are usually materials such as tulle or organza, which would be very eye catching. The colors of dresses such as this are perfect for a little girl's room.

Just using your imagination and the materials around you will yield a lot of ideas for adding texture to a dull wall.

Wall Decorating Ideas

Andrew Caxton is the author and editor of more home decorating resources published at http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com. A website with tips on decorating ideas, amongst many related topics.

Decorate Your Bathroom Mexican Style

Your Mexican style bathroom is bold and colorful. It is inviting and makes you feel happy. You can have your Mexican style bathroom with just a few decorator items and bright bathroom towels all the way to a whole new vanity and new saltillo tile floors. Lets start with the whole bathroom remodel and work our way up to bathroom accessories Mexican style.

The Mexican bathroom floor. Never carpet. Mexican saltillo tile or a glazed Mexican tile will give you the most authentic Mexican bathroom floor. Saltillo tile in a range of terracotta colors to manganese, a rich brown color. Saltillo tiles are made in a variety of shapes. What you see most are squares, six, twelve and sixteen inch. Then there are rounded patterned ones. You can do your bathroom floor overall with one tile or you can create a tile rug using several shapes or sizes of tile.

Decorate

How to create your Mexican tile rug. Use the twelve or sixteen inch squares on the entire bathroom floor except where you are placing the rug. Then make a border using smaller tiles. These can be broken pieces, colored tiles, patterned tiles or just the small saltillo tile. Then fill the center with the six-inch Mexican saltillo tiles set on a diagonal. For inspiration look at the designs on area rugs.

Mexican style bathroom walls. Paint or tile your walls in bright colors.
(Keep in mind you still have to put on make up and want to complement your pretty skin when choosing your colors). A great way to get that Mexican style is to paint a bold stripe in a chili pepper red or Tucson teal at chair rail height all the way around the room. Paint a lighter color on top and another bold color on the bottom part of the wall. You can also use bright colored Mexican tiles for your stripe or paint or stencil Mexican style designs in your stripe.

Your Mexican style bathroom vanity. Find an old dresser or buy a Mexican rustic chest or dresser cut a hole for the sink. Use a Mexican talavera pottery sink or buy a cobalt blue, sunflower yellow, aqua or red sink. Use bright solid or patterned Mexican tile on you vanity top. Or just waterproof the wood with a sealer. If you don't change your vanity, sink or countertop paint the cabinet base either solid or with a dry brush technique in a bold color.

Your Mexican style bathroom mirror can be framed in iron, shinny shaped tin or copper. A heavily carved frame can work and can be painted. There are also the shinny tin framed mirrors with the Mexican tiles inset.

Bathroom fixtures for a Mexican style bathroom. Replace shinny brass or silver faucets with dark rustic fixtures. Look at styles in antique bronze. If you change your sink fixtures don't forget the bathtub and shower for your overall Mexican bathroom style.

Mexican style bathroom lighting. Hang a wrought iron or rustic chandelier over each of your vanity sinks. Sconces on each side of the mirror work well too. If you use the chandelier, scrolly wrought iron sconces to hold pillar candles are totally Mexican style. Put a dimmer on the lights for those relaxing soaking baths.

Bathroom accessories Mexican designer style. Bright, bold colors, scrolly iron pieces, real Mexican serapes and Mexican pottery. Bright painted wood and Mexican woven or appliqué wall hangings will pull your Mexican style bathroom together.

Paint an old chair in a bright turquoise and place a stack of bold colored towels on the seat. Take a bright serape stripe fabric to make a valance over the shower curtain rod or hang a length of south of the border fabric from the ceiling to the floor to hide the open shower curtain. Use a solid or bright floral printed shower curtain that compliments.

Hang a piece of wall art that you love where you can see while soaking in the tub. Your Mexican wall art can be a framed print, a Mexican weaving or appliqué or scrolly wrought iron. Use Mexican pottery bathroom sink accessories. Use a small Mexican flower pot or mug to hold your toothbrushes and salsa, you have your bathroom Mexican style!.

Decorate Your Bathroom Mexican Style

Vickie Morrow is an interior designer and artist living and working in Scottsdale, Arizona. You can experience more of her decorating ideas, tips and how-tos at her web site: http://www.inoutdecor.com

How To Retire Early, Live Well In Warm Weather

Retirement is a time when many dread. Primarily because the income is now less than during our working lives. Further when we retire we are usually older and hence less healthy. If we are living in a cold environment it does not help. Most of us would like to retire when we are younger but for the cost of living continue to be on an upward spiral.

We therefore are always on the look out for places that offer us good living at costs that allow us to maintain a high standard of living, in a safe environment but without compromising on the ease that modern advances afford us. Malaysia is a very good alternative under its Government initiated Malaysia My Second Home Programme. Easily accessible from most parts of the world with direct international connections by air, Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi cultural country with ultra modern infrastructure framed by the World's highest Twin towers in the Capital City of Kuala Lumpur. The whole country is very well connected with up-to-date, modern road, rail, air, and sea transportation systems. Public transport by air-condition buses, taxis, trains and planes are comfortable, efficient and relatively low in cost.First classes medical facilities are available are also available at a fraction of the cost most non-Malaysians are used to.

How To Decorate And Live Well

A choice of Hill, beach or City living in accomodations of ones choosing is available at affordable pricing. English is widely spoken. All religions and cultures can be practiced very freely and there is a free intermingling of different cultures.

The country has everything for the family, theme parks, jungle trails/sports, water sports and one of the highest numbers of golf courses - ratio to population.

All the food of the world can be found here at very reasonable cost. You can live very well for less than USD2,000 per month). For example, a 5 star hotel room in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur costs less than USD100 per night and a meal with wine for two an estimated USD60 only. A MacDonald's Burger costs less than USD1.50 With so many races and cultures living together in harmony, it is understandable that each race has picked up the best of each other's food and made Malaysia into Asia's Food Paradise. Similarly the tropical fruits of Malaysia are unique, exotic and available in abundance practically throughout the year. It is a real joy to savour these fruits.
The weather is pleasant, warm and balmy with moderate rain throughout the year, there are also highland residential areas and resorts with permanent spring-like weather throughout the country.

Quality goods from all over the world are imported and are relatively low in price and sold throughout Malaysia Statistics proof that Malaysia is one of the safest countries in the world; its crime rate is relatively low. The rule of law is one of the fundamentals in Malaysia's constitution.
Everyone is subjected to the law and also equal before the law. Malaysia practises basically the British system of justice with an independent reliable and dependable judiciary.

RETIREMENT TO MALAYSIA IS SO GOOD!

How To Retire Early, Live Well In Warm Weather

KJ Wong
http://www.accesswerks.com

Easy Bedroom Decorating Ideas

Decorating your bedroom can be a great way to give your self a tranquil retreat, yet so many people neglect this room. Often times people focus on the public rooms of the home - the kitchen, living room and guest bathroom but the bedroom is your own private sanctuary and you owe yourself to decorate it!

If decorating your bedroom seems like an overwhelming task, you might want to take it easy and make small changes over a period of time instead of one huge change. On way to ease yourself into decorating the bedroom is to start with the walls. Artwork can make a huge difference in the look of your bedroom and is one decorating idea that you can easily reverse if the look doesn't work.

How To Decorate And Live Well

What is the first thing you notice when you walk into someone's home? The walls, right? Walls enclose the home, giving a thematic impression. So, if your walls are empty you've got to get to work to populate them. Wall hangings can be expensive, but that's only if you purchase something by a famous dead artist. You can create your own artwork without any art instruction whatsoever. First, you have to consider your theme. If you have a Victorian, feminine or shabby chic bedroom theme then you will want floral or feminine artwork. A modern bedroom theme will look best with prints in sleek frames. A tropical look? Then get some jungle style prints or prints of exotic animals and birds.

Do you have hundreds of pictures and just don't know what to do with them? If the idea of a personalized bedroom picture wall appeals to you, you could arrange the photos into a huge wall photo collage. Examples include pictures of exotic places, weddings, and children growing up. If there is a teenager in your home, their bedroom is probably home to a huge collection of music CDs. They can create their own wall collage using the cover art from their CDs. Although you will have more fun creating your collage yourself, there are companies that will take care of this for you. The cost ranges from about for an 8x10 to 0 for a 20x24 wall collage.

If your bedroom contains foliage, you might want to consider pressing leaves or flowers and framing your work; the best of these are flat. You basically place the leaves or flowers in a book to allow them to dry flat. They are ready for your wall hanging when they become crisp. This shouldn't take longer than a week or two. After the items are pressed, you will just need to mount the artwork and hang it on your wall.

When you decorate your bedroom with artwork you are only limited by your imagination. Don't be afraid to experiment. As mentioned previously, artwork is easily reversible. So, be imaginative and creative and design your artwork.

Easy Bedroom Decorating Ideas

Lee Dobbins writes for Bedroom Designs and Decorations where you can learn more about designing your dream bedroom.

Budget Meal Plan - How to Eat Well on 20 Dollars a Week

When people ask me how I save so much money, they never believe how simple the answer is. Simply cooking your meals at home has such a profound impact on your budget, it has got to be the number one way to cut costs without sacrificing anything. By simply cooking more meals you will absolutely save hundreds of dollars per month. Depending on your habit, you may even save more than hundreds of dollars per week. You don't even realize that on an average day, where all you get is a fast food meal and Starbucks in the morning, you've already dropped 10 dollars on horrible food. That's already 300 dollars per month - Do you get where I'm going with this?

Here are some things you NEED to pick up and start working with in your kitchen. These are basic staples that can be used to create thousands of different recipe ideas, and help you learn how to be a better cook:

How To Decorate And Live Well

Eggs
Bread
Oil (sunflower, vegetable)
Rice
Pasta
Canned Beans
Various spices (salt, pepper, a few others)
Tomato/Pasta sauce
Meat that's ON SALE
Vegetables that are ON SALE

For breakfast (god forbid you wake up 5-10 minutes earlier) you can make dozens of things with eggs. Overeasies, scrambled eggs, poached eggs, 500 different omelletes, on bread, by themselves, etc.

For lunch you can make pasta, rice, chicken/turkey sandwiches, anything - And you can bring it with you to work.

For dinner, pasta and rice combined with various meats, vegetables, and spices can be combined into thousands of dinner ideas. For specific recipes simply google "chicken dish", or "cooking with rice". It isn't complicated - there are hundreds of recipes that are nearly impossible to screw up, even for virgin cooks.

Some of these meals will only cost you 50 cents when you look at the ingredients. Rice is dirty cheap and a staple around the world, yet neglected in the west. The possibilities are endless - Believe it or not you can eat well for less than 3 dollars per day. If you get a drink from starbucks in the morning, eat lunch out somewhere, then pick something up for dinner (or make a frozen meal), you're spending close to 15-20 dollars without realizing it. That's 600 dollars a month. How much can you save? You do the math. I just recently got a good friend and my sister on this plan, and they're paying their rent with the difference.

Budget Meal Plan - How to Eat Well on 20 Dollars a Week

For tips and secrets on getting groceries for dirt cheap when you're out shopping, as well as tips on how to get dirt cheap airfare, save gas with your car, and more, visit budget meal plans. Savings are in the hundreds, arm yourself with the knowledge to change your lifestyle for the better.

How to Get Customers For Your Painting and Decorating Business

There really is no magic to getting good customers who want the work done and who are happy to pay.

No magic at all.

How To Decorate And Live Well

But there's a right way to do it and a way to mess it up - as usual.

Here's what you need to do:

• Have a quality handout or flyer which will get people to contact you asking for a quotation. I have an example of a flyer which will work well for you. It is in my manual 'How to set up and successfully run a painting and decorating business'. All you have to do is to insert your details in the appropriate places and get it printed off or print it yourself on a computer printer. Alternatively, get one good copy and go to your local photocopy shop. You should be able to get 1000 printed off for less than £25.00. Not a bad deal at all. Your first job should pay for this easily.

• Get it distributed reliably and to the right areas. By 'To the right areas' I mean through the letterboxes of houses where people live who actually have the money to pay for your services. These people will be: homeowners, In work, Living on streets where other homeowners like to take care of their properties.

• Place an advertisement in your local Thompson's directory. It's local, it gets read, and should get you business. You should expect to pay about £150 - £200.00 for a simple box ad. You can check this out with your local Thompson's Representative. It's also a lot cheaper than Yellow Pages (where your advertisement may get 'drowned' by all the others) and in my opinion, proportionately better value for money.

• In time, you can easily get a small website which promotes your services and contains pictures of work you have completed, contact details etc.

• When people respond to your flyer, or your advertisement make certain they get a good response from you or whoever answers the telephone. Courtesy is important. Take care to get their: Telephone number, Address, Full name, and establish a time to see them which you will of course note down and repeat back to them so you know you've got it right.

• When people call you to ask you for a quotation, make an appointment to see them within 48 hours. You want to appear interested, but not desperate. (Even if you are desperate!).

• Turn up at the time agreed.

How to Get Customers For Your Painting and Decorating Business

Lewis Stephens is a businessman and Author living in Devon, UK. He sells a manual 'How to set up and run your own successful painting and decorating business for £19.99. Visit http://www.paintinganddecoratingbusiness.com

How to Decorate a China Cabinet

There are as many ways to decorate a china cabinet as there are china patterns. So how to decorate a china cabinet can be a tricky question to ask. It all depends on what the cabinet is used for. China cabinets aren't just used for dinnerware anymore. You can also use a china cabinet to store curios and just general knickknacks. Let's look at the traditional china cabinet first.

If you're displaying china then you need a background to show off the design. This means you'll want to use some shelf paper on the back of the china cabinet.

How To Decorate And Live Well

All you need to do is grab a utility knife and a roll of decorative shelf paper.

Unroll the shelf paper and stick it to the back of the cabinet. Use a plastic squeegee to remove any bubbles from the shelf paper. You can also use the tip of the utility knife to pop any stubborn bubbles that won't press out.

Now that you have a background color it's time to start stacking up the plates.

You'll need a few display racks so that you can stand the plates up on end with the face of the plate positioned towards the front of the cabinet.

There are plenty of different designs out there that will allow you to stack either a single row or do a cascade pattern along the back.

You can now build forward in the cabinet. Stack your heaviest items on the bottom shelves.

This will give a nice balanced look to the cabinets.

Another good idea is to stack like items together. Stack any plates that aren't displayed on top of one another, same with salad plates, saucers etc.

A good trick to prevent scratching the plate surface is to place a piece of tissue paper in between each plate.

If your cabinet has cup hooks in it then hang the tea and coffee cups from them. If not stack them up along the sides of the cabinet.

By stacking them along the sides you avoid creating a visual distraction in the middle of the cabinet.

Moving into the china cabinet drawers you'll want to keep all your silverware sorted.

This is a pretty easy task, just head to a department store and buy a silverware holder.

You'll want to keep everything separated from each other to avoid tarnishing.

Be sure to buy a silverware drawer that has a lid on it. This means less dust when you go to use it for Thanksgiving dinner.

Finally move to the bottom drawer of the cabinet. This is typically where all the weird shaped pieces go such as the gravy boat, carving boards, serving trays etc.

The best way to arrange all the odds and ends are based on usage.

Stack the least used items at the bottom of the cabinet and work your way up to the most often used.

These are just a few tips for figuring out how to decorate a china cabinet. Well displayed china can accent any dining room décor. A few simple tricks are all you need to set up a beautiful china cabinet.

How to Decorate a China Cabinet

About this Author

Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of a wide variety of online specialty shops including that offer both items and information on how you can easily furnish and decorate your space. Whether it is living room furniture for your living room or accent furniture for you newly remodeled home, there are many tips you can use to make any spot both functional and beautiful. Click today and indulge your senses.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Akre

5 Ways to Decorate With Zebra Print

A splash of color, pattern and bold graphics is the perfect way to turn your décor up a notch. No matter your style, if you really want to take it from "Drab-ulous" to "Fabulous" then adding a touch of zebra print or other animal print (or a little of both) is just the ticket. Here are some great ideas to help you incorporate this classic yet always trendy design element into your space.

The Zebra Print Rug - Not only does every living space need a bit of color and pizzazz, it also needs an anchor. A specific décor element that draws the eye and centers the stage on which to base the rest of the room's design style. Nothing fills that position as well as a zebra print rug. They come in every shape and size from a small throw rug for your master bath to a huge floor covering 12' x 18' and of course, even larger! There are also zebra print rugs that are created from animal hair and those too that are shaped like the hide of an animal. Whether if front of your fireplace, under your cocktail table, at the foot of your bed or traveling up the middle of your staircase, a zebra rug is sure to bring the "WOW!" factor you're looking for as well as add a bit of your own fun, daring and confident personality to the space.

How To Decorate And Live Well

Zebra Print Bedding - Spice things up by adding zebra bedding to your master or guest bedroom. No matter if your existing décor is traditional or contemporary, you'll be safe if you throw in a touch of animal print because it's so transitional and versatile that it incorporates itself well into most existing decors. A few pillows and a throw blanket are all you need to take a walk on the wild side. If you prefer, or are on a tight budget, there are many zebra print bedding sets that include coordinating pieces that blend in cohesively with each other. These zebra comforter sets can completely transform a room without depleting your bank account - just keep this one important tip in mind - less is more. Don't overdo it by turning your windows, floor, bed and bathroom into a jungle. A little zebra print goes a long way!

Zebra Print Chairs - From dining rooms, to bedrooms to living and family rooms, zebra bring chairs are a popular and sophisticated design option that literally wakes up the space and flips it on it's rear! A zebra chaise lounge in a master bedroom suite is absolutely stunning! Add a pretty pillow of another color such as green or blue or purple and step back and soak in the view - then sit down, kick up your feet and bask in your decorating glory! A pair of zebra print, low back, tub style chairs in your formal living room will beg for the question, "Where did you get those chairs?" which will be followed by, "I just love them!" A set of zebra print dining chairs or even just a pair mixed in with (replacing two of) your existing dining chairs can transform the dining room into an elegant, trendy and even a little bit funky space for your guests to enjoy a terrific meal with excellent hosts!

Zebra Print Pillows - For an easy way to incorporate the zebra print pattern into any space such as a bedroom, guest, family or living room, simply purchase one or a few zebra pillows of various sizes and textures and add them to your existing décor. Remember that these great little design elements are available in the traditional black and white zebra pattern as well as in tan and black - no rule states you can't do both together! Experiment - leave the price tags on and keep them on the sofa or bed for a few days. Don't be afraid to have a little fun and take a few chances with your space - a pillow or two is nothing permanent or costly. Go ahead - take a walk on the wild side.

Zebra Print Shower Curtain - For the master or guest bath, a zebra shower curtain is a truly eye catching design strategy that can't go wrong! Mix in a little bit of other animal print or a different black and white pattern such as tiny checks or dots and toss in a pop of color and you're all set! Don't get crazy with the zebra or animal print in the bathroom. It's a small space a like we said before - a little bit of zebra pattern goes a long, long way!

5 Ways to Decorate With Zebra Print

For all the options in zebra print bedding and all the other categories, be sure to check out the author's site that is all about the zebra print pattern.

How to Inexpensively Decorate Your 50th Wedding Anniversary Reception

Your 50th wedding anniversary reception is a special time to celebrate 50 fantastic years of marriage and you will want to make it a party to remember! You have sent out the invitations, have the venue and the entertainment booked but now need to think about how to decorate.

Traditionally a 50th wedding anniversary is celebrated with gold and this is a great starting point for your decorations, but before you rush out and buy everything that you find in gold it is best to have a plan!

How To Decorate And Live Well

Take a good look at the reception venue and think about where all of the tables and guests will be. Where will your decorations make the most impact? Are there areas that you want to hide and those that you want to showcase?

First think about those areas you want to hide, if it is ugly walls and pillars then you can drape them with cheap tulle and hang fairy lights in front. Ask your friends and family if they have lights that you can borrow for the party. Walls can be covered with photos from the 50 years; start with their engagement and tell their story in photos, you may need to ask everyone to help by adding their photos as well.

Tables will also want decorating, cheap gold candles and gold decorations are easy to find after Christmas in the sales so keep your eye out for bargains during this time. Of course not every 50th wedding anniversary reception is going to be after Christmas and not everyone starts planning for parties too far in advance. You can still find the gold candles and if you can't then white pillar candles with gold ribbon tied around the middle will look good, you could even mix white and gold candles when you make your centrepieces.

Gold table linen can be hired if you want to make more of an impact or gold table runners or slip cloths could be easily made with cheap gold material.

Framed photographs from the 50 years are also great centrepieces, have each table named after a different decade or occasion; engagement, wedding, honeymoon, first house, etc. If the anniversary couple are famous for their hobbies, or for the number of houses they have lived in, then you could use this as your theme and have photographs for each table.

Flowers are also an important part of a 50th anniversary celebration, you could have a replica bouquet for the bride and the top table or fill the room with gold flowers. Look for cheaper flowers for the time of year, carnations and daisies are fairly cheap and if you pack the flowers into a tight display they look great. Spend your money on flowers where they are going to be seen, the top table is a must and then have petals and candles on the other tables.

Gold balloons and gold paper lanterns are also a cheap way to add a touch of the gold color to more areas of the reception venue. You can make simple balloon displays yourself by hiring a helium canister and buying good quality gold balloons, tie them altogether with gold ribbon and secure them to the tables or the edges of the dance floor. Paper lanterns can be picked up cheaply online and you could have these hanging down.

Your 50th wedding anniversary reception will look beautiful, just remember to take lots of photos and have a great time!

How to Inexpensively Decorate Your 50th Wedding Anniversary Reception

About this Author

Suz Daykin loves planning great parties and is the Editor of Anniversary Gifts By Year, the complete guide for anniversary gift ideas and how to plan great anniversary parties.

Lots more 50th Anniversary ideas to help you plan the 50th anniversary party.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Suz_Daykin

How You Can Get The Nostalgic Look Of 1930's Decorating In Your Home

Accessories are the highlights of any interior design and could help pull your 1930's style decorating theme together. Using nostalgic style accessories will help accentuate the nostalgic and interesting allure of your room décor, making it have the appeal of nostalgic style. Your 1930's décor will really pop when you add specific coordinating knick-knacks, pillows and wall art.

Wall art is vital in any design, but if you don't situate it properly it is sure to spoil the whole effect. Many people arrange paintings and prints so that the bottom or top edges line up, but it's important to arrange them so that the middle of the pieces line up. If you have numerous piece to use on one wall, try arranging them on the floor initially to locate the perfect arrangement. You can bring interesting panache into your 1930's style decorating theme design with 1930's travel or movie posters that you should hang simple black frames.

How To Decorate And Live Well

Finding the appropriate knick knacks to go with your decor can be fun and also help pull the room together. To compliment your vintage decor, buy knick knacks with a nostalgic and interesting feeling. Adding art deco or art nouveau clocks, lamps and vases on shelves, mantles and tables can give you a terrific look and so can geometric shaped knick knacks on shelves. When looking for pieces try to acquire ones that mirror your unique tastes. If you have minimal funds, try shopping at garage sales and flea markets for excellent interesting decorative items.

Decorative pillows are another accessory you can make use of to spruce up your room design. If you were under the impression that pillows were purely for the bedroom, think again, they can provide a fascinating touch to any room including the dining room, kitchen, bathroom and living room. Pillows are smart for those with a budget because displaying them with your existing living room furniture can help give it a vintage decor allure without having to acquire new items. You can decorate with pillows in the bath or kitchen by putting them on chairs, shelving and any corner or any interesting spot. Putting decorative pillows stacked at the head of your bed can add a great professional appeal. Add a comfortable appeal to your decor with pillows that are made from vintage fabrics.

Some accessories that can help add interest to the feeling of nostalgic style include vintage signs, vintage linens, and jadite items. To better add appeal to your decorating theme, you should select accessories that not only go with each other, but also the decorating theme. Don't stray to far from your theme or you could end up with a non definitive room design.

Adding art deco style furniture and accessories to your 1930's style decorating theme will completely help the room have a unique touch. Make sure you have a plan for what styles of pieces to purchase and stick to that plan. Also, think about the sizes you are looking for that will help add to the room decor. Buying items which look great together will help ensure your design theme really pops!

How You Can Get The Nostalgic Look Of 1930's Decorating In Your Home

Lee Dobbins writes for Decor How To where you can learn more about decorating your home and find out more about 1930's style decorating.

How to Live Well on $1,000 a Month

My son is a university student, he receives a grant of £3,000 (,000) a year and somehow finances his life with that. I asked him how he manages on so little. He replied that the only things he spends money on are rent and food. He said he lives on 'Rice and ketchup'. For the time being he's happy enough with his lifestyle, but let me tell you about an alternative to penny-pinching for adults with a low income.

Actually, I'm going to re-phrase that. The problem is not having too low an income, it's the cost of living in countries including the USA, Canada, Ireland and Britain that is too high. But you you know that already if your home is in one of those places.

How To Decorate And Live Well

To fill up a shopping cart at the supermarket costs a hundred pounds or the same in dollars. A cup of coffee in Starbucks is two dollars, a haircut is ten bucks and a short ride on a city bus .45. I guess some people take this in their stride, I don't. Those prices seem outrageous to me. Perhaps it's tolerable if you are on a big wage, but some of us aren't and have little prospect that we ever will be.

It appears that there are just two ways to adapt to this situation. Either you are very careful to spend only a minimum and always look for the cheapest options, from food to clothing and housing costs. Or you focus on pushing up your income by getting a better job or doing longer hours. But what kind of life is that? Depressing and tiring, I'd say. You have little time for yourself and your family and when you are home what you need most is a chance to get some sleep and relax.

For many years I put maximum energy into building up a business to make the income needed to live the consumer lifestyle. But doing so drained me and there came a point when I didn't feel like battling on. Despite earning a lot, I still had a bank overdraft and credit card debts.

Then I took a radical step and moved to a cheaper country. It was a revelation; I discovered that the intense effort required to make a living in the rich, or should I say rip-off, countries is unnecessary. You don't have to work like a dog to live well. In fact you can have a very pleasant life on just a fraction of the money you've required in your homeland.

Why don't more people do this and live where a dollar goes far further? Part of the reason is the assumption that reduced living costs mean a poorer quality of life. In my opinion it's actually the opposite; With lower outgoings you don't need to work so hard or for so long hours. The result is that you can relax and enjoy life very much more. There is nothing to stop you taking some free time to do the things which make life fun. Perhaps you like golf, tennis or sailing. Whatever your favourite leisure activity, having the chance to do it when you choose makes a great improvement to your quality of life.

An issue that may concern you when thinking about moving abroad is whether you can earn money in your new country. The short answer is that in any part of the planet where you can get an internet connection you have the possibility of generating an online income.

Where to move to? There are many possible locations. I chose Mexico and recommend it highly, but there are many other interesting possibilities. Obviously some places are not suitable, but there are more that are.

The list of factors to consider when thinking about living abroad continues with housing, local language, distance from friends and family, healthcare, education for children, crime-risk, pests, climate and more.

I've experienced life in 6 countries and have described the advantages and drawbacks that I found in these places in an article you will probably find interesting.

Here's wishing you a happy ex-pat future.

How to Live Well on ,000 a Month

Why Work, Retire Now [http://www.27ways.ca/why_work_retire_now.htm]

How to pay less for Any Air Ticket [http://fly-business-class-cheap.27ways.ca/]

How To Decorate Fireplace Mantel

When you decorate fireplace mantel, your fireplace is one area in your home that is going to be a focal point. This is the one thing that most people will notice when they enter your home. They will see this beautiful piece and they will compliment you on your style. This is why you should take the time to make sure that your mantel looks the way that you want. You should make sure that the mantel fits your style and the personality of your home.

Getting your mantel to look its best is not hard. If you have an old mantel, you should take the time to fix it up. If you want to have a distressed country look, you may want to have the mantel look the way it does. If you want it to have a different look, you may want to spruce it up to meet your needs. You can do many things for your mantel so that your home will look better.

How To Decorate And Live Well

Getting your mantel to look its best is not hard. You can do a few simple things to make your mantel stand out in any room. No matter what your style is for your home, you can bring that out in the mantel that you create in your home. You can use anything to decorate fireplace mantel or you can leave it bare. It is up to you and what you want for you home.

There are looks that are more contemporary or you can stick to the country look for your home. If you are not happy with the mantel that you have in your home, you can do what you want to make it look different. You can make improvements as you want and this will increase the value of your home.

If your fireplace is not working, you should still have a great looking mantel to decorate it. You can still use the mantel for all that it is worth. You will still get the same great advantages with the mantel that you would have if your fireplace worked. It is all about the look and the things that you decide to use when you decorate fireplace mantel.

Remember to decorate fireplace mantel for each holiday. You can do more than just Christmas for your mantel. You can bring any holiday alive with your decorated fireplace mantel. You can place your favorite Easter, Valentine's Day or Halloween decorations on the mantel as well. You can get as creative as you want and bring life your home with your mantel.

How To Decorate Fireplace Mantel

Kenneth Langlet is an independent writer and owner of the website [http://www.all-about-fireplace-mantel.com/] where you can get more information about fireplace mantel.

How to Choose the Right Living Room Carpet

When choosing carpet for your living room, the standard questions apply, such as: What will you use this room for most? How much foot traffic will the carpet endure?

If you're carpeting a living room, not a family room or den, it's likely that you will reserve this room for more formal occasions, and the foot traffic probably won't be as heavy as in some other rooms of your home.

How To Decorate And Live Well

If that is the case, you can focus your attention primarily on choosing the carpet you want for this room based on color, style and quality. Sound like fun? It can be if you know what to look for when you begin shopping.

Consider Color, Light and Space When Choosing your Living Room Carpet

Choosing color and style for your new carpet is a personal choice, and there are many options for you to consider. A lot depends on where you're beginning with your room. It's true that color, light and space all have a specific influence on your room's ambiance.

Coordinating Your Décor and Your Carpet

Assessing your personal circumstances will make the choice easier. Are you starting from scratch with your carpet and furnishings, or do you have furnishings and draperies you want to coordinate with your new carpet?

If you are building a new home, you might decide to shop for your furniture before choosing your carpet. Then, you can have a better idea of which carpet will complement your décor best. If you're remodeling your room, you may have furnishings and draperies you will continue to use with the new carpet.

Either way, an important thing to remember is that you can highlight your carpet, or you can highlight your décor and allow the carpet to become an elegant backdrop.

The Effects of Lighting

Light has an enormous effect on the way your carpet looks in your home. So even if you choose a great color at the store, it may look vastly different in your home.

Always remember that the lighting in the carpet showroom is very different from the lighting in your home. The best solution is to obtain samples to take home with you, if at all possible.

Having samples at home will give you the opportunity to look at the carpet during different times of the day and in different types of light - natural sunlight, under lamps, and under overhead lighting.

Choosing Your Color

How big is your living room? What kind of atmosphere do you want to create? These are important questions to ask yourself as you choose the color of your carpet.

This doesn't mean you are limited in any way with your color choice; it's just a consideration. You may prefer a cozy feeling for your room, or you may prefer that your room appears large and open.

It's all a matter of choice, and it's up to you to choose exactly what you want. You get to decide on the ambiance you want to create and then go for it!

Quality and Your Budget

Most everyone would love to buy the highest-quality carpet for their homes, but if you are on a budget, there are some things you should consider.

When you're choosing carpet for your living room, the traffic should be lighter than in your den or family room, so you don't have to purchase the most expensive carpet you can find. You can balance your budget and choose the higher grades for the areas in your home that will take the heaviest use.

Pay Attention to Carpet Performance Ratings

All residential carpet is rated to help you choose the carpet that best suits your needs. These ratings result from thorough carpet performance testing. So check the labels as you shop.

Here's how it works:

The scale goes from 1 to 5, with 5 being the carpet that maintains its new appearance best after rigorous industry-standard testing. Naturally, a carpet with this kind of rating would be a perfect choice for high-traffic areas in your home.

You should use the ratings guide not as a steadfast guarantee, but as a general guide for helping you choose which carpet might be best suitable for your specific rooms. Every family has its own particular lifestyle and practices, but these ratings can help you with your initial purchase.

Other carpet characteristics to consider when choosing the carpet that will work best for you:

If you remember these important points, you can feel more confident in making your choice. The main thing to remember is that it's your living room, and you can decorate in the color and style you will enjoy most. Choose the highest quality carpet you can afford, put proper maintenance in place, and you should enjoy your new carpet for years to come.

How to Choose the Right Living Room Carpet

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Design Ideas For Decorating A Small Living Room

Your living room is a space for gathering and entertaining therefore you want it to have a comfortable interior decorating theme. But what should you do when the space is really small? Fortunately, there are a lot of room design tricks you can use to make decorating a small living room easy!

First, you should pick an interior design theme which appeals to you but which will also add appeal to a tiny space. Having a good amount of clutter in the living room will make the place feel smaller so avoid decorating themes that clutter up the room.

How To Decorate And Live Well

Don't forget when you are decorating a small living room to research where you are placing the furniture. Even if some people reject the aspects of Feng Shui, the ideas behind it may still be used when placing the furniture in your living room. Unhindered access into a room is able to make it feel bigger, so put your furniture away from the doors. Moreover, if you do go with a larger piece of furniture, such as an entertainment, for example, it tends to help to veer guests attention to it therefore making the room seem larger into the bargain.

If you stick with an explicit design approach, then you can plan from the beginning on how to maximize the living rooms space. A sleek contemporary look can be best because this de-emphasizes clutter and is likely to emphasize space. Choosing a design style you really enjoy, however, is a good idea as this is going to be where you spend the majority of your time.

Small or medium sized furniture is your best bet when decorating a small living room. In place of having a large sofa, look at using a loveseat which will give the illusion of more space while still allowing guests to be comfortably seated. You ought to consider mixing some small pieces with some large items for added style, so combine your small sofa, use a large mirror or art piece- it might make the room feel sizeable in addition to adding character.

If you want to paint your living room, then the colors that you adopt will play an important role in making it feel larger. If you have always thought that you had to keep your smaller rooms white, then here is some terrific news for you. You are able to have color while still making the living room seem bigger by pairing colors that have the same intensity, or sticking to a monochromatic color scheme. So you should plan to pick all pale blue, or bright colors in orange, yellow and red. You will generally add interest and depth to a room if you paint the wall opposite the entrance an intense, deep hue. A gray-blue color is great for overall attractiveness and for also making the walls seem to recede, hence making the room feel more spacious. If gray isn't your favorite color, you could also try cool colors such as purples and blues to get the same effect.

Even if you have never tried to decorate before decorating a small living room might be easy. Making use of a little bit of elbow grease as well as unique creativity can help make even the smallest room appear like a decorator showplace.

Design Ideas For Decorating A Small Living Room

Lee Dobbins writes for Home Decorating Tips For Decor Charm where you can learn more about interior decorating and get more decorating tips for your home.

Bar Decorating Ideas - Tips for How to Decorate Your Home Bar

Having a home bar can be a lot of fun. It is a wonderful place to hang out with your family or to have friends over to relax and enjoy a couple of cocktails. To make the most of your home bar you should take the time to decorate it in a way that really reflects your personality while at the same time creating a fun, relaxing environment. Check out these bar decorating ideas to get some ideas of how to decorate your home bar.

Before you even think about starting to decorate, you should take a minute to consider how you plan to use the space and what your own personal style is. Are you looking for a sports bar feeling? Or perhaps you are more into a classier, more upscale feeling. Think through bars, restaurants and clubs that you have been to and see which ones stand out in your mind. Once you have figured out the style that you like decorating your bar is going to become a whole lot easier.

How To Decorate And Live Well

One of the most important parts of a home bar is the seating. You want everyone to be comfortable and relaxed. Bar stools at the bar are great, but you should also consider adding some extra seating away from the bar if space permits. Lounge chairs covered in fun zebra print or bright colored fabrics can lend an eclectic feeling to your room. For a sports bar, a large, comfy sofa with plenty of room is a nice option to provide some extra seating. When choosing your seating for your home bar try to find pieces that are relatively easy to get up from. There is nothing worse than having a drink or two and finding that you have sunken down into an overstuffed couch so far that it is hard to get out!

The artwork that you choose for the walls will also depend greatly on the atmosphere you are trying to create. Vintage posters or prints framed in nice frames can be a classy, timeless way to decorate the walls. If the space is on the smaller side consider hanging a few mirrors around to visually increase the size of the space. Always try to hang artwork or mirrors about at eye level for the average person to avoid having it look like it is too high or too low.

Bar Decorating Ideas - Tips for How to Decorate Your Home Bar

Finally, consider getting a neon sign or two to hang. Neon beer signs are relatively cheap to purchase and they create the feeling of a "real" bar atmosphere more than any other accessory you can add. Not only that, but they provide great low level mood lighting that really helps to keep your bar cozy and inviting. Check out the huge assortment of discount new and used neon bar signs at http://www.neonbeersignsforsale.info

Kathy

How To Pick The Right Living Room Decorating Themes?

One can do nearly anything they want with living room design these days, yet it is still important to consider living room decorating themes when decorating your living room. The most important element that having a decorating theme provides to any designer is the ability to see something as a collective group. Many people will find a piece of furniture that they fall in love with, and have nothing to match it with. Others will find a pattern of wall paper that looks like it came straight from heaven, yet won't be able to find a single piece of furniture to match. When you think of living room design in terms of living
room decorating themes, you will avoid having this problem, and end up with a final product
that is as kind to the eye, as it is collectively matching.

The living room decorating themes that are most common amongst people today often come in several ways, but most likely deal with work, play, or family. Each category shares some similarities when it comes to living room decorating themes, but each is distinctively different in other ways.

How To Decorate And Live Well

A living room decorating theme focused around work should incorporate all that one needs to accomplish their goals for a work at home office. Can a living room really be an office? Absolutely, in fact, the number of people telecommuting to work is higher today, than ever before. When doing a living room decorating theme around this concept, simply make the space a useful one, with sofas that position your body upright, chairs that could be used for conferences and tables that could be used as desks. The more double duty the furniture you choose does, the better your living room decorating theme will be.

Thinking of a living room decorating themes is the realm of play, is as much fun as living in one. There are a many ways to make a living room the ultimate playroom. Everything from home theater elements, to parlor games should be considered when doing this living room decorating theme. You could skip wall paper on a wall, and install a chalkboard, or a white board, for the fun of it. It doesn't get much more playful than drawing on the wall.

While most think of a family living room decorating theme as one with board games, and fluffy carpet, it can be much more. Family oriented living room decorating themes are common in home decorating circles, and often are similar in looks. In order to accommodate a family you must have a place for everyone to sit. For this theme, you should focus on making the sofa as large as possible, with as much room for the family as needed. Using the sofa as a design anchor, the rest of this living room decorating theme should fall into place.

Copyright Shrinivas Vaidya

How To Pick The Right Living Room Decorating Themes?

Shrinivas Vaidya is the webmaster of http://www.livingroomdatabase.com Visit today to get more free living room decorating tips to decorate a beautiful and charming living room of your wildest dreams.

How to Make a Small Room Look Bigger

One question repetitively heard by interior design professionals is how to make a small room look bigger. At any rate of home interior design - whether contemporary or country, most homeowners go along with; more space would be great. A small space can be challenging when it comes to decorating your home. You desire to make the most out of your small space. Regardless of house size or layout, one or more rooms are frequently on the small side. A small space can be a fine project to find out what style of decorating you can do with this size of space. It takes inventiveness and forethought to come up including an effective space saving room design devoid of compromising on home decor. There are ways that you can style the most out of your small space.

Clear Up the Clutter to Make the Room Bigger

How To Decorate And Live Well

The primarily thing is to make your room look enhanced and bigger then it actually is. Clear up the clutter - The most efficient method of cleaning is to first cleanse the entire house of every damaged or slightly misused toys. Whichever household items that have not been worn in a year or more ought to be recycled or discarded. Magazines, newspapers and old books must be properly disposed of. Just getting rid of all the clutter in your house will change its' look drastically. Too much objects always makes a small room feel cramped. With things neatly set and out of sight, the space that is in view will feel orderly and open.

Furniture and Curtain Arrangement

Another alternative ways to make a house look bigger is having less furniture and decorations in each room. Furniture poses yet an added challenge. Overloading a room with furniture exceptionally when your space is limited can just make it appear even smaller. Break up your furniture into small and intimate groupings to having one larger conversation area. Position the larger pieces of furniture at the wall's angle in corner. This will open up particular wall space and make the room look bigger. Moved away your furniture from the walls and it will make your furniture more attractive.

Keep an eye on how much furniture you place in your small space. Keep in mind, you want to avoid a cluttered look. Use the least amount of furniture that you can, and make sure the furniture you choose is functional, not just pretty. Together with furniture and accessories blocking the view into a room and out to open spaces, a room will appear smaller. By moving furniture out and away from walkways, you'll open up the room and make it feel larger, particularly if you can notice the floor. Only put furniture back into your room that you will use and therefore limit yourself to just a few pieces. A small room should always have shelves built in to the walls. Your room is small also you do not want to add much furniture in your room. Built in wall shelves can improve depth to your room and make your area look even larger.

When you hang curtains up, hang them up closer to the ceiling overtop of the window and spread out and hang your curtain rod over every side of the window to make your window seem larger. Let your curtains fall on each side of the window exposing the entire window in the center. This will fool the eye and make it appear like your window is tall and large. Making your small area seem larger. Don't put ornamental pieces in the way of visitors. Shift them to roomy areas. As soon as they are out of the way, passages will be enhanced together with the effect that the room becomes bigger. Buy home decor items that are tall instead of broad. Broad furnishings take up more space and will make the room look small.

Create an Infinity Effect

One of the preeminent, slightest expensive ways to adorn small rooms and create the illusion of more space is with the use of a mirror. Adding mirrors will make your small space seem bigger giving it reflections and making it look as if like it is bigger then it really is. Try to arrange the mirror side by side, floor to ceiling or facing each other on opposite walls to create an infinity effect. Consist of few sources of lighting in all room with light coming from different heights and directions. If workable, add ample mirrors in your bathroom as well. The reflection of the room in the mirror can fake the eye into idea like there's more of the space.

Choosing Color

Color is important for any room, but especially for small rooms. The color of your room can additionally make your area look bigger. White or neutral colors can brighten up your room making it appear to be bigger. Paint can open up your small space and grant it a friendly and alluring look. Neutral, light shades and bright colors perform best; stay away from dark colors. Dark colors in a room can get your room in making it look smaller. Stay away from patterned wallpaper, which has the leaning to overpower small spaces.

Let There be Light!

The room have to be properly lit to open up the space either by natural or artificial lighting. You can add a few lightning features to the room if you do not have a lot of natural light. Try replacing floor lamps and table with wall fixtures. If you cannot switch these stuff, look for ones that are space friendly and buy a small shades or no shades at all. If you have way in to natural light, make full use of it. Bring it into your home through windows. Pull back window coverings or use sheer ones to bring more light in. Open up the windows to let the light of the outdoors into the area, as well. By letting the natural light flow into the room, it will open up the room and make it appear larger. Lighting is a key element in opening up a space.

Conclusion

When selling a house there is one thing you can do to make the house easier to sell. This thing is make the house look larger and attempt to get as much light into the room as you possible can. Majority of people won't buy a house if it looks very small. Together with the information in this article you should be on your way to a bigger looking room in no time.

How to Make a Small Room Look Bigger

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Rustic Country Decor - How to Decorate Cottage Style Homes

Rustic country decor and how to decorate cottage style homes are extensions of American country style decorating. In addition, traditions are borrowed from French, English and some Swedish country looks. Rustic country decor can be defined as coarse, charmingly simple, unfussy, unfinished and yet with endearing qualities. Rustic country decorating includes the use of natural woods, aged surfaces, rough finishes and simple lines. Cottage style homes are comfortable, modest, quaint homes that can be made of thick stone or log wood.

Floors in rustic country decor and cottage style homes are made with stone or wood materials. Wooden floors were traditionally constructed with boards that were bare and simply waxed and hand-polished (high-gloss varnishes did not exist). Sometimes the boards were painted with light colors. If you like floor coverings, use oriental rugs and throws for visual warmth and color. Rustic country decor is about handcrafted objects, simplicity, furnishings that you enjoy and connecting back to nature.

How To Decorate And Live Well

Rustic cottage furniture is commonly made with pine and perhaps painted with hand-painted designs such as flowers, birds, animals, country scenery or leaves. Use ladderback chairs, rocking chairs, benches, wicker furniture and Windsor chairs. A large rectangular table made of pine is a good option for your kitchen or dining room table. To give your furniture a rustic look, brush a coat of paint on the furniture piece, then rub most of the paint off. After it dries, apply wood stain unevenly for an older weathered appearance. It will be perfect and rustic looking!

Baskets can be used to store wood, pine cones, flowers, plants and needlework. Brass candle holders, oil or kerosene lamps, sconces, hurricane lamps, tin lanterns, recessed ceiling fixtures or a vintage wrought-iron or metal chandelier provide successful lighting for rustic country decor and cottage style homes. Colors used in rustic country decor or cottage style homes are neutral tones ranging from white to bone, earth tones, red barn, blues and greens.

For rustic country decor in the kitchen, use open shelves, hutches, buffets, plate racks and cupboards for storage. Often, country kitchen storage is crammed with stoneware pots, plain glazed earthenware and glass jars. Kitchen pots should be made of copper, steel or cast iron -- cookware tends to be large and plain. Use open shelving in the rustic country kitchen to display plates, dishes and dinnerware collections. Natural woods, light colors and bright fabrics work great for window treatments. Adding a rustic butcher block island creates a wonderful visual effect as well as provides useful functionality.

A rustic country decor bathroom has neutral tones or soft colored walls, antique-looking lighting, and wooden antiques or antique reproduction cabinets and vanity. Knowing how to decorate cottage style homes and bathrooms can result in creating a calm and elegant atmosphere. Clawfoot tubs, pedestal sinks, country style antique brass faucets and old-fashioned country cabinets provide the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to spend time there. Plain white towels are recommended instead of patterned or bright modern patterns. Use wicker or wire baskets to keep your sponges, loofas and shampoos handy near the tub or shower.

Understanding how to decorate cottage style homes means including items like quilts, antique furniture or reproductions, flea-market pieces, trunks, chests, armoires, stenciling, wallpaper, adirondack chairs, flower wreaths and bistro chairs. These types of elements give cottage style homes the kind of rustic country decor that is simpler, very personal and warmly inviting.

Whether in a seaside setting, an urban environment, a countryside location or a wooded mountain retreat, cottage style homes are cozy and unassuming, combining the past with the present. Read all you can find and learn what creating the rustic country cottage means to you no matter where it's located. Enjoy expressing your personality and showing what the definition of home means to you.

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing

Rustic Country Decor - How to Decorate Cottage Style Homes

David Buster is VP of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of http://www.yourdreamloghome.com - visit the website and learn more about rustic country home decor and design, rustic kitchens and bathrooms, log cabins, fireplaces and firewood and much more.