Home & Garden Club

Home Decorating and even holiday decorating are more a testament to our continuing affluence than anything. Back in

years gone by, our homes were considered places to stay and live, not as an extension of our own personalities. Back

then, homes were also built all as custom homes, that is, the age of the tract housing boom had not yet taken root. Therefore, even if the older homes were not as lavishly decorated, they still maintained a level of distinction due to the custom building of that era.

Moving into the late 20th century, WW-2 had just ended and dropped a lot of young men and women back into the country with new found abilities to afford their own homes via the GI bill. This huge demand caused the housing booms that resulted all cross the country. The good thing was that these homes were inexpensive but the negative was that the tract home was born. thousands of cookie cutter sameness soon dotted the land almost everywhere people were interested in living. This in turn drove the need for some type of distinction to make the new homes somehow different and a statement of their new owners. The age of home decorating had finally come to the working class.

A home is cozier and more comfortable than any other place. We build our homes with the utmost care and sincerity. After all, it is a place where we spend most of our lives. Home decorating means a lot to the owner. It also demands hard work and devotion, as it is not an easy task. Decorating includes both the interior as well as exterior aspects.

Initially, home decorating started off simply as changing the paint or wallpaper but has led to a boom in furnishings, artwork, collectibles and even flooring materials. Just the range of available flooring options is incredible. You can choose from marble, granite tiles, bricks, slates, concrete, or steel. To add more color, suitable carpets can be spread. Rugs can be used to complement them. So before, basic flooring was acceptable, in our quest for making our home truly ours, we have needed to remodel, rebuild, rework and otherwise redesign almost everything in our homes.

Walls, pillars, and other standouts can be decorated using artifacts, paintings or wall hangings. Modern art is becoming a common choice. And it’s not just the living room, but every part of the home now gets the star treatment. This includes, new rooms for babies, teens, young adults, toddlers and children.

In the end, what we really want is to open the door after a hard days work and say….Home at Last!

Decorating a small home or apartment can be a challenge but the outcome can be a great look combined with style and comfort. The key to a home decorating idea for small spaces is to plan carefully to make the most of the existing space without overwhelming the area.

Here are tips to consider before you get started with your home decorating ideas:

*Don’t make a small room seem smaller by filling it full of “stuff.” This means you might have to put away some of your knick-knacks and restrain yourself from buying additional decorative items. You will find an uncluttered home will provide more comfort and pleasure and make your home decorating idea a reality.

*Make your rooms multi-purpose. A child’s room can be a study or play room which will keep toys and activities in a confined space.

*Consider the creative use of room divider screens. They can be easily moved if you feel the need to open up the place once in a while. Another home decorating tip is to turn bookcases so they are at a right angle to the wall which will provide a private area for a computer desk. Placing a side table with a plant on top against the open back of the bookcase will make it look like a piece of furniture. Choosing a bookcase with a finished back will enhance the look.

*A fundamental home decorating idea for small homes is to choose furniture with space considerations at the forefront; such as, folding, rolling, nesting or anything else that easily condenses in size when not in use. Dining room tables with leaves are a “must” in a small home or apartment. Stacking end tables work well in the living room and a chest or trunk makes a great living room coffee table.

*Mirrors and light that create the illusion of space are basic components in a small area. Keeping your window coverings open during the day will help to eliminate dark corners which can make your home seem smaller. Adding a mirror to each room is a basic home decorating idea which adds openness as well as functionality and style to a room.

*Check out hotels and mobile homes to see how to maximize space but still be attractive. Mobile homes are especially well-designed and make the most of limited space. Consider the use of practical “built-ins” in your own small home or apartment.

With imagination and creativity you can make your home decorating ideas a reality even in a small home or apartment.

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A simple home decorating idea to invigorate a room is to let it reflect the change in seasons. Here are several home decorating ideas for making those seasonal transitions simple and easy.

Home decorating ideas for making the switch to summer:

*Replace heavy draperies with lace curtains or sheer panels to give that light, airy look.

*Rearrange furniture to let in light and air and to take in the view of outdoors

*Drape a summery throw over the sofa or use striped or lighter-weight white or cream slipcovers.

*Put away the heavier wool rugs and use cotton rugs, straw mats or leave the floors bare.

*Dress up the fireplace with dried flowers, a candle arrangement, or unique, summery home decor.

*Add a touch of color with items such as painted flower pots and colorful table linens.

*Bring the garden indoors with a wicker chair, a glass-top wrought iron table and birdhouses.

Home decorating ideas for transitioning to winter:

*Use traditional wool, Oriental, or Navajo rugs as area rugs over carpet or bare floors.

*Add winter warmth to any décor with velvet slipcovers and chenille and mohair throws.

*Burrow under flannel sheets, vintage quilts and comforters for a good night’s rest.

*Go for deep, rich colors—navy blue, russet, burgundy, and eggplant

*Bring the outdoors inside with a rustic basket filled with pinecones and urns filled with evergreens or branches with winter berries.

*Display bowls of winter fruits on tables and countertops—apples, pears, and pomegranates.

*Provide a soothing, comforting glow to any room in the house with candles.

*Bring furniture closer together for that warm, cozy feeling.

See how easy it is to shift from one season to the next by implementing these simple home decorating ideas. Don’t forget to add a touch of spring and fall décor for the in-between seasons.

Are you looking for home decorating tips to help you feel more focused on your latest decorating project? Here are a few ideas to get you “back on track.”

First of all, where are all of your home décor accessories? Are they scattered among several closets and drawers around the house? Consider setting up an “accessories closet” which will hold all of the items you are not currently using. This might include such objects as candles, candleholders, vases, bowls, floral arrangements, and trays. The “accessories closet” should also hold practical, everyday necessities such as scissors, tape and floral-arranging materials as well as a tool-box containing common household tools.

Imagine how easy it will be to change the home decor in a room when the seasons change. Just look in the “accessories closet” for a touch of fall decor to replace that summery flower arrangement. Now that makes home decorating fast and easy!

Another home decorating tip is to add height to accessories on a table which makes them more attractive to the eye. Try using a small stack of books mixed in with other home decor to add interest to the display. You might also set a small novelty item on top of the books.

Twigs in pottery vases make quite a statement and are very easy to assemble. These “bare branches” might be bamboo, willow twigs, cattails or unique, rustic branches purchased in a floral or craft shop. A large vase and branch arrangement looks great sitting on the floor and can be an attractive “filler” for a bare corner.

Keep in mind the home decorating rule of arranging home décor in odd numbers. Three small baskets on a table, five small framed prints on a wall, and seven tall, slim candleholders over the fireplace—you get the idea! Arrangements of three, five, or seven are more attractive and pleasing to the eye than groupings of two, four, or six objects.

Enjoy seeing your decorating projects take on a new life by mixing ingenuity and imagination to make home decorating easy and fun.

When we talk about home decor a whole host of ideas will start to come into your mind. What colors to use, what furniture to use, whether or not to use accessories, thinking about whether to use wallpaper or paint!

These are just a few ideas that you might be thinking of at the moment, but what about all the others as well? There are so many options available to you when you start to rethink your home decor that it can be arduous task trying to make everything fit together.

Think about it, you may already have lots of things in your home that you want to keep, so you have to make sure that whatever else you add to your home decor that it all fits nicely together. What if you are on a tight budget? Decorating can be expensive and it can get out of hand quickly if you don’t budget properly for it.

This is where a good thought out plan could come in handy. There is no point just going to the hardware store or the DIY store and buying lots of different things: paints, accessories, lighting, tapestries, rugs and then getting home and none it fits anywhere!

Home decor can be easy if it is planned and done right from the word go. Go from room to room and make two lists. One list should detail everything you want to keep in your new home decor ideas and the other list can be of everything that can go and has no place in your home anymore. You could either take the unwanted belongings to the charity shop or sell them or if they not fit for either you could dispose of them safely.

When you have a list of everything you want to keep and you have disposed of everything else, you can start to plan your home decor ideas in a clear manner. You could even take photographs of everything you like and look to see if your new ideas match your old ones.

Your colors in your home decor plan don’t have to match exactly, but shades of similar colors or other colors that match each other are vital. Your home decor must look as though it flows from one to the other, so the colors have to have a flowing feel to them. Your accessories within your home decor can help to do this as well making it easier to get the general feel of the home’s personality.

Your home is a reflection of yourself, that’s why home decor is so important. Get it wrong and you feel uncomfortable, edgy and not relaxed. You should feel relaxed and comfortable in your own home, that’s why if you get your home decor right, you will enjoy spending time in your home and you will be able to feel more at peace with yourself.

Find more tips at http://www.Decor4u.com. Remember to plan your Tapestries and Final Touches in Home Decor carefully and you will be reaping the rewards for many years to come.