House Decorating Ideas

The home theater is a relatively new concept in home decorating. Today, many families prefer to keep a separate room for televisions, flat-panel monitors, DVDs, video game systems, and other entertainment media, thereby allowing the living room to remain a quiet space for relaxing activities. However, just because the home theater room is designed for a very specific purpose, that doesn’t mean that you have to stick with a simple, utilitarian design. Instead, think of it as your own personal canvas for adding to the entertainment value of the room. Here are a few ideas to inject even more fun into your home theater.

• Wild West: Do you have a fan of Western movies in your household? Use your media room as a place to fully explore this style with a bit of tongue-in-cheek irreverence. Use a light tan on the walls to emulate the desert landscape, choose saddle-tone leather for your theater seating arrangement, and cover the walls with Western kitsch and collectibles. A simple coiled rope makes a great lasso display, and a pair of bull horns will serve as a great focal point over the main television.
• Super-Sleek Contemporary: If you are a gadget lover whose home theater is chock full of the latest in high-tech media components, it may make the most sense for you to create a look that builds upon, rather than tries to hide, the plethora of silver boxes that probably dominate the room. Choose black seating, furniture with straight lines, a mid-tone gray for the walls, and lots of silver and/or glass accent pieces. For artwork, stick with simple, geometric shapes in a limited palette. Create interest with different textures, repetition, and unified displays of mono-toned collections of objects.
• The Silver Screening Room: Another popular concept for the home theater is creating décor that is an homage to the cinema. The best type of seating for this room is the commercially available home theater recliners, but rows of any type of comfortable black or dark-toned chairs will also suffice. A rich burgundy or navy blue on the walls will help recall the grandeur and glamour of Old Hollywood. Use a heavy, long fabric in the same deep tone as a window treatment with gold rope accents. Art ideas include old movie posters and other movie paraphernalia, film spools and other projection equipment, star motifs, and wall letters or signs that emulate the look of a marquee.

In the past, the guest room often looked very much like the afterthought that it was: a hodgepodge of leftover furniture and odds and ends that hopefully allowed enough room for visitors to sleep. Today, the trend is focused on creating guest rooms that showcase hospitality and concern for your visitors’ comfort and convenience. At the same time, many guest rooms have to do double duty, serving as an office, craft room, or storage space after the visitors have gone. Think of it as your own mini-suite at a welcomingly cozy bed ‘n’ breakfast to do with what you will, but don’t forget to add practical considerations such as under-bed storage to your design plan. Here are some style suggestions for your guest room redesign.

• Transitional: While other rooms allow you a chance to express yourself, this room should be designed with your guests in mind. A simple, soothing transitional look may be the best bet to let your guests relax in style. Choose café au lait-colored walls, warm, mid-toned furniture with clean lines, and a dark brown or off-white duvet cover or comforter. Wood blinds paired with a simple pair of tab top curtains will provide privacy and style. Choose dark iron light fixtures or accents if you want a more traditional look, or silver accents if you have a more modern style in mind. Simple framed artwork in a muted palette will unify the room.
• Shabby Chic: This increasingly popular look brings the garden indoors with simple retro charm. Choose white painted or wicker furniture, light pastel green or blue on the walls, and vintage or vintage-look accents and art. The fun part is scouring thrift stores for unique accents; just make sure that most of your finds are in the same color family so that the combined impact isn’t overwhelming. Light fixtures with suspended crystal pendants make a dramatic statement, especially when contrasted with a lightweight, sheer window treatment. As a finishing touch, antique ceiling tins make great wall art.

Whether it’s a formal dinner party or a casual weekday morning breakfast, the dining room is usually thought of primarily as a venue for chowing down. But you don’t have to skimp on style just because the dining room usually hosts only eating-related activities. A versatile style is best for this space; plan on a look that can be easily dressed up for company with the addition of a few choice accessories and made more informal during the week by setting some of the extra knickknacks and accents in a drawer. Need some inspiration? See if any of these ideas spark your imagination!

Mediterranean: This subdued but comforting look is the perfect match for a dining room. Begin with a simple faux finish on the walls using gold tones, designed to emulate the look of fine plaster in a Tuscan villa. Supplement with rich floral fabrics and window treatments in mid-range corals and greens. If you have artistic talent, you can decorate the walls with simple floral or ivy patterns (stencils are a great option for this, too). Keep the lighting low and indirect to preserve the mood in the room. Dark iron accents complete the look.
Contemporary Asian: Because dining rooms require a few pieces of furniture, it is easy to achieve the streamlined look this style requires. Use a cream wall color to keep the backdrop simple. Select clean-lined pieces in a very dark wood tone. Bring in natural textiles as window treatments, such as bamboo blinds. A dark-colored Oriental rug is an obvious choice underfoot, and dark red accents will provide an interesting counterpoint. Asian-inspired accents will unify the look.
Paris Style: Bring the sophistication and charm of the French capital into your dining room with a few small touches. Select a mid-tone dinette set with rounded lines, and choose paint and textiles in several shades of coffee and caramel brown. Use semi-structured curtains in a heavy fabric in chestnut brown or rust. Gold accents, Impressionist artwork, and a few contrasting splashes of dark red will tie the look together.

They say the kitchen is the heart of the home, and with good reason. Did you ever notice how gatherings of people always migrate there? You may have your formal rooms decorated to the nines for a New Year’s Eve party, but inevitably, everyone will end up trading banter and laughs around the kitchen counter. All told, you probably spend more time in this room than in almost any other, so why not make it look as appealing as it smells when you’re whipping up a delicious dinner? Maybe one of these kitchen décor ideas will work for you, or maybe you can spice one of them up with your own secret ingredients.

• Transitional: This style has gained increasing popularity in kitchens over the last several years. Transitional style, if you’ll remember, combines both contemporary and traditional elements to achieve a cozy yet modern compromise between these two styles. The transitional kitchen is characterized by mid-tone woods with clean lines, stainless steel appliances, and accents, granite or granite-look countertops, and a warm earth tone such as rust or gold on the walls. Complete this look with simple framed artwork in complementary colors and tailored unfussy window treatments.
• Tuscan: If the Mediterranean region of Italy inspires you, there are few spaces as welcoming as a Tuscan-look kitchen. Choose a warm terra cotta color for the walls, using a faux finish to emulate the look of plaster if possible. Cabinets and furniture can be a warm mid-tone wood or painted white. Bring the look of the earth into the room with natural materials such as marble or ceramic floors and countertops. Accents should be earthy, with the colors purple and green highlighted to reflect the influence of wine production in the Tuscan region. If you’re ambitious, a hand-stenciled ivy wall border is a great accent idea. Complete the look with artwork depicting primitive Italian scenes.
• Country: Does a down-home, traditional look appeal to you? Today’s country kitchens are a far cry from the frilly, dowdy looks that dominated this style genre in the past. Approach the style with a pared-down, spare aesthetic in mind. Furniture should be mid-toned wood with clean lines in the Shaker style. For cabinetry and accents, try a muted milk-paint tone of blue or red, with walls painted in a lighter tone from the same color family. Ceramic tile countertops make an interesting, user-friendly style statement. Choose wall art that reflects the style, with prints and accents depicting roosters, vegetables, and outdoor scenes. Simple, lightweight window treatments add a finishing touch.

One of the most notable trends in home décor in recent years has been the incredible expansion in the size of the average residential bathroom. In the past, bathrooms were often tiny spaces with barely enough room to take care of your daily hygiene routine without banging into the wall. Today’s bathrooms are expansive, with a design that reflects a renewed emphasis on allowing those who enter it a much-needed respite from the whirlwind of twenty-first-century life. Don’t have the budget for renovations? No problem — you can introduce a soothing note of serenity with just a few simple changes. Look over these ideas to help you find bathroom bliss.

• Spa Style: Don’t feel like you can’t create the feel of a spa bathroom without a huge remodeling budget. By creating a minimalist, relaxing space and adding a few key accents, you’ll be relaxing in no time. Choose a clean, muted color such as a light sage green for the walls. Select dark-toned wood for your cabinetry and storage furniture, with simple wood blinds as the window treatment. Ceramic or even vinyl tile in a muted earth tone complements this look. To maintain a sense of serenity, limit the amount of wall art and accent pieces. Plush white towels, linens, and bathrobes complete the look.
• Art Deco: If you live in an older house, it may be best to try to capitalize on the unique charm of the existing space rather than starting anew with drastic renovation. The sleek, streamlined art deco look reflects the unique charm of the 1920s and works well in a smaller space. Key ingredients include a beveled pedestal sink, black and white ceramic or hex tile on the floors and, if possible, the walls, and lots of gleaming mirrored, nickel, and white surfaces. Use wall art and accents in bold black with a geometric, streamlined look. If you prefer a contrasting wall color, pink or salmon also works well with the deco style.

Smart homeowners are always looking to improve their home. Sometimes the wish list can be a mile long, but the pocket book can be a dollar short! So, just how does one achieve the goal of updating their home on a budget? Learn from what others have found out from experience! You’ll be surprised to learn that home improvements don’t have to cost a fortune. Let’s take a look at a few tips for improving your home on a budget.

An easy and cost effective way to spruce up your home is by painting the interior. To estimate the amount of paint you need, you have to calculate the square footage of the walls. Simply multiply the length of the wall by its height. One gallon of paint will cover approximately 350 square feet. Bear in mind that you may need two coats of paint, depending on what color you are painting over.

If you have water leaking from the top of the tap of your faucet, there are two ways you can solve this problem. First try tightening the gland nut. The gland nut keeps the spindle of the tap in place. If this doesn’t work, try replace the rubber seal on the spindle, also known as the O-ring.

If you have a lot of dirt in your backyard or garden, you can easily make your own pathways using pavers and stones. You don’t need to use any concrete, just lay your stones in a nice design or pattern in the area you need it to cover. This can provide a nice and balanced look to your garden, as well as keeping your shoes dirt free.

Is it cheaper to do it yourself or pay someone else? If you decide to completely re-do your bathroom, but know nothing about plumbing, it might be beneficial to pay a plumber to come in. Also, you can check out the self help books at your local building supply. Don’t be afraid to ask. A simple project shouldn’t cost more because of inexperience.

Do you want to gain a little closet or floor space in your next home improvement project? Relocate your water heater to your attic! Modern water heaters are produced in efficient, reliable “low-boy” designs that you can tuck safely between your ceiling and your roof. This allows you to gain a little extra storage space.

Gutters are often the culprit in drainage problems, especially if you have had a particularly rainy season. Gutters that wet the exterior walls instead of carrying water away from them can lead to the occurrence of basement leaks. To prevent this, clean your gutters regularly.

To improve your bathroom’s appearance, try using a new glaze. Fresh glazing can transform an old bathroom. It will cost less to glaze a bathroom than it would to replace the floors and fixtures in it. A great way to improve your bathroom’s appearance is with some fresh glaze.

When looking for someone to help you with home improvements, do your research. This is important because you do not want an inexperienced or unskilled person working on your home. Ask around for a good worker from family and friends or go online and look for reviews on home contractors in your area.

Make sure that you seal the grout after you have laid the tile. Grout is very porous. If it is left unsealed, moisture will seep in, causing problems with mildew and mold. The grout will also stain. Seal the grout properly to reduce mildew and stains.

A basement is a great space to convert into a playroom, home office or gym. If your basement has at least 7 feet of head room and remains dry, the remodel should be relatively straightforward. If dampness is a problem, consult a professional to correct the issue before you begin your project.

Don’t just throw any old shingles on your roof if you need to replace those old ones. In order to keep your home cooler in the summer, go with a light-colored shingle. Lighter colors reflect the heat, while darker colors absorb it and ultimately transfer the heat to your home.

Have your chimney cleaned and inspected prior to using your fireplace each year. The inspector can look for creosote build-up, cracks in the lining, nests from animals or other problems that could spell disaster. A chimney sweep will use long brushes to thoroughly clean your chimney and remove debris that could catch on fire.

Improving your home is important, and even on a tight budget, it can be done! In this article we have discussed some of the tips most often recommended for updating your home. Take a weekend and give a few of these tips a try! You’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you’re capable of doing on a budget.