Tag Archive 'Interior Design'

Sep 30 2009

4 Places to Get Decorating Ideas

Published by under Interior Decorating

decoratingWhether you are moving into a new home or have decided to redecorate, finding the exact style you want for a room can be a difficult process. So many different choices need to be made. Paint or wallpaper? Carpet or hardwood floor? Dark colors or light? These are just a few of the hundreds of options you have to choose from when it comes to decorating your home.

The best place to start is by doing research. You don’t want to just rush into the first idea you have for a room. It may not work out for you, or you might find something you like a whole lot better. When you go to decorate a room, like a dining room with oak dining sets, you need to really figure out what you want, and that means finding inspiration. If you’re not sure where to turn to for inspiration, here are several places to get started.

Decorating Books and Magazines
A visit to your local library will yield an abundance of decorating books and magazines you can go through. Take the time to really go through these books. Once you’ve narrowed down your preferences, you can even take some of them home with you to really find what you want. Not only are they inspirational, but these books can also help you expand your knowledge about interior decorating. Do keep in mind, however, that some of the pictures and designs featured may not be functional for every family. Use these ideas and images as inspiration for your own functional designs and styles.

Design Shows on Television
For those of you who get cable channels such as HGTV, consider watching decorating shows once in a while to get inspiration for your home. These days, there are plenty of decorating shows on TV that can at least give you some ideas you might want to incorporate into your decorating project. Another great aspect of designs shows is that many of them actually show you how to do the things they’re suggesting, so you can replicate what you see at home quite easily.

Model Homes and Rooms
Look around your city to see if there are any home tours or model-home showcases you can check out. You may get lucky—some cities will have a model-home showcase where top interior decorators get together and redecorate rooms and home. Then these homes are open to the public for a small fee, which is usually donated to charity. This is a great way to see firsthand the extraordinary work done by interior decorators without having to pay for a consultation for your own home.

Interior Decorator
If it’s in your budget, you can always hire an interior decorator to come to your home and give you ideas. Just because you have them come for a consultation visit doesn’t mean you have to hire them to do the work, and you might get some great ideas. Some decorators charge an hourly price and others charge a flat fee per visit. Be sure to always ask for an estimated price before you have an interior decorator come to your home.

There are so many different ways to find interior-decorating inspiration from American made Amish furniture to contemporary Italian styles. Sometimes just walking into a store you might see a great piece of décor that will spark an inspiration. Just remember to take your time and enjoy the process.

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Aug 24 2009

Interior Decorating and Home Decor With Native American Indian Art

Published by under Interior Decorating

Since there has been a trend in recent years towards more earthy color tones for interior decorating, Native American Indian art can fit in nicely as part of home decor. Most subjects used in Native American Indian art tend to be focused on nature whether the pieces are prints, carvings or pottery. Colors tend to be earthy shades of browns, reds, blacks and yellows since the main raw materials are wood as in carvings from the Pacific Northwest region and clay from the Southwest. Even painted wood carvings or pottery tend to have natural colors often found in nature such as greens and blues. All of these colors work well with the more natural styles of interior decorating today.

The Pacific Northwest region which covers the states of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia (Canada) and the southern part of Alaska, produces some excellent Native American Indian art in the form of wood carvings. This is not surprising since the Pacific Northwest is abundant with forests which have provided the wood as raw material for the region’s Native American Indian art. The wood is sometimes painted in striking colors or just stained with natural looking browns. Either way, such pieces fit in perfectly in rooms with earthy color tones. I have seen walls of living rooms, bedrooms, office den rooms, hallways and even bathrooms enhanced with Pacific Northwest Indian art in the form of both prints and wood plaque carvings. The Pacific Northwest Native American artists also make some of the most striking aboriginal masks in the world which are also suitable for hanging on walls.

Native American Indian art as home decor helps bring in an atmosphere of nature in the overall interior decorating of a room. This is because of their natural colors and also their subject matters which tend to be animals such as eagles, bears, thunderbirds, killer whales and salmons. Pacific Northwest Native art in particular gives homes in that region a local flavor. Many homes in this part of North America have this type of artwork as part of interior decorating. This style of Native American Indian art is still relatively unknown to many parts of North America and the rest of the world so for homes outside of the Pacific Northwest region, a nice wood carving can be seen as exotic treasure brought back from a homeowner’s travels. Check out some examples of Pacific Northwest Indian art either in a gallery or online and imagine how a piece or two can be part of your home’s interior decorating.

Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca , an online gallery specializing in Inuit art and Native American Indian art. including carvings and prints. Also numerous information articles and videos.

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Aug 23 2009

Decorating on a Dime

Published by under Interior Decorating

Decorating your home and office can be a challenge if you are on a budget. There are so many different options, and most of them are outside of your financial grasp. A good piece of art work could cost you thousands, not to mention framing. How then do you decorate on a dime?

First, you need to know where to shop. Don’t go to a high end art gallery and expect to find something in your price range. Instead window show at the galleries for ideas on paintings that you like. Take that information and start shopping online. There are dozens of discount artwork websites, many of which offer prints of popular paintings. Try an e-coupon site to get some additional discounts on artwork. You can find coupon codes for some of the top discount artwork sites, saving you a great deal. Many throw in free shipping for going through one of these discount coupon sites.

Once you know where to shop, you need to figure out how to get the most art for your buck. Buying prints is an easy way to save some money. Print manufacturers will take a copy of a famous piece of artwork and print it out on a sheet of paper. Some of these prints may be printed on canvas for an authentic look, while others are on high gloss photo paper. They come in a variety of different sizes, and work well for almost any décor. Prints are so cheap; you can outfit a dozen houses for what you would pay for one piece of original artwork elsewhere.

Another tip is to forgo the framing and matting and do it yourself. Many artwork sites will tack on another hundred dollars for framing. Try going to your local craft store to purchase an inexpensive frame and mat. It takes only seconds to put together, and you will be very pleased with the overall look. No one will ever know how much money you saved by doing it yourself!

Lastly, be creative with your artwork. If you are unable to find prints that suit your style, try to think outside of the box. You can frame just about anything. Try framing posters, postcards, or even play programs for an interesting look. One of my favorite rooms in my home is filled with interesting postcards. They are all from different eras, and create a fun and interesting look. Best of all, it was super cheap! I spent about $50 dollars on frames, and about $20 for the entire set of postcards. It was a great deal, and I get so many compliments on the room.

Melanie Breeze, avid online shopper and user of online art coupons, is always shopping around for the best deals. You can find art deals and most coupons available around the web at CouponChief, all in one location. Finding a coupon before your online purchase helps you get that extra discount

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