Posts Tagged "Decorating"

Tuscan – Home Decorating Old World Style

Posted by admin on Sep 17, 2010 in Gardening | 0 comments

by hownowdesign

Tuscan – Home Decorating Old World Style

Are you having difficulty deciding on a home decorating theme?…How about Tuscan?

It’s rich cultural heritage and simple elegance are what draw so many to this beautiful style. Because it combines a unique antique flavor and ‘livability’ more and more homeowners are opting for this Italian masterpiece.

Using a palette of earth tones, tuscan (which is an Italian country design) brings the outdoors inside. This design uses distinct materials to help accomplish it’s magic. The Tuscan style is unique as well as beautiful.

When deciding on a tuscan theme, you’ll be using textures, such as stone and tile for the flooring and furnishings. This helps to create a natural atmosphere. Plaster is suggested for the walls, again, to add texture and a natural feel. This would provide an opportunity for you to use your creativity and even have some fun.

Tables are often made of stone and Tile mosaics are another possibility for in the tuscan themed home.

“What are four walls, anyway? They are what they contain. The house protects the dreamer. Unthinkably good things can happen… ” From Frances in Under A Tuscan Sun

No decorating theme that centers around nature would be complete without wood. It’s exquisite textures and intricate details make wood a perfect compliment to the Old World style and Tuscan makes great use of this natural resource. One example of this is the exposed framework. The large wooden beams create a comfortable, rustic look. Another is in the construction of furniture. The goal here is to make it look aged and antique. By staining and ‘aging’ the wood, you can create an antique feel while maintaining rugged endurance.

Tuscan is based on a cultural heritage. By using accessories this heritage can be highlighted and celebrated. Accessories that are homemade are common for this genre. Ceramics are big in tuscan decorating too! Silver, copper, iron are all common in tuscan design. Themes that include olives, grapes, wine and pottery, scrolled ironwork, stone, marble and handcrafted tiles in an old world style and many other possibilities. Terra cotta is also popular when using the tuscan theme so a vase for fresh cut flowers on the tiled mosaic table in the center of the room under the cast iron chandelier would make a fabulous entryway into your home.

Tuscan fabric is unequalled in it’s simple beauty. Savannah and tobacco cloth, burlap, abaca, fibers from the banana and coconut trees are all used to create a natural lived-in space. These materials are very versatile and your only limitation is your imagination. They can be used for just about anything from curtains and drapes, blinds, wall decorations, room and space dividers, privacy screens, elegant table placemats or conversation pieces on your coffee table, entryway rugs and foor coverings can all be created simply by using some of these various tuscan fabrics because of their weight, density and flexibility allow for many applications.

Tuscan also uses colors such as yellow and red. These colors can be used in decorations for tables, a chair cover, tie-backs to accentuate and complement curtains and drapes. Use of yellow and red ribbon and ties to decorate candlesticks is not uncommon. Any material or color that reminds us of the ocean, the earth, the beautiful blue sky or the deep rich forest, will bring a warm and inviting feel to tuscan home. The color, texture, fabric and accessories will create a warm and inviting feeling in any space in your home.

This warm and inviting theme of simplicity and nature is a great home decorating idea.

Home Decorating: Less Is More

Posted by admin on Sep 4, 2010 in Gardening | 0 comments

by Rubbermaid Products

Home Decorating: Less Is More

With the huge boom in interior designers and home decorating stores and businesses it is easy to feel unqualified to take on the decoration of your own home. The only thing is, people have been decorating their own homes for years, it isn’t until recently that we suddenly needed the help of interior designers and such to make our homes look like we want them to. You just need to know what you want and then think like an interior designer.

You first need to pick a space or a room that you are going to work on decorating. Only do one at a time, spreading your time over several rooms may lead you to become frustrated since the progress will seem very slow. Once you have your area choose a color that you like. If you are going with a bold or bright color it is better to make that an accent color rather than covering the entire wall. An entire room of bright red or deep purple can make the room hard to relax in since your eyes will constantly be trying to adjust to the extreme colors.

After the color, find yourself a theme. It doesn’t need to be anything crazy like cowboys or space ships, but decide if you want the items in the room to be modern or antique. Then head out and find a few items that fit into that theme. It is necessary that you don’t cram the room with figurines. Once you try to fit too many things in one room, whether it be too many colors or too much stuff or more than one theme the room just looks messy and unorganized all the time.

If you can’t come up with any ideas for what to put in your home, walk through a dollar store or craft store or simply search the web for interior decorating ideas.

Bringing the Old West to Modern Home Decorating

Posted by admin on Sep 3, 2010 in Gardening | 0 comments

by patti haskins

Bringing the Old West to Modern Home Decorating

What could be more fun when you think about it than incorporating the age-old story of cowboys and Indians into your home décor? For those who love a great story and have a wild sense of adventure this could be an incredibly fabulous design theme for your next home decorating project. This is a great way to bring the rustic charm of the old west into the modern world of today’s busy lifestyles.

Immediately visions of the hacienda with knotty pine and leather upholstered furniture comes to mind. Massive fireplaces and antlers everywhere are also first and foremost in my mind when this design idea pops into my head. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination and only limited by your budget in all honesty. This is a look that could be pulled off however on almost any budget for those that are willing to make a few thrift store purchases along the way while investing a fair amount of elbow grease.

One thing you want to be careful of with this particular theme is not taking it too far. This could be so easy to do and it will only subtract from the charm and appeal if you do so. Choose the accessories carefully but implement them minimally. This should also help with potential budget restrictions as well as keep you on track for finding the perfect accessories rather than picking up everything you see only to find later that many simply will not work with the style and design you are hoping to achieve in the long run.

Wood floors and wood paneled walls are a great statement for this sort of décor as well as stone for a fireplace (if there is a fireplace of courses). You want solid furniture rather than something that appear fragile or dainty and you definitely want to keep the room masculine in appearance if at all possible. Home decorating in the style of the old west isn’t for bachelors alone but too much of a feminine touch will simply kill the appeal all together. In fact, the less feminine touches the better save these touches for a romantic bedroom or bathroom rather than the primary areas that friends and family will visit.

You will also want to take great pains to imitate the rustic nature of the old west within the kitchen. No delicate china patterns or tables with legs that look like that might fall off with a hard wind. This is a ‘mans’ style of decorating and it needs to look as though it will withstand any punishment a man can dish out in order to maintain the fun and light appeal of the remainder of the home. You can find modern sinks, fixtures, and hardware that are designed to resemble those of the old west and beyond if you look in the right places.

For those who are looking for something a little out of the ordinary this is one style of decorating that definitely fits the bill. See what wonderful schemes and dreams you can come up with and what sort of tall tale will go along with your old west design story then create the story within the walls of your home. There is no better way to go about home decorating than this.

Article Source : http://blogatme.com/2008/09/11/bringing-the-old-west-to-modern-home-decorating/

Ageless Beauty For Your Home Decorating Needs – Bayeux Tapestries

Posted by admin on Aug 30, 2010 in Gardening | 0 comments

by honeykennedy

Ageless Beauty For Your Home Decorating Needs – Bayeux Tapestries

To truly understand the popularity of the Bayeux Tapestry, one has to learn its story, the history of Europe embroidered in vivid color, the story of blood, hatred, conquest and victory.

To make a very long story short, Bayeux Tapestry is a medieval embroidered cloth, almost 231 feet long, depicting the Norman Conquest of England.  Embroidered in woollen threads of eight colours on linen cloth, this famous piece of art consists of 79 scenes. It was probably created in 11th century, soon after the Battle of Hastings and the Norman’s conquest of England.

There are many versions of the story, depending who tells it. The romantic version says that the Bayeux Tapestry was woven by the wife of King William, Queen  Mathilde, but the historians believe that it was most probably ordered by Odo, bishop of Bayeux, and created in England by a team of seamstresses. The tapestry hung for centuries in the cathedral in Bayeux (Normandy) and now hangs in the special museum in the cathedral.

Bayeux Tapestries, the way we know them today, are true tapestries, woven on jacquard loom, depicting one of 79 scenes from the original wall art. The timeless beauty of the original tapestry offers itself very well to a modern wall art form. Each scene is recreated as a unique piece of art and often decorated with a border and hanging rod. The colors are exquisite, with muted, earth colors giving a sense of centuries passed.

Bayeux Tapestries can play a very important role in a decorating style of a room. The historical subject and natural colors help in deciding where to place your new tapestry. To really showcase their beauty, they should given sufficient space and should not be crowded with other decorative elements. The spotlight should illuminate it while you or your guests are in the room, but great care should be taken to preserve the colors from too much light, wether natural or artificial.

The best rooms to show your Bayeux Tapestry are, of course, a living room, and a study or a library. Placing the tapestry in the living room would allow you to show it to its full potential, but the library, with heavy leather furniture and soft, rich woods, would be just the perfect setting for your own piece of history.

There is a whole range manufacturers and dealers selling Bayeux Tapestries. If you are choosing your piece online, make sure that you check the source. The reputation of the manufacturer and the reliability of the online source are as important as with any purchase, but you are buying a piece of art and its quality is even more important.

Only the most reputable manufacturers like Tapestry Galery can guarantee the quality of the product and can provide the information about your tapestry and the appropriate hanging rod. All their Bayeux Tapestries are produced for them in France by experienced weavers.

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Using Ceremonial Drums For Unique Southwestern Home Decorating

Posted by admin on Aug 28, 2010 in Gardening | 0 comments

by honeykennedy

Using Ceremonial Drums For Unique Southwestern Home Decorating

I gave my home that great, southwestern look by adding ceremonial drums to my rustic decor. I was so happy with the authentic, rustic look that the Native American drums added to my home, that I started researching and reading about the history and the primary role they play in Native cultures. If you are like me, you have probably seen how meaningful ceremonial drums are to the Native culture but do not realize their importance in Native ceremonies or how exactly they are used. Every tribe is different in how they use ceremonial drums but one similarity between each tribe is that the Native drums are very important and part of the main focus of the ceremony. Throughout my studies, I have come to find that learning about these drums truly gives you a great appreciation of the American Indian culture and their customs.

As you start studying about ceremonial drums, you will find it very intriguing that the Native Americans think of the ceremonial drum to be sacred. They are usually used in powwows, Shamanic ceremonies and honor ceremonies to come in contact with the Spirits and to connect with their creator. It is believed that each drum holds a spirit and that the drum beat signifies the heart beat of Mother Nature. Since the drum is believed to connect the people with the spirit world and guide the a healer in helping his people, you will see that they are commonly used by the healers or Shaman to enter the mind state, known as the Shamanic journey, needed to connect with the Spirits.

Also, as you study the importance of ceremonial drums in today’s culture, you will find that Native Indian drums play a significant part in the livelihood of American Indian tribes such as the Tarahumara. Making and selling these rustic style drums allows them to earn a living, through selling and trading their cultural hand crafts, and helps them extend the knowledge and traditions of their culture to those who buy them. The drum making knowledge, passed on from generation to generation in these tribes, teaches the drum makers how to make durable and long-lasting ceremonial drums with elements from the Earth and the environment around them such as pine wood and natural raw hide.

Today, Native Indian drums are not only used in Indian ceremonies such as Indian drumming groups and as Native American musical instruments, but they are also gaining popularity as pieces of decorative art, instruments used in school music classes and even as canvases for Native American art projects and southwestern paintings. Some types of ceremonial drums are also used as rustic style furniture and Native American decor, such as the larger powwow drums and pedestal drums that are used as rustic tables. Today, it is very easy to buy these beautiful Native American ceremonial drums online and in stores that sell southwestern, western and rustic decor. However you decide to use your ceremonial drum, whether for drumming purposes or in interior design, you will definitely be drawn to the simplistic charm and southwest style of ceremonial drums.