Home Decor Trends, Tips and Decorating Ideas Blog

Decorate Your Counter Tops with Kitchen Canisters

 

Earth-Toned Avalon Kitchen Canister Set

Today's home decorators are looking for home decor accessories that help them stay organized at the same time bringing warmth and comfort to their home.

Kitchen canisters help add functionality to your kitchen while creating a beautiful focal point to your counter tops.  With the decorating trend focusing on eco-friendly designs and styles, earth-toned colors are highly sought out by interior designers and do-it-yourself decorators.  The Avalon Kitchen Canister set features warm colors that bring the outdoors into the heart of your home.  The warm color palette of the Avalon canisters provide you the opportunity to mix and match solid colored kitchen accessories for a stylish kitchen.

Decorating Tips That Make Your Home Look Organized & Tidy

If truth be told I get a little uncomfortable when visitors come to my home unannounced even though I've been in the home decor-interior design business for quite a while.  While my house is not dirty it normally has a few things lying around that should be put away but I guess that's how it is when you have a 5 year old and a 3 year old that pretty much have their stuff not only in their bedrooms but the living room, my bedroom and even the kitchen.  Once I get home from work I want to spend time with my children, do a load or two of laundry and get dinner ready.  My mornings over the weekend are reserved for heavy dusting and moving furniture where I usually find the lost Barbie doll one of my daughters was crying about during the week. 

The decorator in me knows that when someone comes to your home when you are not expecting them to does not  even notice the things that I notice.  It's during this time I see the dust on the lamp shade or the sticky fingerprints on the end tables.  If this sounds a little familiar there is no need to panic or feel embarrassed because like I mentioned your guests don't even notice they only see your decor and not the paranoid things you or I see.

Tips To Camoflauge The Little Things

Adding or arranging  decorative accents like candles, books, decorative canisters, etc. in a way that looks natural not only adds personality to your room it helps distract the little things like fingerprints or even dust that otherwise can drive you crazy when you see it.

If your walls are a negative factor in your room consider changing the paint color or try adding texture for aesthetic beauty.

Mirrors are a wonderful design element that if chosen properly can become a unique focal point to your room. 

Decorative Boxes can be used to store items in a hurry and also act as a side table beside a conversation chair or used as a plant container for a nice artificial arrangement.

These are just a few ideas you can do to make your home look more tidy so when someone knocks on your door you'll welcome them with open arms.

If you liked this post or have other ideas please feel free to leave a comment.  You may also enjoy these decorating ideas.

Ideas For Inspiration In Home Decorating

  Last night after work I was trying to write a list of topics to talk about and I was having a major writing block moment.  After struggling for awhile I decided to go outside a while and the scenery was beautiful which kept my mind off of the economy and the daily struggles that so many of us are facing.

Without a thought about home decorating or home decor products  the simplicity of just looking at the colors nature gives us gave me an inspiration for interior colors.  The golden yellows with soft blues and the fading green of the islands nearby got me thinking about how beautiful walls look when painted in shades of yellow.  The slight ripple of the water from the lake also gave me an idea to transform a flat wall into one of texture to add interest and dimension.  Adding green accessories will bring the outdoors in and if done correctly shades of blue can be intertwined to create the serene retreat inside my home that I was lucky enough to have witnessed outside. 

Sometimes when we want to change the decor in our homes we spend too much time over thinking what we want and stressing out over how we are going to achieve it when we should be stopping and taking the time to stop and smell the flowers and looking at the beauty that surrounds us for our best motivation and inspirational decorating ideas.

If you find yourself in a decorating quandary stop what you are doing and take time to enjoy what is around you.  Take pictures of natural things  be it a bare tree, the woods, a single flower, your family anything and I bet you'll discover you have the best canvas for your decorating project right in front of you.

Please share your thoughts.  Was this helpful?  Do you agree?  Disagree?

Home Lighting & Lamps

Home Lighting 
Accent, Table, Floor, Buffet & outdoor Lamps

When you are looking to change or update the look of your home decor consider using lamps.  By simply replacing your old lamps for something new you can transform the look and feel of any room.

If you are looking for a softer approach use shades that are a bit darker such as taupe rather then ivory or white.  The shade of the lamp is what can  transform a cold, uninviting room to one that is cozy and welcoming. There are various shapes of shades but it is a good idea to make sure the lamp shade you choose is proportional to the base. In other words, if you are looking at a table lamp try to make sure that the shade is 2/3 of the height of the base it sits on or you will have a beautiful lamp looking out-of-sorts.

The style you choose is up to you.  Don't be afraid to mix modern with traditional if the overall look makes you happy.  One important note I must mention that a lot of people (including myself) forget when choosing home lighting is what tasks will the lamp be used for!  I can not emphasis this enough.  I found really cool lamps that I loved for my family room.  The floor lamps and table lamps have an amber shades and I absolutely adore the soft ambiance they give in the evening...only problem is if I want to read a book  I have to turn on the overhead lights as the lamps and their shades are really not meant for the task of reading.  If you can deal with that then it is not a problem.

Basically there are four types of lighting to consider when redecorating or designing your room and they are: (1) Ambient lighting used for those undefined areas of your room mainly used for navigational purposes. (2) Task lighting which illuminates bright light for the task at hand( i.e. reading, cooking etc.) (3)Accent lighting similar to task lighting as it gives directed light but it focuses on focal points of interest like artwork and sets the mood for the space. (4)Decorative lighting can be achieved with Ambient, Task or Accent lighting but decorative lighting usually is the focal point such as a chandelier in the dining room. 

Thankfully there are endless possibilities for achieving the look you desire with home lighting that can and will make your life much easier and enjoyable.

How To Choose The Right Home Accessories

 Lately I've been getting a lot of questions from clients asking for my advice about buying the right accessories for their home and how to handle designers that tell them what is best for their home.

 First, I must tell you I've never been a traditional designer and most of the times I sway the other way of how other designers think.  When I was working with an Architectural firm in Miami we were working on a rather large project, I worked closely with the clients and listened to what they wanted, what was most important to them and also found out what they did not want their house to look like or feel like.  After many hours and many meetings with the clients we formed a great relationship and friendship.  I had their best interest at heart and I knew exactly what they wanted.
A couple weeks went by and the architect and I were at a nursery getting plants for the outside of the home and I found the perfect topiaries for the inside foyer.  In no uncertain terms I was told the firm would not purchase, let alone place them in the clients home as it did not fit the style of the house.  I could not believe it!  This was one of the most important accessory pieces the clients wanted.  I took out my wallet and paid for the topiaries while a very nice gentleman at the nursery loaded them in my car.  I turned around, smiled and said consider this my resignation.  I went to the clients house and gave them the topiaries as a housewarming gift.

 You see I believe that the best accessories, furniture, appliances or anything else for your home should make you happy, if you like it buy it.  If it does not look right in the place you intended it for place it some where else.  I do not believe that items should be selected soley based on the style of your home.  At the same time I also think you should experiment with different areas of your home for the particular piece of home decor.  You may be surprised to find out that the painting you chose for your dining room actually makes a statement and gives your bedroom the look it's been missing and the one you've been trying to achieve.
Choosing the right home accessory all boils down to using what makes you feel happy after all it is your home and you are the one living in it.

Finding Comfort In Your Home

  I've been looking for ways to find comfort and since most of my time is spent at home with my family I figured I should re-organize my counter tops in my kitchen and find accessories that will make it more functional and more appealing.

Some new kitchen canister styles arrived the other day so I  thought I'd share with you the one that grabbed my attention.  The French Country Bordeaux Canisters (shown) has a raised grape and leaf motif that is beautiful on the ivory finish. The simple, yet elegant color scheme will work great with most colors and decor styles and gives a nice template, if you will, for adding other accessories.  Imagine the grape design canisters on your counter top incorporated with pictures of wine bottles or grape vineyards on your walls.  Grapes are a popular choice in decorating and look wonderful with grapevine garland to enhance a window or window treatment.  Napkins and other essentials can be many colors especially in shades of green and purples giving your kitchen a fresh look through the use of nature.

 I hope I've inspired you to find comfort in your home one room at a time.  If you have any suggestions, tips or ideas please post for all to share.

Until the next post...

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Home Entertaining Trends For Any Budget

  More and more people are staying home and inviting friends and family over for an evenings entertainment.  You may think that it cost a lot of money to entertain but it can be done on any budget with some planning of course.  You may just want to have a few friends over for a fun board game (remember those?) My favorites were Monopoly even though I can't remember one time that game ever finished and Parchezee.  There are so many new games you could actually start your own Game Club and take turns hosting.  You can get away with simply serving chips and other snacks along with your favorite beverages or ask each person to bring one of their favorite dishes.  

Hosting a small dinner is also fun and gives you a way to show off your creative side and flair for entertaining.  It does not matter what the menu is, what matters is the presentation and company.  The next time you decide to invite friends or family members over for dinner consider setting up your table like you'd find at one of those five star restaurants.  You don't have to invest in everything new you can use what you have and add whatever you like that fits with your color scheme.  One reader said the economy has brought back the days of entertaining and parties with family and friends and for that she was grateful.  She sets her table and the wine glasses she uses all have her guests initials on it that way they have a remembrance of the wonderful evening, I love that idea!  The picture shown is a simple, yet elegant set up you can construct in minutes with your favorite tablecloth, dinner dishes, soup/salad bowl, silverware, glasses, tea light holder, tiered plate holder and dinner napkins.  Enjoy entertaining at home with close friends and family and don't be afraid to get creative when setting your table.

Entertained lately?  Post your idea for all to see.