What You Need to Know About Color
October 28, 2010 by admin
Filed under Decorating Tips
It isn’t always easy to come up with the right colors for a scheme. Let’s go back to basics, and it will make things clearer to you. The basic color wheel has twelve colors on it which are divided into three separate groups. Those groups are your primary colors, secondary colors, and tertiary colors.
The primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) are colors that cannot be made by mixing other colors together. Your secondary colors are those which can be made by combining any two of the primary colors; i.e. red and yellow equal orange, red and blue make purple, and blue and yellow produce green. The tertiary colors are created by mixing a primary color with a secondary color.
Look at the colors on the color wheel to determine which ones will work well together. There are basically six ways to go:
Complimentary Scheme – Always bold, these will use two colors that are opposite from each other in their
placement on the wheel…such as yellow and blue.
Split Complimentary Scheme – Choose a color, look at the opposite color on the wheel, and then use both the
colors on either side of it, instead of that one.
Analogous Color Scheme - Using two colors that sit next to each other on the color wheel.
Triad Color Scheme – Use three colors that are equidistant from each other.
Tetrad Color Scheme - Choosing two pairs of complimentary colors.
Monochromatic Color Scheme – This uses one primary color, which can be mixed with black or white, to
change its shade and tone.
A Few Decorating Do’s and Don’ts
April 26, 2010 by admin
Filed under Decorating News
Since the time has arrived to make a few spring changes to your home, you might want to think about some of the practical do’s and don’ts that could possibly come up. For example: don’t hang a light fixture in your kitchen that has fabric or paper lampshades on it. Kitchens get greasy from cooking. Glass and metal are the appropriate bulb coverings for a kitchen fixture. Wallpaper should be vinyl, and semi gloss paint should be used.
Do have a focal point in every room. It may be a grand piano, a piece of sculpture, a bay window with a fabulous view, a fireplace, or a coffee table with a beautiful floral arrangement on it. Accessories and lighting should draw attention to this object.
Don’t hang pictures that are glass-covered on a wall where they will have direct overhead light or sunlight glaring off of them. Indirect lighting is what you need. Oil paintings are going to fade in sunlight. Do use velcro or cushioned two-sided tape to keep your wall hangings from hanging askew.
If you have small children or pets, get that delicate collection off the end table and put it on a single corner shelf hung five feet up the wall. Add a spot light and you have created a beautiful focal point that is also safe.
Don’t buy a round dining room table for a long, rectangular room. Square dining rooms should have square or round tables. Rectangular rooms should have oval or rectangular tables.
Dealing with Oversized Rooms
April 26, 2010 by admin
Filed under Decorating Techniques
Most of the newer homes of today have large rooms, particularly the great room area, which takes the place of a separate kitchen, eating area, family room, and den. In dealing with oversize rooms you need to consider the purpose intended for them.
Do you want to have a large formal dining area? Is a game table or pool table part of your plan? Perhaps you just want a large media center with casual dining scattered around the room. A large room can easily be visually split into two by having your media center on one wall with a U-shaped sectional facing it, placed in the center of the room.
The dining table and chairs can sit on an area rug, which, along with the sofa back will outline your dining area. If you want even more definition, place a 4- panel screen between the dining area and the sofa.
If dining isn’t part of the plan, you can arrange several conversation groupings….a sofa and love seat, three or four chairs around a low table, or a game table and chairs. Define each with its own area rug and adequate lighting. Soften and further define it by placing plants of various heights and varieties in small groups.
Use your wall hangings to help clarify the groupings you have placed. Large and colorful graphics are fun for game and play areas. Photos or still life paintings of vegetables, fruits and herbs for the wall in your dining area, and something related to media for around your entertainments center, will add the finishing touches to your décor.
Temporary for the Nursery
February 14, 2010 by admin
Filed under Decorating News
There are very few items required to have a functional nursery. You need a crib, a dressing table, a place to store clothing, a closed container for used diapers, and a night light. A rocker is nice, too, if you have room for one. Anything else you add to the room is for viewing pleasure alone. I suggest that it makes sense to decorate using temporary accessories and easily upgraded themes.
Wall appliques or decals are perfect for your nursery. Think about it! The baby may notice something large and brightly colored, so large cartoon characters in primary colors placed near the crib will give them something to look at.
After a very short time with your newborn, he or she will begin to identify objects. You can peel off the large attention getters and roll on something with a theme. You know…fluffy bunnies or kitties for your little princess, or big sloppy dogs and horses for your son.
Now your toddler has ideas of his own. She wants to be tinkerbell, and live in a world of make believe. He wants to be a fireman, or a cowboy, or spiderman. Get the picture? For a few dollars and a little effort, you can keep changing the room. If you have plastic window shades in the kids’ rooms, appliques can be put right on them. If you have used cornices above them, they can be stuck on there.
As they grown up, the only thing you had to do that cost some bucks is to replace the crib with a bed (a bed rail is cheaper than buying a toddler bed), add a play table and little chairs, and fix up a play corner with a toy box and a small bookcase!
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Time to Start Thinking of Spring
February 12, 2010 by admin
Filed under Decorating Tips
It has been a tough winter, in all respects. And it looks like there is more to come! So why not pull yourself out of the doldrums and think about what you can do this spring to improve your patio, deck, balcony, terrace or porch?
This is a good time to shop around online and find out what is out there, how much it costs, and whether or not you can do the work yourself or have to hire a subcontractor. There may not be much to pick from in the stores until March or April, but you can be prepared…and if you’re lucky, you might even find something at a bargain price right now.
If you have a neighbor whose house is too close to your patio, giving you no feelings of privacy, why not consider putting tall trellises up on that side and planting quick growing vines? You could also hang some flowering plants from them to add instant color and some density to your trellis “wall.”
If your patio is covered, but without walls, you can always hang bamboo or other natural shades that can be raised when you want the view, and lowered for privacy. Sliding panels, that run in a track can also be used. If they are louvered, you can open them to let the breeze and sun in, or slide them back completely.
Change the look of that terrace by adding a grass, bamboo, or jute area rug under your table, and changing the cushions (or recovering them) in something bright and cheery! Wrought iron and wicker furniture are easily spray painted to make them look brand new!
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Area Rugs Made of Wood
February 9, 2010 by admin
Filed under Area Rugs, Decorating News
Teak is a very hard wood with a rather coarse texture, a scent somewhat like leather, and natural oils that make it a very durable and beautiful material for both flooring and rugs. Because it doesn’t rot, and is termite resistant (it actually repels most insects), it can be used in humid areas such as bathrooms, in front of sinks, and as outdoor mats for your deck, terrace, or patio.
Don’t be afraid to use teak area rugs on balconies, by your swimming pool or hot tub, or even in your walkways or hallways. It is good in foyers, as well, and will wear beautifully. Ebony is another wood that can be used in this manner.
You may find patterns that are made using strips, squares, or other geometric shapes. One very interesting look is the wood block rug, usually made of ebony, and which is made up of small blocks of wood that are held together with nuts and washers that have been countersunk into the blocks. These rugs can be rolled up for easy storage or to move from place to place. It is recommended that you use a poly-PVC coated rug pad under these rugs to avoid slippage.
Maintaining these rugs is a simple matter. Simply wipe them with a damp, cloth to remove surface soil. If more is needed, use a gentle soap that is non detergent, and a sponge. You would never want to use a brush that is abrasive, or steel wool on these woods. If your are cleaning your rug outside, simply hose it down with a low pressure hose.
These rugs are beautiful, easy to clean, and environmentally friendly!