Decor-Blog.com

When my husband and I moved into a new city, we decided to lease a home. We know that we will need to live here only two years or so before we are off again, so we wanted something cute. We are nomads, and as such, we have purchased items to fit each place we have called home.

This house is a restored home. It is beautiful, and we were excited about its "character," but we have found that the textured paint over plaster that we called character cannot have any wall hangings. After a few frustrating days of trying Velcro strips and wall adhesive, we gave up. This process, and the pain of having purely white walls, made me wonder about how to decorate without needing to hang anything. I came up with a few ideas that can be useful if you are in this situation.

One option is to get pieces of cardstock, poster board, or backboard. You will need to be detail-oriented about this process, or it will not turn out well. Cut the board into circles, squares, and triangles using objects you have lying around as patterns. Then you can spray paint the boards to the color that will match your room. You can use various wall tapes to hang these posters, and you can have them laminated if you would like a nicer look.

Another choice is to hang hooks at various points on the ceiling. You can purchase brightly-colored cloth and cut it into 6-inch strips. Then you will hang the cloth in the hooks, leaving some breathing room between hooks so that the cloth hangs low. While the walls may still be white, the ceiling will attract attention. Children, in particular, will love this design.

A good photo mural is another possible solution for blank walls. You will need to purchase a large piece of cloth that will cover an entire wall. You can use cloth tacks to hang the cloth to the wall. Then you will position your photos at various places. You should use large and small photos alike and make the mural a visible sign of the people and things closest to you.

A final option for the more bohemian among you is a stained glass wall. You will need to gather up yards of four or five different types of cloth. Cut four- to six-inch squares of each type of cloth. You can sew these pieces of cloth together with a basic stitching; you do not need a sewing machine or a purely straight stitch. Put together enough of the cloth to go the height of the room. Then you will use cloth tacks to hang the strips of cloth, making your entire room appear like a stained glass window.

These choices are not the best, but they are neat and creative. People will remember your home when you make these designs. Plus each design is very colorful and will make your home feel brighter and more whimsical. Although you may find it odd not to be able to hang pictures, you can make your home beautiful nonetheless.

By Julia Mercer

Purchasing a new dining room table can be a fun experience. It is important because the table, for many families, is a gathering place. It is the center of your dining room, so it will frame what goes in the rest of the room.

Before you begin shopping, take some time to examine your dining room. How many people will sit at the table on an average day? How many people will need to use it on holidays? You can get a leaf if there is a big difference in numbers.

Then look at the dining room. Measure it. How big can the table be and still provide enough room to walk around or to serve food? Do not just "eyeball" it. Break out the measuring tape so that you can go to the store with the maximum measurements in mind.

You should also sketch out the dining room, complete with markings for the doors and windows with their measurements. A good salesperson can use your sketch to help you decide if a certain table would work or not or to make suggestions.

The key decisions you should make are the shape of the table. If there are only three of you, a round table may work. You would need an oval or very large circle for eight people. Most people choose rectangular tables, but there are plenty of options out there.

You also will need to know if you are looking for a wooden finish or a metal or other type of finish. If you get a wood finish, be sure to ask about cleaning it. Some finishes will require more maintenance work, such as oiling, while others will be fine with the occasional sponging. Tell the salesperson if children will be using this table or not; that may make a difference the type of finish you want. Opting for a metal table means checking on the paint. Will it chip easily? If so, will you be able (and willing) to repair it or live with a table that needs work done to it?

Once you have found the right table, measure the distance between the legs. You may want to use the chairs that come with the table, but many people decide to get chairs separately. If you are going to do that, you need to know how big the chairs should be. If there is a 48-inch gap between the legs on one side, and you need to fit two chairs, make sure they will go there comfortably. When you are looking at the chairs, measure from the point farthest out, which may be the back not the legs. Leave some wiggle room for people to get in and out.

Like many other areas, purchasing a dining room table means doing a little legwork, no pun intended, before you make the purchase. You will have this table for a while, so be sure that you get one that you will be able to change or tolerate for years to come.



By Julia Mercer

One of the worst things about vacations is that we cannot bring them home with us! It is difficult to recapture to feeling of a vacation once your nose is back to that proverbial grindstone. You can bring parts of your vacation back with you as a reminder of a relaxing and fun time in your life.

One option is to create a wall hanging shadow box. You have to think ahead if you plan to make this decoration. While you are away, you will need to gather items with at least one flat side that can hang (so they cannot be too heavy). Try postcards as a first step. Also look for flat stones from places you visited and sand dollars at the beach. You can cut out a picture of the place you visited from a brochure or use the part of the map to show where you were.

If you cannot find enough flat-sided objects, then you can get small white boxes to use to put other objects in as long as you can determine a way to attach the object to the box. Once you have gathered the items, you will need a shadow box. While you can make your own, it is simpler to buy one if you are new to crafting.

Measure an area of a table that is the same size as the viewing window on the shadow box. Then you can work to arrange the items you have gathered before you put them in the box. They will be more difficult to move around later, so get them right here first. Once you have determined how you want to design the boxes, then you can begin attaching the items to the shadow box and hang it on the wall. If you have a large area, such as a family room or basement, you can add a shadow box for each vacation so that you will have a visual reminder of the places your family has been.

Another quick way to remember vacations is to purchase postcards while you are there. The best part of using postcards for decorations is that they are so cheap. Get lots of them to use for decorating and scrap booking back home. Try to find postcards that are 4X6 or another standard size. Once you get home, you can purchase clear frames and hang them, making them a unique display of your adventures. If you want them to look more formal, you can get a wooden frame or try putting them in a matte so that they can become a bigger part of your room’s décor.

Vacations are a blast, and there is no reason that you cannot bring home some of the excitement. The key is to plan ahead. You cannot come home and try to throw something together. Be sure that you get what you need when you are there. On a rough day, it will be uplifting to look at the vacation decorations and be transported back to a time when you were having a great day.

By Julia Mercer

If you need room in your dining room but don't have it, you can try to find an old quilt rack to convert into a buffet. These racks are basically a wooden frame that people used to hold their blankets before the days of industrial dryers and neighborhood regulations. You will have to keep your eye out because they are from the first half of the twentieth century, but if you can find one, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Since these racks are so old, you will need to sand it down before you begin. Take some time on the sanding and re-varnishing. The beauty of this design is that you can fold up this buffet and store it in a closet, but that means that there are nooks and crannies that need your attention. Once you have completed the re-varnishing, give the rack some time to dry.

You will need to fold it as if you were using it. Measure the space that you have to put in a plank of wood. You will use this wood as the tray. When you get the wood, go for quality. You will be putting trays of food and possible hot pots on the wood, so you need something thick and sturdy. Once you get it home, you can sand it down and paint or varnish it. You can go with a varnish to match the rack or to spice it up, paint the wood a deep color.

Most racks are about six feet tall, so you should be able to put two shelves on the rack without any problems. Once the wood is complete, try it out. You want to make sure it will hold before you have guests over. Put some dishes on it to see how it works.

Then look at the space possibilities. You may be able to hang mug hooks on the rack, for example. Try to think of additional ways to use the space. You also may be able to plan for wrapping vine around the top and bottom of the rack’s frame so that you will be able to decorate the rack for your guests.

Again, the best part about this piece of furniture is that it is not permanent. If you have a small dining area or you need a makeshift place to put food, simply pull out the portable buffet and set it up. Clean up is easy, too. Unless something is spilled, you just fold it and put it away. It gives you the opportunity to treat your guests more formally but maintain open areas in your home for everyday living.

These types of finds are ones you will have to keep an eye out for. You can look at antique shops, yard sales, and auctions. You never know when someone may be getting rid of something that you can turn in to a nice piece of furniture for your home! In this case, the saying is right: one person's trash truly is another person's treasure.

By Julia Mercer

While you have dreams of grandeur when you are thinking of your Thanksgiving celebration, your kids may not be looking forward to it like you are. You know that Thanksgiving is about cleaning up and cooking for your family. For your children, it can be about boredom and not being able to touch anything. Fix that problem this year, and you will have a Thanksgiving the family will love.

Allow your children to do the decorating for Thanksgiving. While you will not have perfect decorations, they will show your children's hard work, which can be even better. The children can make Indian corn napkin holders with your supervision. You will need to gather squares of felt. Then hot glue 12 popsicle sticks onto each piece of felt, leaving about an inch on each side of the felt. These sticks are the lines of corn. At most craft stores, you will find large bags of buttons. Pick one up and let the kids glue buttons onto the popsicle sticks for the kernels of corn. Allow the project to dry, then fold the felt into a circle, and glue the flaps together.

A second project the kids can do is a gobbler breadbasket. You will need to use your breadbasket, or pick up one, for this one. Allow your son or daughter to trace a light bulb onto a piece of construction paper. Then he or she will cut out the light bulb; it is the turkey’s head. Use the construction paper to make circle eyes and a triangle beak as well as the gobbler.

Now cut a 2-inch strip of construction paper that will line the outside of the breadbasket. Glue the gobbler head onto the center of the strip. Now, you will need to help your child to make feather shapes. Show him or her how to make one and then use it for a template or make them on her or his own. Once your child has made a few feathers, you will need to attach them to the strip of paper. You can staple or glue this bit of decoration.

You will need to fold over the strip into a circle so that you can slip it over the basket. Then glue or staple it together. Once that is done, you can attach the feathers to the strip so that you are making a turkey tail. Slip this decoration over the breadbasket, and it will look like a turkey!

You can experiment with other Thanksgiving decorations or even let the children make Pilgrim hats to wear, allowing your children to experience a fun Thanksgiving. Remember that this day ultimately is about family, and your children should not dread every year's Thanksgiving celebration. Allowing them to make the decorations will give them something to be proud of and to show off to your guests. It will make the whole day a more enjoyable one for your family, and who knows? It may just start a new tradition for your family's Thanksgiving celebrations!

By Julia Mercer

When you want to design a room for your toddler or small child, do not just think about all of the cartoon characters you could use. Try to incorporate your child's personality into every nook and cranny of the room so that you can make it feel like a room made just for your little one.

First, you can allow children to help you with the decorations. Even a four or five year old can assist you with some parts of decorating the room. if you are adept at sewing at all, consider making custom shams for example. You can go to a craft store with your child and let him or her pick out the perfect craft items to hot glue onto personalized pillows. You can put lettering with the child’s name or initials to make the pillows even more personalized.

Use your child’s artwork as the decoration for the room. Instead of trying to find posters or other decorations, use up some of those drawings on the fridge. Pick out a few that complement the colors you have chosen for the room and get to work. If they need smoothing, keep them between the pages of a large book overnight. Then put them in a frame and hang them. Your child will love seeing her or his artwork as part of the room.

With a child's room, your imagination is the limit. You do not have to stick to solid colors for the walls. You and your child can stencil letters, polka dots, or other objects on the wall. Or you can permit your child to paint a mural scene on the wall. Let your child have a go at creating the perfect decorations.

Ask your child to pick out what is bothersome about the current room set up. Maybe your daughter cannot reach her own hair bows. Then make room for a vanity with a center for her bows. Perhaps your son has trouble with those jeans you keep up in the closet. Buy cubby boxes for him to use. Your child will be much more likely to keep his or her room clean if doing so is easy. Consider putting peg boards up at your child's height to hang scarves, book bags, and other items.

Make a decorative bulletin board. You can use cork squares covered with fabric and put on the wall in strategic places to keep down childhood clutter. Even kids have papers, but with this system they will have a place to put them. Also consider adding a marker board or chalkboard so that your child can write and erase in her or his room. This addition can cut down on paper clutter as well - a win-win all around.

The bottom line is that you should let your child be part of the design of the room. While you do not have to use every suggestion your six-year-old makes, you can consult her on the color scheme and what she would like to see in her room. Remember that this space if your child's to use, so make it something she wants.

By Julia Mercer

Candles are a wonderful accent piece for your home. Unfortunately, many people believe that they have too many candles. They receive them for gifts or pick them up on occasion, and before long, the house is overrun. Plus, many candleholders are plain. One way to stay happy with your candles is to make holders of your own that will accent your room and make a perfect way to keep candles.

The first candleholder is a beeswax variety on your basic glass candleholder. You will need to select a glass candleholder to use for this design. Get something perfectly round with a good base for the best result. The holder should not be too thin, or the candle could get too hot and start to melt the beeswax. Then pick up beeswax paper at your local craft store. You should be able to find the paper without much trouble and be sure to get colors that accent the room where the candles will go.

Once you have your materials, you will need a pencil and a ruler. Place the beeswax paper around the candleholder and mark the spot with a pencil. Use the ruler to create a straight line and then cut the paper. Beeswax paper naturally bonds to itself, so all you need to do is fold the paper around the candleholder. It should fit snugly. Then use your fingers to press together the ends of the paper. Put in the candle and light it. You will find that the paper seems to glow with the candle flickering behind it, so even a plain white candle will seem magical.

The second design is for votive candles, but you can, of course, use your imagination to make it work for your candleholders. You will need to gather a hot glue gun with plenty of sticks, glass rocks from a craft store with one flat side, and glass votive holders.

While you are letting the glue gun rev up, start creating a single-line design with the rocks. When the glue is ready, you will hot glue one rock and place it along the bottom of the votive holder so that the bottom of the rock is level with the bottom of the holder, but make sure that you will still be able to sit the holder down. Complete the bottom circle of rocks from the design you created. Then do the same on the top row. The result is a beautifully customized votive set that you can enjoy.

These candle ideas are only two of the many out there. Candles can be a beautiful addition to any home. They add light and elegance when needed, and they can brighten your mood or permit you to be somber. Candles can be scented or created for aromatherapy, and they are available to help any emotion you have. There are candles of all shapes and sizes, but don't forget that you can experiment with their accent pieces, too, to create a beautiful design to decorate your home.

By Julia Mercer

By Christina VanGinkel

An office chair is one of the most important items in you office, maybe the most important of all. The average person who works at a desk spends far too many hours with their backside perched in its seat, and if it is an uncomfortable chair, it can mean long, miserable days, followed by long, miserable backaches. There are guidelines to follow when in search of a new chair to use at your desk, and the first and most important one of them all is that it be comfortable while sitting in it for long lengths of time. With all the advancements made in this most utilitarian of items, there is no reason why anybody should have to stand up from their desk and be uncomfortable. How you sit in your desk chair will also weigh heavily on how comfortable you are in it. If you recall all the times your parents or teachers told you to sit up straight, remind yourself of those warnings each time you sit down to begin your workday. Bad or poor posture will bring you down pain lane no matter how comfortable a desk chair you invest in.

Some features that you should definitely consider when shopping include:

An adjustable seat height, as different projects may require that you sit at your desk in different ways, or you may need to be stretched out a bit more after a long weekend of lazing about at home.

Swivel seats can be important if you have an L shaped desk, or have a large desk area that you spread your work out all over. By being able to swivel the whole chair, you will not be so inclined to stretch and possibly pull muscles.

Unbelievably, not all desk chairs have sturdy caster wheels, but for the sake of simple convenience, you should consider them a must. Look at how they are attached, and if they appear sturdy and likely to hold up through lots of wear. If you have more than one desk in your office, as many people do, the ease of moving your chair from one area to another without having to lift the chair will also save you from any possibility of pulling or straining muscles because you had to carry your heavy desk chair across the room.

The fabric or material covering on your chosen chair should reflect both the style of your office, and how you use your office. If nothing more than a suit and tie hit your chair, go for any good-looking, quality fabric that catches your eye. If your desk chair is situated in an office that sees the likes of art products, sandwiches, or any items whatsoever that could stain or tear a chair's coverings, take these factors into consideration before laying down your cash for its purchase. You want to buy a good-looking quality chair, but one that will hold up to any extra abuse it may suffer in your busy workspace.

Shop sensibly, shop smartly, shop right here at FurnitureDestination.com, and you will be assured of finding the perfect chair for your space.

By Christina VanGinkel

Decorating a room for child that will soon grow from infant to toddler to active preschooler can be approached in several different ways. Each stage of your child's life could call for a total makeover, but unless you have money to burn, this is probably not the approach to take. You could leave the room relatively the same, but a preschooler is not likely to appreciate billowy clouds and a diaper-changing table. Creating a space that can grow with your child from pre-delivery all the way to school age is possible, if you just take the time to construct a plan before beginning.

Right from the bare walls, choose a color that will grow with your child. If you are going to use a room border along the top of the wall, or at chair height, choose one of the newer brands that can be removed as easily as it was hung. This way, you can keep the paint and just swap the trim. Go with a good quality paint that can be easily washed, so that it will live up to sticky fingers and even the occasional crayon masterpiece.

Ceiling fixtures and light switch coverings should be of good quality, but neutral in design. Look for items that you could easily picture accompanying a bedding set for an infant, all the way to a school-aged child. Timeless pieces do exist, and you may pay a bit more for them upfront, but it will save you in the long run over replacing them each time you change a few minor details in the room.

Consider furniture that will grow right along with your child. There are cribs that with just a few strategic switches turn into very attractive daybeds. Dressers that convert from edged diaper changing stations to mirrored vanities, along with closet systems that can be converted from low hanging rods and shelves for young children to a closet organization system, perfect for a budding teenager do exist. It may take a bit of extra legwork to find them in the first place, but they will be well worth the search.

Window treatments are best kept to the basics, with blinds or plain curtains. They can be livened up with a valance geared toward the specific age. It will be much cheaper to replace just a valance then the complete window covering! On the other hand, install a plain set of curtains, which can be livened up with tiebacks that are age and style specific. This way, the curtains will grow with the room, but each stage will look as if you spent a large amount of effort finding the perfect curtains. Again, quality to begin with will keep them looking new through the years.

While you may think that neutral colored walls and curtains, along with timeless lighting and light switch covering will make for a drab room, the exact opposite is true. You will have created a backdrop that will be able to highlight whatever furnishings and colors you have chosen for your child's current needs and wants.

By Christina VanGinkel

A linen closet is standard in many homes, but surprisingly not every one. Creating a linen closet out of a hall closet is an option, and one I recently put to practice. Our guest bathroom is just off the living room, as is a hall closet meant for guests. We have never used it as such, but more as a place to store off season coats, and those shoes and boots currently being worn, yet those I do not want piled up at the door. While I would have liked to continue to use the space for shoes and boots, I found no clear reason why the off-season jackets could not be stored elsewhere, namely the closet in our spare room, otherwise known as my scrapbook space / toy room / overall storage space for any item that does not otherwise have a spot in our home! The shoes and boots could again go by the door, now that the entry has been redone, as there is plenty of space to put a shoe organizer, or even a different bench with built in storage just for items such as these. I have even shopped for such a bench already, though in truth, I have yet to find one I truly like. The first bench that I had there was removed because it just did not do the space justice.

As to the transformation of the closet into a linen closet, we started by emptying the space completely and taking measurements to be sure that the space did not just become a place to pile up towels and toiletries; I wanted to be sure that we knew how much space we actually had at our disposal. After taking the measurements, we were better able to shop for both shelving and an assortment of open and covered containers. I also knew I wanted to leave one shelf open to accommodate oversized bottles of laundry soap and shampoos, and other items that I could save on if I had the room to store their larger than regular containers. To ensure that we did not have a weight issue, we chose to place this space at the very bottom, thus bringing back the possibility that we would continue to use the closet to store some shoes and boots, though not all that had been stored there before. While the space may not accommodate my son's waders, the first shelf is high enough to tuck a few pair of boots next to the laundry detergent!

By using a shelving unit whose shelves could be adjusted, we ended up not only with room for towels, toiletries, and oversized laundry soap bottles, we also added enough space to store extra bedding, including a few quilts and blankets that I have been shuffling around in my closet space for years. We found the solution to our scenario by shopping at FurnitureDestination.com. I just typed in 'closet storage' in the search box at the top of the main page and had numerous options to choose from at my disposal.

By Christina VanGinkel

Our daughter and her family arrived home very late yesterday evening. They have been working in the state of Mississippi for the last several weeks. When they left for this current job, the average temperature was still in the high seventies. It is now around thirty. To make sure they did not arrive home to a very cold house, my husband and I drove to their home and removed the air conditioner window unit that they use during the summer months and lit their propane furnace. Their house is equipped with both fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Within minutes of lighting the furnace, both were going off.

Sometime during the proceeding summer when the furnace had not been in use, a hair tie and a small toy had somehow become lodged in the furnace, and both were melting and emitting both smoke and noxious fumes. While the emergency was relatively trivial in comparison to what it could have been, with us calling someone to come over and clean everything out, followed by us opening doors and windows to clear the smoke, fumes, and smells, it reminded us just how serious turning on a furnace for the first time each fall can actually be. Whether a furnace is old or new makes no difference either, as even with a brand new unit, outside occurrences can affect how the furnace runs, such as with the hair tie, and toy.

Having a furnace serviced by professionals and having your ductwork cleaned should be on everyone's yearly maintenance list. Filters should be used and they should be replaced regularly. Our own home has floor vents, and when we replaced our flooring this past spring, we installed new registers along with the flooring. With the registers came a pack of filters to slide right into the top of the vents to help cut down on debris falling into the ductwork system. Our furnace itself also uses filters right inside the doors. They are easy to get at, and easy to exchange. If your furnace filters are not so obvious, ask a professional, when they are there doing your yearly maintenance check, to show you the correct way to change them and if your furnace uses a specific type or size, ask them to mark this down for you to ensure that you are using the proper replacements.

A few small steps such as these can go a long way towards making sure that your furnace is in proper working condition. Be sure to also purchase and install correctly the recommended number of fire and carbon monoxide alarms, placing them about your home in the recommended numbers and places. If you are unsure where to place them, or how many your home needs, a quick call to any fire station's non-emergency number will usually result in someone coming to your home to walk you through their proper placement. You can never be too safe when it comes to dealing with your furnace, and it will always pay to err on the side of caution!

By Christina VanGinkel

Decorating for the holidays does not mean that you have to turn your house into a recreation of an overcrowded department store's holiday section. People decorate for the holidays in various forms and degrees. I personally enjoy nothing more than transforming the main living areas of my home into wonderlands of whichever holiday is at hand, so that my young grandson's eyes pop when he walks into my home, yet there was a time when my idea of decorating was tossing a tablecloth representing the current day on the kitchen table.

I am sure there will be a time again in my life when my holiday decorating tones down a bit, but for now, I am reaping as much fun from it as I can. I scour the local stores and novelty shops for items that I think my young grandson will find delight in. My youngest son is no help with this growing endeavor of mine, and will willingly accompany me to help pick out as many distinct creations as we can find. He participates so willingly, or so I believe, because he is as much enthralled with all of the holiday's finery as his little nephew, as am I!

Down the road in time, I am sure I will look back on this period of frenzied holiday decorating and wonder what I was thinking, and hopefully, I will be able to recall all the 'oohs' and 'aahs' uttered by all who entered my miniature holiday land. I will also be able to share with my family by passing down some of my many decorations.

For now, though it is only nearing the end of October, I am already in the full planning stages for the arrival of Thanksgiving and the much-awaited Christmas season. Halloween is in full swing, and my house is duly decorated, with lighted jack-o-lanterns, scary miniature glow-in-the-dark coffins, flying witches, and bats galore, yet I am being propelled forward towards the more expressive holidays in my eyes. In part, I think this is because my grandson will only be visiting for a day or two over the coming weekend, making the drive up with his parents from where they are working in Mississippi. Over Thanksgiving, they should be home nearly a week and the same at Christmas, or so I hope.

Our Christmas tree will be in its place in our main living area by the end of November, where it will be decorated over several days. It will be accompanied by everything from singing Grinches, to dancing trees. Also in attendance will be a mechanical Santa, snoring in his rocker while soaking his feet after the busy day, another Santa dressed in his finery singing the Blues, reindeer skating, and stuffed snowman who giggle when shaken. Snow globes, gold and silver tinsel, and numerous handcrafted ornaments, including paper loops that we will sit and make with our grandson the same as we have made in years past with our own children. Decorate from the heart, enjoy the holidays, and know that soon enough your home will be back to its regular decor, quietly waiting for the next holiday season to arrive.

By Christina VanGinkel

I have wanted a space dedicated to my scrapbooking for some time. Living in a small house that has been 'under construction' seemingly forever, made it seem an impossible dream. Yesterday morning I decided that as soon as my work for the morning was done, I would just do it. Come day's end, I would have a space just for my scrapbook supplies. A place that I could leave my work out, that I would not have to constantly be picking it up each time we needed the kitchen table to eat a meal, or a million other reasons. I had stated this desire for some time, while everyone around me would just nod their heads, look around the small house we live in, and say to them selves, 'Yeah, Right'.

That we have a room that we consider an 'extra' space did help. Our home is without a garage, and our basement is exclusively a workshop for my husband's business. If I were to find space, it would have to be in this room. The only problem being that this extra room was filled wall to wall with stored boxes. Some were ours and would have to stay while others belonged to my daughter. Some of these would also have to stay. Then there were the combined boxes of items that were both my daughters and my own, from a rummage sale that we had earlier in the year. We had intended on having another sale, but never did get around to it. By mid morning I had went through these boxes and totes and had relegated five large garbage sized bags ready to go to the local Goodwill store. Three smaller bags were for people that I knew could use some of the discarded items, and three more medium sized bags went straight to the dumpster. I also spent an hour going through boxes I knew would be staying, reorganizing them so that they would be taking up less space in the room.

For my next step, my husband and youngest son actually did it for me. We have an older house on our property where we have a few items stored. My mother had given be a small drop leaf table years ago, and that was one of the items stored there. I sent them to pick it up and I placed this in the now nearly empty room. With a few other small changes, such as swapping the lighting fixture to create a much cleaner line of light, and borrowing a few large containers from my kitchen that I rarely use, I now have a scrapbook room with all of my tools, embellishments, and current projects ready to work on in a moment's notice. I am making a sign for the door today, declaring it 'Tina's Crafting Creations under Construction', and am wondering why I never did this before.

No matter how small your home may be, and lack of space you feel you have for you hobbies, take a look around you home and strive to designate a space all your own. You will not regret it, as I know I will not!

By Christina VanGinkel

As the holidays creep upon us once again, I am sitting here looking at my kitchen table, wondering if I should replace it. I have had this same conversation with myself the last two or so years. Our house is on the small side, and our kitchen table is one that seats six comfortable. It has no extensions, and if push comes to shove, eight would be the maximum number that could sit at it, and I doubt it would be a comfortable fit. The problem is that this year I can expect to have nine adults and three small children for each holiday meal. This number could also increase if my sister or brother were to take me up on my invitation for Thanksgiving, which I extend every year in hopes that if they decide to travel; they know that they are welcome at our house. With either accepting, this would add two more adults, or if both accepted, (Would that be wonderful!), then that would add four more adults.

My house has no formal dining room, so any table I purchased would go into the kitchen and serve as our daily table year round. Though my house is small, my kitchen is actually quite roomy, and could accommodate a larger table, but I think a table that is the same size as what I have now, with leafs to extend it just when needed, and is what I would actually love to have. I would also have to have extra chairs that could store easily. Regular chairs just would not work, as I would have no place to put them the rest of the year.

When I was growing up, my parents had a formal dining room with a huge table as its centerpiece. The room it was situated in had a wall of bay windows that during the holidays looked out on the perfect evergreen tree that always seemed to be picture perfect with snow lacing its branches. I always dreamed of having my own room, just like it, when I was all grown up. The table was given to my older sister's mother-in-law, and I know that it now sits in a very similar room where it is used for holiday meals much the same as when we were growing up. As much as I would love to have a table similar in style, I would never be able to even fit it through my small entryway, let alone find a place big enough for it. The more I think about it though, it was the memories of us all sitting down for a meal that I most remember with fondness, not the table or the room.

Now that my own family has grown, and grandchildren are one of my most fond additions to these family get-togethers, it is time for me to shop for a table that will allow more great memories to be created. I wonder if I can purchase a table with more than one leaf, so as the number of my grandchildren increase, so can the number of leaves in the table?

By Christina VanGinkel

One log home is just like another, right? Wrong! There are many different log styles themselves, besides countless floor plans. A log home was considered so different from the average house, that many lenders avoided giving loans for their construction. The average builder of a log home once did the actual building himself or herself. Then a turn towards more modern construction methods, with all of the work being contracted out took over. Today, it is actually a mix of the two, with some builders still contracting the whole process out, some doing all of the work themselves, and many splitting the process between themselves and an assortment of building contractors. Why would someone, especially someone who could easily afford to pay someone else to do the work, want to do any of it themselves? Ideally, because of the same reason they wanted to build the log style home in the first place. They consider the home a reflection of their personal style, and want to be sure that, as much of it be reflected in the final product as possible.

If you are in the planning stages of your own home, be sure to take into consideration your own style as much as possible now, during the initial stages, to be sure you end up with a home that both reflects your personality, and will be accommodating to your decor as much as possible. A log home may be able to offer you everything you thought it could, plus much more that you never dreamed possible. Know also that there is no such thing as a single log home decorating style. Log homes have evolved through the years to not only be acceptable to many more lenders than they once were, but to many more personal decorating styles. It is very acceptable to incorporate interior walls that are much the same as seen in a traditional stick built home. Drywall, painted or wallpapered, walls covered with stone, paneled, etc., can be used. Log walls can also be put into the mix, or used throughout. The key being that the choice is yours, and thus you can make a log home's interior into any style you so choose. Flooring is just as open to options, with ceramic, wood, carpeting, even marble, being as acceptable in a log home as they would be in any other home. Lighting fixtures, plumbing features, etc., can also be used to personalize your own log home. From low key to high tech, your log home can be the perfect background setting for any style you choose to create.

Furnishing your log home will be much easier if you consider all of these permanent options early into your build. A log home can easily incorporate different styles depending on the room's purpose. Want a bedroom that breathes Victorian, a kitchen that looks as if it jumped out of the fifties, and a great room that Davy Crocket himself would be comfortable sitting in, a log home could be the home for you. Be sure to check out all the options log home living now has to offer, and your dream home may be just on the horizon.

If you are thinking about adding some new accents to your home, you should consider purchasing Swarovski crystal products. Swarovski, in addition to making jewelry, manufactures an entire line of merchandise that will help you enhance your home decor. You can get a piece of Swarovski crystal for almost any room in your house in order to instantly add a touch of elegance. Let's take a closer look at some of my favorite Swarovski crystal accents.

If I were to go on a home accessory shopping spree, I would definitely start with a nice crystal vase because this piece can actually help you in two areas. First, of course, you would have a beautiful and ornate container for your flowers. Second, you might be encouraged to start utilizing flowers in your home decor. I don't know of too many people who consistently brighten things up with a fresh flower arrangement these days, so I think this is definitely an overlooked area.

Another great Swarovski crystal home accent to use is a window ornament. These pieces usually come in bright colors and have really wonderful starburst-like designs. They look quite attractive when used in a sitting room or living room window that faces the sun. Then, when sunlight streaks through the crystal, you are treated to a very nice, sparkling window dressing. This kind of accent can really spruce up a room and give you a warm feeling, especially in winter.

Swarovski also makes fabulous crystal picture frames. If you currently put all of your pictures in cheap plastic or wooden frames, you are really missing out on a great opportunity to dress up your home. Crystal picture frames are classy and unexpected. They are sure to draw attention and get nice compliments from all of your visitors. Your favorite photo will look so much better when housed in a crystal frame, and the frame itself will help make your entire room look better. You really can't go wrong with this type of accent. If you don't want to go to the expense of buying crystal frames for all of the photos you have on display, then simply buy them for your most important photos, such as your graduation picture, wedding photos, baby pictures, etc.

Finally, Swarovski crystal can really make a difference in your kitchen. This company makes a very nice line of stemware that will allow you to enjoy your beverages in style. If you host dinner parties or entertain a lot, then you know the importance of having nice plates, dishes, and silverware. But your stemware is very important, too. You can make even an ordinary vintage seem more spectacular by sipping it from an elegant crystal glass.

Because Swarovski's crystal home accents have an impeccable reputation for quality and beauty, they make excellent housewarming gifts as well. So the next time a family member or a friend moves into a new home, consider giving him or her an accessory from this company.

Now that you have an idea of how much better your rooms will look with a few crystal accents, go out and get some today!

By Christina VanGinkel

After the calamity with my closet's contents literally falling down around my feet the other morning, I have been considering different alternatives to its current setup, in addition to my original thought of changing the current door situation. Baskets are what I have come up with: with fabric, wicker, and other materials such as canvas, now coming out in different sized baskets, I think that this will be an ideal fix. When searching for the canvas styles, doing a search at FurnitureDestination.com for 'canvas crate' 'canvas storage' and 'canvas bin' will provide you with the most impressive selection I was able to find anywhere online or in my local stores.

For the closet to work with a selection of baskets or crates, a closet full of cubbyholes is in order. With a section left for a hanging rod for those essential clothing pieces that must be hung, I would be able to have separate, but very useful organization for stacks of sweaters, jeans, accessories, even a basket for my socks, and one for my under things. In a small house, with a small closet such as ours, we are always considering different ways to extend the space we have, so why I have never thought of baskets or crates in the closet before I am unsure, as I have put baskets to use throughout the rest of my house for a variety of storage needs.

Deciding on what type of baskets to use is my current task. I was immediately drawn to the wicker lined with fabric, simply because they would be pleasing to the eye upon opening of my closet doors, yet I have decided with such an important function, it would be best if I examined all the possibilities. I was surprised with what I found. Baskets made of canvas are both sturdy and some even come with their interior laminated to make them easier to keep clean. I do not know about your house, but ours can be quite dusty. That I would be able to wipe these clean were an immediate plus over the fabric lined wicker basket. This would also be ideal if I decided to use one of the larger ones I saw for storage of my sandals in the off-season. I also discovered canvas ones that were suspended over a metal frame for optimum support of heavier items and several styles that came is increasing sizes so that they stacked and folded together with ease when not in use. That was a nice feature, but not one I would likely need for in a closet. What I did find convenient, were those that came with their very own cubbyhole system already designed to fit the individual bins.

While I have yet to decide on an actual set or style, I have narrowed it down to the canvas ones. They come in enough choices of fabric that I am sure I will be able to find ones that will make my closet look like something put together by a professional designer / organizer. They beat plastic easily for both breathe ability and appearance, and while I still like the look of wicker, I think the canvas will be much easier to keep looking clean and new, now to just pull it all together to avoid another closet scenario that I have to dig out from under.

By Christina VanGinkel

A friend dropped off several catalogs for me to look at. She is having a Home Interiors party. In a new house for less than six months, she figured that by throwing a get together, and allowing those of us who could not make it on the day it is planned to view the catalogs at our leisure, she will be able to earn herself several hostess gifts. She will also be given a substantial discount on one item of her choosing. As she has a lot of wall space in need of artwork or other embellishments, she actually has quite a daunting task ahead of her.

Home parties of this type are not for everyone, but they can be a fun way to shop. You invite a group of friends to your home, where you have prearranged with the consultant from the company to display some of their top products. Your guests get to enjoy an hour or so of refreshments along with an up-front view of what the company is currently offering. The hostess is awarded dollar values towards shopping, dependant on how many guests come and order, and on the dollar amount of the total order itself. If others book parties from your show, you are also given a reward either in additional dollars to spend, or in specific gifts. While prices at these shows can be high in comparison to similar products in the stores and online, they can be a fun way to spend an hour, and you can feel as if you are helping a friend.

With more people returning to this style of shopping, at least occasionally, these companies have also expanded their lines and created specialized lines within the ones that already exist. Home Interiors for example, now has a complete catalog dedicated to decorating for the holidays. They also have a catalog for the season that is current, and one specifically to help you decorate your child's living space. All of these are in addition to their general catalog that includes items such as wall art, clocks, mirrors, furniture, art glass, lamps, organizational products, candles, shower and kitchen decor, and much more. They also have products separated by design style, making the shopping easier for someone who is design challenged.

The catalogs themselves include design tips, to help someone who is drawn towards an item; decide if it is something that might work in the space they want to use it. They also include 'meet the designer' info on products that are by specific designers. Besides all of these attributes, Home Interiors has also been known through the years as an ideal place to purchase quality artificial floral accents for both their own wares and those already in your home. They have an extensive line of candles and votives too. If you are looking for an additional way to shop, to supplement your Web shopping and traditional in-store shopping, be sure to check out Home Interiors. They have been reinvented into a company that is for today's working person trying to fill their home with quality accents and art.

Decorating your home or office with silk flowers is a cost-effective alternative to keeping a vase of fresh flowers in every room. Silk flowers are beautiful, inexpensive, and very long-lasting. Another plus is that silk flowers are also very versatile. You can use them almost any way you want, and this versatility also allows you to get creative and think outside the box when it comes to decorating.

If you are stuck for ideas about what to do with your silk flowers (besides displaying them in a vase or other container, of course), you can refer to outside resources for help. Take a quick trip to your local bookstore or library and check out some interior design books and magazines. Using silk flowers in home decor is very "in" right now, so you should be able to get a lot of information from your research. In addition, don't forget to check the most convenient data source in this technological age: the Internet. You're sure to find plenty of websites that will give you great ideas on how to use silk flowers around your home.

If you would rather just get started without a bunch of preliminary research, you can always do that as well. To help you out, I'm going to devote the rest of this article to sharing a few tips that I culled from my own Internet research. All of the following were taken from a variety of websites. Since the ideas overlapped and appeared in many different places, it's impossible to find out where each one truly originated in order to give proper credit.

One very cute idea that I read about was to use silk flowers as cake decorations. In order to do this, you must first cut the long stems off so that you are just left with the petals, or the business end, of the flowers. Then you of course have to make sure that the flowers are clean before you actually use them. Finally, it's just a matter of attaching the flowers to the top and/or sides of the cake before presenting it. I think this is a wonderful way to personalize a birthday cake and really let the recipient know you care.

Another good idea that I found online again involves using just the flower heads. Once you have several flower heads prepared, you can attach them to the fringes of a pillow covering to make a nice decorative trim. The flowers can either be sewed on, or you can use special fabric glue to make them adhere to the covering material. You can use this idea for bed pillows, throw pillows, or any other kind of pillow that has a covering you can work with.

These are just a couple of the many different things you can do to implement silk flowers throughout your interior space. You can do so much more, so let your creativity run wild and see what you come up with. You are only limited by your imagination!

When it comes to decorating, it's always a good idea to pay attention to the details and add nice touches here and there around your home or office. One of the best ways to instantly brighten and beautify any room is through the use of flowers. But purchasing fresh flowers every few days can really drain your budget quickly, especially if you want to buy flowers that are "out of season". So if you don't have access to your very own flower garden or wholesale florist, a good alternative would be to use artificial flowers. I'm not talking about the plastic kind, however; I'm talking about nice silk flowers.

There are many advantages to decorating with silk artificial flowers. First of all, most silk flowers these days are amazingly realistic looking. They are often accurate down to the last botanical detail, so it would take very close inspection to reveal them as artificial flowers. Second, they maintain their colors and vibrancy for an indefinitely long period of time. In fact, your silk flowers probably won't fade unless they are displayed in direct sunlight day in and day out or unless they are many years old. Third, you don't have to expend very much energy or effort on upkeep. You obviously don't have to water silk flowers or check them daily to make sure they are doing ok. The only thing you should do is dust them off every once in a while.

Another advantage to using silk flowers is the number of varieties that are available these days. If a flower or plant exists in nature, chances are very good that you'll be able to find the same thing in silk. This is a wonderful development, because it means that you can now display your favorite flowers year round without having to pay a lot of money in order to do so. It might take a bit more searching to locate some of the rarer varieties, but the Internet makes that kind of thing a breeze. Since silk flowers are very inexpensive, you can buy several different varieties to make several different bouquets and arrangements in order to change things up every once in a while.

The best way to use silk flowers is to buy a very nice container to keep them in. If you really want to give them the appearance of fresh flowers, then you should go all out and put them in your best vase, just as you would if someone gave you a dozen roses. To complete the look, add some "fake water". Many craft stores these days realize that more and more people are incorporating silk flowers in their decor. Therefore, these stores now sell a substance that, when dried in the floral container, looks like water from a distance. There are many other accessories you can buy to make your silk flower display look strikingly real and, above all, beautiful.

As you can see, using silk flowers is a great way to spruce up your home or office. The next time you need to add a decorative touch to any room in your home, consider using these flowers.

By Christina VanGinkel

A while back, I had the idea to paint some inspirational sayings on the one wall in my kitchen. I figured that if I had to live and work in the space, I might as well decorate it the way I so chose. Well, while browsing the Internet for something very different, I came upon a site called Wall Words. You guessed it; it is exactly what I had in mind, except this company took the idea all the way to the bank. They have sayings that you can just apply directly to your walls in a variety of colors, fonts, and sizes. They are all pre-pasted and pre-spaced, so they have done the majority of the work. You have less work, less mess. In addition, the best thing about the whole site though is that they have sayings for everything!

Looking for something to paste on your son or daughter's bedroom wall to remind them to keep their room clean? They have sayings for that. How about if you are in need of a short euphemism about life in general, something short and to the point, but that will remind you and those lucky enough to read it to not take life to seriously, at least not all the time? Well, they have several good sayings that would fit.

On the other hand, what if you are looking for something a bit more directed at your housework, something that would fit on your laundry room wall to remind you why the place is such a mess and that it is ok? They have those too.

They have sayings, poems, and single words that are positive reinforcements for those touch times in life, funny sayings, quotes about your favorite pets, ideas for your kid's rooms, reminders to get you back in tune with nature, even sayings by famous people such as Benjamin Franklin. If you are looking for a quote to remind you why you love America, something fitting for an office wall, or to place on the wall of your greenhouse, they have those too and many more, including quotes about babies, love, health, getting older, even custom quotes. They even have several favorite sayings, such as 'Eat Well, Laugh Often, Love Much', available in a choice of several languages, including Spanish, German, French, English, and Italian.

Not to stop just at what the quote's say, they will also let you customize the shape for an archway. They have a special form to fill out to provide them with the exact dimensions of the arch you want to place the quote on, and they will design one to fit your space, instead of trying to make your space fit their quote.

Have a favorite saying but cannot find it on the site? They create custom quotes too; though they do follow all copyright laws, so keep that in mind when ordering.

Moreover, if you like the idea of a wall of words, but just cannot decide how to use them in your own house, they have a complete page of ideas for you to view to both inspire you and show you how others have put them to use.

By Christina VanGinkel

I just came out of my closet after a very near mishap that could have ended in someone, mainly me, being seriously injured. Ok, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, as piles of jeans and t-shirts landing on my head and around my feet are unlikely to do me any harm. With all of the upgrades and remodeling projects taking place in my home in the last year, my closet was definitely not on the list. The closet in question is actually shared by both my husband and me. It has two sliding doors, which means only one of us can be in their side at any given time, not both of us at the same time. As we both get up at the same time each morning, this can be an occasional problem.

This brings us to this morning's mishap. My closet has turned from what was once a reasonably organized space, into a jumbled mess. Why, you might ask, because I am usually the first one to get to the closet in the morning. I will be midway through taking something out when he needs to get into his side. This results in me making a quick decision as to what I am going to wear, and if I already have something else out, I will just toss it back in, at the most maybe folding it half hazardly and tossing it up on the shelf. Rarely does something go back on a hangar, even if that is where it originally started out. This has resulted in a pile up of clothes that were destined to come crashing down, which it just did.

I have a plan, but whether my husband will agree is another matter. We recently removed the closet on my son's closet, and replaced it with a hanging curtain. This works well in his room, an unconventional room to begin with. While I am not suggesting taking our closet doors off and hanging curtains, I am suggesting we take them off and replace them with doors that are more workable for the space. Maybe two sets of separate bi-fold doors for example. That way, we could each be in our own side at the same time. Going one-step further, because the closet is so large, I was thinking that a wall midway through to separate each space would also make each side more useable. That would give us each a narrow interior wall to place hooks for hanging items such as belts and hats, even a bit of extra shoe storage on the lowest level. While all of this was under construction, it would also be an ideal time to add an extra set of shelving towards the top on each side, to add much needed off-season storage.

All this of course is speculation at this point. I need to convince my husband that leaving the closet as is could result in a serious injury, maybe even requiring me to take a day off to relieve the stress of all those jeans and t-shirts landing around my feet!

My husband and I will hopefully be purchasing a new home this time next year. We are not quite ready to buy anything yet, but we needed some motivation to keep working on our little fixer upper to get it ready for sale next year. This past Sunday, we went to look at display homes in the many new subdivisions being built on the outskirts of our city. At first, I looked at it as seeing what we could get for our small budget. We were only going to look at the houses that we might be able to afford, which were generally the smallest ranch plan in the subdivision. We started to have so much fun looking at the displays though, and we started looking at all the models, even those we knew we could not afford.

Most of the display homes are completely furnished and decorated professionally. We got many decorating ideas for our future house, as well as our currently little fixer upper that we are renovating. I found myself immediately drawn to kitchens. I looked at the kitchen first in every house. We are currently renovating our kitchen, and we are having a hard time agreeing on color combinations for the floor, walls, trim, and backsplash. It was interesting to see the color combinations put together for designers.

I also started looking at the paint choices. Some colors looked fabulous on a wall with a vaulted ceiling, while others seemed like a horrible choice. One display home had a daring wall with wide stripes. I hated it, but my husband thought it was interesting. Many homes had rooms painted with various faux finishes. We had been wondering what some faux finishes would look like in a room, and now we had a chance to see some.

We also gained a fresh perspective on furniture arranging and window treatments. We saw beds turned every way possible - against a wall, in the center of the room, and even diagonal from the corner. We saw couches that sat against walls, and couches that faced a room and created a walkway behind them. My husband even changed his mind about what kind of furniture he wants to get in the future. We observed how large furniture in a small room can make it look smaller, and how just the right furniture placement can actually make a small room look larger. I saw various window treatments that I liked. We were able to see how different a window can looks with blinds, heavy drapes, shears, scarves, etc. My favorite was individual window scarves hanging from hooks in between each pane of glass in a bay window.

All in all, we had a great afternoon looking at display homes. We have a better idea of what we can afford in the area, and we also are excited about completing the renovation on our current home so we can decorate a fresh new one. We have decided to go back next weekend to see more. And we have even talked about visiting more upscale neighborhoods just to get more decorating tips.

You know a celebrity has made it big when they contract with a big name retailer to create their own furniture or home decor design collection.
The latest celebrity to embark on such an adventure is designer Nate Berkus, a frequent guest and also a good friend of Oprah Winfrey.

Nate has long been known for his chic, yet simplistic style. He has done dozens of room makeovers on Oprah's show and is always a fan favorite. On a recent "Oprah Winfrey Show", Nate debuted his design collection, which can be found exclusively at Linens 'N Things.

From thick area rugs to woven baskets to chunky glassware and gorgeous bed linens, Nate's collection seems to have it all. The prices are affordable (his hand block toss pillows start at just $19.99) and the style is all Nate. If you've been longing to have Nate makeover a room in your home, just check out his affordable design pieces and get to work. Some great picks include the rattan trays (great for pitting on an ottoman or coffee table) and the chucky knit throws. Berkus also has penned a home design book, called "Home Rules", due out November 1, 2005.

Jaclyn Smith, one of the original Charlie's Angels from the 1970's television series of the same name, has come out with a gorgeous furniture collection called "Jaclyn Smith Furniture By Largo". Featuring timeless, classic designs in elegant woods like cherry, Smith's furnishings are geared to the more sophisticated decorator.

Fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi took retailer Target by storm a few years ago with his fashion clothing collection. Now he's out with his "Isaac Mizrahi Home" collection. Featuring funky designs for the bedroom and bath, Mizrahi's designs are trendy, with clean lines. You can also check out designer Todd Oldham's line at Target. Geared toward the college set, his line features dorm-appropriate furnishings and accessories. Truly hip and trendy.

Martha Stewart's home decor line has been a staple at Kmart for years now, but with Stewart's newfound fame as a reality television host, expect her products to become even more popular. Stewart is known for her classy designs and muted, pastel tones. You can buy Martha Stewart's bed linens, home decor items, and furniture at Kmart. Stewarts more upscale furniture line, dubbed "Martha Stewart Signature Furniture" can be found at upscale furniture retailers nationwide. For more information, and to view her collections, check out Stewart's website.

Fashion designer Bob Mackie, once famous for his outlandish clothing styles worn by singer Cher, has a design collection of furnishings and occasional pieces. He also has an area rug collection, which could be the perfect finishing touch to any room.

Accessorize your home with pieces form Ralph Lauren's "Home" collection, available at Macys's. Featuring bed linens, barware and china, Lauren's collections are truly classy.

Television home decor guru Chris Madden has a signature furniture collection available at Basset Furniture. Featuring the comfortable, classic styles Madden is known for, her collection is gorgeous. And if you're looking for ultra-affordable Chris Madden styles, check out her collection sold exclusively at J.C. Penney-- it features bedding, bath, furniture, rugs-- even window treatments. Her styles range from romantic to adventurous. So pick your favorite style and start decorating!

I admit it. I am addicted to reality shows. Especially the type that involve home improvement or home decorating on a budget. I am continually amazed at what the designers on Trading Spaces can do with a thousand dollars, and I can not believe how cheap it can be to get organized on Clean Sweep. But sometimes I have to wonder, what quality does that cheapness buy?

I have often thought that certain items look extremely cheap and tacky on these shows. Usually it is those items that were craft projects for the home owners - things such as ugly paintings and hideously decorated lamps. I just expect that that was the first item removed from the room when the cameras were gone. I have also seen horrible paint jobs and wondered if it just was not completely dry yet. Other times a good idea just looks horrible in the finished room. For example, gold leafing. Anytime I have seen something gold leafed on those shows, it ends up looking like a child covered it in tiny pieces of tin foil. Do the designers not know that the outcome will be so bad? Are they trying something they have never seen done before? Or maybe the cameras make it look bad. Maybe I see the edges of each piece on my television, but in person it looks amazing.

It also seems that the designers do not really think about usability when designing some items. The cost of a material becomes more important than the intended use. The designers are more concerned with how something initially looks (perhaps more on camera than in person) than how it will hold up for the owner. I know that if I simply slap a coat of paint on a table, that paint will be ruined by the first cold glass that sweats on it or the first toy that scraps across it. I think they should make a show about what fell apart when the cameras left. I can picture collapsed shelves, water-damaged table tops, and seashell-covered vases loosing a shell a day.

My biggest pet peeve is when the designer removes a functional aspect of a room simply because it is ugly or it does not fit well in their design. The biggest casualties are televisions and ceiling fans. Sometimes televisions are concealed and sometimes they are made the focus of a room. Other times, they are completely removed. I think that if a television is in a room, it is there because it is watched. The homeowners like watching television in that room. To remove it is a huge mistake. The designers must realize that the television was put back in that room as soon as the cameras left. But perhaps they know that, and they just want the room to be seen once without the ugly tv. Homeowners usually install ceiling fans to circulate air and/or reduce energy costs. To remove one could greatly upset certain homeowners. They also require more to put back in than a television. But, then again, some homeowners agree that they are ugly and love the fact that it was replaced with an ordinary light fixture.

I have seen a few designers on a few shows that actually think about usability and the taste of the homeowners. They use quality materials and design more modestly that some of the others. Of course, these are the designers that most homeowners hope to get. But, the networks have to keep the controversial designers that no one wants. That makes for a good show. Most viewers rather see the homeowners cry at their new obnoxious all orange living room than see a million similar modest designs. I know I would.

By Christina VanGinkel

Decorating takes on a whole meaning with the upcoming arrival of the holidays. More visitors than usual will be stopping by, and you want your home to show your holiday spirit. Approach your decorating at this time of year in two ways. Decorate for the season at hand, whether it is Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukah, Christmas, or New Years, and try not to overdo it. Let your personal style linger with the decorations, and not become over-shadowed by them to the point that a guest feels as if they are in the local malls holiday section!

How do you find this balance without going from one extreme to the other? Decorate one room at a time. Stand in the middle of the room and consider what decorations you have or want that would go in the room. Consider what personal decorations already in place absolutely do not fit with the holiday at hand. Too often, when someone decorates for a holiday, additions are made to the room's decor instead of replacing some key items. For example, if the holiday is Christmas, and your living room is filled with all your fantastic summer finds that includes several pastel flowered throws, bottles of beach sand, and pillows announcing that you are the garage sale queen, box these up temporarily. Replace the pastel flowered throws with a few luxurious red velvet throws you discovered that almost shout Santa Claus' arrival, instead of leaving the flowered throw and tossing the velvet throws on top of them on the loveseat. Then add a few pillows decorated in your favorite Victorian motif, or reindeer and elves, in place of your garage sale queen pillow. Next, place a few snow globes or a crystal bowl of glass ornaments in place of the bottles of beach sand. Think replacements instead of addition when it comes to accessories.

Do not stop there though. Now look around the room and consider what spots could be spruced up by small touches in addition to the current items. This is for your basics that are stationary, such as curtains and doorways. (Though I do know a person who changes her curtains with the holidays, rarely do most people go to that extreme!). Add a snowman or pine tree pull to your ceiling fan, a fresh green swag over your entryway, or down the banister, or a bit of lace tucked around your curtain rod in addition to your current curtains. Be very careful not to go overboard when adding small touches such as these. Just because you own a holiday decoration does not mean you need to use it every single year. If you have the collecting bug that many of us do when it comes to holiday décor items in general, try to rotate pieces from year to year, only using your favorites year after year.

In the end, have fun, and remember that no one decorating rule applies to all. Each person, and each home must have its own unique style, otherwise all our homes would just be cookie cutter shadows of our neighbors.

Every home or office, including your own, could use some nice accessories to brighten things up. Some people, however, don't want items that just take up space. They are much more willing to add accessories if the pieces actually perform a necessary function. So let's take a look at some accessories that serve dual purposes and are every bit as useful as they are decorative.

Storage Ottoman
Ottomans are usually used as footrests for matching chairs, or, in a pinch, they can even be used as extra seats when your home is overflowing with visitors. They also look great in any room that you have an arm chair, be it the living room, family room, or even bedroom. If you are thinking about purchasing an ottoman, you should consider getting one that opens up for storage. The tops just lift right off, revealing an empty space that is perfect for keeping magazines, videos, DVDs, you name it. Storage ottomans are quite popular these days and can be found at just about any furniture or department store.

Folding Screen
If you live in a small apartment or loft, you could really benefit from a folding screen. These screens come in many different styles, patterns, and colors. You can get everything from a plain screen to a hand-painted one that is covered with exquisite details. Folding screens can serve a couple of different purposes. First, they can be used to divide a room in order to give you some extra privacy, which is great for one-room studio apartments. Second, they can be used to block sunlight during the daytime. Let's face it: if you're renting, your landlord probably hasn't invested a whole lot in the curtains or blinds. So you might need some extra help from a screen.

Wall Clock
Have you noticed that there just don't seem to be very many wall clocks around these days? Whenever I visit someone's home, I see clocks on the mantle, on end tables, on top of televisions, etc. I even see the occasional grandfather clock. But I rarely see a clock physically attached to the wall somehow. This is unfortunate, because a nice wall clock can really add a touch of class to any room in your home, especially your den or office. There are of course many styles and designs to choose from (you can even get wall clocks that play music on the hour), so you're sure to find something to match your decor.

Computer Coaster
Personally, I think computer coasters are very cool accessories, and, in keeping with today's theme, they are definitely very useful. Computer coasters are trays for your CPU, and they usually come with wheels on them. This allows you to get that your computer off your desk without actually having it sit directly on the floor. Then you'll of course have a much larger working area. Computer coasters come in lots of different designs, so it's not like your computer will be sitting on a hunk of wood or steel.

Now that you've got some ideas, go out and get a few functional accessories today!

Light is one of the most important aspects of interior design. We usually welcome light, and tend to favor homes with lots of big windows over homes with fewer windows. Natural light goes a long way towards creating a great daytime atmosphere for your living room or family room. However, after the sun sets, you must rely on artificial lighting solutions to continue providing your interior space with a warm glow. Therefore, having the right floor lamps can really make a difference in terms of how comfortable your room looks and feels at night. So let's take a look at how to go about choosing a good floor lamp.

First of all, you should think about the specific room where you will use your new floor lamp. Is it going to be the family room, where a variety of activities from television viewing to board games take place? Will the lamp go in your home office for late nights of number crunching? Maybe the floor lamp will be for the study where your kids do their homework and where you curl up with your favorite mystery novel. Each of these scenarios requires lighting solutions that are suited for very different applications.

Second, you should take the room's decor into consideration. More often than not, you will probably want your floor lamp to complement the furniture that you already have in place. So if you have rustic, country-style wood furniture in your family room, chances are you won't want to purchase a modern, polished chrome-plated spotlight-style floor lamp. By the same token, if you have contemporary decor, you probably won't want a floor lamp with a horse statue on the base or something like that.

Next, if the new floor lamp will be used in a common area, you should try to involve family members or significant others in the decision as much as possible. This is not to say that you should defer to your 5-year-old's insistence on getting a life-sized Darth Vader lamp, of course. It just makes for a more harmonious existence if everyone feels that they have at least a little input when it comes to furniture decisions.

Finally, as always, you should think about your budget. You might be surprised at how expensive some floor lamps are, so it would be better to have price ranges in mind before you go shopping. This can be especially important if you have to buy lighting for more than one room in your home. In addition, you should be flexible with your choices. If you absolutely fall in love with a particular floor lamp that's outside of pre-planned budget, then you should try to find something similar and a bit less expensive rather than insisting on purchasing that just-out-of-reach item.

Even though buying a floor lamp is not by any means a complicated process, that doesn't mean you should just rush out to the nearest furniture outlet store and buy the first one that you see. Taking a bit of time to think about your lighting needs before you buy can help ensure that you make the right decision the first time around.

Have you just moved into a new apartment or loft? Maybe you've been living in your place for some time and are ready to get rid of your existing furniture in order to start over with a brand new look. Whatever your current situation, the bottom line is that you need new furniture now. Prior to making your first purchase, however, you should give some thought to the overall look that you want to give your home. A very popular decorating style that you should consider is a contemporary look. Let's see what this movement is all about.

The contemporary style goes by several different names that are often used interchangeably. It has been called modern, minimalist, and international. While there might be some slight variations associated with the names, these styles are pretty much the same. For the sake of simplicity, I will stick with the term "contemporary" throughout this article.

Some people immediately get the wrong idea of what contemporary furniture is because of the name. They understandably, yet neverth