Monthly Archives: April 2010

French Country Paint Colors Guide

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French country paint colors can be refined or sophisticated depending on the look that you are going for in your space. By just changing up your color scheme you can change the entire view of your space. Here are a few tips for decorating on the more sophisticated side of this theme.

Le Hameau
Creative Commons License photo credit: stukinha

If you’re decorating with a French country theme in your kitchen then you’ll probably want to go with painted finishes or cabinetry. This allows you to save a lot of money by using your existing cupboards. It’s also a chance to experiment with different finishes and glazes. You’ll also want to add a sense of history and character either with carvings, corbels, or bead board. In this case where you have very intricate designs you’ll probably want to go with either a white or cream paint. This will keep things somewhat neutral and then all the detail work will really pop. This is a way to add character to a basic white cabinet. This can be very enduring because it can work with a lot of different design styles in the future but this will really work towards this theme.

Inside French country homes you will often see a lot of wood paneling and cabinetry. This can be quite expensive to install. Instead, you could just get the same look by mimicking warm wood with paint colors. This allows you to get a neutral space with a very defined color palette. You could accent cream and green along with chocolate brown. This way you’ll have a very sophisticated color palette that can work with almost any accent color you choose. You’ll really want to keep your accessories and metal tones very elegant looking for that rich feeling. You also really need to focus in on a focal point so that your color palette doesn’t just blend into the background.

How to Decorate on a Budget

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The first and most important thing you need to do is to keep your eyes peeled for a sofa sale. Sofas can often be picked up for cents in the dollar if you go shopping at the right time. There is nothing better than knowing you’re already ahead of the game, than when you pick up a supreme bargain at a sofa sale.

after-dining area
Oftentimes when trying to decorate, people can become a little over enthusiastic, until they realise they have blown their budget and don’t have any money left to do the rest of their project. Make sure you keep your head in check. A thorough written list of items you need and the approximate prices of what you need will help you to stay on track. You may need to continually monitor this list as you continue along the journey, as you might find a few ‘splurge’ items that you consider a must have. This will mean that you’ll need to scrimp and save in other areas.

In terms of trying to pick up a bargain, a really important factor to consider is colour. Whilst that cane lounge might look fabulous in the earthy tones of the shop – it may mean you will need to re-paint with a neutral hue at home to really accentuate the sofa. This has become a really popular phenomenon of late – ‘bringing the outside in’. Through the use of a cane lounge and complementary wall hangings, you can really bring a room a lot closer to nature, to give it a real down-to-earth homely feel.

If you are a handy type of person you may be able to cut costs by making your own wonderful pieces at home. The sky is really the limit – all you need to do is pick up a DIY home magazine to see what is possible for you. Wall hangings are easy to make, as well as reupholstering existing furniture, making your own personalised lamp shades – the list is endless. You will be so proud once you have finished your project, when you step back and admire your own handiwork.

Don’t underestimate the power of accessories either. By simply adding  a couple of pillows, some interesting pieces such as flameless votive candles or sea shells, and an indoor plant or wall hanging, you can really revitalise a space without it costing you a fortune. The other thing to remember is that sometimes less is really more. More often than not, simply by clearing out a lot of your clutter, and replacing it with a couple of interesting pieces, you can change the whole outlook and focus of the room. So go ahead and get rid of those stacks of old newspapers and magazines – you need to clear space for your new decorations to live.

It is easy to start little by little in the transformation of your chosen room – eventually you will get around to completing the whole house. It only takes the first step to get started and you’ll most likely get hooked. So when you next walk past the furniture shop having a sofa sale – don’t be afraid to pop your head in to have a browse.

Creative Commons License photo credit: nolaclutterbusters

Smarten Up Your Bathroom with These Ideas

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Although the bathroom is a well used room of the house, we can often neglect the look of it. We’ll often go to great lengths to make sure our living areas and gardens are looking beautiful, but the humble bathroom seems to get put by the wayside when it comes to decorating it.

And it needn’t take a lot of money or time. A coat of paint on the walls, and a new long shower curtain can do wonders to transform a drab looking bathroom into a more stylish room. There are all kinds of unique shower curtains available today that can really set off the rest of the bathroom. You don’t have to settle for those boring old plastic ones any more, there’s a huge variety that you can check out online. So many patterns and colors on offer and the best part is you can order one from the comfort of your own home.

L1130020
Creative Commons License photo credit: thefuturistics

You could go all out and start replacing those chipped tiles with new ones, or replace the tap fittings if they are looking old and grungy. If you have trouble finding replacement tiles for any that are chipped or broken, you could just get some tiles with a nice pattern on them that would complement the existing tiles in the bathroom.
The tap fittings aren’t hard to change and you can have the old ones replaced with modern looking tap fixtures in under an hour. Have a look in your local bathroom supply store and you’ll be surprised at how affordable they are, and they really do make a difference to the bathroom.

Indulge yourself by getting some thick fluffy towels in a color that will go with the rest of your bathroom. There’s nothing nicer than drying yourself on a thick, luxurious towel and they also give the room a more luxurious look.

Last but not least is to get some new bathroom accessories like a tissue box, soap dispenser, and toothbrush holder. These are available in matching sets which give a more coordinated look to your bathroom. Starting with just one of these ideas should get your bathroom looking more appealing

Sliding Folding Doors Glazing Options

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Sliding doors are very popular nowadays especially in the home. The types of door systems available are sliding in line or folding type. Sliding in line doors are mounted on two or three parallel tracks that allow the door panels to slide left or right alongside each other and park to the side. Sliding folding doors consist of a row of door panels connected to each other with hinges and all mounted in a single track. To open the folding door system you simply open the slave door and start pushing. The pushing sliding action will make all of the doors collapse onto each other, concertina style, bunching them together to one side. A useable opening of up to 90% is achievable with this type of door system when in the open position.

Sliding Doors

No matter what type of sliding doors you plan to install, make sure that the glazing meets with building code. The building code rules for glazing in buildings concerns safety and thermal efficiency. Safety in glass is obviously very important and the rules state that all glass panels between floor level and 800mm above must be safety glass. There are two types of safety glass mainly used. The first is toughened glass. Standard glass is put through a special process that basically hardens the glass. This hardened glass is quite tough to break but if it does, the glass will shatter into small blunt pieces that are relatively harmless and reduce the possibility of injury. The second type is laminated glass. This consists of two panes of standard glass with a layer of plastic film between to form a sandwich. Again quite tough to break but if it does the glass is held in position by the plastic film, preventing large chunks of glass falling out of the frame and causing injury.

Folding sliding doors can often be quite large therefore thermal efficiency is a very important consideration from a heat loss and heat gain point of view. To reduce heat loss double glazing units are installed. The air space between the layers of glass is hermetically sealed, which improves the thermally efficiency of the glass units. In addition, the glass is also coated with a special coating that reflects heat produced internally back inside, keeping the room warm in winter time reducing heating costs. In the summer time when the sun shines, the glass works in reverse by reflecting the suns heat outwards to reduce heat gain.
Creative Commons License photo credit: william_hines

Finding the Right Murphy Bed Hardware for Your Project

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With more and more people working at home and turning those small spaces into the new “Mini-office,” it’s no wonder that the Murphy bed is making a new appearance in today’s homes. This old-fashioned stand-by, created in the early 20th Century, now has the same space saving function with an entirely new look. Beautifully crafted cabinetry and rich hardwoods have turned this bed into a lovely show piece, worthy of the best decors.

You can spend thousands of dollars and wait for months on end for a carpenter to fill your order, or you can take a deep breath, find the hardware kit that best fits your needs, and do the project yourself. If you are handy with a hammer and saw, Murphy bed hardware, easy to follow directions and on-line help is just a click away.

Murphy Bed ClosedThe key to success is in planning and research.  Take the time to plan your project in advance, decide what exactly you want and need to accomplish, and then find the best company to supply the proper hardware for your needs. You can easily research companies on the Internet and look for reviews of their products and services. A reliable hardware company will help you choose the perfect products and answer any and all questions you may have.
When searching for the right hardware and the best company, make sure your main objective is quality. Do not be fooled into looking for only the lowest prices available; often the lowest price on same or similar articles can end up costing much more after the shipping costs have been added. There are still reliable companies out there that will include shipping costs in the price of the hardware. Diligence to detail now can save you aggravation in the future.

If the need to provide extra work space while saving money is in your future, a do-it-yourself project makes sense. With the proper research and careful planning, a space saving Murphy bed can provide that extra space while adding charm to your present surroundings.

Creative Commons License photo credit: NineInchNachosIV

Create Peace in Your Room With Green Area Rugs

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It is amazing how a color can change the dynamic of your room and even contribute to how you are feeling. When you decide to decorate with the color green, it will portray rest and be calming to the inhabitant. This is why green area rugs are often used in a room, whether it is the bedroom, living room or a bathroom. These rugs serve as the perfect accessory to bring your furniture and color scheme together.

February 19, 2010 - New Rug!
An area rug helps make a large space smaller or a small space bigger. It all depends on whether you put the rug underneath a table or couch. Sometimes you can use several rugs to break up a space. When you decorate with the color green, it accents black and white features or helps draw out colors like reds and blues. You can use a deep green area rug to create a stable atmosphere for a room like an office. A brighter green will work well in a living room or a blue green rug creates a sense of serenity. Using green can bring harmony into a room, as it combines colors and furniture and contributes towards a peaceful atmosphere.

Once you have found the style and type of green area rug you like, then pick three colors from the rug to draw from. The rug is your focal point and everything else is going to help bring the colors out throughout the room. Use one of the colors in your largest piece of furniture, and another color for a chair and large accessories. The third color, which is usually also the brightest, should be a smaller accent piece. Then use a fourth color as your wall paint color. Once you have brought everything together, your green area rugs will be the talk of the room!

photo credit: nerdcoregirl

Getting a Large Corner TV Stand That Fits Your Needs

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There may be a lot of corner TV stands to pick from. You may be looking for something that will look great in the home, but that also will fit your needs. This kind of stand may be just the kind you are looking for.

Where to Find a Large Corner TV Stand

There are a lot of places that you can look for a large television stand. The first and most practical are at your local entertainment or furniture store. This is because with something so large, you will need to be able to move it easily. A furniture store close to your home will help you move the stand into your home and you won’t have to deal with that part of things. Another reason is they may also offer you a good price because you are local to them. This is great if you have a limited budget, but still need something this large.

Another place to look is online. You may be able to get a good idea of the prices of the corner units you want, but I would not advice buying this way. The price of shipping alone will be huge, unless the business has a plan to help with a large purchase shipping costs.

Weighing the Options

There are going to be tall corner TV stands that you may find you love, but are just not right for your home. You may also find there are other stands that just don’t seem right for you and your style. This is where weighing the options of what you want and what you need come in handy. Look at the different styles and options and really think about what it is you want so you are happy with what you are getting and keep it for a long time to come.

glocal at fuse
Creative Commons License photo credit: glocalprojec

Single Duvet Set

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Single duvet cover sets provide you with lots of warmth and are well designed to keep you nice and toasty in even the harshest climates. Most people don’t know this but the single duvet came out of a need for having a way of keeping you more condensed when sleeping in your bed and not requiring lots of additional blankets. There are many different factors you should take into consideration when deciding on which single duvet set you should purchase.

Even if you have a smaller bed your options will not be limited as far as styles and designs you can choose from when purchasing a single duvet as smaller sizes have just as many options as the larger sizes. Typically your style and color choices will essentially be guided by your personal preferences as to what you personally find interesting and intriguing. In addition, you should take into account the current decorating scheme of your bedroom because unless you want to perform a full redecorating project of your bedroom, then it might be a great idea to pick a duvet cover that matches that current scheme.

Big boy bed-6

The material of the single duvet cover set should be one of the biggest and most concerning choices to you when picking out your set. Cheaper materials typically mean cheaper quality. That being said there are still many affordable quality sets that you can choose from that will give you an extremely luxurious and stylish set for your bedroom.

Hotels have always known the importance of duvet cover sets. They invest quite a bit of money in the sets in order to impress their clients. That being said you can do the exact same thing that these hotels do but purchase your duvet cover set to impress your friends and family members about the stylish individual that you truly are. That being said cotton is typically the favorite material for duvet sets.

When purchasing a single bed duvet set many people purchase multiple duvet sets as they are a cheap option to quickly switch up the look and style of your room quickly without having to change the actual comforter. Quickly changing the duvet cover is typically looked at as a much more affordable option to sprucing up your bedroom.

When you take everything into consideration including the price and stylish nature of the duvet cover, you truly cannot pass up on the opportunity to impress your friends and family that might be viewing your bedroom. In addition, the single duvet cover is a truly comfortable and extraordinary piece of bedding that will show off your fashionable side.

Creative Commons License photo credit: Paul Jacobson

The Diversity of a Loft Ladder

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A loft ladder is a stable and diverse piece of equipment that can be installed by the homeowners themselves. They have become so diverse in fact, that some companies have become inclined to include them in the stairs selection of their home improvement range.


In the past, there was usually a separate stepladder, summoned from the nearby closet. Today, sophistication and ingenuity of design have taken over, and they come in such a range that there will always be one that will suit the individual need of the homeowner.

First, they economize on space, as they are able to be stored either by a spring or folding mechanism inside the loft itself. This is achieved by attaching it to the hatch, meaning it is automatically lowered in the process of opening when the hatch itself is opened, ensuring easy access and maximum use of space.

The loft hatch is often included as part of the overall installation and its role has played a large part in the improvement of the equipment, making its overall use more attractive.

The variety owes much to the variety of the user, and this is reflected in these designs and materials used. Wooden ladders tend to be the most popular traditionally, but aluminum designs have increased due to their ease of weight. They are also manufactured in steel, built for the durability and support of heavier weight for the more industrial user.

For others, it is easier to simply use the loft ladders as if they were a flight of stairs, and the scissor design that allows for the gradual extension of the loft ladder itself increases the use to all ages of the family and eradicates the danger of the more conventional design.

Its evolution is clear when comparing the diversity that exist today and what existed twenty years before.

Creative Commons License photo credit: timmyjimi

Tips for Buying the Right Hall Table

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When choosing a hall table for your home’s front entrance, it’s important to consider the following tips and suggestions:

Blue Table
Material – What type of hall table will fit in with your existing décor and your hall table budget? If your budget is a small one but oak, mahogany or any other type of solid wood is desired, you may be better off shopping in a used furniture store or online auction site. Another way to get the look of a wood hall table without breaking the bank is to choose a veneer table. Veneer is a thin sheet of a wood such as oak that is laid over a lower priced wood such as particle board. If wood is not your thing, there are many other materials to choose from such as chrome (for more contemporary décor styles) acrylic, wrought iron, stainless steel, granite, marble and combinations of two or more materials.

Size – The size of your hall table depends on the size of your entryway. A large wide open entryway demands a substantial hall table. Solid, heavy pieces work well in these larger areas as do those with heavier weight bottoms and glass surfaces. Smaller entryways need smaller hall tables. Open tables with glass tops and open legged bottom halves do well in these spaces as do half round hall table models.

Design – Hall tables are available in countless designs. The one that’s right for you will depend on your needs, current décor, and on the space. If you need storage at your front door then be sure to look for models that feature drawers, cabinet doors or a shelf. The shelf can be used to place baskets or other type of box containers on so that shoes or other items can be placed inside. Do you want a very ornate, detailed hall table or do you prefer a sleek, more contemporary or modern style hall table?  The design of your hall table should be functional and practical as well as fashionable. Decide what your needs are before you start shopping.

Speaking of shopping, the best place to start is the Internet. Shopping online not only allows you to see the best variety but also gives you the opportunity to picture the hall table in the space much easier than it would be do from the inside of a store. Also, the Internet often offers the best pricing and even low or no cost shipping deals as well.

Creative Commons License photo credit: amiefedora