Kid Friendly Fabrics – How to Great Looking Furniture with Kids in the House

Published May 17, 2012 | By Mark

Remember the days of plastic slipcovers and rooms reserved only for non-red wine drinking adults? They were a good intentioned way to protect our sofas, chairs and rugs from the daily abuse our kids inflict. Those days are long gone, thank goodness! Today’s latest kid-friendly fabrics and styles are low-maintenance, durable, and stain resistant, standing up to even the roughest tumbles of our children. That means every area of your home can be a haven for family living.

No longer must your furniture and rugs remain forbidden for jumping, wrestling, kid play and even eating. Having a kid friendly environment doesn’t equate to living with a Saturday morning cartoon theme, either. You don’t need to give up style for practicality. Whatever style you choose, from clean-lined and contemporary to vintage inspired or traditional, your sofas, armchairs and rugs can survive kids and the happy chaos they bring to family life.

When choosing fabrics, heavier weave is stronger and hides dirt better, and a stain-resistant finish is better still. Many manufacturers include Scotchgard protection, too. Be a bit practical, though, and realize white or beige probably isn’t the best option. Patterns, finishes, vibrant hues and texture can also camouflage the inevitable juice spills, muddy footprints and other unforeseen accidents, and these are available in stain resistant fabrics.

Area rugs can be the saving grace for wood floors or carpeting, too. Simply turn them over, shake them outside or even discard when the inevitable happens. With the many natural and synthetic fibers and materials available today, area rugs can be stylish and sensible, simultaneously.

See part two of this topic in our next post

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Dining Room Table and Chairs – How to Choose What is Best for You

Published May 11, 2012 | By Mark

The right dining roomtable and chairs enhance the style and feel of your home.  Your dining room is the heart of your home.  It’s where your family and friends come together for quiet meals and important celebrations.  Choosing the furnishings to turn your dining room into an inviting oasis that reflects you own personal style takes careful consideration.

When picking out a dining room table and chairs for your home, there are many things that need to be considered.  Gone are the days when everything had to match perfectly.  You now have the chance to express your style and the unique personality of your family through your furnishings.

The first thing to consider before buying a new dining room table and chairs for your home is how it will function.  Do you need an elegant table to entertain clients or are you looking for intimate family dinners, or maybe a blend of both?  By knowing your needs ahead of time, you will be able to choose furniture for your dining room that will serve you well for years to come.

When purchasing the perfect dining room table and chairs for your home, the next thing to consider is the shape and style of the room.  A long rectangular room does not lend itself to a round table.  Instead pick an oval or rectangle table to match the dimensions of the room and create a stylish area for your dinners at home.

Also consider how much seating you will need.  Will it be just the family or will you be hosting large dinner parties?  Some dining room tables can be extended to accommodate larger parties.  This can be invaluable for large family holidays or dinner parties with your clients.

You no longer have to purchase a full dining room set.   If matching chairs is your choice, you will of course have plenty to choose from.  But, you can also mix and match.  Pick chairs that complement but don’t exactly match your dining room table and impress your guests with your stylish design.

Just remember that when you purchase separate chairs, there are a few things you have to make sure of.  First, be sure that the chairs are the proper height for the dining room table you have chosen.  And, second, if your preferred chairs have arms, measure to make sure that the arms of the chair will fit under the table.  You have to be able to push the chairs in at the end of the meal.

Finally, when creating your perfect dining room, accessorize.  Pull the room together with your own touch of style by adding area rugs for color, table runners, and centerpieces that reflect your unique personality.

As the heart of your home, your dining room deserves special attention.  The perfect dining room table and chairs will set the tone for the entire room.  Create your dream dining room and the memories you make there will be cherished by your entire family.

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Interior Decorating Guide – What is Your Style?

Published May 10, 2012 | By Mark

See Interior Decorating Guide part 3 

Deciding upon an interior decorating style is one of the preliminary steps in home decoration. Until you decide on the style of the décor and home furnishings, other home interior activities should be kept on a hold.  Let’s take a look at some of the most popular home decorating styles.

*  Contemporary Style – In this style of home décor, the focus is on creating open spaces and clean lines. The idea is to drive the attention towards the architectural pattern of the home. Furniture with clean geometrical lines works the best with this style. Use a minimum of home furnishings to get the right effect and then add artwork, paintings, and greenery to accentuate the appeal.

*  Classic style – This style usually uses reflective color schemes. You could consider using larger sized furniture in the room. Solid wood hand crafted antique furniture will also complement this style of home décor. You can also use vintage lighting and traditional pieces to create the right mood and ambience.

*  Country style– In order to decorate your home in country style, you need to use soft and subdued color tones such as sage green. Add in some high quality antique accessories. Consider using furniture with a worn, antiqued look but remember not to overdo it. The idea is to recreate old style home interiors but with a modern touch and feel. A good finishing idea is to use dried flowers, hardwood floors, or perhaps a touch of white in some of the furniture.

Home interior decorating is all about balance between comfort and style, between functionality and aesthetics. Using these tips and guidelines can help you turn your house into the home of your dreams.

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Beautiful Solid Wood Dining

Published May 4, 2012 | By Mark

Great looking table, chairs and sideboard from Bermex in Canada. This is a great company building quality dining room furniture from North American Birch. Build your own table.

You pick the shape, size, # of leaves, apron, leg or pedestal style, color and finish. Get exactly what you want.

Great quality and very good value for heirloom pieces.

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Interior Decorating the Home – Choosing Your Colors

Published May 1, 2012 | By Mark

See part 2 of The Interior Decorating Guide here.

Choosing colors for your home can be quite confusing at times, particularly with so many enticing shades and textures available today. As a rule of thumb, never select a color on your first visit to a paint store. It is advisable that you collect some samples of different shades of paints from various stores and check whether they will add aesthetic value to your home. Here are some useful tips on choosing the right color scheme for your home.

 Consider lighting – In order to get the ultimate aesthetically pleasing effect with creative use of color, you need to consider the lighting of the room. Note the amount of natural lighting available as well as the artificial lights used in the room. Lighting conditions in one room may be different from another, so you need to assess each and every room individually. Choose colors for your walls and home furnishings according to the lighting conditions of the room.
 Consider existing furnishings/objects – You might have some existing furniture and objects in your home, which you don’t want to replace. It is essential that you take into consideration the colors of such items when selecting colors for your home. This is because the color of floors, carpets, lamps, rugs, paintings and the furniture in the room will affect the wall color to a large extent.
 Consider style and theme – It is important that you finalize a style and theme for interior decorating prior to choosing colors for your walls. Once you have decided the theme and style it will be easier for you to choose a color that accentuates your home’s decor.
Now let’s take a look at some effective color scheme ideas.
Color Scheme Ideas for Interior Decorating
Here are some of the best color scheme ideas for home interiors.
 Monochromatic Color Scheme – This color scheme is mostly used in open concept houses, where different shades, textures, and tints of a single color are used in combination to create an aesthetically pleasing look. The idea is to create a sense of consistency, while still making space for contrast and visual breaks.
 Complementary color scheme – Colors used in this scheme are positioned opposite to each other in the color wheel. One should carefully balance opposite colors when using this color scheme in home interiors. You can consider mixing and matching collegiate colors such as green and red, orange and blue, or gold and blue for the best results.
 Analogous color scheme – Contrary to the complementary color scheme, this scheme uses colors positioned adjacent to each other on the color wheel. Choosing the right combination of colors is important for creating a striking visual effect when using this color scheme.
Now that we know how to pick suitable colors and color schemes for your home’s interiors, we’ll get to know a bit more about interior decorating styles in the next post.

Go here for more on implementing spring color tips.

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Interior Decorating Your Home – What Not to Do

Published April 28, 2012 | By Mark

See Part 1 of Interior Decorating Guide here.

When it comes to decorating home interiors, there are a few things that you should avoid doing to get better results. Let’s have a look at the don’ts of decorating your home.
• Don’t place all furniture up against the wall – One common misconception about placement of furniture in the room is that placing them against the wall makes the room look larger. On the contrary, keeping some empty space between the wall and the furniture can create the desired effect. You can place smaller furniture such as a tea table or dining table in the middle of room. For the remaining home furnishings, you can make several small groups and arrange them all through the room in an aesthetically balanced manner.

• Don’t clutter the room with too many objects – Excessive furniture or objects can make a room look clumsy and cluttered. Moreover, having too many furnishings in the same room can disturb free movement, so it would be better for you to avoid placing too many objects in the room.
• Don’t use mismatched furniture – Don’t use furniture that doesn’t go well with the overall interior decorating scheme of the room. It may be quite tempting to use an antique piece of furniture in the living room, but you should think about whether it will contribute to the aesthetic appeal of your home’s interior.
• Don’t paint the walls first – Most people think it’s a good idea to paint the walls of the room first – unfortunately, this is another widespread misconception. On the contrary, you should first buy the furniture and floor coverings for your room based on your preferences. Once you know the colors of the rugs, wallpaper, and fabrics, it will be easier for you to choose an aesthetically pleasing wall color.
Keeping these home furnishing tips in mind can go a long way to help enhance your home’s interiors and décor. In the post, we will take a look at a few more useful tips on choosing color schemes, styles, themes and furniture for decorating your home.

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Guide to Home Interior Decorating

Published April 26, 2012 | By Mark

“I deeply believe that a beautiful decor can have a beneficial influence on our lives.”
Albert Hadley
Home interior decorating, as the famous American interior designer stated, can contribute largely to the way you live your life. Not only that, your home’s décor also gives you the opportunity to showcase your aesthetic intelligence and personal tastes. However, creating a ‘wow effect’ when it comes to home decor is not as easy as you might think – you need to balance both aesthetics and functionality. And in order to do that, you will need to take into consideration your individual requirements, limitations and preferences. Once you are clear about your requirements, you can go ahead and create a beautiful blend of functionality and style to come up with great home interiors. Here we are going to take a look at some useful home interior decorating tips and guidelines  to help create the wow effect.

Home Interior Decorating: What You Should Do


Although there are no hard and fast rules for interior decorating, you should consider the following four guidelines for the best results -
Consider creating a balanced look – It is important to place objects in such a way that it creates a balanced look in the room. It is all about creating a better and more pleasing visual effect with the right positioning of objects. For instance, if you clutter a lot of objects on one side of the room, leaving empty space on the opposite side, the room could end up looking visually unbalanced. You should also pay close attention to the details. For instance, instead of placing a large flower vase on one end of the dinner or tea table, you should consider placing it in the middle to create a balanced look. Alternatively, you could also place two sleek flower vases on the two ends of the table.
Identify the point of focus – Before you start decorating any room, you should consider selecting a focal point for it. The idea is to catch the attention of the onlooker in one go. You can place any object or item that is aesthetically interesting at the room’s focal point. It can be a large painting, antique furniture, fireplace or anything. However, remember that too many focal points can distract the viewer’s attention, and lower the appeal of the home furnishing, so stick to just one.
Consider size of objects – When buying custom furniture for any room, the size of the room should be given prime importance. This rule applies to all objects – they should be in proportion with the other objects in the room, as well as the room’s size in order to create an aesthetically balanced effect.
Balance rhythm and contrast – While visual repetition is important for creating a rhythm in home interiors, you should also use objects with contrasting looks to create visual variety in the room. It is important to recognize where to go flat and where to use contrast. Creating the right balance between rhythm and contrast is essential.

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5 Tips For Using the Hot (and Cool) Spring Colors

Published April 20, 2012 | By Mark

When the calendar turns to spring, a spirit of renewed energy turns our thoughts to redecorating. Whether you bring in new area rugs, window coverings, toss pillows or all new living room furniture to liven up your home, adding the latest color trend hues to your decor gives your space a fresh new look. In the dining room or bedroom, family room or child’s room, using color to decorate can be a fun project that doesn’t have to take a lot of time or money, either.

Color sets or alters a mood, so experiment with the latest new hues and color combinations. Incorporate the hottest colors for spring into your own home interior by color blocking – pairing saturated tints with each other. Or strike a bold note by accenting your existing pieces with a splash of this season’s coolest tones.

Here are five fast, easy and affordable ideas to refresh any homeowner’s furniture and living areas with the hottest spring colors: shades of orange and yellow, purples, pinks and blues, all accented with neutrals like grey and brown (see below for a complete list of the Pantone spring colors).

1- Paint: Use any of the hot Pantone spring colors to highlight an accent wall in the living room, bedroom, dining room, bathroom or other areas. Step outside of your comfort zone when choosing a hue for the wall. Painting is easy, inexpensive and fast. And if you don’t like it, you can always paint over it!
2- Area Rugs: Rug purveyor Surya  has a beautiful collection of area rugs in the latest color and texture trends. An area rug with the perfect pop of bold color really ties a room together.
3- Artwork: The right piece of art on an empty wall or table is the finishing touch in any room – expanding a small one to feel bigger, or shrinking a cavernous one down to human scale. Match modern furniture with contemporary photography, or traditional pieces with landscapes, all with the season’s color trends in mind.
4- Pillows & Throws: Every couch or chair yearns for a soft toss pillow or cozy throw to invite people to relax. Change out these inexpensive pieces each season when the latest color and pattern trends arrive for a quick, different look. Cooler colors like Sodalite, Bellflower and Cockatoo work well for downtime and reading. Try warmer colors like Tangerine Tango, Solar Power and Margarita to promote closeness and conversation.
5- Bedding & Drapes: New duvet covers, quilts, pillowcases or window treatments dress up (or down) any room quickly and within any budget.
Whether you take your tax refund this year to redo every room in the house, or simply add some of the hottest (and coolest) new colors and furniture, you can feel right at home with the spring color trends in interior design, furniture, and room planning as you settle in for the warmer months ahead.

Spring 2012 Pantone Colors

Tangerine Tango –17-1463
Solar Power – 13-0759
Sodalite Blue – 19-3953
Bellflower – 18-3628
Cockatoo – 14-5420
Cabaret – 18-2140
Sweet Lilac – 14-2808
Driftwood – 18-1210
Starfish – 16-1120
Margarita – 14-0116

For more information on spring color trends, visit:

Design Sponge

Better Homes and Garden and

Benjamin Moore

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Outdoor Lighting

Published May 1, 2011 | By Mark

Give the great outdoors a modern, urban vibe with the Wind lamp by Vibia. This cool outdoor lamp is inspired by a parasol, with its tall base and wide brim, but rather than blocking the light out, it illuminates the space.

These lampshades pivot on their points, so you can angle them for looks and for function. The woven shade has a light, airy quality that reminds us of casual but chic resort living. Line these up by the pool for a vision of contemporary cool, by day or night. Choose from white – always a classic choice – vibrant orange or a shocking green color that is an instant attention-grabber. More info on the Wind outdoor lamp is available by visiting Vibia.

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Reclaimed Wood Furniture

Published May 1, 2011 | By Mark

Like reclaimed wood furniture? Go here for a FREE membership to Haute Look, a discount designer online store.

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Posted in Accessories, Furniture, Green, Quality
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