Jessica's Ramblings on life and home

More people decorate their homes during the fall and winter months than at any other time of the year, and with good reason! We spend more time indoors, we owe it to ourselves and our families to create a comfortable place to be! Here are the best ways to save BIG bucks on your home decorating
Start with plan. I know you′ve heard this before, but having a plan doesn’t necessarily mean you know exactly everything you want to do in your rooms ahead of time. What it does mean is having a starting point to keep you in the ballpark, and that will save you A LOT of money in mistakes in the long run. So start with the three things you need…Color, Style, and Formality. Color is easy…if you don’t already have a color scheme you love, find one in a book or magazine, and borrow it! Still unsure? Pick your favorite color, plus white, never fail combo. Style? Maybe you know you love Country Farmhouse. Or maybe you like a little of everything! That’s ok, just make sure you give the room style a name that includes the feeling you want in the room, and that will keep you on track. For instance, I have a Fresh and Sunny Cottage Room for my family room. (I use sunny as a feeling as well as a visual clue!) Keep the feeling in the name, and you will pick the right style every time! Finally, formality. Know if you like a more formal room, where things on both sides of the room match, or a more informal feel. So my family room description would go something like this…I want an informal Fresh Sunny Cottage style full of soft blue, green yellow and white. So every time I buy something, I know if it doesn’t fit in that description, it doesn’t fit period!
Look for alternatives to everything!!! Flat sheets on sale are a great buy…I can get one at my discount store for $2.89. A flat sheet is generally 66×96 inches…that’s over 3 yards of fabric for less than 97 cents a yard! Can’t beat that, and flat sheets come in so many colors. When in doubt, buy white! Use them for tablecovers, curtain panels, making comforter covers, throw pillow covers, or even casual slipcovers! If you find a great color, stock up during a white sale…you will always find uses for fabric that fits into your color scheme.
Look for furniture at yard sales and in the classifeds. You can get quality furniture this way for a fraction of what it would cost you new. Learn to make do with the furniture you have with the art of disguise. Slipcovers, paint and floor length tablecloths go a long way towards dressing up an otherwise forgettable piece of furniture. By the way, you can paint ANYTHING these days! The trick is to use a specialty blocking primer before painting…I recommend KILZ Original. Yes, you can even paint that ugly laminate bookcase or computer desk! All your furniture mismatched in style and form? Paint it all one color, and it will help marry and unify your furniture grouping. (I love white or black for furniture, depending on the style of your room.)
Finally, look for good resources to help you learn to create your own accessories, custom paint finishes, and inspirational ideas such as TheBudgetDecorator.com.
With a little advanced thinking and a bit of creativity, anyone can have a well decorated home!

Home decor has popularly been the province of women. However, there are plenty of men who want a unified theme to their home, but don′t go in for pastels or knick-knacks. What’s a manly man to do? Especially if he likes sports, guns and girls? Don′t be caught alone in the decorating section of your local bookstore; people will only mock you. Instead, dip into a manly magazine. Some of the best ideas can come from mags like Stuff, Maxim and Men’s Health – look for articles & photos that feature the male in his ideal environment and see if you like any of the decorating schemes.FloorsWood, stone, tile or carpets in a dark or neutral shade are your best bets. When in doubt, choose the more testosterone-fueled floor covering. If you want easy-clean, consider wood or tile. Carpets should be stain-resistant and not require much in the way of care. WallsPaint in a neutral shade if you don′t really want to think about this. Red, blue and green are all colors that can impart different kinds of male energy. Red is a powerful color, evoking energy and passion. Blue is calming, but solid. Green is akin to blue, but is associated more with nature and the outdoors. Camouflage, while definitely manly, is too busy to make it a recommended color for walls. There are other wall options for the manly man. Many wallpapers out there that reflect hobbies, work and a certain masculine appeal. Paneling is another option. Of course, you can always plaster the walls with pictures of cars, 38-point bucks and scantily-clad women, which makes their color more of an academic argument.WindowsThe masculine mind will derive great comfort from drapes that complement the color of the walls. Wooden blinds are also good. If all else fails, get the plainest curtain that you can find, or a blanket that has some kind of manly message on it, like “Harley Davidson Motorcycles”. AppliancesLuckily, these come in basic white and black most of the time. Black is more of a manly color, but since white is acceptable everywhere, your masculinity shouldn′t be called into question. Every leisure room should have a refrigerator for refreshing beverages. FurnitureWood, metal and leather are your choices. High quality leather is actually one of the best materials for keeping clean – wiping up the remnant of Sunday football games becomes less of a hassle. Comfort is of prime importance; who cares if your couch costs a lot if it totally relaxes you at the end of a hard working day? Think of what you want your furniture to do – do you have a lot of friends coming over and lots of beer drinking? Choose something that can accommodate this. Think big. Big is manly and more comfortable for a large frame. Size is imperative when choosing a TV, computer and surround sound system. Fewer larger things in a room is better than more smaller things. Keep it simple! ArtThere are many choices in art for manly men: trophy bucks, record-sized mounted fish, sports trophies and memorabilia. Consider model cars, planes or military vehicles. Rifles and fishing rods are other recommended items of decor. Weapons are great conversation pieces as well, especially if you have accurate replicas of ancient war tools.Decorating need not be torture for the manly man. It only requires that you know what you like and apply it to your living space. After all, that’s what it’s there for!

Using paint to revamp your room is one of the quickest and cost effective ways to decorate your home. Deciding on a color though can be difficult, so choose carefully. Give consideration to choice of color by sampling the shade on the walls using test pots.
Daylight can give different tones to a color which may not appear at all what you expected in the artificial light of the evening. Think, which colors appeal to you? Do you want something vibrant for instance in your kitchen to wake you up at breakfast time? Or calming soft neutral tones for your bedroom, to relax and unwind your mood at the end of a tiring day?
Here are some colors and ideas to consider when decorating your home:
Pure Brilliant White
This color can be very harsh and clinical if not teamed with the proper furniture, lighting, flooring etc. Different families of shades of white are widely available to give warmth to any room, but still achieving that sought after contemporary, minimal look.
Neutrals – Create the feeling of space, light and look completely chic.
Blues – Create the feeling of harmony and serenity and can give a calmness to any room. Alone this color can be cold. Teamed with different shades of the same family a warmer look can be created.
Greens – Creates a restful and airy space. Gives the feeling of outdoors, due to the tones of nature.
Lilacs – Creates the feeling of calmness and harmony. This is an ideal color for a bedroom due to it’s relaxing tones. Can be made modern by adding colors such as shocking pink for a more dramatic look.
Reds and Oranges – Creates a vibrant and alert atmosphere. These colors should be avoided in bedrooms due to their awakening tones.
Using a color wheel which is available from most D.I.Y stores is a helpful tool when choosing the color of your paint. Colors that work well together are the colors which are situated beside each on the color wheel, whilst colors that contrast are opposite each other on the wheel.
Contrasting colors though, give a dramatic bold effect when put together in a room. Also remember that when choosing soft furnishings and accessories, that you can use these to contrast or compliment the overall look.
Remember, always to balance the colors and stand back and take a look at your finished room. How you perceive your masterpiece may be biased, so it is always a good idea to get the opinion of a good friend as well.
Your home decorating will always come up to scratch if you have at least chosen the right colors.

There are many opinions on what will be hot or not in 2008 with probably many of the top designers arguing into 2009. However some of these ideas might get your creative juices flowing and give you some inspiration for your home decor this year.

No matter what any of the industry expects say this year it is clear that there are many ways for you to make you home individual and personal but the environmental angle does seem to be an overriding factor.

The days are getting longer. The sun is shining brightly. The world feels good to itself. So, how come you should be giving thought to buying that new fireplace from the home decorating catalogs?
Well, in reality the spring or summer is actually the best time to buy a new fireplace or fireplace surround. The reason being that fireplaces can actually be a little trickier then they first appear. Let me explain.
In the old days it used to be the case that you had very little choice in fireplaces. Before the big DIY superstores if you wanted an original design that wasn′t simply brickwork, or a glorified chimney, you would often have to travel large distances to find very niche (and expensive) specialist shops that could hand design a great fireplace for you.
The good news is that those days are long gone, and that whilst the expensive ‘design it yourself’ route will always be open to anyone that fancies themselves as a budding fireplace designer. There really is no need. Instead you can go to a plethora of locations and you will be able to find a bewildering array of options.
Here in lies the first of our ‘problems’, and a good starting point as to why the summer is actually a great time to go shopping for a new fireplace.
All that choice is confusing and time consuming!
You could literally spend months camped out in your local DIY store (ok. maybe not months. But you get my point ) and still not exhaust the array of choice they have.
So you really need to allocate a lot more time to your purchase from that standpoint then it may at first appear. You need to start by honing in on the style of fireplace that you are ideally looking for, as well as deciding on whether you want an electric, gas or natural fire. As deciding on each of these can make a fundamental difference in the options that you have available to you when it comes to choosing your fireplace from the home decorating catalogs.
The second reason why it is better to start earlier to shop for that fireplace is because getting it fitted may well take longer than you expect. You see, the job really is only half done when you choose exactly what type of fireplace you want. Then comes the technical part of actually getting it assembled and installed at your home.
Now, if you are really ‘handy′ you could do this yourself. But fires are dangerous, and things like gas leaks can kill you very quickly if you get it wrong. So you really need to get a trained professional to do it. Ok. Good so far. The only problem is that these guys (apologies to the ladies – but most of these folk are men!) are in high demand. So getting one to fit the fire may take several weeks or a month.
Now, that’s no problem in the summer. Because it’s warm. But try being without a fire in the winter for a month. And THEN see how good you feel by the time your fire fitter gets there.
Not very I would hasten to guess!
So, in conclusion, get it handled now. Take a leisurely pace. Sort out the style and type of fire you want, and take it from there whilst its still warm enough to make it a pleasant undertaking. (Oh yep… And because you can review the home decorating catalogs from the comfort of your living room. It really can be a pleasure!)

There are people who change the interior design of their home every season. The home décor that looks great in summer might not be comfortable in winter. Curtains, upholsteries, throws, pillows and carpets with soothing color, retractable awnings and canopies, illuminants with lesser intensity and a light fragrance make the interior soothing in summer; however, the same design might make you feel lonely and blue in winter.

Decorating Ideas for The Winter

In winter, a different profile might go well with the mood. As the mercury level continues to slide down, freezing wind flows around, tress shade leaves and snow takes the control over roads and gardens, people start to feel low and depressed.

Try changing the interior design of your home to survive the winter blues. Take a special approach to decorate your home during winter. As nature goes grey and cold, it’s wise to pick a bright hue for your interior.

You do not need to consult a professional interior designer for this. Just go with your instinct and do what your heart says. You can go through some home design ideas for winter online and learn how you can make your home warm and attractive during the cold days of the year.

Go Colorful – Add colors to your home

This is the best way to defeat the winter blues. Bring home colors this winter and see how your mood changes. Use bright colored upholsteries, curtains, bedcovers, pillows and vases. There should be colors everywhere. Get a colorful painting for the living room to liven it up.

If possible, paint the walls especially for winter months. Go through the color swatch and choose the brightest color that suits your taste. Those who cannot afford painting the walls can use wallpapers to make the walls colorful. All living room items starting from utensils to pelmets – everything should reflect colors.

Add fragrance and more colors with Flowers

Flowers add new dimensions to the interior. Make it a point in your decor ideas that you have to buy bouquets from florists to make the interior cheerful and dazzling. Apart from adding colors, flowers fill your home with heavenly smells. Be sure to use scented and dazzling flowers only.

Add more fragrance with scented candles

Candles are very sweet. Buy some colorful and scented candles for your home. If you have a knack for crafting, try your hand with candle making this winter. Involve your kids in the process too. It will be a family fun that everybody would enjoy for sure.

And Let There Be Light

Right light at the right moment makes everything extraordinary! And you need plenty of light to get out of the winter blues. Replace your existing sources of light and shift to a brighter source. Use attractive light shades made of colored and textured glasses to make it warm and summery.

Retouch your Kitchen and Bath

And finally, remodeling your living room won’t be of much help. You have to redesign your bedroom, bathroom and kitchen before winter. Let there be colors and let there be light everywhere. Get ready for the cold days esthetically and celebrate winter!

Everyone needs a way to escape reality and to release negative emotions and tensions that we harbor in our daily lives.  Some people choose to exercise, others choose to read and write, and some choose to shop or socialize.  However, one over-looked cathartic hobby is home decorating.  Home decorating does not need to be costly, it just needs to be intrinsically rewarding.  Improving your personal environment will enable you to come home and deservingly relax instead of returning to the nest to endure more daily stresses.

Home decorating should not be a bullet point on a never-ending list of tasks and projects to complete.  It should provide you with a way to direct your energies into something both productive and enjoyable.  Start simply by adding some uniquely designed bathroom accessories to your bathroom.  Infusing neutral colors into your bathroom can create a soothing and calming atmosphere, while brighter colors will certainly elevate both your mood and the aesthetics of your private space.  Introducing accent rugs can do wonders for enhancing the look of your bathroom.  Adding a matching shower curtain can also help to promote a more natural theme within your bathroom.

For a larger project, transform your kitchen into the artistic space that you deserve.  Often viewed as a place where daily, monotonous chores occur, your kitchen actually offers much more.  It boasts a space to flirt with and explore your creativity.  It should be an area that you look forward to visiting rather than a space that you try to avoid.  Infusing simple yet practical touches like coffee mug trees, breadboxes, matching pot holders, oven mitts, and chair pads, and other unique kitchen accessories can help to enhance your atmosphere.  Decorating it with a country-themed wall clock or pieces of themed art can add whimsical and playful touches to your kitchen.

Transforming your bedroom into a personal retreat will also help to reduce daily stresses.  Seeking a comforter set with matching window curtains and valance will help to tie the look of your bedroom together while also affording the overall theme the opportunity of flowing naturally.  Adorning your bed with throw pillows and a variety of comfortable linens and blankets can further accentuate the warmth and comfort of your nest.  Accessorizing your sanctuary with scented candles and appropriate mood lighting would help to enhance the atmosphere of your bedroom while simultaneously soothing your mind, body, and soul.

Decorating your home can be an extremely rewarding experience.  While there are inevitably costs involved, they can be quite minimal.  As long as you have a vision of the outcome of your efforts, then you’ll be able to moderate your spending, plan accordingly, and enjoy your project.  Many of us spend our lives dreaming of what we want or wish we had.  Why do this when you can put your dream into action?  Home decorating will benefit both your environment and yourself – coming home to a place that welcomes you upon opening your front door is something that we all deserve.

Old-fashioned Chinese systems believed in rearranging furniture and home decors as utilizing both laws of heaven and earth. This process is known as “Feng shui″. They consider it the art of harmonizing a person’s personality and character with their own home. Thus, they say that Feng shui will make a person’s life better by receiving positive flow of energy or what they call “Qi″ or “Chi″.As it is based on good values and ideology, they say that the art of Feng Shui will help improve specific phases of life. This is through decorating a home with proper arrangement of furniture and home décor (of course) thus, calling it “The Art of Placement”. This way, it is said that you are inviting positive energy and vigor that can affect not only how you carry yourself but also the whole world you live in generally. Feng Shui is said to help aspects in life such as Happiness, Love, Money, and Health. But how is it really done? What are the principles to follow to achieve Qi?Feng Shui doesn’t require certain religion or beliefs for it to work. It just needs the right intentions and dedication. It is more symbolic in the modern days than in the ancient times whereas they used complicated analytical reasoning and proper directions. It considers mostly the basic things that you probably don’t notice but is in front of you. Say you are having problems in job search. And probably the main door of your house is squeaking or is not opening properly. Consider fixing it, that way it would symbolically open doors for future opportunities. And thus, it is like inviting some Qi in your home.Say you are having problems with your social life; that you have vices, habits, obsessions or even trivial beliefs that might set off your emotions by feeling ashamed. It is a natural instinct for you to push people away and hide the things that you are embarrassed about. If you are a type of person that is disorganized or enjoys seeing the mess in your living room, and you have this problem, well you better start cleaning. Clutter may just symbolize a messy and unhappy life. Not only do you improve the quality and hygiene of your home, cleaning up might mean trying to fix your personal life as well.For others, designing a home is not just only to impress friends or colleagues on how well you choose home decors. It is also, in a way, self motivating and uplifting. For many years, Ancient Chinese believed that doing the art of Feng Shui will help give you enriched communal significance and improve your lifestyle. But whether you choose to believe in the mastery of Feng Shui or not, the important thing to a great life is to stay positive at all times. Who would want to visit a nice decorated home with an occupant that has the heart of Cruella De Ville?

Moving into a new home or apartment is a very fun and exciting time. But, it can also be exhausting when you think of all the tasks you have ahead of you. The one that can be the most daunting or thrilling is the thought of home decor. If you’re good at decorating, you’re probably looking forward to this task. But, if you’re a decorating novice, you might want to think about hiring a professional.

Doing your home decor yourself is a way to let your personality shine through to all that visit your place. You will have to make many decisions that encompass theme, colors, furniture, drapes and so on. It may seem like this task will never be completed, but you will notice things coming together after a couple days.

You should start your decorating as soon as you move in and before you unpack all of your stuff. This will enable you to paint all the rooms without having to move all of the furniture around. So, decide on paint colors as quickly as possible so you can, hopefully, get it done before moving day even arrives.

The next step you’ll want to get done in your home decor is the furniture and the drapes. You will want to match both to your paint, so choose accordingly. If you find yourself getting lost and not knowing what would look good with what, consider hiring a professional to help you out. This does not mean that your home would no longer match your individual taste or style. Instead, the decorator would take the time to find out the look you’re going for and will learn your likes and dislikes.

So, your new place will still represent you to the fullest, you just won’t have to do any of the dirty work!

Now lets face it, everybody wants to have an attractive house, both on the inside and outside! But how many people fail in their attempts due to the fact that they do not have the necessary guidance or experience to give them that desired end effect. Having to choose the right colours, re-arrangement of household features as well as deciding on which new lounge suite to purchase can be complex decisions in the hope of achieving your intended masterpiece. It is very difficult to establish good “decorating guidelines” which could help teach you the various techniques and tips on how to turn your bathrooms, bedrooms and kitchen into a showroom, as well as how to make effective use of your furniture and wasted space. This is where I would like to briefly talk about a interior design guide called “The Secrets To Home Decorating Success”. This is a comprehensive interior design guide, which has been compiled by various experts in the field of Interior Design and Home Decor.

Just like it helped me, it could help you will eliminate the endless frustration of not knowing how to decorate your home, or wondering if you have done it correctly. Additionally it will help you to get a new perspective on how successful interior decorating is done, by providing you with an experts point of view. In Using this step-by-step guide, you′ll hopefully get your home decorating techniques right each and every time without spending lot’s of money or worrying whether or not it’s done the wrong way.