Treasure Hill Cottage

If you’re ready to redecorate your home or simply start decorating a new one, you’re probably trying to decide which style to pursue. There are so many styles to choose from: contemporary, rustic, countryside, shabby chic, colonial – how can anyone decide? If you’re a hopeless romantic and you want your home to reflect that same sense of romance, there’s no better style to pursue than old French decor. You can model your home after a French castle or winery, adding exquisite details to elevate the look of the decor.

Look for elegant grapevine details and wrought iron pieces for your French home decor. Soft, curved lines rather than harsh corners are essential for achieving a romantic look and feel for your home. If you’re not looking to give your home decor a complete overhaul – let’s say you want to keep your current furniture, for example – but still want to make it look more romantic, you can add subtle accessories to achieve a French look. Detailed wall sconces, candlestick holders, wine racks, picture frames and mirrors can all help you make your home look more elegant on a smaller budget.

If you’re a wine enthusiast and like to collect any interesting wines that you come across, you need a place to store all those bottles. Why hide them away in a dark cabinet? Put them on display and make them a chic part of your home decor. You can do this with an metal and wood wine rack. Place it in your kitchen or dining room for easy access during dinner or parties.

For extra function and fashion, look for a wine rack that features a hanging wine glass rack. You can use it to hang several wine glasses upside down so the insides don’t get dusty when they’re not in use. Plus, it’s a great way to display your collection of glasses that you picked up at various wineries and tastings. Never scramble to find your favorite Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon again! Organize and display all your wines and glasses with a chic, functional wine rack.

There’s nothing worse than having precious possessions knocked from a mantle, table, or countertop. But it’s simple to protect even the most fragile possessions with a curio cabinet or china cabinet. Cabinets have existed for centuries as a means to store and display our most precious valuables. When storing fragile items inside a cabinet, it’s a good idea to secure the items to cabinet with a product like quake gel. This gel rubs off in an instant, and causes no lasting marks or damage to the object. But when it hardens, it becomes quite solid and is capable of sticking other objects even on a vertical surface. It’s best to secure precious possessions displayed in a curio cabinet or china cabinet with this gel to ensure they are not knocked over. It’s still important for the objects to be inside the cabinet to prevent exposure to dust and other factors which could cause damage.

There are hundreds of different curio and china cabinets available at furniture stores around the world. Whether looking for a wood, metal, or even corkboard cabinet, there are sure to be several options to choose from.

You can decorate with a summer theme such as fruit (apples, strawberries, grapes), flowers (roses, carnations, daisies), or seaside nautical in addition to following some of the ideas listed below.

Add summer accessories around your home such as birdhouses, sea shells, bowls of fruits or vegetables, and summer reading materials.

If you have dark lampshades, replace them with lighter ones.

Repaint a dark hallway in your favorite hue such as buttery yellow, a creamy tan, or a fresh apple green.

Display a grouping of floral plates on a wall, hutch, or fireplace mantle.

Clean out the ashes in your fireplace and fill the firebox with a large artificial fern or a basket of colorful flowers.

Place twigs in tall vases and set on each side of the fireplace mantle.

To add summer whimsy to your bathrooms, hang lightweight fabric shower curtains printed with ladybugs, bees, flowers, or palm trees. Display matching hand towels and rugs to continue the summer theme.

Change the layout of your furniture to give your rooms a fresh, new look.

As you can see from the ideas listed above, a new lamp shade, adding new fabrics, or changing the paint color of a room can breathe new life into your interior design. So, have fun and use your imagination to bring some fresh new looks into your home for the summer season.

It is hard to believe that summer is only a few weeks away and that now is the perfect time to get ready to decorate.  Summer decorating is a wonderful time to lighten up the colors and fabrics in your home. While you may not be able to decorate every room, there are numerous ways to add summer flair.
 
Replace heavy drapery with light sheers. The sheers provide an airy appeal while letting in the sunshine. If removing your existing drapery is not an option, consider changing just the valance and tiebacks to a lighter color. Another option is to use grapevine wreaths, strands of beads, artificial flowers, or decorative ribbons as your tiebacks or swag holders.

Items that are not useful in the summer such as blankets, throws, and heavy quilts should be stored away and replace them with more colorful accent pieces.
 
Lighten up the color of your sofa by placing a slipcover on it or replacing your dark colored pillows with lighter colors.

Give the dining room and kitchen summer flair by placing light colored slipcovers on your all-wood dining room or kitchen chairs.

To add a lighter summer touch to your dark wood tables, use white lace or doilies as runners or tablecloths.

If you have a heavy bedspread, considering replacing it with a lightweight linen blanket.

Bring in the outdoors by adding fresh flowers in vases or baskets to counters, tabletops, and nightstands.

Decorating your home for the summer does not have to be complicated or cost a lot of money.

In order to get the best sound out of stereo speakers, it’s important to put them in an area that allows the sound to project outwards towards the listeners. For the most part, a corner in between two walls is the best place for a stereo receiver and speakers. Stereo surround speakers are a bit different of course, but for the standard two speaker stereo, placement in a corner will project the sound throughout the area. It’s also a good idea to have the speakers suspended about three to five feet above the ground. This can be done with wall mountings, or a standard corner cabinet. Because wall mountings are expensive and often incompatible with a lot of speaker sizes, the corner cabinet is a safer option for most people, plus it can also house the receiver as well as CDs and other media.

When choosing a stereo, don’t skimp on the speakers. Even if the receiver isn’t of premium quality, poor speakers and an outstanding receiver will still produce a terrible sound. While a lesser quality receiver and excellent speakers will sound much the same. It’s the speakers that make all the difference, and in addition, it’s possible to attach the same speakers to a better receiver at some future date.

My last article spoke of some of the different patio surfaces that are available. This article will touch upon multi level designs.

The higher your door is above the ground and the topography of your landscape will govern how high your patio will be and if multi levels are needed. If there is a four inch to eight inch difference, you can plan on just stepping onto the patio. However, if your doorway is higher, some creative design work must be done. Many times a nice sized landing to step onto, then a few steps down to the patio. This provides a comfortable area to step onto, rather than just a narrow step. If your door is very high, you can also add some steps off the patio. The idea is to create a gradual transition to ground level.

Seat walls are a nice addition to patios. They not only provide something attractive and vertical to look at, but also offer additional seating and a nice place for conversation. Seat walls should be eighteen to twenty four inches high and a minimum of twelve inches deep. The top of the wall should be flat. For example, if the seat wall is to be made of natural stone, a bluestone cap provides a comfortable seat and also a resting place for food or drinks.

Think about some nice features to add to your patio. The sound of water from a natural or formal pond or fountain at the edge or nearby is both beautiful and peaceful. Perhaps a special sculpture works well in the design. If your patio is in a hot and sunny area, consider a pergola or trellis for shade.  

Considering all of these design elements will lead to a patio project that is aesthetic, functional and enjoyable.

When it comes to decorating the home, there are thousands of different options in terms of paint, furniture, and accessories, and it can seem a little overwhelming.  When decorating, it’s important to have a theme in mind for the space.  You might apply a theme to the entire home, or just to one specific room, but having a theme in mind will help to select the right home décor.  Some of the most common themes include rustic, classic, and Asian.  Rustic home décor includes soft earth tones for the paint, as well as rustic Southwestern style furniture and accessories.  The classic look is one of refinement; including rich wood, plush leather, and colors like dark blue, black, and crimson.  Asian home décor is becoming more popular in the West, with wooden screen doors, tatami mats, and accessories ranging from dragons to wall scrolls featuring Chinese characters. 

Once you’ve selected a theme for the home décor in a room, finding the right pieces to complete the motif becomes much easier.  Don’t be afraid to use your imagination, the more there is of you in the room, the better! 

When decorating small rooms, it is very important to choose the right paint since the color on your walls reflects your personality. The walls should look welcoming to your guests as well as appealing to you at the same time.

Ideas for painting small rooms include painting at least one wall a vivid color and then using softer colors in similar shades for the adjoining walls. Bright color can also be added to the room in the form of artwork and furniture.

There are so many paint colors, from different manufactures, on the market today that sometimes making a choice can be quite confusing. However, it is now possible to run a computer simulation of your painted rooms so that you can decide upon a perfect choice of color for a room.

Another way to decide on paint color is to choose from the graduated color paint strips that you will find in every paint department or paint store. Take this home and hold them up against the wall as well as the furniture in the room to get an idea of how the paint would look in the room. To go a step further, some paint stores sell a small sample of paint for you to try on your walls before making your final purchase.  Keep in mind that wall color will look different depending on the lighting in the room.

It is important to choose a paint color that is easy to maintain. It is wise to choose paint that is durable against natural wear and tear and will last for the next several years. Do not compromise on quality when looking for paint. It is ok to pay a little extra for a paint that will last for several years than choose cheap quality paint that will chip and show smudges in a few months. The paint on the walls should be easy to clean and maintain so that your house always looks beautiful.

Along with your annual spring cleaning, why not freshen up your home with decorating tips that are quick and easy.

Begin by bringing some of the colors and scents of spring indoors. A vase of fresh flowers straight from your yard is a great addition to any room. Who can resist the beauty and aroma of fresh lilacs or the bright, happy colors of fresh daffodils and tulips?
 
Add new energy to your room by rearranging furniture, wall décor and accessories. Put away the dark colored throw on the couch and add a bright or pastel colored throw. An easy spring decorating idea is to replace your small rugs as the seasons change. Lighter, neutral rugs will add a refreshing touch to any room.

Lots of natural light makes a room more cheery. Replace heavy or dark colored window coverings with sheer, light colored window treatments.  For that extra sparkle, make certain your windows and all glass surfaces in the room are clean and shining.

It is definitely time to get rid of the flannel sheets and winter blankets on the beds. It is definitely time to get rid of the flannel sheets and winter blankets on the beds. Choose lighter spring shades and textures, such as pastels or beautiful florals.  When storing tuck a couple of dryer sheets in with the flannel sheets and they will have a nice fragrance when you get them out in the fall.
  
With a little creativity and imagination, you can transition your home into spring in no time at all and thoroughly enjoy the results.