Some of my favourite memories of being young, free and single revolve around the place I stayed in and the fun times I had there. It is now some sort of swanky loft apartment and I don’t even have a picture of it the way it used to be. However, I can mentally reconstruct every inch of it in my head whenever I want to remember just what I used to get up to in the days when first thing in the morning meant 11am and a healthy, balanced meal meant ordering a diet coke with the kebab.

Where’s the Lava Lamp?

Yet, my happy memories were shattered the other day when I went to my friend’s new bachelor pad and was blown away by how he has fitted it out. There was no sign of the likes of the chunky radio with cassette player I used to use, a VHS player or even one of those lava lamps I used to get so much pleasure from watching.

As I got married a few years back I have slipped out of touch with games, gadgets and entertainment options a little, but I hadn’t realised that I was quite so far behind the times. For example, I was stunned to see that pride of place in my mate’s pad is a flight simulator. He had always wanted to be a pilot is seems, and now he can be one without the inconvenience of troublesome exams and potentially life threatening accidents.

I would imagine that he spends a lot of time hooked up to this addictive machine, but when he invited me around he very graciously let me take the captain’s seat. Or maybe I barged him out of the way, I can’t quite seem to recall now how it all happened. Anyway, the end result was that I got to take part in an amazing simulation which ended in an emergency landing but which was incredibly exciting while it lasted.

As I wandered around the place I bumped – literally – into a fantastic popcorn making machine which was nestled beside a chocolate fountain. Oh, the fun I could have had with these in my days of Pot Noodles and Curly Wurlys. It looks as though he has every angle covered and can either enjoy a quiet night in on his own, eating tasty delights and taking to the air, or invite round friends to marvel at his stuff and pass time together.

Some people might think of a bachelor pad as being somewhere a bit dull, but here anyone could see that it doesn’t have to be like that at all. No matter what tastes you have you can find a way of cramming it in and treating yourself to a place fit for a king.

Old Classics Never Die

Photo by Melissa Gray

Just as I was starting to get envious and wondering whether quickie divorces are as easy as they say, I stumbled across something which brought a smile to my face; he has the same style of classic dart board as I used to have in my bachelor pad. I was delighted to see that some things just never go out of style.

I actually won mine in a newspaper competition as a kid and it still remains to this day the only thing I have ever won. My mate’s isn’t filled with thousands of holes like mine, and neither does the surrounding wall closely resemble a piece of Swiss cheese like mind did. However, the site of something so familiar made me think that no matter what fancy, modern gadgets delight and enthral us there will always be space in a bachelor pad for the classic items as well.

Robert is a keen writer on games room equipment, in particular pool tables, and works for games room specialists Liberty Games.

Wait a Couple of Weeks after Painting

Kids room stickers are incredibly affordable, no matter what your budget is there is bound to be a pack for you.  You may wish to completely redecorate the walls in which case you will need to follow some of the guidelines concerning the drying time of the paint.

Although the paint will be dry to the touch after a day or two, it normally takes a couple of weeks for it to dry fully. Therefore if you have just painted the walls you should wait for at least two weeks before sticking the room stickers up.  That way you do not need to worry about any of the paint being removed once you take the sticker back off the walls.

Not Painting? Start Sticking Straight Away

If you have not, or do not plan to paint the walls before placing the stickers up then you are free to start sticking straight way.  For the best results her are a few tips to make sure all goes well and the stickers look their best.

1. Wipe down the walls using a clean, damp cloth.  The adhesive will stick to the walls better of there is no dust or dirt between the two surfaces
2. Make sure the walls are completely dry after cleaning them
3. Peel off the sticker and stick the top of the sticker onto the wall while holding the bottom part of the sticker away from the wall
4. Slowly using your hand or a piece of clean cardboard, press downwards so that the entire sticker is stuck firmly onto the wall.  This should avoid any air bubbles from being trapped behind the stickers
5. If you do manage to get a few trapped air bubbles you can fix the situation.  Kids room stickers are designed to be reused so you can simply pull of the sticker and try again.  Failing that you can use a sharp pin or needle and pop a whole in the air bubble.  Press around the edge of the bubble towards the hole in the middle.  This will push out the air and the sticker will be able to adhere to the wall behind it.

Sourcing Kids Room Stickers

I have found that the best selections of stickers to use in decorating are found online.  Although some of the larger retail stores have started supplying these types of stickers the selection is minimal.  If you buy from a specialist website you will find there is plenty of choice for children of all ages.

I have purchased my last few sets online and they have been good quality and the price is really affordable.  The hardest part of buying the kids room stickers that I found was waiting for my son to choose the packs that he wanted.

I didn’t have the same problem with my daughter however, I decorated her room over night as a surprise for her and I knew exactly which stickers to buy her.  She was thrilled, but then it is easier to please a three year old!

Kids room stickers are an affordable way to transform any room in the home. Kidswallstickers.co.uk has a wide selection of stickers available for all children (including big kids) of all ages.

You can always rely on softer shades to create a calm and soothing atmosphere. But if the intent is to shock, to assail the senses, or to create a more lasting visual imprint, the key is to opt for a little drama — mixing vivid color shades like mustard yellow and red, green and orange, yellow and turquoise.

Modern shabby nouveau meets industrial chic

Furniture designers are pairing off metal and warm wood elements to create a more edgy look that will blend perfectly with any decor. Utilitarian with a sprinkling of elegance means rustic sophistication.

Texture  is in

Texture adds character and depth to a room. When incorporating texture into your interior design, go for contrast (e.g. smooth and rough) to make it more interesting. Using velvet and corduroy fabrics, cross-stitch, braided rugs, and quilts are excellent ways to bring texture into your home.

Multipurpose to hide and seek

Furniture or home fixtures that have dual purpose help you make the most of limited space and reduce clutter. Staircase steps that double up as drawers, hallway bench with hidden storage, an ottoman that doubles as a coffee table are creative ways for you to conserve space. The key is to pick pieces that are foldable or collapsible.

Carpet that dazzles

Red carpet does not only belong in Hollywood. Fiery red velvet saxonies make for an elegant red carpet entrance and work well in light-traffic areas like your living room. Carpets with avant-garde patterns that grab one’s attention and add drama to any room are the order of the day for 2011 and 2012.  These days carpet designers look at the fashion world for inspiration, catering to a growing number of customers that want to create a special look for their home.

Romantic style is always in demand

Design trends come and go but romantic style never goes out-dated and will remain a favorite interior design choice for 2011 and 2012. Pale shades of gold and pink, floral motifs, flowing drapes, natural wood flooring, huge paintings of flowers and beautiful sceneries — classic, luxurious, feminine and ultra-relaxing, the romantic style is your best bet if you want a home with a timeless appeal.

When designing your home and considering which style to adopt, it is always a good idea to make sure the elements don’t clash with your own tastes and personality. Letting your own individuality shine through the interior design and making the look as unique as possible will help create an abode you will really be proud of and which you will be  excited to come home to.

Carpet Brisbane. Beverley Parke provides a wide range of Brisbane carpets. Beverley’s flooring services also include Sunshine Coast Carpet.

Aside from the decorative benefits of indoor fountains, it can also help you relieve of stress. There is nothing like a serene falling of water to calm your nerves. With the added aromatherapy, the soothing aroma will keep you stress free and release whatever negativities you have in your system.

The flowing water of the indoor fountain breaks the bonds that hold the molecules of H2O together, thus, producing negative ions. These negative ions mix in the air we breathe and bond with the positive ions such as dust and allergens. It neutralizes them which only mean that it makes the air we breathe at home cleaner. Plus, when we live in an environment with more negative ion, serotonin increases in our bloodstream assuaging depression, relieving us from stress, boost our energy level during daytime, and improves mood.

When used with aromatic oil, it will produce a fragrance that can reduce our stress. Some aromatic oils help build up the production of serotonin in our brain creating the same effect with the negative ions. Other oil extract can give us mental clarity, alleviates headache, and improves concentration.

Another great effect indoor fountains can give is masking white noises. White noises are those sounds that was saturated and not because of too much loudness. With the cascades of the tranquil waters of the fountain, it deadens the white noise such as traffic and encourages a more halcyon environment and demotes stress.

When all this calming effects of an indoor fountain come together, there will be an improvement in your home. You would be likely to have a more improved study habits or even have that calm concentration on things you are working on. It can be very helpful especially when you are cramming because of deadlines. The soothing aroma from the oil extract plus the tranquil bubbling of the water in the fountain will surely encourage a peaceful sleep.

If you are now thinking to have one and thinking about the expense, there are indoor fountains that cost less yet bestow bliss of serenity with in your home. You must consider that having this sooth giver has more advantages and promotes not only a stress free surrounding but also a clean and healthy home.

Amy C is an interior decoration enthusiast who writes about home improvement, interior decoration and lifestyle. She is an indoor fountain and glass art designer. She is also devoted to finding unique and innovative ways to create beautiful fountains and vases. Amy invites you to browse her collection to decorate your home.

1. Toilet of the Monks

This toilet is in a Monk’s chamber found in East Sussex. Many palaces and churches had toilets like this one, and if you tour these places you can see them, though they are usually roped off and most tourist locations have modern toilets for the public.

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2. Fit for a King

This actually is a modern toilet with a medieval design. It is supposed to look like a throne, and unlike many of the other toilets on our list, this is flushable.

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3. Outhouse in Poland

This is actually nicer than most outhouses you will find overseas or even in the parts of your town you would rather not know about. There looks to be a lock on the door, which is not that common and there is an ample amount of space to take care of business.

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4. A HOLE lot of Nothing

What is literally a hole in stone, was found in Spain. This is probably most like the real thing people used in medieval times. There was no plumbing, everything just went into a pile outside. Most indoor bathrooms had to be against an outside wall for this purpose.

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5. Cop a Squat

You didn’t think we would leave without the famous hole in the  ground, did you? There are many toilets like this abroad, still. Many of them are in what we consider public restrooms.

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6. The Chamber Pot

The Chamber pot was usually kept under the bed and used as a urinal in the middle of the night. Some were built into cabinetry for more privacy.

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7. The Oh So Questionable

Hopefully this was just for the men, possibly what we consider a urinal today. Some of these actually had what is like a plug that the user would have to pull to drain. They would actually have to stick their hand in the toilet to do this.

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This concludes our list, in fear that if we go any further no one will make it to lunch. It is not completely understood why it too designers and engineers of medieval times and even victorian times, so long to make such a natural part of everyday life so difficult to take care of comfortably. If you know of any other crazy toilets or medieval ways of life, feel free to share.

Kristina Carpenter is a writer for Greenwell Plumbing, which specializes in commercial and residential plumbing.

Gothic Colour Schemes

Many people believe gothic bedrooms must be dominated by black walls, flooring and accessories. In actual fact there are many shades of colour that can be used in a gothic bedroom without compromising the appearance.

Colours to bear in mind when decorating in a medieval style:

Purples – Deep purples including damsons, magentas and plum shades are a popular choice for bed linens in gothic bedrooms. Purple walls accompanied with black stencil designs can give wall coverings an edgy feel.

Photo by champagne chic

Reds – Along with darker shades of red; crimson and stinging scarlet shades are great for cushions, rugs and other small soft furnishings as red symbolises romance and wealth.

Black – Not required in copious amounts but the inclusion of black is required. Black can be a great colour for your designer radiators, Anthracite finishes can create a gothic look.

Photo by decor pad

Gold – Dull gold and brasses are a necessity for establishing a medieval bedroom. Choosing a dull gold candelabra ceiling fixture, accompanied with brass oil lamps on bedside tables can provide the perfect finishing touch.

Photo by anoldent

Mahoganies and cherry red finishes can be used for any wooden furniture in the bedroom. These deep furniture colours really suit brass door handles.

Accessories for Decorating a Gothic Room

In order for the bedroom to look elegant, clutter should be kept to a minimum. Most accessories should be antiques but the bedroom should not have so many accessories that it resembles an antique shop. Buying a few, large accessories is

Photo by mmachine

more effective than hording many items that cause clutter. Accessories worth considering include:

Grandfather clock – This is a great antique and can be the focal point of a gothic bedroom.

Red roses – Having a fresh vase of red roses on your antique dressing table contributes to the romantic side of the gothic movement.

Medieval weapons – These can be hung on large walls so they don’t overpower the room. Weapons such as battle axes or swords are the pinnacle of medieval weaponry and can make powerful ornamental features. Only one piece of weaponry should be used to avoid clutter.

Red velvet curtains – pantomime-like curtains covered in black lace can finish off the room and have a very elegant aura.

Gothic bedrooms can be extremely luxurious if decorated appropriately. There are many ways to decorate gothic rooms to achieve different effects. Whilst bedrooms may focus on being romantic other rooms can symbolise power and wealth.

Written by Stephanie Staszko on behalf of Designo Radiators

Today it’s not the front room that’s most likely to be used for entertaining but the kitchen itself. In the words of Jona Lewie:“You’ll always find me in the kitchen at parties.” As that’s where the party’s at these days.

But most of us don’t live in houses that were designed for entertaining in the kitchen, in most modern houses they’re too small, designed, as they were with that watchword of the twentieth century in mind, “convenience.” Unfortunately convenience isn’t best suited to fine dining, houses designed from the 1940s onwards provided ever smaller kitchens as it was thought that our nutritional requirements would be served through prepackaged TV dinners and ultimately pills, if Dan Dare was anything to go by.

As the way we entertain and socialize has changed the demands we put on our houses has too. Most people want a kitchen in which friends can gather, sit, chat and mingle. Doing that in a galley kitchen is going to prove more than problematic!

If you’re thinking of remodeling your kitchen, either to freshen it up or to cater to the growing demands you’re putting on it there are a few things that you should bear in mind.

• Pay heed to the existing architecture,  if renovating you have to adapt to the restrictions placed upon you by the original build, changing it too much can result in major construction work.
• Make the work feel natural, consider the layout and what you can do to enhance it given its limitations
• Be imaginative. If you’ve not much space then perhaps white goods even including the freezer could be sited elsewhere, like a conservatory or garage in order to free up space where you need it most.

Keep a clear idea of what you want to achieve. Having a strong design ethic is a bonus to creativity, not a disadvantage. If you know exactly what you want you’ll think up imaginative ways to achieve your goals rather than making do with solutions which kind of almost meet up to your standards.

If you’re on a budget but don’t want your kitchen to look like it was, well, designed on a budget, there are tricks that you can pull to make your dining area look stunning.

Investing in furniture and goodies like glassware and crockery from outlets such as IKEA gives your kitchen a contemporary look. Adding finishes such as funky colours which aren’t normally available and putting unusual surfaces on them make your flat pack solution into something unique. Think about spraying with carpaint which comes in an almost infinite range of colours and putting coloured Perspex surfaces on things such as trolleys and tables.

The result will be a range of individual pieces which coordinate the way you want them to without following the manufacturers’ script.

A flooring which is becoming more and more popular is rubber. These days it’s available odour-free, it’s resilient, warm underfoot and comfortable, non slip and easily repaired should it become damaged.

Dan Cash is a feature writer and design addict. Currently researching  kitchen taps and various other kitchen accessories makes him want to do a little remodelling himself.

Shop Local

One way to get great deals on home décor is to shop clearance sales at local stores. These items are not the newest and best, but most of the time you will save money on the big purchases that you keep for a while. Home items like sofas, tables and other furniture are best bought on clearance at a store.  Not only can you get a great deal, but most stores will still have a warranty on their clearance items.

You can shop estate sales, and yard sales to find more great deals on furniture and other home items without breaking the bank. These are previously owned so you want to make sure you really look at the item your buying because you probably will not be able to take it back.  You also want to make sure you are familiar with recalled items as many people try to sell them at yard sales instead of sending them in. Other people just don’t know there has been a recall. You also want to stay away from mattresses that are second hand. There are many health concerns with mattresses and buying new could save you more money in the long run than buying used.

Use a Company

Have your friends buy you new home décor by hosting a home décor party. There are many companies out there that offer great home décor, cookware and furniture and they do it in a party format. Check around to find a good hostess plan and invite your friends over to spend their money. Most companies offer you a percentage of your sales in free merchandise. Some home party companies even give you a bonus for booking more shows for the consultants.  This is a great way for you and your friends to redecorate your homes with new and different products.

Swap It!

Another great way to decorate your home is to organize a neighborhood swap. It’s very easy to do just rent a park, pavilion or large room to hold your swap. Your neighbors then bring items from their home that they don’t want or need anymore. You then go around swapping items you don’t want for items you do want.  You may also want to offer services for swaps if you are just trying to clean the clutter out of your home and don’t want more stuff.

A combination of all of these should get you a great deal on your nest decorating project. With so many people looking to fix the home they have instead of buying new you should have no problem talking your friends and family into saving some money also.

Holly Brown is an interior designer and blogger. She currently runs a home décor and home improvement blog called Home Style Tips.  She also runs a home party business though Celebrating Home.

More Value For Your Money

When you are first moving into a home you may be short on cash, with all of your money spent on the new house,

Photo courtesy of House to Home

moving services, and anything else that came along the way. This fact might make you go with the lower up front cost in painting, but if you take a closer look, you will find that over time, wallpaper is actually the better overall replacement, as it may need to be replaced every 15 years while painting will need maintenance every 3 or so years.

Before choosing your wall paper you want to keep these points in mind:

• Should you use pre-pasted or nonpasted wallpaper?
• What pattern will best compliment the room?
• How much wallpaper will you actually need?
• Will you need stain resistant or washable wallpaper?
• What type of wallpaper will produce the overall look you want?

Types and Designs

Wallpaper comes in all different types and can be made out of one of any plethora of materials. Some materials that wallpaper can be made out of include bamboo, paper, glass, sand, and even grass. The most popular substances they are made out of are resistant to tears, offer easy applications, and are made out of pre-pasted vinyl and vinyl-coated papers.

Different designs have different effects on the room:

Stripes: Stripes can give the illusion of the room being taller (vertical stripes) or they can elongate narrow rooms

Photo courtesy of House to Home

(horizontal stripes). This is a good idea when you have a room with limited space or with low ceilings.

Small Patterns: This is another pattern that works well in small spaces. It’s claim to fame is that it calls attention to your overall color patterns very well, so if you have some colors that you really like and would like to show off, then this would be the route to take.

Light Colors: As with the two already mentioned, light colors will help make a smaller room look bigger, especially when you have large furniture or items like a big Vizio TV. These colors that are vibrant bring joyful feelings and they really help to illuminate the hanging art in the room.

Large Patterns: Larger patterns make large rooms less intimidating, and it creates a cozy, comfortable environment. Perfect for large living rooms.

Floral or Repeated Patterns: This type of pattern is great for hiding bumps and imperfections in your wall. It can also be used to highlight smaller areas that normally wouldn’t get featured.

Dark Colors: Dark colors make large rooms look smaller. They also put you at ease as darker colors are said to be

Photo courtesy of House to Home

more relaxing.

Ultimately your budget and personal preference will take over when it comes to choosing wallpaper, but you should keep these tips in mind as they will come in handy when you are choosing room specific wallpaper and help you make better decisions.

High Point Market, renowned as the world’s home for home furnishings, is a must-visit trade show for anyone who has their heart in interior design. Industry insiders, big name trend setters, and furniture professionals alike will all be scaling the aisles of display after display of cutting edge furniture. From textiles to lighting, the market is the only place where you will find it all in one place. The High Point Market is the largest furnishings industry trade show in the world. There is no other furniture trade show where you can see tens of thousands of new products all in one place. The latest trends and rarest compilations are all packed into ten million square feet of show space. From brand new debuts into the design world, to treasured antique pieces, it’s all at High Point Market.

High Point Markets attracts all the major players in home furnishing and decor, as well as drawing a big crowd of devotees, with 80,000 attendees at each market. Attendees are privy to exclusive up-close-and personal views of the famous name brand exhibitors; as well as the up-and comers who will be tomorrow big brand. Industry insiders in the world of magazine, newspaper, and television media who cover the furniture industry come out in full force to cover emerging designer trends on the front lines. High point market is where trends emerge and the best place to get an exclusive, up close preview of what next season will bring. Chances are, if it’s a trend in home fashion decor, it will make its debut at High Point before the rest of the world sees it.

While the pieces on display may be timeless, the High Point Market has gone high-tech with their approach to how you can experience the market. They have developed a personalized phone app that allows guests to pre-plan and navigate the shows. This bit of masterminding allows you to make the most of your trip; and it means you are able to browse the extensive collection efficiently for packing the most punch in your visit. Since the exhibitors at High Market are so numerous, and the task of navigating the market so laborious, it is essential that a visit be pre arranged detail by detail. It would be impossible to visit every exhibit during the length of a market, so just picking a starting center and attempting to cover the total surface is not a possibility.

The app is also useful for enhancing your personal user experience at the market. You can use the app to check digitally check-in to spots, peek at who else in attendance and alert your contacts to what exhibitions you are browsing. Share the fun of your High Point Market experience with all your friends and industry collaborators!

High Point Market is a convergence of design within four walls but without borders. High Point and its exhibitors are truly an international mix. Designers and exhibitors featured represent over 100 countries around the globe.

High Point Market is the world’s event axis for emerging trends in furniture and design.
High Point Market is located at 210 East Commerce Ave., High Point, NC 27260.

Leon R. Powell blogs for the Interiordesigncareer.net blog to help people who want to become an Interior Designer. He offers a free resources list to share his knowledge about interior design and provide help for people who want to become an event planner too.

From tiling stairwells to hanging a mural on a ceiling, this form of decorating can add just the right amount of flair. Consider clouds on a baby room wall or ceiling. Perhaps you have a table you love, but it getting worn. Tiling the surface could make for a beautiful revival. Maybe you’re tired of your brick fireplace? Try covering it with tile. Maybe the pillars on the porch or patio could use a few tile accents. Have a basement with walls that stretch the length of your home? A mural could brighten that area and make it much more inviting. Thinking of tiling a kitchen counter? Consider using glass tiles for unique touch.

In order to find tiling and murals, an individual’s best bet is to do an internet search. The opportunities to find artisans online are endless and opportunities to buy unique tiles or mural designs abound. This is the fun part. Many suppliers will offer samples so that you can check color schemes, sizing, and textures to make sure you’re happy with your choices. Often, you’ll need to return them, but the vendor will likely pick up any shipping costs.

Vendors online are usually very happy to exchange emails regarding sizing, color, or any customization or artistic changes that you may be interested in. So, don’t be afraid to think outside the box and explore more options. Smaller vendors especially may have other suggestions. They may also be able to offer directions on how to hang or affix the tiles or murals to your surface area. Murals can come on all kinds of materials. They are often on paper that is glued to the wall, somewhat like wallpaper. Tiles also must be hung using adhesives. All of these processes will affect your walls and require varying amounts of skill.

Be aware that smaller vendors may have shipping restrictions. Some may not offer worldwide shipping. Others may include the cost of shipping into the item cost, in order to offer “free” shipping. It’s something to look for if you are comparing prices. If ordering a bulk shipment of tiles, it may be shipped as air freight. Expect the arrival to be very heavy! It’s always a good idea to have your work space prepped and ready. Once your items arrive, you will probably be excited and want to start right away.

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J. Steeple is writer, blogger, handyman, and homeowner. She wishes her tile was orange. Maybe someday.

Comfort and Workability

Your living room should be a comfortable, workable space for you and your loved ones. Avoid a mish-mash of styles and influences by giving it a theme that appeals to you. It could be traditional country house, retro-chic, beach style, art deco or minimalist black and white. Think about your existing furniture and how this fits in or whether you will be purchasing new items. For example, an Asian inspired living room would favor browns and golds with sleek lines, so fussy paisley flower decorations would look terribly out of place. Use design secrets: a large mirror will create an illusion of space, floor length curtains will create the feeling of height and one expensive painting or piece of furniture will give the whole room a grander status.

Accessorize Carefully

If you prefer neutral colors use these as your base but add rich, warm tones such as shades of scarlet and browns as accents. Complement smooth neutral painted walls with a feature wall in a deeper color or detailed paper or add pleasing tactile items such as velvet curtains and plush cushions. Mixing fabrics and textures will give the room more interest but avoid the dreaded cushion mountain that happens when people fill every space with one! Whatever style you choose rationalize the cushion count, candles or objects d`art because a crowded room is less pleasing to the eye and not as relaxing.

A Personal Focal Point

In the past the television would often be the focal point of the living room but with advances in technology these can be much more discrete than before. A flat screen can be built into the wall or you can use clever storage ideas and hide these items behind attractive screening. If you have children choose design ideas that prove their durability against scuffs and stains. Sofas with washable covers are a fantastic idea when sticky little fingers are around! Patterned carpets hide dirt and stains more so than plain ones. Although wooden flooring is perhaps the easiest surface to clean be aware that it will be louder that carpet, particularly with children running across it or ladies` high heels. Incorporate a soft rug that will absorb some of the noise and give a warmer feeling than wood alone.

The latest living room design ideas are really about creating a happy and relaxing space for you to enjoy. Picture how you want it to look and feel and think about the colors, textures, the purpose it serves. Choose a quality Berkline sofa for absolute comfort and enjoy your lovely space. You deserve it!

Reflect Your Style

Your home should reflect the person you are, and it should create a lasting impression on anyone who is lucky enough to be inside it. Don’t compromise on design; make sure it truly reflects your style and personality. One of the best ways in which to do this is to have custom furniture designed for your home.

Why Custom Designed Furniture?

Custom furniture ensures you can make your own decisions regarding the size of a piece of furniture, the shape, the materials, anything you wish – its custom designed for you! One of the biggest benefits of having custom designed furniture is that you don’t have to compromise when you’re making purchasing decisions. You may have seen a certain design which you like but the exact materials may not have met your needs. You may need something to match your already existing furniture or you may have a uniquely shaped living space and need something to fit perfectly into your home. With custom furniture all this and more is possible.

Involve the Experts

If you love your home and know exactly what you want, it may seem out of the ordinary to seek the opinion of another person even if they are an expert, but this is one of the biggest benefits of custom furniture. You may not always be able to see the bigger picture when looking at the design aesthetic of the room, whereas inviting an expert into your home who can design custom furniture – unique for your needs – will alleviate this problem. Knowing how to make the best use of the available space in a room is one of the most important aspects of ensuring the decor stands out. Having furniture custom-made for your needs really is the best way to achieve this.

So, what are you waiting for? Don’t settle for a boring spring clean, revamp your home today with beautiful custom furniture.

Wooden Flooring

Don’t have wooden flooring yet? If not, then you are clearly missing one of the key style elements that can give you just the flare in your home decor that you need. People looking to purchase a home value wood flooring very highly. Visit a few show rooms nearby and see what is available that suits both the desired ambience of your home and more importantly your budget. Laminated wooden floors can be an enjoyable and inexpensive way to add style to your floor. A number of styles are available, ranging from wooden effects to faux tiles. There are many choices at hand so that you can choose the design for that suits both your taste and needs. Wisely chosen laminated wooden flooring can create a warm and inviting atmosphere to your home.

Revamp your Color Scheme

Change the colors of your walls from time to time to give any room a fresh look. With time paint tends to dull and does not have the same luster and the effect it did when you first painted your walls. By repainting your walls, you will brighten up your living space and give a fresher appearance overall.

Adapt Unnecessary Rooms

If your old guest bedroom has become a storage area, than maybe it’s time to empty it out and give yourself a new space to utilize. Maybe you have always wanted a study or an office or even a play room for the kids. Now is as good a time as any to give it a makeover.

Spice Up Your Living Room

Living Rooms are the focal points of most households and should look as if they are. Keep them tidy and well maintained. Try adding some couches and floor cushions to introduce new colors into the room and why not add some new gadgets, such as an LCD TV and Home Theater System to put some functionality back into your living room. In short, just be up-to-date!

Keep Care of Your Garden

Add seasonal flowers year round and take care of your garden with proper maintenance of your lawn and flower beds. By keeping your lawn neat and trim and making sure that your flowers are doing well, you can easily add an elegant and fresh appearance to the outside of your home.

These are just a few of the many ways you can add beauty and style to your home. If you are serious about giving a new look to your house, then plan well and budget accordingly to make sure your house make over is a success.

Choosing appliances for the kitchen is essential in tying your home’s interior together. There are several things to keep in mind. The kitchen should always complement the rest of the house, so make sure your appliances do the same. If you’ve got a modern home with blacks and whites, modern stainless steel appliances look absolutely great. Not only do they not age, they are easy to replace as you don’t have to worry about finding matching colors.

If your flooring is black and your counter tops and cabinetry white you can experiment a bit with bright colors. Bright

reds may be a nice touch, but if you’re unsure about it, resist the urge. Instead, go for color in your smaller appliances like the toaster or tea kettle. Bosch and Whirlpool offer a variety of great hoods and exhausts in bright colors, if your kitchen has black marble flooring, black cabinetry and black counter tops, be daring and add an orange or bright red hood to give your kitchen a more contemporary feel.

If you’ve got a wooden kitchen like my friend, your cabinetry and flooring are likely to match. In that case, go for earth tones. Most shades of green are likely to look great. Wooden houses are generally styled to give a homey and warm feel, so stainless steel or black appliances will clash. White appliances also look great and go with wood.

From ovens to coffee makers to refrigerators, all kitchen appliances and accessories are now available in a variety of colors and styles. Keeping my suggestions in mind, don’t forget that these appliances are very pricey and will stay with you for a while. Look around, read up on customer reviews, visit stores and ask questions before you purchase. If you know you might be moving soon, stick to neutrals as they will more attractive to a potential home buyer.

About the Author:

J. Steeple is writer, blogger, and homeowner. She wishes her appliances were orange. Maybe someday.

In spring 2011, indoor and outdoor home décor is stepping up to the plate and hitting a grand slam in the field of design, fashion, quality and home decor.

Don’t want to be left behind? Here are the top trends and must haves in home décor and renovation:

Goodbye Carpet, Hello New Flooring

Yes, that’s right. That shag, berber or all white show every stain carpet said goodbye in 2010, and flooring trends are  taking the home decorating scene by storm. Start by considering your everyday lifestyle if you are debating which type of flooring to choose. You want floors that compliment you. For areas of your home that are high traffic, hard wearing floors are the best choice. Areas like your bedroom, however, should remain nice and cozy on your feet. Area rugs are quickly becoming the hottest accessory in home décor. Area rugs are replacing carpet because hardwood and tile flooring is the new luxury in home design. Area rugs give you the warm and comfortable feel of a room without the use of wall to wall carpet.

Today, hardwood floors are taking on a new edge. It is no longer the dark and light oak in exact same size panels. The new trend of hardwood flooring is moving towards exotic woods, wide widths and distressed, vintage and old world finishes.

Hardwood flooring has many benefits besides its timeless beauty and luxury feel. It is easy to maintain, it comes in a variety of finishes, it adds value to your home and it promotes healthy indoor air quality because it doesn’t trap dust and dirt. Hardwood floors are shaking up the world of interior design by adding ambiance and luxury to make homes look elegant and trendy.

Go From One to Several

Do you have one large room in your home that does not fit your needs just right? Maybe you want a guest bedroom and an office in one? Maybe you have two children, but only one room? Maybe you want an office in your living area. Whatever the case, there are ways to divide a large room into multiple spaces without spending a fortune.

Curtains and shutters are a great solution for this problem! If you opt for curtain, all you need is a spring rod, a fabric or curtain that accents the room and curtain rings. Make sure you measure from floor to ceiling so you know how long the fabric needs to be. You also want to pick a color that adds to the room. If you have neutral walls, drapes and curtains can be a beautiful accessory, plus they divide your room into sections. Drapes Curtains N More is a great web site that allows you to customize your fabrics so you can get the perfect match for your space.

If you want to use shutters, make sure you purchase enough panels to separate the room into two parts. Panels usually do not go from floor to ceiling; however, they do add a very contemporary feel to the room. Shutter room dividers come in a variety of colors so you can match the divider with your wall color or use it to accessorize as well.

Fashion Leads Home Design

If you love fashion, use your wardrobe to merge into your home! The same zebra or leopard print on your Dolce & Gabbana purse makes a dynamic chair in your sitting room and on the area rug in your living room. Stripes are a hit this season too! Stripes are making their way from runway to entry way. The nautical feel with bold navys, reds and purples are the must-haves against a neutral stripe, and black and white will never die. The stripes are the focal points of the outfit as well as the focal point of the room. Try throw pillows with dramatic stripes in the living room and a window seat or a chair cushion in the kitchen or sitting area. In your outfit and in your home, stripes are all about drawing attention.

Let’s talk about shoes. Wooden shoes are coming back and so is wooden furniture and flooring. Next time you are in a department store, stop by the shoe department and notice how much wood you see. Do the same when you watch HGTV. Notice a trend?

The skin-tight-barely-there clothing is out and silk, loose billowy blouses and dresses are in (phew, isn’t that great news ladies?) The same goes for your home. Oversized furniture, floor to ceiling drapery and silk textures in solid colors are what’s hot.

The spring 2011 fashion and home design season is all about simple drama. Wood bottoms on a solid pump, a bright stripe on a neutral color or a flowy fabric in a solid color. Fashion has met its match in home design!

Go Green

People everywhere are taking interest in the “eco-friendly” movement and looking for that “green” label before making a purchase. If the item is tagged all-natural, organic, recyclable or environmentally friendly, there is a pretty good chance that will make it into the shopping cart over the competition. As we progress to a natural way of life, there are many things you can do to heal our planet and green your home.

There are several types of organic bedding made from all-natural fibers such as bamboo, soy silk, hemp, cotton and more. These sets are made with all- natural dyes and are biodegradable. Conventional cotton is made with toxic chemicals and harsh dyes that hurt our environment. These chemicals surround our children and families daily. However, there is a healthy alternative available: organic cotton! It has softer and higher quality fabric plus it saves energy and reduces the amount of pollution in the environment. Fabrics such as Sunbrella and BioComfort are mindful of chemical waste and provide an eco-friendly organic option in beautiful colors, patterns and designs to customize the perfect cushions, drapes and pillows for your home.

Another way to dress up your home with eco-friendly styles is with plants. Plants not only provide beauty to your home, but they also clean the air. Plants have the power to absorb harmful chemicals and make your living space a pleasant experience. Gerbera daisies, peace lilies, english ivy and bamboo all fall into the eco-friendly category.

Finally, blackout curtains not only block all of the light coming in and out of the room, but they also save energy! Thirty-three percent of home heating and cooling energy loss comes via windows. Not only are you sleeping longer and saving money, but you are helping the environment.

Outdoor Space Brings Property Value

In today’s economy, people are reconsidering their mansion dream home and making changes and updates accordingly. Make the most of what you can afford. The best way to do this is to create a higher property value in your home. This is not just indoors, but outdoors as well. Researching products that are high quality and last a life time is what people want to purchase. Yes, you will have to spend some money, but having beautiful furniture and curb appeal increases your property value and makes your outdoor space beautiful. It is a great investment if you think about it!

Enhancing your outdoor setting makes your indoor setting look that much better. Today’s latest outdoor furniture is nothing like grandma’s outdoor wicker chair. High end brands such as teak are crafted to hold up against the outdoor elements and last a lifetime. Teak is not only beautiful, but it requires no maintenance. It does not split or require paint every spring, and it is made from all natural wood.

The same is true for outdoor fabrics; fabrics from brands such as Sunbrella will not fade from the sun or mildew from the rain. These fabrics come in a variety of textures and patterns and can be used for your indoor and outdoor living space. Sunbrella drapes hanging over your teak furniture set holding bright Sunbrella cushions makes your own “Better Homes and Gardens,” right in your very own backyard.

Whitney Hicks is the marketing coordinator at My Home Furnishings and Drapes Curtains N More. She enjoys writing feature articles and engaging in social media and blogging in areas such as home decor, design and home improvements. Whitney is a public relations graduate from Auburn University.

Painting the Room

This room will help you welcome a new baby girl into the family with shades of pink balanced with adorable, fun-loving brown monkeys. The contrast between various shades and tints of pinks and browns is particularly appealing. Another aspect that I love about this nursery theme is the balance of complementary accent colors that are part of the bedding set. If you choose a pink background for the walls, accessories around the room can be orange, blue, green and brown. They can also be lighter or darker shades depending on your preference.

The foundation of this nursery theme are the walls painted in a perfect shade of soft pink, but it could easily be sage or taupe. Another option is to split the wall in half horizontally, painting the top a lighter color and the bottom a darker, complementary color – pink on the top and light brown on the bottom would work well. Chair rail painted white and mounted at the halfway point would help distinguish the division.

Nursery Bedding

This particular nursery set is called Melanie the Monkey by CoCo & Company, and it’s available in a variety of popular retail stores. If you’re looking for animal-themed or monkey nursery bedding, there’s a wide variety from which to choose that are appropriate for both boys and girls. If you’re interested in gender neutral colors like yellows, tans, greens and creams, there are plenty of fun options available as well.

Pretty in Pink Nursery Accessories

Nursery accessories usually include a crib, changing table, and a comfortable chair for those late-night feedings. This room, however, has been nicely accentuated with a brightly colored, DIY shelf and favorite stuffed animals.

My favorite accessory in this room is the creative wall decoration made with wooden letters to spell out the new baby’s name. These wooden letters come unfinished in a local craft store, easily customized for your decor with paint. They can also be used throughout your child’s life, repainted as needed as she grows and develops.

Choose Sports-Themed Bedding First

The great thing about a sports-themed bedroom is that you can be as general or specific as you want to when decorating. This kind of room can easily be tailored to sports like baseball, football or soccer when decorating. For some personality, I added photos of my son with family members and doing what he loves most – playing sports!

To help decide how broad or precise you want to be, choose bedding first. There’s a wide range of choices when it comes to sports-themed bedding for boys’ bedrooms, and it really just depends on what you want as well as what you want to spend. As you research the different kinds of bedding choices, make a note of what other accessories in those colors are available, like curtains, wall clings or other decorations.

Because I was operating with a limited budget, I bought a more general sports-themed bedding set on sale from a local department store. The two main colors – blue and red – were a perfect combination for the color scheme were were going for.

DIY Headboard

I saved money on the bedding we chose because I wanted to take this opportunity to make a fun and sports-themed headboard for my son’s room. We decided finally on a large baseball that we made from a pre-cut plywood wooden circle, white vinyl-type fabric, upholstery batting, and red yarn.

Using a cordless drill, we first drilled holes where we wanted the yarn to appear above the fabric. Then we attached the batting and white fabric, stretching both out on the surface of the circle and attaching in along the edge of the back of the circle with high-octane staples. Using an awl, my husband poked through the drilled holes and the fabric, then threaded the yarn in a pattern similar to a baseball. Once it was mounted on the wall, it looked great!

There’s a wide range of options depending on your preference when it comes to making your own headboard. Instead of a baseball, use a piece of plywood to create a soccer or football field with paint and fabric, or cut out a giant football.

Easy Locker Room Doors

After the headboard was complete, we tackled the wall decorations beginning with beige and blue paint as well as the locker room doors – perfect for any sports-themed boys bedroom. Using some of the blue paint and our stored paint colors in the garage, we mixed up a batch of gray that was perfect.

The closet doors were ordinary fold-out wood, so we painted them first. When they were dry, we sketched the vents usually found at the tops of lockers and then outlined those with permanent black marker. For a finishing touch, we added two padlocks onto metal hardware to replace the closet door handles.

Finishing Touches

Once the headboard, painting and locker room doors were completed, all this sports-themed rooms needed were some well-placed details. An inexpensive sports-themed clothes hamper was a fun addition, and I hunted around thrift stores for items to decorate the walls, such as a gently used racquetball racquet, a batting helmet, and a framed print.

To add some personality, I added framed photos of family members and my little boy doing what he loves to do most – play sports!

Parents will worry that their home is being defaced by graffiti art and blackened walls, but remember you can easily repaint once your teen goes away to college or otherwise moves out on their own so let them have it their way in their own bedroom; compromise is the name of the game for both teens and parents when the topic of teen bedroom decorating comes up!

We’ve put together this list of 25 cool teen bedroom themes for parents to consider ideas and examples when decorating a teen bedroom:

1. Color-Coordinated Teen Bedroom

Teens’ tastes change quickly so the best teen bedroom theme may be no theme at all; just pick a color scheme and let them change up posters, accessories, etc. the way you’d change, say your socks! This can be an effective strategy that lets teens change their room as they grow and mature. Most designers will tell you to choose a proven color scheme and avoid going too heavy on the whole ‘theme’ bedroom anyway; it usually turns out to be good advice.

2. Black and White Teen Bedroom

Anti-color is trendy too; paint one wall in the room black and leave the others white. A black wall will really highlight posters and other art you put up without making the entire room seem like a darkened cave. For a really hip black and white room you could also skip color completely and choose black and white photos and art to hang on your walls. Create visual impact by adding one accent color, such as red to give emphasis and create a single focal point; it could be the headboard, something on the wall, the bedspread … whatever you want to really stand out.

3. Pretty in Pink Girl Teen Bedroom

Pink is a favorite color with girls. You can mix pale pink with white for a soft look or contrast bright pink on black, green or blue for a harder edge that appeals to teen sensibilities. Besides pink, other popular teen girls’ bedroom colors include purple, turquoise, orange and white.

4. Navy and Khaki Boy Teen Bedroom

While you can just leave a guy’s bedroom walls neutral white or off-white, you might like to add a little color. Navy and Khaki is a quintessential masculine color combination with great contrast. Other colors that work well in teen boys’ bedrooms include navy, sky blue, gray, khaki and red.

5. Teen Girl Bedroom Patterns

After choosing your colors, the best way to establish your bedroom theme is to pick a pattern that repeats; this will give your room a cohesive look that you can change and update over time by changing other elements such as artwork, bedding, wallpaper or wallpaper borders and window coverings. Popular patterns for teen girls’ bedrooms include polka dots, bubble dots, floral patterns, hearts and diamonds.

6. Teen Guy Bedroom Patterns

Once you have chosen your color scheme, pick a pattern when selecting bedding, area rugs, etc. to pull your guy teen bedroom a good base to build upon. Patterns that work well in a teen boy’s room include stripes, camouflage, sports logos or balls and plaid or checkered patterns.

7. Glam Girls Teen Bedroom

Hollywood and Broadway offer inspiration and plenty of ‘bling, bling’ to create a teen girls’ bedroom décor. Cut out pics of your favorite stars from glam magazines and create a picture wall; that way you can easily change the photos as your tastes and favorite stars evolve. Add touches such as a glitzy chandelier, wall mirror with gilded gold frame and pick fabrics like silk, satin or velvet.

8. Pop Music Artists Teen Room

Especially for ‘tween’ and younger teen girls, pop music stars are where its at; posters of the Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana and all the rest make inexpensive, easy-to-switch wall decorations. Pick a color scheme for your bedding, walls and window treatment and go from there; you know what stars you like but avoid painting wall murals that incorporate images or logos associated with your favorite bands; you may not like them in a few months or a year from now!

9. All Sports Teen Guy’s Bedroom

Let’s face it, guys are more likely to follow college and pro sports stars than movie or pop music stars. And your favorite big league team colors are a great way to establish a color scheme to follow when choosing bedspread, window covering fabrics, etc. From posters to pennants, jerseys, signed balls and all the other sports memorabilia available you have unlimited choices when decorating a sports-themed bedroom.

10. Extreme Sports Teen Bedroom

If X Games is more your style than football or baseball, pick a more radical color combination such as black and green. Hang your favorite skateboard or snowboard on the wall or do something more creative like using an old skateboard as a wall display shelf. Hang posters or put up a bulletin board where you can easily pin up photos, decals, etc. of your favorite skaters, motocross riders, big wave surfers … whatever extreme sports you’re into! The extreme sports movement appeals to guys more than girls but this is definitely a cross-gender bedroom theme possibility.

11. TV Star Teen Bedroom

Favorite TV actors and actresses are always a popular choice for posters and other bedroom artwork in most teens’ bedrooms. This comes so naturally that we are reluctant to even call this one a ‘theme’. Again, just consider whether you really want to paint your bedroom walls with faces of your favorite stars; you may regret the choice down the road!

12. Political and Social Movements Themes

Today’s teens tend to be more culturally conscious and environmentally aware. If you follow eco-trends, world politics and other important world issues, make your statement with imagery from magazines, posters from events you’ve participated in and an earthy color scheme. Use your bedroom to give your perspective on things that matter to you.

13. Video Game Teen Guys Room

Most teen guys avoid decorating their room with imagery of pop film or music stars, but art, posters and memorabilia from their favorite video games such as Halo, Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy, EA Sports games etc. For a really cool video game bedroom, put a flat screen TV on the wall and set up a small entertainment center to house all your favorite game consoles and display your favorite games; your room will be the place everyone wants to hang out … if your parents will go for the idea!

14. Retro Teen Bedroom

Retro is in; 1960s and 70s culture, music, clothes and hair styles are all the rage. Super bright colors, tye dye fabric, shag carpeting and wood veneer, plastic or vinyl furniture and accessories will give your teen room a fun retro look.

15, Country Western Teen Bedroom

For teens who are more into horses, western jeans, cowboy boots, rodeo stars and country music, the bedroom décor calls for something a bit more rustic. Start with a rough plank wood floor (or wood laminate to keep the cost down), consider adding a bunk bed or a rustic wood headboard and go for some leather, suede or rawhide.

16. Music Legends Teen Bedroom

Whether you’re into music legends from the 60s and 70s, Grunge, Heavy Metal, whatever, you can create a teen bedroom theme by finding autographed concert posters or banners, framed news articles, and memorabilia of your favorite artists or bands. A real guitar or other musical instrument can make a great focal point.

17. Family and Friends Teen Bedroom

More likely a girls’ theme than guys; you can surround yourself with photo displays of you and your favorite friends and family members; places you visited together, events such as homecoming, proms, weddings, etc. that you attended together and special souvenirs from those events. Perhaps not a bedroom ‘theme’ so much as just something a lot of teen girls do in order to show their love and affection of friends and family.

18. Mixed Martial Arts Teen Boys Bedroom

The trend away from wrestling towards mixed martial arts has created a whole new medium for guys to decorate their bedroom. Pin up posters of your favorite fighters, matches and venues, display your own trophies and awards. You can also display your sparring gloves and other martial arts stuff or set up a body opponent bag so you can work out in your own bedroom.

19. Outdoors Teen Bedroom Theme

For the outdoorsy teen, you have a lot of sub-themes and imagery from which to choose; put up wallpaper borders or wall paneling on one wall to reflect your favorite outdoor scenes, whether its mountain climbing, undersea exploration, a woodland scenes, seashore scenes, etc. Go with earthy colors such as taupe and green for accent items like your bedspread, throw pillows and window treatment.

20. Vehicle Teen Bedroom Themes

Guys love cars, motorcycles and racing imagery. If you are into motorcycles or hot rods, you can go with posters and other artwork of your favorite hot rod builders (think West Coast Choppers, Jessie James and Orange County Choppers). Whether you follow NASCAR or Formula One, racing fans can always display signed photos and other memorabilia featuring their favorite driver or team numbers and colors. And of course, if you race motocross, go carts or whatever yourself you’ll want a trophy display!

21. Fashionista Teen Girl’s Bedroom

If clothing and fashion design are your thing, you can create a funky look with zebra stripes or something like a cheetah or tiger print fabric bedspread and throw pillows, decorate your vanity with a designer mirror and makeup lights, and put up posters, magazine clippings or photographs autographed by your favorite fashion models and clothing designers.

22. Beach or Surfer Teen Bedroom

The surfer theme may be a bit passé and too common these days, but for teens who love the beach lifestyle its still a valid direction to take. The key here is to come up with something unique and a little ‘out there’. Don’t just put up surf posters and beach pictures; try a more specific theme like tropical beach décor, with bamboo mats and palm trees, or turn an old surfboard into an interesting headboard or wall decoration.

23. Big City Teen Bedroom

If you dream of living in a loft apartment in a metropolitan city like New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, etc. you’ll have a very unique teen bedroom by decorating with souvenirs and art posters of your favorite city or paint a mural of your favorite city skyline. Loft beds are available if you want to give your bedroom the look of a real city loft apartment.

24. World Traveler Teen Bedroom

Do you dream of traveling or living abroad? If so, this could give you the inspiration for a great bedroom theme; globes, maps, travel posters, photos and souvenirs from your own trips … the list of possibilities is endless. And if you don’t want to go all out with the travel theme, just decorate one wall as your ‘traveling’ focal point.

25. Graffiti Art Teen Bedroom

For the more artistic type, you could paint one wall in your bedroom with graffiti art (if mom and dad will let you!) or you can always have your favorite art projects framed and hang those on the wall. Another way to display your art talent would be to paint a canvas and hang it over your bed; this will create a colorful focal point without having to argue with your parents about painting the walls!

Start With a Central Piece

I knew I wanted to capitalize on a jungle theme for my son’s room when I found the bedspread (pictured at right). It was a great price on clearance at 70% off, and I loved the color scheme. Bright and cheery, it was perfect for the cloudy skies of the Pacific Northwest.

Start with one central piece that you really like, whether it’s bedding, wall prints or fabric that will work perfectly for a jungle theme. Build the room decor around that favorite piece in order to stick with a common color palette.

After I took advantage of my great clearance find and purchased the bedspread – as well as accompanying pillow sham and valance – I had some research to do.

The Best Use of Wall Space

One of the problems with the amount of space in this particular bedroom was the presence of a large, white wall that made the room seem bare and empty. I wanted to do something dramatic to make use of that space, and decided on a large wall mural.

But how do you create a wall mural if all you can draw are stick figures? There are ready-made wall murals out there, but I was too cheap and the color scheme for a Jungle Theme was unusual.

This was one of those times where we realized the value of artistic friends. Taking a cue from the colors and shapes of the animals on the bedspread, a friend of ours created a simple sketch for us. After outlining the pencil drawing in black marker, we projected the design onto the large wall and got to work.

Add Color!

The mural didn’t take much color aside from the green, and it bears repeating that when you use a dark color on a large space, be sure to use a primer first to make your life easier. To get the specific shades of paint we wanted for the animals on the mural, we went through all of our many stored cans of paint and mixed colors. To supplement our paint needs – like black or red – quart cans in specific colors did the trick!

On the alternate walls, we applied a color that matched the bedspread and the wall mural but wasn’t featured in the mural itself. These walls helped tie all of the elements together.

Finishing Touches

There are many small but effective ways to add special finishing touches to a jungle-themed bedroom.

All finished!

In our case, it was framed photographs from a recent trip to the zoo, cropped to feature jungle animals. Other finishing touches for a jungle-themed room could include:

• Animal-print pillows, bedding, throw blankets or lighting
• Animal or jungle-themed decals
• Silk greenery that can be draped along a wall or headboard, or along the ceiling to create a canopy
• Fabric or canvas to use as a decorative tent over a bed or in a corner for play
• Photos or prints of jungle animals
• Safari clothing or gear

To build up a collection of decorations, head to your local thrift stores and gather what you need at a fraction of retail prices. Then your animal-lover adventurer can sleep in a jungle that doesn’t break your budget!

Photo by Suzy Pierce Design

Your young girl’s bedroom can be filled with dots, ruffles or lace, but however you decide to decorate your daughter’s pink room you can be certain it will be fabulous.

What Kind of Pink

Painting the walls is the first and most obvious step to creating a pink paradise for your girl. Pink and white makes for the most classic girly look, while pink and brown creates a luxurious, “just-opened-box-of-chocolates” feeling.

And pink and black? What could be more chic and sophisticated? For girls who want an edgier, more energetic style, try hot pink and lime green.

Photo by Suzy Pierce Design

Or you can turn pink and green into a softer cottage style by using soft, pale pinks and sage green.

Sugar and Spice

You can decorate your girl’s room with polka dots, ruffles, lace or flowers, or all of the above! Just be careful that you don’t overdo it. Chose several items in the room to embellish and leave the rest simple. It will have more impact that way.

Create the Perfect Polka Dots

One nice effect is to cover the walls in a very pale pink flat latex paint, then paint polka dots on top of that in a slightly darker semi gloss shade to make the circles pop. The effect is more subtle than using a contrasting color, but the overall effect is powerful.

To create perfect circles, cut out templates from cardboard and trace around them with chalk onto the painted wall. The dots can be placed evenly or randomly and the sizes can vary or you can use all large dots. A paint can lid makes an ideal size to base your template on.

A pink wall also provides the perfect backdrop for wooden or appliqué letters that spell out the girl’s name or adjectives that describe her.

Cozy Girl’s Bedroom Glamor

Girly means cozy and glamorous, as well as feminine. Create a private reading nook by taking a corner section of the room and hanging a soft fantasy bower over the area. A white shag carpet and lots of cushy pillows completes the special spot.

Another way to get that elegant feel is with a sheer canopy over the bed. Don’t worry if your girl doesn’t have a canopy bed; you can create the same effect simply and inexpensively.

All you need are three standard curtain rods, and sheer drapes. Hang the rods on the ceiling over the bed where you want the drapes to fall. One above the head and one on each side are probably sufficient.

Be sure to attach the curtain clips onto the rod before installation, unless the clips are the kind you can attach after the pole is hung. You are ready to hang the curtains!

Dressing Table and Vanity

What girls’ bedroom would be complete with out a fancy dressing table and chair? If yours is too plain, simply embellish. You can find a nice white chair cover for the chair.

Put a big pink bow on the back of it, or edge it in lace. Paint the dressing table white, and edge the mirror in lights; you can find low cost LED rope lights that don’t need to be plugged in.

Details, Details

When creating a special feminine mood for the room, remember to pay attention to the details. Here are a few tips for adding that special extra touch:

• Replace the standard overhead lighting with a small chandelier. Many inexpensive ones are now available and you can even find them in pinks and lavenders.
• Use decorative tiebacks on window treatments, in pinks, jewels, or glass.
• Replace plain drawer pulls with crystal ones.
• Hang a white display shelf for dolls or collectibles.

Photo by Suzy Pierce Design

• Cover a plain nightstand with decorative fabric in a toile pattern, floral or stripes. This can be as simple as using a sheet that matches or contrasts with the bedding, trimmed with a ribbon at the hem.
• Find an old coat rack and paint it white. Drape it with a pink feather boa, a few fancy purses, hang dance shoes or ballet slippers on it.
• Replace the plain switchplate with something decorative. You can find these premade or can decorate your own to match the room.
• A stack of pretty floral hatboxes (stack them large to small) provides storage and adds to the décor of the room.
• Pink goes great with black, yellow, white and some shades of green and blue.

» Go Back to Girls Bedroom Themes & Decorating Guide

Try to get your child involved in the project as much as possible, letting them help steer your selection of a theme, colors and design elements. To get your kids room decorating project started, we have assembled a number of ideas and tips to help inspire you.

Picking a Theme

What are your child’s interests? Begin by looking at your child’s favorite books and artwork for ideas. You know what your son or daughter likes to pretend play the most, so use that to get inspiration for your theme.

Then look in decorating magazines books and online to find photos and ideas on how to bring your theme to life. A good theme for your kids’ room will also help direct your choice of colors, patterns and decorating elements.

Always remember safety is an important part of any kids’ room decor. If you child is a restless sleeper, bunk beds may not be the best choice. Never use decorating elements that could cause your child to choke or sustain injuries.

Choosing a Color Scheme

Start by choosing the background color you’ll use to paint the walls and ceiling, your flooring material and borders. Choosing a primary fabric and pattern will help guide your efforts.

Choose fabrics, wallpaper and wallpaper border patterns to help reinforce your theme and color scheme. You will want to select a main print or pattern to set the overall tone of your kids’ room.

Select your accessories, fabrics, wall art and other design elements to coordinate and with the primary fabric pattern and colors.

By selecting complementary colors for all design elements, you can bring together all of the design elements that help support your theme.

It’s best to select one a common background color, even when using different prints in one room. You can select prints and patterns in different size scales, like a wallpaper border with large hearts and perhaps the same or a similar pattern with smaller hearts to use in fabrics or curtains for instance.

Creating affordable framed art is easy if you simply use artwork your child has created him or herself, or by clipping pictures from magazines or books.

Choosing a Focal Point and Design Elements

You’ll want to select a main focal point for your kids’ room decor. Often time, this may be the bed, but you could also use a wall mural or a display shelf as the main point of interest. Your focal point reinforces and sets the theme you have chosen.

Really use your imagination when planning and selecting decorative elements. If your son loves baseball, use team pennants on a wall or display an autographed baseball on the display shelf. You might have a wall mural of his favorite ballpark or player at bat!

Of course, you’ll also want to find bedding that coordinates with the theme and color palette. Hearts, flowers and dolls in pinks, purples and greens work well in most girls’ room color schemes, while red, yellow or blue tend to work well in a boy’s room.

Boys Room Themes

Boys play and pretend actively, often pretending to be grown up men, so themes like building, cars, the circus or other occupations can make good options.

Boys also tend to love the outdoors, animals and the sea.

Fire House Theme

Is your little boy intrigued with fire trucks and likes pretending to be a firefighter? Then maybe a fire house theme, complete with wooden fire truck bed is the right theme.

You could use red as the primary color, adding a fire truck pattern for wallpaper borders. White, yellow or blue will work well for coordinating colors.
A fire pole might make an interesting design element and adds a great play center. A fire captain’s helmet or fire hose could also work to add to your theme.

Animal Theme

Most boys love animals. If your son loves dogs, you will find a lot of great dog patterns for bedding, fabrics and wallpaper borders. Whether he loves German Shepherds, Collies or Labrador Retrievers, a dog room theme will provide plenty of imaginative options.

Maybe he’s more interested in bugs, jungle cats and big game animals or dinosaurs? What ever animal category he likes can make a great theme for your boys’ room.

Animals make an easy theme since you can use stuffed animals and artwork with out spending big bucks.

Castle Theme

Most boys love to pretend being the knight in shining armor. Faux paint, a nice wall mural and a valance for the window treatment can transform your boys’ room into a castle.

You could also decorate his bunk bed to look like a guard tower or put a knight in armor in a corner of the bedroom to give this theme an imaginative touch.

Nautical Theme

Sail boats, tug boats or racing boats are another source of imagination and pretend play for many boys. A ship’s bell, anchor or sailing ship wheel could make the perfect main pattern for your boy’s room nautical theme.

Blue is a natural primary color choice with this theme, while beige can bring a feeling of beach sand into the color scheme. A ship in a bottle would make a great accessory for his display shelf.

Girls Room Themes

Girls will often want to play house, dolls, be a princess or dress up. Hearts, flowers and horses can also be good girls’ room themes.

If your little girl, love Barbie dolls, that could be a great theme. Or, if horses are her thing, look for wallpaper patterns, fabrics and other design elements that could support a horse theme in her room.

Pastels, pinks, purples and other bright colors are popular choices for any girls’ room. An elaborate doll house, a vanity with mirror for make up or a tea table, chairs and tea set for her dolls to have a nice tea party can all make great options for a focal point in your girls room decor, letting you even mix themes a bit if desired, since dolls and princesses can go together!

Princess Theme

If your daughter is like my five-year-old girl, she probably loves the Disney princesses. This can make a great theme, complete with her favorite princess characters and accessories.

Girls love a canopy bed and you can use sheer fabrics to bring color and a touch of whimsy into her bedroom. Pillows and bedding are easy to do with a princess theme; you’ll find plenty of good patterns, fabrics and wallpaper borders.

Barbie Doll Theme

Barbie doll collections are another biggie with girls. If she loves Barbie, then this could be a natural theme for her room. You can get a Barbie living room set, a Barbie bed, make up desk with mirror and all the accoutrements for her Barbie room theme.

This is another theme that can be extended easily, since she may have other favorite dolls as well. Make a display shelf unit the focal point to display all her favorite dolls.

Hearts Theme

Hearts are a wonderful pattern to use in a girls room. If your daughter wants a hearts theme, start by picking a pattern and her favorite color. You could also combine this with other patterns like butterflies or lady bugs to mix things up a little.

Flowers Theme

Flowers are another great source of inspiration for your girls’ room theme. Whether she loves a particular type of flower, like daisies, roses or lilies, you can find any number of patterns, fabrics and wallpapers from which to choose. Color options are also wide open with a flowers theme.

Use white bedroom furniture and stencil her favorite flowers to add color and create your flowers theme. A lovely flower vase could feature some paper machete or other type of faux flowers your girl can craft herself for display.

For a retro look from the seventies, you could go with a bright flower pattern. If she likes a more muted color scheme, then pastel colors and appropriate flower pattern may be the right look.

Autumn Wreath on Front Door

There’s no reason that this beauty needs to stay outdoors. It’s easy and inexpensive to bring the warmth and splendor of Autumn into your home.

Take in the colors

Shades of brown, red, orange and yellow tend to be associated with the Fall season. However, there are many colors that also appear during these months that can be used as focal or accent colors.

Especially as the leaves change, there are many different shades of green to highlight. Pumpkins are a variety of colors besides orange, including a light green, white and even a delicate shade of blue. Speaking of blue, a darker accent color can be found in the particularly beautiful color of an Autumn sky. Use all of these colors in a variety of frugal ways to help decorate your home for Fall!

Welcome Home

With an eye specifically for decorating, start with your front door. Pretend you’re coming to visit, and ask yourself what you would like to see, or what would make you feel comfortable and relaxed.

To help create this welcoming scene, pick up a few hay bales, which help display potted mums or can serve as temporary benches on your front porch. Set out large baskets of a variety of gourds and dried flowers, along with different sizes, shapes and colors of pumpkins.

Perfect Pumpkins

Fall Wreath with White Pumpkins

For a traditionally festive mood, create a family of jack-o-lanterns with unusual designs. Use battery-operated flickering lights to bring them to life.

Apple Simplicity

Apples come in a wide variety of colors, sizes, shapes and flavors. Plus, this is the season where apples are at their least expensive. Buy large quantities of various kinds to display in decorative bowls or baskets. They can also be used to make applesauce, breads, muffins, crisps, pies and cider.

The Scents of the Season

Fall Tablescape with Sunflowers

The baking doesn’t have to be limited to apples. Bake sweetmeat pumpkins to use in pumpkin pies and breads – the scent will be irresistible. If you’re not in the baking mood, stock up on a variety of candles in apple or pumpkin themed scents or your favorite fall fragrances.

Tasty Autumn Snacks

If you’ve done any pumpkin carving or baking, don’t forget to clean and roast the seeds for a wonderful Autumn snack. Cover some of those display apple with caramel, and set out a variety of candy or nuts in bowls around your home. Your guests will appreciate it!

Kelly Wilson is a freelance writer and author of Live Cheap and Free! Strategies to Thrive in Tough Economic Times. She lives with her family in Portland, Oregon.

Photo by Space Dust Design

For Teens on Team Edward

Color Palette
If you prefer the icy beauty of a vampire, go no further than the covers of the books for color inspiration. The white, black and red of the book covers might be too dramatic for large-scale use, but they make excellent accent colors easily softened by gray or lavender. Deep plums and tiny touches of mauve are also appropriate for a Team Edward room.

Consider using chair rail along the center of the walls, painting it a glossy white. The top of the wall could be a lighter color like white or gray, and the bottom a deep purple or red for a dramatic flair.

Furniture
Dark wood or black furniture, ornate in design, would be ideal for a Team Edward room. Search garage sales, local thrift stores, or even around your house to repurpose pieces that would work for this theme. Spruce up old pieces of furniture with a couple of coats of primer and a dark paint color to set off your dramatic room colors and fabrics.

Fabrics
The appropriate fabrics for this theme are plush – look for velvet, satin or similar fabrics with a rich, silky feel. Try to find soft throw rugs with a looser twist. Simple but dramatic window treatments include scarves or wispy fabric hung from a wrought iron curtain rod. Include a variety of textures and patterns for a rich, elegant feel.

Lighting
The setting of the books is Forks, Washington where it is cloudy and dark, and this calls for warm lighting. Create ambiance with a dimmer switch on your overhead lighting, replacing a standard light fixture with a small chandelier in silver or black. Another option is to place small lamps around the room with shades decorated with satin, velvet ribbon and crystals in your room’s accent colors.

Accessories
There are several movie posters out there to compliment your Team Edward theme. Frame the posters for a finished touch, and hang them near the Twilight series of books prominently on display. Add a few romantic touches, like a vase with black silk roses or a silver picture frame. Include two or three of your favorite quotes from the books on your walls, written with paint or cut out of adhesive-backed vinyl.

For Those on Team Jacob

Photo by Deconstructing Jen

For those of you who root for Jacob, the decor for your bedroom is going to be dramatically different but no less romantic.

Color Palette
The book covers are less likely to work here, since the color palette for Team Jacob follows the colors you find in the forest. Dark and sage greens, along with different shades of brown would be ideal, with a touch of red, orange or gold as accent colors.

If you use chair rail along the center of your walls, you could paint the top a lighter color, like a soft gold or light woodsy brown, and the bottom a deep green for a dramatic flair.

Furniture
Because Jacob is more of an outdoorsy type, furniture appropriate for this theme needs to be rustic. Light or dark browns would work depending on your room’s paint color. Hunt for appropriate pieces of furniture at garage sales, thrift stores or around your house, and spruce them up with a fresh coat of brown paint if necessary.

Fabrics
Fabrics for a Team Jacob room are cozy rather than overly luxurious. Focus on soft cottons and faux furs, along with down comforters that seem to swallow you whole. Rugs and window treatments should incorporate the accent colors, along with throw pillows, and can be made of more substantial material.

Lighting
Warm lighting is a must, and will help create a cozy atmosphere. Avoid using overhead lighting, instead opting for a variety of lamp styles and sizes set around the room. The lampshades can be varying colors of light greens and browns, along with lighter shades of gold or orange accent colors. Patterns on the lampshades can also create welcome texture in the room.

Accessories
There are now movie posters that feature browns and golds, ideal for a Team Jacob room. Frame a couple of posters and display them with the Twilight series of books. Include romantic touches, like a small fern or other wispy potted plants, or a few of your favorite quotes from the book on the walls with paint or adhesive-backed vinyl.

Regardless of whether you’re on Team Edward or Team Jacob, your Twilight-themed bedroom will be the envy of every Twilight fan!

Kelly Wilson is a busy mother, freelance writer and author of Live Cheap and Free! Strategies to Thrive in Tough Economic Times. You can read more about her and how to save money at www.wilsonwrites.com.