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Home Decor

Creative Ways To Design The Perfect Wall Art

The walls of a home are one of the underestimated areas when it comes to interior designing. This is because most people focus more on their accessories, furniture and area rugs. Besides that, most people don’t know what to do with their pieces of art for them to get the maximum effect in their spaces. What you should know is that before hanging up your art, you need to have a plan of what you want to get out of that room ahead of time. You, therefore, need to determine the color, style, and function of the room in a way that meets your tastes and preferences.

Most people are purchasing large pieces of art because they are considered to be the trendiest, but you don’t have to break your bank so that you invest in them. A collection of small pieces of art arranged meticulously, for example, as a gallery can create the same effect the large ones does. All you need is to incorporate some level of creativity to help you design a one of a kind piece using readily available and inexpensive objects. Note that you need to paint your wall with a bold color to make your art pop out. Here are a few tips to help you create a picturesque wall art:

Lighting wall art

Marquis-style letters come in handy in creating a sentence or a word in lights. Alternatively, you can hang a neon sign to give your wall a contemporary and lively look.

Dimensional art

Use various materials such as seashells, paper towel rolls among other natural objects to create creative 3D and sculptural wall art. You can also consider hanging metal wall sculptures in free-form angles. Once you create your pieces, consider painting or dying them before hanging them in flowing formations.

Modern wallpaper art

The use of wallpapers is another great way of popping out your walls. If you decide to utilize them, it is important that you hung them on only one of the walls. You can also use wallpaper swatches by framing and hanging them in an innovative way.

Gallery artThe-Everygirl-Alaina-Danielle-Home-Tour-Alaina-Bedroom-gallery-wall

The first step to creating a great gallery wall art is to determine your theme. After establishing your theme, you can go ahead to hanging a group of your favorite pieces and objects on your bare wall.

Pronounced art

Given that bold and large pieces of art are the most trending, you can consider using one as a focal point in your space. Look for an eye-catching object such as an oversize canvas and hang it together with your art so that you create an uttermost visual effect. For a pulled-together look, consider tying in the colors in the rest of the room with that of the piece of art.

Repurposed wall art

Let your creativity fly through repurposing some of the items that you use for your day to day activities. Use your old textiles and fabrics, ferns, flowers and any other thing that can help you create your indigenous art and then hang it on your wall.

Wall decals26cc218bdda1e497b448f81903a893d8

You can easily access wall decals and murals of all types including the handmade and the vintage. The good thing is that you can order for a personalized print that incorporates your work or images. If you are talented enough, you can try designing one on your own.

A personalized wall art reflects your personality, tastes, and preferences. Do not limit what your creativity can do for you.

12/12/2016 by
Floors, Rug Pads, Rugs

Choosing The Right Carpet Pad

Many homeowners normally have carpets in their homes.When choosing a carpet, people spend more time on the choice of flooring and make quick decisions regarding the padding. A carpet pad or cushion is what is installed underneath the floor. It plays an important role in the durability and longevity of the floor. Most people often assume that the role of a carpet pad is to create an additional comfort when walking. The real task of a carpet pad is to absorb the impact that comes from foot traffic.

You will realize that these carpet pads normally come in different types, densities and thickness. Their density and thickness determines their resilience and better performance. Before choosing a specific pad, it is important that you know a few things. You need to think about where you will be using the carpet pad before buying it. Is that area a high traffic zone or not? If there is someone who will require to use a wheelchair, will he or she be moving over this area regularly? If he or she will be moving over this area regularly, a spongy layer will inconvenience them. If you have children who will be playing in this area, it is important that you choose a thicker pad so that your children can be comfortable.

There are a number of different types of pads available in the market. Some of them include:

1. Waffle rubbersafest-rug-pads-for-hardwood-floors

This was once a popular carpet padding. However, this is not the case. It does not offer the carpet backing much support. This usually causes the carpet backing to crack. However it is an inexpensive option and will work well if you plan on making use of it for a short time.

2. Urethane foam

This usually comes in two types. This type of pad makes your carpet feel very soft and comfortable due to the air pockets created by the rubber. You will realize that this type of carpet pad is best suited for areas where there will not be a lot of traffic in and out.

3. Flat rubberrubber-grip-surface

You will realize that this is a more expensive carpet pad. Due to its high price tag, this type of carpet pad is commonly used in  a commercial setting. However, as a homeowner, you can invest in this type of carpet pad. It will benefit your carpet a great deal.

4. Bonded urethane

It is one of the the most popular types of carpet padding. It is normally created by combining shredded pieces of high density urethane foam from furniture and automotive industries. It made of recycled materials. It works well in most situations, as long as you do not choose a carpet pad that is too thick. You will realize that opting for this type of pad is not only functional but is also a great way of preserving our environment.

The durabilty of a carpet depends on the cushion underneath absorbing all the impact that the carpet deals with every day. Choose the right carpet pad and your carpet will last longer.

11/11/2016 by
Baby's room, Home Decor

Baby’s room depending on the baby’s gender

Baby-Room-Ideas-for-Babies-with-Parents-who-Dont-Play-by-the-Rules-Photo6When designing a room for their baby, many parents prefer using a theme that is in accordance with the baby’s gender. This involves coloring the walls, ceilings and various pieces of furniture as well as introducing objects that are supposed to promote whichever the baby’s gender is.
Generally speaking, male baby’s rooms are done in a blue or similar color while female babies will tend to have a pink or perhaps a red one. Certain parents prefer to style the entire room in one of these colors while adding as many related objects as possible whereas others will look to add just a slight touch.
If you are among the first group and have a male child, you will first want to paint the entire room in a shade of blue that you find best for your baby. In general, you should pick a mild and non-invasive hue so that your toddler doesn’t feel disturbed or provoked by a loud color. After painting everything appropriately, you can move onto considering adding the right furniture, like a crib with blue elements or blue cupboards.
Finally, you can look to add objects that are traditionally considered to be related to the male gender, such as perhaps toy cars or masculine action figures with which the baby can play with once it is able to sit on its own. You can even place posters or imagery around the room that are meant to promote the gender of the baby and help it develop accordingly.

With a female toddler, you will instead want to pick a color that is somewhere between pink and red. You should probably lean more towards pink as the majority of female babies’ rooms that are heavily decorated in accordance with gender heavily revolve around it. This is oftentimes expressed even more than with male baby’s rooms, meaning that aside from colors and furniture, you might want to go a step further and add pink blankets, sheets and pillows for your female toddler to feel as feminine as she can.baby-room-bedding-ideas-74d-nursery-room-decor-ideas
As for toys and similar objects, you should lean towards ones that promote the female identity and are associated with young girls. Unicorns make for some popular choices here, as do images of traditional female beauties such as princesses, meant to exude an aura of femininity and elegance and allow your female child to identify with them from the earliest stage.
If, however, you are among the group of parents who wish to keep gender-centric baby’s room decor to a minimum, it can suffice to add just one or a few objects colored or themed with regards to the baby’s gender. Aside from these, you can have the entire room colored white or similarly in order to lean more towards neutrality should you wish to avoid burdening the baby with a specific gender role too early.
It’s safe to say that parents care a lot more about the specific coloring and imagery in the baby’s room than the babies themselves, as toddlers won’t really realize the meaning of a specific color inside a room. Therefore, don’t be afraid to follow whichever preference you might have.

10/09/2016 by
Baby's room, Home Decor

Choosing a quiet enough room as the baby’s room

nursery-decorating-ideas-baby-room-designs-1Babies need a lot of peace and quiet at all times of the day in order to develop properly and have access to undisturbed sleep. In particular, since babies sleep so much, it’s of vital importance to minimize exposure to anything that might disturb their rest as it will not only put the baby in distress but also mean that you will have to abandon whatever you might be doing in order to lull it back to sleep.
This means that you need to pay close attention to which room in your house or apartment will end up being chosen as the baby’s room. Not all of us have houses with a great many rooms to choose from, but that doesn’t mean we should disregard noise when choosing which room to use as a baby’s room. In fact, if you live in a smaller home, don’t be afraid to repurpose an existing room as a baby’s room, even one that you were previously using – this is all part of the baby’s room decor.
Look to avoid any rooms that are exposed to sources of noise like roads or perhaps noisy neighbors. This means that you should avoid rooms that share walls with noisy people living in the apartment next to you as well as those where the noise might be coming from the ceiling if the tenants above produce heavy traffic in that area.
Furthermore, you should consider how much noise you yourself will be introducing to the baby’s room. Try to pick a room that offers a good compromise between not being too close to any room where you might be producing noise and letting you reach the baby’s room in as short of a timeframe as possible.
You can also look to reduce noise by strategically placing the baby’s crib in the quietest spot in the room, generally as far away from noisy walls or perhaps slamming doors as possible. All of these steps will minimize the chances that your baby will prematurely wake up from its sleep, quickly and loudly letting you know that it is unhappy.
If all else fails, you can turn to sound insulation on the walls in order to combat the noise by preventing it from ever entering the baby’s room. This is usually a last resort when decorating the baby’s room as it can be expensive and involve a good deal of additional effort. Only parents who are unable to provide the baby with a quiet enough room due to their home’s location tend to turn to this option. If you are among this group, be mindful of the type of insulation you are choosing as some types might also filter out your baby’s cries, meaning you will need to have a baby monitor with you at all times.
Your baby should never be exposed to any unnecessary noise during its development. It will not only put it under constant distress but also prevent it from developing properly as peaceful and undisturbed sleep is one of the key needs for babies to thrive.

09/09/2016 by
Floors, Rugs

Tips on the Upkeep of Rug Pads

If the rug pads are being used in the kitchen and bathroom areas of home, they are most likely to get dirty and moist most of the time as they are more in usage. In the kitchen, the rug pads are more prone to oil spills and the bathroom rug pads could easily get wet.
It is important to keep the rug pads clean and they should be checked on regular basis. Some of the rugs are made of such fabrics that when they get dirty, they attract more dust particles towards them. This would affect the rug pads underneath getting dusty too.
rug-pad-8Rug pads must be placed under the rugs in order to avoid people from slipping and keeping the area soft. It provides cushioning to the rug. Sunlight could cause the colors of the rug to fade so you should keep rotating the rug from one position to another after a period of time.
It is better to vacuum the rugs regularly as it also helps to keep the rug pads clean and last longer. Some rug pads which are made up of plastic or rubber material, if not cleaned or moved for a very long time could even stick to the flooring. It is always better to take advice from the salesperson so that you should know which type of rug pad will be suitable with the flooring of your house.
If you need to store or move the rug pad, it could be folded or rolled up and placed in a plastic bag sprayed with an insecticide suitable for the fibers the rug pad contains. While reusing, when you’ll unfold the sheet and walk on it, the creases will disappear.
In order to remove stains of beer, oil spill, coffee, colors, furniture dye, ketchup, ice-creams, tea and other stuff, you can now make an easy solution at home and keep it for cleaning of the rug and rug pads. All you need is one teaspoon of detergent (dishwashing or laundry) mixed with one teaspoon of white vinegar in a quarter cup of water. You can use a piece of damp cloth or paper towel dipped in the solution and rub it on the stain towards the direction of pile. The stain will be gone in no time.
Dry foam cleaners are also available and they are applied to the rug, even those with thick rug pads, as a foamy mixture and is vacuumed afterwards when the solution gets dry. Dry powder cleaners are sprinkled on the rug pads and they absorb all the dust particles in them. They could also be vacuum cleaned after a while.
It is always important to check the precautions before selecting a cleaning material for the rug pads because some chemicals might react with the materials used in the rug pads and might not be suitable for thick rug pads.

08/03/2016 by
Baby's room, Home Decor

How to choose the best color for your kid’s nursery?

Have you ever wondered about how much color you should exactly put in your nursery? How much color is perfect for proper stimulation? Well, these are some common questions that we often hear from our clients. They are mostly worried about how the color is likely to affect their baby. There has been an extensive scientific research about how colors affect infants. While no proper conclusion has been made from the debate, why not take advantage of this and incorporate it in your nursery? While your little one may not perceive all the colors properly for quite some time, but as they get older the same color is going to affect them. So here’s a list of colors and how they affect your child.

Red- This color of passion and excitement attracts a huge attention. Although it can be used as an accent, do not use it on the wall as it might invoke volatile personality traits on your child.

Orange- Orange is a quite warm, comfortable and cozy color. It is friendly, promotes conversation and is likely to help your child get rid of his inhibitions. Choose a warmer shade of orange for a cozier ambience.

Yellow- This is a lively and cheerful color but it should also be used with proper caution and warm shades of yellow might irritate your kid. Subtle yellow will promote concentration and help in developing better emotional health.

Green- Being a calm and refreshing color, green is perfect to incorporate in a learning environment. It will aid in concentration and thinking abilities.

Blue- This is an excellent color for healing and cooling a baby who is easily agitated. Gray blue makes a kid sad and warmer shades of the color should never be used around food. Subtle blue can be a perfect choice for the nurser y as it improves productivity.
kids
Purple- Purple is a mysterious and incredibly dignified color which is mostly associated with royalty. Pastel purple can be perfect for the nursery as they calm your kid and also retain the luxurious appeal.

While- Although white is a pure and innocent color; it can also promote a kind of secretiveness. Do not go for bare white walls as splashes of color will only evoke your kid’s emotions.

Pink- This is a very loving and feminine color, particularly meant for your little girls. Pink is an excellent calming color for a child’s room who often throws fits and tantrums.

Gray- Gray is an intuitive and emotional color that motivates your child to contemplate and think about things. But do not go for too darker shades as they promote sadness. Use a warm tone with a dash of bright colors for the perfect feel.

Brown- This is an earthly and grounded color and a dark chocolate brown can be the perfect shade for the nursery. Avoid the middle shades of brown as they don’t really look good.

Black- This is an authoritative color and should be therefore used in moderation. The color is strong and perfect for rooms which have lots of natural lighting and bigger windows.
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There are many ways to experiment with colors. If you’re planning to revamp a nursery, take a couple of minutes to browse through the list and choose a perfect color for your baby.

07/08/2016 by
Baby's room

Care tips for oriental rugs

Oriental rugs create an atmosphere of upscale elegance, artistry and beauty to a home that cannot be achieved with the average rugs. Though they set a high aesthetic standard and they are set to last, neglect can take the best of them leading to wear. For this reason, they require a high standard of maintenance. Knowing how to properly take care of your rug will help keep it in tip top shape for many years.

The best way to accomplish this is to vacuum both side properly. Vacuuming the front side of an oriental rug gets the dirt up and vacuuming the back side removes the deep down dirt. Begin by vacuuming the front side first then flip it over and vacuum underneath the carpet. To prevent spreading the dirt, vacuum in the direction of the pile and be careful when vacuuming the edges especially the fringes.

persian-rugVacuuming in the direction of the pile will help to prevent additional dirt and dust from settling farther into the pile. Vacuuming against the direction of the pile or sideways will brush and lift the pile.

It is recommended that you vacuum in at least two directions, starting with moving in the direction of the pile.

· Change the beater brush height.

Consider changing the beater brush height to a higher setting. This is because a brush that is too low can easily damage the rug by pulling the knots and fibers out. The beater bar should touch the rug fibers to release the dirt but not dig in and cause balding.

· Use the upholstery brush to clean fringes.

Be careful with a cleaner that is equipped with a beater bar or power brush. These powered brushes in the vacuum do a great job on machine made carpeting but they can damage the top layer of oriental rugs if strenuously used. Therefore, if your vacuum cleaner has a power brush, use it lightly and only occasionally on your oriental rug.

For regular cleaning, use the plain vacuum nozzle. This especially important for fringes. Avoid running a power brush or an upright vacuum over fringes as they shred the fringes and causes fast wear. The fringes get caught and chewed up the rotating mechanism of the brush.

For easier cleaning, clean spills immediately. However, you should not use bleach or soap on your rug to clean it. Begin with absorbing the spills with paper towels by daubing it gently from one end to another of the spill and moving towards the center to prevent the spill from spreading. To stop further damage, place paper towels under the spill as well and use only water to clean the spills and if the stain cannot be removed.

To prevent sun damage, keep your rug away from direct sunlight as it damages the rug making it to fade and become lighter when hit by the sun’s rays.

Another care tip for oriental rugs is to vary the pathways. When furniture is placed on the Oriental rug, it creates a natural pathway that is frequently used. To prevent this, you should move the furniture on the rug so that the walkways are changed. This stops wearing out in just a single place.images

· Utilize padding

Placing a rug pad beneath the Oriental rug protects the shape of the rug, stabilizes it and reduces wrinkling. This in turn enhances the value of the rug as well as makes it comfortable and safe to walk on.

06/09/2016 by
Baby's room

Open Floor Plans: A Concept In Modern Living

“Open concept” is a common term in home design vocabulary. It’s all about ripping down walls in order to create open-floor plans for the kitchen, living and dining areas. Although separate rooms are still a charm today, a majority of homeowners are doing away with their traditional floor designs so they can enjoy movie watching, cooking and eating all in one space.
What Inspired This Trend?

mediterranean-living-room

In the mid-90s, the open-living plan was seen by homebuilders as an ideal way to design a home efficiently without using too much space. Back then, split-level and ranch homes were very popular. That hasn’t really changed a lot as modern interior and architecture designs draw most of their cues from the mid-90s cultural norms for convenience.
The trend has been inspired by our modern way of life: Parents simultaneously share child-care and cooking responsibilities (blurred gender roles). We are also living in media and tech driven world in which we are expected to catch up on the day’s bulletin during dinner hence the rise in open concept designs.

Benefits of Open Floor Plans
Open concept makes even the smaller spaces feel brighter and bigger. You can transform small rooms into light-filled spaces. Large great rooms are ideal for watching over on your kids. In addition, you can accomplish other household chores like cooking dinner while interacting with your little ones. What’s more, placing a computer and desk on the back of the sofa or against a wall makes the transformed room even more multi-functional.

Tips for Open Floor Designs
Use lighting and furnishings to define spaces in your home. Lighting helps to outline various sections of a room. Replace large ceiling fans or place a chandelier dining table in the center of the living space. See to it that you maintain the same design style throughout the space.

Maintain The Same Design Style
It might sound obvious; however, keeping an aesthetic stream throughout an open concept living space is not an option. Essential design features like recessed lighting and flooring should be uniform. Color palettes in every space ought to supplement each other. Include different hues and texture layers for accents and highlights.

Include a Feature in All Areas
Open-floor-plan-organized-with-shleving-unitsCreating outstanding design features in every area won’t only make your room shine, but also help to distinguish each space. You can try a gallery-wall in the dining room, for example. Give every functional space a matching personality and have fun.
Keep an Open Space
Maintaining open views from each and every area to the next is important in open-floor plans. As much as you will like to be stylish, it is also important that you be strategic with placement. Avoid cluttering the sight lines with inappropriately large accessories or furniture, or even tall bookcases. Also see to it that you keep natural light and windows unobstructed.
Certainly, open floor plans have their own share of drawbacks. However, they offer efficient use of space and brighter living areas as well as multifunctional elements. This makes them a very popular choice for modern homeowners. They have blended very well into today’s architectural designs and their popularity will continue to rise as years go by.

05/17/2016 by
Rug Pads

An Insight into the Rug Pads for Your Home Decor

When shopping for a rug pad, most people do not pay much attention to it. However, this is contrary to what a recent study conducted by one Textile Testing Service says.

Superior-Hard-Surface-and-Carpet-Rug-Pad-5-x-8-P10703411In that study, a chair weighing 150 pounds was rolled over different pad and carpet combinations for more than 20,000 times. The study revealed that those carpets that had no pads lost approximately 19.3% in thickness. On the other hand, those with rug pads only lost between 5 and 10% in thickness. It is, therefore, evident that a rug pad can:
• Protect the integrity of your pad.
• Make the cleaning of your carpet easy and efficient because the rug does not only raise the carpet slightly but also removes more dirt.
• It offers a soft walk and feels to your carpet.
• Save you some money in the end.
• Create a comfortable and enjoyable walking experience; it provides thermal insulation.
• Ensure quiet walking on the floor of your home. This is hand for those homes that have more than one level.

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

When it comes to buying a rug pad for your area rug, neither should you throw caution to the winds nor should size and thickness of the rug deceive you. Waffle-type foam and rubber padding type of rug pads should be avoided as much as possible. Why? These paddings may spell doom to the lifespan of your area rug. They may cause uneven wear on your area rug because they do not lie flat.
Remember, having a wrong carpet in your house will not only damage the quality of your area rug but also damage your flooring too. That is why you need to take some time thinking about the right rug pad for your needs. Ask yourself the following questions:
– Are there any members of your family of your family using a wheelchair?
– How many people will be walking on the rug?
– Where will the rug be used? Near the door or near your bed?
– Which type of furniture will be placed on the carpet?
An article published in the New York Times revealed that large area rugs need to be protected from wear and tear. For instance, room-size Orientals need padding for the area rugs to stay in top condition. Without the rug pads, furniture may skid over the area rug and destroy it as a result. It is worth noting that hair, thick synthetic foam, rubber, and jute are used to make quality rug pads. The location of your area rug should guide you when shopping for a rug pad. For example, pads that raise the rug too high should not be used near doorways because they will obstruct the door.
Nonskid vinyl and rubber padding are the best options for thin area rugs. Why? The chances are that the area rugs will either slip on the floor or wrinkle but with the rug pads, the possibility of that happening does not exist. Moreover, thin rug pads are handy when there is someone in your house who uses a wheelchair. This is because a thin pad makes the rolling of the wheels easy; wheelchair wheels cannot move on a soft surface.

 

04/11/2016 by
Baby's room

Benefits of rug pads

When you purchase new rugs floor your home, one of the things that you should never forget to buy is are rug pads. A rug pad is usually placed beneath the floor and of course it is very unlikely that anyone will see it. However, you should invest in one because there are several benefits that come with it. Below are some benefits of rug pads;

1) Increases your rug’s lifespan

Using a rug pad helps a lot in lengthening the lifespan of your rug. This is because, it helps in reducing wear & tear on your rug. It does not only protect the rug but also the floor and therefore investing in one is really worth it

2) Breathing space

Rug-Pads-for-Hardwood-Floors3

Rug pads also help in creating a breathing space for air to pass through the rug. This ensures that there is good aeration between the rug and the floor. Additionally, it also aerates the room and therefore you can be sure to breath in fresh air. Note that, without a rug pad, bacteria and mold can easily build up beneath the rug due to the temperature and moisture in the living room.

3) Comfort

Rug pads are also great in creating some comfort on your floor and making your living room more appealing .Every time you walk or stand on a rug with a rug pad beneath it you will definitely feel the softness in it. In fact with a rag pad beneath the rug, you can even sit on it and do some yoga

4) sound reduction

Rug pads have also been proven to help in sound reduction & deadening. When you have many people in your home, there will be a lot of noise generated around the area but with a rug pad such noise is minimized.

5) Prevent slips & falls

You may have noticed that if your rug is not held by something like a large furniture or even a coffee table, one can easily slipper and even fall down. With a rug pad beneath it, the slippery aspect of your rug is completely eliminated therefore when walking on it you do not have to worry about slips or falls.

6) Prevent floor stains

imagesThe dyes and tints in a rug can easily wear off the floor. Dirt and stains can also go through the rug and when you walk on it, you can even grind such dirt into the floor. The floor may even end up losing its original color because of this. A rug pad acts as a barrier between the rug and the floor and therefore it prevents any dirt or stains from reaching the floor.

Conclusion

When purchasing a rug pad, do not opt for the cheaper ones. Some of the good ones are the waffle pad and the dual type rug pad which are made using natural rubber on one side and felt on the side. Rug pads that are made with latex backings or synthetic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) can cause discoloration and damage on your floor. Do not go for the cheap waffle pads and if you are looking for a thin, non-slippery pad go for a waffle pad made of natural rubber.

03/22/2016 by