Illumination is the basis of all visual beauty. Without light we cannot see the
attractiveness of a decorative interior. That is why changing the lighting
arrangement in a room can have such a dramatic effect. While most major lighting
installations should be installed during the construction of the building, or
afterwards by a trained and certified electrician, there are a few simple
changes that you can make which can have a powerful impact on the space.

Probably the simplest step you can take to change the illuminated nature of the
space is to switch the lampshades that are covering your lamps. Decorative
stores have a variety of shades that you can choose from, allowing you to select
from different sizes and styles. You can also often bring the lamp in with you
to have a shade fitted to its sizing right there.

If you’re feeling courageous, you might want to try coordinating colored shades
or choosing pieces which are made of reflecting or refracting materials such as
metal or glass. An old lamp shade can be dressed up by simply coating it in a
light colored fabric, or even a pattern. In this way you can create colorful
glowing displays throughout your home.

Another relatively simple thing you can do to change up your lighting is to
install a dimmer switch. This gives you a huge amount of control over the
illumination in the space. By making the room brighter you can add energy and
vigor to the area while dimming the lights will make the space feel more cool,
calm, and intimate. You can either install the dimmer in place of a wall switch,
or place a separate one on each lamp in the house. There are both plug in, and
wire cut installed dimmer switches available at your local hardware store.

A related change is to get any of a number of novelty lighting switches. This
can include things like the “clapper” which can give you a sense of command
every time you light the room. You could also get a motion sensor light switch,
attached to some cool ambient lights that will add a touch of color or glow to
the room by day, and a much needed hands free way to light the space at night.

Sometimes simple things can make a dramatic difference. Placing a line of strip
lights, or tiny hockey puck sized fixtures on the tops of shelves lined with
books can give your home the feeling of a museum library. This is a great way to
illuminate a dark room at night, while also creating a sense of sophisticated
intelligence in the space by highlighting your tomes of knowledge.

You can also do something similar with works of art. Whether it is a portrait
from a local artist or an epic masterpiece from one of the greats, art always
looks better when directly lit. Use this to create subtle, subdued points of
illumination and beauty within your home.

As you can see changing your lighting scheme doesn’t necessarily require the
help of an expensive electrician. Sometimes something as simple as a novelty
switch or an interesting shade can help to completely change the look of the
room. The fact that the piece is illuminated will make it inherently stand out;
giving it a sense of presence that will catch peoples’ eyes and captivate their
attentions.

This article is sponsored by the beautiful and elegant onyx lamps that you can find
at PebbleZ. The article itself was written by artist and designer Joey Pebble.

There are three basic types of decorative molding that you can install in your
home. Baseboard runs along the ground, and is designed the fill the gap between
floors and walls. Casing is the moulding that is placed around windows and doors
to give them an elegant finished look. And then you have crown moulding which is
installed at the top of your walls, in order to connect them to the ceiling
while hiding any seams.

You also have other more specialty molding options. Chair railing molding is
placed at about 30 inches above the floor, running horizontal to protect the
walls from chairs bumping back into them. Then there is banister moulding which
acts as the cap on stair railing, spindles, which line the sides of a staircase,
and newel post, which is the central support column to a staircase.

When you choose the type of moulding that you want to install you need to first
look at the style of your home. The more classic and traditional your home is
the more elaborate and ornate you can get. However this looks out of place in
modern or ranch style homes, where a simpler design should be used.

Once you have chosen a style, you should draw up a floor plan of the room to
determine how much wood you are going to need. In some cases longer walls may
force you to join several pieces of moulding together to stretch along its
length. Do your best to buy as much material as you need, then get a few extra
feet to allow you to create seams or fill in gaps.

Allow the wood to rest in the room it will be used in for a few days before you
start working so it can adjust to the temperature. Before you begin, prime,
stain, or paint it, and allow it to dry thoroughly. Then using careful
measurements begin to cut the wood to size, using the proper miter angles to
ensure that joints and seams will fit together properly. Here you need to be
very careful, using the old admonishment “measure twice, cut once” in order to
ensure that every piece is used properly with no waste.

As you work line the molding up against the wall to make sure that everything
fits properly. Small gaps can be taken care of with filler, but try your best to
avoid any large spaces between the wood. Once you have everything lined up
perfectly and sized to your exact specifications, you can begin to nail the
moulding to the wall using very fine finishing nails. Use a small hammer or nail
gun, and then set the head beneath the surface of the material with a
countersink.

At this point caulk can be used to fill gaps and wood filler can be used to
cover up nail holes. Try to use these materials sparingly as they will often
stain a slightly different color than the wood itself.

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coffee tables, which are hand crafted in the United States using real
mosaic stone pieces. The article itself was written by design philosopher Joey
Pebble.

This painting technique can sometimes be a little tricky, so novices will want
to try it out on a spare piece of wood first in order to ensure that you get the
hang of it before you start in on a piece of furniture that is important to you.
Just make certain that the testing wood is the same sort of material as the
final piece you will be working on.

The first step is to score the wood, giving it textural interest, by running any
of a variety of materials over its surface. Nails and screws can be used to
score the wood, hex bolts can chip it, and wire mesh can scratch it. As you
work, try to scratch the surface following the line of the woods grain, so that
the marks you make will flow naturally with the surface of the material.

The first coat you apply should be a clear latex interior wood stain, mixed with
a small squirt of burnt umber universal tint. This will create a very washed
out, subdued color mix, that should be applied evenly to the entire piece. Once
dry, the wood will be fully sealed and ready to take on further coloring.

Next you should combine eight parts black paint with one part water, to create a
thin paint solution. This should be applied very lightly to the surface of the
piece, with the brush being only barely damp as you trail it over the wood.
Allow this coat to dry thoroughly as well.

The next step is to create two different paint mixtures in two separate
containers. One is a mix of equal parts Lafayette green paint and latex glaze.
The other will consist of one part Covington blue paint, one part glaze, and one
part water. These two solutions should be applied to the piece with separate
brushes. Apply them to the wood very lightly, following the grain of the piece
as you go. The less paint you add to the piece here, the less sanding you will
have to do later.

Once all of the coats have dried thoroughly, take some medium grade sand paper
and scuff the piece up in a couple of places. Your best bet is to pay attention
to places that might have seen the most wear and tear if the piece was actually
aged, including corners, hinges, and anywhere that there might be moving parts.

Finally, take some medium grade wire brush and scuff it over the surface of the
piece. This will create a mask of age that will cause the wood surface to glow
slightly with the tiny score marks.

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beverage coasters, crafted from real natural, mountain born sandstone,
which can be found at PebbleZ. The author of this article is stone artist and
designer Joey Pebble.

The first thing that you should do is ensure that the flow into and out of the
kitchen is easy and natural. You don’t want large obstructions blocking any of
the entryways, and in general, the center of the space should be left unoccupied
to allow easy movement throughout the space. This is as important for the
functional ability of the chef, as it is to make the space seem open to people
stepping in and stopping by.

The way you decorate the kitchen will determine the nature of the environment,
and ultimately, the way people interact with the space. Unfortunately, a lot of
room in the kitchen actually has to be sacrificed to ensure that your chef has
everything necessary to perform their culinary tasks.

One place where you can have a fairly free hand to decorate in a kitchen is the
walls. Aside from shelves or racks, which are fairly optional, the walls are
free from cooking duties, and as such are a great place to express your
decorative leanings.

In order to create a more welcoming kitchen, decorate your walls with pictures
and portraits depicting comforting themes. Images of families, of friends, of
parties and picnics, are all great themes to make the space more social. Another
option is to use images of food, or clever posters of foreign cafes and
restaurants. By decorating with culinary themes you can reinforce the thing that
makes the kitchen so tempting in the first place.

Adding a table and chair set to the space is another way to make this room seem
more welcoming to the people in your home. Such an arrangement will give
visitors a destination. Rather than being forced to wander through the kitchen,
stumbling in and out of the chef’s way, people will actually be able to
comfortably congregate, gathering around the table and engaging in social
moments. The surface area will also provide a place for these visitors to
participate, giving them room to help out with mixing, chopping, or stirring,
depending on the inclinations of the culinary captain.

While a kitchen has to be inherently functional, it can also serve a dual
purpose, acting as a space where people can come together and enjoy one
another’s company, while basking in the warm glow of savory smells and sumptuous
tastes. This can be accomplished by arranging the space to increase the flow,
decorating to increase comfort, and actually setting aside specifically for
people to congregate and communicate.

Article provided courtesy of PebbleZ.com’s line of unique, natural stone kitchen tables, hand
crafted in the United States from real pieces of mountain born stone. The
article itself was written by artisan and designer Joey Pebble.

The first element that you should understand is matching. Some colors compliment
one another, contrasting or flowing with the nature of each others hues. However
many simply clash outright. These are tones which are not congruent with one
another on the color wheel. The presence of clashing tones can instantly add an
unbalanced, chaotic feeling to a room, making it impossible to create a sense of
harmony within the space. If you have trouble telling which hues clash with one
another, you can use the rules of the color wheel to guide you on how to
proceed.

It is also important to understand the nature of dark versus light tones. Darker
colors tend to be calmer and subdued, while lighter, brighter tones often evoke
a sense of exuberance within a space. This mirrors ideas of daytime versus
night, with people naturally reacting with more energy to brighter stimuli
within an environment.

However when it comes to the energy level of an environment, no color lives
alone, and elements of contrast and compliment are going to be very important in
determining the eventual nature of the space. Black, the darkest tone possible,
actually evokes a lot of vigor when used in contrasted designs such as white on
black checkerboard patterns.

The subsequent flip side to this is that complimentary patterns and designs are
going to be more subdued and less dramatic. This can be done by using several
layers of similar colors, all cascading upon one another throughout the space,
creating a hazy, gentle décor, which can give a space a tranquil feeling.

One of the biggest ways that colors can take on symbolic value is through an
association with natural elements that everyone is familiar with. For instance,
green tones tend to generally make people think about nature, whether it’s a
softly flowing meadow, or a deep tranquil forest. In these examples, the colors
will inevitably lend a sense of calm and peace to a space. However in the case
of a deeper, more tumultuous green, it may make the room feel cold and
foreboding. On the other hand many lighter, sickly colored greens can give a
frenetic, uncomfortable feel to the environment.

Blue is another good example of this effect. In general these tones tend to make
people think of either a cloudless sky on a sunny day, or the infinite depths of
a gently lapping ocean. Either way, this color is one which can instantly cast a
spell of serenity across a room, bathing it in a cool, relaxing atmosphere.

Creating tranquil spaces using color decorating is a powerful way to affect the
underlying nature of your environments. It is important to understand clashing
and contrasting effects, as well as the nature of each individual color in
relation to the natural world. In this way you can see the underlying meaning of
a room’s artistic style, and use that to make it more energetic, relaxed,
exciting, or subdued.

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natural stone home accessories, all crafted from real, mountain born natural
stone. The article itself was written by design expert Joey Pebble.

Of course, you don’t need to move to France or into a chateau to create your own French kitchen. You can take various aspects of this unique, charming design and bring it into your home. With a little creativity, your kitchen can contain a lot of the beauty and natural design that you would normally find in a home on the banks of the River Loire.

Let’s take a look at what you can do:

- One of the features of the French kitchen is its freestanding wooden furniture, such as a wooden table, a cupboard, a baker’s rack. These can be easily fitted into your kitchen. Wood always looks beautiful, and wooden chopping boards are also extremely practical. You will always find wooden cheese and chopping boards in any French kitchen.

- Stone is an integral part of a French kitchen. In a genuine Mediterranean home, you are bound to find a stone fire place and stone flooring like flagstones on the kitchen floor. You may not be so fortunate in your own home, so you could fit a stone arch or border along the wall to give a more authentic touch to your kitchen.

- Put down beautiful area rugs to blend in with the colors of the kitchen and give it a certain softness. The typical colors for a French kitchen vary from gold, red, and rust, to lavender, green, and blue. For this reason, a floral rug may look good, or you may want a yellow rug in order to blend in. Alternatively, you may want something simpler, such as a plain wool or cotton rug.

- A typical feature of the French kitchen is to store pots and pans by hanging them from nails on the wall, along with china plates. You can do this also. It looks very quaint and cute, but it is also a practical way of storing these items and having them close to hand.

- Keep the walls a pale plaster color, with an uneven, authentic texture. This is often complemented by dark wooden beams.

- For tablecloths, curtains, and other fabrics, choose traditional French designs. For example, you may like a Provencal print, which contains primary colors blended with green, lavender, and bright orange, or you may prefer toile, with a white, cream, or yellow background, contrasted with a stronger color such as dark blue, black, red, or green.

- Bring nature into the kitchen with traditional French pottery and ceramic vases containing fresh geraniums and lavender. Line the kitchen windowsill with French herbs. Hanging baskets with fresh flowers also add to the look.

- This blend of nature, rusticity, and simplicity will make your kitchen look and feel like a very special place, full of atmosphere, like any French chateau kitchen.

What you want to keep in mind is the age of the child. That is important because if you are decorating for a young girl, and you use a Cinderella theme, you have to think how long it will take to outgrow that theme. In a few years she may be interested in Barbie. You may not want to redecorate every few years. That is time and money. So be practical.

Before you invest, look at any major purchases you need to be sure they will be easy to coordinate with pretty much anything as you will most likely keep them for a while. When purchasing furniture, especially for a child, it’s a better investment if you purchase good, quality, sturdy furniture that is durable. A child can really put wear and tear on furniture.

Resist buying items because they look cute. These items often look attractive in the stores and are so appealing, but when you get them home, they don’t match with the decor in the child’s room. Another good rule of thumb when you are decorating is to ask the clerk what the return policy is before you buy it. Make sure you can take it back if it doesn’t quite fit the tone of the child’s room.

In deciding where to start, you have to consider what your child likes. Are they adventurous, do they like dainty items, special characters, symbols and affects? What is it they like? It could be they love certain colors, pillows, and chairs. Some kids love to write, color, and entertain themselves. Once you decide, come up with a theme. This is when the fun starts.

When we think about decorating walls, we automatically think paint. Painting is good, but there are other options for personalizing when you think about decorating kids bedrooms. One choice would be a mural. These are becoming popular, displaying an artistic flair. They are extremely easy to use and are affordable.

Borders and wallpaper is another idea to create a dramatic effect. The best products are those with adhesive that can be lifted off instead of those needed glue. For windows, use colored blinds, and window treatments.

A bed in the bag, with all of the bed coverings comes in a variety of designs, themes and colors. You can find some excellent deals and the fabrics are eye catching and attractive for any bed size. For floors, consider large area rugs that coordinate with your colors for an added appeal. Blend in the accessories to tailor it off, and you’re done.

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Keep in mind who you are decorating for, and what their preferences might be. For example if you are decorating a bedroom for a man, you will probably want to use larger size furniture, dark colors and more wood. For a younger woman, or perhaps a single women, you might want to consider something a bit more romantic. Possibly for this person you’ll want to choose more flowers and light flowing fabrics. If you are decorating a bedroom for a couple, you may want to use a combination of these two examples. Or perhaps, you have a specific theme in mind.

Whether you choose a specific theme or an eclectic bedroom decorating idea, try and keep things as uniform as possible. Now, this does not mean that you may only use one fabric, or pattern. Simply be sure to choose colors and patterns that complement each other nicely. The same is true with fabric weight. Although it’s fine to mix several different fabric textures together, you will want to avoid using an extremely heavy fabric along with something which is quite light.

When planning your bedroom decorating ideas also keep in mind how many items the individual enjoys having around. Some people like to have a lot of knickknacks, frilly pillows and picture frames around. Others prefer an environment with very little, and consider these things to be clutter.

One thing that is quite important when you are planning your bedroom decorating idea is to keep it simple. The less maintenance that is required in your new bedroom, the better. You want this to be a comfortable, inviting environment, which involves as little work and cleaning as is possible. The more comforts and organizational additions that you can add to this bedroom, the less work will be involved in keeping your new bedroom feeling like a true respite, and looking like a true work of art.

Technorati Tags: Bedroom Decorating Ideas