Diy Home Decorating: December 2014

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Hottest Home Decorating Trends

Whether you're looking for home decorating ideas to give your house a trendy makeover or if you're doing up your house for the first time, mirrors should be an integral part of your decor. Not only are they versatile with any number of finishes but when combined with different kinds of stylish frames, they can lend artistic appeal to just about any room. And let's not forget the open, spacious impression that mirrors can add even to the most compact of rooms. The hottest home decorating designs of 2014 easily incorporate mirrors and here's how--

Combination of Metals

While in the past, decorators preferred to work with only one metal finish in every room, the trend is now leaning more towards a combination of metals. You will often see rooms that have a decor of both gold and silver that are blended seamlessly for a flawless finish. So, if you're looking for the perfect mirror to go with this combination, look for a mirror frame that has both gold and silver in it. Depending on the usage of each metal in your room, you could go for say, a predominant silver look with just a hint of gold that looks oh so elegant.

Antique Furniture

Using a single piece of antique furniture like a chest, grandfather clock or a dresser adds depth to your room. And many designers like to create a rustic or antique nook in a contemporary setting that has a very stylish appeal. You can pair a beautiful piece of furniture you have with a framed mirror that matches the wood finish of the desk or chest you have. Simply pick a home decor mirror frame from the traditional or ornate collection available today.

Color of Brass

The warm, earthy tones of brass is another base around which the newest home decor ideas are woven. And designers are using period furniture from the 18th century, also called Campaign furniture, that has brass edgings and trimmings. They may also use a piece of furniture that is entirely crafted out of aged brass that has a more muted finish and look as compared to the brightness of gold. Again, you can use mirrors with an antique finish or with frames that complement the furniture you have in your room.

Elements form the East

Another hot new DIY home decor idea is to add a decorative touch from ancient China or the Middle East to an all-out western room. While the obvious choice would be to pick up a piece of pottery or a painting or perhaps, some wall tapestry, why not try something different. Put up a mirror with an oriental frame with pagodas or use a mirror as a background with a Middle Eastern inspired grid to cover it.

Hottest Home Decorating Trends

Using wood and different types of fabrics in your home decor is the typical way to do up your home. But if you would like to try something different, try rattan furniture. Rattan with its woven look adds a touch of coziness and warmth to your home. Buy dining chairs in rattan or perhaps, foot stools and when you add a touch of lacquer polish to the piece, the end result is an eye-catching piece of furniture that is a sure conversation starter. Offset your rattan weaves with a framed mirror in a rustic finish.

With all these hot home decorating ideas for small homes and large out there, you can choose those which you can blend with your existing decor. If you are starting with a fresh canvas, just pick the idea that appeals the most to you. And if you need assistance with the mirrors you need for your decor, look around your local store or check online stores that deliver the custom mirrors you need. Most have designs that will match every trend possible.

Home Decorating - Quick Tips

Many people who'd like to re-decorate their home hesitate to get started only because they do not know or cannot really figure out where they should start. This article is a must-read for all DIY home-decorating hobbyists who want to put it all together in a fashionable way without compromising on functionality aspects of a home.

In this article, we've brought two effective home decorating methods, which are suggested by interior decorating specialists as basics of any proper makeover plan for the modern homeowner. So, read these through carefully before applying these tips to a potential home decoration project and you can rest easy about avoiding expensive mistakes.

Even a DIY home decorating project can be a smash hit with the right mix of decor accents and practical approach while professionals unaided by homeowner's personality demands for a home may be at a loss for conceptualizing a personal space.

So, get clear-cut interior design plans ready before you get started on your home design project and don't forget - a clear vision helps you stay true to your concepts and hastens the completion of the project.

Experts suggest DIY home decorating hobbyists should begin to "Describe scope and goals" first; if you want to start decorating without delay however, experts advice writing down on paper all the goals for immediate and future home design concepts in order to implement these best. This is a process known as goal and scope setting. It will present a wonderful clarity and help you decide your best choices from available ideas. You can then apply these to your home interior makeover plans for instant success that is penned down.

Home Decorating - Quick Tips

Sum up your plan and write them down so you have all your ideas in one place. Note the usual styles others use and pick those ideas that you want to combine for this project. Make note of all accessories you want to invest in for achieving your final look. Keep a few days for scouting the market for matching floor rugs, table-runners and throws for sofa sets as well as window dressing ideas that complement these and the walls. Take fabric swatches from the local stores and bring these home to imagine the look against the real dimensions of your room. This will give you a clearer picture of what to expect when you buy the real stuff.

A brilliant idea when decorating your home is to buy a couple of area rugs. They are affordable and present multiple uses as throws, floor seating or even yoga mats.

After you'd scouted the market, read over your plans to check whether these truly match your scope of work and budget. Set yourself a straightforward target line, such as, 'to give the guestroom a complete makeover' or 'make family room more friendly and accessible' so you can go deeper into changes you can make here with design approaches and furniture settings.

Do-It-Yourself Home Decor - Reupholstering Your Furniture

While some home decor projects require the use of professionals, there are others that you can do yourself, helping you save money while getting the job done right. You do not necessarily need experience to undertake any DIY home decor project. As you need to do is spend some time on researching the techniques that go into that specific project as well as the materials you will need to complete the task. DIY home decor is truly a labor of love.

Reupholstering your furniture is one of these home decor projects you can do for yourself, to your exact specifications. You will need to start with plenty of fabric and a sewing machine and most importantly, the dedication to see the job all the way through.

Starting with the pieces of furniture you wish to reupholster, you want to start with an idea of the home decor style you are going for. Do you wish to create an earthy look to the home or are you looking for a more contemporary look that offers new-age flair? There are several colors and patterns of fabric you can choose from, the choice based on the overall style of the home or the specific room. If you are not sure of what will look best, you can always get sample swatches of fabric to bring home and compare to the decor within the room or the current theme of the room. This can prevent a large purchase of worthless fabric.

The actual fabric you choose to reupholster your furniture should complement your living space, adding to the current home decor while providing a refined and fresh look. You don't want to get something that will look gaudy or something that is going to clash with the rest of your home. If you spend some time ensuring that all the criteria are met, you can then be certain to achieve the style you are aiming for.

Do-It-Yourself Home Decor - Reupholstering Your Furniture

There are several different things you must take into account when reupholstering your furniture. Besides the home decor style you are seeking out, you also want to consider the durability of the fabric you choose, as well as the life of the style or pattern. You don't want something that is going to look tacky in a year or two; you want to choose something that will remain timeless, adding style and flair to the home throughout time. You also want to consider the ability of the upholstery to stay clean and fresh. If that piece of furniture happens to be a popular one, especially amongst the kids, it is best to choose darker colored fabric or printed fabric.

While it is certainly cheaper to re-upholster your furniture rather than replace it, taking into consideration the use of the furniture and the style of the home will make it all look coordinated and well worth the effort. Don't forget to spend some time mastering the technique of reupholstering so that you achieve the perfect fit. You don't want to go through all the trouble of buying the fabric and sewing it only to find in the end that it is too tight or too loose.

Alternative and DIY Home Decoration

When you're young and living in an apartment or a dorm, chances are, you can't do much to make that space feel like your own. Especially if you want to do really interesting, alternative things, and even more so if you don't have a ton of money. Does this mean you're bound to live with bare white walls and ugly furniture? Absolutely not! Here are some alternative/ punk/ emo home design tips for the DIY-inclined.

Color and ambience:

Most apartments and dorm rooms come with standard-issue white walls. Boring! Want to add some color, without much hassle? Christmas lights. Truly, there is no easier way to change the color, look, and feel of a room than by using these lights. They're simple to hang: you can just tack them up around the border of your room's ceiling. Put all red lights up, and your room will appear to have a red hue to it. You can even put up more than one color, and choose which set to plug in. Blue today, green tomorrow. It's simple and affordable. To further add to the effect, you can switch the bulbs in some of your lamps to colored "party bulbs."

Since a lot of emo kids like to have ambient lighting, this is a perfect choice. Even plain white Christmas lights can change the look of a room, without providing too much light.

Floors:

Do you have boring floors? Ugly tiles or nasty carpet? No problem. Buying an area rug can be expensive as anything... but many stores sell large, but affordable bath mats that you can use as smaller area rugs. It may sound strange, but there are plenty of stylish, large bathmats out there to choose from, including ones made of fake fur. Bonus: they're meant to be slip-proof, and tend to be easier to clean if they get wet than an area rug.

Further, a DIY/punk type could easily buy and cut what is known as remnant carpet to either carpet smaller rooms or to make their own area rugs. The whole idea is to be creative!

Alternative and DIY Home Decoration

Did you inherit an old futon that isn't the nicest ever? Futon covers are expensive, but you can find bed sheets that fit the futon for significantly less money. At "mall punk" stores, the average emo or punk kid could find all kinds of neat things, like Nightmare Before Christmas sheets... and even in the kids' sections of regular stores, there are plenty of interesting and cute things. Halloween is a great time to seek out things like spider webs and pumpkins; Valentine's day is great for hearts. Be creative! Throw blankets - usually cheap and made of fleece, are an affordable option to finish out your fun, personalized futon. Oh, and pillows! Don't forget the pillows! You can usually find them for affordable prices [along with pillowcases of your choice] at major discount stores.

Your kitchen:

Craft store, craft store, craft store! I can't stress this enough! You can find all kinds of things cheap and ready to customize, at almost any craft store. Storage tins, jars, and containers can be customized to hold anything from spoons and spatulas to food items or napkins. These stores, as well as major discount stores, also usually have affordable towels - though the holidays are a great time to stock up on ones you like. Craft foam can be used to make kitchen [or dining room] place mats - and you can customize them however you want, to boot!

Furniture

While you're at the craft store, you may notice some unpainted, boring wooden furniture. Or maybe you'll hit a thrift store and find some hideous looking, but functional, furniture. Your easy solution? Paint. Just buy some paint and sealant [that part is important; it will protect the paint] and make furniture that suits your needs and personality. Want a purple dresser? There's nothing stopping you! You can paint your DIY furniture with a brush, or en try different techniques, like stencils or sponges, to get different effects or multiple hues.