home decorate

You can have a classy home on a modest budget. A beautifully modern home, tastefully done, is possible. Even on a prudent budget. Start your home makeover with simplicity. A crowded, cluttered up room full of decorations and furnishings and furniture looks tacky in comparison to a simple, almost spartan home.
The trick is to go minimalist.

The time for lavish spending on white elephants is over. Now is the time to learn from the Shakers and go simple. Form and function. Everything should have a reason to be in a room. Everything in the room should go with the decor and the color scheme. Pare down your furniture and furnishings to the bare minimum. Keep only the best items which go with your color scheme and with the style of your home.

Floor Tiling

When thinking of a good spruce up to your New York home, one of the home improvement projects to consider is flooring. It is said that the floor, together with the walls, are great contributors to the ambiance of any room. So when having your floors re-made or when constructing a new home, it is crucial to be able to distinguish which flooring type is best for your home. And to be able to know which is better when talking about two of the most popular types, tile floor and laminate floor, this article lays out the qualities of each according to various categories.
Style

Both laminate floor and tile floor boasts of an extremely extensive variety of texture and look. With any of the option, the designs that you could come up with is literally limited to one’s imagination. In the past, laminate was just a replicate of popular wood flooring; but technology has enabled it to realistically copy the look of natural stone and even tile. Tiles that are made to look like marble and other more expensive stone flooring types can fool even experts on first glance. There are also certain types of tile that has been engineered to closely resemble wood.
Installation

Because it has been manufactured in smaller sections with a design integrated with an interlock system, laminate floor is much easier to install through a method known as floating installation. On the contrary, many experts agree that one of the hardest to install flooring is ceramic tile floor which, together with other types of tile is continually coming in much larger sizes.

Bathroom Floor Tiles

If you're currently thinking about updating or redecorating your bathroom there are tons of bathroom tile designs that you can look at that will compliment your bathroom well. Some people go for a total overhaul in their bathroom to give it a new look. You don't always need to go that far though. Sometimes just laying new tile and adding some new or fresh bathroom accessories can make your bathroom look totally new feel to it.
The days of "hospital white" tiles in all bathrooms are far behind us. Today, you have many bathroom tile design ideas in a wide variety of colors and textures to create many different effects - regardless of the size or shape of your bathroom. You will need to take extra time to decide on the exact ambience you want in your new bathroom in order to narrow your choices down to the point of perfection.
You can either tile the entire bathroom, or just a partial area. The tile and design that you choose will ultimately change the entire look of your bathroom. When making your selection, take into consideration the cost of installation and maintenance. You want to have bathroom tile that is pleasant to the eye, long-lasting, and is safe for you and your family to walk on. Some stores sell wall tile as discounted floor tile. You won't know the difference until you step on it and take a hard fall on the floor.

Bathroom tiles come in ceramic, natural stone, porcelain, and terracotta. Prices will vary based on the design, type and manufacturer, so do your homework before making a selection. You will want to make your selection based on your budget and desire. You will want to ensure that all of the tiles have come from the same batch, avoiding a difference in sizes, texture or quality of the tiles you're buying.

Ceramic Tile Floor

While carpets, vinyl and laminates are fine, for a beautiful looking floor you should consider installing a ceramic tile floor. Learning how to install ceramic floor tile can be a fun project, especially for people who love the do it yourself jobs at home. The history of ceramic goes back over thousands of years and it is a very old craft that humans have been doing for a centuries.
Installing a ceramic tile floor does not take a very long time and if you ask a professional ceramic layer, they can tell you that the process of preparing an area is very important, which is why it is the longest part of the project. Make a plan and cut the pieces before you begin the task of installing ceramic tile floor. It can be frustrating at times but after you learn how to install ceramic floor tile, the job will be much easier and the finished results will look spectacular.
The first thing that you should do before installing ceramic tile floor is to remove every item and furniture that you possibly can. You want the room cleared completely so that you can have access to the entire floor. If you are tiling the kitchen floor, all of the standing appliances will need to go and this includes the stove, refrigerator, dishwasher and oven. For a bathroom you will need to take out the wall molding, toilets and sinks. You want the tile to fit every where in one seamless motion.
If your floor already has vinyl on it, you will need to have it cut up and tossed away. The adhesive of the vinyl will also need to be removed and you can scrape it or give it a good sanding to make the floor level and even. A great substrate to use for a tile laying project is sheetrock but when tiling a kitchen or bathroom, you should consider using backer boards because it will last longer in moist areas.

The center of any room is the best spot for a spectacular layout, so you should begin to measure and create your floor plan. Try not to have cuts that are too thin around the rooms' border. Be aware that you need to leave room and spaces for the grout when it is added later on.

Kitchen Floor Tiles

Floor tiles are a sort of flooring that are fixed to the floor of a building to form a cover. The word flooring can describe any sort of cover that has been fixed to a floor. Flooring is also the verb that describes the act of applying this covering. People may distinguish between 'floor covering' and general 'flooring'. When this occurs the latter refers to a fixed covering, whereas the former refers to a loose covering.
Lots of materials are used as flooring, including vinyl, carpet, rugs, wood, ceramic tiles, terrazzo, linoleum, stone, clay, or some sort of chemical coating. The price and the room's environment can affect the choice of flooring material. Moisture, comfort, endurance, and the effort it takes to clean should all be considered. For example, a room which is prone to condensation should not have wood flooring.
Carpet is a sort of covering that is basically a woven sheet of fibers, either natural or synthetic. A carpet that is said to have been 'fitted' it is permanently fixed to a floor with glue or more often nails. An underlay is usually installed beneath the carpet to protect against wear and tear.
Rugs are similar to carpets, as both are a sort of soft covering. A Rug is normally smaller than a carpet and is usually laid over an area that has already been floored. A Rug may be fixed to a floor or simply placed and allowed to move freely.
Wood flooring comes in two different categories; planks and parquets. Many different sorts of wood are used, though builders tend to use hardwoods because of their durability. Bamboo is also used, though this is not a real wood. It is more versatile and can come on a multitude of colours, textures and patterns. Laminate is even more durable than hardwood; and so is often used in place of wood flooring. Laminate floors are made of MDF that is coated in plastic and slotted together to form a surface.

Ceramic tiles are thin pieces of clay that has been fired and sometimes coated in a glaze. These pieces are fixed to the floor with a mortar and sealed by grouting the edges. Tiles come in many varieties including quarry tiles, terracotta tiles, and porcelain tiles.

Marble Floor Tiles

Marble tile flooring can be a good alternative to hardwood flooring and it can also be inexpensive too. You can purchase it in a number of locations in a variety of different patterns and sizes.
Sometimes it is a good idea to replace the flooring that you currently have. Over the years your floor goes through quite an ordeal. This can leave it looking dull, chipped and damaged and it can be hard to repair. So replacing it is often the best idea and it doesn’t have to be as expensive as you think either.
Why Marble Floor Tiles Are Worth Considering
If you are thinking of replacing your flooring then marble floor tiles could be an option worth considering. They are stylish, easy to clean and they come in a variety of designs. For example, the tiles can either be rough or smooth and they often have a pattern on them which can include hand painted designs. Obviously the more complex the pattern, the more expensive the tiles will be, and the pattern which you choose will depend upon the room that you are placing them in.
For example, if you are placing the marble floor tiles in the kitchen you will want a pattern such as leaves or perhaps plain tiles are more your style. In the living room a nice swirl pattern on the tiles could go well. Take you time to know what effect you are after and look around at the options available to you before you make a decision.

You can purchase marble floor tiles from a number of different locations including local hardware department stores and on the internet. You should ideally measure the area where the tiles are going as they are usually sold in square feet and if you do not know what area you need to cover, you will not be able to purchase any.

Interior Design Gallery

If you want to further educate you and need to learn how to be creative as well as learn the techniques required to become a good interior decorator, then you need to enroll in colleges to earn at least a bachelors degree. There is much that you can learn including planning, equipping, and designing as well as furnishing both residential as well as commercial interiors, and a qualified interior decorator should have no difficulty in enjoying a good career after having studied in college.
Learn Computer Aided Designing
Students who go to colleges will also get a chance to learn how computer applications can be used in drafting as well as for using graphics in their interior designs and there are other subjects taught as well including acoustics, interior lighting, coordinating colors, integration of systems and also learning about furniture as well as furnishing.

It covers a whole range of subjects that in addition to those just mentioned above also include textiles, textile furnishing as also learning about a number of different period styles. Another topic that you will learn at different colleges is structural design as also building codes while inspection regulations are also a part of the curriculum, and you will also learn the ways in which inspection regulations can be used in commercial as well as residential interior designing.

Interior Design Services

Some people just do not have it in them to do their own interior decoration and may also be at a loss to understand what it is that goes into good interior design which means that they are thus forced into looking for people or firms that provide interior design services, which hopefully will give them what they are looking for with regard to decorating their homes. However, even though this may prove to be an effective solution, there is still no guarantee that everything will turn out just the way that you wanted it, and so before you look for companies or individuals who provide interior design services, makes sure to have done due diligence in selecting the best designer.
Look At The Qualifications

Times were when it was hard to put one’s finger on what to look for in an interior designer, though today the picture is much simpler and you can always tell by looking at the qualifications of various interior designers whether they will be able to provide the right kind of interior design services or not. Besides the qualifications of interior designers, you may also need to get references of previous customers so that you can properly assess their level of skill and estimate the kind of interior design services they will likely provide to you.

Home Ideas

The 21st century is now in its eight year and with that eighth year; more and more opportunities are opening up for parents who want to work at home. It used to be that parents that worked from home had to do boring typing jobs that weren’t really fun, but simple means of extra income. Now as the lifestyles of the world changes, there are more work from home ideas that people have come up with. And as a whole, they are all fun and exciting ideas. If you are among the many parents who want to work at home and need good ideas to do so, take into consideration some of these ideas and see if they fit the type of person you are.
Scrapbooking Business

This scrapbooking idea is great for those moms whose hobby is scrapbooking. The desire and the talent are already in place. Now is the time to profit from this hobby. One way to make money with this work from home idea is by offering custom made scrapbooks. Make up a few scrapbooks you wish to showcase and hold a party and show off your skills as a scrapbooking artist. Offer your services to those in attendance and exchange contact information with anyone who may be having an anniversary, getting married, or having a baby. The possibilities are endless for a home business like this.

House Decor

The American country house plan is a fairly modern term used to express a variety of different elemental structural or design themes which give rise to the feel of years gone by. The charm of a country home can be as simple as a summer cottage or as formal and elegant as a multi-story, columned estate.
A smaller American country house plan can feature a stucco exterior with stone and shingles to create the cozy warmth of a cottage. Add a series of hip roofs, a central fireplace and brick facade to lend an English elegance to the home. A glass or screened in sun room would be an impressive addition.
For the larger American country house plan, some inclusions to be considered are a walkout basement foundation, open living spaces with the main entry giving way directly into the great room, or a secluded master suite with a terrace and a spa. Matchstick details and horizontal siding give a more sophisticated country flavor and don't forget to add a fireplace to the great room.

You can also add a country flavor to a ranch house with just a few well placed details such as dormer windows, a tray ceiling, central fireplace and enclosed sun room. The feel of a country manor estate can be captured with a drive court leading to private parking in a multi-car garage and separate guest house. Internal elements such as angled walls and sculptured ceilings can also add to the impression of an affluent country barron's home.

Home Decor Bathroom

A bathroom whether it is an independent unit or attached to a bedroom will always have tiles running around all wall surfaces. I some cases the tiles are fixed up to 4 feet height and then the wall are painted with a waterproof painting to prevent the seepage of water into the brick walls.
If you bathroom is small, you can use this to your advantage. Normally the small or big size of any space is perceived because of the border walls of any room. Using unique flooring and wall decor ideas you can easily remove the perception of borders and the room looks bigger.
You can do this by creating a flooring pattern in the bathroom using tiles and then continue this pattern on the walls as wall decor theme. You can do this up to 4 feet height as well. This will break out the dimensions of the bathroom and it will appear bigger.
Thus bathroom wall decor plays a major role in how the bathroom look when finished this because unlike every other room in your home, a bathroom has a limited number of furniture and decorating accessories available.

However if you follow a design theme while creating the plans and other drawings, it becomes very cost effective. First of all in most cases such as apartment bathrooms the height of the bathroom is smaller than the rest of the room. This is done because the dimensions of the bathroom are smaller too.

Home Modern Design

Recent trends have indicated that the world is actually turning green, referring to the environmental revolution that has invaded features of the most ubiquitous products we use on a daily basis. Nowadays, it is not uncommon for manufacturers to produce eco-friendly versions of their standard line of products in the hopes of capturing the growing number of environmentally conscious buyers. What used to be the traditional domain of activists has now invaded the modern home.
Given the surge of popularity these eco-friendly products have come to enjoy for the past few years, it is not surprising for the interior design industry to catch on and produce designs that suit the specific preferences of its discerning buyers. If you are just beginning to catch on to this trend and would want to go "green" by decorating your home through similar products, then read ahead! This article introduces three categories of eco-friendly design pieces: furniture, flooring, and wall accents such as wood wall art.

Furniture:
For a piece of furniture to be considered green, it has to be recycled, repurposed, or made of any type of material which is considered sustainable. With rising costs, more and more people have mastered the art of repurposing their old furniture pieces and transforming these into new ones with brand new functions. For example, an old stool topped with a sheet of thick glass can be converted into a side table. An old dining room hutch can be given a new coat of paint and transformed into a book shelf. Old nesting benches, dinner tables, cabinets--the possibilities are endless!! Repurposing allows you to recycle your old stuff and save money in the process.

Home Decor Curtain

The introduction of the beauty and elegance of the tropics in the home decor range has been proved to be a boon to the home decor market. Its style, elegance of this range has made it the jewel in the crown of home decor. It can be rightly said that this trend has changed the world of home decor for ever.
The latest trend that’s gaining popularity in the market is the tropical home décor. The number of fans of this trend has grown tremendously within a short period of time. The ever increasing demand has made the manufacturers double their production. If you’ve been to the tropics you will exactly know as to why this style is being preferred for home décor rather than any other popular trends. This trend is a perfect blend of beautiful colors and fabulous designs to create a masterpiece of home décor, the combination of color and design creates a pleasant and cozy ambiance in your home as well as the heart of those who dwell in it.

The tropical home décor is offered to the customer in such a vide range that most of the some find it difficult to make a choice. But some customers are known to be choosy by nature but even these choosy customers can be sure to find something that suits their liking and at the same time are satisfied by the price at which these ranges are available. Fancy and trendy home décor has always been known to be the stuff for the higher class people, who are ready to spend huge amount to latest and the best for their homes. But with the introduction of the Tropical home décor range this notion has changed as these are much within the reach of the common man.

Home Decor Colors

The modern kitchen is as much a gathering place for friends and family as it is a place to prepare food. As such, you'll want to set the proper mood in the kitchen for your gatherings. One of the important ways to do this is through color. Whether you want your kitchen to feel bright and airy, or small, cozy, and intimate, the proper choice of color will go a long way towards setting the proper mood.
Different colors have different effects on different people. Red will affect you differently than green will. By the same token, blue may have a different effect on you than it does your neighbor. When you choose your color scheme for your kitchen, you need to make the decisions on what colors to use. It's your kitchen, and you'll be spending the most time in it, so you need to decide what colors match your wants for your kitchen. These are only guidelines in choosing colors, the final decision will be yours.
Think of whether you want a cozy, intimate kitchen, or an more open feel. The right color choices can help. Darker tones will visually shrink a room, making it feel smaller and more intimate. Whites, light yellow, and other light colors can help to visually open up the space, and make a small room feel larger, and more open.

Earth tones are good choices for kitchen decor. Tans and browns can help to ground your kitchen, and create a sense of ease, and closeness. Earth tones are generally neutral colors, and will match well with several other colors as accent colors in the cabinets, trim, and kitchen decor.

Home Wall Design

Home wall decor is one of he many major elements in home interiors that decide the kind of mood, the space will finally create when it gets finished. The reason for this is quite obvious. Wall occupies a major visual field in the interiors of any building.
Wall decor can be carried out in every imaginable way, you can think of. However some of the most common ways to decorating a wall are.
1) Plastering and painting the wall
2) Applying a wallpaper on the wall
3) Cladding the wall with tiles
4) Keeping the wall exposed (exposed brick walls)
5) Keeping the wall without plastering
6) Creating a mural on the wall

Which type you want to go for, largely depends upon what end effect you want to create. It must be noted that every wall decor finish will have a major impact on the interior design theme of your home.
But how to really choose the best finish for wall decor?

To solve this problem you can think from different perspectives. Wall surfaces are vertical surfaces and help in two ways. The first and the most obvious function of a wall is to act as a divider between two rooms and create privacy.

Home Ceiling Design

You may be planning how you want to design a room in your home. You have considered paint colors, furniture placement and window and floor coverings. Have you thought about your lighting? It can be an important decision to make. Ceiling lights can add so much to your room and the statement it makes. Here are a few things to take into consideration when choosing your lighting scheme as well as what some of your options are.
The first consideration is how much of a commitment you want to make to your lighting. Are you interested in replacing an existing fixture, or are you willing to add fixtures? This narrows down what your choices are. Many homes do not have ceiling lights in some rooms so you may find that you will need to wire in new fixtures anyway. It is fairly straightforward to replace an existing fixture but adding new wiring is often something that you should let the professionals handle. Of course, this can add to your costs, so it is something to take into consideration.

The room that the lighting will be used in is also an important consideration. Special lighting may be required in a room like a bathroom which has high humidity. Another place that may need specific lighting is a kitchen. If you are lighting a room where certain areas will be used for routine tasks, you should make sure your lighting system illuminates these well.

Home Decor Bedroom

Designing the space in your home can be some of the most rewarding work that you can undertake. Your decor can reflect your spirit and style, and done correctly, it can speak to your very soul.
The most intimate space, and perhaps the most important, is the bedroom. Unfortunately, it is most often overlooked as it is not regularly seen by visitors to your home. Too often the rooms meant for entertaining guests take precedence over those nurturing private havens.
Choosing the theme of the bedroom decor can vary as much as personal style and depend upon the desired effect; calming or stimulating, meditative or invigorating, an intellectual retreat or a sensual hideaway. It is entirely up to you.
Beyond choosing the wall colors and furniture, you have important considerations to make concerning the textiles: rugs, pillows, and bedding. The sumptuousness of these will directly affect the comfort of the room. The luxuriousness of sleeping on fine linens can not be overstated. The bedding is one area that you do not want to skimp on when you are furnishing your own nurturing space.

To properly outfit your bed, you will need a substantial mattress, a mattress pad, sheets, a blanket, a duvet or comforter, and pillows. The pillows' firmness is entirely a matter of personal preference, but be sure they are of adequate number. The sheets, blankets, and duvet all provide an opportunity to contribute to the overall decor of the room, as well as to your physical comfort.

Home Decor Furnishing

Decorating your home can be a daunting task, but it is one that will reward you many times over. Determining your personal style allows you to create a theme that you can carry from room to room, giving the house a cohesiveness, even if your style is eclectic.
Your furniture is the backbone of the home. It is important to choose wisely and then formulate your design plan around your choices. After you have laid that foundation in place, you can begin to look at complementary fabrics and colors - eventually visiting paint, window coverings, floor coverings, lighting, and accents in turn.
Discover your style and go from there. Your taste may range from traditional to country to casual to contemporary to modern, or anywhere in between. You can choose from materials such as woods, metals, glass, even plastics. You may like intricate designs or strong, simple lines, such as in the Mission style. You may want your pieces to be heavy and substantial, perhaps dramatic, or the sharp, linear design of Minimalism may appeal to you.

When you are considering your preference for what appeals to you, take into account too how you envision your home's primary function. Is it to be a comfortable haven for your family? Do you plan to entertain elegantly? Do you want a serene, cool, calming environment? Do you prefer an eclectic, cozy, warm nook? Is it to be an open, airy affair or more somber? Casual? Luxurious? Formal? Rustic?

Home Decor Styles

There is a wide array of home decorations styles to choose from that it is sometimes difficult to determine which one suits us best. To help us decide which theme or style to go for, here are some information about our different options on home themes and styles:
1. Traditional
The traditional or classic look is said to be timeless, one that never gets outdated. This is a style preferred by many people because of its warm, inviting and welcoming environment that is made even more beautiful by the choice of classic colors such as warm wood tones and neutral shades, and classic prints such as floral patterns and symmetric designs.
The traditional theme is ideal for those who want to be on the safe side when decorating their homes and not for adventurous souls who want to experiment with bold colors or explore exciting new designs.
2. Contemporary

Modern times call for modern home décor, so they say. Contemporary décor are those that are edgy and more adventurous. The color palette of this theme typically includes black, gray, silver, red and white. We do not see any floral patterns here but more basic geometric shapes.
Metal is the common material for modern pieces of furniture. Examples are metal wall plaque, metal wall sculptures, and contemporary wall hangings. The principle of this type of theme resides on form, artistic expression and minimalism.

Home Decor Interior

If you have had a home for a while, it becomes dull after a while. This can be fixed with a little paint and elbow grease. This interior decorating guide contains tips and tricks that can tap the potential of any room and bring it to life. You will find painting styles and colors, and decorating techniques.
The first thought should be the scale of work, if the remodeling project involves more than cosmetic fixture replacements or surface interior decorating, it may be time to call in an plumber to assess you in your plumbing and pipe replacement. Homeowner should weigh the pros and cons of taking on an entire bathroom project alone. Admitting your strengths and weaknesses is the key to successfully completing any project on time and under budget.

Your bathrooms represent the greatest and fastest return on your remodeling investment. More than 80 percent of your bathroom remodeling expenses can be recouped within a year of resale. Not every room in the house offers such a return. Amazingly, kitchens are sixth on the list with just over 60 percent of the costs returned. Only bathroom additions beat bathroom remodeling with returns over 90 percent.

Home Decor Living

Whether your living room is a 21 foot length with a large picture window at one end or you live in a tiny apartment and the living room is bijou to say the least, there are living room décor ideas to suit you and your budget. You can go for cozy chic and warm up your living space or go for open-plan with vaulted ceilings and an expanse of herringbone hardwood floor. At the end of your project you will have ended up with a space that you can live in comfortably, decorated according to the space you have available. Are you aiming for a peaceful retreat, full of serenity and harmony or a more user-friendly, basic living space where you feel comfortable slipping your shoes off and putting your feet up.
If I was choosing a color scheme for my living room I would go to the cooler colors on my color wheel chart - the blues and greens which can be used in different shades to achieve a 'joined-up' look of cool elegance. I always make sure that, when I paint my ceiling, I use a light shade of the room's main color on my ceiling so, if my color scheme was blue, I would use the lightest eggshell blue I could find for my ceiling and then a slightly deeper shade of blue for my walls. If you have mouldings you could paint those completely white, or go for a darker shade of blue to both the walls and the ceiling. I would use matt paint on my walls and a paint with some kind of sheen on the mouldings.

For windows, to add height, place the curtain pole as high as possible near to the ceiling. This will give your curtains plenty of drop to achieve an elegant drape. Modern décor arrangements always suggest that the fabric should be allowed to pool on the floor - never in my house. To me, artistic though it evidently is, this 'pooling' idea for the fabric is just a dust collector and, if you have dogs like I do, is just asking them to make a bed out of the fabric! Why did I mention this? Find out what the trends are, but that does not mean you have to follow the trends slavishly. Adapt styles to suit you and your lifestyle.