Posts Tagged ‘DIY’

Interior Design tips: Inspiring a Hospitable Entryway

Monday, November 16th, 2009

Entryways don’t require all the decorative details that other rooms of the home demand. It doesn’t take much effort to transform dismal into a stunning entranceway.

Step 1
Starting with the basics, remove everything in your entryway, including pictures, plants and wall ornaments. Clean the ceiling, walls and floor.

Step 2
Next, now that the room is empty, allow the imagination to run wild. Consider the type of mood you hope to evoke when visitors enter.

Step 3
Consider your wall alternatives. To make your entryway appear expansive, select light colors, offering iridescence. Light greens, pale blues, beiges, and canary yellows are a few hues, which inspire a sense of cheeriness.

Floors can make or break any entryway.  Between tile, wood finishes, and bamboo, there are several floorings to consider.

Step 4

Select the best accents. A mirror, pedestal, magnificent vase, distressed cabinet coat rack, pendant lighting, cabinet, bench and or plants are the usual entryway objects of attraction. While it’s acceptable to intermingle eclectic accessories, country and modern furnishings, be sure to pool decorative accents that maintain the entryway’s design continuity.

Step 5
Keep the transition from the entryway to the rest of the home as seamless as possible. In other words, an ultra modern entryway does not bode well with the elegantly designed great room.

Optional Entryway Home Design Tip:

For the walls or floor of your entranceway, consider mosaic tiles of various colored hues. The visual appeal presents an element of texture and depth. Using a favorite theme (nature, abstract or whatever), make this the focal point on either the wall or the floor background. This design tip alleviates the need to use other decorative embellishments.

Related home design tips articles:

Tactics Keeping the Laundry room and Mudroom Green

Home Office Design Tips and Considerations

More design tips

Foyer and Entryway Decorating Tips and Ideas

Decorate Your Entry or Foyer

Home Design Tips and Techniques with Curtains

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

Making décor updates around the home does not necessitate hiring a contractor, adding a new room or shopping for a cool floor plan. Curtains introduce an element of drama, punctuating an interior’s features. Best Home Floor Plans went searching online for inexpensive home design tips with curtains.

On our first stop, we checked into the House Floor Plans and More. It was here, that we learned about the fundamentals of designing with curtains. Below are a few highlights of the information we gleaned from our interior design research:

Luminosity and privacy
Curtains, blinds and other window treatments should be sheer enough to ensure privacy without compromising luminosity.

Aesthetics and style
As style is a subjective issue, for obvious reasons the best home designing tip with curtains should be in congruence with the rest of the room’s décor. Organic materials, simplicity, luxury, grandiosity and eco-friendly characteristics topped the list of style alternatives.

Function
Regardless of aesthetics, it’s important to consider who uses the room and how. For instance, a home office with western sun exposure might require darker curtains or window treatments to prevent a computer glare.

At the oh, so popular HGTV, we found two easy DIYs. One of the home design tips instructed how to make the most from the remainder of curtain material. The technique is so easy that a 10-year old could pull off this design technique.

We found another home design tip to be even simpler. The concept substitutes regular drapery hardware for the hobbyist’s tools. For example, in a golf enthusiasts bedroom or den — rather then hang curtains, using a standard rod, the end-user would use a golf club in its place or whatever instrument that concurs with the room’s theme.

In the next installment of home design tips, we’ll be reviewing how to select a design theme for the bedroom. Until then, have a splendid time designing with curtains!

Related Articles

Replacing Curtain Rods Make for a Quick Decor Fix

Making Curtains Without Sewing

Curtains Make a Difference!

Do-it-Yourself Home Improvement 101: Resources

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

Do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvement projects need not evolve into a horrific nightmare. This week, we’ve compiled a few DIY home design considerations and we reviewed three popular do-it-yourself home improvement Web sites. With the right resources and exacting how-to guidance, you can be sure that your next renovation is one that you can gloat about.

DIY Considerations
Before you start perusing the millions of sites with do-it-yourself home improvement ideas, and are too carried away, there are several practicalities to consider:

•    What needs repair right away?
•    Realistically, how much labor can you handle?
•    How much money is available for the do-it-yourself home improvement budget?
•    Can the family live through the construction chaos?
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