Western Home Decorating: April 2011

bathroom designs

decoration designs

Country kitchen furniture ideas to help you create your personal traditional or cottage country home!

You’ve seen the photos...cute little country kitchen with red checked, ruffled gingham curtains at the windows, rooster collections on every windowsill, oak kitchen table and chairs with matching hutch in the corner, braided rugs on the floor...all we’re missing is the fully clothed faux goose. Oh, there he is...on the porch.

No intention to offend, but the cutesy days of country are pretty much over and done with. If you love it and that is your lifestyle, kudos to you! For most country home decorating lovers, though, interpretation of the style has moved up a few notches into the 21st century.

Traditional and Cottage Country kitchen furniture will always exhibit at least some of these timeless characteristics:

Casual...A true country kitchen will always have the ‘come on in and sit awhile’ flavor to it

Distressed...Here’s one of the great aspects of cottage and country style furniture - it loves everyone’s budget.

Painted...Your table might be light oak, chairs painted a distressed pewter with deep red seat cushions, a buffet that echoes the chairs, mirror above it in light oak...you select the color scheme

Mix and Match...Not only can colors be combined, but remember that you don’t have to use all wood pieces in the kitchen.

Variety of Shapes...Your country kitchen furniture does not have to consist of a rectangular farm table and straight back dining chairs

Want to know more? Read all the details about Country Kitchen Furniture

Til next time,
Candi

Wall Decorating Ideas

Answering the question, “How do I decorate my walls” sends some people into a panic. After selecting the furnishings and accessories for a room or space, wall decorations can complete the look in a spectacular way or relegate the space to ho-hum ordinary and predictable.

No need to stress out over wall decor...just follow this process and the ideas presented here...you’ll be fine!

There are three main considerations for determining the right wall decor for your home:

The first step is to make sure that your walls themselves are in order, meaning, do they need some color?... decorative trim such as crown molding?... practical trim such as shoe molding? ...a really good cleaning? Take a good long look and make sure your walls are ready for those decorations.

Next, have a good sense of your decorating style for this space, as that will influence your wall decorating ideas and selections.

For example, if contemporary home decor speaks to you, then you will definitely utilize the ‘less is more’ strategy for your wall decor. You might select one dramatic piece of art (doesn’t have to be an expensive original to be great) for the focal point wall in the room.

The third important consideration with wall decorating ideas is the room function itself. This may seem obvious, but sometimes we get caught up in how much we adore a particular picture, for example, and forget about the space it is going into.

If your wall decorating ideas are for the kitchen, for example, make sure they are appropriate for the space. Having said that, I am all for being creative and utilizing artwork and wall accessories in ways that are unexpected, so I am not advocating the typical picture collections of fruits or spices, for example.

Just make sure that your selection is compatible with the room function, fits the color palette for the space as well as the decorating style you have chosen.

Read more specific ideas and tips for Wall Decorating

Patio Decorating

Your patio, deck, back porch or lanai can be a useful and enjoyable area of your 'extended' home. And, why not? Whether you live in a climate that allows for limited use or year round function, the patio is an area that you really don't want to go to waste, particularly if you live a climate that remains warm enough for year round use.

So how do you go about addressing the patio decorating project? There are some questions that you need to answer that will help you define and refine how to proceed.

First, what is the size of your patio? Is your area open, covered or enclosed? what types of activities do you want to be able to do on the patio? And, what is your budget for decorating the patio?

Knowing your budget in advance is also an indication of where to shop. Higher end patio furniture store, budget minded department store or a source such as a flea market or craigslist.com...put a plan together!

Okay, you have the planning part of the patio decorating project under your belt, so now it's time to think about the actual decor. The patio is really an extension of your home...what is your decorating style?

For example, if your home is Casual Country, continue that theme with your patio decor. Bench seating, table/chairs, deck chairs, etc...whatever you are searching for, make sure that the style will suit the interior of your home.

Read all the details plus more great ideas for Patio Decorating!

Decorating With White

How do you go about decorating with white? Technically, white isn't a 'color'. It is the absence of a unique spectral reflection.
But, use it as a method of decorating and design in a room and you feel the 'presence' of the light.

Whites and off whites can be used almost exclusively in a room, and, when splashes of color are applied sparingly, the whites take on a focus and personality of their own.

Gone are the distractions of multi colors and patterns, so each muted piece, texture, shape and shade of white can be fully seen and appreciated. Should you add some color to a room that is has been decorated with white? That is up to you, but consider introducing a subtle touch of color.

Your selected color(s) could be found in a table arrangement, a picture frame, as a pattern in an area rug, collectibles on display, flecks of color found in a carpet, artwork on the walls, a lamp base or shade, to name a few.

What colors look great with white? When decorating with white you can add just about any color and it will look good against the neutral backdrop of the room.

Mix white with lavender and gray and you’ll get instant glamor. White and black, instant drama. White and yellow, instant chic. White and blue, instant freshness.

Read more about Decorating With White

Have a great day!
Til next time,
Candi

My Design Closet

If you are looking for a simple window treatment that can reflect any type of decorating style, here is one for you.

There are three components... a roman shade (or other type of shade), side fabric panels and a decorative rod.

Select the style of shade that will work in your space, type of room and your established decorating style. Use the same selection process for the fabric panels. For example, cottage style might be a light cotton print; traditional could be a small stripe; contemporary might be a bold solid fabric. Finally, find the rod that speaks of your style and also appeals to you.

You could select a shade and fabric that are very similar, as pictured, or show a little bit more contrast with color and fabric choice.

Note: Make sure that the sizes and lengths are appropriate for your space.

The components can be purchased at a deep discount department store up to custom measured and ordered, and anything in between. That is the beauty of this simple window treatment...it works for anyone's budget.

Read more about Simple Window Treatments

Til next time,

Candi