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home decor your way
Posted January 31, 2012
Seasonal makeover: Update the look of your home seasonally with new pillow covers and accessories. Most pillow covers have zipper closures, so you can make a quick change on your existing pillows for a fresh look. Bring in seasonal colors and moods into your home.
In winter you may want to bring heavy fabrics you want to just snuggle with. Furs, suedes, and chenilles are great for those cold months where you just want to curl up with a book and a cup of hot chocolate. For the warmer months bring in bright sunny colors and light fabrics. For fall, tone it down and bring in neutral colors and jewel colors as well as hints of golds and reds to match the colors of the leaves.
Accent Pillows - The Accessory that Makes a House a Home
Need a change but don’t want to break the bank? Want to express your personal style but aren’t a candidate for a whole home makeover? Just by adding or changing your pillow, you can add a little pizzazz and warmth to your room and bring in caviar taste with a tuna budget. Want to test out new colors or bring in some texture? Accent pillows are great for testing out new ideas and for keeping your room new and exciting.
Here are a few ideas:
Use pillows as art: Use hand painted, one-of-a-kind pillows to add original art to your home, or try a pillow that features the work of one of your favorite artists. They are so easy to decorate with, and don't leave holes in your walls.
Seasonal makeover: Update the look of your home seasonally with new pillow covers and accessories. Most pillow covers have zipper closures, so you can make a quick change on your existing pillows for a fresh look. Bring in seasonal colors and moods into your home.
In winter you may want to bring heavy fabrics you want to just snuggle with. Furs, suedes, and chenilles are great for those cold months where you just want to curl up with a book and a cup of hot chocolate. For the warmer months bring in bright sunny colors and light fabrics. For fall, tone it down and bring in neutral colors and jewel colors as well as hints of golds and reds to match the colors of the leaves.
Mix fabrics like a pro:
Professional designers combine different fabrics, shapes and sizes for a layered look. Mix florals, stripes, textures and solid colored pillows and build a collection of different fabrics to add color and personality to your home. Unify an open plan décor with fabrics that reflect and tie together the colors in the rooms.
Be a little unconventional: Versatile rectangular shape, sometimes referred to as "lumbar pillows" are not your common everyday accent pillows but are gaining popularity in some circles. They can be used in so many ways, to add back support or color to an armchair, or situated against each arm of your sofa. Layer them on a window seat or daybed. Add one in front of pillow shams to give your beds a decorative touch.
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home decor your way
Posted November 17, 2010
Top Three Decorating Tips to Survive Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season
If you're anything like me, you may be somewhat ambivalent about the holidays. It's great to have some time to catch up and reconnect with friends and family over meals but anyone who hosts Thanksgiving knows it is a boat load of work and can be quite stressful (even if you have the luxury of catering the whole affair).
If you're entertaining at home preparation is the name of the game. With friends and their kids or even with someone who had one drink too many, bank on someone spilling something on the furniture. It's just par for the course (especially when you have any children under the age of eight in the room -- although the over-enthusiastic men over 35 tend to be the worst offenders).
So here are a few suggestions on how to get through entertaining through Thanksgiving without a panic attack, an ulcer or worse yet having to buy new furniture.
1. Slipcover Your Way Through the Holidays
Defy Convention and slipcover your way through Thanksgiving and the holidays. You heard correctly. Today's slipcovers are not the ones your grandmother used to have. Those days are long gone. Think of slipcovers as fashion for your furniture and slipcover your way through the holidays where possible -- particularly in your dining room. Not only will it look like you've redecorated but if anyone spills anything on your dining chair covers, just throw them in the washing machine on a cold water setting with some laundry detergent and you'll be good to go again in almost no time.
Once your dining room is covered (excuse the pun) consider slipcovers for your living or family room. Better to be one step ahead of the guys who are going to destroy your home while watching college football. We recommend the stretch pique slipcovers to provide fitted, more tailored look. So to all the rambunctious football loving guests -- beware, we're ready for you. We've got it covered, the sofa and armchairs that is.
A few additional decorating suggestions on slipcovers:
- Microsuede is popular, durable and tends to be quite stain resistant. If you like the feel of faux suede and you're looking for some texture you really can't go wrong. Lighter neutrals such as bone have a relaxed, yet elegant feel. If you're looking for more drama and some "pop" go with a hazelnut or better yet a rust color.
- Personally, I'm more for the ribbed cotton fabric, at least for my dining area. I like things simple and very clean and this fabric works well in both casual and contemporary settins.
- Other people we know tend to like the damask patterns for fall. The colors and leaf pattern do convey a more rustic country look and also work well with formal traditional settings. We're finding that damask is gaining in popularity this year.
2. Pick Up Some Storage Ottomans
Once the party moves out of the dining area, a pair of storage ottomans are quite versatile and can do double duty as a coffee table, side tables, or even foot stools in a pinch. They're great for storing those little odds and ends -- an extra throw or blanket or for storing toys the kids can play with while the adults do their thing. And with anti-slam hinges there's less of a need to worry about an unexpected trips to the emergency room.
If you're looking for something simple that can work with either classic or contemporary decor, the brown faux leather ottoman in espresso is a good choice. Or if you're up for walking a little on the wild side, the zebra faux leather storage ottoman, the leopard faux storage ottoman, or if you're really daring the giraffe print storage ottoman can do the trick.
Or if you're looking for something that not only provides storage but can also provide extra seating you can't go wrong with the dark chocolate faux leather, stylish yet incredibly functional Nylo Storage Cube Table Set. Each stool can be nested under the table or pulled out for seating. And each one provides extra storage. And if you slide everything together you have a large square cocktail table that you can place in front of your sofa. What's not to love?
Editor's Favorite: Nylo Storage Cube Table Set in Dark Chocolate
3. Make Sure Your Bathroom is in Tip Top Shape -- Have Some Decorative Towels on Hand
When entertaining for the holidays, particularly if you have a guest bathroom, having some stylish decorative towels on hand (because you know your guests are going to check out your powder room) should definitely be on your to do list.
Your general decor (both style and color) and overall personality should dictate what type of towels would work best for your bathroom. Is your bathroom contemporary, beachy or nautical, country or classic? While the team at Home Decor Express has their favorites we tend to agree that Braided Cuff Towels in Ivory has a touch of elegance that still would work well with almost any decor.
Editor's Favorite: Braided Cuff Towels in Ivory
If you're entertaining for the holidays, with a few simple decorating tips in mind you can go from drab to fab and get through the stress of the holidays without a major glitch.
Best wishes for a happy, healthy and stylish Thanksgiving from Home Decor Express.
home decor your way
Posted October 3, 2010
Real Flame-Gel Fuel Fireplace-Envision-Black
Sunjel-Oakland Fireplace- Black Finish
And if I am in the mood for the version of an urban campout I can cook tofu dogs, veggie burgers, hotdogs or smores over the flame and not worry about toxic fumes.
Gel Fuel Fireplace, Take Me Away
A great majority of the time I work out of my home and the boundaries between my work and home life have become blurred. They say your home (or a least your bedroom) should be a retreat and while I’ve done my best to make it so, after a certain period of time it just doesn’t always feel that way (at least not for me – my friends love coming to my apartment to hang out and unwind) and I have an incredible urge to do something different and calm them down a bit even though my bank book says otherwise.
Psychologists say that watching a fire sets the human mind at rest. Fire has the power to draw the observer into it and out of ordinary space and time. Meditation and candles are nice but are no longer doing the trick for me.
So what’s one to do when space is limited and logistics need to be simple? As a New York City resident, my abode doesn’t have a chimney but there are ventless gel indoor fireplaces that alternatives even for people like me who are renting or living in a condo.
Here’s what I’m thinking – a contemporary clean gel fuel fireplace I can mount to the wall or have freestanding. Gel fuel fireplaces are generally realistic, a little smaller and have more models with contemporary styling than electric fireplaces. Just the thing to go with my pop art collection. Gel fuel is isopropyl based that is thickly blended with an organic chemicals to provide the essential warmth every homeowner's or apartment dweller’s need. Furthermore, the burning experience created from this magnificent gel fuel is further enhanced by the addition of sea salt in order to produce a sparkling light alongside with a seemingly original crackling sound as if originating from a real wood pro.
Psychologists say that watching a fire sets the human mind at rest. Fire has the power to draw the observer into it and out of ordinary space and time. Meditation and candles are nice but are no longer doing the trick for me.
So what’s one to do when space is limited and logistics need to be simple? As a New York City resident, my abode doesn’t have a chimney but there are ventless gel indoor fireplaces that alternatives even for people like me who are renting or living in a condo.
Here’s what I’m thinking – a contemporary clean gel fuel fireplace I can mount to the wall or have freestanding. Gel fuel fireplaces are generally realistic, a little smaller and have more models with contemporary styling than electric fireplaces. Just the thing to go with my pop art collection. Gel fuel is isopropyl based that is thickly blended with an organic chemicals to provide the essential warmth every homeowner's or apartment dweller’s need. Furthermore, the burning experience created from this magnificent gel fuel is further enhanced by the addition of sea salt in order to produce a sparkling light alongside with a seemingly original crackling sound as if originating from a real wood pro.
The beauty of it all is that I get to sit back and enjoy a cozy ambiance. And if I get a little bored with the décor and need a change of pace, I can just move it to another room. Just the thing for a mildly neurotic, environmentally conscious (or at least I would like to be) woman who needs to r-e-l-a-x and slow down.
For those of you who are curious, I have narrowed my choices down to three:
Real Flame-Gel Fuel Fireplace-Envision-Black
Sunjel-Oakland Fireplace- Black Finish
And if I am in the mood for the version of an urban campout I can cook tofu dogs, veggie burgers, hotdogs or smores over the flame and not worry about toxic fumes.
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