Use Focal Points to Boost Your Kitchen Design

 

If your kitchen design needs a boost, think focal points. Here's how to work with a contractor to zero in on two or three key areas to accent.

A few places that make people stop and say, "Wow!" are the highlight of any good kitchen design.
If your kitchen needs a little wow factor, here's how to go about adding it. Start by taking a cold, hard look around. Pretend you are seeing it for the first time. Are there a few areas that stick out that need a good remodeling or designer's touch?
Kitchen Contractors
It helps to have a few remodeling contractors take a look. Ask the contractors for ideas on quick fixes and longer term projects. You need to weigh what makes sense for your kitchen design and financial situation.
Remodeling Focal Points
The kitchen cabinets are a great, first place to start, as they are the focus of most kitchen designs. If you're working with older cabinets that lack the style and convenience of today's cabinets, it's worth asking the contractors about newer products. There are many different wood species, such as cherry and maple, and unique stains and glazes to consider.
Another key focal point is the countertop and sink area. A granite countertop and stainless steel sink can boost any kitchen design. This is a fairly quick remodeling project and one that can be done with new cabinets or as its own project.
The backsplash area above the countertop can also be a great focal point. If your wall is painted, consider adding an upscale stone tile with a unique pattern. This is one remodeling boost that adds great visual appeal and can make cleanup easier.
There are many ways to use focal points to boost your kitchen design. Narrow down your options, choose two or three places, and have some fun.
This article is taken from- http://www.designingonline.com/home_decorating_articles/use-focal-points-to-boost-your-kitchen-design.html

Color Diary: A New Place For Pink Decor

Pink decor moves out of the nursery and into the rest of the house.
If there is any one color to be associated with femininity and girlishness, pink is it. We all know that today in western culture there is a commonly held belief that pink is for girls -- hello Barbie, fairy princesses and ballet! -- and blue is for boys. Interestingly enough, pink was actually associated with boys from the 1920s to the 1940s.
According to a Ladies' Home Journal article from the 1920s, "The generally accepted rule is pink for the boy and blue for the girl. The reason is that pink being a decided and stronger color is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl." Wow. Times definitely have changed! In the 1940s, these gender specific color assignments inverted and took on the familiar role they play today.

Today, the color has taken on a more versatile role, especially in decor. Sure, many expectant parents still get excited about painting a baby girl's room pink, but the color has moved into other areas of the home.
"Pink can definitely be versatile and work in many types of decor," says Serena Dugan of Serena & Lily. "The more subdued pinks can act as neutrals and blend with many environments. A nice, neutral pink can even work beautifully in a living room."
But not just any pink. As far as Dugan is concerned, "The key is finding a shade that looks like it came from nature, not from a factory. One of the most beautiful pinks around is the inside of a conch shell."
Traditionally, pink has been paired with softer beiges and whites to maintain a pretty, feminine look. But it is possible to make the color more edgy and gender neutral, although it might be hard to break through the strong girly associations. "As a result of our youth, the color pink has been conditionally hardened into our brains with feminine associations," says Shayna Kulik, trend forecaster and editor of Pattern Pulp. "Whenever we try to make it edgy, or try to sell it to a male consumer, the feeling is immediately rebellious, as it goes mostly against the grain of the traditional American upbringing."
A perfect example of this is a painting of 24 gridded squares Kulik did to fill dead space above her TV. "Three shades of pink made it into the compilation. Interestingly, my boyfriend is not a fan of three pink squares -- he immediately asked me to repaint them!" Well, we can't win 'em all.

But there are several colors that when added to pink make a cooler, edgier palette. "Finding a less common pink is a way to edge it up," says Dugan. "The standard carnation pink will never be edgy, but a deep vibrant coral paired with khaki is less predictable but really appealing." For a more sophisticated pink palette, Dugan also loves pairing pink with neutrals like camel brown or French grey. One of Kulik's picks include combining strong and soft shades of pink with gold, as seen in the collage above. Personally, I love soft, powdery pinks paired with pops of bright, shocking red.
As far as we're concerned here at ShelterPop, pink can work anywhere in the house. I was recently inspired to paint my bedroom a pale, pale pink, and love the flattering glow it gives off. Much better than harsh white! Pink can act as a soft neutral, or take on a feisty, bold role in the form of a bright accessory. Check out all of the great pink options for your home below.
This article is taken from- http://www.shelterpop.com/2010/11/12/pink-decor/

Tips to Get Beautiful Curtains

Tired of the old curtain? Make some changes now! It must be done to enhance the view of your windows. It is important to have a nice view to keep stress away. You can drink a cup of tea near your windows and watching the people activities outside. If you live in the place with great view, you must have a lot of nice scenery to be exposed on your window so the people who come to your house will be interested to see the scenery through your window.

One way to enhance the view is by installing curtains in your windows. The curtains will surely make them look more beautiful. It can enhance the outside view and the interior design of your house. Whenever you have time you can start to make a plan about the best material for your windows.
There are many kinds of curtain fabrics. Modern, Victorian, minimalist, classic, and many other designs can be used to enhance the view of your windows. Before buying the curtains, make sure that you have the plan already. Correctly chosen model will add certain atmosphere into your room. It can add the beauty, excitement, relaxation, privacy, and many other atmospheres into your room.
If you are a beginner and you do not know how to make a window curtain design, you can read some magazine of interior design. You will be able to choose whether the best suited curtain is the velvet, transparent, lace, silk, plain, or printed curtains. You can choose different color schemes for different windows. It is great to have customized curtain that can bring the new aura into your house.
Window curtain must reflect the aura of the room. If you want to install curtain in the children room, you should install colorful curtain. You can give dramatic-looking curtain to your dining room and romantic-looking curtain to your bedroom. Everything is depended on the aura of the room.
The color of curtain must blend with the wall or the house appliances colors. It is used to bring the harmony of the room. You should not install a curtain in shocking color to a dark-colored room. Therefore you should bring the similar color and not the opposite color.
This article is taken from- http://ezinearticles.com/?Tips-to-Get-Beautiful-Curtains&id=5321587

How to Buy Leather Furniture for your Home

The dining room seems to be where all the entertaining happens. Whether it is for the immediate family, holiday dinners or intimate romantic dinners, the dining room is a special room.  When decorating your dining room, we often forget about the flooring and the area rug that goes under the table. Believe it or not, the perfect area rug can make your room feel casual or formal, just by changing the rug.  Here are tips for choosing the right one for your home.

• What is your family lifestyle: The beauty of authentic leather is that it’s a natural material that will get better with age. It will develop a ‘patina’ or a rich color and luster over years. If you have pets, kids, and a busy household, leather furniture can take normal wear and tear. Although, pet claws and certain markers and pens will ruin leather.  For families that aren’t as busy, faux leather furniture is a good option for cost, and wear and tear may not be as big of a concern.
• Choose a style: Leather furniture comes in a variety of styles to match your décor. Slim lined, minimalistic leather furniture fits a modern décor while large pillowed sectionals lend themselves to more traditional home décor.  Leather furniture will last for years into the future, so choose a style that will reflect your home’s decorative touch and tone.

• Understand leather qualities: Leather has natural imperfections, such as discoloration, veins and uneven surface pattern. When buying leather furniture keep this in mind that it is not a defect and rather a quality of the leather. When buying pieces of furniture try to buy them all at one time. If you order at different times they can have drastic color variations and won’t look good when paired together.
• Know how to care for leather: Leather needs to have moisture and care on a routine basis. If leather isn’t cared for correctly it can lead to cracking, peeling and lead to a breakdown of the leather. When buying leather furniture, moisturizer usually is given with it along with care and clean instructions are also given. Before purchasing, decide if you will be able to keep up with the care. 
• Buy furniture from a reputable source: When purchasing leather furniture, ensure your source is a reputable furniture manufacturer. Often times the source can use a combination of vinyl and leather. Since vinyl is a man-made product it will most likely age faster than the leather causing your furniture to lose its appeal over time.  When you buy leather there should be paperwork or authenticity care for instructions along with the furniture.When purchasing leather furniture ensure that you are on board for the reality of caring for it. Leather is a gorgeous material and when used in furniture, can bring your home years of comfort and beauty. Consider purchasing leather sofas that have zipper leather covers. This will ensure that you can replace the cushion at a later time, and not the whole sofa! Ask your furniture store if they have leather guidelines and instructions before you buy to help make your decision an informed one.
  Freshome reader’s what do you think of leather furniture?  If you own it yourself, what factors should others consider before buying? We’d love to hear your comments!
  
  
  
  This article is taken from- http://freshome.com/2010/11/08/how-to-buy-leather-furniture-for-your-home/

How to Choose the Perfect Area Rug for your Dining Room

The dining room seems to be where all the entertaining happens. Whether it is for the immediate family, holiday dinners or intimate romantic dinners, the dining room is a special room.  When decorating your dining room, we often forget about the flooring and the area rug that goes under the table. Believe it or not, the perfect area rug can make your room feel casual or formal, just by changing the rug.  Here are tips for choosing the right one for your home.
Assess the size of your dining room: Your dining room size will dictate how large of an area rug you should use. Large dining rooms may need to utilize two or more area rugs based on multiple seating areas and tables.  For smaller dining rooms consider using one that is larger than your dining room table, but smaller than the perimeter of the room. For those that have hardwood flooring, a border of the contrasting resilient flooring makes a nice contrast.
What’s the shape of your dining room: While most would think a rectangular carpet should go in a rectangular room, there are often exceptions. Area rugs can take their cues from the space as well as the shape of the table that covers it. It is often a play on form and color when choosing the area rug. Decide what feels and looks right to you. Your dining room is your design preference and trends and design can be followed or broken!
Choose a pattern or not: In some dining rooms the area rug serves as a floor covering that feels good underfoot and is meant for function and not décor. While other dining rooms keep a simple table and chairs, and then have the area rug take command of the room.  If you choose the more bold approach, choose a few colors from the carpet and bring them into the wall color and fabrics of the room. This will unite the room and keep it from looking too busy for the eye.
Defining a space: If you have an open area dining room that shares a space with a living room or kitchen area, an area rug will help you define the dining room without using walls. Choose a rug that uses colors from adjoining spaces but still defines the space. Therefore a mixture of neutrals from the surrounding rooms with a punch of an accent color to match the dining room chairs would be perfect.
Family lifestyle will help you decide: If you have a formal and casual dining space, you may be able to keep a formal area rug in the space where dropped food from kids will not be a problem. While if you live in a household that only has one dedicated dining room, choose area rugs with low pile and that can disguise stains.  A thick pile, white area rug may not suit your lifestyle with pets, kids, and heavy traffic!
Enhance your dining room with the addition of an area rug. From simple to bold, the colors and shape you choose are up to you and your home’s decorative style. If possible, buy your area rug when you buy your dining room table. This will help you when the color matching and decision time comes. If you buy separate, try to keep the dining room set and carpet neutral so it is not hard to match your hot pink dining room set!
Freshome readers tell us how you chose your area rug for your dining room. Do you have bold or simple?
This article is taken from- http://freshome.com/2010/11/08/how-to-choose-the-perfect-area-rug-for-your-dining-room/