10 Ways to Reinvent Your Space

A transformation for your house?

Article taken off ehow.com

10 Ways to Reinvent Your Space


When your home starts to feel stylistically stale, it's tempting to imagine what you'd do with unlimited funds and an army of contractors. Big fixes go a long way, but don't get caught up in something drastic when a smaller change -- such as adding a rug or installing new flooring -- can bring a static room into a different light. If you're looking to change your space without a complete overhaul, consider some of these smaller tweaks.


Repainting may be the simplest way to turn a room around since it redefines the mood. One strategy is to ditch conventional white and opt for stronger colors -- bold reds or deep browns and grays. Lighter colors can make a room feel bigger, and darker colors bring the walls in. Yellow is one example of a color that can really bring a room to life.


That space at your feet can significantly impact your room as there are some dramatic options with your flooring. If you have old wall-to-wall carpet, rip it up and replace it with new carpet. If there's concrete underneath, you can seal it for a stylish industrial loft look. Wood floors can be refinished or even painted while rugs can hide a host of problems if you don't want to redo the whole floor.


Furniture is one of the main acts in your room reinvention, but don't think you have to drop a fortune on a new set. Take a less-is-more approach by investing in a few key pieces to add some punch. You can also dramatically change a room simply by rethinking your current layout.


Do yourself and the room a favor and consider the importance of lighting.Will you need bright lighting for reading and projects or subdued lighting for a cozy feel? Study the room for the best placement and type of lighting. Track lighting is a great way to illuminate art, and it also lets you change where the light shines. Lamps give off a nice, warm light. Recessed lighting in the ceiling sheds quality light while keeping the lighting fixtures almost hidden.


Get out the pictures you want to hang and lean them against the wall or arrange them on the floor to get a first impression. Consider cutting out paper the size of your pictures and tape them to the wall to see the overall pattern. Try to hang art at eye level unless you're creating a vertical pattern. The best part is you can always switch it out later.


A wall with tasteful trim can present an elegantly defined look. Crown molding gives a textured transition between the ceiling and your wall while contoured chair molding creates a pleasing horizontal definition, especially when painted a different color from the wall.


Keep your personality flowing through the room by putting your favorite collectibles on display. A decorative shelf or series of shelving units can nicely show off your figurines or books or vintage record collection. This functional design element can also break up a span of wall and give you more ways to get organized.


Tie the room together with accessories. There are a number of options depending on your style and can include throw rugs, pillows, candles, dried flowers, decorative birdcages, and any tchotckies that appeal to you.


Give your well-used cushions an inexpensive makeover with stylish new upholstery. Mixing and matching fabrics can help create a new feel in your living room. Add a few pillows to complete the transformation.


Turn a wall into a conversation piece by adding an interesting texture or design. Accent walls come in many forms; stone, wood or fabric are most common. Alternately, try an intriguing wallpaper pattern or apply a drywall texture for a novel effect.

Decorating a Boy's Room With Multiple Colors

Do you want to know how to decorate your boy's bedroom or just give it a better look? Read on to get great ideas! =)

Article taken off robin-gonyo.suite101.com

Decorating a Boy's Room With Multiple Colors

Need ideas on how to decorate your boy's room? This article will give some tips and suggestions on how to decorate your little boy's room with many colors.
Things You'll Need

Bedspread
Sheets
Prints
Picture frames
Spray paint
Throw rug
Window treatments
Camera

Introduction
If your little boy is entering kindergarten and making statements about what he wishes to wear and eat, it's likely that he has outgrown his nursery's original Noah's Ark theme. Chances are, he has some ideas of his own about how he wants to decorate his room, but, unless you do not mind a SpongeBob SquarePants theme, a compromise needs to be made. While a themed room may seem charming, many times it can be very difficult to find pieces that fit a theme exactly. Instead, consider selecting two to three of your son's favorite colors and decorating around them.

Step 1
Determine which colors will be reflected in your son's room. Consider the effects of different colors when making your decision; for example, while a navy blue room may sound cool in theory, the dark color can make the room seem smaller than it already is. Additionally, consider the color's tone. Using the pure form of the color creates a bright appearance while combining the color with a complementary color will tone down the shade.

Step 2
Paint the room's walls in the primary color of your color scheme.

Step 3
Purchase a bedspread that contains the complimentary color(s) of the wall's color. Since the bed is the main furniture of the room, the bedspread will serve as a focal point and should be reflective of the theme. The bedspread does not need to be a solid color. Patterns bring in more coloring you can branch off with. Purchase sheets and pillowcases in tones that complement the bedspread's main color.

Step 4
Paint the dresser, desk or any chairs in the room. Use the wall color's complimentary color to create a bold effect. Use this color to paint a border around the room as well.

Step 5
Hang colorful art reflective of the boy's personality on the room's walls. If possible, bring him along when you make your selections. Look for prints that bring out the wall's color with a few brighter colors to highlight the print. Choose one or two larger prints and a few smaller prints.

Step 6
Purchase decorative picture frames and spray paint them to match the room's color theme.

Step 7
Position a colorful throw rug on the floor.

Step 8
Hang window treatments at the windows that match either the bedspread, the prints or bring in a third color found in the rug.

Tips
If the child does not find art he likes, give him a camera and have him takes pictures of things he loves. Blow these pictures up and hang them as prints.

Colors located across from one other on the color wheel are complementary colors; pair them together to create bold and interesting color combinations.

Tips for Using a Brown Leather Sofa to Inspire Home Decor

Earthy Decor... Elegant Decor... Modern Decor with brown leather sofa!

Article taken off suite101.com

Tips for Using a Brown Leather Sofa to Inspire Home Decor

Decorating with a Brown Leather Sofa
Decorating around a brown leather sofa makes choosing the decor for almost any living room extremely easy. Brown is a versatile color that fits in well with most decorating schemes. A brown leather couch can meld with an earth toned theme, feel elegant against browns and maroons, or add a touch of modernity to your home. Learn about decorating around a brown leather sofa with these exciting home decorating tips.

Earthy Decor
Warm decor in earthy colors make for a relaxing and comfortable color scheme in any living room. Earth tones also make decorating around a brown leather sofa easy. Choose colors in earthy browns, dark reds, warm oranges, muted golds, and even dark greens. Paint the walls of your living room a medium dark brown or install wood paneling for an even earthier feel. Stain or paint floor, ceiling, window, and door wood trim in a lighter brown to natural wood color. For painted walls, add an earthy feel to the room with hardwood flooring. For walls with wood paneling, select an area rug or carpet in red, beige, or green. Add other earth tones to the room with curtains, blankets, pillows, and other accessories. Your brown leather sofa will meld beautiful with the earthy theme throughout the rest of the room.

Elegant Decor
Decorating around a brown leather sofa is a perfect excuse for more elegant decor. Choose colors in dark browns, maroons, and golds for a classic but elegant feel. Paint the walls of your living room dark maroon with dark brown trim, or paint both the walls and the trim dark brown. Hardwood floors look especially elegant against a brown leather sofa. If possible, remove any existing carpeting and install hardwood flooring stained in a golden brown color. Choose a patterned area rug with brown, maroon, and gold colors in the design. Use dark red or maroon for window curtains and valances. Select additional upholstered furniture like chairs in maroons and golds. Your brown leather couch will feel elegant against the new decor of your living room.

Modern Decor
For a more modern look, decorating around a brown leather sofa is as easy as incorporating light, neutral colors throughout the rest of your living room. Paint the walls of your living room a grayish olive green. Use white or off-white for the trim and ceiling. Install a medium dark hardwood or carpet on the floor. Select fabric in a solid or minimally patterned chestnut brown for the window curtains. For other furniture in the room like side tables, coffee tables, and entertainment centers, go with natural wood furniture in medium to dark browns. Add splashes of other neutral shades of whites, grays, and browns with pillows, blankets, vases, lighting, and other accessories. Your brown leather couch will feel very modern in a room with light, neutral colors. Finding color schemes for a living room for decorating a brown leather sofa is easy for almost any home. Being inspired by a brown leather sofa can be earthy, elegant, or modern with these simple but fun decorating ideas.

Integrating High Tech TVs in Home Design

Can you visualize of having this high tech systems in your living room... Isn't this awesome?

Article taken off homeinteriorszone.com

Integrating High Tech TVs in Home Design

You might have never made the connection between home entertainment and gas prices. Consider this: the gas prices are constantly rising, and so the staycations are gaining more and more popularity. In case you spend your vacation at home you won’t have to worry about the prices of gas, lodging, and food.

You could get high quality entertainment all year round, so why to go on vacation to see one place if you can see the entire world right from your living room?



One of the most important things that people take into consideration when choosing their home theatre system is the price. If you go the right way, you can find some amazing systems without burning a hole in your pocket. The basic home theatre system comprises a DVD player, a video display device and digital surround sound.

Try to go for such theatre systems that can fit into your living room environment without being noticed until it is time to switch on and enjoy.

In case you have the money and also the place for it, you could have a room that is dedicated to the home cinema experience. The place of the room may vary between a basement that hasn’t been used before, and a new addition to your home.

There are some more fortunate people who can afford to have a dedicated room to use as their personal cinema, but since not everybody can do this, you should be thinking about how to incorporate all the hi-tech equipment in your living room.

The best solution is to keep everything casual. You don’t have to show off all the things that you have, because chances are that you are going to ruin the harmony of the living room.

The size of the room that you are using as home cinema doesn’t really matter, but it should have a rectangular shape to be able to place the best theatre seating and to create the best digital surround sound field. To have good viewing angle for all the viewers, the video display should be placed in the center of the short wall. In case the room is small and square, you should place the projector diagonally in a corner. This way the viewers could be more comfortably seated.

In case you would like to get more advice on how to create your own personal cinema, look up iLife Home Automation. You can be sure that you will get numerous useful tips on how to do things, and you will have the possibility to learn a lot about this exiting matter.

Is Your House Ready for Guests?

Whoo Hoo... Holidays is around the corner! Are you heading to any places for holiday?
If you're not traveling, perhaps you can gather your friends or relatives to your house for a good gathering...

Article taken off goodhousekeeping.com

Is Your House Ready for Guests?



Does the sound of the doorbell fill you with dread? Holidays are coming up! You may be hosting family holiday meals, dinner parties, gift openings, or even (gasp)... overnight guests! Here's your checklist for making sure you're ready.

Front door:

Is your jack-o-lantern still rotting on the porch? Make sure your decorations are up-to-date with the season.
Does your doorbell work well?
Check your doormat and replace if tattered and worn.
Clean your front door and apply wood polish if applicable.
Is your sidewalk safe and clear? Does the yard look decent?
A brass kickplate on your door can be a beautiful crowning touch or an eyesore, if it's scuffed and worn. These are relatively easy to replace.
Sweep your porch and check for cobwebs and wasp nests on the walls.
Replace your porch light bulbs if needed.

Entryway:

Do you have a place for guests' coats?
How are your coat hangers? Move some nice, sturdy, wooden hangers into your coat closet to handle heavy coats with style.
Check first impressions-- anything need to be improved? Have you dusted everything, and changed light bulbs in the chandelier?

Pantry and Refrigerator:

November is National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Month. Really! It's a good idea, because Thanksgiving creates a lot of need for extra space for large amounts of leftovers and thawing turkeys.
Does your pantry still contain crackers and dried fruit from last year's holiday gift baskets? Clean out the deadwood and make room for the new. See my pantry organizing tips in this video on YouTube.
Do you need to stock up on sodas, wine, beer, or other items that your group needs for gatherings? Get ahead before you hit big crowds at holiday time.
Plan menus in advance of their visit and buy all of the groceries. Even prepare what you can in advance, so you can better enjoy your friends with less fuss and mess.

Guest Room:

If you don't have a dedicated guest room, where will they sleep? Think through sleeping arrangements for everyone involved, and borrow an inflatable mattress or cot if needed. (Here's an always appropriate article from Peggy Post about handling unmarried guests.) Make sure there are enough bed linens, towels, and blankets for everyone.

Make your guests feel special by having some of these items available for them:

Clock with easy-to-use alarm
Empty hangers in the closet
Hair dryer
Night-lights for the restroom
Internet access, with instructions
Books, magazines, and other reading material
A "tourist binder" with brochures about attractions in your city (See my video about creating a tourist binder here)
Key to your house with important phone numbers
Guest Book (like a special blank journal) for signing remembrances of the visit
Carafe of drinking water, or bottled water
Special treats like fruit, chocolate, or cookies
Fresh flowers
Extra toiletries "just in case," like shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, feminine products, razors, cotton balls and swabs, hand cream

7 Costly Home Improvement Don'ts

Article taken off hgtv.com



Don't Ignore Safety

This goes for any home improvement project. Simple precautions like wearing safety goggles, not overloading outlets and turning off breakers will only take a few minutes or a few extra bucks, but these steps can save you from disaster.



Don't Skip the Primer

The key to a successful paint job is always prep. A coat of primer will seal the surface, provide durability and create a solid bond for the paint to adhere. The only time primer may not be needed is when painting latex over latex and the colors have a similar intensity.



Make Sure You Get a Real Pro

If you need to hire a pro make sure they are qualified for the job. Never let anyone other than a licensed electrician repair or alter the wiring in your home. The same goes for plumbing — many states also require them to have a license or state certification.



Don't Skimp on Grout Sealer

You can spend a lot of time and money installing tile, but if you don't properly seal the grout it can absorb water, dirt and other stains.



Don't Forget About the Subfloor

Laminate flooring needs an underlayment/vapor barrier for almost any surface it is being installed upon. Not only will it protect it from moisture, it will also help with soundproofing. Hardwood floors need an even subfloor, so use subfloor compound to ensure a level surface. If laying tile in a bathroom, cement backer board should be used underneath.



Make Sure to Get Necessary Building Permits

The last thing anyone wants is to spend time and effort building a beautiful deck only to find out it must be ripped up because there was no permit. Find out the rules and regulations for building permits, codes and inspections before you start any remodeling project.



Don't Get the Wrong Style Window

The wrong windows can have consequences on both the interior and exterior of the home. When choosing windows, make sure the style matches the appearance and architecture of your home's exterior. On the inside, windows will affect the light, ventilation and temperature of the home.