Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Colorful Touches for Outdoor Decorating

Outdoor Wall Art

Add color to your outdoor decorating with a fence covered with suspended flowerpots. It's wall art for your outdoor room. Start with nine terra-cotta pots and coat the bases with spray paint. Next, plot the grid arrangement and secure pot hangers to the fence. Finish by suspending pots from hangers and filling each container with brightly colored annuals or herbs. Colorful suspended flower pots

Poolside Patterns

Use outdoor fabric to add color and style to pool or patio furniture. Polka-dot outdoor fabric adds modern flair and durability to the chairs. A freestanding umbrella in yellow adds a pop of color to the green foliage and neutral patio backdrop.
Editor's Tip: Outdoor fabric is an ideal choice for sun-filled areas and outdoor rooms because it's waterproof and fade- and stain-resistant. Patio with Polka dot chairs

Bright Table Toppers

Outdoor dining is a treat in warm-weather months, so make it even more special with pretty table settings. A plain table runner gets a color boost from colorful appliques. Bright tableware adds splashes of color to the table. A white awning provides shade and brightens up the space. overall

Colorful Furniture

Add pizzazz to a plain deck with colorful furniture. Mix and match chairs of a similar style in a variety of colors. Here, bright pinks, oranges, blues, purples, and greens fill the deck with summer colors. Colorful deck

Pretty Fabrics

Create an outdoor room with fabric. This deck's setup is similar to an indoor living room arrangement. An all-weather rug anchors the furniture, and outdoor fabrics in pretty patterns cover the plush seat cushions. The arbor serves as a wall and ceiling, and panels hang from it like window treatments. Accents such as lamps and throw pillows complete the look.

Outdoor room

Colorful Starting Point

The home's exterior creates the perfect starting point for this patio's color scheme. Orange accents, such as throw pillows, hanging fabric, and oversize letter B, pop against the green exterior. Wood candle holders and potted plants bring the natural elements of the yard onto the patio. With plenty of seating and multiple tables, this patio is just right for enjoying bright summer days and warm summer nights. Monogram deck

Patio Dining

The home's blue French doors provide plenty of bright color for this patio. Because the patio is adjacent to the home's kitchen, the simple picnic table is great for taking meals outside. Patio dining, blue door home

Pretty Posts

Separate a garden from the rest of the backyard with a colorful fence. The bright green and blue hues pop against the grass and plants. The fence provides a colorful view from any angle Pretty Posts

Easy Solution

Colorful containers are a simple way to brighten an outdoor space. Choose pots in various colors, sizes, and textures. Colorful container gardens

Fire Flies

Create a twinkling treescape by suspending colored-glass votive holders from low-hanging tree branches with fishing line or wire. Colorful outdoor pillows, now readily available at retail, are a simple way to pop a little color into your backyard. hammock

Party Atmosphere

Metal furniture is generally affordable and it gives a cool color vibe to your garden or patio. A bar cart is always ready for a party, offering up a handy serving surface. fireplace and green chairs

Sunny Accents

Small basic accessories such as this galvanized container can be brightened with paint for a personal look. To be on the safe side, don't let food come into contact with the surface unless the paint you used is labeled food-safe. painted pail chilling sodas

Citrus Punch

Give your backyard a shot of summer color with accents dressed in fruit-inspired hues. This citrus-color metal bistro table is home to an apple-green hobnail-pattern glass lantern. ornage slice on striped chair

Cottage Charms

An unassuming garden shed becomes a festive focal point with bold stripes and scalloped molding. Before you begin, add a coat or two of water-base primer to the facade -- it will help your creative expressions last longer. feminine dollhouse seating area

Double Shift

Lanterns with bright graphic designs can light up an outdoor setting even before the sun sets. After dark, turn on battery-powered lightbulbs to increase the glow. green and flower paper lamps http://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/porch/outdoor-rooms/colorful-backyard-decorating-ideas/?psrc=S1104BRL4042S130_yarddecorating

Home Library Design

 

The “Borrowing” Room

home libraryHome LibraryDo you ever wish we could bring back the home library? Could we ever return to the beauty of an actual room devoted solely to books, a personal refuge for reading, thinking, relaxation and contemplation? Manor houses and estates always had rooms custom-built to house an owner’s book collection.
home library picture
The shelves often were polished walnut or cherry, and rows of leather bound, first edition books stood quietly behind glass doors. The chairs were overstuffed, covered in leather and crouched behind large ottomans before a soothing fire. Can we ever bring some sense of a library’s calm into our own home?
Luxury Home Library DesignStyle Estate suggests you visit the library of your imagination and start to “borrow” from it. Like the lending institution a library should be, you can find a way to incorporate those overstuffed chairs, beautiful cabinets, elegant bookcases, and appropriate “mood” lighting into your own home.
Colorful Home Library DesignBegin with the overstuffed, leather chair. Places such as Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn consistently provide “library style” sofas, ottomans and lounge chairs. Ebay is a gold mine where you can dig for large desks, plush, vintage-looking rugs, and a series of bookshelves.
To decorate, consider investigating online museum shops such as New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, Washington, D.C.’s National Portrait Gallery or the British Museum for framed prints and miniature statue reproductions.
Finish your room with a couple of well-placed floor lamps and you are ready to read! Even if you have switched to a Kindle or iPad, there are plenty of vintage covers for each to ensure that this modern technology never clashes with your timeless taste.

Inexpensive Christmas Decorating Ideas For 2009 - Part One: Decorate What You Have

Part One: Decorate with What You Have



Most of us own some Christmas decorations, even if they’re hand me downs. When I say decorate with what you already own, though, I’m not just referring to some leftover ornaments and grandmother’s old nativity set.
Your browser may not support display of this image.Take a look around your house and see what you might easily transform into Christmas decorations. Do you have any teddy bears, dolls or other toys around? How about an old wooden sled or red wagon? Do you own any soft throws or quilts in holiday colors? Take inventory and see if you have a few Mason jars, clear vases or metal cookie cutters in holiday shapes. These are all Items you can use to decorate for the season.
Take the sled, sand it down and give it a coat of paint. If you’re the artistic sort, you could add a simple holiday picture like this one or, for the less talented, use white snowflake stencils on distressed red paint to add a touch of whimsy. Drape a bit of garland around the sled, add a couple of weighted gaily wrapped faux presents and prop the small vignette in a corner. It’s an instant touch of nostalgia and warm feelings.


Seat teddy bears and dolls on window sills and adorn them with winter scarves or sock hats or add a cheery holiday bow. You can use other toys, like a spinning top, wooden blocks or a jack in the box beneath the Christmas tree. Use the wooden blocks to spell out a holiday greeting on your fireplace mantel or at a table near your front door.

Fill Mason jars with Christmas-themed hard candies, cranberries, mini ornaments or pine cones and tie the neck with a big holiday bow. Metal cookie cutters make cute ornaments when they’re hung by a ribbon from the tree. You can toss a holiday colored throw over a rocker or use a quilt as a tree skirt.

Fill terra cotta pots with sand to make candle holders. You can paint the pots gold or silver and wrap the rim with greenery or cover the sand with pine cones. Use an odd number of pots in varying sizes to create a cheery display on a tabletop.
 http://blog.styleestate.com/style-estate-blog/inexpensive-christmas-decorating-ideas-for-2009-part-one-dec.html

10 Christmas Decorating Ideas Plus 10 Dazzling Examples

Do you love to decorate your home, your bedroom, your tree, your living room, your dining room, and your front entry for Christmas? If you do, then read this post which feature ten practical Christmas decorating ideas and 10 dazzling examples. Start filling your home with holiday cheer by putting up festive Christmas home decors using the traditional Christmas trees, mantel Christmas decorations, Christmas wreaths, Christmas lights, among many other things. In no particular order, here are ten awesome Christmas decorating ideas and examples: 
Christmas Decorating Idea 01 -Mantel Christmas Decorations
When you think of Christmas, the first thing to come to mind is family. If you have a fireplace with a mantel then now is the best time to decorate it. Usually mantel is a center of attention in most living rooms. In fact, a lot of family photos are usually made near the mantel. That is why everybody wants to make the mantel decorations perfect. Here are some cool examples of fireplace mantel Christmas decorations that would surely earn you praises from family and friends.
christmas decorating ideas
[via Digdigs]
Christmas Decorating Idea 02- Modern Christmas Tree Decorating
Another Christian tradition that has lived up to these days is the display of Christmas trees during the holiday season. You can choose from a wide variety of trees in different colors and textures. We usually decorate Christmas trees with lights, balls, bells, flowers, etc.
christmas decorating ideas[via modern interior decoration]
Christmas Decorating Idea 03- Christmas CenterpieceLay a festive table for Christmas entertaining. Get your dining room ready for Christmas in no time at all with these simple decorating ideas. Dress the table with festive red-and-white tableware, coloured glassware and cut-glass candlesticks. You may also wish to add berry-red and white decorations around the room. Hang big, bold paper stars and snow flakes low over the table, then add silver and crystal details for extra sparkle.
christmas decorating ideas
[via ideal home magazine]
Christmas Decorating Idea 04- Christmas Candles
Candles are like emblem of Christmas. They are everywhere during the season. Christmas candles could come in variety of forms and could be used in various places such as fireplace, table, tree, windows, etc. They could become a beautiful addition to your holidays decor.
christmas decorating ideas
[via digsdigs]
Christmas Decorating Idea 05- Christmas Wreaths Door Decor
Christmas wreaths are made of just about anything. The most common are the variety of greens, pine cones, berries and artificial fruits. Colors are usually green, red, white, yellow and other natural ones. Although evergreen wreaths can be bought from home centers and grocery stores, making one by yourself is a great process that you could be proud of. Getting some inspiration is always great so take a look at these entry doors decorated with holiday wreaths.
christmas decorating ideas
[via digsdigs]
Christmas Decorating Idea 06- Santa Display
If you have a collection of holiday decorations, try displaying similar objects together, like the Santa toys shown here. The wreath was made by hot-gluing a quirky selection of decorations to a base.
christmas decorating ideas
[via country living]
Christmas Decorating Idea 07- Pinecone Arrangement
Welcome guests with a dramatic swag of flocked sugar pine cones and lichen-covered twigs accented with incense cedar and other holiday greens right from the yard.
christmas decorating ideas
[via country living]
Christmas Decorating Idea 08- Christmas Lights
Lighting has almost taken over Christmas candles as they burn for longer periods of time and are comparably safer for decoration purposes. Especially Christmas trees have turned more charming, sparkling and magical with light strands illuminating them. With time, the art of installing Christmas lights has evolved to the level where it has become an art in itself. Lets see how to choose the color or combination of color of lights, check for the load of electricity that you can safely use, the different patterns in which to arrange the strings of light and how to install Christmas lights.
christmas decorating ideas
[via christmas home decoration]
Christmas Decorating Idea 09- A cool blue and silver christmas table
Want a very cool decorating idea for your Christmas table this year? Light blue and silver feel cool, wintery and make a refreshing color choice at Christmas. To make this look really stunning, stick to just these three colors and vary their texture.Just use a very simple light blue plates (white plates would also work). Instead of a place mat, scatter plastic snowflakes around the plate on a white tablecloth. Glass bowls work really well with this Christmas table scheme because they look cool – like ice.
christmas decorating ideas
Christmas Decorating Idea 10- Decorating using Christmas OrnamentsChristmas ornaments are not just for the tree. Extra ornaments can be found to have several uses, all that is needed is some fabulous ideas to help disperse them around. So spread some festive holiday cheer this season by decorating with ornaments throughout the house!
christmas decorating ideas
[via examinerhttp://www.decoratingroom.net/10-christmas-decorating-ideas-plus-10-dazzling-examples

Green is Truly My Favorite!

Since we have been on the Theme of Colors--- I thought I would share that GREEN, (apple green) is my Favorite Color. My daughter teases me that I wear way to much green!
So --- I decided to see if I could find some fun
Christmas Decorating Ideas using the color GREEN.


























































































































It is amazing how much GREEN is out there.
Consider decorating with some Green for Christmas!
You can transform the feel of your home --- give it a try.

All photos are from Better Homes and Gardens.

I am joining the blog party over at The Shabby Chic Cottage there are all kinds of do it yourself decorating for christmas.

There is a Christmas party over at The Inspired Room, so many inspiring ideas for the holidays.