Using Colors in Your Home Design

Did you realize that various colors could affect your daily mood? The field of color psychology can definitely be used in home design as you choose both paint and fabric colors for the various rooms throughout your house.

Bright Colors

Bright colors make rooms look larger, so when you're trying to create the illusion of extra space, choose a shade of yellow or eggshell.

Red has been shown to increase an individual's appetite, so it's often chosen as a kitchen accent color. However, if you're the victim of high blood pressure, you should probably steer clear of red since it's been known to increase blood pressure along with irritability in many individuals.

Green has been shown to increase concentration, so whether you choose to paint a wall a light green or include a bright green office chair or simply buy a potted plant, be sure to add some of this bright color to your office or school room.

Another bright color to consider is yellow. Yellow inspires optimism; so you can create a happy atmosphere in your entryway, kitchen, sunroom, or any other room by includes some shade of this sunny color!

One bright color to avoid is purple, since it tends to seem artificial in home design. If purple is our absolute favorite color, you can include it in accessories, fabric, or with natural colors like subtle green or yellow shades.

Bright accents of orange can be used in a sick room or an asthmatic child's room. It's been known both to increase energy and improve lung functions. Orange can also be a great color for a workout room, since you need both energy and deep breathing for an effective workout!

Finally, the bright color white makes a perfect color for a bathroom. Not only does it symbolize cleanliness, but also it literally helps you keep the room clean by revealing stains and spots, which need cleaning. You can rest assured that your bathroom is sparkling clean and germ free when it's an unspotted white!

Other Colors

Shades of blue, lavender, and green are considered relaxing colors since they seem to have a relaxing effect on the room's occupants. These are ideal colors to incorporate into the home design for your bedroom or bathroom (especially the bathtub/shower area) since these rooms are most often associated with relaxation.

Utilizing colors from your past can create a nostalgic and cheerful atmosphere, bringing back happy memories from your childhood. Experts have noted that using these colors in your kitchen is especially effective for bringing back fond memories spent with family during meal times.

Warm tones like deep reds, oranges and yellows are ideal accent colors during the autumn months. These colors create a welcoming atmosphere and make the room seem warmer.

Where Can I Locate an Indoor Water Feature in My Home?

When Frank Lloyd Wright built a weekend retreat home on top of a rushing stream in rural Pennsylvania it created a sensation, and ever since then "Falling Water" has become an inspiration for millions of people who sought out ways to bring flowing water features into their homes. Bringing flowing water features into the home connects us with nature and brings us peace, serenity, quietude. They create a visual spectacle and impart a calming effect upon all who enter.

A thoughtfully positioned indoor water feature can act as a natural room humidifier making the air in any room healthier to breathe. It can also generate soothing sounds of splashing, cascading water that surprises and delights children. You can almost hear the tranquility emanating from the piece as it adds charm, beauty, and grace to interior living spaces. One very common choice for those who crave the sound of flowing water inside their home is a waterfall installation, enjoyed the world over, especially for the endless pulse of energy it symbolizes.

Once you have decided to bring flowing water into your home, you next need to decide where to locate your new indoor water feature. The foyer is an interesting place to install a flowing water piece because that area of a house commonly features hardwood or tile floor surfaces that possess appealing acoustic properties that differ from most other areas of the house. If you are a student or follower of Asian philosophy, and the power of Qi energy is important to you, then you surely want to take into consideration the ancient Chinese discipline of feng shui when positioning and orienting your new water feature. This means that you should consider placing your unit as close as you can to your front door.

If you should instead desire to situate your indoor fountain or water wall in the living room in order to bring tranquility into that space, then you should choose the north side of that room which is according to the principles of feng shui associated with career success. The next best choice would be the southeast area of the room. Today, many people are choosing to make one room the centrepiece of their home, and in that room they like to make an indoor water fountain the centrepiece of that room. If you choose to pursue this line of thinking, then you will want to make sure that after you locate your piece in a way that nothing can obscure it. Make sure that anyone can see it from any point in the room. If there will be furniture in that room, then you should consider arranging the furniture pieces in a circle or semi-circle configuration around the piece.

For the Love of Birds

One of life's joys for me is seeing nature up close, and incorporating it into my everyday life, through décor. Birds have always held great fascination for me from the time I was a small child. My poor father forever had to bury any unfortunate bird caught up in the fruit tree protective netting--if I saw it first. I'm sure many a bird was otherwise disposed of without much ceremony, if he happened upon it before I could witness its demise.

In décor, birds have long been a favorite subject in ancient prints all over the globe, and they have been translated into elegant wall coverings and sculptures. It will come as no surprise to readers to learn that I have many small vignettes around my home with a bird theme. You can see them by visiting my Facebook business page or go to my web site.

When using a large collection of your favorite objects, you will find more interest by breaking them into smaller vignettes around the house, and they can be changed seasonally. By using smaller vignettes you will be less inclined to tire of them, and it will be easier to clean around them. Using a couple of small pieces from a collection can add a surprising impact in color and texture to a room or small space.

Naturally, décor is not confined to the indoors, and being able to enjoy clay, cement and metal sculptures outside is an added joy. Feeding birds and providing a safe place, as well as water for them will encourage them to entertain you and perhaps your pets, for hours.

Bird sculptures in a garden are as natural as color is to flowers. The garden often allows for a bit more felicity in the use of such objects, especially if your home style doesn't allow for such whimsy. Color and style can be used with greater abandon outside and a sense of surprise is always welcome in a garden. Wild birds do not seem to mind their effigies used in such a manner, and can produce much happiness in small children.

Using plants is a natural environment for wildlife, especially birds, so you might think of tucking a small ceramic bird or a nest among your potted plants inside and outside your home.

My collection of birds almost has no bounds, I have wooden, ceramic, glass, metal and feather covered birds, mostly gifts from friends. All these treasures have special meaning and fond memories. Etchings in pen and ink are another way to express my love of the avian species; I have framed some prints from old books, and mixed them with landscapes and other scenes. I always marvel at how the stroke of a pen or brush can capture one of nature's most amazing creatures.

Wall Tiles: Revolutionizing Your House's Interiors

It can be a challenge to enhance your home interior. This is especially true when you have a huge house and you don't know where to start. The walls must be one of your top considerations on this matter. As they are one of the most visible parts of the house, improving them will affect the overall look and feel of your home. Wall tiles are one good way to add appeal to your walls.

Range of Options

They are available in a variety of colors, textures, and patterns to match your existing home interior. Whether you have classic or contemporary design, you can find just the right tile for your house. You can choose from ceramic, marble mosaic, vinyl, glass, quartz, or stylish Sonoma tile selections.

Various Applications

This range of choices also makes them perfect in non-residential applications. They can add beauty to stores, clinics, offices, and other business establishments that should appeal to customers. Choosing the right kind of tiles can give the property a completely new look.

Wall tiles help enhance the ambience of particular areas. For instance, white ceramic slabs contribute to the clean look of your bathroom. They are also water resistant and durable. You can also find tiles with natural stone designs if you want to add a little texture on the walls of your living room. Metal or granite tiles, on the other hand, are great options for kitchen with contemporary design. If you have a home office or perhaps a study room, you can never go wrong with vinyl tiles.

Marble tiles, meanwhile, can be very expensive but they offer incomparable style and easy maintenance. They may also increase the resale value of your property.

A Work of Art

Installation of wall slabs helps you decorate without causing too much mess. They also won't eat space like furniture items, lighting fixtures, and other decorations.

The illusion of space is another advantage you get from wall tiles. With the right use of texture, colors, and patterns, you can make a room look bigger or smaller. Interior designers recommend choosing designs that will not only improve the wall surfaces but the entire room. A tiled wall can be as good as a wall with an expensive painting, if you choose slabs complementing the room's lighting and existing fixtures.

Cost Effective

It is true that tiles can be more expensive than simply painting your walls. If you think about the long-term benefits, however, you will see why you should invest on these slabs. Tile installation involves a one-time process, but will last for many years if done properly. This is more cost-efficient than paint that easily fades, peels off, and requires re-painting every two years.

All Things Retro At Home

Retro wallpaper is fab. At least that is what they might have said in the language of the 70s. Actually the term does not just refer to the 70s as some are inclined to think.

It features many vintage patterns of antique wallpaper and with this style, as with so many things that come back into fashion at a later age you can really give you home improvement project a sense of authenticity. This is because 'retro' means any culturally outdated or aged style, trend, mode, or fashion from the past. Other terms are, from the 'old fashioned', 'timeless' or 'classic'.

So go ahead and step back into the past. Wallpaper is the perfect way to bright up your home. You can do this with retro wallpaper because, after days of plain Jane Anaglypta, good old bright, patterned and fun wallpaper has crept back into fashion.

Take a look at clubs and bars of old and you'll see it in abundance. Visit the homes of more elderly people and there it is again, fun and fashionable as ever. Once a wallpaper enthusiast, you will always be on the lookout for the stylish dressed to impress wallpaper covering. As for the glam 70s, well, they were not so frothy and full of frills as people might think. Wallpaper from this era was a thrilling mix of vibrancy and splash.

For bathrooms and kitchens, use vinyl covering. This is best for water resistant qualities because it consists of different layers and the top layer is from plastic which also makes it easy to clean.

In days a lot further back from the sixties and seventies, notable and rich Europeans, including Louis XI of France in 1481, commissioned artists to paint paper for their walls.

It is about making a statement and if kings and dignitaries of more ancient times could do this, then what is stopping you from copying them?

Fortunately, there are an increasing amount of companies now who can supply retro wallpaper to you and of course we now have websites so you will not have to go trawling around the shops. There is now available online a huge variety of exclusive wallpaper designs in every conceivable style, design, pattern and colour. Quality and price are varied too.