Whether we like to hear it or not, many changes we experience in life are a good thing. For many, there comes a point in time where we are left feeling uninspired with our surroundings and feel the need to alter its appearance in order to cater to our creative needs at that moment. While introducing new artwork, unique wall décor, or chic furniture sounds like the perfect route to follow when updating a space in our home, many of these home improvement option can get pricey. With that being said, let’s take a look at a few options to pursue that will give our home the makeover it needs without breaking the bank.

Beds are usually the main focus of any bedroom and its style can really set the tone of your space in an instant. However, a bed can be a costly item to update between the headboard, bed frame, mattress, or even duvet cover. Start your bedroom redesign by adding smaller items to the room with decorative throw pillows on your bed, a chic nightstand alarm clock, or framed artwork hung over your headboard to spice up the style. When revamping a dreary area in our home, it’s important to follow the ‘less is more approach’, especially when we’re on a budget. Sometimes little touches of unique décor will bring about the design and mood we’re looking to achieve.

For any bathroom or kitchen in your home, the best way to not only add style but also add value to your home is with lighting fixtures. While you’re shopping for items that fit your budget consider switching to eco-friendly fixtures as this will save you a chunk of change on future energy bills. In addition, energy efficient task lighting cuts down on the amount of energy our home has to use on a daily basis as it illuminates one area at a time while we work around the kitchen or bathroom.

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(ARA) - Tough economic times may mean your holiday budget is tight this year. But trimming your holiday spending doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style. With some creativity, you can add extra icing to your holiday decor - for less than $25.

“We’re all more conscious of our spending right now, so that means it’s time to be imaginative and resourceful, especially when it comes to decorating for a specific season,” says Gary Babcock, a design expert with Arhaus Furniture (www.arhaus.com). “By using existing items in your home and purchasing just a few ‘key,’ but inexpensive elements, you can create a show-stopping holiday display within your budget.”

Babcock offers some festive and fresh ways to deck the halls:

The Green Scene:

Bring a taste of the outdoors in with a “green” theme — straight from your back yard. Use foliage, like pine cones and holly, to create a lush centerpiece or dress up a mantle. Intertwine the natural flora with ribbons, ornaments or the hottest earthy trend of the season — woodsy mushrooms. From Arhaus, look for hand carved wooden or recycled glass mushrooms in various sizes ($9 to $24)

Birds of a Feather:

Also nature-inspired, birds evoke the songs of the season. These cheerful feathered friends can make a special appearance or set the entire theme. The Arhaus recycled glass Chickadees or Finch Vases are adorable additions to any holiday decor ($14 each). Or consider hanging birdhouses with holiday-colored ribbons. Babcock suggests groups of three to five birdhouses hung from the ceiling above a dining table, or in front of a large picture window.

Bulbs and Baubles:

Group ornaments in similar colors or themes and either hang them throughout your home or place them in bowls or vases. For instance, the latest twist on traditional colors is updated with a palette of winter white, raspberry and mossy green. Look for bulbs in these colors or create your own holiday color scheme.

Flower Power:

Flowers are not only beautiful and fragrant, but they also add natural color to any holiday decor. Bring your flower pots indoors and plant bulbs that will bloom over the holidays, like amaryllis. Or, for those who don’t have a green thumb, get your floral fix by layering or hanging ceramic flowers, like Arhaus’ Magnolias or Peonies in shades of cream, blue and taupe ($12-22 each).

Retro Glam:

Go vintage with your holiday tree this year. Glam it up with a few Baroque-inspired Old World ornaments in bronze, brass and pewter/nickel finishes ($10-15 each) from Arhaus, then intersperse natural homemade accessories like strands of popcorn or cranberries.

Health Nut:

Another inexpensive burst of holiday hue comes straight from the grocery store with fruits, spices, seeds and berries. For example, gather bushels of apples or cranberries and place them in bowls and vases throughout the house. Coordinated with holiday patterned linens, this makes a stunning display. Add to the ambiance with a grouping of adorable Pear Vases from Arhaus ($6 each).

Light the Way:

Nothing creates a warm cozy holiday environment like candlelight. Group candles in holiday colors, or simply white, throughout your home to create a natural glow. To dress up your candles, consider placing them in glass candle holders; the Arhaus Broken Glass Candle Holder, made of recycled glass, reflects light beautifully.

Toys on Parade:

The holidays bring out the child in all of us, so why not decorate with toys? Stick to a “toy theme,” like wooden toys, to make an impact. Search flea markets or even grandma’s attic to find old wooden trains, nutcrackers and blocks. For a special touch of whimsy, start a collection of authentic wooden Italian Pinocchios, hand carved and painted, an Arhaus exclusive (starting at $9 each).

For more tips on accessorizing for the holidays, visit Arhaus Furniture at www.arhaus.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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(ARA) - The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is enough to leave anyone exhausted. But, even though today’s holiday schedule can be overwhelming at times, there are several simple “dos and don’ts” that can help you streamline at least one area of your holiday activities — home decorating.

The following holiday decorating tips from Pratt & Lambert Paints are designed to help you create lasting memories for your holiday guests, without leaving you struggling and stressed.

Plan ahead

DON’T wait until the last minute to start decorating.

DO start early and have a plan.

Begin by making a list of all the decorating items you currently have and those you’d like to purchase. This will help you avoid overspending when you go to the store. Once you have all the decorations you need, lay all of them out before you begin placing them around your home, then sort them into groups, by room. Place all the decorations for your living room together in one area, those for your kitchen in another, and so on. This will allow you to take inventory of what you have and possibly inspire you to mix and match some decorations into areas of your home that you might not otherwise have thought of before.

Create a colorful focal point

DON’T let your design sense get scattered.

DO take the time to create a memorable focal point in your home.

Rather than trying to decorate each and every one of your rooms with a few items that are scattered about, focus first on making a lasting impression in one specific area of your home.

“One of the easiest and most effective ways to do this is to punch up the wall color in the room that will serve as the main gathering place for your guests,” says Pratt & Lambert color marketing specialist, Peggy Van Allen. “If you’ll be entertaining in the living room, consider painting just one accent wall, perhaps the one that may serve as a backdrop to your holiday tree. You’ll find that a small punch of dramatic wall color will go a long way in making a lasting impression on your guests.”

Retire the green and red

DON’T think everything has to be red or green to be considered festive.

DO incorporate colors that aren’t typically associated with the holiday season.

Why limit yourself to using “traditional” holiday season colors? Some of the most stunning holiday designs can be created when you look to your current decor for color inspiration. Doing so allows you to choose items that complement your tastes and creates a cohesive look and feel throughout your home. Another popular decorating technique that creates a sophisticated look is to add metallics and glass for additional shimmer and sparkle.

Make high traffic areas a priority

DON’T spend too much time and effort decorating areas that your holiday guests aren’t likely to see.

DO concentrate your decorating efforts in high-traffic areas.

Although you may want to add holiday cheer to rooms in your home that won’t be seen by your holiday guests, first focus on those areas that will. For example, add tasteful holiday accents to the half-bath or powder room downstairs by incorporating colorful soaps, towels and holiday scents.

Use what you have on hand

DON’T think you need to spend a bundle to create a cozy, holiday atmosphere.

DO get creative and use items you already have around the house as inexpensive decorations.

Gather all of your candles into one vignette and place them in a central area, such as on a mantel in your living room or family room. Rather than using standard holiday table top pieces, use fruit to create an interesting and colorful centerpiece. If you really want to wow your guests, gather branches from outside, spray paint them with sparkling colors and arrange them in a vase you already have on hand. To top off the look, tie a beautiful bow around the top or base of the vase.

Relax, sit back and enjoy

DON’T get so caught up in decorating that you forget to enjoy the holidays.

DO take time to sit back and relax.

It’s easy to let holiday activities overwhelm you during this busy season, but don’t forget the best and most important part of the holidays, spending time with your family and friends.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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(ARA) - The fabrics you pick for your upholstery pieces and the lighting fixtures you place overhead and at tabletop height can make a room sparkle or fall flat.

According to Candice Olson, celebrated interior designer and TV host, bringing the necessary ‘bling’ to a space demands two important decorating concepts — dramatically detailed or styled upholstery wrapped in a luminescent fiber and layered lighting featuring fixtures constructed of materials that play up the sparkle.

Olson often resorts to hi-sheen fabrics like chenille or silk, jewel-like materials and lots and lots of lighting to bring a space to life. She also adds special touches such as classic nail heads to accentuate upholstery profiles and several of her light fixtures employ mother of pearl and glass beads for sheer iridescence. With each room makeover, the designer asks herself, “Where is the sparkle?”

Here, she begins with fabrics and focal points.

Fabric — drawing attention to the focal piece

Olson starts every renovation project from the focal point — whether it is re-designing a two-way fireplace or adding display wall shelving. Approaching decor in the same fashion, she determines which upholstery silhouette to accentuate. She recommends choosing a design detail on one or two pieces that you want to draw attention to, such as a dramatic rolled arm or multi-button tufts, and select fabrics with some sheen.

“You want to let the details sing in a luxuriously shiny fabric,” she says. Take the designer’s Pyper chair from her licensed upholstery collection for Norwalk Furniture. “The tufts are extremely sculptural,” she says, “a detail to enhance with a gold metallic paisley print or bronzy colored microfiber.” Adding to the appeal of Pyper are dressmaker details such as nail heads in antique brass or chrome.

To give the room added interest, Olson suggests incorporating contrasting elements throughout, like textured rather than shiny fabrics on the accompanying upholstery or a rugged coffee table or wall cabinet. “Contrast brings depth and balance to the decor,” she says. So, work off of the focal piece by adding glittery fabric and offset the ultra glamorous look with contrasting pieces of a matte or textured finish.

Olson does caution restraint, however. “You do not want every piece in the room to have some sort of shine to it,” she says. “It’s too much.” Pick and choose which upholstered piece to wrap in a luminescent fabric and let the lighting do the rest.”

Lighting — the most important element

The most important part of any renovation is lighting. According to Olson, without it, decor falls short of the sparkle factor, and the project budget is wasted. To determine the layout, Olson looks at the space from a theatrical standpoint — like a stage with a good lighting plan.

“Position recessed lighting to hit the folds of a drapery panel or the pin-cushioned seat back of a sofa,” says Olson. For tabletop lamps and wall sconces that add to the room’s glistening glamour, she favors fixtures that incorporate materials like Mother of Pearl and what could be beach glass.

Fixtures — that play up to the lighting

In her own licensed collection by AF Lighting, Olson takes traditional fixtures and incorporates reflective materials for signature sparkle.

Chandeliers, for example, feature a streamlined, simple design embellished with glass beads, polished silver or mirrored glass accents and chic silky shades. The designer’s Damask table lamp features an etched beach-glass like base with chrome accents, while a dramatic wall sconce is framed by a beveled mirror.

“Don’t be afraid to bring fixtures into your decor of contrasting materials,” says Olson. Equally brilliant and bright are fixtures constructed of unlikely combinations of sleek and not-so-sleek materials like Mother of Pearl, which has an iridescent color quality to it, with dark wood or leather. “It’s about playing up to the surrounding decor.”

Bulbs — which ones truly flatter

Halogen bulbs are the designer’s number one choice in overhead, or recessed, lighting. She places them at the perimeter of the wall to light up “things” rather than thin air. Also, Olson prefers “can” lights, but those on a “track” get the job done too.

“Halogen bulbs are my choice for the remainder of the light landscape,” she says. “They produce true colors and tend to be more flattering, giving off a natural white light.” The designer shies away from iridescent and incandescent light bulbs, believing they produce a yellow tint and often times make the decor look dull.

For more decorating tips that simply sparkle, or to find upholstery pieces and lighting fixtures by Candice Olson, visit www.norwalkfurniture.com and www.aflighting.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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(ARA) - The warm, crisp and rustic scents of the autumn harvest are a refreshing close to summer and a perfect lead-in to the dramatic winter months. Fall is the best time of year to celebrate the scents of nature and bring annual traditions of festivals and apple picking to life by enhancing your home decor with seasonal fragrance.

The dark and rich brown, black and orange color palettes and silk, cashmere and chenille fabric textures associated with fall allow for unexpected, yet beautiful, combinations of decor in the home. Jodi Villani, head of the visual merchandising department of Yankee Candle Company, takes advantage of the fall time to be resourceful and daring and combine nature and fragrance.

“Fall is the moment to make a statement with your own decorating style,” says Villani, “But a room without fragrance is an unfinished statement. Yankee Candle’s fall aromas are the perfect accents to home decor, entertaining and creating a special ambiance to evoke feelings and memories.”

Villani, who is charged with visualizing and creating year-round displays in Yankee Candle’s destination flagship store and 420 retail stores around the country, believes that great fragrance will enhance the overall atmosphere and create the desired mood in any room — a concept candle connoisseurs refer to as “scentmosphere.” She offers the following decorating tips to coordinate styles and scents and create the ultimate “scentmosphere” for the change of seasons:

Mix Tradition and Trend.

Use branches or late summer blooms to fill a contemporary vase and accent it with single stems in assorted antique bottles for a surprising table or mantle display. Let the vibrant medley of birch and maple leaves found in Yankee Candle’s Autumn Wreath fragrance enhance the mood.

Brown is the New Black.

Tobaccos, milk and dark chocolate tones are the perfect complement to all ranges of oranges, greens and reds. Red and brown is the most compelling, impactful and unexpected combination. Yankee Candle’s latest seasonal fragrance, Fall Festival, will match the lighting and mood and provide subtle hints of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa and other delicious notes.

Express Your “Perscentality.”

First, visualize and create spaces to accommodate your personal styles and overall themes in the home. Then, finish the decor with a fragrance that matches your “perscentality” as well as the mood, light and style you have achieved.

Villani always recommends taking chances, breaking some rules and creating a unique style in the home during the fall, and complete the statement with a signature Yankee Candle to match. Yankee Candle’s fall favorites include Fall Festival, Autumn Leaves, Autumn Woods, Autumn Wreath, Harvest and MacIntosh, and all offer a cornucopia of ideas for the ultimate fall experience.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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(ARA) - As Mother Nature wows us with fantastic fall colors and scenery, the latest trends in fall decorating and entertaining bring the beauty of the great outdoors inside. Give your home some fall-time flare by adding nature-inspired decor with unexpected crafty details.

“This fall, decorating trends are inspired by nature, but the key is to use these elements in new and exciting ways. Interesting themes, new colors and surprising details are making fall 2008 distinctive,” says Susan Atchison, manager of trend development for Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores.

Here are some decorating ideas and trends that you can try in your home:

1) Make pumpkins fun.

Pumpkins are the quintessential symbol of fall, but why not put a new twist on a classic? When ordinary pumpkins just won’t do, paint a collection of pumpkins and decorate them with scrollwork designs for instant I-did-it-myself appeal.

“Try painting artificial pumpkins, called Fun-Kins, a variety of colors. Rich blues and reds will provide a classic look. Then decorate with dimensional copper paint or iridescent brown paint,” says Atchison. “For a fun, brighter look, get inspiration from traditional prints by painting argyles, dots, checks, plaids and stripes in exciting color combinations for a fun mix-and-match pumpkin grouping that can be used year after year.”

2) Make it a crafty Halloween.

Halloween is a frightfully fun time, and with the holiday landing on a Friday this year, there’s bound to be a little extra celebration. Consider using inexpensive or leftover craft items to create frightfully fun Halloween decorations for little cost.

Atchison suggests making Jack-O-Lantern Illusions, which are made out of a quilt hoop that is painted orange with a fun jack-o’-lantern face hanging in the center with clear thread. They’re quick and easy and look fabulous hanging from the ceiling indoors or on trees outside.

3) A table aplenty.

Showcase the essence of fall’s natural beauty with a sparkling centerpiece everyone will adore. Fill jars and bowls with decorative fruits like apples and grapes, but add pizzazz with nontraditional fruits such as pomegranates or mangos.

“Put your own creative spin on the project by adding things you’ve purchased or found on a nature walk like pinecones, dried flowers or feathers,” says Atchison.

Add a special touch for your next dinner gathering by creating personalized handcrafted harvest place settings. Choose a decorative foam or plastic fruit and use copper paint to inscribe the guest’s name. Add a feather or other decorative detail and you have a tasteful place setting that turns into a fun take-home party favor once guests are ready to go.

4) Accents around the home.

Adding a touch of color throughout the home can transform it into an autumn environment in no time. Utilize colors to bring the feeling of the season into any room, from bathroom to kitchen to porch. Gorgeous golds and oranges, rich burgundies and browns, plus touches of teal and sage vividly reveal fall’s splendor.

Add a splash of color with a wine-toned table runner or visual appeal with a simple bunch of dried fall flowers filling the air with the pleasant aroma of the season.

“This fall, decor with a natural essence is popular, but be creative. Adding unique details to traditional items or utilizing colors in new and exciting ways can really make your house stand out,” concludes Atchison.

For more information and to get supplies for creating the perfect fall decor for your home visit www.Joann.com.

Craft Project Ideas

Craft 1) Scrollwork Fun-Kins

Skill level: No experience needed.
Approximate crafting time: 1 hour each plus drying time.

Supplies and tools:

• Fun-Kins Carvable Pumpkins, various sizes
• Acrylic paint in colors of choice
• Paintbrushes — 1-inch and 1/2-inch flat
• Spray gloss varnish
• Dimensional paint, copper and iridescent brown
• Plate for paint

Directions:

1. Basecoat the entire pumpkin with acrylic paint. Let dry.
2. Shake the dimensional paint bottle to get a full load of paint at the nozzle. Beginning at the stem, create a swirl. Continue around the stem, varying the swirls, and building upon the original ones. Continue about a quarter to a third of the way down the pumpkin.
3. Add dots to the design, if desired.
4. Return to the stem and decorate it.
5. Set pumpkin aside to dry.

Tip:
Paint Fun-Kins Carvable Pumpkins in 2 stages — first with stem up, second with stem down. When painting the bottom, stand it stem down in a container that supports it until it’s dry.

To get spray gloss varnish at the base, insert a disposable cup or other tall object inside the hole at the bottom to lift it from the surface. After spraying the surface that faces you, rotate pumpkin to get the other surfaces. Spray the stem from the top as well.

Craft 2) Jack-O’-Lantern Illusions

Skill level: No experience needed.
Approximate crafting time: 1 hour each plus drying time.

Supplies and tools:

• 14-inch, 16-inch and 18-inch quilting hoops
• Acrylic paint — three different orange colors
• Foam brush
• Clear polyester thread
• Thin hand-sewing needle
• 9-by-12-inch craft foam, 3 sheets 3 mm thickness, black
• Tacky glue
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Paint inside and outside of all hoop sets and allow to dry thoroughly. Use a different color orange for each size. Two or three coats may be needed to achieve desired effect. Hang to dry.
2. Design jack-o’-lantern faces and cut out from black craft foam.
3. With clear polyester thread and needle, poke tiny hole through top of each face piece and tie to inner hoop to make face mobile.
4. Glue the outer hoop at right angles to inner hoop.
5. When dry, tie a piece of thread to hoop screw and hang.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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(ARA) - The scent of cinnamon-infused cider fills the air, crisp leaves crackle underfoot and you’re able to enjoy long walks in the cooler evening as summer eases into fall. As you settle into the season — perhaps by supplementing your fall-weather wardrobe with a toasty sweater or two in rich shades — consider giving your home a little seasonal lift as well. Updating your rooms with color is a quick and easy way to embrace this time of year, and will put you in the mood to enjoy all the bounties these autumn months offer!

Begin your project by taking a look at what surrounds you. Note the colors you see in everything from the fashions at your favorite shop to the cars whizzing past you on the street. Which colors appeal to you? Which make you feel calm? Which energize you? Which give you a cozy feeling that’s just right for fall? Let the wheels start turning and see which shades your inner designer is drawn to . . . there’s no right or wrong answer.

“Color is always evolving,” says Becky Ralich Spak, senior designer for Sherwin-Williams. “Color knows no bounds — it is fluid, not static; it intermingles in unexpected combinations; and it explores many paths to achieve its goal.”

Following your instincts is the best way to approach your color update, experts agree, because there is no one single color hue or palette that will dominate this fall, or even in the coming year.

Color inspiration comes from just about anywhere and everywhere, as the 39 hues selected for the latest Sherwin-Williams color collections indicate. These stylish colors are grouped into four destination themes: Around the World, Fork in the Road, No Place Like Home and Expand Your Horizons.

Fashion designer Cynthia Rowley, who partnered with Sherwin-Williams for her fall 2007 fashion show, lets her journeys guide her color selections. “I find inspiration in adventure, and these colors from Sherwin-Williams remind me of places I have traveled,” she says. “Colors such as Evening Shadow, Marquis Orange and Iron Ore remind me of the desert; Real Red, Cocoon and Liberty Blue of a New England road trip; and Aquarium and Frank Blue of architecture in southern Spain and Morocco.”

Deep and dashing, bright and bold, many of the opulent shades that are perfect for fall decorating might seem a bit intimidating at first, but fear not; there are many ways to dive into the wonderful world of color. Consider the following approaches:

• Saturated browns impart a toasty vibe on a living room accent wall.
• Plum hues spark great energy in the foyer.
• Deep purples are both soothing and interesting in a powder room.
• Warm neutrals are a timeless update for all rooms and let vibrant accessories take center stage.

In the end, it’s easy to refresh your home with these and other hues, thanks to color selection tools such as the new, larger 3X5-inch paint swatches from the Sherwin-Williams Concepts in Color palette. These paint chips feature a perforated “window” opening that can be removed to see how coordinating colors will look together and work with the fabrics and accessories in your room. The company has also simplified color coordination by listing designer-recommended combinations on the back of each swatch.

And once you’ve narrowed down your favorite shade, it’s a breeze to experiment with your top choices before your final painting project begins. For example, an online color visualizer allows you to preview your color selections in a room, and the company’s Color to Go program allows you to purchase a quart-size paint sample for less than five dollars.

In the end, no matter which colors you select, just remember that paint is one of the simplest, most cost-effective ways to the change the atmosphere of a room, so “don’t be afraid to try new colors and patterns and to play with contrasts,” Rowley recommends. By following your instincts and personal fashion sense, both you and your home will feel warm and toasty this fall.

For more color inspiration, visit sherwin-williams.com or your neighborhood Sherwin-Williams store.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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(ARA) - Let’s face it: Most of us can’t resist a good home decorating show.

And after we’ve got a few episodes of “ReDesign,” “Room by Room” or “Find Your Style” under our tool belts, we feel confident that we, too, can make equally inspired decorating changes in our homes. But where to start?

Here are some simple ways to make big home improvements from some of the nation’s top designers and manufacturers:

Fabric

Kenneth Ludwig — president and creative director of Kenneth Ludwig Home Furnishings, Ltd. in Chicago — is a huge proponent of textiles and fabrics. “The addition of two or three pattern fabrics in the same color story, along with different textiles (throws) in great textures adds visual excitement to a room,” says Ludwig. “It also softens the edges of the corners and hard lines, and warms up a room to make it more livable.”

An additional fabric element that many people forget is adding small upholstered or slip-covered ottomans for additional seating or as decorative items to fill up a room. Ludwig also suggests a skirted table with an under skirt of a plain fabric (great solid color with no pattern) with an additional patterned fabric draped on top.

Murals

Decorative wallpaper murals can add pizzazz and personalization to any room. “Adding a wall mural can transform a room from ‘fine’ to ‘fabulous,’ ” says Todd Imholte, president of Murals Your Way by Environmental Graphics. The company produces a line of custom wallpaper murals (www.muralsyourway.com). “The variety of styles lets you reflect your unique tastes and memories, whether it’s with a sports motif in your son’s room, a custom mural made from a family photo in your family room, or a wine theme in your kitchen. The possibilities are truly endless.”

Steven Southgate couldn’t agree more. As design supervisor for “Divine Design with Candice Olson,” he has used wall murals several times on the show’s room makeovers. According to Southgate, “the Birch Trees and Pebbles murals give a high impact graphic feel, while the Sequoia mural offers outstanding graphics and superb color.”

Window Treatments

Updating your window treatments can quickly change the look and feel of any room. Ian Gibbs, window treatment design expert and founder of TheShadeStore.com, recommends that your window treatment rod be hung a few inches above the window molding to visually extend the window’s height and make the ceiling appear taller. To make windows look bigger and brighten a room, drapes should be hung “wide,” outside of the actual window frame, so that when drapes are pushed back, the entire window is visible to maximize the amount of light let in.

Greenery

Adding greenery is also a nice way to bring the outdoors in and give a feeling of life in a room. Melissa Galt — interior designer, author, speaker and owner of Melissa Galt Interiors — suggests you keep it simple by limiting silk florals to no more than one per room. Be more generous with greenery, placing fresh plants on every third shelf of a bookcase, on top of an armoire, or near a hearth or fireplace. Containers can range from bright brass, silvery aluminum and sparkling glass to more casual ceramic or terracotta.

Fans

Think ceiling fans are just for summer? Think again. Switch the blade to reverse, and you can pull the hot air down from the ceiling and dramatically reduce your heating bills during the cooler months. Emerson Ceiling Fans product manager Zeynep McLeane sees dark colors and natural finishes as particularly popular this season, with dark finishes such as Oil Rubbed Bronze, Aged Walnut and Bronze Heritage nicely complementing existing dark touches throughout the home in furniture, hardware, plumbing and lighting fixtures.

Lighting

Speaking of lighting, “jewelry” will be displayed on more than the human body this season. Kichler Lighting’s new Light Accents come in 70 different designs, shapes and sizes — including classic teardrops, organic leaf-forms, grape clusters, beaded crystal strands and Swarovski crystal pendalogues. Attach them to your chandeliers, pendants, wall sconces, lamps, lamp shades — even curtain rods and candle holders — to add extra sparkle and let your room glow.

Paint

And no interior designer would dispute the value of a simple coat of paint to kick an already nicely designed room up a notch or two. Davis Remignanti of Furniture.com suggests selecting one wall of your room for a quick, total makeover using color and accent pieces.

“Paint the wall with a hue from today’s trendy color palette, such as a deep, rich chocolate brown that will pick up the color from your furniture,” suggests Remignanti. “Don’t be afraid of dark colors for accent walls, especially in rooms with a lot of natural light. Then replace the existing artwork on the wall with a bold, grand scale piece such as the retro prints that are so popular these days, and swap your area rug for one that better picks up the tones in your upholstery.

“These small changes can take your room from already-beautiful to drop-dead gorgeous,” he says.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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(ARA) - A fresh coat of paint is a great way to change the look and feel of a home, and it’s important that the thought process include more than just color schemes. Lisa LaPorta, designer and co-host of HGTV’s “Designed to Sell,” along with KILZ Casual Colors paint, offer expert tips for repainting your home.

1. Don’t Fear Change‚ or Color

There are no rules about color when it comes to your own home. Using neutral or earth tones for larger, more permanent or more expensive items like the sofa will allow you to experiment with paint and colorful accessories to liven up your personal space. Many people fear dark and bold colors for their walls, but it’s okay to get creative with paint color, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot. The KILZ Casual Colors paint line, for example, offers a one-coat coverage guarantee, making it easy to quickly and inexpensively update the look of a room.

2. The Two “C’s” of Design: Customize and Complement

A room’s color scheme should always be decided based on your personal tastes coupled with something more, like a piece of fabric or favorite accessory. Bring an accent rug or lampshade with you to the store for paint color ideas. Never pick a color based on recommendations from friends and family. Always design to appease your own personality, not the masses.

3. Paint Inside the Lines

Painting is the easiest and cheapest way to transform your home. Alternate taped-off sections of your walls with matte and glossy finishes of the same paint color to create vertical stripes. This creates dimension and elongates the space between your ceiling and floor. Using faux finishes, stencils and borders can also add personality to your home. To avoid peeling away new paint, carefully remove the tape as soon as you finish painting each section.

4. Be Your Own Monet

Believe it or not, a plainly painted canvas can be just as effective as an expensive piece of art. To tie the color scheme of your room together, purchase and paint several canvases with colors inspired by the details of your room - green from the throw pillows or brown from the area rug. Hang your homemade art grouped in a symmetric pattern or scattered across the wall creating a completely unique masterpiece.

5. Work that Woodwork

Cabinetry, trim and other woodwork add detail and dimension to a room, and finishing them with paint can make them more effective design elements. Use a semi- or high-gloss paint on woodwork to help emphasize architectural details. Priming and then painting trim and cabinets separates the walls from the woodwork, helping every carving and edge to pop.

6. Pick-Up the Right Accent

Home enthusiasts are increasingly keen on accent walls, but deciding which wall to paint is tricky. Walls with dramatic architectural features, such as fireplaces and detailed woodwork, make the best accent walls. Avoid choosing long walls and those with TVs or “holes,” like doors and windows, for your accent color. Painting them creates distraction and causes them to compete with other dramatic features of the room.

7. From Gloss to Flat, Finish Matters

Using paint with the appropriate finish can make or break your space. Kitchens and bathrooms should always be painted with a semi- or high-gloss finish for protection against moisture and everyday wear and tear. Glossy finishes tend to highlight a wall’s imperfections, however, so use a flat finish in bedrooms or dining rooms. Another good finish for bedrooms is KILZ Casual Colors Eggshell, which falls between satin and flat. And regardless of what finish you settle on, always use a primer first to seal the surface and ensure the best results.

8. Color Me Moody

Scientific research proves that colors affect our moods. Extroverts tend to choose warm hues when painting while introverts select cooler palettes for their walls. The soothing power of blues and lavenders work well in an office or study, and bolder reds and oranges work best in rooms where the action takes place, such as the family room and kids’ rooms. And dieters beware; pinks and reds elevate your sweet tooth, so keep them out of the kitchen.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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(ARA) - We all know stress is bad for us. In fact, about 64 percent of us say we are actively trying to reduce the amount of stress in our lives, according to the American Psychological Association. Health and interior design experts agree: stress relief can start at home by using smart stress-relieving design techniques.

“Our moods are affected by our immediate environments, and we can change how we feel by changing our interiors,” says Jonathon Fong, an interior designer, author and principal of Jonathon Fong Style. With most Americans citing the workplace as a major source of stress, it makes sense that we should try to make our homes as much of a restful oasis as possible.

Stress-relieving design doesn’t have to be costly, either. “If you’re trying to relieve stress, you need to surround yourself with colors and images that are calming,” says Fong. “Often, just by changing a design element in a room, you can trigger a calming response.”

Here are some tips for incorporating stress-relieving design into your home:

1. Focus your stress-relieving efforts on rooms where you spend a lot of time, like the kitchen, bath or bedroom. “The bathroom is an ideal room to incorporate stress-relieving design elements, because these elements fit naturally into a bath setting,” says Fong. “Things that reflect nature and water, like plants, flowers and stones (either actual or images of them) beautify the bath and alleviate stress.”
2. Choose design elements that will provide the most impact, such as repainting a room in a soothing color, adding a water element or even a wall mural. “A wall mural can enhance your decor’s stress relief ability many times over,” Fong says. “It’s like stress relief on steroids.”
   Wallpaper murals, available online at www.muralsyourway.com or through home improvement leader Lowe’s, make it simple and affordable to create dramatically soothing effects. “Whether it’s beautiful scenery or a calming piece of artwork, the mural transports you to another environment,” Fong says. “No mere wall color or decorative accessory can do what a wall mural can. It’s the easiest and most dramatic way to turn a room like a bathroom into an oasis.”
3. Keep clutter to a minimum. Clutter can be hugely stressful on many levels - from the visual impact it has on a room to the distressing effect of not being able to find something important because of the clutter surrounding you.
4. Chose calming colors, like blue or green. Designers have long known that color can directly impact mood. Natural tones, especially soothing water or grass hues, are known to have a calming effect. You can use the colors on the walls, or incorporate them into your furnishings and accent pieces.
5. Turn to nature. Natural elements are very stress-relieving. For lighting, opt for as much sunlight as possible (or soft light at night that mimics candlelight). For accessories, plants add a soothing touch of green and also boost the oxygen level in a room. Textures and tones that make us feel closer to nature help relieve stress. “Natural elements make us feel at one with nature,” Fong notes. “We escape civilization through these elements.”

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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