African Art Blog

Spears and Shields back in stock

noreply@blogger.com (Acacia Wood Carvings) — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 17:15:00 +0000

We're happy to announce that our much loved Maasai shields and spears are back in stock. They arrived from Africa last week and now they are stocked and ready to be shipped out... Get them while they are hot! :)

New Pieces Added May 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Acacia Wood Carvings) — Mon, 06 May 2013 22:51:00 +0000

We've just added a number of fine art pieces worth taking a look at, including a very rare pair of Ibeji figures from the Yoruba people of Nigeria.

The Yoruba are often recognized for their extraordinarily high rate of multiple births (i.e. twins, triplets, etc) and one of the highest in the world as regards twin birth. At one point in the distant past, twins known as Ibeji, were thought by the Yoruba to be evil. As such, they were quickly killed as they were considered to be monsters and abnormal.

However, in due time a cult of twins developed in which the evil twins were now seen to be minor deities who blessed their families with good fortune. (Imagine that!) The death of either of the twins is thought to be calamitous for the family. The only remedy that remains once that happens is appeasing the soul of the deceased child through carving a figure and putting it in the care of a mother who will treat the small wooden figure as though it were alive.

4 Color Grand Babu Mudcloth Robe Now In Stock!

noreply@blogger.com (Acacia Wood Carvings) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 19:40:00 +0000

Our best-selling mud cloth now comes in a men's garment!

Have a look at the 4-Color Grand Babu Mudcloth Robe straight from the nation of Mali. This robe is completely made of mudcloth from the artisans in Mali, and is sure to impress others. The authentic African mud cloth makes this handsome and one-of a kind, only a true man will want to be seen in this.

Makes a great gift!

Brand New Store Design!

noreply@blogger.com (Acacia Wood Carvings) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 23:18:00 +0000

We are very excited to debut today our new store design. It has been in the works for awhile now, and we are very pleased with it.

Included in this new store design is a more effective search feature, the ability to create accounts and save carts, and a smooth 1-page checkout.

If you haven't been by the store in awhile, check it out: acaciawoodcarvings.com

Talk soon!

We now have credit card processing!

noreply@blogger.com (Acacia Wood Carvings) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 22:14:00 +0000

The wait is over.

You can now pay with credit card on AcaciaWoodCarvings.com... yay!

The best part is, it is 100% secure, backed by SSL encryption, and features comprehensive fraud monitoring. There are literally no worries to use your credit card on the site now.

We've simplified the checkout process to 3 simple steps for your convenience. There's never been a better time to shop for authentic African art! :)

Happy 2013 From Acacia Wood Carvings

noreply@blogger.com (Acacia Wood Carvings) — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 23:48:00 +0000

Happy New Year to all our customers!

We hope you had a good holiday and spent the time with those you care about most (or, on a really exciting adventure of some sort, ha!).

We have cleaned up our checkout process a little bit so make it easier for people browsing our store to complete their purchase. There is no more registering accounts, and the checkout is a quick 3 page process. We intend to add on-site credit card processing very shortly.

We also plan on updating all of our inventory in January, including some great new offerings... so stay tuned! :)

We are so glad that you chose us to deliver African art to your doorstep. We really appreciate your business and look forward to serving you in 2013!

We just made a new intro video!

noreply@blogger.com (Acacia Wood Carvings) — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:26:00 +0000

We just made new intro video to Acacia Wood Carvings and put it on our 'About' page.

The idea is to introduce new visitors to our website and how to find what they are looking for, whether it is African fine art, fabrics, sculptures, wall art, or other items.

Have a look and tell us what you think!

Mobile Friendly Design Added to Acacia Wood Carvings!

noreply@blogger.com (Acacia Wood Carvings) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 00:43:00 +0000

We've just added a mobile friendly design to our store, which mean you can shop through Acacia Wood Carvings on your smart phone!

Right now it's a very basic design, but it enables you to make purchases on iPhones, Androids, Blackberrys, iPads, and practically any other mobile device.

Feel free to browse our store of African products while you're standing in line, on the road, or just hanging out.

Let us know how you like it!

Email us: contact [at] acaciawoodcarvings .com

New Store Design!

noreply@blogger.com (Acacia Wood Carvings) — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 23:15:00 +0000

We are very excited to announce our new store design!

Hopefully, we've made it easier to find what you're looking for, including better search features as well as new categories. We've also incorporated a new background and color scheme for an updated look.

As always we offer free shipping on every order! (within continental US)

If you haven't been over to the store in awhile, check it out: AcaciaWoodCarvings.com

Mud Cloths Back In Stock!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 May 2012 18:29:00 +0000

Hello Everyone,

We are VERY excited to announce that our African Mud Cloth fabrics are now back in stock. We will need a day or two to sort them and get them back on our site, but they are back and we will have them on our site very soon.

These mud cloths have been a customer favorite for years and many of our customers have asked when they would be back. We had some customs difficulties with this shipment of mud cloths which is why it took so long to get them back in stock.

These beautiful mud cloths are very reasonably priced for a handcrafted and handpainted piece of African art and culture. Anyways, thank you for your patience and thank you very much for your business.

Acacia Wood Carvings Staff

Kind Words From A Satisfied Customer!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 02:17:00 +0000

Good Day Acacia Wood Carvings,

Upon receival of my above order, I cannot say how surprised I was at the quality, and perfections of the Authentic African Masai Warrior Package. I am totally impressed and lost for words for the product craftsmanship. Extremely awesome. Second to none. Absolutely superior. Your business is expressed with integrity and pride. Nothing less but supreme products. Thank you so very much for me to have the opportunity to show off the excellent quality of your awesome product.

Sincerely,

Merle Young

Thank you Merle for such kind words. We strive to provide our customers with the best African art products online and we love to hear when we over-deliver.

Our website is undergoing some major changes, mainly in the amount of products that we now offer. Our store inventory has nearly doubled in the last month with the addition of our fine African art products as well as our new line of African clothing and of course our new collection of African paintings.

We have an entire collection of original watercolor paintings by the South African artist Hargreaves Ntukwana. This may be the largest Hargreaves collection in the entire world and we are happy to display his work on our website.

Please take a minute to view our new products and we hope that you will be pleasantly surprised by the beauty of our newest additions, just as we were when we first saw them.

Beautiful Aged African Art Pieces Just Added To Our Store!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:51:00 +0000

1/30/2012 - Here at Acacia Wood Carvings, we are very excited about some new additions to our African art store. We have always provided customers with very affordable African art that is also beautiful and authentic. These pieces are perfect for decorating your home with multiple pieces while still being budget friendly, but we have always been in search of what we like to call "WOW" pieces. These are items that are one-of-a-kind and truly magnificent.

We have just added a large selection of these "WOW" pieces to our store and we think our customers will be as impressed as we were when we first saw them. These items are museum quality art that will be the centerpiece of any collection.

From very rare African masks, to beautiful and unique aged statuary, to superb African weaponry, there is something for everyone. We now offer all types of African art from all over Africa. Please visit our store to see these products for yourself. African Art For Sale.

Christmas Decorating Ideas For The Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 02:09:00 +0000

Here are a few unique ideas for the upcoming Christmas holiday season. We love the holidays at Acacia Wood Carvings and hope that you are inspired by some of these ideas.

Home decorating is great any time of the year but it seems to be exceptionally popular during the Christmas holiday. When November rolls around, people are making plans to decorate and are searching for unique home decorating ideas for the Christmas holiday. Since this season only comes once a year, people tend to go all out, filling their homes with festive ornaments and decorations.

There are many home decorating ideas for the Christmas holiday but finding unique ways to jazz up your home may not quite so easy. This might be where your imagination steps in. You may have visions of what you’d like but turning that vision into reality may seem inconceivable. When it comes to unique home decorating, nothing is too difficult to accomplish. With the right materials and help, you can work on your unique home decorating ideas for the Christmas holiday.

Fortunately professional home decorators and home décor businesses understand the need for help in home decorating. Because if this need, they publish magazines and set up websites featuring decorating tips, including unique home decorating tips for the Christmas holiday. Actually these home décor specialists usually publish material according to the season. A special publication is often printed for the Christmas holiday. If searching the Internet, you’ll find many sources for unique home decorating ideas for the Christmas holiday. It’s easy to run out to a department store and pick up whatever is in style this year but many people would rather have their own unique decorations at Christmas time.

When home decorating for the Christmas holiday, people generally stick to the traditional red and green theme. This is unfortunate since there is a wide range of colors that could be used at Christmas time to enhance your home. Trendy decorating magazines will likely suggest you use any color you like to create those unique decorations. Often you’ll see purple, blue and yellow used in Christmas presentations in store windows. Unique home decorating ideas for the Christmas holiday is all about individuality. Using your ideas and your imagination, you can create something totally individual, unlike any other decorations. If your creation is a hit, it may not be unique the next Christmas holiday.

Unique home decorating ideas for the Christmas holiday should include traditional things such as pine cones, poinsettias, holly berries and cranberries. These items make great additions to Christmas arrangements, trees, table settings, wreaths and anything to do with home decorating for the Christmas holiday. Unique home decorating ideas for the Christmas holiday, no matter what materials are used, will certainly be a reason for conversation when guests come to visit. When on the topic of home decorating for Christmas, perhaps your guests may be able to share a few unique ideas with you. It might be wise to jot down any suggestions and ideas for Christmas decorating. Since you’re unlikely to use these ideas until the next Christmas holiday, these great tips and suggestions just may be forgotten and once again you’ll be searching for unique home decorating ideas for the Christmas holiday.

Home Decorating For Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:36:00 +0000

Well, its that time of year again. The holidays are just around the corner and we wanted to give a few ideas for Thanksgiving when it comes to home decorating.

Thanksgiving is a time of year in which families from all across the nation gather together and enjoy the presence of each other and give thanks for the fact that we live in this great country and have the means with which to celebrate in this manner. It is a great time that is representative of the hand of friendship that was extended to us in the past and the season of harvest.

Thanksgiving takes place during the autumn season, which makes it an ideal time to decorate in the splendid colors of fall. These colors are not the bright colors that represent spring and summer or the sparking colors that epitomize Christmas but the colors of nature once she has seasoned and matured a bit. The colors are nothing short of spectacular and provide an excellent palate upon which you can decorate your home.

The leaves and foliage of fall make excellent arrangements and garlands. If you want to hold onto the look for years to come and incorporate them into your regular fall decorating rather than simply enjoying them for one Thanksgiving holiday there are plenty of excellent and life-like silk leaf garlands that will make excellent additions to your home decorating contributions. The better quality you find in these the more likely they are to stand up to years of service and storage. The same holds true with any imitation items you purchase. Better quality typically indicates a much longer shelf life.

Fall fruits and vegetables also make excellent decorations when it comes to giving thanks and home decorating. In fact, the food from the harvest and the friendship of the Indians was the very reason for the first Thanksgiving why on earth shouldn't it be included in your celebration of thanks?

Wreathes in fall colors are another excellent idea for decorating your home for Thanksgiving. It makes all who enter feel welcome and it is appropriate for the season. There is no such thing in this day and age as an all season wreath though there are many that can be adjusted to meet the needs of each season with simple steps. A grapevine wreath is a good start and can easily have seasonal things tied or attached to it in order to experience greater longevity.

Pilgrims also make an excellent addition to your Thanksgiving decorations. They were after all the original celebrants of this tradition that has become a holiday for this great nation. You can have your children help select or even make the pilgrims that you will be adding to your decorations as well as a handprint turkey or two. Not all home decorations need to be expensive or elegant. Sometimes the simplest decorations drawn by the hands of a child are the ones that make the most memorable impressions on friends and family alike.

Cornucopias are another great centerpiece and decoration for the Thanksgiving holiday. Not everyone has a large enough dinner table to accommodate one of these but they also work well on a buffet, a hall table, and almost any other location your heart can desire and you can manage to fit it in.

If all else fails however, the food for Thanksgiving is all the decorations that some at your table will need. Do not forget the meaning of this season a time to give thanks for all the blessings in your life and enjoy the food and the decorations but more importantly enjoy the friends and the family.

Share Your Home Decorating Ideas With Others

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 03:00:00 +0000

Almost all of our best home decorating ideas has come from being inspired by someone elses ideas. It is very important to share your creative ideas and inspiration when it comes to home decorating. Especially if you are confused or dont know what to do, looking to others can be a great way to figure it out.

Great home decorating ideas are meant to be shared. When discovering a new home decorating technique, why not share it with a friend or family member? There is always someone in a circle of friends who is making changes to their home décor. There are so many wonderful fabrics, colors and accessories on the market today. It is difficult to resist the opportunity to decorate your home. A stroll through a building supply store or department store automatically produces home decorating ideas. People who like change are likely to take these home decorating ideas and turn them into reality.

When visiting a friend’s home for coffee, it is a common practice to check out their space. If it’s a home you visit often, no doubt you’ll notice changes right away. Those changes will probable turn into a conversation about home decorating. If something in the décor really catches your eye, no doubt you will question the friend regarding where they bought it or what gave them the idea? If you are interested in making similar changes at your home, no doubt the friend will share their home decorating ideas with you.

You’re hosting a dinner party for a group of people from work. Making sure to pull out all the stops you spend hours decorating the house. The changes you make or things you add may not seem out of the ordinary to you but, a guest may think it is magnificent. Dinner conversation will probably turn into sharing home decorating ideas. The men in the group may not be too thrilled but the women - they’ll be in the element.

Sharing home decorating ideas might simply mean suggesting a neutral color for a room instead of a bold color. Offering advice to a friend regarding window treatments might be considered sharing home decorating ideas. There are many ideas and suggestions a person can pass on about home decorating. If you have good home decorating ideas, why not share them with a friend who seems to need help in that area. Your ideas may be just what the friend’s space requires. Who knows, sharing your home decorating ideas may even make your friendship stronger.

There are many opportunities to share home decorating ideas. Group gatherings are a great chance to talk about home decorating. When shopping at a department store or a paint shop, perhaps an employee who is knowledgeable about home decorating will voluntarily share their ideas with you. Family magazines are a good source for home decorating ideas. Usually these magazines provide a photo with all relative information regarding the home decorating. There are books published which are filled with home decorating ideas. These books can usually be found at a local bookstore or you may want to check with online bookstores as well. The Internet is a great resource when seeking home decorating ideas. There are some sites which are developed by professional home decorators to advertise their skills and promote business. There are also sites, accessible by anyone, which shares home decorating ideas. Finding great ideas for decorating your home is not a problem. However, if you discover techniques and tips which you think would benefit someone else, you really ought to share them.

How To Decorate Your Bathroom On A Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 18 May 2010 16:39:00 +0000

In today's tough economy, most of us are looking for ways to save and just because money may be tight does not mean that you cant' do any decorating in your home. This article will give you a few great ideas for decorating your bathroom on a budget. We hope that you are enjoying our article series and we wish you the best of luck with your home decorating.

When it comes to home decorating there are few rooms that have quite the impact of a bathroom or kitchen when being decorated. There is something wonderful about taking a tired old bathroom and making it seem bright and shiny once again. Most people, however, cringe at the thought of a bathroom remodel fearing the absolute worst when it comes to their financial situation once all is said and done. The good news is that small steps can lead to big changes in rooms as small as bathrooms. These small steps do not have to have large prices in order to be highly effective.

My suggestion with a bathroom is to assess where the worst blemishes and eyesores may be. Painting the walls can be a good place to start but you should first decide whether you are planning to remove any cabinetry. This is one room where it is best to save the painting for later in the project rather than the beginning. The vanity in many bathrooms takes up a good deal of real estate. Gone are the days when chunky cabinets were the popular choice for bathrooms. Now people want the bathrooms to have the appearance of a wide-open space. This means that cabinets and vanities are becoming smaller rather than larger.

Most homeowners find that the removal of bulky cabinetry in the bathroom often leads to some degree of patching required for the drywall and noticeable gaps in flooring. These will need to be addressed fairly quickly, which means that now is a good time to select color options for the walls and flooring. Smaller bathrooms do well with lighter colors on the walls in order to give them a larger appearance. Use towels and decorations to bring in darker accents but keep the walls light and bright. Also choose paint that can withstand the high humidity of bathrooms.

Flooring in a bathroom also needs to be able to withstand high heat and humidity as this room is rather abusive to floors and walls. For this reason, hardwood is not the floor of choice for most bathrooms. Ceramic tile is an excellent choice and not terribly expensive. There are also some laminates that are designed to respond well to a high humidity environment such as will be found in a bathroom. Choose flooring that will accent the walls and the overall sense of décor you are hoping to achieve when decorating your home and bathroom, as this is not something you are going to want to change often.

The toilet in a bathroom is fairly simple to purchase but I recommend leaving it be unless it absolutely needs to be changed. This is not a simple procedure for the novice and experts are expensive. In this case "if it ain't broke don't fix it" is an excellent motto to live by. The same holds true with the shower. If, however, you simply cannot live with your shower (or bathtub) as is, you may want to try hiring professionals to come in and resurface your tub. This is much less expensive than purchasing a brand-new tub and will have yours looking bright, shiny, and as good as new. Again you can avoid the high cost of a plumber despite the fact that you are paying for professionals to resurface.

To top things off, you will be amazed at the difference that new knobs, fixtures, and hardware can make in a bathroom. Add a couple of lamps for subtle lighting and some decorative touches of your own and you have a brand new bathroom without spending a king's ransom in order to do so. The shower curtain and 'guest' towels should be your largest splurges in your bathroom, as they will tie the room all together. You shower curtains and towels will blend the colors and designs in order to create the overall atmosphere you should be hoping to achieve in your bathroom. And all of this can be accomplished one step at a time no matter how sparse your budget may be.

Home Decorating On A Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 10 May 2010 21:49:00 +0000

In today's tough economy, there are many things in life that get pushed to the back burner. Good news is that home decorating does not need to break the bank. This article talks about a few tips and tricks to decorate your home on a budget.

Home decorating is not something that requires a vast fortune in order to do. Nor is it something that must be accomplished all at once. The ideal manner to decorate a home is one step at a time, one room at a time. This makes the process much less stressful, more enjoyable, and imminently more affordable. Some great ideas are to start small then work your way up.

Paint is one of the least expensive things you can do to a room that will have the most immediate and profound impact on the overall look and feel of the room in question. By selecting the paint colors and painting the walls before anything else is done everything else can be done in order to match the colors you have placed on the walls. More importantly, paint is something that the average person is capable of doing on their own rather than being forced to hire experts in order to get it done. Any home improvement project that you can do yourself will save more money than you can imagine along the way.

Once you've managed changing your walls, you may wish to change your window treatments. Roman shades are an excellent choice as they are rather simple to make (which would leave you only the cost of the fabric and supplies) but they are not the only option. I would recommend some sort of curtains as a form of window treatment as they are much more personal than the typical mini blinds found in so many homes today. Curtains or Roman shades can be purchased to match the colors on your walls and should not be a terribly expensive investment.

Flooring has in the past often been out of reach of those seeking to casually improve the look of a room. New technology and materials have made new flooring a valid option even for those who are on seriously limited home decorating budgets. Laminates are a good option for those who love the look of hardwood but cannot afford the expense of materials and/or labor for these floors in their homes. Laminates can often be installed by even those with limited skills and make a very noticeable change in the look and feel of a room. Peel and stick tile is another option for those whose budgets will not accommodate laminate flooring. Check out the options and the prices at your local home improvement store. You just might be amazed at what you can afford.

Rather than purchasing new furniture to make an impressive impact on the look of your living area, try furniture covers. These can often be purchased in shades that will match your new décor and are much less expensive than new furniture leaving money for the little touches that matter so much in the overall look of the room. Besides, when friends and family walk in and see the changes they will be shocked and amazed. They may even be convinced that you do in fact have new furniture.

Mirrors are excellent tools to use when decorating a home. More importantly, they are rather inexpensive for the most part. Mirrors also lend the appearance of a much more wide-open space than having no mirrors would accomplish. If you have a fire place, strategically located mirrors can spread the warmth and coziness (if not the heat) of a fire throughout the room making the room as a whole seem like a much more enjoyable place to escape the winter "blahs".

Artwork, candles, vases, and floral arrangements can be purchased one piece at a time in order to give the room a more polished look. Once you've decorated one room in your home with these budget tips in mind you can move on to other rooms in your home and incorporate the same ideals as you go. Remember that decorating your home doesn't have to cost a fortune but it will require some patience and planning on your part. With this in mind, there should be nothing to stop you from heading out today and getting to work on your new home decorating plans.

Decorating Log Home Interiors

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 May 2010 22:47:00 +0000

I know that decorating the interior of a log home may be a far cry from African Decor, but we are fascinated with all types of home decor and we like to have an open mind when it comes to decorating. This is why you will see many different types of ideas on our blog, including those that may be extremely different than African Art. We are happy to have articles on our site that promote Interior Decorating as a whole so that each style can be appreciated individually.

Log home decorating is perhaps on of the more fun decorating projects. Using a cottage theme, log home decorating provides you an opportunity to draw from nature and implement some of your favourite objects. If you are a person who spends a lot of time at your cottage or log home, no doubt you’ve started a collection of treasures to display. Family photos and handmade ornaments are popular accessories for log home decorating. Any object reflecting family memories are great for a log home or cottage.

A log cabin is a home away from home. It is intended to be warm and cozy for all those who visit. Choosing earthly colors for paint and fabric would help create this atmosphere in log home decorating. This environment is meant to be welcoming and cheerful. Adding some vibrant colors and patterns in cushions and slip-covers will certainly brighten the space and enhance your log home decorating.

Usually people try to find used furniture for their log home or cottage. You many have some unwanted furniture at home such as a chair, a table or a couch. Instead of discarding them, why not take them to your log home. Flea markets and garage sales are great places to find amazing furniture to use in your log home decorating project. Remember, one person’s junk is another person’s treasure. Old wooden pieces of furniture are perfect for log cabin decorating. You may want to leave them in their original state or to give them a newer look, you may want to paint them or if it’s a chair, perhaps make nice slip-covers in a bright floral pattern.

Besides the mementos you brought from home, there are many accessories you can use in log cabin decorating. Trying to keep with a cottage theme, you might look for baskets made from natural materials that you can hang from the ceiling or place on a table, wooden bowls, galvanized tin pots and buckets, old jars or jugs, there are countless objects you could use to accessorize in log home decorating. Trying to create a feeling of warmth and cosiness, you could have handmade quilts in your log cabin. Handmade items make wonderful additions to log home decorating.

When choosing flooring for a log home or cottage, natural wood such as birch, cedar or pine, are great choices. You can leave your wood floor in its natural form, allowing it to age and remain authentic looking. You can also pick from many beautiful wood stains to use on your floor which will protect it and also compliment it. Area rugs are nice in log home decorating. Area rugs make a space cozy especially when laid on a wood floor.

Log home decorating allows you to be in touch with nature and all the wonderful materials it has to share. The very structure of the building is made of logs which came from the forest. The scent of the logs alone, add to the natural feeling in a log cabin. Log home decorating is a project that may never be completed. You’ll always find something special that can only be appreciated in your log cabin or cottage.

A Few Tips About Home Decorating

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:15:00 +0000

There are many ways to decorate a home, from African Art to Art Deco, there are just so many options. There are a few things that you should always keep in mind and below we have listed a few more tips to help you in your home decorating adventures.

When people think about making changes to their home, either one or two rooms or the entire space, most often they imagine color. Generally people choose colors they are fond of or those which correspond with pieces of furniture. When searching for ideas for decorating a home, one idea which is perhaps overlooked is decorating with the two basic colors – black and white.

Black and white, used in decorating, creates drama and pizzazz. It is said that every room can benefit by using a touch of black. Black is a color which anchors and grounds a room. Adding sophistication, black is definitely a color that demands attention. Ideas for decorating a home using black may include accessories such as light fixtures, trim or furniture. Black serves to add definition to focal points of a room. Black is just one color that stands out or makes a statement.

Using black and white when decorating a home, provides a clean, fresh, elegant atmosphere. This combination can be added to any room in a home making it a sophisticated space. Black and white are often used in contemporary home decorating and often used to accent other colors in French Country design. It may be hard to visualize but there are many ideas for decorating a home using only these two basic colors.

The floor is a great place to start in decorating a space. Black and white vinyl tiles laid alternately makes a beautiful checkerboard pattern and looks clean and elegant. Black marble used on the floor, accented by wide white baseboards, another beautiful idea for decorating a home. White ceramic tiles with a black border or simply paint the floor black or white and use stencils of the opposite color for decoration. These are great ideas for decorating a home.

White walls, is there anything more perfect? Painting the walls white or even an off-white, would make a perfect background for accessories such as artwork framed in black. That you can imagine. Elegant black window treatments or black shutter against a clean, crisp white wall would definitely create an aura of sophistication. Perhaps a glass-top table with black iron trim and black chairs, these are terrific ideas for decorating a home using black and white.

A bedroom decorated using black and white would be lovely. An iron bed-frame in black or white, covered with a striped black and white comforter. For the pillow shames, you could use either all black or all white and could add throw cushions in the opposite color. A nice leather black or white chair in the corner would be certainly accent the room. Then the white walls with an elegant piece of artwork, framed in black hanging on it, this would surely add to the contemporary feel. Black furniture against the crisp white walls would look neat and tidy. Jazz up the room with accessories such as pewter or silver candlesticks, jugs or vases. If you think the room needs a little color to complete the look, perhaps a throw or cushion in a bold color like red or gold, for the chair in the corner of the room would be enough to accent the room.

Ideas for decorating a home, they are numerous. Finding one that suits you and those that live in your home is important. It’s nice to do something radical and off-the-wall but remember you must be able to live with it for awhile.

Decorating The Home Office

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 01:51:00 +0000

Every room in a house requires a face-lift or organizing once in awhile. Many people have home offices which require decorating. If this is your dilemma, you have help since there are many ideas for home office decorating. Planning a home office project doesn’t have to be expensive which is great because perhaps you can afford a professional decorator to transform your home office. Creativity goes a long way when you are home office decorating.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a separate room for their home office. The main thing to remember in home office decorating is to do your best with what you’ve got. You may have to set up your home office in a closet, a corner of your living room, on a stair landing or in a spare room. Wherever your home office may be in your home, there are ways to decorate it, making it a comfortable and enjoyable place to work.

Once you’ve decided on a space for your home office, you’ll need a plan. Doing the home office decorating yourself will save time and money. Painting is something you can definitely do. When choosing colors for your home office, a fresh lively color or a calming color would be the best choices. These tones will set the mood for your work space. To jazz it up a little, you might want to use stencilling around your desk or perhaps wallpaper one wall to enhance the space you have.

When looking for ideas for home office decorating, why not look around your home. No doubt there are pieces of furniture that aren’t being used. Perhaps there’s a comfortable chair you can take for your home office. If space is a big issue, you might want to build a desk. Building a desk for your home office decorating project can be as simple as laying a piece of board on top of a filing cabinet or a smaller table. Home office decorating doesn’t mean you have to rush out to an office furnishing store and max out your credit card. You can decorate a home office using items you already have or if you’d like something different, why not visit a few charity shops or garage sales. You are guaranteed to find something useful that will cost you very little.

If you’ll be spending a fair amount of time in your home office space, it is important to include details that will inspire you such as artwork or music. Lighting is also essential in a workspace. If you are decorating a small area, lamps may be best for lighting. Plants are also nice in a home office. Choosing a favorite plant to put in your workspace would surely be inspiring. Photos of family and happy memories are nice to have in your home office. If space is an issue, you may want to choose one wall to hang your artwork and photos. Another wall can be used for shelving, to store your office supplies, books and necessities for your work. It would be great if you could leave at least one wall fairly clear, too much is often distracting. There are many great ideas for home office decorating. If you seem to be a standstill with your project, make use of some of the great resources available such as home office decorating magazines and catalogs, television decorating programs and the Internet. Each of these suggestions will provide many useful ideas for home office decorating.

We hope that you are enjoying our continued article series on home decorating from different points of view. We love African decor, but we are also passionate about many other styles of interior decorating and we hope that you can get some great ideas for your project at home.

Summer Home Decorating Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 03:05:00 +0000

Summer is just around the corner and as we do our spring cleaning, it may be time to change some of our decor. This article focuses on some ideas for summer home decorating. We hope that you enjoy...

Summer is the perfect time of year to wear your true patriotic colors. This is the time of year to enjoy watermelon, fried chicken, corn on the cob, and apple pie. It is the time of year when days are long, nights are hot, and watching fireflies light up the night sky is one of the many joys that should not be forgot. Summer home decorating styles should keep all of these things in mind and so much more.

Sunflowers are an excellent place to begin when it comes to summer decorating. They make an excellent statement and immediately (for many) bring to mind sunshine and summertime. The bright yellow of these flowers is a great accent for almost any room in the home and they are quite common in the silk form, as they have experienced some degree of popularity in recent years. This means you can enjoy the beauty of these sunflowers summer after summer if that is your wish.

Baskets are also a great thing to collect for summertime decorating. You can place some of the beautiful sunflowers in baskets throughout the house for added effect. Baskets can also be used to tame the clutter, hide the bills, and hold the utensils in the kitchen. These are quite versatile and usable in almost every room in the house. Some even use baskets in the bathroom in order to hold hand towels and/or wash clothes. Baskets also transition well into other seasons if you elect to change the liners or add seasonally appropriate ribbons to the exterior of the baskets.

If you are handy with the paint brush some excellent summer decorating ideas include painting old wooden tables and chairs white and sponging on either apples or watermelons according to your fancy. A small round table with a couple of chairs can make an excellent (and often inexpensive) addition to a sunroom or breakfast nook. Of course you could also stencil on some sunflowers, sunshine, or stick figures playing ball. Whatever strikes your fancy would be a great addition to this clever home decorating idea.

If you'd like a little sizzle to your summer theme try going for a Moroccan nights theme in your home. Mosaics candle holders and wall sconces coupled with a few large pillows in rich fabrics can greatly enhance this atmosphere without breaking the piggy bank in the process. Candles and indirect lighting further enhance the mood as well as incense burning in the background.

Others prefer to lend their home decorating skills for summertime to the exteriors of their homes. This is often accomplished by creating an outdoor living area. Even most mass retailers are getting in on the profits that can be had by creating an elegant exterior living area for most families. Gone are the days when plastic chairs were adequate for the demands of consumers. Today's outdoor living area is filled with elegant and element friendly furnishings that appeal to many different design styles and tastes.

In addition to the many wonderful furnishing options for exterior living areas many families are choosing to incorporate outdoor fireplaces in order to make the living area livable during other times of year than summer as well as outdoor cooling systems that help families keep their cool while enjoying the great outdoors during summer time. By creating an atmosphere outside your home where you can enjoy the summer you are making the most of the space that is available to you and bringing a good bit of the cooking outside which often helps keep energy costs down as well.

Summertime is a great time for home decorating for those who are inclined to let their imaginations run wild. This is one time of year when most people can remember what it felt like to be a kid out of school and relish the memories. Capitalize on those fond memories and incorporate them into your décor for an amazing appeal.

Using Baskets With Your Home Decor

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:32:00 +0000

At Acacia Wood Carvings, we enjoy all types of home decorating styles. We specialize in African home decor, but we want to provide ideas for all types of home decorating. This article focuses on using baskets as a decorating accent.

There are very few things you can add to your home décor that will have quite the versatility of baskets. Baskets are not only decorative touches, they also blend well with almost any décor and in most cases are quite willing to suit dual purposes as both decoration and much needed storage.

Below you will find some clever ways to use baskets. Enjoy!

1) Mail sorter. Try hanging a row of baskets near your entryway. As you are walking into your home while sorting the mail slip the appropriate piece of mail into the corresponding basket. Have one basket for each family member and drop the junk mail into the wastebasket you've placed just below the row of baskets on your wall. This way everyone has easy access to his or her mail and junk mail is handled as well.
2) Kitchen organizer. There are many jobs in the kitchen that baskets pull off beautifully. One such job is that of napkin holder. There are actually baskets by a famous brand that are the absolute perfect size for holding napkins for the dinner table. Additionally taller baskets make excellent holders for kitchen utensils that need to be within easy reach of the stove. There are even small baskets that make excellent holders for small jars of frequently used seasonings such as salt and pepper. Keep your eyes open the next time you're in the kitchen and consider all the great ways baskets could help out.
3) Knitting supplies. Larger baskets are excellent tools for taming the beast that can easily become your supply of knitting tools and notions. Limit your collection to one large basket and eliminate the things that will not fit. This keeps you on top of your knitting supplies while keeping them out of site and protected from dirty baby paws.
4) Umbrella holder. This is an excellent use for a basket if you have one of the proper size. Place it on the floor next to your coat rack or closet or in your entryway and you will always have ready access to your umbrellas when bad weather comes your way.
5) Magazine holder. This is one very common use for baskets but one that should very well be mentioned.
6) Toy box. This is perhaps a favorite among parents who are fortunate enough to have an extra empty basket at any given time. Anytime unexpected company shows up this is an excellent tool for quickly gathering all stray toys and getting them out of sight.
7) Office supplies. There are many baskets that make excellent organizers and holders for office supplies. From pen and pencil holders to those that are ideal for paper clips, sticky notes, and liquid paper there are many baskets that are almost ideal for a home office.
8) Laundry hamper. This is yet another great use for a basket. They are able to breathe by the very nature of their design so that if for some reason a wet wash clothe or damp towel gets thrown in it doesn't necessarily spell ruin for the whole batch of laundry.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the virtues of baskets but a good place to start the next time you are having an internal debate about whether or not to invest the money in a good quality basket for your home decorating needs.

Home Interior Decorating Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:55:00 +0000

Home interior decorating is a perfect opportunity for you to express yourself. Home interior decorating allows you to showcase your interests; interests in furniture, art and even different cultures. Every decorating style is different, with some being elaborate while others are plain. However, there is a home interior decorating style to suit your personality as well as your budget.

Budget is usually at the top of the list when making plans for home interior decorating. It is easy to look at a picture and want to recreate it in your space. Sometimes the details in home decorating pictures are quite expensive which may introduce obstacles for you. There’s no need to be disheartened however, there are always alternate ideas to help you achieve your ideal space. Resources such as magazines, books, television programs and Internet websites are very helpful with suggestions and ideas for home interior decorating. Using these resources you’re bound to find alternatives to any problems you may have with home interior decorating.

If you are an individual who loves color and authentic home interior decorating, there are several designs to choose from. Primitive home interior decorating is interesting because it concentrates on old and handmade items. This is a wonderful opportunity to display collectables and handed down treasures. This style suggests using accessories and furniture which appear extremely old, worn, stained or antique. If you are a person who likes antiques, primitive interior decorating might be right for you. When choosing a paint color for this design, dark and warm shades are recommended. Deep grey or red brick would work well in this space.

Another home interior decorating design that you may find interesting is whimsical decorating. This design allows you to go wild with your imagination. Using any and all of your favourite colors, you space should be decorated thoroughly with various patterns and colors. This home interior decorating design is all about color. The important detail to remember however is, if you choose bold vibrant colors, stay within that hue of color. If you decide to use pastel colors, stick with colors in the pastel palette.

If you have difficulty moving from the past into modern home interior decorating, traditional design may be for you. This home interior decorating style combines the modern look with the elegant look of the past. Space is important in the traditional design. To help create a spacious atmosphere, neutral colors such as neutral, beige or mushroom is recommended for the walls. To add a punch of color to this traditional design, darker colors such as burgundy, mauve, blues and greens are suggested for the upholstery, fabric, rugs, etc. When choosing accessories for this home interior decorating design, china and crystal objects will compliment this style. You might also like to add some artwork to your space. Paintings with wood frames go great with this traditional theme.

There are just three of the many designs for home interior decorating. There are many and there is one, just for you. Browsing sources about home interior decorating designs will give you a better idea of their characteristics regarding color, furnishings, flooring and accessories. With your individual tastes and interests at the forefront, you ought to be able to find a style that works for you. Home interior decorating can turn your home into an oasis of pure enjoyment.

Decorating Your Home's Interior

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:01:00 +0000

Although we focus on African home decor, we are fans of interior decorating in general, which is why you will find many different types of styles and information on our blog. Thank you for visiting and I hope you enjoy this article on Interior decorating.

Is it time again to consider decorating the interior of your home? Are you enthused about this possibility or are you frustrated? Does the thought decorating the interior or your home make you want to skip town or does it make you anxious and excited? There are certainly mixed feelings when it comes to decorating the interior of homes. Not everyone is creative or skilled. They might assume they are incapable of interior decorating. Some people simply do not like this sort of project. Then there are those individuals who can’t wait to roll up their sleeves and get into the paint and plaster. There is plenty of help available for every single individual, no matter what their feelings are regarding decorating the interior of their home.

If you absolutely hate the idea of decorating the interior of your home, a professional interior decorator might be the best solution for you. They will work with you to help you choose a decorating design including colors, flooring, furnishings and accessories. They will put the plan in motion but you’ll probably need to hire a painter or someone to install your flooring. This is a great option if you can afford it but many people do not have the funds to pay a professional interior decorator, a painter and a flooring installer.

If you are an adventurous person, decorating the interior of your home could be seen as just one more exciting encounter. You’ll have no problems finding information about decorating the interior of your home. There are many magazines published every month which provide information and instructions for decorating the interior of your home. There are books, do-it-yourself books that give specific step-by-step details for decorating the interior of your home. The Internet is a great resource base for interior decorating information. Hundreds of sites are filled with useful details to help you plan your decorating and help you through the process. The television is also a good source regarding decorating the interior of your home. There are several reality television programs that can instruct you and give you ideas for your home decorating project.

When you decide to decorate the interior of your home, you must first decide which room or rooms you will be changing. Choosing a theme will help you make decisions regarding color, furnishings, fabric and accessories. There are many themes to choose from including African, Victorian, Cottage, Modern, English Country, French Country, Traditional, Medieval, Moroccan, Art Deco, Southwestern, etc. Once you decide on a theme, you can then pick materials based around this interior home design. Using the various resources available for decorating the interior of your home, you ought to be capable of picking a color palette that will enhance your room, choose fabric that will add warmth, select furnishings which are comfortable and accessories which will accent and compliment your space. With the many resources available to you, many of them offering free home decorating ideas, you should be able to make decorating the interior of your home an exciting adventure with little or no stress and frustration.

Home Decorating For Spring Time

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:59:00 +0000

With Spring just around the corner, many of us are beginning to tackle those spring cleaning duties. You may also be interested in changing some of the decor in your house with a new Spring time feel. This article will give you some ideas on just how to do that...

Spring is a time of renewal. It is the time of year when people across the country begin shaking off the final dregs of winter, opening their windows, and hanging clothes on the lines to dry. It is the time of year that many people associate with cleaning but very few associate with home decorating. Sadly enough there are very few times of year when it is more appropriate to decorate your home. Face it, for most of us, this is the only time of year that we are actually happy about cleaning.

During the summer months we clean because the kids (young and old alike) are constantly tracking dirt, mud, grass, and goodness knows what else into the house. Cleaning in these days is a chore and yet we still manage to bring out the patriotic colors and celebrate America in style. Goodness knows how with all the extra cleaning that is going on and the nearly double amounts of lemonade and iced tea being consumed daily. Still we manage to decorate and take great joy in doing so as if some right of passage has been achieved by our home decorating efforts.

During the Thanksgiving and Winter months we clean house because we have no choice. Friends and family will be coming over and they expect our homes to be well decorated and clean. This I must tell you is quite the accomplishment with the rush of the holidays afoot and yet somehow we manage to muster up some Christmas cheer when others are around while playing Mr. Scrooge when it comes to running the mop and the broom around our rooms.

Spring is the one time of year in which our cleaning efforts are nothing short of inspired. Yet it is also the spring that often eludes us when it comes to inspiration for decoration. Perhaps we are too tired from all of our cleaning efforts to seek the inspiration to decorate. If this is the case with you, then my hope is that some of the ideas mentioned below will help bring some serious decoration inspiration your way.

1) Flowers. Spring is the time of flowers. They are all around us. Use fresh cut flowers and candles to create beautiful arrangement and centerpieces throughout your home.
2) Candles. While briefly mentioned above they deserve their own spot among the top five to say the least. Candles can be soothing, relaxing, invigorating, inspiring, beautiful, elegant, and simply smell good. Candles are great no matter what time of the year it is however, if you select candles in bright spring colors and fragrances you might be amazed at exactly how uplifting these candles can be.
3) Towels. Yes I said towels. In your kitchen and your bathrooms you need bright, bold colors that signify spring, birth, and renewal. These little touches can make a huge difference in not only your attitude about cleaning and decorating but also your attitude about cooking.
4) Fragrance. While most people do not realize that the fragrances we use in our homes is a type of decoration. It makes our noses happy to some degree but also the potpourri and candles are often decorations in and of themselves. Put out bowls filled with brightly colored and lightly scented fragrance balls, dried fruit, and other delights. Gourmet potpourri can be found in all kinds of gift and fragrance shops and is a rather inexpensive way to add a fragrant touch to your home decorating as well as the fragrance of your home.
5) Fruit. Have bowls placed throughout your home filled with fresh fragrant fruit. Not only does this add yet another layer of fragrance to your home but it is also visually appealing and edible. There are three checks in the 'pro' column for this simple decorative step and I have yet to find one in the 'con' column unless you consider the fact that it must be eaten before it gets too ripe.

For those needing springtime home decorating ideas and inspiration I hope this has helped. If you haven't found some outstanding suggestions above I at least hope that you will have been inspired to find your own fabulous finds for spring decorating.