A long standing holiday tradition in my family is getting the Christmas tree. We like to go to our favorite tree farm and cut our own, but if you live in a warmer climate then the local tree lot may be your best bet. Or, you can get an artificial tree that can be reused for many Christmases to come and save a lot of trees from being cut while also making it easier and simpler to get ready for the holidays each year.

Whichever method you prefer, finding the right tree for your home is always a fun and sharing family experience, so we’ve put together some useful information on the many varieties of natural and artificial trees to help you find that perfect Christmas tree!

Pick Your Own Christmas Tree

“The experience kids get from the holiday tradition of going out to the tree farm to cut your own Christmas tree is really special” says Jon Schatz, owner of the Sunny Day Christmas Tree Farm in Sherwood, Oregon. “Spending an afternoon with the family to select and cut the tree is something kids remember for a lifetime.”

A few things Schatz suggests you consider when going to a U-Cut tree farm include:

• Think ahead of time about what type and size tree you need
• Look for a tree with a straight trunk and balanced shape
• Do realize that no tree is perfectly straight and that at least one side will go against a wall anyway
• Be sure the trunk of your Christmas tree is long enough and the right size in diameter for the type of tree stand you plan to use

Some farms measure and price each tree, while most farms sell Christmas trees priced by the foot. Schatz has a unique pricing approach at the Sunny Day Tree Farm; “all our trees are $20,” he says. While customers must go out on the farm and select, cut and load their own trees, its all part of the family tradition. “We keep our costs low so that we can make cutting your own Christmas tree both fun and affordable.”
 

Finding a Perfect Natural Tree

Arizona Cypress – a steeple shaped tree, pale-green to gray-green color. The leaves are tiny and plentiful and lay close to the branchlet surface in a scale like arrangement and about 0.1 inches long. Bark is thin and delicate with a reddish brown color. The cones are spherical in shape and woody. The Arizona cypress has a pleasing aroma.

Balsam Fir – a medium-sized tree, it exhibits a relatively dense, dark-green, pyramidal crown with a slender spire-like tip. It has a dark-green appearance, long-lasting needles, attractive form, and pleasing fragrance.

Colorado Blue Spruce – finding increasing popularity as a Christmas tree, with a symmetrical form and attractive blue foliage. It has an excellent natural shape, requires little shearing, and needle retention is among the best for the spruces. Its popularity as an ornamental also makes blue spruce a good choice to plant as a living Christmas tree after the holiday season.

Canaan Fir – a relative new species in the Christmas tree market, it is similar to the Fraser and balsam firs in growth and appearance.

Concolor Fir (White Fir) – produces a spire-like crown with a straight trunk. Needles are small and narrow in rows, usually 1/2 to 1 1/2 inch long, pointed or notched at the tip, bluish-green. The wood of white fir is light, soft and coarse-grained, but lacks distinctive scent or odor.

Douglas Fir – not related to the true firs, the Douglas fir is one of the most popular Christmas tree varieties, especially in the Pacific Northwest. Needles are dark green or blue green, 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, soft to the touch and radiating out from the branch in all directions. They have a sweet fragrance when crushed.

Eastern Redcedar – has compact branches forming a pyramidal crown and reddish brown bark, leaves are arranged in opposing pairs along branchlets with a dark, shiny natural green color. Eastern Redcedar is usually available to choose and cut at tree farms only.

Eastern White Pine – the state tree of Maine and Michigan, it is considered the largest growing pine species in North America. The needles are soft and flexible, generally bluish-green to silver green in color, arranged in bundles of five.

Fraser Fir – a uniformly pyramid-shaped tree, the boughs were often used for pine pillows and bed stuffing and this fir grows naturally at elevations above 4,500 feet in the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

Grand Fir – one of the tallest growing fir species, it is distinguished from other Pacific Northwest firs by sprays of lustrous needles in two distinct rows and needles 1 to 1 1/2 inches long with glossy dark green tops and known for its strong fragrance. Native Americans used this fir to make headdresses, decorative clothing, tea and many other uses.

Leyland Cypress – has become a valued landscape plant and one of the most sought after Christmas trees in the southeastern states. Foliage tends to be arranged in irregularly flat planes with a dark green to gray color, the shoots branch repeatedly in a mahogany color except at the tips. The trees have little aroma. These trees are usually available at choose and cut tree farms only.

Noble Fir – considered an excellent Christmas tree because of its beauty, stiff branches and because it remains green long after being cut, Noble Fir continues to grow in popularity and comprises 25% and 30% of the fresh tree market in the Pacific Northwest. It is also commonly used to make wreaths, door swags, garland, etc.

Norway Spruce – Most common in Northern Europe and transplanted in North America, the Norway Spruce has dark green needles and drooping branchlets, and a dark green crown with a triangular shape. Leaves (needles) are 4-sided (rectangular in section), is excellent, but needle retention may be poor unless the tree is cut fresh and properly watered.

Scotch Pine – widely planted for the purpose of producing Christmas trees, it is a hardy species easily adapted to many soil and climate types and is known for its dark green foliage and stiff branches, well suited for Christmas ornaments and excellent needle retention characteristics.

Virginia Pine – a staple of the Christmas tree industry in the South East, branches are stout and woody with dense foliage. Virginia pine can be commonly found at tree farms or retail lots.

White Spruce – has a nice cone-shaped crown that extends nearly to the ground, making it a great ornamental variety. Needles are 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, with blunt tips and green to bluish-green. With its light grayish-brown bark, excellent foliage color, short stiff needles, natural shape and good needle retention, the White Spruce makes a very good Christmas tree.

Finding a Perfect Artificial Tree

Traditional Unlit – often very realistic in appearance and with built in tree stands, unlit trees offer you the ability to choose the style and color of your lights or even change the lights to give your tree a different look each holiday season. And just think; no needle loss or watering to worry about! Many people are converting to the artificial tree these days with environmental issues and convenience in mind. Lower quality, inexpensive trees often use thinly shredded strips of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) resembling a bottle brush tightly twisted between two tightly twisted wires to form the branches.

Realistic – with branches created out of molded plastic, higher quality artificial trees use molded branches and needles made from Polyethylene (PE). Branches cut from a real tree are often used to create molds, giving the tree a more realistic appearance.

Prelit - the most convenient tree available, some models can have hundreds of lights, carefully arranged for that perfect look when unfolded. At the end of the holiday season, just fold the branches carefully and store it away in the shipping box.

Specialty – available in many shapes, sizes and colors, you can find a specialty tree for almost any purpose or location in your home, whether you want a large tree for the family or living room, a table top tree or topiary-shaped tree.

Flocked – white is the traditional color for Christmas tree flocking, but you can also find pink, red, gold and many other colors. Flocked artificial trees are also available unlit or prelit and in a variety of types and sizes.

Many of us will be ‘nesting’ this holiday season and that means a greater focus on seasonal decoration and getting your home ready for holiday entertaining on the cheap, so we’ve put together a few ideas on how to decorate for the holidays without spending a fortune this year on your Christmas décor.

Creating Family Holiday Traditions

If you want to save money this holiday season, start by creating family traditions that shift the Christmas focus away from material goods and gifts. If you really think about it, which Christmas decorations and gifts stand out most in your memory? Is it the most expensive ones or the ones that started long-standing family holiday events and activities?

Adding a special Christmas angel as a tree topper, some special Christmas bells to adorn the fireplace mantel and letting the kids ring the bell each night at dinnertime or making your own special Christmas greeting cards can create new family traditions you’ll cherish for years to come without racking up huge credit card charges.

While the kids may not be getting all the fun stuff they put on their Santa wish list this year, you can make the holidays more fun than ever by starting some new traditions or reviving ones from your own childhood.

One of my favorites as a child was always marking the days until Christmas on the Advent calendar and another was our annual outing to cut the tree, which always involved having lunch together at a certain family restaurant and visiting the same tree farm where we knew the owners, who always had some special events such as riding the tractor around the farm and milking the cow. For a suburban kid, these farm activities certainly created vivid lifelong memories.

Another family Christmas tradition you might like to start this year is Collecting Christmas Ornaments & Vintage Decorations.

Old-Fashioned Rustic Christmas Theme

One way to keep the cost down this Christmas is to return to the simpler times of old, when families traditionally trimmed the Christmas tree with homemade ornaments. When people had little they relied on their own handcrafted stitchery, baking and woodworking skills to adorn their homes for the winter holidays.

String popcorn and cranberries to make homemade garland, bake cookies and hang them on the tree as edible ornaments and use candlestick tree lights to give your Christmas tree a truly old-fashioned, rustic look. We always made our own ornaments from clay and painted them ourselves when I was a kid; while they may not have been as pretty as Radkos, we were always proud to point out the ones we had created to friends and guests.

Look in dollar stores for inexpensive rustic tree ornaments or rummage through your old boxes of Christmas decorations for ornaments your parents or grandparents may have handed down. Your home will feel comfortable and a little “retro” for the holidays with the old-fashioned decorating approach. This may be just what the doctor ordered during this period when comfort is what we most seek to give some holiday respite from the day-to-day news of financial crisis and hard times.

Many people have stopped using these family-heritage Christmas decorations because they don’t always blend well with the “designer” trees of more recent times, but the old-fashioned Christmas décor should be eclectic, adorning your home with homemade ornaments and sentimental family hand-me-downs in favor of expensive, ornate store-bought decorations.

If you want to give your home a country Christmas feel you’ll want to read Have Yourself a Charming Country Christmas for great ideas and examples of home crafts and decorations for the country style décor.

Modern Holiday Home Theme

If you’re like me, you may prefer the understated holiday decorating approach where less is more. You can give your home a festive look while keeping with the contemporary style so many of us favor when it comes to home décor these days.

The key to modern home holiday decorating is keep things simple and subtle. A good starting place is to forego the traditional natural Christmas tree and buy an artificial tree instead. For more ideas see our story Finding the Perfect Christmas Tree.

Your holiday decorating colors should complement the color scheme of your home interior; if you have a neutral wall color you’ll have a lot of freedom in choosing colors for your holiday decorations but if you have painted the walls with some brighter color scheme, you’ll want to use holiday decorations that accent that scheme and do not clash or compete with the room décor.

Holiday lighting can really warm the modern home interior. White lights are always a great choice for the more contemporary look, but you can also go with all red, blue or green lights on the Christmas tree to add some color.

Putting out Christmas photos from Christmases past can give the modern Christmas theme a cozier look; you can buy inexpensive photo frame ornaments and hang pictures of family members on the tree or create a family Christmas album to put out on the coffee table. This is also a great way to spark conversation and story telling when you entertain during the holidays.

You can always use a few boughs clipped from the Christmas tree to create a holiday tablescape or decorate the fireplace mantel. The scent of fresh pine needles is sure to set the holiday mood. Add some pinecones, winterberries, ribbon and a candle votive to create a simple holiday arrangement. And of course, a fresh wreath on the front door will welcome your guests into your home for holiday events.

However you decide to decorate your home this holiday season, make it your own and have fun with the project, getting everyone involved. Trimming the tree and putting out the Christmas decorations should be fun for the whole family. Have a very happy Christmas!

It is a thrilling moment when the Christmas tree is set up, for it is the centerpiece of the home Christmas celebration. Yet, every year life seems to become more and more hectic, time begins to run out on the countdown to Christmas and you may not have given any thought as to how you intend to dress and display your Christmas tree.

Never fear, our Christmas tree decoration guide covers all the necessary considerations from choosing the type of tree you want, to fresh decorating ideas and reminders of how to look after it.

Selecting Your Christmas Tree

Finding the Perfect Christmas Tree begins a quest for some of us. Others prefer a simpler approach. You may already have an artificial tree in which case you don’t need to consider this point. If you are a traditionalist and prefer a live tree, there are several options for you to choose from. If you have the time, you might want to plan ahead a visit a specialist grower or tree farm to select and cut your own special tree.

Christmas tree growers typically offer you to choose from several species of Christmas tree in a huge variety of sizes from 2ft to 10- 12ft. You will also be able to stand back and inspect the tree’s shape, form and color before making your final choice.
If you don’t have time for this, you will probably have to buy a tree from a high street shop or street seller. To help you with your decision, check out our detailed Christmas Tree Guide to find out about the different types of Christmas tree.

Caring For Your Christmas Tree

Remember to water the tree if at all possible. It was once a living thing and its sap will only nourish it for a short time. Many Christmas tree outlets sell purpose-made tree stands, which hold water, where the tree trunk can be clamped between “teeth” by standing on a pedal or lever.

Container Options for Your Christmas Tree

Toddlers are fascinated by the lights and glittering decorations as well as animals, so it is as well to consider how the tree is contained. You don’t have to be boring. We’ve got some imaginative ideas to help you mask the inevitable soil- or stone-filled bucket with something other than a last minute piece of crêpe paper.

• Seasonal colored cloth – Drape a large tall basket with seasonal red and white thick colored cloth in a swaged fashion and knot it on the side; a very effective look that only takes minutes to achieve.
• Jute hessian – Use jute hessian to cover an old bucket. The lovely earthy color and natural fibers combine wonderfully with the tassel from a curtain tie-back that also can be found made in jute. Twist a long narrow strip of hessian around the top of the bucket or use anything in the same color, such as a clothes line made from natural fibers or a short piece of rope would be just as attractive.
• White and gold paper – On any suitable tree container, even an old coal holder, wrap good-quality, thick white paper to cover the surface. Pretty it up with a wide, wire-edged white and gold ribbon tied in an attractive bow.
• Terracotta – Use a sizeable garden urn made from plastic but with a convincing terracotta finish. Make sure it’s large enough to disguise whatever packing you need to use to anchor the tree.
• Enamel tin – An old enameled bread tin, painted in sage green and white, is perfect for a smaller tree. A checkered effect looks great in a contemporary setting.

Christmas Tree Decorations

Once you have the Christmas tree lights untangled, tested and placed on the tree, it's time to focus on the decorating elements. In part this always depends on your existing store of ornaments, but you can also mix things up with different garland, ribbons, a new tree topper, homemade ornaments, etc.

Christmas decorations are now big business and it’s no longer a seasonal trade; some Christmas shops stay open all year round. So there’s every opportunity to build up a treasured collection of glittery baubles and other trinkets. Once you’ve amassed many different tree decorations, you can play it two ways.

Either mix and match baubles, stuffed and embroidered shapes, beaded decorations for an eclectic, global look. Alternatively, choose a theme each year and use just part of your collection. A single color could be a starting point, or you might choose a particular shape or motif as the basis for a decorating theme.

Baubles, beading and tinsel are only the starting point for a collection of Christmas decorations. More and more ornaments come onto the market each year, allowing you to add to your treasure chest of decorations. Look out for unusual wooden figures, paper ornaments and other novel decorations at Christmas craft markets and fairs: a great many are made in Eastern Europe, though some come from as far away as Sri Lanka, India and Japan.

XMAS Tree Decorating Themes

Today’s Christmas tree can be dressed in so many ways. Some like to hang a diverse assortment of ornaments, glass balls, jolly Santa Claus figures, felt mice, and yards of colored lights, all collected over the years.

Others prefer to restrict their decorations to a particular theme, embellishing the tree with only white paper doves, shiny foil fans, or beach-gathered shells; these trees are especially elegant and sophisticated even when the ornaments are simple paper cutouts.

The purists may forgo any adornment at all. To them, the sweet spicy scent of the pine boughs and their velvety green beauty are adornment enough. However you choose to decorate it, the Christmas tree is a wonder and delight to look forward to every year. Here are some ideas:

• Traditional Tree – A traditional-style Christmas tree can take plenty of decorations, but resist the urge to overdo things or you will conceal the shape and color of the tree itself. Think along the lines of baubles in three different sizes but the same shade of rich scarlet. Supplement them with tiny white crackers, fairy lights and the occasional discreet sparkle of gold.
• Bows – For an elegant, festive and very subtle look simply tie shimmering ribbons in large double bows. A very effective look on a smaller Douglas fir tree in a country setting.
• Gold and Silver – Gold and silver can make a shimmering spectacle beautifully suited in modernist styled surroundings. Adorn the tree in plenty of fairy lights to set of the sparkle of the ornaments. Look for gigantic silver and glass ornaments such as silver stars, glass globes and crystal icicles. Match it evenly with anything gold like large golden pears and golden baubles.
• Natural Ornaments – Nature is a limitless source of Christmas ornaments: Thistles, yarrow, ram’s horns, spiral tops, lotus pods, shells, dried leaves and cane fruit can be sprayed gold or silver and transformed into lusty sculptures. You can make natural-looking decorations also wrapping hops and honey suckle vines into small circular shapes. Be inspired by your kitchen too! Dry cut oranges, lemons or pink ruby grapefruit in an oven for 1 ½ hours at 250degree Fahrenheit. You can also cook some cookies and hang them on ribbon for a tasty treat on Christmas day.

The thanksgiving turkey is gone and its time to get ready for Christmas. Time to spend with your family getting the holiday decorations down from the attic, drinking a little eggnog by the fire and get busy putting up the Christmas tree and outdoor lights!

But for most of us, untangling the Christmas lights ranks as the worst task involved in decorating for the holidays. It's such a tedious chore and one you may avoid by just buying new lights if you’re lazy like me. But with a little preparation and knowledge, untangling the lights doesn’t have to be so difficult.

Read on for some simple tips on how to get your lights untangled in a jiffy:

1. Get relaxed and set your mind on the task at hand. Put on your favorite holiday music or Christmas video and pull up your most comfortable armchair.
2. Get all your Christmas decor boxes out of storage and together. Dig out all the lights, separating them by the location each type will be located in or outside the house.
3. If your lights were stored like mine were in years past, start by laying all the strings out on the floor. If you have new lights in the package, you get to skip this step!
4. Make sure everything is unplugged first and try to find a free end to start upon.
5. Try to loosen the knots, unwinding the free end through the tangles. Never force or rush too quickly or you are likely to break bulbs. Take your time and place the untangled part of the strand on the floor, keeping it away from the tangled strands.
6. As you get more of the strand free, be sure the untangled portion trails away from the bunch to avoid re-tangling.
7. Once you have a strand completely untangled, lay it out in a straight line, away from other strands. You will want to plug it in and test it before putting it in place.
8. When hanging lights on your Christmas tree, it helps to have one person do the actual hanging and arranging of lights, while another helps feed the strands to keep them from tangling.
9. When the holidays are over and its time to put your lights away, don’t cram lights into the original packages or you'll have a huge tangle to deal with next holiday season!
10. The best way to prevent tangling is to coil the strands around a stiff piece of cardboard before boxing them. Wind one strand per piece of cardboard.
11. To protect your Christmas lights during storage, you can wrap the winded strands in tissue paper and put each bundle in a bag. Gently set each bundle into a box.
12. If you label the box, then you can quickly find your tree lights, interior decorating lights and outdoor lights next holiday season without dreading the old “light untangling” exercise altogether!

Holiday meals should be special, memorable occasions, a time to polish our best silverware and china dishes, get out the crystal stemware and embellish the table with candlesticks and centerpieces, fine cloth napkins and a festive tablecloth or table runner and placemats.

But what are the elements that make your tablescape warm and inviting for guests during the holiday season, setting the mood for great conversation and the enjoyment of delicious food and beverage together in the company of friends and family?

Read on for a primer on what to do and not to do when getting your dining table ready this holiday season for those special meals.

Tips on Setting Your Dining Table

For those who never went to finishing school or who don’t set a formal table on a regular basis, let’s start with a quick overview on how to set the table:

• Forks should go on the left and spoons and knives to the right of the plate.
• An easy way to remember the correct order to place utensils is that they go in the order in which you use them; so the salad fork goes on the outside left while the larger fork used to eat the main course goes on the inside left. Turn the blade of all knifes so they face toward the plate.
• Place the side plate to the left of your place setting; if you are serving a cold first course such as a salad, the side plate should be set ahead of time, while warm dishes such as soup should be delivered to the table when that course is served.
• Place the wineglass at the tip of the main-course knife. The water glass and any other glasses should be arranged in the order they will be used with the first one on the outside.
• The napkins can go under the knife and spoon or on the side plate. Alternatively, if you choose to use napkin holders or fancy folds, the napkin can go on top of the main plate for a more decorative place setting.
• A nice touch will be to create decorative name cards so that you can strategically decide ahead of time who sits where. Place cards can go at the head of each place setting or on the main serving plate. You can make your own holiday name plates by downloading a free template and use a calligraphy font or hand write the names yourself if you’re good at calligraphy.
• Finally, for an extra special touch your guests will be sure to remember, you could leave a small gift at each place setting. If you shop around in dollar discount stores you can find all kinds of small gift items such as jewelry boxes, Christmas tree ornaments, etc. Wrap them and use ribbon to give them a holiday look. Opening the gifts will make a great conversation starter when everyone sits down at the table.

Decorating Your Dining Table for Holiday Occasions

Now that we have place settings planned and ready to go, it’s time to embellish our holiday table, giving it some holiday color and style. Should you use a formal tablecloth or decorative placemats? Perhaps you’ll want to try a seasonal table runner and matching placemats?

In part the decision rests on whether you want to expose the natural beauty of your wood dining table top or conceal your less formal dining table from view. Here are a few tips on selecting linens and placemats for your holiday dining table:

• Placemats can be in plain, solid colors or patterned, woven or linen. It’s best to choose something that is heatproof to protect the table surface.
• If you use a tablecloth it should drape about six inches over each edge of the table top. Depending on the material, a heatproof protective mat under the tablecloth may be needed to protect the table surface from spills.
• Choose colors and patterns that complement your table ware; solid color linens work well with patterned China sets while a more festive pattern can really highlight white or other solid colored China.
• Although a white tablecloth is often associated with a formal table setting, for the holidays you may want something more festive such as a deep red, green or gold. A patterned table runner, tablecloth or placemats are fine as long as everything is color coordinated and the patterns don’t look too busy or cluttered.
• Placemats in solid colors like red, blue, green, gold or silver are very versatile and can be reused for non-holiday formal meals too; you can use other accents such as the centerpiece to add pattern for a more festive feeling.
• If you are using a tablecloth, take time to remove creases and wrinkles. If you don’t want to bother ironing it, you can try throwing it in your clothes dryer set to “Air” or “Fluff” setting; put a damp towel in with the tablecloth and it should come out nice and wrinkle-free!

Selecting Tableware for Your Holiday Table

Now, if you don’t have a set of formal tableware, you can find some great deals if you shop around; with the economy being so weak this holiday season, expect retailers to offer great sale prices even before the normal after-holiday sales. Look online at Overstock.com, Amazon or on eBay and you can really save money on luxury items such as China, formal silverware and crystal stemware.

A nice touch will be to add decorative chargers to your table setting; if you are using gold or silver as an accent color you can match your chargers to give your holiday a real designer look without spending a fortune. Chargers don’t have to be high quality or expensive to add a special accent to your holiday table!

Try to choose a color scheme and stick with 2 or 3 colors, picking up the colors you have already used to decorate your dining room. Winter colors that work well as a primary color in your holiday dining room décor include deep reds and greens. You can either choose contrasting secondary colors or use two shades of the same color to keep things simpler.

If your walls are taupe or another warm tone, then gold will make a great accent color in your holiday tablescape. On the other hand, if you have gray walls tinted with green or blue then silver makes a great accent color for accessories like candlesticks and napkin holders.

Setting a Holiday Tone in Your Dining Room

OK, so we’ve got our tableware and place setting plans in place; now it’s time to consider some holiday accents and embellishments to really give our holiday dining tablescape the right mood for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. By simply changing a few elements you can achieve a nice progression with subtle changes to your holiday tablescape:

• For Thanksgiving, you might do a simple fall centerpiece with pumpkins, gourds and fall flowers or fruits. Read our complete story on Fall Tablescapes and Floral Arrangements for lots of great ideas. Warmer accent colors help echo the changing seasons and colorful leaves outside in late November.
• As we move into December the progression moves toward winter colors and patterns. Consider a bright red poinsettia, winter berry or holly berry theme for your centerpiece with matching reds and greens for a Christmas feel.
• An elegant approach is to go with a monochromatic color scheme such as winter white, New Year’s silver, gold, Christmas red or evergreen can give your dining table a unique, classy look.
• For a unique holiday tablescape, you could try using colors such as mustard yellow paired with white to create a star theme or silver, light blue and white to create a snowflake/icicle theme.
• Lights are sure to give any tablescape a holiday feel; try working some holiday LED or rope lights on the buffet or hang elegant crystal icicles from your chandelier. A mirror over your buffet will help reflect light and color into your dining room and open it up, giving the illusion of a more spacious room.

The Holiday Dining Table Centerpiece

The one mistake a lot of people make is to overdo the centerpiece; too tall it will only hinder conversation and separate your dining guests unnaturally. A low centerpiece will accent your table without getting in the way. You can even just lay a nice holiday wreath to serve as a simple centerpiece.

Make a centerpiece using real pine boughs, flowers, pinecones, berries or whatever strikes your own fancy; change the centerpiece once after thanksgiving and again after Christmas to help set the tone for each holiday celebration you’ll be hosting.

Candlesticks and Candles for Holiday Dining

Candles are a natural element in most traditional holiday tablescapes. Whether you have a set of your grandmother’s silver candlesticks or a matched set of China candlesticks that go with your tableware, candles add warmth and ambience to the table setting.

The Kids Christmas Table

We all remember as kids how boring it was to be stuck listening to adults talk all night long during holiday dinners. But whenever there was a special table for the kids we ended up having a much more memorable holiday dinner.

If you plan to have a lot of kids during the holidays then a kids’ holiday dining table is almost a must-have just for the shear lack of space at the main dining table. You can make it fun for the kids too by dressing up a holiday table of their own.

Use an inexpensive vinyl holiday tablecloth, plastic plates and eating utensils to make things easier. Use a white paper tablecloth and set out a holiday bowl filled with crayons as a centerpiece and let them decorate the tablecloth themselves.

All of these ideas are meant to serve as though starters. Get creative and make your dining room a reflection of your family holiday traditions. Don’t be afraid to go outside the lines and make it unique to your holiday celebration. The only important thing is to have fun and spend time with friends and family while sharing great meals and holiday celebrations together!

Making your own Christmas wreath is easy, fun and offers limitless possibilities for creativity.

You can make your own Christmas wreath can be done in an afternoon, and the kids will love working with the fragrant greens and being able to make wreaths even prettier than store-bought ones.

So clear a large space in your kitchen, put on some great Holiday music, and get ready to have fun.

For a traditional greenery wreath, you will need:

• large bundles of Christmas Tree cuttings. You can use ones from your own tree, or     purchase cuttings from a place which sells Christmas Trees
• 1 bundle of holly
• 1 wreath frame (metal or Styrofoam)
• Garden clippers
• Wire clippers
• Spool of fine green wire (florist wire- can be purchased at craft stores or in craft sections of discount stores)
• 2 yards of wide red or holiday print ribbon

1. Prepare the greenery – Take the large boughs and cut the limbs into many 6- to 8-inch pieces (kids old enough to handle clippers can help). Its okay if there are irregularly shaped pieces; you want a natural look and can use nearly everything except the thick central branches. You may want to cut the holly, too, but keep it in a separate pile. It's expensive, so use it sparingly. Also, cut about twenty 15-inch pieces of wire and put them nearby (I suggest a parent do this job). Watch out–they're easily lost as the clutter spreads. I keep our wire in a plastic rectangle container so it doesn’t get lost as easily.

2. Begin to make bunches of evergreens – You should use the sturdy pieces from the base of the branches for the back of your bunch; they provide support but are fairly well hidden. You'll see that the tips of the branches are symmetrical and prettier because they haven't been cut. As you gather, say, four or five pieces for your bunch, place these sections near the front where they will be the most visible. Better yet, offer them to your kids because they look so nice and work with the less desirable pieces yourself.

3. Wiring your wreath – When you have formed a nice, thick bunch of greens, hold them down against the frame with one hand and take a piece of wire in the other. Place the greens in position and lay the wire across the bundle, about two-thirds of the way from the top. Now, holding the bunch in place with the wire (one end in each hand), carefully turn over the frame and tighten and twist the wire. That is the tricky part for kids; it can result in moans of frustration, so be ready to help. If you are using a metal frame, clip off any excess wire. With a Styrofoam frame, you can simply press it into the Styrofoam.

4. Adding the holly – Attach the second bunch of greens in the same way, except add a sprig of holly in the front where it can easily be seen. You can create your own patterns with holly; adding it to every bunch or every two or three. (I don't recommend forming bundles entirely from holly; it's prickly to handle, costly, and the result will probably not be as full as your bunches of evergreen.) Place the bundle in the same direction as the first one; the second overlaps the first so that only about a third of the underlying bunch is visible. If kids put the bundles farther apart in their haste to cover the frame quickly, they'll end up with a thin wreath that has an uneven circumference.

5. Closing the circle – Repeat steps 1 to 3 as many times as needed to work my way around the wreath. A frame 16 inches in diameter will require about 12 bunches. Where my last bunch meets up with my first, there is often a spot that is less full than the rest of the wreath. It's an ideal place to tie a ribbon.

6. Folding the bow – I like a bow with many loops because it shows up well and hangs naturally. (Pre-tied bows are also available in craft stores.) Take two yards of red ribbon, about one to two inches wide, and loop it back and forth, pinching it between thumb and forefinger at the middle to retain the loops.

7. Wiring on the bow – Take a piece of wire, run it once around the bow and wrap the two ends around the wreath, twisting it in the back. Older kids can try this step but may need some help. You can reuse the same ribbon year after year; just remove the wire, iron the ribbon and start again.

Frames & Greens
You can buy wreath frames at gardening and craft stores. Wire frames, ranging in size from about 8 to 20 inches, are cheapest and most durable. A 12-inch frame is a manageable size for a child. Styrofoam frames, though brittle, are handy because you can press wire into them. Use flat rather than round ones; it's easier to mount greens on them.

Greens (such as spruce, hemlock and Douglas fir) are usually available wherever Christmas trees are sold. Once you master the basics, experiment with mixes of white pine, juniper, laurel and holly. If you have evergreens on your property, you can prune small pieces yourself.

Adorning the Wreath
Once you’ve completed the hard work of tying on greens, it's time to decorate your wreath. You and your kids can wire on all sorts of adornments: pinecones (plain, painted or glitter-covered), acorns, small bells, Christmas ornaments, seashells or toy soldiers. You can also use ribbon to tie on decorations, such as cookie cutters, or wrap the wreath with a special garland.

Consider the wreath your palette and decorate it in whatever style suits your family. I let my kids decide for themselves, and every year the final products are different.

To hang the wreath, slip thin red ribbon around the top of the wreath frame (a bit of green wire is less conspicuous), and hang it from a screw, nail or hook.

Creative Wreath Ideas

Christmas wreaths don’t have to be green. Here are a few options for alternative Christmas wreaths. For these projects, I recommend using a wreath ‘frame’ cut out of cardboard, and painted red, or with red tissue paper glued on. When attaching your decoration, a low temperature hot glue gun works best. Using the flat cardboard frame also makes it hang nicely on your wall.

Creative Christmas Wreaths: Candy Cane Wreath
If you’re looking for a popular twist on a traditional wreath, try using candy canes. You can pin, glue, or tape them to the wreath form in order to create a sunburst shape. You can also opt for popcorn to glue to the shape and decorate with green and/or red bows. These look particularly lovely against a backdrop of darker walls or doors.

Creative Christmas Wreaths: Peppermint Candy Wreath

Love the look of red-and-white striped peppermint candy in holiday decorating? Glue together handfuls of individually wrapped peppermint candies and add them to a holiday wreath. You can use a cardboard frame to have a wreath made exclusively of candy (very cute and festive.) – or, if you are using a green wreath, add 5-7 regular and 5-7 small size candy canes in between the bunches of hard candy for a festive and fragrant candy-themed wreath.

Creative Christmas Wreaths: Nature’s Bounty
Go for a walk in the woods while carrying a basket. Collect red berries, nuts, pinecones, dried flowers, and seed pods. Wire together combinations of these gifts from nature into small handful-size bunches, and wire the small arrangements into the wreath. You can use a hot glue gun to attach smaller items. Select a large bow or a strand of battery-operated tiny white lights to add a finishing touch to your nature’s bounty wreath.

Creative Christmas Wreaths: Other Ideas
Be creative. There are all kinds of things you can use to create a unique Christmas wreath. Vintage Christmas cards, silk poinsettias, miniature wrapped gift boxes with pretty bows, or vintage Christmas balls all make gorgeous decorations for holiday wreaths.

Consider making a wreath that matches your favorite holiday theme. If you love snowmen, make a snowflake wreath from inexpensive snowflake ornaments. If you like keeping the ‘reason for the season’ in mind, purchase an inexpensive nativity set and wire the figurines into a wreath. Or make a meaningful wreath out of small framed photographs of your children.

Home Improvement Project Planning and Scope

First, you want to plan your home improvement project and consider the scope before looking for contractor(s). If all you’re doing is re-grouting your shower then you don’t need much of a plan.

On the other hand, when doing a major remodeling project such as gutting your bathroom and redoing the entire room then it really pays to spend some time planning the project. Consider whether you will act as your own general contractor and manage the project details yourself or whether the time and skills required are beyond your abilities, in which case a good general contractor can not only save you time and money, but can also ensure you avoid a complete remodeling disaster.

Too many homeowners and do-it-yourselfers start out on a large home renovation project only to find themselves in deep over their heads. Don’t make this mistake or you may pay a hefty price later to have a general contractor come in and bail you out; the absolute wrong time to hire a contractor is when you’ve already invested a bunch of money in materials and gone without a kitchen or bathroom for weeks or months and need the job completed quickly!

What to Look For in a Contractor

When you have a basic project scope and plan ready, its time to consider what you need in a contractor, as there are always tradeoffs in terms of time, quality and price to consider. Ask yourself what qualities are most important to you in a contractor(s):

Overall Project Scope – while some contractors specialize in remodeling, others focus on building custom homes from start to finish. Knowing whether the project you have in mind is well-suited to the contractor(s) you select is critical to a successful project outcome.

Project Cost and Pricing – if project cost is important then look for contractors who are willing to negotiate pricing in exchange for a longer project timeline so that they might be able to work on your project while things are a bit slower on other projects. It will take longer to complete the project but if you’re willing to wait you can save money in some cases.

Quality of Work – if the most important aspect in your home improvement project is the quality of workmanship and materials then you’ll want to find a contractor(s) who have the highest reputation for quality; this often means not only paying a higher price but oftentimes also being put on a waiting list until the job even gets going. The best contracting companies are usually those who are known for their responsiveness and attention to detail, making them more in demand and able to charge premium prices.

Rapid Project Completion – another trade off to consider is how quickly you want/need your project to be completed. By building incentives into the project plan and contract for reaching milestones on time or ahead of schedule, you’ll most likely pay a premium. But, on the other hand, if the thought of living without a kitchen for months or having your home torn apart and having to either live in the midst of a construction site or moving to a temporary location for the duration of the project doesn’t sound too enticing, then paying a bit more to get the project done quickly may be worthwhile.

Unique Features and Customizations – if your project involves highly unique or custom features you may need to look high and low for the right contractor(s) to achieve your goals. For instance, while a qualified electrician may be able to wire a basic media room, if your project involves installing a high end custom home theater, you’ll be much better off finding a contractor who specializes in home audio and video systems. Specialization is the name of the game these days when it comes to high end home building and remodeling projects.

Once you have prioritized the qualities and trade offs that are most critical to you in hiring a contractor(s) its time to start looking. In part 2 of this series we’ll show you the best means of finding and selecting your contractor(s).

Rain showers come and go, leaving the air crisp and clean. Autumn displays her earthy browns, brilliant reds, liquid amber and orange, pear gold and muted yellow.

Bringing the feel of autumn into your home creates natural warmth and echoes the changing season. As with any seasonal theme, you can go the subtle route by switching out accents, adding a fall floral display and putting up an autumn wreath.

Or, you can really embrace the season and go a little further … read on to learn some fun and inexpensive ways to usher in the fall season.

Fall Colors Have Impact!

Fall is a time of dramatic, vibrant color and pattern. Harvest colors, falling leaves, nuts, seeds, berries, dried grasses, fall fruits and grapes are just a few of the endless possibilities to create a fall display inside or in your garden.

Now I would never suggest you paint interior walls just to decorate for a season, but so many of our favorite colors come in fall anyway. You can safely paint almost any room in warm tones and it works all year round.

Orange is a bold color, but look at the contrast you get when you paint just a single wall in a room in a very bold primary color and leave the rest of the room white? It’s striking and, again, will work well all year. Other ‘bold’ fall colors that work well as wall paint colors include cinnamon, cranberry and burgundy.

Remember to think contrast; a cranberry wall with white chair rail looks great but four cranberry walls and no trim will seem too stark. Blend or contrast colors, generally using no more than 2 or 3 colors in a room, although you can get away with adding small accents to greatly affect the overall look of a room. So, you can add red, yellow or orange to a room that otherwise has none of these colors, creating a focal point in one area or splashing the accent color in several places throughout the room.

Autumn Home Interior Accessories

Pillows, quilts, throws and other textiles are traditionally used to give the home a warmer feel for fall; as the weather gets chilly, we naturally get out the wool and fleece.

Lucky are the crafters who can make their own, but you can also find wonderful blankets, pillows and throw rugs with fall designs in local crafts stores or shop online. Retailers like Pottery Barn have great selection. Black Forest has some really cool fall pieces you can check out too.

Colored glass containers and potpourri dishes make good accents on the fireplace mantel, countertop or window sill. Here’s a great idea we found; fill an apothecary jar with candy corn or M&Ms for a colorful (and tasty) accent piece for your coffee table.

Candles and Vases

Candles are always a nice fall touch. Use copper or brass candle holders for a rustic autumn accent. And of course you’ll want a few pumpkins, gourds, or fruit on a long woven basket or wooden tray. Add berry clusters, seeds and nuts, fall fruits, autumn leaves and flowers to make a colorful fall garnish.

The great thing about candles is the wonderful variety of colors, scents and shapes you can find. Add a subtle scent of pear, grape, or other smells of fall to reach beyond just your sense of sight; you can add a whole new dimension to your room with the right scents.

Cut fresh flowers from your garden to take advantage of that last flourish of the season. Pick up pine cones and pine needles, wild flowers and dried grasses to give your room a rustic fall feel. Put them in a woven basket with some mini pumpkins or gourds to spice up the dining table or a display shelf or countertop.

Throw Rugs and Fabrics Warm Your Home

When the seasons change and winter approaches, we want to soften and warm our home. This is where fabrics become so important in giving a room the right seasonal cues. Fabric is the essence of fall decorating. Use it to introduce a pattern or repeat as well as to warm and soften your interior.

A tapestry softens a large wall in a living room or hallway, deadening sound and warming the room. A handmade quilt draped over the back of a sofa invites guests to come in sit down and relax. A knit blanket at the foot of a bed makes you feel comfortable when you get into bed. A shag throw rug softens the natural stone bathroom floor.

Like a cartoon character you go to open your closet one day and things spill out on top of you. If you’re like me, you have lots of clothes. And belts. And shoes. And coats. And sweaters and tops and … well, you get the idea!

However, when I bought my house I came to the sad realization that my ‘walk in closet’ meant I could step in it, not walk all the way in! This led me on my search for a good closet organizer! Learn from my mistakes!

Fabric Organizers

Fabric closet organizers can be purchased to fir long coats and dresses, shirts, shoes, sweaters, so on and so forth.

The problem with this type of organizer is that on the organizers designed for sweaters and shoes, the ‘cubes’ have a cardboard type bottom that the clothes sit on top of. At some point you just decide to move on!

Closet Organizers

For lightweight items, this may not pose a problem, but for my collections of Irish and Scottish wool sweaters, which weigh as much as a small cat, the cardboard would bend. Not so good. The zippered hanging compartments for hanging clothes worked well, but I found it impractical to unzip and zip every morning- just to get dressed. And imagine putting laundry away…no, it was not fun.

These factors taught me that this was not the type of closet organizer I needed. So, back to the home improvement store I went.

There is literally a whole aisle dedicated to closet organization! Wire racks of every length, and pre-packaged kits promised the worlds most organized closet- all in only minutes. As dazed as I was by all the white-coated wire racks surrounding me, I opted for a pre packaged closet organizer that promised it only took a few minutes to install. This was Sunday.

Deciding How to Organize Your Closet

Come Tuesday, I broke down and called my brother to come and put this infernal thing together. Around midnight, he left and I started to hang up my clothes.

But, even though I was unable to assemble this thing by myself, I must say, I do like it (once I finally got it together)! There is a section for long clothes, a section with two racks, for blouses and slacks to hang beneath, and wire shelving for my heavy sweaters and purses. I kept the fabric organizer for my shoes, since none of my shoes are that heavy!

So when you go to purchase your new closet organizer, think about what you want. Consider the types of clothing you are storing, and how often you want to access them. Also, make sure you measure the length and depth of your closet before hitting the closet organizer aisle!

Closet Space Planning

One thing you have to do is size up your stuff and how to make best use of your closet space. If you are blessed with a walk in closet you may have a little room to spare, but if you’re like most of us, you need every inch you can find.

Thinking strategically and taking time to find the best closet organizing aids for your own closet lets you avoid getting rid of stuff you’d otherwise like to keep or moving stuff around as the seasons change and you find new things on sale!

Where to Start Organizing Your Closet

First thing is to clear away the junk and old clothes you KNOW you’re never going to wear again. Have a yard sale, donate stuff to The Good Will; clear out your closet before you plan, buy and install your closet organizers! It will make your job a whole lot easier and you’ll be much happier with the results.

Next, evaluate the existing shelving, clothing rods, etc. and decide what you will possibly keep and what needs to be replaced. If all you have is the little shelf at the top with the clothes rod underneath, it’s like having a clean slate. But if you already have some shelving, drawers, baskets, etc. that can be ‘recycled’ you should plan how to incorporate them in your new closet storage plan.

Take good measurements and make a drawing or two so that you have a few ideas on what you want to go where. That will make it easier to select the right modular storage pieces, hanging garment organizers, etc.

Closet Organization Products

Time to go shopping! While there are literally thousands of products on the market these days, here are a few popular types of closet organizers to consider:

• Modular, stackable closet organizers are a cheap way to store stuff you can fold such as sweaters, undergarments, etc. The better modular units offer easy gliding drawers or you can choose open shelves for easy access and a cheaper solution. Check sliding mechanisms for durability and a smooth sliding action.
• Hanging storage closet organizers hang on a rod, leaving you open floor space to store other items and are designed to store specific items such as shoes, belts, ties, suits, dresses, etc. These can also be a very cost effective solution. Remember that vertical space is what you want to maximize.
• Wicker baskets make attractive closet organizers to keep less-often used items like off-season clothes, spare towels, etc. Get several baskets that stack neatly and you can make great use of that top shelf in a standard 3×8-foot bedroom closet that always seems so tough to make useful.
• Organizers for belts and neckties range widely, from simple hanging racks to motorized revolving models; decide where you plan to install them and measure before you buy or be sure you can easily exchange the racks if you find they won’t fit your closet.
• If you wear hats and caps, look for a rack that goes on the back of the closet door or look for stackable hat boxes.

The days are shortening and the nights grow cooler. Autumn is soon arrived in all her natural splendor, and with the crispness of fall the foliage explodes with color.

This is a time to warm the inside of your home with all the brilliant golds, amber oranges and deep reds she has to offer.

Seasonal décor is a wonderful opportunity to play up the change of seasons and set a mood for holiday activities and spending time together with family and friends at home.

Switch out some of your home accent pieces, add a couple of new accessories and put out a couple of nice fall flower arrangements to give any room in your home the look of the season.

Welcome Autumn with Flower Arrangements

Fall is a time to bring color into your home and you certainly have plenty of choices, whether you choose fresh cut flowers from your garden or design a decorative tablescape using pumpkins, floral foam and silk or other floral arrangement supplies that will last through Thanksgiving.

For fall decorating, choose flowers with yellows, reds, and oranges. Roses and Chrysanthemums are always popular. Or, pick lilies in yellow or orange and long-stemmed Gladiolas. Go outdoors and find dried grasses and leaves to give your arrangement the finishing touch.

Mix things up, trying one idea or theme for a fall wreath on your front door, another in the garden and yet others for tablescapes and fall accents inside the home. The variety of plants, flowers, fall foliage and other autumn decorations gives you endless possibilities.

Preparing Your Fall Floral Arrangements

To make your tablescape or floral arrangement last, it’s worth taking time to prepare your materials properly. Fresh flowers should be hardened by re-cutting the stems and placing them in fresh water for at least an hour before placing into your vase or floral foam base.

Stems also need attention. If you use flowers or foliage with thick stems, split them so that needles and wire used to hold things in place can easily penetrate the woody stems. Thin stems can be re-enforced by binding thicker stems to them with floral tape or wire.

And of course, once you have your fresh fall floral arrangement completed, be sure to add water to the container every day and mist with water to keep them fresh; if you plan wisely, you can simply replace flowers in your arrangement to extend the lifespan of your fall arrangements.

Creative Fall Flower Arrangements

Choosing materials and fresh foliage for your floral arrangements and tablescapes can become a fun adventure as you go outdoors to gather grasses, leaves, seed pods, interesting gourds and squashes, pine cones, cattails, goldenrod, berry branches and other fall plants in bloom or turning color.

Seasonal decorating touches like tablescapes and flower arrangements present a perfect opportunity to experiment and get creative; you can always start over if something doesn’t turn out the way you want or just chalk your mistakes up to learning by experience; next year you’ll do even better!

Fall Flower Arrangement Tips

• Display your fall flower arrangements prominently where family, friends and guests can enjoy their natural beauty and get into the spirit of fall and upcoming holidays and festivities.
• A fall tablescape or floral arrangement makes the perfect centerpiece for your dining table. Be sure to keep your floral design low so that people aren’t ‘separated’ by it; this is one of the most common mistakes people make when designing floral arrangements for the dining table.
• Fall bouquets are great for decorating a table in your entry or foyer, end tables and coffee tables in your family and living room spaces, giving your guest bedroom and bathrooms a fresh look for the autumn season or adding a focal point on display shelves in any room in your home.
• A fall wreath will give your home’s front door entrance a nice touch of autumn, greeting guests with color and warmth.
• Pumpkins are a fall favorite and make a great base for flower arrangements; you can cut the top to create a vessel inside which you can place floral foam to support your flowers, using sunflowers, orange or red roses, berry branches, dried grasses, etc. to design your arrangement.
• Fall fruits such as grapes, apples, mini pumpkins, etc. can also make great fall tablescapes and floral arrangements. Use candles or votives to give your fall tablescape an added touch of color and warmth.
• Wicker baskets are also great for fall floral designs; try using chrysanthemums, sunflowers, tiny pumpkins, white gourds, gerberas, acorns, dry ferns and other natural fall plants to create a decorative fall basket.
• Use a mat of moss on a table or fireplace mantel to create a nice base to arrange orange and white pumpkins in various sizes and shapes, using one larger pumpkin as a focal point, with smaller sugar pumpkins, fruits, etc. arranged around it.
• Remember to decorate outdoors also; find a corner on the porch, a bench, pedestal or table in the garden, etc. that you can use to display some pumpkins and fall foliage arranged to fill in the garden as flowers and other plants begin to die out during autumn.
• You can place a pumpkin on any pedestal, urn or container in your garden. Put some rocks or bark underneath to keep if from rotting too quickly from heavy morning dew and fall rain storms.

With Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up you’ll want to decorate for the season.

Whether you’re looking for ideas on fall colors in the home, designing an autumn wreath, how to carve a Halloween pumpkin, set your table for the holidays or create a fall floral display in your home, you’ll find plenty of fall decorating photos and ideas in our Fall Home Decorating Photo Gallery.

Is it Time to Unclutter Your Home?

It strikes me that most of the content on RafterTales.com has been about adding stuff to your home. But lately, I’ve been thinking more about less … uncluttering my own space. After reading Leo Babauta’s excellent post, titled A Guide to Creating a Minimalist Home, on his blog, ZenHabits.com, I decided it was time to offer you all some new ideas on minimalism in home design.

Less Can be More!

Let’s face it; Americans are way too focused on stuff. But as our awareness of ecology and the whole “Green” trend increases, there may be hope for us to grow beyond our material possessions obsession and move toward minimalism!

The whole philosophy that less can be more and is really more a philosophy about how to live your life far more than just how to arrange your home and living space. But, once you begin to embrace this philosophy, you’ll find a whole new paradigm opens up as you consider how to embody minimalism into your own home.

Why a Minimalist Space?

In general, minimalist home design emphasizes clean lines, simple color palettes, and unadorned surfaces, breaking forms and structures down into their most basic elements. Famous designers who pioneered minimalism in interior design include Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and members of the De Stijl Dutch art movement, with open floor plans, removing dimension and intersecting visual planes that connect.

Asian influence is common in many minimalist designs. The initial focus of minimalism in interior design focused on “rediscovering pure forms”, but has evolved toward a “Zen” approach, infusing interior spaces with a sense of calm, harmony, balance and spirituality. Here are some reasons you may wish to follow the minimalist aesthetic in your home:

• Stress Reduction – Because we focus so much on materialism and wealth accumulation, Americans live with too much stress. We obsess over work, money and generally keeping up with the Joneses that we tax our bodies, minds and spirits with a whole lot of stress! Uncluttering your home is one way to help reduce stress and change your whole mind set to working to live instead of living to work!
• A Fresh Look – Simple, clean spaces generally hold more appeal than interior designs that are over-designed. By reaching for simplicity in design, the objects that remain take on more significance. When done correctly, the minimalist space takes on an ethereal, almost dream-like feel.
• Ease-of-Use – Duh, it’s a no-brainer; less stuff means less to clean, maintain and keep up!

The Minimalist Look

Of course minimalism varies by degrees; you might go super-Spartan or you may prefer to compromise a bit. Really, the degree to which you minimalize is entirely personal, but here are a few guidelines you can follow as you decide the right balance for your home and lifestyle:

• Minimalism Emphasizes Simplicity – In the purely minimalist home, simplicity is everything. Surfaces are kept clear and uncluttered; no books or knick knacks on the coffee table, nothing stacked on the floor, etc. You won’t find fancy trim around the windows, multi-layered crown moldings or baseboards, etc.

• Minimalist Furniture – When it comes to furnishings in the minimalist home, two aspects must be considered: 1) Minimalist interiors contain only essential, functional pieces (example: the family room might have a simple entertainment center, one sofa, a coffee table and one additional chair) and 2) The furniture selected will have clean, simple lines and is not adorned with frilly decoration (leather or plain fabrics instead of intricate patterns or prints, straight or curved lines without features such as fluting, hand-carving or other intricate wood working).

• Minimalist Accents and Decorations – Of course, you don’t want to leave your home entirely free of objects; that would be far too boring and could make the living space feel “clinical”. But, instead of hanging a group of photos on a single wall, you might just pick a single photo or piece of art that suits your taste and, hopefully, expresses something about you, your family and your lifestyle. A simple floral arrangement on the coffee table is sufficient; you can store accent pieces and change them out as the seasons change or anytime you feel the need to make subtle changes.

• Emphasize Quality over Quantity – More than anything, the minimalist emphasizes quality. For example, when we got married, my wife and I bought a handmade Quaker dining table and a set of Windsor chairs. It was the first new, expensive furniture we bought together and 20 years later we still use it daily. Time and use have added character to the set, along with a lot of great memories!

10 Steps to a Minimalist Living Space

1. Start with one room first so you won’t be overwhelmed by the task. Once you have simplified and uncluttered one room to taste, move on to the next until you achieve the balance and harmony you want to achieve throughout your entire home.
2. Begin by emptying the room. Try to visualize the look you want to achieve then consider what objects you can reuse and which may need to be replaced. Focus on comfort and function when selecting furniture pieces. Use quiet, subdued colors and select furniture and objects which are plain and unadorned. Remember to utilize only the essentials, asking yourself in each case whether or not you truly need the object in consideration!
3. Keep surfaces clear; furniture only on the floor, selected objects on table and shelf surfaces, sparse wall decorations, etc. Anything you don’t really need should be stored out of sight, donated or thrown out! Start with less, try living with the space for a few days and then, if you feel it is too plain, try adding additional objects one at a time, deliberately and consciously focusing on simplicity, calm and balance.
4. Choose a specific place for everything; once you find the perfect place for something it should remain there; one of the basic tenants of minimalism is the old adage “a place for everything and everything in it’s place”, harkening back to a simpler time when space was limited and only the essentials were evident in a well-kept home.
5. Keep color palettes subdued and plain. Bold color palettes and intricate patterns tend to clutter a space visually and do not lend well to the minimalist aesthetic. Choose a primary color and augment it with one to three complementary colors.
6. Keep stuff hidden from sight unless you really need it readily accessible. For example, RIP all your CDs to disk, putting them on your iPod and connecting the iPod to your home audio system. This way you can box and store you CDs neatly away. Choose in-wall speakers over free standing floor speakers. Follow these concepts as you consider everything that will be visible within the living spaces of your home.
7. Keep window treatments plain; bare windows may be acceptable where privacy and light control are not crucial. Simple wood blinds or cellular shades that stack neatly when opened are better than curtains or draperies. If you do select draperies, go with simple pleated drapes or curtains and don’t select fabrics with heavy patterns, floral prints, etc.
8. Try leaving some walls completely bare; you can always add simple artwork over time if you find the “white space” too boring. By displaying quality artwork on selected walls, you will create harmony and peace without distracting the eye with visual clutter!
9. Keep decorations to a minimum; again you don’t want to clutter spaces. Select quality accents and décor items that have sentimental value or express your personal tastes and reflect thoughtful attention to detail in their selection and placement.
10. Edit, edit, edit! The essence of minimalism is reduction so should be continually editing the objects in a room, whether each object is essential and its placement within the overall space you’re designing!

Please leave your comments, questions and thoughts on designing a minimalist home. If you try some of these ideas please let us know how they work and what you learn in the Zen act of uncluttering your home!

Basics of a Contemporary Kitchen

Start with a minimalist approach, deciding on the basic theme and design elements you will use to create your own unique contemporary kitchen design. Choose the elements you want to incorporate, deciding on geometric patterns that will be repeated, straight lines or curves that carry throughout the space, and the materials you will use for cabinetry, appliances, flooring, etc.

Often an asymmetrical balance will be used in the modern kitchen décor. Cabinets and trim should be understated and not adorned with too many embellishments. While modern designs often make use of manufactured materials and finishes such as steel, plastic, linoleum, chrome, molded plywood, laminate, acrylic, concrete, and glass, you can also soften and warm the modern kitchen design aesthetic with natural materials such as granite, slate, stone, and wood.

The mix of natural and man-made materials is a very personal choice and depends on how “industrial” a look you wish to achieve versus a more natural kitchen space that may be more appropriate in the home.

The Elements of Contemporary Kitchen Design

You have an abundant variety of design elements available when planning a contemporary kitchen. Typical contemporary kitchen design elements include:

• Frameless cabinets with simple hardware and European hinges.
• Translucent or frosted glass panels or cabinet door inserts.
• Bold, geometric angles and lines.
• Man-made surfaces in either monochromatic or vibrant colors.
• Strong overall ambient lighting and adjustable task lighting, such as track or recessed down lights.
• Use of metallic finishes such as stainless steel, copper, or chrome.
• Countertops and cabinetry can incorporate sweeping curves.
• Soften the feel of your modern kitchen with natural, grainy woods with such as maple, cherry, birch, or ash.

Contemporary Kitchen Inspiration

Today’s contemporary kitchen designs often emphasize universal design principles and eco-friendly materials. Universal design focuses on user-friendly function and utility, making for a kitchen that serves the daily needs of the household, while also providing a comfortable, inviting space in which to entertain guests. Universal design principles call for a kitchen space that is flexible, intuitive to use, prevents accidents, and helps ease food preparation and clean up.

Follow these universal design ideas when planning your contemporary kitchen:

• Plan ahead for plenty of storage, using conveniences such as pullout shelves, sliding drawers, or spinning lazy susans to maximize space and keep your kitchen well-organized.
• Select easy-to-clean surfaces such as an electric glass cooktops, smooth countertop surfaces and stainless steel appliances.
• Consider installing two sinks; a large primary sink and a secondary sink for washing vegetables, serving beverages, etc. Select single-lever faucets that make it easy to control flow and water temperature.
• Select functional, modern-style cabinet and drawer pulls such as stainless pulls on cabinet doors and stainless steel bars on drawers.
• Install under-cabinet task lighting to make food preparation easier.

The Eco-Friendly Contemporary Kitchen

The trend in contemporary interior design is toward more ecologically-conscious materials that emphasize energy efficiency and recycled materials. The kitchen space is one of the most energy-dependent spaces in your homes, so you can really make a difference and help alleviate energy use by applying green design principles.

Green design applications in the contemporary kitchen can include:

• Install Energy Star® appliances, induction cooking technology and surfaces that will be easy to clean and maintain.
• Choose cabinet and flooring materials such as reclaimed wood, rapidly renewable sources like bamboo or sustainable hardwoods.
• Use materials and paints that have low-VOC emissions.
• Plan ahead for efficient recycling of paper, plastic, metal, glass and organic kitchen waste materials!

Contemporary Kitchen Themes and Styles

As with modern music, within today’s modern kitchen design realm, you have many “sub-genres” from which to select. Here’s a rundown on some of the more popular contemporary kitchen designs:

• Contemporary Curves – While modern kitchens often incorporate linear design elements, curves can also be used; a curved island, window wall, arches over doorways or other “curvatures” can make excellent design repeats.
• Contemporary Contrast – You can create contrasts by mixing materials; for instance by using a natural stone flooring material and stainless steel appliances, natural wood cabinets with frosted glass inserts or black appliances with granite countertops.
• Chic Contemporary – Modern design often de-emphasizes the space itself, turning the focus instead on art within the space. While we may not think of a refrigerator or kitchen range as art, you can make almost any element in your kitchen a centerpiece; it could be an artful backsplash, a picture window over the sink, a large piece of modern art on the wall in the nook …. really anything you want to make the focal point!
• Casual Contemporary Casual – Many homeowners want a modern kitchen but may be afraid of making it too industrial for the home. You can soften your contemporary kitchen design by adding glass pendant lights over the island, going with natural wood cabinets instead of laminate; basically your contemporary kitchen doesn’t have to follow the pure modern design aesthetic!
• Retro Contemporary Kitchen – Modern is now retro! You can buy bar stools and kitchen appliances inspired by the modern designers such as Eames, Wright and others and give your kitchen the retro contemporary look. Glass, chrome and laminate surfaces will characterize the retro look.
• Contemporary Clean Lines – Contemporary style is best recognized by sleek, uncluttered lines and smooth surfaces. Stainless steel, glass and concrete exemplify the types of materials that modern designs often incorporate, but you can also mix hardwoods and natural stone. If the lines follow modern design principles, your kitchen will still feel contemporary.
• Contemporary and Earthy – You can blend the clean lines of modern design with warmer, softer elements to give you contemporary kitchen a more down-to-earth feeling. Materials such as exotic woods or bamboo, etched copper, natural stone, and stainless steel can be mixed to give you kitchen an earthy contemporary look.
• Black and White and Contemporary – For a bold look, you might want to consider an all black and white color scheme to achieve an ultra-modern looking kitchen. Add small accents of color to draw the eye to specific elements in your back and white design or mix warm wood tones to subtly temper the high contrast.
• Traditional Contemporary – If you have a historic Victorian or other period-style home in need of a kitchen update and want to keep it in the proper style without sacrificing the form and function of a contemporary kitchen, try slate countertops and flooring with wood cabinetry. Keep the lines simple and forego too many embellishments to keep it modern and consider transitions that separate your modern kitchen from adjoining spaces that may follow a more formal, traditional style of design.

Contemporary Kitchen Elements and Materials

Once you have the basic style in mind for your contemporary kitchen, you’ll want to select specific elements and materials to incorporate. Remember that uncluttered and clean is what you want to achieve. Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Contemporary Kitchen Island – An island in your contemporary kitchen is the essence of the modern design rule that “form follows function’. If space allows, incorporating an island will not only add storage and countertop space, but with the addition of bar stools it helps make the kitchen a more inviting place to entertain and will often be the focal point of a modern kitchen.
• Contemporary Backsplash – If you choose an overhead range hood and vent system, the backsplash can make a great focal point. Use something like glass or ceramic tile with a geometric pattern to accent your contemporary kitchen. Many styles of range hood are available these days that look like modern sculptures, with clean modern straight- or curved-lined designs and finishes such as stainless steel or copper.
• Contemporary Cabinets – From white laminate to maple, you can choose almost any material for cabinetry. The lines and absence of embellishments are what will set your contemporary kitchen apart from more traditional designs. Frameless frames and plain pulls, often metal, predominate.
• Contemporary Kitchen Countertops – Choose something different and unique; stainless steel or concrete might give your kitchen a super-contemporary look. Or you can stick with slate or granite for a less industrial look. You could even choose glass for a bar countertop on one side of a kitchen island.
• Contemporary Windows – Translucent glass blocks are one way to bring natural light into a contemporary kitchen space; especially if the window has an undesirable view! Try to select window coverings with clean lines; shades or blinds without curtains for instance. The more natural light you can bring into the kitchen the better.
• Contemporary Stainless Steel – Stainless steel appliances, fixtures, and hardware are always popular in the contemporary kitchen, lending the look of a restaurant kitchen. Stainless steel is easy to maintain and the highly reflective surfaces brighten the space.

As always, the easiest and most dramatic way to change a room is through the magic of paint. With a theme room, you should choose colors that your child associates with their favorite theme. For example, if you were creating a Tinkerbell room, you would choose shades of green or purple. A room based on Lightening McQueen could be red and black. Use your imagination, and don’t stop at simply painting the walls. You can add a racing stripe complete with center line as a border along the walls, or paint the floor dark grey and draw a race track around the room. The possibilities are endless! If you don’t wish to paint the floor, consider adding a kids area rug. You can often find large area rugs that replicate a roadway, and are great fun for kids to push their car around on.

With furniture, it’s simple to turn a regular piece into a themed work of art. Paint a set of bunk beds fire engine red. Add an old rubber hose painted black as an accent along the top of the bunk for your ‘fire hose’. If you are good with tools, consider cutting out a fire truck from plywood and painting it. Put your artwork up along the top of the bunk as a bed rail. Your child’s bed will be transformed from plain to fantastic with little more than a bucket of paint, some wood, and your own effort.

Wall murals are popular in theme rooms, but they can be time consuming to do on your own and expensive if you hire someone to come in and create one for you. For a real wall mural display at less than half the price, purchase large self-adhesive stickers that you can put together as a mural. There are many different theme stickers you can buy, including word art and character replications. It will really add that themed touch to your room.

Less expensive additions you can add to your child’s room include themed sheets, curtains, pillows, posters, and borders. You can buy light switch covers, wall outlets covers, laundry hampers, and even clocks in a variety of characters and themes. The accessories really take your room to that extra level, and your child will be thrilled with all of the new and special additions.

Yes, Extreme Home Makeover can set the bar fairly high when it comes to beautiful kid’s rooms, but you can give your child the gift of a beautiful sanctuary by simply doing it yourself and being creative with how you spend your budget. The payback will be the thrill you see on your child’s face for years to come.

1. Look under furniture for extra storage space; a good under-bed organizer can help keep toys, shoes and other kids’ stuff hidden from view and better-organized. You might also consider a trundle or kid-sized bed with built-in drawers. Efficient storage is the most important key to keeping a small bedroom neat.
2. Go vertical; when floor space is limited, one of the easiest ways to maximize space utilization is to use every inch of vertical space. When shopping for kids’ bedroom furniture, look for bookcases, armoires, hutches and other furniture pieces that are tall and use the least square footage. A bunk bed really takes advantage of vertical space, giving you a place to display stuffed animals, etc. even if the bedroom isn’t shared; this also helps out when your kids have sleepovers.
3. Create an illusion of more space by painting stripes on the walls; vertical stripes give the room a sense of greater height while horizontal stripes will make the room seem wider. Mount full length curtains close to ceiling height to further augment the sense of greater height.
4. Look for “combo” furniture pieces such as an armoire with drawers and space for hanging clothes to free up closet space. If you install the right closet organizers and shelving, you might want to consider removing the closet doors to help open up your child’s smaller bedroom. This option gives you greater flexibility in terms of furniture layout.
5. A corner bookcase or display shelf unit can be a great way to utilize diagonal nooks and crannies in your smaller-sized kids’ bedroom.
6. Don’t place tall furniture near windows; this only blocks the natural light. Do place a low bookcase or, better yet, a chair or bench near the window; this adds both seating and storage below the windowsill.
7. While it may seem counter-intuitive, an oversized kids’ chair will help make the bedroom seem larger, taking advantage of scale and tricking the eye into perceiving the room as larger.
8. When it comes to wall art, try to focus on one wall in your kids’ bedroom; this will create a visual focal point without clutter and visual distraction. Try to reduce the number and amount of collections of kids’ decorative accessories; you can switch collections now seasonally or as your child’s interests change over time. This reduces visual clutter if you can get your child to agree to not displaying every collection at once!
9. A well-lit bedroom will seem more open and spacious than a dark room; augment the ceiling light fixture with a bedside table lamp, desk lamp, etc. to provide plenty of ambient and task lighting in your child’s bedroom. Use a layered window treatment, using a blind or shade to provide adequate privacy when needed and sheer curtains for a decorative touch that still lets in plenty of natural light when the shade or blind is raised.
10. Keep it simple; more than anything a small kids’ bedroom will suffer greatly if you try to overdo a theme, use too many colors and cram in just plain too much stuff. The trick to decorating any small space is to keep things simple and not over-decorate!

Similar to a traditional family room and oftentimes connected to the kitchen and eating areas, the great room in many modern homes is the most popular gathering place in the house. A great room is where the family spends time in the evening and on weekends, when it’s raining outside, where we get together to play board games, watch television and movies on DVD and entertain friends.

The great room should be a comfortable space to spend time. It is not generally a formal room, so the décor will often be casual and inviting. A fireplace or entertainment center makes the focal point in most great room layouts. Arrange seating to take best advantage of your focal point, with a large coffee table and small end tables with table lamps to set down drinks, books and other items.

Perhaps no room gets more regular use than the modern Great Room, which typically combines family room, eating area and kitchen into a single living space.

Great Room Design Elements and Themes

You need to pick a theme for your great Room. You wouldn’t write a story without a plot, and basically, when we decorate, we are telling a story about who lives there. Are you a nature lover, does your family love sports, are you very traditional, or do you like a very minimal room?

Once you have a theme, it’s a lot easier to pick and choose the elements in the room to create that feeling, and can save you a lot of money in mistakes when things don’t quite go together. An area for board games or cards is easily accommodated by adding a game table several chairs and some task lighting. Place a floor lamp to add ambient lighting.

Some great rooms will incorporate a window seat to take advantage of the natural light provided by large windows. You can place a bench, loveseat or settee beside the window if your great room does not have a built in window seat. Add a soft cushion or pillows to make this a comfortable reading place. An end table with lamp makes a good addition to any reading area.

The large space in your great room makes it an ideal place for tall house plants. Up lighting can add drama and color at night. You might also consider a writing desk to make space for your bill-paying center.

Great Room Color Scheme Considerations

Once you decide how you want to use the space in your great room, its time to pick a color palette. If you can see another room from your great room, its best to pull a color from the adjoining room into your great room décor to help the rooms flow together.

Theme is also an important element in color selection. A natural theme may incorporate earthy tones, while a nautical theme would incorporate blues and yellows. Focus on the largest area, usually the walls first. Painting is a quick way to transform your great room. Try painting several patches with variations of the colors and tones you think you like on just one wall and let it dry to be sure which one you like best before painting the entire room.

Faux finishes like sponge painting and ragging can add texture, giving your great room a rich feeling, and are very easy to learn. Decorative trim such as crown molding, a chair rail and upgraded baseboards will go a long way to making your great room more visually appealing and unique.

Window treatments are a critical piece of your great room decor. One issue to consider in a great room will typically be the sliding glass doors. With kids and dogs running in and out, you may want to forgo expensive vertical blinds. Under all that heavy use, the vanes start falling out and get permanently bent after being shut in the door a few hundred times and the whole treatment needs replacing soon thereafter.

Window Treatments, Furnishings and Accessories

Roll-up imitation wood blinds are an option, or if budget allows, real wood blinds work well. Fabric panels made from twin flat sheets are inexpensive, and if you don’t sew, you could use iron-on hem tape. Inexpensive wood dowels can be used as rods, and you can glue something decorative onto the end of the rod for finials.

Once your walls and windows squared away, its time to select furniture, which can be expensive. There are ways to make the most of your existing pieces, and looking for less expensive alternatives. Slipcovers can give an old, worn-out sofa a new look. Look for sales or check local consignment shops to find your best deals on furniture if your budget is tight.

Blanket throws can be cut from a yard of polar fleece fabric, which doesn’t fray, so no sewing is required; just cut some fringe and it’s ready to throw on the couch. Another budget-minded option is paint. Paint mismatched furniture all the same color or apply a faux finish to make things match, adding wood molding to create a shared theme for the pieces.

Lighting and Accessories for the Great Room

Lighting is always important in the great room since so many different activities go on. Can lights or track lighting in the ceiling help provide overall ambient lighting, while pendant lamps or other hanging lamps add nice accent lighting. Floor and table lamps can be used to provide task lights in appropriate areas of the room.

Lastly, the fun is in accessorizing and really pulling together the theme for your great room. Start by selecting a few key items that you really like and then add items that complement these core accessories. Find inexpensive candles and put them in a nice bowl filled with stones or potpourri.

The great room will serve any family well, providing an inviting place to hang out indoors if you take the time to make it comfortable and inviting with these design and decorating ideas.

In cooler climates carpet is favored for its warmth and is used widely for anywhere that requires bright color and pattern, combined with a luxuriant quality. Carpet once was a luxury only for the better off, but with the invention of synthetic materials, carpets nowadays can be one of the cheapest and most practical flooring materials available.

Although the thought of laying carpet yourself may seem time consuming and difficult, if you really are interested, I have taught myself that it is entirely do-able for the do-it-yourselfer. If possible, find a friend with at least some experience to help you the first time. Choose a room that is relatively simple in shape and not too big for your first attempt!

If you dare to try it yourself, read on. If not, it is still worth understanding what is involved so that you’re prepared when you hire a pro to install new carpeting in your home.

Determining What Type of Carpet to Install

Before you get to the procedure for laying your carpet, it is important to determine what type of carpet you are working with. You have the choice of either woven-backed carpet or rubber-backed carpet. They each not only produce different results but also require a difference in the method to lay them correctly.

Woven-backed carpets are laid over a rubber or felt underpad which helps to even out irregularities in the subfloor and also makes the carpet feel softer and more substantial. Rubber feels softer underfoot but felt is more resilient and thus a good choice for an uneven floor or a carpet that needs stitching together. The drawback of woven-backed carpet is that it needs to be stretched carefully over gripper strips to fit the room. This could be difficult for the amateur who has never laid a carpet before so it should only be attempted if you have laid carpet in your home before.

Rubber-backed carpet is a cheaper than woven-backed carpet. It has a rubber backing bonded to the carpet so does not require a second underpad. The main advantage of rubber-backed carpet is that it does not need to be stretched over gripper strips so even the amateur can use the opportunity to practice their skills.

What You’ll Need to Lay Carpet

Many of the materials you’ll need to lay your carpet you should find you already will have.  The remaining materials you should easily be able to rent from a hardware store.

• Gripper strips
• Sharp utility knife or carpet shears
• Measuring tape
• Knee kicker
• Carpet stretcher
• Seam cutter, iron and tape
• Double-sided tape or liquid adhesive

Preparing the Space for New Carpet

I am writing these steps assuming that you are working in a fresh and clean space. If you aren’t, I’ll quickly state the obvious when it comes to removing an old carpet.

1. Give the old carpet a good vacuum before removing it to lessen the dust that will lift from it. You can then use a sharp utility knife to cut the carpet into manageable strips to make it easier to remove. Throw it all out!
2. Sometimes people are tempted to keep existing underpad but in the majority of cases they are worn beyond redemption so it’s best to get a fresh start to save on unnecessary extra work later. Lastly, strip all the old gripper strips from the perimeter of the room. Give the floor a good sweep out and take the opportunity to fasten any loose, noisy floorboards.
3. With the space cleared you can begin with the important preparation steps:
4. If you are working with a woven-backed carpet you need to begin by nailing gripper strips around the perimeter of the room, using a spacer to set them slightly away from the skirting (baseboard).
5. Go on to install the underpad, trimmed to butt up against the gripper strips. Tape pieces together as necessary, then staple the underpad to the floor at intervals.
6. If you are working with foam-backed carpet, firstly you need to put down a paper or cloth underpad on the floor the keep the foam from sticking to the floor. Tape it at the joins and staple it in place.
7. Put double-sided adhesive tape all around the perimeter of the room.

Basic Steps to Laying Your Own Carpet

1. Laying the Carpet: First step is the carpet needs to be laid out. Unroll the carpet and position it so it laps up the room walls about 4 to 6 inches. You can trim the edges roughly with a sharp utility knife and make cuts at external corners so that tongues of carpet will fit around them. Think ahead about where you want seams to go before you start cutting your carpet. This is where having assistance from a friend who’s done carpet-laying before is a huge advantage!
2. Seaming the Carpet: If the room is large you may need another piece of carpet to fill it. Overlap the extra piece on the seam where the pieces will join. Cut through the pieces with your utility knife so the pieces will match exactly. Lay adhesive seaming tape where the pieces bond and then apply pressure from a wallpaper seam roller to ensure a good bond.
3. Attaching the Carpet: Next the carpet needs to be attached. With a foam-backed carpet you needs to butt the edge of the carpet up against the longest straight wall in the room. Peel the backing paper off the tape and bed the edge into place. With a woven-backed carpet, press one edge of the carpet  onto the gripper strips using the ‘knee-kick’ tool to ensure that the angled teeth grip the carpet backing securely. Take the ‘toothed’ end of the knee-kicker and position it about 3” from the wall.  Push the padded end of the tool forcefully with your knee to drive the carpet over the tacks on the gripper strips. Cut off the excess carpet along the edge by running a sharp utility knife along the angle between the gripper strip and the skirting.
4. Stretching the Carpet: Now the carpet needs to be unrolled across the room. With foam-backed carpet, work the carpet across the floor to the opposite wall to ensure it is lying flat then trim that edge against the skirting and tape it down too. With woven-backed carpet there is an extra but essential step. First use the blade of the bolster to tuck the trimmed edge of the carpet into the angle between the carpet strip and skirting. After the carpet is attached to the gripper strips of two adjacent walls, you need to begin the stretching process. A carpet stretching tool makes this job very easy.  One end of the carpet stretcher is laid against the wall that the carpet is already attached to, and the other is set approximately 6” from the opposite wall. Grip the carpet in the ‘teeth’ of the tool and push the activation lever which will stretch the carpet to the opposite wall. Continue trimming the edges with your utility knife, tucking the cut edges into the perimeter gaps of the walls.
5. Finishing Up: Make release cuts at the internal and external corners. At the door frame and similar obstacles, trim the carpet to follow the contours of the obstacle as closely as possible and press it onto the gripper strips of adhesive strip.

Here are a couple of videos you may want to watch if you are considering trying to install carpet yourself:

Are you an expert carpet installer or do-it-yourselfer with experience? If so, please add your comments and advice for others to read!

There are many factors to consider when planning a window treatment. First of all, what effect do you want to achieve? Do you want the treatment to make a statement or quietly meld into the room, leaving the spotlight for another element of the décor? Is the room formal or casual? Do you want full-length drapery panels or only a cornice or shade? What is the sun exposure? Do you need to block light or drafts?

After you weigh all these factors, let your creativity soar and watch your beautiful window take shape because whether inherently beautiful or simply practical, a window’s shape, size and position adds a definite character to the internal architecture of a room.

Treatments for Standard Windows

Whether you live in a modern home with double-glazing, a Victorian terrace with small sash windows or a country cottage, you will probably have at least one standard or smaller window. Unlike other more dramatic window shapes, it is probably more important standard windows to have some form of window treatment, particularly with the more modern types, as they do not have a lot of character of their own.

A sense of scale is important when dealing with these modest windows, although if a window is out of proportion it can be adjusted using a wider track or longer length curtains, as long as the contrast is not too excessive. Quite often these windows are positioned with radiators underneath; making blinds the best solution both practically and proportionally. Other practical elements, such as whether the windows opens inwards or outwards, also need to be taken into consideration.

Some cottages have windows set into deep alcoves, while other houses have windows set very high; in these cases it may not be necessary to curtain them at all. If you have a beautiful view, and do not need privacy, the window can be turned into a decorative feature by painting the frame in a striking color. Of all the standard windows, sashes are perhaps the best proportioned, and they easily accept most forms of curtaining, blinds and shutters.

When deciding on window treatments for standard windows, remember that simple styles produce best results. Choose from Roman blinds, roller blinds or shutters or, if you prefer curtains, opt for smaller diameter poles, rather than tracks and pelmets, with headings that are not too deep. Keep fabrics light in color and weight to maximize the amount of light that comes in the room. A single curtain caught back to one side can make a prettier alternative to a pair of curtains.

Treatments for Tall Windows

Tall windows are highly desirable. They are particularly associated with Georgian architecture, a period which is remembered for its elegant proportions and interior decoration. Many modern homes also have tall windows, running from floor to ceiling or on stairwells.

In Georgian houses, tall windows are usually found on the first floor, where the formal reception rooms were situated, and they offer superb opportunities for window treatments, ranging from classical formal arrangements to simpler, more contemporary styles. One of the great charms of tall windows is that they let in a lot of light. Curtain designs should therefore concentrate their light-giving properties and not go for over-complicated styles that cover up the beauty of the windows.

If using curtains, don’t skimp on fabric; make sure they are generous, and scoop them back with tiebacks or Italian stringing, to allow plenty of light into the room. If you live in an older property which still has the original shutters, use a simple sheer drape, or top the shutters with a single pull-up blind. If using blinds with tall windows, set them within the recess to reveal the frame.

Unfortunately, not all tall windows conform to the Georgian proportions, and in such cases curtaining can be problematic. For rooms with low ceilings, curtains need to be designed so that they bring the eye down and away from the top of the window. Do this by using a deep pelmet, a valance, or curtains with tiebacks set down low.

Not all tall windows are floor-length as some have radiators set against the wall beneath them. However, these windows should still be dressed with full-length curtains for the best decorative effect.

Treatments for Extra Wide Windows

Wide windows need a different approach to window dressing. If placed in a good location, picture windows can be a striking feature that needs little embellishment. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and some form of screening is often required for privacy during the day. Even if the view is beautiful, at night this will turn into a large black hole, so some form of window covering is desirable.

Another practical consideration is insulation. Vast areas of single sheet glass are not effective in retaining heat; double glazing can help, but curtaining offers an easy solution.

Simplicity is the key to curtaining picture windows; avoid anything fussy like swags and tails which detract from the view. A single curtain hung simply from a plain pole or pelmet and stacked back to one side avoids the look of a pair of stage curtains. Alternatively, the clean lines of Roman or roller blinds make a good option; practically, however, picture windows often incorporate hinged or sliding doors, so blinds must be able to clear the window fully.

Wide windows made from several panes of glass can be dressed successfully with a series of blinds. These add interest to the window as they can be lowered to varying levels, breaking up the monotony of a continuous horizontal line. Sill-length curtains can be used on windows that are wider than they are high, although floor-length ones tend to work better by balancing proportions.

Plain fabrics work best on wide windows. Avoid small fussy prints which simply do not work over a large area. Instead, try something bolder and more flamboyant, whether an abstract or natural design, a geometric pattern or even stripes. If your view is unpleasant and daytime screening is required, keep it simple. Use a plain voile or muslin that diffuses the light and reduces the outlook to softened blur; lace fabrics here would be just too much.

Treatments for Awkward Windows

Many houses possess at least one unusually shaped or oddly positioned window. When it comes to deciding on a treatment for these windows there are no general rules to follow as each window needs to be looked at individually. These awkward windows add character to a home, so they need to be enhanced and not just covered up with a standard solution.

Bow and bay windows can vary greatly in size from simple alcoves to room-sized projections embracing a whole wall. Today there are tracks available that curve to fit directly into the bay, enabling you to treat the whole window as one unit, although deep bays may need individual blinds or curtains.

Arched or Palladian windows are often beautiful features in their own right. Luckily, circular windows are often small and do not necessarily need any covering at all. The best approach for arched windows is to use a fixed heading on curtains or blinds, shaped to fit the curve of the arch.

Casement windows are found in old cottages, recessed into thick walls. They tend to be small, and often open inwards. The most practical solution in this case may be curtains set outside the recess, so as not to obstruct the opening or restrict the light.

Dormer windows project from a roof line and have sloping sides. Roman or roller blinds work best for these windows, although special hinged rods can be bought for curtains to swing clear of the glass.

Skylights re often set on an angle in the rood. Roller blinds are the best solution for these. Any curtains and blinds used will have to be adapted to fit close to the slope, using poles, cords, rings or clips.

Truth and furniture are not words commonly used in the same sentence; there is no universal truth in terms of how best to arrange your living space for comfort, balance and harmony. But understanding some fundamental principles and practical tips can help you achieve the most comfortable and visually pleasing arrangements possible in your home’s living spaces.

Read on and learn the fundamentals of home furniture arrangement and tips on how to resolve the challenges of fitting everything into place like a pro.

Furniture Arrangement Challenges

Every home and floor plan has its unique furniture-arranging challenges. Rooms may be long and narrow or with odd nooks and crannies to fill, doors may swing into the way of furnishings, walls may be set at angles, all making it seemingly impossible to fit your furniture comfortably into the right spots. But there are ways to manage all these challenges effectively.

Arranging Living Spaces for Scale, Balance and Symmetry

Scale refers to the relationship of furnishings to each other and the space you are arranging. A space that is out of scale will feel out of sorts. For example if you place a very large sofa next to a tiny coffee table, the visual effect will subconsciously seem unbalanced.

Symmetry and asymmetry are also important in achieving a balanced and pleasing arrangement; if everything is entirely symmetrical, the room may seem restful, yet may lack visual impact. On the other hand, a completely asymmetrical arrangement can be jarring to the eye.

Balancing symmetry (i.e. a matched pair of sitting chairs) with asymmetry (i.e. two lamps of different heights) assures the space feels relaxing, yet also retains visual motion and impact.

Begin with a Blank Canvas

One trick interior designers use when starting a project is to treat a space as a blank canvas, the way an artist considers a new composition. Just as a painter creates a sense of depth and motion in a painting, the interior designer can use similar methods in laying out a room.

One such method is triangulation, in which elements are placed left and right in the lower part of a composition and converge at a point above the midpoint, drawing the eye into the scene.
Triangulation may be applied in arranging a room, for instance, by placing end tables on either side of a table and hanging artwork on the wall over the sofa, creating a triangular composition with the apex above the midpoint of the arrangement. This type of arrangement creates an aesthetically pleasing, balanced “vignette” within the overall composition of the room.

Create a Focal Point

Such an arrangement also creates a natural focal point in a room that may lack an architectural focal point such as a large picture window, fireplace, etc. Determining your room’s focal point is usually the best place to begin your arrangement.

In the living room the focal point may be the fireplace or conversation area, in the family room it may be a home entertainment center and in the bedroom it is typically the bed.
If your room does not have an architectural focal point, you will want to arrange furniture in order to create one; the above example makes use of an expanse of wall space to provide a visual focal point. Other examples include using a large area rug to create a focal point, around which a comfy conversation is created with the furniture arrangement.

You should place the largest piece of furniture in a room first:

• In a family room, the entertainment center is often the primary piece of furniture;
• In a dining room or eating area, the dining table;
• In a living room, a sofa;
• In a bedroom, the bed.

Think in Totality

You want to arrange your furniture with gestalt, or the principle of totality, in mind. For example, a large space may be divided, as is common in modern homes with great room spaces; the kitchen, eating space and entertainment areas each being part of an overall space, but also each having its own form as defined by it’s respective function.

Large, rectangular spaces tend to feel less comfortable, which is why dividing such a space with square furniture arrangements is typical in many interior design schemes. Often designers plan zones within a room, creating a more intimate, informal layout and maximizing use of the space that allows for various functions such as conversation areas, dining areas, etc.

Style is another aspect to consider in totality; for the most part you want the furniture in a given room to be of similar style, unless you are purposely trying to achieve an eclectic look.

Consider the Function of the Room

Obviously the function of any given space is crucial to the arrangement of furnishings. Ask yourself these kinds of questions:

• In the living room, is seating comfortable and arranged such that people are close enough to hear each other readily? Remember that noise levels will increase substantially when you have a larger gathering.
• Is there adequate table space to set glasses and food down if you plan to serve food when entertaining in the living room?
• Is the room lighting adequate to the tasks for which you will typically use the room or do you need additional table lamps to augment the ambient light level?
• In bedrooms, is there enough room for two people to get dressed at the same time?
• In the kitchen, can more than one person prepare food without getting in the way of the other?
• In an eating area or dining room, can people walk around the table without others needing to pull in their chairs to let them pass?

The Importance of Scale in Arranging Furniture

One mistake non-designers make when choosing furniture is to buy pieces that are out of scale … either to each other and/or to the room itself. For example; an overly large coffee table paired with a small sofa, end tables that are too small beside a large sofa, a bed that fills a bedroom from wall to wall, or a dining table that leaves no room for diners to maneuver around it.
When furnishings are out of scale the room feels somehow uncomfortable and out of balance. When you find a piece that is out of scale with the rest of the furniture in your room, its best to either move it elsewhere in the house, sell or store it.

Begin with Space Planning

To help plan your space start by measuring and doing some sketches to test various concepts and arrangements on paper or by using a computer design application. Your plans should include:

1. A traffic flow chart; spaces should allow freedom of movement and openness.
2. An overall floor plan; consider how your rooms connect and what functions each space needs to serve.
3. Room sketches; create multiple sketches of each space so that you can compare various furniture arrangement possibilities.
4. An inventory of existing furniture you wish to incorporate into your arrangement; use this to complete a gap analysis and determine what additional pieces are needed.

Additional Furniture Arrangement Tips

• Leave room entrances and exits clear and allow a clear walkway at least 3 feet wide so that people can pass through the room comfortably. Consider the “view” you will have as you enter a room.
• Try moving furniture away from the walls; don’t line all your furniture up against the walls or you’ll end up with something that looks like a doctor’s office waiting room. Remember to arrange pieces around your room’s focal point.
• Placing furniture on a diagonal can add interest and motion, helping break up an otherwise monotonous room layout; an armoire, for instance, placed diagonally can help disguise an awkward corner. Placing furniture at an angle can help the room appear larger and more complex and may improve traffic flow as well.
• Try moving the sofa out away from the wall, placing a long table behind it where you can arrange accessories.
• Vary the height and vertical lines of furniture to add depth and interest to your furniture arrangement.
• Avoid placing large furnishings in front of windows, where they may block natural light; low pieces that don’t block window light may be fine under windows. A bench or small chair under a window can provide a nice place to sit and enjoy the view outside!
• It should go without saying you never want to place furniture where it will prevent a door from opening and closing; a free and unobstructed traffic pattern is essential to any good furniture arrangement.

Are you tired of looking at your old kitchen cabinets, countertops and appliances? We all want a designer kitchen but with today’s economic woes the thought of spending $50,000 or more to remodel your kitchen may seem unthinkable.

Given today’s lower home resale prices, over-investing in a high end, custom designer kitchen may not make as much sense economically as it once appeared. Making wise choices now about how much to invest in home remodeling projects will ensure the best return on investment when you decide to sell your home later.

But with retailers and contractors offering deep discounts, now may be a great time to consider giving your kitchen an economy renovation! Read on and learn how to update your kitchen on a tight budget.

Why Invest in Kitchen Remodeling?

For homeowners planning to live in an older home for the next three to five years, minor kitchen upgrades now can provide a nicer place to live and, according to experts, typically return between 90% and 105% of the amount invested in terms of a home’s resale value.

Waiting for economic recovery to begin renovation will most likely mean you’ll pay more in the long run, as the price of appliances, materials and labor go back up … and you’ll be living with an outdated kitchen in the mean time.

Start by Setting a Reasonable Budget

Once you commit to updating your kitchen, start by setting a budget. If you only have $5,000 to spend, you’ll probably be looking at a facelift; repainting, possible refinishing cabinets and replacing the faucets. Remember, done wisely, even small changes can have a big impact.

If your budget is in the $15,000 range, you might consider replacing the countertops and replacing appliances such as the range and dishwasher. If you really push the limit and are able to do some or most of the work yourself, you could even replace kitchen cabinets.
In most cases, a complete kitchen remodel will still typically require a budget of $25,000 or more if you plan to take everything down to the studs and start fresh. But, by selecting less expensive materials and appliances, experienced do-it-yourself homeowners can pull off a complete kitchen renovation by shopping around for appliances, cabinets, flooring, etc. on a modest budget.

Consider Re-facing Kitchen Cabinet

When planning a minor kitchen upgrade, one major decision is whether or not you need to replace cabinets. If the existing cabinets are still serviceable, but just need a fresh look, refinishing or painting cabinets may be an option.

Changing cabinet doors, hinges and pulls can give a kitchen a completely new look. Ask a couple of local cabinetmakers for an evaluation to see what’s possible. While you don’t have a lot of options to change your kitchen’s layout with this approach, the decision to replace cabinets is a major factor in determining the scope and cost of the project.

If you do decide that your old cabinets are beyond fixing or you want to change the layout of your kitchen, you need to recognize that your budget needs will be significantly higher and be prepared to set your budget accordingly. In fact, many people end up putting off kitchen renovation simply because they can’t or do not want to keep their existing cabinets, eliminating the option of a low-cost facelift.

Pre-manufactured, modular kitchen cabinet systems can also help save money versus hiring a custom cabinet maker. Once you have decided new cabinets are a requirement, spending the time to do your homework and evaluate all your options will really impact your bottom line budget and how realistic the project will be relative to your budget constraints.

Affordable Kitchen Countertops

Surfaces take a real beating in the demanding kitchen environment, making natural stone the most popular choice when it comes to kitchen countertops. Granite is the toughest stone for kitchen surfaces, with marble being softer and somewhat less stain-resistant.
Limestone, slate, soapstone, and sandstone are softer, but can also cost less. However, unless you are remodeling a very small kitchen, natural stone countertops can really inflate the overall project budget, typically costing between $40 and $100 per square foot, installed.

Engineered stone is another option, typically made by combining crushed quartz with polymer resins to create a durable and attractive and nonporous surface. While it may save money versus high end granite or marble, engineered stone doesn’t really save a whole lot at between $45 and $90 per square foot, installed.

Ceramic tile is a great choice for the economy kitchen remodeling project; available in an almost endless range of colors, patterns, and styles, it can be installed by most experienced do-it-yourselfers. And, at $10 to $30 per square foot, installed, ceramic tile is a real cost-saver, especially in a kitchen with lots of countertop area!

Laminate is also a cost-effective option and is relatively easy to install, but typically scratches, stains and shows wear more than ceramic tile. Laminate (or post-formed) countertops run $10 to $30 per square foot, installed, so cost is typically about the same as for ceramic tile.

Kitchen Appliance Replacement Options

After cabinets and countertops, the most costly investment in most kitchen renovations will be appliances. But there are ways to keep the cost down when selecting and installing major appliances.

For instance, while every gourmet chef would love to have double ovens, a basic single gas oven, especially with an integrated range top, is one way to really keep the lid on your appliance budget. How much are you willing to sacrifice in order to complete your kitchen renovation within your budget constraints? And how often do you cook big meals that require dual ovens, convection, etc? Asking yourself these questions as you plan your kitchen project and then prioritizing needs can really help you make the best trade-offs and choices.

Tests show that there is relatively little difference in reliability between high end brands and models as compared to less expensive ones. You may not get all the bells and whistles or appliances with the designer/commercial kitchen look, but shop around for appliances and you can find some great deals these days! Also, ask about low or no-interest financing or delayed payment plans that could reduce your initial outlay, leaving more funds for other aspects of your kitchen project.

While you don’t want to skimp so much that you end up hating your oven, range, dishwasher or refrigerator, you also don’t want to over-invest in kitchen investments; it won’t add enough resale value to justify buying the most expensive models and unless cooking is really a passion, you probably won’t find yourself wishing you had paid more in the long run!

Saving Money on Kitchen Sinks and Faucets

From a performance standpoint, both functionally and in terms of durability, there is little difference between the various brands and price points available these days. Really, what you pay for when buying a high end sink or faucet will be style and uniqueness of design.

Stainless steel remains the most popular choices in kitchen sinks. But, there is not much difference between lower gauge and the thicker, more costly higher gauge models; most will resist dents, stains, scratches, and heat about the same. A basic stainless faucet will match your stainless sink nicely and costs far less than brushed nickel or other finishes.

Another great value if you don’t want the metallic look is an enameled cast-iron sink. The Kohler Smart Divide kitchen sink has a lower lip between the dual bowls, making it easy to wash large items.

Bowls in kitchen sink models range from 6 to 12 inches deep. A deeper bowl helps reduce splashing, but one that is too deep forces you to bend over more. Also, if you select an under-mounted kitchen sink, remember the drop-in will lower it by another inch-and-a-half.

The choice is clear when selecting a sink and faucet; you can keep your budget down by selecting basic, functional models made with quality materials and avoiding the designer models made with higher cost finishes. Really, if you spend $500 on your faucet, it will make almost no difference in terms of your home’s resale value than a basic stainless steel model!

Affordable Kitchen Flooring Options

When it comes to affordable flooring, the good news is that less expensive materials can often a better choice for the rigors of kitchen wear and tear than more costly materials!

Solid wood flooring is known for natural warmth and may be a great choice in high-end designer kitchens, but it is costly to install, can discolor, is easily dented and wears quickly. And, at $7 to $12 per square foot, installed, it is not the most economical choice.

Engineered wood or bamboo flooring is easier to install than solid wood since it is typically nailed, stapled or glued in place, or else floated, without fasteners. However, it can dent and show stains and spills more than other flooring materials. At $5 to $10 per square foot, installed, it is an economical choice; if you install it yourself you can save even more.

Ceramic tile is typically resistant to wear, moisture, scratches, dents, and stains. However, since it is very flooring hard surface, you should be prepared for dishes to break if dropped! Labor intensive to lay and grout; prices range from $8 to $15 per square foot, making ceramic tile a less economic choice for kitchen flooring.

Plastic laminate flooring may be one of the most affordable options; it can be floated without using glue or fasteners and wears better than most wood flooring products, resisting dents, scratches and UV fading. While it can’t be refinished and may be damaged by some types of liquid spills, at $4 to $8 per square foot, installed, plastic laminate flooring looks great and helps keep the budget in line.

Vinyl flooring is stain and UV fade-resistant, easy to install and long wearing. Today’s vinyl flooring products can reasonably imitate the look of stone or other natural materials, although a vinyl floor is not likely to help your new kitchen win designer awards. But, at Price $3 to $7 per square foot, installed, it is an affordable kitchen flooring option worth considering.

While linoleum is available in many styles and colors today, it is not as long wearing as the plastic laminate products and will run you $4 to $9 per square foot, installed.

Summary: Making Smart Kitchen renovation Choices

While many people are choosing not to make home renovations in the current economic situation and given the current decline in home resale prices, remember that everything is cyclical. For homeowners willing to accept some risk in the short term, having a new kitchen they enjoy and adding long term value to their home still makes a lot of sense.

Everything is a buyer’s market right now, so smart homeowners will strike while the iron is hot, getting a great deal on the new kitchen of their dreams by making wise decisions, setting and sticking to a reasonable budget and knowing they are making a long term investment in their home!

Unglazed and softer than other types of tile, terracotta is made from extruded or hand-formed clay. It comes available in a number of shapes and sizes, from small hexagons to large squares.

The colors range from dusky ochres to oranges through to reds. Part of the charm of terracotta is precisely this color variation, within each tile and from tile to tile, as well as the textural variations of the surface.

Adhesive for Terracotta Tiles

Larger and heavier than ceramic tiles, terracotta tiles need a thicker adhesive bed, especially if the tiles are handmade and vary in thickness, or if they have bowed during manufacture. The method described here can be used for other types of tile such as quarry or slate, the thick adhesive bed being used to absorb any difference in tile thickness.

Although a sand-and-cement mix can be used for many heavy tiles, it is not really suitable for terracotta tiles. Because they are very porous, they may react with the cement to cause efflorescence – when the soluble salts come to the surface as a white stain.

Use a thick-bed adhesive, which can be applied at any thickness from 5mm to 2.3cm (¼ to 1in). Thick-bed adhesive can be happily used on an uneven floor base and dries very quickly, in some cases enabling tiling and grouting to be carried out on the same day.

Laying Terracotta Tiles

1. Start in the furthest corner, having located the center point and adjusted it, and having marked up a grid which will help to keep you straight.
2. Mix up the tile adhesive according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Some types of thick-bed adhesive are simply poured onto the floor and spread out to an even level with an appropriate type of spreader, and then the tiles are laid straight onto it. Other types of adhesive require the back of the tile to be buttered with adhesive as well. Handmade tiles may vary slightly in size and thickness, so apply more adhesive to the backs of thinner tiles and allow a wide gap, approximately 12mm (½in), between the tiles. Any variations in size will be taken up within the joints.
3. Use a spirit level, check regularly that the tiles you have laid are level, and certainly after each grid block.
4. Once the central area of the floor is finished, fill the border.

Cutting Terracotta Tiles

1. The easiest way to cut terracotta tiles is with an angle grinder fitted with a stone-cutting wheel.
2. Cut a groove into the tile to two thirds of the tile’s depth and then snap it in two.
3. The cutter will, if required, cut or grind through the whole thickness of the tile – useful for cutting awkward shapes out of a tile to go round pipes and other obstructions.

Sealing Terracotta Tiles

1. Terracotta and quarry tiles are very porous and must be sealed before you add grouting in order to provide a hard-wearing and easy-to-clean surface.
2. Ensure the surfaces of the tiles are free from dust and any traces of tile adhesive.
3. Brush one coat of boiled linseed oil over the tiles with a brush or short-haired paint roller. It is important to apply an even coat to avoid the risk of streaking. The oil will soak into the tile, the surface losing its gloss 2-10 minutes after application. If it appears more matt in less time than that, apply the oil more liberally.
4. Allow the sealer to dry and then grout. A second coat of sealer should be applied after grouting.

Grouting Terracotta Tiles

1. Grout terracotta tiles with a grout that is suitable for wide joints; porous tiles are grouted using a pointing method rather than by simply spreading the grout over the surface as you would for ceramic tiles.
2. Fill the joints using a pointing trowel, and avoid spilling any of the grout onto the surface of the tiles.
3. Finish the grout by making it slightly concave; bend a round metal pipe into a convenient shape and use that.
4. Some times of handmade tiles benefit from ‘slurry grouting’ – a technique which fills in all the pits and dents to create an antiqued appearance.
5. Mix up the grout to a creamy consistency and grout as you would with ceramic tiles, ensuring that the grout fills all the crevices.
6. Clean the excess grout off the surface with a damp sponge.

Finishing and Care of Your Terracotta Tile Floor

1. Apply a second coat of seal once the grout has thoroughly dried, using oil more sparingly than before as the tiles will be less porous. Any excess oil that does not soak in after 20 minutes should be cleaned from the surface of the tile.
2. After the oil has had time to soak into the tiles fully, which usually takes a few hours or overnight, the tiles can be waxed.
3. Use a propriety floor wax and wax the floor twice. The new floor should then be waxed once a week for the following month in order to build up a smooth and hard-wearing surface, yet mellow surface.

Ceramic floor tiles are made from a dust-pressed clay that is fired at high temperatures. Fully vitrified ceramic tiles are the most waterproof of all tiles, making them perfect for the wettest areas such as bathrooms. Ceramic floor tiles are not glazed; glazed tiles are normally too slippery unless the glaze has a roughened surface.

They may have decorative patterns or little studs on the surface for textural variation and slip resistance. Oxides, added during the manufacturing process, give these tiles the widest range of colors of any unglazed tile. including plain white.

Ceramic tiles are thinner than quarry or terracotta tile and their uniform thickness enables trouble-free installation. They can, if you prefer, be polished to give a more glamorous look.

What You’ll Need

• For any ceramic tiling job, large or small, the materials you require are the same:
• A notched adhesive spreader
• Tile spacers
• Grout plus a flexible spreader
• Tape measure
• Tile cutter, saw, and file
• Pencil or felt tip pen
• Sponges or cloths for wiping

Laying Ceramic Floor Tiles

1. Before you begin, it is essential you set out the tiles in the room to check you won’t have any problems. Then you can begin laying:
2. Mix up the tile adhesive according to the manufacturer’s instructions. You can add any special additives for greater flexibility if you are covering a wood floor. Tile adhesive has a limited pot life, about 20 minutes, so do not mix up more than you will realistically be able to use in your time available.
3. Lay your first tile in the corner furthest from the door. In order accurately to position this tile, dry-lay a line of tiles from the centre line, and then draw a line at right angles to the centre line along the far edge of the whole tile at right angles to your guideline. Providing this line is parallel to the centre line the last tile you dry-laid is your ‘first tile’.
4. Only spread the adhesive over an area of approximately 1sq m (1sq yd) at a time. Using the recommended side of a notched spreader or trowel, apply the adhesive to the correct depth, normally approximately 3mm (⅛in). Depending on the adhesive being used, it may be necessary to butter the back of the tile with adhesive as well.
5. Press the tile into position with a slight twisting motion. It is important to bed the tile into the adhesive without any air gaps. For neat and even joints, usually 6-12mm (¼-½in.), use plastic spaces between the tiles.
6. Continue laying the tiles in the first marked square, checking the tiles are level with a spirit level and straight edge. You need to work fast, as you have a very limited amount of time to reposition any tiles that are incorrectly laid. If any adhesive gets on the surface of a tile clean it off immediately with a damp cloth; ensure too that the joints are adhesive-free.
7. When the first grid box has been laid, apply adhesive to the second and continue laying tiles along the far wall. Then complete the second row of squares and continue laying the tiles in rows of boxes, working towards the door. Allow the tile adhesive to dry thoroughly before walking on the tiles. Conventional adhesives usually need at least 24 hours although fast-setting adhesives can take only a few hours.

It will probably be necessary to cut tiles around the edges of the room to fit; if you lay the tiles on the diagonal, you will need to cut at least one in every two tiles. Ceramic tiles can be cut using a tile-cutting jig.

To determine where to cut a border tile:

1. Place a whole tile over the last laid whole tile.
2. To allow for a grout, place a tile on its side between this tile and the wall and place another tile up against it.
3. Mark the middle tile with a soft pencil where the tile above it ends.
4. Place the tile in the jig and cut along the marked line.
5. Butter the back of the cut tile and press into position. Continue until all the border tiles have been laid, leaving the four corners until last in order to cut them accurately.

Grouting Ceramic Tile

When all the tiles have been laid and the adhesive is dry, fill the tile joints with a tile grout suitable for floors. Conventional grout is a powder mixed with water according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It is available in colors ranging from off-white to dark grey. For tiles laid over wood floors, remember to mix in a flexible additive.

For food-preparation areas an epoxy grout is a good idea because it is extremely hard and easily cleaned. Epoxy grout consists of two components that are mixed together, and then a powder filler is added to bulk it out.

1. Pour the grout onto the surface and spread it into the joints with the aid of a rubber squeegee, working on small areas at a time.
2. After 15 minutes, clean any excess grout off the surface with a damp cloth.
3. Once the grout has hardened sufficiently, polish the tiles with a clean, dry cloth.

Of all the hard-surface flooring materials available, tile, whether ceramic or natural stone, is one of the most popular in the modern home.

Tile is most commonly used in kitchens and bathrooms, where ease of cleaning is at a premium, but you could also use tile in the entry and, especially in warmer climates, tile may be used throughout the home.

Due to a range of manufacturing processes floor tiles offer a wide range of practical hard-wearing products suitable for domestic situations.

The ranges of colors and textures available, ease of cleaning as well as the ease of which the do-it-yourselfer can install them with, tiles are a very practical option when considering a hard-flooring material for your home décor design.

While many people would not consider trying to install their own tile flooring, the steps are actually quite easy to learn and aside from a tile cutter or wet saw to cut tiles, even the tools needed are fairly minimal. As with any home project it is essential to spend a little time and care on setting things out before you start to tile your floor if you are to prevent problems.

Measuring the Floor Space to be Tiled

Ordering the right amount of material is vital to ensure that there is sufficient to finish the job neatly as well as to compensate for inevitable wastage from mistakes and breakages. Take your time; double-check measurements and sums; and you will probably save both time and money.

It is always worth taking an accurate plan of your room to your supplier, who will know the best way to save material – particularly in awkwardly shaped rooms. However, rooms with square or rectangular walls without any interruptions along them are easy to measure. To calculate the area, simply measure the width and depth of the room and multiply one figure by the other; this is the number of square feet or meters to be covered.

Most areas have various obstacles: built-in cupboards, chimney breasts and alcoves. In order to include these in your estimate:

1. First measure the width and depth of the unobstructed rectangle forming the room’s central part, and calculate that area.
2. Then measure the width and depth of every recess and add these together to calculate the total area occupied by these recesses.
3. Finally add this first figure to calculate the actual area of floor space to be covered in square feet or meters.

Estimating Tile Flooring Materials

Estimate how many of your tiles are required per square foot or meter and multiply that number by the number of square feet or meters in the room. Remember that you will have to cut tiles to fit at the edges. Estimate the number of extra tiles you will need by allowing enough to tile one additional strip along half the walls and then add a few more in case of breakages.

With larger, more expensive tiles it may be worth calculating if off-cuts can be used to prevent waste. Your final figure will have to be rounded up; tiles are supplied in boxes so you will probably have tiles left over.

Ask your supplier if unused materials can be returned for a refund; typically you will want to over-estimate so that you don’t have to order additional materials or make multiple trips to the home improvement center or supplier. On the other hand, you don’t want to end up with too much material left over other than a few tiles you might want to keep on hand in case repairs are needed down the road.

Planning Your Floor Tile Layout

It is essential to spend time on carefully laying things out before you start to tile the floor if you are to prevent problems. Tiles must not be allowed to go out of square, otherwise they will simply not fit together, and you must avoid ending up with an annoying little thin strip of tiles against the last wall.

The process for setting out your tiles is slightly different depending on the shape and style of the room. We will set it out in three sections: A regular room, an irregular room and how to set tiles with a border.

Laying out Tile for in a Regular-Shaped Room

1. Measure along the two opposite shortest walls to find the midpoint of each and join these two marks together with a chalk line. Measure and mark 1 yard (36”) or 1 meter (39”) along this center line on each side of the middle point. Measure 1 yard (36”) or 1 meter (39”) from the center point at an estimated 90-degree angle. Measure the two diagonal lines between the marks on either side of the middle point and the 90-degree marks top and bottom, and adjust the latter’s position until these two diagonals both measure 1.415m (55¾ in).
2. You now have an angle of 90 degrees at the top and bottom. A straight line from these points to the middle of the center line will meet the center line at 90 degrees. The diagonals can serve as guidelines for laying tiles diagonally at 45 degrees to the walls.
3. Use the chalk line to join the midpoint of the center line with the 90-degree mark and extend this line across the full width of the room to mark the shorter center line.
4. From these two lines, dry-lay a line of tiles up to each edge of the room to check that you will not be left with a thin strip of tiles at any point. If this happens, adjust the center lines by half a tile’s width to leave a decent border of tiles.
5. To ensure that all the tiles are laid without going out of square, it is best to divide up the entire floor into a series of boxes of approx 1 sq m (1 sq yd), starting from the two center lines. The exact size of the ‘boxes’ will obviously be determined by the size of your chosen tiles.
6. When laying ceramic or quarry tiles remember to allow for the grout: about 6mm (¼in) for the smaller tiles and up to 10mm (⅜in) for larger tiles.

Laying out Tile for in an Irregular-Shaped Room

The principle for setting out an irregular room is the same as for a regular room except that you work from the longest and straightest wall. Adjust the position of the center line so that a series of whole tiles can run from it to the longest wall. If the room is very out of square the final line of tiles (opposite the long, straight wall) will be cut at an angle and will vary considerably in their final size, but visually this is acceptable.

If the room is only slightly out of square you may find that you end up with a thin sliver of tiles that gradually diminish as the room narrows. If this is the case, you should adjust the center line by half a tile, so that you are basically working with half-tiles at the edge.

In rooms that are very irregular and have no obvious long wall, where to start to tile is really a matter of personal judgement. It is important to identify a feature in the room (a door, for instance) and align the tiles so that they run parallel to it.

If the room has a dominant feature, such as a range of kitchen units that are set out in a U-shape, run the center line through the ‘U’ to bisect it. Provided the center lines are at 90-degrees to each other, the tiles will always be square.

Laying Out Flooring Tiles with a Border

It is necessary to measure from the walls to establish the grid, but adjust the final position of the grid so that there is space for a border all the way around the room.

Either adjust the grid so that there are whole tiles laying against the border on two of the walls, or center the grid right in the middle of the room and cut all the tiles against the border all the way around the room, provided the cut tiles do not end up being too narrow.

Tile the center area first and finish by tiling the border. Tiles that are laid diagonally should be finished with a border that runs parallel to the walls.

No matter what, always dry-lay your tiles out first to check that your layout is going to work and that your cuts are on the mark where needed to fit odd shapes and spaces as needed.

It has been a little over a year now since we developed the current RafterTales home improvement and decorating blog, we have posted almost 400 articles during that time. Looking back at the content we have published, it is fun to look back and see which articles have been most popular with our readers; it seems most of the hot topics relate to home decorating and interior design.

Probably this is not all that surprising since we all want to make our homes more appealing, comfortable and a reflection of our own tastes and lifestyles. And not all of us have the skills, time or inclination to take on projects like major renovation or remodeling projects. But owning a home can be stressful and entails hidden costs and unforeseen problems that you will want to consider if you are considering purchasing a home or moving up to a larger, more expensive dwelling! While decorating is more fun than maintenance, I want to share with you a few of my own 2008 experiences with home maintenance and repairs.

Is Your Home an Investment or Primarily a Roof Over Your Head?

The last year of turmoil in the housing and financial markets has certainly caused many people to re-examine the benefits and reasons to own a home. For one thing, the rapid downturn in average home prices and crippled home lending institutions has made home ownership a trap for many people. It is a harsh reminder that residential real estate is not always a liquid investment vehicle. We bought our first home in 1994, at the end of the last significant U.S. real estate downturn.

By 2000 our humble 1970s California ranch home had more than doubled in value and we were able to sell it in less than 30 days, reinvesting our windfall equity gain in a brand new home. What fun it was to design and specify flooring, kitchen appliances, paint and interior design details and watch our new home being framed and built from the ground up!
In 2005 we made the decision to leave California and move north to Oregon. We were able to sell our larger, upgraded California home in 2005 for almost twice what we had paid only 5 years previously and it took only 4 days to sell! What a difference 5 years makes; homes in California are now selling for an average of 30% less than only a year ago … assuming you can even sell a home at all in the midst of the current credit crisis.

While it seems counter-intuitive to what many of our generation has viewed as the single greatest investment we might make in our lifetimes (to own a home and live the American Dream), if you look at the facts of history, home appreciation averages about 3% annually over the long haul, while stocks typically return closer to 10% per year over a very long time frame. The last 10 to 15 years of 10% and higher appreciation in home prices may turn out to look like a complete anomaly in a historical perspective.

Plan for Unexpected Home Repair Costs

When we moved to Oregon in 2005 we bought a home that was less than two years old. Unlike moving into a brand new home, where things like landscaping, window coverings and the like are needed; our thought process was that we could just move in since the previous owners had already taken care of those things. And that plan worked perfectly; we just moved into the like-new home without having to invest much in decorating, landscaping and the like.

But, like so many aspects of 2008, our now-five-year-old home had a few unpleasant, and costly, experiences in store! Having decided to move to Oregon, undoubtedly, we live in a “wet state”. That means that the roof, exterior siding, doors and windows take a real beating.

In March, heavy rain and wind storms caused leaks in two of our home’s French doors, both of which have a southwesterly exposure and are placed nearly on top of one another; one in our master bedroom on the top floor and the other in our Great Room just below. Unfortunately, the doors the builder installed were not up to the constant rain and moisture during an extended storm began to cause leaks in the ceiling on both the main floor and in our daylight basement below.

The good news is that homeowner’s insurance covered the cost of repairing the damage. The bad news is that the builder went bankrupt and we had to cover the cost of replacing the French doors with sliders that could withstand the wind and rain. That was almost a $10,000 set back for which we really had not planned. Our homeowner’s insurance covered the cost of sheetrock repair and repainting, which came to another $7,500.

Do Home Repair Problems Come Three at at Time?

It took from March until September for all these repairs to be completed and we thought our home was ready for this winter; we did HVAC maintenance, cleaned roof gutters, had the roof inspected and other preparations for winter were all complete.

Then, two weeks before Christmas, Portland was hit by the worst snow storms in 40 years, with temperatures getting down into the teens. While opening the garage door one cold morning, one of the torsion springs snapped, leaving both our cars trapped inside the garage with the 600-pound two-car carriage garage door unable to open. You’d think that a garage door spring would last more than 5 years, but it turns out that on average these springs (which cost about $20 each) are good for about 10,000 cycles.

Now I’m handy enough with tools and have completed many projects over the years with help from friends, from landscaping to replacing doors, texturing and painting walls, etc. But I have no idea how to disassemble and install new torsion springs on a garage door so we had to call a company in to perform the repairs. Turns out the bearings and rollers also needed repair, so the total bill came to almost $700. Merry Christmas!

Well the snow finally melted as the storms driving down from the northeast have given way to the predominately southwesterly storm patterns. Since Christmas it has rained almost every day, which is typical for the Portland, Oregon metro area this time of year. So anyway, last night (New Year’s Day) my wife and I were in bed. The wind and rain were heavy and we woke up to discover a leak in the ceiling in our master bedroom. Happy New Year! I’ll update the site as things unfold with this latest mishap. If bad things really do happen three at a time, then hopefully we will not have major home repairs for 2009 … but I’m not holding my breath.

Looking Ahead to 2009 on RafterTales

Anyway, I don’t mean to dwell on the pitfalls of home ownership and unforeseen repair issues too much, but merely to share my own experience with others who may not yet have faced the unexpected costs and periodic problems that come with home ownership. Be prepared and plan for these types of things. Be sure to perform regular maintenance on your home’s roof, doors and windows, HVAC system, etc.

In 2009, we will focus more on preventative maintenance to help avoid problems in the first place. We will also focus on what to do when the roof leaks, the garage door breaks or the water heater stops working. We’ll also continue to write about home decorating and home improvement of course, but in the New Year, as we all look to cut costs and weather out the current economic storm, we’ll try and give you more information and tips on home maintenance as well. Happy New Year to you and we wish you all the best in your home ownership journey.

Light is a key component to a room as it can effect and change the appearance of it, so a centre piece to any room is the window. Therefore, it should look as good as the rest of the room, blinds can do just this.

Blinds are very common in both traditional and modern homes and come in a range of colors and styles designed for all types of windows whether they be large, small or sliding glass doors.

Most commonly used for sliding glass doors or tall windows, the vertical blind is highly beneficial. They are fairly inexpensive and come in a wide range of styles and colors to fit with any theme.

They are easily managed and cared for because they are made up of vinyl vanes. They are fitted using an easy to attach bracket so installation is quick and simple, the vinyl vanes can also be cut to fit the size of a window perfectly.

However, the true benefit of vertical blinds is that they allow superior light control.

Unlike other blinds, the vertical blind opens horizontally as oppose to opening vertically. When fully open they let in a lot of light which is great for making a room feel light and airy. When the blind is closed it blocks out light which can make a room feel cosy at night. They also tilt to adjust the amount of light you desire in a room.

The vertical blind is a great addition to a large or small room!

[image title="vertical-window-blind" size="medium" id="2912" align="none" linkto="viewer" ]

Source: Blinds