Home Decoration

Quality living room furniture is not as easy as it seems. Only having more bucks in your pocket doesn’t mean that you can go on furniture shopping without having to worry about what to look for. Luxury and modular living room furniture available in the markets are best suited for elegant, classic, formal and stylish living rooms. They are expensive but they are also there to make a statement. Living room furniture is the first impression that your guests will get about your home in general and you will naturally want to make it a powerful one. Search well on Internet, home décor and furniture stores and specialty stores before ordering beautiful furniture of premium quality that offers value for money.

You may be looking for practical, space-saving living room furniture with hidden storage options that come in handy to keep the living room look clean and tidy or you may prefer to buy comfortable furniture pieces with good aesthetics in particular styles. There are stylish and luxurious living room suites to choose from. You may want to add a tall grandfather clock to give a royal old-world look to your living room or even funky accent furniture pieces to make your ease the elite look of your living room and add some fun to it. Modular living furniture not only has matching sofas, tables and chairs along with a cabinet or two, it is also more functional and practical when it comes to offer modern comforts.

You can add facilities and amenities to the normal furniture in drawers that can be dragged open and then pushed back to hide them. Luxury living room furniture often finds its way to large and spacious living rooms that can accommodate delicate looking French cabinets easily that offers more storage space. Their elaborate details and gentle curves add elegance to the living space. You may also add beautiful and classic vases, lamps and clocks to the corner tables or light up decorative candles for serene looking zen living rooms. Use your walls space to add a large Venetian mirror that doubles up the richness of your living room furniture in an instant with its intricately carved frame. You may use beautiful screens to partition too large living rooms into two parts and use one of it as a dining room. Dining room sets these days come in expensive artistic designs that will make your guests admire them.

Use the beautiful balcony space extending from your living room by putting some potted flowering plants there. It will provide beautiful views from your window. If there is enough space, make use of it to make a tea and breakfast area there to sit with your family in the mornings. If you love tropical beaches or wish to live on a Caribbean island, you can actually add a small Zen garden to your tabletop in the middle of your living room. The tray painted in a bright primary color has some indoor plants and shells to replace the rocks to make your very own beach to help you calm and relax while you read. Since living rooms are also leisure and entertainment areas for most households, a big television and entertainment unit and perhaps a plasma television and its stand is a fundamental part of luxury living room furniture today.

A fireplace with a mantle, collectibles and artwork on display on shelves and modular cabinets and a bookshelf to show of your favorite collection of books is a part of premium and luxury living room furniture, you won’t want to miss. You may divide your spacious living room in separate smaller living areas subtly using different lighting arrangements, flooring such as area rugs and carpets, and perhaps sofas and seats with low backs. You may hide your television, stereo and other high-tech gadgets in decorative cabinets and pull-through drawers, specially designed cupboards and mobile furniture with wheels. You may use traditional three seater sofas, loveseats and couches, sectional sofas and even modular corner sofas that are best for rooms with awkward angles. You may also use sofa beds that can be used by occasional guests and match your chairs. Beanbags, foot stools and floor cushions are some other ideas for low seating arrangements.

Wine has been savored by human civilization since ancient times and even finds reference in the Bible. Therefore, Wine is termed as one of the antique and mystic fluids of the world. Its unique and sophisticated flavor adds to the essence of the food, complimenting it ideally. If it’s the fear of the spill that is keeping you away from that sumptuous glass of wine, you have nothing to worry; as we provide some very effective wine stain removal tips. So, now you can sip each drop of your relished red wine, enjoying it without thinking about the stains; as we make sure it stays on your mind and not on your clothes and surroundings.

Removal Tips for Stain on Clothes

• If the dress is labeled as dry clean only, let the professional work at it.
• Sprinkle some talcum powder or cornstarch on the stain, allowing it to absorb the wine. After drying, brush it up softly to remove the powder.
• You can also boil some water and dip the stain part of the cloth in it for some time.
• Another viable option is to blot the area with a cloth soaked in club soda.
• Even milk can be used in the place of club soda.
• Put salt over the stained area, wait for few minutes and wash it with running water.
• For an old red wine stain, soak the area in a 50/50 solution of lemon or vinegar mixed with water. Leave it for some time and then wash it as usual.
• Another fascinating way of removing a red wine stain is spilling white wine over the stained area. The white wine will neutralize the red pigmentation of the red wine, removing the stain

Are those nasty oil stains bothering you in doing your work? Most of the times these stains appear in the garage all thanks to the car oil leakage. And not only oil, grease and other hydrocarbon blots spare no efforts to aggravate your tension levels. Removing oil off concrete floor or cement driveways is the most pathetic situation one can land into. Luckily, there are several commercial products in the markets that are designed to clean the concrete floors, driveways, and sidewalks. Nearly all of these products unluckily contain acid, giving a sufficient reason to the consumers not to use commercial degreaser as they might cause harm. So, if you have those oil stains on your concrete floor, check out this safe home remedy to clean them up.

Things Required

• Ready-to-mix Cements
• Sawdust or Kitty Litters 

Directions

• To start with, take fresh sawdust or kitty litter and spread a thick layer of it over the stain as this will suck up excess grease or oil on the surface.
• Have patience and let the sawdust or kitty litter to rest there for one or two days.  
• After the due time, sweep away the sawdust or kitty litter from the surface.
• Now, pour dry cement over the dried oil spot and cover it completely. 
• Once again, let the cement to rest there for one or two days.
• Next, sweep away the cement.
• At last, collectthe cement in a bag and throw it in the garbage bin. Do not let the cement go down the sewer as it can choke it. 

Tips

• To get best results, degrease the stains as and when they come into sight.
• The grease on the surface is sucked up by the kitty litter or sawdust, whereas the stain is absorbed by the dry cement.
• To avoid further stains, use large automotive drip pans for leaking vehicles.

Create an instant antique with this decoupage-under-glass technique.For our project, we copied pages from an old book. (Any book more than 75 years old makes a good source for material because the copyright has expired.) But consider other sources as well: old family photographs, children’s artwork, and special letters.

Cost: 30-inch-diameter glass tabletop, about $20

Time: About a day

Skill Level: Beginner

What You Need:

• Glass table round
• Items to photocopy
• Acrylic paints
• PVA adhesive (available at art supply stores)
• White spray paint
• Polyurethane
• Grease pencil
• Crafts knife
• Paintbrush
• Access to a photocopier

Instructions:

1. Make photocopies. Enlarge and reduce to vary the size.2. Plan the layout. Cut and position the photocopies on a work surface. Play around with the shapes until you’re happy with the layout. Then, lay your glass table round on top of the layout. Using a grease pencil, sketch the location of each piece on the front of the glass.

3. Add color. Tint the trimmed black-and-white photocopies as desired with a wash of water-thinned acrylic paint. Experiment with combinations of colors and the opacity of the wash. Let dry. Or, consider using color photocopies.

4. Position and secure. Glue photocopies in place on the underside of the glass using a PVA adhesive. Use your grease pencil marks as placement guides. Brush glue on the front of the photocopies, place on glass, and secure by rubbing with a smooth, round object such as a spoon. Allow the outer edges of the photocopies to extend over the edge of the glass; you’ll trim the excess later. Complete the tabletop, then let glue dry.

5. Trim. After all photocopies are in place, turn glass over. Trim excess pieces of photocopies along the glass edge using a crafts knife.

6. Finish coats. Secure masking tape to the edge of the glass table. Spray the back of the glass with white spray paint. Let dry. Brush on a coat of polyurethane. Remove masking tape. Let dry for several days before using.

It’s late fall. The sky is blue, and the sun is bright. Then your local weather forecaster ruins everything with these chilling words: “Possible frost tonight.” Once the initial panic subsides, reason sets in. Frost is a local event, and it’s possible to predict with considerable certainty whether it will hit the plants in your garden. So relax, walk outside, and pay attention to these six signs to predict the likelihood of frost. Then, if necessary, spring into action.
Look skyward. Clear, calm skies and falling afternoon temperatures are usually the perfect conditions for frost. Frost (also called white or hoarfrost) occurs when air temperatures dip below 32F and ice crystals form on the plant leaves, injuring and sometimes killing tender plants. However, if temperatures are falling fast under clear, windy skies — especially when the wind is out of the northwest — it may indicate the approach of a mass of polar air and a hard freeze. A hard, or killing, frost is based on movements of large air masses. The result is below-freezing temperatures that generally kill all but the most cold-tolerant plants.

But if you see clouds in the sky — especially if they are lowering and thickening — you’re in luck. Here’s why. During the day, the sun’s radiant heat warms the earth. After sunset, the heat radiates upward, lowering temperatures near the ground. However, if the night is overcast, the clouds act like a blanket, trapping heat and keeping air temperatures warm enough to prevent frost.

Feel the breeze. Wind also influences the likelihood of frost. In the absence of wind, the coldest air settles to the ground. The temperature at plant level may be freezing, even though at eye level it is above freezing. A gentle breeze, however, will prevent this settling, keep temperatures higher, and save your plants. Of course, if the wind is below freezing, you’ll probably have fried green tomatoes for tomorrow’s supper.

Check the moisture. Just as clouds and gentle winds are your friends, so are humidity and moisture. When moisture condenses out of humid air, it releases heat. Not much heat, true, but perhaps enough to save the cleomes. If the air is dry, though, the moisture in the soil will evaporate. Evaporation requires heat, so this process removes warmth that could save your peppers.

Check your garden’s location. This can have a tremendous influence on the likelihood that early frost could wipe out your garden while leaving your next-door neighbor’s untouched. For example, as a general rule, temperature drops 3F to 5F with every 1,000-foot increase in altitude. The higher your garden, the colder the average air temperature and the more likely your plants will be hit by an early freeze. So gardening on a hilltop isn’t a great idea, but neither is gardening at the lowest spot on your property. Since cold air is heavier than warm air, it tends to sink to the lowest area, causing frost damage. The best location for an annual garden is on a gentle south-facing slope that’s well heated by late-afternoon sun but protected from blustery north winds. A garden surrounded by buildings or trees or one near a body of water is also less likely to be frosted.

Scrutinize the soil. Your garden’s soil type can affect the amount of moisture it holds and the plants’ ability to withstand cold weather. Deep, loose, heavy, fertile soil releases more moisture into the surrounding air than thin, sandy, or nutrient-poor soil. The more humid the air, the higher the dew point and the less likely that frost will form on those plants. Heavily mulched plants are more likely to be frosted, since mulch prevents moisture and heat in the soil from escaping and warming the surrounding air. (Light-colored mulches such as hay or straw have the additional disadvantage of reflecting sunlight and heat during the day.)

Know your plants. The plant itself determines the likelihood of frost damage. Immature plants still sporting new growth into the fall are most susceptible — especially the new growth. Frost tolerance tends to be higher in plants with maroon or bronze leaves, because such leaves absorb and retain heat. Downy- or hairy-leaved plants also retain heat and reduce wind-drying of the leaves. Compact plants expose a smaller proportion of their leaves to cold and drying winds. By the same token, closely spaced plants protect each other.

What’s a Gardener To Do
So you’ve checked the weather conditions and decide that, yes, Jack Frost is coming and protecting your plants is worthwhile. You’ll want to do two things: First, cover your plants, both to retain as much soil heat and moisture as possible and to protect them against strong winds, which can hasten drying and cooling. Use almost anything to cover plants: newspapers, bushel baskets, plastic tarps, straw, or pine boughs. Spun-bonded fabric row covers will protect plants down to 30F, polyethylene row covers to 28F. Cover the whole plant before sunset to trap any remaining heat. Lightweight coverings such as row covers and newspaper should be anchored to prevent them from blowing away.

Second, keep the soil moist by watering your plants the day the frost is predicted. Commercial fruit and vegetable growers even leave sprinklers on all night to cover plants with water. As the water freezes, it releases heat, protecting the plants, even though they’re covered in ice. To prevent damage, the sprinklers need to run continuously as long as temperatures remain below freezing.

And as you survey your garden’s fading glory, you may take heart from the experience of John Loudon, a 19th-century British horticulturist. Loudon stuck four stakes into a plot of grass to support a cambric handkerchief 6 inches above the surface and found that the temperature beneath it remained 9F warmer than the temperature of the surrounding air. Yes, you can beat the frost — at least for a few nights.

Do Consider Dew
The dew point is the temperature at which the air is totally saturated with moisture. Television and radio meteorologists may state the dew point temperature during routine forecasts.

The more moisture the air contains, the higher the temperature will be when the moisture starts to condense as dew, producing heat. And, obviously, the higher the temperature, the less chance of frost. For example, a dew point of 43F almost certainly means no frost that night.
Interestingly enough, frost is more likely to form on a dry evening when the air temperature is a warmish 50F and the dew point is a low 33F than when the air temperature is a cooler 43F and the dew point is 41F.

Create a themed bridal shower that the bride will love.
From the magazine, Simply Creative Weddings

By the Book…
Being a bridesmaid is an honor — and a lot of work. One of the biggest jobs is hosting a prewedding party that your friend, the bride, will love.

The best bridal showers take their cue from the personal taste of the bride. Is she the outdoorsy type or a bookworm? Would she prefer a mountain of lingerie or a library of special edition books?

If she’s the latter, you can take a novel approach by incorporating a book theme into your pretty-in-pink party.

Find more pink party ideas in this article. And, check out our Bridal Shower Tips article as well, using the link below.DecorationsPretty in Pink
Pink and green set the scene for the oh-so-important prewedding party. Cover utilitarian tables with easy-to-make linen tablecloths.

Circles and rings cut from decorative card stock shower the room in polka dots. (For hanging, fishing wire is sandwiched and glued between the circles.)

The no-sew chair covers mimic an elegant wedding veil and are fashioned from two yards of white tulle caught up in a pink tulle bow.

Avoid the expense of professional floral arrangements by using a creative container. For centerpieces, we filled the bottoms of large glass bubble vases with candied almonds, then placed a cylinder vase toting a small bundled bouquet inside.

Take Your Seat
Simple paper and vellum circles tucked inside dahlia petals reveal guests’ names, above. Ribbon markers tucked inside purchased journals display each guest’s initials — another clue to seat designations and a thoughtful guest favor.

The napkin at each setting displays the bride’s monogram and becomes a sweet gift just launder after the shower and present the set to her.

Menu IdeasTasty Treats

Make-ahead appetizers make shower day more relaxed. Serving food buffet-style establishes a casual atmosphere, encouraging guests to chat. You’ll save time and money, and partygoers will appreciate the variety.

With loads of fresh produce nestled in a pesto cream cheese spread, Open-Face Sandwiches add big bursts of color to the buffet.

Antipasto Kabobs
Serve up meats, cheeses, and vegetables kabob-style, and you’re sure to please even the most finicky eater. These no-cook Antipasto Kabobs are easy to make, easy to serve, and easy to eat.

To serve, cut plastic foam to fit inside a dish, stick in the kabobs, and cover the foam with candy. Keep the kabobs refrigerated until it’s time to serve.

Punch
Strawberry-Lime Punch

To maximize table space, use a pedestal to give refreshments a lift. Our punch bowl also can serve as a platter when turned upside down.

Our punch bowl is decorating with an ice ring of strawberries and limes and pairs nicely with appetizers as well as dessert.

Raspberry Cheesecake Tarts
A simple white serving dish makes a striking presentation when topped with Raspberry Cheesecake Tarts.

Floral place mats keep tabletops interesting. Use purchased mats that coordinate, or make your own from decorative papers you’ve laminated at a copy shop.

Blinds and shades are used to block light from the sun that may cause furniture or flooring to fade. Guidelines are provided for choosing the right blinds or shades for your home.

Choosing Between Blinds or Shades
Windows of every conceivable size and type have opened up a wide array of decorating possibilities and elevated them to an important status in every room. Window treatments have followed suit, and today there are many options for designer looks. Shades and blinds, once rather unglamorous, functional necessities for providing window coverage have come a long way. Vertical, fabric blinds adorn large windows for a light and airy look and can be rotated for privacy when desired. The latest styles in Venetian blinds afford privacy and can be opened at various angles to allow light in. Many of the more inexpensive mini-blinds are available in a variety of pastels and bright colors, especially appealing for children’s rooms and other casual areas.

Others, such as wooden blinds with wider slats lend a sophisticated air. When combined with other window treatments, such as a valance, the top of the blind and its hardware are hidden, giving a clean natural look.

Shades have come a long way from the standard white pull-down variety. Designed in billows and folds, such as the popular balloon shade, these window coverings can be made in any fabric to complement decor.

The most important basic consideration for shades and blinds is proper measuring of the window. Shades may be installed with an inside or outside mounts. Inside mounts are inside the window frame while outside mounts cover the window and more if necessary, giving the window a larger appearance than it is. Be sure to use a steel, not a cloth, tape measure. Once the window is completed, it will become as enjoyable as your favorite furnishings

Fashionable Horizontal Blinds
Think horizontal blinds are tired and boring? Not so! Today’s horizontal blinds are more fashionable than ever, thanks to a wide assortment of colors that allow them to fit virtually any decor.

In addition, many of the products available on the market today come with sleek-looking headrails and other attractive features that make them a perfect product for a homeowner looking to block out light and gain privacy.

Hunter Douglas Window Fashions, for instance, has introduced a Lightlines horizontal blind. It has an exclusive deLight feature that blocks out the light that ordinary horizontal blinds do not. The new Lightlines product hides the rout holes typically associated with horizontal blinds. The absence of the rout holes not only keeps out the light, but also makes for a more aesthetically pleasing product.

Love the thought of horizontal blinds but hate the thought of dust? There are now products on the market that address that problem. Levolor Home Fashions, for instance, features DustGuard as an option on its horizontal blinds. DustGuard is a special patented process that neutralizes the forces of static electricity to resist dust and other airborne particles.

Springs Window Fashions Division Inc., meanwhile, has introduced an aluminum blind system that features improvements in operation and appearance. The new blind, known as the Graber Ultimate Supreme, includes an All-In-One cord that allows the user to raise, lower and tilt blinds evenly, a lift tape that is much thinner than traditional cords for improved slat closure, and a new light-blocking headrail.

For assistance in choosing horizontal blinds or other types of window covering products, see an independently owned decorating center near you.

Decorating with and around your carpet is very important. This section of provides you with all the information you need to know ranging from everything from carpet textures to creating the right atmosphere with your carpet.Floor Covering Will Be More Dramatic

Deep colors, pattern-on-pattern and lots of texture are this year’s big flooring story. According to a story in Paint & Decorating Retailer, the magazine of the Paint & Decorating Retailers Association, manufacturers are offering a variety of interesting flooring options to a public that seems ready to embrace them.

Patterned sisal carpets and cut piles, vinyl floors that reproduce marble, stone and other natural elements, and multi-fabric area rugs are current best-sellers. Also big are combinations of these flooring types, creating more pattern yet.

In the past, patterned carpets have been the domain of commercial applications. But the products are inching their way into homes as well.

Manufacturers are showing plaids, geometrics, ribbons, floral and leaf patterns, and other interesting configurations this year. Some of the styles are richly colored; others feature only one color but are heavily texturized.

Resilient flooring, meanwhile, is reproducing Mother Nature with deeply veined marble, granite and stone looks, “plank-wood” flooring and other natural-appearing styles. Within these styles, deep greens, navies and even black colorations are popular.

The product also is being used with carpet, area rugs, ceramic tile, brick and stone, creating more pattern on pattern.

And what about area rugs? Many current styles feature a blending of fabrics to create interesting styles. Braided rugs are a prime example. Rather than using solid-color yarns, many modern braided rugs employ a variety of different fabrics from wools to cottons and blends. And they come in patterns and colors to coordinate with any decor.

What’s next? Expect more pattern as printing and fabricating processes improve, says PDRA, and consumers become more accepting.

The choice of color depends on whether you want the room to feel Warmer or Cooler, more Spacious or more Cozy.

It also depends on how much emphasis you want to place on the floor.

• Are your furnishings and accessories really interesting? If so, you will want to draw attention to them and soft-pedal the background walls and floor. You can underplay the floor by making it plain and having its color be neutral, or dulled with gray.
• Are your furnishings sparse or uninteresting? Then you can draw attention away from them by doing something dramatic on the walls or floor. You can emphasize the floor with a patterned carpet, or with bright or bold colors.

Choosing Warm Or Cool Or Neutral Colors

What’s the climate? What’s the exposure of the room? Northern and Eastern exposures are complimented by Warm colors. Southern and Western exposures are complimented by Cool colors.

• To make the room feel Warmer, choose a color in the fire family–anything from yellow-orange to a bluish red.
• To make the room feel Cooler, choose a color that reminds you of water–anything from blue to yellow-green.

Do you have a pleasant view outdoors? If you bring the colors of the outdoors in, you will create an Indoor/ Outdoor expansive effect.

Will this room be seen from another room? Do you want a sense of connection with the adjacent room, or a sense of separation? One continuous floor covering will link adjacent rooms, make them flow into one another. Different flooring or different floor colors will serve to separate the rooms even more.

Who will use the room? What colors are flattering to them? What colors do they like?

Do you have a pet? Does it shed? If you choose a carpet in a color similar to your pet’s hair, you won’t have to vacuum as much.

What furnishings do you have that you will use in the room? Wood tones swear with some colors, and swing with others. Before you make any final decision about the colors of your room, hold swatches or chips of the colors you’re considering next to your woods to see how they look together.

Choosing Light, Dark, or Medium Colors

• Light colors create a SPACIOUS effect; dark colors, a COZY effect. Medium shades don’t alter your sense of space.
• Is the room too light and bright or too dark? Dark or dulled colors will absorb light; light ones will reflect and multiply light.
• How much wear will this room get? And what kind?
  Medium colors are EASY TO CLEAN.
  Light colors show soil easily and dark colors show lint. It would be frustrating to do your sewing in a room with a dark rug.
• It is normal to put on the floor a color at least slightly darker than the walls. It’s simply observing the weight of gravity.

A cautionary note: A large carpet will look darker at home.

A floor is a large area, and a whole floor of carpet will intensify the color, making it seem darker than the small sample. You may wish to select a carpet color one shade lighter than your target color in order to compensate for this.

Choosing Bright, Muted, or Dull Colors

What will go on in this room? How long will you stay in this room at a time? Do you see this room as a restful retreat, or as a play space? Do you want the mood to be Stimulating or Calm?

Of course, bright colors are stimulating. Colors dulled with a little gray are softer, easier to live with for extended periods of time.

How much wear will the carpeting get? Muted, dull, or neutral colors will camouflage dirt.

Temperatures are finally starting to cool off and the first flakes have already taken flight in some northern cities. If you haven’t started putting up your holiday decorations yet, now’s the time to come up with a plan. A good place to start is by deciding where to set up the tree this year. If you want to follow tradition, choose the most popular room in the house. For Kathleen Matthews of Ambler, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia, that’s not the living room, family room, or kitchen but the sunroom.

“We have a small house and about five years ago, we decided to turn our deck into a sunroom we could use all year round. Now we spend more time there than any other room in the house so it only made sense to start setting up our holiday displays in there,” she says.

That first year, they rearranged the furniture so the tree would be the focal point when someone walked into the sunroom or drove up to the house — the sunroom is next to the driveway. “Our display has been growing by leaps and bounds ever since,” she says.

This year Matthews has transformed her 12-foot-by-20-foot sunroom into a Winter Wonderland. The windows are covered from top to bottom with press-on snowflakes; white twinkle lights hang from the gables on the roof; the bookshelves are covered with snowmen and angels she has collected over the years. Not only does the display light up the Matthews’ house, because it’s in an all-glass room, it spreads the joy of the season through the entire neighborhood.

“The sunroom is right off the kitchen so it’s easy for us to do our holiday entertaining in there,” she says, “and because it’s so decked out, all of our friends and family really enjoy spending time in there.”

According to a recent survey, nearly 70 percent of homeowners who currently have a sunroom consider it an extremely important living space. Of homeowners who do not have a sunroom, 64 percent say they’d like to have one.

“Not only do they provide an affordable way to add to your living space, they make it possible for you to enjoy the outdoors any time you want,” says Matt Manfred, president of Betterliving of the Delaware Valley, the company that built the Matthews’ sunroom. “With a glass enclosure on your patio or deck, it doesn’t matter if it’s raining or snowing — or a beautiful autumn day — you can enjoy the glory of all of the seasons in comfort.”