Home Decoration

White is the most versatile color and the most popular one too, for home décor. It reflects light beautifully, giving home a fresh clean airy feeling and make it look like a blank canvas that can become alive with the judicious use of colors. White has different meanings in different cultures. Westerners often associate it with purity and chastity while many Eastern cultures associate it with mourning. Thus, people belonging from different cultures may be affected differently by white home décor. While Westerners find it heavenly and paradisiacal, Easterners may find it peaceful, restful and even sorrowful. Here are some tips to use white in home décor:

• Accessories such as bowl full of water with gray-green stones, throw pillows on a white sofa and a goldfish bowl, all seem to have a special place in the all-white room.
• Bittersweet chocolate walls need white furnishings and furniture to balance the look of the room.
• Black and white color scheme has a clean and classy feel when used on floors, walls and furniture, in stripes or checks.
• Blue and white room reminds us of sky and water bodies and are quite serene to look at.
• Colorful table linens, food, flower and napkin arrangements, all seem to get more attention when the dishes, plates and cups are white.
• Green and white remind us of gardens and wilderness. Bluish green may add a touch of undersea environ while lime green instantly makes the room look cool and funky.
• Lighter tan hue or pale sandy tone for the walls look even better with white moldings.
• Orange citrus hue with white in a room looks quite tempting while kids love combinations of purple and white.
• Pastels such as light pink, yellow, pale green, baby blue and aqua with white moldings and trim look absolutely lovely.
• Red and white theme décor featuring strawberries or touches of dramatic blacks, aquas or hot pinks, is just perfect for holiday decor.
• Today, white has gained a new status and popularity in the hands of creative interior designers who break the clinical dull monotony of hospital-like white room with astounding use of colorful furnishings and accessories such as fresh flower arrangements and patterned bedsheets, pillows and coverlets. Add colors to the room daily that seem to stand out against the white background.
• White is considered the most popular neutral color and was almost a default color for walls, ceilings and bed sheets in older times.
• You may replace the harsh blinding white with softer ivory, beige and cream tones for the perfect look.

Perfect paint and color can make a great difference to your home décor project. Here are some tips for amateur home decorators and professional interior designers that can help them understand the color basics and make paint selection easier:

• Alkyd or oil-based paints are good for wood painting and does not leave it sticky in winters but latex or water-based paints dry faster, can be cleaned with soapy water and does not turn yellow easily and is thus, better for walls.
• Chosen paint colors may look different in different lights, at daytime and at night. So, you may want to access the look of the room in different lights and according to the function of the room.
• Colors can look darker or lighter over a large area depending on the colors of the surroundings and lighting in the room, so keep that in mind while choosing the right tint or shade of the color.
• Dark and warm shades make rooms look smaller such as red, orange, yellow and even dark shades of navy blue while light and cool colors make the room look larger and more spacious such as light shades of blue, green and even violet. Best colors for small rooms are white and light and pale neutral colors.
• For an open, spacious and airy look in a room with chair rails, paint the portion below the chair rail in a dark shade and the wall above it in a light shade.
• Generally, ceilings are painted in pure white, off white and tinted white colors to make them appear high and make the room look open but if ceilings are high enough, one can use medium to dark colors to make the room look cozier as they tend to make the ceiling advance to the eyes of the viewer.
• Since colors affect the mood, choose relaxing muted colors for bedrooms and stimulating colors for kitchen and dining room.
• Taking furniture, window treatments and accessories of the room into consideration, determine the color scheme of the room.
• To add bold dash of colors to the room, use a darker shade to paint the trims than the walls.
• To add subtle accents to the room, use a lighter shade to paint your trims.
• To calculate the amount of paint you need for a room, multiply the height of the room by its perimeter taking care not to count the doors, windows and archways in the room to calculate its wall space. Then ask the paint stores for the exact amount of paint your will need for the calculated wall space of the room and number of coats you are planning for. Since blue and yellow colors need more coats, you will need more of them, in case you are using them.
• To disguise an unattractive trim or achieve a monochromatic, uniform look, paint your trim in the same color as your walls.
• To soften the look of a bold color on walls, you can try rag rolling, sponging or color washing the walls using a light muted shade.

Neutral colors (such as white, taupe and beige) give you a beautiful canvas to work upon when it comes to home décor. Limited use of colors and patterns help you to create a sophisticated environment along with interesting focal points in rooms, garden and living area. Natural fibers are available in these colors too and have quite different textures for experimenting. The variety of texture in neutral natural colors infuses peace and calm in the home environment. Here are some tips for home décor in neutral colors:

• Simple peaceful homes mostly use off-white or beige colored furniture.
• To create a warm comforting rustic look, use dark neutral colors such as shades of brown, rust and black.
• Natural tones are the strong points of a neutral color scheme. Artificial tints can be disturbing to the overall effect.
• Simple yet sleek homes prefer to use single, multi-purpose and versatile item rather than many small furniture objects.
• Natural fibers in neutral colors can add texture and character to home in the form of curtains, window draperies, slipcovers and pillows.
• Use simple and few accessories that are chosen prudently and in moderation.
• If you are sick of an item that is no more useful to you, dump it boldly. Clutter makes home look messy.
• Ivory, black and gray also come under the heading of neutral colors but be sure to understand their undertones while choosing their combinations. These undertones of colors can be pink, tan, gold, yellow, blue or even peach.
• Remember, red is a warm color that attracts attention and represents energy, passion and healing. It can be used as accents to add instant life to a dull neutral colored home decor.

The sheen or the gloss level of the paint you choose for your room décor has quite an impact on the look of your room. It can be determined according to the function of the room and the aesthetic sense. Let’s discuss the type of seens available in the market, though their names and gloss level can vary with the manufacturer:

• Paints with flat or matte finish have no shine and thus hide little imperfections in the wall. However, they are not so stain-resistant though today paints with matte finish and high stain resistance also available in the markets.
• Eggshell paints or velvet-finish paints have very slight sheen or gloss level, are soft and impart a warm look to the room and are easier to clean too. They are preferable for most bedroom and living room décor themes.
• Paints with satin or semi-gloss finish can be used to highlight architectural details and focal points of the home and also in kitchens and baths as they are easy to clean.
• Very high gloss or sheen paint are quite reflective and should be normally reserved for doors and trims and to create special effects.

Here are some tips on how to choose the optimum sheen level of your paint:

• Higher gloss or sheen level generally means easy cleaning of the room or area.
• These paints are suitable for amateurs as they distract the viewer from any painting imperfections.
• Rooms and areas that need to be washed and cleaned often such as bathrooms and kitchens and where people visit most can use high gloss paints.
• High gloss paints also have most stain resistant finish and are toughest when it comes to wear and tear.
• You can use high sheen paints to highlight the focal point or a bold color scheme of the room such as kids’ room or fantasy room décor.
• For kids, one can use bright high sheen primary colors to make different patterns that look interesting such as polka dots.
• Flat paints or paints with low sheen or gloss level are for professionals as they make the surface appear smoother and more uniform and are non-reflective in nature.
• Flat paints are generally used in newly constructed homes or in areas that are not so frequently used in the homes.
• For a vintage home décor, flat paints can be used to paint a wall near the fireplace to highlight it while warm earthly hues look quite beautiful on pillars or columns in old homes.
• For an interesting dramatic effect, one can also use combination of different paint sheens.
• One can consider a monochromatic room décor in two different sheens for an interesting customized effect such as in stripes, blocks or other geometrical patterns.

Color scheme helps your to determine the harmony between colors in home décor. A color wheel can be quite useful while deciding a color scheme for your home as it helps you to compare complimentary colors. Interactive color wheel tools and software are available online for your reference. The use of color wheel makes choosing the combination of colors for painting your walls, accents, furnishings, furniture and accessories much easier. Here are a few tips that you can use while deciding upon the color scheme for your home:

Monochromatic color scheme uses only one color throughout. Variety is introduced by using various tints, tones, values and shades of that key color and different textures.

Complimentary color scheme uses two colors placed opposite to each other on the color wheel, their tints, tones, shades and values such as yellow and violet. This scheme is quite bold and lend a dramatic touch to the home décor.
Analogous color schemes use three hues placed adjacent to each other on the color wheel but use either combination of warm colors only or combination of cool colors only.

Triadic color schemes use three hues placed consecutively or at equal distances from each other such as red, yellow and blue, their tints, tones, shades and values

A novice can easily decide upon the color scheme using the following steps:

Use your favorite pattern as the guiding line for your color palette. The lightest color in the pattern can be used for the background such as wall paint color, medium color for large furniture pieces, windows, doors, closets and cabinets while the darkest color can be used for accessories.

Color can make quite a lot of difference to the size and proportion of the room. So, remember that white and pale colors reflect light more to making the room appear larger while dark colors make room appear cozier and smaller.

When it comes to furniture and accessories, white and pale colored objects or objects in similar color as the wall recede into background while brighter and darker objects attract our attention more and seem to occupy more space, so if the room is really small, you can try buying furniture and furnishings in same color as your walls or pale shades and accessorize with bright bold colors to create focal points.

When we think of a basement, a dark, unwelcoming room usually comes to mind. Basements don’t have to be stuck with this unpleasant reputation. The look and feel of basements can be changed with a simple remodel. Having a furnished basement can add value and comfort to your home, but if you have a basement that’s in need of some dressing up, you’re likely to encounter a maze of pipes and ducts that you have to deal with first. Our basement section takes you step-by-step through on how to spice up your basement.

Basement Waterproofing - Water, Water Everywhere - But Not in Your Basement!
It can be one of the most disheartening experiences a homeowner ever faces—to walk down the stairs to the basement after a heavy rainstorm to find water, water everywhere. What can you do?

Using a quality water-proofing coating is a key strategy. However, take note: Even the best waterproofing coating may fail to stop moisture if the block walls are not in sound condition. Brush away loose mortar and broken block; remove dirt, grease, dust and other surface contaminants; wire-brush or sandblast old paint; use a quick-dry cement to patch cracks, holes and floor/wall joints.

Also, be sure to follow manufacturer’s instructions. The most frequent error customers make is failing to apply a waterproofing coating at the spread-rate specified by the manufacturer. If the coating is too thin, it will not stop moisture seepage. In cases of excessive water seepage, a second coat may be needed. During the application, the coating must be worked into the masonry pores.

Though some paint manufacturers use the terms interchangeably, water-repellent and waterproofing coatings are not the same. A water-repellent coating system is an exterior coating system for above-grade concrete or masonry. It temporarily repels water, but it is not intended to prevent the passage of moisture under hydrostatic pressure. Some repellents are film-forming; others act by filling surface pores to prevent moisture movement.

Waterproofing coating systems, on the other hand, are intended to prevent the passage of water under hydrostatic pressure. These film-forming coatings are formulated for above and/or below grade and for interior and/or exterior application.

Hydrostatic pressure may be caused by several conditions. Rain runoff flowing toward a house, high water table and faulty gutter systems are the most common causes of hydrostatic pressure on a foundation. Wind-driven rain is the most common cause of hydrostatic pressure on an exterior, above-grade wall.

Sometimes interior condensation can be mistaken for seepage due to hydrostatic pressure. To distinguish between the two, tape a piece of aluminum foil to the inside of the foundation wall. Remove the foil after several days. If the wall side of the foil is wet, seepage is the problem. If the room side is wet, condensation is the problem. (Both problems can occur at the same time.)

While a dehumidifier can solve the condensation problem, a quality waterproofing coating is needed to stop the seepage. Not all coatings are intended for waterproofing. Most acrylic latex paints, for instance, are not formulated for this job.

We all know that all colors are made up of three primary colors - red, blue and green - in various combinations. Secondary colors are made up of mixing of these primary colors such as cyan; yellow and purple while tertiary colors are made up of mixing the secondary colors to the primary colors such as reddish orange and yellowish green. Absence of all the three colors make up an absolute black, which is almost non-existent, and the black we normally talk about is actually a tint or shade of the actual color. Similarly all these three colors mixed in equal parts would produce pure white light such as sunlight. Colors that we are talking about are actually the light particles reflected by a substance when the source absorbs the rest of it. It is actually the tints, tones, values and shades of the basic key hues that make our world so colorful to look at.

Let us see, the actual meaning of the words used above:

• Hue means Color such as red color or red hue,
• Tint means the pure color mixed with white such as tints of red means red mixed with white color to produce different kind of reds and pinks,
• Tone of a color means that the pure color is mixed with grey,
• Value of a color means the lightness and darkness of a shade achieved by the sheer or deeper application of the color,
• Key colors are the dominant colors that we have chosen for room or home décor, while
  Shade of a color means that the pure color is mixed with black.

While painting your walls and ceilings or deciding a color scheme for your home décor, it is always helpful to collect chips and swatches of your favorite colors from various sources such as fabrics, hardware stores and even cuttings that you can arrange and rearrange to decide what colors look good together. Furnishings are a wonderful way to add color and texture to your home and can be moved easily too.