« January 2007 | Main | March 2007 »
February 27, 2007
Save your old recliner chair
One of my dads favorite chairs in our home was his recliner, I couldn't bring myself to get rid of this because fo the fond memories it brought back.
The problem was it was starting to look kind of tired and ratty so instead of throwing it out I decided to cover it with a recliner slipcover. I have to say I was pretty surprised how it turned out, it looks just like a new chair in our family room.
I thought finding a cover was going to be difficult because this chair had the side handle, I found one at surefit. Slip covers I have found are one of the quickest ways to redecorate a room and now they are the best way to say a memory.
You can see all the selections that are out there on this page about recliner slipcovers or if you have a sofa or windbck chair that you would like to cover instead of buying a new go to this page about furniture slipcovers.
February 25, 2007
Ceiling fans with lights
Ceiling fans with lights are not just to cool you down in the summer but also to keep you warmer in the winter
Fans do double duty when it comes to proper air flow in the summer and winter, this is generally a good way to keep a large rooms temperature even. Change the direction of the fan in the winter time and you will circulate the warmer air by the ceiling downwards to keep you more comfortable.
Click here to view all Ceiling fans
For other light needs in your home you can get more ideas about home lighting fixutres here or go back to our main site page about home decor.
A good choice for a home in a hot climate for a ceiling fan is the tropical fan style which really looks great if you have a solarium or a lot of plants in the room. There are even outdoor ceiling fans for the patio for those days where it is very hot and no wind to cool you down. Now you can create your own and be more comfortable out of doors.
Ceiling fans come in a variety of sizes from 38 inches to a whopping 60 inches. If you are going with the larger size just make sure the room you are installing it in is large enough. And please be careful if you are placing a fixture in a bedroom and there is a bunk bed in the room. ( measure to make sure the ladder and top of bunk are not too close to the fan blades.) For replacing the light bulb or to see which type of bulb you should be using in your ceiling go to this page about halogen light bulbs.
If youwant to create a draft when you have a window open, set your ceiling fan to pull the air upwards and it will draw air into the room from the window. If the fan is pushing air downwards you will be forcing air out the window and if there is no breeze outside then ou are not getting fresh air.
Posted 09:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)February 18, 2007
Decorating a home with pets
One area that we haven't talked much about is what about your home decor and pets.
It would be a shame to decorate a room living room or family room with nice furnishings only to have your family pet ruin it by coming in the home all wet and dirty. You dont want to have an ugly old blanket for your pet to lie on if you have new furnishings or expensive flooring.
What you can buy now is designer pet beds and designer pet blankets for your dog or cat. They can be expensive sometimes so have listed a site call www.pmapered-pet-supplies.com that offers information and a way for you to buy discount pet supplies.
If ou have a small dog you are most fortunate because you can get a designer dog crate that will fit under an end table so that it is out of the way. I know some people don't like to crate their dogs but it is the most pet friendly thing you can do. Because my little dog hates to be sent to another room when we have company and causes more of a problem there than he would in the room, I leave the door off the small dog crate ( I use a soft crate that the colors match my couch and floor) so that he can go in and out when he wants if things get too noisy for him. I have his favorite dog blanket in there so he feels quite secure and comfortable.
Posted 10:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)February 15, 2007
Light bulbs
How much you know about light bulbs?
This is an important question to answer when you are decorating. The type and strenght of a light bulb plays a major part in how a home accent or your wall decor will look. Different types of light bulbs, halogen, incandescent and florescent light bulbs can chand the color of your walls and carpeting. This has been a trick in home decor stores for quite awhile. This is also why sometimes when you buy something in a store you take it home and notice that it doesn't look the same and you end up taking it back. Clothing is probably the most common item that you see this happening.
This is why choosing a light bulb becomes very important in decorating your home.
When you look at a light in the lighting aisle of a hardware store you cant tell how strong of a light bulb is because all the lights are on which makes it harder to tell how much light the fixture is actually producing. So the next time you are buying a lamp or ceiling fixture pay close attention to the quality of light and whether the store is using a incandescent light bulb or a halogen light bulb it will make a big difference in what you see.
Posted 08:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)February 13, 2007
Plan for spring decorating
If you are house bound it would be a good idea to start planning your next decorating project.
First take notice over the next few weeks while there is still snow around and you cant get out of the house to work in your garden, of where people are hanging about in your home. Which room seems to be the most popular and why.
As you go room by room pay attention to details. What people are doing, where they are sitting and how they are interacting between each other. This will give you an idea on what you need or what you should take away from the room.
If people are turning on more lights than you would like this is a clue that you have a lighting problem and need to update or add a lamp or two.
If your accent tables are always cluttered with magazines, books and coffee cups this is an indication that your coffee table is too small or not in the right position. It may be too far away from your couch to be useful.
In the kitchen if you notice that your kitchen chairs are being pulled out and not put back into place under the table, it could mean that you need kitchen counter bar stools for people to sit at.
In the family room or tv room are your kids arguing that someone is always in the way when others are watching tv. This is an indication that your tv or your couch and chairs are in the wrong position. The traffic should be behind this furniture.
To get other decorating ideas go to the main section of our site and read more decorating ideas and to see which home furnishings would benefit your household.
Posted 07:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)February 12, 2007
Custom mailboxes
Just in case anyone was noticing that this site www.decormailboxes.com had disappeared from our site it was because they had taken it off line for awhile. It is now back for anyone that is interested in finding a locking decorative mailbox or address signs and plaques. These are pretty cool outdoor decorations that you don't see a lot of in new subdivisions. They kind of set your house apart from others if you live in a neighborhood with many homes looking the same.
Posted 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)February 10, 2007
Sling furnitue
I know its hard to think about patio furniture when you have 8 feet of snow staring at you out the window but it will disapear soon and then you will be wanting to relax outdoors in your new hammock.
There are numerous choices that you can make depending on what you want to do with it. If you have small children in the family you will want to stick with a fabric hammock like a brazilian or pawleys island hammock. If you enjoy hiking and camping you may want to review the hennesy camping hammcok.
There are basically three styles to choose from that you can buy a stand for or use as a sling.
- More details can be found on this page about hammock swings and chairs.
Rope hammocks are mostly made of a cotton or a polyester blend. Cotton is harder to dry out, which makes it more susceptible to mildew, but it is more comfortable than polyester. These are NOT recommended if you have small children.
Quilted hammocks are the best choice for cool climates because of the double layer of fabric they tend to be warmer. Pawleys island hammocks are the most popular choice. This style uses spreader bars at the top and bottom to keep the hammock from collapsing.
Mayan hammocks have much thinner strings that are hand woven for strength. Because of the light weight they are an excellent choice for campers and backpackers.
To read more on selecting a hammock go here to www.patio-furniture-outlet.com page about hammock swings and chairs.
Posted 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)February 06, 2007
Repairing a ceramic floor tile
Every homeowner that has a ceramic tile floor is going to run across the problem of what to do with a broken ceramic tile. The other problem is what to do with cracked or broken grout between the floor tiles.
Lets start with what you dont want to do when it comes to floor grout. That is not to repair the whole floor. It is far better to buy a specially formulated grout cleaner and use that instead. If you try to regrout an entire floor you will probably end up replacing all the tiles to save time.
If you have a broken or cracked floor tile go to this page that has an easy method for repairing ceramic floor tiles and grout lines.
Posted 08:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)February 04, 2007
Small kitchen table and chair set
There is a huge benefit to having your kitchen dining table as close to the food preparation area as you can. This is the most convienent spot for cutting down on your travel time in the kitchen and it makes cleanup go much faster. If you attached a pedometer to yourself and actually saw how much mileage you are putting on in the kitchen you would quickly see why you are so tired at the end of the day. How ever this is not always possible in small kitchens that are limited in space. If you want to create more space go with a pub style table and chair set and then add a barstool for by the counter incase you need extra seating.
For very small kitchens in apartments the right choice is a bistro dining table and chair set. You can purchase these in 2 and 4 chair sets. Sometimes these are referred to as bar tables or pub styles, but after you look at a decorative collection, you will notice that they are far from it. Have at this table and chair set to see what I mean.
To view other selections and to compare prices in tables and chair sets go here.
The key to getting around you tables and chairs is proper size and planning. Keep a minimum 32 to 36 inches between walls or cabinets and the edge of the table. For comfortable seating you will need approx. 12 to 14 square feet per person, so for four people 48 square feet will do nicely. Table size is relevant to this, a 42 inch round table will seat four, a 48 inch round, seats 6. If you like square and rectangular modern tables like I do figure on 21 to 30 inches of space per person.
Posted 03:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)