September 2013

2013 Christmas Tree Inspiration from HGTV

If you are open to new ideas, just about anything can be a Christmas tree because it's all in the presentation.

Funky and fun miniature trees are perfect in a grouping on a sofa table, buffet or even the kitchen counter.

They're made out of ribbon or fabric-covered foam topiaries that are hot-glued into containers and adorned with anything from Christmas light bulbs to feathers to glittery beaded garland.

Since the best gifts come in small packages, these are just the trees for those items!

Here are some other tree-inspired ideas:

Make a hanging ribbon tree for a corner, the center of an entry or even above the folding counter in a laundry room.

Use ribbon to tie macramé rings in a variety of sizes together. Wrap each with low-wattage, UL-approved white holiday lights that don't generate heat. Drape beautiful ribbons over the rings to create the foliage streamers, which cover the structure but allow the glow from the lights to shine through.

For just a whisper of the holidays in your home, purchase several cherry blossom branches from a florist. The flowers give the impression of tufts of snow along the branches, and when placed in a very large glass container, the bouquet can be high enough to allow plenty of room for stacks of beautifully wrapped Christmas packages underneath.

Use carefully wrapped surprises as part of your holiday decor. One of the best ways to do this is to use paper in colors that either stand out or blend in with the existing decor of your home. A collection of pink and silver packages is certainly eye catching. If the packages look too good to unwrap, use empty boxes and display your creations again next year.

Turn a white Christmas tree into a snowman (or an elf, Santa and even a reindeer) using felt and fabric for his eyes and nose, top hat and a scarf to keep him warm.

Make a Citrus Table Runner Spring 2013 Ideas

Layer Ultrasuede circles and triangles to create a refreshing table runner. Using two shades each of yellow and green suede, cut circles, triangles, and leaves.

Materials:

1/8 yard Ultrasuede Fresh Lime #4575 for eight 8-inch lime circles and 4 leaves (2 large and 2 small)
1/8 yard Ultrasuede Green Apple #4512 for 48 lime segments and 6 leaves (3 large and 3 small)
1/2 yard Ultrasuede Tulip #5227 for ten 7 1/4-inch lemon circles
1/2 yard Ultrasuede Tulip #5228 for 60 lemon segments

How-To:

1. Cut Ultrasuede circles and segment pieces in two colors of yellow and two colors of green following the pattern. Cut two sizes of leaves from the two shades of green Ultrasuede following the pattern.

2. Glue segments to circles and assemble as shown in photo (or randomly) and glue the pieces where they overlap.

3. When dry, flip over and glue unsecured sections.

I hope you like this Runner ............. enjoy it .

Interior decorating games are quite popular among home-makers these days - they are popularized by the rising influence of the internet, as well as the advancements in technology. They're quite a new entry to the age-old systems of planning by hand, and they're one of the most useful advancements in the field of home decoration. There are many types of design games available on the internet, and they cover a vast genre of games - from things like computer simulation of a room, to 2-D creation of your own house. This genre of games stimulates the mind, brings forth one's inner creativity to the fore, and can actually be a handy tool while one is actually thinking of preparing a home decorating plan.

Computer simulations of interiors and the enabling of decoration of the same helps us have a rough idea of what the interior of a room or the house would look like, while planning out the interior decor of our own home. Moreover, it is very helpful in creating the same environment and enables experimentation at almost no cost. Experimentation with home decor is often a crucial component of decorating a house, and simulation makes the task much more palatable, enjoyable and fun. It must be also be noted, that these games are a huge benefit to designers that are work in the home decor industry. Simulation is so very important for them in their work, as most designers will be expected to show detailed plans of what they intend to do to a customer's house. Simulation takes away the dull and drab paperwork consisting of lines and lines of text on technicalities, and makes it a much more interactive and efficient system. Pictures of finished interiors can be used to market a particular designer, and also help the customer in choosing what they'd like their interiors to be like even before they spend money on the accessories and necessities of decoration.

An interior design salary is higher than an interior decorator salary due to the higher range of skills that a designer needs. With this higher requirement of knowledge, the interior designer has higher earning potential. Interior designers focus on improving the quality and safety of a living space or building plus improving the overall function of the same building or living space. Interior decorators generally focus on the aesthetics of a building and living space.

Interior designers must have knowledge of blueprints since their work starts before a building is even built sometimes. Designers must be knowledgeable in creating proposals and following a budget put forth by the client. An interior designer's salary will reflect the specific knowledge they will learn in school.

An interior design salary can range from $22,000 to $40,000 per year to start depending on the whether the designer is specializing in commercial or residential design. Salary can depend on the design firm, experience and their reputation. In 2004 in the United States, the median salary for interior designers was more than $40,000. Designers that do specialized work for engineering or architectural firms have the highest average salary in the field. Retail furniture store designers who work in-house have the next highest salary for interior designers.

Once a designer gains plenty of experience, they have the potential to earn an interior design salary in excess of $100,000 per year. Interior designers just out of school generally begin their careers with an established architectural or design firm. Once they have gained experience many designers branch off and form their own business.

An interior design salary for self-employed designers is based on their per-hour consulting fee thus earnings for self-employed designers can be quite varied. A 2005 survey showed that the average salary for a self-employed designer is around $51,000.

An interior designer's salary can be increased by being nationally licensed through the National Council for Interior Design Qualifications (NCIDQ). This licensing is mandatory in some states. An interior designer can increase their potential earnings by keeping their skills up to date by taking courses offered by design schools around the country. These skills can be upgraded through online programs as well.

A self-employed designer can increase their salary in many ways. They can charge an initial consultation fee however; this may limit the number of clients they get since it could turn off a potential client. On the other hand, the designer's time is money and if they are very busy, it may not be worthwhile to provide free consultations.

An interior designer can charge their client by the hour. An hourly fee can range from $60.00 per hour to $350.00 per hour depending on the experience of the designer and where the designer is located, for example New York city.

There are numerous contemporary interior design styles, which is good because we all have different tastes, we all like something different in our living spaces. Where one style may make you feel comfortable and at home, another style, that appeals to someone else, may make you feel awkward or out of place. Lets take a brief look at some common styles that are popular today.

Contemporary - Yes, the first contemporary interior design style we will look at is actually called contemporary. When I think of the contemporary style, I think of simple and clean lines. It focuses more on function than on a lot of decorative pieces. Some people think of contemporary as being harsh and unfriendly, but when done properly, it gives a feeling of simplicity and peace. Furniture used in such a room has nice, simple straight lines, no curves or fancy carvings. The contemporary style often features black and white or neutral tones, but it is usually balanced with a well planned splash of color. This can be accomplished with a large block of bright paint on a wall or a carefully placed piece of furniture, but my favorite accent is a nice piece of modern art hanging on the wall.

Country - this style is very comfy, it uses natural material and features handcrafted items. It has been interesting to watch this style gain popularity over the last decade. If you cannot find an old piece of furniture, then it has become common to distress new pieces to make them look older. That is part of the charm of the country style. Since this style is inspired from nature, colors can vary a lot, but concentrate on greens, blues, reds, browns and whites. Any type of earthy textures and material look great. Country style is also well accented with art, though preferably something that looks hand crafted.

Art Deco - this is a style that originally appeared in the early 1920's and 1930's, but is returning as a interior design styles style. It took aspects of ancient cultures and combined it with modern styles. Examples of art deco can be seen everywhere, from architecture to art, and is starting to become popular again. I have an old chair from this era, and have recently noticed that new styles resemble my original chair. Art deco interior design is streamlined and geometric, usually combining straight lines with elegant curves. A mix of elements, such as wood, glass and metal is always good. Various colors can be used if the shape and forms are correct. And, since modernism was a popular art style of the time, abstract art pieces that mimic the curves and styles of the original Art Deco period is a must. This can range from geometric modern paintings, to sculptures that have that sought after curve. Art Deco is a resurgence of an older style that has become a popular contemporary interior design style of today.

Do you like redecorating your room so it looks inviting as well as relaxing? Do you want to make things more accessible and your room layout more functional? If so, you probably love interior decorating.

Interior decorating encompasses a wide area of interests: the paint on the walls and on the other surfaces of your room, wallpaper, carpet, tiles, light fixtures, furniture, and even paintings and sculptures.

It is not easy to define exactly what modern interior decorating is since it can actually take on many forms. It seems like there are new design themes and styles coming out every day. In fact, the sky's the limit when it comes to modern-day decorating. Identical designs are no longer the norm. Nowadays, your personality is reflected in your room's interiors.

To create a new look and feel to your room, you may want to try this more up-to-date form of interior decorating. Although there are different classifications to modern design, they can be used as a guide to how you can go about redecorating your place.

You can choose to go with an eclectic style of designing. This is a more common style of modern decoration. As its name implies, eclectic decorating makes use of a combination of different styles to give rise to a completely unique look. Usually, interior decorators just incorporate designs that appeal to them personally, positioning furniture and décor to their liking. You could do the same for your room.