Budget Decorating: Making A Room Divider

When you need to divide a space in your home but don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a fancy room divider, you can always choose to think about making a room divider. Making a room divider is not that difficult after you decide which approach you want to take. There are several ways to go about this task and the more creative you are, the better your room will look in the end. Take a look at this fun and easy ideas to get a better understanding about what you should do with your own personal space and décor.

Blinds

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One easy way to divide space is to use bamboo blinds. You can get these pretty cheap at your local general merchandise store. Simply hang them strait down from the ceiling to divide the space where you want to. You can put these almost anywhere and pull them up if you want to get rid of the divider temporarily.

Along those same lines, you can use curtains or fabric to divide a room. You can make them in a roman blind style that can be pulled up, or install a rod or track on the ceiling and then you can push the fabric out to divide the room and simply pull it back against the wall when you want the room open. You can use premade curtains, hanging beaded or bamboo curtains or make your own out of a fabric that matches other items in the room.

Shelves

Another way you can divide your personal space is with bookshelves. This is a little more expensive than using bamboo blinds, unless you already own bookshelves. However, they are a very sturdy way to divide a space well. In addition, they are not easily moved, so once you commit to using them as a divider, you won't likely be able to move them around a lot. You can really use them as a wall, which is great for a studio type apartment or other big space.

If the back of your shelves are plain boring wood, you can spice them up with paint or wallpaper. Think about adding a mural or hand painted stencil to really give it some interest.

You might also think about using open shelving boxes to divide the room but still be able to see through to the other space. These can be bought in many colors and styles but can get to be a bit expensive.

Panel Dividers

You can make your own panel room dividers from wood, fabric or even odd materials like shutters. Perhaps the easiest way to make a room divider is to take 3 or more tall shutters and hinge them together. You can also make 3 or more frames out of wood and hinge those together - you can staple fabric to the frames for a soft look or put any other material inside. You could use wood, plywood that is painted or wallpapered, metal that is either plain or textured like the kind you use in tin ceilings or anything else - your only limit is your imagination!

Making a room divider is an easy way to help cut up a large space into smaller sections. It can make your home seem a little warmer and intimate, which is always a good thing. Just experiment with what you have or spend a little cash to get some things to work with until you get the look you want.

Budget Decorating: Making A Room Divider

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Wall Decorating Ideas

If you want to avoid having the rooms in your home look cold and without personality, make sure you do not have any stark spaces in them. When you want to add some life to a room and give it character, you have to add some wall decor to relieve that monotony of blank walls. Here are some great ideas to bring this kind of life to your walls.

One of the best and easiest way is to add texture to the wall. There are so many wallpapers that have texture, and it is a simple task to paper the wall or walls with a wallpaper that has a raised design, or is made to look like bamboo or linen. Of course, this can be brought to an extreme, and there have been avant garde decorators who adhered straw or paper bags to a wall to achieve texture, but this is not a solution that is for everyone.

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Wallpaper is still the tried and true way to add texture as well as color to your walls, and if you start to look at some of the wallpaper books in a decorating store, you will be amazed at the variety of styles you can achieve, and leave the straw out in the barn for the animals!

You may also consider wall hangings to remedy a bland wall. A beautiful old quilt adds a lovely touch of texture and color, and also spotlights a unique family heirloom. This is one of the nicest ways to add texture, since it is done in such a personalized way.

Another very personalized way to add texture is to display a collection on a wall. For example, a gentleman who collects antique tools might consider hanging them on a wall in a family room in an interesting pattern. Now they are serving a function, and he has also succeeded in removing some clutter from his garage.

How about using old doll clothes or dresses to perk up the walls in a girl's room? Here you are sure to have plenty of color, and the textures of old dresses are usually materials such as tulle or organza, which would be very eye catching. The colors of dresses such as this are perfect for a little girl's room.

Just using your imagination and the materials around you will yield a lot of ideas for adding texture to a dull wall.

Wall Decorating Ideas

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Country Bedroom Decorating Ideas - Part 2

Country style decorating is one of the most popular themes to use in a bedroom, and part two of this two part series provides tips and ideas to help you create just the right touch of country style in your own bedroom!

Style Pointers

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Natural materials, practical furnishings, and restrained but rich color schemes typify country style. Note the features pinpointed here to help you recreate the look.

ACCESSORIES

Traditional touches include an old cradle housing dolls and a Shaker-style peg rail.

WINDOWS

Roman blinds in unbleached cotton and off-white painted window frames and reveals add to the sense of natural light.

FURNITURE

An antique mahogany bed with turned wood posts and acorn-shaped finials is comfortably dressed with crisp cotton bed linen, a checked blanket, and traditional quilt. A Windsor chair and simple wooden bench provide seating.

WALLS

Vertical tongue-and-groove paneling, painted teal blue with a grapevine motif frieze, makes a rich backdrop, lifted by the off-white ceiling and paintwork.

FLOOR

Varnished pine floorboards are softened with simple, plain, and striped throw rugs, echoing the wall and ceiling colors.

Furnishings

The bed: This is the focal point of the room. Interestingly, early American antique beds would today be considered too narrow and short, so oldish and reproduction beds are better in terms of both comfort and cost. Four-poster beds with or without canopies, or half-testers with two headposts and a small canopy, in dark, polished old wood such as bird's-eye maple, mahogany, or fruitwood are ideal. Curved, carved headboards and carved finials - fruit and flower motifs are typical - on slender, turned posts add to the look. Simple brass beds are equally suitable. On a budget, decorate plain pine furniture with Pennsylvania Dutch-type stenciling, perhaps repeating stenciled wall motifs.

Other furniture: Freestanding, dark, polished wood is best; keep away from built-in units or matching suites. Authentic choices include huge old armoire-type wardrobes, 'high boys' and 'lowboys', which can double as desks or dressing tables. At the foot of the bed, place a stenciled dowry chest, blanket chest, or old sea trunk. Candle stands and washstand cupboards make authentic occasional tables; on a budget, cover an inexpensive table with a floor-length patchwork or white damask cloth.

Accessories: Layers of fresh-looking bed linens, topped by a patchwork, applique, or plain quilt, a white chenille bedspread, or a woven coverlet can give an anonymous bed a country look. Crisp white piecework, crochet or lacework cushions, runners, and tablecloths add a softening influence. Display simple vases, jugs, and baskets of garden flowers and house plants. On the walls, hang framed needlework samplers, or unsophisticated paintings or prints of fruits and flowers, domestic animals, or country scenes.

A related decorating theme you might like is French Country: http://www.diyhomedecorating.com/Decorating-Styles/french-country-decorating.php

Country Bedroom Decorating Ideas - Part 2

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American Colonial Style Decorating - Where to Start

Using American Colonial Style Decorating in your home does not have to be complicated. At its very core, the American Colonial style is elegant and rich. Think mahogany, crown moldings and panels. Think shutters for the windows. Consider quilts and texturized materials. Creams, greens, dark yellows and barn reds are typical colors in colonial style decorating.

Why Mahogany?

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Mahogany was popular amongst the more affluent homeowners in the colonial age. It is from them that we get the modern American Colonial Style. There are no rules when it comes to the wood you choose. Any darker wood will give authenticity to your design. Chippendale and Queen Anne furniture with inlays and carvings or the look of the same are classic colonial pieces.

Crown Moldings and Paneled Walls

Large homes with spacious rooms and open areas are perfect for crown moldings and panels. The colonials knew how to decorate their homes with simplicity as well as flair. Get some books or buy some magazines that have great photos of the American Colonial Style to get a good idea of how walls were done before the birth of the United States.

Shutters on the Windows

Shutters were popular in colonial days. The ability to pull shutters closed offered a sense of security and a chance to add more design to the home. Colonial style calls for shutters instead of curtains and blinds.

Colonial Colors

Colonial colors are taken from the primary colors but are muted due to the natural pigments used in paint during that period in American history. Walls can be painted or papered with elegant floral designs. Furniture is decorated with colorful velvet fabrics and tapestries. Handmade quilts don four-poster beds with or without elaborately designed headboards.

The Heart of the Home - The Kitchen

An American Colonial kitchen was and is made of wood. Think butcher block and island with iron pans hanging overhead. Wooden cabinets and cupboards. Windows with multiple planes of glass and wooden shutters are perfect for every outside wall of your home including the kitchen.

Colorful, braided area rugs can be placed in every room of your home for even more nostalgia. Such rugs can be placed at the entrance, in the living room, kitchen, bath, and bedrooms.

As with other decorating styles being used today, American Colonial Style decorating is not limited to nostalgic pieces. Modern appliances and even modern pieces of décor can be mixed with colonial décor with some success.

American Colonial Style Decorating - Where to Start

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Interior Decorating - Contemporary Style

The Contemporary Home Furnishing style is unmistakably sleek, hip, funky, and chic. By taking up a contemporary look for your home, your décor will end up being simple yet bold. There are essentially no rules to follow when using a contemporary theme, just a few basic guidelines: clean lines, neutral elements, bold color, art, and sculptured furnishings. By using these guidelines, contemporary decorating can easily be modified to reflect your personality.

In order to jump start your thinking for contemporary home furnishing there are a few things you need to keep in mind.. The color palette in a contemporary interior can be anything from a mix of neutrals, to black and white, to the use of bright and bold color. Black is often used to ground and define a contemporary room. Walls and windows look best with pastel paint colors or bold paint colors depending on what suits your personality. Make sure not to go into color overkill when decorating a room. For example, if you paint the walls a bright color, stick to neutral and simplistic furnishings and accessories. However, if you choose a basic color for walls, you can then add color into a room through the decor.

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Furniture

Once you have chosen a color scheme for your room, you can begin on the interior. The most important part of the contemporary home furnishing is furniture. Contemporary furniture generally exhibits clean, smooth lines. Popular contemporary furniture includes glass and metal coffee tables, smooth leather chairs and polished wood chairs, and low beds with simple, straight headboards. Keep furniture details uncluttered. Skip bedskirts and table linens that are frilly or pleated. Tassels and fringe are too much for a contemporary look. Furniture legs look great exposed and in chunky, solid shapes. Pillows add a burst of color and texture in clean geometric shapes.

Lighting

Lighting is exceptionally important in a contemporary interior. Look for unusual fixtures with sculptural interest, clean lines, and accents of bold color or metallic. Install recessed lighting or track fixtures to wash walls with light. Nickel and glass pendant lights go great in a dining area, and look to add fluorescent lighting in the kitchen. Neon lights are also a great way to add a contemporary look to your lighting decor. Polished steel lamps with long and bendable necks and polished steel fixtures are also a great lighting accent.

Accessories

In straight contemporary interiors it is most effective to have a few large accessories well placed. Give each piece breathing room by establishing a zone of empty space around it. In choosing your accessories, there are wide variety of options such as abstract glass sculptures, primitive art and sculptures, area rugs with geometric patterns and bold colors, abstract mirrors, and glass and steel display shelves.

More Tips for Contemporary Decorating

Flower arrangements should be large, dramatic and follow simple shapes. Try to find contemporary containers and vases that will add to the sculptural look.

Plants will add a burst of life to a contemporary room. Make sure they are big, with interesting or colorful leaves. Place them in simple pots or baskets. Uplight them from the back and underneath. Cover the dirt with smooth rocks, bark chips, or colorful marbles.

Glass, metal, stone, and wood will all fit well into a contemporary interior. However, avoid a cold looking room by adding shots of warm colors and providing textural interest in fabrics, upholstery, rug, or accessories.

Interior Decorating - Contemporary Style

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Decorating With Accent Pillows

Decorating with accent pillows is dead simple and boils down to a few basic concepts.

1. The amount of pillows and their arrangement.

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You will usually want to pick an odd number of pillows somewhere around three and seven for a natural asymmetrical look. If you're a balance freak like I am you may not be able to help the impulse to place an even number or either side, this is ok but takes a little from the "chic" factor. Also, opting of a smaller number of larger pillows rather than a ton of small ones provides a much cleaner look, but for certain motifs and backdrops you may want a really full appearance where the smaller pillows will be ideal.

2. The size and the shape of your throw pillows.

If you're going for angular square or rectangle pillows you want them to be in the 16 - 26 inch range, no bigger but in a few cases they may be smaller. These pillows generally need to be large enough to full showcase a few passes of a given patter or even a large block of solid color. Rectangular pillows are really nice because the oblong shape is usually unexpected and adds a bit of extra flair. In most cases you will not be opting for a circular pillow, and unless you are an experienced designer or just know that you've got the stuff you should be cautious when approaching your sofa with spherical cushions. Round pillows tend to not blend well with the overall angels of your furniture, unless of course you a have very unique piece such as a cylinder bed or circular patterns in your rooms decor.

3. The fabric and pattern.

When adding throw pillows into the mix it is always safest to go with a somewhat limited color palette and big geometric patterns. Textures such as cotton and linen are the best fabrics though silk throw pillows do have a place in certain modern settings. If you really like a lot of color then the best bet is to snatch the color palette from an existing piece of art or "busy" decorative item. This will keep the visual clutter to minimum and add some uniformity to the madness (just kidding, you're not MAD, I love color too:).

4. The edging and trim.

This is an optional consideration and doesn't apply to many modern pillow varieties. If your decor is based on a traditional Victorian theme then you will undoubtedly opt for aubusson style pillows that are full of tassels and flared edges with trim to spare. Fringes definitely give the pillows more impact and for this reason you will want to use slim small edges on smaller pillows and limit the amount of large throws with big bold tassels and trim.

Decorating With Accent Pillows

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Decorating Your Guest's Bedroom Using White Bedroom Furniture

The perfect way to brighten a guest bedroom, white bedroom furniture, comes in a great number of furniture layouts. Depending on the guests' ages, bedrooms featuring white furniture can function as both adult and children's sleeping areas. Many people may choose to furnish a guests bedroom suitable for both adults and children, while others may tailor the bedroom's theme to some specific guest occupant. This second option is fantastic for hosting parents, in-laws or if sharing custody of the child, getting the guest bedroom designed for a girl or boy.

Actually, probably the most popular colors for girl's bedroom furniture is really a basic white bed accented by colorful flowers. Younger girls might even be interested in white bedroom furniture with decorated little princess designs or bed headboards shaped in princess-themed crowns and/or castles. Boys will enjoy white furniture accented having a sports' theme. White headboards, featuring a variety of painted baseball, basketball and soccer balls, are often coupled with a table dresser featuring sport-themed drawer pulls.

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If while using guest bedroom to have an adult child or parent's guest bedroom, well-liked bedroom furniture collections incorporate using wicker, rattan and/or surefire. With respect to the bedroom's theme, white bedroom furniture for a Cape Cod or seaside-themed bedroom may consist of wicker or rattan choices, while a Victorian-themed bedroom may demand using white, cast iron beds and solid wood night stands.

While some individuals may shy away from buying all-white furniture models, you will find simple ways people can dress-up plain, white furniture items. One of the least difficult items to focus on is a bed. Because there are a variety of comforter and duvet sets obtainable, selecting a colorful one with white accents, provides the bed a focus while helping tie-in the white headboard to the white-accented comforter.

Another easy furniture fix involves chests, dressers and other bedroom furniture items using handles or drawer pulls. In case your room is decorated, utilizing a particular decorating theme, try to look for hardware that coordinates with your chosen theme. Dresser pulls, chest hardware and other items can have outside hardware changed to subtly strengthen the room's decorating theme. On top, scarves, runners and cloths can be put about the furniture to safeguard it, as well as aid tie-in the room's design.

Before obtaining the white bedroom furniture, make sure the room is measured so you will know just how each item will fit, and to make sure you buy the proper size and measurements of furniture items. Guest bedrooms may be gentle and airy, because it is the area for your invited family and friends to relax. Once purchased, decorate to taste and await your guests to arrive.

Decorating Your Guest's Bedroom Using White Bedroom Furniture

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