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Granite Transformations’ Trend Mosaic is an elegant product offering that emphasizes aesthetics and craftsmanship. It is designed to be great-looking and low maintenance and now, it can be more than just your typical backsplash. Customize any photo or artwork utilizing Granite Transformations’ Trend Mosaic and create custom artwork – large or small – for your home or office. Inquire at your local showroom regarding the process.
Shower and/or bathtub plus a sink and a toilet equal the universal facilities commonly referred to as a bathroom. How varied can designs really be with these standard functional necessities defining its space? Depending upon the amount of square footage available there are many interpretations of this familiar space. Let’s take a look at the sleek, angular and uncluttered designs that are starting to grace the most necessary room in the house.
Bathtubs are a thing of beauty and can be displayed (rather than sunken) with pipe exposure to accent. No need to hide the angular beauty and smooth lines of pipe. The focus is about the materials incorporated to solicit a tactile sensation. Minimalist presence helps clear the mind and create an atmosphere of tranquility. Wood and colorful wallpaper are ways to diversify texture and dimension.
These matching fixtures are offset by the brightly colored, tiled walls contrasted against the charcoal accents and well-placed lighting. Light is used in this bathroom to create density of dimension.
2012 modern design trends are predicted to have a lot of pure white rooms. Though this bathroom provides the designer with a lot of space to work with, modern themes allow and even encourage the use of center stage rather than corner and wall hugging facilities. The opaque use of white space delivers an environment of peace without distractions or darkness.
Built in ledges for artistic space and sharp angles can be a dramatic but functional expression of design in modern bathrooms. Eliminate wall art and shelving in favor of a complete room motif that draws the eye to the floor to ceiling ambiance of the room. Using houseplants will also bring a serenity and healthy cleansing atmosphere to the bathroom.
Ultra modern bathroom vanities incorporated into your new house plans will update your home drastically. A total lack of clutter, angular lines, strong materials and lots of light are the hallmarks of modern bathroom design.
Lisa writes about interior design trends and Austin homes for sale.
The cost of luxurious home furnishings can be expensive, and sometimes, down-right outrageous. The problem is, you really want that couch or those paintings and lamps to accent your current living room. The question is, how do you get them without blowing your budget out of the wallet, or landing yourself in debt? Simply follow these great tips on how to bargain shop for luxurious home furnishings and you will be able to purchase the home furnishings of your dreams, while still staying within your budget.
#1 – Check Out Offers Online
Many luxurious home furnishing stores offer discounts for purchasing online or special offers that are only available online. However, choosing home furnishings can be difficult just by looking at them. In some cases, you want to feel the fabric, or see the colors with your own eyes. To solve this problem, you can check out the store, if possible, and then purchase the items online to receive the bargains for luxurious home furnishings.
#2 – Sign Up For E-Newsletters
Most companies will offer you a free subscription to their email version of their newsletter. This will give you advanced insight of upcoming specials, promotions and bargains on luxurious home furnishings. In particular, keep your eyes open for after holiday sales, semi-annual sales and early bird sales, all of which will offer great bargains for the luxurious home furnishings you dream of.
#3 – After Holiday Sales
As with most department stores, the sales after the holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, are often better than during the holidays. You can find bargains on luxurious home furnishings by shopping after the holidays at some of the more expensive home stores. In many situations, companies stock up prior to the holidays and now need to get rid of the extra stock in order to make room for items just coming out.
#4 – Attend Semi-Annual Sales
There are several luxurious home furnishing companies that will over special sales throughout the year, known as semi-annual sales, where their prices are lower than the rest of the year. Again, similar to after holiday sales, companies hold semi-annual sales to reduce their stock on last season’s items, which although are still in style, they need room for this season’s items.
#5 – Early Bird Sales
Watch for early bird sales, where you need to be there earlier than normal store hours to receive bargains on luxurious home furnishings. Stores provide these types of sales to have more customers in the store at a particular time. So remember, with early bird sales, the store may be a little more crowded, but you can still find terrific bargains on luxurious home furnishings.
#6 – Last Season’s Furnishings
As with anything else, what was on-trend last year will be different this year. However, you can still find some great pieces of furniture and home décor items from last season that are often sold for reduced prices to make room for this season’s new items. Remember, purchasing a couch from last season does not make it outdated – it is just not the newest item on the market.
Josh Thompson is a popular guest blogger for a handful of frugality, family, and interior design blogs. He also works with the new community purchasing site for luxury furniture, LuxeYard.
The gallery customer picked up the jewelry box, turning it in her hands.
“So, you’ll inlay any Lapis Lazuli initials in the oak?”
“Well”, I said, ”I’ll paint it in faux Lapis.”
She had bit of a distant look on her face.
“So the price is for faux Lapis?” –running her fingers over the design on the box– “How much to do it like this?”
“I’ll be doing it just like that, in any initials you choose.”
The distance turned to confusion. Fostering my own confused look, it started to dawn on me that we had a communication problem.
“But I want real Lapis, like this.”
This is the ultimate compliment for the Trompe L’Oeil (French for ‘to fool the eye’) artist. Absolute conviction that your work is “real,” not painted.
Long story short, I managed to clarify that the entire surface was faux paint: The Lapis Lazuli and the Oak.
Thankfully, I never really get used to this. It’s always a thrill.
Like the guy at the antique car show who kept finding ways to ask me how the “wood” dash board was finished.
“So…you painted the wood? Don’t you mean stained it? Did you carve it or did you have someone else do it?”
“It’s not carved? How did you shape the wood…?”
After a few minutes of this back and forth, I took a key out of my pocket and tapped it on the dash. It rang out like the early American Detroit steel that it is.
He turned a little red, grinned and yelled: “How the hell did you do that!?” He claimed to be an experienced woodworker.
It’s fascinating to me that people often react more strongly to convincing Trompe L’Oeil work than they do to the real thing. Like the jewelry box customer whose attitude went from a blasé “this lapis” to “Oh my God! It’s paint!”
It’s a kind of magic and (sappy or not) the power of magic is enduring because it gives people a wonderful combination of hope and surprise.
My interior projects typically go through a similar process. The customer comes home from work to freshly installed faux crown molding, flooring inlay or wood grained cabinet doors. The reactions vary, but not much.
One lady started crying. I don’t mean damp eyes; I’m saying she was sobbing. And smiling. I assured her everything would be okay and should we proceed with that fireplace mantel she’d mentioned.
But that’s only the jumping off point. The real fun begins when they get to mess with friends and family: “Well, yes Walnut is very expensive but I just had to have it for these French doors (giggle).”
Eventually they share the truth (or not) and in this way, for as long as they’re in the home, own the car…, they get to be the magician.
Thanks to advancements in painting techniques and materials, you can make amazing painted wood grain part of your interior design project and no one will be the wiser. But please, after they’re sufficiently impressed, let them in on the secret.
Does your painter know how to apply perfect wood grain? Would you like to learn breathtakingly realistic faux wood grain for your home, business and craft projects?
Either of those questions can be answered by clicking here for Perfect Wood Grain Mastery, a quick to start and easy to learn step-by-step home study course. It gives painters and crafters the skills to duplicate any wood using easy to find tools and materials.
As a decorative painting professional, Norman Petersen has been making things look like other things since 1994. Today he’s on a mission to teach wood grain super-powers to homeowners, faux finishers, craftspeople, fine artists and custom car painters. Learn more about (you guessed it!) faux wood grain at his blog, perfectwoodgrain.com/blog
For information on buying and selling jewelry and other valuables, check out our friends at:
Moving into a new home can be an exciting yet intimidating undertaking. Your new home is like a blank canvas, ready for your creative juices to flow and make your new dwelling into a warm and inviting environment. The following are some helpful tips to make your home a comfortable haven you and your family will want to rush home to.
Set a Budget:
Decorating a home to look chic can be costly, so know your limit and stick within those parameters. Put together a budget for purchasing furniture, household paint, accent pieces and additional trips to the hardware store. If you don’t have enough in your decorating budget to finish the entire house, complete one room at a time instead of having several unfinished projects going at once. You can save additional costs by doing a lot of the labor yourselves. Your local home center will have lots of great ideas on how to get the job done and think of how proud you’ll be knowing that you completed the task on your own without hiring additional labor.
Select a Color Scheme:
Each room in your new home doesn’t have to be the same color however there should be a color scheme that flows throughout the house. Select a couple of colors that complement each other and paint the home with those particular choices. To bring in additional color, find accent pieces like vases, rugs, furniture, pillows and throws that blend everything together. Add a chair rail or wall paper border to incorporate an extra burst of color.
Plan Your Furniture Placement:
Deciding where all your furniture should go is an important task when first moving into a home. Not only do you want your furniture to look attractive and inviting, but it should also be functional too. If you have a large family, make sure there is suitable room for everyone to sit in the great room together. Can everyone see the television from every seat in the living room? If you have a pool table in the basement, set it up so that you have room to shoot at every angle.
Tackle One Room at a Time:
When it comes to decorating your new home, start with the one room in your house that you use the most. Begin placing the biggest pieces of furniture first and move them around until you like the flow and everything is in place. Add in accent pieces like area rugs, window treatments, throw pillows, vases and houseplants until the mood of the room is complete.
About the Author: Jon Clark is a blogger, coffee lover and home décor enthusiast. He writes for www.CaliforniaApartmentsBlog.com which provides apartment renting and living tips as well as reviews for apartments such as these townhomes in San Diego and Long Beach, CA apartments.
French country, tribal, Caribbean…these all bring to mind a very distinct aesthetic. Design is influenced by all corners of the world, and the rich cultures of these influencers are apparent. Going all in and incorporating these styles into your own home can quickly look costume-y, especially if you are trying to mix different cultural designs throughout your house.
However, you can still chicly incorporate these beautiful, global-inspired designs into your home. The key is to think modern, not traditional. Whether you add a few modern accessories or completely transform your space to give homage to another part of the world, here are some modern interpretations of culturally-influenced design.
Modern French Country
French Country can all-to-easily turn into a tribute to Little House on the Prairie. However, an all-white canvas and sleek lines makes it fresh. Plus, subway tile back splash is classic and can be incorporated into a lot of different styles.
French Ornate
Fancy a more ornate, traditional French style but afraid of it becoming too over the top? The key is using fresh, modern colors and subdued details. Once you start mixing dark colors and lavish, conflicting patterns it can become extravagant and gaudy.
African Tribal
Tribally-influenced design is all about bold patterns and colors. Give it a modern twist by tempering the color palette, opting for cool tones. In addition, playing up the graphic appeal of the tribal design can bring age-old traditions to present day.
Modern Moroccan
Moroccan design is epitomes with deep, bold colors and lavish, ornate detail work. You can add it to your home without going over the top by adding Moroccan flare as a punch of color to a neutral space. Also, picking a brighter hue of Moroccan jewel tones will add a modern, yet whimsical twist.
German Modern
Germanic design is known for its modern, architectural lines. However, it can easily look cold and dated, as if it was from the mod era. Warmth is in, so give German design a modern twist by creating a warm inviting space. How do you do this? Use warm, light wood tones and play with textures to add a cozy depth.
Adria Saracino is a freelancer, blogger, and home décor enthusiast. She writes for Pimsleur Approach, which sells language learning software—everything from pimsleur French to pimsleur German.
Photo Credits: Décor Pad, House Beautiful, Plan Home Design, Contemporist, A Designer Spot
Under cabinet lighting not only provides additional light for your counter workspace, it also creates a warm ambiance for the kitchen. Here’s how to install lights under kitchen cabinets.
There are a few options when it comes to installing under cabinet lighting. One of the simplest of the options is to install low voltage lights using a puck light kit. The kit includes small circular light discs you can install underneath cabinets. The power supply plugs into the wall so the installation doesn’t require any hardwiring or electrical work.
Purchase the under cabinet lighting kit with the level of voltage that works best for your kitchen. Tools you’ll need for the installation include Phillips and standard screw drivers, a hammer, pencil, ladder, tape measure and a drill.
Clear your workspace and remove everything from your countertops and the first shelf of your cabinets. This way you won’t have to be concerned about knocking things over or removing items are you work.
Plan and mark with a pencil where you’ll place the lights under the cabinets. Place the lights at least 12 inches apart for safety reasons. Put the lights close to the front of the cabinets so that you get the best lighting coverage for the countertop.
Plan where you’ll route your wires for the lighting. Choose a route where you can best conceal the wires and the power supply. Routing the wire behind the cabinets is an option if there’s space. If not you will need to drill holes and run the wires through the cabinets. You will ultimately route the wires to lead to the outlet behind your refrigerator. Don’t hide the wires behind the wall, otherwise you should opt for a hardwire installation instead.
Mount your lights into position under the cabinet using your drill. The wire on each light should face the back of the cabinet for routing. If the light has a lens cover remove it before you drill the light to the cabinet. You can snap the cover back on afterwards.
Put the power supply behind the refrigerator so that it’s concealed. This is where you’ll route your wires. Mount the wires along the route to the power supply. Use clips to hold the wires in place. Hide any extra wiring in the cabinet or in spaces in between. Connect all of your wires via wire plugs. Mount the switch or dimmer in a convenient location and connect it to the power supply so you can check out your work.
Do you want to get more information on the author? Karen Carlat is a contributor for cushy where you can get some interesting resources when it comes to furniture.
The secret to budget decorating is being creative. Creative people aren’t afraid to wallpaper a door or put plates on a wall as art. When redecorating on a budget, knowing how to repurpose or recycle an item is just as important as knowing where to buy new items without hurting your wallet.
Ask for Coupons
Interior designer Holly Becker, author of Decorate, suggests asking for coupons when shopping. (Check out Pubslush.com to find the best new authors in the industry today.) It’s a simple but sometimes highly effective way of saving money at a home decor shop. Just ask a cashier. Cashiers deal with coupons all day long and may have them on hand to give out. Even if the coupon is only 10 percent off, it’s 10 percent you weren’t going to save before.
Hit Garage Sales Early
Garage or yard sales can save you hundreds of dollars in one room. Jill Gardner, owner of Second Home Keepers, redecorated her living room. Her two secondhand couches cost a total of $75. These couches were like new and worth several hundred each.
People who have garage sales are rarely looking for profit, just more room in their garage. Arriving early assures a good look at everything.
More and more people are listing their garage sales online. Check out sites such as Garage Sale Tracker and you might be able to find a garage sale near you.
Use a Zero Interest Credit Card
If you have average to good credit, apply for a 0% apr credit card. Using a zero interest card is much cheaper than taking out a loan to redecorate; in fact, if you’re smart, it’s completely free. These promotions usually last for six months to 15 months. Do the math to be certain you can pay back the entire amount before the promotion ends, though.
Learn to Repurpose
Mirrors can be turned into decorative trays by lining their backsides with felt. Your best china can became a wall or mantel piece display after buying sturdy stands. Some people also use clocks, scarves, or other non-traditional items as decoration. Don’t confine yourself to what the local design and decor shop believes is home decor.
Cover Surfaces to Give Them a New Look
Interior designer, author and American celebrity Martha Stewart suggests wrapping tables, magnetic boards, and other surfaces with wallpaper or cloth. You can also give doors a fresh, designer look by adorning the panels with wallpaper. Not only do these methods do away with painting, but you can remove or change the covering to redecorate all over again.
Don’t be a Perfectionist
Jamie Scott from CreditDonkey reminds you that some of the best designs aren’t perfect. In fact, sometimes the wood floors are aged and the antique picture frames are tarnished. Flaws and aging can give a home a unique look. Stop, look around, and try to appreciate things as they are.
When planning your bathroom remodel, what are the items on your list? You probably first consider flooring, the countertops, walls and lighting. But did you even consider the small details, such as the mirror? The dimensions and type of mirror in your bathroom influence the larger decorating theme in the room.
Let’s use the lighting for example.
When arranging your task lighting, what do you arrange it around? You arrange it based on your mirror. Task lighting is the most important type of lighting in your bathroom. It does the job of illuminating your head and face. This lighting is necessary for day-to-day grooming. Your mirror is the centerpiece of your grooming needs in the bathroom. Without the mirror, the task lighting serves no purpose. What about side lighting? Again, all based on the mirror. The side lighting gets rid of shadows under the eyes, nose, chin and cheeks. The placement of the side lighting is set on the distance from the mirror.
Your mirror also reflects and accentuates the chosen design style. A few different options include:
Lastly, and as was briefly touched on before, your mirror keeps you looking your best. It can also take up very little room to implement. Without a mirror, grooming would be nearly impossible. How would you give yourself a quick trim or makeup touch-up? Why not look at yourself in something equally pleasing to look at?
This guest blog post was written by MirrorMate Frames®, which offers custom cut mirror kits to attach beautiful frames to boring, builder grade mirrors. This mirror framing system, frequently used on bathroom wall mirrors, can be installed in 20 minutes and come in over 65 different frame styles to complement any type of décor.
Man Caves. They’re becoming more and more prevalent in society, and with good reason. After all, who doesn’t need his very own private place for watching football games, drinking beer (Brandy, if you’re a classy chap), or simply sleeping?
No matter how you slice it the fact still remains: The only people who don’t like Man Caves are people who don’t have Man Caves. Whichever side of the camp you’re on, I’ve got 5 additions that will turn your Man Cave into a perfected fortress of solitude.
Since the first Mahogany tree got cut down and chopped into pieces, men everywhere have turned to the deep-colored wood to express their prowess. Also known as The Great Mediator (solely by me, but it’ll catch on), Mahogany is the one wood that appeals to both men of brawn and brains. Whether you invest in a wall-length bookshelf, or whether you adorn a corner of the room with a gun cabinet, this masculine wood is the only material you should humor.
Another staple in the Realm of Manliness, a well-placed poker table can turn any average Man Cave into a private slice of Monte Carlo. You can find them online, and they come in both standard and Hold ‘Em formations. Whatever your taste in a game of cards, you’re covered.
This should really be a regular fixture in every house, but since that won’t happen I will maintain that no Man Cave is complete without one. Put it somewhere convenient, and stock it with all of the best liquors money can buy. They’re simple enough to make on your own, or you can buy one. Either way, you’d be remiss if your private wet bar didn’t include a top made out of our next item on the list…
Say it with me now: Granite. The word itself sounds manly, so that’s a good indication that you’ll need to include it in your Man Cave plans. It’s versatile, durable, and handsome – just like us! If you’re using it as a surface for your wet bar, you can slice limes or mix drinks without having to worry about whether or not it gets wet. Me personally? I would recommend using it to adorn our final ingredient to the perfect Man Cave…
Men have been dramatically sitting in front of fireplaces since, well, the first fire pit made by our ancestors. Fireplaces give any room an unrivaled ambiance that will enhance any Man Cave 100 fold. Even if you think you’ve got the perfect Man Cave as is, you don’t have squat without a fireplace. Do yourself a favor, though; get a real fireplace, not one of those cheesy electronic ones.
Of course these are just suggestions, and you can take them or leave them if you’d like. However, I know you’ll kick yourself ruthlessly around the block if you look back and think about what could have been had you listened to me. Trust me: I’ve been in many a Man Cave, and the best ones make use of the above ingredients.
What do you think? Did I miss something “essential” when compiling this list? Add your thoughts at the bottom!
Jordan Siron is a freelance writer living in Florida. He excels at screenwriting, short stories, copywriting, and creating sell sheets.
