Black and White Bedroom Decorating Ideas

Black and white decor is elegant and simple! It is a relatively easy style  to decorate your bedroom with since you already have your colors picked out from the get-go! If you’re anything like me and get overwhelmed by too many choices, you’ll love black and white bedroom decorating ideas.

One of the main principles behind modern decor is minimalism. Decorating your bedroom in black and white is an easy way to give it a sleek, contemporary look and feel that is clean and put together. Wouldn’t you like to sleep in a neatly designed, stress-free bedroom?

Start with the walls. When decorating your bedroom, start with the walls. You don’t have to paint all your walls either black or white. You can paint some walls black and others white, play around with wall decals, or use wallpaper.  You might want to use a combination or paint, decals and wallpaper like in the picture on the left.  Black walls are great for creating contrast- anything stands out on a black wall! A striped wall can also look amazing in a bedroom.

Bedroom Furniture. Each piece of furniture must be taken into account if you are going to have a complete black and white look. You can paint all your furniture in either all-black, all-white or a black-and-white pattern if the furniture is against a solid color wall. Remember to keep things neat and not too busy. Make sure to pay attention to the furniture’s details and don’t forget the bed frame, window frames, headboard etc.

Accessories and Bedding: This is the fun part! There are so many black and white room decorating ideas for your bedding, lighting, rugs and walls! Black chandeliers are super glam in a black and white bedroom. Area rugs come in all types of designs and fabrics. For the walls, you can hang black and white pictures and place them in a colorful frame for contrast (or vice-versa). Black and white curtains will look amazing in your bedroom. Just make sure that most of your bedroom accessories are black and white only and don’t contain other colors.

Accent colors: Last but not least come the accent colors. The reason I mentioned this last is because it is very important not to overdo it. You want most of your room to be black and white and you can pick one or two main accent colors to highlight specific areas of your room. Anything in color will stand out in a black and white bedroom! Some great areas to accent are your bed, via a colorful comforter or an area on the walls with a beautiful painting. You might even consider painting an entire wall or part of a wall a bright color to create a dramatic look.

What else is left to do? Nothing but get ready to enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep in your chic and elegant beautiful bedroom! Click here for more black and white room decorating ideas.

Featured Content Gallery Photo Credits: www.huelsta.com

The Downside of Fancy Bathroom Faucets

One of the most common mistakes people make when buying a stylish faucet is forgetting that the rest of the bathroom decor needs to match.  I have been in countless bathrooms that are plain and simple, yet the faucets are extravagant.  Stylish appliances can be a great room decorating idea in a bathroom that is equally fancy.  But when used in simple or run-down bathrooms, a fancy faucet can seem out of place and become an eyesore instead of a chic accessory.

Another problem that exists with luxury faucets is their maintenance.  They are often more difficult and more expensive to install.  Often, the complicated styles of these high-end faucets means they get blocked up easily and need to be fixed more often.  The more complex a faucet, the harder it is to keep clean and the more expensive it is to maintain.

In addition, just because you paid a lot of money for a beautiful faucet design, it doesn’t automatically mean that you are paying for quality.  There are many gorgeous, unique faucets that are made very poorly and will need to be fixed often simply because of that.  These faucets can also often take up a lot of space under the sink as they are more complicated and have more parts then regular faucets.

Today, bathroom faucets come in many types gorgeous styles and have all sorts of new functions.  Before purchasing a very fancy faucet, make sure it matches the rest of your bathroom decor and do your research.  Talk to your plumber or the staff at your local hardware store and read reviews online.  You want to make sure that the faucet you are spending so much money on because of its design will also last you for a while.

Basic Dining Room Decorating Ideas

For some people, the dining room is where they eat every day while for others it is reserved for company and special occasions. Whether you are going for a look that is formal or functional, keep these basic dining room decorating ideas in mind.

1.  The Walls

For wall color ideas, try red, orange and yellow or other colors that complement food and stimulate appetite.  Neutral colors like grey or tan are also nice choices.  Try to stay away colors that clash with food like blue or hot pink. Decorating your walls with wall art or tapestries not only make for beautiful design, but are great conversation pieces.

2. Table

The table is the focal area of most dining rooms and must be chosen with care.  When deciding on a table, space and lifestyle are both important factors.  A glass table is great for a small area as it creates the illusion of space, whereas a large mahogany works great with larger areas.  Round tables are better for conversation but can’t fit as many people as rectangular tables can. Many people opt for tables that adjust in size so that they can be used when its just the family or when there’s a houseful of guests.  Try to make sure that your table matches the other furniture in the room and that the overall decorating style is considered.

3. Chairs

When choosing chairs, keep in mind both style and comfort.  Chairs backs should come higher than the table and be comfotable enough that you’ll want to sit on them the whole meal.  Make sure that they are wide and deep enough and are generally pleasant to sit on. Choose a chair base before deciding on the upholstery.  Also, make sure that your chairs are a good fit for your space.  If you are planning on using them in a freqent basis, you might not want to go with fancy, hard-to-clean material.  But if you use your dining room on special occassions only, you’ll have more freedom to go all out with a festive design.

4.  Buffet

Another basic element to any dining room is the buffet or sideboard.  This piece of furniture is an essential to any dining room as it serves both as a decorative piece as well as a place to store extra dishes, silverware, linens and accessories.  The buffet is also a great place to put a beautiful lamp and a vase of flowers.  Buffets come in all different styles and colors and can match any decorating theme.  Check out the stunning buffet below from Pottery Barn.

5.  Dining Room Accessories

Many accessories can accentuate your dining room’s style and theme.  If you have hardwood floors, area rugs under the dining area are great for defining the space.  Crystal chandeliers add incredible elegance and formality to a dining room.  Lamps and wall scones are also great dining room decorating ideas as they allow you to adjust the lighting and add drama to your space.  Fresh flowers, a table runner and displays of China or artifacts can all look great in a dining room.

Dorm Room Decorating Ideas

At first glance, your dorm room might seem like a drag. With standard furniture, awful lighting and almost no closet space, your dorm room is a decor nightmare. But there are acutally many creative dorm room decorating ideas out there. With the right accessories and simple furniture you can transform your dorm room from a lame to awesome.

Your first task is to do your research. Different dorms have different rules. Check out if your dormitory allows you to paint the walls, hang thing up with nails and change the furniture. Then you’ll know what you have to work with.

Next it’s time to arrange your space. A dorm room is your home away from home so make it comfortable and welcoming to guests. Arranging your room like a living room is great if you want to have people hanging out there a lot. You can put the furniture around the room with open space in the middle. Placing an area rug on the floor with a bunch of cushions or large floor pillows transforms your floor into chilling space.

Another important element to keep in mind when decorating your dorm room is lighting. The bright florescent lights that dorms often come equipt are good for one thing only and that’s studying. To create a nice ambiance in your dorm room, buy a few inexpensive lamps or candles. You can try having one big and noticable lamps (you can find some great ones at thrift shops) and a few small ones. Putting a lamp on the floor behind a piece of furniture is a great ambiance creating trick.

Storage is always an issue in dorm rooms so if you are allowed to bring your own furniture make sure it has a lot of extra storage space. If not, a few key items to purchase are hanging storage (like one to put your shoes in that fits in the closet), a high shelf or closet (because floor space is limited) and under the bed storage. If you have a bed with storage space, then great but if not make sure that your bed is elevated from the ground so you can fit storage containers underneath. Wall shelves are good too if you are allowed to put them up. To hide messy storage space, try putting a funky room divider in front of it. They come in all different colors and designs.

Last but not least, make sure to have great music, lots of snacks and other fun things that will make your room the place everyone wants to be!

Stay tuned for more dorm room decorating ideas,coming soon!

Spring Decorating

The seasons are changing and spring is almost here! Get your home ready by incorporating some beautiful spring decorating trends into your home.

This season, yellow is the hot decorating color for spring. By using yellow in your room decorating, you give your home a vibrant and trendy look that is just right for warmer, brighter days. If you want subtle color, try accessories with yellow patterned throw pillows, candles or vases. If you want to go for bolder style, try using yellow wallpaper or buying a yellow couch or chair like this one from Target.

Spring is also the time to start thinking about taking your room decorating ideas outside. You can create a beautiful outdoor space by using some colorful throw pillows or area rugs to dress up your outdoor furniture. Try hanging up some pendant lights or lanterns and decorate with candles to create a memorable and beautiful outdoor space that is perfect for entertaining guests or relaxing during warm spring days.

In the spirit of environmental friendliness and eco-awareness that increasingly pervades our daily consciousness comes the decorating trend of large natural prints. This trend is great for spring decorating because this is a season that brings us back out to nature. Try some beautiful bedding or wall décor made out of organic materials and donning large tree prints. White pine prints are beautiful, refreshing and look great on your couch on a slipcover or adorning throw pillows!

Get ready for spring in style with these trendy, fun 2009 spring decorating ideas!

Shabby Chic Bedroom Ideas

A bedroom designed to look shabby chic will be relaxing and cozy. One of the reasons why shabby chic decorating is still so popular is because it combines feminine softness and comfort with subtle elegance. Here are some shabby chic bedroom decorating ideas to get you started.

Certain fabrics can give your bedroom a shabby chic look. Try using pillow cases and bedding with lace, ruffled edges and bullion fringe. Bed skirts are nice in a shabby chic bedroom. Use a variety of different fabrics for a cozy and inviting style.

A beautiful aspect of shabby chic bedroom decorating is glistening glass lighting. To incorporate this element, try hanging a chandelier over the bed or put glass candle holders around your room. You can also use lamps that have prisms or glass beads hanging from the shade or the base.

Shabby chic décor uses mostly white, pastels and floral colors and patterns. The general tones of the room should be in these colors. Also try added some floral elements like a wall hanging or a flower patterned bed cover.

To fit in old pieces that you love, try painting them white and giving them a distressed look. You can do this with old nightstands, lamps, dressers and any other piece of furniture you want to blend in with your bedroom’s new look.

I hope you enjoyed these shabby chic bedroom ideas! Have fun giving your bedroom a feminine, soothing style.

Shabby Chic Living Room

By decorating your home shabby chic, you can have a super stylish and trendy look while staying in a budget. The idea of shabby chic décor is to use “barely there” pastel colors use flea market finds to furnish and accessorize. Shabby chic means you are using “not perfect” looking items, vintage fabrics, white furniture and a lot of creativity!

A shabby chic living should feel warm and inviting. Here are a few room decorating ideas to get your shabby chic living room started:

Your Couch: If it is upholstered it should be with a very pale fabric, without a pattern. It should be very comfortable and faded looking. You can also try covering your sofa with a slipcover. White slipcovers are shabby chic favorite. To liven it up a bit, you can try adding a throw pillow with floral fabrics that don’t necessarily match.

Furniture: Shabby chic furniture has a “fatigued” look and even if it is new, it is usually painted in a way that makes it look older. Flea markets are great places to find furniture for your shabby chic living room. Buying used, aged furniture and covering it with a fresh coat of white or pale paint gives it that “old but new” look that is shabby chic.

Floor: Shabby chic area rugs are soft and inviting. Try using an area rug that is shaggy, plain white or rose colored. Keep to light colors and make sure the fabric is welcoming and adds to the comfortable feeling your shabby chic living room will have.

Lighting: Shabby chic light fixtures are often embellished with crystal looking beads. Chandeliers are a favorite in shabby chic decorating. You can also try beaded lampshades or shiny pendant lights.

Accessories: Fresh flowers are a great shabby chic accessory. Flowers don’t have to be arranged with too much thought. Shabby chic décor uses the “thrown together” look. Other great accessories are wire wine racks, lacy white curtains, bohemian looking tins, and vintage paintings. There are many other fun shabby chic living room accessories out there!

Wall Art Decorating

Everyone has greeting cards with beautiful designs that they just can’t bear to through away (I know I do!). One way to turn this “garbage” into décor is by using them for wall art! Make sure the cards are the same size and that they look good together. Then simply fasten them onto pieces of foam board that are the same size as each card to add depth. Attach each piece to a painted square piece of cardboard and mount to your wall!

You can also try framing beautiful pictures from magazines. Buy a wide frame with a smaller center and hang a few coordinating magazine cutouts side by side or arranged on your wall. It’s a great way to decorate your walls at almost no cost!

For minimal artistic effort and maximum effect, try framing a fabric. You can find beautiful pieces of extra fabric either lying around your house or at the clearance section of material stores (sometimes for only a dollar). As long as the colors and design are beautiful and tasteful, framing it will instantly turn it into art.

Calligraphy is a beautiful as wall art and Japanese calligraphy especially enhances a Zen decorating style. You can do basic calligraphy on your own with just a brush and black paint. Just look at some examples and try copying the images. You might need a little artistic talent for this one, but if you keep it simple it won’t take too long to pick up. You may even be able to create some calligraphy in Japanese!

A great place to look for wall art is your kitchen. Plates, coasters and even dish towels that just take up needless space can be hung on your wall and displayed. Framed dish towels make beautiful wall art. Dishes and coasters can be hung with a frame or on their own.

These room decorating ideas may be simple, but they can make your walls look beautiful and barely cost anything. So before spending a fortune of wall art try these fun and creative techniques.

Headboard Ideas

If you’re looking for a way to spice up your bedroom without spending a fortune, try making your own headboard.  Although this might seem pretty arduous at first, you can create your own unique headboard without being an expert of arts and crafts.

A headboard is a way to mark off the area behind the bed creating a more elegant and elaborate.  There are many possible creative headboard decorating ideas.  To start simple, you can try decorating a plain wooden headboard you already have.  You could also start with a metal screen or a large artist’s canvas.

If you’re starting with a headboard that you already have, try decorating it with wallpaper decals.  They come in all colors, styles and motifs so you can create a look that matches your general room decorating idea or theme.

You can also create a bold headboard with a simple metal panel or screen.  By painting the area behind the screen, you can create a funky and bold effect. Try using either bright or metallic colors behind your screen or paint a dark shade and add shiny spots or designs in a different color. You can also attach different accessories to the screen to add flair, like butterflies or beads.

An artist’s canvas is one of my favorite headboard ideas! There is so much to work with and a lot of room for creativity.  The great thing about canvases is they are the perfect shape for putting behind the bed and can be decorated in no time.  Try covering the canvas with a piece of fabric or a variety of coordinating arranged in a pattern (for example, you can mount them in a square shape in the center of the canvas).  Painting the wall behind the canvas accentuates the headboard, especially if the paint color matches the fabric you’ve used.

Adding a headboard adds a lot to your bedroom and can be done without breaking your budget.  So start decorating and give your bedroom a cheap and stylish upgrade!

Bedding Décor

It’s not always obvious that the way you decorate your bed has a major impact on the entire aura and appearance of your bedroom. Your choice of linens, pillows, pillow cases, duvet covers, bedspreads, bed skirts and comforters is actually essential when coming up with your specific room design. Different patterns, fabrics, and colors each make statements of their own and will affect the final look of your bedroom accordingly.

One way to make a bed the focal point of your room is by making it bold and loud. To do this, chose fabrics with bright colors and blunt designs. You don’t need to have a lot of “stuff” on your bed, but rather make it so that the bedding itself is noticeable. Another way to make a visual impact is by choosing white bedding and throwing on a few brightly colored pillows or fabrics. The contrast can help but demand your attention!

You might want to give your room a clean, simple, toned down look. By sticking to tans, pale blues and grays your bed will exude a serene energy and have a natural, organic character. Keep to simple basic designs and keep extra pillows to a minimum.

To create an elegant look, try using a bed skirt. Bed skirts hang from your mattress to the floor adding loads of style (and hiding whatever’s underneath)! I personally love using one or two embroidered throw pillows that reflect my own style. Whatever you do, don’t skimp on the bedding décor when creating your beautiful bedroom!

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