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.

Dorm Room Accessories

Who says your dorm room can’t feel like home…or even better? Even if you are initially repulsed by stark white walls, ugly floors and outdated furniture, the right dorm room accessories can make your space fun and comfortable.  Here are a few dorm room accessories you won’t want to leave home without!

A Cork Board. A cork board (or bulletin board) is a great place to hang you class schedule, memos, pictures and calendar.  The great thing about cork boards is that they can add tons of decor and personal style to your room.  You can cover the board with a funky material from a fabric shop or by “recycling” an old t-shirt or sheet with a pattern you love.  Cork boards can also be painted, decorated with ribbons or colored paper.  All you need is a staple gun and some glue. Painting the frame of the cork board (or adding one if it doesn’t come with) is another awesome dorm room decorating idea.

Bed Pockets. Everyone knows that in a dorm room space is sacred, so make sure to utilize all the extra space you can! One way to do this is with bed pockets.  Bed pockets are pieces of fabric that attach to your bed and are great for holding odds and ends like books, hair accessories and other small items you may want at bedside.  They are fantastic if you don’t have a nightstand, and if you do, they will help ensure that it doesn’t get too cluttered.

An Awesome Rug. Most dorm rooms don’t exactly come equip with beautiful wall to wall carpeting or hardwood floors.  There is no better way to make your room stylish and homey than with an awesome rug! This is an essential dorm room accessory.  Since area rugs come in all different colors, styles and textures, finding one that is exactly your style shouldn’t be too difficult.

Wall Art. Fabric wall hangings, wall decals and posters are all great room decorating ideas for your dorm.  Search through fabric stores or second hand shops for interesting, attractive fabrics for your wall.  Fabric hanging can be large enough to cover an entire wall, which can be handy because most dorms don’t allow painting.  Wall decals are great for your dorm room because they add a lot of color and style to your walls while peeling off easily without removing paint. Framed poster art is another stylish, affordable option.

Full Length Mirror. A full length mirror is important for the obvious reason that you want to look great.  Also, a lot of dorms come with mirrors that are too small and/or only in the bathroom.  Even if your dorm room already comes with a mirror, there is not reason not to have two! Mirrors give small rooms the illusion of space and allow more light to shine through.  They are an easy way to add depth to a small dorm room.

Try these stylish dorm room accessories and feel comfortable and chic in your home away from home.  For more dorm room decorating ideas, click here.

Painting Furniture Basics

One of my favorite room decorating ideas is painting furniture.  This is partially because my husband and I have a lot of furniture that’s been given to us before we were married and isn’t exactly our taste.  We recently discovered the “magic” of painting- it literally can breath new life into any piece!  Even if you’ve never painted or sanded before (like I hadn’t…) you can still take on a painting project without worrying that you’ll turn what you have into a disaster.  Painting furniture is a relatively easy and fun DIY project.  Remember- it should always be done in a well-ventilated area and the work area should be covered with newspapers to prevent stains.

The first step is sand down the piece you want to paint.  Sanding the furniture gets rid of the wax or finish that the piece already has.  I recommend using an electric sander, as it is much easier than sanding by hand! Just make sure that you sand each part evenly and clean up all the dust afterwards.

The next step is priming.  Primer is a kind of paint which sticks to any surface and hides strong pigments (so that you can paint white over black etc). Priming help achieve an even finish and is good to use on pieces that were stained. Make sure the surface is completely clean before priming.

You are now ready to paint.  Don’t be afraid to choose bold colors for your “”new” piece.  You can use regular latex house paint and you’ll need at least two coats.  To apply the paint, you can use rollers or brushes.  Rollers are good for larger surfaces and brushes are better for corners and small areas, so depending on your project, you may even want both.  If you are using spray paint, stand 8-12 inches from the wood when spraying. The first coat of paint can take time hours to dry completely so be patient!  You may have to wait 4-12. Once the first coat is completely dry, sand it lightly by hand so that the next coat of paint sticks better.  Once you are finished you can apply your second coat.  If you are going for a distressed or vintage look, you may want to sand again at this point.

Once you have achieved the look you want, it is time to protect your piece with finish.  There are different kinds of sealant such as clear water-based polyurethane finish, paste finishing wax and more.  The water-based finish dries more quickly while the wax gives your piece a softer look.  You can ask your local hardware store employees for details about the particular kinds of finish if you are trying to go for a certain look.

So these were the basics of painting furniture.  We would love to hear how your project went!

Flea Market Decorating Ideas

Summer is approaching and a a great time to check out your local flea markets for great room decorating ideas! But amidst the maze of chachkas and chinkets, where do you begin?  And how do you turn junk into something that can beautify your home?

First of all, you should arrive at a flea market early (i.e. before everything good is taken!).  Dress down, be friendly and prepare to bargain! It is good to come prepared with a tape measure and some basic measurements of your home (especially if you are planning on purchasing furniture).

An easy way to make your way through a flea market, is by color.  Try picking out a color or a few colors that you are looking for to decorate your home.  Do you have a picture on your wall that you are looking to compliment? A couch you would like to match? With a color in mind, searching for flea market decorating ideas becomes much simpler.

In general, check to see if an object is in good condition.  If you are planning on buying furniture, make sure that it is stable.  A new paint job is easy to do, but furniture that is falling apart might not be worth it.  Also check that the object will go with what you already have in your home and that there’s room for it.  Ask yourself what purpose it will serve.  Some objects, such as old trunks, can be great finds because they are versatile.  They can be used as a coffee table, a bed end, for storage and more!

Here are some more great flea market decorating ideas:

1.  Mirrors and frames. Mirrors and frames are classic flea market finds.  You can never have too many mirrors; they open up small spaces and refelct light.  Flea markets are a great place to find unique and antique frames that can be used to add decor to any room of your home.  Frames can be used not only for regular paintings but to turn less expensive items into wall art such as: tea towels, posters and even plates.

2.  Lighting. All sorts of lighting can be found at flea markets. From candles to chandeliers a flea market is full of remarkable finds.  Lighting never goes our of style and old fixtures can often be rewired without too much hassle.  New paint, shades and trims can be added to older fixtures so don’t be afraid to buy things with alittle character.

3.  Storage Items. Flea markets are loaded with storage items.  Baskets made from wicker or wire can be used to store towels in your bathroom, living room clutter such as magazines and odds and ends, and more!  Hat boxes are also great finds.  They can be stacked to create a nice display.

4.  Brass objects. Brass items are trendy now.  It may be tarnished but brass can be easily polished.  Candelsticks made from brass are a personal favorite of mine!

5.  Furniture. Last but not least- furniture.  Furniture can be repainted and often used for many different purposes.  Dressers can be sideboards and a a sofa can seat people by a table.  Look for armoirs and outdoor furniture too! Who says you can’t use an ourdoor sofa for your living room?

Do you have any unique flea market finds?

Budget Dining Room Decorating Ideas

Do you think it takes thousands of dollars to change your dining room from drab to fab?

Think again! Try out some our budget dining room decorating ideas and be amazed by the change they’ll make!

Just because your dining room furniture is outdated and shabby, doesn’t mean you have to go out and purchase new items.  You can try adding a new centerpiece to your dining room table.  Centerpieces such as colored glass bowls, fresh flowers, candlesticks or plants breath new life to your table.  Coupled with a matching runner, your dining room already starts to look more chic.

Instead of purchasing a buffet or sideboard, you can try either paining an old one to in a bright shade.  If you don’t have a buffet, a dresser or shelf from another room in your house can be used instead.  Cabinets can be painted and used to display china or other decorative items.  By painting the cabinets the same color as your dining room walls, you create an elegant illusion that the furniture is built in to the space.

Buying inexpensive pads for your chairs from a flee market or garage sale will make them more chic and comfortable.  An alternative room decorating idea for your chairs is to redo them by yourself.  It may take a bit of time and effort but there are great DIY ways to repaint and re-upholster chairs with a beautiful fabric of your choice.

Painting can do wonders for your dining room and is relatively inexpensive.  You can also painting your walls halfway and adding a wall paper border.  Wall paper border can be purchased for only a few dollars!  Your walls can also be decorated with vintage frames that you can purchase for about $5.  Paint them and use them to frame plates, old transferware or pretty tea towels.

Don’t forget about accessorizing your dining room.  An adorable decorating idea is “fake monogramming”.  Iron-onembroidered letters can be purchased at craft stores for almost nothing and they can make cloth napkins look extremely elegant.  You can also try solid color candle displays (see picture) and displaying a mixture of new and antique objects for an eclectic, interesting look.

Budget Paintings for your Home

We all know how searching for paintings that match your walls, furniture, carpets, and most of all your personal style is a very time consuming task. For those of us who can afford it, looking for wall paintings can be wonderful and fun, but what do you do when:

a) you don’t have a lot of time or money
b) all the cheap paintings in the stores just don’t match your home/style
c) everyone seems to already have them
d) that blank spot over your fireplace is really starting to depress you!

After a long conversation with my interior designer sister-in-law, she let me in on a very important decorating tip. Whatever you can’t find ready-made within your budget, just do it yourself. There are tons of ideas out there on creative wall art ideas, but if you’re interested in hanging up more traditional canvas paintings around your home, then here’s what you do:

1) Go to your neighborhood art store or do a search online and purchase a couple of blank canvases (not a roll of canvas – you should get it already stretched and primed). You don’t need to purchase the highest quality canvas, so they should run very cheap.

2) Buy acrylic paint and brushes. Now here’s the important part; make sure that the acrylic paint colors you purchase match the color scheme of your home, but include one or two extra colors as unique accents. You’re already half way to creating your modern art masterpiece.

3) Make sure you set up the canvas on some sort of drop cloth. Once your floor is protected, you can drip paint onto the canvas, spray it, use cups or any other tools to make interesting designs. You can also paint the canvas a solid color first depending on what look you’re going for. Be creative; there are no set rules when it comes to creating your own canvas art!

4) Let it dry. You can hang your paintings up on the wall as they are, or if you like, add a small frame.

Stay tuned for more budget decorating ideas. Next we’ll be discussing creative wall art by covering canvas with fabric for a unique effect.

Decorating My Bedroom On a Budget

When moving into an apartment and faced with the task of its decor i was nervous.‎ Every person who walked into my new bedroom fell in love. It has high, ‎curved ceilings in an old Arabian Princess style with arching doorways and patterned ‎tiled floors.

The bedroom was so naturally beautiful on its own, whatever i chose to put in it ‎had to live up to it gorgeous structural standard.‎ On top of that, I didn’t have very much money, so I needed to figure out a way of decorating my bedroom on a budget.

Looking for Ideas:

Whenever I entered a cool shop I snapped pictures on my phone of different blankets, ‎bed spreads, lamps, etc so I could then check them out while in the context of my room. ‎I also took pics of the room with my phone so that I could compare the patterns and ‎colors to prospective purchases while in the stores. ‎

This way I could get a feel for whether things fit without having to commit to buying ‎anything. I like things simple and functional but with intrigue and uniqueness, so ‎keeping an eye out was key. Also, I like to use materials that I already have or can ‎come by easily to recycle them into something pretty and useful. ‎

Then came decision making time…‎

The Bedroom:

The heaters and doors are dark blue and the floor titles have a mainly dark blue pattern, ‎so I tried to look for little highlights in dark blue to keep things united.  I found a little ‎lamp at a home goods store for a great price.

I used the leftovers from our living room drapes to make my curtains which turned out to ‎be a perfect fit.

I wanted my big bed to match the eclectic grandeur of the room so I found a cool pattern ‎that included dark blue in it. ‎
‎
A flower pot from the home goods store became my trash bin and was a much cheaper ‎option than many of the actual trash bins!‎

The Bathroom:‎

There is a cool store that specializes in soaps and candles and I remember seeing their ‎sinks filled with colorful rocks. I thought this was a cool touch so I went for a walk and ‎picked up rocks along the way. They add a really nice zen touch to my sink. I also ‎picked up two cool sea shells and placed them on the top of the toilet.‎

To help with the color coordination, I also try to buy yellow colored toilet paper to match ‎the toilet seat. I find it’s the little things that count.‎

‎….‎
In the future:‎

My next project is to get some artwork up on the walls. Also it is so healthy to express ‎yourself. Why spend money on a picture when the act of making the picture is often the ‎best part? Even if your skill isn’t top notch, I’ve found that with a serious-looking picture ‎frame, anything seems professional.‎

I do love supporting artists but I think I’d be broke if I went to buy the art I really like.‎
Luckily, nature is the most detailed and intriguing art around… and for the most part it is ‎free! In this vain, I dried some flowers a friend bought me and am hoping to turn them ‎into some kind of picture or collage.‎

Magic with Slipcovers

Whether you’re furnishing an empty apartment or you simply want to give your existing room a makeover, one of easiest ways to save money with budget decorating is by using a slipcover over your couch.

A slipcover is a piece of fabric specially designed to fit snugly over couches of any shape and size once you tuck them in properly along their self-anchoring seems. There are fancier slip covers made of more expensive fabrics and cheaper ones that can also do the trick. Many manufacturers of slipcovers also provide matching pillows to add to the overall look.

So instead of buying a new couch, take a couple minutes and browse sites such as craigslist for used furniture. If you can find a cheap couch that is structurally sound, then a slipcover can make that piece of furniture look like new and even match a new room decor theme you were going for. You can literally save hundreds (even thousands) of dollars, while also having the luxury of changing your mind if you don’t happen to like the color you’ve chosen.

Make sure to do your research though as slipcovers will fit certain sofa structures better than other. Also, after researching some of the sites that sell them online, customers have complained that certain materials have a tendency to attract a ridiculous amount of lint.

Overall, if you have the extra time and are looking forward to a budget decorating adventure, then slipcovers are definitely the way to go.

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!

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