Floral Prints: Warm, beautiful summer weather just makes you want to go outside. Bring the flowing, fresh feeling of summer into your home with floral décor. Floral designs are ultra feminine, beautiful and fun. They can easily be incorporated into an room of your home! A floral patterned sofa or arm chair or floral wall paper will look amazing in your living room. Looking for floral room decorating ideas on the cheap? Try stapling $5 floral material to a canvas for some stunning wall décor or buying a few floral throw pillows.

Pops of Color: During the winter, days are short and cold and the long nights are a time for being comfortably cozied-up indoors. On the contrary, the summer is full of bright long days, vacations and an overall happy atmosphere. Let your home reflect your summertime cheer by incorporating bright splashes of color! Some great choices for summer are yellow, orange, honeysuckle or spring green. Pops of color can be integrated into your home via a large modern vase, a colorful wall, some vibrant wall art or new colorful drapes!

Sheer Fabrics: Sheer fabrics are a great summer decorating idea for capturing the season’s aura! Used as window shades, soft sheer fabrics let in the sunshine allowing it to illuminate your space! They imbue your room with the softness of a warm summer breeze. Sheer fabrics are also great as tablecloths, especially if they are long enough to drape down from the table and topped with a transparent glass vase of greens or flowers. Any old table can be instantly given a summer update with a whimsical, sheer tablecloth!

Getting your home ready for summer doesn’t have to mean changing around your entire space! Just follow these simple summer decorating tips and welcome the season into your house.

Choose the Location Carefully.
The most important aspect of your home office is that is it a place that you can get your work done.  Therefore, where the office is located is of utmost importance.  If you work better in a noisy space, you may want to place your home office in the center of your home or near a window.  Some people get distracted easily and prefer having their home office tucked away in a quiet corner.  If you plan on seeing private clients in your home office, consider access.  Do you want them to have to go through your whole house to get to the office? If not, consider placing the office near a door to the outside.

A desk organizer will help keep your home office in order.

Personalize your Home Office with Funky Accessories.

Four poster beds are a great romantic decorating idea.

A headboard can bring new life to your bed.

Good sheets are a romantic bedding essential.

Other essentials for creating a romantic bed are: a comfortable blanket, duvet and pillows.  It is important that all these items, including the sheets, be placed properly on the bed.  A beautifully put-together bed is very romantic.  Sheets should be folded with square corners and folded over the blanket.  The duvet can be folded in thirds and placed horizontally over the end of the bed.  Make sure the duvet is large enough that two can comfortably use it! There is nothing romantic about fighting over the comforter.

Romantic Pillow

Pillows are a fun room decorating idea for your bed and the final touch.  Choose two Euro-sham-size pillows (about 26″ x 26″) for the back.  These pillows are for decoration only.  The regular sleeping pillows (2-4) are placed in front of the Euro-shams.  Then toss on a boudoir and neck pillow.  The different sizes, shapes and styles of the pillows add visual interest and a comfortable, romantic look.

Coffee Table Decorating

Use & Style. Before purchasing a coffee table, think about its purpose.  Are you going to want a table with extra storage? Will it be in a room with a lot of traffic? Do you want a table that will last a long time or are you okay with a table that will last a few years?  If you have children, you may want a table that is difficult to scratch.  In addition, when shopping for a table keep in mind what room decorating ideas you’ve already implemented in your space.  You will want a coffee table that matches the general style and decor of your living room.

Round Coffee Table

Shape. You will need to decide what shape coffee table you will choose.  Rectangular and oval tables look good in smaller rooms whereas square and round tables are great for larger seating arrangements.  Round and oval tables bring more flow to a room than rectangular or square ones, but the latter two provide more space on the table itself.  Some people prefer round or oval tables if they have little children, as these tables lack sharp edges.

Size. Your coffee table needs to work with the seating arrangement of your living room.  It shouldn’t be too high or too low compared with your sofa and chairs.  The length of the coffee table should be between one-third and two-thirds of the length of your sofa.

Wood Coffee Table Decorating

Material. When choosing a material, go for something that you like and that matches your home decor.  Wood tables are quite common and can be beautiful but if you are going for a more modern look, you may want a metal or glass table.  If you are choosing a wood table, remember that hardwoods (like oak, walnut, maple etc) last longer than softwoods (pine, cedar).  Metal tables made out of stainless steel are quite strong and durable.  Glass tables are also a popular choice, especially for small rooms because they allow light to shine through, thereby creating a more spacious feel.

Many people don’t put a lot of time or effort into their coffee table decorating.  But you won’t regret choosing your table with care, as it may just be the most used and useful piece of furniture in your home!

There are many ways to design the walls of your baby’s nursery.  You can paint, wallpaper, decorate with wall stickers and much more!

A fresh coat of paint can add style to any nursery wall decor.

Nursery Wallpaper Ideas

Apply wall stickers for nursery decor that is easily removed and replaced.

Add decor to your nursery walls with stencils.

Frame art from children's books for stylish decor for your nursery on a budget!

General Indirect Light. Recessed lighting is a great way to provide your kitchen with neat general lighting. It is a modern alternative to general overhead kitchen lighting that is much more efficient and doesn’t involve any annoying dangling cords, lightbulbs or lampshades. Recessed light fixtures, bulbs and wiriting are all installed inside the ceiling and turned on through a switch. They are a wonderful way to add indirect, discreet general light to your kitchen.

Direct Light. Pendant lights are one of my favorite room decorating ideas. There are a few reasons for this. First of all, they literally bring light down from the ceiling to just about head level. They can also be used to spotlight a specific area like around the stove over a kitchen island. It might be best to combine pendant lights with general overhead kitchen lighting so that you can illuminate the space in general while allowing specific areas to be highlighted. What is the best thing about pendant light? The fixtures come in gorgeous designs!

Targeted Lighting. A common problem with lighting in the kitchen is that it might not be where you need it. Maybe you have a lot of light over the sink, but none near the stove. A lot of kitchen have dark patches which can be very annoying when trying to prepare food or clean properly. If you are having trouble seeing properly while chopping veggies, try placing lights under your cabinets. Low-voltage xenon bulbs give off beautiful golden light and will glow under your cabinets. Although they are a bit warmer than fluorescent lights, they are cooler than halogen and incandescent bulbs. Xenon light strips can be set to high or low and have removable light covers for easy cleaning.

Hidden Spaces. It is true that most people won’t go looking through your cabinets, but keeping them neat and organized will help you find things easier and feel better about your kitchen in general. That’s why one of my favorite kitchen lighting ideas is putting lights inside your cupboards! Many people have dark cupboards in their kitchen that gets messy and cluttered because it’s impossible to properly see things in it- especially all the way to the back. A solution to this problem is so simple. For only a few dollars you can purchase a battery-operated light that can be stuck onto a wall. This way you don’t even have to install a new light fixure or deal with wires. Just don’t forget to turn it off when you close the cupboard to avoid killing the batteries!

These are just a few kitchen lighting ideas.  Did you implement any creative lighting solutions in your kitchen?

Girls Room Decorating Ideas

Decorating a girls room is fun for both daughters and mothers!

But with endless pretty colors, textures, patterns and themes to choose from, coming up with the right combination of girls room decorating ideas can seem like an overwhelming project.  might be wondering whether or not to decorate with a theme.  Here are a few things to keep in mind while decorating a girl’s room.

Keep in mind who’s room it is. Although you may have lots of ideas of how the room should look, make sure that the girl who’s room it is has a say in color and style choices.  Since she’s going to be the one living in it, she probably won’t be happy if she doesn’t like the colors.  Also, if your daughter has color suggestions that aren’t so practical or that you think she’ll grow tired of, remember that color can be spread around the room in less permanent ways than paint or wallpaper.  If hot pink is the color of choice, a hot pink poster, bedspread or area rug can be a great room decorating idea.

Choose a theme. There are countless decorating themes for girls bedrooms.  Some popular theme ideas are butterflies, flowers, and princesses.  Themes can also be color focused without specific characters.  Since girls tend to be creative about decorating their rooms and want to be involved in the process.  Ask her if there are any characters, animals or other theme-ideas that she would like incorporated in her room.

Make sure the room is comfortable.  Girls rooms’ have many purposes other than sleeping.  Depending on the girl’s age, her room can be the place of play where her imagination runs wild or the zone where she hangs out with her friends.  Make sure that it is a space that is comfortable for all the activities that she plans to do in her room and contains the necessary furniture and accessories.

Don’t skimp on the details. Small details like dressing up lampshades with ribbon or decorating windows with drapery or beads can make a huge difference in a girl’s bedroom.  Accent pillows, area rugs and wall hangings can add a lot of texture and fun to a girl’s bedroom!

Here are 8 kitchen decorating tips to get you started:

Lovely Kitchen Decor

Tip 1: Start with the kitchen cabinets

Rather than spending a fortune on replacing old cabinets, there may be an opportunity to salvage them and give them a whole new look. You can achieve this by sanding down the existing layer of paint and going for a whole new color. Make sure you wipe the cabinets clean before sanding. Here is a clear guide on how to repaint your cabinets.

When selecting a color, keep in mind the entire color scheme of your kitchen. If you have many stainless steel appliances, the trend has been moving away from lighter pale color schemes to darker, more saturated cabinet colors.

Tip 2: Upgrade your cabinet knobs

Changing the knobs on your cabinets is an easy and very effective way to upgrade your cabinets without replacing them. There are tons of sites online that allow you to browse through thousands of different shapes and sizes, ranging from ultra modern to country in a variety of metal or wooden finishes.

Tip 3: Paint the walls

Here is where you have an opportunity to be creative in a subtle way. Since there isn’t as much wall space as in other rooms, you can use the area available for painting to produce creative color combination that work to soften the kichen as well as bring out the cabinet colors. It is generally recommended to take a very close look at the color base of the cabinet color you chose and find a color for the walls in the same paint family. Don’t forget to repaint your trim around the windows and door frames. Here is a wonderful article with some great color combination ideas.

Tip 4: Replace your old curtains

Although a relatively simple step, replacing your current kitchen curtains with new ones can bring new life into your kitchen. There are many different curtain styles and textures specifically designed for kitchens which can do wonders for complimenting your new cabinet and wall colors.

Tip 5: Lighting

Kitchen lighting is an area of decor where you can really be creative. A popular trend is to have pendant lighting over your kitchen island, but you can add in track lighting, chandeliers and any number of lighting solutions depending on the look you’re going for. The style of lighting you’re going for should really be thought through since it can make a very powerful decor statement on its own, whether by its design or the type of light it produces.

Elegant kitchen design

Tip 6: Fun with Shelving

One little tip for shelving is to not be afraid of having open shelves in the kitchen. Placed strategically, sometimes having items exposed can automatically create decor accents. Don’t be afraid to experiment, especially if you’re used to very traditional cabinetry.

Tip 7: Trendy kitchen stools

Thanks to stores such as Ikea, there is an incredibly large supply out there of kitchen stools to match any color, style, or trend. If you have many steel appliances in your kitchen, you can try for bar stools that combine a bit of metal with synthetic leather to give a modern yet homey look.

Tip 8: New accessories

Little decor accents are a great way to bring a kitchen to life. Look into options such as adding a trendy wine rack, country style vases with beautiful flowers, small plants, old, warm-colored paintings, new spice holders, or pottery. These items can be picked up either second hand or from home decor stores and can be wonderful color accents. The goal is to use these items wisely; having too many accessories will only create clutter rather than adding life to the kitchen decor.

Kitchen Accents

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.

Yellow is great for spring decorating.

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.

Decorate an outdoor room for spring!

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!