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Home decor is a touchy subject. So many people feel that they have fantastic interior design abilities and that thier home is just gorgeous. That is, until they walk into a place that has been properly decorated.

They marvel at the decor….
muttering kinds words while all the time thinking I could so do this at my place. Just wait till I redecorate my place.

Lots of people look at the multitude of magazines that display glossy pictures of all the newest trends and styles. The trouble is, they rarely tell you how to actually do the work. Changing your decor starts with a very basic process; change your thinking. You’ve lived with the same staid, boring wall decor, paint and flooring for years. How about those kitchen cupboards? Do they still do it for you? Probably not.

Although it may be a blow to the proverbial ego, one of the best ways to bust through is finding an impartial and independent person (non friend) to give you their unbiased opinion on the current state of your home. You might not know have such a person in your immediate circle of friends but ask around and someone will know someone who can help. Close friends usually wont do as they tend to sugar coat their opinions.

Cold, hard honesty is needed here…
and that means a person who isn’t a friend.

While perusing your home with your new eyes take a lot of notes. Tackle the project room by room and make sure that your 3rd party understands whether you are planning a full makeover for your home or just a bit of redecorating. Choose colors, fabrics, furniture and artwork that create the effect you want.

Whether you’re extremely budget conscious or its pie in the sky time, there many unique and interesting ways to change and improve the look and feel of your home.

One piece of advice I cannot stress enough is the need to sit down and set a strict budget for the project. This gives you a guideline to determine what you can and cannot expect to do.

Set priorities for the job

With your budget in mind, now you need to set priorities for the job. If your main goal from redecorating is to display the family antiques then either the living room or a side room specially done for the job will be the main focus. If on the other hand you want a state of the art master bathroom then obviously that’s where the majority of your money will go.

Make your budget your primary focus in the planning stage. It will pay off as things get started. Coordinate your palate with a favorite fabric, rug or art print.

by Nadine Allyen

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Light it up green – save money and energy!

Everywhere you turn, people are talking ‘green’. It is fun to watch as green products and innovative decorating ideas continue to surface that are helping our planet become less wasteful in energy consumption. Items that we never dreamed could possibly be replaced are now slowly disappearing with new technology presenting, literally, a better light bulb.

Since 1879 when Edison first presented the light bulb as an alternative to kerosene lamps, we have marveled at this great invention, never thinking that there could ever be anything better. But as we study the energy draining products of today, the incandescent light bulb is right at the top of the list. An energy guzzling device that emits a distorted yellowish glare, it is still considered the cheapest option on the market.

Great for lighting – horrible for make up

Another type of lighting that gained popularity in the 1920’s was fluorescent lighting and was first used in commercial buildings and garages where more light was in demand. Even though at the time it seemed good, today we know how bad it is for residential use. Some of the many drawbacks of fluorescent lighting, for starters, is the fact that it is filled with mercury. It is also sensitive to temperature extremes, intermittent flickering is common and then there is disposal.

The world has a lot of lights – you can see form space!

It seems that energy consumption, sometime in the 1970’s, really began to take form and thus the birth of the tungsten halogen lamp or quartz lamp. The light from this bulb is far better than the incandescent light bulb, also needs lower voltage and its life span is much longer. It is becoming more popular only recently with emphasis on energy consumption but before people were not so quick to change, in part, because of the cost.

LED – bright, efficient and flexible!

But now, there is an option that we have all been waiting for. The most awesome and creative discovery of alternative lighting was discovered in the 1960s and is known as the LED. This device is made out of a Silicon element that converts electrical energy into light energy without the drawbacks found in other lighting types. Invented by Nick Holonyak, known as ‘the father of the light-emitting diode’, Holonyak has received many honors for his innovation that is changing the world – and deservedly so.

Not your average bulb – more like a lightning bug on steroids!

The LED (light-emitting diode) is totally different from other light bulbs as we know them. If you’ve ever had an electronic device, you may notice a small red indicator light that shows whether the unit is on or off. This is a LED light. There is no heat given off, no distorted tint, no moving parts, a long life span and energy efficient.

This technology is being worked on all the time now and as a result there are bulbs being used as replacements in street lights and decorative lighting, as well as for LCD displays of flat screen televisions. Although the costs associated with this technology are high at first, the savings and other benefits outweigh that. Pretty soon all light bulbs will be replaced by the energy efficient and saving LED. This only shows that it is possible to make a better light bulb.

Here is a simple decorative painting technique that will liven up any room.

Teens and Tweens LOVE this look and  YES < they can do it themselves ( with some help) Don’t be afraid of it, it’s only paint. You can also hang artwork, art prints and pictures on it.

Grab your tape and Have fun! Then send us pictures!!!!!

When you’re wrapped up in your toasty down comforter, it’s hard to imagine what our early ancestors used as bedding. Did they sleep on the cold cave floor under an animal pelt? Or did they just shiver the whole night? Do you think they ever hung colorful leaves or animal feathers for unique wall decor?

With all they had to do to survive during the day, our early ancestors deserved a good night’s rest. But did they ever get it? Let’s look at the history of bedding and how it’s changed through the ages.

Give me a skin and a soft piece of dirt

About 10,000 years ago, in the Neolithic Era, people slept on branches and animals pelts. Talk about a nightmare! Imagine trying to catch a snooze with branches poking you. And you think those feathers inside your down comforter are annoying.

“Beds,”as we know them trace back to 3400 BC with the Egyptian pharaohs, the first people to sleep off the ground, on raised areas. Most people, with the exception of the rich slept on palm bows heaped in the corner of their homes. King Tutankhamun, made his bed of ebony and gold.

Beds evolved from there. The Romans slept on bags filled with feathers, wool, and more. There you have it: the start of down comforters and feather beds! Romans also bedecked their bedding with paint, bronze, silver, jewels and gold.

Sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite

After the Renaissance, society became smarter and bedding changed forever. People stuffed their mattresses with straw, feathers, or hay and placed them on woven ropes. This is where the term “sleep tight” comes from. To “sleep tight” meant to pull the ropes until the bed was in a comfortable position.

In the mid 18th century, covers were made with quality linen or cotton. Bed structures comprised timber until later in the century, when cast iron came into play. At that time, bedbugs and vermin made sweet dreams impossible. People believed that the combination of cast-iron and cotton turned the creepy crawlers away.

Coils, cotton, water and space foam

The first coil spring was patented in 1865 and the rest is history. Futons were introduced way back in the 1940’s, waterbeds made a splash in the 1960’s, and memory foam technology lifted off in 1990’s. In the 2000’s, people continue to optimize their beds for comfort and now sleep on plush pillows and goose down comforters. We’ve come along way since animal skins!

Bedrooms can provide rest relaxation and comfort ( in any price range)

Create a place to relax and unwind. Choose high thread count all cotton sheets, comfortable pillows and use ambient lighting to create atmosphere. Warm soothing colors can relax while deep, jewel colors can create a sexy & exotic feel. Choose artwork that fits the theme or use clusters of fine art prints for an even bigger effect.

Elwood Bradford travels the world in search of perfect goose down pillows and writes about his findings.