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Home theaters are one of the most fashionable and technologically advanced entertainment accessories for any home. A spacious room with a sleek screen for watching movies is a privilege that more and more people can afford to enjoy.

Selecting a home theater screen can be difficult, given the number of models available on the market today. There are several factors to be considered while selecting a screen: the size of the room, the placement of the screen, the lighting in the room, the type and location of the projector, type of mount used, and most importantly, the quality desired. Some screens can also be made invisible when the room is being used for some other purpose. This can be ensured by covering it with attractive curtains or by just rolling up the screen and stowing it away.

There are different kinds of screens available, like manual pull down, electric, fixed frame, ceiling-recessed, tripod, truss framed, motorized, rear screens, tab-tensioned vs. tensioned vs. non tensioned, ceiling vs. wall mounted, and many more. They can also be classified on the basis of the color used, like gray, white, or acoustically transparent. The size of the screen is another very important consideration. Many manufacturers are providing custom-ordered screens for pre-ordered sizes. The screen size should ideally depend on the viewing distance range. Screens are generally measured diagonally. The typical screen sizes are: 30″” (3.75-6.25 feet), 34″” (4.25-7 feet), 42″” (5.25-8.75 feet), 50″”(6.25-10.5 feet), 56″” (7-11.75 feet), 62″” (7.75-13 feet) and 70″” (8.75-14.75 feet).

Some of the top home theater screen manufacturers are: 3M, Adeo Group, Avers, Beamax, Carada, Custom Display Solutions, Da-Lite, DNP Denmark, Draper, Dukane, Elite Screens, Euroscreen Bjurab, Goo Systems, Hurley, Large Screen Displays, Meler

Optoma, RP Visual Solutions, Saaria, Screen Innovations, Screen Research, Screen Tech, SCREENMAXX, Stewart Filmscreen, The Airscreen Company, The Screen Works and

Vutec. Prices of home theater screens start at around $700 to $800 and may go up to $5,000 or beyond, depending upon the kind of screen, the material, the options, and the brand.

Home Theater Screens provides detailed information on Home Theater Screens, Home Theater Projector Screens, Curtains For Home Theater Screens, Discount Home Theater Screens and more. Home Theater Screens is affiliated with Home Theater LCD Projectors.

[tags]Home Theater Screens, Curtains For Home Theater Screens, Discount Home Theater Screens, Home Theater[/tags]

Have you noticed you do not see as many
butterflies as you once did? It is sad
that we do not see as many butterflies
as we might like. You can change that
by planting a butterfly garden.

There are many reasons that we don’t
see many butterflies. One is the
destruction of their habitat. Every day
more and more spaces of open land are
being used to build houses, apartments,
and businesses. When the woods and
fields are cleared, there is no place
for butterflies to live and raise their
young.

Butterflies are especially
affected by land development. Because
butterflies and their caterpillars
require specific kinds of plants and
habitats, land development has caused
their numbers to drop. One species, the
Xerces Blue, has already become extinct
through alteration of its habitat. Many
more are on the threatened and
endangered species lists.

Another reason for the decline in
butterfly populations is the wide use
of pesticides. Farmers use them to
control the insects that threaten to
destroy their means of making money.
Homeowners use them to prevent the
destruction of their homes from
termites and the destruction of their
yards from the pests that eat their
flowers, grass and shrubbery.

Many places do widespread spraying to kill
disease-bearing mosquitoes. These
pesticides, while not targeted at
butterflies, do kill butterflies, too.

We need insects. Many plants depend on
insects to distribute their pollen from
one flower to the other. We would have
no vegetables, or pretty flowers to
enjoy for that matter, if it were not
for the insects that pollinate them.
Butterflies are important plant
pollinators. They, as well as other
insects also fill an important role in
the food chain. Many birds depend on
insects for food.

So construct a butterfly garden and
create the habitat necessary to help
preserve these beautiful creatures.
Remember, don’t use pesticides.

Christi Vega is the author of “The Joy
and Serenity of Creating A Butterfly
Garden”. Go to
http://www.abutterflygarden.com to
learn how you can create a beautiful
garden that attracts these marvel
winged creatures to your home. You may
reprint this article in its entirety as
long as the resource box is included.

[tags]butterfly gardens, butterfly gardening, create a butterfly garden, butterfly garden plan[/tags]

Interior redesigners - also known as interior refiners, redecorators, interior
arrangers, one day decorators, room makeover specialists and home stylists - bring
a unique perspective to their clients’ decorating dilemmas. While the business model
of traditional interior design services is largely based on profits from the markup of
furnishings and contract services which are resold to the client, interior redesigners
are overwhelmingly service oriented. Charging flat rates per room or hourly fees
which make their services accessible to those who aren’t interested in major
purchases, interior redesigners provide creative services to transform your rooms
using what you already own and limiting, or even eliminating, the need for new
investment.

The interior redesign segment of the decorating and design industry is growing
every day. Yet, while just about all the professionals in the field are service, rather
than sales, oriented, there are important differences in the approaches of interior
redesigners, even among those using the same professional designation.

Some interior redesigners will interview you in advance and then politely request
that you absent yourself from your home during the room redesign. While all the
furnishings that will be used are already in your home, you will be coming home to
a surprise redesign and possibly other rooms that have been substantially changed
by the relocation of furnishings to the redesigned room. Other redesigners will
insist on your presence, however, the degree of collaboration will vary from those
who will give you advice and leave it at that to those who really want to find ways to
bring your personal preferences into the design scheme.

Some interior redesigners will physically rearrange your furnishings, accessorize
your room and hang your artwork on the day of the redesign, while others will only
give you a written plan. Still others will both rearrange your rooms and provide you
with written plans to take your rooms to the next level. Some will only work with
what you already own, while others are willing to develop design plans for partially
furnished and even empty rooms. Some will include paint, window treatment and
lighting consultations in the plan, and offer a range of follow-up services, while
others will not go beyond what is possible to physically accomplish on the day of
the redesign.

Questions You Need to Ask

It is important that you take the time to decide what it is that you want from an
interior redesigner before you shop for professional help. Once you are clear about
your own goals and expectations, you can start asking the questions that will
enable you to match your needs with a particular redesigner’s services:

1. What is the scope of services included in the interior redesign?

2. Will the rooms actually be rearranged on the day of the redesign? If so, is there an
additional cost for movers or moving assistants?

3. Will you be given a written design plan and, if so, what will it include?

4. If you have a budget to go beyond the one day decorating, will the redesigner
provide specific ideas and guidance to maximize your budget and further enhance
your room?

5. Will you be expected to be present to work collaboratively with the redesigner or
will you be asked leave your home?

Whether you choose to collaborate with an interior redesigner or leave your home, it
is important that you have a good rapport with the professional you choose - after
all, a successful room redesign should reflect your personality and vision for your
home, not the designer’s. You should feel that the interior redesigner is
approachable, would value your ideas and is willing to take the time to understand
what you want and answer all of your concerns. Be wary of anyone who promises to
do so, but won’t take the time to listen and respond to you when you call to inquire
about services.

Also, be wary of anyone who promises that a room makeover can be done in “as
little as an hour” in order to get the appointment. A good interior redesign can
take many hours, and while there are rooms that can be completed in an hour, no
honest interior redesigner will tell you so without first seeing the room and
speaking with you about your needs and expectations.

If the redesigner offers flat rates based on the size of the room, ask for a rate card
or other written documentation. If hourly charges are involved, ask for an estimate
of hours based on the size and complexity of your project.

Companies marketing interior redesign services vary greatly, from the independent
redesigner to design agencies, referral operations and even franchises. Before you
book an appointment, insist upon speaking directly with the interior redesigner who
would be handling your project and assess that person’s experience and training
independently from the company marketing the services. Ideally you always want
the principal of the firm on your project, after all the firm’s reputation - not to
mention all those before and after photos on the Web site - reflect the abilities of
the principal, not its lower level staff. Check whether this would involve additional
unadvertised fees, as is often the case.

If you take the time to find a great interior redesigner, you will find Interior
redesign to be a great decorating solution, offering an affordable means to a
dramatic transformation of your home in one day with little or no additional
investment.

Peggy Berk is an award-winning interior decorator and certified interior refiner who
has worked with a wide variety of residential and commercial clients throughout the
New York Metropolitan Tri-State Area and Florida. Her design firm, Area Aesthetics
( http://www.areaaesthetics.com ), specializes in interior redesign, home staging
and full service interior decorating. Peggy is the featured designer on the Home
Decor Exchange where she answers readers’ decorating questions and writes a
column for “HDE Monthly.” Author of many articles in her area of expertise, she also
writes the monthly “Rental Redesign” column for Rental Decorating Digest.

To see before and after photos of her one-day room redesigns, read what New
York’s top real estate brokers have to say about her home staging services, or
submit your decorating questions, visit her Web site at:
http://www.AreaAesthetics.com

[tags]interior redesign,interior refiner,one day decorator,room makeover,redecorate,interior decorating[/tags]

Decorating a baby room may be a time where you can let your imaginations run wild. After all, it can be fun playing with so many ideas for the baby room. However it can bewildering and intimidating task for some parents. Why? Part of the reason is because there are so many nursery decorations ideas available on the market. Choosing the right items for your home can be tricky.

Keeping certain rules in mind when decorating a baby room can help make the activity easy as well as rewarding.

The very first thing you have to consider when decorating a baby room is safety. You may really want to create an old fashioned nursery filled with quilts for infants and retro toys. However, you should not fill the nursery with antique baby furniture, especially if they are going to be used.

Many of the older cribs and children’s furniture do not meet today’s safety guidelines. Even newer items can fall short. It is crucial to check the safety guidelines before making a purchase. As a rule of thumb, it is usually best to buy furnishings new when decorating a baby room. Borrowed items and used products can lead to trouble.

Penny pinchers may argue that you can research which items are up to par as far as safety standards are concerned. However, many of the new nursery furniture actually save you money in the long run. Today’s cribs commonly convert to toddler beds and some will even convert to a regular twin sized bed.

Think of all of the money you will save over the years by buying a convertible crib. These quality nursery items grow with your child. You only have to make one purchase. Investing in expensive furnishings like cribs and chests is a good idea when decorating a baby room. These investments will pay off eventually.

Some items actually can be purchased second hand. Many people save quite a bit of money by going to garage sales and swap meets. Items that are commonly purchased at such functions include picture frames, bedding, wall art, toys and lamps. These items can really come in handy when decorating a baby room and they don’t need to be brand new.

Perhaps checking with some experienced moms is the easiest way to get help in decorating a baby room. Many moms love to share their ideas and show off their knowledge and how to. Talking with other moms can really give you ideas and inspirations on how you can make a special nursery room for your child.

Joshua Poyoh is the creator of http://www.motherbabytips.com where you can find out more information on Decorating Baby Rooms Ideas And Furniture.

[tags]Decorating a baby room, furniture, crib, ideas, tips, nursery room[/tags]

The proper preparation is a vital necessity for any home improvement project. Any preparation involves a few aspects. First, the job must be identified and the results you wish for decided. Next, the materials necessary to complete the job satisfactorily need to be purchased. Tools need to be gathered in order to get the job done, and finally the proper treatments need to be applied to the area that is destined for improvement before the new materials are put into place. These methods hold true for any improvement project, whether it be remodeling a bathroom or installing new cabinetry.

This article specifically deals with the preparation involved when a home owner is putting together an improved ceiling. It will take you through the steps and offer suggestions on specific areas.

Before beginning your ceiling project and before hitting the store for paint, make a check list of all the things you will need and see if they are available in your house right now. You will definitely need, at the very least, a ladder, sponges, brushes, paint, thinner, plaster, rags, sandpaper, roll trays, rollers, masking tape, and sealers. Once you have determined what you have on hand and what you will need to purchase, take a trip to the hardware store.

At the store, you will also want to select the paint that you want to use for your ceiling. Some considerations here include the different hues, tints, and shades available, along with the cost of the paint itself. Some factors to keep in mind are what the different types of paint have to offer. Glossy paints are the easiest to keep clean, while sheen paints are much more durable than other types. These types of paint are therefore the best suited to high usage areas that involve a lot of vapor, such as hallways, bedrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms. Flat paints, also called eggshell paints, are harder to clean, and so they should be used in areas that do not see a lot of material floating up to the ceiling, such as living rooms and dens.

Once you have returned home with your materials and your tools, set up your work area. Keep the area around the ladder free of materials in the event that you or something you are holding should fall. Before commencing work, remove any attachments that are on the ceiling, such as lights, fans, and vents. Next, repair any holes or dents in the ceiling before painting. If plaster is required, make sure to give it time to dry. Now, you are ready to paint. Most ceilings will require at least two coats; those with textured ceilings will find that the material soaks the paint right up, and thus several coats may be required. If you have problems with your neck or back, it is probably best to hire someone to do the job, as when you are painting a ceiling you are constantly looking and reaching upwards.

Ken J. Morris repeatedly edits detailed reports on ideas corresponding to cabinetry and cabinet doors. Working on his reports like http://www.kitchen-cabinets-tips.com/kitchen-cabinet-refacing.html, the writer expressed his experience on areas related to kitchen cabinet refacing and cabinet doors.

[tags]home improvement,[/tags]

People spend large sums of money to improve their homes, some even taking out expensive home equity and refinancing loans. While it’s true that putting in new floors or cabinets can cost a bundle, there are plenty of things you can do to improve your home for much less. There are 3 key areas to focus on where small improvements will make the most difference - the foyer, bathrooms and kitchen. These projects below cost under $100.00 to do and just one of the projects below can make a huge difference, but why not do all 3?

Foyer

It’s true that you only get one chance to make a first impression and the first impression people get of your home is your foyer. Has your welcome mat lost its welcome appeal? It’s time to spice up your entrance so what you hear are “oohs” and “ahhs” when people cross your threshold. If you have a spacious porch, a potted plant in a metal planter can create a pleasant atmosphere. Contemporary planters are about $10.

If you’re really adventurous, a coat of brightly-colored paint on your front door can create a splash. If you take on this challenge, it’s a good idea to make sure that the paint complements your home. For example, if your home is mostly red brick, a red door would make a dynamic look. A gallon of interior/exterior gloss enamel in red or any other bright color will set you back no more than $20.

Kitchen

When you look in your kitchen, what catches your eye first? Probably all those nifty cabinets that discreetly tuck away your dishes, right? After a number of years you might crave a different look. For starters, you might want to give them a good cleaning. This one step alone can make a difference. You would be surprised the amount of dust and grease that can accumulate on cabinets. Depending on the material that your cabinets are made of, simply removing the cabinets from their hinges and wiping them down with the damp cloth is sufficient. There are chemicals on the market, but you need to make sure that the chemicals are made for your cabinet material.

Once your cabinets are shining again, you can then add or replace knobs. Knobs range from simple unfinished versions that cost as little as $.50 to decorative insert pulls that costs around $3. With the average kitchen containing about 12 cabinets, your cost won’t go over $36.

Bathroom

Guest bathrooms are usually confined to a small space. Why not give this room a lift? You undoubtedly have a nice set of guest towels and matching accessories. These items are not necessarily cheap so unless you want to go over your $100 spending limit, you can leave those items as they are. What you can add are wallpaper trim, artwork, and color. There are numerous styles of wallpaper trim that you can choose a new look for your bathroom. You can go as conservative and as creative as you want. To complement the wallpaper trim, you can add artwork. You don’t have to go out and purchase expensive artwork. You can use your imagination to come up with some ideas. For example, a few seashells, colorful fabric, and an empty picture frame are all you need to become your own favorite artist.

If you have any leftover paint from your door, you can use this to paint a wall in your bathroom, as long as the color doesn’t clash with the other elements of your bathroom.

Lee Dobbins writes for A Kitchen Decorating Idea Guide where you can find
hundreds of articles on frugal kitchen decorating.

[tags]kitchen, decorating, decor, interior decorating, interior design, home improvement[/tags]

Remember, everyone starts as a beginner at painting. Just because you have never painted a house doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a try. The money you save by painting your own house is money you can put into other home improvements. It can also be a fun thing for the whole family to do.

Now we need to choose the colors we want to paint the house. There is a really cool tool online that you can use. http://www.benjaminmoore.com/wrapper_pcv.asp?L=owner&K=intproj&N=intproj Click let’s paint. Choose exterior or the interior options. Choose the project closest to yours. Get started and you will soon know what color you want to paint your house and you’ll have a vision of what it is going to look like when you’re finished.

Here are some of the basics. Of course the first thing you need to do is wash down the walls of your house. A pressure washer can be rented at almost any rental yard and is the best way to do that. Now go around with a scraper and remove all loose paint and chipped areas. You don’t have to scrape the entire wall, but any areas where the surface is not flat can cause you problems as you paint your house.

Next, figure out your square footage so you can determine the amount of paint you will need to buy. Buy your paint in 5-gallon pails, rather than gallons to save more money.

Talk to the helper at your local paint store and tell him about your project. They can help you decide on how many brushes and rollers and other items you will need. You can buy natural or synthetic bristles for oil based paints, but only use synthetic bristles with latex paint. The same rule applies to rollers. Good rollers can run you around $7, but buy high-quality paintbrushes. A good brush for cutting in around edges will run you about $30.

Make sure you purchased some painter’s tape. It’s blue tape that comes in different widths and is easy to remove without messing up your paint job. That brings us to preparation. Tape off all areas you don’t wish to get this color of paint on. If there are large areas to cover, make sure you pick up some rolls of plastic. You can tape the edges of the plastic down over whatever you need to cover.

Don’t paint out of the paint cans. First reason is that leaving the paint can open will dry out the paint and make it difficult to apply. Another reason is that your brush or roller picks up dirt and foreign objects, which will end up in your paint and may even change the color as you go along.

Do all of your cutting or trimming in before you paint the walls. Use a 4″ brush and with a smooth stroke guide it around the edges where you taped off. Make sure you have plenty of paint on your brush. The biggest mistake people make is trying to stretch the paint too far. Keep drips cleaned up as you go with a small rag. Remember you will be rolling up to the edge of your cut, so don’t worry about that, just make sure you cover the edges well.

Start on the edges of your walls and work your way toward the middle. Most people don’t do this and problems can result. If you start and new can of paint in the middle of the wall and there is any difference in the color at all, it will show up there more than it would on the edges. So with each new can of paint you open, start at the edges first.

Dip your roller in water (for Latex) or solvent (for oil-based paint), before you start. Whether you use a pan or a 5-gallon bucket with a screen, make sure you roll it out a little to make sure it isn’t dripping. You don’t need to go all the way from the top to the bottom as you paint. Do what you can reach.

Apply the paint in a Y or an N pattern, then apply paint in columns up and down smoothing out all the edges or ridges as you go. Again don’t try to stretch the paint out, make sure you have enough paint on your roller to give it a good coat. If you are applying more than one coat, make sure the first coat is completely dry before applying a new coat of paint.
Corners are a difficult part to learn to paint. If you aren’t careful, this is where you will see paint drips later. Get as close to corners as you can, but don’t scrape the roller against the corner. That will cause drips. If you are unsure, have a paintbrush handy to smooth out drips. That is also a good idea overall. Keep a paintbrush ready for taking care of any drips or ridges you leave behind. Doing this as you go is much easier than trying to fix it after it’s dry or partially dry.

Using tray liners for your paint trays will save you a lot of time at cleanup. Soak your brushes when done for awhile and they will also be easier to clean. For water based paint, soak in water and for oil based paint soak them in solvent.

I hope some of these tips have been helpful to you. Have confidence that you can do this job yourself. You will appreciate and enjoy it much more knowing that you or you and your family completed the job rather than hiring someone else to do it.

D. David Dugan has a website, http://homeimprovement.divinfo.com/ to help homeowners find all the information they need about remodeling, home repair, building decks and carports, room additions, and more. He also actively participates in a forum at http://forum.dugancom.com/ that can help you with computer problems you may be having.

[tags]home improvement, do it yourself, diy, home projects, home repair, remodeling[/tags]

When we decide to spruce up our house, one of the first things that come to mind is a curtain. There are many types of curtains on the market. Lots of fabrics, colors, designs and styles to chose from. But sometimes, regardless of the vast variety available, we simply can’t find what we’re looking for, and often times when we do, we can’t afford it.
The truth is, you don’t need anyone to do it for you; you are as capable as it takes, to do it yourself! Let’s see how we can become designers of our own space using basic tailoring techniques.

Let’s start by the most prominent, the material. The fabric. Choose a fabric that you like. Avoid quilted fabrics as they can stretch or shrink over time. Fibers like cotton and linen and especially those with polyester and micro fibers, hold up better than others. Also avoid silk or silk blends, because they tend to rot and fade very quickly. Make sure you buy enough fabric; you don’t want your curtains to look poor. Double height of the window and three times width, should be fine.
In this article, we will examine the three simplest sewing and hanging techniques for curtains.

For curtains with rings, you need to stitch an approximately 3-inch hem at the edge of the curtain panels that are going to be hung. Now, sew each ring to each curtain panel leaving small distances between the rings so that the curtain is pulled easily. You can also use clip-on rings that don’t need to be stitched and are easier to apply.

For tied tab curtains you will need to create the hangers. Simply stitch horizontal buttonholes at the top of the curtain panel. Now you can make the hangers using the same fabric as the curtains, or another but suitable fabric for a little diversity. Make threads and place through the buttonholes.

No Sew Curtains are also a smart and easy way to make curtains and decorate a window. In this case the fabric should be 3 inches more than double the height of the window and 2 inches more than the width of the window. Pull the fabric through the rod and fold evenly. Now stitch the two ends of the fabric at the bottom and at the sides together. When the curtain is ready, place a single fabric band in the center of the curtain or use two purchased tiebacks evenly spaced along the width of your window. Then adjust folds of fabric panel as desired.

Gather your supplies, fabric, scissors, screws, rings or ribbon, and use your imagination. In less than an hour you will manage to decorate that empty window effectively and inexpensively. But the most important thing is that you will have your own personal work to show off in your house.

Making Your Own Curtains Can Be Fun and Inexpensive! For More Information, Tips and Simple Step By Step Instructions, visit The Curtain Cart at http://www.curtaincart.com

[tags]curtains, inexpensive, your own, easy, step by step[/tags]

Show your family that spice isn’t just for cooking by decorating your kitchen with Mexican home decor!

Even if you’ve never decorated before you can get a great Mexican look in your kitchen by changing minor accessories such as tablecloths and dishware and adding some colorful paint to the walls. A good remodel can include alterations to flooring, lighting fixtures, decorative items and wall color as well as your kitchen table and chairs.

It’s not critical to have a matching table and chair set but the kitchen should have a variety of bright colored or rustic furniture. To really showcase the Mexican design style, try using items with a painted distressed finish.

Your window treatments are important to your Mexican home d

Those of us who work in the home construction and design industry tend to forget how many little things there are that go into the creation of a new home or a redesign. There are design elements that have to be decided upon, from the big picture such as the overall architectural style of the home, down to the simplest things such as the type of kitchen hardware or the balusters for the staircase or deck. Recently in helping some new friends with their home project I was reminded how much there is to take into consideration in even just one area as basic as staircase design.

“Who would have known when we began designing our dream house just how many little details we would have to decide on? Did you know we spent an entire week just looking at balusters, banisters, treads and newels? I had no idea what any of these even were before we started all of this - except that my grandmother used to let us slide down the banister at her home when we were very small. But growing up in a California ranch style house all on one level, stairs were somewhat novel to me. I really had no idea of everything that goes into putting together a staircase - there is practically a new language to be learned! What exactly did we want? What kind of treads? Iron balusters? Wooden newels? It was all overwhelming.” And after listening to them for a bit longer, I understood what they meant, even I felt exhausted just from their recounting all that they’d been going through before coming to see me.

So after reminding them that this process was something they had dreamed about for years and it was something they were supposed to be enjoying as much as possible and having fun with it, they relaxed a bit and listened to my suggestions of how to proceed encouraging them to consider three easy tips that anyone taking on a home project, big or small can use.

Concentrate on one area at a time - Whether you’re starting from the very beginning with having to determine what style of architecture you want for your home or deciding on a particular element, such as my area of focus, staircase design, concentrate on that one area and work through the possibilities. With staircase design, this might mean first learning about all the different things you’ll even need to decide about. What exactly is a newel or a balustrade? Then you can get a bit more specific - what types of treads are characteristic for the architectural style we’ve chosen? Would iron balusters compliment the area of the home the staircase will lead to and from? Although you will be thinking about and focusing on one area in particular, thinking contextually about how this one area fits in with the rest of the home will not only help you to make good decisions, but will also help you uncover other questions to be addressed. The key though is to note those down and come back to them. Remember, one area at a time to keep from going into overwhelm.

Search out pictures of what you like and even what you don’t - This is a great way to help your through your decision making process. Head to the library or a bookstore and spend some time going through magazines and books until you find something that you really like. It’s again important to keep your focus narrow - look only at staircases and their elements in one sitting - don’t let yourself get distracted by chandeliers you like. If you see something you want to come back to, make a note of it so you won’t forget. Looking at particular elements in use is another option. Grab your digital camera and go look at buildings that might have iron balusters if you’re considering them or the particular type of handrails you loved the sample of but would like to see in an actual home setting. Oftentimes, vendors or builders can help you with referrals of where their work or products can be seen. Gather up all of your pictures to not only help you to solidify your vision, but to help to explain what you really want to your architects and home designers - as well as examples of what you absolutely do not want so that they really can get a visual sense of your style.

Remember your budget, but make decisions that you can live with for the years to come - Sometimes your budget as well as home size will decide from the get go for you if certain elements are not to be considered. For example, that grand balcony and sweeping staircase you saw in that Mediterranean estate on your honeymoon simply won’t work or be cost effective if you’re building a 1600 square foot 3 bedroom, 2 bath home. You’ll not only use up too much of your floor space if you go that direction, but lots of your budget as well. But that’s not to say that with a little creativity and inspiration that you can’t capture the same feel of what you loved about it and bring it to your home. The large antique hand-carved iron scroll work you admired can be emulated with today’s iron or aluminum balusters and accent pieces scaled to fit your particular staircase and home. And with the ability to shop online now for virtually any product for your home, you will also be able to find options to fit within your budget. The important thing is to capture the essence of the design style you like, even if initially it seems out of reach, so that you will enjoy living with your choices for years to come - and ideally stay within your budget.

Although these three tips may seem to oversimplify the process you are sitting in the middle of or are about to embark upon, by applying them over and over to all of your different home design decisions, particularly those you aren’t sure of, you’ll be able to focus your energy one step at a time and break down what might at times seem a daunting task. Your home is important and should reflect your style and desires. The project at hand may take time and energy, but the end result should and will be one you love and treasure for years to come, from the kitchen hardware to the iron balusters, if you just relax and take it step by step and enjoy the process as much as possible.

[tags]iron balusters, staircase design, designing your home, stairs[/tags]