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If you are looking for a quick and easy way to make over your bathroom, consider buying a new shower curtain. Shower curtains are available in a variety of styles, materials, and prices. Shower curtains can be whimsical, floral, traditional, or a host of other styles. And, of course, they can be designer.

Many of the big-name designers have taken part in shower curtain designs. Liz Claiborne, for example, offers a Cable Knit shower curtain in Ivory or Aloe. If you decide to have a Liz Claiborne master suite or guest room, matching accessories include duvet covers, towels, shams, wastebasket, lotion pump, and more.

Nautica offers a sophisticated shower curtain in classic colors. It is offered with matching sheets, duvet, and bed skirts.

Regent also offers shower curtains. Their embroidered shower curtain is multi-colored and offers many matching accessories, including wastebasket, lotion pump, tissue box, towels, toothbrush holder, soap dish, and tumbler.

Eddie Bauer offers a nice selection of shower curtains, including a denim curtain. They also offer towels and robes in coordinating colors.

Tommy Hilfiger has also entered the home d

Deep reds and golds inspire appetite and good conversation so what better way to decorate your dining room then with an Asian inspired theme!

Even if you don’t have a professional designer you can get an Asian inspired look in your dining room by changing little things, for example adding a wallpaper border and coordinating your tableware and serving dishes to give an exotic Asian look to the room. Don’t be timid to change things like your floor coverings, lighting, decorative accessories and wall color in conjunction with your table and chair set and sideboard.

Decorative items are key to pulling your Asian inspired look together. Even if you can’t replace any other items - you can get a new look by changing the decorative accessories! Focus on shopping for tableware, serving dishes and table cloths and runners, in colors and patterns that match your Asian look. You’ll be amazed at how easy and economical it is, and what a huge difference these changes make! You might want to include a rice paper folding screen or Shoji doors combined with Asian style potted plants and you could even try some exotic knick knacks like geisha girl figures or anything with an Asian look to add some punch to your dining room. Adding more touches such as a beautiful silk kimono hung on the wall can make your room look like it was done by an interior designer.

Flooring can make or break your decor, but if you can not pay for new flooring in your dining room then you can mask your existing floors by using small rugs with an Asian flair. If you are lucky enough to be able to afford new floors, check out dark hardwood floors or bamboo flooring. Accent them with oriental rugs or bamboo mats for an authentic look.

An important factor when decorating your dining room with an Asian inspired look is your wall color. For this look the colors can really enhance the feel - you should consider adding reds and muted tones with contrasting woods either as wallpaper or paint. Try using a deep red paint on the walls, or you might consider a lighter colored paint or wallpaper in plain pattern. You don’t have to get too fancy or spend a lot of money and if you don’t want color on the walls, you can always cover the walls in a neutral palette and put the color into your flooring and accents.

You don’t have to buy a coordinating table and chair set, sideboard, and hutch but the dining room should have plenty of sleek and elegant furniture. To really showcase the Asian theme, try furniture with a black lacquer finish or a quality rattan set.

Window treatments can have a large effect on your Asian inspired design theme. To put together a magnificent look in your dining room try hanging silk drapes with or without embroidery or silk fabric valances with sheers. For a less formal look, you could try bamboo shades that roll up.

Lighting is an important element in your home and the dining room is no exception. To compliment your Asian inspired decorating style, you will want to keep in mind the style of the fixtures as well as the type. When you are incorporating an Asian style, you would want to take a look at making use of plain overhead lighting with accent lighting with silk or puffed paper shades, crystal chandeliers or exotic lamps but try to shy away from anything that has a country style.

One decorating area that is often ignored when decorating your house is the wall space. Even the ugliest walls can be made to look good with great accessories and wall art. Try adding Asian silk paintings hung in vintage frames or block prints to your dining room walls to enhance the exotic appeal of your Asian Interior Design. You can even add a nice Asian folding screen in the corner with a large oriental plant in front of it for depth and appeal.

Getting a nice Asian look in your dining room can be as basic as just buying new decorative accessories or as involved as doing a total room remake. Either way, attention to the fine details and making sure to coordinate your accessories and furniture will help you accomplish a wonderful new Asian inspired style that will make dining at home a new experience!

Lee Dobbins writes for decorating websites and magazines. Visit DecoratingHowTo.com to learn more about decorating styles and how to use them in your home.

[tags]interior decorating, interior design, decor, decorating, dinin room[/tags]

The holidays are a time to deck the halls with boughs of holly, walk in a winter wonderland, decorate Christmas trees, and bring out the airbeds. Bring out the airbeds?! Well, ultimately, the decision as to whether or not you ought to bring out an airbed depends on a few things: whether or not you have one, and whether or not it is worth the trouble. Here are some of the reasons why you may consider starting to associate airbeds with Christmas and a few reasons why you may not.

Concrete’s use in kitchens and bathrooms may still be considered relatively “modern” design-wise by some homeowners. But while concrete can be used to create a modern or minimal look, it’s also perfectly adaptable to a more traditional setting where it was so extensively used in the first place.

Concrete can act as a substitute for more traditional materials. Rather than just using concrete to explicitly re-create something from the past, you can also combine it with other elements to suggest a timeless quality. In my work, I always strive to strike a balance between innovation and emotion, between spare contemporary and warm traditional. Adding mosaic tile along the front edge of a concrete surface, inlaying bits of tile along a backsplash, or even embedding a fossil in a countertop all connect us to the past.

A California cottage we recently renovated moved from “traditional” to “transitional.” A large concrete curved wall and counter boldly separates the living room from the kitchen. Meanwhile, a stainless steel integral sink countertop straddles one wall yet, by inlaying glass tiles into the backsplash and inserting a traditional plate holder in the cabinetry, enough balance is achieved to avoid a conflict of styles.

Let’s take a turn-of-century “Craftsman” style kitchen for a hypothetical example. The cabinets would most likely be frame-and-panel with flush inlay doorframes. There would be wood wainscoting in the dining area and perhaps tile around a single porcelain sink. The lighting fixtures might have beveled glass or echoes of Tiffany lamps. What concrete application would be appropriate in this situation? I would look into one or more of the following ideas in combination:

Choose an earth tone color or natural gray. No bright colors.

Keep the front face, or thickness, of the countertop at a minimum of 2-1/2″ up to 5″.

Inset “panels” into the front face of the countertop to reflect the cabinet doors. These panels would be no deeper than 3/8″ and would measure approximately 1/3″ to the height of the front face, or

Recess the appropriately sized or proportioned ceramic tiles with some embossing on them into the face of the countertop or into a cast backsplash. Allow the recess to be at least 1/4″ in depth.

Mosaic tiles in groups of four separated by 1/8″-1/4″ spacing could be placed on the countertop surface as inlaid “trivets” next to the stove burners. (In the mold, they would be placed face down on the bottom of the form.)

Line the drain board into the sink with tile or marble.

Now I wouldn’t want to use all of the above accents just enough to carry a complementary flavor to the Craftsman look and feel. The concrete itself is earthy enough to carry that load. It’s up to you as a homeowner or designer to add the touch that personalizes and enhances the piece. In some cases, for instance, the overwrought “traditional English manor” kitchen, usually full of elaborate detailing, can use a touch of restraint the concrete counter with a simple ogee edge detail and a complementary white porcelain farm sink might just be perfect.

As they say, it’s all in the details.
For more information about concrete countertops, please visit:
http://www.concreteexchange.com/

Fu-Tung Cheng, the founder of the Concrete Exchange, is an internationally known designer and author, who has pioneered the craft of making concrete countertops.

Fu-Tung Cheng’s first book, Concrete Countertops: Designs, Forms, and Finishes for the New Kitchen and Bath (Taunton Press, 2002) has become a national bestseller.

His much-anticipated second book, Concrete at Home: Innovative Forms and Finishes for Floors, Countertops, Walls and Fireplaces (Taunton Press, 2005) has just been released in Spring 2005.

[tags]concrete, countertops, kitchen, remodeling, bathroom, design[/tags]

When people think of fire pits, they usually think of the traditional wood burning versions. A wood burning fire pit certainly gives a traditional touch to your yard or patio, but a gas fire pit has a number of advantages. That doesn’t necessarily mean that a gas fire pit is better, it’s just that it may suit some people better than a wood burning fire pit.

Perhaps the biggest advantage of a gas fire pit is that it gives off lots of heat and that heat is consistent. If you’re planning on using your fire pit to keep warm during the cold months, this is very important. It’s also handy if you’re traveling in the great outdoors and need some added comfort only those chilly nights.

It’s also really easy to operate a gas fire pit. Basically, when you’re ready to light it, you turn the gas on. The flames instantly appear, and that’s all you have to do. You don’t have to find wood to burn, or get the fire started. This convenience is a big factor for many people, who don’t want to spend ages messing about getting the fire going.

Gas fire pits are also very easy to clean up when you’re done. You turn the gas off, and you can walk away. With a wood burning fire pit, you need to make sure that the flame has been completely extinguished before it’s safe to leave the pit unattended. At some point you also have to clean out all the burnt matter.

If you’re serious about buying a fire pit for your patio or garden, or even to take on vacation with you, then a gas fire pit is a great choice. It may not have the natural beauty of a wood burning fire pit, but it’s much less work and trouble, and very simple to use. You also don’t have to mess about after the evening is finished, you simply turn it off and that’s all. A gas fire pit is a great buy if you want to give your outdoor entertaining something special.

If you want to find out more about fire pits, click over to Josh’s site at http://www.infoaboutfirepits.com

[tags]firepit,fire pit,barbecue pit,outdoor fire pit,diy fire pit,gas fire pit[/tags]

There are many occasions and situations where a unique or special gift is preferred over the conventional gift. With your unique gift, you enjoy the benefit of being able to express your love for the recipient. You can show that you consider the recipient to be someone special and unique in your life, and thus deserves a unique gift.

If you intend to gift something unique to the married couple, you could consider choosing a unique honeymoon package from any travel agency. You could include air tickets and hotel accommodation in the package. This is the best choice for those very close to you and whom you think highly of in your life. However, if this choice is way over your budget, then you could consider gifting some jewelry item made of gold or diamond. This will surely make the recipient feel really flabbergasted at the unique gift presented to them!

If you plan to present something for a housewarming ceremony, then you could choose lots of gifts depending on your budget and connection with the recipient. You could present some house decorating accessory like a beautiful sofa, table and sofa covers, wall curtains and other accessories to match the design of the rooms. You could also consider presenting some crockery, items needed for cooking and kitchenware.

If you share a close relation with the recipient, you could consider selecting electronic items like a washing machine, CD or DVD player, refrigerator, TV, kitchen grill and any other electrical item you feel the recipient will like and need. However, it is not everyone who can afford to present all these electronic items, you could instead think of something less expensive like indoor plants, candle holders, CD stacks or Feng Shui articles.

If all these items don’t make you feel that they are unique for gifting, you could consider creating something of your own for your recipient. Like you could create a unique gift basket with all the things the recipient enjoys found in the gift basket. Or instead, you could get one of the many gift certificates shops and shopping centers offer today. With a gift certificate, the recipient can buy whatever is preferred using the gift coupon in the respective shops. You could also create a personalized card, expressing your feelings for the recipient along with a general gift. It is the wordings and the card that will express your feelings and make the person feel unique for the gift that you gift them.

You can always look out for unique gifts either on the Internet, or somewhere around you. It all depends on your idea of a unique gift, and the recipient, and of course, the occasion.

Robert Mathew is a freelance writer to read more about his articles visit Unique Home Decor Gifts
& Gift Baskets

[tags]unique gifts, surprise gifts, inexpensive gifts, home decor gifts, garden decor gifts[/tags]

Clocks can be of any type - they could be wall clocks that not only decorates the walls, but also tells time or a mantel piece resting on one’s table etc..

Wall Clocks can be of one of two types. Analog and Digital.

While digital clocks are precise, the analog clock serve the same purpose. With the increasing need to be accurate, and every microsecond accounted for Digital clocks are the way to go.

Wall Clocks are a central time telling pieces. Be it a work place, home or a visiting place, its always nice to look up and know what time it is. After all time is money.

They can also help other ways - for example a family can set a family alarm while a school can have a clock with a really loud alarm and a microphone attached to it.

Apart from serving a functional requirement, of telling the time, the Wall clocks can be used extensively as decorative pieces, collectors items and even investments.

You should see some on the large wall clocks tucked away in a mansion somewhere or an extensively decorated cuckoo clock.

Wall Clocks are about more than telling time.

They are about style.

About The Author

Mike Yeager, Publisher

http://www.a1-clocks-4u.com/

mjy610@hotmail.com

[tags]wall clocks,clocks,cuckoo clock,time,clock decor,home interior,interior decor,decorating[/tags]

Buying furniture pieces at yard sales offers many options, but you must look closely to know what you’re getting.

Are you interested in trying your hand at some creative furniture painting? If you don’t already have an old piece of furniture to practice on, shopping yard sales is the best way to come up with a piece.

If you are buying the yard sale furniture for the sake of practicing your creative idea, buy away! If you are looking for a particular piece to use, take time to look the furniture over to make sure you are getting a solid piece at a good deal.

For instance, if you want to buy a small dresser for a guest room and want to give it a country look, your first concern should be the stability of the furniture. You can give almost any style the look you want, as long as the furniture is sturdy and in good condition. Look to see if any of the wood is buckling or if the piece has any deep scratches that can’t be sanded out. If you want it to have an old look, the scratches might not matter so much to you. The buckling, however, might be a sign of warped drawers that are hard to open or close. Warped furniture is not usually very functional.

If the furniture you are looking at is a sofa, loveseat or chair there are additional considerations you should keep in mind. Will you be using the furniture as it is or do you plan to give it a fresh coat of paint or some new fabric treatment? Does it look clean? Ask the seller if the furniture has been used recently in a home or if it has been in storage. If it has been stored, ask if the storage unit was climate controlled. If not, you may find yourself dealing with pest issues or mold down the line. Make sure you look the seating over good - check out its frame, springs, cushions and the over all wear. If you think it is in good shape and can get a good deal, go for it!

If you are taking up furniture shopping through yard sales as a hobby, learn all you can about various types of furniture. The knowledge will help you separate a good deal from a great find. Plus, if you plan to recycle your yard sale findings, you don’t want to strip and paint an antique, one of a kind headboard. When you know your furniture - what is of special value and what is just a trash to treasure item - you can save yourself the heartache associated with finding out the dresser you just painted a Dr. Seuss scene on was actually by a famous craftsman. Visit your local library to check out books on antique or unique furniture. Then, keep your eyes open when you are hitting the yard sales the following weekend - you’ll know a good deal when you see one!

Bob Benson is the founder of Furniture online. You can check out our website at http://www.my-antique-furniture.info

[tags]furniture, home decorations[/tags]

There are many types of curtain and drape headings and they are created, usually, by the application of a heading tape and a draw cord. Here is a quick look at the most common ones.

Standard

The most common form of curtain heading is the standard one. It comprises of a one inch tape that is gathered up into a narrow, even heading. This is most often used for informal curtains and in hidden areas, under valences and behind pelmets for instance. When employing this method of curtain heading on net curtains or sheer, lightweight drapes a synthetic tape is available thus ensuring that a reinforced curtain rod is not required.
The standard form of curtain heading is generally used on dormer windows and cottage windows. It only uses one and a half times the width of the curtain and so is extremely economical on materials

Pencil Pleat

The pencil pleat is employed where there is no valance or pelmet and it gives a pleasant finish at the curtain header. Most interior decorating styles will be enhanced by this form of drape heading, especially modern ones. Remember to allow about two and half times the width of the window in fabric to allow the pleats to present themselves nicely.

French Pleat

This style of curtain heading is sometimes referred to as the french pleat. It is often used with extra stiffener in the fabric to produce full, regular folds in heavy fabric, velvet for instance. As with the pencil pleat it is important to allow at least two and a half times the width of the window in fabric to allow the pleats to achieve their fullness and to give a pleasing effect. The pleats are usually fanned across the window and have a button sewn to the bottom of each one.

Cartridge Pleat

This is often called a goblet pleat and takes it’s name from the goblet shape that is formed in the top of each pleat. This shape is held by stuffing polyester or tissue paper into the top of each pole to help the curtain retain it’s shape. It is most usually used in formal settings where the curtains are full length and have a very formal feel to them.

Slot Pleat

As the name suggests this is simply a pleat formed by cutting slots in a cased header tape to feed a pole through. It can be improved by allowing a quantity of curtain to stand above the header tape. Once again ensure that you leave twice to three times the length of the opening to give a pleasing finish and to allow the pleats to stand up.

Puff Ball Heading

This is a very impressive curtain heading that is more simple to achieve than you might imagine. You employ the same method as for a slot pleat, allowing at least 12 inches of fabric above the slot. The curtain is then fed onto the pole and the excess above the header tape is simply balled up into a puffball shape.

Whichever curtain header you decide to use you can be sure that a little time and effort will impress visitors who look into and out of your windows.

Karen Hughes is an interior decor consultant, get further curtain and drapes ideas at
Drapes’n'Curtains
this is your first stop for information about Curtains and Drapes.

[tags]curtain heading, drape heading, curtain, curtains, drapes[/tags]

The word “master” is an antiquated term that suggests control, domination, and inequality, and in today’s cooperative partner and/or single parent household, the label “master suite” has become obsolete. In that light, master bedrooms would more properly be called “main bedrooms” in today’s society.

Far removed from the activity of family rooms and busy kitchens, the bedroom is the place where your day begins and ends. Surprisingly, however, main bedroom redecorating frequently ranks near the bottom of most people’s home renovation lists. But if you want an immediate uplift of your emotional state, there are few projects that will do that more effectively than remodeling your main bedroom.

Remodeling Your Main Bedroom for Happiness

The main bedroom, with its softened textures, serene artwork, and muted patterns, intimately captures the warmth of a home. Passion colors, such as red, purple, royal blue, rose, or the gilt of gold, add drama and indulgence. Plan your main bedroom design with private times in mind, beginning with the purpose of the bedroom. Do you want a Passion Boudoir, Reading Room, or Private Sanctuary?

Passion Boudoir

French women are known to create the sexiest bedrooms in the world, and like many French women, today’s homemakers often plan for sex and decorate accordingly, creating evocative, enticing bedrooms. Here are a few suggestions for creating a Passion Boudoir:

Flattering colors contribute to personal beauty and are erotically appealing. Choose seductive colors like Rouge Red, Lipstick Reds, Creamy Peaches, and Subtle Pinks. Make sure the colors enhance your natural beauty. Be daring and use bold colors on the walls.

Luscious fabrics will set the stage for sensuousness. Use silky, velvet, and chenille textures in combination with nubby textures. Use fabrics that remind you of a favorite shared memory. Exotic patterns, such as animal prints or tropical florals, conjure images of faraway journeys.

Locating mirrors in unusual places, such as the tops of dressers or side tables, reflect dancing candle light. Tropical plants and trees, uplit with special lights, also cast exciting shadows.

An intimate bistro table, set with two chairs, invites private conversations. Dressing tables, furnished with feminine accessories and intimate objects, add mystery and romance to a room.

Just the presence of a bed tray suggests the possibility of the ultimate pleasure: breakfast in bed, while soft lighting, candles, essential oils in a diffuser, and gentle oscillating fans effectively complete the d