Nature's Designs

This picture is worth a thousand words in itself.

Generally a tree branch, large foliage or flowering foliage branch's, length can vary from 20 to 70 inches, will make a beautifully dramatic statement in your home.

A single branch can add visual impact as a backdrop to medium flower arrangements. Large floral arrangements can incorporate several long branches for dramatic accent. Unusually shaped tree branches or clipping a branch from a budding tree such as a red bud and placing them in different heights in a tall glass vase is one of my favorite centerpieces. Add a few silk limbs with greenery for color.

These arrangements are particularly dramatic in a large room and rooms with high ceilings. I purchased silk palm leaves and placed them in a clear vase with unusually formed stems from my yard which transformed an otherwise understated table into a focal point of beauty.

Another favorite is to fill a tall glass vase with deco balls then add stems. In a kitchen you can add artificial fruit and stems.

Mix and Match Pattern Fun

Texture is often overlooked. Pattern is not so much overlooked, as feared! Many people are afraid to use pattern. They don't know how to mix and match patterns, so they avoid them all together.

This can often result in a very bland, and uninspiring room. This is a shame, because as a general rule it doesn't cost any more to buy a fabric with pattern than a solid color. With pattern you get a lot more impact for your money.

The frugal decorator is conservative with pattern only in the large pieces, such as overstuffed furniture. Pattern does become dated faster than solid colors. It is best to use it on items like pillows, throws, and even area rugs, which can be moved, and wear out sooner.

There are a few basic rules to follow when mixing and matching pattern. Keep these I mind, and you shouldn't have any trouble. Skilled decorators are able to violate these rules and get away with it, but for most of us we need to keep within these parameters.

All the patterns in the room should be easily distinguished from each other. None of them should be similar to the point they look alike. For instance, you do not want to use two large floral prints of similar color near each other.

Use a variety of prints, including floral prints, stripes, and geometric shapes.

Contrast the size of the design in the patterns. If you are using a LARGE floral, add a fabric with a SMALL stripe or geometric print.

Have a similar color in each piece of fabric. If one of the main colors in your room is sage green and you want to bring out this color, make sure this color is in each fabric piece that you add.

Be aware that your eye CANNOT retain color. This is why decorators ALWAYS work with swatches of color. Do what you can to have samples with you of patterns and colors in your room when you go to buy coordinating items.


Pattern makes a room more exciting, and gives it more character.via About the Author: Nikki Willhite, mother of 3 and an interior design graduate, has been writing and publishing articles on the topic of frugal living for over a decade. Visit her at www.frugalhappyfamilies.com - where you will find hundreds of frugal living tips and articles. Frugal Happy Families- more than just money! Article first published at www.allthingsfrugal.com

Romance and Lace

Embroidered or Lace Drapes. These always look nice in old fashioned type living rooms or in bedrooms. They have a romantic, old fashioned feel to them. You can find them in many colors, yet white and shades of white seems to be the most popular. Pictured here is a soft treatment using the ultimate in black for that romantic touch.

Sheer drapes have a classy appeal to them. These can be used alone or can be paired up with other thicker drapes.

Pinch and pleated drapes come in a variety of different types of fabrics including chenille, velvet and even cotton polyester mix blends.

Silk drapes are often made from silk. Yet, you can buy silk drapes that aren't sheer looking. Some are simple cut and free flowing. Yet, other silk drapes are adorned with ruffles, giving them a more romantic feel.

Floral Finale'

Flowers are a great choice for fabrics and patterns in your home. They may show up in just a few pillows or can be used as wallpaper, drapery fabrics, upholstery, and accessories.
Besides the restful, garden feel these patterns impart, most floral patterns feature a variety of colors that can be matched and coordinated with solids, plaids, checks, and stripes.

If you’re doing a garden room, or just love garden flower prints for decorating, these tips on decorating with floral's will give you ideas on how to create a terrific color scheme, repeat the colors in your space, and support the theme with accents throughout the room to complete a total garden escape.

That Wood Work

Hardwood flooring usually comes in three varieties: strip, plank and parquet. The individual segments in wood strip flooring are usually about 1 ½- to 2 ¼-inches wide. Plank flooring strips are wider and parquet floors are composed of individual squares that make up a geometric pattern. Unfinished hardwood floors allow the homeowner to finish the product with a stain that matches the décor.
If you are debating whether to install hardwood flooring in your home, first investigate the pros and cons.

Pros of Hardwood Flooring


Easy Maintenance.. They just need sweeping or vacuuming and an occasional cleaning with a wood floor cleaner
Hardwood floors are durable and have stood the test of time.
Houston Flooring offers direct wholesale prices at www.directhomediscount.com

Value
Buyers are willing to pay top dollar for homes with hardwood floors. In addition, homes with hardwood floors tend to sell faster than homes with wall-to-wall carpeting. Think about it: builders consider hardwood flooring an upgrade. They don’t charge extra for carpet. Your accent rugs will pop and make more of a statement on wood flooring.

Baby Love

Swatches from clothes or household items from your own childhood can serve as a wonderful source of color and theme for your child's room. These colorful fabrics sewn into a quilt, used as a swag over a window, or fitted into frames will be a reminder to you of your happy youth and be a source of conversation with your little one. If the fabrics are muted or dull, they might work well in a country or cottage style room. Colorful, bold fabric tones work well in more whimsical rooms.
Stencils are a great source of creating a story or a fantasy theme on a wall. Using bright colors will stimulate a child's mind. No matter the age you can get creative with color.

Touch of Glass

Luise Christensen-Howell of Glasshaus Studio in Hershey has achieved seasonal symmetry. Much of the year she’s outdoors cultivating her latest love, garden and landscape design, but when autumn blows in, she takes refuge in her home studio, nurturing her 30-year love affair with stained glass.
When asked about working with glass, Luise explained:
I like the part where you sit down with somebody, and they have an idea, and you put it together, and then you have the finished product. And glass is gorgeous. So it’s the very material and the way it captures light. Then when the client comes and I see their reaction--I love that part.

When asked about her challenges working stained glass:
The only challenge that I’ve ever had is when (my focus) was cut in half between the store keeping and the creative part.

Every home should have even the smallest special cut glass piece to add romance of a moment or setting. Stained glass is like adding a piece of art in a window to catch the sun rays glistening from it adds a mystic touch on walls and ceilings.