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The cottage decorating style is a favorite of many and it’s no surprise as the pull of the country cottage is oddly powerful for anyone caught in the confines of todays cities tightly squeezed accommodations. With the image of the city within your house, which one of us wouldn’t seek a something less citified?

Instead of shucking your worldly belongings and heading off to the mountains, you might explore creating a country getaway in your city home with some basic cottage decorating or, as it is sometimes called, “shabby chic decor”.

The first rule of decorating in a cottage style is to make your place seem more spacious. Get rid of all that clutter you no longer use. If items can be reused as storage containers to store those things than that is great. Use suitcases as drawers, or breadbins as document storage. Making new uses of older items is part of the country decorating appeal.

Get good quality yard sale finds that require fixing and do it yourself. Using older, time worn pieces is part of cottage decorating. Colors should be simple. Really the best selection could be the simplest color of all; white. White helps you have an illusion of space in addition to acting as an interesting backdrop for your personal touches.

Throws, pillows and quilts in vibrant colors work great in any cottage decor. Here is where you can really let out your unique creative flair show through. Shop at garage sales and flea markets for anything from window drapes to towels. A lot of times you can get excellent artwork at festivals and colleges for a bargain, and this has the added advantage of you being able to boast to your friends “Of course, I liked his stuff better before he was famous”.

Old items look a good deal better with the cottage decor then newly bought items from the department store so don’t be afraid to stock up at the yard sale. Old lamps, wrought iron pieces, chairs, coal scuttles and even vintage linens can all be a part of to the shabby chic appeal. And you will be acquiring unique items which you won’t find in every one else’s home.

You can employ the cottage decor to bring the country inside your home. Add softness plus country interest to your home with a container garden. You may grow herbs right on your windowsill - they are good to look at and you can utilize them for cooking as well. I am fortunate enough to have a little roof overhang outside my window where I have an old rain-barrel which will hopefully soon grow a lot of lettuce.

Cottage decorating is fun and functional. It permits you to keep using your favorite furniture and accessories. The cozy and warm country cottage in the city will be your treat for the care you have shown your home.

Lee Dobbins writes for Perfect Home Decor where you can get more decorating ideas and learn more about the cottage decorating style.

Ideally, your furniture needs should be long-term, i.e. to say, the furniture you purchase for home decoration should be durable enough to give you maximum value for every penny spent out of your hard-earned money. This is because exotic furniture items come at a price and you don’t want to end up spending that much money every year or so. This is where intelligent furniture purchases come in handy. An astute selection of furniture items for different locations of your home would lend the variety as well as longevity in the furniture.

Wrought Iron furniture can be an extremely useful asset to meet these ends. To start with, wrought iron furniture is extremely durable owing to the metal content. The exclusive wrought iron furniture is made by twisting and bending iron into presentable items like beds, tables, chairs, sofa sets, telephone stands, cabinets and virtually every kind of furniture required in a home. Your dining room, drawing room, living room, bedroom, kitchen, patio, outdoors, all have furniture requirements and wrought iron furniture has that variety to turn every available space into a delectable sight to behold. Add to this the rustic charm lent by the wrought iron furniture, and you have a home that is a purist’s delight.

In combination with Amish furniture, wrought iron furniture sparkles with extra glitter. Amish made furniture is identical to wrought iron furniture in terms of nostalgic value. Each item adds beauty and lends a sense of royal outlook to the home. If the wrought iron furniture and the Amish furniture items are genuine, they present a killer combination for the onlooker. That’s why, always insist on a wholesale Amish furniture dealer and a trusted wrought iron furniture dealer for your furniture needs.

The upkeep and maintenance of wrought iron furniture as well as the Amish furniture is easy and inexpensive. As both types of furniture are meant to last for generations, the maintenance may take the shape of periodic cleaning, dusting, repairs and touching up. The gloss may fade with time but it will hold for a very long time as compared to other types of furniture and an occasional coat of varnish or enamel paint is all it will take to keep the wrought iron furniture healthy. If the damage is considerable due to any reason, you are well advised to consult an expert. An expert opinion in case of wrought iron furniture is useful because usually, the wrought iron furniture is on the heavier side and the metal content can cause damage to the floors, walls and other furniture of the home, if handled ineptly.

The wrought iron furniture is easily available in furniture showrooms and malls. Handsome discounts can be availed by purchasing wrought iron furniture as well as Amish furniture from the online furniture stores. Detailed product information coupled with dedicated 24X7 information services offered by the online retailers, it makes sense to buy furniture via Internet. A thorough market research to eliminate the unviable dealers is a must before every purchase.

The author uses wrought iron and Amish furniture in her home and office. Amish oak furniture purchased from an online store is as good in quality as one purchased from any brick-and-mortar store. Visit http://www.amish-furniture-home.com for some great quality furniture.

Memory foam mattresses are a relatively new development in the luxury bedding market, only having been out for a little over 10 years now. Most people grew up sleeping on an innerspring mattress and are familiar with their construction and feel. But the make up of memory foam beds is a new consideration and it makes comparison shopping difficult for first time consumers.

Different mattress makers are building their beds with different configurations of foam, and everyone says their way is the best. There are many innovative construction techniques that contribute to some really nice foam beds. However there are other constructions that don’t have value, but get perpetuated in the marketplace because everyone is following the sales leaders.

One construction technique that has no value, but a lot of mattress makers are using it, is the convoluted airflow layer. A convoluted airflow layer is simply a layer of polyurethane base foam (not memory foam) that has been run through a convoluting machine to give it a ripple or wave pattern. This base foam layer is placed below the memory foam layer for the purpose of creating airflow channels to vent heat away from the body.

The convoluted airflow layer is the supposed to be the answer to memory foam overheating. In fact one of the biggest complaints about memory foam beds is that they get too hot for some people. So, manufacturers experimented with convoluted foam to see if it would help keep the mattress cool. The idea is that it will allow air to circulate along through the open spaces, replacing warm air near your body with cooler air from outside the mattress. They found that the convoluted layer didn’t help keep the bed cool at all, but customers liked the idea of it, and this helped sell more beds.

Reasons to Be Skeptical of Convoluted Airflow Layers

First, memory foam beds are at least 2 layers of foam laminated (glued) together. If the bed has a convoluted layer, then this adds a third layer. Other layers can include super soft pillow top layers on top of the bed and base layers of different firmness. When a memory foam layer is glued on top of a convoluted layer, the convoluted bumps flatten out and stick to the bottom of the memory foam layer. The edges of the convoluted layer are not glued, so from the outside of the mattress, it still looks like it might work. But if you were to look at a cross section cutaway from the bed, you would see that no air could possibly squeeze through.

Second, even if the airflow layer was not glued (as in a component bed), the convolutions or channels would not circulate a significant amount of air (if any at all). The sides of the bed, where the outside air would be pulled into the mattress are covered first by the mattress cover, then by the sheets, then by the blankets, comforter, etc. Certainly it’s not an ideal ventilation system.

Third, there are no studies to back up the assertion that airflow layers work. One could be done simply. In fact, there is an airflow study that is commonly done to check the airflow of open cell foam.

Will Robertson is owner of MyLuxuryMattress.com, a specialty sleep shop featuring luxury bedding, latex and memory foam mattresses. Will answers his customers frequently asked luxury bedding questions at MyLuxuryMattress.com/Blog

When modeling your bathroom keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be a massive renovation process. You can create an entirely new look for your bathroom by simply using creative painting and a little bit of new hardware. Of course you can go the extreme home make over route as well and go to the foundation and completely rebuild. Regardless of which plan you’ll be following you need to have a plan for the desired result before you begin.

Ask the following questions when determining your bathroom modeling needs:

1) What is the current condition of the bathroom? Sometimes a thorough cleaning (and by that I mean heavy duty muscle cleaning—perhaps resurfacing) is all that is really needed to add new life to a bathroom. Other times call for a more extensive renovation of the bathroom, which requires both more time and more money.

2) Who will be using this bathroom? Knowing who and how many has a huge impact on what you will be doing with the space. If you have several family members sharing one bathroom, consider enclosing the toilet or shower so that more than one person can use the space with some degree of privacy. Built in shelves and an extra vanity are also good for spaces that will be shared by more than one person.

3) How much money are you willing/able to spend on the renovation? This question is important, as it will set the tone for every other aspect of your home renovation. You should never begin a bathroom modeling project without having a realistic budget in place and a very good idea of where every penny will be going.

4) Will you need a contractor or can you do the work yourself? For this you will probably need to know about local laws, particularly if you are doing major renovations. Not only are there laws concerning this but safety and quality issues as well. If you aren’t certain you can do it, your best bet is to hire someone who is—you will probably save time and money by doing that the first time.

5) Can you make your bathroom larger? When it comes to bathrooms, size is vitally important. Of course it is also important to consult a professional before knocking out any walls, as there are other issues that might make the walls surrounding a bathroom necessary.

6) How long can the job take? If time is an issue, keep it simple. If you have all the time in the world, go as elaborate as you would like and can afford. This is your retreat from the world after all.

7) How long will the new bathroom be useful to you? If you are planning to sell your home in the near future and only updating, then keep it as simple as possible. You’ll want to avoid projects that will require contracted labor whenever possible in order to maximize your recovery of this particular investment. If you’re going to enjoy your bathroom for years to come, then by all means create the bathroom of your dreams.

Asking these questions before you begin your remodeling project can help you define your goals and your budget, which will save you time and money during the process.

Rob Buenaventura has worked in the home improvement industry for several years. Learn more about bathroom vanities, bathroom cabinets and other home improvement tips at HomeImprovementTouch.com

Flowers Add Completion

When you walk into a room, does it feel like something is missing? Maybe everything is in its place and beautiful, yet just a certain charm or elegance is not there. You wonder what it could be. Often it is the flowers that at missing.

Ways to Use Flowers in Decor

Use flowers as a centerpiece on a foyer table or dining room table. If you have an interest in Feng Shui, the flowers in a foyer should be red, gold or black.

Use flowers on a dining room table when not in use. Flowers used here can be elegant, dramatic or simple. The type of flowers to use are defined by the style of decor in the room.

Silk flowers are a great choice for high places such as over the cabinets in the kitchen or on top of an armoire entertainment center. Anywhere that is difficult to reach when watering live plants is a great place for silk flowers.

Want to Create a Romantic Evening?

Use a single flower to evoke a feeling of thoughtfulness and love. Create a special dining room ambiance where a single rose is at each place setting. A single daisy or other flower could be used to demonstrate affection. It’s the use of a single flower that lends the feeling of warmth.

A single flower at a place setting says this flower is specifically for you and no one else. The type of flower chosen says I love you or you are special. A red rose reflects an intense love while a daisy reflects a more light hearted love.

Janie Jenkins is the “Easy To Do” instruction expert. Discover how easy it is to do what seemed like your most complicated ambition. Easy To Do Flowers

It is springtime everything is new and beautiful. This is often the time when we think about change in our lives, desiring a new home. For most, acquiring a new home means selling the current one and this task can seem overwhelming. No one desires their home to be on the market forever and no one desires to have a loss on the sale. Occasionally this is the case but it doesn’t have to be if the homeowner will take the time to prepare their home for sale.

Making a great first impression is so important when it comes to selling a home. Most people are looking for homes that they can move right into without having to do a lot of work and many times they are able to determine if a house will become their home in a matter of minutes.

The hardest part of preparing your home for sale will be realizing that it is no longer your home; it is now a product. It can no longer reflect you; it must be arranged and decorated so that the potential homebuyer can see himself or herself living there.

Preparing a house for sale starts from the curb and goes all the way through the house to the back yard. Today’s homebuyer lives a very busy life and he/she can be very selective in deciding which houses he/she will take the time to see. With the availability of Internet, people will often rule out houses by looking at pictures of the outside or they may choose to drive by several before deciding which houses they will visit.

Here are a few helpful suggestions, if you are considering placing your house on the market:

· Start with the outside of the home. Pick up all trash and remove clutter. Mow, trim hedges and pull weeds.
· Is your front door dated or old? Consider hanging a new door or at least give your front door a new coat of paint. Add a few potted plants or flowers to the steps or porch.
· Edit, Edit, Edit! Since you are planning on moving, go ahead and begin packing up some of your belongings. It is important to remove all the obstacles that might distract the potential homebuyer from “seeing” the home.

1. Remove all personal family photos. This is important for two reasons. First of all you want the potential homebuyer to envision this home as their own and not your home. Second, you never know who might be looking through your home, they are strangers to you and it is safer for you that they do not know who lives in the home.
2. Remove all collections and personal mementos like trophies and plaques. You do not want people to get distracted by looking at all your beautiful things.
3. Clean out all closets, cabinets and pantries. Do not use these spaces as places to stash all your “stuff”. Remember those visiting your home are free to look in all your closets. By cleaning out at least half of the contents and packing them away for your move, you will make your storage areas seem more spacious. If your closets are bulging with clutter, then the potential homebuyer might be left with the impression that if your stuff doesn’t fit in the closet then their stuff probably wouldn’t either.

· Clean all windows inside and out. You want to allow as much light into your home as possible. Also, if your curtains or valance is mounted even with the top of the window, move them up 6-8 inches. This will again allow more light into the room and will cause your windows to appear larger.
· Clean, Clean, Clean! Make those bathrooms and kitchens shine. Any signs of neglect can deter a potential homebuyer.
· Remove busy wallpaper. Repaint walls with neutral colors such as warm off-white, tans, taupe and/or soft gold.

Preparing a home for sale is a lot of work but it is well worth it. Owning a home is a great investment and it is up to you to decide what type of return you will receive on your investment through how you prepare it for sale.

Jennifer Keener is the owner of Amazing Transformations and is a certified interior redesigner and stager helping homeowners in Northeast Oklahoma discover the value of the furniture and accessories they already own. Ms. Keener is also a certified trainer for and charter member of The Society of Decorating Professionals and member of the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit http://www.atredesign.com.

When you want to redecorate a house, you always want to think holistically, meaning that you have to look at every aspect of the room and not just the walls. When it comes to your walls, though, you will want to pay the most attention, especially when you are looking into wallpaper and not plain ol’ paint. You have to spend large amounts of time on the design of the wallpaper as it relates to the border. Wallpaper without a border will give you an unfinished, plain look in a room.

Basics of matching colors will tell you that you don’t want your wall paper and border to clash. Choose complimentary colors. Many shops and internet stores will help you if you are color blind: literally, or figuratively. A simple tip would be to search for a color wheel using Google or another search engine if you can’t use your eye. If your a man, there is an excuse because men have less cones in their eyes.

Now, if you want to go deeper into style with pictures and other art, then you must again look at color. In addition, you must choose a border that matches your room as well as the wallpaper. Choosing a border that has a house on it standing in a winter scene should be placed in a room with very earthy colors. The wallpaper would also have to be dark and earthy as well. It is really simple to match groups of wallpaper and borders, it just takes a little practice.

Another example would be, if you wanted a tropical room. You could choose a nice light blue color for your walls. Perhaps choosing a texture that makes it look like clear blue water. Then for your border you could choose one with flowers going all the way around the room. In addition, you should place a flower in that room on a corner table to complete the look, both on the walls, and in the space.

I think you understand the basic idea of matching wallpaper borders with wallpaper. Now the rest is up to you. If you still need help, you could always ask a professional who you plan to buy from. They will be more that helpful since they want your business.

George Christodoulou

If you would like to read more information about matching groups of wallpaper and borders and other related topics, please visit, http://wallpaperborders.blogspot.com

Luxury bed linens are an investment that adds comfort and warmth to any home. Taking proper care of your cotton, pure linen, or a cotton / linen blend, bedding will keep them feeling cozy and looking great for many years. Most luxury linens come with care instructions written on sewn in tags. The suggestions offered below are meant to supplement the manufacturer’s instructions.

A Few Tips Before You Get Started

You may launder most luxury bed linens at home unless otherwise instructed on tag. Here are some quick tips before getting started:

* Wash new lines before sleeping on them the first time.

* Use a gentle laundry detergent to extend the useful life of your bed linens.

* Some skin care products contain oxidizing agents that will discolor your bed linens when washed. If you use these products, be sure to wash them off before going to bed.

* Bed linens will naturally shrink from original size. Washing in very hot water or drying with high heat will shrink bed linens more

Washing Luxury Bed Linens

1. Separate bedroom linens into light or dark colors. Avoid overloading the machine to prevent damaging long staple fibers like those in Egyptian linen. Wash in warm water, using a gentle laundering agent, with a final cold rinse. Pre-soak in cold water if necessary.

2. Allow your washing machine to fill up and begin agitating before you add detergent or bleach. Usually you won’t need the recommended amount of detergent; use a half measurement unless your linens are very dirty. Mild detergent is gentler on cotton and fine bedding linen, and will extend their useful life.

3. Remove bedding linen fabric from washing machine promptly when finished to reduce wrinkling.

Drying Luxury Bed Linens

1. Air drying bed linens on a line is the ideal way to dry, but a dryer does an excellent job when convenience is at a premium.

2. Do not use a heat setting that is too warm for your linens or dry them too long as this will cause some damage.

3. Remove your bed linen promptly from dryer and fold neatly to reduce wrinkling.

Ironing Luxury Bed Linens

Fine bed linens are made out of natural fibers that have a tendency to wrinkle, especially when new. After some use these fibers will relax allowing the bedding to wrinkle less. If you wash and dry properly, and fold as soon as finished, most wrinkles will be avoided. For the smoothest finish, use a good iron and iron linen fabric while still damp.

Storing Luxury Bed Linens

1. Be sure to iron linens before storing for long periods, as this will help prevent creasing.

2. Do not store directly on wood. Long term contact with wood can discolor linens and cause damage.

3.Do not store in direct sunlight which will fade colors.

Will Robertson is owner of MyLuxuryMattress.com, a specialty sleep shop featuring luxury bed linens, latex and memory foam mattresses. Will answers his customers frequently asked luxury bedding questions at MyLuxuryMattress.com/Blog

Futons are mattresses that are designed to go on a foldable frame and stuffed with cotton batting. This is a term that is also used in reference to small couches that convert into beds when unfolded. In Japanese futon means mattress and are sold in stores known as Futon-Ya stores.

Traditional Japanese Futons

Japanese futon sets are comprise of four parts: Shikibuton, which is a type of mattress, Kakebuton, which is a type of comforter, Mofu, which is a blanket, and Makura, which is a pillow.

Futons are often created from straw mats that are packed in straw, uniform in size, and bordered with plain cloth. Futons are used on tatami floors in Japan then folded away and placed in a closet during the day. They are removed so that the tatami floors may breathe during the day when not in use.

Futons in the U. S. often act as sofas during the day and can be used as beds for sleeping at night. They are basically used for the purpose of saving space in tight quarters. The mattress of the futon sofa is typically stuffed with batting and you can find covers for these mattresses in many colors, styles, and designs. Futons can be used for both sitting and sleeping and traditionally provide excellent back support. In Japan they are often taken outdoors and beaten with a stick during the sunlit hours of the day to remove dust and allow a little freshening.

Western Futons

Futons were introduced to the western United States during the 1970’s. They were quickly adopted into the culture of college students and apartment dwellers and anyone else living within the confines of limited space. Today’s futons can be found in many bright and vibrant colors and covers can be purchased in all kinds of materials from rich tapestries and brocades to even more common materials that are designed for the rigors of day-to-day living and use.

The futons in the U. S. are thicker than those that are in keeping with the traditional Japanese futons. The U. S. varieties are also more reminiscent of traditional furniture than the Japanese mats. Ironically, the western style of futon is growing in popularity and Japan because it is less expensive than the traditional Japanese futon.

Western futons have strong frames that can withstand a great deal of stress and weight. You can typically find 3 distinct styles of futon frames on the market in the U. S. they are: loveseat, which comes in two parts (couch and ottoman), bi-fold, which can be folded in half and works well as both a couch and a bed, and tri-fold, which folds out into a long thin bed. The tri-fold is awesome in small spaces.

Start getting a better sleep today by finding out the facts about sleep number beds, swedish mattressses - tempur pedic, and visco elastic memory foam. What you don’t know wont help you sleep better.

Great Decorating doesn’t necessarily have to cost a lot of money, take a lot of time, or be all that hard to do. One of the things that makes a house a home is using elements that reflect who you and your family are in unexpected ways. Think outside the box with decorating and have fun with it.

Here are some inexpensive ideas to help you to give your home a decorator’s look. Many of them can be done in just one day! The goal is to have people walk into your room and say, “I would never have thought of doing that!”

• Stack old suitcases to create an instant side table. If they don’t already have those great old travel stickers, you can find replicas now at your craft stores and art supply stores.

• If you have neutral furniture, switch out your rooms accessories twice a year. Once for spring/summer and again for fall/winter – for example, have two sets of pillows and throws for your sofas and switch them out. Go even further with this idea and switch out your window treatments too. Using a lighter airy fabric for the spring/summer and heavier and richer fabric for the fall/winter months.

• Find and collect an odd number of antique door knobs. Attach them to a finished piece of wood horizontally for an interesting yet functional place for guests to hang their coats by your door.

• For rooms that have a cottage theme, use white washed painted picket fencing on your wall as your Wainscoting.

• Bring the outdoors in… you’ve probably seen this recently on a decorating show, find a square container and plant grass in it for your coffee table or sofa table. It adds fun unexpected texture to your table-scape.

• If you have a sports fan in your home, let restaurants like TGIFriday’s and Applebee’s inspire you and hang vintage sports memorabilia on your walls. I’ve done this with a vintage leather golf bag and because we have so many great antique shops where I live (in Puyallup, WA) I was able to find a few wooden antique golf clubs to place inside. In this same room I also had a baseball wall-scape consisting of a vintage baseball print along with an antique catchers mask and mitt that I hung using fishing line on the back side.

• For a game room, hang some board games on the wall for some fun color and a fun conversation piece. You can even get them framed if you prefer.

• For a media room, find vintage movie projectors (check e-bay). If they’re in rough shape, clean them up and paint them all one color. If you have more than one, place them together to form a collection.

• Don’t just have books on your bookshelves. Hang a picture inside the bookcase or stand them on a plate stand.

• Hang a smaller picture lower than usual–between the top of the end table and the bottom of the lamp shade for an unexpected element of surprise for the person sitting in the chair.

• Don’t hang all your art. Use a large crown molding shelf to set prints on and simply lean the artwork against the wall. It’s not only functional but adds an architectural element instead of just hanging prints flat on the wall.

• Place furniture in unexpected places. Bring down the beautiful antique dresser from upstairs to the entry of your home. Place a lamp on it, a little bowl or basket for your keys and cell phone at the end of the day, a small favorite family photo and some fresh flowers. The top drawer would be a perfect home for your family’s gloves, hats and scarves to grab before walking out the door. Another example–place a curio cabinet in a bathroom. I personally have a shabby chic styled one in the corner of my guest bathroom. Something you would usually find in one of the other living areas of a home. It’s painted, weathered, and I receive complements on it every time we have new guests over. However, instead of china or a collection of tea pots inside, I have things like apothecary jars; one filled with unwrapped soaps and one with natural sea sponges. I added a few rolled hand towels, a large botanical clay platter on a plate stand, a little stone statue, and a couple of trinket boxes. People are always surprised when they find this cabinet in my bathroom.

• Take this concept outside too. For the Fall season, place a small painted old wooden chair on your front porch. Place fall leaves on the seat and then pile it high with a mound of gourds showing the leaves poking out from underneath around the edges of the seat of the chair. Wrap some craft store fall colored berry garland around the tall back of the chair and weave through the gourds piled on the seat.

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