The Blind Blog

Beach houses are usually places where your family and guests can sleep and shower in between swimming and soaking in the sun, but if it turns out to be rainy or chilly, you're going to want to have a quality living room. Although the central room of your beach cottage may be small, you can take advantage of this set-up to create a cozy, comfortable area. 

Space
Your cottage living room may not be huge, but there are several ways to tweak the room and make it feel larger. One of the easiest tips is to simply have less furniture and fewer items. Eliminating large pieces like dressers and bookshelves will make the space feel larger, and less clutter will feel cleaner. Try using a wrap-around couch or built-in shelving to conserve space, notes HGTV.

Colors
Since you're already at the beach, you may want to take advantage of some blues and yellows. This already calming color combination will make your guests think of the sand and sea outside while still being in the clean comfort of home. InteriorDesign.net notes that sanding floors by hand with steel wool and vinegar can create a rustic feel, though certain woods like oak or mahogany should be avoided when using this technique. 

Materials
Using wicker for the furniture of your home will both add to the classic feel of a beach house and allow you to spend less time maintaining your cottage. The sturdiness of quality wicker makes this material perfect for furniture that's both indoors and outdoors. Salty sea air can also be punishing to many materials, so it's often better to be pragmatic when choosing furniture. Another great advantage of wicker is the ease of removing and washing cushions, so you don't have to worry too much about spills or wet beach-goers taking a seat before completely drying off.

You'll also want to base your decor around natural materials. Using wood blinds or bamboo blinds will make the space feel more relaxed and will match well with exposed woodwork and wicker furniture.

Decorations
The beach is lined with tons of free accessories for your beach home. A day of beach combing can yield colorful clam shells, conch shells, sea glass and unusual rocks that have washed ashore. Try placing a bowl of found items by a window with a celluloid shade - the controlled amount of light will make the items sparkle while still controlling glare. 

Summer is just around the corner, so while others are stressing about their beach bodies, you can relax and have some fun decorating your bedroom for the sweltering season. Here's how.

Switch up your sheets
If you don't have AC or don't want to spend the money to put your house on ice, your bedroom is probably pretty warm. It's the perfect time to give your cozy flannel sheets a break and slip your bed into something more comfortable. Take a tip from Hugh Hefner and try something bold like satin sheets: The slippery fabric will keep you cool and give your room a fresh edge. 

Change your custom window treatments
Having multiple sets of curtains on hand to switch every season is a great way to satisfy your decorating craving. In the hotter months, take down your opulent drapes in favor of something lighter, like brightly colored cellular shades. The delicate material can help to let some sunlight into your room and make you more energized and ready to play outdoors. Shades are also easy to adjust, meaning you can filter the light in the heat of day then let it shine as the sun starts to set. Just remember sunscreen when you head to the beach!

With the Fourth of July right around the corner, you may be thinking of stocking up on your red, white and blue. But rather than just placing mini flags strategically around the house, here are some fun ways to salute your country with interior design. 

If you have a house that faces the street, you may be able to use the windows to make a large scale, understated American flag. Just switch out your custom window treatments for ones that are some variation of red, white and blue. Use the white curtains in the upper level room whose windows face the street, and use the red and blue elsewhere. Extra points if you can rearrange the rest of your decor to match!

Another subtle way to decorate for the Fourth of July is to buy flowers in patriotic colors! You don't have to arrange them together, but placing them around the room is a nice nod to the nation on its birthday. Try planting flowers like lily-of-the-valley, hydrangeas, zinnias, poppies and grape hyacinths on your lawn or in window boxes for a similar effect. 

Bookshelves are a great way to decorate: They don't take up much floor space and they provide an area on which to store various items. Here are some tips for creating an aesthetically pleasing bookcase. 

Make it functional
Turn your bookshelf into a usable space by arranging a bar set on it. You can also use the space as an area on which to display your collections. HGTV notes that collections are particularly visually appealing because the items are usually similar, but vary enough to keep it interesting. Mix the collection in with your novels to make it eclectic. However, if you choose to install a minibar on the shelves, keep it separate from your hardcovers to avoid exposing them to water damage. 

Put like with like
HGTV also suggests grouping items together based on their color, size or function. For example, arrange a group of white vases of different sizes together on one end of the shelf, and stack a few antique books on the other side. Experiment with odd numbers and asymmetrical design to make it seem as though you put it together off the cuff. Who knows - by arranging your shelves sporadically, you may find a set up that you enjoy more than any organized design. 

Turn it into a stage
One of the simplest ways to turn your bookshelf into something dramatic is by hanging a set of custom window treatments in front of the books and keeping them partially drawn. This gives it the effect of a curtain being pulled onstage, lending a unique feel to the room. This also allows more attention to fall on your books. 

Real Simple also recommends putting empty frames on bookshelves and mantles to obtain a stark geometry - but putting empty picture frames in front of books will also draw more attention to the binding and titles. 

Cleaning the kitchen can sometimes be as easy as running the dishwasher, but to create a tidy, organized environment, there are some steps you need to take. 

1. Get rid of old ingredients 
Unless ingredients are creating a stink in the back of your fridge, chances are you barely notice old items that you don't need anymore. Things such as old flour that you'll never use because your child was diagnosed with a gluten allergy, baking chocolate that you won't eat because you're on a diet, and the beef in the back of your freezer that's probably too old to eat by now you should toss. Go through all of your cabinets, your fridge, and your freezer, and get rid of anything that you don't think you'll ever need. 

2. Cut out extra tools
Kitchen tools can build up quickly, from the kitschy egg-shaped timer you got as a wedding present to the plastic flatware you've had since college. You don't need to necessarily get rid of these - if you have the storage space and think you could use some things for entertaining in the future, stow them away in a labeled box in your basement or attic. But cut out the things you have two of and accessories that have the same function: You don't need two of the same size butcher knife. 

3. Replace old accessories 
Make your kitchen look cleaner by replacing old dingy items, such as cracked tile or old discount window treatments. For an especially clean look, get cordless shades for your new, tidy space. If you keep your pans on display, get rid of the ones that are too scratched to use and substitute them with shiny copper pans. 

Tuscan-style design joins rustic and sophisticated aesthetic into one happy union, and provides the perfect atmosphere for summer days. Here are some of the elements of the Italian-inspired decor. 

First, try to get some ideas from travel magazines or coffee table books. While the look is easily recognized, it's not always easily defined. In other words, determining some specific elements and design ideas that you'd like to replicate in your home can help give you direction and keep you on track with your decor. This could also be as simple as clicking through some pictures on the internet. 

Colors
The color scheme in a Tuscan-style room is usually warm and features a lot of neutrals. For example, you might find off-white walls with rusty orange accents and hardwood floors. HGTV recommends drawing inspiration from an Italian hillside, and describes the typical palette as earthy. Try adding a glaze over the paint color to add dimension.

Materials
For this style of design, lots of natural materials are used, such as wood or wicker. Try hanging wicker baskets to get both the rustic element and the rough texture. However, you might also find that exposed brick and terra cotta tiling creates the sort of Tuscan vibe that you seek. To save money, you could look for tiles that resemble terra cotta without actually sporting the clay material. The source suggests using wrought iron accents, perhaps in the form of low-hanging overhead lighting or in intricate candelabras. 

Structure
Tuscan style rooms typically have high ceilings and sweeping arcs, so if you have a space with unusual architecture, this kind of design might be the best way to take advantage of it. Try contributing to the natural feel of the design by plastering your walls with an uneven texture, like popcorn ceilings.

Accessories
In the Italian countryside, where neighbors might be few and far between, custom window treatments aren't always necessary, but not all of us are so lucky. You can maintain the feel of the design by using luxurious floor-length drapes in your chosen color scheme. Other room accessories include antique accessories like trunks or heavy candle holders. For wall art, this style of room typically sticks either to bare walls or simple framed photos. You can also decorate with old-fashioned sunburst mirrors or oil paintings of the environment you're trying to emulate. 

Whether it be for a backsplash or a bathroom floor, tiling is a do-it-yourself challenge that the ambitious homemaker loves to tackle. But before you grab the grout and don your overalls, here are some trends in tiling that you should consider exploring, and what decor they would go with. 

1. Glass 
Colorful, incandescent and fun, this is a perfect tile for a romantically-inspired commode. Their sheen looks like fish scales and lends a mysterious tone to any bathroom or kitchen. Match blue glass tiles to neutral colors like bamboo shades for a natural-looking powder room, or use neutral glass tiles to add some shine and flair to your contemporary kitchen. 

2. Imitation 
Imitation tiles are gaining popularity in the restroom, as they offer a swell-resistant alternative to hardwood, according to HGTV. 

"The tile industry has gotten really creative at manufacturing tiles out of one material to look like another material," Christine Jurs, owner of the Advance Design Studio, told the source. 

Tile your bathroom floors with the waterproof wood imitations, and decorate with darker hues for a rustic atmosphere. You can also go all out and take the tiles up the walls to make your washroom resemble a spa sauna. 

3. Penny tiles
Penny tiles in shiny copper finishes cross a retro feel with a futuristic vibe. These tiles, along with other metals, give your kitchen or bathroom some functional bling. In a kitchen, try a copper penny tile backsplash paired with white cabinets and walls and dark countertops. Continue the neutral hue with wooden roller shades, and spread the shine with stainless steel appliances. 

In a bathroom, do a penny tile stripe across all four walls to break up your usual tile, or do the whole floor in the tiny tiles for a unique take on a classic floor. 

Even if you live alone, it's likely that you spend a decent amount of time each week in your laundry room. The area has the tendency to look a bit bleak, whether it's a cramped space, in an unfinished basement or is part of a multi-purpose area. Here are some tips for brightening it up.

Small laundry rooms
In small spaces, efforts should be made to make the room appear less busy and cramped. One way to do this is by painting the walls white, or any particularly light hue. This will make the room look bigger and feel airier, eliminating some of the stressful feel. You could also try utilizing walls for storage to maximize the amount of available floor space and give yourself more room to move around in. Keep the walls and ceiling smooth and in solid colors, as texture - both visual and tactile - will make the space look smaller than it is. Roman shades, as opposed to blinds, are a great way of keeping the walls smooth. Try to place items in convenient, reachable places, so you're not forced to move around the tiny room as much.

Basement areas
A laundry room in an unfinished basement runs the risk of looking dark and unpleasant. You don't have to complete your cellar in order to reverse this process: There are some simple things you can do to make the space nicer. To make the area seem less gaping, put in a divider. This could be in the form of a privacy screen, or custom window treatments hung from the ceiling. Aim for light or bright colors to counter the tendency of basements to be dark and musty looking. You can further divide the area by strategically placing a table on which to fold laundry in the space. Use a folding table to save money - but cover it with a bright tablecloth to liven it up. Consider putting a rug down in your washer and dryer area: Not only with this distinguish the pseudo-room, but it will also help to warm it up, as basements typically have cold, concrete flooring.

Strive to give yourself ample lighting in your laundry room. Avoid the traditional overhead basement lights and try to use antique looking floor lighting to give the space a unique feel.

Combination rooms
Laundry rooms are often combined with mud rooms or linen closets, which can cause mess and clutter. Make it easier to keep clean by creating a system for yourself. Install cubbies or lockers, or place a chest by the door, apart from your washer and dryer, for your shoes and jackets to help organize yourself. Hide some of your laundry-related clutter by storing your detergent and other items in baskets or other containers, or by keeping them hidden on shelves behind patterned curtains.

More design ideas
To make the room beautiful, explore unusual ways to incorporate useful but elegant design elements. HGTV recommends storing powdered laundry detergent in glass jars with metal scoops to eliminate the sometimes clashing bottles of product. Find a method of drying clothes that is also visually appealing, like hanging a stripped birch branch on the wall and hanging your delicates from it. Don't be afraid to use various wall decorations either - framed vintage detergent ads are a cute way of adding visual interest while keeping with your laundry room theme. You can also try hanging pretty baskets for a unique means of storage with maintaining form.

The interior of your home is important, but the warmer months provide you with the perfect opportunity to adorn its exterior. Planting colorful window boxes is a great way to invigorate your home on a dime, albeit temporarily. Here are some tips for how.

Pick the right flowers
Real Simple recommends choosing flowers that do best with the amount of sunlight that the window box in question would receive. If the front of your home gets a lot of direct sunlight, consider planting Dusty Millers or Verbenas, and if the opposite is true, grow Dark Hearts and Kiwi Ferns.

Take proper care
Out-of-ground soil holds less moisture and nutrients than soil still in the ground, according to Martha Stewart. Use a water-soluble plant food to help supplement some of the disparity, and be sure to water regularly. 

Further adornment
While passersby are admiring your lively flower box, give them an attractive background that doubles as a visual barrier. Cellular shades in light colors make gorgeous backdrops for vibrant flora while helping you to maintain your privacy. 

House Beautiful dubbed the hi-tech man cave one of the top 2013 interior decorating trends, and it's hard to disagree. Who would object to making the sweaty rec room into a more upscale area? Here's how to transform the cave into an elegant but masculine TV room. 

Don't neglect design
One of the worst things about the typical "man cave" is that it looks like a space thrown together with spare parts - a shag rug, plaid sofas and mismatching curtains does not make for the most attractive room. Stick to a specific design in your decor. Both rustic and contemporary design are gorgeous while still being masculine, and they use similar elements. Decorate with a lot of rustic, natural materials like wooden blinds, canvas fabrics or leather accessories, and try to use a muted color palette. 

Keep the team colors to a minimum
As a general rule, vivid green and yellow should not be painted on all the walls to match the giant Green Bay Packers rug you received as a gift from your mother-in-law. That being said, there are other ways to show pride, such as artfully framed photos from the team's winning games, or by putting vintage memorabilia on display. If you want a quirky man cave, derive colors from the uniforms and subdue them in some way. For example, for Packers fans, use a deep green as your primary decorating color and light yellow as an accent and offset these with natural materials. Sports watchers will get the hint, but anyone who isn't an avid fan will find it a tastefully decorated room. 

Up the tech
The man cave is all about comfort, and what's more comfortable than having hi-tech accessories do most of the work for you? Consider installing custom window treatments that retract automatically or a flat screen TV mounted into a frame on the wall, fitted with a DVR to record the games while you're away. You could also set up an overhead projector facing a white wall, so you can watch the game (or your program of choice) on a big screen without the big screen price, or the look of a massive TV in your home. 

Wicker is a summer design staple, but it doesn't have to be contained to the porch or a beachside cottage! Here are some tips for bringing the material indoors.

Change up the color
Wicker furniture tends to come in two hues, neutral and white. The neutral can be limiting in terms of design, and white runs the risk of being too reminiscent of your grandmother's living room. If you find a chair in the material but it doesn't entirely fit with your décor, be proactive and change the color yourself with some spray paint. The process is simple, and almost always comes out professional looking. Just be sure to use a white primer first.

Painting your wicker furniture gives you the opportunity to totally streamline your design. Choosing a deep color, like navy or dark red, makes the piece grown-up and sophisticated, quite the trip from the kitschy dollhouse wicker we're used to. Match the hue to a color that already exists in the room, say from your roman shades or cushions.

Go bold and exotic
The summery feel of the material - think hot afternoons on the porch sipping cocktails in a wicker chair - gives it the potential to be exotic and exciting. Experiment with bright punches of color like orange and fuchsia in striking patterns on throw pillows or tablecloths. Keeping the wicker in its neutral color helps to lessen the punch, but the intricate weave manages to keep up with the daring hues and patterns. Further the exotic theme by scattering fragrant floral arrangements wildly throughout the room.

Stay neutral
Ever the versatile material, wicker is able to weave itself seamlessly into a room of all light brown, adding the necessary texture to make a monochromatic room interesting. Granted, this doesn't have to be an all-beige room, but letting the natural pigment of the wicker speak for itself and flow through the rest of the space looks clean and airy. Keep the walls white and decorate in shades of taupe, making sure to vary the texture throughout the area. Draw contrast between the wicker furnishings and the cushions that top them by keeping the fabric silky and smooth, like in a silk or suede material, and add further texture by using bamboo blinds. 

Colors set the tone for an entire room. You could have pristine furniture and painstakingly arrange it to perfection, but if the hues are drab, jarring or clash just a little, it's likely that your efforts will go unnoticed. Picking a color palette can be tough, but it can also be fun! Here are some tips for selecting what hues to decorate with. 

1. Use your favorite color
While using your pigment of choice ceiling to floor in every room isn't always the best idea, monochromatic decor when done correctly is a bold and modern choice, and seeing your favorite color throughout a room can be uplifting. You can keep it from overwhelming the eye by varying shades and textures and using a neutral accent color. For example, if you're painting your walls blue, consider using bamboo window shades to break it up while still allowing the hue to take center stage, and find furniture with upholstered cushions and wooden legs. Alternate the visual textures of the room by using patterns that primarily feature blue, and switch up the textiles that you're decorating with to create interest. One way of doing this is by putting canvas covers on the pillows that top a suede couch, and using a knit throw to pull it together. 

2. Determine a mood
Another way to go about picking a color scheme is to follow a feeling. If you want your bedroom to be tranquil, use colors that have been proven to calm, such as light grays and blues. Choose a main color, like a hazy blue, and find the pigment in lighter and darker shades. By decorating with mostly the darker colors, you'll create a more dramatic environment, and by going primarily lighter, perhaps with white walls, your space will look more airy. 

For a vibrant look, consider warm shades like yellow and orange, and use natural materials as an accent.

3. Glean inspiration
Using a furnishing or piece of art to establish a palette is often a good idea - if you enjoy a color scheme on a rug or custom window treatment, chances are you'll enjoy it when it's carried through the rest of the room. Pick which hue you want to be the dominant color and use it to paint the walls, and choose others as accents or neutrals in moldings, furnishings and other accessories. Inspiration can also be found in antique items, not for their exact color, but for the atmosphere that they cultivate. A vintage chair in a moody, deep purple could serve as a starting point for creating your custom palette.

4. Try trends 
If you're repainting to refresh a tired room, try using colors that have shown up in droves on the runway and are then reflected in popular interior design. This season, fiery hues are in vogue, such as lemon yellow, nectarine orange and poppy red. The yellow looks great in an airy room that features a lot of white, and when used in the form of pillows, small accessories such as picture frames and with floral arrangements. It can also be used in large quantities, such as in cellular shades and wallpaper. When using bold colors like nectarine and poppy red that don't always match other hues, concentrate them on the accents of a room in order to give yourself more freedom when decorating the rest of the space. 

If you live in a woodsy area and want your kids to enjoy being up in the trees with all the comforts of home, you may want to consider installing a tree house. These lofty abodes can be designed in an amazing array of styles and built in many configurations. By following the right design tips, your treehouse will be a homey addition to your yard as well.

Logistics
First and foremost, check with your county and city zoning board to ensure that building a treehouse is permissible in your neighborhood.

Secondly, pick a good tree to support your project. There are a few ways to construct a treehouse: between the branches or around the trunk. If you happen to have a tree in your yard with sturdy branches far enough apart to suspend the base of the house, you may be able to start by securing a platform across. However, you can also design a treehouse around the tree trunk - this will requires more beams and preparation, but it produces a very sturdy model, The Independent notes. Of course, as with all carpentry projects, don't take on more than you can handle. A rickety treehouse can be both dangerous and unattractive.

Theme
While many treehouses are cabin-like, you can make yours stand out with some flair. A list of fantastical treehouses in Popular Mechanics features one modeled after the Taj Mahal. The gorgeous shapes found in the buttresses and towers of India's architectural masterpiece are mimicked here in a smaller form. While your treehouse may not be inspired by a palace, try basing your design on a theme and base the work from there.

Color and accessories
Just because a treehouse is in the woods doesn't mean is has to be rustic: You can bring elements of interior design outdoors. Try experimenting with different wood stains for the planks, or go all-out with fun colors and play up the contrast between the natural colors of the tree and your house. Inside the house, you'll want to include some light furniture, such as lawn chairs and discount window treatments to keep the sun at bay. Using wood blinds and furniture can be very effective and will add to the natural feel of the treehouse. 

Whether you want to build it yourself or just do the design work, putting a treehouse in your yard can add fun and appeal to your property.

Household mold is bad for both you and your family's health as well as the general appeal of your house. Once mold beings to grow, its unpleasant musty odor can be difficult to remove and may even cause permanent damage to walls, ceilings and other fixtures. These three easy tips can help to combat this spore.

1. Keep water out
Excess water in your home can easily start a mold situation. This is often caused by rainwater leaking into your home, resulting in high humidity - a prime condition for mold growth. This is quite common in basements, even if they are fully furnished.

One easy way to avoid water leaking into your home is to check the slope of the soil next to your home's foundation. If the soil is leaning toward your home, this may cause water to get inside, potentially leading to a mold issue. To be sure whether or not this is an issue, pour some water over the soil and see which way it runs. It if goes toward your home, HGTV suggests trying some simple landscaping to change the direction of the slope away from your home.

2. Dry out the basement
Even taking these steps, the basement can still be damp enough to foster mold growth that can spread throughout your home. Many opt to use a dehumidifier to soak up the moisture that can be common in the lowest room of the house. Additionally, check all the windows and pipes to be sure that they're watertight. If your basement is home to a central heating or cooling unit, make sure that any water drainage is properly caught and removed.

If there are already wet or moldy patches in the basement, you can use commercial cleaning products, or, if you prefer a more natural approach, items like corn starch or arrowroot powder can also do the trick, notes FrugallySustainable.com.

3. Get some sunshine
Sunlight is a natural disinfectant according to common wisdom. If your basement has windows, give them a good scrub to let in as much sunlight as possible. Consider installing some window blinds that can easily be opened and shut to alternatively allow sunlight and hide any valuables you may be storing. If your basement is also home to a den or living room, you'll want to get appealing honeycomb shades or venetian blinds that will allow a little sunlight in even when they're closed.

Rustic styles are all the rage these days. And even though the word technically means unsophisticated, when it comes to decor, it's just the opposite. Using a few touches of wood, handcrafted metal and an earthy color palette can change a dull bedroom into one that glows with country warmth backed by quality styles.

Light
A true rustic bedroom gets as much sunlight as possible. To take advantage of light while still keeping in line with your country theme, use wdistressed wood blinds or fauxwood blinds that let in as much as you want. Focusing on natural materials for your discount blinds will not only maintain the rustic theme, but will also save money for antique furnishings.

Once the sun goes down, you'll still want a natural-feeling source of light. You don't need to use a kerosene lamp to make your home feel rustic - instead, try using heavily shaded lamps to keep the light at a nice, tempered glow. This will help bring out the tones of your wood furnishings as well as provide a cozy ambiance.

Decorations
With a rustic bedroom, vintage is king, or at least objects that have a vintage feel. Souther Living suggests using prints of illustrated wildlife to bring the room closer to nature. Try using simple wood or matte metal frames for your pieces. Anything too flashy can take away from the country look. If possible, consider getting handmade decorations from craft stores or thrift shops. The non-commercial look and quality of these items will help bring together a continuous rustic theme.

Color
Traditionally speaking, rustic decor relies heavily on brown and white. Don't be afraid to use raw cotton materials or other, hardy fabrics like burlap and hemp. These items look great and will often last longer than their heavily dyed counterparts.

However, don't be afraid to push the boundaries of the style. You can till have a soft and feminine look in a country-style home by using touches of pure white against brown and clay colors, notes House to Home. You can also use just about any color that's close to the earth-tone spectrum as long as it's not too bright, so don't be afraid to use pink and purple as long as they're not overpowering.

Red is always a powerful color when used in home decor. It can be sheer drama in certain tones while calm and dignified in others. Regardless of the shade, if you aren't using this color at all in your home decor, you're missing a great opportunity. Here are a few tips to implement the lively hue in your home and capitalize on its distinct energy. 

Where to use red
This versatile color can find itself at home just about anywhere in the house: A red with orange undertones can add tremendous zeal to a kitchen or parlor while a darker red can make for a relaxing sitting room. Bedrooms can easily be painted with red, either with accessories and textiles or as an entire accent wall. Both girls' and boys' rooms can work well with a darker hue of red as well, especially when paired with other vibrant primary colors.

This color can also be effective outside the home. Painting your front door red will ensure that guests passing through your doorway feel energized and welcome, notes Country Living. A red door is a classic of farm houses and barns, so it's ideal for homes going for a country look. Try pairing your red door with simple window blinds or a white Roman shade to complete the look.

Pairing with red
Since red is such a powerful color, it's a great opportunity to go all-out and use dramatic accessories, notes Real Simple. A red room can host decorations that other colors couldn't handle - for example, retro furniture and accessories repainted funky colors and wild wall decorations like antique vanity mirrors can work without a hitch. Walls in a blushing hue will be a perfect backdrop for other fun installments like backless bookshelves or collections of pottery and plates since you'll still get a peek of the red behind them. 

Although this color can be as dramatic as you please, gentler tones like maroon and brick are more dignified. These colors lend themselves well to studies, home offices and personal libraries. The shade will make you feel warm and cozy as you settle down to enjoy a nice read. 

You may even want to keep your red usage to highlights, which can be just as bold as an entire wall. In rooms with lots of white or neutral-toned decor, a few red items will pop and take bland to bold. Try adding a red throw pillow to a pure white couch and enjoy the effect the stark color combination has on your eye. 

The use of statement-making floral motifs is a win, regardless of the season. Here are some suggestions for using this trend in your home.

Martha Stewart recommends thinking outside the box and trying a larger-than-life wall decal. In addition to being easily changed with the holidays or on a whim, the unique but inexpensive wall flowers are sure to turn heads.

Another creative option for decorating with floral motifs is hanging a series of high contrast flower prints on your wall. It's an interesting take on traditional paintings of garden scenes while still utilizing the florals themselves. 

For the office, consider pressing a few of your favorite blooms from the garden. Then place them on your desk, under a sheet of glass heavy enough to not slide around and cut to fit the surface. If your desk has a darker finish and you'd like your pressed flowers to stand out, cut a sheet of quality white or light colored paper to size to slip under the blossoms prior to adding the layer of glass. 

The rest of the room
The exact bloom that you choose won't necessarily make or break the space - it's more about how it fits in. If you want to use a floral as a focal point, the rest of the design should fall in line behind it, and vice versa. For example, if you choose to decorate with a large print of a sunflower, the pieces you choose elsewhere should complement that. In that case, keeping the rest of the room muted and airy with natural accents such as wood blinds and picture frames will let the focus fall on the print while continuing the theme. 

Not all foyers and entryways are whole rooms, and as a result, they frequently go without attention to design. In addition to serving an important function in your house as a convenient area to keep your coats, the foyer is also the prelude to the rest of your home. Not only should your it be a visually appealing area, it should also be well organized in order to maximize its accessibility, and to keep you on a steady morning routine. Read more for some tips on how to decorate your entryway.

Assess your need
Before lifting a paintbrush, think about what you use, or hope to use, your foyer for, who else in your home uses it and where your home is located. Houses at the end of a driveway don't necessarily have to worry about blocking visitors' view of the outside, and have the option of having sheer custom window treatments, while others ought to consider using wood blinds. Even if it's your first apartment fresh out of college, a put-together entryway can help your space to feel grown-up and keep you organized. If you have children, the almost-room can act as a barrier between the muddy outdoors and your living room carpet, and if you live in a chilly climate, you can free up some closet space by stowing your coats and jackets by the front door.

Choose a mirror
A mirror is an entryway staple: not only does it provide you with a way of checking your hair and teeth quickly before running out the door, it also makes the traditionally tiny space appear larger. Kevin Sharkey of Martha Stewart recommends avoiding antiques with filmy glass for this room, and choosing a mirror that suits the size of the area. For instance, if your entryway is tiny, don't overwhelm it with a bulky mirror, but if you have the space, a full-length model could be advantageous. In most cases, it's best to hang the mirror securely rather than propping it up to save yourself from awkward angles and the risk of it falling and shattering.

Pair a console table and tray
Any surface on which to put your keys, mail, watch and other items to grab before dashing is useful, and is even more so when right next to the door. By topping a handsome console table with a rimmed tray, you can gather these things in a more organized fashion, and minimize the chances of knocking your car keys into unseen territory. A classic focal point can be easily made by hanging your mirror above the table, and you can add some interest to the area with a floral arrangement or patterned table runner.

Select your organizational tools
Your organizational tools should reflect the number of people in your home - if you live with one person, a coat rack or series of hooks should suffice for storage, but if you have multiple kids, you should consider installing wooden cubbies or lockers. An alternative would be to purchase a chest in which to keep boots and outdoor toys, which could also act as a place for people to sit when removing their shoes. Try to match your mirror, table, tray and storage units in either style or color for consistency.

Decorate
With the function aspect of your entryway complete, you can focus on making your foyer pop. One inexpensive way of doing this is simply to paint. Draw color inspiration from both the area directly outside of your home - foliage, the color of your house, etc., in addition to the room adjacent to your entryway. While the two rooms should sport similar features for consistency, your foyer should be able to stand on its own.  Consider painting wide strips or zigzags using painters tape to create a fun and creative prelude to your home, or color your walls a bold blue and decorate with neutral accents.

Rather than holding seasonal items in dusty piles in a damp corner, a finished basement provides both storage and more space for yourself and your family in the form of a recreation room, family room, man cave or your area of choice. However, it's easy to capture the feel of a finished basement without breaking the bank on flooring installation and woodwork. Here are some tips on polishing your basement into a livable space. 

It's easy to forget custom window treatments, a nice carpet and comfortable furnishings in your underground lair, but these are the finishing touches that will make it feel homey and accessible. Arranging your unwanted furniture in the basement does not make it a living space - to make it cozy, the accessories ought to rival your upstairs. Either reupholster your old lounge chairs or consider bringing pieces down from other floors to complete the room. This could be the perfect excuse to do some redecorating in the main living spaces.

Little touches like blinds and shades and a clean carpet are necessary for keeping your downstairs from resembling a dusty cellar. Don't forget the small stuff that you use in your upstairs room, and your basement will look finished in no time.