Monthly Archives: May 2013

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

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

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

Check out Alison's neat entry outlining her big switch from Drapery to Bamboo at her crafty weeks blog. She has a neat etsy shop too!

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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

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

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

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

As an�often neglected part of your home, the level of design that your bathroom�sports can be the telling point of how well your�home is decorated. Standard powder room styles are easy to pull off - just add matching tiles, towels and a mirror. To create a unique bathroom, you don't have to buy expensive appliances like a shower that doubles as a sauna. Just choose a quirky feature and decorate around it. Read more to get some ideas on how to make your restroom stand out.�

Wall decor
Bathroom walls are usually plain,�and hanging an artistic poster doesn't make much difference. HGTV recommends using items from thrift stores and flea markets to adorn your commode. A small dresser's drawers, when removed, can be secured to a wall to create shelves, and add even more visual appeal when the inside bottoms of the drawers are decorated with paint or photographs. The same technique can be used with antique mirrors - hanging a few above your sink serves a purpose while

In the chaos of everyday life, having a calm space to relax is a must, and when it comes to uncluttered and sleek, modern design is the way to go. Modern decor features clean lines and creates a comfortable atmosphere: the�perfect sanctuary for busy people. Here are some tips for decorating a modern bedroom.

Choose your palette�
​The�Freshome blog�notes that this style of design tends to place a bright color as an accent against mostly neutral hues. When choosing a palette, take into account the furnishings that you're planning�to use. For example, if you have a dresser that's painted an antique white, consider using that shade as your main wall color and painting a blue accent wall. The neatness of modern furniture allows you to play with pigment without risk of busyness.�

Use natural materials�
Another common feature of modern decor is the use of natural materials - hardwood floors,