Monthly Archives: June 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 d�cor, 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

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,