Creating A Vintage Style Bathroom

Are you getting tired of the old-fashioned look of your bathroom? Well, instead of renovating it completely, why don?t you use some of the elements you already have and add a few well-chosen items to create a "vintage" look, which seems to be all the rage at the moment. A daring, but at the same time very popular, idea is mixing black and white. An easy and inexpensive way to give the walls a new look would be to leave the original white tiles and paint one or two walls black. Just one word of caution here: make sure the room receives enough natural light, failing which you might end up with a claustrophobic effect. One way of ensuring this does not happen is to paint all doors and window frames white - as well as the ceiling if possible - to help create a greater sense of space.

Another interesting idea for the tiling in your bathroom is to replace the tiles you have with reclaimed vintage tiles. These can be found from architectural salvage merchants and are often decorated in a style which you just don't find with modern tiles. Their lived-in, slightly tatty look will work perfectly if you are trying to create a vintage style, shabby chic effect. For best results use these tiles on the floor and take the colour scheme from the tiles as your cue for the rest of the room. For example if your reclaimed vintage floor tiles are decorated in yellow and blue, use these same colours on the walls. You could paint the walls yellow, picking out any details, such as a dado rail or cornice, in blue. The effect when done properly is stunning and is a design approach which has been used to great effect when restoring a large number of older properties and hotels in the South of France and in Italy.

If you do not want to go down the route of replacing the tiling altogether, another idea is to change the colour of your tiles using paint specifically for this purpose, although this is a job which is probably best left to the professionals.

Shower screens are undoubtedly very practical and can be decorative, but, let's face it, they are not very appropriate if your aim is to create a vintage style bathroom. A perspex shower screen with stainless steel fittings simply will not look the part in your period style bathroom. Instead, the best solution is to buy an attractive bath or shower curtain. While they may not be as effective as a shower screen, they are more in keeping with the vintage look you are trying to create.

Fortunately, you can find a wide variety of shower curtains in any well-known department store and you will have no trouble finding the perfect one to finish off your 'new' vintage bathroom. An easy way to make this effect more attractive is to hang another curtain, perhaps in heavy cotton or linen over the shower curtain. This heavier curtain keeps the flimsier plastic shower curtain in place, but as it does not come into contact with the water, it stays dry. Needless to say, this outer curtain can be made in a material and pattern of your choosing, so that you can ensure it is in keeping with your overall design approach for the bathroom.

The choice of accessories for your vintage-style bathroom is also important. If you need a new bathroom cabinet or perhaps a new mirror, you could always look around in antique shops to find something suitable and repaint in a colour which matches with the rest of the decor. Flowers, either fresh or dried, will look great in an appropriate vase. Glass or crystal are timeless and work well in vintage surroundings. Mirrors and prints can also make an impact, but, again, go for frames in keeping with your overall design theme. Finally, decorative scented candles will help give your bathroom a relaxed elegant appeal.

The author is owner of the Scented Candle Store where you will find a wide range of home fragrances including scented candles and Yankee candles

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Creating Children's Rooms

Moms and dads, as well as, grandparents often wonder what they can do with their children that let's them bond more and have fun with their kids in the process. We have found one of the most fun and engaging projects for parents, grandparents, kids, and grand kids to do together is decorating the children's room.

When it is time to leave the baby room behind, (Or, whatever transition preschool or preteen) let your child know that it's time to create a new space and that you want their help in doing so.

Gone are the old stereotypes of the color blue is for boys and the color pink is for girls. Using the internet with a little planning can create the look and feel you want; however, don't do this alone. Involving your kids from the beginning is a good thing. By the time your kids are three to five years old they have clear preferences and opinions on how they would like their own personal space to be. By bringing your children's preferences to the forefront and involving them from the beginning in planning, shopping, and the completion; you have helped them develop real life skills and have created a close bonding experience for you both.

You will find the number of options in furniture, decorative accessories, wall murals, and themes are almost limitless. However, you can be sure your child has a fairly limited number of real preferences and from those preferences you can both work out the best approach.

Involving your child has some clear practical issues. Clearly if he or she doesn't really like their room, they will tend to spend less time there and not invite their friends over to play or a sleep over.

From a practical and safety point of view, the furniture and accessories you buy should be appropriate for your child. When you involve them from the beginning and bring them along when you shop you can see if the items you are considering are right for your child. Can they easily reach the shelves and drawers? Sit safely and comfortably in the chairs, sofa, or desk? If the items are too big and the toys are out of reach, they will find a way to get to them and it may not be very safe or you will be constantly moving their playthings around as their minds quickly move from one toy to the next.

You also need to make sure you allow plenty of safely accessible storage. Just like adults, children collect things over the years and need more and more space as they accumulate things.

Once you have the basic theme and furniture, you will need to consider the decorative accessories that will bring the room all together. Whatever theme you have decided on, there are almost unlimited options to enhance the basic room. We believe that wall art is a simple and relatively inexpensive and positive mood creator. Whether a boy leans toward cars, trucks, boats, or sports; and, a girl leans towards flowers, dolls, cuddly animals, ballerinas etc., there are a wide range of options to fit any budget from posters, art prints, framed art, and canvas. Again, involve your kids in the selection process and let them scan the internet and shop with you.

Visual reinforcement helps kids build perception and creative skills.

You will find that involving your children will not only make decorating fun, but provides a special way for you to spend time together.

Linda Romersa, an Interior Designer and Proprietor of the http://www.theart4ustore.com/, a website for online shopping for posters, art prints, framed art, canvas art, and much more, i.e. art for Kids. Shopping online for your decorative art makes decorating easy, fun, and even relaxing.

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Creating a Feng Shui Home Design

Probably the best application of feng shui is the use of the concepts in your home. According to these concepts outlined in feng shui philosophy, this is a big step towards creating healthy lifestyle.

Feng shui can be used to get your house is in order and to ultimately make it a sanctuary where you feel de-stressed and relaxed. Further, it is claimed that it will literally set your life up for greater wealth, happiness, and even romance.

The basics are just that, basic. The primary focus should be on how your house looks and feels upon approach. This includes the outer décor and landscaping, as much as it does the interior.

Let's go over the main functional areas

Outside

The outside of your home should be set up for a positive chi, as it has many impacts on your health. Some tips include making sure your address is clearly visible from the street and getting rid of any dead brushes, shrubs and flowers. Keeping them there indicates that your wealth will die.

Keep the yard clear from any clutter and trim any overgrown plants throughout the yard. This follows the ideas that a clean and organized area allows you to feel harmony upon entrance to the home.

Light the walkway to your door at night, as it will light the way to your wealth and prosperity for years to come.

Family Room

The family room is where everyone comes together and is considered the heart of the home. Thus, is important to make sure it is comfortable and cheerful. Aim to satisfy the needs of those that may be visiting as well as you own needs in your design. Either way, it should be free of excess clutter, which will allow Chi to flow naturally throughout the room.

Keep plenty of natural light in the room and accentuate that light with a color scheme that reflects your own personality, while promoting a natural positive chi. Don't use harsh colors or colors that contrast your other decorations and furniture. Soft pastels are always good. Before making a final decision on color, understand their symbolic definitions.

Red = happiness

Yellow = authority

White = purity

Green = longevity

Blue = heavenly blessings

Bedrooms

The master bedroom should be as far away from the front door as possible, for the security of the homeowner. The foot of the bed should not be placed so that the occupant's feet face a doorway. This is a negative since this is the way the deceased are carried from a room. Part of the bed should always touch a wall because it helps people feel more stable.

As with all rooms, color is important. The color of the bedroom should reflect tranquility and relaxation. One shouldn't compromise their sleep by using too vibrant of a color. It is also recommended to use lower lighting in your bedroom, which can be accomplished simply by lowering the wattage of your light bulbs.

Dining Room

The dining room should be close to the kitchen and in the corner of a home to promote the gathering of chi. The seating should be set so that everyone can talk to each other easily. Round or octagon tables are the best choice. A round table is said to be good because it symbolizes stability.

When arranging furniture in the dining room ensure that chairs do not restrict doorways. There should be ample space for guests to walk around the table without having to maneuver around chairs or other furniture.

If your dining room has no windows a chandelier or a ceiling fan will assist the flow of Chi. Always use soft even lighting in the dining room as well as soft colors such as shades of green or yellow.

Bathroom

The bathroom represents homeowner's finances, so it should be set up appropriately. Ideally, the bathroom should not be visible from the front door or to close to the kitchen. It should be clean, well lit, and well ventilated. Proper ventilation allows the negative sha energy to be relieved quickly, allowing the positive chi to remain.

Kitchen

In the kitchen, the placement of the stove and sink are the most important. The stove should be positioned so a person using doesn't have their back facing a doorway. The chef needs to be able to focus and not be surprised.

The sink represents water, so it should not be side by side with he stove, which represents fire. Typically, a well placed mirror should alleviate any design issues you face.

There should be ample room to work around the sink and stove. They should be kept clean and work well to encourage favorable family finances.

Good lighting and ventilation by the stove will reduce the influence of Sha, as will painting the kitchen white. White symbolizes purity and promotes good health.

Using Feng Shui methods around your home is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Everyone has their own needs, and everyone's tastes are different. The bottom line for you is to follow the guiding principles and make your designs work.

With a little feng shui, anyone can improve their health and their outlook on life. However, it should be an understood that a healthy diet and regular exercise should also be incorporated into any healthy living resolution.

Alden Pennington is co-author of NaturalHealthLifestyles.com and has been a natural health enthusiast for many years. Alden graduated from the University of Kentucky and is currently a Human Resources Director with a keen focus on the company wide health and wellness program. http://www.NaturalHealthLifestyles.com

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Tuscan Decorating – Creating a Relaxing Atmosphere

Incorporating nature and natural elements into your decorating is the main point of Tuscan decorating. Tuscan homes will frequently use wrought iron, stones, wood, and warm natural colors to instil a relaxing, rustic and homey living area. Tuscan decorating is popular because of the relaxing atmosphere it creates which can turn into a sanctuary where you can escape from your busy day. Tuscan products can be found in almost all decorating stores.
The original Tuscan style originates from the ancient Romans. Their culture fused nature with functionality and many times the actual house would blend in seamlessly with outdoor elements such as courtyards. Materials, such as stone, where used to give a feeling of age as well as the fact that natural materials last a long time. Most surfaces should look aged and be slightly worn; shiny, metallic pieces are not desired. Your home should look like you have spent many happy years in that area.
Some popular Tuscan features are wooden shutters and deep-set windows as well as terracotta tiling on the roof. Many times gardens are also incorporated into the home by adding on a patio or opening up doors to bring the garden into the home. Sandstone walls, loggia, porticos and trellises are all very Tuscan garden ideas. Water features tend to dominate the focal point of the garden and will be surrounded with terraces of flowers and other brilliant blooms.
If you do use more modern material then it should have a weathered or texture look to it, resembling natural material. Many times these never materials can be a lot easier to clean and have very easy upkeep. Stone and brick are great for walkways and paths as the growth or moss and grass between the cracks produces and old feeling as well as nature interceding onto man. Color washing, faux painting and plaster can all be used effectively throughout the home with the focus on using warm, soft colors.
The use of natural light and allowing it to the entre the home is important and windows should not be covered. The use of wood when possible is also important as wood should never be covered up but be stained and allow its inner glow to permeate the room. Many people will tell you that wood is a live and can breath and this is a great idea for Tuscan decorating.
Marble and wrought iron furniture are also very popular in Tuscan decorating and most bought Tuscan furniture will be distressed. The kitchen and kitchen table is very important as this is where the family gathers so you should get a lovely large, wooden table for your meals. Ceramics and pottery are also good options to be displayed in the kitchen.