There was a time people thought the world was flat. At another point in history it was believed that women didn't have the know-how to run a business or change a tire. Then there was the one about man not being able to fly. Over time all of these fairytales have proven untrue.

So it is with interior design. Until recently, many people held the belief that having their home decorated by an interior designer was reserved for the rich and famous. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Fact is, many people of average income who live in a middleclass neighborhood are frequently surprised to learn they can easily afford the services of an interior designer. In other cases, many folks prefer to learn tips about design so they have the flexibility to redo a room on a whim. Either way, you have more choices today then ever before.

It is not uncommon to completely redo a room for a one time social event such as a birthday celebration, a graduation or a wedding. With some simple tips, even the most inexperienced person can easily spruce up a room.

Before you begin, think about the style you are interested in. Is it art deco, traditional, Mediterranean, western, modern, or contemporary? These are only a few of the multitude of choices you have. Think through how functional the room will be with what you have in mind. Avoid rugs and chairs that stain easily if there will be a lot of traffic in the room.

Be very careful to scale your furniture to the size of the room. If you have a very large space you can break up the area into little sitting groups or area groups. You can easily shift the "feel" of a room with the use of lighting and/or plants. Area rugs are another tool many designers use to break up large spaces. A variety of paint colors and wall textures can make even the most mundane room come to life.

Small space decorating is fast becoming a favorite topic for many people as real estate prices rise. Think priorities when it comes to small spaces. Do you need to use an area of the room for more than one reason? In some cases you can easily convert the kitchen table to your workspace provided you have cabinet space handy for supplies. A chest of drawers can easily serve this purpose by holding office supplies, linens, or even computer components.

If you are considering utilizing the services of a designer, do your homework. Check their portfolio and references. Find out how they are to work with, did they deliver on time, were they easy to work with and did they listen to the homeowner. If you get an affirmative answer on all of these and their fees are suitable to your budget, then take the leap. Often, interior designs services are provided at no additional cost to you, and will give you the extra edge you need to create exactly the feeling you want for your home.

A great designer can make recommendations you may not have thought of. Ultimately, their goal is for you to be ecstatic with what you were able to accomplish together. After all, you are the one that has to live in the space long after the designer has done their magic.

Copyright: © 2004 by Melody Foster

You've just invested in a beautiful Persian rug. Even though they are durable, they still need to be properly cared for and cleaned. A well maintained rug will last indefinitely. Let's look at some standard care tips.

General Care:

1. Don't forget the padding - get a quality padding to place under your rug. Padding is for more than slippage. It will extend the life of the rug by providing a supportive base that will allow the rug to breathe. A good pad can extend the life of your rug. It protects against dirt, wear and wrinkling specially in high traffic areas.

2. Rotate once a year, at least. This one will depend on where your rug is located. Try to avoid exposure to direct sunlight and high traffic areas. If the carpet is getting a lot of wear, consider rotating it every six months.

3. Vacuuming. Wool is porous and it holds a lot of dirt. Regular vacuuming is essential. Always vacuum with the pile. To determine the direction of the pile, run your hand across the pile from fringe to fringe. The smooth side is the pile. Use the suction attachment or the bare floor setting as a rotary brush may cause added wear. Also, once a year, flip the rug and vacuum the back.

4. Moths. Moths can do some serious damage to your rug. Check the back regularly for infestation. Moths are common in rugs that are in hidden in the dark, such as under a bed.

5. Storage. If you need to store your rug for an extended period of time, roll it tightly into a cylinder. Don't forget to mothproof it first. Cover with kraft paper. Then wrap the rolled rug in Tyvek®, which is water resistant and breathable. Do not use plastic as it will not let the rug breathe and could lead to mildew. Store in a dry, cool well ventilated area. Don't make the mistake of storing it in your attic, or in the rafters of your garage.

Cleaning.

Simple, use a professional. This is not a job for a do-it-yourselfer. Consult your phone book for a reputable place. Plan on having it cleaned every 1-3 years, depending on the amount of traffic.

A Room With A View

Have you ever wished you had a great view right outside your bedroom window but all you see when you wake up in the morning is the wall of the next-door neighbor's house? Well then follow these easy steps to create your own window with a great view.

What You Will Need for This Decorating Project:

1. An old window preferably with the glass still intact. You can find these at flea markets or salvage yards.

2. Poster or picture with a pretty view large enough to put behind the window.

3. 2 mug hooks

4. 1 nail

5. Wire

6. 10 thumbtacks

7. Hammer

If you want to paint the window, do this before moving on to the first step. You should consider though that sometimes the weathered, antique look adds a lot of charm.

How to Get This Look:

- Put the window on the floor and put the poster or picture on it so that the front is facing down.

- Use the thumbtacks to attach the picture or poster to the window.

- Make sure the picture is right side up.

- Lean the window against the wall so that you are looking at the back.

- Put the 2 mug hooks on the back of your window in the top corners.

- Make sure the opening for the mug hooks is facing down.

- Use the wire to create a "hanger" for the window. Secure the two ends of the wire on the mug hooks. Make sure there is a lot of excess wire so that when you hang the window the wire creates a triangle with 4-inch sides.

- Hammer the nail into the wall where you want your window.

- You can now add window treatments to it just as you would a normal window or wrap silk flower garlands around the wire.

Old windows can be used in a variety of ways. Here are just a few more creative ideas for the old window and a plain wall.

Decoupage pressed flowers on the different panes of glass. Try using whole flowers or just petals for an interesting country garden look.

Decoupage postcards from around the world into the panes or pictures of a favorite city, like Paris.

Paint the frame to match your child's room. Attach clothespins (also painted in a coordinated color) all around the outside of the window. As you child grows attach school pictures to the panes and let them use the clothespins to showcase their drawings, report cards and other mementos. When the child graduates you have a ready-made decoration.

Make etched glass designs in the panes or make faux stained glass out of the windowpanes. Your local craft store should have everything you need to do this, from instructions to materials.

Use the window to create a fun decorative piece in the kitchen. Get a shelf the same width as the window and paint it the same color. Put the shelf on the wall just above the window so they look like one piece. Put mug hooks evenly spaced along the bottom of the window frame and use them to hold cute mugs, wire whisks, ladles, potholders or other items. Put recipe books along with a few decorative items that match your kitchen on the shelf, such as a vase of flowers, decorative plates or a nice clock.

© 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard.

Are you tired of the look of your furniture? Do you fancy changing the appearance of your room, but don't want the cost and hassle of buying a whole new suite? Well, the good news is that giving your home a makeover can be as simple as adding some furniture slipcovers. If you have some pieces of furniture with mismatching upholstery or you simply want a change, then some new slipcovers could work wonders.

So, what exactly are furniture slipcovers? They are a cheaper alternative to re-upholstering your furniture. Re-upholstery can be an expensive option depending on the amount of work needed to make your furniture look as good as new. It can involve replacing the existing fabric, replacing worn out cushions and in some cases fixing the frame and springs. It depends on the value of the furniture as to whether it is worth the effort and expense. Furniture slip covers on the other hand are basically fabric covers that can easily be fitted over existing upholstery.

There are many benefits of using fitted slipcovers over re-upholstery, not least the lower costs. Sofa slipcovers are an excellent way to disguise unattractive upholstery on your existing sofa as well as transforming the look and color scheme of a whole room. You can use sofa slipcovers to create a completely different feel. For example, careful choice of the right slipcover patterns can help add a welcoming atmosphere of warmth to a room. Or maybe you want to create the illusion of space in a small room by adding some lighter colored sofa slip covers.

Another advantage of furniture slipcovers is that they can protect your existing fabric from becoming dirty or worn, prolonging the life of your furniture. Whether you have pets or small children or just want to prevent damage caused by accidental spills, slipcovers are an ideal solution. Slipcovers are made from durable, hardwearing materials. Cotton fabrics are common, but all sorts of other fabrics are popular too such as leather, suede, corduroy and velvet. They are designed to be easy to remove and clean, which means they can be changed as often as you like. Many are fully machine washable.

Did you ever wish your bedroom was bigger or smaller? Well if you don't have enough money to change the actual size of the room, then you can use paint to make the bedroom seem bigger or smaller.

Paint is well known as one of the least expensive and easiest ways to change the look of any room, but if you pick your colors carefully you can give the space a new feel as well as a new look. Certain colors can make your bedroom walls feel closer or farther away.

If you have a small bedroom and you want it to feel more spacious, then consider painting the walls a receding color. These are the blue ? green ? purpleish colors and any combination thereof. Look at a basic color wheel ? you'll see that those colors are all next to each other on one side. You probably want to avoid the darkest of these combinations, however as painting a room in very dark tones can make it look smaller overall.

If you want to make a large bedroom feel more cozy, then paint the walls advancing colors. These are the colors on the other side of the color wheel ? the reds, oranges and yellow. Bright warm colors will close in the space and make the room seem cheerful and cozy. Also if you have a large cavernous room with a very high ceiling, consider painting the ceiling a medium or dark color which will make bring the appearance back down to a normal height.

When painting your bedroom, make sure you buy enough paint to do the job! Consider how many coats you will need. A dark color may need several coats. IF you are trying to paint a light color over a dark, you may need to use some primer and also a couple of coats. 1 gallon of paint can do about 400 square feet so keep this in mind. To measure your room, go around the edge of all the walls with a measuring tape and record the total width. Measure the height from floor to ceiling and multiply by total width to get the square footage. Measure all the doors and window opening and subtract this from the total square footage (or not, it's always a good idea to have a little extra paint then not enough!).

Do you dream of adding style to your home but don't have a lot of money? Don't despair! There are 5 things you can do that will help your house look beautiful without spending much money.

1. Declutter your home.

Nothing zaps a great look like clutter. Look around you. Do you have paper plies or mail stacks? Do you just add to your knickknack collection rather than rotate your select favorites? When was the last time you saw the front of your refrigerator? Simple solutions that cost very little money are to invest in nice office trays, pretty bulletin boards and frames for your child's artwork. Make the trash can handy to immediately toss unwanted mail. Taking away the clutter will make your space appear larger and help your treasured objects be emphasized rather than lost.

2. Make display surfaces pretty.

A key element in houses that are decorated by a professional rather than want-to-be is the art of accessorizing. Flat surfaces such as mantels, bookcases, and coffee tables are the perfect places to restyle for less. The one important point here is to keep it simple. Bookcases should only be 2/3 full. A mantle should not have mirror above it (a very dated look) ? choose artwork instead. Place no more than three items on an end table ? cluster these varied but related items together for more impact.

3. Paint to Impress.

Paint, as you know, makes the most dramatic change for the money. Be bold, be daring and most importantly -- don't do white! Choose a complex color. This simply means if you would use several different words to describe the color than it is probably complex. For example; if you said it was a kinda "gold, straw, beige-y color" than it is probably a complex color. If you said "just yellow" - it probably is not a very inspiring look. A beautiful color on the walls can make the room go from ordinary to extraordinary in less than a day and usually for less than $50.

4. Make it personal

Decorating your house is a job but styling your home is fun. Personalization is putting your interests, hobbies or values into your décor to really make it your own. Buy simple ? read inexpensive - curtains at your local big-box store and then buy exquisite wide ribbon to hot glue on the edge. Use your grandson's first sneakers to tie back the den curtains. Use some family photos but just promise not to use too many. A guest coming for a visit may find all those staring eyes unnerving.

5. Change with the seasons.

You know the drill ? lighter brighter for spring/summer and darker richer for fall/winter. This easy task of changing the fabric items around the home can help you make it seasonal. Change out placements, bath towels, and accent pillows. The final touch is to purchase a seasonal bouquet of flowers: fresh or fake- these centerpieces can add punch to a room.

Futon Covers are made from some of the unique & supreme upholstery fabrics produced in the home furnishings industry.

Futon covers allow the customers with the exclusive opportunity of changing their room decor by changing the futon covers. The futon cover also facilitates in grand way to get customers at least peep back into the store for repeat business. Proper care and washing will greatly extend the life & beauty of your futon cover and protect your valuable deal.

The futon cover is primarily decorative but it also serves the very important function of protecting the mattress and furniture from dirt & spills. The futon covers come in wide range of prices, variety of colors and styles.

How to take care of your precious futon covers?

1. Wash monthly: The covers should be washed at least once a month by using a sponge and a mild solution of liquid ivory soap and clear lukewarm water. The solution should be applied to a clean wet sponge and the cover should be washed and rinsed well. Then it should be towel dried.

2. Do not use: Saddle soaps, oils, abrasive cleaners, furniture polish, varnish or ammonia based products should never be used for futon covers. The futon cover is already preserved in the tanning process and needs no maintenance other than the simple cleaning recommended

3. The Sun can be harmful: The new cover should be kept out of direct sunlight. Sunlight can dry and possible fade the cover, much like a sun's effects on our own skin.

4. Use cotton covering: When you store, it should be placed in a cotton covering. Proper breath ability is essential because it will give a long life to the futon cover.

5. No oils or chemicals: Keep the futon cover out of the way of harsh chemicals. Hairsprays, perfumes, and the like can contain alcohol and/or other chemicals that are detrimental to the lifespan of the futon cover.

6. Turning: To equalize wear and maximize comfort, turning your futon cover over and turning from end to end every other month is recommended.

7. Fluffing: Fluffing the covers allows air into the fibers and evens out the peaks and valleys from sitting and sleeping. Fluffing enhances the product's comfort and resilience.

At Futon Covers USA you get the extraordinary shopping experience with features like high quality, trust, honesty, customer value and a guarantee to be the lowest price on the internet ? as the arrows in the quiver. To read more just give us a KNOCK...

Dan Noyes is a very well known author who writes articles on various topics including various categories of products like futons!

Spring is here and for many of us it's the perfect time to organize and decorate. As winter passes into spring, it's out with the old look and in with the new look. This is a great time to bring some new ideas into your home and liven things up!

Spring is a great time to find bargains on decorating accessories at yard and garage sales. As the seasons change, many times your local thrift and consignment stores will have a change in inventory. This is the time when many folks finally donate unwanted merchandise that's just been sitting around the garage or house. Spring cleaning!

My advise??..have your own yard or garage sale and make some extra money on those items. But, lucky for us frugal shoppers, there are some folks who just don't want to take the time. So, be sure not to miss out on decorating supplies, furnishings, accessories, paint, wallpaper, and fabrics that can be found at many thrift stores.

Sometimes pulling items from one room to another and simply re-organizing, fixing up, or just using an item in a different way can be enough. Add a fresh coat of paint, different window dressings and replacement of furnishings, and WHA LAH! You have a new room.

Need some paint? If you can be flexible about color, check the mis-mixed table at your local home improvement, hardware, or paint stores. You can find high quality paints for a fraction of the original retail cost when colors don't turn out exactly as they should have. Sometimes you can find a slight variation of just the color you've already picked that will work just as well with your selected color scheme and save you lots of money.

I buy these mis-mixed paints (usually for $2-3 per gallon or less) throughout the year and store them appropriately for later use. This way I go shopping in my own paint department first to see if I can accommodate the decorating plan I have chosen. Planning ahead and grabbing these types of decorating supplies when they're a bargain is a great way to maximize your savings.

Collecting fabrics for future use is also another great idea. Even unwanted clothing can be used to create small window dressings, pillow covers, and accessories. Many people give away scraps of fabrics or sell them at yard sales. Be sure to check clearance and end piece items at sewing and fabric shops. It's really so simple to make a curtain or a pillow. Usually only requires sewing simple seams.

For more complicated tasks, if you can't figure it out for yourself, you're sure to find a how to book at any library or search on-line for free information.

I've found some excellent ideas for decorating on a budget, do-it-yourself projects, and some great decorating theme ideas from HGTV (Home and Garden Television). Even if you don't get this wonderful T.V. channel in your home, you can go on-line at HGTV.com to benefit from some wonderful ideas and projects by professionals. There's a lot for do-it-yourselfers here! You can get some great ideas for areas of your home where you just don't know what to do with it.

Before you make your plans, check out several books at the library on home decorating. You will find no shortage of books on this subject. Glance through them and grab ideas to incorporate into your own decorating task. If you have a specific challenge to overcome, likelihood is someone else has already encountered it, conquered it, and written a book or web page about it. Use their knowledge! It will save you time and frustration of figuring it out.

My last words, of course, DO YOUR RESEARCH! Know your options.
Remember??..Informed Consumer=More Savings.

You can add some splash to your kitchen without spending a lot of money by applying a simple wallpaper border for a backsplash. You can get a pretty good bargain on borders in the closeout bin at your wallpaper store or home improvement center, but make sure they have enough of the border to go around the area you want to cover as these bargains are usually close outs and you might not be able to get more!

Since most wallpapers come pre-pasted, applying the border is easy. A backsplash area is usually pretty small so this project can be done in an afternnon. When selecting your border, think about your overall theme or color scheme of the kitchen. You want to pick something that complements it and, of course, pick one that is washable so that you can easily remove all the "splashes" that occur during normal kitchen activities.

To prepare your wall area for the wallpaper border, clean the wall thoroughly first. You can just wash them with soap and water but make sure you get any gunk or grease spots off. If there are any big holes in the plaster, you might want to patch them, but little holes are OK and the border will cover them up nice! Remove the coverings to any light switches or electrical outlets.

Measure out your wall paper so it is a couple of inches longer that the actual size of the backsplash and cut. Apply the paper to the wall per the manufactuers instructions. If your paper has a pattern, make sure you match the pattern on the cut edges in corners or where you couldn't use the continuous roll. Butt the bottom of the border up against your counter. If there are any windows or moldings in the area you are papering, you will want to overlap any paper that is against them. Make sure you smooth the paper out with a wet sponge or wallpaper brush to remove any bubbles and wrinkles. After putting the border up, take a wet sponge and smooth it out to the edge ? always move the sponge from the paper to the wall so that the edge doesn't buckle up. Make sure the edges have enough paste on them so that they don't peel back after it is dry.

Creating a comfortable area for your baby is important to many parents. That is why so many parents are interested in decorating ideas for a baby nursery. Developing a warm and pleasant nursery is imperative because a significant amount of the baby's initial life and the parent's time will be spent in this room. It is easy to create a comfortable and warm nursery while maintaining all the necessities. Some great decorating ideas for a baby nursery include a forest, a sky, and a primary color room. Many parents like the idea of a forest for a baby's nursery because it brings the outdoors inside.

Painting trees on the wall, a beautiful sky above and animals in the trees creates a wonderful and engaging world in the nursery. Also, painting the entire room a light blue with fluffy white clouds is certainly very peaceful, cool and relaxing.

This allows the baby to see the sky indoors. Some parents think decorating a baby nursery in primary colors is a good idea. Babies are able to respond to primary colors first, and having the nursery painted and decorated in these colors creates an early stimulus for the baby.

Whatever decorating ideas for a baby nursery you find most appealing, remember to focus on the development of your baby and decorate accordingly. Colors, textures and other stimuli will help your baby's development and provide a room interesting to be in.

Home decorating, ever wanted to try it, but hesitated because of time constraints or budget concerns. The following ideas will not only give instant results, but more importantly fit into any budget.

1. Changing the Look of Your Walls

Adding a new color or changing the texture, can give the room a completely new appearance and that may be the only decorating change that is necessary.

The easiest option is to paint, and with the color choices available, the possibilities are endless. Another consideration would be wallpaper; the only problem you may have is choosing a design.

If on the other hand, only a little something extra is needed a simple stencil design might just do the trick. Any of these ideas can be used either individually or in combination with each other.

2. Look to Your Windows For a Whole New View

Changing your window treatments is probably the easiest of any home decorating projects.

The choices range from styles that include drapes, tab-top, cafe and shears, backgrounds of solid colors, floral and stripes, fabrics that include silk, cotton, lace or velvet.

The most economical is ready-made; they are very affordable therefore giving you the opportunity to make changes more often.

3. Accessories Make Your Decorating Complete

Some of the more common are area rugs, wall art, lamps, pillows and cozy throws.

Items for the kitchen make beautiful additions, for example; canisters, dinnerware, dishtowels or decorative bottles filled with oils and vinegar.

Add a little whimsy with oversized ceramic figures like roosters, or the adorable pigs holding chalkboard menus.

Bathrooms are another area for pretty accessories like decorative soaps placed in a bowl or basket; towels come in so many colors and designs now that they alone make great accessories.

Last but not least do not forget candles and bowls of potpourri

4. Collectibles Bring a Personal Touch to Home Decorating

Collectibles can be anything involving three or more of the same thing, or items that are related.

This can include porcelain dolls, Christmas villages, collector plates and who can resist those adorable little faces of Boyds Bears.

Maybe items with a nostalgic feel like tin lunch boxes, cookie jars or salt & pepper shakers stir up special memories of childhood

5. Updating Your Furniture

One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is with slipcovers; they come in a large variety of colors and patterns.

Pieces like end tables, hutches or even a dinning table and chairs can be refinished for a new look.

One way is with paint. Pick a color to coordinate with your room or choose something bright and whimsical. Another option would be to use stain, stains come in a multitude of shades; they can also come in colors.

So, if you are ready to give some decorating a go, try these basic changes to start. Over time, more things can be changed but for right now, simple changes can make a big difference.

This article is shareware. Give this article away for free on your site, or include it as part of any paid package as long as the entire article is left intact including this notice. Copyright © 2005 bonnie carrier.

"Big Things Come In Small Packages" We're all familiar with this quote, it's normally associated with gifts not home decorating, but it should be.

A one or two bedroom house, apartment, condo or townhouse can be just as impressive and grand as something with fifteen bathrooms, Wow, imaging having to clean all those, I have enough trouble with two.

One interesting things I have found from past experience is that decorating a smaller place is actually easier, not to mention less expensive.

Whether your currently living in a small space or downsizing ? that's another one of those trendy "buzz" words, which simply means your moving into something smaller ? planning how your going to decorate or redecorate is a good idea.

You may think because it's smaller, having large pieces is out of the question. Not true, having oversized furniture is not going to make your rooms appear smaller, what it will do is give a warm inviting feeling.

Of course the layout and size of a room will determine how many pieces can comfortably go into it. After all, you may be looking for drama and comfort, but you still need to be able to maneuver around.

This also applies to accessories; it's better to have a few large dramatic pieces as opposed to a lot of small items, which can tend to turn into clutter and dust collectors.

The exception to this would be with collections. But again you want to have places to showcase them like glass front hutches, cabinets, bookcases or shelves.

Another decorating challenge can be in warming up your new place. This normally can easily be achieved by adding color with paint.

Now that's all fine and good unless you happen to be renting and your landlord say's "Paint, oh no". That's OK, color can be added in a number of other ways.

Several examples: Window treatments - Furniture fabric -Accent pillows - Area rugs - Wall art - Plants & Flowers

Storage can be another issue in a smaller space, there just never seems to be enough.

If you're buying new furniture or deciding on which pieces to bring from your current home, look for ones that can perform double duty.

For example: Instead of the standard coffee table, look for one with a flip top or shelves underneath. Cedar chests, blanket chests or trunks can also be substituted.

Place an armoire intended for the bedroom in the living room it's the perfect storage place for remotes, magazines, extra bedding, kitchen linen or any of those pesky little things you just can't seem to find a place for.

A small floor cabinet you might have used in a bathroom can become an end table. Most of these come with drawers, shelves or both.

Decorative stacking boxes or even old suitcases not only make for great storage, but they also become terrific accessories. Plastic storage boxes come in a variety of sizes, colors and are inexpensive.

They can be stacked on shelves in a closet or cabinet, even into drawers. Clear smaller sizes are perfect storage for shoes, winter gloves, pictures or how about extension cords, nails, packages of hooks or hand tools.

Larger sizes can keep extra winter coats, blankets, odd season clothes or seasonal decorations neat and in one place.

Baskets and hampers are another option.

Kids rooms are always in need of extra places for all their treasures, plastic milk crates are perfect for them. They come in many bright brilliant colors. One suggestion, if you are planning on stacking the crates and have small children it would be beneficial to secure them to the wall.

Plastic shelving units, which can be found in most discount stores, are perfect for mounting on the backs of doors or on the wall in closets.

These come in especially handy in the kitchen for holding extra soda bottles, canned goods, paper towel etc.

Well, I think you've gotten the idea, look around and use your imagination; you will be surprised with what you can come up with.

Moving into and decorating a small space can be challenging, but with a little planning it can be just as beautiful as any large house. And in the end, size really doesn't matter, if it's filled with the people and things you love, then you have successfully created a home.

This article is shareware. Give this article away for free on your site, or include it as part of any paid package as long as the entire article is left intact including this notice.

Copyright © 2005 bonnie carrier.