Posts Tagged ‘interior decorators’

Wedding Memorabilia as Home Decorations

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

There’s no reason to put all that wedding memorabilia away where you can’t see it or even throw it away. You are going to be decorating your new home with your spouse, so why not reuse all your wedding mementos in the process. If you’re looking for ways to put your wedding items to good use in your home, then here are some tips to consider.

Decorate with Your Wedding Pictures
Decorate your home with items from your wedding the easy way: by framing your favorite wedding pictures and using them as decorations. Hang these on an empty wall, or they can sit on a fireplace mantle or a table instead. If you have a portrait you really like, consider blowing it up and hanging it on a wall in your bedroom or above the fireplace. You might even take a few different wedding shots or pictures from your honeymoon and put them into a collage to hang on a wall.

Make a Shadow Box with Your Wedding Memorabilia
Collect your wedding items together in a shadow box to create a unique decoration for your home. Some wedding mementos that work great here are dried flowers, a piece of the wedding dress, your invitation and program, and any favors. You can arrange all these items in the shadow box in a pleasing way. Then hang the box on the wall or place it on a shelf. This makes a great decoration piece for your bedroom and will remind you of your wedding every day.

Decorate with Your Wedding Flowers
If you used real flowers for your wedding, then consider drying them out to make potpourri. You can create a sentimental addition to any room by simply placing the dried flowers in a decorative basket or vase and adding essential oils.

If your flowers at your wedding were fake, then you have many more decorating options. Leave them the way they are, placing them in a vase or basket, for an instant decoration for the home. Or you might choose instead to alter them a bit. Take a number of different bouquets from the wedding and either create one large flower arrangement or split it up into two slightly smaller ones. When placed in just about any room of the house, these flowers will instantly add color and brightness to the décor. You will also be reminded of your wonderful wedding day every time you walk by.

Make a Decoration from the Wedding Dress
If you decide not to save your wedding dress, then consider transforming it into an easy home decoration. If you have a bridesmaid willing to part with her dress, you can also do this with a bridesmaid dress. First, take a nice piece of fabric from the dress and wrap it tightly around either a picture frame or a canvas. Then secure the whole thing with a nail gun and, presto, you have a nice fabric décor item to hang on the wall. When you hang one or more of these pieces on the wall, you can really add some style to your bedroom or other room.

If you’re working with a newlywed’s budget when trying to decorate your home, you need to work with what you have as much as you can. You can create unique decorations that have a lot of emotional impact by reusing your wedding memorabilia in your home.

About the Writer…
Leon Tuberman has four decades of experience in the home furnishings and interior design industry. He is the owner and manager of popular furniture store in Los Angeles. They offer a huge assortment of solid wood furniture for your living room, home office and dining room that’s built in the Heartland of America. It doesn’t matter whether you’re shopping for file cabinets for your home office or a dining table for your formal dining room then they carry everything you need.

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Tips for Staying on Budget When Decorating

Monday, February 8th, 2010

When decorating your home, working with a budget can sometimes present trouble, especially if it’s a small one. Although decorating budgets can be difficult to stick to, you need to realize that they’re necessary. As a homeowner, you should never go into debt decorating your home. By making sure to set a budget and by following these simple tips to stick with it, you can have a wonderfully decorated home that won’t end up costing you an arm and a leg.

Make the Decorating Budget Firm
It doesn’t make sense to set a decorating budget, only to forget about it when you start shopping. Keep in mind that you are setting a budget for a reason. It’s not necessary to do all your decorating at once. It might be better to do some of the decorating now, and then once you save some more money, revisit the room to add more items later. It’s best to stick to your budget firmly, no matter what comes up.

You Will Have to Give a Little to Get a Little
Sticking to a firm budget requires you to be flexible and willing to compromise in some areas. You’ll have to go the cheaper route for certain less crucial items, if you want any more expensive pieces that you just have to have. For instance, you might have to spend less on the window treatments or picture frames if you’ve fallen in love with a coffee table or lamp that takes up a third or so of your budget.

Don’t Worry What Other People May Think
It’s so easy to get caught up in what other people will think and say. After all, if the figurine you find is perfect for your décor, does it really matter if you found it at the local discount store? It’s not likely anyone’s going to know what you paid for items in your home unless you tell them. You need to keep in mind that not everything in your room needs to be of the highest quality. So if something is inexpensive but you like it and it fits your budget, then don’t worry about what others may or may not say—go ahead and buy it. It’s funny, but sometimes the least expensive item in the room will garner the most positive attention.

Invest in Quality for the Big Items in the Room
When you plan out your budget, it’s best to allocate the majority of your money toward the larger items like a wood bed in a master bedroom or a dining room table, thus making sure that you can afford quality that will last. You might need to put more money into things like wood furniture, flooring, and artwork, rather than window treatments or other décor. Investing in quality for the larger items guarantees that they will last longer and look better. In the end, you might have a high end sofa with inexpensive decorative pillows on it, but as long as you have kept to your final budget, then that will be just fine.

It can sometimes be tempting to throw your budget away and spend more than you can afford. Unfortunately, when you do that, then every time you walk into your redecorated home or room, you are going to have negative thoughts about that debt. In the end, negative thought might lead to you not being able to enjoy being in the space. If that becomes the case, then what was the point of spending all that money? Sticking to the budget will not only save you money, it will bring you peace of mind as well.

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5 Simple Tips for Working with Interior Decorators

Monday, January 25th, 2010

If you’ve never worked with an interior decorator before, you may find that it’s a real eye-opening experience. Although you’ll find that not all interior decorators and projects are the same, there are a few key guidelines for working with a decorating professional.

1. Express Any Ideas, Wants, or Styles You Want for the Project
Unless you’re planning on handing over your home to your interior decorator so they can do what they want, you need to make sure that you clearly communicate your desires for the project. So if you already have a certain style in mind for the décor, be sure to tell the decorator. Before the project starts, be sure you are both on the same pa ge when it comes to styles, ideas, and what you want. In the end, this will save you both time and money.

2. Set a Firm Budget with the Interior Decorator
It’s really important to set a firm budget with the decorator. Otherwise, you may find yourself spending much more money on your décor project than you wanted. Stress to the decorator that this is what you can afford and you don’t want to go over this certain dollar amount. Be sure to get this budget amount in writing. Then the decorator can’t come back and say you never told them a specific limit for expenses.

3. Be Honest with the Interior Decorator
You need to let the designer know right away if they come up with a design plan you’re not crazy about. You don’t want to go along with a plan you’re not happy with just because you don’t want to hurt the person’s feelings. Remember, this is your home that you are going to have to live in. You may end up regretting it in the future if you’re not honest with the decorator about your true feelings for any plans or ideas they come up with.

4. Gather Visual Aids for the Decorator If Possible
Try to gather visual aids of what design elements you’re looking for, such as photographs and diagrams of what you want. Visual aids are always the best way to express what you’re looking for in a decorating project. Handing someone a picture and telling them this is the style you want is always easier than trying to sit and explain it to them verbally.

5. Stay Involved with the Decorating Project
If you simply hand the interior decorator a few pictures and leave them alone for a week, don’t expect everything to be perfect for you. You don’t necessarily have to be constantly supervising the work being done. But you do want to be sure you monitor the progress daily to be sure things are being done the way you want. When you just let the interior decorator work without regularly checking out the progress, you may find that the result is not what you had pictured.

Working with an interior decorator can be a great experience. This is especially true if you have trouble coming up with great ideas and plans for your home. If you follow these tips, you can help ensure that you have the best possible experience with the decorator you have chosen.

About the Author…
Leon Tuberman has been in the home furnishings and interior design industry for 40 years. He owns and operates a popular furniture store in Los Angeles. They have a large inventory of handcrafted Amish built solid wood furniture for your bedroom, home office and living room. It doesn’t matter whether you’re shopping for a wood file cabinet for your student study area or an oak dresser for your bedroom  then they have everything you need.

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