Archive for category Decorating

How to Create a French Style Home

If you are looking to create a traditional French style home you will need to think about redecorating, replacing some of your ultra modern furniture and purchasing some new items that are in keeping with the French style. Whitewashed wooden furniture is becoming quite popular for modern homemakers trying to create a traditional French look and feel and these can be purchased quite cheaply. Alternatively you can purchase some old colonial furniture which you can restore yourself; there are some great old oak and pine kitchen tables around that look great restored. With a genuine Provencal tablecloth your kitchen is on its way to acquiring a traditional French flavor.

Transforming your home to reflect a Provence style charm requires a few rustic accessories to offset all the modern electrical devices you probably have around the home. Purchase some old style pieces of glassware, basket ware for the kitchen, tablecloths for your tables and some old enamelware or modern reproductions for flowers, to use as a fruit bowl, or for a wash basin. Set on top of some rustic timber furniture, enamelware produces that rustic French feel of Provence.

There are some lovely French bedspreads available which look great on a rustic wooden or wrought iron bed and even transform an ensemble into a traditional looking feature. Raw wooden bedside tables and cupboards will give the room a rustic old style character. An old enamelware wash basin on a traditional old washstand is also a great bedroom feature to create atmosphere.

Framed watercolor prints of country landscapes are also in keeping with that rustic French style and can be purchased as individual prints and framed using rough wooden frames which you can pick up second hand and refurnish. Ready framed prints are also available from suppliers of French traditional interior decoration accessories if you prefer to buy them ready made. If you are thinking of redecorating, then paint the walls in very light pastels, bordering on white. Any timber that is in the house surrounding doorways, skirting boards and beams should be left natural timber and sanded back if it is painted, as this is in keeping with country cottages in Provence. Any old timber furniture that you have can be restored easily and will be better than modern pieces for creating the traditional country feel.

For those of you that are redecorating or renovating the flooring can also be easily made to resemble that of a Provencal French home. Traditional Provencal floors are made from colored mosaic tiles in warm reds, oranges and browns. The intricate patterns are quite distinctive and specific patterns have been used for hundreds of years. They are formed from hexagonal tomettes of different colors joined together, forming intricate patterns. Cement tiles are also popular in Provence and have also been around for several hundred years as well. Both are extremely long lasting and durable and are easy to clean as well as stain resistant. Laying terracotta mosaic tiles or cement tiles, will immediately create a Provencal feel to your home and suitable tiles are available from tile suppliers.

The Beauty And Elegance Of Wall Art

The walls of any building or home are not just supports to hold up the ceiling. They are a place to display wall art that is tasteful, elegant, and beautiful. There are so many different types of art to choose from. You can easily choose pictures that fit your style and budget.

Although most art is very inexpensive, some works of art can cost an arm and a leg. You don’t have to pay out the nose to get the best. When it comes to choosing which type of art to decorate your walls with, there are a few factors to keep in mind. One is to make sure your art blends in and goes with the rest of the decor in the room. Another one is to make sure the art is appropriate for the setting its placed in. For example, you would not want to put wall art that contained nudity in a place where children were going to be. It’s important to make sure the art is tasteful and not offensive.

You can decorate your walls with reproductions that are classy and elegant or you can choose an original wall art that is one-of-a-kind or a mass produced item. You can get your art from from many places such as a local art show, online, or in a retail store. There are many kinds of wall art to choose from. You can have abstract, landscape, or flower wall art. All of these can easily brighten any atmosphere. Group wall art set is another good choice for large empty spaces on the wall. It provides a contemporary feeling for modern home.

When you choose to hang a hang painted picture from your wall, you are choosing to create a certain environment. There are replications of many great master’s paintings such as Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Picasso, and Renior. You can choose from among these artists or others that suit better suit your tastes. Online shopping for these paintings are available with lots of choices and low prices. Make sure you explored your options before you placed any order.

Know that when you are shopping for wall art, you are looking for paintings that will complement the decor in the room or blend in with it. There are many styles and colors to choose from. Whichever you decide, know that art is an expression of a person’s feelings and outlook on life.