interior-decorating-ideas.com

Want to incorporate modern decor into your home, but not sure where to start? Make your home more fashion forward with a few fresh ideas that will help create a look that is modern, yet comfortable and livable.

Keep it Simple, Not Cold
Modern decorating can often challenge homeowners. The clean lines, polished surfaces, strong geometric shapes and asymmetry can sometimes appear cold and uninviting. But that doesn’t mean you should stay away from modern pieces altogether.

Avoid going too over the top and slowly incorporate modern elements to keep your decor refined and elegant. You can start with a few room basics, such as minimalist chairs or tables, and then move on to accessories such as paintings for a fresh touch.

Another way to make your move toward modern is to replace faucets in the kitchen and bathroom with more geometric, clean styles. The new Level kitchen and bath collections from Moen meet the need for minimalist home styling. Sleek, contemporary lines and high-arc spouts coordinate beautifully with today’s modern interiors.

In the kitchen, the Level pull-down faucet makes performing everyday tasks – such as filling large pots, pitchers and vases in and around the sink — simple. In addition, new finishes such as the LifeShine Classic Stainless finish – a cool-grey hue – provide a warmer take on the contemporary design and also coordinate with stainless steel kitchen appliances, sinks and hardware.

The Level bath collection also makes a bold, modern statement with its tubular-shaped handle available in both a single-handle, single-hole mount (both 7-inch and 12-inch to accommodate vessel sink applications) as well as a two-handle widespread style.

It’s in the Details
Incorporating key pieces and paying close attention to detail will make your modern designs feel cohesive. Use metal accents throughout your home, like chrome, nickel or stainless steel, to add a contemporary touch. To make any room in your home more modern, consider adding customizable shelving from IKEA’s LAXVIK system, which features geometric styling and a cool metallic finish.

As a contrast to stark, metal accents, utilize more rugged wood in accessories such as photo and art frames or bar stools. When it comes to modern wood surfaces, contemporary designs bring out the extremes, featuring very light or very dark tones, so look for shades that complement the rest of your décor. As an ideal background for your modern elements, paint rooms in neutral colors to highlight your updates.

Shed Some Light
Lighting is extremely important in contemporary design, and is often seen as the key to illuminating the room’s design. When choosing lighting for your home, there are many new options available that provide interesting, clean lines.

Track lighting or floor lamps are popular in contemporary design and often employ metals or bold colors to reinforce the other metal accessories or splashes of color incorporated into the room. Pendant lighting is another great way to brighten your space and showcase your designs. Or try wall sconces with sharp lines in boxy patterns and shapes; you’ll increase the modern feel of the room and add soft lighting to complement the strong designs throughout the space.

Getting your home into the modern mix doesn’t have to be hard. Use these ideas to make your move toward modern today.

If you are redoing your kitchen or just sprucing it up with new counter tops and some paint you probably noticed that some of your counter top appliances are looking out of date and a bit worn. There are some new offerings in the coffeemaker world that may be of interest to you.

If you stopped drinking coffee a while back because the acid didn’t sit well with you should investigate the Toddy Maker coffee cold brew system. The Toddy Maker uses cold water and a carefully designed filter system to produce an exceptionally pure coffee concentrate from regular ground coffee. Unlike hot brewed coffee the Toddy Maker eliminates the oils and acids that are only soluble at regular brewing temperatures. It takes about 12 hours to make the concentrate but it keeps for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

If you’re an empty nester and that old 10 cup drip coffeemaker makes disappointing small batches then consider buying the Keurig single cup coffee maker. The Keurig machines, there are several models, brew a satisfying single cup of coffee (or tea or cocoa) using a prepacked blend. You get a big selection including exotic coffee from all over the world. It’s very easy to operate and clean-up is minimized.

Homeowners know that improvement and redecorating projects can be financially draining. However, you can still invest in some simple home decorating projects that provide a big impact, and you won’t have to spend a fortune to complete them.

Here are some quick and easy ways to boost the look of your home while stretching your funds to the maximum.

Try Before You Buy
Adding some color to the walls is a trouble-free and inexpensive way to extend your home improvement dollar. Dutch Boy offers affordable interior paint in a variety of colors with the average price per gallon starting around $16, depending upon the retailer. To help you save even more time and money, rather than buying expensive and messy jars of test paint colors, consider turning to online sources before you launch into a painting project.

An online color visualizer provides that extra boost of confidence when pulling paint colors together by showcasing photographs of how professionals combine colors on walls, trim and accent areas in various rooms. The visualizer allows you to manipulate wall, trim and accent colors in a variety of room settings. A simple click of a mouse lets you see first-hand how any room in your home might look with one or more colors.

Freshen Up Your Décor
If your furniture is tired looking, or you need to match your new wall color with your current décor, you can lighten and brighten chairs, loveseats and couches with the creative use of decorative throw pillows. Rather than spending thousands of dollars on new pieces of furniture, you can purchase a few pillows at your local home outlet store for less than $100 and strategically place them throughout the room. For an even more dramatic look, use a luxurious pashmina shawl, wrap, or scarf as a throw. A fashionable pashmina can be the perfect finishing touch for almost any décor.

To further accent your newly refreshed room, consider adding an area rug. Unlike wall-to-wall carpet, area rugs can bring colorful designs and patterns into your room without overwhelming it. Area rugs can be well used by the frugal decorator, as they’re extremely versatile, and can serve many purposes. For example, they can start off in the living room, move to the family room or bedroom, and eventually end up in an indoor/outdoor room.

Grow a Worry-Free Garden
Fresh flowers are a great way to add life, and color, to any space. To give the interior of your home an even bigger boost, consider bringing in fresh-cut flowers from your yard and placing them in your home.

In order to stretch your home improvement dollars even further, consider planting a vegetable garden. Not only will it add dimension into your yard, but you’ll be able to harvest your own fresh vegetables for summer meals, saving you money at the grocery store. If you have the time and know-how, can your vegetables for use in the winter months. It will help you keep your food costs down throughout the entire year, especially during the holiday season when budgets can be tight.

Be a Savvy Shopper
No matter what home-oriented projects you decide to undertake, be certain to check for specials or incentives. As the economy has slowed, several major retailers are offering special discounts to lure shoppers into spending again. So take a few minutes to search the Web before heading out the door. Remember, by strategically investing money into the look of your home, both inside and out, you can be sure to increase its value and your affection for it. But you don’t need to spend a bundle to do it.

In an effort to jumpstart the struggling economy, the federal government has approved an economic stimulus package that will send rebate checks to qualifying taxpayers, some as early as May. Homeowners can use this refund to invest in home improvements that add value in a difficult housing market.

Qualifying individual taxpayers will get up to $600 in rebates, working couples $1,200 and those with children an additional $300 per child. Add that to the average refund some taxpayers can expect after filing their taxes ($2,548 in 2007, according to CNNMoney.com) and that’s approximately $3,800 in total refunds from the federal government this year.

Investing these dollars in home improvements, such as replacing old leaky windows with newer, energy efficient ones, can offer homeowners a significant return on investment. Some experts believe that replacement windows are one of the best home improvement investments you can make in your home.

“Remodeling Magazine’s” 2007 Cost vs Value Report estimates that a homeowner may recoup 81 percent of the cost of installing low maintenance replacement windows at resale. That means on an $8,000 window replacement project, homeowners may recoup $6,480 at the time of sale.

In addition, new energy efficient windows can lower heating and cooling bills, improve a home’s comfort and aesthetics, and add long-lasting value.

If the cost of new windows is out of reach consider changing or adding an area rug. Area rugs are an inexpensive purchase that can change the style and mood of an entire room. An oriental rug of unique design or striking colors will immediately draw the eye and become the focal point. You can use this feature to highlight a prized piece of furniture. Come Winter you will appreciate the comforting warmness.

With a substantial savings in energy costs along with a solid return on investment from home improvement projects, buying energy efficient windows is a wise use of your rebate dollars. And, if you ever decide to sell your home, energy efficient windows can give you the edge — and often a higher resale value — over other sellers in an increasingly competitive housing market.

An area rug is one of the few home décor items that can change the style and mood of an entire room. An oriental rug of unique design or striking colors will immediately draw the eye and become the focal point. You can use this feature to highlight a prized piece of furniture like your baby grand piano or a teak coffee table and that fabulous new sofa.

The type and placement of lighting can completely change the look of a room, a doorway, a back yard or even a whole house, and create different moods at the flip of a switch. Most of us stick with light fixtures and the lighting décor that were in our homes when we bought them. Those aren’t always the most attractive or illuminating options.

Designers often experiment with contemporary design in their bedroom furniture selections. Headboards and platform beds are quickly replaceable and become good candidates to experiment with and possibly anchor a design style that can be unified throughout the whole house or apartment. You do not have to replace your bedroom furniture to get a new look. A new headboard combined with the rearrangement of your existing furniture may do the trick.

The old adage, “Sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite,” is more than a nursery rhyme. To some, these pests have become a nightmare. Bedbugs, which were all but eliminated in the United States following World War II, have made their way back into the States and are spreading from coast to coast.

“Bedbugs have become a national problem, and few areas have remained unaffected by their return,” says Stoy Hedges, entomologist and director of technical services at Terminix.

Bed bugs are insects that lurk in the cracks and crevices of mattresses, box springs, headboards and furniture by day and emerge at night to feed on their sleeping victims. Small enough to stow away in a pants cuff, these hitchhikers can spread from city to city or continent to continent by crawling into luggage or attaching to clothing.

Encounters with the bloodsuckers used to be extremely rare, but reports have increased dramatically in recent years.

“Twenty years ago, people thought bedbugs were just a part of a popular children’s rhyme, but Americans are learning the hard way that bed bugs are more than a myth,” says Hedges. “In the past year, we’ve seen our bedbug reports jump by nearly 70 percent, and we’re even getting reports of these pests in four-and five-star hotels.”

Although the nocturnal pests were prevalent in the United States in the first part of the 20th century, they were virtually eliminated in the 1940s. Increasing international travel and changing pest control practices are thought to be leading contributors to the bedbug’s resurgence.

“The explosion in bedbug cases should be no surprise,” says Dr. Gary Bennett, a Purdue University entomologist. “Although bedbugs were nearly wiped out in the United States, they remained quite common in other parts of world and are now using our travel patterns as a way to hitch a ride back into the United States.”

While bed bugs are commonly considered a sign of unsanitary conditions, experts agree that the stealthy vermin are not a reflection of cleanliness. Bedbugs are opportunistic and will infest even the nicest hotels and homes.

Bedbugs aren’t known to spread disease, but bites can leave painful, itchy welts. Unfortunately for victims, doctors commonly misdiagnose the bites, confusing them with other insect bites or general skin ailments.

Because their victims are often asleep when they feed, bed bugs can be difficult to catch in the act. However, obvious signs of their presence are blood spots on the bedding and a musty odor in heavily infested areas.

Travelers can protect themselves by doing the following:

* Check around headboards, mattresses and box springs for bedbugs and the dark blood spots they leave behind.

* Hang all clothing. Leave nothing lying on the bed or furniture.

* Do not unpack clothing and store them in the hotel’s furniture drawers.

* Do not allow your baggage to sit on the floor. Store it on a luggage rack as far from the bed as possible.

* Do not take a personal pillow, blankets or sheets on a trip. Bedbugs can hide in these and be brought home.

* Use a plastic trash bag to seal your luggage while at the hotel. This will help keep bedbugs out.

* When returning home, leave luggage in the garage or basement until you are able to thoroughly inspect it for bedbugs.

* Vacuum suitcases when returning from trips and immediately wash clothing in hot water.

New Black Charmeuse Lingerie Satin Silk Sheets Queen
Buy New: $19.99

Features
Fabric: 100% Polyester
Color: Black
Size: Queen

This set includes:
2 Queen pillowcases (20″ x 30″)
1 Queen flat sheet w/ matching (88″ x 90″)
1 Queen fitted sheet (60″ x 80″ )

The old adage, “Sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite,” is more than a nursery rhyme. To some, these pests have become a nightmare. Bedbugs, which were all but eliminated in the United States following World War II, have made their way back into the States and are spreading from coast to coast.

“Bedbugs have become a national problem, and few areas have remained unaffected by their return,” says Stoy Hedges, entomologist and director of technical services at Terminix.

Bed bugs are insects that lurk in the cracks and crevices of mattresses, box springs, headboards and furniture by day and emerge at night to feed on their sleeping victims. Small enough to stow away in a pants cuff, these hitchhikers can spread from city to city or continent to continent by crawling into luggage or attaching to clothing.

Encounters with the bloodsuckers used to be extremely rare, but reports have increased dramatically in recent years.

“Twenty years ago, people thought bedbugs were just a part of a popular children’s rhyme, but Americans are learning the hard way that bed bugs are more than a myth,” says Hedges. “In the past year, we’ve seen our bedbug reports jump by nearly 70 percent, and we’re even getting reports of these pests in four-and five-star hotels.”

Although the nocturnal pests were prevalent in the United States in the first part of the 20th century, they were virtually eliminated in the 1940s. Increasing international travel and changing pest control practices are thought to be leading contributors to the bedbug’s resurgence.

“The explosion in bedbug cases should be no surprise,” says Dr. Gary Bennett, a Purdue University entomologist. “Although bedbugs were nearly wiped out in the United States, they remained quite common in other parts of world and are now using our travel patterns as a way to hitch a ride back into the United States.”

While bed bugs are commonly considered a sign of unsanitary conditions, experts agree that the stealthy vermin are not a reflection of cleanliness. Bedbugs are opportunistic and will infest even the nicest hotels and homes.

Bedbugs aren’t known to spread disease, but bites can leave painful, itchy welts. Unfortunately for victims, doctors commonly misdiagnose the bites, confusing them with other insect bites or general skin ailments.

Because their victims are often asleep when they feed, bed bugs can be difficult to catch in the act. However, obvious signs of their presence are blood spots on the bedding and a musty odor in heavily infested areas.

Travelers can protect themselves by doing the following:

* Check around headboards, mattresses and box springs for bedbugs and the dark blood spots they leave behind.

* Hang all clothing. Leave nothing lying on the bed or furniture.

* Do not unpack clothing and store them in the hotel’s furniture drawers.

* Do not allow your baggage to sit on the floor. Store it on a luggage rack as far from the bed as possible.

* Do not take a personal pillow, blankets or sheets on a trip. Bedbugs can hide in these and be brought home.

* Use a plastic trash bag to seal your luggage while at the hotel. This will help keep bedbugs out.

* When returning home, leave luggage in the garage or basement until you are able to thoroughly inspect it for bedbugs.

* Vacuum suitcases when returning from trips and immediately wash clothing in hot water.

Every year a wave of new products hits the shelves at lawn and garden stores, home improvement centers and online retailers. For 2008, a major trend is innovative outdoor lighting. Driving this trend toward creative outdoor lighting is the desire of homeowners to spend time outdoors and extend their outdoor time into the comfortable summer evening hours.

Strathwood Chaise Lounge

List Price: $189.99
Buy New: $99.99
You Save: $90.00 (47%)

Features:
• Made of Kapur wood, an all-weather hardwood that is dense and durable
• Mortise and tenon construction with rust-resistant hardware
• Pre-assembled components assembly easily using allen wrench provided
• Weathers to a warm grey or color can be maintained using teak oil
• Measures 24″ W x 74″ D x 13″ H

The abundance of interesting products for patios, decks and gardens is a testament to just how important outdoor living areas have become. According to a survey by the American Institute of Architects on Home Design Trends, there is surge in interest in building outdoor patios, kitchens and decks, and outdoor lighting extends the use of these spaces.

“With every deck I build I now factor in lighting solutions,” says Bob Lehman, owner of Creative Deck Designs in Maryland.

Today’s lighting comes in a variety of forms, including energy efficient illumination sources. “There are so many uses for lighting in an outdoor environment, both from a functional standpoint and a decorative one,” says Jay Savignac, senior vice president for Aurora Deck Lighting, one of the nation’s largest outdoor lighting manufacturers.

Building codes have also been an important driving force, as safety concerns have forced communities to require builders to add lights when outdoor stairs are involved. “Increasing the safety factor is definitely a reason for adding lights, and security has always been important. Today people want lighting that allows them to cook outside at night or entertain in a candle-lit sort of environment. Products on the market today make it possible to do both,” Savignac says.

Aurora’s Web site (www.auroradecklighting.com) showcases a variety of different types of outdoor lighting. The company’s most popular products are lighted post caps, which are designed to integrate into a backyard deck or fence and add both design features and function.

“Our newest products include solar powered lights, like the Polaris, which has a traditional lamp look that is designed to fit on a variety of post sizes. Because it is powered by the sun, the lights are easy to install and no special wiring or electrical knowledge is required,” Savignac says.

Lehman says his clients also are incorporating path lights into their backyard environments. New versions, like the Quasar Pathway Deck Light, mount on the bottom of a porch post, deck post or fence to illuminate stairs or highlight landscaping.

LED lights, like the award-winning Eclipse LED and the Nova LED from Aurora, are growing in popularity as technology has improved their intensity. These lights burn for thousands of hours without requiring a bulb change and are among the most efficient sources available today.

Ron and Nancy Snyder of Rootstown, Ohio, had a new deck added to their home and shopped extensively for outdoor lighting to compliment its design. They decided on simple lights that mounted on the posts on their deck.

“We are extremely pleased with these lights and have received many complements from our guests and friends. We especially like the way the glass defuses the light, and we are amazed at how well the lights weathered our vicious Northeast Ohio winter. They still look perfect in spite of record severe weather,” Ron says.

“We’ve come a long way from the ‘runway lights’ that people would stick in their yards along the sidewalk. Today the quality of the lighting and the options that are available make it possible to completely customize the look of your home and create a fantastic ambiance that lights up the night,” Savignac says.