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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.

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.

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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.

The real estate market may be in a slump, but not all industries having to do with the home are in trouble. Companies that specialize in remodeling and renovation, particularly in the area of outdoor living, are doing extremely well right now.

“People don’t want to lose money on their biggest investment so instead of moving, they’re improving their homes,” says Joe Rey-Barreau, an associate professor at the University of Kentucky’s School of Interior Design and education consultant for the American Lighting Association (ALA). He says now that warmer weather has arrived, people are adding decks, patios, gazebos and outdoor kitchens to their homes, and they aren’t just planning to use them in the daytime.

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“The trend towards expanding outdoor living space has been growing for some time now,” says Richard Lentz, president of Lentz Landscape Lighting in Dallas, Texas. “In past years, our goal was focused on lighting the space and showing off the garden. Now we’re concentrating a lot more effort on finding innovative ways to light outdoor spaces so they can be used at night, much like they’re used during the day.”

Backyard decks no longer just have a small light near the door. Lentz says lighting designers are now installing down lights in trees and attaching them to chimneys to shine light down on the space. “We’re also putting in a lot of step lights to make the transition from the upper to lower level easier,” says Lentz, who adds that people no longer have to feel like they’re under a spotlight when they sit outside under the stars. “If there’s a tree nearby, we can shine light down from it. Attaching fixtures to a chimney is also a nice way to get light from above that feels like moonlight.”

And when it comes to lighting outdoor kitchens, innovation is key. “We do a lot of task lighting in the outdoor kitchen,” says Lentz. “We’ll utilize the arbors to hang task lighting over the sink, the grill and the table, for example, and put them on dimmers so when the light isn’t needed, it can be turned down.”

Lentz credits the recent innovations offered by various lighting manufacturers for making those projects possible. “Technology sure has come a long way in a short amount of time,” he says.

Rey-Barreau agrees. “Manufacturers realize there’s a growing market for outdoor fixtures and they have responded by stepping up to the challenge to develop chandeliers, table lamps and sconces that are rated for wet conditions so they can be safely installed outdoors,” he says.

Safety isn’t the only factor being considered by manufacturers. So is operating cost. Not so long ago, the U.S. government mandated that the lighting industry find ways to cut energy consumption of their products. Kichler Lighting of Cleveland, Ohio, responded by coming out with a line of outdoor fixtures that use highly efficient L.E.D. bulbs that require one-third the energy of incandescents.

“When people realize they can get the same light output, a nice comfortable color and reduce energy use by 75 percent, they are more than willing to make the change,” says Jeff Dross at Kichler Lighting.

There have been innovations in the area of lighting for curb appeal purposes as well. “Landscape lighting is about safety, security and aesthetics. As far as the latter goes, the key to success is being subtle. Less is always more,” says Monty Gilbertson, manager of Lighting Design by Wettsteins in La Crosse, Wisc.

Doug Prexta, who works for the landscape division of Cleveland, Ohio-based Hinckley Lighting confirms lighting the outdoors is a trend that’s here to stay. “Our business is way up in the landscape division because people are investing in their homes more and more,” he says.

Sick of those saggy silk drapes? Does the trendy color you painted your walls last year now look so “last year”? Your décor leaves you uninspired, yet the current economy makes you hesitate to spend a bundle on a total redesign. The good news is you don’t need the skill – or budget – of a TV decorating diva to give your home a fresh new look. Small, inexpensive changes can make a dramatic difference.

Here are some ideas to transform your room for less than $100:

Lighten Up

The type and placement of lighting can completely change the look of a room and create different moods. Most of us stick with light fixtures that were in our homes when we bought them. Those aren’t always the most attractive or illuminating options.

Overhead lighting – the kind that comes installed in most new homes – can be great if you’re quilting, but might not set the mood for more relaxing moments. Supplement your overhead lighting with lamps strategically positioned around the room. Light cast from the side, rather than from above, will create a cozy, homey feel. Four $25 lamps purchased at a discount store can make your room feel like a million dollars.

Create with Color

Repainting in this season’s hot colors can give a room a contemporary, trendy look – even if you don’t update any of your furniture. Or, opt for more classic colors that will still be in style for years to come. Whatever color you choose, repainting is a powerful way to make a room feel fresh and new.

You don’t have to stop with simple painting. Many home improvement stores offer free classes on decorative painting techniques and the use of color. Total cost of doing a decorative sponge effect in your powder room? About $26 for a gallon of paint, and another $25 for sponges and paint trays.

Make it Better with Murals

Wallpapering an entire room is a big commitment, but you’re still not content with just repainting a room. You want something that’s going to make the décor pop – without busting your budget. Wallpaper murals are a great compromise. You can find images to match virtually any décor – from an underwater scene for a kid’s room to the view from the verandah of a Tuscan Villa for your kitchen.

Home improvement store Lowe’s carries a variety of these easy-to-install wallpaper murals by Environmental Graphics, for less than $100. You can find a style and size to fit in nearly any room. To find a Lowe’s near you visit www.lowes.com.

Accessorize your Bath

Americans tend to spend their at-home hours in the kitchen. But the next-most-used room is the bath. If walking into your bathroom feels like walking into a bad thrift store – nothing matches and toiletries everywhere – it may be time to spend a few dollars and take control.

It’s easy and not costly to replace mismatched accessories such as toothbrush holders, cups and lotion dispensers with ones in the same design. Major retailers and home specialty stores carry a wide array of patterns to appeal to virtually every taste. A full set can easily be bought for less than $100.

If you’re willing to be a “big spender,” you can also pick up shower curtains and window treatments to compliment your new all-matching accessories.

Go Green and Get Moving

Nothing says “home” like green plants. You don’t need a green thumb to green up your living space. Opt for low-maintenance live varieties like a philodendron or pothos. Or, if you just can’t keep plants alive, consider artificial. Many modern artificial plants duplicate the look of life so well only the aphids who try to eat them can tell the difference.

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Place tall palms next to chairs and windows to bring the outdoors inside. Smaller plants are marvelous accents for tables, shelves and windowsills. And a hanging basket with cascading leaves will add drama to large entryways.

Finally, don’t think you need to replace your furniture to make it work in your new room décor. Sometimes simply moving it around is enough to create a new effect that will please you and work well in your room.

There’s no slowing down Mary Cordes of Hayden Lake, Idaho. The 85-year-old recently came out of retirement only two years after ending her life-long career. “I closed down the art gallery and framing shop I had run for 25 years back in 2006, thinking it was time to retire, but retirement just didn’t agree with me,” she says. “I went stir crazy.”

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So she decided to open a new art gallery on a smaller scale. It was originally supposed to go up in her backyard, but instead ended up on the site where her old home once stood. “I used to live in a house on beautiful Lake Coeur d’Alene, but it burned down in 2005. We were planning to rebuild, but then my husband died and it became too much for me to handle on my own, so I changed my plans.”

Before the fire, she had planned to set up a backyard pottery studio next to the lake inside a yurt — a portable, tent-like structure with circular lattice walls and a cone-shaped roof supported by rafters that meet a center ring. But with the house and her husband gone, she decided to make it into something more: an art studio/gallery where local artists, including herself, would be able to gather, customers could come to find unique pieces, and everyone could enjoy the scenery.

The majority of people who purchase a yurt are putting them on vacation properties and some in remote areas where they were only going to be used for a portion of the year. However, Mark Altmann of Rainier Industries, a leading manufacturer of yurts, indicates that recently there have been a lot of people buying them to expand living space instead of adding on to their homes. Among the more common uses for yurts: as a guest house, home office, secluded spa enclosure, art, music or fitness studio.

“They make a lot of sense from a cost savings perspective,” says Altmann. “Starting at just $5,500 for a 16-foot structure, they are an affordable alternative for people who want to add living space, but are on a tight budget.” The average home addition now costing upwards of $78,000, according to Remodeling Magazine’s 2007 Cost vs. Value Report.

Cordes spent about $15,000 on the Eagle Yurt she purchased from Rainier in late 2007. The structure is 30-feet in diameter, which offers plenty of room for her gallery. “I got help from my son and we got the structure up in November right before the snow came,” she says. “As soon as the snow melts and temperatures warm up, we’re going to add on a deck overlooking the lake, and an entryway. I’m also going to move in the easels and partisans where the artwork will be put on display.” Cordes plans to open her new business in the late spring or early summer.

Whether Puxatawny Phil sees his shadow or not on Groundhog Day, there’s one thing for certain — spring will arrive as scheduled on March 21st and so will families of groundhogs, rabbits, squirrels, deer and other troublesome animals, each ready to pounce and plunder your garden, digging burrows where they’re not wanted, and otherwise coming into conflict with their human neighbors.

But these creatures don’t have to be the enemy of our gardens, and trapping them won’t solve their relationship problems with humans. As we all are well aware, the arrival of spring brings the wildlife out of hibernation, and most likely right into our backyards and gardens. As spring is sprung, we suddenly are faced with long gardening to-do lists and a wide variety of pesky critters.

As a rule of thumb, it is far better to prevent wildlife damage than to wait until it occurs and try to combat it. This spring, Messina Wildlife Management can help you protect your beautiful backyards and your gardens with a full line of OMRI certified (100 percent) organic animal repellents. The products are all easily applied in a ready to use spray-on bottle. They dry clear, are all pleasant smelling, and work for 30 days before reapplication is needed, no matter the weather. The full product line can even be used on edibles, and none of the products cause harm or physical irritation to the animals they repel. The products work by smell and taste, repelling pesky critters from your backyard, and they’re all pleasant smelling and safe to humans.

Pesky Problems
1. Groundhogs: During the spring, summer and early fall, the Marota monax, also known as the Woodchuck, Whistlepig, or Groundhog, is a voracious, wild herbivore. It’s the groundhog’s goal to eat as much as possible which puts him on a collision course within your garden.

Groundhogs are tunnel boring pests that can cause damage to your garden in two ways. First, they eat vegetables in the garden, attacking both the root crops and above ground crops. A second problem with tunneling rodents is the mass disruption of root systems, this weakens and can even kill the plants.

2. Rabbits: These furry creatures seem to multiply at the advent of every spring. They come out to feed overnight and in the predawn/dawn hours. Rabbits are accountable for severe damage to woody plants in your home landscape. The damage can be identified by the characteristic appearance of gnawing on older woody growth and the clean-cut, angled clipping of young stems. Distinctive round droppings in the immediate area are a good sign of their presence.

Luckily, 90 percent of the rabbit’s diet is grass. Those of us that have rabbit damage would swear that 90 percent of the damage they cause is to our gardens and expensive flowers! Rabbit damage can be identified by the clean, angled cut on the food source in question. The browsing of a rabbit will usually be no higher than 2.5 feet above ground.

3. Deer: For non-gardener’s, there’s a captivating fascination with spotting a deer in a field, or perhaps in your yard. For gardener’s, it can be quite the opposite. You love the sight of deer, anywhere but not in your garden. Yet, they seem impossible to keep away. Deer are responsible for a considerable amount of damage to plant and vegetable gardens. To determine if your flowers and vegetables are disappearing due to deer damage look closely at the half eaten plants. If you see a jagged, rough edge you can be sure the damage was done by deer as they have no incisor teeth and tear at the food source, leaving tell-tale signs of their presence.

4: Squirrels and Chipmunks: These cute, furry, funny creatures can be quite destructive when it comes to your gardens and landscapes. Both ground squirrels and chipmunks are burrowing animals. Their burrow entrances are always open, unlike those of pocket gophers who plug theirs with soil.

Ground squirrels and chipmunks can be seen foraging for food during the day. In nature, they feed on green leafy material during the summer and switch to seeds and grains during the fall and winter. One of the biggest complaints about squirrels and chipmunks is their attraction to wild bird feeders. They not only devour the feed they scare the birds away.

For most animals scent and taste are the primary senses that attract them to food sources. If you disrupt the animal’s sense of smell and taste you have won the battle against the constant parade of critters in your landscapes. Visit www.messinawildlifemanagement.com for more information on safe, effective pest repellents.