I believe when we design and decorate our homes for our true selves and our real lives, we create the kind of home and atmosphere that soothes, nourishes and enriches us daily despite what happens outside our doors.
When our hearts are unhealthy, our whole body suffers. Likewise, an unhealthy home impacts us negatively on all levels.
Is your home healthy? Ask the following 5 questions to help you make an accurate diagnosis.
Is there a clear and steady rhythm of life and work and leisure and laughter and fun?
Do relationships flourish within its walls?
Do friends feel welcomed and nurtured as they walk through its doors?
Is it the seat of our true selves, representing and reflecting our spiritual beliefs, our core values, our love for those who share the space with us, our dreams, our passions, our valued treasures, our gratitude for life's smallest blessings, our commitment to and practice of informative, instructional, inspiring and jovial conversations, our penchant for making loving gestures, our commitment to preparing delicious and healthy meals, our mindful attention to regular chores and occasional projects?
Is there a special place where we can retreat for personal time to relax, refresh and renew our bodies, our minds and our spirits?
Just as we are adopting "green living" principles and practices, let us also cultivate a healthy home on this level - where the heart of our homes tick with the vibrancy of a happy, fulfilled and passionate life with loving relationships, nurturing spaces and healthy practices.
Are you struggling to balance your dream of an elegant home with a small budget? See it come to life when you follow these 8 easy decorating ideas for achieving elegance for less.
1. Do an inventory.
When you know what you have you can decide what to do with it. Here are some items you may find: dining chairs, glass bowls, serving trays, extra fabric and trim from sewing projects, plant pots, candles, scraps of wood, cupboard doors etc.
2. De-clutter.
Unsightly clutter can make a new home seem dated. De-cluttering is the route to a sense of comfort that costs nothing but will make your home feel more elegant.
Get rid of items you will never use; give them to someone who will. If it is a total loss, toss it. Don't crowd your home with "dead" pieces, please.
3. Do-it-yourself: renew and re-cycle.
A small budget is no excuse for a dingy and neglected décor. Gather some tools and do-it-yourself. Put new faces on pieces that are in a not-so-good condition but still functional and give a second life to others.
·Re-upholster your dining chairs. Sand side tables then stain or paint them for a fresh new look. Add style with trim, tassels, bows etc.
·Add affordable elegance at a fraction of the cost of a full set of bed linens or upholstering your living room chairs. A few yards of silk fabric will give you several pillows to dress up your chairs or even your bed.
·If there’s a chair in your bedroom that’s always laden with clothes, move it. Pair it with a small table in your home’s entryway, for example.
·Old clothes, graduation and bridesmaids dresses destined never to be worn again can be reborn as fabulous new throw pillows. A little bling goes a long way.
·Remove the back of an old dining chair, sand and paint it. Then lean it against a wall behind a plant to support its running vines.
·Take a teapot you never use and fill it with potpourri or your favorite flower. Alternatively, place a layer of pebbles at the bottom to keep water away from the soil and set a plant. The English Ivy with its variegated leaves adds a bit of softness anywhere you put it.
·Take that last surviving teacup and saucer. Hot glue the bottom of saucer to the rim of the cup and place a candle on the saucer. Voila! A candleholder with a handle.
·Don’t cry over broken dishes. Pick up the pieces and make a mosaic top for that old coffee table in the garage.
4. Paint style in every room.
Paint is the easiest and most cost-effective way to update your home and a fresh coat can drastically alter the look of any room. Use it to make you rooms look larger or cozier.
·Create the illusion of a high ceiling by taking the wall colour about 12 inches unto the ceiling. Or, minimize the overwhelming feeling of a very high ceiling by bringing the ceiling colour down 12 inches onto the walls. You could also try painting one wall a bold, bright, or dark colour for stunning impact.
·Paint your own border design around your bathroom mirror, to personalize you stock kitchen cabinets or at chair rail height in any room. You may use a stencil or do it freehand for the effect you want - traditional, sleek contemporary or casual country look.
·Brighten your laundry room with a sunny yellow colour to help minimize the drudgery of doing laundry. If you’re artistic and there is space, paint a small garden scene complete with a picket fence on one wall or in a bare corner. Furnish that area with a chair or bench and a basket for books where you can sit and wile away the time while the washer does the work.
5. Re-arrange.
You don’t always need to buy new furniture to change your décor. Infuse new life without dipping into your wallet by reconfiguring the furniture layout. Set the furniture at an angle in the bedroom, dinning or living room and see “ordinary” turned to “chic” in one afternoon.
6. Live outdoors.
Bringing the indoors out is as interesting as it’s more popular alternative. Imagine a corner of your porch dressed as an intimate sitting room. A comfy chair or two, with a small coffee or side table with a lamp. Add a couple of throw pillows for comfort, a basket or small bookcase for magazines and books and a pretty throw for chilly evenings. Without cluttering the space, include your favorite accessories, candles, photos and a plant or two. Ensure that your sitting area is protected from direct sunlight and rain. After all, you’ll want to enjoy the space whatever the weather and protect your fabrics and finishings.
7. Accessorize.
Who are you? Select and display the pieces that speak of your personality. The following are some of the more common accessories that help to create beautiful and stylish interiors:
·Flowers or plants will add a touch of the outdoors to any room. Without creating a forest bring in just a few plants or one large one in a statement-making pot. Position a live plant near a window or on a tabletop where it will get sunlight. An artificial one could be placed in an intimate corner. Even a simple floral arrangement on a coffee table of island will liven up your décor.
·Candles? Yes, everywhere. Remember they are not for dusting but for lighting.
·Photographs, paintings, throws and throw pillows, etc. will dress up your new décor but exercise control to avoid a cluttered look.
8. Light it up.
Don't underestimate the effect of good lighting. The wrong lighting can make a beautiful room look ugly. Bad lighting will exaggerate flaws and visually change the colours of fabrics and paint.
On the other hand, good lighting can have a dramatic impact on a carefully orchestrated décor. Experiment with your lighting until you achieve the effect that shows your rooms in all their elegant splendor.
Don't let your budget limit your options. Living more economically does not mean you have to be deprived of living elegantly. The look you’re after is possible. You just need to be inspired to find a way to take the ordinary into the realm of stunning elegance.
My friend Shaunna Privratsky is not only a writer and author of several books, she is the self-proclaimed Discount Diva. And she has proved to be just that with her articles on budgeting and decorating on a budget.
I am so happy to share with you her contribution to green living with budget-friendly, home-made products for green cleaning.
*Laminate Floor Cleaner #1 Mix equal parts: vinegar , rubbing alcohol and water No rinsing required! *Laminate Floor Cleaner #2
Use empty 20 oz. floor cleaner bottle
2 tablespoons ammonia
1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
1/2 tablespoon dish soap
Water to fill bottle
*Carpet Cleaner Mix 6 capfuls of Hydrogen Peroxide in 1 gallon of water Blot, don’t scrub *Homemade Soft Scrub
Mix 1 cup shampoo or dish soap with ½ cup baking soda
* Mirror and Chrome Cleaner Use empty spray bottle Rubbing alcohol *Shower Curtain Cleaner
Soak in strong salt solution,
hang to dry
Or: scrub with 1 cup vinegar and two capfuls shampoo
Or: run through with load of white clothes in the washer
Hang to dry
*Hard water Stain Remover
Let denture tablet soak overnight
Rinse
* Mystery Stain Remover [not for granite] Capful of automatic dishwasher soap 1 teaspoon baking soda * Clothing Stain Remover
1 cup clear or white dish soap
Mix in 1 teaspoon salt, any kind
Let sit for 15 minutes or more
Wash and dry as usual
* Shower Soap Scum Remover #1 Use spray bottle Mix 1 cup vinegar 2 tablespoons baking soda Scrub Rinse *Shower Soap Scum Remover #2
Spray with inexpensive oven cleaner
Ventilate room
Let sit for 30 minutes or one hour
Rinse
*Odor Removers for spraying surfaces: Mix equal parts vinegar and water
[acid in the vinegar destroys odor-causing mildew] *For containers or rooms:
Place small dishes of
baking soda coffee grounds
rolled up newspapers
cotton swabs dipped in vanilla
*Other uses for Baking Soda Apply to damp sponge and clean
- In the kitchen Sinks Counters Appliances Cutting boards Microwave ovens - In the Bathroom
Tubs and showers
Sinks
Toilets
Counters
Tile floors and walls
- Household deodorizing - Sprinkle right from the box Litter boxes Garbage pails Diaper pails Disposals and drains Dishwasher between loads - Laundry Freshening
Add 1/2 cup along with usual laundry soap for fresher clothes
- Personal care
Refreshing bath or foot
soak: add 1/2 cup to warm water to soothe and condition
dry skin
- Baby care Apply to damp sponge, clean and rinse
High chair Car seat Changing table Bath tubs Toys Play seats Swings *Other uses for vinegar - Cleaning coffee pot
Run through cycle using vinegar instead of water
Rinse with cycle of water
- Cleaning germs:
Do you often find yourself longing for a home decorated like one of those you have seen on HGTV or in a magazine?
It is natural to look at other homes furnished with items and decorated in styles very different from yours. Nothing is wrong with admiring those interiors; nothing is wrong with fantasizing about living in such spaces. What may be wrong is your wanting to own a home designed and decorated for the pure pleasure of keeping up with the Jones's, and showing off to family and friends. What may be wrong is your wanting a particular decor because it is popular, or trendy.
If your home is comfortable and equipped with the necessary furnishings for your lifestyle, you don't have an "ordinary" living space but a home that works for you.
Isn't that what home really is?
It is having the look and feel that evokes nostalgic memories of childhood and other happy events in your life. It is surrounding yourself with the things that caress your senses. It is a space that soothes and nurtures your body and soul. It is the place where you kick off your shoes, put on your most comfortable clothes, play your favorite music, talk, laugh and play with the people you love and entertain the friends who love you just the way you are.
What is important is how your home makes you feel emotionally and physically and that special way in which it echoes your personality and accommodates the way you live every day.
So, decorate your home with freedom, with passion and with your individual decorating style, whatever it is.
You’ve seen the ads in magazines, on the internet and on large posters at your local travel agency and they always send you into a state of wanton dreaming. Well, dream no more, for you can surround yourself with the colorful and exciting style of the Caribbean right where you live.
Despite the strong influences of its cosmopolitan heritage, there is a unique culture that continually bubbles within the heart of the Caribbean people and it is evident in the way they decorate their homes.
What is the Caribbean style?
The Caribbean style is best described as simplicity with a touch of colonial elegance. It is a lively array of cultures, almost like dots of different shapes, sizes and colors on a piece of fabric.It is a relaxed island culture, yet vibrant in its cuisine, music, dance, relationships and design. Its colors are as vivid as the landscape of mountains lush with shades of green, white sand, and sparkling blue water of its beaches. It reeks of comfort, warmth and a touch of the exotic using restful as well as vibrant colors and natural textural elements. It has a fresh appeal with touches of the traditional.
Here’s how to create the look and feel of the Caribbean in your own home.
Architecture
Remember that the region is strongly influenced by his colonial heritage so exercise restraint in the use of architectural finishes. You don’t want to create a colonial room or home but one with a Caribbean flavor. That means Caribbean flavor with subtle hints of history - subtle being the keyword.
Build a balcony or porch surrounded with wood, decorative concrete blocks or wrought iron to create a quiet outdoor spot just off the kitchen, dining, family or living room to read, relax or entertain.
Use jalousies and shutters for a taste of a bygone era. Add simple or elaborate wooden fretwork as details around doors, windows or archways.
Colors
Neutral tones are the foundation of this style. Nevertheless, the Caribbean palette is influenced by palm trees and sunny skies mingled with bright hues reflecting the culture and history of the region. Quiet pastels-hued buildings will live happily next door to homes shouting with vibrant colors, so be brave with your color choices.
Green is everywhere; use it in shades that range from mint to avocado and from greenish yellows to hunter and moss green. Accent a quiet room with warm colors like bright yellow, mustard yellow, red, and terracotta. Or cool down a warm room with blues in its varied shades.
Flooring
Terrazzo, tile, stone and concrete are as durable as you can get but they are cold. If you want a floor covering with a warmer feel install hardwood or cousin, laminate wood.
Add comfort on cold ceramic and stone floors, accent with area rugs. Bring in the natural look of the stylish, dressier sisal or the rugged, more rustic jute rugs. Other choices might be rugs featuring palm trees, banana leaves or stylized florals
Bring the outdoors in with a bright and colorful abstract rug.
Furniture & Finishes
Furniture in a room with a Caribbean theme is usually large scale and selected for comfort and function. Accent pieces in wicker, bamboo, wrought iron and rattan fit well with the look.
Use exotic hardwoods like teak, mahogany, rosewood and Guyana greenheart for furniture. Mix in chairs, sofas and tables and a myriad of accents made from natural materials like cane, seagrass, water hyacinth, and rattan.
Fabrics
Fabrics should be soft to the touch, durable and colorful. Look for cotton fabrics with prints that feature palm trees, banana leaves, and tropical plants with vivid blooms like hibiscus, bougainvillea, anthurium, orchids and Bird of Paradise. For a more refined look incorporate silks and floral-printed linen.
A common decorating practice is to use neutral, solid and textured upholstery fabrics which give you the flexibility to use pillows, ottomans and side chairs in jungle, leaf and floral prints.
Plants
Large plants, especially palm trees add height and are a perfect addition to your Caribbean room. Place them in corners and uplight with inexpensive can lights for nighttime drama.
If a green thumb eludes you, synthetic palms and other Caribbean greenery and flowers inside and outside will give you the lush tropical atmosphere you desire.
Accessories
Look to the beach for inspiration and find ways to incorporate them into the room. Tropical plants set in wicker planters, shells displayed in jars or shadow boxes and baskets, mats and rugs made of natural materials like rattan and seagrass will all infuse the room with a warm-weather atmosphere.
Avoid overdoing the room’s accessories. A few large plants, lamps and some carefully selected large-scale pieces will usually be enough. Avoid lots of tiny little items and keep it simple and spare. Remember this is a relaxed and comfortable style.
Include wooden bowls, and baskets. They are the mainstay of a comfortable and relaxed mood in any room and definitely in a room decorated in a Caribbean style.
Artwork
Generally, artwork looks best if it reflects the color scheme of the room. Ideally, hang them with the center at eye-level or slightly higher. Select art that depicts the beach or village scene, an interesting character, floral and fauna or a colorful Caribbean abstract. Of you could choose to pay tribute to Caribbean artist like
Lighting
Often this decorative and functional element is often overlooked. Yet your light fixture can add whimsy with floral or leafy embellishments. Use dark lamps shades to add visual weight to a room decorated with light colors.
Like with all other decorating styles, a Caribbean style can and should be tweaked to reflect your own individuality. Aim for the look of a lush atmosphere which gives you a mix of textures, bold and intricate patterns, and lively colors with simple details and a few large accessories. But whatever you do, make sure your personality shines through.
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