Archive for the ‘Home And Family’ Category
David De Groot asked:
Office decor doesn’t have to be boring, or even all businesslike. You can spruce up your office walls with elegant oil paintings even if you’re on a tight budget. Art reproductions are beautiful works of art that are hand-painted by talented artists to capture the true colors and meanings of famous paintings from the past. With the low cost of art reproductions, anyone can decorate their office using famous paintings.
Enhance Office Waiting Areas
Use artwork throughout your office waiting area to enhance your decor. Paintings can be matched with chairs, couches, tables, lamps and carpeting to create the mood you want. If you desire a cheerful atmosphere, consider using colorful paintings of animals or landscapes. For a dramatic effect, use old-fashioned portraits of people or paintings of serious scenes with darker color patterns.
Create an Office Theme
You can also use painting reproductions to build a theme for your office. For example, if your office is related to finance, paintings depicting a financial theme will make a great addition to your decor. Another example is to hang cheerful, lifelike paintings of children in a pediatric office. Or, a travel agency might use paintings of fascinating places around the world. There are paintings to create almost any theme.
Inspire Your Employees
Art reproductions can also be used to inspire your employees as they work. Hang inspirational works of art near employee desks and in break rooms. Paintings of relaxing scenes might be used to help reduce stress in the workplace. For example, the gorgeous “Fishing in Spring” painting by Vincent van Gogh will give your employees a visual getaway at a glance. “Landscape with a Rainbow” by Peter Paul Rubens offers a peek into a faraway land of beauty. Your employees will enjoy working in a motivational environment.
Build a Reputation
Decorating your office with art reproductions will give it the look and feel of a high-class work environment. Your clients and business associates will assume you spent a fortune decorating your office when you really didn’t. Art reproductions make this possible because they usually cost so little while their original counterparts might cost thousands of dollars. This enables you to have a professional office decor while also saving money.
Artwork in the office can add tremendously to your decor. You can use it to create the colors and themes you want, and build an atmosphere your clients will appreciate.
Office decor doesn’t have to be boring, or even all businesslike. You can spruce up your office walls with elegant oil paintings even if you’re on a tight budget. Art reproductions are beautiful works of art that are hand-painted by talented artists to capture the true colors and meanings of famous paintings from the past. With the low cost of art reproductions, anyone can decorate their office using famous paintings.
Enhance Office Waiting Areas
Use artwork throughout your office waiting area to enhance your decor. Paintings can be matched with chairs, couches, tables, lamps and carpeting to create the mood you want. If you desire a cheerful atmosphere, consider using colorful paintings of animals or landscapes. For a dramatic effect, use old-fashioned portraits of people or paintings of serious scenes with darker color patterns.
Create an Office Theme
You can also use painting reproductions to build a theme for your office. For example, if your office is related to finance, paintings depicting a financial theme will make a great addition to your decor. Another example is to hang cheerful, lifelike paintings of children in a pediatric office. Or, a travel agency might use paintings of fascinating places around the world. There are paintings to create almost any theme.
Inspire Your Employees
Art reproductions can also be used to inspire your employees as they work. Hang inspirational works of art near employee desks and in break rooms. Paintings of relaxing scenes might be used to help reduce stress in the workplace. For example, the gorgeous “Fishing in Spring” painting by Vincent van Gogh will give your employees a visual getaway at a glance. “Landscape with a Rainbow” by Peter Paul Rubens offers a peek into a faraway land of beauty. Your employees will enjoy working in a motivational environment.
Build a Reputation
Decorating your office with art reproductions will give it the look and feel of a high-class work environment. Your clients and business associates will assume you spent a fortune decorating your office when you really didn’t. Art reproductions make this possible because they usually cost so little while their original counterparts might cost thousands of dollars. This enables you to have a professional office decor while also saving money.
Artwork in the office can add tremendously to your decor. You can use it to create the colors and themes you want, and build an atmosphere your clients will appreciate.
Bridget Greuel asked:
Are you having a difficult time trying to match the colors of the different pieces in your room’s color scheme? Do you want to know how good Interior Designers solve this tough problem? I’ll let you in on the secret…they blend the colors in the room instead of matching the colors. Don’t be afraid because you can do it too. In fact, I really recommend it because it will allow you the freedom of being able to easily incorporate more exciting pieces into the room’s color scheme and it will also make your life easier too since you won’t end up going crazy trying to make all of your room’s decor match perfectly!
How do you determine what items blend in your room and what items don’t? A real good rule of thumb is to stand back and look at all the pieces in question together and to go with your gut feeling or (if you don’t quite trust your eye for color) seek out a second opinion from a good friend or family member with a good eye for color. This method of blending not matching is especially helpful when you’re working with a pattern that may take on one general color when viewed from a distance. I also like to take a close look at each patterned piece to see which colors they’re comprised of to see if the piece is a fit. Be sure to have fun and remember; blend not match!
You can find more fun and exciting design and decorating tips on our website which features art and decor tips for contemporary homes and also art and home decor shopping.
Are you having a difficult time trying to match the colors of the different pieces in your room’s color scheme? Do you want to know how good Interior Designers solve this tough problem? I’ll let you in on the secret…they blend the colors in the room instead of matching the colors. Don’t be afraid because you can do it too. In fact, I really recommend it because it will allow you the freedom of being able to easily incorporate more exciting pieces into the room’s color scheme and it will also make your life easier too since you won’t end up going crazy trying to make all of your room’s decor match perfectly!
How do you determine what items blend in your room and what items don’t? A real good rule of thumb is to stand back and look at all the pieces in question together and to go with your gut feeling or (if you don’t quite trust your eye for color) seek out a second opinion from a good friend or family member with a good eye for color. This method of blending not matching is especially helpful when you’re working with a pattern that may take on one general color when viewed from a distance. I also like to take a close look at each patterned piece to see which colors they’re comprised of to see if the piece is a fit. Be sure to have fun and remember; blend not match!
You can find more fun and exciting design and decorating tips on our website which features art and decor tips for contemporary homes and also art and home decor shopping.
Jan Davidson asked:
Standing alone with it’s understated elegance and simple appeal, the Craftsman Style Bungalow started today’s ongoing shift towards simple, uncluttered interiors. At the turn of the last century,in diligent rejection of severe Victorian standards and pretentious interior design, the Arts & Crafts Movement promoted a return to true craftsmanship.
Understated elegance, simplicity in purpose, and form following function are hallmarks of the well designed Craftsman Bungalow. The current trend awareness of environmental issues and “green living” dovetails into this aesthetic has resulting in a resurgence of interest in the Arts and Crafts Style.
Creative use of space in traditional bungalows typically included built in cabinetry and open practical floor plans. Many of today’s newer craftsman style homes and bungalows are much larger than at the turn of the century, but still reflect open styling and distinct interior and exterior detailing.
Original Craftsman homes with their darker wood interior details often boasted lots of windows to bring in natural sunlight. Choose sheer, simple fabrics for window coverings to allow ample light into the home. A simple embroidered detail along the hemline will add the “craftsman touch.”
The natural interior colors for your craftsman style home can be easily inspired by nature. Think of using the colors of a vineyard, the different hues of fall leaves, the muted tones of stones. Nature is anything but boring! It is soothing to the eye to follow your interior colors as they continue outside, as when glancing through a window or an open door. Take your outdoor surroundings into consideration, the colors of the foliage and sky. The craftsman style home ideally feels as if it is “growing” from it’s foundation. Colors should reflect nature and never be glaring or harsh.
There are talented artisans reproducing craftsman furniture at many price points. Do your research and look for the best quality you can afford. Try not to fall for the cheap imitations, take it slow and furnish your home with one or two fabulous pieces at a time. Your beautiful home will be much more reflective of you when doing it this way. Don’t be afraid to mix antiques with good quality reproductions. Simple and sturdy well made pieces will give your home the look you are after. You can easily mix in textural upholstered pieces in a simple shapes to soften the room. Embroidered pillows and tabletop linens also “soften the edges” of the typically masculine forms of mission furniture, adding color and texture to delight the eye.
Don’t underestimate the effect lighting will have a on the feel of your craftsman home. It can never be said too often, mixing good quality carefully chosen pieces with your antiques is a great way to get the most from your design dollar. Remember to balance overhead lighting with table lamps and pendants to create flattering light from several heights in the room. Combine fixtures of different materials, a stained glass floor light, a hand blown glass shade on a table lamp, perhaps pendant lights over the dining room table or kitchen island. Hand crafted artisan lighting is a great way to add quality to your home and can give the richness of an antique at a fraction of the cost.
Rugs can vary from Navajo style to the many beautiful Arts and Crafts patterns produced today.
Remember to add your personal touch with accessories made of hand hammered copper, Tile and pieces of Art Pottery to complete the Craftsman Touch.
Standing alone with it’s understated elegance and simple appeal, the Craftsman Style Bungalow started today’s ongoing shift towards simple, uncluttered interiors. At the turn of the last century,in diligent rejection of severe Victorian standards and pretentious interior design, the Arts & Crafts Movement promoted a return to true craftsmanship.
Understated elegance, simplicity in purpose, and form following function are hallmarks of the well designed Craftsman Bungalow. The current trend awareness of environmental issues and “green living” dovetails into this aesthetic has resulting in a resurgence of interest in the Arts and Crafts Style.
Creative use of space in traditional bungalows typically included built in cabinetry and open practical floor plans. Many of today’s newer craftsman style homes and bungalows are much larger than at the turn of the century, but still reflect open styling and distinct interior and exterior detailing.
Original Craftsman homes with their darker wood interior details often boasted lots of windows to bring in natural sunlight. Choose sheer, simple fabrics for window coverings to allow ample light into the home. A simple embroidered detail along the hemline will add the “craftsman touch.”
The natural interior colors for your craftsman style home can be easily inspired by nature. Think of using the colors of a vineyard, the different hues of fall leaves, the muted tones of stones. Nature is anything but boring! It is soothing to the eye to follow your interior colors as they continue outside, as when glancing through a window or an open door. Take your outdoor surroundings into consideration, the colors of the foliage and sky. The craftsman style home ideally feels as if it is “growing” from it’s foundation. Colors should reflect nature and never be glaring or harsh.
There are talented artisans reproducing craftsman furniture at many price points. Do your research and look for the best quality you can afford. Try not to fall for the cheap imitations, take it slow and furnish your home with one or two fabulous pieces at a time. Your beautiful home will be much more reflective of you when doing it this way. Don’t be afraid to mix antiques with good quality reproductions. Simple and sturdy well made pieces will give your home the look you are after. You can easily mix in textural upholstered pieces in a simple shapes to soften the room. Embroidered pillows and tabletop linens also “soften the edges” of the typically masculine forms of mission furniture, adding color and texture to delight the eye.
Don’t underestimate the effect lighting will have a on the feel of your craftsman home. It can never be said too often, mixing good quality carefully chosen pieces with your antiques is a great way to get the most from your design dollar. Remember to balance overhead lighting with table lamps and pendants to create flattering light from several heights in the room. Combine fixtures of different materials, a stained glass floor light, a hand blown glass shade on a table lamp, perhaps pendant lights over the dining room table or kitchen island. Hand crafted artisan lighting is a great way to add quality to your home and can give the richness of an antique at a fraction of the cost.
Rugs can vary from Navajo style to the many beautiful Arts and Crafts patterns produced today.
Remember to add your personal touch with accessories made of hand hammered copper, Tile and pieces of Art Pottery to complete the Craftsman Touch.