If you  love the look of rustic furnishings, here are some tips on adding it to your own home.

 Traditional home design is both elegant and warm. Below are a few tips to help you reach the traditional style you’re looking for.

Choose Colors Wisely: Softer colors impart a more contemporary, relaxed approach to original traditional style. If you prefer a more formal traditional palette, select jewel tone colors with gold and silver accents.

Pair Old with New: Antiques and antique reproductions can be used together successfully and are key to achieving the best possible traditional look. You don’t have to break the bank on every item you purchase to achieve this look.

Mix and Match Fabrics and Textures: When selecting upholstery, accent and drapery fabrics, choose those that work well together, but do not necessarily match. Keep in mind that upholstery fabrics should be able to withstand years of wear. Accessorize, but Avoid Clutter: Today’s most successful and elegant traditional interiors, keep accessories to a minimum. The accessories are to be eye-cathching but you do not  want them to overwhelm the entire room.

Dining options include an oval and a handsome rectangular double-pedestal table. In addition to the classic sideboard, the group can include a mobile server with foldout top for convenience and extra serving space. The new identity of traditional is sometimes different, but is still of fine woodworking, craftsmanship and graceful lines. Collector’s Cherry is just one of the many familiar styles that is now being used.  In this new, more relaxed mode of traditional decorating, fabric color and texture may seem less formal, but are no less elegant. At the same time, wood furniture and finishes are being mixed and matched less strictly. Old and new are paired side-by-side for a finished traditional look.Courtesy of ARA Content

French country decorating is a very popular style right now. When done right, the overall look of your home will be  inviting and elegant. Here are some guidelines on how to add the French country look to your home.

French country colors typically  include mustard, butter yellow, celadon (a light olive color), salmon, cornflower blue, sunny yellow, soft gold, fiery red, burnt rust, bright grass green, dark hunter green, cobalt blue and soft ocean tones. To define pieces and give a strong base to all these beautiful colors, black and dull grays are used often as backround colors.

• In the kitchen and entryway aged terra cotta tiles, natural stone or even brick will create a French country look.
• Exposed beams in the ceiling also add to the country feel.
• A stone fireplace with a wooden beam mantle is also a common element in French Country decorating. The hearth should be made of clay or brick.
• Plaster walls roughly stained or painted are also a must.
• Windowsills are deep and windows are usually tall and narrow. Shutters are usually used, and growing vines are planted around windows and doors to accent and give added charm to the look.

Furniture can include:

• Wrought iron and metal furniture and light fixtures
• Dining tables are usually rectangle or round with a low sheen finish to make it look more like raw wood.
• Dining table chairs are usually ladderback style or have vertical slats with a small amount of carved details.
• Armoires are common in many rooms to store clothing, linens and tableware.

Here is a great example from our portfolio:

Begin your efforts of  in creating a country decor by having only the pieces of furniture you need in a room and not too many colors. Keep all of your colors bright or all subdued; do not mix shades.

Make sure the lighting fixtures, frames of pictures and mirrors are keeping in  with the style of your furniture. Your country home decorating ideas should always be consistent in your choice of interior design colors, styles and materials.

You can begin creating country decor, by using furniture in its natural tones, such as pine or oak. Country home decorating ideas for your floors consist of natural wood, flagstone or tile flooring, in addition braided or hook rugs will add warmth to any room.

For windows in your home; shutters, shades, valances, wood blinds or cafe curtains with a floral or checked pattern will add to the overall “country” look of your home.

 Below are a list of things to be found inside and out of your house that you can use as the finishing touches for your home.

Modern home design  can  be challenging to even the saviest of  homeowners. If not executed properly, the clean lines, polished surfaces, strong geometric shapes and asymmetry can appear cold and uninviting.
This type of decor grew out of the architecture style the 1930s and has roots in the German Bauhaus School of Design and Scandinavian modern design. 

Generally, expansive, unadorned windows bring the interior of the home together with the exterior landscape. Colors are neutral allowing the objects in the design to take center stage. White walls are predominant  with furnishings, accessories and fabrics sporting neutral tone-on-tone color schemes. Finishes are smooth and polished. Also, concrete, granite and linoleum are ideal for flooring. While, the architecture in modern home decorating focuses  primarily on geometry and angular shapes, the artwork and accessories in modern decorating are extremely important and must exhibit striking shapes or forms to make a statement.

Spring is just around the corner and it’s time to get rid of those winter colors. It’s time to look for some lighter alternatives. Refresh your home and patio with fresh cut flowers.  Below are a few ideas to help you spruce up for Spring.

1. When the temperature starts to rise it’s time to roll up your big cozy winter rugs and replace them with some lighter ones like cotton rugs in light, cool colors. It’s also a good time to get your heavier rugs cleaned or repaired for next season.

2. If your furniture is centered in front of your fireplace, you may want to think about ways to rearrange the look of it  for spring and  summer. Change the focal point away from the mantel to a view of a garden, placing the conversation grouping to take advantage of the garden scene just outside.

3. It’s time to remove the silk flower arrangements from your rooms and store them away for a few months. Instead, bring in fresh green plants, flowering pots, or elegant orchids. These fresh cut flowers or plants can add warmth and color to any room in your house.

4. Rework your accessories and makeover your shelves. You can set up a collection of pitchers or glass; buy some lighter picture frames and change out the photos for spring.

 5. Think about sheer when changing out curtains, table cloths and bedskirts. It will give the house a light and airy look.

San Diego’s premiere event returns to the San Diego Convention Center with more designers, exhibitors, and special features than ever before. Advice, solutions and inspiration for all your decorating, remodeling and landscaping dilemmas from more than 300 home and garden specialists await you this April 4-6, 2008. 

 Artwork  can make a big difference in the overall feel and look of your home. One problem that homeowners encounter is how high should the pictures or artwork be? And, where do I hang it.

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In general, artwork should be hung so that the center point of the picture or grouping is about eye  level for the average person. While this won’t be possible in every situation, it’s a good guideline to keep in mind.

Another technique to remember is that a grouping of pictures should be thought of as one unit of art. Test an arrangement of pictures by laying everything out on a large table (or on the floor), playing with combinations until you hit upon one that works. Laying them out on paper is even better since you’ll be able to trace around each object and determine where picture hangers should be installed. Tape the paper up on the wall as a template for picture hangers and you’ll be done in no time.

Also, keep the art in proportion to the wall that it is being placed. Big pictures on big walls and smaller art on narrower walls.

 ArtWalk 2008 in San Diego is a great place to have some fun and view all the local artwork. There are over 300 artists displaying their art for sale. If you are in the market for new art to fill your walls or just want to be out in the sun having some fun then be sure to not miss out!

Vetrazzo Countertops are the newest rage in Green Design. It is a product made from recycled glass bottles, windshields, glass windows and also decommisioned traffic lights! This product is very durable and easy to maintain. Many compare it’s strength to granite, as well as it’s scratch and heat resistance.  85% of the surface is glass which cannot stain, however certain types of liquids like red wine, lemon juice or vinegar may etch away the surface if not cleaned promptly.  Other types of countertops such as butcher block or marble have an aged look over time, but Vetrazzo will not age and will stay beautiful and new forever if taken proper care. Vetrazzo cleans up with simple soap and water since it is mostly glass.

Vetrazzo countertops are the new trend in the design world today. If you would like more information Style on a Shoestring would be more than happy to provide that for you.