ABC’s of Fine Design

I always love finding deals online, I’m sure your like me and love to shop and shop and shop. I love looking at new items and trends. The latest decor is always at your finger tips when it comes to the Internet and usually you can get a great deal on things you can’t buy anywhere else. Examples are handmade vases from India, or China. That amazing chest from Ireland that was on sale by a man who made it for his late wife, but has decided to sell it to make ends meet. Or wonderful carvings and woodwork from Africa.

I recommend shopping online for home decor because you can get such great deals. You do have to be safe though when your online and giving out information so make sure you watch out for sites that may trystealing identity information from you. Really what I’m saying is only shop sites that you know to be good sites. Any I give you for instance. You really don’t want to give away all of that money you have saved and earned that could go to getting you that new bathroom, okay so we all know it’s really just going to fill your gas tank, but we can dream right?

Modern design is all about simple clean lines and relaxing decor. Yes it can also have a ton of color and pop out at you, but when it comes to a bedroom you want it relaxing right? When looking for bedroom decor you want to keep it simple if your going for the modern look. Decide if your going to use wood or metal in your room and then go from there.

You then need to decide what kind of bed you would like to have. Do you want a nice big tall bed that stands out and makes a statement. Maybe one you have to have stairs to get into, or do you want one that is lower to the ground so you can just fall into it.

After you pick out the bed you have another choice to make, do you want the frame of the bed to stand out from the bedding you choose or do you want them to bend together to make one seamless looking piece. My bed for example is a cherry wood bed that is set high and has a high headboard. I choose a green and purple sateen comforter for it so that the bed would pop out from the comforter as I bought the bed because of it’s style.

The last thing you have to choose is the accessories for your bed, I’m talking about night stands dressers and vanities. Do you need all of these or do you have a closet with built in storage for non hanging items? No matter what style you choose to go with in your bedroom you have to remember, one there are many choices to make, two you should buy everything together so that they match, unless your going for the eclectic look and three buy things you like and are comfortable with, not what the girl down the street has or the guy on TV has. Your room needs to reflect you.

Good design is not just about the furniture or the colors, but the added extras like tile that can make a room seem special or unique. Most people are familiar with Backsplash tile in a kitchen or bathroom, but did you know that you can do so much more with tile.

One way I love to see tile used is by making Tile murals, these can be put almost anywhere. You can have them in a shower area, along a wall in your garden or in your kitchen or entry way. Tile murals add style and can help to create a focal point in a room that may not have one. If your looking for a place to get backsplash tile or tile for a mural you should really check out Jerusalempottery.com. They are a family owned studio and have been in operation in Jerusalem since 1922. All of the tiles are hand panted which makes them very unique. As you can see from the picture to the left these tiles can create some amazing pictures.

Look around you, there is so much that can become good design with the right combination of things. Designers use nature all of the time and the company I’m telling you about today is no exception.

If you have ever wanted to sit on a cloud then Meritalia is the company for you. Take this amazing sofa for example. It looks like a cloud and really is a very stylish and modern addition to any home, pair it with white or dark tables and two blue chairs and you have a very interesting focal point to your room. You could also use glass tables to keep that airy effect.

Do you want to get a home improvement loan, but don’t know where to start? Well there are many different types of loans you can get for your home improvement needs and many banks will talk you though them and help you decide what is right for you. If your like me though you like to do some research and maybe even apply online.

The types of home improvement loans you can get are a refinancing, where you take equity out of your home. A Secured home loan and an unsecured home improvement loan. An unsecured loan is one where you don’t need a down payment. A website that has some great information is afsloansonline.com. They have unsecured loans and even offer a free pre approval in case you are just wondering if you can get a home improvement loan, but are not ready for it. They also allow a stated income, that means no documentation, this helps people like me who are self employed.

What I recommend you do if your looking for any type of loan is to do the research and know what you are getting into and the legal side of it. Go with a bank or company you can trust or at least research them a little. Make sure you do everything you can to make your loan process simple and easy for you.

Chi is something that can stay with a home or be brought into a home by neighbors or friends. There are many ways to remove bad chi from your home. An example of bad chi is the vibe coming from a neighbor who has loud parties or children that keep you awake at night. One way you can combat this kind of Chi is to place a urn of water on the side of your house that the noisy neighbor is on. The urn must have a wide mouth and small base. Place a fish, light or both in the urn to give it light. It is said that the urn will absorb the bad chi.

If you have just bought a home and want to remove the negative chi from it you may want to try using bells, cymbals or singing bowls to help clear the home of the bad chi. The bell is probably the best one to use and is also very easy. To use the bell ring it in a rhythmic way and walk around all of the rooms three times clockwise.

What does an RV have to do with interior design? Well everything, did you know that you can get paid as an interior designer to design the inside of an RV? New RVs are stylish and fun to use. Some are even designed to be environmentally friendly. This about this as a career for a minute. It’s fun as you can help a family connect and grow with your design. Just picture them in their RV camping, fishing and getting to know each other, something many families now don’t do.

Another great reason to get into the RV field for design is not only do families use RV’s so do many celebrates. You can design the next rock and roll RV or maybe one for a rapper or country artist. Most of the time it is the music industry that uses them, but if your a nascar fan, like me you may be interested in designing one for a driver or crew chef. Definitely a career to think about right?

Now that even the white house has decided that man made global warming is real you should take a look into eco friendly design. Sometimes simple things like changing the light bulbs and getting new
energy effect appliances are great, but not everything you can do.

Buy things that are produced in ways that are environmentally friendly. There are many new companies out there that would love to sell you things that you can use in your everyday life. Also buy as many home items as you can locally. Furniture made by the Amish 20 minutes from your home or that local guy who makes amazing tables in his garage. Don’t live by the Amish or know someone? Talk to people you know or just kinda know, they probably do know someone.

The last tip I have and one of the best is to buy from estate sales and antique stores. These items are wonderful things to have and to fix up. The best part is technically you are recycling them!

As I watch the news I find myself still wondering how many of these homeowners or renters in the areas flooded had insurance.  I know for a fact that renters insurance is cheep and home insurance is not too bad either. I’m sure many did have insurance and the ones that did were probably forces to get flood insurance, but what about those that don’t have it. Really they are out of luck and may lose everything they have with no way to get any of it back and no money to replace it.

This is why I right now I’m looking at home owners insurance, before I buy a house. I want good coverage and a good price. I recommend you do the same. Protecting your home is just as important as making it look good.

When painting many people forget that they should use a primer before they start painting. Of course some people know that you should but don’t know why, so they skip it. There are a few reasons you want to use primer. The first one is because if you already have a painted wall you don’t have to scrap off anything, you can prime it and paint over it. If you don’t use primer the paint color you have tried to hide may just start to show through the new color.

The next reason you should use primer is because drywall will absorb most of your paint. This will make it so you have to use more coats and more paint. Primer will prevent this by creating a barrier between the drywall and the paint so that you won’t have to do as many coats and you will use less paint.