ABC’s of Fine Design

If you really want a nice new look for your home before the holidays but you know you just don’t have the money, maybe you should think again. Just because you can’t afford a designer doesn’t mean that you cant get amazing Window Treatments, custom bedding and more. Now I’m sure you want to know where you can get all of this amazing stuff, well I have a website for you that I am sure you will love. FabricWorkroom.com is a site that has wonderful fabrics and valances and more for your home.

Swag Sketch

One thing they carry that I love are swags. There is one pictured above if your not sure what that is. The reason I love them are simple. You can add so much depth to a room by having one of these and you can also hide any ugly hardware you may have had to put up. They also offer free swatches so that you can see the fabrics first hand, you can order up to 10 FREE swatches.

Now if your in the market for more then just drapes then you can also check out their custom shower curtains, bedspreads and more. They are very reasonably priced and they offer tips and advice for ordering, measuring and more. Fabric Workroom also has a great guarantee where if you find a defect in the fabric or the design, contact them within 7 days of receiving your order and they will fix it. Some places don’t offer this type of guarantee unless you go though a designer. The other good thing about this site is that you don’t have to deal with a designer who makes you buy something you really don’t like, just because they love it.

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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?

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Since I am an interior design student I am very interested in art and history. Just over a year ago we went to Washington DC. I was very disappointed as most of the museums were closed for renovation. I was surprised as we went during the cherry blossom festival. The worst part about all of that was we had our German exchange student who really wanted to see both the American history museum and the native American museum, both were closed.

I plan on going back some day but I think I may end up at the Stark Museum of Art before I get back to DC. At least I will as long as I move back to Texas like I’m hoping to do. The Stark Museum is located in Orange Texas and has a large collection of Western art and native American art, it’s not just about art though they have books and manuscripts so you can learn a little about the cultures that are in the museum. One collection I am interested in is their decorative arts collection. This collection consist mostly of glass and porcelain. I’m interested in it from a design perspective. Of course all of the art interest me because of this. Another reason I would like to visit this museum is because of there connection to the stark foundation. This foundation supports the arts, education and human services.

Museums are a great place to figure out what kind of art you like. You can check out many different kinds of art and decide what you would like in your home. Art is a great way to express yourself and impress your guest. The best part is you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars. There are many reproductions of famous works that you can get for less the $100. I suggest though you find one piece you really like at an art auction, that way you have something to talk to your guest about. If your planning a summer trip you should really think about adding this museum to your list and visiting the town of Orange Texas. You never know what you may find to add to your home.

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Something you want to remember to do if your starting a design business is to thank your customers for their orders, or jobs. You want to make them feel like they are the only customer you have and that you actually care about them, personaly. You can do this by sending personalized Thank you cards. I know it seems like a duh type thing but many people are not doing this anymore and if your a home based design busness that is just starting out then you want the good reputation a simple thank you card can give you.

I personaly like this card from cardsdirect.com. It has a great simple design and would work well for an interior design firm or small business. Of course there are others to choose from, this one is just my favorate and one I would use. What I like most about cardsdirect is that you can personalize them so you cover that part where you make the customer feel special. If your client referred a customer to you you can get a thank you for the referral card and send them a discount on their next job or order. Remember you want to keep a thank you card simple, but personal enough that the person reading it belives you really took the time to think about the card you sent out.

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The following is my best post for 2007 one for each month. I have had so much fun working on this blog this year. Through paid blogging I have learned about many products that I could share with you. Some I liked, some I didn’t.

Thank you my readers for being there for me in 2007, I hope to see you all in 2008!

February

How to Arrange Your Furniture

March 

 The Bagua Map

April

What Are You?

May

Interior Decoration: Feng Shui, Function, and Fads

June

Need help with your floorplan?

July

Go Green with good design

August

The Safety in Design

September

A Winter Wonderland.

October

Give a gift to your home

November

Check Your Attic

December

Furniture Friday: Resolute Desk

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With Christmas just around the corner I thought I would give out a great list of places that you can get some great products for you home, many are not to expensive as I know many of us just don’t have the money to spend. I’ve even listed a few of my favorite items from each store for you, to help give you ideas.

Artful Home- The regal bowl is beautiful and worth the money, and take a look at the Hubbardtion Forge metal sconce.

Canvas on Demand- This is one of my favorite gift sites, you can turn any photo into a work of art complete with framing.

Colorful Images- This site actually has much more then just home decor. They really have a little of everything, but it can all be personalized so I really wanted to share this with you.

Furniture.com- I can’t leave out a site called furniture.com can I? They have a great selection of all types of furniture. They also have articles to help you figure out just what type of furniture you or your friend would love.

The Paragon- This is the most beautiful Crystal poinsettia. Crystal is always a great gift, they have a wide selection of wonderful Crystal items. Right now they are also offering 20% off your order!

I hope you take a look at these sites, they have some great ideas for design and for gifts for your loved ones. Happy Holidays everyone!

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I live very close to Frankenmuth Michigan, home of Bronner’s Christmas wonderland. I love this store as it’s 364 days of Christmas, of course they do a few other holidays when they come around, but there specialty is Christmas.

They have many different kinds of Christmas decorations. I still have my personalized name ornament that we bought when I was 4. All it has on it is my first name, but I still love it. This store is the place to go for all of your Christmas decorating. They do have a website and you can go there by clicking there name. The ornament above is one that I got my grandparents last year. Since my name is Holly. I thought it was great. I also found a fortune cookie one for my little sister. She loves that stuff.

They also sell advent calenders and of course other holiday decorations. If your looking to have a green Christmas, as in energy saving they also have a great selection of LED Christmas lights. I love these as they use so little power and look amazing. For those of you who go crazy outside you may like this mailbox cover.

I really do hope you take a look at this store, it is a favorite of mine and right now the Michigan economy really stinks, so if you order from them you would not only be getting great merchandise but helping the people in this area as well.

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