ABC’s of Fine Design

Do you have a problem saving up for things when you want to buy something? I do. I tend to spend the money on other things and then I’m stuck trying to figure out what to do. When it comes to decorating for the holidays I have the same problem, though this year I don’t have to worry about it, next year I will and I plan on using Kmart Layaway for a few of my Christmas decorating needs.

I love lay away because many holiday things are breakable and being one of 5 kids I understand what happens to things like that. If you can keep them out of the house until close to Christmas you have a better chance of having decor you can actually use. Now some holiday decor can not be put into layaway, but most can be, though it must be picked up by December 5th. Now I have at another store put tableware in layaway much longer, but I would recommend asking about it first.

If your looking for some decorating ideas I have picked out some of my favorite Holiday items from Kmart. Things that I may end up buying this year in the hope of using next year at my own home. Hopefully it will inspire your holiday decor and save you some much needed cash. The best part about one item is that you can really keep it out all winter long!

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When it comes to home renovations, there’s a lot to think about. You could re-do your floors, ceilings, walls, cabinetry, bathroom fixtures - the list seems endless! Lighting is another big renovation project you should probably consider. Lighting is essential for two reasons - the obvious one being that it’s functional, filling a room with light. Additionally the right lighting can set a mood and create ambience. Recessed lighting is an excellent option if you are trying to create a contemporary, modern feel for your space. Recessed lighting takes the focus off the light fixtures and put it’s on the room itself, highlighting either beautiful wall art, or newly stained hardwood floors. When renovating a room that gets a lot of used, like a family room or den, recessed lighting is an excellent choice.

Used both as task lighting and directional lighting, recessed fixtures have the ability to completely transform a room. Your family room is likely going to be used for different activities including reading, playing board games, eating, watching television, and entertaining guests. Given the variety of activities going on this room, a dimmer switch is a must have. A dimmer switch makes the room even more versatile, giving you the power to adjust the intensity of the light at any given moment.

Additionally, the addition of recessed lights really highlight the quality workmanship that you’ve had done to your space. Hardwood floors and freshly painted walls look infinitely better and brighter under the beams of some strategically placed recessed lights. Lighting an entire space with recessed lighting is a bad idea however, as it will bring a real harsh and unflattering light quality to the room. Having additional light coming from an eye level is important, for instance floor lamps, sconces, and table lamps all help to even out the brightness and glare coming from the recessed fixtures. Another thing to keep in mind when lighting your family room is not to light a task area like a table or in front of a mirror from above where you plan on sitting or standing. You want the light to hit in front of the person, which will help avoid unnatural shadows and be generally more flattering.

By adding the recessed lighting to your family room, you help make the space comfortable and relaxing - two essential qualities for any family room.

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If you are getting tired of your home and it’s very bad lighting design I have an idea for you. In these rough economic times you now have things available to you that you once did not, such as high end homes and their lighting. If you are stuck as to what do do with your home check out these homes when there is an open house. Look at how they have their lighting done and see if it will work in your home. Sometimes seeing something in real life is much different then seeing it in a magazine or a picture.

I would suggest that you try to look at homes that are similar to yours or look at homes that are the exact opposite, but something you like. Remember when you do this though that not everything you want will be able to work in your home. Some homes have really high ceilings that support a large chandelier, your home may not. So what are you waiting for? Go check out those homes.

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When it comes to seating we all need it, from the business down the street looking for commercial bar stools to the home owner looking for a table that seats 20 for entertaining. We need to sit down and relax with each other, but if the seating is uncomfortable and doesn’t look good we don’t tend to stay around too long. That is where getting good quailty and looking seating comes into play.

Recently I was looking around online and found this great website affordable Seating that has really great furniture for home and business use. In fact I’m going to be recommending them to a friend of mine who is looking for a bench seat to put in her dinning room. Affordable seating carries some great restaurant booths that would work perfectly for her and her kids will love them. The price is great and she can get it in green to match the rest of the room. Another reason I’m recommending it is that she’s not very internet savvy and the site is very easy to get around and find what you need. So if your looking for some new Affordable furniture for your home, check affordable furniture out.

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Halloween is just two weeks away and if you have not decorated your house yet, you should! Scareing little kids is something I look forward to when I get my own home.

Hopefully the items below can get your inspired and the creativity will flow, if no there is always Christmas to decorate for!

Gothic Skull Fence - Light Up	Pirate Goblet
Cemetery Fence (2 Piece)	Hanging Creeper 9 ft.
Screaming Face Goblet	Screaming Face Platter

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If your a budding interior designer, decorator or just a do it yourselfer, you will love the website I am going to tell you all about. It’s called Zabitatz and it really is a great website for anyone who loves design or is working on a home project. It is a social site so it has all of the fun profile stuff that you can play with. They also have a review section where you can write and read reviews on different products and so on. There is not much there right now, but I plan on adding a few reviews in there and seeing how that goes.

The site just recently launched and to celebrate that launch they are offering mortgage payments, up to 14,000 to the Tackiest design disaster. All you have to do is sign up for the site, and enter the contest. You need to have is a picture of the worst home design you have ever seen. Not very hard is it, well it may be if you live in an area where all of your homes have had interior designer touches, but not many people do.

Over all I have to say I do love this site, it’s interesting and fun to use, I’m still looking around it and deciding what picture I want to use on my profile, but it really does have some great information for anyone doing home decor projects. I hope you enjoy it.

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Blinds are not just there for decoration, they are also great to help keep in heat or cold, they can help block the sun and they can really just make life easier if you are looking for privacy without having to sacrifice the look of a room. there are many place to get custom blinds one is a great site called No Brainer Blinds. This is defiantly a site for someone new to buying blinds online. It’s a very easy site to use with a ton of information on measuring and installing blinds. They also have a great selection of blinds for your home. Their inventory includes wood, aluminum and plantation shutters. They also have some great roman blinds and the prices are not half bad either. If your not sure what you want to order they also offer samples so that you have at least some idea of what you will end up getting. I always look for sites that offer samples because you sometimes are not sure what you are getting when you shop online.

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