12 Inspiring DIY Home Decor Projects

Hi Everyone!  Thank you for reading my blog!  Did you know that I'm the author of not just one, but thirteen books?  For more information, please visit www.charlesirion.com, www.irionbooks.com and/or www.summitmurdermystery.com 

Here are 12 inspiring home decor projects that you can do to brighten up your home, and are pretty darn frugal! I love all things home decor, especially when someone makes a piece them self! There is just something about doing it yourself, redoing a piece you already have, or up-cycing something that is more rewarding than just buying it at the store.

One of my favorites has to be this super adorable Playhouse Makeover from Amber @ Dimples and Pigtals!

This fabulous Chair Makeover from Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof! I mean seriously Jenna can you come to my house and just bring like half of your adorable furniture and accessories?

You have to see this amazing bedroom transformation from Life on Virginia Street! Serious drool of here.

O and then go see her other bedroom transformation! She has obviously been a busy lady!

Since we are on the bedroom topic check out my Shim Headboard

Rachel @ Like a Saturday made this super thrifty Paint Dipped Basket!

Love these DIY Stenciled Pillows from Jordan @ LilyWhite. Designs! The possibilities are endless!

And while you are making some pillows you can make this adorable DIY Duvet Cover Darcy from @ The Ruffled Stitch shared.

Lora @ Craftivity Designs shared this super cute Window Seat

Need to transform your kitchen on a tiny budget? Carrie from Carrie This Home shares how to Paint Kitchen Cabinets!

For the kids… Therena @ A Little Bit of Paint share this fun and frugal Star Wars Art.

Last, but not least, this really cute DIY Rustic Chalkboard!

Do you want to be featured? Link up on Sunday evenings at 8:00pm CST to the Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop!

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Repost from: ablossominglife.com 

FrogTape(R) Launches iPad App to Inspire Home Design

Hi Everyone!  Thank you for reading my blog!  Did you know that I'm the author of not just one, but thirteen books?  For more information, please visit www.charlesirion.com, www.irionbooks.com and/or www.summitmurdermystery.com 

 

Homeowners Can Virtually Paint and Design Rooms With New Interactive Tool

Within the past five years, the popularity of DIY projects -- especially painting -- has significantly increased. New homeowners are eager to personalize their spaces, and those who have lived in their homes for years are looking to freshen things up by doing it themselves. However, the thought of where to start can be daunting. To help homeowners find inspiration and start planning their paint projects, FrogTape® brand painter's tape is excited to introduce a new, interactive iPad app to assist with the process.

The new FrogTape app will provide homeowners and paint/design enthusiasts with inspiration that they can use in their own homes. Users can virtually place a number of FrogTape products on an interactive canvas to create unique designs, patterns or shapes. Once their layout is finished, users can select and apply the perfect color combinations within the canvas, finishing off the virtual wall. Best of all, they can see how the finished product will look in a number of room settings, including living and dining rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms, then save these designs within the app.
Key app features include:

• Tape Selections - choose between FrogTape Multi-Surface or new Shape Tape™ in chevron, scallop or wave patterns.
• 72 Paint Color Options - an extensive paint palette is available for users to mix and match colors as they create their projects and designs.
• Room Prototypes - for a realistic approach to DIY projects throughout the home, the app includes a living room, dining room, bathroom, bedroom and a blank room prototype that users can paint and style as they choose.
• My Designs - Users can save their designs to view later when they are ready to make their virtual DIY projects a reality.

"FrogTape has always been rooted in innovation, and we're excited to continue on that path with our new app," said Dave Rodgers, senior digital marketing manager, ShurTech Brands, LLC. "Many decisions go into DIY painting, and the FrogTape app will help to alleviate stress by giving homeowners a place to visualize their design and work through color and design choices before the painting even begins."

FrogTape is the only painter's tape treated with patented PaintBlock® Technology, which reacts with latex paint and instantly forms a micro-barrier to seal the edges of the tape, preventing paint bleed. There are a number of tapes available within the family of FrogTape products including FrogTape Multi-Surface, FrogTape Delicate Surface, FrogTape Textured Surface and FrogTape Shape Tape.
The FrogTape app is free and available for download at FrogTape.com/app or from the iTunes store.
For project inspiration, or to learn more about FrogTape brand painter's tape, visit frogtape.com.

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repost from: consumerelectronics.net

Fall Decorating Ideas For Your Home

Updating a living space can be easy and affordable with these simple design ideas from Mosaik Design and Remodeling.

Layer a new wool rug or animal hide on top of an existing rug and you create an entirely new look. 

The change in season often inspires change to indoor living spaces. This is especially true as fall approaches and more time is spent indoors. There are plenty of simple ways to update the feel of a space that don’t require a lot of time and money. Erin Davis, co-owner of Mosaik Design and Remodeling, a premier design and build firm in Portland, Oregon shares affordable home decorating tips to bring warmth and luxury into the home this fall:

•      Layer and Texture: Layering and adding texture is an easy way to give a room a cozy feel, just as we would add a scarf or sweater to our wardrobe. Try a new wool rug or animal hide on top of an existing rug or add a handmade blanket or quilt on top of your comforter and you create an entirely new look. Bring in cozy, textural elements like velvet pillows or a cashmere throw and you add comfort and a touch of luxury to any room. Natural fiber wallpaper is another interesting way to bring warmth and texture to a space.

•    Color: Introduce new colors into your palette that reflect the mood of the fall season. This can be with home accessories or a coat of fresh paint. For example, if soft blues and yellows dominate your décor, add greys, bronzes or dark chocolates to create an entirely new fall palette. If you have a neutral color scheme, try amethysts, wines, spicy reds or soft orange hues to add warmth and richness to your room. These warm, rich tones will evoke comfort year round. Try this method with a new entry rug, hallway runner, or window treatments. For something more permanent, introduce a high contrast color on cabinets, molding or a stair rail to make a high impact design statement that is sophisticated without breaking the bank. 

•     Metalics: Bring in metallic tones to add elegance and a modern feel to your space. Gold, bronze and copper toned metals can bring warmth to your home. Metal toned nesting tables can make a wonderful addition if you entertain frequently and if space is at a premium. They can be placed in front of a sofa or chair and then stored away as a single end table when not in use. Lamp bases are another easy way to introduce metal tones. For something more dramatic, a pressed tin panel ceiling treatment is an unexpected way to introduce a metallic color.

•     Fireplace: If you are looking for a more permanent change, remodeling a fireplace is a great way to freshen up an entire space. Fireplaces tend to be the focal point in a room so even a minor change can make a big statement. Re-painting the wood or brick on the fireplace is an easy, inexpensive way to update the room, while a complete overhaul of the mantle, hearth and firebox will create an even larger impact. If you have a wood burning firebox, consider converting to a gas fireplace and you will get much more use out of it. 

•     Kitchen: The heart of the home gets its fair share of use in the cooler months. Put away summer dishes, glassware and get organized for family gatherings and entertaining in this area. Organize kitchen clutter by introducing a sleek bulletin board to keep track of kids’ activities and invitations or consider built in cubbies that can double as wine storage or to organize cookbooks. Also, don’t forget to clean your oven to set the stage for those amazing comfort foods like casseroles and pot pies.

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*article from prweb.com

The Top 5 Table Lamp Trends From Home Designers

Big and Bold Lamp Bases, Bright Colors, Glass Table Lamps and More are in the Spotlight

Top 5 Table Lamp Trends

Bring a new style to your decorating - the trend in table lamps is to the big, the bold, and the colorful, using glass and metallic finishes. 

Decorating styles for 2012 have been big, dramatic, and full of rich, vibrant color. The idea is to be unique, grab attention and make a statement. We’ve seen lots of daring color in furniture design, including primary colors in fabrics, Union Jack-themed couches and side tables, and dramatic tables with a steampunk, industrial loft look. Accessories and home accents are just as bold, with chic tones of silver, gold and tangerine tango, the designer color of the year. Not to be left out, a wide range of new designer lamp looks have followed, offering exciting new looks that will add a new brightness to your home decorating. Here are our top 5 table lamp trends for you to explore.

Big and Bold Bases
Lighting designers have gone big and bold with the lamp bases themselves. “The footprint of many lamps has gotten larger over the last couple of years,” says Lamps Plus blogger and designer Marcia Prentice. “The idea is to make the lighting a dramatic and sculptural focal point for the room.” On-trend looks include designs with a carved, antique appearance and organic-shaped bases that mimic forms found in nature. Elaborates Marcia, “To bring in an organic look, I love using big lamps that have a big wooden base or designs that have the look of driftwood or salvaged wood.”

Bright Colors
Fashion often leads the way in the exploiting new color trends. Runway inspired decor makes its presence felt in a range of brightly colored modern table lamps. Cool teal blue, more intense cobalt blue, bright and poppy tones of lavender, and glittering color treatments are all making a splash this year. And then there’s tangerine tango, the Pantone color of the year. “This is a really intense color, so a little goes a long way,” notes Marcia, “but it provides a wonderfully warm and intense blast to spice of bedrooms, seating areas and more.”

Clear Glass and Mirrors
To balance out some of the other big and bold room elements, designers are turning to glass and mirrored lamps. Designer and blog writer Lesley Myrick says that “Glass table lamps offer a clear and pure form that provides sparkle without fighting with other colors or shapes in a room design. With glass lamps, you can see through the body to get a glimpse of the other things going on in the space. They don’t conflict with other things going on.” Mirrored table lamps offer more punch, reflecting textures and colors used throughout a room. “Mirrored lamps are really cool to use in smaller rooms or anywhere you want to add a little splash and dazzle,” says Lesley. Both the glass and mirror offer a taste of the hot Hollywood Luxe design look, a style that draws inspiration from classic Hollywood set design and home styles from the 1930s and 1940s.

Metallic Table Lamps
It’s not just splashy colors and eye-catching glass that’s turning heads. Bold metallic tones of silver and gold are also being used. Observes Marcia, “Metal table lamps offer wonderful texture and glitter. They really make an impact in a room, especially when set against more organic elements or soft wall paint colors.” New designs are even bringing back an old favorite from, the brass table lamp. “Brass is a really appealing metallic tone for lamps,” says Marcia. “I love using them to give an extra layer of richness for a room.”

Custom DIY Looks
With the boom in DIY home projects and Etsy crafting, there’s also a big movement of customizing table lamps to create unique designs. Adding new trim or ribbons to a shade is one easy way to add a little personalization. “I’d also suggest looking at a new finial,” suggests Lesley. The lamp shade finial is the decorative top of the shade. These screw down onto the lamp spider to hold the shade in place. “You can find lots of really unique, inexpensive finials; there’s everything from cool abstract shapes to animals and more.” For those who want more customization, companies such as Lamps Plus offer online tools that allow users to customize existing shade designs “I’m a big crafter, so I love the idea of being able to create my own look to fit the style and mood of the room I’m designing. Anything unique really adds to the appeal of a room space.” Lamps Plus offers a number of customizable designs with the Design Your Own Custom Lighting tool, which is available online, and offers a number of ways to make your own lamp.

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*article from prweb.com