Decorate your Living Room

Living room, is where you welcome your honoured guests. A place for social gathering. This room is the introductory room of the house. Thus, it should be very well decorated. The decoration should be such that your guest feel comfortable and relaxed to settle down for a conversation. Previously, the living room decoration was restricted to seating arrangements but with the course of time, a lot of innovations have come into practice. Lets look at some ideas to dress your living room -

1.Seating Arrangement – The seating arrangement should be for at least six people. The kind of furniture depends on the space available. If it is a cosy corner of your house, then it is best to avoid sofa's and instead include rod iron chairs or low wooden chairs. The center table should not be very big and is best if it is made of glass. Instead of painting a wall bright, attach a big designer mirror. This will make the room look big.

But if you are blessed with a spacious living room, then your furniture can include one decorative big wooden sofa, with two smaller ones beside it and if needed two more sleek chairs. You can paint one wall in bright colour, contrasting the colours of the other walls, to make the room feel cosy. Throw some pillows or cushions of varied shades to add dash of colours to the room and make it look cheerful.


2.Lights – Lights play a very important part in the décor of the place. For a small room, it is best to stick to ceiling lights. These lights provide uniform lighting, thus leaving no dark corners. The brightness of the light should be uniform.

For a bigger room, a medium size chandelier, should be hanged at the center with other four ceiling lights. At bigger rooms the chances of dark corners are more. The light of the chandelier should not be too bright. Layer lighting is best for bigger rooms.

3.Decorate The Walls – Generally, the walls should be painted in light colours. According to the new trend of interior decoration, the bright coloured wall can be used to make a family collage and the center wall can be dressed with wall art. This makes your interior decoration look unique and beautiful. The wall art should be minimal and it is best to use contrasting pastel colours, to maintain the relaxed approach of the room.

4.Windows – Windows are a must. It is best to have big windows with glass panes. For a small room, light material single coloured curtains should be. A small room should be kept as simple as possible. The colours should match the colour of the walls.

For a bigger room, the decorative heavy curtains can be put on the both sides, whereas the center can be clad with light white curtains. This will add emphasis to the beautiful windows. There should also be a seating arrangement near the window, to add on to the beauty.

5.Flooring And Carpets – Flooring is best if it is dark in colour, like wooden flooring. This highlights the different colours used in decorating the room and maintains the informal mood. Carpets should be restricted to the seating area, until it is winters. If the colours of the room is bold, then carpet should be light in colour. If your walls are light in colour, then your carpet should break the monotony with bright colour. It is best to have patterned carpets.

So, go ahead and dress you living room in the best possible way to make a visit to your house memorable for a lifetime.

Read Full Entry

A Tiny Penthouse Studio Dressed in Comic Book Colors

ENID WOODWARD’S toenails are painted blue, a color you don’t often see on a mature woman. The walls of her tiny Manhattan penthouse are even more unusual — a strong sky blue, with blocks of red.We are not talking pale colors here. This is color as an explosion of energy, color that could hurl you into the air if, by some magic power, color were given force: a comic-book blast of Superman blue and red.

It’s a bold choice, particularly since you cannot move from Ms. Woodward’s blue-and-red living room to, say, a bedroom painted a tranquil and self-effacing eggshell white. The living room is the bedroom is the dining room.

The apartment is one open space — and at 600 square feet, a very small space. And while many who live in small studios hide their beds in pull-down contraptions, Ms. Woodward does not. Her bamboo-backed four-poster stands large and proud, “a temple within a temple,” as she and her design team at D’Aquino Monaco call it.

“A friend of mine came in and said, ‘This is your bedroom, right?’ ” Ms. Woodward said. “She knew better, but she just couldn’t get her mind around it.”

She gestured with her hand at points about the room — the bed, the TV, the built-in desk. “I said, ‘No, this is my bedroom, this is my media room, this is my workroom.’ The nice thing about a house tour is you can do it standing in one place.”

Ms. Woodward is 57 years old. Her voice carries a touch of her native west Texas, though she has been in New York for more than 30 years. She was a founder of a dance company, Woodward Casarsa, and worked with it for the five years it existed in the early 1980s; she later worked as the on-tour physical therapist with the Alvin Ailey dance company for 10 years. She now has her own physical therapy office in Manhattan.

She is involved in spiritual studies, primarily Buddhism in a down-to-earth way: the advantage of cooking for people who are on a retreat in silence is that they can’t complain about the food, she said. She also said that when she and her husband of some 20-odd years divorced a few years ago, they used a mediator because they were determined that their marriage would have a “graceful end.”

Ms. Woodward and her former husband, a financier and real estate broker, lived in the same prewar, Upper West Side apartment house where she now lives, in a large two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment with a dining room. About 10 years ago, they bought the little apartment directly above them for $275,000. They planned to break through and turn the two into a duplex one day. When the marriage ended, Ms. Woodward, who loved the building and the neighborhood, got the little apartment.

It had a cramped, dark bedroom and a tiny, walled-off kitchen. But it also had a very large asset: a wraparound terrace that was nearly the same size as the living space. Access was through a narrow living room door, though, and the terrace was only visible from two small windows in the living room, a small mullioned window in the bedroom, and another small window in the walled-off kitchen.

Still, for Ms. Woodward, who had gotten into gardening when she lived for a time in Los Angeles, that terrace was a big draw. And she was not concerned about a small living space. What was important to her was that her home be a refuge, she said, where she could decompress and restore herself.

To create that refuge, she worked with Carl D’Aquino and Francine Monaco of D’Aquino Monaco, an architecture and design firm. She gave them a few pictures she had pulled out of magazines: a cottage in England where everything was gray except for intense blue shutters; a bath house in Istanbul; Moroccan tiles.

She realized later that the team had also taken note of what she was wearing: a poncho a friend had knitted for her in burnt orange, a color that was echoed in the Burmese pots and bowls she had about the house. They had also listened carefully when she told them about her frequent spiritual retreats.

“She’s a very spiritual person,” Mr. D’Aquino said. “She loved color, which we love to work with; she also loves to garden and to cook.”

Ms. Monaco added: “I don’t remember the three images clearly other than they added up to one word — creating a sanctuary. She also had a great connection with Buddhism, and within a lot of the imagery of the Hindu gods they often use this really rich, intense blue as a background.”

Read Full Entry

What you should do and desist from

Different rooms
A house has different rooms and each room has a different purpose. Below are tips for different rooms.

Bedrooms
Mr Mark Nsubuga, an administrator with Patron Designers and Dry Flowers, says the master bedroom should have silent colours to create a cozy, romantic and restful environment for the couple. “Have neutral colours like quiet cream, white that is 25 per cent which is a non- bright colour,” he says. Also, ensure that the lights are dim, usually pink, green or any other non-bright light works perfect for a bedroom to create a cosy mood. The children’s bedroom should be spacious with bright colours and wall hangings that have animations.

Kitchen
The equipment and paint used in the kitchen should be non-flammable because there is fire in this area. It should also have stainless steel equipment. “Do not use equipment which can easily rust, use brass and copper chrome materials which do not rust,” Mr Nsubuga explains. Bathroom: The bathroom should have rough tiles, not smooth tiles like most people do. This is because smooth tiles are slippery and since bathrooms are usually wet, one can easily fall, especially children. Put candles in the shower room on wall candle holders. This creates a romantic and beautiful atmosphere.

What to avoid

Overcrowding the room kills its beauty and makes it appear dark. Congestion of the room is usually brought about by too many accessories and size of the furniture in contrast to the room size.

Poor finishing of the floor and the walls may also ruin the decorative aspect of the house. Mr Mukalazi says this usually comes as a result of doing work in a rush, inexperienced builders and use of poor quality building materials.

Use of too many colours exaggerates the room. Ms Nsubuga insists that one should choose at least two rhyming colours or even three as long as they match well to bring out the beauty in the house.

Do not use floor tiles in the bedroom. Ceramic, granite and marble tiles never work for the bedroom because they are too cold and too smooth unless you put a carpet.

Desist from putting flowers in the bedroom. Flowers and too much decoration in a master bedroom ruin the beauty. Do not use dull colours in the kitchen and children’s bedrooms. Colours like black store dirt in the corners and this promotes improper hygiene.

Read Full Entry

Cisco Umi brings HD telepresence to the living room

Cisco Systems unveiled Cisco Umi, its consumer-focused telepresence offering that lets people connect to each other using videoconferencing on their HD television in their living rooms. Umi's VoIP element is also strong, with the ability to place and receive video calls from friends and family from other programs equipped with VoIP video calling, specifically Google video chat. In addition, Umi has certain user controls that will allow owners to block unwanted callers, and lock the Umi system so that others can't use it in your absence. There's also a privacy shutter that clicks off the camera and goes into audio-only mode for those moments that aren't fit to be viewed. If 1080p isn't available, Umi will adapt the bandwidth to drop down to 720p or even 480p quality.

As analysts predicted, the hardware alone will cost $599, with a $24.99 monthly service fee. Cisco will make Umi available on November 14 at Best Buy, with preorders beginning today. The hardware components will also be available at Magnolia Home theater. In addition, Cisco and Verizon will bring Umi to Verizon Fios fiber-optic network customers early in 2011. Meanwhile. peripherals maker Logitech has its own HD video-calling product coming out today at the company's announcement of Logitech Revue with Google TV.
"We believe consumers want the best and most seamless experience which means HD video calling not only from TV to TV, but also TV to PC or Mac (or vice versa)," Erik Kintz, VP and general manager of Logitech's video business, said in a statement. "We also believe consumers will want a free service and one that is integrated into a broader entertainment experience, which is why Logitech is excited to introduce an integrated HD video calling offering with Google TV.

Cisco will market its Umi system with a mall tour to give prospective customers a chance to try the product hands-on. The $600 price point could be a hard sell for casual users accustomed to free VoIP services like Skype. In addition, Cisco will likely air commercials featuring Canadian actress Ellen Page, in a reprisal of her role in a series of ads to promote Cisco's telepresence for business. In reaction to Cisco's Umi, Skype invoked Moore's Law, the essence of which is that technology gets faster, smaller, and cheaper over time.

"Buy a $599 device and it can be subject to obsoletism at the hands of mass-market options that sell for 1/2, then 1/4, and eventually 1/10 the price. And, when unbeatable lower cost, high performance options are readily available, spending at the top-end can be like throwing money away, especially if you are buying a video calling system and there is no one else to call," Skype's Jonathan Christensen said in a blog post. is a telecommunications system that requires a mix of Cisco hardware and hardware you'll already need to own. The Umi service includes a Cisco-issued high-definition camera with an embedded microphone, a set-top box, and a remote, but you'll need your own HD TV (1080p) and Internet connection to use it. There is no external microphone, but you can recalibrate the audio quality. Cisco's algorithms cancel external noice and bring the voices in the foreground.

Video calls and video messages are at the center of the Umi service, but the remote will also let customers manage their contact list, profiles, and settings. In addition, Umi will also record videos capable of being uploaded to Facebook and YouTube, or attached in an e-mail message.

Read Full Entry

Girls Bedroom Ideas

If you're planning to redecorate your daughter's bedroom and aren't sure of what to do then you need to read this article. We're going to look at three creative girls bedroom ideas.

How to decorate the bedroom is going to depend partly on your daughter's age and what she likes. Not every girl is the same, so you should definitely get her input and let her help decide what to do. It can still be a surprise if that's your plan, just ask questions when the opportunity arises to see what she wants.

Let's look at three popular themes for girls...

Princess Bedroom

What little girl hasn't dreamed of being a princess? Its an almost universal theme for girls, especially from about 4 to 8 years old. Whether it's the Disney Princesses or something a little more traditional, there are a ton of products available for a princess themed room.

You can easily find wallpaper, borders, decals, lamps and other accessories to help decorate the room. You can buy lace curtains that hang from the ceiling to enclose the bed like you see in many princess movies. And there is plenty of bedding with princess designs to outfit the bed.

Pop Star Bedroom

When girls reach 8 or 9 years old, they often outgrow the princess theme and start thinking more along the lines of the hottest pop star. Right now that would be Hannah Montana, but they tend to change every 3 or 4 years, if not sooner.

This can be a fun theme as well, but keep in mind that girls' taste in music can be a little fickle. They might be a huge fan today, but a year from now that pop star might be replaced by someone new.

The best way to handle this type of theme is to finish the room in colors and accessories that would suit any singer, and use posters and other decorations that are easily changed to create the specific theme. That way you can just change those things when the time comes for a new pop star.

Movie or TV Show Bedroom

Most girls have their favorite movies and TV shows, and they often want to outfit their room with one of them. This is another theme where things can change pretty quickly, so it's a good idea for the paint, borders, wallpaper, etc. to be more generic and then use posters, decals and other easily changed accessories to make the theme.

Whatever theme you choose, keep in mind that girls' taste is going to change every few years. Unless you want to completely redecorate each time that happens, try to use paint colors and other more permanant accessories that will work for any theme.

Read Full Entry

Decorating Kids Bedrooms

With paint and a few home decorating materials and accessories, older kids can unleash their creativity and put a personal stamp on their living space. Here are some tips from designer Genevieve Gorder, host of HGTV’s Dear Genevieve, on how to add style to the bedrooms of preteens and teenagers.

Color. “Let your child decide what color her room should be,” Gorder says. “Paint is a very forgiving medium, has a huge impact and allows you to change color later on. If your tween or teen opts for black, hot pink or neon green, suggest balancing the intensity of these colors with lighter tones on moldings, baseboards or bed coverings.

Display space. Create a wall-size bulletin board by covering one wall with inexpensive Homasote, a lightweight, fiber-based wallboard, and painting it to match the other walls. The wallboard will protect the wall underneath, Gorder says, “so photos, posters and other mementos can be displayed and rotated easily.”

Furniture. “Be sure your child has plenty of study space,” Gorder says. “Tweens and teens need adult-size furniture so they can spread out. Even a small dining table will work.”

Wall art. Painting a mural is a fun way for kids to transform a room. Natalie Miggins, 10, of Chatham, N.J. (pop. 8,460), is painting a beach mural in her walk-in closet. “During the winter, I can go into my closet and remember the summer,” Natalie says. “A closet is a brilliant place to practice boldness,” Gorder adds, “and a mural is a great place to start and restart.”

Lighting. “Vary the lighting intensity with an inexpensive dimmer for overhead lights, a lamp with bright light for the desk, and a floor lamp,” Gorder suggests. An adult may need to plan bedroom lighting, but kids can help select the fixtures.

Read Full Entry