Copper garden accessories, the new "Green Thumb"

With hopes of April showers bringing May flowers, homeowners will again be tending their gardens and planting an assortment of flowerbeds, fruits and vegetables for the spring and summer seasons.

Home and garden centers today are seeing a booming business helping gardening "hobbyists" transform their yards into private sanctuaries complete with trellises, statuary, fountains and water features. And copper is the building material of choice when it comes to decorating and adding elegance to their backyard retreats.

For centuries, copper has been used by builders for its beauty, longevity and practicality. Not only does copper offer a warm and natural look, whether glazed to remain shiny or allowed to age gracefully to a weatherworn gray-green patina, this all-purpose metal offers sustainable qualities not attainable with other building and construction materials.

Some of the same attributes that attract architects and builders to copper -- durability, easy installation and low maintenance -- also attracts gardeners to a proliferation of handcrafted copper outdoor ornaments and garden decor.

Each year, homeowners spend as much sprucing up their yards as they do decorating their home's interiors.

"Copper is the metal of choice by many for its aesthetic beauty and rugged properties," said Wayne Seale, an architect and regional manager with the Copper Development Association. "It was once used primarily by architects and designers to adorn the outside of lavish homes, castles and cathedrals, but now copper is being selected by homeowners and landscapers to add interest and beauty to backyards and gardens."

Garden accessories such as statutes and sculptures, bird baths and feeders, weathervanes, lanterns, torches, wind chimes, planters, garden stakes, sundials and trellises are typically available in copper or brass, an alloy of copper.

Many of these decorative pieces are fashioned into staked ornaments, copper weathervanes or wind chimes and can be made to look like sculpted, full-bodied animals, or be shaped into flowers with petals made of hand-hammered copper. With shapes ranging from manatees, birds, cats, butterflies and dolphins to suns, moons and stars, there's likely to be something to suit every taste.

Planters are popular copper garden motif. Often coated with an antique finish, they are available as boxes, urns and large pots. Sundials, placed in the center of a sun-filled garden for obvious reasons, are another staple. Frequently made of solid brass, with or without faux verdigris (green or bluish patina) highlights, they typically include intricate designs such as Celtic knot-work, some may also include sentimental inscriptions like Robert Browning's poem, "Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be."

Source: Marketwire

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6 really good reasons to redecorate

Need an excuse to start a redecorating project? Not really, but - just in case you do - here are several tried and true reasons that you can turn to in order to convince yourself that it's time to do a bit of the "out with the old and in with the new."

#6 - Change of Status

Perhaps you took the original swipe at decorating when you were still in or just finishing College. Now, years later, you've moved up in your career and can afford some of the finer things in life. This is the perfect excuse to get rid of the things you decorated with that were supposed to do until something better came along.

#5 - Change of Address

Whether you're just moving into a new home, or you're preparing to move out of an old one, both are great excuses to spruce up your decorative accessories. Redecorating in order to sell your home is often referred to as staging, and it can be fun and rewarding, even if you only get to enjoy the finished product until the closing date.

#4 - Empty Nesting

There is no better time to redecorate then when the children have finally moved out. The items you were afraid to own, because you knew they wouldn't survive your brood, can now be proudly displayed, at least until the Grandchildren start to visit.

#3 - Full Nesting

Still living at home, but your bedroom is still decorated with ballerinas or space ships? It's definitely time to practice expressing your own style by making over your childhood bedroom into an adult living space.

#2 - Hand-Me-Ups

If you inherited some extraordinary pieces, or came across some unusual finds while going through your parent's basement or attic, this is the perfect excuse to upgrade your decor to match.

And the #1 Reason - Because You Can

Do you really need any other reason? One of the great advantages of living in today's cultural abundance is the ability to change your decor mind whenever you want. It doesn't even have to be a drastic change, a few colors here and some new artwork there and you can have a completely different home quickly, easily, and for less than you'd expect.

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Animals make a great theme for a Boy's room

Picking the right theme is often the hardest part of decorating a room, especially when that room is for a child. We often put too much pressure on ourselves to create the perfect space for our "bundles of joy" and that pressure begins from the womb and doesn't usually subside until that child's messy habits obliterate any decorating attempts.

The trick with picking a theme is, unless you plan on redecorating often, to select something that can grow with the child. And while crayons and clows my work for the early years, you will soon find that theme growing old as your child matures.

Don't worry, there are plenty of great themes for boys' rooms, themes that can age gracefully, even if your child doesn't. The right theme can provide both the focus and the inspiration for a special one-of-a-kind room and can be adapted as your child grows.

One example of a great theme is to focus on the Animal Kingdom. After all, who wouldn't love a room that is all about their favorite pet, or the coolest animal on the planet (whichever he believes that to be).

By selecting an animal themed room, you are sure to have plenty of options to choose from, from posters to stuffed animals, and these things can be easily swapped out as the child grows. Stuffed animals can be replaced with sculptures, posters with paintings. The more mature your child becomes, the more grown-up the representations of animals can be... although without changing the base or othe overall theme of the room.

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Home Tips by Anne & Larry - Cleaing Mac & Cheese off a Wood Table

We've all had to face the issue of messy children in the early stages of learning how to eat (which - sometimes - doesn't end until their mid to late twenties).

One of the hardest things to remove is cold Macaroni & Cheese, as it tends to become very sticky, very fast.Here are two viewpoints on how to deal with this sticky issue:

Anne: In order to clean Mac & Cheese off the table, use a REALLY wet table-cloth. By keeping the cloth wet, it will help slide the sticky, cheesy macaroni right off the table. After you've removed the leftover bits, you can then use standard cleaners to finish the job and polish up.

Larry: Cleaning Mac & Cheese off the kitchen table is easy. Simply follow these three steps. 1) Pick up dog. 2) Place dog on table. 3) Leave room. (If you don't have a dog, see if you can borrow your neighbors.

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Home Tips by Anne & Larry offers two sides of the same coin..In the tradition of He Said, She Said, this column offers - with tongues firmly planted in our cheeks - two views of how to deal with common problems around the home, from cleaning tips, to home repair and improvement advice.

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National Geographic launches first vegetable fiber area rugs and bindings

Merida Meridian, a leading designer of sustainable natural fiber floor coverings, will launch the first vegetable fiber area rugs and bindings developed specially for the National Geographic Home Collection. The Merida area rugs and bindings will be on display with the National Geographic Home Collection at the High Point International Home Furnishings Market, IHFC C800, from April 25-30.

This first-time licensing partnership for Merida pairs the company's 31-year history of sustainably sourced and innovatively designed natural floor coverings with National Geographic's mission to inspire people to care about the planet.

Source: Marketwire

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Go Green and decorate with plants

Adding greenery to your home, either through living plants or silk arrangements adds a touch of the outdoors into any home, and scan soften almost any decor scape.

Although some Feng Shui experts frown upon dried flowers as a decorative accent (as dried flowers are a clear symbol of something that was once alive and vibrant), these guidelines do not seem to apply to silk flowers and definitely do not apply to living plants.

Potted plants and flowers are a simple yet inexpensive way to fill and soften any space, either as a focal point or a background. Philodendrums are by far one of easiest plants to grow and are - in some cases - almost impossible to kill.

If you have a bit of a green thumb, you can try some other plant options, including a fern or a ficus.

By adding some simple greenery, and caring for them regularly (live plants require proper lighting, water and feeding, silk plants require a regular cleaning or dusting to maintain their appeal), you can add a soft, casual, lively accent to any space.

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When in doubt, a metallic accent could save your day.

True to form, the runway has hit ironically close to home with its most desired form of accessorizing that easily crosses from your outfit to your decor, the pop of color.

The easiest way to emphasize something in a subtle yet direct way, is to throw an eye catching color on or around it. An example of this could be your tan couches emphasized with a couple not-quite neon green throw cushions.

The goal is to pair something everyday with something thought provoking and create your own retro haven. These ideas stay within your everyday levels of color tolerance while attracting your own eyes as well as your future guests eyes to your imaginative combinations.

The trend has also let our ideas expand themselves and have our rooms speak fearlessly. Our neutrals and brights are enjoying each others company and embracing the sophistication they can represent when paired properly.

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How to make smart color choices

With spring finally here (although we aren't all feeling it quite yet!) color is beginning to surround us all - that Mother Nature has an eye for color, doesn't she? I have good news. You don't have to wait for Mother Nature to add color to your life. Painting is the most affordable and easiest change you can make to update your space. If you are afraid of selecting color fear not, I'm here to assist.

Let's talk about some common myths and I'll offer a few helpful suggestions.

Myth: Dark colors make a room feel smaller.
Not necessarily true. High contrast between large pieces in a room make it feel smaller because the contrast highlights the size of the room. It breaks up the room rather than expanding it. If you paint your room dark blue and have a sofa of a similar shade they will "blend" and open up the room. If you are painting a room a dark color just keep the contrast of large pieces (sofas and curtains) down and you will expand the room.

This of course also means that light colors don't necessarily make a room feel bigger. Again, contrast impacts that perception.

Myth: When decorating, pick your paint color first.
Paint is available in ANY color. If you can't find the color you want on a chip, a paint store can custom mix a color to match anything. So, since sofas and bedding are not available in ANY color, begin your color selections with the large pieces in your room. Then, pick a paint color to coordinate. It doesn't have to match exactly, but should compliment the larger pieces in the room.

This is not to say that you can't decorate around a paint color - for example, if you know your decor will be black and white the sky is the limit for wall color - but selecting paint first can limit your choices in other areas.

Myth: If you like the color in the store you'll like it at home.
Please, please, please do not go to a paint store, pick a color from a chip and go home with a gallon of paint. There are so many reasons why you should not do this. The first is that a tiny paint chip cannot begin to show you how actual paint will look on your walls in your house.

Every color looks different in every space. Your room's light, floor color, furniture and surrounding room colors will impact how a color looks on your walls.

Here are my suggestions for selecting paint colors for your home.
Based on the note above about basing color on furnishings in your home, visit the paint store and select as many paint chips as you like and think might look good and bring them home! Feel free to bring inspirations with you to help you make your decision. Take 10 strips of blue, take 20 if you need them. It's okay; they are free.

Once home, use painters tape to attach the chips to the wall. You need to look at the colors on the wall - not in your hand. The color looks different at different angles. Try to narrow the colors down to 2 - 3 that you like.

Next, buy samples of each and paint a 2' x 2' size swatch on your walls. Make sure you do two coats if needed. You want to see how the colors will really look. Look at the colors in the day, the night, give them a few days to make you happy or turn you off. Go with your gut. This is not a time to talk yourself into something, it will not look better with time!

If you are making a dramatic color change make sure to use the right primer, your paint supplier can provide the right primer for your color.

It's not unusual to experience a bit of shock when a room is painted a new color, but these steps are the best way to "test drive" a color and reduce the post-painting shock.

I can't tell you what colors to pick (unless I'm in your house!), but I know this will get you off to a great start and I always encourage folks to try new things in the world of color... be brave!

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Eccentric decor a no-no when trying to sell your home

Staging experts recommend that anything that might be considered "out there" should be "out of there" when your home goes on the market.

De-personalize by removing unusual posters or any decorative item that could be construed as offensive or odd.

For example, your collection of antique doilies, or the way you've fabric-wrapped every door-knob in the house to coordinate with the wallpaper may be appealing to you, others may find it to be overbearing.

Even the very artistic nude oil painting might be something to consider temporarily packing away, until it can be proudly displayed again in your new home.

Despite a strong support for the concept of free speach, many stagers state that homes that are overly decorated, including those with a patriotic or religious theme, can be seen as a distraction to potential homeowners.

Home stagers, who are hired in order to present a house in the best possible light, recommend to their customers that they try to remove their own "personality" from a home in order for potential buyers to imagine themselves living there.

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Wall decor meets science fiction with Digital Wallpaper

We've all seen it in the movies, but life could finally be imitating art when digital wallpaper launches in Japanese homes.

According to an article in NewScientist, Shimizu is using a thin liquid-crystal technology developed by the Israeli firm Magink to make 5-millimetre-thick wall tiles that display full-colour images.

Currently being called SmartBricks, these tiles will rely on ambient light to illuminate the image, producing a softer picture than backlit liquid-crystal displays. The effect, say its developers, is akin to that produced by real wallpaper.

The resolution of the current prototype is low, since the pixels are 5 millimetres wide shows only static images. However, there are plans to increase resolution and provide options that will include moving images.

However, don't expect this to end up in your local decor store anytime soon. At an initial estimated cost of $2,500 per square metre, this will surely be a unique item until production and demand are able to reduce the cost.

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Five fabulously-easy decorating tips!

Who couldn't use some tips to make decorating a bit easier?

Let me share a few of my favorite easy "tricks" in the hopes that they will make you and your home a bit happier!

Here goes....

1. Find your center.

People tend to hand their pictures way too high on their walls. An ideal height for the center of your pictures (the ones you view while sitting vs. hallways where you view standing) is 54" high. That's about where the CENTER of the picture should fall. Not the top.

Here's the tip -- find YOUR center. Measure 54" up on your body and then when you hang (or rehang) your pictures you'll easily find their proper height. When hanging pictures in a walkway use 60" as your center guide. We're not talking hard and fast rules here, just guidelines. The reason for lowering your pictures is simple - so you can SEE them without straining your neck. Put your art in front of you eyes!

2. Make a wall.

Most newer houses have large living spaces that spread into dining spaces that open into kitchens. These open floor plans don't provide a lot of separation between spaces, which can make defining spaces and arranging some furniture difficult.

Here's an idea - make a wall! Hang fabric from a tension rod (via hooks from the ceiling, so it all but disappears) perpendicular to a long wall. This fabric "wall" will allow you to place items in the new "corner," creating new options for furniture arrangements.

3. Hang them high.

Along with hanging art too high, many people hang their window treatments too low. Take your curtain rods 8" or more above your window. For lower ceilings I often hang the rod as close to the ceiling as I can. This adds height to your room and creates a finished look.

4. Paint it.

Painting your walls is obvious, but many people overlook the many other things they can and should paint along with their walls. Painting your closet doors, trim, ceilings and other ill-place cabinets makes them disappear, or in the case of a ceiling, feel higher.

If you have a red room with two white bi-fold closet doors and you paint the doors and trim around them red too the doors no longer stand out; they suddenly blend in. Do you really want the focal pint of your room to be white bi-fold doors? Ceilings that are painted a lighter version of the color room they are in (blue room, lighter blue ceiling) automatically feel higher. You eliminate the sharp line of contrast between the wall and ceiling colors that make your ceiling feel lower.

5. Book it.

Books can be a great decorating tool. Of course their obvious job is just being books - sitting on a shelf and looking good - but they can be useful in other ways too. If you need a lamp on a table but the lamp you have isn't tall enough, place it on a few nice looking books and you add instant height to the lamp. Other accessories are benefit from this trick.

If you have colorful hardback books try arranging them by color -- creating color "blocks" on a shelf. Five red books together and 6 green books on the next shelf. And while you're at it pull those books to the front of your shelves, where you can SEE them! Another book idea - - take the jackets off of your books and see what solid colors are beneath. It's a great way to display them.

Happy decorating!

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Equestrian home decor leaps into more and more homes.

Whether it be because of their admiration of the animals itself, or because of the rustic or western "homey" feel of many horse themed decor pieces, equestrian decor can be found in many homes.

Equestrian decor can range from horse-themed figurines or pottery to furniture or decor accent pieces made of steel, wrought iron - even lighting products. In fact, equestrial decor can follow us throughout our entire lives, from the rocking horse and western-themed blankets we enjoy as children to more mature pieces, such as horse themed metal wall art.

Whatever your reason for adding equestrian home decor, and whether you go for a few accent pieces or an entire theme, you can be assured - with the recent growth of equestrian decor available - that you will have plenty of decorative items available.

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Safari - From the runway to the hallway

Cultural influences have provoked traditionalists to take century-old Asian, African and Indian inspirations and convert them into a new generation of décor, a boldly themed safari.

The safari can also be found pinned and sewn onto many models as they hit the runway in our generation's most popular form of expression, clothing. The message a leopard print sends is chic yet thought provoking, a blend that emphasizes true taste and distinct ambience.

Therefore, we can easily transform these ideas to suit our closet AND hallway.
Although safari home decor is bold and wild there are also subtle forms of welcoming the idea and cultures without stepping outside of your own boundaries, try a handcrafted decoration of your choice.

Incorporating real handiwork not only provides a soulful feeling in your space but also supports the artists who have created these works.

So, whether your ideas are subtle or overt, try to spice up your hallway with a touch of adventure.

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What you see is only part of what you get with a Tapestry Wall Hanging

The items you add to a room to create a visual impact are only part of the equation for creating a comfortable atmosphere.

Sounds, smells and tactile impressions also help create a room's overall decor.

Music, lighting, fragrance and textures all play a part in your home decor. For example, the textures available in a tapestry wall hanging can provide both a colorful or decorative splash, plus the texture that only a woven work of art can provide.

Add to that the sound quality that a fabric wall hanging can provide, which is unlike anything any other kind of wall decor can provide.

After all, your home is to be lived in, not displayed in a photograph.

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Canvas art inspires new contemporary designers

Canvas art prints are a favorite for the contemporary designer, allowing a unique decorative feel and inspiring focal point to your home or office.

The art prints are also inspiring in the age of the "carbon footprint" because of the reduced paper usage and they don't require a glass display or matted finish, in fact they're beauty is in the vivid color and texture of the design.

The varieties of designs are endless and you can have a display on your wall that's closer to the original then ever before. Canvas Transferring is the most highly respected form of copying an artists original artwork, it enables artists to keep their valuable creations away from any kind of damage while many people can reap the benefits of having one almost identical to the original in their home.

All of these features also appeal to consumers in the current economic slum because of the advances in productions ability to produce high quality prints that are cost efficient.

So, when deciding to redecorate, consider coloring your walls with a gift really worth your money.

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Philadelphia design firm uses Tyvek to create decorative textiles

Tyvek is not a common fabric. In fact, its most commun usage is as the base material for shipping envelopes and hazmat suits.

However, according to a recent New York Times article, Mio - a Philadelphia design firm - has turned this previously industrial material into decorative textiles.

According to the article, Loop, the company's first Tyvek fabric design, is printed with a solid color on one side and a pattern by Sharon Nao, a graphic designer, on the other.

"Tyvek doesn't tear, doesn't wrinkle, can be stitched and can be put in the washing machine," said Jaime Salm, one of Mio's owners, who thinks that Loop will be used to make items as varied as draperies and clothing.

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