Don't forget about the finishing touches.

You've spent hours and a certain amount of money getting the room redecorated just the way you want it, only it doesn't look complete... what's missing?

Many people focus on the big things in a room, the furniture, the paint, the flooring... but forget about some of the simple touches that make a room "finished."

Sometimes it can take a few hours, other times it can take a whole lifetime to find the right finishing touches for a room. And you'd be surprised where you'll find some of the best treasures.

Think of it as adding jewellery after you've finished creating the perfect outfit.

A few ideas of finishing touches that add that special something to an almost finished room:

- Collectibles or themes - if you have a special passion, consider adding them to the room. Just be careful that you don't let the room become crowded.

- Living plants - are a great way to soften and add life to a room. Pay attention to the lighting conditions while selecting a plant that will thrive in the space.

- Unique wall hangings. Paintings and photos are great, but consider something a bit more unusual. Perhaps a garden plaque that you love, a piece of reclaimed wood or a unique antique. Tapestries make a great wall decor because of their aesthetic and acoustic qualities, and metal wall art is quickly becoming a hot buy, in both rustic and contemporary designs.

- Fill a bowl for a central focus. Take a collection of things, which can be as inexpensive and plentiful as pine cones from the forest (careful to clean and de-bug them before bringing them into the house). Paint them different (but coordinating) colors for additional interest.

- Keep a vase handy for fresh flowers. There are few things that are as welcoming as a bouquet of fresh, fragrant flowers.

There are many more options for adding those finishing touches... don't forget to have fun and buy what you love. The more things in a room that you love, the more you will love your room.

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The “50’s Cord Chair” is back!

As cited in the July New York Times article, the Canadian chair designed in 1953 by Jacques Guillon is making its comeback after four decades away from the design world.

The Cord Chair has a seat as well as a backrest made of tightly strung nylon cord. In the home décor scene its always been considered the “minimalists gem”. The beauty of the chair is not only in the design but also in the perfect balance of its fragility and strength.

Manufacturer Stephan Weishaupt of the retailer Avenue Road fell in love with this after spotting it in museums and went to the original designer Jacques Guillon to ask if reproduction was a possibility. After the now 84-year-old agreed, they worked together to bring it back to life.

If you’re looking for something rare and beautiful to get a couple wows around your table, the Cord Chair will be available in August for $795. Keep your eyes open.

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Highlight your best features, hide the others

Draw attention to your room’s best features by using color, lighting, and/or furniture placement.

Conversely, you can downplay the less attractive (but often necessary) parts of a room by painting them in a color that matches the walls, or by disguising them with clever cover-ups.

You'd be amazed at how much better a stereo or speakers can look when draped with a fine fabric.

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Organization is next to Decoration

Even the most stunning decorated home loses the impact when buried in clutter and disorganization. Conversely, simple decor can look inviting and clean when it is well organized.


Everybody (well, almost everybody) has a junk drawer. But when you have as many junk drawers as you have rooms in your house, you know there is a problem.


Here are some simple tips to help remove the clutter and let your design skills shine through:


1. If you don’t use it, get rid of it. Sell it online or through a garage sale, donate it to a local charity or throw it out. Why take up precious space with something you don't use.


2. Aim for harmony and simplicity when arranging furniture and decorating a room. Something that is too complicated to keep in that arrangement will eventually (and likely quickly) lose the style you worked so hard to create.

3. Look for decorative pieces that complement your lifestyle. For example, if you know you have lots of stuff you have to keep on hand, look for pieces with plenty of hidden storage.

4. Organize the places where other things go. If your front closet is a mess, it is unlikely that you will use it to store shoes, coats, etc... which means they will end up tossed over or near whatever piece of furniture is closest to the door.


By following these simple tips, you can create a cleaner, prettier space that will stay that way.


If you don't think you can do this yourself, considering hiring a professional organizer. It will be well worth the investment in your home and your lifestyle.

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Designer Vern Yip returns to TV for the fourth season of “Design Star”

Interior designer and (for many) Trading Spaces favorite Vern Yip will be returning to a regular TV spot on Sunday evening (check local listings for your local airtime) .

According to a recent article in Atlanta Access, “Design Star,” which typically draws three or more million people a week on Sunday nights, has already created two HGTV stars with their own shows: studly David Bromstad from season one and sweet Kim Myles from season two.

For its fourth season debuting Sunday at 10 p.m., “Design Star” is moving to the city of Angels ( Los Angeles ), which will allow for some celebrity guest stars (including Kathy Griffin, Jason Priestley and Tiffany Thiessen).

Yip, the only judge who has had a consistent presence for all four seasons, is "genuinely excited about this year’s crew of contestants.," according to the article.

“We attracted a really high caliber of talent, people who have won national design awards, people who have started their own furniture lines,” he is quoted as saying. “One has worked with the top photographers in the business including Annie Liebovitz.”

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Make outdoor parties festive with simple and inexpensive touches

The windows are open wide, the perennials are back to greet us and we're staying outdoors later and later with every warming day. Let the outdoor entertaining begin with some ideas for budget-friendly, naturally good backyard bashes.

'PLANT' TO PARTY

Fill your yard or containers with plants that will actually play a big part in your entertaining.
Grow edibles that can be used in your favorite summertime dishes. Explore herbs and edible flowers like nasturtiums, pansies and johnny jump-ups that will pleasantly surprise your guests.
Grow natural bug repellents like lemongrass, catnip, rosemary, sage and basil. Guests can simply crush plants like lemongrass and catnip to rub on their skin, as needed. Sprigs of rosemary or sage can be placed on the grill to deter pesky flying insects. You can also research recipes for teas out of certain herbs to use as bug sprays.

Creatively plant things that are also fragrant and colorful for built-in, natural ambiance. Serve some of them up tableside by using gelatin molds and Bundt pans as your planters so they can slip over your patio umbrellas to create a beautiful, functional centerpiece.

BUDGET-FRIENDLY LIGHTING

Create your own beautiful, inexpensive lighting options using candles or Christmas-light strands. Stock up on old canning jars with lids at flea markets or antique shops. Fill them halfway with play sand and insert candles. Replace candles as needed and top off with lids when not in use, so the rain doesn't put a damper on things. Group them together or hang with wire for a safe, long-lasting light display.

"Summer-ize" strands of Christmas lights by adding artificial-flower petals, whiffle balls or painted window-screen shapes to each bulb for a colorful string of hanging patio lights.
For a fabulous, effortless way to light up walkways or garden paths, use rope lighting.

PLAYFUL THEMES

Host a "No Waste" party by using food as your serving pieces. Serve all drinks in fruit shells like pineapples or coconuts. Dish out salads in citrus bowls. Create finger foods that can be served up on kale, lettuce, tamale wrappers and the like. Have a portable compost bin nearby, and all of your party leftovers can get served up lovingly back to the earth.

NATURAL DECOR

Embrace everything nature has to offer for your outdoor-party decor. Use larger logs and stones for interesting seating and table options. Smaller rocks can be painted for colorful table markers or used naturally to prop up grilling utensils. Tabletop sandboxes complete with sticks and stones can provide fun and games.

PARTY TUNES

Hang various-sized colored glass bottles from a tree, and as the wind blows beautiful organic music plays. Make chimes using old silverware, found objects or natural elements. Create a simple water feature for the relaxing sounds of running water using a watertight container and a fountain pump. Top off with decorative touches like water lettuce or floating balls made out of old light bulbs.

The most important tip: Make the time to enjoy every glorious day the warm-weather months produce and include family, friends and neighbors in your creative celebrations.
Michele Beschen can be contacted by visiting www.couragetocreate.com or www.borganic.net.

SOURCE: AP NEWSIRE

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Over 120 Van Gogh Letters to be displayed at the Van Gogh Museum

Over 120 rarely seen letters to and from Vincent van Gogh will be on display for a limited period of time.

From 9 October 2009 to 3 January 2010 the Van Gogh Museum’s Rietveld building will be devoted to the letters of Vincent van Gogh.

In the exhibition "Van Gogh's letters: The artist speaks", the original letters, which are rarely shown due to their extreme fragility, will be on exhibit alongside the works that Van Gogh references in his letters.

Coinciding with the exhibition is a revised book edition and the launch of the website www.vangoghletters.org. The website comprises all 902 letters by and to Van Gogh in the original Dutch and French as well as English translations.

The letters are accompanied by images of the manuscripts together with the annotations and the illustrations of the works of art referred to in the correspondence.

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Home Tips by Anne & Larry - Dealing With Stained Rugs

Living with kids means living with spills... all kind of spills. Food, drinks, random items that you can't figure out as well as some you wish you hadn't figured out.

Carpet is great in a home with kids because of the accoustic factor (it helps keep the noise levels down), but it can be difficult when constantly dealing with spills and stains.

Some helpful advice from our dynamic home tips duo:

Anne: One factor of dealing with stains is to attact them as quickly as possible. The longer they have to set, the harder it is to get them out. If you, like me, are dealing with at least one spill per day, it is definitely worth investing in a small, portable carpet cleaner (usually available for less than $100) that can deal with these spots as soon as they happen. Sometimes, however, a cleaner isn't enough and you need some additional cleaning power, here are some things I've found that helps.

- Soda Water works on most stains, and the bubbling action helps lift stains to the surface.

- Use vinegar or rubbing alcohol on pet stains to help remove the stain and reduce the "scent" that encourages them to remark the same territory.

- Salt is an excellent stain absorber and can be used for juice or vomit. The trick here is the spill needs to be fresh for the salt to work. Sprinkle the salt, cover with a damp cloth and leave for a few hours. Remove the cloth, clean off the salt and vacuum the remainder.

- Baby wipes are also very useful for cleaning up fresh spills off carpets, as long as you get to them before they have time to set.

Larry: If you've got kids, stains are going to happen... deal with it. Instead of spending money on tons of cleaning products, put $5 in a jar every time a spill happens and use whatever is available to blot up as much of the stain as possible. By the time your kids have outgrown their "spilly walker" stage, you'll likely have enough money in the jar to replace the carpet with something newer... possibly even hardwood floors.

For those stains that you can't get out with paper towel... put something over it. A cheap area rug that can easily be replaced or, if you've got a big, unsightly spot, put a plant pot on it.

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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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Techorating - the new trend of combining design with technology

Computer stations, laptops, flat screen tvs... they are quickly becoming an integral part of any home's interior style and decor.

The latest thing in decorating is combing interior design with technology, being coined as “techorating.”

Doug Wilson, know by many for his roles on TLC’s “Moving Up” and “Trading Spaces”, as well as being a "techorator" for LG, offers tips on how to pull it the combination of technology and style.

He offers the following tips:

1. Stay focused. Don’t try to tackle a full house remodel all at once. Pick one or two rooms that you think would best benefit from an update and start there.

2. Pick a focal point and begin your efforts from there. If you are working with a larger living space, remember not to go overboard with one particular theme, pattern or technology. With just a few integral pieces, the room can be made to feel spacious, yet comfortable.

3. Consider the space. Remember, the size of your room matters, but bigger isn’t always better. The technology in your room should be in proportion to the room for the best aesthetic and functional fit. Look for the best integration over size.

4. Keep a clean design. With the TV, speakers, DVD players and more, people today need to practice cord control. New technology and a few easy steps make it easy to maintain a cleaner, more organized look. Go wireless to give your living space a crisp, modern feel.

5. Donate your old TV and bring in a new flat-screen for an instant style upgrade. Tabletop or wall-mounting for a flat screen can add space to your room and streamline the look and feel.

No longer does the piece of technology need to be the "odd man out" in a room's design. By using the principles of "techorating" these items can be seamlessly blended with a room's look and feel.

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How long until Storm Denim becomes the new patio furniture fabric?

Decades after its initial rise in popularity, denim remains a wardrobe favorite thanks to fashionability and practicality. Even in today's economic climate, as Americans are dialing back purchases, one wardrobe favorite has so far avoided all the cutbacks: denim.

These days, however, denim is no longer all about the tried and true; new technology from Cotton Incorporated called "Storm Denim" makes denim water-repellent without sacrificing any of cotton's natural breathability or durability. The finish is applied as the final step, ensuring that any washes or other stylistic treatments applied are unaffected.

Currently being used as an alternative to "outerwear," one has to wonder how long it will take before this water-repellent, comfortable denim fabric is found on patio cushions across the naton?

Think about the comfort of your favorite pair of jeans, combined with a water-repellent pation chair cushion. What - exactly - could be better?

No word, so far, on alternative uses of the new water-repellent denim.


"The STORM DENIM(TM) technology is great for consumers, whether they need to stay dry working outdoors or while out on the town in bad weather," says Keyes. "Now, water repellency is no longer limited to outerwear, which is yet another reason why denim is a great investment."

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New "Do It Yourself" home decorating & staging kits available

Jacqueline Oddo, owner of Impressions Staging & Decor, recently released the DIY Virtual Decorating Kit, a non-traditional, low-cost solution that makes it easy for do-it-yourselfers to harness their creativity and decorate their own space, on their own time, and within their own budget.

The concept, as explained in a recent press release, states that "If you can paint by numbers, you can decorate any room in your house using the DIY Virtual Decorating Kit."

"Hiring an interior decorator may not fit everyone's budget, but affordable, easy-to-do-yourself decorating kits can fit into practically anyone's budget," shares Oddo. A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and the City University of New York, Oddo recently designed a product that enables do-it-yourself enthusiasts to follow step-by-step instructions to achieve great decor at a price they can afford.

Impressions Staging & Decor:Impressions Staging & Decor (www.impressionsstaging.com)
is a home decorating boutique offering full-service decorating, one-day makeovers, home staging, accessory and furniture shopping, and do-it-yourself decorating kits.

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Salvador Dali movie delayed due to “ideological problems”

The bio-pic of famed artists Salvador Dali has reportedly been delayed over a dispute on the portrayal of the artist's final years.

Actor Antonio Banderas, who is to portray Dali in the film, has been quoted in various sources, confirming that the Salvador Dali movie project has been delayed due to a dispute on the treatment of the script with the foundation that handles the Spanish painter’s affairs.

The dispute centers on the last part of the life of the controversial painter, in which, according to the movie, people took advantage exploiting the artist’s name when his mental health had decayed.

"They are not agreeing with part of the script and our director is a hard headed Briton who does not want to give in”, said the actor when he met the press before receiving an award at the United Nations in New York.

Banderas stated that - although negotiations with the foundation are continuing - the delay has created a scheduling problem that will delay the film's production.

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Hannah Keeley to help Moms "keep it together" in new reality series.

Whether it's running after the kids, managing the household budget, de-cluttering the home, keeping in shape, trying to take control of their personal and work lives or all of the above, America's overwhelmed moms can take comfort in the first-ever reality makeover TV series on public television, "Hannah Help Me!"
On the show which debuts in June (view list of broadcast stations to find out when the show will air in your location), Keeley -- known as America's supermom -- will provide stressed-out moms with strategies for coping with life's daily challenges.

In addition to providing lifestyle advice on her new TV show, Keeley offers practical, everyday tips for making homes cleaner, healthier and more comfortable through her ongoing columns on americanstandardair.com. Her advice covers a variety of topics of interest to families, from cleaning and de-cluttering the home, to saving on utility bills, to keeping the indoor air free of pollutants that can aggravate kids' allergies.

The "Hannah, Help Me!" program will be shown on public television stations nationwide; please check out local listings for dates and times. For more information on Hannah Keeley, please visit www.HannahKeeley.com.

Source: Marketwire

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Garage sale finds, Thrift shop treats and Yard sale treasures

Anyone can create a unique interior decor on a tight budget by thinking outside of conventional resources.

Garage sales, thrift shops and yard sales are a great place to find a unique treasure for a fraction of the cost of traditional retailers.

There's a saying that "everything old is new again" and nowhere is that more true than in fashion and decor. Trends resurface, things that were one 'old' are now 'antique' and pieces of furniture that may not look like much to the naked eye can easily be transformed into a stunning addition to any home by using a touch of creativity.

Look for tables, shelves or other furniture pieces that have good "bones" (structure, legs, construction) and you can easily recreate them by adding something new to give them new life.

Slip covers are great for turning an old sofa into a new centerpiece. If you find a used coffee table that looks great except for the scratches all over the surface... paint it. Or, better yet, create a new top by designing a mosaic out of title or mirror.

And old quilt or blanket can easily be stretched onto wood stretcher bars to make an art print or hung on poles to create a fabric wall hanging.

Take an old light fixture and apply some create paint techniques to make it new and completely unique.

And just because something is used doesn't mean it's junky. Many treasures can be found when people are "downsizing" their homes (moving from the big family home to a maintenance-free condo, for example). These pieces can often be in like-new condition, but still cost a fraction of the original purchase price.

Keep your options open, and not just when you're decorating on a budget. The most unique decorative finds out there may be waiting for you at the local thrift store.

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Glidden paint kicks off new line with a free can of paint.

To celebrate the nationwide launch of the new Glidden paint, the company announced it is helping consumers from coast-to-coast "get going" on their summer painting projects with a free One Quart Giveaway in any of its new palette of 282 colors. Consumers can register for their free quart online at www.glidden.com, or by calling 1-800-GLIDDEN from June 25 through July 2, 2009.

Glidden paint debuted its new products and tools in New York City on June 16th, 2009, where dozens of Broadway dancers, with paint cans and paint brushes in hand, converged on the steps of Manhattan's Union Square Park in an electrifying performance. The colorful dance, combined with a Glidden consumer exhibition, demonstrated how You Don't Have to be a Painter to Love Glidden™ paint.

Available at The Home Depot® stores, the new Glidden paint is designed to help restore consumer confidence and simplify the color selection process, two factors often cited for preventing homeowners from starting or completing their painting projects.

Source: Marketwire

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