A home is quite an investment. Sometimes there is little left over for decorating. With the improvements that have been made to many standard materials, this is no longer the problem that it once was.

If you are decorating on a budget, one of the first things that you may want to make peace with is that it will probably take you a bit longer to accomplish your goals than someone that can afford to just go out and buy exactly what they want. It will also take a little work on your part in the creation of some of the things that will adorn your home. You will have to get your elbows dirty in the process as you will personally take part in some of your decorating projects.

Paint is cheap, hiring a painter is not. When you’ve decided on the colors you want and which rooms will be painted, go to the hardware store, buy some paint, brushes, rollers, paint trays, drop cloths, and any other painting material you may need. If you are ragging or sponging your paint, you will need additional materials. Carve out an afternoon or two of your busy life and paint away. Be sure to clean all items thoroughly when done otherwise you may end up wasting money on additional painting supplies.

Some things are not as hard as you might think they are and can be accomplished without hiring out. It will cost you less to do as many projects on your own as possible. For example, laying tile is not as hard as you may think. It’s time consuming which makes many not want to take it on, but it’s really not that hard to do. There are even tools out there now that make cutting tiles relatively easy and that’s been the hardest part traditionally. If you can follow simple instructions, you can lay your own tile and that will save you a bundle of money.

When it comes to purchasing items such as throw rugs or knickknacks for your home, take your time. You have your entire lifetime to create the perfect look in your home. Why would you want to go out and spend hundreds on a bunch of knickknacks when with a little patience and willingness to hit garage sales and other less traditional stores you can spend much less? Rugs will go on sale. Wait until you hit a good sale before dropping all kinds of money on a rug that will work in your home.

Believe it or not, sometimes it is cheaper to hire out a job. If there is a job that no matter how much you read and invest your time, you know that you cannot do, it’s probably better to hire out for that job. It will save you money in the long run.

Lee Dobbins
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/home-decorating-tips-for-the-budget-minded-130460.html

There are many benefits to having a home business. One of the great things is that you can be doing what you love to be doing and you can be doing this at home, surrounded by your family and able to stop work at any time to take care of things. However, being at home also means that you need keep your home office from simply being a part of your life.

Meanwhile, not everyone can afford to have a different room that is only for their home business, so many people decide to make an office for themselves somewhere in their homes. Whether it is a corner of the basement or living room or a smaller and unused room. No matter where you decide to be, you have to make sure that your office is somewhere you are going to be able to work without having a lot of hassle.

There are going to be many things that you can do to make this a reality, so remember it all starts with you. First of all, be sure that you are giving yourself plenty of space that is just for your office. Be sure that you have something that separates the room your office is in from your actual office so that you do not feel as if you are in the middle of your regular life.

Then, it is time to furnish your office. Try to do whatever you can to make sure you are giving yourself plenty of chances to have the office of your dreams but remember that you are going to be working form home and therefore you do not need a lot of expensive equipment or decorations. Put up posters and other things that make you feel as if you are at work and encourage you. Also, check your department stores and other retailers, because often you can find very cheap office supplies.

If you are going to be having customers come into your home office, you need to have a place where they can be and actually feel like they are in a business. It is very important in this case that you go to the trouble of creating a real office, because if you do not have one you are not going to look professional and this could hurt your business.

Remember that this is always something you should be aware of. You must always portray what you are trying to get across when it comes to your home office and how you run things. Remember that you are in charge of your office and your business and you are in charge of how you come off to customers at all times. This is something that is completely in your control.

Obinna Heche
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-business-articles/decorating-your-home-business-office-140518.html

If you are a fan of Alphonse Mucha or the many advertisements featuring scantily clad women on bicycles, you may find that Art Nouveau is the place to go for home design inspiration. Art Nouveau emerged in the 1890s as a counter to the heaviness of the Victorian style that abounded before that time. Art Nouveau was a less cluttered, lighter and freer form of expression in housing interiors.

Stained glass became popular as a design concept. An excellent example of this is the Tiffany lamp, a lamp with a stained glass shade. Stained glass’ thicker lines and thinner detail is a common motif in Art Nouveau paintings, where a strong outline is complemented by detail within. While genuine Tiffany lamps are very expensive, there are many companies creating lamps in this style for reasonable prices. Stained glass was popular in other areas, such as window decoration and in mirrors.

Colors are muted, but provide quite a variety of combinations: the sombre greens (sage, olive), mustard yellow and many shades of brown. Pair these colours with various shades of purple and peacock blue.

Browns can be found in the parquet and marquet floors that were in vogue at the time. These were mosaics of wood done in geometric (parquet) or natural shapes (marquet). Walls can be painted in the above colors or papered, preferably with stylized floral motifs that were in vogue. Anything with tendrils will probably integrate easily into the look. Popular motifs are peacocks, pansies, wisteria and any kind of trailing vine. Windows can be hung about with curtains featuring Art Nouveau motifs.

Furniture should be curvy and incorporate some of the stylized nature designs that Art Nouveauis famous for. Look for wood inlaid with designs. There are a lot of opportunities to remake furniture with Art Nouveau motifs and decoration. Consult Art Nouveaubooks and online pictures to find a pattern that you can reproduce on your table, lamp or other accessory. Stylized fireplaces were popular at the time and are still reproduced today with floral motifs and whiplash lines.

Art can be in the form of poster prints. Many commercial posters produced in the era make beautiful and unusual decorations for the walls of your home. A vase or two of peacock feathers and, of course, plants and flowers scattered about the home will bring nature that much closer. Think exotic; Art Nouveau was in the period where people were greatly fascinated by ‘The Orient’ and far-off climes.

Art Nouveau Style:

long, curved, whiplash lines

stylized plants, especially flowers and vines

depictions of women with long, artistically flowing hair

inlaid wood, silver, semi-precious stones, glass

Sometimes it’s more fun to re-create your own interpretation of Art Nouveau than to restrict yourself to decorations that you know are ‘period’. A great Art Nouveau look can be created relatively easily and cheaply if you look for inexpensive replicas and reproductions, as well as using paint and stained glass to “art-nouveau” items. Look for that whiplash line and stylized florals and you’ll be on the right track.

Mark Hostetler

Anyway, my question is – Does anyone know some good decorating tips for mobile homes? Space is limited, and I want it to look classy and posh without making it look cluttered and crappy (like a cow-themed kitchen or lighthouses in the bathroom).

I want it to be my dream home, but I was wondering if anyone had good links (with a lot of good pics) or good advice for making small spaces look fancy.

My tastes are along the lines of Pottery Barn but they’re way too expensive for me, if that helps any. I want something that looks that good, but something I can afford.
Don’t click on Braxton B’s link. It’s a virus!

I don’t sneer at mobiles. I live in one. It suits me fine, and my previous house was custom-built. The mobile came with a gorgeous piece of land which is more important in the long run than the building on it. Congratulations on your new home. Be it ever so humble……Nobody will make you buy cow-themed stuff for the kitchen so don’t worry. Take a tip from high-end apartment designs. If there are any around, go look at them for clues. Don’t be in a huge hurry to change things right away unless you’re very sure what you want to do, like painting because the walls are grungy. Live with what you have for a while, think about what you’d like different.

Keep the basics simple. Use light colours to help the space look bigger, don’t go for overblown window treatments, buy smaller furniture if you buy any. Two loveseats might work better than one big sofa. Don’t have a monster TV. Get furniture that’s double-purpose like an end table with a shelf underneath. A large mirror, or several smaller ones, can increase a space. Go vertical. Install shelves to keep stuff off the floor if you can. A clear floor space makes a room feel bigger, as does a light-coloured floor. If you change flooring, try to keep it the same or close through all the rooms, same with paint colours. Don’t have any jarring switches of theme or colour from one room to another. Pick one basic colour and two others to harmonize or compliment the main one.

Once you’ve got the clean simple basics, then you add decoration in the way of ornaments or art. Buy what you like, but get one or two things at a time, put them in and live with them for a while before deciding what else to get. No rush, the stuff will still be out there later. Try garage sales, second hand stores, don’t buy until you’re sure what you want. If you like Pottery Barn stuff, wait for a sale. Keep a file of magazine photos or store flyers that have the look you want, to remind yourself where you’re headed. The advantage of a small place is that a few nice things can make quite a difference.

If you want to change flooring, have I got a tip for you. I replaced my sculptured pink living room carpet and covered my 1970 style kitchen vinyl with a product from Home Depot which is vinyl planks that stick to each other but not the floor. Price is very good, installation is easy, and people think it’s real wood until I tell them it’s not.

Flowers and plants are wonderful ways to gives your home or office a well fascinated look. Natural flowers and plants can be a trouble to manage for a busy home holder or office management however, as they must receive the proper cares in order to make these flowers and plants more beautiful. As well, flowers that are cared for well grow, looks more charming and for your decorations purpose at home or office. So, because of that reasons of caring natural flowers and plants in your homes, there is an alternative method comes in front of you. Now, a day in India there is a replication of natural flowers or called artificial flowers available in market for care free decoration of your home or any other place. Fortunately, there are alternatives to real plants if you want to add that extra dash of color to your home and office. Artificial plants and silk flowers are a perfect low & care free maintenance addition to the home or office in terms of decor.

Artificial flowers and plants are simple to plant at anyplace in your home–just attach in the ground! And it is perfect for décor as well. Although flowers are generally striking color and won’t fade too much over time, the same may not be right to artificial flowers, as it may loose its green bloom as early. There is no need to watering and provides sunlight on artificial flowers. You just need to consider dust free from artificial flowers in a week or month as per dusting. This will definitely preserve greenery and striking coloring much longer. These flowers are also a great alternative for areas frequented by wild life.

Artificial plant India can be purchased almost anywhere, as they do not require special care or storage in shops. Now, it has a great advantage in the internet field, you can easily buy artificial flowers through online services without any difficulty. Here, you can get option to choose varieties of artificial flowers as per your choice and you may need to decorate your home. Artificial flowers in India and plants are manufactured in all the varieties found in real plants, and can be tailored to fit your space needs. You choose the artificial plant variety, the pot, and then flash your new décor item out the door. The simply maintenance you will have to to do is dusting! 

ayush

Getting rid of the bed is not an option right now because I don’t have the money to replace it. I know that light colors will make the room appear more spacious but do you guys have any more tips for me?

Let plenty of sunshine in bright lights at nighttime….and a dresser with a big mirror will make it appear more spacious. Any mirrors in general will do. The more simple you keep it, the larger it will appear…meaning easy on the nic-naks (sp?) and busy patters for the beadspread and curtains.

any ideas.
i have a dog so white furnishings arent a good idea.
i have most of the furnature already its the decorating/painting side of it i need the most help with.

I would have said lighter colours on 3 walls and 1 dark wall usually the one with the fireplace in it or the focal wall. Also a big mirror gives the illusion of a larger room.