Add Some Un-Color!

Sometimes all your interior needs is a little non-color to make your decor a little more alive. No matter if you've gone Shabby Chic or with a modern looking Eames theme in your interior, a splish here of white or a splash there of white will make your decor brighter and more welcoming. White is often jokingly referred to as the non-color as it is comprised of no colors just as black is comprised of a combination of all colors.

When you think "white" what do you think? Clean, calm and open. Those are all feelings you can bring to your room when you use primarily white pieces at regular intervals around your room. You can use items like white vases holding brightly colored flowers for a great contrast or choose white pillows to set off your sofa.

Also look towards your walls for help. A primarily simplistic piece that is mainly white such as David Brega's framed art print "White on White" is a cool choice that will incorporate the basic colors of your room along with adding that necessary bit of whiteness to your decor. The piece is a simple bucket with eggs on a country barn half door. The print is matted in a cream mat and is further accented by a sturdy frame in your choice of color.

If you're looking for an economical way to brighten up your interior, look around your room and switch out a few items in the non-color.

Put Up Some Holiday Cheer

The holidays are coming to a peak over the next week and if you're entertaining, up the tempo in your room by adding some fun holiday additions.

If you don't already have a holiday centerpiece, either purchase a ready-made one or your can make one simply yourself. You will need only a pine, styrofoam or grapevine wreath (available at your local craft store and some dollar stores) and then some holiday-esque items to decorate it with. Let your imagination go wild. You can use tree decorations on your wreath, strategically placed with a glue gun, frugal types can use a metal pot scrubber (new, not used) and unroll it. The metal pot scrubber will wrap around one 12-inch wreath very easily - use a staple gun to hold in place. The glistening of the metal pot scrubber will actually set a fun holiday tone, especially over a metallic paper wrapped styrofoam wreath.

Another fun addition you can make is on your walls. Replace Aunt Betty's masterpiece she gave you for your walls just for the holidays with something that rings out holiday cheer. A Kinkade is a wonderful choice for holiday spirit with his portrayals of winter nights with warm homes alight, just waiting for a visit. Also, hang mistletoe around your home, stash it away above doorways and create some small, fun signs with arrows pointing up and watch the amused looks of your guests.

Make your home a place full of holiday cheer this season and show your spirit on your walls!

Fantastic Housewarming Gift Idea

If you happen to have a friend or family member who is near and dear to your heart that is moving into a brand new home, then you are definitely going to want to make sure that you give them an amazing housewarming gift. Such an incredible gift will be cherished and talked about by them for many years to come. So, what kind of a gift are you going to buy for their house to make such a lasting impression?

A truly fabulous gift idea that many individuals tend to overlook for a housewarming present is a beautiful canvas print. This is really a nice idea that your gift recipient can use to hand on one of the walls within their new home! If you know their tastes very well, then you should have no problem at all picking out a terrific design that they are sure to treasure. Perhaps a hand signed and numbered limited edition Bonnie Marris is something that is just up their alley!

Morning Run is the name of a breathtaking Giclee that you can order up in two different canvas sizes. You can send your gift recipient this beautiful piece in either the thirty by 42 inch size or the forty-five by sixty-two inch unstretched size. They may have already told you that they are looking for a stunning piece to hang on a certain wall. If so, then your recipient is definitely going to enjoy every single inch of this stunning piece depicting horses.

Celebrate the Good Life

Are you on the lookout for an amazing piece of art that you can bring into your home? Maybe you have been searching for a nice piece that will have the ability to make you smile each and every time you have the chance to look at it as you walk by. The great thing about art and sculpture is that you do not have to be an expert to know what makes you happy. When you want to bring a beautiful piece into your home, you might just find that a Paul Horton sculpture will do the trick.

Full of whimsy and plenty of ability to spark your imagination, each and every Paul Horton sculpture is just right to bring into your home. Whether you are already a collector of fine art and sculpture or if you are just starting out, you are guaranteed to find great joy with the purchase of one of these incredible pieces. You even usually have the choice of getting each of the Paul Horton sculptures made from either resin or bronze. Make your choice and you will be well on your way to a piece that will bring you years of happiness and a wealth of compliments from all of your friends and family members.

The Paul Horton limited edition resin sculpture called The Good Life is a really nice piece that is just right for your family room, den or even a special spot in your bedroom. The simple yet interesting home and attention to detail will command compliments from everyone that lays eyes on this little masterpiece!

New Art for a New Year

Start thinking ahead to 2008 and give your walls a fresh new look for the new year. When you're putting together your decor, you may feel a little intimidated about choosing a large artwork for your walls. It doesn't have to a Renoir reproduction to add a touch of style in your room. What it does need to do is make you feel comfortable with the subject matter depicted and the overall essence of the artwork.

An easy way to find a painting that will meld right into your decor scheme is to look around your room and write down two main colors and one or two secondary colors you've used in your design scheme. Try to incorporate an artwork with at least one of the main colors and one of the secondary colors and you'll have a large piece that will go well with your room off the bat.

Go for a framed artwork that looks nice but isn't too ornate. Large, heavy wooden scroll worked frames are certainly elegant but they can detract from your artwork, particularly if it is done in colors that are of the lighter variety.

For a soft look in your room, go for the blended softness of watercolors. For a sharper and more modern look, the bright colors of an acrylic masterpiece can't be beat. Prints translate well to any of the three main mediums, watercolor, acrylic or oils. It's all just a matter of the look you want to convey in your room.

Use these tips and choose a new artwork to ring in the New Year and a new look to your room!

Simple Pleasures - Primitive Art!

You don't have to live a cave to enjoy primitive art. The sharp black lines and bright pigments used to create these reproductions inspired by neolithic cave drawings will meld nicely into any decor scheme. Alision Dearborne has captured the look of the primitive style with a touch of modern design. She has two outstanding prints that will look marvelous on your walls.

The first is a piece titled, "Freeing the Souls" and depicts two maize and light yellow colored bison running and three wild horses running the opposite direction. The colors used in the horses run from the same scheme as the bison along the color palette to a gorgeous gray-blue. Bold black lines accent the delicately drawn hooves and legs of all five animals in this piece.

The second piece is done in complimentary colors to the previous artwork and is titled, "Jewel". This beautifully done artwork features a running wild horse done in muted tones of brown and golden yellow with a vibrant gold and purple background.

Displayed together on a wall, these two primitive artworks will liven up your decor and bring a beautiful splash of gentle color. Both of these artworks are part of hand signed and limited numbered edition. This means not only are you getting a one-of-a-kind piece with a unique number, you are also getting an artwork that was signed by the artist herself.

If you want to add artwork to your decor that are a little different from the run of the mill flowers on tables in vases and landscapes - go primitive!

Revamp Your Fireplace!

Bored with your fireplace? In the beginning, your fireplace might have been the selling point for your home but with most people their fireplace because the key point in the room they really aren't sure how to decorate around. You can't move it and it may seem that you're very limited as to what you can put around or on a fireplace.

First of all, what may be bothering you about the fireplace isn't actually the fireplace but the mantle over the fireplace. The mantle around your fireplace can make or break your room. Is yours dingy and worn looking? Don't fret about it-just replace it. You can choose either a 3-sided mantle that will go across your fireplace and down each side to the floor or just a short mantle that will go across the top of your fireplace. Simply improving the mantle will make a lot of rooms look instantly better.

Besides your mantle, you can upgrade your fireplace screen. Your fireplace screen doesn't have to be boring old metal that is painted black. You can get a myriad of styles to choose from such that will range from iron scroll worked patterns to the more traditional tightly woven screen.

For a dramatic effect, put a large mirror over your fireplace. It will have a dual duty of reflecting light from the fireplace and the room as well as making the room larger. Another beautiful option is to get a large artwork and hang it over the fireplace. A limited edition print will make a beautiful statement choose a cozy theme to add even more warmth to your room.

It's easy to update your fireplace if you know the basics. Use these tips and make your room with a fireplace the cozy, comfortable place you always knew it could be.

Make Your Office Space POP!

There could quite possibly be nothing worse than an office space that is dull and dreary. Whenever you are sitting in such a room, it is only natural that you will feel as though you are being weighed down. In order to have an upbeat feeling in your office that will inspire you to work, you may want to think of mixing things up a bit. This could mean everything from the addition of a plant to a gorgeous piece of wall art.

Depending on what your particular tastes may be, a nice piece of artwork for your office could either be subtle or bright. When it comes to color you can always go with the particular pattern or scheme that speaks to you first. If you happen to find a piece that makes you smile from the very second that you look at it, then the chances are very good that it will bring you plenty of joy and inspiration when placed in your office setting.

If you long for the days when you can relax and enjoy the open air of the west, then there is really nothing better than a limited edition Bill Anton giclee on canvas. Since Anton is well known for capturing the west in a natural and almost lifelike state, it is only right that you would fall in love with one of his pieces from the get go. "Cottonwood Dreams" is always a good choice for the lover of the outdoors, complete with a horse quietly grazing under a majestic cottonwood tree. With such a delightful piece of art, your office will never be dull and drab again.

Getting Interior Decor Ideas

Have you gotten inspired by one of the many shows on television that feature room make overs? Looking around your own home and deciding you need to make some changes? It can seem daunting but you don't have to call in a designer - you can do it yourself - you just need to find inspiration and here are some great places to start:

Print
Magazines are a great place to start. Look in such periodicals as Better Homes and Gardens or one of the number of design magazines out there that profile all makes and manners of decors. Make yourself a little scrap book of pieces you like. It doesn't have to be anything formal, a spiral notebook with the title "Living Room" or "Kitchen" on the page is sufficient. Then as your find pieces you like add them the page of the room you want to put the piece in and you'll soon see a lot of great ideas coming together.

Television
With the number of home decorating shows as well two major networks, Style and HGTV dedicated to better interior design; you can get some fabulous ideas for changing the look of any room in your house and in most cases, save money by learning to do certain things yourself, like make your own draperies and pillows.

Retail Stores
Visit furniture stores and home design stores. Pick up a few of those free paint color samples. You can use those to make sure you get the colors you want to use right for your room. It's also a good idea for comparing how different colors look together.

Online
You can get tons of good ideas online - it's just a matter of looking carefully. Found an art object you would love to incorporate into your own decor scheme? Look at how it's displayed on the website. Make note of the tables used to display a sculpture or a sofa underneath a fine art print in a gorgeous frame.

Use these simple ideas and rev up your own interior decor - it's easy!

Gifts of Love!

It doesn't have to be Valentine's Day in order to purchase an amazing gift such as a Berit Kruger-Johnsen creation. Although, with the wonderful use of red and the romantic feel that these terrific paintings happen give off, it almost seems as though every single day of the year is February the 14th! Such a painting is just right for the special person in your life no matter what the occasion may be.

Perhaps you are going to be celebrating something incredible such as a one-year wedding anniversary or even an engagement. Any one of the beautiful paintings by Berit Kruger-Johnsen will definitely be appreciated and much admired by your loved one. You may even find that you really need some sort of a pick me up in a certain room of your home or apartment. The perfect placement of one of the paintings in this collection can bring a completely different look and feel to your space. You should be warned however, anything created by Berit Kruger-Johnsen has been known to become highly addictive, causing many people to want to purchase several others for other areas of their home!

The Dreams Of Love happens to be the kind of a painting that really brings about quite a bit of conversation by everyone who has the chance to view it. When set up in your living space, you will certainly find that many of your guests will enjoy gazing at this painting for a while. Be prepared to get a plethora of compliments on such a wonderful art selection once you any one of these painting in your home.

Lift Your Decor and Your Mood

With the holidays sometimes brings depression. Many more people feel their loneliness and feelings of emptiness amplified around the holiday season. Some people say this is due to more people not getting regular sunlight and it's a seasonal increase in the occurrence of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), a disease that occurs brings depression and a general lack of incentive.

One thing you can do to avoid the holiday and seasonal blues is make sure that you're eating right and getting an adequate amount of sunlight and exercise. A brisk 10 minute walk, preferably during daylight hours will go a long way to making you feel better.

Another tip for beating the winter blues is to change your living space a little. You don't have to throw out your existing furniture or bring in an expensive suite of furniture, the goal is to figure out how to best use the pieces you've got. If your room seems small, you might have too many pieces in your room or you might simply not be taking advantage of your best use of space. A whimsical artwork in the form of a print or a sculpture displayed on a table can also add a good vibe to your room.

Some people like to feng shui their rooms to bring balance to not only the room but to themselves. You can also invest in a lamp that has a light range in the same range as sunshine. Many individuals report that these type of lamps alleviate their symptoms of SAD, along with making lifestyle changes such as cutting out junk food (which can create emotion crashing sugar highs and lows) and adding some physical activity to their daily routines.

An Artfully Beautiful Bedroom

Just because your bedroom happens to be one of the rooms within your home or apartment that most of your guests might not see, there is no reason why you cannot fill it up with some of your favorite art. You are sure to be very pleased with your bedroom once you have a couple of amazing strategic locations. All it takes is a little bit of consideration of what you might be looking for and a couple of empty spaces to fill up!

When you begin the process of choosing a couple of different pieces, you might want to begin by figuring our just what areas you might want to use to place your art. If you happen to have a big, empty wall space, you can opt for a wonderful large impact piece of even a nice collection. You might even find that you can add a nice sculpture on an empty bit of shelving or even on a corner of your bureau if you have a little room to work with.

Go ahead and begin your hunt for some of the pieces that speak to you and your tastes. You might find that you will want to go with a very dramatic piece that stands out in your room. Often times, straying from your current theme can add a bit of whimsy to your bedroom that can give you an incredible feeling each time you look at it. Feel confident in your choices and have fun with your choices and you should see that you will end up with the artful bedroom of your dreams.

Adding Your Own Personal Touch

One of the biggest keys to having a unique decor in your home is to add personal touches that make the look truly your own. A good way to add your own flavor to your interior design is to find an artwork that really speaks to you and incorporate it into your room.

If you're not sure what type of artwork to get, write down the three main colors in your room and get an artwork that features at least two of those strongly. If you're a collector of cat related items, get a cat themed artwork for your walls. Religious themed artworks comfort many people with just their presence. The selection is huge and if you know basically what you'd like to see on your walls, it will go a long way to helping you narrow down your selection.

Remember, art doesn't have to hang on your walls. If you don't see any wall space that would look good with an artwork added to it, consider adding a sculpture to your room. A David Schluss piece will add a good deal of vibrancy to your room. A sampling of his works will inspire you to become a collector of his work. One piece that you will find inspiring is titled, "Love Dance" and features two figures dancing a vibrant step that nearly leaps out of the frame and will make a great conversation piece in your home. Another vibrant piece titled, "The Dance" is another spirited piece that features two figures also stepping to a lively beat.

Other personal touches include a favorite plant in a hand painted pot. Photographs from family gatherings and vacations that are framed in the same type of frame and clustered together on a wall will also make a nice impact for your decor.

Adding Feng Shui Elements to Your Bedroom

If you've been wanting to introduce the design style of feng shui to your bedroom it can be done easily with just a few elements.

Feng shui is basically the art of object placement around a room that has been practiced in China for over two-thousand years. It is also about balancing the feeling of your room so it feels that energy flows through it with careful attention to not only the placement of the objects but also the materials that every object is made from. Using the feng shui technique is also known as "curing" the ills of the room.

Iron is important element in feng shui as it brings healing to the room. An iron bed is a great way to bring restorative vibrations to your room and also have pairs of as many objects as you can. Pairs of book ends, pairs of pillows, a nightstand on each side of your bed, artworks and shelves are all items you can consider in pairs. Pairs are said to bring harmony to the room.

A pair of iron lamps will also bring a good cure to the room. Lighting is an important "cure" in feng shui. Bright lighting will cure bad moods and low lighting is used to bring warm feelings to the room or when harmony is needed between two people.

And those are just a few of the basics for adding the magic of feng shui to your bedroom. Add a little harmony to your bedroom and experience the "cure" and balance it brings!

Turn Your Little Girl Into a Princess!

Do you have a little girl that's been very good this year? If she's ready to move up from a toddler room to a room of her own, treat her like the princess she is.

Walls, done in a soft hue, like pink, or yellow or pale lilac, are a perfect start. Window treatments that are long and dreamy are a perfect choice, or even faux window frames that make the window look like a castle’s window. Faux treatments on one wall, or a portion of all walls to look like stone would be a wonderful touch as well!

If you aren’t interested in buying a whole new bed, consider making a canopy that hangs from the ceiling above the bed. This is easily accomplished by either painting, or covering (with batting and fabric) a piece of light but sturdy wood, then attaching “curtains” of fabric to the back and attaching that to the ceiling towards the head of the bed. Little touches in the accessories for the room will go a long way too! Sweet, tiffany style lamps in matching colors, frilly throw pillows, and even a pretty rug are great touches, that won’t break the bank.

Wall hangings are a great idea too. Consider a piece like the Disney Open Edition Print: Cinderella. Cinderella is the ultimate princess as far as most little girls are concerned and what little girl wouldn't love to be a princess too? This print would be a perfect finishing touch for your little princess’ room and give her a great print to gaze at while she lays in her bed and drifts off to sleep.

Art for the Bathroom?

Yes, you read that title right.

When you are making some decorating choices around your home, you really want to be sure that you do not neglect your bathroom. If you stop and think about it for a minute, you will find that the decor in your bathroom can make you very proud of your living space. After all, the bathroom happens to be one of the places within your home that gets used by many of your visitors. Making sure that you have a bathroom that is decorated with amazing art can bring you a lot of compliments.

A little bit of art in the form of a painting or a sculpture can transform just about any bathroom from a sterile and uninviting environment to a room that is comfortable as well as interesting. If you already happen to have a particular theme going within your bathroom, you can always find an incredible piece that can bring out the theme a bit. A nice aquatic theme can be accented with a wonderful painting of a seascape or even an underwater oceanic scene.

You can decide if you want a large piece on the wall if there is room, or perhaps even a collection of smaller pieces if you are working with a tight space. A wonderful canvas painting with a bit of size for your bathroom that you might love could come from the David Thimgan collection. Many people adore the peaceful seaside and port views captured in these paintings, and you can enjoy it in your bathroom as well!

Re-arranging Your Art Collection

Collecting art is fun and also an investment for many people. Once you begin collecting a specific artist or type of art, you can find that your collection can go from barely there to massive and quickly so. You do not have to be an expert in order to find the perfect way to arrange your precious art pieces it's just a matter of what you like.

When it comes to trying to find the perfect places for any of your sculptures of paintings, you will want to take into consideration several different factors in relation to your living space. After all, protecting your art while it is on display should be one of your number one priorities. Go throughout your living space and begin to identify some of the perfect areas to hang paintings or display some of your sculptures. Take note of the areas that have a good amount of direct sunlight and also be sure to choose areas that are not near vents, chimneys or doorways. All of these areas can end up damaging your precious artwork over time and should be avoided.

When you start collecting art, you may find that you need extra room very quickly to show it off. Many people dedicate entire rooms to their art collections or if you choose you can separate your collection into sole artists or themes. Either way, take the time to sit back and enjoy your art!

Bring the Tropics Indoors This Winter

Sometimes just making a few changes in a room can make it feel warmer. With the colder days of winter almost here, make your living room a warm place to gather and add a tropical touch to make the room a relaxing island escape all year round. If you think "tropical decor" and it brings horrifying images of a room that has gone garishly loud with the colors of the local tiki bar, relax. The look you're going for is elegant, relaxing and laid back - nothing overly bright or garish.

Think Natural
First of all, think natural. Plants of course are an outstanding addition. Anywhere you have natural light in your room, add a plant. You can use either a plant stand - something with a bamboo look melds great with a tropical theme or hang plants near your windows. Woven mats in front of doorways and a natural Japanese jute mat in front of the fireplace with a selection of big fluffy pillows in greens and earthy browns sets a relaxing tone to your room.

On Your Walls
If your vacations frequently take you to warm and sandy locales, make a grouping of photographs on your wall to showcase your adventures. Or ever better add in a beach scene or palm tree artwork to set a tropical mood on your walls.

Window Treatments Make your choice in window treatments light and breezy. Go for light cotton panels that are either solid colors or a print that reflects a tropical feel such as a palm tree or exotic flowers. Use matching sheers to keep the decor feel light and breezy.

Those are just a few changes you can make to keep that warm, tropical feel around your home all through the year.

Of Course Art In the Bathroom!

While the way a bathroom looks does not matter to some people, to others a bathroom is their true sanctuary. Of course, while nobody spends all of their relaxation time in the bathroom, there is a certain level of comfort that comes from a bathroom that happens to be put together nicely. This could mean anything from the color on the walls to the kinds of decoration that you will find on the walls, shelving and more.

If you are the type of person who likes to have people over regularly for various dinners or gatherings, it is imperative that you have a guest bathroom that has a good amount of cozy decoration. While you do not have to break the bank in order to place an expensive piece of sculpture in your bathroom, a few strategically placed prints could make a world of difference to the entire look and feel of the space.

To find the right piece of art, it is a good idea to try and look past the fact that it will be hanging in your bathroom. No matter what the room may be, any piece of art will look amazing, especially if it speaks to each of your guests on an inviting level every time they have the chance to glance at it.

Certainly a floral piece is always a smart move to make when looking for a framed art print for your bathroom. Because of the versatility of the style, you really cannot lose. "Purple Dream Irises" by artist Cheri Blum is always a great choice when you want a delicate design for your lavatory. The subtle colors and flowing feel of this framed art will bring a whole new look to the wall of your choice within your bathroom.

A Real Collectible Conversation Piece

An artwork is more than just something to take up a little space on your wall or blend the colors in your interior decor. Another way to use art is to collect pieces that either speak to you through their use of color or content or get a piece that is thought provoking and will be a conversation piece.

Steve hanks has an outstanding piece in his limited edition print collection is his piece, "Things Worth Keeping". This print is only one in a small series of 95 prints total in the entire series. The print features a series of things that a young girl may have kept in her room until the time she grew up and became a woman.

Items such as a cherished dolls, Cabbage patch dolls, Teddy bears that look like they were loved and played with for years and years are all scattered across a young girl's bed along with all her other carefully saved toys from years gone by. In the middle of the bed is a snoozing newborn baby, who is now the most treasured part of her now adult life.

This piece is done in soft colors and the attention to detail is breathtaking. The print is done on a giclee print and will be a brilliant addition to any art collection. This is a fun print to look at the detail given to the items within and remembering when you saw these toys as a child.
Now that's art!