Escape to Sunny Mexico - at Home!

Written by Debbie Rodgers


Escape to Sunny Mexico Can't get away for a southern vacation this year? Don't despair -- plan a sunny Mexican style refresher for your patio décor and enjoyrepparttar festive atmosphere of a hacienda at home this summer.

As with every other decorating style, Mexican décor has its own basic elements.

Color •The predominant color inrepparttar 100153 sunny Mexican look is yellow -- bright, cheery and warm. If you're lucky enough to be working with an outdoor space that abuts a stucco house exterior, consider paintingrepparttar 100154 stucco yellow or soft terracotta. Otherwise, fashion walls for your space from a fence, a screen or a trellis painted an uplifting sunny hue. •Accentrepparttar 100155 yellow with bright blue or vivid turquoise. Shades of terracotta, red, orange and bright pink are also popular. Furniture •Furniture made of heavy wood looks most authentic in Mexican style decorating. Small rough-hewn side tables are suitable. If you can't get heavy wooden furnishing, paint simple wooden folding chairs bright yellow and blue. •Alternatively, use wrought iron or hammered metal furniture. The Mexican influence of these materials can be also be used in gate hinges or accessories such as candlesticks. Tiles •Mexico is justly famous for its beautiful tiles -- either unfinished terracotta or those with bold glazed patterns of flowers or other objects in shades of yellow, blue and red. •Consider clay floor tiles to give a concrete slab patio a fresh new look. If tiling is not in your budget, get creative with paint as we did on this city balcony. http://www.paradiseporch.com/before_after.php

It's Spring! Let's Decorate!

Written by Victoria Azusa Lockwood


Spring has returned, and its arrival brings with it thoughts of colors, textures and smells associated withrepparttar notion of rebirth and renewal.

For some people, a seasonal change instinctively signalsrepparttar 100152 need for a change in their interior décor. Other people are disinclined or unable to make more frequent changes, so spring is a time to make annual home or interior décor revisions and modifications.

These days, there are a great number of people who feelrepparttar 100153 need for change, but believe that they have less time to devote to such undertakings. In recent years,repparttar 100154 idea of simply changingrepparttar 100155 arrangement of furniture rather than taking on a complete redecorating project has found popularity.

Many have discovered that simply changingrepparttar 100156 layout of their furnishings at least once a year can actually help to improve one’s mental outlook, ability to keep surroundings organized and uncluttered, and enhance a sense of comfort and satisfaction with one’s environment. Whateverrepparttar 100157 case,repparttar 100158 onset of Spring is as good a reason as any to spruce up your decorating scheme, whether that involves making a few simple changes to reflectrepparttar 100159 season, or re-evaluating your entire interior design.

When contemplating a decorating project, some of us “regular folk” discover that we are uncomfortable with making décor changes. We feel that we’re not actually qualified to do so, or that we lackrepparttar 100160 basic skills in making choices that will producerepparttar 100161 desired outcome. But oftentimes, our fears are unfounded.

As you contemplate decorating options, keep in mind that changing your décor doesn’t have to be a long, complicated or expensive endeavor, even when you seek professional assistance. And, you can accomplish remarkable changes in your home and interior décor using two relatively simple tools: paint and accessories.

Inrepparttar 100162 world of interior decorating, paint and accessories are two ofrepparttar 100163 most evident tools used in creating wonderful spaces. Paint color helps to set a baseline from which to develop an entire decorating scheme, and changing wall colors is an easy and very inexpensive way to completely alterrepparttar 100164 nuance of a room or space.

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