Hot Interior Design Colors for 2009

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January has arrived and with it the new year. To many, the New Year is about resolutions, looking towards the upcoming year and reviewing the last year. At Freshome, January is about looking at the hottest colors for the upcoming year. For that reason, we have listed a few colors that are sure to make a great impact on your home decor and it may inspire you to start a new design project. I know a few of the colors have really inspired me and I’m already looking for a new chaise in a few of the shades that will be popular in 2009.

2009 colors trends Hot Interior Design Colors for 2009

Grey Skies from Here on Out

Okay, grey may bring to mind dark clouds and rainy days made tedious due to boredom but grey is making an amazing statement on the color palette this year. It is less about hard and dark greys and more about the smokier greys like dove grey. Use grey as a focal color or simply as an accent and if you feel the dark grey really sets a statement, don’t be afraid to use it too.

Memories of Orange
2008 was a popular year for orange and many people had the enjoyment of placing a variety of orange shades on walls, furniture and in accents. Orange can be playful, warm and relaxing and it is a color that will continue to be popular throughout 2009.2009 colors Hot Interior Design Colors for 2009

Glints of Metal:
Metallic colors always seem to have a place in hot colors regardless of the year but 2009 will see more of a push away from golds and silvers. Instead, coppers and bronze will be a popular metallic to add to any home decor as well as pewter tones.

Meadows filled with Blue
Periwinkles, blue daisies and every other shade of blue that you can imagine, from the vibrant to the soft, will be a popular color choice in 2009. The great thing about blue is its versatility. Many people don’t realize it but blue can work with a wide range of colors. Pairing a deep blue with a vibrant orange can create a bold and playful space and it can be an excellent choice for a kid’s room. Another bonus with blue is that it works well with metallics and will even look great with the hot metallic colors of 2009.

Bust out the crayon box
The lat hot color for 2009 that I really want to mention is all of them. Designers and colorists alike are really stressing that you work with colors that you love. You can’t go wrong if it is a color you enjoy, that works well in your home and that leaves a lasting statement. So here is to a 2009 that is filled with color and design.

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How to Decorate with Photographs

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A picture speaks a thousand words and when it comes to your walls, it can convey a million emotions, shades and moods all in one simple frame of art. The photo frame that adorns your walls could be a simple family photograph, a work of art or even a painting of your 5 year old that has been framed. What you chose to hang up there shows who you are and can often change your mood. Decorating with pictures though is not about crowding the interiors with everything and anything that is framed. Here are few simple, easy-to-follow tips that will enable you to transform the space that surrounds you and will give you ample opportunities to experiment. So how do you decorate with photographs?

photographs walls How to Decorate with PhotographsShop for art by room

It is essential to understand that every room in your home cannot have the same shades, colors and textures when it comes to photographs on walls. Just like each room has a specific task and mood, so should the pictures that hand on its walls. You could pick photographs and art that are mellow and tranquil for your bedroom and other places where you rest. Cool blues go well with office space, while bright cartoons and lively reds and yellows are great for kids’ rooms. If you have a gaming room then get some photographs framed which run on the gaming theme. The point being, your pictures must enhance and blend in with your own mood when in the room.

photographs walls3 How to Decorate with PhotographsChose your style and keep the theme running

It is advisable that you chose the way you want to go early and stick to it. If you want a simple minimalist and futuristic theme, then get your photographs done in black and white before you frame them. This matches well with modern living rooms that use a lot of white, black and grey. A retro-styled kitchen or bedroom could use the pictures with bright reds and vibrant greens. Contrasting does not always go well with art work on walls, so it is better to stick to a theme. Your theme could be also something creative like romantic mood with lost of scarlet, eco-friendly with plenty of nature or anything else that appeal to you.

photographs walls2 How to Decorate with Photographs Mix photographs with stuff that is not framed

This is a wonderful little way to highlight an old antique that is precious, a collectible that you are proud of or even just something that you would love to showcase. Surround a central piece that you feel is important with wall art and that will enhance the beauty of the room and the importance of the centerpiece. For instance, if you have a basketball signed by Jordan that you would like to showcase, a few basketball snaps around it might be cool. You get the idea… you can improvise on that.

photographs walls6 How to Decorate with PhotographsArrange your pictures with a central focus

With most modern homes taking different shapes and patterns, it is essential to figure out what suits best for the look of your home. Most often, one can hang pictures on the wall behind the couch, but you can change that and can also put it in long corridors. The pattern can vary from arranging in clusters, in a row or simple in an ascending and descending pattern. Sometimes the best thing can be a single large frame. It can vary with the dimensions of the room.

photographs walls5 How to Decorate with PhotographsProper lighting and good care

One of the most essential things when it comes to decorating with framed photographs or art work is the lighting. The perfect lighting can really bring the best out of what you have and can increase the beauty of the room immensely. Make sure the lighting is tranquil and does not create a glare in the pictures. Keep them away from sunlight and keep them clean to make sure the best out of them.

photographs walls4 How to Decorate with PhotographsTake care of the little but important things

As silly as it might sound, pick the right hooks for your photograph as they need to support it for a long, long time. Use the right spacing and style without trying to fit too much in too little. Remember that more is not always necessarily better. If you have glass walls around your home, then hanging a few photographs on them can really accentuate the beauty and they also act as the perfect dividers for rooms. Sometimes it is the simple things that make a big difference.

photographs walls7 How to Decorate with Photographs

Decorating with photographs is a beautiful way of giving your home a very personal and sensitive look. It says that YOU live there and that you care for the place. They not only make for personalized accessories, but often give you memories that you cherish for a lifetime!

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How to Look For the Right Home Accessories

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If you have just moved out to get a place of your own for the very first time or are decorating your home for the umpteenth time, one obvious difficulty that almost everyone faces is how to look for the right home accessories. We all are pretty aware of what exactly are the basic needs of a home, like the couch and the bed, but where else do you go from there? The base is ready, but the direction in which one needs to build on, that is a topic that leaves people in plenty of confusion.

home accesories How to Look For the Right Home Accessories

With modern markets offering everything that you need and plenty that you don’t, what is the right and easy way to accessorize your home? Well, here is a simple guide that will get you started and will help you finish your interior decoration.

Keep in mind the available space and shop accordingly

There might be enough stuff in the store to fill up Michael Jackson’s Neverland, but the point is that you are not trying to fill up a mansion. Most often you will be tempted to buy something that is large and grand, but if it does not fit the scale of your home, then it looks ungainly. Be it a sofa set or a dining table, a big bed or even a large flower vase; things look attractive only when in right proportion. The room must never look too congested or too empty. Make sure that you strike the balance right.

home accesories2 How to Look For the Right Home Accessories

Chalk out a very basic budget plan

The problem with accessories is that many of them look very attractive and most often salesmen have a funny way of making you buy what they wish to sell rather than what you need. Before you go out to shop, it would be wise to make a budget statement and then stick to it. Most of us run on a limited budget and hence this will avoid buying both the unnecessary and the stuff that is too expensive. Decorating your home comes at a price and that must be affordable!

home accesories4 How to Look For the Right Home Accessories

Pick colors and patterns that mix and match with existing furniture

Always pick colors and patterns that are in-sync with what you already own as you do not want to change around your basic furniture for the sake of accessories! Pick shades and textures that run with the theme that you already have going at your place. Do not be tempted buy something that would sit ungainly- like a retro lamp for a modern living room- just because it looked good in the store.

home accesories3 How to Look For the Right Home Accessories

Make comfort a priority

When you do but an accessory, make sure that does not actually disturb the existing comfort and ambient feel of your home. Anything that adds in terms of beauty, but takes away in terms of comfort is a complete no-no. Also make sure that what you buy does not demand too much of attention, care and constant attention. You wish to accessorize your home, not take care of a pet!

Bring home stuff that merges with local culture and topography

While picking stuff for decoration you can always chose a theme and most often it serves you well if the theme is in touch with local culture and topography. This has more advantages than those that meet the eye. The obvious reason being, it will sit well when guests come for a visit. It also makes your home an extension of your natural surroundings. If you live by a beach, go for plenty of shells and sand. If you live in a green and hilly region then bring in some plants and stuff in shades of green. Apart from the already mentioned reasons, this also costs you less as you can buy the stuff locally. This way it not just looks good but goes easy on your purse.

home accesories5 How to Look For the Right Home Accessories

Remember that your home is reflects your thoughts and designing it in the way you wish to see it is an important part of both your personal and social life. You need not always spend extravagantly to look good and the above simple suggestions more or less are the basics for shopping for accessories. While you can always improvise on them, it will help you a great deal if you keep them in mind the next time you hit stores!

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How to choose and buy a Christmas tree

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In these days you can find and learn everything you ever wanted from the internet. I know that Christmas is near, and today I’ve found this video about how to choose a Christmas tree …and for someone who would like to know a few tips before choosing a Christmas tree it might be something useful. Take a look, learn a few basic things and …make sure you get your money’s worth, and a beautiful Christmas tree in your house this year.

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Five Steps to Making Your Home More Beautiful

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picnik collage 1 Five Steps to Making Your Home More Beautifulimage sources 1, 2, 3, 4

Most of us have watched those cruel home make-over shows at one time or another. You know the type, where a hyperactive bunch of designers and tradesman bombard their way into an ‘unsuspecting’ civilian’s home, with only an hour to complete a WOW transformation. The magic designer snatches up a few old cushions, whips up the rug, and hey presto, the whole house is a wonderful palace. Don’t we all wish that our tired houses could be awoken with such hasty and invigorating fervour? I’m not promising to make your home your dream mansion, but by following the simple steps below you can bring beauty into your house.

De-Clutter

1 6 Five Steps to Making Your Home More Beautiful

This step sounds so exhausting, but believe me, it’s worth it. Pick a room to start on, and attack it with a pair of rubber gloves and a bin bag. Poke into hidey holes you’d forgotten about, delve into cupboards you’ve been putting off forever, jump right in to the depths of all your clutter and let it go. Don’t be afraid to chuck out that gaudy yellow vase because you made it when you were six, if it’s sentimentally valuable, box it, be strict with yourself about what really is sentimental. Use ‘time since last used’ as your rule of thumb, if it’s been three years since you last used it, chances are its rubbish.

Remember, start as you mean to go on- don’t sort piles into piles, if its rubbish throw it, if it’s not, put it away. Consider recycling any items you don’t need, charities are always looking for items they can sell on. You could also try to make a few pennies out of your old stuff, pop it onto eBay and see what happens!

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