Longing to have a touch of the country life in your home? Consider using a rooster, one of the main centerpieces of what is known as French Country décor, as a theme in your kitchen. This is a style that many designers and homeowners use in their decorating plans, especially for kitchens.
If you want to start small, think about creating a few subtle focal points that will draw attention. Perhaps a wall clock, some magnets for your refrigerator, and a few decorative plates to hang on the wall is a great place to start. Then locate some dishtowels and oven mitts to round out your other finds and now you’ve got a small collection to showcase in your kitchen.
If you’re ready for a bigger change, choose one of the many wallpaper or wall border patterns that feature roosters. Patterns run from small and simple to large and lively. Roosters can be found on place mats, dishes, mugs, glasses, and even some serving utensils. The only limits are those in your imagination.
As with any decorating style, it is essential to know how much is “too much.” This is different for everyone, but a good rule of thumb to use is that if you are going to cover your wall with a certain print, the accessory choices should accentuate the wall, but not overpower it. While purchasing rooster wallpaper, oven mitts, dishes, and accent pieces might be excessive, a few carefully chosen decorative pieces along with a strong color choice can create an outstanding and beautiful kitchen.
Roosters provide a majestic presence that brings a bit of the farm into your home without a loud announcement of the coming day at the break of dawn!
About The Author
Christi Vega is the owner of www.allthingsrooster.com where you’ll find rooster themed items to decorate your home and garden. Subscribe to her newsletter and receive special product updates and discounts.
Copyright All Things Rooster.
cs@allthingsrooster.com
Although many new houses today are large, unfortunately they may contain small rooms, a little smaller than we’d like. Small rooms can feel confining and uncomfortable. Luckily we can utilize certain design concepts that fool the eye and make our rooms seem larger. Try these inexpensive decorating tricks to make your rooms live bigger.
1. Use Light Colors
Light and brightly colored walls are more reflective, which will help to maximise the effect created by natural light. This does not mean you have to live with white walls. There are a wide range of light colors paints available, such as light green or cream beige.
Once you’ve chosen your wall color, choose your trim and moldings colors. Paint your trims and moldings in either the same hue as the walls, or a lighter color. Lighter objects appear closer while darker or shadowed objects appear further away. When you paint your moldings a lighter color, the wall appears further back - thus making your room appear bigger.
Now, don’t be worried that your room is going to be bland and uninviting, bolder and darker colors can be be used in furniture, artwork and accessories.
If your colors are already dark, try to move the darker colors to a ‘background’ role while maximizing your neutral white or ivory.Be careful when using wallpaper. Solid colours are the safest, with tiny patterns taking a close second. Whatever the wall color or finish, we recommend the ceiling in a small room be painted stark white to maximize brightness.
2. Mirrors
Mirrors can have a favorable impact on a room’s appearance. A large mirror in the room will reflect light around the room. The mirrors also reflect both natural and artificial light to make a room brighter during the day and night. They bounce light deep into the room, making it appear larger. This is especially effective with near a window so the outdoors can be reflected.
Use glass-front or mirrored cabinet doors to make spaces feel large and uncluttered. Large, expansive mirrors over vanities, mirrored wardrobe doors or a floor-to-ceiling wall of mirrors (combined with our decorating suggestions) can make even the smallest of spaces seem larger.
3. Arrange Furniture At Angles
Arrange some of your larger pieces of furniture at a angle. You don’t have to place the furniture at an exact 45 degree angle, often a lesser angle looks best if you can balance the look with another furniture piece.
Setting your furniture at an angle works because the longest straight line in any given room is it’s diagonal. When you place your furniture at an angle, it leads the eye along the longer distance, rather than the shorter wall. As an added bonus, you often get some additional storage space behind the piece in the corner, too!
4. Scale Furniture
Keep furnishings in scale with the rooms. In small rooms, use slim rockers, open-back chairs or a simple sofa or love seat rather than overstuffed furnishings to avoid overpowering the space.
There are stores that deal exclusively in furniture for apartments and mobile homes. Despite its slightly smaller size, scaled-down furniture can be beautiful. An open headboard is best for a small room. When furnishing, keep the view at eye level unobstructed. Taller furnishings should be placed at the end of the room opposite its main entry.
About The Author
Olivia Filipetto is publisher of www.bedroomfurniture.com, providing all you need to know about enchancing your bedroom and buying bedroom furniture.
bedroomfurniture@gmail.com
I grew up in a very cold climate where winter seemed go on for 6 months and ice, snow and barren trees is what you saw on a daily basis. Plus the bone chilling cold and cloudy skies all made for a long dreary winter.
I can remember as a child sitting by the living room window looking out at the snow, trying to remember what the grass looked like. I would sit there longing for spring and summer.
Spring to me was a promise of warm sunny days to come and I always felt my spirits lift as the snow melted and trees would start to bud. It was also the time when the lilacs bloomed and the fragrance was heavenly.
This was the time we would plant our flower gardens and the annuals would start to bloom. My mother had a thing for petunias and tiger lilies so we planted them every year. For me they were a source of fascination. I loved the colors and shapes and I would closely scrutinize them. Even as a child if I felt a bit down, I would go outside and look at the flowers and insects until I felt better. It worked every time.
One day as I was looking at the flowers I decided that when I grew up I was going to be a florist. Time went on and I forgot about it. I married and raised a family. After the kids grew up and moved away I was looking for a change of direction in my life and suddenly remembered wanting to be a florist and that is what I did.
I still find beauty in all kinds of flowers. I also developed an appreciation for trees and shrubs. I have based my floral designs on how things naturally grow. A huge old magnificent tree can be an inspiration for a floral design.
The next time you are feeling down or just need to be relieved from daily stress, try taking a walk and really look at nature. You may be surprised at the calming affect it may have on you.
Enjoy!
Willie Jones is a freelance writer, researcher, floral designer, and artist, for Art Inspires, Inc. Make sure you enroll in the free motivational poster drawing at http://www.artinspires.com