Do you have a brick wall in your home that does not agree with your vision for your home? A shabby brick wall or fireplace can be upgraded by simply adding a few coats of paint. Sounds simple right? Let’s review a few tips on painting brick walls.
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How to Paint Brick Walls

While the thought of painting a brick wall may seem intimidating, the process is very similar to painting any other wall. The steps to painting a brick wall are very generic. If you have painted another room in your home with favorable results, painting a brick wall could prove to be just as easy.
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To create great looking hardwood floors in your home requires several important functional and design considerations to get it right.  Whether you are  considering natural hardwood floors, bamboo, or even laminate flooing – pay close attention to these 7 tips.

DESIGN STYLES
With thousands of colors and styles to select from today it can seem like a daunting task to make the right flooring choice.  To narrow the field down it is recommended that you select a flooring style that complements your overall interior design style.  Nothing will look worse that a glaring clash of styles, so make sure your new flooring complements your existing (of planned) interior design.  Look here for a quick summary of matching hardwood floors and their design styles.
 
SITUATIONAL FACTORS
Almost every install will have physical or functional requirements that will further narrow down the scope and selection of an appropriate hardwood or laminate flooring system.  Here is a brief summary of factors to consider:

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Men are not usually really big on home decorating. At the same time, when creating a man cave, most men desire a space that is comfortable and fun. When pulling together ideas for a man cave, start by considering personal interests, hobbies and other “favorites” to create a welcoming space for the man of the house.
A space decorated based on an individual’s personal interests is usually filled with lots of “personality”. For example, if the man of the house is a sports fanatic, placing memorabilia from his favorite team in and around the room is a way to make the room feel “personal”. While most men are not about flowers and pretty prints, a space decorated with warmth is always welcome. Let’s take a look at some stylish man caves to generate ideas for those looking for man cave ideas.

This sport’s themed man cave keeps it simple.  A few Met’s items (bar stools, jersey, wall art) are combined with the right colors and a bar.  Simple yet effective, perfect for a Met’s fan!

Is the man of the house really into golf?  Perhaps a golf themed man cave is a option.  Here, the designer used carpet that creates the illusion of grass, a wall mural and a few golf accessories.  While the decor is not over the top, it is the perfect amount of decor to add personality in the space without being over bearing.

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An attic is more than a place to store Christmas decorations, off season clothes and other “extra” stuff.  Depending the location and layout of your attic, it may be possible to create an attic bedroom.  Transforming an attic into a bedroom is a great option to add more living space to your home.    While there are a few challenges to an attic bedroom, careful planning and execution can eliminate many of these creating a cozy and stylish bedroom.

Architectural Features

The ceiling in attics are different from other bedrooms in the house.  The attic is the very top layer of the home and are usually shaped similar to the home’s roof.  This can be a challenge for taller individuals or when placing certain pieces of furniture.  However, there is adequate living space in an attic if these lower areas are avoided.  When placing furniture in an attic bedroom, try to use the open areas as the “living area” and place decorative pieces in the lower level ceiling areas.

Insulation

It is no secret that heat rises.  The attic is very warm in the summer months because of this very reason.  On the flip side, a poorly insulated attic can also be very cold in the summer months.  Investing in proper insulation for your attic bedroom and installing a window air conditioner can resolve both of these issues.

Over all, the beauty of an attic bedroom out weighs the disadvantages of creating a bedroom in your attic.  Check out some of our favorite attic bedrooms:

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Modern interior decorators are shifting from hanging artwork to leaning artwork.  There are a number of theories as to why leaning artwork has become so popular.  We have put together a few advantages to leaning artwork in your home.

Protect the Walls:

Hanging pictures requires putting a hole in your wall.  These holes can cause problems if you ever decide to take the picture down and use the space for another purpose.  While there are solutions for fixing holes, wouldn’t it be best to avoid the scenario.  Leaning artwork offers one huge advantage in not requiring a hole in your walls.

Flexibility:

Hanging a piece of art appears to be very simple.  However, would you want to hang a picture only to be displayed for two days?  More than likely, you would prefer hanging pictures that are bit more permanent.  Leaning artwork is also very convenient for sampling a new piece of art.  There are times art is placed in a home to get a feel for how it flows with the current décor.  Leaning artwork provides flexibility as it can easily be added to the décor of a space by placing it against the wall in the room.  Should you decide the piece does not agree with your décor, simple remove it.  No tools or extra effort required. [Read more...]