peterxu's Blog

Do you like redecorating your room so it looks inviting as well as relaxing Do you want to make things more accessible and your room layout more functional If so, you probably love interior decorating.

Interior decorating encompasses a wide area of interests: the paint on the walls and on the other surfaces of your room, wallpaper, carpet, tiles, light fixtures, furniture, and even paintings and sculptures.

It is not easy to define exactly what modern interior decorating is since it can actually take on many forms. It seems like there are new design themes and styles coming out every day. In fact, the skys the limit when it comes to modern-day decorating. Identical designs are no longer the norm. Nowadays, your personality is reflected in your rooms interiors.

To create a new look and feel to your room, you may want to try this more up-to-date form of interior decorating. Although there are different classifications to modern design, they can be used as a guide to how you can go about redecorating your place.

You can choose to go with an eclectic style of designing. This is a more common style of modern decoration. As its name implies, eclectic decorating makes use of a combination of different styles to give rise to a completely unique look. Usually, interior decorators just incorporate designs that appeal to them personally, positioning furniture and d or to their liking. You could do the same for your room.

Another decorating style is art deco. Although art deco is classified under modern designs, this style was actually inspired by the 1920s and 1930s. In this style, a lots of lines are used in angular, but elegant, ways. Colors are bright and vibrant.

You may want to go whimsical if you like bright pastel colors. As suggested by the name, this style has no set pattern. A whimsical design applied to a room often gives it a standout and fanciful look and feel.

Interior Decorating provides detailed information on Interior Decorating, Interior Decorating Ideas, Home Interior Decorating, Office Interior Decorating and more. Interior Decorating is affiliated with Home Interior Designs.

Panel molding dates back to the Georgian period of the 1700s. Georgian architecture is characterized by a sense of proportion and balance. Symmetry and adherence to the classical rules were valued as regular and desirable. Today, panel molding is used to break up large surfaces, which adds a formal feeling to most designs. It is also utilized as a border separating colors or textures. Visually enhance any room with decorative panel molding; from walls and doors to ceilings, these exquisite accents can be installed by the average do it yourself home owner.

As with any project, proper safety practices should be used at all times. That includes wearing hearing and eye protection as appropriate. If you need to use a respirator, dust mask or any other tool or equipment, always select the right one for the job.

Planning

When beginning any project, it is important to plan the layout. Establishing a plan keeps the job flowing smoothly. It is perhaps the most important step. Although installing panel molding requires that you have a good drawing that accurately shows the room and the pattern, you wont need to generate detailed blueprints. A pencil sketch on graph paper will do. Be certain that the measurements are accurate. Reference dimensions on the drawing to either the center of the room (or to a ceiling dome or ceiling medallion, etc..) or to the walls. This will depend on the dominant feature of your design. Although you may not have any interest in recreating an extravagant baroque ceiling for your own home, you can often find some great pattern ideas by studying the ceilings of historic castles and palaces. Look around your room and decide whether you will have full or split panels; single size or variable sizes, or symmetric sized panels. Panel molding is strictly a decorative element, so there are no rules to follow for the design. This is your opportunity to create a unique and individual design.

Ordering

When ordering your panel molding make sure that the pattern of the molding is compatible with the corners (if you are using corners) and that you have made adequate allowance for cutting waste. Remember to take pattern repeat into account when figuring cutting waste. I like to use a cut list for all trim work. It allows me to plan all of the joints before I start cutting. I use the same list to plan my order. Normally, panel molding is inexpensive due to its small profile. Therefore, you may want to save some work and order enough to eliminate as many joints as possible. You are also going to need adhesive, caulk, etc. to complete the installation.

Prefinishing

If you are not planning to finish (paint or faux finish) the ceiling and the molding at the same, you may want to prefinish the molding and then touch it up after installation.

Assemble Materials

Setup a work area close to the job and assemble your tools and materials. Look over the moldings to make sure they havent been damaged either on shipping or on the job. Inventory your tools and supplies to ensure that everything you will need is there. If something is missing, stop and get it now rather than waiting until you need it, which inevitably is at the worst possible time.

Layout

Transfer your plan to the ceiling in full size. Layout the outline of the molding rather than the centerlines so the layout will be visible with the molding installed. Remember to reference patterns that surround ceiling domes or ceiling medallions, to the center of the feature they surround. Reference moldings that run parallel to walls to the wall (to minimize the effect of out of square or wavy walls).

Install

Because of their light weight no mechanical fasteners are required. Use an appropriate size bead of adhesive and temporary fasteners as necessary until the adhesive sets.

Finish Up

After the adhesive has set, remove the temporary fasteners or set below surface. Caulk the joint between the ceiling and the molding. Fill the holes made by the fasteners with non-shrink filler, sand, prime and paint.

Voila! Enjoy and relish in the glow of all the compliments you receive when others see how beautiful your room is with the simple addition of panel molding.

copyright 2006 www.goceilingmedallion.com

Patricia Tomaskovic is the President of http://www.goceilingmedallion.com Visit us soon and let us help you decorate with style. We look forward to serving you.

When one is considering a new look for an existing room the question always arises, Do I need to hire a designer for my new project This depends on you and on your available free time, patience, creativity, resources and many more factors.

---You might want to hire a professional designer if:

Your time is at a premium with little free time for such a product.

You feel completely overwhelmed by the number of choices available.

You want to have quality work done but dont have your own list of reliable workmen, installers and other resources.

Understanding the reason you may be in this situation is you have already tried to decorate your home and have purchased a few nice items, but really need help pulling it all together.

You want a cohesive color scheme and design that can be carried throughout your home as many of the colors you like do not meld together within a specific theme.

You and your partner cant seem to agree on anything for your home.

You have seen furniture or accent pieces in decorating magazines, but its available to the trade only.

You are not aware of the many new products, fabrics, or appliances are available that might be used for your new room(s).

Youre tired of buying things here and there without an master plan to pull it all together.

You would like more choices in fabrics, floor coverings and window coverings and furniture than are available in your local stores.

--- It a Good Decision to Consider an Interior Designer as an Option.

Interior decorators help you put your look and personality in your home by dealing with space, design, and furnishings. Ask for a portfolio of before and after previous designs. Choose an interior decorator whose projects are not only appealing to your taste, but have proven practical to build and live in as well.

If youre too busy to shop around, want to make some major changes or if you simply feel like you need some advice, there are a number of interior professionals who can help you get the results youre after. Many designers and decorators will save you money by using their sources of discount furniture and accessories.

Interior decorating is not just having an eye for color or recognizing quality furniture. It is an extensive discipline that encompasses many specialized areas of expertise that take many years of experience to develop.

--- How Much Do Interior Designers and Decorators Charge

While it varies from decorator to decorator, and job to job, decorators usually get most of their compensation through commissions or discounts they negotiate with vendors of products and services. In other words, most of their compensation comes from suppliers, not from you. In many cases, it is also necessary for the decorator to charge a consulting fee. This is usually assessed on an hourly basis or as a flat fee. Always ask about charges and payments before hiring a decorator.

---Pick the Right Professional:

Whose past projects look good to you. Who listens well and designs around your wishes rather than their personal sense of style. Who has done jobs that are similar in scale and budget to yours. Who has experience working with any specialized materials or treatments you are considering for your project.

Interior decorators help you put your creative stamp in your home by dealing with decorating, furnishing, and space issues, often in unique ways. You may find complete listings of designer assosciations that may help you find a decorator or designer in your area at http://www.onegreathome.com. Go to the directory under Interior Designers or Associations.

Choose an interior decorator whose projects are not only appealing, but have proven practical to build and live in as well.

Robert C. Pearson is a copywriter for several online sites including http://www.onegreathome.com and others. He has also submitted furnishings material being published this summer in Womans Day Magazine and has completed research interviews with Fortune Magazine that has been previously published.

There are many different types of window blinds available today, so you may be having a difficult time in choosing the right ones for your home. Here is a sampling of the types that are available today:

Mini blinds are narrower than standard blinds, coming in sizes ranging from 2 inches down to 1/2 inch. They may come in different thicknesses of the slats as well. The materials used for mini blinds are usually aluminum or plastic. The plastic ones are cheaper, but in either case, the thicker the slats, the higher the cost will be, simply because there is more material and they will therefore be stronger. Mini blinds have long been popular in commercial establishments, and are still relatively popular in homes. The choice of styles and colors is almost limitless. For a good selection, try mybeautifulblinds and click on the mini blind tab.

Venetian Blinds are really nothing more than blinds with horizontal slats. Just about any of this type of blind can be considered a Venetian blind, including wood blinds, Roman blinds, composite blinds and PVC blinds.

PVC blinds may also be considered faux wood blinds. They are essentially formed PVC (poly vinyl chloride) plastic. They have gained a lot of popularity over the last decade. They come in slats ranging from 2 inches to 3 inches and can be plain or made to look like wood. The original PVC blinds were only white, but today come in a great range of colors, including a lot of different wood tones. Their popularity is due to the fact that they are inexpensive, easy to maintain, resistant to sun and moisture and are very hard wearing. They are an excellent choice for childrens rooms for this reason. The only disadvantage is they are heavier than real wood or composite slats, so the wider ones may be hard to raise and lower.

There are many brands of PVC blinds, but the most well known are Faux Wood, Infusion, Wood Plus, Wood Look, Wood Like, Envirowood, Dover Wood and Wood Mates. Most of these quality brands are solid foam PVC, but check with your dealer to be sure.

Composite blinds are just that: a composite of various materials, such as wood flake, glues and plastic. This is one of the newest materials being used for blinds. The slats are usually between 2 and 2 1/2 inches, but sometimes come in 3 inch widths. The surface of each slat is a solid composite or it may be poly coated. They usually come in white, but some colors and wood tones can be found as well. They are very reasonable priced and offer the same qualities as other blinds in terms of being resistant to moisture, UV rays and warping. They are also easy to clean. The only disadvantage is that they tend to be heavier than wood blinds.

Wood blinds are made from real wood. They come in two main types, known in the industry as value and premium. Value wood blinds are constructed from less expensive woods from the Orient. Premium wood blinds are made form high quality Basswood from America. Basswood is wood that is cross grained with a fine detail, and does not warp easily.

The slats can be thinner, such as 1 inch wide, but also come in 3 inch wide slats. The surface can be painted or stained, with the color assortment limited by the color of paint, which is just about limitless. If you want to match your cabinet in your kitchen, or the wood trim in your living room, you can get a stain to match exactly. It is not surprising that these types of blinds are the most expensive. But because of their light weight, they are the best choice for very large windows.

Adam Peters is the copywriter of http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com Find more publications about window blind design ideas at his website.

If it is about time that you changed the look of your floors, think about using Mohawk carpeting for a quality look. Mohawk has been in business for 125 years, and you do not succeed for that long without producing a product that is good quality. Their specialty is carpets, but they also produce area rugs and hard flooring such as wood laminates and genuine hardwood. The trademark of Mohawk Carpet has been quality products for so many people that they are the best known floor brand today. They market a Berber style carpet that is one of the most popular carpet choices today. The variety and durability of Berber is what makes it so popular, especially in rooms such as basements or family rooms that get a lot of wear. Another choice for these rooms may be carpet tiles, which are inexpensive and can be done by the homeowner without expensive installation.

Berber carpet comes in many styles and the most popular are the cut and loop designs and the multi loop designs. For hard wearing floor covering that does not show footprints or vacuum marks, it cant be beat. The floors will always look clean, and the carpet will last a long time. Most likely you will be choosing a new decorating or color scheme long before the carpet needs to be replaced. Make sure you look at all of the designs and colors Mohawk carpet has to offer. You can choose top of the line wool, or the less expensive nylon or olefin or a blend. This is definitely a long lasting carpet that will be easy to maintain.

You may also want to consider carpet tiles for durability and ease of care. They are extremely easy to install and you can choose from a wide variety of colors, styles and textures. For areas that get dirty or worn more quickly than others, you can pull up a tile and replace it easily. Isnt this a great idea for a kids room If you do want to use carpet tiles where children will be playing, use darker rather than lighter colors that will show the dirt faster. A pattern or a design with many colors will also hide dirt better. If you like you can choose a variety of tiles and make your own design. For a bargain hunter, carpet tiles are great since they are inexpensive and you do the installation.

For quality carpets, look for the Mohawk brand; for the most durable kind, pick the Berber weave.

Adam Peters is the author of more resources published at http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com Find more publications about berber steam clean at his website.