Interiors: Deck the halls — and everything else — in style

 If there's anything that really helps deck the halls, it's garland.

We all know garland looks great circling the stairs and draped along the mantel, but where else can we add garland to punch up the decorations a notch?

Did you ever think of draping garland around the windows? It looks pretty dramatic on large windows. Swaging and draping garland around each doorway makes every room special. Another good location is the dining room — swag garland across the backs of the chairs. It will make the room extra-formal-looking, and will also make those who might sit in the chairs for dinner feel special.

Don't forget the mailbox. Put garland on top and add a red bow, and all who drive or walk by will certainly feel the Christmas cheer.

Do you have those popular pendant lights hanging in your kitchen? Add garland to them from the ceiling down to the lamp. Any columns or posts you might have inside or outside the home will look nice with garland spiraled around them. Add lights for sparkle, but even without the lights, the garland makes Christmas magic in any room.

Of course, always be on the lookout for any possible fire hazards.

Let's talk about the windows again. Snowflake curtains bring the wintery scene into focus and are easy to make. Just go online and find templates of snowflakes. Print several different types and sizes of the snowflakes; just pick the ones that look best to you. Print them onto crisp white paper or card stock. Fold and cut the snowflake templates according to the instructions. When you open up the finished snowflakes, they will have creases where you originally folded them. To get the folds straightened, place them under something heavy, like a book.

Let them sit for a day to get all the folds out. Measure the length of the window the snowflake curtain will go on, then cut fishing line to various lengths within the length size of the window. Attach the snowflakes with invisible tape to the fishing line at varying places. Then attach your hanging snowflake-laden lines to the top of the window. Let it snow!

Christmas-tree ball ornaments aren't just for the tree. Put them in large glass bowls, or in tall cylindrical vases or large wicker baskets. Place wine glasses on the table, and put one large ornament in each or several tiny ones in each — for decoration, of course. Do not drink from these glasses. Be sure to thoroughly wash these glasses before drinking from them again.

There are some ideas to make the season bright. Enjoy the decorating, and enjoy what you've decorated.

Modern interior design for bedrooms

Several times we showed pictures of interior design to inspire you to decorate your bedrooms with a modern style and this time we bring you the some more latest ideas, so you can discuss your options and shops along the nearest interior design to get something right and to your liking.

Using colored modern furniture will give your bedrooms a youthful and cheerful that never hurts when relax and unwind. On this basis a bed of green with warm colors header is the center of attention in a room with few elements and a minimalist, where the practical and essential is the priority.

Incorporate a modern bed in a basic tonality, whether black, white, gray or cream will be very helpful in giving versatility to your bedrooms, you can use for this purpose rugs, pillows and cushions in bright colors that give your decor aesthetics and spontaneous fun.

Resorting to the combination of the three basic colors for excellence will be an elegant and sober decorate your bedrooms, you also ensure the cohesion of each item you include in your space to relax and always look great.

Design ideas for your home

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - For twenty years in the making, husband and wife design team Cortney and Robert Novogratz know how to place a completely unique stamp on style, all the while juggling a hit TV show and seven children.


Robert and Cortney started their relationship in Charlotte, NC and that is why the couple states that the Queen City “has a soft spot” in their hearts.  If you love either of their shows, HGTV ‘s “Home by Novogratz” or Bravo’s “Nine by Design,” then you’ll want to pick up a copy of their new book that will show you how to incorporate their funky, downtown-chic style into your own home.

How to decorate a living room with large windows

A well-lit room is the dream of many people, for which nothing is better than large windows that allow the entry of natural light in bulk, but just to keep the effect of light, and not to clash with the atmosphere created in the room, you should know some tips on how to decorate a living room with large windows, to take full advantage of this stay.

If you have a room with large windows, then surely you can enjoy beautiful scenery much of the day, so if we take these views, it is best to have the furniture in a way that, without directly face to the window, allow anyone appreciate the seamless panorama.

However, you must remember that when decorating a living room at least one set of sofa and a TV usually used, so you will have to study especially well where you place the latter, as it will be one of the Key points to guide the rest of the furniture. It would be best to place it next to the window, and then you avoid that when you sit down, people should give back to the landscape.

Another benefit of having a room with large windows is the large amount of natural light that enters during daylight hours, which will make your room look very bright, spacious and cool. When choosing the color scheme to decorate the living force you to choose between continuing the trend of warm colors and bright, to intensify the feeling of space and freshness. While on the other hand, you can opt for darker shades or opaque, to counteract excessive direct sunlight, and create an atmosphere contrasting play of light and shadows.

The curtains are one of the main elements that you should think about having large windows for natural light while always welcome, there may be some times of day you want to lessen their impact on the room as well as during the night.

The texture and color of curtains depend on the rest of the decor of the room, but it is usually best to choose shades of light fabrics and neutral colors, which constitutes an obstacle to light, but not completely or creating a gloomy atmosphere in the room.

Contemporary Colors Ideas to Paint Bedroom Walls

You can give your bedroom a contemporary makeover in several ways, including removing vintage or antique furniture and replacing it with updated pieces and installing hardwood floors. However, paying special attention to the walls is essential, as they comprise some of the largest surfaces in your space, and will set the room's tone, or mood. If you are considering painting your bedroom walls in a contemporary style, several ideas can help.

White

    The color white, both "pure" and in its off-white shades, is one of the safest options for contemporary bedroom walls. As Unique Home Decor Ideas notes, white contributes to the appearance of a crisp, clean and well-lit space, while simultaneously providing the perfect backdrop for highlighting wooden furniture, like beds, desks and drawers. The downside to utilizing all-white bedroom walls is that they can sometimes appear sterile, like a doctor's office. To avoid this problem, try pairing up your white walls with black accents. As Better Homes and Gardens shows, you can achieve this by painting trims and moldings black as well as by incorporating black furniture, shelves and black mirror and picture frames.

Neutral

    Neutral shades are also some of the safest options for painting contemporary bedroom walls. According to Unique Home Decor Ideas, neutral or muted colors are subtle in nature and contribute to a look that evokes "quiet luxury." Popular options include using gray, beige, khaki, suede, soft brown, mushroom, taupe and grayish blue. To prevent a room with neutral-colored walls from appearing bland and boring, try accenting them with sharper colors, like mint green, pale green and burnt orange.


Read more: Contemporary Colors Ideas to Paint Bedroom Walls | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_7105836_contemporary-ideas-paint-bedroom-walls.html#ixzz2ELH1dCbK

The Passionate decoration with wild and crazy red color

It is the most modern interior and design color that characterizes the love impulse and passion. Transmitter of pure energy, encourages and provides strength, so be careful about the location and amount of things to which you will provide this key. Through these tips, you will need a guide to determine the tone that best suits your needs to decorate your home.

When you want to avoid abuse of scarlet and crimson hues (the most stimulating physical activity and that convey strength and energy) it may be inclined to use more conservative color choices within it, choosing interior and design colors to paint your walls terracotta, avoiding fatigue of being on constant display of this indomitable color.

For a better interior and design of a living room or study room, when these spaces dedicated to communication or work, it is recommended to use the widest fiery red. This palette creates appetite stimulation and flow of communication, making it an ideal tone for a dining room or office. Both aspects are essential for the development of their respective tasks.

As one of the three primary colors, it will generate a very strong feeling in any place and manner in which it is used. To generate warmth and comfort in a bedroom, we recommend leaving three white walls, and paint only one of a reddish brown. Stimulate both colors combined, but being only one of its walls the visually dominant, not generate unnecessary fatigue being in the environment. It also gets along very well with black, white and blue.

In open spaces it can be used safely with darker color ranges, even if you like to convey a sense of sobriety and balanced elegance. If you have a small environment, ideally limited to strokes or touches of a more electric, it could be a curtain, a table or a bed cover. If the above interior and design tips influenced you, then add some candles that will generate a warm and intimate atmosphere.

Outdoor spaces with plants of the same color

Mastering the art of color in the garden can be very important if you are really passionate about gardening and the space in your home is one of the most important to you. One of the main advices is to illuminate the darker areas of your garden with the bright colors of the flowers. Put plants like the bamboo or yellow flowers, which have the effect of acting as if it were watching the sun there.

Mastering the art of color in the garden can be very important if you are really passionate about gardening and the space in your home is one of the most important to you. One of the main advices is to illuminate the darker areas of your garden with the bright colors of the flowers. Put plants like the bamboo or yellow flowers, which have the effect of acting as if it were watching the sun there.

make your garden a different landscape creating contrasts

But if you want something very simple and that is also perfect in the garden, is to choose only one color for all the space. You can make that space look larger and deeper playing with different shades of same color. For example, you can choose different shades of yellow and plant them around your garden, including plants put in a color that pleases you also.

You can also make your garden a different landscape creating contrasts. Just as the white stands out more when you put it next to black, you can do the same in your garden by combining plants with colorful flowers clear with those of darker colors. For example, you can put those flowerless plants which have colors like dark green or purple as the backdrop for yellow roses.

Just as your home decor changes with the seasons, you can achieve that effect in the garden, simply adjusting the shades depending on the month in which you are planting. And it is not as difficult as it sounds, you only pay attention to the time when your flowers bloom. For example, you can put blue or pink flowers in spring, red roses and deeper during the warmer months and colors like orange and gold for the fall.

Michelle Unveils White House Holiday Decor

"Bo-flakes" featuring the first dog and ornaments fashioned from zippers are among the new twists on traditional favorites at the White House this Christmas season.

First lady Michelle Obama unveiled this year’s decorations before an appreciative crowd of military families, then spent some time doing holiday crafts with military kids.

The theme for this year’s decorations is "Joy to All," but first dog Bo seems to steals the show.

There are 40 "Bo-flake" ornaments throughout the White House that feature cutout images of the dog.

There’s a life-size replica of the dog, with a string of lights in his mouth, in the East Garden Room.

And there’s an outsized statue of the Portuguese water dog next to the 300-pound gingerbread house in the State Dining Room.

Mrs. Obama said that reflects Bo’s high standing at the White House.

"He’s almost as big as the house," she declared. "He is such a huge personality."

Visitors also will get a Bo bookmark that sends them on a scavenger hunt for "Bo-ornaments" stashed in eight rooms.

Bo himself made an appearance during Wednesday’s festivities, sporting a jingle bell collar, and was quickly swarmed by young guests.

This year’s decorations include lots of handmade items that could easily be done at home, including patriotic wreaths and ornaments wrapped in red, white and blue yarn to fit with Mrs. Obama’s emphasis on supporting military families.

The gargantuan gingerbread house, however, is not a feat for amateurs to attempt: It contains more than 175 pounds of gingerbread and modified gingerbread and more than 50 pounds of chocolate. Pastry chef Bill Yosses mixed up a combination of wheat, rye and white-flour gingerbread that mimics the color of the sandstone house prior to 1798, when the house was first painted white.

More than 90,000 visitors are expected to pass through the White House this holiday season.

Executive chef Cristeta Comerford said she’s drawing on the recipes in Mrs. Obama’s gardening book, "American Grown," as she prepares food for all the guests. The treats will include sweet potato quick bread, green beans with almonds and a winter salad featuring fennel.

The massive decorating job - there are 54 live Christmas trees in the White House - comes together in just five days, with the help of 85 volunteers from around the country. This year’s volunteers included Nellie Funk, a military wife from Carlisle, Pa., who was working beside retired homicide detective Tracy Jacobson from Southern California.

Asked which job was more fun - detective or decorator - Jacobson deadpanned: "This has been much more fun."

John Derian's Handmade Home Decor

I GRAVITATE TOWARD THINGS that are made by hand," John Derian, the king of the decoupage plate, tells me while we are discussing his home accessories store on Manhattan's East 2nd Street. The space, which he has occupied since 1994, has become a mecca for a dedicated group of followers—and a showcase for the many artisans who sell their designs there. Derian originally took on the shop as his studio, but put up a curtain to divide the space; in the front he displayed some of his plates and a few antiques, thinking to himself, If I sell a plate a week, I can pay the rent. As more pieces sold he was able to acquire better and better things, allowing his inventory to grow in a very natural way. It seems such a simple theory, and when Derian speaks about how he selects designers, that, too, has a thorough simplicity: He doesn't go looking for talent, but when he comes across it, he makes it part of his world. This allows Derian to stand apart from other stores that sell charming bits of ephemera; he straddles the divide between being an artist himself and acting as a patron or gallerist for other artists.



Derian is generally quick to know what he likes. Leanne Shapton, a well-known illustrator with her own following, remembers the first time she showed him the wooden books she now sells at his store. "What was nice was that he was so decisive about ordering a ton of them," she says. "He understood what I like about them—the poetry and emotional impact of the titles." Livia Cetti had a similar experience when she arrived at his store unannounced to show him her paper flowers. "I knew dropping by was the worst thing to do, and I could tell he was annoyed," Cetti says. "He went back into his office and two minutes later he poked his head out and said, 'I love them! I want this, this and this!' "

It's this confidence that has led Derian to become something of a global sensation among a tremendously loyal fan base that not only desires but understands and appreciates the value of the treasures he collects.

Hugo Guinness is probably the best-known fixture of Derian's shop. Although they now have a strong bond, it's funny to discover that their friendship started with a relatively weak thread. Derian, who was introduced to Guinness through a mutual friend, admits that he was unsure at the start. "When I first met Hugo, he was 'Tom's friend with the little pictures,' " he says. "When he came to see me, I sent him to a nearby gallery, but he came back and said he wanted to sell here. So I put a picture of his in the shop, and it sold!" Both he and Guinness seemed equally surprised by this. "And they kept on selling, and now, what Ralph Lauren or J. Crew store doesn't have Hugo's prints on the wall?"

"I don't think John was interested to begin with," Guinness remembers. "But I was so excited about getting a check, and that encouraged me, so I did more and more, we had a show and people liked my work. I feel very lucky." Since then, Guinness's shows have become an annual event held at the beginning of May. Every year Guinness produces a new variation on his black-and-white theme. His pictures have a strong identity and are fun to collect because each yearthey have a very different look.

In contrast to Guinness's monochrome prints, Nathalie Lété's paintings, ceramics and textiles are a riot of Technicolor. At her studio in Paris—part of a converted factory that once produced metal parts for the Eiffel Tower—it's easy to see the aesthetic bond between her and Derian. The space makes a fabulous union of industry, nature and the handmade; with roses climbing old girders, wisteria ascending elsewhere and lots of bamboo, the place is positively tropical in its lushness.

Derian first spotted Lété's work on a trip to Paris. "I fell in love with her things in the window of a shop called Absinthe," he recalls. "It had all kinds of sausage dolls made from papier-mâché. It looked like a butcher shop, but the meat was animated—the hanging meat was funny and whimsical." Derian and Lété started an e-mail correspondence, and after a visit to her studio, a relationship bloomed. He held a show for her at his store, as he does with so many of his artists, but unlike many shop events and openings, Derian's parties are done without a team of publicists. They are simple celebrations of the artists he's found and wants to introduce to his friends and clients, done in a familial way with his open-arm charm and appeal.

Lété mostly paints toys, animals and flowers. "My work is like a protection," she says. "The world outside doesn't interest me so I create this one to feel comfortable and protected." She is incredibly industrious, and her products are sent everywhere. This seems at odds with her artistic and slightly hermit-like character until you realize that her reproductions allow her to keep the originals in her studio.

Astier de Villatte, a venerable design house also from Paris, has been showcased in Derian's shop the longest—at 14 years—and Derian in turn has made pieces for Astier. "Some of the Astier shapes are from the 18th century," Derian explains, when asked about their longtime partnership. "I am attracted to things that look old, almost period."

Benoît Astier de Villatte and Ivan Pericoli—the vital organs of the Astier de Villatte group—met at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and are similarly attracted to period things. The two live in the same apartment building from the early 17th century and have created a mix of practicality with ancient beauty. (One of the things that most excites Derian about his recent collaboration with Astier is that he has finally produced something that can go in the dishwasher.) Derian's marble pieces for them are chic, the colors are beautiful and mix well with the rest of their sought-after white ceramics. One of the most interesting aspects of the Astier studio is the packing area, with boxes labeled for Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, New York, Holland and England.

Livia Cetti, with her charming paper flowers, is something of a powerhouse and has worked for brands like Bobbi Brown, Anthropologie and Kate Spade. But what she creates for Derian is different. "It was a dream come true to sell something in John's store, and it's one of the things I am most proud of in my career." Derian's curatorial eye has had an effect on her work too. "When I started working for John, it really cemented the way I make my flowers," she recalls. "Now I have solidified my look, which I would say is naturalistic with my own twist." Her foxgloves, dahlias and fritillaria are a festival—the colors are cheerful, and each one is different. She also does Derian's signature scraggly geraniums (exclusively for him), which have become a hit in the store.

The artists that work with Derian not only talk about his talent, but his generosity. Stephanie Housley, who sells aprons, linens, stationary and pocket dolls from her Coral & Tusk line, is one of these artists. Having been given one of Housley's aprons as a gift, Derian approached her to sell her products in the shop. "By then I had a small library of designs, and I was struggling to harness it," she says. "John had such brilliant ideas about how to direct the collection." Although he has an eye for what's likely to sell, he also knows when to disregard that instinct: Housley made a custom pocket doll of Derian's cat, Skip, and is now producing a line of them for the shop, each with its own trading cards.

One of the things about Derian's shop is its level of consistency, and yet within that there is always room for the new and the offbeat. It is a shop that you can use reliably as a source for both gift buying (most happily for oneself) and interior design. The store has Moroccan rugs, brightly colored leather poufs, fine lamps and linens—and Derian knows exactly how to arrange all these elements. Shapton puts her finger on it when she says, "I wouldn't have taken two glances at the poufs, but he has a way of contextualizing things without forcing them upon you."