Personalized Name Art, Framed Letter Signs

This is a really cool way to create beautiful artwork with a personal touch. Letter perspectives is a website where you can use the letters from your name or a word that inspires you, to create a beautiful framed picture. Some examples are using a child's name, an inspirational word, a married last name to celebrate a wedding, a couple's first names, or meaningful holiday or religious words. This unique, custom artwork makes a great gift or addition to any home and is sure to be a conversation piece.

Click below to get started designing your own custom unique artwork:
Letter Perspectives Artwork

Save Money during the Recession (but still have a nice home)

Even though our country is in a recession, you can still create a great looking home on a budget. In fact, it may even be a better time to redecorate because of all the great deals you can find. Many stores have significantly reduced prices in order to sell more furniture and decor. Homeowners are often selling things because they are looking to make some extra cash. Foreclosed homes are often full of furnishings which are then auctioned off at great prices. You never know where you will find the next great deal! Here are a few more tips to great decorating during a recession:

-Shop at garage sales and find great used furniture for cheap prices
-Look in the clearance section of regular furniture stores. They may have some great deals!
-Check out classifieds and craigslist.com for super deals.
-Use inexpensive ways to re-decorate your rooms, such as with paint, area rugs and ready-made draperies.

For more great budget decorating ideas, purchase Designing on a Budget! This no-nonsense budget decorating book will walk you through learning to design on a dime! When you order the e-book version, you will also receive 3 special bonus e-books:

1. Home Personal Organizer Forms
2. Kitchen Decorating on a Budget
3. Secrets on How to Sell Your Home Fast

Get started today! Order the e-book, or printed version by clicking here!

10 Tips for Decorating on a Budget

Most people are looking for great ways to save money on home décor, but still keep the designer look they are seeking. There are many ways to accomplish this. Below are some fantastic ways to decorate on a budget.

1. Re-use existing items: This is one of the best ways to save money! In fact, you won’t spend any money at all. Take an inventory of items in your home and try to look at them in a different light. Sometimes we get so used to seeing things in the same place, that we don’t even consider using them in a different way. Just try moving things around, and you may come up with something you love!

2. Paint, Paint, Paint! – One of the best ways to completely change the look of a room, and for only a few dollars per room! Try new colors that you never though of. Go to the paint store and pick out some samples. You can even buy a small container and test it out first. Budget decorating requires that you use paint to update and change the looks of things, whether it’s a whole room, a piece of furniture, or creating new artwork.

3. Make Artwork – This can be done by salvaging old items, or creating new works of art from photographs, canvasses, or a collage of interesting items or shadowboxes. Artwork is an important part of any interior design.

4. Clean up your act – Clear out all the clutter so that people can see the beautiful rooms you have created. Sometimes starting with a blank (or somewhat blank) canvas can give you a new perspective on your spaces.

5. Dress your windows – You get a lot of “bang for your buck” with window treatments, because they take up so much vertical space in the room, and draw the eye upward. Try looking online at different types of window treatments and see which kind you would like. Some of the easiest ones to install or create include mini-blinds, wood blinds, plain flat valances, square cornices, and pinch-pleated drapes. However, the array of window treatments available is endless.

6. Try new shops – Such as thrift shops, consignment stores, and auctions to find new and interesting items. You may come across a great conversation piece, or an antique that is worth much more than you pay for it!

7. Illuminate! – Be sure that your new design has plenty of lighting. It would be a shame to spend time and effort creating a new room, and the details not get noticed. Lighting is also a great way to add accents and unique touches to your budget design.

8. Don’t buy everything you see – Just because it’s cheap, it doesn’t mean you should buy it. If it doesn’t work for your room, you won’t like it when you get it home. You will just be stuck with an old piece of junk with nowhere to put it. Focus on buying things that you have planned for and budgeted for.

9. Have a Plan – Know what furniture you need (and don’t need), what your color scheme is, and what your style is. This way, you won’t waste time and money by purchasing things that you don’t need, and don’t like. Budget decorating is all about know what is a good deal and what isn’t.

10. Have Fun – Don’t get stressed out over your room! Sometimes it takes time, and trial and error to get it right. Just make sure to have fun and enjoy the process of making your rooms beautiful as well as enjoying the end result.

Find more great ideas for budget decorating at http://www.designingonabudget.com. Angela Sullivan is an Interior Designer and budget decorating enthusiast. This article may be reproduced as long as it is not changed, and remains intact, including all links and this statement.

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Garage sale decorating, why not?

Summer is a great time to get outside and have some fun! One great way to save money and get some fresh air is to visit garage sales in your area. Garage sales can be a great way to save money on home decor. You may want to do some pre-screening in your newspaper or on Craigslist to check out the larger garage sales in your area. You can find great bargains on everything from furniture, draperies, accessories, dishware and more!

There are a few key points to remember when doing garage sale decorating:

1. Don't buy things you don't need. Have a plan before you go out, and know what specific items you are looking for. Don't buy things just because they are cheap, otherwise you will just end up with a bunch of "junk".
2. Look for quality. Many homeowners are just looking to clear out their basement or garage, and are selling items that are otherwise valuable. Others just have a bunch of miscellaneous items that could easily be thrown in the trash. Thy to find that diamond in the rough.
3. Everything is negotiable. Don't just pay the marked price. Try bargaining with the seller, or try getting them to throw in something extra for the same price. You never know what kind of bargain you may get.

And most of all, have fun out there and stay cool!

Great Home Organization Solutions

Springtime comes around, and everyone is ready to start tackling those big spring projects. Cleaning out that cluttered closet, re-organizing the pantry or garage, and finding a new home for things that are out of place. Here are some helpful tricks and tips that can make spring cleaning a whole lot easier:

1. Give everything a place. This is very important in keeping a house neat and tidy. Use clear plastic bins and organizers to keep things separated by category and function. Label everything so you will know where to find it later. Always put things back in their home when finished using them.
(Click to purchase)


2. Recycle. You can use old shoe boxes, pretty jars and bottles, grocery bags (paper and plastic), and boxes to store your items. There's no need to spend lots of money on fancy new containers. Just cover them with a pretty gift wrap or contact paper, and you can even color-code them and customize them to match your decor. A grocery bag dispenser is a great way to re-use bags, and keep them neat and tidy. This great stainless steel bag dispenser matches with todays stainless appliances!

(Click to purchase)
3. Maximize your space. Those nooks and crannies that you never used can be great places for storage. You can store things everywhere, just be sure to keep it organized and neat. Also, re-evaluate your current storage situation, and determine if there are places that could be better utilized. You may want to sort through old boxes, or re-organize an area that you don't find yourself visiting often.

(Click to purchase)
When it comes to spring cleaning and organization, there are always lots of things to do! Just remember to have fun, and break down your large tasks into smaller projects so that you don't get overwhelmed. For more great storage and organization products, visit Organize.com and check out this great Organization Kit

How to create room layouts for furniture

Learning how to layout a room can be one of the most challenging aspects of interior design. Traditional methods of drafting floor plans include hand drafting by pencil or pen, or using complicated programs such as Autocad or Microstation. But for the homeowner or decorating enthusiast, these methods can be too complicated and confusing.

There are many programs and tools available for do-it-yorself homeowners that can make creating a floor plan layout much easier. These include computer interior design software, and static cling floor plan layout tools.

The simplest of these tools is the static-cling room layout tool. A homeowner can simply measure out the size of the room, and place down static cling walls, windows and doors, and then place pre-cut furniture templates around the space. The only drawback to this method is that you are limited to the furniture sizes that come with the kit.

A step up would be using a 3d room layout program like 3D home architect. This program allows you to place walls, windows and doors, and then adjust them to the size they actually are. Then you can place all sorts of furniture and accessories, and even adjust them to the actual size of your furniture. This program also allows you to view the room layout in 3-d to show a somewhat accurate picture of the room layout.

Whichever method you choose, creating a room layout can help you avoid making costly and time consuming mistakes in planning furniture sizes. A simple floor plan can make designing your interior much easier.

Cheap Home Decorating Tips

Are you looking for a way to decorate your home without spending a fortune? If so you should read this article for three of the cheapest ways to decorate your home and make the biggest impact.

The biggest bang for the buck with home decorating is and probably always will be painting your walls. This can totally change a room for just dollars. If you are not picky about your color you can even get paint on sale from most home improvement stores. Just look for an area where they keep the custom paints that people do not pick up. Remember that if you are looking for the most dramatic effect do not be afraid to use bright and vivid colors.

Another cheap way to decorate is to buy slipcovers for your furniture. For about $100 you can add a couple of slip covers to your furniture and save thousands of dollars while creating a totally different look. If you shop around for good ones you will probably not even be able to tell that they are slipcovers. Add a couple of inexpensive coordinating throw pillows and your done.

The last cheap way to add a different look to your home is to add an area rug. It is much cheaper than changing the carpet and can have a big effect on the room, especially if you go with a bold color.

So you can see from this article that you do not have to be rich to have a rich looking room. There are ways to redecorate your home and not spend a fortune. Just be creative and spend more time than money on your decorating project.

Find information on Tacoma interior design services and interior decorating in Tacoma, Washington at the authors website.

Maximize Space in Your Home as you do Spring Cleaning

Springime rolls around, and everyone is ready to start tackling those big spring projects. Cleaning out that old cluttered closet, re-organizing the garage, and finding a new home for things that were previously out of place. Here are some helpful tricks and products that can make spring cleaning a bit easier:

1. Give everything a home.
This is very important in keeping a house neat.

Use organizers and clear bins to keep things separated by category or function. Be sure to label everything so you will know where to find it later.

2. Recycle.
You can use old shoe boxes, grocery bags (paper and plastic), and boxes to store your items. There's no need to spend lots of money on new containers. Just cover them with gift wrap or contact paper, and you can even color-code them. A plastic grocery bag dispenser is a great way to re-use bags, and keep them neat and tidy.

3. Maximize your space.

Find all those nooks and crannies that you didn't think of. You can store things everywhere, just be sure to keep it neat. Also, re-evaluate your current storage situation, and determine if there are places that could be better used. You may want to sort through, or re-organize an area that you don't find yourself visiting often.

When it comes to spring cleaning and organization, there is always lots to do! Just remember to have fun, and break down your tasks into smaller projects so that you don't get overwhelmed.

For more great storage and organization ideas, visit
The Home Marketplace, and Organize.com


Home organization , budget decorating

How to accessorize your rooms to create warmth

During these cold winter months, it is a great idea to not only include physical warmth in your home, but to bring in visual warmth as well. Here are some fantastic ways to create a warm and cozy feeling throughout your home:

1. Use warm colors: Reds, golds and browns are considered colors that give the
feeling of warmth. You can use these as accents, or use toned down versions such as a warm beige or a soft sand color to create a comfy, cozy atmosphere.

2. Use fabrics: Some spaces just feel cold because they have all hard surfaces. Try using area rugs, pillows, draperies, and throw blankets to create more comfort.

3. Bring in Life: Indoor plants not only clean the air, but they bring life and
color to an interior space. If you don't have a "green thumb", try using artificial plants. They give the same visual effect without all the maintenance.

4. Use plenty of lighting: Sometimes a dark space can feel sad and depressing. Use incandescent lighting to create a softer, warmer glow, or use fluorescent lighting or "natural light" bulbs to create a light that is closer to the sun's natural light. Add decorative lamps to create visual interest as well as increase the light level in the room.

5. Candles & Fragrances: These are a great way to create a warm atmosphere in your

room. Fragrances can remind us of things that we associate with comfort, such as a pumpkin pie, fresh baked cookies, an ocean breeze, or hot apple cider. Candles also create a soft glow that can make a room feel more comfortable, especially at night.

Try to create a great environment inside the home, even though it may be cold outside.

Click for more info:
Food Scented Candles
Cheap Silk Trees
Framed Artwork Online

Best Source for Artwork on the Internet

Poster Checkout is a great new source for artwork on the web! They feature many different types of artwork, including posters, canvas transfers, wall tapestries, gilcee and more. With a selection of over 300,000 selections, varying from popular artists, photographers, contemporary art, landscapes, motivational posters, movie posters, pop art, sports posters, tapestries, vintage posters, and much much more, you can create any style of artwork for your home design.

Start by selecting your favorite artwork style or artist, then choose the poster you like best. You can then choose whether you just want to purchase the poster (at a great price!), or if you want to have it framed, or transferred to canvas. You can also choose from custom framed art, mounted on wood, box mounted or have the print laminated. No matter what mounting you prefer, your choices are nearly unlimited. With great prices and free shipping, Poster Checkout is a great place to get the exact artwork you want for your home design project!

Ust this link for free shipping on orders over $35:

How To Decorate Your Home, Basic Interior Design Ideas

For many homeowners, learning how to decorate can be a challenging endeavor. There are so many factors to consider; where to start, how much to spend, how to layout awkward spaces, what type of furniture to buy. We hope that this article will bring some insight to home decoration and give you some interior design basics to help with decorating your home without too many hassles.

The first step in learning how to decorate is to determine your goals, style, and budget. Ask yourself a few questions about your interior design project. Following is a list of questions that should help you self-explore, and determine where to begin with your project.

1. What is the room or area you are decorating?
2. What is the style you would like this room to have?
3. What is the color scheme you would like to use?
4. What pieces of furniture & accessories will you need for this room, and what do you already have (and how much money are you willing to spend)?
5. How will you layout the space?

These questions are a great starting point to get you thinking about how to approach your interior decorating project. Determining the room you are going to be working on will help you to focus on one particular area, rather than becoming overwhelmed by a whole house, or multiple room projects. Do keep in mind, however that your color scheme and style should flow with other areas of the house.

Determining your style and color scheme are key elements in any room. These will help you set a direction and keep you on track in making choices. You can get interior design ideas from magazines, internet websites, furniture stores, and from other people’s homes. Make mental notes about what you specifically like and dislike. As you look in furniture stores and online, be sure to make mental notes about the prices of the things you like. This will help you to determine a budget for your project.

You will almost always need to measure the room you are working on so that you know exactly what sized of furniture will fit in the room. If you are creative enough, learn how to draw out a floor plan to show you how to arrange furniture. It can be very expensive and time-consuming to purchase furniture that doesn’t fit in your room, or is ridiculously over, or under scale.

When learning how to decorate, be open to learning and getting interior design ideas from magazines, books and internet sources. Always keep your eyes open for things that you like, and constantly make mental notes about what you like and why. One of the most important interior design basics when starting a project, is to be sure to plan things out. Make the mistakes on paper, and in your mind, before you make the mistakes on your room. This will save you lots of time and effort!

Find more great ideas for budget decorating at http://www.designingonabudget.com, and great home décor tips & resources at http://www.sullivaninteriors.net. Angela Sullivan, ASID is an Interior Designer and budget decorating enthusiast. This article may be reproduced as long as it is not changed, and remains intact, including all links and this statement.

Decorating on a budget, How To Decorate, Interior Design Basics, Budget Decorating

DIY Home Design Ideas for the New Year – Budget Decoration

The beginning of a new year always incites creativity and motivation for change. We all seek to improve our lives, lose weight, become better people, and update the things that are old and worn out. For many of us, we seek to get our home in order and finally decorate those tough to tackle areas. Here are some great ways to get started on that interior design project you have been putting off for so long!

If you are starting from scratch with a room or whole house, the first thing you will need to do is create a plan. Start by describing what you want from this room. Things like function, style, color scheme, flexibility, and how often you will use the room are all things to consider. What state is the room currently in? Will you need to do some serious cleaning and organizing before beginning your project? It’s a good idea to make a list of all the things that you will need to do before beginning. Another great way to plan is to look through decorating magazines and interior design websites for creative ideas. You may also want to look into purchasing some home design software to help you visualize your interior décor (of course, only if you are relatively computer- literate). You can also get fantastic home design ideas by visiting decorator show homes, furniture stores, or organizational stores in your area.

Planning your project is one of the best ways to keep within a budget. You will need to determine how much you are willing to spend, and assign a budgeted amount for each item you are planning for. If you are re-using or re-furbishing existing items, then you will not need to budget as much for those items. Avoid impulse buys unless they are items that are part of your design plan.

Creating a floor plan may or may not be necessary, depending on how much you are changing the room, the function the room will take on, and your skill in measuring and drawing out the area. A simple way to create a floor plan is to use graph paper, and assign each square to a measurement, for example 1 square could equal 1 foot. You would then measure your room and draw each wall and piece of furniture at the scale you decided. It may take some practice, but it really helps when laying out tight spaces.

Clearing the clutter is another important part of do it yourself decorating. You will need a blank canvas so that the design of your space will show through. Too many times, a beautiful design becomes hidden under layers of clutter. Start by pulling everything out, and going through it all, separating things into categories (including trash and donation piles). Then, assign a place for each category. To keep a home organized, you really need to give everything a home, and always return it to it’s home. This way nothing can ever be out of place.

Don’t be afraid to try new decorating ideas! The new year is a great time to use new and exciting paint colors, or go bold with artwork & accessories! Interior décor is a great place to show your personality and be really creative.

Find more great ideas for budget decorating at http://www.designingonabudget.com, and great home décor tips & resources at http://www.sullivaninteriors.net. Angela Sullivan is an Interior Designer and budget decorating enthusiast. This article may be reproduced as long as it is not changed, and remains intact, including all links and this statement.

Additional Resources:
Home Organization: Get Organized Now!, Help With Decorating: The Ultimate Decorating Organizer,
Living Within Your Means
Budget Decorating
De-Clutter Your Home Fast

Selecting Artwork for Your Home

Artwork is an important finishing touch for any interior. You can really express your personal style through the artwork you select. Be sure that the style of your artwork matches the style of the design of your room. Some exploration into design styles can help to determine this. Contemporary, Traditional, Country, Modernist, and Exotic are just a few of the many styles that can be exhibited through artwork. A contemporary piece of art would have a more simple, streamlined frame, or maybe even no frame. A country style painting could be a scene of a barn or cottage, and would have a weathered, casual-looking frame. If you enjoy traditional styles, you may want a photorealistic portrait, still-life, or an impressionistic painting, using a traditional, wood or golden frame.

Be sure that the scale and proportion of the artwork is right for your room. A common mistake is to use artwork that is too small for the wall, and gets lost. The arwork should be very noticeable to people who enter the room. Be sure that the placement of the artwork works vertically with the wall. A general rule of thumb is to center the artwork between the top of the furniture and the ceiling. It should be big enough to make an impact.

Artwork does not have to be all framed prints and paintings. There are also many other types of artwork, including tapestries, ironwork, clocks, murals, family photographs, wall sculpture, or just about anything you would like to display! Be creative when selecting decorative accents.

Also, the colors of the artwork should work with the colors of the interior (but not necessarily match them). Artwork is intended to be an accent, and it can have vibrant colors and textures. To save money on artwork, try looking for great frames at auctions, thrift stores, and outlet stores. You can then purchase posters or prints online or from a local art or craft store, and combine them with the frame. If you are really creative, you can create your own artwork. Your local art store carries pre-assembled canvases, and you can make your own painting. Contemporary designs may be easier to create because they usually have simple shapes and colors. You can also take a small section of a picture or fabric you like, and re-create it on canvas.

No matter what method or style you choose, be sure to fill your walls with beautiful artwork that reflects your personal style!
Angela Sullivan is a professional Interior Designer, and creator of the E-Book, Designing on A Budget. She also manages a website dedicated to Interior Design Resources, Articles, Photos & Message Boards, Interior Design Resources from Sullivan Interiors

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