Home Decor - A Chef's Kitchen

If you truly love to cook, you might want to design a chef's kitchen in your home.  You will want to have an abundance of counters, with a large, study table (preferably butcher block) that can double as a work table and a dining table to be used for the casual meals or informal dinners.

The counter nearest the table should be used as a bar and serving station.  It's a good idea to install a second sink at this location, since it will keep your family and guests away from the main sink you are working with. Your cabinetry should include a niche for your microwave and garages for your small appliances and tools.

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A six burner range with stainless-steel cabinets on both sides can be stocked with your spices and oils. Traditional cabinets should surround the room on three sides. Organization in a room of this size is extremely important.

Home Decor - A Chef's Kitchen

Basic white with bright color  accents will spice up the look. Specialty appliances like a fully equipped espresso bar,  built-in coffee makers, warming drawers, under-counter beverage centers and wine storage units are great fun  for those with the space and money.  A double oven, multiple refrigerator/freezer drawers, and even a cook-top with a separate range will make cooking for large parties a breeze in your upscale kitchen.

Have an indoor herb garden on your windowsill. What can be sweeter than picking your own parsley, rosemary, dill, chives, basil, thyme, mint etc. whenever you need seasoning for your masterpieces?  And what a lovely scent it will leave in your  kitchen!

Home Decor - A Chef's Kitchen

Lisa is a freelance writer with a specialty in Internet content and SEO articles. She has written thousands of articles, hundreds of ebooks and thousands of website pages and related content. She has also authored her own books and works as a consultant to other writers, Internet marketers and Internet businesses.

Professional wordsmith for hire: gamer, wife, mother, entrepreneur, published poet, co-owner of game guides company ([http://www.liti4.com]), public speaker and Internet business consultant. You can learn more or follow Lisa's blog from her website: http://www.freelancewriter4hire.com

Easy Halloween Crafts With Your Scrapbook Supplies

Couldn't resist the cute Cosmo Cricket Matilda Halloween scrapbook collection? Got a ton of orange and black cardstock from years past? Wondering if your Halloween patterned paper is multiplying while your back is turned? Then I've got the answer for you. Here are four fun and easy Halloween craft ideas you can create with your scrapbook supplies:

1. "Tricks or Treats" Sign. One of the most popular Halloween craft posts on my blog was the cute "Tricks or Treats" sign created from a square of corrugated cardstock, Halloween letter stickers and embellishments, black paint, and some cute ribbon. Here's how: Tear one flap off a moving-sized cardboard box. Rip some of the covering so the corrugation shows. Paint the edges with a bit of black paint, making sure not to be too neat! Add the letter stickers to spell "Tricks or Treats" and then embellish with your favorite stickers, die-cuts, and rub-ons. Punch two holes at the top to thread the ribbon through, and then tie a knot or bow and hang from your front door to greet the little hobgoblins that come to visit.

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2. Trick-or-Treat Bags. Take a stack of brown paper bags, pull out your Halloween stamps, stickers, and ribbon, and go to work! Personalize bags with alphabet stickers or stamps, die-cut jack-o'-lantern shapes, or just add a bit of ribbon to create a cute treat holder for your favorite Halloween visitors, or for a class party favor. And speaking of class parties, this craft makes a great craft for older and younger students alike.

Easy Halloween Crafts With Your Scrapbook Supplies

3. Halloween Banner. Cut rectangle or triangle shapes from Halloween patterned paper, pink the edges with pinking shears, and attach to a length of ribbon long enough to reach across your mantel. Die-cut large letters to spell "Spooky" or "Happy Halloween," and then attach a letter to each patterned paper panel. Next, embellish your banner with stickers or glitter, and you've got a fun decor item to use year after year.

4. Halloween Frames. Just last night I spent a whopping five minutes to put together what may be the highlight of our Halloween decor! Take a black frame, remove the back and take out the matting and glass. Cut black-and-white patterned paper to fit, insert into the frame, and replace the backing, leaving the glass out. Then take a glue gun and attach a Halloween novelty item like a large plastic tarantula or skull to the patterned paper.

Easy Halloween Crafts With Your Scrapbook Supplies

For more creative holiday scrapbooking ideas and inspiration, visit Lain Ehmann's blog at http://www.layoutaday.com. Through scrapbooking videos, tutorials, projects and inspiration, Lain helps her readers make their scrapbooking fun, fast and fabulous!

Home Decor - Buy, Sell, and Make!

It won't be difficult to find the "hottest" home décor trends out there right now. Sometimes, though, you find yourself financially and stylistically limited. Some of those "in" color schemes or themes may just not appeal to you. Ironically, maybe you can't afford the furnishings you actually want in your home. Actually, wood furniture does not always have to be expensive (or old) for it to play a vital role in the overall feel of your house. You don't always have to go antiquing or spend huge amounts of money just to decorate or furnish your house.

First off, there's always an option to BUY second-hand furniture for home-décor. Purchasing second-hand furniture may present a risk but the benefits far outweigh this. Most of the time, people simply donate their perfectly usable furniture to charities or thrift stores. They even sell them in simple yard or garage sales. Always be on the look-out and you might be surprised if you find a cedar chest that looks exactly the same as the incredibly expensive one you've been salivating over at the magazine you recently read.

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With your purchasing comes your selling. Try to sell furniture that you rarely use anymore or the ones which feel out of place in your house. This serves a double purpose --- more space for new furniture that is more appropriate for your home and more money to buy them! Also, selling might help you create a network of other home décor aficionados who can give you tips in buying and selling furniture and at the same time guide you in figuring out the overall look and feel you want to go for. Just post on your local classifieds or join online forums and you'll be surprised at how much people are willing to help.

Home Decor - Buy, Sell, and Make!

Lastly, maybe you can even try to make your own furniture! Of course, this is not an individual job but maybe you can ask help from your children or your husband. It can be a time-consuming project but this is customization at its finest. You get to make furniture that is tailor-fit to your same exact needs. You can have as many drawers as you want on your bedroom dresser and even color it as obnoxiously as you want. What's important is that you're making the furniture that fits well with your intended home décor theme. There are various books on craftsmanship and/or carpentry that can simplify things for you. Don't be afraid to look at home décor magazines, too, for ideas on style and functionality!

As you can see, you don't always have to conform to current home décor trends that are immensely hyped by the media. You can make your own trend that is more tailor fit to your idea of how your home should look like. Who else is the better judge but the individual living in the home, right?

Home Decor - Buy, Sell, and Make!

To see beautiful photos of the furniture mentioned in this article, please see Erik Schimek's bedroom furniture website. This website features bed frames, armoires, cedar chests, bedroom dressers, nightstands and organic mattresses.

Erik Organic is an independently owned family business whose goal is to assist our customers in creating a safe and healthy home. Our organic furniture is created with safe organic fabrics, natural batting, solid wood construction and low VOC wood finishes.

Decorating a Room with Disney Cars Room Decor

With the popularity of the recent Disney Pixar Cars movie, chances are that your little boy is wanting Lightning McQueen, Mater, and all their friends to now grace every surface of his bedroom. Decorating a room with a Disney Cars room décor is fairly easy and inexpensive. Merchandise is available all over the web and if you are lucky, you may also find an item or two in the stores. Because of the popularity of the movie, all Cars merchandise has been extremely popular so I have learned that when you find an item you want that isn't sold out, you have to move quickly and buy it.

So what is available for decorating a Disney Cars theme room? Well first, you will have you choice of a couple of beds. A Disney Cars toddler bed is available as is a Lightning McQueen Race Car bed that comes in a twin size. You will also be able to find Disney Cars toddler bedding and twin size bedding sets.

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It doesn't stop with just beds and bedding though. The amount of Disney Cars room décor available extends to wall art, room decals, lamps featuring Lightning and Mater, and even dresser knobs featuring many of the movie's key characters. You will also be able to find Disney Cars furniture pieces including toy boxes and table and chair sets for your Disney Cars theme room.

Decorating a Room with Disney Cars Room Decor

So if your little boy has been dreaming of a Disney Cars themed bedroom, you will have no trouble coming up with enough Disney Cars room décor to create the Lightning McQueen room of his dreams!

Decorating a Room with Disney Cars Room Decor

© Copyright Rebecca Johnson, All Rights Reserved

Rebecca Johnson is the mother of a three year old son who is a Disney Cars fanatic. She owns a website about decorating rooms for babies and young children. Visit it for more information about decorating a Disney Cars theme room including the best places to find Disney Cars room décor.

Home Decor Parties - A Great Home Business

If you're looking for a business that

o you can start and run from home

\"home Decor\"

o requires a minimum start-up cost and

Home Decor Parties - A Great Home Business

o provides you the opportunity to work your own hours

o has the potential for you to earn as much as you want

check into becoming a consultant for a Home Decor company.

How A Home Party Business Works:

As a consultant with a home decor company, you start by purchasing a sales kit that has everything you need to hold your first party, or first several parties. You will also receive training from another consultant or manager in the company - usually the person who sponsored you.

The basic idea behind this type of business - known as direct sales, or direct selling, is that you recruit people who are willing to hold a home decor party in their home and invite guests - neighbors, colleagues, friends and family members.

During the party, you pass out a catalog and show the products that are in your sales kit, and take orders. You might also do a few simple product demonstrations - for example, show how to combine silk flowers with candlestick holders, or show how well different items in the catalog can be combined to create customized decor.

You also invite other guests to schedule a party in their homes at a later date, offering incentives such as free or reduced merchandise or "hostess-only" gifts that they can earn by holding a party.

Why Home Party Businesses are So Successful

These types of home shopping parties are very popular, especially for newly married, 30-something women, who are looking for ways of making their homes more attractive and welcoming, but have little time to shop or learn more than basic skills in home decorating. Plus, everyone loves going to a party, where you can relax, get together with friends and have a good time.

Home Party Companies

Two well-known home decor companies are "Home Interiors" and "Southern Living Home Party." According to their Website, Home Interiors has over 100,000 Decorating Consultants, and is the largest direct seller of home accessories in North America.

Southern Living Home Party offers individualized WebPages to each of their consultants and royalties (an additional commission) for every consultant who signs up as a result of your recommendation.

To find more home party companies, search on the Internet for "home décor parties" "direct selling opportunities" or "home décor party plan business."

Is a Home Party Decor Business Right for You?

Even people who say they don't like selling often do very well with this type of business, especially if they choose a company with a solid reputation, a good training program and quality merchandise.

According to Helen Huppert, a director with Southern Living At Home, she started her business as a way to get out of the house once a week but soon realized she could contribute to her family's monthly income. One of the things she likes best about running her own home party consulting business is that she knows she's not alone, that she's part of a team who is committed to her success.

It's important that you take a realistic look at your personal attitudes and likes and dislikes. If you're someone who doesn't like to get up in front of people and talk, or if you think you won't be willing to put in the time it takes to make phone calls and get parties lined up, this might not be the best business for you.

On the other hand, if the issue is simply that you're not sure of yourself, or you are shy, this might be exactly the type of business you need to build your confidence and increase your self-esteem. By letting your sponsor or trainer know about your misgivings, and letting her know what training you might benefit from the most, you'll increase your chances of success.

What to Watch Out For

Before choosing which home décor party company you want to work with, do some Background research on the company first. Ask your sponsor questions, and if possible, get the contact information of other home décor consultants as well and talk to them as well. Check with your local better business bureau, state attorney general's office and local Chamber of Commerce.

As with any home-based business opportunity, owning your own home décor consulting business, you need to investigate the offer and the company seriously, and make an informed decision. But once you make the commitment, dive in with both feet and prepare yourself to have a wonderful time meeting new people, earning additional income and maybe even winning some great prizes. Before long, you'll find that you've mastered new skills, and will be well on your way to being a successful business owner doing something you love.

Home Decor Parties - A Great Home Business

Want to make more money with your home party business? Pick up your free home party software by clicking here http://www.HomePartyProfitSoftware.com

Western Bathroom Decor Ideas

Often, the bathrooms in our homes get little or no consideration when it comes to decorating. That's too bad because there are plenty of western bathroom decor ideas that can make a big difference. After all, the bathroom is usually where we're at right before bedtime and where we spend time in the morning getting ready for the day. So, why not add a few decorative touches to remind us of something we have a fondness for?

Our favorite decor ideas for the bathroom are ones from the western, southwestern, lodge, and rustic styles of home decorating. For example, western style decor might include items related to western scenery or settings, cowboys and cowgirls, or horses, as well as rodeo and ranching activities. The Southwestern style might feature desert scenes, red rock canyons, cactus, or Native American designs. Nature and wildlife are common themes for the lodge and rustic styles.

Decor

Most of the things we use as part of our bathroom decor ideas are common items for the bathroom, but they're done in a certain decorative style. These common items include shower curtains, towel bars, robe hooks, tissue holders, soap dishes, lotion dispensers, toothbrush holders, waste cans, and so forth. There are also wallpaper borders, vanity lights, switch covers, along with cabinet pulls and knobs that are done in your favorite decorating style.

Western Bathroom Decor Ideas

If your home has more than one bathroom, you might have one for the master bedroom, one (or more) for the other bedrooms, and perhaps a guest bathroom or powder room. If that's the case, you might want to use one of the best bathroom decor ideas we know of - simply get a few items that reflect the hobbies and/or interests of the person(s) that uses each of the bathrooms the most. Then, decorate the guest bathroom or powder room to match or complement the rest of your home.

If you're a horse lover, you'll be able to find a wide variety of shower curtains with a horse theme. You can choose all kinds of scenes, from a horse grazing in a lush meadow to a group of wild mustangs running freely across the open range. You can easily find other bathroom accessories and accents that feature a design or depiction of a horse.

Are you a cowboy or cowgirl at heart? You can get a toothbrush holder, lotion dispenser, soap dish, and more, all with a matching design that features a depiction of a western character. Towel bars are available that make it seem like a pair of cowboys are holding a rope for you to drape your towel over. Some types of western light fixtures have a cowboy silhouette in metal art.

Perhaps you have a deep appreciation for nature and wildlife. You can express your feelings with rustic style bathroom accessories and accents that bring a touch of the outdoors into your room. Whether it's plant or animal, you'll have lots of choices. You can get decor items with designs or depictions of acorns, pine trees, pinecones, elk, deer, moose, bears, ducks, geese, or trout.

No matter which bathroom decor ideas have the most appeal for you, the best part is that getting a desired look or creating a theme is easily accomplished without spending lots of money. Most of the accessories and accents for the bathroom are affordable and have a very practical purpose, so why not get them in your favorite style? The difference it makes as you start your day can certainly make you glad you did!

Western Bathroom Decor Ideas

AnnaRae Mills loves informal home decor; especially the western, rustic, southwestern, country, and lodge styles. She has dozens of great decorating tips to share with you. Plus, see more than 375 pictures that show why casual home decor is more popular than ever. Go to http://www.Western-Home-Decor.net

Home Decor Themes - Your Style

If you want your home décor themes to show off your personal style and impress all of your visitors, you can find great ideas for home décor themes online. The internet offers a wide selection of possible home décor themes to choose from, and with the right home décor themes, your home can really be a place you enjoy, as well as one with the style and class you can be proud of.

· Bathroom home décor themes:

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As few items of merchandise as there are for your bathroom, those items may be exactly what make your bathroom stand out. You can coordinate your bathroom décor so that it looks great and feels welcoming for your guests. The home décor you choose for your bathroom is going to be very important for the overall look of your home. If you want to go with anything from fishes to disco home décor themes for your bathroom, you are sure to find great ideas online, so have a look around.

Home Decor Themes - Your Style

You can coordinate your guest bathroom décor nicely as well, so that it looks great and feels welcoming for your guests.

When you select home decor themes you have many things to consider, from the color of your trashcans to curtains to bedspreads etc., and of course, the particular theme you are going for. The home décor you have in your bedroom is very important, because you want your bedroom to be a comfortable environment especially designed for you to relax and unwind. Some people have bedroom home decor themes such as winter-type colors and designs for the colder months, and then separate bedroom home décor themes for the warmer times of the year.

For example: In autumn you can use a home decor themes such as a bedspread with autumn leaves and pillows in autumn colors. Perhaps you can pull out some specifically autumn-like trinkets to set on your dresser or nightstand. You can change the home décor theme in your bedroom as often as you like--some people even change simple things like bedspreads, sofas etc, four times per year to suit the style of the season.

· Kitchen home décor themes:</p>

You spend a lot of time in your kitchen. So you want to have home décor themes for your kitchen that make you feel at home, comfortable and proud of the beautiful re-decoration around you. There are all kinds of home décor themes for your kitchen--depending on the kinds of styles you like best.

There are many options when choosing home d&eacute;cor themes for your kitchen--from different types of lighting that best suit your home décor theme, to wall boarders and easy stencils for the walls, to clocks, and so much more. Many people like to go with a bright, colorful motif in their kitchens, and then there are other people who want their kitchen home décor theme to be very elegant and luxurious. Everyone choosing a home décor for the kitchen should be sure to choose kitchen home décor themes that are something to be pleased with, something pleasing to the eye.

· Living home décor themes:

The living room home décor themes available to choose from include virtually everything you could want for your living room--from color design to rustic motifs. Such home décor themes can be trendy, simplistic or luxurious, depending on the type of living room that you want to design. Many people like home décor themes that have to do with color themes, themes such as collectors items, for example: a living room home décor theme that includes more than anything else little hand-made African instruments and African-style trinkets and statuettes on display, and there are many more kinds of home décor themes for your living room--all depending on your personal taste.

· Patio and garden home décor themes:

Furniture and other items you will need for certain home décor themes for your patio and/or garden are also available in casual, unique, luxurious, abstract, and even vintage designs. You can go with patio or garden home décor themes such as Victorian themes, modern art accessories, rustic designs and much, much more just for you.

§ Patio home décor themes

Enjoy the outdoors this year with a great outdoor home décor theme that best suit your needs and in which you can relax and unwind. Home décor for your patio is very important if you enjoy and make use of your patio at home. There are many types of patio home décor themes that range from plants in pots and beds, to the rustic look, to the relaxing, lounge-about beachside look and more.

§ Garden home décor

Your garden is also very much a part of you home and aside from what you plant in your garden to make your garden look stunning, there are also pieces of garden décor that can add a home décor theme that is fragrant, beautiful touch, and fits a certain category such as a Japanese garden, a Victorian garden or a garden with religious home décor themes to the beautiful garden you already have, or if you are just getting started designing your new garden. Add garden merchandise such as archways, gnomes, little picket fences, and more to create the most beautiful home décor themes in your indoor or outdoor garden.

The home décor themes you want will, of course, be exclusive to your ideas of what you want your home yard, and garden to look like--i.e. your personal preferences in home design. What looks great to one person may be unimpressive to another. You want home décor themes that you adore and can be proud of. And, hopefully, you will design home décor themes that your friends and family members will love too! So there is a lot of looking to be done.

But remember, your home décor themes should be the best home décor themes to suit you no matter what different kinds of personal taste others have. After all, it's your home.

Home Decor Themes - Your Style

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on home decor please visit Home Decor Ideas or visit Redecorating Ideas [http://www.decormatters.com].

Rustic Country Decor - How to Decorate Cottage Style Homes

Rustic country decor and how to decorate cottage style homes are extensions of American country style decorating. In addition, traditions are borrowed from French, English and some Swedish country looks. Rustic country decor can be defined as coarse, charmingly simple, unfussy, unfinished and yet with endearing qualities. Rustic country decorating includes the use of natural woods, aged surfaces, rough finishes and simple lines. Cottage style homes are comfortable, modest, quaint homes that can be made of thick stone or log wood.

Floors in rustic country decor and cottage style homes are made with stone or wood materials. Wooden floors were traditionally constructed with boards that were bare and simply waxed and hand-polished (high-gloss varnishes did not exist). Sometimes the boards were painted with light colors. If you like floor coverings, use oriental rugs and throws for visual warmth and color. Rustic country decor is about handcrafted objects, simplicity, furnishings that you enjoy and connecting back to nature.

Decor

Rustic cottage furniture is commonly made with pine and perhaps painted with hand-painted designs such as flowers, birds, animals, country scenery or leaves. Use ladderback chairs, rocking chairs, benches, wicker furniture and Windsor chairs. A large rectangular table made of pine is a good option for your kitchen or dining room table. To give your furniture a rustic look, brush a coat of paint on the furniture piece, then rub most of the paint off. After it dries, apply wood stain unevenly for an older weathered appearance. It will be perfect and rustic looking!

Rustic Country Decor - How to Decorate Cottage Style Homes

Baskets can be used to store wood, pine cones, flowers, plants and needlework. Brass candle holders, oil or kerosene lamps, sconces, hurricane lamps, tin lanterns, recessed ceiling fixtures or a vintage wrought-iron or metal chandelier provide successful lighting for rustic country decor and cottage style homes. Colors used in rustic country decor or cottage style homes are neutral tones ranging from white to bone, earth tones, red barn, blues and greens.

For rustic country decor in the kitchen, use open shelves, hutches, buffets, plate racks and cupboards for storage. Often, country kitchen storage is crammed with stoneware pots, plain glazed earthenware and glass jars. Kitchen pots should be made of copper, steel or cast iron -- cookware tends to be large and plain. Use open shelving in the rustic country kitchen to display plates, dishes and dinnerware collections. Natural woods, light colors and bright fabrics work great for window treatments. Adding a rustic butcher block island creates a wonderful visual effect as well as provides useful functionality.

A rustic country decor bathroom has neutral tones or soft colored walls, antique-looking lighting, and wooden antiques or antique reproduction cabinets and vanity. Knowing how to decorate cottage style homes and bathrooms can result in creating a calm and elegant atmosphere. Clawfoot tubs, pedestal sinks, country style antique brass faucets and old-fashioned country cabinets provide the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to spend time there. Plain white towels are recommended instead of patterned or bright modern patterns. Use wicker or wire baskets to keep your sponges, loofas and shampoos handy near the tub or shower.

Understanding how to decorate cottage style homes means including items like quilts, antique furniture or reproductions, flea-market pieces, trunks, chests, armoires, stenciling, wallpaper, adirondack chairs, flower wreaths and bistro chairs. These types of elements give cottage style homes the kind of rustic country decor that is simpler, very personal and warmly inviting.

Whether in a seaside setting, an urban environment, a countryside location or a wooded mountain retreat, cottage style homes are cozy and unassuming, combining the past with the present. Read all you can find and learn what creating the rustic country cottage means to you no matter where it's located. Enjoy expressing your personality and showing what the definition of home means to you.

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing

Rustic Country Decor - How to Decorate Cottage Style Homes

David Buster is VP of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of http://www.yourdreamloghome.com - visit the website and learn more about rustic country home decor and design, rustic kitchens and bathrooms, log cabins, fireplaces and firewood and much more.