OK, you’ve decided that glass tiles are perfect for your project – so where do you go from here? What are your options?

A lesser known option is to explore “art glass tiles”. These are made by studio glass artists in smaller lots and are generally made specifically for a client or project. Generally these tiles can be customized specifically to a client’s color, texture, style and size preferences and even incorporate custom designs to match other motifs in the room. For example, would you like your tiles to match certain fabrics, a specific paint color or type of stone? Would you like a continuous wall panel or smaller accent tiles? These are the types of variation that can be specified when ordering art glass tiles.

The versatility of art glass tiles textures and appearance is at best, very difficult to emulate on a manufacturing line. The glass artisan specializing in tiles has many glass colors and styles to choose from when creating these works of art just as a painter has myriad shades of colors on their palette. And as the application is specifically designed for, there might be a little more effort involved in having tiles “made to order”, but the result will truly be one-of-a-kind.

To stretch your budget, consider using factory glass tiles as the “field tiles” and mixing in custom art glass “accent tiles”. Field tiles make up the bulk of the tiles in any project whereas accent tiles can be incorporated in much smaller quantities. Glass Art accessories such as accent tiles are the ideal solution for enhancing any room. Combine glass with woods, metals and textiles to create dynamic, memorable interior designs.

Another possibility when working with glass tiles is matching your custom art glass tiles to custom glass vessel sinks or art glass lighting such as chandeliers, pendants and sconces. There are very few mediums that offer this type of design versatility. The work of glass artisans can be coordinated to go far beyond simple wall covering, to create several coordinating functional works of art for your home.

To explore the custom glass option that is right for you, you can go to favorite artists or go to a custom glass dealer. Major tile dealers tend to deal in high volume sales, and are not usually positioned to offer art glass solutions. Instead, as art glass grows in popularity, and the internet is increasingly adopted as a low-cost distribution and promotion mechanism, we are seeing a trend towards glass art collectives and glass art dealers on the web. These organizations showcase the work of several artists; and provide services that range from simple sales channels to design support for integrated glass design for the home.

An example of such a service is the Glass Artists Gallery . They have been helping designers and homeowners all across North America with art glass tiles, lighting, sinks and other functional glass art for years. They are not really a “brick and mortar gallery” but rather a resource for the trade and discerning homeowners for functional and architectural glass.

Jack Healy is part owner of Functional Art Gallery, LLC - Functional Art Gallery - a growing family of online resources for the designer, architect, builder and discerning homeowner. The company focuses on handcrafted functional & architectural works of art for both residential and commercial projects. The Functional Art Gallery family includes Glass Artists Gallery, Sinks Gallery and Art Lighting Gallery. Together these resources provide the largest collection of artisan and designer products available in North America.

Today, it can be quite challenging selecting the right window coverings for your home. The selection on the market is amazing and you can really get overwhelmed when trying to choose between drapes, blinds, shutters, silhouettes and window shades including roller shades and roman shades. You have to decide how much privacy you want in the room as well as natural light. This will help you narrow down your choices so that you get exactly what you need and want. Your selection will also depend on the room’s décor. Roller shades tend to be a bit more casual than say roman shades. Other window shades that are gaining in popularity include cellular shades and blackout shades.

If you are on a tight budget, then we highly recommend roller shades. They are simple, effective and are easy on the pocket book. If you have a home with lots of windows and you just can’t afford top of the line window treatments, these are a perfect choice. These window shades are available in light filtering or room darkening styles. Some weaves allow you to see through them so that you get some degree of light along with lots of privacy when they are down. The room darkening styles are great for people who have to sleep during the day. They effectively block out all the light keeping the room dark and cool at the same time. If you are not on a tight budget, other treatments to consider are roman shades and cellular shades.

Roman shades are made with fabric so your choices of colors and designs are endless. They can add style, taste and class to any room in your home. They come in a variety of styles including the more contemporary look of flat panels or the more traditional folded panels. Cellular shades are gaining in popularity because of their ability to insulate your windows and help with reducing your energy bills. The honeycomb construction holds air acts as a barrier keeping the cool air out in the winter and the warm air out in the summer. They can actually improve the R value of your windows substantially. You can draw them down for more privacy or pull them up for a view of outside. They are highly effective and we recommend them because of their effectiveness and great looks.

Amy-Jo Strutt is a successful home decorator writer and regular contributor to window-blinds-shades-shutters.com, an online resource to help you find the very best window treatments and coverings. http://www.window-blinds-shades-shutters.com/shades.html

Choosing the perfect window treatments for your home is no easy task these days with the fantastic selection of products on the market. We are hoping to provide you with valuable information to help you pick the right window coverings for every room. Window blinds have always been a popular choice specifically vertical blinds and wood blinds. They are great at providing privacy but will also let in the right amount of light into the room. Vertical blinds can be dressed up with valances and come in a variety of styles and colors. Wood blinds can be the perfect decorating accessory adding warmth and style to the room. Most retailers carry a large selection on window blinds because they are so popular.

Wood blinds add natural beauty to your home and can often be found in a finish that matches your furniture. You can find them in a variety of slat sizes ranging from 1” to 3”. The right slat size will often be determined by the size of the window along with the size and shape of the room. A window covering specialist will be able to help you select the appropriate size. Window blinds all offer some sort of lifting and tilt feature. You can choose from continuous cord loop or even cordless systems that are extra safe because there is no dangling cord to get caught up in. These are perfect for homes with small children and pets. Most vertical blinds come with cords but they are often short enough that small children can’t reach them.

Speaking of vertical blinds, these are one of the easiest window coverings to maintain and they provide the ultimate light control. They are available in an array of colors and rich textures and patterns. They are an excellent choice for sliding glass doors because they can be drawn completely open. Some of the leading manufacturers of window blinds and wood blinds include Hunter Douglas, Levolor, Graber, and Bali.

Amy-Jo Strutt is a successful home decorator writer and regular contributor to window-blinds-shades-shutters.com an online resource to help you find the very best window treatments and coverings. http://www.window-blinds-shades-shutters.com

How to Decorate your Space with Wall Pictures

If a room in your house lacks character, by simply placing some fine art prints on the walls can actually make quite an impact. Wall pictures are a necessary accessory in your home and are great to tie in with the room’s style and color accent. Before you go off to buy some new pictures for your walls there are a few things you need to plan and decide upon. Here is a home interior design guide on how to decorate your space with wall art.

Shop for Wall Art by Room

The kind of home you have and the mood, ambience and style of decor you create, should be perfectly designed to suit your lifestyle. Deciding on a style for your room should be determined by the lifestyle you choose and not by what’s the latest home interior design trend.

Whichever room you are wanting to decorate, whether it be your bedroom, living area, kitchen or office space, you need to decide what you want to get out of that space. For example:

• do you want to hold dinner parties or entertain?
• do you want a quiet retreat to get away from the hustle and bustle?
• Is this an area for the kids to play in?
• Is this a room for your hobby?

Once you have decided what you want to use the room for, you can now choose a color theme to suit the function of the room. For example, mellow greens and neutrals for your ‘quiet retreat room’, lively yellow for the kids room, or pale tranquil blue for your office space.

So far we have established the function and color of the room in question, this then gives us the basis on choosing the right art prints for the area.

For example:

• bright colorful cartoon pictures for the kids room
• mellow pastel floral pictures for your quiet retreat area, or
• tranquil landscape and scenic pictures for your office space

Choose your Style

Like paint color, artwork can immediately establish or change a room’s mood. Not only can it pull the room together, but you can use it to create a style uniquely your own.

• traditional & classic
• modern
• contemporary
• fun & entertaining
• casual
• romantic

The style of the room is totally dependent on your own personal taste and this is the time when you can inject your own personality into the room through artwork and textured accessories.

Suggested art picture styles:

Fun & Entertaining: Pictures can include bright colors both in the print and on the frame. Fun and entertaining pictures can include kittens and puppies, or comedian actors such as the Three Stooges or Laurel & Hardy.

Modern: With the strong black accents in the framed iron-work and the tapestries, striking black and white photos are a natural choice for a modern and sophisticated look.

Calm Retreat: To reinforce the mood of a nestled, cozy retreat, use artwork with neutral, earthy colors and a horizontal landscape subject.

You can even mix and match different styles to create a unique style of your own. For example, frame traditional black and white photo prints in a modern black iron frame.

Arranging and Hanging your Pictures

In order to get the maximum effect of your wall pictures in terms of adding character and a focal point to the room, you need to decide where and how you want to hang them.

Here are some suggestions to help you decide how to get the best effects from your pictures:-

Modern Gallery Look: To create a modern art gallery feel, particularly nice in hallways, lobbies and stairwells, give each piece ample breathing room. Stand at the center of the first piece and take one swift, or two small steps along the wall. This is a good center for the next piece.

Above a Sofa: When placing art above furniture such as a sofa, you need to hang the picture about six to nine inches above the sofa, or at eye level.

Cluster Arrangements: Tightly group an even number of pictures together to give a statement or a focal point. This works on either large or small wall spaces, depending on the look you want.

In a row: By placing an odd number of pictures in a horizontal line to each other gives balance and the sense of space. This works well in hallways or stairwells.

By deciding where and how to hang your pictures, whether it be a tight cluster or a single print above a sofa, you can then determine the size and shape of the pictures you need to buy.

When you have decided on the room’s function, color and style, you are in a much better position to go shopping for wall pictures that fit in with the overall theme.

Summary

Wall pictures are an underestimated home interior design accessory. This is probably because most people do not know what to do with their pictures in order to get the maximum effect in a room. Before you go hanging up your pictures make sure you plan ahead what you want to get out of that room. Decide on the function, style and color of the room first before you buy your artwork. By doing this you are in a much better position to buy the right type of art picture to fit in with the theme and color accent of your room.

Claire Bowes is a successful freelance writer and owner of Online Home Improvement Ideas.

When you finally find the oriental rug you have dreamed of and purchase it, you obviously want the rug to last. You put it in your living room to be admired by friends and acquaintances. The worst thing that could happen is that your beautiful rug deteriorates with time because of lack of proper care.

Oriental rug care is something that you should consider early on in the life of the rug. If you are careful early on, the rug will look nice and only need a little care. If you let things slip and don’t care for your rug, you will have to pay the price of repairs, professional cleaning, and permanent stains. Keeping a rug looking natural and beautiful is like maintaining a classic car. There small yet important things that you need to do periodically for your oriental rug.

Oriental Rug Care in a few simple steps.

The sun is actually one of the rugs worst enemies. Many times a rug is placed in a room with lots of natural light to bring out the colors and beauty of the rug and the rest of the room. Over time the sun can damage your rug beyond repair. The best solution to sun damage, which causes the rug to fade, is to remove the rug from direct sunlight. If you don’t like that option, consider flipping the rug around from time to time to even out any wear on the colors from the sun. Make sure that if you are not using the area to keep the sun from shining directly on the rug.

Another unfortunate cause of damage is uneven wear. Uneven wear is where one part of the rug looks rather used while the other side looks perfectly new. This happens because of the traffic that goes over the rug. The people in the household walk over the same part of the rug over and over. Again like the sun damage issue this can be partially resolved by making sure the rug is flipped around every few months.

Vacuuming a rug can keep a rug lasting much longer because it takes away the deeper dirt that can tend wear a rug over time. Make sure that you vacuum both the front and the back of the rug. Vacuuming is not just about keeping the rug clean. When a rug is vacuumed, it allows weaving on the rug to straighten out. Be careful when you vacuum a rug though. Although it can be a preventative measure, it can cause alot of problems. Make sure that when you vacuum that you try to use a vacuum extension such as the hose. A vacuum which is made for thicker carpets can sometimes be too harsh on the rug because of the power brush. A hose is better for the rug. It is easier to maneuver especially if you have fringe on the rug. One of the worst things is to have your fringe twisted into your vacuum.

Using a rug pad can also extend the life of a rug. It might not be considered an absolute necessity but will help greatly. A pad can extend the life of the rug and once it is in place it does not really take any extra maintenance.

For more simple steps in Oriental rug care please visit our site - Oriental Rug Care. If you have enjoyed this article and would like more tips and insights on area rugs, please visit our website Inexpensive Area Rugs

Hardwood floors have been around for hundreds of years. Wood floors were probably the first type of floor covering besides dirt. They can be one of the essential elements in designing your home. They offer a level of value and comfort no other flooring choice can. There are a number of benefits to owning and installing a hardwood floor.

One of the best things about hardwood floors is the lack of problem with regard to maintenance concerns. Because technology has allowed for the finish or stain of hardwood floors to require only sweeping for typical cleaning purposes, your floor will stay beautiful without the backbreaking scrubbing hardwood floors used to require. While the use of an appropriately recommended professional cleaning product will be required sometimes, a simple broom will take care of most of your cleaning concerns. It is important to note, though, you should never use anything on your hardwood floors that has not been manufacturer recommended. This helps to ensure your flooring will last a lifetime.

Durability means hardwood floors.

Another great reason to invest in hardwood floors is that they are environmentally friendly. Wood can not only be recycled, it is also a renewable source of material. Many of the products of yesterday like barns and old homes are recycled as hardwood floors. Moreover, wood products are incapable of harboring or collecting dust and other allergy particles. This means your family will suffer less risk of allergies or allergy induced medical conditions. Several health organizations endorse wood floors for people with health risks.

Additionally, hardwood floors are an excellent financial option. While some of the flooring is a bit more costly than the cheap alternative, hardwood maintains its value over time. It does not show the wear and tear that synthetic products do. This will only serve to increase your home’s value in the long run.

There are many great reasons to invest in hardwood floors.

Finally, hardwood floors can come in a large range of shapes and sizes. In the past, there have been few choices in the hardwood floor market. Today’s market, though, offers styles, colors, and species that will fit any décor. Hardwood floors make an excellent addition to any home.

Andrew Caxton contributes adding articles to a free online home decorating and interior design magazine. Your guide on home decorating and how to choose from hundreds of decorating ideas and tips. Andrew will inspire you to capture the look you want. Read further information on how to install hardwood floors

Antique carpets add a touch of grandeur and glamour to your home or office interiors speaking volumes about your rich and sophisticated tastes! Antique decorative carpets are extravagantly beautiful home furnishings and solid art investments. Antique carpets and rugs are not just decorative items but pieces of tradition, ethnicity and true class portraying a continuous cultural tradition dating back thousands of years! Antique carpets and rugs represent enormous range in motifs and color harmonies and you will simply go berserk seeing the diverse combination of rich antique colors and heavy intricate weaving that are just too awesome!

The diverse range of antique carpet pieces that you will come across while shopping for them are mostly exquisite Oriental carpets and rugs portraying the mystery and legends of the far off Oriental lands! Antique carpets and rugs are mostly imported from China, Persia, India, Afghanistan, Caucasus and Turkey. Some of the famous weaving areas of such antique Oriental carpets include Oushak, Sultanabad, Tabriz, Kashan, Agra, and many more.

Antique carpets and rugs have a more artistic integrity, as they are exclusively hand-woven! So get ready to pay handsomely for these artifacts that are exotic and so royal! Various art dealers and carpet galleries all over the world are doing brisk business selling these antique beauties at extravagant prices! Clients are ready to pay just about anything to own one and redefine their home décor status!

Following are some of the famous varieties of antique Oriental carpets that you will come across while shopping for them!

* Antique Sultanabad carpet
* Antique Bidjar carpet
* Antique Tabriz carpet
* Antique Agra carpet
* Antique Amritsar carpet
* Antique Kashan carpet
* Antique North Indian carpet
* Antique Serapi carpet
* Antique Heriz carpet
* Antique Kurdish carpet
* Antique Kirman carpets
* Antique Chinese carpets
* Antique Samarkand carpets
* Antique Lavar carpet
* Antique Oushak carpet
* Antique North West Persian carpet
* Antique Saraouk carpet

You will also come across antique European carpets depicting the history and artistic grandeur of the ancient European period! These European antique carpets are also hand woven in the carpet weaving areas of Savonnerie, Aubusson, and Ax Minster! Some of the famous European antique carpets that you would love to possess are as follows:

* Antique Ax minister carpet
* Antique Savonnerie carpet
* Antique Aubusson carpet
* Antique Cuenca carpet
* Antique English Needlework carpet
* Antique English Pile carpet
* Antique Don Egan carpet
* Antique Besserabian carpet

So if you want to add that luster and glamour to your home or office and are ready to spend quite a bit of fortune on these exquisite pieces of art then you just can’t wait a single moment!

First and foremost contact several reliable, knowledgeable and genuine art dealers and art galleries who deal in antique carpets and rugs exclusively and have profound knowledge about the various aspects of a good and genuine antique carpet! They can guide you in selecting the best one as per your budget and tastes.

Also you’ve got to do a bit of ‘homework’ yourself too! Visit lots of dealers and educate yourself about dyes, wools, design quality and weaving styles. Touch rugs and scrutinize them carefully! Beware of machine-made synthetic carpets that some art dealers spuriously project as antique carpet!

Some tips for you that will come handy while buying antique carpets and rugs:

* You have to be careful and thoughtful while analyzing each piece of antique carpet.

* You also have to try and understand the age and origin of the carpet that will in turn give you a closer insight about the quality of the carpet!

* You should also look to see if the edge and end borders are all there in the antique carpet you intend to buy as the end and edge borders sometimes are lost through use or are cut out intentionally! Remember the borders determine the value of your carpet!

* Watch out for holes and moth attacks that are very common when you are dealing with antique carpets and rugs! These problems have to be attended before you buy the carpet!

* Always deal with dealers who have the prices marked on the rugs! See to it that your dealer sticks to these fixed prices! Most reputable dealers have fixed and constant prices and a well-defined policy about discounts.

Learn more about antique antique carpets.

Making a quick set of curtains and a valance is something that you can do even if you don’t have much sewing experience. It’s just a matter of thinking through the process and calculating for fabric needed and knowing how to use a sewing machine.

Tools needed: calculator, pencil and paper, tape measure, yard stick, pins, scissors, iron, thread and sewing machine.

Decide what color or pattern will work best with your room décor now. Going to the fabric store is always one of my most fun times, I keep my imagination open and get swatches of fabrics (and prices) the first time to see what all my options are. Take swatches home and start eliminating them by laying them next to major parts of the already decorated room (couch, chair, tables, walls, etc). Once you’ve decided on your fabric start measuring.

To measure for material, decide how long you would like the valance to be. Where will you place the curtains in the window? Will you do them café style or halfway down the window? Maybe you only want a small space between the valance and curtain, use your imagination, draw a sketch of the window and do some placements on it to see what looks good.

Once you make these decisions, measure from your top reference point (top of window, top of rod) down to where you want the valance to end. Add additional 7” for top and bottom hems (this will give you 3” for top hem, which rod will go through and 4” for bottom hem). Let’s say you want your valance to be 10” long, add 7” for hem and you have 17”. Now measure for your bottom curtains. The same goes here, measure from top reference point (where your curtains will start) to just BELOW or ABOVE the windowsill. Add the 7” to this length. EXAMPLE: 32” bottom curtain length, add 7” = 39”. Write all this down. For width across, measure across window from outside to outside molding. Depending on how “full” you want the curtains, will be the deciding factor on how much material you purchase. Normal fullness recommendation would be twice the window width, or at least ½ again as much. We are going to be very basic, let’s say a normal window is 36” across X 60” length. This means you will need to calculate double the width for the valance and curtains, but remember the curtains are split in the middle. Most material will run 36”– 44” (regular material) to 60” (drapery & upholstery material) in width. If you choose a fabric width of 36”- 44”, it will be easier to just use the width doubled. If it’s wider cut a little off the ends if needed.

Now it’s time to go get your material! Take your swatch, sketch and measurements with you! I would recommend a pliable fabric that is easy to work with (cotton, broadcloth, etc). Have your material store sales person help you with calculating the amount, and give you any details in laying out, especially if it has a design going a specific way or has a nap. In most cases, 3-3½ yards should be plenty per window.

Pre-wash the material if you choose. If you do not pre-wash material and wash the curtains later expecting them to be the same length, you may be surprised! If you have pre-washed your material, take it out of dryer, fold in half, wrong side out (if you can tell), like it was previously from store off the bolt, and lay it on your surface and smooth it out (table, floor, etc.). Do the same for all widths of material; this will make it easier to handle. You may want to touch up with an iron.

Time to mark the fabric and cut! Your material is now laid out (not many wrinkles). You’ll want to get an even line across the top using your yardstick. Mark a straight line with a pencil along the top (if darker material a pen will work or even chalk if you have it). Eyeball it to make sure it looks even, sometimes the fabric store will not cut it even so it’s up to you. This will be your starting reference point (this will be a cutting line for you). Get your calculations for the length for each: valance and curtain. Now measure from that straight line down for valance length needed, do this twice because it needs to be doubled for fullness (unless 60” width fabric). Make a mark. Do the same halfway across and on the folded edge. Now put your yardstick across from mark to mark and draw a line (this will also be a cutting line). Do the same for curtains. Each curtain side gets its own length (unless 60” width fabric). Grab a couple of pins and pin just inside the edges and lines of each section you marked. Cut along lines. You should have 4 pieces cut, 2 for the valance and 2 for each curtain side.

Once again were going to mark, this time on the right side of fabric. Open up your pieces, right side of fabric up, lay them out straight, using a pencil, lightly mark 3” down from straight top on each piece, make several marks across. Use yardstick to connect marks to make a straight line. Do the same on the bottom, 4” up from straight edge. Mark 1” in on both side edges of each piece. Mark all pieces. Make sure all marks are lightly placed on outside of fabric, but dark enough so you can see them. Sew two valance pieces together, so it’s one long piece. Press seam flat. Fold under side edges of all pieces turning under ½” twice (will be 1” all together, pencil line should be on outside edges), press & stitch along inside folded under edge. Press up hems to inside of material along all marked lines. Fold them under ½ of width and press again. Stitch along that folded edge on inside. Holding fabric as you stitch to make sure fabric doesn’t bunch up. You should have a 2” bottom hem for each piece and a 1½” hem for top hem to slide curtain rods through. Make sure to backstitch when you begin sewing and at the end to reinforce stitching from coming out.

Viola’, there you have it! This process should only take about 1½ hours. Put your rods through the top hems of curtains. Put up valance and curtains.

About the Author: Robin Hall has been a successful Tailor by trade in the Midwest with over 30 years in business. She has sewn everything from leather, to clothes and alterations including home décor items. She has just started an online home décor store where you will find a little bit of everything including great tips on decorating and home improvement. Please stop by and see us/her at http://www.coollampsnstuff.com or send email with questions to sales@coollampsnstuff.com

You can personalize any interior space and make it your own with custom wallpaper murals. There are many companies that specialize in this unique service. They will let you send in any photograph, artwork, illustration, or anything you can imagine, and make it into a wallpaper mural just for you. Slides, digital photos, high-resolution computer graphics files, original paintings or drawings, all work great. Most of these companies will send you a small sample of what the finished mural will look like, so you can see if it is going to match your room décor and ensure it is the quality you expect.

The most popular use for the wallpaper mural is to decorate children’s rooms. Crafting a fun and lively environment that both kids and parent’s love is easy. Fairy tales, animals, fish, ballet and sports are some typical themes, but the best way to choose a wallpaper mural is to involve your child in the decision – you may be surprised by what you learn about his or her tastes, and the whole family will have fun looking through the sample books in the store or online. Don’t forget if you can’t find a design that your child and you can agree on, you can always create a custom wallpaper mural.

Once you’ve settled on a design, you’ll want to measure the wall area’s height and width with a tape measure to get a good idea what size wallpaper mural will work in your room. To get a clearer picture of how the mural will look in the room, you can temporarily outline the prospective destination of your wallpaper mural using masking tape.

Once your wallpaper mural is delivered, it is time to hang it. Take your time and follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. There are four steps to hanging your mural: Preparing the Wall Surface, Preparing the Adhesive, Application or Hanging, and Drying. Since adhesive types vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, these steps will be detailed in the instructions that come with your mural.

Your wallpaper mural will come in panels. We recommend you lay out the panels on the floor in the proper order before you start, but make sure to do this well away from the mounting surface to avoid any paste spillage. Since the placement of the first panel determines the overall look of the finished mural, take extra time and care to place it accurately.

A few more tips to keep in mind: Dampen the paper with the adhesive, do not soak or saturate it. Don’t fold the mural paper. Make sure the wall is clean and grease-free. Overlap each panel slightly to prevent the seams from showing when dry.

When installed correctly and chosen well, wallpaper murals will enhance the warmth and appearance of any room, make a small room look bigger, and add a personal touch to your home. Whether you want a wall to stand out dramatically or blend into a backdrop to highlight your furnishings, a wallpaper mural can do the trick.

Carlo Morelli is a contributor to OnlineTips.Org, where you can read about venetian blinds and cabinet refacing

Painting walls in various colors is a quick and easy way to decorate any room in your home. But when you’re looking for something a bit more artistic and unique, you might try your hand at stenciling.

Stencils come in a variety of forms: Simple geometric shapes to elaborate scenery. Really good stencils can actually reproduce famous paintings and designs too.

A simple room decoration stencil pattern to start with is borders. Stenciling borders can be done in addition to existing wallpaper, or as a replacement. Stenciled borders can be repeated geometric designs, or more detailed repeating patterns such as vines, flowers or leaves. Borders can also be placed at the top of a wall, the bottom, or in dead center for variating effects and design influences.

Stencils allow you to create friezes as well. This is done simply by starting with a strong contrasting color at the top, and carried downward through gradually fading tints until they are lost in the general color of the wall

There once was a pink and silver room belonging to a young girl, where the salmon-pink walls were deepened in color at the top into almost a tint of vermilion which had in it a trace of green. It was, in fact, an addition of spring green dropped into the vermilion and carelessly stirred, so that it should be mixed but not incorporated. Over this shaded and mixed color for the space of three feet was stencilled a fountain-like pattern in cream-white, the arches of the pattern rilled in with almost a lace-work of design. The whole upper part had an effect like carved alabaster and was indescribably light and graceful.

This is an example of very delicate and truly artistic treatment of stencil-work, and one can easily see how it can be used either in simple or elaborate fashion with great effect.

Irregularly placed floating forms of Persian or Arabic design are often admirably stencilled in color upon a painted wall; but in this case the colors should be varied and not too strong. A group of forms floating away from a window-frame or cornice can be done in two shades of the wall color, one of which is positively darker and one lighter than the ground. If to these two shades some delicately contrasting color is occasionally added the effect is not only pleasing, but belongs to a thoroughly good style.

One seldom tires of a good stencilled wall; probably because it is intrinsic, and not applied in the sense of paper or textiles. It carries an air of permanency which discourages change or experiment, but it may take a bit of practice to do well.

© 2005, The Do It Yourself Home Decorating Network - A large and growing portal of home decorating and decor articles, tips, advice and excellent home decor shopping sections. This article may be republished on any website, as long as it remains unchanged, carries this copyright and reprint notice, and has a live link to our site.