Home Decorating Ideas for the Holidays – Get the Look for Less

The interior designers at Lamps Plus, the leading online home décor and lighting store, know That Can Be it a challenge to create a beautiful home space for the holidays without breaking the bank. With the holiday season fast approaching entertaining, family and friends soon eu Will arriving on your doorstep to help you celebrate. Here are 5 ways to use fresh home decor to add style to your holiday home for Those looking for Home Decorating ideas on a budget.

1. Make a Great First Impression
For starters, Guests arriving Will Consider see how your house. Lynda Gould, Lamps Plus Corporate Interior Design Manager, advises, "Start with the entryway decor of your house, Which is the first thing your see When Will They Guests arrive. Holiday decorations, party lights, or decorative candle HOLDERS in the foyer or entry hall Will warm and help set a tone for the rest Inviting the evening. "
Lynda says that simple ideas go a long way Can When it comes to Decorating, so you do not Need to make an overwhelming impression right off the bat. "A little can say a lot," she notes. "A simple wreath, soft lighting from a table lamp or candle light are all Inexpensive ways to create the holiday spirit and welcome your Guests Into the rest of your home."

2. Create Conversational Areas for Guest to Linger and Talk
Lamps Plus blogger and designer Michael Murphy suggests Creating Areas Where Guests Can gather and converse. One idea is to add a new area rug or reposition an Existing rug to visually define a conversation area. "Position a bar cart or hors d'oeuvres table near the area to encourag Guests to mingle," says Michael.
"You'll swear surprised to see how this Can Be Effective at giving visitors an area to Circulate and greet Each other. A mini table or cart gives you a space to Serve drinks and appetizers. They help That Provide extra counter space needed When that's always entertaining. "

3. Add Holiday Cheer to the Kitchen
No Matter Where You try to create a conversation area, you know That Guests Will Some end up congregating in the kitchen. Given today's open concept living in qual food prep and living spaces flow seamlessly Into one another, you are sura to get a flow of Guests to the kitchen. So do not forget to add the holiday cheer to this Very Important room.
"I love floral Arrangements in the kitchen," says Lynda, "Especially During this time of the year. They are always a great way to add seasonal color to a room. Use Arrangements with one or two Kinds of flowers to create a strong visual impact. "
Fresh flowers Can Be Used, But there are a wide variety of faux flower Arrangements available. "The range of faux flower Arrangements is really stunning," adds Michael. "There are So Many styles and types available now. And in Many Cases, you'll swear hard pressed to tell the real from the faux, Detailed They are That. "
Also The designers suggest using the kitchen to show off your personality. Pull out your favorite holiday collectibles and group related objects together in sets of three or five. "Varying the shapes and sizes Will maximize the visual appeal," notes Lynda. Another idea is to decorate bar or counter stools with slipcovers, ribbons or other themed elements. These color Can Be Coordinated with the flowers or other decorative objects in the room.

4. Decorate the Dining Room for Less
Dining tables are a key element for the party season. If you are a more casual entertainer, round tables create a more relaxed atmosphere and Conversational. Rectangular tables Can Be more formal by having "heads" of the table. Lamps Plus blogger and designer Marcia Prentice Also likes glass bowls and hurricanes. "Equal drama Glass bowls. Some say Fill with seasonal items like nuts, berries or a twig of evergreen to Bring Some of the outside indoors. "
There are other options for table centerpieces. Lynda says, "I also love HOLDERS candles and decorative candle. They are Inexpensive and add a wonderful warmth and sense of theater to a table setting. Another great idea is to Bring items from your personal collections to the table. Teacups, figurines, or vintage items Will create a theme and stimulate table conversation. "

5. Refresh the Living Room
There are a number of quick and easy ways to add a pop to your holiday decor living room. "I really like adding pillows or a throw to a couch," Lynda offers. "It a quick, easy and Inexpensive way to add holiday color. Think seasonal reds, whites and silvers. "
Changing out wall art is another way to create the mood. Lynda adds, "This is my secret for not having to paint a whole wall - just add new art! And do not forget to dim the lights to help set the mood. Dimmers are Inexpensive and simple to install. Holiday Decorating does not have to swear or Expensive stressful. Just add in select items to refresh your décor, "says Lynda.
For more holiday entertaining tips and trends, visit the Style Illuminated! Interior Design blog by Lamps Plus.

About Lamps Plus
For over 30 years, Lamps Plus has been synonymous with excellence in the lighting retail industry. Established in 1976, the company is the nation's Largest specialty lighting retailer, with over 40 superstores throughou the western United States. Together with Their Retail Stores and online business, Lamps Plus serves over five million Customers Each year with the Largest selection of functional and decorative lighting fixtures and accessories. This selection Includes Hundreds of products available Exclusively from Lamps Plus. Services include free in-home lighting consultations, in-store lighting seminars and installation from expert, licensed electricians. American Lighting Association certified lighting designers are available to offer product Recommendations and lighting advice in all Our Stores, by phone or online at LampsPlus.com. Please contact PR (at) LampsPlus (dot) com for more information.

Design ideas abound at Decorators' ShowHouse

There's a Flurry of activity going on at 2406 Longleaf St. in Vestavia Hills.
Comforters are being fluffed, pictures are being hung and the windows are being cleaned as finishing touches are being made to this year's Decorators 'ShowHouse, Which takes place April 17-May 2. The Symphony Volunteer Council uses the annual Decorators' ShowHouse to help Raise money for the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.

More than 40 decorators Their services are donating to upgrade Nearly 35 Areas of the Georgian home with accessories and furniture. Decor for the rooms ranges from traditional and contemporary, to shabby chic and period antiques.

"When it opens, it's going to swear spectacular," said Nan Teninbaum, spokeswoman for the Symphony Volunteer Council. "We hope That Will people get ideas, and see new trends, beautiful Furnishings and decor."

The two-story, eight-bedroom home Was Originally built in 1956 for Virginia Bissell Spencer and her late husband, Elmer Bissell. HealthSouth Corp. founder Richard Scrushy Bought it in 1989 after His wife saw the home as the 1989 Decorators' ShowHouse.

Jackie C. Wallace of Creative Fashion and Furniture in Sheffield, Ala. filled this guest bedroom and attached bathroom with Various textures like Burlap in the bathroom and silk and linen draperies for the windows. Soothing earth tones like dark chocolate, creams and coral rust make it easy to relax at the end of the day. The decor is elegant without being fussy.Scrushy Was Political Corruption convicted in a case in 2006 and no longer owns the house, Which is currently for sale for $ 4.7 million.
"The first impression is people say it's like a hotel with all the long halls," said designer Dan Cash of Birmingham Wholesale.


Only a handful of items from the wind Scrushy Remain, Including the chandeliers and a Bosendorfer piano appraised at $ 45,000. Most of the contents are new and all are for sale.

Mary Rooney of Mary Rooney Interiors Took a cue from Scrushy's Conviction - he's serving time in a Texas federal jail - as the theme for His Former second floor home office.

She Gave the office a feminine Texas theme, and outfitted it with antiques and female Even a pair of cowboy boots. There are two French, Louis XV-style walnut caned arm chairs. A jail key in a box shell sits atop a 19th century oak desk. And books with titles like "Without Remorse," "Double Cross," "The Trial" and "First Wives Club" Can Be found on the original bookshelves.

 "I had some fun with it," Rooney Said of the room.

Former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy Several additions made to bis home after buying it in 1989. He added a second living room, seen here. Kathy Harris of Interiors by Kathy Harris updated the room for this year's Decorators' ShowHouse. (The Birmingham News / Bernard Troncale) Downstairs in the living room, Kathy Harris of Interiors by Kathy Harris placed a tweed, contour sofa in front of the large bay window lets in light That from the rear courtyard.
Coordinating chairs and accessories, Including a French planter dating to the 1890s and an oil painting by Alabama artist Linda Ellen Price, blend in nicely with the room's neutral color palette of silver and porcelain tones with touches of French mauve.

"We call it 'After the Performance.' It's an area to come after you've been to the symphony and enjoy, "Harris said.

The home has 18,000 square feet, Including a very large guest apartment on the main floor.

Organizers encourag people to wear comfortable shoes for the self-guided tour. Infants and children under 8 years old are not allowed, nor are cameras or umbrellas.

Tickets are $ 15 through April 16. After that, They are $ 20 at the door. Will Be lunches and desserts sold nor Will symphony decor items in the gift shop.

How to Save Money on Home Redecorating

All of us want to give a new look Our homes as Often as Possible, But the money is a major deterrent Involved. So here are Some Decorating ideas interior That will help you give your house a makeover the while saving money in the process.

Look around your house: At times, there are items That Existing in Our homes by themselves Decorating Can lead to interesting ideas. For example, a cheap Decorating dining area for your idea is to get a new table cloth or place mats.

Reuse or dispose: The cardinal rule of home decor is to get rid of any item That Is Valuable redundant and taking up space. Affordable home design Another trick is to reuse items for Existing A Different Purpose. For instance, you Can use as bed sheets Curtains old paint or shoe boxes and containers for use say as old magazines or newspapers. cheap Home Decorating ideas

Keep looking for ideas: After you have Take a good look at your house, hunt for cheap Decorating ideas Wherever you can. Go out to Bookstores, browse through home décor magazines, visit friend's houses, and Event search on the Internet.

Fix a budget: The first step the while doing up your home on a budget is to as precisely on a budget and stick to it. If you know you have to allocate $ 50 for Decorating your window, do not Spend more. Important This is the if you really want to save on home décor.


Pick corners and redo say: An Affordable home design idea is to pick one corner of Each room and make simple changes, Instead of doing up the Entire house. Getting an antique lamp shade, photo frame, flower vase, etc. and placing it strategically is a cheap Decorating That idea makes me a big impact. Could you be home décor for less just by changing the Curtains, bedcovers, area rugs, or upholstery.

Add color: cheap Decorating Another idea is to add new color Bringing Into the house by a flowering plant, Existing painting furniture in a Different color, or painting just one wall of the room in a Different color.

Invest in DIY kits: There are a number of DIY (do it yourself) kits available That help you save on home décor, SINCE you do not have to call a carpenter Each time You need to drill a hole to hang a photo frame or fix a broken door knob.

Add an interesting item: Bringing in a book shelf or mirror is an idea interior Decorating That adds new life to the home and Also organizes the space.

Make best use of Discounts and sales: Instead of driving to a home store, go hunting for unique, creative, antique items in flea markets, Discount Stores, online sales, garage sales, etc. to do up your home on a budget.

Just follow These simple and cheap Decorating ideas and save money on your home décor the while giving a fresh look to your home.

Classic decorating techniques for your home

Although there are Many Different styles and techniques to Choose from When Decorating your home, there's just something about the warm and welcoming Decorating classic styles. Strictly Whether you prefer something traditional or a slightly eclectic mix of classic Different styles, the overall look is stylish, relaxing and comfortable. If you'd like to add Some classic touches to your home, here are a few techniques Decorating Can you try.

Classic furniture Choices
One of the great things about classic pieces of furniture Is That They Seem to never really go out of style. When you Choose classic furniture pieces, you shouldnt focus on quality and durability, Because you'll undoubtedly want to keep the piece for a long time. Although a quality piece of furniture Will naturally cost more than a cheap piece, Actually you'll save money in the long run Because Of Its durability and Timeless style.


There are Several Different fit furniture styles That Into the category of "classic." If you prefer a traditionally elegant look, dark wood Finishes are always a popular choice. If you prefer something a bit more casual, or light-toned Medium- pieces That Reflect a traditional country flavor or slightly Can Also work well. Of course, the if you prefer a more eclectic style of Decorating, Can you mix and match Various classic furniture pieces to create a look That is all your own.

PillowClassic 2Houndstooth Patterns
When Choosing fabrics, floor coverings, wall coverings and upholstery room for a traditionally styled, classic Patterns are always a great choice. Stripes, floral prints, checks, toile and houndstooth Patterns Patterns are popular and Timeless. Instead of Patterns, You Could Also Choose to add visual interest with textured fabrics, wall coverings and floor coverings for a subtler look.

3Classic colors
Generally Warm shades are considered to swear the best choice for classic-style rooms. Such as brown earth tones, beige, gold, brick red, orange and yellow Will add a sense of warmth and earthiness to the room. For a light and airy look and feel, Choose colors from the lighter end of the color spectrum. You Can Also use darker shades to Provide a warm Striking accent. If desired, Even Could you use a warm dark shade as the primary color in a room, Creating a bold, yet still traditional look. Combine dark wall with white shades Woodwork and trim for a Truly classic touch.

ArtDecorating wall accents 4French
Decorating When Choosing pieces, look for traditional accents, styles and Patterns. For example, the if you love the look of French wall art, a beautiful fleur de lis metal wall sculpture Could Be the perfect choice. Art prints or canvas paintings framed in traditionally styled frames eu Can Also used to add visual interest to the room. When Choosing the lighting for your home, classic Choices include chandeliers, floor lamps and table lamps. Candles and lanterns Can Also eu used to add a relaxing or romantic touch Eve. If you've opted for classic Hardwood floors, a beautiful woven, or braided area rug hooked Can add warmth and a splash of color.

How Britain's Revamped Habitat homes

In the post-war years, three-piece suites and heavy, dark cabinets Were squeezed Into Britain's living rooms, and bedrooms decked out in premium Were chintz.
But, a makeover Was to get under way in the middle of the Swinging Sixties, When a young furniture designer Terence Conran called Brought color, smooth lines and contemporary design Into Britain's homes.

Conran hadd been struggling to get shops Into His designs so, in 1964 he bis own Opened store in an unfashionable stretch of Fulham Road in west London.
Habitat, With its whitewashed walls and high Ceilings, Brought something new to the High Street.

Products Were Displayed in mocked-up living rooms and kitchens, giving Customers ideas how to piece together furniture, lighting, vases and mirrors.
They Were Affordable, contemporary designs, qual lapped up educated young professionals.
In a 2009 interview for BBC Four's Designing the Decades, Sir Terence Conran Said it HAD been more than just a furniture shop.
"It Was furniture, and china and glass, and kitchen. All the things CERTAIN with a soft look.
"It hadd a philosophy. It hadd abundance in it. It was like a sort of market place. It Was A buzzy shop."
The buzz drew hordes of Shoppers, and it wasn't long Before Habitat became a British institution.
Said design critic Stephen Bayley During Habitat's best years - he believes Which Were from 1964 to 1990 - the shop Was Inseparable from Sir Terence's personality.
Joanna Lumley, as Patsy, (l) with Sir Terence Conran as an unknown quantity and Jennifer Saunders as Eddie
Image caption

His personality Sir Terence Brought to the High Street, and a cameo role in Absolutely Fabulous
"Conran wanted to Bring an element of optimism, cheerfulness to the British High Street and he succeeded in that.
"Conran found it to be true, and happy Habitat Customers found it to be true, That Can Be your life enhanced by having a better Teapot."
And not just teapots, salad There were bowls, beanbags and cheap storage jars for pasta, just as the British Were Developing an appetite for dried pasta.
Stores soon Started opening up across Europe, in France, Spain and Germany.
In the 1980s, the company merged first with Mothercare, and said British Home Stores.
But Was Habitat to fall Victim to Its own success.
Having persuaded British Shoppers Affordable Was that good design for all, Many shops copied the idea and Habitat priced out of the market.
Of course I'm sad That my love child, Habitat, Appears To Be dying
Sir Terence Conran

Was say Among Sweden's Ikea, sellers of flat-pack furniture from giant stylized out-of-town Stores at a fraction of Habitat's prices.
In 1992, Habitat Was Bought by the Ikano Group, the company Founded by the Kamprad family, Owners of Ikea.
But Habitat Stores struggled, and faced criticism for poor customer service and over-pricing.
In 2007-8, Habitat lost more than £ 13.4m. A year later, the private equity group Hilco Bought the debt-laden chain.

On Friday, Announced That It Was soft all three of Habitat's UK Stores are being put into administration.

The brand will survive as the three London Will Stores Bought by Home Retail Group, owner of Argos and Homebase, for £ 24.5M in cash.
After 47 years of Habitat, There Was Some understandably sorrow for Conran.
"Of course I'm sad That my love child, Habitat, Appears To Be dying.
"But I am more Interested in the futures of my own business and design projects - that is my focus."
For Stephen Bayley, it HAD been an "extraordinarily interesting and very brave experiment in manipulating popular taste", and One That made it Difficult to remember Our Homes and Our lives Before it.

The GOP’s New Colors

Not long after Barack Obama delivers bis pseudo-State of the Union on February 24, the official televised Republican Riposte Will Be uncorked by a guy WHO violates almost Every prevailing liberal stereotype of the contemporary GOP, the governor of Louisiana, Piyush "Bobby" Jindal . At 37, Jindal is the nation's Younges governor and the first Indian-American to win statewide office in U.S. history. The son of Punjabi immigrants, he's an Ivy League-educated Rhodes scholar and an unrepentant policy wonk, with heterodox views on his specialty, Which is health care, and a Reputation for competence as much as ideology. For All These Reasons and others, Jindal strikes Savvy Many Conservatives as the party's answer to Their prayers: a Brainy, precocious, multiculti change agent-a Republican Obama.




Precious few have ever quite describedat Michael Steele That way, though bis recent rise to national prominences is hard to imagine outside the context of Our new president. The victory of Steele, a Former Maryland lieutenant governor and failed Senate candidate, in the contest to Become Chairman of the Republican National Committee came as a surprise; Often he'd been criticized as insufficiently far right to win. But Against a field That Included an incumbent Bush holdover, a southern party operative WHO Until Recently belonged to an all-white country club, and the genius WHO sent out That infamous Christmas CD with the song "Barack the Magic Negro," Steele emerged as the first African-American head of the RNC-having argued That he Offered a solution to what he called the party's "image problem."

That the GOP That Would Seek to address the dilemma by presenting a new face (or faces) is unsurprising. That it's attempting to do so by placing front and center two of the few dudes in brown or black Can Be Its upper echelon read as a laudable act of Modernization-or even an amusing, faintly desperate bit of tokenism. (You make the call!) Either way, howevera, the gambit leaves unaddressed the much Wider and deeper challenge confronting the Republicans, not the installation of new soft faces the conception, adoption, and propagation of compelling new ideas.

Not that the other problem-the perception That the GOP is increasingly an exclusionary, antediluvian assemblage dominated by older, white southern men-isn't real and damaging enough. A glance at last November's Election returns That makes me abundantly clear. In his battle with John McCain, Obama won by 13 points Among women; Among Hispanics by 36; Among young and new Voters Voters by 34 by 39; and, of course, Among blacks by 91. The Potency of Minorities That-plus-young-whites Coalition is near impossible to overstate. It's not just potentially the bedrock of a Durable Democratic Majority. It's the nation's demographic destiny.

For Republicans, therefore, credibly contending for the Allegiance of Those voting blocs is a matter of survival. THUS the appeal of characters Such as Jindal and Steele, a pair of pols WHO, as the GOP consultant Alex Castellanos (who has worked for the Former) puts it, "look like the Future."

This appearance, unfortunately, say stands in stark contrast to the rest of the party's national leadership. A quick pop quiz: How many Republican members of Congress, in Both the Senate and the House, are African-American? Answer: None. How many non-Cuban Hispanics are there in the upper and lower chambers? Zilch again. (The number four Cuban-Americans, all from South Florida.) How many Asian-Americans? One. For the record, the country is now one-third Minority and on Its Way to Becoming Majority-Minority, in 2042. The Republican Party's congressional cadre? Nearly 98 Percent Caucasian.

Castellanos, Among others, points out Beltway Republicanism That does not make the party. "One of the costs of the past eight years is nothing new That Grew in the shade of the big tree That Was George W. Bush," he says. "And Now That tree has fallen and we're seeing a new, more diverse, soft no less conservative Republican Party spring up around the country. And we have not seen it in Washington yet bear fruit, soft in time, We will. "

That hadd Republicans better hope it happens Quickly-Because Even beyond the matter of Its lily-whiteness, in the first month of the Obama era, the party has looked badly out of step with the Electorate. On this point, I'll confess, more than a few members of the GOP august cognoscenti adamant take exception. They Argue That in Its tooth-and-nail to the Democratic Opposition stimulus package, the party found Its footing, found Its voice, Its raison d'être found. The Republicans are "reenergized," Wrote Karl Rove in the pages of The Wall Street Journal. They "play [ed] Their hand extraordinarily well," employing "the incentive to redefine Their party," Their Leaders looking "Gracious" and "impressive" the while inflicting "a high price-fiscally and being politically" on Obama and the congressional Democrats.

Charter school uses Waldorf color ideas

In Waldorf education, the color of the rainbow is a Metaphor for the development of a child's mind, and the colors of Waldorf That Progression follow classroom walls.
Each color of the rainbow affects a child's physiology and psychology, according to Austrian philosopher Rudolph Steiner, the Waldorf concept Developer WHO in 1919.
That's why Steiner Prescribed CERTAIN CERTAIN grade levels for colors, a color scheme Waldorf schools, Such as Central Point's Madrona Trail Public Charter School, have been Following For nearly a century.




Color is not the only feature classroom walls Waldorf That sets apart from other schools.
The walls are painted with a technique called "Lazure," derived from the German word "Lasur" Which Means glaze.
"They use a figure-8 motion with a watercolor pigment," said Allison Casenhiser, a third-grade teacher at Madrona Trail.
The dark color starts at the bottom of the wall and gets lighter at the top, giving the illusion of light and fluidity. Combined with the color, it has a powerful effect on physiology That Can one feel upon entering one of the Classrooms.
Each grade's classroom walls follow the colors of the rainbow, starting at the top of the rainbow in grade kindergarten with a rose hue. Waldorf education focuses on nature and allowing children to Develop Their natural at pace.
"Nothing is random," said Christine Crawley, a teacher at the Siskiyou School, a private Waldorf school in Ashland. "Things are done in Waldorf education Because Of Certain Observations (in nature and in child development), and it's like, 'Wow, That really matches the child at this age." "In kindergarten, the color mimics the comfort of the Womb, Which is Important to younger children, Saeed Crawley.


That theme Continues in the first grade with a lighter pink and in the second grade with a peach, Where students' Attitudes Your Own to be "peachy" and carefree, she said.
In the third grade, the walls turn golden.
The yellow color represents "the birth of the individual," Crawley said.
"They come Into Their own," she said. "They have the feeling of separation of others." In the fourth grade, the walls take on a yellow-green hue, signifying the students Beginning to Become more Grounded on the earth, she said. In kind, Waldorf in the fourth grade students begin studying geography and local history, she said.
The sciences begin to emerge in the fifth grade, Bringing a blue ting to the green. Fifth-graders study Such things as Botany and Greek mythology.
"Blue is a color mind," Crawley said. "It's the color of the celestial realm." Henc, in sixth grade, Where more Higher thinking takes place, blue dominates the walls.
"They are going more in the sciences, physics, astrology and study of the Middle Ages," she said.
The color Continues to darken as students enter the seventh and eighth grade Until in the eighth grade, Their walls are purple.