If you want to update your kitchen to give it a modern new look, it can end up costing you a fortune. Anything like counter tops, cabinetry, and flooring tend to be very expensive. Yet it’s updates like these that add the most value to your home. How about giving your kitchen a facelift and completely transforming the look without spending an exorbitant amount of money?

It’s common for families to spend a good deal of time in the kitchen and dining areas. You want a kitchen that’s as warm and appealing as possible without spending a lot of money to do it. Here are several easy ways to refresh your kitchen’s décor while sticking to your budget.

Refresh Your Cabinets
Depending on your budget, you may not be able to afford to buy all new cabinets. Instead, make them look brand-new yourself. One option is to paint them an entirely different color. Or you might sand them down a bit and stain them a different shade. Top it with a protective coat of polyurethane for cabinets with a sparkling shiny new look. All you need is some new hardware, and your cabinets will have an altogether different look.

Add an Island
Adding an island to your kitchen will dramatically change the appearance of things—if you have the floor space, of course. An island can add some much-needed counter space to your kitchen and can also serve to break up the room. If you want to hang a wrought-iron pot rack overhead, this is the perfect place.

Freshen Up Your Appliances
If you try to buy all new appliances, you’re really going to put a strain on your bank account. If you feel that your stove, refrigerator and/or dishwasher are looking a bit outdated, they can be painted as well. They make a special type of appliance paint that can be used for this purpose. If rust spots are starting to develop on any appliance, there is a special product that stops the rusting process that you can purchase as well. Just be sure to apply the rust solution before you paint your appliances.

Perk Up the Walls
Anything is possible when it comes to your walls. You can paint them, add wallpaper, or install paneling. Not only are bright energizing colors like orange, peach, and green perfect for the kitchen, but they lend a real botanical feel to things. You might also hang pictures that include fruit, flowers, herbs, and other natural elements onto any large wall spaces. By transforming your walls, you can really bring a dull kitchen to life.

Don’t Forget the Floor
If you’re not happy with the flooring you have, this can be updated as well. It’s a little known fact that you can actually paint old linoleum. To help the new paint adhere, start by lightly sanding the surface of the linoleum. Once you’ve thoroughly cleaned it, the next step is to apply an oil-based primer. Once dry, the floor will be ready to paint.

You can create your own design on your floor. Use stencil patterns or even paint a “rug” on the floor. This is a great way to use your imagination! Apply about three layers of paint and then wait for them to thoroughly dry. Finish things off by applying three coats of durable polyurethane to protect your new floor and make it shine.

If you want a beautiful new kitchen but need to stay on budget, follow these few easy tips. Although you can spend tens of thousands of dollars completely remodeling a kitchen, you can keep it to just a few hundred by doing it yourself.

About the Author..
Leon Tuberman has been in the furniture and interior decorating industry for four decades. He owns and operates his family owned furniture store. They have a large inventory of handcrafted Amish built solid oak furniture for your bedroom, dining room and living room. Are you searching for a dining chair for your kitchen or night stands for your dorm then they probably have everything you need.

Kitchen cabinets are one of those things that can be expensive to replace, or sometimes you simply want to hang on to them. If you have older kitchen cabinets that you want to look a whole lot nicer, there are several ways to update them to fit the style of your kitchen décor. Here are some great decorating options with which to update your kitchen cabinets that don’t cost a lot in terms of time or money.

Add New Hardware to the Kitchen Cabinets
Installing new hardware to your kitchen cabinets is a very simple and inexpensive way to update your décor. You can really change the look of a cabinet with new pulls or handles. The best part is, cabinet hardware doesn’t cost much and may only take an hour or so to install. To really spruce up your cabinets and add a creative touch, see if you can find some unique handmade or hand-painted cabinet pulls.

Paint the Kitchen Cabinets
Painting your kitchen cabinets is usually easier than you think it’s going to be. Depending on the style and color of your old cabinets, it may not even be necessary to sand them before painting. The easiest way to paint cabinets is to remove the doors and paint them on a flat surface. This way you’ll get the best possible coverage.

If you’re looking to completely change the look of the room, go with an entirely new color. For instance, if you have a country kitchen that you want to turn modern, painting the cabinets will help you accomplish this. This type of painting project usually takes a weekend, leaving you with a kitchen that looks brand-new come Monday morning.

Take the Doors Off the Cabinets
Taking the doors off some of your cabinets is another quick way to update your kitchen. You can use this space to show off what’s inside those cabinets or showcase a collection that enhances your kitchen’s theme or style. You don’t have to take off every cabinet door; even just two open cabinets can change the entire look of the kitchen. Before you remove the doors, however, be sure that you are committed to keeping the inside of those cabinets clean and organized, and are comfortable displaying the items inside. You can create a wonderful display with antique china, for instance, whereas a collection of plastic cups might not be so attractive.

Replace the Cabinet Doors
A great way to update your kitchen and have cabinets that fit with the style you’re going for is to replace your kitchen cabinet doors. When it comes to kitchen cabinet doors, you have plenty of different options. There are cabinet doors with ready-made designs already built into them as well as ones with windows. If you’re going to replace your cabinet doors, you want a cabinet door that matches the theme and style of your kitchen. This will make the cabinets cohesive with the rest of the room. Be sure to measure your cabinets properly before selecting your doors, as this will ensure that they will fit.

If you’re looking to take your kitchen from old to stylish and new, try one or more of these ideas for updating your kitchen cabinets. While none of these renovations will cost you thousands of dollars, they can all drastically change the look of the room. Once you decide which option will work best for your cabinets and your kitchen, you can start updating your look.

About the Writer…
Leon Tuberman has been part of the furniture and interior decorating  business for four decades. He owns and operates his family owned furniture store. They carry a large selection of American made solid oak furniture for your home office,  bedroom and dining room furniture. Whether you’re looking for a oak dining room table for your formal dining room or a oak desk for your study area then they carry everything you need.

In the world of interior design, rustic décor is one of the most popular styles. This is a décor style that’s warm and inviting, whether you make your home in a densely populated city or a wooded rural area. Nothing creates that comfortable and welcoming feeling quite like a home decorated in rich, warm shades. Those who just adore natural wood are sure to love this style of decorating.

Colors used in rustic décor include shades of forest green, cream, brown tones, and any other rich colors found in nature. Wood is used in walls, floors, ceiling fans, and furniture. Hardwood floors are always beautiful, but they tend to be exquisite in this style. When thrown at the foot of the bed or in front of the sofa, braided accent rugs contribute to the homey, comfortable look and atmosphere.

For the Walls
These days, some types of paneling are outdates, but the wood panels that are applied horizontally are trendy and create an amazing look. Or if you prefer, paint the walls. Just be sure to stick to rustic colors. By painting only a couple of walls, you can add even more interest to the room. For instance, paint one forest green and other in a contrasting rich tan color. Another great rustic touch is a wall tapestry. Look for rich tapestries with scenes of nature, mountainous terrain, and forest landscapes.

Furnishings for the Rustic Home
If you’re looking for the perfect complement for a rustic décor, you can’t go wrong with leather and solid wooden furniture. Any exposed wood on the sofa, love seat, or recliner should match your coffee and end tables. If you’re going to include furniture with fabric, dark green, rust, and creams go beautifully in a plaid or striped pattern. Just remember that with this type of décor you want to stick to colors and textures that mimic nature.

A perfect rustic look for the kitchen includes a long wooden pine or maple table. All you need to do is add a bowl filled with fruit and your dining room table will be complete. When you’re looking for seating, use mismatched wooden chairs or even benches. With this style, the older and more worn the pieces look, the better. You can then accessorize by adding stone and ceramic pots filled with sunflowers or herbs, prancing roosters, and a homey rug for the sink area.

Don’t Forget to Accessorize
When it comes down to accessories, you’ll want items that have an antique or worn look. Once again, leather and wood make perfect accents, keeping the natural theme flowing throughout your home. A perfect addition to a living room or bedroom might be a distressed wooden trunk or an antique-style mirror. A great place to find a mirror is a flea market. Even if they contain a few dings, it just adds to the rustic appeal.

Rustic décor is all about warmth, security, and family. With a rustic décor, you are creating comfortable, inviting spaces in your home, no matter where you reside. A home should make you feel warm, comfortable, and secure at the end of the day. You won’t find a home quite as welcoming and beautiful as one decorated in the rustic style. Country or city—it doesn’t matter. This is one style you will truly fall in love with.

One of the most popular places to practice fend shui is in the bedroom. The bedroom is one room in your home that should be a peaceful retreat, and with feng shui, you can create the proper setting in which to get restful sleep every night. Feng shui is a method by which you can design and decorate a balanced room that’s infused with positive energy.

There are several feng shui guidelines to follow in the bedroom, but some are more important than others. Consider some of these helpful feng shui tips to get you on your way to a balanced and peaceful bedroom.

1. The main feng shui element in the room should be your bed.
In your bedroom, a wood bed is the primary source of intimate, personal energy. You want your bed to meet your every need, from the headboard to the mattress. So if you have to make a choice, choose to invest your money in the bed.

2. By placing the bed in a feng shui position, you can create optimal positive energy and love.
When arranging the room, you should be able to see the doorway from the bed, but it shouldn’t be directly in line with the door. The bed should also be on a strong supporting wall.

3. According to feng shui, both sides of your bed need to be balanced in energy.
This means you have the choice of placing side tables on both sides of the bed or on neither side. Also, try to keep any sharp angles—either from the tables or from the other furniture in the room—from facing the bed.

4. When you remove the television, you maintain balance in the room.
The less electricity flowing through your bedroom the better, as removing as many electrical appliances as possible is a key part of feng shui. EMFs can cause an internal imbalance, and your body doesn’t take them in when you remove electrical flow from the room. Also, when you don’t have the distraction of a television or computer, you’ll be able to get better sleep at night.

5. When designing your bedroom, don’t get obsessed with the rules of feng shui.
You may not be able to follow all the correct feng shui recommendations if your bedroom is small. If you focus too much on what’s “correct,” you may end up feeling stressed out and disappointed. Keep in mind that, in the end, feng shui is really about positive energy. If you do what you can with the space you have, then you’ll be able to make the room comfortable for you.

Some people may not believe in feng shui; others may find it too difficult to incorporate into their décor. However, the basic principle is simply to have the healthiest, most comfortable room possible. Feng shui decorating is accompanied by a long philosophical tradition, which demonstrates exactly how these principles can improve your sense of being and your life. If you’re looking to improve your bedroom or simply the feel of your oak bedroom furniture with some feng shui techniques, these tips can help get you started.

In most households, the living room is one of the most used spaces. It’s often used for relaxing, entertaining, and spending family time together. The more time you spend in that room, the more you may feel you need to change the look. Luckily, changing the look of your living room doesn’t have to cost thousands of dollars. If you’re looking to renovate your room and make it exciting again, here are a few suggestions.

Rearrange the Furniture
You don’t have to spend a dime to get a whole new look. Simply rearrange the furniture. If you find a different focal point for the room, you can then rearrange the room to focus on that new area. This is so simple to do and give the room a completely new look and flow. Although this doesn’t require any new furniture, if you really wanted to mix things up, you could add an end table or other inexpensive piece.

Change the Paint Color on the Walls
Paint is relatively inexpensive but can dramatically change the look of a room. Your best bet is to choose a color that’s already in the room’s color scheme. By choosing a matching or complementary color, you can develop a whole new feel for the room. If you don’t have the time or money to paint the entire room, you can simply choose one wall and make it an accent wall. By painting it an accent color, you can give the room some more interest.

Add Inexpensive Accessories to the Furniture
It’s not necessary to spend a fortune on furniture accessories to change the style of a living room. Look around your home and see if you have any decorative pillows, throws, vases, baskets, flower arrangements, candles, and lamps, that you can take from a different room. You can give you couch a totally different style with some new decorative pillows. By adding different pillows to your neutral couch, you can easily turn a country-style piece to a contemporary style. Adding candles and baskets to the oak end tables and oak bookshelves in the room can really mix up the décor.

Change the Window Treatments
Different window treatments often allow different amounts of light to enter, and this can completely change a room’s look. You can also change the color, patterns, and type of material easily with window treatments. If you already have window treatments installed, you can always add new ones to those existing ones—such as adding a fabric valance to a window that already has blinds.

If you don’t have a lot of money to spend but you want to change the look of your living room, with a little resourcefulness and creativity you can come up with a new style. Follow these tips to create a whole new look. Then the next time you have friends and family over for a gathering, they may not even recognize the place.

One popular way to decorate a bathroom is with an ocean theme. There are plenty of décor items available that can help give your bathroom that unique ocean look so that you feel like you are at the beach every time you set foot in the room. Follow these tips, and with a little creativity, you can come up with a fabulous ocean theme for your bathroom.

Paint the Bathroom with Colors from the Ocean
You can quickly transform your bedroom into an ocean retreat by painting it blue, green, tan, and cream: the colors of the ocean. Paint the walls cream and then add a turquoise accent wall for a distinctive twist to the ocean theme. Add more color to the room by adding yellow, which will work to highlight the feeling of warm sunlight over the ocean. If you’re really creative, then a really unique idea is to paint an ocean mural on one of the walls. This is a great way to fill a large space and can add a wonderful focal point to the décor. If you’re doing this in the master bathroom, then you can create the feeling that your bedroom is right on the ocean.

Use Real Ocean Accessories
Use items you would find down at the beach or ocean, rather than buying all your décor items from the store. It’s amazing how things such as shells and sand make such great additions to the room. A basket of shelf or bottles of sand on a shelf will add instant ambiance to the room.

Hang an Ocean-Themed Shower Curtain
One of the first things people see when they walk into a bathroom is the shower curtain. Hang an ocean-themed shower curtain for all to see. In this way, you can really play up the shower area. You can go with a more playful theme, perhaps with pictures of fish, or choose one with a beautiful ocean or beach scene on it. Decide whether you’re trying to create an ocean retreat or a fun beach theme, and choose your curtain accordingly.

Look for Themed Accessories to Complete the Look
You should have no problem finding ocean-themed bathroom accessories, as this type of theme is rather popular. Look for things that have some sort of ocean-related aspect to them, such as soap dishes, wastebaskets, bath mats, and towels. A fish-shaped soap dish would work great with a fun variation of this theme, whereas elegant shell-shaped soaps in a blue soap dish would be more appropriate for a serious ocean retreat.

You can use an ocean theme for a master bathroom, as easily as you can use it for a child’s bathroom. After all, there are many different variations upon this theme, from sand sculptures to fish, to lighthouses. Have fun with this theme, and be sure to include your own personality when designing the style.

About the Writer…
Leon Tuberman has been part of the furniture and interior design  business for 40 years. He owns and operates a popular furniture store in California. They offer a huge assortment of solid wood furniture for your living room, home office and dining furniture that’s built in the Heartland of America. Are you searching for a bookcase for your home office or wood end tables for your living room then they probably have everything you need.

If you’re looking for a great way to enhance the décor of your home and highlight certain features, consider decorative molding. It gives any room a polished and attractive look, adding style and character to the walls, ceilings, and flooring. If you’re looking for different places in your home to use decorative molding, here are some suggestions.

Use Decorative Molding around the Ceiling
One of the most common areas where decorative molding is used is around the ceiling. One popular decorative molding is crown molding, which gives a sophisticated and polished look to the walls and ceiling. The molding is hung right where the wall meets the ceiling, giving a decorative touch to an otherwise uninteresting area of the room. You should be able to find this type of molding in a range of sizes, anywhere from 3” to 12” in width.

Use Decorative Molding along the Floor
The flooring space is another common place where decorative molding is used. This is installed similar to ceiling molding, except it’s placed where the floor meets the wall. By concealing the area where the wall meets the floor, it gives the room a finished look. This type of molding is called baseboard, and it’s not only decorative. It also works to protect the wall from things like scratches and scrapes incurred from furniture and other objects.

Use Decorative Molding along a Wall
Another way to use decorative molding is to create what is known as a chair rail. Typically, you place the molding slightly lower than the middle of the wall. Then you run the molding all around the length of the room. When they use a chair rail, many times people will place wainscoting or paint the lower half of the wall a different color. If you’re looking to add some style and interest to your walls without going overboard, this is a great option.

Use Decorative Molding around a Window
By placing decorative molding around a window, you can highlight that area, playing up the beauty of the light coming in. Decorative molding around a window will also seal any gaps you have between the window and the wall to prevent air from entering or escaping the house. Most likely you will need to find a sill for the bottom part of the window that matches the rest of the molding.

Use Decorative Molding around a Door
Like windows, you can also use decorative molding to accent a door. If you’ve already installed molding around the window in a room, you can match the molding you’re going to put around the door. As it does with the windows, molding around the door will cover any gaps or leaks. Not only does this make things more efficient, but it covers any blemishes, adding to the style and appeal of the overall décor.

These are only a few suggestions as to how decorative molding can be used in your home. Keep in mind, though, that if you use a certain type of molding one place in the room, use that same type of molding elsewhere. By choosing molding that’s the same color, width, or design, you can really pull the room together and create a cohesive look.

About the Author…
Leon Tuberman has been part of the home furnishings and interior decorating  business for four decades. He is the owner and manager of popular furniture store in California. They carry a large selection of American made solid mission furniture for your home office, dining room and bedroom. Whether you’re looking for bookcases for your study area or a solid oak bed for your master bedroom then they have everything you need.

There are many homeowners who like to change the décor and decorate their home according to the different seasons. There are plenty of creative things you can do when it comes to winter decorating. Although many people use the wintertime to decorate for the holidays, there are plenty of other ways you can simply decorate for the winter season. Following are some great tips for winter decorating in your home.

Decorate Your Home in Winter White
As wintertime approaches, you can turn your home into a white winter wonderland by bringing out your white décor items. White décor items can work to brighten up your home during those dark and dreary winter days and nights. The white also brings out the reminder of beautiful snowfalls, essentially bringing the outside into your home. Some easy ways to add more white to your winter décor include white tablecloths, white candles, and white throws slung over chairs and couches.

Hang a Winter Wreath in Your Home
Fortunately, wreaths are not just for Christmas. They actually make a great winter decoration that you can display from December to March. Whether you make your own greenery wreath or buy a pre-made one, be sure it matches the style of your home. The wreath can be decorated with items associated with winter: pinecones, white or flannel ribbon, and silver charms. The wreath can then be hung on the wall. When looking for a place to hang the wreath, do be sure that the wreath and the wall are comparable in size. After all, you don’t want a tiny wreath on a huge wall with a great area of blank space, just as you don’t want a huge wreath taking up all the space on a tiny wall.

Change Your Furniture for Winter
Changing your furniture for a winter décor doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go out and buy a new set of furniture for every season. It just simply means that you might have to add or take away some items in the room. Adding slipcovers can be a great way to change up your furniture for the winter. Find slipcovers for your couches and chairs in a heavier material and wintery color. You might also decorate the furniture using winter-themed pillows. These pillows can be solid-colored or plaid. Or you might find some with snowflake or snowman pictures on them. You might also add some winter style to the room by draping a heavy throw on the back of the couch or chair.

Change Your Artwork in Your Home for Winter
If you are trying to create a winter décor, you may not want pictures of bright flowers hanging on your walls. Consider storing these pictures away for the spring and summer, and hanging different pieces of art that give your home more of a wintertime feel. Great winter-style pictures include black and white photographs of nature, such as snow trees, rivers, and mountains. Those bright and cheery flowers can also be replaced with hand-painted pictures of country snowfalls or paintings that use rich colors that lend a more wintry feel.

These are just some of the many ways you can bring winter decorating into your home. Changing the look of your home to celebrate the different seasons is a great way to keep things looking stylish and fresh.

About the Writer…
Leon Tuberman has been part of the furniture and interior decorating  business for 4 decades. He owns and manages a popular furniture store in California. They have a large inventory of handcrafted Amish built solid wood furniture for your bedroom, home office and living room. Whether you’re looking for mission end tables for your family room or a mission chest for your bedroom then they carry everything you need.

Typically, the kitchen is where families spend most of their time, more than any other room in the house. Thus, it’s important to create a kitchen that’s both stylish and unique, different from anything else you’ve seen before. In this way, your family will have a unique place that has both character and charm where they can eat, talk, and spend time together.

Display Your Cookbooks
You don’t need to hide your cookbooks away in a drawer or on a bookshelf somewhere in the living room. Consider displaying them instead for people to see when they walk into your kitchen. You might place them on a shelf on the wall or even on the top of your fridge. By adding in a couple of cute bookends to keep everything in place, you will create a décor item that’s also very practical.

Hang Some Kitchen Signs
There are hundreds of different signs available that can be hung in the kitchen. You’ll be able to find one that fits into the overall theme and style you are going for.

· For a retro look, choose something like a neon sign that says “Kitchen Open or “Open 24 Hours.”

· If you’re trying to create a country kitchen, you can choose signs with roosters or country sayings to give the décor that country charm you are looking for.

· For those of you who are creative, you can make your own sign using a piece of wood and some paint. This is a great way to ensure that no one else will have a kitchen sign like yours.

Use Recipes to Add Décor
Did you know that recipes actually make a great wallpaper border? You can choose to either handwrite some of your favorite recipes or find pages in a cookbook or magazine. The pages will need to be sealed with a clear poly-acrylic in order to protect them. Then all you need to do is to paste them to the wall.

If you don’t like the wallpaper border idea, then make a wall of recipes near your cooking area. Depending on whether you want them to be legible or not, you can choose to create more of a collage effect with the recipes. If you like, you can take this a step further and create a one-of-a-kind wallpaper with a recipe and food photo collage.

Create a Backsplash with Some Hand-Painted Tiles
Decorate your kitchen in a unique way by creating a backsplash with your very own hand-painted tiles. You can paint ceramic tiles to your liking and then preserve them with a sealer. You might choose to paint themed pictures on random tiles on the backsplash. Another great idea is to let your kids get creative and paint them for you. This way you’ll end up with a totally unique kitchen backsplash and you’ll also have added a family touch to the room as well.

Kitchens need not be boring, nor do they all need to look the same. If you look around your kitchen, you’ll probably find plenty of items sitting around that can become part of your décor. By getting creative and involving your entire family in the decorating process, you will be able to come up with a unique décor for your kitchen.

About the Author…
Leon Tuberman has been in the home furnishings and interior design industry for four decades. He owns and manages his family owned furniture store. They have a large inventory of handcrafted American built solid wood furniture for your bedroom, home office and living room. Whether you’re looking for a wood coffee table for your family room or a oak dresser for your bedroom then they have everything you need.