Decorating Your Bedroom in the French Country Style
There are many different decorating themes from which to choose. A popular one right now is the French Country look. Many opt for this style for the relaxing ambience that can be created in one’s bedroom and some even tweak the style a bit to fit their own personality.
When decorating a bedroom in the French Country style, consider the palette of colours that are associated with this look. The main colours include blue, white and yellow. However, do not be afraid to also work in shades of green and red. Many of these hues are reminiscent of the French Mediterranean. It’s a good idea to collect paint and fabric swatches to coordinate the look before making any purchases.
Begin the decorating process by painting your bedroom. A safe bet would be to paint the walls linen white. However, you might want to even consider other wall finishes. For instance, you might want to opt for a decorative faux finish. This adds a great deal of texture to the room’s look.
Next you must select furniture to help attain the French Country look. Make sure you match the scale and size of these pieces to your room’s dimensions, some of these can be quite large in comparison to the size of the bedroom. Furniture in the French Country style often appears to be rustic so look for pieces with this characteristic. Another option to save money is to use your existing furniture and strip and distress the wood to take on this look.
Next, you must think about window treatment. Go for soft curtains perhaps in floral patterns. You might also choose curtains in a solid color that pick up some hue in another part of the room. Curtains should be longer and make a puddle on the floor. You might also choose to accessorise with tassle tiebacks, which are representative of the French Country style.
The last step is to add some charming accents to the room. Remember that less is best and do not over decorate. Think of accents such as plants, flowers, throw pillows, lamps with silk shade and old looking oriental rugs.
If you are looking for inspiration on decorating your bedroom or even just deciding on what furniture to go for, visit www.bedstar.co.uk today they have a great collection of quality furniture at excellent prices.
Looking for guest beds?
Having a comfortable bed for guests, if you intend to have lots of people staying with you, is important but choosing the right one can be a bit difficult. There are a number of things you need to consider before choosing a new guest bed and a bit of research before buying can save time and money later on.
What space do you have?
Do you have a whole room to play with? Or do you need something that doesn’t take up a lot of room, or is a multi functional part of another room?
If you have a spare bedroom then a guest bed could be a good option. These have a separate bed underneath a single bed, which can either be used as a double bed or two separate beds. They are also a great option for kids and teenagers so they can have people round to stay.
However, if space is tight and you don’t have another room to play with you may want to opt for a sofa bed which can turn your living room into a guest bedroom with ease. Or if space is really tight an air mattress or fold up bed could be good options as they can then be stored away after use. But you will also have to think about where you are going to store them when they are not in use.
Who will be using the bed?
While an air mattress is great for emergency guests, you’re not really going to want your 80 year old granny to use one when she comes to stay. While teenagers won’t want to put their friends up on a sofa bed in their living room, instead a guest bed in their room could be a better option.
And if you have kids coming to stay you’ll want them out of the living room because they go to bed before the adults so you’ll want to stay up.
How often will the bed be used?
An air mattress is a great emergency bed but if you have lots of guests to stay or they stay more than one night you will need to think about something a bit more sturdy so guest beds or sofa beds will work wonders for you.
Decorating a Game Room
The kids have moved away, and now you suddenly find yourself with an extra room in the house. Unless you’re in dire need of a home office, why not make that extra room into a game room? After all, you’ve worked hard enough, now it’s time to play, and the game room can be a room full of excitement and fun.
There was a time when you could only afford the luxury of a game room if you had a basement, and that usually meant a couch and a billiard table. However, in this age of technology the game room most likely will have a big screen TV and a game console with lots of video games. Few will still have a billiard table. One reason is because most rooms are not as big as a basement and a billiard table would take most of the space available.
Since this should be a family room, or a room for you and your friends to get together for fun, why not add a game table you can use to play board games, and perhaps a soccer table, or an air hockey game table. These won’t take up as much room as a pool table. If it’s in your budget, a jukebox can add to the fun and atmosphere!
What is the best way to decorate this room? What colors should you use? What about wallpaper? Below are some ideas you may want to consider.
First, be sure to use bright colors. Stay away from dark colors – no one wants to play in a dark room. Use “fun” colors such as light green, light yellow, and light orange, but try to only use the orange as an accent color. You should not paint an entire wall orange. Bright colors will raise the excitement level in the room, whereas dark colors will only bring gloom to the room.
In addition to painting the game room a bright color, you may want to add a colorful border as well. There are so many patterns to choose from! If the theme of your game room is geared more towards board games or card games, find a border with graphics of tables, chairs, or maybe poker cards. If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, then look for borders that represent fun, excitement and celebrations. You should also try to have borders that appeal to both sexes. Keep that in mind with the colors as well. In other words, try to stay away from colors such as pink.
If the game room allows it, try to section off the room so that your friends and family can easily move from one area of the room to the other. For example, you may want to designate one area of the room as the card and/or board game area and place the table in that section of the room. The other area of the room could be designated as the TV area. Here, you can play video games or watch the Super Bowl or other sports games. If possible, try to have something for everyone.
As mentioned above, if it’s within your budget, a jukebox can really add to the fun. You can also use a stereo (perhaps with surround sound?) to add music to the room. Another great item is a karaoke machine. Be sure to have lots of sing-along lyrics, not only for the kids, but for the adults as well!
Consider holding a “Decorate the Game Room” party. Invite your friends and family and get them involved choosing colors, borders, games, music, etc. Together you can make this the best room in the house!
A Guide To Bedroom Decorating
When decorating a bedroom, keep in mind that the end result should produce a disitnct and memorable impression. Colors, space and decorations all set a bedroom’s mood, and when put together well, can create a definite, pleasurable look.
When it comes to the arrangement of items in a bedroom, symmetry is the most important factor. The bedroom is your personal space and should not be cluttered with too many objects creating a claustrophobic effect. For a room to seem personal, special touches should be added that reflect your special loves and interests. This includes your favorite colors, books, photographs, etc. Make sure colors are balanced in subtle shades reflecting your lifestyle and interests. The older generation seems to prefer more subdued shades than the younger generation, who opt for bright, textured colors. To maintain balance, the color of a chair placed at one end of the room can be repeated on throw, pillows or carpet. Furniture in the bedroom is of utmost importance. Don’t over do it with too many pieces making your bedroom look overdressed and cluttered. The size of the bed should be in proportion to the size of the bedroom. What matters the most is comfort. Therefore, a bed should offer quality, comfort and a feeling of elegance. Nightstands or side tables should be on either side of the bed for books, medications and telephone. A dressing table comes in handy for women, and dressers with lots of storage space are ideal. Ample closet space is important, as are mirrors and wall decor. Mirrors help to give a room a larger look and also help to reflect light. Lighting should be gentle and relaxing. Valence lighting is ideal for bedrooms, and colored lights can be used for added effects. Subtle light gives a romantic feeling to the room, and focused light is good for detail work like reading without disturbing someone sleeping in the room.
Finally, a bedroom should be well-ventilated, designed for comfort and always stocked with a vase of flowers for a fresh feeling.