When I was young, I was constantly rearranging my room, changing the direction of my bed, moving around my desk and building forts. I remember watching TV sitcom Silver Spoons and was always jealous of Ricky Schroeder’s car bed, to say nothing of the train that ran through his living room. My bed, as neat as it was—a captain’s bed with built-in drawers—wasn’t quite as cool.

When you’re a kid, your bedroom is Shangri-La, the one and only place where you can express your burgeoning tastes and lifestyle, no matter how ill-conceived they might be. Parents only have a short window of time to decorate their kids’ bedrooms; as soon as they reach double-digit tweendom, their bedrooms become closed-door fortresses smothered in pop posters and sports stars. Or worse.

In the meantime, before your kids round the teens, there are lots of great bedroom design themes and fixtures that are way cooler than anything Ricky Schroeder ever had.

As a general rule, stick to a single theme, such as superheroes, animals or fantasies such as princesses. Just remember, you’re decorating for your child, not to your own taste or needs.

Have you noticed that people are obsessed with windows? They want more of them and they want them wider, taller (two-storey perhaps?), and shapelier (round tops, elliptical, oblique). The problem arrives when you decide to dress this sea of glass. What to do?

Don’t despair. Firstly, determine your budget. Quality window treatments are not inexpensive but if chosen properly they will serve you well for many years to come. Secondly, decide how much light filtering and privacy you need for each room. Next, determine the style of window coverings that will best suit the design of the room and home. Here are some options to consider.

Great View
Do your windows have a beautiful view? If so, you won’t want to cover this feature. Instead flank the view with side panels only, leaving the window portion untreated, particularly for windows that are north facing. The panels should coordinate in colour and pattern with the other elements in the room.

Light Filtering
If the windows face any direction other than north, consider a shade/blind mounted on the inside of the window that can be positioned to filter the light, or pulled up/down entirely. A layered treatment with sheers for light control and fabric panels on either side is another option.

Alternatively, professionally installed window films can filter UV rays while offering a clear view outside. Couple this with a fabric treatment that dresses the window such as a roman or box pleat valance and side panels.

Security
Some films allow you to look out while passers-by are unable to look in due to the mirroring effect that occurs from the outside. This is a great option for rooms where security is of the utmost importance, such as home offices and family rooms.

Undesirable View
If your window faces your neighbour’s brick wall/window consider cellular or pleated shades with different opacities that allow the light to come through while obscuring or blocking the view entirely.

Privacy
Bedrooms necessitate the most privacy so do make sure the treatment has complete light control. Use shutters, blinds or shades that specify complete light control for privacy. In addition, have a fabric treatment that flanks the window with perhaps a valance above it.

Finally, if you’re still unclear as to which treatments you should be entertaining for your home contact Margarida Oliveira, designer and owner of Chic Décor, for a consultation.You may reach her at: 905-337-8463, or visit her website at: www.chicdecordesign.com

Are you feeling uninspired by your boudoir? Is your bedroom more reminiscent of grandma’s abode than the romantic getaway you envisioned? Then it’s time to turn up the heat by introducing some spicy decor elements into your nest.

Firstly, an evaluation of your furniture and decor are in order. If your furniture and accessories are hand-me-downs, or look as if they are ready to be read their last rites, then it’s time to cast them away to your local charitable organization and go shopping for some newer and more attractive counterparts. When selecting new furniture, ensure these pieces reflect your aesthetic style, are well-built, provide ample storage and suit the scale of your room. Always purchase the best quality that you can afford.

The most notable focal point in any bedroom is, and should be, the bed. So consider painting the wall behind the bed a tint or tone of red as a dramatic counterpoint. Red is the colour of love and energy, and its use in a couple’s bedroom is perfect, provided that it is used judiciously (a little goes a long way). The rest of the walls should be painted in softer hues, such as sandy brown, mushroom grey or butter cream.

Selecting a bed must reflect your style, budget and suit the scale of your room (no king size beds in a small room). For a contemporary look, consider a padded headboard in a luxurious fabric. It will offer you comfort, style and texture. Imperative for any bed is purchasing the best quality mattress and box spring that your budget can allow. Pillow top mattresses are wonderfully comfortable and can make your bedtimes truly ethereal. Of course, buying the best quality linens you can afford is essential. Egyptian cotton sheets in thread counts upwards of 350 are fit for a king and queen and as this is your palatial suite, spoil yourselves and you’ll be thankful you did. Also, buy the best quality feather pillows in either natural feathers or synthetic (if one is sensitive to allergens). Finally, no bed is complete without a beautiful duvet and coordinating shams in the best quality cotton. Incorporate some cushions in silk, and voila! A beautiful bed that will beckon you to stay the night!

Overhead lighting should always be controlled by a dimmer switch. This allows you to set the mood and feel of the room. Task lighting is equally important; these would be the lamps that flank your bed on the night tables. Consider purchasing tri-lights, as they too allow more flexibility with the quantity of light. And lastly, nothing is more romantic than the addition of candle light. The flicker of candle flames cast a glow that is warm and inviting, but make sure that these are contained within glass lanterns. An unexpected fire is not the kind of excitement one desires in any room.

The rest is in the details. The right accessories will transform your space into a truly beautiful and inviting room. Incorporate elements that appeal to all the senses. We’ve already spoken of the addition of candles, and luxurious linens. Next add some wonderful artwork to your walls, a crystal vase for sparkle, and fill it with some beautiful fuchsia roses and tiger lilies for romance and fragrance. Add some mirrored objects for interest and lastly turn on some music and treat yourselves to a box of champagne truffles. Enjoy!

Article Provided By:
Margarida Oliveira from Chic Decor 905 337 8463 http://www.chicdecordesign.com
Posted By:
Nikki Rollins nrollins@homerenovationguide.com

When you are dealing with limited finances, and still want to add a new look to your home, here are some easy home makeover solutions that can be done in an afternoon.

Foyer
If you have a small entranceway, and you want to brighten it up while adding some depth, a carefully selected mirror can do the trick. An inexpensive mirror can be found at a garage sale, and then touched up with some textured spray paint. The textured paint will cover minor flaws better than a smooth surface.

If like the look of natural wood, pick up an unframed square mirror for $12 - 15 at any home accessories store, a few pieces of wood doweling and a glue gun. At the hardware store, ask them to cut the wood to size for you to avoid added work at home.

Living Room
Changing your artwork can add a completely new perception to your home and cost little or nothing. Remember that anything can be art, so put that antique silver serving tray that your grandmother gave you to use. Hang it over you mantel with some well-chosen candleholders to frame it and a few suitable pictures that may explain the serving tray’s history.

If you have an abundance of books, and do not want to get rid of them, make your bookshelf part of your home makeover. Freshen the bookshelf with new paint or perhaps stencil a pattern around the edges to give it some new life. Your books can be placed both vertically and horizontally, and in between, add a few photos, baskets or collectibles. It makes your bookshelf something intriguing, instead of just a cluttered space in the corner of a room.

Bedroom
Headboards seem to be missing from many bedrooms. They are expensive and deemed unnecessary, often getting pushed to the end of the decorating list. A few easy solutions in lieu of the traditional headboard:

• Give the picture you removed from your mantel another purpose. You may have to update the frame to match your bedroom, but it does make an easy headboard. Pick up a few extra matching frames and make a theme for your room.

• If you have low ceilings, head to the fabric store and pick out some inexpensive patterned sheer fabric, a curtain rod, and two-way tape. Hang the curtain rod close the ceiling. Ensure your fabric is long enough to tuck in between the bed and wall. Two-way tape the curtain loop onto the fabric (simple, and no one will see it!) and you have a fresh new look that makes your bedroom larger.

With less than $100 and only one day, your foyer, living room and bedroom now have a great new feel, and your home has the appearance of a total home makeover.

nrollins@homerenovationguide.com

Kitchens

The kitchen is a room you will tend to spend a lot of time in, especially if you are the main chef in your household. Make sure you are comfortable with your chosen colour scheme, as you will probably spend a significant amount of time surrounded by it. Bright, invigorating colour schemes can boost energy levels when you have a lot of cooking and cleaning to get through.

As kitchen walls tend to be dominated by cabinetry, benches and the floor, treat these elements as the starting point for your colour scheme.

The appearance of colours in the kitchen will depend on the properties and textures of each of the surfaces. Glossy surfaces, such as Melteca cabinetry, will reflect more light and look different than low-sheen painted walls, so it is important to be careful when trying to match colours in different materials. Sometimes it is better to select a tone lighter or darker, rather than trying to create an exact colour match.

Remember no matter what room you are decorating, artificial lighting can be used very successfully to complement your colour scheme and it is worth reviewing your lighting plan prior to painting.

Living Rooms
Today’s living rooms are often open spaces that link through to dining and kitchen areas. Knowing where to start and finish the colour scheme between each part of an open plan space can be very difficult. There are two techniques that you can use:

Paint a feature wall in an area between the two adjoining rooms/spaces to create a natural colour break.

Use a progression of colours, then paint a unifying colour throughout the spaces and accent with the other progressional colours.

Living rooms are the ideal place to create focal points or feature walls. Traditionally fireplaces act as the focal point of most living rooms. If you don’t have a fireplace, select a focal point for your room and decorate around that. The focal point may be a feature wall, lounge suite or something similar.

As living rooms are usually subjected to less wear and tear than family rooms, you can choose light and dark colours if desired.

Bedrooms
When selecting colours for bedrooms, it is important to choose colours that are conducive to sleeping. You are also likely to spend more time looking at the ceiling than you would in other rooms.

As a general rule, you should avoid using very bright colours here and save them for other parts of your home. Most light and pastel shades are ideal for bedrooms. Blue is a popular colour choice for bedrooms because of its soothing qualities. However, if you have trouble getting up in the morning, you may wish to add an invigorating accent to get you out of bed.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms are one of the smallest rooms in the house and are generally cluttered with towel rails, basins and showers/baths. While this can make them a decorator’s nightmare, it also means you can afford to be a little more courageous with colour. If your original colour choice doesn’t work, you can always repaint a small bathroom quickly.

Chris Paulsen cpaulsen@homerenovationguide.com