Are Your Walls White? Get the Color You Want Without Painting.

Are your walls white? Is your ceiling white? Are you looking for a way to add some color to your neutral surroundings? Since most of us shy away from red leather furniture or that dark purple accent chair, how do we get color in our home?

The walls of course - and you don't even have to paint them.

Shopping for new artwork not only is great fun but it is also one of the best ways to up-date a tired room and give all who live and visit there a fresh, new perspective in familiar surroundings.  Artwork is a mirror to the homeowner's soul and yours can be as daring, as expressive or as revealing as you choose. Accents of Salado offers some great new looks and we're adding some outstanding new pieces in the weeks to come. Take a sneak peek at what's coming. Accents of Salado Artwork Collection

Getting a Head Start on the Holidays

September is like no other month of the year. It is the month of  big changes. Yellow school buses return to city streets and country roads. Cool breezes increase with each arriving storm. That crisp fragrance that fills the air announces by the end of the month that autumn will be knocking on the door.  With September changes come thoughts of  family and friends and the special gatherings just 'round the corner. As we move toward the holidays, homeowners' thoughts turn toward their homes and Accents of Salado has put together some great new looks to fill your home with a warm, welcoming spirit.  This holiday season you can create well-designed rooms that wrap your family and guests in the warmth and magic of candlelight. The Olde Tavern hurricane set, designed in clear translucent glass, finds a home in a myriad of design themes and brings sparkling candlelight to special as well as everyday occasions. New to our candle holder collection, this set of glass cylinders is ideal for the creative imagination who always sets a beautiful holiday table. http://www.accentsofsalado.com/LG_CHGlassCandleHoldersOldeTavern.html

Are You Afraid to Paint the Ceiling Dark?

DON'T BE.

Darkening a ceiling actually creates a new exciting look you might have not thought possible.

Designer Christopher Lowell once said, "Painting the ceiling white is like throwing a sheet over the room." Lowell's advice has influenced every project, new or redesign, which I have attempted since hearing this advice.

Many years since hearing Lowell's recommendations, I find that all the ceilings in my home, as well as most ceilings in our home decor showrooms, are reverently painted shades darker than the wall color.

At Accents of Salado, I once papered a white showroom ceiling with an embossed tin-pattern wall paper found at home improvement stores. I painted the paper a dark, russet brown and then lightly dry-brushed the raised pattern with a copper metallic paint.

Considering our limited budget, the  result was game-changing and our old tin ceiling made quite an impression with our customers. The curious crowds seemed to inquire more about the ceiling in that room as they did about the merchandise presented there.

Painting the ceiling dark is especially effective when there is abundant natural light in the room and also when the room has exceptionally high ceilings. Rooms washed with light become more intimate and comforting. A dark ceiling finished with crown molding can lower a high ceiling in an expansive foyer and raises a high ceiling in a small room like a bathroom.

Recently I met a new friend whose artistic portfolio includes a dark metallic ceiling. Pictured in this blog are images that capture some of the steps used by decorative artist, Pat Strong, to re-invent a client's great room. In shooting these photographs, Pat demonstrates how a room can be taken from ordinary to absolutely stunning.

Pat's photos allow you to see how the project began and how the artist's vision resulted in a magnificent transformation.

Pat Strong is a long time decorative painter living in Austin, Texas, but her projects find her working across the country.

Pat specializes in projects that are transformational.

Pat likes to create relationships between her clients and the architecture of their homes. Her experience and training tell her that personalizing a home with color, custom textures and custom surfaces  makes it comfortable and beautiful.

Pat can transform just about any surface in a home. She specializes in murals, fine art, furniture and painted fabric.


Pat Strong works with other artists in the Austin area to produce a finished look in just about any media. No job is too large or too small for Pat if it's interesting.

Pat's Description of this Project

 

I love dark ceilings. I feel they can paradoxically,  both raise and lower a ceiling depending on the proportions of the room and the lighting.

 In this case, the ceilings were lower than the client would like and the upper floors seemed to oppress the space. Because this room was surrounded by rooms with higher ceilings, and adjacent to a deep covered patio, raising the "look" of the ceiling was out of the question. It was just too easy to compare it to the nearby areas.

By creating a warm, rich feeling on the ceiling, with a lot of detail, the room feels warm, cozy and very inviting. One completely forgets the height of the ceiling and just concentrates on a feeling of embracing shelter.

In this case, using a glimmering metallic glaze makes the room glow. In other cases, I use a deep color in an umber matte treatment to erase the awareness of where the ceiling actually occurs. Deep colored ceilings can also look infinite like a night sky.

 Pat Strong holds a degree in Art History from the University of Texas and has twenty five years experience in visual arts and commercial visual presentation. Learn more about Pat Strong and see more of her work on her Facebook page.

New Artwork at Accents of Salado

Accents of Salado is known for unique and stylish artwork for Mediterranean homes. The newest arrivals at Accents of Salado is a collection of prints that are ideal for many rooms through out your home.

Portraits of beautiful women are favorite subjects of European art. Our European Women Collection is representative of art found on walls of French chateaus, Italian villas and Spanish haciendas throughout Europe.

Shown here is a bold artwork expression that renders the portrait of a striking Spanish woman. The deluxe arch frame is the perfect compliment to Mediterranean architecture and furniture.

Classic and sophisticated, this oil reproduction collection will make your home beautifully chic with its deluxe framing and timeless themes.

See this new Accents of Salado artwork collection and the wide selection of fine art prints that can bring Mediterranean flavor to your decorating style. http://www.accentsofsalado.com/FramedPrintsSpanishWoman.html

New Earthenware at Accents of Salado

With new merchandise arriving daily, it's easy to become overwhelmed by the many tasks involved in presenting the merchandise online.

Getting just the right image is more often an accident than it is an art. Photoshop is seldom the answer. A great image is just a great image.

Accents of Salado features rustic Mediterranean furniture and accessories and this image, introducing our new Medrano vases, captures the essence of rustic Mediterranean design. The simplicity of the setting emphasizes the classic rounded shapes and the rich, earthy colors found throughout Mediterranean regions.

As I handled the Medranos, I was struck by my thoughts as I began to wonder about the artisan who had shaped these vessels. The unusual hand-painted design and the artistic graduation of earth tones caused me to ask what hands had painted these wonderful creations. I knew I was just the photographer, but these vases had evoked an appreciation that made me want to know more about them and the actual people who had proudly fashioned these works of art. I was glad that the mechanics and pressures of web site management were pushed back in my thoughts and that I found the time to enjoy this small slice of time.

I've discovered that loving what you are photographing is when you end up with one of those rare images.

http://www.accentsofsalado.com/Rustic_Tuscan_French_Country_Urns_Ceramics_Pots_Pottery.html

New Rustic Furniture at Accents of Salado

MOVING INTO A NEW HOME

Two years ago this month furnishing a new home was high on my priority list. Eight months earlier a fire had left our home in ashes. All furnishings and personal belongings collected over the years were gone in just a matter of hours.

As we look back, yes, we miss the heirlooms, famliy photographs and personal items, but looking forward to a new home totally unfurnished presents its unique challenges as well. For folks who had become accustomed to the old sofa and grandma's dining room table, suddenly we were thrust into the present-day world of furniture. My, how furniture had changed. Where was the furniture made of real wood? Where was the variety?

We soon discovered that finding quality was difficult. Everything in the furniture stores seemed to be particle board, plastic and simulated, what ever that is.

It's amazing how you start paying attention when your life is touched in such a personal way. We decided right then and there that we should expand our showroom and begin the search for solid-wood furniture lines that complimented the Mediterranean style accessories in our retail store. A two-year search later, we found four lines that we are currently receiving and are being received by our customers with great excitement. http://www.accentsofsalado.com/RusticFurniture.html

August Monthly Specials at Accents of Salado

Decorating with Copper

In the Mediterranean kitchen, nothing says old world like copper decorating accessories.

Copper is an ideal color and texture in Mediterranean Italian and French design kitchens. Display large copper pots, cauldrons and buckets hanging from a kitchen pot rack, holding fire wood on the hearth, containing magazines in the bedroom, organizing toiletries and towels in the bath and showcasing lush greenery throughout the Mediterranean style home.

Included in our August monthly specials are our aged copper cauldron and our copper plated bowl set. Enjoy a temporarily reduced price on copper accessories ideal for all rooms in the Mediterranean home. www.accentsofsalado.com/MONTHLY_SPECIAL.html

Decorating with Earthenware

When decorating large expansive rooms, oversized accessories meet the challenge.

Tall Alfresco lidded jars find a home in large foyer areas, on kitchen islands and gracing rustic fireplace mantels.

Black antiquing and black metal lids provide dramatic contrast to aged earthenware in this impressive trio.

Completing our August special offers is our Maracaibo Iron Wall Grill.

Visit our web site to see decorating accessories and wall decor that make your home beautifully Mediterranean.

http://www.accentsofsalado.com/LG_MaracaiboWallArt.html

New Furniture at Accents of Salado

Construction of our new showroom addition is completed and we now have double the floor space. Paint touch-ups and total showroom reorganization are on tomorrow's agenda.

In the next 60 days we will be receiving four new furniture lines. Leather is due to arrive tomorrow afternoon. Whew! That was tight scheduling.

We recently found 3 rustic wood furniture lines that motivated our new showroom expansion. Some of the pieces are small and we will offer them in our online shopping selection. The larger plasma cabinets, buffets and consoles will be available through our showroom location.

Take a sneak peek at what has us so excited.

Connie Pulled Off a Stunning Makeover

CONNIE'S MASTER BEDROOM/BATH MAKEOVER

We just received these images from our customer Connie. She has finished her master bedroom suite makeover and wanted to share this fabulous look that she created. She used several of our iron wall decor items and we think they look great!

Connie created a rustic style bedroom suite by using our Baroncelli iron curtain rod above the bed, a round iron grille to cover the 48" circular bathroom window, an Alhambra wall-mount candleholder to enhance the aqua and brown color theme and Ventana vertical side grilles to define the dressing area. Fabric, wood furniture and candles balance and soften the iron accents. Great job, Connie and thanks for sharing the images.

What is Spanish Hacienda Style?

Imagine a beautiful Spanish style villa wrapped around an exotic open courtyard. Oversized mahogany doors and windows open onto an interior courtyard lush with greenery. Outdoor fireplaces warm courtyard visitors and romantic candlelight washes stucco walls and cantera pavers. Brilliant flowers in earthenware pots and trailing vines on iron fences invite the senses to relax and relish cool afternoons and warm balmy nights.

Hacienda style architecture in centered around outdoor living. Covered verandas are designed with arches, columns, iron banisters and wood-beamed ceilings. Covered living areas are spacious and ceilings tall. Second story balconies have ample room for dining and seating.

The hacienda style home is designed with friends and family in mind. Hacienda style living spaces are common areas where friends and family gather for great food and fun conversation.

Hacienda style interiors are spacious and furnished with oversized hand-crafted furniture. Woods are dark and frequently carved. Overstuffed upholstered sofas and chairs are chosen in brilliant hues and patterns.

The hacienda style dining room is furnished with a large wood table and seats large numbers of guests and family. Chairs are high-backed and seating may be constructed of casual caning or more formal leather and upholstery.

Easy access to outdoor living spaces makes the hacienda dining room suitable for entertaining large groups.

Dining room walls reflect portrait, architectural and landscape themes. Iron and metal wall art embellishes the rustic hacienda decorating style.

The kitchen is often separate from the dining room, but in today's modern lifestyles the hacienda kitchen is frequently an extension of the dining room separated by a large kitchen island or bar. Food preparation and serving is a group activity. Lean more about Hacienda Style Decorating.

July Monthly Specials at Accents of Salado

MONTSERRAT IRON PLANTERS SET/3

Ideal for bedrooms, bathrooms, dining rooms and all rooms in the Mediterranean home, Accents of Salado's monthly specials present great quality at a temporarily reduced price. Monthly specials return to regular price at the end of the month.

July is a great time to add the Montserrat planters to your interior design. At special pricing, this large iron planter set will find a home in your Mediterranean bath. Use as storage containers and to dispay greenery. In the Mediterranean bath, large urns, bowls and planters can be as useful as they are decorative.

Use in your foyer or great room to put a finishing touch on large trees and accent floral.

Special pricing ends July 31, 2009.

http://www.accentsofsalado.com/LG_CBplant.html


OLD COUNTRY PRINT SET/2

Hillside landscapes and classic old world architecture are showcased in deluxe matting, black fillet and antiqued gold frames in the Old Country Print Set. The recessed shadow box style makes for a unique presentation. Enjoy reduced pricing at Accents of Salado through July 31, 2009. See Old Country Prints.

Scroll Design Kitchen Canisters

Add Mediterranean color, style and texture to your old world kitchen with scroll design canisters from Accents of Salado. Kitchen canisters are a much appreciated holiday gift. Start your shopping early at Accents of Salado and take advantage of the July special pricing.

MONTHLY SPECIALS
Each month Accents of Salado chooses Best Sellers to offer at reduced prices. Subscribe to the Accents of Salado Blog and be the first to know about monthly specials, new merchandise and clearance priced merchandise.

Napa Style Home Decor at Accents of Salado

What is Napa Style?

Napa style decorating finds its roots in the lifestyles of the Spanish, French and Italian wine regions.

Rustic architecture, with clay tile roofs, heavy-beamed arbors and native-stone facades, nestled among rolling hills and vast vineyards, is common to Europe and the Napa wine country.

These picturesque settings and lifestyles celebrate casual living and it's no surprise that as interior designers are requested to create this style of living, traditional design and decorating ideas are changing.

Discover Napa wine country style products for your home at Accents of Salado. The newest addition to our Italian-made ceramics is the oversized Vino Rosso wine vessel. Complimented by a lush garland of grape leaves, tendrils and fruit, the Vino Rosso urn is a perfect possibility for Napa style decorating.

See more possibilities for Napa style interiors.

New Merchandise at Accents of Salado - Lautrec Mirror

LAUTREC IRON MIRROR

New to our home decor selections at Accents of Salado are the Lautrec mirror and the unique primitive birds candelabra.

Designed in classic Mediterranean style, our new round accent mirror is constructed in a rolled metal design and is finished in a brown painted finish with subtle antique gold highlights. With more than 70 individual hand-crafted pieces making up this unusual mirror, it will certainly become one of our customers' favorites.

The Lautrec is ideal for rooms throughout the home and for a variety of decorating styles. Whether placed in the master bath, the master bedroom or used as an accent mirror in the foyer, the Lautrec becomes a piece of wall art that reflects images beautifully.

http://www.accentsofsalado.com/LG_MirrorLautrec.html
http://www.accentsofsalado.com/LG_CandleHolderRusticBRDcge.html

New Candle Holder at Accents of Salado - Primitive Birds

Joining our large collection of iron and ceramic candle holders, the Primitive Birds Candelabra combines wrought iron and rustic ceramic to create a romantic candle holder centerpiece.

Add another dimension to interior design by choosing iron decorating accessories that compliment old world Italian and French country style homes.

This rustic candelabra is designed with a studded ceramic base that holds a cage of primitive porcelain birds in a gold weathered finish. Graceful arms of iron form the branches of a unique candelabra for romantic votive candle lights. This art-inspired candelabra is a welcomed addition to Mediterranean style decorating.

DECORATING WITH MIRRORS

Mirrors are one of the designer's most useful tools. Mirrors increase light in a room with few windows and multiply and distribute the light from existing windows.

In the dining room, mirrors reflect candlelight and exaggerate chandelier luminescence. When placed atop a serving buffet, a mirror adds sparkle to all objects placed on top of it. A long mirror incorporated into a dining table centerpiece showcases crystal table appointments.

Mirrors make a dining experience unique and special.

Reflective qualities are most often the homeowner's major concern when it comes to mirrors, but designers use mirrors by placing them in strategic locations throughout a room's design.

In the picture left, the Lautrec iron mirror


showcases the Primitive Birds candelabra. Strategically placed mirrors reflect and draw attention to important decorative objects, art and sculpture and are ideal for reflecting candle light.

New Merchandise at Accents of Salado - Accent Floral

Five new accent florals are now available on our web site. Choose from a classic handled urn filled with lucious fruit, brilliant red orchids in a dark earthenware vase, a sleek glass vase filled with a bouquet of callas, an oversized rustic topiary featuring moss and grapevine and a small accent piece of golden roses and hydrangea.

Bring the outside in with accent floral from Accents of Salado.

Fruitful Urn

Red Orchids

Bouquet of Callas

Woodlands Topiary

Roses and Hydrangea

See these beautiful arrangments that will infuse your interior design with a new perspective.

New Merchandise at Accents of Salado - Table Runners

Accents of Salado is known for fashionable, high-end table runners in sumptuous home textiles with lavish silk trims and fringes.

Transform an unnoticed space into a sensory experience with our newest table runner styles.

We just added four new styles.

• CAYMAN COVE (silk-blend in a gold and sage green)
• http://www.accentsofsalado.com/B_Cayman.html

• SPICE ISLAND (chenille in rich curry gold and red)http://www.accentsofsalado.com/B_Spice.html

• MARGOT (gold silk embroidery on a soft, gold silk-blend fabric)http://www.accentsofsalado.com/B_Margot.html

• ZENA (bold and dramtic floral pattern in dark gold, olive green, rust and terra on chenille).
  http://www.accentsofsalado.com/B_zena.html

Fiore Umber, one of our top-selling luxury table runners, is included in our June Monthly Special Promotion. Through June 30, 2009, purchase Fiore Umber at Monthly Special pricing.

• Designed in a coppery brown chenille with a dark bronze sheen, the Fiore Umber luxury table runner has a multicolor raised design in shades of gold, rose and green. This luxury table runner is embellished with 6" Silk Bullion Fringe.
• Expect the finest fabrics and quality construction when choosing from our luxury table runner and pillow collections.
• Recommended Care for luxury table runners and luxury accent pillows is dry clean or spot clean only. Table Runners/Pillows cannot be machine washed.

http://www.accentsofsalado.com/MONTHLY_SPECIAL.html

ABOUT ACCENTS OF SALADO

ACCENTS OF SALADO IN SALADO TEXAS

Offering Two Home Decor Shopping Experiences

• Shop with us onsite in Salado, Texas.
• Shop with us online at www.accentsofsalado.com.

See our latest merchandise posts by following the Accents of Salado blog. Be the first to know What's New. We update the Accents of Salado blog with the newest merchandise in our online shopping selection. As soon as we offer new items on Accents of Salado. com, you will find them on our blog. Decorating your home with the latest in home decor accessories is easy with Accents of Salado. We specialize in everything Mediterranean. Decorating styles included in our selection are ideal for Tuscan, French Country, Spanish and Napa style interior designs.

Check out our online shopping E-commerce site today. www.accentsofsalado.com. Learn more about Accents of Salado and see a map to the Accents of Salado showroom location. Welcome to our blog and welcome to the World of Mediterranean Decorating.