Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The Dark Hole in the Room

When a fireplace is not being used, it can look like a dark hole from across the room.  Make your fireplace an asset in your summer decorating scheme.

DECORATING BELOW THE MANTEL
In summer months you can bring visual interest to your fireplace and even maintain the warm flicker of firelight after the summer sunset.  Place a rustic iron candle stand or hand crafted glass hurricanes in the firebox. My mother always placed potted ferns in her fireplace during the spring and summer and dispersed unique and varying candle holders among the flourishing greenery.

A collection of earthenware urns softened by a woven basket filled with branches, dried flowers and textural seed pods will put your room's decor in harmony with nature.

DECORATING THE MANTEL
On the adobe mantel  left, the homeowner is more comfortable with less decoration on the mantel. The wall tapestry has little competition and therefore becomes the focal point of the room. (Right) When decorating your mantel try a layered look.  On the wall space above the mantel start with a mirror, metal wall art or framed artwork. In front of the wall decor lean a metal, mosaic or rustic earthenware platter or tray. In front of the tray/platter group tall oversized candles and stacks of books.  The layered look is less symmetrical and a more casual approach to decorating.

Monday, April 12, 2010

More Kitchen Storage Please

   

Kitchen Storage Ideas

Every kitchen comes equipped with the basics, but many times the storage is basic too. When limited kitchen storage is the challenge creative cooks come up with creative ideas.

No pantry? There's a solution. How about an armoire? Wall space in an adjoining breakfast nook or long wall space in the kitchen are places where a gorgeous piece of funiture can store can goods, spices and baking products. With shelves as deep as a kitchen cabinet, and maybe even deeper, an armoire is perfect for kitchen storage. An armoire with adjustable shelves allows you to customize based on your needs.


Counter Top Kitchen Canisters
Canisters not only add a decorative touch to your countertop, but they also help keep your food fresh for a longer period of time. Countertop canisters come in a variety of styles, colors and even uses. There are countertop canisters for staples such as flour and sugar, but have you considered a canister for pasta and garlic?

Countertop canisters work best when ingredients are used regularly. When wanting to store sugar over a long period of time it's best to leave it in the bag and place the bag in an airtight plastic container. Sugar often hardens when stored in a countertop canister. To keep pesky bugs our of your pasta, oatmeal and flour, an airtight container stored in the fridge is your best bet. Grain products unfortunately come with little eggs packed right in with the food and these eggs will hatch when stored for long periods of time at room temperature. 

 

Kitchen Pot Racks
Nothing frees up storage space like a hanging or wall-mounted pot rack.

Pot racks are an easy way to accomplish stylish kitchen organization. A pot rack keeps your pots and pans handy for use and if you hang it above your kitchen sink, it makes cleanup simpler. Wash the frying pan. Hang it and it drains in to the sink below.

In addition to creating more storage space, a pot rack changes the look and feel of the kitchen. It becomes part of the decorating theme.

Find more useful storage and decorating ideas at these helpful links:

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

http://www.saladotex.com/TUSCAN_french_country_style_pottery_dishes.html

http://homedecor-online.com/RusticKitchenDecorRusticKitchens.html








Friday, April 9, 2010

New Furniture

Dining Room Tables


Montego Dining Table  The Montego extra long extension table features a dark walnut finish, gear-engineered extenders, solid hardwood construction and two trestle legs with four pedestals. Table design is for ten chairs, but table size can accommodate up to twelve place settings. Width between trestle legs remains constant with table top length increasing as leaves are added. Spacing between trestle legs is 68 inches for side chairs and each trestle leg is 10 inches wide, making table overhang 10", 19" and 28" with 0, 1 and 2 leaves respectively. Table is designed to use 3, 4 or 5 chairs on each side.  More Views


Tuscany Dining Table  The Tuscany long extension table features solid birch construction with cherry veneer panels on table top, 3 inch thick top, heavy distress, hand planed surfaces, warm brown cherry finish, wooden dowel pegs exposed on table top and two trestle legs with large round pedestals. Table design is for up to ten place settings. Width between trestle legs remains constant with table top length increasing as leaves are added. The Tuscany table extends from 84" to 128" with the addition of two leaves. Engineered gear extenders provide ease in table adjustment. The space between trestle legs is 48 inches with or without leaves, thereby allowing optimum configuration for side chairs. Each pedestal is 12 inches round and each trestle foot is 8 inches wide. The table top is 43.5" wide and clearance below top is 27.5 inches. The Tuscany dining room table is the ideal table for rustic elegance.  More Views

Tuscany Round Table   The Tuscany 48" and 60" round dining tables feature solid birch construction with cherry veneer plank-style table top, heavy rustic distress, hand-planed surfaces, warm brown cherry finish and a three-leg round pedestal base. The Tuscany 48" round table is the ideal table for smaller dining spaces and for use as an accent table in foyer, bedroom and entertaining areas.         More Views

Dining Room Chairs