Choosing Colors that Go Together

 
HARMONY IN ROOM COLOR CHOICES 
Choosing colors that go together is a hallmark of good design. Have you ever vacationed in the tropics and find yourself enamored with the slow pace, the exotic architecture and the bright vivid color that engulfs your psyche? Suddenly you find yourself purchasing a souvenir decorative accessory for your home washed in the brilliant colors surrounding you. When you return home you are confronted with the reality that there is not one room in your home where that vase, wall hanging or colorful throw is accepted by the room design color theme that you have created. I've come to the conclusion, after repeatedly making this mistake, that people decorate with the colors that surround them. If you don't live in the tropics then you probably are not decorating your home with cool tropical color.


In the two images to the right, are bedrooms that are both pleasing to the eye. However the furnishings could never be combined. The warm, golden theme of the top bedroom could not accept the gorgeous cool blue chase. When shopping for furniture, the homeowner often finds an exceptional piece of furniture that they love and have to have. The chase in definitely appealing with its divine royal blue upholstery, but it demands a harmonious setting created just for it.

The chase would better compliment the lime green bedroom seen left than complimenting the warm gold-tone bedroom pictured above. Royal blue and lime green are tropical colors. 

They go together.

As seen in the white chair image, royal blue, lime green, vivid pink and bright white are harmonious colors. Replace the white sheers covering the window in the lime green bedroom, with the floral drapery shown in the white chair image, and the blue chase fits right in.

THE MORAL TO THIS DECORATING STORY
If your home is designed with warm earth tone colors, don't buy the metal art gecko to display on your coffee table.  Just buy it because you love it. It will make you happy every time you pull it out of the drawer.

Your Friends at Accents of Salado

Nourishing the Soul

I've never been much on new year resolutions, but I seem to always have a recurring thought each year and I guess there must be a reason.

As a new year rolls around I think of a fellow teacher with whom I worked for many years. Seldom in your lifetime does another's actions become engraved in your memory, but I think about this woman and I remember how renewing her spirit was high on her priority list. She was wise beyond her years and she must have known that a fresh new outlook was most important to her well-being and to the well-being of the children in her care.

Christine Taylor knew how to nourish her spirit and she did it on a regular basis. Every month, on a prominent wall beside her desk, a new work of art would appear. When I asked her about this unusual occurrence, she told me that one day she realized that she was going to be spending at least one-third of her life in this home away from home. Ms. Taylor knew that art was the mirror to one's soul and she shared her spirit and love of life each time she changed that picture on the wall. Every day she was surrounded by what she loved - children and her reminder of home.

As the owner of Accents of Salado, one of my favorite duties is the selection of new artwork. As the year winds down and we gear up for a new retail year,  these new selections begin to arrive.

I love to open the boxes and see these new treasures for the first time. It's like walking into Christine Taylor's classroom and sharing with her a renewal of spirit.

Pictured here are three new arrivals at Accents of Salado.

La Entrada   Fruit and Arches I   Fruit and Arches II

More New Accents of Salado Wall Art: Tranquil Moments   El Farol   Italian Tulipas.

Wishing you a renewal of Spirit in 2011.
www.accentsofsalado.com

 

Time to Set the Table

The Accents of Salado family loves the holidays. We close the Accents of Salado showroom and gather in our homes with family and friends for great food, fun and fellowship.

Setting a traditional holiday table includes choice of table linens, china and crystal. More informal holiday tables showcase a festive runner or placemats, pottery and colored glassware.

Table appointments take a back seat to table size when everyone wants to gather at your home and  you must seat more guests than your dining table accomodates.

If you are searching for a new and larger table there are space requirements to consider. Ideally, make sure that there are 30 to 36 inches around the perimeter of the table for scooting chairs back and walking. Keep in mind that to be comfortable diners need an average of 22 inches of space and 14 inches of dining table depth.

With this information in mind, Accents of Salado can help you find just the right table for the holidays and all the days in between.

Seat more people with a rectangular table that extends with leaf extensions. Accents of Salado has dining tables that extend to as much as 144 inches and seat up to 12 people.
If your dining room is small, consider moving your table to a larger area for special occasions, increasing the table length with leaf extensions and bringing all guests to your festive holiday table. See the Accents of Salado rectangular and round table selection at these Accents of Salado web site links:

http://www.accentsofsalado.com/RusticLargeRoundDiningTableTuscanyStyle70.html

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

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

First Impressions - How to Decorate the Foyer

CREATING FIRST IMPRESSIONS
There are key considerations when deciding how to decorate a foyer. Create a lasting first impression by giving your foyer full attention. The foyer is the introduction to your home. Wall decor, wall color and furniture selection are key elements to fashionable foyer decorating.

OLD WORLD STYLE FOYERS
The foyer in the picture left has dramatic Mediterranean style architecture with heavy wood beams in the high ceiling, tall arches along the foyer walkway mirrored by tall arched windows. The lighting is reminiscent of lanterns that lined foyers in ancient Spanish haciendas and grand Italian villas of the past. Dark wood floors and doors are complimentary to the beams in the ceiling and the dark iron in the lighting.

To maintian the romantic Mediterranean feel of the architecture, the interior design includes dark wood furniture and dark iron wall art. The dark antiqued arch mirror is complimentary to the architectural arches and windows and reflects views of rooms to come.

The red theme wall tapestry in the entry foyer adds color and the woven texture softens hard surfaces. It's all about, texture, color and theme when you update your decor. Softening a room, with the rich warmth of tapestry, can make the space feel more inviting and wall hangings are an excellent opportunity to enhance your room color theme.  Green topiaries on the foyer table as well as the woven basket of  filled with red floral below the mirror are equally important to color and soft texture. Copper bowls atop the foyer table enhance the red tones in the floor, doors, iron work, wall accessories and furniture.

DECORATING WITH MIRRORS
Mirrors are not only practical in the foyer, but are works of art, enhancing your home's first impression in many ways. Decorating the foyer wall with a stylish mirror enhances the size and scope of the foyer. A foyer mirror reflects natural light from glass entry doors and distributes light around the room. A well-placed mirror opens up the foyer, creates a new view and reflects homeowner personality as well as the home's architectural assets.

If you're looking for a transformational decorating idea, invest in a stylish mirror to transform your space. Mirrors make a room feel larger. Tight spaces expand and rooms seem roomier when you you hang a large mirror.  It’s a classic interior decorator’s trick to create instant, if not real, square footage.

Mirrors give the illusion of depth to a flat wall and make the wall seem to disappear. Mirrors are a favorite decorating tool because the mirror frame can enhance a decorating style or can be neutral wall decor, neither traditional nor contemporary. In the image right, our Celice oval mirror compiments the old world foyer style and showcases the room's elegant staircase. The dark metal frame reinforces the dark woods of the chair and foyer chest. Placing the round backed chair beside the mirror presents a harmonious setting by complimenting the mirror's oval shape.

When trying to decide whether to hang a mirror or a piece of art, the decision often comes down to the one that is most aesthetically appealing. With all advantages considered,  many times a mirror just works better.

Read more ideas about how to decorate the foyer.   See ideas on how to do a foyer makeover.

Read more ideas about how to decorate with mirrors.

See these great foyer decorating products:

FOYER CHESTS AND SIDEBOARDS

FOYER ARTWORK

FOYER MIRRORS

FOYER WALL TAPESTRY

FOYER FLORAL AND TOPIARIES

Cooler Days Ahead

With the passing of Labor Day there is certainty that cooler days are ahead. As we relish this welcomed relief from summer temperatures we seem to find ourselves spending more time outdoors.  Autumn is the perfect time of year to enjoy outdoor rooms, decks and patios.

OUTDOOR ROOMS have become an exciting way for homeowners to incorporate the pleasures of nature with family designed living areas. The concept for the outdoor room may have originated in temperate Mediterranean climates where al fresco living has remained the same for centuries. New advances in architecture, lighting, and furniture have dramatically increased interest in outdoor room functionality in the modern Mediterranean style home.

Mediterranean outdoor rooms and gardens are sheltered, intimate spaces for relaxing and entertaining. Garden fountains cool the terrace in warmer months and outdoor fireplaces keep outdoor living spaces cozy on cool evenings. Containers filled with lavender and rosemary offer an abundance of fragrances. Large earthenware garden pots, iron hanging baskets and iron window baskets are commonly filled with Mediterranean herbs, grasses and flowering annuals. A patio garden is an ideal location for growing cooking herbs as well as flowering plants for seasonal color.

Outdoor rooms are used for relaxing, lounging, entertaining and recreation. Exterior rooms integrate multi-level decks, charming patios and elegant terraces into the home landscape design.

Outdoor areas designated for recreation depend on family interests. Swimming pools, outdoor spas, workshops, hot houses and sports areas are all possibilities and can be tastefully integrated into a backyard landscape design.

Outdoor rooms designed  for sitting, lounging, or simply enjoying the beauty of the garden are often centered around a focal point in the surrounding landscape, like a fountain,  garden sculpture or distant scenic view. Outdoor rooms include comfortable seating, outdoor fireplaces, outdoor dining areas and outdoor kitchens.

Decorate your outside room to reflect your tastes and comfort. Modern outdoor rooms are decorated with the same degree of thought and planning by using the same basic rules of thumb when creating any great room design.  Accents of Salado can help.

Are Your Windows Covered?

Nothing affects the mood of a room more than color. Even the absence of color says volumes about your home and your lifestyle.

The color of your window coverings is important.  Window coverings add to the overall mood of the room. Dark colors tend to anchor larger spaces and create a cozier environment. Neutral window coverings allow furniture and wall decor to take centerstage.

If you are having trouble deciding what color to paint your walls, stick with neutral tones and bring color into the room via the window coverings. This allows you to change the colors in your room as your tastes change without having to repaint your walls.

What is great about window coverings is that most products and styles are versatile, requiring little customization on your part to fit your décor. Wood blinds, for example, in an antique white finish will look great in cottage-style décor. Take that same wood blind and finish it with a rich, black stain, and the blinds  easily find a home in a modern, loft-style décor.

Decorating Important Rooms in Your Home

Wall Tapestry in Home Decor

When planning a room make over, try something new in wall decor. Changing wall color is important when going for a new look and updating wall decor enhances wall color choices. Wall tapestry compliments the textures, colors and desired theme for a newly designed room. When deciding how to decorate a wall there are several considerations. Knowing that the eye is drawn to distinctive wall art helps when choosing wall decor. Color contrasts, dark/light contrast and object size/shape make wall art more pronounced and easier to see. When creating a Mediterranean design, no wall decor says traditional old world more than wall tapestry combined with scrolled iron wall art.

See our wall tapestry selection. Our selection includes architectural, floral, landscape and nautical themes. Find wall tapestry ideal for narrow as well as large, expansive wall space.