Sunday, August 22, 2010

Home Decor and the Environment

We all know that, as consumers, our money is our vote. When we choose products that are not Eco friendly, we elect to destroy our life support system. We elect to poison our water and soil, and to make our atmosphere into Swiss cheese that we cannot breathe, and that will not protect us from carcinogenic cosmic rays.


When we choose products that are produced without toxins, or are made from materials that are sustainably harvested, we elect to give our children a planet they can survive on.


This then is our challenge, in a consumer driven market, we must change the way we shop in order to change the way factories produce their products. Ultimately, we are responsible decision makers every time we pull out our wallets. We can change the way we consume Earth's resources.


It starts by becoming aware of our options. Imagine these options as a pyramid, where at the base you have the least favorable option: disposal.

Above that would be energy recovery. On the third floor, we find recycling topped by a layer of re-usage. Closer to the top comes minimization and the crown of earth-friendly tactics is prevention.

An example of prevention would be to use slip covers that protect our furniture, so that it did not wear out, and we would not need to buy new furniture, which, even in the best of circumstances, causes energy consumption and emissions for manufacture and transportation.


An example of minimization, would be to buy furniture that is made of sustainably harvested, and quick growing wood, like bamboo, so that our crucial oxygen producing forests are not depleted. Buying from local manufacturers means there is less fuel consumption required to bring it to you.


An example of reuse is to buy a piece of tropical hardwood furniture at a garage sale.

To buy tropical hardwood from the manufacturer would be to encourage the most destructive practices causing deforestation. You'd be causing the problem by creating a market demand. However, buying that same item at a garage sale would not be nearly as bad. Using reclaimed materials from old buildings when they are torn down is also a way to be sure that hardwoods are not wasted.

An example of recycling would be to buy furniture upholstery made from recycled cotton. Organic cotton is of course best, as it prevents the use of so many toxic pesticides, and prevention is at the top of the hierarchy of options.


In absence of an organic option, recycled cotton, which uses clean strips of old t-shirts to make new fabric, is still better than buying new conventionally grown cotton, as it will at least avoid creating a demand for more toxic cotton farming. Recycling does, however, generate waste in energy and emissions during the manufacturing and transportation processes, and is therefore less desirable than reuse.


An example of energy recovery would be to take the piece of furniture you think is beyond repair, and (provided that it has no toxins in it) burn it in your wood burning stove to heat your house, thereby preventing the waste of electricity and gas of operating your standard heaters. This however creates emissions, and the demand for a new product, so it is low on the hierarchy of options.


Disposal is the least desirable option because it causes damage on so many levels. It creates the demand for a replacement product, uses energy in transportation to the dump, and then creates more landfill, or emissions if burned.


Now that you are an informed shopper, teach your friends about these principles and model them for your children. Make home decor a laboratory to put these ethics in practice. You'll learn lots as you go, and be proud of your home when finished. Eco friendly decor can be every bit as beautiful and affordable as conventional decor, and is usually more so.


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Monday, August 16, 2010

Home Decor With Area Rugs

Are you thinking of buying some new area rugs for your home? You might be surprised to hear about how affordable they are these days. These rugs can complete the look of any room from bedrooms, living rooms, entryways and more. With so many great styles, colors and sizes of rugs to choose from, it's certain you will find one for your specific needs.
 
When searching for quality rugs to help improve your home décor, a good start is to know where you want to put the rug. You need to know which room you are using it in first because this can affect the shape and size of the room you get. Circular rugs and square rugs work best in smaller rooms and oval and rectangular rugs will do better in larger rooms.
 
Knowing the room first will also help you pick a color scheme and design that will go with an existing theme you already have in your room.
 
If you want to get great area rugs for your home décor but budget is a factor, you're still in luck.

You can now find discount area rugs online cheaper than ever before and you don't have to sacrifice quality. When you shop from the right places, you can get some of the best, most beautiful rugs around all at prices that meet your budget.
 
You can also add area-style rugs to your home décor piece by piece. It's possible to buy one at a time, each room at a time as your budget allows. By the time you are done, your whole home will be full of these beautiful area rugs.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Modern home decorating trends

Anyone that has a home will certainly do anything so that it looks as beautiful as possible and that is why they will most of the times, delve into redecorating it, especially when the summer is near. So, if you want to make sure that your home will ok pretty much amazing in the new season, then you will need to check out some of the home decorating trends below.

Yet even though many people will want to make sure that their homes look good, some of them just don't know what to do in order to make their home look amazing and if you are one such person, then you will only need to delve into reading a home decorating magazine. There you will be able to find hundreds of ideas that you can employ and at least one of them will certainly be an instant favorite. If you find it too bothersome to go the magazine stand and buy one from there, then you will only have to go on the internet and get it in PDF format for a smaller fee.

It seems though that the color everyone loves when summer is approaching is green and that cannot be blamed.

In the summer time, everywhere you will look, you will find that there are green patches.

If there is a place that many people will consider improving, that is the bathroom. Some new glass accessories and some bright colors (shower curtains) will certainly give it a better mood. And of course, you don't need to be worried when it comes to the costs, as these changes are not expensive.

2011 is the year in which people love to focus on vibrant colors, like green, pink and so forth. More to that, using them individually is kind of dull and that is why people will generally delve into mixing them together.

Don't worry if you are not too well versed when it comes to trends, for you can always call an interior designer that will recommend you what you can use in your home and what colors are going to make your home shift towards a better mood. In little time, you will be amazed of how much your home has been changed in terms of looks and mood and all of your friends will be practically amazed by what you've done. For more designs, you can always check the modern contemporary home magazine, which is just full of awesome ideas waiting to be employed.

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Monday, August 2, 2010

Home Decor Magazines Necessary To Decorating

For most people today it doesnt take lengthy to recognize by looking around at their residence that improvements are required. You could possibly want to maintain putting it off, but you understand your property is looking slightly dated and which you must redecorate. Many turn to home decor magazines for ideas and inspiration.

Home decor magazinesand catalogs let typical folks like you and me peek inside the magical globe of household decorating. They offer you useful guidelines and suggestions we can use when redecorating our homes. The photos give us a clear have an understanding of, when the text guides us in our decision producing efforts.

You can find a myriad of home decor magazinesinside the magazine racks at your local bookstore or magazine outlet. Decorating concepts abound on their pages, and gorgeous photos inspire us additional to be bold and daring in our dcor choices. Catalogues also give us the chance to buy our wares directly from them although we are at a fevered pitch to have their extremely room layout down to the drapes and carpet.

You can discover magazines which include these on the web too, which includes on the internet magazines or ezines at the same time as typical printed magazine subscriptions which will come straight to your property.

Home Decor Magazine List

New interior style magazines are being published continually. Some of the a lot more common selection are listed below.

Far better Homes and Gardens - This magazine focuses the readers attention on information about items homeowners could be enthusiastic about, and their household. Suggestions for decorating your home as well as your garden are included. Superior Properties and Gardens is also well known for their annual publications which cover particular topics in depth.

Country Living - A monthly magazine chock full of suggestions for nation living, dcor, crafts, antiques and such. Wonderful photos. They consist of strategies on cooking also for those into that sort of issue. This interior decorating magazine also particulars furniture and window treatments, fireplace, historic colors, architecture and fabric.

Conventional Home - As the name implies, this magazine is all about historical homes and how to decorate them. They speak about areas you can actually visit to take notes and feel the ambiance of several classic decorating types. In particular they discuss furniture, window treatments, fabric and color schemes.

Elle Decor - A semi-monthly publication devoted to modern style, that leans slightly to the French style. Luxury is the word. They write about approaches that typical home owners can transform their house into these luxury abodes.

In addition you may locate that these publications offer you insights or perspectives you uncover pleasing:

House Beautiful
Southern Living
Architectural Digest
Touch of Class Magazine
Domino Magazine
Metropolitan Home

One of the more preferred interior style catalogs, recognized for their inexpensive residence decor is Pottery Barn. Their stores are accessible in substantially of the country. They provide a wide range of styles and prices.

You can also come across that a lot of craft magazines are helpful as they show not just the best way to make points you may use within your dwelling, but wonderful photographs displaying those produced items in techniques you may well obtain helpful and inspiring.

Regrettably there arent many free of charge magazines out there, but you can come across some newsletters to subscribe to on line that could maintain you as much as date on the most recent home fashion trends.

Home decor magazines offer a fantastic resource and inspiration. Their professional guidance give aid whilst creating decisions about different strategies, step-by-step instructions, and great ideas which can assist you to achieve a desired appear.