Retro Kitchen Decor

Though, we are living in the modern era but ironically, the biggest fashion now a day is retro look. This phenomenon is not just restricted to clothes and apparel but also to home décor. Retro or call it old and classic is something that can never go out of fashion and that’s why we humans keep going back to retro designs. When it comes to interior decorating, the retro look inside the kitchen has become instantly popular. Compared to a retro kitchen design, modern kitchen gives us more room but nothing can beat the charm and style of retro kitchen décor. Some of the common elements of retro kitchen décor are plastic, checked patterns, stainless steel, chrome and glass. Retro décor thrives on colorful and vibrant colors.

Use colors like red or orange or glossy black for true retro feel. Floor must have alternating black and white tiles. This will give your kitchen a real retro feel. Kitchen must be adorned with brightly colored plastic food baskets. You can also use plastic squeeze bottles for condiments. Retro kitchen design will get further boost with jukebox and chrome napkin holder. Using memorabilia is an innovative idea to get your perfect retro look. You can use travel and diner memorabilia, like street signs, vintage cars, Route 66 and drive-ins etc.

Additionally, use diner-style mugs and plates, plastic covered menus, checked tablecloths, period paintings and antique wall phones etc. Appliances play a major role in kitchen retro look. For example, people use stoves and refrigerators in colors like flamingo pink, candy red or buttercup yellow. These appliances are new but will give the impression of being made during 1950s. You can also consider the option of buying new appliances and kitchen sinks.

Organic Gardening

Gardening is definitely one of the popular hobbies. It gives you a chance to tend to flowers, trees and stay in touch with true beauty of the nature. Gardening is a relaxing and pleasing hobby. It also makes your house look attractive and environment friendly. Now a day, many people are turning to the concept of organic gardening. Though, it requires more toil and efforts but organic gardening is definitely worth all the efforts. Organic refers to total avoidance of chemicals. It will be a real thrill to find your flowers blooming without actually using any chemical.

We are living in an era where focus is shifting to environmental friendly measures in every aspect of life. You can help your bit by indulging in organic gardening. You don’t have to use any fertilizers, chemical-ridden pesticides etc. There is no downside of organic method of gardening. When you start organic gardening, use plants or flowers that suit the climate you are living in. No point giving your efforts to plants that will not show good results because of the climate factor.

One of the basic rules of organic gardening is to use rainwater to water your garden. You can use huge barrels, pipes or hose to water your garden. Natural fertilizers should always be preferred over artificial ones. It will make world of difference to your plants. You can also use compost that will boost water retention capabilities of the plants. Keep stubbing the weeds on a daily basis. Mulching is the final tip for keeping your organic garden in perfect shape.

Window Treatments

Window treatments are quite important in the overall context of interior decoration. It is no longer a neglected aspect of home décor. There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing window treatments. Options range from blinds, cafe curtains to shutters, shades and other simple materials that can be used to decorate your window. So while you start thinking over right kind of window treatments, first check out the style and décor of your home.

Mini-blind is the most common window covering used in most of the houses. Advantages associated with mini-blind are availability of many colors and materials, different price range and tailored of your window. Whereas on the downside, mini-blinds easily collect dust and that makes them difficult to manage. You also need to keep in mind that these are sold in specific sizes so you must measure your window opening adequately.

How about window shade? Gone are days when people were forced to use plain white shades. Now window shades are available in plenty of colors and appear very stylish. One can always adjust the length of shades in accordance with measurements of the window. The best part about window shades is that they are easy to manage and clean.

Many people prefer to go for balloon curtains as they give a formal look to the window. They cost comparatively less and available in variety of colors and fabrics. One more idea could of using flannel, satin or eyelet sheets on window. Homes with country kitchens can always go for shutters. Furthermore, you can decorate your window treatments with dried flowers, ribbons and bows. To sum up, it does not cost much to decorate your windows and all you need to do is a bit of searching and surfing.

Basic Decoration Trends

Modern era has witnessed a huge change in decoration and design trends. The themes have changed drastically and now people are more willing to experiment with new ideas. There are certain basic decoration trends; Traditional look, contemporary décor and country look. The traditional look is still the most preferred by majority of households. It brings back the nostalgic memories to all and sundry. The fact is, preferred decoration trend is determined by an individual’s taste, age and color combinations. Traditional look has elements of rich and flamboyant designs. Colors are usually dark like navy blue, burgundy or emerald green. This design represents splendor and opulence. Wood work in traditional look is generally of cherry wood. Another essential feature of such décor is leather furniture that enhances the overall look of the house.

Contemporary style is also known as casual style. The particular features of this style are chrome, glass and black plastic combinations. Many households prefer minimalistic décor that is quite clean and simple. Preferred colors are gray, white and beige. Furniture is often made of light wood whereas accessories are used to enhance the overall effect of the house.

Those who love to feel themselves closer to nature, usually opt for rustic or country style. This style is very soothing and has a calming feel about it. This style goes wonderfully well with Country French or Mission-style home decoration. Country style has undergone certain changes with shifting preferences of new generation. Bright color combinations are more opted for now a day. Rustic style focuses on antique look with distressed paint finish. Modern decorations themes also emphasize the need of providing new look to bathrooms and powder rooms apart from bedroom, kitchen and living room.

Dining Room Table Set

So after decorating your entire house with your favorite furniture, you are wondering about your dining room table. Now, this is one aspect that does demand your consideration and thoughts. Remember, dining room table is a very important part of any household because this is one place where the entire family sits together and has a meal. One interesting thing about dining room table is that it normally lasts longer than other furniture of the house and you can also pass it to next generation as a legacy. So, you must think thoroughly before deciding about the dining table. This is not any piece of furniture but it is dining table that will remain with you for a long time. Consider aspects like taste, style, durability before zeroing in on one.

One of the important factors in dining room table set is the shape. It could be rectangular, oval, square or round. Those with small family size should go for round or oval shape. For large family size, rectangular fits the bill. Next important thing is material being used in the table. For a more casual or relaxed feel, you can go for pine, oak or cherry. But if you are looking for fancy or style then walnut and mahogany will do the job. Children often leave scratches on wood. In that case, you can also opt for casual woods. Glass table is another option but it is delicate.

When it comes to style, one has the choice of antique look with handcrafted workmanship and designer cravings. Glass and expandable tables are also useful choices.

Feng Shui Colors

The literal meaning of Feng Shui is wind-water. We all know it is a Chinese system that uses laws of both earth and heaven to improve lives of people. It is helpful in bringing positive energy in the house. The prime principles of Feng Shui focus on drawing positive energy at any place. It could be your home, office or any building. Feng Shui plays a crucial role in our homes and more and more people are trying to follow principles of Feng Shui. Talking about different parts of our house, bedroom is perhaps the most important part because this is where we spend maximum time of our life. The atmosphere of your bedroom can have multiple effects on you in terms of spirituality, energy, effectiveness, peace and emotional level. Therefore, one should an appropriate color for his bedroom because colors can have drastic effects on someone’s life.

Feng Shui and yoga science places special emphasis on color selection for your bed room. For example, blue contains yin energy and it has a calm and soothing effect. Blue is one of the best colors for your bedroom because it represents love and serenity. Similarly, pink is a wonderful color for your bedroom. Pink represents joy, happiness, love and innocence. This color symbolizes relationships and we all know importance of relationships in our lives.

Red is a dominant color and represents fire. It should not be used on the wall in the bedroom however; it can be used in things like bed sheets and blankets. Green represents growth, hope, fertility and harmony and is considered as very effective for bedroom. White denotes purity and innocence. It can be used in bedroom but only in moderation. Purple symbolizes excitement, passion and motivation and can be used in bedroom in moderation.

Paper Clutter

Clutter is a major problem faced by almost all the households. It is like a never-ending task but like everything else in the world this too has a solution. If you do the cleaning thing on a regular basis, clutter will never become a cumbersome duty. Here, we are referring to paper clutter. It could be newspapers, magazines, notebooks, bills, art paper and several other such things. Basically the list is endless. Families with relatively large number of children, face this problem of clutter on a major scale.

Daily newspaper is the biggest source of clutter. What you should do is to avoid piling up newspapers. Once you are done with reading or collecting your favorite article, keep it aside the same day. Don’t procrastinate it. The same goes for magazines.

Children often create paper clutter whether it’s just playing or because of some painting or drawing work, kids bring along lots of clutter. So what you should do in such condition is to provide them space to display or store their stuffs and once in a while weed out unnecessary stuff. Mail is another object that causes clutter. The right way is to throw away junk mail in a dustbin and store all the necessary mails neatly in a shelf near your workspace. You can further use labels and files for better order. Other probable causes of paper clutter are message boards, school bag, polythenes and shopping stuffs. Now, make these tips as permanent feature of your life and keep your home clutter free.