Tag Archives: lighting

How to Decorate a Living Room in the Asian Way

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The Asian way of decorating can create a real sense of serenity in the home. It also works well in smaller spaces, like condo rooms because it is a style that does away with clutter.

Simplicity is at the heart of this style. Keep your lampshades as paper ones. You can get white ones or red ones which are the most authentic. However many China town stores have them in an attractive yellow color that can make quite a style statement. Places like Ikea also have paper hanging or free standing lanterns that add a real sense of atmosphere to a place. Bamboo place mats are also appropriate. Straw mats look very elegant in any room. You can use one to define the seating area of any room.

Oriental parasols can also make very elegant lampshades. You simply saw them to the right length and use them to cover the fixtures. This is a good way of covering over ugly pot hole lighting.

Another classic type of room divider is called a Shoji room divider and using one in a room can really give a room an Eastern flair. These are wood with bamboo paper.

Simplicity and harmony are also at the heart of the window blinds used in this culture. Opt for simple bamboo blinds to give your home a sense of airiness. Bamboo room dividers can also be used to separate one area from another.

To really give your home that Asian look try using an Asia Scroll painting. Hanging a large Asian scroll on your wall gives it a lovely counter point.

You can also make a big Buddha or a collection of Buddha figures the focus of your room. Deerknocker fountains and koi ponds, (fake or real) also make a beautiful addition to any décor.

Another Asian touch is to hang a pair of crossed swords on the wall. This is an ancient placement to protect against evil. Make sure the swords are not that sharp and hung securely on the wall.

Most Asian homes also have an aquarium or fountain of some kind in the room. These can be large or small. A poster of fish, mountains or peonies or a similar type of image printed on your linens can also help.

At tabletop Zen garden is the kind of decoration that also gives your room that Asian Flare. This is just a patch of sand with pebbles in it and a rake. You then use the rake to make patterns in the sand.

Decorating Your Home With Orange Accents

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The color orange has a lot of nice qualities to it. It is feminine, youthful and is said to help cheer people up. It is good in rooms that require that you relax and focus at the same time. In 2011, orange is also a very haute color that has been seen making a comeback on the runways and in furniture and fabric design.
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ou do not have to paint your entire home orange in order to be fashionable however painting the occasional accent wall a bright juicy hue will help it be more in style. The key is to not overdue it as too much orange might look a bit too playful or immature.

One simple and effective way to use the color orange is to replace your bathroom or kitchen drawer knobs with orange ceramic or plastic drawer pulls. You can also get beautiful orange pulls that look like blossoms from anthropolgie.

You can also add orange accents by displaying food and collectibles on orange trays. You can buy plastic orange trays at any dollar store but sometimes you can also find orange painted wood trays on retro websites or at garage sales. Orange placemats and orange tablecloths also give your kitchen a bit of a citrus punch as do cutlery with clear or solid plastic orange handles.

It is quite easy to give your kitchen a splash of orange by getting a brand new flashy orange kettle from Le Cruyeset.This steel kettle is dark orange and the base and graduates up to a flowery tangerine color. Orange mixing bowls and plates made out of ceramic also can brighten up a kitchen.

A single orange vase placed in your room can make this color your focal point. The nicest vases are tall, elegant and made of glass. You can get great handmade orange single vases made out of milk glass at Pier 1. Bar that you can make your own orange vase by spray painting jars or bottles a bright orange.

For a burst of real orange try making a floral display out of a grouping of orange roses or orange bougainvillea. You can also make a lovely floral centerpiece out of oranges or blood oranges. Pile the oranges in pyramid shape and stick the flowers between the edges of the fruit to create a display.

Finally a single gold fish in a clear bowl can add a bright point of orange to a place devoid of color.

Remember that if you do not want to actually paint the walls you can always use lighting by replacing your white light bulbs with orange or red ones to create a citrus like glow.