Home Decor Style Blog

Referrals are one of the best ways to find a good service provider. My business depends tremendously on our past clients and others who think highly of us and therefore refer us to people who need a good design/build contractor. Likewise our company also finds the trade contractors and suppliers we need by asking other people for referrals. But what if you do not know anybody to ask for referrals? Suppose you are new to an area and you just don’t know anybody who has hired a contractor. Or you can not find someone who hired a contractor that would they recommend. What options are open to you? Well, there are always the Internet, newspaper and yellow page ads. There are certainly lots of names out there. But how do you distinguish between the good and bad companies? Isn’t it risky to hire a company out of the phone book to come and work in your home? You have heard so many horror stories and you don’t want to have one one of your own! Isn’t there some organization that contractors who are ethical and always striving to learn more belong to? Some resource that would be able to make referrals to you of members who provide the kind of service you are looking for and who work in the area that you live? A local organization that was part of a national organization, working to hard to give consumers like you a quality contracting experience wherever you live in the United States.

I am truly pleased to tell you that such organizations exists. If you are remodeling you can find referrals of reputable contractors at www.nari.org and www.nkba.com.

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is the premier organization representing remodeling contractors across America. NARI is more well-known in the East and Midwest. In those parts of the country hiring a NARI member is the norm because of the work the local chapters have done over the years. Members include general contractors, trade contractors, architects/designers, suppliers and others involved in providing services to homeowners. All NARI members are required to maintain the highest ethical standards in all aspects of their business. Continuing education takes place at the monthly meetings, which are open to members, non-members and the general public. The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) provides referrals of contractors and designers that can help you determine the scope of your project, design it and build it. There are more than 40,000 NKBA members across the United States and Canada in 71 chapters/sub chapters across North America. Both NARI and NKBA provides remodeling contractor members the opportunity to be engaged in a formal education program, resulting in the individual member achieving several certifications and designations. The education programs are a rigorous procedure, involving much reading and a series of regular meetings and testing. One of the best aspects of these programs are that candidates get the opportunity to share experiences and learn from one another. The Internet has opened up a host of lists and blogs where homeowners can post reviews, stories and comments about service providers. I tend to think that the best of these is Angie’s List (www.angieslist.org). Companies on Angie’s List are there because their customer’s went to the trouble of adding them to the list and reviewing their service. A company can not pay or add itself to the list. Angie’s List is not available in all areas of the country but it is spreading fast. Also check into local services like the BBB or Diamond Certified to obtain information about a remodeling contractor. Diamond Certified conduct customer surveys prior to listing and also posts information about the contractor’s general liability and workers compensation insurance. The information is out there, look and learn before committing to a relationship with a remodeling contractor.

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Gary Belk has been designing and renovating residential property in California, Hawaii, Texas, Maryland, Central America and the Caribbean for over 20 years. He is also owner of Winans Construction in Oakland, California a design/build firm founded in 1978. http://www.winconinc.com

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Like any other room in our home, we want our bedrooms to be put-together and stylish. But we also want our bedrooms to be a real heaven, very comfortable and cozy - after all it’s the first and last thing we see every day.

Your bedding is what I call your ‘anchor’ in the room - the largest piece of fabric and the most important pattern in the room. If you want a coordinating, put-together room, you need to make sure your window treatments compliment (they may or may not match) your bedding. You CAN bring your room together whether you’re buying ‘ready-mades’ or ‘custom’.

For the DYI’er.

1. If you’re in the process of shopping for new bedding, I would strongly suggest that you purchase the coordinating window treatments as well. Most often, the retail stores do carry coordinating accessories with their assortment of bedding - so if you’ve already found the pattern that you like, it’s easy to just purchase the whole set. You can always get more information on ready-made curtains at www.CurtainHowTo.com.
2. If you’re happy with the bedding, but unhappy with the type of the window treatments available, you can always purchase them anyway, and then just use the fabric to make up any other window treatment you like (you will be getting into some custom work here)
3. If you’re happy with your current bedding and are looking for just the window treatments here are a couple of tips:
   • Be sure to match the main color pallet from both the bedding and the treatment. Not all colors have to match, but the most prevalent one does.
   • If your bedding is highly patterned, it’s easier to select solid drapes (this works the other way around too).
   • Purchase an extra panel and make up a pillow - even a little touch like this can make a difference. Your local cleaner can make one up for you.
   • If you want to be really audacious, purchase several panels, and use the fabric to make a bed skirt and several pillows or shams. This might be a bit too advanced for a local cleaner and you’ll have to find a seamstress.
4. Purchase an extra panel and use it as a throw at the foot of the bed. While there is nothing wrong with mixing patterns, it will be easier for you to use a solid throw on a patterned comforter (and the other way around).

Custom work.

As with anything with custom, the sky is the limit, but here are your basic considerations:

1. Be sure to select the fabric for your bedding first. It is your anchor and all other elements are derived from it. As such, make sure you really love it!
2. It’s best when your comforter fabric and window treatments fabric do not match. That’s right, I said do not. Because both will use such a large amount of fabric, seeing the same pattern in 75% of your room will just be too much of the same thing. Of course, having said it, some of design is subjective and personal - if you really love it, go for it!
3. Choose at lease three patterns: one main one and two secondary. If you love high pattern and not afraid to try, go for five or six.
4. It will be easier for you to select a solid comforter fabric and use various patterns for pillows and shams.
5. Custom bedrooms look best when completed with a bench at the foot of the bed.

If you’re completing your bedroom through a retail store, there are some simple steps you can take to make your bedroom beautiful, put-together, and on the budget. If you’re making custom treatments, decide how much risk you’re willing to take with your patterns and what feel you want to accomplish. The designer will help you with selecting the right fabrics.

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Vita Vygovska is the owner of V2K Window Décor and a Window Treatment Expert. She helped countless clients transform their homes with decorated windows. She works via in-person, as well as virtual appointments where the client gets design ideas right on the photo. Vita is the author of “The Fast & Easy Guide to Buying and Installing Your Curtains and Drapery Panels”, a DIY step-by-step manual on curtains. Visit http://www.VitaV2K.com for FREE tips and design ideas.

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Canopy beds have found a cozy place in a large number of American homes. Once considered to be the privilege of the rich, these dream beds, especially the four poster canopy bed, has an interesting story to tell.

Catching Insects!

The thatched roofs of the Middle Ages were prone to attack by caterpillars, mice, and other nasty creatures. They used to fall from the roof and onto the laps of sleeping people below. Eeks! To prevent raining insects and mice, people started erecting posts on all four corners of the bed. They spread a sheet over the top so that the falling “attackers” would be caught in them. The four poster canopy bed, which is now regarded as a luxurious addition to the room, was a necessity then!

Go to South America and other parts of the world, and you will see canopy beds as a damn necessity. And they are not embedded with heavy fabrics, but thin netting material to keep mosquitoes and other flying insects away.

Adding Privacy!

The affluent landlords of the European castles have a different story to tell. It was a common scene to see the Lord, his family, and their servants sleeping in a single spacious room. For them, canopy beds were required to have a bit of privacy, not mentioning the warmth and coziness it provided.

Whatever might have been the reason to use canopy beds, the truth is that these beds have become a style statement. The variety in designs, colors, raw materials, and finishes is greater than ever. You can find metal canopy bed, iron canopy bed, brass canopy bed, and wooden canopy bed, all displayed at one place. Easy to choose and compare!

Award-Winning Bed Design. Canopy bed conjure up a feeling or richness and elegance. Many have a rich brown color with a glossy look begs you to be taken to your home! Others are inspired by the style of Louis XV of the 18th century. Their deep cherry color is going to take your heart away. Beautiful motifs are often carved on the bracket feet of the bed. It’s going to be a hard time for you to resist this piece of furniture once you set eyes on it.

The Twin Delight!

Another variety in canopy beds that is going to catch your eye is canopy twin bed. Spruce up your bedroom with this lovely pair! If the idea of driving down to the showroom does not appeal you, then log online and place your orders. You will be shipped your favorite furniture within a week. You can even avail discounts at attractive rates.

So, if you have been thinking of creating a cozy den for your beauty sleep, think canopy beds. Nothing can be better than this!

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Benjamin Weissman writes articles about using Discount Bedroom Furniture, Metal Beds and Daybeds to decorate a bedroom beautifully and inexpensively. Make your Bedroom a Personal Retreat.

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