Coming home to a place that feels like it’s happy to see you is a really nice feeling. It’s like hot chocolate in winter or chicken broth when you have the flu. Perhaps a nice warm soak in the tub after getting wet in the cold rain. It’s a warm, welcoming, feel-good aura. A home feels like that. The good news is that you don’t need a professional interior designer to make your place into this hot coco or chicken broth kind of home with some tricks you can do on your own.

One way is to shower your home with love. Lots of it. And what a great way to do it through photographs. Pictures tell stories and offer glimpses of memories where words may not be spoken. Display family photos, vacation and special occasion photos, as well as those of friends and special places. Try other sizes - go big and bigger. Use stylish frames. Don’t just display pictures on the usual top of the desk or cabinet but hang them on walls like you would for artworks. My family home is like a photo museum. Seriously, a security and a receptionist are the only things missing to complete the look. Guests (and family members still) can’t help going through the photos on the walls and shelves like looking at expensive and historic pieces in a museum. There are blown-up photos like paintings in an art gallery. Coming home for visits always feels exactly that coming home. The photos have so many stories to tell and memories always come rushing back that coming over for a visit never ever lack of stories to tell. I’ve seen majority of the photos for years but they never fail to stir up a wave of emotions. Our family friends love the photo museum that is our house too. My own pals for one are giddy for having their faces displayed along the walls. Some are even in bigger sizes and that’s what makes them crazy about it. Our pet dog can never question our devotion to her for her photos are displayed as well in funky frames and colors. Now how’s that for a love shower?

Make your home inviting the moment you step in. Warm or bright colors with matching furniture can help you achieve this. When the interiors suit each other, anyone can see that the homeowner put so much heart into making this home look as appealing as it is. In that, there is love. Select items that showcase your personality and likes. Without talking too much, you’ll open up pieces of you. Paint the room where you relax often with warm color. An option is to use decorative items in subtle colors such as pastels shades for a calming effect.

An important note is not to neglect the floor. True, people usually roam their eyes at wall and ceiling levels, but sooner or later, the eyes will glance down. An unattractive floor can ruin the otherwise picture-perfect scene. Add area rugs to the equation of decorating and the results will be super! Rugs are simple but effective additions in home improvement. Don’t limit area rugs in the living room and bedroom. Include the kitchen, bathroom, porch, deck, entryway and the patio.

Let us end our home sweet home chat with the weight of cleanliness. A place that reeks of bad odor, mess and clutter, and dirt and stain is not a home. It’s a disaster personified! Home management starts with cleanliness. You feel good when you are in a clean place. A clean house is a reflection of both the inhabitants’ personal hygiene (really!) and their attitude towards living in their house. A house that has love becomes a home. Similarly, a loved home is a clean home.

Keep up with current Interior Decorating styles and enhance your home with southwestern area rugs.

Tags: Hobbies, Garden, Interior Decorating

Since ancient times, people have loved to make beautiful things with their hands. Pottery is one of the oldest forms of functional art we know of and while some of the early pieces were quite primitive, they were beautiful in their own right. Today pottery has evolved into a more sophisticated process. Modern pieces can enrich your home with their decorative beauty. Handmade pottery is fun to buy and even more fun and rewarding to make yourself.

One way to begin your pottery collection is to buy directly from a skilled artist. When you are looking for unique works of art, this is probably the best place to look. If you are lucky enough to have an art studio nearby you may be able to go in and shop for pottery in person. If that isn’t possible, you can look online on sites like Etsy where artists gather to sell their creations.

It can be challenging when you want to determine the value and quality of a particular piece of handmade pottery when shopping online. There are a few things you can do to check up on the reputation of the artist. Be sure to check his feedback on the site. That will give you a feel for how satisfied his previous buyers have been. If you are browsing in galleries, look for a link to the artist’s website so you can find out as much about him as possible.

When you are out shopping for pottery, you will come across a variety of styles that fall into a few basic types. The basic pot is one and it is a popular variety. These pots can be small or large. The large ones can be used for things like holding a large plant and the small ones can be used as decorative accents inside of your home. Other types of pottery you will encounter are pitchers, vases, platters, and bowels. These can be intended for decoration only or they can be designed to be functional as well. Just keep in mind that you should only use pottery to serve food that has been specifically designed for that purpose.

You will notice that the prices for handmade pottery cover a wide range but remember, shopping for handmade items isn’t the same as shopping for mass produced pottery in a department store. In essence you are buying functional art. Each piece is created one at a time by a skilled artisan. So be prepared to pay premium prices. When you do see discounted prices it could be a red flag or a sign that the artist is inexperienced.

If you wish to add handmade pottery to your home without breaking the bank, you may want to search out a studio that offers classes. Throwing your own pottery is a personal experience that gets you in touch with your creative side. The same artists that command top dollar for their own art are often available to instruct you in the art that they love.

When looking for a pottery class, begin with the local studios. They may offer classes but just don’t advertise them. They may be able to refer you to someone who does offer classes if they don’t. It is possible the studio would even teach you on an individual basis. When you take pottery classes, you can expect to pay for the materials you will use, the use of the facility, and the instructor’s time. You won’t be able to bring your work of art home right away because it will need to be fired. You will need to return to the studio another day to pick up your piece.

Buying, displaying and throwing handmade pottery is a soul enriching experience. Unlike modern living, which is full of factory produced mediocrity, pottery gives you the chance to fill your home with individualized art. If you want to explore your own creative side, learn to throw your own pots. Otherwise, there are plenty of professionally created pots that you can purchase for a reasonable price.

As a traveling artist, Deci Ruiz has had the pleasure of teaching to children as an invited guest in many schools. She has encouraged the children to play with clay and to try their hands at handmade pottery. Her pottery store is filled with beautiful and playful handmade pottery.

Tags: Parenting, Hobbies, Crafts

Home decorating is an easy task but it requires careful planning. You need to consider a lot of factors so that the furnishings you put together will complement your room size, wall color, and shape. Here are few tips to enable you to get the most form your decorating efforts.

The first task is to determine your focal point. This place is considered the center of your decoration. It is the principal piece of furniture, object, or furnishing around which your decoration will revolve. Examples of focal points include fireplaces, room dividers and book shelves.

Once this point is located, the rest of the furnishings can come as you will now know what attracts the attention most in your room. The next activity is to choose a theme. What impression do you want your guests to have as they enter your living room? Do you want them to feel like they are in the countryside, in the home of a pop music celebrity, or that of a retro lover? The answer to this question will enable you select traditional, elegant, classic decor. You will accordingly choose rugs, lamps, colors and furniture that match your intended impression. You must note that the theme must be kept consistently throughout the room.

Flowers add special effects to the home. Live plants freshen up the atmosphere and artificial ones can make the place look lively. Choose tall vases with decorations at the base to make an elegant decor when placed at corners. Single sleek petalled flowers on the fireplace or bookshelf exude a fantastic appearance.

Rugs can add special glamour to rooms. You should choose the shape of your rug according to the shape of the room. Oval, circular or rectangular rugs will help in this way. Again, look at the pattern in the rug. If they are located at one point, then that part should be close to your focal point. If they are evenly distributed, then they can be spread across the room in any way. Also select your rug according to colors that will match your existing wall tones.

These decorating tips will enable you keep your home furnishings looking trendy and elegant. You can combine all or some of the suggestions in this guide depending on the effects you would like to create.

This article was written by Jim Slate on behalf of PebbleZ.com - your source for rustic stone home decorating tips, tricks, and trendy new products. PebbleZ is the worlds leading source of marble and gemstone dcor, and is also the leader in rustic slate information and products.

Tags: Kids, Home and Garden, Interior Decorating