Cheap places to find modern decor

Decorating can get a bit too expensive. As much as you want to save, you need to get the best modern décor for your home. There are many places you can get modern décor at affordable rates including:

IKEA should be in the list of your favorite stores when it comes to shopping for modern décor. You will get great apartment size furniture pieces at a fraction of the price. If they do not have a store in your area, you can simply go to their website.

APT 2B is the right store for those who want to make smart purchases as the store sells pieces that are apartment friendly.

Target is a well-known big box store. However, before you put it in the same class as other big box stores, you should look at the products. You will discover that Target keeps its décor section fresh and modern by working with designers and bloggers.

Urban Outfitters is known for their clothing line. However, they also have a décor line where you can get bold designs and other trendy pieces of furniture and décor.

Overstock.com sells stylish furniture and décor at a fraction of the price, so there is no need to consider breaking the bank to get good furniture.

Etsy is the place to go if you want to support artists. You get to find unique artistic pieces of décor while encouraging artists pursue their passions.

FAB is your store if you have pricey tastes but not the money to spend. They sell expensive pieces of décor at a fraction of the price.

Cost plus world market is the place to shop for all the colorful chic furniture you need at affordable rates.

Vintage/ Thrift stores should be one of the first places you visit. Each store carries unique products at unbelievably low prices.

For additional information, please have a look at this article.

Tips For “Masculine” Decorating

While home decoration isn’t a gender specific thing, some of us want our home (or space) to have a more masculine feel.  I know I do.

Broaden your horizon and look past severed animal heads and plaids and instead focus on design tips that will help you accomplish your goal without sacrificing your personality!

First, try to have a theme. It doesn’t have to be very specific, just something you can relate to, like vintage cars, sports, nature, travel, whatever it is that you enjoy.

Pulling colors from something that inspires you gives you a great starting point. Find a specific piece of furniture, an antique, or piece of artwork you can use for inspiration.

This item can help guide you in your color scheme, for example if you were into classic cars,you might opt for chrome accents, black leather, and pops of candy apple red.

Use fabrics throughout the room that have definition and texture, coarse weaves, leather, canvas etc. all have a more “masculine” feel than softer, flowy fabrics. You want your window treatments to have clean lines to avoid a frilly look, and avoid the temptation of to many throw pillows that might be more reminiscent of Grandma’s house than Gramp’s man cave.

While you are pulling from a theme and using it for inspiration, it’s important to keep it subtle. Choose one or two great accent pieces to tie your theme in throughout the room without beating someone over the head with it.

For example, a vintage license plate artwork, large antique maps, a jar full of the best softballs you can find can get your point across and look much more refined than a sports poster sticky tacked up to the wall.

Rustic pieces will always have an instant testosterone appeal for most people, but instead of opting for that cabin look using chopped down logs (unless that’s your thing), try tying in the vintage feel with old crates stacked for a coffee table, antique volumes displayed, old fishing gear repurposed into lights or other creative finds.

The key is to keep you design clean, minimal, comfortable and coordinated and you’re sure to stay on track and make a positive impression. 

How to convert from carpet to hardwood flooring

Once you get started, converting from a carpet to a hardwood floor isn't too difficult. In essence, the entire process is the simple and intuitive job of pulling up the floor that is there already and then laying down the new floor. In this article you will find a description of the process, with the details of any precautions you should take.

Removing the Carpet

This should be an intuitive job. Start by removing the trim around the carpet, as this is where you will find the tacks which hold the carpet to the floor. Then, to remove the carpet you can either use a utility knife to cut it into pieces so that you can easily remove it yourself, or, if you have assistance, you can roll the carpet up and carry it away in one piece. Next, you'll want to remove the padding which sat under the carpet. The padding would have been held down by nails, staples and/or glue, so you'll need to get to work scraping and prying in order to get the sub-flooring clean enough to lay down your hardwood.

Laying the Hardwood

If you have a wooden sub-floor then you can start laying your hardwood straight away. However, if the sub-floor is concrete then you'll need to lay something on top before you can put down the hardwood. Place on moisture barrier on top of the concrete first of all. If you are going to use floating hardwood floors, then you can put these directly on top of the moisture barrier. However, if you are going to nail your hardwood down then you'll need to place wooden battens on the moisture barrier in order to provide something for your nails to sink into.

Conclusion

  

Replacing carpets with hardwood is a simple job when you follow the advice in this article, and once you have done it you will have a floor which will stay looking good for years. So what are you waiting for? Pull up those threadbare and faded carpets and lay down the wooden flooring. 

How to Pick a Color to Paint a Room

The beauty of a room is dependent on various factors, the main one being its interior design. The choice of paint color is a major determinant of the interior design’s success. It is therefore very important to sit and choose your paint colors wisely because it is an expensive process. Fortunately, there are so many colors available for painting any kind of room that is of interest.

One of the aspects that can guide you in choosing a paint is a situation where you want to sell of your house. In such a case, it is advisable to paint the house either white or cream because it enables the new owner to paint it their color of choice.

Another aspect is using the color wheel which consists of quite a number of colors and helps in determining the specific colors that can be combined to complement each other. The colors that are close to each other on the wheel can be mixed and matched as well as those which are opposite on the wheel.

It is also important to know the effects required in your room. For instance, if your room is less spacious it is wise to paint it with bright colors such as blue and pink because they make it seem bigger. On the other hand, if you are painting a dining room, it is good to paint it with somber colors such as deep red, brown rather than bright colors. When painting the bathroom, you should choose a color that will give a soothing effect such as shades of blue. You can also choose paint colors that match the color of your seats, curtains or the ceiling so that they can all blend in perfectly.

With the wide range of paint colors, it is important to choose colors that will enhance the beauty of your house. 

Purpose of this Blog

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to start off by saying how I'm planning to use this blog.

I love decor and decorating - but with my own twist, which I want to showcase and talk about here.  I have a very modern and masculine design style that I think needs to be shown off. Expect to see some articles from me about all kinds of design-ey topics.

I called it "Bernard's Blue Room" after the color of my room growing up 😆