Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Rustic Christmas Table Decorations 2013 Ideas from HGTV



Bring a rustic yet elegant look to any holiday table with wool, knits, fresh greens and tons of woodsy texture.

By : Marian Parsons

Think Beyond the Linen Closet

Fold a vintage wool blanket and use it as a runner. It sets the color scheme and softens the warm wood of the table.

Bring Texture to the Table

A woven placemat adds rich color and texture to each setting. Remember to have an open mind when shopping: These mats were meant to be used on an Asian-style table, but they are right at home in a rustic theme. 

Mix and Match

Vintage Bakelite flatware from slightly mismatched sets looks perfect side by side. Don’t be afraid to mix and match silverware, plates and glasses. It often looks more interesting than using pieces that are made to be a set. 

Ditch the Paper Plates

Treat your guests to the luxury of using different plates and bowls for each course. Serve soup in simple wooden bowls, follow with a salad on a delicate ironstone plate and finish with dinner on a square wooden plate. A crystal goblet adds a touch of elegance, but the wheat pattern ties in to the natural theme.

The Season of Giving

A soup bowl doubles as a place card holder and carries an ornament for each guest to take home as a gift.

Tag It

A bundle of fresh cinnamon sticks is wrapped and tied in hemp twine. Write guests' names with permanent marker on a shipping tag and tie to a cinnamon bundle to assign seats. Arrange guests in a way that will encourage conversation and new friendships

Forget the Florist

Trim evergreen branches from your yard or an obliging neighbor's tree to serve as a centerpiece. Place fresh boughs in a galvanized bucket and swag a wooden bead garland around the greens. Use leftover Christmas tree clippings to fill in the base of the tablescape. 

It’s All in the Details

Embellish a simple galvanized sap bucket with humble hemp twine and an inexpensive snowflake ornament. Wrap twine several times around the top of bucket, then tie together and create a loop to thread snowflake on. Tie one more knot to secure the snowflake. 

Layer Upon Layer

Fluffy white snowflakes, knit "sweater" ornaments, twine-wrapped candles, fresh greens, pinecones and a stack of old books bring visual and textural interest to this centerpiece. Be careful where candles are positioned in relation to fresh greenery, and never leave candles unattended.

Keep it Natural

Egg-shaped fresh cranberries provide an unexpected pop of color against a craft store bird’s nest. Shop the farmers' market, garden center and the great outdoors to find accessories for this rustic table setting. 

2013 HGTV Smart Home : Kitchen Pictures

About the Kitchen: 
The beach blue wall color extends into the kitchen, where cottage style maple cabinetry and oversized pendant lights carve out vintage style, belying the room's high-tech features, including refrigerator and freezer columns and an induction cooktop with both speed heating and full-touchscreen interface features. "It's the kitchen I would like to have  it's very forthright, it looks great and I absolutely adore the island," says interior designer Linda Woodrum.



Walls, the ceiling and even the island cabinet base boast a vibrant beachy blue hue that invites relaxation. "It's just that really great, highly functioning kitchen," says Linda. "What you need when you are at the beach."


The 6 foot island, capped in quartz, serves as both workspace and casual chic dining area. Bamboo leaf counter stools were selected for their weathered driftwood gray finish and beachy feel.


The kitchen backsplash is clad in clear glass subway tile with strips of random linear tile sandwiched between rows to lend depth and interest. "I love the tilework," says Linda. "I think it's so clean and crisp."


A launch port adjacent to the kitchen houses two smart tablets that allow the homeowner to control the home's security systems; heating and cooling; lighting; the whole-house audio system; shading and swimming pool functions; plus energy monitoring.


Under the 10 foot cook surface, storage space includes drawers and roll trays that keep spices and cooking devices close at hand.


The beverage center offers a picturesque view of the back deck and six feet of counter space dedicated to preparation of cocktails and drinks. A beachwood trimmed undercounter cooler offers three distinct temperature zones for storage of white, red and sparkling wines.


Semi sheer floor to ceiling linen drapes may be drawn to close the kitchen off from the adjacent dining room.


To maximize square footage, walls and hallways are eliminated with one room flowing seamlessly into the next. Unique ceiling and floor treatments designate spaces.


A single bowl undermount sink makes short work of messes, big and small. The natural quartz countertop surface is nonporous and both mold  and bacteria resistant.


Elegant place settings continue interior designer Linda Woodrum's focus on bright turquoise hues. Alabaster glass plates and bowls are paired with bubble glass goblets, recycled glass drinking vessels and porcelain coffee mugs.


Both sleek and hard working, the island conceals storage cabinets, a double wastebasket pullout and a six wash cycle dishwasher.


A bowl of citrus fruits  a nod to location  becomes a focal point when paired with white and turquoise hues.


"I think it's fun in a house like this to go overboard with the color theme," says Linda, who herself mixes and matches colors and patterns of blue and white plates in her kitchen. "You establish color or a theme and then you build on it."


The perfect pairing of vintage and contemporary, pendant lights become the room's piece de la resistance. "I wanted something with pow because the ceilings are tall," says Linda. "I just needed lots of functioning light and I thought they were perfect."


2013 HGTV Smart Home : Living Room Pictures

About the Living Room: 
"I didn't want to just go turquoise blue, turquoise blue, turquoise blue," says interior designer Linda Woodrum, who veered from the beachy blue color palette when designing the home's largest gathering and party space. A happy collection of solid colors and modern and Moroccan prints celebrates vintage Florida style, while high-tech features make a singularly modern statement.


What Linda describes as a "very evolutionary room" began with a charcoal chaise positioned in front of telescoping glass doors. The low profile of furnishings keeps views from the deck in and the living room out unobstructed.


A tufted nylon rug in a Moroccan print continues a focus on Hollywood regency style. Layered with animal and Floridian prints, plus solid colors, the room pops. "All these bold patterns keep the room up to date and modern," says Linda.


Crafted with industrial grade components, the aerodynamically inspired ceiling fan features a wall unit that controls speed. The energy efficient fan circulates warm air in the winter and has the potential to lower summer indoor air temperature by 8 to 16° F.


"The first thing we saw was that bench it's so contemporary," says Linda. "And that helps keep that room in a wonderful place. It was just the perfect piece."


Semi sheer linen drapes may be drawn to create a wall of privacy between the dining and living rooms.


Continuing a focus on sustainable, locally sourced materials, a wall of pickled pecky cypress houses three flat screen TVs, programmable via the home's smart tablets.


"The living room was all about playing around with fabrics and figuring out what works," says Linda. "There's a lot of versatility in that room. You could remove those pillows and go with all turquoise blue."


Tabletop accessories, including nature photography books, resin cast coral sculptures and clear glass desk accessories draw the eye without dominating the overall design scheme.


Cast resin clamshell sconces by artist Karen Robertson flank the entrance to the home's outdoor dining area and grilling station. Stripes of color frame the view and draw eyes up to the vaulted ceiling.


A focus on Floridian prints that evoke circa 1950s Copacabana style and bright citrus hues dominate the design scheme.


A smart tablet enables the homeowner to control TV covers, select TV stations and whole-house audio, monitor security camera activity, and control home security within the comfort of the living room.


Telescoping glass doors open to reveal outdoor living areas, which expand the living room's square footage during warm weather months.


Handcrafted pedestals frame the view from the living area to the dining room. Topped with cast stone urns and greenery, they reference Hollywood regency style and its focus on ornamentation.


Monday, August 26, 2013

Country Style Bedrooms 2013 Decorating Ideas

Country Bedroom Style: A Cozy and Welcoming Trend Country bedroom style has a timeless appeal that can be adapted to almost any home.

Here a few points about country bedroom style are given: 

Country style bedroom has become one of the popular styles of the today market due to its casual and modest appeal.
The country bedroom furniture style offers a blend of rustic and romantic flavor with graceful curves.
The furniture used for country style gives you an everlasting pleasure including detailing, molding, and the artful use of woods in each frame, nightstand, armoire and dresser.
For a breathtaking look, you can use plain sheer curtains or print or checked drapes.
If you really want to compliment your country style, then try pieces with pine stain or a painted finish.
Plain overhead lighting with bedside table lamps looks interesting in country style bedroom.
You can try paint with wallpaper borders on the walls for a unique country style.

 If you are a fan of country cottages, you are going to love this. Drool at these carefully crafted country inspired bedrooms with rustic flowing details and old cottage charm.












2013 HGTV Smart Home : Dining Room Pictures

About the Dining Room: 
Open to the kitchen, great room and back deck, the dining area transforms to a cozy cocoon when linen drapes are drawn. Formal furnishings in a dark finish elevate the design, while a graphic print area rug grounds the space and lends a contemporary element. "Most of us have lost our dining rooms, which is fine, but sometimes you want that formal, intimate space," says interior designer Linda Woodrum. "That's what the drapes do: All that wonderful fabric creates the feel of an intimate party without losing that open living concept."


The area rug's bold graphic print, in a dark espresso color, grounds the space and lends a contemporary aesthetic that counters the room's formal furnishings and dramatic Empire style light fixture, fashioned from wrought iron and washed wood.


A concave dining chest, neoclassically inspired, served as a springboard for the room design. Interior halogen bulbs shine a spotlight on porcelain dinnerware and resin-cast white ribbon coral.


Clear glass taper holders, in chess piece style shapes, lend drama while keeping views unobstructed.


Seating up to eight guests, the trestle style dining table carves out a formal dining space. Dining chairs, upholstered in a celadon-hued fabric, echo the home's subtle beach theme.


The open concept dining area flows seamlessly into the kitchen. Clear glass subway tile, which clads the kitchen backsplash, sparkles gem-like in the distance.


"It almost feels like a cabana out on the beach," says Linda of the dining area. "It's so uniquely special and it's very applicable to people's own lives  having the ability to shut the kitchen off even if you're draping just one wall."