For most people, New Year’s resolutions are about personal goals – exercise regularly, get that annual physical, lose those last 10 pounds – again. As you make your resolutions this year, you might want to add in a couple for your home.

Most accidents occur in the home, and you can reduce your risks for 2011 by taking just a few steps now.

Start by checking your floors. Do you have any places that are a tripping hazard? For example, are there any transitions from one type of floor to another with a slight unevenness that seems to lead to tripping? Are any of your bathroom or kitchen floors slippery when wet? Do you have any throw rugs that tend to slide when people step on them? From no-slip pads to smoother threshold transitions, take a look at what you need to do keep your home safer.

Next, consider your home’s lighting – both inside and out. Are your doorways well lit? Can people see steps or walkways well at night? Is the transition from driveway or street to your front entrance easy to follow after dark? Take the time to wander around outside some evening and make sure your guests can see well when they visit.

One high-risk area is your bathroom, particularly when getting in or out of a bath or shower. Installing safety bars helps children and older people feel more secure. Be sure to hire a professional to install it, or ensure that the bar is connected to a stud at both ends, to keep it holding when people rely on it.

Are there any other home safety measures you’ve been putting off? Well, when you make this year’s resolutions, add them in, and help you and your family have a safe and happy 2011.

The holidays are almost over. It’s time to pack everything up for next year and move on to 2011. If you plan a bit this year as you wrap up the decorations, you can make next year’s holiday even better.

Start with your holiday lights. They’re not designed to last a long time. Just how old are your lights? Check for frayed cords and cracked or broken sockets. You may also want to consider replacing any with more than one or two burned out bulbs. The current LED lights have rich colors and use much less energy. For protection, keep lights in their original packaging, or purchase special light-wrapping holders to avoid tangles next year. As you buy new lights, consider putting the purchase date on the package for the next time you wonder how old your lights are.

Do you have special containers for your ornaments, or do you depend on tissue and old wrapping paper to keep them safe all year? The newer containers have individual spaces to keep fragile ornaments safe and make it easier to pack and unpack them.

It may be tempting to put all those boxes and pieces of wrapping paper and ribbon in the fire, but restrain yourself. Too much paper can throw sparks out the chimney and add to the carbon coating that gets home fireplace chimneys into trouble. Instead, recycle the boxes and whatever else your recycler will take.

By taking charge of these post-holiday efforts, you can wrap-up 2010 with a few well-planned activities and move into 2011 prepared for the next year.

Although it has elements in common with the country style, folk art design has a number of significant differences. The primary difference is a lack of heavily upholstered furniture, ruffles, and floral fabrics.

Folk art design is more austere, allowing space to highlight the hand-crafted style. Folk art is also not limited to the U.S. for its inspiration. Notice that the rugs are weathered Orientals.

The magic of a well-crafted folk art room is how the space feels like it just developed over time rather than part of a planned design. But the truth is, a room like this doesn’t just happen. What can you do to create this feel in your own home?

Let’s start with the flooring. Clearly, this pine floor has been in this space a long time. You can get a similar feel, however, by choosing a wide-plank pine floor in a grade that allows for knots and irregularities. Add baseboards that are higher than standard and that simple architectural detail will contribute to a sense of age. The ceiling line in this space is interesting but not essential to get a folk-art feel. More important is the warm white paint on the walls and the muted tones of classic milk paint colors on some of the furniture. These colors are echoed in the quilted tablecloth and pillows.

The contemporary art is inconsistent with the style, particularly over the dining table, but that’s alright too. Design is about stretching, taking risks, and the art moves the space into feeling like a home rather than a museum.

Which bathroom style to you prefer?  This one?

Or this one?

Which kitchen style do you prefer?  This one?

Or this one?

In one of our last posts we discussed some pointers to help you with your holiday home decorating. Here are a few more that you could take heed of, to keep stress at bay this holiday season:

1. Prioritize: Its not much use expending energy, time and money decorating areas your guests are not likely to see. Spend those resources on rooms you’ll be entertaining in. Not only will this ensure that those areas are done well, it also decreases your workload.

2. Budget-wise: Good décor does not mean spending a ton of money. There’s no need to empty your pockets to get the right look. Spending money unnecessarily can also increase unwanted stress. Take a closer look around your house; surely there are some everyday accessories you can incorporate into your festive decorations. Also try and get as much use out of decorations that have already been paid for. Colorful fruits in a bowl or bright and fresh flowers make for beautiful centerpieces. Real fruit and veggie centerpieces can also be eaten after the holidays. Think creatively!

3. Squeeze in some R&R: Take advantage of time away from work. These are times to spend time with family and friends. Have fun, get some rest and eat home-cooked meals. Go back to work in the New Year with a fresh approach!

Considering capturing the beauty of your yard inside your house? Not sure how to harness the outdoor beauty in a sun room for example? There are some techniques you can incorporate during your design planning process. These exercises can make the transition appear seamless.

Consistency

Maintaining consistency between the interior and exterior is not complicated. Select outdoor furniture by choosing a style that has similarities to your interior furniture. The goal is to find a more casual version of your interior furnishings. For example look for similar lines and weights in the outdoor furniture styles. Take notes of characteristics of your interior furniture. Ask yourself the following questions:

Is my furniture light or heavy? What finishes would mesh well with what I already have (light wood stain, medium, dark or painted finishes)?

Compartmentalize

Take into consideration, the size and layout of your space. Ask yourself what activities would I like my space to accommodate for? What activities can I combine into one grouping? For example: Dining & Socializing, Reading & Napping. Once you have decided what activities you want to take place you can start selecting furniture for those specific to your purpose.

Color

When choosing color palettes; don’t be afraid to go in a bolder direction. Use exciting, creative and expressive color palettes and patterns. Excitement is naturally found in nature. If nature can do it so can you!

We hope this gives you a little insight into how to bring the indoors out!

A Powder Room is a room that nearly every guest in your home will see. This room can easily be enhanced into a welcoming private area for guests. Upgrades you should consider (in order of priority) lead to significant results: 1) Sink/Vanity Cabinet; 2) Lighting; 3) Wall Covering; and 4) Flooring.

Present day vanity cabinets are obtainable in various sizes and styles. Vanity cabinets have evolved into a single unit that looks more like a piece of furniture, rather than a sink cabinet. This type of cabinet is favorable for many reasons. It hides plumbing, satisfies the need for storage and is normally sold with all resources needed for a finished sink cabinet (countertop, sink and faucet). In the past, necessary materials were chosen, bought and installed individually. Improving a sink/vanity cabinet has become incredibly easy.

Lighting can enhance or harm a room. The mirror should flatter your guest’s appearance.  Warm, yellowish light is most flattering for all skin tones. Fluorescent bulbs are unflattering to skin because of the awkward, cold light. Most likely only one fixture needs replacing; pick a striking fixture, which spreads a warm glow light. For ceiling mounted fixtures spring for a beautiful down light, which conceals the bulb(s) or a simplistic chandelier. A casual chandelier is dressy without looking “over done”.

Wall coverings engross a small amount of square footage. Go the extra, mile and get a decorative wallpaper, faux finish, or wall treatment, such as linen finish using plaster. Hire a professional; this project only needs a small amount of labor and materials. As far as color is concerned, select a rich, dramatic color such as, plum, silver or gold.

Flooring also only requires minimal material and labor. This is another improvement you should show an added effort towards. Add a natural tumbled stone (or travertine), real bamboo or cork flooring. Using a genuine natural material will add a degree of warmth and comfort to this intimate space.

Upgrading any of the above will dramatically improve your room. Upgrading all of the above will really make a splash!

The holiday season is rapidly approaching. Find time to decorate around your festive holiday activities and get a head start on your neighbors and start planning now. Holiday decorations in your home will put you in the spirit for baking and shopping.  Read along for some helpful tips!

Start taking your decorations out of storage. Throw out items that have seen their better days. Take inventory and make a list of items you need. When shopping for decorations, look for items that will last for several years. Also consider items that can be packed away easily.

Prioritize tasks; in effort to avoid any overwhelming feelings. Try and accomplish one task each evening, or over the span of two evenings. Start by placing greenery, such as tree, garland, poinsettias etc. Next add your lights to the greenery. Lastly place all other miscellaneous trimmings and decorations. Use the weekend to complete all unfinished tasks.

When packing away decorations for the next year consider buying clear plastic storage bins. Being able to see items eliminates the task of labeling. Put similar items in bins with each other; for example: garlands & plants, lights (wrapped up neatly-no one likes to untangle lights each year), breakable decorations in a bin and keep indoor and outdoor decorations in separate bins. When storing away, place heavy boxes on bottom and light/breakable items on top.

Lastly pack away in an orderly manner. Spend more time decorating and less time untangling and un-packing. Take on one task at a time. Taking time to store items in an orderly manner will make decorating easier by the years!