When it comes to decorating, women make most of the decisions and purchases for their family’s home. This doesn’t mean that men don’t have opinions on what they like and dislike. Most men would probably prefer not to sleep in a pink bedroom with flowers on every surface.  Then again, many women wouldn’t either.  Finding a design that is neither too masculine nor too feminine can be tricky.  Decorating the master bedroom is often the biggest compromise, with neither party getting exactly what they love.

Rather than go completely masculine or completely feminine, a successful master bedroom design has elements of both.  Falling squarely in the middle of feminine and masculine is an area that can be too bland.  Neutrals as a base are a good start but just neutrals and solids in a space lack interest.

Rich neutrals like greige (a warm gray) and grays can work in a bedroom as both the wall and fabric colors.  Upholstering a headboard in a neutral creates a nice backdrop for the bed linens.  Bed linens can be colorful and patterned and still be pleasing to both genders. Even modern florals can be incorporated without the room feeling too feminine.

Accessories are a way to personalize each side of the bed. There is no rule that lamps have to match, or even tables.  If you have wood floors in the bedroom, small area rugs on either side of the bed are a good idea. Or you could place a large area rug in the space, leaving just a border of wood floor exposed.

For all the trends in casual, open concept living there are many people who still love a formal living room. If you have an older home, especially an antique home, you probably have a formal living room as well as a formal dining room.  Do you use these rooms? Are they reserved for company and holiday gatherings? Decorating a formal living room for today’s lifestyles is one way to ensure your formal rooms are used and loved.

Formal living can mean different things depending on what part of the country you are from.  Sitting rooms and parlors can be found in older homes east of the Mississippi, but are not as common in the West.  Perhaps this is why traditional and formal styles are so popular on the East Coast and in the South.

Formal seating arrangements, like the one in this living room, are designed for conversation rather than lounging and television watching. The focal point is often a fireplace or grand window rather than a television and entertainment wall.  Oriental carpets over beautiful wood floors or luxurious wall to wall carpeting is typical of formal living rooms that don’t get as much traffic as family rooms or hallways.

Create a formal living room that suits your style and you might find yourself using it more often. Rather than buy “formal” furniture, buy pieces that are adult friendly rather than kid friendly. Make it a space for entertaining your friends and guests that is stylish and reflects who you are.

Big, bold patterns can bring life to a room when used as accents.  Like a boldly patterned top and the perfect jeans, bold patterns are best when paired with neutrals to help balance the color and pattern.  This is why designers often recommend getting the big investment pieces like sofas in neutral upholstery.  You can always add color and pattern in accessories.

Bold patterned accents can be used around the room, including the floor.  Pattern on the floor can be created with a checkerboard of white and colored tiles, multi-colored linoleum squares, patterned cement tiles, carpet tiles and area rugs.  There is also a trend to paint wood floors in colorful patterns.  Area rugs are the classic way to bring pattern to the floor, with infinite options from Persian to contemporary styles in every color imaginable. The bigger the pattern—the bigger the statement.  Lattice and geometric patterns like stripes are current designer favorites.

Adding bold pattern in textiles is another option that is also low cost.  A few accent pillows in a big pattern can change the feeling of a room and a piece of furniture. These neutral gray chairs stand out with the addition of patterned pillows.

Pattern can be added to walls with stencils and wallpaper.  Again, keep furnishings neutral against a big, bold pattern.  It gives the eye a place to rest.

With pattern you can add a little or a lot, depending on how bold you want to be. From small accessories to area rugs, bold patterns add a big pop of design to a room.

Many of us have granite countertops in our kitchens. While some of us may have a cleaning lady to help us keep our granite looking beautiful, some of us do not. What is the best way to keep your granite countertops sparkling clean?

If your kitchen is the center of your home then it probably sees a lot of traffic. Kids doing homework, your husband leaving miscellaneous tools lying around and that pile of projects you’ve been meaning to get to. The first step in cleaning your countertops may not seem obvious, however, it is imperative.

Clean the clutter off your countertops. You can’t clean well if they are littered with papers, bills and God knows whatever else migrates and seems to permanently live there.

Run hot water on a clean soft cloth. Add a squeeze of mild dish detergent. Squeeze some of the water out of the cloth, but leave it juicy.

Gently wipe up spills and grease spots.

Rinse the cloth thoroughly under hot running water. Add another small squeeze of dish detergent. Twist the cloth so it doesn’t drip.

Rub the cloth over the entire countertop with circular motions. Go over the spots again where there was dirt or grease.

Run hot water over the cloth until all the soap is rinsed out.

Wipe the granite counter with the moist hot cloth to remove all soapy residues. You may need to rinse the cloth under hot water several times to get the countertop squeaky clean.

Dry the countertop with paper towels or a dry soft clean cloth.

Now you have clutter-free and sparkling clean countertops. Isn’t it a nice feeling?

The shortest way to Paradise is the stairway to the wine cellar for good wine raises one’s spirits…  Jacques Chevignard of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin

A wine cellar in your home is a must for wine enthusiasts and aficionados alike. When you are ready to move up from a wine fridge and wine rack, designing an upscale wine cellar for your home is the next step.  High end custom wine cellars are modeled from the ancient cellars of Europe and feature architectural details and inspiration from Europe as well as Napa.

An upscale wine cellar should be custom built for the space it occupies. Whether this is a walk in closet or corner of the basement, the wine cellar should be climate controlled for optimal storage. Custom wine storage racks as well as tasting tables and seating, if the cellar is large enough, can be designed to fit the décor of the rest of the home.  French, Tuscan, Spanish and German wine regions can provide European inspiration. Or for a California style home, Napa style that has a Tuscan flair would be ideal.

If a basement isn’t a possible location for an upscale wine cellar, a bedroom or large walk in closet could be converted to wine storage. This luxury wine cellar is located in a penthouse in Atlanta.  Stone floors and architectural details like crown molding and arches along with custom bottle storage make this cellar top notch.  Lighting is just as important in an upscale cellar as in any other room.  Lighting on dimmer switches can highlight bottles for easy locating as well as create dramatic lighting moods.  As with a basement wine cellar, climate and light control are important technical issues in the design of the wine cellar.

Do you have a collection that is an important part of your life but can’t decide how to display it? With a little imagination you can get those items off tables and incorporate them into a display that feels more like art than simple storage.

Take a look at how these stuffed animals are set up. With a few pieces of wood, some L brackets and paint, this homeowner created a charming picture of childhood.

Why does this work so well? One reason is the variety in the display – colors, sizes and types of animals all combine. Another factor comes from the casual approach. If these animals were lined up by size and set neatly on shelves they wouldn’t have the same impact.

Having the animals spread out beyond their boxes also connects the display more effectively than it would if all the boxes were contained. Little feet dangling makes the display feel more fluid and adds to its charm.

The choice was made to paint the frames white. If you have wood floors you could stain the display case to match. Otherwise, paint it to coordinate with carpeting or tile. For added personality, you could place a backing on this and use wallpaper or contrasting paint in each section.

Don’t limit yourself to stuffed animals. Any collection could benefit from a display that reflects the style and shape of its contents. From trophies to stemware, look at your display choices with imaginative eyes, and create a box display that is actually out of the box!

The foyer is an area in the house where you welcome guests or visitors into your home. This is a small entry room by the front door that is usually attached to the living room. Just like any other owner of the house, you want to impress your guests and make them feel welcome at the same time. You can achieve both of these by creating fantastic foyers with the use of marble.

There are actually three basic types of marble. The most common type is the polished marble. It has a smooth and shiny finish and exudes a mirrored effect that can be likened to that of polished wooden floors. This type can really be beautiful, but it can get costly. Plus, it requires high maintenance and is slippery than the other types. The second type is the honed marble. This has a matte finish, thus making it less slippery than its polished counterpart. This type is recommended for areas with heavy traffic. The third type is the tumbled marble.

This type is tumbled with sand and aggregate and has a smooth and authentic look to it. It resembles ancient marble statues like those in the museums and historic ruins. This type is softer and has a rounded texture making it resistant to skids. The only disadvantage of this type of marble is that it is highly porous, thus making it prone to wear and tear.

Marble gives off an air of elegance to any room. Aside from that, it also gives your guests a welcoming feeling. It is highly durable, especially for foyers that are known to be areas with heavy traffic. If properly installed and maintained, it can last for a long time while maintaining its beauty.

The most famous architectural structure that uses marble as its flooring is the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. The construction of the Taj Mahal started in 1633 and was finished in 1650. Another famous historical structure that uses marble is the Parthenon. It was actually a temple made for the goddess, Athena. Marble was used to show the city’s wealth and power during the peak of its empire.  Other world famous structures that use marble are the Cathedral of Pisa, the US Supreme Court, and the US Capitol.

Turning your bathroom into something that looks like the modern bathrooms of five star hotels is easy with the use of bathroom tiles. There are many bathroom tile designs and shapes, sizes and materials to choose from that can help create a “wow” factor for your bathroom.

Here are some ideas on how to create a modern bathroom with bathroom tiles:

1. Ceramic Tiles. Ceramic tiles are one of the most popular tiles used for the bathrooms. To achieve a modern look, you can opt to use ceramic floor tiles in solid colors such as white and add modern fittings and fixtures to add sleekness to your bathroom.

Another option to achieve a modern look by using ceramic tiles is choosing tiles that have prints and patterns on them. Just choose a pattern that will blend well to the ambiance of your bathroom. Bright colored patterns on tiles can give your bathroom a bold and modern look.

2. Use tiles of different sizes and shapes. Choose one large tile with a modern pattern and surround it with several smaller tiles making the larger tile a cool centerpiece to your bathroom.
3. Mosaic floor tiles. Mosaic tiles can give added color and ambiance to your bathroom too. Choosing a mosaic tile in bold colors or patterns can give your bathroom a very modern look.

Achieving a modern and sleek look for your bathroom is very easy with the help of the different bathroom tiles available. They are inexpensive, long lasting and exude elegance.