Conscious Designs and Home Decor

While the objective of most enterprising efforts is to remain in the black, when it comes to residential and commercial designers, it is those clearly focused on the green movement that have a fighting chance of staying in the black. Clodagh Design, a leading design and architecture firm, is among the industry's leaders in eco-consciousness designs for commercial, residential, spas and hospitality projects.

The award-winning designing woman of one-name identity is a tour de force with accolades from industry insiders and consumer publications alike. Both have recognized her hugely successful 25-year career as a designer and as the owner of top design firm with worldwide recognition.

While predictability is never a characteristic of a Clodagh design, the usage of natural materials, such as stones, metals, and woods, in conjunction with the precepts of feng shui and Zen methodology to achieve unilateral form and function is the foundation of all Clodagh designs. Whether it is a residence or a customized retail space, projects by this firm converge Eastern and Western cultures fluidly with flowing artistic leeway applied liberally.

A recent delivery of this edgy luxury eco-consciousness is spotted at the guestrooms and common areas of the new W in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The vast Nemacolin Woodlands Spa in Laurel Highlands, Pa., a spa on the list of top-100 spas in the world with more than one major publication, is another sighting of the firm's eco-minded sustainable creativity. The arduous company also designed the interiors and the common areas for the 450-unit, 23-story Caledonia Condominium on Manhattan's west side.

Clodagh is a member of the hall of fame of Interior Design Magazine and has been named to the top-100 lists of designers by industry stalwarts, such as Architectural Digest and Hospitality Design. The New York Times, Esquire magazine, and New York Living are but a few of the well-known publications that have featured the designer's works.

The enterprising Clodagh is a diverse organization with three business models headquartered in NYC's NoHo district. Clodagh Signature is a product-design group, and Clodagh Collection consists of home furnishings and accessories with licensing agreements with upscale luxury brands. The Ireland-born designer also is the author of two books: Your Home, Your Sanctuary and Total Design, which include her four C's of design: contemplation, cleansing, clarification, and creation.

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Interior Decoration Furniture

Beautiful furniture has to be designed and created to be used and cherished through the years. That’s why making furniture is an art in itself. The end result can be a simple and functional item, a piece of craftsmanship or even a work of art.

The very first thing to go into an empty room is furniture. Everything else cushions, mirrors, lamps and other accessories will follow. That’s why the role of furniture in interior design has such a heavy weight, and will determine what other items will be added to finish the painting. Home accessories are just the finishing touches, while furniture is the bulk of the project.

First of all you need to think what look you want to achieve. If you like an eclectic and cozy home, chooses different furniture items from different styles, but follows a consistent colour scheme so that everything looks great together.

For example, if you are furnishing a bedroom, the first thing to do is to choose the bed. Once that has been done, you can choose everything else around it. Your bedroom is your sanctuary, the place where you relax and rest, so it makes sense to work around your bed.

If you went for a romantic and ornate Rococo bed, usually finished in white or cream, you should then stick to pastel or neutral colours, or you can even experiment with Venetian mirrored furniture, but stay away from shiny colours, and above all, stay away from any furniture finished in black, even if the style is very similar.Black and white will clash, while cream, white, and silver and mirrored finished furniture will melt together beautifully. Be adventurous and choose some mirrored bedside tables, an ethnic silver embossed chest of drawers, and a white or cream wardrobe.

Now if instead you go for a Louis XV style rattan bed finished in black, then stay away from light colours and go for a dramatic look. Choose a beautiful black wardrobe, ideally mirrored fronted so that it adds depth and brightness, some lavish silver or black bedside tables and a big Venetian chest of drawers. Combining black furniture with mirrored furniture will add depth and light to the bedroom, without losing the luxurious dramatic look we want.

Now that you have chosen your furniture, you can complement your look with lavish bed linen, cushions, a beautiful mirror, some practical table lamps and a gorgeous chandelier. Just make sure that the colours of all those accessories won’t clash with the soft colour scheme of your furniture.

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Essentials for Luxe Living

What comes to mind when you think of the word luxury? Viewing the latest haute couture finery? Cruising calm blue waters in the season's latest yacht? Savouring a rare, hard-to-find vintage? So often, we only associate luxury with big-ticket items and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Yet with just a few small additions, we can live luxuriously every day in our own homes as well.

Here are 5 of our favourite essentials for luxe living:

Fili D'Oro
Once you've tried Fili D'Oro's luxuriously soft sheets, you'll never go back to store-bought sheets again. The linens are sold only to hotels, including the Ritz-Carlton hotel group, but many hotels offer them for purchase either online or through their on-site gift shops.

Ploh
Plush, yet discreet, ploh's exclusive bed pillows, duvets and featherbeds deliver a sumptuous experience to the well-dressed bed. Our particular favourites include the limited edition masurian down pillows and the "ultra-luxe" featherbed - 3 inches of feathers with a full top layer of irresistible down.

Molton Brown
Molton Brown's diverse selection of sophisticated scents and cleanly designed packaging offers something suitable for every lifestyle. Recharge with their black pepper body wash, or pamper dry skin with the lightly scented white mulberry hand wash and lotion set.

Bottega Veneta
Bottega Veneta's classic, understated style is perfectly suited to its wide range of items for the home. Each piece is meticulously crafted and often incorporates the signature hand-woven intrecciato pattern characteristic of the brand. From storage trunks to table chargers, Bottega Veneta can help take your home to the next level.

Dior L'Or de Vie
Youth may be the most fleeting luxury of them all - unappreciated until it has departed. With Dior's new L'Or de Vie anti-aging skincare regime, you can forestall the inevitable, at least temporarily. Ten molecules with both anti-oxidizing and regenerating properties are extracted from the sap from the vine shoots of the sauvignon grapes from the Château d'Yquem.

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Cesar's Exterior Designs

It's one thing to travel to the most over-the-top, lavish hotels and resorts (like I have by some fortunate fate), but it's another to enjoy your home as much as a favorite luxurious retreat.

So I have, thanks to my discovery of a gem company, Cesar's Exterior Designs, which decks out the exteriors of historical homes, private residences, posh hotels, and stunning commercial areas.

If you've seen the Ivy Hotel in San Diego, The London in LA, or any number of estates listed for sale in the Southern California area, then you know Cesar's Exteriors has graced the grounds.

From custom glass fire-pits to mosaic-style bubbling hot tubs, Cesar's Exteriors' team of 60 skilled craftsmen designs and builds nearly anything, precisely to your order.

Right now, I'm gazing at my custom BBQ area and solar-powered lighting system that makes my home look right up there with the Playboy Mansion. An extra bonus to love: green design is what Cesar's Exteriors lives for. They even recycle marble from your outdoor kitchen top to use it in your sultry fire pit.

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Decorating Your Home With Flowers

Your home is your most private, personal space. You spend a lot if not most of your time there eating, sleeping and working, thus stamping an ordinary house with your moods and personality, making it more special and unique. Naturally, you want your home to look at its best. You want it to have a relaxing, inspiring atmosphere that you can't find anywhere else.

Such an atmosphere can be achieved by placing flowers in your home. A pretty bunch of flowers can brighten up any room with a spot of color. Just looking at them can make any person lose the stress acquired during the day! There's something about flowers that cheers people up, so why not take advantage of it by following these helpful tips on decorating your home with flowers?

1. Vases are not the only things that you can use for holding your flowers! Experiment with clay pots, china porcelain, crystal, steel, or glass bowls, cups, champagne glasses, teapots, water pitchers---the list is endless. Just make sure that the container is clean and polished to complement the beauty of the flowers you will be placing in them.

2. For wide, open spaces, use blooms that are big with loud colors such as hydrangeas, gladiolus, and lilies. Big flowers can easily catch attention in a large room. You don't want the flowers to go unnoticed right?

3. Match the room's décor with complementary or contrasting colors. If you want to introduce a soothing effect in a room, use flowers in colors such as blues and greens. For a warmer look, oranges and reds will do the trick. For a subtle arrangement, yellows and peaches are the best choice of colors.

4. How do you know which flowers go well with each other? There are no hard and fast rules, but you may want to choose just one type of flower for your bouquet (this is called a monobotanic arrangement) or one color with varying shades (called a monochromatic arrangement).

In decorating you home, be creative. You may be very busy to go out to buy flowers on the streets or in the malls, so you can opt to just have your flowers delivered. It's easy---there are several flower shops online. One such service is Island Rose of the Philippines.

They use an innovative delivery system that guarantees you to have the best roses fresh from the farm. Their flower delivery is fast, efficient, and stress-free. Flowers from Island Rose are also considered some of the best in the world.

Why not start decorating your home with flowers now? It doesn't have to be stressful when you can buy flowers with just one click of a mouse.

By Timothy Spencer

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Home Decor Ideas and Savings

Everyone likes to have their home look beautiful. Home decor will definitely make your house look gorgeous. The wall colors, furnishings and the right home accessories create the perfect look for each room. You can use your home decor to set a particular mood in a room - make your living room welcoming, your bathroom soothing, and your bedroom cozy or your family room bright and comfortable. There are many designs and the trends in Home decoration are changing. While decorating a home, space planning, lighting, furniture and windows are important.

The living room is the first impression of the house. Fill the room with soft lights, colorful drapes and cozy furniture. There are different home decoration accessories to select from. So make each and every room of your world special with a range of home decor accessories. A dream home is never complete without the illuminated lighting. To adorn the interiors of any house, selection of the right light fixtures is a must. With the latest designs, styles and fixtures change the way your rooms look and feel. Every room says something and a wall color gives it the right feel. Select from the latest shades in the world of colors. Furniture forms an important part of the house decor. Furnishing your home with quality furniture is a major investment. Proper care of your fine furniture will give you years of enjoyment.

Home decor is an expensive affair. For a complete decoration one needs to shell out lots of money. But shopping online can get you instant savings. I have come across one site that provides coupons and coupon codes.

You will find different stores (of merchants) related to home decor and furniture. Searching for coupons is easy. You will get coupons instantly from the merchants and enables you to get discount. You can save a ton of money and also get shopping done in less time.

There are special offers now and then where you would be entitled to get discounts up to 50%. That's a great bargain. You will find best deals and better value for your money. If you are conscious about money savings then this would be the right place to get fabulous discounts and great savings. Shopping online saves you time and money.

In addition, one can take advantage of free shipping offers along with discounts on coupons. Coupons are best to save a considerable amount of money when shopping for decor items.

By M S Nath

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Definitive Guide For Buying Nautical Home Decor

Nautical home decor is becoming more and more popular even with people whose homes are not located anywhere near the sea. It really should not come as a surprise because the bright colors of the sea and the sky can surely turn a house into a cheerful and dazzling home. Not only that, it is also very easy to find these kinds of home decor and you do not have to spend a lot.

Let us start with the free items, which you can commonly find outdoors. When you go on vacations and have a chance to visit seashore, it is a good idea to gather pieces of decorative items that you can use to incorporate in your nautical home decor.

Sea treasures such as seashells, sand, driftwood, corals and so on, can add priceless beauty to your home. For instance, you can hang on the wall the driftwood you collected from the shore. Voila, an instant nautical wall décor. You can place small shells of different colors in a clear vase or use corals to form a coral sculpture that can be a focal point of interest in your living room.
For buying pieces of nautical home decors, you have a wide array of options of places to choose from. For one, you can choose to buy these pieces in the local department store or furniture shop, which usually sell nautical home décor all year round. You can also find wonderful ornaments in collectible shops or antique stores.

Another option to buy nautical home decor is online. The Internet, which became a popular venue for selling and buying products and services, can provide you with different stores that sell this kind of home decorative items. Just be sure that you are careful when doing your online shopping because many phishing sites proliferate the cyber market.

Before you go buy from a certain online store, it is advisable that you first examine the site to determine if it is legitimate or not. In order for you to know, check if the store has a contact information or physical address. Contact or visit the store and talk to a customer service representative, who should be able to assist you efficiently in your shopping.

Furthermore, you can also contact the brand of nautical home decors being supplied by the online store to see if this is truly a legitimate and accredited supplier. You can also talk to past customers so you will have an idea on the kind of product and service offered by the store.
When buying pieces, you have to make a checklist of everything you need to buy and then set a budget so that you do not overspend. Remember, with this kind of home decor, you do not need to spend a fortune to find beautiful items. Your options for nautical home decor include miniature sailboats, nautical wall decor, sea equipment, lantern, glass float, oars, fishing pole, sails, tropical wall hangings, and many others.

As for fabrics like for curtains, table cloths, or sofa sheets, cotton canvas in the shades of ecru or blue is the way to go. This is not only durable but also complement beautifully to your nautical home décor.

What is great about buying nautical home décor is that they hardly ever get out of style. This means that the ornaments you buy today will still be highly appreciated even in the years to come.

By Jessica Ackerman

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7 Ideas to Inspire a Creative Cowboy Bedroom Decor Theme Your Son Will Love

Little boys love the cowboys of the old west. Did you know that you can bring this look to your home décor quickly and inexpensively? It is easy to create a western cowboy bedroom theme with the seven simple steps outlined in this article.

Choose a western cowboy wall border to set your theme.

The first step to get the most mileage for your dollar is choosing a wall border that sets the theme and color scheme that you would like to accomplish for your cowboy bedroom design. There are many choices available online for you to choose from. Consider using companion wallpapers above and below your chair rail before placing your wall border to give your bedroom theme a more finished appeal. For this theme, you will want to keep the companion wallpapers more neutral, select patterns such as leather stitching wallpaper or a tan faux wallpaper to give you a designer look.

Choose a bedding style that your child can grow with.

A great bedding option to consider for a cowboy bedroom theme is a denim comforter set. It can be used for many years because of the durability factor of denim and works great with the rugged look that is associated with ruff and tumble cowboys. Denim comforter sets are easy to find as well, check your local discount stores or shop online to get the best bargains.

Accent your bedding with rustic accents.

A creative and inexpensive option for accenting your bedding would be to purchase red bandana fabric at your local craft store and use it to create custom throw pillows. You can also use old denim or western style shirt fabric or pockets to add personality to your pillows.

Creative storage space expands the theme while providing functionality.

Check your local garage sales and thrift stores for a rustic wooden trunk to help pull your room theme together and add storage space to your room. You can customize your trunk and change out the hardware by adding rustic black iron chest hinges, lock and side handles. Complete the look by placing western theme plaid blankets on the top of the trunk.

Use a rustic country shelf as a wall accent.

You can purchase wooden shelves with peg hooks at your local crafts store for next to nothing. For a complimentary design, paint your shelf in a warm white hue and lightly sand the edges to give it a worn rugged look.

Add a personalized sign to one wall for a classic touch.

It is easy to locate old wood pieces or old wood fence pieces that can be used as room accents. Once you have found a piece with a bit of character, purchase some thin lasso rope and use it to write your child's name in cursive on the sign. Be sure to use a glue that is appropriate for a proper bond between the rope and wood.

Let your child create their own room accents with custom artwork.

Help your child surf the internet for their favorite cowboy and western photos. Print them out on your home printer and then help your child frame the pictures in vintage or rustic picture frames. Another idea is to shop your local antique stores for cowboy posters or cowboy and western wall hangings.

Create your own nightstand as a great finishing accent.

You can accomplish this by locating old suitcases at garage sales and antique shops. Simply stack the old suitcases atop each other until you reach the desired height. This can be a decorative element as well as functional, because your child can use the suitcases as storage.

Finish off your room theme with Wild West accents galore.

Consider using western tin stars, cowboy clocks, banks, old guitars or ukuleles, lasso ropes, western lamps, old Sheriff badges or lanterns to complete your cowboy bedroom theme makeover.

Any of these seven ideas, or even all of them, make it extremely easy to create a cowboy bedroom décor theme that your child will love, while not robbing the bank.

By Tammy Billings

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