ACCESSORIES
Whether it’s a metal sculpture of dancing figures, an intricate wire fruit bowl or lamp base, or a length of kelim patterned fabric thrown over the back of a chair, ethnic artifacts establish the global connection.

FURNITURE
A solid wooden dining table presides over the room, accompanied by a set of dark wood dining chairs. Each chair is treated to its own cover, in a variety of coarse fabrics to match the color scheme.

FLOOR
Bare wooden floorboards, stained and varnished, help to define the style. A natural fiber runner under the table is a good compromise instead of carpet in a dining room; it fits in well with the soft furnishings and is too narrow to catch many accidental food spills, yet helps prevent the floor getting scuffed by diners’ feet.

WINDOWS
Unfussy window treatments are the order of the day. Tabbed sheers and a length of coarse, hand-decorated fabric draped over a bamboo rod are ideal. Stiff bristle finial-like ends to the rod are an apt ethnic detail.

Furnishings
Furniture: Global style is essentially an international country look with pieces gathered from around the world. Rustic rather than refined, global dining furniture displays a forthright use of natural materials, such as wood and metal. Many retailers produce ranges of simple, sturdy furniture which work well with the style, or you could look out for similar designs in secondhand shops and flea markets. Plain or painted planked wooden tables, wrought metal chairs, benches, and farmhouse chairs with rush seats make good global basics. Tie-on cushions or loose covers give extra comfort.

For dining-room storage, choose a large wooden cupboard, armoire, or series of wooden wall cupboards to house linen, cutlery, glassware, and crockery. Strip old pieces of previous finishes and lightly stain or wash them with paint for a distressed look.

Table settings: Mix ethnic ceramics, metal platters, carved wooden bowls, and woven baskets for serving dishes and containers. Tableware should be chunky and colorful; spotted, striped, or plain earthenware in vibrant colors looks cheerful and unpretentious. You can cover the table with a patterned cloth or use individual place mats in rich or bright weaves. Many home stores stock a range of characterful dining accessories, from handmade wood ladles to handblown colored glass, that display the global theme.

Accessories: The definition of the global style relies on a few well-chosen accessories, rather than a mass of small curios and trinkets. Be bold and choose a few large decorative pieces, such as stoneware urns, embroidered wall hangings, and carvings to create points of interest. Too much clutter is claustrophobic and will detract from the center of attention, the table.

On the walls, display a collection of ethnic style prints, an oriental hanging, or rich appliqued embroidery. A mirror adds drama to the dining room, especially with a metal or mosaic frame.

As befits the most important feature in the dining room, the table should take pride of place; not only with tableware, linen, and accessories to enhance your theme, but because of its own impact. If your dining table and chairs are unexceptional or not compatible with your chosen style, transform them using spectacular patterned and colored fabric. A fabulous floor-length cloth, tailored to flatter the table shape, and chair slipcovers, will alter the whole look of the room. If all your chairs require is a simple change of color, lavishly upholstered seat pads will instantly focus attention where you want it.

Window Treatments
Window treatments reflect and enhance the look, so be generous here with shape, color, and texture. Use rich velvets and glowing silks – saris are relatively inexpensive – swagged and draped in lavish folds, and trimmed with rich braids, fringing, and tassels. Alternatively, choose a more restrained elegance. Minimalist blinds, tailored pelmets and lambrequins, and graphic prints such as those with classical motifs or calligraphy, all have a dramatic undertone, and a bold, almost stark approach can be just as relevant in the right setting as lavish furnishings in sumptuous, period-inspired schemes.

Details
Because dramatic style is larger than life and an element of fantasy is the norm, you can really indulge a passion for extravagance when it comes to choosing accessories and style details. Make sure each element earns its place visually in the scheme of things; fussiness means a loss of impact. Let your theme dictate a signature color choice for tableware, fabric covers, table mats or color accent underplates, and match crockery and cutlery to stemware where possible, whether it is elegant crystal or extravagantly tinted, gilded, or beaded in style.

Be indulgent with table centerpieces – use fruit, vegetables, flowers, or natural forms. These offer lots of dramatic potential. Incorporate candles into the scheme – arrange them at different heights for effect. The containers you use should echo your theme. Architectural pedestal urns, oversized, sleek, and modern glass vases, carved ethnic bowls, and antique-style metal or rustic clay and wicker, all speak volumes about mood and ambience.

My how times have changed. Today, busy families find little time to gather at the dinner table. And the formal dining room in many homes is relegated to special occasions and holidays.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. With a little thought and some creativity, you can convert this little used space into a place where the family spends a lot of their time, doing homework, working on school projects and just hanging out talking.

Before you start your dining room project, you want to take an inventory of your existing furnishings, accents, accessories and décor. Often, it’s easy to simply swap around some things in your home to create an entirely new living space.

Of course, the dining room table is the focal point of the room and it obviously guides most of your decisions. Like other rooms, decorating usually starts with the focal point of the room and everything flows from the dominant piece. In this case, it’s the dining room table and chairs.

Flexibility is key in selecting the right table and chairs. Unless you plan to use this space just once a year, you want to choose a table that suits your personal tastes and which has the ideal seating arrangement. For instance, if you have a family of four and don’t entertain often, you can opt for a smaller table and add other furnishings to the room, such as a buffet or china cabinet to use for storing games and craft items.

If you entertain occasionally or often, you may want to get a table with leaves. That way, you can expand the table easily to handle larger dinner parties, and then shrink the table back to its more intimate size for daily use.

Taller dining room tables are very popular these days. Not only do they make the room look less formal, but they’re the ideal place to play board games, work on school projects or enjoy an evening of poker with friends.

When it comes to selecting furnishings and decorating, professional designers agree on one thing. There are no rules these days. Rooms are empty spaces waiting to be filled with the inspiration, beauty, energy and personality you bring to them.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t some basic guidelines you should follow. For example, your dining room should still look like it’s part of your home. It should have complementary color schemes, styles and woods. Contemporary fabrics can breathe new life into heirloom furnishings. And tired tables can be rejuvenated with a new layer of stain or varnish.

If you have the budget for new furnishings, you have endless options. Dark finishes tend to support a more formal dining look while oval and round tables finished in lighter stains are more informal. Be sure that the table has enough room for your guests to be comfortable so they’re not bumping elbows constantly. If you have small children, stain resistant seat fabrics will pay for themselves in a very short time.

Surprisingly, your chairs don’t even have to match one another these days. You can create an eclectic dining area by mixing and matching different designs of chairs or different colors. Be careful in doing this, since you don’t want your dining room to look like the circus is in town. Rely on your sense of taste and you should be O.K. When in doubt, ask your family or friends for their opinions before you plunk down a lot of dough on chairs that will just end up in a garage sale six months from now.

Once you have the dining room table and chairs it’s time to finish the rest of the room. Obviously, the walls deserve some attention before you add any other furniture to the space. Choose paint or wallpaper that sets the room off yet which complements the rest of the home. If you have dominant artwork in mind, you may want to choose colors that will work well with it. Before you paint, it’s a good time to add any new sconces or other wall lighting that will require some electrical work. No need messing up a great looking paint or papering job after the fact.

Now you’re ready to add the other elements to the room. Depending on the space available, this may include a china cabinet, hutch, sideboard or buffet. If you don’t have room around the table for all the chairs you have, you may want to factor that into your space planning. Chairs against the wall take up space and you don’t want the room to look crowded.

Finally, don’t forget the little things that make a dining room an inviting place to be. You want to add personal touches to the space. If you’re using a sideboard or buffet, consider adding candlesticks and some family photos. If you have a spectacular serving piece, consider using it as the focal point as well. When you’re not using it for entertaining, it can serve as a piece of art.

Like the rest of the spaces in your home, your dining room should reflect your personality and tastes. Make it an inviting place to eat, relax, entertain and work and you’ll find that this once empty space will soon be overflowing with good times with family and friends.

Having a guest room can be a luxury. But if you’re lucky enough to have the space for one, why not do it up right? Your guests deserve it, and you can create a comfortable guest room easily and affordably. Begin by jotting down some ideas for your guest room, using your responses to the following questions as your guide:

• ” What kind of atmosphere do I want to create in my guest room? (Calming and restful? Fun and exciting?)
• ” What furniture is essential to this room (e.g., a bed, dresser, night table)?
• ” Do I already have furnishings and accessories that I could use?
• ” Is there anything I need to purchase to complete the space?

Once your wishes for the room are clear, empty out the room, if it isn’t already. Paint, if that’s part of your plan, and take care of  any flooring needs, such as laying down an area rug. Bring in the furniture you already own or have purchased, then take a step back. Before you begin accessorizing, go back to your answers to those questions, and contemplate the mood you’re going for. Your accessories are the items that will help you meet your goals and establish the mood, so choose them carefully.

For instance, if you’re hoping to create a tranquil, relaxing mood, try some of these simple, low-cost ideas:

• ” Purchase clearance rack fabric in soft tones like light blue and soft pink, and re-cover throw pillows instead of purchasing new ones.
• ” Gather accessories according to color, and display them in new ways. For instance, if you’re going for an all-white color palette, gather up all the books you have with white covers and stack them on the night stand.
• ” Add calming touches such as scented candles, a light with a dimmer bulb, and soft fluffy pillows.

Creating a Family Reading Room

This is one idea that is making a quick comeback. For one, in the age of technology and the Internet, the desire of children and adults to read is steadily declining. Families used to get together and read books and tell stories. But now, good quality family time is decreasing as fast as their desire to read. So what can you do to help your family start reading again? Change your spare room into a reading room, also known as a home library. This can be done by some simple decorating.

If your spare room has a bed in it, then it needs to be removed before you can turn it into a library. Think of putting it into another room or into storage even. Once the bed is removed, take a good long look around. Jot down notes on what colors you would like to use, what types of decorations, what type of lights and etc. Once you have your ideas down on paper, go and purchase a couple of bookcases. These do not have to be the extravagant five to seven shelf solid oak bookcases. These can be as simple as a two shelf aluminum bookcase. The goal here is having a structure to hold the books that you plan on adding to this room.

Once the bookcases have been bought, placed and stocked, search for a container for a few magazines. Maybe an old wicker basket or milk crate will be sufficed. Grab a few magazines that you know will be read and stock the basket with them. It is also a good idea to have plenty of lighting in your room as well. If you need to, purchase a couple of floor lamps. These will serve as the extra lighting that your family will need during their reading sessions.

The overall theme that you should try to achieve is a literary and educational theme. Try to promote the art of reading with the decorations that you place. For instance, purchase some wallpaper border that has designs of books and pen and place it along the top of your walls. If you can find some accent pillows that has a literary theme this is perfect for this room. And in order for your room to work to your advantage, you must set aside some reading time for your family. This may be hard at first, (to get them to commit to a weekly reading time), but do not give up! After a while they’ll get into the habit of coming into this newly decorated room and spending their time reading and enjoying it. And what a joy it will be when your child says, “Mom, turning the spare room into a library was such a great idea!”

Dining-room furniture often outlasts other furniture in a home – a sofa and armchairs may show the strain of the rough and tumble of family life, but a sturdy table and chairs can go on looking good year after year. So work out your needs carefully before you buy a dining suite.

There’s an excellent choice of robust, well-made contemporary furniture available to suit all tastes and budgets, from the elegance of Georgian reproduction through sturdy farmhouse to modern steel and glass. Folding or extending tables are a good choice if space is limited or to seat extra guests.

A Touch of the Traditional
Traditional dining-room furniture such as a period style suite in solid wood or with a veneered finish is well suited to elegant formal meals. Before you buy it’s a good idea to decide how versatile you want your table and chairs to be. Most dining-room furniture has to be sturdy enough to meet different needs. During the course of a day the table may be called on to do duty as a play surface for children’s games and painting sessions, a desk for homework, and a worktop for a sewing machine as well as being used for an informal family breakfast, lunch, and tea. Yet it still has to be flexible enough to be dressed up for those more elegant evening occasions.

Consider this multi-functional aspect of the room when you shop for the furniture, and remember it’s easier to use attractive table linen to dress up a tough surface like solid wood for formal dining than it is to protect a delicate veneer from everyday knocks and spills. If you do choose a table with a finish that needs protection, buy a table pad you can cover with an easily laundered tablecloth for everyday use. For more formal occasions, take away the pad and use a fancy tablecloth and placemats.

Most modern upholstered dining chairs have been treated to resist stains but for additional protection, use tie-on chair covers, or make covers to slip over upholstered seats.

Modern Mood
The key to a modern dining room is simplicity. There is no shortage of clean-lined tables and chairs on the market. Favorites for a contemporary room are materials such as glass, chrome, and steel, but almost anything would suit, as long as the design is streamlined.

A laminate or lacquer which wipes clean and resists scratches and scuffs is a cost effective and practical option – especially if the table is going to be used by young children or if it doubles other ways, as a sewing table or somewhere to study or do homework. A modern style of table is best left uncovered, but you can give a more conventional table a bold new image with a dramatic tablecloth.

Make sure you check out a contemporary suite very carefully for comfort and practicality -a glass-topped table may lose its appeal if you are forever wiping off children’s fingermarks. Cast-iron chairs can look dramatic in a modern room but they are often very-heavy, which makes them difficult to draw up to and away from the table.

Hospitable and comfortable, the global style combines informality with strong handling of the decorating basics – confident color, characterful texture, and lively pattern. The look is simple and natural yet exuberant, with the emphasis on straightforward materials and unfussy detail. Rugged, natural surfaces and finishes marry with cheerful handmade accessories to create dining rooms which are practical as well as enjoyable. The informal approach goes well with today’s casual lifestyles and the latest trends in decorating.

Global styling is also economical and easy to assemble. You needn’t travel far to find most of the ingredients for the look – homespun furnishings, handprinted textiles, handcrafted baskets, bowls, and tableware are as accessible as they are affordable. It’s always worth keeping your eyes open for ethnic craft items with bold profiles or striking designs, such as pottery jugs or metal candelabra, that look good on the dining table.

Unless you want to achieve a particular regional look – a minimalist oriental scene or a sumptuous Indian setting, for example – you can mix and match artifacts from different countries of the world and combine colors, patterns, and textures with abandon. In this relaxed styling, there’s no need to agonize over what goes with what, since most elements blend well together whatever their country of origin. If you like to travel, global style provides the perfect excuse to display your treasured souvenirs.

Creating the Look
Walls: The look is fundamentally bold, rather than pristine, warm rather than cool. Rich earthy tones, from ocher to brick red, epitomize the look. If you prefer a more reticent background, chalky white makes a good foil for dark wood and lively patterns.

For once, less than perfect wall surfaces actually suit the look. Paint loosely washed over rough plasterwork provides a wonderful textural dimension while layers of glazes or washes add luminous depth to the finish. You can accent the main divisions of the wall, at the top, bottom, or wainscoting level, with a handpainted trim.

Floors: Dining room flooring should be easy to maintain. With its bias toward natural materials, the global style is best expressed in plain sanded or stained floorboards, natural stone or brick flooring, plain terra-cotta quarry tiles or natural fiber coverings such as seagrass, coir, or sisal.

As an extra layer of comfort, you can partner basic no-nonsense flooring with bright scatter rugs or runners.

Indian dhurries, kelims, and Mexican scrapes come in a wide range of colors, patterns, and price ranges. Natural fiber floor coverings can be made up in room-sized mats or runners, loosely laid over a non-slip backing.

Windows: Window treatments are best kept simple and uncluttered. Slatted wooden louver shutters, natural split-cane blinds, or wooden Venetian blinds filter the light interestingly. If you prefer fabric at the window, choose a homespun or handprinted textile, such as batik or tie-dyed designs. You can catch up a length of ethnic fabric, including saris, in front of the window with clips or drape it over a wooden, bamboo, or metal rail for an instant, no-sew window treatment.

Lighting: For atmospheric dining, combine a chandelier over the table with soft wall lights, table lamps, or discreet torcheres. Plain modern fittings are best, while lamp bases in polished metal or glazed ceramics fit in well. Metal candleholders with tiered branches look right on the table.

Dramatic style provides you with a bold canvas, whether your tastes are sleek and contemporary or steeped in the glamour and history of a period look. Ambience is important in any dining room, and creating a setting where your guests have a sense of well-being underlines its success. However, the mood in a dramatic dining room or dining area goes further, bestowing a sense of occasion and making any meal served in the room a memorable, almost theatrical experience. The success of the style relies on an imaginative approach rather than a large budget – creating a great visual effect is what matters. Capitalize on the attributes of the room, such as its natural light, height, or size. Even a particularly small dining room can be an advantage because you can emphasize its cozy, intimate atmosphere. Highlight any key elements: extravagant drapes in luxurious velvets, silks, or brocades; crystal glass and sleek, gleaming tableware; large, ornate mirrors and candlesticks; and the most important element of all, strong, bold color combinations.

Creating the Look
Use color on the walls to establish a particular mood. If the mood is to be airy and romantic, pale shades, with gilding or shiny metal accents, will help to create the right ambience. For a classical twist, you could opt for graphic black and white.

If the mood is more exotic, or has a sumptuous, period feel, saturate the room with intense, warming color; reds, glowing earthy colors, faux stone, and rich, dark shades, all have the effect of “pulling in” the walls.

Deep purples, midnight blues, and vibrant malachite greens have this enclosing, haven-like effect, too, but these rich colors also convey a subtly different mood with an air of mystery and a hint of magic.

For floor covering, take the lead from your special theme. Stone slabs or faux effects and black and white tiles suggest many looks, from ancient or heraldic to classical and ethnic, and can also look very modern. Pile carpet, polished parquet, or customized floor designs have a sophisticated, luxurious element to them.

Lighting, like color, captures the mood. Dramatic style relishes special effects, so choose lighting designs that work for your theme. Torcheres, sconces, picture lights, table lights, as well as an imposing light positioned centrally over the table, allow you to create subtle changes. A dimmer switch gives you control. Candles are a vital prop, and are a must for an intimate atmosphere.

Style Pointers
WALLS
Rich/sumptuous: vibrant contrasting color paint effects; colorwashes and glazes, stippling, faux effects; stone, marble, verdigris; murals, trompe l’oeil, bold plain color, gilding/metallics; ornate moldings.

Wall coverings: bold, flamboyant/exotic pattern; classical motifs.

WINDOWS
Flamboyant/curtains: lined, full-length, variations of dramatic classic styles; pelmets, swags, and tails; elaborately draped metal/wooden poles; extravagant tiebacks, sumptuous cord ties.

Blinds: sleek and architectural with slatted Venetians; or theatrical/exotic festoon styles.

FABRICS
Gorgeous/exotic: richly colored and textured silks; satins; moires; saris; luxury devore velvet/velvets; brocades; shimmery metallics; fur fabrics; bold graphic prints; floaty voiles; shiny plastic/PVC; leather; dramatic pattern prints, stripes, checks.

FLOORING
Luxurious/bold: wall-to-wall velvet pile carpet; animal prints; exotic/theme pattern; customized patterns/faux stone/ marble/linoleum effects; parquet; graphic black and white tiles.

Rugs: stylized contemporary/exotic patterns; natural/cream plains.

FURNITURE
Impressive/modern/period: theatrical flourish; glass and metal/black lacquer for contemporary looks; rich fruit woods, mahogany, oak, painted/distressed wood, painted motif for period look armoire, shelving, serving table/sideboard; metal grille-front radiator covers/bookcases.

Table and chairs: contemporary pale wood/glass and metal or heavy period styles for refectory, extending leaf, trestle styles; circular pedestal table; wrought metal/sleek wood chairs; flamboyant slipcovers; rich texture/color upholstered period chairs.

LIGHTING
Bold/atmospheric: sets the mood; extravagant looks for traditional or modern chandeliers; contemporary pendant shades/halogen spots; wrought iron candle fittings, character table lamps; dimmer switches; candles/nightlights.

ACCESSORIES
Impressive/eclectic: luxurious, streamlined contemporary or heavy traditional cutlery; metallic/bold color underplates; streamlined modern, ornate/metallic rim traditional dinner service; goblets; metallic/luxurious tablecloth/mats/napkins; elaborate floral/fruit display; striking mirror/picture frames; decorative screens.

If your room is the latter and you’re finding it increasingly more difficult to find the bed when it’s time for bed, you may want to consider giving your bedroom a well-deserved makeover.

With just a few changes, some hard decision making and some tough love, you can transform you bedroom into everything you ever dreamed it should be. And it’s easier than you think.

Start with the basic

First, your bedroom is not a storage facility. If things in the room do not contribute to relaxation, enhance the beauty, add space or provide some entertainment, get rid of it. Pack it up, move it to another room or put it in the garage or trash. If you like to watch a little television before calling it a night, consider getting an armoire to hide it away when it’s not in use. If you’re an avid reader, make sure your nightstands have a drawer so you can put your book or magazine away, along with your glasses. If you love the latest fashions, add more dressers, wardrobes and a closet organizer to the room. Finally, get a hamper for the dirty clothes so you’re not tempted to leave them wherever they fall. As they say, “A place for everything, and everything in its place.”

Add furniture to the mix

Now that your room is clear of clutter, it’s time to add beauty and charm to the space. Start by looking at your furnishings. Do they have the same style or at least complement one another? Are there pieces that should be moved out to make way for others? Does the style of your furniture match your tastes? For example, if you have a love of modern or contemporary furnishings, why do you continue to hold on to that monster of an oak four-poster? Creating a cohesive or at least complementary look is essential to promoting relaxation and a sound sleep. As you review your bedroom’s needs, consider the space you have to work with as well. If you are in desperate need of another dresser, do you really need the California King or can you do with a Queen bed instead? This is not the time to be in denial. Once a piece of furniture is purchased, it tends to stay with you for a long time, so you want to choose carefully and deliberately. Nothing is

mo

re maddening than creating a bedroom retreat where the furniture is so big you can’t make it to the bathroom without stubbing a toe or cracking an elbow.

Think of your future storage needs

The old adage, “stuff expands to fill the space available” is certainly true in the bedroom. Fashions change seasonally and what’s hot now may not be next year. So clothing and footwear seems to multiply as the years pass, even though storage remains the same. Here’s a couple ways to gain space in your bedroom without knocking out a wall or doing a major remodel. First, choose furniture that offers maximum storage. A platform bed with space or drawers underneath provides a surprising amount of additional storage without adding to the overall furniture footprint. The same is true with dressers. A nightstand with drawers is a better choice than one with a single open shelf. Several highboys take up the same space as a low dresser, but offer two to three times the space. The same is true of a lingerie chest. A shoulder height lingerie chest offers more storage than a Queen Anne dresser for your unmentionables.

When you’re evaluating the space you need to store your clothing, don’t ever think you have enough. It’s far better to have a few nearly empty drawers for a few years than to have drawers so tightly packed that you have to struggle to get them open in the morning. Nothing puts the damper on a day than getting a black eye from a bra strap that got caught on the back of an overstuffed drawer.

Don’t go it alone – ask an expert

A well-designed bedroom doesn’t happen by accident. If you’re not comfortable with doing it yourself, there are lots of good resources out there. The Internet has sites devoted entirely to the subject of interior and bedroom design. Another good source is a reputable furniture retailer. Because they deal with design, style and fashion at every turn, these experts can help you create a bedroom that meets your needs perfectly. They can also provide you with good advice about colors, materials and fabrics so you can mix and match with ease and confidence.