Find a Secluded Spot

Although it can sometimes be challenging to find a secluded spot in your home, there could be some possibilities that you are simply overlooking. Creating a contemplative area doesn’t really require a lot of space – even a small corner can work. When choosing your spot, give some thought as to what time of day you expect to use it, since this could affect your choice. For example, if you prefer your “alone time” in the morning before everyone gets up, you could potentially choose almost any location. However, if you prefer early evening contemplative time, a corner of the noisy basement family room might not be the best choice. A quiet corner of the basement, an unused bedroom, indoor patio room, or the attic can all work well. During nice weather, you could even use a corner of your outside deck or patio. You could also simply use a corner of an existing room if that’s all you have available. If this is the case, using a room divider or screen can help create a more private environment.

Decorative Touches

Adding a few decorative touches to your contemplative area can make the time you spend there more enjoyable. The accent pieces you choose will likely depend on your personal preferences, as well as your overall plans for the area. For example, one or more decorative wall crosses could help set the overall mood for your morning devotions. If you enjoy gardening, you might enjoy decorating your contemplative area with natural objects and live plants or flowers. If you plan on spending your time alone reading a good book, a decorative tapestry throw could add beauty as well as a touch of warmth and comfort. Ideally, you should look for decorative accents and accessories that beautify the space, while also adding a bit of functionality if possible.

Furniture Choices

If your contemplative area is quite small, you might only have room for a comfortable chair or a small love seat. However, depending on your needs, you might even have less need for furniture pieces. For example, if you enjoy practicing yoga, a simple floor mat might be all you need. You can create more space for the furniture pieces you need by finding ways to conserve floor space. For example, if you want to add a large floral display to the room, arranging the flowers in huge wall vases can be a better choice as compared to large vases displayed on tables. Once you’ve selected the perfect furniture pieces, you can add a few accessories and comfortable items to make the space more appealing. Depending on your needs and preferences, these items might include a CD player, a stack of interesting books, or your artist’s paints and an easel.

Decorate Your Walls with Butterflies

Since the walls are usually the most visible area of any room, they are a great place to focus your decorating efforts. There are many ways to add butterfly decor to your walls, including using metal butterfly wall art. On a small wall, you might only have enough space to display a single butterfly. However, you can create an eye-catching focal point on a larger wall by creating an entire grouping of butterflies in flight. In addition to plain metal, you might also want to choose butterfly sculptures which have been painted in bright and realistic colors.

Art prints, photographs and paintings of butterflies can also be used to add a beautiful look to your walls. Because butterflies are such a popular motif, you shouldn’t have any difficulty finding plenty of beautiful prints and photographs from which to choose. Use an oversized butterfly print to create a focal point in your indoor patio room. Or, add a touch of color and charm by displaying a collection of small framed butterfly photographs in your family room. Wherever you choose to display them, butterflies just naturally seem to cheer up and brighten a room’s decor.

Adding Butterflies to Other Decor Collections

Butterflies can easily serve as an overall theme for a room’s decor. However, in some cases you might prefer to simply add one or two butterflies to an existing theme, just to add a cheerful touch. Butterfly art can work well with a variety of other overall themes. For example, in your garden-themed room, you could display a single butterfly alongside a beautiful sun metal wall sculpture. Or, add a few whimsically colored butterflies to your child’s room, regardless of the overall theme.

Butterfly Fabric Prints

If you’d like to accentuate the look of your butterfly art, carrying the theme over into your other room decor choices can be quite effective. For example, imagine a couple of throw pillows covered in butterfly print fabric, arranged on a sofa under a beautiful butterfly painting. Tapestry throws are also a good choice when adding butterfly fabric prints to a room. You could choose to display the tapestry on the wall. Or, drape it beautifully over a chair or sofa to add a warm and cozy touch in addition to a decorative look. Even small splashes of butterfly print fabrics can add to the overall charm of your room’s decor.

Choosing Art Metal Sculpture for the Kitchen

When shopping for contemporary metal art sculptures, you find many different varieties that would be suitable for the kitchen. In some cases, you might choose a piece that is specifically designed to have a kitchen theme, such as black wrought iron trivets with fruit designs or a beautifully crafted metal hanging pot rack. However, you shouldn’t feel limited to choosing art pieces that are designed with the kitchen in mind. For example, if you find a beautiful abstract piece of metal wall art, you should feel free to display it in the kitchen if it adds to the room’s overall beauty. Using art pieces in surprising ways is a great way to add to the overall visual interest of your home. Size is another factor to take into consideration when selecting metal wall art pieces for the kitchen. Sometimes a small piece of art is all you really want or need to accentuate a corner of the kitchen. However, other times you might want to create a strong focal point in the room by using one large piece of metal art. It can also be helpful to consider the overall design and architectural features of the kitchen. By doing so, you might be able to find a piece of art that plays nicely off of one or more architectural features, such as accentuating an exposed brick wall with rustic wrought iron art.

Decorative Techniques for Using Metal Wall Art

Although there is certainly nothing wrong with simply hanging a piece of metal art on the wall, it can also be fun to use pieces in intriguing and interesting ways. For example, you could hang a decorative metal plaque on the kitchen wall, using it as a convenient hanging spot for potholders and other small kitchen accessories. Or, use an artistic metal wine rack on the kitchen wall to add a decorative as well as functional feature. Wall art with a vineyard them can add a nice touch to the Tuscan styled kitchen. Or, give your kitchen the look of a fine café with coffee themed metal art sculptures. Barnyard themed artwork can add a country look to a rustic styled kitchen, while fruits, vegetables and other kitchen related art will look good in almost any kitchen. Floral, tree and sunburst art can also work great in the kitchen. Try hanging one large piece of art on the wall behind the table, to create an interesting focal area in the kitchen. Or, hang several pieces of smaller metal art along the area above the kitchen cabinets to add decorative flair.

Choosing a Decorating Theme

Before choosing metal art for your home, it can be helpful to decide upon an overall theme. If you already have a decorating theme, you can simply use new pieces of art to build upon it. However, if your existing decorating plan doesn’t encompass a basic theme, it can be helpful to develop one. Your decorating theme could be as simple as highlighting a favorite interest or hobby, such as a love of riding motorcycles. Metal art works well with this kind of theme, since it will blend right in with the overall look and feel of motorcycles. In addition to your other decorating accent pieces, simply include one or more metal motorcycle art sculptures. However, you can also use metal wall art to accentuate other non-metallic themes, such as using floral theme metal art  to beautify a garden room, or adding wine or vineyard-themed art to the kitchen or dining room. Metal wall art with a musical note theme could work well in the media room or home theater, while classic car and tractor art could add the perfect finishing touch to the “man cave.”

Choosing Architectural Details to Highlight

Part of the fun of decorating with wall art is discovering your home’s unique architectural details. In many cases, you might not even notice some of these details until you take the time to look for them. For example, by hanging a piece of metal wall art on an exposed brick wall, you can call more attention to it. If you have interesting wrought iron panels surrounding your patio area, accentuate the look by hanging a couple of metal sculpture pieces on the patio wall. Choosing a metal sculpture that matches the overall finish of other metal surfaces in the room is also a good way to call attention to them. For example, if you have exposed metal pipes in the basement family room, turn them into a design plus instead of a minus by hanging matching metal art nearby. If you’d like to call more attention to an entire wall, consider hanging large metal wall art panels. Choose abstract pieces to accentuate a contemporary decorating theme. For a more traditional or rustic style of decorating, sculptures depicting natural subjects such as plants, trees, animals or birds can work nicely. You can also combine beauty and functionality with artistically designed metal clocks, candle sconces, or mirrors.

Southwestern Wall Art

You’ll find plenty of variety when shopping for southwestern-styled wall art. Southwestern metal art decor is quite popular, as are beautifully and traditionally designed wall tapestry panels. Tapestries that feature traditional southwestern Indian patterns can add a lot of color and design to a room. Terra cotta pottery can also be used to add the authentic look and feel of the sun-baked southwest area. When decorating in a southwestern style, try thinking in terms of how to bring a bit of the outdoors inside your home. For example, instead of just displaying a collection of terra cotta pots, plant a variety of interesting cactus plants in them to add an authentic look. You can also find ways to combine design and function, such as using traditionally colored and patterned tapestry throws on your furniture. When decorating your walls, focus on beautiful metal art, especially pieces that feature rustic wrought iron. Wall art that features scenes from nature, horses or other desert animals can also add a nice visual accent to your overall decorating style. Art pieces with a sun motif or those which feature desert scenes can also add a colorful and authentic touch.

Effective Decorating Accents

When decorating your home with southwestern style, sometimes less is actually more. Simplicity and sometimes even a stark approach to decorating can be more authentic than adding too many details. For example, simple iron door toppers can add a decorative and yet unobtrusive touch to almost any room. Instead of cluttering the walls with numerous decorative pieces, create a strong focal point with a vividly colored and patterned tapestry panel. Focus on colors that blend nicely with warm natural shades, such as terra cotta, sunshine yellow or beautiful turquoise. Wrought iron or copper accents will both blend beautifully with the southwestern color palette. Stone, tile or naturally finished hardwood floors will all look great in a southwestern-styled room. To add a bit of color and warmth, try adding one or more throw rugs in beautiful colors. Round out the overall look with a collection of pottery or other rustic decorative pieces. However, never use too many decorative accents, as this can produce an undesirable cluttered look and feel. Keeping the overall look simple and a bit sparse will create the natural southwestern look that you are trying to achieve.

Sophisticated and Chic or Fun and Whimsical

Although you might think that monograms are used only in more formal styles of decorating, you can also use them to add a fun and whimsical touch to any decorating style. In traditional decorating schemes, embroidered monograms on towels and pillowcases or finely etched monogrammed glassware can work well. But, if your home is decorated in a more contemporary fashion, you can also find fun and interesting ways to work monograms into your decorating scheme. For example, try decorating a wall with a monogram wall grille to add a contemporary and yet personalized touch. Or, try decorating your sofa with a monogrammed pillow or tapestry throw. You can even paint a large monogram on one of your walls to add a fun and whimsical touch. Although beautifully etched glassware and fine monogrammed china can be lovely, you can add a more modern touch by choosing a personalized set of casual dinnerware or glassware. Or, if you can’t find just the style you’re looking for, try using etching cream and stencils to add monograms to your glassware, or food-safe ceramic paint to personalize your dishes.

Monograms for Every Room of the House

It can be a lot of fun to look for ways to add monograms to different rooms of the house. For example, in the bathroom you can use a monogrammed shower curtain or add your initials to other accessories. Shopping online is a great way to locate fun monogrammed items. However, if you can’t find what you need, cut your initials out of a sheet of adhesive vinyl so that you can add them to your trash can, shower curtain, or anywhere else you desire. In the bedroom, try creating your own hooked area rug, complete with custom monogrammed details. In the kitchen, you can add monograms to your canister set, or decorate with personalized dishes, glasses or serving pieces. Monogrammed towels will add a touch of style to either the bathroom or the kitchen. You can also create your own custom monogrammed towels and bed linens by either embroidering them or using fabric paints. You can also find decorative door toppers that feature monogram initials, which can add a very sophisticated look to your home. To add a formal look to the dining room, use tie-on fabric chair covers complete with monogrammed initials. Once you get started using monograms as part of your overall home decorating scheme, you’ll no doubt think of many more creative and attractive ways to utilize them.

Enhance Your Home’s Entryway

Your home’s primary entryway can be a great place to concentrate your decorating efforts, especially if you have a foyer. Your guests and visitors will see this area first, which means it will set their decorating expectations for the rest of your home. Create a welcoming and beautiful area by adding art pieces such as a door topper, monogrammed coat of arms, or other interesting wall art. These small but effective decorative pieces will add a look of formality and stateliness to even the simplest of homes. Door toppers can look particularly striking when hung over the entryway door. Beautiful candle sconces or a decorative mirror can also add beauty to the foyer area. Take your cue from the overall style of your home when choosing decorating accessories. For example, if you have a traditionally styled home with interesting carved woodwork or crown molding, a more ornate and traditional style of wall art usually looks best. If your home is sleekly modern with simple architectural details, a more streamlined art design would likely be more visually pleasing.

Adding Unique Personal Touches

Regardless of your home’s architectural style, it’s important to add a personalized touch with unique wall art pieces. Try to add at least one unique piece to each room of your home, whether it’s in the form of an antique, a collectible, or simply a whimsical piece that makes you smile. Animal art and nature art can work well when used in this fashion, especially if you also choose pieces that coordinate with the overall style of your home. For example, beautiful butterfly art could complement a more formally styled home, while sea birds or fish might look great in a home with cottage-style architecture. Art pieces depicting dogs, cats or barnyard animals can also add a whimsical touch to many decorating styles.

Accentuating Individual Architectural Features

In addition to enhancing your home’s overall style, you can use art to highlight and accentuate individual architectural features. For example, beautifully designed shelves, corbels, arches or an iron wall grille can play off of architectural features such as crown molding, wood trim and metal grilles. By using art, you can easily transform even the simplest of architectural details into an eye-catching focal area. This technique can often be most effective with traditional forms of decorating, but it can also be used to accentuate modern home details. For example, if your home features a beautifully modern built-in water feature such as a wall fountain, add stone or metal wall art to accentuate the overall look. Art with a natural theme such as aquatic plants or fish could also be used to add beauty and drama to an indoor fountain area.

Furniture Swap

If your kitchen has an eat-in seating area, you have the perfect spot for creating a coffee house inspired nook.  Swap out the large and cumbersome wooden table that does not quite fit in the room and bring in a smaller, metal table that fits better in the space.  Practically, the table will need to accommodate the number of people who usually dine there at one time, so be sure that the table that you choose has enough seating area for everyone.  While it may be tempting to purchase the matching chairs to accompany the table, think about the look of your favorite coffee shop.  In most cases, the chairs are much more comfortable than traditional seating.  Instead of the hard metal chairs that match the table, choose comfortable, padded chairs that match the room’s decor.  You will find that the comfortable seating makes all the difference when enjoying your cup of coffee at home.

The Importance of Painting

The next time that you are at your favorite local coffee shop, take a good look at the color of their walls.  Many shops use shades of browns and creams to match their products and give a sense of peace and calmness to the room.  You can carry those same colors into your kitchen’s new decor by painting the walls accordingly.  If there is a lot of light in your kitchen, darker shades of brown can be used more generously than if there is little natural light.  A soft, cream color is just as good to use on the walls, because it will help brighten up the space while coordinating with darker colors and black coffee wall art that you may choose to hang on the wall.

Accessories

No kitchen decor is complete without accessories.  Choose pieces that are decidedly coffee house in theme without looking gaudy or garish.  While it is okay to add a few pieces that focus on a coffee theme, you could opt instead to keep the coffee house feel more sophisticated.  For example, iron outdoor wall decor is a great wall accessory that will bring a bistro feel to the kitchen.  It is bold and earthy in design, which helps capture the natural feel of an authentic sidewalk bistro.

When the space is decorated and ready to go, do not forget to invest in a great coffee maker, colorful mugs, and some of your favorite coffee beans and biscotti to complete the experience.

Who says walls have to be boring? Put some flair into your home with this designer wall paneling by Lamellux. An elegant composition of wood and resin blend organic style with ultra-contemporary elements for a look that’s unique and appeals to the lover of all things modern. This designer wall paneling encompasses a variety of colors, shapes and lighting effects, all incorporated into the German ecoresin called “Design Panel Acrysign.” Customize the style of your home with unlimited combinations of colors and finishes, resulting in a look that’s as individual as you are. Call it “interactive art” – this designer wall paneling is something to be admired every day, in every room. Check out this cool collection at Lamellux.

via Trendir

Buildings account for thirty-eight percent of the CO2 emissions in the U.S., according to the U.S. Green Building Council, and demand for carbon neutral and/or zero footprint buildings is at an all-time high. Now there is a new building material that is not just carbon neutral, but is actually carbon negative. Developed by U.K.-based Lhoist Group, Tradical® Hemcrete® is a concrete substitute made from hemp, lime and water. What makes it carbon negative? There is more CO2 locked-up in the process of growing and harvesting of the hemp than is released in the production of the lime binder. Of course the equation is more complicated than that, but Hemcrete® is still an amazing new technology that could change the building industry.

Good looking, environmentally friendly and 100% recyclable, Hemcrete® is as versatile as it is sustainable. It can be used in a mind-boggling array of applications from roof insulation to wall construction to flooring. It is seven times stronger than concrete, weighs half as much, and is less prone to cracking. Hemcrete® is also waterproof, fireproof, insulates well, does not rot and is completely recyclable. In fact, the manufacturers say that demolished Hemcrete® walls can actually be used as fertilizer!

Available for years in the U.K., Hemcrete® is only now finding its way into North America. The species of hemp used to manufacture Hemcrete® is illegal to grow in the U.S., making Hemcrete® an expensive option for U.S. builders for now. As pressure for more sustainable building materials grows, lawmakers are certain to revisit this and other similarly restrictive statutes, particularly if there is money to be made. And judging from the success of Hemcrete® in Europe and elsewhere, there is plenty to be made; it is so profitable overseas that Hemp Technologies, one of the biggest manufacturers of hemp products in the UK, is actively recruiting as many new growers as it can.

seen on Inhabitat