Green Paint Colors in Home Decor Palettes

!±8± Green Paint Colors in Home Decor Palettes

Green can be cool or vibrant. It can be gender neutral and invocative of nature. Depending on the tone you choose it might be daring or neutral. It can also work with any design style from modern to traditional.

You'll want to consider the purpose of the space when choosing which shade of green you want to go with. It's a cool color that can be relaxing which makes it perfect for a bathroom or bedroom. If you want to use it in a dining room you'll need to add vibrancy so it's not unappetizing.

Consider how often you remodel when going with a green color scheme. You can use green in every room but look at the durability and timelessness of the shade before deciding where to put the color. If you aren't up for repainting any time soon or you want to sell your house in the future nix the idea of green kitchen cabinets. Instead you can just paint the center island an olive color which will work with a traditional, Tuscan or country design style depending on the lines of the piece. Plus, you'll easily be able to change it out when you want to go in a different design direction.

Green color shades have been popular in all design styles and eras. It just depends on the look that you are going for. That will determine which shade or tone you use. If you want a tropical feel in a neutral room then bring in palm trees. Accent with bright green curtains and keep the rest of the room in neutral wood tones. The wood can almost be an accent color if it's rich enough. Using more vibrant colors allows you to give life to the space but also make a big impact in your interiors without spending a lot of money or doing an extensive remodel. Lime green accessories lend a contemporary vibe that will really pop in a taupe, brown or white space.

The sky is the limit when choosing colors that go with green. For instance you can pair green with turquoise for a look that is both modern and retro at the same time. This could work in any room from a funky master bedroom to a teen's space. You might even be able to find vintage avocado green wallpaper. Modernize the retro print by just keeping it on one focal wall. You can also make it elegant by putting it in a series of oversized frames. You can create a more sophisticated feeling with a nod to traditional design by applying the paper in rectangles to the wall while leaving negative space. Then create the effect of a patterned paneling by framing out the rectangles with molding. Keep the rest of the room neutral with bright white walls, carpeting and bedding. Turquoise can be the accent color used on the curtains or just add a bright vase or lamp.

Green paint colors have mass appeal. It can give vibrancy to a neutral space or bring in elements of nature. If you don't know which color to pick go with a neutral with just a hint of olive or pea green to it for a sophisticated space that still has personality.

Green Paint Colors in Home Decor Palettes

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Feng Shui and the Bedroom - Part 1 - Romance, the Third 'R' of the Bedroom

!±8± Feng Shui and the Bedroom - Part 1 - Romance, the Third 'R' of the Bedroom

Feng shui is an ancient Chinese art used for thousands of years to evaluate and choose the most auspicious location and way to build a home. Once a home is sited and constructed then there are feng shui principles for the most beneficial way to arrange furniture and decoration. Basic feng shui philosophy contends: if a home is in harmonious surroundings and arranged in an harmonious manner, the inhabitants of that home will reflect that harmony and live more harmonious lives. As we spend at least a third of our day in the bedroom, the bedroom is the most important room of all to apply feng shui .

When I first began my studies of feng shui, many teachers mentioned the three R's of the bedroom - Rest, Rejuvenation and Romance. Of course rest and rejuvenation are the first consideration. When a relationship is new (a year or two), the newness is much like an aphrodisiac. As my mother used to say, "When you are in love, even a park bench is wide enough. After the newness wears off, even a king-size bed might not be big enough."

The Goal is Intimacy
In fact, king-size beds and oversize bedrooms tend to diminish the feelings of intimacy. Just as a bed that is too small or placed up against a wall inhibits free movement and feelings of independence. Keep this in mind when designing your romantic environment. The bed should be in proportion to the room with adequate space to move around it. In addition to rest and rejuvenation the bedroom should also be a place for intimacy.

The King Size Bed Problem
The real problem with most king-sized beds are the two box springs beneath the mattress which inclines each partner to roll away from the center. A similar sense of division that fosters separation is experienced if there is an exposed beam running lengthwise directly over the bed.

If you need to have a king-size bed, replace the double box spring with a wooden platform. Likewise, if there is a beam over the bed try to reposition the bed out from under the beam or cover the beam with fabric. Some feng shui authorities say that putting a large sheet over the double box springs can symbolize unification. Regardless of the size of the bed, if you want to bring passion back into the relationship, try the feng shui technique of placing a large red fabric under the mattress.

Bring Life Into The Bedroom, But Not Too Lively
In designing your bedroom observe the symbolism of wall-hangings and table top objects. All art and objects d'art should be treated with the same consideration.

Avoid negative images like a storm-tossed boat drifting in a foggy ocean or out of place scenes like circus clowns and acrobats. Use pictures that set an intimate mood.

"Hi Mom. Hi Dad"
The family pictures on your side table, belong in a family room, or just not facing the bed - so that you or your partner don't open your eyes after a passionate moment, see your parents photos and think, "Hi Mom. Hi Dad." Do you really want your whole family sitting on your end table watching you make love?

Calming Colors with a Touch of Passion
Some bedrooms are too white as if you are trying to maintain the magic of your wedding night. White is a color of purity. As the dominant color in the bedroom it is too sterile and lifeless. Therefore, white is also considered the color of death.

However with white as the backdrop, color decorations becomes more vibrant. The creative use of color for drapes, lamp shades, throw pillows on the bed or a colorful blanket draped over the arm of a chair would bring life-energy (ch'i) into any size room. Of course you do not want to make the room too lively or rest and intimacy will be lost.

If you do add color to the walls, be sure they are calming colors and those colors that add warmth. Ceilings are often painted white, especially in contrast to color paint on the walls to give a feeling of height. A relatively low ceiling will seem even higher, when crown molding is added. Just don't forget to add a red throw pillow or two, or a to keep the passion alive and well.

Mirror Caution
Large mirror in a bedroom, whether hung on a wall or as sliding closet doors. can also detract from a potentially peaceful and intimate ambiance. Large mirrors, or too many mirrors, bounce light making a quiet room feel too busy. Mirrors also multiply images and can make a bedroom feel very crowded, especially when positioned at the foot of the bed. Mirrors at the foot of the bed, beside being disturbing to sleep, may result in continual arguments and complaining over petty issues as you sit looking at each other and "seeing" what's wrong.

The Wall of Visions and Dreams
Indeed, consider whatever you are looking at will be what you are inspired to talk about and that whatever is on that wall is actually the message of the relationship. If it is TV set, then you will find yourselves talking about "What's on TV tonight, dear." If it is an arrangement of beautiful and romantic art, then you will talk softly to each other and talk about your day's activities and your plans for the future. Perhaps it would help if you think of the wall opposite you as a large canvas for you to represent your visions and dreams upon.

On the other hand, consider if the person on one side of the bed is looking straight ahead through an open bathroom door, and the person on the other side of the bed is looking at a picture of a dolphin jumping in the sunrise. Is one of you saying, "Honey, let's go to Tahiti this year." While the other person, the one looking in the bathroom, is saying, "Crap, we can't spend the money. And by the way, did you remember to do this and did you remember to do that...." Another case of what you see is what you get, that is, what you are inspired to talk about.

Bedside Equality
Evaluate also if you both have equality on either side of the bed? Do you each have enough room to stand up and walk comfortably along side the bed? Or is one of you blocked by obstacles, tripping over clutter, avoiding the sharp edges of a bureau or armoire? Starting or ending a day with these seemingly easy-to-adjust-to minor irritations inevitably gets expressed as nit picky complaints and unexplainable hostile over reactions to petty situation. All of which result in distractions from rest, rejuvenation and romance.

The Ba-gua Template
With the growing interest in feng shui books and classes many people have heard about the Ba-gua Template, which is an a way of dividing a house, or room, using an eight-sided diagram (ba, means eight; gua, means sides). The Ba-gua Template assigns one of Eight Aspirations to an area of the house, property or room. It is a way of evaluating how we unconsciously project meaning to various areas of the house based on the idea that the back of the house is more secure than the front, the left side reflects the more aggressive left side of our brains, while the right side of the home, reflects the more passive and sensitive right side of the brain.

Relationship Corner
The side of the home that relates to Personal Relationships can be evaluated by whatever is located in the far right corner of the house or room as orientated from the wall the front door is on. To define this area, draw a tic-tac-toe board of nine boxes onto the floor plan of the home, or on any specific room.

Most frequently used rooms are of first importance. Evaluating the Relationship Corner of the home would be second in importance. If you live on a piece of property, you can also draw nine boxes, and evaluate what is located in each area.

No One Gets a 100% Perfect Feng Shui
Now remember, no one gets a 100% perfect feng shui. So if there is weakness in one of the important Relationship Corners, perhaps it can be compensated for by the strength in one of the other Relationship Corners. Kind of like acupuncture, sticking a needle in hear and another in there, and getting a positive overall result. But the first step is determining what problems there may be, and then deciding on a strategy that will remedy the situation.

What's Your Feng Shui Message?
Now analyze what items or images are in the Relationship Gua of your home and of each room. Are these items or images positive or negative? If they are negative, you are probably in a difficult relationship, or not in a relationship at all. For instance, is this area of the home missing? Is this where you have a kitty-litter box, trash can or dirty laundry? Is it possible your relationships are being flushed down the toilet? Is there an image of a single woman or man in this area? Is there nothing in these areas? If the answer is "yes" to any of these questions, do whatever possible to change the situation.

If the images are positive, you are probably in a successful, romantic and mutually supportive relationship. Whether positive or negative, you can enhance the Relationship Gua with positive symbolism. Use intimate colors like pinks and pastels, use double images like two ducks, two candlesticks or two angels entwined in love. If this corner of the home is missing, consider what you could put in the outside area that would 'fill' in the space. How about a bird bath with two love birds perched on the rim, a rattan bench for two, or a flower garden?

Energize with Prayer & Affirmation
To further reinforce any of your physical changes consider further activating your positive enhancements with prayers and affirmations. By putting your hands together in prayer (mudra), reciting prayerful affirmations (mantra) and quieting the mind to "see" the results happening (visualization), we attune our Body, Mind and Spirit. In this way we plant the 'seed', we 'water' it and then, as we visualize the results, we begin the process of bringing our Aspirations into manifestation. (See article, How Feng Shui Magic Works.)

Following this course of action will strengthen your existing Personal Relationships, or attract a mate so you too can enjoy romance in your life.

Feng Shui and the Bedroom - Part 1 - Romance, the Third 'R' of the Bedroom

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Home Staging Essentials - 50 Tips To Get You Started on Your Home Staging Journey

!±8± Home Staging Essentials - 50 Tips To Get You Started on Your Home Staging Journey

"Home staging" was coined by Barb Schwarz back in the early '70s, and the concept has become well known as "house fluffing," "dressing to sell," and "home presentation" to name a few, but the concept has not taken hold among home owners when selling a home because many people do not understand the idea or cannot create a workable plan for staging their home correctly.

The focus of staging is to make a home more marketable by creating the most appealing home to the greatest number of prospective buyers. It should be impersonal enough not to infringe on a buyer's own sense of style.

Decorating is optional. Staging, on the other hand, is essential - that is if you want to sell your house for the most possible money in the shortest amount of time. Staging - it is the difference between ordinary and extraordinary.

Since home staging is truly an essential part of selling your home, I wanted to share these 50 Tips To Get You Started on Your Home Staging Journey.

1. Be sure that your home is staged before you or your realtor takes the photos for the web. Over 70% of all new apartment/home searches are started on the Internet. It is imperative that the property looks good in the photos so that it can attract as many people as possible to see the real thing.

2. You should not have one person look at your house until it has been staged completely. It should not go through the broker walkthrough, MLS, open houses, or anything. Stage first!

3. Kate Hart of Hart & Associates Staging and Design LLC knows that home staging works for all properties regardless of the price point because home staging is about preparing your home for a faster and more profitable sale and marketing your property to the most potential buyers for its target audience. "I have staged homes ranging from 0,000 to million and have had the same result- the homes sell faster and for top dollar compared with the competitors within their price range."

4. If you have dark cabinets, a light colored handle or something in shiny gold will enhance them. If you have light cabinets, you can give them the sleek look by using handles of the same color so that they are hardly noticeable or by using brushed silver handles. With light wood, you can also use darker handles, gold, bronze, or even colors.

5. Sometimes renovations are needed. However, here are five that you should avoid:

· Adding high end appliances to a modest home

· Adding hand painted tiles to the bath or kitchen

· Adding a central vacuum

· Adding air conditioning (unless you are in an area that all homes have it)

· Replacing windows with newer models

6. Be sure to check with your city or county building inspector before beginning a new project. Many departments require permits, even for things as simple as changing a dishwasher.

7. Everything in its place is a good motto to remember. Always find appropriate places to store your items. Litter boxes in the kitchen and trashcans in the pantry are just two examples of inappropriate placement.

8. Julie Dana of The Home Stylist has the following tip: Do not have any cleaning products visible. You want the buyer to think that the house cleans itself. You do not want to remind buyers that there will be work to do in this house, so put away laundry baskets and dish drainers as well!

9. Lisa Wonsey of Space/Lift explains that selling an empty home can be a huge mistake. Buying or renting furniture is especially vital in an empty home. Empty homes do not show well and can sit on the market for months until a buyer with a good visual imagination comes along, or until the seller drops the price so low that the home is a steal.

10. Your refrigerator will need to be cleaned, even if you are not leaving it. People will still look inside and a dirty refrigerator will turn them off. If you are taking it with you, you may as well clean it now. If you are leaving it, then it is imperative to have it sparkling.

11. Ruthanne Hatfield of Art of Interior Placement emphasizes that taking away items is needed, but adding back is essential, too: Each room should be embellished with accessories artwork, mirrors, accent tables, silk trees and florals, as well as dishes, bedding, and towels so all areas look inviting.

12. Check for unusual odors in your house. It may come from a pet or even from your upholstery.

13. Cleaning is rarely fun for anyone, but it does not have to be a terrible chore. Play some fun, lively music. Before you know it, your adrenaline will start pumping and you will be dancing your way through the house.

14. To clean those irritating stains in the bathtub, make a paste by using hydrogen peroxide and cream of tartar. Use an old toothbrush to rub the mixture into the stain and rinse thoroughly.

15. To clean the microwave, fill a paper cup with water and a few tablespoons of baking soda. Nuke it for about 30 seconds, or until you see the contents explode. Then just take a paper towel and wipe it all off. The explosion spreads the cleanser over the entire area, and you can even use the moistened rag or paper towel to wipe outside the microwave and its surrounding area.

16. Mary Larsen of Larsen-Trochlil Designs offers the following professional tip: Do not offer money towards painting or installing new carpeting. Remember, if you are not willing to do it, your buyer is not likely to either.

17. Take a look around you. Do you have items in your home that are unused and have no real sentimental value? If so, get rid of them! These types of items can often be found in closets, cupboards, basements, and garages. Sometimes they are on bookshelves or even in your everyday living space. The more you are able to move out the more the next buyer will want to "move in."

18. If you do not have a plan for what to do with the stuff you no longer need, it will get put in the basement or the attic or the garage or simply stay in a pile in the room where it began. If this happens, then you really did not get rid of clutter - you just moved it to another location. When you are clearing the clutter for home staging purposes, you will have many different piles. Some things may go to a thrift store such as the Salvation Army, some things may go to the dump, some things may go into storage, and some things may be set aside for a garage or yard sale. Knowing what you are going to do with the extra clutter is essential to really decluttering your home.

19. Sylvia Beez of m.a.p. interiors inc. reminds us that: A home for sale should always be presented in its best light and immaculate condition, which is not the reality of everyday life. Potential buyers do not want to see how you live, with your children, cats and dogs, and mess. They want to see themselves in a perfect house under perfect conditions and that is how a home on the market should always be presented.

20. If your kitchen cabinets, pantries, and drawers - even your refrigerator - look jammed packed, it sends a negative message to the buyer. This message is that there is not enough room in your kitchen. If they were looking for plentiful storage space, after opening your crowded cupboards, they will believe that they will not find it in your kitchen. The best way to change this negative first impression is to have as much "empty space" as possible.

21. Marlene Feldman of Marlene Feldman Associates has the following suggestion for small dining rooms: If the dining room has an oversized china cabinet, consider removing it. Or, if has a top and bottom, remove the top. This will open up the space considerably

22. Take a look at your bathroom. If you are like most people, you will find half-used shampoo bottles, a jumble of hair accessories, a curling iron, foam curlers, several cans of shaving cream, tub toys, lotions, medication, books and magazines, oils, candles, toilet paper, and on and on and on. The amount of stuff we store in our bathrooms is far greater than the storage capacity for these small rooms, especially, if like many bathrooms, you have just a medicine cabinet and a very small vanity. The "stuff" that is not in use needs to be boxed up and moved out.

23. Katie Joanow of Star Staging explains that: You should remove extra chairs from the tables. Unless you have a massive space, you will not need more than 4 chairs around a table. Also remove extra leaves from the table. This will make the room feel larger.

24. Buyers want to see your carpet or your hardwood floor or your linoleum. Most home stagers suggest removing all area rugs, unless you have a large area of hardwood, where one rug is acceptable. Area rugs make spaces seem more crowded. Without them, your floor plan opens up.

25. Closets are great for accumulating clutter, though you may not think of it as clutter. Perhaps the clutter is wrapping paper, or Christmas items, or an old sewing machine. Maybe you have some keepsakes, or photo albums. Then of course there are the extra clothes and shoes. None of these things are likely to be in the throw away pile, but they should not be in your closet if you want to reduce the look of clutter.

26. Gail Greer of All Rooms Great and Small gives this tip about painting your home: You need to be willing to change paint colors. There are certain universally accepted colors and these should be used when repainting your home. Yellow or shades of gold are warm and inviting. You should also accent with yellow. Your eye absorbs more yellow and therefore sees it first. Green or blue in the bedrooms are great colors because they are restful.

27. Stand a few feet away from the entrance to the bedroom. What do you see? Whatever you see is the first thing that a buyer will see. Is it pretty? Is it bulky? Does it make the room feel small? Move anything from the doorway that is not inviting.

28. A spare room should be viewed as a bonus. It is a "plus" feature of your home, but only if the buyers can view it as such. For example, if your spare room is used mostly as an office, then, during the selling process,you need to make it just that - an office! Get rid of the spare bed and the extra dressers full of last season's clothes. Get rid of the boxes of storage items in the closet. Keep the essentials of your office such as a desk, filing cabinet, bookshelf, and a nice chair in the corner with a small table and lamp.

29. Holly Weatherwax of Momentum Realty explains that whenever possible, she recommends leaving the garage free from storage. If people see that the seller does not have enough storage and has to use the garage, they will begin to wonder if the same thing will happen if they buy the house. People like to think that they might actually be able to use a garage!

30. Find out what organizations in your area pick up items. Such organizations often include Goodwill, The Salvation Army, veteran's associations, and other local organizations. Another good way to get rid of items you no longer need is to use Freecycle. Here, you can list items you no longer need and then choose someone from a list of takers to have them. The best part is the person wanting the items comes to your home on your timetable to get them. You can find a freecycle group in your area by going to http://www.freecycle.org.

31. Get everything off the counters. Everything. Remove all appliances from the countertops. Even the toaster. Doing so will make you kitchen look larger and more spacious. It will also keep the buyer's eye from stopping on a particular item rather than getting a full view of the room. Put the toaster in a cabinet and take it out when you use it. Find a place where you can store everything in cabinets and drawers.

32. Charlie Ann Taylor of C.A.T.'S ROOMER has a lot to say about these focal points in your home: The kitchen and baths need to be model perfect because the kitchen and baths sell the home.

33. Have you taken away so much that your home no longer has any sparkle? Although YOUR personality needs to be removed, the personality of the house still needs to come through.

34. One of the most important factors to consider when placing items into a room is the idea of transition. As your eye moves around the room, you do not want it jumping from place to place or piece to piece. The movement of the eye should flow - not bounce. To accomplish this, you want to avoid abrupt changes in height.

35. Gail Jackson of Weichert Realtors explains that home staging does not need to be expensive: Paint is very inexpensive and gives you a big bang for your buck. Although a bit labor-intensive, painting is not expensive and gives your home a new, fresh, clean look.

36. Give each room a touch of the unexpected. This can be done with artwork placed in an unusual way, using a piece of furniture in a way that you normally would not use it, or adding a dash of color where the eye least expects to find it. Be creative.

37. Follow the "like-with-like" rule of the thumb. Tall with tall, small with small, wide with wide, and narrow with narrow will guide you throughout the decorating process. Mimic the shape of each space you are decorating. For example, a sofa should be accessorized with horizontal art so you are complementing wide with wide.

38. Marcia Smart's (Smart Interior Styling) tip is to: Recognize that your major competition comes from newer homes. People will take a newer home over an older home if all else is equal. That is why it is essential to give an older home something that puts it above the rest.

39. My favorite decorating tip is to look outside the box. You do not always need to use an item for its intended purpose. For example, do not just use a tablecloth for a table; make it a slipcover for your ottoman. It can save you lots of money and time when you purchase a tablecloth at a local chain verses buying yards of fabric and by purchasing the correct size it can become a no-sew project. Always keep your eyes open for new uses for everyday items.

40. Select a focal point for your room and subtly orient other furnishings and some lighting toward it. If there is a fireplace, it will nearly always be the focal point; other focal points might be bookcases or built-in shelving to house lovely collectibles, or a sofa with a striking painting on the wall above it.

41. Donna Reynolds of Home Rearrangements explains that there are two times that you can angle furniture: In a square room and if a room already has an angle in it, like a corner fireplace or a bay window.

42. In a bedroom, unless you have no other choice, you want to see the foot of the bed when you walk in. You do not want a bed to cross the doorway because it blocks the flow and makes the room look smaller. It is better to see the foot so that you can see the pretty pillows.

43. One of the easiest ways to create color is to add beautiful accent pillows to any room. Introducing a complementary accent color in a room can make a room "pop" and come alive. Accent pillows not only add color but texture and warmth as well. By adding throw pillows in a coordinating or contrast fabric to a couch chair, bench, or bed, you can transform your room and add instant warmth inexpensively!

44. One way to see if your home has curb appeal is to walk across the street and have a good look at your house. where did your eyes go? They should be drawn to the front door and entryway. If they are not, then you need to do something about it.

45. Kimberly Cash of ASPM Tidewater Home Staging Consultants, Inc. offers the following advice: People do not see their house as a product that you have to market and sell. However, selling your home is like packaging. People look at the outside before deciding to come in. Then they look at the inside before deciding to buy, and it is mostly based on looks. It is packaging. You need to wrap up your product, your home, like a beautiful package.

46. Once you have gotten the front yard in shape, it is time to work on the backyard. The most important areas of the backyard are the patios, decks, and porches. Getting these areas up to date will give the buyers a feeling that they are getting bonus space.

47. New window treatments can make a world of difference. They can add value and style to your home and be something the buyers view as a bonus - something they will not have to buy or replace when they move in. The caution, however, is that you keep the treatments neutral (keep your personality out of the room) and that you make sure they do not block the amount of light that comes into a room.

48. Debra Blackmon of Blackmon Design offers the following suggestion for your windows: Many homes have the louvers of the blinds turned down to face the floor. A more enhancing way to use blinds is to turn the louvers up to reflect much-needed ambient light onto the ceiling.

49. Sometimes, refreshing a room can be as easy as changing a light bulb. Bulbs like GE Reveal filter out yellow rays common in ordinary light bulbs, making colors, fabric, walls, and artwork appear richer, crisper, and more vivid.

50. Add pampering accessories! Things like bath bubbles, fluffy towels, and candles not only add the pampering feeling you are trying to achieve, they offer visual comfort with color and texture as well. Psychologically, we all crave that long soak with a good book, and even if we are only in the bathroom for 10 minutes to whip on some make up, just seeing those items displayed promises wonderful baths to come!

As you know, your home becomes a house - a product for sale. Staging your property gives you a more competitive edge in today's market by transforming it into a marketable product. A staged property helps you sell your investment for top dollar and is the first line of defense over lowering the price. Do not settle for less at the closing table simply because you did not understand the value of staging or did not want to take the time or spend the money to do it properly.

In this world of busy buyers, a property has to be staged to appeal to the their imagination. They want to be able to look at your home and know that they can live there. They want to know that their furniture will fit. They want to know that everything is in "move in" condition. That is why staging is so important. It allows buyers to imagine themselves living in your home with their stuff, not yours.

Presentation is everything and staging is presentation! The result is improved functionality and complementary space. Following the techniques in this book will maximize your equity while reducing the market time for your home.

Home Staging Essentials - 50 Tips To Get You Started on Your Home Staging Journey

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