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How to Give our Fireplace a Makeover

If your fireplace seems outdated or doesn’t match the look of your home, it may be easier than you might think to totally transform the way that your fireplace looks. If you could do with a bit of inspiration, simply continue reading to discover how you can give your old fireplace a brand new lease on life. As your fireplace should be one of the key focal points of your living and dining area and can add a lot of character and charm to your home.

Create a German smear fireplace:

If you love the look of the fireplaces that you’d find in cottages that are over 100 years old and which expose traditional red bricks while also being partially white and aged, it’s a great idea to learn how to german smear stone fireplaces. Creating a German smear fireplace may be a simpler process than you think. All you’ll need to do is to smear wet mortar over the bricks in your fireplace. Make sure to use a gloved hand or a trowel to complete this step. Although a wet sponge can work just as well. Once you’ve completed this step make sure that your mortar is spread evenly into the joints of your traditional stone fireplace.

Before you get started it’s also a good idea to wear old clothes that you don’t mind being ruined and to wear a protective mask so that chemical fumes don’t get into your lungs and respiratory system. As when it comes to home renovation projects, safety should always be your number 1 priority.

Build wood paneling around your existing fireplace:

If you’re not interested in creating a German smear inspired fireplace, you may want to opt for a sleeker look by building wood paneling around your fireplace, which you can paint a neutral hue. If in doubt it’s a lovely idea to paint the wood paneling around your fireplace a crisp, clean shade of white. You may even want to go over your white paint job with see-through gloss paint, to give your wood paneling a stylish glossy look. This is a particularly great idea if you don’t like the look of matte paint jobs.

Add a mantel to your fireplace:

If your fireplace doesn’t have a mantel, it’s well worth placing a mantel above your fireplace. As not only will you be able to hang your family’s Christmas stockings above your mantel during the holiday season but you’ll also be able to display decorative knick knacks above your fireplace. Examples of these may include a clock, candlestick holders, candles, travel souvenirs, art, and framed family photos. The options are endless.

So if you want to bring your fireplace into the current decade and for your fireplace to be one of the focal points in your home, feel free to take inspiration from the ideas that are listed above. As a fireplace should be the heart of your home and the area which your family and friends gather around in order to talk and socialize.

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Eye Catching Design Elements

If you’d love for your home to have plenty of wow factors that attract compliments from your friends and family members, it’s well worth searching for eye-catching design elements which you’ll be able to incorporate into your design plans for your home. As what turns a great home into an extraordinary home, is eye-catching design elements.

Have an arched doorway installed in your home:

Instead of having traditional rectangle-shaped doorways throughout your home, you can easily differentiate your home’s aesthetic by having a stunning arched doorway installed in your home. For example, you may want to have an arched doorway that leads from your home’s foyer to your primary living and dining area. If you want to learn how to frame a arched doorway, it’s well worth visiting YouTube as you’ll have instant access to detailed, step-by-step instructions. If you are keen to have an arched doorway in your home, it’s a great idea to paint your arched doorway white and to keep the walls in the room which it connects to white. To create an inviting, open, spacious feel.

A tiled wall in your kitchen:

While you may have heard of featured walls, you may not have considered covering one of the walls in your kitchen with decorative tiles that will add a touch of contemporary style to your kitchen. There are extra benefits associated with having a tiled wall in your kitchen, first your tiled wall will be a breeze to clean and will ensure that your wall doesn’t get damaged by steam or accidental food splatters. If you are keen on experimenting with this particular idea, it’s well worth purchasing a few different sample tiles to hold up against your wall, to see which tiles best suit your kitchen. As well as the look that you’re trying to achieve in your kitchen.

A modern chandelier:

If you’re lucky enough to have a foyer that you step into when you open your front door, it’s well worth investing in a modern chandelier, which will instantly attract compliments when your guests enter your home. So if you want your home to have a wow factor, you can’t go wrong shopping around for a modern chandelier.

A glass fence:

If you have a balcony or deck and don’t want your view to be spoiled by a safety fence, you don’t have to compromise on safety and picturesque views as you’ll have the option of opting for a see through glass fence. That will allow you to retain your view. This is a particularly great idea if you have a balcony that extends off your master bedroom or live in an area that offers picture-perfect views of the great outdoors. Such as a view of a beautiful beach.

So if you want your home to have a wow factor and for all of your friends and family members to compliment your home, when they walk through it, you can’t go wrong incorporating some of the eye-catching design elements in this article into your design plan for your home.

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Home and Garden Inspiration

If you’d love to change up the way that your home and garden looks and are in search of valuable inspiration, simply continue reading to discover a few fun ways to transform your home and garden. As it only takes a little bit of effort to totally change the way that your property looks.

Gain inspiration from public gardens:

It’s well worth taking a walk around local public gardens to gain valuable inspiration. As you may find flowers, trees, or shrubs growing that would look perfect in your own garden. Simply take photos of the elements of your favorite public parks and gardens, which you’d like to recreate at home.

Learn which flowers to grow each season:

One way to ensure that your garden continues to bloom all year round is to learn which flowers to grow each season. For example, you may want to prepare for spring each year by planting daffodil bulbs and tulips. So that when spring arrives, you have a garden full of gorgeous flowers to spend time in. One benefit to growing tulips is that they come in a wide variety of colors such as pink, orange, purple, and red. So you’ll be able to choose tulips that compliment your garden or reflect your favorite colors.

Consider building a treehouse for your kids:

If you have kids you may want to build a treehouse for your kids to play in. If you hire professionals to build a sturdy, reliable treehouse for you, you can even have a treehouse built which features a slide.

Be inspired by the interior decor of contemporary hotel rooms:

If you want to feel as if you’re on vacation every day, it’s a smart idea to be inspired by the interior decor of contemporary hotel rooms, particularly boutique hotel rooms. For example, you may want to place a small sofa in your bedroom or you may want to invest in hanging up black-out curtains in your bedroom. Which will allow you to sleep in during the mornings. Alternatively, if you share your master bedroom with a partner, you may want to build his and her vanities in your en suite bathroom. If there is currently only one vanity in your en suite.

Use framed prints to decorate your walls:

If you want to decorate your walls but you don’t necessarily want to invest in expensive pieces of original art, you can still decorate your walls on a budget by purchasing framed prints. One advantage of opting for framed prints is that you can easily afford to swap them out on a regular basis. One of the cheapest ways to buy prints is without their frames as you can purchase inexpensive frames from stores like Walmart and Target, in a wide variety of sizes.

So if you like changing things up every now and then and would love to make a few changes to your home and garden, it’s well worth testing out some of the inspirational ideas which are listed out above.

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Stylish Design Pieces to Add to Your Home

If you’re looking to purchase a few eye-catching pieces of home decor which you’ll be able to use to decorate your home, it’s your lucky day. As listed below is a handy list of stylish design pieces which will definitely make your home a little more interesting.

Flag coffee table:

One way to display your patriotism in your home is to purchase a flag coffee table to place in your lounge as a focal point of your lounge. The best way to display a coffee table is on a textured rug, in front of your sofa. You may even want to place a few throw cushions on your sofa that feature the colors on your new flag table.

A pair of bronze, silver, or gold candlesticks:

If you have a bookcase or shelf that could do with a bit of decoration, simply place a pair of bronze, silver, or gold candlesticks on your empty shelf or bookcase. Alternatively, you can also place a pair of metal candlesticks on your fireplace. If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace in your lounge. If you find it difficult to find a pair of metal candlesticks, you can simply spray paint any inexpensive candlesticks gold, silver, or bronze.

A statement light fixture:

While a traditional chandelier may not suit the contemporary style of your home, today you can purchase a wide variety of statement light fixtures that have a modern look. For example, you may want to opt for industrial light fixtures or a stylish floor lamp that you can place in the corner of a room. Such as your bedroom, lounge, or home office.

Hanging flower baskets:

If you want to add a bit of greenery to your home, in order to bring nature indoors, it’s a fun idea to purchase a few inexpensive flower baskets which you can hang in any room or hallway in your home.

A velvet sofa:

A velvet sofa will add a touch of glamor to your home and will never date. As velvet sofas, particularly velvet sofas in dark colors such as forest green, burgundy, navy, and black, never go out of style. Alternatively, if you don’t want to invest in a brand new sofa, you can purchase a few velvet throw cushions and a velvet throw blanket to drape over the side of your current sofa, instead. Alternatively, you may even want to replace your old curtains with velvet curtains.

Floating shelves:

One way to display your books, photos, and favorite travel souvenirs is to hang up floating shelves. Floating shelves are appropriate for your bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, and home office too. As a bonus, floating shelves are a breeze to install and you can install them yourself.

In conclusion, if you’ve been searching for unique decor pieces and furniture items that will help you add a touch of extra style to your home, it’s well worth considering purchasing some of the items that are listed above.