Feng Shui is the art of attaining equilibrium between the forces of good and evil, the Yin and Yang. It is an ancient system that the Chinese have been practicing since the olden days and it has been adopted in many non-Chinese cultures as well. According to this philosophy the positioning and arrangement in a room can have a positive or negative effect on a person’s health and wealth. Here are five tips to enhance good energy (Chi) flow in our homes.

• The front door should always have a clear path. Do not put objects in front because this will block good energy or Chi and prevent it from flowing into your home.
  
• If your front door is positioned directly in front of a window, put a screen or some furniture in between them to prevent good energy from flowing out right away.
  
• Throw open your curtains and windows everyday to permit fresh morning air and sunshine to come in. Windows that are constantly closed will not allow good Chi to flow in. Open windows are also good for your health because they allow us to breath in fresh air daily. Vacant bedrooms should not left in the dark for a lengthy period of time because this will permit bad Chi to linger.
  
• You should never place plants with thorns such as cactuses inside your home. Instead, decorate your house with round leafed plants, crystals and wind chimes. All these are said to be auspicious and will invite good Chi to come into your home.
  
• Place a fountain or aquarium inside your house. Water attracts good Chi. The best position to place this is in front of the door to invite good energy in. Placing it south-east is said to bring you wealth, east for health, south-west for good luck in marriage, west for friends, north-east for education and north for career enhancement.

And now I would like to invite you to the glamorous and enchanting world of home decorating. You can get hundreds of ideas and step by step instructions on how to decorate your home here at http://www.modernhomedecorating.com.

There are many elements to interior design from the choice of soft furnishings, to the selection of art and sculpture. An equally important element however is the choice of interior lighting. The way you choose to illuminate space is fundamental in the way in which looks, and feels. It is generally thought that there are 3 main types of lighting used today in design; these are ambient, task and accent. Frequently they are used in conjunction with each other in layers to achieve stunning effects.

Ambient

Ambient lighting is the illumination that lights a space. It gives the most general light in a room; an example of ambient would be overhead lights or even spotlights recessed into the ceiling. This should be thought of as your foundation for your other types of illumination, replacing the daylight that would normally come through the windows or skylights.

Task

Task lighting is a fairly utilitarian form of illumination, used when there is a practical need for light. An example would be a desk lamp or a reading light; it could even apply to lighting over a kitchen worktop. Whilst task lighting has a specific purpose that does not mean that it has to counteract your accent efforts, it can compliment other forms of illumination effectively.

Accent

Accent lighting can be considered the interior designer’s most useful tool. It is typically used to illuminate architectural features or the decorative elements within a room. This could also be used with different colours to create stunning design effects. This type of illumination can also be used extremely creatively, by using moving light patterns or even candles for a cosy, romantic feel.

Ultimately the combination of accent, ambient and task lighting within a room can create amazing design aesthetics. It is through careful planning and even a bit of trial and error that it is possible to layer the three forms of lighting so that the room positively shimmers and shines once the sun goes down.

Essentially it is your choice when it comes to planning your interior lighting, by understanding how certain types of light will affect the style of the room it is possible to create a wide range of different lighting effects to showcase and emphasise your interior design features.

The practical application of Feng Shui interior design in every room of your home can have an influence on helping with the creation of your wealth and abundance in terms of your prosperity. (By the way wealth and abundance is not just money it is wealth and abundance in every aspect of your life from friends, family and career).

However one room in particular can have a significant impact on your Feng Shui wealth. Surprisingly it is the bathroom and its Feng Shui interior design.

1. Location – The location of the bathroom in the house can have a major influence on your wealth and abundance. In terms of Feng Shui if you have a bathroom in the so called “wealth” corner of your home then you are likely to flush your money away unless you carry out some Feng Shui cures or remedies.

Just quickly the wealth corner of your home is the far left hand section of you home if you stand facing the front door. I have numerous clients over many years who have had financial problems until they applied these cures to their bathroom. The penny dropped for one client when I was explaining the concept and siad he now knew why he had gone bankrupt years before as he could clearly remember the layout of the home he was liviung in at the time.

The traditional cures to overcome that problem is to keep the door closed the toilet lid down, hang a small Feng Shui crystal in the window to draw in positive outside energy or chi and to hang a Feng Shui bagua mirror over the door. The concept is to seal in the flushing away energy and introduce positive chi with the crystal.

2. Feng Shui Interior Design – Decorate your bathroom so that it looks like a spa room in a luxurious hotel. Make it a place to go and relax, so that you can forget all the problems and hassles you are having in your day to day world. As I discuss at my books, use anything in the bathroom which makes you feel good. Trust your intuition. Always design in a way that lifts your spirits.

3. Clutter – in terms of Feng Shui wealth one of the best things you can do in any room is to remove anything which is cluttering up the energy of the space. You want energy to flow easily. So in the bathroom, don’t have all your half used cosmetic jars sitting on the vanity, remove the dirty laundry basket and make sure all the surfaces appear clean and are in good order. If things appear to be falling apart in any way this can affect how you feel about your wealth and abundance. The concept of clearing the clutter needs to be applied to all rooms to ensure a smooth flow of chi. It is not really about a short term messy appearance it is about things which have stayed in the same place for a long time, are covered in dust and which are stagnant.

Your Feng Shui Wealth can be significantly affected by your bathroom and these three tips give you some ideas of things to consider to make improvements to your wealth and abundance

George Birdsall wrote the best selling book Feng Shui – The Key Concepts in 1995 and has sold over 50,000 copies so far. He has recently released an eBook “Feng Shui Symbols – Ancient Secrets to finding Love and Wealth”- Ancient Secrets to finding Love and Wealth”. He writes a blog on planning your home improvement projects to save time and money at http://www.therenovationplan.com. He lives in Sydney Australia and loves organising anything in ways that Save Time and Money for himself and his clients. His business focuses around Project Management and Client Advisory Services to clients ranging from home owners to multinational corporations

Creating a Romantic Bed
If youre looking to create a romantic bedroom, you want your bed to be as inviting as possible. Dont forget to include luxurious sheets and blankets, plush pillows, and definitely a comfortable mattress. When choosing a color scheme, stick with calming colors such as light blue, pink, and ivory, or jewel-toned colors such as purple and emerald green. Uncomfortable accents such as frilly lace really do nothing to set the mood and should be avoided.

Finding the Perfect Romantic Lighting
When going for a romantic feel in the bedroom, its important to avoid harsh bright lights. Rather, look for more of a soft filtered light for the room. Youll get a softer light if you use a light bulb that has a lower wattage. Another great tip is to use lamps instead of an overhead light fixture. A very basic light fixture is all you really need, although you might consider a chandelier in the bedroom if you have the proper room. For the ultimate romantic light, try a decorative lamp shade, which will filter the light to another color such as light pink or soft red.

Adding Romantic Accessories
To make you bedroom feel really romantic, it is essential to add candles. There are so many different types of candles these days. You can choose from floating candles that you can place in a glass vase or large pillar candles that sit on decorative plates or boxes. No matter what style you are trying to accomplish in the room, you should be able to find candles that fit perfectly in terms of type and color. Other accessories for a romantic bedroom include canopy drapes, decorative mirrors, flowers, and framed artwork. Definitely leave the television out of the bedroom, as there is no need for distractions.

Making a Romantic Bedroom Practical
Dont forget, you still have to live and sleep in your bedroom. Its easy to go overboard and then find that you are uncomfortable in your own bedroom. Just because your bedroom is romantic, doesnt mean it has to be cluttered with dozens of things. For starters, choose a few key piece to include in the room. Then you can work from there.

Your bedroom can have the romance and atmosphere youre looking for and still be very simple. Also be sure to include practical items youll need in the room, such as a oak nightstand or oak chest. These items can easily be dressed up. You might add some accessories or fabrics to make them flow with the romantic style.

Not surprisingly, a romantic look is often a popular choice for the bedroom. Your bedroom should provide a great getaway from the rest of the home, giving you a comfortable and inviting place to lay your head each night.

1. Don’t try to prep the area and paint it all in one day.
This will only leave you feeling rushed, which more times than not will lead to a bad paint job. It’s a better idea to set aside a separate day when you can do all the prep work for painting. If the room isn’t used on a daily basis, you might even be able to do this a few days ahead. Room preparation should include tasks such as taping the walls, laying down a drop cloth, moving furniture, and gather any painting supplies you might need.

2. Never try to paint over damaged walls.
Before you even try to paint a room, it is essential that you carefully look over the walls and fix any cracks or holes you find. It’s not very difficult to fix any cracks and holes; all you need is a drywall kit and some sandpaper. Be sure to do this at least a day before you paint. That way the drywall plaster will have some time to dry and you’ll have time to sand down the area as well.

3. Choose the best brushes for the paint job.
For oil-based paint, go with a brush that has natural bristles. However, for water-based or latex paint, synthetic bristled brushes will give you the most even coat. For large areas, you want to use foam rollers on the walls. For trim and windows, though, you’ll need smaller brushes.

4. Always use a primer to achieve a more professional look.
Primers are great, because they just make the paint go on so much more even and also help avoid the possible tainting of the color from a previous wall color. Even better, you can have your primer tinted to match the color you’ve selected, which may help you avoid having to put a second coat of paint on the walls.

5. Be sure to use painter’s blue tape for any areas that you don’t want to get paint on, such as doorway frames, trim, and windows.

The great thing about this tape is that when it’s applied to a smooth surface, it won’t allow the paint to seep into those areas you’re covering. After the paint dries, simply remove the tape. The nice thing is, you don’t have to worry about any of the paint coming off with it.

6. Have plenty of old rags for any mistakes that may happen.
When painting, it’s inevitable that you will drop some paint on the trim or hit something you shouldn’t with a brush.

7. Keep your strokes even when painting to ensure an even coat.
To this end, it’s important that you have plenty of natural light in the room. This way, you can see where you are painting and any areas you might have missed.

8. Don’t throw away leftover paint so you have it for any future touch-ups or fixes.
If you only have a little leftover and you don’t have the space to store a large can of paint, there is a solution. Simply pour the leftover paint into a glass jar with a tight lid and store it that way. Label the jar with the exact color of the paint, the room it was used in, and the date, and you’ll be all set.

Painting the interior of your home isn’t as scary as it seems. With these easy tips, you are well on your way to changing the decor of your home in no time at all.

Certain Things Give Away the Age
Certain things will instantly give away the age of your kitchen. Are your kitchen appliances still avocado green? If your answer is yes, then get rid of them. Of course, replacing appliances may not be in your budget, but you can certainly give them a facelift. You can buy appliance paint in order to change the color. Of course, read the label before you buy it, but most paints of this kind can be used on refrigerators, dishwashers, and other appliances.

Is it your cabinets that look outdated? Of course, you can always buy new cabinets or have someone build them for you-if you can afford it. Otherwise, you can completely transform the look yourself. All you need is a fresh coat of brightly colored paint and some new hardware! Start by sanding the finish down and then repaint them with a color that will liven things up a bit. By changing the look of your cabinets, you can transform the look of your entire kitchen.

Other Little Changes Create Big Impact
With very little expense, you can do many small things to change the look or style of your kitchen. A simple thing to do is to change the window treatments in the kitchen area. This might be a great time to trade in those curtains for some modern blinds or wood shutters.

You can also brighten things up by handcrafting a brightly patterned runner for your dining table. A used baker’s rack found online or at a flea market also makes a great place to display all your favorite things. If you have a very small kitchen that contains an island, open up the area by removing that island, giving it a more spacious look.

What About the Floors?
Has your worn linoleum turned yellow with age? Fortunately, there are a few things you can do. Many people find that wood flooring is especially warm and charming in the kitchen. Or you might decide that tile is a better fit with your décor. In the end, the look and design of your floors is really up to you.

For those of you who cannot afford new flooring, don’t worry. You can always refresh the old! Many people don’t realize it, but linoleum floors can be painted. The first step is to sand them down, being sure to remove all dirt and dust particles. Then you apply an oil-based primer. With two to three layers of paint and a few layers or oil-based polyurethane sealant, you’ll be good to go!

Updating the look of your kitchen is a great way to increase the value of your home. Most potential buyers, in fact, pay the most attention to the kitchen. Armed with these tips, you should be able to go transform your kitchen into one that is dazzling and attracts the notice of all your visitors.

About the Author…
Leon Tuberman has been part of the furniture and interior design  business for 4 decades. He is the owner and manager of popular furniture store in Los Angeles. They offer a huge assortment of solid wood furniture for your living room, bedroom and dining room that’s built in the Heartland of America. It doesn’t matter whether you’re shopping for a wood coffee table for your family room or wood dining table for your formal dining room then they carry everything you need.

When it comes to decorating, the most neglected room in the house is often the master bedroom. Perhaps the homeowners have run out of money or ideas by the time they get to the bedroom, or maybe they just never got around to it. Rather than waiting until you have the time or funds, consider the following quick-and-easy decorating ideas that will instantly add style to the master bedroom.
Decorating Your Walls
A simple change of paint color can take your bedroom in a whole new direction. Painting is not only easy and inexpensive, but it doesn’t take that much time. When painting the master bedroom, you’ll find you have many different options.

If you’re happy with your bedding, find a shade that complements existing colors. Or if you’re considering new bedding, you can go with the color scheme of your choice. If you don’t have the time to commit to an extensive paint job, consider only painting an accent wall, such as the one your bed is against.

Another quick option for the master bedroom is to hang up a painting on one wall. Choose whatever type of painting best fits the decor of the room.You might even try hanging a couple of different smaller paintings on the same wall in a random pattern. Whatever your style, you’ll be able to find the perfect painting or even photograph for your bedroom at your local department store or discount store.

Choosing Your Bedding
At the center of any bedroom is the bed. If you don’t know what type of decor you want in the bedroom, like oak furniture, start with the bedding first. Go shopping and see what you find. You can always look online to find the perfect bedding idea.

A bedding set does’t have to cost a lot of money. After all, you can always find something simple to add to your look. Pillows are an easy way to add color or texture to any bed. Try some inexpensive throw pillows to add design and interest to the plainest bedding set. For a romantic look, you can even create a canopy around your bed by hanging tulle or silk from the ceiling.

Adding Accessories
Before you do anything else, you’ll need to remove any clutter that may be collecting on top of any dressers or nightstands. It’s always much easier to decorate a room when you’re not dealing with a mess. Put away any items you want to keep in drawers and then get rid of whatever else you don’t need.

Once you have cleared away the clutter, you can use these pieces of furniture to add accessories to the room. For instance, a unique lamp might make a great addition to a nightstand, whereas candles or a vase of flowers might be the perfect touch for the dresser.

Decorating a master bedroom can be a surprisingly simple process. With these simple design touches, you can create a haven that is entirely your own

1. Slim Down – Get a large box, basket or bag and sift through those small accents. Too many little things sitting around a small room will clog of the room’s space quickly. It’s amazing how much air space you will create by being super specific about what you have placed on table tops and shelves.

2. Trim Down – Heavy, bulky window treatments not only block the limited light in your small room but are also space hoggers. Free those windows by using shades, blinds or even shutters. There are some gorgeous options to be made or purchased at your favorite house interior design store. Have a little extra money to spend, have your blinds custom designed in fabrics that compliment the rest of your room’s decor.

3. Color Down – Though a variety of color breaks up a large house, too much color in a small one will work against your already limited amount of space. It is best to paint all the walls one color or use a similar pallet hue for small subtle changes from room to room.

4. Lighten Up – Pull in that limited light with the use of mirrors positioned directly across from a window. Use semi gloss paint to reflect the light and keep your furniture polished and your appliances clean.

5. Fabric Up – It is better to fabric up your accents and leave the large furniture pieces to solids. If you already have a busy couch with a floral print, shapes or strips, consider toning things down a bit with a slip cover. Then, bring in those extra fabrics in your accents to provide some visual depth and emotional interest. Have fun with this part of your house interior design project!

Bring in those weaves, patterns, and quilted fabrics for this.

6. Liven Up – Nothing says open space and health like fresh plants placed around a room. Potted plants are preferred but bountiful bouquets regularly freshened up will also work well.

Limited for room? Positioning a potted plant in front of the fireplace mantle during the warmest time of the year is a great use of that space. Angle your furniture and use the extra space to display an indoor tree or palm.

7. Step Up – Light bare wood is always the best and beautiful of option for giving a small room a larger appearance. Flooring in an apartment cannot be changed but it can be changed up! Place a lighter area rug on top of the existing carpet. Or in the case of a dark linoleum find a light bamboo or Berber to bring out the light.

For more helpful design inspiration ideas for every room in your home visit Frugal Home Design. You will find web pages of professional money saving tips and secrets to facilitate your design goals without having to spend a lot of money.

There are some simple reasons for this. First off, there are many colors that appear good initially but their appeal changes to a great extent when they are applied to the walls. Different factors such as light affect the over all look of the walls and sometimes you have no way of knowing until the paint is on and dry.

Another thing that should be kept in mind while choosing the colors is that darker colors make the room look smaller and lighter colors make the room look more spacious. This can be used to your advantage by making ceiling height appear higher or rooms seem longer.

You may even play with shades of colors by adding little black or little white to the main color so as to suit it to your preferences. There are also different tones and undertones of all colors. An understanding of these tones of colors can also be very useful in the task of selecting the color for interior decoration.

Besides, there is nothing new to know that all colors have difference psychological effects on us. So, you may choose a color on the basis of the room for which you are selecting it. For instance, green and blue are known to provide a calming and fresh effect. So, these are generally popular choices for bedrooms. While red color which is known to instigate appetite can be used for dining rooms.

In case, you are in a mood to do some experimentation with bold colors, it would be a good idea to use them in places of the house that are used less often. Cloakrooms and hallways are the best places in this regard. As no-one spends much time in these areas of the house, it is okay to be a little daring.

However, if you are still confused, you may even ask inhabitants of the room for their preferences. In case, you cannot agree on a single color, try to decide on two colors that are complimentary to each other.

Next, you can experiment with the design of the paints in the same way as you have experimented with the choice of colors for your room. The color which is more bold of the two colors can then be used to paint the moldings in rooms and the subdued one may be utilized to paint main wall in the room. Another idea is to paint different stripes of the chosen colors in the room.

Hence, interior design colors provide you with innumerable choices to rejuvenate the décor of your room with an array of designs and colors to paint the walls of your house.

To learn more about Interior design from color matching to full on qualifications check out Online Interior Design Schools.

You could start a new Interior Decorating Career without having to quit your current job to train. So what’s stopping you?

Believe it or not, when it comes to choosing bedding, there are literally hundreds of different options available. It’s important to put some time and effort into buying the best bedding set you can, as it will play a significant role in your décor. Before you buy your next bedding set, here are some things you need to remember.

Determine the Color and Style
Unless you are decorating your bedroom around a bedding set that already jumped out at you, you first need to determine what color and style you are looking for. This typically depends on what style and colors you have chosen for your bedroom. For instance, even if you’ve fallen in love with that zebra-print bedding, it’s still not going to fit in with the beach-themed décor you’ve already planned for your bedroom.

Other people will decide to shop for a bedding set first. Then they will base the décor of their bedroom off that. Still, it’s always better to have some sort of an idea of what you want in the bedroom, rather than aimlessly shopping.

Set a Budget
Having a wide variety of bedding sets to choose from means that you’ll be faced with a wide variety of price points as well. A very inexpensive bedding set will go for 50 dollars, whereas a luxury bedding set will go for 2,000 dollars. Thus, it’s important to decide how much of your decorating budget you want to spend on your bedding set.

If your project includes decorating the whole bedroom, you need to be sure to set money aside for other items you might need. You might also want to keep in mind that not every bedding set will contain everything you need. So you might also end up having to buy extra sheets and pillows for the set as well.

Know the Size of the Bed
You should know what size bed you have and even take the measurements of the mattress before you even start looking at bedding. If you don’t know the size of your bed, you might end up going back to the store and returning items. When you go to measure the mattress, just be sure to measure its length, depth, and width, especially if your mattress is a pillow top.

Research Bedding Materials
Different bedding sets are made of one of several different materials. The type of material you choose will determine the price, so you’ll need to decide on a material that’s going to fit in your budget. You need to also look at thread count for the sheets. When the thread count is higher, the sheets will be more luxurious and also more expensive.

Cotton tends to be the most popular bedding material. There are a few different types of cotton you can choose from. At the more expensive end is Egyptian cotton, which is also very luxurious. The most common and least expensive material that is sold for bedding is standard cotton. Other materials you might choose from include silk, flannel, and chenille.

A bedding set can easily add to or take away from the décor in your bedroom. Avoid ending up with bedding that’s a mistake—plan accordingly before purchasing the right bedding set for your bedroom.

About the Author…
Leon Tuberman has four decades of experience in the home furnishings and interior decorating industry. He owns and operates his family owned furniture store. They carry a large selection of USA made solid oak furniture for your home office, dining room and bedroom. It doesn’t matter whether you’re shopping for a wood bed for your bedroom or a mission file cabinet for your office then they carry everything you need.