Log Home Decorating

Western Home Decorating Has Many Aspects

One way to give your home a warm, comfortable look and feel is with western home decorating. As you might expect, there are some items that depict cowboys and rodeos, but there’s a lot more to it than that. Come along while we explore the wide variety of furnishings and accessories that fit right in with the western style of home decorating.

Whether you just want to add a few decorative pieces here and there, or decorate your entire house, western style décor can add charm and down-home coziness. If you don’t already have a few ideas about the look and feel you want, try browsing through a few home decorating or interior design magazines. Also, print and/or online catalogs from western furnishings stores have lots of ideas and suggestions. No matter where your creative ideas come from, the best advice I can offer is to pick at least a few items that reflect your personal interests and maybe even a side of your personality that others might not be aware of. That makes your room(s) unique while allowing you a perfect opportunity for some self-expression.

One of the great things about western home decorating is that it can be done fairly quickly and in a way to fit almost any budget. Since the flavor and feel of a room usually comes from the accessories and accents, you can often decorate a room without buying new furniture and other high-dollar items. You can create the feel you want with items such as an accent rug or two, a few table decorations, a decorative lamp, sofa or floor pillows, some wall art, and whatever else you want that will match or complement the overall desired ambiance.

Often, a fresh coat of paint on the walls will do wonders for a room. Many people like the living room and other common areas to be somewhat of a neutral color. An off-white, light tan or sand color works well for western style decorating, since those are subdued earth tones. A good paint color for bathroom trim might match something in the natural landscape such as a sky blue, forest green or dusty rose color.

Floors are often overlooked when it comes to decorating, which is a shame because area rugs and accent rugs not only serve a useful purpose, but they might also be considered as art for your floor. Rugs that go great in a western styled room include animal skins (real or faux), rugs with a southwest design, sheepskin rugs, and rugs that depict wildlife or horses. There is also a leather shag rug that is made with strips of suede sewn into a rag rug that would look great in many western rooms.

Lamps and lighting fixtures are an essential part of almost any room, but we sometimes neglect to make them fit in with the overall room décor. There are plenty of lamps and lighting fixtures to choose from, including ones made from antlers or small logs or ones with depictions of western scenes that add interest and visual appeal to the western style of home decorating.

Decorative pillows with a bold design and/or a splash of color might be just right for adding a bit of panache to the room. Bright colors or a bold design on a sofa could overpower the room, but pillows and a few other accessories and accents can give you lots of flexibility to get the overall look and feel you want. You can set the mood of the room to be as wild or as mild as you want.

Some items, such as sofa pillows, floor pillows, or table centerpieces, are usually affordable enough that it might be fun to have one set for everyday use and another set that can be put in place in a matter of minutes when certain guests are expected. That way, you can enhance the “wow” factor to fit the occasion.

Small bronze sculptures or horse figurines are a good example of decorations that you can display on a table, in a curio cabinet, or on a knick-knack shelf. One of my favorite things to display is a baseball-sized geode, which is a certain type of rock that has been cut in half to reveal the crystal formations inside.

Wall art includes paintings, drawings, photographs, and more. No matter how a room is decorated, too much bare wall space can often make a room seem unfinished. Plus, items on the wall can reflect your hobbies or personal interests as well as being decorative. Some of the rugs that have a southwestern design or a depiction of a scenic vista or animals are great for hanging on a wall, like a tapestry. It may sound a little unusual, but even things like samples of barbed wire or different kinds of horseshoes can be mounted and framed to make something that really goes well in a western style room.

Whether you prefer the traditional ranch style of western furnishings or the western style with a contemporary influence for your western home decorating, you can be assured that you’ll have plenty of accessories and accents to select from that offer down-home appeal and casual charm.
AnnaRae Mills

AnnaRae Mills loves informal home decor; especially the western, rustic, southwestern, country, and lodge styles. She has dozens of great decorating tips to share with you. Plus, see more than 375 pictures that show why casual home decor is more popular than ever. Go to http://www.Western-Home-Decor.net

Log Cabin Decoration - Pointers Galore

Mostly the country theme is employed when a cottage or even a log cabin decoration is undertaken. To be consistent with natural aspects with the freshness and simplicity nature offers, a log cabin would be a peaceful and tranquil place. Log cabins are mostly in country areas or forests. Use of a country style envisages bringing the natural outside beauty, into the inside of the log cabin. Since a country theme uses color schemes and ideas which exist right out of the window, it should not be very difficult to decorate a log cabin.

Taking a cue from the nature, use of natural wood for furniture and flooring would be the most natural choice while decorating a log cabin. Pine, cedar or birch definitely compliment the space, especially of a cottage or a log cabin. Wood can be left in its original state to maintain its natural look or a rustic look can be obtained by using stain. Irrespective of whether your choice is a new look or an authenticity, wood is the best choice while decorating a cottage or a log cabin.

You might want to shift your old home furniture to your cottage or log cabin. New slip covers meant for the chairs or the couch give a brand new look to the furniture. For a log cabin, the furniture could be painted. This will also make for a fresh appearance. You can choose warm colors ranging from light to medium shades for the paint or slip covers. Warm colors comprise of browns, yellows, or terracotta and contribute to the warmth of the place. Decorating a log cabin lays emphasis on coziness and warmth. The log cabin has no need of wall paints, but if a cottage is to be decorated, you might like to go in for similar wall colors.

For a log cabin decoration, bold colored fabrics of natural themes could be used. Floral patters would also look nice in a cottage or in a setting of log cabin. These fabrics could be used in curtains for the windows, slip covers or throws, and bedspreads. You could enhance the natural theme with outdoor accessories like pieces of old wood or dried flowers to be made into candle holders. People generally gather such wonderful things from the nature while taking a stroll by the river or while on a hike. These items when made into accessories will also serve as mementos.

Budget has no real importance when you undertake decoration of a cottage or a log cabin. Any number of items from the home or even from a garage sale or a flea market would do for decoration using the natural theme. Handmade decorations or trinkets have their own importance in log cabin decoration. As far as the items used as accessories contribute to achieve an overall effect of coziness and warmth, they would do well. A cottage or a log cabin is meant for relaxation and this aspect should be foremost while decorating it. Whatever it is that gives you joy and contributes to the joy of the space, and at the same time, makes you feel comfortable, is the right choice for decorating your log cabin with. Having fun should be the main objective.
Abhishek Agarwal

Abhishek is an Interior Decoration expert and he has got some great Interior Decorating Secrets up his sleeve! Download his FREE 60 Pages Ebook, “How To Decorate Your House Like A Pro!” from his website http://www.Wonder-Homes.com/115/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.