Thinking about selling your home? There are some simple decorating ideas that can help you showcase your home! These ideas will help make your home more memorable to the buyer and it will also give your home that extra flare to close the deal.

One of the first things you need to do is concentrate on your kitchen and the bathroom. Who doesn’t want a home with an awesome kitchen and bathroom? Make sure that both of these rooms are in top condition and extra clean. You want to make sure that these environments look inviting so the potential buyers can picture themselves living there.

The second way to showcase your home and decorate is to clear any clutter. You want to make sure there is as much floor space as possible. If you have to, rent a storage building to put away unsightly junk. This will make the home appear very clean and livable.

The third simple way to decorate your home would be to bring in as much light as possible. Open up dark curtains and let the light shine in! Everyone wants to live in a house that is warm and inviting. Darkness is not typically inviting, so let the sun in!

If you’re not on a tight budget, a fourth simple way to decorate would be to add a fresh coat of paint! Nothing is better than a house that smells of fresh paint! This will give the buyers a message that the house is newer and has been kept in excellent condition. This will also hide any blemishes on the wall that could have been caused from children or just wear and tear.

Another way to decorate your home for showcasing would be to add fresh flowers. Flowers can add a very domesticated touch to any home! They will also let off a fresh fragrance that will be inviting to the buyers. You can pick some from your flower garden or spend a few dollars at your local grocery store to pull off this easy tip!

A great way for potential buyers to remember your house is by putting out a fact sheet about your home for them to take with them. People that are in the market to buy a home usually look at many houses before they buy. This is a great way to help them remember your home! When making your fact sheet, be sure to highlight all of the special features about the home.

The 7th easy way to decorate your home when you’re going to showcase it is to pay attention to all the details! Was there a loose board that you’ve been meaning to fix? Now is the time to do it! Make sure that any windows that were cracked have been fixed as well!

By following these 7 simple steps for decorating your home before showcasing it, you’ll increase your odds of having a quick sell!

Ideas Anyone Can Use For The Perfect Home Décor

Are you looking for the perfect home décor? Have you ever thought about country home décor? This is becoming more popular all the time. With this décor you will have a warm and inviting look and feel to your home, however, if you have a lot of stainless steel in your home than you may want to choose another vintage décor type. Here are some ideas you can use for your home.

One: Glassware – When you can find collectible glassware this will add a nice touch to your country home décor. Some examples of collectible glassware are Depression glass, footed cake stands, vintage milk containers made of glass. There are many others but this gives you an idea of the type of glassware you will look for.

Two: Vintage Fabrics are also a great addition to any country home décor. There are many different ways that you can use this fabric for your home décor. You can use it on your sofa or as covers for your pillows, put it up as curtains and so on. Just be creative and you will soon have the look you are going for in your home.

Three: Flowers that are dried are always great for country home décor. You can buy the flowers already dried or you can buy flowers and then dry them yourself. This is one home décor idea that will always look good in any home.

Four: Vintage Baskets can be used for the right look but they also can be used for storing different things. So these baskets will have a double purpose a lot of times. You want to look for baskets that will give you the right look without having to spend a lot of money on them.

Five: Country home décor furniture would be made of light or natural tones like oak or pine. For your floors you want to look for wood flooring, flagstone or even tile flooring.

Six: Did you know that you can find home décor in your own backyard? You can use pinecones, evergreen, twigs, flowers, bark and plants for your country home décor. This adds a nice touch and feel to your home without you having to spend a dime, plus you can place these things in your vintage basket.

These are just a few ideas that you can use for your country home décor. There are many others available. You just have to be willing to look for them. Some of the best places to find the home décor you want are to go to antique stores, flea markets, garage sales or even second hand stores. Finding the décor is not the problem, the problem is deciding which one would be best for your home.

You can win either a $500 shopping spree or one of two $100 shopping sprees at CustomShowroom.com. Simply take a few minutes to write:

What you love about CustomShowroom.com.

Then email your answer to customercare@CustomShowroom.com.

That’s it!

The following are the official rules.

Custom Showroom Shopping Spree OFFICIAL RULES

1. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR ODDS OF WINNING. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

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3. Entry. The Sweepstakes will begin on April 26, 2008 and all entries must be received by 5:00 p.m. (E.S.T.)] on June 30, 2008 (the “Sweepstakes Period”).

Persons may enter by writing about:

1) What you love about CustomShowroom.com.

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4. Prizes and Odds. One (1) Grand Prize Winner will be selected by the family and staff of CustomShowroom.com. The one (1) Grand Prize Winner will be awarded a $500 (five hundred dollar) shopping spree on CustomShowroom.com. Guidelines include, but are not limited to, date, time, and ineligible merchandise. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.

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Once you have decided on the room to redecorate, and you have decided on the main furnishings of the room, you are now ready to make a list of colors and materials needed for your bargain decorating makeover. Before you go shopping, make sure you don’t already have these items laying around. I can’t tell you how many times I have bought decorating items I already had simply because I forgot to check and see if I still had them.

If you are looking for paint, ask the paint department about already mixed paints that were not used. You would be amazed how many people go to buy off-white when the need bone white. And that off-white is returned or not purchased, and sits on the bargain table. As long as you can be a little flexible on the color, off-white can be turned into a plethora of colors just as easily as plain white can. And the best part is the price; it can literally be 75% less than buying premium.

Most of you know that wallpaper fashions can be as fickle as the most upscale designer clothing store, and to be perfectly honest, the changes usually are not that drastic. Plus, when you do wall paper you expect the room to be “finished” for at least a few years. With this in mind, shop for last year fashions. You can find exciting colors and designs, retro and hip, modern or traditional, patterned or design all for a fraction of the cost. If you really think you are getting last year’s fashion, just promise yourself you will decorate the room one year earlier than you normally would – it’s still cheaper than paying full price.

Fabric is another way to liven up a room. I personally do not sew, but I do have a friend who reupholsters her furniture at least once every two years. She explores many different colors and patterns, and is able to stay up with the latest fashion trend for a fraction of what her couch and chair would cost. To me it seems like a lot of work, but to her it is a thrill to find an expensive modern material and have the couch re-done. And her house always looks fantastic. She shops for fabric the same way I shop for wallpaper – last years close out.
Remember, bargains are almost always ready to be had, especially this time of year, but you do need to be a little creative to find them. As always, happy shopping.

Our world is changing, retro is hip, modern is cool, and having a spacious well laid out room is the key to creating eye pleasing room designs. And for the decorator, what could be better than new modern designs, high quality craftsmanship featuring a wide variety of colors and flowing lines all with designer names and low prices. Does the trend toward modern and contemporary décor surprise you? It shouldn’t! Our culture has been pushing the hip scene since the early 19th century. Many of today’s modern home decor can actually find it’s inspiration in the trendy look of just a few centuries. So, just for you, we have composed a few thoughts to help you blend your new decor with your cherished, and bring yesterday up to today.

Modern Mix

Today’s modern and retro decor blends well with almost any type of decorating. The key is in the color or the lines. You will find that complimenting colors with help your modern decor blend with the current design of the room without calling distracting attention to the piece.
And don’t worry about finding complimenting colors. Today’s cable channels are filled with design shows and most types of decor are just a click away. Just have patience, do a little digging, and remember the joy of finding the perfect piece.

Inspiration

Each of us is a little different. For some, we can close our eyes and see what we want. For others, we like to look at what others have done, and add our own artistic touches. And yet others can see one item they love, and build a whole room around it. I suspect we use a little of all three at times, but regardless of what inspires you, there are plenty of ways to create your perfect home setting.

My favorite way of redesigning a room is to completely remove the clutter. Then step back and see just what you want to replace. My wife and I are currently in this process with our family room. Since we know the furniture is key and we will be replacing our leather couch, we started by locating a modern couch we want. Currently we have a brown leather couch with more of a western feel to it, but we are going to update to a sleeker black or dark grey with home theater type reclining features. Our carpets are off white, so no changes there, but the soft yellow walls have to go. We haven’t decided on a wall color scheme, but that’s ok. We are using our existing decor (contemporary picture frames, sound system, and rotating movie rack) to help us find a wall color to blend our current, with our new modern couch. We will keep you posted on the changes.

Dare to Express Yourself

One of the most valuable keys to creating a “wow” atmosphere is taking the risk to blend different pieces of modern and traditional décor, without concern for the critics. Sometimes, the most beautiful of homes are those that combine a contemporary mirror with a more traditional hardwood furniture setting, and then tie the ensemble together using a modern color scheme. The mix of contemporary, modern or traditional is limitless. The key is to start with little, and slowly add till you feel that “wow”. Today’s trend in modern decor is to use less so a room is more spacious, and the flowing, trendy décor and furniture have ample space to be displayed.

Regardless, home decorating is all about you – So enjoy, no matter what you do!

Cancer Facts & Figures

In 2007, 559,650 Americans were expected to die from cancer.
Cancer is the number #2 killer.
1 out of 4 US deaths are from cancer.
2007 expected 1,444,920 new cancer cases. 766,860 Male – 678,060 Female.
An expected 178,480 new cases of breast cancer for 2007.
An estimated 40,910 breast cancer deaths for 2007.
An expected 218,890 new cases of prostrate cancer cases for 2007
An estimated 10,400 children 14 or under will develop cancer.
45.31% of men are expected to develop cancer in there life.
37.86% of women are expected to develop cancer in there life.

All the facts and figures are available here.

Why We Care

Recently, several of our families, friends and staff have all had to deal with cancer. Since December 2007, we have been near 2 deaths from cancer, one relapse, and one new diagnosis of a rare form of Kidney cancer in a 5 year old girl – a kindergarten friend of one of our daughters. Fortunately, my father just had his second “cancer free” diagnosis after a very long fight.

One Person Can’t Make a Difference

But all of us can. In 2005 (the most recent year I could find) The American Cancer Society spent 70% of funds collected on Research, Prevention, Patient Support, Detection/Treatment.

Make A Donation

We ask that you make a donation to the American Cancer Society. There are many ways to give, including Gifts of Honor, Gifts in Memory, and General Donations. The donate page is at Cancer.org and can be found here: Cancer Donations.

These donations are to, and through, the American Cancer Society, and secured by their site. No monies are in our care or through us for this donation.

Our Gift To You

Thank you, we appreciate your help and understanding. Just for reading this page we would like to offer you this special promotional code, and you will receive $25 off any purchase on CustomShowroom.com for any of our premium home decor. In addition, we will donate an additional $10 from each card use for this special promotion to the American Cancer Society. Please use the code “Cancer2359″ when making a purchase.

Tired of the same old off white wall space? Ready to brighten up your room and add contrast to your decor? A very simple method to add spice to your life is by utilizing colorful wall paper.

Set The Tone -Today’s wallpaper can offer a variety of tones and color.

Florals, stripes, designs in any color - wallpaper manufacturers off a huge selection of designs an patterns ranging from the traditional to the bold and daring. No longer do you have to settle for the chintzes or soft floral patterns of yesteryear. Almost every design and color you can imagine is available, from bold stripes, raised textures, iridescent colors, retro patterns and even themed designs of your favorite movie, cartoon on sports team. Today’s manufacturers are able to use sophisticated imaging tools to recreate scenes that mimic everything from a Tahiti beach scene to a medieval castle scene.

So How Do You Choose The Right Wallpaper?

Since today’s wallpaper offers so many options, you can latterly transform any room. By selecting a large and bold pattern or a dark color, you can pull the wall in which will help the room seem smaller and more intimate. By choosing smaller patterns, like duplicating pattern, soft floral or lighter color, we can create the illusion of a larger room. If you would rather have a wall seem wider, use soft colors with a horizontal stripe. And of course you can make that same wall seem taller by adding a vertical stripe pattern.

Rip and Layer

If you are unsure about the pattern, or would like a truly custom look, find yourself a rip and layer wallpaper. These papers have subtle blotches and patterns of colors that easily blend with each other. Simply tear the wallpaper into “chunks” between 1 and 2 foot in size, soak and then apply. The concept is not to try and have the pieces match up n the wall, but to overlay the paper to cover all the blank wall space. By doing this you will have effectively created your own wallpaper design, and after doing this myself several times, it is a fast method to achieve spectacular.

Finishing Touches - It’s Border Time

Borders can be used to add the finishing touch to your wallpaper by adding a balanced contrast, or subtle designs. Most borders will come in varying widths and with patterned edges such as scalloped bottoms on diamond cut designs. You can choose to use a wallpaper border as the traditional top border, by itself, or as a medium to add architectural effect when used as wainscoting.

Remember, the whole idea was to quickly add spice without spending too much. Be creative, have fun, and experiment a little on one wall first. For the time and money, a little play will not only add enjoyment to the process, but could save you a bundle in the future.
Happy Decorating.

Most of us take carpeting for granted, but when artistic styles and patterns are couple with quality craftsmanship, the results are the finishing touch of any room. As more carpet manufactures have realized this, the choices for carpet types has become quite staggering. No matter how sophisticated your carpet consultant, be sure to research the type of weave, price and manufacture.

The Style is in the Color

The single most important aspect of carpet is the pattern and the color. Just the right color and pattern can accent your entire room and décor collection, changing a nice room into a wow room. As you begin your search for carpet, remember this simple rule – light colored carpet makes a room appear larger while darker carpet tend to look richer and more intimate. On the downside for each, lighter colored carpet obviously will show wear and dirt more easily, while that luxurious dark carpet will likely highlight lint. Either way, too light or too dark for your choice, be prepared to become great friends with your vacuum cleaner. To minimize the need for cleaning, many homeowners use a blend of colors with Tweeds or Berbers which naturally helps fool the eye into looking past minor discolorations or lint.

Comfy to the Toes

Many experts claim padding prolongs the life of the carpet – I can neither agree nor disagree, but I can say padding can add additional comfort to the feet. As an added benefit, quality padding acts as a sound dampener which is very important if you enjoy having many guest over, or if you are like my family, and have the constant pitter patter of little feet playing inside. Most padding will be classified as either felt or sponge, and typically the thicker the better.

One Little, Two Little, Three Little Fibers

Just as with bedding, fiber count and types are a measure of the quality, and the cost, of the carpet. Wool adds a level of warmth, while silk adds a luxurious sheen and polymers can duplicate both and hold up to wear and tear better. For thread count the number relates directly to the amount of fibers looped per square inch. The general belief is the higher the fiber count, the longer the carpet will last. Generally, I do not agree with this, but I will say, higher fiber count carpets typically appear of higher quality and add a noticeable level of class.

Which One Do You Choose

As with all home decorating that is a personal choice. The best advice I can give you is to either buy, or ask for (some carpet stores will give you), a 2 foot X 3 foot section to take home and use for an example. You can easily slide the swatch under a couch, next to a desk or bed, and even next to a wall under a favorite piece of décor to see just how the patterns and colors will blend with your existing furnishings. As always, have fun – decorating is all about creating an atmosphere that makes you feel they way YOU want to feel!

How To Remove Candle Wax From Carpet

We had a little mishap the other day, a large pillar candle melted thru the side of the candle, allowing a large amount of hot, liquid wax to run down the front of my Cerwin Vega speakers and pool on the front of our carpet. By the time we saw the accident, the damage was done as wax set and hardened into the fabric of the speaker front and soaked into the fiber of the carpet.

In true guy fashion, I was more worried about my speakers, while my smarter counterpart was taking in the disaster as a whole. Her first step was to break the large chunks off the front of the speaker, but the wax had literally soaked into the fibers, so there was a nasty residue left. As for the carpet, we had a hardened pool of wax about a foot in diameter that had soaked to the pad, and hardened.

We thought of several ways to remove the wax: cutting the wax was beyond question, scrubbing would do anything and I couldn’t think of anyway to add heat without burning the carpet (and with my luck, the house). So, here is what we came up with:

First we took the cloth cover off of the speakers and placed them on a large towel. Next we took an old dampened dish towel and placed it over the wax stained fabric. On the bottom side of the cloth I place a thick dry towel. Now, take an ordinary iron, place it on high steam. Once it heats up, apply the iron to the damp cloth over the wax stain. You will likely have to do this several times of different areas of the towel to pull out all the wax.

For your carpet I placed a damp towel over the stain, and place the iron on top of that. After a few seconds I moved the towel and re-applied the heat. I ruined four old towels doing this, but saved myself hundreds. If your wax leaves a stain, keep repeating the process until you do not see a stain. Our candle was red on a rich tan carpet, so if we can do it, so can you.

It’s almost the first of the year, and soon countless people begin the yearly ritual of redecorating the interior habitat. They standard fresh paint can add a bright and lively atmosphere where dingy and dark ruled, but to really achieve a fresh look, a change in décor is in order.

Adding a few dazzling pieces, a fresh coat of paint, and change some future around and presto, a brand new “you”. A great way to begin is to decide on the large center piece, and if you want your room to look brighter and bigger, we can knock down a few walls or we can add mirrors and lighting. There are many styles of mirrors to use and we have broken our large mirrors into a category that includes nothing but mirrors larger than 60 inches. If you are looking for something a little smaller, but still with flare and size, you can find our mirrors broken out in these other categories: Contemporary Mirrors, Decorative Mirrors, Floor Mirrors, Framed Mirrors, Oval Mirrors and Round Mirrors.

After finding your center piece, we need to add a few accent pieces. Many of our mirrors have smaller accent versions, or some well place art décor can add those finishing touches. Adding wall art can encompass copies (or originals) of the masters, abstract, decorative frames with your own pictures, metal wall sculptures and even candle scones. This is the time for you to let your creative juices flow, and design your room just like you want.

One important aspect to keep in mind is the flow of your room and the rule of 3. If you choose, for instance, a large centerpiece mirror with an arched or ornate top, you will want to choose accenting décor that compliments not only your furniture, but your other hanging décor. To use the rule of three, simply try not to change more than three attributes for any new décor. If you have a rustic brown, arched mirror with silver accents, match at least three of the attributes to the centerpiece. In this example we could use long rectangular accent mirrors as long as the basic color highlighted or accented the centerpiece mirror.

Another great way to add spice to your redecorating project is to go diagonal. Position your décor and in stepped down or up approach, reposition your furniture in such a way that it does not run parallel to your way. A large TV in a corner is a great example of using décor in a diagonal way.

Happy decorating!