Decidedly French Decorating

French style is feminine, soft, luxurious, reminiscent of the past and conscious of the present. It speaks to living for the moment, loving passionately, and appreciating everything for its beauty, its sentiment or its practicality. Here are some ideas for you to include in your interior to capture the French feel:

1. Toile - long ago French living was sketched on fabric to convey news and rumours from the upper class to the peasant class. The peasants could not read and toile became their form of communication. Now, toile is a staple of the French inspired interior. Use it on drapery, bedding, cushions, footstools and upholstery. Use a little or use a lot, but use it.

2. Birds & Roosters - Poultry farming must be big in France because the motifs of chickens, roosters and little birds are typically French. Images of fowl can be included on tea towels, cushions, and wall hangings, and can also be represented in figurines, dishes and cookware.

3. Mirrors - Versailles, which used to be a country village where Louis XIV vacationed, is famous for its Hall of Mirrors. While these mirrors are large and expansive, they are modest in comparison to the beautiful ornate mirrors that are available now. The perfect mirror for French decor is Venetian mirror with etched and beveled pieces cut into curved and straight borders. Whether its vanity or simple practicality, a fabulous mirror in de rigeur in this style of interior.

4. Red & Yellow - These are the typical colours you will find in French decor, but it is not uncommon to see violet purple and robin's egg blue. Cream is a nice neutral with shots of black to create vibrant contrast. For paint, focus on yellow and blue; for accents try black, grassy green, red and white.

5. Ornate Wrought Iron - Include this element in clocks or garden fret work wall hangings. The French version is finer and more delicate compared to its Spanish counterpart.

6. Opulent Lighting & Chandeliers - An amazing element that used to be overlooked was lighting, but with the ornate and sparkley options available today it's easy to find new, trendy and colourful crystal (or glass) chandeliers. The shabby chic version includes leaf and rosette motifs in metal work around the bulb. Make sure you keep them clean to really make them gleam.

7. Soft Linens & Cushions - Soft linens in 500 thread count are a must luxury for the French bedroom, as are toile, floral or ticking quilts. Layers of cushions, covers and bedskirts in soft cotton, luxe satin or silk are also essential. On the couch, layers of cushions in a soft muted palette and a blanket to cozy up in provide the perfect lounging spot for a glass of Bordeaux and the latest edition of ELLE.

8. Fresh Scents & Aromas - The hills of France are covered in lavender and wild poppies, and the gardens brim with roses, asters and rosemary so include these in sachets in your danty's drawer or use essential oil on a light bulb to infuse an entire room.

9. Urns & Florals - The urn is a classic French shape. Fill a couple with huge floral arrangements and place one in your entry, on your kitchen table and atop your mantel. Vary the colours, sizes, heights and textures for a wild look, or keep it to one flower for a more formal feel.

10. Crackle Finish - The time worn look of a crackle finish can be found on a clock face with Roman numerals or on a vintage dresser or mirror. Get the look by visiting your local paint store where crackle products can be purchased to create your own "flea market find."

11. Lush Drapery - The French know how to do drapery! Imagine pinch pleated panels of silk edged with soft fringe and accented with elaborate tassels and rope, hanging from a wrought iron pole with acorn finials framing a large French door opening on to a garden. Beautiful!

12. Bits of the not so practical - Your French inspired decor would not be complete without an element of the beautiful which is included just for the sake of being beautiful. Try a rhinestone studded card case, an inlaid atomizer, a silver (plated?) box or canister, or a mirror-covered side table. These are essentially French simply for the fact that you can love them just for being beautiful.

Gabriele P. Campbell is a Certified Interior Decorator and Accredited Staging Professional.

Shabby Chic Decorating For Rooms That Feel As Good As They Look

Shabby chic decorating is a unique and comfortable style. This special decor is all about being casual and inviting. There are different ways one can achieve this look by using furniture, accessories and colors.

Furniture in this unique style can come in a variety of styles but the goal is to use old furniture. Depending on your personal preference, you can keep the vintage look of the furniture or add a coat of paint to add some freshness. While some people enjoy having lightly colored beds, dining tables and chairs, others like wrought iron furniture.

Iron curtain rods are also very popular for this style of decorating. When it comes to accessories, there are pastel colored pillows and blankets.

Lace cloth, soft floral fabric and sheer curtains are also a part of this popular decor. Throwing a comforting and casual rug will add great essence.

Once you achieve that ultimate look, a vase of fresh flowers along with lit candles will complete any interior. Having candles in a dimly lit room will really provide ambiance. The flowers add a sense of liveliness to the room while all other accents and furniture create a softer, cozier atmosphere.

Many people look to Victorian style as well as cottage style accessories. Decorating this way involves a harmonious balance between the elegance and timelessness of these two styles. You can always mix the old with the new to get the perfect shabby chic interior.

This design style goes back to the countryside in countries like Britain. Homes would have chipped paint, rustic furniture, old artwork and toned-down fabrics.

Today, many people add qualities of shabby chic decorating to more contemporary designs to have a unique combination of styles. Shabby chic decorating can be done in a bedroom, bathrooms, living rooms and especially nursery rooms.

Shabby chic decorating is a fun way to create an elegant living space that feels as good as it looks.

The article was written by life-long, home decorating enthusiast, MaryRuth Pierce, who points out, "The environment in which you live should be warm and inviting. Using shabby chic decorating is an easy, fun way to create living spaces that welcome and embrace all who enter." Visit www.shabbychiceasy.com to get more details on what it takes to decorate the easy way with Shabby Chic style.

Easy Bedroom Decorating Ideas

Decorating your bedroom can be a great way to give your self a tranquil retreat, yet so many people neglect this room. Often times people focus on the public rooms of the home - the kitchen, living room and guest bathroom but the bedroom is your own private sanctuary and you owe yourself to decorate it!

If decorating your bedroom seems like an overwhelming task, you might want to take it easy and make small changes over a period of time instead of one huge change. On way to ease yourself into decorating the bedroom is to start with the walls. Artwork can make a huge difference in the look of your bedroom and is one decorating idea that you can easily reverse if the look doesn't work.

What is the first thing you notice when you walk into someone's home? The walls, right? Walls enclose the home, giving a thematic impression. So, if your walls are empty you've got to get to work to populate them. Wall hangings can be expensive, but that's only if you purchase something by a famous dead artist. You can create your own artwork without any art instruction whatsoever. First, you have to consider your theme. If you have a Victorian, feminine or shabby chic bedroom theme then you will want floral or feminine artwork. A modern bedroom theme will look best with prints in sleek frames. A tropical look? Then get some jungle style prints or prints of exotic animals and birds.

Do you have hundreds of pictures and just don't know what to do with them? If the idea of a personalized bedroom picture wall appeals to you, you could arrange the photos into a huge wall photo collage. Examples include pictures of exotic places, weddings, and children growing up. If there is a teenager in your home, their bedroom is probably home to a huge collection of music CDs. They can create their own wall collage using the cover art from their CDs. Although you will have more fun creating your collage yourself, there are companies that will take care of this for you. The cost ranges from about for an 8x10 to 0 for a 20x24 wall collage.

If your bedroom contains foliage, you might want to consider pressing leaves or flowers and framing your work; the best of these are flat. You basically place the leaves or flowers in a book to allow them to dry flat. They are ready for your wall hanging when they become crisp. This shouldn't take longer than a week or two. After the items are pressed, you will just need to mount the artwork and hang it on your wall.

When you decorate your bedroom with artwork you are only limited by your imagination. Don't be afraid to experiment. As mentioned previously, artwork is easily reversible. So, be imaginative and creative and design your artwork.

Lee Dobbins writes for Bedroom Designs and Decorations where you can learn more about designing your dream bedroom.