Most Popular Current Trend: Casual Living
By PAShopGirl | April 2, 2009
Long gone are the days of the untouchable living room lined with plastic runners and furnished with white sofas covered in plastic for fear of staining them. You can practically hear the cries, “We will live in museums no more!” Today the hottest trend in decorating is the concept of casual living. While this does mean a turn towards washable fabrics and comfortable couches that people actually lounge on, it also means that every space is useable and comfortable. From the deck to the living room, guest room to the kitchen, every space is now about entertaining in comfort and style.
An extremely popular trend – and with good reason! – is the use of outdoor space to be used as an outdoor living room. Patios, decks and clearings in the garden are now being furnished as a lounge or an outdoor dining area fit for a real dinner party from cocktails to nightcaps. Patio furniture sets sold today are not limited to the iron garden bistro set or the wood table and umbrella. Now these sets are not only designed to withstand the elements but also to entertain your loved ones with comfort and ease.
Another case in point: the open floor plan. This recent trend intermingles the space between the kitchen, living and dining rooms into something resembling a great room. Entertaining is the emphasis in this kind of space, which means one can expect a decorative wine rack on the counter as easily as barstools to pull up to the island in the kitchen. Country kitchen accessories are often seen in this setting as they are both functional and decorative. In the dining area, a large table with a Polish pottery bowl containing fresh fruit or a hanging candle chandelier can create a bit of casual intimacy in such an open space with ease. These touches focusing on entertaining also speak of a touch of luxury – a nice bottle of wine with friends while dinner cooks and then eating the meal under the warm glow of candlelight.
An additional fine example of this trend is the integration of children’s areas among the common areas of the home. Many homes now feature a corner in the living or family room that has an activity station for the children including creative kids’ toys paired with children’s furniture that coordinates with the rest of the room. This design is an excellent compromise where the children of the home can join the social gatherings without instantly upsetting an adult conversation and are not tucked out of sight either. Mini set-ups, such as a child’s size couch and table that coordinate with the style of the room are a cute yet fashionable detour from the typically plastic and primary-colored options normally decorating nurseries, playrooms and children’s bedrooms everywhere.
The spirit and key to executing a casual living feel in your home is to pair function with form. Practical and useful does not have to mean devoid of charm. In fact, when evaluating any piece for your home, make sure it meets at least two if not all three of these criteria: that is it useful, that it is beautiful, and that you absolutely love it. This creed will keep your design casual enough to use regularly but beautiful and inspirational enough to give your home some beautiful and personal touches.
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Going Rustic – Enjoying the Cabin Feel Every Day
By PAShopGirl | March 24, 2009
Forget for a moment all your troubles and imagine yourself on vacation this winter. Imagine somewhere cold with snow falling gently outside a cabin while you sip hot cocoa, warm and snuggled inside a quilt near a roaring fire. What if you could have this kind of ambiance every day this winter in your very own home?
Believe it or not, you can. Lodge or log cabin décor is a classic decorating scheme for a reason. With simplistic roots that translate into casual comfort, people are beginning to reconsider the use of this nature based theme. It is relatively easy to do on a budget since the key to primitive home décor is the simplicity of the materials used, the mode it is fashioned in and the warmth it brings to a space. Woods left untreated without heavy stains or varnishes offer a natural feeling. Natural and warm materials such as wool, fleece and furs (both faux and real) can be used to evoke the need to snuggle up on the couch on a cold night. An old copper or metal teapot is another simple yet fantastic accessory of a style theme such as this. Picture frames made from natural materials – twigs, nut shells, rocks – can be an unexpected yet fitting touch to this kind of space. Actual fall leaves scattered along a side table can be a whimsical touch as well.
Another wonderful thing about going rustic is the ease with which it can blend into many different decorating themes already in place. For example, Americana décor can have a rustic feeling to it by using vintage signs, old style flags and even a wooden swing on the porch says something. For those of the literary slant, a library filled with old hardcover books speaks volumes to a simpler, quieter time. Add a set of old school spectacles to the shelf for a bit of yesteryear without requiring something as bold or stereotypical as a bear skin rug. For the people who preferred the shabby chic movement, simple integrations of rawer materials and darker colors can transform the room with a new rustic ambiance.
Then of course is the most traditional way of going rustic, the actual log cabin look complete with real or faux skin rugs and antlers on the wall. For those who are more animal friendly, some simple china displayed on a wooden buffet along with some moose or bear patterns in the linens should cement a traditional lodge feeling though not all the accessories have to be so blunt. A triangle dinner bell hanging in the kitchen window is a fabulous stroke of the frontier that does not hit you over the head with a statement. A simple ceramic vase with wildflowers on the kitchen table also does wonders for adding some simple beauty to a rustic space.
Again, the most important thing when deciding to bring the wintry log cabin home is to stay true to the spirit of the style than to stick to the most traditional interpretations of the rustic look. As long as it makes you feel like you are in a cabin miles away from your troubles and cares, then that is all that really matters.
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Gaming in Style: All Your Favorite Games on Handcrafted Deluxe Wooden Boards
By PAShopGirl | March 16, 2009
Whether you’re serious about your board games or looking for a unique gift for someone who is, consider upgrading your old, dusty collection of cheap, cardboard boards and plastic game pieces. Our wooden toy collection includes a full line of handcrafted wooden games that are not only fun to play but can provide an ornate center piece for any coffee or end table.
Our wooden toy collection includes many classic games such as Chess, Checkers, Chinese Checkers, Tic Tac Toe and Aggravation. Choose from a variety of quality, fine grain woods like oak, walnut and maple finished with lavish hand-rubbed oil finish. Marble game pieces are the perfect finishing touch.
These aren’t any run-of-the-mill children’s wooden toys; our handcrafted wooden games won’t detract from your home and don’t need to be stashed away in the closet. In fact, these games provide the perfect home accents and become an aesthetic focal point of any room. Leave them out in the living room or den and play at your leisure while penned in by icy winter weather. Turn the home into a cozy, intimate environment formerly reserved for fireside ski lodges. Play game after game of chess with your family while enjoying the warmth of a crackling fire and the rich indulgence of hot cider or chocolate. Surprise yourself by how much a simple game can truly enhance your home.
Make the home a little more playful while maintaining the high level of home décor that you’ve spent so long establishing. If you don’t fancy yourself as a gamer, consider this part of your home decorating budget—you know one of these games has caught your eye and would look just perfect next to your antique clock. You might even sit and play a round or two. Alternately, if games are your passion, don’t be surprised if the draw of your new handcrafted game inspires you to upgrade the rest of your home décor to meet the new heightened standards. Either way, the game will enrich the home.
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Stretching Your Decorating Dollar
By PAShopGirl | March 9, 2009
As the stock market falls and we question the stability of our economy, everyone who knows anything is trying to make the most of every purchase and of every dollar. Wise choices can be made to make the most of your decorating budget if only you know where to spend and on what.
First and foremost you want to concentrate the bulk of your money on the ‘big-ticket items’ of the space. A quality patio furniture set will last for years to come and can easily be updated with new cushions and other various accessories. A beautiful and comfortable couch will be used every day and can also be easily accessorized with pillows and throws. But it is these large items that will be used the most and thus must be the most durable and long-term choices, setting the initial tone of the space. These items can be found on sale and are usually cheapest during the off-season or just before next season’s styles come in. Of course, bargains can also be found at thrift shops, flea markets and malls as well as on auction sites. It just depends what you are looking for.
Next, you want to spend on window treatments. These items can really make a statement and heighten the drama in your space. A good window treatment can bring a space from ‘blah’ to ‘wow’ with a colorful swag or a dramatic drapery. What frustrates most in the know is that so many people neglect this simple yet seriously effective step in home décor.
Finally you get to employ the use of accessories. It is the little things that really complete a look, like jewelry for an outfit, yet will not cost a fortune. Drawer pulls, wall art and candleholders can update a room’s feel quickly and without breaking your budget. Even a properly placed wooden board game like a Chinese checkers or chess set on a side table can be used to as finishing touches. The great thing about these accessories is they can be easily replaced to update a room, bring in seasonal touches, or even just because a new trend caught your fancy. And all of this can be done at a reasonable price!
Decorating a space – be it the living room or the screened in patio – does not have to cost a small fortune. Even high end looks can be accomplished if you bargain shop, keep an open mind and keep the home décor accents as accents instead of the anchors of your design.
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Preparing for the Fall Holidays
By PAShopGirl | November 21, 2008
Fall ushers in the holiday season, especially since many department stores are displaying Christmas items only a week before Halloween has even occurred. Preparing your home for all the parties, entertaining and general flurry of the fall holidays is easy to do if done right.
First, you must evaluate how much entertaining you will be doing and what kind of entertaining it will be. The requirements of a host are much different if you only plan to have half a dozen close loved ones over a few times versus parties that involve extended family, friends and co-workers every other weekend. Once you know what kind of entertaining you will be hosting and how often, you should know what supplies you will need for the whole season. Staples like wine glasses, a wine rack, and a fun and interesting centerpiece will make any type of entertaining easier with a touch of class. Even decorative garden stakes along the walk up to your door can set a mood before they even enter your home.
If your entertaining is going to be more casual, make sure to stock your kitchen with easy to prepare items including simple hors d’oeuvres, favorite seasonal drinks, and quick desserts. Friends will quickly let you know what items are favorites as those will be the ones you regularly run out of! Since the setting is more intimate, you can permit the children of the household to create the table’s centerpiece as an art project. You can even get some Melia dog dishes for your furry friend to match the seasonal motif: kids especially will love little touches like that. But just because it is casual does not mean that you cannot have some stylishness. For those wrought iron candlestick holders on the mantle, pillar candles in autumn colors and seasonal scents can create ambiance, setting a festive mood.
For more formal gatherings, a set of colorful linen napkins bound by some decorative napkin holders help set a more formal table along with an elegance centerpiece. Make sure your kitchen has a good wood cutting board for the various vegetables, breads, and cheeses that are sure to spice up your dishes. For a small extra touch, you can even use place cards personalized for your guests with a favorite quote, the meaning of their name, or even their horoscope for the day.
Just remember that while entertaining this fall, make sure to cater to your guests. Check the details of your guests before making a meal: walnuts in the salad may cause an unexpected allergic reaction and you do not want to serve pot roast if one of your guests is a vegetarian. Just as in oration, knowing your audience is the key to a good reception.
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Seasonal Home Maintenance: Fall
By PAShopGirl | October 10, 2008
It’s that time of year again, folks. The leaves are changing from green to orange, red, and yellow before they fall and cover the ground; the weather is cooler; the kids are back in school. It looks like autumn is officially here. With that comes the seasonal preparation of your home to survive the cooler temperatures and impending winter. Here is a simplified checklist on how to prep your home and its décor for fall.
• Check the roof and chimney(s) for leaks and other damage, repairing as necessary. While you’re up there, clean out your gutters and drain pipes so the rain can freely flow through them without clogging which could later cause not only a waterfall off the side of your home but could cause damage to the roof.
• Head to the attic. Switch out your summer décor for the fall and winter items you will want to put out shortly. If switching out seasonal clothing, make sure to contain the clothing with small cedar blocks to keep the moths from eating them.
• Change the filter in your air conditioning unit and drain the hot water heater to remove the gunk from the bottom of the tank. Since you are attending to these types of items, include an inspection of your heating system to the mix by change the filters and having it serviced if necessary.
• What is a cool fall evening without a glowing fire in the fireplace? A messy one if you haven’t cleaned out the ashes and check it for cracks or damage. If you can afford it, call your local chimney sweep for a thorough cleaning.
• Check your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors to ensure they are working and replace the batteries. Make sure your fire extinguisher – you have one, right? – is also ready to go in case of emergency.
• Check your doors and windows for drafts to seal. You’d be amazed how much heating and cooling escapes through drafty windows and doors. This means you really are paying to heat/cool the neighborhood unless you reseal as necessary.
• Evaluate your outdoor wood furniture. Though most garden and patio furniture sets are made from water- and rot-resistant hardwoods which means they will handle the wet season just fine. Both cedar and teak are nearly impervious to the rain and even frost and snow, so just inspect all the furniture for damage from wear and tear before the season is out and make repairs as necessary.
• Inspect your lawn and garden décor such as lawn gnomes, wishing wells, bird baths and outdoor/porch lighting. Check out each item to make sure it is in good repair, free of cracks and chips and is in working order. Don’t forget to refill your decorative bird feeders with season-appropriate food for your local wildlife.
• Finally, check out your basement to ensure there is no dampness as that is a sign of problems. Look at that, you are ready for autumn!
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Texture and Its Place in Your Home
By PAShopGirl | October 4, 2008
Among the top tools of design - both inside your home and in your outdoor spaces - are color, line and texture. Texture, however, is easily the most underused of them all. Embracing different textures in your home can add yet another dimension to the comfort and interest in your living spaces. It is much easier to accomplish than you think since texture is brought into a space by textiles, furniture materials and finishes and the choice of accessories.
A fun example of texture changing the feel of a room is in the mix of a sleek mod white designer chair with a funky lime green shag carpet rug: the chair by itself could be used in a Swedish design and the rug could be used for a ‘60s throw-back but together they create a modern space that is fun and unexpected. In a Spanish style home with smooth plaster or adobe walls, wrought iron accessories such as wall art, staircase railings, and cabinet hardware adds the classic texture interest which defines this architectural and design style. Stone or wooden board games such as a chess set can also add a touch of texture with a playful touch in a living or family room.
In the bedroom, texture is everywhere. In a room with rustic home décor, natural materials tend to lead the way in textures: solid, knotted woods and heavy, soft textiles are standards in this style. But a porcelain washbasin on a dresser adds another interesting element that keeps with the rustic theme while also bringing in a bit of elegance.
The dining room is another place that people don’t think would benefit from texture differences. But it is the perfect place as it is a natural one for color and texture as it is where food is consumed. A wood cutting board with a wedge of cheese on it with a baguette surround by glasses of red wine presents half a dozen different textures for the senses to enjoy – smooth, soft, grainy, and knotted to name a few. Use these elements as inspiration to add textures that are both unexpected and yet fitting. In fact, that is the key to using textures in any room: consider the nature of the space and use that as inspiration for the different elements to be used in the space.
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How to Create a Focal Wall
By PAShopGirl | October 1, 2008
Watch any home décor show these days and you will hear this complaint over and over again: “There is no focal point in this space.” Most people do not understand that each room is more than the sum of its parts. A room should always have a place that the eye automatically is drawn to, a place that ties the rest of the room together. The way to do this with the greatest impact is a focal wall.
A focal wall is one that is distinguished from the rest of the room. Though architectural details can naturally create a focal wall, the layout of furniture can also lead the eye to a specific part of the space. Either way, the focal wall should be the one that the eye naturally gravitates to which should be emphasized by special décor choices. A bold paint choice, a patterned wall paper or even a decorative wall hanging can provide the proper backdrop for a focal point. Special accessories will then highlight the wall such as wall plate racks with Polish pottery dinner plates on display or wrought iron wall art. Let the purpose of the room guide you as to what will work in the space.
For example, a focal wall in a little boy’s room could make a fun statement. Special selections from popular kids’ bedroom décor, such as a mural of trains chugging along grassy hillsides could tie in the room’s theme of transportation but also make a bold focal point in the room. In a kitchen, one wall could be painted a muted sunshine yellow to stand out from the tiled walls and wood flooring. The yellow wall could display some country kitchen accessories like a wooden spice rack or a wall rack with copper pots and pans hanging from it. The fun of using a focal point, particularly a focal wall as in these examples, is that it clarifies the purpose of the room while being conducive to creating a definite style in the space.
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Unique Home and Garden Shoppe Announces a Full Line of Polish Pottery
By PAShopGirl | August 28, 2008
With the Green Movement’s increased focus on handcrafted and earthen products, Unique Home & Garden Shoppe has taken notice and is supporting this trend with a featured product. Starting in August, a full line of Polish stoneware pottery will be available for purchase.
Polish stoneware is a practical compromise between the demanding needs of the modern family and the stringent requirements for Green compliance. Made from abundant and natural clay, it is naturally lead and cadmium free. The stoneware is handcrafted by skilled artisans, an act which maintains human employment and enhances cultural identity through the practice of the craft. Polish stoneware pottery is non-porous, which when paired with the fact it is toxin-free, makes it ideal for food use. It can stand up to the demands of the modern kitchen by being safe to use in the oven, microwave, freezer and dishwasher.
When asked about what prompted her to add this line to the website, Linda Lupold, owner of UniqueHomeGardenShoppe.com, said: “I really fell in love with the handcrafted nature of the stoneware. I have ordered items in a variety of patterns and have discovered that the pieces are lovelier in person than in the pictures.”
The line, which has just debuted on the front page of Unique Home & Garden Shoppe, includes baking items, serving pieces, and accessories as well as place settings in a variety of designs supplied by Old World Merchant, a respected supplier of authentic Old World products.
To find out more or check out the new merchandise, check out The line, which has just debuted on the front page of Unique Home & Garden Shoppe, includes baking items, serving pieces, and accessories as well as place settings in a variety of designs supplied by Old World Merchant, a respected supplier of authentic Old World products. To find out more or check out the new merchandise, check out Polish Stoneware Pottery
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Romance by Candlelight
By PAShopGirl | August 21, 2008
There is a reason it is a cliché: everything is more romantic by candlelight. Candlelight softens every line and makes everything seem to glow as if from the inside. Even the age old art of courting was done by candlelight, hence the courting candle.
Not so long ago in American culture, it was unseemly for unmarried men and women to keep company without chaperones and for unlimited amounts of time. It was common for young men to court a young lady mostly through her family, particularly with permission and approval of her father. He would enter the home and talk to her parents, attempting to gain their approval. If he did, the young man was then escorted into the parlor where the young lady would be waiting. The story goes that then the father would mount a candle in a wrought iron spiral courting candle, telling the suitor and his daughter that they could visit until the fire reached the top of the candleholder. If he liked the young man and wanted him to have a significant chance to win his daughter’s affections, the father would mount the candle on a small block of wood placed at the bottom of the spiral candleholder thus extending his time with her. If the father did not approve of the suitor, he would simply put the candle into the holder, shorting the length of the stay in their home.
While we do not as a culture practice the social art of courting anymore, it is a lovely and romantic concept that you can bring into your modern life. Wrought iron courting candles are still around for you to bring into your home. Instead of measuring the time to court, it can still measure a period to be romantic as the calming candlelight and the sweet history to this piece can enhance your time with your significant other. The candlelight could measure the time you have to enjoy a coffee break with your significant other after dinner or a cup of tea before snuggling into bed. If a courting candle is just too old fashioned for you, then some wall sconces or a few well-placed votive holders can perform the same function without deterring from your personal style. Just remember to extinguish the candle’s flame before you are off to enjoy a little more romance of your own!
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