Home Decoration Pro

Home Decoration Pro; Decorating Ideas With Velcro

Perhaps I should say “decorating with the use of Velcro,” but I got your attention and you’ll be glad to learn about the new system Velcro (registered brand name) has put together for attaching your favorite wall decor without damaging your walls. Not only that, but it’s going to be easy to use and no mess. As of the writing of this post, it’s probably not even available yet in most of the retail outlets that are scheduled to receive them first. I checked with our local Staples store, which is supposed to be one of the first, and they hadn’t even heard of it yet. I have a sample on order, and plan on doing a hands on review after it comes in, but it looks so promising I decided YOU need to know about it ASAP. Here are some of the advantages I see:

Ease of use
No damage to walls
Can hold up to 4 pounds
Easy to remove your art for cleaning & replace
Inexpensive
Remove cleanly
Versatile for many uses
No tools needed
Easy to level decor item
Low profile
Works on any smooth surface
Sets available for poster installations

So lets get into the details so you can stop knocking holes in your walls while trying to place your favorite wall sconces, pictures, or art designs on that empty wall space (or replace that old piece your mother-in-law gave you). There’s no need to be stressed anymore about placing your art productions onto your smooth walls if your art weighs less than 4 pounds and has enough smooth surfaces to attach the Velcro strips. “Each fastener set (1.5″ x 1″ strip & 1.75″ sq) holds up to 1 lb., do not hang items over 4 lbs.” Just clean the wall areas where your strips will go and place the Velcro with “hooks” pointing upward. There are even arrows on the Velcro backing to help you get that right. Then remove the covering for the adhesive. After applying the strips to the art in the areas needed, typically 2 corners for lighter pictures and 4 corners for heavier pictures, you need to remove the adhesive covers that will be pressed against the wall. Now, press firmly in at least a relatively level position. Now your picture is firmly attached to your wall…….except it may not be quite level. No problem, as now you can lift the picture upward slightly on the side that needs to be adjusted. Got it? Okay, now press firmly again and it looks great! You’re such a Pro! So in other words, you can adjust or even completely remove the picture for cleaning and then replace in seconds without hassle.

Poster being applied with Velcro tabs.

Posters and memo boards are not usually considered a decor item, but they can be useful in certain situations and if you work with them in the office or classroom you will find the new Velcro system to work beautifully with its versatility and lack of any damage to the item or the wall. No torn corners on the poster when you remove it from the wall (like tape), or left over tape on the wall or thumb tack wholes. Done with the poster? It’s easy to remove the adhesive from the poster without damage as it peels right off.

Another option offered for the holidays is Velcro garland ties which may also work with wreaths (not yet confirmed). Garlands can be strapped to outdoor rails, and I’m thinking a couple of ties carefully placed may be able to hold a wreath to a wall (indoor or out) which would make installation quick, easy, and painless.

So that’s pretty much it “in a nutshell.” That should save you some time and grief the next time you’re ready to apply a light weight object to a smooth surface wall, or maybe that new wreath or wall sconce set. Now the only problem is “What should I put in that empty space?”

Now, if you’re ready to see it in action check out the short video. You’re welcome!

Billy Goldmark, Silky Flower Store

Home Decoration Pro; Carnival “Breeze” Ship Tropical Decor

Ok, so lets do something a little different today and take a cruise while we’re discussing décor trends (yes, on a cruise ship). We’ll be reviewing the exciting new decor of the yet to cruise Carnival Cruise Ship “Breeze” (maiden voyage, June, 2012). If you’re planning that special relaxing tropical retreat at home or in your specialized business, this will help get those design juices flowing in the right direction. Take a sneak peak and enjoy a sampling of cruise ship pictures and historical background to see what all the excitement is about. Put on your life preserver and here we go! Well that may not be necessary. We’re not cruising on the Titanic.

The biggest problem I see with all of the Carnival Cruise line décor until now is little or no relaxing themes that include plant life or natural flora to promote the vacation aura. Fortunately, on the Breeze I found evidence the designers realized the need for it in their new tropical theme where it’s displayed perfectly. “Created by Germany-based Partner Ship Design, this striking new tropical design theme will be carried out in the ship’s public spaces, as well as staterooms which will offer a combination of bright colors and soothing pastel hues, with iconic images of palm trees and other island-inspired elements adorning hallway corridors,” as mentioned by Cruise Planners.

Previous Carnival Cruise ships have been designed by Joe Farcus since the early 1990’s and his décor themes seemed to have no limits. Bright, glitzy colors, and nothing left unconsidered in flashy designs is what “Carnival” has been all about. Some people prefer all the flashiness and casino style designs of the Las Vegas strip, but it was time to design another theme for clientele who considered all Carnival ships having strictly a party boat atmosphere. You can find the flashy casino theme on the Las Vegas strip whenever you’re ready to go, and you can depart when ready, however I haven’t noticed Las Vegas floating around the Caribbean lately.

Carnival Decor on the "Miracle"

For those who love the glitzy style that’s fine, but for the rest a much more relaxing Caribbean atmosphere is what a vacation is all about. I’m elated to see this theme in the Carnival “Breeze” with its realistic trees and plant life and a tropical design the whole family is going to enjoy. This relaxing style is something anyone can incorporate into their own home or even business where warranted (restaurants, hotel lobbies, offices,etc.). Take a look at how inviting the “Plaza” and “Plaza 2″ is in the 2nd and 3rd pictures. Soft tones and lighting, uncrowded, nice gentle lines, and the use of tropical palms and greenery to add some life to this gentle environment. The result is a greatly enhanced and friendly atmosphere thanks to the understanding and thoughtfulness of Carnival’s new Germany-based Partner Ship Design Team.

Relaxing Caribbean Decor on the "Breeze"

Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to help Carnival recoup some of their invested Italian Lire for this new 14 deck, 360,000 ton ocean liner that departs on its maiden voyage June 3, 2012 (now booking according to Carnival) from Venice, Italy. Better yet, this will help you realize it’s really not all that hard to come up with a great new design for that special area using a tropical theme with a few realistic artificial trees and silk plants that are easy on the maintenance and pocket book.

Caribbean decor on the "Breeze"

In case you’d like to see a video of your chosen Carnival ship here’s a link, but most are advertisements and up to 10 minutes long. (Only a few on the first page have been previewed by us, so we can’t verify their safety). Don’t expect to find tropical designs here……just party atmosphere. Oh well, we all like a party once in awhile.

My Best, Billy Goldmark

Silky Flower Store

Home Decoration Pro; Exciting Grays Take Over Beige

If you haven’t heard, there’s a new décor color trend developing away from beige as a neutral, and toward shades of gray in offices, living rooms, bathrooms, bedrooms………let your imagination reign. Even grays in textured furniture options are getting to be widely available. Since the trend has serious momentum in that direction, and after some detailed study and analyzing I’m impressed with all I’ve found. I’ll be covering the primary aspects of what one needs to be aware of, and the essential guidance using gray tones for decorating. Needless to say, gray tones can

Living in Classic Gray

be dominant and strong, or light and airy depending on the depth and texture of the tones selected and complementary colors used. In regard to complementary colors, just about any color will work well with gray, since it’s a monochrome of black. So lets explore a little, and in case you’re planning to lay down some serious indoor wall and ceiling paint, I’ll even introduce you to a new painting tool that can “cut your painting time in half.” I thought that would get your attention!

The first thing to think about for any color scheme if you’re planning a makeover is to think about what emotions you want to evoke for that master bedroom, home office, or any space you may be planning for a new design. If it’s for a downtown office building plan you may want to go a little stronger with the darker tones if you’re looking for a powerful, but not overwhelming tone. Shiny black can be nearly intimidating, but a light monochrome will be much more comforting and easier to work with. On the other hand if it’s for a smaller bedroom at home, consider using lighter gray tones with brighter accents to help make it look cheery as well as larger. Your own tastes are what counts, so my main premise is that you can use these tones to achieve a wide range of themes that will fit your lifestyle. Don’t forget about adding differing textures in the room for added interest, comfort and sophisticated design. On another tangent, if you have a smaller room you’re working with consider using a dark gray tone at one end of the room and mid tone gray on the rest of the walls. This will give it a feeling of a larger room, and adds even more interest.

Greenery adds life to sophisticated gray dining area

If you’ve never been introduced to the 60-30-10 color scheme, it’s an important but simple concept. The difference between a nice room and a stunning living space will be determined largely on the correct use of this concept, so be sure to use it from the start. The 60 is the percentage of the dominant color you need to use; 30% is the amount of secondary color to use in the room, and the 10% is the percent of accent color to use. I’m not recommending you use a tape measure and calculator, but if you follow within reason those percentages, you will end up with a balanced aesthetically pleasing room provided you follow a couple more suggestions.

Don’t forget the greenery is my next suggestion. It always helps to liven up the living space and make it so much more inviting and interesting. Just look at the beauty the dining area image conveys with the complementary greens. You can go with live plants, or if you’re short on maintenance time never under rate all of the astonishingly realistic options available today with silk plants and silk flower arrangements.

One of the areas many often forget, or don’t plan for is the lighting effect for the room. First of all how much light will there be? How will it look with natural light versus light from fixtures? Will the lighting scheme also be changing, i.e., new window dressings or mirrors added to reflect the light? Lighting is not something to be ignored, so match the paint scheme to the different light the room will experience when choosing your colors, and accents. It’s always a good idea to have several different light sources in a room to fill shadowed areas and help add comfort and warmth. Of course the more natural light you can provide the lighter and more airy the room will feel.

Natural Materials wall sconce: another growing trend.

When it comes to accents for your space, how much “table space” or “floor space” do you have? Another trend in decorating that makes a lot of sense is a greater use of wall sconces for decorating or even additional lighting. There are plenty of options, but one I find pleasing and interesting is the use of natural materials for wall sconces. You may be able to fashion your own if you’re crafty and have the right materials at hand, or there are some beautiful ones available at reasonable prices.

One last thing is to choose carefully the sheen you want for your paint. Glossy is easy to clean, but is shiny and on the other end of the scale, egg shell is hard to clean and some brands may be removed when cleaning. My suggestion is normally to use a matte color, which goes well with natural surroundings and is not that hard to clean. Glossy may be better in younger children’s rooms “(Mommy, what color of hair do you want for your picture on the wall)?”

I mentioned there would be a tip for cutting your painting time in half, and I confess I haven’t used this new tool yet, but if you plan on any amount of indoor painting I suggest you take a look (no affiliation) at this video to see how it works. I think you’ll find it intriguing and see how you can cut your interior painting time drastically and professionally. Here’s the link if you just want to go directly to the web site for Paint Helpers. If anyone has already used this tool be sure to help the rest of us with a quick review.

My Best, Billy Goldmark Silky Flower Store

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