2014 Tips for Open Living Spaces Decorating Ideas

Dreaming of a casual room that blends cooking, dining, and living? A kitchen living room combo starts with a basic idea: Love your layout. These all encompassing spaces fuse style and function for fabulous rooms that flow together seamlessly.You'll love these ideas to try in 2014! I hope you find these ideas useful and inspiring to you .... Enjoy it !!!!

This living area's signature style was born out of a desire for an all encompassing space. A nature-inspired color scheme helps the sitting, dining, and cooking areas blend seamlessly. Area rugs and furniture are arranged to create task-oriented zones within the open room. Here, the sofa separates the kitchen and living area.

Family, friends, food, and fun are the main ingredients in a casual dining-living room combo. A cooktop in the island opens the floor for conversation with guests or family members while meals are being prepared, whether they're seated at the counter or in the adjacent living or dining areas.

Serving Up Efficiency : Designed to accommodate a busy lifestyle, the kitchen area is packed with function. The L-shape layout of the kitchen creates distinct prep and cleanup spaces. The large farmhouse-style sink and dishwasher are positioned on the far wall, which keeps the cleanup space from crowding out the prep area. An expansive island includes additional prep and storage space. A blend of traditional and open cabinets corrals dishware and serving pieces.

A Place to Gather : A dining table and an artful chandelier mark the transition between the cooking and living areas. Because the eating area is more distanced from the other zones, it works equally well for casual gatherings and quiet dinners for two. A high ceiling with exposed-wood beams makes the area seem more spacious.

In Good Company : Good looks and practicality are equal partners in the space's decor. Furniture is arranged to facilitate conversation and togetherness. Modern comforts such as slipcovered furniture and swiveling armchairs contribute to the overall warmth of the room and are ideal for lounging around or watching TV.

Island Time : With its generous size and prep sink, the kitchen island is suited for multitasking. The space can also double as an extension of the dining area or a place to do homework. A wall of windows coaxes plenty of light into the cooking area.

Casual Dining : Sophisticated style mingles with kid-friendly ideas for an open living space that suits the whole family. A freestanding dining set paired with the window seat makes this breakfast nook highly functional. A vintage-style bench features a modern mix of fabrics and storage drawers for seldom-used linens and extra cookware.

Entertainment Central : The real fun begins when the family gathers in its favorite hangout spot. A big coffee table for parking laptops, floor pillows for comfy seating, and a TV make the living room a well loved entertainment hub.

Easing Traffic Flow : Every space counts in an open living area, and a smart layout is essential to keep everything running smoothly. The main sink, oven, and range are within a few steps of each other, easing the work flow from prepping to serving in the kitchen.

Living Large : Ushering natural light into the kitchen, a glass panel door provides deck access and visually expands the room. Tall overhead cabinetry and light fixtures emphasize the kitchen's height. Cherrywood knobs and leg detailing give the white cabinets a warm, traditional look.

Rethink Existing Space : An area rug defines an intimate living space within the open room. Practical, pretty furnishings are used to ensure a smooth transition from the kitchen to the living room. Fun accents in bright colors relax the space and bring in a welcoming, casual vibe.

Transitional Aesthetics : The homeowners wanted handsome surroundings but needed them to be family oriented. Unusual pieces, such as colorful upholstery and a fun accent table, give the family room the personality it deserves. A cozy furniture arrangement yields a flexible family room ideal for relaxing, and the TV can be viewed while prepping in the kitchen.

Use Like Materials : Clever storage and a streamlined style look right at home in this kitchen. The homeowners kept the room's original cabinets, which feature a professionally applied aniline dye on the upper set and a few glass inserts. The modern, clean lined design used in the cabinetry and wood floors repeats in all the major living spaces to create a unified look.

Double Duty : New windows and built in cabinetry turn this dining area into an airy work space for the family. Outside of meal times, the table is a place to color and craft. Bench seating beneath the window is piled with pillows for a comfy spot to read.

Clean Living : Slivers of space were put to work to make the most of each living zone. By thinking vertically, the family maximized its storage potential in the kitchen. Matching units on both sides of the dining room window serve as dynamic display areas. A long window seat includes pullout drawer storage that makes cleanup easy for kids.

Smooth Transition : The entire wall between the dining room and living room was removed and rebuilt to define the function of each space. A two sided fireplace was installed, providing a visual link between the dining room and living room. A beverage center tucked into the new fireplace wall incorporates cabinets, freeing up storage space in the kitchen.

Flexibly Furnished : Large openings and the two sided fireplace connect the dining area with the living room, where comfy furniture and durable fabrics welcome family game nights. The new fireplace features a slab of bluestone for cozy fireside seating. Portable furniture, such as large stools, can be moved around to accommodate day-to-day activities. Built-in shelves in the living room provide display areas.

2014 Easy Tips for Small Kitchen Decorating Ideas

Use these tips and ideas to create a small kitchen with big style. You'll love these ideas to try in 2014! I hope you find these ideas useful and inspiring to you .... Enjoy it !!!!

By : Kelly Eagle

Showstopping Backsplash : This otherwise-subdued kitchen goes glam with stainless steel tile behind the range. In a small space, even a tiny portion of showstopping backsplash tile adds drama and personality.

Display Collections : Make use of the space between cabinets in front of a window by adding simple shelves and displaying a collection. Plus, the light coming in the window will make any collection look beautiful.

Add Accessories : Like any good outfit, a kitchen needs accessories. The wall at the end of this galley kitchen mixes hanging art with leaning frames and pretty dishware. Below, a bright red stool adds a fun pop of color.

Showcase Color : In a one wall kitchen, open upper cabinets help the room feel spacious and allow space for displaying colorful dishware, potted herbs, and accessories. Closed cabinets below are perfect for storing items you don't want on display.

Cover Walls with Color : Give walls in a basic kitchen a cheery coat of a color. In this clean-lined white kitchen, kiwi-green walls add modern flair and inspire the rest of the decor.

Choose Bold Textiles : A bold Roman shade sets the tone for this all white kitchen. Playing off the window covering, red, orange, and yellow accessories spice up the rest of the room.

Paint an Accent Wall : Add pizzazz without pressure by painting one wall in your kitchen in a bold accent color. The terra-cotta-orange accent wall spices up the otherwise subdued kitchen.

Maximize Every Inch : There isn't an inch of unused space in this kitchen. At the end of a run of cabinets, a recessed bookcase was added and is a drop point for mail, magazines, and miscellaneous papers; below is a small house for the cat.

Choose Art with Personality : Step outside the standards of kitchen art and choose unique pieces that showcase your personality. Vintage signs, classic advertisements, and art intended for other rooms of the house often look right at home in the kitchen.

Go Beyond Removing Doors : Instead of just removing cabinet doors and displaying dishes, outfit the now-open storage with textured baskets, bins, and pretty glass storage containers. The baskets add texture and color, while the glass storage containers keep what you need neatly on display.

Make the Most of Wall Space : The combination of metal shelving and a magnetic board corrals spices, tea, mugs, pictures, and recipes all in one easy-to-reach place.

Interesting Texture : In a classic kitchen with cherry cabinets, the marble countertops, gray linen roman shade, and raw-wood shelves all add interesting textures to the room. This small amount of juxtaposition with the traditional cabinets creates great contrast.

Play Up Pattern in Tile : In an otherwise standard white kitchen, the patterned backsplash tile adds personality and much-needed movement in the room. A classic black-and-white color scheme can be easily accented by different colors as styles change.

Choose Colorful Stools : The simple lines of these stools get an extra dose of style with turquoise paint. Now the stools are a focal point in the kitchen and are the perfect starting point for the rest of the decor.

Wall Decals : Whip up some whimsy in your kitchen by adding fun wall decals and colorful artwork. Decals can be swapped out at any time to make changing the look of your kitchen quick and easy.

2014 Clever Furniture Arrangement Tips for Small Living Rooms

Make your small living room seem larger with these furniture arranging ideas and smart decorating tricks.

You'll love these ideas to try in 2014! I hope you find these ideas useful and inspiring to you .... Enjoy it !!!!

Choose Visually Lightweight Furniture : Pay attention to the visual weight of furniture, not just its actual size. Light color furniture or pieces with legs appear lighter than dark or boxy upholstered pieces. In this small living area, the leggy chair doesn't obstruct views of the passage or the floor, so the space feels more open. The metal and glass coffee table also consumes very little visual space.

Use Neutral Color Throughout : Using a neutral palette throughout a living room is one of the best ways to push back the walls. The eye can roam freely through a neutral palette, so the space feels more expansive.

Emphasize the Vertical : A room's space always includes more than just its horizontal dimensions. Invite the eye to move above and below eye level. In this living room, emphasis on the vertical comes by way of floor-to-ceiling draperies that hang just below the ceiling beams.

Use Small Scale Furniture : Choose furniture in a scale appropriate for the room and for the people who will use it. The sleek design and small scale of a Saarinen Tulip chair suits a small living room, as does the Parsons table. The armless chair is heftier, but its lines and shape won't make a small room feel crowded.

Play Up the Light : Take advantage of all available light to help enlarge the space. Use white or pale colors, which increase the brightness of a room by reflecting light. Keep window treatments simple and avoid blocking the windows with heavy layers of fabric.

Add Seating with a Window Seat : Turn a window niche into a mini living area with a window seat. Choose slender, leggy furniture for small spaces because they take up less visual space. The eye is fooled into thinking the space is larger because you can see under and through these pieces of furniture.

Add storage without eating up floor space by building shelves into the space between wall studs.

Enlarge Space with White : A small living room escapes feeling constrained thanks to white walls, pale floors, and white upholstery. The elements of the room are united by white, giving the space a cohesive feel.

Carve Out a Corner : In an open floor plan, stake out a section for the living room with two love seats, or one love seat and two chairs, a large coffee table, and a rug. In this space, the seating placement distinguishing a living space from the dining area beyond. Filling the floor space with a coffee table may seem counterintuitive, but using a few large pieces in a small space actually simplifies the room.

Use an Ottoman for a Coffee Table : A large upholstered ottoman doubles as a coffee table when you add trays to provide a flat surface for drink glasses or a vase of flowers.

Scale Furniture to the Space : In a small living room, a narrow bench serves as a convenient coffee table without taking up much space.

Build in Storage : Give a small space grand character and maximum function with a bank of cabinets. This unit incorporates concealed storage with open cubbies, which help the piece feel lighter in the room.

Create Clear Traffic Paths : Arrange furniture to direct traffic around the conversation core rather than through it. In this small living room, the sofa marks the beginning of the seating space. Traffic coming in from the door is directed to go on either side of the sofa, rather than directly through the conversation area.

Keep Colors Light and Soft : Pastel furnishings, white walls, and a light neutral area rug make this living room feel lighter and brighter and therefore larger. The chair offers comfortable seating, but exposed legs, they consume less visual space than a club chair would.

2014 Tips for Fabulous Bedroom Decorating Ideas

Want a Fabulous bedroom ? Here's 3 secrets tips to success.
Create symmetry with furniture and accessories, but mix up materials and shapes to add style. Identical night stands, lamps and mirrors plank this bed, but the mix of lacquer, glass , metal and natural accents makes this balance anything but boring. Follow this easy formula for livable color .
Start with the palette of 3 neutrals with similar undertones but different saturations. Add in a muted midrange accent such as this restful blue and call it color palette success.
Use accessories, patterns and furniture that are similar in style then throw in a surprise element or two. This tufted chair and botanical print fabric are classic traditional pieces. But mixing in modern night stands, graphic prints and wood-grain wallpaper makes a more personal look. By creating a room with symmetry, livable color and an easy style mix, you'll take comfort and a gorgeous bedroom .

Create a restful retreat with these three no fail bedroom decorating tips that will have you sleeping in style. You'll love these ideas to try in 2014! I hope you find these ideas useful and inspiring to you .... Enjoy it !!!!