1. Most often columns are painted bright glossy white. By simply choosing a different color, your columns will not stand out as much. Changing the sheen level of the column will make a visual difference as well. A flat isn’t recommended because fingerprints will easily be seen, however an eggshell or satin is a lower sheen level than gloss. Make sure that the capital of the column, the top part, as well as the base of the column blend with existing trim and molding.

2. Applying texture materials such as stucco or plaster will add depth to your column. A professional faux finisher will have a variety of textures that can be applied to both round and square columns. Many times a different finish can also be applied to the base and capital of the column to accent the texture or color. Professional artists have a variety of textures available that mimic natural stone. Beware of using joint compound or other “soft plasters” intended for drywall use. These plasters are soft, and may nick and chip over time.

3. Adding a marble look to columns is another option. There are two different types of marbleizing techniques. A fantasy marble looks painted on, and does not mimic a specific marble found in nature. Yet, many times a fantasy marble may look extremely realistic. If you are going for an authentic look, make sure to relay this to the faux finish studios you are interviewing. Be specific with what look you are going for, such as a carrera marble, or yellow sienna.

4. A colorwash can add depth and be visually interesting on a column. A light glaze or stain is rubbed over the column to give a variation of color. The technique can add an aged and historic look to both interior and exterior columns.

Remember, these changes can be applied to both interior and exterior columns. No longer will your glossy white columns be an eyesore. From changing the sheen of paint, to the color, or adding a faux finish technique to your columns, the change will be welcomed in any room.

Lead artist of Hampton Wall Designs, Julie Hampton has worked one on one with a variety of clients including interior designers, architects, and private home owners. A skilled artisan, Julie guides her clientele in selecting high quality finishes and surface designs. Her work has been featured in 4 award winning show homes in both Florida and Iowa.
Hampton Wall Designs works closely with residential and commercial clientele to create beautifully painted walls. Located in West Des Moines, IA the studio offers a variety of services including faux finishes, murals, hand painted designs and lettering. Her studio can be visited online at http://www.HamptonWallDesigns.com

And even those who have grown up in the city, who have not come within miles of a barn, have a great fascination with farms. For them, nothing is cooler than the idea of rolling green fields and hundreds of trees to climb—imagine, it’s a five hectare yard! The only thing better is having dozens of pets, from cats and dogs to horses, sheep, ducks, and a real cow.

Unfortunately, very few kids will be able to live in a farm, but using farm theme kid furniture can give them the closest approximation—and it’s so easy to do, even if you have no time, or no artistic inclination. That’s the beauty of today’s selections. They’re fully coordinated, so you don’t have to think about what matches which piece, and they contain delightful embellishments that immediately contribute to your chosen look.

You just need a few key pieces of farm theme kid furniture. Look for those decorated with animals: cows, horses, ducks, chickens, roosters.

Since these farm theme furniture are usually done in bright, primary colors—mostly reds and yellows—then keep your walls a neutral color. White may be too harsh, but you can have a very soft yellow or cream. You can even use stencils to paint a landscape. You don’t need to be a Van Gogh, just need to draw a happily and smiling fun, a few clouds, and something that looks like a country road disappearing into the horizon.

Wood floors are the best complement for farm theme kid furniture. The good news is that they’ll also take the wear and tear of active children (at least you don’t have to worry about chocolate spilling on the carpet!). You can use braided rugs and throw pillows in a country-style gingham print.

The farm theme kid furniture also includes beds and chairs. Show off their beautiful designs by using coverlets and pillows in simple primary colors. (Noisy prints can compete with the designs). Decorate, instead, with stuffed animals. For example, if your set of farm theme kid furniture includes a sweet rocking chair, prop a fluffy stuffed sheep or cow over its hand rest.

You can also buy accessories like lamps to further complement your farm theme furniture. Instead of a traditional alarm clock, why not find a novelty item that looks or sounds like a rooster, or hang a traditional farmhouse fixture—the cuckoo clock—on the wall. Use a large wicker basket the type used whenever farm hands gather apples, as a dirty hamper. While the farm theme kid furniture already creates a unified look, these tiny touches complete it.
Your little farmer will also enjoy going to sleep in animal print pajamas, listening to nursery rhymes or videos about animals, and reading books like Charlotte’s Web, Pollyanna, or Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.

Wishrooms.com offers unique Kid Furniture for bedrooms and playrooms at affordable prices!

You can give your child a chance to be part of his own personal “circus”—well, without the elephant. By using Circus Theme Kid Furniture, you can transform his bedroom into a wonderland that even Barnum and Bailey would be proud of.

No time or energy to decorate? No problem. Circus Theme Kid Furniture have all the elements—you just need to unpack the furniture (and a bit of assembly) and you’re good to go. The designs are colorful and sure to delight the young and young hearted. You have merry, mischievous clowns, seals and lions poised for another wonderful trick, spinning acrobats.

Circus theme furniture is functional, too. After all, every child needs a comfortable bed, a table and a chair, and bookshelves and toy chests to store his things. You would’ve bought them anyway—but choosing these sets let them double as décor. Here are some other easy ways to decorate your child’s room:

• Circus theme kid furniture come in bright, happy colors. Keep the walls of the room in a neutral shade, like a softer yellow, to rest the eyes and to allow the details of the pieces to take center stage. However, you can paint the ceiling something bright, or turn one wall into a focal point. Paint this a brighter shade of yellow, or something eye-catching like red, and hang paintings of clowns and circus animals.
• Balloon stencils are readily available at craft stores. Use them to create an easy but eye-catching wall border. You can also buy sticker decals. These reflect the playful and happy décor of the circus theme kid furniture.
• What circus would be complete without popcorn and soda pop? While it may not be a good idea to leave these sweets in your child’s bedroom, you can use those designs to decorate accessories. For example, paint a wastebasket to look like a popcorn container.
• Make a door sign that looks like an admission ticket. You can download the design from the Internet. That way, you really do create the feeling of walking into another world.
• Invest in beddings in bright primary colors like blue, red and yellow.

When you have successfully decorated the room with circus theme kid furniture, it’s time to throw a Grand Opening—a “room warming” party. Let your child invite five or six of his closest friends. (They can sleep over if you like—you can also find circus theme sleeping bags).

Throwing a party is really simple, too. Decorate the invitations to look like admission tickets. Make clown party hats and a clown cake. Your menu should also include hotdogs, candied apples, popcorn, and all the staples of a trip to a circus. Play games like “Pin the Tail on the Elephant”. Your child will realize that running away to join the circus isn’t as fun as coming home to his own wonderland—made possible by circus theme kid furniture—everyday.

Wishrooms.com offers unique Kid Furniture for bedrooms and playrooms at affordable prices!

Home architecture for 2007 announces to be really extraordinary, a mélange of classy, good taste furniture design, applied to neutral and soft wall colors. The keyword for the future home architecture is, without doubt, posh. And the most important feature that you should take into account when planning your home architecture is the aspect of socializing. Top designers in home architecture stipulate that by May 2007, most home architecture enthusiasts will be out shopping for those new pieces to make their homes gorgeous.

The new trends in home architecture are designed for the sophisticated customers, those who understand that being unique will make a difference. Accordingly, home architecture specialists expect owners to cut down on patterns and improvise in order to make their homes appealing and comfortable. Whether we’re talking of the wire cables sustained floating bed or the sleek stainless steel kitchen appliances, home architecture is bound to come with that polished touch we’ve all been dreaming about. Home architecture has to be ecologically sensitive, this way up-to-date with the community problem-solving issues, so try using natural materials for furniture and appliances.

Moreover, the futuristic ideas for home architecture include relevant solution for interior space expansion. Large spaces are the new fashion and designers have come up with knock-out suggestions on how to make your home look bigger than it is. For instance, you could think of having an open space kitchen, with an urbane shade, organized around a thick red mahogany island. This way, while cooking, you can easily socialize with the guests in the living room, without having to shout to make you heard. Home architecture trends for next year introduce a call to arms for chill-out times and spending quality time with family and friends.

The unspoken rules of 2007 home architecture request a neutral color palette to contrast with the colorful furniture items and high-tech devices. You could paint your bedroom or living room in a pale green hue or calm beige, but make sure that your bed or your couch is a strong personality color, or else you will lose the original note required by home architecture specialists. Light bathing, plenty of flowers to cheer up the place and cozy furniture to go with the futuristic technology are just a few hints at how you have your house up to the new home architecture standards, but what it really matters is that you embellish your home with originality.

Copyright © 2007 Joel Teo. All rights reserved. (You may publish this article in its entirety with the following author’s information with live links only.)

Joel Teo writes on various financial topics including Investment Properties in Las Vegas. Learn more about Investment Properties in Las Vegas in our Real Estate Investment Resource Site today.

Benefits of Specially Designed Children’s Furniture

But what’s so important about investing in children’s furniture? For one thing, it’ll actually be good for your child’s health. When they use a table or a chair that’s too large for them, they tend to hunch over, legs dangling uncomfortably, arms stretched just to be able to maintain their position without toppling over. This hurts their posture, leads to back pains and neck pains, and (if they fall) lead to injuries.

Young children can also hurt themselves trying climb up a chair or reach for a book on a high shelf. They can slip, break an arm, or have a pile of toys or books fall on top of them. Adult furniture may also have sharp corners or metal edges that can cut their small fingers.

Children’s furniture is made for children, and is perfectly built to their proportions. But there’s one thing, too, that children’s furniture can do—they can create magic.

The Magic of Animal Theme Kid Furniture

Children have amazing imagination and energy. They are constantly daydreaming, thinking of adventures, acting out the favorite characters in their book, or creating imaginary worlds (and imaginary friends to explore those worlds with!). They want to conquer the jungles of Africa, or explore every nook and cranny of the farm. They want to ride with the animals on Noah’s Ark, or even run away and join the circus!

Why not encourage their imagination and creativity by buying animal theme kid furniture? These beautifully decorated pieces instantly transform a boring bedroom into a jungle safari or a sprawling farm. Everywhere he looks, he sees cute and friendly animal friends: a bear, a lion, a black and white jersey cow. It’s like all the pictures in the books—or even the images that he’s created in his active mind—have suddenly come to life, thanks to animal theme kid furniture.

Our Favorite Animal Theme Kid Furniture

There’s a wide variety of animal theme kid furniture. All of them are adorable, functional, and meet all safety standards. Choosing which one to use in a bedroom is entirely your child’s personal decision (it’s best to get him involved). However, here are some of the top picks:

• Noah’s Ark Toy Chest – This beautiful wooden toy chest has an illustration of the ark, done in vintage style. The white paint has been distressed to give it an antique look—perfect for a Victorian nursery or playroom. A giraffe and elephant wave hello and invite your little one to come and play. Truly one of the most charming pieces of animal theme kid furniture. Other options are the Safari Theme Toy Chest, also with a vintage feel.
• Kid’s Slumber Barnyard Fun Sleeping Bag – He and his friends will be as snug as a bug in a rug in this sleeping bag! Be sure to own at least two of these, in case your child wants to hold a sleepover. The bright colors and charming illustrations of cows grazing in a field are the perfect compliment to he rest of your animal theme kid furniture. If your child doesn’t like farm animals try one decorated with funky looking reptiles and the words “Leaping Lizards!”
• Noah’s Ark table and chairs – Your child needs a table for drawing, crafting and other activities. These green and blue animal theme kid furniture sets provide a comfortable work surface… and are, in themselves, works of art. We like the color theme, which gives options to parents who’d rather not use pastels or primary shades.
• Safari Table and Chair set – The bright red and yellow colors of this set looks very modern and so are the simple illustrations of elephants, giraffes and zebras. These animal theme kid furniture are a good investment for parents who want the room to be fun yet not frilly.
• Toad Stool Step Stool – No, not the mushroom, silly. This animal theme kid furniture looks like a green frog poised to jump. It is sturdy enough to hold your child as he steps up to get a book or toy, and fits conveniently under the bed or table. For those who need a higher step stool, consider the giraffe step stool. The animal’s long necks provide a handle for the child to hold and steady himself. These items can be bought separately or as a part of an animal theme kid furniture set.
• Giraffe Clothes Stand – Always picking up your child’s clothes? Tired of the daily search for missing mittens and scarves? The giraffe clothes stands are a great way of decorating the hallway while teaching your child to put away her things. It can also be used to hold school bags.
• Butterfly Cottage Playhouse – If your child prefers bugs, try these butterfly playhouse. The bright colors match well with most furniture (including the ones used by adults!) and the soft walls and window shutters won’t hurt him if he jumps or rolls inside. One of the cutest animal theme kid furniture. You can also get a Froggy playhouse and a Barnyard playhouse. We warned you it would be hard to pick which one you’d like best.

Completing the Look

After you’ve bought and set up your animal theme kid furniture, you may be so excited by how pretty it looks that you want to add additional accessories or design features. If space is a consideration and you may not be able to get really big animal theme kid furniture pieces, here are some decorating suggestions

• Place toy animals and scatter in key areas of the room. For example, you can have a tiny group of stuffed monkeys peek from the corner of a study table or you can get an animal mobile (usually found in the baby’s section) and hang over the child’s bed.
• Use animal stencils, sold in craft stores. Keep the color of the walls simple to let your animal theme kid furniture and accents take center stage.

Wishrooms.com offers unique Kid Furniture for bedrooms and playrooms at affordable prices!

Wall systems consist of an arrangement of shelves, hanging rods, or hooks that allow products to be stacked or hung near the walls rather than on floor racks. The two basic categories of wall systems are freestanding models and wall slats. Freestanding units obviously do not require any assistance to their structure, while wall slats are notch systems actually attached to the walls themselves. These notches or slats then hold various hanging or shelving mechanisms. Freestanding units are preferable if the retail environment is constantly changing. They allow for easy shifting, while wall slats are slightly more permanent. Consider which category would work best, and then investigate the many different models of each to determine the best wall system.

There are many styles of wall systems, but they all share the same purpose, to create more floor space and greater visibility of products. With hanging clothes featured on double rows against the wall, floor racks can have greater intention and be evenly spaced throughout the store, making floor displays more effective. Customers should be able to easily move throughout the shopping environment. Close quarters and narrow passages cause customers to quickly tire of shopping. Claustrophobia has proven to prematurely finish a shoppers buying time, especially during the holiday months. With effective wall displays, you will have no trouble creating the spaced environment customers need. Not only will the floors be more accessible, but also the display items become more easily located. With wall systems, customers notice garments or products that may be at the other end of the store. This is also effective upon the customer’s entrance into a retail environment. Different levels allow for more products to be viewed in one glance rather than causing customers to actively dig through a store’s inventory. Obviously, every retailer needs to make the shopping experience as simple and clear as possible for today’s consumer.

Wall system displays are often the mark of a truly professional sales floor. Consider the different retail environments such as low budget resale shops, designer clothing stores, differing levels of antique dealers, and shopping mall clothing stores. More often than not, the ambiguous factor that creates a better retail environment is the wall system. The more effective and attractive the wall display system is, the more organized and professional the environment seems. It may seem like large investment, but wall systems literally give a retail store real personality by covering the walls in the store’s signature items and granting the customer with the space they need to shop.

About the Author:Ron Maier is the Vice President of S & L Store Fixtures, a leading online provider of
slatwall fixture, gridwalls, and store fixtures. For more information please visit store displays at =>http://www.slstoredisplays.com

This is just a possible scenario. Whatever your reasons, when you decide to redecorate your home, you should ask yourself a simple, but essential question: “DIY or hire a professional designer?”

If you are a busy businessman (or woman), you probably don’t even consider do-it-yourself as an alternative. Sure you’ve already got the yellow pages in your hands or you are already browsing the Web looking for that perfect interior design firm to redecorate your home. But if you are not so busy, why should you hire an interior designer? You have all that free time, why not do something useful out of it? Because, if you are not experiences with interior design, if you have no skill whatsoever, your attempt might end up in a redecorating disaster. You’ll need someone to help you get organized and tell you approximately how much everything is going to cost.

Of course, interior designers cost too. But hiring a professional interior designer from the start will prevent from having to pay unexpected costs like: the wrong color, the unsuitable piece of furniture, the “no-style” decorations and the out of place accents. In the modern competitive society, you might as well get lucky and find a decorator that offers a first consultation free of charge. Now, that’s a price worth paying!

How do you know whether the interior designer will do the job right or not? Well, that’s quite simple; the first (and free) consultation will be elucidatory – after you clarify to your decorator what colors you like, show him or her your home and the actual decorations, go together over some pictures (the decorator should have brought along some decoration samples or catalogues) of residences and styles; the professional interior designer should be able to identify your style. If the designer will not ask any personal questions related to hobbies, favorite colors, entertainment preferences, preferred movie stars, favorite music, cultural background or others of the kind, you should move to the next. A curios designer is a good designer. And a good designer will never try to impose his (her) style on you! A curious designer will use the information gathered in this first meeting to put up together some ideas for the next meeting. That’s when he (or she) will show you plans, sketches, wallpaper samples, color samples, fabric samples and so on. Then you choose what you like, point out what you dislike and let your designer do the rest.

Consider an interior designer as your temporary employee and understand that you are allowed and should point out his or her mistakes. After all it’s your house that needs a perfect interior design, so don’t be afraid to impose your taste when necessary!

Michael RussellYour Independent guide to Interior Design