Really Cute Bed for Kids

The other day we were shopping for a gift for a kid's room, and golly, everything is blue or pink or yellow. What's up with these three colors anyway? Did someone decide a long time ago that these are defacto kid colors and the whole industry just follow suit?

Frankly we're a little tired of pink and blue. Here are some alternatives that we think would be really nice for kids or teenagers. They are great focal points and you can build themes around them...






The furniture is from Guildmaster (we would have listed the link here but it's for the trade only so it won't do you any good, sorry). Prices for the headboards run from $800 for a twin to $1200 for a queen. Email us if you need help.

New Rugs from Safavieh

We're always amazed at how the right accessories can just transform a room. It's like taking a plain girl and putting the right makeup, hairdo and fantastic shoes on her. It makes a huge, huge difference.

When we pick out home accessories, we usually look for rugs first. It's because most rugs are instant focal points. There are so much to choose from, and because they are not too expensive (if you pick out the right one)-- you can interchange them easily.

Here are some from Safavieh Rugs that we like. They are fun, bright, well-made, and gently-priced (an 8 x 10 is less than $1000).

To see more, check out our Safavieh Rugs section or visit their web site.

Interior Designs

When remodeling and decorating, we usually look for furniture, paint, carpets and decorative items as pictures. However, the lighting can have a big impact on the overall look of a room. The lighting design is responsible for setting the mood or ambiance of a space. With careful design and planning for the type, color and hue of the lighting, the room can be given a different ambiance. The right lighting can set a mood, improve productivity and contribute to people�s sense of well-being. It can transform unappealing spaces into desirable ones. Bright rooms give a positive and optimistic feeling, while darker rooms are more intimate and romantic. Research had proven that light can make big difference in how we feel.Good lighting design will not make you frustrated in the kitchen when you are not able to see what you are doing, and it will stop the arguments in the bedroom over whose turn it is to get up to switch out the light. Instead, you should be able to transform a room from a bright, vibrant living space to the setting for a romantic dinner for two.

Natural lighting is the light from the sun that comes through windows and doors. Direct sunlight is a healthy source of light, but the brightness and intensity is very variable. The time of the day, the season or the weather all influence natural sunlight. To control the quantity of natural light, different types of glass or curtains can be used. Diffusion and reflection are great ways to control this free light source. A good idea is to find the wall that received direct light form the sun and paint it in a bright color. The reflected light creates an ambiance in the room. The surface of the wall can control the diffusion of the light; rough surfaces have different effects than smooth surfaces.

Artificial lighting can be any kind of lamp. This light source can be controlled in every aspect; intensity, color, and the area of spreading. To get the desired effects in a room, the best idea is to use a combination of different types of artificial lighting. Ambience lighting is to lighten the whole room and give a certain �mood� to the space. Accent lighting is used to illuminate certain aspects or details of the interior decoration, as sculptures, pictures or display shelves.