Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

Is there anything particular you enjoy collecting? Maybe woven baskets, throws, dolls, vases or seashells are your interest. Even if you have a large collection of a certain item, you can display it in your home in a way that doesn’t consume and clutter the room.

Larger items such as vases and glass bowls can be displayed in a shelving unit. If you have vases in a variety of colors and shapes, choose a simple unit that will not detract from the handblown glass. Woven baskets can be hung from the ceiling, and blankets can be neatly folded and featured on a tiered rack that can rest in the corner of a room.

For small items like seashells, a cabinet with small shelving compartments is best. All you need is a hot glue gun and you can safely secure your treasures. The Sea Shell Display Glass Top Rattan Coffee Table pictured below has 23 compartments underneath the table glass, which can be used for sea glass, seashells and other beach finds.

Unfinished wood furniture lacks interest and color, but pickling is a technique you can use to stain the wood. This method can be used on wood, wicker or sisal items, and because the stains are transparent, you can still enjoy the natural wood grain.

What you need to accomplish this look is fine sandpaper, an oil-based stain, a soft cotton cloth, a steel wool and polyurethane sealer. First, you need to sand the wood then apply the stain with a cloth. After the stain dries, rub the wood with the steel wool and finish the wood with the sealer.

The red, green or blue wood furniture can be used on the porch, and you can alternate the different colors on certain areas of the furniture to make it more interesting. A wicker mirror and end table make excellent accessories for you or child’s bedroom. This is an inexpensive improvement you can do to your furniture that doesn’t require too much time.

Creating a romantic bedroom doesn’t have to mean buying new furniture and remodeling the space for a fireplace. There are simple elements that you can add to evoke a romantic atmosphere.

Deep, rich accents of color in the bedding or walls provide a dramatic effect. In addition, the warmer tones of plum, brown, red and green create a cozy space that feels too good to leave.

The curtains also have an effect on the room. Billowy curtains soften the windows but also allow some natural light to flow in. If you prefer a Victorian style, try rounded-rod curtains, which puff at the top and flow out.

Small accessories such as bookends, pillows and lamps can also romance the room. For instance, illuminated glass-block bookends can provide a soft glow. Also, fuzzy blankets and large throw pillows are a luxurious touch.

Simple decorations in a bedroom such as a vase of flowers or new lampshade can create a different vibe.

What do you want to feel like or see when you walk through your front door? Maybe impressive wall sconces or detailed wood flooring are on the top of your list. Eclectic pieces and designs can make your foyer look as though it had a total makeover.

Adding an inlay to your existing wood floors can dramatically transform your floors and even brighten them. Renaissance Floor In-Lays has a variety of designs to choose from such as medallions (large and square), borders, panels, parquets, octagons and corners. If you don’t want to invest money on an inlay, enhance a piece of furniture such as a settee with Inlay Product World, Inc.’s Ready Marq (self adhesive overlays).

Decorative wall sconces can bring the look together. The Victorian Tiffany Gothic Fleur-De-Lis wall sconce shown below has warm, rich tones and an intricate design that no one’s eyes can miss.

Faux painting on the walls can softly bring the color palette of the foyer together.

When you’re flat screen television is off, it doesn’t do much for the wall. But what if you could turn your TV into a virtual aquarium or art gallery for everyone to enjoy?

Plasma Window has created a useful and easy to use accessory for your television. All you have to do is insert the DVD and watch fish living in an underwater coral reef come to life. Or you can make your TV look like a painting by putting up your favorite work of Van Gogh or Monet. The revolving artwork on your screen can be your own virtual art gallery.

There are many backgrounds to choose from. Some are calming and relaxing while others are more entertaining. For example, Plasmavironments features a couple different fireplaces, ocean scenes and waterfalls. If you have an event coming up, the TVLightbox can provide a light show to compliment your party. These DVDs are like screen savers for your plasma television, and they can set the right mood in your home.

If you’re looking for some eco-friendly wall coverings, take a look at Palm Panels.

The flexible wall decor is made from coconut shell and palm wood, materials that are usually unused industry by-products. They’re given life here by being made into durable architectural surfaces that can add interest to walls in your home.

The palm panels are available in smooth and flex versions. Ideal for creating unique pieces, the smooth panels, “consists of numerous designs that require individual pieces to be carved and then hand placed on a panel.” The flex panels, on the other hand, give you “the freedom to create seamless continuous textured surface that can curve, allowing your ideas to become a practical reality.”

A few residential installation possibilities include:

• interior wall cladding
• ceilings
• doors
• framed art pieces
• pillars
• kitchen splashbacks

More information at Ormano Eco Smart Products.

We’ve looked at decorative mailboxes before (to name a few, there was the personalized copper mailbox, the dog breed mailbox, and the mailbox covers you could use to dress up your existing unit), but I’m not sure we’ve done many posts on ways to decorate around the mailbox.

When I was browsing Etsy, I spotted my first mailbox trellis.

A trellis is always fun since you can train roses, vines, and even edible plants such as grapes and kiwis to grow up them. Just imagine how much the mail person would enjoy visiting your house every day if he/she could snag a few grapes off your trellis while depositing your bills (or maybe after buttering up the postal worker with food, you’d be more likely to get packages?).

This wooden mailbox trellis is from Seattle-based Andrews Reclaimed. The artist, as you might imagine from the name, used reclaimed wood (cedar in this case) to build his pieces.

“Adorn your home with instant curb appeal. Looks terrific with climbing roses. This interesting mailbox was constructed from only clear grain western red cedar and quality hardware, and was finely hand-sanded before assembly.”

If your house/apartment/condo didn’t come with the view you were hoping for (brick walls, water towers, and busy streets just aren’t as picturesque as you’d think), then here’s a way to improve the window area:

Try “art curtains.”

For instance, the By The Sea Window Art Curtains let you improve the view by closing your drapes.

These wrinkle-resistant and machine washable curtain panels feature the rocky New England coast complete with crashing surf and a lighthouse. Suitable for French doors, patio doors, and windows up to 70″ wide, the art curtains come with a 3″ rod pocket.

You can find lots of other “views” out there. These curtains are $30 at Amazon:

By The Sea Window Art Curtains

Looking for some home warming gift ideas? These hand-blown glass oil lamps are a fun idea for anyone who enjoys candles, old-fashioned lamps, and the like. Further, the colorful “trees” crafted into the glass globes offer a unique decorative element.

Hand-made by the folks at Kitras Art Glass, each “tree of enchantment” ball is original. You can get different colors that represent the different seasons of life for a tree (spring, summer, autumn, winter). The designs are supposed to represent symbols of family, faith, hope, joy, love, and others as well.

Sizes run from 2″ to 10″ in diameter with prices starting at $24.

Available at Olive Barn.

White and wooden ceiling fans are the norm with metallic or black being findable, though less common.  Less common still, the surfboard ceiling fan…

Still if you love to surf and grove to the idea of decorating with surfer-appropriate memorabilia, then why not add beach-inspired furnishings to your home?

And a ceiling fan is functional as well as decorative: useful in summer and winter, fans reduce the need for heating and air conditioning.  In the summer, they make the air feel cooler without having to turn the air conditioning up so high, and in the winter, fans stir up the hot air that naturally rises to the ceiling, thus bringing it back down to where we humans hang out.

You can get these surfboard ceiling fans from Aloha Home Decor, and they’re available in light blue, dark blue, and pink for $239.  There are even surfboard fan pulls so you can ensure the theme is complete.