Home decor is most often region specific. The type of home furnishings that you buy for your home is partly dependant on the geographic boundaries. In India the most widely seen pattern in home furnishing is the oriental type.

Oriental home decor is not just confined to India but most of Eastern Asia. The best loved home furnishing items include wall hangings, ethnic curios, idols of deities, artificial or fresh flowers, pottery, bamboo craft and much more. They should be appropriately placed to define the exclusivity of these home furnishings.

Besides the type of home decor, one must choose home furnishings depending on the availability of space. Smaller rooms look good with smaller artifacts. Lighter hues make the spaces look wider and ensuring proper lighting is another prerequisite. Vertically positioned curios look better for a smaller abode.

A larger house may be embellished with home furnishing of different types. Broad wall hangings, bold designs on the curtains, darker colors, multicolored walls, and wall and ceiling embellishments may be profound. Carpets made exquisite with suitable designs may ideally adorn the floor.

Besides curios, furniture is another integral part of home furnishing. Soft leather couches, cane chairs or wrought iron sofas- the variety to choose from is wide. Care should be taken while choosing the colors; lest the furniture should look out of place. Make sure the color and texture of the furniture blends easily with the walls, flooring and curtains.

If you are someone who loves to spend leisure in the confines of the bedroom with a book or engrossed in any other creative hobby, make sure the bedroom interiors is amiable. Choose the bedding of your choice keeping the space factor in mind. If a study table needs to be accommodated make sure you plan well in advance, else the room may be too crammed to hold more furniture.

A dressing table adds to the exclusivity of the bedroom. Elaborate carving, white wood and other timber tables are ideal choices. Decorate the floor with carpets and exquisite mats to give it an 'at home' feel. Flower pots and indoor plants may also adorn the corners exuding fresh oxygen to the space you call your own.

These tips may be useful for someone doing up the house with exclusive home furnishing. Choose them right so you don't have to keep redoing the interiors. The internet is a good source for information as well as home decor products. Get an imaginary outline of how the abode would look with varied combinations of home decor and make the best of your creative mind to make your abode the most harmonious place to be.

Original Post: Living Rooms

Home Furnishing- For A Truly Amicable Abode

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Home-improvement: Add a Touch of the Country to your Home

Add a Touch of The Country to Your Home

A colorful house with faded walls, wicker and worn furniture – is a distinctive picture you would get whenever you think of a country styled home. Adding a tinge (or more) of the country style to your home doesn’t mean recreating a part, nor does it mean being frozen in time. It is preserving the good old things of the yesteryears and turning them into a mélange by incorporating them with state-of-the-art home amenities.

Living in a country styled home is supposedly very informal and comfortable. It enables the home owner to relax in a rustic setting amidst simple things handmade by skilled artisans. If you are planning to incorporate a country style to your home, don’t imagine it to be a very tedious task. Designing your home in the country style has minimal rules. All you would have to ensure is that the atmosphere is comfortable, both for people living in the house as well as guests who come visiting.

Since the country look has undergone transformation over the years, it has improved and taken in a wider variety of distinctive attributes. Given below are some ideas that would help you while adding a ‘touch of the country look’ and preserving your tradition as well.

Flooring – Always start from the floor, as it is the ‘base’ of the home. For instance, you can add a get a painted gingham-painted border to your wooden floor. The pricing for this could be expensive or affordable, depending on the amount of floor space and the artisan fees. You can also consider oriental rugs and carpets that lend an extra tinge of drama to the entrance of your home.

Walls – In the past, walls were made of brick or wood. You can use wooden or brick walls and leave them unpainted to give the perfect country look. However, if you wish to achieve the country look, you can paint the walls; just make sure you use natural colors, which complement the upholstery and flooring. Also, to get the perfect texture, get the walls evenly plastered and colored in soft lime-wash. You can decorate walls freehand or using stencil, simple designs and motifs.

Upholstery and furniture To give an illusion of space in small rooms use minimally upholstered wooden furniture. To add a rustic, colorful look, a mat, handmade quilt, thrown or draped over wooden furniture adds the extra country charm. Inculcate a layered look in the fabrics you use, to give a serene feel to the ambience. You can use floral, patterned, or striped fabric, as these complement with one another and give a special touch to every room.

Decorations Use wicker baskets for flower arrangements, dried shrubs, potpourri, fruits, and placing bread loaves on the dining table. Wicker baskets are said to be the heart of the country style. They can be kept on the shelves or hung near the windows.

Click Here to Learn More about Home-Improvement

About the Author

Art Home

Original Post: Living Rooms

Art Home

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Large Wall Art Decor Ideas

A room's, house's, or office's interior wall is actually like a blank piece of canvas. Put some artwork on it, and you can add character and details to any place in the house.

There are many ideas on how to creatively decorate your walls. Here are some of them.

1. Pictures

This is a traditional but time-tested way of decorating. Simply hang framed photos on the wall. Photos can be anything-family members and loved ones, memorable places where you went, or themed and carefully composed pictures of a certain subject. It is best if these pictures were blown up, or enlarged. It would probably be good if you keep the frame uniform; if you used a gold-leaf frame on a certain picture, all other pictures should use the same frame. Doing this effectively omits a look of chaos.

2. Paintings

This is another classical decoration. You can do either of two things: hang a large painting, or hang smaller multiple paintings. The two main criteria for selecting paintings are size and color. The painting should be too large that it will overwhelm the wall, nor to small to be lost in all other items.

Paintings should be hung in a way so that its center is at eye level. When choosing a painting for a large wall art décor, choose a bold color in your room or house and choose artwork that has that color in it. If you want muted colors, you may choose a black-and-white art with a light-colored mat or neutral colored frame.

Style should be consistent. For example, if your house or room is filled with antiques, the painting you choose may have antique-style frames.

3. Sculptures

Two-dimensional sculptures are also great for wall decors. Another idea is to surround a larger sculpture or painting with smaller ones. A good way of organizing such is to draw an imaginary rectangle and the part of the wall you want to focus on. Then fill that rectangle with a grouping of related art, in this case, sculptures.

4. Carpet and rugs

Beautifully designed carpets such as Persian rugs can be used as wall decors. Just make sure that it coincides with the theme of your room since these kinds of rugs usually have overwhelming designs. Please note that most Persian rugs are large and can dominate entire walls.

5. Unconventional materials

Do not limit yourself to paintings, photographs, and other classical art. You can use other materials. For example, an old wooden box can be repaired and hanged as a curio cabinet and a wall décor at the same time. Wooden blocks can be used as candle stands. A piece of weathered driftwood can be used to accent a wall. The possibilities are endless.

6. Wallpaper

Don't forget this simple large wall art décor. Wallpapers can really define the atmosphere of a room. You can choose between plain colored ones for a simplistic design or a patterned one to establish a theme. There are endless styles available in home improvement shops

7. Lights

An artful display of lights is a contemporary wall décor art. Spotlights suspended on the ceiling project beams on the wall. Carefully arranged, the beams can form patterns, lines, and spots that are as effective as any painting. Spotlights can also be used to highlight particular pieces of artwork.

About the Author

Article author Alyssa Davis is the contemporary design consultant and senior staff writer for Metal-Wall-Art.com. Visit the store for a distinctive
candle wall sconce
and
wall art sculpture
.

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Decor Art

Original Post: Living Rooms

Decor Art

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How 2 Create a Jazzy Art Deco Bedroom in 6 Easy Steps

This article contains information and tips to help you create your little piece of Art Deco style. The colours, patterns, designs, furniture styles and decorative detailing of the Art Deco era will be revealed. Added to this are lists of where to find more information and suppliers of Art Deco items. If you follow the 6 easy steps you can easily put together your Art Deco master piece.

During the Art Deco era interior design was a main focus. Smooth surfaces, exotic materials and repeated geometric forms characterise this style. The style became part of the ‘Swinging Twenties' part of the ‘Jazz Age'.

Tip: Read through the whole article before you start following the steps

Step 1:  Know what makes Art Deco different from Art Nouveau

Art Deco is a jazzy style with straight lines, geometric and abstracted shapes used in buildings, furniture and decorative details. This is the main difference from the earlier Art Nouveau style with its flowing lines, organic curved rounded forms, fantasy themes and gentle pastel colours. In comparison Art Deco is bold, colourful, showy and dramatic.

Tip: Look for

• Straight lines

• Geometric shapes

• Abstract patterns

• Egyptian scarab

• Sun Motifs

• Stepped ziggurat shapes

• Fan shapes

• Aztec symbols

• Stylised flowers

Step 2: Become familiar with examples of Art Deco design

You can do this from the comfort of your computer desk. Just use the information below to inform your research. This is the easiest way, but you can also visit your local library or you can research in your local area.

Tip: An easy way to find visual information is to do a Google image search. Please note some images labeled as Art Deco are in fact Art Nouveau

In France

• Emile –Jacques Ruhlmann a leader of French interior design and furniture design between 1918 – 1925

• Paul Iribe

• Andre Groult

• Neuilly Villa designed 1929 by Pierre Legrain

• Eileen Gray in 1920 designed Suzanne Talbot's apartment

Art Deco USA

Design in the USA was Influenced by French Art Deco after the 1925 Paris exhibition. The Americans loved the bright surfaces and abstract patterns of the style. The 1933 World's Fair ‘Century of Progress' in Chicago saw many Art Deco motifs, designs and shapes used for example the rising sun motif and stepped ziggurat.

Ely Jacques Kahn designed Art Deco skyscraper entrance lobbies

• Bricken Building

• Chrysler Building

• Empire State Building

• Banking Hall of the Irving Trust Company

Step 3: Select floor covering

For a bedroom plain wall to wall fitted carpet would be an excellent choice. This was a popular floor treatment of the time. Although geometric patterns and Sarouk Persian or Turkish carpets in geometric or floral salmon pink were popular in the States. In Britain large repeat patterns in soft muted colours (similar to William Morris designs) were used in hotels and on ocean liners.

French carpets were formal in style with highly stylised floral designs. Brilliantly coloured carpets with abstract patterns were used in theaters and department stores in the US and France.

Animal skin floor rugs could also be used in your bedroom. Zebra skin rugs were popular and placed over the plain carpets. Linoleum continued to be popular as did parquet floors.

Tip: What you choose for the floor will influence all your other choices. Remember this when you make your selection.

Art Deco Floors:

• Plain

• Geometric

• Zebra skin

• Persian

• Turkish (Sarouk)

Carpets Available in Art Deco Style

Stark's Navarre design

Stark's Laseine design

Bosanquet's Ives trellis design

Axminster Carpets' Honeycomb design

Step 4: Select the wallpaper and paint colours

You may want to create a modern styled room with an Art Deco twist or create a room to reflect a real impression from the Art Deco times. Strong colours were used as a reaction to the pastels of the Art Nouveau style. However colours did vary between countries and the decades of the Art Deco era.

In a bedroom green, ultramarine, sea green or deep blue could create a peaceful retreat. But black, red, crimson, burnt orange or hot pink could create a dramatic bold statement. Or a sophisticated elegant atmosphere could be created by using white on white, cream, coffee, beige, bluff or chocolate brown.

Tip: Some colours work better in a bedroom. Greens and blues are said to decrease the heart rate. Reds and oranges are said to stimulate and increase the heart rate.

Art Deco colours

• Chocolate brown

• Red

• Black

• Hot Pink

• Beige

• Coffee

• White on White

• Ultramarine

Walls, ceilings and woodwork were often smooth and sometimes glossy. Wallpapers were also popular. If you want drama and excitement in your scheme then wallpapers with bold geometric, Egyptian or Aztec motifs in vibrant colours would achieve this.

The wallpaper designs of the 1930's could create a sophisticated elegant look. The tea stained colours heighted with silver or gold would create a rich, smart interior space.

A truly feminine room could be created using one of the many Art Deco floral design wallpapers. Or a classic modern Art Deco look could be achieved by using geometric patterns in cubist like designs.

Wallpaper

• Stylised Flowers

• Stripes

• Geometric

• Egyptian motifs

• 1930's (tea stained colours highlighted with silver or gold)

Wallpaper Sources

Bradbury and Bradbury's Glasgow Panel

G.P. & J. Baker's Rose & Hummingbird

Step 5: Select the Furniture

The interiors of the Art Deco era housed furniture with straight (sometimes curved) clean lines. To create a classic modern room glass and chrome could be used. Lacquered furniture was also popular at this time so could be used to create an elegant sophisticated style.

Exotic timbers could be used to create bold statements and rooms with a sense of drama. Upholstery was often designed in geometric patterns, but plain fabrics were often used. Large tasseled cushions of varying shapes covered with sumptuous fabrics were popular. Using cushions in this manner would create a more informal look.

Tip: It is best to make the final choice on paint colour selections after the furniture has been selected

Furniture

• Chrome

• Glass

• Veneered exotic timbers

• Lacquered: Black, Scarlet, Pale yellow

Step 6: Select Art Deco Accessories

Ornaments were sparsely used during the Art Deco period. The classical minimal modern look was starting to have an impact at this time and influenced Art Deco design. The stepped profile is considered the shape of the Art Deco era. Abstracted fans, sunrise and Egyptian motifs were also popular.

Lamps with female figurers holding a ball are a well known icon of the Art Deco era. Also cushion were used in strongly coloured rooms, often black and red with red lacquer-work furniture and China pagoda lamps.

So what could you use to finish off your Art Deco room? Fan design table lamps or a girl with a ball lamp could be used with sleek lacquered furniture or with exotic timber or glass and chrome pieces.

A mirror in a fan or step design would work well with most furniture designs. Art Deco interiors rarely displayed paintings however murals were sometimes used. Ornaments in bronze and other metals of the female or animal form were in vogue at this time so could make a nice addition to your Art Deco bedroom.

Tip: One piece of Art Deco; a lamp, piece of furniture or wallpaper could be the starting point of your interior decorating scheme. Everything else selected should then relate to that object.

This article has illustrated there are three main themes you can use to create your bedroom in an Art Deco style.

You could create:

• A bold dramatic room with strong colours, bold geometric patterns and exotic timber furniture.

• Or secondly you could create a classic modern style using chrome and glass furniture, abstract patterns and muted or neutral colours with strong contrast.

• Or a luxurious sophisticated room could be created using lacquered furniture, subtle patterns and tea stained coloured wallpaper with silver or gold stripes.

That is not to say you can't mix some of the items from each style to create a really individual take on Art Deco. The important thing to remember when creating an Art Deco room; the motifs, patterns and designs are basically the same. I will be writing a series on Art Deco on my Sample Board Online blog http://blog.sampleboardonline.com I invite you to visit. It will be loaded with information and images.

Some Art Deco Sources

USA

Modern Gallery French & American Art Deco

Art Deco Collection

Art Deco Rugs

UK

Antique Suppliers and Reproduction Suppliers Directory

Rupert Cavendish Antiques

The Art Deco Home

Australia

Art Deco Online Store

Art Deco World

About the Author

Rosena works as an interior design, retail and visual merchandising tutor for Australian College QED. She I has also worked for the Retail Traders Association of Victoria as a Retail Trainer. Rosena has a Diploma in Interior Design, Post Graduate Diploma in Public and Community Health and is a qualified trainer. She also works as an interior design consultant, creates designer art work and is the Australian partner of Sample Board Online a new cool free interior design presentation tool.

Art Deco

Original Post: Living Rooms

Art Deco

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Accessorising Your Wood Floors

1. Wood Doors

Change the interior doors to matching wooden doors. There are a large variety of wooden doors now available especially oak doors. There is a full range of veneered oak doors, walnut doors, cherry, beech, pine, pitch pine and white doors – almost any colour to match any wooden floor.

Bespoke doors are also available however these are more costly due to the individual manufacturing processes. The doors can complement a wood floor perfectly and come in a variety of finishes. A large number of oak doors are unfinished when purchased so they can be sealed to match the floor with either an oil or varnish – they can even be colour oiled to blend with a similar colour oiled floor. Oils are the most common finish for doors however varnish / lacquer is adequate. The majority of doors are veneered hardwood for both conservation and stability however there are a small number of solid wood doors available.

Most doors have an identical style in half hour rated fire doors which will pass all building regulations where 30 minute fire doors are required. A new line of supermodel doors also contain glazed fire doors which enable more flexibility with style and design. External doors also come in various timbers – usually veneered again for stability due to the high exposure to cold, heat and moisture. A new front door is a perfect finish to the front of your house.

Wood doors range in style from Victorian style, 1930s style to the modern and contemporary – there is a door style to suit all tastes, colours and styles.

2. Skirting, Architrave and Door casings

The best way to complement a new wood door is to accessorise with the matching door frame, architrave and skirting. There is a large range of door casings, architraves and skirtings available to complement the wood flooring and doors you have chosen in many styles and timbers.

The most popular is the oak – there are both engineered and solid door casings. There is very little difference between the solid and engineered casings however joiners will often specify the types preferred or there will be a preference due to location (ie. In below ground applications) There are two types of door casings – rebated door casings and door linings which come with a loose stop. They are both suitable for all types of doors however where a fire rated door casing is required there are ready made door casings with the intumescent strip for the building regulations.

Architraves also come in both solid and engineered timber. Sizes vary from approx 45mm – 90mm or wider depending on the application. A standard size is usually around 57mm for most houses dating from 1900’s. The style of architrave varies and matches most skirting board profiles. It is also possible to have architrave blocks – small squares on the corners – an older design now becoming popular once again. Styles of architrave include original designs such as torus, ogee and lambs tongue, plus other more contemporary styles such as pencil round (bullnose), chamfered and square edged.

Architraves are available unfinished, prefinished with oil, lacquer / varnish or colour oiled to match the flooring or doors .

Skirtings can make your new floor look completely finished – they enhance the hardwood floors giving clean lines around the edges of the room – the floors look like they have been part of the home for some time. Once again, oak skirting is the most popular timber to blend with the oak floors.

Engineered and solid skirtings are available in numerous sizes. The engineered skirtings are veneered with a top layer of real wood and give the option of more types of timber such as walnut which is very rare in a solid skirting but more widely available in a veneer.

The standard sizes of skirtings range from 95mm to 220mm however the most popular ones are between 95 and 140mm. Often you will be guided by the size of skirting previously fitted as sockets and plaster will dictate the height. Styles of skirting match all the architrave styles – original designs like torus, ogee and lambs tongue along with contemporary designs such as square edge, bullnose (pencil round) and chamfered.

Skirtings are available unfinished, prefinished with oil, lacquer / varnish or colour oiled to match the flooring or doors. Oak skirtings have often been used to complement light coloured carpets as well as oak flooring to break up the room between light floors and light walls – this is often done in bedrooms where people often want the comfort of carpet but with a hint of wood.

Window boards in the same timber as your floor will brighten up any window and make them look like new – as with the skirting, doors and architrave – the most popular ones are oak. The window boards can come in the original bullnose edging or with a square edge for a contemporary look.

The sizes of the window boards are available between 100mm – 350mm in both a solid board or veneered oak MDF board. The window sills are available unfinished or prefinished in a lacquer / varnish, oil or colour oil to complement the room.

These boards can also be used as stair cladding to clad over an existing staircase. The bullnose is perfect for the tread of the stair and square edge can be used for the riser – no need to rout out the existing overhang as the stairs can be packed first for the cladding to go over. A perfect accompaniment for all wooden floors.

About the Author

Ruth Shann has been an expert in wood flooring installation and finishing since 1999.

Case Wood

Original Post: Living Rooms

Case Wood

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Ethnic Embroidery of Qiang – a Miracle in Chinese Folk Art (1)

Embroidery is one of traditional Chinese folk industrial arts styles, is an integral part in China's folk culture. Qiang's folk embroidery art is the image carrier of Qiang nation's culture, it is a direct and aesthetic symbolic performance of customs and lifeways of the minority nation with a long history.

Qiang people's folk embroidery art has passed down from generation to generation for its own traditional folk style, rich exotic moods and sophisticated artistry, which combines the practicality and beauty in one, is one of people's favorite articles used for decorating and beautifying the life.

When the new China founded, the Qiang people's folk art developed further, become more attractive and dazzling. In July 1959, embroidered waist belt created by Mrs. Wang Yuhua named "Happiness Ocean" from Wenchuan County in Sichuan province was sent to Chengtu city to attend the State Industrial Art Exhibition and won the first prize.

Containing simple and rich ancient rustic flavors and superb artistry, in 1978 Qiang people's folk costumes won lot of national academic reputations at home and abroad. At the end of same year, Japan's National Museum of Ethnology purchased the Qiang nation's folk apparel for collection.

In 1980, carpets produced by factories in Aba county were exported to the United States, Canada, India, Nepal, the Philippines and other countries, thus Qiang nation people's folk art won wide reputations and praises.

To the Ming and Qing Dynasties, embroidery has become very popular in the region of Qiang minority. Qiang nation's embroidery art has 16 kinds of embroidering stitches, there are pick embroidery, 'Nahua' embroidery, fine flower embroidery, chain clasp embroidery, emboss finish embroidery, jacquard embroidery, applique embroidery, crocheting embroidery and hand embroidery mainly.

Among them, the pick embroidery is the most favorite technique practices used by Qiang nation's women. The pick embroidery's images drawn from the reality life in nature, such as flowers, birds, fishes, animals, and so on, which are familiar in people's daily life. These natural beings full with rich biological spirits, through skillful pick embroidery processing, have been created into various colorful patterns and images, they mostly symbolizes people's blessings of auspicious fortunes, fine aspirations for bright future, such as "Bouquets of Flowers and Piles of Brocades ", "Harmony in Water and Fish", " Phoenix Flying in Peony."

Pick embroidery also called "cross embroidery", is a sort of embroidery technique which strictly in accordance with the fabric's latitude and longitude lines, through a set of tight embroidery stitches and bring out cross patterns in equidistance and same length, thus embroider out a variety of patterns of visual forms, which have regular, symmetrical, distinctive features. Through this method, images of all natural beings are formed of cross right angles and cross straight lines, and formed unique styles of geometric deformation, it's fancy and interesting.

Qiang minority nation's women mostly using cotton threads in their embroidering work, sometimes silk color threads applied too, the colors in which mainly are black and white in vivid contrast. Colors in embroidered image are commonly bright and varied to create clear, simple and generous visual effects.

Qiang nation's embroidery patterns are clean, exquisite, and contained rich implications. For example, the colors in flower design embroidery and fine flower embroidery are distinctive in great contrast, while flying belts' patterns have very strong decorative impressions, coupled with the embroidery techniques of chain clasp and so on, the Qiang people's wild, uninhibited but delicate characters were open out fully with rich connotations.

About the Author

I'd like to introduce and display an excellent selection of China fine art products and gifts - www.123giftfactory.com to you, also give you great suggestions about gift ideas and the latest fashion art trends in China.

Folk Art

Original Post: Living Rooms

Folk Art

How would I paint this design onto my walls?

I'm trying to redo my bedroom right now, and I have picked out the colors I want to be in the color scheme. I am a 14 year old girl, and I have picked out a victorian wallpaper style comforter that is black and white with deep pink sheets and pillows. I want to paint my walls a light pink, but I also want to paint a kind of border around my walls, I just don't know how. The border would be about 2/3 of the wall high, all around the entire room, and it would be a 3 inch white stripe with a 1inch black stripe on both sides. The thing is that I don't know how I would tape it off, because it would be 3 stripes, not just one. Any advice on how to do this? I have to know how before I can convince my parents. Thanks ♥

Paint the area white and then let it dry for a few days. Use 2 coats btw. Then use painters tape to section off the 1" area for the black stripes (the hard part). You can pull the tape taught to try to make a straight line but it helps to have the wall measured and marked. I try to mark the walls as little as possible (with a soft lead pencil that will wash off or can be erased carefully).

A good idea is to experiment (on thick paper/cardboard) and show them physically what you want to do - good practice too.

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How To Decorate In The Art Nouveau Style

People often get the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles muddled up. I did it myself when I was a student. The first thing to do is understand the patterns, colours and designs of each era. This article on Art Nouveau will detail the patterns, motifs, colours and influences of this era. A concise outline of the Art Nouveau movement will give you some knowledge to help you make informed decisions.

The Art Nouveau movement lasted for about thirty years until 1910. This was a style were natural forms were used for inspiration and used in an original way. The most popular Art Nouveau motif was peacock feathers. The hallmark of the style are the curved undulating lines known as whiplash lines, plant like forms and highly stylised curvilinear designs. The style is often described as sinuous, rhythmical and dream like.

Motifs and Patterns

• Floral motifs (often abstracted)
• Delicate female forms
• Peacocks
• Insect wings
• Bird feathers
• Shells
• Vines
• Flowers, (Poppy, wisteria, water lilies, Japanese lotus….)
• S curves
• Whiplash lines

Colours were muted and delicate. Natural vegetable dyes were used in wallpaper, chintzes and other materials. Art Nouveau is considered by many as primary a decorative style. The influence of Japanese print is also evident in the designs.

Colours

• Pastels
• White
• Off white
• Olive
• Mustard
• Sage
• Brown
• Lilac
• Gold
• Peacock blue

Wallpaper patterns

• Stylised long stemmed poppies and lilies
• Lancet shaped leaves
• Slender blooms

Stencils were also used. The Stencil Library at www.stencil-library.com is a great resource for Art Nouveau stencil patterns. They have a brilliant range from many historical eras. In 1904 Cowtan and Sons an English decorating company used flatten white or enameled white paint. This treatment was also used by Charles Rennie MacIntosh who created a number of white rooms.

Art Nouveau tiles

Pictorial tiles during Art Nouveau era were popular in Belgium and France. Illustrations by Czech artist Alphonse Mucha were used as the basis for the designs. This influence did not appear in England until 1920's and 1930's. The Art and Craft influence continued in the States.

However the use of plain tiles was also popular. Victor Horta in his own house in Brussels (now the Horta Museum) used plain white tiles on the walls and the ceiling in a brick like fashion.

Tube- lining was used to create motifs on plain tiles. The technique used similar to piping icing on a cake. The raised lines of the pattern give the tile a 3D appearance. Kenneth Clark Ceramics has a tube -lining tulip border tile available.

Tiles

• Pastel shades
• Plain tiles or individual tile designs set among plain tiles
• Patterned tiles were mainly used in a row at dado height or as a random insert
• Highly stylized abstracted floral tiles
• Art Nouveau style panels were used to create complete interiors in Europe
• Panels also on facades of buildings
• In America and England individual floral designs on individual tiles or arranged in small panels up to dado height.

The Rookwood Pottery in Cincinnati Ohio, Carter & Co and Poole Pottery in Dorset England, the Yorkshire Tile Company and Minton Hollins are some of the firms who have produced Art Nouveau tiles.

Decorative Items

One of the icon items of Art Nouveau era is the Tiffany lamp created by Louis Tiffany. He studied art and went on to set up the interior decorating firm of Louis Tiffany & Associated Artists in New York. The firm still decorated in the Victorian styles with Arts and Craft influences. In 1885 the main focus of the business was glass art work so a new name was created Tiffany Glass Company. Tiffany designed windows for American churches for example Trinity Church Boston. They also moved into designing art glass for homes, clubs and other corporations.

The ‘Four Seasons' glass panels establish an international reputation for Tiffany. His work was displayed in Bing's Art Nouveau shop in Paris. His work included landscape, floral and semi abstract designs. Vases, bowls, paper weights were design in iridescent colourful glass called Favrile, Cyprite, Cameo and Lava.

Tiffany lamps were made from metal bases with glass shades similar to stained glass and leadlight windows. Designs were natural forms, peacock feathers and insect wings. Some of the names of Tiffany's work include ‘Trumpet Creeper' lead glass and bronze table lamp and his ‘Peacock' and ‘Cockatoo' glass panels, an electric light with a coloured shade called ‘Dragon Fly'

Art Nouveau had an impact on silver ware, pewter, painting, sculpture posters, advertising and ceramics design. When looking for decorative items remember to select items with beautiful flowing lines and curved forms.

Eco Friendly Way

Interior decorating in older styles can be a very eco friendly way to decorate. Visiting second hand shops, antique deals, garage sales and looking online can be a great way to find your Art Nouveau treasures. The most important thing is to have a clear idea of what you want, what you want to spend before you start looking. I recently saw some tiles from this era for sale on eBay at a very reasonable price.

Flooring

Parquetry was often used in the Art Nouveau era. However Horta used mosaic tiles in swirling S curved patterns on the floor of his Tassel house. Linoleum was also popular. The trendy colours in matting in early 20th century were natural, white, olive and light brown

The Axminister loom was invented in USA in 1876. Brinton in England developed the Gripper version in 1890. These inventions allowed large carpets to be made in unlimited colours. Floral designs became the hallmark of British designers. Owen Jones' book the ‘Dictionary of Ornament' 1856 and Christopher Dresser's ‘Principles of Design' in 1879 continued to influence design. As did William Morris' designs in particular the acanthus leaves and poppies design.

The Main Features of the Art Nouveau Style

• Muted delicate colours
• Flowing curved lines
• Natural forms
• Tiffany lamps
• Glassware
• Pewter
• Silver ware
• Peacock feathers
• Stained glass panels
• Furniture with curving lines and rounded forms
• Upholstery in Art Nouveau themes
• Smooth plain tiles
• Stenciled walls and ceilings
• Ironwork
• Electric lighting

Unfortunately Art Nouveau has been a most misunderstood style and is often dismissed as a decorative side line. Yet the original work of architects Hector Guimard in France and Victor Horta in Belgium is easy to recognise. Many of Victor Horta's buildings are now on the World Heritage list. In Vienna Josef Hoffman developed the ‘Vienna Secession' movement influenced yet different from Art Nouveau. This style was less curvaceous more rectilinear and straight lined in its forms. Charles Rennie MacIntosh, in Scotland, Antionia Gaudi in Spain and Louis Sullivan and Tiffany in the US each developed and expressed a form of Art Nouveau. There was a revival of Art Nouveau in the 1960's and exhibitions of the style continue to inspire new generations.

About the Author

Rosena works as an interior design, retail and visual merchandising tutor for Australian College QED. She I has also worked for the Retail Traders Association of Victoria as a Retail Trainer. Rosena has a Diploma in Interior Design, Post Graduate Diploma in Public and Community Health and is a qualified trainer. She also works as an interior design consultant, creates designer art work and is the Australian partner of Sample Board Online a new cool free interior design presentation tool.

Victorian Wallpaper Border

Original Post: Living Rooms

Victorian Wallpaper Border

How do you make hand made hand painted bumper stickers that you yourself make? Not with some website?

I want to make some bumper stickers that are hand painted and self made to give to my friends for christmas as stocking stuffers.

You can buy sheets of material that you can run through you printer that makes stickers. Look for them at an office supply store. Or you could buy blank printer lables too.

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Did You Wash Your Hands With Hand Soap Today?

"Hand washing today is about more than just cleanliness. People want to prevent the spread of germs," points out Hadrian Miguel, licensed esthetician at DHC USA's headquarters in San Francisco, California. "DHC Hand Soap meets this challenge and then some. Its instant lather washes away dirt and reduces bacteria to sanitize hands. And thanks to conditioning collagen, sorbitol, and glycerin, it won't strip or dry out skin."

Let's talk soap.

1.Why not just stick with store-bought body wash?

Many people like using body washes for the moisturizing properties and special fragrances that they offer, but handcrafted soaps (both liquid and solid bars) offer the same options plus more.

It's pure luxury when you can bathe with a creamy, thick, beautifully scented lather from a soap that's been handcrafted especially for (or by) you.

Also, many people today are concerned about the ingredients. If you make them, you can choose what goes into the formulations, including the addition of beneficial botanicals, exotic oils and butters.

What is a common mistake with soap making?

When making either soap or candles, safety must come first. You need to know your ingredients, how they will interact with each other and with you. We need to learn all we can about our ingredients and the procedures before starting our first project.

2. What are the Latest Trends?

Right now the focus is on going back to basics. Go green. Go as natural as you can. Sure we like to use color and fragrances, but many are now using as many natural ingredients as possible.

3. How to Use Liquid Hand Soap Most Economically

Most liquid hand soap manufacturers are counting on the fact that you will use them in the same way that you would use a bar of soap - that you will wet your hands first thing and then squirt on the soap. This usually results in a large portion of the soap going down the drain without effect. Here is a better way.

First Step: Turn on the tap, but don't wet your hands.

Second: Squirt the soap onto your dry hands and rub your hands together, rather like you were using hand creme. Focus on the finger tips to get rid of dirt underneath it.

Finally, when the soap is evenly distributed over your entire hand, put your hands under the water and wash up.

You will find that this method both cleans your hands better, plus saves on the cost of soap. Place a rubber O ring halfway down the pump mechinism (below the spout, above the screw cap). The pumps are designed to deliver excess soap, the O ring will make the pump stop sooner, but you still have a sufficient quantity for proper cleaning.

4. One of the best soap products - Organic Foaming Hand Soap

Organic Foaming Hand Soap is ideal for washing hands but can also be used to clean dishes in a pinch and in many other applications.  It is great for cleaning up after pets leave their mark on carpets and also great on camping trips and on boats.  It cleans people and everything else in sight effectively with minimal water use.

The soap is made from renewable vegetable and botanical sources including organic saponified coconut and Castile olive oil, pure essential oils, aloe and rosemary extract.  Offered in Lemongrass Zen and Lavender Ecstasy, it has a pleasant scent, a remarkably soft vegetable oil soap feel and is extraordinarily mild and hypoallergenic.  It is completely natural and is free of artificial colors, fragrances, preservatives, and animal by-products and is not tested on animals. 

“The soap contains only pure essential oils that provide aromatherapy benefits for the mind and kill germs on the skin", says Vermont Soap founder and President Larry Plesent.  As an organic castile liquid soap based product, the organic foaming hand soap is guaranteed to be free of the synthetic ingredients found in mass-marketed foamers,” adds Plesent

5. Contact Lens Hand Soap

Contact lens hand soap is a necessity if you wear contact lenses,  when you have get the soap,  you should get some idea anout how to properly use the soap.

It is very important that you wash your hands properly with the contact lens hand soap. Serious eye infections can occur when you take your contacts out and put them in if you do not have really clean hands.

The best contact lens hand soap to use is liquid soap. Apply the liquid contact lens hand soap while your hands are dry. Spread the soap on your hands and rub it in well. Be sure to get the contact lens hand soap under your fingernails too. There are all kinds of germs that live under your fingernails and the contact lens hand soap will help kill those germs.

Rinse your hands with running water and do a very thorough job. Dry your hands on clean paper towels or unperfumed, plain tissues. You can use a lint-free towel you have washed yourself but do not share a towel with anyone else. This will negate the effect of the contact lens hand soap.

If you follow these procedures your experience with contact lens hand soap will be safe and sanitary.

Now, you have get some useful methods and good ideas about how to use hand soap, the next step is to buy a hand soap you favorite, I'd like to suggest you to check online for some good deals, lots of sites offer great prices for hand soaps, such as http://www.made-in-china.com/products-search/hot-china-products/Hand_Soap.html

About the Author

I'd like to introduce and display an excellent selection of China fine art products and gifts - www.123giftfactory.com to you, also give you great suggestions about gift ideas and the latest fashion art trends in China.

Hand Made

Original Post: Living Rooms

Hand Made

Black marks on the wall behind clocks and pictures?

When we were moving out of our last house (built in 1994), I noticed black marks behind picture frames and clocks that had been hanging on the walls for a few years. These dark marks were the perfect outline of the items, and they would not scrub off. They were not scratches or scuff marks, and they were not dust or dirt. It was the strangest thing.

That's usually the result of smoking in the house. Stop smoking and you will stop having this problem.

Another way this can happen is if you use one of those ionic air machines. They deposit crud on the wall nearest them.

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Dress That Naked Wall: Top Ten Decorative Wall Accents

We all have it. That bare spot. It feels vulnerable, almost naked. It simply must be covered to make a room complete, but with what?

You’ve picked the furniture, the carpets, even the window treatments – but what to do with that glaring, empty wall space?

Here’s my list of the Top Ten Decorative Wall Accents:

1. Hand-touched Giclee Print on Canvas – OK, it’s not an original artwork, but it looks pretty darn close and is much more affordable. With the quality of giclee reproduction coupled with the texture of canvas and the added texture provided by hand-embellished oil paint, only you and your wallet will know the difference. With gallery-wrapped options, no frame is needed, and say goodbye to the glare you get from glass-encased prints.

2. Memo or Chalkboard – Make that accent functional as well as decorative. For busy families on the go, a message board is an indispensable way to remember those little errands. Choices include magnetic chalkboards with unique magnets, ornate wood or decorative metal framed corkboards with funky pushpins, or memo boards coupled with art prints.

3. Decorative Ironwork – A unique wall hanging, it will not compete with colors, patterns and textures in the room like a painting might. Iron finishes can range from rustic and antique to shiny and new, depending on how you want to complement the rest of the elements in the room.

4. Uniquely Framed or Antique Glass Mirror – I love the look of smoky antiqued styles, they are mirrors without being mirrors, if you know what I mean. They add reflected light and help to visually enlarge a room.

5. Candle Sconce – Add a little romantic light and instant ambiance without paying an electrician to rewire. Wrap cascading bead garland around the base of your candle to really dress it up.

6. Wall Planter – You don’t need a green thumb to bring a “natural†feel to a room. Some realistic faux trailing ivy or a bunch of artificial hydrangea flowers will do wonders, and only you will know the truth.

7. Shadow Box Displays – Show off a few prized possessions or treasured mementos to personalize your décor. Use your imagination, and the possibilities are endless. And you can’t be any more unique – your art will be one of a kind.

8. Reproduction Antique Clock – Make a timely statement with an interesting and functional wall clock. Styles reminiscent of vintage establishments and cities around the world suggest they were plucked off the wall of a century-old café.

9. Coat & Hat Hooks – Face it, coats never make it into the closet when you first get home, so cut to the chase and hang some great hooks so you can at least get them off the backs of your chairs.

10. Photograph Collection – My personal favorite, and a guaranteed show stopper. Who can resist stopping to gaze at your best shots? For a really impactful display, unify the group with one consistent element, such as similar frames, the same color mats, the same size or all black and white images.

Each situation is different, so take note of what you already have and how big an area you have to work with while you consider the suggestions above. Although some options are obviously not suited to some rooms, try to visualize the space with one or more accents and run with your favorite choice.

Don’t just leave that empty wall hanging! Dress it stylishly and you will give your room the finished look it deserves, and yourself an elegantly decorated room you can be proud of.

About the Author

Kimberly Lawn is the founder of GreatRoomsDecor.com - a retailer specializing in distinctive bath vanities, furniture, wall art and accessories for the home and garden.

Black Wall Clock

Original Post: Living Rooms

Black Wall Clock

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Indian Handlooms

'Indian Handlooms', a term that spells exquisity, ebullience and enunciate a multifarious equip of excogitating designs, both ethnic and modernistic. Providing livelihood to 90 million people, the level of artistry and intricacy achieved by Indian handloom fabrics is unparalleled and beyond the scope of modern machinery, preserving its heritage and culture.

With a long tradition of excellence in its craftsmanship, Indian handloom is said to have dated back to the ancient ages. The earliest Indian fragment of cloth (before the Christian era) with a hansa (swan) design was excavated from a site near Cairo. Later excavations from Harappan sites revealed a scrap of coarse madder dyed cloth and a terracotta spindle whorls which evidenced their expertise over handlooms, Indian handlooms, to be more specific.

The turning point of Indian handlooms and its weavers is said to be India’s independence i.e. 15th of august, 1947. The Charkha acted as a symbol of national regeneration, as propagated by Mahatma Gandhi, and the focus on the weavers of Indian handlooms during the Indian freedom movement was largely responsible for the breakthrough. And at the dawn of independence, Indian handloom industry became the largest cottage industry of the country, a point of recognition which is still maintained.

Indian handlooms cater to the needs of a diverse cultural ethos ranging from exquisite fabrics to popular items of mass production for daily use. A village without a weaver is a myth in the Indian scenario; millions of looms across the country are busy producing the traditional beauty of a precious heritage called Indian handlooms.

Undoubtedly cotton gave the splendid weavers of Indian handloom their resplendent expression but silk and woolen cloths also originated during the pre-Vedic era, endemic to India. In the world of handlooms there are muslin of Chanderi, silk brocades of Varanasi, the ikats from Andhra and Orissa, the tie and dye from Rajasthan and Gujrat, the phulkari and khes of Punjab, jacquards from Uttar Pradesh, the phenek, tongam and bottle designs from Assam and Manipur, and lots more. Indian handloom continues to be craft oriented, even though it was circumscribed by a limited choice of processing and technology.

The Indian handloom industry mainly exports fabrics, bed spreads and covers, quilts, shams, pillow covers, curtains, towels, table linen, cushions and pads, tapestries and upholsteries, carpets, etc, the whole lot needed in making a house a home.Looking back, the story of the Indian handlooms in the last fifty years is one of patient nurturing of an industry which touches upon the livelihood of millions of Indians.

Little efforts were given to develop the Indian handloom sector during the first half of the present industry. The handloom weavers were pitted against modern textile mills. Their ingenuity and skill contributed to their success in preserving the long tradition of excellence of Indian handlooms.And in today's date Indian handlooms are going global in a big way and have found support in the designer community. "Handlooms represent not just an industry but the cultural heritage of India. It needs to chart out a road map for itself. Designers can play a major role in promoting handlooms. However, so far we have not been able to utilize our own resources to cope up with the changing lifestyles and aspirations.

The handloom industry and the fashion designers should work in coordination to initiate yet another 'swadeshi' movement," Rathi Vinay Jha said at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week held in the capital recently. A rich and resilient media of ethnic expression, Indian handloom is given is due respect by the government too.

National awards are given every year to master weavers in recognition of their excellence and contribution. An expression which deserves to be respected and preserved, Indian handlooms has been subsumed into the national and ethnic design vocabularies of the world.

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About the Author

This article belongs to IndianHandicrafts.co.in, a store house of handloom bedspreads, quilts, curtains, cushion covers, madhubani paintings, patchwork bedcovers, terracotta products, silk scarves, fashion jewellery, handmade paper products, jute bags, all hand crafted by Indian artisans.

Cushion Cover Sham

Original Post: Living Rooms

Cushion Cover Sham

Whether you are building a new home, remodeling your current home or fixing up a home to flip, you will eventually have to decide what type of carpet will be best for your circumstance. There are several options along wit several price ranges so it is a good idea to educate yourself a bit before trooping off to the floor covering store to make your investment.

You must first consider and decide on the primary color option and how much quality your budget will allow. After you have decided on the two big choices, quality and color, you can then begin to relax and enjoy the experience of shopping for your new carpet.

Probably the most important factor in you carpet quality choice is going to be the cost because, like the old saying goes, you get what you pay for and this definitely applies to carpet purchases. The highest quality materials with the longest wear and easiest maintenance are going to be the most expensive to buy but the least expensive to own over the years.

The carpets with the lesser quality materials and construction will be cheaper to purchase initially but will be more difficult to maintain and will have to be completely replaced sooner. They will be more expensive to maintain because they will be more likely to not resist stains well and will not stand up to vigorous cleaning like the higher quality carpets.

You will usually find it easier when beginning your carpet color selection to move toward your final decision slowly by starting with the most basic color options first and gradually making your way through the color spectrum toward a tone that suits you best.

Begin you color selection by looking at the room you will be installing the carpet in. If the room walls are dark you will want to choose a lighter shade of carpet. If the walls in the room are light, go with a darker shade for your floor. Once you have decided on whether to go with light or dark carpet you then just need to start working your way slowly through the color spectrum to find the perfect hue for the room.

Take your time and find the exact color of new carpet for your home that makes you happy. Do yourself a favor and spend some time making sure you understand the differences in qualities of carpets so you can be happy with this decision as well. With just a little effort you will be able to find the perfect balance in your carpet choice for your situation.

Original Post: Living Rooms

How to Choose the Perfect Carpet for Your Home

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Wall Stickers & other cost effective Room Makeover Ideas

When deciding upon a room makeover for your kid's room, the first consideration will be the age of the child. Is it a newborn baby's room you are decorating, or has your toddler grown out of his or her baby room, and you're looking to makeover the bedroom to be more suitable. Plan what you want to do and then research options that will best suit you.

Start by having a clear out. Give away any old toys, clothes, books, or any items that are no longer used by your child. This will create a great deal of space. The less clutter in a kid's room the better. Chances are they will use their valued items a lot more.

For those who want to theme walls or create a mural, wall stickers are a great alternative. wall stickers are a quick, easy and cost effective method of transforming walls from dull to dramatic. There are a range of themes available on the market which will help complete a specific theme. From Princess to Pirates, the chances are you will find wall stickers to match. Most vinyl stickers are simple to use.  

FunToSee wall stickers are great as they are kiss-cut, without any white borders so they truly look like a painted on wall mural. WallCandy and Decofun also have a wide selection of wall stickers to choose from.

Organise the room. Look at what you have in the room and establish what furniture you may need to accommodate this. Do you have a chest of draws that is over-flowing? Perhaps you can take some seasonal items out and store them in a plastic box under the bed. Plasticstorage.co.uk has a great range of plastic storage boxes starting from £1.50. These are also great for storing toys and books. To jazz up furniture and toy boxes add wall stickers to the boxes. Many of them are cleanly removable so they won't damage the furniture.

Is the bedroom small? Loft beds are a great way of creating space under the bed, which can be used for a desk or bookshelf. Some of them even come with sofa-bed for sleepovers. Kiddiebeds.co.uk has a great range of loft beds. Themed and Funky bedding can brighten up a room instantly, so even a plain painted room can come to life with bright bedding. Kidzdenz.co.uk offers a unique range of kids bedding.

Another important factor to consider in your kids room makeover is the flooring. Does your kid's room have carpet? Carpets can get stained quite easily. Parquet or hard wood flooring is best to keep a kid's floor neat and tidy. As most carpets contain dust mites, this may affect children with allergies. If you like the sensation of having a carpet then a consider having a rug which can be washed frequently.

Before starting, take into consideration your budget. How much do you want to spend? Kids' room makeovers don't have to be too expensive if you shop around online, but most important of all get your kid involved and have fun!

About the Author

Here the author shares certain tips on how you can get your kid's room makeovers done with colourful wall stickers. And give their wall mural a whole new fresh look.

Vinyl Wall Sticker

Original Post: Living Rooms

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War in Iraq, George W. Bush

Accomplished? On May 1, President Bush triumphantly proclaimed the end of combat operations, and he did it with a theatrical flourish.  Attired in a Navy flight suit, the former Air National Guard trainee (Bush had actually cut short his flight training to participate in a political campaign) landed ceremoniously on the deck of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln off San Diego.  Bush emerged from the plane under a banner stretched across the carrier's super structure. "Mission Accomplished" the banner exulted. "We have difficult work to do in Iraq," the president said. "Parts of that country remain dangerous...The War on Terror continues." But, he went on, "In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed."

But a growing opposition thought otherwise.  Rumsfeld had assured Bush that the war could be fought on the cheap.  Once the productive Iraqi oil fields were up and running, they would more defray the costs of the war and the occupation.  (As of spring 2008, Iraqi oil production was still below prewar output.)  A streamlined military force brandishing high-tech equipment would be all that was needed.  American forces could be reduced and hand off the job to Iraqis.

When Lieutenant General Eric Shinseki, the Army chief of staff, told Congress that "something in the order of several hundred thousand" military personnel would be needed, Rumsfeld was outraged.  The Army's top officer was hounded into retirement.  The Pentagon leadership pointedly refused to attend the customary retirement ceremony.

And Americans were dying.  Bremer and the CPA, mostly made up of young and inexperienced recent college graduates but with impeccable political credentials, holed up in the heavily fortified and protected area of Baghdad, the Green Zone.

Beyond, chaos and danger reigned.  Snipers picked off individual soldiers.  Roads were sown with mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which were designed to blow up and destroy the unprotected undercarriage of military vehicles when they passed over.  Personnel carriers were only lightly armored, another money-saving policy.  Besides, heavy armor was unnecessary, it was thought, with Iraq conquered and the population friendly.  Troops took to fashioning their own armor from scrap metal or persuaded families back home to provide it to them.

The Bombing of a Shrine. When Baghdad fell, Saddam Hussein was nowhere to be found.  As the coalition rounded up other former government leaders on their "Most Wanted" list, the supreme leader's whereabouts remained a mystery.  Then, seven months after his statue fell in December 2003, a disheveled and filthy Hussein was discovered cowering in a tiny subterranean dugout -- a "spider hole," his captors called it -- near his birthplace of Tikrit.  The all-powerful dictator who once had thirty-seven palaces was living in a few cubic feet underneath a mud hut.  Bush immediately went on television to trumpet his capture, "I say to the Iraqi people, 'You will not have to live in fear of Saddam ever again.'"  But elsewhere, there was little to crow about.

Even the commander of U.S. ground forces acknowledged that a "low-key, guerrilla-type war" was underway.  Suicide bombers blew themselves up in marketplaces, city squares, offices, buses, and crowded streets, often taking as many as 100 fellow Iraqis with them.  In one horrifying instance, 140 Shiites enjoying a Shia festival were blown up.  Terrorist explosives reduced to rubble one of the most treasured shrines of Shia Islam, the Golden Mosque of Samarra with its gleaming dome, setting off a countrywide wave of violence between Sunnis and Shiites.  Trying to quell the rising insurgency that was morphing into a civil war.  U.S. troops fought pitched battles with Shiite militia in the teeming Sadr City district of Baghdad.  A month later, they were fighting Sunni insurgents for the city of Falluja.

Misled by the Iraq National Congress's belief that Iraqis were united by their hatred of Hussein, American leaders had vastly underestimated the long standing enmity between the rival Muslim factions.  Meanwhile Bremer had undertaken to exterminate root and branch all vestiges of Hussein rule.  He outlawed Hussein's Baath party and barred all members from the government payroll, even low-level clerks and drivers who had joined the party simply to protect their jobs.  "DeBaathification" eliminated much of the trained bureaucracy and brought normal government function to a standstill so that even mailing a letter became difficult.

Another Bremer edict disbanded the Iraqi army.  Four hundred thousand angry trained soldiers were suddenly turned onto the streets with no jobs or income, to demonstrate or bitterly join the insurgency-where, at least, they would be fed. 

The army was the only organization that could bring any kind of order to the country and perhaps stop the widespread looting, Bremer's predecessor, an appalled General Garner noted.  "You can get rid of an army in a day, Jerry," he told Bremer.  "It takes years to build one."  (Bremer was to claim afterward that he didn't disband the army; it had simply "dissolved." And he said he took his action only after consulting the Pentagon.)

Despite these setbacks and growing antiwar sentiment, Bush was elected for a second term in 2004 and promised to prosecute the war until "victory."  After the election, Powell went to the White House and submitted his resignation.  He had, he insisted, always intended to serve only one term.  Bush made no effort to keep him.

"We had a good and fulsome discussion," Powell said in a press briefing afterward.  "We came to the mutual agreement that it would be appropriate for me to leave at this time."  Washington interpreted that as diplomatic double speak for "We aired our disagreements in loud and angry voices."

Where are those WMDs? The bits of broken crockery that the "Pottery Barn Rule" had predicted continued to accumulate.  David Kay, named to head a diligent search to find those hidden weapons of mass destruction, failed to turn up a single specimen after two years of looking.  Nor could he uncover any evidence of any advanced plans to develop them.  The best he could document were a few vials of anthrax powder kept in scientists' home refrigerators as souvenirs after the first Gulf War.

The aluminum tubes said to be designed for enriching and weaponizing uranium were actually for use in unforbidden short-range missiles.  The deal to buy yellow-cake uranium from the African nation of Niger, mentioned by Bush in his State of the Union address, was a hoax.  No evidence could be found of supposed meetings in Prague between Al Qaeda operatives and Iraqi diplomats.

Then came the revelation -- with graphic, almost stomach-turning photos -- that American soldiers had mistreated and tortured prisoners in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison.  The Congressional cry to take the troops out grew to a roar.  Democratic candidates swept the House and Senate in the 2006 elections.  With Bush's popularity sinking to the low 20s in the polls, other Republicans stumbled over each other in haste to distance themselves from the president.  Rumsfeld was finally fired, and the Iraq Study Group, an elite panel of Washington wisemen co-chaired by former Secretary of State James Baker, normally a Bush acolyte, deemed the Iraq situation "grave and deteriorating."

Instead of withdrawing troops, however, a defiant Bush increased them.  The "surge" of 30,000 reinforcements announced in 2007 was supposedly to allow the shaky, Shiite-controlled Iraqi government time and cover to solve contentious issues--such as sharing oil revenue and regional autonomy--and to train a viable army.

"As they stand up, we will stand down," Bush repeated, almost like a mantra.  In the new army's first test of standing up, Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Maliki ordered an attack on Shiite militias in the port city of Basra.  More than 1,000 recruits deserted or fled the battlefield and had to be rescued by U.S. troops and airpower, with a ceasefire brokered by Iran.

Meanwhile, the country that Bush still insisted was the front fine in the "war on terror" lay in shambles, along with the lives of twenty-five million citizens.  Except for the Kurdish-held north and the "Green Zone" headquarters of the coalition, no part of the embattled nation could be considered secure.  (Later, in the spring of 2008, incessant rocket attacks shattered the supposed safety of the Green Zone.)  Cities cleared of resistance by coalition offensives frequently fen back into chaos when the troops moved on.  Historic Baghdad, the fabled city of flying carpets and Arabian Nights, was a nightmare of suicide bombing, IEDS, and ruins, with one million impoverished residents in 'Sadr City,' a Shiite enclave and a law unto itself.

More than one and a half million Iraqis, by official estimate, had fled, most of them huddled in squalid quarters in the unwelcoming cities of neighboring Jordan and Syria.  Another estimated two million were displaced within the country, fleeing wrecked homes to crowd in with relatives or live in makeshift tent villages.  Much of the educated population of what had once been the most developed country in the Middle East had decamped, including 12,000 of the country's 34,000 physicians.  Living conditions for those remaining were abysmal. Whole neighborhoods were without adequate sewage or water.

In July 2007, U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker told Congress that most Iraqi cities had electricity only one to two hours a day.  On the fifth anniversary of the war, the nation's electric grid was still producing less than 5,000 daily megawatts of power, less than when the war started.  Iraqis faced a scorching summer when  11,000 megawatts would be the daily minimum.  In oil-rich Iraq, oil to power generating plants was in short supply.  The bulk of it was being shipped abroad, the Iraqi government's only source of revenue.  And an estimated 35 percent of the population was unemployed.  

The repeatedly fought-over city of Falluja, west of Baghdad, was a classic example of the war's devastation.  Once a thriving city of 450,000, its surviving population was estimated in 2007 at fewer than 50,000.  Eighty percent of the buildings had been damaged in the fighting; half of them were completely destroyed.  Half of the homes were gone.  Those that remained were largely without water, electricity, or sewage.  There were no operating schools.  Buildings had been stripped by looters, including floor tiles and window frames.  Once Falluja had been known as "the city of mosques," with more than 200 glittering temples of worship.  Only 60 remained intact.

The estimates of "collateral damage"-the Pentagon euphemism for civilian and noncombatant casualties-varied wildly.  In 2007, the Iraqi Ministry of Health gave a low figure of 151,000 Iraqis killed from war-related causes between February 2003 and June 2006.  A survey published in the British medical journal Lancet estimated 600,000 "excess" deaths-those above the normal attrition of population-for the period 2003-2006.  An Opinion Research Bureau report estimated the war had caused 946,000 to 1,033,000 violent deaths.  In one survey, researchers asked individual Iraqis if they had a civilian relative or friend who had been a war casualty.  Eighty percent of those interviewed said yes.

One unlamented casualty was Hussein.  After a tumultuous trial marked by raucous shouting at the judges of the special tribunal, the onetime strong man was unceremoniously hanged for 'crimes against humanity' on December 30, 2006.  Reactions predictably ranged from cheering to anger.  And yet the fighting went on.  And on.

In December 2005, Bush at last admitted that some intelligence on which the war had been fought was "wrong."  But so what?  Bush insisted that the war was worthwhile and the decision to bring down Hussein was "the right thing to do."  He would have made the same decision even if he had known more.  Powell, the obedient soldier, kept silent while writing his memoirs and giving motivational speeches.  But in 2007, he finally apologized for the United Nations speech.  "The intelligence I was given turned out to be inaccurate," he told Barbara Walters.  "That will always remain a blot on my record."

The Historic Record. In 1971, Henry Kissinger asked Chinese foreign minister Zhou En-lai the historical impact of the French Revolution of 1789.  "Too soon to tell," En-lai responded.

In the lame duck months of Bush's presidency, in the midst of an election campaign, and with his popularity ratings cratering, by En-lai's reckoning, it is at least 200 years too soon to assess Bush's impact on history, and especially the Iraq invasion.

But writers, historians, politicians, office-seekers, and the world are trying already to size up the eight Bush years.  Some contend that Bush is simply "an amiable dunce" (as Clark Clifford dubbed Ronald Reagan), readily manipulated by Vice President Cheney, former Secretary Rumsfeld, and his political Svengali Karl Rove.  They say Bush is a president out of the loop, whose priorities were cutting brush on his ranch in Crawford, Texas, and getting a good night's sleep.  Many Europeans share that view and believe Bush has destroyed the world's trust in the United States--trust that will take decades to rebuild.  Others regard the Bush administration as visionary-the first to recognize an impending "clash of civilizations," and begin to prepare America for it.  And meanwhile, to fight a preemptive war before the terrorist enemy got stronger.

How will the decision to invade Iraq be judged 50, 100, 200 years from now?  How will Bush's record be written in the twenty-third century?  Where is Zhou En-lai when we need him?

The above is an excerpt from the book Failures Of The Presidents: From The Whiskey Rebellion And War Of 1812 To The Bay Of Pigs And War In Iraq
by Thomas J. Craughwell with M. William Phelps
Published by Publisher;  September 2008;$19.95US/$21.95CAN; 978-1-59233-299-1
Copyright © 2008 Author

Author Bio
Thomas J. Craughwell is the author of several books, most recently How the Barbarian Invasions Shaped the Modern World (Fair Winds Press, 2008) and Stealing Lincoln's Body (Harvard University Press, 2007). He has written articles on history, religion, politics, and popular culture for the Wall Street Journal, American Spectator, and U.S. News & World Report. He lives in Bethel, Connecticut.

Journalist, lecturer, and  historian M. William Phelps is the author of eleven books, including his most recent, Nathan Hale: The Life and Death of America’s First Spy (Thomas Dunne Books, 2008). He lives in Vernon, Connecticut.

About the Author

Please visit http://writtenvoices.com/titlepage.asp?ISBN=1592332994 for more information about Failures of the Presidents.

Plant Bush

Original Post: Living Rooms

Plant Bush

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Art Nouveau Design Styles And Interiors

The Art Nouveau design style made its appearance during the last ten years of the nineteenth century. At the time Victorian design and decoration was truly excessive, and people were secretly looking for something with perhaps a little less "clutter".

Art Nouveau design was born out of that desire to simplify things.

There was a general movement towards making rooms lighter and altogether less cluttered. This was reflected in the newly popular, paler paint colors for walls that were in strong contrast to the previously fashionable, darker shades and were seen as fresh and airy by comparison.

To provide interest, a paper or painted frieze might have been added at the ceiling line and borders above the skirting/base board were not unusual. Architectural embellishments were few. Dados diminished in popularity, but a picture rail or plate rack at approximately eye level might have been featured. Pilasters and paneling were also sometimes applied, especially if they could be employed to emphasize the vertical. Wallpapers, mostly depicting botanical themes, continued to be favored, particularly now that their cost was much reduced as a result of machine-manufacture.

Plain window and door glazing now gave way to more decorative treatments. Stained glass featuring geometric patterns or representations of botanical subjects was popular.

The latter part of the nineteenth century saw a decline in the fashion for large area rugs. These were often removed in favor of wood floors, both board and parquet, which were frequently covered with faded oriental carpets.

Art Nouveau Furniture

Plush curtain treatments and deeply buttoned upholstery were eschewed by the followers of the New Art. In their stead simpler furnishings were in evidence.

Attention was directed to the windows themselves rather than to how they were dressed. Pelmets, if they were used, were now flat and of simple design, otherwise lengths of fabric would be simply gathered and suspended from a plain wooden pole. With the emphasis on vertical lines, the curtains were frequently full length and rarely caught in a tie-back.

Furniture designs were pared down to a more basic form and were usually constructed from oak or satin-wood for a lighter look than the traditional mahogany. These items would have a simple wax finish and the grain was much in evidence. Cutouts, often in the form of a heart, inlaid work and simple carving were the principal embellishments to be seen.

Other items of art nouveau furniture, in the Mackintosh manner, were highly stylized, and chairs with their exaggerated ladder-backs were often painted black.

Lighting And Accessories

Probably the first item that springs to mind when Art Nouveau is mentioned is the Tiffany lamp. Its skilled American creator, L. C. Tiffany, who also designed whole houses (appropriately enough, for someone whose middle name was Comfort), produced some of the loveliest colored and leaded glass lamps to be seen. Although electricity became available during this period (to those who could afford it), in general the appearance of light fittings varied little from those fittings previously designed for gas.

Far fewer accessories were displayed, the emphasis being on objects made from silver, copper, ceramic, glass, bronze and pewter.
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Wallpaper Cutouts

Original Post: Living Rooms

Wallpaper Cutouts

A while ago, I ended up buying my first home. It was a pretty good commode, not fairly large, but with just substantial space for myself and sometimes a friend. The major thing is that it had a nasty flaw. The owners before got the house in the 70's, and renovated it, then left it like that. It's probably me but the decorations of that time period was not my style. The colors were bad and shiny and the carpet was hideous. I couldn't imagine who would like a carpet like that. There's much labor to be done.

Wallpaper was removed, paint was applied and things began to take shape. When it got to be time to start getting the old carpet out and replacing it with something more my style, I had to locate attractive, yet affordable floor covering. I decided to start in the entry and the kitchen because that's the first place guests would see. Still, I knew I had to keep the cost down, since eventually I would have to replace it throughout my whole house.

I didn't have the budget for hardwood, but the laminate selection they had was fairly wide and I there were several options that fit well with my cabinets and countertops. (Those, fortunately enough, were not bright orange or anything else particularly hideous so I haven't needed to replace them.) I ended up selecting a laminate that looked like cherry that looks excellent in the entryway.

The laminate prices at national floors direct were similar to prices that I had found at other stores I had priced. The prices that they offered were not the cheapest or the most expensive, but the range between these was not very large. Another factor in my decision to purchase from them was the fact that they didn't charge extra for installation on stairs between my entry and kitchen, and they also moved the majority of my large furniture for installation.

I was very pleased with the job national floors direct did, and several months later I actually ended up buying carpet from them for the living areas and bedrooms as well. It was a different installation crew for the carpeting, but like the first the installers were very professional, and I'm quite happy with the job they did as well as the new look of my house.

When it came time to remodel my home, National Floors Direct was one of the major service provider in flooring that I took a look at. My budget was not large enough to afford a hardwood floor. However, I found several of the laminate options went quite well with my cabinets and counter tops. Their prices were not the cheapest, or the most expensive. After the installation of my affordable floor covering, I was so pleased with the work they did that I returned to their store for living room and bedroom carpets too.

Original Post: Living Rooms

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