Round Mirrors - Classy, Distinctive and Fun

Today I am happy to feature another guest spot from Arcadian Home Decor about using round mirrors:

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Decorating with mirrors can be a fun experience simply because it creates more light and space in a room. Round mirrors are strong statement pieces that last long and can easily be moved from one room to another.

A round mirror, unlike the oval and rectangular counterparts, is perfectly circular in shape.  The wonderful thing about them is that they come in a variety of sizes and can be used in so many different ways. The ‘look and feel’ of the mirror will add to any decorating theme you have in hand.

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Sunburst mirrors, for example, are round mirrors surrounded by beautiful sunburst designs. These make great accents for apartments or homes going for the vintage look. If the frame is made of bronze or iron, consider placing these mirrors in a garden or deck setting. It would make a lovely addition to carefully tended flowers or garden landscapes. A round mirror can give a smaller, more intimate view of a room even when it is large because of its shape. This should be a consideration when using them to enhance room space. The convex properties give an illusion of length as opposed to width.

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Round wall mirrors have the additional flexibility of either being directly hung onto a wall or mounted jutting out of a wall. This makes them perfect shaving or make up mirrors in bathrooms because they will not take up space on your dresser drawer.

Try contrasting decorative round wall mirrors with other mirror shapes in sitting or living rooms as an accent piece. Stairwells in particular look lovely. Think pretty or classic frames, mosaic or wood. Be adventurous and go for frameless mirrors. In any case, they will definitely liven up a dull or dark area of your home. Smaller round mirrors are perfect for this type of use.

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If you like to go big and bold, splashy round mirrors for walls with eye catching frames will do as much for a room as a piece of good art. Kitchens are often ignored when it comes to mirror decorating but placing a large round mirror near a marble or wooden island, skylight or pot and pan display may just be that something new you are looking for.  Use it as a way to showcase your collection of herbs and spices. If you love to cook, it will help you look for that sage or rosemary that somehow always ends up at the back of the spice rack.

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Reassess your home and try looking at it with new eyes. Take all the furniture out of the room you want to redecorate and put the round wall mirror in first. Be fearless and move it around for the best effect!

A round mirror can also be a classy gift for a wedding or a birthday. If you have cash to burn, this can be a great heirloom for your future daughter in law, as well as a great piece of furniture. Sterling silver round mirrors are great gifts for romantically inclined young women. Add a vanity mirror and silver brush to the kit and you have given her something to treasure for her whole life.

Content provided by Arcadian Home Decor, a site that specializes in top quality home decor items at extremely affordable prices. Come visit us today!

Arcadian Home Decor is the best source for home decor accessories at discount prices. Founded in 2002, Arcadian Home originally started selling decorative home lighting fixtures and lamps online, and has become one of the top Internet retailers for home lighting products.

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Thank you Arcadian Home Decor! I am loving that third photo!  The mirrors look whimsical, like bubbles.  Round mirrors are so unique; I definitely need to bring them into more of my designs.

Have a great weekend!

The Perennial Past: Going Vintage

Today, I'm doing something that I rarely do and recommend an Etsy site to you. Etsy is full of "shops" featuring great handmade and vintage items.  I think vintage always plays a nice accent in every home.  It's that "something old" that usually sparks great conversations with guests.

My sister, among the other amazing things she is doing, has started an Etsy shop featuring many vintage clothing and household items she has collected over the years or finds in her daily travels.

 My sister's shop is called The Perennial Past.  I love taking a look at the things she sells.  I never know when I might find that perfect vintage item for a clients house or some clothing for myself!

 You should also stop by the accompanying blog where she describes the items she posts in detail, giving them some history.  Take a look and enjoy shopping her site and check back often to see what new vintage things she find.  Her shop link will be added soon to my advertisers so you can easily link to it from here.

 Images from The Perennial Past

Weekend Color

My favorite time to look at the color of nature is in right after a storm.  Everything has been freshly washed and the light is filtered through gray clouds, the darkened sky lending a nice canvas to the colors on the ground.  I grabbed my camera this weekend to capture a few colors that stood out to me:

 

The palest pink of a flowering plum tree

 

The bright purple and yellow of potted pansies

The zesty orange of fresh picked oranges

The contrast of green ivy on red brick

The white begonias in their green bed of leaves

A freshly washed terracotta pot

I hope you are having a great Monday!  I'm looking forward to meeting with new clients this week.

Photos by Rebecca Ward

Tenderly, The Flower Chair

The Chair as an intimate journey,from the nucleus of the home toward far-off destinations.

Like a light, free flying carpet.

A heart, a leaf, a flower, opening up majestic to let you in.

Carnal, yet bizarrely infantile, sumptuous but rested and secret.
A wonderful charm: the excitement of velvet, a flicker of silk, to relive in the colours of the mosaic, amidst chromatic phrasing, that disperses glare, then collects together sudden lights.

Where sentiment joints amazement and art does not appear at the end to times, but rather at their origin, in a mosaic.

~Sicis

Sicis, an Italian company known for their mosaics, has, with the help of Carla Tomoleo developed a branch of their company called Sicis Next Art which is a creation of art of the future. As you can see this chair, called Tenderly, is just a sample of the incredible and whimsical peices they have in furniture as art.

It looks pretty comfortable to me!

Happy Friday!

Images from Sicis

Trendy Renovations

Today I'm happy to bring you guest bloggers Christina Johnson & Mia Kelly who have written a very informative article about Trendy Renovations and what's happening in the remodel industry. Enjoy!

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Contractors and homeowners are busy setting their sights on the top renovation trends for the next decade, hoping these trends will spark positive movements in real estate markets. Many of the renovation trends popular in the early 2000s are simply out of date and frankly a bit uninspired. The exterior trends need light to moderate alterations such as a fresh coat of paint in a bright new color, yet a lot of home interiors require major overhauls as kitchens and bathrooms begin to look outdated and worn.  Geographical location is important too, a trend may be just beginning in the New York real estate market area, but in the California market it could be old news.

In the last ten years, kitchen cabinets were defined by natural wood and colored melamine. Yet, the new trends in kitchen styles are not following these basic patterns anymore.

Fisher & Paykel

 Drawers: Cabinet doors are being changed for drawers that contain everything from clothes to washers and dryers! Manufacturers are designing their appliances to fit into drawers. Refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers and warming drawers will all be contained within space saving drawers. Renovations for the next decade place a high premium on saving space but also minimalism. These space saving drawers are wonderful ways to keep your busy life organized without sacrificing the aesthetic of your home.

Colors: Many modern style followers are enamored with glossy colors. Bright reds, greens, and aqua blues are the cutting edge colors for the brave and style conscious. Others still will continue to enjoy the sophisticated dark, warm, and natural colors characteristic of 2010.

Silestone

Silestone

Countertops: Granite and marble are being replaced by composite countertops. They possess the look and feel of natural stone without the worry of damage. Composite countertops are made of Zodiaq and Silestone and mixed with a synthetic bonding material. These mixed material countertops are more durable and heat-resistance than granite and come in a variety of colors.

Image from businessweek.com

Bathroom Styles

The size of bathrooms has doubled as compared to the last 10 years. This is because bathrooms are not simply bathrooms anymore. They have become multi-room, multi-purpose spa rooms, and luxury shower spaces. Tile is still the floor material of choice and can be seen on the walls and even ceilings of these luxury bathrooms.

Soaker tubs, a Japanese innovation, are large enough to stretch your legs out and high enough to completely submerge your body into the water. Other gadgets like hot air bubblers, massage your body more evenly than traditional spa tub.  The shower has split into two areas. The first area is large and glass with seats and many showerheads. The second area is an enclosed cabinet with a full steam bath. Ad to this equation a flat screen television, iPod player, and color therapy lighting and the shower doubles as a home entertainment theater.

Image from theluxehome.com

Decks

Contractors are designing decks larger and more functional. This new style deck is layered platforms that include an outdoor ecosystem complete with plants, trees, and even outdoor jacuzzis. Building decks that double as outdoor living spaces, complete with barbecue grills, fire pits, and full furniture is a new trend that is becoming increasingly popular.

Image from infotube.net

In-Law Suites

As the baby boomer generation takes on more responsibility with children and parents, In-Law suites recognize the multi-generational living situations of many families. In-Law suites are convenient solutions for long term living arrangements necessitated by the baby boomer generations’ growing care responsibilities toward their children and parents. These suites will range anywhere from 1 to 3 bedrooms often time with full bathrooms.

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Thank you Christina and Mia! 

Christina Johnson is a grad student pursuing a masters in journalism and an avid writer in her free time.  She is particularly interested in real estate, politics, and green efforts.  Her co-writer Mia Kelly works in the real estate field and also in her spare time writes articles on up-and-coming trends in home renovations easy DIY tips.