Decorating

Decorating The Elementary Age Child
It goes without saying that most people want to give their children the best of everything. And at times like this when the economy is flush, with more working people having more expendable income than we've seen in a few decades, many parents are taking every opportunity to bestow upon the their little ones all the attributes of the good life. From private schools to new clothes to flat-screen digital TVs, spending on children has exploded in huge ways in the last few years. Pair that with interior design and decorating being industries whose fates are intimately linked to the ups and downs of the economy, and it only adds up that decorating for kids is currently all the rage.
Whereas once upon a time it was considered going all out to have a matching football-themed bedspread and curtains in a child's room, now entire sets of sheets, duvets, curtains, rugs and even wall hangings all featuring the same Powerpuff Girls or N'Sync motif can be acquired for a song at places like Kmart and Bradlees. And any respectable wallpaper outlet will have not just a few, but a vast selection of kid-themed patterns, as well as the all-important matching borders. (FYI, wallpaper borders are now a very big deal in the kids' decorating world.)
But with so many options now available, it can be hard to know just how far to go with it all. Or even where to begin, for that matter. It's always an option to go out and get all-matching everything and cover every surface of the room with all one theme, be it flowers, gorillas, The Little Mermaid, or Mack trucks. But all but the most die-hard matching maniacs out there, including the child who's obsessed with whatever it is, will most likely find such an environment more than a little overwhelming.
The best strategy to use when you're about to begin decorating a child's room, just like when you're designing any other space, is to keep in mind what the room will be used for first and foremost–then get into what it will look like. Ask questions like these: How many kids will be sleeping there? If it's just one, do you expect that he or she will have to share sometime in the next few years? Will the bedroom be his or her main space for play as well as sleep, or will there be a separate play area? Is he really into arts and crafts, which would mean the floor and work surfaces should be easy to clean up? Is she likely to get very tall and need a double bed? All these questions are much more important than whether to paint the walls powder, shell or rose pink. Not that color isn't important, for it most definitely is. But function should be your first consideration.
That having been said, let's take a look at the usual basic elements of a child's room:
a bed with a good mattress bedside table with a lamp desk with a chair and lamp for homework surface for art and play (can be the floor) a mirror places to store hanging and folded clothes storage for books, toys and games Bedrooms A bed with a mattress that provides good support is extremely important. Kids' bones are still growing and solidifying at a fast rate, and spending long sleeping hours in bad positions can lead to or exacerbate serious posture problems. Different cultures have different ideas what constitutes support and what constitutes torture–sleeping on a Japanese futon (the kind you find in Japan, not our cushy American version) feels like sleeping on pavement to your average westerner, but many Japanese find our much softer beds overly indulgent and worry about their backs. It's all a matter of preference, but most doctors around the world agree that too soft is a big no-no. Use your best judgement, and keep in mind that in the world of mattresses, you usually get what you pay for. Skimping on a cheap mattress for your child now just might cost you more in medical bills later.
A bedside lamp is also important, if only because it's really nice to be able to turn on a light without getting out of bed–especially if you're afraid of the dark, which most children are at one point or another. It's also nice to have a close light for reading bedtime stories, and a table underneath it is handy for a glass of water, a nightlight, or any favorite books.
And just like it's good for you to have a home office area if you ever work at home, it's a good for a child to have her own place to do her homework–a place that's just for study, with ample light for reading and writing and a comfortable chair that provides good back support. Sure, homework can be done at the kitchen table, and often is. But providing a place that is just for study, separate from the rest of the house and in the child's own space, is a good way to convey the message to him that homework is something that should be taken seriously and consciously made a priority.
If the room is also the child's primary play area, you'll want to keep this in mind when considering the flooring. Granted, children have played on bare wood floors for centuries with no problem. But something softer like cork, or soft rubber tiles that come in bright colors just for kids (available at many carpet and tile stores) will hurt a bit less when they fall and will go easier on their knees when they're kneeling. While it's far from necessary, it's something to consider. And if the child loves to make a mess, rubber flooring is an even better idea, since it easily wipes clean.
And speaking of wiping clean, a popular trend right now is to cover the lower half of one wall with blackboard paint (available at most paint and hardware stores) so the children can draw with abandon–and it also saves paper. If something so permanent doesn't appeal to you, a real blackboard hung on the wall or propped on an easel will serve the same purpose.
For apartments in New Jersey go to Raritan Crossing. They are pet friendly apartments and New Brunswick NJ apartments. Rentals near Metropark and apartments in Middlesex county. For apartments in central NJ this is the place for you.

Splash Up Your Walls with Pops of Color

Splash Up Your Walls with Pops of Color
By Columnist Kathy Peterson - KathyPeterson.com
Decorating a rental space can always be challenging especially for an apartment tenant or college student looking to dress up their living space temporarily. But here’s a unique way to add your own personal touch to any interior design. Let’s say you want to add a splash of color to your walls but your landlord or college dorm rules won’t let you paint the walls. So how do you put a creative spin on your own decorative style with little mess or effort? Well when I discovered a fool proof product that sparked my creative juices I knew I had to share it with you.
It’s a unique innovation that makes wall-decorating a breeze. These flexible vinyl peel-and-stick wall art can be easily removed and re-arranged at your leisure without a trace of residue or messy clean-up.
WallPops are offered in a variety of solid colors to work with, such as Lello Yellow, Electric Blue or Purple Perk. Different prints, from Island Fusion to Go Retro, add animation and design to any WallPops creation. The décor is available in 13”- round Dots, 13”- square Blox, or continuous Stripes that measure 6 ½” wide and 16’ long. Take it one step further and cut the vinyl into any size or shape to devise a truly customized design.
I love the fool-proof versatility of the product, particularly for those with an ever-evolving style. Jazz up a dull dorm room, alter your décor to suit the season, or let a child’s room morph as they age with this conformable wall décor. If you want to change your design, just peel off and start over; WallPops are washable, re-usable and leave no residue behind.
Let your imagination be your guide as you explore endless combinations and arrangements to contrive a unique look. Try layering Dots in a few different shades around one another to create a flower effect; you could also outline a door or window with the continuous Stripes variation to serve as a funky frame.
To decorate an entire wall space, create a checkerboard pattern of alternating Blox. Stick with one funky print, such as the Island Fusion floral pattern or the Lots of Dots polka-dot print, and intersperse it with splashes of complementary solid colors. Or mix, match and layer the different shapes and colors if you are looking for a retro style that is all your own.
Look no further than the new WallPops Web site, www.wall-pops.com, to begin brainstorming your very own masterpiece. The fun, interactive site offers a create-a-design feature, as well as innovative examples and helpful tips. Enjoy!
For apartments in New Jersey go to Raritan Crossing. They are pet friendly apartments and New Brunswick NJ apartments. Rentals near Metropark and apartments in Middlesex county. For apartments in central NJ this is the place for you

Decorating Baby's RoomDecorating The Nursery

Decorating Baby's RoomDecorating The Nursery
In recent years as the economy has boomed, a certain sector of the retail industry has enjoyed a remarkable explosion: products for babies and kids. In days of old, the prevailing attitude most people had toward clothing and furniture for their kids was one of economy–after all, kids outgrow everything in a just a couple of years. But nowadays it's more common for parents to go all out for everything. All the very latest fashions for their little one, right down to the label on their jeans, and the indulgence doesn't stop with outfits. The home decorating sector for kids has had a boom as well. For many families, hand-me-downs are a thing of the past.
There's now an absolutely vast selection of not just the usual wallpaper and bed linens aimed at the little people, but serious furniture–club chairs and ottomans, sofas–scaled down to kid sizes; things that they used to have to grow into are now being made just for them. Some say it's great: kids are finally being catered to on their own terms, even in the furniture world. Some others say the trend only encourages people to spend more money on things they don't need.
For apartments in New Jersey go to Raritan Crossing. They are pet friendly apartments and New Brunswick NJ apartments. Rentals near Metropark and apartments in Middlesex county. For apartments in central NJ this is the place for you.

Apartment Safety

Displaying and Storing Photographs
Enjoying and Displaying Photos around the Home
© Susan Whelan
May 4, 2008

There are many ways to display photos without increasing clutter. Take the time to display and enjoy some favourite family memories.
Whether digital or film, photos are a great way to remember holidays, special family moments and other events and activities. Unfortunately, most photos end up either hidden away in boxes or photo albums or stored on a computer hard drive rarely, if ever, to be seen again.
Using Photo Albums or Photo Boxes
With large numbers of photos, a photo album or photo box is the most practical way to store and organise photos. Make sure that albums have acid-free pages to increase the longevity of the prints. Avoid storing albums in areas of high heat, damp or humidity.
Choose an album that has room for comments so that a date and a brief explanation of the people, place and/or event in the photos can be recorded. If using film photos, don’t make the mistake of putting all the photos from each film roll into the album just because they have been printed. Remove any that are out of focus and choose the best photo to display if there are multiples of a particular shot.
Photo boxes are great for those who want to minimise fuss with photos. Available at most department or discount stores, these boxes can store standard sized photos. Make sure that a date is written on the back of each photo. Many boxes have divider cards included and this is a good way to provide some order. Group chronologically or by event or location.
Keep a photo album or photo box on the coffee table so that family and guests can browse. Change the album regularly so that all photos can be viewed and shared.
Scrapbook to Record Special Memories
Scrapbooking is a popular hobby that allows people to create collages and display pages for photos.
Scrapbooking albums can easily take up as much room as a standard photo album, but only use a small number of photos. Scrapbooking pages aim to record the personality of an individual or group of people and the significance of a moment or event as much as simply being a way of displaying snapshots.
There are numerous scrapbooking how to books or computer programs to assist beginner scrapbookers. Scrapbooks make great coffee table books or gifts for special occasions. Photos can also be scrapbooked into framed pages or calendars for display.
Photo Frames
Frames are an easy way to display photos about the home, but they can result in clutter that distracts from the actual photo. Try to purchase frames with simple designs to reduce the appearance of clutter. Purchasing multiple frames in a similar style but different sizes will also help to keep collections of photo frames looking tidy.
Digital photo frames are a fantastic way of displaying a large number of photos without creating a messy, untidy home. Photos can be loaded onto the frame or a memory card and will cycle through to display each photo in turn in a continuous cycle. Frames can be purchased for as little as $60, which is significantly less than buying individual frames for each of the photos that need to be displayed.
Digital photo keyrings are also available and these make wonderful Christmas or birthday gifts as well as being ideal for Mothers’ Day or Fathers’ Day gifts.
Print Photos on Household Items
Many print and copy businesses as well as websites such as cafepress.com have facilities for printing photos onto T-shirts, coffee mugs, mouse mats, calendars and a variety of other household items. Family or holiday photos also make great computer screensavers or desktop images.
For apartments in New Jersey go to Raritan Crossing. They are pet friendly apartments and New Brunswick NJ apartments. Rentals near Metropark and apartments in Middlesex county. For apartments in central NJ this is the place for you.

Using Room Dividers in a Studio Apartment

Using Room Dividers in a Studio Apartment From Jennifer Lai,
Studio-living is a unique experience. It offers the convenience of walking from one living space to another by simply moving around one or two rooms. Such easy access can, of course, be both a blessing and a headache.
On one hand, tidying up and putting items away becomes a quick chore. And preparing a snack during your favorite television program is easily accomplished.
On the other hand, living out of one or two rooms can be mentally distracting. How common is it to experience the urge to check email while lying in bed, simply because the desk is in plain view? I'm sure it's very common. Then there are disturbances, such as the pile of dirty dishes in the sink, that worm their way into your thought process while working on an important document, simple because the dishes are in plain sight (or smell).
These distractions are the bane of studio living (aside from the small space). But they can be minimized, and one of the best ways to do this is to seperate the spaces visually with room dividers.
I suggest starting off with the bedroom or the office, since these are two areas where mental distractions are the most unwanted.
The cheapest way to divide a room up is by arranging the furniture in a way that creates distinct spaces. Using rugs in addition to this helps create visual focal points.
If your studio is oddly shaped, and you are left with little choice in furniture placement, don't worry. This is where room dividers come in. The three most common room dividers are:
Curtains. You can buy curtain panels or a piece of cloth and clip-on curtain rings. Then hang the curtain from a rod that attaches to the ceiling. Sheer fabric is recommended for small spaces, since it will allow light to filter through. For your bed, you can even create a canopy.
Bookcases. Backless, free-standing bookcase that look pleasing from both sides make excellent room dividers. And they have the added benefit of acting as storage. Place the bookcase between two of your living spaces and place objects that look please from both sides on the shelves.
Folding screens. Folding screens are a good choice, because they are flexible and versatile. You can easily move them around and play with the furniture arrangement. Plus they don't take up much space.
For apartments in New Jersey go to Raritan Crossing. They are pet friendly apartments and New Brunswick NJ apartments. Rentals near Metropark and apartments in Middlesex county. For apartments in central NJ this is the place for you.