Welcome to Amish Furniture Home’s Fourth Blog Carnival! We have collected posts from around the web that focus on updating one room of your home. With these simple steps, you could make over a room in a weekend! For this post we chose a guest room, but these steps could easily be applied to almost any room! If you choose to follow these steps, email us photos of your redesign and your design could be featured on our blog!

If you’d like to see one of your posts appear in next month’s Carnival, email us at marketing@amishtables.com or message us on Twitter. Remember, each article can be found by clicking the blue title before each summary.

Happy Re-Designing!

Ok, you have decided you are finally going to tackle that “catch-all” room. But where do you start? Blogger Janell Beals gives our readers some tips in this post.  In order to go through this too, we have picked an inspiration room, revealed next.

Here it is! This is the inspiration for the guest room, courtesy of Noir Blanc Interiors‘ Beach House Decor Blog!  You will see the photo of this guest room at the beginning of this post.  We love the relaxed colors and a little touch of the seaside. It is still summer after all!  We chose this as our inspiration room, because with some simple additions and a little planning, we felt this could be an easily attainable room for you our readers!

We love ceilings and like Barbara Miller we feel that they all too often get forgotten. We think her interesting paper technique could be a good addition to the guest room design we are working towards. If this is too daunting another idea would be to use a slightly darker shade on the ceiling, like a lovely warm gray!

How To: No Sew Faux Roman Shade

Working through our guest room re-design, we wanted to find a quick and easy curtain that we could make.  We found this great “How To” post from the blog High Heeled Foot in the Door. Of course making curtains yourself allows you the freedom to pick fabrics and colors that work with your scheme.  If you need more privacy, you could always add sheers behind the curtains or make them longer!

What bed is complete without some throw pillows? This handy “How To” from Fresh Nest Design is another perfect way to tie your scheme together, especially if you are also making your own Faux Roman Shade!  Instead of the rosettes, you could also use ribbon, buttons, or nothing at all depending on the type of fabric you are using.  If you don’t have time to do anything else, this is a great way to freshen up any room.  Think of new pillows on your sofa, instant pops of fresh color!

Now What? Hopefully this Carnival has inspired you to to bring life to an un-inspired room in your home; you have a decent arsenal of tools to get this job done in one weekend. But what next?

It is time to start pulling your design together, piece by piece.  In our strategy, we would purchase all our items to make sure we can get the complete look we are hoping for. Then comes the time to pick your weekend, prep, paint and reassemble the room! You can tackle the DIY projects in between paint coats or you could do them ahead of time, so there is less to do over the weekend.

We have pulled together a style guide (complete with shopping resources) based on the featured room inspiration. Its a little different, but we think the feel is similar. What do you think?

Style Guide – Resources

1) Monogrammed Sheets: Restoration Hardware

2) Duvet Cover: Potterybarn

3) Shell Print: Etsy

4) Vintage Shell Print: Etsy

5) Fossil Lamp: West Elm

6) Plain Tin Slate Wool Rug: Dash & Albert

7) Royal Master Sealight Floor Lamp: Restoration Hardware

Linen: Home Fabrics & Rugs

Watching professional interior decorators at work on TV or in real life is so inspirational and motivating.  These geniuses take a “blah” space and transform it into a “wow” within the span of days.  While that level of proficiency at interior decorating may take years to acquire, you can start your stylistic journey today by following a couple of simple rules.

These four rules of interior decoration will help you reinvent your living space and bring some style into your domicile.  While style and interior design are highly subjective, there are just some things that you should or shouldn’t do.  If you’re looking to spice things up inside but don’t want to commit any design faux pas, then you need to check out these easy to follow tips:

Source: Isabella & Max Rooms

1) Plan and Measure

A lot of people fall in love with a piece of furniture and figure they can just “make it work” in their living space. This is a big no-no!  We all know how people in clothes that don’t fit them look; that could be your living room.  Measure your room and make sure that large pieces fit properly.  Having something too big and placing it at weird angles will rob you of usable space and make your room look off.  Small pieces have the opposite effect, in that they make the room feel empty.  If you just end up buying more small pieces to fill the space, you will end up with a cluttered and thrown together room.

2) Use a Rug

Rugs come in a variety of shapes, colors and styles, so there is always one that is perfect for your room’s new look.  Rugs pull a room together and connect the individual elements.  Make sure the rug is tucked under the front of a piece of furniture like a chair, sofa or table.  Your rug needs to be physically and stylistically connected to the entire room.  Colour Me Happy has a great post on selecting the perfect rug for your space, check that out here.

3) Limit Collectibles

You’re going to want to cut down on the amount of collectibles you display.  Every one has their favorite knick-knack that they can’t get enough of, but too much of a good thing is bad.  Select your favorite piece or two and use them as accents or a focal piece on your mantel.  This highlights your collection, without cluttering the whole space with the entire deal.  The same goes for family heirlooms.  One or two is great but too many will hijack your room.

4) Function Over Fashion

At all costs make sure that your space is functional and above all comfortable.  There is nothing worse than a “perfectly decorated” room that can’t ever be used by people.  You’re not creating a Macy’s window display, you’re trying to make your living space lively and more livable.  Express your fashion sense and individuality but never at the expense of comfort and usability.  Sit in all of the chairs, try out the beds, use the towels and whatever else you have to do to fully test for comfort.  You, as well as your guests, will love it even more when the space you have created can actually be used.

Follow these simple rules and a well designed room is within your reach!  It’s a long road, but good style and design is a journey, not a destination.  Have fun, be yourself and try new things to find your unique look and style!

Everything in your home has some sort of pattern or texture and is a color. The chances are high that you selected your custom Amish built furniture’s specifications based on what you liked about the color of the stain and the grain or pattern of the wood. These elements play together to give each piece, and then eventually each room, its overall appearance.

If you didn’t consider these elements when decorating your home, perhaps now is the time to take a moment to learn how important textures and colors are in building the environment you wish to live in. The impact of pattern, texture and color is enormous and can be used to play up a room’s best features, but when incorrectly used,they can accent a room’s flaws. Used skillfully, you can use these elements to fool the eye of the beholder.

Textures & Patterns

Color use is an easier skill to acquire than the knowledge of patterns and texture usage. A simple tip is the size of the pattern should match the size of the room. If you’re looking to be bold, mix patterns to add interest to your design. Textures can also create the perceived desire to touch and create a whole new dimension in your room.

The textures we choose also affect our perceptions of the color in the theme. Different textures reflect light differently and cause us to perceive color to be varying in shades because of light and shadows. It can actually add a new depth to your color scheme.

Color

Room Size

You can make a room appear bigger or smaller than it is by using proper color techniques. In the case of a small apartment, educating oneself on the tricks of color can help you to feel as if you have more space. Color is the most cost effective decorating tool in your bag of tricks. Color is associated with moods and can literally affect you psychologically. Remember that darker colors create warmth and coziness while light colors promote a breezier and open space.

Get Cozy

In a large room color can actually draw the room in, creating a cozier setting. A ceiling painted only a shade lighter than its walls and floor coverings creates the illusion of a much higher ceiling. To draw in a disproportionately high ceiling simply bring the ceiling’s color down to the picture level. This trick lengthens the walls and appears to bring the ceiling closer.

Decorate Boldly

Everything you do can be corrected or changed, so it is alright to be brave. However, keep in mind that your room is the backdrop for the things you love, such as your Amish solid wood heirloom designs. The colors and patterns should never overshadow the furniture or important collections in the home.

Amish Hickory furniture in the Log cabin themed home is as much about a lifestyle as a design style. The creation of this interior design may be the simplest and most economical interior design for you to capture because of its use of found natural items as decoration and the use of quality investment pieces from the Amish. Using organic furniture and natural elements as accessory tools you will achieve the native and outdoor feeling of the Log Cabin lifestyle; a lifestyle that showcases the beauty and functionality of native hardwoods.

The Amish create furniture for your rustic Log Cabin style dwelling from red or white oak, walnut & cherry accentuated by the deciduous hickory tree. Like the Amish community, the Cabin home hosts an atmosphere of simplicity, hospitality and gracious living. The Log Cabin interior is a home that demands when you walk inside the door you slow down and relax. It is a home that friends and family love to gather in, spinning memories as they gather round an Amish crafted red oak and hickory pub table and bar stools.

Mixing antiques throughout your cabin home helps bring personality while the Amish rustic furniture brings character. Use heirlooms from the past alongside your new Amish heirloom furniture. Worn, painted pieces blended with the high quality Amish Log Cabin hickory bring a storyline to your room. Birch bark picture frames highlighting your family gatherings sitting atop a chest made of walnut with hickory twig accents say more than you can about the life you lead.

The bounty of nature is captured by Amish woodworkers in the hand made solid wood creations for the Log Cabin lifestyle. The use of comfortable accessories such as quilts, denim pillows, flannel throw blankets and leather upholstery make the room wrap around and hug you in its atmosphere. From fireplace to candle light, the Log Cabin longs for the warming glow of either. Adding elements like fishing poles, hiking boots and fishing creels take the guest on a journey far from the every day. River rocks, wildlife depictions, wrought iron chandeliers, and found items that depict the wilderness you love are essential for the creation of your own personal camp.

Where and How to Hang Your Wall Art – Part 2

Just like Amish furniture your Amish quilt is meant to be an heirloom that lasts generations if properly cared for. In order to ensure the value of your tapestry quilt will be maintained there are a few simple tips. Select a focal point in your home, perhaps above an Amish crafted couch or buffet. An Amish quilt hung on a wall makes an excellent and colorful headboard choice. Remember, select a spot that will not receive too much sunlight, in order to prevent fading.

No Amish textile should ever be hung with rings because of the weight being unevenly distributed. Much like an old shower curtain, rings can cause sags, creases and tears. Carpet tack strips should never be used because the very sharp edges cut the fibers and eventually rust. Adhesives should never be used when mounting textiles because of future conservation issues with the glue. Metal rods or any metal coming in contact with your Amish quilt should be sealed to prevent rusting. Wood bases or strips should also be painted if they are to touch the textile because of acid deterioration when touching the fabric. Everything touching the textile should be made of acid-free materials.

A very cost effective and simple display option, if you are handy with a needle and thread, is to stitch on casings. These casings made of heavy cotton, linen, or even cotton twill rug binding can be hand sewn across the top of the back and a metal rod slightly shorter than the width of the Amish quilt can then be inserted in the casing. You can hang from two slightly angled nails or two screws in the wall or alternately, the quilt can be suspended from the ceiling via its rod hanging from above with monofilaments. Favored by many museum conservators, a strip of Velcro is hand-sewn to the top back of the textile and the fabric is simply pressed into place. Stitching will not damage and in fact, by distributing the weight evenly across the width of the piece, the casing-and-rod or Velcro methods are the gentlest ways of hanging a quilt. Rigid mountings can be accomplished by mounting on stretchers and even framed. For smaller pieces fabric-covered archival quality foam core board makes an excellent base for your Amish lap quilt or baby quilt.

Now that you have it prepared for hanging it is important to know how to hang. Finding the studs is important for support, especially with heavy quilts. If you are suspending from monofilament, find the ceiling supports. Your tapestry should be a small distance from the wall to help prevent mildew from building up on your wall hanging. Summers humidity, even in air conditioning, can cause mold and weaken fibers, so use preventative measures with quilts just as you would to protect your Amish hardwood furniture.

                                          
You’ve spent months selecting the perfect solid hardwood baby crib by Amish craftsmen. You’re comforted in knowing you’ve bought the best for your newborn. This heirloom quality investment will last your child through many years, as it converts to their first big kid’s day bed, then later a single bed with designer head and footboards.

Whether the crib was an Amish traditional or contemporary design the crib mattress deserves to be given careful consideration, especially as the child grows and your Amish baby bed converts. Youngsters in their early development spend the majority of their days and nights lying in or playing in their baby crib. Since most crib mattresses are used for at least 2-4 years, growing bones need the best support you can afford.

The most common types of crib mattresses sold today are foam and innerspring. While a good quality foam mattress will last as long and give as much support as an innerspring crib mattress, the tie breaker is quality. Buy the best your budget can afford whether foam or innerspring.Today’s technology has developed a high grade of foam for mattresses. Foam’s resiliency is important and your mattress regaining its original shape quickly after weight is removed is essential. The next quality standard in selecting your child’s foundation is firmness and weight. With foam baby beds weight means density and the denser the better.

When considering any mattress the layers, and quality of layers, matter. The innerspring layer and the insulator pad layer and not the number of springs or coils is what makes the difference. The mattress border rods, or frame, are very important since they provide the edge support, where most children tend to stand and even bounce. A good mattress for your Amish crib should have a lower gauge of steel because it adds thickness. A good guide to buying an innerspring is:

150 coils. 

13.5 gauge carbon tempered steel coils.

 9.0 gauge steel border rods. 

A baby mattress should be covered in an easy to clean vinyl cover that is hospital grade and double or triple lamination. Remember to read the mattress label for specifications of the components. Better quality bedding will also include a warranty even if limited. Since you are buying a hand crafted heirloom from Amish craftsmen, buy a mattress that matches your valuable investment.

Every homeowner or apartment dweller should have a basic toolkit that has everything they need to make simple home repairs and perform general decorating tasks. Your decorating toolkit should be centrally located in the living room or kitchen area where you can easily access it. The contents should be well organized in a toolbox, plastic container, basket, or large drawer so that you can easily access everything in it quickly. However, make sure to put all of your tools away immediately after you use them so that they always stay organized and available for whatever decorating needs you might have.

A tape measure of at least 25 feet will come in handy for most of your decorating needs. You might need to measure a room for carpeting, furniture placement, wallpapering, or curtains.

A high quality level is a must-have tool for the home, but make sure to buy one that is accurate. It’s a good idea to get a shorter level for hanging pictures and a longer one for bigger jobs like painting or building.

Every toolkit needs the basic hardware pieces, such as screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, hammer, utility knife, wire cutters, nails, and screws. You can buy a basic handheld kit that has all these items in one handy case.

For your painting projects, make sure to have painter’s tape, a tub of spackle, putty knives of varying sizes, paint can key, and extra stirrers.

For more serious decorating projects you should have a cordless drill with two batteries, drill bits, and screwdriver bits. A metal straightedge is also handy for making straight lines or as a cutting guide.

You should also have basic items, such as pencils, eraser, paper, carpenter’s glue, white glue, crazy glue, paint remover, Goof Off, packaging tape, sandpaper and a staple gun.