What is the first thing you notice about this room scene? Red, right! Red is a bold color that tends to stand out whether in interior design, an accessory to an outfit, or as a car color driving by on the street.  It reminds us of the power of red as a color in decorating.  Red is a great color for the home and can be used as a wall or accent color.

A few years ago red dining rooms were all the rage. This could have stemmed from the study that showed red increases our appetite. Today we are seeing fewer red dining rooms but not less red in interiors.

Red is a powerful color when used in its pure form. Power suits and ties are often red because of the strength of this color.  Having a red wall or red carpet makes a very strong design statement in a room.  For this reason many people prefer to use red as an accent color. Red today is often used as an accent color on area rugs and pillows.

The variation of red hues can run from plums to tomato reds, which allow red to be used in a wide variety of color palette. Terracotta red tile floors are great in the kitchen while deep plum is a cozy color for the walls in a master bedroom.  Red and grey is also a great color combination for the living room.

Reds work with neutrals like grey, other warm colors like orange, or contrast with cool colors like aqua.  Adding a pop of red to your counter top or sofa will bring energy to your room.

If you have kids, you know that they can be tough on your house, especially floors.  For a kid’s playroom or bedroom, there are plenty of flooring options that will please your style and stand up to the daily rigors of life with kids.  If your kids don’t have a designated playroom, having the right flooring in your living room and family room is even more key.  Once the toys and games are put away, you’ll want to feel like you are sitting in your room and not a play zone.

If you are putting in new flooring, talk with us about the best options for kids.  You can also take our “How I Live Quiz” to learn more about the best flooring options suitable for your lifestyle and home. There are many stain resistant and stain repellent carpets on the market. This means you can put carpet in a kids’ area and not fear every time something spills it will stain forever. Another option for carpeted rooms is to put a large area rug over the carpet to protect it.  Feel free to browse our area rug catalog to learn more.  As the kids get older, you can remove the area rug or swap it out for a new pattern or color. With this same idea in mind, carpet squares can be used and replaced if they get stained.

Hard surfaces like tile and stone are durable but might be too tough on little knees and elbows. Hardwood is good as is cork, which has a soft feeling under foot. Again, area rugs are your friends when it comes to protecting floors.

Kids and pets are probably the hardest on your floors.  Work with your flooring person to choose the best option that will be durable and stylish for years to come.

Area rugs are a great addition to your home.  They can become the focal point in your living space and become a colorful finishing touch to complete the room.  They help unite an entire room’s décor to really bring the whole room together.  You can also use area rugs to define a space whether it’s a seating area or dining space.  This is the perfect solution if you have an open concept floor plan.  Area rugs can be used as a way to greet your house guests and welcome them into your home.

Area rugs also offer you other unique capabilities because they are the only flooring product that you can install, then pick up and move.  It’s much easier to change them out from season to season or as your style changes.  Area rugs offer you softness, warmth and sound absorption on hard flooring surfaces such as stone and wood.

They add another layer of design, luxury and warmth when laid on top of wall-to-wall carpeting.

Area rugs have a wide variety of size, design detail, and cost which makes it easy to find one that’s just right for you!

For more about this specific area rug, visit our website here.

Hunter Douglas, the number one manufacturer of window treatments and designs in the USA, came up with 10 window trends for any homemaker to use. Read on and make sure to apply the following tips to update your home’s look.

Sheer Fabrics– Soft and see-through fabrics are becoming popular nowadays. Credit goes to the popularity it enjoyed in Asia. Create a soft and undulating look to your windows with these fabrics.

Controlled day lighting– Many of Hunter Douglas products possess automation features for blinds, louvers, slats, panels and vanes that can control just how much light you want in a room or in what direction you would like it to go.

Window walls– Also called ‘open spaces’, it’s becoming popular for some rooms such as bathrooms to have window walls to create or vanish the sense of privacy and increase intimacy.

Complementing with rugs– Window treatments are used to complement a favorite area rug in terms of color, shade, material and even size.

Cornices– A window treatment will never be complete without the finishing touch, a cornice.

Window gadgets– Hunter Douglas has a wide array of controls and gadgets to control the performance of your window treatments as far as amount of lighting and direction of light is concerned.

Eco friendly design– The Duette product comes in a honeycomb within a honeycomb design that offers natural heat insulation and traps harmful UV rays, thus reducing energy costs.

Online support– One can upload a photo of her own room in the Hunter Douglas website and can see instant outcome by trying on any Hunter Douglas products.

Room darkening fabrics-Products that can darken the room efficiently, thus making a person relax more and sleep better.

New! Neutral colors– Color trends tend to go to neutral palettes and new colors such as pale pink, purple and green.

When it’s time to select an area rug, a little forethought will help you make just the right choice. This rug pulls all of the colors together to create an island in the middle of the room that really suits its style. With a few simple decisions, your rug can be just as integrated and effective as this one.

To start, determine the right size rug for your room. In this case the homeowners chose a rug that would add warmth to the space while still allowing the beautiful hardwood floor to appear. If you want to cover a floor that is not as lovely, consider a rug large enough to cover the entire conversation area. Of course, the larger the rug the more expensive it is, so be sure to factor your budget into your decision.

The second issue is color. This room has a lot of warm tones between the floor, the fireplace and the walls. The rug is primarily warm too, but it grabs the cool colors of the sofa and loveseat as well as the lamp bases and echoes them in the rug’s central design. The grey stripes in particular link the two seating elements together across the room.

Third is design. This room is fairly contemporary and the rug is a style match for that. Its central motif works because the coffee table is airy and simple. Many tables would hide that central design. In those cases, look for rugs with a border pattern or an overall look that won’t be hidden.

An area rug like this one can really pull a room together and provide the final element needed to make a room complete. Spend the time you need to find the perfect rug for your space.

We had some great feedback today on Facebook regarding our fans favorite Disney characters so we wanted to make sure you knew more about what the program has to offer!

The program is inspired by the colorful worlds of favorite Disney friends. The Disney Collection weaves the warmth and soft durability of Shaw® carpet with the magic and fun of Disney. The collection is designed around six Disney and Disney · Pixar favorites: Winnie the Pooh, Cars, Toy Story, Disney Princess, Disney Fairies and Hannah Montana.

Winnie the Pooh

Help your little one experience the joy and wonder of exploring the world. The whimsical designs and colors of the Hundred Acre Wood bring delight and discovery to the whole family.

Cars

Gear up his or her room, and you’ll be right on track to give them thrills and excitement. Your little racer will steer into the fun with carpet designs and colors that will keep them revved up lap after lap.

Toy Story

Let your child’s imagination blast off in a room where everything fun comes to life, and every moment is touched with magic. No batteries needed – just fun–filled designs and colors fueled with a turbo boost of imagination.

Disney Princess

Make your little girl’s room her castle with designs and colors that will transform her room into a palace. Then share in the joy as her imagination takes over and all her dreams come true.

Disney Fairies

Journey to Pixie Hollow and experience the enchanted life of the Disney Fairies characters who live there. These designs and colors create a true flight of fancy for anyone who chooses to believe.

Hannah Montana

Grab your backstage pass to the rockin–est room in the house with a carpet that makes you the superstar! On this stage, design and color are sharing the spotlight with you. It’s no secret. This is your room. Your way.

The program offers wall to wall carpets and area rugs. The wall to wall carpets have themed patterns, shags and even traditional patterns that you can use to coordinate and flow into other rooms of the house. The area rugs come in 4×6, 6×9, 8×11, 9×12 and even custom sizes!

Click here to see the styles and colors!