Month: February 2007

When you think about the Old West, what are some things that come to mind? Cowboys and saloons are a given, but what about the Native Americans? While you could decorate your house with cowboy regalia, Native American art is a beautiful way to add some western home decor.

Dreamcatchers as Western Home Decor

One of the most popular Native American art items one can purchase is a dream catcher. Constructed in various shapes, with the middle resembling a spider web and the sides with feathers and beads, dreamcatchers are meant to catch bad dreams.

When it comes to making a dreamcatcher part of your western home decor, the best place to put one is the bedroom. However, people have also been known to hang it in the middle of a front window. Dreamcatchers can be quite small, or they can be quite large, so when choosing one, be sure that you have the wall space to properly display it.

Sweet Grass Baskets as Western Home Decor

A perfect example of how artistic the Native American culture is are their beautiful hand woven sweet grass baskets. As western home decor, you will find that sweet grass baskets can be placed anywhere, depending on their size.

These baskets are often placed, for example, on mantelpieces. Sweet grass baskets are becoming more and more hard to find, as there are few who know how to make them anymore, so to own one is to truly own a special piece of Native American art.

Native American Pottery and Collector s Plates as Western Home Decor

Perhaps the most popular form of Native American pottery is that made by the pueblo. Their pottery is colorful, and a great centerpiece for any coffee table. Collector s plates depicting Native American warriors are also quite popular, and are often seen adorning the wall of a family room.

More Ideas

There are many more examples of Native American art that you can choose from when looking to have your home feature Western home decor. Check the internet to see if there are any powwows that will be in your area, as that is where many interesting pieces can be found.

Additionally, you can also purchase Native American art directly from the websites of many Native American artists. The prices for Native American art vary greatly, but when it comes to Western home decor, they are truly valuable and beautiful examples.

Keywords: Home Improvement, Home Decor

It seems that Victorian home decor never went out of style. In many corners of society, Victorian values went out of style, as well as Victorian clothing with the exception of the occasional wedding party. On the other hand, it is not uncommon to see houses (usually Victorians, admittedly) decorated in a style that is distinctively Victorian.

Home decor has changed in a number of ways over the years, and the Victorian style has also evolved. In fact, it might seem that the Victorian style has changed so much; it s not really Victorian any more. However, if you look closely you will see that the roots of the modern Victorian home decor style are firmly and authentically Victorian.

Finding the Roots

Victorian style is one of excess. This is the polar opposite of styles like oriental or philosophies like Feng Shui. The Victorian home decor style is all about going to the fullest extent possible. If you look at Victorian clothing styles and Victorian-era morals, you will see a strong resemblance.

Victorian clothing featured skirts to the ground, with excess material making the skirt as full as possible. Collars went up people s necks; they were not of the fold-down or the low-cut variety. Sleeves were also to the wrist. Decorating your house Victorian style is similar to dressing yourself in Victorian garb; you want to make sure that your house is fully dressed .

Dressing your House

In order to fully dress the house, you should begin with the skeletal structure of your home. Windows are the most important element when it comes to getting Victorian home decor right; you have to fully dress your windows with at least three full, distinct, flowing layers of curtains and shades. As far as color, the more white fabric you use the better. The white layers will allow the sunshine to filter through even though your windows are completely covered.

Further Layering

In addition to window dressings, Victorian home decor requires Victorian furniture and accents. Furniture should be beautiful but usable, and its purpose should be crystal clear. Once you have your furniture in place, accents are the next layer to add. Perhaps the best example of Victorian style home decor is ornate white lampshades. This should pertain to every lampshade in your house. Similar to the windows, your light bulbs should be dressed in two to three layers of white fabric, with gold accents if you wish

Victorian home decor is a beautiful way to dress up your house. With plenty of beautiful fabrics and a few key accents, you can transform any room in your house into a romantic, Victorian retreat.

Keywords: Home Improvement, Home Decor