Archive for March, 2010

Any good interior designer will tell you to start with a central point of your room, around which your decorative objects may flow. Once you have selected your focus, find pictures in magazines and decorating books for inspiration. Then follow these 10 tips to decorate the interior of your home successfully:

1. Choose a base object of decoration: select an object of great impact as a starting point. This piece can be a floor cushion with a beautiful fabric, a poster or a painting, a floral arrangement, a vase, a rug or anything that goes well with your style. This object will set the style, theme and tone you expect to create in space and help determine your overall combination of colors.

2. Extend the color: Colors are one of the most important elements in the decoration of a house and gives harmony, co-ordination and endless possibilities to a space

Generally, a space has three main colors in descending proportions: a main color, secondary color and an accent color. Repeat the accent color in all parts of your environment in different ways (repeat at least three times) with a few strategically placed objects.

For example, put a red decorative throw and pillows on the couch, a rug decorated with touches of red on the floor, then add some red candles to the fireplace or frame your paintings in red to draw some of the accent color up onto the walls.

3. Illumination: The lighting of a space is as important as the colors you choose.

Ceiling light fixtures are in most cases the only design element you will add to the biggest open space you are likely to ever come across in interior design, so think carefully how to utilize it. italian chandelier can also completely transform a space as a piece of art by itself and also by giving other wall art and ornaments on shelves a new look choosing a nice outdoor chandelier.

Table lamps, floor lamps and candles strategically placed in space can add warmth and interest where you need it most. Adding a new shade to a lamp also instantly changes the quality of light and the overall feel in the room.

Think about the effect you wish to achieve: crystal-accented light fixtures add sparkle, glamour and interesting plays of light and shadow. Murano and stained glass adds color and warmth. Brass, steel, wrought iron or copper can add anything from a classic to contemporary or modern to renaissance feel. Keep always open mind your choices about swing arm wall lamps.

4. Finding a theme for your project is creative and enjoyable! A good theme will say something about yourself and your interests and will greatly simplify your decorating decisions when shopping.

Say your theme is Mediterranean decor, minimalistic decor, tropical decor or cabin decor, in each case the objects you choose will be basic enhancers in creating the look you want.

For example, you can easily create an “Old European” theme by adding some colorful glazed bowls, an oil painting (or print of one), simply adding a small chandelier or perhaps changing the wall color to tones of rich or soft pastels, or both.

The home is also a wonderful place to reflect the seasons with different holiday decorations. Have fun decorating with fall palates of oranges, browns reds and ocres, or let your living room be reborn with fresh cut flowers and fresh, bright colors for spring.

5. The fireplace: Yes, not everyone has one, but if you do, it is often the most important architectural element of a space and therefore the center point. Fireplace accessories including fireplace screens and tool sets come in a variety of shapes, sizes and themes to suit your taste.

Candles can make a unique design statement anywhere, but your fireplace is the perfect place to also use them, especially during summer. Add candles of different heights, colors and textures.

When decorating your mantel, bookcase or shelf, always do it with an asymmetrical arrangement of an odd number of decorative items like vases, in a range of scales and textures.

6. Renewing old furniture: Ready for a change? Place an interchangeable cover an old sofa or replace old sofa cushions and decorative throws.

The pillows can add a lot of fun to your space, the options are endless! Add a floral print for a country house feel, leather for Western, cabin or even medieval themes, or tapestry tassels for that classic look.

Two large decorative pillows can sometimes be more daring than several small pillows that can fill your space and distract from the overall appearance.

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Healthy Low Fat Pasta Recipes

Pasta is a delicious meal likened by a lot of people. The reason is that pasta is easy and simple to prepare. It is not only suitable for lunch and dinner but also for breakfast. Low fat and low calories contents are normally associated with pasta. Most pasta recipes use only little salt and sugar and normally use olive oil. People who prefer low fat diet normally will go for pasta. Besides, pasta is not only cheap and delicious but also is very simple to prepare at home. Pasta has become a popular home cook meal.

Pasta can be cooked with healthy ingredients such as recipes include only vegetables, fish, chicken or both. Most people prefer pasta to go with low fat recipes. A low calorie diet is good for healthy and keep the body weight in balance and generally, most low fat diet contains low or zero cholesterol. There are a lot of healthy low fat pasta recipes available in a variety of platforms such as the newspaper, magazine, television, internet and advertisement. Most of these recipes offered are easy to prepare and can be made in home. The ingredients used are simple and common. The best thing is that most of the time these ingredients are cheap and can be easily purchased in local stores.

Some popular pasta recipes are low fat pasta recipes with broccoli which is loved by a lot of food enthusiasts. Homemakers such as mothers often like to make these simple pasta at home as they can be ready in less than thirty minutes. Most of these recipes use normal pasta made from wheat. If you are on an exclusion diet whereby wheat is out of your diet, you can opt for pasta that is made from non wheat ingredients such as those specially made from vegetables. Most local groceries stores offer this unique type of pasta.

In addition to the common pasta recipes found in most food blogs, the fettuccine low fat pasta recipes are also popular recipes that are available in most restaurants and hotels. A short preparation time which is about 20 to 30 minutes of period is usually all that is required for these unique pasta recipes. The pasta made with spinach and fettuccine is extremely healthy as spinach is one of the vegetables that contain the most antioxidants. People appetite are often enhanced by the colorful fettuccine. Generally, the ingredients used in preparing these low fat pasta recipes are very healthy as they only use olive oil, little salt and sugar.

In conclusion, pasta is a healthy meal that is the preferred choice for most people. Pasta can be eaten not only for dinner or lunch but also for breakfast. Deep fry and the heavy use of oil are not encourage when preparing pasta. People who prefer a low calorie diet should choose pasta as it usually contains zero cholesterol and has absolutely low fat ingredients. Pasta that is made with vegetable instead of wheat is highly recommended for those who prefer a serious vegetarian diet.

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