A Romantic Room for Valentine's

Make this Valentine's a very special one for your favorite love with a romantic dinner in a romantic room.

Lighting will play a huge part in just how romantic a feeling your room conveys. Remove the lamps for the night or if you have tall shades and bulbs that don't put off a lot of heat, you can drape pink or red scarves across the shades - do not do this if there is a chance the scarf will be an inch or less above the bulb or the heat from the bulb can melt the polyester fibers found in many scarves.

Candles are another way to convey a romantic mood. Scattered around the room in beautiful holders and then several in a floating glass bowl in the center of the table will make a wonderful statement.

Serve a light meal such as a salad, main course with a roasted game hen or filet mignon or a vegetarian meal such as pasta and roasted veggies or spinach lasagna. Dessert can be as decadent as you like with a slice of "death by chocolate" shared with two forks or a bowl of ice cream from the better shelf in your grocery store.

If it's cold and you have a fireplace, indulge in a cozy cuddle by the fire or curl up together and watch a romantic movie. You've set the mood with your room for a wonderful Valentine's night, make it a good one to remember!
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Bring Nature Indoors

If you're a lover of the great outdoors, the cold winds of winter can be a little depressing. If you're the type of soul that enjoys nature walks, camping in the wilderness and taking in all that nature has to offer - why not bring a little indoors during the winter months?

There are a good number of ways this can be done. If you're lucky enough to live near a forest where there are pine trees, you can gather up pine cones and make a nice centerpiece for your table using found eupherma. You could also graduate to having a small potted pine tree in a room. Move it outdoors in the spring.

A skinny console table will make an outstanding plant stand. Put two tall and slender console tables on each end of a room for balance and put a plant that is green all year round such as an ivy which will get a little larger year after year and never lose its lustrous, waxy leaves.

If you want to watch nature just outside your window, incorporate a fun bird feeder into your yard and you can enjoy the show as the feathered friends come to spend time at your bird feeder. If you have cats, they'll enjoy watching the birds too and most cats will emit a rapid, clicking sound when they are bird watching.

It's easy to bring a little nature into your home. If you get the winter blues, add some plants and decorate with the gifts from nature you can even find in your own yard. You'll beat the blahs that colder weather can bring and have a warm and welcoming decor as a bonus.
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Get Rid of the Stark Feeling of Winter and Go Cozy

If you went for the minimalist look during the hot days of summer, those clean lines and wide open spaces in your room can start to feel a little cold.

Fortunately, you can quickly remedy the situation by going with a cozy look in your room. Normally, only a few changes are required to bring a feeling of warmth and coziness to your interior design.

Have some fun with your changes and maybe even put a few pieces in your room that are a stretch from your normal design ideas. Go ahead and buy that overstuffed couch if it gives you a calm feeling when you sit in it. Put a European-style love seat in your room. With its soft lines and plush armrest and double stuffed backing, it will make for a cozy place to curl up and watch television while the cold winds of winter are blowing outside.

Add some family touches to your room as well. Take photos of your parents, grandparents, kids and yourself and put them in new frames and make a collage of them on your walls. The gathering of photos will bring a homey touch that is decidedly warm.

Change your treatments to something a little darker or keep your lighter background and have some darker accents in the foreground of your fabric. Keep these tips in mind and look at ways to warm up your room for the rest of the winter season, you'll enjoy spending time in there even more!
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Throw a Birthday Garden Party

If it's your turn to plan a birthday party for a friend, you want to make sure your party goes off without a hitch. Plan on nice weather but have a "Plan B" just in case; and have your birthday gathering in your garden area.

First of all, make a list of the people you'd like to invite and then send out RSVPs. Many people are taking advantage of e-vites as a way to get people to answer quickly and plan a gathering in a more timely manner. You'll have the odd friend or two that will just assume you know they are going to be at the party whether or not they answer the invitation or the fun friend who left the invitation in her purse and forgot to respond. You can wind up short of drinks and food quickly if enough people do this. A cursory "will you be coming?" phone call may be in order for the people you haven't heard from if you're planning a large gathering and have hired a caterer. If you're planning the meal preparation yourself, you can just make a little extra to accommodate any last minute guest additions.

As for where you're holding the gathering, if you have a gazebo or deck - those are great places to have a gathering and if rain starts to sprinkle on your gathering, no one will get too upset if it is a covered area or you can also do an impromptu move and take your party inside (that would be Plan B). Put up decorations and even add a few new Red Adirondack Chairs for your guests to relax in.

A day before the party, order a fun cake. For a fortieth party you can get a black cake or if your friend is into golf get a cake that is a minigolf course in pastry and icing. Have plenty of film in your camera, this will be a fun birthday gathering to remember for years to come!
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Changes For the New Year

Did you make some New Year's resolutions? Sometimes it's necessary to break out of old habits in order to keep those resolutions.

If you decided you were going to lessen the stress in your life, make your home a real comfort zone to come home to. You can use just a few elements to add a comfortable vibe to your relaxing space that will make it a real treat to unwind in.

First of all, take stock of your room and see what about the room isn't comfortable. Get rid of the clutter in your room. If you have a habit of putting things down in the last spot you were using them, make "a place for everything and everything in its place" your new mantra for 2007. It will be nothing to keep your room tidy if you just follow that simple saying and once you do it often enough, it will become second nature.

If your lights are bright, dim them a little by either installing a dimmer switch or the more economical option of using heavier shades and lower wattage bulbs. Candles provide a soft romantic lighting that is innately relaxing as well. Don't just use candles poured unceremoniously into a glass jar, use stick candles in beautiful candlesticks, make every item in your room have a function and look elegant doing it.

Soften up your room by adding cushy pillows and a soft throw. You can wrap up in it and watch television or read a new book while you relax on the pillows. Put a small table by the sofa if you don't already have one to hold a lamp and perhaps a cup of tea, make pampering yourself a priority in 2007- you deserve it!
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs