Art Nouveau or ‘New Art” in French originated in Europe in the 1880′s and flourished until World War 1. It explored in a new style of art, architecture, and rich ornamentation. The artists during that time focused on the value of handcrafted articles and unusual expressions of nature due to the advent of massive industrialization. The curved form of natural objects like leaves, elongated stamens, and stems became its theme. Art nouveau was also strongly influenced by Japanese art and artifacts as well as the asymmetrical shapes of the Orient.

Among the famous art nouveau designers include Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles Mackintosh, Aubrey Beardsley, William Morris, and Hector Guimard. Art nouveau is also expressed architecture through dancing, twisting ironwork. Nowadays, the modern contemporary home design reflects the same principles the art nouveau has which is clear lines and less clutter. You too can send out a strong message of elegance and luxury by adding art nouveu furniture and items like tiffany lamps in your modern contemporary home.

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Quality lighting can dramatically change the over all look of your house especially when done purposely and appropriately. Lighting comes in many array as well and it is always best when you use one specifically to bathe a room with rich subtle glow when you need rich subtle glows or sparkling clarity when you need just that. Elegant lighting is key to update the look of any room in your house. Here are some types of lighting to guide you in choosing the perfect pieces for your own house:

Task lighting. This is used for reading, cooking, or sewing.

Highlighting. Spotlighting an art or specific furniture is made more dramatic with highlighting. This can serve also serve as architecture as it separates furniture groupings and defines and changes space.

Background lighting. Diffuse, shadowy, atmospheric lights behind cornices or valences or in recessed fixtures in the ceiling.

Status lighting. Crystal chandeliers, exotic and costly urns transformed into lamps, era originals (Art Deco or Art Nouveau forms, or example).

The holidays is in the air! Now is the best time for merriment and festivity as the air becomes colder, Christmas carols being played everywhere, and bright and colorful lights line up the city. Gift giving is also synonymous to the holidays, although we do not want to equate it to materialism, there is no denying that giving and receiving gifts from our loved ones is simply a bliss.

Giving gifts to your friends, family, and loved ones is one of the best ways to let them know that they are remembered and that you take notice of things that they love with no expectation of getting something in return. To make your gift giving even more thoughtful and geared specifically toward the particular person, follow these tips to earn extra points from Santa:

Know what interests the recipient. Keep in mind the person’s favorite book or accessory item so it would be easier for you to give suitable gifts. Take note also when someone mentions or comments about a particular item that they like.

Make a list. List down the names of your family members, friends, colleagues, office mates, etc. Next to their names, jot down what you think they would like to receive.

Choose a budget. Take into consideration your budget. Depending on your budget, you can give extravagant gifts that you are sure your loved one would love. There are also good buys that you can scout from shopping malls or in bazaars. Take the time to shop, get creative, have fun, and dwell in the spirit of sharing and giving.

Wrap your gifts well. Presentation is as important as the gift itself as it speaks well about how you took the time to personalize and present it well. Write something on the gift as there is nothing more personal and special than handwritten notes. Even more, write something more distinctive to a person close to your heart.

The holidays is just around the corner and as this season of merriment approaches, many people find so many reasons to be excited about. And why not, when this season spells an anticipation of bonus pays at work, family reunions, office and friends parties, beautiful lights lining up the city, shopping rush, and not to mention the gift/s to give and receive from your loved ones.

When we think about gifts, the thought of gift wrapping also comes to mind and some may find it as an added chore amidst the holiday stress on top of shopping for presents. Just thinking of customized gifts for each person is already mind boggling. Instead of feeling exhausted, why not gather your friends for a wrap party and prepare a gift wrap buffet to turn this otherwise chore into another bonding and enjoyable get-together? You can hold the party in your dining area where there is a table big enough to accommodate your guests and lay out pretty wrappers, laces and ribbons, and other embellishments. Place many different kinds of gift wrappers on a metal laundry drying rack, for example. Put rolls of ribbons in a box and prepare little baskets to place scissors, glue, tape, and little ornaments.

You can serve coffee and tea with home-made cookies or chocolate-chip cookies that you could pop in between wrapping the gifts. This is perfect for an enjoyable afternoon with your friends where you can also trade stories, have a good laugh, and before you know it, all your holiday presents are already prepared.

Let’s face it, we all love to receive gifts, now imagine if we can be just as glad to give presents beautifully wrapped to make the recipient feel special and appreciated. Indeed, the act of giving has a power and that is to share and express love to someone.

Pick neutral-colored furniture pieces with simple designs. These are the biggest items that you will have in your living area, choose pieces that are classic and simple.  Opt for light neutrals for your bigger pieces, like your sofa. The bigger the furniture, the lighter it should be so that it does not look too heavy.

Accessorize but follow a theme. You may use accents of a different color or texture from time to time, but do limit yourself in accessorizing to achieve a cohesive look. Play around with a theme when planning to accessorize this area.

Play around with texture. Add depth to the space by playing around with the texture of the materials that you use. Your interior could still be monotone but you can add a twist by using different textures.

It is also important to check the corners of your sofa as well as the spot underneath the cushions. These are common places where coins and candy wrappers are left inserted or stuck. You can also keep your sofa in great shape by avoiding to sit on the corners of your sofa all the time. The middle spot should also be sat on so the cushion remains leveled. Do not also sit on the sofa’s armrest as doing so could damage it. 

Always clear your sofa of any clutter and vacuum your sofa fabric regularly to get rid of dust. You can clean your sofa with a damp cloth if you have a sofa with leather material.

The first thing to remember is to list down what you want to achieve and create an inspiration board before going about with the actual makeover. Plan your renovation with family and friends to help you finish your project in no time. Tap into your imagination and follow these helpful and practical tips for a successful makeover:

Re-arrange furniture pieces and accessories. You can opt for angle sofas or accent chairs on one side instead of the basic square to give your living room an instant makeover feel. Make any space look more functional and comfortable by adding accessories like a side table or an area rug with the same angle.

Change the color of the light bulb. Lighting can modify the mood of any space in your house and can enhance the colors of your walls. Cool white bulbs are ideal for aqua, green, or orange while warm white bulbs are for warm colors like ochre, red, or orange.

Paint old chairs with a new color. A more interesting color like yellow can create an interesting contrast between the traditional form and pop colors.

Bring in plants or flowers indoors. You can use these as a table centerpiece, put a bunch in a vase, or make them float on a bowl of water or a terrarium.

Opt for glass. Use glass dividers to segregate spaces as blocking the view could make the space look smaller. This is advisable for use in the living room and kitchen to avoid making the space feel smaller.

Use mirrors carefully. Using mirrors could double up the space as it creates the illusion of a wider area. However, using mirrors could be tricky, it is recommended to make sure that the furniture and accessories across the mirror are minimal because everything is doubled in the mirror and it could look cluttered instead.

Choose the right furniture. Remember that ratio and proportion is crucial. Since you have a limited space, it is okay to select not-so-bulky furniture and accessories. You can opt to have them custom-made to your desired size and design.

Select your desired hue. Although it is common belief that small spaces should have lighter wall colors, you can actually choose the color that reflects your personality, regardless of your home’s floor area.

Classify your collection into groups. For subjects, there are portraits, still life, genre paintings, lines and non-representational shapes. There are several mediums like oil acrylics, watercolors, pastels, and prints. These various classifications are useful in deciding are useful in deciding which pieces are to be put on a wall of a certain room.

When you hang and display the art piece, classify them by subject and also consider that medium is important. Every art piece has its own rightful place in the home. Also take note that the subject of the art piece should contribute to the totality of the design.

Check your room space. Find a specific theme for a specific room to make it more workable and consistent with the design. Note the design, color, size, and the purpose of the room in assigning which art piece to put.

Assign your art pieces. After grouping your collection and checking your space, regroup your art pieces to which room are going to be hung in. This can be based on the artwork’s subject, medium, or color, size and shape.

Make the final touches. If necessary, reframe the artwork or repaint your room. There are art pieces that you personally would want to put in certain rooms, yet aesthetically, they don’t seem to match. Decide whether you will change the color of the wall or change the frame or stand of the piece. You may also take your cue on the colors of the art pieces to be the source of inspiration for the color motif of the room.

Ideally the higher the value of the collection, the higher the status that is derived. If you are a serious collector of art and antiques or multiples of everyday things, you can use your collections to decorate and style your house. Here are some tips on how to display your latest collection:

Art. Some suggestions to lend culture and charm to your home are paintings like ancestor portraits, still-life paintings, animal paintings, and flower paintings. You can also enhance the beauty of  flower paintings by placing unique containers of fresh flowers grouped over a commode.

Travel treasure chest. Keep your travel souvenirs and photos if you don’t want them showcased in a glass cabinet. You can enjoy your trinkets whenever you want without having to worry about cleaning them up regularly.

Memory box. You can organize your kids’ achievements and memorable events by decorating them and keeping them in a safe place and allow them to revisit good memories. This could be done at the end of the year or by the event. This way, you could also have a bonding moment with your kid while having fun.

Mini chests. A collection of mini chests will always look good grouped together in one place. You can also place basic tools at home like screwdrivers or other items to minimize clutter. This way, your collection is not only fun but functional at the same time.

Plates. Plates are not just for eating as they would also look better displayed on a wall than stacked in your china cabinet. You can use plates to frame an entry way or archway. You can use plate hangers or hooks that can be purchased and hang them. Plate collection would look good when grouped together by color or by pattern.