Stress, stress, stress! Everywhere we turn today, there’s some new crisis to deal with. That’s why we love to spend so much time at home in our bedrooms, where we can relax. The trick, however, is to recognize that the colors we use in our bedroom decor have a significant influence on whether our bedroom can truly become a sanctuary.

The most soothing shades for the bedroom come from nature, say home design experts. These hues make us think of restful glades and cool meadows, places where our souls are nurtured by nature’s beauty.

With the trend toward neutrals in all home decorating this year, neutral colors also are finding their way into bedrooms; in area rugs, in sheets and in curtains too. However, these neutrals aren’t blah or stark, being softened by combinations of green and brown that have been popular recently.

You need to pay close attention the shade of green you are getting. Some greens like acid green can actually stimulate your mind instead of resting it. So before you buy anything hold the green shade up to your skin and compare. When you look in a mirror you will see the green tone reflected back in the mirror as well as on your skin. You want to have it balance instead of stand out causing you to look like an alien.

Classic colors are back in style. Remember to choose colors that are restful and not those that keep you thinking. Muted greens like the color of plants, is a good choice. You can match them with a shade of blue that will remind you of the blue sky and water. Blue has a calming, soothing feel to it and would be perfect in a bedroom.

Lavender is another color that pairs well with botanical greens. The combination is predicted to be a leader in decor for girls’ rooms. Lavender and green create a peaceful feeling in the bedroom, especially when layered with lavender-scented bed linen spray and sachets for closets and drawers. Don’t overdo the scents, though; you could become overwhelmed quickly.

Amid all these color variations aimed at creating a serene space in the bedroom, you just had to expect that there would be one breakout. This year the bold, sophisticated color is … pink.

Believe it or not, pink – not the pastel pink of a girl’s room, but a vibrant shade warmed with a slight yellow undertone – is turning up as the eye-popping exception to overall trends. Pink has been a powerful shade in fashion for both women and men over the past year, and that energy has now moved into home decorating, particularly in the bedroom.

If these colors seem to be too restful for you then try making them blend better with accessories like gold colors on sheets, curtains, and area rugs. Put silk fabric on one wall, add a crystal chandelier and more.

In the end, comforting as the color scheme may be, the bedroom should reflect the personality of its inhabitant. Bedrooms are after all the most intimate room in the home, and should be whatever makes you feel most peaceful and happy.

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This is the perfect read for moms like you who have a music lover of a kid. Decorating his bedroom to show his musical interests can be done in these simple steps. Read on and learn how:

For wall decorating, use music-themed stencils and trace them on the wall’s borders. Such stencils vary from musical notes like G clef, flats and trebles to piano keys or guitar strings. Use a dark colored paint in tracing the lines for the stencils in order to make the images stand out.

If your kid plays the piano, reflect that on his beddings by choosing a black and white motif. Alternatively, you can get a beddings set with a music theme, especially if he’s into different instruments. Every time he changes his bedsheets, a new look and inspiration spark up.

Your window dressings, you can play around and use your imagination for a music themed room. You may string up some old CDs or vinyl records on a strong piece of rope or twine and hang them up as a valance on hooks anchored into either side of your curtain box. You may also cut out music notes from solid black fabric or felt then glue them onto a valance in solid white. Or if you wish to stick to traditional curtains for your window treatments, go for black and white printed or solid black or solid white drapes.

Posters and photos of his favorite artists are great ways to express his interest. This way, he will also be constantly inspired with the image of his favorite musicians. Frame the posters or photos for a classier look.

Don’t forget to adorn the floor with area rugs. If the motif is in black and white, you can easily find an area rug in this color combination as it is a popular choice for a contemporary home theme. An option is to buy two shag rugs, one in white and the other in black. As for other colors, purchase area rugs that suit the motif of the room.

When he is in his room, his creativity will flow as he has the right ambience for this, and he will be well on his way to becoming the music virtuoso he has always wanted to be.

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The kitchen is the room used a lot but gets the least attention. White appliances and a functional flooring is all there is. This look is plain and boring.

If you think that it looks good that way then you are wrong. Homes today have creative kitchen decor because the kitchen is used more for gathering with friends and family.

So what makes this room in the home so appealing (besides the food?). Many designers think that a kitchen’s appeal depends on its colors. Vibrant colors with high energy can create a room where people love to get together. The trick is to recognize some of the kitchen basics, and build with them or around them.

Most appliances are usually stainless steel, black or white. Kitchens usually do not have a lot of open space on the wall. Place bold colors on the walls that will compliment the colors of the appliances.

Darker wood or paint colors for cabinets have come into style for kitchens. This means that deeper hues of wall colors will hold up against them. Some designers like the warmth of shades traditional to Mexican arts and crafts — copper, ginger, henna and gold. In addition, these bold colors are popping up in surprising places, such as a burnt-orange countertop around a stainless steel sink.

Traditional colors are important and in style as well. Red, yellow, and apricot are some of the more warm colors. These colors are now being used in different ways. If you want a country-style kitchen color choose green and pink but make them a rustic green with a strawberry shade of pink instead.

Color influences are coming from all around the world. For example when the 2008 Olympics were held in Beijing the Chinese tradition was that the color red was for good luck.

What makes these trends so chic? It’s not all about the color it is the combination of color and sophistication. Burnt orange can be coordinated with brilliant blue or even a deep purple. Neutral colors such as dark brown or shades of gray and soft dove to deep charcoal can help to accent the kitchen and add style.

Try to avoid colors that you see in your favorite restaurant. These colors can be over done and it would not look right in a kitchen in the house.

Instead, give your kitchen some pizzazz with bold new colors in your kitchen cabinets as well as your curtains and area rugs. Use bold colors in the curtains, area rugs, and cabinets.

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Colors can give personality to an otherwise bland space. Similarly, colors can further brighten up a room or make it more inviting. The following are the major color schemes you can apply to your home decorating:

Choosing Your Colors

There’s nothing more fun than choosing colors you love in adorning your home. There’s also nothing as more territorial as decorating with your favorite colors in a good way, of course.

Before you begin purchasing the items that you want to decorate, also consider the color of the walls. Most homes have a fair amount of white or neutrally colored walls that work well with bolder color schemes. Taking the coloring of your home into account will allow you to choose a color scheme that won’t require a lot of repainting or redecorating, but don’t be afraid to take the necessary steps to make your home as comfortable for you and your friends and family as possible.

Flooring Options that Pop

Colors can extend from the walls to the floors without having to install new flooring or re-carpeting. Even better, a sudden inspiration to change the color, design or the look of a room, can be easily done.

There are certain area rugs made for specific themes or motifs. For instance, bamboo rugs look best in a beach theme, wool rugs in classic and traditional home style, cotton in country-inspired homes. And these are only the kinds of rugs based on the materials used. Factor in the color and design and you have a wide assortment of area rugs to choose from to suit your theme. For example, light-colored rugs make a room look more spacious with an airy feel, while dark area rugs give off a sophisticated, almost formal look to a room. Bright hues for your rugs make a room cheerful and welcoming, and rich, deep shades can transform a space into a romantic nook.

Tying It Together

Contrasting or matching colors can both have a positive impact on a room’s interior. An important thing to remember is to find a similar color base to coordinate the decors. For example, the room is painted in chocolate brown for an elegant Victorian theme. The furnishings can be in different colors but the presence of brown in varying shades will make the room look put together. White and yellow combination as another example, will stand out with lots of white and yellows throughout the room.

These simple ideas can bring any rooms colors to the forefront, so that you are left with a room that reflects your favorite colors in a way that makes it look like a million bucks.

Feng Shui may be a foreign terminology but it is far from being an alien concept for many people, especially for the home decorating enthusiasts, culture vultures and fans of anything Chinese. The simplest definition of Feng Shui is that it’s an ancient design principle that originated in China used for creating positive chi (known in layman’s term as energy) in a living space. The end goal is to have harmony. The positioning of things, types of objects, shapes and colors are elements of Feng Shui. They are responsible for the flow of energy or lack thereof. They determine if a living space has positive or negative chi and if there’s balance in the space.

Feng Shui comes from a set of ancient Chinese beliefs. Its core principle is to optimize the flow of chi by properly positioning objects inside and outside the home. It’s said that a good flow of chi will bring good luck, happiness and better health to everyone inside the home. On the other hand, blocked or dead chi is often related to misfortune and illnesses.

It is impossible to become a feng shui expert overnight, especially since incorporating these principles into your home demands a careful study into the geography and orientation of the property itself. You also have to determine several different aspects such as the Chinese zodiac sign and the lucky number of each household member. There’s a plethora of factors you have to take into consideration in order to achieve the ‘perfect’ or ideal feng shui setup at home.

One example is the general rule of placing objects without causing obstruction in movement. They say if you can’t move freely in a room because the furniture “block” the way, chi is blocked as well. Hence, the flow of energy is affected. This can cause sickness, ill feelings among family members, loss of wealth, stress and other negativity. Mirrors are also said to affect the flow of chi as they can somehow change the path of energy.

Trusting your instincts while rearranging furniture will more or less help you determine if the room feels right or not for you. With a good feng shui book and a little trial and error, you should soon find the perfect combination that brings harmony to your home.

Feng Shui is a complex study. There are such factors as the locations – East, West, North or South. Also, the elements of Chinese astrology, zodiac and numbers. Yin and Yang do not only signify the good and bad or masculine and feminine. In Feng Shui, this means quiet energy for Yin and active energy for Yang. So, the location of the rooms also has to correspond to the Yin and Yang to achieve the purpose of relaxation and activity. The bedroom and living room for instance should have more Yin energy while the kitchen should have the Yang energy.

Self-study is an effective tool for learning more about Feng Shui. There are also seminars and workshops that are helpful for people who don’t have any formal background but are into applying Feng Shui in their lives.

While there’s nothing wrong with following the rules of feng shui for your home, always keep in mind that it is only a guide to enhancing good luck and positive vibes. Whether its success in your career or in redecorating your house, it is only hard work and patience that will guarantee success.