How to Decorate your Home with Throw Pillows

Sprucing up your room need not burn your pocket. Go the cheaper way with throw pillows to get that splendid look for your lazy lounge and this is something interior designers swear by.  Also a good looking sofa lends some positive energy to your living room and sets it aside from your neighbors’.

Mix and match, but with the right colors

Colorful throw pillows with playful prints can do a lot in moderating the intense look of your leather sofa or give a dash of solid color to the wingback chair. A good color selection like a navy blue or bold red velvet throw pillow lends a character to the design of the room. But make sure the color of your pillow goes with the accent of the room. Find out the color that is common in the room. 

The idea lies in how you align your throw pillows. Be careful with the number and always keep them in odd numbers. As for the color, don’t bother yourself too much. Only keep an eye on the combinations. Stay within the color family. A small pink one in front of a large red pillow gives a good color to the grey sofa. 

Also play with the shapes of the pillows. You can alternate the round ones with the squares. Such a change in the grouping draws eyes. Use single round pillows on living room chairs.
Three patterns can be clubbed together, like two geometric patterns with a bold floral one. Here you can have two opposite colors. 

Mind the Fabric

If you want to provide some richness to your lounge, just contrast those plush velvets and smooth silks with premium cowhides or faux furs. Mix floral prints with geometrical patterns. 

Pillow Art

Textiles can be a good form of art, adding that drama and color. It is that perfect statement piece, a striped one with two floral ones. And don’t feel guilty splurging on something as little as a throw pillow (mind you it’s never that little). You can even try sewing up those little pieces of cloth in your wardrobe and make a pattern. This can be stitched carefully to your pillow. If you love doing up your home with readily available items, this is a good way to start.

Some more Quick Tips

Try avoiding pillows that come along with your furniture. They don’t have a contrast with the color tone of your room. If you can use only two pillows, then check that they are of different color. Also change the pattern. Use a small intricate pattern with one with a large pattern or even a plain one.

Learn how to store them

If you want to use throw pillows only if you have guests over then don’t just stack them up in a corner of that wardrobe. They will get stained. Use a beautiful wicker basket for storing them. You can also keep the basket in a corner of your living room, maybe behind the sofa. Pillows stay fresh and clean, at least till the next party!

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Things to Consider when Purchasing the Best Oven Glove

The biggest challenge in our daily lives is keeping our cool in the kitchen. After all none of us wants to end up with a bruised forearm at the office and face those nasty and shocked looks from peers (as if they never burnt their fingers in the kitchen!). So, an oven glove is the best friend that comes to your rescue and in bright colours and types to choose from. Well, that only fusses up your job a little more. For, finding the perfect oven glove is a bigger challenge than getting that perfect evenly baked cake. 

Throw away that kitchen towel, it will burn you

And if you are a new entrant into the kitchen, never go for the kitchen towel (professional chefs find it more useful as it serves a larger variety of purposes). Mitts and five fingered oven gloves are the best option. The oven glove may not be a versatile alternative to the towel but will avoid those unsightly scars. Gloves are also well suited for outdoor grilling and frying which involves high heat.

Oven Mitts

Although they come in all sorts of shapes and colours, oven mitts do not offer that perfect grip that an aga oven glove gives you. These are generally made of silicone and withstand very high temperatures. But these are rather expensive.

Silicone Gloves

Silicone has always been the go-go material for bake ware and is also used in hand insulators. Silicone gloves are heat resistant up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 degrees Celsius) and water-proof. These are dishwasher safe and are quite easy to clean. However, these are stiff and hinder movement of fingers.

Fiber Gloves

These are generally made from Nomex and Kevlar materials and withstand heat much like their silicone counterparts. Some also come with cotton padding adding to the comfort and have silicone stripes on the fingers to provide a better grip. It is easy to handle those hot pans and dishes. But the only reason they cannot replace your old silicone glove is the fabric itself. Fiber tends to wear out faster and it is difficult to clean. And if you love brewing that perfect cup of coffee or tea once a many time in the day, then a fiber glove is not for you. Fiber gloves do not protect against scalding injuries as hot liquid can soak through this material.

Steam Proof Gloves

These are longer than the conventional aga oven glove and also offer a five-layer protection along with the silicone grip. And their heat resistance is much greater (662 degrees Fahrenheit/350 degrees Celsius). Plus, they have designated left and right gloves giving the perfect fit to your hand.

The glove should be a perfect fit for your hand and also check the material, not too light or it will scald your fingers, nor too sturdy hampering movement of fingers. Several online tutorials boast of guiding you in making one all by yourself. Take care while sewing the two hands together.  However, buying a silicone oven glove, though sturdier, seems the safer choice.

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Tips on Styling your Home with Cushions

What is your idea of a lazy Sunday? Lying on the couch with a bestseller and your favorite music? Well, you missed out on something - the couch, it should be cozy enough. And for that it needs the best cushions. That’s not all, cushions can give a statement to any corner in your home. So, the next time you plan a party, remember you still have the right to splurge but not on your interior decor! Here are some tips on how your very own cushions set up in order can bring color to your drab living room.

Get the perfect match for your room

Make sure that the color or the combination you choose for your cushions should go with your room’s color tone. Pink walls and a silver or grey sofa can be given a colorful look with bold red cushions. A brown cushion near an orange lampshade will look great. An aqua cushion looks best at the swimming pool. Try avoiding discordance with colors in your room, but don’t let your guests cry out: Same Pinch!

Mind the color of the room

Keep the tone of your room neutral. The classic cream wall and black floor setup is a perfect canvas for experimenting with cushions. Red and blue cushions always give the classic look. A perfect combination could be blackvelvet cushions on a light grey sofa. A blue cushion with a peacock printed one can go well with light brown furniture. Brown or green colors give an earthier feel and would work well in men’s rooms. That having said, pink has outlasted itself as the girly color. Girls also love purple. A mix of orange and light brown with some stripes looks great on bright and sunny mornings.

Play with shapes

The square shaped pillow, the most common ever, is passé. If you really want to make over your room, forget the squares and try circle, triangle, flowers or teddies. And, if it doesn’t seem bizarre, you can even dare to use huge heart shaped ones! But try to contrast them with circled ones. A pink round cushion behind a red heart shaped one on a chocolate sofa will add fantasy to your evening. Kid’s rooms can have tree shaped cushions, they’ll love it.

Artistic prints are a good choice

Make something more than mix-and-match. You can actually contrast two different textures. Choose varying materials such as satin and fur or black velvet cushions with striped ones. Use two types of prints like floral with one with beautiful bird motifs. Floral and geometrical patterns go very well together. Light blue with an aqua cushion is again a great combination for the outdoor spaces.

It’s not just the lounge or the bedroom

Not just your living room or bedroom, you can have them even in your entrance hall. Windows can be used to get that extra space in your living room. Just put two large cushions and lo! It’s a window sofa. A blue mattress spread out on the living room looks wonderful with a mix of cyan and green cushions. You would not only increase sitting space but make your friends yearn to squat there.

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Top Reasons to Include Cushions in Your Home

Everybody wants every room of living space look warm and inviting but many sacrifice it for the high-style. However, Very few realize that even with high style, a room space can be made utterly comforting and welcoming. A big aid here is the ever cozy and bright cushions. These pops of vibrant colors and textures can add a whole new dimension to any décor. Let’s look at few compelling reasons as to why cushions are a must add to any home décor:-

 

Adds color and fun

Even the sternest and the drabbest of interiors can be given a complete bright and feisty makeover with these bright and vivacious pops of color. Whether you are sitting on a sofa, floor or any other space, cushions can be an extremely friendly and welcoming companion. Try arranging pinkcushions in various patterns to even traditional type of décor or the modern ones. They blend with all types of interiors to lend a special touch of fun and color. What is appealing further is these add-ons are temporary and you can change them at will.

Versatility in updating decor

The fantastic thing about cushions is that it allows you great versatility. You can use them in various ways to liven up the decor. In you are bored with a certain layout; you can give it a complete makeover. Since these cushions are pretty cheap, you can easily replace them for a whole new set. This is something you cannot do with any other furniture pieces as they are quite expensive and cannot be easily replaced. Pillows allow you to play with patterns, texture, fabrics, colors etc. and expand your decorative possibilities.

Get the designer look for throwaway prices

Cushion pillows are excellent medium in helping you achieve a high society designer look but without the mind-boggling price tag attached to it. Simply placing few cushions some expensive looking fabrics or even expensive fabrics would do the job. With cushions, you can always remain trendy with having the latest trends and style incorporated into your home décor.

High comfort factor

Cushions are a great comfort lending unit. Sitting on a chair can be hard and uncomfortable but if a cushion is placed on it, the comfort factor is greatly enhanced. Lying in the office chair or sofa, one can easily rest on it for precious few minutes or take a quick nap. Even on floors, they prevent you from its chill. The can serve as a wonderful backrest as well and be a fantastic support especially when one is suffering from backaches.

Wonderful and safe play material

Cushions are wonderful as a plaything. They make wonderful throw pillows. Sit on or with them comfortably or just throw around when sitting together to have plenty of fun and frolic. You can easily throw them recklessly with no fear of any person getting hurt. They are especially safe around children.

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How to Choose the Correct Cushion for Your Home

Today, cushions have become an ace tool to spice up the décor of any interior, be it your living room or bedroom. Since it is fairly inexpensive and extremely versatile, one can change it or play around with it to lend new accent and vibe to the décor. With such terrific advantages in mind, let’s look into a few of their types and which ones to purchase to best utilize them for maximum effect.

Location

The location for which you are considering buying a cushion has an important bearing on the type of cushion you are purchasing. For instance, the pillow in the bed will be less exposed to the abuse than the ones in the living room. Again cushions in a house with children will face more wear and tear than the ones in the house without children. Hence it would decide on which type of cushions you would like to opt for. For instance, you might want a big round cushion for a chair to sit on but pom pom cushions might be your first priority in a children’s room.

 Material

Depending on the location and expected wear and tear, the material of the cushion can be selected. For instance the ones on the living room or the children’s room will be handed out handsome abuse by default. Hence washable cushions, preferably, machine wash ones will serve the purpose better. However, if one is using them as decorative purpose with less wear and tear, softer and finer fabrics like silk, lace, chiffon etc. can be used. The hand embroidered ones, embellished ones etc. can also be ideal here as they can really uplift the aesthetic aspect of the décor.

Size and shape

After the above two, this is the most serious consideration required. The size of the furniture, room, purpose, the décor in mind, the effect sought etc. all determine the size and shape of the cushion one needs to purchase. Beds look fantastic with long bolster cushions along with large accent pillows but sofas and armchairs should possibly have smaller cushions to leave space for a person to settle in and not get tossed on the floor.

Color

The color palette is the next important consideration. Unless you actually wish to create a shocking effect, its best to stick to a color palette of two to three colors to lend a harmonious vibe to the entire décor. Further, it should complement or contrast the color of the furniture so that the overall, appearance and vibe are attractive.

Focal Point

Another major consideration is deciding if the cushions would become the focal point of the décor or whether it would be mixed and matched with varied other pillows in innovative ways to create an interesting aura. This would help you understand exactly what cushions you want and its quantity. You avoid doing impulse shopping and get the exact cushions required for the perfect look.

There are many other factors that can also come in play while selecting cushions like texture, budget, utility etc. Once the right cushions have been selected, it’s easier to arrange them for striking effects.

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