Rooster Kitchen Decor to Crow About

May17

Roosting upon the counter top or appearing to peck at salt and pepper shakers, rooster accents bring a sprightly, agrarian flavor to the kitchen. The natural versatility of these dignified creatures means never being locked into one theme; use rooster decor to cultivate a country galley now and a vintage breakfast nook later.

The red hues intrinsic to rooster decor are also known to stimulate appetite, as in the Avignon Rooster Kitchen Canister Set. A burgundy background flecked with scrolls offsets the cream-and-black roosters and will get your guests hungry. Rooster finials guard the canister lids, which are made airtight to preserve freshness.

Avignon Rooster Canister Set

In the home, roosters are symbolic of a prosperous harvest and an abundance of food. Roosters and chickens in kitchen decor can often be found perched atop a mound of fresh crops or eggs. The Rooster Medley Paper Towel Holder makes playful use of this trope by creating an “overflow” effect; the fruits and vegetables proliferate from the base to the finial, appearing to fill even the inside of the paper towel roll. In anticipation of a triumphant crow, the rooster cranes his strong neck backward. The porous texture of his waddle and comb give this paper towel holder a startling edge of realism.

Rooster Medley Paper Towel Holder

Rustic charm is another inseparable element of rooster iconography. With provincial villas settled in the background, four roosters strut their way across the inky scrolls and whirling italics of the Italia Rooster Wall Art Set. Their plumage is rendered in artful brushstrokes, while green and brown borders highlight the natural pigments of their feathers. Each is an individual, with a regal arrangement of tail feathers and a sleek, proud chest. The pride of these lovely animals is yours when you create your own rooster kitchen!

Italia Rooster Wall Art Set

French Country Bedding – Perfectly Pastoral!

May10

Écoute! It’s time for a lesson in French—French country decor, that is! A pastoral yet elegant decorating style, French country decor is characterized by its vintage accents and emblematic color schemes. You can preen a bedroom to Parisian perfection with French country bedding. Floral patterns and primary colors offset by timeworn neutrals make for a beautiful, rustic bedspread.

Named for a French country manor, the Chateau bedspread is a rubicund palette of red, blue, green, and off-white. Its sister, the Chalet, receives its moniker from the Alpine cottage with a wide, sloping roof built to divert heavy snows. Appropriately, an arctic assortment of blue, cream, tan, indigo, and off-white tinges this bedding. Both are dappled with an allover vertical diamond pattern, and the vermicelli quilting provides a distinctly provincial look. Spanning the off-white bands at the top and along the bottom edges, a parade of flowers ties in the flourishing fields of the French countryside.

Chateau Rouge and Chalet Bleu are cultured without being too frou-frou or fussy. Gusseted, split corners keep them compact and low-key, but the Old World patterns and pleasing colors are what lend these bedspreads their quaint appeal.

Whether it is charmingly pastoral or luxuriously opulent, French bedding will awaken your bedroom and give it a fresh new look.

 

Embark on a Tropical Decorating Adventure

May3

The tropical decor theme bursts with all the vivacious mystique of the rain forest—and you won’t even have to break out the machete! With a few choice accents, you can replicate the lush embrace of the forest canopy right under your own roof:

1. Color: To the surprise of no one, the dominant theme pigment here is green. Get creative and invoke cool, jungly shadows with muted greens like olive or sage. More saturated greens are reminiscent of sunbeams trickling through vivid leaves. Neutrals like ivory, beige, khaki, mocha, and brown can temper brighter, “floral” pops of color; think corals, reds, russets, oranges, and yellows.

The Bali Palm Tropical Bedding, with its succinct color scheme of green, copper, and beige, introduces a streak of balmy elegance into the bedroom. Binding the edges of the comforter and shams, the twist cording resembles forest vines.

Bali Palm Comforter Set

2. Balance: Like an ecosystem, your decor should maintain some semblance of balance and order. You can mitigate the often vibrant prints of the tropical theme with casual, island-inspired furniture. The Leikela Dining Set is leather-wrapped rattan, a texture that exudes easygoing appeal. The warm pecan stain is coated in a glossy finish, and the Wailea Coast print features green fronds feathering a black background. Touches of red provide interest.

Leikela Round Table with Caster Chairs Set of Five

3. Your Tropical Vision: A careful arrangement of home accents will refine your tropical vision. Fewer colors and simpler designs make for a neat, minimalist look. Tropical candleholders and wall mirrors can be combined to fashion an inviting foyer. But if you really want a bold and refreshing look, go for a colorful wall sculpture, like Caribbean Sunset. Molten orange is offset by placid blue in this sultry sculpture, its silhouette free-form and loose, its palm trees languid and curvaceous.

Caribbean Sunset Wall Sculpture

Laid-back though it is, tropical decor seizes attention in a way more conventional decorating styles cannot. The tropical theme arms the bold decorator with lively patterns and bright colors and sends him or her marching into the undergrowth. To what end? No one is quite sure. But the reward for those with an adventurous heart has always been great.

Make a Grand Entrance to Your Home

Apr26

A common welcome mat might get the job done, but why not give newcomers a little taste of grandeur? Add a dash of gravitas to your front entry with one of these robust relics, and you’ll have every onlooker longing to see what’s inside…

1. Entryway Accents: These statuesque elements look stately when positioned near or on either side of the doorway. As though plucked from the mouth of some forgotten temple, the Lions at Guard Sculptures harbor an ancient knowledge in their steady gaze and noble profiles. Taut tendons and rippling musculature give these stoic beasts an air of realism, while their weathered sand finishes convey quiet impact.

Lions at Guard Sculpture Pair

2. Doormats and Stair Treads: For drama felt in every footfall, outfit your entryway with stair treads and doormats. The recycled rubber Tuscany Stair Treads and Doormats are platforms of cobblestone fringed by cool-toned pebbles. Ascending your front steps or pooling outward from the threshold, these treads and mats beckon all into the arid reaches of your own Tuscan villa.

3. Address Plaques: Those standard black digits might whimper your house number into the streets, but the LaRoyal House Number Plaques will brandish your address with finesse. The bronze- or black-finished base is an ornate backdrop of twining scrolls. Raised gold or silver numbers display your house number. For weather and tarnish resistance, all plaques are finished with a protective powder coat.

4. Planters and Plant Stands: Perfect for displaying greenery, planters and plant stands give entryways a natural flourish. The Classic Roman Column Pedestal is antiquated and stately, alluring to time-honored architecture. With its scrolling volutes and ornate leaves, the ornamentation on this ionic column echoes the lush florals with which you will crown it.

All of these and more are the items necessary to spark a theatrical presence right at your front door. The outdoor area is an extension of your inner living space, a preview of sights soon to behold. So, tantalize your visitors. Make their every entrance a grand entrance.

Crown Your Bedroom with a Wall Teester

Apr19

With a coordinating wall teester or bed crown, you can revel under a sumptuous canopy of curtains or appreciate the “waterfall effect” from afar. Wall teesters are stately accents from which curtains or scarves can be suspended, resulting in an elegant look as they part around the headboard to sweep the floor. A curtain rail just behind the bed crown allows for easy and discreet hanging. The bed crown, true to its name, gives the bedroom a royal impact that just can’t be imitated with any other accent.

For those attempting to coordinate with a classical or Old World theme, the unfurling plumage and antique ivory finish of the Natasha Wall Teester create the appearance of a timeworn heirloom. A leafy medallion fans out elegantly in the center, while a bouquet of acanthus scrolls grows rampant on either side.

The Teagan Wall Teester is a trim and sleek counterpart to Natasha, with metal swirls sweeping like wild vines. Golden-bronze wisps of fleurs and leaves burst at the end of each scroll, and the verdi bronze finish with gray wash is reminiscent of a sculpture burnished by many years.

P227TeaganTeester

After considering which wall teester will best complement your decor, you’ll need to select panels. The panels should be at least 84 inches in length and will look magnificent if you can tie the pattern or color into the bedspread. You might need longer panels depending on the height at which you mount the teester and whether you want the fabric to pool on the floor.

However you dress up your wall teester, mount it proudly above your headboard and watch your bedroom transform into an opulent palace.

Outdoor Curtains for Your Home Paradise

Apr12

Crossing from the air-conditioned currents of your house and into the humid world outside is always a little dizzying. But outdoor curtains hung strategically over the exit make the perfect tropical transition, signaling to guests and family their eminent entry into an outdoor paradise of your own creation!

Sheer outdoor curtains deter the curious, over-the-fence-glance while still admitting sunlight and airflow. The Escape and Biscayne Sheer Outdoor Curtain Panels will make a breezy enclosure out of your pergola. A translucent waterfall of decadent fan leaves, the Biscayne panels invoke images of paradise. The solid sheer Escape panels, on the other hand, can coordinate with the patterned Biscayne to create visual interest. Exempting freezing weather, both grommet top panels are well-suited for the outdoors in most seasons. If they happen to get dirty (as outdoor items are wont to do), they are machine washable.

 

Sheer curtains may provide adequate privacy, but perhaps your idea of an outdoor paradise is more like a deserted island? The tab-top Matine Outdoor Curtain Panels are a “solid choice” for those wanting to create an isolated getaway safe from prying eyes. Solid hues of blue, green, pearl, natural, and white make coordinating with other outdoor elements a breeze. To diminish sunlight, choose darker colors; lighter colors will permit more natural light.

The Natural Bamboo Outdoor Curtain Panels are recommended for a covered porch or patio and look particularly tropical. The fibrous texture complements woven outdoor furniture, and the espresso color blends well with surrounding, earthy pigments. This window treatment should not be exposed to harsh elements. A damp cloth and a soft brush will make quick work of any dirt.

Last is the Outdoor Duo Tension Rod Set, the ideal hardware for a covered patio or porch. The espresso and nickel finishes, as well as the vast range of available sizes, will assure a perfect fit for every window treatment. The set includes an adjustable rod, end caps, and hanging hardware. Like the Natural Bamboo Panels, this Tension Rod Set should not be exposed to harsh elements.

Gazebos and decks, patios and pergolas, even balconies can all be transformed by the simple addition of outdoor curtains. Think of them as the finishing touches on an otherwise perfect space—the little paper umbrella in a glass of lemonade!

Spruce Up Your Outdoor Entryway

Mar28

With frost-pale lawns and haggard, empty trees becoming less and less of a common occurrence, the time has come to cast off the melting vestige of winter and turn our sights to spring. The entire world is waking from the somnolent lull of the cold, and as we stumble into the bracing sunshine, we take a look around and realize our outdoor areas need a little help starting the spring transition. And why not? Warm weather means more time spent outdoors; neighbors and guests and family alike need an aesthetic space to enjoy the renewed birdsong or to watch the flowers grow.

A good place to start is right at your front door. Trade the worn “Welcome” mat for something more vibrant but equally amicable. The Tuscany Slice Doormat looks as though it were carved from the bed of a gentle brook. A hardy cobble of stones forms the heart of this rubber doormat, while the outside is ringed by multicolored pebbles. Utilizing this same design, the Tuscany Rubber Stair Treads fit evenly over each step to provide a fragmentary display of beauty.

Surrounded by your rough plaster walls teeming with vines or a sunbaked patio littered with terra-cotta pots, the Tuscany Doormat and Stair Treads are the finishing touches on your own sunny villa. Made in the USA from recycled rubber, these doormats and stair treads are also eco-friendly, assuring many mild and enjoyable springs on our planet to come.