Home Decorating Tips

Pets and Furniture

Anyone who brings a new puppy home and doesn't expect there to be a little bit of chewing going on has never been around a puppy. Young dogs have young teeth and they simply need to break them in. To do so, they chew – and chew and chew. This doesn't mean it's necessary to write off the kitchen table or 10 pairs of shoes, however. There are things puppy owners can do to discourage them from chewing on what they shouldn't be biting.

Ideas for helping a puppy chew where he should include:

• Chew toys. These wonderful little creations are meant to ensure a new puppy has something that's his or hers to chew on at will. Since chewing behavior is about as normal for a puppy as breathing is, this is a great way to embrace it. Encourage the puppy to chew on its toy. Make it a desired play object. Remember when picking out chew toys, however, it's not a good idea to get those that resemble objects they're not allowed to chew on. Encouraging a puppy to chew on an old shoe might just result in a closet full of them getting destroyed down the road, for example.
• Positive reinforcement. Chew toys alone don't always do the trick. Sometimes it's necessary to add some positive and negative reinforcements to the mix. As stated above, reward the puppy for behaving well and scold him for doing something he shouldn't.
• Sprays. There are some scented sprays that can be used to discourage a puppy from chewing on particular objects. They can work well on couches, table legs, chairs, and other items.
• Cut off access. If training is still under way, make sure you take responsibility for what the puppy can or cannot chew. Close bedroom and closet doors, pick up shoes and so on. When you're not home, consider crating the puppy with a comfortable crate pad to make sure he doesn't have access to things he shouldn't.

Home Bedroom Decor and Compromise

Everyone has their own opinions and taste, especially when it comes to art, color, and design. Because each individual has his or her own idea of what will look best in a particular application, coming to an agreement with your spouse, significant other, or roommate regarding home and bedroom furniture décor can be a difficult task. However, there are ways to compromise that will make the task less difficult and more enjoyable for both of you.

First of all, each party should have his or her own space – a study, a library, or separate bathrooms – where each person can express him- or herself without any kind of compromise to a unique design or style that is pleasing to their own senses. This means that, regardless of how much you may despise avocado colored towels and pink floral wall paper, the cohabitant has every right to decorate that one bathroom with those designs, should that be his or her preference. It also means that your one room in the house need not conform to the preferences of your cohabitant. In these rooms, the two of you have separate free reign.

In shared rooms of the house or apartment, your home décor may not be exactly what you want but won’t be your partner’s ideal design either. The décor will be a compromise of the two tastes. For example, you may like classical, Baroque style traditional wood beds with intricate carvings into immense pieces of wood. On the other hand, your roommate or spouse may prefer minimalist designs, much like the Japanese culture, where in traditional households you’ll find precious little furniture, all of which is straight forward containing little detail. Certainly you could settle on something that caters a bit to both needs for living room furniture.

In some areas of the house, it may seem like a given that one or the other of you makes the majority of the decisions. Take into account the kitchen; if you are the only one who ever cooks and your roommate or significant other can barely boil water, then you are the likely candidate to choose the décor for the kitchen.

Home decoration is about compromise when there are multiple residents sharing the same location. While you will not always be in agreement (and sometimes, rarely or NEVER agree) as to what style, color, or décor type is the best and most appropriate for a living room or bedroom furniture design, you can agree to disagree and compromise on the design in shared spaces while maintaining individuality in personal space.

Design Tips:

1. Good design continues to focus on comfort and style but things are less matched. That is, rooms are done in a combination of styles, Warm Contemporary mixed with Urban, Tuscan accents with Warm Contemporary lines and colors. At Mueller Furniture, our staff members have years of experience in the furniture and decorating world. Our expertise can help you make that idea in your head a reality in your home.
2. You can never go wrong with the classics. Trends come and go but classics are timeless, invest your money wisely when it comes to your home, even if you're just starting out in life.
3. Make your house fly off the market. Clients want help with remodeling projects - which of course includes redecorating - as a way of boosting the salability of their homes in a softening market.

Choosing a Style for Your Home Furnishings

Your home should always be an extension of you, mirroring your personality and style preferences. When you are decorating your home, it should reflect who you are and what you want people to know about you.

If you like contemporary design, you are in luck because this is often the most inexpensive way to furnish a home. Contemporary furniture and decorations are often quite minimalistic, meaning you don’t need to be extravagant in the number of pieces you incorporate into a room. This type of design is about functionality rather than flamboyance, and it can save you a lot of money that would otherwise be spent on expensive antiques. Also, contemporary design furnishings are often made out of less luxurious materials. Don’t mistake this for cheap – you can still find Italian leather covered sofas with a contemporary twist that could cost a bundle.

If you are a decor lover of classical furniture, indulging in the sizable furnishings of the Edwardian period or the intricate designs and luxurious linens of the Victorian period, there is still hope for saving money. Rather than spending fortunes on antiques for your home décor, perhaps you should consider decorating your home in faux antiques. Many of the more modern furniture distributors have begun to distress even the contemporary furniture they sell in an effort to have it appear used and loved in lieu of the crisp, new look.

This is true of every style you could hope for in your home, from neo-classical to Bohemian to Feng Shui. Pick out the style you love and start piecing together the designs, room by room, at affordable prices. You’ll be thrilled with the outcome, both stylistically and financially