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If you are planning a tile design and are stuck looking for options besides plain tile, one way to add some punch to plain tile or inexpensive tile is to use listellos or other decorative tiles with these tiles. This can be done in many different ways. When thinking about decorative tiles, think of them as the accessory or jewelry to an outfit. They aren’t necessary, but they sure do make the outfit look more stylish, designed and complete!

Below are some of the ways you can use listellos or decorative tiles.

• Decorative band in a shower or tub surround – install a listello at eye level forming a band in a shower or tub surround
• Sink splashes – listellos are often the perfect size to place 1 behind the sink to serve as a sink splash
• Wainscoting – these are not necessary to create a tile wainscoting, just a way to make it look better!
• Framed mirrors – you can either build a mirror with listellos or if the thickness is right, apply them directly to the wall outside the mirror
• Garden tub splashes – this is typically a focal point to begin with – why not make it more of a focal point by adding a decorative band or accent tile?
• Backsplashes – decorative dots or listellos are perfect to give backsplashes some pizazz!
• Area rug – use listellos as borders to create an area rug look
• Counter top liners or borders – install listellos around the perimiter of a countertop to create an outline effect
• Accents – mix decorative tiles in with other tiles as dots, at each corner or scattered randomly

There are endless ways to use listellos and decorative tiles. You can even use 4×4 decorative tiles as coasters! Your imaginiation is the limit when it comes to using decorative tiles and listellos. Have you used a listello or decorative tile in an interesting or unusual way? If so, send us a picture!

Are you interested in new flooring for the holidays?     Did you remember to ask Santa for new floors? Do you want to start off the new year with a new look?

If you did ask Santa for new floors, here are some things to keep in mind when shopping for flooring during and after the holidays.

• New styles are coming out to be shown at the flooring show in Las Vegas after the first of the year. Why not get a new style that no one has seen or bought before? Ask your retailer to show you new styles that have just been introduced.
• What better New Year’s resolution than to give your self and your home a new look? Start off the new year with a new look in your home. Freshening up your home can refresh your attitude!
• You may have a tax refund coming up. Do your homework now for a new flooring purchase when that check comes in.
• Many new flooring selections can add value to your home. We could all use a little added value these days!
• Retailers may be willing to make deals with the state of the economy.
• Retailers may have excess inventory they need to sell by the end of the year. It never hurts to look for a deal!
• If your budget doesn’t permit all new floors this year, consider a new area rug to change the look of the room.

You still have a few days left to put your request into Santa for new floors for your home. Don’t be shy!

Need help finding a place to make your wishlist? For a retailer in your area, click here.

I just discovered a new color game from Pittsburgh Paints that is surprisingly accurate.

It helps you discover your color personality. Every color has an emotional association and you are drawn to colors for various reasons.  Pittsburgh developed the color game to help you based on your 5 senses, your interests and your style. It’s a fun game and there are no right or wrong answers. Just be honest and see what it figures out about you. It was extremely accurate for me! You are supposed to answer the questions with the quickest, strongest instincts. The results lead you to your primary and secondary Harmony Collection color families which are most likely to meet your personal tastes and needs.

Here are the questions you are asked:

Question 1: Choose the room with the color scheme that appeals to you the most

Question 2: Choose 10 random words that appeal to you the most

Question 3: Select 3 colors that are your favorites

Question 4: Choose the picture that is associated with your favorite taste.

Question 5: Choose the picture that is associated with your favorite smell.

Question 6: Choose the picture that is associated with your favorite touch.

Question 7: Choose the picture that is associated with your favorite sight.

Question 8: Choose the sound that appeals to you the most.

Question 9: If a genie granted you two wishes what two qualities would you wish to have to most enhance your life.

Question 10: Which dream vacation would you like to see become a reality.

Question 11: Click your eye color, complexion color, hair color and describe how your friends see you

Then voila! You see the results of your color game! I was leather stone and wood and desert spice.

Play the color game and leave a comment with your results and how accurate they are!

Click here to get started.

Hanging pictures in a room is one of the last and final details of decorating a room that make the whole design scheme come together. Picture placement can tie everything together in a room or if not done properly, it can make a room seem disjointed. Here are a few simple tricks to hanging pictures.

Hang pictures at the right height

Often, people hang pictures too high or think the picture needs to be hung in the center of the wall despite the furniture around it. Pictures should be hung at eye level – unless eye level is for a 7′ tall person! As a general rule, I always tell people to hang a couple of inches lower than they think the picture needs to be hung and it usually turns out great. Sometimes, small intimate areas call for pictures to be hung much lower than eye level. Judge each space separately.

Look at a room as a whole and as smaller areas that make up a whole room

When hanging a group of pictures, think of them as one large picture and hang them accordingly. Don’t worry if you have odd or even numbers of pictures or if all of your frames don’t match. This is an evolved and eclectic look and shows that everything was not purchased at the same time all from the same store!

When hanging small pictures, be sure to hang them in a small “area” rather than one small picture on an entire large wall. Use pictures to fill in spaces like between a lamp and the edge of a high back chair. On the same note, don’t hang a picture that is too large in a small area that could use a smaller picture or a group of small pictures.

Before putting the first nail in the wall

Sometimes it is helpful to place the picture on the floor or lean it against the wall it will be placed on. If hanging multiple pictures, arranging the grouping on the floor will help you with spacing and the overall size of the grouping. If you don’t have room to arrange the pictures on the floor, use craft paper to make templates for the wall. Simply trace the pictures on to the craft paper and cut them out. You can use museum putty or painters tape to attach the templates to the wall.

Measure twice, nail once!

When hanging, don’t measure the frame to determine where the nail goes. Instead, place your hand behind the picture with the wire in the position it will hang and mark the spot with a pencil. This will tell you where the nail needs to go. The nail does not go on the pencil mark, but the bottom of the hook goes at the pencil mark. (unless you have a picture hanger that only requires a nail without a hook)

When you go to place the picture on the wall, place your hand with your palm facing the wall and your hand between the wire and the wall. Feel for the hook with the palm of your hand and place the wire on the hook. This is a lot easier than trying to “catch” the wire on the hook blindly!

Not all pictures have to be hung on the wall. For example, they can lean up against the wall while resting on a mantle. They can sit in an easel (floor or table top style). They can be rested on the shelves of a bookshelf. The possibilities are endless and are different for different room settings.

The key is to judge each space separately and place the right size picture for the space it will sit in as well as the whole room. Keep in mind, too that you can move pictures around from room to room to get an entirely different look without investing more money. The only investment you have is your time and maybe some putty and touch up paint!

Have fun with hanging pictures. Put them in unexpected places. Don’t get stuck in a box and think that only one picture is allowed per wall and it has to reside in the center of the wall. Experiment and see what happens!

Choices Driven by Concern for Economy and Optimism for the Future

What colors are in store for us in 2009? According to Color Marketing Group, the top choices have been influenced by both our concern for the economy and our optimism about the future.

Color Marketing Group, the leading international non-profit association of color design professionals, has been accurately predicting color trends for more than 45 years. CMG predicts more evolution than revolution in color trends for the coming new season.

“We’re finding comfort in colors that are familiar, and yet, at the same time, we’re embracing colors that make us happy — especially as accents,” said executive director, Jaime Stephens. “Everyone’s concerned about the economy, yet the spirit of the country coming together after the election is powerfully reflected in these choices.  Also, the demand for colors and products that reflect an environmentally ‘greener’ world goes way beyond a trend. It’s now ‘a given.’ “

According to CMG, look for these color trends in 2009:

Purple, Purple, Purple! – Emerging as a hot fashion color last fall, purple is not just a fad — it’s an entrenched trend, strongly influenced by the election. (After all, red plus blue equals purple.)  Look for a greyed-out violet that works equally well as an accent or a neutral, as well as redder, plummier purples and bluer-influenced fuchsias in a huge range of products.  Purple is 2009’s “must have” color.

Blue is the New Green – Various greens have symbolized “green living” over the last few years, but in 2009 the “green” environmental message is delivered by the color blue. There are watery blues, sky blues and a whole range of blues that now represent our commitment to living on a greener planet.

Cooled-down, Greyed-out Browns and Greys – Complex neutrals satisfy our urge toward classic colors in an economically challenged time. They also bridge the area between black, which seems harsh, and brown, which doesn’t seem strong enough.

Yellow for Energy – The neutrals may have greyed, but look for lots and lots of bright vivid yellow to give us energy as we re-build the economy.  It’s the stand-out accent color for 2009.

Bright Accents from India, China, and Turkey – The exotic has become the familiar. Oranges, turquoises and teals, reds, and yellows will abound in hues from far-away countries that now seem very near. They are the optimistic touches we crave.

White is now a Business Color – Technology has produced amazing new (and very practical) finishes, which helps explain why white is showing up everywhere, even in corporate board rooms. The contrasts are all in the finishes: matte versus gloss; shine and shimmer on reflective surfaces; textured whites versus smooth — all washable and cleanable. White also represents purity of thought, motive and result – exactly what we want from businesses now.

The Return of the “M” Word – It’s mauve. Remember mauve?  An old color that looks new again, in dusty violet shades, mauve works as an accent but also serves now as a neutral, punched up by those bright Asian accents (orange, turquoise, teal, red, and yellow.)

About Color Marketing Group

Color Marketing Group forecasts color trends up to three years into the future for its members, many of whom must plan ahead for product, space and materials introductions. For more information: www.colormarketing.org.