So it’s time to decorate your child’s room or nursery, but how much of a commitment do you want to make to your decor? There are three basic levels of commitment when it comes to wall art for kids’ rooms: quick and inexpensive, affordable do-it-yourself or custom artwork, it is up to you to decide which level is right for you and your family.

One quick and relatively inexpensive option that is becoming quite popular and common is vinyl stickers. Wall Candy Arts produces a line of innovative removable peel-and-stick vinyl stickers for kids’ room walls. They offer a range of fun kids’ themes, and the designs are colorful and modern. Stickers are affordable, easy to install and best of all, removable for those looking for a great looking quick “fix” and a low level of commitment. Prices start under $50 and vary based on the type and number of stickers you want to use.

The second option caters to the do-it-yourselfer who wants to do something fun, unique and special with wall art at an affordable price. Bug on a Wall offers a catalog of paint-by-number patterns in a variety of sizes. Colors can be chosen to match existing or new bedding and you can decide how much time and wall space to commit. When it is time to change the decor again, simply paint over your mural and you are ready for a fresh start. Mural patterns can also be used to paint on a pre-mounted canvas to create a hand-painted, personalized keepsake. Prices start at $20 for a small pattern and vary on up based on the number of patterns you decide to paint and the materials you have on hand.

The third option is hiring a custom mural artist to work with you to create an original hand-painted design. Most mural artists are happy to create whatever you (or your child) can dream up, and will provide room decor that will be a cherished part of your home for years to come. Grechen Spottke is a mural artist in the Minneapolis area doing beautiful hand-painted kids’ rooms, or you can find an artist in your area at Home Blue. Prices for custom art by a muralist vary based on size and detail of the design, but range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.

Brenda Skeel – Designer, Bug on a Wall

When deciding how to decorate, keep your kids’ tastes and your family lifestyle in mind and be sure to have fun creating a space your children will always remember. For more information contact:

wallcandyarts.com Wall Candy Arts

bugonawall.com Bug on a Wall

muralsbygrechen.com Grechen Spottke

Are you comfortable with your bedroom furniture? Do you feel that it can last you another ten years, but see that the colors are fading or that the surroundings are less than satisfactory for the 21st century? How can you update the furniture and bedroom decor in your home so that it brings you into the modern era without doing away with all of your classic objects? Here are a few places you can start to maintain your style and still make it appear more modern.

Start Small.

Don’t ditch your furniture or knock out walls. Start with small changes. For example, you can update a room by simply adding a few accents, such as a throw rug to bring more color into a room full of earth tones. Pastels and earth tones are very classic colors, and adding splashes of bright reds, golds, greens, and blues can update the area without getting rid of the furniture style. To bring the room together, add matching throw pillows so that the splash of color carries over to the couch or bed (depending on the room).

Stop Thinking Big.

Classic style doesn’t have to mean huge and imposing furniture, and it certainly doesn’t have to include expensive antiques. Go to a modern furniture store and choose a design that mimics the old Victorian bed your grandmother had but is much smaller in size. Remember, the original designers of classical furniture were often working with much larger rooms than you’ll find in a home now, and trying to stuff furniture this size into a single room will make it feel cramped or even be difficult to maneuver in. Also, faux antiques can look very real without costing a great deal of money.

Look for the Design.

Rather than looking for furniture that matches the original classic style that you like, shift your focus to what it is about that style that pleases you. For instance, do you like your classic couch and loveseat because of the size of the units, or is it the design on the material? Perhaps you like the material itself, or you like the intricate carving on the wood of the arms of the unit. Whatever it is that you particularly enjoy, you can most likely find that element implemented into a more modern design. You can do the same when it comes to window dressings, kitchen hardware, and restroom accessories.

Learn to Compromise.

You may not find exactly what you are looking for when you go shopping for new décor or furniture because you have the idea in your head that you must have a specific color and style. If you find something pleasant that is a shade off, this can still be a good addition. As an alternative, you could always recover the furniture or sand and refinish any wood. If you can’t seem to find furniture you can easily locate other elements to update your room without giving up your clearly classic sense of style.

Ben Weissman writes articles on Wrought Iron Beds, home-and-bedroom.com/shop-by-manufacturer-kathy-ireland.html Contemporary Bedroom Furniture and Interior Design. You’ll find more Decorating Ideas at home-and-bedroom.com/ho.html Home-and-Bedroom.com. Make your bedroom into a personal retreat!

Building outdoor kitchens is all the rage and if you haven’t already built one, I’m sure you’ve got an outdoor kitchen plan for your home. And why not upgrade your backyard to be the hot spot on the block for entertaining and relaxing.

Outdoor kitchens increase your living space adding tremendous value and appeal to your home. That’s why building outdoor kitchens is the second most popular remodeling project after indoor kitchens.

However, building a great outdoor kitchen is a complex project.

You can certainly enjoy your backyard and grill up some tasty BBQ on any charcoal or gas grill, but to truly bring your kitchen outdoors requires significant planning, skill and expertise. This project is not a do-it-yourselfer.

Here’s what you’ll need to consider:

Your basic outdoor kitchen set-up will include a built-in barbeque grill, countertop, sink, refrigerator, outdoor kitchen cabinets and cozy outdoor furniture or barstools for yourself and all your guests to kick back.

The barbecue grills on the market today offer so many bells and whistles shop around to determine how much grill you want.

Next, the type of

When you are out to purchase a stainless steel gas grill it would be a good idea to carry a magnet along. The magnet will not stick to good quality stainless steel. If the magnet sticks to a surface then you can be sure that it will succumb to rust before long.

It is also advisable to check the quality of the grates. If the gates bend to the touch, it is likely that they are not going to hold up to heavy cooking for long.

Long time users recommend units that have a “quick connect” device at the container valve outlet. Another feature that adds great convenience is an automatic thermal shut off device. This will ensure that food doesn’t get burnt due to the user’s inattention.

A high pressure system shut off regulator will be very useful. It is essential to check for the mark of a nationally recognized testing laboratory to make sure that this is standard, regulation equipment.

You can approach a manufacturer directly if you are interested in getting a gas grill custom made to your specifications. However, if you are planning to go in for a standard model it is wiser to approach a dealer who stocks gas grills made by different manufacturers. This will give you a very good idea of what all is available on the market. You will also be able to compare prices and features of different models. This kind of a comparison helps tremendously in taking a buying decision.

Do keep your needs in mind before setting out to decide on a gas grill. It is very easy to get carried away by the charm of various attractive features that gas grills have nowadays. Remember each feature and accessory adds to the price. So carefully choose each one as per your need.

Read the owner’s manual as carefully as possible before purchase. Find out about maintenance requirements. You do not want to be saddled with something that you have no time to care for.

e-GasGrills.com Gas Grills provides detailed information on Gas Grills, Outdoor Gas Grills, Natural Gas Grills, Portable Gas Grills and more. Gas Grills is affiliated with Grills-Web.com Barbecue Grills.