Right Marble - Granite For Your Home

How To Choose The Right Marble Or Granite For Your Home Many people have decided to use marble or granite in their home interior ideas. These stones have a way of adding a certain beauty to our surroundings. Each with it's own texture and color shades, they have been used in many of our home improvement projects. Even though these stones are beautiful, do we know enough about them to place them in the proper places of our homes? Do we know the differences that are presented from one type of stone to the next? Here we will look at some of these different aspects of each stone. Granite is a hard stone that is very durable. Granite is mostly made up of quartz and mica. This stone is considered to be igneous. The color and texture of the stone is determined the cooling speed and the amount of quartz and mica that are found in each piece of stone.

The pros and cons of granite stone Granite is considered one of the best stones to use in your home. The reasoning behind this lies within the fact that granite is scratch resistant. Other properties of this magnificent stone is that it does not stain, chip or burn. These properties alone, make this one of the most commonly used stones in todays' homes. They have a great color to them and add a nice beauty to the surrounding area. Using granite poses no threats to any problems such as sanitation or health as long as it is cleaned regularly. As for any cons to using granite, there really is not any bad side to using this stone in your home. With the above mentioned properties, it is no wonder that granite is so popular among homeowners.

The pros and cons of marble stone Marble unlike granite is not scratch resistant. As a matter of fact, marble is very easy to scratch. Marble is also very easy to stain. If using marble in your kitchen areas, then you want to be careful as this type of stone is susceptible to burns. Also heat can be a major disadvantage to using marble. Heat can also damage the allure of marble as well as any stains that may be found on this stone. As for pros with using marble, there really isn't any beyond the fact that this stone is great to gaze upon. The smoothness of marble is so remarkable that many famous sculptures have been formed from this magnificent stone.

Child's Room With A Wallpaper Mural Add Some Excitement Into Your

Tired of looking at the same old plain wall? Do you want to do something original that will reflect your tastes and styles? If you answered yes, then why not try decorating that plain old wall with a wallpaper mural? These murals come in a huge variety of themes. There is something for everyone. Wallpaper murals are easy to hang and beautiful to look at. Keep reading to discover all kinds of helpful tips for choosing a wallpaper mural. The best way to shop for wallpaper murals is online. You can visit many different sites to get an excellent idea of the patterns and pictures that they have to offer. Browse through the most popular designs or you can search by category. You can comparison shop by price, material or location. Here are a few other important tips to know before applying this type of wall mural.
* Make sure that you measure the wall that you intend to decorate very carefully so that you have the correct measurements.
* Remove any old wall covering. Wash the wall thoroughly and remove and grease or dirt. You want to start with a clean smooth wall.
* Remove any picture hooks, light fixtures or switch plates.
* Fill any crack and holes with a spackling compound. Sand until smooth.
* Now paint the wall if necessary. The best wall surface for a wall mural is a wall painted with two coats of flat latex paint.
* It is highly advisable that two people work together to hang a wallpaper mural.
* Always inspect the wall mural for defects before hanging.
* Never try to adhere the mural to cinder block, paneling or any other slick wall surface without properly prepping the wall first. If you do, you may end up with peeling wallpaper later down the road. If you don't feel comfortable applying a wallpaper mural by yourself, get a professional wallpaper hanger to do it for you. It may cost you a little bit of money, but the results can be more than worth the price that you pay.

Guidelines on Mold and Mildew Prevention

Having mold and mildew indoors can be a very unsightly sight and they can also be considered health hazards especially for children. Mold and mildew can worsen symptoms of a condition called asthma and in others can cause nasal congestion, coughing and wheezing. Even if you are a healthy individual, chances are that you could also develop an allergic reaction to mold and mildew in the long run. It is very important that we obtain certain actions to keep mold and mildew at bay by pursuing these easy steps. To put off black mold from thriving, use exhaust fans in the bathrooms to get rid of moist air because it encourages mold development. If your basements or cellars are always damp, think about putting in a portable dehumidifier inside. Make sure to patch up leaks without delay, whether they are on the roof, toilet, window or pipe and always dry any perceptible water right away. Mold and mildew can develop on damp settings and rapidly increase to susceptible surfaces such as wood or paper. When you observe or sense damage, then it is likely that you have mold inside the house. Get rid of whatever thing that has mold like your moldy carpet, rugs, other floor coverings and upholstered furniture.

Scour any noticeable mold and mildew on walls or surfaces with a bleach-and-water solution or a commercial mold remover. Keep in mind to make sure the labels of any household cleaner because it is a truth that common cleaning agents have harsh and toxic chemicals that are harmful to man and the environment. There are new cleaning products in the market today that are both safe and very effective for mold removal. Choose one that is made of organic and all natural formulation. Mold removal is safe to do if you have the right mold and mildew cleaner. Your family's well-being must take precedence, so always make certain that your safety comes first and foremost. If mold comes back, as in the cases when ordinary cleaners were used, some call in a professional cleaning service or ask their plumber if they know or can recommend someone. This might prove to be expensive and very time-consuming. But if you have not yet found any traces of mold and mildew indoors, do not wait for them to appear and start taking precautionary measures to prevent it from happening. You must safeguard your dream and live in a house that poses no threat to you and your loved ones. Mold and mildew can be eliminated as long as you are fortified with the right information and tools to aid you if ever mold dares to invade your home.

Asian Decorating Learn to Live Exotic

The best option to beat the summers heat is to buy an air conditioner. You can get highly efficient, environment-friendly air conditioners at affordable prices. This buying guide helps you to choose the air conditioner that suits your need. Portable air conditioners are recommended if you need to move them from one room to another. Their greatest advantage is their simple installation process. Split air conditioners, on the other hand, are better for cooling large rooms. What type of air conditioner is best for you?

Portable Air Conditioners: Portable air conditioners are priced very low. You can move them from one room to the other. They are portable except for an exhaust tube that needs to be fixed to your window sill. This tube disperses the condensed air outside your home. Some portable air conditioners have an internal bucket or a pan that collects the condensed air instead of an exhaust pipe. Installing a portable air conditioner does not require much work. The portable air conditioners are designed to fit windows. This installation is quite simple and only requires some small modifications. Determine the size of your room and the amount of area that needs cooling before choosing a portable air conditioner. If you buy a portable air conditioner with a higher BTU (British Thermal Unit) than the room size requires, the air conditioner will keep switching on and off. This prevents the unit from removing the moisture from the air. Contrarily, if you buy one with less BTU, it will run continuously but will not cool your room adequately. Some portable air conditioners come with caster wheels to make them even more portable.

Split System Air conditioners: Split system air conditioners were initially very expensive, but their prices have come down considerably now. The split system air conditioner looks very sleek and can be mounted anywhere you choose. The size of your room and the number of people occupying the space are the deciding factors when purchasing a split air conditioner. The split air conditioner is steeper in price than the portable model because it costs more to install. A split air conditioner is less noisy and can cool larger areas when compared to portable air conditioners. They also have many extra features like auto timers, remote controls, to name a few.

Decorating Your Kid's Bedroom

Kids have got to be the hardest customers to cater for. Whatever is the latest kids fashion today is old hat tomorrow, couple with this the "must have because my friend has" scenario and you're in for a rocky ride. So how can you give your child the perfect kid's bedroom that will stand the test of time and not be treated with disdain in a few months time. When I was growing up the height of extravagance was a set of bunk beds but times have moved on fast since then. There are endless possibilities when decorating your kid's bedroom, every thing from color scheme, and furniture to soft furnishings can help turn a child's bedroom from a normal bedroom in to a play palace of extraordinary fun. So many little additions can be made to the bedroom when decorating to turn it in to this haven of fun and not all of them have to cost a small fortune. Children love adventures and hiding so why not incorporate a hiding den into the bedroom? This can double as a small area where your child can sit and relax, read and study without being disturbed by other family members. This will give your child a sense of escapism as well as a bit of privacy which all children cherish from time to time.

There are many differing themes available for children's bedrooms, from rescue services to pirates and from army related to truck driver, all these themes have a range of bedroom furniture to go with them For instance why not buy a truck driver bed for your child but instead of leaving it at that why not decorate the bedroom to make it look like the inside of a truck or make it look as though you are looking out of the windscreen of a truck driving down the free way. If you are not so good at decorating you can search on the inter web or in your local phone directory for a home decorator that specializes in decorating children's bedrooms. These guys are experts in their fields and will turn their hands to decorating a room with a mural theme of your choice. If you yourself are a fairly good decorator you can have a go yourself. All you need is the use of an overhead projector and a slide to project on to the wall of the room. When the slide is on the wall all you have to do is draw around the outline of the image and then colour it in using standard paint. This is a very cheap way to jazz up your kids bedroom with very little cost or effort.

A very popular theme at the moment with small kids is an army theme, this is a great look for a boy's bedroom and is quite simple to achieve. For this look there is no real need for any special kid's bedroom furniture. You can create an army style tent bed from a standard single bed by hanging a canopy over the top and then from the ceiling suspend some camouflage cargo netting. All there is to do next is paint the walls in a camouflage style and voila you have an army style bedroom with very little expenditure on kid's bedroom furniture. The possibilities are endless when decorating a child's bedroom.
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Coffee Table Clock Can Make All The Difference To A Room

Within our homes we have pieces of furniture which are purely functional and do not serve any real aesthetic purpose, they are just in our homes to serve a purpose. We don't really think too much about these pieces of furniture and neither do our guests. Sometimes these items of furniture can be quite nice pieces but they might just lack something to set them off, and this thing to set them off doesn't have to be anything too spectacular. Maybe an ornament would do the trick, but cheap ornaments look exactly that, cheap. A bowl of fruit or a water feature is a possibility but they are a bit old hat now. Most of us have a coffee table in our living rooms, these come in many different shapes and sizes but they all have one thing in common, they are pretty plain. One way of brightening up your coffee table is with the addition of a clock. These can be placed in the centre of the table as a feature and can work well to break up the angles of the table. But what coffee table clock is right for your table? If you chose the right clock for your coffee table you can make a really bold statement without too much effort, a stated time piece will make a fantastic difference to a table of any type. Different clocks suit different tables, newer more trendy and fashionable tables are more suited to having a metallic and chrome style coffee table clock on them to accentuate the lines and materials the have gone to make up the table, whereas an older table, perhaps made of wood including pine, teak, mahogany or oak are best suited to a carriage style clock that gives a more regal and stately look to the table.

Ideally you want a clock and table that compliment each other to the degree that they both add something to the appearance of each other. A table that looks nice can bring the best out of a coffee table clock, and the same goes for a nice looking clock. Clocks which have a chime mechanism o them are a nice feature to have on a coffee table clock, these add a certain amount of atmosphere and dignity to a clock and can give a clock the appearance of being a more expensive time piece than it is.

The shape of the coffee table should play a big part in the type of clock that you choose to go for. Coffee tables come in shapes and sizes and it is important that you get a clock that best suits the shape of the table as well as the material that the table is made of. A small domed shaped clock looks rather nice when placed as a centre piece on a medium sized round coffee table. It's important to get the proportion of the clock right against that of the table. A clock that is too large for a coffee table can just give the impression of something that has been placed there waiting to be moved on to somewhere different. It is not that difficult to find a clock to suit your coffee table, clocks are available in many different styles and price brackets.
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Home Decoration For Child's Bedroom Or Play Room

Home Decor For A Child's Bedroom Or Play Room Having a baby is an extremely exciting time for everyone concerned, but where do you start with the nursery? Assuming you know what sex the baby is, then is there really only pink and blues to decorate the room? If you don't know the sex of the baby, can you only use green or creams and neutral colors? There are many things you can do to make your child's nursery unique and a room that the child will grow to love as they grow up in the room. Redecorating a nursery into a toddler's bedroom can seem like a daunting task as well, but fear not, there are many things you can do to make the bedroom or the playroom a room that the children will never want to leave.

A baby's bedroom can be filled with such wonderful colors; it doesn't have to just be pink or blue. What about using fresh colors such as yellows and pale greens for the baby's nursery? These colors can be calming and relaxing as well as stylish and practical. You could paint the walls and add a paper border around the middle with a pattern on to break up the colors in the room. You could use stencils or stickers to change the look of the room. Adding pictures and frames to a wall can really make a babyís nursery look wonderful. You could also use gentle browns or creams in a babyís nursery. Not only are these colors simple and effective they are also neutral; meaning when the baby grows to a toddler, the colors can stay the same and the general theme of the room can change. A toddler's bedroom could be even more complicated than a baby's! Find out what the child loves the most; favorite cartoon, favorite color etc, and decorate around that theme. The walls could stay the same color though; just try changing the things inside the bedroom to give it a new feel. You can now get a huge variety of character bedspreads and curtain sets; a perfect and easy way to change the general feel of the bedroom without doing anything too drastic.

Kids area rugs work well to give them something they want and a place to play on the floor with their toys. And if the rug is colorful and fun, it can also be hung on the wall. This keeps the kids rugs clean, while it's on the wall and makes the room look great. A nice way to go back and forth from wall to floor until it finds it's perfect place in your child's room. Children can be quite fickle at times and their trends change as quickly as their moods. Try and keep the walls a general color and change everything else. Adding ornaments or stickers to the bedroom can change the look and feel of the room at minimum fuss and price. A general rule of thumb where children's bedrooms are concerned is to keep it as general a theme as possible and make the bits and bobs inside the room to a particular person, character and such like. There will be less complications this way and also less stress and effort from you. Try and make the area a relaxing place for the children. Luminous colors are definitely off the chart, you can have vibrant colors, but be careful to not over do the colors. The last thing you want is your child to go to bed and suddenly become less relaxed. Enjoy all the fun you can have with home decor in the nursery and the children's bedroom and playrooms.

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Persian Rugs Stand The Test Of Time

Persia - modern day Iran - was once the most powerful empire in the Middle East, standing at the crossroads of Eastern and Western civilizations. It is known as the home of the original oriental carpet, and they are often generically referred to as "Persian rugs". Having originally been created out of need by nomadic tribes, Persian carpets became treasured heirlooms passed on from one generation to the next. The oldest surviving carpet, the well documented Pazyryk carpet, is over 2000 years old. This carpet was discovered in a Scythian tomb in southern Siberia in the 1940s and has been dated between the fourth and fifth centuries BC. Its weave is of such exceptional quality that carpet weaving of the period must have been a well engineered and highly efficient art.

Weaving flourished to exceptional heights through the Safavid Dynasty (1502-1736), and exports of Persian carpets began in the 16th century. Royal factories were set up, using the finest materials and manufacturing methods. Soon Persian carpets became the envy of the world, and western royal households sought to possess some of the finest examples. Production of carpets in Iran continues today, but whereas there use to be large city workshops, much production these days is more like a cottage industry from smaller villages and towns. The critical thing about a genuine Persian carpet is that it is hand-made. Even with a team working on a carpet, a single item can still take many months, even years, to complete.

Persian carpets are famous for the tremendous variety in design, colour, size, and weave, and as each one is hand-made, for uniqueness. Plants, roots and other natural substances are used to create the dyes used in the carpets, meaning there are subtle variations of the same colour, particularly those woven by nomadic tribes or in older carpets. Carpets have been made from the same materials for centuries: wool, cotton or silk. Sheep's wool is the most common, but goat's wool can also be used. In tribal weaving wool is traditionally used for the foundation, but sometimes cotton or even silk can be used to enable smaller knots to be tied, which allows the manufacturer to create a finer carpet with more intricate designs. In general terms rugs are named after the village, town or district where they are made, or by tribe that weaved them if by nomads. The particular pattern, palette, and weave attributes of each rug are uniquely linked with weaving techniques and culture of its makers.

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Debunking Home Staging Myths

Home staging is a profession that still requires clarification as to just how it benefits home sellers. Calls from home sellers inquiring about my home staging services inevitably turn up a number of misconceptions about just what home staging can do for them. Home Staging is NOT... Expensive - A good stager will be willing and able to work within your budget. Creativity and inventiveness are an integral part of the home stager's job description. A stager should offer sellers the option of either providing the actual staging services or a comprehensive staging report that the home seller can do themselves. A Realtor's Job - Real Estate agents have enough on their plates without the added responsibility of staging their clients' homes. The primary job of the realtor is to market the home, not prepare it for showing! By hiring a professional home stager, you can achieve that vital excellent first impression your home will make after being staged.

For Exclusive Homes Only - It doesn't matter what the price of the home ishome staging can benefit homes in all price ranges. Creating a memorable atmosphere for potential buyers is the ultimate goal of a home stager. Regardless of the value of the home, the home stager will focus on the goal of selling your home quickly and for the highest price possible. A Task For Homeowners - When I make recommendations to my clients regarding what they can do to improve the look of the exterior and interior of their homes, I frequently hear, "That looks so much better!! I never would have thought to do that." When we live in a house for a time, we no longer see the details that make our homes special. It is therefore a challenge for the seller to imagine how to highlight these special features.

Decorating - Decorating an interior is done for those who intend to live in the home for a period of time. Personalizing the interior for day-to-day living is the name of the game. Home staging is for those who intend to move and de-personalizing the home is required in order to maximize the appeal to potential buyers. Just For Model Homes -While staging techniques are very effective in preparing vacant homes for sale, these techniques are just as effective for occupied homes. Working with sellers' furnishings and accessories, home stagers create an appealing environment that will appeal to many buyers. This will hopefully help readers understand what home staging is and what it isn't. If you anticipate selling your home, home staging can make a significant difference in the time your home remains on the market, as well as the price it sells for. For those whose homes have been on the market for a while and a price reduction seems inevitable, call a home stager before you take this step! Keep this in mind: The cost of hiring a stager will be significantly less than taking a reduction in your asking price.

Budget Decorating Interior Decorating Ideas for Small Spaces

Are you looking for some interior decorating ideas that won't break your budget? If so, you will be happy to know that there are plenty of changes you can make in your small space that will help spruce it up without hurting your pocketbook. When it comes to budget decorating, the simplest change you can make is color. With a little paint, you can really open up a space and make it appear brighter and more welcoming. If you want to make your space look bigger, try dabbling in bright colors that will help lighten up the room. If you are looking for a cozy space, on the other hand, keep your colors on the darker side. Either way, a bucket or two of paint won't put too much strain on your budget.

Other budget interior decorating ideas include finding ways to catch the eye of everyone that enters the room. Purchase a few inexpensive frames from the dollar store and put some of your favorite photos inside. Or, purchase some charming posters and put them in the frames and hang them in your space. By doing a little bit of shopping around, you will certainly be able to find a great piece to put in the frame and display in your small space. Just make sure you don't overdo it. Putting too many pictures on your wall will look cluttered and unattractive.

Throw pillows and rugs are also great when it comes to budget decorating. Simply throwing a few pillows on a couch or chair can help you achieve an entirely new color scheme. Yet, you can purchase great throw pillows for less than $20 each and they can be changed out regularly in order to create a fresh and attractive look.

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Key Factors Behind An Excellent And Cheap Interior Design

Cheap and simple ideas for interior designing come in different forms these days. The industry from magazines to TV shows is in attempt teach consumer on designing cheap. These ideas of cheap interior designing would have left the interior designers of past horrified. Interior designing industry has a tremendous change in the past few years for the reason being better accommodation of consumers. Industry always had interior designing as prestige from its early years to mid era of evolution. Due to the fact that average consumers now ask for cost cutting in the designing, hence designing on cheap designs and budget has become the most interested and accepted topic. You also find designers insisting on the style and durability of the design that is identified with the brand name and contents, which again has a relation with the cost factor. Normal people don't share this thinking and hence the number of unpopular in the normal ranks of professionals has increased in the industry.

The key behind the marvelous and excellent rooms that created with the idea of cheap interior designing is better decision making. Spending money on little costly items in the room furniture and doing a cost-cut on smaller accessories or items can save enough money and yet help you to get the same appeal that the branded and expensive one would have given. The point of question that comes in to the mind is though the concept looks simple, alright where do we get such bargain pieces?

Bargain type stores are the best places to start with your hunting for items and ideas for a cheaper interior designing. These stores and items availability in such stores differs with regard to your location. Most of the times, you can find stores that sell little damaged items or bargain bins or store that sell items already used in a part of the cost related with the similar items bought in a store. Never overspend when you buy at these stores. Most of us have the inclination to buy those items in these that are again not good bargains or ones which we might not use. Keeping aside some money is all what counts. Shopping for a long time in such stores would help you get the perfect accessory or items that best fits into your space and lifestyle.

Sometimes bargains for accessories can be found easily when compared to others. When you are particular about an item and are still not able to find it then, try searching for a similar item that can take its place. A creative thinker who has the eagerness overcome the problems with cheap and unusual solutions has abundant ideas for cheap interior designs. Have an open mind for applications and possibilities of furniture. A solution that is pulled-together adds conversation and style part to any room.

Tips To Refurnish Your House Inexpensively

Whether you are starting a brand new phase of life or bored of the same look around, you will definitely want to change the decor of your house. Redecorating the house is easy if you have a specific goal in mind. You should have an idea about how exactly you want the new decor to look. This article will not only give you tips on home redecoration, but also help you achieve your goal within a small budget.

Maybe you have a traditional decor and you want to make it feel more contemporary. Maybe your house is more of a bachelor pad and you feel the need for a more formal ambience. Whatever the case, study each of the rooms in your house and try to understand what is making your rooms look renovation worthy. Is your house too cluttered with many living room furniture pieces? Do you want your home to look formal? Would you prefer a soothing environment in your house or an energizing one? Once you have understood what is wrong with your current decorations and decided exactly how you want the newly decorated house to look, the process of refurnishing will get much easier.

Now you must think about the changes you need in the color settings. Often the simplest and cheapest way of changing the look of the house is to change the wall colors. A boring room can get an instant uplift with a pop of colors. These days you can even get wall colors with beautiful textures that make their own style statement. You may not even need wall decorations if you choose the wall color smartly. As you decide about your color choices and other arrangements for each room, keep a notepad and pen with you and jot down all your preferences. This will keep you from getting confused later. Normally, people get overwhelmed by the myriad choices available in the stores and end up over shooting their budgets while purchasing things they did not want in the first place. Thus, keeping a log of your choice will help you stay focused during your shopping trip.

Indoor Decorating Projects Under $1000

Homeowners don't need to have a big budget to give their home a remodel straight out of the magazines. Any ambitious do-it-yourselfer can have a room looking sleek and chic for under $1000. Remodeling with a budget in mind saves money, and can also increase the resale value of your home.

Painting the interior can change the mood of your house, especially uplifting your spirits during the cold season. Painting your house is a home improvement project that's easy on your budget if you do it yourself. Don't buy the most expensive paint on the market; expensive doesn't necessarily mean good quality paint. An estimate of how much you will spend painting just one room that is approximately 350 square feet will be $50-$200, including necessary supplies of rollers, paint roller tray, duct tape and paint brushes. Other materials such as a drop cloth, paint bucket, or rags are optional. Instead of buying a drop cloth, you can use old blankets that you don't mind getting paint on, or cardboard. Rags can be replaced with old towels or damp paper towels, and paint buckets will only be necessary if you plan to mix paints for faux painting. Remember your price will increase as you add more rooms to your painting plan, and other areas such as trims, windows, doors, etc.

Colour Trends for 2008

Tired of that peeling wallpaper or the faded paint on your walls? Looking for something new, trendy and elegant? Then consider choosing from the top color choices for 2008. The new themes include nature, Asian culture and a touch of classic Hollywood and range from the soft and subtle to the bright and bold.

Back to Nature: Green is the new "neutral." With all the focus around living an eco-friendly lifestyle, it's no surprise that both renovations and decor are embracing the "green" theme – bringing outdoors indoors. The new green choices are more botanical, drawing from sage, pine and moss. The browns are reminiscent of soil, sand and deep rich earth. Other neutral colours found in nature are being embraced as well, such as the beautiful hues found in stones, the beiges found in sand and wood, soft watery sky-blue tones and even the subtle hues found inside of shells. The golden, warm hues of sunrise are also in play. Paint colours include fern greens, warm, red infused browns, tan-tinted yellows, mushroom inspired colours, and gray or brown neutrals with hints of green, pink, yellow and red. These calming colours are great choices for bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms and more open-concept living spaces.

Asian Influence: Think "vibrant" and "spicy." Thanks to the upcoming Olympic games in China, a lot of eastern influence is appearing in 2008's colour palate. Drawing from the strong hues popular in both China and India, expect to see clear reds, strong jade greens and bright yellows. These colours really punch when contrasted with the more environmentally-inspired neutrals. Warm pinks and fuchsias, bright purples, peacock turquoises, pumpkin oranges and gold with hints of green or brown are coming into play. Some of the paint options are not quite as bold as the colours favoured by our Eastern neighbours, but still play on their jewel-like tones?from teal to coffee browns, darker blue-tinged violets to pinkish brick. The brighter end of this Asian-inspired colour palate can really brighten up a kitchen. Or use these vibrant hues as accents in your more neutral rooms. These Bollywood-inspired colours are a new way of infusing new energy into your home.