There was a time when you could only afford the luxury of a game room if you had a basement, and that usually meant a couch and a billiard table. However, in this age of technology the game room most likely will have a big screen TV and a game console with lots of video games. Few will still have a billiard table. One reason is because most rooms are not as big as a basement and a billiard table would take most of the space available.

Since this should be a family room, or a room for you and your friends to get together for fun, why not add a game table you can use to play board games, and perhaps a soccer table, or an air hockey game table.  These won’t take up as much room as a pool table.  If it’s in your budget, a jukebox can add to the fun and atmosphere!

What is the best way to decorate this room? What colors should you use? What about wallpaper? Below are some ideas you may want to consider.

First, be sure to use bright colors. Stay away from dark colors – no one wants to play in a dark room. Use “fun” colors such as light green, light yellow, and light orange, but try to only use the orange as an accent color.  You should not paint an entire wall orange. Bright colors will raise the excitement level in the room, whereas dark colors will only bring gloom to the room.

In addition to painting the game room a bright color, you may want to add a colorful border as well.  There are so many patterns to choose from!  If the theme of your game room is geared more towards board games or card games, find a border with graphics of tables, chairs, or maybe poker cards.  If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, then look for borders that represent fun, excitement and celebrations. You should also try to have borders that appeal to both sexes. Keep that in mind with the colors as well. In other words, try to stay away from colors such as pink.

If the game room allows it, try to section off the room so that your friends and family can easily move from one area of the room to the other. For example, you may want to designate one area of the room as the card and/or board game area and place the table in that section of the room.  The other area of the room could be designated as the TV area.  Here, you can play video games or watch the Super Bowl or other sports games. If possible, try to have something for everyone.

As mentioned above, if it’s within your budget, a jukebox can really add to the fun.  You can also use a stereo (perhaps with surround sound?) to add music to the room. Another great item is a karaoke machine.  Be sure to have lots of sing-along lyrics, not only for the kids, but for the adults as well!

Consider holding a “Decorate the Game Room” party. Invite your friends and family and get them involved choosing colors, borders, games, music, etc.  Together you can make this the best room in the house!

Materials And Ornaments For Careful Finishes

On secretaries and tables, a common ornament of this description of furniture, is a column of mahogany, with a capital and base of bronze (either gilt, part gilt, or green), in the form of the head of a sphinx with the foot of an animal; console tables are supported by sphinxes and griffins; and candelabra and wall brackets for candles have winged figures of females, stiff in modeling and constrained in attitude, but almost invariably of good material with careful finish.

The bas-reliefs in metal which ornament the panels of the friezes of cabinets, or the marble bases of clocks, are either reproductions of mythological subjects from old Italian gems and seals, or represent the battles of the Emperor, in which Napoleon is portrayed as a Roman general. There was plenty of room to replace so much that had disappeared during the Revolution, and a vast quantity of decorative furniture was made during the few years which elapsed before the disaster of Waterloo caused the disappearance of a power which had been almost meteoric in its career.

What Books To Consult

The best authority on Empire Furniture is the book of designs, published in 1809 by the architects Percier and Fontaine, which is the more valuable as a work of reference, from the fact that every design represented was actually carried out, and is not a mere exercise of fancy, as is the case with many such books. In the preface the authors modestly state that they are entirely indebted to the antique for the reproduction of the different ornaments; and the originals, from which some of the designs were taken,are still preserved in a fragmentary form in the Museum of the Vatican.

Classic Designs And Ideas

An arm chair and a stool, together with that of the tripod table which are favorable examples of the richly-mounted and more decorative furniture of this style. While they are not free from the stiffness and constraint which are inseparable from classic designs as applied to furniture, the rich color of the mahogany, the high finish and good gilding of the bronze mounts, and the costly silk with which they are covered, render them attractive and give them a value of their own. By reading the books proposed above you definitely can break the look of the interior design of your house, and will learn how to include empire furniture into home decorating ideas and plans.

Before you go out and buy lights to hang on everything not moving, let me give you some tips first.

Here are my dos and donts for using Holiday Lights.

1) Do pick a theme for your decor, like all white lights or blue or red. This will make more of an impact and ads some design style. No offense to the multi-color lovers out there. That is a different look all together that is equally charming. Those people might use jewel tones for candles and ornaments to add to the colorful scene.

2) Do not use different light sets together. Some people mix up their old and new lighting and I don’t like to see this. When you are dealing with electricity, even this low voltage type, you need to think about fire safety. Before you string up the lights outdoors and indoors, maybe you can take your kids or a small group of kids to your local firehouse to teach them some things about fire safety. This time of year is high on the list for fires caused by dried live trees lit up with faulty lighting. Call the fire house first to see when they could give you the tour and talk to your group. Then, throw out those old lights and buy them all from one place. GKI Bethlehem Lighting is my favorite if you can find them, but GE or another brand name would be a safe bet too.

3) Do wrap the lights loose around the branches or railings. Some times lighting gets too tight and can cause those blackouts in the strands we hate to see. One tip is to string your lights while they are on. Yes, this is not a hazard unless you get a call or a visitor. In that case, turn them off until you can get back to decorating. This keeps them cool and you can be sure to see any outages before you finish decorating. Once all the lights are in, then add the BLING!

4) Do not plug in more than 4 to 6 light strands together. Most companies will tell you on the packaging how many lights can snap together without over loading the little fuses. You may want to get extra bulbs and fuses when you are at the store, they never have them after the season is underway. If you think you will need extra, buy them all together when you get the big sale price. Yes, they may knock off another $2 later, but please save your self some headache and time…buy them now. You will spend more in time and gas going back for more lights, trust me. 100 count light sets, you can bet no more than 5 linked together. 25 and 50 count, I would make sure no more than 6 together. From my experience, and I have seen my share of Macy’s decorating, you can use the 6 ft and 8 ft extension cords to add more lights. The cords are easily hidden. No one will see it and you can be sure the lights will stay on and not blow a circuit or a fuse. You can also use black electrical tape to make sure the connections are safe and secure. This is a good husband job, they love hanging the lights. You can come back with your ornaments and glitter flowers when he’s done.

5) Do not over load your outlets. If you have any questions, electricians don’t mind a short consultation to let you know how to wire your Holiday decor. Better safe than sorry when you are lighting up like an airport outdoors. There are decorating companies that can help you and they know exactly how to wire everything safely.

6) Do have fun with your kids or friends in this process. Many times I have invited people over for drinks, music and games when we decorate for the Holidays. Make it an event to remember. They lights are great and all, but sharing memories with loved ones is priceless. That’s why we really have these Holidays anyway, right? There are religious events all through this season, but lets not forget the message of those celebrations. Peace! Joy! Love!

7) Do send me pictures, I would love to see your design work. If you get into a tough spot, I am available through email or a phone call. Ask all the questions you like, I am ready to help you. If you live in New York and don’t have the time to decorate, call me. Tell me what color you want and how you want it to look. My team and I will have you Decked Out in a Flash. Then you can enjoy your party and lavish in all the compliments when the music is rocking.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Old plates don’t have to be thrown away or be kept inside a stock room. There are several ways on how to use them as wall decors by following these creative ideas:

Using a plate hanger

A plate hanger holds the plate in place when hanging it on the wall using nails. If you want, you can arrange them on your headboard or cupboard creating an elegant effect. They may come in groups of three or more to create an appealing look. One thing to consider when hanging a plate decor is to make sure it compliments well with the other details in the house. The colors as well as the theme are important factors to take into account.

Mounting on wall as decor

A nice way of converting old plates into decorative ideas is to mount them on walls either in random or with arrangement. See to it that the plate designs go well with the interior fixture. You can also mix and match different sizes and designs to have a contemporary result.

Vandalizing the plates with creative quotes

Sometimes vandalism is not destructive at all as long as it is done creatively to come up with an art craft. This depends on your style of course. Quotes, messages or abstract drawings may be reflected on the plates, so that they can be displayed as decors.

Converting it into a wall clock

Old plates can be recycled into a wall clock. You just need to drill a small hole at the center to hold the long and short hands of the clock in place.

Transforming broken plates into mosaic crafts

Fragments from colored pots can be pasted on an old plate to create a mosaic. Once done, you are now ready to display them as wall decors.

Utilizing as wall border

In lieu of wallpaper border, smaller plates like dessert or salad plates can be used as substitutes. The eclectic appearance produces an exceptional impact on the wall.