3 Tips for Decorating Red in Your Home

Jessica Ackerman - During these chilly months, the winter weather is often quite bleak and cold outdoors. However, this doesn't mean that the inside of your home has to look bleak as well. This year, why not spice up your home's look with some exciting touches of red? Not only is red the perfect choice for Valentine's Day decor, but it's also just a great color to add an overall warm and inviting look to your home long after Love Day has passed. Here are 3 tips you can use to help spice up your home with red.

1. Decorate with Hearts

Heart shapes can offer a lot of decorating versatility, not only for Valentine's Day decor but also throughout the rest of the year. Whether you prefer small, frilly and romantic looking hearts or the bold look of large heart shapes, the overall look will be warm and inviting. If you like the look of wooden art, look for pieces that feature a heart motif. For a subtler look, kitchen towels decorated with small red hearts or a wallpaper border featuring red hearts could be just what you need.

2. Go Bold

If you want to give your home a warmer look for winter, try going bold with your color scheme. Darker and bolder colors often work quite well for winter decorating schemes, providing a much-needed touch of contrast against the white snow and bare tree branches outdoors. Red can be a perfect choice to use, especially since there are so many different red shades from which to choose. For example, you might choose a deep burgundy shade to blend nicely with a traditional decorating scheme, or a bright light red shade to add a more contemporary touch.

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Our Eight Hanukkah Favorites

Irwin Weiner ASID - I come from South Africa, as our D2S readers know, and grew up in the small Jewish community in Cape Town. Hanukkah (or Chanukah) was never a big occasion, being a relatively minor religious holiday, but here in the States, it's become an alternative to Christmas festivities - a No Child Left Behind program for the holiday season. I wanted to salute Hanukkah in our daily blog, and you'll find Hanukkah features all over the site - but our editors have found eight fun and insightful ways to celebrate the season this year. Click on each photo or video below to check out their favorite online treasures, including recipes, projects and crafts, holiday information and quizzes, a special event, and Hanukkah decor. 

Hanukkah gift baskets galore from The Sweet Shoppe

There are over 840 pages of Hanukkah decor and crafts on Etsy

How to make a Do-It-Yourself Eco-Friendly Hanukkah Candle

Maurice Sendak picks 33 favorite menorahs for this year's NYC Jewish Museum display 

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Deck Your Halls With Sparkle Aplenty

Janet Ramin - It’s that time of the season to create a holiday wonderland in the home. Here are a few suggestions to brighten up your rooms and your table. 

In our first décor setting, we have what I call the Golden Door – the entrance to a fabulous, luxe-filled ambiance. Gracing our holiday table is the Gold Nest runner and placemats from Z Gallerie. The dinnerware is the very chic black and gold Metropolitan set, also from Z Gallerie. Instead of the usual evergreens, we have the aromatic Golden Clove tree from Horchow, coming in a variety of heights. For pure luxury, we have the Snow Lynx pillow (faux, of course) and the Sparkle pillow, both from West Elm.

For our second décor setting, the Silver Peacock, we turn to the blues and silvers of the winter landscape. To provide instant color and drama to the room, we used several branches of the Ice Spray – made of rough cut crystals - and Peacock feathers from Z Gallerie. All the branches are held in the elegantly curvaceous porcelain Artura Vase from Crate and Barrel.

For our table setting, we have a lacey bowl, the Aqua Nest, designed by Heather Palmer and available from Artful Home. To match the silver décor, we've chosen the hammered Savoy pitcher and shaker from Crate and Barrel. Candlelight is provided in the iridescent Coastal Mosaic hurricane lamps from Pier 1 Imports. And for that something unusual, we have the Aqua Finial from Kirklands, a ceramic sculpture for your holiday table. 

Thanks to the Sheffield School in NYC for permission to reprint this article. Are you interested in learning more about decorating and accessories?  Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design.  At Sheffield, you'll learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories. 

CLICK HERE to see Design2Share's Favorite Holiday Decorating Trends for this year.

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Add a Tropical Touch to Your Home Decor

Jessica Ackerman - While living in a tropical locale may sound appealing, the reality is that most of us are pretty much “stuck” wherever we're planted at right now. And although an escape to a tropical island may be the perfect vacation, we can invariably create that same tropical atmosphere in our own homes with just a few simplistic touches. The tips that follow will allow you to bring a touch of the islands to your home, instantly transporting you to the sands whenever you need a lift!

Wooden Accessories

Decorative accessories crafted from wood or wooden materials like wicker or bamboo look right at home in a tropics-inspired room.  Whether you elect to go for small pieces like mirrors framed in wicker and candle sconces made from bamboo, or for larger items like a wooden wall grille, you can add an authentically beautiful touch to your tropical decor with the use of wood.

Palm Tree Themes

Bringing in touches of palm trees to your room is a wonderful way to bring true tropical style to your space. For example, tree wall sculptures or palm tree wall hangings can be beautifully displayed in a prominent spot in the room to draw the mind’s eye to a palm tree lined beach.  A beautiful tapestry throw draped over the back of a sofa or chair that bears a palm tree motif can add to the visual effect that you are looking to create. 

Tropical Plants and Flowers

Perhaps no theme is better suited to the addition of plants and flowers than the tropical or island inspired theme.  Whether you select a lush potted yucca cane tree that resembles a true coconut palm, or opt for some other plant that is native to your region, you can create a beautiful tropical look with plants.  You might also add a touch of wrought iron decor to your space with a beautiful wrought iron plant stand that oozes island appeal. 

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