Perhaps one of the easiest ways to update your home decor is through the use of a fresh new color palette. In 2012, the green and gray color palette is popping up everywhere from home accessories and decor to the fashion runway. Here are a few tips and tricks on how to update your home with green and gray home accessories and decor items.

Shades of Green

When looking for the right tone of green, there are two ways you can go that are particularly trendy in the home decor world. First, jewel tones have been popular in the past few months and will likely continue to be popular throughout the rest of 2012. With that in mind, emerald green and citrine green are both perfect hues that compliment the gray and green color scheme.

On the other hand, you can stray away from jewel tones toward more refreshing tones of green for your home decor. This includes mossy greens, grass greens, forest and foliage greens and so forth.

Shades of Gray

With gray, you can’t go wrong. Gray is the new neutral to hit the scene, so the home decor world is currently overwhelmed with a wide array of colors that are being deemed as ‘trendy.’ Shades of gray to consider include charcoal, slate, soft light gray, brown gray or blue gray. You will find that gray can also have warm or cool undertones, so take your chosen shade of green into consideration and mix and match with grays until you find the right hue to compliment the look.

With this color scheme, don’t be afraid to add in a third color to the mix to help keep things lively. White is a great choice, though a brown, yellow or blue can also compliment this color scheme.

Home Accessories and Decor

Apothecary jars are continuing to be popular through 2012. For this particular color scheme, opt for clear jars or jars that feature a blue or green tint. Apothecary jars come in a variety of sizes and shapes, so you can find one to compliment your scheme. Plus, apothecary jars make great table decor and you can fill them with other objects to create additional visual interest in the space.

Other table decor ideas include matte ceramics, which are also very trendy this year. White and yellows, greens and blues are all great choices; as well as hammered metal bowls, wood bowls and so forth.

For wall art, things could be a bit more tricky. However, whenever you’re choosing wall art, you should opt for pieces that compliment your space but also pieces that you enjoy looking at. If you don’t love your wall art, don’t put it up. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

What are your favorite colors of gray and green and how can you integrate them into your home for a trendy upgrade? Just stroll through the great home decor and accessories collection at Arcadian Home and get stunning ideas!

The quickest and easiest way to stay up to date in the home decor world is through the use of home accessories and decor in trendy colors. In 2012, a plethora of trendy colors and color combinations exist, making it easy to update your home accessories in a single shopping trip. Here’s the low down on trendy colors and color combinations for 2012.

Fuchsia and Sky Blue

You may see a number of rooms popping up in your favorite home decor magazines that feature fuchsia and sky blue combinations. These two tones are surprisingly complimentary, as the rich tones of fuchsia tends to compliment the clean tones of the sky blue for a stylish look. Consider using blue as your main hue and complimenting the space with a few home accessories such as throw pillows or accent chairs in your chosen shade of fuchsia for a stylish home decor look.

Gray and Green

Gray and green color palettes are popping all over the place. Since gray is the new neutral, it makes the perfect modern backdrop for a warm, earthy green hue. Plus, you can blend this color palette with other hues, such as white or black, for a truly updated look. For this look, consider this: gray walls are complimented by a black chandelier, white or ivory furnitures and green home accessories: curtains, throw pillows and perhaps a throw rug.

Yellow and Plum

Another surprising combination, yellow and plum purple is making a subtle emergence into the home decor world. This combination is bold and daring, certainly not for the faint of heart. However, an elegant velvet tufted sofa set against a crisp yellow wall: perfect for the trendy eclectic home decor lovers of today.

Turquoise Everything

Finally, another hot hue seeing a huge resurgence in popularity is turquoise blue. Varying shades of turquoise have always been hot in furniture and wall art, but 2012 has already seen a number of spaces with this vibrant hue. Plus, turquoise is a color that will blend with a number of other hues, including the trendy Pantone Color of the Year: Tango Tangerine.

Considering pairing turquoise with vibrant red, crisp white or sunny yellow for a warm, updated look for your home decor.

These are just a few of the many different color combinations that are growing in popularity for 2012. When decorating your space, color is the easiest way to add a touch of trendy so keep this in mind when looking to redecorate or remodel your space. Remember, color can be changed on a whim: fresh paint, new throw pillows and viola, a whole new space. Color is everything when it comes to home decor and interior design. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

What do you think of these color combinations? Experiment with different pieces from our home decor and accessories collection and create the perfect interior design for you!

For 2012, expect to see a lot of maritime-inspired home accessories and decor entering the marketplace. This is especially true for spring and summer, so it’s important to know what home accessories are hot and what are not when looking to stay on top of trends. Here is the low down on home decor items and color trends for the upcoming seasons.

What is Sodalite Blue?

Sodalite blue is a Pantone color that is rich in hues and tones. It is royal blue and perfect for maritime-inspired home decor schemes. The undertones of this hue are clean and crisp, almost subtly gray but again, clean enough that this color will actually compliment a variety of home decor schemes.

It can be paired with neutral tones, including warm caramel tones or soft sandstone hues. Of course, it can also be paired with clean whites or off-whites, as well as natural tones such as chocolate brown or grass green. It can also be paired with Pantone’s color of the year, tango tangerine.

With so many options in home decor and color for this hue, it’s no surprise it’s growing in popularity.

Maritime Inspired Home Decor

Year 2012, especially in the spring and summer, will be filled with plenty of nautical and maritime inspired themes. This includes yacht club chic, beach themed home decor and so forth. You’ll also find people experimenting with this color and nautical-inspired themes by blending them with other hot trends including reclaimed woods, industrial inspired home decor, rustic and vintage wall art, and so forth.

For home accessories, don’t be afraid to invest in things like starfish, which feature warm natural colors and tend to be the perfect complimentary accessory to nautical inspired home decor schemes.

With furnitures, opt for upholsteries that reflect these warm nautical or beach-inspired color schemes. If possible, opt for rustic, raw, reclaimed woods that compliment the beach theme. Cleaner, polished woods will better compliment yacht-inspired themes, so keep this in mind when looking to choose between the two. Furniture should be the mainstays, but the materials you choose are the focal points.

When looking to create a nautical inspired look, you can’t go wrong with a few key looks. For example, stripes are always in when decorating in this style. Look for stripes made with varying sizes and colors, as well as stripes that are of equal size; both of these styles will compliment this home decor look.

Other home accessories that blend well with these styles include woven baskets, clean and simple wall clocks with maritime-inspired details, stained glass details, apothecary jars filled with shells or sand, antique chests, bamboo constructed pieces and so forth.

With maritime inspired home decor, it’s about what particular style appeals most to you, whether it’s beach themed or yacht themed. Furthermore, you don’t have to decorate entirely in this style. You could easily mix these styles with other looks, such as industrial or rustic, for a unique take on home decor. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Add a breezy, sea-kissed ambiance to your home with our wide variety of home accessories and decor!

When you’re decorating your home, it can be extremely difficult to come up with a home decor scheme that incorporates just the right amount of timeless color with the right amount of trendy hues. In fact, if you’re like many of us, you probably feel it’s downright hopeless to find that perfect balance of home accessories and decor while still blending the right hues together. For 2012, you can expect this process to become significantly easier thanks to the latest color trend: unexpected pops of color. Here’s the lowdown on how to achieve this look with your home accessories in your space.

Unexpected Pops of Color: A Neutral Base

The key to this interior design trend is to start with a neutral base. For example, if you’re redecorating, you may want to consider investing in a timeless look with your base palette and furniture. Furniture tends to be a long term affair, most people keep their pieces for at least five years, though usually longer. This is especially true of larger purchases like sofas, beds, dining tables and so forth. Other pieces, such as accent tables, coffee tables and so forth, could easily (and more affordably) be switched out as needed. This is true of bedroom designs, living room designs and so forth, so keep this in mind.

For the base color palette, you may want to consider using neutral tones such as creamy ivory, warm beige or the newest hard-hitter in the neutral group: gray. Gray is a great color because it comes in hues that feature warm or cool undertones, just as a beige or ivory might. Gray is also trendy and up-to-date when it comes to neutrals, but because it is being classified as a neutral, it won’t be going away any time soon.

Of course, the key is just getting your base colors into place. For furniture, wall art and other large pieces, choose looks that you feel are timeless. Remember, items you feel are timeless might not be timeless to someone else and that interior design is subjective. So always pick for you and your family, not for your friends or your mother-in-law.

Adding Color

Once you’ve got your base colors in place, it’s time to add in those unexpected twists of color. This is much easier than you might think. With a neutral base, any colors you add in as accent colors will be unexpected, so you can’t go wrong. Furthermore, with a neutral base, you can’t go wrong with picking colors, either. So, have no fear!

Looking at bathroom designs, there are a number of options for adding an unexpected twist of color. For example, if you’ve got a claw foot tub, you may want to consider painting the exterior a bright hue and then complimenting that hue with matching towels. This is plenty of color to draw attention in the space but won’t be overwhelming.

In living room designs, a variety of options exist. For example, you could add lamps that feature brightly colored bases, or you could include throw pillows, table decor or other small touches of color to complete the space. This concept can also be applied to bedroom designs, dining room, game room, home theater, home office designs and so forth. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

The easiest way to add color to your room is by adding color to your walls. Grab some wall art and make your walls pop!

When you share a space with someone, one of the hardest decisions is to determine how to bring both of your styles together and create a cohesive look. Or maybe your own style varies and you are a bit of an eclectic soul. Mixing furniture, home accessories and decor from different regions or eras isn’t as hard as you think. If you follow a couple of rules, your mixed-style home will easily feel comfortable and well designed.

Color Matters

The items you have may be completely different, but if you keep a color scheme, the items will read as one. This rule applies to any collection you might have or want to display, and it certainly holds true for your furniture and your home decor as well.

Have an eclectic collection of wall art? Consider using the same finish on your frames to create a cohesive wall display.

Size Matters

Let’s face it, a main rule of design or any art for that matter, is scale. Let’s say you want to place six different chairs around a round dining table. You can do this as long as they are all the same scale. It would look a little odd if some were extremely large backed and some were thin and fragile. In the above photo, all of these chairs are similar, but vary just a little from each other. The overall design is pulled together with the matching table decorations.

Focus on What’s Important to You

Important items deserve a spotlight. Make sure your grandmother’s armoire and your treasured antique wedding frame fit in the same room, but aren’t crowded by 30 other items that you want to showcase.

In the above photo, notice how the brown leather chair sits in a prominent spot in the room, and the shades and some of the other home decor items play off of the color of it? However, the area rug and the throw pillow are completely different in style. The colors blend and work, but the styles are different. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Take a look at our large selection of unique charger plates and add them to your eclectic designs!

Furniture, home accessories and decor have many uses if used creatively. Bookcases can be found everywhere. Many of these are inexpensive, well-made, and add storage options, as well as a decorative display, to a space. Most people simply:

1. Create a Room Within a Room

Everybody needs space. But sometimes, with modern open floor plans, we need to divide a room to create a comforting space. Using a bookcase, no matter how small or large, can create a foyer for a home or a separate bedroom space. The privacy a bookcase, or several placed together, can create a feeling of an actual wall. In fact, if you use a tall bookcase, and the back is made of wood, you can paint or wallpaper it so it is visually appealing to that side as well. Use trim to hide the edge marks. You can also mount a picture or a decorative wall hanging to complete the illusion.

2. Create a Desk…or Two

It’s easy to use a single bookcase, or even two of them, to create a desk. The trick is to make sure the height of the desk, and the chair you use, works for you. Typical desktop height is 28-30” and the kneespace should be approximately 20-26” from the floor. You can use something as simple as a melamine board, or a painted slab door, as the top of your desk. To prevent the top from slipping, simply use L-brackets on the underside or, if you would like to make your desk temporary, place non-slip rubber between the bookcase and the top. Add some table decor for the finishing touch. The bookcases automatically create a storage area for magazines, papers or other office equipment. Or, if you want something a bit more decorative,

3. Create a Secret Passageway

One of the most creative ways to use a tall bookcase, is to modify it to swing like a door. Essentially you create hidden storage behind the bookcase. You can do this in a main living area, a bedroom or even a closet. Secret passages are fun for kids and adults alike, and a great place to keep items, or to even hide a desk area or a wine room.

4. Make a Loft Bed System

Well-made bookcases make great braces for a loft bed. For decorative bookcases, face them outward and you will have storage space underneath. Or, for a child’s room you will have a sitting area, or play area, underneath. Use a curtain rod, drapery (or fabric) and tie-backs for added privacy. Be sure to get creative in the shelving areas of the bookcases, using home accessories or home decor. For instance, oval mirrors can create added interest if hung on the bookshelf backs. Yes, get creative.

5. Organize Your Collection

There is nothing like an organized house, and bookcases can give you a unique way to organize, while at the same time creating wall art. Yes, if done right, your collections can be visually appealing enough to bring them out into the open. Sure, you can do this with books, but why stop there? Shoes, handbags, sporting memorabilia…or a combination of items, can be stunning if displayed in your open space. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

What’s your favorite way to use a bookcase? Take these bookcase inspirations and combine them with the beautiful home accessories found at Arcadian Home, for a space that reflects your personality!

It is no surprise that many people struggle when trying to decorate their own home. There are so many different home decor stores and online retailers that it can be difficult just finding the right home accessories to fit their space, their personal style or their budget. Home accessories and decor are an important part of decor, but they shouldn’t cause frustration. Here are a few easy tips and tricks for accessorizing your space.

Color

A color scheme can be difficult to achieve, especially when trying to incorporate home accessories into the mix. That being said, use this tip: repeat a color at least three times in the space. By repeating a single color, you add it to your overall color scheme and thus, your home decor feels easier.

Variation, Texture

If your space doesn’t feature any variation, it will look bland and boring. Look for different ways to add variation into your space: different heights for home accessories, different textures on your throw pillows, rugs and blankets and so forth. Creating visual interest doesn’t have to be about different colors. If you choose a relatively neutral color palette but incorporate plenty of different textures, your space will look visually appealing.

Wall Art

The biggest tip for wall art is to simply choose pieces that you love. If you don’t love your wall art, you won’t love your space because you’ll be looking at that artwork on a daily basis. Wall art doesn’t have to be store bought, either. It can be framed artwork done by the children, a personal painting by a family member or black and white photographs of the family themselves. Wall art should be personal from the style to the subject and everything in between.

Eliminate Clutter

You’ve heard it before, you’ll hear it again. Get rid of all the clutter. This is often one of those “easier said than done” tasks but if you’re shopping for home accessories for a space that already feels cluttered, you’ll find it’s even more difficult to find the right accessories to suit the space. This is because visually, you see the space is already cluttered but you don’t actually like the clutter (which of course, is why you’re on the hunt for new home accessories). So, get rid of the clutter!

Buy What You Love

If you don’t absolutely love a piece, don’t buy it. Don’t buy any home decor item just because you think it will “look good.” If you don’t love it, don’t buy it! This is how you end up with too much clutter and not the right look.

Furniture is an Accessory, Too

It’s true. Furniture can be considered an accessory in the home, so consider adding an accent table or a console table, a small plant stand or perhaps getting a new coffee table. You might find that a new piece of furniture will inspire you and get you pointed in the right direction in terms of what home accessories you need and which ones you can live without. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Now that  you have a greater understanding of home decor be sure to pick up some oval mirrors to accentuate your accessories and add a spacious feel.

2012 is the year of ‘Tango Tangerine’ and as expected, this color has trickled down into fashion, home accessories and decor and a plethora of other areas. If you follow trends, you’re probably wondering how you can incorporate this color into your own home decor. Fortunately, Tango Tangerine home accessories are popping everywhere, making it easier than ever to incorporate into your space.

Tango Tangerine for the Kitchen or Dining Room

These particular spaces may be the easiest to incorporate this hue into. This is because it is incredibly easy to purchase (or sew your own, if you’re crafty) table cloths, placemats or fabric napkins to use. Solid colored placemats or patterned placemats in this hue make a great addition to existing table decor and since they’ll be behind a plate and other items, they’re less overwhelming in the space. This is great if you’re looking to add just a small touch of tangerine to your kitchen or dining space.

Other ideas include a Tango Tangerine table vase, charger plates and other table decor items such as napkin rings, napkin holders, new glasses and so forth.

Tango Tangerine for the Living Room

In general, tangerine is a warm color and it will blend easily with neutrals, browns and beiges when used in small doses. Consider incorporating home accessories such as throw pillows, a blanket or another smaller item into the space in this hue.

If you’re more daring, perhaps a large throw rug will satisfy your craving for this hue. Other options include painting existing furniture, such as a small accent table or a plant stand, in the Tango Tangerine hue.

Tango Tangerine for the Bedroom

When it comes to the bedroom, use the same concepts that you might for your living room. Since this color is such a vibrant color, it’s important not to go overboard with it. Throw pillows, or an accent blanket folded at the end of the bed can make all the difference.

However, if you do have room for more color in your space (especially if this hue matches your existing home decor,) consider larger changes such as a duvet or perhaps an accent wall behind your bed. Just remember, it is a bold hue and it will draw attention to itself, so be wary if you’re new to adding color to your home or your home decor already features lots of existing neutrals.

Tango Tangerine for the Bathroom

Bathrooms tend to be small spaces with neutral color palettes (typically so that they sell more easily, as no one wants to remodel a bathroom). Therefore, you may find it to be incredibly easy to use this color in your bathroom. Look for home accessories aimed at bathroom spaces in this hue: ring holders for next to the sink, new towels, a bath mat or perhaps a shower curtain. For the bathroom, it’s easy to go a little more daring because you can just as easily swap these items out. A Tango Tangerine wall will steal the spotlight!

Tango Tangerine Home Accessories: Wall Art for Every Space

Not satisfied with throw pillows? Why not add a little pop to your wall art. Paint your existing frames Tango Tangerine or perhaps create an entirely new piece of wall decor for your space. Frame a piece of canvas using a Tango Tangerine colored fabric or even paint the canvas yourself to add some visual pop to any room in your home. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Shop for bright & bold home decor and make 2012 a year to remember!

To the joy and satisfaction of eco-friendly enthusiasts everywhere, bamboo has grown immensely in popularity in recent years. Home accessories and decor of all types and styles have been infected by the bamboo bug, leaving many people wondering what home accessories they can get made from bamboo and what they can’t. Since it is a renewable resource, it’s no surprise that people are finding all kinds of ways to incorporate bamboo into their home decor.

What Makes Bamboo So Great?

Glad you asked! Bamboo is a renewable resource. Some species of bamboo can grow as much as 4 feet in a single day, typically without the need of pesticides, fertilizer or even an excessive amount of water.

In fact, bamboo plants typically mature in less than 10 years (often as soon as 7) whereas a average tree can take up to 50 years to fully mature, which the time varying from species to species (for both bamboo and trees).

This good news for manufacturers of all kinds from furnitures to bedroom sheets, even notebook computers. The home decor market is only one market that benefits immensely thanks to bamboo.

Bamboo Decorated Bedroom

It is actually possible to decorate your entire home using only bamboo products. Let’s take the bedroom room for example, if you’re dedicated enough, you could invest in a custom bed made using bamboo-based fabrics and a bamboo frame. Of if you’re lucky, you can often find bamboo fabrics or a bamboo frame at many local retailers today. You can also find other furniture made from bamboo including tables, chairs, media centers and so forth.

Bamboo Home Decor

Moving on, as mentioned earlier, fabric can be made from bamboo fibers. So you can find rugs, throw pillows, blankets and even curtains made from bamboo. Plus, since bamboo is so versatile, you can often find the right colors and styles to match your home decor tastes.

Bamboo Home Accessories

As for home accessories, there is wall art, framed mirrors, bamboo statues and even living bamboo plants you can utilize. Bamboo shelf’s, baskets, decorative bamboo gongs, bamboo plant stands, bamboo charger plates for your dining table, bamboo wall art, the opportunities are endless when it comes to bamboo home decor.

Other items that can be made from bamboo include bed sheets, cutting boards, bowls, even notebook computers, bicycles and much, much more.

Bamboo Adjusts to any Decor Style

It’s worth noting that things don’t stop there. Bamboo flooring is a hot commodity for home decor today. There are also recent developments making bamboo carpeting available, it’s nearly impossible not to find bamboo in every corner of the home when it’s becoming so prevalent in today’s market.

Furthermore, bamboo does not have to look “tropical,” either. Bamboo can be cut in ways to mimic other woods, giving it a clean lined aesthetic that will blend easily into a variety of decors from ultra modern or contemporary to casual to traditional, even rustic if desired. No home decor style is safe from the bamboo invasion! Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Enhance your bamboo design with our selection of home accessories and decor today!

If you’re like many Americans, you’re probably wondering what the trendy hues for 2012 are so that you can start incorporating into your home decor scheme. After all, you can’t purchase new complimentary home accessories if you don’t know what the right colors are, right? Here’s the low down of trendy colors for this year so you can get started shopping for new home accessories and decor.

Creamy Neutrals

Neutrals will never go out of style, but certain tones will wax and wane in popularity. For larger areas of the home, such as painting a full wall or furniture, look for creamy neutral hues such as camel, caramel or sandstone. Avoid beige tones that feature cool undertones, as warm undertones are key for 2012.

Brown tones are the same, meaning you should look for brown tones that feature warm undertones such as reds, yellows and oranges. Avoid browns that feature gray, blue or green undertones.

Luxurious Reds

Red seems to pop up in some form every year no matter what. For 2012, rich, deep tones will be more prevalent than the brilliant poppy red colors of 2011. These deep reds are a perfect choice to mix with the warmer neutral hues. Look for throw pillows to add to your furniture, table decor such as charger plates or placemats and other locations to add small hints of deep, luxurious red to your space.

Hints of Blue

Energizing blue tones are coming back into play for 2012. Last year, turquoise was taboo but as the year ended we started going back to the playful turquoise, teal and other energizing blue tones. These blend well with the deep rich reds of the year and will also compliment the warm neutrals when used sparingly.

Of course, don’t feel you have to mix all these hues together. Use turquoise blue as your personal “neutral” and paint the walls, pair it with neutral colored furniture or mix it with browns and beiges with pops of yellow or green to pull the look together.

Sunshine Yellow, Tango Tangerine

2012 is full of optimism and as you can see, so are the colors. Of course, Pantone’s Color of the Year, Tango Tangerine is bold and vibrant and will pair great as a duo with turquoise, red or warm neutrals.

Other vibrant hues that will be coming into play in 2012 include gold tones and sunny yellows, especially as we draw nearer to the summer months. Fortunately, these tones can also play well into the autumn weather. Add this color to your home in small doses: a small accent table, slipper chair or other small piece of furniture; throw pillows, table decor, charger plates or perhaps a frame around an oval mirror or photograph.

Remember, when it comes to hues for 2012, it’s all about optimistic, happy tones and tones that provoke feelings of luxury. Americans are starting to feel happier about things and our color choices are reflecting that to a T. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Update your home in 2012 with bold-colored home accessories and decor today!