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Do You Live in a House or a Home

Do you live in a House or a Home? This probably sounds like a silly question, but it really is a question that we should sit back and ask ourselves. If you are anything like me, I’m often so caught up with the everyday stresses of life that my house often becomes a nothing more than an after thought. On the flip side, for some, your house may be so showplace perfect that it truly is not a home. What is the difference between a house and a home, and does it really matter?

A house is simply a structure that provides a roof over your head. It offers water, heat, appliances needed to store and prepare your food, space for belongings and valuables, a bed for rest, and most likely a TV for entertainment; basically all of the necessary conveniences for a comfortable life. Living in a house maybe okay for some, but I think we all deserve a place to call home.

A home is so much more than a house. A home is a reflection of you. A keeper and creator of memories; It is a place that you are thankful to come home to; where you can laugh, relax, cry and share special times with friends and family. A home provides a place to play and another for quiet contemplation. A home is for lively gatherings and private conversations. It’s a place where guests feel welcome and one that you can’t wait to get back to. A home says, this is who I am and what I love.

The good news is that creating a home is something that all of us can do. Terence Conran says this; Home is the heart of lifeHome is where we feel at ease, where we belong, where we can create surroundings that reflect our tastes and pleasuresMaking a home is a form of creativity open to everyone. After all, it’s your special touch that uniquely makes your house a home. Think back to homes that you have visited and what you liked about them. What made them special and what do you remember about them? Homes that I remember best are those that reflect the personality of those who lived in them. My childhood home had bold and happy colors; purple, red and gold. There are lots of family pictures, exotic items from travel adventures, and a few special pieces from my parent’s childhood homes. It’s a home that reflects their personality, heart and passions. My home (which is always a work in progress) is done in welcoming warm tones of yellow and gold; you’ll find a painted quote on a wall by Mark Twain about following your dream, candles in every room, and kids are always in and out. It can be a lively energetic place or a cozy place to curl up and read.

One home I remember visiting years ago was an old farm house. The owners had numerous treasured farmhouse antiques, but what I remember most about this home, is that almost everything had a story. A quilt on the wall was made by a great grandmother. The walls of a guest room featured a very old christening gown and several outfits that were handed down from generation to generation. Hung next to the garments were pictures of children from several generations, each of them wearing the same special garments that were handed down throughout the years. What a great way to share history, create conversation and re-live memories.

Yes, a house provides you with a roof over your head and a place to sleep at night, but a home is so much more. It tells amazing stories, embracing both laughter and tears; it provides a place to unwind, breathe a little easier and energize for what tomorrow may bring. As Dorothy once said, “there is no place like home”. Don’t we all deserve a home?

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Using A Room Divider To Enhance Your Asian Inspired Decor

Decorating your home in an Asian inspired decor can add elegance and tranquility to your life. The rich colors and interesting accessories will add interest and uniqueness to every room in the house but if you really want to make your interiors stand out, you might think about using a room divider to enhance the Asian feel of your decor.

First off, you need to pick the style of room divider that goes with the Asian decor in the room. Are you going for a zen like feel? Then you’ll most likely want something simple like a Shoji rice screen room divider. If you want something more decorative, you could try a painted room divider with Asian scenes on them. If you are into more of an antique look, a black lacquer divider with raised shell decorations might do the trick.

Once you have selected the style of room divider, you want you need to choose the perfect spot in the room for it. Room dividers can look great in many places - here’s some suggestions:

1. Stand your Asian style room divider up right against the wall and use it as a focal point. This works great if you have a really long wall and want to break it up. You’ll want to put something in front of it like a couple of big plants or a couple of chairs to use as a little conversation area.

2. Use it to divide a room. Well, of course! If you have a long room and want to make it into 2 separate areas you can plunk the room divider right in the middle to section it off. This is a great way to separate a dining and living room or make a little sitting room inside the bedroom.

3. Dress up a bare corner by folding the room divider kitty cornered. This really adds interest to the room and gives it a nice look instead of being all squared off. As an added bonus, you can use the space behind the room divider for storage.

4. If you are decorating a bedroom and don’t have a nice headboard, why not use a room divider? Just use it flat instead of folded and slide it right behind the bed. This will and a really interesting look to the room and help make your bed a focal point.

Using a room divider can be an interesting way to spice up your Asian inspired theme in any room. There are plenty of styles to choose from that should suit any decor and the best part is that they are versatile so if you want to change your room around, you can find many different used for it.

Lee Dobbins writes for Room Divider Decor where you can find out all about room dividers and how to use them to decorate your home.

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Decorating With Bamboo Room Dividers

Bamboo Room Dividers can add elegance and a touch of the exotic to any decorating theme. You can use them in most any room of your home to add a decorative touch to corners as well as divide a large room into 2 cozy spaces.

If you have one large room that serves double duty as a living room and dining room you can use a room divider to section each space off from the other thus creating 2 intimate spaces. And the best part is that if you get tired of the look you can always just fold up the room divider and store it away or use it in another room

There are several ways to us a room divider to decorate your room. Aside from using it in the middle of a large room as mentioned above, you can also use it just flat against the wall to add a bit of drama. If you want to soften up the corners in a room put a folding screen kitty corner to round it out. Don’t be afraid to put a decorative plant or some a piece of furniture in front of the divider. If you have other themed accent pieces, try draping them over the divider.

There are many different styles of bamboo room dividers and one to suit every type of d

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