Relaxation is probably the most needed human condition we require in the hectic and busy societies of the modern age. After a long and hard day at work, we like nothing more than to come home and relax as best we can. Whatever age we are, it can be difficult to find true relaxation for more than just a few minutes. However, there are certain colors and related images that can encourage us to find a deeper form of relaxation without us even realising or trying. So what are these colors and images?

Blue – The most popular color amongst men, blue is widely regarded as a color which causes the body to release chemicals that lead to calmness and serenity. It’s also a good color for use in home offices and studies as it aids concentration and productivity. Care does need to be taken however as too much blue can lead to sadness and the “blues”.

Canvas wall art images that contain blue and will enhance relaxation include tropical beach scenes, savannahs, oceans, aviation and avian themes, sunrises, daytime cityscapes, swimming dolphins and those rather fascinating satellite images of earth from space.

Green – Like blue, green can be seen just about anywhere and everywhere, for it’s the color of grass, plants and the leaves on the trees. It’s also a relaxing color and is used by television companies to help people relax before appearing on a show; they sit in a “green room”. Green can also apparently improve concentration, especially when reading.

Wall art canvas images with green that will help relax the body and mind include forest scenes, grasslands, close-up animal shots in grass, plants, trees, fruit and vegetables, rice paddies, tropical rainforests and Irish and Celtic art.

Brown – Certain hues of brown can make wonderful additions to an interior. Brown inspires relaxation and a bond with nature, in a similar way to the above two colors. Brown can be seen a lot in wooden and leather furniture as well as wooden flooring and walls. In a white room, brown can bring a touch of antique character and rustic charm together with a general sense of wellbeing. However, too much brown in one space can bring about a certain amount of melancholy.

One might not imagine wall canvas art would be all that attractive in brown but there are some themes which work it well. These include images of furniture, woodlands, landscapes, tree bark, seeds and grains, crop fields, fabrics, sunsets, autumn leaves, bears, old 19th Century photographs, deer and wood floors.

There are some other colors which can contribute to a sense of calmness and which can be considered when decorating a room. Unlike the above colors however they are used primarily as background tones and would be more difficult to find in canvas wall art images. These colors include ivory, beige and light gray. There are of course a whole range of colors in between the above mentioned colors which will also be considered relaxing and ideal as decorative accents.

It has been estimated that in Newfoundland alone there are around 150,000 moose living in the wild. If you or your children are particularly fond of the moose, then the page noted below will be of interest to you. A large selection of home décor products ranging from art and tapestries to toilet paper holders and bedding are available all with a decidedly moose theme.

Have a look here: Moose Decor Accessories.

By the way, in Europe, the moose is more commonly known as an Elk.

Country interiors that are successful often have an organic ambiance about them. By organic I don’t mean piles of fruit or vegetables stacked in a corner but rather a natural growth of possessions and collected objects that seems random and rather akin to the way flowers grow outside in places you do not always plan. There is a pervasive quality to the rural interior theme which makes the designs timeless. For a true country interior, regardless of locational style, this haphazard feel needs to be nurtured and encouraged.

This is not always easy to do. The homogeneity is based upon a number of equally important factors. These include a roughness of finish, simplicity and the colors chosen which should depend heavily on subtle choices of earthly hues. When it comes to the finish of walls and furniture, there are a variety of techniques that can be employed to render a surface looking older than it really is. Distressed paintwork techniques can be used on wooden chairs and stairs, whilst painted walls can be weathered through various means.

As well as this, the colors and pigments used in the country room themes should ideally be influenced by the surrounding landscape. A home in a chalk region might mimic the whites and light grays of the local area while forest regions could go for more brown and green combinations. Farm houses surrounded by wheat fields have the rich yellows, greens and early browns to play with. Wall stencils, perhaps portraying country life, that look as though they have been drawn freehand are ideal additions.

Surfaces of objects and decorative art should reflect the rural theme. Marble will not suit the style and will not be an honest representation of true rural living. Terracotta and rough pitted glazes work well as do a large variety of fabrics and raw materials. Raw being the important word. This doesn’t mean there should not be beautiful colors and patterns, far from it. Stencilled fabrics can be used to great effect if it looks home-made and inspired by nature and traditional country decorating.

The final touch is to bring the outdoors, indoors. Bowls of fruit, nuts, baskets of vegetables, hanging plants, dried branches and canes will all make wonderful additions to a country interior and will be a treat to the senses. Having a cat helps too.

As one would expect from a movement that began to spread across the European continent, the art and ideas began to vary as new cultures and peoples were influenced by the Renaissance. For example, in Northern Europe, the styles and designs became heavy in form whilst in England, a more whimsical and fantastical style merged with the national architecture and furnishings of the period.

However, whilst cultural influences meant visual Renaissance design varied across Europe, there was one universal characteristic that remained uniform. That of geometry. From architecture and wall décor to fabrics and flooring , geometric patterns were employed as often playful devices. Astrological images, spheres and obelisks as well as knot patterns were highly popular and can be seen in all four corners of Renaissance Europe.

For anyone considering decorating a room or house in the Renaissance style then there are a few considerations and components to bear in mind. Firstly, the designs of the period were highly influenced by images that harked back to the ancient world. These included geometrical patterns mixed with mythological imagery that were often wild and fantastical in appearance. The sun which can be seen in the image, is a prime example which can be used as a stencil in a Renaissance inspired living room or kitchen.

Secondly, Renaissance Europe was notable for its exquisite craftsmanship. When seeking furnishings that reflect the style and spirit of the period, look for fabrics and materials that highlight this important aspect. These could include silks, fine damasks, thick tapestries, polished oak, real of faux marble (simple painting techniques can be used to achieve the faux effect) as well as worked leather.

Thirdly, where at all possible, pick bargain items from second hand shops that enhance the ambiance of age and the aura of the period. These might include hidebound books, stone ornaments, classical maps, furniture which has been delicately carved, old pewter, old glass and even urns. Along with these, focus on the use of colors that symbolise the Renaissance such as the earth colors of leather and wood, plus the deep hues of Italian marble floors. You’ll be able to find more great color combinations for this style in books on the period which can be found online.

The warm climate and colorful way of life in the Caribbean, also known as the West Indies, lends itself perfectly to interior décor and the creation of a vibrant kitchen scheme. Strong colors and simplicity are the key elements to interiors of this style. Rooms which catch the sun a lot are particularly suitable and mimic the glorious weather found in the Caribbean pretty much all year round.

One of the main colors you will need for a Caribbean kitchen is yellow. The beaches and sandy nature of the Caribbean islands is reflected in this color. If you have a wooden skirting board on the lower half of your kitchen wall, then this is a great place to paint a rich yellow color. White is also a very popular tone in the Caribbean and if yellow is a little too much for you, then white is a great alternative.

To contrast the yellow or white, it’s a good idea to go for color combinations found in nature. Again, like the yellow of the Caribbean sand, so the rich blue of the sky can be mixed with colors such as purple and cyan. The key here however is to soften the effect of the darker color buy using techniques such as lime-wash scrubbing. A rag soaked in methylated spirits can also be used to rub away some of the paint thereby creating a cloud effect much like seeing faint wisps of cloud in the blue summer sky.

Further colors can be added to the mix but with a little more restraint. Greens, oranges and natural wood tones can be used as accent pieces whether as part of furniture, table accessories or wall hangings. Older wooden furniture pieces in such woods as pine will look particularly good with the Caribbean kitchen style. Try to avoid the more polished mahogany which will look out of place.

These are just a few suggestions for color combinations if you are looking to design a Caribbean themed kitchen.

Incorporating Bauhaus designs into your home interior is not difficult whatsoever. As long as you know what the style and philosophy behind the movement is, there are a thousand and one chances to create an interior based on the vision of Walter Gropius and Johannes Itten, and the likes of artists Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky. Contrary to popular imagery of the Bauhaus, an interior decor scheme in this style does not have to consist of steel tubes and minimalist modernism.

The Bauhaus movement’s name comes from the school in Weimar, Germany which was founded in 1919. It taught the concept that artistic objects should be combined with technology to provide a highly functional yet comfortable design, whether this was in architecture, product design, interior design or even typography. Basically, it meant the creation of designs that offered durable, practical and aesthetically pleasing visions yet were as inexpensive as possible so the common man could afford to use them.

In many ways, the famous quotation “form follows function” is a key element in Bauhaus design. This meant that the function of the item being created was of a greater importance than the final look of the piece. This concept, originally attributed to American architect Louis Sullivan, was often put into being in Bauhaus designs. Whilst this is easy to say and do for trained designers, it’s a little harder for the average house owner who would rather in many cases, to have form over function.

Bauhaus designs are similar to many other styles and formats that had been seen prior and after the initial golden years during the 1920s and 1930s. However, the difference was in its affordability. Geometric forms, sleek clean lines all symbolise the concepts which have brought fame to the Bauhaus school of art and design. By incorporating all these factors into your home interior, you can build up a decidedly Bauhaus theme that will be noticeable to all.

Start to think about function first then form. This means finding objects that are made for precise purposes without any superfluous additions. The kitchen is an ideal interior where this philosophy should be applied. In this room in particular, function naturally comes first in numerous ways. On the outside, fixtures such as kitchen cabinets and cupboards will be simple, minimalist and clean lined on the outside. In this they are performing their duty as functioning storage areas first, whilst inside, behind the scenes, the foods and utensils will be adequately stored.

Highly decorative kitchen cabinets, surfaces, cupboards and islands maybe nice to look at but are useless if their function leaves much to be desired. The Bauhaus philosophy is to be as comfortable and practical as possible and then think of additions one can make at the end.

Incorporating Bauhaus designs into your home interior doesn’t mean you have to loose all sense of style and aesthetics. In fact, many Bauhaus interiors are extremely well coordinated in their themes and rather majestic in their resulting ambiance. There are many shapes you can include in a Bauhaus interior from circles and ovals, to squares and triangles. For example, you can use an antique arm chair which has a basic rectangular design and compliment it with a oval coffee table that also acts as a foot rest. Function in this case has eclipsed form but depending on the way you place the furniture pieces, is still attractive.

Geometric shapes and designs do not have to be modern furniture pieces or images. In fact mixing together period styles from many different centuries can be a part of creating a Bauhaus interior. This is as long as the items are clean lined, on the simple side and functional in perhaps more ways than one.

The Bauhaus philosophy can also apply to eco-friendly products, furniture pieces and instillations. If a wardrobe for example is made from sustainable wood, then the conservation of this material as well as the lack of wastage means function has come before form. The wardrobe is thus Bauhaus through and through. The same goes for shelving. In many cases, shelving is put up merely to fill up a space area of wall that seems empty. If it serves no other function other than form, it is in essence, an unnecessary excess which promotes the cutting down of further forests to replace the item sold.

Hopefully by now you will understand what the Bauhaus design style can mean for your home interior decor schemes. To sum up, the Bauhaus philosophy was the combining of art, craft, and technology to make items that were functional above all else. In fact, it’s interesting to note that the Bauhaus school did not teach the history of art and design to its students for it wanted the creation of a products according to first principles rather than by following historical precedent.

Wherever you live, whether in North America or Europe, in urban or rural areas, you can design your interior around the Bauhaus philosophy. By thinking of the functional before the decorative but still making sure the various items match in an aesthetically pleasing manner, you will not be going far off course.

I decided to address some of these problems as well as offer a number of solutions and points to consider. This has been written up on the following squidoo lens which you can visit by clicking the following: Monkey Home Decor.

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Animal themed rooms are fun and enjoyable to put together but they do need some thought and planning. One also needs to consider who the room is for, whether that be a baby’s nursery, a child’s bedroom, a basement games room or even the main living room. Some interiors will require more understated monkey accents whilst others, like a kid’s playroom, will be able to cope with more loud and visually stunning colorful monkey images and related backgrounds.

See the page linked to above for more on this.

Passions and hobbies that we carry on throughout our lifetimes are more often than not formed in some small way during childhood. For this reason, it is important to give children as many chances as we naturally can to discover the world around them, whether in the local area or on the other side of the world. Western children will only see jungles on television and in picture books but with a little decor adjustments and design, their whole bedroom can become the very environment they found so fascinating.

Monkeys, parrots, lions, snakes and jaguars are all creatures found in the jungle scene. Each one can provide an exciting opportunity for learning. As well as this, all of these animals’ very form and coloring can provide marvellous inspiration for the design of bedding, wall murals, paintings, furniture and general bedroom accessories.

I’ve created a squidoo page on this very theme which goes into vastly more detail that I can put here, about the decor and furniture one can use when designing a jungle themed bedroom for a child. You can read this page at the following location: Jungle Themed Bedroom Ideas and Inspiration

The beauty of the wild is being incorporated into all sorts of interior design spaces and objects. Fabrics in the form of cushions and linen being the most common (see picture: Modern Blush Pillow). Other every day items that are being decorated with the wild flower motifs and designs include china, papers, wallpaper and furniture which is enjoying a stencil revival. In fact, one could say that flora designs are proliferating like weeds and this is set to continue.

Its not just the fauna that is being included in designs this summer. The insects and birds that are associated with hedgerows and meadows are also being used as inspiration for fabric and wallpaper decor. Butterflies with their natural beautify and color, whilst they have always been popular, are set to make an even bigger come-back in the home decor scene. Bees and dragonflies are also being incorporated.

If you want to bring in the English country meadow and hedgerow themes into your home, then consider the locations where they can be used (see picture: Drawer Hall Chest). Bathroom and kitchen tiles are perfect platforms on which to display motifs. In a bland bathroom, a little color in the form of a beautifully intricate floral pattern can work wonders. For a kitchen, think about the patterns one can find on tea trays, cups, tea towels and plates. These can be showcased in cabinets or on hooks and rails.

Bringing the outdoors inside for the summer is a wonderful way to brighten up your home interior and bring some cheer to the atmosphere after a long cold winter. With a little inspiration and poking about you can find some great deals in second-hand shops and best of all, online.

The wood panelled walls in this room have been painted with a light green. For more warmth you could consider using a color such as the Katydid yellow-green paint. The rustic feel has been achieved with the ‘tongue and groove’ effect of the wall structure.

Some charming wall hangings will enliven the wood panelling. Think about some artsy rugs or folk music inspired paintings. Traditional twig brooms would be a great addition. For a heating source, similar to the one in the picture, think about this stylish wall mounted Flame Ambient Fireplace.

With existing furniture you can modify chairs and tables by painting them white and adding attractive folk art designs and motifs. These can include animals, stars and decorative patterns. Think about adding these in red or green, even in cream.

Wicker baskets and such items like silver pots, jugs and candlesticks can add a great deal to the rustic and country feel of a New England folk interior. Little fabric decorative items will creative a homely feel which is important in a living room.

Patchwork quilts for the sofa can be purchased which will add further to the folksy charachter of the interior space. Notice in the above picture the flooring. With this New England theme you can either go for wooden floorboards, painted or natural; or alternatively a rustic carpet made from Sea Grass or Sisal natural fiber.

I hope these picture examples and suggestions will help inspire you when designing a room in a folk art theme. There are a lot more possibilities which I will cover in future posts.

See also: 101 Living Rooms: Stylish Room Solutions from the BBC