Weddings have become big business in the past 10 years, with the average wedding cost in the UK soaring to over $20,000 including ring and honeymoon.  There are no end to the upgrades you can find for your wedding accessories, but I found an improvement to the traditional red carpet that I thought was worth mentioning.   

Weddingrunner.com is a take on your traditional wedding runner, but they weave your names, wedding dates, or your own graphics into your rug.  Although there are currently competitors that offer painted or printed runners, this Irish company custom creates your rug and hand weaves your information into it.  You have your choice of colors, and can even pay extra for a bespoke runner.  Not only that, but the rugs are one meter in width and 19 EUR per square foot, so it's a luxury that won't break the bank.  After your wedding, you can cut down the rug into a size suitable for your home.  I imagine that it would become a family heritage piece that could be passed down through generations.  

The company is clearly doing well, with a recent pitch on Dragon's Den and a distribution centre being set up in the US.   I'd say it was likely we are going to see these beautiful runners popping up at weddings all over the globe soon.

Decorating an apartment? I can't paint, what do I do?

We can't paint and can't afford art pieces, what can we do to make our home more inviting?


It's difficult to find a home improvement program or DIY show that focuses on the plight of the renter.  With your own home, the sky is the limit.  You can paint, tear down walls, and completely renovate.  Not so with a rental apartment, as often landlords do not appreciate your desire to add a touch of personality to their frequently re-rented spaces. 

Although it's more challenging to bring out your personality in a plain, white apartment, it's not impossible.  Your focus should be on accessories, and you can create a beautiful home based on one of two significant pieces that won't break the bank.

The Modern Red Area Rug has a bold, eye catching pattern that would make a great focal point in an apartment living room.  If you favor taupes or neutral colors, the Funky Shag Rug is a wonderful choice.  Not only do you get a striking design, it's a shag rug that you can sink your feet into while watching TV or relaxing with a book.  Try a different area rug in each room, focusing on bold patterns and a contemporary feel. 

Not many young couples can afford expensive art pieces.  A better idea than investing your cash into art would be to purchase art prints.  You can buy them online or at any home store, and they are so inexpensive that you can change them whenever you change your decor.  Focus on bright, bold prints that bring out the colors in the room that you are focusing on.

Throw pillows, candles, frames, and family photos are also great options for decor, and the purchase price won't empty your pocket book.

Any decorating ideas to match my room?  White comforter with purple flowers, and white furniture. Any ideas?

There is nothing so restful as a bedroom oasis in white.  White walls, white furniture, and a white comforter all speak of tranquility and relaxation.  If you wish to avoid an entirely white scheme, you may be seeking an extra color to add to your room that won't overpower the white feel but will still work well in your space. 

If you have picked some bedding that is predominantly white but has an accent color such as purple, you can easily utilize that purple to highlight various parts of your room. 

A wine area rug such as the Mystique 2214 Wine rug can be a real focal point for your mostly white room.  Place it directly in front of your bed or dresser to really offset the white and catch the purple from your flowered comforter.   

Once you have a focal point, add some purple accessories including framed photos in various purple shades, a new lamp shade in white and purple, and a bulletin or tack board with light purple accents. 

Without overdoing it, you can create a restful, relaxing, and mostly white room with accents that will leave you feeling satisfied that you have enough color in your space.

My band and I are decorating our jam room/ practice area, what should we put in it other than instruments?

Jam rooms are a place where you can let your funky side go wild, and what better way to express that eclectic side of your personality than through animal prints and a jungle theme. 

Practice areas need to focus on much more than just decor, they need to provide a proper sound quality.  Hardwood flooring should be well covered with a large area rug.  Animal print area rugs come in a variety of sizes and are very eye-catching when placed on the floor.  If you favor browns over black and white, the Nolita beige and brown rug would work well with a color scheme that involves earth tones.

Getting better sound quality from the rest of your room involves placing sound dampening accessories on the walls and a few big pieces of furniture in the room itself.  Add some orange or deep yellow pillows to a deep brown couch to carry on the jungle theme. Place a variety of plants around the room, and be sure to put your amps near to the couches for better sound quality. 

When utilizing wall hangings, focus on items that will provide you inspiration.  Your favorite vinyl records hung in a collage can look very funky when paired with a large wall hanging framed in black.  Photo copy your favorite sheet music and hang it in funky frames for a constant reminder of why you are working so hard to achieve your dreams!

Interior decorating - can black, brown, and white theme work in the living room?

Brown is a very big color these days.  Chocolate brown has been paired with blue and pink for new and interesting children's rooms.  By far the most popular couch color is now chocolate brown, and it's much more likely that an individual will purchase a chocolate brown leather couch than any other color of leather. 

If you find yourself with a room that you cannot paint, such a rental with stark white walls and all of your accent colors are black, there are ways to incorporate your favored brown color scheme into your room.

Geometric patterns are a fantastic way to pull the eye to the various colors in the room and make them work together.  The Circles and Circles Area Rug has a light background with darker contrast circles.  It's eye-catching, and can certainly work with your brown couch and black/white wall accents.

For a more dramatic focal point, the Mystique warm brown area rug pulls colors of dark brown, cream, and black for a tranquil and beautiful accent to your room.

Accessories can really pull a room together.  Look for black wall shelves, candle holders, and a collection of black frames.  Black frames on white walls are striking, so be sure to place them in a collage for maximum effect.

Black, white, and brown are striking earth tones that, when put together, can provide an overall feeling of tranquility and 'earthiness' to your room. 

How do I make my studio apartment feel so cozy?

If you live in a large city such as New York or Los Angles, you are no stranger to small apartments.   More often than not, apartments come in the form of one large space for everything.  Not only does such a small space pose a decorating challenge, it becomes very difficult to define exactly where everything belongs.

There are many different ways you can reduce clutter in a small space, but the real problem with studio apartments involves how you define the separate living areas within the space itself.  Most individuals want their kitchen, living room, and bedroom clearly defined, so that it feels less like a room and more like a small home. 

A very simple answer to separating your smaller home is to purchase several area rugs.  You may decide on a luxurious shag area rug to define your bedroom area, so you have something warm and wonderful to sink your toes into in the morning.  Underneath your kitchen table, choose something eye catching and easy to clean such as a contemporary looking natural area rug.  Your living area can be clearly defined by a large square area rug in a contemporary style.

As with all rugs, the proper placement is important.  Utilize as much area on the floor as possible by placing the rug only partially underneath the furniture.  This practice will extend the look of your rug and make your room seem larger.

Really Ugly Carpet in new room?

We're moving this weekend & my new bedroom has the ugly bright red carpet.

It's hard to believe that there can be relics from the 1970's area more heinous than brightly colored, wall to wall, broadloom carpet.  Carpet that is that old is begging to be ripped out, not simply from the lack of style, but from the concealed mildew and allergens as well.

If you find yourself stuck with a room that has a bright colored carpet which is decades old and you don't have the budget to remove it immediately, do not despair.  There is one simple way to eliminate the overall look a bright red carpet until you have the ability to rip it out and start again:  Purchase a large area rug.

Although you may think that having an area rug will not detract from the overall look of the room, think again.  If properly placed, a large area rug will work to draw the eye away from the bright color of the broadloom carpet, at least temporarily.  In a large bedroom, your bed may be able to be placed in the center of the room.  Place the area rug underneath the very end of your bed, so that you maximize the space it can take up on the floor.  A great example of a large rug that would work with a red shag carpet would be the Funky Shag Area Rug. The cream color will assist in  neutralizing the bright red of the shag.  For a more modern feel, a contemporary accent rug like the Mystique Nude would work well.  With striking cream and black tones, it's sure to catch your eye. 

In a situation where you are attempting to camouflage flooring, the size of your area rug purchase matters a great deal.  Depending on the diameter of your room, you may wish to find a rug that is rectangular in shape and at least 7 foot by 10 foot.  Not only will your large rug conceal the bright red carpet underneath, you can be assured that a large portion of your room will be covered with a clean carpet that you will want to sink your feet into.

Although there is little room to move decor wise with something as overpowering as a bright red carpet, a large area rug can certainly make living in your room more stylish and tolerable until you can rip the old carpet out and start anew. 

Interior Decorating Help Please?  
I am in the process of updating a kitchen with new flooring and need advice on the color of floor I should chose.


There is nothing more exciting than a kitchen renovation.  Kitchens are the hubs of the home, and often become the gathering place for after school snacks and late night chats.  There are many considerations when renovating your kitchen, including appliances, furniture, counter tops, and flooring.  Those who find themselves with a limited budget may only be able to choose a few items to spend their cash on, and flooring is often one of them.  How do you choose a hardwood floor color that will go with an existing set of cabinets and counter tops?

When hardwood first became popular, there was a huge attraction toward the light blonde flooring.  Although it still may be popular with some, blonde hardwood has certainly taken a backseat to the darker tones.  Dark, mahogany flooring is striking, and in a kitchen is completely functional.  Light colored flooring will not hide the bits and pieces that accumulate on your floors, and in a kitchen that means you will be sweeping a few times a day!

Once your dark hardwood is installed, consider creating a focal on your floor that will draw the eye and blend together your existing colors.  If your cabinets are a neutral beige, try out a large area rug underneath your eating area that has a neutral tone or pattern.  For a kitchen with beige painted cabinets, the Contemporary Creme and Blue area rug would be a beautiful choice.  If your style of choice is country kitchen, you may be interested in one of the braided area rugs that remain popular year after year.

I've got a new room and decided to paint it pink. Anyone got any ideas for decorating tips?

Every little girl loves a pink bedroom, but with so many variations of the color pink, it's also an easy choice for older girls as well.  Flamboyant fuchsia or hot bubble gum pink are being seen more and more in tween and teen rooms, and there is an endless amount of accessories that you can pick and choose to really pull your room together.

Depending on the shade of pink on the walls, you need to rely heavily on your accessory choices to bring light into your room.  There are three basic areas you should focus on: the window, the floor, and your light fixtures.  Curtains are essential in any room, as if you leave the window bare or simply have blinds, you are missing an opportunity to really bring out that section of your wall space.  Light pink rooms can handle heavier curtains such as a thick cotton or twill in a contrasting pink color or pink pattern.  Darker shaded rooms should utilize light and airy sheer curtains with accents such as tiny pink flowers or light cotton with a pattern on a white background.

Floors are an often overlooked component of a bedroom, but you can really add some flair if you find the perfect area rug for your space.  Depending on your age and theme, there are many different types to choose from.  For a dark pink room, try a rug with a white background and a beautiful floral pattern such as the Berry Chateau Rug.  Looking for a smaller rug for underneath your desk?  There are several choices of eye-catching pink rugs in various shapes such as hearts and flowers, such as the Pink Heart Area rug or the Light Pink Flower Rug. The choices are limitless for kids area rugs, and whichever you choose is sure to bring a fresh new look to your pink room.

Whether your room is light or dark pink, don't forget that the proper lighting is important to giving your bedroom that cozy touch.  Girls often enjoy having a chandelier hanging center stage to add a touch of elegance.  Ask your parents to add a dimmer switch so you can set the mood at will.  Purchase a lamp in a neutral color and decorate the shade to suit your taste.  You can use a hot glue gun to add rhinestones and material to create a pattern that suits your room perfectly.

A pink room is a rite of passage in any little girl's childhood, so make the most of your bedroom and you will be sure to enjoy it for years to come.