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Now, more and more people are turning their ordinary TV rooms into Home Theaters. This process used to involve a projector and a screen and was too expensive for most people to afford. Advances in technology have given people more choices for home theater setups. Some people find that a home theater is quieter and more convenient than a movie theater, and the picture and sound quality are great. If you're looking for a home theater system, you have a lot of decisions ahead of you. If you're thinking of turning your den into a fully functioning home theater, this article will help you get started. What Is Home Theater? Home Theater is difficult to define: it's really just a vague term for a particular approach to home entertainment. Generally speaking, a home theater system is a combination of electronic components designed to recreate the experience of watching a movie in a theater. When you watch a movie on a home theater system, you are more immersed in the experience than when you watch one on an ordinary television. Unique home theater seating can help bring the experience to life. To see how home theaters do this, let's take a look at the original model, the movie theater. When it comes to picture and sound, the theater can offer an amazing experience we just don't get at home. That's usually why people will pay to go to the movies, even though renting a movie is cheaper. There are a few main components that make watching TV and going to the movies very different.

You only have one chance to make a first impression and your foyer is just the place to do it! The foyer is where you make that all important first impression, the impression that family and friends will remember every time their thoughts drift to you and your home. We all judge books by their covers, whether we admit it or not, and when we welcome folks into our homes, the foyer is the cover of the book that will be judged. So, let's give them a cover that serves us well. Beyond making a statement, the foyer is a transition room. It takes guests from the outdoors to the interior of your home. It's a place to take off boots and hang up coats, but it's also the area that sets the tone for the rest of your home. It introduces guests to your style and gives them a taste of what's to come. First of all, remember who will be arriving and departing from the foyer most often- you! Therefore, more than a great new color for the walls or a glamorous piece of furniture, you'll want a mirror in your foyer. Start the day off on the right foot, you never know who you might meet. You want to leave the house feeling confident that you look good. A number one must-have is a full-length mirror for that last once-over on your way out the door. The next element is choosing a fabulous shade of color for the walls; a shade that is warm and friendly. Best bets are in the yellow and orange family: perhaps, a fabulous shade of cantaloupe, squash or pineapple. Not only do members of the orange and yellow color family signify a jovial and friendly personality but they will ensure that we'll be welcomed home by walls with a cheery disposition.

You can have only one metallic tone in a room. A look at the faucet display at your local home improvement center will demonstrate that silver and gold tones can be mixed. You can even combine different brushed nickel with shiny gold. You can't mix floral fabrics and plaids. Many fabric companies now offer coordinates of florals and plaids in the same color pallet and designed to be used together. You should pick one style and stick with it. Today's interior styles reflect an eclectic mix of influences. Not only can you switch up your style from room to room, but within a room as well. Whether you prefer a casual or a more formal approach to furnishing your home, the contrast of different styles enlivens the space. Furnishings should be placed symmetrically. Just as your furnishings don't have to match, the left side of the room doesn't have to match the right. An asymmetrical arrangement can create interest and emphasize a focal point. An asymmetrical arrangement lends a room a more casual air. Books belong on bookshelves. Books are a great way to add color and interest to a room. The idea of a coffee table book deserves some updating. Stacks of books can be used to elevate a lamp or a plant in a table top arrangement. If you are feeling adventurous, you can stack several oversized books to the side of a chair to serve as an end table. When you use a bookcase, not every book has to be standing on end; try laying some flat and place decorative accessories on top.

If you just spent a good amount of money on new furniture for your living room, it will break your heart to see the first stain that occurs on your upholstered sofas or chairs. But don't worry; you can actually get some of those stains out, without a lot of problems. The main thing is to choose the right way to clean the piece of furniture, so that you don't make the stain appear worse. If someone has dumped part of a drink on your chair, consider first the fabric, before you try to clean it. If you are dealing with a larger stain, you may want to try your cleaning first on a small area that you can't see well, to make sure it does not cause damage or discoloration. Greasy stains like butter can be cleaned with a dry type of cleaning solvent, available at any grocery store. Place a bit on a clean cloth and blot the stain. Be sure you don't rub the stain, since that could make it worse. Then mix mild detergent with warm water and blot that stain again. Use a towel to soak up everything you have used, and the spot should be gone when the fabric dries. This is a lot cheaper than buying new living room sets after your muddy dog joins you on the sofa. Cheese and crackers are often served as snacks, but when nacho type cheese gets spilled, it's no picnic. But you can get it out. Just mix one teaspoon-full of mild detergent in a cup of lukewarm water, and blot the stain with a clean towel. Blot it once more with a mixture of a half-cup warm water and a tablespoon of ammonia. Then blot up the stain and cleansers using clean water only, and let it dry.

"Don't paint a small room a dark color." A deep, rich color in a small room can be a great way to enhance and embrace a feeling of coziness. "Don't mix your woods." According to the old school of thought, every wood tone in a room should match with the same finish. A more casual and eclectic approach is to mix things up, even with two finishes, like black and antique oak, on the same piece. "Don't leave your windows bare." It's okay to have naked windows, just so long as you don't stand naked in front of them. You can keep an open airy feeling in your room and highlight the view by keeping your window dressings to a minimum, or by forgetting them altogether. "Match your nightstands." Nightstands are not socks, and they don't necessarily have to match each other. You can personalize your bedroom to match the personalities of you and your partner by using different nightstands on each side of the bed. "Don't put a big piece of furniture in a small room." Putting a large cabinet in a small room can create the illusion that it is a built-in part of the architecture.

Bookshelves are a great way to add some functionality and personality into a relatively small amount of square footage in your home. In addition to displaying your book collection, bookshelves can be a great place to display your favorite collectibles or to store other items you want to keep handy. Regardless of how you use them, arranging your bookshelves to look interesting and organized takes a little know-how. Here are a few ideas to help you use your bookshelves to display and store your favorite items: 1. Mix things up. Have some of your books vertical, and some in a horizontal stack. This simple trick can add a professional and interesting touch to your display. It also allows stacks of books to act as bookends for one another and gives a few flat spots for a few special accessories. 2. Introduce items other than books! Try setting off a stack of books with a decorative box, a porcelain figurine or attractive plate. Any of these things, as well as candles, collectibles, woven baskets, framed photos, or even a plant or two, will give your shelves some nice contrasts in shape and texture. Plus, it will create both balance and visual interest at once. A neat and beautiful way to store items such as CDs, DVDs, or toys is to fill the bottom shelves with identical square baskets. The baskets will keep your shelves looking clean and organized, but your things are still very easy to access. Woven wicker or rattan baskets will also lend an earthy and natural texture to your room.

I caught screen fever at an early age. I was just a little kid, playing at my friend's house, when I happened into her dining room and spotted the most amazing floor screen standing behind the buffet. The large screen was bold and beautiful, stretching almost to the ceiling, and it sucked me in with a force stronger than gravity. Years later, when I was furnishing my own home, I knew I had to use a few screens, not only because they are stylish but also because they can be used to solve a host of decorating dilemmas. Screens are amazing decorating tools. They can singlehandedly ground a room without eating up much space or making the area feel cluttered. No matter what style you like, you'll find a screen that will make your heart flutter and bring your room alive. How about a simple wooden screen featuring louvered shutters? A regal screen featuring an Oriental motif? One that sports rustic leather veneer or tarnished mirrors? Once you find a screen you adore -- or two, or three or maybe even four, like I have -- you'll discover a million ways to use it. Here are a few suggestions:

Choosing a color palette can be one of the most intimidating aspects of creating your new interior. Many of us will eagerly wear royal purple or a lush apricot, but are reluctant to put it on our walls or use it in our furniture. But few other design elements can create the impact that color does. It is part of the foundation of the room and helps to set the tone for everything that goes into the room. Here are some tips to help you choose color with confidence. Make a Room Feel Bigger Colors that recede make a room feel larger. Light value colors and mid-toned cool colors recede. A color scheme of similar values will make a room seem larger, but don't forget the ceiling and floor. Make a Room Feel Intimate Bold, advancing colors such as red, gold, orange and brown make a room feel more intimate. Color and Light The light source in a room can dramatically alter color perception. Colors become more vibrant in sunlight. What looks like a soft yellow on the paint swatch card can become a blazing inferno on a wall that is lit by the morning sun.

The phrase, "You've got to start somewhere," can refer to a lot of different things, but when you are talking about good room design, it can only mean one thing- Focal Point. The question: "Just what is a focal point and how do I get one?" may be running through your mind. A focal point is the main point of interest in a room: the place where your eye is drawn to first. The flow of a room starts at the focal point and travels around the room taking in the scale, balance, textures, patterns, and proportions of all the other objects in the room. The flow is affected not only by what you put in the room but by where you place it at within the room. Focal points anchor rooms and their contents. Some rooms have architectural focal points such as fireplaces, others have natural focal points such as a wonderful view, and some rooms have nothing but plain white walls void of architectural interest and views. It is in these spaces that contrived focal points are created. A contrived focal point is just that, contrived, made up, and brought into being by the imagination.

Today, the home represents more than just a place to crash at the end of the day. For many people, home is their favorite place to relax and unwind, read, meditate, entertain family and friends, exercise, watch TV, play on the computer, and of course, sleep. But because it serves so many functions (and especially if you have a large family), the home can quickly become cluttered and chaotic. Arguably the most important thing you can do to create a stylish (and functional) space is to buy quality furniture that is not only good-looking and durable, but works with your lifestyle as well. Today's home furnishings offer lots of options to help you clear up clutter and store as much as you can out of sight, which will make your home appear more peaceful and roomy. Go vertical! When square footage is at a minimum, look up! It may seem counterintuitive to buy bigger furniture in a small space, but one effective piece of furniture can take the place of a lot of small pieces taking up valuable room. Instead of using a small TV stand in your family room, go for a large, wall-unit entertainment center that will beautifully frame your television and smartly stow your DVDs, gaming equipment, books, and various A/V components all in one place. If you have a projection screen instead of a regular-sized television, consider adding tall bookshelves on either side of the screen or along the side walls to neatly organize all your entertainment components.

Why is shopping for a sofa so intimidating? Sometimes customers are more comfortable dropping $30,000 on a car than to pick out a $1,000 sofa (and the latter will probably last longer). Perhaps the biggest hesitation comes from a fear of making a mistake - whether it's about how much to spend, the color, the fabric, the size or shape. Consider these factors before buying to help eliminate some of the buying concerns and make your new sofa truly enhance your living space. Know your budget. Sofas can run anywhere from $299 to $10,000, so the first thing you need to do is set a realistic budget. Sure, they may look all the same to you, but there's a huge quality difference in that range. Consider stretching a little beyond what you think you can afford - in a few years, you don't want a budget compromise to have become the shabbiest piece in your room because it couldn't stand up to your lifestyle.

It's no surprise that computers have affected all of our daily lives in the way we communicate, handle our finances, do homework, keep up with daily events, and much, much more. While most of us have adapted to the computer age, we haven't been as quick to adapt our furnishings to accommodate this new focal point in our homes. While most family members have a need or desire to use the computer, our computer stations are not very user-friendly for the entire family. The truth is that not every family has the space in their homes to dedicate an entire room as a home office, but almost everyone needs some kind of space that is a center for a home computer, bills, receipts, mail and other important paperwork. For some, that spot is in the kitchen; for others, it is the bedroom or the dining room. So how can you create a workstation that is designed to work just as well for Mom as for little Billy? The key is to get organized! No, that doesn't mean you have to change everything about the way you work or use your desk (the vast majority of us let things pile up and hope to have a day when we can sort out the mess). But it does mean having separate areas for each family member's belongings so everyone has equal use of the space. Here are a few ideas of how to make a family workstation work well.

Like millions of Americans, you're bringing your office home. Now that you've mastered the hi-tech world of home computers, it's time to get that monitor off the kitchen table and those files out of the laundry basket. Luckily, you don't have to face the home office dilemma alone. Regardless of the size of your workspace, our member stores have a vast assortment of home office products that are both functional and beautiful. Working from home has its advantages, no dress code and no commute, but the first step is designing and organizing a home office that works for you. When it comes to creating a home office, commercial-looking pieces aren't your only option. There are plenty of fine furnishings that can provide comfortable workspaces too. If you're a part-timer who's short on space, consider a simple writing or secretary desk. Whether your style preference is clean and contemporary or more fanciful French, a writing desk can easily serve many functions. A delicately scaled piece can tuck neatly into a corner of a room or be placed diagonally in a corner for asymmetric drama.

To adequately fill a room with light, ambient and task lighting are needed. Ambient light comes from a single source, like natural light, whereas task lighting is used to light a specific area such as a desk, workbench, reading chair or kitchen surface. Adding a little light to your respective living areas seems like a simple task, provided that you consider some of the factors affecting which lamp fixture you should buy. How to Choose the Right Lamp Many people choose a lamp without first taking measurements and considering both the style and the purpose of the lamp. Size, brightness, and look are very important when purchasing any type of home lighting, but lamp fixtures are especially particular because they serve the dual purpose of providing light and decorating the room. Before you go hunting for a new lamp, be prepared with a few helpful hints. The size of the lamp is possibly the most important matter to determine. This is somewhat dependant on how the lamp will be used.

Decorating small spaces in your home can be a complicated task if you're not quite sure where to begin. But there's good news: It doesn't have to be difficult at all. In any home, especially a small one, every inch of free space counts. Small shelves, tiny niches, and other unique spaces can help accent a home in a tasteful, uncluttered way. By using the small spaces wisely and leaving the larger areas open, the living space will feel larger. You may think because a room is smaller, having large furniture pieces are out of the question. Not true! Oversized furniture will not make your rooms appear smaller, but instead give them a warm inviting feeling. Of course the layout and size of a room will determine how many pieces can comfortably go into it. After all, you may be looking for drama and comfort, but you still need to be able to maneuver around. This also applies to accessories; it's better to have a few large dramatic pieces as opposed to a lot of small items, which tend to turn into clutter and dust collectors. The exception to this would be with collections. But again, you want to have places to showcase them like glass front hutches, cabinets, bookcases or shelves.

Does this fit my family's lifestyle (pets included)? Rethink a chenille sofa if you have a cat with claws. Exuberant, snack-eating football fans don't mix well with dupioni silk. How long do I want to live with this? If you like to stay on top of the latest fashion trends, you may want a change before an item is worn out. Consider how long you want to keep something before you make a sizable investment and plan to update your interior periodically. Will it fit through the door? This often overlooked issue leads to a lot of frustration and many returns. How will I take care of it? Accidents happen sometimes. Who could predict that your infant son would choose to teeth on the cushion of your leather sofa and chew a hole in it? Buying a protection plan, like Protection 1st, will give you peace of mind and the resources to fix problems when they occur. Have I done my research and am I getting the best value? Keep in mind that value doesn't mean cheap. Value means that you are getting the best quality relative to the amount you are paying. To get a good value you need to examine the sturdiness and expected lifespan of an item in addition to its appearance.

Beds consist of four major components: headboard, footboard, rails, and slats. The headboard and footboard frame the bed at the head and the foot of the bed, rails run along each side of the bed, and slats span the interior space to support the mattress. Rails can be made of either wood or metal. When you go shopping, be sure that you are looking at the price of the entire bed, and not just an individual piece. A bed frame generally refers to a metal bed support system that can be used alone or attached to a headboard, or a headboard and footboard. Bed frames for queen or king size mattresses incorporate center legs for added support.

Beds consist of four major components: headboard, footboard, rails, and slats. The headboard and footboard frame the bed at the head and the foot of the bed, rails run along each side of the bed, and slats span the interior space to support the mattress. Rails can be made of either wood or metal. When you go shopping, be sure that you are looking at the price of the entire bed, and not just an individual piece. A bed frame generally refers to a metal bed support system that can be used alone or attached to a headboard, or a headboard and footboard. Bed frames for queen or king size mattresses incorporate center legs for added support.

This is the place where everyone ends up! Move over kitchen, the family room has become a favorite communal place in the house. Or is it the living room, or the great room? Whatever you call it, it's a multifunctional room that provides space to lounge on a plush sofa in front of the TV, find solace with a good book, watch children play with toys and entertain good conversation. There is debate over the distinction between a family room and a living room. In homes with both rooms, the living room is usually the more formal room, often reserved for guests, special occasions, and the display of items such as antiques or artwork. In homes with only one, the terms are generally synonymous, though it is not uncommon for someone who grew up calling such a room by only one term to have no idea of the distinction between the two. The "great room" may not be so great anymore. The great room was a big fad beginning in the 1980s, but has recently declined in popularity. The great room of today is not as prevalent, but is still an important part of American home design.

Few furniture purchases have an impact on the quality of your life than mattresses do. A mattress can be a signficiant investment that has a noticable effect on how you feel each day, so it pays to do your homework. With a dizzying array of choices it's hard to know where to start. This guide will explain the options so you will know what to look for when you are shopping. You don't think twice about test driving a car, so you shouldn't think twice about "sleep testing" a mattress. Don't be embarrassed! (Okay, ladies wear comfortable pants instead of skirts while shopping.) Lie down on the mattress for several minutes and assess how well it provides support and how comfortable it is. Lie in the position you normally sleep in. If you share a bed, both of you should lie down together. The only way to tell if a mattress is right for you is to lie down on it!

Outdoor living is booming, and no wonder. Whether you have a deck, a porch, a sunroom, a backyard, balcony or patio, creating an outdoor living area increases your space and lets you enjoy nature. It can be as easy as setting up a gazebo or screen tent and adding outdoor furniture. The deck or patio isn't just for the grill anymore! It is actually an outdoor room. Patio furniture continues to be the cornerstone of all outdoor living items. Many outdoor living furniture sets now resemble an indoor living room with an umbrella. It is not uncommon to see a cushioned loveseat, two cushioned armchairs and coffee table. Chaise lounges may not be common inside, but outside, they add comfortable and fashionable seating. Optional coordinating add-ons might include an accent table, serving cart, outdoor rug, wooden gazebo, and outdoor lamps.