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New Year's Resolutions for the Home

New York (PRWeb) December 15, 2006 -- According to the experts at home furnishings leaders Hunter Douglas, Howard Miller®, Graham & Brown and the Rohm & Haas Paint Quality InstitutesSM, after the holiday season, too often “auld acquaintance” isn’t the only thing that’s “forgot and never brought to mind” -- home maintenance can be lost in the post-New Year deluge of self-imposed diets, deadlines and other good intentions. Yet often people do not take into account that the environment in which they live directly affects how well they cope with stress. To help get their dwellings ready for a new year and new challenges, these experts suggest consumers make the following New Years resolutions for their homes:

Resolution One: To Control the Mood of Their Surroundings

It is a scientific fact that light can enhance peoples’ moods and affect their sleep patterns, and the lack of light can make them sad or even sick. Yet sunshine flooding into their homes brings in glare and heat as well as harmful UV rays that can fade and damage furnishings and artwork. To combat this, homeowners should work with Mother Nature to perfect the light in their homes by resolving to find the most appropriate window fashions for each room.

To gain control over a room that delivers an overabundance of natural light, they could consider Silhouette® window shadings in the new four-inch vane size, an exclusive offering from leading custom window fashions manufacturer Hunter Douglas. This product features gently curved fabric vanes suspended between two sheer fabric panels that transform the sunlight from harsh and unyielding to soft and controllable. The larger vane size allows for a majestic view of the outdoors while still protecting your home against the sun’s harmful UV rays.

To reassert their authority over a drafty room, the new Duette® Architella™ Collection of honeycomb shades from Hunter Douglas offers significantly greater energy efficiency thanks to its patented design consisting of a honeycomb within a honeycomb that traps more air before it enters or leaves the room.

Resolution Two: To Entertain Guests (and Themselves) More Often
   
Media and game rooms are ever on the rise as more people look to home entertainment as a convenient alternative to a night out. And, entertainment pieces catered toward wine and spirits service, display and storage have become increasingly popular. For 2007, consumers should resolve to reserve a room or portion of a room for entertainment.

The stately South Haven cabinet from Howard Miller, a premier manufacturer of clocks, display cabinets and wine and spirits furnishings, offers versatility and functionality for the entertainer. The cabinet can accommodate 55 bottles and features an accessory drawer with a hinged, laminated serving shelf. The lower right cabinet has multiple capabilities: two adjustable wooden shelves are included and can be removed to accommodate a small wine refrigeration unit.

If an entire entertainment room is not an option, the sleek, contemporary Potters Creek cabinet from Howard Miller is great for entertaining in small spaces. Wine storage in the base offers a capacity of 21 bottles.

Resolution Three: To Add a Touch of Glamour
   
In a world where high fashion ranges from evening gowns to dog bowls, homeowners should resolve to transform their homes (or at least their favorite rooms) into fashion dens worthy of the runway.
   
It is possible to completely reinvent the style of a room by dressing it up with a designer wallpaper. Graham & Brown, the U.K.-based wallcovering and home décor company, has recently launched a new range of wallcoverings by acclaimed fashion designer Julien Macdonald, the 2001 “British Designer of the Year.” Macdonald has designed Kylie Minogue's world tour costumes, and Naomi Campbell and Paris Hilton have appeared on the catwalk wearing his creations.
   
His wallcovering called “Glamorous” is a modern, simple design. The symmetrical pattern has strong vertical lines that are crossed with curving arms in a stately gold color, similar to the arms of an elegant chandelier. Or, if the object is to create a romantic look, “Exotic” features a peacock with elegant plumage intertwined in a feminine, rounded pattern. The chic curves and graceful lines cleverly interpret the traditional use of a bird pattern.

Resolution Four: To Evoke the Power of Paint

The words “paint” and “power” aren’t often used together, but they certainly could be. “Studies show that paint and room color can have an effect on the body and mind,” says Debbie Zimmer, color and decorating expert with the Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute (PQI). PQI is an educational arm of Rohm and Haas, a global specialty materials company, that was formed with a charter of independence and objectivity. Consumers should resolve to reconsider their paint colors based on Zimmer’s guidelines.

Red increases blood pressure, heartbeat and energy in most people and instills feelings of intimacy and passion. It also increases the appetite, which explains why it is used so often in restaurants, and why it can be a good choice for a formal dining room.

Yellow is warm and welcoming, and a good paint color to use in poorly lit foyers or dark hallways.

Blue inspires tranquility, so it is ideal for use in bedrooms. It also works as an appetite suppressant so might not the best option for a dining room ... unless the homeowner is on a diet.
Green is another relaxing color that is much more versatile than blue. Light greens are ideal for bedrooms and living rooms; midtones are good for kitchens and dining rooms.

Resolution Five: To Start Today
   
Finally, one of the most important resolutions people can make is to stop putting off home improvement for a special occasion. Home accents are easy to incorporate, and they can determine the entire look and feel of a room.

For more information, contact Hunter Douglas at 1-800-274-2985 or visit www.hunterdouglas.com.

For more information, visit Howard Miller at www.howardmiller.com.

Graham & Brown wallcoverings may also be ordered by calling (800) 554-0887, or visit www.grahambrown.com.

Please be sure to visit the Paint Quality Institute Web site at www.paintquality.com.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photos available upon request.

CONTACT:   
Amanda Farmer / Sarah Fletcher       
LOU HAMMOND & ASSOCIATES   
1-800-742-3464, ext. 123 or 120

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