New Decorating Ideas for the New Year

Each year we make commitments to ourselves to improve our lives and our well being. If home is where the heart is, then it all should start there. This year, don't just make your house a home... make it your very own. Here are a few amazing remodel and decorating ideas to help spark your creativity and personalize your home.

Living Room:

Credit: fantasticviewpoint.com

If you have a hard-floor living room, it can be hard to make it cozy and inviting. Add a large area rug to bring focus into the center of the room and see how warm it make the room feel. You will find yourself spending more time there and you may even begin to prefer the floor to the couch.

Credit: yishalaibuyi.com

Conversation pits can be a great way to really open up a room. Look at how much space created by lowering the furniture line. Make your living room look elegant and spacious by sinking the floor, that is, if you have that kind of foundation.

Stairs:

 

Credit: designrulz.com

There is so much wasted space beneath a staircase. If you have stairs, you know what I mean. It usually turns into the "catch all" closet (if you have a closet under there) where all the odd and end cleaning supplies or blankets go. But, if you do it right, you can always make better use of that hidden space by adding drawers or even shelves along a bordering wall.

Credit: ljacobsendesign.com

Don't forget about a place for your pet to retreat and hide out. Just make sure you can get in there to clean every now and then. The under-the-stairs space is perfect for your furry family member.
 

Shower:

Credit: homeizy.com

Think about how much time you spend cleaning the glass doors of your shower. You could be spending more time in the shower, but instead of cleaning, you can be relaxing. A nice open plan, doorless shower is just the thing to turn your drab bathroom into a day spa escape from the day-to-day chores.
 

Cleaning:

Credit: buzzfeed.com

I don't even know how this one is possible, but I would find any way to make this a part of my baseboards. A wall slit that is connected to a central vacuum system. Perfect for sweeping up the smallest bits that you just can't get up with a dustpan.

What are your tips or ideas for the coming new year? 

Cardboard Creativity

What else are shipping boxes good for? Around here we encourage all kinds of creativity not just for wall decals.

[Customer Spotlight] Jennifer C

At DecalMyWall.com, we love our customers! Even more than that, we love seeing pictures of how you've transformed your home with the wall decals you've ordered from us. It is such a delight to see the 'Final Step' of the wall decal experience --after you've installed it on your wall. We are honored to be a part of bringing your walls to life!

Customer Spotlight: Jennifer C from Illinois.

Jennifer's Order Included:
- Dots Tree Wall Decal with Birds and Birdhouse
- Custom Size & Color: Life is Beautiful Wall Decal
- Custom Size: Dots and Rings Wall Decals Pack
- Retro Starburst Wall Decal



We've asked Jennifer a few questions and here's what she had to say:

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DecalMyWall: Tell us just a little about yourself.

Jennifer: I am a 14 year old 8^th grader whose hobbies include softball and making clay art.  My other interests are all animals and wanting to be a vet tech or vet.  I enjoy playing with my pet rat and have had guinea pigs and hamsters in the past.

DecalMyWall: What led you to choose the Dots Tree wall decal?

Jennifer: I wanted a tree and liked the abstract look of the Dots.  When I first picked it, it coordinated with my comforter.  I later changed my comforter so that colors would match the tree because I liked the tree so much and the decal colors did not match the first comforter.

DecalMyWall: Did you see the decal first, and then think of where to put it; Or did your empty wall beckon you to find the perfect design?

Jennifer: I knew I was going to have an empty wall and wanted to tie nature into my room so I looked for a wall decal.

DecalMyWall: How has it changed the way you feel about that room?

Jennifer: It makes my room feel much more mature after 13 years of having plaid wallpaper with a dollhouse wallpaper border which was very childish. This design also creates a relaxing atmosphere for me.

DecalMyWall: What do you enjoy most about having your Dots Tree, Rings, and Wall Quote?

Jennifer: It makes my room look beautiful and all of them work together to make the room colorful.  The colors work so well together and help tie in with the bedding.

DecalMyWall: What are some things your friends or guests say when they see it?

Jennifer: "WOW", "I’m jealous", "It looks amazing", "It is beautiful", "I want your room", "Can we trade?"

DecalMyWall: What was your overall impression with the website?

Jennifer: Really liked the website, easy to navigate around and was easy to find what I was looking for.

DecalMyWall: What would you tell someone else who is interested, but may be hesitant to purchase a wall decal?

Jennifer: Purchase! They are easy to install and look great.  If you have any questions/concerns call or email DecalMyWall.com, they are very helpful and will help with designs and adjusting designs to your desire along with helping with color choices if not sure colors compliment one another.

 

DecalMyWall: How was your experience with installing your decals? Did you have any difficulties?

Did you find the How-To videos helpful?

Jennifer: Watched how–to videos first and they were very informative and made the installation very easy.  Only had one small issue and that was on the tree branch section when we were removing the backing paper the paper curled over and stuck to another section.  We had to gently pull the paper apart and luckily it caused no damage to the decal.

DecalMyWall: Anything else you would like to add?

Jennifer: I think they are pretty cool and so do all my friends when they see my room.

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A huge 'Thank You' to Jennifer and her mom Annette for taking the time to answer a few of our questions and for being a part of the DecalMyWall.com Family.

If you'd like the chance to be featured in a 'Customer Spotlight', click here to apply. 

(Tie) Dyed Eggs... Thinking Outside The Shell

I love neckties. Just not the ugly ones...

I've run out of new ways to decorate using the same ole egg dying kit year after year. What surprised me the most about this blog post I found this week, was that the best looking egg patterns came from what I considered the 'ugly' ties. The picture pretty much sums it up. Check it out!

Such a clever idea!

Thank you to OurBestBites.com

Win $100 Visa Giftcard - Photo Contest!

We are excited announce we are having our annual customer photo contest. The lucky winner of this contest will receive $100 Visa gift card, so get your cameras ready and submit your photo and view the contest details by following this link: http://www.decalmywall.com/wall-decals-photo-contest/

Glow-in-the-Dark Easter Eggs -- A New Way To Hunt

With Easter soon upon us, I'm finding myself not as enthusiastic about the age old tradition of the 'Egg Hunt'. Mostly because I can never seem to come up with the same amount of eggs at the end of the hunt, as when I first hid them all. I certainly don't enjoy hitting those lil deserters with the mower or weed whacker a week later! (ok, the candy explosion was fun, but only the first time). That is, until I came across this blogpost...

Some ideas are just too fun! And I don't care if I loose track of some eggs, because the fun had will be well worth dealing with the strays later on.

Let me just sum it up with the picture below:

Glow-in-the-Dark Easter egg hunt! An awesome idea for a lasting Easter memory!

Thank you to MommySavers.com

How To Install Large & Multi-Part Wall Decals

Our office walls at http://decalmywall.com have felt empty and neglected for too long. Watch how we transform them with a full size wall decal. If you've been wanting to see how the experts do it, then this video is for you. See our techniques for installation including, hinge methods and app tape removal. The video shows time-lapse portions as well as real-time footage of our wall decal installation process. Total install time is about 30-45 mins (start to finish).

Introducing Our Production Manager, Richard Sargent

About the Author
 Richard Sargent is the Production Manager at Accent Studios. He is in charge processing each order from preparing the cut files, to shipping, and is part of our sales team. Richard loves to bring excitement to every aspect of his life. His energy and enthusiasm for making wall decals is a great asset to Accent Studios.

Hello Everyone!

My name is Richard Sargent, and I'm the Production Manager at Accent Studios - Vinyl Wall Decals. I started off just a year ago as a part-time team member, hired on to 'weed' the excess vinyl from the products after they had been cut out of the machines. Over time, as I began to take a real interest in the production programme, I developed tons of questions on how the whole process worked, and I soon began to learn all aspects of the company. The more hands on I became with each part of the process, I grew a deeper appreciation for the work that really goes into creating these wall decals.  

My appreciation has grown and this is now one of my passions in life. I often think people call what they do for work 'a job', but it's not a job when it's something you love to do every day. The reason why I love making wall decals, is the fact that I'm a part of bringing excitement and joy to many households each and every day, with our decals.   

Most recently, I served as customer service manager for a major corporation. We handled thousands of customers with a high level of satisfaction. That was a joy to know we could help everyone with their needs and products.

Prior to that, I served as a business development executive for a Wedding DJ Service. We averaged over 100 weddings a year in our company. It was exciting to see the company start with a couple guys with passion and turn every wedding into a very special day.A constant theme that Accent Studios has been embraced:

-We are all about providing top quality in products, very high standards in designs, and providing the best customer service.

I truly believe that Accent Studios not only meets this criteria, but has a real shot to fulfill its mission to be the clear leader vinyl wall decal designs.

In terms of my personal beliefs: 
-I believe having a passion in every aspect of your life is needed, to enjoy every moment that life has to offer you. 
-For every trial, there is a lesson to be learned. Only when you stop to recognize what is really going on, is when you truly learn what life is all about. 
-I have had a lot of great inspirations in my life that have helped me to understand and develop my talents. 
-I strongly believe that everyone has the ability to do amazing things in life. We are all given the same amount of time everyday to live, and to inspire others. It is up to you to make the very most of it.

I'm really looking forward to a long journey with Accent Studios. I'm proud to be part of this team! Each day begins as a new adventure and ends with a feeling of accomplishment.

Introducing Our Product Design Director, Leah Eropkin

Hello to all the fellow readers out there! My name is Leah, and I recently joined the creative team at Accent Studios as a graphic designer and illustrator. Naturally, becoming a member of the team was a very exciting moment for me. I feel very honored to work with a group of such talented and ambitious people. With that said, I am greatly looking forward to my creative journey with Accent Studios, and growing a wonderful future here with the amazing founders of the company, Steven and Garrett. Their hard work and dedication at Accent Studios has inspired me to give it my all here, and I'm quite excited to see what the future holds for us all.

Now to share a little bit about myself with you all--let's see, where to start? Professionally speaking, this adventure began with my education at Laguna College of Art and Design, a private art college located in Southern California. Initially I set out to major in illustration. However, my curiosity in experimentation with mixed media led me to take a graphic design course during my freshman year. After doing very well in the course, and falling in love with the discipline entirely, I decided to change my major to graphic design. I felt like graphic design was the perfect major for me because it allowed me to continue using my skills in traditional illustration, while not limiting me to one box.

For example, if I was working on a tee shirt design, I could start off with an illustration in pencil, then manipulate and color that drawing on the computer, turning it into digital artwork. Interestingly enough, I think the fine line between graphic design and illustration became a very blurred one in my work by the time I graduated LCAD. As the years went on, I ended up incorporating both skill sets into my work, thus merging design with illustration to create a fusion genre. It started to become part of my signature design style, and laid the groundwork for all my forthcoming projects. So in short, that's basically the nature of my work today, and how it evolved over the years.

I believe that my strong background in illustration is what led me to Accent Studios as well. I truly feel like I found my niche here since I get to use both my design and illustration skills to create fun wall graphics for our wonderful customers all day. I love the variety and versatility of this job. The fact that our products are so diverse and widespread makes the projects here very enjoyable. I never know what I will be working on next, and I thrive on the element of surprise. Additionally, I feel that our customers definitely shape the look and feel of our products. Because of that, it is my number one priority here at Accent Studios to create that perfect design for everyone. Here at Accent Studios, we are very opened to suiting the needs of every customer, so never feel shy to let us know what you want next. That is why I am proud to be part of this team!

Thank you all for taking the time to read this! I hope it helped you get a better sense of who I am, and my personal goals here at Accent Studios. With that all said, I am looking forward to creating some amazing products for you all! I want to deliver the very best for everyone.

[SITE FEATURE] Pinterest Integration

We've come across an amazing little nugget a few months ago. It's the new internet sensation, Pinterest! To tell you all the truth, we are hooked. I mean... What's not to like about it?

If you can remember flipping through magazines, dog-earing the pages or, cutting out all kinds of cool pictures to put together on a collage board, then Pinterest will blow you away. We're talking fulfilling all of your vision board dreams.

With just the click of a button, you can immediately add a picture or video from any website to one of your very own 'Pin Boards'. Thus, 'Pin'ning the things that 'interest' you. We've incorporated this into our website. On each product's page just below the 'Add To Cart' button (see images below) you will find the 'Pin it' button. Just click this to add the picture to one of your boards.

For those of you who don't have a Pinterest account yet, apparently the company requires you to ask for an invitation to join, which can be done on their website, or Facebook page. The best way, however, is to have a friend (who already has an account) invite you.

As they say... "Happy Pinning!"


After Pinning, be sure to enter the URL of your pin to our giveaway widget on our Fanpage.

Giveaway - 'Share Our Site' - Example

Here is an example of adding linked text, such as wall decals, to a post on a blog. You can copy/paste the linked text and add it to a post all by itself, or in the middle of a sentence. Just be sure that the text is linkable and will go to the assigned page when clicked.

After you have entered the linked text, then copy/paste the URL to that post in the blank field in the Giveaways widget on our Fanpage under 'Share Our Site'.

Click to enlarge:

NEW - Squeegee Applicator with QR Code

Here at Accent Studios, we are always looking for new things to try out. We strive to be at the forefront of our industry and want give you the advantage of the best services available. We've been waiting in much anticipation for several weeks for a certain shipment to arrive today; -- Our brand new Squeegee Applicators with QR Codes!

You may be wondering "What is a QR Code?". For some of you, you've been scanning away all kinds of things, getting digital info off printed material for months. With these new Applicator Cards, installing your decal will be a breeze! Just scan the code and it will take your phone's browser to our YouTube page, where it will begin to play our How-to videos.


Of Course, if you don't want to wait til you get the squeegee to scan for our videos, you can always just scan the code in the picture below with your QR app.



If you don't have a QR reader, don't worry! Just search QR in your phone's App Store or Market.

Below are links to download QR apps:

Android: http://qrdroid.com/get

iPhone: http://itunes.apple.com/app//id284973754?ign-mpt=uo%3D6&mt=8

FYI: The QR app is good for more than just our How-To videos. You can use it to scan bar-codes in a grocery store and compare pricing to other stores instantly.

Also see this on our Fan Page.

Closed -- [Giveaway] - 10 Kanji Wall Decals

[UPDATE -01/18]

A BIG thank you to all of you who commented and shared where you would put your decal!

Here are the 10 Winners:

Jennifer Barrett-Cooper
Wendy Fraatz Cauchon
Joann Thompkins-Winborn
Diane Fuller
Sommer Olson
Kim Braun Bennett
Lisa Dawn Whalin Paris
Christina Ahia Trugillo
Mike Nexterowicz
Lillian Ng

We will be messaging you with a link to provide us your shipping info.
For everyone else, keep an eye out for our next giveaway.

~Accent Studios~ 1/18/12

We are giving away 10 Kanji Wall Decals (see image) as a way to say thank you to all of our fans and customers, and to kick off a new year.

Nothing like a few Chinese Symbols to usher in some good fortune for 2012. Let's not fail to mention that Chinese new year is also about to begin. How fun!

Kanji Decals are 11"w x 12"h each.

Want to win? It's easy!

All you need to do is:

1) 'Like' our Facebook page. If you've already done that, then have your friends to 'Like' us too!

2) In a comment below, tell us where you will likely place your Kanji Decal in your home after you've won.

(pictures are good too!)

10 winners will be selected randomly. Each winner will receive one (1) Kanji Wall Decal.
The cut off time to post a comment is 8pm PST on 01/18/2012.
We also ask that you please send us a picture of your decal after you've put it up on your wall!

See more of our Kanji Wall Decals at www.decalmywall.com

*Accent Studios reserves the right to remove comments that are, but not limited to:
Spam, Derogatory, Abusive, or otherwise Inappropriate to us or our Fans.

[VIDEO] A Day at Accent Studios

Here at http://www.decalmywall.com we love what we do and have lots of fun doing it, so we thought we would show some time lapse clips we've been gathering of the wall decals making process. Wall Decals are a great way to add new life to drab walls. The only limit is your creativity and even then we are always here to help with that. So check us out, you'll be glad you did!

[Video] Accent Studios - The "Reel" Story

The "Reel" Story is our humorous take on a video we submitted for a contest sponsored by Google, YouTube, and American Express. We were given the task to create a short video explaining how our business got it's start and what we do. We hope you enjoy watching this comical version of outtakes as we tell our story from a more "reel" perspective. To view our website visit http://www.DecalMyWall.com

[Video] Accent Studios - Wall Decals | Our Business Story

My Business Story for Accent Studios - DecalMyWall.com created on http://www.youtube.com/MyBusinessStory - a site built for small businesses to tell their stories and encourage everyone to Shop Small. Proudly sponsored by Google and American Express. Visit my business at www.DecalMyWall.com

[News] HGTV & Accent Studios Wall Decals Recap

Well, if you missed the show last night; "Shame on you!" No, just kidding. ;-)

Just to recap...

All in all, it was soo cool to be apart of a "reality show". Its interesting to see how a reality show is setup and to see behind the scenes. Also worth noting... It's amazing to find out just how much stuff they film, but then how much of that is actually cut out and what ends up being part of the hour long show. I have to say I'm a little disappointed that our Interior Designer, Christine Ubbink didn't win, but what are you going to do? She did a great job! Although we didn't get a lot of air time ourselves (they sure filmed us a lot while installing), our wall decal did. I have to say, it was a pretty big hit, in spite of the short clips they showed on the show.

The product that appeared in the show is the Bamboo Wall Decal. The colors used were Brown-CL38, Light Brown-CL39 and Lime-Tree Green-CL34. It really added a lot to that room, considering how bare that wall looked before we had at it. All in all, it was a great experience to be apart of! We'd like to give a big thanks to Christine Ubbink for letting us be apart of her competition.

To get more info and pictures about the show and products she used check out her site here: http://christineubbink.com/hgtv.html

Skywalk Wall Decals | Accent Studios - Wall Decals

This is a time lapse wall decal installation video. This project is phase 1 of a city skyline wall decal for a trampoline arena. This skyline decal project was really awesome to work on and to design. Make sure to check back for more videos as we finish this large scale wall decals project.

[NEW!] Color Previewer

We are excited to release our new color previewer to the site. There are many new improvements that have been made to help make your experience buying wall decals just that much better!

Here is a list of the features we added:

1) Zoom - You can now zoom in and out of the previewer to get a better look at the wall  decal design. 
2) Direction - Applicable products can now be 'flipped' allowing you to see which direction  you would like best for your wall decals to be facing. 
3) Enhanced Wall Color Picker - You now have more control over your wall color then the  previous version allowing you to more closely simulate your actual wall color.
3) NEW COLORS - We've added 6 new colors to your color selection.

• Ice Blue - CL26
• Light Green - CL33
• Metallic Bronze - CL42
• Metallic Gold - CL43
• Metallic Silver - CL44
• Etched Glass - CL45

You can find the color previewer on every product page under the product image and options.
Be sure to check it out and don't forget to have fun playing with all the options and color choices.

Here is a snapshot of the new wall decal color previewer and its features.

Halloween Wall Decals are here!

Alright, it's that time of year again. The weather is changing and the leaves are beginning to turn colors and fall. All the stores have Halloween decorations in already, and now so do we!

Halloween Wall Decals are up and ready for applying! Get yours today, and add one for a friend!

Happy Halloween Wall Decals with bats

Halloween Wall Decals Pack

Keywords: DecalMyWall.com, Accent Studios, Wall Decals, holiday wall decals, halloween wall decals