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Stress Relief - Inspired Furniture

Bring in the Warmth of Summer with Wicker

White wicker furniture will nicely compliment your relaxation room. Nothing says calm and serenity like warm white.

Most people appreciate the charm of white wicker furniture. Pre-summer is the best time to buy wicker. Gardening shops anticipate the summer run on buying outdoor furniture and have a good supply.

An alternative to buying wicker furniture is to consider buying bamboo, rattan and sea grass furniture. All of these are very popular for bringing the outdoors in. Costs are quite reasonable.

For fabrics, think floral. These are your best bet when creating a garden inspired room. These work very well with any of the furniture styles that we've mentioned. The important note here is to be consistent.

Some great ideas to consider are the following:

• Traditional "cabbage chintz" patterns
• Caribbean patterns
• Indonesian patterns
• Hawaiian-style tropical prints
• Softer, more subtle Laura Ashley style patterns

You will need a good sense of coordination to pull off layering of florals, patterns and stripes, so ask for help.

You can ask fabric companies to show you selected combinations of floral designs and complementary stripes, plaids and solid colors as whole groupings. This will simplify your task. Find these presentations in home decorating sections of large hardware stores or in fabric stores that specialize in home decor.

Select simple, understated window treatments to frame your view to the outdoor garden and to help bring the outdoors in. Choose from neutral hues, muted and not bold.

To help define the seating area in your room look for area rugs of sisal, coir, jute or synthetic materials that replicate natural fibers. Ask the carpet stores to make you rugs that have borders to complement the colors you'll use in your upholstery and drapes.

Finally, no relaxation room will be complete without a generous display of live plants and flowers. They're the final touch that brings the realistic impression of having your outdoors flowing to the inside.

Fill your relaxation room with everything that you love and enjoy best. Stock up on good books, board games, a great music system – anything that will promote rest and calm. Make this your special room and you will have a lovely retreat to go to whenever you need to most.

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