Every Saturday, from October to May, the Farmers Market in Missoula, MT is the place to be.  You can find a wide variety of fresh, colorful produce grown by local farmers, many from the large Asian community in Missoula.  This delicious organic produce is just as good as anything you’ll purchase in your neighborhood supermarket, yet this produce supports local small businesses and gives you the satisfaction and feeling of community that results from a trip to the Farmers Market.

This local farmer, a man named Jerry, grows a type of green beans that you wouldn’t normally see in a grocery store.  With their just harvested taste, all you have to do is slice on the diagonal, add a drizzle of olive oil and a few spices, and stir-fry.   What an easy, fresh, delicious meal!

The Missoula Farmer’s Market also provided props to be used in Ciao Interiors’ upcoming September Parade of Homes house.  This is the house that we have featured several times over the summer, detailing its construction and use of local materials.  Natural props are a wonderful touch that give an organic, lived in quality to the home.  The dried poppies and stalks of wheat will make a fabulous centerpiece for the dining table, and the various vegetables will look great displayed in the kitchen.

If you are ever in the Missoula, MT area, be sure to check out the Missoula Farmers Market.  However, if your travels don’t bring you to the area, there is sure to be a farmers market in your own town with a stunning array of home grown vegetables from local farmers.

A great way to update a space, tablecloths add the perfect touch when you need a little pick me up.  Whether you want to add a litte funk, dress up, or down your space, throw on your favorite print or texture for an instant makeover!

Looking for inexpensive, easy ways to spruce up your home?  There are many ways to make your home look as if you’ve done a major renovation without spending major money.

• Paint.  A new coat of paint can run as cheap as $20 or even less if you’re just painting an accent wall.  It’s also probably the biggest change you can make in a room.  The difference between a yellow room and a blue room is huge; everything from the temperature to the mood changes, and all for the price of one gallon of paint.

Photo: The Daily Green

• Lighting.  A couple accent lamps can be picked up cheaply and make a world of difference on the ambiance within a room.  Set a few lamps with low wattage bulbs around the room and you’ll instantly have a cozier, more romantic feel.  Or, if you’re feeling brave, become a do it yourself-er for a weekend and install some sconces to add instant sophistication.

Photo: House Beautiful

• Accent Pillows. Bright, colorful pillows make a big statement on a neutral sofa.  Either custom made with inexpensive fabric or found for a bargain at a discount store, accent pillows are a great way to perk up a room.  You can splurge on an investment sofa and give it a new life every year or every season with inexpensive accent pillows.

Photo: Real Simple

• Artwork.  If you think it looks fabulous on your walls, then so will everyone else.  Hang up your children’s artwork or create some “modern” pieces of your own.  Frame the works as if they were a Monet and you’ll have an instant wall upgrade.

Photo: Real Simple

A few cheap, cosmetic touches can make a huge impact on a room.  Color, art, light, and fabric are inexpensive ways to make a tired room into one that is a breath of fresh air to your home.

Why be limited to just one?  Perfect for those of you that just can’t get enough, rugs that is.  Check out these interiors that show off their rug pride.

Natural fibered rugs can be not so soft to the touch.  Add a soft texture on top for a pleasing experience for your feet!

Is your favorite rug not quite the right size for your space?  Don’t just toss it for a larger one, instead layer it on a large solid area rug for added drama and emphasis

Below a floral area rug adds a nice contrast in pattern

With summer winding down and the evenings beginning to cool down just a bit, it’s the perfect time to retreat to the screen porch after a long day.  Use your screen porch for a comfortable living area, a casual dining room, or a delightful sleeping porch.  Add a ceiling fan, accent lighting (ditch the bright overhead, it’ll just attract the bugs that manage to slip through the screen!), outdoor fabrics, and an indoor/outdoor rug to make the place homey.

Photo: House Beautiful

Photo: Apartment Therapy

Photo: My Home Ideas

Photo: House Beautiful

Photo: My Home Ideas

Photo: Traditional Home

Photo: Apartment Therapy

Photo: My Home Ideas

Antlers, faux or real, are not just for those showing off their proud achievements.  Whether you’re a hunter yourself, or just like the natural element, check out these interiors that incorporate the antler attack!

Window draperies are excellent in correcting a myriad of decorating shortcomings.  You can make a room seem taller and open or intimate and cozy just by using different styles of window treatments and different fabrics.

• The best way to add height to a room is by hanging the drapery at the ceiling rather than at the top of the window.  This creates a longer line and draws the eye upwards towards the ceiling.

Photo: Traditional Home

• If you are dealing with small windows, don’t waste precious window real estate by covering it up with drapery.  Extend the drapery anywhere from a few inches to almost a foot beyond the window frame.  There will be an illusion of a wider window and you won’t lose an ounce of sunlight.

Photo: House Beautiful

• To create a stylish, luxurious look, you will have to use up to three times the width of the window in fabric.  It can range anywhere from two to three times with two being appropriate for a more casual, non-pleated look and three being necessary for a more formal or pleated drapery.
• For a cozier, more intimate look, use more fabric widths.  The fabric will draw the room and embrace it with pleats and folds.  This is a great look in a large room that needs to be drawn in, but can also work in a smaller room that you just want to look inviting.

Photo: House Beautiful

• Don’t go too short.  The drapery should be floor length with just a bit of extra where it hits the ground.  Think of a too short drapery as a too short pant, it’s just not the finished look that you are going for.  This also adds to the height of the room as it creates a continuous line from floor to ceiling.

Photo: House Beautiful

You can create a glamorous, opulent look or a breezy, casual feel all while making your ceilings seem taller and your windows wider.

Wall coverings have made a big come back in many interiors.  Shockingly though, they aren’t just limited to walls anymore.

Look up!  Wallpaper on the ceiling?  Applying wallpaper to the ceiling is a great way to add interest, and an unexpected surprise.  Great for those that want to get their feet wet, without committing to wallpapering all of their walls!

Who wouldn’t want to doze off to these inspiring ceilings?

This small space wouldn’t be able to handle such a big, bold pattern on the walls, but perfect for the ceiling

This kitchen adds pattern to the ceiling when left with otherwise no more vertical space.

Scared to commit to an entire wall?  This feature wall frames out wallpaper for a one of a kind piece of art

Wallpaper remnants add spunk to an otherwise boring bookcase

Beautiful hardwood looks best when you can see it and for that reason stairs look wonderful when left bare.  The shine of newly polished wood stairs in any color from a light maple to a dark ebony looks striking and elegant.  Bare hardwood floors may not be the best option, however, if you have children or pets.  Little feet and paws can slip on hardwood and without a buffer, it can be a rather uncomfortable fall.

Photo: Elle Decor

Photo: My Home Ideas

Photo: Traditional Home

If you don’t want the chore of vacuuming a carpeted stair runner but love the contrast of color against the wood, then a painted stairway is a good option.  The wear and tear in the middle of the stairs where there is the most traffic just adds a shabby, casual touch, however the paint can also be touched up easily.  This can be an advantage over a carpet runner where the entire runner must be replaced.  Look for a floor paint which will be  the most durable and the least slippery.

Photo: Martha Stewart Living

Tiled stairs are an exotic, free spirited look that can look at home in a house with bohemian design or one with much more traditional design if the color palettes complement each other.

Photo: Coastal Living

Photo: House Beautiful

Stair runners are most often seen in family homes because not only do they add a bit of color and texture to the stairs, but they protect the hardwood from constant wear.    A runner provides a bit of traction to prevent falls and buffer anything that is dropped.   Try a sisal or small scale pattern with a border for a stylish yet family friendly look.  Stripes or growing patterns play off stairs and elongate the stairwell.

Photo: House Beautiful

Photo: House Beautiful

Photo: House Beautiful

Photo: House Beautiful

Consider the look of your home and your family’s needs in deciding whether to cover the stairs or bare the hardwood.  As seen in the images above, both looks can be stylish and sophisticated or homey and casual.  Choose what works best for your household.

The green movement has made reclaimed wood a hit with every design style, whether you prefer modern, traditional, or casual settings.  Rustic barn woods have made their way in to furniture, flooring, and ceilings everywhere you turn.  Check out these inspiring rustic beam wonders, and how wood has made an impact on ceilings!

A modern kitchen is warmed up with reclaimed wood beams that draws attention to the architectural detail.

An antiqued kitchen adds warmth with waxed beams for a ceiling treatment

The bedrooms below add a touch of character with the wood detailed ceilings

A unique twist, wood beams create a pattern on this spectacular ceiling

Even this modern living space adds wood to the ceiling that coordinates with the surrounding elements of the room

These beautiful beams add a punch with their stenciled pattern.

Photo: House Beautiful