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!

Bamboo accents are a staple in interior design.  For years, bamboo carved furniture has added a bit of the exotic to even the most traditional rooms.   Bamboo dining chairs are at home anywhere from wood stained in a formal dining room to a white lacquer in a beachy, breezy breakfast room.  In the living room, a bamboo side chair is the perfect piece to add structural lines and a bit of airiness to a roomful of upholstery.  A bamboo coffee table or bookcase is another way to add a touch of visual interest and texture.   Bamboo adorned wallpaper or a bamboo headboard would look great in the bedroom.  Even a chandelier or lamp can look fabulous made out of bamboo.  The images below show a variety of rooms all using the classic motif of bamboo to achieve different looks in different rooms.

Photo: House Beautiful

Photo: Coastal Living

Photo: House Beautiful

Photo: House Beautiful

Photo: Southern Living

Photo: Traditional Home

Photo: Traditional Home

Successful lighting does not begin and end with one overhead light or just table lamps.  To create a room that uses lighting in a way that enhances your space, you must learn that layering is key.

• Use a variety of fixtures all intended for different purposes.  Make sure each and every room has ambient, task, and accent lighting.  With the exception of extremely small spaces, such as a powder room, almost every room requires various lighting depending on the time of day and activity.

• Vary the heights of lighting throughout the room.  Use floor lamps, ceiling fixtures, sconces, table lamps, accent lamps.  Place lighting on the side table, on the mantle, on shelves.  The more places that light is radiating from, the more interesting your room will appear.

Photo: My Home Ideas

• Create shadows and drama.  Spotlight conversation areas while leaving others in the dark.  Use lighting to create mystery and romance in your room.

• Illuminate bookcases, cabinetry, and molding with accent lighting.  Use a ceiling fixture to provide a more overall  lighting so that these areas can serve as an interesting side note that adds dimension and beauty to the room.

• Use recessed lights in addition to a chandelier.  The chandelier will cast a soft glow while the recessed lights provide a functional lighting of the entire space.

Photo: My Home Ideas

• Stick to 60 watt bulbs in your table lamps and floor lamps.  Anything higher is too bright and not flattering.  These light bulbs will create  a warm glow that makes your space inviting and cozy.

• In your entry way, use a gorgeous pair of sconces but complement them with table lamps on a console.  The lamps will bring the light lower into the room to avoid casting a dark shadow on everything below the sconces.

Photo: My Home Ideas

• Sconces are also functional in the dining room where they can light the areas of the room that are missed by the central light of a chandelier.

Lighting is an inexpensive way to completely makeover a room.  By adding layers of different kinds of lighting and various fixtures, you can create depth and interest in a room.

Extravagant Closets are one of those interior spaces that we can never get enough of. Endless space for expensive shoes, shiny marble floors, and flattering lighting.  If only we could all live like movie stars.

Photo: The Nanny Diaries

Photo: Sex and the City The Movie

Though we may not all be so lucky as to have closets the size of a bedroom or enough shoes to fill an entire wall full, there are ways to make your closet so organized and pretty, that getting dressed will be simple indulgence every single day.

Photo: Real Simple

Take advantage of all of the organizational tools that are available at discount stores like Target.  Matching plastic hangers, clear shoe boxes, and hanging sweater organizers are all useful and attractive ways to give your closet a dose of organization.

Photo: Real Simple

Use pegboards to organize everything from belts to jewelry to scarves to any accessory that can hang.

Photo: Real Simple

Though shoe racks are functional and a great option for closet organization, a graduated shoe rack such as this gives a look of luxury and display to your prettiest shoes.

Photo: Real Simple

Adding a mirror and a place to sit can take a simple walk in closet from a normal space to a lovely dressing area.

Photo: Coastal Living

A chandelier adds a touch of whimsy and character to your walk in closet.  Even if your closet is small, a beautiful piece like this can make a huge impact.

The chandelier is a great place to make a unique impression.  Choose something one  of a kind and fabulous.  It will serve as a conversation starter for new dinner guests and a beautiful work of art for you to admire every day.

Photos: Traditional Home

Lighting the dining room can be a tricky task.  Often people put up a chandelier and assume their lighting work is done.  While a chandelier is a beautiful feature of most dining rooms, more is necessary to create the ambiance that one would want at the dinner table.   Follow these tips to create the perfect lighting combination for your dining room.

1.Hang the chandelier so that the bottom hits approximately 30 inches above your table.  Too low and it will interrupt conversation among your guests.  Too high and no one will appreciate it.  Install a dimmer if possible.  The light from a chandelier can mimic candlelight when dimmed.

2. Install sconces.  The light is subtle yet will keep the entire room well lit.  You want to avoid a table that is lit when the rest of the room is dark.  Sconces will stop this look from happening.

Photo: House Beautiful

3. Candlestick lamps on a sideboard also help light flow throughout the room while keeping the space from appearing too bright.  Hurricanes with tall candlesticks also can create this look.

4. Hang mirrors strategically in the room to keep the low light bouncing around the space.

5. Lastly, Never underestimate the effect of candles on the table.

Photo: House Beautiful

Though it is one of the most essential parts of a room, lighting can be one of the trickiest.  It is all to easy to pick a light too bright, too dark, too focused, or too general.  To make the decision easier, you must consider the different types of light.

The three types of lighting that are used in the home are task, ambient, and accent.

Task lighting lights the way while you cook, read, sew, etc. This can be a desk lamp, a bedside sconce for reading, or a pendant light hanging over a kitchen worksurface.

Photo: Cottage Living

Ambient lighting is the general lighting cast over a room from an overhead light or chandlier.  You will find ambient lighting in every room of the house, from a closet to the dining room.

Photo: Southern Living

Photo: Sunset Magazine

Accent lighting is the pretty light that sets the mood in a room. It adds drama and glitter, though is not necessarily meant to serve a utilitarian purpose.

One, two, or all three types of light can be utilized in one room, however it is necessary to figure out which ones you absolutely need in your room so that it will be adequately lit.