Hacienda Home Style .com

Ambiance.  Atmosphere.  These are words that describe how a room feels, what type of mood it projects.  When trying to create the perfect ambiance for your Spanish style home, try using candles in decorating.

While you may be trying to create a specific atmosphere or mood when burning candles, it is important to keep these safety tips in mind when using candles in decorating.
* Don’t place them too close to flammable fabrics, paper, or on wooden furniture.
* Never leave burning candles unattended.
* Blow all candles out before falling asleep if you have them in your bedroom.
* Be sure candles are out of the reach of pets and children.

Part of the appeal of a Spanish style house is the way it feels.  There’s an old world charm that lends itself to simple, yet elegant, decorating.  Multiple layers of texture add to the atmosphere of the home.  Stucco walls in a light earth tone, hard terra cotta tiles on the floor, and beautiful wrought iron that is used in a multitude of ways.  Add to those items Native American blankets, animal skin rugs, and sheer white fabrics to keep the sun’s glare out.

Wrought iron chandeliers are common in Spanish style homes.  These can be electrical or can be used with candles.  Be sure to use tins or something to catch the wax if you use candles in your chandelier.  This will keep the mess down to a minimum and will help with safety.

Candles have been used for centuries within Spanish style homes.  Combine the black of wrought iron wall sconces with the cream colored taper candles for a throw-back to years gone by.  Not only can they be used to create a mood by keeping lights dim, they can also give the illusion of a fire in your favorite fireplace without heating up your home on a warm summer night.

Try using candles in decorating by placing them in varying sizes on a mirrored table.  The glow of the candles will reflect off the mirror and provide light and warmth for the room.  They may also give a romantic glow if this idea is used on a smaller scale on a candlelit dinner table.

For a bedroom, find scented candles to light when you want to set a romantic mood.  They can also be lit and placed around a bathtub to make you feel like you’re at an expensive spa.

Using candles in decorating your Spanish style house makes sense.  Candles provide light when the electricity goes out.  They help set the mood when you’re ready for romance.  More than anything, they are a great way to stay true to the style of your home while providing another light source.

Stucco wall surfaces, arched doors and windows, and terra cotta tiled roofs are some of the elements of Spanish style homes that continue to please homeowners of this popular style house.  Other elements that appeal to these homeowners are the low-pitched roof and wrought iron fences.

Spanish style homes in the United States found their beginning in 1920s California.  Travelers who had visited southern Spain fell in love with the various architectural elements and adapted them to homes in that area.  Not only were the exteriors mimicked, but so were the interior elements that make the Spanish style home one that continues to please.

Wrought iron was often used for exteriors, but the Spanish style house used it on the inside.  Banisters, grilles over windows, and balcony railings were common in this style of home.  This art form was also used to create furniture frames and even wall sconces for candles or electrical lighting.

What else would you expect to find in a Spanish style house?  Heavy carved wooden doors were common, as was the use of wood and leather for furniture.  You would also expect to see intricate inlay work, detailed carving, and painting on furniture.

It wasn’t uncommon to see tiling used in many areas besides the floors of the kitchen and bathroom.  Tiles could be found on furniture as well as around fireplaces, as borders around arches inside the home, and as decorations on stairs.

Many people feel that the Spanish style house is only surpassed in popularity by the Craftsman house, particularly in some areas of the country.  Part of the reason for this popularity may be due to Hollywood of the early 1900s.  It is definitely due to the movie’s influence that the style spread from California to other parts of the country.

The Spanish style house is similar to ranch style homes and many people think the ranch grew out of the Spanish or at least were greatly influenced by this architectural style.  With their low-pitched roofs, asymmetrical shape, and hipped roof, it’s no wonder the Spanish style house is considered a forerunner of the ranch.

This style of home, with its stucco walls and cool interior, is best-suited for warmer climates.  However, it’s not unusual to find the Spanish style house in the western United States and in Florida.

Spanish style homes that continue to please their homeowners will likely do just that for years to come.  With so much architectural style, it’s no wonder this house remains popular.  Don’t be surprised if this style of house remains one of the most sought after and widely recognized of them all.

If you’ve ever visited Spain, you were probably enthralled by the beauty of the gardens of the country.  Influenced by Arab design elements, Spanish garden design can be enjoyed in the United States by creating your own garden at your Spanish style house.

Quite often Spanish gardens were hidden behind stucco walls.  If your home doesn’t currently have stucco garden walls, you can add them to your landscape or you can create Cypress evergreen screens with wrought iron fences behind which to place your garden.  Either option would be consistent with the style of your house.

If your home already has a courtyard or walled area, you can easily transform it into a Spanish garden design.  Because this type of garden is a personal expression of the gardener’s personality, be sure to find plants that you enjoy and will be easy to care for.  Remember, the goal is to create a place of peace and privacy for you to enjoy.

Many Spanish gardens created separate areas within the garden by having some sections walled off with shorter walls.  They also used vines both as a background for the walls and also to add privacy.

Another element in the Spanish garden design is the use of water, especially in areas of Spain that are considered to be dry.  Part of the reason water features are so prominent with Spanish gardens is because of the Moorish influence.  Water features can be anything from a rock covered pool to an ornate tile water fountain.  You could also use wall fountains or a spouting fish to maintain the traditional look.  Be sure to incorporate this element in your Spanish garden design.

Look for terra cotta tiles and containers to use for your garden.  Create a garden within a garden by filling one or more large terra cotta planters and placing them around your garden.  To complete the Spanish garden look, use Moroccan style metal lanterns to provide lighting.

Depending upon the area you live in, you may or may not need the next garden element.  Spain has intense heat during a good part of the day, so most Spanish garden designs incorporate ways to provide shade within the garden.  Build a pergola to help make the heat and sunlight bearable.  Hardy succulent plants in large terra cotta containers would be nice on the pergola steps.

Try to use plants that would be used in an authentic Spanish garden.  Palm tree, orange, and pine trees would be normally used.  Cactus, daisies, rosemary, lavender, and grapes would also have been grown in this type of garden.  Plan to do some research to find out what types of plants you can incorporate into your Spanish garden design.  Be sure to check that their hardiness zone is the same as yours, and then have fun creating a one-of-a-kind retreat.