One of the most fun things about redecorating is studying all the latest trends. When it comes to execution, go lightly, though: Go too far and it starts to look like a newbie designer did your living room.

MSN Lifestyle recently listed some trends they think have gone too far. They include:

• Antlers and taxidermy
• Inspirational sayings
• Buddha sculptures
• Ghost chairs
• Poufs
• Accent walls
• Boutique hotel chic
• Black chalkboard paint

Does your home have any of these “passé” trends? We say that, in and of themselves, none of these are wrong. If you like it, go for it! It’s your home and your space. You should like what you look at. But one (or maybe two) at a time, please.

Consider context, too. Antlers and taxidermy will seem more in place in a rustic hunting lodge then they might in a suburban home. Chalkboard paint can work well in children’s bedrooms and on kitchen doors (somewhere to write the grocery list!), but is probably out of place in the dining room. And as the article notes, Buddha statues are religious pieces, not eclectic home decor.

Tell us in the comments if you or disagree with these and what decorating trends you choose to skip.

Photo courtesy of jawcey on Flickr

Home and interior design inspiration comes from many sources. An oft-repeated piece of advice is to keep some sort of a file with inspiring images–pages ripped from magazines or photos you took of a house in a nearby neighborhood that speaks to you. Inspiration comes from many places though. And if you are a movie buff, why not mine those depths for your perfect home look?

Design*Sponge has an amazing recurring feature called “Living In” where they do just that. They take a film and based on scenes and the overall “feel” they come up with home objects (and the occasional clothing) that evoke the movie. Whether it’s the sunny Greek isle of Mamma Mia!, the New York of Annie Hall or even the fantastical Labyrinth, you’ll be amazed at how you can style your home to evoke your favorite movie.

Check it out and make sure to think about how your favorite films can influence your home design and inspiration. Don’t forget the popcorn!

Image courtesy of Vlastula on Flickr.

If you think of felt as a material for grade-school art projects, think again! It can be used for a variety of things, including accessories like purses and briefcases, book covers and home uses.

FELT studio has a wide variety of products. We especially love their felt wall covers. Whether used for panels, moldings or hangings, felt is an unusual way to add warmth and interest to your walls.

Check it out and see what felt can do for you!

ZipToGreen: How To Reduce Your Home Energy Use
Re-Nest
How’d you like a planning tool lets you create a personal action plan for reducing home energy, thereby saving money and doing a little to help save the planet? For free. Sounds nice, eh? Well, we might have just that with ZipToGreen, a new site that offers greening recommendations, including costs, incentives and a personal calendar to schedule it all out.

Before & Afters of 2009
Centsational Girl
A quick, photo-heavy recap of 30 of this wonderful blogger’s favorite around-the-house upgrade and overhaul projects from 2009. A salvaged dresser, some thrift-store chairs, a bathtub update, a fireplace makeover and more. You’re sure to get some inspiration from this one.

Taking Design to Bed: 6 Beds that Will Rock Your World
CalFinder
These beds will almost certainly change the way you think about the piece of furniture on which you sleep. A couple of these beds are a bit on the wild side, but many are certainly reasonable to put in a bedroom near you.

Solar Energy at Home
HomeIntel
If you like the idea of solar energy but don’t know where to start, this article has some good suggestions. Try an electronic book reader that runs on solar energy, or perhaps some outdoor lawn lamps. Every little bit counts, after all.

Photo courtesy of Centsational Girl

Furniture made out of paper…yes, paper. Molo’s softseating is available in kraft paper or textiles. We love this product because of its innovation for making something beautiful out of something so ordinary.

Softseating has magnets on the ends, so it can be constantly be re-arranged. Unlike traditional pieces of furniture that are statically placed, Molo’s softseating can be joined together in countless configurations.

The kraft paper softseating is made from a durable, unbleached paper. It is 100% recyclable. And never fear if you don’t want the normally tan color of kraft paper: it’s available in black as well.

A more “traditional” option would be textile softseating. This is made from Tyvek, a non-woven polyethelyne material. This version comes in black and white.

If you’re looking for a different sort of furniture, Molo’s softseating is flexible and a real conversation starter!

Photos courtesy of Molo

If you saw any haunted houses this weekend over Halloween, you will appreciate these abandoned Russian houses. They may not be haunted, but there certainly is something haunting about them.

According to Charles & Hudson and Beach Bungalow 8, these houses have been abandoned, although they don’t say when. Surprisingly, the interiors seem to have held up well, and the exteriors, although a little worn, still show a faded beauty.

So where did the inhabitants go? That’s unknown, but it is interesting that there currently are not people living in the houses. These houses continue to sit deep in the Russian woods, 300 miles northeast of Moscow.

These houses don’t use an architectural style we see very often here, but some of the interiors have pieces and elements that look fresh and modern. The red hutch in the photo below would not look out of place in a farmhouse-style kitchen.

What these houses’ histories are, we do not know, but their romance and grandeur remain.

Photos courtesy of Beach Bungalow 8 and Andrew Qzmn.

What can bamboo do for you?

With the growing interest in green living, bamboo often is mentioned. What’s it all about?

Let’s start off with what bamboo is. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not a tree. According to Wikipedia, bamboo is a woody perennial evergreen plant from the true grass family Poaceae. It grows natively almost everywhere except Europe and Antarctica.

How can you use this amazing grass? To start off with, you can eat it! Certain bamboo species’ shoots are edible. Notecook shares a delicious recipe for hot and sour soup with bamboo shoots.

If eating bamboo isn’t your style, how about giving it as a gift? It is known as “lucky bamboo” so it would be especially appropriate as a housewarming gift or for a new office.

Green Living Tips has quite a few uses for bamboo. Their list includes: baskets, bicycle frames, bird cages, blinds, boats, bridges, brushes, buckets, canoes, carts, charcoal, chopsticks, clothing, cooking utensils, diapers, fans, fences, firewood, fishing rods, food steamer, furniture, garden tools, handicrafts, hats, incense, musical instruments, paper, particle board, pens, pipes, ply, roofing, scaffold, tableware, toilets, toothpicks, toys, umbrellas and walking sticks.

If you are looking for a way to be sustainably fashionable, bamboo delivers there as well. More and more places are selling bamboo T-shirts and underwear, but Organic Bamboo Clothing has an entire online store of bamboo clothes. Bamboo seems to be almost as versatile as cotton, appropriate for a night on the town or for a newborn baby.

Look around and see all the ways you can use this amazing grass for yourself and your home!

Photo courtesy of hbierau on Flickr.

Over at Care2.com, which describes itself as “the largest online community of people passionate about making a difference,” shares a wealth of knowledge with its visitors. This article is no exception.

Care2 contributor Annie Bond shares some tips, adapted from “Your Naturally Healthy Home” by Alan Berman, about what to look for and what to avoid when furniture shopping — especially with an eye for the eco-friendly.

A sampling follows. For more, be sure to check out Annie’s article at Care2.

Furniture to Look For

• Furniture made with naturally occurring materials that biodegrade safely.
• Materials that are solid rather than veneered, finished with traditional oils and waxes that can be renewed at home and improve with age and use.
• Organic fabrics and natural padding and fillings.

Furniture to Avoid

• Laminated finishes that are supersmooth; these will become damaged and look worse over time.
• Particleboard made with urea or formaldehyde glues.
• Fireproofing that contains bromines, halogens, or formaldehyde.
• Stain-resistance treatments containing fluorocarbons, PFOs, or formaldehyde.

The Carton Furniture Series was originally designed in Japan in 1965, and now Metropolitan Gallery in Tokyo is producing these Kids’ Sets. The furniture is made completely out of folded cardboard with no glue, tape, tacks or anything like that.

They are designed for kids but can support the weight of most adults, and when you do crush them or otherwise reach the end of their useful life, the cardboard is recyclable. They’d make for a fun, stylish addition to the kids’ playroom or anywhere you’d rather have something that’s, well, disposable.

The product site is in Japanese, so unless you’re skilled in that tongue, here’s an automatically (that is, imperfectly) translated version.

Thanks to Design Milk for the great find.

Today’s link-love round-up covers refurbishing furniture, tips for cleaning, and what matters for home appraisers. Let’s get to it!

How To: Repurpose Old Sweaters into Chair Covers
Re-Nest
Have some old sweaters you don’t wear anymore? Have some dining room chairs that could use a recovering? Perfect! Check out this post from Re-Nest and see how those old sweaters can give your chairs. A unique bit of style, and what a conversation piece, huh?

66 All-Natural Cleaning Solutions
Real Simple
The title pretty much sums it up. A huge list of all-natural cleaning agents to help you tackle loads of household chores with common household items like lemons, toothpaste and salt.

Yes, He Does Windows
New York Times
What’s a great way to clean windows that both works and doesn’t smell terrible? This test-and-report piece from the Times offers some guidance. Most surprising is the reporter’s preferred wiping material: newspaper.

What Matters for Home Appraisals
One Project Closer
Ethan at One Project Closer writes: “So I asked the appraiser what upgrades matter most. Here are the aspects of a home that have the greatest impact (at least for our area): kitchen, master bathroom, finished basement, bathroom in basement, new windows, new roof.” Click over for more insights into what makes home appraisers tick, which can be useful for anyone who’s buying or selling a home.

Photo courtesy of cbertel on Flickr