"There's no Place Like Home"

Decorate by Theme
15 Simple Ways to Update the Look of Any Room
by James Charles

When you think of changing the look of a room, you probably most often think of making major changes. And, while old-fashioned rooms sometimes need such a drastic approach, it's possible to create a whole new look by just making modest, inexpensive changes to your room.

Why not try these 15 simple ways to update the look of any room.

1. Add or change accent pillows - If your room feels too bland, add some colorful, patterned or striped pillows and get rid of boring monochromatic pillows. Try mixing and matching pillow sizes.

2. Add matching area rug - Brighten up the room even more by matching a beautiful area rug to your new pillows. Put it at an angle to the couch.

3. Change your curtains - In the summer, put up some fresh and lively colors. In the winter, put up dark or subdued colors.

4. Refresh the walls - First, patch, caulk, and repair any problem areas on walls and ceilings. Then, paint them a different color. Or add texture to the walls.

5. Rearrange furniture - Position your furniture diagonally. Pull the couch away from the walls. Try some new layouts.

6. Create a new focal point to the room - Orient the seating around the fireplace and not the television. Or put the couches and chairs so that people are more encouraged to talk to one another.

7. Add greens - Plants and flowers can add greatly to a room's ambiance. Try silk plants and trees too.

8. Add artwork - Frame some of your family photos, buy inexpensive paintings or watercolors, or paint your own.

9. Change lamps - Nothing refreshes a room more than new, fresh lamps. You can find a great selection of low-cost lighting today. Add recessed lighting.

10. Change bulb wattage - Going from 60 to 120 watts can make a big difference. Changing to a lower wattage can create a cozier, intimate feel.

11. Hang mirrors - Position an oval mirror sideways to add interest. Use a combination of different size mirrors.

12. Show off collectibles - Set up a display area and design an interesting grouping with a variety of shapes.

13. Add an Afghan - Afghans can give a whole new look to your furniture. They come in many natural and man made fabrics.

14. Remove "cottage cheese" ceilings - Try to find a painter who will do this for a relatively low cost.

15. Get rid of the clutter - Open up the room's space by finding storage space for the excess papers, toys, and other items you have in the room.

As you can see, not all home decorating ideas require a heavy investment of time and money. Try these 15 affordable home interior decorating ideas to freshen up a room over a weekend.

Looking for more design help and information? Go to DesignerAtHome.com to find affordable online interior design services as well as great tips and resources.

James Charles is an award-winning interior designer who can professionally design your home…and save you thousands of dollars at DesignerAtHome.com.

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The Interior Design Style you Like…is your Style!

Author: James Charles

In my interior designer practice, I'm often asked by my clients "What's my style?" They're having a hard time identifying their own style, and they turn to me as an expert. I always tell them, "The style you like is your style!"

What exactly does that mean? It simply means that, just as you are unique, so is your style. Your style is a reflection of your own taste, lifestyle, and history.

Your style will undoubtedly evolve as you mature. The style you like when you're in your 50s will probably be different from the style you liked in your 20s. That's normal. As we change, our tastes change too. We shouldn't fight the changes, we should embrace them.

You might find that you like a combination of typical interior design styles, and that may seem confusing. But there's nothing wrong with combining styles. We're no longer locked into just one style or another. The most important thing is to relax, have fun and enjoy designing your home.

At one time, it was common to select either a traditional, modern, contemporary, art décor or other defined style. But it's not so cut-and-dried today, because of the many new styles, including eclectic and shabby chic.

In fact, eclectic and shabby chic styles are great examples of styles that were created without any of the old established boundaries. They were born out of the need for new individual looks ─ a buffet of different styles all mixed together to create new styles.

Of course, all of these styles can make selecting your style more confusing. And sometimes it's just too difficult to choose just one style. That's okay. You can break the rules and still achieve your design goals.

So, remember, choose your style wisely, and take time to decide. But never forget-it is YOUR style!

Article Source:

http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/the-interior-

design-style-you-likeis-your-style-132855.html

About the Author:

James Charles is an award-winning interior designer who provides revolutionary new affordable online design services at http://www.DesignerAtHome.com. In just three steps he can make your professionally-designed dream home a reality.

Color Schemes and Home Decorating

You will find that there are a lot of ways that you can dramatically change the decor of your home, but you will find that the quickest and cheapest way to decorate is to find your color schemes.

You will want to go to the local hardware store and just grab a bunch of paint colors and then try to future out what you would like to paint and where you would like to paint. You will find that there are a lot of things that you will want to consider, but you will first want to consider what it is that you are painting.

There are a lot of older homes that have paneling everywhere. You will want to keep in mind that there are a lot of places in the home where you will want to have the wood look and you will find that there are places where you will want to have some color. You do not want to have the whole house paneled, because it will take away some of the ways that you can personalize the home.

You will also want to keep in mind that there are some things that you will want paint so that you can have your own personal space. When it comes to the bedrooms you will want to make each and everyone person feel like it is their own personal space. It is very important that you learn to make your home a home.

When it comes to the color in the bedrooms you will want to make sure that it reflects who you are. You will want to make sure that you add some color to the home, but that you don't go overboard. You may want to pick some colors that are going to be calming and easing.

You will want to make sure that you do everything that you can to become comfortable with the home. You may want to think about using colors like browns, blues, and lighter shades. You do not want to make any bold statements.

When it comes to the colors of the rooms that you paint, you will want to consider the fact that there are objects in the room that you will want to match. You will want to make sure that you try to match the bathroom towels with the decor of the bathroom, that you match the comforters to the colors of the bedrooms. Everything needs to coordinate.

Article Source: ArticlesMaker.com

About the Author

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