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Free Interior Decorating Tips

In addition to providing general lighting and task lighting in your room, you can provide accents of light in specific areas to add a dramatic touch. This type of lighting is called accent lighting. A few examples are listed below:

· Use a floor can to shine light up through the foliage of a large  plant

· Showcase a piece of art using a picture light or wall-washer (either ceiling mounted or portable floor light that shines light onto the walls)

· Use low-voltage rope lights (tiny lights inside a flexible plastic tube) on top of kitchen wall cabinets to provide indirect lighting

· Use a lamp on a table to brighten a dark corner

· Use rope lights inside shelving units or curio cabinets to highlight collectibles

· Use rope lights behind each curtain valance to provide a pleasant glow at night and highlight the fabric of the draperies in your room

Accent lighting not only highlights special artwork and brightens dark corners, it adds drama and interest to your overall design. Get more decorating ideas from No Rules—Just Fun Decorating

Are you tired of the same old décor, but either the budget or time restraints can’t accommodate a major redo? Try a few of the following decorating tips to give your rooms a quick change without spending a lot of money or time.

 

Instead of painting the entire room, paint just an accent wall. Use a totally different color that coordinates with your existing furniture, perhaps something a bit more daring. You might try a bright, cheerful color in the kitchen or breakfast room, or maybe a darker, more dramatic color in the living room or dining room.

Re-arrange the furniture in your room using the decorating guidelines presented in Ten Common Home Decorating Mistakes & How to Avoid Them. You’ll get a whole new look for zero dollars and very little time.

 

If your upholstered furniture pieces are looking a bit worn or dated, cover them with slip covers. This is also an easy and inexpensive way to change the look of your room with the seasons, from a heavier winter look to a lighter summer feel.

 

Add new window treatments. You can also change their look seasonally by removing heavier winter draperies and using a simple valance over sheer curtains or blinds.

 

Change the throw pillows in your room. Whether you buy them, make your own, or add trims to store-bought pillows, they can help change the color and style of your room. You can change them out with each season.  Throw pillows can create a whole new look for very little cost.

 

Draping a light-weight throw over a chair or sofa can add new color, texture and style to your room. It can also hide an unsightly stain or tear in the upholstery.

 

Adding an area rug is another easy and inexpensive way to change the look of a room. Rugs are sold at a variety of discount and home improvement stores in a wide range of prices. They can add color and texture, help define a conversation area, make a room feel cozier, or completely change the room’s style. Use airy colors in light-weight woven rugs for a summer look.

 

Accessories and wall art are the finishing touches in any room. Moving these pieces from one room to another can create a quick decorating change. Collect similar items that you have scattered throughout your home and display them together in one room to create a new theme. For instance, gather your husband’s sports memorabilia and arrange it in a home office or den.

 

A new piece of wall art might be just the focal point your room needs. You can find inexpensive framed prints at many discount stores, furniture resale stores or garage sales. It might inspire you to take your room’s décor in a whole new direction. Changing the accessories and wall décor is an easy way to give your room a quick makeover.

 

Add inexpensive new accessories, such as candles to match your new color scheme or greenery (real or silk) to add softness and life to the space. Include flea market finds, such as baskets or ornamental metal pieces which can be painted to coordinate with your décor.

 

Change out the lampshades in your room. You can purchase inexpensive shades at many home improvement or discount stores. Or spruce up a lampshade you found at a garage sale or one you already own by painting it, covering it with fabric or simply adding trims such as beading or braid. You can do the same thing with most lamp bases for a whole new look.

 

Add accent lighting to create drama and brighten any dark corners. An inexpensive floor can placed behind a tall plant will create highlights and patterns on the walls and ceiling. Add a small picture light to emphasize a special piece of wall art. Place a string of low-voltage rope lights inside a curio cabinet to showcase collectibles. Refer to page 40 for more accent lighting suggestions. These are all quick, low-budget tricks that can add a bit of sparkle to any room.

 

Make your home an expression of your own personal style. Changing your décor doesn’t have to cost a bundle. All it takes is a little time and effort and a bit of creativity.

Wall art is a very important part of the room’s décor; therefore, it’s important to display these pieces effectively. A common tendency when displaying a piece of framed art is hanging it too high, so it looks like it’s “floating” by itself on the wall. Hang wall art pieces low enough so they appear to be part of a grouping of furniture beneath them. When displaying a piece of art over a sofa, hang it only about eight to ten inches above the sofa back.

 

When hanging a large piece of wall art, check to see that its scale and shape are a good fit for the space where it will be hung. For example, the shape of the wall space above a sofa is usually a horizontal, rectangular shape. Therefore, the best shape for artwork to fit this space is a rectangular or oval shape, hung horizontally. If the wall space is square, use a square or round piece of artwork.

Next, check the size of the wall art. Does it appear to be too large for the scale of the sofa, or is it too small to create the impact you want? If you don’t have one piece of artwork that is large enough, use several smaller pieces in a grouping. Get more ideas for decorating your home from No Rules—Just Fun Decorating.

Choose your color scheme according to the mood you want to create. Do you want a warm and cheery yellow on the walls of your breakfast room? Do you prefer a soothing, serene green or blue for your bedroom or bath? You can also choose a quiet neutral color like taupe as a background for bright, bold-colored accessories.

 

Once you’ve decided on the color mood you want to use in the room, you’re ready to select the specific colors for your color scheme. You might choose colors you like or ones from an “inspiration piece”, such as artwork, an area rug or the fabric in your bedding or upholstered furniture. An easy way to choose your color scheme from an inspiration piece is to choose the lightest color in the artwork or fabric to paint the walls.

Use one of the medium colors for a few of your solid-color upholstered furniture pieces and/or draperies. Pick one of the brightest colors for accents in the form of accessories, such as vases, throw pillows, frames, etc.

 

When deciding whether to use a light or dark wall color in your room, keep in mind that objects are more visible when placed against a sharply contrasting color background. Dark furniture placed against a light-colored wall will stand out more. If you want to camouflage an object (such as a piece of furniture that is too large for the space), place it in front of a similar colored background.

 

If you aren’t comfortable with a bold color change on your walls, add color to your rooms gradually. Use accent pillows, throws, area rugs and accessories to add color. Next, try painting one wall as an accent, using a more vibrant or darker color. You can also add more color with window treatments. Get more decorating tips from Ten Common Home Decorating Mistakes &How To Avoid Them.

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