If you have ever purchased living room furniture in the past, you know it can be quite expensive.  Now, you are ready to remodel or update the look of the room, but don’t know where to start.  This article offers important information that will help you select furnishings that will stay in style for years to come so that you don’t have to spend a great deal of money in the near future on trendy designs.

Trends come and go, and if you were to keep up with the current “big thing” in furniture, you would spend a fortune.  Here are some ideas that will help you create a beautiful, appealing living room that will always be “in.”

Go for Neutral Colors

One thing you definitely want to avoid in living room furniture is choosing colors or patterns that won’t be in style a year from now.  Purple, orange, fire engine red and other loud colors are out of the question; neutral colors allow you to change the accessories any time you like, keeping the look always fresh.

Colors like taupe, cream, sand and light gray are easy to accessorize, so you can make your living room look new every year if you like.  This can be accomplished simply by changing throw pillows and curtains, and by updating your wall accents, candles, etc.  Stick with neutral colored or leather furniture that is basic in design and free of intricate or elaborate details.

Go for Quality Instead of Quantity

With larger pieces such as a sofa or love seat, spend more on furniture that is durable and will last for years.  It’s much easier on your budget to replace rocking chairs or recliners and tables.  The larger furnishings will likely be used often by family and guests, so you want something that will last for years and still look attractive.

Do it Right by Staging First

You want your furnishings to be in scale with the room.  A small living room with too much bulky furniture only looks smaller, and floor space is limited.  A large room with too little furniture may look too open and therefore have a cold or indifferent atmosphere.

To stage your living room, simply use ribbon or painters tape to mark off the areas where you plan to set your sofa, love seat, chairs, coffee and end tables, etc.  You can also use pillows or blankets to do this.

After you mark off the areas where you believe you want your furnishings placed, take a step back and observe the room.  Does it look like you will have plenty of floor space?  Is there too much?  Staging the room will help you in determining how large your pieces need to be, and whether you need to add or subtract a few pieces in order to fill the room appropriately.

As a general rule, larger, more bulky furniture works well in a large living room and smaller scaled furniture for a smaller room.  Just remember to purchase the larger pieces in neutral, basic colors and fabrics and you will have furnishings that change with the trends any time you like!

Are you unhappy with the way your bathroom looks, but don’t have much money to invest in remodeling?  Without spending much at all, you can completely transform the appearance and atmosphere of your bath.  Sure, no one visits in this room, but plenty of people use it!  When visitors come, you want your home to look as beautiful as possible, and the bathroom is no different.  This article offers you tips and ideas you can use today that will update and refresh the most used room in the house.

Many people have bathrooms that are so small, the tub, vanity and toilet are practically touching each other, with only space enough to walk in the room.  Even in this situation, you can still make the room look charming!

Paint Can Work Miracles

Paint can accomplish nearly anything.  If your bathroom is small, paint the ceiling bright white, the walls a pale or pastel shade of sand, peach or buttercup yellow.  Add an interesting contrast by painting all trim around the floors and doors white.  If your bathroom is very large, you can use deep, rich colors instead and still get away with it.  Mauve, burgundy and forest green are beautiful colors for a large bathroom.

Give Life to the Walls

Even in a small bath, you need something for the walls; otherwise the room will look drab and boring.  Consider placing wood or wicker shelves over the toilet.  You can often find these at flea markets and resale stores – just clean those up well, apply some spray paint and you’re good to go!  Top the shelves with candles, apothecary jars filled with cotton balls or potpourri, and other colorful accents.

Mirrors are essential in a bathroom, especially a small one.  Most likely you already have a mirror hanging over the vanity, but consider an additional mirror for an opposite wall to reflect light and add dimension.  In a small bathroom, hang a large print on one wall that is brightly colored to further lighten up the room.  Too many pictures, sconces and such look cluttered, and may make the room look even smaller.

The BEST Tip of All

What is the one thing you can do that will instantly improve the appearance of your bathroom?  A new shower curtain!  A brightly colored print will liven up the room, and a solid color works well as long as it complements the other colors in your décor.  Buy an extra shower curtain, and use the fabric to make curtains for the window and a cover for the waste basket!  You won’t spend much money, and your bathroom will look well put together.

Wicker baskets filled with soaps, rolled up washcloths and small lotion bottles look feminine and make a nice touch to any bathroom, no matter what size.  If your bathroom is large, consider placing a large plant in one corner.  When possible, floors should be kept to a light shade in smaller bathrooms.

Combine these tips with a few of your own creative ideas, and you will have a bathroom that you actually enjoy looking at.

When you are expecting a baby, you want the nursery to be perfect.  Your desire is to create a room that is soft and cuddly as well as relaxing for your baby.  Whether you are expecting a boy or girl, the nursery will be the place where you will spend much of your time rocking and soothing your child in the wee hours of the night.  This article describes how you can decorate your baby’s nursery using colors that are attractive to you and soothing to your baby.

Decide on the Color Scheme

Many parents love to decorate the nursery in bright primary colors.  Bright reds, blues, greens and yellows are a great way to make the room look cheerful; these colors are also useful in attracting the attention of your baby as his eyes begin to focus.  Soft, pastel colors are fine as well, and may be a bit more relaxing to the baby when nap time comes.  Soft blue, cream and pastel peach are good colors to consider.

Of course, you can always stick to the pink or blue theme depending on the sex of your baby.  Either of these colors can be combined with sand, cream and white shades to keep the space from being overwhelmed by a single color.

Furnishings

The crib, changing table, dresser and other furniture can be anything you choose.  If you decide on the bold, primary colors, you may want furnishings that are white to contrast with all of the bright accessories in the room.  Should you choose pastel pink, blue or even a light aqua, furnishings may be chosen in a darker wood to contrast with the light shades you use to decorate.  Pine or natural finished furnishings work well with any color scheme.

Creative Painting Makes a World of Difference

There are literally hundreds of things you can do with a little paint!  When it comes to the nursery, you can really get creative.  Many new parents feel that painting soft clouds on the ceiling adds a relaxing touch to the room.  Consider painting playful murals on a wall as well.  This can be something as simple as a few alphabet blocks, or something more intricate like Disney characters.  Just use your imagination!

If your baby is a boy, there are all sorts of options for accessorizing the room.  Sports themes, cars and trucks, fire engines, and tractors work well.  For girls, think about a princess theme, ballerina, or a fairy tale character such as a mermaid.  Of course, teddy bears are perfect for either.

Many people do not want to know the gender of their baby before it is born – they enjoy the surprise.  This is not a problem when it comes to decorating the nursery, simply stick to neutral colors and themes such as Winnie the Pooh, or even a beach theme decorated in soft blue and sand colors.  Keep in mind that your baby won’t remain a baby for long, so you may want to choose a theme that still work when they are two or three years old to keep you from having to update the décor too soon.

Use these tips and ideas when decorating your baby’s room, and include a few of your own creative ideas.  You will have a nursery that is perfect, just like your little one.

Many people don’t realize just how important of a role color plays when decorating their homes.  Sure, most people know that warm colors are golden browns, yellows and reds, and that cool colors are green, blue, violet and pink shades.  But what does this all mean in the grand scheme of things?  Color speaks volumes, even about your own personality.  This article details a little about color, and the effect it can have on the appeal and atmosphere of a room.

It is a proven fact that colors affect emotions.  Red can brighten up someone who feels down, as can bright yellow.  Blue is soothing and comforting, and green often makes people feel wealthy.  How do the colors you use affect the way your home appeals to others?  Here are a few tips to let you know just what your home says about you:

Warm Colors

Red is vibrant and stimulating.  This includes stimulating the appetite, so depending on whether you are dieting red may be a good choice for the dining room.  Beware, too much red is overwhelming.  Whether you use various shades of red in the living room or dining room, temper it with calming colors that dominate the rest of the décor.

Yellow brings to mind sunshine, and is a cheery color.  This is a great color to use in the kitchen, as it offers warmth and a feeling of coziness.  You don’t have to use bright yellow; a softer shade will make a beautiful backdrop to a room.

Orange may sound like a horrible color to use in decorating, but when a soft shade is used it is actually inviting.  A muted shade of orange creates an appealing atmosphere that offers a welcoming feeling.  Orange is a friendly color that exudes happiness.

Cool Colors

Green is a color that helps bring the outdoors in, and is perfect for any room in the house.  Whether bold and vibrant of soft and muted, green is a peaceful color.  For the bed or bath, think of celery and seafoam shades of green, mixed with cream and sand tones.

Blue is the most soothing color of all, which is why it is frequently used in the bedroom.  Mixing shades of blue and green creates an inviting and calming atmosphere that makes any guest feel welcome.  Blue is also said to decrease appetite, so it may be a good choice for the dining room if you are trying to shed a few pounds!

Violet is a cool color that is useful when used to accent your home, but probably too overwhelming to use as a dominant color.  Choose accent rugs, throw pillows and other accessories with a slight splash of violet to add depth and interest.

In decorating your home, remember that most warm colors are welcoming, while cool colors offer a feeling of comfort.  There is nothing at all wrong with mixing shades from the warm and cool spectrum as long as they coordinate well.  Unless you are a very bold person who loves the extreme, avoid using large amounts of bold red, purple or black in decorating your home.  Strong colors like these will begin to wear on your nerves over time, as they can be distracting.  Use color to decorate your home not only with magnificent hues, but with a soothing or welcoming atmosphere as well!

To some, monochromatic may sound dull or boring.  When done right, you can decorate your living room or any other room of your home using a monochromatic theme for a stunning effect!  If you think this style of decorating is bland and lifeless, this article will offer tips and ideas that help you create a room with depth and appeal.  White or beige isn’t the only color that gets used in this popular style of decorating.

You can, and should, use any color at all to create rooms that are full of personality and interest.  Save the bold reds, purples or emerald greens for rooms where you do not spend large stretches of time, as these colors can become overwhelming.

The Secret Lies in the Colors

When creating a monochromatic look, you want to use 3 different shades of the same color.  For example, if you want to use brown tones then a light beige, deep amber and chocolate brown will make for a stunning look, as will shades of peach and terracotta.  You want one color to dominate, preferably the medium tone.  As an example, paint the walls light beige, choose a sofa and love seat that contains strong amber tones, and accent baseboards with chocolate brown.  Amber should be the strongest color in the room.

Choosing Patterns and Adding Texture

The secret to adding depth and interest in a monochromatic decorating theme is in the patterns and textures you intermingle.  Bold stripes and geometric patterns are perfect in this style, as long as the strongest colors in the pattern are from the three that you have chosen.  Combine silky fabrics with nubby ones for the most appeal.  You may want to use silky curtains that offer sheen, along with nubby textured accent rugs.  Tapestries are also great for adding rich texture.

To add further appeal, consider painting a bold stripe of color around the room.  For example, on a light beige wall you may want to use an 18” wide stripe of chocolate brown about halfway up the wall around the entire room.  This visually extends the room and livens up the walls a bit.

Accessories Add a Punch of Color

While you do want to keep furniture, walls and floors restrained to the three colors you have chosen, you can add punches of vibrant color in pictures and other smaller accessories.  If you go with the beige/amber/chocolate theme, consider pictures that contain a bright splash of red or yellow.  Set a bowl filled with red apples and bananas in the center of the coffee table, or create a floral arrangement that contains these colors.  Large pillar or square shaped candles in these shades help to add even more small accents around the room.

Just remember to keep the larger details of the room to the basic three colors, and then add pop with splashes of color in the smaller details.  Choose one single color to dominate the room, and you will have spaces that are beautiful, unique and appealing to all who enter your home.

Whether your living room is too small, too large, too bland or too congested, you can easily change its look!  You may believe that you have a tiny area and therefore it is destined to appear small and congested.  Alternatively your living area may be spacious – a bit TOO spacious.  Maybe your living room looks cluttered and messy or plain, lacking any interest.  No matter what your biggest problem might be, there are some easy solutions.  This article offers tips and ideas for making your living room one that you love, and one that your family and guests love as well.

Make a Tiny Room Look Bigger

If you have a living room that is small, there are several things you can do to make it appear larger.  First, paint the walls and ceiling a light color.  A light color will make the ceiling appear higher, creating a spacious feeling.  Consider furnishings that include light shades as well, such as pale blue, beige, tan and other light hues.  Shy away from dark colored woods like mahogany, and opt for natural woods or pine finishes.

Wherever possible set furniture against the walls to open up as much floor space as you can.  Remove any clutter, and steer clear of knick-knacks and other small accessories that make a room look congested and cluttered.  To add color to the walls without taking away any visual space, use no more than one large accent per wall, preferably something brightly colored that will help light up the room.  Leave windows bare if you can but if not use light-weight fabrics or sheers.

Cozy up a Large Room

Perhaps you have the opposite problem – your living room is way too big!  This often makes a room appear a bit cold, making it feel as though it is lacking in personality.  To make this room look more intimate and appealing, use rich, dark colors such as burgundy, navy and green.  Browns, gold tones and autumn colors will work as well.  While you don’t have to paint every wall a dark color, consider painting two opposing walls a rich shade as a contrast to the other walls.  If you have a high beamed or cathedral ceiling, consider painting it a darker tone as well.  This will visually bring the ceiling down.

When the room is too spacious, you want to draw it in.  This can be accomplished by moving furnishings away from the wall, and creating smaller, more intimate settings.  Arrange a sofa and chairs around a coffee table, where sitting arrangements will have you facing those who are visiting.  This adds a personal, intimate feel to the room.  Keep furnishings and accessories to scale – you want to use large, bulky furniture, large plants, and other décor that is of substantial size.  Decorate the walls with large prints as well.

Remember, in any room too many accessories and accents can look junky, no matter how small or large the room might be.  For smaller rooms, keep accents bright and sunny.  In larger living rooms, use a variety of patterns and prints such as stripes, geometrics and florals that coordinate with the room’s main color.  They will add dimension and depth to the room, helping to diminish the cold atmosphere.

Combine these ideas with a few of your own creative thoughts and enjoy rooms that are filled with style and personality!

Whether you live on a ranch or in the middle of the city, western style décor offers plenty of color and charm.  If you are ready to make a change in your kitchen and dining areas and want to add some spice, this is the perfect way to achieve your new look.  This article offers tips and ideas for transforming your kitchen in to a western-themed ponderosa, where the entire family, as well as your guests, will enjoy relaxing in the warm, welcoming ambiance.

Western décor is colorful, often incorporating rich, warm colors such as brown, red and blue.  A western flair offers rooms that are colorful, fun and packed with visual appeal.

Use Plenty of Wood and Iron

Adding that home-on-the-range look to your kitchen requires plenty of wood and iron.  Wrought iron accents are perfect for this type of décor, as is copper.  Your kitchen table may be of a rough-hewn unfinished wood, or even an old wagon wheel topped with glass.  Consider hanging a wrought-iron pot rack or a baker’s rack constructed of worn wood and punched tin.  Top your table with a runner made of a western-themed fabric.

Add Interest to Counter Tops

Add colorful touches to counter tops with cookie jars, canisters, and other knick-knacks decorated in a western theme.  Dish cloths and dish towels can also be decorated with a western design.  Wrought iron candle holders are great, as are terra cotta colored pots filled with herbs and other greenery.

You may want to consider a central theme, such as cowboy boots, cowboy hats or even horses.  You can find planters that are designed in the shape of a cowboy boot, and horseshoes make great napkin holders.  Hang horseshoes and other iron accents on the walls – the more the better!  Blending copper accessories in with the iron also makes for a unique look.

Add Color to the Walls

When it comes to your walls, think rustic colors.  You may want to paint a single wall, or paint them all.  Terra cotta colored paint is great for western décor, as is an amber shade of brown.  You may even want to run a boldly colored wall paper border around the top of the walls to add further pizzazz.

For the windows use fabrics that are solid colored or patterned in a western theme or consider using wooden shutters.  The trick is to put your own creative ideas to work!  Focus either on all that is western, or narrow your décor choices down to one particular theme such as cowboy boots.  Your aim is to make your kitchen and dining areas look as though they came straight out of the west.

There are no rules, so have fun!  You can find many accents and accessories that are made of worn wood and wrought iron at flea markets and garage sales.  Consider putting wood beams on the ceiling to further add to the appeal.  You can find lots more ideas by looking through magazines, or even browsing the internet.  Remember, fill the room with plenty of rich color for a look that is anything but bland.

Are you one of those people who are so tight that you squeak when you walk?  Frugal is a good thing, but you may still find yourself yearning for a more beautiful home.  Your budget may force you to be frugal, or you may simply choose to live well within your means.  Either way, you can really spruce up your home without spending an exorbitant amount of money.

This article offers some easy ideas that you can use right now to transform those dull, bland rooms into spaces that offer atmosphere and appeal!

Start with the Floors

It may sound simple, but often carpets that are soiled and floors that are badly stained take away from the beauty of your home.  If your carpets are dirty, the colors don’t shine through.  Clean them yourself, or have a professional do it for you.  Frequently, you will find that there are beautiful wooden floors underneath the carpet, especially in older homes, so pulling the carpet up may be something you want to consider.

Tile or linoleum floors in the kitchen or bathroom can accumulate grime, grease and wax.  This is easily solved, and your floors will shine like new again.  Products that contain trisodium phosphate, such as automatic dishwasher detergent, are perfect for stripping the old wax and grime.  Just mix two tablespoons with two gallons of warm water, and put some elbow grease into it!  This mixture won’t bubble, but you will need to rinse thoroughly after scrubbing.

Painting Makes Everything Better

A coat of fresh paint makes any room shine.  The amazing thing about paint is that you can use it almost anywhere – on walls, furniture, floors or glass.  If you have a room that needs a little extra ‘pop’, consider painting those bland walls a dramatic color.  You can paint a single wall for a unique look.  Simply use a color from your upholstery.  You will be amazed how adding a large area of one of the primary colors to your décor will help accentuate these colors when found in small patterns scattered around the room!

If your furniture is worn out and you don’t have the money to purchase new, paint it!  Give the surfaces a light sanding, and paint the furniture any color you like.  If you like an antique or shabby chic look, sand the corners and edges lightly after painting.

Accessorize!

Accessories have the ability to pull the entire look together, or add a burst of style and color without costing a great deal of money.  To dress up your living room, consider boldly patterned throw pillows for the couch and colorful prints for the walls.  Throws not only keep you warm, they’re also great for tossing over worn spots on a sofa, or as a large focal point when hung alone on a wall.

Add a few colorful candles and some fresh flowers, and your home will feel like new again – even though you didn’t bust your budget.  Some simple cleaning, paint and a few new accessories will have you feeling good about your home’s appearance!

Unfortunately, many people design their homes based on popular trends and magazine pictures.  Sure, the room is beautiful, but is it comfortable and inviting to you?  Does it suit your unique personality?  Or does the room seem almost foreign, because there is none of your personality displayed in the accents and furnishings you use?  It’s important that you decorate your home according to your particular likes and interests.  This article offers a few ideas to help you create rooms that are exciting, appealing – and totally yours!

Determine What You Like
Think about your interests, your favorite colors, even the music you enjoy most.  Are your favorite colors blue and gold?  Maybe you like black and white.  Whatever colors you love most, base your décor around those shades.  Use them in your furniture, the accents on your walls, and in paint preferences.  If you love country music, you probably love country décor as well.  If rap or hip-hop is your style, you may want décor that is funky and off-beat that includes bright, almost shocking colors.

If you are a modern, contemporary type of person, you most likely won’t feel comfortable with rooms that are decorated in a style that is too elegant or country themed.  You most likely prefer spaces that are simple, basic and uncluttered.  Clean lines and basic colors make you feel most at home.

What are Your Hobbies?
Do you collect nautical-themed accessories, porcelain dolls or teapots?  Include your hobbies in your decorating style.  Create a corner of the room that is specifically dedicated to your collection.  Consider using nautical prints for the walls.  If you collect certain items at flea markets, garage sales or online, put them on display!  Curio cabinets with a glass front or wood shelves you build yourself are great for displaying those special items you love.

Are You a Romantic, or the Sensible Type?
Are you one of those people who are extremely sensitive, or do the downturns in life roll off easily?  Your home should reflect your personality type.  Those who are romantics often love cozy, intimate spaces that are surrounded by things that hold a special meaning.  Photos, accessories and other accent items that have been given to you by those you love add intimacy.  If you are the type who is carefree and simply rolls with the punches, you may enjoy things that simply offer visual appeal, but don’t necessarily have a special meaning.  Abstract art and geometric patterns may appeal most to you.

The point is, don’t decorate your home in a style that you think will please others.  It’s your home, so decorate it in a way that makes you happy and comfortable!  If you love flowers, herbs and other plants, fill your home up with them.  If wild colors and bold patterns appeal to you, use them!  What makes you different is what makes you special.  Your home should be the same – a reflection of YOU.

You may be someone who has a variety of interests.  An eclectic look is often the most appealing, and best of all, it is never boring.  Mix different styles of décor according to what you love, and make your home one that welcomes you at the end of the day, offering you relaxing, peaceful surroundings.

Large, spacious rooms are what many homeowners desire, but they can often appear cold and unwelcoming.  It’s wonderful to have plenty of room so that everyone can relax and guests don’t feel crowded, but you want to provide an atmosphere of warmth and welcoming spaces.  This article offers several tips for bringing those expansive rooms down to size a bit, creating spaces that are appealing to the eye and offer a sense of intimacy.

One thing to remember, you want to avoid adding lots of small accents and trinkets to fill up the room; this will only make it appear cluttered and messy.

Use Multiple Furniture Groupings
Consider dividing the room up in to several groupings that can be used for specific purposes.  Have an area designated for watching television, one for playing games and another for entertaining guests.  This will help fill up the room with larger pieces that are in scale with the space, and will make the area seem more inviting.  In the kitchen, consider a lounging area in addition to the actual cooking area and dining set.

If you work from home, consider placing your home office in a corner of the living room to further break up a wide open space.

Keep Accessories in Scale with the Room
Colorful accessories will add depth and dimension to the room, but keep them in scale.  Plants, whether real or artificial, should be good sized.  Use large prints and tapestries on the walls that complement the shades of your décor.  Dinky floral arrangements won’t work in a large room; use large, richly colored vases filled with dramatic flowers and greenery.

Color Plays a Crucial Role
Vast spaces can be made visually smaller by using rich, deep colors on the walls, ceiling, and floor as well as in furniture patterns.  If you have a high ceiling, consider painting it a darker hue that blends with the room.  Taupe, autumn colors, burgundy, blue and deep greens are rich colors that will add visual appeal and interest.

If you decide to use wallpaper, make sure to stick with bold patterns in large prints.  Avoid small patterns with intricate details, and stick to rich choices that complement or contrast with the other colors of the room.

Other things that can be done to bring an expansive room down to size are moving the furniture away from the walls and using large area rugs in order to arrange a furniture grouping in a specific area.  You may also want to consider built-in furniture; something like an entertainment center or book shelves in a corner of the room or flanking a fireplace help use up space while encouraging a cozier feel.  These provide use as well as taking up additional wall space making the room appear smaller.

Spacious rooms are wonderful, especially if you have a large family or do a lot of entertaining, but they tend to look somewhat blank.  Put a few of these ideas to use, and you will soon have rooms that are welcoming, warm and cozy – beautiful rooms that invite guests to relax and stay a while.