Even if you don’t live in the Southwest, that colorful and stylish décor is a great choice for any home. You can incorporate a Southwestern theme into just about any room in the house, from the family room to the bedroom. Here are some tips and ideas to get your creative juices flowing if you are considering a Southwestern theme for your home.

Colors to Consider
When you choose a color scheme for your Southwestern décor, it’s best to start with the colors of the desert. Start with colors such as tan, brown, red, and orange. Focus the color scheme on those colors and then add some more flavor with other colors like yellow, turquoise, and green. You can really liven up the room with these accent colors, giving it some flair. If you don’t want such dark colors in the room, you can always go with something like cream or tan and then use orange, brown, or red to accent things instead.

Southwestern Furniture Choices
If you’re going for a Southwestern look, you want to choose furniture made of wood, which will give the whole room an organic feel. A great wood selection, for instance, would be knotty pine. Furniture made from wooden poles that have been woven together is very typical in Southwestern furniture. Decorative carvings in the wood are another popular and very attractive feature in Southwestern décor.

Fabrics to Consider
A frequently used fabric in Southwestern décors is leather. Leather is used in artwork and accessories, in addition to couches and chairs. You might also add an attractive visual touch with an Indian print blanket or wall hanging, both which provide appeal and vibrancy. Sling these striped and patterned blankets on the back of couches or chairs, or even place them in wooden baskets. If you like, you can also opt to use a fringed blanket as an art piece, hanging it on a large wall. One thing’s for sure, these masterpieces provide a great way to bring color and interest to your Southwestern-themed room.

Other Accessories to Add
As you begin to fill in the décor with other accessories, look for items commonly found in Native American and Mexican cultures. You might also choose to recall the area’s natural features by mixing in pieces such as wrought-iron cacti and desert flowers. By placing these plants and flowers in terra-cotta pots and reed baskets can add a really authentic touch. Native American figurines and artwork, hand-painted vases, clay pots and plates, and wrought-iron candle holders also make great accessories for this type of décor.

You can have a ton of fun decorating with a Southwestern theme. It allows you to pay homage to some different cultures, plus you are given a lot of leeway in terms of incorporating unique pieces into your design. This theme is both rustic and elegant, so it’s important to take the time to be sure everything comes together smoothly. You will end up with a casual atmosphere that your guests won’t be able to stop talking about.

Although many homeowners don’t realize this, a staircase is just another area of your home that you can decorate to help create a more stylish look. Staircases are commonly overlooked when it comes to decorating, but if it’s the first thing people see when they walk in, the staircase may be more important than you think. Here are some great tips to help you get started decorating the staircase in your home.

Use Photographs to Decorate the Staircase
An easy décor option is to frame a few of your favorite photographs and hang them up along the staircase wall. These photographs might be ones of your family. Otherwise, choose ones of nature or other decorative objects. Hang the photographs so that they seem to be descending with the staircase. You want the frames you choose to complement to color of the wall. If your stairs are wood, try to match the color of the wood in the frames to the color of the stairs.

Paint a Mural or Design on the Staircase Wall
For a staircase that really stands out, paint a mural or design going up the staircase wall. If you want a simpler look, go with a leaf or flower pattern that follows the stairs. Or you might choose to create a larger and more intricate mural. Another option, if you’re not confident in your drawing and painting skills, is to find stencils that you can use for the design. Or you can always hire a professional painter to create the mural instead.

Add a Decorative Banister to the Staircase
If you have a plain banister, then see if you can find a more decorative one that matches the style of your décor. No matter the type of stairs you have, there should be plenty of banisters to choose from. One of the latest trends for stairs is the mixture of wood with wrought-iron. This look fits right in with a Spanish-style or even a modern-style décor. Look in home décor magazines or on the Internet for all of the different options.

Lay Down a Decorative Runner on the Stairs
Lay down a decorative carpet runner on your wooden stairs to add more style to the area. Choose carpet that is solid colored, or if you’re looking for a real attention grabber, it can be patterned and multi-colored. If your staircase is already carpeted or tiled, a runner will still work. You want your carpet runner to be slightly narrower than the width of the stairs. That way, the edges of the stairs show on the sides. A wide selection of runners is available, so you should have no problem finding one to suit your staircase and fit the style of the rest of the area.

Decorating those stairs become quite important if you have a staircase right in the entryway of your home. This way, you’ll be able to show off the staircase to its best advantage so it doesn’t look like an eyesore. To make things even more appealing, choose more than one of these decorating ideas and implement them together.

You don’t need to get rid of all your wedding memorabilia or store it away where you can’t even see it. You are going to be decorating your new home with your spouse, so why not reuse all your wedding mementos in the process. Here are some unique ways to incorporate your wedding items into your décor.

Decorate with Your Wedding Pictures
Decorate your home with items from your wedding the easy way: by framing your favorite wedding pictures and using them as decorations. You can either hang them up on the walls, or place them on a shelf, a table, or a fireplace mantle. Another option is to blow up your favorite portrait. Then you can hang it above the fireplace or on a wall in your bedroom. You might also create a collage out of a few different wedding shots along with pictures from your honeymoon.

Make a Shadow Box with Your Wedding Memorabilia
Create a unique addition to your décor by gathering your wedding items together and displaying them in a shadow box. Add things such as your invitation and/or program, any leftover favors, a piece of the wedding dress, and dried flowers. Assemble these items together however you like and then place the box on a shelf or hang it on the wall. This makes a great decoration piece for your bedroom and will remind you of your wedding every day.

Decorate with Your Wedding Flowers
You can always make potpourri from dried flower petals if you used real flowers for your wedding. Find a decorative basket or vase to place the dried flowers in and add essential oils, and you will have a sentimental decoration to add to any room in your home.

If your flowers at your wedding were fake, then you have many more decorating options. Leave them the way they are, placing them in a vase or basket, for an instant decoration for the home. Or you might choose instead to alter them a bit. You might combine a number of different bouquets from the wedding into one large flower arrangement or split them up into two slightly smaller ones. You can add instant color and brightness to just about any room of the house when you use these flowers in the décor. Best of all, every time you walk by, you will be reminded of your wonderful wedding day.

Make a Decorating from the Wedding Dress
If you’re not planning to reuse your wedding dress, you always have the option of making it into an easy and attractive home décor item. This works just as well with a bridesmaid’s dress—providing you have someone who’s willing to part with her dress after the wedding. Once you’ve taken a piece of fabric from the dress, wrap it tightly around a canvas or even a picture frame. Then secure the whole thing with a nail gun and, presto, you have a nice fabric décor item to hang on the wall. You can really add some style to a bedroom by hanging one of more of these pieces on the wall.

If you’re trying to decorate your home on a newlywed’s budget, it’s best to work with what you have. By reusing your wedding memorabilia, you can create unique decorations that have a lot of emotional impact.

When decorating your home, working with a budget can sometimes present trouble, especially if it’s a small one. However, budgets are necessary, no matter how hard they are to stick to. When decorating a home, no homeowner should have to go into debt. If you take the time to set a budget and follow these simple tips, then you will end up with a wonderfully decorated home that was still affordable.

Make the Decorating Budget Firm
You don’t want to set a decorating budget and then forget about it when you actually start shopping. Keep in mind that you are setting a budget for a reason. It’s not necessary to do all your decorating at once. It might be better to do some of the decorating now, and then once you save some more money, revisit the room to add more items later. It’s best to stick to your budget firmly, no matter what comes up.

You Will Have to Give a Little to Get a Little
Sticking to a firm budget requires you to be flexible and willing to compromise in some areas. You’ll have to go the cheaper route for certain less crucial items, if you want any more expensive pieces that you just have to have. For instance, you might have to spend less on the window treatments or picture frames if you’ve fallen in love with a coffee table or lamp that takes up a third or so of your budget.

Don’t Worry What Other People May Think
It’s so easy to get caught up in what other people will think and say. However, if you spot the perfect figurine for your décor, who cares if it’s at the local discount store? Unless you say something, no one’s going to know what you paid for items in your home. You need to keep in mind that not everything in your room needs to be of the highest quality. So don’t worry about what others may or may not say. If you like something and it’s inexpensive and it fits in your budget, then go ahead and buy it. Many people find that their least expensive item will garner the most positive attention in a room.

Invest in Quality for the Big Items in the Room
When creating your budget, you need to be sure that you’re allocating the majority of the money toward the larger items like a wood bed in a master bedroom or a dining room table. This way, you’ll be able to afford quality that will last. Window treatments or other décor just don’t need as much money put into them as items such as wood furniture, flooring, and artwork. You will ensure that those larger items will last longer and look better when you invest in quality products. In the end, you might have a high end sofa with inexpensive decorative pillows on it, but as long as you have kept to your final budget, then that will be just fine.

It’s usually very tempting to want to go over your decorating budget, completely forgetting about what you can afford. Unfortunately, when you do that, then every time you walk into your redecorated home or room, you are going to have negative thoughts about that debt. In the end, negative thought might lead to you not being able to enjoy being in the space. If that becomes the case, then what was the point of spending all that money? By sticking to your budget, not only will you save money, but you will retain your peace of mind.

Oftentimes people believe that in order to change the look of a room, they have to do a drastic redecorating project. However, this is not true at all. Here are some simple and easy steps you can take to create an instant makeover in just about any room in your home.

Paint the Walls of the Room
One of the most popular way to give a room an instant facelift is to paint the walls a completely different color. The color that’s on the walls of a room basically styles the whole room. If you paint a blue room tan, for instance, that color change will alter the light in the room. This, in turn, affects the way all the other objects in the room appear. The great thing about painting is that it’s not hard to do. That fact that it’s a do-it-yourself project makes it quite inexpensive. Make this a weekend project. By Monday morning, you will have a whole new look in that room.

Use Slipcovers on the Furniture
If you love your furniture but are tired of the fabric, slipcover may be just the solution for an instant makeover. When you add a slipcover to a piece of furniture, you can dramatically change the décor. Some of the most dominant objects in any room tends to be the furnishing, and thus when you change the pieces, it will be very noticeable. Even better, it only takes about ten minutes to install slipcovers. Slipcovers come in a range of prices, but for the nicer ones, you may have to spend a little bit more money.

Hang a Piece of Art on the Wall
If you have a large bare wall in the room or one you don’t like very much, you can change the look by hanging a large piece of art there. By adding a large piece of artwork, you can really change the entire focus and style of the room. The piece of art can actually become your new focal point. The art will also cover much of the color on that wall, which can also work to change the look of the room. Just be sure you don’t waste your money on any old piece. Be sure you invest in something you really like and want to have around for a while.

Rearrange the Furniture
When you simply rearrange the furniture in a room, changing the layout, you can give that room an instant makeover. Begin by looking for a new focal point in the room and working from there. You can completely change the dynamic of the room by changing the focal point from the entertainment center to the window or fireplace. You’ll be much happier with the results if you take the time to sketch out on paper what you want before you go moving furniture and heavy objects around.

All of these are simple and easy ways to give any room in your home an instant makeover. If you’re looking for a totally different look, you might even try putting two or three of these suggestions together.

Are you not sure how to proceed when it comes to decorating your home? If so, then here are 10 decorating do’s and don’ts to help you get started.

1. Do be sure to draw out a floor plan design before you touch any room.
The floor plan of a room should include it’s dimensions and any windows, doors, and other special features. Take the floor plan with you when you go shopping. This way you can be sure anything you want to buy is going to fit. And lastly, remember to measure!

2. Don’t rush when planning your décor. Be sure to take your time and give some thought to what your really want.
You want to make sure that your personality is getting incorporated into the style of the room. It’s important to think things out and not just follow a whim, so you don’t regret things a short time later and end up back at the drawing board.

3. Do identify the focal point of the room. You want to have this figured out before you start placing items.
You can choose a variety of things to be the focal point, from a fireplace to a window to a piece of furniture like a wood tv stand.

4. Don’t arrange the room so any pathways are blocks. You want people to be able to move around the room with ease.
Maintain natural pathways in the room. Things should flow well so that people are comfortable and the room feels natural.

5. Do settle on a specific style and decorating theme for each room.
Remember, just because you have a country bedroom with oak bedroom furniture doesn’t mean your kitchen can’t be modern.

6. Don’t choose the color of the walls with only a paint chip.
Rather, narrow down your choices to one or two colors, purchase some sample sizes, and paint a few areas of the walls. Paint doesn’t not always look the same as a paint chip and is rather influenced by the light of the room. You might also find that although you like a certain color in small areas, it doesn’t really appeal to you when it’s painted on all the walls in the room.

7. Do try to use contrast in the room to add some character and interest.
By placing a contrasting piece of furniture against a wall, you can highlight that piece and make things more interesting. You need to remember that the room doesn’t all have to match. In fact, contrasting colors are a great way to decorate.

8. Don’t leave out the small details.
Once you get through the big items on your agenda, consider all those smaller aspects that can really add to the look of the room. Candles, shelves, baskets, flowers, figurines, and pieces of art can really pull a décor together. So don’t leave these items out of your decorating plan.

9. Do ignore other people’s opinions about your room.
If you like the room and it feels comfortable to you, then that is all that matters. Just because a guest doesn’t like something doesn’t necessarily mean that you should go ahead and change it. In the end, this is your home, and as long as it suits your personality and taste, that’s all that matters. So go ahead and get creative.

10. Don’t overcrowd your décor.
Remember, you don’t have to display every object or piece of artwork you’ve ever owned. After all, you don’t want your home to have a cluttered look. If you have more things to display than you have display space, then change your décor items every once in a while. Then you can display the items you love but not all at once.

Be sure to follow these 10 do’s and don’ts, as they will put you well on your way to creating a stylish home that fits you.

There are dozens of different design styles that you can choose from when you decorate your living room. It’s important to remember when decorating your living room that you want to like the style and be comfortable in the room, since you’ll most likely be spending a lot of time there. Here are some different living room design styles for you to consider.

Mission Design Style
Built using the traditional materials like oak and cherry wood this style adds a bold and and elegant look to any living room. Started at the turn of the last century, the Mission or Arts & Crafts style has endured for decades due to its simple designs that were a direct response to opulent Victorian area furniture that was popular at the time. Inspired by minimalistic designs of the Japanese, the British and American influences made this style unique blend of East and West. Whether you’re decorating an entire living room or simple a getting a view accent pieces like a Morris chair or an oak coffee table this style is perfect for every home.

Contemporary Design Style
Typically, a contemporary living room will have very neutral colors and elements with just a few pops of color and design here and there. For instance, you might have a dark gray sleek couch in the room with two purple throw pillows added to it. The lines of the room should be kept soft and rounded. You want the room to look very minimalistic. Another approach to a contemporary living room is to keep the colors monochromatic and then add a splash of white here and there to break up the color.

Cottage Design Style
When you use a cottage design style, you want to aim for plenty of color with graceful patterns and lines. Cottage style usually brings floral patterns and pastel plaids to mind. A living room decorated in cottage style should look both comfortable and inviting. Comfortable and plush furniture with puffy pillows work great with this decorating style. Great colors for this design style include: cream, pink, light green, and light blue.

Romantic Design Style
A romantic design style is a great way to create a formal look for your living room. A living room decorated in a romantic design style will use light and airy fabrics. Expect to see a lot a white, cream, silver, and other pastel colors in this décor. You can add a twist to things with some touches of floral. You can also add some interest with a lightly colored area rug or a few decorative pillows. You want the furniture to be delicate and light, and not overbearing in any way.

Eclectic Design Style
If you are having a difficult time settling on just one design style for your living room, consider choosing a few different ones that are your favorites. With an eclectic style, you can incorporate several different design styles into one room. For instance, your walls can appear modern, while your furniture might look like it can from a cottage style room. However, there are certain ways that you should pull the look together. Make the room appear more cohesive by using common colors, textures, or patterns in the décor.

Once you figure out what you want from your living room, you will be able to figure out what design style might be appropriate. For instance, if you want a more formal room, then you might go with something like a romantic design style. On the other hand, if you want a more casual space, then a cottage-styled room might be a better fit. Just remember to find a style you can live with and won’t want to change in just a couple of months.

If you’ve never worked with an interior decorator before, you may find that it’s a real eye-opening experience. While it’s true that not all decorators and the projects are the same, here are a few key tips to consider when working with a design professional.

1. Express Any Ideas, Wants, or Styles You Want for the Project
You need to be sure you clearly communicate to your interior designer your desires for the project—unless, of course, you are giving them free reign to do whatever they want to your home. For instance, if you have a certain style in mind for the décor, then you need to be sure you tell the decorator. Before the project starts, be sure you are both on the same page when it comes to styles, ideas, and what you want. In the end, this will save you both time and money.

2. Set a Firm Budget with the Interior Decorator
You need to set an enforce a firm budget with your decorator or else you may find yourself spending more than you wanted on your décor project. Be sure to stress to the decorator that this certain dollar amount is what you can afford and you don’t want to go over it. Be sure to get this budget amount in writing. Then the decorator can’t come back and say you never told them a specific limit for expenses.

3. Be Honest with the Interior Decorator
Honesty is really important in this situation. If the designer comes up with a plan for the project that you aren’t crazy about, be sure to let them know right away. You don’t want to go along with a plan you’re not happy with just because you don’t want to hurt the person’s feelings. Keep in mind that this is your home and you are going to have to live in it. Not being honest with the decorator about your true feelings for any plans or ideas that come up may be something you end up regretting.

4. Gather Visual Aids for the Decorator If Possible
Try to gather visual aids of what design elements you’re looking for, such as photographs and diagrams of what you want. This is often the easiest way to express to your designer what you’re looking for in terms of design. Handing someone a picture and telling them this is the style you want is always easier than trying to sit and explain it to them verbally.

5. Stay Involved with the Decorating Project
You can’t expect everything to turn out just as you’ve envisioned if all you do is hand the interior decorator a few pictures and leave them alone for a week. This doesn’t mean you have to constantly supervise the work being done, but you need to make sure that you monitor the progress daily to be sure your directives are being followed. When you just let the interior decorator work without regularly checking out the progress, you may find that the result is not what you had pictured.

Working with an interior decorator can be such a great experience, particularly if you yourself have difficulty coming up with great ideas and plans for your home. Just follow these tips, and you’ll be able to make certain that you get the best possible experience with the decorator you have chosen.