Decorating Tips Interiors by Design

Bonnie's Decorating Ideas

An object by itself is only an object. Juxtapose it with something else and it becomes a composition

The space you leave empty is as important as the spaces you fill. Your eyes need resting places in a decorated space.

Minimalism is always at war with real life, especially in our culture.Scale and proportion are everything.

Contemporary doesn’t mean stark.

Use most of the space in a room~avoid lining your walls with furniture.

When hanging a mirror make sure it reflects something beautiful.

A mirror hung over your fireplace reflects only the ceiling when you are seated in the room.

Use your bedding or a beautiful painting or another object to determine your color palate.

Every room should have a focal point be it an architectural element or a work of art you determine or create yourself.

Use your vertical surfaces (walls) for storage with wall units, bookshelves, cabinets, etc. Avoid the thinking that everything needs to be stored or displayed on the floor space of your home.

Mantles do not need to be decorated symmetrically.

The more symmetrical the room the more formal the room.

The shinier the object the more formal it usually is.

Matching is not as important as blending in woods, fabrics, paints, patterns and textures.

When decorating it is important to consider the architectural features of the space and to be true to them. As an example, Southwestern décor in a Victorian home will probably not work well.

Use whimsy in your space to make it seem less stuffy. Make it fun and just add a little surprise to delight the eye.aveHave

Surround yourself with things that you love. If you don’t like something you have change it, renovate it, paint it, camouflage it, or sell it in your garage sale, or donate it to D.I.

Use the spaces in your home to suit your purposes and do not be restricted by what the builder envisioned you would do with each space.

Display your collections together rather than scattered throughout the house.

An array of family pictures looks best in one room, preferably a bedroom or hallway rather than a living room or family room.

Hang your pictures so that you do not have to tilt your head back to view them when seated. No matter how high the ceiling, pictures should be placed at a comfortable viewing level while sitting. The number one mistake is to hang them too high. The only place they can be hung higher (eye level when standing) is in a hallway.

All beautiful rooms lose something if they are unorganized and cluttered with toys, newspapers, coats, book bags, shoes, magazines, dishes, etc. Try to have a place for everything and a couple of times each day when you return items to that place. It takes no more effort to return something to its place when you are finished with it than it did to take it out. Train your family to think that way. Maintenance is a decision.

Keep the front door area of your home swept and clean. Sweep down the cobwebs, clean the light fixtures regularly and put some potted flowers and plants near the door to welcome your family and friends.

Use angles in decorating and make sure they align with other objects in the room
Bring greenery into your rooms and flowers to brighten and cheer you.

When you have completed a room and it feels like something is missing it is usually greenery.

Try thrift shopping and garage sales to find some unique, fun and one of a kind accessories at fabulous prices.

Engage all your senses in decorating, sight, sound, fragrance, touch. All of these affect the way you and others feel in a room.

Use your “good things” if not for your own family, then who? Lighting some candles, cutting fresh flowers from your garden, using cloth napkins…all these things enrich your everyday experiences and make them special. By small and simple things great memories are produced.

Don’t be afraid of color, it is a wonderful way to enhance a room inexpensively.

If you buy a paint you do not like after a few rolls on the wall, stop painting, let it dry and try to remedy the problem. If it is too dark, take it back and have them add white. Do not just keep going…have you seen some of the terrible exterior paint jobs in the neighborhoods around town? Yikes!

Paint will always appear darker on the wall than on the paint chip. Lighting and sheen also affect the color you end up with. The flatter the paint the more true to the chip it will be on you walls. Sheen reflects more of the surrounding colors the shinier the paint is. Even the exposure to North, South, East or West makes a difference. If you are unsure of your selection, use a poster board from an art supply store. Paint the board with the paint you want to use. Look at it at different times of the day and different places around the room to see how light changes and/or affects the paint in your space.

Use candles, accent lamps, etc. to create atmosphere and ambiance in your rooms. Harsh overhead lighting does very little to make a room appealing or welcoming. It should be used for task lighting more than anything else.

Practice cord management with your lamps, computers, etc. Hide them whenever possible. Many lamp cords can be tucked right under the carpet’s edge. Use zip ties or twists or rubber bands to bunch cords up and out of sight. If all else fails place a basket of magazines or something in front of them. You can also get a taller basket to hide all the cords, power strips, etc and place under your desk. It should be about the height of a milk crate to hide the cords from someone standing up and looking at the desk.

De-clutter your house as much as possible. It helps to give you peace, harmony, and rest in your home. Throw out junk mail daily and keep on top of your paperwork or it will take over your life! When fliers come home from church or school, jot down dates on your calendar and throw the paper away. Keep a folder handy for things that need to be returned to school

Every now and then take a good look at your refrigerator door. Remove old magnets, outdated photos, old wedding invitations, coupons, etc.

Check out websites for organization and cleaning tips & to organize your decorating projects, select and purchase wallpaper, art work, etc. Flylady.net is a favorite. Decoratetoday.com

Be creative in your home, it is a reflection of you and your family

Rotate your accessories. Do not have everything you own displayed at one time. Sometimes less is more. You will fall in love with them again when you take them out of storage at the change of seasons, etc.

The trend is toward larger accessories than we have been use to in past decades. If you do use groupings, use odd numbers of items for a more interesting look. Vary the height, shape, and texture of the items as well

Your home is the stage upon which you live your life. It is your opportunity to “create a world” for your family here and now.

Remember it is not what you have but where you put it that makes all the difference. The art of the placement of your furnishings is the key. It would be great to have a lot of money to create a fabulous home but it is not necessary. With a little imagination, research, and time your can make your home look great on a very small budget.

Your décor should be fluid rather than static. It should never really “be done!”

Good design is art and science. You can always tell when the science is right even if the art is not your preference.