To decorate: pick one main color that you like. Use lighter and darker shades of that color throughout for the main pieces - such as walls, furniture, window treatments. For accents, pick one or two contrasting colors in a different pattern, such as stripes, checkers, floral prints, etc.
A tip that I use to help keep my house organized is using clear rubbermaid “Shoe Box” containers. I love using these boxes to help organize my daughter’s art supplies and other little toys she may have that really do not have a place. They may be too small to just toss in her toy box. I take these clear shoe boxes and fill them up with her supplies and toys and then on the one side I use pretty paper on one end. This way when I stack them in her room on the shelf, it looks like a pretty dressed up box, rather then seeing everything that is in it. Then if my daughter takes the boxes down to play, she doesn’t have to open them to see whats inside, she just turns the boxes around to see the clear side. It has worked out great in our house and my daughters room is very organized and PRETTY!
Home decorating has become one of America’s favorite past times. Making our homes look beautiful is enjoyable, but not everyone realizes that it can also be a therapeutic experience, as well.
Color has long been considered as a kind of therapy for our emotions. Relaxing colors, like blue, have even been linked with the reduction of blood pressure. Let’s take a look at what colors can do for your mental health and happiness.
Colors are classified most basically as warm or cool tones. Cool tones are used to create tranquil, soothing, and relaxing environments. Examples of cool tones include blue, green, and violet. Blue is associated with relaxation, increased calmness, and higher productivity, so it makes a good color for bedrooms, offices, or gyms. Green, another soothing color, makes us feel closer to nature. This is another popular color to use in bedrooms, or spas, pool rooms, or anywhere you want to relax.
On the other hand, warm tones are used to stimulate and promote activity. These colors include reds, oranges, and yellows. Red is used commonly in restaurants as it promotes appetite stimulation. Orange is an energetic color that creates a feeling of excitement. Yellow projects happiness, a good choice in a kitchen or family room.
Because colors are all around us, we feel their presence daily. How you choose to decorate your home depends on how you want to feel when you are in those rooms. Think about what you want to achieve in a room and find a color that meets your needs, and you’ll be on your way to becoming happier and healthier.
I found a great way to spruce up some plain curtains in a kitchen window. I went and bought some fabric blocks at my local store and pinned them to the top of the curtain. Trying not to show the pins and put it on the rod, fixed it up so if was even. When I’m tired of that look I can always take it down and put something else in its place and it only cost me 9.00 for a fabric bundle. I can have a different look all the time.
Acquire boxes that fit under Your bed. Cover them with paint spray or brush on. Or cover them with contact type paper, or wrapping paper. Keep what You can store in them that You don’t use often but always need to be able to get Your hands on quickly. Like emergency supplies, e.g. flashlight for power outage, batteries in new pack for filling flashlight, first aid kit, emergency snack foods. Even important papers/pictures in case of natural or other disaster. This way You know where they are and You can even have them decorated, coded for most to least important.
When shopping for home decor, I try to find one item in a room that I like and then build my entire decor around that object. For example, I had a painting of a windmill in a file of red flowers. I painted the wall behind that painting a dark red then scattered the same color throughout the house in the form of curtains, pillows, and paintings.
Use arrangements of 3, 5, or 7 items. It is much more centered and pleasing to the eye.
My secret to decorating a perfect house is to keep it simple. Focus on a few key accent pieces for a room and decorate around them. I bought a large porcelain rooster for my kitchen. The rooster inspired the wall color, which I picked out from the base of the statue, and bought kitchen towels, table cloth and seat covers, cloth napkins, etc. that coordinated with the rooster thus pulling the room together. It makes it easy for when ready for a change to give the room a whole new look just by changing out the colors of your kitchen towels, table cloth and table accessories. The same with a living room, just by changing out the lamp shades and adding different color pillows couch covers or even a decorative vase is my secret to freshening up a room that I might be ready to make changes in, but don’t want to spend a lot of money!
Bring yourself into your home! You and your husband are unique. Personally, I love flowers, greenery and I love the ocean. My husband loves flowers and greenery and is an avid rock hound. We have various plants and flowers around our home, inside and out and I have incorporated my love of the ocean and his rocks/fossils by having several large round glass bowls with white sand in them…I have placed seashells and sea fossils into them. The whole idea of clear glass and white sands and greenery is peaceful and neat surroundings!
If you are painting your living room, choose a color scheme that will match well with the flooring or carpet. Your main wall should be a shade darker than the rest of the walls in the room. If your room is small, add a big mirror to the main wall. The mirror will make your living room look bigger.