How to Decorate Your Home
With a new year comes a new start, or at least one is usually attempted. January brings a lot of positive attempts to change things and your home is often a big one. Many New Year’s resolutions concern one’s home, and as a place of rest, family, creativity and production it should always be kept in best stead. Before any decoration can take place however, your house must be cleared, tidied, de-cluttered and organised so that you can actually see the area you wish to decorate, and not merely the things in it.
Colours
Having a colour scheme throughout your home can open it up and make it seem a lot bigger, but many people shy away from this because they feel it is not particularly expressive. Neutral colours can often be seen as boring colours with which to decorate a house, yet they are especially effective in creating the illusion of space and height. By having a neutral colour scheme, think not only whites, creams and beiges, but also light blues, pinks, yellows and so on, it is still possible to portray your personality.
Not only are there plenty of different shades to play around with that can stop your home seeming boring, you can add colour, style and your personality with the furniture, furnishings and accessories around your home which will stop any one room appearing boring.
Not only are there plenty of different shades to play around with that can stop your home seeming boring, you can add colour, style and your personality with the furniture, furnishings and accessories around your home which will stop any one room appearing boring.
Themes
Your home should represent you, your tastes and your interests. Just because you have a neutral colour scheme throughout your home does not mean that it cannot, in fact having a neutral base creates a great foundation with which to build upon. Vintage themed décor is a very popular way to create a timeless home, plus it does not need updating as much as those with the ultra-modern look might.
To create your theme, whether it be a time period, material (such as pine wood, or rustic metal), or hobby (perhaps an equestrian theme could flow through the downstairs of your house if you like horses), you incorporate your colour scheme, or have your theme standing out from it. Each room can be different if you so choose; this is particularly effective if you have children, their rooms can be an explosion of colour (and often mess) whereas the rest of your house can be tranquil and calm, or the other way round!
To create your theme, whether it be a time period, material (such as pine wood, or rustic metal), or hobby (perhaps an equestrian theme could flow through the downstairs of your house if you like horses), you incorporate your colour scheme, or have your theme standing out from it. Each room can be different if you so choose; this is particularly effective if you have children, their rooms can be an explosion of colour (and often mess) whereas the rest of your house can be tranquil and calm, or the other way round!
Furniture
Furniture is a fantastic way to stamp your personality on a room. There is an unbelievable amount of different types of sofa, table, bed, chests of drawers and so on. These can either be mix-matched, for those that like the accumulated, ad-hoc approach to decorating, or they can be matched to create a sleeker, organised effect.
Traditional sofas can add a grand, regal tone to a room, and are great for large country houses with high ceilings; contemporary sofas are more effective at opening up a room and creating the illusion of space if it is lacking. The same can be said with beds: large four poster beds look stunning, but require more room than a contemporary one, which may come lower to the ground to give the effect of a higher ceiling, or come with hidden storage underneath.
Traditional sofas can add a grand, regal tone to a room, and are great for large country houses with high ceilings; contemporary sofas are more effective at opening up a room and creating the illusion of space if it is lacking. The same can be said with beds: large four poster beds look stunning, but require more room than a contemporary one, which may come lower to the ground to give the effect of a higher ceiling, or come with hidden storage underneath.
Furnishings
Furnishings are classed as decorative accessories, things such as curtains, carpets and so on. These combined with ornaments and art pieces can entirely transform a room to completion. It is here where you can really take away the ‘boringness’ of a neutral colour scheme. Adding bold curtains, rugs and cushions in a lounge or a bedroom can make it seem bright and colourful, without being too overwhelming. Alternatively, with a bold wall colour and neutral furnishings, you can achieve the same. Kitchens can also be transformed in this way, by changing the colour of a blind, or by painting cupboard doors, or even just by changing cupboard door handles you could change the appearance of the entire room.
Being happy in your own home is very important, and decorating it need not be a stressful affair. Researching and planning what you wish to achieve, perhaps using decorative planner tools to help envisage what your changes will do, can prevent mistakes in colour choices or space measurements.
Sources:
http://www.houzz.com/
http://uktv.co.uk/home/stepbystep/aid/651884
http://www.bhg.com/holidays/new-years/traditions/decorating-resolutions/
http://interiordec.about.com/od/newyearsday/a/a_newyearresolv.htm
Sources:
http://www.houzz.com/
http://uktv.co.uk/home/stepbystep/aid/651884
http://www.bhg.com/holidays/new-years/traditions/decorating-resolutions/
http://interiordec.about.com/od/newyearsday/a/a_newyearresolv.htm