FOR THE DECORATING DEFICIENT!

We all have talents but if you are not confident with your decorating decisions and feel that you are decorating deficient here are some tips:

Don’t be overwhelmed by a project from the very beginning! Focus on one room at a time and start with a small room that requires only simple changes.

Let's get started:

Pick something as an inspiration piece. It may be something simple, a family heirloom, a pretty accessory, a fabric swatch, a rug, or a paint color…anything that speaks to you!

Develop a color palette around the inspiration piece. Making color choices can be a very daunting task. Many people are disappointed with the color that was selected in the store once it is actually in their house, on their wall. The color selection that was made in the store was probably under flourescent lighting condictions. Once the paint color is used in your home it often looks different because it has been applied to a room filled with incandescent and natural lighting. To avoid this disappointment, take a color chip or, even better, a sample can of your color and paint a test strip directly on your walls to make sure it’s something that you really want.

A COLOR TIP FROM THE DIVA OF DEIGN!

I recommend restraint when tempted to select very bright and intense color for the walls. They tend to be trendy and most people tire of them easily. If you are attracted to bold colors choose hues with brown or grey undertones. This will achieve a rich vivid color in a subdued manner. You will have the opportunity to bring in more intense color in accessories and other accents that can be easily changed when you tire of them. It will give a more sophisticated look to your room.

One of my favorite colors is Bassett Hall Gold from Porter Paints. It’s a warm and inviting color that goes with everything. I favor white as the trim color for moulding and baseboards because it makes a contrasting wall color pop and highlights the beauty of interesting molding.

DESIGN IS IN THE DETAILS Don’t forget the ceiling in your design plan. It can make an impact and become the focal point of a room. Consider painting the ceiling a complimentary color, possibly install an interesting wallpaper,or ceiling medallion for interest.

P.S. Avoid shiny paint finishes for walls and ceilings. They generally accentuate the flaws and just do not match the richness of flat or eggshell finishes.

DON’T BE FLOORED! Flooring is an important part of the renovation process. You may be fortunate enough to have beautiful floors but if you need to hide some flaws or completely replace the floor covering the possibilities are endless. Budget plays an important part in this decision and if you have the budget for new flooring pick something practical and beautiful that will flow with the overall color scheme and function of the room you are decorating as well as with adjoining areas of the house. Too many different flooring treatments in a home may give a disjointed look and be a distraction. If you are on a tight budget and cannot replace the entire floor choose inexpensive area rugs to mask the flaws. I recommend that you choose a rug that is large enough for the scale of the room. A rug that is too small draws attention to the floor that you are trying to cover because it is out of scale with the room.

EVALUATE WHAT YOU HAVE: Before you go shopping for that new room take an inventory of what you have. Do you have something in one room that can be relocated and repurposed for the room that you are decorating? Existing accessories or furniture pieces often look entirely different when moved to other areas of a home. Paint can work magic on some of those repurposed pieces.

HIT THE STORES: Make a list of the items that you will be looking for while shopping to complete the room. Try to find large items that make a big impact rather than lots of little things that tend to get lost in the design. You can group a number of little things to make one large impact wall.

TIP! It would be nice if you could introduce an unexpected element to each project. That element packs a big punch and is something that people remember about your room. Think outside the box!

EXAMPLE: This is a bathroom that I decorated using old very interesting salvaged sofa feet as tie backs for the shower curtain. Wall art in that same room is actuallyold drawer fronts featuring lovely carved designs. What conversation pieces!

THE FINAL WORD: I encourage you to tackle that home decorating project and, with each completed task, I hope that your decorating deficiency is replaced with confidence and pride. Good Luck!

The Diva