If you are thinking about
re-decorating because you want something different or more up-to-date, you will
have many decisions to make and many things to consider.
Where to Splurge
If your money is limited, you will need to make careful choices. However, if
you are purchasing new furniture, new rugs, and window coverings, it’s best to
splurge on high quality, because these items must last a long time. Be sure to
take the dimensions of your room before buying furniture. Furniture that is too
large will make your rooms look small and cramped. If the pieces are too small,
the areas will look skimpy.
A Few Ideas:
• Consider a fireplace in the living room. A fireplace is timeless. It can be a
focal point and you can plan everything else in the room around it. Snuggle up
cozily on cold nights. The mantle or hearth will hold pictures of your friends
and family, a vase of flowers, a graceful houseplant, or a few of your precious
knick-knacks, the possibilities are infinite.
• Select accessories that are functional as well as fashionable. Magazine
racks, a quilt stand, and an umbrella holder go nicely in a room with a
fireplace.
• Instead of carpeting, consider hardwood or tiled floors with woven area rugs.
• Don’t try to match everything. Vary the textures, especially in the living
room. Try an over-stuffed chair with a leather couch-or vice versa, or a
hounds-tooth ottoman.
• Be sure your rooms have adequate lighting. Use overhead lighting in the
kitchen, bath, and living room. Freestanding lamps are best in the dining room
and bedroom.
• The color scheme is important. Too many shades can be chaotic. Limit your
colors to four or five restful hues. Tan, gray, blue, and pink make a room
appear bigger, while red, green and brown will shrink a space.
• In the bathroom, attach a small shelf above the towel rack, or a little
wrought iron table under the sink. Use space effectively. Organize items in
containers and on shelves to avoid a cluttered look. Add a pretty vase of
flowers, or a tin to hold soap.
• Houseplants add interest and help to filter the air. Choose low-maintenance
plants that do not require a lot of water.
• Consider a breakfast nook in the kitchen, with sunny yellow curtains; a
bookshelf nestled in the corner; a rocking chair on a round braided rug.
• Search the attics of relatives. Think about a breakfront in the dining room
with a display of depression-era dishes, ladder-backed chairs and a grandfather
clock.
• An old-fashioned armoire would go well in your bedroom-and of course many
homemade patchwork quilts.
These are just a few ideas; you will have many of your own. The important thing
is that your home suits your needs—and that it is comfortable as well as
beautiful. After all, home is where the hearth is!
Author
Bio: Joana
Hall is an avid writer who likes to write blogs on Home Decoration &
Gardening. She has written many articles on water features design. In this article she is providing the readers some
valuable information on home is where
the hearth is.
