Kitchen Makeovers: 8 Quick Tips

Giving your kitchen a makeover can seem like a daunting task, but it is definitely possible and can even be achieved within a reasonable budget. The trick to not getting overwhelmed is focusing on specific areas where you can make quick changes and see immediate results.

Here are 8 kitchen decorating tips to get you started:

Tip 1: Start with the kitchen cabinets

Rather than spending a fortune on replacing old cabinets, there may be an opportunity to salvage them and give them a whole new look. You can achieve this by sanding down the existing layer of paint and going for a whole new color. Make sure you wipe the cabinets clean before sanding. Here is a clear guide on how to repaint your cabinets.

When selecting a color, keep in mind the entire color scheme of your kitchen. If you have many stainless steel appliances, the trend has been moving away from lighter pale color schemes to darker, more saturated cabinet colors.

Tip 2: Upgrade your cabinet knobs

Changing the knobs on your cabinets is an easy and very effective way to upgrade your cabinets without replacing them. There are tons of sites online that allow you to browse through thousands of different shapes and sizes, ranging from ultra modern to country in a variety of metal or wooden finishes.

Tip 3: Paint the walls

Here is where you have an opportunity to be creative in a subtle way. Since there isn’t as much wall space as in other rooms, you can use the area available for painting to produce creative color combination that work to soften the kichen as well as bring out the cabinet colors. It is generally recommended to take a very close look at the color base of the cabinet color you chose and find a color for the walls in the same paint family. Don’t forget to repaint your trim around the windows and door frames. Here is a wonderful article with some great color combination ideas.

Tip 4: Replace your old curtains

Although a relatively simple step, replacing your current kitchen curtains with new ones can bring new life into your kitchen. There are many different curtain styles and textures specifically designed for kitchens which can do wonders for complimenting your new cabinet and wall colors.

Tip 5: Lighting

Kitchen lighting is an area of decor where you can really be creative. A popular trend is to have pendant lighting over your kitchen island, but you can add in track lighting, chandeliers and any number of lighting solutions depending on the look you’re going for. The style of lighting you’re going for should really be thought through since it can make a very powerful decor statement on its own, whether by its design or the type of light it produces.

Tip 6: Fun with Shelving

One little tip for shelving is to not be afraid of having open shelves in the kitchen. Placed strategically, sometimes having items exposed can automatically create decor accents. Don’t be afraid to experiment, especially if you’re used to very traditional cabinetry.

Tip 7: Trendy kitchen stools

Thanks to stores such as Ikea, there is an incredibly large supply out there of kitchen stools to match any color, style, or trend. If you have many steel appliances in your kitchen, you can try for bar stools that combine a bit of metal with synthetic leather to give a modern yet homey look.

Tip 8: New accessories

Little decor accents are a great way to bring a kitchen to life. Look into options such as adding a trendy wine rack, country style vases with beautiful flowers, small plants, old, warm-colored paintings, new spice holders, or pottery. These items can be picked up either second hand or from home decor stores and can be wonderful color accents. The goal is to use these items wisely; having too many accessories will only create clutter rather than adding life to the kitchen decor.

Black and White Decorating Ideas

Black and white décor is an affordable way to make your home look sophisticated, elegant and dramatic. You can easily transform any room into this style by repainting old furniture and purchasing a few basic accessories.

Try framing pictures such as black and white photos, with bold black frames. These will provide a great contrast to a stark-white wall. Using other black and white artwork or framing objects is also a great black and white room decorating idea. The point is to have lots of contrast.

To keep your black and white rooms from being too boring try using large, interesting accessories with unusual and creative shapes. Large black candle sticks on a bright white table can add to the dramatic effect, and you can find candle sticks in all different shapes and designs. You can also try using a funky contemporary looking black or white lamp, bowl or coffee table.

A black and white checkerboard tiled floor is classic and never gets boring, but it can be pricey to redo your whole floor. An area rug can have the same effect for a much lower price. Try using contrast here again having either a black table on a white rug or the opposite.

An important principle to keep to when decorating in black and white is to only buy one or two items that are both black AND white. Otherwise, have your pieces be only one color to avoid making the room look too busy. Also, if you ever want to change to another color scheme, you can easily integrate the solid color pieces.

If a room that is entirely black and white seems too much for you, try using an accent color. Kelly green and yellow can be great accent colors, but the best is to stick to what you like. Remember, only to use a little bit of this color, like in a photo on the wall, a pillow case or a few small accessories.

Black and white decorating ideas aren’t too hard to come up with and they make your room look elegant almost instantly. This is why I personally love them!

Simplicity with Zen Decor

Many of us are moving in the direction of a more holistic approach to living and one of the most important areas which affect our overall health is our home space. As a result, room designs that incorporate Zen decorating concepts and decor styles have become increasingly popular.

The key to Zen decor is simplicity. The goal is to create a harmonious interior that simply flows, without any obsticals, clutter, or uneccesary items in the way which allows you to ‘be’ in the present moment.  Although Zen decorating is minimalistic, the items that are in the home should each have a specific use, visible, and highly functional despite their simplicity.

Working within the Zen means beginning to use more natural materials when decorating your home. The color tones in the home should be earthy, and the furniture you have around the house should have simple, clean lines and be in keeping with the color scheme. You can still add accessories when creating a zen room, but think more in terms of woven area rugs, different plants and simple floral arrangements, rice lamps, and even the use of rocks and silk pillows on the sofa.

Natural lighting is also very important, since zen decor encourages a meditative state throughout the home and big windows that let in light are very good for creating a more relaxing feel. If you are ready to take your home to the next level, then also consider creating a zen garden. The idea is to work with your home in such a way that you find a balance between form and space wherever you look or go.

Creating a Gorgeous Contemporary Living Room

It’s the year 2009, and even contemporary (or modern) decor has moved forward in new directions. Nowadays, contemporary designs don’t necessarily mean cold and uncomfortable. Particularly when it comes to contemporary living rooms, today we find that what was strictly modern before has come to take on warmer tones as a lovely contrast to the more ‘metal’ or ‘plastic’ elements. The result is a striking combination of accents, textures, and colors which create a living room space that feels fresh and stylish while at the same time comfortable and practical.

In order to create a gorgeous contemporary living room, we have to first begin with the basics of contemporary design in general.  Contemporary decor is primarily minimalistic, lacks intricate details on visible surfaces, uses accents sparingly, and focuses on clean, clear lines. So how do we apply this to our living room? First of all, the concept of minimalism doesn’t mean ‘bare’; it simply means that the elements of color, texture, and accents are twice as important since the little details stand out so much more in an uncluttered room.

Contemporary colors are usually neutrals or muted, following a more monochromatic color scheme and that plays heavily on the idea of contrast and usually includes black.  Sometimes a contrasting, darker color can be used as an accent on one wall while the other walls are painted in a more neutral hue. The use of bright colors can also work, but is usually added in by accessories or accents throughout the room.

The furniture you choose for the room can either be unconventionally shaped or more standard, but the basis is the lack of carved details and more focus on smooth surfaces and the material. New innovative materials and especially ‘green’ furniture (environmentally friendly) is becoming more trendy.

Woods and metals are also key to the overall contemporary living room decor. The metal, which can be anything from steel to chrome, brings in a sleek, stylish feel to the room through the use of small accents, which works beautifully with wood. In contemporary design, wooden flooring and the appearance of wood in similar tones in various accessories is very popular, as long as the wood you use is smooth. Click here to read our article on creative shelving ideas.

Choosing elements to bring in a bit of texture to offset all the smooth surfaces is also very important. One of the main ways people bring in a burst of texture is by placing a tasteful, fluffy rug in the living room.  Don’t forget that you can add in fabrics here and there and that the pillows on your sofa can also be textured.

Finally, we can’t forget about the lighting, which in modern living rooms includes track lighting, creatively placed spots, and often times a funky floor lamp. The lighting you choose can also be one of the ways of adding some metal into the room. Modern living rooms also are usually well-lit with natural lighting and large windows. Combine all these elements and you can create a gorgeous, trendy, contemporary living room in your home. If you’re looking for more options, read up on decorating styles and more room decorating ideas.

Kitchen Decorating Ideas

One of the easiest ways to find good, solid ideas for decorating your kitchen is to begin by looking at different themes. The kitchen is one of the main rooms in our homes that we often overlook in terms of decor potential. When you buy a new home or remodel an old kitchen, you have a lot of flexibility in deciding which ‘theme’ to go with and can decorate from top to bottom accordingly. If remodeling your kitchen isn’t in the budget for the near future, then there are also ways to borrow kitchen decorating ideas from existing themes, have fun with a bit of color and accessories such as pottery, plants, or paintings, enhance your current setup, and give your kitchen a fun makeover. Most importantly, keep your eye out for ideas that don’t sacrifice practicality, because ultimately, we still have to use our kitchens to cook!

Lets start with the classics. Here is a lovely country kitchen idea. Notice the use of wood and the coloring of the cabinets and the floor. The country kitchen design itself is not fancy, yet by being simple and orderly the small addition of yellow and green coloring here and there (such as the flowers and vase) enhances the overall look and feel without breaking your budget. This kitchen creates a warm and homey country feel without going overboard.

In a somewhat similar vein as the country kitchen, Tuscan kitchen designs have become very popular. After doing some research and checking, it seems that most modern Tuscan kitchens are not quite in line with the original idea which was intended to create a beautiful rustic feel through humble means (not spending thousands of dollars on expensive vases). Architecture seems to be the main element that defines true Tuscan design (click here for a nice short article on the subject), yet for those of us who are looking to improvise, then dark, earthy colored, simple furniture balanced by natural lighting in addition to pottery, knickknacks and tapestries will do. The Tuscan style kitchen featured here does exactly the kind of improvising we are talking about: notice the pottery on top of the cabinets. The small addition of the pottery helped turn an average kitchen into something a little more exotic.

Moving on, we have another beautiful kitchen based on a modern contemporary design. The shapes of the cabinets are very plain and smooth, and the coloring is less ‘warm’ in the traditional sense. You can see here the use of a bit of purple and blue, which is meant to contrast with the cream and white cabinets while bringing out the coloring of the floor. The small kitchen table is also thin with a combination of the use of glass and metal. Rather than wood, the chairs are plastic which works very nicely to balance the wooden floor to create a modern feel without leaving you completely cold.

For those of us having to deal with smaller homes or apartments, then here is a great small kitchen design that successfully combines the element of practicality with warmth and modernity. Excellent use of shelving, counter, and cabinet space add tremendously to this small kitchen.

Lastly we have two differently themed kitchens that both make use of color as a primary decorating element. The white kitchen has a bit of a French decorating flavor to it. The use of white allows all the small additional small decorating accessories to really stand out in contrast without being dominant, which gives the overall kitchen a very clean, pristine feel. The second kitchen blatantly makes full use of rich, warm, and bright colors to give it a very fun and active atmosphere. Both uses of color help set the emotional tone of kitchen to create an interesting decorating style.

Check back with us at room decorating ideas for more kitchen decorating ideas.

Bedroom Design

Finding a proper balance between space, color, texture, and lighting is essential to quality bedroom design. We don’t all have the luxury of a large and spacious bedroom, but we do have the ability to take inspiration from great designers and architects who understood that balancing a number of elements is key.

One of the most difficult elements to work with is the limitations of space. In the many places I have lived, the structure of the bedrooms themselves have ranged from asymmetrical to perfectly square, abnormally narrow and long, tiny, low or high ceilings, or even simply very large. Each time the challenge was to analyze the potential of bedroom design versus the limitation of space. Buying new furniture simplifies the issue, but if we are working with existing furniture, then we have to be prepared to find creative solutions to maximize our design potential through paying attention to furniture placement.

Lighting also plays a large role in bedroom design once spacial considerations have been taken into account. Ideally, the primary lighting should be natural and if your windows are large, well-chosen curtains can add tremendously to the color and mood of the bedroom. If the option for utilizing natural lighting doesn’t exist, then focusing on the proper ceiling lights and lamps can do nearly the same thing. The options today for creative lighting are endless and relatively inexpensive.

If you’re working with new furniture, the color of the bedroom should be considered beforehand, especially if you have the option to paint. Color plays a large role in effecting our mood and contributes to the overall ambiance. If you prefer white, then a fresh layer of paint will help create a more new and clean feel to the room. If you’re willing to put in a little extra effort, you can paint a slight cream and give the bedroom a warmer feel. Those who find themselves a bit riskier can consider greens or any other variety of more powerful colors. It’s important to settle on the color before setting out to by the new furniture and accessories so that the color theme is relatively consistent.

Once you’re managed to arrange the furniture properly, utilize the lighting, and work with color, the next step is to consider the element of texture. Many people forget that texture is an incredibly powerful element in bedroom design, from the texture of the carpet to even the texture of the paintings you have on the walls. When developing and experimenting with different room decorating ideas, remember that the contrast between different textures of complementary colors can make the difference between a simple bedroom and one in which anyone who walks in will feel the touch of inspired design.

Relaxing Bedroom Decorating Ideas

Your bedroom is a place specifically meant for rest and relaxation. The way you decorate it can create a peaceful and Zen-like mood. Here are some ideas to get started:

Color: Nothing is more relaxing than nature itself, so try choosing colors inspired by the great outdoors like greens, browns, or grays. Using different shades of the same color help create a serene feel. To keep things interesting, other colors can be used for accents and in accessories. Try to avoid shades that are very bright or very bold. They tend to evoke more energizing emotions.

Sounds and Scents: Gentle music playing in the background instantly gives a room a relaxing feeling. You can also try putting on CDs with soothing sounds of nature like waterfalls or crashing ocean waves. A sweet aroma can be easily added to your room by lighting incense, candles or scented oil.

Accessories: When looking for accessories to create a relaxing vibe, nature inspires once again. Plants filter the air, add color, and have a mood lifting effect. Other ideas are candles, vases, wall art with tranquil natural themes, and flowing white curtains.

Avoid Clutter: If you have too much stuff in a room, focus gets frazzled while furniture, artwork and accessories go unnoticed. Make sure to have a place for everything and only keep things in the bedroom that belong there. Get rid of extra odds and ends lying around and have storage space hidden places like under-the-bed containers.
I hope these relaxing bedroom decorating ideas will help you create a peaceful atmosphere and get all the ZZZs you need!

Living Room Accessories: Do’s and Don’ts

Accessories enhance the furniture and overall look of any room.  They can highlight the parts of your living room you wish to draw attention to, and can give the space an overall unified look.  They can also be useful if you want to change or update your room’s style without going all out and investing in new furniture.

Idea Throw pillows, art, candles, curtains, ethnic (or ethnic-looking) objects, lamps, and area rugs are all great living room decorating ideas!  Here are a few tips to make sure your room looks tasteful and not tacky:

Don’t #1: Turning Accessories into Clutter

Your living room can easily begin to look disastrous if it’s overloaded with too much stuff.  Because there is usually so much traffic in and out of the living room, people are always leaving things behind so be careful that items don’t constantly amass.  Accessories are more noticeable when they stand on their own or are arranged in a thoughtful and minimal display.  Make storage space wherever you can and periodically give away all that junk you don’t need to a local charity.

Don’t #2: Going Wrong with Artwork

Artwork should be chosen carefully and blend in with the overall feeling of your living room.  Some common mistakes that people make are hanging their artwork too high (and causing company needless neck strains!) and hanging up paintings just because they have them around.  Ugly and tacky artwork doesn’t need to be displayed just because you have nothing else to hang up!  If you don’t have something matching and attractive to display, a framed piece of fabric that matches your room’s color theme can definitely do the job.

Don’t #3: Color Matters

A point that I’ve already stressed a few times is: make sure that your accessories match the rest of your room’s design.  Living room accessories are a great way of exhibiting bright and bold colors without seeming too eccentric.  I love turquoise, but I think a turquoise wall or couch would be too much for me.  Instead I use turquoise accessories in the form of candles, through pillows and a nargilla!  Having too many colors or colors that are irrelevant will make your room look disconnected.  The bottom line with colors is to use them to pull a room together.

Don’t #4: Keeping to a Style

Even an eclectic style has rules.  A living room that half-hazardly mixes styles and patterns will just look jumbled.  Make sure your accessories blend with the style you are going for.  If your living room is modern, then choose accessories that are simple and contemporary (i.e. find another place for the massive candelabra you inherited from your grandmother).  Just like furniture, accessories some in different decorating styles

Don’t #5: Using too many Throw Pillows

We all love throw pillows! They are great accessories for your living room.  But remember, people still have to sit on your couch! Too many throw pillows can detract from your living room by covering up furniture too much or giving the room a cluttered look.  It seems simple and obvious but is actually a common decorating mistake.  So keep throw pillows to a chic minimum.

Your Decorating Style

In today’s world we have so many choices, especially when it comes to style. When deciding which style is best for your home, begin by checking our 5 favorite themes used in interior decorating.

1. Traditional Style

Do you love homes that exude a homey, all-American feel? Then try decorating your home with a traditional style. This style is elegant yet simple giving off a warm and cozy feel. In the traditional room, furniture is upholstered and functional but not at all flashy or high-tech looking. Everything is supposed to appear even and organized, so furniture is arranged with that in mind. The colors used in a traditional design are usually neutrals and mid-range tones. Floors are wood or carpeted and windows are definitely decorated with full, flowing fabrics. Accessories are classics; like china, framed art or embroidered pieces.

2. Contemporary Style

If you like keeping up with what’s in style and love things with a chic modern look, you might want to decorate with a contemporary style. This style embraces clean lines, geometric shapes and clear colors to convey a sophisticated, uncluttered and spacious feel. Furniture is simple without frills or trim and floors remain uncovered and smooth. Colors used are generally neutrals, black and white but bright colors can be used to highlight certain areas. Accessories are kept to a minimum in contemporary style decorating and are arranged so that each piece stands out on its own.

3. Country Style

Tired of city life and style? Even if you can’t pick up and move out to the country, you can make your home feel like you did! Decorating your home country style means giving it a non-fussy, comfortable look that makes room for a lot of personal touch. Furnishing country style includes using wooden furniture without much upholstery that can be covered with a quilt or a mat. Natural colors are used and floors can be flagstone, ceramic tiles or hardwood. One of the ways the country look appears lived-in is by accessorizing with rustic household items, like pails or wicket baskets.

4. Feng Shui

This interesting Chinese based decorating style tries to control the energy in a room. Its strict rules of design might seem hard to follow but the basics can make any home feel more “Zen-like”. Decorating with Feng Shui means keeping energy flowing in a home. This is done by arranging furniture in an open way and being careful to choose colors that evoke calm, peaceful emotions. Decorative objects and artworks have a symbolic meaning and are meant to impact the energy. Because the sound of water symbolizes tranquility and relaxation, a small fountain is a common Feng Shui accessory.

5. Style Goes Green

Did you know that having a stylish home can help the planet? Eco friendly room decorating ideas have infiltrated the world of style. “Green Decorating” means keeping the environment in mind while you design. When “going green”, remember that the more things are reusable, biodegradable, and chemical-free, the better! Painting can be done with paints that give off low fumes and odors. Using bamboo or cork flooring, although expensive, needs to be replaced less that wood and doesn’t produce the formaldehyde gases that carpet does. Many companies now produce eco-friendly decorative accessories and household items out of recycled materials.

There are many more decorating styles out there. Don’t be afraid to combine styles or just incorporate a few new elements to create your own unique and personalized look.

Decorating Basics

Even if it’s your first time, room decorating can be fun, easy, and come out looking great! Below are some decorating basics for do-it-yourself designing in order to create a beautiful and workable room:

1. Get your Measurements Down

Dig through your old school supplies and get out a piece of graph paper (just like in math class). You can then decide how many inches or cm each square on the paper will represent (ex: 1 square = 10 inches). Next, bring out the tape measure and start measuring! Sketch the dimensions of your room as accurately as you can. Remember to include: windows, doors (and which way they open), and any permanent fixtures. Finally, just measure and draw in the furniture you want to arrange in your room. This will save you from spending needless time and energy on moving around your furniture in a way that doesn’t fit. Your back will appreciate it too!

2. Discover Your Color

Did you know that the color of your room can affect its mood, apparent size, and even its perceived temperature? Before choosing a color for your room, do your homework. Soft colors create a more restful and soothing feeling, while stronger colors have a more dramatic appeal. Cool colors (blues, greens, violets) give a sense of space while warm colors (oranges, reds, pinks) emanate warmth. Just remember, whatever color you chose should be one that feels right for you so that you can enjoy looking at it every day!

3. Size Matters

Different decorating methods should be applied depending on whether the room is small or large. If your room is small, you can create an illusion of space by placing mirrors and having a lighter color scheme. Make sure to use smaller furniture (it can still be comfy!) and keep clutter to a minimum. If you have a large room, you might need more furniture than normal (think: two couches). Low lighting and dark colors can make a room seem more intimate and cozy. Large rooms are a great place to display your favorite art pieces or other collections.

4. Where’s your focus?

The focal point is the first thing you see when walking into a room. People naturally focus their attention on one part of a room, and by creating an area that stands out, you determine what is focused on. It can be, for example, a fireplace, a window displaying a beautiful view, a large painting, or a grand piano. Always be sure to arrange the furniture so that it centers around your focal point.

Most importantly, don’t forget to use your creativity and have fun! It doesn’t have to be a stressful or overwhelming affair. Make decorating manageable by using these tips and you’ll be on your way to creating a beautiful new room. Check back soon at www.roomdecoratingideas.net for more fun tips!