Coffee Table Decorating

Coffee tables are a decorating essential for any living room.  They help set the general spacing of the room, as the sofa and chairs  are generally displayed around them.  Coffee tables are not only useful but they are the place where you can put decorative center-pieces and books.  They serve as footstools, game areas and conversation starters.  They can also be the focal point in a room.  Here are some coffee table decorating basics to consider before you make your purchase. Use & Style. Before purchasing a coffee table, think about its purpose.  Are you going to want a table with extra storage? Will it be in a room with a lot of traffic? Do you want a table that will last a long time or are you okay with a table that will last a few years?  If you have children, you may want a table that is difficult to scratch.  In addition, when shopping for a table keep in mind what room decorating ideas you’ve already implemented in your space.  You will want….Read the Rest of this Decor Idea

Curtains Design

Walking through the curtain section in any house and home store can make me a little dizzy.  The problem I find is that there are so many options!  Curtains are available in all different colors, textures, lengths and pattern it’s hard to figure out what to buy.  Here are some of my favorite tips for finding the perfect curtains design for your space. Color is one of the most important things to look for when looking for curtains design.  If you aren’t planning on redecorating your whole room, it is important that your curtains match or blend on some level with the rest of the colors you already have in your room.  Neutral colors tend to complement furniture and wallpaper colors.   Solid color and patterend designs bring more attention to the window.  You may be looking to spice up your room with bold, colorful curtains. They are a great way to turn your windows into a focal point. How long you want your curtains to be is another consideration.  If you have a small….Read the Rest of this Decor Idea

Have You Ever Checked Out Organic Decor?

Organic decor is becoming an increasingly popular trend in 2009 as more and more people are looking to have eco-friendly, green homes that are healthier not only for the environment, but also for their bodies. Going organic means choosing products that are grown from natural ingredients, are biodegradable, and manufactured without pesticides and all sorts of toxic chemicals. For the home, organic decor often refers to furniture that is ‘organic by construction,’ which means that in addition to the materials themselves being organically grown, the wood is also sustainable or reclaimed (the wood has either been recycled or taken without destroying anything). Therefore, all the components of the furniture are free of toxins and irritants. So let’s get on to the organic decor! Here are some great ideas. One of the best areas to start going organic is with your bed. Everyone agrees that sleep is important, and research has shown that mattresses made of organic materials are much more breathable, therefore regulating your temperature and helping you sleep better. The natural next step is….Read the Rest of this Decor Idea

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….Read the Rest of this Decor Idea

How to Coordinate Different Sofa Styles in your Living Room

If you’re trying to put together a stylish living room but are stuck with a sofa and recliner that are not the same color or style, there is an easy way to turn the problem into a great room decorating idea. Lets use an actual example. My sister-in-law is an interior designer in Atlanta who had a challenging job blending the recliner my parent’s gave her as a wedding gift with her preexisting 2 piece couch set. The addition of the recliner was welcome, but the challenge came when she placed it next to the couch set and the design, color, and fabric were radically different. The recliner was deep blue with a ribbed material, while the sofa was made of microfiber, beige, with matching solid beige pillows. So what did she do? Brilliant and simple. First, she placed one of the beige pillows on the blue recliner, and after searching, purchased two pillows that included both beige, blue, gold,and a bit of brown and placed them with the existing pillows on the beige couch.….Read the Rest of this Decor Idea

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….Read the Rest of this Decor Idea

Shabby Chic Living Room

By decorating your home shabby chic, you can have a super stylish and trendy look while staying in a budget. The idea of shabby chic décor is to use “barely there” pastel colors use flea market finds to furnish and accessorize. Shabby chic means you are using “not perfect” looking items, vintage fabrics, white furniture and a lot of creativity! A shabby chic living should feel warm and inviting. Here are a few room decorating ideas to get your shabby chic living room started: Your Couch: If it is upholstered it should be with a very pale fabric, without a pattern. It should be very comfortable and faded looking. You can also try covering your sofa with a slipcover. White slipcovers are shabby chic favorite. To liven it up a bit, you can try adding a throw pillow with floral fabrics that don’t necessarily match. Furniture: Shabby chic furniture has a “fatigued” look and even if it is new, it is usually painted in a way that makes it look older. Flea markets are great….Read the Rest of this Decor Idea

Find Your Decorating Inspiration

Finding decorating inspiration is a fun and creative experience. A great way to remember all of your different room decorating ideas is by creating a decorating scrapbook. A scrapbook is an ongoing and developing collection of ideas and inspiration. It allows you to have a wellspring of ideas at your fingertips when the time comes to design a space. Your scrapbook is a place to put all your ideas about colors, fabrics, furniture, styles, accessories and layouts. Fill the pages with pictures from interior design magazines or websites. You can also add photos of beautiful ideas you see everywhere; whether it is art or furniture on display or a breathtaking scenic view that’s colors enthuse you. There are different kinds of images you can place in your scrapbook. Some will be ones that exhibit practical ideas you can implement directly in your home; such as a great furniture layout you want to copy or a funky looking bright red fridge that you must have. Other images will be merely inspirational. For example, there might be….Read the Rest of this Decor Idea

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….Read the Rest of this Decor Idea

My Best Friend’s Living Room

I first discovered what a living room could be through a friend of mine named Talya. She was moving into a studio apartment with only one large room and a separate, very small kitchen-bathroom area. There was only a tiny bit of space to work with. But Talya was determined to make her home a place where people would feel welcome and could really enjoy themselves. For Talya, the most important thing was a create a beautiful warm space where all her guests could feel relaxed and connect to each other in a comfortable and open way. Since she already knew what kind of feeling she wanted in the room, her next step was creating a blueprint. Because every inch of space was so valuable, Talya made sure to get the measurements down exactly. She then drew in an approximation of where the furniture would be placed. Next came shopping; since she had been living in dorms for a few years, she had almost no furniture of her own. (I can put in here a….Read the Rest of this Decor Idea