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 a coffee table that matches the general style and decor of your living room.

Shape. You will need to decide what shape coffee table you will choose.  Rectangular and oval tables look good in smaller rooms whereas square and round tables are great for larger seating arrangements.  Round and oval tables bring more flow to a room than rectangular or square ones, but the latter two provide more space on the table itself.  Some people prefer round or oval tables if they have little children, as these tables lack sharp edges.

Size. Your coffee table needs to work with the seating arrangement of your living room.  It shouldn’t be too high or too low compared with your sofa and chairs.  The length of the coffee table should be between one-third and two-thirds of the length of your sofa.

Material. When choosing a material, go for something that you like and that matches your home decor.  Wood tables are quite common and can be beautiful but if you are going for a more modern look, you may want a metal or glass table.  If you are choosing a wood table, remember that hardwoods (like oak, walnut, maple etc) last longer than softwoods (pine, cedar).  Metal tables made out of stainless steel are quite strong and durable.  Glass tables are also a popular choice, especially for small rooms because they allow light to shine through, thereby creating a more spacious feel.

Many people don’t put a lot of time or effort into their coffee table decorating.  But you won’t regret choosing your table with care, as it may just be the most used and useful piece of furniture in your home!

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 space and want to make it appear taller, try floor to ceiling curtains.  In larger spaces, you may opt for short curtains.  Nothing makes a statement, though like super long curtains that pool on the carpet- but they should only be hung in rooms that are large.

You also want to consider how a room’s light will be affected when you hang curtains.  Natural light is not only beautiful in homes, but using it helps save on your electric bill!  If you are looking for curtains in a room that you would like to have a lot of natural light, go for sheer, thin materials that will allow light to come through easily.  On the other hand, if you are buying curtains for a room you would like to keep darker, such as a TV room or a home office, you may want thicker, heavier curtains.  Curtains with blackout lining are a great room decorating idea for bedrooms, as they can block out all natural light.

There are all sorts of finishing touches you can add to your curtains after you’ve decided on a color and level of thickness.  There are many kinds of poles or rails to hang your curtains on.  You can also choose a particular style of pleating, attach tiebacks and maybe even finials for the end of the poles.

Curtains are one of the main contributors to a room’s ambiance so don’t skimp on this room decorating 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 to get organic bedding, linens, and pillows which also help reduce allergies. Today, more and more designers are creating stylish organic bedding, so you can be assured that you won’t be sacrificing style when trying to create an organic bedroom.

Don’t forget organic rugs and carpets. These can be made from organic wool, bamboo fiber, jute, cotton, hemp, and are dye free, which makes them so healthy that you should consider making a change now in your child’s room or baby’s room. Normal rugs usually are full of additives such as biocides to prevent mold. The air we breathe in a room is almost always affected by our carpeting, particularly if your home is fully carpeted.

Furniture that is organic by construction is also becoming more widespread. You can find stylish furniture made from sustainable wood that is upholstered with organic fabrics. Flooring is also important and can become a lovely decor element in your home. Organic bamboo or cork flooring is not only incredibly durable and healthy, it is also a beautiful decor element and can compliment your organic furniture.

Today, the organic decor trend fits in well with zen decor, feng shui, and other trends and is synonomous with a holistic approach to overall wellness. Nearly every store for home products or furniture has a ‘green’ section and carries organic products.

Here are some links:

www.organicconsumers.org – Has a section that provides a listing of all businesses carrying organic products in your area.

www.modgreenpod.com – Has organic home textiles and a neat link to a room creator.

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!

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. Secondly, she bought a small, cozy beige blanket that matched the look of the microfiber and placed it over the back of the blue recliner.

Thirdly, to help with blending the color, she placed paintings nearby that also included a combination of the blue and beige though with slightly different hues, which worked beautifully in giving the living room a bit of life. She also painted the back wall behind the recliner a darker beige hue and used accessories to bring in a bit of brown.

If this isn’t an option, then always remember you can find rather inexpensive slipcovers today and give your whole living room a new look.

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.

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 places to find furniture for your shabby chic living room. Buying used, aged furniture and covering it with a fresh coat of white or pale paint gives it that “old but new” look that is shabby chic.

Floor: Shabby chic area rugs are soft and inviting. Try using an area rug that is shaggy, plain white or rose colored. Keep to light colors and make sure the fabric is welcoming and adds to the comfortable feeling your shabby chic living room will have.

Lighting: Shabby chic light fixtures are often embellished with crystal looking beads. Chandeliers are a favorite in shabby chic decorating. You can also try beaded lampshades or shiny pendant lights.

Accessories: Fresh flowers are a great shabby chic accessory. Flowers don’t have to be arranged with too much thought. Shabby chic décor uses the “thrown together” look. Other great accessories are wire wine racks, lacy white curtains, bohemian looking tins, and vintage paintings. There are many other fun shabby chic living room accessories out there!

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 picture of a room decked out in super bold colors that you love. You can save the picture for ideas when trying to choose colorful accessories that give your room a whole new look.

Make sure to have a pencil with you to draw in images or notes of your own. You might see a knock-out display in a furniture store and not have your camera handy (or not be allowed to take photos in the store!). Draw a quick sketch or jot down a few notes about what you liked about the picture. Some stores have fabric or color samples. Definitely takes ones that you like and add them to your scrapbook!

Your scrapbook is both an artistic and helpful endeavor. Different pages of your can represent different decorating styles. Have a page for traditional style, contemporary designs, Mediterranean looks, etc. You can also have different pages signify different moods by decorating it with different colors, lines, fabrics and images that embody the feeling for you personally. This will make it easier when the time comes to bring those styles and moods into your room design.

You can also reserve a few pages of the scrapbook for your own home as it currently is. Add it pictures, a layout sketch with proper measurements, and color and fabric samples. This way you will always have a quick reference to of your home to ensure that your new purchases match and fit in to what you have already.

Don’t forget to decorate aesthetically! Make your scrapbook a beautiful piece of art that you will want to look at over and over. Design it with care and enjoy the flow of decorating inspiration it will bring!

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.

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 link to the Ikea reviews website- by saying most of the furniture came from IKEA/ Or to see the pieces she used in her room click here). She first measured and then chose pieces that were simple but attractive, versatile and didn’t take up too much space. She then thoughtfully placed them all against the walls, making sure no piece took up more than its allotted area. Everything faced inward, creating an open space in the middle of the room so that all visitors could see one another.

She chose a color theme of creamy white, deep red and dark brown and styled almost everything in these colors. To hide her cold, bright-white tiled floor, she put down a Persian rug that was large enough to cover the entire room. A beautiful Chinese styled lamp stood in one corner. One couch was draped with an imitation bear fur cover and the other couch was encased with a cream sheet and a red and black hand-woven shawl. She purchased one inexpensive colorful painting from an artist selling his work on the street and let it hang frameless above her couch.

Candles graced every corner filling the air with a pleasant, subtle aroma. Soft music could usually be heard playing from speakers dispersed carefully around the room. Talya’s endless tea collection was a favorite accessory among many of her guests and she made sure that next to every seating area was place to put down a cup.

As you could imagine, people came by day and night to hang out in this relaxed, fun, beautiful apartment. Many jam sessions, meals, and late night conversations took place in her tiny space. But the best part of the charming apartment was that it was a direct reflection of Talya herself- beautiful, humble, musical, inviting and warm.