•    Know thyself

This age old adage is very important in decorating. It helps if you know answers to a few simple questions: What are your favorite colors, design inspirations, hobbies? What is your living philosophy? Do you like a quiet, contemplative environment or one that is stimulating and always filled with people and events? What are your living arrangements – do you live alone or with family, a flatmate, etc.? Or do you want a space to incorporate alone time with socializing or family togetherness with private corners?

It is important that you can answer these questions clearly, because your environment needs to be as practical as it is aesthetically pleasing. For example, there is no point having a living room filled with white furniture and glass surfaces, if you have small children. Your home is supposed to be relaxing, harmonious and comfortable as much as it is beautiful. Constantly reminding your toddler not to touch things will be neither of those things!

•    Begin with small steps

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to create a sanctuary in your home. There are plenty of ways to spruce up the look in a room by making small changes. These changes will inspire you to keep going.

Sequester a corner of the room for a creative nook, where you can sit, read, paint, write or do the things that will fire up your creativity.  Scour the op-shops for interesting fabrics, big scarves, covers, bottles, candle holders, throws. You will be surprised what you can find. Soft furnishings and accessories really complete the look of the room, but they can be very inexpensive. Often you will find original pieces, which you cannot find anywhere else, giving your spaces a unique aura.

•    Don’t over ‘thematise’

If thematise is not a word, it needs to be. I often see spaces, which are overly thematic in style, making them feel contrived and stunted. These spaces end up looking like a boring, uninviting, cold and unimaginative show pieces. You want to be hugged by your home.

Be brave; mix and match different styles, colors and patterns. To keep the balance, if you are mixing different patterns, ensure that they are complementary in colors to avoid over-stimulating the space. Keep in mind that some spaces can take more than others. You want your bedroom to be a space where you can completely relax and unwind, so you will decorate your bedroom accordingly – by using serene colors and gentle patterns, if any. Your kitchen and living spaces, however, can do with a more dramatic sense of style.

Vintage chic juxtaposes beautifully with an ultramodern or industrial style. Experiment, experiment, experiment needs to be your mantra! This is how you learn what works and what does not. Again, do it on a smaller scale, experimenting with wall paint or coverings can prove to be an expensive exercise!

•    A well-decorated home reflects the spirit of the owners

Home needs to have your signature all over, reflect who you are and how you see yourself. If you have family, then this consideration will include all members of the household. You can put your children’s artwork or take a series of photos of your family and group them together. Do not worry about uniformity of the frames.
What is it that inspires you? What are your favorite things in life?

For instance, I love birds, trees, glass, mirrors and water, so I incorporate these in my decorating style. Water reminds me of clarity and fluidity with which I need to navigate my life as much as possible. Fluidity means that I am flexible in the face of the inevitable changes which sometimes come suddenly and unexpectedly, no matter how prepared I think I am.  Birds and trees remind me of my deep connection with nature, and I want to be reminded of that daily. Glass and mirrors are for reflection and openness, not only of space, but also my life. They inspire me to see myself for who I am, rather than build my image on illusions. The point of successful decorating is this -  it is the meaning that we assign to the space which is important!

•    Keep inspiring yourself

An inexpensive but effective way to keep your creative inspiration alive is to create a mood board. Change it at least once a year. I change mine at least every six months, one for spring and summer, and one for autumn and winter. Get yourself either a magnetic board with magnets or a cork board with pins. Then find clippings in your favorite design and decorating magazines or inspiring words. I get inspiration from everywhere – nature, poems, books, imagery etc. Again, op-shops often have a surprising variety of recent publications. I often get 5 magazines for $1 in my local Salvation Army shop.

Another great way of finding inspiration is to have a treasure box. This box can be a shoe box covered in pretty gift wrap, or images from magazines. You can put in this box anything you find inspiring – little fabric off-cuts in your favorite colors and/or patterns, pictures, images etc. Mine always contain shells as well as bits of broken jewellery pieces from which I cannot part, because they are in my favorite colors or style, and I end up reusing them for making something entirely different. One year I used my favorite beaded necklace to bead the edge of a bedside lamp, for instance.

•    Listen to your intuition

When you feel in your heart that something will look great in a space, it most often will. Even the closest friends don’t always know your most intimate needs and desires. Well-meaning friends have different taste and opinions, and if you end up listening to theirs, instead of your own, you might as well invite them to live there. I have seen firsthand what happens when people override their own intuition and listen to someone else’s opinion. An expensive mistake!

•    If all else fails, ask for help

Some of us love doing this, some have natural ability, some have knowledge and experience and some of us don’t. If you are in the latter category, there are plenty of resources and people to help you in your decorating journey. Remember that a great designer will always listen to your needs and aspirations for your home, rather than impose his or her own personal taste.

I hope this inspired you to convert your home into a sanctuary you deserve and want!

There are obviously more modern looking styles I could have gone with to include fancy glass doors for the shelves, but I personally like the more traditional shelving and price-wise, it comes out much cheaper. These shelves have held up beautifully over several moves, showing that they are durable and good value for my money.

In terms of color, I chose to go with the medium brown shelving to give the room a warmer feel. The darker colors made the living room look too cold, and the lighter colors clashed with the rest of my living room décor. I have a dark red Persian style carpet on the floor, incorporating gold and cream, which blended very well with the almost cherry-colored medium brown shelves. Our living room lamp uses a yellow light bulb through a cream lamp shade, which also makes for warm colors in low light. These bookcases look best with brownish reddish décor. On the couches, accenting the dark furniture with a little bit of gold/cream/red in the pillows does wonders for bringing out the best in the shelving. So although these bookcases are cheap and standard in terms of size and shape, with the right arrangement, they can actually add class to your living room and really highlight your home library with a solid traditional feel.

On the practical side of things, these shelves are also fairly easy to assemble and most importantly, in contrast to other more expensive bookcases or built-in shelves, they are adjustable based on the size of your books. You can place around 25 regular sized books on a shelf and the shelves are wide enough if you need to double up.

For those of you who are intimidated by “do it yourself” projects, don’t be. The instructions are cartoon based and all you have to do is follow the picture. You will need a hammer, a pencil, a regular flat head screw driver and a Phillips screw driver. Take your time in putting the pieces together. Give yourself ample work space. Match the pieces to the diagrams so you can easily identify the hardware during assembly. I used my electric drill at very slow speeds to spare my wrists and make my work easier. The only challenging part was making sure that I aligned the back board properly so that it would sit correctly as I nailed it in.

When you finish the assembly you will be satisfied with the results. The shelves look good, they hold lots of books, they easily match the other items in the room and they prove that living room decorating can be fun and satisfying.

Bohemian decorating is great for your wallet.  This room decorating idea incorporates unique and individual items that you can make on your own, find in your parent’s attic or purchase for pennies at a local flea market.  Some bohemian decorating ideas you can use are: antique light fixtures, old picture frames with cool carvings, rich colorful fabrics for your bed or table or a distressed vintage bookshelf.

Bohemian style makes use of variety: variety of textures, colors and patterns.  This is great because it means you can
mix and match to your hearts content, incorporating new items with pieces you’ve had for years.  Stripes with florals, ethnic patterns and bejeweled middle-eastern fabrics can be harmoniously brought together to create a dorm room you love. A great way to make use of variety is with wall hangings, area rugs, table cloths and bed covers.  All of these items are relatively inexpensive and can add lots of color to your space.

Another dorm room decorating idea is to try to bring in some cool “non-dorm room like” pieces to give your room character. Homey pieces like a vintage side table, a funky lamp or a Moroccan tea set will give your room a super cool, unique character!

So try these bohemian dorm room decorating ideas, but be warned! Your room might be so comfy and chill that you won’t want to go back home!

Floral Prints: Warm, beautiful summer weather just makes you want to go outside. Bring the flowing, fresh feeling of summer into your home with floral décor. Floral designs are ultra feminine, beautiful and fun. They can easily be incorporated into an room of your home! A floral patterned sofa or arm chair or floral wall paper will look amazing in your living room. Looking for floral room decorating ideas on the cheap? Try stapling $5 floral material to a canvas for some stunning wall décor or buying a few floral throw pillows.

Pops of Color: During the winter, days are short and cold and the long nights are a time for being comfortably cozied-up indoors. On the contrary, the summer is full of bright long days, vacations and an overall happy atmosphere. Let your home reflect your summertime cheer by incorporating bright splashes of color! Some great choices for summer are yellow, orange, honeysuckle or spring green. Pops of color can be integrated into your home via a large modern vase, a colorful wall, some vibrant wall art or new colorful drapes!

Sheer Fabrics: Sheer fabrics are a great summer decorating idea for capturing the season’s aura! Used as window shades, soft sheer fabrics let in the sunshine allowing it to illuminate your space! They imbue your room with the softness of a warm summer breeze. Sheer fabrics are also great as tablecloths, especially if they are long enough to drape down from the table and topped with a transparent glass vase of greens or flowers. Any old table can be instantly given a summer update with a whimsical, sheer tablecloth!

Getting your home ready for summer doesn’t have to mean changing around your entire space! Just follow these simple summer decorating tips and welcome the season into your house.

Honeysuckle

Furthermore, this shade is perfect for summer. According to Pantone’s Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman, honeysuckle brings a “a wave of nostalgia for its associated delicious scent reminiscent of the carefree days of spring and summer.” This intense shade expresses the confidence and uplifting spirit of the season and it’s bound to make a splash in your home décor!

So how do you incorporate honeysuckle summer decorating ideas?

This invigorating color is known to stimulate both appetite and conversation, so it is great in the kitchen, dining room or living room. Some room decorating ideas for the kitchen or dining room are to decorate the table with a honeysuckle tablecloth, some place-mats, napkins or a centerpiece. You can also buy some honeysuckle glassware for your summer entertainment! If you feel like being bold, try painting your kitchen cabinets in honeysuckle! For a more subtle way to integrate the color, paint the cabinet and drawer knobs.

Nothing will invigorate your living room like a wall covered in honeysuckle paint or wallpaper. But if you don’t feel like going all out, add some spirit to your living room with honeysuckle candles, storage baskets or throw pillows!

It is easy for this color to blend into your home décor. Honeysuckle looks great with almost any color, especially lack, navy, charcoal or gray. It can also be used against a neutral color palette for contrast, but this season it is being paired with bronze-greens for extra sophistication.

So this summer, be sure to add some flair to your home with bold, energizing honeysuckle summer decorating ideas!

Chandelier made from sunglasses

Tip #1: Your Bookshelf

Having a visibly displayed bookcase is hipster essential. Since hipsters pride themselves on appreciation of great literary works, a cool bookcase filled with classics is key in creating an aura of sophistication and depth.  Make sure your bookcase includes a variety of “approved reads” by authors like Franz Kafka, Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Dickens, Leo Tolstoy and other hipster faves.  The bookcase can be vintage or modern with a 60s or 70s feel.

Tip #2:  Ironic Accessories

Your hipster room should contain at least one ironic accessory that can (but doesn’t have to) function as a focal point.  The accessory could be ironic for many reasons: it could blatantly clash with the rest of the room décor, be noticeably out of context, be an object that was normative for children in the 80s or early 90s or gently mock a part of society that is considered by hipsters to be somewhat less cultured. Examples of ironic items would be a unique and wacky chandelier like this “chandelier made from shades” a piece of taxidermy (yes, I’m serious!),  a flamboyantly religious item or a 90s inspired canopy bed.

Tip #3: Vintage Furnishings

The right furnishings are essential to creating an appropriate hipster vibe.  The idea is to mix modern items with enough vintage ones to show you have an appreciation for a time before furniture was mass produced.  A few key vintage finds that are actually from the 50s, 60s or 70s will be enough to create the right vibe in your home.  A retro couch, record player or old roll top desk are great room decorating ideas for your hipster pad.

Tip #4: Going Green

Not only is going green good for the environment, it is a key ingredient of hipsterdom. Do-it-yourself, environmentally friendly elements are great additions to your home décor.  Handmade items made from recycled goods are great hipster decorating ideas and are readily available on greatgreengoods.com and other sites.  These items are generally creative, funky and great conversation pieces.  Check out this area rug made from recycled measuring tape!

Tip #5: Make it look like you didn’t try

This is my final and most difficult hipster decorating idea.  Making your décor look effortless is important to achieve the “naturally cool” vibe of a true hipster.  The room should be decorated without clear attention given to symmetry, color schemes and matching.  It should seem like items (such as an electric guitar, vintage television screen etc) simply happen to be in a certain place which looks great.  Generally, a wide array of colors and textures can be used that naturally and casually come together in a somewhat bohemian manner.

Hope you enjoyed these tips to decorate your home according to “hipster standards”.  What are you waiting for? Go raid your local thrift shop or flea market and create your glorious hipster pad!

Yellow furniture, accessories and accents shout out against a neutral palette. To make a bold statement and attract attention, use a lot of yellow in one area of the room. In your bedroom, try a bright yellow blanket cover to turn your bed into a focal point. Bold yellow drapes are another great idea for summer. Just make sure to only have one focal point since using too much yellow will make your room look gaudy and overdone.

Yellow Room Decorating Ideas

A yellow couch is a beautiful way to add a pop of color to your living room. For a summer update on a budget, simply purchase a new yellow couch cover or large throw. Alternatively, you can try painting a bookshelf or display case in yellow. One of my favorite yellow room decorating ideas is painting one whole wall of a room yellow! Although it takes a little bit of time, it is a great way to add intense color without breaking the bank.

To complete the look, use smaller yellow accessories as colorful accents. Accessories will enhance your décor by highlighting and accentuating the focal point. Try using yellow patterned throw pillows, picture frames or flowers to tie your room together.

By incorporating a few room of these yellow room decorating ideas, you’ll be instantly creating a trendy, fun look that is perfect for summer! Do you have any great yellow finds for summer 2011? Share them here!

Choose the Location Carefully.
The most important aspect of your home office is that is it a place that you can get your work done.  Therefore, where the office is located is of utmost importance.  If you work better in a noisy space, you may want to place your home office in the center of your home or near a window.  Some people get distracted easily and prefer having their home office tucked away in a quiet corner.  If you plan on seeing private clients in your home office, consider access.  Do you want them to have to go through your whole house to get to the office? If not, consider placing the office near a door to the outside.

Office Layout.
One of the main elements of home office decorating is practicality.  When considering the layout, keep all the room’s activities in mind.  Will it be used only as a home office only or perhaps as a guest room as well? If this is the case, you will need a layout that can be easily shifted around to accommodate for the room’s dual functions.  Office furniture should be arranged in “L” or “U” shape so that everything important can be more or less within reach.  Make sure there are enough electrical outlets, telephone jacks and shelving units.  The furniture should complement other decor in your house but be functional as well.  Get a comfortable chair and a desk that meets your needs!

A desk organizer will help keep your home office in order.

Keep Your Space Organized.
If only one room in your house is to be kept neat and organized, it should be your home office! Nothing is worse than losing important documents or other work-related necessities.  Keeping your office is a matter of buying a few main storage items and being disciplined! Make sure you have enough shelf space and storage containers.  Dedicate 15 minutes at the end of each workday to putting everything back where it belongs.

Create a focal point.
Once you have the practical elements down, you can focus on more creative room decorating ideas.  Try an eye catching focal point for your home office. Some rooms already have unique architectural elements like a fireplace or giant window with a beautiful view.  An antique style mahogany desk or artwork can also make great focal points.

Personalize your Home Office with Funky Accessories.

Your home office is not your cubicle at work.  Personalize your space with fun home office decorating ideas like wall color that you love! Forget bland office white or beige walls.  Decorate with colors that put you in the working zone weather those colors are lime green, black and white checkered wall paper or calming blue.  Fill your space with things that inspire you.  Feel free to decorate with pictures of your loved ones, works of art that get your creative juices flowing or wall stickers with an inspiring quote.

I hope these basic room decorating ideas gave you some inspiration for making your home office more than just a place to hold your desk and computer! Let your creativity flow and create an ideal workspace where your productivity can soar.

Four poster beds are a great romantic decorating idea.

Since the main purpose of this room is relaxation and sleep, the bed is essentially the “raison d’être” of your bedroom.  Special attention must be paid to the bed when creating a romantic setting.  First of all, consider the type of bed.  Four-poster beds are extremely luxurious and create a romantic feel.  A french ornate bed or a canopy bed are also great choices.  A canopy in a small bedroom is great if you put it around a large bed and the nightstands as well.  It will make you feel like you are in a huge, spacious bed instead of in a small room.

A headboard can bring new life to your bed.

Other decorating elements can make you feel like you have a new, romantic bed without actually having to buy one.  A new headboard will do wonders for your bedroom design.  You can purchase a headboard or make your own.  You can also make your own canopy by hanging sheer material around your bed from the ceiling.  See-through fabric will make your bed feel extremely sensual and “other-worldly”.  Another way to make your bed feel like newer and more romantic is by adding a mattress cover.  The extra padding and comfort will turn your bed into the place you want to be most!

Good sheets are a romantic bedding essential.

The right linens are essential to creating a romantic bed.  Purchase sheets with at least a 300 thread count to ensure maximum comfort.Linens with a high thread count linens are much silkier to the touch.  Satin and silk sheets are the best for seduction, but aren’t the most practical.  Satin sheets can make sleep difficult and silk sheets need to be dry cleaned.  But they are great from time to time for a special romantic feel.  Solid white sheets that smell fresh and have a high thread count are great for everyday romantic decorating ideas for your bed.
Other essentials for creating a romantic bed are: a comfortable blanket, duvet and pillows.  It is important that all these items, including the sheets, be placed properly on the bed.  A beautifully put-together bed is very romantic.  Sheets should be folded with square corners and folded over the blanket.  The duvet can be folded in thirds and placed horizontally over the end of the bed.  Make sure the duvet is large enough that two can comfortably use it! There is nothing romantic about fighting over the comforter.

Romantic Pillow

Pillows are a fun room decorating idea for your bed and the final touch.  Choose two Euro-sham-size pillows(about 26″ x 26″) for the back.  These pillows are for decoration only.  The regular sleeping pillows (2-4) are placed in front of the Euro-shams.  Then toss on a boudoir and neck pillow. The different sizes, shapes and styles of the pillows add visual interest and a comfortable, romantic look.
A romantic bed will change the entire feel of your bedroom to a more sensual one.  Stick to these principles and your bedroom will begin to transform into a romantic retreat.
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Feng Shui decor can do a lot for your baby.  This 3000 year-old interior decorating style originated in China to ensure that energy flowed properly in the home.  Feng Shui literally means “wind water” in Chinese and its practitioners believe that in order for energy to flow freely, the space must be arranged in a certain way.  Feng shui nursery decorating can give your child a healthy and relaxing space to grow and develop.

When decorating your nursery according to the principles of feng shui, furniture placement and arrangement must also be considered.  The crib should be placed so that the baby can see when a person walks into the room.   The head of the crib should be against a wall and the baby’s feet should not be pointing straight out the doorway.  In general, furniture for the nursery should be light in both weight and color.  Sharp objects should be moved away from the crib and a comfortable chair should be placed in the corner of the room.  All of these room decorating ideas are meant to provide a feeling of comfort, safety and relaxation and create a peaceful energy in the nursery.

3. Color

4. Movement

6. Decorating Accessories

Try these feng shui decorating ideas and make your baby’s first room a relaxing and peaceful place.

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