Top 5 Golden Rules of Design and Decorating

Here are some painting/decorating rules that we live by religiously.

Rule #1; “I don’t care how portable your laptop is, you can’t check your email when you’re moving a piano”.

If you have found that “eureka!!!” article - either on this site or another decorating/design website - please be kind to your laptop/ desktop and print out the instruction before you commence to lay brush to wall. In the first place, if you’re using a new technique you’ve learned from a website, you can easily destroy your laptop with paint spillage. In the second place, running back and forth from a desktop or laptop when you need quick reference takes valuable attention away from the task at hand, and can easily lead to glaring errors (and lots of paint droplets on the floor). If you can’t print out your new-found, brilliant painting technique, just shorthand the instructions to a real, live notepad and get cracking.

Rule #2; Most D.I.Y magazines and websites have very practical solutions to common decorating problems, without breaking your bank.

It’s easy to lose creativity and hit a brick wall when you are not standing outside the decorating picture - looking in. It’s almost an “I can’t see the forest from the trees” kinda thing. Sometimes just cruising through a D.I.Y or decorating site/magazine can lead to that one brilliant and cheap idea that will give your chosen room the “oomph” it needs. For example, let’s say you really dig the regal look of a slate marble wall. Instead of searching out some Bavarian marble slate and selling your car to pay for it, faux marble painting is easier than you may think. In fact I know one web site that can tell you how it’s done, for free. (Hint hint) At the least, trying to paint a faux marble wall first is a crap-load cheaper than buying the real thing, and at the most you’ll have something to brag about when people ask how you did it. (btw, do Bavarians even make marble slate?)

Rule #3; The most awe-inspiring room features do not necessarily cost $4 000 000 dollars and your first born child.

If you’ve spotted a set of ceramic Italian tiles that would be absolutely perfect for your kitchen counter, only to notice the $250.00 per tile sticker price, don’t have a breakdown and overdose on Prozac. There are many online resources for buying cheap ceramic tiles. If the tile design you had in mind is brilliant, I can almost guarantee you will find a strikingly similar design online, for a much cheaper cost. Check out here and/or here, for examples.

This rule applies to more than just tiles, marble slate, and/or painting. I once had a decorating dilemma that involved an interior living room study with earthy taupe walls and neutral tone furnishings. I came in like a tornado and turned the room into a brilliant study. Brilliant with the exception of one empty corner. I was stuck in need of a compelling piece of decor to complete the space. It needed something unique, something that would stand out without being overbearing. Something with texture and asymmetrical by design.

The owner suggested a marble bust of an infamous Roman dictator. (which was completely cost prohibitive!) Instead I decided to experiment with an idea. I ventured out to the backyard wooded area, scooped up 100 (or so) 5 foot tall, thin, fallen twigs. I then proceeded to wrap them together (12 at a time) using fabric I had leftover from the drapes. In the end I attached them all together at the bottom with a wide brass ring (the origins of which escape me), and placed the assembly in a $90.00, semi-huge, glass vase. Eureka!!! It tied the room together perfectly, it didn’t cost the owner an arm OR a leg, and the entire family was spared having to look at Julius frikin Caesar every morning.

Rule #4; Proper wall color is one of the most vital characteristics of your room’s appeal (or lack thereof).

Wall color is as much personal preference as it is decorating technique. Having said that, some people’s personal preference is far more ridiculous than it is sublime. You really should find a common color scheme in the room you are decorating, choosing a paint color that will blend those colors together while allowing your most striking room decor to … well… strike. As an example, if your interior living room is full of beige color with… say… burnt orange furniture, a lighter or darker yet complimentary color is always the good choice for your walls.

I often like to take the least visually stimulating color within the room, dial it forward or backward a shade (or two) and paint the walls with that color. Then I will take the most bold color from the room decor and paint one feature wall in a very slight variance of that color. Such a bold color can come from any item in the room - from a throw pillow to a wall painting. This technique offsets the room nicely and shows a consistent color scheme throughout. It’s a cheap and simple technique that can make your room look very expensive.

Rule #5; Less is usually more.

Need I say more? Ok, ok, I will. Everyone has a tendency to go overboard when decorating. While 1 fishbowl may be cute, 25 fishbowls in various sizes indicates a need for aggressive psychiatric treatment. Once you have things in order and think your room is the absolute pinnacle of decorating brilliance, take some things away and observe objectively. Does it still look amazing? The litmus test here is simple; if your room still looks great after you’ve removed a few items, leave those items as future decor replacements, and be comfortable knowing your guests will bow at your feet in worship of your keen decorating prowess. When you come to a point where removing an item makes your room look or feel incomplete, put it back where it belongs, because you’ve gone too far.

There are a few perfect books on the market for decorating your home on a budget, and some really informative manuals on interior house painting. These wonderful books explain in vast and grand detail what I am trying to highlight here within this article, and they’re a great value.

There you have it. A few of the cardinal rules of decorating, interior living room style. Take these suggestions and your budget, whatever it may be, and get started!

By: Peter F

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For Better Living and Comfort

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Expressing Your Inner Self!

Decorating the interior of your home gives you a perfect opportunity to express your personality. It also allows you to put forth your hobbies; your interest in art, different cultures, and furniture. Home decorating can be done in different styles, each having its own appeal, simplicity as well as complexity. However, you can definitely find a style that suits your tastes as well as fits nicely in your budget.

When plans for decorating your home interior are being made, top priority should be given to budget. It is very well to visualize the recreation of a perfect space in your home, but when you come down to earth, you may find it proving quite expensive and creating an obstacle in your intentions. But take heart; there is no need to get discouraged. There are so many different ideas to achieve what you have set out to do. The suggestions for home decorating garnered from magazines, television programs, books and websites of the internet can prove very helpful and you will find them in plenty. Using these resources, you can overcome any obstacles that you will face while decorating your home interior.

In case you have a love for color and authenticity in decorating home interior, several designs are at your disposal. Primitive interior decorating of home interests some people as it uses handmade old items. This way you can display your collections of handed down treasures to a great advantage. This style lays emphasis on furniture and accessories which look ancient, stained, worn or antique. Primitive interior decoration might suit you perfectly if you have a passion for antiques. This design stands out if painted with warm and dark shades. Red brick or deep grey would also go well in this style.

Whimsical decorating is yet another style which you may find worth exploring. Here you give a free reign to your wildest imagination. Use of any or all your favorite colors is permitted and you could decorate the space all over with various colors and patterns. The all-important aspect is the color. If your choice is vibrant bold colors, you must stay in the perimeter of that color hue. If you prefer to use pastel colors, then only pastel color shades should be used.

If you don't feel comfortable moving from the ancient to the modern decorating of home interior, then the design most likely to suit you is the traditional design. This style of decorating home interior blends the modern look with the elegance of the ancient. Space is emphasized in the traditional design. With the use of neutral colors like mushroom or beige on the walls, a spacious atmosphere is created. Darker colors like mauve, burgundy, greens and blues add a punch of color in this design when used for the rugs, fabric, upholstery, etc. Accessories made of china and crystal goods compliment this traditional style. Artwork can also be added to the space. Wooden frames of paintings look great with this traditional style.

These are but three of the numerous designs for decorating your home interior. There is definitely one for just you. You can familiarize yourself with their characteristics of color, flooring, furnishings and accessories by browsing through sources of home interior decoration. Keeping your preferences and interests uppermost in your mind, you will surely be able to zero in on a style that would suit you perfectly. Decorating your home interior can transform your home into a heaven of pure joy.

By: Abhishek Agarwal

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Prices Do Matter!

You will find many indispensable facts regarding costs of home improvement in the following paragraphs. Every one of these facts is likely to make a lot of difference if you are ignorant about them.

There is a lot more to know about the latest in home improvement costs if you have a basic understanding.

Costs of Home Improvement
Cost of home improvement can be astounding but if you follow a few simple guidelines, you will be able to curtail it and make a small fortune in saving. As far as home improvement is concerned, it is extremely important to make a budget as money will just slip through your fingers even when you feel the job is almost done. Remember that where materials are concerned, they probably justify their cost according to their quality. So if something is expensive, it will also be of very good quality. So you have to decide how much you want to spend on the materials. Don't compromise on the quality of the material as there is always a possibility that cheaper materials will be available but their quality will not be just as good.

Budgeting is very important. You must always budget a little more than what you want to spend so if the costs do escalate, or you have to undertake some extra work that you had not thought about, then at least you are prepared with the money. If a budget is not made, you will not be able to keep a track of where the money is being spent. Small little expenditures have a way of building up unawares so make sure you do not exceed your budget with things like tiling or wallpaper which you have forgotten.

The way to curtail home improvement costs is to ensure that you actually buy only the things that you need. There is no sense in purchasing a thing that you will probably never use. It would be a waste of money and hence avoidable. Costing is an important factor in home improvement projects because you have to fit in the project according to the funds at your disposal. Of course, you do not get anything free but you can surely minimise the cost by a great deal of budgeting.

The basic idea of home improvement is to make it the way you want and a comfortable place for you and your family. As such, whether or not you get the most expensive bath suite or the most expensive carpet is quite immaterial. What is important is that you and your family enjoy the outcome of the home improvement and live in it happily.

That is one aspect of home improvement costs. Of course there are many more levels to it as far as you want to go.

By: Abhishek Agarwal

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Making A House A Home

Is the interior decoration of your residence due again? Does this thought bring enthusiasm to your mind, or do you dread the thought? Does it excite you or does it cause you frustration? Certainly there would be mixed feelings as far as home interior decoration is concerned. Everyone is not blessed with skill or creativity. Some may even detest all the activities this project demands. It could be that they consider themselves incapable of doing a good job of interior decorating. On the other hand, there will be those people who are rearing to take a go at it and will be gladly anticipating getting into the paint and plaster. Whatever your disposition, you can be sure that a lot of help is available for everyone, irrespective of whether they gladly anticipate the project or simply abhor it and can't wait to get it over and done with.

A professional interior decorator offers the best solution to the people who can't be bothered much with decorating the interior of their homes. The professional will assist you in choosing a decoration design. He will also help you with the choice of flooring, colors, furnishings and accessories. He will chalk out a plan but you may be required to hire a painter or somebody to do your flooring. If you can afford it, this option is the best but quite a few people will be short of funds to hire a professional interior decorator, a flooring installer and a painter.

If you enjoy adventures, interior decoration of your house would represent an exciting challenge to your creativity and sense of adventure. You can find all types of information about doing up the interior of your home very easily. There are monthly magazines dedicated to interior decoration of homes which spell out detailed information and instructions on how to go about interior decoration of your home. In addition, there are do-it-yourself books describing easy-to-follow step-by-step procedures for you. The internet comes up as a great storehouse of information on how to decorate your interior home. Numerous sites are full of useful particulars to help you in planning your interior decoration and a great tool that will guide you through the entire process. A lot of information can also be gathered from the television on how to do the interior decoration of your home. Reality programs on the television instruct and give great ideas for your interior decoration.

After deciding to do the interior decoration of your residence, your first action should be to decide which areas or rooms will need a change. Several themes are available which will facilitate you in deciding the furnishings, color, accessories and fabric. These include Cottage, Modern, Victorian, French Country, English Country, Medieval, Traditional, Art Deco, Moroccan, Southwestern, etc. When you zero in on a theme, it will be easier to select materials according to this design for home interior. Considering the numerous resources at your disposal for interior decoration of your residence, you would have a whale of a time selecting a color palette to enhance your rooms, add warmth with choicest fabrics, decide on comfortable furnishings and choose accessories to compliment and accent your space. With so many resources offering free ideas for home decorations, you could turn the interior designing of your home into an exciting project without the usual stress and frustration proving an impediment for your enjoyment.

By: Abhishek Agarwal

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