Design Your Interior

Posts Tagged ‘home decorating tips’

Often the bathroom is one of the most overlooked rooms in the home when it comes to decorating. We tend to see it as a utilitarian space, even though we spend quite a lot of time here. (More, if you have teenagers!) Take an afternoon to turn your bath into a relaxing and soothing retreat for yourself and your guests, without spending a lot of cash.

1. Paint the whole room, including the ceiling a deep, rich color. Even though this is a small room, a deep color on the walls allows them to fade away, and at once makes the room cozy and seems more spacious.

2. Get rid of the clutter! If you can’t get most of the makeup and shaving cream under the sink, (and who can?) pick up a few baskets from the dollar shop and corral them in. Make sure there is a hamper. If you are short on space, use the kind that hangs on the back of the door. A large drawstring bag would work for this also. (He might actually even use it…ok, it’s a dream.)

3. Dress up that large frameless mirror. Hang swags of fabric from cup hooks to hide and soften the edges of the mirror, and to give it a “frame”. Or actually use cut lengths of 1×4 lumber, and attach them to the wall over the edges of the mirror to simulate a real wood frame. You can paint or stain them as well to coordinate with your cabinets.

4. Speaking of cabinets, how about giving them a quick redo? Paint them black for a sophisticated look, or white with sponge painting for a country theme. Try any of the hot faux finishes. You can even paint the Formica counters. Just clean well and use a special primer first such as BIN or KILZ. Then seal with 4-6 coats of polyurethane after the paint dries. Should last for years!

5. Lastly, add some detail to the room. Sew fabric edging to your towels, add a shell for a soap dish, and stitch up a pretty shower curtain to cover that vinyl one. Hang some calendar pictures on the wall in dollar store frames…perhaps of a faraway place you can dream about as you soak away your cares? If you have natural light in the room from a window, add a plant or two.

Now light up some candles, turn on some music, and fill the bath with sweet smelling bubbles. Your getaway awaits!

One of the biggest home decorating dilemmas is how to arrange your accessories, whether it be a bookcase, shelf, or tabletop. Here is a three step system that will transform your boring or cluttered spaces into charming vignettes!

Harmony and Contrast

When arranging a space with accessories, one has to keep in mind that the most important thing to avoid here is boredom! This has a lot less to do with the objects you choose than how you choose to display them. To keep an arrangement from putting the neighbors down for their afternoon nap, remember to keep a balance of harmony (things that feel like they go together, like similar colors or styles) and contrast (things that spice things up by being different…smooth against texture, round against straight line, et…) You want a bit of both in your arrangement. Perhaps you could create harmony by repeating a square shape or the color purple, and then add contrast by sitting a smooth candlestick next to a rough basket.

Scale and Shape

Make sure that the items you are using fit into their new homes scale…you don’t want one tiny paperweight on a large kitchen table, and you want to steer clear of using a huge ceiling high arrangement of flowers on a tiny end table. Most people tend to use things that are too small for their surroundings however. If you have small accessories you would like to display, but need to give them more oomph in the arrangement, try grouping them on a plate or a fabric covered box. You can also give them height by perching them atop stacked books or baskets.

Layer and Soften

Once you’ve chosen your objects for the space following the design principles above, now it’s time to layer and soften. Start with a larger, taller piece slightly off center…this will be the defining piece in your arrangement. Now work to the outer edges in layers…Add a taller background layer, a middle sized medium height layer, and your tiniest objects in the front. Keep the eye moving up and down as it purveys the arrangement from left to right for interest. Add some fabric or twisted ribbon to soften the edges of the shelf or table, to bring in color, and to highlight certain objects.

Above all, keep trying new combinations of items until you find an arrangement that works for you. Use things in unusual ways. Tuck flowers or a live plant into an arrangement that seems too static. Even professional designers will occasionally be surprised by trying things in a new way! And remember, if your arrangement still looks cluttered and lost, chances are you are trying to display too much. Develop a prop box or closet where you can keep some of your treasures, and switch them our a couple of times a year for a fresh new look without spending a dime! For an example photo of accessory arrangement, visit this page on our website at http://www.thebudgetdecorator.com/arrange_accessory.html