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HOME & GARDEN ARTICLES

Tips on Home Decorating


GETTING STARTED

Everyone who has ever picked up a home decorating magazine has seen pictures of beautifully decorated rooms where the furniture blends with the accessories and the art work to create a specific style. For those of us that would like to express a particular decorating style in our own home, reproducing the "pulled together" look of the decorating magazines can be a bit of a challenge.

One of the best places to start when designing your dream room is with your wall decor. Artwork, with the proper choice of matting and framing, can achieve the desired pulled together decorating look and can reflect the personality and lifestyle of the people who live in the home. And wall art is one of least expensive ways to give an old room a new personality. For the price of one new piece of furniture you can have a new framed print on every wall.

By focusing on your taste in art, the colors, textures and subject matter that appeal to you become apparent. This information will then begin to define your style and point you in a specific direction.


FINDING YOUR OWN STYLE

Deciding on the style that you wish to create can be a difficult job in itself. Most people can appreciate many different types of decor but have a specific look that they can see themselves living with day after day. You may like elements from many different styles, but want to tie those eclectic elements together so they act as a single composition instead of looking like an unplanned depository for pretty objects.

The next step in the process is to consider the style of furniture that is already in the room. Does it reflect the decorating look you wish to achieve? The finish of the woods or metals that make up your furniture as well as the colors and patterns in the fabrics can tend to dictate the overall feel of the room and can sometimes present an obstacle. For example, if you wish to design a living room with a modern feel and you have a busy floral pattern on your sofa and chairs, it will be difficult to create the streamlined modern look you are aiming for. For many people, their furniture is an eclectic mix of styles and finishes making it even more difficult to create a specific look. For this reason making your wall decor and accessories the focal point can create an overall feel for a relatively small investment.

Using the living room as an example, the following sections describe some basic decorating styles. Use these descriptions to help you define the look you are trying to achieve. Even if you know the style you want to create you should read the other sections. There are great tips and hints in each section that can be applied to any decor situation. Just like a photographer can learn from studying the great painters, you can learn something from the Antique section even if you know you want a Modern look for your home.

MOST COMMON STYLES:

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