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We don't just
Stage Homes For Sale... We also decorate for living...
Some homes
are decorated to look like they popped off the pages of a home
design magazine. The rooms seem tied together with color, proportion
and design. What makes these homes stand out? Can your home become
as pretty as a picture?
These ten
decorating tips will help you along the road to beautifying your
home. They can make the rooms look more spacious and cohesive, help
you use lighting to set the mood and more...
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Choose a color palette
carefully. When selecting background colors for flooring, walls,
window treatments and large pieces of furniture think
"long-term." In other words, select colors that will not go out
of style in a few years, and that you won't tire of quickly.
Think of colors that stand the test of time. Neutrals and earth
tones are safe and blend beautifully with a wide range of bright
or muted colors.
 Tones
like whites, beiges, golds, tans and browns have been in vogue
for years and stand the test of time. It is expensive to replace
large items (floors, sofas, wall and window treatments) so they
should have colors that will last through trends and time. There
are some exceptions to this, however. Living in a southern
climate can lead one to decorator a bit more on the cooler
side. Various hues of the colors mentioned above can have a
cooling affect on a room. When selecting whites, you may
consider a hue with some blue undertones. The same holds true
for the other colors. Your decorator can help you select the
right background color for the best overall affect.
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During our cooler winter
months, layering will add warmth to a room. If a room appears
cold, adding layers of fabric can turn up the "heat." For
example, add a rug, add cloths to the tops of tables, and add
accessories that have texture. Your room will gain instant
warmth. Hint: You can use beautiful placements under lamps, or
textured coasters on top of tables. When the weather turns warm,
you can add sheers to your windows and keep the drapes pulled
back. Changing out your pillows to lighter fabrics and patterns
while still keeping true to your overall color scheme with make
your rooms appear cooler. Removing area rugs to expose the
ceramic or wood floors will also help to cool off the room.
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Use lighting wisely. It is
said that lighting should be arranged to form a triangle, so use
this as a guide when placing lamps. Also, remember that lamp or
sconce lighting provides more warmth and mood than overhead
lighting (although spot lighting can be attractive when showing
off art). Lamp shades that are slightly tan or yellow cast a
warm glow, to add mood and sophistication. The best thing I have
done for our home is to switch all of our light bulbs to the
newer style that are the clean white light giving more of a true
daylight effect. The careful use of mini lights above ledges
intertwined with greens can add drama to a room any time of the
year. We have all of our accent lights on timers so they come
on at dusk and turn off just after we go to bed at night. It's
also fun to put small decorative lamps on plant shelves and we
often use colorful paper tote bags with tissue and raffia ties
in keeping with the decor. This is an inexpensive way to
fill up our often vast amounts of plant shelving in
Florida-style homes.
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Pull those sofas out from
the wall! Sofas have attractive backs, and look great with a
sofa table behind them. Experiment in your home by pulling your
sofas out to create a decorator look. Try arranging them so that they
are parallel to each other. Lay a rug under them to define a
conversation area. Then place a large, low, cocktail table in
between the two sofas.
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Arrange collections
together. If you collect something, such as dolls or
paperweights, put them in the same location. They will attract
attention and look more artistically interesting if they are
together, rather than spread out throughout a home. For example,
if you have bookshelves surrounding a fireplace, this would be a
good place for a specialized collection of statues or attractive
dolls. Three of anything is considered a collection. Try to
arrange your accessories in groups of threes and of varying
heights for the most dramatic effect. Don't keep out all your
collections or the house will become a clutter and dust magnet.
Rotate your precious collections occasionally packing some away.
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Have an element of
surprise. Rooms gain life when a bold statement is made. If a
room is contemporary, highlight it with a bold antique.
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Think "angles." Even one
piece of furniture, such as a special chair or table, can add
interest to a room if it is placed at an angle. Imagine a room
where sofas and tables were arranged in a linear pattern and off
to the corner a TV entertainment center is angled. What fun!
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Consider buffet lamps.
They add
warmth and sophistication to your dining room with tall, slender
buffet lamps on each side. These lamps can be found at
department or discount stores. The selections with yellow or
mica shades add a sense of warmth and welcome to the dining
room. By the way, yellow is said to be the number one color to
use on dining room walls. Replace your outdated chandelier for
an
instant overall facelift in that room. The ones that allow you
to change the small shades can allow for a lot of versatility.
You can change them seasonally or even put out special ones
during the holidays. Local craft stores sell these plain shades
for very little money. With a little imagination and creativity
you can decorate the shades to match your moods. Use similar
design in your linens and you can have several very different
looks throughout the year for a small investment of money. Why
not leave your dining room table set with your best china?
Don’t hide it away in its padded covers. Also, try to eat in
the dining room at least once a week and use your best linens
and china. Even if you get take-out, you deserve it. Don’t
skimp on candles either! My daughter, now ten years old,
loves eating by candle-light!
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Myth: Hang art at eye level.
Well, what exactly is eye level? It can vary greatly from one
person to another depending on their height. A common mistake is
to hang pieces of art too high. Before you hang your art, think
about how it will be viewed. If everyone will be seated, for
example in a dining room, the majority of the time, then the
artwork should be at a comfortable viewing level for the people
enjoying their dinner. Mirrors are great pieces of art
especially when they reflect something beautiful across the room
or the glimmer of candles on your table.
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Monotone decors appear
spacious. Ever walk into a home and feel that the rooms are
spacious and seem to flow together? Chances are the design uses
a monotone palette with color accents. White walls, a white
sofa, white or glass coffee tables can be delightfully accented
with color pillows and accessories. When I say “white” I don’t
mean pure stark white. As mentioned above, there are as many
shades of white as there are snowflakes falling from the sky.
Think of white in terms of “shades of white.” Warm monotones
would use the earth tones, such as browns and tans.
These ideas
provide a good start toward that decorator home look. Above all,
make sure your home captures and reflects your distinct personality
throughout. That alone will add interest and individuality to any
decor. We compiled this list of tips from a variety of sources and
condensed them into this handy 10 point synopsis. We hope you
found them useful.
An interior
decorator can really make a tremendous impact on the overall look of
your home. They are experienced in the nuances of how certain
colors, furniture placement and accessories will make your home a
comfortable, beautiful and welcoming space.
Please
contact one of our consultants today to set up your decorating
consultation. We are here to help you achieve the look you are
after. You may send us an email to:
Anne@TampaBayHomeStagers.com
Need some ideas for
de-cluttering? Click here. |