Decorating Your Home Like A Pro | Lifestyle

by DanaBurnett

Decorating your home may seem intimidating. There are so many style choices to overwhelm you such as eclectic, modern, and art-deco. Where does a person begin when it's time to revamp the house, but you don't want the expense of a professional designer? With these simple steps, you can save your money and discover the secrets to decorating your home like a pro.

It's All About You. Home decorating is not rocket science. Contrary to popular belief, there are no right or wrong ways to go about it. Decorating is nothing more than making your surroundings appealing and enjoyable to you. There is no need to label it with design styles and there is no need to bring in a professional to inform you about what you want in your own home. Look around your home and decide what you like and what you don't, keep what you like and get rid of what you do not. This is your first step.

Find A Starting Point. Step back and take a look at each room and what you have left in it. What catches your eye? Is it a colorful print? A bright area rug? Or maybe a small accent piece or statue? Select your favorite item and get ready because you are going to design the entire room around this one item. I normally use framed prints, but it could be anything.

Color. Throw out everything that you think you know about paint colors. Look at your starting point and notice the colors in it. If it is something plain like a seashell, what colors does it bring to mind such as white beaches and the blue sea. Pick the boldest color from your object, that is what you will paint one wall. When you find that color at the paint store, look at the other colors that coordinate with it to find a color for the other walls. Keep in mind other colors that may be in your object as well.

Attention to Detail. Now that the walls are painted, place your furniture in whatever arrangement works for you. If you got rid of your furniture, buy new in colors that compliment your starting point. Add more accessories such as area rugs, throws, and framed prints in the same color scheme as your starting point object.

Let It Flow. This is the most difficult step to follow. Most homes have open floor plans or two story foyers, and when decorating it is important that each room be unique, but that they also blend in some way together. Otherwise, you're home will seem choppy and incomplete. Pick one element that all the rooms can have in common and use it throughout your home such as color families. For example, in my own home I have a rooster themed kitchen, rooster themed breakfast nook, modern family room, southwest office, traditional dining room, and a traditional foyer. The common element between all of these different rooms is the use of warm earth tones in the furniture and wall color. It doesn't have to be an obvious selection such as that, but something as simple as a framed print in a hallway. Using my own home as an example, the master bedroom is Paris themed, the hall bath is Safari, the spare room blue floral, and my daughter's room is fairies. How could I make the upstairs appear unified with such a broad array of colors and themes? It took months before I discovered the common element was a magnolia bloom, each room had a magnolia bloom somewhere in its accents. It was very subtle, but it worked. I ran straight to the flea market and picked up two framed magnolia prints and my home was finished.

Keeping It Real. Remember those pictures in decorating magazines that started you on this quest? Who could resist those perfect rooms? You're desire may be to have your home look just like the homes in those magazines, but the reality is that it never will. In those pictures there are no children running in and out, or pets leaving hair on the floor, or people that just want to spend an afternoon on the couch reading the newspaper. Your home is lived in and it should remain a place for family and friends to gather and relax, not a museum show piece. Never decorate to the point that you can no longer enjoy your home. After all, the entire point of decorating is to make your home more appealing and enjoyable.

Now that you know the basics of home decorating, add a few home decor pieces that reflect your personality? Unleash your creative spirit, just remember to be true to yourself. After all, your home should be all about you!

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice.

Want to find out more about home decor, then visit Dana Burnett's site for home decorating tips.