Seven Ways to Dress Up a Space
Category: Interior Decorating Blog
Posted/Updated: 04/05/2011 22:14:27
Views: 1647
Blank walls. Bland carpet. Ho-hum furniture. It’s easy to be unhappy in a plain room. Certain areas of a home ( like the bedroom or the kitchen, for example) have a greater calling to live up to than a hallway or powder room. Winning a ten grand home makeover contest would definitely bring a boring room up to snuff, but that isn’t necessary. A few accessories can change a space without any grunt work and minimal cost. Some accessories bring more to the table than others. Add a few or all of these things to a room, and you will begin to feel like you have your own interior designer.
1) Hang curtains
Curtains make a home feel lived in. They add privacy, color and texture to a room. The style of curtain you choose determines the style of the room. A simple solid colored drape hanging straight to the floor is contemporary while a heavy valance with braided fringe is more classic.
2) Candleholders
Candleholders are great objects of interest. They come in all shapes and sizes. Choose a glass vase, a candelabra, a row of pretty votive holders or a flat-bottomed dish filled with water for floating candles. Even if you never light them, candles are nice. Pick candles that match the curtains and you have the beginnings of a theme in your room.
3) Plants
House plants require water and light and little else. If you tend to forget to water, find a self-watering device or use plants that don’t get too thirsty. The type of plant you choose should also go with a room. Choose a shapely topiary (real or fake) for a classic room or an ivy maybe.
4) Picture frames
Images speak. Family photos tell the story of our lives. Hang plenty of pictures on the walls to personalize the space, carrying the color theme into the frames. The posters, paintings and prints you choose should also go with the room.
5) Pillows, slipcovers and throws
If you’re not ready for a new couch, just but or make a slipcover that will change the personality of the one you have. It should match or complement the rest of the room. If a slipcover gets dirty, you can always pull it off and wash it.
Pillows are a way to pick up smaller patches of color in the patterns around the room. If you have a chocolate brown slipcover with a little blue in it, allow that little blue to suggest an all blue pillow. a throw blanket works on the same principle. It is a splash of color and a bit of comfort.
6) Rugs
A full re-doing of the carpet or tile may not be an option for you, especially if you are a renter or working with a tight budget. Change the attitude of your floor though, by laying down a rug. Whether you are looking for full coverage or just a spot of color, a rug will continue the color theme, and make your space cozy. Lay it over carpet, wood or tile.
7) Mirrors
Mirrors make a room look bigger. They can also be interesting decorative objects, as well. Put them where they will reflect light and space. The style of the frame should match or complement the rest of the objects and patterns in the room.
If painting, re-tiling, new appliances or new furniture are not an option, then accessories are. Simple, inexpensive and easily adapted to any style these seven accessories will warm up your home. Be proud to have guests over. Enjoy the space yourself. Your home can be your castle, with a little effort on your part.
