Budget Decorator
(featured column)
How
To Make New Year’s Decorating Resolutions Come True (On a Budget!)
by
Kathleen Wilson
Many of us
welcome the New Year with resolutions to make changes in our lives. At least
some of the changes ought to involve your creative pursuits. And what’s more
creative than learning to create a warm comfortable home for your loved ones
while saving money. (Another resolution I bet is on your list!) Here are the 7
best decorating resolutions for those needing to save some cash this year, to
get your list started. More...
1. Resolve to
make a plan! The best rooms, even ones decorated on a very tight budget,
need a plan. You wouldn’t write a story without a plot, would you?
2. Start a decorating notebook. You can just pick up a cheap notebook
from the discount store, and use it to keep ideas, samples, and magazine
clippings as you create your plan. If you are decorating more than one room, use
dividers and have a section for each room. Now use your notebook! Write down
favorite styles, tear our pictures from magazines of rooms or paint finishes or
fabric you like, use colored pencils to work up different color combinations.
Try furniture combinations and arrangements on paper first, and print out
project instructions from the internet. When you finally have a plan you
like, you will know just what you need!
3. Give your decorating project a name. Most people don’t decorate in
one particular style; it’s usually an eclectic mix. It may help you keep your
direction to give your room style a name that represents the important facets of
your style. For instance, my family room is “Casually Elegant Rustic Garden”
and my kid’s bath is “Bright, Playful, Contemporary”. That way, if you are
ever tempted to pick up that roman statue for your “Country Americana”
family room, you might simply consult your style name to find that it probably
isn’t a good fit.
4. Add color! So many people are afraid to add color to their rooms.
Paint and fabric can both be very affordable. If you are just starting to use
color in a room, here are two easy guidelines. First, White plus one color
always works! Think blue and white, red and white, or sunny yellow and white
schemes. Never fail! So pick your favorite color, add white in approximately a
60/40 ratio, and you’ve succeeded in adding color to your room! If you are a
little braver, you can add three colors easily. First, make sure all three
colors have the same intensity. That is to say, they are all equally muted, or
equally bright. Then, add them to the room in the following ratio, 60/30/10.
Usually the brightest or strongest color will be the accent, and the 10% of the
room, and the lightest color will cover 60%…but feel free to experiment. Use
each color in at least three places interspersed throughout the room, and you
will have color, style, and balance!
5. Mix things up! Had the couch in the same place for years? Try it on
the diagonal, or jutting out into the room to create conversation areas. Try the
dresser you never use from the guest room as a linen chest in the dining room.
Or mount a small bookcase to the wall with anchors and use as a display shelf
for your china. Look at the things you already own in new ways, and you’ll be
surprised at the freshness in your rooms!
6. Put some of yourself in your rooms. Try a new craft or project, and
proudly display your creativity in your home. Learn to stencil, and stencil some
inspirational quotes over doorways. Paint and old wooden fence board like an
antique market sign, and hang it in your kitchen. Start a collection of
inexpensive objects such as tea cups or antique postcards, and display them as a
group. Let your rooms share some of yourself with the people who share your
life!
7. Utilize the internet to help you achieve your decorating goals. You
can receive ideas, tips, and ebooks from online decorating sites, and furniture
arrangement programs help you to find that perfect arrangement without moving a
stick of furniture first! A good one is the room planner at HGTV.com, and
BenjaminMoore.com has a great program that allows you to try out paint colors
before you buy!
Making your house a home despite your desire to save money need not be a faraway
dream; it can be part of the changes you make for the New Year, with the help of
The Budget Decorator!
* * *
Copyright © 2006 by Kathleen Wilson. All
rights reserved.
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