Top Interior Design & Home Decorating Tips Of the Month
Here are some home decorating tips and interior design ideas to help you with your decorating:
• Considering the history of the fridge, its look has really come around to keep up with home decor in recent years. The first fridges were solely functional: big, bulky white creatures that took up a good portion of the kitchen and made no attempt to fit in whatsoever. Learn More in Little Things.
• To brighten up a room that's dark or dull, try mirrors. Hanging several small round mirrors on a wall will give a glittering effect; or try trimming them around the top of the crown moulding. One big mirror will reflect back the light to the whole room, even if it isn't placed directly across from a window.
• One of the first things to consider in planning for a skylight is how large it should be. In an effort to get the maximum amount of light, too often people go for a skylight that is too big for the space. How could it possibly be too big? A skylight, even of the highest quality, will have poorer insulation than roofing will, so a great deal of heat will escape in winter, and too much heat will come in during summer. Learn more in Decorating Dilemma.
• Don't be afraid to go for an element of ironic surprise in a room that needs a bit of life. In a traditional room crammed with antiques, try a modern painting; in a modern room, add one stunning antique piece.
• To add a measure of reassurance, look for a high chair that's certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association. They look at every imaginable aspect of the chair, and demand that folding chairs have locking devices, that there are no sharp edges, and that they must be properly labeled and come with appropriate literature about operation and maintenance. More tips on choosing high chairs in Decorating Children's Rooms.
• The right angles that dominate the room are softened by the tufted sofa and the plants, and the green of the plants plays off the green of the sofa. The predominance of wood in the room also helps to unify the look. Learn more in our Room of the Month.
• If you're tempted to do a little spring cleaning, wait before you throw out your beloved collection of seashells or bottlecaps. Often having the things you truly love in a room is what gives a home a warm, friendly feeling; it may just be that your collections need a different method of display. Try simply tidying them up, and then display them intentionally, not haphazardly. For example, frame that letter from your grandmother to your grandfather and hang it on the wall, or arrange those antique forks on one of your bookshelves.
• In rug-making, for example, reds and blues predominate. Most prized are the rugs in brilliant yellows, because these are rare, as the color comes from "palo amarillo" trees, and is hard to cultivate. Using primary colors is the topic of this month's Color Tip.
|
