You are in the middle of summer, and you and the family sit on the porch enjoying the late summer breeze while barbecuing. Conversely, it is just before Christmas, and again, you and the family are enjoying the holiday spirit while decorating the tree.
Regardless of the season or the moment, the home that you design leaves more than these impressions – a sense of nostalgia lingers long after the event. The nostalgia that makes these moments so special is in part related to the home’s decorations, especially a new home. These decorations make home, well, home.
Beyond painting the interior/exterior, remodeling, or basic lawn care, homeowners can take different routes in making a home comfortable. Whether decorating the space for a minimalist experience or for a comfy, cozy space, homeowners can spend a lot on decorating or decorate on a dime. They may even wish to consider upgrading to fiber optic internet since, in this day and age, technology is so prevalent in the home – from TVs and computers, to smart controls – and having the fastest internet available will mean that they can be confident their connection won’t let them down.
The numerous magazines, DIY shows, and in-store and online tutorials give homeowners plenty of advice on proceeding with any home decorating effort.
Top tips for decorating your home
Choosing color for a home is not as complicated as it might seem. Simply put, rooms with few windows or ones heavily shaded from outside trees are dark. To avoid a completely closed-in look, homeowners can open up the space by choosing lighter colors, whether painting the walls or accenting the space with furniture.
Not only do bright colors make the space look larger, but they also brighten up the space. The color does not have to solely be white – colors ranging from white to any lighter shade on the ultraviolet spectrum, including pastels, can brighten a room.
Conversely, with rooms that contain a lot of windows or space, homeowners have more flexibility regarding color, either going light or dark; however, using darker colors makes the space appear smaller and more shaded. Finally, do not be afraid to experiment with color in accenting the room.
Wall hangings and window and floor covering
Homeowners have a number of options when it comes to accessorizing the entire home. For an unconventional appearance, use exotic tapestries on the wall to add pop to a room, specifically the living room or foyer.
Alternatively, more conventional wall hangings such as mirrors, especially in the hallways and bedrooms, can accent living space. In the bathroom, do not be afraid to experiment by mixing metal wall hangings with traditional furnishings and fixtures.
Windows in the home present homeowners with another opportunity to give the place an alternative appearance. For curtains hung in any room, homeowners can hang curtains high to make ceilings appear higher.
For window coverings in the living and dining room, as opposed to hanging curtains, which have to be cleaned routinely, install shutters (California Shutters stock a range of these), which make the space look cleaner and brighter.
With rugs and other floor covering, homeowners can do a couple of things. The benefit of rugs is that they cushion the floor while providing necessary insulation. However, rugs can also hold a lot of dust.
Opt for wood flooring, or better yet, tiled flooring, which is easier to maintain. If you still like the feel of soft carpeting under your feet, use area rugs to accent rooms and to provide insulation.
Furniture
For living, bedroom, and dining spaces, more popular styles encourage the country home appearance, whether you live in the country or not.
One suggestion is to accent the living and dining room spaces with mismatched furniture. For example, a homeowner might pair a velvet sofa of any color with end chairs containing prints with colors that match the sofa. They do not have to match in color, but they can in style.
Traditionalists, alternatively, might accent rooms with matching furniture but add a pop of color using accessories such as ornately decorated satin pillows or curtains, candles, or decorative plates.
The placement of furniture in the room is also important. For the allusion of a bigger space, pull furnishings away from the wall.
Also, to create the allusion of a step-down living room, homeowners can place a sectional with four sides in the middle of the room, and then behind the sectional place, decorative tables, shelving, or partitions on each side of the square.
In the end, this designing environment is a decorating homeowner’s paradise. With the numerous sites devoted to decorating tips, creating a domestic paradise can be a reality for anyone with a sense of adventure.
With creativity, time, and effort, any homeowner can have an expertly designed home that is a part of what makes nostalgic moments celebrated in them so special.
