Style on a budget
You're not alone. Americans spent $343 billion on home enhancement, according to a recent study by the Barnard Retail Consulting Group of Upper Montclair, N.J. So if you are thinking of improving your home decor, you are in good company. Trends driving today's decorating People are changing their decor more often than in the past. This is due to the greater pace of life in general, as well as shorter design cycles in other style areas such as clothing fashions. Consumers are more style and fashion conscious and want to express their individual taste. The Internet, movies, magazines, and TV programs all display a much wider range of home decor styles-elements of which consumers want to incorporate into their lives. People are investing less in decor items. Young people especially, often leave the old decor items behind, rather than pay to move them to their new homes. Can I decorate without a decorator? Today, more people than ever are making exciting changes to their homes, and they are doing so without the expense of a professional decorator. If you are thinking of improving your decor you may be wondering: Can I make the changes myself? Will the results look professional? Can I learn about my options? Can I make the changes for a reasonable amount of money? In a word-yes! Not only can you successfully decorate your home yourself, there are compelling reasons for doing it yourself. These include: Saving money Getting exactly what you want Implementing the decor changes on a time frame that matches you budget and available time Expressing your unique sense of style -go high end on one room, more modest on another Where to find decor ideas: Home decor trends change often. To find the latest trends: Read home design magazines Go window-shopping at furniture and design stores Talk to in-store designers Will my new decor work with what I have? One of the exciting design trends of recent years in the "eclectic" look-the mixing and matching of various items, fabrics, colors and styles. Many people today typically have an assortment of home furnishings: antique items they inherited, items bought while single, and items chosen as a couple. Today you can combine these in creative and fun ways for a look that is pleasing and uniquely yours. This is quite a contrast to the more stuffy approach of period furniture and decor of the past.
Where do I start?
With the home decor choices available, starting a project can seem a bit intimidating. Like all successful projects, you need a plan before you start. Consider your objectives-do you want to add a new piece of furniture or redo a whole room? Rather than get bogged down with reviewing endless possible decor improvements, let's focus on the following four areas that yield impressive results for a reasonable price: Paint Area rugs Furniture Lamps
Paint
Painting a room is one of the easiest but most impressive decor changes you can make. You can make a small room look larger with lighter colors. You can also make a smaller apartment look larger by tying its rooms together with a lighter color. Conversely, you can make a large room more intimate by using darker colors. A splash of color can brighten a drab space. Have a favourite rug or piece of furniture? Then you can use this as the basis of your decor and select a paint color that complements it. Purchase your paint from a quality speciality paint retailer. National paint retailers have the latest colors and can instruct you on new painting techniques. Since they only sell paint, they have very knowledgeable staff that can assist you in finding the perfect color for your project. How to paint like a pro Select one or two dominant colors for your room. While the choice of paint colors is up to you, you can get the best results by ensuring that you: Buy quality paint. Rule number 1: You cannot afford cheap paint! Why? The biggest cost of painting is labor-yours or someone else's. Quality paint covers better, goes farther, looks better when finished, and wears longer. Saving a few dollars a gallon is false economy. Unless you are painting a kitchen or bathroom that will experience frequent scrubbings, use a quality latex paint. Latex paint produces fewer fumes when drying and allows you to clean your implements with soap and water rather than with mineral spirits, such as turpentine. Buy quality brushes and rollers. You want to apply your quality paint with quality tools. Ensure you have the correct brush for the job. For latex paint, you want to use a quality brush that has synthetic bristles. For oil paint, purchase a brush with natural bristles. Purchase high quality rollers with the appropriate "nap." Nap refers to the length of the fabric on the roller. In general, a shorter nap will produce a smoother finish. Don't try to clean rollers. If you finish a wall and need to stop for the day, use a fresh roller when you start again. By purchasing quality paint and applying it carefully with quality tools, you will be ensuring the best possible result for your efforts. Don't skimp on preparation. Actually painting the room is the final step. The time you spend getting your room ready to paint will reward you with a much better finished look. Don't paint over dirt. Begin by washing the walls and ceiling with Tri Sodium Phosphate or TSP. This comes in powdered form and you mix it with a bucket of hot water. Wear rubber gloves and use a clean sponge. Sponge the room with clear water when you are finished. Don't skip this step, because you will be amazed at how much grime comes off from clean-looking walls. Once the walls are clean, fill nail holes and any imperfections with drywall patching compound. Fill the nicks and scratches; let dry, then sand smooth. Always prime the areas you have patched before painting, otherwise the areas will show through as dull spots. Remove or cover all furniture with drop cloths. Cover your floors and any baseboard trim before starting. Take your time. One of the great things about doing it yourself is that you can work carefully and do a superior job. Relax, work carefully, and you will be amazed at what you have accomplished.
Area Rugs
A new area rug represents one of the best home decor purchases you can make. These affordable rugs come in a multitude of styles, fabrics, and colors. You can use them to brighten a room, accent your furniture, or provide a lively contrast to the primary decorating theme. Area rugs work well in living rooms of course, but also in bedrooms, halls, even bathrooms. There are three broad categories of area rugs. Persian Rugs Persian rugs have a well-deserved reputation as the finest in world. All Persian rugs are made by hand, visit http://www.area-rugs-source.com/persianrugs.html for more details. Each rug is a beautiful and complex original, painstakingly made by skilled humans. Many weavers come from families that have been making rugs for generations. The symmetry and accuracy of the complex designs is stunning. A Persian rug represents an investment in gracious living that, with proper care, will yield decades of beauty and elegance to your home. Four main factors contribute Persian's legacy of excellence: Beautiful colors-rich vibrant colors reflect the use of the finest dyes Enchanting designs-while each rug is unique there are three broad categories of design, each stunning in its own way: geometric designs, curvilinear and floral designs, and pictorial designs High knot count-simply put, more knots are better because they result in a tighter weave Highest quality materials-these rugs feature the highest quality wool, silk, and dyes. The highest quality materials yield the finest rugs. Oriental Rugs Oriental rugs come from Asia and are less expensive than Persian rugs. Oriental rugs come in a vast array of sizes, colors, and designs. All Oriental rugs have the following key characteristics: Stunning Colors-rich, lush colors that blend together beautifully predominate Beautiful Designs-complex patterns and even pictures characterize these rugs. The religion of Islam inspires many of the designs and themes, giving the rugs an elegant and exotic look. Contemporary Rugs Generally the most affordable of area rugs, contemporary rugs tend to defy description; there are so many great possibilities. Broadly speaking, however, contemporary area rugs have the following characteristics: Bright colors Bold designs and patterns High tech fabrics such as acrylic, polypropylene, rayon, and wool (low tech but high quality) Unique shapes-unconventional shapes abound Who has the best selection of area rugs at the lowest prices? Internet merchants. A quality Internet-based retailer can carry far more stock than the local carpet store. They have lower prices because their overhead is lower and they tend to deal directly with the carpet makers-thereby cutting out layers of middlemen and the expensive mark-ups. If buying a carpet over the Internet seems unusual, don't worry. (People didn't used to buy computers over the Internet either.) The key to buying a great carpet you will love is finding a reputable online merchant. You want someone who has a solid reputation, great selection, excellent product knowledge, and guarantees.