Great Home Decorating Today, Issue #007, February, 2010

Welcome to Great Home Decorating Today, your source for the home decorating ideas, advice, resources and tips that will help create the unique decor that expresses you and your lifestyle!

I hope you enjoy this publication and find useful home decorating information. I’m always looking for ideas and feedback, so feel free to contact me!

Thanks, Candi

It’s that time of year again…the holidays are over, for many of us there’s snow on the ground (LOTS of snow in some areas), andoutdoor activities are very limited for most.

Even in Southwest Florida where I live it’s been a cold winter. I know that the term ‘cold’ is relative to where you reside, but still, our winter has not been pleasant. (poor me…)

So here we are, inside our homes, waiting for it to be warm outside. What can we do to be productive, avoid consuming too many calories and be really happy with the result?

Why not create some excitement with your home interior decorating? It will be like a breath of fresh air for you and your home.

Select the room or space that is the most in need of some decorative ‘freshening up’, and put these three simple interior decorating tips into action:

First, paint the room a different color. If that is a little beyond your ability at the moment, then consider painting one wall or area (such as a bay window) an accent color.

A fresh coat of paint gives multitudes in return for the cost of the paint and time to do the work.

Use a lighter, or darker, shade of the existing wall color, select another color that is currently part of your palette, or, add a new color to the room. It’s your choice.

Here is some help with selecting paint colors.

Next, consider using slipcovers to create a different, possibly dramatic look in your room.

I am working with a client right now who is slowly redecorating her living and dining area. She is going to keep her parsons dining chairs because they are in fine shape, but they are quite dated in fabric, plus the pattern includes colors we are phasing out. The chairs present a very light overall color right now.

She has some artwork in the dining area that includes several shades of tan, including a coffee color. That is my suggestion for her slipcovers, so we have purchased one for her to live with and see how she likes it.

Adding that darker shade of coffee brown adds a totally new element to a dining area that has always had very muted, soft shades of color. Plus, the slipcover is skirted so it adds more solidity to the chairs.

We’re also adding some of the same tans to coffee shades in accessories in the area to tie everything in.

Do you have a sofa, chair, dining chairs, etc that could benefit from the use of a beautiful slipcover? They are so much more than they used to be.

Find out more about Slipcovers here.

If the idea of slipcovers just doesn’t work at all in your space, then consider an interior decorating tip such as new accent pillows and/or chair cushions.

Finally, take a look at the window treatments in this space. How long has it been since you put them up? Is it time for a change?

Now if you absolutely love your window treatments, or if they were so expensive that you couldn’t even think about changing them, that’s okay.

Otherwise, consider giving the window a different type of treatment.

For example, if you have mini blinds with a valance, take down the valance. Consider a roman shade or faux wood blinds as a replacement for the mini blinds.

Hang a decorative rod with side panels that reach the floor. If the length will accommodate, hang the rod six inches or so above the top of the window. It will make the ceiling appear taller.

If the room or space is small, keep the fabric light so it doesn’t appear too overwhelming in the space. That’s just one example. Read more Window Treatment Ideas here.

So there you go. If you choose to take action on these interior decorating tips, it will require a little bit of thought and planning, so have fun with it, take your time and create a ‘breath of fresh air’ in your home this winter!

Stop by Great Home Decorating, too, and see what’s new!

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