Candi Randolph

Home Design Strategies:Redecorate Your Living Room in Five Simple Steps



Posted: Monday, April 13, 2009

by Candi Randolph
Simply Designed

Whether you live in a single family residence, condo, apartment, own a home or are renting, there are times when you just want to see some different interior 'scenery'. The familiar colors, fabrics and furniture arrangements that have been a source of enjoyment and comfort in the past may now seem a little boring and ordinary. So what do you do? Your budget may not be able to handle a major home decorating project. But don't let that thought stop you, because there are a number of changes you can make that are easy on the budget and will provide a breath of fresh air for your home's interior decor. These strategies will apply to any room or area of your home, although we will focus mainly on the living area in this dicussion.

First, clean out the clutter. The 'stuff' we own can accumulate over time, and eventually can become a hindrance and get in our way. Take each room in your home individually so you won't become overwhelmed with the task. Then, remove anything that you have not used in the last three months. If it is an appliance taking up space on your kitchen counter, put it in a cabinet and out of sight. You may have set a floral arrangement or some other type of nic-nac on a table thinking you would find a permanent home for it later, and there it still sits. Move it. You may be surprised at how much brighter your rooms look when they are clutter free.

The next home decorating idea in this project is to rearrange the furniture in at least one room, and preferably two or three rooms of your home. You may need to enlist some help with this step, so plan ahead and gather a few pairs of hands to accomplish the task. If your sofa has been in the same place in your living area for more than two years, it is time to make a location change! You may not have many options if your living area is small or limited in other ways. At a minimum, pull the sofa away from the wall (I know that's where it is right now for most readers) and angle it toward the television, or whatever the focal point is in this area. You might be limited to a move as subtle as pulling one end of the sofa about a foot or so from the wall. But wait, that's not all. Then, take the other seating in the room and angle it just a little bit, swapping locations of chairs (if you have more than one in the room). Now step back and notice that your room has taken on a different feel because the position and angles of the larger pieces have been changed. You're making progress with your interior design project!

The next step after giving your room's largest pieces a new perspective is to rearrange the accessories. I always advise that you physically remove them from the room or area you are working in. Bring in accessories from another room, or take the extra inventory of pictures out of the closet and try something different in this room. Go ahead and take a decorating risk!

That leads right into the fourth easy and no cost home decorating idea for you. Carefully consider the existing color scheme in this room and introduce a new, never before used accent color. If you're not sure what type of color could be added, here is one course of action. Purchase something small and returnable, such as an accent pillow, and just try it. What is the worst thing that will happen? You won't like it and will take it back to the store. But, you might love it, and it is always so much fun when the decorating 'aha!' light goes on. When that happens, you will be able to add, in a small way, more of this color to the room. Remember this rule, though; more is not always better. Be thoughtful and particular about where you place this new color. If you make careful selections and placements in the room, your room will have a breath of new life.

If you desire, there is one more home decor idea to introduce to the room, and that is the addition of some beautiful greenery. Placing greenery in the room can provide the finishing touches to your interior design project. Again, use a light touch with the silk plants or trees, and if possible use good to better quality merchandise. Your newly redecorated area will have a look of class and polish with carefully placed, better quality silks.

Now that you have successfully made these easy, simple and low or no cost home decorating changes, step back and enjoy your surroundings. Better yet, take a break, have some refreshment and enjoy the view from a new perspective!

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For more information please visit http://www.Great-Home-Decorating.com
Candi Randolph has been a  Design Consultant for more than thirteen years and is the owner of Fort Myers, FL based  Simply Designed...Decorating to Fit Your Budget'. Ms. Randolph has also designed conventional  homes and log homes as owner of two Michigan based building companies.  She is the author of 'Ten Simple Steps to Design Success!', an instructional E-Book for anyone who wants to successfully complete a home design project without the expense of an interior designer.
 
For more information please go to  Great Home Decorating

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