I like seeing the environment around me change. No, not the
weather, I don’t like that. If it were perpetually 80-degrees outside I would
be a happy cracker. Except for December 25th. Must. Have. Snow. But
anyway, I digress. I like to mix things up every now and then and try new
things. I am an avid home decorating magazine reader and every chance I get I pour
over magazines with all their shiny, glossy, colorful shots of
inspiration. And then I like to bring it
home. Now obviously, I do not have a money tree in my backyard, so here are 5
little tricks I’ve learned over the years that keep me sane (you say tomato, I say
tahmato.)
1.
Paint. The power of paint cannot be denied.
There is no cheaper way of switching up a room’s mood than changing the color
of the walls. Professional decorators always say you should never start with
paint, but rather have one central piece that your room will revolve around and
then pick the paint from that. Usually the room’s fabric determines the paint
direction: the rug, curtains, sofa or chair fabric. And this is true. Too many
times I’ve selected a paint color and slapped it on the walls, and planned to
buy the accessories and furniture to match it… and too soon I’ve become bored
of that scheme and moved on before I saw it all the way through. So start with something , then add paint.
2.
Keep the big-ticket items neutral. I will be the
first to admit that my favorite inspiration shots are rooms where the couch is
upholstered in a gorgeous, vibrant raspberry, teal or green. But there is no
quicker way to lock yourself into a color scheme than buying your biggest item
of furniture in a bold color. Keep the sofa in a white, taupe or gray color and
you can jazz the room up with bold colors in the smaller furniture items and accessories.
3.
Pillows. Pillows are relatively cheap (as compared to a
new sofa or chair!), and they can take a room in an entirely new direction.
They’re also super-easy to switch out and store. Invest in a lot of pillow
covers in a variety of patterns and colors and you’ll have the easiest
switch-up ever.
4.
Colorful accessories are a girl’s best friend.
Buy your accessories in colors you love—and don’t limit yourself to one
palette. Even if your house is currently rocking teal, and you see an orange
lamp you love, buy it—it may not work with your current color scheme, but some
day it may. For whatever color scheme you commit to, make sure you have at
least 3 accessories in that color. Repeating the color 3 times in a room helps
unify the pieces. Another thing to do is to rotate your accessories through your
house—switch up the rooms they are in and you can change the vibe based on the
accessories in that room.
5.
Keep it eclectic. Don’t lock yourself into one
style. If you buy all of your furniture and accessories in one style, even when
you rotate or move them between rooms, you won’t feel a big change. If
everything you own is traditional, when you have a hankering to go modern, you’ll
have to buy a lot more, and it may mean replacing everything to get the change
you want. So buy pieces that can fit more than one style and rely on the
accessories to get the style you want.
Obviously, these are not new decorating tips, but rather tried-and-true ways to change up your style when the whim strikes without investing in an entirely new house of furniture! Now about that money tree....
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