If you’re confused about decorating your home, here are 10 do’s and don’ts for you to follow.
1. Be sure to draw a floor plan for your layout before touching a room. The floor plan should include the dimensions of the room, as well as any windows, doors, and other special features. Take the floor plan with you when you shop for anything to make sure it fits. Measure!
2. Do not rush to decorate a room without thinking it through. You want to make sure you put your personality into the style of the room. It should be thought through and not just done on a whim as you may regret what you did after a short period of time and then go back to the drawing board.
3. Identify the focal point of the room before you begin placing items in the room. The focal point could be a variety of different things, such as a fireplace, a piece of furniture, or a window.
4. Do not block paths in a room so that people cannot easily wander around the room. There should definitely be natural paths in the room and it should flow well as you want people to feel comfortable and the room to feel natural.
5. Choose a specific decorating theme and style for each room. Just because you have a modern kitchen doesn’t mean you can’t have a country bedroom.
6. Do not choose the color of the walls from a piece of paint. Instead, when you’ve narrowed your choices down to one or two colors, buy a quart or sample size of the paint and paint a few areas of the walls. Depending on the light in the room, the painting may look totally different than the paint sample. You may also find that you like one color for small areas, but when it’s painted on every wall in the room it doesn’t appeal to you.
7. Use contrast in the room to add some character and interest. For example, a contrasting piece of furniture can be placed against a wall to highlight the piece of furniture and make it more interesting. The room doesn’t have to match, as contrasting colors are a great way to decorate.
8. Don’t forget the little details. Once you’ve eliminated all the big items from your list, don’t forget about the little things that can really change the look of the room. Artwork, candles, shelves, baskets, flowers, and figurines can add special interest to a room. Don’t forget these items in your decorating plan.
9. Forget what other people think of your room. If you like the room and you like being in it, that’s all that matters. Just because a guest didn’t like it doesn’t mean you should change it. Remember that it is your home and your personality and taste that matter, so go ahead and be creative.
10. Don’t overcrowd your rooms. You don’t have to show off every object you own or every piece of art that catches your eye. You don’t want your house to look cluttered. One way to avoid this is to change the decoration elements from time to time so that you can display the elements that you like, but not all at once.
Follow these 10 tips on the do’s and don’ts of decorating your home and it can be your way to a stylish home that suits you.
