Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Add some personality to boring rooms

Use these tips to add some interest , some sparkle , and some personality to boring rooms.

1. Add interesting furnishings - Beige walls and beige sofas are fine, but they offer relatively little to really capture your attention. Punch up your room with interesting-to-look-at furnishings such as a dark wood armoire, a red enamel coffee table, a textured rattan chair, a terrific tufted ottoman, or a rustic pine hutch.

2. Art - Framed posters, prints, photographs, and paintings give a room depth and dimension. They also add color, style, and underscore the mood or theme of a room.

3. Antiques - Even one carefully chosen antique piece can add character to a room. Choose a pretty chest of drawers , an armoire , a side table, or chair.

4. Texture - Avoid an all-shiny or all-textured room. Instead use a mix of smooth, shiny, soft, hard, textured, and rough. For example, pair smooth white ironstone and twigs on a rough country cupboard. Set glass candlesticks next to a wood planter of ivy on a stone tabletop. Or, arrange a collection of matte ceramic plates with framed architectural photos on a shiny painted mantle.

5. Themes - Room themes can give you decorating " focus " and give a reason to include whimsy . The sky is the limit for theme ideas -- from English hunt club to rustic country porch, from rooms of all white to contemporary artist lofts, and from industrial steel to quaint Victorian. If your room lacks focus, then come up with a theme and use accessories to accomplish the look.

6. Collections - Base a room on a favorite collection and you're sure to love the room. Whether you collect pottery, teapots, blue and white, contemporary art, black and white photographs, or quilts, there's a way to use these items as focal points, accessories, and points of interest.

7. Stenciling - Whether borders, corner vines, faux windows, or quotations, there are many stencils that can add a touch of color and interest.

8. Architectural Salvage - Old pieces of Architectural salvage provides vintage looks with dimension, texture, and charm. Look for weathered columns, iron gates, crackled corner moldings, and more.

9. Ceiling Projects - You can add interest to a ceiling with stencils, medallions, faux beams, and more.

10. Shop for One-of-a-Kind Pieces - Anything unique will automatically add some interest. Learn more about shopping at flea markets to find interesting accessories for your home

1. Add interesting furnishings - Beige walls and beige sofas are fine, but they offer relatively little to really capture your attention. Punch up your room with interesting-to-look-at furnishings such as a dark wood armoire, a red enamel coffee table, a textured rattan chair, a terrific tufted ottoman, or a rustic pine hutch.

2. Art - Framed posters, prints, photographs, and paintings give a room depth and dimension. They also add color, style, and underscore the mood or theme of a room.

3. Antiques - Even one carefully chosen antique piece can add character to a room. Choose a pretty chest of drawers , an armoire , a side table, or chair.

4. Texture - Avoid an all-shiny or all-textured room. Instead use a mix of smooth, shiny, soft, hard, textured, and rough. For example, pair smooth white ironstone and twigs on a rough country cupboard. Set glass candlesticks next to a wood planter of ivy on a stone tabletop. Or, arrange a collection of matte ceramic plates with framed architectural photos on a shiny painted mantle.

5. Themes - Room themes can give you decorating " focus " and give a reason to include whimsy . The sky is the limit for theme ideas -- from English hunt club to rustic country porch, from rooms of all white to contemporary artist lofts, and from industrial steel to quaint Victorian. If your room lacks focus, then come up with a theme and use accessories to accomplish the look.

6. Collections - Base a room on a favorite collection and you're sure to love the room. Whether you collect pottery, teapots, blue and white, contemporary art, black and white photographs, or quilts, there's a way to use these items as focal points, accessories, and points of interest.

7. Stenciling - Whether borders, corner vines, faux windows, or quotations, there are many stencils that can add a touch of color and interest.

8. Architectural Salvage - Old pieces of Architectural salvage provides vintage looks with dimension, texture, and charm. Look for weathered columns, iron gates, crackled corner moldings, and more.

9. Ceiling Projects - You can add interest to a ceiling with stencils, medallions, faux beams, and more.

10. Shop for One-of-a-Kind Pieces - Anything unique will automatically add some interest. Learn more about shopping at flea markets to find interesting accessories for your homeUse these tips to add some interest , some sparkle , and some personality to boring rooms.

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