If you don’t have the money to hire an interior decorator, that doesn’t mean you home can’t look beautiful and stylish. In many cases, you’re better off doing it yourself anyway, because then you’ll be sure that your natural style preferences and personality shine through. Here are some things to keep in mind as well as the “do’s and don’ts” of decorating your own home.

Good Bets for Success
When it comes to decorating, you want to maximize what your home has to offer. Thus, it’s important to consider the architectural design and location. You want to highlight all the architectural assets of your home while incorporating your own unique style and personality into the décor. This way, you can achieve the perfect balance, thereby lessening the need to redecorate on a frequent basis.

Start by using a signature piece to decorate every room. Go with any piece you prefer—modern, abstract, or elegant—and then decorate around it. Once that signature piece has been designated—say, a piece of wall art—then you can begin to incorporate colors, textures, and design for the rest of the furnishings to complete the look.

Combine Various Design Elements
Do you want your home to be unique and appealing? By blending various design elements, you can accomplish a look that’s totally yours. You can add interest and depth to a room by combining wood pieces, bold patterns, stripes, plaids, and florals. Although a wood floor can be gorgeous all on its own, the floor will really come to life with a couple of boldly hued geometric-patterned rugs. You might also add some boldly colored and patterned throw blankets and pillows to solid-colored sofas and other furnishings.

It’s important to pay close attention to the scale of a room. Furnishings should be similar in both size and shape. When you repeatedly use shapes, fabrics, and colors, you help bring the design of the room together, making it look as though it was professionally decorated.

A Few Things to Avoid
If you’ve decided to decorate your own home, there are a few things you need to avoid. It’s important that you don’t end up letting a friend or relative telling you how to decorate. Always listen to suggestions, but keep in mind that this is your home and the goal is your you and your family to feel comfortable and pleased with the décor.

When arranging their furnishings, many people place everything against the walls, spreading it out in order to give the room a more spacious look. This also tends to be a mistake. Furniture should be away from the walls, arranged in an intimate grouping. Set out a large area rug and group all your oak chairs, wood dining tables, and sofas around it, thereby creating a more personal and welcoming look and feel in the room.

Don’t Try to Display Everything You Own
Typically, people will pick up an assortment of collectibles over the years. It’s not uncommon to have an attic, basement, or closet packed with favorite accents and accessories. However, when it comes time to decorate a room, you don’t want to try to use them all. You’ll just end up with a room that looks messy and cluttered.

Instead, put aside some of these items for later use. Then by periodically switching out old collectibles and decorating items, you can keep the room looking fresh. By using less, you also convey the importance of each piece you have carefully selected to display.

Remember all these helpful hints when it’s time to refresh and update your home. This way your do-it-yourself décor job will yield professional results.

Tags: decorators, DIY, DIY decorating, Interior Decorating

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