Design Tips

Floors

You might not want to tile your floor in a bright mosaic pattern (but good for you if you do!), but there are many ways to add color to the floor. Area rugs are great and can be purchased in every style and at every price point. Use them throughout your home and don't be afraid to move them around from room to room. If it's too much for you try some little floor mats or throw rugs that are small. You can also use carpet tiles to create your own design anywhere in your home. Another great place to add some color is the stairway. Cover it in a bright runner or if it suits your home try painting the stairs!

When it comes to adding bright colors to your home there's no limit to what you can do. The key is to know yourself and what you can live with. If you're not ready for commitment don't spend a lot of money. Try incorporating them in small ways and then add more as you see fit. And remember, one of the best ways to experiment with color is to bring in fresh flowers. Try different combinations and see how they look in different rooms. You'll soon figure out which colors you prefer and which ones look best in your home.

Living Room Basics

Whether you live in a cozy apartment or rambling suburban home, a cottage by the sea, or a lodge in the mountains, your living room creates a lasting impression for all who enter. It tells your family and guests if you’re formal and elegant or fun-loving and laid-back. It sets the mood for the home and should be a reflection of the owner’s personal taste.

A living room can be arranged in many ways. For some, this space is formal and perfect at all times, to be entered and used only when guests come to call. To others, it serves as a comfortable family gathering place for watching TV, doing homework, or visiting. Some have a cozy nook for sipping tea and curling up with a book.

A formal living room, historically referred to as a drawing room or parlor, often showcases the homeowner’s finest possessions. The décor is often symmetrical—a sofa with painting above, flanked by two end tables topped by lamps. Formal window treatments of luxurious fabrics trimmed with braid and fringe, and perfectly set pairs of occasional chairs and tables follow traditional rules of decorating. Few homes these days have space for such a perfect (and often useless) room that is more to be looked at than used.

Decorating style has evolved to allow a less formal look. While retaining certain elements such as beautiful millwork or lush fabrics, the more casual living room has lighter window treatments and more comfortable furniture. Studied symmetry has given way to softer lines, fewer rules, and more color.

A more casual family room style of living room has a character of nonchalance. While furniture and fabrics should be coordinated, there are few rules. Choices are governed by practicality. Furniture selection and placement is less structured. Seating around a TV is often necessary, with a table for casual eating. In today’s home, the living room may even have a computer center, so a desk may have a place of prominence.

Regardless of what purpose your living room serves, the fabrics, colors, furniture, and accessories should be what you love. Whether it’s serene and neutral, colorful and lively, or something in-between, it should reflect your taste.

What to Put in Front of Your Sofa

Because a sofa is probably the largest piece of furniture in your main living area, it could look lonely all by itself, a big glob of fabric-covered seating. And when you're sitting at a sofa, you'll undoubtedly want a place to put things like magazines or drinks so that you can reach them easily.

But there are options for a piece of furniture in front of a sofa that can provide storage, a flat surface for decorative pieces, or just a nice break in the look of upholstered furniture.

Here are some of our suggestions for a piece of furniture to place in front of the sofa. Will one work for your home?

Coffee Table

Coffee tables are available in all sorts of sizes, heights, and metal, glass, painted, or natural wood finishes. A traditional coffee table can have a glass top, can be solid wood, or can be made out of metal or finished with a high gloss to shine as the center of attention in the room.

A coffee table should be chosen in a proper proportion for the size of the room

and the sofa in front of which it stands. A large square room would look strange with a small, delicate oval glass-topped coffee table, just as a small room would be cramped with a large, heavy, dark-painted square coffee table.

Before buying a coffee table, place a large piece of newsprint or brown on the floor in front of the sofa to help determine an appropriate size and shape. You can cut down the paper or add to it until you get the right proportion for the rest of the furniture and the room.

When shopping for a coffee table, take the measurements of the sofa with you, in addition to a floor plan of the room and the measurements you've determined will be best. You may have difficulty finding just the right size, but this will help.

Coffee Table Ottoman

By combining the top of a table with cushions of an ottoman, you'll get the comfort for resting your feet and the convenience of space to place items. Usually with this type of design, the ottoman cushions pull out from below the table top, meaning you can use both the top and the cushions at the same time.

Large Ottoman

As homeowners are gearing furniture selections to comfort, the ottoman has taken center stage in front of many sofas. Really, an ottoman is just a large padded or upholstered stool or bench. It's a perfect piece to use in front of a sofa, as its soft top offers comfort for legs, the upholstery fabric contributes color and texture to the room, and the large flat to is ideal for placing a tray or books.

Pair of Small Tables

Two small square tables, placed side by side, give a slightly more formal look than the more modern large coffee table. A matched pair looks best, but a mismatched set of small tables, of exactly the same height, can be used together with matching tops. If you have a pair of small antique tables, this may be the perfect place to use them.

Picnic Bench 

For a very rustic or cottage style home, a long, low, wooden bench is a perfect touch. The long flat top works well for placing books and beverages without adding too much formality.

Piece of Glass on a Base

A large built frame, a pair of cement columns, interesting sculptures, or large pots can serve as a stable base for a piece of 1/2 inch thick beveled-edge plate glass, cut to the perfect size. This is a good option for a very small space, as you can place the bases as close together or as far apart as you wish and have the glass cut to fit your space. Keep in mind that the larger the glass, the heavier it will be. So the bases need to be sturdy enough to support the weight.

An Old Dining Table 

This is the perfect place to put a dining table. Of course, you'll need to cut the legs down to the proper height (between 15" and 22") for your seating space, but the large surface will be convenient for many purposes, including playing games, doing homework and entertaining.

How To Arrange Living Room Furniture

Living rooms serve different purposes for different people. In some homes they serve as the main gathering area for family, while in others they're more of a show room, used only when company comes over. Either way, there are certain issues that always come up when trying to arrange living room furniture. Check out these tips for placing furniture in your living room.

Living Room Basics

There are a few important things to remember when arranging living room furniture.

• Establish the focal point of the room and arrange furniture around it. In some rooms the focal point will be an existing feature such as a fireplace or window, and in some it will be something you bring in to the room such as a television.

• Use the furniture to create conversation areas. People should be able to comfortably talk to each other without straining their necks or shouting. If the room is particularly large you might want to create a few different conversation areas.

• Don't forget about traffic flow. Leave enough room for people to walk around furniture so they can easily get from one side of the room to another.

• Pull furniture away from the walls. Having all the furniture backs touching the walls is one of the biggest mistakes people make in the living room. If the pieces are closer together it will create a more intimate setting. As long as the backs of the pieces are finished, there's no reason not to show them off.

Furniture Sizes and Placement

When it comes to living room furniture, size matters.

Sofa and Chairs – These are often the big-ticket items so it's important that they suit the space. The most important thing to do is measure the space before buying any of these pieces. You don't want them to be too big or too small, so it's best if you draw up a floor plane ahead of time. Sketch out the room on a piece of graph paper using all the appropriate measurements. Try putting the sofa and chairs in a few different spots and see what works best visually and in terms of leaving space to accommodate traffic flow.

Rug – Using area rugs is a great way to define seating areas, but the number one mistake people make in the living room is using an area rug that's too small. Remember that all of the furniture should be able to comfortably sit on the carpet. If space doesn't allow it, make sure that at least the front legs of any large upholstered pieces are on the rug. (Small pieces like side chairs and tables should always have all four legs on the rug.)

Coffee Table- Coffee tables are practical pieces that are often found in the center of conversation areas. If you choose to use one remember that the height should be slightly lower than the seat height of the sofa and chairs around it. The length of the table should also be roughly one half to two thirds the length of the sofa. If you don't want to use a coffee table you can try using a couple of smaller tables or benches to achieve the same look. Just make sure they're not too small. People sitting around them should be able to lean over to put down or pick up a drink without having to get up from their seat. At the same time be sure to leave enough leg room between seats and tables: 14 to 18 inches should do the trick.

Side Tables – Side tables tend to be an afterthought but they're actually very important. The number you need will depend on how much seating you have. Everyone should be able to comfortably set down a drink without having to get up and walk over to a table. Try to have one on either side of the sofa (unless there isn't enough space – in this case people can use the coffee table), and between pairs of chairs. The key is to have enough surface space without overcrowding the room. The tables should be approximately the same height as the arm of the chair or sofa they're next to.

Living Room Accessories

Once the furniture is in place it's important to think about where to place the accessories. No doubt you will have some window treatments and artwork, and maybe a television and some sconces. Give just as much thought to placing living room accessories as you do the furniture.

If you're unsure about what will work try using an online room planner to create an arrangement. Test out some different looks and see what looks best and what works for your lifestyle. If you're not too computer savvy you can make up a living room floor plan using graph paper. Just make sure to use all the appropriate measurements so you don't face any unwelcome surprises when you actually put the furniture in the room.

Living Room Lighting

Table Lamps

Table lamps are important for providing task lighting. It's a good idea to have a few scattered throughout the room. For a formal look place a pair of matching lamps at either end of a console table or on end tables. If you don't like things to be quite so symmetrical it's perfectly fine to split up a pair and use them in different spots in the room, and if you prefer a less pulled together look use lamps that don't match.

Floor Lamps

Floor lamps are great for adding light where there's no table surface (they're often used in corners). They don't take up very much space and are great for distributing light in awkward spaces.

Wall Sconces

Wall sconces are great for adding a little ambient light to the living room. They look lovely when placed on either side of a mirror or piece of art and act as terrific decorative accents. That said, when it comes to providing light they likely won't be enough. You'll want to use other sources of light as well.

Hanging Fixtures

Chandeliers and pendent lamps can be a fun decorative touch in living rooms. They provide a nice overall glow to the space and draw the eye upward. What's great about them is that they tend to be unexpected in living rooms and can add some real depth. Just make sure that your ceilings are high enough (about 9') so that no one hits their head.

Living Room Lighting Tips

Ideally you want to use different types of lighting to provide a nice mix. While pot lights and track lighting can be practical and provide a lot of overhead light, they're not really the best choice for living room lighting. Ultimately you want a mix of task and ambient light so try mixing floor lamps, table lamps, and maybe an overhead light and/or sconces. Make sure there's enough light near reading or work areas and also use light to call attention to unexpected or special places.

One of the best things you can do is to add a dimmer switch to every single light in the room (do this with every light in the house if you can). The ability to soften or brighten the light allows you to totally change the mood in the room. They're not very expensive and it makes a huge difference.

Living Room Area Rugs

Wall-to-wall carpet isn’t nearly as popular as it used to be. These days it's been traded out in exchange for area rugs, particularly in the living room.

Area rugs look great and are often more practical than broadloom, but if you're going to use them there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

Area Rug Sizes

One of the biggest mistakes people make when decorating living rooms is to use area rugs that are too small (often referred to as postage stamp size). The standard sizes are 6' x 9', 8' x 10' and 9' x 12'. This is what you'll find in stores but if the sizes don't suit your space you can always have one custom made. Depending on what type of carpet it is, it isn't necessarily that much more expensive to go custom. Whatever you decide keep in mind that there should be approximately 4" to 8" of bare floor around all the sides of the rug.

Color and Pattern

When it comes to choosing an area rug think long and hard about the color and pattern. Choosing a patterned rug can be a great way to add color and interest to a room with neutral furniture and walls. Likewise, a solid rug in a neutral color can be a nice way to soothe an eclectic room. Keep in mind also that a patterned rug will be better for hiding dirt and spills while a solid rug is more likely to show stains.

If you have a colorful room and still want a colorful rug, try to find something that will connect and pull all the colors together. The idea is to make sure they don't fight each other, otherwise you'll end up with a visually cluttered space.

Remember that the flooring has a huge impact on the overall look of the room, so choose something you can live with and won't tire of quickly.

Texture

Think about how you want the rug to feel before you make a purchase. Wool rugs can add warmth and softness while natural materials like sisal and jute are a bit rough. Silk is soft and beautiful but also expensive and tough to clean. Take these things into consideration when shopping.

Using More Than One Area Rug

To add a little more interest or define your space a little more try layering area rugs on top of each other. It can add a little more color and pattern and it's a particularly great trick for seasonal decorating. In the colder months layering rugs can add coziness, then in the summer you can edit them and create a lighter look.

Bedroom Paint Colors

When it comes to choosing bedroom paint colors there are a few things you should keep in mind. Most importantly, the bedroom is a place of rest and relaxation so for most people calm and soothing colors are best. That said, the bedroom is also a very personal room, so if wild and crazy colors make you happy and put you at ease, feel free to use them as you see fit.

Neutrals

Neutral colors are always a safe choice. Beige, ivory, taupe, black, gray and white can be great backdrops in bedrooms. They work with every other color so you can lighten and brighten the room using accents and bedding in different colors and patterns. Some people think that neutrals are boring but remember, with artwork, colorful rugs, fun bedding and great accessories a room can be transformed.

When painting with neutral colors be very aware of the underlying tones of the color. For instance, white is rarely just pure white. It comes with undertones of pink, blue, yellow, brown and more. The sky's the limit. Decide if you want your color to be warm or cool and then choose the appropriate undertones (paint experts at the store can help you if you're unsure).

Pastels

Pastel colors are wonderful for bedrooms. They're soft, relaxing, serene and can help contribute to a good night's sleep. Think about using soft blues, lavenders, greens, yellows and pinks. To keep them from looking too childish, try accenting them with brighter accessories and/or dark wood furniture.

Bright Colors

Normally bright colors don't make the best bedroom paint colors. Energetic and bold tones aren't usually relaxing. However, in the bedroom it's important to create an atmosphere that is personal and puts you at ease. If you're the type of person who loves to be surrounded by bright and bold colors don't fight it. If you love bright, fresh interiors, a bold spring green might be ideal for your space. The bedroom is so personal that only you can decide what is best.

Tips for Choosing Bedroom Paint Colors

If you're having trouble deciding on a bedroom paint color keep some of the following tips in mind.

• Take a look at decorating magazines and study different photos of bedrooms. See which ones are the most appealing to you.

• Think about your existing furniture and bedroom accessories. What colors will complement them?

• Consider the size of the bedroom and the atmosphere you want to create. Generally a light color will make the space look larger while a
  • darker or warmer color will make it feel a bit smaller and cozier.
  • Is there a lot of natural light in the room? Natural light can make a space feel larger so keep it in mind when deciding on the colors. A small room with a lot of light can appear larger than a small room without light.
  • If you're really having trouble deciding try using an online room planner to decorate the space. Many of them will show you exactly how the room will look so you can potentially save a lot of time and money.

   

Freshen up Your Kitchen for 500 to 2000 Dollars

There's really no renovation or updating project that can provide such a wonderful transformation as work on a kitchen. You spend time every day in the kitchen, whether you heat up frozen dinners or are a gourmet cook.

With a very small budget, just a couple of hundred dollars, you can do lots of projects yourself to brighten the space and give it a fresh look.

But if you have between $500 and $2000, you can really add some pizzazz to your boring, outdated kitchen. While top-of-the-line decorator-guided renovations can cost much more, you can get an almost-new, fresh look without spending your annual income. So look at our suggestions and decide what you can do to update your blah kitchen. It will be money well spent.

Of course, most renovation project costs will be based on the amount of space you need to update, but you can freshen any space on this budget.