Do you love the things you own? Do they feel “pulled together” or is there something missing and you can’t figure it out?

Here are a few suggestions when it comes to adding artwork to your room.  Like other accessories, artwork can either be disruptive and jarring to the eye or put the perfect touch on any room. You can find many books in stores today loaded with the “do’s and don’ts” of artwork. However, one author’s do is often another’s don’t, so it’s not surprising that decorating with artwork can be a source of confusion.

There are many aspects to choosing artwork to complement your room, but if you get the two basic considerations right, you should be on your way to creating a harmonious element that will enhance your room.

A formal portrait in oil can look very out of place in a casual family room. Likewise, those posters that graced your bedroom walls as a teenager probably aren’t right for the living room. So the first step in choosing artwork for any room is to make sure that the piece is in harmony with the mood and style of the room. Evaluate the artwork by asking the following questions:

Is the piece suitable for formal or casual rooms?
While the formality of a piece can be modified to some extent with the type of frame and mat used, there are pieces which just don’t make the transition well. Artwork should always enhance the mood of the room and, in fact, can play a major role in establishing the appropriate mood.

Is the subject matter of the artwork appropriate for the room?
While many advise restricting depictions of food or dining scenes to the dining room or kitchen, I think it is more a question of the piece’s style and that each piece should be evaluated based on its own character.

The second basic consideration in choosing artwork for your room is the shape and size of the area in which the artwork will hang. If you draw a mental box around the wall space available for the piece, its shape will become immediately apparent to you.  As to size, be guided by the size of the wall space as well as the scale of the furnishings immediately surrounding it.

When decorating your home, choosing the right artwork for the right room can be the perfect way to put a great finishing touch on your interior design.

• Make it efficient. If you have a large family with lots of laundry to do, try to utilize your space more efficiently with two stack-able units rather than the side-by-side arrangement. This is even a great idea for those that very small laundry areas.
• Add an oversized table where you can fold and separate clothes.
• Use the area for ironing, mending or even doing crafts.
• For even more utility and a place to decorate, split the appliances apart and place a small table between them. You can use it for more storage or for a place to put a beautiful artificial floral arrangement. That alone will make laundry more enjoyable.
• Put inexpensive tile on the walls that is decorative.
• Add a tall wire rack behind the appliances which gives you shelving space above the appliances for your detergents and other items. You can find these at most home improvement stores and they are quite inexpensive.
• Use this space to place things you want to keep but no longer use.
• Use decorations to draw the attention away from the appliances, particularly important if they are old.
• If you have a door to the back yard, make the laundry room double as a place for planting potted plants for your garden.
• Lay down linoleum flooring so the place is easy to clean up.
• Use it has a place to keep your pet’s grooming supplies, even litter box for a cat, so long as you have some scented oil in the area.
• Add a pull-down ironing board for ease and efficiency.
• A vintage medicine cabinet on the wall will add character to the room and increase your storage space.
• Small drying racks can be attached to the wall. Pull out when you need them and push back out of the way when you don’t.
• If you have front loading appliances, consider installing a counter right above the appliances. It’s the perfect height for folding clothes, mending and other tasks - and very convenient too.
• Transfer your laundry soaps into pretty glass containers and out of the store boxes. That will make the room feel quite special and more decorated. The Container Store will have what you need, for sure.
• Trade in your old hamper for a frilly fabric one - or make one yourself.
• Every time you pop a load into the dryer, add some fragrance that you just toss into the dryer.
• Leave a few folded towels sitting on top of the dryer. Just makes you feel good when you walk in there.

Yes we can!.

Step 1 - Act like you are about to move house. Take everything out of the room. (Do this one room at a time or the clutter bug just won’t cope!)

Step 2 - Bring back the most important things for the room. For example in a living room, the sofa, couch, chairs, TV, stereo, side tables

Step 3 - Work out where all the important things sit in the space. Move them so the space flows and that you can move freely around the room. Then sit down and have a look around, breathe in, how do you feel? You should feel liberated. You will find that your chest feels lighter; the air seems to flow better,

Step 4 - Start layering. Select a few things at a time to bring back into the room to decorate with. Paintings, pictures, a vase, a rug, lamps. Do it slowly and feel how the space is changing. Pick out the best items that you want to show, don’t use all of them. I have just heard lately of an expression called editing, it means select the best things you have and enjoy them, change them around seasonally or as the fashion you follow dictates, it is important that the room expresses the personality of the owner, but we don’t need their whole life story in one room!

Step 5 - Stop! Yes, don’t keep going. Less is better in a room. Put all the remaining items in storage until you are happy with the new space. Then after a few weeks, sort through it all, keep what is reusable, and donate the rest to a good charity or sell it on eBay! You can cure the clutter bug.

P.S. This illness can easily creep back, make sure if you are going to add new things that you do it slowly and really consider their impact on the space, you may have to take something out to make room for it! If not, you will again suffer the dreadful fate of becoming a recurring clutter bug!

You can do this; we can cure the clutter bug and create a potential interior decorator out of you yet!  So why not give it a go now!

Here are a few tips that will enable you to do some small fixes which can have a very positive impact on your rooms. I don’t know about you, but when spring comes around I get motivated to fix things, but I don’t much like repairs that are time consuming.

But for those quick repairs, I’m game for fixing them myself

Dress Up Your Bed - Put a fitted sheet over your box spring, not just the mattress. It will give a more streamlined look than you get with a ruffle. Choose one that looks good with your sheets.

Preventing Pictures From Tipping - Don’t you just hate it when pictures hanging on a wall near a door tip sideways whenever someone opens and closes the door? You can get velcro tabs in 1/4-inch or 1/2-inch sizes that is self-adhesive. Peel away one side of the backing and stick one each to the lower corners of the frame. Then pull away the other backing, exposing the adhesive. Carefully re-hang the picture, making sure it is level. Then press the base of the picture firmly against the wall. Say goodbye to tilting pictures.

Painting Furniture Without Sticking - Have you ever tried to paint a chair or small piece of furniture and the piece sticks to the surface you’re trying to dry it on? Aggravating, huh? Let’s say you want to paint a chair. Before you start, tap a nail into the bottom of each leg. This will elevate the chair and keep it away from the drying surface. It will dry faster because there will be better air circulation. Best of all, the chair won’t stick to your drying surface.

Small fixes can really take your home to another level of decorating. As the saying goes, “its all in the details!”

Humans are one of the few creatures that frequently rearrange their living space. Bedrooms are the most frequent redecorating candidate. Every so often, for reasons unknown, we look at that cozy nest we carefully created and think “ugh.” It’s boring, it’s outdated, I’m sick of that color.  Visions of a totally gutted and remodeled space may fill our mind, until you look at your bank balance. Don’t be frustrated! Redecorating doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg!

The quickest way to a new look is a splash of paint. Even if you use the same color, a fresh coat of color always reinvigorates a room. If you’ve grown tired of your wall color, choose a new one. One reason a fresh coat of paint reinvents a room is that the different color gives the space a whole new identity.

The same idea applies to your bedding. If your budget is extremely limited, you might start by adding new pillow shams. Usually sold as a separate piece from comforters, sheets, or pillowcases, a sham is a highly decorative pillow covering. If you find a great deal on pillow shams, buy a bunch-you can fill them with plain foam pillows and give your bed a luxurious look by piling them on.

A new comforter or bedspread is another way to redecorate your bedroom inexpensively. A simple way to create a coordinated look without spending a lot of money is to use bed sheets to make window treatments. Often, comforters are sold in “bed sets,” which contain the comforter, as well as a fitted sheet, flat sheet and pillowcases. Since your sheets will usually be covered by the comforter, you can use the fitted and flat sheets as material to frame bedroom windows. If you don’t sew, use the special “no-sew” fabric glue sold in craft and fabric stores to hem a nice edge.
Decorating or redecorating a bedroom is often a matter of changing one or two elements. You can have a new look even if you don’t feel up to the task of choosing colors or shopping for the best bedding deal. Sometimes, all that’s needed is to re-arrange the furniture. And if that simple change leads to others, good for you!

Paint Those Walls - Without a doubt, painting a room is one of your best and most versatile design tools. Warm colors (red, yellow, and orange) make a room cheery and energetic.  Cool colors (blue, green, and violet) convey a cozy, more laid back feel.

Lower The Lights - One of the biggest mistakes that people make is to only use one type of lighting in a room. In doing so the choice is usually “general” lighting which illuminates the whole room. It’s okay to have general lighting available, but only use it when necessary. The good news is that there are plenty of inexpensive lighting solutions if you’re decorating on a budget.

Hang Prints Or Mirrors - Prints and other artwork add character to your home. Just viewing a piece that you enjoy can brighten your day. Mirrors are popular because they serve two purposes. First they come in many decorative frames to suit any decorating style. Second, they can make a room appear larger. When you hang a mirror, try to position it so that it reflects an attractive view, such a garden or a dramatic architectural element.

Decorate With Plants - The natural beauty of plants will enliven any room. Check with florists, nurseries, and lawn and garden shops. Also, check your local crafts shop for inexpensive and low maintenance silk plants.

Display Keepsakes In Groups - Perhaps you have collectibles or keepsakes that are similar perhaps in color, theme, or material (e.g., porcelain). If so, don’t sprinkle them around the room. Instead, display them in groups of three’s or five’s. This captivates the eye and adds drama to a room.

Try The Unexpected - When you’re decorating on a budget, you have to stretch your creativity. Just about any object can be used for a purpose other than for which it was originally intended.  For example, if your glass coffee table has became outdated.  Instead of replacing it entirely, keep the glass top and placed two large, earthy pots beneath it. The effect is surprising, wonderful, and unique. Maybe that incomplete set of three colorful, rustic dinner plates you saw might have added texture and color to your walls if they were displayed together.

If you are not sure about your own style and taste, start collecting magazine pages with pictures of what you like. In the end, your home should feel comfortable and be filled with things you love…

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