Interior Design

Refresh your home with a few of these tips that add instant style with little effort and even less money

Pick Your Palette

Experts advise that to make a space look good without much risk, it is wise to use darker colors for the floor, medium colors for the walls and lighter ones for the ceiling – basically replicating the outdoor environment. When choosing colors from a color wheel, those next to one another on the color wheel such as blue and green, are more casual and relaxing and work best in private spaces, such as your bedroom. Another word of advice is to divide the colors in your interior space into components of 60/30/10. The wall color representing the dominant color, the furniture upholstery the 30 percent and the accessories the 10 percent.

Choosing Your Interior Theme

You want your home to be a reflection of who you are. Are you traditional? Do you like the “cottage” look of distressed finishes and vintage accessories? Or are you more modern and drawn to sleek lines and cool colors? If you are decorating a beach house or a lake front cabin, you may choose to decorate in a nautical theme. After choosing your “style,” decide if you would like to incorporate certain influences from around the world. French country? Tuscan? There are many possibilities. Finally choose your favorite colors. And remember, it is your living space and it should reflect you.

Hang It Up

That which you choose to hang on your walls is an expression of who you are and allows you to be surrounded by your favorite pieces. According to interior designers, the following tips will help you achieve this while making sure the piece fits the space. When choosing art to hang, mirror the size of the wall. A long horizontal wall should have a piece that is long and horizontal as well. And don’t be afraid to fill the wall either. Vary the texture of your pieces, whether it’s a photograph or canvas art, variety is good! Frames should also reflect the architecture of the room and complement the furniture. Lastly, consider lighting and glare when hanging that favorite piece of art.

Repurposed Furniture

Don’t throw it away! Find a way to put that older furniture to use! If you have old benches that are taking up space in the garage, sand them down, paint them and stack them on top of one another to make a fun and unique bookcase. Take that old chest that used to hold your blankets and turn it into a filing cabinet for your home office. That old door you were ready to take to the dump, paint it and turn it sideways for a unique headboard. Wondering what to do with those old window shutters? Hang them on the wall for the perfect organizer! The possibilities are endless. Before you throw out those things that you think are no longer useful, search the Internet for ideas on how to repurpose your old belongings into treasures!

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