Darlene’s DecoratingMaking Your House Your Home

As I sit in my unfinished living room, my mind cannot help but dream. I dream of color and texture. I dream of furniture and pictures. I dream of floral arrangements and I dream of a floor plan.

All this runs through my creative crevices of my decorative brain. I try to visualize what the living room will look like before I even start. Sometimes I will write things down in my dream or idea book. This way I can take stock on what I have repeated in my mind’s eye.

You do not want to go to the expense of decorating, if you do not know what you like. My suggestion is a planning book, sometimes called a dream book or an idea book.

Fill a notebook with sheet protectors and then start looking. In the dream book, you can fill the pages with pictures of things you like from magazines or even pictures you have taken on your own camara. Take notes when you see something that catches your eye and put those notes in your dream book as well. Soon the pages will be full.

After awhile you will begin to see a pattern. A pattern of colors or textures or even themes. This process will help you to understand or visualize your own personal style of decorating.

Once you have understood your own personal style, you will be able to plan your decorating project.

More on that one later, but for now……start dreaming!

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It is snowing outside and it reminds me of how beautiful it can be used in decorating. White can be romantic in a classic setting, casual in a country setting and comfortable in a cottage setting.

You can mix almost any color with white. White and blue remind me of an English Cottage or a Beach Cottage. White and brown remind me of a Contemporary Flat in the City.  White and green remind me of all the styles: casual, beach, cottage or contemporary.

Many decorating colors may come and go, but white never goes out of style.

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A floral arrangement can be very simple or very complex. Let the area being decorated and enhanced be the deciding factor.

Small areas generally will have a smaller floral, while large areas are more becoming to the larger more elaborate arrangement.

A nice size floral arrangment can be accomplished with as little as four items. A planter and 3 bushes. It is that simple. Choose a planter that will complement your decor. Choose 3 floral bushes that enhance each others beauty. These can be flower bushes, greenery, and/or any combination of the two. I like three eye level arranging. A taller floral, middle floral and lower greenery. You can anchor these bushes in styrofoam or just put in the pot (depending on the size of the pot and weight of the bushes).

You can have a beautiful floral in no time!

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Over the holidays I decided to decorate my bedroom. I am a decorator by profession, so I decorated everybody else’s room instead of my own. I decided it was my turn.

I already had the wallpaper (BOGOF @ $1.00 per roll, yeah me!) and the border (BOGOF @ $.50 per roll, yeah me!) I bought a comforter with matching curtains at a garage sale ($5.00, yeah me!). I bought 2 antique lamps (priced at $80 a piece, I paid $35. for both, Yeah me!) I already had items that I loved, but didn’t hang them because the wallpaper wasn’t done.

Anyway, my daughter and I went to work. She was learning how to wallpaper and we were spending quality time together. We finished the job, rearranged the furniture and hung pictures. The bedroom is absolutely beautiful!  I now have a sitting area that I can have my devotions and alone time. I received a reed diffuser for Christmas and I am amazed at how it infuses the room with scent. The end result is priceless! I can head down the hallway and know that my room is beautiful just by the inviting aroma!

All I have left is to make my tree for behind my bed.  I already have the items needed:  bushes, pvc pipe, spray paint, can, plaster of paris and basket.  I can’t wait!

Technorati Tags: bedroom, budget, decorate, Decorating, reed diffusers

Many decorators use color to set the mood or tone of the room being decorated. We have all heard of the color wheel and how you can use this tool to choose the color scheme of your choice.

Many rooms can come alive with colors of the outdoors or become a calm serene place of relaxation with the colors of the sea.

Whatever color you chose, let the colors express your personality or let them express the attitude that you want to convey.

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Almost any area in and around your home can be enhanced by decorating.  A bathroom can become a spa retreat.  A bedroom can be transformed into a haven.  A living room or family room can become a comfortable oasis.  The kitchen and dining room can be a restaurant experience.  Your porch can be an inviting hug for all your friends and family.

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