THINK DESIGN TIPS

By Steve Miller

I always hear the same complaint from friends and family… “My home feels old and boring.  I have had the same look for so many years, but I don’t  have the money to go out and buy new furniture.”  Well, I say to them, changing the look and feel is the easy part.  Getting off the couch to do something about it is the issue.  

First off, my suggestion would be to buy some decorating magazines like Elle Decor, Metropolitan Home, Vogue Living, Southern Accents and World of Interiors.  I know what you are thinking, “I can’t afford what they show in those pages.”  But you can. You don’t have to replicate what these designers do for hundreds of thousands dollars.  Use the pictures as an inspiration and a starting off point.  Once you have the look you strive for, pick a room, only one room at a time and sit in it for a while.  Notice how the sun hits the walls, what the light does to the colors in the room.  How does it make you feel? Do you need to go lighter? Darker? Or somewhere in between?  Color should be your first thought since it will change your mood immediately.  I am a very minimalist person and have all white walls and very little furniture. Too many of my friends it is cold, but I love it and that is what is most important.  Don’t decorate for your friends, decorate for you and the people living with you.

Now that you have your wall color, check out your furniture.  Does it compliment the color and the space? Notice I said compliment and not match.  Matching things so closely becomes a stage, a set where it almost becomes uncomfortable to feel comfortable.  By complimenting the color, you open up a realm of possibilities.  I have no doubt that at least some of your furniture will still look great in the space.  For the pieces that don’t, here are a few suggestions; if it is an offending couch or chair, simply slip cover it in a shade that you love and that works.  If that doesn’t interest you, find great pillows and other accessories like a throw and floor rug that compliments the wall and pulls the rebellious piece of furniture in that direction.  If you really don’t think the furniture works, I would suggest going to garage sales and outlet stores to find interesting pieces that can become conversation openers at the same time.  I know you don’t want to break the bank and you don’t have to.  I love Ikea because the designs they are showing are very 21st century and I have absolutely no doubt that the furniture super store will have a piece that works within a price range that makes you smile.

Once you have your room color and furniture, look around the rest of your home and change up the pictures in each room.  Simply moving one poster, photo or painting from one room to another will make a room feel new.  Remove some of the clutter that has been building for a year and a day and put it away.  Can you live without it? I am sure you can.  Room by room, you will get the look and feel that you want in a way that uses your existing furniture and collectibles, without spending very much money.