One of the things in life that I am most passionate about is my home. The home should be a haven from the outside world: a place to belong, to be loved, and to be relaxed. I go to great lengths to make sure that my home is clean, organized, and decorated in an appealing and current fashion.
While I am not the ultimate, all-knowing guru regarding decorating, I do know quite a bit about it. I took several design classes in college, and then worked as an interior design consultant for several years. My main areas of interest in the decorating realm lie in "re-staging and decorating on a dime." I don't have a lot of money to work with for my own personal home decorating, and neither do most of my clients. I mainly focus on working with what is available, and try to spend as little money as possible. It is amazing what you can do with what you have! All it takes is a little bit of creativity, elbow grease, and a willingness to think outside of the box. Because I've had some requests for decorating tips, I have decided to share some with you and to start at the very fundamental basics.
First, you have to be able to see potential in what you are looking at. One of the things that drive me crazy when I watch decorating shows, or when I've house shopped with friends, is when they walk in a house and say comments like the following:
"I couldn't ever live here because,"
1. "I hate the carpet"
2. "The wallpaper is awful"
3. "I hate the color of the walls"
Those statements drive me crazy because all of those complaints are EXTREMELY EASY to fix! You need to look at the basic "bones" of the house, the rooms, etc. and look at things such as:
1. Do you like the character of the house?
2. Do you like the layout?
3. Is the house in decent condition? (the roof, the siding, etc.)
If the "bones" of the house are good, the sky is the limit on what you can do to make it feel like home.
So, let's start with paint colors.
Did you know the room color influences your mood and thoughts? Even the different shades and tones of those colors make a noticeable difference, so it is important to choose wisely!
You want your home to reflect who you are, but you want to present that in an appealing way, and in a pleasing combination. Color combinations can be one of the most intimidating steps in the whole redecorating process.
You need to start with evaluating what mood you want to create in the room you are going to tackle, and what colors will help you create the desired mood. For instance, if it is a bedroom, you probably want to create a relaxed mood, instead of a stimulating environment. Let's look at an overview of colors and the general feelings/moods that they create:
RED- Makes you feel hungry, a stimulate, raises blood pressure, produces feeling of anger, and raises energy levels, tends to draw people together and stimulate conversations- not the best choice for bedrooms, but works great in moderation in a dining room or a kitchen.
Yellow- Also a simulate color. It often makes you feel awake and energized, can make a room seem welcoming, but also tends to make people feel frustrated. Again, not a very good choice as the primary color in a bedroom, but works nicely in a kitchen, bathroom, or dining room.
Blue-Know for it's calming, relaxing, and serene qualities. It brings blood pressure down, and slows the heart rate. This is a wonderful color for bedrooms, bathrooms, family rooms, and living rooms. This is a tricky color to work with though to get the desired effect. Dark blues can produce feelings of sadness, while very light pastel blues can make a room feel cold. Try to work with warmer, softer tones of blue like turquoise, or periwinkle for example.
Green- Also know to be relaxing and calming, and is actually considered the most restful color for the eye. Because of this, it is a great color for any room of the house. It is refreshing and cheerful, but not a stimulant.
Purple- The darker hues are dramatic, sophisticated, rich, and produces moods of creativity.
The lighter tones are warm and restful, similar to blues.
Orange-produces feelings of excitement, energy, and enthusiasm. Not a good idea for a bedroom or a living room if you want a relaxing environment, but great for an exercise room!
Black- Adds depth, grounds the color scheme, and very versatile. Not recommended as the primary color for your walls, but great as an accent color.
White- Once again very versatile, and great as an accent color. White walls tend to make a room seem incomplete and expansive, and bring out feelings of frustration.
Tan and brown- Very neutral colors that are warm and relaxing when used in moderation. Use the darker tones in moderation as to not add a "heaviness" to the room, which evokes a depressive mood.
These are just general guidelines to color selection. Ultimately, it comes down to YOUR personal preferences. It is important to remember too that light colors make a room seem larger, while dark colors make a room feel smaller.
After deciding on the general mood that you want to create in the room you are decorating, I highly recommend that your next step be to go to your local paint store and gather paint swatches in the colors you are thinking about using. Bring them home, and look at them on the walls that you intend to paint. It is important to see how your paint color looks with the natural lighting in the room. Sometimes the natural light can bring out things in the color that you never would have seen before. For example, it can make a dark red look more like it is in the hot pink family, or make a yellow color seem more orange.
Lastly, when filling your paint order, you will need to know what paint finish you want to use. Paint comes in a variety of finishes;
Flat or matte-does not reflect light, so it is good for covering blemishes. Not very washable, so it wouldn't be a good choice for high-traffic areas.
Eggshell- only slightly reflects light. Somewhat washable.
Satin- Holds up to light cleaning or scrubbing. Has sort of a velvety look to it, and a little bit of gloss.
Semi-gloss- What I most often use. Has a nice subtle shine, without being too shiny. It reflects light nicely, and holds up to lots of scrubbing due to finger prints!
Glossy- This paint finish has almost a reflective quality to it. It will magnify any surface imperfections, so keep that in mind. Very washable and durable. Not often used on walls, but works nicely for trims, cabinets, and furniture.
While I am not the ultimate, all-knowing guru regarding decorating, I do know quite a bit about it. I took several design classes in college, and then worked as an interior design consultant for several years. My main areas of interest in the decorating realm lie in "re-staging and decorating on a dime." I don't have a lot of money to work with for my own personal home decorating, and neither do most of my clients. I mainly focus on working with what is available, and try to spend as little money as possible. It is amazing what you can do with what you have! All it takes is a little bit of creativity, elbow grease, and a willingness to think outside of the box. Because I've had some requests for decorating tips, I have decided to share some with you and to start at the very fundamental basics.
First, you have to be able to see potential in what you are looking at. One of the things that drive me crazy when I watch decorating shows, or when I've house shopped with friends, is when they walk in a house and say comments like the following:
"I couldn't ever live here because,"
1. "I hate the carpet"
2. "The wallpaper is awful"
3. "I hate the color of the walls"
Those statements drive me crazy because all of those complaints are EXTREMELY EASY to fix! You need to look at the basic "bones" of the house, the rooms, etc. and look at things such as:
1. Do you like the character of the house?
2. Do you like the layout?
3. Is the house in decent condition? (the roof, the siding, etc.)
If the "bones" of the house are good, the sky is the limit on what you can do to make it feel like home.
So, let's start with paint colors.
Did you know the room color influences your mood and thoughts? Even the different shades and tones of those colors make a noticeable difference, so it is important to choose wisely!
You want your home to reflect who you are, but you want to present that in an appealing way, and in a pleasing combination. Color combinations can be one of the most intimidating steps in the whole redecorating process.
You need to start with evaluating what mood you want to create in the room you are going to tackle, and what colors will help you create the desired mood. For instance, if it is a bedroom, you probably want to create a relaxed mood, instead of a stimulating environment. Let's look at an overview of colors and the general feelings/moods that they create:
RED- Makes you feel hungry, a stimulate, raises blood pressure, produces feeling of anger, and raises energy levels, tends to draw people together and stimulate conversations- not the best choice for bedrooms, but works great in moderation in a dining room or a kitchen.
Yellow- Also a simulate color. It often makes you feel awake and energized, can make a room seem welcoming, but also tends to make people feel frustrated. Again, not a very good choice as the primary color in a bedroom, but works nicely in a kitchen, bathroom, or dining room.
Blue-Know for it's calming, relaxing, and serene qualities. It brings blood pressure down, and slows the heart rate. This is a wonderful color for bedrooms, bathrooms, family rooms, and living rooms. This is a tricky color to work with though to get the desired effect. Dark blues can produce feelings of sadness, while very light pastel blues can make a room feel cold. Try to work with warmer, softer tones of blue like turquoise, or periwinkle for example.
Green- Also know to be relaxing and calming, and is actually considered the most restful color for the eye. Because of this, it is a great color for any room of the house. It is refreshing and cheerful, but not a stimulant.
Purple- The darker hues are dramatic, sophisticated, rich, and produces moods of creativity.
The lighter tones are warm and restful, similar to blues.
Orange-produces feelings of excitement, energy, and enthusiasm. Not a good idea for a bedroom or a living room if you want a relaxing environment, but great for an exercise room!
Black- Adds depth, grounds the color scheme, and very versatile. Not recommended as the primary color for your walls, but great as an accent color.
White- Once again very versatile, and great as an accent color. White walls tend to make a room seem incomplete and expansive, and bring out feelings of frustration.
Tan and brown- Very neutral colors that are warm and relaxing when used in moderation. Use the darker tones in moderation as to not add a "heaviness" to the room, which evokes a depressive mood.
These are just general guidelines to color selection. Ultimately, it comes down to YOUR personal preferences. It is important to remember too that light colors make a room seem larger, while dark colors make a room feel smaller.
After deciding on the general mood that you want to create in the room you are decorating, I highly recommend that your next step be to go to your local paint store and gather paint swatches in the colors you are thinking about using. Bring them home, and look at them on the walls that you intend to paint. It is important to see how your paint color looks with the natural lighting in the room. Sometimes the natural light can bring out things in the color that you never would have seen before. For example, it can make a dark red look more like it is in the hot pink family, or make a yellow color seem more orange.
Lastly, when filling your paint order, you will need to know what paint finish you want to use. Paint comes in a variety of finishes;
Flat or matte-does not reflect light, so it is good for covering blemishes. Not very washable, so it wouldn't be a good choice for high-traffic areas.
Eggshell- only slightly reflects light. Somewhat washable.
Satin- Holds up to light cleaning or scrubbing. Has sort of a velvety look to it, and a little bit of gloss.
Semi-gloss- What I most often use. Has a nice subtle shine, without being too shiny. It reflects light nicely, and holds up to lots of scrubbing due to finger prints!
Glossy- This paint finish has almost a reflective quality to it. It will magnify any surface imperfections, so keep that in mind. Very washable and durable. Not often used on walls, but works nicely for trims, cabinets, and furniture.
Posts
Awesome! I have been wanting to paint and give my new house a "face-lift" but it is so overwhelming, and I just haven't even known where to start. Thanks for sharing these tips. Keep 'em coming and I'll try to take things one step at a time!!! By the way, your house always looks so cute, and I love what you did to the Sunday School rooms at church!
I need to do some major painting in my house...it's stuck in the 80's. I guess if you aren't wired that way, it's hard to know what would look good. This really helps though! I at least know what I want to avoid! LOL!
This is Kristin's daughter Sarah, I have a question for my room...What is the best colors for a teenage girl who's favorite color is green? There are no windows in this room so no natural light. And it has to be not really girlish because my brother is sharing it too. You can answer me by sending my mom an email. Thanks!