subject: How To Combine Styles In Any Room [print this page] Think of a well decorated home in the same way you think of the squares on the Brady Bunch intro - meshing together like a well-oiled machine, like the ideal family.
When figuring out the arrangement of each room, you should arrange the furniture in such a way that they all serve a specific purpose - sleeping, eating, working, you name it. Create easy access through your rooms with 3-foot-wide passages that suggest where you want traffic to flow.
Use entry furnishings constant with the rest of your home.
No one piece is greater than the entire collection - always remember this concept when arranging your furniture. We are all occasionally guilty of being too enchanted with precious antiques without thinking whether they would fit in your collection.
Plus, you have to ask whether it meets your needs. Everybody gets tempted once in a while to try something for a change, but doing this may be superfluous if you consider the furniture you already have in the different rooms of your home.
Old and boring-looking furniture needs to be renovated and brought back to mint condition - no two ways around this.
Decorating is not merely throwing out the old and brings in the new objects. You can make your home look classy and elegant with a second-hand piece of furniture found at your local auction or flea market, rather than spend a king's ransom to buy new furniture, even if it does look good.
Remember that some old furniture has more personality than new designs and can be a source of inspiration as you seek to create your own decorating scheme.
The last thing you'll want to do is mix an antique piece of furniture and have it stand next to a new design - these "oldies but goodies" of the furniture world may be interesting, but should not be mixed elsewhere.
Experts in the field of interior design believe that you should allow one distinctive piece of antique furniture have the spotlight, with all other pieces playing a supporting role. In fact, living rooms and other large rooms in your home can be adorned with up to three pieces of antique furniture - just don't be that one cook too many to spoil the broth.
Decorating or redecorating is something that you can take from the cradle to the grave, with myriad changes along the way. It's an unfolding experience that lets you express yourself. Enjoy the time you spend doing it.
