subject: Decorating For Real World Living [print this page] The best decorating ideas and themes will not work if you fail to take into account your family and how it functions at your house. If you have young children, the typically occurring wear and tear on furnishings must be taken into account. For example, chenille fabrics are a much better choice than silks for obvious reasons. Also, more dark colors, or at the very least medium tones, would be wiser choices than lighter ones as they are more "family friendly" than, say, white.
Floor coverings as well must be thought of. You may love the look and texture of a sisal rug, but it can be hard on the knees of small children that are crawling about. If choosing carpeting, spend the additional money if you can on carpeting with natural stain resistance - you'll be grateful when those small feet or paws track in dirt or have "accidents."
Needless to say, if you don't have any kids or you live on your own, you can pick any luxuries you like, from expensive fabrics to stone flooring. The important thing is to always consider your style and preferences together with how and who will be living in the house, as well.
Making Redecorating Decisions
There is really no right or wrong way to decorate, with the exception of a few guidelines to help you create a cohesive and balanced home decor. Sometimes you might find that you are slightly intimidated by your numerous decorating choices since there are just so many, both in stores and online.
Utilizing books and magazines to look at and tear out pictures of living spaces that speak to you can really go a long way in helping you to determine what your needs and style are. Your room does not have to look exactly like the room in a picture- just find a few things that appeal to you from different rooms here and there, and incorporate those things into your room.
Create a Harmonious Room
For a room's layout to be harmonious there ought to be some kind of unifying theme that will run throughout it that helps to blend it all together. When you have got that, you have got harmony. Maybe the unifying theme in your family room is "family" - using fun family picture frames can be an important aspect in this room, amongst other details, the larger details like comfy furniture.
Dimensions plays a large part in the balance of a room. You can't combine a low sofa with arched ceilings, and a huge armoire would not look good with a ceiling of normal height. The fabrics you include are important to consider as well. Chenille may be a great option for the couch, but would probably look out of place on a vintage Louis XVI chairs.
Color is also important and can be a vital factor of a room's style. You should aim to have one or two common threads of color in a room; patterns may be used as long as they can be linked somehow to the big picture. Think of the things you think about when you put a clothing ensemble together, and use those same guidelines for creating your room.
Including Artwork and Accents
Just like when selecting what kinds of jewelry you will accessorize your outfit with, a few carefully chosen accessories can turn a plain room into an extraordinary room and it's the best way to incorporate your individuality into a room. You can grace the walls with serious works of art in simple black picture frames if you're more traditional, or use more fun and funky extras and picture frames - how about lavish decorative picture frames - if your approach is more fun and free-spirited.
You can even mix up time periods when you do your designing; blend vintage and contemporary, old and new.
Sometimes, simply rearranging furniture or artwork and accessories can give your room a completely new feel and look. "Shop" for accessories and artwork - even furnishings - in your own home; simply moving one or two or more items from one room to another might be all it takes to revise your room. It might surprise you when you realize how different an accessory will look when you simply transfer it to another room.
When you use these decorating hints, you will realize just how fun redecorating can be even when you don't spend much on new furnishings.
