Do It Yourself Home Decorating

Are you longing for an updated look for your home, but does the idea of decorating have you running for the hills?  Well, take heart, despite all the hype about the need to hire a professional designer and other such nonsense, there is no reason why you can't decorate your home yourself like a pro!

Home decorating is nothing more than making your home a reflection of your style and personality.  That means there are no right or wrong answers!  Sure there are popular trends, but they are just that...trends.  Now there are a few guidelines that will help you make your decorating project easier, but these are not set in stone.

It's All About You. Home decorating is not rocket science. Contrary to popular belief, there are no right or wrong ways to go about it. Decorating is nothing more than making your surroundings appealing and enjoyable to you. There is no need to label it with design styles and there is no need to bring in a professional to inform you about what you want in your own home. Look around your home and decide what you like and what you don't, keep what you like and get rid of what you do not. This is your first step.

Pick A Starting Point. Look at each room and see what was left after you took out everything you didn't like. Is there a colorful picture? A rug? Perhaps a small statue or accent piece? Pick your favorite thing out of what is left and you have your starting point. You are going to decorate the entire room around this one object. In my house it was a framed print, but it could be anything.

Color. Throw out everything that you think you know about paint colors. Look at your starting point and notice the colors in it. If it is something plain like a seashell, what colors does it bring to mind such as white beaches and the blue sea. Pick the boldest color from your object, that is what you will paint one wall. When you find that color at the paint store, look at the other colors that coordinate with it to find a color for the other walls. Keep in mind other colors that may be in your object as well.

Fine Details. Now you have your colors and the objects. If you kept your furniture, arrange it as you see fit, if not, now is the time to purchase new. Play around with the placement of the object that you kept until you are please with the result. Add throw pillows in a color from your object as well as window treatments. If you think that you need more accents such as area rugs, throws, framed prints, or such add them now using the same colors that were in the starting object.

Let It Flow. This is the most difficult step to follow. Most homes have open floor plans or two story foyers, and when decorating it is important that each room be unique, but that they also blend in some way together. Otherwise, you're home will seem choppy and incomplete. Pick one element that all the rooms can have in common and use it throughout your home such as color families. For example, in my own home I have a rooster themed kitchen, rooster themed breakfast nook, modern family room, southwest office, traditional dining room, and a traditional foyer. The common element between all of these different rooms is the use of warm earth tones in the furniture and wall color. It doesn't have to be an obvious selection such as that, but something as simple as a framed print in a hallway. Again, using my own home as an example, the master bedroom is Paris themed, the hall bath is Safari, the spare room blue floral, and my daughter's room is fairies. How could I make the upstairs appear unified with such a broad array of colors and themes? It took months before I discovered the common element was a magnolia bloom, each room had a magnolia bloom somewhere in its accents. It was very subtle, but it worked. I ran straight to the flea market and picked up two framed magnolia prints and my home was finished.

Keeping It Real. Remember those pictures in decorating magazines that started you on this quest? Who could resist those perfect rooms? You're desire may be to have your home look just like the homes in those magazines, but the reality is that it never will. In those pictures there are no children running in and out, or pets leaving hair on the floor, or people that just want to spend an afternoon on the couch reading the newspaper. Your home is lived in and it should remain a place for family and friends to gather and relax, not a museum show piece. Never decorate to the point that you can no longer enjoy your home. After all, the entire point of decorating is to make your home more appealing and enjoyable.

Now that you know the basic process of decorating your home yourself, why not pick up a few home decor pieces that fit your style and see where your creativity can take you?  The options are endless when it comes to home accents, just be true to yourself.