It’s 9:35pm and I am hitting the hay. I’m so tired! Apparently my relaxing weekend didn’t quite do it for me. Hopefully, after a good night’s sleep, I’ll be nice and refreshed and ready to finish off my list of 100 Decorating tips tomorrow night! But for now, here are 81-90…enjoy!
81. Play with lighting. Lighting can sometimes make (or break) a room. Make sure your room has ample light for the activities you do there, but don’t overdo it. Do you have an amazing piece of art? Highlight it with track lighting. Do you have a comfy chair that you never sit in? Put a floor lamp next to it and see how it becomes a favorite reading spot! Be sure not to forget about this important room element.
82. Try holding a decor swamp with friends or family! One girls trash is another girls treasure!
83. If your couch/ easy chair/ dining room chairs have seen better days, try a slip cover. Many of the covers out there now aren’t your momma’s slipcovers. They are extremely fitted without the big ties on the front that scream “SLIPCOVER!” and will sometimes help you fall in love with that old sofa all over again. Yes, this is a slipcover:
84. Create a decorating toolbox. Things to include: a pencil, a hammer, hanging hardware, level, twist ties, painters tape, a book of ideas, paint chips, those Sharpie wood touch up markers I told you about the other day, furniture sliders, glue gun, GOOD scissors, a staple gun and staples, philips and flathead screwdrivers, and of course, a tape measure.
85. If you have a very large room, break it down into several smaller “areas” just by rearranging the furniture.
86. Don’t buy all your upholstered furniture in solid colors. Buy something in a print to spice things up.
87. Invest in seasonal decor. I’m not talking anything tacky OR expensive. Have a few seashells, blue and white throw pillows, and a few american flags for summer; buy a few pumpkins and gourds, mums, and a bowl of acorns for fall; and a bowl of scented pinecones, a few fuzzy white throw pillows, and white candles everywhere for winter. These little touches can cost as little as $20 per season (to start…of course there are ALWAYS more fun things to invest in), but can really help usher in the seasons.
88. Spring for a whole lotta inexpensive vases at the dollar store. The collection each with one flower will make a statement…all for around $20!
89. Right now, while you’re thinking about it. Measure your rooms, your windows, and major pieces of furniture. Save these measurements in a notebook, your day planner, your iPhone or whatever you always carry with you. That way, next time you’re out and about a see a piece you really like, you’ll know right then and there whether it will work in your house.
90. Incorporate antiques. Even if you’re not into the whole vintage or shabby chic look…a few well -placed antiques can really make a room. And of course garage sales are great places to score neat old pieces. I have a friend who has an old typewriter in a little nook in her house…I can’t even begin to describe to you how incredible it looks surrounded by season decor! A cool old advertisement, a piece of metal work, or even old dishes are always neat finds to hang on your wall. These items are often cheaper than what you’d pay for knock-offs at a home decor store and they have CHARACTER!
