7 down-and-dirty home decorating tips from a former home furnishings designer

1. Go with the flow.
   There are millions of choices out there for color, fabric, rugs etc. You have to narrow them somehow, so may as well use the limits of what you’ve got as a starting point. Example: you’re stuck with the dated, dusty pink bathroom fixtures – too expensive to change. So proceed as if you meant it. Find a matching paint color (or close, maybe a shade lighter) for the walls so the fixtures “disappear.” (Think camouflage.) Then, find a complimentary color for towels or art. The corollary to this rule is: Paint is your best friend. It’s the cheapest, easiest, most flexible, tool you have for “backing into” an existing situation.
2. Think out of the box.
   Example: you have too many rugs, but not enough art to cover a lot of wall space. Hang a rug on the wall! Or you have two dining tables, but only space for one: take out the leaves of the other and attach the “ends” to the wall with L-brackets. Voila! A pair of console tables!
3. Consolidate matching things for maximum impact.
   Whether it’s a pair of chairs or his grandmother’s collection of Delft, if you keep them together, you will always maximize their impact. Even if you don’t love the things separately, they can morph into a “statement” as a group. This is a great example of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. Example: you find endless numbers of old glass bottles here there and everywhere as you’re taking inventory of what you’ve got. None of them are anything special, but arranged together on a ledge or shelf, they make a big impact. This also applies to a set of plates on a shelf or a wall, a group or collection of similar prints hung together, baskets, rock or shell collections, hats, even old tools.




4. Accentuate vertical lines whenever and wherever possible.
   Whether you are doomed to live in spaces with “standard” 8 – 8½ ft ceilings (sub- standard in my book), or are fortunate enough to have high ones that allow for a little, or a lot, of architectural drama, this rule applies equally. So mount curtain rods close to the ceiling and use always use curtains that go to the floor, no matter where the window starts and ends, ignore it – you want the vertical line of full length drapery to push the eye up, giving the impression of as much height as possible.

   And, for the same reason, I’m a great believer in stacking pictures or grouping (see above). It will do wonders. Do not “dot” pictures around the room all at the same level. If you have a tall chest, put something large on top to continue taking the eye up. Run bookshelves and cabinets all the way to the ceiling, and use tall lamps wherever you can (short ones are almost worthless). Hang something over doors, if you have space. (Transoms are great if you have them, a painting, a piece of architectural salvage; you get the idea, keep the vertical of the door going up.)

5. Mirrors are magical things.
   Every room should have one, and the larger the better. You don’t have to spend a fortune. Look in inexpensive frame shops for moldings they can cut to your measurements or even pre-assembled frames into which you can put glass instead of artwork. Install mirrored glass in place of the original clear in a salvaged window frame, or install pre-cut and measured mirror over a bathroom vanity, taking it – you guessed it – all the way to the ceiling.
6. Don’t be afraid of color.
   It’s generally best to keep the color in a room in a pretty tight range, limiting complementary notes to a few accents. Otherwise the results tend to look “spotty.” Example: a yellow room with a few blue accents will be much more effective than the same space with equal amounts of yellow and blue. Speaking of yellow – when in doubt, yellow walls seem to be universally appealing – sunny, happy, neutral enough to co-exist with just about any other color. But the yellows I’m talking about are in the family of butter, chamois, and wheat. Steer clear of yellows with a green cast. They are hard to live with, and unflattering to most complexions. Remember, paint is cheap and can give you lots of bang for the buck. Color can unify a room, enliven a room, or make the walls fall back so the objects can shine. Again, for the money, it’s your greatest ally.
7. Lighten up.
   This is supposed to be fun, and it is, after all, your house. What pleases you does not have to please anyone else. Don’t be afraid to break “rules” – including mine. They are only general guidelines and/or someone else’s opinion. When you’re working with a budget, you’ll do well to remember the old saying, “necessity is the mother of invention,” and make allowances for things previously unheard of. Go for it. Old curtains cut down to “upholster” the inside of a built-in bed, a pile of rocks in a bowl, a laundry hamper as a bedside table? Russ turned an old mill wheel into a chandelier in the barn – candles, exposed wiring, and light bulbs – it’s fabulous and makes the room.

Do you have your own favorite “down-and-dirty” home decorating tip? Share it in the discussion below!