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Starting a decorating project is often a daunting task for many people. Where to begin, how to pull things together, and what should I really be considering. What is necessary? All good questions, and to help put it into perspective we can examine 10 areas that will help with any decorating project. These are in no particular order of importance, but do make a world of difference to our interior spaces.
De-Clutter
Clear out the things you don't use, want, or like. If you haven't used something in the last year, chances are you really don't need it. Give it away, or toss it out. Clutter is one of those things that make us anxious and tired of looking at our space. Magazines, books and papers take up space and in many cases are not ever used. Donate unused items to professionals for their waiting rooms or long term care facilities for the enjoyment of the residents. The more you can clear out your space the better the opportunity to see it in a different light.
Focal Point
Look at your space and determine what do I want everyone to notice first when they walk in this room. Do you have a wonderful window with an amazing view, a beautiful fireplace or soaring ceilings. Determine what the focal point will be and begin arranging things around and towards that attention getter. If a beautiful garden awaits, use that as a springboard for your decorating scheme. A grand fireplace calls out for comfy chairs to curl up in with a good book beside a warm fire.
Scale & Balance
While not always the easiest thing for the amateur decorator to understand, scale and balance in the room is most important to how the finished look feels. If a couple of pieces are disproportionate to the rest of the room or the furniture, you will feel the imbalance, even if the rest of the room is well put together. Look at how the room feels empty and start putting pieces into it that a right for each other. Also look at the artwork and notice if it is too large or in most cases too small for the area it sits in. Hanging art too high will also throw off the balance of a room. A good rule of thumb, hang pictures so that the middle of the picture is at 60" from the floor. Even if you have high ceilings same rule applies. Pictures hanging over fireplaces should be at 4" above the mantle at the most.
Lighting
Probably the most forgotten element that goes into decorating a space is lighting. It sets the mood for the room. Use pot lights for ambience on dimmers, table lamps with tri-lights to give minimum and maximum coverage. Floor lamps and uplights provide not only task lighting but when on dimmers can create a wonderful glow throughout the room. Light the corners with small canister lights that shine up the walls. Put them behind plants to add texture to the walls around it. Not only does it take away from the darkness we find in corners, it adds warmth. Use good wattage bulbs in all task or high traffic areas. You can again, add dimmers to give light control for all of your different room uses.
Greenery
Bring the outdoors in. We hear this term used all the time, but it really does make a difference to how we feel about our space. And it takes more than just one tree. Loose greenery on shelves, in jars and boxes adds decorative touches and fills spaces. Not only using tall trees fills in the blank areas, but smaller bushes with other decorative items around can add so much to your room. Use a variety of species as well. There are so many beautiful and interesting looking trees that you don't have to have the usual ficus in every corner. Even if you don't have a green thumb, not to worry, trees with real wood trunks and authentic looking silk leaves can challenge even the best gardeners to wonder if they are real. Fresh and silk flowers adorning tables and counters create a garden indoors that can add cheer even on the dreariest days.
Window Treatments
Even when we have a wonderful view out the window, treating the interior with appropriate finishing treatments add to the finished look of your room. With so many options available today to cover our windows, choosing the right one can be quite a chore. Look to how much coverage to you want or need. Does the sun create problems with heat and glare? Do you have a privacy issue that needs addressing or look out into an open field. Even with the open fields and trees, it can be uncomfortable particularly at night when the blackness can make us unnerved by the reflections of ourselves or feel colder than it really should. Soft treatments can add warmth and decorative fabrics combined with the balance of the rooms dcor create a beautiful finished look.
Quality
What does this mean? Buy quality. Whether you are purchasing a sofa, area rug or bed, the quality of the piece will be what gives the longevity you want from your furniture. If you buy a quality piece that will last you for many years and provide you with enjoyment at the same time, it will be well worth the price you pay to have that satisfaction. If you consider the cost of replacing items many times over, you will soon discover that the difference is quite remarkable. There are many trends in the marketplace today that come and go, but looking to good pieces will ensure a ground for your room as well as the ability to changes things around it as time and styles change.
Accessories
The finishing touch, the icing on the cake, the jewelry for our rooms. So many times we see rooms put together with nice pieces, but nothing to dress it up. Think of your wardrobe and how your finish dressing with the perfect earrings, watch or broach. It is also an important thing when completing your decorating project. To add finishing touches, trays, bowls, wall dcor or sculpture all complete the look and make the space feel truly complete. Colour coordinated items, special knick knacks, original art and decorative candles all add so much to our rooms. Toss pillows on a sofa, large floor pillows for kids or pets to sit, or that extra bench for a seat are all part of that finishing. Group items together in uneven numbers 1, 3 or 5. Place them together even if you don't have many things as a grouping they look so much more like they belong rather than having them scattered about. Have groupings of like things, a flower, vase and candle with a candle snuffer beside. Try unusual things that relate to you and your family. Photos with a ball in front, a trophy with a golf ball and tees. Use your imagination. We all have things that can be used without making major purchases.
Colour
If there is one thing that is essential to any decorating project this is it. Colour is the thing that binds everything together. It can create an environment so warm and inviting or cool and soothing. We can use colour to bring mismatched things into focus and give balance to everything in the room. It can make a space feel larger or smaller. Be brave, don't be afraid to use colour. Most people when they view a space that is inspiring and comfortable, it is usually the colour that is doing it. When choosing colours, always do so during daylight and without artificial lighting on. Depending on the direction your room is facing, north, east, west or south, will dictate the colours you should select. Look at colours in the specific space they are going to be used, since colours will change as you move from room to room and even from wall to wall within the same room. View colours in both day and evening lights to see how they will change. Have fun with it. Paint is the least expensive and most effective tool in your decorating project.
Style or Theme
For those wanting to create a look based on a theme or particular style the first thing to consider is how will it fit with the rest of my home. If it is a bedroom, it can be done easily since it won't affect any other areas of your home. However if you want the circus to come to your family room, it may impact the dcor of the rest of the house in a not so nice way. When choosing a style, look through magazines, books or model homes and get a sense of whether the particular style you want will actually do justice to your home. Wanting a very contemporary look in a Cape Cod style house will probably not have the best of effects however introducing seaside cottage or French Country would be a wonderful combination. Get a sense of direction and use pieces you have to create a look that is truly unique to you. It is your home and should be representative of the people who live there.
In closing, enjoy the experience, take the plunge and start that decorating project today. You will be thrilled with the results and love your home even more.
Catherine Pulcine is President and founder of CPI Interiors Inc. in Ottawa and can be reached at 613-599-5564 or via email at catherine@cpiinteriors.ca. For more decorating ideas visit the web site at www.cpiinteriors.ca
article at HomeRenovationGuide.com