Eclectic interior designs are perfect for anyone who wants to put a fun, creative spin on their home decor. Eclectic means combining different time periods and styles. This results in unique décor, like colonial with a bohemian flare, rural meets modern, or Neo-classic with a trendy urban spin. But it can also be tricky to pull off. While there’s no set rules for eclectic homes, some tips can help turn this mismatched style into a cohesive, unified look.
Method 1 Buying Statement Pieces.
1. Search for one-of-a-kind furniture and knicknacks. Your furniture should help bring your different styles together. Look at different time periods for ideas, like furnishing your living room with a chintz armchair and a mid-century sofa. Hand-made pieces are perfect for eclectic rooms. Go with family hand-me-downs or something you can pick up at a garage sale. This feels creative and personal, which is exactly what eclectic style is about.
2. Make a focal point out of an eye-catching decoration. Maybe it's a painting, chandelier, antique, or special piece of furniture that gets guests talking. Only use one focal point per room. Any more is too confusing and distracting.
A statement piece can also help you to develop an eclectic style for a room. Choose your piece, and then build the rest of the décor around it.
3. Show off your interests and hobbies. Eclectic style is about your personality. If you’re a photographer, make a gallery of black and white photos. Bookworms can fill their rooms with bookshelves, or even use end tables made out of books. Hunters can mount deer heads on the walls. Whatever your hobby, find a way to make it part of your design.
Keep in mind that an eclectic home should look curated and collected. Use pieces that show off your style to achieve this look!
4. Decorate with objects that reflect your history. Your home can tell your story. Decorate with Mexican pottery from your vacation to Oaxaca, Celtic crosses to honor your Irish heritage, and potted cacti from your college years in Arizona. Blend these different parts together. Use family heirlooms like your grandmother’s antique lamp mixed with pop art from your favorite movie.
Even your main style can come from your history, like rustic chic in honor of your grandparents’ farmhouse.
Avoid lots of matching items and brand new pieces. Collect a variety of new, used, and reused pieces over time to make your home look eclectic.
5. Let your style say something about your values and personality. Throw in a splash of bohemian to reflect your free spirited side. If you’re forward-thinking, go with elements of modern style. If you enjoy the simpler side of life, go with a classic, Victorian, or a colonial theme. Your style should be based on who you are, and what you believe in.
Method 2 Unifying Elements.
1. Choose 2 or 3 styles so your design doesn't get too complicated. Eclectic doesn’t mean over the top. It’s easy to get caught up in blending so many styles and objects, but that can turn your home into a messy eyesore. Try sticking to 2 styles (3 max), usually with 1 dominant style and the other complimenting it.
For example, a vintage main style with a hint of rustic charm.
You can create an eclectic style using a minimalist or maximalist approach. Go with the approach that suits you!
2. Pick a single go-to color scheme to unite the room. Eclectic style only works if you connect the mismatched styles. Color schemes can pull a room or house together. Neutral colors are your best bet. Use a neutral like gray with gold or pastel colors to make the room look cohesive.
Don’t use too many different colors, or colors that clash. That's more gaudy than eclectic.
Opt for a single bold color, such as green, to unite the items in your room. Just make sure to be consistent with your color choice.
3. Furnish each room with a variety of textures. Different textures bring out different styles. Try combinations like a shag rug next to a metal coffee table, or a soft, modern sofa beside a hand-carved Victorian writing desk.
Keep a balance of soft and rough textures, with a few objects of each.
Choose art, rugs, and furniture in a variety of different textures to add interest to your space.
4. Chose a color palette, furniture, and decorations that fit the same mood. Think of how you want to feel in each room. You might want one room to unwind, and another to host parties. Keep that in mind when you decorate.
Keeping your furniture in the same general style allows you more freedom to change up your other décor, such as accessories, accent pieces, and art.
If you’re going for something whimsical, fill the room with plants, bright colors, and unique, bold patterns. For something more cerebral, go with bookshelves, vintage furniture, and calming colors.
Method 3 Arranging a Layout.
1. Buy practical furniture that fits your needs. Don’t get so caught up in style that you forget the actual purpose of the room. Remember that you’re living here, so it needs to be functional. A living room should be relaxing, and a breakfast nook should have space to cook. Pick furniture that fits those needs.
For example, get a dining room table that has space enough for your family, not just one that looks stylish.
Comfortable living room furniture is also very important. For example, you might find a really interesting sofa that would look great in your home, but you may regret this purchase if the sofa is not comfortable.
2. Spread out the furniture so the room isn't too crowded. Balance is the key to eclectic rooms. Too much furniture looks cluttered, especially if it’s all bunched together while the other half of the room is empty. Spread out the furniture evenly, so the room looks neat and smooth.
Clutter looks messy, not eclectic, and makes it hard to get around.
3. Remember to leave some empty spaces. You want your interior design to be unique, not overwhelming. Don’t overdo it. Keep it balanced with empty space. Empty space can help put the focus on the decorations that you want to show off. If one wall has a photo gallery, leave another one bare.
Bringing natural elements into your interior decorating can help create a relaxing atmosphere. You should consider using natural materials such as rock, brick, sea shells, sea salt, water and wood. You may also want to bring plant life into your home to help freshen the air. To improve natural lighting in your home, you should consider opening your windows as well as using natural mood lighting. By using natural materials, plants and light, you can create a fresh and relaxing interior décor.
Method 1 Using Natural Materials.
Decorate with sea shells. Bring home some sea shells from your next beach vacation or purchase them at a home decorating store. You could use sea shells to make a variety of decorations such as a glass jar with sea shells, a picture frame or a candle holder.
Try creating a glass jar with sea shells. Collect some of your favorite shells and arrange them in a glass jar. Place the glass jar on a mantle place or on top of a shelf. They will remind you of the relaxing smells and sounds of your beach vacation.
Buy reclaimed wood chairs and tables. You can find beautiful furniture made from reclaimed wood. Wood previously used in barns, houses or other architecture is used to make chairs and tables. You can find reclaimed wood chairs and tables at design stores, antique shops or online.
Purchase unfinished wood furniture. You could buy unfinished chairs, tables or other wooden furniture and then apply your own finish. You can find unfinished wooden furniture online or at wholesale shops. Apply natural stains such as linseed oil or paint it to match your color scheme.
You can find unfinished wood furniture at online retailers and some hardware stores. Whereas some retailers are focused on more contemporary designs, other retailers sell very traditional designs. You can also piece together the parts you need by going to specialty retailers for table legs or other furniture components, which you would then assemble yourself.
Put driftwood on your coffee table or mantle place. Search for driftwood the next time you are close to a beach or lake. When you find a nice piece of driftwood, you can cut it to size and then place it on your coffee table to remind yourself of the place you visited.
If it is covered in dirt or moss, you may need to clean it.
You could wrap twinkle lights around the branches during the holidays.
Create a rock terrarium. You could find or purchase some stones and place them in a decorative bowl. You can purchase stones from a home living store or a precious stones shop. If you go on vacation to a rocky beach, you could collect your own stones. Arrange your stones in a small bowl and place it on your dining room table.
Consider wood flooring. Wood flooring is a great option for adding natural elements to your home, especially if you are in the process of renovating. Choose from pine, oak or other hardwood flooring options. You could also add section of wood flooring to a small area of your house. Solid hardwood, engineered hardwood and prefinished hardwood are common options.
Expose brick walls in your house. If you have brick walls, consider exposing them so that you get to see the natural décor of brick. Brick is made from clay, mud and water, which is fired at high temperatures. It has a nice texture and can give a room a very natural feel. You could make an accent wall with exposed brick and then paint the other walls in your house.
If you cannot alter the walls in your home, you could make a brick decoration. For instance, you could purchase a few bricks and stack them in front of a wall or use them to make a bookshelf.
Add a water element to your home décor. Install a slate water wall in one of your rooms to add the soothing feel of a waterfall to your home. If a slate water wall sounds too pricey, consider placing a small water fountain on your deck or on your living room table. You can find water fountains in a variety of sizes and shapes.
You can find water fountains at home décor, online retailers and some larger hardware stores.
Indoor water fixtures range from approximately $200 to $2500.
There are many different types of fountains such as tabletop fountains, fountains that sit on the floor and water fixtures that hang on a wall.
Method 2 Bringing Plant Life into Your Home Décor.
Plant an herb garden in your kitchen. An indoor herb garden will bring the smells and tastes of the garden into your kitchen. It also makes cooking a lot easier. Start by finding a sunny window such as a south or southwest facing window. Place your herbs in small pots on the windowsill and remember to put a saucepan underneath to catch drainage. Enjoy sage, rosemary, basil or other herbs in your kitchen.
Avoid north facing windows for indoor kitchen herb gardens. They do not provide enough light.
Add a spider plant to your bedroom. Spider plants look great in a hanging basket by a window. They have pretty green and yellow stems. They are very easy to maintain. They require bright or moderate amounts of sun.
Water occasionally when they are new and then moderately after one year.
Put a succulent in your living room. A succulent will add a nice flourish to your living room. Consider placing a few succulents on your mantle place, living room table or on side tables. You could make a succulent center piece for your living room table. On another table, you could put glass jars with sand and air plants or succulents on top.
Use cacti in your living spaces. You could place a small cactus on your home office table. If you are more ambitious, you could create a small cactus garden with different sized and shaped cacti in your living room. Play around with the shapes and sizes of the cacti. It might be best to place the small cacti in front of the larger cacti, so you get a sense of depth in your cactus garden.
Get weekly flower delivery. You can purchase a weekly flower delivery service so that you can look forward to fresh cut flowers every week. This is a great option if you live in a rental apartment. Talk to your florist about the kinds of flowers you enjoy and ask about the availability of seasonal varieties.
Method 3 Adding Light to Your Home.
Get more light into your home by opening up the windows. Remove old curtains or replace old windows that don’t let enough light into your house or apartment. With new windows and curtains that let more light into your home, you will feel a lot more connected to nature and the outdoors.
Consider purchasing natural linen or cotton curtains.
Consider the style of curtain you would like to purchase such as sill curtains, which go to the windowsill, or apron curtains that go over the windowsill. Floor curtains go all the way to the floor.
Add windows to your home. You may want to add a few windows to your apartment or house. Consider whether there are any parts of the house or apartment that would offer a nice view of the outdoors such as a pond or a forest. Also, consider what size of window would make sense and the price of the renovations.
Consider purchasing wooden, double-hung windows. This type of window will cost you a bit more up front but should save you money in electricity costs in the long run while adding a natural look to home.
Add a salt rock lamp to your bedroom. Himalayan salt rock lamps are great for mood lighting in your bedroom or living room. They have a soft glow and have a range of purported health benefits. Made from natural sea salts, they are a nice way to bring some natural light into your home.
Use a natural candle holder. You can find beeswax candles and Himalayan sea salt candle holders. Place some candles in natural candle holders in your living room or bedroom for natural mood lighting.
Warnings.
If you have pets or small children, you should avoid certain house plants such as philodendron, pothos, arrowhead, lily, peace lily, dieffenbachia, oleander, caladium, mother-in-law’s tongue and ivy.
When decorating your home office on a budget, try to be as creative and resourceful as possible. Make your own shelving to inexpensively create storage and workspace areas. Look around your home and repurpose furniture you already own. Customize those pieces to maximize their use-value and aesthetics. If you do need to buy new pieces, look for gently used items at consignment shops, estate or yard sales, and surplus stores. Maximize your efficiency and make your office a pleasing place to work with inexpensive accessories and organizational habits.
Method 1 Choosing Affordable Office Furniture.
1. Repurpose furniture from other areas in your home. Office furniture typically makes up the bulk of the decor budget. Do your best to reuse pieces from other areas in your home in order to increase savings. Look for customizable items that can offer both design solutions and a personal touch.
For example, you can use a sturdy coffee table to provide a seating area that doubles as storage space. Find inexpensive cushions or even a pet bed large enough to cover the tabletop in the clearance section of a home decor store. Place woven baskets or other storage bins you might have on hand under the coffee table to store files, books, or other necessities.
If you have an extra dresser on hand, put it in the office to store supplies and paperwork. Consider downsizing your wardrobe to free up a storage piece in your bedroom.
Or, repurpose a kitchen or dining table as a desk. This will give you plenty of space to arrange your equipment (computer, printer, etc.) and work materials.
2. Use shelving to solve storage, workspace, and cost limitations. Create your own shelving with affordable wood panels and brackets from the hardware store if you have basic woodworking skills. Alternatively, you can look for deals at department stores or online. Inexpensive shelving can not only offer storage solutions, it can also provide you with desk space, which can be among the costliest office furniture pieces.
Run shelving horizontally along an entire wall for multiple workstations. Use the area underneath for storage containers, a trash bin, and office equipment like a printer or shredder.
To create bookcases, stack shelves horizontally on top of one another 12 inches (30 cm) apart. Add file folders, baskets, and other storage containers along with your books.
3. Purchase gently used furniture to cut your budget. If you do need to purchase a desk, file storage, or other office furniture look around for good second-hand pieces. Search online for estate sales in your area, and look for local organizations that host estate sales. Check websites for options to sign up for email lists so you won’t have to drive around your city looking for sales.
Look around consignment shops, thrift stores, and furniture surplus stores in your area for deals on items that fit your taste and needs.
Make sure you have your space’s measurements on hand, and bring a tape measure with you to be sure you purchase items that fit your office.
Get creative with your use of second-hand items. For instance, use a buffet table to house your printer or turn a large basket into a decorative trash can.
4. Remember that an ergonomic chair is important. If there’s one office furniture item to spend a bit of money on, it’s the chair. Sitting for long periods of time is tough on your back, legs, and overall health, so look for an ergonomic office chair that fits your budget.
You may be able to great a great deal on an ergonomic chair from a company that’s going out of business, such as an office building or doctor’s office.
Look for a form-fitting chair that offers both sturdiness and flexibility. Go for height adjustable options that offer lumbar, neck, and head support.
A new ergonomic chair can cost thousands of dollars, but with some patience, you can find a secondhand option for a fraction of that price.
Using a kitchen chair or other uncomfortable option might be a decent solution while you look for a good budget-friendly piece, but it’ll compromise your productivity and health in the long run.
5. Mix up pieces instead of purchasing a matching set. Purchasing a matching office furniture suite might offer a quick decor fix, but will drastically increase your cost. Be patient as you furnish your office using a mix of repurposed and secondhand items. It might take a matter of months, but you’ll end up saving hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.
In addition to drastically reducing your budget, avoiding a matching suite will also give your workspace a more personal feel.
Method 2 Accessorizing Your Home Office.
1. Avoid splurging on accessories. There’s really no need to spend much money on office accessories, if any at all. Look around your house for items like framed photographs, houseplants, and knickknacks to add some personality to your workspace without spending money.
This is another opportunity to repurpose items. For example, use a pretty rock as a paperweight and cut a few flowers from your garden to put in a vase on your desk.
Given a little time, you’ll probably accumulate more accessories than you need. You might receive a gift like a stress ball or Zen garden to place in your office on your next birthday or holiday. If you have kids, they might make you something in school you can put on your desk.
2. Create your own large-scale wall designs. Instead of spending hundreds on office art, you can paint your office’s walls a bright color, and create a focal wall using painter’s tape to make stripes or by putting up wall decals. Consider designating a large wall area as a blackboard brainstorming area, using inexpensive chalkboard paint to create it.
Affordable wall decor options also include your diploma or certificates. You can also print out and frame inspirational quotes or sayings.
Check out second-hand stores for inexpensive framed art or prints that match your taste.
Choose patterns and colors that both motivate and relax you. Avoid using too many dark colors, which can lead to decreased productivity.
3. Prioritize function when choosing lighting accessories. Ensure you have enough light to see well so you don’t strain your eyes. To improve both efficiency and aesthetics, you’ll need lighting options other than the room’s overhead light. However, you don’t have to break your bank by purchasing top of the line lighting accessories.
For your desk, consider reusing a small lamp from elsewhere in your home.
Look around consignment shops or home decor or department stores’ clearance sections for reduced-price floor and desk lamps.
Try to provide two to three lighting accessories so you can customize the room’s light levels. Including more lighting options is better for your eyes and improves the room’s feel. Warmer, shaded sources of light like desk and floor lamps are preferable to fluorescent overhead lighting.
Method 3 Maximizing Efficiency on a Budget.
1. Make sure that you only have to spend money on decor. The first way to stick to a low budget when designing an office space is to choose a room that doesn't require a significant amount of structural work. There are only so many design solutions you can achieve through decor alone. Think about how the room’s layout and level of finish will contribute to your efficiency.
For example, when you choose your office space, make sure the room has enough electrical outlets for your needs. Two outlets and affordable power strips should allow you to plug in your computer, printer, cell phone charger, at least two light sources in addition to the overhead light, and any other objects that require electricity.
An interior room without a window might make you less likely to want to work in that room, thus decreasing your productivity. Likewise, budget-friendly decor options can’t do much for an unfinished basement room. Make sure your space is clean and free of leaks or structural issues in order to encourage efficiency.
Even a nook in your bedroom or living room can offer more inexpensive, ergonomic, and efficient options than a larger spare room lacking outlets, insulation, multiple light sources, and other necessities.
2. Go for budget-friendly storage options instead of minimalism. From planning your budget to picking out furniture and accessories, your number one priority should be storage. A minimalist office look might be trendy, but splurging on stylish decor options that lack storage will max out your budget, decrease your efficiency, and limit your ability to keep the space organized.
Take the time to declutter and organize your things so you only store what you actually need.
Keep your budget in check by optimizing the storage space you already have available. If you're using a spare bedroom as an office, use the closet for storage to hide clutter. Install shelving for better organization if there aren’t any already present.
Ensuring everything in your office has a designated place and keeping your spaced organized are among the easiest and most affordable ways to maximize your efficiency.
3. Improve productivity with inexpensive candles and air fresheners. Making sure your office smells nice is among the most budget-friendly ways to increase efficiency. Believe it or not, recent studies suggest a more fragrant office not only improves comfort, but encourages productivity.
Experiments show that scents including lavender, rosemary, jasmine, and lemon encourage efficiency.
Remember inexpensive candles, oil diffusers, and other fragrant accessories can also be visually pleasing additions to your home office. You can choose scents that relax you or energize you, depending on your preferences and mood.
Looking for an inexpensive way to spruce up your living space? Consider picking out furniture and other decorations with a rustic chic aesthetic. Things like wood, metal, burlap and natural materials can lend a rugged, time-worn look to any home. You can deck out whole rooms with rustic chic decor to create a sense of quiet coziness, or mix and match with modern pieces for a progressive look that defies the decades.
Method 1 Redesigning Your Living Space.
Make the best use of your space. Before you get too eager to shop for new pieces, scan the room you’re planning on decorating. Take note of its size, layout, flooring, walkways, doors, windows, cabinets and other features. The rustic furnishings you pick out should be appropriate for the specific look of each room so that the new atmosphere feels like a natural extension.
Some pieces will look better in certain places than others. Whenever you’re picking out your decor, trust your instincts when deciding where in your home or room it should go.
If you could use a fresh set of eyes, seek out the professional opinion of an interior designer.
Stick with a neutral color scheme. Rustic chic decor is by definition muted and minimal. Forget about bright colors, elaborate patterns or gleaming burnished fixtures. Instead, focus on monochromatic pieces in complementary hues and materials. This basic setting will act as a blank canvas so that you can add personality later by using smaller decorations.
Appliances and fixtures in dark, plain shades will go with a wider range of items.
Vary your tones between rooms. The sun room will benefit from light shades like pine and cream, while the bedroom or study can be done in dark grays, browns and blacks with splashes of color.
Keep furnishings simple. Simplistic items are wonderful on their own, but too many of them can easily start to look busy. Resist the urge to incorporate more and more into a room. Get a few essential pieces, like a maple coffee table or a rich brown leather loveseat, and let them speak for themselves.
Limiting the number of pieces in a given room also helps maximize your space.
A room full of items in all the same style or shade can quickly become monotonous.
Replace tired pieces. If you’re having trouble planning an updated layout for the room or deciding on the perfect spot for new decorations, one good place to start would be getting furniture and accessories that you don’t want anymore. Dull, uninteresting items can be sold, donated or discarded to make room for fresh finds. Assuming you’re not ready to part with a particular piece just yet, you could also have it reupholstered and appreciate it from a new perspective.
Sometimes even small changes can make a big difference. You might not have to totally overhaul your living space in order to breathe new life into it.
Give your old furniture a new home in another room, or store it until you find another use for it.
Method 2 Working with Different Materials.
Show off natural wood finishes. Wood is the ultimate staple of rustic chic style. It’s sturdy, idyllic and, best of all, goes with everything. Oak, cedar, mahogany and walnut are all excellent choices for wood furnishings. To complete the rustic aesthetic, look for pieces with attractive staining, irregular angles and other unique touches like bits of preserved bark.
You can find almost every major piece of furniture for your household in one type of wood or another.
Choose paints and stains that don’t distract from the innate beauty of the wood.
Accent with aged metals. On the flipside of sleek, contemporary styles, old-fashioned metals, such as wrought iron, copper and even artificially-rusted tin can instantly give your surroundings an air of dignified antiquity. Because of their shabby chic characteristics, raw and distressed metals are best used sparingly to offset woods and other finishes.
Lamps, bookends and table legs are good places to weave in metal accents.
Use vintage metal containers in the kitchen in place of traditional ceramic jars.
Incorporate elements of nature. When it comes time to cover the walls or fill up blank space, take cues from the great outdoors. Accentuate end tables and alcoves with decorations made from stone, fur or even faux ivory or tortoise shell. Your living space will have just the right amount of wildness while still looking like it leapt off the pages of a storybook.
If you live near scenic surroundings, switch to a more “exposed” layout with uncovered windows and natural lighting to bring a glimpse of the outside in.
Make sure you’re buying from humane sources. Imitation fur and other materials look like the real thing, but are both ethical and sustainable.
Finish with gorgeous quaint accessories. Put the finishing touches on a room with the same types of items you would ordinarily use to ornament your home, but with a twist—here is where unique fabrics and designs will come into play. Smaller accessories are also the best place to work fanciful designs into the room’s furnishings.
Instead of ordinary throw blankets and pillowcases, go with more eye-catching variations like Navajo or wove saddle blankets and beadwork pillows.
A beeswax candle or wind-up clock will make for a tasteful nightstand display, while blown glass bowls and vases can be substituted for a lifeless dining room centerpiece.
Method 3 Finding Rustic Chic Decor.
Visit your local furniture store. There’s no need to venture all the way to the Alaskan frontier or remote outposts of the Rockies in order to find good looking accoutrements. The rustic look is in, so it shouldn’t be hard to track down a few things that suit your preferences at major home goods stores. You’ll have the most luck when shopping for bigger items like tables, chairs and bedding in these places.
Chain stores like Crate and Barrel, Hobby Lobby and Pottery Barn specialize in rustic home decor.
Furniture outlets tend to charge more, so if you don’t like the idea of paying as much, thrift stores and DIY distressing techniques may be the way to go.
Go thrift shopping. It’s not uncommon to stumble upon forgotten treasures at secondhand stores and vintage boutiques. These are often items that you can’t find anywhere else, and you’re guaranteed a good deal. If you’re remodeling on a budget or looking for one-of-a-kind pieces, a thrift store may be your best bet.
Many old pieces will be ready to display in your home as-is.
Be sure to check beck regularly, as store inventories change constantly.
Distress plain pieces. Rather than scouring various stores and shops for wares with the right rustic vibe, buy furniture and accessories new and modify them yourself at home. Distressing furniture is fast, fun and could hardly be easier. All you need are a few basic tools like paint thinner, sandpaper and specialty paints and brushes. When you’re finished, you’ll have a collection of items that are truly one-of-a-kind.
Painted wood furniture can be weathered to expose the beautiful grain underneath, and metal objects can be strategically rusted or painted over with a matte finish.
Change out the hardware on any dressers or cabinets you happen to come across to customize their appearance.
Repurpose old items. For those little extra touches, look no further than your own attic or garage. Most homes are loaded with scraps of materials that are infinitely useful if applied correctly. For instance, you could use a roll of butcher’s twine to wrap drawer pulls and cabinet handles, wire lanterns for indoor lighting or frame an assortment of old fishing hooks to make wall art that’s anything but commonplace. With a few innovative ideas, you’ll start seeing your junk drawer in a whole new light!
If you have a certain item that you want to use but it doesn’t quite go with the rest of your furnishings, try painting, sanding or distressing it to make it a better visual fit.
Get creative! As your own personal interior decorator, you’re only limited by the scope of your imagination.
Tips.
No matter where you live, you can bring a sense of humble elegance and timelessness to your home by outfitting it in a rustic style.
Come up with an estimated budget that you’re willing and able to spend before you embark on your redecorating project.
Add to and take away bits of your current decor over time to let the look of your home gradually evolve.
Break up the neutral theme of rustic decor with fresh flowers, potted plants, hanging ferns and other greenery.
Head down to a superstore like Walmart and Target to pick up small, inexpensive odds and ends that help tie everything together.
Browse craft websites like Etsy and Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration on how to decorate your home.
Warnings.
Beware of lead-based paints on vintage finds. Lead paint has a tendency to flake off when it ages and can be dangerous to inhale or ingest.
Home decor in general is, of course, a matter of personal taste, so when you're looking to decorate the house for winter, the best guide to follow is your own gut. However, an important first step is to decide which areas to focus on, both in your home overall and then within each room. Finding ways to emphasize warmth will then make your home that much comfier during the coldest months. And for those of you who take your shoes off indoors, layering rugs during the winter is a further way to add warmth while adding seasonal variety to your decor.
Deciding Where and How to Decorate.
Choose which rooms to decorate. If you have the budget, time, and inclination to overhaul your home entirely, feel free to go wild. If not, however, prioritize rooms that see the most use. Don't waste time and money on, say, your bedroom, which hardly anyone but you will see. Instead, focus on areas like your.
Living room.
Family room.
Dining room.
Kitchen.
Bathroom(s).
Pick a color scheme. If you're a purist, bring the outside in with seasonal colors that emphasize cold. If, on the other hand, you want to make your home a comfy hideaway from the elements, go the opposite route with warm colors. There's no right or wrong, so follow your instincts and please your own taste.
Cold color schemes include white paired with either blue, burgundy, emerald, gray, plum, or silver.
Warm colors also include white, as well as browns, reds, and yellows.
To find colors that match your paint, furniture, and other decor, use online color palettes.
Add seasonal decorations. If you celebrate Christmas, you're probably already starting the winter off by decorating for that. But whether or not you celebrate that holiday, search the aisles or online for decorations that don't tie directly into the holiday. Use these to decorate your home throughout the winter season, even after you've packed all the Santa stuff away.
Items to look for include figurines, framed pictures, snow globes, wreaths, and garland.
Neutral designs include snowmen, sleighs, winter villages, and bare or snow-covered evergreens.
Use small touches to drive winter home. Again, if you want to go hog-wild about it, feel free to make your home a winter wonderland with any number of appropriately themed decorations. But if time, budget, and space is limited, use them wisely. Consider:
Choosing one fanciful item to stand out as a seasonal centerpiece in a given area, like a model winter village to top a mantelpiece, bureau, or window seat.
Replacing everyday items with seasonally decorated ones, like dish- or hand towels, salt and pepper shakers, and placemats.
Investing in seasonal pillow cases, blankets, comforters, and/or even sofa- and armchair covers to quickly punch up areas like bedrooms, living rooms, and dens.
Choose decorations that transition from season to season. Between school and holidays, both fall and winter can be busy times of year, so plan ahead to minimize work. As you decorate for each season and/or holiday, use items that will still be appropriate as you roll over to the next so you can minimize work. For instance:
Red, yellow, orange, and brown scream autumn when bunched together, but each is a warm color that can help make your winter home more inviting. Say you decorated your living room with throw pillows in all four colors for fall. Simply take away the yellow and orange ones and leave the red and brown pillows.
Hanging wreaths with bare branches is a popular way to decorate for both fall and winter. Simply swap the autumn leaves with more winter-appropriate flair like holly leaves, oranges, or leaves painted in cool colors like blue or silver.
Evergreen garland and pine cones are Christmas favorites, but on their own they work just as well for the whole winter.
Making Your Space Feel Warm and Cozy.
Provide literal warmth with fire. If your house has one, use your fireplace! Rearrange the furniture to make the hearth the centerpiece of that room. Make a blazing fire a daily, nightly, or weekly ritual with your loved ones.
If your fireplace is inoperable, stack some bright firewood in the rack anyway to suggest the idea of a nice warm fire.
Set out candles. Whether or not you have a fireplace, light candles to add the flickering glow of flames to your home. Choose candlesticks or holders that enhance the winter theme either by color, design, or both. Enhance the effect by burning scented candles that fill the house with pleasing smells that highlight the season.
Gold or brass candlesticks provide warm colors and reflective surfaces, enhancing the light and suggestion of warmth.
Mugs, bowls, and jars filled with readymade candles and decorated with seasonal designs are also widely available.
Popular scents for winter include cinnamon, cloves, oranges, pine cones, and various types of wood.
Alternatively, you can also use LED candles if you're worried about fire risks or forbidden to use candles.
Add throws to seating areas. Drape throw blankets over the backs of your couches and armchairs. Arrange throw pillows in the corners of each one, too. If you have an accent chair, pile extras on the seat so family, roommates, and guests can help themselves as needed. Don't be mingy with them; the more, the better!
Choose neutral-colored throw pillows and blankets to use year-round. This way, you can easily dress up each seating area with just a couple of new winter-themed blankets and/or pillows.
Change your curtains. Make an instant dramatic change to your home by hanging curtains selected especially for winter. Choose whichever color or design highlights the season best for your tastes, but favor thick, heavy fabrics to suggest more warmth and protection from the cold outside. For the best insulation, choose thermal curtains, which are designed to prevent heat from escaping while also blocking drafts from the windows.
If you miss the sunlight in winter and still want to let it in without keeping the drapes shut all day, you can also find thermal-backed vertical blinds that allow more light to pass through with minimal heat loss.
Layering Rugs for Extra Coziness.
Determine the best spaces to layer rugs. Assess how much visibility the floor area receives in each room. Favor open areas over small, cramped ones. Use layered rugs where they will stand out and be noticed, rather than areas where furniture blocks them from view.
Larger rooms like the living room or den are generally ideal for this. Depending on the square footage and the amount of furniture inside, master bedrooms can also be a likely candidate.
Layered rugs can also be used in smaller spaces with little or no furniture, like hallways or bathrooms. However, expect rugs to possibly wear out faster here due to concentrated foot traffic.
Select your rugs. Maybe you're buying both at once, or perhaps you're trying to pair a new rug with one that you already own. Either way, make sure the base rug and accent rug complement each other. Make your selections according to.
Size: whether you're choosing an accent rug, base rug, or both, aim to have at least one foot (30.5 cm) of the base rug revealed along each side of the accent rug. With the base rug, always err on the side of too big if you're unsure of how large a rug you should select.
Supporting role versus starring role: favor neutral rugs for your base. Let the accent rug shine by choosing a base rug that won't upstage it. At the same time, make life easier by going with a base rug that can be used year-round while you switch accent rugs by season.
Contrast: make the accent rug pop out even more by pairing it with a base rug that contrasts it. Use color, pile height, shape, texture, or a combination of these features to make your selections more eye-catching.
Lay out your rugs. For areas like hallways or bathrooms without furniture, simply center the rugs in the open floor space. In more heavily furnished rooms, use your rugs to define specific spaces within that room, such as a sitting area in your living room, or the desk area in your home office. This may take a little trial-and-error depending on the sizes of your rugs, the open space available, and the surrounding furniture. For example.
One rule of thumb is to cover at least two feet (61 cm) of both rugs with the furniture surrounding it. Let's say your rug is being placed at the foot of a single 3-seat sofa in the living room, with no other surrounding furniture. As long as you're happy with the amount of rug visible, this should be fine.
Now let's say you're framing the rugs with an L-shaped couch. Covering two feet on either side of the base rug may look fine, but doing the same to a small accent rug may not. Here, you may want to pull the accent rug out from underneath on one or both sides..
Now say that you also have a coffee table to go with your L-shaped couch. If it's solid wood (as opposed to glass and see-through), you may wish to pull either the accent rug or both rugs further out from underneath the couch so they are more visible.
Spending as much time in your home as you probably do, soothing home decor will make it easier for you to unwind and relax. You can use soothing furnishings, like plush furniture and items that imitate nature, to create this effect. You'll also need to select a soothing color scheme by doing things like choosing cool tones for your base color and toning down colors that are too bright. Last but not least, you'll have to account for existing factors in your home, by doing things like integrating your design with its intended function and balancing design choices with lighting.
Method 1 Using Soothing Furnishings.
1. Decorate with plush, inviting furniture. Hard, spartan furniture can look uninviting from the very first glance. Furniture that is elegant, well upholstered, and luxuriously stuffed will make you, your family, and visiting friends want to sit down and relax.
Some examples of plush furniture might include things like comfy upholstered chairs, well-stuffed couches, inviting love seats, fluffy ottomans, and so on.
These kinds of items can sometimes be expensive. If you're not ready to make this purchase, buy soft, cozy throw pillows to add to your furniture.
Many pieces of gently used furniture can be bought at a fraction of the price at secondhand stores, though you might have to patiently search these for these until they come in stock.
2. Use items that imitate nature. As appealing as sleek, futuristic designs can be, natural features encourage happiness, comfort, and well-being. To accomplish this, add some houseplants or a living wall to your home. Some other ideas for adding a natural vibe to your living space include:
Choosing wood-accented furnishings and decorations, especially dark colored wood. This will create a warm feel while adding contrast to the room.
Art from natural scenes can also add to the organic atmosphere of a room. Art can sometimes be pricey; find inexpensive art at secondhand stores and thrift shops.
3. Avoid too many sharp edges. Sharp edges give a clean, geometric, well defined impression to a room. It's only natural for the furniture of your room to have some edges, but too many of these can make a room feel aggressive, in a manner of speaking.
Furniture with flowing lines and rounded edges can really soften the character of a room and make it feel more relaxed.
Some examples of furniture without sharp edges might include rounded edged bookshelves, seating with softened edges (like couches and chairs that don't come to a point at the edges), coffee tables with blunted edges, and so on.
4. Account for lighting. Natural light has a direct positive effect on your mood. Use curtains that decorate your windows without cutting off too much natural light. Add mirrors to a room to encourage the spread of natural light throughout the space.
The "temperature" of lighting refers to its tone. Light that is very white is said to have a "cool" temperature, while light that is somewhat orange is said to be "warm."
Light that is too cool can make a room feel stark or clinical. Use warm temperature lighting to cozy up rooms you are decorating.
5. Install a water feature. Water is associated with a sense of calmness, clarity, and meditation. You can bring these feelings into your home when decorating by adding a water feature, like a small bubbling fountain or a trickling water wall.
If buying a brand new water feature is outside your budget, you might opt for a noisemaker that can make water effects or even a CD with water sounds playing in the background.
Similar to the regular, metrical noises water makes, the sound of ticking can also have a calming effect. If this is true for you, a clock may be a soothing alternative to a water feature.
Method 2 Selecting a Soothing Color Scheme.
1. Utilize cool tones in your color scheme. Cool tones are green, blue, and violet. These colors, and shades of these, generally promote a soothing feeling. By choosing one of these colors for the base of your color scheme, you can replicate this soothing effect. Avoid overusing too many cool tones, otherwise your room may feel cold and lifeless.
Use green as a base if, in addition to a soothing impression, you also want to convey a sense of rejuvenation or growth.
Blue, when used as your base color, will add a light and refreshing feeling, especially lighter shades of blue. Darker shades communicate a calm sense of dignity.
Violet is the warmest of the cool tones, giving it a vital feeling. It also carries the impression of serenity. Avoid overusing violet to prevent its warmth from detracting from its serene aspect.
2. Tone down bright colors according to your taste. Bright colors carry a sense of energy. Using bright colors is a good way to balance cool tones so that the overall effect isn't cold and drab. However, you may need to tone down some bright colors to prevent them from throwing off the balance of your color scheme.
When painting, you can soften colors that are too vibrant by adding a little white to them or dull them with some black. Be sure you only mix together the same kinds of paint. Different brands/types of paint may be impossible to mix due to their ingredients.
For example, you can create a cool, refreshing atmosphere with a base of cyan, dark blue, and black. Accent these with beige and a muted red. The red should give this color scheme an upbeat feel.
3. Accentuate a soft, open feel with pastel colors. Whereas bright colors can be softened with the addition of small amounts of white, adding a substantial amount of white creates a "washed out" effect in a color. This is the basis of pastel colors.
These soft colors create a wide open effect that's useful in smaller spaces. Pastels also impart a comfortable and airy atmosphere.
For example, in a child's play room, you might use a pastel blue as the primary color to give the sense of being under a soft blue sky, and then combine this with pastel green to add a vital feeling to the color scheme.
4. Create depth in your color scheme. Neutral colors, like white, gray, and black work with most other colors, when used as accents, and are great for adding definition to your color scheme. Earth tones, like beige, brown, and shades of umber and ochre are also sometimes considered neutral colors.
Earth tones tend to add sense of warmth to a color scheme. Beyond this, the natural sense evoked by these colors can bring with them a feeling of tranquility.
Method 3 Accounting for Existing Factors.
1. Balance design choices with lighting. Rooms that have good lighting will clearly reveal the colors used in it. For this reason, bright rooms might need to be toned down a little with darker colors. Soft, light colors, however, work better for darker rooms.
The direction the windows in the room face also can have an effect on lighting. For example, if a room only receives evening light, this will generally be deeper in color and have a golden tint. This can give colors a muted tone.
Shadows may be cast by trees or outdoor features into the space you are decorating. Generally, you can expect shadows to have a darkening effect on your color scheme. Use lighter cool tones in this case.
2. Integrate your design with its intended function. Matching your decorating choices to suit the function of a place can make them feel more fitting. For example, even though red isn't traditionally considered soothing, it stimulates appetite, making it an excellent color to add to restaurants, dining rooms, and so on.
Green and shades of this color are great for sitting rooms, family spaces, and even offices.
The natural, soft feeling given from earth tones make these a strong choice for places like bedrooms or rooms without windows.
Dark colors, like blacks, grays, and earth tones can add definition to a room without becoming distracting. These are great colors to use in an office or reading room.
3. Coordinate with the existing features of your home. You'll likely have to plan your interior decorating around some existing features of your home. For example, re-flooring your home might not be an option, so you'll have to make design choices that match well with your current flooring. Other features you may have to integrate with your design include:
Cabinetry, wall color, fixtures (includes outlets, sink fixtures, door knobs, and so on), countertops, sills, and more.
Spending as much time in your home as you probably do, soothing home decor will make it easier for you to unwind and relax. You can use soothing furnishings, like plush furniture and items that imitate nature, to create this effect. You'll also need to select a soothing color scheme by doing things like choosing cool tones for your base color and toning down colors that are too bright. Last but not least, you'll have to account for existing factors in your home, by doing things like integrating your design with its intended function and balancing design choices with lighting.
Method 1 Using Soothing Furnishings.
Decorate with plush, inviting furniture. Hard, spartan furniture can look uninviting from the very first glance. Furniture that is elegant, well upholstered, and luxuriously stuffed will make you, your family, and visiting friends want to sit down and relax.
Some examples of plush furniture might include things like comfy upholstered chairs, well-stuffed couches, inviting love seats, fluffy ottomans, and so on.
These kinds of items can sometimes be expensive. If you're not ready to make this purchase, buy soft, cozy throw pillows to add to your furniture.
Many pieces of gently used furniture can be bought at a fraction of the price at secondhand stores, though you might have to patiently search these for these until they come in stock.
Use items that imitate nature. As appealing as sleek, futuristic designs can be, natural features encourage happiness, comfort, and well-being. To accomplish this, add some houseplants or a living wall to your home. Some other ideas for adding a natural vibe to your living space include:
Choosing wood-accented furnishings and decorations, especially dark colored wood. This will create a warm feel while adding contrast to the room.
Art from natural scenes can also add to the organic atmosphere of a room. Art can sometimes be pricey; find inexpensive art at secondhand stores and thrift shops.
Avoid too many sharp edges. Sharp edges give a clean, geometric, well defined impression to a room. It's only natural for the furniture of your room to have some edges, but too many of these can make a room feel aggressive, in a manner of speaking.
Furniture with flowing lines and rounded edges can really soften the character of a room and make it feel more relaxed.
Some examples of furniture without sharp edges might include rounded edged bookshelves, seating with softened edges (like couches and chairs that don't come to a point at the edges), coffee tables with blunted edges, and so on.
Account for lighting. Natural light has a direct positive effect on your mood. Use curtains that decorate your windows without cutting off too much natural light. Add mirrors to a room to encourage the spread of natural light throughout the space.
The "temperature" of lighting refers to its tone. Light that is very white is said to have a "cool" temperature, while light that is somewhat orange is said to be "warm."
Light that is too cool can make a room feel stark or clinical. Use warm temperature lighting to cozy up rooms you are decorating.
Install a water feature. Water is associated with a sense of calmness, clarity, and meditation. You can bring these feelings into your home when decorating by adding a water feature, like a small bubbling fountain or a trickling water wall.
If buying a brand new water feature is outside your budget, you might opt for a noisemaker that can make water effects or even a CD with water sounds playing in the background.
Similar to the regular, metrical noises water makes, the sound of ticking can also have a calming effect. If this is true for you, a clock may be a soothing alternative to a water feature.
Method 2 Selecting a Soothing Color Scheme.
Utilize cool tones in your color scheme. Cool tones are green, blue, and violet. These colors, and shades of these, generally promote a soothing feeling. By choosing one of these colors for the base of your color scheme, you can replicate this soothing effect. Avoid overusing too many cool tones, otherwise your room may feel cold and lifeless.
Use green as a base if, in addition to a soothing impression, you also want to convey a sense of rejuvenation or growth.
Blue, when used as your base color, will add a light and refreshing feeling, especially lighter shades of blue. Darker shades communicate a calm sense of dignity.
Violet is the warmest of the cool tones, giving it a vital feeling. It also carries the impression of serenity. Avoid overusing violet to prevent its warmth from detracting from its serene aspect.
Tone down bright colors according to your taste. Bright colors carry a sense of energy. Using bright colors is a good way to balance cool tones so that the overall effect isn't cold and drab. However, you may need to tone down some bright colors to prevent them from throwing off the balance of your color scheme.
When painting, you can soften colors that are too vibrant by adding a little white to them or dull them with some black. Be sure you only mix together the same kinds of paint. Different brands/types of paint may be impossible to mix due to their ingredients.
For example, you can create a cool, refreshing atmosphere with a base of cyan, dark blue, and black. Accent these with beige and a muted red. The red should give this color scheme an upbeat feel.
Accentuate a soft, open feel with pastel colors. Whereas bright colors can be softened with the addition of small amounts of white, adding a substantial amount of white creates a "washed out" effect in a color. This is the basis of pastel colors.
These soft colors create a wide open effect that's useful in smaller spaces. Pastels also impart a comfortable and airy atmosphere.
For example, in a child's play room, you might use a pastel blue as the primary color to give the sense of being under a soft blue sky, and then combine this with pastel green to add a vital feeling to the color scheme.
Create depth in your color scheme. Neutral colors, like white, gray, and black work with most other colors, when used as accents, and are great for adding definition to your color scheme. Earth tones, like beige, brown, and shades of umber and ochre are also sometimes considered neutral colors.
Earth tones tend to add sense of warmth to a color scheme. Beyond this, the natural sense evoked by these colors can bring with them a feeling of tranquility.
Method 3 Accounting for Existing Factors.
Balance design choices with lighting. Rooms that have good lighting will clearly reveal the colors used in it. For this reason, bright rooms might need to be toned down a little with darker colors. Soft, light colors, however, work better for darker rooms.
The direction the windows in the room face also can have an effect on lighting. For example, if a room only receives evening light, this will generally be deeper in color and have a golden tint. This can give colors a muted tone.
Shadows may be cast by trees or outdoor features into the space you are decorating. Generally, you can expect shadows to have a darkening effect on your color scheme. Use lighter cool tones in this case.
Integrate your design with its intended function. Matching your decorating choices to suit the function of a place can make them feel more fitting. For example, even though red isn't traditionally considered soothing, it stimulates appetite, making it an excellent color to add to restaurants, dining rooms, and so on.
Green and shades of this color are great for sitting rooms, family spaces, and even offices.
The natural, soft feeling given from earth tones make these a strong choice for places like bedrooms or rooms without windows.
Dark colors, like blacks, grays, and earth tones can add definition to a room without becoming distracting. These are great colors to use in an office or reading room.
Coordinate with the existing features of your home. You'll likely have to plan your interior decorating around some existing features of your home. For example, re-flooring your home might not be an option, so you'll have to make design choices that match well with your current flooring. Other features you may have to integrate with your design include.
Cabinetry, wall color, fixtures (includes outlets, sink fixtures, door knobs, and so on), countertops, sills, and more.
Mid-century modern style is a popular look that is both minimalistic and fun. The style is known for its retro furniture, romantic color schemes, and straight lines. You can take different approaches to styling your mid-century modern room depending on your personal style. Start by decluttering your house and maximising the natural light. Choose furniture and accessories that enhance the mid-century look, and keep an eye out in thrift stores and garage sales to find unique items at bargain prices.
Method 1 Changing the Basics.
1. Declutter your area. Whether you are decorating a bedroom, lounge, or a whole house, the area will look more mid-century modern if it is free from clutter. Remove any unnecessary items from surfaces, such as desks, benches, or tables. File any loose pieces of paper, throw out any rubbish, and keep books and magazines in one place. Place small objects, such as art supplies, stationery, or cleaning products, into boxes or cupboards.
Consider giving away any objects that don’t fit with the mid-century modern theme, such as any neon or sparkly items. Keep items like sturdy wooden frames and hardcover books. Just prepare to use them strategically.
Place a few candles on a dresser rather than a myriad of ornaments.
2. Paint the walls white and add a feature wall if you want a dash of colour. The majority of mid-century modern homes have white walls as this allows the statement pieces of furniture to stand out. Paint the interior walls white and if you want to brighten up a room, paint one wall a different colour.
For example, paint 3 walls in the dining room white and paint 1 wall pale pink. If you don’t like white, consider other neutral tones, such as light cream or grey.
The exception to this is areas where you have wooden wall panels, brick walls, or large feature windows. These were often centerpieces in mid-century homes and should be displayed and enhanced, not covered up.
Consider using wallpaper for your feature wall if you want it to have texture or pattern.
3. Open the curtains to maximize the natural light. Most houses get at least some light during the day. Make the most of the light to help create a mid-century modern feel. During the day, open all of the curtains in the house.
If you want some privacy during the day, consider purchasing sheer curtains. These give a light and breezy feel to the house whilst still giving privacy.
If there are any tall trees or hedges that are blocking the light shining through the windows, trim them back.
4. Incorporate wooden features into your home. A key focus of mid-century modern design is including wood into the home. Consider adding wooden flooring, a wooden bench top, or wooden doors to your house. Oak, walnut, and teak are popular types of wood used in mid-century modern design.
Use wooden laminate instead of wood to achieve a similar look at a cheaper price.
Wooden decor pieces such as wooden balls, wooden furniture legs and backs, and wood doors were all prevalent in mid-century homes.
Method 2 Choosing Furniture.
1. Choose a couch with straight lines and a bold colour. Couches and armchairs are big focal points in mid-century modern design. Pick a couch that has relatively straight arms and tall tapered legs instead of a couch with ornate rounded edges. Choose a bold colour to help the couch stand out.
A sea-blue couch paired with mustard cushions would be a great colour choice.
If a new couch doesn’t fit in your budget, consider adding a colourful throw to your current couch.
You can replace your couch's current legs with the quintessentially mid-century tapered wooden legs. These are available affordably from most home improvement stores, as well as online.
2. Add a mid-century style mirror as a statement piece. A mirror has the power to make a room look bigger and lighter. Place a large, round mirror opposite a door or window so that it can reflect the natural light around the room.
Consider choosing a sunburst mirror. These are an iconic accessory of the mid-century era. Find replicas online to save money, or search in thrift stores.
Alternatively, look for a mirror with a minimalist aesthetic. A large, circular mirror with a thin gold frame would also be great for a mid-century home.
Upcycle any mirrors you already have. If you have a mirror with a frame, repaint the frame to match the feature wall or lounge suite colours.
3. Add lamps, pendants, and soft lighting. Lighting is a key feature of the mid-century style. Choose lamps with thin stems to incorporate the clean and minimal lines of mid-century design. Pick pendants that attract focus and have sculptural elements. Look for floor lamps that arch over furniture. Choose bulbs that have more yellow tones rather than blue tones as this will create a softer look.
Consider using multiple lamps per room to create different pockets of light. Limit pendants to one per room as they are a dominant feature.
Look for pendants and lamps at garage sales to find unique designs at a bargain price.
4. Choose wooden furniture to give a natural look to the space. Choose shades of wood that mirror the colours of wood found in nature. Natural pines and medium-browns work well. Consider adding a wooden coffee table, wooden chairs, or wooden shelves. If you want more minimal amounts of wood, choose a couch with wooden legs.
If you have wooden furniture that has been painted, consider sanding off the paint to expose the natural wood.
Don’t be afraid to use laminate. This can create a wooden look at a lower price.
Look out for wooden furniture in thrift shops. This is a great way to get quality furniture at a lower price.
Method 3 Adding Accessories.
1. Place a few pieces of bold art on the walls. The mid-century modern style is fairly minimalistic. Avoid placing too much art on the walls and cluttering the space. It is best to pick a few favourite pieces for the walls in each room.
Large graphics painted with oil on canvas are a great mid-century option. Metal wall plaques fit with the theme.
Abstract metal and stone sculptures are also good artistic accessories for this style.
2. Choose indoor plants to bring a feeling of life to your space. A key theme of mid-century modern style is the blending of the indoors and outdoors. An easy way to achieve this look is by adding indoor plants to your rooms. Consider adding plants at different levels to bring a natural look. For example, place one plant in a hanging basket and another on a coffee table.
Peace lilies are a timeless looking plant that improve air quality. Cacti are another timeless option.
Plants with hanging vines or droopy leaves work best in hanging baskets.
Plants are integral to the mid-century look. If you can't keep real plants in your home, invest in some fake plants to get the look.
3. Choose bedding and pillows with bold patterns. Repeating patterns and geometric shapes are an iconic part of the mid-century decorating style. An affordable way to introduce these to your house is through accessories. Add patterned cushions to your bed or couch to bring detail and color to the rooms. Alternatively, pick a patterned bedspread that makes the bed the focal point of the room.
Avoid having patterns on both the bedspread and decorative pillows. Similarly, avoid pairing a patterned couch with patterned cushions. Patterns look best when paired with plain items.
Consider buying fabric and then the sewing cushion covers or bedspread yourself. This is a great way to find the pattern you want and save money. If you can’t sew, ask a friend or family member that has good sewing skills to help you.
4. Pick a neutral-coloured rug that has an interesting texture. Mixing different textures in your home is a great way to enhance the mid-century style. Look for a rug that has a different texture to the carpet and couches. Try to get a neutral-colored rug so that you don’t draw away from the furniture in the room.
A shaggy rug would work well in a space with a velvet couch. Sisal and jute rugs also compliment this style and are very durable.
Purchase a rug from a home department store or keep an eye out at garage sales.
Tips.
If you working with a low budget, keep an eye out for big sales throughout the year.
Search thrift shops to find authentic retro items.
The mid-century look is very popular, so you can find a lot of modern items made to fit the aesthetic. Take a look at your local discount home goods and furniture stores for inspiration.
Living in a house smaller than some people's walk-in closets may not be for everyone, but those who are able to do so reap many benefits for themselves and for the world around them. Here are some steps that may help you with choosing the best type of small house for you and how to simplify your life so living in a small house is enjoyable and not confining.
Steps.
1. Do your research. There are many types of tiny homes, from as small as 9 square feet up to 837 square feet. Look at the designs, which range from traditional to ultra-modern in design. Some incorporate off-the-grid designs like solar/wind power, rainwater collection, and composting toilets.
2. Decide what you need from your dwelling and what you want from your dwelling. Most people need a comfortable, dry, quiet place to sleep; a clean place to perform personal hygiene (toilet, shower); a comfortable place to sit or lie down during the day; a place to store, prepare, and eat food for the day. You may want other creature comforts such as long-term refrigerated food storage, a clothes washer and dryer etc. But think of combining these appliances in one machine. Do you really need a dryer or could you dry your clothes outside ?
3. Look at the benefits of "living small:" less space to clean; less pack-ratting of unneeded clothes, broken appliances, etc.; lower energy bills and a greener environmental footprint; fresher food that is purchased, caught, or harvested on a more daily basis; more time available for outdoor activities and entertaining; no need to sell your home when you relocate (if your tiny home is towable).
4. Realize that small houses cost more per square feet than large houses. Designing for smaller areas is more complex, as items such as built-in furniture have to be custom made to take advantage of all the space. Compact appliances sometimes cost much more than full sized appliances. If you are designing or building your own home on a trailer bed, you need to take plumbing (grey water and black water storage and disposal) into consideration.
5. Decide if you will build your own home from plans, or if you will buy an already made home new, or if you will buy a used home. There are also "kits" available which come with all or most of the supplies for building the house, along with instructions. The cheapest option for small living is to buy a well-maintained used RV or travel trailer. Craigslist usually will have several listings under $5000. You get the advantage of having something already designed and constructed, but you have the disadvantage of not being able to fully customize your home to your needs and wants.
6. Pare down your belongings: we spend about 80% of our time wearing 20% of the clothes we own, so by getting rid of most of that wasted 80%, your life becomes immediately simpler.less laundry and less indecision about what to wear that day. Instead of having 3 TVs, 2 computers, a VCR, DVD, Blu-Ray, and 3 different game stations, reduce to one computer--transfer your movies to a hard drive and a flat screen monitor can double as a TV. A laptop with a TV tuner is even more energy efficient.
7. Be creative about storage and multi-function furniture: a bed platform could have clothing storage drawers underneath. If you make a built-in sofa (without a bed) you can use the space underneath to store lots of things. A table can be made with shelves for storage underneath the table surface. Or you could design a table that folds out of the wall, then folds up and down to become a bed. Use broad, deep shelves (including built-in) and drawers, and wall and ceiling mounted items, to minimize the proportion of wasted space above, below, and around the edges of items (due to packing geometry or falling-off-the-edge risk). Consider metal furniture to reduce the amount of space consumed by the furniture itself.
Question : Is it true that in most states people not allowed to live in homes on wheels?
Answer : In North Carolina, as in most states, I think, the prohibition against tiny homes on wheels is county by county rather than state law. We know of at least two counties in Western North Carolina that are tiny-home-friendly, and two others that are not. It takes a lot of research to find a welcoming tiny home community in any state.
Question : Is a tiny house practical for a musician who plays a piano and flute and owns a lot of books and music?
Answer : Your walls will be your best friend for storing your books and for the acoustics of your flute. Although it may be difficult to fit a piano in a tiny house, they make small electric pianos that have very good sound.
Question : How do I locate a tiny homes in my area?
Answer : Your local realtors should have listings. The movement has gained so much momentum, so it shouldn't be hard to find one. Texas, Tennessee, Colorado, Washington state and Oregon have the most tiny homes for sale. Many states sell kits to build them yourself or sell the blueprint/plans for you to base your home off of.
Question : How does it work if I want to get internet in a tiny house?
Answer : It works the same as getting it anywhere else, as long as your house is electrically sound and accessible.
Tips.
To "test drive" tiny house living, you can rent an RV for a limited period of time (like six months) and get a feel for what you need - and don't need - in terms of space.
Build/design for your needs and prioritize your wants and add them one-by-one to the house until it is the perfect balance of desires and space.
Don't try to cram too much stuff into your small home--it will make it appear very cluttered. This goes double for furniture: a full size sofa, a king size bed, a 6-person dinette and a large Club chair or reclining lounger won't leave a lot of space for you to walk around. An armless sofa, double-size or queen-size bed in a loft, and a folding table with 2 folding chairs that would allow you to seat 4 for dinner (using the sofa as seating) is more reasonable.
Warnings.
Not everyone will share your enthusiasm for living small. They will think you to be a little crazy to live full-time in something that they would consider living in only for one or two weeks per year at the most. If you are dating or married, be sure you and your partner are in full agreement on the subject of small living. If you are planning to have kids, be sure you know what will happen to your house at that time: will you build another small house and connect them together, or will you build a brand new house?
Be careful about air quality in a tiny house. Particularly if the house is constructed very 'tight' against air infiltration for energy savings reasons, and also particularly if more than one person is living there, or with pets. In a larger home, the larger volume of air inside the home is protection against a build-up of CO2 in the air that the occupants are breathing. With a smaller volume of air, and if the home is very tightly constructed, mechanical ventilation may be needed to replenish fresh air and avoid headaches or other symptoms of poor air quality. Of course, during good weather you can just open a window. During the colder months, air-quality can suffer.
There is a substantial investment involved in building or buying a tiny home. Be sure you are physically and mentally prepared.
Check local zoning codes for restrictions on minimum room size and RV/manufactured housing on residential lots. Many codes restrict houses to at least one room of 120 square feet and other rooms of a minimum 70 square feet. Some require the house to be built on a minimum percentage of the lot. You may be able to get exceptions granted to you, but be aware that many communities see small houses as something that depresses property values. Other communities see well-built smaller houses as something good for their infrastructure--less strain on the electric, sewer, and fresh water systems--and welcome them.
Used RVs and manufactured housing are prone to water leaks, so check for any if you choose to buy something pre-owned. If you design or build your own house, be sure to pay attention for potentially damaging water leaks.
How to Determining If Bohemian Decor Is Right For You.
Choose a bohemian decor if you are an artistic type. Bohemian decor is a great choice for artistic people who like unconventional style. Since bohemian looks are mixing colors and patterns, you can easily express yourself with this style.
If you like sleek designs and simple styles, or you are very organized, this decor may not be for you.
If you don’t want a lot of color in your home, you may not want this style.
Go for bohemian decor if you like chaotic style. Bohemian decorated rooms and houses encompass a lot of different elements. These often do not match, have loud colors and designs, and can feel cluttered and chaotic. If this fits your style, bohemian decor is for you.
Determine where bohemian decor will fit in your home. This type of decor may not be appropriate for all rooms in your home. You may want to outfit your bedroom, your kitchen, your living room, or your entire home in this style.
Think about your family and your preferences before you choose this style.
Paint your furniture. bohemian style includes interesting furniture. You can get this look by painting your own furniture. Turn a boring table or dresser into a bohemian piece by painting it a bright color and adding accents to it.
For example, you may color the base of the dressed one color and paint each drawer a different accent color. Take a table and paint a geometric pattern on it. Take a chair, paint it, and add accents on the slats and the seat.
Make it cluttered. Bohemian-inspired rooms are very cluttered. They have many different pieces of furniture, including tables, chairs, and chests. Everything is next to one another, cramped, and overflowing with knick knacks, blankets, pillows, and rugs.
Don’t be afraid to put more furniture, accessories, and accents in the room.
Add bohemian window treatments and rugs. Rugs are an essential part of bohemian decor. You can add one rug in a bright design, or you can cover your entire floor in mix matched patterned rugs. Long flowing curtains in bold designs or made of textures like satin, silk, or lace finish off the bohemian look.
You may combine a window treatment and bed canopy by using part of the canopy around the windows.
Beading also makes a very bohemian window treatment.
Be creative and unique. The great thing about decorating in a bohemian style is that there is no right or wrong way to do it. You can choose any patterns, colors, or style. Pick pieces you like to put together.
Each room in each house is unique. Figure out what is important to you and what patterns and colors you enjoy. This is what you should include in your decorating style.
How to Decorate a Teen Girl's Bedroom on a Budget.
Decorating a teen girl's bedroom doesn't have to mean spending a ton of money on new furniture and accessories. All you need to do is choose a theme and colors, buy or modify furniture, rearrange a bit, and tidy up. Be creative, and a great room can be yours (or your daughter's) with a modest budget.
Part 1 Planning Your Design.
1. Choose a theme. The theme of your room can be just about anything, from a fairy princess theme to an underwater theme. If you don't want to go too crazy with a theme, just pick a color theme consisting of two or three complementary colors.
If you need some help choosing colors that go well together, you can try consulting a color wheel. Depending on how much contrast you want, you can choose colors that are near each other or across from each other on the color wheel.
You can also choose a colorful piece of fabric or art to inspire your color choices for the rest of the room.
Keep your theme in mind when purchasing and repurposing items for the room. Everything doesn't have to match perfectly, but it should all coordinate.
2. Keep function in mind. Before you overhaul the room, take a minute to think about what is and what is not working for you. For example, if you have no place to study in your room, you may want to consider adding a desk. If the room feels claustrophobic, you may want to remove some furniture.
Measure the room so you will know exactly how much space you have for new pieces before you buy them. You should make sure you have enough room to comfortably walk around each piece and open all doors and drawers.
It's a good idea to keep these measurements written down somewhere or stored in your phone so you can consult them if you find a piece of furniture you like.
3. Declutter and assess your storage needs. Clutter can keep your room from looking the way you want it to, so find a way to minimize it.
Donate clothes and other items you no longer use to a local thrift shop. You can also try selling some things online or at a consignment store if you want some extra money to spend on your room.
Once you've gotten rid of everything you don't need, determine if you still have clutter, and if so, how to deal with it. You may need to add things like shelves, hooks, a dresser, or a storage ottoman to your room, depending on the kinds of items you need to store. Baskets and canvas bins are also great for making clutter disappear!
You can also rearrange furniture, or clean out the room and store some unwanted items in the attic or basement. This will make it somewhat easier to see what the shape and size the room is.
Part 2 Decorating Walls.
1. Paint your room. Painting is one of the most affordable ways to instantly change the look of your space. Choose a color that goes well with your theme, and make sure it's something that you think you will like for a long time.
Make sure to measure your room and check how many square feet the paint you are buying will cover. You will almost definitely need two coats of paint, no matter what kind you buy.
If you are painting over a dark color, you may need to prime the walls before you paint.
If you are using more than one gallon of paint, it's a good idea to mix them together in a large bucket just in case they end up being slightly different.
Don't forget to give the ceiling and trim a fresh coat of paint if they are looking dingy.
2. Create patterns. Painting your walls a solid color can look great, but if you want something a little more unique, there are lots of ways to add some more interest to your walls.
Paint three walls a neutral color and one wall a very vibrant color for an exciting accent wall.
Use wallpaper for an added punch. Temporary wallpaper is also available if you don't want to have to worry about removing it later. If you can't afford to do your whole room, add wallpaper in strategic locations, like behind your bed or under a chair rail.
If you're looking for a cheaper alternative to wallpaper, try painting on a design. You can use painter's tape to create simple designs like stripes, or use a stencil for a more elaborate design.
Faux painting with a sponge or rag is also an option if you want to give your walls some texture.
You can also use painter's tape to create abstract patterns or geometric designs on your walls. Don't be afraid to be creative!
3. Decorate with photos. Photos of your friends, your pets, or your favorite places can make great additions to your decor. Be creative and use your photos to express yourself.
Frame several photos and hang them to create a gallery wall.
Hang photos from a piece of string or fishing line with clothespins.
Have your photos printed on canvas, glass, or fabric.
Arrange your photos on a poster board for a unique collage.
In lieu of frames, mount photos to colorful pieces of paper and stick them to your walls with double-sided tape.
4. Put up posters or wall stickers. Putting up posters of your favorite band or actor can be a great way to express your interests. Better yet, wall stickers are meant for walls and won't rip paint.
Just don't over-crowd the walls, because then the room will look messy.
5. Make your own art. You can hang just about anything on your walls, so use your imagination and create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece!
If you have a collection of any kind, whether it's guitars or baseball caps, try displaying them all on one wall together.
Try your hand at painting a canvas. You can paint a realistic portrait or an abstract design, depending on your skills and preferences.
You can create colorful wall hangings by wrapping fabric tightly around a canvas or square piece of wood and stapling it in the back. You can add a frame to make your fabric art more dramatic.
Purchase wood pieces in various shapes, like circles, letters, or stars. Then paint them to go with your theme and hang them in groupings around your room.
Part 3 Creating New Items from Old Items.
1. Recognize good quality furniture. Just because a piece of furniture looks ugly, doesn't mean it has to go! With a little work, you can give most pieces an amazing makeover, especially if they're solid wood or metal.
Solid wood is better quality than particle board or MDF.
Check to make sure all pieces are secure and do not wobble. If you find something that is broken, look to see if it could be repaired.
Drawers and doors should open and close nicely.
Look for joints that are tight and secured with dowels or dovetails. Be wary of joints that are only nailed or glued together.
Metal pieces should be held together by neat, consistent welds that are free from cracks.
2. Paint your items. Painting is a relatively quick and easy way to completely change the look of your furniture and accessories.
If you want a glossy finish, consider using spray paint. Make sure you choose a paint that is appropriate for the material you are painting, and always use spray paint an area that is thoroughly protected and ventilated, preferably outside.
If you want a more antiqued or distressed look, try using chalk paint.
You can also find specialty paints that have metallic or glittery finishes. Look around at your local home improvement store for inspiration.
Remember that in addition to furniture, you can paint things like picture frames, lamps, mirrors, and trash cans. The possibilities are endless!
Fabric can be painted too! If you have some boring white curtains or pillow cases, you can use a stencil to paint on a fun and colorful design. Be sure to use paint that is appropriate for fabric.
You can turn almost anything, from a piece of furniture to a wall, into a chalkboard with some simple and inexpensive chalkboard paint. Be creative and make a custom message board for your room.
3. Embellish your items. If your piece of furniture doesn't need an entire coat of paint, you can make some small changes that will have a big impact.
Try stenciling a design on the fronts of your dresser drawers or decoupaging them with colorful fabric. You can also use temporary wallpaper if you don't want to make a big commitment.
Change out the knobs on your dresser and nightstand for an instant makeover with almost no work.
Use Mod Podge and your favorite fabric or patterned paper to give flat surfaces, like tabletops, a completely unique look.
4. Create a headboard. If your bed doesn't have a headboard, consider making one yourself to make your bed the focal point of your room.
Hang a tapestry or another large item above your bed to mimic the look of a headboard.
Make your own upholstered headboard by wrapping a wood pattern in batting and fabric, stapling it in the back.
Hang an old door horizontally on the wall above your bed. You can paint it any color you like.
5. Make curtains, duvet covers, and pillows. These are easy projects, and you can even make them with fabric you already have, like a sheet.
These projects require a few simple, straight stitches. If you really hate sewing, you can even use iron-on tape for your seams and hems.
You can create a new cover to put over an old pillow, or, if you don't have an old pillow, simply fill the new pillow with polyester fluff from your local fabric store.
Sewing in a zipper is the hardest part of making a pillow, but this is only necessary if you need to be able to wash the cover. To keep duvet covers closed, you can use buttons, snaps, or even ribbons.
If you don't like the fabric on a chair or sofa, you might want to invest in a slipcover, which is still much less expensive than buying a new piece of furniture. You can also make one yourself, but you will need to have some sewing skills.
6. Jazz up your lighting. If you have lamps and ceiling fixtures that are a little too boring, there are lots of ways to make them more interesting. Depending on the materials, you could paint the base or the shade, embellish the shade with garland or beads, or even create a new shade with fabric.
You can also add creative lighting to your room with strings of holiday lights.
Part 4 Buying New Items.
1. Buy wisely. There's nothing wrong with buying a few new pieces to decorate your room, but try to spend your money wisely.
If you buy new furniture, make sure the quality is good enough that it will last you for a long time. You don't want to have to replace it in a few years.
Don't spend a lot of money on pieces that are extremely trendy or that you may grow out of. Instead, try to make sure your core pieces are versatile so you can still use them even if your style changes. Less expensive accessories, like pillow cases and curtains, can be as trendy as you want.
2. Keep your lifestyle in mind. When buying furniture, it is important to think about how you plan on using the room. If you have a lot of friends over, for example, make sure you have enough seating. If you have a ton of clothes and not enough closet space, make sure to look for pieces that can store your extra items.
If you're short on space, consider looking for pieces of furniture that serve multiple purposes. For example, a few cube ottomans can provide seating and storage. If you would love a couch in your room but don't have room for a both a couch and a bed, consider purchasing a daybed, which looks more like a seating area.
3. Arrange your furniture properly. There's no absolute rule for how to arrange your furniture, but there are a few helpful guidelines.
Try not to place all of your furniture against a wall. If you have a seating area, have the seats facing each other.
You should also think about colors when you're arranging your furniture and accessories. Try to scatter your accent colors around the room instead of having all of your colorful items on one wall.
Create a focal point. For bedrooms, this is usually the bed, so anchor it with a headboard, a large piece of art, or a colorful accent wall.
Try to have a designated area for each activity you plan on doing in your room, like studying, for example. This will help keep you more organized and help you make better decisions when buying furniture.
4. Think about proportion. Make sure you know how big your room is and how big a piece of furniture is before you buy it. Your furniture needs to be appropriately sized in order for it to feel cozy, yet comfortable. You also need plenty of space to walk around!
If you're buying a rug. Make sure it is large enough to extend beyond the bed on both sides.
5. Check the house first. Before you buy anything new, check to see if there are any pieces of furniture in other parts of the house that could be used in your room.
You can also try asking around to see if any friends or family members have furniture that they're looking to get rid of.
6. Buy used. Now that you know how to make over nearly any piece of furniture with paint, you can start shopping for affordable used pieces that you can customize to your own liking. Try shopping at antique stores, garage sales, thrift shops, and flea markets.
There might even be a few pieces of furniture in the attic or basement that you aren't using. Repurpose those if possible!
7. Search for deals. If you plan on buying new items, always look for deals. Comparison shop if you find an item you like, and never purchase anything online without first searching for a coupon code.
Tips
Be creative and resourceful when looking for accessories and you'll save a lot of money.
It is a good idea to have a dirty laundry hamper and trash can in your room. Try putting them beside your desk.
It's best to have three colors in a room theme. Two main colors, and splashes from a third. For example, a room can be mainly black & white, but have splashes of purple.
Keep the walls and furniture of your room pretty neutral, and then add decals and a bedspread in a bright color of your choice. You can swap those out when you don't love them anymore and it will change your whole room.
Add some accent pillows on your bed to make it more of a focal point. They should be the same color as your bedspread or match something in your room in a way. Matching the bedspread is better. The bedspread should match the accent wall. If not, the accent pillows should match the accent wall.
When choosing a theme, choose one that's close to your heart. Then the room will be your favorite place to be.
Warnings
If you are painting inside, open a window for better ventilation.
If you need to use a power tool for any projects, make sure you use the appropriate safety equipment. If you are a minor, ask your parent for help.
Painting can be very messy, so do it outside or make sure your floors and any other surfaces that you don't want paint on are completely covered.
