Room Decorating: Where Functional Meets Beauty

Sunshine Drapery sliding glass doors window treatment

When you are decorating a room, you should ask yourself several questions and do your homework in order to make it functional and beautiful while reflecting your sense of style.

What is the Room’s Purpose?

For a living room space, is it going to be used all the time for the family or will it be a separate room that you use occasionally to entertain guests. The home decor should be planned around your foreseen use of the room.

Who will be using the Room?

Does a room need to be family friendly for children to use it? If you have pets that will be in this room, it will help you to decorate it to keep that in mind. Some high-end decorating fabrics would be greatwould be great if a room didn’t host children and pets in it. However, these fabrics may not hold up to all of the horseplay in your home.

Research Decorating Items

Whether you are decorating a room yourself or enlisting an interior designer, you will need to have a sense of what you prefer. Do research online and in magazines to find the vibe you would like your newly decorating room to evoke. It helps to do research well ahead of time and either print out or clip magazine pages of ideas that you like. Place them in a folder so they are all kept together to help you or your designer make decisions. Include paint chips, flooring samples and fabric swatches of the items you find that you want to incorporate in the room.

Take Measurements

It is important to measure your room so when you are placing furniture in it, you can make certain that it fits without overwhelming the room or making the furnishings look sparse. When you choose furniture items make certain that you know their measurements before buying them. Recliners, love seats and couches are available in a huge array of lengths these days, which can lead to purchasing one that is too large and makes your living room look and feel cramped.

Consistency is the Key Element

Your home should have continuity when transitioning from one room to the next. If you are decorating one room, keep in mind your color scheme in each room and area of your home that touches this room. Using very different colors in each room makes a home appear disjointed and inexpensive.

Choose a Signature Piece

Your signature piece for any room can be a favorite lamp, throw pillow, window treatments, a chair or a painting that you really love. Many people decide to build a room around a keepsake item that has been passed down for generations in their family.

Create a Unique Appearance

Instead of just choosing all matching furnishings for a room from one furniture store, consider shopping around for unique pieces. You may decide you like items that you find at a flea market or resale shop for a reasonable price and you can always have them reupholstered to match your color scheme in the room.

Limit Trendy Items

If you decorate an entire room in a trendy color palette, a different one in two to three years will likely replace the trend. Focus on neutral colors for large furniture items and instead use new trendy colors on throw pillows or paint. These items are relatively inexpensive to change when the trends change.

Lighting Tips

Lighting in a room can be for different reasons and areas. General illumination works well with dimmer switches to change the ambiance in a room while task lighting includes overhead lights and lamps. Use task lighting for areas that you will read or check email. Overhead lighting should hang about 30 inches or so above the dining room table. Task lighting will lamps should include a size that places the bottom of the lampshade at eye level.

Personalize your Space

One of the best ways to personalize your newly decorated room is to purchase a piece of original artwork that reflects your style. Shop online galleries and art shows to find the perfect piece for your wall at about the same price point as a reproduction in a furniture store.