Who's Afraid of Patterns and Colors?

If all your decorating plans wind up going back to off white and brown because you are unsure of yourself for mixing patterns and colors, it's time to be a little more daring in your decor.

If you love the look of a room that has fabrics and wallpapers that are coordinated, it's easier than you think to do. Here are a few tips to help you learn to "eyeball" colors and patterns and match them seemingly effortlessly. It only take the knowledge of a few key tips and practice to learn to "see" the colors in a room.

When combining patterns in a room, you can use two different patterns easily if you remember keep the background colors the same. If you have a wall paper in one wear that has an eggshell background and a lightly colored pattern. Use drapery fabrics in the same color scheme. Choose the same background color and try to pick up at least one of the colors in the wall paper to keep the room flowing. You don't have match each and every color, you'll find if you attempt to do that, your room will feel a little too "busy".

Don't be afraid to experiment with large patterns and small patterns. It's perfectly permissible to mix and match patterns such as a large criss-cross with a light stripe. Make sure both patterns have the same background and at least one color matches and then see how it looks in your room.

To tie in your look; add pillows, lamp shades and accent pieces such as painted wooden boxes with candles inside that are in solid colors to pick up one of the colors in your pattern. This will help the design of your room flow throughout and keep the mood of the decor you have chosen.
posted by Home Decor Experts - Accent Architecturals   

Getting Started on Your Interior Design

The hardest part about redecorating a room is getting started. The starting point for a new room design can seem confusing. Should you start with the walls? The window treatments? The furniture? If you've always admired the people who can take a seemingly cluttered room and make it into a real show place that people enjoy seeing, you can have that ability too, you just need a few tips.

First, start small; pick one room in your home that you can do comfortably in a weekend such as a guest room, bedroom or dining room. Then you need to decide on the "feel" you want for the room. Do you want cozy, formal, whimsical or serene? Depending on your color, fabric and accessories you can go any of those directions in your decor.

Since you're starting with a small room. Avoid dark colors they will only make the room seem smaller. Make the larger part of your color choices ones that are lighter on the color spectrum as they will add an illusion of space to your room. Now, pick your colors for your furniture, accessories and accent items. If your furniture doesn't match your decor ideas you have two choices - reupholster it or use a slip cover or ditch it.

Sometimes just changing two pieces of furniture can transform a room. Getting rid of your big overstuffed Euro-style couch and trading it in for the elegant lines of an antique couch and love seat set or simply a chair and a chaise lounge. You can sprinkle a few occasional tables around and complete the mood from sleep Euro-modern to a cozy and comfy country feel.

Change your curtains to match your furniture, it doesn't have to be in the same fabric, complimentary colors will do just fine to tie the design of the entire room together. You don't have to change every single item in your room, sometimes just a few items changed will make a big impact. When you feel your room projects the mood you were looking for, kick back and enjoy your new decor -you're done!
posted by Home Decor Experts - Accent Architecturals   

How to Decorate Your Dorm Room

Congratulations you made it to college! Now it's time to give your boring old dorm room your individual stamp of style and it's easier than you think.

You can get some great buys online for your dorm room and make sure you have a lot of items you already have on hand. The best thing about shopping online is you won't be limited to whatever the local store has in stock and if you are in a college town, your choices will be fairly picked clean at the beginning of the school year. When you use an online store, you have access to an entire line of items, not just what the store buyer thought was selling best in your geographical area.

First of all, read your rule sheet and see what you are allowed to change in your dorm room and what items are permissible. Many dorms now prohibit things like candles, halogen lamps, untreated wall hangings that are flammable and hurricane or oil lamps. Other doors will let you paint your walls as long as it is a light and easy to cover color. Consider your roomie if you have one. If you haven't met your roomie yet or you have just been introduced ask if they want to get in on the redecoration. By pooling your money you'll be able to make your room a really cool place.

A great item to have in your dorm room that will be very functional and space saving at the same time is a daybed. It can serve as both a place to sleep as well as a place to study, watch a movie or just relax. Add some pillows and match them to your curtains and you'll have the beginnings of a well pulled together dorm room. As the school year rolls by, add an area rug and art works of either your own creation or purchased on your walls. If you can't use small nails, you can use wall putty and hang your pieces without marring the walls.

With just a few touches you can make your dorm room, or at least your side of the dorm room a cozy, comfy place to be!
posted by Home Decor Experts - Accent Architecturals   

How to Choose Complimentary Colors for Your Decor

Complimentary colors are just that- colors that compliment your decor. It is also the name for colors that are made by mixing the three primary colors : red, blue and yellow.

This doesn't mean that you are limited to using only complimentary colors in your decor. A great item to have around for your color choosing is to get an artist's color wheel. They are usually under a dollar, pocket sized and will have all rangers of colors and shades. If you're curious what might be a great contrasting color for a dark red, a turn of the wheel will show you that the opposite color is a dark green and complimentary colors are in the browns and orange family - there with just a turn of a wheel you have your entire color scheme laid out.

Color should be balanced and splashes of bright color should be strategically placed to catch the viewers eye to see an impact piece such as a glorious plant on a stand by a couch with a stark red pillow or a brightly painted pot with a beautifully fanned out fern on a plant stand or a leaf shelf will both use up a corner space and add a splash of color of your room.

Colors can give people feelings or emotional reactions. If you're going for a peaceful and cozy color scheme, obviously steer clear of bright reds, yellows or stark black and white. You will want softer colors such as the softer sides of yellow, blue or violet. Earth tones such as the gamut of colors found in the brown and orange families can also evoke warm feelings when used in a decor.

Many people want a bright and cheery kitchen and they lean towards bright yellows or greens, for the most part this will work unless your kitchen is already brightly lit than the yellow can seem too bright to many people and you will want to go for some brighter colors that are less brilliant like toned down members of the yellow family like Golden Rod or Maize.

A great way to figure out colors is to go to the local hardware store and pick up paint samples. You can use the colors is lay out your color scheme and if you don't have a place like that nearby, go through the crayons of your children, you'll find nearly every color commonly used in decorating in a large box of crayons.

Pick the mood you want and then choose those colors. For color accents, hit the primary colors group. They are "true" colors as they are the three colors that all other colors are blended from. The primary colors are blue, red and yellow. Mixing primary colors gives us secondary colors and those are orange,green, violet. Secondary colors are also fabulous to use for accent pieces.

There are no wrong color schemes as long as you like it and your choice of colors gives the mood you wanted for your room, it's perfect!
posted by Home Decor Experts - Accent Architecturals   

Decorating Your First Place

Whether you have just moved into your first apartment, dorm room or home, you're probably ready to completely change your new space and make it your own.

Take inspiration from your existing items. If you moved into a rental property, you're going to be limited as to the changes you can make however there are a lot of additions you can make without making changes that will make the landlord see red.

If your furniture is a little worn and you can't afford to replace it consider trying a fitted slipcover. You can add accent pillows for great designer touch. Another great way to tie the colors in your room is through the use of an area rug.

Mirrors are an old decorating trick that can make your room seem larger and you can also use wall putty to hang artworks, paintings or favorite photos in arrangements on the wall. Another addition you can make that is budget friendly and will add an air of relaxation to your room is plants. Whether you go for silk or the real deal is up to you; but their impact on a decor can't be denied.

If a theme is important to you, just take a look at your existing items and see if you can aim for Shabby Chic by adding some distressed look items or go for a rustic French Country by adding some signs, country-look sculptures or a wall clock as a fun accent.

Make your home a work in progress. As you find deals on more items, add to your room and in a very short period of time, you'll have the look you want on an easy-on-the-wallet budget and even your landlord will be pleased!
posted by Home Decor Experts - Accent Architecturals