8 Simple Fashion Rule for Decorating

Use Your Fashion Sense for a More Successful Home Decorating Project

We all dress ourselves every day, usually with no trouble at all. So why is it that so many people seem paralyzed by decorating decisions?

Let’s take a look at some Basic Fashion Rules. Most of these you’ll recognize as conventional wisdom. But did you know that these same fashion rules could apply to decorating your home as well? Find out how with these 8 Simple Fashion Rules for home interiors.

1. INVEST IN CLASSIC PIECES.

Spend the biggest portion of your decorating budget on pieces that will have a long life: a beautiful dining table, well-constructed sofa, a classic rug, or a gorgeous armoire.

2.NEUTRALS COULD BE BORING; SPICE IT UP WITH COLOR

Color is inexpensive, in fact color is free. Next time you are tempted to paint the walls off-white (again!) – remember that a can of luscious sky blue, ruby red, of fresh apple green paint cost exactly the same as boring beige.

3. TOO TIGHT A FIT IS UNCOMFORTABLE; TOO LOOSE IS UNATTRACTIVE Scale your furnishings to your room: a huge canopy bed in a teensy room is a gamble. Likewise, a tiny settee in front of an oversize fireplace will look very under scaled.

4. HIGHLIGHT FEATURES YOU LIKE; PLAY DOWN WHAT YOU DON ’T LOVE. Call attention to your room’s best features by using color, lighting, or furniture placement. Likewise, downplay less-than-attractive parts of a room by “painting them out” with matching wall paint (good for items like pipes and vent covers), or by disguising them with clever cover-ups. Have a great view or lovely fireplace? Arrange furniture so these best features are the center of attention.

5. A WELL-CONSTRUCTED COLOR SCHEME HELPS BRING AN OUTFIT TOGETHER.

Consciously work with one main color in a room and one lesser-used secondary color. Add a third accent color (usually the brightest hue) in smaller amounts – on artwork, trims, and accessories.

6. FABULOUS SHOES CAN MAKE AN OUTFIT

Pretty carpeting, lovely hardwood floors, or a beautiful area rug can be a terrific foundation for a room. Pull the color and patterns found in the rug for use throughout the room.

7. A FEW GREAT WARDROBE BASICS CAN TAKE YOU FROM DAY TO EVENING, JUST BY CHANGING ACCESSORIES

Upholstery in plain textured fabrics are like wardrobe basics – they will allow you to decorate around them as you change you mind, update seasonally, or move to a different home – simply by swapping out pillows for fall, red for winter, and baby blue for spring.

8. VERSATILITY IS A VIRTUE

Versatile pieces are worth their weight in gold. Whip off a summer slipcover and your upholstered chair will be ready for fall. A great chest of drawers or armoire can take on many roles – in many rooms - as your needs change or you move from home to home. And a roomy ottoman can stand in for a coffee table or extra seating. These workhorse pieces will give you more than your money’s worth over time.