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One :
Hang pictures at eye level. People frequently make the mistake
of hanging photos too high. Hanging them at eye level for the
average person's height will enable them to be enjoyed and
also make them work better with the furnishings, such as sofas
and chairs.
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Two :
Use accessories in odd-numbered groups. It's just a matter of
balance. Odd numbers - such as three or five - work better
than even-numbered groupings of four or five.
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Three :
Use wallcovering borders. Borders define your lifestyle. They
not only are decorative, but frequently they can be a
reflection of your interest. There are novelty borders that
depict gardening scenes, sports activities - such as golfing
or fishing - or well-loved children's characters, such as
Winnie the Pooh or Peter Rabbit. Use borders creatively around
doors or windows, at ceiling or chair-rail heights to give
personality to your room.
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Four :
Decorate for your lifestyle. If you move frequently, you may
want to choose neutral furnishings that can go with any decor.
Or buy area rugs and extra fabrics that you can take to your
new home. If you have young children and pets, choose
easy-to-clean carpets and colors that camouflage dirt and
scuff marks.
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Five :
Use paint to minimize home's defects and accentuate positive
features. For instance, use light colors to make a room look
bigger. Or dark colors to make a room look more cozy and
intimate. You can accent a room's feature - such as a pipe or
post - by painting it a different color from the rest of the
room or de-emphasize it by painting it the same color.
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Six :
Use wallcovering suited to your home. Choose lightly-colored
textures and small prints for a smaller room; opt for larger
prints and darker backgrounds for a larger room. Use stripes
to give a room the illusion of height. Use wallcoverings to
tie rooms together. For instance, a living room and adjoining
dining room can be done in the same or similar patterns to
give a sense of cohesiveness.
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Seven :
Look for coordinating products. Many of today's wallcovering
sample books feature a whole gamut of coordinating home
fashion products, such as borders, fabrics, comforters, pillow
shams, place mats, table rounds, and shower curtains. By
selecting a specific collection that features these products,
you can put together a whole cohesive decorating package for a
relatively low cost.
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Eight :
Have a focal point. Your focal point can be virtually anything
- a fireplace, a painting, an entertainment center. By having
a focal point, you can decorate to accentuate the focal point
and give your room a sense of cohesion.
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Nine :
Collect photos of rooms you love. If you're not sure how to
define your decorating style, start collecting photos from
decorating magazines. Look at the photos to determine what is
the same about them - same colors, same styles, same types of
furnishings. Once you've determined that, you can pretty well
draw some conclusions about what styles are right for you.
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Ten :
Work from a total plan. When decorating your home, don't just
go piecemeal from room to room. Work up a plan for the entire
home, including budget and timetable. As you go along, you can
be on the lookout for products that work within your plan.
Your neighborhood decorating center will be glad to help you
devise this plan and work at making it become a reality.
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Copyright © 1995
Paint & Decorating Retailer is published by the Paint and
Decorating Retailers Association
403 Axminister Drive
St. Louis, MO 63026-2941
(636) 326-2636
(636) 326-1823 (fax) |
