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Create Your Own Home with
Summer Decoration Style By
Amita Trehan
Have you ever dreamed of bringing decor-savvy individuals like to freshen
the look of your rooms?
Bring summer indoors in full force - without losing the comfortable
and cozy furnishings you desire in the cooler months. You can simply
brighten up your home by putting the heavy drapery away and making the
widows a focal point. While the light is great during the day - especially
if you don't need to turn on interior lights - you may dislike the
cavernous black holes that they become late at night. For privacy and
appearance, keep up the retractable blinds during the day and put them
down at night behind a sheer curtain.
Decorating your rooms with mirror will also lighten your place as
they capture the sunlight and bounce it around. This doesn't mean a major
change in your decor but you may find moving a large mirror to a different
wall will optimize the light reflection in the room. Try it across from a
window or on a wall that corners against the window wall for the most
light distribution.
Moving the furniture into a 'summer arrangement' can optimize your
space and give it a more airy feel. If you normally place the living room
furniture to focus on the fireplace consider turning them to face away.
This can open up the space and make it more inviting for summertime get
together. If you barbecue you might even switch the dining and living room
area around if it will give you a better flow for entertaining and
enjoying the evening sun during meals.
Roll up the area rugs, leave the table bare and get rid of excess
blankets, pillows and other 'comfy' materials that tend to warm up the
space.
If you have plenty of storage space (you've packed away all the
winter clothes and drapery so you should be fine) you might like to use
white cotton or canvas slipcovers on the furniture. Not only will it
brighten the room, but they can come off easily to be cleaned so you
needn't worry about a stain - which is never a good look!
You can bring outdoor in by decorating your rooms with a large
tropical with palm leaves. Adding some colorful cut flowers will add
further summer appeal. However, too much of anything is not good. Don't
clutter your rooms with so many plants it feels like a conservatory.
By adopting some of these simple ideas, your home will easily surround
with summer feeling.
Avoiding the Cookie-Cutter
Some of us are obsessed with the color coordinating decorations we find in
retail stores. I'm the first to admit that the decorations are really
cute, and it's really easy to put together a room that way. But, there's
something about that mix-and-match style that makes a place feel homey.
Everyone wants to be unique and creating a cookie-cutter room just doesn't
have that effect.
Cookie-cutter rooms are generally most obvious when every color in the
room matches exactly. Matching colors isn't about making sure the shade
perfect, it's about using coordinating colors in various shades. Using a
deep purple lamp and pale lavender flowers in the bedroom will give your
room an added depth. The only problem comes when shades of the same color
that don't quite go together are placed next to one another; sometimes the
contrast makes you more ill at ease than comfortable.
Furniture selections can also cause a room to seem too perfect, making it
match too well. Should all your wooden pieces have the same stain? Can you
use black in a room with oak cabinets? These are common questions without
easy answers. It really comes down to your own personal preferences.
However, if the wood pieces are spaced properly, you can use several
pieces with different stains; just don't place them directly next to each
other, because they may clash. Also, you can use wood with different types
of finishes. For example, a blue table with four white chairs, or vice
versa, can create a cheery atmosphere for a breakfast nook or deck. As far
as black goes, every room should have a touch of black; it helps bring out
the other colors in the room.
Fabric manufacturers often create matching sets of fabrics. Many of these
have subtle variations in color and texture that bring out new,
interesting aspects of your room. These variations allow your personality
to shine through in your room. You can also find fabrics that match from
other manufacturers; talk to the sales people to get their suggestions if
you're unsure about the colors.
If you aren't satisfied with what retail stores have to offer, visit the
local antique stores and flea markets to find unique pieces to match your
room. You can also make some things on your own. Make your curtains,
create your own picture frames, buy furniture and paint or stain it.
Whatever you do, have fun and create a room that you and your family will
enjoy for years to come.
When you're decorating your room keep your likes and dislikes in mind. Be
creative and make some of your decorations yourself. Use fabrics to make
your own curtains or duvet; you may not be a brand name, but your room
will fit your personality. Despite how much we try to fit in, all of us
want to be a little bit different. Let yourself shine through your rooms!
7 Fast And Easy Summer Decorating Ideas For Any Budget! Summer
decorating should add freshness to your home, not bog you down with more
projects during an already busy season.
Here are 11 of The Budget Decorator’s top easy, fast and cheap summer
decorating ideas.
1. If you want to add color to a room fast, paint is a great option. To
save time and money however, try just painting the focal wall in a room.
In most average rooms, you can paint just one wall in less than an hour!
2. Instead of sewing up new pillow covers and tablecloths, try using no
sew techniques instead. Pillows can be wrapped in a piece of unfinished
fabric on the diagonal like a present, and wrapped with decorative ribbon
to secure it. Use duct tape to put a temporary hem in flat sheets or older
tablecloths to make them fit your end tables and breakfast nooks. Once you
have those tables covered, use cardboard boxes pushed under the tables to
hide the kids toys and books and flip flops, but keep them handy. The
floor length tablecloths will hide the storage area.
3. Take a box around the room and pick up all your knick knacks and
collectibles. Now replace just three of your favorite items or
collections. You will appreciate the less cluttered look, and the decrease
in dusting chores as well!
4. If you love fresh flowers in your home, but hate the time and expense
of changing the arrangements, find a sunny spot in your yard and toss out
some sunflower seeds! Many varieties leave no pollen on your tables, are
foolproof to grow, make your yard look great, and can last up to 10 days
in a vase…all for the cost of a packet of seed!
5. Take down your layered window treatments and pick up your area rugs for
a cool, clean look for summer. Be sure to leave mini blinds or sheers on
your windows for privacy and light control.
6. Clean the glass in all areas for your home! The shiny surfaces in your
home reflect light and sparkle, both contribute to a fresh summer look.
Don’t forget your tv screens, kitchen appliances, and even picture frame
glass. Try this one technique, and see if your rooms don’t look brighter
and cheerier, for no more cost that an little effort a few pennies of
glass cleaner or vinegar!
7. Finally, mix up your décor a bit for a fresh take on the rooms you’ve
spent so much time in these winter months! Move around some furniture,
borrow and lend pieces from other rooms. Use clear strings of holiday
light over the top of cabinets for sparkle. Bring out your good china and
hang it on the wall as art. Put your toaster or bread machine under the
cabinets for a cleaner look. Feel free to take down some wall art and
store it for next fall. Paint your aging dining set a bright white.
Whatever you do to bring the summer season into your homes, make sure that
you pick a couple of ideas from this list, and give them a try. They are
fast, easy and cheap, what could you lose?
Also Read:
The Italian Look That Suits The Indian Lifestyle
Written By: Amita Trehan
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