How To Approach Home Decorating Projects

Approaching and initiating any home decorating or improvement related project can be a challenging task. Who is not guilty of saying “there is always tomorrow”? I know that I repeat that phrase at least three to fives times a day in my head. After all, if I don’t share it with the world, then no one will have expected me to make any progress anyway, right? Wrong! You will know.. which means that you will still have this task hanging over your head and resting comfortably on your “To Do” list. It is important that we understand how productive home-based projects will not only ameliorate the atmosphere and energy within our homes, but that we also comprehend how these accomplishments can affect our personal demeanors and dispositions. So, I challenge you to begin with your bathroom!

Here are a few easy tips for properly accessorizing your bathroom. As with any room, I would recommend starting from the ground up - this will help you to more easily identify a unifying theme within your designated space.

• Choose a bathroom set: Sets today often come with a pair of rugs that will help you to establish a color scheme within your bathroom. Ensuring that your set complements your fixtures is critical to determining that you’re heading in the right direction.
• Choose a wall color: Once you have chosen your bathroom set, you can find a wall color that will help to further enhance your space. Lighter or brighter colors are generally popular selections because of the affect that they can have on our moods. Experiencing an infusion of energy upon waking up will help to start your day off on the right foot.
• Choose curtains and towels: Again, your decision on curtains and towels should flow with the already established color scheme in your bathroom. Seeking items that boast subtle patterns can help to infuse even more style into your bathroom.
• Choose bathroom accessories: Finding a bathroom accessory set will be a breeze once you’ve formatted the rest of your bathroom. Soap dishes, toothbrush holders, tumblers, lotion pumps, and waste baskets all boast practical functions as well as elements of style.

As long as you look at your home decorating project in sections or in multiple steps instead of viewing it as one giant obstacle, then you’ll be able to enjoy your adventure. Just remember to take a deep breath!

2009 Home Decor Trends: Color, Comfort, and Patterns

With the approach of every new year, we all strive to change a few things about our lives. Whether it be dietary, exercise-related, self-improvement, or home improvement, shaking up the norm helps to provide us with fresh, new perspectives. While the year is no longer necessarily “new”, there is still plenty of time left for change - after all, we’re only 1/6 of the way through 2009.

Remaining up to date with current color trends will provide a solid foundation for the beginning of your home decorating adventure. Your color scheme will ultimately determine the mood and feel of your home. Lively colors combined with neutrals and grounded hues have been and are projected to remain popular throughout the year. Included in this list are fuchsia red, palace blue, and vibrant green hues among many others.

Comfort is always important when redecorating or reinventing a room. Why spend time and energy into jazzing up a room that you would not be able to enjoy? Finding functional furniture boasting elements of comfort and elegance is quite simple these days as these are qualities that many people seek when they envision the designs of peaceful and inviting sanctuaries.

Lastly, turning to stated patterns can infuse energy and personality into any room. Opting to decorate with redesigned forms of traditional patterns can keep any environment fresh and intriguing. Mixing and matching styles offers an under-stated way of embellishing the atmosphere of any room.

Have you found additional home decorating trends that have brightened up your mood so far this year? If so, please feel free to share with the Popular Home Collections community.. if you’re on the east coast, I’m sure you could use some cheering up right about now!

Home Decor Quiz

Are you a home decor adventurer? Can you cut your way through the jungle of designs and find the perfect ensemble for your space? Here are a few questions that will assist you on your quest!

1. What is my objective?

2. What is my theme?

3. How can I achieve my decorating dream with the greatest ease and affordability?

My most recent adventure!

Answers…

1. My objective…redecorate and redefine my guest bathroom in a fresh and springy theme!

2. Spring colors and floral prints to bring a fresh and lovely springtime feel to my bathroom.

3. I will create my room with ease by choosing an all inclusive package. Shower curtains and accessories that complement my theme. Affordability is achieved by taking advantage of the free shipping on orders of $100 or more, and by saving on the retail price when shopping with Popular Home Collections. And with the 2-3 day shipping I have my new bath in a jiffy!

Shopping online at Popular Home Collections is not only easy and enjoyable, but it is also satisfying to the thrifty shopper in all of us. With such a vast variety to choose from, accompanied by the friendly and warm atmosphere…shopping has never been more enjoyable.

Grab a cup of tea and relax here with us, where shopping is still considered a joy. Whoever knew you could have such an enchanted evening…just you and your mouse!

Best Decorating Wishes,
Paula

How Home Decorating Can Ease Your Mind

Do you find yourself getting too caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life? Getting distracted is something that is inevitable, however, how you deal with it is up to you. Everyone needs to find time for relaxation and respite. Home decorating can be a cathartic way to release tensions and energies in a productive manner.

Consider starting with simple changes like adding uniquely themed bathroom accessories in neutral colors to your bathroom. Color changes can create a more soothing atmosphere. From the bathroom, move onto your kitchen. Transforming your kitchen into the artistic space that you deserve will enable you to perform more happily while spending time here. Lastly, enhancing your bedroom and making it into a much needed sanctuary will rejuvenate your spirit, mind, and soul.

Using your energy to artistically and tastefully transform the look of your home can help you to focus on elements of life that make you happy. Decorating your home need not be a dreaded task; it should be something that helps to put your mind at ease. Feeling like you’re bettering your own environment will benefit both you and your home. Making it a place where you can easily escape from daily distractions can help to reduce your stress levels and elevate your mood.

Home Decor Personality Secrets

How would you define your personal taste in home decor? There are several classifications in which we fall as decorators.

For example…if you are shopping for a new bed ensemble, and cannot seem to settle on a choice, you might want to give yourself this little quiz.

1. Do I want formal, contemporary, casual or perhaps even whimsical?

2. After making the choice on style, it is time to move on to color and texture.

3. Formal window treatments are usually found in the heavy decadent fabrics. The colors are most usually uniform. Accents are added to the room with strategically placed throw pillows and rugs.

4. Contemporary decor is marked by prints, geometric shapes and layers of color. Curtains and room accents can be in various shades of the chosen color and should add a feeling of depth to the room.

5. A whimsical approach may be one of the most fun to create. For instance, if you have a child’s bedroom and bath to decorate, you can start by choosing a bright color scheme. A comforter set with large bright print is a great starting point. Cover the bed with bright throw pillows in varying sizes. Rugs in coordinating colors add flair, while window treatments in sheer fabrics, serve to tie the room together. Taking your theme into the bath is so easy. A shower curtain and bath accessories in the bedroom motif give a sense of completion.

Choose your style and have fun! Be adventurous with window treatments, try multiple layers and even multiple lengths. Place rugs all around to give a “homey” restful character to your space. Rugs are not only lovely, they are a functional addition to your room.

Find beautiful solutions to all your decorating needs here…happy decorating from everyone at Popular Home Collections, where luxury meets affordability!!!

Blessings,
Paula

Insider Secrets for Home Decorating … SHHHHH!!!

Being a designer can be very demanding. One must continuously come up with fresh and innovative ideas in order to remain competitive. Through the years I have developed some wonderful ways to save myself time and the dreaded “money mistakes”.

I am a serious journal keeper. I love writing down things that I want to remember whether it be about my life, my children, or grandchildren.

Believe it or not, a design or home decor journal is a very handy thing to have. I have saved myself countless headaches and do-overs with this idea. It is so simply to do.

Take a picture of the room you want to re-vamp. Try and include as much of the room as is possible. In the bedroom for instance, you need to have the bed and at least one window in the shot to match your bed ensemble and your window treatments…in the bathroom you need to try and include the toilet, the bathtub and a window. If possible, and it usually is in the bathroom, have the sink in the picture as well so you can add your chosen accessories to match.

Now use your computer to enlarge the pics. I usually go 8/10. That is a very simple task I know, but the fun part starts now.

You can use these enlargements to “mock” up your room. Print out some of the items you are thinking of using in your room and place them on the corresponding item. Now you can see what the room will look like with the themes you have been mulling over. No mistakes to haunt you when you keep a journal and get creative with pictures.

This helps me make the transition form season to season with ease. I love my journals and I share them with friends.

This works so well when purchasing mix and match items. You can slowly build your room to your personal likings. All the way from the rugs to the toilet seat, and from the shower curtain to the window treatments.

How fun and inexpensive. More secrets to be revealed soon!

For more information and ideas on how to affordably decorate your home, visit Popular Home Collections. As always, enjoy your decorating adventures.

Small Home Decorating Additions

A very common question for a designer to field is, “How do I cheer up a room and make it over with the minimal amount of work and expense?” Ah… now that is a great question. Luckily, there are some great answers.

1. Let’s say you have a room that is carpeted. We all know that carpet can be very expensive and must be a long lasting investment in our homes. Yet the same old floor from season to season can become drab and very boring. So here are some tips you might find interesting.

Placing accent rugs on carpet is totally in style. It is often thought that rugs are for tile or wood only, which is not the case at all! Adding accent rugs in the bath or bedroom is a very easy and inexpensive way to brighten a dull room.

Coordinate your rug colors with existing colors in the room. For example, pull the color from window treatments, chair pads, comforters and bedspreads.

This will tie your space together and add that “umph” we are all seeking.

2. Now let’s makeover the kitchen in a jiffy on a tight budget.

Chair pads come in so many wonderful styles and colors nowadays! They are one of the least expensive room accessories we can use. Yet they add brilliance to a space.

Perhaps you already have a unique theme. Well, I am so happy to say that there are many kitchen items that match nowadays from your wall clock to your rugs, canisters, and bread box. WOW!

How far you’ll take this inexpensive kitchen face-lift is up to you!

No painting…no remodeling…just a bit of fun and clever shopping on your part.

Just remember that small additions bring about big changes. This ultimately leaves you, the consumer, with change to spare!

Decorating has never been easier or more affordable!

Happy decorating…