Designing a modern living room

Choose a Paint Color

Living Room

Whether your particular style is country, modern, or classical, the colors that you choose for your living room are critical. Color must work in a complementary fashion with the character of your living room. A rich color on the wall sets the stage for the contemporary comfort that you are seeking. If you want a room that makes you feel warm and cozy, then choose warm reds and browns to affect your mood. If you desire a living room that is peaceful and cheerful, choose cool blues and greens to set the perfect tone. For a nice mix that is both warm and cheerful, a soft yellow can be painted on the walls.

Focus on Shapes

All kinds of shapes including square, rectangular, circular, and even triangular designs can be incorporated into almost any living room. Of course, smooth straight lines and rounded curvy lines can also contribute to the mood of the living room. Typically, it’s the mixture of all of these shapes and designs that produces the most aesthetically appealing living space. Throw pillows are a great way to incorporate a mixture of shapes, fabrics, and patterns into a living room. In addition, a rectangular couch can be mixed with a rounded accent table and a square table lamp. Vases and bottles can also add to the mixture of shapes in the room. Finally, add a few complementary framed pieces of wall art to complete the room design.

Accessorize with Chic Additions

Well-planned accessories can help the layers of your living room come together. Inexpensive throw pillows, decorative rugs and blankets, and colorful vases all complete the look. One of the best living room design techniques is to display the items that you love the most in bold and creative ways. Use those sentimental accessories to tie the theme of your living room together. You can even buy some thrift store vases, plates, and decorative sconces and paint them yourself for an added burst of style and creativity. The most important chic addition to your living room will be your light fixtures, so choose designs that work well with the style of your room. In general, larger and more colorful lamps will make a more dramatic statement. In no time at all

You can add one layer at a time and when the project is complete, you have a tasty living space. To create a modern living room, you must start with the design and layout of the room. If comfortable living is your goal, then furniture and accessory placement are the keys.

Posted in Living Room |

color of your walls can give your living room, bedroom, or dining room a brand new look and feel

Tired of ogling the latest styles in brand name home furnishing stores and catalogues, only to find that the price of one little coffee table equals more than half your monthly salary? Don’t be discouraged — with a little ingenuity, your home can be as beautiful and stylish as a Hollywood celebrity’s, for just a fraction of the cost.

* Start with the walls. It’s easy to forget that sometimes just adding a fresh coat of paint or changing the color of your walls can give your living room, bedroom, or dining room a brand new look and feel.

Wallpapering is another way to jazz up a room — but don’t break your budget hiring a contractor. Consider wallpapering just one wall, or only wallpapering borders.

* Create atmosphere with Light. Don’t overlook the power of a lamp. The right lighting can transform any room. Forgo overhead lighting for lamps, and stay away from halogen unless it fits into your modern decorative scheme.

Wall sconces are another great way to add a stylish touch to any room. Look for the type that lends itself to easy, self-installation.

* Accessorize. Another inexpensive way to create a designer look is to buy a few key accessories, like silk pillows, chenille throw blankets, and fresh-smelling candles. Choose an elegant centerpiece for your dining room table or coffee table, like floating white candles, fresh flowers, or a ceramic or glass fruit bowl.

Pictures, photos, prints and paintings can be hung around a room to create whatever look or feel you desire. Shop flea markets and thrift stores for prints and interesting photographs, or go to a discount store for frames and hang some of your own creations.

* Buy furniture that won’t break the bank. Shop smart for couches, lamps, tables, entertainment centers, and more. Estate sales, consignment stores, flea markets, junk and thrift stores can be gold mines for second hand but stylish furniture.

If you don’t want second hand, shop clearance sales or online. Online furniture stores can be treasure troves for good deals, since they generally have little overhead and therefore don’t pass those costs on to you, the consumer.

* Can’t afford a new couch? If you are somewhat handy with a sewing machine, use discounted fabric or beautiful sheets to sew yourself a couch cover. Still have energy? Create more cheap but beautiful “new” furniture by sewing upholstery covers for your armchairs or dining room chair seat cushions.

If you can’t sew, buy a shabby chic slipcover or tuck in a large beautiful sheet or blanket for a homemade slipcover. Finally, consider simply rearranging your furniture — finding a different wall to put your couch against can create a whole new look for your living room.

Use any or all of these tips to achieve the style you want at a low, low cost. Amaze your friends and family with your stylish home, then dazzle them with the shoestring budget you had to work with. Go ahead! It’s your home and you deserve the best without having to spend the most.

Posted in Living Room |

The cheapest way to totally change the look of teen bedroom designs

If you are on a budget then finding great teen bedroom designs in your price range might be a bit discouraging. However, you can get a great bedroom for your teen without having to take out a second mortgage if you are willing to do a bit of legwork and put in some elbow grease.

The first thing you need to do is come to an agreement with your teen on how the room should look. Do they like specific colors or perhaps a theme of some sort? Once you have a broad idea of what you want, you need to find an inspiration for the room. This could be a particular item like a chair or a lamp that you could base the design of the room around, or you could scour magazines for a room that appeals to you and your teen and try to replicate that as close as you can.

Now that you have a general idea of what you want, you need to think about color, bedding, furniture and accessories.

The cheapest way to totally change the look of the room, and one that will go with most teen bedroom designs, is to simply paint it. Pick a color that goes with the design you have chosen and get out your brushes. If you want to add some pizazz you could do some faux painting or paint stripes or different colors on the walls. There are plenty of interesting paint techniques that can really make the room look neat and the best part is that you can learn to do most of them for free down at your local home improvement store.

The furniture can be the most expensive part of the whole bedroom design but if you use your head, you can get great furniture your teen will love without spending too much. First of all, look at the pieces you already have – could the be repurposed by painting them and adding some new knobs? Just doing this can dramatically change the pieces and costs barely anything but a weekend of your time.

However, if they are not the style that you need for the new room design, you probably should look at getting something different. But who says you have to go out and buy something new and expensive? Take a look at your local consignment shops and on Craigslist to see if you can get a used set. Many times you can get a set that is just like new but for a fraction of the cost.

Matching bedding is easily purchased in sets and you can get these rather inexpensively but if you can’t find anything that suits, you can buy separates. If you are handy with a sewing matching, you can embellish them with piping or ribbons to give them a custom look. When you buy bedding, remember to get pieces that match in color and style but have different patterns and textures for interest.

The accessories are the icing on the cake and here’s where you can really save a few bucks on your teens bedroom by shopping at flea markets, yard sales and consignment shops. It might take a while to collect all the pieces you want, but you will end up with a unique and interest room that didn’t cost a lot!

Teen bedroom designs can range from a retro look to a sports theme to a pink princess palace, but if you use your imaginations and shop wisely you can come up with a great designer look without having to pay the price.

Posted in Bedroom |

« Previous Entries