Quick Decorating Tricks You Can Do in a Day

If you want to change the look of your room but you have a limited timeframe to do so within, there are some quickie decorating room fixers you can do in just one day.

Add a Splash of Color
Adding just a splash of color to your room can really wake it up. If you have a very neutrally colored room, add some brighter tones in the form of pillows such as the Tussel Pillow with its geometric design and fun tassels will add a light touch to any room.

You can also change draperies in one day. Just changing the drapery fabrics in your room can add an entirely new mood to the room. Another option is to cover chair cushions. All you need is fabric and a staple gun for most chairs. If you want to really add some color to your room - paint just one wall. It looks especially nice if you use the wall to display small groupings of art works.

Remake Something
If you have an old table that's not in service elsewhere in your house - put it to work! You can lightly strip and finish a small table in one day. Use a good liquid varnish remover - they are a bit more expensive but the time you'll save stripping off years of paint and varnish on old furniture makes it worth the price. After stripping the table down to the wood, paint or varnish using a color that will fit in with your decor. You can also go the impact route and choose a color on the opposite end of the color chart and make your table contrast with your decor to really wake up the room.
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Getting Ideas for Interior Design

When you make the decision to make-over your room, it can seem daunting to figure out where to start. Should you start out with making changes to the furniture, the windows, painting the room or what?

First of all, decide exactly what the changes are you want to make. Does your room need a fresh coat of paint? If it doesn't you can skip that step and start thinking about necessary furniture rearranging and additions and subtractions of certain pieces in the room to attain the look you want. If it does need painting, incorporate that into your design schedule as the first thing you'll be doing.

Next, look at pictures. Get decorating magazines and home design books and see what designs appeal to you. Also take into consideration how much the room is used. It would be futile to have an austere modern design in a living room with small children. Design for your lifestyle, if you have little ones, resign yourself to the fact your living room won't be pristine for a few years and go for the casual elegance of French Country or even the ever-popular Shabby Chic look.

Another way to get going on a room is to make yourself a central point and work outwards from that area. An area rug is a great way to bring color into your room and tie the colors in your furniture and your walls together - it will create a natural air of coziness if you choose your colors carefully to match the rest of your decor.

Also, consider your friend's homes. Figure out what you love about their rooms and incorporate similar elements into your own design, this way you'll have a room that not only looks great but is uniquely "you".
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Finishing Touches

Now that you've finished decorating your room, you painted the walls, did your window treatments just right and moved your furniture around to get the most out of your space, you might think your job of decorating this room is done, but yet you feel the room needs a little something - that's where finishing touches come in.

Think of finishing touches as adding the jewelry to your room's outfit. You may not have to add more than a touch or two to "finish" your room but you'll feel it when you've reached the finish line with your interior design.

Some great finishing touches to add to your room are plants. If you are blessed with a green thumb, get some pretty pots that match your room and add some greenery. If you have such a brown thumb that even your weeds die, invest in some high quality silk plants. You can spray them periodically with silk plant cleaner to keep their leaves shiny and lifelike. No matter if you choose real or silk, put them on a pretty plant stand to further draw attention to your greenery.

Another great way to finish your interior design and make your room uniquely "you", is to add touches of your favorite photos, items you like to collect on a little shelf or art works presented tastefully on a single wall space. You can also add splashes of color with cushy pillows or opt for a single impact piece such as a sculpture or other stand out item.

Use these tips to finish your interior design and put your personal stamp on your decor!
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Getting Balance in Your Rooms

One of the things that you want to strive for in your decorating is balance. Have you ever been in a room that felt "tilted". It really wasn't but it felt that way because large items were all located on one side of the room or the room had low lighting on one side but not the other. An unbalanced room feels anything but comfortable and cozy. Fortunately, you can bring balance to a room with some moving around of the items within and perhaps the addition of a piece to even out the feel of the room.

Your room might have the perfect paint job and the finest in furnishings but if you haven't balanced your interior, it won't come together. When it comes to achieving balance, less is more. Get rid of the clutter and leave only a few items out to decorate a tabletop or shelf.

Pairs make balance. If you have any pairs of items you have split up, say one in the living room and one in the den or bedroom, put them together and create a sense of balance in your room. Adding a set of gallery shelves is a great way to balance a large wall and also display some of your favorite collectibles or art works.

A great way to add balance around a sofa is to add a standing lamp on each side. This is the essence of balance in a room. It will also create a balanced lighting effect in your room so you get two decoration additions with each lamp. If you don't want to add a pair of lamps or you have two metal lamps that look similar but are not a pair, just give them matching shades, it will create an air of unity and you can still keep your favorite lamps.
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs   

Easy Tips to Help You Design Like a Pro

Have you ever been a little envious of someone who made interior design their career? Been awed by their ability to walk in a seemingly boring room and breathe life into it? You can do it too if you know a few of the basics.

The number one place that most people go awry in their rooms is with color. The secret with color is to use color to work with your room. Don't let that sound daunting. You simply need to know two basic things about colors. Light colors expand within a room and create an illusion of space and dark colors recede and create an illusion that a room is a little smaller than it is. All you need to do is look at your room and decide if you want it to seem a little larger or a little more drawn in. Then pick one main color and use a complimentary secondary color (usually a little brighter than your main color)and you have your color scheme!

Then pick one area in your room and work outwards from there. You can also work outwards from the best features of your room such as a bay window or a large wall area. Add classics to your room such as an area rug. Add a large functional armoire for a classy way to hold CDs and DVDs along with other necessary knick-knacks you use often but don't necessary want to leave out. Use the size of your room to decide your furnishings. Less is more in a small room. A small and delicate love seat will look absurd in front of a large fireplace. A large overstuffed sofa would look much more cozy in the same place.

Using these few tips will give you the basics for designing your room like a pro!
 posted by Allure Furniture Designs