# decorating



## dunroven (Dec 6, 2004)

I'm not sure if this is where to ask this, but if not, I'm sure it will be moved.

I am on an almost nonexistant allowance for doing any decorating at all on my house. Here are my questions:

1. How do I learn how to decorate my home? I am 48, my mother has passed away, I have no family nearby to help and I'm really embarrassed to have anyone step into this house to offer any suggestions. I don't know about colors and such, and can't buy anything at all really as far as curtains, furniture, rugs, what have you. (I'm embarrased to admit all of this as well).

2. Where can I pick up cheap things to decorate with (on the internet) as I work at night and am asleep during the day, when garage sales, etc., are going on. (Hubby does the shopping for us).

Any help here would be greatly appreciated.


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## donsgal (May 2, 2005)

dunroven said:


> I'm not sure if this is where to ask this, but if not, I'm sure it will be moved.
> 
> I am on an almost nonexistant allowance for doing any decorating at all on my house. Here are my questions:
> 
> ...


I use sheets for a lot of things. You can make curtains out of them, cover less-than-stellar furniture with them, make table cloths, etc. They are very versitile and fairly inexpensive. I find that my local Wal*Mart does not have a very good selection, color/patterns wise, but I'm sure you can find some nicer ones online for a reasonable price.

Accessories, such as pillows and pictures/paintings for your walls also add a lot to a room. Again these things are available at Wallyworld and online as well. And remember, PAINT is your friend! (But it is hard to find someone who wants to help LOL).

donsgal
who is no decorator, that's for sure.


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## dunroven (Dec 6, 2004)

These are good suggestions, but you have to know colors and patterns, etc. before you can put stuff together. I don't have a clue. I mean obviously I wouldn't put bright red with vibrant orange, but I truly don't have a clue on how to match colors.

Also, my rooms are very small. For instance, for furniture, my living room is my living room/dining room, entertainment room. Meaning, I have my china cabinet on one wall with my table right in front of it (within 6 inches), I have 2 recliners with a small table between them on the second wall, and on the third wall is a huge double door (which leads into the bedroom), and a door to the front porch (which does not open) and we have the piano setting in front of it (no place else in the house to put this). On the fourth wall is a window seat and right in front of that window seat (to one side), is another small table with a 19 inch color TV on it. The room has no room for anything else, and no place to walk. In fact, if we use the recliners as recliners, you have to step over the foot part to get into the next room. This room has a total of 5 doors in it (the double door, the unused door to the front porch, the door to the kitchen, the door to the upstairs, and a door to my office here). There is a total of about 36 inches of wall space in which to hang anything as far as pictures, and we have put some family photos up there.

Really small.


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## susieM (Apr 23, 2006)

A can of paint is a good start. So is knowing what you don't like. Being nosey, and seeing how other people do it is good, too...get a job as a Avon Lady.


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## dunroven (Dec 6, 2004)

I was an Avon Lady for quite a while and couldn't get people to buy. My mother was an Avon Lady for 27 years. I use very little Avon anymore, and the problem with being one now is that I would have absolutely no customers since I don't go anywhere except to church on Sunday and church on Wednesday night for kids club. Our members are mostly in their 90s, and don't use the products, so I would get nowhere doing that. Thanks for the suggestion though.

All the walls in this house are white, or basically dingey white/gray. I don't know what makes things look bigger or smaller or anything. I will probably just not mess with anything. I have no talent at all for decorating and can't afford a decorator. Wish I knew a little bit about any of it.


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## susieM (Apr 23, 2006)

Look at magazines and such for ideas. Cut out the ideas that you like, and see which ideas remain consistent.


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## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

Decorating is my thing 

I see you're concerned about which colors you should use... Get thee an inspiration piece  Let me explain. 

It can be anything: a rug, a throw pillow, a picture, or just a piece of fabric and from it you draw your colors for the room. For example, think about a piece of fabric for a moment. It was designed by a professional. All the colors work together. So you could choose a nuetral from the fabric and use it as the wall color. Choose another color from the fabric as an accent color to spread around the rest of the room in the form of pillows, throws, rugs, etc.

It's hard to give you any other advice over a message board. I'd really have to see things to be more specific. Find something you love and go with it. There is no "wrong". Don't be afraid to shuffle your existing furniture from room to room. Most people's home are grossly over-furnished, so you probably have more stuff than you need to do this. Keep in mind that clutter is NOT your friend. The eye needs some empty space to rest in a room or it will feel cluttered.

Hope some of this helps,

 RedTartan


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## dunroven (Dec 6, 2004)

Well, I don't think we have too much stuff, we have just what we need to make it, for instance in that living room/dining room/entertainment room, again, 2 recliners, the table, 2 chairs for it, the TV on the stand, the china cabinet, which holds my dishes, a table between the 2 chairs so we can set our cups of coffee, etc., and the piano. It really is not that we have to much stuff, it's just that there is not enough room for the stuff we need. I wish I could take pictures and send them to you redtartan. I'd love to get your advice.

Maybe someday I can do that, when I can get it cleaned up. Thanks everyone.


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## threadneedle (Nov 14, 2006)

Do you have a Barnes & Noble or Borders bookstore nearby? I would go to a bookstore and look at decorating magazines to get ideas. There is a magazine devoted to decorating small spaces. If you find a picture you like, ask yourself why you like it and how could you use that idea? 

I wouldn't rush out and buy anything until you've decided what colors you like. For instance, although I like white/tan rooms, I know I would always be trying to bring in some color. Think about what colors make you feel happy and comfortable.

My house is a never ending project. I don't like things that match so I collect furniture and decorating items with a story behind them.


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## dunroven (Dec 6, 2004)

No bookstores anywhere close here and I don't get magazines, too expensive. I have looked at lots of magazines in doctor's offices, etc., but there is nothing in any of those that would work in my little dinky house. I am probably just not going to do anything I guess. I just wonder if there is maybe some free online class or something a person could take to learn about color coordination, etc. I don't have TV either, so can't watch that for ideas, and I work the night shift and sleep most days (I'm up today making food for a retreat at church tomorrow), but normally I am in bed during the day. I work 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.


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## okiemom (May 12, 2002)

Paint is the cheapest way to change a room. It is also easy to change. High priced pieced stay in basic colors and color comes in with pillows, throws, vases, etc. Stuff that is not real expensive. 

I like to have things displayed that are functional as well as pretty. I don't like dustcatchers. l like functional art. Cast iron, kitchen tools, old tools, pewter, etc... I want everything to be multifunctional as well. 

I really liked Christopher Lowell's ideas on decorating. It was pretty and functional. His book is very informative and easy to follow he makes it like a formuls. Step a then b then c....

I need help on merchandising. You would be suprised on how many wonderful things you have it just could be placed/displayed better. Someone will have an open kitchen and it looks so cute, in my kitchen it will just look like caos. :flame: and clutter.

Work w/ what you have and what you like. show us what you have and I bet there will be many responses on what to do w/ it. Also there is a lot of art in nature that is very inexpensive even free. Copy ideas from what you like and find out the WHY you like it. 

I agree look at others homes. You can get a lot of ideas in public spaces too. Business decorate so look at what they have. public spaces are free so just go in and look around. look at furniture stores they have to decorate to make their furniture look homey. write notes to yourself. Get library books. 

Tell us what you have and what youlike.


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## greenboy (Sep 5, 2005)

When I was in College I use to go to the stores, sometimes they decorate the area in the store with items which they are selling in the store, so I was buying all the items and I was making the decoration the same like in the store let me know if this helps you.
Also I have 4 different set of decoration for the living room, all of them are water resistant, so when I want to put a set to rest I ust do that, and I put them in the dishwasher and I take the other set ot....




dunroven said:


> Well, I don't think we have too much stuff, we have just what we need to make it, for instance in that living room/dining room/entertainment room, again, 2 recliners, the table, 2 chairs for it, the TV on the stand, the china cabinet, which holds my dishes, a table between the 2 chairs so we can set our cups of coffee, etc., and the piano. It really is not that we have to much stuff, it's just that there is not enough room for the stuff we need. I wish I could take pictures and send them to you redtartan. I'd love to get your advice.
> 
> Maybe someday I can do that, when I can get it cleaned up. Thanks everyone.


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## matt633 (Apr 11, 2007)

I am not great w/ colors either, but here are some of my fav combinations: khaki/sage green/brick red/cream; blue and white; black/khaki/cream; or the bright and fun yellow/red/green/blue/white. My main floor is sparse in decor b/c I like everything really clean and simple. The colors are yellow/blue/leaf green/white and all my windows are bare b/c I like the sunlight pouring in! My DH doesn't really allow me much $$$ for decorating, so I make curtains (WalMart carries some great fabrics on a $1 rack...just keep an eye out till you find something you like) and I make use of old picture frames. I RARELY have time and patience for yard sales, so I have others do the work for me! Everyone I know brings me their outdated or mismatched picture frames and I reinvent them. I usually repaint them. For some, I make mats out of colored cardstock and print verses in pretty lettering. For some, I mix and match to do collages on the wall. Also, I have people look out for old furniture pieces that I can repaint (I paint EVERYTHING!!!) and use; I do my own photography and create wall hangings. I get old pillows from people who get new sofas and I recover them. I put cheap, but pretty, candles EVERYWHERE! I also decorate w/ things I already have since I don't like useless stuff....like books, a globe the kids use for school, a tea service decorates the dining room, baskets w/ greenery or fresh fruit, and so on. And back on the paint...you really can work wonders w/ it and it is a cheap way to perk up a space....I have painted verses directly on my wall, I did a vine border in my kitchen once, I just finished painting my son's wall to look like a broken brick wall, etc. And, I promise I am no artist!! Remember, you can always paint over it.

Can't really tell you what to do...it is your space and the best look for you is something you feel good in. But, I hope I have given you a few ideas to save cash. (I am not a great decorator, but I am a good penny pincher!!).

Happy decorating...Rachael


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## TheBiscuitQueen (Aug 31, 2007)

I agree to find inspiration. A few examples...

I was given a rug by a friend, black with a gold border and blue green leaves, grape vines flowers, lots of colors. I loved it. Our dining room was white with blue duck borders (yuck) so I painted the room pumpkin orange from a color out of the rug. I left the windows bare but could have made curtains out of the gold, or dark cream or even chocolate brown, all colors out of the carpet. I put up lots of natural colored pictures and two shelves, one a printers drawer with little nicknacks (red rose tea animals, finch eggs, little shells) and the other with tea cups from my mother. Whenever we find things outside, like feathers, snake skins, shells, rocks, they go on the window sills. 

Yes, it sounds funky, but I love it. I like the color, I like the rug, and all the neat stuff I have collected over the years. I have had many compliments on it. 

My stairwell: I found a shirt at the Salvation Army. It was what they call french blue, so I wore it to the paint store and they mixed me up a gallon to match. I left the woodwork white, windows bare, and am planning on mounting the old window frames (wooden frames sectioned off into 6 panes) and using them as picture frames. I may put long sheer white curtains up. Eventually I would like a blue and cream patterned runner on the stairs. 

My kitchen: I found a cookbook with a really neat italianish design, green mottled borders, golden yellow crackle finish on the inside, and cream accents. I painted my kitchen cabinets like that, took a large amount of work but it was not very expensive and looks really neat. The largest cost was new pulls, because I hated the old ones and splurged on nice ones. 

In other words, find something you love, and then pick out of it other things which work. It is your house, don't be afraid of making mistakes, and try to make things comfortable for you first of all. If you are not comfortable, no one else will be. 

Look online at decorating shows, like The Learning Channels or better home and gardens. That is free. You can find thousands of pictures. I keep a folder with cut outs from magazines and printouts from on line, so that when I get something I like I have lots of ideas.


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