Furniture:

Think about what you have and how it can better serve you in a different capacity or room. Flip pieces between rooms (e.g., mix up LR & family room pieces). Split up matched sets, i.e. sofa/loveseat, chair & ottoman, that look too "matchy-matchy" anyhow.

Empty the room and see it w/fresh eyes and moving things out of the places where "they’ve always been," can enliven a space

Switch outdated hardware on furniture (new drawer pulls on a DR hutch or dresser) for an instant update - Great Indoors has a wonderful selection! (Also switch out door handles & hinges throughout the house to modernize inexpensively.

Repurpose furniture:

A coffee table can become a TV console or a bench in a foyer w/some pillows added to top

An old-fashioned secretary can become a funky little wine/martini bar

A bureau can become a buffet in a DR

An upholstered ottoman can serve as a coffee table w/a tray on top

A bookcase can become a room divider

An outgrown wooden toy box can become seating - add some foam cut to size and add a simple slipcover

An antique wardrobe can become a media cabinet

Remember to consider the actual shapes of pieces rather than their "titles" when considering where/how they can be used.

Buy neutral large furnishings for flexibility - allows you to change look often as you like with color of candles, throws, pillows, art:
* Seasonally
* Style - modern or traditional or eclectic

Hold a furniture swap meet with your neighbors

Color:

Go bold with paint; an inexpensive way to get a bang for your buck.

Kitchens and bathrooms:

Add a frame around builder’ stock mirrors over bathroom vanities w/decorative moldings (if you bring dimensions, many hardware stores will cut the moldings to size for you).

Add hardware to plain cabinets - it’s like adding jewelry after you’ve dressed for a special evening - the finishing touch, bit of sparkle that makes all the difference

Buy small quantities of expensive materials
* Italian glass tile as accents mixed with less expensive materials 12 x 12s of less expensive travertine
* Luxury fabric pillows mixed w/less expensive store

Accessorizing:

Pair expensive items with less expensive items to blend; less expensive items will blend in. Do not put an expensive vase next to an inexpensive vase or the same exact thing - one expensive, one less expensive.

Buy a vase, bowl, pillar, etc. that you love, place it prominently, & occasionally switch out its contents (silk spring blooms, twigs or gourds in the fall, glass Xmas tree balls, etc.)

Decorate with nature - a simple bowl of artichokes, 3 perfect pears on candlestick holders centered on a table.

Don’t hide your good china, bring out it out! Display pieces mingled in bookcases/on shelves, hang a grouping of the plates on dining room wall, etc.

General:

Make it personal
* Create shadow boxes of mementos - foreign money
* Display your childhood/family items
* Apothecary jar of shells or stones you’ve collected
* Lovely bottle filled with sand from your favorite beach
* Frame & hang your children’s artwork - even the most humble watercolor can look significant if matted & framed (pre-made frames are fine & easy to switch artwork periodically).

Labels: Interior Design