Decorating a home isn’t easy if you don’t have an innate talent for bringing together different elements.
Every room in a home should have a touch of nature, whether it’s a floral arrangement, a vase of fresh cut flowers, or a potted indoor plant.
Some people find it much easier to put together a collection of images – a mood board – of things they like and then use this as a guide in decorating a room.
If you are one of those people, here are some ideas to ‘steal’ for decorating your home:
Functional Furniture
Functional furniture is an essential part of any room, and a coffee table is no exception. If you have DIY skills you can easily knock up a coffee table that not only matches the style of the room, but also provides more than one function. Incorporating storage into a coffee table is ideal if you rent your home, since it can be designed to accommodate books or other media that can’t be put anywhere else.
Artfully Arranged
Every home needs an eye-catching piece of art or two. While expensive collector pieces might be out of your reach, there are so many alternatives and options for adding colourful or dynamic artwork. Even something as simple as a piece of fabric mounted to hang on a wall can make a difference. Adding art is also a way to introduce colour into a room without having to paint walls.
Perfectly Placed
Finding the right place for furniture is an art in itself. The secret to the success of arranging furniture is to take everything out of the room and try different combinations. If you are working around a focal point or feature, such as a fireplace, this would be the starting point.
The secret to the success of arranging furniture is to take everything out of the room and try different combinations.
Likewise, whatever feature or focal point is in a particular room, use this as the starting point for arranging furniture to emphasise the feature.
Arranging furniture can come in handy when you need to decorate an open living space. Simply by placing a console table or cabinet at the back of a sofa can help define and break up individual zones.
Always take into consideration the purpose of the setting that you want to create in a particular room. For example, arrange furniture for conversation or to watch TV, or perhaps have a sofa that faces out onto the garden. It is important to also allow space to walk around and in between furniture, so take this into consideration as you plan the layout.
Layer On Texture
While soft furnishings and accessories are essential in adding layers of interest and texture to a room, always keep in mind that rugs can also be used to bring another level of texture, as well as comfort underfoot. You can also use a large rug to add colour and pattern to a room, matching hues already in the room or bringing in a bold splash of contrast.
A floor rug is not only used for decoration, floor rugs also protect your flooring. A laminate floor scratches easily and rugs placed in high traffic areas, such as around seating, will extend the life.
Add rugs during the colder months to visually add warmth and to take the chill off tiled floors.
The Natural Touch 
While you might not follow trends when it comes to your home interior, unless you want your living spaces to be old-fashioned and dated, it does help to bring in a few modern touches here and there.
Every room in a home should have a touch of nature, whether it’s a floral arrangement, a vase of fresh cut flowers, or a potted indoor plant.
If flowers and plants just aren’t your thing introduce botanical art or prints to bring a sense of nature indoors.
Trends
While you might not follow trends when it comes to your home interior, unless you want your living spaces to be old-fashioned and dated, it does help to bring in a few modern touches here and there. It can be something as small as a couple of cushions on plain or patterned fabrics, a few accessories, modern light fittings or a new piece of furniture.
Creative Colour
Your home is where you live and it should be an expression of your personal style. You will furnish it with pieces you like, you will dress it with accessories that take your fancy, and there’s no reason why you can’t express yourself with colour in just the same way. Colour is fun, it allows you to dress up a room in neutral shades, with just a small amount, or add your stamp with colourful accessories.
Introducing colour isn’t just about painting walls, it’s also about finding furniture and accessories that catch your eye and that would be perfect for a space.
SOURCE: www.home-dzine.co.za
