In most households, the living room is one of the most used spaces. It’s often used for relaxing, entertaining, and spending family time together. The more time you spend in that room, the more you may feel you need to change the look. Luckily, changing the look of your living room doesn’t have to cost thousands of dollars. If you’re looking to renovate your room and make it exciting again, here are a few suggestions.

Rearrange the Furniture
You don’t have to spend a dime to get a whole new look. Simply rearrange the furniture. If you find a different focal point for the room, you can then rearrange the room to focus on that new area. This is so simple to do and give the room a completely new look and flow. Although this doesn’t require any new furniture, if you really wanted to mix things up, you could add an end table or other inexpensive piece.

Change the Paint Color on the Walls
Paint is relatively inexpensive but can dramatically change the look of a room. Your best bet is to choose a color that’s already in the room’s color scheme. By choosing a matching or complementary color, you can develop a whole new feel for the room. If you don’t have the time or money to paint the entire room, you can simply choose one wall and make it an accent wall. By painting it an accent color, you can give the room some more interest.

Add Inexpensive Accessories to the Furniture
It’s not necessary to spend a fortune on furniture accessories to change the style of a living room. Look around your home and see if you have any decorative pillows, throws, vases, baskets, flower arrangements, candles, and lamps, that you can take from a different room. You can give you couch a totally different style with some new decorative pillows. By adding different pillows to your neutral couch, you can easily turn a country-style piece to a contemporary style. Adding candles and baskets to the oak end tables and oak bookshelves in the room can really mix up the décor.

Change the Window Treatments
Different window treatments often allow different amounts of light to enter, and this can completely change a room’s look. You can also change the color, patterns, and type of material easily with window treatments. If you already have window treatments installed, you can always add new ones to those existing ones—such as adding a fabric valance to a window that already has blinds.

If you don’t have a lot of money to spend but you want to change the look of your living room, with a little resourcefulness and creativity you can come up with a new style. Follow these tips to create a whole new look. Then the next time you have friends and family over for a gathering, they may not even recognize the place.

One popular way to decorate a bathroom is with an ocean theme. There are plenty of décor items available that can help give your bathroom that unique ocean look so that you feel like you are at the beach every time you set foot in the room. Follow these tips, and with a little creativity, you can come up with a fabulous ocean theme for your bathroom.

Paint the Bathroom with Colors from the Ocean
You can quickly transform your bedroom into an ocean retreat by painting it blue, green, tan, and cream: the colors of the ocean. Paint the walls cream and then add a turquoise accent wall for a distinctive twist to the ocean theme. Add more color to the room by adding yellow, which will work to highlight the feeling of warm sunlight over the ocean. If you’re really creative, then a really unique idea is to paint an ocean mural on one of the walls. This is a great way to fill a large space and can add a wonderful focal point to the décor. If you’re doing this in the master bathroom, then you can create the feeling that your bedroom is right on the ocean.

Use Real Ocean Accessories
Use items you would find down at the beach or ocean, rather than buying all your décor items from the store. It’s amazing how things such as shells and sand make such great additions to the room. A basket of shelf or bottles of sand on a shelf will add instant ambiance to the room.

Hang an Ocean-Themed Shower Curtain
One of the first things people see when they walk into a bathroom is the shower curtain. Hang an ocean-themed shower curtain for all to see. In this way, you can really play up the shower area. You can go with a more playful theme, perhaps with pictures of fish, or choose one with a beautiful ocean or beach scene on it. Decide whether you’re trying to create an ocean retreat or a fun beach theme, and choose your curtain accordingly.

Look for Themed Accessories to Complete the Look
You should have no problem finding ocean-themed bathroom accessories, as this type of theme is rather popular. Look for things that have some sort of ocean-related aspect to them, such as soap dishes, wastebaskets, bath mats, and towels. A fish-shaped soap dish would work great with a fun variation of this theme, whereas elegant shell-shaped soaps in a blue soap dish would be more appropriate for a serious ocean retreat.

You can use an ocean theme for a master bathroom, as easily as you can use it for a child’s bathroom. After all, there are many different variations upon this theme, from sand sculptures to fish, to lighthouses. Have fun with this theme, and be sure to include your own personality when designing the style.

About the Writer…
Leon Tuberman has been part of the furniture and interior design  business for 40 years. He owns and operates a popular furniture store in California. They offer a huge assortment of solid wood furniture for your living room, home office and dining furniture that’s built in the Heartland of America. Are you searching for a bookcase for your home office or wood end tables for your living room then they probably have everything you need.

If you’re looking for a great way to enhance the décor of your home and highlight certain features, consider decorative molding. It gives any room a polished and attractive look, adding style and character to the walls, ceilings, and flooring. If you’re looking for different places in your home to use decorative molding, here are some suggestions.

Use Decorative Molding around the Ceiling
One of the most common areas where decorative molding is used is around the ceiling. One popular decorative molding is crown molding, which gives a sophisticated and polished look to the walls and ceiling. The molding is hung right where the wall meets the ceiling, giving a decorative touch to an otherwise uninteresting area of the room. You should be able to find this type of molding in a range of sizes, anywhere from 3” to 12” in width.

Use Decorative Molding along the Floor
The flooring space is another common place where decorative molding is used. This is installed similar to ceiling molding, except it’s placed where the floor meets the wall. By concealing the area where the wall meets the floor, it gives the room a finished look. This type of molding is called baseboard, and it’s not only decorative. It also works to protect the wall from things like scratches and scrapes incurred from furniture and other objects.

Use Decorative Molding along a Wall
Another way to use decorative molding is to create what is known as a chair rail. Typically, you place the molding slightly lower than the middle of the wall. Then you run the molding all around the length of the room. When they use a chair rail, many times people will place wainscoting or paint the lower half of the wall a different color. If you’re looking to add some style and interest to your walls without going overboard, this is a great option.

Use Decorative Molding around a Window
By placing decorative molding around a window, you can highlight that area, playing up the beauty of the light coming in. Decorative molding around a window will also seal any gaps you have between the window and the wall to prevent air from entering or escaping the house. Most likely you will need to find a sill for the bottom part of the window that matches the rest of the molding.

Use Decorative Molding around a Door
Like windows, you can also use decorative molding to accent a door. If you’ve already installed molding around the window in a room, you can match the molding you’re going to put around the door. As it does with the windows, molding around the door will cover any gaps or leaks. Not only does this make things more efficient, but it covers any blemishes, adding to the style and appeal of the overall décor.

These are only a few suggestions as to how decorative molding can be used in your home. Keep in mind, though, that if you use a certain type of molding one place in the room, use that same type of molding elsewhere. By choosing molding that’s the same color, width, or design, you can really pull the room together and create a cohesive look.

About the Author…
Leon Tuberman has been part of the home furnishings and interior decorating  business for four decades. He is the owner and manager of popular furniture store in California. They carry a large selection of American made solid mission furniture for your home office, dining room and bedroom. Whether you’re looking for bookcases for your study area or a solid oak bed for your master bedroom then they have everything you need.

There are many homeowners who like to change the décor and decorate their home according to the different seasons. There are plenty of creative things you can do when it comes to winter decorating. Although many people use the wintertime to decorate for the holidays, there are plenty of other ways you can simply decorate for the winter season. Following are some great tips for winter decorating in your home.

Decorate Your Home in Winter White
As wintertime approaches, you can turn your home into a white winter wonderland by bringing out your white décor items. White décor items can work to brighten up your home during those dark and dreary winter days and nights. The white also brings out the reminder of beautiful snowfalls, essentially bringing the outside into your home. Some easy ways to add more white to your winter décor include white tablecloths, white candles, and white throws slung over chairs and couches.

Hang a Winter Wreath in Your Home
Fortunately, wreaths are not just for Christmas. They actually make a great winter decoration that you can display from December to March. Whether you make your own greenery wreath or buy a pre-made one, be sure it matches the style of your home. The wreath can be decorated with items associated with winter: pinecones, white or flannel ribbon, and silver charms. The wreath can then be hung on the wall. When looking for a place to hang the wreath, do be sure that the wreath and the wall are comparable in size. After all, you don’t want a tiny wreath on a huge wall with a great area of blank space, just as you don’t want a huge wreath taking up all the space on a tiny wall.

Change Your Furniture for Winter
Changing your furniture for a winter décor doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go out and buy a new set of furniture for every season. It just simply means that you might have to add or take away some items in the room. Adding slipcovers can be a great way to change up your furniture for the winter. Find slipcovers for your couches and chairs in a heavier material and wintery color. You might also decorate the furniture using winter-themed pillows. These pillows can be solid-colored or plaid. Or you might find some with snowflake or snowman pictures on them. You might also add some winter style to the room by draping a heavy throw on the back of the couch or chair.

Change Your Artwork in Your Home for Winter
If you are trying to create a winter décor, you may not want pictures of bright flowers hanging on your walls. Consider storing these pictures away for the spring and summer, and hanging different pieces of art that give your home more of a wintertime feel. Great winter-style pictures include black and white photographs of nature, such as snow trees, rivers, and mountains. Those bright and cheery flowers can also be replaced with hand-painted pictures of country snowfalls or paintings that use rich colors that lend a more wintry feel.

These are just some of the many ways you can bring winter decorating into your home. Changing the look of your home to celebrate the different seasons is a great way to keep things looking stylish and fresh.

About the Writer…
Leon Tuberman has been part of the furniture and interior decorating  business for 4 decades. He owns and manages a popular furniture store in California. They have a large inventory of handcrafted Amish built solid wood furniture for your bedroom, home office and living room. Whether you’re looking for mission end tables for your family room or a mission chest for your bedroom then they carry everything you need.

Typically, the kitchen is where families spend most of their time, more than any other room in the house. Thus, it’s important to create a kitchen that’s both stylish and unique, different from anything else you’ve seen before. In this way, your family will have a unique place that has both character and charm where they can eat, talk, and spend time together.

Display Your Cookbooks
You don’t need to hide your cookbooks away in a drawer or on a bookshelf somewhere in the living room. Consider displaying them instead for people to see when they walk into your kitchen. You might place them on a shelf on the wall or even on the top of your fridge. By adding in a couple of cute bookends to keep everything in place, you will create a décor item that’s also very practical.

Hang Some Kitchen Signs
There are hundreds of different signs available that can be hung in the kitchen. You’ll be able to find one that fits into the overall theme and style you are going for.

· For a retro look, choose something like a neon sign that says “Kitchen Open or “Open 24 Hours.”

· If you’re trying to create a country kitchen, you can choose signs with roosters or country sayings to give the décor that country charm you are looking for.

· For those of you who are creative, you can make your own sign using a piece of wood and some paint. This is a great way to ensure that no one else will have a kitchen sign like yours.

Use Recipes to Add Décor
Did you know that recipes actually make a great wallpaper border? You can choose to either handwrite some of your favorite recipes or find pages in a cookbook or magazine. The pages will need to be sealed with a clear poly-acrylic in order to protect them. Then all you need to do is to paste them to the wall.

If you don’t like the wallpaper border idea, then make a wall of recipes near your cooking area. Depending on whether you want them to be legible or not, you can choose to create more of a collage effect with the recipes. If you like, you can take this a step further and create a one-of-a-kind wallpaper with a recipe and food photo collage.

Create a Backsplash with Some Hand-Painted Tiles
Decorate your kitchen in a unique way by creating a backsplash with your very own hand-painted tiles. You can paint ceramic tiles to your liking and then preserve them with a sealer. You might choose to paint themed pictures on random tiles on the backsplash. Another great idea is to let your kids get creative and paint them for you. This way you’ll end up with a totally unique kitchen backsplash and you’ll also have added a family touch to the room as well.

Kitchens need not be boring, nor do they all need to look the same. If you look around your kitchen, you’ll probably find plenty of items sitting around that can become part of your décor. By getting creative and involving your entire family in the decorating process, you will be able to come up with a unique décor for your kitchen.

About the Author…
Leon Tuberman has been in the home furnishings and interior design industry for four decades. He owns and manages his family owned furniture store. They have a large inventory of handcrafted American built solid wood furniture for your bedroom, home office and living room. Whether you’re looking for a wood coffee table for your family room or a oak dresser for your bedroom then they have everything you need.

Your bedroom can become a relaxing getaway with a beach-themed bedroom. There are many different decorating ideas to choose from when it comes to creating that perfect beach theme for your bedroom. The key to decorating a bedroom, no matter what theme you choose, is to make sure the décor fits your personality in style, so that it becomes a place where you want to spend a lot of time.

The Basics of a Beach-Themed Bedroom
Before you buy anything for your bedroom, you first need to decide what type of beach style you want. A beach theme leaves you wide open when it comes to decorating. To one person, a beach theme may involve seashells, sand, and water. Whereas for another person it may involve more of a luau or Hawaiian theme, complete with surfboards, waves, and fish. Depending on your own personal style and vision, there are many different directions you can take when decorating with a beach theme.

Colors for a Beach-Themed Bedroom
No matter what type of beach style you decide on, using the color blue is a must. You don’t necessarily have to paint your walls blue, but the color should be incorporated somewhere in your color scheme. For a nautical beach theme, showcase the colors of red, white, and blue, mixing in neutrals such as tan and brown to balance things out. On the other hand, if you’re creating a tropical look, then choose more vibrant colors like yellow, pink, bright blue, and purple. If you’re looking to create the ultimate beach resort getaway, then decorate with neutral tones like white, tan, light blue, and light pink or coral.

Furniture for a Beach-Themed Bedroom
Lighter furniture is usually the best choice for most beach themes like a light oak chest or a light wood night stand. It’s best to keep things light with this type of a theme. Light-colored sand and blue skies most often come to mind when one thinks of the ocean. If possible, try to incorporate such woods as wicker, driftwood, and bamboo into the furniture. If you really want to add a beach feeling to the room, you might accessorize your furniture by draping it with some white or sheer fabric.

Accessories for a Beach-Themed Bedroom
The accessories you choose for your beach-themed bedroom will differ, depending on the style you choose for the room. Here are some common beach accessories you can add to your bedroom:

· seashells

· paintings or pictures of the ocean or beach

· boats

· water features, such as a fountain

· sand

· sea animals and fish

· surfboards

· lighthouses

· sea grass

· rocks and pebbles

· tropical flowers

You might incorporate a beach theme into other rooms in your home, such as the living room or your child’s bedroom. These suggestions can easily be incorporated into a functional living space or child-friendly bedroom.

Your bedroom is meant to be a refuge in your home, a place of comfort as well as style. What makes a beach theme ideal for this space is that it radiates an easy and peaceful feeling, which every bedroom should have.

For those who like to keep current with the styles and designs of today, a contemporary style might be the perfect décor choice for your home. Today’s contemporary styles are a far cry from several years ago and are no longer as cold and unwelcoming as they once were. Today’s contemporary styles are lighter, comfortable, and very welcoming.

So what does a contemporary look need? The basic components of this design style are simplicity, clean lines, and sophistication. When decorating your home in a contemporary style, focus mainly on size, shape, and color. The fresh, sleek look that results will fit just about any room in the home. If a contemporary style seems like the décor choice for you, here are some other important features to consider.

Contemporary Color Choices for Your Room
Neutrals tend to be the main contemporary colors, although modern styles are incorporating colors such as blues and greens. Traditionally, black is often the color used to ground the décor, creating a base for the look. Walls should be kept neutral; stay with tones such as light gray, white, and light tan.

A new trend among contemporary styles is the monochromatic theme. This means you choose one or two complementary colors, such as green and blue, and then you work only with those colors, adding a neutral color such as black or white here and there. Thus, for instance, you may coordinate white pillows with a modern light-blue chair.

Accentuate the Lines and Geometry of the Room
Essential to contemporary style is distinct lines in the design. You can use geometric shapes and bare windows to establish definite lines in your décor. Don’t overcrowd the space. You need each and every piece to stand on its own and not get shuffled in with everything else.

Choose Sleek and Modern Furniture
When you go to furnish your room, look for sleek and modern pieces that have geometric patterns. Rather than a big plush, comfy sofa, you might go with a sleek wrap-around sofa with exposed peg legs for that contemporary look. Upholstered furniture should be neutral, in tones such as white, black, tan, and gray. You can also think about Amish furniture in contemporary style. Avoid furniture with frilly accents or pillows, or pieces with skirts or trim on the bottom.

Contemporary Décor That’s Basic, Bold, and Functional
When you’re going for a contemporary look, always remember that less is more. Eliminate those small, cute, little things in the room and turn your focus to the larger objects. Floral and paisley prints need to be avoided, as well as fringe and ruffles.

Décor should be basic, bold, and functional. For instance, a simple large candle on a dish may be all that’s needed on a shelf or table. Another contemporary décor option might be a glass vase with colored balls or marbles. You should only use one decorating item per surface area, and some surfaces should be kept bare.

Any room in your home can benefit from a contemporary style and can be achieved with something as simple as new  living room or bedroom furniture accents. Be sure this is the style you want, however. It’s notoriously difficult to use contemporary pieces in other decorating styles.