By Stephanie Henley
Have you ever walked into a room and saw right through it? A room where your eyes had a difficult time finding a resting place? Did you noticed an absents of flutters you typically get when you see something unique, radiant and beautiful? A place of beauty and interest was left at the front door, not beyond. You may have felt this in an friends home, but what about yours? Is your home missing that je ne sais quoi? If you believe this may be your home, no worries. I have a few tricks up my sleeve I’d like to share. There are a few ways you can add freshness to the space. A few ways you can breathe an air of fresh décor.
1. Replace The Rug
Rugs are the foundation to a room. Not only do they act a unifier of space, but have a unique ability to make a space appear larger. They can bring warmth, color and interest. They can lend a tranquil ambience to a bedroom or acting as a focal point beneath a glass coffee table. Keep your artwork in mind when selecting your area rug. You want it to compliment your artwork, not compete with it. Rugs can command a rooms attention and need to be carefully thought out. With the right placement, texture and color choice a rug can command a room as strongly as the ink written words on a blank piece of paper.
2. Add Throw Pillows
Not only do pillows offer a cozy, layered feeling to your home, they can add a texture without having to spend a lot of money. Adding a few throw pillows can be the quickest and easiest way to experiment with color as well. If you’re afraid to paint your walls your favorite vibrant color, go ahead and add that color to your pillows. Be daring and have fun with your throw pillows. When selecting overstuffed pillows they should create a plush, formable and elegant appearance, so don’t skimp on the down-filled ones. When selecting smaller ones, try and avoid 12-14 inch pillows. They are softly spoken and don’t provide enough to rest on.
3. Lighting Is Everything
The elusive and often overlooked element of lighting is crucial to a rooms design. The absence of lighting not only impacts the beauty of your wall color and drapery fabrics, but can easily add that high-end look to your home in an instant. Weather you are shopping at high end lighting stores or your local flea market, gems can be found almost anywhere. With a little buffing or new paint, your recently found jewel can prove to be as elegant as a new one. Layering lighting can bring a glow to a room. Add lighting to the perimeter of a room and wa-lah, the space will appear larger in a blink of an eye.
Photo Courtesy of Beasley & Henley Interior Design
4. Drapery
It’s as simple as going to work without your shoes. Your appearance will look and feel unfinished When selecting window treatments look for elegant materials such as natural silk, cotton and linen. When making your selections keep in mind what you want the room to say. Do you want you drapes to be visually interesting with a hint of excitement or would you rather give off a feeling of serenity? Is the room contemporary, transitional or traditional? These are all questions you need to ask yourself prior to your selections. This will save you a lot of time, effort and money, and if curtains are not your style go ahead and install wooden blinds, shutters, celualr shades or woven bamboo. They are a great alternative to fabric drapes and give off that fashionable finished look you are striving to achieve.
