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September 14, 2007
Posted by: Cathy at 2:24 pm
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The Holidays are coming… you want to get the house looking better… but the budget won’t allow for any major decorating changes. You want things to look nice… but how do you freshen old furnishings, mismatched pieces and plain walls without spending a fortune?
Heres a few ideas …
Before
The best way to dress up a tired old sofa is to get new throw pillows. Get rid of those old, flat, deflated, faded throw pillows and buy or make new ones. Also, flip over and rearrange the seat and back cushions on the sofa. It will look so much better. If you have a worn or stained area on the sofa, lay a coordinating throw (afghan) over the area. You’ll be surprised how good your old sofa will look.
In this room, the little wicker chest was too small by itself as a coffee table. We added the two small wicker cubes (on right side of sofa) to the wicker chest coffee table for a larger grouping in the center. The scale was much better and added extra storage. Try putting a few smaller pieces together to make, one bigger statement…small but relating artwork, 5 vases instead of 2 or 3, small tables nested at different heights, candlesticks, a grouping of plants instead one here and there, etc.
after
We also added a side table and lamp, a large picture and plant sconces to the wall, a few accessories on the tables. The area rug was dry cleaned, and looked brand new.
It doesn’t take a lot of time or money to “Freshen Up” a living space. But it makes a big difference when you do. Look at your room the way others see it, and then make some simple changes. You’ll love your new room.
Back
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1. Pillows!
by Jane — 9/14/07 at 3:07 pm #
2. Wow! What a great blog. This latest post is such an improvement. Just a few touches and such a big difference. Love all your work! Deb
http://sayitwithletters.blogspot.com
by deb — 9/14/07 at 3:37 pm #
3. Great idea’s. I have a room that I cannot figure out how to make look nice, and this gave me some great idea’s. How much did all of this cost?
by maggie — 9/15/07 at 8:53 pm #
4. Cathy,
Help. I have a great room that I recently bought a moss colored sectional I also bought an occational chair that is red,green and yellow plaid. I have a rug that has orchids on it with amber,different shades of green crimson and lilac. The walls are light yellow. My question is what new color can I paint the walls? I have been looking at the gold tones, but on the websites for paint the colors scemes that I have don’t match. I need a dramatic color b/c my cieling are 35 ft hight. and I get plenty of light in the room. Please help. Thanks
Jackie [...]
by jackie [...] — 9/16/07 at 8:49 am #
5. Hi Jane,
You came right to the point. Enough said. Pillows can really rescue a room in distress or any room. One of the great decorating tools, often underestimated.
by Cathy — 9/18/07 at 11:45 am #
6. Thanks Deb,
It really doesn’t take much to pull a room together. I visited your web site. Great stuff. Thanks for sharing.
by Cathy — 9/18/07 at 11:48 am #
7. Hello Maggie,
I’m glad you got some ideas from the post. We did buy a few things for the room, and they were on sale or purchased in stores like HomeGoods.
We purchased, lamp, 5 pillows, sconces, picture, for around $200. Look for bargains, they’re out there.
Thanks for writing.
by Cathy — 9/18/07 at 12:03 pm #
8. Hi Jackie,
Your room sounds nice and colorful. It sounds like you have lots of pattern as well, floral rug, plaid chair. I would keep the background a simple solid color to compliment the color and pattern. The lighter gold (not yellow, gold has some brown it it to mute the yellow) tones you liked. A good choice. Don’t pick paint color off the web sites. They are not true to the real color. Write down a few you like and go into the paint store and get at least 3 samples to try before you buy. Paint them on poster board and look at them throughout the day and night. With such high walls and your color and pattern, keep it warm and simple.
Good luck.
by Cathy — 9/18/07 at 12:29 pm #
9. I am a little behind, haven’t had time for my favorite site! I also love pillows. If I could only get the husband and kids to enjoy them using them on the furniture instead of tossing them aside!
by lynn — 9/21/07 at 6:34 pm #
10. Yes Lynn,
Pillows are great. They are like the “garnish” on a wonderful plate of food… they add color, texture, accent and taste to a room. A finishing touch that ties the room together.
by Cathy — 9/22/07 at 11:58 am #
11. I have a formal living room that I recently needed to convert to an office area for my husband and I. Since we need to share the space I am running into problems of placing desk and filing cabinets. We have lots of stuff so we need lots of storage. And because the office is at the entrance area of our home I would like to keep a formal look. Any ideas for sharing desk space or upscale storage tips?
Bridget
by Bridget — 10/18/07 at 8:03 am #
12. Hello Bridget,
I wrote a post back on July 13, titled “One More Office Idea”. This office was just off the entry in this house. It not only looked great it was functional as well. Two people could work in this space and there was lots of storage. You could use a dark wood instead of the white for a more formal look. ALso hide the files in a closet or in built in cabinets. A version of this might work for you. I will try to link you to this blog. If not go to the archives in the right side bar and look in July for the title.
Hope this gave you an idea to work with.
Thanks for writing in.
by Cathy — 10/19/07 at 11:38 am #
13. Hi Cathy,
I need some major help! We just got this nice, new big flat panel t.v. and a new t.v. stand to go with it. (in the process of redoing the family room). The wreath above the t.v. is left over from our old entertainment center, and now I have no idea what to put above the t.v.! Even though its flat panel picture dont look write above it because they are just too far back from the t.v. Do you have any ideas? I know i could do shelves but what sizes and how would I place them as well as what should I put on them.
by Brandon [...] — 3/15/08 at 6:55 pm #
14. Hello Brandon,
Great question! There are many ways to accent the wall area, to compliment the big flat screen TV. If you don’t have a fireplace in the room, treat the TV similiar to a fireplace. Add a long shelf or mantle, long enough to line up with the width of the TV stand or console. Add some art or a round mirror, (different shape than the TV) above. Maybe a plant or candlesticks or vase with tall branches on the shelf. This would add a little more dimension than just art, and “frame” the TV area better.
OR…add a dimensional metal wall sculpture above the TV, or line up 5 black boxes on the wall to set a candle or vase with a single tall flower or green leaf in. Fill the width of the area above the TV so it doesn’t look too bottom heavy and fills up the wall space better. Also look in advertising catalogs or in magazines for additional ideas.
Keep it fairly simple but add some interest to the wall because it is a focal point in the room.
Good luck and enjoy your new TV.
by Cathy — 3/17/08 at 6:07 pm #