Need ideas for decorating my home.?

Question

Okay, so I've never been a "home-maker" except for keeping a clean home.

Not many pictures on the walls, shades but no curtains on the windows...

Hubby and I used to never be at home, so we didn't care too much...now we have children, and I want the house to look like a home.

Ideas will GREATLY be appreciated!

Okay, I'll add some details.

I like natural, earthy colors. I am Native American, so my pictures on my walls are in line with this culture.

Right now, the front room is a dusty rose color, set off by a brick red front door...it's really pretty to see it all together.

But, we need a new sofa, coffee table, curtains, etc, and I just can't come up with ideas. Thanks!

Answer 1

You need an inspiration piece to get some color ideas from. Go to the Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware or Crate & Barrel web sites and buy some curtains and/or a rug to match your walls. Then accessorize with similar colors and always include some black accessories, too. Black frames, candle holders, lamps, coaster, etc. make a nice touch. Great posters from art.com or allposters.com can be purchased inexpensively. You can buy inexpensive or custom frames from your local craft store. Real plants with maybe one fake plant adds a nice touch, too. I like fake plants but you need to mix in real ones, too!

Answer 2

Well if you are going to stay with the dusty rose walls then you have to go lighter to accessorize of it will be too dark and gloomy. My sister has that colour and that problem. Or it will be too pinky and floral. That colour just doesn't seem to fit with what you want to the room to be, but you decide on if you want to change it.

I think you need to decide what you want the focal point to be. I can give you an idea what I did as I'm very happy with it. I personally love a great rug in a room. The designers all basically tell you to work with about 3 colours and then accessorize with pillows or other items.

It took me a long time to get my LR just right. I have an Indian tribal rug with fantastic colours in it and have pulled my room around it. To me the rug calls out first when you enter. It's what I took the most time to find. I have a very light shade of brown I guess (light peanut butter) colour and gorgeous (milk chocolate) microfibre sofa set which looks like suede and cream sheers with beigy swags over top and tie back curtains so it makes the room very warm and rich and inviting. The accessories and paintings on the wall really pull it together and should be items you love to gaze at. I love the hardwood floor showing too.

The curtains came with the house so I had to work around those as they are very expense to replace as they are wall to wall and it's a big living room. The big 52 inch tv (what the room is for!) is really the focal point because of it's size but having such a nice rug and details on the wall pulls the attention away from that somewhat. I love snuggling up with the family late at night after all the homework and dishes are done and I love the microfibre it's so soft.

So use your imagination and try to incorporate some of these types of features with your taste and you'll do just fine. Take your time too in finding the right items you want too. It is well work the time (months or years!) to get there! :~)

Answer 3

The best thing to do is get an interior decorator/designer into your home. Many furniture stores offer free decorating advice and some come right into the home for no charge as long as you purchase from them A few names that come to mind are Thomasville and Ethan Allen Furniture. Also any furniture retail showrooms that carry a variety of brands do the same. They will do floor plans and take measurements.

All of these dealers will also carry wall decor, window treatments etc. Some of these are actual department stores, also.

These stores are pretty much nation wide:

http://www.ethanallen.com -- Ethan Allen ( fine furniture and decor but a price for almost everyone )

http://www.jcpenney.com ---JC Penny Department store


This store is located in the north east:

http://www.raymourflanigan.com/ -- Raymour and Flanigan
Furniture- various brands

Try any local moderate to high end department or Furniture store. As I said, many offer free design work..

Good luck and have fun! :)

Answer 4

First thing we need to know is how old are the children. You have to take that into account. I have 3 two year old grandchildren and 2 of them I have custody of. We had 950 square feet of carpet ripped out and wood floors put in. Then we got rid of the cloth furniture and bought leather. Since the living room walls were beige, this made the living room too brown and boring for me. So I bought some blue drapes for all the living room windows and a blue and brown rug.

We have pictures of our children and grandchildren hanging on the walls. I have even had some of my favorite pieces of art work that the children have drawn over the years, matted and framed for the walls.

You can also get those large picture frames that have many slots for all different size photos and fill it with your favorite pictures of your family. I have several of those.

Just have fun and make it a home that you love to be in.

Answer 5

Do you have carpeting in the living room? If floor covering can be replaced, consider a light wood laminate flooring which will hold up well under children's feet and add warmth and color to the floor with a large area rug in rose,beige, green,rust and blue in a pattern that reflects your native American heritage. For a sofa and chairs buy in a textured beige chenille but have it scotch-guarded to prevent stains from absorbing. The reason I suggest beige is because kids will get food and drink on it and a dark color or pattern can disguise a spill until it is too late to deal with...a light color helps you to spot it almost as soon as it happens. Also,so you aren't forced to constantly pick up or straighten sofa cushions,consider a sofa with a single large seat cushion and solid upholstered backrest Stick with light to medium woods for the coffee table and end tables and try to get an oversize coffee table so the children can color and play at this spot when the family is gathered in the room. Drapes are OK but if your children are young,again you are asking for stains so consider interior shutters with adjustable louvres. These would look nice in a stain to match the flooring. If you get a rug like the one mentioned,you can dress up the sofa with throw pillows in similar colors and prints. A big terracotta planter with a large palm or ficus tree would really warm the room up.

Answer 6

Since I don't know your color preference and your furniture style or the what kind of window, sliding doors etc. you have its hard to tell. There are many magazines out there about home decorating that would be helpful to you.

Answer 7

Keeping in mind your heritage, what is his?
I have found that earth tones are better than brighter ones.
Also, for a bit more flare in the house, add the elements. Earth, fire, water and air. For in the living room perhaps, bring bits of leaves and pumpkins for the fall. For in the bathroom, perhaps an ocean theme. I have hung pictures that were framed from sticks and twigs found out side and then hung in groups.
Good Luck and many blessings.

Answer 8

You could get some wafer board in a shade of blue, slightly lighter or darker than the carpet and cut out figures with barbells, bumbells, and maybe even a guy punching a punching bag. Either you can use the board or if you have some artistic talent you could just paint them on the wall, but with the board if you got tired of it, you could just take it down.

Answer 9

Hire a decorator for advice. Nothing anyone says here can help your situation.

Answer 10

The success of any decorating scheme depends on how well it suits all the members of your family. To create a décor that you will be happy with, think about what you want and also what you don’t want.