Interior Home Design

Interior Home Design

Home staging is the proven way to sell your house quicker and at a better price...even in today's poor market. Home staging makes your house more competitive by presenting the house as "ready-to-move-in" to prospective buyer's. And; home staging can be a way to get more organized and de-cluttered. This applies to both inside and out of the home.

Staging can be simple or more work and could require the help of a professional home stager. But; in some cases you can do it yourself if it is a simple project.

The first step is to look around each room. Bring a note pad with you if you are serious about doing this. Make notes about any problem items; such as broken doors, light switches. Yes; the ‘honey do’ type list, but it gets much more detailed as you go.

Now look inside the closets. Yes; buyers look in closets to see if there is enough room. Mark in your pad whether the closet is neat or packed and needs some thinning out.

Bathroom is the next stop. Any broken tiles, dripping faucets, etc? Also is there any areas that need to really be cleaned? Look at this as though you were buying.

The kitchen is an important area. Is it cluttered with items all over the counters? Are the cabinets messy and over flowing? Clear out the items you don’t use on a regular basis. Store them where you can get to them; but not clutter a cabinet in doing so.

Look around the living and dining rooms. Clean up as much clutter and items you don’t use daily. Clean out he display case of any items that are not “display casable”.

The garage is another place that gets cluttered very quickly. If you get a hold on it before it gets too cluttered you will be ahead of the game. If you are beyond that you may want to do a little at a time to make it easier on yourself. A cluttered garage can create an issue for buyers. You want to have the garage clear so they can determine what vehicle(s) will fit and how much room they have for their belongings.

Curb appeal is just as it sounds. An appeal of your house from the curb view. What do you see when you look at your house from the curb? Peeling pain, a broken mailbox, dead plants, etc? You will be surprised at how different the house will look once you make the effort to clean up the yard. Take a drive past your house and see what needs to be changed or repaired. And; don't forget the back yard. This is a particular area where buyer's like to see how they will use it - especially if they have children. So this area needs a special cleaning.

Staging is just making your home more presentable to yourself and/or prospective buyers. To make it easier on yourself; just make a list of the items that need to be fixed, repaired or cleaned and do it a little at a time.

Ask yourself this question: Would you buy a house that needed a lot of work; unless you were a handyman?

Home Design Sense

Home Design Sense

Many home design styles have evolved over the years and some are more popular than others. Keep-in-mind that design styles can also be trendy styles. This means that any particular trend can become obsolete in a short period of time. Consider this when choosing styles. Do you want to go out and purchase new styles when the old ones fade? Be sure you really like a particular style before purchasing.

Of course; many people like the home design styles for their look and feeling it gives a room. So, what design style should you choose when decorating your home?

That depends upon your own personal preferences. What do you like when choosing decorating items? Do you like painted furniture, American flags, soft and cozy? There are design styles which will fit your type of home. Look around and see what items you already have displayed.

If you are just starting out, it would be a good idea to go on-line or visit the library to see all the design styles available. Of course, your furniture choices could help with that decision.

Are your furnishings modern, traditional, contemporary or tropical? If so, then you are already tuned into a specific design style. Some styles fit specific regions of the U.S. Coastal areas use the nautical themes while those in the mountains and higher elevations prefer the ‘lodge’ themes.

Are you a world traveler? Or do you like foreign destinations? There are many styles that will fit your ideas. There are Moroccan, Tuscan and other exotic themes for you. These themes can bring the far away destinations right into your home without leaving the room.

If you like the warm and home town feeling then you may be ready for the country style. This is composed of quilts, rough furniture, patriotic, wood, metal and craft look items. There are many styles of country; such as Americana, Swedish, English and French. Choosing one style may be difficult be look at all the styles before finalizing your thoughts.

The Modern style is comprised of clean and straight lines with minimal accessorizing.

The Traditional style is the most favorite and preferred because it is handed down from generation to generation. This style has curved lines and carved furniture.

Contemporary is the next most popular because it mixes traditional items in the design.

The Exotic style is becoming more popular because it creates an oasis away from everyday life and its ordeals. This style uses floral materials, wicker and rattan furniture, and other items depending upon which tropical are you are trying to emulate in your design. There is Tropical, African, Moroccan, Tuscan, etc.

Of course; there is the Eclectic style. This is where you can combine many different styles in the same room; but doing it tastefully. You can use antiques with contemporary and exotic themes to create your own personal environment that is unlike any other.

This is just some of the styles available, but there are others such as; Shabby Chic, Oriental, etc.

Many home design styles can be created by using your imagination. Shabby chic furniture is painted white; so all you need to do is find a piece of furniture that is scratched and paint it white. Some pieces can be painted with designs that imitate an exotic location. Find some old luggage or trunks and make some labels of exotic locations (look on the web) to stick on them as if they traveled the world. Be creative and you will be surprised at what you can dream up.

Choosing a home design style doesn’t have to be difficult. Consider the room and it use and the others living in the home. You want everyone to be happy and comfortable with your choices. And make it as relaxing and pleasant as possible and enjoy decorating. It should be fun and not stressful.

Home Design Trend

Home Design Trend

Floral designs in home decorating seem to wax and wane like the moon. Fortunately for everyone who loves flowers, contemporary florals are one of today's hot home design trends.

Anyone who loves florals for interior design will find this especially good news, because it means they can hang on to grandmother's chintz! Everything from sheets to curtains to pillows to china are back in floral patterns, but with a contemporary update.

The revival of florals in decorating reflects the current movement toward bringing more and more of nature into the home. Florals in any pattern represent the freshness of spring and the full bloom of summer. Depending on the pattern, florals can signify a delicate femininity or a stylized Asian charm. They evoke a sense of cheery fun or bold sophistication.

Unlike the explosion of florals during the Victorian era, the contemporary way to use florals effectively in home décor is to apply a bold but restrained approach. How can something be both bold and restrained at the same time? Specifically, floral designs in today's patterns have brighter, more vivid colors than in times past, so they're used as focal points or eye-catching accents. Instead of feeling like one is surrounding by a profusion of tiny pastel flowers in an English garden, today's florals are intended for impact. The patterns are bigger in scale, so a little of them goes a long way.

Contemporary florals will work in any room, but especially in living rooms or bedrooms where a softer, more relaxed feeling is desired. Keep in mind that small, repetitive floral patterns will look outdated, so avoid those designs unless the room is intended to be done in styles such as Victorian, English Cottage and so on.

Consider using floral patterns as a room's focal point. Create an accent wall in a bold floral wallpaper. Or choose a sofa with floral upholstery for the living room, or floral bed linens and curtains for a bedroom.

Keep in mind that floral patterns need to be balanced by plain and neutral furnishings in order to avoid a room becoming too busy. For example, with a floral sofa, choose solid-colored pink rugs, blue rugs or yellow rugs for balance. If the room's focal point is a gorgeous floral rug, then select furniture with solid-colored upholstery without pattern.

The easiest way to add floral patterns to a room is with pillows. This technique gives a home decorator plenty of opportunities to experiment with colors and patterns without making a major commitment. What's more, a decorator who's also handy with a sewing machine can make his or her own floral pillow covers, swapping them out as seasons change or the mood strikes.

Some designers are experimenting with all-over floral patterns. Unlike Victorian, Romantic, Country Cottage and similar styles, however, these all-over patterns are much more muted than in past versions. Decorators who'd like to try all-over floral patterns on floors or walls will be wise to use soft, pale color schemes such as silver and gray or white on cream. All-over florals are best used in larger rooms that can accommodate the pattern's repetition or in smaller rooms to make a dramatic decorating statement.

Bedroom Decorating ideas

Bedroom Decorating ideas

Bedrooms are the most frequent redecorating candidate. Every so often, we look at the carefully created and think it's boring or even outdated. It costs money to change itl but redecorating doesn't need to cost an arm and a leg!

The quickest way to a new look is a splash of paint. Even if you use the same color (because you had paint left over), a fresh coat of color reinvigorates the room, makes it look cleaner, newer. If you've grown tired of your wall color, choose a new one, drape protective cloths over the furniture and get rolling. The endorphins pumping through your veins after painting the whole room may just fire up some other decorating ideas for your bedroom.

If your budget is extremely limited, you might start by adding new pillow shams. Usually sold as a separate piece from comforters, sheets, or pillowcases, a sham is a highly decorative pillow covering. If you find a great deal on pillow shams, buy them and you can fill them with plain foam pillows and give your bed a luxurious look by piling them on.

A new comforter or bedspread is another way to redecorate your bedroom inexpensively. Check local malls for discount linen stores, or browse the Internet for great deals on beautiful, but cheap comforters and bed skirts.

A simple way to create a coordinated look without spending a lot of money is to use bed sheets to make window treatments. Often, comforters are sold in "bed sets," which contain the comforter, as well as a fitted sheet, flat sheet and pillowcases. Since you sheets will usually be covered by the comforter, you can use the fitted and flat sheets as material to frame bedroom windows. If you don't sew, use the special "no-sew" fabric glue sold in craft and fabric stores to hem a nice edge. In a pinch, you can hold a hem using a hot glue gun.


Decorating or redecorating a bedroom is often a matter of changing one or two elements. Remember; if you have a guest room to make it as nice as your own bedroom. you want your guests to be comfortable. Try adding some scented candles and fresh cut flowers.

Home Decorating Ideas

Home Decorating Ideas

The Victorian era refers to the time when Queen Victoria reigned over England. The years between 1837 to 1901 were when England was gaining in terms of wealth and prosperity owing to industrialization. This increase in wealth began to be demonstrated quite well in Victorian decorating and lifestyle. People in the Victorian era were all for class, sophistication and elegance. They were extremely fashion conscious and loved to display their wealth through their clothes, houses and living. Victorian style home decorating is a reflection of all the things mentioned here ie richness and high society living. So all those people who are considering introducing some Victorian elements in their house or are planning on interior decorating their entire house on Victorian lines, here are some useful Victorian decorating ideas.


When painting the interior walls of the house, Victorians preferred using traditional colors such as red, emerald, dark brown and amber. These colors were very much in vogue during that time as they helped in giving the home a dramatic effect which most people in that era liked. So you can consider doing the same.


The color schemes used in Victorian decorating style for the main rooms such as living, bedroom, library, etc. are all formed by using pastel shades such as light purple, pink, light green, light blue and peach. These can be combined with darker shades of the same color for added effect.The woodwork in a Victorian house has to be painted in darker shades such as purple brown, hunter's green, etc.

From the period 1880 to 1890, the wooden windows, doors, stairs began to be painted in white color to give the houses a feel of being more airy and relaxed. So, another of the victorian style home decorating ideas is to paint such wooden things in your house in white and enhance its impact by using some artificial lighting near them.