The Four Seasons of Decorating: Fall

What do you love about fall? Is it the cooler days? The rich colors of fall leaves? The sense of harvest, of completion of the summer’s efforts? Or maybe you’re just glad to get the kids back into school! Make a room feel like fall all year round with your decorating decisions.

Start with the flooring. The best choice to invoke fall is wood. A rich deep pecan or the brown-red of cherry brings the season right into the room. Echo the dark tones in your furniture, or bring in a rich gold to reflect against the shine off the floor. Metals such as bronze and antique brass bring the glow of the season into the space.

Colors are easy – just step outside at the height of the season and look up. Every fall leaf gives you color options. You can take the light gold of aspens or birches and match that with the rich reds of maples or the soft browns of oaks. They’ll all work together. Curtains in fall colors would look lovely, or consider wood blinds in tones to complement the floor. Bring the forest inside.

Accessories can be found in your grocery store. How about gourds, Indian corn and pumpkins? Cut branches of fall leaves and mix with big chrysanthemums or sunflowers. Gather acorns and buckeyes and pile them into turned-wood bowls. Let every corner remind you of the season.

For the other seasons, click here.

The Four Seasons of Decorating: Spring

When you’re planning your home’s décor, one interesting way of looking at each space is to echo one of the four seasons. Every season has its own personality, and there are so many possibilities for bringing a season into a room.

We’ve talked about Summer, now let’s talk about spring. Think light colors and smooth textures, with a sense of freshness and shine. For flooring, natural bamboo sets just the right tone. Follow that light approach with a light, fine-grain wood for cabinets and furniture such as maple.

Bright pastel colors such as crisp yellow-green, pinks and lavenders speak to spring, and be sure to add plenty of pure whites – possibly in moldings and baseboards, and even in sheer curtains. Spring patterns in fabrics are easy to find – florals, bright abstracts and maybe a nice check can say spring if the colors are right.

Spring is about growing things, so add plenty of flowering plants in pots; tulips, daffodils and especially hyacinths for their amazing scent provide the finish to the space. Outside it may still be cold, but inside you’ve introduced spring into your home and your life.

To learn more about the other seasons, click here.

The Four Seasons of Decorating: Spring

When you’re planning your home’s décor, one interesting way of looking at each space is to echo one of the four seasons. Every season has its own personality, and there are so many possibilities for bringing a season into a room.

We’ve talked about Summer, now let’s talk about spring. Think light colors and smooth textures, with a sense of freshness and shine. For flooring, natural bamboo sets just the right tone. Follow that light approach with a light, fine-grain wood for cabinets and furniture such as maple.

Bright pastel colors such as crisp yellow-green, pinks and lavenders speak to spring, and be sure to add plenty of pure whites – possibly in moldings and baseboards, and even in sheer curtains. Spring patterns in fabrics are easy to find – florals, bright abstracts and maybe a nice check can say spring if the colors are right.

Spring is about growing things, so add plenty of flowering plants in pots; tulips, daffodils and especially hyacinths for their amazing scent provide the finish to the space. Outside it may still be cold, but inside you’ve introduced spring into your home and your life.

To learn more about the other seasons, click here.

Summer brings childhood memories home more than any other season. Whether you spent your summers on the beach, on a farm, or in the city, you can grab those memories and the feeling of summer and create a room that reflects the best of the season.

Summer is all about living outside, and tile is the best flooring choice for handling the inevitable dirt and dust tromped in. Water from the dripping feet of kids just in from the pool, and spots from melting popsicles clean up in an instant on tile. Consider putting the same tile on both your family room and patio, almost erasing the distinction between inside and outside.

What are the colors of summer? You can go for the golds – bright yellows to deep oranges that reflect the vivid sunlight. Or take the opposite direction and let cool sky blues refresh your space in the heat. Whatever you choose – keep it bright and don’t be afraid to mix and match many colors and patterns, just like a pile of beach towels thrown in a corner.

If your upholstery is dark, how about getting white canvas slipcovers? They’ll brighten the space and make it easy to clean up summer’s messes. Tumble a variety of throw pillows on top, and your room thunders with summer.

Wrap your summer space in beach accessories to finish up. A collection of shells in a big jar or scattered on a pile of sand on a glass-topped table bring the beach to your home, even if you live in the Midwest. Celebrate summer, both inside and out.

Summer brings childhood memories home more than any other season. Whether you spent your summers on the beach, on a farm, or in the city, you can grab those memories and the feeling of summer and create a room that reflects the best of the season.

Summer is all about living outside, and tile is the best flooring choice for handling the inevitable dirt and dust tromped in. Water from the dripping feet of kids just in from the pool, and spots from melting popsicles clean up in an instant on tile. Consider putting the same tile on both your family room and patio, almost erasing the distinction between inside and outside.

What are the colors of summer? You can go for the golds – bright yellows to deep oranges that reflect the vivid sunlight. Or take the opposite direction and let cool sky blues refresh your space in the heat. Whatever you choose – keep it bright and don’t be afraid to mix and match many colors and patterns, just like a pile of beach towels thrown in a corner.

If your upholstery is dark, how about getting white canvas slipcovers? They’ll brighten the space and make it easy to clean up summer’s messes. Tumble a variety of throw pillows on top, and your room thunders with summer.

Wrap your summer space in beach accessories to finish up. A collection of shells in a big jar or scattered on a pile of sand on a glass-topped table bring the beach to your home, even if you live in the Midwest. Celebrate summer, both inside and out.

We’re on our final post in this series, and this one may be your favorite, “be grateful.” It’s easy to feel frustrated when our budgets don’t measure up to our tastes whether decorating a new home or fixing up the one we have. Now is a good time to step back and appreciate what we have.

First off, just having a home puts us in a better place than many people in the world. Then, the choices and quality you’re considering for your flooring and other home fixtures weren’t even available only a few decades ago. New technology, the opening of global markets and a desire on the part of manufacturers to expand their offerings puts you in a strong position to make your home beautiful, no matter how small your budget.

Finally, creating a home for yourself and maybe your family is not about comparisons. It’s about finding the you in your space, and using your choices to make that happen. Instead of focusing on limitations, think about the possibilities. This is an exciting time for you. Enjoy it. And be grateful for the opportunity.

To see the other tips in this series, click here.

Number eight in our collection of Rita Wilson tips is actually a combination of two of her suggestions: “If you travel a lot, have a packed toiletries bag ready to go,” and “There are one thousand stylish things you can wear while traveling…” Now, we’re not going anywhere right now. We just bought our house, or just fixed it up, and we’re very happy, thank you.

However, eventually you may want to sell your home. Whether due to a job transfer, a life change, or the desire for more room, the average homeowner stays in a home about five years. So when you’re choosing your permanent home finishes, pause at least a minute to consider the affect of your choices on the home’s resale potential. I’m not saying you have to make the home satisfy-everyone-beige. However I am suggesting that even if you love a blue kitchen, maybe the best place to show your color preference is in accessories and paint rather than countertops.

It’s your home and you have every right to make it totally your own. Just keep the resale issue tucked away in a part of your brain as you make your flooring and other permanent home choices. Your salesperson can be a great resource in this area.

Because someday you may want to take a trip to a new home, make choices so that this home will support your goals then as well as now.

To see the other tips in this series, click here.

OK, admittedly; tip seven in our Rita Wilson fashion suggestions requires quite a stretch to convert to home décor. But just hang on….. “Enjoy new bedclothes once a year.” She’s talking about not wearing old and faded PJ’s, or whatever you prefer to wear to bed. We’re talking about maintaining your home décor.

How long has it been since you had your carpets cleaned? Put a new coat of polyurethane on that wood floor? Is it time to replace your window coverings? Just as your wardrobe needs refreshing, your home needs that too. If you’ve ever visited a home where people have lived for 20 or 30 years, you can often see that they decorated once, when they moved in, and never thought about it again. Do you have a regular budget amount set aside to cover new clothing purchases? It’s smart to do the same with your home. By setting aside a certain amount in savings every month, when it’s time to replace or update, you have the money ready.

Keep your PJ’s fresh, and your home fresh too. You’ll feel better every time you walk into your home, or lay down to sleep.

To see the other tips in this series, click here.

We’ve been looking at some fashion tips provided by Rita Wilson on a recent episode of “Oprah,” and some of you may very well say that this is stretching a little with tip six: “simplify your makeup if you wear makeup.” However, one key concept in this tip provides real value when thinking of your home: simplifying your home’s décor.

When you meet someone who is overly made up, you tend to see the makeup rather than the face underneath. The same thing can happen in your home if you don’t manage your furnishings and accessories. If you look at photos of homes from the Victorian period, tablecloths, dresser scarves, pictures and numerous small accessories completely hid the architecture of every room. Over time as you accumulate more and more elements you love, have you hidden your home behind your stuff? Does your collection of figurines distract from the beautiful lines of your fireplace mantel? Are your wonderful wood floors hiding behind too many rugs?

Try trimming back on your furnishings. Does your space look better? Keep trimming until you find the right balance.

To see the other tips in this series, click here.

People, particularly men, are often surprised that fashion and décor have so many connections. Think about it for a minute though, your clothes and your home are the most direct visual expression of who you are.

Rita Wilson shared ten wardrobe tips on a recent episode of “Oprah.” Eight of them can be translated from your closet to your home. Let’s see how number five translates to our homes.

It’s normal to fear altercations, but not alterations.

One of the most frustrating things about shopping for clothes, other than price tags, is the fit. What do you do if you’re between sizes? Rita recommends investing in alterations to make your clothes fit you well. Well, the same solution is possible in your home. Most people assume customizing is too expensive in a home, but every time you select your own flooring from a broad selection, pick some accent tiles, and choose just the right grout color for your backsplash, you are customizing your space. Have a limited budget? Think about choosing a less expensive tile for the bulk of your space, and then invest in a border or medallion to make your home feel unique. Or how about considering a sculptured carpet to create a sense of style even in a neutral color choice? When the time comes to select your furniture, many stores provide a selection of fabrics for upholstered pieces for only a small additional charge.

From flooring to furniture to accessories – make your home a unique expression of who you are. To see the other tips in this series, click here.