Have you already purchased your calendar for 2011? Or possibly you use Outlook or another computer-based calendar system. Whatever choice you make, now is a good time to set up your plans for next year. Listing birthdays, anniversaries and family holidays can help ensure that you will be ready for each event as it comes along.

When people put their calendars together, there is one part of the family that is often left out – the family home. While we need annual physicals, our homes need annual maintenance also. To make sure that you take good care of your home this coming year, how about listing your home’s maintenance schedule on your calendar?

Should your stone floors be sealed this year? What about your granite countertops? How often do you have your carpets cleaned? Do any rooms need repainting? Don’t forget the annual checkup for your heating and air conditioning system. From cleaning out your gutters to checking the lint trap in your dryer, keeping track with your calendar will enable you to make sure your home is properly maintained.

Like remembering Aunt Miranda’s birthday with a card, paying attention to your home takes a burden off your memory and ensures that you remember every important maintenance event. To make your life easier, you may want to include contact information for any outside help you may need.

Use your calendar to plan the next year for you, your family, and your home, and you will be ready for a very good 2011.

This photo shows a beautiful space. The vaulted ceiling provides a great open feel, the glass doors allow the bright light to spreads throughout, and the wood floors are a rich beautiful medium brown that works with just about anything.

Just about anything, that is, except for the furniture shown here. Let’s take a minute and figure out why.

By themselves, the elements that make up this furniture grouping work well together. The pink on the pillows and throws are echoed in the tables and large pot. They are also in proportion with each other. However, there is no connection to the space they inhabit.

Consider color. The white walls and wood floor are clear tones. This makes the “sort-of” white wicker loveseat frame look dirty, which is echoed by the dull grey cushions. The white-on white plus grey on the largest piece of furniture doesn’t give it enough color strength to stand up to all what white. Pulling in black through painting the wicker and changing the cushions would give the loveseat more presence and anchor it in the space. The two tables coordinate well with the floor, but get a bit lost by echoing the wood tone. The pink pot needs to be brighter to really link well with the other pieces.

Size is the other disproportionate factor. The grouping is simply too small for its space. Creating a bit more separation among the pieces, adding furniture elements and adding one or more large art pieces on the surrounding walls would help pull everything together.

Are there places in your home where the space and its furniture just don’t suit each other? Look beyond the immediate view and take an opportunity to see the big picture. You may find that a few changes create the connection you want between your home and its décor.

This room demonstrates the classic folk art style. Unlike country décor, the folk art approach is much more Spartan and simple. You won’t see ruffles. Instead the feeling is almost colonial frontier, with every element looking hand crafted.

Although this room has many traditional American pieces, folk art is not limited to one country. The rugs are clearly from the Middle East, and their colors and well-worn look work well with the room.

One critical factor for creating a successful folk art look is flooring. Wood is the only real choice. This old pine floor is a natural part of a folk art style. You can reproduce much of this look with a good honey-stained heart pine floor with wide planks. Although you won’t have the patches that are part of this original floor, the flavor will still be there.

Certain colors link the different features. The muted light green and the red of the carpets are echoed throughout the room, pulling things together. An exciting element comes from the contemporary art over the dining table. Although it is not traditional, the colors work well in the space, adding an eclectic feel.

To add a folk-art flavor to your home, visit craft fairs and antique shops to find original handmade furniture, quilts and accessories. Also, as you travel take the time to explore the regional and national crafts to find pieces that will work in your home. You don’t need to carry the theme as far as this room has to capture the same warmth that emanates from this inviting space.

Do you wish you could redecorate your home but don’t want to go through all the hassle? A fresh coat of paint can make an enormous difference in a space. Painting is the simplest, most effective home improvement out there.

The most difficult part of painting is not the actual labor of painting; it’s selecting an appropriate color for the space. When trying to decide on a color, keep in mind what color fabrics are in the room.

Before purchasing enough paint to coat the entire space; buy a small pint of the color you are considering. Paint a large enough area, so you can get a feel for what it will look like on all the walls. This will allow you to see what the color looks like with the type of lighting in the space. If you are lucky enough to have natural light in the space, check out how the color looks during different times of the day (morning, mid day, afternoon, dusk and evening). Doing so will prevent making the wrong choice and having to buy more materials and painting over.

There is more to decide than simply what color to paint. Sheen is an important aspect to consider. High gloss sheens tend to highlight imperfections on the walls; but it is easily cleaned with water and a towel. Satin and eggshell sheens go on smoothly and have a nice matte finish. These are the safest choice for paint sheen.

Painting a room or two can be done over one weekend. There are paints available now that have primer built and usually only require one coat. You may need two coats if your color is really bright, intense or dark. This home improvement really is worth considering if you are looking to enhance your space.

People typically associate wallpaper with being out of style and dated. This is not the case, with faux finishing on the rise. Wallpaper companies are trying to keep up and compete with faux finishing, and doing a great job at that! There is an abundance of variety and styles available in wallpaper today.

The days of floral dated wallpaper are over. Sheik wallpaper is available in all decorating styles from traditional to contemporary. If not done right, faux finishes can look cheap and rushed. In many cases, wallpaper looks better than faux finishing.

Textured wallpaper is available in all types of styles and many different materials, such as Grass, Cork, Stucco, Rock and Embossed Leather, and the list goes on and on. Tromp L’oeil style wallpapers are popular. Tromp L’oeil means realistic imagery that creates an optical illusion of being the real thing. For example there may be a wallpaper that looks like an old rock wall or a marble wall.

Patterned wallpapers are really sheik and interesting. The traditional Damask pattern has gone under a makeover. A wide variety of modern damask patterns are available in an array of sizes, colors and even metallic.

Use wallpaper to turn an ordinary room into an extraordinary room with character. Dinning rooms and powder rooms are great spaces to install wallpaper. These rooms can handle drama; use wallpaper to add instant drama and appeal!

If you took a chance with color in your decorating, are you now concerned that holiday decorations will clash with your home? Don’t be – you can make any color décor complement the season.

Do you have color in accessories rather than in permanent elements? If so, you can just put those pieces away for the holidays and choose any colors you want.

If your throw pillows don’t work with your plans, do a quick change-up by picking up some yardage in your holiday tones. Cut the fabric into large squares. Set the squares on the diagonal and place your pillow in the center. Tie opposite corners together in the back, and when you turn it over you have a new cover on your old pillow for the rest of the holidays.

Even if you have permanent room elements such as flooring or furniture in a color, you can incorporate those shades into your holiday look. Blue works well with silver and white, orange with gold and white. Holiday greenery works with any color combination.

If you love color, consider using the holidays to bring in hues you normally don’t have in your home. In this photo, pink and purple create a festive yet modern holiday look, and the more traditional red and green elements still work.

Why not take a chance with color in your home this season? Bring in an unexpected favorite tone to make your home’s holiday décor special and unique.

Do you find yourself less than satisfied with your holiday decorating? Approaching your home with some planning will help you create the holiday home of your dreams.

The most important thing you can do is to rethink your space before you add in any decorations. If you have a tree, be sure to spend time choosing the best location, and don’t hesitate to remove or rearrange furniture to accommodate it.

While you’re at it, pack away all of the accessories in your living space before you decorate. Festive holiday elements can be distracting and start feeling like clutter unless they are the only decorative pieces in a space. Take a look at the photo. With only a few decorations, this space says holiday without shouting it.

Don’t think every corner has to have a decoration. Instead, select a few focal points to bring the holiday into a room. Create tableaus with your decorations – for example if you have a collection of nutcrackers, instead of scattering them throughout the room, group them and lay pine boughs between them. Add a few shiny ornaments among the pine and you have created a special holiday moment.

If your home has an open style or space is limited, connect your holiday decorations with color, style, or approach, to allow all of the elements to work together to create a consistent mood. This photo has connections with color, and the rustic natural pieces contrast with the shining ornaments and candleholders. This feeling could be carried throughout a room, leading to a designed as well as decorated holiday home.

Outdoor living is not just a trend anymore. In today’s world outdoor spaces are being used almost as much as indoor spaces. Below are some guidelines to follow when designing your outdoor space.

Create Harmony

Take some time to observe your home. What style architecture is your home? What style of decorating is your interior? When shopping for outdoor furniture take a picture of your interior. Look for furniture that has similar styling and characteristics of your indoor furnishings. Your interior and exterior should mesh well together to ensure an appropriate look.

Buy the right furniture

Most likely there will be a seating area somewhere in your outdoor space. Buy outdoor furniture that will hold up in all types of weather. Fabrics and cushions should be rated for outdoor use. Be sure to ask the sales person what type of fabric and cushions are used on the furniture you are considering. This cost a little more but you will get your money’s worth by selecting furnishings that will last for years to come.

*Outdoor rated fabrics and cushions allow water to pass through. Standing water on outdoor furniture is a bad sign that it is not rated for outdoor use. Standing water allows mold to grow. It also wears down the strength of fabric and cushioning.

Outdoor = Natural

Use natural elements where you can. Making a path? Instead of cement, use natural pebbles. Pebbles allow water to filter into the ground. Cement prohibits that natural cycle. The pebbles will make a beautiful contrast against grass and it is environmentally friendly

Cater to your four senses.

Add flowers and greenery that are pleasantly fragrant. Don’t forget to create contrast for a pleasing view. Comfortable furniture will allow you to spend more time in your outdoor space. Running water always creates an immediate sense of comfort and relaxation. Install a small fountain or a fishpond with a small waterfall that adds oxygen to the water.

Reign of England’s Queen Victoria is where the decorating style “Victorian” evolved. During the 19^th Century, this type of architecture and interior styling was most popular. Victorian style of decorating is not done half-heartedly. It is true to interior furnishings and architectural details specific to this time period. Below are some truly Victorian decorating tips.

1. Wall coverings: Wall coverings during this time period were dark hues of red, purple, green and blue. Patterns, if any, were stenciled on. These patterns tend to be smaller, motif type details.

2. Area rugs: Victorian style homes tend to look incomplete without an area rug or a carpet. When shopping for a rug, look for the deeper colors and smaller, tighter patterns.

3. Window coverings:  Draperies of this time period were most likely embroidered, or lacey, transparent fabrics. Heavier velvet type fabrics were used to overlap the embroidered or lacey sheer layer. The heavier fabrics were also used on simple cornice boards.

4. Vintage accessories: Old framed photographs and dark oil paintings were popular décor of this era. Beautifully carved clocks atop mantels were one of the most popular accessories of that time. Antiques and replicas of this time period are still around today. Finding them may require a little more effort, but they are out there for the finding!