What's your decorating secret!?

Do you want to know some secrets from the experts? Here you go...

>> answers to some FAQ from decoratorsecrets.com

here's a great site: Decorating Secrets >> it encourages you to express yourself, find your style, learn tricks, and get tips on decorating every room in your home!

some additional helpful links:

Pick the right floor covering
Choose fabrics
Arrange pictures
Help with lighting
See a room like a decorator would

In order for any room to be comfortable, it has to reflect the personal
tastes of you and your family...before starting any project, assess what your wants and needs are...Here are a few quick tips to help you get started with any general decorating project:

1. Start a scrapbook with pictures and ideas that you like
2. Evaluate which of your rooms take priority >> where is your favorite place to relax?
3. Consider balance in the room: find a focal poing
4. Decide on colors
5. Consider the desired lighting
6. Make a floor plan

10 Quick Decorating Tips: bring a fresh, new look to your home with no worry, no fuss!


**SeCrEtS** >> the best kept secrets for saving money and creating home decor!

also available at amazon.com, Neil Hill's Decorating secrets: Easy and Inspiring Ways to Bring Style into Your Home!

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Boring bathrooms?

What's your favorite room in your house? Is it your cozy bedroom or your welcoming living room or your BaThRoOm??!

decorate your bathroom!

Are you thinking of remodeling your bathroom?
Try considering adding elements of comfort and elegance to transform your dreary bathroom a personal sanctuary.

"Elegance, softness, and sophistication are the keywords for bathroom decor"

more from creativehomemaking.com:

DO IT:

• In bathrooms with windows, fabric can make a big impact. Use it on the windows, and also for the shower curtain.
• Cover your trash cans, Kleenex boxes and as many other items that you can.
• If you've used fabric, take one of the more subtle colors out of it and paint your walls.
• You can bring a lot of character into the room by swapping out the light fixture with something interesting. In such a small room, an interesting light fixture will make a big statement.
• The mirror is another item you want to emphasize in the room. If you have a small plain mirror, consider replacing it with something more interesting.
• Wallpaper in a bathroom is beautiful.
• You can make a huge impact in the room by getting rid of dark wood and old hardware on cupboards. Use paint and replace the knobs.
• Live plants thrive in a bathroom that has light.
• Use scented candles and potpourri to make your bathroom pleasant.
• Use practical items as accessories to save both space and money. (Towels, baskets, and colorful bottles grouped together.

DON'T DO IT:

• Avoid bath mats that looks like mini-shag rugs from the 60's.
• Do not put on a colored seat to call attention to the toilet.
• Do not use colors or fabrics you don't like just because they match the color of the fixtures.
• Don't neglect painting the inside of a dark cupboard because you think no one will see it.
• Don't get too "cutesy" with themes.

check out this great gallery of bathrooms for some ideas for your own home! (brought to you by 'Better Homes and Gardens' online!

thinking of completely remodeling the bathroom? read this article!

Don't just think your bathroom is another boring space in your beautiful house... get thinking and get creative! Be adventuresome >> this smallest room in your home can reflect the design of your wildest imagination. Bathroom decor allows you to use colors or patterns you’d be afraid to use elsewhere, not to mention- at a cheaper cost because of the size of the area!

bathandkitchenstudio.com offers excellent ideas here for not only decorating a bathroom, but organizing one!

Lately, new homes are being built while paying special attention to luxurious and large bathrooms. Some are adding multiple sinks, a toilet and bidet, a separate tub and shower stall, customized tile work, and fantastic closets! Even in a small space, there is lots of room left for imagination!

here are some cost-effective tips for bathroom decoration!

"The necessities of a bathroom include sink, toilet, tub and shower. Everything else is frosting on the cake. But sometimes the frosting is the best part!"

You deserve a 'truly luxurious' bathroom now!

Stencils and Textures and Patterns...oh my!

Some advice on Textures and Patterns:
by Rental Decorating Digest

Use these to add character and intensity to a plain room or color scheme.

*Different textures and patterns can even create optical illusions and dramatic arrangements.
They can also affect proportions of a room!*

Examples:

• Complex Patterns that use many colors and diagonal or criss-crossing lines are busy for your eye. (These are better for large areas, but may overwhelm a small room.
• Vertical Lines add height to a short room or can add more height to a high ceiling.
• Horizontal Lines add space, width to an area.
• REMEMBER: The larger the space, the larger the print, and the smaller the space the smaller the print.
• The same grouping or pattern used throughout an area can draw together a wide area and make it flow.
• Colors affect how we see patterns. (High contrast patterns create an energetic feeling and similar colors have an opposite, calming effect)
• Texture affects color. Rough textures will absorb light & smooth textures will reflect light.

Decorative Stencils:
Make your walls beautiful using decorative stencils! There are thousands of options!Royal Design Studio is reinventing the art of stenciling! find other wall stencil links here!

you will need:

• stencil of your choice
• stencil adhesive/painters tape
• acrylic paints
• stencil brushes/sponges
• paper plate/palette
• papertowels
• a wall anywhere in your home

basic stenciling steps:

• Wash the walls for any dust, grime, or dirt/fill in any holes or cracks/dry the wall
• Hold your stencil in place with your adhesive or tape
• Squeeze a small amount of paint onto the palette
• Dip the brush into paint and tap onto the paper towel until dry
• Tap or swirl the paint in the stencil design until the desired depth of color is reached.
• Use a top coat of acrylic varnish or polyurethane if necessary (if stencil is going to be touched)
• Apply 2-3 coats to the wall & let each coat dry in between
• Finally stand back and admire your walls!!

HGTV offers some advice on stamping and stenciling for floors, walls, furniture, glass and wood!
some more tips for projects like these!
can't find a stencil you like? you can browse and buy from one of these liks!