Infloormation

One of the most common decorating mistakes homeowners make is having all the furniture hug the walls rather than take advantage of the whole space. This room shows an extreme example of this situation.

The light wood floor sets a wonderful tone. The window trim and the room’s molding carry the warm wood theme, as does the furniture. With just a few changes and additions, this room can meet the potential provided by the architectural decisions.

A colorful area rug would suit this room well. Consider a combination of greens and blues to reflect the view out the windows. A cream sofa and dark brown chairs would echo the wood and wall shades while providing contrast.

The row of wood furniture doesn’t show off the potential of each piece. Breaking up the four pieces and moving them around the room would be a better use of both the function and look of this furniture. It would also be nice to keep that right window unblocked by pieces such as the television.

The art seems like an afterthought. Bringing the pieces down to eye level could help. With the large view through the windows, art could be eliminated or kept to abstracts to keep distractions to a minimum. Customized wood blinds to match the wood frames or the flooring would provide light and privacy management without compromising the look of the windows or their vistas.

Take a moment to step back and look at each room in your home. Does your furniture and accessory placement take full advantage of your home’s potential?

Most homeowners complain of the ever-increasing piles of clutter that all homes seem to collect. There are ways to approach this snowball of a problem. Read below for tips on getting a handle on clutter.

The New Year provides motivation to clear the clutter. Overwhelmed? Attack one small area first. Setting goals to accomplish one space at a time makes this exercise doable. Each time you finish a space you will feel accomplished and ultimately accomplish more.

Below are three rules that ought to help you with your organization efforts:

Organize your stuff in a manner that is:

1.    Visible

2.   Accessible

3.   Categorizing

Keep these organizational rules in mind, as we share with you some storage solutions.

Most rooms in your house, especially the kitchen and bathroom, can benefit from easily installed cabinets and shelves. These items hanging on the walls free up floor space and allow you to categorize smaller items.

Don’t forget to take advantage of storage locations below. Store items in clear containers, under beds, tables and behind furniture. Finding plenty of storage space simply takes a second look!

Check out this video on design from Shaw. It will inspire you!