D is for Decorating

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You can find information about the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge here or read the rest of my A to Z posts by following this link.

Today’s Blogging from A – Z Challenge brings you the letter D and this post is all about decorating!

There is something really lovely, for me, about the whole decorating process, from choosing the colour scheme, the paints and finishing touches to actually starting the decorating process and then standing back and admiring your hard work once you have finished.  But, it doesn’t have to be all hard work, and you don’t need to decorate the whole room in order to refresh your decor, and you don’t always need to paint a wall or put up wallpaper in order to decorate either.  Heres some things you could consider when decorating…

Accent Wall or Feature

Painting or wallpapering one wall or accent feature of a room can refresh the decor really easily and quickly and there won’t be too much of a need to change furniture or soft furnishings much.  In my home I painted the recesses between the chimney breast, the archways in my dining area and the arch between the two rooms.  I painting the back wall part of the archway and chimney breast recesses one colour and then the side wall part another, contrasting colour.  This was quick and easy and required little time (or paint!) and was really cost-effective too.

 

 

You can see the back and side wall detail in the images above.  You could consider painting around windows or doors or even painting the backs of shelving units in order to introduce a pop of colour to your decor.

Tile Stickers/Decals

A simple way to update your bathroom or kitchen is to use tile stickers or decals.  These are really easy to apply and are usually either vinyl stickers that you peel and stick or decals that you soak in water and slide from the backing into place on the tile.  Both options are quick, fairly mess free and look really effective once in place.  There are lots of different sizes to fit most tiles so it is worth measuring the tile and then reading the product description carefully before purchasing.

Window Dressing

Windows let much-needed light and air into a room but that doesn’t mean that they have to be boring or plain.  Switching your curtains or other window dressing can breathe new life into a room without the need of paint and brushes.  Try changing dark, heavy curtains for lighter coloured ones in a softer fabric, adding nets or sheer voiles to your window instead of blinds.  If you have nets, try hanging them at a different height – nets don’t need to hang from the top of the window frame, you can hang them part way down the window so that they still offer privacy but let in more light at the top.  You could think about changing the hanging method of the curtains, instead of a curtain track change to a pole.  You could hang a pretty scarf, a piece of fabric or strings of beads over the pole to add interest to the window.

Photos and Pictures

Updating the photos and pictures you display is a really effective way of updating the look of a room.  You could theme your prints for the season or choose a black and white colour scheme.  There are lots of free photo editing apps and softwares available that let you change how a picture looks or try a print service like Photobox where you can edit the images and then have them printed and delivered straight to your door ready to frame.  Another way of updating your photos and images is to change the frames, try ornate frames instead of plain or vice versa.  You could even paint the frames in a colour of your choice to match in with other items in the room.

Soft Furnishings

Decorate your room using soft furnishings like cushions, throws or rugs.  Not only will this add a cozy factor to the room but it will add a visually attractive element too.  Play around with prints, textures, different fabrics and contrasting colours.  If you are really crafty and handy with a sewing machine you could make your own cushion covers really easily.  In the bedroom you could add a runner to the bed or different pillows for the bed or hang a tapestry to the wall.

Decorative Items

Adding ornaments and other decorative items can really bring a room up to date.  Try adding ornaments and other decorative items, like trinket boxes, candle sticks, dishes or vases, in similar tonal colours that clash with the wall colour.  You could remove items that you already have to create a feeling of more space or try adding items to add interest to selected areas.  Grouping similar themed items together on shelves is another visually attractive way of displaying items too.  Play around with how things are displayed and see how the items look together.

Lighting

Lighting can really change the mood of a room and how you view it.  Instead of always having the ceiling lights on why not introduce lamps into the room instead?  Changing the light shades or even the light fitting itself can really change the perception of a room too, instead of a singular bulb you could buy a fitting that has several bulbs instead, or change a fabric shade to one with glass beads attached.

Furniture

Changing your furniture can make a room feel really different, whether it’s getting a new sofa or table, adding a coffee table or removing a set of shelves.  You could have the sofa re-upholstered rather than spending on a new one, or try painting wooden furniture that you already have to update how it looks.  If you have a coffee table you could add a piece of coloured acrylic to the top of it or sandwich a pretty piece of wallpaper between the table surface and a sheet of clear acrylic.  One way I updated my desk was to use printed vinyl which was really cheap, quick and easy, and there are so many different patterns and colours that you can choose which would tie in with most interiors.

 

Room Layout

Aside from physically decorating the room this is probably the one that will have the most impact.  Think about how the room is currently laid out and the placing of the furniture, how the room is used and who by, think of different ways the furniture can be laid and move them around.  the lovely thing about this is that if you don’t like it then you can move it around again and again and its sure to be something people will notice!

Which decorating ideas would you try?