Themed Decorating - Rooms in your New House

Rustic Country Feel - Family Room, Dining Room or Kitchen

If you like the country look and want to create the relaxed atmosphere that makes everyone feel at home, consider decorating a main gathering space in your new home with a country theme. The country feel reminds us of our humble origins and while it can catch our attention with splashes of color or that perfect piece of furniture, rustic country decorating sets the tone for a soothing and comfortable gathering space whether it is in the family room, dining room, kitchen or another favorite space. Consider these tips and ideas for a country theme.

• Use mismatched pieces of wooden furniture such as dining room chairs or end tables. This idea portrays the look and feel that various pieces of furniture are family heirlooms from another era or are special reminders of the past.
• Choose comfortable and functional furniture pieces. The sofa should have an appearance that invites family and guests alike to sit down and relax. The hutch should be large enough to store all of the dishes, china, associated linens and other related items that you do not use on a regular basis.
• Painted paneling on the walls and ceilings offers a simple texture while suggesting an authentic country feel.
• Combine different textures – wood, glass, stone, etc. Consider a stone hearth instead of a brick hearth in the family room with a wooden mantle above.
• Turn to nature for artistic pieces rather than purchasing them from a store. Try a vase of freshly picked wild flowers or dried ornamental grasses as the centerpiece of your dining room table. Place a piece of driftwood or basket of pinecones at the corner of the hearth. Set a glass jar of creek pebbles on the kitchen counter or on the end table in the family room.
• Accent your room with a woven area rug on a hardwood floor and place sturdy pieces pottery on shelves, tables and counters.
• Include a splash of color in any room with an arrangement of candles, a ceramic or glass vase, pottery, decorative placemats, throw pillows on the couch or plants in a sunny window.
• Work toward a balanced or symmetrical arrangement of accessories and decorative accent pieces creating a sense of order.

Coastal or Seaside Theme – Bedroom, Bathroom or Sunroom

If you like the relaxing feel of the shoreline whether it is a sunny California beach or a New England coastline, you can create that feel in almost any room in your home. These suggestions work well for a bedroom, bathroom, sunroom or any other space you wish to decorate with a coastal feel.

• Begin with the idea of creating a bright, open, airy space.
• Create a color palette using light neutral colors. Accent with white trim to evoke a light and airy feel reminiscent seaside breezes.
• Choose lightweight curtains or sheers for window treatments – another way to create an open and airy feel of the gentle coastline winds.
• Vary textures in the room. Use painted or light color wood paneling on the walls and soft area rugs on hardwood floors.
• Plan to bring outdoor elements indoors. Use seashells, sand, smooth stones and driftwood as decorative art pieces.
• Incorporate a ceiling fan with blades made to look like wicker or woven palm.
• Use natural textures for furniture and accent pieces. Consider wicker chairs in the sunroom, hang a bamboo framed mirror in the bathroom or bedroom, place a leather storage trunk at the foot of the bed and hang pictures in wooden frames in any room.
• Include a personal touch. Frame photos of your loved ones at waterfront settings and hang or place them around the room.
• Bring your room to life by adding a small aquarium of tropical fish or a small glass tank with hermit crabs, both creatures of the sea.
• Eat at your favorite seafood restaurant. Pay close attention to the way it is decorated and take more coastal or seaside decorating ideas home with you.

Connect to the Past, a Vintage Look – Bedroom or Sitting Room

Decorating with a vintage look generates interest in a room. Pieces of furniture and other accessories connect us to the past with their decades-old style and antique-like appearance. Creating a vintage look may even allow you to display some of the old family treasures you have hidden in the attic, garage or basement. Anything with a good story behind it makes for a great conversation piece in any room. These ideas will help you get started with a vintage or Old-World decorating theme.

• Before you pack up your attic and move all your treasures into the attic of your new home, sort through everything and see what you can find that might add vintage style to a room in your new house. Also, consider shopping at flea markets and estate sales. Sometimes you can find just the right piece of furniture for a minimal price and it may even be a real antique.
• Begin with the goal to make this room comfortable and cozy. A simple look will work best. Keep this room clutter free for an enhanced Old-World feel.
• Use wood paneling to add texture to the wall. Lines can be wide or narrow, vertical or horizontal.
• Hang simple curtains. White or pastel curtains made of cotton portrays the best vintage look.
• Use a printed or patterned quilt for the bed or hang a quilt on the wall to give that homemade look.
• Hang a candle chandelier instead of using lamps or overhead lighting.
Add authentic or antique touches such as doorknobs, an old storage trunk, hardware, oil lamps and vases to enhance the old fashioned look.

Decorating a room is no simple task much less decorating an entire house. Maybe these ideas fit perfectly with your lifestyle or maybe none of them suit your fancy. Whatever the case, just use your imagination. The sky’s the limit. Pay attention to home decorating magazines or go window shopping at the mall. Wherever you are, if you see something you like, make a mental note of it. With a little creativity, you can achieve almost any look within your home.

For more decorating ideas, read Budget Decorating Tips and Modern Decorating and Contemporary Style.

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