The Home Decor Genie!

Decor Genie Home Decorating Tip: Use Accessories to Express Your Style!  Decorate a room with your special collections.  What do you love to collect?  Do you pick up souvenirs when you travel?  Or do friends and family give you collectibles just because you love them?

Whatever your “thing” is, you can display it in your home tastefully.  The trick in decorating your home is to not overdo it!  If you have collections, you probably feel that it should all be out on display.  But it might be better if you didn’t.  Why? Because when there is too much of a good thing, it becomes mundane.  If you want to really showcase your stuff, give it a special place!

How do you show off your treasured possessions without over-cluttering your rooms?  Here are few suggestions to help you get started!

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  Ceramic Cat

  Spread it out!  No, I don’t mean all over the counter, or the entertainment center, or wherever it is now.  I mean, if it really expresses “you” then take down other stuff you don’t love and bring your collections into other rooms.  By putting less in each room, it becomes a showpiece and more noticed.   Got lots of little stuff?  Maybe you need to pack some of it away and rotate it out from time to time.  Kind of like packing up some the kids toys and leaving less out.  Then, bring new pieces out each season and pack up the old ones.  They’ll seem fresh and new.

• Pare it down!  Go through your collections and decide what you really love!  If you aren’t so crazy about it anymore, consider getting rid of it.  If it has a lot of monetary value, pack it away or have it appraised and make a decision about keeping or selling it.
• Give some away!  Got some stuff that grandkids really like?  Gift it to them as a treasure.  They’ll appreciate it and you’ll know it’s going to someone you love.  Give it to friends if they like it.  (Don’t obligate them to display it if they don’t want to).
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  Blue Vases

  Choose wisely when buying new items.  One friend of mine absolutely loves blue!  Anything blue!  So, she had lots of little trinkets, large vases, pretty items, but way too much.  A friend showed her how placing a special vase in the middle of a shelf gave it much more importance than having all her “blue” displayed.  Now, she has a beautifully coordinated display in her living room of her most treasured vases. 

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  Table lamp with violets

  Make little scenes or vigniettes to display.  I really love nature artifacts.  I have different displays with one or two well-choosen items on a shelf that make interesting little scenes.  Group a lamp with some bird’s nests.  Place a couple of carved wooden animals on a shelf with some palm tree candle holders.  You get the idea.

Home decorating is all about balance.  Just remember, “less is more” and you’ll do fine.  There are ways to bring your personality into your rooms but not to overpower them.  If you’d like help with decorating your rooms, set up a Virtual Consultation for a “Designer’s Eye Guided Home Decorating Session.”  I’ll take a look at your room and give you suggestions and ideas that will help you transform your space into something you love!

Home Decor Genie Decorating Tip: Accessories Are Key In Designing Your Rooms. Want your rooms to have that polished, well-decorated look?  Then pay attention to the accessories that you choose for that room.

Once you have the furniture in place; you’ve decided on hard flooring or carpet; and you have the perfect wall color; it’s time to accessorize your room!  Just like you add jewelry, belts, scarves and more to your perfectly choosen outfit, room accessories add the finishing touch to your home decorating!

What accessories should you consider adding?  Of course it depends on what room you are decorating, but some things work in most rooms.  (Maybe not in the laundry room or store room…but other rooms)

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  A more exotic or global decorating style

  Rugs!  With the vast array of rugs, you can change the look of your room by changing this one piece.  Go from contempory and bold to traditional, Victorian, or any style that suits you!  They should be large enough to place the furniture on and not look like they are “floating” in the room.

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  Dining area with plants

  Plants!  You can add life and zest to a room if you decorate with plants.  Be careful not to overdo it with large, sprawling, scraggly plants.  You want well-maintained, healthy plants that fill a space and draw the eye to it.  Consider large tree-like plants for empty corners and entryways.  Feature a plant on a lovely stand between pieces of furniture.  And use smaller plants to add life and interest to shelves, tables and obscure corners. 

  • What about faux plants? If you just don’t have a green thumb, or you travel and are busy, or you just don’t want to mess with them, I recommend decorating your rooms with silk and high-quality plants that look real and full.  Buy the best you can afford.  Keep them dusted and change them when they get old!
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  Table lamp with violets

  Lighting!  There is so much to choose from when it comes to lighting.  You can really give a room class with just the right lamp or chandelier, not to mention making the whole room come to life.  Decide on your decorating style and find lamps that fit that vision.  Mix overhead lighting with lamps to vary the amount of light and to provide task lighting for special projects. 

There are lots more accessories that give your room the finishing touch.  Join me again as we explore other elements that perk up your rooms and learn how to best use them!

Home Decor Genie Has More Ways to Decorate With Texture! Wonderful textures create a mood and ambiance in your rooms.

You can decorate your rooms and give them an exotic feel with bamboo, and rattan. You’ll find them in imported chests, tables and plant stands.

Or is your home decorating style more upscale? Make it luxurious with sleek, polished wood, fur rugs and pillows.

You can make your rooms feel rich and masculine with leather and suede. Go for a smooth or a textured leather like crocodile, osterich or a tooled leather. Whatever your home decor choices, leather gives your home a classic feel.

Do your tastes in home decorating lean more toward the elegant and refined? Try beautiful silks, satins and linens on your windows.

Can you start to see how different textures change the overall feeling in a room? Define your style so you get the look you want. What look do you want to go for?

• Country – use lots of wood in maple, birch, knotty pine, oak. Add woven fabrics in plaid or floral. Hang a beautiful quilt on the wall.
• Casual – Pick fabrics in linen or smooth micro suede. Toss in nubby-textured afghans and throws. Use stone on walls and the fireplace. Polished granite counters add sophistication and flair.
• Are you Urban Chic? – This home decorating style is charicterized with smooth leather, polished marble on the floors and walls, fur rugs and pillows, glass sculptures, bold wall-art and high contrast colors.
• Are you Exotic or well-traveled? Decorate your rooms with rough wood, bamboo, rattan, and stone. Gauzy curtains on windows and canopies over the bed give you that exotic feel. Display pottery and souvenirs from your actual (or virtual) travels around the world.

So, don’t be afraid to add texture to your rooms. Know your decorating style and use that as a guide what you look for furnishings.

Debbie Fiskum is the owner of Perfect Transformations Home Staging and Decorating in Denver. If you live in the Denver area and would like help with decorating or redesign in your home, Debbie would be glad to set up a consultation. If you’re selling your home, we can help you get it ready so it sells quickly and brings the best price! Check the website and see what we can do for you!

Perfect Transformations Home Staging & Decorating

Or go to Decorate-A-Room.com for specific tools and help with your home decorating and staging.

Home Decor Genie also recommends the Kindle Electronic Reading Device! Great for traveling and anywhere. Check out the large selection of books available for Kindle through Amazon.

Home Decor Genie asks, “Not Selling Your Home? Decorate a Room instead!”

Decorate a Room! This may not be the best time to sell your home – so why not put the time and energy into making some great home decorating improvements? Your home will be worth more when the market comes back, and you’ll enjoy it more now! Get what you want, but be smart and plan changes that will add to your home’s value. What, you ask should I do that will increase my home’s appeal?

1. Paint – If it’s been awhile since you’ve painted any of your rooms, this can be a great way to upgrade your home. New paint freshens up a room and you can change the whole look with a new paint color. If you’re looking for a new room color scheme, take your cue from something in the room. Look at any of the elements that will be staying in the room such as flooring, cabinets, fixtures or any other permanent structure. Or maybe you have a fabulous rug, towels, or accessories that are your color inspiration. Whatever you start with, make it something that you like and can live with for a while.

Choose 3 colors to work with and let one be your dominant color. The 2nd one should be your accent color and then add in the 3rd in small amounts. There may be small amounts of other colors, wood or metals that come into play as well. Just be careful not to get too many colors in your room or the look will be chaotic.

Debbie Fiskum is the owner of Perfect Transformations Home Staging and Decorating in Denver. If you live in the Denver area and would like help with decorating or redesign in your home, Debbie would be glad to set up a consultation. If you’re selling your home, we can help you get it ready so it sells quickly and brings the best price! Check the website and see what we can do for you!

Perfect Transformations Home Staging & Decorating

Or go to Decorate-A-Room.com for specific tools and help with your home decorating and staging.

Home Decor Genie also recommends the Kindle Electronic Reading Device! Great for traveling and anywhere. Check out the large selection of books available for Kindle through Amazon.

Home Decor Genie’s Decorate A Room With Texture ! Decorating your home? It’s a great way to add value! Here are more ideas to add texture to your home decorating.

Last time we talked about creating texture in your rooms with rugs, pillows, and drapes. This time we’ll talk about some other ways to use fabric to decorate.

• Slipcovers – if your furniture has seen better times, you can change the whole look of your furniture and your room with these easy to use decorators secrets.
• Afghans and throws – I’ve talked about these before, but they can serve several purposes in your home decorating! They add color, texture and you can wrap up in them when you’re sitting around!
• New bedding is another way to update your room. It’s amazing what different bedding can do. Change from traditional home decor to fun, exotic, elegant, or whatever suits your taste at the time! It’s a great way to decorate a room!
• Wall hangings come in all types! Got a beautiful quilt? Hange it on your wall! Want to display souvenirs of a trip? Group them in a shadow box. Or frame some wonderful fabric by stretching it over an artists canvas and stapling it down. Get creative and decorate your room with original art.
• Table accessories – You can find placemats, table runners and tablecloths in just about any style. These will color and texture to your home decorating.

Have fun with texture! It will add a new element to your home decorating. These ideas are inexpensive ways to change your look. Next time we’ll look at other ways to add texture, color and interest in creative ways.

Debbie Fiskum is the owner of Perfect Transformations Home Staging and Decorating in Denver. If you live in the Denver area and would like help with decorating or redesign in your home, Debbie would be glad to set up a consultation. If you’re selling your home, we can help you get it ready so it sells quickly and brings the best price! Check the website and see what we can do for you!

Perfect Transformations Home Staging & Decorating

Or go to Decorate-A-Room.com for specific tools and help with your home decorating and staging.

Home Decor Genie also recommends the Kindle Electronic Reading Device! Great for traveling and anywhere. Check out the large selection of books available for Kindle through Amazon.

Home Decor Genie Budget Home Decorating – Fun Touches. Decorate your home for less with simple ideas!

Here are some of my favorite ideas for quick decorating tricks.

• Buy a new plant stand and display nice quality silk plants or go for real! Plants always add life to a room. If you don’t have a green thumb, there are some good quality “fake” plants.
• Group some great vases, baskets or bowls on a display shelf. Keep the clutter down and make the decorative pieces the real stars.
• Decorate your home with natural elements. I love adding river rock, seashells and candles. Fill a bowl or a tray with any of these and add a trio of candle that match or compliment your color scheme.

Even though these are simple ideas, they are easy to do and will give your room a fresh new look!
What questions do you have about home decorating? I’d love to hear from you!

Debbie Fiskum is the owner of Perfect Transformations Home Staging and Decorating in Denver. If you live in the Denver area and would like help with decorating or redesign in your home, Debbie would be glad to set up a consultation. If you’re selling your home, we can help you get it ready so it sells quickly and brings the best price! Check the website and see what we can do for you!

Perfect Transformations Home Staging & Decorating

Or go to Decorate-A-Room.com for specific tools and help with your home decorating and staging.

Home Décor Genie Decorate A Bedroom. So, you’re re-decorating your bedroom and want it to be a comfortable place for you to relax! How do you decide where all the big stuff goes? The bedroom has some of the largest furniture in the house! How you arrange it makes a big difference.

For some reason, we seem to pack our bedrooms full of too much furniture. So, it might be wise to look at your bedroom with a critical eye. Is there too much furniture in here? If so, removing a piece or two will open up the whole room and make it seem bigger. Then, you can arrange the furniture more easily.

• Place your bed in the right spot first and then arrange the other pieces around it.
• Your bed should ideally go on the largest wall. This usually makes it easier to place the other items.
• However, you may want to take advantage of a beautiful view out the window, or arrange the bed for viewing the TV if you like to watch TV in here.
• Next, place your dresser either perpendicular to the bed or straight across from it.
• Unless they are matched, do not put more than one dresser in your room. It will only make your bedroom look cluttered!
• Avoid the temptation to “stack” your TV on small pieces of furniture or tubs or boxes! (I’ve seen it all!)
• Ideally your TV should go in an entertainment center so it can be closed off, or invest in a flat, wall-mounted TV that makes the best use of your space.
• Place a bedside table on both sides of the bed to keep necessary items nearby. And if you tend to be a “clutter-bug” drawers are better than open shelves to keep things hidden.

Can you create separate zones for sleeping, reading or just sitting and relaxing? It’s nice to have a comfortable chair and a small table in one corner. If you have room, add another chair and a bookshelf. Keep reading material handy and grab a little quiet time for yourself!

What else do you need in the bedroom?
Don’t be tempted to make this a multi-purpose room. You may need a desk in here, but only if there’s no other place for a home office.
Keep your bedroom a special retreat as much as you can.

Check back tomorrow for ideas on using color to spice up your room!

If you’re looking for a good read, Home Decor Genie recommends Third Wish by Robert Fulghum. First published in the Czech Republic (where it quickly became a bestseller), Third Wish is a sweeping, lavishly plotted novel in five parts, bound together by a profound love story that spans the globe. It is at once a classic quest novel and a rich parable for our times, inspired by the works of Lewis Carroll, Milan Kundera, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, among others. Presented in a boxed set as two richly illustrated paperback volumes with an accompanying CD musical soundtrack, this is a true one-of-a-kind novel.

Third Wish is available now on Amazon and Amazon Kindle.

Home Decor Genie also recommends the Kindle Electronic Reading Device! Great for traveling and anywhere. Check out the large selection of books available for Kindle through Amazon.

Try a sleek, contemporary chaise lounge or fun, modern stuffed chair. Modern Furniture has a large selection of quality furniture that will delight you and give your rooms character!

Debbie Fiskum is the owner of Perfect Transformations Home Staging and Decorating in Denver. If you live in the Denver area and would like help with decorating or redesign in your home, Debbie would be glad to set up a consultation. If you’re selling your home, we can help you get it ready so it sells quickly and brings the best price! Check the website and see what we can do for you!

Perfect Transformations Home Staging & Decorating

Or go to Decorate-A-Room.com for specific tools and help with your home decorating and staging.

Home Decor Genie says, Create an organized bedroom for yourself! You spend about 1/3 to ½ of your life in your bedroom! Shouldn’t it be a place that you love to spend time in? This week we’re talking about creating and decorating a romantic and inviting bedroom for yourself (and your partner if you have one). Besides enjoying each other’s company, you can relax in this room and read, watch TV and of course sleep.

What makes the bedroom special for you? Some of the comments I received earlier this week described very exotic, dark, rich bedrooms. But one thing I noticed is they described clean, un-cluttered and well-organized places! So, take stock of your present bedroom and let’s see how we can improve it!

Do you have enough storage so that your clothing is in it’s place? This means having enough closet space to hang items, and shelving to store larger items. Shoes, purses, accessories and miscellaneous doo-dads need to have a place to be hidden away. You should have enough dresser drawer space for each person in the room to store small clothing items like underwear, socks, scarves and more. It sure beats having it spread out on the floor – either in the closet or on the bedroom floor!

If you need more storage, I recommend you address that concern first. You can buy pre-built storage units for your closet through local do-it-yourself stores, closet specialty stores, or have an expert come over and build in custom storage. Whatever you decide, a little pre-planning will pay off by determining what goes where and how you will store it. Do you prefer open shelving and stacking things on the shelves? Will you be able to keep these neat? It may be better to add clear plastic storage boxes or colorful baskets to keep your shelves in order. Or you may opt for built-in drawers and storage units in the closet. Just plan for all the things that will need to go here. You can hang belts, hats, purses and even shoes in bags on the walls or the door. For added storage, hang pockets to hold small items to keep them handy.

And what about the stuff that doesn’t go in the closet? A dresser is meant to hold all that little stuff in drawers, but it’s easy to put too much furniture in the room. Your dresser and other furniture to be scaled to fit the size of the room. If you have a small room, you may not be able to have a bed, 2 dressers, 2 nightstands, a chair, etc. etc! Again, take stock of the furniture you have, plan your storage and if you need to, get rid of some of the furniture! This may also mean that you have to get rid of extra clothes, and pare down your wardrobe. If you can’t bear to part with some of it, you’ll need to find other places to store it. I’m guilty of this! I have winter stuff and summer stuff that gets shifted from closet to closet, depending on the season! But at some point, it just makes sense to go through it and clean it out!

So, as you plan your home decorating projects and you think about bedroom decorating, pay careful attention to the storage that you need. Keeping your bedroom free of clutter and mess will make it a nicer place to spend time in. Who can relax in the middle of a mess?

Stay tuned – in the next few days we’ll talk about arranging the furniture so you get the best room ever; and using color to create a mood. We’ll also talk about decorating your room with artwork and what to do with all those photos and collections.

If you’re looking for a good read, Home Decor Genie recommends Third Wish by Robert Fulghum. First published in the Czech Republic (where it quickly became a bestseller), Third Wish is a sweeping, lavishly plotted novel in five parts, bound together by a profound love story that spans the globe. It is at once a classic quest novel and a rich parable for our times, inspired by the works of Lewis Carroll, Milan Kundera, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, among others. Presented in a boxed set as two richly illustrated paperback volumes with an accompanying CD musical soundtrack, this is a true one-of-a-kind novel.

Third Wish is available now on Amazon and Amazon Kindle.

Home Decor Genie also recommends the Kindle Electronic Reading Device! Great for traveling and anywhere. Check out the large selection of books available for Kindle through Amazon.

Try a sleek, contemporary chaise lounge or fun, modern stuffed chair. Modern Furniture has a large selection of quality furniture that will delight you and give your rooms character!

Debbie Fiskum is the owner of Perfect Transformations Home Staging and Decorating in Denver. If you live in the Denver area and would like help with decorating or redesign in your home, Debbie would be glad to set up a consultation. If you’re selling your home, we can help you get it ready so it sells quickly and brings the best price! Check the website and see what we can do for you!

Perfect Transformations Home Staging & Decorating

Or go to Decorate-A-Room.com for specific tools and help with your home decorating and staging.

Home Decor Genie’s Romantic Bedroom Ideas to spice up your Valentine’s Day and Night! Last time I asked readers for their ideas on a romantic bedroom. And it seems that you have some great ideas! Some of the comments described rich, dark colors, luxurious fabrics and sensual touches all around. Music and candlelight also play a big part. Exotic, world music can transport you to another place and time. And fill your bedroom with candles and aromatic scents!

If a major remodel isn’t in the cards for you, there are still things you can do to make your bedroom your haven. If your bedding has seen better days or you’ve never invested in nice bedding, this is the place to start! You can find beautiful matched sets and “bed-in-a-bag” sets that come in all tastes and styles. Choose colors and fabrics and textures that delight you and your partner. Maybe it’s faux suede. Or smooth, sensuous satin. You’ll find beautiful quilted comforters, or richly embroidered coverlets. You’d be surprised what a difference great bedding can make in your room, your special place.

Add a little variety with colorful pillows. Vary some larger ones with smaller ones and try new shapes. Keep in mind your overall color scheme and choose pillows that compliment it. Give it a sexy, sensual feel or calm, and relaxing.

Do you escape to your bedroom for a little reading? Create a comfy reading nook with a cushy chair and a small table for a cup of coffee or glass of wine. Drape a soft afghan or throw over the chair for those times when there’s a chill in the air and make sure there’s adequate lighting for reading. Then, settle in and indulge your imagination with a great book.

If you’re looking for a good read, Home Decor Genie recommends Third Wish by Robert Fulgum. First published in the Czech Republic (where it quickly became a bestseller), Third Wish is a sweeping, lavishly plotted novel in five parts, bound together by a profound love story that spans the globe. It is at once a classic quest novel and a rich parable for our times, inspired by the works of Lewis Carroll, Milan Kundera, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, among others. Presented in a boxed set as two richly illustrated paperback volumes with an accompanying CD musical soundtrack, this is a true one-of-a-kind novel.

Third Wish is available now on Amazon and Amazon Kindle.

Home Decor Genie also recommends the Kindle Electronic Reading Device! “Introducing Kindle™
Three years ago, we set out to design and build an entirely new class of device—a convenient, portable reading device with the ability to wirelessly download books, blogs, magazines, and newspapers. The result is Amazon Kindle.”
Great for traveling and anywhere. Check out the large selection of books available for Kindle through Amazon.

Try a sleek, contemporary chaise lounge or fun, modern stuffed chair. Modern Furniture has a large selection of quality furniture that will delight you and give your rooms character!