The Home Decor Genie!

Home Decor Genie Home Re-Decorating Help!

Could a room or two in your home benefit from a home decorating facelift?  Has it been awhile since you’ve re-decorated?  Maybe you’d love to transform your rooms but you just don’t know where to start!

If  home decorating isn’t your thing, you’d probably love a little advice on what you can do to “spruce-up” your home!  Let me help you decide “what goes where” or “what color would look best in this room” or “how do I shop for accessories” (and not buy the wrong stuff!).

The Home Decor Genie’s “Designer’s Eye Home Decorating Consultation” may be just what you need!    

Here’s an example of what we can do:

What will this room be used for, and who will use it?  A great starting point, but one that so many people miss!

Let’s look at what colors make you happy.  This is what we’ll start with for the overall color scheme.

Do you have a favorite piece that you absolutely love and want to start with?  I’ve seen wall art, collections, a favorite chair, rugs and more.  This will set the overall theme of the room.

What do you want to display?   How do you surround yourself with things you love without it becoming cluttered?

And, how do we put it all together and give it that professional polish?  Accessories finish off a room and make it look fantastic!

Ready?  Let’s get started!  Just click here and begin the conversation!

Home Decor Genie Home Decorating Tip: Create A Focal Point In Each Room or area.

Large, framed picture as focal point in home staged living room

A focal point is the first place your eye goes when you enter a room.  Having a great focal point is a basic home decorating technique.  Having lots of points – or too much to look at is not good!  Instead of looking interesting, it looks cluttered and confusing.  Your eye doesn’t know where to stop – or go to next!  You want the person’s eye to be drawn to a certain area and then, progress around the room.

Vary the height or the width of items in your room.  Being all the same or being too symmetrical, can be boring.  By adding interesting heights, textures and colors, your rooms are enlivened and more interesting. 

• Play up a fireplace – center furniture around it.  Don’t block it with furniture, toys, or other junk.
• Do you have great windows or a spectacular view?  You should enjoy it!  Frame windows with beautiful window treatments and coordinate with your room’s furnishings. 
• Showcase your favorite artwork.  A well-chosen piece of wall art looks great over the sofa; or over a fireplace.  One or two large pieces will usually look better than many smaller pieces.

Don’t know where to start?  Find something you really love about your room.  Then, build on that.  If it’s a favorite piece of art, draw colors out of that to decorate your room.  If it’s a piece of furniture, coordinate other furnishings, artwork and accessories with that.  A fireplace or window is a natural home decorating feature!  Make the most of what your room has.

Try Virtual Home Decorating: Get a “Designer’s Eye” on your rooms!  You’ll get feedback to make the changes that make you happy!

Selling your home?  A Virtual Home Staging Consultation will give you tools to prepare your home for a quick sale!

A cute little entry scenario with a birdbath and planter of irises

Home Decor Genie’s Home Decorating Tips: Does Your Entrance Welcome People Into Your Home?   Lead family and guests to your home’s entrance and make them feel welcome.  

• Get a fresh welcome mat – let it express your personal style!  For holiday home decorating, try a seasonal welcome mat! Go funky, wacky, traditional, or whatever your style is!
• Add pots of flowers – flowers and plants add life and color.  You could also hang a seasonal wreath on the door.   Try pine bows, holly or poinsettias for the Christmas season.
• Make sure it’s lit at night – lighting is critical at night, so make sure you have bulbs in the lights and keep them clean.  Again, a holiday tip: brighten up your entrance with fancy lights.  Don’t you just love the variety?

Whatever your home decorating style is, carry it through to the entrance.  People’s first impression of your home is made when they pull up to the curb.  Give new friends and aquaintences a hint of your personality right up front!  And for old friends and family, make your entrance say: “Hi, I’m glad you stopped by!”

Time for a home decorating update? Try my Virtual Home Decorating Services!  Send in your photos and we’ll “talk” either by email and or phone and you’ll get a “Designer’s Eye” on your rooms.  It may be all you need to get going on that home decorating project! 

Or, if you need to sell your home – try a Virtual Home Staging Consultation!  We’ll go through your home and see what we can do to get it sold!

Home Decor Genie Holiday Home Decorating Tips! Want to get your home decorated in record time?  Here are some tips you can use to speed it up:

Pick our your absolute favorite decorations and put only those up!

Use lights to brighten up rooms! They aren’t just for the outdoors.  I use them on my mantel, around a picture window and sometimes above a curtain!  It’s amazing what a few well-placed lights can do to brighten you room and lift your spirits!

Instead of lots of decorations, use candles.  There are so many different types, sizes and containers now that you can decorate your home with warmth and light.  And if you’re worried about the little members of your family, try the flameless candles.  Much safer and you won’t have to worry!

Do you dread getting out the tree and all the decorations?  Get someone to help you and make an afternoon or evening of it.  Spread a little cheer with egg nog, wine spritzers or something fun and get it done together.  Maybe you can trade and help friends do their decorating and then they can help with yours!

Whatever you choose to do, put on some great music, make a little food and enjoy the anticipation this season brings.  It’s really not all about the decorations, the gifts and the parties.  It’s about Jesus, his birth and the greatest gift ever given!  Let your mind dwell on that and ask God what that means for you!  It could change your entire perspective!

Happy Holidays from 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 Give Your Rooms Polish! And class! And variety!  When decorating your rooms, accessories are your chance to show your personality and make your rooms unique!

Last time we talked about rugs, plants and lighting.  This time, let’s look at the impact some other accessories have on your room.  We’ll concentrate on wall art this time, because there’s so much we can say about it!  Let your style and interests determine what to put on the walls.

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  Large, framed picture as focal point in this living room

  Wall art! There’s so much we could say about this, but here’s a tip to keep in mind: fit your art to the wall you are putting it on.  It doesn’t work to put a small picture on a large wall.  Or to put a very large one on a wall where it takes up too much space.  Think about scale and balance when putting it up.

• Family photos!  This is your space, so make it personal.  If you love collecting photos of the kids, or pets or whatever, make a place to display them.  The key here is to give it unity in one way or another.  You can do this by choosing matching frames.  For instance, use all black, or silver or the same wood.  My dad used to make frames for our family gallery out of scrapwood from pallets.  Sounds weird, but they looked great!
• You can also give it unity by making them all the same size and lining them up in interesting patterns.
• If family photos aren’t your thing, find interesting art that speaks to you!  Do you like abstract colors and patterns?  Or are you more the realist art fan?  Maybe you gravitate towards nature art or scenery or you like animals.  Whatever your passion is, you can display it on your walls.
• 

  Casual living room in rich browns and cream

  Another way to display things on your walls is to use shelves.  Match them to the decor in the room and be selective about what you display on them.  One or two well-choosen items look better than a lot of clutter.

• You can find those cute little boxes to put on your wall and then put a special item in each one.
• One other display that you might not have thought about: wall sconces.  These can be lighting, or candle holders or just interesting art that you hang on the wall. 
• Mix and match some of these elements on large walls to make it interesting and to create a focal point wall.

Go ahead and have fun!  Get a friend to give you some feedback on the art you want to put up.  Or if you’d like a  professional perspective, take advantage of my newest service: “Designer’s Eye Guided Home Decorating.”  I’ll take a look at your room and give you my suggestions.  You take it from there and decide if you can do it yourself or if you’d like continuing help!  Set up a Virtual Consultation or if you’re in the Denver/Front Range area, contact me for an in-home consultation!  Maybe all you need is a little guidance!

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. 

Plant on a wrought iron stand and fishing accessories

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!

Debbie Fiskum, The Home Decor Genie!

Home Decor Genie Suggestions for Creative Wall Art!  Want to jazz up your walls with some different and unique art?  Decorate your home with what you love!

Frames can be very inexpensive if you watch for sales.  I pick up a few whenever they go on sale at my favorite stores.  Like right now, Target has 11×14 black or bronze wall frames on sale for $9!

Anyway…what to put IN the frames?!!  Well, let’s see…you could frame:

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  Framed Colorado Poster

A favorite poster – I know, it’s been done, but put it in a really NICE frame and give it a place of prominence on your wall.

Your kids newest artwork or something you especially like.  They’ll love you for it and some of it can be quite a conversation-starter!

How about a really unusual magazine cover?  Maybe not the latest “Women’s Day” or something like that, but something fun or odd, or thought-provoking!

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  The Home Decor Genie's NatureArt

  I like to arrange pressed fall leaves in a frame.  I usually use a black background with a fall-color matt to make them really stand out.  I call it The Home Decor Genie’s NatureArt! (Coming soon, you can special order yours!)

Now, what do you do with all this art once you have it? 

• Line up similar pieces on a wall or going up a stairway wall.
• Make a collage out of several pieces.  You can get a collage-template at art supply stores that help you figure out where to place your art so it looks good.  (Michael’s and Hobby Lobby carry these)
• 

  Large, framed picture as focal point in home staged living room

  If you have one spectacular picture, give it a place of prominence and make it your focal point in the room. 

• Take your color cues from this art and scatter the color around the room in furniture, pillows, rugs, accessories, etc.

So, whether you’re staging your home to sell in this real estate market or just want to decorate your home so you love it, try sprucing it up with these wall art ideas.  It’s  a great alternative to just puttin’ up lots of family or vacation photos. (nothing wrong with that, but if you’re ready to move on to a different home decorating style…you may like these suggestions!)

Home Decor Genie Asks: Got Guests Arriving? Refresh Your Kitchen In Minutes. 

Maybe you don’t have time to re-do the kitchen, but you want it to look great for guests?  Home decorating doesn’t always have to be about changing everything. Make it look fresh with these easy tips:

Before-cluttered kitchen; after-clean, clutter-free kitchen

Clear off the counters! Clutter makes it look messy so put everything away that you don’t need.

3 Fun Fall Themed Kitchen Towels

Put out some great new or fresh dish towels!  Look for cute, seasonal ones that express your style!

Simple fruit bowl on counter

 After you inventory your fruits and veggies and throw out any spoiled things – arrange some in a nice bowl and display it on the countertop or table.  You don’t need a lot to make it look good – sometimes a few pieces look better than an over-flowing bowl.

Festive Fall Table with Red and Orange

Make your table shine!  Set it with some of your best or most intersting dishes.  Use a coordinting color to pull it all together and add a fresh, seasonal, center piece for an air of sophistication.

Just before guests arrive, light an aromatic candle, use a scenter bottle or simmer some delicious spices.  Try simmering some cinnamon, nutmeg or pumkin spices in water on the stove.  Baking cookies will fill the air with an irrestible aroma too!

Keep your holiday home decorating simple as well as your meals. You’ll enjoy time with your guests more and everything will be more relaxed.  The holidays are all about coming together and renewing relationships!

Stuck With Paneling On Your Walls? Try This Easy Update!  Taking paneling down can be messy, tough and will most likely leave glue on the wall underneath.  So, what can you do to update your room?

When decorating your room with paneling, don’t take it down.  Save yourself time and effort and leave it up.  You can cover it up with a little effort and elbow grease. 

Try these quick fixes:

• Cover the paneling with a thin coating of sheetrock mud.  Smooth it out, filling in the grooves in the paneling
• Use two coats of paint to give it a good finish.
• Choose Historic Colors in blue, green, gray or blue-green.
• Finish off the look with white trim that will give your room an instant face-lift!

For more help picking paint colors, go to: Your Room Color Schemes  Learn how to find your room’s best color scheme and how to coordinate your furnishings.

Try my Virtual Home Decorating Services!  Get help decorating your home from anywhere.