You have a sofa, a couple of chairs and a coffee table. Maybe a plant or two. But your room just looks so... plain. The fix?
Personality! Infusing personality into a room gives it life and makes the difference between ho-hum and pleasing. This week
and next we'll take a look at many of the ways you can add personality to your rooms.
First, learn to know what you like. This takes some thought and time. Gradually train your eye. Get some design books and
magazines. Find a photo of a room you like. Really LOOK at it. Ask yourself: What do I like? What would I change? What
elements would I like to have in my own home? Why did they place the furniture that way? Why kind of accessories are used in
the room? What kind of art? How many fabrics, textures, and colors? And on and on... This is the way to truly discover what
you will love to have around you.
Keep notes and save pictures with notations of your favorite things. Then you will discover how to add personality to your
rooms in a way that will be just right for you. Here are some of the design elements that can add that finishing touch to a
room.
Antiques. An old piece of furniture can add texture and depth to a room. If you are starting out, consider a weathered pine
table or chest. If you want color, look for a painted bookshelf or an amoire. Before you buy, read the article on choosing
antiques , and be sure you love it, and you will be happy every time you see it.
A Theme. There are endless possibilities for decorating themes. Ideally a themed room will 'say' something about you, your
family, or the place you live. It also provides a place to showcase collections, themed items, or art and crafts. A theme
gives you focus by eliminating choices that won't fit with your theme. This will usually greatly simplify your choices and
shopping decisions. Be creative in using your theme-related items in unexpected ways. For example, use an old golf club for a
curtain rod in a golf-themed den, or a fishing creel as kindling basket in the family room at the lake. Remember to use your
theme in various ways throughout the room.
Collections. Whether you have shells, miniature houses, candlesticks or boxes, it is often most effective to display them in
an arrangement. When arranging your collections, beware of just lining things up in a row, especially small items such as
paperweights. Instead, group several together and use the group as one element in a table arrangement. When displaying a
collection of family photos it works best to have a similar framing material (such as all silver or all brass frames) even if
the individual frames vary in style from one another.
Let's look at three additional ways to add personality: a fresh use of color, adding flowers and plants, and hanging wall art
and wall decorations. Also, we'll begin to explore some of the ways to get inspiration for decorating, the subject of next
week's article.
Color adds punch to a room. Wimpy swirls of washed out unidentifiable pastels say Blah faster than anything else on this
planet. To use color, find something you adore (fabric, art, pillows) in colors that make you happy. This is YOUR living
space. It can be any color you choose.
Paint the walls. Add fabrics to liven up the room with a print that contains your upholstery color AND some of the other
colors you love. Try to repeat each accent fabric in at least three places around the room (pillows, curtains, chair seats,
tablecloths, etc.). For more color information see Waverly 's website, with suggestions on choosing a color scheme.
Flowers and Fresh plants. A vase or two of fresh flowers is one of the fastest ways to add life and color to a room. Flower
arrangements can be large or small, elaborately arranged or simply cut off and plunked in a pitcher. They're all wonderful.
Fresh plants will add life, but take some work. Silk plants add color but no life, and need dusting.
Art. Look for pieces you love that bring out colors, themes or the style of your space. Prints and posters are inexpensive and
will fill up your walls. Try Art.Com or Art Select , or one of the other online art stores. However, if possible, begin to
consider purchasing original art, even if you start small as with local watercolorists, since original art often has more
texture and depth and will generally last longer than inexpensive prints.
If you have large walls or high ceilings, use large framed art pieces rather than tiny objects that get lost. Or group similar
prints into one large arrangement. Small prints and objects can be arranged on an appropriately sized smaller space or wall.
Using more than art on the walls. Pictures are nice. But something unexpected on the wall can be a great statement. A piece of
old iron gate as a headboard for your garden bedroom. A square of stained glass hung in your kitchen. Old game boards as wall
art in a country room. A bird nest or plate collection displayed on a shelf. Use your imagination!
Creativity and Inspiration. Inspiration is what sparks creativity. And creativity is the spark for rooms with personality. We
all get inspiration in various ways. For you, it may be the where you live. Living near the ocean, for instance, might mean
that you begin to add elements of that environment to your home. Or, it could be a hobby (trains, collecting ironstone, making
birdhouses), or possibly an interest in a particular style of decorating (country, camp style, period furniture). Whatever
your inspiration, you can creatively incorporate it into your home.
When you need inspiration, get started with some of these ideas. Watch some good design shows on TV. Attend a model home tour,
or tour some model homes online. Save photos you like from decorating magazines such as House Beautiful . Collect a file of
paint chips, fabric swatches, pictures of rooms you admire... Keep looking and learning so you'll know what you love. Then
the personality part will be easy.
