The holidays are just around the corner, which means lots of opportunities for entertaining. More than likely, you will have many family members and friends that you have not seen in years stop by to visit. As much as we all hate to admit it, people judge. Your guests will look around your home to see what has changed in the last several years since they last saw you-or the lack of change. Just like clothing, home interior decorating styles change over time too. It is important to keep your home up-to-date. With a few simple tricks, you can transform your beautiful 90's house into a stunning 21st century home.
Nancy Schoen has been an interior designer in North Texas for the last 20 years. She has seen styles come, go and come back, and many styles come and go, but continue lingering in many homes. According to Schoen, there are a few tricks to making your home really pop and show that it belongs in 2009. First of all, the most important thing is to get rid of the old. There's a reason the saying goes, "Out with the old, in with the new." It doesn't matter how much new stuff you have, if you have one silk ficus tree or eucalyptus plant, your home will automatically lose some of it's visual appeal. "Kick the silks to the curb," Schoen said.
The next most important thing, according to this designer, is to add on to what's already there. For example if you have a light fixture that you've had several years, but you want to add a little pizzaz, get some stylish lamp shades. You do not have to upgrade and get an entirely new light fixture, just make the current one pop by adding a little flare. However, if you still have a brass light fixture or chandelier, you should definitely try to upgrade. Baker's racks in kitchens are totally hot to play with too. Schoen said she loves to see homes that use their baker's racks as a source for a display; put some cornucopia up there for fall, dangle some big Christmas ornaments from it in the winter, just play with it and add a little something special to make it stand out.
Lastly, if you really want to catch the attention of your guests and add value to your home, add some metal work and sconces. "Metals and earth tones are the hottest thing right now," Schoen said. Adding ironwork mustaches and finials above doorframes is a great way to accent the entrance to a room. Sconces are also a great choice on either side of artwork or in the corner of a room because you can do so much with them. Use it as a plate or plaque display, put a dried flower arrangement on top of it, or fill an empty sconce with decorative balls. Use your imagination. And when it comes to actually accenting the walls themselves, stay away from white and basic contractor's colors. Use the muted earth tones to add warmth. Using the sage greens, raw umber, and browner shades will add to a complimentary flow throughout your home. Just remember it is vital that in painting your home, whether just an accent wall or the entire room, to pay attention to the lines. Cut in the paint to the corners and especially the ceiling. Taping-off before hand is the best way to prevent accidentally rolling or stroking paint onto another wall. If a paint line is not straight, it will distract from the beauty of the room, and detract from the value of your home should you ever want to sell.
So just remember Nancy's simple steps; Out with the old, make due with the used, and then in with the new. It is necessary to keep these steps in this order. And if applied properly, your home can go from drab to fab!
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