| Decorating should be fun, but it doesn't hurt to know | | | | proportions in everything. When decorating in your |
| some of the tricks that the pros use. The first great | | | | home make sure furniture is proportionally sized for |
| decorating tip is in choosing colors, think warm or | | | | the space in your room. Small rooms require more |
| cool. Reds, yellows, oranges, are warm colors. Blues, | | | | diminutive furniture. Larger rooms require more |
| greens, and purples are cool colors. Decide whether | | | | massive pieces. A huge vase does not belong on a |
| you want the look of you room to be warm or cool, | | | | tiny side table; group small items together in a display |
| and choose your colors accordingly. Another color | | | | for more impact. Use large accessories singularly for |
| decision is monotone or contrasting? Monotone uses | | | | dramatic focal points. |
| various shades in the same color family and is a more | | | | A sensory experience is a decorating tip you cannot |
| soothing look. Often monotone schemes tend along | | | | feel, hear or smell in a picture from a magazine. In |
| the lines of neutral or earthy colors. A contrasting | | | | the rooms or spaces you are decorating use a |
| scheme uses opposing colors for a dramatic look. | | | | variety of sensory aids. Sounds are something to |
| Black and white is the most cliche, of course, but | | | | note. Hard tile floors are clunky and noisy when you |
| darks and lights of any variety also work. Opposing | | | | walk on them. This isn't always a bad thing. In a |
| warm and cool colors are contrasting. | | | | kitchen, a lot of clickity-clack activity in this busy |
| Dark colors tend to make a room look smaller. This is | | | | room gives it more life and vibrancy. Carpeting |
| good if your room is intimidating, wide open, and | | | | absorbs sounds, and makes a room more peaceful |
| uninviting. Light colors tend to make a room look | | | | and soothing. The small things, like a ticking clock or a |
| larger than it is. Small rooms benefit from this when | | | | babbling indoor, tabletop water fountain make inviting |
| they feel cramped and uncomfortable. Strategically | | | | and mesmerizing sounds. Not just decorator items, |
| placed mirrors also reflect a small space, and fool the | | | | but be aware that the room with the television, |
| eye into thinking the room is larger than it is. | | | | radio, or stereo will be a noisemaker too. |
| Another great decorating tip is to think texture. | | | | For aroma, today the products that produce subtle |
| What gives a decorator feel to any rooms is the | | | | atmospheric room scents are endless. The olfactory |
| interesting use of texture. Ceramic tile flooring is hard | | | | decorating tip here is to be careful not to over do it. |
| and utilitarian carpeting is soft and cozy. The smooth, | | | | This is one area where too much of a good thing |
| serene, sage green bedding in the bedroom is fine, | | | | spoils it. A scented candle or two in the same |
| but break up the patterns that your eye perceives in | | | | fragrance is a delicate, pleasing addition to a room's |
| the room with a chunky, nubby, fuzzy, rough looking | | | | aura. Twenty candles, incense, oil warmers, air |
| pillow fabric, in a contrasting color. Fabrics add to a | | | | fresheners and sprays all at once can be nauseating. |
| room that has hard surfaces all over, are the most | | | | Use caution when mixing different scents from room |
| stunning of all decorator additions you can make. A | | | | to room. The human nose tends to assimilate to the |
| mixture of hard surfaces and soft surfaces gives a | | | | smell in one room and then when traveling to the |
| room character. | | | | next it may not smell very nice. Too many mixed |
| Standard decorating tips often neglect the mention | | | | scents seem also to simply negate each other into an |
| of proportion. The eye enjoys looking at nice | | | | incomprehensible odor that is unpleasant. |