Painting and Decorating Your Home – Tips and Tricks

Whilst the remodelling or redecoration of your home is a matter of taste and purpose, there are a host of simple but effective ways to transform a space and bring your vision to life.

Bathrooms

Always use paints and wallpapers that have been designed for use in the bathroom as they can be wiped clean and contain properties that make them resistant to mould, mildew and grime. A bathroom is an excellent space in which to be a little more adventurous with your decorating - try stronger colours such as blues, greens and aquas or keep it neutral for a more relaxed, spacious feel. Careful use of mirrors can enhance natural light and add a sense of space - a mirrored storage unit is a great way to achieve this whilst hiding clutter such as toothpaste and shampoo etc.

For a quality finish, pay attention to details such as taps and tiles, but avoid using large tiles in small bathrooms.

Bedrooms

Your bedroom is a private space, not often seen by others, and this makes it the perfect place to showcase a particular style or to make a personal design statement. Use cool, light colours to give bedrooms a much more restful, spacious feel, including soft hues of blue, green, white or cream. Warmer colours and textures can make a room feel cosier, whilst decorating one wall with patterned wallpaper will definitely make a striking feature. Children`s bedrooms lend themselves well to a themed approach to decorating, perhaps using murals, stencilling or wall stickers. Remember that the most important design consideration for your child`s room is that it needs to be functional and have plenty of storage, whilst being both colourful and interesting.

Living rooms

Start with a fabric or accessory that you love and use it to define the colour palette of the room - it is much easier to match paint to fabrics than the other way around. Patterned wallpaper is great for accentuating areas although be wary of over using bold or oversized prints. particularly in a small space. Choose paints that are durable and pick flooring that is resistant to stains and spills and easy to keep clean, particularly if you have children or pets.

Light is important in a living room, so buy test pots and test various shades of paint to see how the light falls upon them, as well as how the colour looks in artificial light. Position seating to make best use of a focal point, such as a window, fireplace or the television.

Kitchens

Like bathroom paint, kitchen paint also needs to be practical, hardwearing and resistant to grease and grime. For a quick and easy refresh without the hassles of messy re-tiling work, it is also possible to paint over existing tiles using a specialist paint. The same applies to cupboard doors and drawer fronts.

For walls, choose colours that complement the colour of your kitchen cabinets and tiles, rather than clash with them. You can update a kitchen without fully replacing it by investing in new worktops, taps, appliances and door and drawer handles.

Colours and Techniques

Although bold paint colours have their place, they can be overwhelming and quickly wear out their welcome if not used wisely. That said, don`t be afraid to experiment and remember that you can add splashes of colour with cushions, rugs or throws. The use of paint effects gives a further dimension to the colour that you choose. Clouding, for example, might be used to create a sky scene for a child`s bedroom ceiling. Rag rolling can be used to blend colours and achieve a textured effect. Stippling, using a special brush, also adds texture and can be used to combine colours, whilst sponging techniques can create a marble effect. You might also choose to use textured paint, particularly if your walls are not in great condition.

How to choose a professional decorator

Although your costs will increase when you hire professional help, your project will be completed in a lot less time and in theory you should get a quality finish that otherwise may not be achieveable. This is especially true for things like tiling, wallpapering and the more complicated painting jobs.

Ask friends and family if they can recommend a proficient and reliable decorator, as word of mouth is usually a good measure. Your local Trading Standards department may have a list of approved tradesman or you can search online for decorators in your area and then ask them for testimonials.

Be sure to discuss your budget to ensure it is realistic for the project, and agree timescales before work starts.

Learn about Interior Design Tips

When it comes to building a house it’s the men who usually end up designing the house, leaving women to accommodate the various differences such as high cabinets or lack of storage space. There are times when it is frustrating on the part of the women, but this is where interior designing can help out. There are some tips that you can follow when it comes to designing your home to make it look cozier and appealing not only to you and your family but also to your guests. There is nothing better than remodeling your home without spending much.

Kitchen Tips

Take for example your kitchen. Ordinarily this room is separated from the rest leaving the hostess no choice but to miss out on the talks and fun in the other room. To prevent this, one idea is to make it an open area allowing both the hostess and the guests to walk back and forth. This is especially helpful since some guests prefer helping out in the kitchen. This way the hostess wouldn’t miss out on all the fun and excitement.

The Use of Curtains

Curtains are another type of accessory that you can use to make your house look homier. Since curtains are quite versatile in its use, there are some tips that you can follow when it comes to choosing the right fabric or color. Curtains that are made up of sheer fabrics are used to make the people inside see the outdoor but prevent people from the outside to look in. When it comes to putting up curtains in the living room, use colors that will help blend your furniture together. Choose fabrics that are light in color that will add to the ambience of your home. It is also important for you to choose curtains made of fire retardant materials especially when you have children at home.

Guest Room Tips

Preparing your guest room doesn’t necessarily mean you need lots of money. A simple remodeling will do wonders to your spare bedroom to make it perfect for your house guest. All you need to do is to provide your guest with a comfortable mattress. If your budget cannot afford a new one, then buy an air mattress which is almost the same. Placing clean bed sheets and providing your guest with extra linens will be highly appreciated. You should also remove useless items in the bedroom and leave only things that your house guest may use such as calendar or a clock. Make sure that the room also has adequate lighting to make it cozier for your guest. Give the room enough storage space so your guest wouldn’t have a hard time storing their things. Another essential tip when it comes to preparing your guest bedroom is to provide a bedside lamp for your guest to use at night especially when they need to do something.

Decorating Tricks to Make a Small Space Look Larger

of people live in a small home, a small room, or just a small space. Some people live in a small apartment because that's all they can afford, and they're grateful for it.

Some people live in a small apartment or home because they're tired of taking care of a larger place and want to "downsize."

Others just don't want a large home. Small is beautiful! And easy, and practical, too!

But no matter what your reason for living in a small space, you'll undoubtedly have to make some compromises in your decorating, get really organized, and make some adjustments to your lifestyle in order to make everything fit and not feel cramped.

If you're looking for a cozy, intimate space, you're in luck. By using soft, snuggly upholstered pieces, dark, warm tones, and dramatic lighting, your tiny corner can become a wonderful private space.

But if you really feel the need to stretch out in your small space, you can make some decorating changes to make the area look and feel larger without moving any walls! With color, furniture arranging, and interesting lighting, your space won't feel so cramped.

See if some of our tips will work for your small space.

• Clear Out the Clutter
  

  There's nothing that makes a small space feel cramped more than having too much stuff. Work out ways to get collections out of view, organized behind doors, table skirts, or on shelves. With things neatly arranged and out of sight, the space that is in view will feel orderly and open.

• Open the Way
  

  With furniture and accessories blocking the view into a room and out to open spaces, a room will look cramped. By moving furniture out and away from walkways, you'll open up the space and make it feel larger. You can also choose short pieces of furniture like an ottoman, an armless, open chair, or a low table, and place large, tall pieces along a wall rather than out in the open space. If you can see the floor, the room will look larger.

• Chooser Soft, Light Hues
  

  Whereas dark, warm colors make a space feel cozy and intimate, light, cool colors make a space feel open and airy. For optimum effect, select soft tones of blues and greens.

• Use a Monochromatic Color Scheme
  

  Choose colors that are in the same color family and use tone-on-tone woven upholstery fabrics, textured wall finishes, delicate tonal drapery fabrics. Cool colors and delicate warm colors on most surfaces give the room a more open look.

• Coordinate Wall and Furniture Colors
  

  Contrasting colors tend to break up a space. Pieces of furniture are less interrupting and tend to blend with the space if they're colored to match the wall color.

• Let in the Light
  

  Any room will look larger if it's well-lit, either by natural light or artificial lighting. Get rid of heavy draperies and open up the windows to let the light of the outdoors into the space. Add more lamps or install

Here are some more things you can do to make a small space at least feel larger, even if the floor space stays the same.

• See-Through Space
  

  By using materials that you can see through, anything beyond will appear farther away. For a tiny bathroom, I got rid of an opaque glass shower enclosure and substituted a clear, frameless one. The room is the same size looks bigger. Now we can see all the way (an extra 3 feet) to the wall at the back of the shower.

  You can also use glass or lucite for tabletops. With a sturdy base of wood, stone, or metal, the space around the table will open up the view beyond.

• Reflective Surfaces
  

  You might not like the look of a mirrored wall, but you have to admit that it always makes a room look larger. Instead, use a large framed mirror on a wall or stand an over-sized framed mirror against a wall. You'll get the same room-enlarging effect as a mirrored wall, but with more style. The space and the light will be reflected for a more open feeling.

  Top a coffee table or side table with a piece of beveled plate mirror or have a chest of drawers or bureau covered with custom-cut and installed mirrors.

• Believe It or Not, Bigger Is Better!
  

  Use a few large, simple pieces of furniture or accessories in place of several smaller pieces which would make a small space look cluttered. With open space and large blocks of color, the room will appear to be more calm and comfortable.

• Keep the Upholstery Plain
  

  Select plain colored upholstery for furniture instead of bold plaids, stripes, or prints. Use texture for interest and stick to neutral tones if you can.

• Airy, Light Fabrics
  

  Sheer fabrics allow light to pass through window treatments, bed skirts, table covers, and furniture slipcovers. If you want something other than plain colors, find soft floral vines or simple stripes to keep the look simple.

By following some of these simple rules about decorating a small space, your home will feel comfortable, not cramped. You'll have an intimate space that suits all your needs.

Read what designer Charlotte Moss has to say in this article,