Decorating From The Ground Up

There is a humourous expression often said when one views a potential flat or cottage. Usually, in this instance, the future home is a bit decrepit and in need of major renovation.

Yet, the “hopeful to make a sale” agent reels off “A little paint, and a few flowers and you’ll never know the place“.

Of course, beautiful home decorating takes more than a splash of color and a vase full of Canna Lilies to transform a dodgy flat into stylish living quarters.

But a few simple renovations can make a world of difference and here’s how:

You can begin your home improvement with the flooring. If you currently have older wooden floors, either rent a machine and sand them to bare wood or have this done by the professionals. To turn dark aged wooden floors into a modern lighter look, simply stain the freshly sanded floors with a natural (clear) stain and have them coated with a light poly varnish.
For carpeted floors, replace the old rugs with a modern berber textured carpet or install a style from the new marble finish ceramic tiles. These 10″ by 10″ tiles are very inexpensive, easily installed and add quite the air of marble elegance at a cost of around 50 pence per square foot.

Now that you have found the perfect pair of shoes for your home improvement ensemble, move on to wall coverings.There are two thoughts to follow when choosing wall colours and texture… contrast and blend.

Do you want to paint your walls in a darker brilliant color to offset the lighter effect of the floors, or would you prefer to have the walls blend with the floor in a continuous visual line.

The answer to this depends on the lighting.

In large window lit rooms, at least one wall of the room should be done in an accent colour. This can be a medium to dark shade of paint, a floral print wallpaper, or even an exposed area of brick revealed beneath existing plaster.
A thought to remember is that large rooms, especially naturally lit ones, need accents. Exposed bricks, timbers, or a fireplace all are examples of such.
For smaller rooms you must continue the colour and visual line of the floor. Paint with a shade or two of difference. On darker floors lighten the walls by two degrees. In rooms with light coloured flooring, add but a shade of darkness to paints and wall papers. In using the latter remember that small prints are for small rooms and large prints are for large. No grand brocades for the pantry or breakfast nook. Always bear in mind that no one desires to live in a cave.
Always choose shades of colour two lighter than looks fine on the sample. When that shade is amplified by the size of a wall it will appear much darker.

• Small rooms must appear large and airy.
• Large rooms must lead the eye from point to point.

The hues that you select for your rooms are up to you, this is an area strictly defined by personal taste. Just as some might choose a blue blouse to match their eyes, you should choose floor and wall colours that match your personal style.

Home decorating when styled by small home improvements begin from the ground up. Lighten floors and connect the walls to the flooring visually.

Then, all you will need are the Canna Lilies.