Home
|
Money

This Week In Money Banking Budgeting Cash Management College Consumer Protection Credit Cards & Repair

Credit Scores Debt Earning Money Expenses, Family Finances General Advice Houses: Buy/Sell Investments IRA's

Legal Issues Miscellaneous Mortgages Retirement Savings Taxes Working Working Women
|
Food

This Week In Food & Groceries Alternative Food Sources Appliances Babies Beverages Breakfast & Dairy Children & Family Convenience Foods & Alternatives Cooking Cooking Tips Coupons

Diets Food Expenses Food Safety Freezing Foods & Freezer Meals Fruits & Vegetables Health Foods Kitchen Tools & Organization Leftovers Lunches Making the Most of Food Meals & Meal Planning

Meats & Poultry Meals on the Go Organizing Recipes & Coupons Pantry & Food Storage Price Books Recipes Restaurants Saving Time Shopping Tips & Tricks Snacks & Desserts Warehouse Clubs
|
Home & Auto

This Week In Home & Auto Air Conditioning Appliances Automobiles Buying Cleaning Consumer Protection Crafts Debt

Energy Finances Furniture Gardening Home Decorating Home Equity Home Repair Houses: Buy/Sell Insurance Investments Mortgages

Natural Living Organization Pests Plumbing Property Management Recycling Space Management Taxes Time Management Utilities
|
Lifestyle

This Week In Lifestyle Beauty Buying Canadian Interest Charity Christmas Cleaning Tips Clothing College Coupons Crafts

Furniture Gardening General Advice Groceries & Food Health Hobbies Holidays Home Decorating Insurance Medical Care Miscellaneous Natural Living

Organization Parties & Entertaining Pets Recipes Recycling Refunding Single Living Space Management Time Management Vacations Voluntary Simplicity
|
Baby Boomers

This Week In Baby Boomers Finances Funerals Health

Insurance Investments IRA's Legal Issues Medical Care

Mortgages Moving Retirement Savings Taxes Vacations
|
Family

This Week In Family Automobiles Babies Budgeting Cash Management Children Christmas Clothing College Crafts Daycare Debt

Dentistry Divorce Earning Money Education Expenses Family Activities Gardening Health Holidays Homeschooling Investments Marriage Medical Care

Miscellaneous One Income Families Organization Parties & Entertaining Recipes Romance Savings School Single Parents Taxes Time Management Vacations
|
20 Somethings

This Week In 20 Somethings Appliances Automobiles Budgeting College Consumer Protection Credit Cards and Repair Credit Scores Credit Unions

Earning Money Education Family Activities Finances General Advice Home Decorating Home Equity Home Repair Homeschooling Houses: Buy/Sell Insurance

Investments IRA's Marriage Mortgages Moving Retirement Savings Space Management Taxes Weddings Working
|
In Critical Condition

This Week In Critical Condition Automobiles Banking

Budgeting Consumer Protection Credit Cards and Repair

Credit Scores Debt Emergencies Taxes Working
|

Giving your home a more updated, modern feel

Home Update

by Kathy Woodard

Ten-Second Summary

In order to know how to give your home some modern appeal, you need to know what that is!
Modern lighting is embracing a more contemporary design, including great drum and barrel shades.
Spend some time at the paint chip counter at your local home improvement store to find out what hues are "in."
Try updating your fabric accessories using modern, simple prints and fresh colors.
Place all your accessories and art in boxes. Now "shop" from the boxes to re-accessorize the room.

I'm like most people out there; I get bored with my home-decorating look. But also like most people these days, I can't afford to redecorate my house every time I want to keep up with the trends, or simply give my home a more updated, modern feel. Here are some great tips on how you can update your décor without breaking the bank!

Get in the know. I'm not advocating filling your home with trendy designs that will be "out" in six months, but in order to know how to give your home some modern appeal, you need to know what that is! Spend an afternoon looking through magazines, perusing design shops, and checking out a few decorating shows on the tube. Make a note of the trends that appeal to you, and also those that you hate. Me? I love modern lighting. Hate animal prints.
Light it up! Speaking of lighting, this is a great way to bring a room into a new design age. Modern lighting is embracing a more contemporary design, including great drum and barrel shades. Fortunately, these shades can be used on any lamp in most décors and can instantly update a room, so switch out your lampshades and create a new style.
Color your world. Spend some time at the paint chip counter at your local home improvement store to find out what hues are "in." Warm grays, mocha browns, lime greens, aqua blues, clear oranges, and even smoky purples are huge. Paint one small accent wall or the inside of a set of shelves a trendy color. Remember that it's just paint. You can change it again.
What is the fabric of our lives? So, you've noticed your rooms just don't have the oomph you see in the catalogues. Try updating your fabric accessories using modern, simple prints and fresh colors. Many modern prints are a simple classic design, but with a stylized vision that mixes white and one color. Black and white, lime and white, and brown and white are very today color combinations. Sew up some new pillow covers, recover dining room chair seats, add a panel of the patterned fabric to the bottom third of your drapes, or use it to cover mats in your wall art.
Edit, edit, edit. We all love our things. The trick to a modern look is to keep the room totally uncluttered. Place all your accessories and art in boxes. Now "shop" from the boxes to re-accessorize the room. Don't feel like you need to use everything in the boxes. You can switch out with the other items the next time you get bored with your look. Try to go for larger scale artwork, and tie mismatched frames together by painting them a cool color like black or charcoal gray. New arrangements with furniture and accessories can be just what your room needs to go from mousy to modern hot!

Kathy Wilson Woodard is an author, columnist, and editor of The Budget Decorator. For thousands of free budget home decorating ideas visit, her at TheBudgetDecorator.com.

Take the Next Step:

For more on home decorating, please click here.

Discuss "Decorating Inexpensively" in The Dollar Stretcher Community

Share your thoughts about this article with the editor: Click Here

Stay Connected with TDS

Subscribe to TDS Newsletters

Join over 250,000 other subscribers!

To subscribe, check the newsletters you wish to receive, enter your email address and then click Subscribe.

View the TDS privacy policy.

Money problems?
The Dollar Stretcher can help:

Afraid to lose your job?

Struggling with credit card debt?

Help for your mortgage?

Can't pay your debts?

Need some extra income?

Fighting bad credit?

What you need to know about bankruptcy?

Become money smart?

Trouble repaying student loans?

Looking for an answer to a frugal living question? Click here to ask a
Dollar Stretcher Stretchpert!

Contact the Dollar Stretcher at:
Dollar Stretcher
PO Box 14160
Bradenton FL 34280
941-761-7805

"The Dollar Stretcher, Inc." does not assume responsibility for advice given. All advice should be weighed against your own abilities and circumstances and applied accordingly. It is up to the reader to determine if advice is safe and suitable for their own situation.