Home Decor HD

3rd in a series on Home Office

Home office color schemes play an important role in home office design. Select the palette that will work best for your work environment and your home decor.

You’ve worked hard to plan your home office design, putting much thought into the placement, furnishings and equipment. Now it’s time to pull the space together... what about the color scheme?

Sure, you could paint the walls some shade of off-white and be done with it, but there is so much more at stake here. Whether you spend a couple of hours per week or all day, every day, the mood that is set in this space can certainly affect your outlook and productivity.

There are two main considerations when deciding on home office color schemes;
First, you want this space to be consistent with the rest of your home decor. You’ll want to see at least one or two colors in the office that appear in the rest of your home. 

Second, what type of mood do you want to create? When you answer this question, it is going to be affected by how much time you’ll be spending in the office.

Read more about Home Office Color Schemes

2nd in a series on Home Office

Whether you work at home full time, part time or on an as-needed basis, having the proper design of your home office is essential.

I spend an average of four hours or more per day in my office, and know that a comfortable and efficient work environment is vitally important.

When designing your home office space, consider these three important questions you’ll need to answer. I call them the ‘How Much’ questions:

  How much...
               ...time will I spend here?
                              ...space do I need?
                                               ...privacy do I need?


After you think on those questions and come to some conclusions, you’ll be better able to move forward with good home office design ideas. 

For example, my home office requires enough space for a full size desk and related office equipment, including a large capacity printer. I need room for at least three filing cabinets plus shelving. I also need to have privacy at times for customer phone interaction as well as concentration for writing.

Consequently, I know that taking a corner of the dining room and designing my little home office space will not work for me.I have a room in my home set aside as ‘the office’.

Read more about Home Office Design Ideas

This is the first of several posts about decorating a home office. With so many of us spending anywhere from an hour or two, to many hours per week working from home, it's a topic that most can relate to.

Many people are finding that a designated space for a home office is both a desire and a necessity. Whether you literally work from home full time or use your office space to pay bills and take care of the family budget, decorating a home office space to suit your style and decor will help create an area you'll love.

So how do you go about decorating home office spaces? Well, you need to make some decisions first, and they're not difficult, but they are important.

First decision to make is, how will this home office space be used? If you work from home full time, for example, you may need more designated space than if your use will be a few hours a week. So decide how critical this space is to your lifestyle.

Your second decision for decorating home office spaces will be a natural outcome of the first, and that is, where will the home office be located?

It may be an area in the dining room, the kitchen, the den, living room, bedroom, etc. Try to allocate a space that includes natural light. Although you will add task lighting, the natural light provides a boost for your body and soul, so take advantage of that resource!

There is no right or wrong answer, no room of the house that works better than another. Ultimately where you locate your home office space is a very personal decision, based on your needs, your family and your lifestyle.

Read more and find out about selecting the pieces and creating your own personal style in your home office decorating


Next time...home office design ideas

Front porch decorating is really not that much different than decorating the inside of your home. Your style and flair can be expressed through color, placement and accessories. 

In fact, by doing this, you create the expectation and introduction of what your guests will see when they enter your home.
So if you’re perplexed or unsure of how to go about your front porch decorating, no worries! 

Decide what your overall decorating style is and stay true to that theme with this project. Country, contemporary, shabby chic, urban, eclectic...use the same selection process for the front porch as you do for your home interior.


Same goes for your color selections, whether it be flowers, containers, furniture, paint, etc. Think about permanent exterior colors of your home...siding, stucco, brick, roof, trim...then consider your interior color palette. Try to blend the two with front porch decorating selections that complement both.

Consider the steps, the front door, trim, the porch floor itself and the porch ceiling, if applicable. Would a fresh coat of paint freshen things up? How about an accent color?

Think about the porch elements themselves. What type of floor does your porch have? Would it benefit from a change? Pavers, real or faux stone, composite deck material and even tile are just a few suggestions. Speak with a professional to see what options will work for your particular home.

Is your front porch large enough to accommodate some type of seating? How about a bench, a pair of chairs, porch swing, etc. Think about the type of piece that will represent your decorating style as well as the element is it made from and the color of the finish.

...read much more about Front Porch Decorating 

Til next time,
Candi

Today, many homes and lifestyles function most effectively with multi purpose dining room designs.
 
While some of us love our traditional dining room decor, that specific purpose space is too confining and underutilized.

So how can you best use the 'dining room' space for your lifestyle?
First, determine what it is that you need in terms of usage for your room. For some, it's home office space. And, you don't necessarily have to 'work from home' to have a legitimate need for office space.

Others may desire a reading or conversation area away from the living room of their home. An area set aside for craft projects is essential for some creative homeowners.


Occasional overnight guests may require sleeping quarters. (Hint: think Daybed!)
And, it may be very helpful for some homeowners to have a small area set aside for casual dining in the 'dining room'.

Whatever may be on your list...read more about setting up your multi purpose dining room here.


'Til next time,
Candi

If you are looking for ways to update a tired bath and give a feeling of additional space, here are two suggestions that will give instant sophistication:


If you are decorating on a budget, shop wisely at discount and home improvement stores and you'll find the best products for your money.

What's in your design closet?

Defining interior decorating styles can be confusing, but they don't have to be! If you take a little bit of time to read more about the various interior design styles you'll have more confidence as you decorate your home. 


Your decor decisions will be somewhat simpler because you'll know which interior decorating style you are looking for.
 
Whether you love to spend hours pouring over magazines, searching for those creative home decorating ideas, checking out the latest in interior design trends at the stores, or shopping online from the comfort of your home...defining your own unique inspired interior decorating style will certainly bring some joy to your heart! I know it does mine.

So, find a comfortable place to relax with the beverage of your choice  
(I happen to love a great cup of coffee during the day and a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio in the evening...) and enjoy learning about, and possibly defining for the first time, your interior decorating style! 


Take the Interior Decorating Style Quiz

For more information, contact the Lady Liquidators...Amy McNabb at 239-872-2067 or Monica Hagman at 239-313-8609

Til next time,
Candi

So you have a teeny, tiny bathroom and want to make it more user-friendly? It can be a challenge to accomplish, particularly if your budget won't allow for anything more than cosmetic adjustments. We'll discuss both small bathroom makeovers and decorating a small bathroom the inexpensive way!

Small bathroom makeovers usually entail ripping out the old and installing the new. If you are replacing fixtures as part of your small bathroom design project, replace them with fixtures that take up as little space as possible.

For example, if you are removing an existing sink/cabinet combo,replace it with a pedestal sink. If your project to create a beautiful bathroom includes replacing the bathtub, consider if this bathroom can function effectively both now and in the future with a shower unit. They take up less space and serve the same purpose. Corner showers can work well, depending on the layout of your bathroom. 

Create different layouts on paper, nothing fancy, to see what options you might have to open up the space a little bit. Be sure to get a professional opinion and estimate, however, before taking any action on your ideas. You want to make sure your pocketbook matches your creativity!

The next step in your small bathroom makeover is to consider the floor and tub/shower area (if this is a full bath). It's usually a good idea when decorating a small bathroom to keep the floor tiles light and neutral in color; the same goes for tub/shower tiles if applicable.

How about the entry door to the bathroom - does it open and close easily or is it in the way? My folks have a powder room that is so small, they took the door off and replaced it with a bifold door that almost disappears when open. And the fact that it does not swing into the little bath is a plus, too.

Bathroom color selection when decorating a small bathroom can be a daunting decision for some. Here is my philosophy with small bathrooms: use any color you want. The room is really small, so you may as well have fun with it. Keep the floors and ceiling light in color and have fun with the rest!

Read more about Small Bathroom Makeovers 

Finding the time to shop for home decor can be a challenge with the busy schedules that many of us keep. I can hardly remember a time in my life (it was so long ago) that I had the time to leisurely stroll from one shop to the next, looking for that perfect piece of furniture, or the accessory to complete my room or space. I don't have time for that!

So, I offer a number of online home decorating and design shopping options for my readers, with furniture and accessories and artwork available for any decorating style. SHOP NOW  with Great Home Decorating is easy, with many items that are easy on the budget.

If you enjoy country, cottage, coastal, contemporary, traditional decorating style or anything in between,  SHOP NOW is worth a look. More and more of my readers are taking advantage of this 24 hour 'store' that fits into your busy schedule.

The SHOP NOW store offers literally thousands of products. Just click on the SHOP NOW link, scroll down to the product portion of the page and enter a word or phrase that describes what you are looking for. The results will pop up for you in an instant.

Or, use my more defined shopping categories, such as dining rooms, dining chairs, country style, coastal cottage...check them all out if you like!

Sit down with a nice relaxing drink of your choice, give your self a little bit of time for you, and
SHOP NOW!

Til next time,
Candi

So you are going to be moving into an apartment or condo and aren't sure what to do? Need some great apartment decorating ideas?

No worries - there are some questions you'll need to have answered and a few decision to make, but with the home decorating ideas to follow, you can do it!

First, find out from your landlord if the walls can be painted, and if you need to obtain permission for the colors selected. Then, make sure you can hang artwork, etc. on the walls - most of the time this is not a problem. 

Before you start your apartment decorating, assess what you will be bringing into this residence. Some may have more furniture than will fit, and others may not have any furniture at all. Your goal with furnishings is to have enough in the rooms that you will spend time in, to be comfortable and to express your unique lifestyle. If you don't have much furniture, don't worry about furnishing rooms that you may not use.

It's better to have two or three rooms that are finished and comfortable for you than to spread your furnishings amongst all the rooms, and none of them look complete. Another consideration is to look for furniture designed for smaller spaces.

Wall color can make a huge difference in the overall warmth and effect a room has on its occupants, so painting the walls a color other than 'apartment white' is highly recommended. 

Even if you use an off-white shade such as Bone White or Navajo White (standard off-whites no matter what brand of paint you select), you will create a welcoming atmosphere for you and your family or guests. If you really love color, select something that is bold and colorful for the walls and have fun with it!

Want more ideas? Read on for all the details about apartment and condo decorating. 


Til next time,
Candi