Unique Decorating Ideas

There are many reasons I love interior design, but I have to say that the best thing about it is its accessibility. A destitute college student can have a room just as fabulous as that of a billionaire with just a little bit of know-how. One of the most effective tools in the designer’s arsenal, a can of paint, only costs $25. Money can’t buy taste, and great decor can be had on a tiny budget. With this in mind, I bring you a few cheap ideas that can transform any room:

1. Funky Frames. Well, they don’t have to be funky. This is one of my favorite DIY home decor projects because of the huge cost difference between finished and unfinished frames. Custom framing usually costs an arm and leg, but with a little know-how and a few supplies, you can create your own custom wall hanging .

2. Custom curtains, slipcovers, or pillows. Looking for a big change on little cash? Investing in a sewing machine is the best way to maximize your redesign budget. Raw fabric costs a fraction of finished pieces, and once you get the hang of it, construction is a breeze. Plus, sewing your own covers gives you an infinite number of choices of fabric and the ability to create a truly custom look.

3. Fun lampshades and chandeliers. There are thousands of ways to dress up lampshades with a spot of hot glue and a few baubles. Even the most drab lamp can be given new life with a few changes to an old shade. If you are looking for a little more drama, there are home chandelier kits that let you choose and arrange your own crystal and bulbs.

4. Simple woodworking projects. A quick search of the Internet will yield hundreds of step-by-step guides on how to build everything from shelving to cabinetry. The cost of wood, stain, and hardware for a beginner’s project is almost always much less than what the finished product would cost in a store. Just make sure to wear the proper safety equipment!

5. Personalized art. You can paint, sculpt, or even knit your way into a more beautiful home. Your art is perfect for displaying around your home, because it is absolutely free (except for supplies), completely custom, just your taste, and a guaranteed conversation starter. Why not make one of your favorite hobbies work for you?

Looking for more ways to add more for less? Check out your local thrift store and dumpster for pieces that need some DIY love.

We’ve already discussed how to turn your home into a tasteful rustic getaway . In doing so, we saw lots of fabulous accessories that would arouse anyone’s interest. There are many ways to decorate a cabin home with these natural accessories and wildlife decor, but they can also soften up a more modern space. Here are a few tips on how to give your room natural influences without switching styles:

• Think simple. The quickest way to keep things from feeling artificial is to add a live plant to the room. Flora is great for creating height, adding color, and improving mood. Aquariums and fish bowls may not be quite as easy, but they offer many of the same benefits.

• Choose patterns, materials, and colors that subtly recall nature. This technique is especially useful for warming up stark, slick palettes. Try throwing some leafy-green throw pillows on furniture that looks too stiff or working a high contrast floral fabric in with metallics and clean lines. The right mix of wildlife home decor and sophisticated fair can make the space surprising, yet homey. These details suggest the outdoors without overdoing it.

• Pay attention to what’s on your doorstep. One of the most effective ways to brighten a home is to draw in its surroundings. If you live on the beach, don’t be afraid to go tropical or nautical. Have a home perched in the mountains? Embrace the cabin lifestyle with some wildlife furniture. Trying to ignore the context and original style of a house is one of the easiest ways to miss the design mark. When you begin planning your room, open up the shades and think about the best way to bring in what you see outside the window.

• As always, personalize. Think about some of your favorite plants, animals, and places. Try to translate what you like about those things (lushness, exoticness, fragility, etc.) into a few items. Import stores are a great place to peruse for ideas. They often have tribal art and decor items made of unprocessed materials. An empty wall is the perfect place to add a piece of wildlife scene etched glass or framed pictures from your last hiking trip.

•Use renewable, recycled, and sustainable products. There might not be anything intrinsically pastoral about an earth-friendly fabric or piece of furniture, but they are still good for the environment.

Bringing a little bit of the outdoors inside is a great way to get rid of the decorating doldrums. A few strategically placed items can even take your beautiful space to the next level.

Home renovation projects are a good way to update your home and maximize it’s value. Smart upgrades and additions can help boost future resale value, but aesthetics aren’t the only thing to consider when you’re looking to do an overhaul. Environmentally friendly and low-impact products often look just as good as more expensive and more wasteful materials. With concerns about the future of the planet mounting, the demand for more green homes here to stay, and many of these smart choices will improve energy bills for years to come. No matter the home improvement project, there is an attractive, cost-effective, and sustainable alternative. You just need to know where to look.
Kitchen remodels make a dramatic difference in a home, but they can certainly have a hefty price tag. One of the biggest expenses is certainly appliances. These sparkling state-of-the-art machines are inescapably expensive, but you can offset some of the cost by choosing them wisely. High-efficiency appliances are ideal, but you can save even more money and energy by being realistic about your needs. Very few families actually need double ovens, a stand-alone freezer, and a separate fridge for drinks. Not only do they use power all the time, they can make the space look more cluttered than high-end.
Granite and marble make a beautiful addition to any home, but they are definitely not eco-friendly. The rock is ripped out of the natural environment, and lots of fuel is used to quarry and transport it to your local stone dealer. Recycled products cost a lot less and put trash to good use. Some of my favorite countertop alternatives are recycled glass and concrete composites . They are less porous than marble, have all of the heat and scratch resistant properties of granite, and are simply gorgeous. Of course, post-consumer glass and ceramic can also be used to make any style and color of backsplash or floor tile. If you’d like a natural material to compliment your green kitchen, try cork flooring. Cork is fast growing and makes a durable and fun floor covering.
Like cork, bamboo grows fast and can replace many kinds of wood in the home. Many hardwoods have become expensive and rare because of over-harvesting, but demand has pushed younger (and therefore weaker) wood out onto the market. Bamboo does needs only a fraction of the time of other woods to grow just as strong. For this reason, some bamboo products are cheaper than traditional wood cabinets and floors. Personally, I love the uniqueness that bamboo’s knots gives to these finishes; it lends instant personality to any piece.

Keeping things in their place is an essential part of maintaining an attractive home, but straightening up is harder than it sounds. Honestly, clutter is the bane of my existence. I tend to prefer a sparse design aesthetic, but I also have a penchant for collecting shoes, books, coats, and tchotchkes. I have so little “out of the way” storage that it’s hard to keep things looking crisp. So, what’s a girl to do? Store things with style, of course.

Losing the Bulk
The first step in developing storage solutions is always to get rid of the unnecessary. If you haven’t gone through your closets, garage, basement, or attic in a while, chances are that you could stand to shed a few things. Start by sorting things into “keep” and “lose” piles.

There are many ways to get rid of unwanted items, so there is no excuse to throw everything away! Be kind to the environment by donating, selling and recycling as much as you can. Garage sales are a pain to set-up, but they can bring in some much-needed redecorating cash. If you don’t feel up to the challenge, find a local charity to give the items to. Some will even pick it up free of charge.

Decorative Junk
Don’t start shoving that “keep” pile into boxes just yet; there are plenty of ways to maximize your space if you know where to look. While things like Christmas decorations and luggage should stay tucked away, many items can be incorporated into a practical home layout. Start by looking for obvious things to unpack. Use that box full of books to fill the built-in shelving. Buy coat racks for your winter wear instead of overstuffing your closet. (Wall-mounted coat racks have the added advantage of saving floor space.) Look for places to hang unused art and pictures. Using these items wisely can improve your space if used correctly.

All too often, priceless collectables and family heirlooms often get stuffed under the bed and out of the way. Get your treasures out of the closet. There are a millions ways to showcase and display even the most odd collections. Try framing your grandmother’s quilt and making it the focal point in your bedroom. You can even make your action figures into a high-style architectural feature with lighted display cases. A wall mounting coat rack can even be used to showcase your hats and scarves.

Hiding in Plain Sight
Have you put away as much as you can, but still find yourself buried in clutter? Now it’s time to start adding practical decor. If you find yourself with a surplus of stuff and a deficit of space, look for multifunctional furniture. Many ottomans and coffee tables feature secret places for toys, magazines, and other things that end up on the living room floor.
Some baskets and colored boxes are decorative enough to leave out, and if placed on shelves or inside cabinets, they don’t give away what your hiding inside. When paired with similar magazine holders and organizers, these solutions can even become a style statement.
Go out and buy a coat rack, china cabinet, and a few new baskets. Once you get the hang of making storage a part of your home design, you may find your crawl-space empty.

Most people find themselves looking up from their work during a long day and dreaming of an extended vacation to some secluded place. In truth, travel is rarely relaxing. Airplane travel and crowded destinations are likely to turn the trip into an ordeal long before you get to bury your toes in the sand. Are we meant to use a few measly days a year getting a grip before going back to the stresses of everyday life? Why does restoration have to happen in far-off foreign lands?

Noted psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross once said, “There is no need to go to India or anywhere else to find peace. You will find that deep place of silence right in your room, your garden or even your bathtub.” People who are stressed and in need of a break should look to their homes for daily restoration, not their annual vacation.

The most important function of good home design is to make the living space optimal for the owner. All too often, homeowners and decorators alike forget that the home is, above all, a place to find peace.

Want to start turning your nights into mini-vacations? Start by identifying an area as your relaxation space. It helps to note that “Your Relaxation Space” should appear in your mind exactly as shown here—bold and well-defined. Don’t let it become a place to catch up on work, extra toy storage for the kids, or catch-all for your spouse’s laundry. The whole family (and you) should know that it is strictly for your unwinding activity. Choose something that never fails to help you relax, like reading, writing, playing video games, watching movies, bathing, meditating, or just zoning out. Attach this activity to the space best suited to doing it.

The same principles that apply to designing a workspace also apply to creating “Your Relaxation Space” . The area should be neat, comfortable, and most of all, fun to be in. Fill it with some of your favorite things to tailor the room to your tastes.

Do you take bubble baths to melt away your worries? Deck your bathroom out with spa towels, a fluffy robe, and decorative, great-smelling soaps. Special bath products often look great on display. Plus, the bath is the best place to keep your favorite candles. Not only can add warmth and color to a sterile bathroom, but they can provide much-needed aroma therapy.

If you prefer to be surrounded by your book collection for some reading time, start designing your space around a comfy chair. (Avid readers know that not just any seating will do.) Then add a spot to set a cup of hot tea. I personally love any room that is full of books, and you can find a bookshelf to fit any home decor style. For extra fun, try arranging your books by color .

The most common space for a home getaway is probably the bedroom. And why not? There is nothing more calming than taking a nap. As I mentioned in my first post , a neat and soothing bedroom can be the perfect personal refuge. Of course, there are many ways to design a boudoir. If you are going for relaxation maximization, try using hotel room design aesthetics and adding a sea of pillows to your bed. For a real retreat, go for something whimsical or surreal .

Got a relaxation space in mind? Go try it out. I think I’ll hit mine, too.

Decorating common sense says that theatrical and kitschy themes are a major no-no. Typically, coordinating accessories and tight color palettes are banished to seasonal flings or children’s room. This long-standing rule of sophisticated decor is understandable. Gimmicks and flamboyant furnishings tend to make a room feel impersonal and uncomfortable. Though it is always a good idea to keep things bright and fun, taking it over the top will make your house seem more like an amusement park than a personal space.

Let’s tackle three popular room themes in order to identify how things can go right in the face of so much wrong:

1. Patriotic Paradise
Some people may save their flags and patriotic home decor for the 4th of July, but others choose to show off their national pride year-round. There is nothing wrong with dedicating a little bit of your home to your home country, but overkill can be ruin even the most sincere tribute.

The iconic red, white and blues of patriotic decor is often why these prideful designs become overwhelming. These colors look grand on Old Glory, but can quickly be overused. Try to heavily edit the use of the flag and national colors by carefully choosing patriotic wall deco r. Don’t be tempted to buy every America-themed accessory you see. Choose pieces that fit the design undercurrent you’d like to establish with the theme (like shabby chic with antique or sleek modern with sparse pop art). Items that represent the armed forces or United States history can also recall Americana without overdoing it.

2. Under the Sea
Whether you’re a boater, fisherman (or woman) or just a lover of aquatic wildlife, chances are you’d like to inject some of your passion in your interior design. Aquarium and ocean themes are usually reserved for bathrooms, but they can be implemented tastefully in any room. Blue paint and fabrics, pictures of beach scenes, and live fish can transform the space into a soothing reminder of your time in the water.

Your personality will keep your marine fantasy from becoming just another fish-themed room. Choose coordinating items that fit into your idea of what the look should be. Personally, I think a Japanese-inspired water theme could yield a tranquil yet bold space. Identify a simple, but strong point of view in order to put your own spin on things.

3. Jungle Love
Animal prints and rough materials have long been acceptable tools in the arsenal of interior decorators. These touches can do wonders for rooms that need a taste of the exotic, but too often, they are used to fashion rooms that look like recreations of Tarzan movie sets.

If you find yourself yearning for a jungle hideaway in your home, stay away from the safari clichés. The room should feel rich and moody. Keep the lighting dramatic. Use layers of fabric and sweeping lines to create the feeling of being surrounded by trees. Though it may be tempting to implement foliage, remember that plastic plants usually make things feel unauthentic. Of course, you can always lighten things up for a wild nursery .

If you’re like me, you can’t live without mirrors. Choosing a fabulous mirror (or three) to feature in your home doesn’t make you narcissistic. Reflective surfaces have dozens of applications in good design. They may be a bit pricey, but these versatile wall accessories can be the perfect finishing touch in any style of room.

Practical Applications
Though this post might read, in part, as my love letter to small hanging mirrors, the praise is entirely deserved. These flexible decorations are useful in many different situations. They have their obvious practical applications in addition to a host of admirable design characteristics. The 70s design trend of opening up spaces with decorative wall mirrors might be cringe-worthy today, but the same principle applied in a smaller space can create the same illusion of openness. The glass also bounces and diffuses light throughout the room in order to illuminate dark spaces and brighten up blank walls.

In the practice of feng shui , mirrors are often employed to fix problem areas and create balance. The smooth cool surface is a good way to represent the essential element of water. Reflective materials can also be used to redirect the flow of energy through the area so that it does not become stagnant.

Personally, I find that if I’m agonizing over how to fill wall-space, the easiest and most elegant solution is always a mirror. They can hold their own as a design element without cloying (like a piece of art) or being overcomplicated (like sconces or panels). Using a mirror for wall decoration is subtle way to add interest to any room.

Let Me Count the Ways…
Here are just a few examples of styles and mirrors that make a great match:

Retro Modern- Think funky. Geometric and segmented mirrors create contrast against the busy patterns this style is known for. A nice 50s-inspired starburst can give off mod flavor as well.
Art Deco - Since high gloss and metallic materials are calling cards of this style, a mirror is a natural choice for a dramatic focal point.
Country Cabin- Heavy wood or etching details allow the room to have a wall mirror without loosing warmth.
Shabby Chic- There is no better way to finish off a cozy fireplace than with a circular, plaster-framed mirror and vase of flowers. The design style calls for the frame to be neutrally-colored but soft and frilly.
Minimalist- Nothing is as unfettered and unifying as an unframed, undecorated, polygonal piece of glass.
Eclectic- Find a wall mirror in a thrift store that’s in great shape but does nothing for you? Add a frame or paint, mosaic, or distress the existing one. This style is about using rare finds and personal art to create surprises in every room.

This is only a short list of great things you can do with decorative mirrors. One of the most exciting things about them is that they can always be used in new ways. The next time you stop to admire yourself in one of these multitalented decorations, I hope you take away some inspiration for your next space.

Whether you bring work home or just need a place for personal projects, a home office is the perfect place to concentrate—in theory. A poorly organized or cluttered workspace can hinder your efforts to work at home. So how do you create a space you’d actually want to use?

For some reason, many people forget that their home office is, in fact, at home. They choose bland, utilitarian furniture and skimp on the accessories like they’re arranging a cubicle.

Remember that you will never receive a memo about how many personal items you can keep in your home work area. Don’t be afraid to personalize and beautify your office with the same gusto that you used for the rest of your home.

Keep it Fun!
The first tip is to always keep the space light, airy, and fun to be in. Even if you like the idea of going with a more traditional look featuring built-in shelving and wood paneling, give yourself a big comfy reading chair to cut down on all of the formality. At the end of the day, your supposed to want to spend time in the room.

The best way to make a home office feel inviting is to make it personal. Move your favorite piece of art in from your bedroom. Chances are you don’t need any motivation to go to bed. Try painting the room a wacky and invigorating color. It’ll brighten things up, and you can use shades you wouldn’t dream of putting in the public part of the house.

If you still avoid your work space, make your home office the place for your personal photos and collections. Who knows? You may come in to look and stay to work.

Finding Storage Solutions
One of the biggest problem with workstations is how quickly they get cluttered. When you’re rushing to finish a project, putting everything in away is that last thing on your mind. A good way to keep your desk from becoming a mound of junk and papers is to have a place for everything.

The great thing about creating storage is that it allows you to use your imagination. Why not use decorative baskets or your old cassette rack for an ultra cool clutter catcher? These repurposed pieces (along with strategically placed filing cabinets) can clear up the mess and make everything easier to find.

These days, the computer is inevitably the focal point of the home office. Unfortunately, it brings with it nests of unsightly wires, tons of peripherals, and stacks of media. Untangle, organize, and bound wires together in order to reduce the mess. Organize the rest of the paraphernalia in one of your storage containers.

Work Space Niches
Those of us who have been liberated from desks by our laptops are the worst about putting things in their place. After losing my note pad and pens for the hundredth time, I realized I needed to consolidate the post-it notes and accessories I had strewn about the house into a laptop work station. So, since my home office is reserved for my husband, I carved out a spot in the bedroom for storage space, fold away desk area, and comfortable work chair. In addition to consolidating my stuff and providing a place to consistently charge my electronics, my niche helps me get in the mood to work.

Incorporating a workspace into a room with another purpose is easy. In my room, I set off the space with a different, yet coordinating color palette. A rug or savvy placement can achieve the same effect.

Though you may never get your boss to agree to a total office redesign, you always have the opportunity to turn your home work space into a place you love to be. Go ahead and turn your home office into a place you love to be.

Still looking for inspiration? Take a look at these brilliant work interiors.