Is it time to give your living room a much needed make over? No doubt you’ve seen any number of home improvement and home decorating shows on TV in the last year. They make it all look so easy. After all, they accomplish a whole house make over in thirty minutes – and that includes commercials. If you’re simply overwhelmed and paralyzed by indecisiveness and insecurity, remind yourself of the scale of decisions you’re about to make. You’re not committing to a spouse for life; you’re not committing to a name for your child. You’re simply committing to a gallon of paint, a few colorful accessories and some careful editing. As quickly as you’ve made these changes, they can be reversed!
Start with a clean slate. Remove draperies, carpets and furniture from the space. Decide on a focal point. This can be a large pair of windows, a fireplace or even a large piece of coveted furniture. Does the room have a lot of natural light? Are other rooms in full site line? Select a light color palette to compliment the natural lighting in the room and adjacent spaces. Do know that as you select your paint, a high quality paint is not only easier to apply, but requires less for full coverage.
While the paint is drying, edit those pieces you’ve removed from the space. Can the sofa be salvaged with the help of a slip cover? If so, select a neutral tone and jazz it up with pillows in the accent color you’ve selected. Toss that old bulky stereo system and invest in a sleek new sound system. Hang drapery panels three inches below the ceiling and six inches over the window to allow for maximum light and for the eye to travel to ceiling height. The fewer accessories in the space, the less cluttered and crowded it will appear. Resist the temptation to cover every inch of wall space and table top space.
After your trip to the donation center, step back and admire your new space. One day of work can create a whole new jazzed up vibe in your space. It will now give new meaning to: Welcome Home!
