Where to start about decorating?

Before one begins decorating their room there are a few things to take into consideration and a few questions to answer.
Firstly, what is the focus or focal point of the room, for example decorative moldings or a fireplace.

What are the sources of natural light in the room?

Do you like cool colors (recede) or warm colors (advance)?
Do you want a cozy room?

Consider size of room, measure the room, windows, doorways?

Keep in mind, space, size, and furniture placement?

What is the mood or theme you want to create in the room?

Remember your room should have a unique personality and qualities!

Make a book or scrap book of inspirational pictures, colors, fabric samples.Find inspiration!

Minimizing and downsizing into small apartments

Some people mention that downsizing can be freeing, well this is true but its conditional on the fact you must be willing to minimize your possessions to fit the space. Get rid of items no longer used or needed. Donate items if possible.

Another important tip is to also downsize your furniture. Nothing will make a small space, feel smaller than over sized furniture that is to big and bulky for the apt.

Although, downsizing is key, maximize every square inch of space is just as important. Use the space you do have wisely by maximizing efficiency and storage space, for example using the backs of doors, storage ottomans, under bed and couch space.

Remember to think vertical storage (bookshelves to the ceiling). Be creative, use hat boxes (try to get similar patterns and colors for uniformity).

Multi-tasking furniture such as coffee tables with extra storage shelves, or a day bed.

The ultimate small space is dorm living.

3 Reasons Why you Haven't Gotten Organized

There are so many reasons why people don't get organized, it is difficult to touch on them all but here are a few common reasons why people don't get organized.

1. Give yourself permission to live free from possessions and unwanted gifts or items. Clear out your life and all the things you own.

2. Take the time to organize. You need to spend time on organizing, if you don't then you won't be organized. You need to invest some time and energy.

3. Learn to delegate, which is a vital skill for organizing your time, chores, errands, and even work items. One person can't do it all, all the time.

Rules to live by:

There are 3 goals to live by when considering organizing:

1. Touch things once.... Don't put it off for a second chance, when you can do it once.

2. Keep items and belongings together.... Group like items together. For ex. keep all hair products together, or in the kitchen, keep all baking supplies together in one cupboard.

3. Organize only one space at a time.... don't try to do too much at one time. Take it slow, organizing is a process, with no end point, instead its a process that takes time.

How to do eclectic without it looking frumpy or like you are trying too hard?

Eclectic style uses a variety of periods and styles, but is brought together through the use of color, texture, shape, or finish.

There can be a multitude of fabrics used but there is a common scheme or color running throughout them.

Eclectic style does not have to adhere to one major style or look.

You are able to design your room to have a freedom of expression and vibrant individuality.

Its really great if you love more than one style.

Through personal touches and accessories you can pull a unique and funky feeling in your room, while also designing a sense of unity and coherence. Your knicks knacks should be unique and have a varied appeal.

Artwork can be used as a jumping off point or used for color inspiration. Art can pull a room together.

Pick and choose your favorite elements of certain styles.

Either paint or fabric can be used to create unity or a theme among items for ex. 2 mismatched chairs painted the same color or a recover a chair and a sofa in the same fabric.

Trends are only that

My last post was about trends for decorating in 2008, but I wanted to mention that trends come and go but can be used as a guide for trying new things in your home. Trends are used my designers and home design experts as a way to express new ideas about home design.

The real goal of trends are to find aspects to incorporate into your own home design (make sure it works for you, your lifestyle, and family). What you are really aiming for in home design is to gain your design style, which is unique to you and to your home. You are trying to develop your own sense of style (likes, dislikes) and incorporate and use new and fresh design ideas.

Often rooms go years without major changes due to finances, therefore finding your style, making your big purchases in neutrals and colors, textures, etc. that you really like and adding hints and pops of color, texture, and trends in smaller pieces -- I suggest painting a room verses buying another sofa. Maybe adding throw pillows, new artwork, or accessories that follow the trends and add color, sparkle, shine, texture, and can really enhance a room and its personality.

Home Design Trends for 2008

The major trend of the year will be Green Home Design, eco-friendly furniture and finishes. But don't fake it with tacky, pseudo green design.
It has become a buzz word tho, so read labels carefully. Organic materials are being used. Natural colors are being used, botonical colors-moss, sage, pine, soil, shells, ocean, beach,

Look for natural landscape colors -- earth, sand, mellow browns, pumpkin, ochre, rust. Mix with denim blue, soft roses, lilly pad green, and then add in mineral and vegetable colors such as aquamarine, copper, emerald, khaki, olive green.

Colors:
Warmer colors and palettes will be more common. Red is warmer --watermelon, cranberry, burnt orange, and a carrot orange. Carmel, cocoa, cappuccino, cinnamon.

More bright colors, although black and white is still being used mixed with lime, orange, yellow, and fresh greens.

The number one choice color by homeowners will continue to be Blue.
Fruit colors such as the afore mentioned watermelon, tangerine, kiwi, lime yellow especially in kitchens.

Gray is sexy and the new black. Especially softer gray tones such as granite, putty and stone.

Remember the idea of high contrast for example robin blue and chocolate brown.

Metallics are still hot, but warmer metallics. For example copper, bronze, and gold instead of chrome and silver.

Textures and Furniture:
Explore the world of textured carpets, wallpapers and wall coverings.

Alot of cork and wood is used.

Minimalism is out. Instead textures, layers, and color has come back.

Comfort is important.

But another trend is glamour (sparkle, crystal, metallics, luxe, shine) Classic Hollywood Glamour. Rich purples, sheen, a hint of metallic.

Asian influence (spicy colors) both Chinese and Indian colors. The Olympic games may be part of the reason so colors may include jade green, vibrant red, yellows but also peacock colors, purples, fuchsias.

Remember if you don't want to paint your walls in a strong color or invest in a sofa in a bright color, use the color on accessories.

There will be less Themed Rooms and instead there is a huge move to eclectism. Mix and match.

Multi-purpose furniture and accessories.

Zen- peaceful feeling at home. Feng shui and zen = making the home a sancuatory

Some Organizational sites

I find organization is really the key to my life. I am so busy that if I wasn't even remotely organized I would never get through a day. So choosing one that works for you is the difficult issue? Its really about personal choice. There are so many websites about organizing. So it is difficult to choose one to use.

You need to find a system that matches you, your life style etc. I like to use bits and pieces from a variety of groups.....customize it to fit me. I really like....using visuals since I am a visual learner. Colors and being able to see things is key for organizing working for me. I can't change who I am but I can adapt systems to work for me.

There are two main sites and groups I work with:

There are a variety of reasons I use them:
http://www.flylady.com/ --they have online drill groups on yahoo, lot of email support http://www.getorganizednow.com/ --an amazing forum, articles

Tips for Organizing a Pantry

First Tip: is to group like things with like.so all canned goods together, and within canned goods, all tomatoes with tomatoes, beans with beans, etc. I normally just put them in row, and then when I buy more, I put the newer stuff in the back so everything gets rotated and used.

Second Tip: purge the pantry of un-used items.

Third Tip: Put heavy items on the bottom shelves.

Fourth Tip: Place most often used items at eye level group together.Fifth Tip: Label shelves, and use shelve organizers.

4 Quick and Low Cost Tips: Kitchen Storage Solutions

The kitchen is the family center and the hub of most houses, but also one of the hardest to find appropriate but family friendly storage solutions. The results must be easy, simple to maintain, practical, cost-effective, but also be useful.

1. Creating centers or grouping like items together.
This can be very straightforward and economical. This can mean different things for each family who will need to adapt the solutions to suit their family and lifestyle. For example, a baking center in one cupboard would include mixing bowls, sheet pans, muffin cups and tins, sugar, baking powder, sprinkles, etc. While the lunch station would include sandwich containers, lunch boxes, individual snacks, baggies, etc. You could even employ this system in your fridge by grouping the salad dressings together, the leftovers in another section of the fridge, etc. This method will save you time and energy because you will no longer have to search for items.

2. Use wall and hanging space effectively.
By using walls or other hanging space you can minimize the clutter on the counter or in the drawers and cabinets. For example a magnetic strip or metal board can be hung and be used to hang up metal utensils such as spatulas, serving spoons, tongs, mashers, whisks, etc. Hooks could be hung to hold dish drying towels.A family calendar is the center point of a household kitchen, a large dry erase or wipe able calendar that is easy to excess is an easy way to keep track of everyone’s everyday activities. A two baskets system consisting of an in and out box is often a useful tool in order to ensure that bills are paid, schedules are seen, and papers needing a parent’s signature is viewed.

3. Expand your cupboard space.
There are some useful items that can expand your cabinet space without building a new kitchen. One useful example is shelf or can stackers, the metal shelves allow you to stack items, therefore doubling your storage space.Awkward items such as lids for pots or cookie sheets could be stored using a dish dryer; which would take up considerably less space in a cupboard.An inventory of pantry items would also allow you to know what you have in your pantry at a glance, therefore allowing you to only buy what you need or what’s on special.

4. Reuse inexpensive items found around the home into storage for kitchen items.
Recycle old containers (ex. Margarine tubs, yogurt tubs, coffee cans, etc.) into new solutions. A margarine tub can be useful as a left-over food storage container or can aide in organizing the ‘infamous’ kitchen junk drawer. They could also be used for extra food being frozen for another meal.Coffee tins would make a good container for holding large utensils or extra baking supplies such as excess sugar. Yogurt tubs could be used for small or less used items such as corn on the cob holders or for small measuring spoons. A used paper towel roll can be used as a holder for plastic grocery bags.