7 Tips for Home Decorating

When you are looking for home decorating ideas, it can be challenging to sort through ideas to generate a plan. Follow these 7 tips to help you organize your home decorating ideas:

1# Start with plan.

You've heard this before, but having a plan doesn't necessarily mean you know exactly everything you want to do in your rooms ahead of time. What it does mean is having a starting point to keep you in the ballpark, and that will save you A LOT of money in mistakes in the long run. So start with the three things you need...Color, Style, and Formality. Color is easy; if you don't already have a color scheme you love, find one in a book or magazine. Still unsure? Pick your favorite color, plus white, never fail combo. Style, maybe you like a little of everything, that's ok, just make sure you give the room style a name that includes the feeling you want in the room, and that will keep you on track. Formality, know if you like a more formal room, where things on both sides of the room match, or a more informal feel.

If your house needs some updating or you're looking for some decorating tips, there are plenty of places to find inspiration. Keep these ideas in mind as you try to find your personal decorating style.

2# Reference different outside resources to give you ideas.

Home decorating magazines are always a good start. Television shows such as Home & Garden, even cooking shows for kitchen ideas. Don't be afraid to use ideas seen in a movie. The internet is another great resource, from viewing model homes online, or virtual tours, or even getting ideas from hotels.

3# Check out your friends’ and neighbors’ homes.

If your neighbor has a great kitchen paint color or a dining room set that you love, ask about it. Friends and neighbors are a great resource for design inspiration. Don't be afraid to ask! Most people will be happy to tell you where they bought things and will be flattered if you ask to copy their paint colors.

4# Tour model homes, professionally decorated model homes are full of design ideas.

Bring a camera with you to snap photos of window treatments and furniture arrangements. Realtors know that many people tour through model homes solely to check out the decor, so you don't have to feel funny about walking through one of these homes.

5# Subscribe to a home décor magazine.

Design trends are constantly changing, so to keep up to date on the latest home decorating ideas, subscribe to a design magazine. Magazines like Oprah's O at Home, Better Homes and Gardens, House Beautiful, Metropolitan Home and Domino Magazine are full of design ideas. Architectural Digest is a design magazine for more upscale home designs.

6# Check out some TV. Today we are lucky to have TV networks devoted entirely to home design.

HGTV is one of the best home improvement channels on the air. Shows like "Divine Design", "Color Correction" , "Find Your Style" and "Sensible Chic" are just a few of the shows that can help you find your design style. Over at the TLC network check out "Trading Spaces". And on regular network TV, shows like "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" (ABC) can offer some ideas.

7# Look online.

There are many websites that can inspire you. One of the best is at HGTV.com. Check out the Rate My Space page. This site enables you to post pictures of rooms you have designed and ask for feedback from others. This is a great way to "test out" your own design ideas or scan through to get ideas from others.