How To Decorate Your House to Make A Beautiful Home Of Style

Have you always wanted a beautifully decorated home but seem to have a hard time giving it just the right touches to make it that way? Well, decorating your home doesn't have to be a difficult task. By implementing certain tips you can turn your ordinary home into the home of your dreams!

Although decorating tips will vary from room to room, there are a few tips that should be used in every room of your home. These things must be done before the main decorating begins.

Remove excess clutter I know that this may sound elementary, but excess clutter can really take a way from a home's beauty. What is considered clutter? Of course, any junk laying around that is not benefiting anything, old newspapers, broken or unsightly furniture, stray items from other rooms, and decorations.

Decorations? Yes. The wrong decorations or too many decorations can become clutter. Pick out a few of your favorites and get rid of the rest. If you're a collector, than more than likely you have clutter. Ask yourself, "Is this collection really benefiting me?" If the answer is no, then get rid of it.

If you just can't part with the collection, consider designating one room to be your collection room. I went to someone's house about a few months ago and the lady who lived there had about 200-300 pairs of salt and pepper shakers. It didn't really benefit her, but it was a hobby and it made her happy. So she took the two rooms of her home that she used least and set her collection up in them. The key is to display them in an orderly fashion. Use bookcases or curios to help contain the items and eliminate a cluttered look.

Once the clutter is gone, many people will already begin to see a dramatic difference in their home.You will be amazed at how you will instantly become more relaxed and you'll be eager to continue to the next step.

Give Each Room A Thorough Cleaning Now that the clutter is gone, cleaning will be easier and maybe even enjoyable. Go through each room and clean them completely and thoroughly. Vacuum the carpets, dust and shine the furniture, wash curtains, blinds and windows and even wipe down walls. You may find more clutter in this process in which you should get rid of promptly.

With everything sparkling clean and clutter free, you will now have a new perspective on your home. What was once the old drab thing that caused you despair is now a bright happy place that is full of potential.

Find a Focal Point Now it's almost time to decorate but first choose a point of focus in each room. This will be the main place that you focus on during your decorating and all the other decorating in the room will complement this area.

The focal point is usually the first area that you see as you enter the room. This should display your best picture, your most lovely figurine, etc. The focal point is what sets the mood for the room and if it's the first thing that you see, it will obviously be the first impression of the room.

If you feel that the first thing that you see would not make a good focal point, such as a coat closet, then pick another area that you feel would make a great focal point and start here. A fireplace, a bay window, or a wide empty wall are some examples of some good focal points.

• Now it's time to begin the fun part. However, decorating is still a lot of work and requires a lot of planning.
• Themes Each room should have a theme to guide you. Whether it's a color scheme, a certain style, (such as Victorian or contemporary), or a fun upbeat theme.
• Walls Once the theme is chosen, you should decide if you will paint or wallpaper your walls. New paint and/or wallpaper makes everything look fresh. If you have a large room, darker hues tend to draw the room in more and give it a cozy feel. If the room is small, use lighter colors that will reflect more light giving the illusion of a larger room. If you choose to hang wallpaper, add stripes for height, florals for romance or femininity, or solids or marbles if you don't want to paint but want a painted look. If you have an entire wall that you think would make a great focal point, consider a wall mural. When hanging wall décor, be careful not to over-clutter walls. Hang pictures at eye level.

• TIP: If you live in an older home or a mobile home, your walls may not be completely straight due to settling. Avoid wallpaper with stripes in this case as uneven walls will become more noticeable.

• Windows If you are lucky enough to have decorative windows such as an octagon or a large bay window, you may just want to leave these alone since they are beautiful on their own. However, adding real or artificial greenery around these windows will really add to the beauty. Not only will real plants flourish in the light, but artificial plants will also look stunning and natural in the sunlight. Decorative seating such as a Queen Anne settee or a wicker rocking chair (depending on what theme you choose) may add to the scene. This may also be a spot where you may want to add a magazine rack or table for reading by day and a pole lamp for night reading. When considering windows where you'll be adding curtains, keep each room's theme and colors in mind. Choose lace or ruffles for femininity or romance; this works best in bathrooms and bedrooms. Drapes are more likely to be found in living rooms, dens, and home offices. Valances are great for kitchens and children's rooms. If you don't want to spend money on buying new curtains, you may be able completely transform the look of ordinary curtains by just adding a few decorative touches. Floral garland or ivy may be draped along the tops of curtains, mini bouquets can be assembled and hot glued to ordinary tie backs, (this is lovely and instantly transforming), tassels or scrolled metal may also replace ordinary tie backs. TIP: If you have a room without windows, hang several mirrors and use mirrored accessories. This helps reflect light in the room without adding extra lights and gives the room depth. Use lots of mirrors in small rooms even if they have windows to give the illusion of a larger room.

Floors When it comes to floors, a little can go a long way. Make sure unnecessary items (even decorative items) are limited or removed. Decorative rugs can be a life saver in every room and can instantly brighten things up. Large tapestry looking rugs are lovely in living rooms, dining rooms, and hardwood floors. Rugs in front of the sink and appliances in the kitchen can serve a dual purpose. They help to keep the rest of your floor cleaner and can be purchased in a variety of colors and patterns to complement your theme. The same goes for the bathrooms. When purchasing rugs, it's better to spend a little extra for better quality. Rugs will always have traffic and if you buy low quality you'll find yourself replacing often which gets expensive in the long run. Also, the higher quality will look nice longer. Just by keeping flooring well cleaned will make a world of difference to the room. Go beyond vacuuming, sweeping and mopping. Shampoo carpets and rugs regularly (about every three months, more or less due to traffic), clean corners and nooks, shine and polish linoleum, and thoroughly clean tile grout. You'll be amazed how your room will sparkle!

Living Rooms and Dens Do you have a lot of family photos that you want to display but limited room? Purchase bookcases and display photos in them. Add decorative figurines or florals among the pictures for a polished look.

Bathrooms Pay attention to shower curtains, rugs, and window treatments. Add candles to master baths, and fun decorative accessories to children's baths.

Dining Room This is the room for elegance! Pick a rich wallpaper and fancy light or chandelier. Display a floral centerpiece.

Kitchen Concentrate on the cabinets! If they don't reach the ceiling, add decorative vases, baskets, or China on the roof of the cabinets or drape floral garland or ivy around the top. If your cabinets reach the ceiling, concentrate on the countertops or appliances. Display decorative canisters, or pretty stove burner covers.

Bedroom Add décor that will enhance relaxation and romance. Place candles, misting fountains, mirrors and theme related comfortable bedding.

Children's Bedrooms Display their best toys and store others out of sight. Set the theme for fun by adding wallpaper cut-outs and displaying their name in wood letters. For something really original, let your children help paint by placing their hands in paint and stamping the walls!