anyone want to share general decorating ideas?

[joystrength]

I'd love to hear what people are doing in their homes , i.e. trends, paint colors, ways to "hang" pictures, display items, etc?

This is a gene I'm still waiting to manifest, so I have to rely on others. HINT, HINT!!! :laughtears

[4LovesMom]

Well, I'm getting ready to paint! Kinda sticking with the trendy colors that I like right now. I'm doing the dining room in a yellow-ish beige-y color and still debating about the family room/kitchen - browns, maybe a couple walls in a wilder orange color. At the model homes around here, I saw a lot of interesting curtain & curtain hanging ideas I want to try. One thing I keep seeing is solid color curtains with a contrasting color panel making up the bottom 18-24 inches. Since someone gave me a pair of curtains that aren't long enough for my dining room, I'm thinking of sewing the bottom panel myself to lengthen them - and using a different color, maybe even a different fabric. I also want to get some houseplants to make our house look cozier, after I do some research on safe ones with kids. I just like real plants so much better than artificial. Those are my big plans!

[daffodil]

we painted our living areas a light beige and put wide baseboards and trims around doorways in a cream colour. Are windows have blinds and ballon type curtains on them. i decorate with picture's of my family in different stages of life and also pictures of friends.

[joystrength]

OK, what about web sites with decorating ideas? I'm thinking this post/topic got buried?? I hope that's the case, or some GCM mamas just are being "stingy" with their decorating ideas. OK, I'll admit it. I"m a TOTAL decorating washout. I have the ideas, but can't always make them work. That's why I have to "glean" ideas from others. Oh yeah, my budget is REALLY small, too. If that helps.... :shrug

[Wonder Woman]

well,
I am very into the whole Country Victorian look. It's country because it isn't uultr-formal and stuffy, but it's Victorian because it's heavily into the dark colors, lots of antique lace, as much antique repro stuff as I can afford.

My living room is my favorite room - the walls are midnight blue paint over floral textured paneling. We have a big white fireplace/mantel that was here when we bought our home (it's over 100 yo.) White baseboards, white ceiling. Burgundy curtains - I can't afford fancy window treatments. So for my primary window, I used a lace tablecloth I got at a yard sale - folded it and draped it over the curtains to make a lace swag. Then I topped it with a tatted navy doily, and put two bouquets of dried roses on top of it.

I go to flea markets and yard sales to buy black and white pictures, and display those. I had a big victorian hat and old-fashioned boots for my wedding, so I have those incorporated in a display, along with some vintage doilies and old postcards.


I love my dining room, too. It is painted wharf green - the color of the sea, just off the wharf, on a sunny day. Just a very peaceful color. It's coordinated with a Monet border in pinks and greens. Battenburg lace curtains, white wood trim. Lots of samplers that I've done or had given to me, all in pinks and greens. A 16x20 portrait of my three nieces that I did when the 3 yo was a newborn. They are wearing handmade co-ordinating pink and green dresses. The baby fell asleep, and I layed her down with her head on a teddy bear. Then I sat the (then) 20 mo and 3 yo behind her. I asked them to look at the baby - the 20 mo said "I de baby!" and stuck out her lip and looked down. The oldest said "No, sissy, like this!" and leaned forward and looked at the baby. It is absolutely :hearts and will be one of my favorite portraits forever. So I have it on a big but unframed canvas. Lots of vintage tatted lace and lace that my FIL has crocheted for me. (Winters are long, and he's very talented!)

My kitchen will be repainted this fall I hope. When we moved in, I painted over the 1970's avacodo green :sick2 with white walls, blue framework on the cupboards and rose doors. Im sick of it, and it needs a facelift. I collect cobalt glass, so I am going to repaint everything white except for my cupboard doors. Those will be a true cobalt blue.
I also have some antique metal cups, butter dishes, silverware, lunch box etc. from dh's grandfather's logging camp. Those are on a carved hutch in my kitchen.

I hardly ever spend money to decorate - and when I do, it's all flea market/antique stores/junk dealers. And thread and fabric to make lace and embroider. I have a stash that's way too big for my own good!!

[joystrength]

jaden's mom: It sounds lke your house would pass as a beautiful bed and breakfast! WOW! I'd love it, I'm sure. Thanks, so much, for sharing!

[aahree]

My suggestion would be to ignore the trends and go with what speaks to you. If you love blues and greens, don't paint a room red or orange, because you'll wind up hating it. :) If you really want the *trendy* colors in a room, get them with accent pillows or even take a 12x12 canvas and paint it the trendy color and hang it on your wall.

Also, spend a little time with magazines (any - they don't have to be decorating magazines) and look at the pictures you're drawn to. Are they filled with stuff, or very simple and clean? Which colors dominate? If there are words, are they written in a flowery script, or a simple sans-serif font? That should clue you in on what you like and don't like.

Also, look around your house and see what you currently have that you really love. What are the common themes?

As far as how to hang pictures and whatnot, I can't recommend highly enough getting on the mailing list for a few home dec catalogs. It doesn't cost you anything, and the pictures are full of great ideas (a lot of which you can replicate for MUCH less on your own). Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrell, etc. - I can make a longer list if you want it!

[joystrength]

aahree:
I'd love more mag ideas! PLEASE! THanks for your comments. That's sort of what I've been doing! Thanks

[aahree]

Sure thing!
All of the Pottery Barn cattys (PB, PBK, PBT and Bed & Bath) can be requested here:
https://ww2.potterybarn.com/cs/index.cfm?s%45ct=catalogrequest&mycatstep=1

Crate & Barrell:
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/catalogue/request.aspx

Land of Nod (cute kids' stuff):
http://www.landofnod.com/landofnod/catrequest.asp

Garnet Hill:
http://www.garnethill.com/cgi-bin/gh/requestCatalogReq.jsp

Anthropologie:
http://www.anthropologie.com/catalogrequest/catalogrequestmain.jsp

Bombay:
http://www.bombaycompany.com/gp/email/bombay-catalog.html/103-9332686-5466251?%5Fencoding=UTF8&nodeID=3609681

Domestications:
https://www.domestications.com/catalog.asp?product=catalog&dept%5Fid=9004&merchant_id=5Johf/axKVM-Lx54K2W/P5JqykunFZAXIA

Eddie Bauer:
http://www.eddiebauer.com/eb/custserv/eb_requestcat.asp?lp=m7b

Restoration Hardware (I just got a job at the outlet for this store! :D )
http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/info/request_catalog.jsp?link=botnav_request

If you google *home decor catalog*, I'm sure you'll come up with a bunch more, but those are a few to get your started. I hope that helps!