1. Rearrange - The most common mistake I see when I visit a home is the furniture arrangement. Furniture should be placed so that conversation is encouraged. Never place your furniture against all four walls in the room. It is okay to float the furniture in the center of the room. You can accent to back of a couch with a sofa table and accessories. This simple trick will make an amazing difference in a room.
2. Greenery - whether real or artificial, greens add warmth and personality to a room. My preference is always artificial ivy to accent accessories. But make sure the ivy is gorgeous. Anne's Interiors offers great ivy selections, visit the category floral to see.
Add ivy to a grouping of books and frames. Accent a set of candle holders with a small arrangement.
Instead of candles, top a candleholder with an ivy bunch.
If you have room above your kitchen cabinets accent with decorative plates and larger ivy bunches. You'll be surprised how a few splashes of a beautiful greenery piece brings so much to a room.
3. Pillows - Update a room with new colors by adding accent pillows. The new colors and fresh look will bring a new life to the room.
4. Declutter - If your room is full of lots of outdated accessories and picture frames it is time to get rid of some.
I know we all love our treasured photos, but instead of having those all over your tables design a photo wall. Choose a large wall in your home and draw an imaginary rectangle. Within that rectangle hang an assortment of photo frames and add a shelf or scone to add some charm.
When decorating a mantel or cocktail tables - less is more. A few key accessories are much better than a bunch of little accents.
Collections are much better grouped together; you will appreciate your treasured pieces much more when you can see them all together.
If you have a large room with high ceilings, then you must use large accessories.
5. Books - One of my favorite accessories are books. I use them to fill entertainment centers, stack a few to raise a candleholder for a greater impact, find a beautiful book about art and place it simply on a cocktail table, group a few together on an end table. In the kitchen decorate with some beautiful cookbooks. Don't forget to add a touch of ivy and a few accessories to soften the look.
6. Lamps - Make sure you have lamps placed properly in a room. Balance the lighting so that it is spread evenly throughout the room. If you only have ceiling lighting, then it is time to bring in some low lighting for a gorgeous look.
7. Color - A quick paint job in a room always makes for an amazing change. Don't be afraid of color. A more saturated color does not make for a dark house, so be a little daring, and it will make a difference.
8. Area Rugs - You can place an area rug on any floor surface including carpet. If your floor looks tired or boring, spruce it up with an area rug.
9. Pictures - Don't be stuck hanging just a single piece of art on each wall. Try a series of pictures instead. Perhaps you have photographs from a visit to the city, how about mirrors of different shapes and sizes, visit art.com and find a collection of prints with a similar theme. Check out some of the options in the Wall Décor Category of our website. The key to making this design work is to find a similar collection with similar colors so you create unity.
10. Size - Don't be afraid to go large. If the wall is big then fill it. A perfect picture or series or a large mirror hanging on a wall can easily take the place of a piece of furniture.
