Room by Room Makeovers: Great Rooms for Great Living

Article by: Melissa Galt

Gone are the days of formal living rooms , The Barkeep's Guide to Buying Bar Stools and parlors, now we all live literally in the great room! , A Guide to Feng Shui in the Home Office It is often integrally tied to the kitchen, , Decorating with Brains and sits at the center of the house. , The Allure of Exotic Hardwood Floors It is the hub for all activity and entertaining both family and friends. Whether it is TV watching, game playing, homework doing, project making, wrestling with the kids, curling up with your S.O. for a movie or just kicking back, feet up and cold , Cleaning Aluminum and Wooden Window Blinds one in hand, the great room , Dramatic Powder Makeovers is where it all happens. So let's look at some easy ways to make it really GREAT!

Make it hardwood! It always seems strange to me when a builder creates an island of carpet , What is an Interior Re-Designer and How Can They Help Me? for the great room , Home Office Furniture rather than continuing the elegance and durability of hardwood. Do hardwood! Not only will it provide greater continuity but adding a large plush rug , Residential Steam Showers with pattern and color , A Baker’s Rack: Always A Favorite will hide a lot more sins than the typical off white carpet. , Are Candles Safe? The rug , The Allure of Exotic Hardwood Floors will also act as a springboard for your design. , Accent Lighting Techniques

Crown molding is a must! If you don't have it, add it. If you have it, maybe you want to add another piece for a deeper look and it will give the ceiling a boost in height.

Accent color , Dramatic Powder Room Makeovers at the back of the bookcases! Many great rooms , Interior Design – How to use a Colour Wheel have built-ins flanking the fireplace. While these need to match the trim, the back of the them can add a real punch in an accent color, , Accent Lighting Techniques maybe a rich cabernet, a warm gold, or a fresh sage. It can either mimic the walls , Furniture Bench - The Many Varieties & Uses For One In Your Home or complement them, but definitely not plain old white. , Antiques, Collectibles, & Memorabilia: Do You Know the Difference?

High ceilings need color! , Give Your Home A Fresh Look Without Changing Your Furniture Or Redecorating In today's airy, vaulted homes , How To Find the Best Kids Bedding Online ceilings are often cut adrift in space 15' or more above the room, , Home Office Furniture wrap them in color. , A Wool Fleece Throw Blanket is the Ultimate in Luxury and Warmth When you've got 10' plus ceilings they can comfortably be the same shade as the walls , The Allure of Exotic Hardwood Floors or a tint lighter, but they need color , Patio Furniture Extend Your Living Quarters to pull it all together and showoff the architectural featuring of the molding.

Keep it flexible! Go with a sofa and two chairs, , Teen Rooms on the Cheap! instead of a sofa and loveseat or a sectional. It is much more flexible and everyone tends to like their own space. With two chairs , Give Your Home A Fresh Look Without Changing Your Furniture Or Redecorating you can always add an ottoman and even a third accent chair , Bedroom Colors or bench. , Tips For Wary Log Furniture Buyers

Tables are a must! So often I see rooms , Wood Bar Stools half finished, missing , Are Candles Safe? key tables and those essential surfaces for a drink, a book, a phone , Don't be Afraid to Spin that Old Color Wheel! even. Mix up your shapes, rounds, squares, rectangles, even triangles. For cocktail tables, the bigger the better, and keep the edges clipped or rounded. Life and people move fast and we often run into corners, eliminate the dangerous ones!

Lamps give it warmth! Lighting is critical, don't rely on a Swiss cheese ceiling of recessed lights , What is an Interior Re-Designer and How Can They Help Me? (don't do it period!), or the unwelcoming glare from the overhead fan fixture (I usually banish those anyway!). Lamps are the answer - one at each end of the sofa, not matching unless you are so formal and have matching tables, and one between the chairs. , Residential Steam Showers More light , Couch Slipcovers - An Easy Way to Give Old Furniture a Stylish New Image! can be gained by a well-placed torchiere (read uplight) in a corner. Proper lamp height is when the bottom of the shade is within 2"-4" of your eye level when seated. All should be three way and support 50-100-150 watt bulbs , Benefits of a Latex Mattress for optimal lighting.

Texture hides soil! , Warm And Cozy Down Comforters Will Turn Your Bed Into A Luxurious Sanctuary! If you focus your upholstery in quieter fabrics with a lot of texture you'll hide soil, , Give Your Home A Fresh Look Without Changing Your Furniture Or Redecorating add to durability, easy maintenance, and won't tire of a busy print. Keep the busy for pillows and accents you can change , Couch Slipcovers - An Easy Way to Give Old Furniture a Stylish New Image! out quickly and as your mood changes. , Bedroom Colors

Do drapery! Big windows , How To Find the Best Kids Bedding Online need to be framed and softened with fabric and color. , Buying Futon Slip Covers Don't ignore these, and don't do wood , How to Choose Wall Covering Materials for Your Home blinds or shutters. They are another hard surface and will only serve to aggravate acoustics and echoes. You don't have to cover the windows, , Home Storage: Solutions That Are Easier Than You Think just frame them, think of a generous wood , Patio Furniture Extend Your Living Quarters rod with rings and stationary (not moving) panels at the sides. This will add softness, color, , How to Choose Wall Covering Materials for Your Home a bit of pattern and will cushion acoustics.

Â© 2005 Melissa Galt

Melissa Galt - EzineArticles Expert Author

Melissa Galt, Lifestyle Designer, , Warm And Cozy Down Comforters Will Turn Your Bed Into A Luxurious Sanctuary! Speaker, & Author, is the owner of Melissa Galt, Inc., a full service interior design , How To Find the Best Kids Bedding Online firm based in Atlanta. She has been decorating , Create Your Own Bliss With Aromatherapy clients' homes , Benefits of a Latex Mattress all over the Southeast for more than a decade, making their interior , Create Your Own Bliss With Aromatherapy visions come true. She speaks to audiences nationally , on how to , Don't be Afraid to Spin that Old Color Wheel! use design , Neutral Colors: Area Rugs Perfect for your Home Decor as the catalyst for "creating the life you've always dreamed of"Â. Melissa is the creator of Design , Why Luxury Bed Linens are an Important Investment Destinations, a free monthly guide to designing your signature life. To sign up for her FREE monthly newsletter, visit http://www.melissagalt.com/

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