Decorator and HGTV designer Karl Lohnes has a list of the most often-made decorating blunders. Do these seem familiar?
1) Leaving windows for last. Window fashions create pleasing illusions of depth or height, and studies show the quality of natural light in a space affects moods and health. One popular option, Silhouette? window shadings, which feature soft fabric vanes between sheer panels, diffuse and soften light and let you direct it up or down.
2) Purchasing new furniture before measuring the room. Spend time in the room, instead of using a presale floor plan or picture. Have the window treatments in place early to protect furnishings from UV rays. One option for large slider windows is new Cadence? Motif Soft Vertical Blinds with the first and only curved, soft-fabric louver.
3) Buying area rugs too small. Area rugs should reveal only 12 to 16 inches of floor. Furniture should ground the rug.
4) Choosing wall colors that are too pale. The larger the room, the more depth a color needs. To enhance the effect, use a matching or complementary window fashion. Silhouette window shadings in fabric from the Matisse Collection?, the first fabric with colored sheer facings as well as colored vanes, enrich the color impact.
5) Hanging artwork too high. The bottom of the art should be eight to 10 inches above the furniture tops.
6) Highlighting wimpy trims and moldings. Paint trims three inches or smaller the same color as the wall to avoid a "racing stripe effect." You can even cover trim with a vertical window fashion, such as Luminette? Privacy Sheers, mounted outside the window frame from ceiling to floor.
7) Buying too many small accessories. Hold off on trendy accessories for a year or two and you could save enough for a substantial piece of furniture.
8) Scattering your collectibles. If displaying collectibles in a sunny spot, choose a window fashion that will protect them from fading. With its two sheer panels, Silhouette shadings are among the few that offer generous protection against UV rays while allowing for light and a view.
9) Having more than one focal point. If it's the window, it will visually influence the rest of the room. Duette? honeycomb shades with the top-down/bottom-up feature create appealing visual patterns. They soften light while lowering energy bills.
10) Getting it all done in a day. When you buy all the d'cor in a day, it looks it. It's more fun to "build" the look.
Author: Stacey Moore
Author Bio:
Products that earn the ENERGY STAR prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. EPA and DOE. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov. Using energy efficiently at home can be as easy as changing a light bulb.
