Category: Home Decor

    Hardwood floors are a classic and timeless design element that can enhance the look and feel of any home. Whether you prefer traditional, modern, or rustic styles, there are many creative ways to incorporate hardwood floors into your home’s design. At Macwoods, we understand the versatility and beauty of hardwood flooring, and we are here to help you bring your design vision to life. In this blog post, we will explore some of the most creative ways to incorporate hardwood floors into your home’s design.

Mix and Match Hardwood Flooring

Image source: MacDonald Hardwoods

One of the most creative ways to incorporate hardwood floors into your home’s design is by mixing and matching different types of hardwood flooring. For example, you can use a light-colored hardwood in the living room, a medium-colored hardwood in the dining room, and a dark-colored hardwood in the bedrooms. This not only gives each room a unique feel but also ties the entire house together with the use of hardwood flooring.

Additionally, you can also experiment with different finishes, textures, and wood species. For instance, you can use a smooth, polished hardwood in the living room and a distressed, hand-scraped hardwood in the dining room. This creates a visually interesting and eclectic look that will make your home stand out.

Use Hardwood Flooring on Walls

Image source: Pexels

    Using hardwood flooring on walls is a creative and unexpected way to incorporate this classic material into your home’s design. It creates a warm and cozy feel and adds visual interest to a room. Hardwood flooring on walls is particularly beautiful in a rustic or cabin-style home, where it brings a natural element inside. You can use hardwood planks or tiles to create this look, and you can even stain or paint them for a more personalized touch.

Use Hardwood Flooring as an Accent

Hardwood flooring can also be used as an accent in a room. For example, you can use a hardwood border around a carpeted area in the living room or use a hardwood inlay in the center of a tile floor. This adds a touch of elegance and sophistication to the room while still allowing you to incorporate other flooring materials. This can also be a great opportunity to showcase a unique hardwood species or finish, such as a wide-plank or herringbone pattern.

Combine Hardwood Flooring with Other Materials

Combining hardwood flooring with other materials can create a unique look in your home. For example, you can use hardwood flooring in combination with tile, carpet, or even concrete. This can add interest and texture to a room and create a one-of-a-kind look. You can also use different materials in different areas of the room, such as a hardwood border around a carpeted area, or a hardwood inlay in a tile floor. The possibilities are endless when it comes to combining different materials to create a unique and beautiful look.

Use Hardwood Flooring in Unusual Spaces

Image source: Superior Flooring

Finally, incorporating hardwood flooring into unusual spaces can create a creative and unexpected look in your home. For example, you can use hardwood flooring in a bathroom or kitchen, or even in a basement. This will not only add warmth and beauty to these spaces, but it will also make them feel more like part of the main living area.

Furthermore, using hardwood in high-traffic areas such as the kitchen or entryway, can add durability and longevity to these spaces, as hardwood flooring is known for its resistance to wear and tear.

Create a Unique Layout

Another creative way to incorporate hardwood floors into your home’s design is by creating a unique layout. Instead of going with a traditional straight-line layout, you can choose a more interesting pattern such as a herringbone or chevron. This will add visual interest to the floor and create a focal point in the room. You can also consider using different widths or colors of hardwood planks to create a more dynamic look.

Use Hardwood Flooring for Stairs

Image source: Pexels

Hardwood flooring is not just limited to the main living areas of your home. It can also be used for stairs to create a cohesive look throughout the house. Hardwood stair treads and risers can be customized to match the hardwood flooring in your home, and can be finished in the same way as your hardwood floor. This will not only make your stairs look beautiful, but it will also add durability and make them easier to clean.

Create a Colorful Palette

Finally, you can use hardwood flooring to create a colorful palette in your home. By staining hardwood flooring in a variety of colors, you can create a unique and eclectic look in your home. For example, you can use a light-colored hardwood in one room and a dark-colored hardwood in another. You can also mix and match different stains and finishes to create a customized look that is unique to your home.

In conclusion, incorporating hardwood floors into your home’s design is a creative and versatile way to add warmth, beauty, and sophistication to your space. Whether you prefer traditional, modern, or rustic styles, there are many creative ways to use hardwood flooring to enhance the look and feel of your home. From mixing and matching different types of hardwood flooring to creating a unique layout, the possibilities are endless. If you are looking for a beautiful and durable flooring solution for your home, consider hardwood flooring from Macwoods. Our knowledgeable team is here to help you find the perfect hardwood flooring for your home and bring your design vision to life. Reach out today!

Should I Use Light or Dark Hardwood Floors?

If you are someone who is lucky enough to live in a home with hardwood floors, you should be thankful. Hardwood floors are the epitome of class and elevate a home’s look and feel that is tough to replicate.

But if you are deciding upon the type of hardwood floor you want in your home, you have options. There are many selections for your home flooring but when it comes to hardwood floors, most people start with selecting the tone: light or dark? Yet, even those two options might feel overwhelming and impossible to choose between.

Getting Started

Light, cool, dark, warm – these are the tones of hardwood that can alter the overall look and feel of a floor. There are many factors to consider. In the end, it all depends on what type of homeowner you are and what sort of things you value. What type of cleaner are you? Are you a pet owner? Do you have children? All of these things will come together to help inform if your hardwood floors are going to function better in a dark tone or a lighter one. 

Before you really get into the pros and cons of dark and light hardwood floors, it is important that you make a commitment to decide upon the option that you like the most. At the end of the day, the final choice should always be the one that makes you happiest. It’s your home and it should look the way you want it to. 

When the time comes to make the final decision, here are the things to think about when choosing between light or dark hardwood floors.

Which is Easier to Keep Clean?

While some of the competing topics between light and dark hardwood floors end up with neck-and-neck results, this one isn’t really close. The truth is that lighter toned hardwood floors are much easier to keep clean. Light hardwood floors tend to show less dirt than their dark alternatives. This is important if you have a home that has a lot of open windows, fans, or pets. An open window, for example, will bring in dirt and dust from the outside world. That will show up pretty readily on your hardwood floor. 

The same dirt and dust will also get all over a carpeted floor too. However, it will show up much more on hardwood. Thankfully, seeing a mess easier on hardwood can actually be a good thing because that means you will be able to tend to it faster and get it cleaned. People who have carpets are often walking around on dirty ground without even knowing it. Meanwhile, homeowners with hardwood are able to spot and fix these problem areas much faster. 

If you are looking for a floor that is easier to clean, you should go with light hardwood floors.

Which Shows Scratches More?

Hardwood floors are striking in their appearance, there is no doubt about it. But it is also undeniable that hardwood floors are more prone to scratches and little damages more than most other flooring methods. This makes sense when you think about it, wood is more susceptible to little imperfections over time. Hardwood floors are still strong, don’t misunderstand that. However, there is a good chance that your hardwood floor will receive some dings and damage over time. 

Since some minor damage is unavoidable, the question becomes which shows scratches more: light or dark hardwood? Most people agree that dents, dings, and scratches show up much more on dark hardwood. Why is that? Because most wood floor species are light, so when you scratch through the dark-colored surface, the contrast of the light underneath is more obvious, meaning that the scratch shows up much easier than it does on a light-on-light hardwood floor. 

This is something to consider if you are a parent or pet owner. Children and animals are the two biggest culprits when it comes to damage to hardwood floors. They bring a lot of love into your home but they also can bring in a lot of roughhousing and damage. If you have children or pets – or both – you should seriously consider having a light hardwood floor for your home. 

If you still decide to get a dark hardwood floor knowing that your scratches will show up more, there are options for you. There are many ways to clean your hardwood floor, no matter how dark it is and how many scratches it has.

[Source: Unsplash]

Which One Will Cost You More?

You may be wondering which one, light or dark toned hardwood floors, will make a larger impact on your wallet. The truth is that in this case, both light and dark hardwood floors are about the same when it comes to pricing. In some markets, that may be different. However, generally, the difference in pricing is minimal. 

Personal Preferences

While maintenance and cost are common deciding factors, one thing that can’t be neglected is considering one’s personal preferences. 

A home’s style is unique. Depending on the color schemes of the rooms in your home, there is usually an optimal choice. There is actually a science that revolves around floor color. Here are some highlights. 

• Floor colors impact the way we perceive the size of a room. Some colors make a room look larger, while others make the room feel smaller. 
• Brown has a feeling of comfort and inspires nature.
• White has a feeling of cleanliness, innocence, and happiness.
• Black has a feeling of sophistication and power. 

Specific colors are used by interior designers in numerous ways. 

• Bring attention to a specific part of a room
• Convey emotions
• Create contrast
• Create connections
• Alter perception of space

Final Thoughts

No matter which you choose, light or dark hardwood flooring, no choice is wrong. Although, each has their own unique benefits. To make the final choice, you should think about what type of homeowner you are, who lives in your home, and how often you want to clean. And of course, don’t forget to consider your own personal preferences, which is the most important factor in deciding which tone is right for you.

Making a Small Room Look Bigger – Expert Tips

Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could wave a magic wand and add a couple more square inches here or there? We have compiled tips from experts on interior design, flooring, and color theory to do just that! We’re covering the top 3 methods you can use to maximize your small space and optimize your home, ultimately making your small room look bigger.

Declutter Your Space

The minimalist lifestyle is continuing to get traction among homeowners. Even just a few trinkets can really make your home feel crowded when working with a small space. Some of us just can’t help it! We love stopping by quaint little shops for delightful trinkets and antiques. But, small, cramped rooms don’t have to stop your passion for collecting. 

 

 

Source: Unsplash.com

 

Pick a few of your favorite pieces to have on display, and then create a space to put the rest of your collection in a safe spot, out of sight. The key is to keep your home feeling fresh. Rotate your favorites every month or seasonally.

Donate gently used pieces to your local shelter, church, or community program. Before deciding what to give away, go to the front of your room and take a look at the placement of your furniture. Are there any pieces that are obstructing your view? Move them! 

You’ll find you can really make the most of your space when you shift large pieces away from walkways or doorways. Swap out tall pieces for shorter stylish options like an ottoman or low table. Your remaining tall pieces actually work best when they are positioned alongside the walls rather than in the middle of the room.

 

For big pieces and large hauls, plan ahead! Give the business you’d wish to donate to a call and see if they accept large pieces before dropping them off. Sometimes they’ll even give you an extra hand. If you don’t have a way of transporting your donations to the location, they’ll arrange for a truck and movers to pick up your donation right at your doorstep. That way you don’t have to bug your friends on a weekend or pay out of pocket for a truck rental service and moving company. 

 

Update Your Flooring

How many walls does your room have? Most people would say four, but the experts say 6. Why? The flooring and ceiling can dramatically impact the look at feel of any room. Dark wood has a very rich aurora and can feel regal and romantic, but it also can swallow up your space. Matching woods can be tricky. Sometimes the colors may not exactly match up due to staining or natural process. Swap dark-colored flooring for much lighter choices, like light oak or maple hardwood flooring; they tend to be the most popular choices for homes.

Source: Unsplash.com

 

Is there such a thing as too light? There’s a common misconception that white flooring is harder to maintain. Most homeowners find the exact opposite. They find that dust is much easier to hide. Well, that ultimately depends on you; just be aware of the care and maintenance. 

Let’s say you’re redecorating your kitchen. We suggest light cabinets paired with light flooring. If your kitchen cabinets are already dark wood, use a lighter finish to run adjacent to the woodwork. 

Ultimately, if you do decide to choose a darker wood finish, trust us! You don’t want to select anything more narrow than 8” wide. Having wider boards means that there will be fewer visible seams and provide more balance for smaller rooms. Lucite and glass furniture typically is super modern, and it’s also a popular design choice for homes. Transparent furniture simply takes up less visual space. You can switch your dark wood kitchen table for a translucent set of chairs to create the illusion of more space.

 

Switch Up Your Color Scheme

When it comes to small spaces, less is more. Small spaces are not ideal for going “color crazy.” Experts say to stick to a cool light colors monochromatic color scheme. We based our small room design concepts on color theory.

Source: Unsplash.com

The color wheel essentially categorized colors as either warm or cool. Think about the colors in nature, like the green in plants, the blue hues in water and the sky; these are all considered cool and calming. When you enter a room with cool colors, it’s almost like they recede away and open up the space. We suggest starting with a shade like white, gray, taupe, or beige; pick a cool neutral shade. It will be much easier to match your furniture and floor if they all remain neutral.

Our bedrooms should be our safe space to relax and unwind; no matter how small it is, we can still visually expand the space. For instance, keep the walls in the bedroom a creamy white color, and pick bed linens that are also neutral with light pops of color like a soft, warm yellow. Deep purples, like eggplant, can be used for the throw pillows and other accents to highlight and balance your space so it feels larger.

 

 

Use light and inviting hues that are all in the same family. For example, ideally, the more light we can let into a room, the better. Yet, we know sometimes leaving windows completely uncovered isn’t really an option. 

We love the way sheer curtains transform spaces. You can also pick light floor-to-ceiling drapes that match your walls to make the room look larger. There is something about long lines that play tricks on our eyes. Stripes are the perfect interior design trick for small spaces. It actually doesn’t even matter what width you use; either thicker or narrow stripes make walls seem longer and taller! Horizontal stripes are also an excellent choice because they make walls appear more expansive.

Just because your space is small doesn’t mean we have to skimp on style. Small apartments can still feel like spacious and cozy homes; it just may require making a few tweaks. Lighting can make a huge difference. You can start small by uncovering your windows and inviting more natural light into your home. Stay tuned for more home remodeling and decorating tips from the experts.

A Guide to Western Home Decor

There’s no doubt that the term “western style” will evoke a John Wayne-esque image in your mind of a room filled with cow hides. But a more modern western style home has evolved from floor to ceiling wood and antlers as decoration. While you can use these elements in moderation, western style today plays into its classic heritage while also incorporating more modern elements. Below, we’re explaining the best way to achieve a tasteful, western decor in your home.

Photo by Christian Harder, Elle Decor

Choose your Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood floors lay the perfect backdrop for any western styled home. Because elements in this style of decor tend to feature bold patterns and colors, a neutral floor is a good base for your room’s palate. A more traditional approach may feature warmer oak, hickory and light maple species.

However, it’s important to note that any hardwood flooring can match your ideal western decor if you plan ahead. Even cooler colors like a dark maple can work well in a western home. It’s important to understand the overall aesthetic you’re trying to achieve first, which is why hardwood flooring is one of the most important styling decisions you’ll make throughout your home designing process.

Photo Courtesy of tidbitsandtwine.com

Don’t Forget Lighting

Warm lighting is key when creating a western style home. Unlike sleek, minimal designs, western influence is reminiscent of cozy cabins and fireplaces. If you’re going full western, look for copper lanterns and pendants with farmland scenes on them. If you’re going for a more subtle look, embrace tableside lamps in warm, neutral colors.

No matter how far into the western aesthetic you’re going towards, comfort lighting is key. You wouldn’t associate fluorescent lights with this decor, so embrace the cozy and gravitate towards warmer hues.

Photo by Sante Fe Properties, a member of Luxury Portfolio International

Texture Brings the Room Together

One of the best parts of a western style home is the amount of playful patterns and textures you can incorporate. While colors in this type of home generally lean more neutral – with deep red and orange accents – texture is where you can have more fun.

Consider accents like cowhide rugs and throws mixed with vibrant quilts. Dark leather makes for great sofa and chair materials. Turquoise accessories can add subtle pops of color throughout a room. Whether you’re fully committing to the style or choosing a few key pieces, western accessories can tie any home together.

How to Pick the Right Area Rug

If you’re in the process of renovating or decorating your home, an important factor in your design process will be selecting furnishings. From sofas to tables and lamps, everything will affect your space’s aesthetic in either a cohesive or (in worst cases) dysfunctional way. You want your furniture, especially your area rugs, to compliment some of the harder finishes in your home – hardwood flooring, wall texture, built-ins, etc. While everyone has their own sense of style, we’ve provided a couple of basic tools to help you maximize how to pick the right area rug for your space.

Source: Unsplash

Consider the Area Rug Style

 

Just like hardwood flooring, there’s an almost endless style of rugs you can choose from for your flooring. While cheesy, some describe rugs as artwork for your floors. Traditionally, you’d probably find either Persian or European style rugs lining the rooms of most people’s homes. While these types of rugs will always be classic, rug styles have become much more experimental in the last twenty years.

Styles like geometrics and bright florals are all popular in this current moment. Like hardwood flooring, the color of your area rug will also play a crucial role in the overall look of a room. You don’t necessarily have to match your rug to your wall and sofa colors. In fact, bright, complementary colors are popular right now. On the other hand, neutral rooms are also having a moment with beige sofas and cream-colored rugs. In this instance, if you’re going for a more subtle look, be sure to select a color that will match your finishes and hardwood floors. 

 

Source: Unsplash

Experiment with Area Rug Sizes

If you choose hardwood flooring over carpet to begin with, chances are you appreciate the look and feel of hardwoods, so you don’t want to cover them all up with a massive rug. An area rug can vary in sizes from encompassing almost the entire room to framing a certain portion of a room. As a general rule, you never want your rug so large that it touches the baseboards or edges of the room. You still want to be able to see your oak, pine, or whatever hardwood flooring you chose. On the other hand, you don’t want your rug to be so small that parts of your furniture don’t touch the rug, leaving the appearance that they’re floating away. Most designers say that there should be around 10-20 inches of hardwood between the edges of the rug and the baseboards of the room. However, depending on the size of the room, some designers will bump this up to 24 inches or down to 8 inches. 

Rugs are also a great way to separate parts of the room. Say you have a huge, open concept room that you’re working with. Selecting two medium-size rugs – one for under the sofa and one for more of the dining area is an easy trick to making the room more manageable in size. 

Source: Unsplash

Choosing a Rug Material

While appearance is an important factor in choosing an area rug, choosing a rug based on material and how it will work with your family is equally important. In rugs, there are different tiers of sturdiness, called piles. A high-pile rug will likely be softer and feel more expensive, but less sturdy, making it more susceptible to wear and tear. Low-pile rugs are generally more sturdy and easier to clean, which makes it a better option for high-traffic areas.

Lastly, think about how often you actually want to clean your area rug. Some rugs need to be vacuumed and rotated more often than others, so consider how much use this room will be getting and how likely you will be to clean it. 

 

Looking for some living room decor tips to inspire you? Good news – you don’t have to duplicate a magazine or online image to create a living room befitting of a magazine spread. Throw caution and “can’t” to the wind, and create a living room that is meaningful and personal to your family. Carefully consider the following questions, and you will be ready to decorate your living room:

1) Examine the room, does it have any outstanding characteristics

2) How will your family be using the living room?

3) Is there a natural focal point in the room?

4) What is your decor style?

5) How are you going to frame the room with the walls and the flooring?

6) How can you make use of the natural light in the room?

7) What prints and patterns will you be using?

8) How can you mix color?

9) How should you place furniture to facilitate the traffic flow?

10) How can you do all of this within your budget?

As you answer these questions using the following expanded suggestions, visualize a living room worthy of a magazine spread, but one that is uniquely yours. Then use these living room decor tips to make your vision a reality.

Does the Living Room Have Any Characteristics That Need to be Deemphasized?

Are you lucky enough to have a perfectly sized and proportioned living room, or does it have features that you need to accommodate? Some common issues are small, large, and long and narrow rooms.

You can create the illusion of a larger room by using carefully placed mirrors, lighter colors, furniture that is less massive, lighter-toned wood, and drawing the eye up with items such as floor-to-ceiling drapes. Painting the ceiling a few shades lighter than the walls also adds height. Do not crowd too much furniture, accessories, or visual highlights into a small room.

Larger living rooms can be made to feel less massive by creating multiple furniture groupings and using area rugs. Make sure only one area is dominant while the other areas serve to draw your eye around the room without being stopped by a heavily competing area. High ceilings can seem lower if you paint the lower part of the walls a darker color and the upper part a lighter color. Larger, heavier furniture in darker woods also fills space.

For a long narrow room, start by creating a path, preferably a straight path, to one side of the room, allowing furniture to be arranged on the other side into two groups occupying two-thirds and one-third of the room. Arrange the main conversation setting around a round coffee table or hassock. Create a table and chair area, reading area, or a desk area in the other third of the room. Just as you do for small rooms, draw the eye up with items such as floor-to-ceiling drapes, and use light colors and lightweight furniture. Don’t clutter the room with too many items or accessories.

 

What Is the Intended Use for Your Living Room?

 

Will your living room be a place where your family will gather, or will it just be used for entertaining while your family favors another room? If the family is going to use it as a gathering and activity center, then you need to make a list of the items that need to be included in the room, such as a television and a games area, and find room for them. If it is just going to be used for guests, then you can concentrate on aesthetics and not on the utilitarian aspects.

 

What will the Focal Point be in Your Living Room?

Some rooms have natural focal points. Do you want to emphasize any natural focal points or create your own? If you want to emphasize a natural focal point, carefully build items around it that support it without overpowering it. For a window, create a window treatment that helps draw your eye there.

Fireplaces require adding items on the mantel and on both sides of it that support but don’t overpower it. Built-in bookcases – add displays to the bookcase that create interest without being cluttered. Place furniture so that it faces your focal point or set a larger piece of furniture, such as a sofa, in front of the focal point to help draw your eye to it.

To deemphasize a focal point, use neutral colors and create a monotone area, such as deemphasizing a window using drapes that are the same color as the wall. Monotone doesn’t mean boring. It means that the area blends in and complements the room without drawing attention.

To create your own focal point, use an item such as wall art or a piece of furniture that is special to your family as your center of interest. Support the attention that you are trying to draw to it by doing things such as creating an accent wall behind it, arranging the furniture to face it, or sitting furniture in front of it. This will make your room magazine-layout-ready and yet personalize it.

 

What is Your Style?

 

Do you favor traditional, modern, minimalist, or rustic decor? Defining your style helps you set boundaries that create a unified look. However, you can blend in items that are outside the style you are featuring to create interest and personalize your living room, such as a few steampunk items in a traditional room.

 

Living Room Decor Tip #1: Use Your Walls and Flooring to Frame Your Room

If you think of your room as a piece of artwork, then your walls and flooring are the frames. Frames aren’t always plain. They can have accents without competing with the artwork that they are framing. You can do the same with your walls and flooring.

As already mentioned, you can paint three of your walls one color and use the fourth wall to create a different color accent wall. You can also wallpaper one wall, paint it with a design using multiple colors, or give it any other treatment to make it the focal point of your room.

The same idea can be applied to your flooring. Many flooring companies have designs that range from parquet to medallions and other true focal point designs. If you want the room to look bigger, maybe you want to extend your flooring between rooms to create a more cohesive look. So browse and see what is available and consider these options.

 

Living Room Decor Tip #2: Make Use of Natural Lighting

 

Light colors make a room brighter and shades of white help reflect the natural light while giving a warm feel. Use satin paints instead of matte paints to also reflect natural light. Mirrors, glass, metals, and the shiny wood surfaces from furniture and wood floors also help reflect the natural light.

Try to arrange the furniture in the room so that the natural light is located in the areas that need it the most, such as reading areas. In addition, custom window treatments can help you enhance the overall aesthetic appeal of your room while leveraging natural sunlight to brighten your room.

 

Living Room Decor Tip #3: Mix Wood Tones

Don’t be afraid to use and mix. These days, it’s not uncommon to mix various shades of wood in one room. This more modern approach allows you to blend rustic style wood with various stains and grains, creating a look that is diverse. 

You can achieve this by purchasing wood flooring that compliments your flooring without being exactly the same. One way to still make the look cohesive sit to keep similar undertones of the wood similar.

Living Room Decor Tip #4: Balance Color and Texture 

 

Gone are the days where you need to match everything to your hardwood floors. Now, it’s easier to see hardwood flooring as a base or neutral, allowing you to build the room from there. Don’t feel like you need to pick wall colors or art that perfectly match your floors. Bring in bright colors and allow yourself to get creative. 

Also consider adding texture in your accent pieces to balance out the hardwood floors. This can be done with plush rugs, airy window treatments and even softer sofas. 

 

Living Room Decor Tip #5: Place Your Furniture to Create a Smooth Traffic Flow

Now you are ready to decide where to place your furniture. As we have already discussed, furniture placement is affected by the size and shape of the room, your focal point, and the natural lighting. You should also consider the traffic pattern. Consider how people will move between doorways in the room, and don’t block that flow. Then, try to create 3-foot, easy-to-maneuver paths between the furniture. Finally, consider the overall look of the room and make adjustments.

 

Living Room Decor Tip #6: Learn to Decorate on a Budget

 

Decorating or redecorating a room can be expensive, but there are ways to cut the cost. First, do a little at a time. Of course, you want to have the new look immediately, but sometimes it is necessary to do the project in small steps. Look for found items or items that you can repurpose and use them. If you see someone throwing out something that you can use, ask them for it. Look for items in other rooms or items that have been stored away in your home and use them.

Shop for items on Craigslist, at second-hand stores, and check out garage sales. Let your family and friends know what is on your wish list so that they might be able to get it for a gift-giving occasion. Finally, see how many of your friends might be interested in participating in a home decor exchange. All of you can bring items or pictures of items that you no longer want and select items that others have contributed that fit your new look.

 

Conclusion

 

It might help you to use a spiral notebook to record your ideas and organize your plan as you work through the various aspects of decorating your living room. As you read through your notes, you will probably find additional ideas and inspiration. This will also help you edit ideas and control your budget. In the end, you will have a room that will look as editorial as any living room seen in a magazine, but it will be your own unique and personalized living room.