Make Your Home's Style Unique With Mix and
Match Decor
by Kathy Burns-Millyard
You see it all the time in retail discount stores: Color coordinated decor
for just about anywhere in your home. And some of the designs are quite pretty.
In fact, some people become obsessed by them. They're usually really cute, come
in a variety of colors, shades, patterns and designs, and they just plain make
decorating easy. There's no guesswork - everything is matched for you
automatically. But there's also no unique style. No sense of "you" in the
finished style. If you mix and match styles up a bit though, you'll end up
creating something that's just right for you, your home, and your style
preferences. Here are a few tips on doing that.
1. It's ok to start with a "cookie cutter" design style, pattern, or color theme
you've found in a general store. These are actually great starting places for
getting new decor ideas.
2. Try choosing just one or two matching items from the store. For instance,
let's say you plan to decorate your bathroom in a sea green color scheme. You'll
find plenty of really nice shower curtains to fit this color scheme well, so
choose one you like. If you just can't resist... go ahead and get the matching
accessories too, such as the toothbrush holder and soap dish.
3. Now most likely the ready made design of your shower curtain has traces of
other colors mixed in. It's common for instance, to see blues, tans, yellows and
oranges in a sea green coordinated bathroom set, because these colors tend to be
seen when you're actually at the sea or ocean. So they compliment each other.
And this is a key decorating point: Your room colors don't have to match
exactly. They should simply compliment each other. So in our sea green bathroom
decor example above, it would be perfectly natural to add a set of solid tan
colored towels, burnt orange wash cloths, and a throw rug with touches of blue
in it. If the blue doesn't seem to fit quite right for your tastes, then try a
deep forest green colored rug instead.
4. Try different color shade combinations. If you're using primarily green in
the bathroom design, try both a light and dark shade as previously mentioned.
Test the colors out though, because sometimes one shade doesn't sit well next to
another. Sometimes you can tell this instinctively by holding two items of
different shades together in the store, but other times you'll need to actually
buy the items and test them in the actual room itself. Anything that doesn't
quite look or feel right in the overall room design can simply be returned to
the store.
5. Work with what you have. In our bathroom decor example, the shades of green
might not work well if you have pink walls and aren't able to change them when
you're redecorating. If you have deep, dark wood cabinets and other accessories,
the darker green shades might make the room seem a bit too heavy and dark once
you have all of the new decorations in place.
6. Don't be afraid to try mixing decor styles. It's ok to have a Southwestern
style towel set in the same bathroom as a seaside designed shower curtain for
instance, because both styles tend to use earth toned colors.
7. Last but not least: If you can't find decor styles you like at regular
stores, try shopping around at yard sales and flea markets. Even if you find
just one interesting or unique piece that really catches your attention - that's
a place to start. You can create an entire room's unique design and decor style
by simply working from the color and style of that one piece!
Remember that decorating your home is all about you. Your likes, dislikes, and
lifestyle are what's most important. So be sure to inject a little bit of your
own personality into the decor of your home, and your friends and family will be
envious of your unique, stylish look!
Kathy Burns-Millyard. This article is provided courtesy of The Do It Yourself
Home Decorating Network -
http://www.diyhomedecorating.com
- a large home decorating and decor website featuring articles, tips, advice,
and popular home decor shopping.