Decorate Like You See in Magazines & Books?

Home
>
Interior Design & Decorating
>
Decorate Like You See in Magazines & Books?

Decorate Like You See in Magazines & Books?

Have you ever wondered why interior designers place slippers on the ottoman in magazine photos? They do it to make the staged setting look as if it's a lived-in room. Pictures and illustrations in decorating books, magazines, and other advertisements are designed to sell a product or an idea.

But what's missing in the staged rooms of most interior design books and magazines? People.

When it comes to decorating your own your home, forget the empty rooms you see in the magazines and books. You should design your rooms as backdrops for the people who use and live in those spaces. In order to best utilize the spaces in your home, try these simple techniques:

Leave empty space. Empty space gives you breathing room and allows the most important items in the room to shine, which are the people!

Use small patterns on walls and furniture. Avoid large-patterned fabrics and wallpapers with designs larger than your head. Huge florals will interfere with the appearance of the people in the room. You don't want to have to compete with bold patterns behind your face. Patterns on sofas and chairs that clash with clothing will also make you and your guests feel uncomfortable.

Use colors that complement people. Finding the right colors to complement your skin and eyes deserves planning. Most people look great when surrounded by color. For light skin colors, use yellows, pinks, and beiges. For darker complexions, yellows, olives, and tans can make people stand out. Since most people no longer have bright white in their eyes, avoid pastels that are whiter than the white in your eyes.

Add textures that feel good to the touch. Support your sense of touch by adding textures that are nice to caress. You don't have to touch velvet to sense its softness, and soft textures like chenille and satins will visually support your feeling of being pampered, as well.

Arrange accessories to shore up emotions. In one of my rooms, I arranged my mantle accessories to make a statement, and it looked great in photographs, but after analyzing why the mantle didn't seem to smile, I realized that it wasn't personal. When I filled it with Mili fiori lamps, crystal candlesticks, and antique vases, the space looked great, but it really began to smile when I added a Mexican Rose rock under the painting.

Think comfort before pretense. Just because a sofa or chair looks fabulous doesn't mean the piece is comfortable. Remember, when you walk around a showroom, sitting down on any piece feels good, but in order to truly test a piece of furniture, you need to sit on it for a long time, until you feel totally rested. Only then will you be able to feel the real support and comfort level of that piece.

Remember, your home is a place for people, and when you and your guests look and feel great in your home, you can be sure that you've designed a great setting; one that far outshines the staged sets you'll see in magazines and books.

Joy to you!

Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, Joy to the Home, and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and Design Psychology. For more articles, tips, reports, newsletters, and sales flyer template, see http://www.doghousetodollhouse fordollars.com/pages/5/index.htm

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

Dow plunges on news recession began in Dec. 2007 (AP)

AP - Most Americans sorely knew it already, but now it's official: The country is in a recession, and it's getting worse. Wall Street convulsed at the news Â— and a fresh batch of bad economic reports Â— tanking nearly 680 points. With the economic pain likely to stretch well into 2009, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Monday he stands ready to lower interest rates yet again and to explore other rescue or revival measures.

Obama picks Gates, Clinton for foreign policy team (AP)

AP - Barack Obama announced a national security team Monday headed by Hillary Rodham Clinton, who fought him long and bitterly for the presidency, and Robert Gates, the man who has been running two wars for George W. Bush Â— striking choices by a president-elect who declared he wanted "strong personalities and strong opinions."

Bush uses final 50 days in office to tout legacy (AP)

AP - President George W. Bush says history will judge him, but he is getting his own crack first. Bush is using his final 50 days in office to tout his legacy, hoping to leave a lasting impression of overshadowed progress. On Monday, World AIDS Day, Bush was heralded for his leadership in fighting the disease, a point that even his Democratic critics readily concede.

Police: Jennifer Hudson's estranged relative arrested in shooting deaths (AP)

AP - Police arrested the estranged brother-in-law of Jennifer Hudson on Monday in the deaths of the entertainer's mother, brother and young nephew, taking him from a prison where he had been held on a suspected parole violation.

India demands strong action from Pakistan (AP)

AP - India demanded Monday that Pakistan take "strong action" against those behind the deadly Mumbai attacks, and Washington pressured Islamabad to cooperate with the investigation.

Palin implores Ga. Republicans to back Chambliss (AP)

AP - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin urged Georgia voters to back Sen. Saxby Chambliss in Tuesday's runoff in an election eve appeal that underscored her popularity within the Republican Party and the GOP's efforts to stave off erosion of its shrinking Senate numbers.

Parents: Slain anchorwoman was sexually assaulted (AP)

AP - A television anchorwoman killed in her home had been sexually assaulted and beaten so badly in a suspected burglary that her jaw shattered and she broke a hand while trying to fend off her attacker's blows, her parents said Monday.

1 in 5 young adults has personality disorder (AP)

AP - Almost one in five young American adults has a personality disorder that interferes with everyday life, and even more abuse alcohol or drugs, researchers reported Monday in the most extensive study of its kind.

Man says God ordered him to ram vehicle at 100 mph (AP)

AP - A man who rammed his truck into a woman's vehicle on a highway early Friday told authorities he crashed into her while going more than 100 mph because God told him "she needed to be taken off the road."

Burress appears in court, has bail set at $100,000 (AP)

AP - Taken to court in handcuffs, Plaxico Burress posted $100,000 bail on weapons possession charges Monday as a frenzy grew around the case of the Giants star receiver who accidentally shot himself in a nightclub.

Obama names Clinton, Gates to lead foreign policy (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama named former rival Hillary Clinton as secretary of state on Monday and said Robert Gates would remain defense secretary in a national security team charged with recasting America's leadership role in the world.

Dow loses 679.95 as economy, Bernanke revive fear (Reuters)

Reuters - Stocks tumbled on Monday as signs of a deepening economic slump around the world erased much of last week's sharp gains, with banks and retailers among Wall Street's biggest casualties.

India demands Pakistan act decisively on Mumbai attack (Reuters)

Reuters - India demanded Pakistan take decisive action over deadly attacks in Mumbai it said were carried out by militants from its nuclear-armed rival, while the West urged cooperation to ease tension.

Bush calls flawed Iraq intelligence biggest regret (Reuters)

Reuters - President George W. Bush said the biggest regret of his presidency was flawed intelligence that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and told ABC "World News" in an interview airing on Monday that he was unprepared for war when he took office.

U.S. in recession, Europe backs spending hikes (Reuters)

Reuters - The U.S. economy has been in a recession for a year, the nation's business cycle arbiter declared on Monday, while European leaders vowed to step up public spending to try to cushion a deepening downturn.

House to push $500 billion stimulus bill (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi met leading governors on Monday to discuss the size and shape of an economic stimulus package that one Democratic aide said was likely to cost around $500 billion.

Alabama mayor arrested on corruption charges (Reuters)

Reuters - Federal authorities arrested the mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, on Monday in a corruption probe surrounding a sewer bond debt that could lead to the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.

Thai protesters consolidate hold on airport (Reuters)

Reuters - Thai protesters prepared to end their three-month occupation of the Prime Minister's office on Monday to consolidate their grip on the main airport ahead of a court verdict that could dissolve the elected government.

Hawkish Obama names Clinton as top diplomat (AFP)

AFP - Barack Obama on Monday nominated Hillary Clinton to be his "tough," "smart" secretary of state as his former foe vowed to give her all to steer America through a storm of international crises.

Mumbai attacks: India demands Pakistan take 'strong action' (AFP)

AFP - India on Monday formally accused "elements" in Pakistan of being behind the devastating Islamic militant attacks in Mumbai and demanded that Islamabad take "strong action".

Decorate Like You See in Magazines & Books?

Interior Design & Decorating Interior Design & Decorating