Home Décor for First Timers (no matter what your age)

If you're like most people home décor is a puzzling subject. Unless you are innately artistic and have an eye for color and texture, home décor can become quite a challenge.

There are many factors to take into consideration to be successful in this endeavor.

If you are taking on this task of creating the environment you feel most comfortable in then take heart. There is help and you don't need to take courses or hire someone at great expense to get the job done.

I would start with finding out what your style is. How do you do that? Quite simple. When you go into someone's home or go to a furniture store or model homes, what makes you go, Wow, I love this! Does your mood change? Are you happy to be in that environment and can you picture yourself there? You'll find that it reflects your personality and it just feels right.

Make observation your tool for success. When you start realizing what you really like, start taking notes. Become aware of what colors you like. Someone who is very flamboyant may have vivid colors on their walls with large bright paintings. Someone more conservative may have subdued, softer colors on their walls and furniture. Remember, you are creating your own personal sanctuary. It should just feel right.

When you have your style and colors figured out, your next step is to find your inspiration piece. This is a piece that moves you in some way. It could be a painting that you absolutely love, or a beautiful fireplace; it could even be wall sconces or a sculpture. It is an entirely personal thing. It is the base that you build you entire room around.

Don't be afraid to mix colors. You don't want your space to look sterile. (Well, maybe you do) You can mix dark and light woods together. Different colors of accent pillows can do wonders for the look of your room. Plants add life to any room and sculptural pieces can be the crowning touch.

Remember, the key to getting started on your home decorating is observation. Go to the show rooms, model homes and friends and relatives. Learn about what you really like and what it is that makes you want to be there.

The entire process can become a labor or love and don't be surprised if it becomes addicting. We all like change throughout our lifetime so this can be a rewarding experience for years to come.

Enjoy!

About the author

Willie Jones
http://www.home-decor-online.com
Willie Jones is an artist and freelance writer and researcher who enjoy sharing her ideas and knowledge to service the public in their search for information. Home Decor Online

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President-elect Barack Obama speaks about the economy at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.,  Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)AP - Pushed by fellow Democrats, President-elect Barack Obama agreed to modest changes in his proposed tax cuts on Friday after inviting lawmakers to "just show me" ideas for fixing an economy shedding jobs at an alarming rate. Democratic congressional officials said that Obama aides came under pressure in closed-door talks to jettison or significantly alter a proposed tax credit for creating jobs.



In this Sept. 28, 2007 file photo, former Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin listens during a panel discussion, at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York. Citigroup board member Robert Rubin, who has drawn heavy criticism for his role at the embattled bank, has resigned as a senior adviser.  (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, file)AP - Officials at the embattled banks Citigroup and Morgan Stanley will negotiate over the weekend about possibly combining their wealth management businesses, a deal mostly aimed at bolstering Citi with much-needed cash.



Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich makes a statement  Friday,  Jan. 9, 2009 in Chicago, after he was impeached by the Illinois House on a wide array of offenses including criminal corruption and wasting taxpayers money. The two term Democrat becomes the first governor in the history of Illinois to be impeached. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)AP - Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached Friday by Illinois lawmakers furious that he turned state government into a "freak show," setting the stage for an unprecedented trial in the state Senate that could get him thrown out of office.



Smoke caused by explosions from Israeli military operations hangs in the sky over the outskirts of Gaza City as seen from the Israel-Gaza Border, Friday, Jan. 9, 2009. Israeli jets and helicopters bombarded Gaza Friday and Hamas responded with a barrage of rockets on at least two cities as both sides defied a U.N. call for an immediate cease-fire. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)AP - Israeli jets and ground troops hammered at Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip and Islamic militants fired barrages of rockets at southern Israeli cities Friday, ignoring a U.N. resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire after two weeks of combat.



Chicago Police officers investigate the scene of a five-person shooting outside Dunbar High School in Chicago, Friday, Jan. 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)AP - Five people were shot as spectators left a crowded high school basketball game Friday in what police called a possibly gang-related attack that sent panicked students running into a snowy street on the city's South Side.



Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon listens during a news conference, Friday, Jan. 9, 2009, in Baltimore. Earlier in the day a grand jury indicted Dixon on 12 counts, including perjury, theft and misconduct in office. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)AP - Mayor Sheila Dixon was indicted Friday on charges that she accepted illegal gifts during her time as mayor and City Council president, including travel, fur coats and gift cards intended for the poor that she allegedly used instead for a holiday shopping spree.



Texas death row inmate Andre Thomas is shown in this undated handout file photo released Friday, Jan. 9, 2009 in Huntsville, Texas. Thomas, who has a history of mental problems is being treated at a prison psychiatric unit after authorities said he pulled out his only good eye and ate it.  He similarly had plucked out his right eye before his trial in 2004. (AP Photo/Texas Department of Criminal Justice, FILE)AP - A Texas death row inmate with a history of mental problems pulled out his only good eye and told authorities he ate it. Andre Thomas, 25, was arrested for the fatal stabbings of his estranged wife, their young son and her 13-month-old daughter in March 2004. Their hearts also had been ripped out. He was convicted and condemned for the infant's death.



This photo released by Bruce Sherman of Rockport, Texas, shows a Pine Flycatcher photographed at the Choke Canyon State Park, Texas, Jan. 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Bruce Sherman)AP - Birders with binoculars and cameras are flocking to a remote state park in search of a small yellow-chested bird that apparently crossed the U.S. border for the first time from its high-mountain habitat to the south.



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In this June 28, 2008, file photo, Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher J.C. Romero (16) pumps his fist as he walks off the mound after striking out Texas Rangers' Jarrod Saltalamacchia with bases loaded in the eighth inning of a Major League baseball game in Arlington, Texas. Romero was penalized this week after testing positive for androstenedione, which came from contaminated supplements they purchased over-the-counter.  (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)AP - Baseball authorized nearly 8 percent of its players to use drugs for ADHD last season, which allowed them to take otherwise banned stimulants. A total of 106 exemptions for banned drugs were given to major leaguers claiming attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from the end of the 2007 season until the end of the 2008 season, according to a report released Friday by the sport's independent drug-testing administrator.



Smoke rises during Israeli's offensive in Gaza, January 8, 2009. (Mohammed Salem/Reuters)Reuters - Israel pressed on with a punishing Gaza offensive and Hamas sent more rocket salvoes into southern Israeli towns in a two-week-old war that continued to defy international efforts to stop it.



Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin participates in a panel discussion about Poverty Alleviation at the Clinton Global Initiative, in New York, September 20, 2006. (Chip East/Reuters)Reuters - Citigroup Inc is in advanced talks to sell its Smith Barney brokerage unit to Morgan Stanley, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday, in a move that would further dismantle the financial supermarket that has been bailed out by the U.S. government.



Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich speaks during a news conference in Chicago, Illinois January 9, 2009, as he points to Illinois residents that he clamed have been helped by the issues that are now being used as the Illinois House voted to impeachment him. (Stephen J. Carrera/Reuters)Reuters - The Illinois House of Representatives impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Friday for abuse of power, including a charge that he tried to sell President-elect Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat.



US President-elect Barack Obama speaks on the economy at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. US economic conditions are Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama and a key Democratic lawmaker revealed plans on Friday to overhaul the government's $700 billion financial rescue fund as a way to aid struggling homeowners and speed the flow of credit.



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Voters fill their ballots during the U.S. presidential election in West Hollywood, California November 4, 2008. (Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)Reuters - The U.S. Supreme Court said on Friday it would consider a challenge to a central provision of the 44-year-old voting rights law aimed at preventing states and local governments from making it harder for minorities to vote.



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