Advice for Decorating Your Home (Published 2020)

This article provides practical advice and solutions for common home decorating dilemmas, drawing on insights from a design expert. The content is structured around several questions, each addressing a specific area of home improvement, from furnishing extra rooms to kitchen renovations, front door painting, and art hanging. The first section focuses on furnishing a multi-purpose extra room, particularly for those working from home. It discusses the practicality of pullout sofa beds for guests versus their daily use as office furniture. Key considerations for purchasing a sofa bed include size, comfort, durability of materials, and budget. For instance, solid wood framing and high-performance upholstery contribute to longevity but increase cost. The article suggests different types of sleeper sofas for varying guest needs, such as memory foam mattresses for older visitors or simpler pop-up platforms for younger guests. A cautionary note is included about the temptation to nap if a sofa is in a home office. The second section offers immediate and cost-effective solutions for updating an outdated kitchen, especially relevant for those who have increased their at-home cooking. It highlights budget-friendly improvements that can be made without a full renovation. One significant suggestion is to use custom door and drawer fronts from companies like Semihandmade, Reform, or Scherr's, which are designed to fit Ikea cabinet boxes. This allows for a customized look without the expense of a complete remodel. Alternative, even cheaper options include repainting existing cabinetry and adding new hardware. The article encourages bold color choices for temporary updates. Other medium-term, DIY-friendly investments include removable wallpaper, peel-and-stick floor tiles, butcher block countertops, sheet-metal backsplashes, ceiling painting, pegboard installations, and lighting upgrades with dimmer switches. It also suggests adding functional storage using industrial shelves, potentially customized with paint. For appliances, it advises against replacing large items immediately, instead suggesting painting cabinets to match or blend with existing appliances to reduce visual contrast. The third part addresses the decision-making process for painting a front door, specifically for an off-white Cape Cod style home. It outlines the steps for a DIY front door painting project, from removing and preparing the door to applying paint and reattaching hardware. The emphasis is on choosing a color that complements the architectural style. "A Field Guide to American Houses" is recommended as a resource for architectural styles and color inspiration. The article suggests leaning towards less flashy, New England-appropriate hues for a Cape Cod home, such as blue-green, rather than more saturated colors. It also touches on historical color palettes, noting that homeowners historically used more diverse colors on various house parts than is common today, potentially inspiring a more polychromatic vision. Finally, the article provides guidance on how to hang art, particularly for someone with multiple pieces of varying sizes and indecision about placement. It advises focusing on areas where the eye is naturally drawn, such as from a living room sofa or upon entering the front door, rather than trying to fill every wall. The process is broken down into three steps: isolating "hero pieces" (oversize, delicate, or sentimental art) for individual display; grouping other pieces visually on the floor into pairs, trios, or quartets; and sketching elevation drawings of walls to plan placement before physically hanging. A key spatial principle is to "tether" artwork to furniture or architectural features to prevent it from appearing to float. Standard practice for art placement suggests a midpoint of 57 to 60 inches from the floor to avoid hanging art too high. The article concludes by humorously acknowledging that navigating shared art decisions with others is a separate challenge, but encourages creating compelling vignettes to distract from less desirable pieces. #HomeDecor #InteriorDesign #DIYHomeImprovements #KitchenRenovation #FrontDoorPaint #ArtHanging #SofaBeds #HomeOffice #HomeDecor #InteriorDesign #DIYHomeImprovements #KitchenRenovation #FrontDoorPaint #ArtHanging #SofaBeds #HomeOffice