My personal tips as an ordinary homemaker - I have got no formal schooling on design to share with you but these are based on my design instinct.
De-clutter
As the title suggests, remove clutter. The things that are of no use anymore keeps your space disorganized when they hang around. It is made first on my list to lessen the burden of adding them on your workload while decorating.
Broken appliances:
-have it repaired or sell to a junk shop. If can not be fixed, nor brought to a junk shop right away, keep in a storage room (where all your unneeded stuff are kept).
Before throwing things:
- check if it still can be used like toys of grown-up children; can be donated to beggars on the street or in daycare houses. Wash it first and perfume it.
- unused or old clothes can be re-cycled for a bag, or be donated, again wash them first so it will not smell hidden in the "caves".
- since, surplus e-shops/websites are now available, sell the items you donot like anymore.
Organize
Put everything in place. There must be a rack/plastic basket or drawer for every little thing so as not to find it lurking on top of the tv, ref or lounging on table or chair. Shoe rack is advisable. Laundry hamper too. There must also be a an open rod-standing hanger for nice-clothes for laundry. The hamper can sometimes be a prey to rodents that might chew on our favorite clothes-the clothes inside must be folded. It is an eye-sore to see a mountain-like dump of laundry.
Have a Color Scheme
Color coordination matters. My style is for example, the flower on my vase is orange, I put an orange accent on some part of the house to connect that side to the whole block. A figurine or a table cloth will give the needed connection.
One of my designs, home in Inaclagan. A mother's taste. |
Draperies
For me, good curtains does not clash with your wall paint. It matches the furniture perfectly and most important of all in choosing curtains is the function - if the area where you will put it, needs a sun blocker in the noon, thick and heavy curtains would be great.