One of the most difficult and important aspects of interior design is choosing the right colors. I’ve got 10 tips you can use to make this crucial chore a lot easier!

One of the most important things to consider is how the color on a room works with the colors in neighboring rooms. One simple technique is to start with hallways and other common areas of the house, selecting a neutral shade, such as one of the many Freshaire Choice paint colors. Bedrooms, bathrooms, the kitchen and other rooms connecting to those common areas can be filled with similar shades of colors you like.

If you’re eager for another color tip, I’ve got more for you right here!

If you’re considering installing recessed lighting, it’s probably because you prefer to keep lamps off your floor and tabletops. When it comes to functional lighting, that’s a wise choice; after all, a table lamp can only light a small area of a room. One more thing to consider when making the decision to lift your lighting to the ceiling is the appearance of the fixtures. A substantial majority of recessed fixtures are just plain ugly!

If that’s not enough to turn you off, consider the fact that you have to cut large holes in your ceiling and hope you have enough open area to safely install those recessed cans for your new lighting.

Don’t worry, you can still enjoy light from above. Pendant lighting, lights that hang a short distance from the ceiling, can provide all the light of a recessed lamp, with less installation hassle and a lot more style.

If you already have some idea what style you are looking for, you can find some pendant lighting available to order online.

Nobody likes to feel like they’re in a closet, especially when they’re not. If you have a room in your home that gives the illusion of being the sizer of a shoe box, try a few of these tips to make your room look and feel larger!

• Move furniture closer to the wall.
  • Furniture that isn’t against, or near, a wall can block walkways and interfere with your view of a space, making it feel smaller.
• Light it up!
  • Brighter rooms look bigger! Let in as much natural light as possible; light is the only thing you can fill a room with that doesn’t take up space.
  • If that doesn’t work, replace any light bulbs in the room with a good quality, high output compact florescent bulbs. This will not only make the room brighter, it will lower your lighting bill!
  • If there is only one source of light in a room, consider adding a lamp.
• Keep it clean!
  • If you don’t need it in the room, get it out of the room! If it must be there, keep it neatly tucked out of the way. The more open space in the room, the bigger the room will feel.
• Use a simple color scheme.
  • Use colors from the same color family.
  • Cool and light warm colors on most surfaces will make the room feel more open, dark colors will make it feel more cramped.
  • If you have to paint any walls, we recommend Freshaire Choice paint for its environmentally friendly properties and premium durability.
• Soften up!
  • Again, dark colors make a space feel cozy and intimate; in a small room, this translates to cramped.
  • Lighter, cooler colors can make the same room feel more open and airy.
  • Soft blue and green tones give the best effect.
• Check your coordination!
  • Your furniture will appear to take up less space if it blends in with the rest of your decor.
  • Contrasting colors break up a room, making it look and feel smaller.

Take these ides and run with them. Apply them to your smallest room first, then try them in your biggest room. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that your house is bigger than it looked!

If you are into this kinda stuff.

Zillow has an interactive Home Value Report Map that, I have to admit, surprised me quite a bit… but in a good way. You may be shocked to find out where the values have gone up and where they have drastically gone down in the United States. Check the mad map out here.

A couple of things to do there:

 

See how home values have changed across the U.S.

Click on cities to compare neighborhood home values.

Download detailed city reports for more information, including single family vs. condo comparisons, and a ranking of neighborhoods within an area that are most popular on Zillow.

Every so often Pottery Barn offers complimentary classes at local stores. I recently received an e-mail inviting me to “Designing the Perfect Bedroom” on February 24th. Find out how you can sign up by contacting your local store. 

While the Pottery Barn sessions may not be for interior designers, they are a good start for homeowners who want to learn how to better select bedroom furniture and accessories, but aren’t looking to become designers. For those who are interested in training or starting an interior decorating business, Staged Makeovers is also offering Interior Redesign and Home Staging Classes at affordable prices. Find out more by contacting Sharon Kreighbaum, Accredited Staging Professional. Contact her by clicking here.

Looking for a piece of art for your home but want something unique, not out of a chain store? Consider buying from an artists’ guild online catalog like The Artful Home. The gift of art is an original Valentine’s Day present for the art lover, new home owner, or person who has everything. Art vendors carry everything from handcrafted jewelry to one-of-a-kind furnishings that are sure to be conversation pieces. Try a sculptural wood bench like Mark Levin’s Nymph Stool in your foyer for instant art impact. The Artful Home makes searching easy by breaking each category into a refined search using art terms (not just typical filters) such as color, discipline, medium, new items, price, technique, and theme.

Kitchen cabinet refacing is a great way to get the look of new cabinets for less. Refacing uses existing cabinet boxes and avoids using or throwing out high-polluting and off-gassing particle board or plywood. That new cabinet box smell is formaldehyde…yuck. Today’s cabinet faces are typically made from 1/4 inch thick wood stock versus the old environmentally unfriendly plastic laminate refacing option.

Lately we’ve been preparing for the National City Home and Garden Show held at the IX Center near the Cleveland airport. We are featuring an interior designer showroom that is both classic and modern. The show’s theme is beautiful Italy. For pictures of the show check out our website www.stagedmakeovers.com under the events page.

Here are some tips on how to make your kitchen more safe for your little ones, courtesy of Heloise:

1. Use special latches on drawers and cabinets to prevent access to breakable or toxic items like bottles of cleaning agents.
2. Keep knives and other sharp items in an area where they cannot be reached.
3. Turn pot handles inward, away from the front of the stove.
4. Keep household cleaners out of sight.
5. “Never, never underestimate the reach and will of a curious baby.”
6. Get down to the child’s level, literally. See what they see.

Looking for a beverage center, wine cooler, and a mini refrigerator? Consider the multiple-use Liebherr RU500 undercounter refrigeration unit. It stores up to 29 wine, champagne, beer, liquor, or water bottles or 88 soda, beer, or - as we say in Ohio - ”pop” cans. Unlike common wine storage units, the Lieberr unit has pullout racks and glass shelves that are adjustable to suit your needs. Silent storage is a bonus feature thanks to a vibration free-compressor that keeps contents quiet.

Side note: Liebherr also is a manufacturer of concrete mixers, aerospace products, cargo handling machines, earthmoving and mining equipment, all sorts of cranes, and other large machines and tools!