Five Easy Ways to Make Your Home Simply Chic

 
Before you give up on your home decorating endeavors due to a lack of funds or time, here are five techniques to try before you toss in the towel and leave blank walls and drab quarters.

1. Paint. Ranging anywhere from $5 to $20, adding a fresh coat of paint to your room of choice can completely transform your living area. “Chocolate brown, grays and deep reds paired up with teal, raspberry or kiwi colored accessories are thee colors this season,” says Sandy Marx, owner of Cincinnati Interior Design. If you want to go bold and chic, choose a warm-colored background with bright accessories. If you are willing to spare a little time and money each season, change your paint colors with the moons. You wouldn’t wear pink floral prints in the dead of winter, so why keep your room looking spring fresh throughout the year? Treat your room of choice like a true fashionista and change its coats from spring to fall. Last but not least, Marx insisted on going monochromatic, using one main color or hue. This color should be the focal point of your room. Whether you choose to use the “it” colors or go in a different direction, don’ go Van Gogh on your walls or accessories. Choose solid colors that mesh well and stand out — the brighter, the better when it comes to accessories.



2. Choose Your Furniture Wisely. According to Marx, the color of your furniture has a lot to do with how big your room looks. White or light-colored furniture gives a sense of space and openness, making a room appear to be larger and more spacious. On the flip side, dark-colored furniture like a cherry wood finish or black painted end tables fills space and makes a room look smaller than it really is. So if you have the room to spare go dark, but if you are crushed in tight corners, you better lighten up.
3. Be Creative with Your Accessories. If you are lacking closet space or have a serious shopping problem and can’ leave a store without a handbag, scarf or hat in tote, then your best bet would be to hang them on the walls. Seriously, this strange technique for accessorizing your room with accessories not only saves closet space, but adds flair to your room. Sporadically space out bright colored handbags onto your wall as if it is a canvas and your accessories are the paint. The uniqueness of your purses hanging on the wall will definitely be a conversation starter and a trend that’s sure to start amongst your friends.
4. Every Living Room Should Come Complete with a Cocktail Table. Check out eBay, a local yard sale or even a flea market for a wonderful cocktail table. Marx insisted the one piece of furniture that will add a sense of chic to your living room is a cocktail table. It doesn’ have to be a rare piece or an expensive name brand, but definitely needs to be in good condition. So if you are willing to set aside extra money for your home, this is the item to splurge on. After you shrink your wallet with your big purchase, head to the dollar store and find some martini and wine glasses. Less is more, so don’ over accessorize your cocktail table. A couple cute colored glasses and a bottle of top shelf wine is all that’s needed.
5. Add Flair to Your Furniture. Wall paper your furniture. That’s right, wall paper on the coffee table or on the television stand, not your walls, that is so ’90s. Sherwin Williams, Home Depot and Lowes sell top-quality wall paper that is affordable and trendy. Make sure you choose classic colors and styles that will last over the years, once you lay on the glue there’s no going back. To make the perfect wall paper covered furniture all you need is spray glue and an Exacto knife to get the perfect look and cut. Click here to check out a few photos of HDTV’s wallpapered furniture masterpieces. If you are not comfortable with the idea of wall papering your furniture, try tiling your furniture instead. This will add a more rugged and artistic feel to your pieces. Buy bright-colored tiles and break them into pieces, then mismatch the different colored tiles together using super glue and make your own tile puzzle top for your tables. Once you have all your tiles glued into place, grout the inside to give it that finishing look.

There you have it, five quick and relatively affordable ways to chic up your home. You don’ have to be rolling in money or hire an interior designer to make your home fun, fabulous or classy. Sometimes the best decorating comes from a creative mind and a couple helpful tips to get you through the process. So head to your local craft and home improvement stores and start thinking outside the box. Just remember, don’ go too crazy. We don’ need another decorating incident like the ’70s. Shag carpet will not be acceptable.

 
PHOTO CREDITS:
Photo: Neysa Ruhl Photography
Location: The McAlpin
Model: Emily Schellenbach
Makeup Artistry: Jocelyn Sparks, Zoë Custom Cosmetics