![]() | Interior Design | ![]() |
Home decor and interior design can be baffling to some so here are some useful hints and tips as well as some money saving ideas. *ÃÂ When buying curtains or decorating materials take a cushion from the sofa shopping with you to ensure you get the right colour. *ÃÂ Use string covered with chalk to mark straight lines on walls for shelves, wallpaper etc. *ÃÂ When planning a child’s room get down to their level to see if from a childs’ perspective.ÃÂ This will prevent placing hooks etc. too high for them to reach. *ÃÂ Never get a tall person to hang pictures for you as this will result in them being fitted too high. *ÃÂ To make fittings such as radiators less obtrusive paint them in the same colour as the wall. *ÃÂ Create a mantle shelf by using two decorative brackets and a plank of wood. *ÃÂ Fabric paints can give old pieces of furniture a new look. *ÃÂ Inexpensive plastic garden urns can be painted and decorated for use as indoor flower planters. * ÃÂ Try using the same colour paint on walls, woodwork, skirting and ceilings for an “all over” look. *ÃÂ Colours – in a dark room go for bright not light.
*ÃÂ Mix wall paint with clear varnish to use on woodwork. *ÃÂ Eggshell finish paint on woodwork does not show imperfections like gloss paint does. *ÃÂ Use car spray paint to revitalise light fittings. *ÃÂ To cut costs, use wallpaper on the top half of the walls then a border with a bold paint colour on the bottom half of the walls. *ÃÂ When painting corridors remember dark colours will shorten. *ÃÂ Music, newspaper or brown paper make a change to wallpaper. *ÃÂ To see how much room a piece of furniture will take up before buying, take a piece of newspaper and a tape measure and make a template the same size as the item in question.ÃÂ Place paper on floor to give some idea as to the amount of space needed. *ÃÂ To save on costly trimming when finishing off a table cloth.ÃÂ Cover table with a larger untrimmed cloth.ÃÂ Put a decorative trim around the edge of a smaller cloth which is then placed over the top. *ÃÂ Hang decorative baskets from hooks to provide extra storage. *ÃÂ To liven up kitchen cupboard doors just change the knobs and handles.ÃÂ Old cutlery can be bent and wired to the doors as handles. *ÃÂ To get more light into a room, replace the top of the door with glass. *ÃÂ Clever use of mirrors can give the illusion of more space. *ÃÂ Colourful sheeting fitted to broom handles make cheap and cheerful cafe style curtains. *ÃÂ Plain fabric trimmed with fringing make expensive looking curtains for doors or stairs. *ÃÂ Make an unusual and cheap shower curtain by using bubble wrap fitted on key rings. *ÃÂ Blankets and pieces of material can be made into attractive and unusual curtains without sewing by using special clips which can be purchased in most good haberdashery shops. |