Textiles have a huge impact on the mood of a room. You should always invest in the highest quality fabrics you can afford.  Whether this is your first home or your dream home you can create lush, luxurious spaces by selecting beautiful fabrics to adorn your abode.

The colors and textures you choose will influence the atmosphere, mood and style of your home. 

Choosing fabrics can be both fun and stressful. There are so many options to consider such as:

Bouclé

Broadcloth

Brocade

Cashmere

Chenille

Crewel

Damask

Faille

Gros Point

Imberline

Jacquard

Lampas

Linen

Matelassé

Merino Wool

Mohair

Moleskin

Peau De Soie

Pongee

Ramie

Sateen

Satin

Shantung

Silk

Suzani

Taffeta

Tapestries

Toile

Velour

Velvets

Viscose

Voile

Plan on choosing fabric for furniture, wall treatments, accessories, draperies and bedding. Be sure to select fabrics that are the appropriate weight for their intended use.  For example, if your dining room chairs are used frequently an upholstery weight fabric that is more durable would be a much better investment than an unlined silk.

Don’t be afraid to combine patterns and textures. It is sometimes difficult to see the big picture when looking at small fabric swatches so the help of an interior designer can be extremely useful and cost-effective in making the right decisions.

Match your color choices to the function of the room.  For example, you may want a romantic and restful bedroom, a living room that stimulates conversation or a bathroom that calms and relaxes.

Basic colors such as yellow creates a feeling of happiness and sunshine, blue is calm and restful, red increases energy and excitement while crimson can increase anger, deep dark purple brings a feeling of luxury and increases creativity and other lighter shades create a soothing tone, pink evokes a feeling of romance and sweetness, green relieves stress and orange will stimulate energy and excitement.  Neutral colors do not affect mood so you can use them as accent pieces or to tone down a too colorful room.

It is important to consider floor coverings, furniture and wall treatments that are included in your design plan before you select fabrics so that the room will have a unified theme.  Begin by choosing a beautiful fabric in a print or pattern that you adore for each room of the house.  This fabric will provide the overall focus for each room. 

Your next step is to choose two or three other fabrics that will include a color from your original fabric choice.  Mix and match colors, weight, scale, textures, sheen and patterns to create a unique look for each room.  In some rooms you will select a traditional understated fabric scheme and other rooms will be more bold and playful mixing and matching various fabric elements and colors. Limit your pattern choices to no more than three per room to preserve overall design scheme.

To make the process less stressful and more fun consider reading the books “Color Harmony: Fabric Harmony: A Decorating Guide to Creative Fabric and Color Combinations for the Home” and “Decorating With Fabric and Pattern” both available in bookstores and online.

Your interior designer should can help you with your final color and fabric choices.  You will discover that some of your favorite designer or luxury fabrics are only available through your interior designer so it is important to choose someone who understands your vision and your lifestyle.

You will live with your choices for years to come, so take your time making selections that make you happy.

2008, Style for Life Interiors.  Copying of Contents, in its entirety is permitted provided that author by-lines are kept intact and unchanged. Hyperlinks and/or URLs provided by author must remain active.

How do you turn a humble bedroom into a place that radiates peaceful bliss?

If you can renovate the room, get the floors done in a rose beige or golden beige.

Go for a soothing beige color scheme with golden lighting for a serene and classy effect.

Paint the walls and ceiling in your chosen shade of beige or cream. The unbroken color give the room a sense of spaciousness and harmony.

Add a touch of luxury to the room with a golden chandelier at the center of the ceiling. Let it bathe the room in its gorgeous golden light when it gets dark. The effect in the overall scheme of things is simply beautiful.

Ideally, get a wooden bed and paint the bed frame with the same shade of beige as the rest of the room so it blends in seamlessly into your bedroom.

Keep the decor minimal. Absolutely no clutter is allowed. For that lived in touch, a sheep skin spread in front of the bed would make the room feel really luxurious.

If that sounds to cruel for you, you can always go for a large wool rug laid out in front of the ed. It makes the atmosphere more welcoming.

The dressing table and chair could be of painted wood in a pretty shade of beige to blend in with the surroundings. Just keep all your personal things in the drawer of the dresser and not on the table. At most, you could display a gorgeous bottle of perfume, or two, on the dressing table for the lived in look. Makeup and everything else gets hidden out of sight.

Likewise with the wardrobe. If you can, have a built-in wardrobe to make full use of the space. If space allows it, make it a walk in wardrobe. Whatever the case, paint the wardrobe the same color as the wall so it seemingly disappears into the wall. Keep your clothes and everything else out of sight. No clutter allowed if you want a peaceful ambience. Instead, have a vase of flowers, maybe the perfume bottles on the dresser and a few lighted candles to give your room a soothing ambience.

To break the monotony of an all beige color scheme, you could have a pretty piece of wooden furniture in a natural warm brown. It could be a beautiful book shelf where you arrange your books neatly, or if you aren’t very organized, it could have wooden doors to hide the messy shelves.

The terms Modern Furniture and Contemporary Furniture are often used as interchangeable parlance descriptions of non-traditional, sleeker and innovative furniture.  However, even though both terms fundamentally mean “of current times”, the design and manufacturing concepts behind modern and contemporary furniture styles as well as their incorporation into today’s interiors is clearly distinctive.

For starters, modern furniture style came about right after the 2nd world war when the need to support budget-conscious living became the overriding principle in furniture manufacturing.  On the contrary, contemporary furniture style surfaced in the late 70’s early 80’s during an upturn in global economy where consumer spending required a more embellished lifestyle with glamour as its focal point.

Cost-saving mass production of the post-war era became the catalyst of minimalist, stark pieces featuring steel and chrome-plated structures cleanly adorned by glass, plastic, leather or plywood finishes.  On the other hand, new found wealth of the early 80s led to the need of combining more extravagant materials typically used in traditional furniture with modern lines.  Consequently, marble, granite, crocodile leather, luxurious fabrics, lacquered and polished surfaces became the major indicators that furniture pieces which may at first glace be considered “modern,” now belonged to the contemporary furniture style.

Another major difference between modern furniture and contemporary furniture pieces is their actual shape.  Typically modern furniture would be dominated by simplified geometry, pure qualities, minimal demeanor, straight lines and uncluttered surfaces; while contemporary furniture would have round or more organic shapes, curvier silhouettes, sculptural construction with more detailed dispositional qualities, blurring the lines between decoration and functionality.



Lastly, color plays a big role in distinguishing the two styles.  In modern furniture, color is free form and is used boldly.  From high in contrast – black and white combo to the statement-making brighter hues, to futuristic shades of grey or warm earthy tones, modern furniture are defined by their aesthetics and materials, making the color, a mere attribute of one’s personality.  Such is not the case with contemporary furniture.  Often perceived as the cozier and homier style of the two, the color palette consisting of earthy tone like creams, browns, and oranges is quite vital to the essential character of contemporary furniture.

Debate over the true distinction between modern furniture and contemporary furniture will continue to create a further confusion between the two styles.  All the while, the unmistakable distinction between the two styles is rooted in their aesthetics, design, constructions and interaction with space.

You’re ready to take that step and put some fresh color on the walls. With all the different choices available, which color will you choose? What shades? Well, before you make that final decision, consider how colors can actually change your space and the overall mood of your room.

Red Red is the color of love. It is known to stimulate a faster heartbeat, increase blood pressure, and energy. Designers usually use red as an accent color. A red wall or red furniture will defiantly get attention. Red also increases the appetite, which makes it a good choice in dining rooms.  

Black Black is the color of authority and power. It also makes a great accent color against white. When used against white, it becomes a very stylish and timeless combination. Black and white accent pieces are extremely popular.  

White White symbolizes purity and innocence. It is one of the most used colors in decorating. This light and neutral hue goes with virtually anything. White is a great color for bedding or drapes when trying to achieve a peaceful, tranquil space.  

Blue One of the most popular colors, blue represents peace. This tranquil color causes the body to produce calming chemicals. People are usually more productive in rooms painted in blues. Blue is a perfect choice for a bedroom or a home office.  

Green Green is another relaxing color. The different shades of green can be used many ways. Lighter shades of green are great for bedrooms, living rooms, and great rooms.   Dark greens are more masculine, and are popular in professional offices. Hospitals usually use green to help relax patients. Mid tone greens are great for kitchens.    

Purple Purple represents luxury, wealth, and sophistication. Dining rooms, bedrooms, and libraries work well with this color. Lighter shades of purple are great for children’s rooms, and play areas.  

Yellow Yellow gains attention and is considered an optimistic color. It also enhances concentration. It is a very warm and welcoming color. Babies tend to cry more in yellow rooms, so it not wise to use this color in a nursery.  

Orange Orange tends to warm the room in a friendly way. There are many shades of orange, and can be used in many rooms. Burnt orange is extremely popular for living rooms, while lighter tones are great for bathrooms.  

Brown Brown is known to be reliable, and one of the more popular earth tones. It is a great accent with just about any color, but is especially nice with blues. Light browns are a symbol of genuineness. Most men enjoy browns, so consider this when decorating his favorite space.

Oak, the widely known deciduous tree has some of the strongest and most durable pieces of wood available. Famous for the waved pattern of its grain and the natural reddish color, it is especially favored for use in flooring and strong furniture, lasting for decades. Woodwork artists have therefore come up with ways to keep the amazingly beautiful pieces looking bright and new as always and therefore the concept of reclaimed oak. Though the word “reclaimed oak” might seem as a cliché word for the environmentally correct and a buzzword for recycle, reuse, and so on, it is important to note that the concept of reclaimed oak is not a shabby chic or fashionable idea, but rather one that has come down through generations. With the challenges the planet and environment are facing today however, it also worth emphasizing the positive attributes of considering the idea. Responsible buying, reduction of waste, preserving nature and keeping the planet green are all concepts worth considering when purchasing any woodwork or oak furniture, being one of the few species of trees to withstand the test of time, should be preserved. This preservation is what has made the reclaimed oak pieces of furniture such jewels to marvel. These strong, traditional and antique products of the hardwood, with some fine touches over time can leave them spackling new. Whether it is for resale, or continued use at home, your reclaimed oak furniture will always attract attention to lookers with its strong ambience and natural reddish color that needs little furnishing. The one thing that stands out about oak, and reclaimed oak furniture is how crisp and smooth it will always look. The bright color of it’s furnish reflects light well, making cleaning it a joy. Oak is easily recognizable and highly respected as wood and with the modern synthetic furniture being reported to contain toxic substances, it is always a safe bet to stick with the old timer. With more stringent controls being taken on restoring the planet’s past glory where oak was in plenty and oak furniture easily available, it is important to take note of how best to make a furniture purchase, whether a bedroom furniture or living room furniture. Considering reclaimed oak is therefore one of the preferred methods where new furniture may not be really necessary. Earth friendly materials for use as restorers are also available in the market and it is therefore easy to work on your old piece of oak. If you’re buying a reclaimed oak piece of old furniture, it is also important to check where the oak has come from, and if not from a legal and sustainable source, keep away from it. In the US, certification for the source of oak is done by the Forest Stewardship Council, FSC, and since most of these precious woodworks such as oak furniture are second hand, be sure to always check their sources. Most importantly however, having oak furniture, whether reclaimed oak, or new, as a living room furniture or bedroom furniture is always a treasure and should be considered as a long term investment rather than an expense.

Ladies, we spend a lot of time in the morning getting ready for the day. We take showers, put on makeup, blow dry our hair and put on just the right outfit we feel good in. Then we top it off with the hot colors of accessories from sunglasses to sandals – the details of what we wear matters in how we look and feel. Maybe it shouldn’t be that way, but it is. You can think of your bedding as fashion for the bedroom because you dress your bed just as clothing and accessories dress your body. The little details we put in our bedrooms such as vintage rag rugs, beaded lampshades, hand crocheted pillowcases or satin sheets will make all the difference of how we feel as we spend time in our bedrooms.

A bedroom is a place to feel safe, comfortable and cocooned as we sleep at night. I like the bedroom to be an expression of who I am as well as that of my husband. I don’t want it to be all cabbage rose, salmon pink and lace because that doesn’t make my husband feel too comfortable. He isn’t exactly the cabbage rose type. However, it also doesn’t have to be golfing, fishing and rustic log furniture either. We can compromise on a majestic leaf pattern with just a small floral touch. I use deeper colors of blue and green mixed with a sophisticated plaid and stripe for the bed linen. I love to mix all the patterns together and it turns out great. If you have never done that before you might find it a little tricky, but you will be okay if you stick to the same hue in the same color families. We live in the north woods so our colors are stronger, rustic and outdoors. There is a nice blend and flow throughout the home. Doesn’t it make sense to begin with colors inside that reflect the great outdoors, striking a balance between the two? I am surrounded by pine trees and a beautiful lake. I feel serene and happy when I take those same colors and make a beautiful room to spend my private time.

Take a cue from the great outdoors If you are confused about where to begin when it comes to decorating the bedroom or other parts of the house, take a cue from the outdoors. Stand at one of the windows from inside a room and look out. What do you see happening in your backyard? Do you have a blue swimming pool or is your garden filled with yellow marigolds? Does your lawn look like green velvet or do you have earthy shades from rocks and stone? Do you love the cold strength of black wrought iron patio furniture or do you prefer bold awning stripes? You can begin to get the idea of how the inside can reflect the outdoors or vise versa.

You want your whole family to feel as comfortable in their bedrooms as you do. If you pay attention to details of bed linens, color, furnishings and small personal touches for your kid’s rooms, they will feel like they are special, and they may even clean the room a little more often. For example, your baby’s bedding could look cute and cuddly, the colors and patterns for kids can be bright, fun and whimsical. It doesn’t matter what size of mattress you or your kids have, the mattresses must all afford comfort. The goal of every bedroom is to have linens that are beautiful, easy to take care of, and mattresses that are comfortable to sleep on. If the room is dressed right, you will feel good while you are in it. You might consider just adding a duvet cover for a quick change over the tired comforter. I have taken old fitted sheets that were worn and placed them on the windows for an instant dramatic valance. Be creative when it comes to your personal style and get the kids involved. You don’t have to be extremely crafty to just get some fabric paint and let them design their own sheets. Isn’t it kind of boring to always buy what is shown to you in catalogs or retail stores? Place a table you had in the living room at your bedside and put a family quilt on it. Use solid velvet throw pillows that you haven’t had out in a while and add a few baubles to them or stitch a lace handkerchief to the top.

Take what you already own and just put it somewhere else in a new way. Divide all of your little collectibles into piles by color. Never prejudge something that you think is strictly for the kitchen, or just for a bathroom. If you look at the small knickknacks with fresh eyes you might be surprised at how warm a room can be just by using the play of color. I love using things in an unexpected way. Don’t limit these ideas to the bedroom. Your whole house can be spruced up with a quick change by just moving around the pieces you already own. Another trick is to keep the small items all together in one spot. Don’t try to spread the small things out to cover space. You will make much more of a statement if you keep them together because there is strength in numbers. Know your priorities before you buy Do you prefer your bedding to be 450 thread count Egyptian cotton, or an easy no fuss fiber blend? Do the mattresses need to have a thick 100% cotton mattress pad? Are you looking for the most high tech mattress on the market? Do you want the baby’s bedding to be the softest available or is the cute factor more important? Do you want to be surrounded by fancy luxury or casual chic? Have a good idea of what you are looking for before you start making buying decisions. You are dressing your bedrooms in fashion just as you would your body. Don’t be afraid to experiment a little, and use the things you already own for a fresh look.

Color has an amazing effect on our emotions, moods and senses. Yet, we often don’t give them the consideration they deserve when decorating our home. The right colors can create a sense of warmth and promote relaxation while other colors can energize us or leave us feeling blue.

Color isn’t universal either. We all perceive color differently, even across cultures. For example, the Chinese perceive red as being calm while Americans feel it is aggressive.

When choosing colors for your bedroom, don’t forget to think about the color of the bedroom furniture itself. A lot of homeowners and even designers give endless thought about the color of the wall treatments and the fabrics without giving a second thought to the color of the furniture that is an integral part of the room.

Strange, since wall treatments and fabrics can be changed out easily if you don’t like them but changing the color of the finish on your furniture furniture can be difficult, if not impossible.

That’s why it’s vital that you think about the color of your furniture when decorating a bedroom.

For example, black bedroom furniture commands attention, but it can also make a room look smaller. So you may want to use it in a larger master bedroom rather than a small guest room. White, on the other hand, is neutral, allowing you to contrast it with colorful bedding, flooring and wall treatments. It is perhaps the easiest color to work around for Modern bedroom furniture, since it adds light to the room and gives it a breezy appearance.

The warm look of wood bedroom furniture connects us to the outdoors and can create an emotional bond with nature. This is particularly true of the lighter woods such as maple, birch or pine. The darker stained woods can offer a feeling of elegance and warmth, especially when combined with bedding of silks, velvets or overstuffed comforters.

Browns are also very neutral when it comes to bedroom furniture. This is both good and bad. On the plus side, it means that your furniture goes with nearly any décor, even if you plan to have purple walls. On the down side, your bedroom furniture simply blends in with the surroundings, since everyone is used to brown furniture, particularly wood furniture. It can come across as bland.

Bedroom furniture with an orange hue, on the other hand, can make you happy while yellow can become irritating. Perhaps that’s why you don’t see much yellow furniture these days like you did in the 70’s.  Red is exciting, which can make sleep harder to come by. Finally, blue and green are calming, though these colors may be better suited to bedding than the bed itself.

Because colors, and even shades or tones of color, affect each person differently, you need to see what works for you. Just don’t forget to consider the color of the bedroom furniture as you shop for the right look for your master bedroom or guest bedroom. It has a greater influence on you than you may think.

You may have reached a point where you’ve grown tired of your current surroundings, your tastes or trends have changed, or perhaps your friends joke about the lava lamps and beaded curtains still adorning your private sanctuary. Regardless of your budget or decorating skills, there are some things you can do that will give new life to your bedroom.

Home stagers and designers are skilled at transforming rooms that are more inviting because they know how to get the most out of arranging their client’s heirlooms, cherished treasures, and furniture. Finding new ways to display objects or finding new purposes for pieces are just a few tricks of the trade.

You can do the same and here are 5 ideas to help you get started:

1 De-clutter – The best thing you can do for yourself is to periodically go through your room to remove unneeded or unwanted objects. If you haven’t used, read, or worn something for at least a year, get rid of it, find a new use for it, or give it to charity. Having some sense of order has a psychological affect on how we feel about ourselves. If the task seems too daunting, tackle only small areas at a time and eventually you will have a de-cluttered space. If your time is limited or you really need help in this department, find an organizational professional to help you with this task.

2 Decorative Accessories – Arranging accessories is a true art. Visit your favorite stores to study their displays and take note of how they use color, variety, and texture to create an interesting arrangement. To set up a table display, start with the tallest or largest object first. Add medium and smaller sized pieces. The trick is to arrange objects that will lead the eye from the larger items to the medium and smaller items and then to the table surface. Overlap pieces or set lamps on top of objects to give more height and depth to the arrangement. This creates a visually interesting display. If there is a wall display behind the table, have the larger or more vertical pieces tie into those items. Using similar shapes and hues creates unity. Be careful not to use too many accessories, as the affect can be overwhelming.

3 Color – Replace pillows, artwork, lampshades, and accessories in a different or fun color to freshen up your overall color scheme. Use colors that make YOU happy. We all know that color can affect mood so pay attention to your body’s response to different colors. There’s a reason you are drawn to certain colors so why not use them in one of the most important rooms in the house? Find items around your home to use or seek out decorative accents that will enhance the look. Color can come from many sources including lighting, which can affect colors in the room in unexpected ways. Use an interesting chandelier or candles for ambiance.

4 Update Your Current Bedding – Bedding today is all about layering. Add a quilted coverlet and shams. This adds texture and some volume to your bedding, making it cozy and inviting. Change or add decorative pillows or shams in new colors for interest. If you own a really fabulous pillow, purchase bed linens that will showcase it. I found a really fabulous pillow in red, but didn’t want to do my entire room in red. I found that the red pillow served two purposes. It gave the room my personality and it always made me happy to look to at. There are so many choices and textures in decorative pillows today. Pillows with beading or unusual fabrics can make a difference. Throws come in all sorts of fabrics – wools, cashmere, fleece, and fur and are great for a special decorative touch.

5 The Unexpected – You can really crank up the “Wow” in your room by adding the unexpected. Use serving tables, trunks, or old suitcases to function as bedside tables. Using something that can also be used for storage is an added bonus. Display your collectibles from travels or find unusual objects to display. I once visited a friend who found a large wasp nest (no longer occupied, of course) and hung it from ceiling. Instead of hanging art or prints on the wall, mount a kimono or wearable art piece. Angle your bed and place a stunning folding screen behind it. Screens can be painted or covered with fabric and are another great source for adding or changing color in your room. An unusually tall headboard can help bring more focus to the bed as the focal point of the room. It’s also a great way to embrace a room with high ceilings. Add fragrance with scented candles, flowers, or herbal fragrances (lavender encourages relaxation). Flower arrangements in unusual containers can add a fun element to the room.

Finding just the right accessories, furniture, or bedding takes time. Enjoy the hunt. Use what you have, purchase only the things that you truly love, and decorate in colors that make you happy.