Affordable and Easy Decorating Ideas

1.  A decorative ledge is a great accent for your walls.  It can support framed photographs that can lean casually against the wall.  Rotating art or collectibles is one of the advantages of wall ledges.

2.  Baskets are a sign of bounty and should always be overflowing with soaps, fruits, magazines, pinecones, books, ivy, etc. 

3.  Objects on a mantel should be varying in heights.  You want a skyline look, not a level assemblage.  Raise the smaller objects by creating pedestals using stacked old books which become part of the display.

4.  Do you have a small table or accent piece you love?  Don't throw your scale off by using it in a prominent place.  Put it beside a chair instead. 

5.  The best way to hang artwork is so your gaze meets it dead-center or two-thirds the way up the canvas.  Try lowering it a few inches if it is hung in the living or dining room so it can be enjoyed while guests are seated.  Avoid the mistake of hanging artwork too high.  It needs to relate to the objects below it, such as on a mantel or a display table.

6.  If you have two or three similar small pictures, try hanging them in a row over a door or under a window.  Because the placement is so unexpected, the pictures will draw extra attention.

7.  Add interest to a dull corner by adding a tree, decorative screen or a wing chair.

8.  Create drama by adding an "up" light behind silk or live trees.  (available at Home Depot type stores)

9.  Enlarge the look of artwork by painting a contrasting color on the wall in the same shape as the artwork to "frame" the piece.

10.  For a more complete makeover and for all of your decorating needs, be sure to call Redesigned Interiors!