Lively Decorating Ideas are In for 2008

Posted at 6:45 PM, Jan. 22, 2008

Breathe New Life Into Your Home! A new year brings plenty of opportunities for new beginnings, so why not give your home one? Whether you are about to put your house on the market or are just a bit bored with your surroundings, some simple changes can make a world of difference.

Slap on Some Paint
Try something different and stay away from boring beige or wimpy white. Or, at the very least, use the more muted colors with vibrant accent colors on one or two walls. "We've gone through an era of everything being very muted and quiet and what we see with the younger generation coming up is that we're really going to use lots of colors," says Dixie Lovejoy, owner of Arizona's Apple Interior Systems, Inc. "Colors on the walls, color on the furniture, such as lime greens, browns, oranges and bright reds." A fresh coat of paint will give your home an instant lift since it makes guests (or buyers) feel that your home is clean and well-kept. "Paint is a very inexpensive way to do something new and not have your house seem dated as time goes on," Lovejoy explains.

Go Big or Go Home
When purchasing accessories, buy bigger and buy less. "People used to buy accessories on a very small scale," says Lovejoy. "In our office, one of our slogans is: bigger is better." She means that things like pots, vases, flower arrangements and fountains should all be larger. Replace a lot of knickknacks with one big focal piece. You will make a statement with your decorating rather than making your home look cluttered.

Pillow Talk
Accent pillows are a key home décor item that no home should be without. Pillows can tie together your home's look, harmonizing colors from the painting above your fireplace with the antique wingback chair. "Accent pillows are kind of a key to all design that ties everything together," Lovejoy says.

Sliding Away
Sliding glass doors and even French doors are disappearing in newer homes, says Lovejoy. Their replacements are doors that virtually vanish and allow greater access to the outdoors. Installing these doors can replace the eyesore that some sliding glass doors can be. "They actually can slide all the way into a pocket that's built into the wall or stack on top of each other so it becomes one small window on the left or right side, but the rest of your house is all open," explains Lovejoy. Homeowners want more than the typical three-foot opening that French doors or sliding glass doors give. "The newest trend is opening up a 12 to 22 or 30 feet of glass," says Lovejoy. "It gives you almost the lanai effect like you have in Hawaii where the inside and the outside all become one." This look is ideal for homeowners who entertain a lot or host big events. These doors allow you to essentially merge the inside and the outside of your home.

The Outdoors Becomes the Indoors
Connected with this trend is the growing trend to decorate the outdoors like the indoors. Patios and decks with fireplaces, couches, chairs and even drapes and pictures are not uncommon and can blur the line between the inside and outside of your home. Today's designers are incorporating big patterns into velvets and sheer materials on outdoor furniture that still holds up to the elements. These materials allow you to hose off your outdoor couch or chairs or vacuum them to remove dirt or stains.

 With Flooring, Hard Is In (Wahhooo!)
Carpeting is on the decline, says Lovejoy. Traditionally, homes have had carpeting in bedrooms and tile or wood in other areas. This is changing to homes that have hard flooring in all parts of the home to create a flow between the different areas of the home, as well as between the inside and outside. "That way, when you open up your house for entertaining, the patio or the lanai on the outside, or your sunroom, has the same surface as the house so you get that huge expanded feeling," says Lovejoy. Going hand in hand with this trend is the prominence of rugs. Of course homeowners want some soft areas in their homes, like near couches or beds.