by Mitzi Saltsman

Created on: April 21, 2009

Unique and inexpensive home decorating ideas

It really took all the new DIY TV shows to make me realize there are no set rules to decorating. Having your home look the way you want, just takes some time, some imagination and a little ingenuity. Hmmmm, and maybe come guts as well.

Figure out what you and your family like. Maybe it's traditional or classic, maybe you like modern and sleek or, even if you are eclectic (I didn't know not having a style, was a style!) you have a goal to shoot for. Actually, most of us are at least a little eclectic. This meaning, you like what you like! In the "real world", we find a piece and if we like it, it probably fits in with our style as well. Although, being a little quirky, I love to have something totally random in the midst of my rooms. We live on a lake and it just seemed natural to go with a nautical, old cottage feel. We've painted in blues and whites and even have sailboats and lighthouses decorating the bath and living rooms. When we found a bright red, gum ball machine at an antique auction, it was just what we needed to punch it up.

If you can't find what you are looking for at a garage sale, auction or on eBay, it probably doesn't exist, unless ... you make it yourself. Many "Do It Yourselfers" are not creative, artistic geniuses; they are just willing to give it a try.
So, find your style, ... make a plan, ...
and give it a go.

Everything you read about decorating tells you that paint is the #1 way to freshen up and dramatically change a room for the least amount of money. It's still a lot of work, so you want to make sure you are doing it right. One of my favorite colors is orange, but I don't really paint a whole room that color; and I certainly don't want to have to repaint paint it because of a hasty decision. Take your time and bring home several shades of the color you are interested in. Look at in different lights and at different times of the day. Punch up the paint with some texture (did you know you can add sand, or non-paper confetti, or anything else you can imagine to the paint. It will leave texture on the wall. Or, you can paint a wall and sponge another color or glaze over the paint to add a multitude of different affects.

Our daughter loves to doodle. We call her our "fontist" because she is always creating new "fonts". She penciled Bible verses on our walls and then painted over the pencil marks, even using magic markers. Over our antique stove in the kitchen it reads, "We are the salt of the earth

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