i hate my decor and such.

Kimberley · **i hate my decor and such.**

okl so i hate the way my hosue looks. i have mismatched furniture in my upstairs living room. and a slipcover that always slips. my basement is inthe process of being prepared for painting, i have no idea how to decorate my upstairs living room. about the only rooms in the house that i am happy with are my kitchen and my dds room. and my hallway. the only thing i want to change in my upstairs bathroom is the toilet seat lol. my bedroom is very plain and ugh. and the basement is nothing but paneling and the walls are odd, so it makes it difficult to hang pictures or shelves, and the basement is huge, i mean you could make 2 aditional seperate rooms down there by just adding 2 walls and 2 doors and still have an enourmous living room. i just hate my taste, i hate what i seem to choose. i like the contemporary country look. no frills or flowers or farm animals. i don't know how to decorate my basement, i want it look inviting and warm and cozy but not cluttered or tacky. my upstairs living room needs different furniture. i am just depressed about how my house looks and that ihave no money to change anything.

Cricket · 07-29-2006, 12:13 PM

I feel your pain!

I am/was shabby chic. Soft pink walls,green furnature,my art was all hand painted roses(sorta still is).

Then I get a new couch! I got rid of the old HUGE couch and love seat for a hide a bed couch in....plaid....blue,burgandy,green and tan.....???

I got it form the inlaws and I NEEDED it.

One--my house has too much stuff and I needed to scale down.
Two---I quilt, sew, paint, and scrapbook..and make purses...and I have an alcove that is right off my diningroom so crammed full of stuff it looks awful. My floor plan is open so it is the first thing you see.
Three---my step dd needs a bed when she come from out of state.
Four--my dd leaves for college in August and I am moving the younger dd into her room and moving my craft into the other bedroom somy dd needs a place to sleep too when she comes home to visit.

So that is why I have a plaid hideabed couch in a pink house.

It all has to be changed! Who has the $$? I have to PAY for College!

So this is my Frugal plan....

I am going to paint the walls tan and the trim white.

I got tan fabric for curtains( twin flat sheets from walmart that cost $3 each) along with a burgandy and tan and green print for the crutains also.(I had that fabric in my stash yeah!)I just have to sew them. I have to sew enough for the living, dining , and kitchen since they are all one room.

I will need some art and some assessories.

I will also make a table cloth from the same walmart sheets and quilted table runner from the scrap fabrics for a custom look to match my curtains.

I am just so SICK of organized messes! No one else I know I stuff PILED all over. My house embarrasses me.

My sisters have huge, new, CLEAN decorated houses and I have this....craft mess! I love my house I just hate all the crud I have added to it.

Well it is all going to change. I am having a garage sale and getting rid of stuff.

My life is changing(I am trying hard not to have a nervous breakdown about my dd going away to college) and so is my house.

Paint workes wonders and so do curtains. Even a new piece of art or moving the couch helps too.

Good luck!

Cricket

angel4la · 07-29-2006, 12:29 PM

try going to some garage sales.I've picked up some really nice decor for cheap.Greenary is always good and makes your home look cozy.It took me awhile to get my home the way i wanted.I just slowly bought good quality things until i had what i needed.

hindsight2020 · 07-30-2006, 10:04 AM

Well, how close to ND are you?

I'd love to help you find your style! You could start by looking through back issues of decorating magazines and finding rooms that you like. You can find entire rooms that appeal to you, then pick pieces from those rooms that you can copy to get the same feel. Without showing you a design book and pointing things out or taking you to a design shop and showing you different arrangements, that is the only thing I can suggest.

hindsight2020 · 07-30-2006, 10:09 AM

Another thought: Christopher Lowell's"7 Layers of Design" is a great book for the decorating challenged because it tells you the steps to get a good cohesive design. If you are struggling with knowing where to start I think it's an excellent method.

cmb4321 · 07-30-2006, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hindsight2020

Another thought: Christopher Lowell's"7 Layers of Design" is a great book for the decorating challenged because it tells you the steps to get a good cohesive design. If you are struggling with knowing where to start I think it's an excellent method.

Thanks for the recommendation, I need help in this area!

Missystuy · 07-30-2006, 01:04 PM

This is a good thread!

My house is AWFUL. When we bought it 5 years ago, it was becasue the price was right, I was preggo with DD #2 and we needed a house with 3 bedrooms. Its CUTE, but small. and fairly 'outdated'. There were an elderly couple living here and they died, so it was still thier decor, lots of panelling, and orange shag carpet.

Well we saw the potential for the place but just havn't had the time or money to do what we want. I found a paper recently that had all the work done on the house since it was built and the kitchen hasn't been updated since 1977!!! SO I think you can imagine how lovely it looks with the marlite walls, red countertops, particle board cabinets,and linolium floor. This is by far the worst room in the house.

I need someone to just rip it all out and start over!

MoMof7 · 07-30-2006, 01:17 PM

I'm sorry 'bout your house. Thrift stores & garage sales are good places for few dollars. I was unhappy with my living room so, I painted it a beautiful green. Now it looks so different. What about stripping furniture?? I stripped my black painted trunk and left a little black on it here & there. Now its a great coffee table! Good luck dear.

hindsight2020 · 07-31-2006, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmb4321

Thanks for the recommendation, I need help in this area!

Perhaps I should sell mine on eBay!

dottiebeverly · 07-31-2006, 11:23 AM

Kimberley,

Have you checked Freecyle?? People are always giving away stuff on there, including FURNITURE!!!!!! Garage sales, thrift shops and used furniture stores are also great places to find home decor. The best thing I do is try to pick ONE item I really like and build around that, kinda like a focal point, KWIM?? My living room is done in Country Americana theme, and believe me, it takes a while to get things decorated, especially if you don't have alot of money. (which I don't). Just take your time, it'll come together.