er school activities. We wired to the max, with our cell phones, our BlackBerrys, our computers, and our iPods always within arm's reach. We pride ourselves on our ability to multitask, but somewhere in the process, our ability to simply relax and enjoy life gets lost. One of the best ways to get back on track and bring balance into our lives is to use home decor to transform our houses into our sanctuaries.The first step in using home decor to enhance your house is to take the time to inventory each room in your house. This isn't a furniture inventory, or a count of the number of clocks or lamps you own, but an emotional inventory. Take a notebook and a pen from room to room, and jot down how you feel in each room. When you walk into the kitchen, do you feel energized, or do your shoulders sag? Does your bedroom make you feel as though you've walked into a safe haven, or does it feel sterile and uninviting? Does your dinning hall look elegant or not?
Some tips for decorating a room
* Plants and Flowers
Beautiful flowers add comfort to a room. It's amazing what a quick transformation can be made with fresh plants and flowers. You don't need to find something dramatic and expensive. A simple plant potted in a decorative pot set on a coffee table, bookshelf, on top of a cabinet, almost anywhere, adds life and color instantly. Be sure to keep fresh plants shiny and dusted. You might even want to have two plants for each location, one for display, one "on the mend." If a plant gets scraggly or droopy, get rid of it! You might nurse it back to health, but not in your living space! If you just don't have time to tend plants or if your room is dark, find some new artificial plants. These work great for out-of-reach spaces. But be sure to keep them dusted and perky, too.* Expand on a Theme
Everyone has a special interest. Traveling, sports, pets, flowers, children, and even a favorite book or movie can all provide focus for a room and offer ideas for adding finishing touches. By choosing a theme for your room, you'll know what to zero in on and be able to select accessories, art, and colors to expand and enrich the theme.
* Deck the Walls
Bare, boring walls get a real lift with a painting, colorful poster, collection of prints, or family photos. When working with art, try to focus on a color scheme or theme. Unify the works with common mat colors, similar colored frames, and size and shape. One large piece can create a focal
point in a room, while a small collection of pieces draw the eye for a closer look.* Get Grounded
A hardwood floor looks sleek and smooth, while wall to wall carpet adds softness and unifies large spaces. But an area rug, placed on top of the flooring, can create a special area, provide a boundary for furniture, and even divide a room into several spaces without walls. Classic oriental rugs can be found to fit almost any decorating scheme and contemporary patterned or color-blocked rugs add color and character to the floor and the room.
* Gather Together Some of Your Favorite Things
If you collect anything such as dolls, books, teapots, cameras, or sporting equipment, use the collection as a point of interest. Gather the whole collection into one place or arrange the items around the room. Celadon plates, blue and white porcelain, carved wooden pieces all offer themselves as works of art for a room. What do you love?
* Combine Textures and Feel
Contemporary interiors are often sleek and smooth, while cottage style rooms are usually soft and snuggly. For a really interesting look and a comfortable feeling for a room, combine smooth and rough, shiny and matte, hard and soft in one room. The contrasts will add interest and help to avoid a boring room.
* One Piece to Stand OutNeutral walls and fabrics look clean and neat in a room. But to really draw someone's eye, add a punch of color with lime pillows, orange mats on black and white photos, a hand-painted piece of furniture on the main wall, an animal print ottoman. Just one interesting accessory or piece of furniture will help make the room spectacular.
