You can think about this when you hesitate on buying those furnishings for your home: "A home without a blanket is a home without warmth. A sofa without cushions is a sofa without charm."
And if you might add, a blah and bad sofa (read: boring, old, worn, eyesore, offending monster) is in need of immediate rescuing! But of course, home decorating rescues can mean home mortgaging nightmares if you get carried away. Just imagine the waste of money you will be making if you decide to throw out the offending sofa and the money you will be spending if you opt for an upholstery job.
Instead, why not just throw on a sofa throw every day of the week and instantly change the atmosphere of the room? After all, it is one that you can interchange and swap, mix and match as easily as you do with clothes. (Think of it as the clothes the sofa wears to convey its mood, or rather, your mood)
Blah Sofa to Fab Sofa
Even the best of interior decorators and professional furniture hunters make the mistake of choosing the plainest sofa ever to grace the house of boredom itself. However, you can change the plainness to fabulousness in just one throw! Make that one nice sofa throw.
When you chose a sofa that is too plain, too neutral, too bold, too anything unfavorable to the room's intended character, do not go whining to the upholsterers.
If your sofa is plain-looking, add in a boldly-patterned throw to offset the plain Jane look. Depending on the new look you want to achieve, you can either complement the color of the sofa for a harmonious feel or you can contrast the colors of the sofa and the throw for more pizzazz.
If your sofa is too neutral, add in throws in bold and bright solids. You get a perkier sofa that looks more inviting than the drab one you mistakenly took home to dull reviews. Add in complementing cushions and voila! Neutral to beautiful!
Indeed, with the right sofa throw and some throw pillows, you have transformed a blah sofa to a fab sofa. Now, if only your hubby and kids will stop those throw pillow fights.
Worn Sofa to Wow Sofa
If you have a sofa that has seen better days yet you are reluctant to throw it away for whatever reason, baby blanket comfort and good memories among them, and you cannot afford to re-upholster it, then a sofa throw is the best option you have. After all, the cost of the throw itself is unlike throwing a whole lot of money the upholsterer's way!
You can even opt to purchase both cheap and luxurious sofa throws, the former for everyday use and the latter for special occasions. Or you can buy all kinds of sofa throws to suit your mood and the season and set the ambiance at the simple change of a sofa throw!
You can hold on to your sofa for as long as you want in this way. Unfortunately, you will also be tucking, nipping, fixing and straightening the dang sofa throws for as long as you choose to use them but hey! What is a little housekeeping when you can hold on to the sofa for what it is worth?
Indeed, with a strategically positioned and appropriately styled sofa throw, you can transform your blah and bad sofa into a classy and fab sofa!
Blah and Bad Sofa? Throw in a Sofa Throw, Change the Look Instantly!
Author: Ainsley Howard
Quick Affordable Decorating Tips
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Warm and Unique Accents and Touches
- Paint your white walls with a warm color such as yellow, orange, or red to give your rooms a more inviting and less generic feel.
- Spread candles throughout your home to give it a cozy feel. Scented candles also make for a relaxing and pleasant atmosphere.
- Old postcards found at local antique stores can make impressive, beautiful, and inexpensive artwork when framed. Similarly, pictures from standard wall calendars can have the same effect.
- Tack ribbon in a lattice pattern over one side of an upholstered screen and you can slide in mementos such as pictures, cards, etc. This will be an effective way to divide your space, while giving you a memento board in the process.
- Something as simple as a bowl (or interesting container) of oranges can create an interesting touch to any room.
- Hang any framed work about 5 ½ to 6 feet from the ground. That way they are just slightly above eye level, but at a perfect height for admiring.
- A coat of fresh paint is a cheap and effective way to rejuvenate tired furniture to look fantastic in your new home.
- New wall hangings, cushions, and throw rugs can be an extremely cost effective way to adapt your color scheme to complement your new home.
- Keep a couple of interesting books or magazines on the coffee table.
The Kitchen
- Everyday kitchen items can be used in a unique way to accent the décor of any room in your home. For instance, bold patterned dinner plates hung on the wall can give a plain wall a whole new dimension. Likewise, a series of white plate with interesting monotone patterns can create a whole different feel on a brightly painted wall.
- Clear up chaotic kitchens by hanging pots on the wall. This will free up cabinets and also give the room a new decorative touch.
- Before you begin to unpack, don't forget to wipe out all cupboards and shelves. You can also use shelving paper to line cupboards and drawers.
- Boiling cinnamon sticks will give your kitchen a clean, fresh scent.
The Small Room
- Large mirrors will give any small room a spacious and bright feel. Additionally, placing greenery in a position where it can be reflected by your mirror will give the room an even more uplifting feel.
- By placing delicate chairs around a heavy table, a room is given a more spacious illusion.
- A small room can be made to feel larger by painting large stripes or daring colors on the walls.
The Exterior
- Planting a few self-seeding perennials can be a cheap and effective way to add color to your new garden.
- Paint used flower boxes and hang them below your windows after filling them with your favorite flowers.
- Paint an old ladder and place it along a wall of your home. Set different potted flowers on each step. This simple process will give your exterior a new and inventive look.
Protecting your Home
- Improving the security in your new home will not only give you peace of mind, but will also lower your insurance premiums.
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Shopping for Discount Home Decor
- Consignment shops - stores where private owners sell
their used furniture - are becoming more and more popular. Check if there
are any in your area. The inventory is one-of-a-kind, so if something
catches your eye be prepared to buy. If you get to know the manager they can
let you know when the sort of home furnishings you're looking for come in.
- If your new home is in a pre-planned community,
check out the developer's model home for pieces you like. They may be a bit
worn, but often the developer will sell off the home's furniture after a
period of time. It's a great way get room sets that are already coordinated.
- Many big furniture stores have scratch and dent
rooms: sections where they keep slightly damaged (but very inexpensive)
models. Also keep in mind that most furniture stores periodically sell off
used furniture (again, comparatively cheap) when they get rid of
"showroom samples" or "floor models." Ask about both
possibilities when you shop retail.
- If you have any wholesale furniture warehouses in
your area, consider stopping by. Buying wholesale furniture is almost always
cheaper than buying retail.
- When looking at used furniture - or any used
furnishings - don't think of what they look like now, but what they could
look like with a little refurbishing. Maybe that coffee table wouldn't fit
your living room now, but sand it down and add a coat of stain and it might
not be so bad.
- Flea markets can be a great source of inexpensive,
one-of-a-kind interior decorating materials. But finding a bargain at one
can involve a lot of time and a lot of effort. Preparation always smoothes
the way. The next few tips show you how.
- Nowhere is the expression "the early bird gets
the worm" more apt than at a flea market. Vendors' best used furniture
and bargain furnishings often go quickly, leaving late arrivals with the
leftovers.
- Some flea markets can be huge and it's easy to lose
focus. Take along a list of the furnishings you want before you set out. It
also helps to take along sketches of the rooms you need to decorate,
complete with dimensions and a tape measure to see whether the furniture in
front of you will fit with your plans.
- If you fall in love with a piece of discount
furniture at a flea market, bear in mind that moving it can be an issue.
Some vendors will deliver, but only at the end of the day and only for an
additional fee. Thus, you'll want to bring the biggest vehicle you have
available (i.e. a pickup truck or a van) or consider renting one.
- When you're moving a piece of furniture home from a
flea market, you'll want to take all the packing precautions you normally
would when moving furniture. Before you head out to the flea market, make
sure to bring a few old boxes, blankets, tarps, tape, twine, bubble wrap and
a box cutter with you for the ride home.
- People selling antiques out of the back of van
usually don't take MasterCard or Visa. When you're going to a flea market,
bring cash.
- Don't be afraid to bargain. Flea market vendors
expect it, and with a little negotiation inexpensive items can become even
cheaper.
- When perusing home furnishings, try to think outside the box. You might not want to eat off that set of ceramic dishes, but they might make colorful, unique wall hangings.
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