Decorating For the Real World

We are all guilty of it. We stare longingly at those perfect room layouts in magazines and wish that we could transport ourselves onto those pages and into the world. We try to duplicate those results in our own home and then berate ourselves when our efforts fail to create the same effect. This vicious cycle keeps us tuned to our home improvement television shows and surfing the internet for answers. It is time to stop the madness, accept the fact that we don’t live in a magazine, and adjust our decorating ideas for reality.
Storage

One of the most appealing aspects of those magazine photographs is the complete order that they represent. In those pictures, there is nothing out of place no homework scattered across the table, no mail laying about, no children’s toys to trip over, and no pets dragging trash across the carpets.

Well, it pretty easy to accomplish that look. Just get rid of the spouse, the kids, the pets, and all of that day to day stuff that makes your life worth living. Since that isn’t going to happen, rethink the furniture that is in the room. The addition of bookcases not only gives you shelves to display beautiful home accents, but with a few coordinating storage baskets, a place to store some of that clutter that overtakes even the best design ideas.

Why stop there? Without making a huge investment, you can purchase storage ottomans, decorative baskets or bowls for keys and change, or a bench with extra storage space under the seat. The point is when you are decorating a room, that clutter that you move out so that you can paint or rearrange the furniture will not go away. Turn your back for just a day or two and it will be all over your tabletops and floor. Instead of fighting the inevitable, accept it and find a way to organize.

Comfort

Have you ever noticed that there are rarely any people pictured in those decorating magazines and on the off chance that there are a few token people, they are perched tensely on the edge of that silk sofa or chair? Is that really what you want in your home? Is that really how you want to feel when you sit in a particular piece of furniture?

Your home should be your retreat, your sanctuary, make it as comfortable as possible. When you go to purchase a chair or sofa, give it the ultimate test. If you enjoy taking an afternoon nap on your couch, stretch out on the new one and make sure that it will sleep well. If your pets join you on the furniture, make sure that the fabric is something that pet hair will be easy to vacuum. If your pet has black hair, a white sofa would be a poor choice. If you have kids, make sure that it is something that they will be able to climb on without you worrying about crushed fabric and such. You want to make your surroundings fit into your life, not the other way around.

Easy to Clean

Many of the photographs that we see in magazines features rich fabrics for furniture and window treatments. Again, in a perfect world our homes would be free of dust, dirt, and odors, but since we live in this world the simple fact is that those lush fabrics are just not practical. Now we could all try to use this as an excuse to never have to cook again, but what are the odds that your family would accept that?

When selecting fabrics for your home, keep in mind that many require dry cleaning which could really hit your wallet. A better and more practical choice is to make sure that your window treatments, table linens, and pillow covers are machine washable. There have been many new fabric developments over the past few years including micro fiber and washable silk that still give you the same effect without the hefty dry cleaning bill.

Apply this same logic to your carpets and area rugs. While that pale carpet may be beautiful and eye catching, are you really going to remember to take your shoes off every time before walking on it? You may want to opt for a slightly darker shade or at the minimum invest in an at home carpet cleaning system. Again, thanks to recent developments and mass production, these carpet cleaners can be purchased for nearly the same price as a standard vacuum cleaner.

The more cleaning options you have, be it selecting products that will hide dirt or purchasing the right tools to clean it yourself, the more likely it is that you will truly enjoy your home.

Color it Up

One of the first things that catch our eyes in those design layouts is the stunning color choices for the walls. This is an easy change that anyone can add into their decorating plan. Color can be of a practical use as well since darker walls tend to hide blemishes, fingerprints, and such. Molding and trim painted in paler tones really pop against walls of vibrant hues and really show off the architectural beauty of your home.

Remember, paint is one of the least expensive changes that you can make to your home and yet it has the most impact in the appearance. To keep your wall color choices wise and grounded in reality, be sure that the paint is washable so that when unsightly blemishes appear, they can easily be wiped away.

Practical

The rooms featured on the pages of magazines are often pulled into a cohesive design by the use of simple home accessories. This is one lesson that we can take and actually use to our advantage. The designers use candles, coasters, accent pillows, and throws to complete their designs and we can easily copy their techniques while still making our homes fit into our everyday lives.

The use of accents in a home can be a practical addition to a room. Is you love to lounge in a particular chair, why not add an accent pillow to make that chair even more comfortable. For added luxury, add a matching throw to keep you cozy. Add a few scented candles for ambiance, air freshening, and just overall decorating value.

Why stop there? If you are designing a room that has access to the outdoors, why not add a rug at the door in a coordinating print or color? This will not only compliment your décor, but it will also give people a place to wipe their feet before coming inside.

While the rooms featured in the magazine photographs might inspire us, it is important for us to remember that we are decorating for the real world and our real lives.
 
Dana Burnett lives in southern Indiana. She has been published in numerous literary magazines and electronic magazines. She now owns and operates her own home decor site www.nanasatticstore.com.