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[quote=Anonymous]It's hard to just give general advice. My mom was a great at decorating our home (self taught) and I think it was just in my blood. I never understood how people could be comfortable just putting in any old sofa and and old side table and leaving it like that. For me, I need the right window treatments, rugs and furniture. Never matchy, matchy but always coordinated in some way.

The one quick rule is when selecting paint - start with grays and work your way out. If you want blue - go to gray swatches and move out until you get to a blue.

This doesn't work with yellow or every color but it is a good rule. I have friends in expensive Bethesda homes with neon blue or green paint and it looks just awful. It took them months to pick it out and they just didn't know where to start.

Buy neutral sofas (never ultrasuede. If you need durable - do leather. I have leather even though I don't love it. Kids destroy upholstery though. Hate slipcovers unless they are super high end. They just look messy.)

Never do a room all Ikea. Two or three Ikea pieces in a home (esp kid's rooms) is fine. Anchor a prominent spot in your home with built ins or an expensive piece of furniture. Things flow from there. You should have a focal point in every room though. If there isn't one thing you are proud of in each room, fix that.

Make sure you have enough storage. Clutter makes any space look awful. I have a tiny pile of mail I'm working on in a tray. Otherwise, everything gets put away. Every day. I have an island in the kitchen with a fruit bowl. By the end of the day, it is a mess. I do not go to sleep until it is cleared off.

Do a LOT of research. It becomes an addiction.
Google photos of the paint colors you like so you see them in a real room. Get some magazines. Just stay away from super trendy things. By the time you see them, trust me - it's over.

Have fun.[/quote]

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