So what can you learn from looking at this great

Great room?

Let's to go through the space and talk about

what design principles you can use from this example.

In the above photo the furniture is gathered around the

center of the room facing the fireplace which

is the focal point of the room.

It creates a wonderful conversation area.

1. Converstion Area (the furniture is balanced in the space)

2.  Three Lamps in a triangle pattern.

3. Similar Patterns and Colors throughout the space.

4. See how the Rug anchors the furniture.

5. Natural Elements

(flowers, apples)

6. Notice the Different Textures on the table...

wicker basket, the wooden boxes

as well as the shiny glass candlesticks. 

And of course books...I love books in a room.

7. Fabric

(the different toss pillows)

8. Staggering the heights of the items on the coffee table

makes it more pleasing to the eye.

See how you can take ideas from this beautifully designed

 Dream Home and use a few in your own home!!

Try at least one in your house today!

In my last post we had a quiz --- today I have the answers for you!

What details made the difference?

BEFORE

AFTER

We traded out the mirror (the reflection was not very interesting) over the fireplace with a piece of art and added two pots of greenery on each side.

Notice the pillows add color and texture to the room and make it feel more inviting.

The area rug anchors the furniture and warms up the wood floor.

We added a couple more tables to the room, which allows you to accessorize.

BEFORE

AFTER

The tree in the corner softens the space.

Do you see the touches of red that are around the room? It helps tie the space together.

BEFORE

AFTER

The lamp really creates a warm cozy feel.

Notice the green plants throughout the space. 

Adding a few natural elements makes the room more comfortable.

See the little bit of red on the mantle.

These are all little tips that you can do in your own space.

These little details do make your space more cozy!

You can make your bathroom feel better by doing ONE thing ---

and it does not matter what style you have.

Add a Natural Element to your Bathroom!

It can be as simple as a vase of flowers.

This is the perfect time of year to pick a few blooms from your yard.

Or maybe you want to be a little more exotic and have some tropical touches.

See what a difference that little bit of pink makes.

This bathroom has a pot of flowers and a plant on the floor.

This is a very easy way to make your bathroom FEEL better.

This is a bathroom in my new home. 

 I took most of the decor items that I used in a bathroom in my last home and added them here. So I did not buy anything new.

 I was really into framed leaf art, sometime I will show you more.

It was a rather natural theme.

 But the wall color in my last house was gold. 

There will soon be a nice warm brown on the walls here.

( I will post photos after the job is done).

Here is the BEFORE. 

 Bathrooms can feel so cold!

A fabric shower curtain

(Fabric) --Softens the space and absorbs sound.

Towels (Fabric)

 --Picked from my neighbors yard years ago ( Natural Element)

Little lamps

with candles in them ( Lighting)--Creates a warm cozy feeling.

See how by simply adding:

You can make any room in your house FEEL better!

Today I am going to give you the answers to the Redesign quiz that we had on this lovely Living Room!

BEFORE

AFTER

The first thing we did was create a more balanced feel to the room by moving the furniture so that weight was evenly distributed throughout the space. 

So... BALANCE to the room.

BEFORE

AFTER

See how we were able to take a few things away and it feels more evenly weighted.

We added tables.  TABLES allow you a space to accessorize.

We created more of a FOCAL POINT.  A fireplace is a natural focal point in a room.  If you can emphasize it more with a few interesting accessories it is a place that your eye is drawn to.  The little gold couch is a very special piece and quite unique.  The mirror that we placed above the fireplace is the right scale for the wall and it creates more light and movement to the room.

LIGHTING.

We turned on the lamp!  See how it really warmed up the space.  It creates a warm and inviting feel to the room.

We brought in a few NATURAL ELEMENTS.  The Green plant and ...

The BASKET of PINECONES.  Also notice the wicker baskets under the couch in the previous photo and the basket with the pinecones.  This adds a nice TEXTURE to the room.

We brought in this little cabinet.  It was a perfect piece to use for accessories and add some personality and the color works great.

See how we chose just a FEW items to place on the inside.  This makes it more pleasing to look at and highlights what is there.

In this BEFORE photo you can see that the little cabinet was at the end of the hall.

It is always fun to add  a little wimsy to your room. This little frog prince reading on a stack of books was just FUN!

BEFORE

AFTER

YOU can really feel the difference!  And this was done using just what she had in her home already.

You can really see her style can't you.

We all have a certain style --- if you look around your home you will see there are some things in common.

Whether it is colors or shapes, you will notice when you shop you are drawn to certain kinds of items.

So as you follow these simple little design tips that I shared with you today you will be able to transform a space in your own home --- HOW FUN!

I am joining Susan today at Between Naps on the Porch for some fun BEFORE and AFTERS.

 BEFORE

Notice the white walls. There is not really a focal point--a place to rest your eye as you enter the room.

This redesign also got a little paint job!  If you look on the shelf under the window you will see the white moulding.  The room now has a warm coat of paint. 

Paint really can create a nice warm feeling in a room.

The entertainment center is now positioned on the back wall and becomes a focal  point as you enter the room.

This family room doubled as an office as well.  The desk was quite large and blocked the flow from the kitchen.

We removed the large piece off the top of the desk so we could let in more light and have it connect better with the kitchen.

The office now takes up just the back end of the room. We were able to seperate the two areas by turning the sectional.

Also see how we added some touches of red.  It really gave some life to the space.

Go back and see where we put in a few natural elements, and do you see any additional lighting?

Let me know what you think!

I am joining the blog party at THE INSPIRED ROOM, set what else can be inspiring!