Simple Home Decorating

Here are some things that can help make a home more pleasing.

FABRIC AND PAINT

• Sometimes all that's needed is fresh paint and a change of fabrics.
• Slipcovers over mismatched furniture help pull things together. Similarly, instead of buying a new comforter or quilt, one may be recovered with a duvet. A duvet can be as simple as sewing two new sheets together to create a whole new look.
• A practical chair or couch is one that has removable cushions. Then fabric on the cushions can easily be replaced without a time consuming reupholstery job.
• Extra or complimentary fabrics can be used for pillow cases, reviving an old lampshade, sewing new curtains or a table cover.
• Spray paint is a quick way to match and give new life to an old picture frame.
• Fabric covered boxes make inexpensive, pretty storage. Boxes may also be covered with papier mache, dried and colorfully painted.

LEARNING ABOUT COLOR
A color invokes a mood. Some colors such as blues and greens create a calming effect. These are known as cooling colors. Red, on the other hand is stimulating and warming, while yellow gives a sunny, happy, hopeful feel. White reminds us of purity and cleanliness and opens up small spaces. Learning more about color and experimenting with color, therefore, is a worthy pursuit.


COLOR HARMONY
Whenever we apply color, color harmony helps to apply it tastefully. Some combinations look right. Others simply don’t.
You can browse ladies magazines for ideas or you can pick one item in the room for the color scheme. Take for example, a favorite bed cover or a lamp shade for a girl's room with soft purple, green and pink colors. Those three colors can be used to tie together everything else in the room with matching paint, fabrics and accents.

But that's not all. It's important to understand paint color undertones, for choosing the right colors. And the web is full of more helps on color theory and harmony.

KEEP THE PURPOSE OF EACH ROOM OR AREA IN MIND
For example, a bedroom should be a restful retreat, therefore soft and soothing pastels work well, or a bed with several pillows piled on top inviting us to rest or relax. Such an atmosphere would not be the best place for an office, therefore, nor other work related items. Similarly, the front entrance way can appear inviting with a welcome mat and a coat rack instead of a pile of unappealing clutter blocking the way.

BEAUTIFUL STORAGE

• Nice containers can be used for storing ordinary items. One example is to put baby powder in an attractive salt shaker for the bathroom. Also a pretty dispenser may be used to hold that body lotion or liquid soap.
• Nice storage containers can be used in the fridge, too, such as a colorful bowl to hold tomatoes, and a small wide jar to keep all the chilies together. Other attractive containers include a pitcher for serving water, juice or milk; a small platter to hold butter along with a decorative butter knife; and a bowl for keeping sugar along with a dainty serving spoon..
• Personal items like razors, nail cutters, combs and brushes may be kept all together and out of sight in a basket or bin.
• The way things are displayed is another consideration. For example, in the linen closet or an attractive basket, towels can be rolled spa style. Items in the refrigerator and pantry can be lined up and turned with their labels facing outward, similar to a well- kept grocery store. Folded laundry can be stacked neatly, all in the same direction.
• For more on beautiful storage, click here and here

KEEPING HEALTHY
Fresh air from an open window and lots of natural lighting perks up any home and aids the health of the inhabitants.

KEEPING VAASTU HAPPY:
Many people are concerned about Vaastu. In my experience, Vaastu makes sense, but often it is not possible to follow so many rules. The simple way, therefore, to keep Vaastu, the home deity, happy in any situation is to chant Hare Krishna and keep Prabhupada's books in the home. Also keep everything very clean, neat and in good repair. And Vaastu doesn't like clutter; as much open spaces as possible is important. That means keeping things simple or having a good storage system.

HOMEY TOUCHES

We can use our five senses to make our homes attractive and comfortable. Various things should look, feel, smell, sound and taste nice. Also known as "a woman's touch, it's the ability to add beauty to one's surrounding and everyday living. Some suggestions are:

• a basket - full of neatly stored,  handy sewing supplies or nicely folded, clean laundry, or full of fruits on a kitchen counter, or for flower gathering...
  
• a strand of festive Vedic flags (toran) with auspicious signs to hang in a doorway or a garland of flowers 
  

• a decorative curtain craft 
  
• scented candles on a bedroom dresser in the evening
  
• a CD player with Krishna conscious music
  
• a framed poster of Lord Krishna enjoying His pastime and other framed pictures
  
• a vase of flowers and other garden greenery
• Rangoli design at ground level at front door or entrance, on a wall and or the home altar
  

• a book case with stacks of interesting and inspiring books
  
• plenty of comfortable pillows and asanas for lounging and sitting
  
• mats for sitting on the floor while taking prasadam or warming up a cold floor
  
• a cozy rug in the parlor or below the kitchen sink on a cold morning
  
• a patchwork quilt at the foot of a bed
  
• a decorative wreathe
  
• a frilly apron to wear in the kitchen and around the house
  
• colorful stencils painted around a doorway
  
• a bowl of fresh fruit
  
• the smell of freshly baked bread and other homemade goodies
  
• garnished cooking preparations, latticed pies and decorative cookies
  
• strands of flower garlands gracing an altar
  
• potted plants or herbs

• leaf cuttings in a jar of water nestled on a kitchen window sill
  
• decorative handles attached to kitchen drawers, cabinets and closets
  
• special dinnerware
  
• And outside the house should not be forgotten. White picket fences are especially charming or wind chimes tinkling from a porch
  

It's fun observing how other ladies make their homes extra special. All five senses may be used to discover what looks, feels, smells, sounds, and tastes nice. Another source is magazines and Internet sites. Make a notebook of collected pictures and notes for ideas. You'll start to learn some tricks such as making a room look bigger by using white, using accent colors, including textures and lighting...

INSPIRING QUOTES:
"Beauty can be achieved in the smallest simplest ways. Every moment is a chance to create beauty, order, joy and elegance...A healthful sleeping room, a thoroughly clean kitchen and a tastefully arranged, wholesomely supplied table will go farther toward securing the happiness of the family and the regard of every sensible visitor than any amount of expensive furnishing.”--Alexandra Stoddard
“A house only becomes a home when good smells come from the kitchen...”--Alexandra Stoddard, Living a Beautiful Life

“Find a place for everything and put everything in it’s place- beautifully!” -Alexandra Stoddard

"As humans we are biological creatures and we need to have living, growing things around us. We are comforted by soft fabrics, floral decor and objects made from wood . Allow natural light as much as possible. These things will bring those soft lines and sense of life into your home." -Anne Johnson