You may well have a general decorating style chosen for your entire home, but within the overall style, each room has its own purpose and style. How the room is used, and by whom, should be considered as you arrange each room and choose materials, accessories, and accents.
Consider the needs of each individual room, and research related articles pertaining to those spaces. Home decor should reflect your personal taste and interests, but it must also address the particular function of those rooms.
Living Rooms and Family Rooms
Chuck Schmidt / Getty Images
Living rooms can fill many functions, from a formal “parlor” used to greet guests to a space where the whole family gathers for study, entertainment, socializing, and play. In modern homes, the living room is often a “great room” that is contiguous with the kitchen and dining area.
One of the first considerations is choosing a focal point for the living room and especially where you want to create conversation areas. Your selection and arrangement of living room furniture should keep this element in mind. Only then can you move to the details of planning lighting, then you can begin choosing area rugs, art, and accessories.
- 02of 08
Bedrooms
Astronaut Images / Getty Images
You spend a third of your life in the bedroom, so you should carefully consider strategies for making it a restful place. Start with choosing the bed and the other bedroom furniture. While you may be able to save money in other areas, buying a good-quality mattress and pillows is always a sound investment.
Your choice of color is also critical in a bedroom. Choose a lighter hue if you are a morning person, or a darker color if you are a later riser. The bedroom lighting is important for setting the right mood, as well as for allowing you to read and get dressed in the space.
If you don’t have a large primary suite, look for practical ideas for decorating small bedrooms. And guest bedrooms have their own unique needs for decorating.
Melissa Ross / Getty Images
For decorating kids’ rooms, it’s still common practice to use themes traditionally assigned to boys and girls, although today’s parents are increasingly sensitive to making kids’ bedrooms more gender-neutral.
A nursery for an infant has its own decorating needs, especially where young families where budget may be a consideratio