Style home furniture

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

Your style of home furniture is a mirror to your personality

The plush wool rug on the floor cost less than a night of wine and lobster at a decent restaurant. Lamp and chair? Each was purchased for barely more than the price of a full tank of gas. On the wall? The wall boasts a gilt frame encasing a colorful drawing rendered in markers and glitter pen. It?s artwork whose previous home was the front of the refrigerator door. Now, that?s priceless.

You can style home furniture any way you like it. And rearrange it when the mood strikes. You can add color reflective of the passing seasons. Greens, yellows, reds and blues accent the glories of spring, summer, autumn and winter. It all starts with imagination.

If the overall impression is pleasing when you style home furniture, it is a sign you?ve made a furniture fashion statement in your home. You?ve made your home your custom-decorated castle. And you?re ready to walk the red carpet?or the green area rug?even if it leads only to your front door?the door behind which your guests are waiting.

Buy new when possible

There?s nothing like store-bought when it?s time to style home furniture. The crisp feel of a new arm chair or other furniture whose upholstery never has been dented by human buttocks is a pleasure indeed.

Use, abuse and crumbled cookies someday may relegate that sofa bed to the back porch. But good furniture lasts many years. And sofa beds generally are light-duty furnishings that come in handy when visitors come for a weekend?or more.

Nevertheless, when the budget allows, the decision to style home furniture around one centerpiece such as a comfortable couch or lovely dining table is a wise one. The use of a featured piece of furniture along with some accent furniture enables easy matching of accessories?curtains, area rugs and comfy pillows in contrasting colors.

Buy important pieces first

It?s not very satisfying to style home furniture if important pieces are missing. Do you have a home office? Would the addition of brighter lighting, a toasty throw rug or comfortable office chairs make the place more appealing?

Productivity well may be related to how well one feels while working. Low back pain is a nagging problem that distracts from getting any job completed with full attention. And it?s a problem easily alleviated with the proper support provided by a good office chair. It?s wise to style home furniture around the pieces needed for good health.

It?s an important mission. According to the College of San Mateo?s Adapted Physical Education Wellness Program, low back pain is the leading cause of impairment in occupational injuries. It is near the top in the list of causes for missed work days. Styling home furniture with wellness in mind is not only wise, it is a proactive choice related to appropriate self-care.

Buy used when necessary

Sometimes, money is tight. Unexpected expenses and new responsibilities can take a toll on the budget. It is easy to find oneself under pressure. All it takes is an unexpected medical condition or the launch of a college-bound son or daughter. All it takes is a repair bill for a broken furnace or a leaky roof.

The need to style home furniture on a tight budget is not one that is insurmountable. There are numerous ways to whittle expenses. Think creatively when it?s time to style home furniture. Use a bit of imagination.

? Borrow unused pieces from friends
? Check storage areas at relatives? homes
? Search for garage sales and flea markets
? Read notices about local estate sales
? Post offers to remove others unwanted items
? List your wants on free web sites

Those who are skilled with tools or adept at arts and crafts might consider building from scratch some pieces for the home. Nuts, bolts and plastic webbing used for beach chairs are available from any home center. Fabric and decorative trim are abundant.

Interlocking, lightweight pieces of pipe and plastic tubing make fine frames to be topped with pillows or sitting mats. Styling home furniture is a joy when the items can be purchased new. But don?t let budget constraints keep you from walking the red carpet?or the green.