Add Wow To A Boring Room
by SANA
 Do you have a room that looks blah, even after you've done all the painting and put in all the new furniture? Did you think you were finished but now realise that you've only got the background for a great room? Well, now is the time to add special details to make the space sparkle with personality. Follow our tips to add interest and individuality to your new room.
Find Interesting Furnishings
There's nothing wrong with plain furniture and walls, but they certainly don't attract your eye and satisfy your senses. With the addition of a perfectly chosen piece of furniture, you can jazz up the space. Think of how a hand-painted armoire would draw the eye. Would a red high-gloss chair be just the right thing? How about a beautifully textured and upholstered ottoman. Something that might really stand out like a sore thumb might just stand out as the star of the room.
Use One Old Piece
Even one carefully chosen antique piece can add character to a room. Choose a pretty chest of drawers, an armoire, a side table, or chair.
Add Art
To create character and personality, choose art to capture your passions. To add colour and style, frame travel posters or prints, family photos, and paintings to the walls.
Display Fresh Plants & Flowers
There's nothing like flowers and fresh plants to add texture and natural colour to a space. Be sure the  plants are healthy and happy and that artificial flowers in dark spaces are dusted and shiny.
Add Texture For An Interesting Touch
Resist the temptation to have everything match. Combine soft and hard, rough and soft, shiny and flat surfaces. Select silky smooth fabrics with shaggy carpet, sleek tabletops with nubby textiles. Use glass combined with rugged wood and greens.
Hunt For Unique Accessories
Add a touch of whimsy for smiles and interest. Shop at flea markets to find interesting accessories that you can adapt to your space. A simple coat of paint and some decorative painting can transform a piece of trash into a treasure. Anything quirky will become the focal point.
Choose A Theme
If you really want a unique room, choose a theme to decorate around. Whether it's the '50s or Hawaii, Provence or an English drawing room, having a focus for furniture, accessories and art, can really make a room interesting!
 Combine Types Of Lighting
Avoid a boring single overhead light for the room and include different types of lighting around the space. If you've chosen wonderful art, use art lighting. Track lighting can help you focus light on the space where you'll be working. A fun themed lamp will give colour and texture as well as light to a specific area. Combining different types of lights will make the space more interesting.
Gather Your Collectibles
If you have a collection of items that are of particular importance, gather them into one room and use them for the basis of your decor. Antique vases, hats, musical instruments, miniature art, and old photos are just some of the ideas you could use for the foundation of your decorating. If you're surrounded by things you love, the room will be warm and welcoming.
Surround The Space With Stencil
Once the walls are painted, add a decorative border of stenciling. A simple vine or "words of wisdom" can circle the room and draw the eye from otherwise boring plain walls. If you're feeling really artistic, add decorative painting touches of flowers and whimsical figures.
Architectural Salvage
For texture and old-world charm, install old pieces of architectural salvage. Brackets, mantels, screen doors, and old windows can be found at salvage yards or on sites when buildings are being dismantled. Iron gates and window surrounds, pedestal columns, and corner moldings are particularly interesting and can be adapted to many decorating styles.
Arrange Area Rugs
To anchor an arrangement of furniture or define an area, an area rug can be the ideal solution. With so many styles, colours, and textures on the market, you're bound to find just the right one for your decor.
 Colourful Accents For The Outdoors
Now that summer is in full swing, it's time to enjoy the warm weather and long days of daylight outdoors. Backyard living areas, like gazebos, porches and patios, are great areas for staging impromptu gatherings for family and friends. You can easily turn familiar backyard spaces into playful getaways by creating clever and colourful accents for your outdoor living areas.
To make a simple change for a special occasion, holiday or just for fun, tie a napkin or decorative tea towel right over your chair seat. Center the napkin over the seat, letting it drape over slightly in the front. Pin four 18-inch ribbon ties to the napkin around the back posts. Make sure you turn the raw edges of the ribbon under as you pin. Hand-stitch the ribbon to the underside of the napkin. Tie the two corners to the back posts of the chair next to the seat. The beauty of this look is its simplicity.
Cast a fresh, summery look onto your table with starfish appliques. Fuse paper-backed iron-on adhesive to starfish fabric; cut out the starfish, then fuse them onto a colourful tablecloth. Use a blanket-stitch to sew around the starfish edges. To add weight to the corners of the tablecloth, drill a hole through a seashell, tie  with a ribbon bow and pin it to each corner. Remove the shells before laundering the tablecloth.
Kick back in a hammock slip-covered in style with a bright fabric and ribbon bows. Cut the fabric 1 inch longer and 1 inch wider than the length and width of your hammock. Turn under all the edges of the fabric 1/4 inch, then 1/4 inch again, and topstitch the folds in place. Cut ten 1-yard-long pieces of 1-1/2-inch-wide grosgrain ribbon. Fold each ribbon in half to form a doubled 18-inch-long piece. Sew the folded edges of the ribbons to the short ends of the cover, spacing them evenly. Tie into bows.
Use painted awning stripes to brighten a galvanized tub, the perfect accent for holding flowers or iced beverages for a backyard party. Using painters' tape, mark off the rim of the container. Lightly sand below the tape, then wipe the area clean with a tack cloth. Paint the sanded portion white. Divide the tub's circumference into an even number of stripes. Tape off and paint the stripes in a contrasting colour.
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