10 Fabulous Home Decorating Ideas, the small things
88There are many small but important things you can do to get that special atmosphere you are looking for when you decorate a home or a room. It's not just about having the right furniture, the latest colour and such things. It's the little decorating details that will give your home a fabulous look! The smaller decorating details are often overlooked when we start a home decoration project and we seem to focus so much, and sometimes only, on the big picture like; wallpaper, colour, rugs, furniture and such things. The basic items are important in a home and should come first, but after all that are on the right place you need to add the little things. I always have a picture in my head or a vision of how the result is going to look when I start a home decoration project, and usually with big enthusiasms. But sometimes I have been a little disappointed looking at the finished project and it didn't look the way I planned. During the years and with much trial and error I have learned that it is the smaller things, the details that are missing! I will give you 10 fabulous home decoration ideas that I use myself!
1. Unusual types of lamps and lightning!
Add lamps to you fabulous home decoration! You need many lamps and many different types of lights. First you need a lamp that gives you good light, preferably from the ceiling. The centre light can be placed in other places as well but the main thing is that you can see the whole room when you light the lamp. To give the room a more cosy atmosphere you need to add other lights as well depending on what you are going to use the room for. It can be lamps for the working place, one for reading in the favourite chair and you also need some light just for decoration, on tables and in the windows etc. But apart from that you also need:
Corner lamps
A great way to make a room look more welcoming and warm is to add lamps and lights in the corners. Nothing can steel a cosy atmosphere like a dark corner. Many people thinks this is a bigger problem in small rooms but I think it is a problem also in big rooms. In a small room a dark corner makes the room seem even smaller but in a big room the dark corner creates an empty feeling. You know the dark corner is there, and it seems like the corner is much bigger than it is because you can not see the wall! So, I like to have something in every corner and preferably I make sure to light up the corners or at least two of them in a room. If you settle with two, choose the corners furthest away from the door from where you mostly enter the room. It makes the room seem much more welcoming and you want to get in there!
Other type of lamps
You can let the lamp be all the decoration needed in that corner by choosing a big lamp or you can create something fabulous by your self.
I found a great decoration in a furniture shop that was intended to be just for decoration; a number of sticks painted in white colour assembled with wires to squares! They look great as they are a fills up the otherwise dull corner. But in the evenings they weren't visible at all. I then got the idea to attach a lamp in the bottom of the sticks and directed the lights upwards. I used small point lights in this case. Now I have an even more fabulous decor during the evenings in that corner and the lights creates fantastic patterns in the ceiling!
I also use small lamps and white Christmas lights in many different ways. Only your imagination sets the limits! I am sure you can come up with many more creative ideas for fabulous decoration ideas with lights and lamps!
2. Storage
I now mean storage in small scales because I think you have already solved the big need for storage with furniture. I have several ideas for you storage need for small items. You can use old shoe-boxes and decorate them with some stylish paper or fabric that will match your design, use big or small cans, stylish vases or such.
Personally I am totally in love with jars with lids or hatboxes. They are so useful and come in many different types and sizes. You can use them everywhere and they will make a great fabulous decoration idea wherever you put them in you home!
3. Pillows and cushions!
No sofa or bed can be complete without pillows and cushions! Choose them in many different colours if you have a more or less one coloured room and want to add a little sparkling colour. Or let the pillows take up one or two of the rooms accent colours if you want to expose them a little more. Arrange your cushions after taste, and remember to have many of them! You can transform the atmosphere just by adding cushions or pillows!
4. Curtains
Curtains can also transform a room depending on which colour and fabric you choose. Usually thicker fabrics and darker colours of red, brown, green or orange creates a warm and cosy feeling in a room. If you want some dramatic look you should choose black colour and if you look for a bright and more light feeling choose a thin fabric that bring in the day light and use preferably lighter colours like pink, yellow, light blue or purple.
5. Flowers
Flower will give your home and a room the feeling of health and life. You can choose between green or flowering potted plants depending on what you want to achieve. Flowering potted plants will give you a more romantic design and green plants will give you a more strict atmosphere. But flowers and plants have their given place in any room!
6. Blankets/plaids
I use blankets or plaids in almost every room, even in the kitchen! I love the feeling and the sight of a cosy blanket laying casually over a chair, a sofa or a bed. It looks welcoming and inviting. I use them indoors all year around and out doors during summer for chilly summer nights.
They are also very useful if you want to take a nap or just feel a bit cold. I have a base layer with white blankets that goes well with every colour, but I also have some blankets in other colours that I use to match my decoration if it is needed.
Plaids can be used where you want to ”smooth” a surface that are interpreted as hard or when you want to add a cosy feeling. I use them on desk chairs or on any chair and sofas.
7. Shelfs
I prefer single shelfs instead of large book cases. And I love shelfs that seems to be hanging out from the wall, with no visible hanging devices. It looks clean and smooth and I think they are useful everywhere in the home. Only our imagination sets the limits to how to use them.
8. Books
I like books and many of them are so beautiful and it is a shame not having them visible! You can use them as decoration laying on a shelf with the book cover visible, you can stack several books and use them both for adding colour or you can use them just for their beautiful front cover. I use a shelf intended for pictures to display my favourite books, my most beautiful books ore just the books that inspires me for the moment. I change my decoration books quite often and I have noticed that I also reed the books more when I see them standing there.
9. Photographs
I also like to use photographs as decoration and there are so many ways to do it! You can collect photos you like and assemble them in a photo frame. Or you can put single photos in photo frames and arrange them on the wall. You can choose picture from many different preferences, for example your latest vacation, your wedding or your family. You can use your pets, your garden or just pictures of things you like or pictures that say something about you or pictures that means something to you. Use the things you like and encourage and help your children to do the same.
10. Lanterns/candles
Other things I use for decoration is lanterns or candles! Not only do they look great wherever you put them, they are also so useful! I have either a lantern or a candle of some kind in every room in the house also in the bathroom and I use them on ordinary evenings as well as when we have guests! In fact, it is especially useful in a bathroom and creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere for everyone entering the door. Your guests will thank you for your concern when they enter a bathroom where there is light from candles or lanterns to guide them. How many times haven't we fumbled in the dark, used our hand on the walls, searching for the light switcher in an unknown bathroom? Also the hall will benefit from soft candle light since it creates a great welcome for everyone.
The bedroom is another place where candles or lanterns do wonder. I love to enter a room where there is candle light and the bedroom is no exception! But be aware of the fire risk and choose both candles, candle holders and lanterns with caution. Always put safety first!
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Hi Tina very cool with your home pics here and decorating ideas. That's one long tv under the mantle!
Hi Tammy, the small details are so fun to improvise with and books are really great to use for decoration. Imagine how many book covers that spend year after year hidden in a book shelf when someone have spent so much time designing a wonderful book cover. The possibilities to use books for decoration are endless! It is so great to know you got some inspiration from this! Thanks for the encouraging comment!
Tina
Alastar, Decoration is one of my big interests and the best part is that I can change it whenever I want:) I love to see decoration tips from others so I thought I could share mine too. Yes, the TV! The TV is always so dominant in our homes these days. We furnish our living rooms with the TV as the focal point and the social point of view comes second. But I would not want to be without the Tv either:) It is always great to see you and your comments are so appreciated by me!
Tina
There are some interesting ideas in this hub, Tina! My favorites are the suggestions to use blankets and books to decorate. The books look very attractive in your photos, and you've got me thinking about some blankets in my home that would make nice decorations.
Such creative ideas for any home and simple to make. I love the painted white sticks and the statement they make. I will have to use this in my next remodeling project. It looks like you have fun and save money by using everday household items and nature's handiwork. What a great idea with the books! Enjoyed reading through your hub.
Very nice good ideas. I really like the lanterns and the Christmas lights.
You have some wonderful ideas here Tina, I love the lanterns in the hall and your fabulous white painted sticks!
Thank you for sharing and voted up/useful
Alicia, those two are my favorites too! There is so many ways to use blankets and some books. After I started to use books for decoration there is no way I will just let them stand on the shelfs! Most books are so decorative and gives value on more than one way! I hope you will enjoy your books as well and the blankets are needed! Thanks for the comment Alicia, I appreciate your visits,
Tina
Teaches, I am glad you liked the white sticks too. I was amazed over how much I really like them and how they make that corner alive, both during the day as they are, and with the lights during the nights. I like to use things in many different ways, it is fun and makes such a difference. I am glad I could inspire you and I appreciate your comment very much!
Tina
Hi moonlake, candles and lanterns gives a special atmosphere that I think is so needed today. It is like a reminder of some peace and quite that we need as a contrast to our way of living. And it is great to be able to use the Christmas lights in this way instead of throwing them away! I hope you try it and thanks for reading and for you comment!
Tina
Hi MM! It is amazing how simple things like white sticks can look good in this way! I bought these as they are, but I see that they are quite easy to do yourself. All you need is some patient, sticks, paint and wire! I hope you try it, Movie, and thanks for reading! I always appreciate your comments
Best wishes
Tina
These are some extremely clever tips for using small things to decorate; nice job! I can't believe I never thought of using books to create height and interest in displays. This was an enjoyable read.
Hi DonnaCosmato, I am so glad I could share some useful ideas to you! The use of books is both fun and great. I love things that can be used on more ways than one and as soon as you get started you will come up with more ways yourself. I am very thankful for your comment Donna!
Tina
Home decorating has always been a little hobby of mine, and I liked your ideas. I also noticed that you have grouped some of your things in three’s. M aunt was a designer, and she told me to always group things in prime numbers...3, 5, 9, with some exceptions. She was right; for some reason, they are often more pleasing to the eye.
Like you, I prefer shelves to bookcases. We have a bookcase in our den that was quite a challenge. Voted up and more for this intriguing hub. :-)
I'm ready to redo my master bedroom, Tina, and am looking forward to finding the small items that will complete the look. Remodeling is fun for me. Love when I find that unique item that might be unexpected but perfect.
Wow...wow...wow. You have wonderful idea about fabulous home decorating. I should apply this on my new house. Just for information, I am so happy to see you on facebook and add me as your friend. Very inspiring hub. I give all my vote to you (useful, awesome, beautiful, interesting). Have a good day!
Prasetio
Hi Genna, it is great to know you liked this! Yes, your aunt is right, it is more pleasing to the eye with three or five and so on. I do the same in the garden too and I like it. Home decoration is fun and it makes such a difference to a home if we put some effort into it. I hope you have some fun with these ideas too:)) It is always lovely to see you! Thanks,
Tina
Hi Dexis, I also love the feeling when I find something that will make all the difference to a room. Most of the times I find the best items where I least expect them! Have a great time redecorate your master bedroom and maybe you will make a hub about it afterwards! Thanks for reading Dexis, I appreciate your comment!
Tina
Hi Pras! I am glad if I can inspire you with new ideas when you decorate your new home.
To decorate a new home is so much fun, but it also takes a bit of time to get it right. I am glad to see you on Facebook too! I still feel a bit new on FB but I start to get a hang of it:)) Thanks Prasetio for reading and good luck with your new home! Take care and have a great weekend,
Tina
I always like these pretty little decorations, but I am so bad in house decoration. Glad that I found some good ideas here. I like the portable lamps and the single shelf. They can turn around a dull-looking wall.
Dear Ingenira, I hope you have some inspiration from this in your home decoration. Start in one room and make small changes. That always works great for me, and one thing leads to another. You just need to get your creativity going and I think you can, since you know what you like. I wish you a great time decorating!
Thanks for your comment, I always appreciate your visits!
Tina
Tina, You have so many great ideas here. I especially like that shelf you have for your cookbooks. I have a really large kitchen that I could easily do this.
Up and awesome!
Hi Susan, Yes, I like to have my cookbooks visual! I am not much of a cook so I need them:)) You should really try this, since I guess you have a few cookbooks. It is fun to select cookbooks for decoration after interests, season or just color or something else. Cookbooks are often very beautiful so they can add to the interior design. Thanks for reading and more!
Tina
What great ideas! why on earth hadn't I thought of some of these? lol! I do use the candle holders like you have above, they do make lovely patterns on the ceiling and the warmth of the candle is amazing, but I love the idea of Christmas lights in pots, and the lovely warm chair cover that you have in your photo! rated up and shared! loved it!
This is a great hub well done very imformative. Some of these ideas I am going to use. I love the green candles very fresh and I use rugs on the end of my bed just to add extra colour to the doona.
Great ideas you listed here about home decor. I love doing unusual things at home in the name of adding that extra touch to my home. Voted up!
These are lovely ideas. Thanks for sharing. Voted up and useful
Lovely ideas. My favorite are the lanterns and corner lamps. Thanks for sharing!
Lovely new ideas in decorating I love it so much.
Hi Nell! I guess it is the same with all of us! We have become used to use things in a certain way and it takes a bit of thought to look at our old things differently. So it is great that we can share tips and ideas with each other. I am so happy to know you found this inspiring. I love my pot with christmas lights and I use it all year around. Thanks for reading voting and for sharing. I appreciate it,
Tina
Hi shorty72, I am thrilled if you can use some of these ideas in your home! It makes such a difference with just some new items or to use things in new places. Thanks for the visit and for leaving a comment!
Best regards
Tina
Bizwin, I also love the time I spend on home decoration. It is so relaxing to be creative and put together things that are beautiful to look at. If the design on top of it is practical, the better:) It is great to meet you here! Thanks for the comment and have a great time with your home decoration!
Tina
Hi Timetraveler2, To share ideas is fun and it is great to know you liked them! Thanks for the encouraging comment and the votes! It is great to meet you!
Tina
Hi MsDora, Thanks for your kind comment! I have candles and lanterns in almost every room in the house:) It is necessary during the dark winter season!
Best regards
Tina
Hi vmhseo, thanks for the encouraging comment! It is great to know you like this.
I appreciate your comment,
Tina
Beautiful. Voted up.
Thanks Silver Fish for reading and voting! I was just on my way to your corner since I saw in my feed that you have published a new hub!
Tina
Indeed 10 fabulous home decorating ideas! Oh, how I wish I could redecorate my entire house. But just too many obstacles force me to be happy with it as it is. And it is not bad, I am simply in a mood to change my main color (maroon) to grey (silver). Unfortunately it will cost a lot of money I can use in a better way, i.e. installing air-conditioner.
Thanks for sharing your ideas, Tina.
Martie, I know the feeling when the decor in the house feels a bit boring, even if it isn't! Some of us have a desire to change things and if we have a interest for home decoration it is natural. But sometimes we need to be satisfied with what we have and focus on things we really need. Installing a air- conditioner must be needed where you live:) I am so glad you liked the ideas, and some of them can make a difference even if you don't redecorate! Thanks Martie, I always appreciate your comments!
Tina
You have so many great decorating ideas here, I can't comment on them all! I especially like the white painted sticks with lights and the pictures you did in the bathroom. Those are my two favorites! Great hub! Voted up, useful and sharing! Thank you for some great ideas! :)
Hi sgbrown, I also like those two very much! The pictures in the bathroom is a big favorite and it is a comfort to see the blooming cherry trees throughout the year. It gives me hope also during the cold winter months and makes me look forward too the real blooming in the spring outside. I hope you will have use of some of the ideas. Thank you so much for your kind comment, the votes and for sharing! I appreciate it,
Tina
Hi Tina,
You have some wonderful, unique ideas here. I love the idea of "the little things" that really make a difference. Even how you might position an object makes a difference in the feel of the room. Thanks for the great tips.
Sharyn
Sharyn, you are so right, to change small things in a room can make all the difference! It is also fun because an old item can look a bit different in another type of light, with other items and so on. I hope you got some inspiration from this. Thanks for reading and have happy time with home decorating!
Tina
Great ideas. I do love decorating with lamps. I have lots of different, unique table lamps and floor lamps. I agree with you about decorating with books. I should do that more. Great hub. Voted up, useful, and interesting!
Oh how I enjoyed this one Tina and thanks for sharing.
I used to buy loads of magazines eg Beautiful Homes'etc but now due to hubs like this one I can bookmark my own little library right here.
An up up and away as well Tina.
Take care and have a great day.
Eddy.
Victoria, Yes, lamps are great and can change a room completely. We can never have enough lights and I constantly find more places that need lamps and new way to use them. I hope you got some new ideas from this hub and I would love to see your ideas as well! Thanks for the votes, it means a lot to me!
Tina
Eiddwen, that is what I do too:) I always find so much great hubs that I bookmark for later use and I am thrilled to know that you liked this one in that way. I am so glad you enjoyed this and I am happy to share my ideas with you!
I hope you have a great day Eidween in your beautiful surrounding where you live! I value your comment and your votes!
Tina
This is a beautiful and helpful article. I tend to look at the big picture and forget the little things like corners. In this economy, creating your own decorations by hand is joyful and fulfilling. Thumbs up!
OMGirdle, I do the same and maybe that isn't so strange since we got to start somewhere:) But with a bit of practice and trying I now love to decorate with the small things. Thank you for the votes and the comment and I am glad you liked this!
Tina
Your tendency toward free-floating shelves is nice. I like that the shelf under the window also holds the curtains open. It gives me an idea for curtaining underneath a shelf, as well. The home decorating ideas you've highlighted here are lovely!
RTalloni, curtaining underneath a shelf is a great idea! I have never thought about it but I will remember it now. It is great to share ideas and there are so many different ways to be creative with small things in home decoration. Thanks for reading, the comment and for sharing your great idea! I always appreciate visits from you!
Tina
Det var jo nogle fantastiske råd- espescially the one with the christmas lights.
A great hub Tina;I love hubs like this one that are full of ideas to brighten up our homes.
So an up up and away here;take care and have a great day.
Eddy.
Hi my friend,very interesting and good home decorating ideas, thanks for sharing these very helpful and useful ideas in this well written hub .
Vote up !!!
elle64, Yes, the Christmas light is one of my favorites and I use it all year around as a lamp! Thanks for reading and for the fantasiske råd! It sounds as if you live in, or come from, a country near where I live:)
Tina
Denmark- hej hej
I thought so elle64:)) Great to meet you!
Tina
Hi Eddy, Thank you so much for the uplifting comment and I am glad you like these ideas! Home decoration is so fun to do and I also think that we feel better when we can look at something we like and think is beautiful in our homes!
Take care,
Tina
Hi Tom, It is great to see you and I hope all is well with you! I always appreciate your comments and your support! You are a true friend! Give your lovely dog something good from me,
Tina
Tina -- great Hub and marvelous suggestions. I, too, love to decorate with books and found out quite by accident that if you have a lamp that's not quite the right height -- put books under it and it works like a charm and balances everything out. Also the books add a visual weight to the lamp. Enjoyed this read very much. Best/Sis
Hi tina! I really like these ideas, they're very practical and so simple but it adds a great deal of charm to your house. I enjoyed reading this. :)
Hi Angela Blair, that is a great tips about how to use books in home decoration! Good ideas mostly come from trying and books are so useful. I can imagine that books used in the way you do looks very good. I will try it, Thanks for sharing this great idea,
Tina
Hi eyeforstyle, It is great to hear that you liked these ideas! I like to keep it simple since it makes me feel free to make changes whenever I like. I hope you will have some use of them in your home decorating,
Tina
Tina - I love these "little" decorating ideas that have a big impact. I especially like how the string of Christmas lights looks in the dark, and I think the cookbooks look fabulous on display. I think if I did that I might actually be inspired to cook more.
Ktrapp, It is great to know you liked this hub! The Christmas lights is so decorative all year around, but especially in Christmas time! There is so many ways to use them. And I hope you try to decorate with cookbooks too, we need to see them to get inspired! At least that is the case for me! Thanks for reading, and I appreciate your comment!
Tina
Lovely ideas. Thanks for showing pictures--they really help us to visualize. Thansk for sharing and rating it up.
Voted up, useful, and awesome Tina. Very well written article my friend. Tina, you list a variety of great ideas and tips for decorating the house. I believe you can't go wrong with photos. I like all the lamp ideas as well. Approprite lighting sets the mood.
Hi anginwu, it is good to hear that! I am happy to share the things that I like, but to know that other appreciate and like the ideas is amazing.Thanks for your visit and the comment. It is so nice to meet you,
Tina
thelyricwriter, Photos are great when it comes to sharing decoration ideas and I am often inspired by photos. I appreciate your feedback on this hub, it is so great to know you liked this and I hope my ideas can inspire you to do more ideas! It is so much fun to try different lamps and lights in a room and as you say, it sets the mood in every room! Thanks for reading and for the positive comment,
Tina
Tina, What a great hub! I love all of your ideas.. especially the one with the Christmas lights in the transparent container.. the photo is stunning! I'm going to be looking for a nice container now.. Thanks for sharing this very useful hub, voted up!
Hi Jamie, I think many types of containers will do. If they just are a little transparent they will work nicely. I know you will find the container that is just right for your home! Thanks for the comment and I am happy to share these ideas with you!
Tina
Love this hub. I'm going to get some white sticks and put a light in the bottom so I can have those wonderful shadows on the wall. Thanks for SHARING. Sandra Busby
Hi sandrabusby! It is so nice to meet you here and I am glad to know you will try the white sticks! I am so pleased with them and it is fantastic to watch the shadows on the wall and ceiling at night! It really gives life to a corner. I hope you will like it. Thanks for reading, comment and for sharing!
Tina
I like hat boxes also. I have quite a few around the house, they are great for storage. I also like the idea or changing photos. I use photos from old calendars and place them in frames to decorate walls. It's cheap and looks nice!:)
The light in the painted sticks is an awesome idea. I have seen many people decorate with some sort of sticks, but never with the light effects. Thanks for taking the time to photograph your ideas.
Hi Sunshine, Yes i agree, hat boxes are awesome and they are useful for so many more things than hats! Photos from calendars sounds like a very good idea since some calendars are beautiful and I will have that in mind next time I see a great calendar. Thanks for the comment and for the awesome idea, everything that looks nice and is cheap is a good idea:)
Tina
Hi East Texas Girl! I had them without light for a couple of days but I thought that something was missing in that dark corner so I tried with some different types of lamps. I must say that I am really pleased with how it turned out. Thank you for reading and for the positive comment. I am glad that you liked it!
Best wishes,
Tina
Nice hub page! :) Yes you are right. We can still used small furnitures to make our house elegant. All we need to do is to be creative. Keep it up!
Hi eyeforstyle, I am glad you liked this! Thanks for the comment, I appreciate the feedback!
Tina
The bowl/vase with old Christmas lights is a fantastic idea and I HAVE to try it now. It looks gorgeous at night and who doesn't have old lights hanging around? This is a great list!
Hi Heather Says, Yes, the bowl is one of my favorites and I use it all year around even if it is Christmas lights:) I am so glad you liked it. Thanks for reading and for the comment, I appreciate the positive feed back!
Tina
tammyswallow Level 8 Commenter 4 months ago
Very pretty! These are great suggestions. I like the idea of decorating with books. Voted up!