# Decorating help for the poor and decorating impaired? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 1, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547 "2009-09-01T21:47:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carlotta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@carlotta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlotta)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/1 "2009-09-01T21:47:50Z")
Can anybody point me to websites, books, etc. for decorating tips for someone who has a)no money b)very little artistic sense I’m looking for extremely extremely simple ideas. Most stuff I see about decorating makes my kernel of interest shrivel in fear. I might could paint some walls, but sewing is right out. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/2 "2009-09-01T22:03:22Z")
A lot of the home decor shows and magazines are showing rooms with just one “accent wall” painted a different color. To me that’s far less daunting than painting a whole room. How do you pick a color? What room is it? Do you want to be cheery and animated in it or calm and serene? What things do you have that fit the feeling that you want? Are you familiar with the 12 tone color wheel? I don’t want to overwhelm you with color theory, but the way they’re arranged can help you choose a color that relates well with things you have and want to highlight in your room. I understand sewing is out but you can do some things with “stich witchery” (it’s like a tape that melts and bonds fabric together when ironed. I’m thinking along the lines of simple rectangles - curtains or valances. If you aren’t the sort of person to have a lot of accessories around there are often good examples of room ideas near the paint chip racks - those rooms tend to be less full than magazine or TV rooms because they’re selling paint. I haven’t read it in a while but when I did read it reularly Better Homes & Gardens seemed to have rooms that looked more like ones I could accomplish with a limited budget than other magazines. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/3 "2009-09-02T00:32:55Z")
Well, how does your space look now? Is it basically neutral (cream or white walls, beige carpet) and just whatever furniture you have in there with no real This Is Fancy Decor anything in there? And without thinking in decorating terms, what colors, or things\* interest you? I love helping out with this stuff! - Even things like: I love the circus, or going to the beach, or cute jewelry that has funky jewels and scrollwork, or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![carlotta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@carlotta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlotta)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/4 "2009-09-02T02:31:24Z")
It looks desperately in need of painting, furnished in odds and ends scavenged from friends and family. The main aesthetic element is books. The best feature is the hardwood floor. As for colors, I love bright happy colors and I am tempted to paint each wall a different color. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/5 "2009-09-02T03:17:04Z")
Start by going to the hardware store and picking up the paint color samples that appeal to you. There are also lots of free brochures as mentioned above. Don;t use four different wall colors, I’m begging here! LOL! But do bring color to each wall by adding either a wall hanging/picture or putting a colored peice of furniture along it. You can bring your furniture together by painting it if the finishes are worn. You can also do it by tucking matching/coordinating fabrics around the cushions or by adding throw pillows. Find a small print you like for the cushions, then get a coordinating larger print and just wrap it around a frame for the wall. These ideas came mostly from that decorating show where the neighbors swap houses and each do a room for the other. Can’t think of the name of it now . . . Choose colors that look good on you - i.e. choose them in the same way you would choose clothing. ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/6 "2009-09-02T03:20:30Z")
If money is in short supply, many paint stores have gallons that are already mixed with colour and that people changed their minds about. Those can be ridiculously cheap. I once bought a gallon of peach paint for about 5 dollars. Only problem is I could never convince my husband that it was a good colour for the garage. I gave it to the Salvation Army-- which is another place you might check. ---
**Author:** ![dukette71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@dukette71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dukette71)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/7 "2009-09-02T03:20:33Z")
i just organize my stuff, and then organize it some more. Eventually, it looks tidy, which looks decorated. Anyway, you can match the magazine cases to the CD cases etc. It’s pretty cheap. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/8 "2009-09-02T15:40:10Z")
> [@carlotta](#): > > It looks desperately in need of painting, furnished in odds and ends scavenged from friends and family. The main aesthetic element is books. The best feature is the hardwood floor. > > As for colors, I love bright happy colors and I am tempted to paint each wall a different color. Okay, here’s what I would suggest: Pick one bright color that you’d love to see around you. Is it bright red? A cheery turquoise? Lime green? Butter yellow? For this sake, let’s say you’re going with turquoise. Yay, turquoise! And let’s say you’re wanting to fix up your living room. What kind of look do you want? Bright and funky? Relaxing? Elegant? You have lovely hardwood floors and you need to paint. I’d paint the walls a nice fresh coat of white or slightly off white. This will make it bright and clean looking. If you’re feeling adventurous, a popular thing to do is paint one wall in your bright color. This adds the color you love without being completely overwhelming. Now, take all those paint swatches you got from the paint store (where you chose your turquoise accent wall color) and look at what colors you like next to the turquoise. Almost any color can go “with” another color if it’s the right tint/shade. Maybe you like a weird [lemony yellow](http://www.countryliving.com/cm/countryliving/images/turquoise-room-de-79691371.jpg)with your turquoise for a funky look. Maybe you like a [chocolate brown](http://thelennoxx.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/chandelier_dining_room.jpg) for an elegant look. Maybe you like that [beachy sand](http://imageseu.holiday-rentals.co.uk/vd2/files/HR/400x300/h/52221/81992_11.jpg)color for a relaxing retreat. Hey, that [fire engine red](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3029/2766740998_4e1c030b93.jpg) actually looks awesome for a modern feel! That second color you choose (yellow/grey/sand/red/whatever) is what you can use for little “pops” of color. It’ll stand out against the turquoise since it’s different but it will still look nice, since you like the two colors together. Use the turquoise and this second color for your accessories. But use the second color sparingly. You don’t want _too_ much color competing with each other. If you come up with a color you like and want some specific suggestions, reply with it and I’d love to help! ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/9 "2009-09-02T15:45:01Z")
I love looking at [Apartment Therapy](http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/) for decorating ideas, especially the DIY stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/10 "2009-09-02T16:03:52Z")
Seems like \*\*zweisamkeit \*\*has it mostly covered, but may I suggest adding some plants? I’m not a plant person myself, but they do really polish off a nice room. ---
**Author:** ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/11 "2009-09-02T16:21:14Z")
You can get a lot of info and the people are very friendly at the [hgtv.com](http://hgtv.com) message boards, general decorating forum. It’s also really easy to post photos. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/12 "2009-09-02T16:39:57Z")
> [@C3](#): > > I love looking at [Apartment Therapy](http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/) for decorating ideas, especially the DIY stuff. One of my favorites, too. There are definitely plenty of aspirational posts – stuff most people could never afford, inside looks at giant mansions – but it’s a great way to see what you like and why it works. Plus they have tons of shots of people’s tiny places from their Smallest, Coolest Contest (apartments under 1000 sq ft, I think) as well as plenty of Craigslist and bazaar finds that might be more up your alley. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/13 "2009-09-02T18:49:32Z")
One tip from someone who isn’t really into decorating/colors, but is not into clutter… If your main accessory around the house is books, I hate to tell you this but books look cluttery and junky to me. Unless you’ve got the full Encyclopedia Brittanica neatly arranged on a shelf, you’re going to have a mishmash of shapes, sizes and colors. And a lot of dust. Keeping your bookshelf out in the living room is ok, but please consider either covering the front up with a tension rod and some fabric or getting a cabinet with doors. A non-fitted bed sheet will work fine (they’re like $3 at WalMart and have a seam at the top through which you can put the tension rod). Put your CDs and DVDs inside a cabinet, too. Nice look for a dorm room, silly look for anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/14 "2009-09-02T19:38:16Z")
Before you get into anything permanent, like paint, look at the things you can change easily. Placing a corkboard on a wall gives you a space where you can put up notes, little mementos, pictures and change them as frequently (or not) as you wish. I’ve lived in rented apartments which were “like being inside an egg:” everything was either white, off-white, bone-white or china-white. A large, colorful cloth (the kind used as a sort of wraparound skirt over a swimsuit) draped over the beige sofa; a couple of brightly-colored trays and a large candle on its “iron” candlestick did wonders. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/15 "2009-09-02T19:44:27Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > Plus they have tons of shots of people’s tiny places from their Smallest, Coolest Contest (apartments under 1000 sq ft, I think) as well as plenty of Craigslist and bazaar finds that might be more up your alley. The “standard” flat in Spain is under 970 sq. ft… ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/16 "2009-09-02T19:48:11Z")
> [@carlotta](#): > > As for colors, I love bright happy colors and I am tempted to paint each wall a different color. A small part of me is saying “no, no, don’t do it.” But the other part of me has painted all but one room\* in my place colors that made other people openly shudder. And every time I look at my walls, I’m happy. To me, they’re perfect. It’s your home - make it look the way you want it to look. I like [apartmenttherapy.com](http://apartmenttherapy.com) - its a design/decorating site. It can be hit or miss with regard to style, taste, and price point. There are some really out there ideas and some ridiculously priced items featured, but there are also some good suggestions and DIY tips, too. \*I have plans for that room…I just haven’t gotten around to implementing them yet. It’s going to make the others look positively neutral by comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/17 "2009-09-02T20:09:04Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > If your main accessory around the house is books, I hate to tell you this but books look cluttery and junky to me. Unless you’ve got the full Encyclopedia Brittanica neatly arranged on a shelf, you’re going to have a mishmash of shapes, sizes and colors. And a lot of dust. > > Keeping your bookshelf out in the living room is ok, but please consider either covering the front up with a tension rod and some fabric or getting a cabinet with doors. A non-fitted bed sheet will work fine (they’re like $3 at WalMart and have a seam at the top through which you can put the tension rod). I respectfully and vehemently disagree. A Wal-Mart bedsheet on a tension rod stuck into the frame of a bookcase? Good lord! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/18 "2009-09-02T20:12:18Z")
There’s a tendency in Northern Spain (in the gloomy parts of the country, and yes, we have such a thing) to paint flats in bright colors. You find it mostly in houses of younger people. My own flat (which I didn’t repaint) has the hallway white and the kitchen and bathroom done in light-green and white; the floors are wood (with several inlays, the previous owner is a carpenter). One bedroom is painted sponged orange, the other is a sort of bronze (with one wall darker than the rest) and the living room is dark strawberry. Some of the flats I saw when I was searching had things like a dark electric blue bedroom, eggyolk living room, turquoise bathroom. And you know what, most decoration magazines don’t dare show places like that, but it’s amazing how many there are. When you live in a place where at least half of the year the sun is a distant memory and the landscape is misty grey, having colors inside the house is important! ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/19 "2009-09-02T20:37:20Z")
You mention odds and ends. One common decorating tip is that odds and ends look much better if they are grouped with like items together. A few vases around the house look like clutter. A shelf with assorted vases arranged with purpose looks like a collection. If you are going to have books in the public areas of your home, it looks more polished to make sure the spines are even with the shelves. When I’ve had to have a bookshelf in the public areas, I try to keep it to the classier looking hardbacks, at least. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547/20 "2009-09-02T20:37:31Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > I respectfully and vehemently disagree. > > A Wal-Mart bedsheet on a tension rod stuck into the frame of a bookcase? Good lord! yeah, I’ve never understood designers who think books are bad. They will take out all the books and put a few back in in stacks that are unusable. Now where do the books go?? If your books are neatly arranged and dust-free, they look fine on display. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decorating-help-for-the-poor-and-decorating-impaired/508547.md?page=2)