# Teach me about decorating!!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-decorating/248999>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 6, 2004, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-decorating/248999 "2004-06-06T21:24:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-decorating/248999/1 "2004-06-06T21:24:53Z")

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All righty, then. I told the long tale of our quest for a house [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=259022), including as vivid a description as I could muster of the current horrendous decor. Since we have a couple of months before we get the house, we’re starting to shop around for the things we’ll want to replace - flooring, cabinetry, window coverings, bathroom fixtures, as well as furnishings (most of what we had went to the kid.)

We’re finding that we don’t know a whole lot about decor from scratch. In the past, we’ve always had some place to start, and we generally could make it work to our tastes. But this time, we’ve got a clean slate. We find things we like, but finding things we like that will work together for a complete effect - that’s not so easy.

Sooooo, I’m asking for an education. I’d like to see websites or books that illustrate decorating styles. I want to learn how to make things work together. I also need to learn how not to end up with Z-brick and yellow-and-orange-mushroom wallpaper. :eek: Please, share links or recommend books or magazines that will help me and my sweetie to make a house that is _US_! I’ve been googling, but I’m not finding good pictures - perhaps someone else will have better luck!

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**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-decorating/248999/2 "2004-06-06T21:48:38Z")

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No website or book recommendations, but if you’ve got extended cable or satellite service and get BBC America, I will recommend [Design Rules](http://www.bbcamerica.com/genre/home_living/design_rules/design_rules.jsp) with Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen. He’s an acquired taste, to be sure, but the principles he’s illustrating in the series are fantastic fundamentals.