Create a family room

If you have children, one of the most important rooms you could have in your home is a family room. Ideally, it's a place where your family spends time together developing closer ties. Or maybe your family room is your living room? If do you have a spare room you can change, well it can be done inexpensively. You can even make it a famiy project. Here's how:

 

Paint your walls a warm colour - and make it bold. Children love bright colours and it will be a room they will love if they have a say in the colour selection. 

Hide the sofa. For a fresher look, cover the sofa with a solid throw or bedspread. The throw can easily be washed so you don't have to worry about spills. 

Table it. Use it in the family room for a family craft and art space. It will also be a perfect board game space. Paint the table and if it's in your budget, have a piece of glass cut to the size of the table top. Lay family art projects on the tabletop and cover with glass. It will be a bright and personalized art table.

Make sure there are a lot of big pillows and cushions for children to use on the floor. Kids love to watch TV while laying on the floor.

Always make room for the games console - whether it's Super Mario or Wii Sports what a great way to spend time with the family.

Decorating a small Bathroom.

No matter what size bathroom you have, there are many decorating ideas that can make it appear more spacious and open. By using different decorating techniques, you can keep a well functioning bathroom look comfortable and luxurious all at the same time.

Begin by painting a small bathroom in pastel, neutral or earth tone colours. This colour palette can help make the room seem much larger than it actually is, and even provide a calming environment.




Play off a dark coloured floor by placing a light coloured rug, or choose a more earthy paint tone if the floor is light.

Add a large mirror to help make the room appear larger and avoid using shelves or cabinets on the walls that can make the bathroom seem cluttered or cramped.

Decorating on a budget

Decorating room by room is popular because most of us cannot afford to decorate more than one room at a time. Wheather you tackle your kitchen or living room, we can show you how...

 Home décor seems to change every time you turn around! What was "in" yesterday, gives your visitors flashbacks to their childhood today! If your décor is stuck in the last decade and you don’t have the budget for a complete makeover, you have two choices. Keep your decor the same until it comes back into style (only ten more years to go!) or update your décor for little or no money! Here are some ideas for your living room area.

1. Colour - If the colour is a definite throwback from another decade, update by painting one wall that new, hot colour. Or paint stripes of the new colour on one wall! Create a colour focal point in the room to draw attention away from the areas that may not be as updated as you would like. But don’t go overboard

2. Furniture - Work with what you have. If the upholstery is worn, cover with throws, quilts, slipcovers or sheets to draw the eye away from the problem areas. This also works if the colour is outdated. Add a few throw pillows to catch the eye and draw attention to their beauty! Just one caution: If you have so many pillows that nobody can sit on the sofa, you have probably carried this advice a little too far!

3. Floors - Cover an old carpet with a large throw rug or make your own hand-painted floor cloth. If you have wood floors under the carpet, tear the carpet out! Then sand and seal the floors if they are in good shape or paint the floors if they are not. You can even make concrete look beautiful! (cold and hard, but beautiful!)

4. Furniture arrangement - Rearranging your furniture is always a good way to update the look. As with colour, create a focal point of your best pieces. It should be the first thing people see when they walk in the room. They won’t even notice the ugly stuff in the corner!

Try these tricks and update your own décor!