Decorating is the most personal way to express yourself in your home, and sometimes, when you want to try something different–something that doesn’t seem to fit anywhere on the list of design rules–it may be tempting to go with the flow, despite what you want to do.  Get design-rebellious with these tips: 

Color 

• Small room?  It doesn’t have to be a neutral color!  Go bold but create balance with open shelving or smaller furnishings. 
• We’re told not to stick with one color in a room, but going monochrome creates a bold, dramatic statement. 

• Your ceilings can be considered another wall when it comes to color.  Just remember to keep the walls a neutral color and get samples to paint on the ceiling before you commit to it. 
• Trim doesn’t have to be white!  Use high-gloss black for drama, stain that complements wood flooring, or neutrals for a modern twist on a traditional look. 

Finishes 

• If the metal finish on your kitchen light fixture doesn’t match the drawer pulls, it’s fine!  Mixing metals is perfectly acceptable, and check out this article from the Invaluable blog for inspiration! 

• Wood finishes don’t have to be the same throughout the house; create dimension with different stain colors, adding depth to a room or the whole house. 
• Who said tile is only for kitchens and bathrooms? Create an accent wall with tile in any room.  Be inspired by using the HGTV photo library search for whatever room you have in mind and add “wile tall” to the search term.   
• Speaking of kitchen tile, why not use wallpaper for your backsplash?  Protect it from splashes and oils with mounted plexiglass or a sealant made especially for sealing wallpaper. 

Furnishings and Accessories 

• Furniture stores have us fooled into thinking that our furniture sets must match, and this logic applies to even pieces like dining chairs. Mixing styles adds interest. 
• Mixing more than two patterns can be scary, so start small with accessories in bold patterns that are easily changed.  Staying in the same color family with your patterns will made this decision less daunting. 
• If you’d like to add some natural pieces to your space but don’t have a green thumb, then don’t be ashamed to use artificial plants!   
• It’s tempting to just scoot furniture to the wall and leave it because you want to follow symmetry.  Go diagonal!  Check out the difference a rearrangement can make by placing the sofa at a slant and give it a try in your living room! 

Not all rules of design should be broken, and there are likely rules that tell us why going against the norm with our personal decorating has a great result.  If you want to do something different, try it–you may like it! 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Condo living can be quite liberating if you are interested in downsizing and not having to deal with things such as cutting your grass or fixing things when they break.  Whether you rent or purchase a Condo of your own, Condo life is quite different from owning your own home.  There is a lot less upkeep when you live in a Condo vs living in a house but that doesn’t mean that you want to skimp on décor.  Below you will find a few tips for decorating your Condo that will have you loving your little place in no time.

1. One easy way to decorate your Condo that you may want to try is to add a few large mirrors to the walls.  Hanging large mirrors in a small space will make the small space look larger.  Many times, Condos can be tiny and have a lot of angles and awkward looking areas that can make a small space appear even smaller.   Mirrors can help to alleviate all of this.
2. Another tip for decorating your Condo is to paint the walls a nice white. You can find many different shades of white and can likely find one that will appeal to you.   White paint will brighten up the rooms in your Condo and make the pallet very neutral and easy therefore to decorate.
3. Yet another tip for decorating your Condo is to add color with large art wall décor. When you place a large painting on a wall in a small room it keeps the eye from looking towards the small space and brings the eye up to the artwork which helps the area to appear larger.   Not to mention it can add a great deal of beauty.
4. If your Condo is very small a good way to decorate and make the area work better for you is to separate spaces with room separators or curtains.  This works well for Condos that are completely open and don’t have a lot of walls in them.
5. Adding some shelves to the walls in your Condo on which to sit your knick knacks is a great way to make the space your own and to make it look like you and your personality.

These are just a few ideas and tips for decorating your Condo that you may want to put into practice.  There are many other ways in which you can create your perfect living environment with décor.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Decorating your home can be fun but no other room is more fun than decorating the nursery for the arrival of a new little one.  Nothing brings more happiness than welcoming a new baby into the world and what better way to welcome your new bundle of joy into your home than by fixing the nursery up for them.  Below are a few nursery decorating ideas to welcome your new little one.

1. A little baby is nothing more than a miracle from above so why not decorate your new baby’s room like the royalty that they are. Decorating the nursery  in a royal theme is a perfect idea whether you are welcoming a tiny prince or a princess.  You can keep the décor unisex by adding some rich colors to the wall or adding a chandelier to the ceiling.  Adding a few decorative pillows maybe in the shape of a crown might be a good idea as well.
2. Another cool idea for decorating your nursery is to make it extremely colorful with balloon décor. This type of room can be unisex as well if you stick to the primary colors of yellow, blue, green and red.  If you want to get really creative you could paint a balloon mural on the wall and perhaps an outdoor scene to go along with it.
3. If you like country décor you could use painted pallets to add a touch of southern sass to the room. This type of country décor can be unisex if you want or you can make it more of a cowboy feel or a cowgirl feel depending on which you have been blessed with.
4. Yet another great decorating idea to welcome your new little one into their new room is a Hollywood glitz and glam room. Sheer curtains hung throughout the room with walls painted pink is a great way to get this particular look and feel.  Yet again, a chandelier may be appropriate for this type of room.
5. If you want another gender neutral idea for your baby’s room you can use colors such as grey and yellow.  These colors are not only unisex they are timeless as well.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!