Make Your Homes Style Unique With Mix and Match Decor

You see it all the time in retail discount stores: Color coordinated decor for just about anywhere in your home. And some of the designs are quite pretty. In fact, some people become obsessed by them. They're usually really cute, come in a variety of colors, shades, patterns and designs, and they just plain make decorating easy. There's no guesswork - everything is matched for you automatically. But there's also no unique style. No sense of "you" in the finished style. If you mix and match styles up a bit though, you'll end up creating something that's just right for you, your home, and your style preferences. Here are a few tips on doing that.

1. It's ok to start with a "cookie cutter" design style, pattern, or color theme you've found in a general store. These are actually great starting places for getting new decor ideas.

2. Try choosing just one or two matching items from the store. For instance, let's say you plan to decorate your bathroom in a sea green color scheme. You'll find plenty of really nice shower curtains to fit this color scheme well, so choose one you like. If you just can't resist... go ahead and get the matching accessories too, such as the toothbrush holder and soap dish.

3. Now most likely the ready made design of your shower curtain has traces of other colors mixed in. It's common for instance, to see blues, tans, yellows and oranges in a sea green coordinated bathroom set, because these colors tend to be seen when you're actually at the sea or ocean. So they compliment each other.

And this is a key decorating point: Your room colors don't have to match exactly. They should simply compliment each other. So in our sea green bathroom decor example above, it would be perfectly natural to add a set of solid tan colored towels, burnt orange wash cloths, and a throw rug with touches of blue in it. If the blue doesn't seem to fit quite right for your tastes, then try a deep forest green colored rug instead.

4. Try different color shade combinations. If you're using primarily green in the bathroom design, try both a light and dark shade as previously mentioned. Test the colors out though, because sometimes one shade doesn't sit well next to another. Sometimes you can tell this instinctively by holding two items of different shades together in the store, but other times you'll need to actually buy the items and test them in the actual room itself. Anything that doesn't quite look or feel right in the overall room design can simply be returned to the store.

5. Work with what you have. In our bathroom decor example, the shades of green might not work well if you have pink walls and aren't able to change them when you're redecorating. If you have deep, dark wood cabinets and other accessories, the darker green shades might make the room seem a bit too heavy and dark once you have all of the new decorations in place.

6. Don't be afraid to try mixing decor styles. It's ok to have a Southwestern style towel set in the same bathroom as a seaside designed shower curtain for instance, because both styles tend to use earth toned colors.

7. Last but not least: If you can't find decor styles you like at regular stores, try shopping around at yard sales and flea markets. Even if you find just one interesting or unique piece that really catches your attention - that's a place to start. You can create an entire room's unique design and decor style by simply working from the color and style of that one piece!

Remember that decorating your home is all about you. Your likes, dislikes, and lifestyle are what's most important. So be sure to inject a little bit of your own personality into the decor of your home, and your friends and family will be envious of your unique, stylish look!

© 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard. This article is provided courtesy of The Do It Yourself Home Decorating Network - http://www.diyhomedecorating.com - a large and growing home decorating and decor website featuring articles, tips, advice, and popular home decor shopping.

Rockford Valley College to host interior decorating course Rockford Register Star By Leigh Hunziker Rockford Valley College Community and Continuing Education will hold an eight-week interior decorating course from 6:15-8:15 pm March 21 to May 9 in Classroom Building II on RVC's main campus, 3301 N. Mulford Road.

Business Insider

Gingrich's 'Modest' 5000 Square Foot House Has Issues According To Interior ... Business Insider AP Newt Gingrich lives in McLean, VA, in a house that can only be described as modest, considering real estate values in the Washington DC Beltway suburb. But it's pretty clear that the former House Speaker wants to trade up. Campaign website photos of ... and more »

Christina's on Magee offers upholstery, home interior services Danbury News Times Christina Spano Manowitz poses for a photo at her upholstery and custom interior decorating business, Christina's on Magee, on Wednesday, February 1, 2012. Photo: Lindsay Niegelberg / Stamford Advocate | Buy This Photo Christina Spano Manowitz poses ... and more »

Talking Business: Carpet One closes Longview shop Longview Daily News Columbia River Carpet One Floor and Home shut down its Longview interior decorating store last month and consolidated its merchandise and services at its original Rainier location. "The economy won't support two of them. The builders aren't building ...

Airport manager search panel, timeline set Brainerd Daily Dispatch The commission identified two entities it wants to work with as it considers interior decorating ideas for the terminal in the future. The two are Danae Blanck Anderson of ID Your World and a partnership including Millie Engisch Morris and Dyan Westman ... and more »

Astrology Dining: How To Pick A Restaurant For Every Sign Huffington Post They use not just food, but things like interior decorating, location and service style to create a certain effect, which may or may not resonate with any given person. Of course, many people don't believe that astrology is "real.

Divorce Claims Man's Star Trek Apartment Seattle Post Intelligencer By Joyce Eng, TV GUIDE One man boldly went where interior decorating had never gone before - until divorce snatched it all away from him. After separating from his wife, Georgina, in 1994, British DJ/die-hard Trekkie Tony Alleyne spent 10 years and ... and more »

Mission in Milot U-T San Diego MILOT, Haiti — The first lesson that 10 students from the University of San Diego's Hahn School of Nursing learned on their weeklong immersion into community health care in Haiti was interior decorating with mosquito netting. The exercise, which took ... and more »

Boston.com

Standout symbols of a program on the rise Boston.com But he did find time to do a little interior decorating. Hang a left when you walk through the doors, and there on the wall are super-sized photographs of Patriots defensive back James Ihedigbo and Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz. and more »

Shirley A. Permar Tiffin Advertiser Tribune She enjoyed interior decorating, reading novels, needlepoint, holiday baking, playing cards and golfing. She will be remembered as a lady who loved animals, especially her dogs, her strong political views, a great sense of humor and a loving mother and ...