I saw an ad recently in Architectural Digest for Linge Roset furniture. The headline was “Staying Home is the New Going Out to a Fancy Place”. I thought what a great ad!  In these rough economic times, we are all modifying the way we spend and for a lot of us that means cutting back on how often we go out to a restaurant or club. We’re staying home and entertaining at home more than we have in recent times. It is reminiscent of Mid-Century America where cocktail parties and bridge clubs were a weekly occurrence. We are embracing the lifestyle, enjoying shows set in those times and even decorating our homes with the look of that era, 1950’s-1960’s America. So with that in mind, many of us are choosing to stay home and spend money on making our homes more comfortable and cozy. Here are a few remodeling design ideas to get you started.

Begin by deciding how much you want to spend on design changes. Look at your space and determine the function of the room and the mood you want for the space. Look at the furniture arrangement and determine if it is working for you. Determine what is working for you and what is not working. Do you have enough seating? Do you have adequate surfaces for food and drinks? Will you need extra tables when entertaining? How about lighting? You should have adequate task and ambient lighting in the room. How about style? Are you happy with the style or do you want a complete new look? Maybe you want to add or change wall colors. Paint can transform the mood of a room instantly. If your budget allows, add a new piece of furniture like a sofa for more seating and a style update. If you can’t afford new furnishings add new pillows in fun colors and patterns. Add carefully chosen unique accessories with a similar look or color to tie the room together. In place of greenery or plants try filling glass vases with real branches to add a pretty, natural look to a room. Add new area rugs to define your seating areas and add color and texture to the room. Speaking of Mid-Century design, a new fun idea is to add some vintage pieces to the room. How about a 50’s style bar you can pull out from the wall when entertaining and then put back along the wall as a console/sofa table to display some accessories, books or additional lighting.  Check out local antique and resale stores to find authentic pieces that will work for your space. Frames are a trendy way to decorate your walls. Use different styles and group them together with photos, artwork, mirrors, other interesting items or even display them empty. Interesting, pretty, unique or distressed frames become art in themselves when grouped together. Accessorize with care and thought.

Be careful to keep the space uncluttered and welcoming. You want to create a space that is comfortable for you and your family to enjoy as well as entertain in with your family and friends. Start with your plan, follow some simple design rules and be creative.  Don’t be afraid to add vintage touches to the space and not be all matchy-matchy. Your space will be more interesting and welcoming. For more ideas call Rancho Interior Design for In-Home Consultation  951-956-0661