Flip! for Decorating (eBook)

There are infinite possibilities in home dcor. The vast spectrum of choices can be exciting, but more often than not, the options are overwhelming. And believe me, whether you're ready for a major house overhaul, or simply need to enliven a tired living room, the biggest gaff you can make in decorating is putting it off. Flip! for Decorating will help you make simple and achievable decisions about decorating, whether you're starting with an empty house or are ready to liven up your already furnished apartment.

When friends call me for decorating advice, I know they're looking for no-fuss solutions: the perfect gray paint, a sofa she'll love forever, or a quick way to hang art before a party. I never reply with a laundry list of design rules, instead I'll send her a one-line e-mail, 'Benjamin Moore, Owl Gray in flat finish.' That gets her on her way to the hardware store and toward overall design improvements. You're probably the same way--you don't have time to comb through 300 swatches of gray paint or to mock up a few curtain styles before making a decision. So now I've done the heavy lifting for you. As a longtime decorating editor, it's my job to know everything on the market--and to distill that into a short list of fail-safe choices that will get your home looking pretty, polished, and unequivocally you in a snap.

Flip! for Decorating kicks off by laying the groundwork for your home's decorating scheme. Chapter 1 spells out the fundamentals of color, specifically, how to choose the perfect paint for a single room or a harmonious palette for your entire home. Paint is the fastest, easiest, and most dramatic way to transform a room. So to make it even easier, I've included a list of my favorite, no-fail paint colors to help you narrow down your choices.

Chapter 2 focuses on window treatments, teaching you how to select curtains or shades that bring new life to any window. Both chapters are packed with simple, effective ways to update your interiors. Tips like painting the ceiling a lighter color than the walls and hanging custom-made or store bought curtains high above the window frame will make any room seem more spacious. Before investing in a new sofa or rug, consider the techniques in Color and Windows--you'll be surprised how changing the wall color or dressing up a window treatment can make a room look brand-new.

Chapters 3 through 6 focus on the four most decorated rooms in your home: the living room, dining room, family room, and bedroom. Each chapter begins with a section about the biggest, most important (and usually costliest) piece of furniture for that particular room. Think sofa, dining table, and bed. Second only to wall paint and windows, these marquee pieces of furniture make the biggest impact on a room. Even if you're not in the market for a new sofa, skim through the section to learn where to place the one you already have to help reinvent your room.

Additional pieces of furniture and accessories are explained throughout the chapters. Each time an item is added to the room, a section called Basics will give you information about how it's used in the room and tips for buying it. Typecasting breaks down the merits of specific types of furniture and clarifies questions of style, such as when you should use a round dining table verses a square one.

And you can even let your fingers do the walking. Unlike other decorating books, Flip! for Decorating shows you the progression of decorating a room step-by-step. Just use your thumb to flip through chapters 3 through 6 and you'll watch four rooms assembled one piece of furniture at a time!

As you 'flip' through the book, look for recurring sidebars,...