Inspiration is important, yes, but remember the old adage about success being “one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration”? It’s true for decorating. If you want to achieve that designer magazine look in your home, look for your ideas the way the designers do.

Determine your personal style, research pieces and prices, seek advice from professionals if needed and know your budget. Even designers have to work within a budget and a time frame. Take your time in preparing for the project and it will go much more smoothly and quickly when you actually begin.

Look through your favorite home magazines. Visit model homes and even furniture store displays – just don’t buy anything yet. Note details in the rooms such as wall color, ceiling height, window treatments, and furniture placement. Picture how they would transfer into your own home and recognize what you love and what you don’t care for. Your local Walter E. Smithe Chicago furniture dealer will listen to your ideas and help you transform them in to a room worthy of a magazine shoot.

Watch the home makeover shows on T.V. There are entire networks devoted to this and they have many original and fun ideas. Make notes of the things you like. You can mix and match ideas from different show and designers. Whether you need Chicago office furniture for a peaceful office or a romantic bedroom, there will be an episode to cover it.

Bring home color swatches and paint samples, and cut pictures out of magazines of pieces and colors you love.  Make a list of favorite accessories in your home that you want to incorporate into a room then assess whether you will want to purchase additional pieces.

This is one area, though, where you may want to stray from the gloss and perfection of the magazine look.  Magazines need to appeal to everyone and so they offer a sterile design look. Since it’s your home and your personal style, don’t shy away from personal touches such as photographs and favorite heirloom pieces like textiles or collectibles. Just don’t overdo. These touches, along with fresh flowers or a live plant here and there can really warm up your room and make your guests feel welcome.

Become familiar with the materials available for furnishings and carpet. Know what fabrics wear well and meet your lifestyle needs. Once you have done your homework you can compile an idea of what your finished room might look like. Ask your friends for their opinions, but don’t be swayed into something that fits their taste and not your own.

When you get ready to buy, take your lists, swatches and pictures with you and seek advice from people who do this for a living.  Furniture store staff members are often the experts in putting together a fashionable room and many stores even have in-house designers who can work with you.  If you already have a productive work area with your Chicago office furniture from Walter E. Smithe, sit down at that stylish desk and map out the other rooms of your home.

If college is behind you or you’ve begun your first “real” job and plan on moving into your own home or apartment it’s time for more than basement cast-offs and milk crate bookshelves. Even if you don’t have a big budget for furnishings, you can purchase a few quality pieces one or two at a time and have furniture that will last for years.

Chicago, Illinois furniture retailers like Walter E. Smithe will tell you that a sturdy, comfortable bed is one of the first investments you should make. After all, you will spend about one-third of your life there. If you can’t afford one right off, purchase a good quality air bed and it can be used for guests when you buy a real bed. Think about what size will be comfortable for you and remember that not every space can accommodate a king-size mattress. Test the firmness of the mattress before you buy it.

While you’re still in the bedroom, think about a dresser or chest of drawers that will coordinate with the bed and provide the storage you need. Remember bed linens will need a place, as well as seasonal clothing and accessories. You might consider one for the main living space as well to store CDs or games, candles, and throw pillows and blankets.

You probably have a T.V., so you will need somewhere to sit and watch it besides your old beanbag chair. Somewhere for your guests would be nice too. Sofas come in all shapes, sizes, colors and price ranges. Choose one that will stand up to time. A solid hardwood frame is a must for durability, as are hand-tied springs and quality fabric. Above all, be sure it’s actually comfortable to sit on. Otherwise, what’s the point? Don’t forget to measure whether it will fit not only in your living space, but on the elevator or stairs and through the doorway to get there.

A nice accessory piece to consider is an ottoman or upholstered footstool. Walter E. Smithe’s Chicago furniture collection will have many choices. Depending on its size, it can perform in other roles such as coffee table.

Interesting side tables in various materials and shapes can help create a unique look in your living room and they can be picked up affordably at secondhand stores or tag sales. They also can be rearranged depending on your entertainment plans to hold snacks or drinks or even for board games.

Tempting as it may be to eat on the ottoman and watch T.V., you should shop at your Chicago Walter E. Smithe furniture store for a quality table for your eating area. If you don’t have a lot of room, consider one with fold-down sides or extra leaves that can expand for guests (or when you get a bigger place). Don’t forget chairs. You can mix and match, especially if you want to buy secondhand. Even adding some upholstered chairs is fine as long as they fit comfortably at the table. They can double as guest seating in the living room.

Don’t forget your lighting. Even if you have overhead fixtures in your rooms, table lamps and floor lamps add warmth and often run on less power than a ceiling light with multiple bulbs. If you don’t own your living space, you will probably want to stay away from actually installing lights. Invest in something you can take with you to you next home. If you shop at Chicago furniture and modern lighting stores you can find fun colors and materials in lighting.

Even if you don’t have a designated guest room, it’s nice to have an air bed on hand for guests. (Or you can be the ultimate host and offer them your bed while you take the inflatable.) Buy some quality bedding for it as well. Look for white sales at big department stores and you can get great quality on a budget.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens may not make it into your décor but you might bring in a bright copper kettle while working your favorite things into a room design.  It just makes sense to design our homes around things we love. That makes us comfortable, and if we feel comfortable in our homes we will enjoy them more and our guests will too. Dealers of the best furniture Chicago offers can help you achieve this goal.

One place to start is by getting rid of clutter. That means not only piles of mail and old magazine that have accumulated on the end table or kitchen counter, but anything that we don’t use, need or want. One home makeover show used to have a designer that asked: Do you love it? Do you need it? (If you haven’t used it in six months to a year the answer is NO!) Can it make you money? If the homeowner could not answer yes to one of these questions the item was out. This process of eliminating clutter can be emotional and may take some time, but work at it steadily and it will happen.

Find a wall color you like. This is an easy and inexpensive way to give a room that “wow” factor. You can do the entire room or just an accent wall, but don’t be afraid of color. Think about how different colored rooms make you feel and go from there. Continue that color in accent pieces throughout the room.

Be sure that your furniture is comfortable. How many of us have been to a home with that one formal-looking room that no one ever uses. The atmosphere is cold and the furniture is stiff, so no one wants to use it. This is why kitchens so often become the gathering place. They are warm and inviting and we feel comfortable being ourselves there. If your furniture is not comfortable and you don’t love it, get rid of it! Buy the best quality you can and upgrade when you can afford to do so. Even in a room like a home office, your Chicago office furniture retailer can help you combine comfort and function.

Put things where they are accessible. I can’t count the number of times I have gone to my storage closet to get a fan and found it is hidden behind boxes of Christmas decorations and piles of camping equipment. Pack things away seasonally so the fans are at the front of the closet in the summer and the Christmas decorations are there in December. Keep other things close at hand, like some throws or blankets in a basket or drawer near your favorite place to curl up at read or watch a movie. Keep your most-used cooking pieces close-at-hand. This goes for reading material and lighting as well.

Speaking of good lighting – get some! Don’t count on a ceiling fixture to illuminate your entire room. Place lamps strategically where you can use them to save energy or to highlight reading and handwork. Recessed lighting in kitchens and bathrooms and spotlighting on artwork can be convenient as well as warm and welcoming. Consider dimmer switches wherever possible to allow mood lighting and save on energy costs.

Don’t forget the personal touches. Heirloom pieces and family photos not only give you a sense of ownership and recall fond memories, but they warm up your home and guests often enjoy then as a conversation piece. Photos should be displayed in groupings if they are small. Change some of them out seasonally to keep your room fresh.

When you shop for the best furniture Chicago has to offer, think about what you want in your home, not what a decorator uses in the displays. Most of all, keep your personality in your decorating – that will assure a comfortable home.

So you want a bit of workspace that doesn’t remind you of work?  A comfortable, efficient spot where you can focus for an hour or two at a time that won’t require sacrificing personal style? Not a problem when you visit the store with the best furniture Chicago has to offer.

When it comes to the home office, the newest trend is to keep your space from looking like a home office. Your work space should transition smoothly into the rest of your home while serving your work and organizational needs. Chicago Illinois furniture retailers also want to provide you with seating to fit your home office needs. Continue Reading

Brown and green are the new black. Pink is the new white and yellow is the new orange – at least in today’s home décor. The environmental movement has heavily influenced not only fashion but home decorating trends as well. Continue Reading