With many of us on tight budgets in this economic climate, major redecorating may seem beyond our means. Some professional designers offered tips on how we can spruce up with a few small changes and give our homes a spring makeover.

Framing or reframing favorite photos or artwork in coordinating frames can lend a gallery look to your home and be a focal point in a room. Your Chicago Illinois furniture store staff can offer ideas on making your decorating dollar stretch further as well.

If you want to accent current pieces such as a dining room set Chicago decorators can help you find the perfect table accents or echo the color of wood in your wall décor. Condensing your wall hangings mainly to one wall can provide a nice backdrop for a gorgeous piece of furniture.

If you’re feeling brave and in the do-it-yourself mode try changing out the backsplash in your kitchen. Rather than outdated tile or a bare wall, update the tile with bright colors or a mosaic look or try copper or stainless steel. In a bathroom setting leather is even an interesting choice.

While you’re in the bathroom with the tools out, consider changing the vanity or sink. This change could be a bit more expensive but can really alter the look of the room. A vessel sink which sits on top of a washstand or dresser is sharp. Even a funky new faucet will add interest to a bathroom with the blahs. Chicago Illinois furniture dealers have storage pieces and chairs designed for the bathroom. A nice option if you have the space.

If you like the look of your room, but just want a subtle change you might shop for new light fixtures or a chandelier. Lighting can be a design or focal point all its own. Think about combining styles or just going with something over-the-top with colors or textures that enhance the room. Customized shades or a wrap of material around a chandelier can achieve this effect.

In the bedroom try spicing up the headboard. If you have a wooden one drape something colorful over it like beads. If you don’t even have a headboard consider creating one from decorator panels found at discount stores, or staple some textured fabric over plywood and foam in a whimsical shape. Your imagination is the limit!

Although I keep a basket of cozy blankets next to my couch to snuggle into while I watch movies or take a cat nap on a winter afternoon, I have never really thought about using them as accent pieces or to bring pattern or texture into my decor. When it comes to full service furniture retailers Chicago has the best and the staff can point you toward the best choices in accent pieces.

One Manhattan designer recommends just that – reaching for a blanket not to cozy up, but to ramp up the color or pattern in a room. Brad Ford also explains that a blanket is an easy piece to change for seasons or a room makeover than a piece of furniture or a wall color. Your Chicago Illinois furniture dealer offers design services which can help you choose such accent pieces.

Ford describes his style as “warm”, “soulful” and “earthy”, and preferring an organic look, blankets fit right into his plans. Chicago contemporary furniture buyers will appreciate how a blanket can be the finishing touch to their new room décor or just jazz up a room that has become a bit tired.

Reversible blankets with patterns which differ on both sides offer versatility in decorating, says Ford. Blankets are the perfect accent piece because they can be used anywhere to change the mood of a room. He likes to just drape them over the arm of a sofa or even a headboard or footboard in the bedroom. Chicago contemporary furniture owners can use this idea to warm up a room that is sleekly designed.

Blankets – whether designer, department store or heirloom – can be an affordable way to make a visual impact. I have used an antique quilt as a wall hanging, but never thought to go the more casual route of a bright textile that could do double duty as décor and a snuggly. When shopping Chicago Illinois furniture retailers, think about how muted furniture pieces or monochromatic sets can be spiced up with a simple textile.

In perusing furniture retailers Chicago, consider pieces that could be accentuated with an heirloom textile you already own or what color of casual cotton throw you could purchase to add some punch to a certain piece of furniture.

Are you ready to dispel the winter blahs with a new look for one of the rooms in your home, or even a total home makeover? When visiting your Chicago Illinois furniture retailer keep these tips in mind to help you do it affordably and enjoyably.

Set a realistic budget. Most of us are strapped for cash these days and researching some price points and paring down to what will really make a difference in your room’s new look can save you much frustration.

Make a list of what you need and a few things you want. Prioritize your list and save room in the budget for at least one fun item. When considering these items, write down how they will be used and measure your space to be sure the items will fit the way you envision them. Your Chicago furniture dealer will be happy to help you design your space.

Know how, and how much, your furniture will be used. Frequency and type of use should dictate fabrics and finishes. If you have young children and pets you must consider safe, durable finishes and perhaps stain-proof, smudge-proof items as well. This consideration should extend to the frames, fillings and supports in a piece of furniture. Chicago Illinois furniture buyers want to be savvy in selecting the perfect pieces. A sturdier piece may have a higher price tag, but it also may last two or three times as long, saving you money in the long run.

Look for sales. Plan your shopping in advance and wait for sales if possible. Comparison shopping is also a must and sometimes retailers will match a competitor’s price, which might help you buy locally. Check out department stores as well as furniture stores and specialty stores. Chicago furniture dealers have great bargains and may have big sales as new spring pieces are arriving.

Know your seller. Ask friends or co-workers  where they have shopped and what experiences they had. You are more likely to have a good experience when you are referred by someone you know. Retailers also like to hear that you have been referred to their store. Also check out credit terms, payment options and find out about delivery times and charges, and warranty and return policies.

Read the label. The label must clearly state where the furniture was made, what exposed woods are used, and other materials information. If the label states Chicago leather couch, the couch would have to be locally made and the exposed materials all of leather.

So this might come as a no-brainer to some, but to others the possibilities are endless.  How do I arrange my living room?  Homeowners are becoming more style saavy with the growing popularity of home design networks like HGTV and “Complete Home Makeover” shows and are finding more and more ways to fix the feng shui of your family room.  There are an endless number of ways to arrange your living space to meet the needs and comfort of you (and your family).  We thought who better to help you out than one of the top furniture dealers Chicago has to offer.

More detailed than what you need, but this is a good sketch.

So where do I start?  Well as silly as it may seem, the best way to make sure you’re arranging the room the way you’re imagining it is to grab an old-fashioned pad of paper and pencil (it doesn’t actually have to be old-fashioned, we just use that term because no one uses paper and pencil these days…)  Start out with a rough sketch of the room making sure to take into account doorway access (if the door opens in or out) as well as any other obstructions (fireplace, staircases, light switches, etc.)  You can make your sketch as detailed or as bare as you want, it’s basically just meant to give you an idea of the space to visualize the different elements and how they could fit in the room.  However the more detailed the sketch, the better off you will be when you actually start moving the elements around, so its a good idea to take some time with this.

Next, select a focal point to the room.  Whether it’s a fireplace or a 50″ big screen TV (if you’re not the talking type.)  Once this is selected, make sure that all of the elements open up to the focal point.  This may seem easy but it’s important to make sure the room flows well together (and that you don’t have a bookshelf sitting out the middle of the room because you forgot to give it a place.)  Also, it may seem logical to arrange of the elements in a rectangular shape because that’s naturally the way the room wants to form, but keep in mind that it is generally a good idea to move elements around the room in such a way where you aren’t always creating right angles.  Keeping the couch at an angle is a great way to add some depth to the room while still keeping it open and retaining the space.

Test out some different sketches and see what works best.  The main thing to keep in mind is that you should arrange the room however you feel most comfortable.  Something might look great on TV, but might not be something you want to live with on a day-to-day basis.

Of course, the most important part in making the room your own is getting the right furniture.  Make sure you look online at your Chicago Furniture Dealer to get the furniture set that works best for your space.

The dining room. It’s where you want to spend mealtime, except it’s not organized. It’s where you want to entertain guests, except you never knew how to decorate it.

The dining room can and should be the most important room of your house, but so many people ignore its design or are ashamed of out-of-date furniture. Or if you’re like me, you have a spouse that wants to use it as an open-air filing cabinet.

With all that said there are several things to keep in mind when you embark upon purchasing new dining room furniture.

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