76. Add warm colors
Whether you paint your walls a sun-kissed gold, cover a sofa with a warm-toned slipcover or simply add pillows or a throw blanket in a “hot” shade, you can quickly make a room look brighter and feel cozier with the right color. Any shade that complements flesh tones is a comforting thing.
77. Get yourself a comfy chair
A large, comfy chair to land in at the end of the day is the ultimate refuge from the cold world. Choose one with a high back and an inherent sense of softness about the upholstery for visual warmth and comfortable seating,” Rascoe recommends. Create the full “chair ensemble” with a standing lamp and end table and set the grouping in an intimate corner.
78. Cover the floor
Nothing warms up a bare floor quicker than an area rug. Don’t underestimate the visual warmth it provides as well, especially in sunburst tones. Choose the brighter angle for added winter warmth.
79. Lamps
Lamps have the benefit of being convenient and portable. If the darkness in your room makes it difficult to read, a nice reading lamp may be just what you need. If you’re looking to brighten up the whole room, then you may need a bigger lamp. Lamps come in so many styles and sizes that you can certainly find a style that matches your decor.
80. Sheer curtains are an effective decorating tool
The lightness of the fabric not only allows light to enter the room, but also allows you to drape and use the curtains in other ways as well. In addition, they come in a wide variety of colors and are quite inexpensive. Accent a small window by hanging one sheer curtain from a rod, then pulling it back to one side only. This will make the window look bigger without overwhelming it. Drape your sheer curtain over a table or fold it and lay it down the center of the table. Sheer curtain panels make great tablecloths.
81. Do not float a rug in the middle of the room
A rug on the floor adds color and a connecton between pieces of furniture. The rug should be tucked under the front legs of chairs, sofas, and tables. A rug placed in the middle of a room, unanchored, poses a safety hazard. It would be easy to trip on an edge or corner of the rug or slip and slide if the rug moves.
82. Avoid pushing all the furniture up against the wall
You may think that a room will look larger if the middle of the floor is open, without furniture. But the opposite is true. Unless you’re going to have a dancing party in the middle of your room, move the furniture into groupings in the center. Arrange a sofa with a table behind it, away from the wall with a walking space behind. Show off the back of the sofa and arrange decorative items and a lamp for reading behind it. Move chairs out of corners and you’ll have a more open, airy look in your room.
