Home Interior Composition Part 2

This is Part Two of a series on pulling the look of your home together. You can see Part One here. Now that you've planned and organized, here's the fun part. Putting it all together.

1.  Ask for help – It never hurts to get someone else involved in your thought process. Talk to a friend you know understands you, get the opinions of people you know have a great sense of style and organization. I find that talking through my ideas with someone else is often the fastest way for me to identify the weak spots in my plan. Plus they may have ideas that will improve the great ideas you already have. They may ask questions you hadn’t thought of or know of resources that will help you put your ideas into action faster and less expensively.

2.  Do a quick shop -- Look for punches of color, interesting shapes and patterns that will deepen the look and feel of your composition.

 For smaller items you need to round out a room I like places home décor shops like Pier1 Imports, CostPlus World Market, IKEA and ZGallerie. Stores like Target, UrbanOutfitters, Anthropologie,  TJMaxx -Home Goods, Ross and Marshalls also wonderful resources for accessory decorating  items to brighten the home. If you are on a budget – and who isn’t – you can find some great deals at the lower priced discount stores.

Local thrift stores, flea markets, vintage fairs and junk yards can be great resources too. People often give away the little stuff when they’ve outgrown it or move to a new home.

Even when you're on a budget, don’t overlook the sales at the larger, more expensive retailers. You can often get amazing deals in store or at their web sites as they clear out older merchandise. Smaller items are more seasonal and more likely to go on clearance than large furniture items which stay for years sometimes.

Consider plants as part of your color and design scheme. Home Depot is now my go to shop for great plants. I may just be lucky and have a fantastic gardener taking care of the plants at my nearby location, but there is a fantastic selection of shapes, sizes and colors. Plants ground a room and give it life.

3. Don’t be afraid to experiment -- Unlike a home, sofa or dining table purchase, you can continually be changing your mind about your room composition. Don’t feel you have to find a perfect arrangement  in one day. You may need a week or weeks to play with it before you know what you want and you find what feels most you. Invite a friend to help. Sometimes all you need is an outside eye to see what is lacking or give you a confident “Oh, it’s perfect!”

4. Shake it up a bit -- Change your compositions regularly. Add a little something or take something away. If you have a beautifully styled bookcase and it never changes, it’s going to look staged and boring over time…and gather a lot of dust. Tweaking things on a regular basis shows your home is a representation of you, evolving and changing as the seasons and you change.

The composition that is going to feel best to you is the one that most reflects you and your life. Pull in things that inspire and excite you.  Use the things you collect – sea shells, sea glass, old post cards, family photos, vintage bud vases, travel souvenirs. Let it evolve with you. A home that is well composed is one people feel instantly comfortable and cozy in and one that will feel happy to you.

Do you have composition challenges? Are there areas you feel have never quite come together in your home? What has inspired you or helped you get over this decorating hurdle?

Have a fantastic weekend. I'm heading to Week Three of Girls Night Out craft night with Mariah B. as our fabulous and patient teacher. Tonight we're making Christmas Stockings. Looking forward to it. See you back here Monday for more creative fun.

Photo 1 Southern Living Magazine by Laurey W. Glenn

Photo 2 House Beautiful by Dominique Vorillon

Photo 3 MyHomeIdeas.com by Tria Giorvan

Photo 3 MyHomeIdeas.com by Tria Giorvan