Rethinking decorating

I'll start by admitting that while I like my home to look nice, I have no ego tied up in whether it looks like a magazine showplace or not. My home is for living, it's supposed to serve me and shelter me, not the other way around. My home is clean and comfortable, and my kids say it's a place you can have fun in.

However, I'll start with mild advice for those who are obsessed with appearances. First, plan! I suggest starting by looking as some of the minimalist styles (i.e. very uncluttered decorating). I think this is one of the most striking styles of decorating, and gives the impression that rooms are larger than they are. Decide what pieces you actually need. LR as an example - couch, a chair, a coffee table or a couple of end tables, book shelves if needed, entertainment center if you insist, rug if needed, curtains if needed. Be creative too. Two love seats or three or four comfortable chairs instead of a couch and chair gives you more flexibility to rearrange.

Now DON'T run to the nearest furniture store and buy a perfectly matched group on credit. What do you already have that's nice enough to use, at least for a while? Keep those things, and instead of buying the other things new, start looking for second hand pieces. People who buy expensive furniture often resale it two or three years later when they move or just redecorate. Start checking the "for sale" ads in the newspaper and on-line (I highly recommend Craig's List for this kind of shopping). If decorating is really important to you, this can be a fun treasure hunt. Make sure you know what the fancy pieces you want go for new, and try to find someone selling them for half or less the new price. Don't expect to find exact pieces, pick out a general scheme (all cherry wood, and a pale green base color in the fabrics for instance). This may take months, but think treasure hunt! Plus, your decorating is on-going, which will reduce the urge to completely replace everything in two or three years.

For things like paint in the LR, stick to simple, classic things. Frankly, I like neutral, light colored walls, preferably washable. Add color with fabric - throw pillows, afghans, etc. Really lovely curtains can be "made" from good quality sheets, just slide the rod through the sheet's pocket, and drape it however you want it. For your ornamentation, pick a theme - a set of photos of flowers or mountains, etc. Or baskets. Or whatever, but keep it unified and simple. By the way, if you stick to classic neutral colors for the large things, and use fabric to change the color and theme, you can redecorate for a couple of hundred dollars or less any time you get tired of what you have by replacing pillows and throws and rug and ornaments and rearranging the pieces. Think long-term with furniture.

There, you've decorated for probably less than half of what you would have spent, and hopefully you won't need to spend on anything major for at least 10 years.

For more plebian tastes, be creative and eclectic. Several chairs are more easily placed or rearranged than a couch. Wicker outdoor furniture is cheaper, sturdy and comfortable (plus light if you move a lot). A coffee table can be a trunk or something else that doubles as storage. My end table is an old night stand. Entertainment centers can be anything that holds up a TV and accessories - we use a piece intended as a closet organizer. Plan loosely what you want and need, then try on-line, the papers, garage sales and thrift shops. Our local Goodwill has nice (sanitized) loveseats in good condition for $35. If your budget is really strapped, pile pillows in the floor for seating and use lawn chairs while you save and look. PAY CASH. For rugs, if you can't find a single one for a large area that you can afford, look for two or three smaller ones and overlap them. If you live in a border state, you can often find wool Mexican blankets cheap, buy half a dozen of these that coordinate, and use two or three as temporary rugs (weighted or with a non-skid mat to avoid slips) and the others as throws. Instant them. If someone gives you a seating piece with upholstery you don't like, take it then find a second hand comforter to cover it with (this is good for hiding fabric damage and wear too). I spent $7 for the attractive comforter covering my loveseat.

For bedrooms, I highly recommend efficient furniture. If you're young and like the idea (or are really strapped for space), consider Japanese style bedding - a couple of thick comforters or sleeping bags as mattress on the floor with whatever blankets and pillows you want. In the morning, pop it in to a closet out of the way. If you're like me, and arthritis makes that a daunting idea, my favorite are day beds. These are high enough for lots of storage underneath. If you need more room than a twin bed, consider some way to raise your full/queen/king to create more storage underneath. Consider a short bookcase as a "nightstand". To me, bureaus are inefficient. I prefer chest of drawers. However, be creative. If the closet's big enough, get all your clothes in there on shelving or organizers (don't spend a lot of money to customize this, though). I've used wire cubes in a closet as clothes storage. If you already have blinds (many places come with them), just add a swag of fabric over the window for accent. You don't even need a rod, you can tack up a swag.

Minimize knickknacks, and go for found objects and things you or a family member makes or were given. My current living room has a built in alcove that I think was a window once upon a time. We change the display from time to time, currently it has a hand-painted Russian tray, a tile I was given at a bar mitzvah, an Indian figure of a camel, a large conch shell, and a glass candy jar with a miniature still life my younger daughter created. The bottom is filled with tumbled amethysts (before your eyes widen, you can buy these for probably less than $10 for a pound), and a few tumbled tigers eyes, and the still life consists of small shells and tiny driftwood. I really love this piece. On our walls are Texas landscape photos we were given set in frames we got second hand. I think I've spent less than $10 for all of them. Admittedly, the photo of a tornado raises eyebrows, but I have a daughter who loves meteorology.

Oh, you need to think differently if you rent, own but may move frequently, or own for long term. If you rent, think flexible, easy to move and small pieces (chairs rather than couch or love seat). That way, you won't have to turn down a great rental in a good location because your 7 foot couch won't fit. Also, it's really essential that the furniture be in neutral colors, and the color added with fabrics. The same goes for owners who move frequently. If you're going to be moving long-distances (and your employer isn't footing the bill), you can invest in good second-hand pieces that you can resale easily before you move, then start over with a couple of chairs, a table, and comforters on the floor while you shop for replacement furniture in the new location. Be sure the pieces are things that resale easily. One of the nice things about this method is if you bought the pieces second hand, you can often resale them at almost the same price if you maintained them. Then you don't have to pay to move them, and you have the fun of shopping for replacements at the other end (you may lose a little money on this, but you should save more in reduced moving costs). If you own and you don't expect to move, you can invest in pieces that fit your spaces more exactly, but don't overdo it. Huge heavy pieces are hard to rearrange, and limit your redecorating.