Learn to paint everything in your home


Decorating Your Older Home for Comfortable Living

Decorating an older home can be a realby  using  accessories  creatively.
challenge. Most of us don't really want to
live the way our ancestors did. The aim is toDecorators are divided about such modern
get the flavor of the era you wish to projectadjuncts as kitchen appliances, TV's and
without the discomfort and aggravation.sound systems. My feeling is, good design
Antique upholstery is not noted for itsblends with good design. Some of the newer
comfort. Antique beds tend to be too shortappliances are beautifully designed and our
for modern bodies and most of us prefer anancestors would have made that stainless
inner spring or foam mattress to one stuffedsteel, side by side refrigerator with ice and
with straw or horsehair. Although I havewater on the door, the showpiece of the house
cooked on an iron wood stove and thoroughlyso I am not a big fan of attempting to hide
enjoyed it in the depth of winter, there islarge modern appliances behind wooden doors
nothing to recommend it in July. So where doand cupboards. I do think they tend to look
you draw the line between authenticity andbetter in stainless or black but that's a
modern  life?personal opinion. The exception to the
kitchen appliance rule is for houses built in
Fortunately you can get modern upholstery,the last century when kitchen appliances were
with modern foam, coil decks and cushions, inbecoming common. Reproductions are available
older styles and fabrics. Unless you arein the styles of the 20's, 30's, 40's and
trying to get a museum room, it isn't50's and can make a really clever kitchen
necessary to copy the original styleswhich  is  fully  functional.
exactly. Be careful of proportions, but any
upholstery piece which is a classic styleMy feeling about TV's and sound systems is
will blend with antiques, or reproductions.similar. If you don't have a media room,
Fabric choices can give an antique look andthere are hundreds of styles of armoires
are available in reproduced patterns madewhich will hide the TV and look like a piece
from modern, low maintenance fabrics. If youof antique furniture. Choose carefully.
have antiques, avoid the need to put matchedThey can be overwhelming. However, if you
pairs of everything. Our ancestors lovedwant the TV to sit out or hang on the wall,
that balanced look and many of us still findgo for it. You can soften its stark modernity
that a comfortable look to live with, but ifby  the  things  you  sit  around  it.
only your upholstered pieces match, they will
draw  attention  away  from your show pieces.So when you decide to redecorate and give
your home a more period feel, keep these
The exception, as always, is in a formalthings  in  mind.
room. If you are living in a home from the
1700's and want to get the flavor of the era,- Lighting is available in any style
you will want more formalized seatingimaginable and will give an effect of
patterns. However, the newer trend inauthenticity.
historic houses is to have furniture from
several eras from the original built date to- Conversion rails are available to enlarge
represent. Our ancestors were thrifty.antique  beds  and  to  maximize  comfort.
Furniture was hand produced and costly, so
people didn't tend to pitch pieces which were- Reproduction wallpapers are easy to find
out of style. It wasn't until mass produced,and are divided into the eras in which they
inexpensive furniture became widely availablewere  popular.
that people started dumping Grandma's pine
table in the chicken house, or slapped a coat- Classes on painting techniques and
of green paint on the solid cherry drop leafstenciling can be taken at your local home
and  put  it  on  the  front  porch.store.
Generally, keep your upholstered pieces- The library is a great source for popular
subdued but try for the correct style (or astyles of all eras. Once you have done a
modified version) of the window treatmentslittle research into the look you are trying
and case pieces. Wing chairs have beento create, adapt it to your own needs and
popular for 300 years, but make sure yoursdecorate in the spirit of that era instead of
are comfortable to sit on before you decidetrying to create a room which hasn't changed
you have to have them. Our ancestors hadin  150  years.
much better posture and liked sitting very
straight. Classic styles of modernContributions for this article from ON THE GO
furniture keep the lines of the old, but have4 U design consultant, Suzanne Copenhaver who
a better slant to the backs. The real effecthas years of experience decorating less than
of the room can be created by how youperfect spaces.
decorate your walls, floors and windows, and



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