The Novice Decorator's Style Notebook

[*Bush '04*]

1. Shop for New (and Old) Furniture

First things first—add these "grown up" basics to your shopping list:

* Sofa or sofa bed/slipcover
* Coffee table
* One comfortable, upholstered club chair
* One or two wood or metal chairs
Click to enlarge.
Add several basic, but stylish, wooden chairs to your shopping list.
Photo courtesy of Collegiatemall.com.
* Tall bookcases or shelving in metal or wood/armoire
* Side table or small cocktail table next to club chair
* Table lamps, floor lamp, wall lamps (hung on the wall, these save space)
* Bed and headboard (could be homemade, a beautiful old door hung horizontally, a piece of shirred fabric on the wall, an old floor screen or shutters)
* Nightstand

Style Tips
Don't spend top dollar on a new sofa—scour your local second-hand shops for a deal on that old chesterfield. Relatives are always worth asking: Will your aunt let you have that spare couch stored in her basement? As long as it's clean, its condition doesn't matter. That reliable decorator's staple, the slipcover, hides a multitude of sins. Slipcovers come in a great variety of fabrics and styles. Handsome plaids, funky stripes, romantic florals inject new life to an old piece. Or create your own slipcover using a colorful quilt—tuck and pull to cover for loose, shabby-chic results.

A coffee table may serve double duty as an eating and entertaining area so make sure it's sturdy. Opt for the unusual to add flair. A large, old drum found at a flea market, an upholstered ottoman where you can also set a serving tray, a large piece of beveled glass set on two stacks of oversized books.
Tall bookcases can be filled with hardcover books, knick-knacks or your television.
Photo courtesy of HomeVisions.com.

Tall bookcases or open shelving are surefire ways to add instant warmth to your living room. Use two for impact. Make it a point to hunt for discounted hardcover books so you can fill up your shelves with interesting titles. Don't cram too many knick-knacks in with the books—let them speak boldly for themselves.

If you're lucky, your small television might fit on one of the shelves where it can hide among the bindings. A club chair found at a tag sale looks great opposite the sofa and provides seating for a visitor, and two traditional wood or modern metal chairs are great for pulling up to the coffee table when guests arrive. Try slipcovers for wood chairs and create an upholstered, Parson's chair effect.

Get out the paint and whitewash for a rustic cottage look.

Lighting is very important in apartments. Use plenty of low-light lamps with crisp ivory shades for your tables. Lamps can cost hundreds of dollars, so take that pretty old flea market vase to your local electrician—he can wire it and fashion a custom-made lamp for a fraction of the cost. One tall floor lamp is essential for uplighting. And place several inexpensive but effective floor lights, found at hardware superstores, on the floor. They cast an upward glow that instantly brightens.

[Fargo]

A very good guide, thanks for putting this up.

[Mr. Anderson]

Thanks for he information! Keep it coming!

[Archy]

Thanks for the contribution! Good information, good read!

[Geoff]

nice contribution! Thanks for taking the time to get this on the board! A overall really good read:)