Janie and I first met in December of 2010.  She called to say that she had just downsized to a Dunwoody condo and needed a little help with the decorating.  When I walked into her home, I saw that she was very eclectic in her style and de’cor.  She explained that she loves to travel and takes trips to various parts of the world frequently.  She typically arrives home with an original painting or artifact from the area she has just visited.  As a result, she has many different looks she is trying to bring together.  To illustrate, shown below are her living room bookcases which have been decorated with treasures from around the world.

Living Room - Eclectic

Please note the globe on display in front of the window!  That tells you something about Janie and also brings me to decorating tip #1:  decorate around the things that are meaningful to you. Don’t let any decorator or designer tell you, “This is not a part of the plan.”  It’s his or her job to incorporate meaningful objects into the plan.  If I were decorating a model home, it would definitely need to be more geared toward wide appeal; but your home is all about you and the things you want to surround yourself with.

Janie and I have worked together four or five times over the past few months.  The first time we met we spent a considerable amount of time trying to find the right walls for her varied artwork.  The piece that is now hanging in her dining room (shown below) used to hang over the sofa in her living room.

Dining Room - artwork previously hung over living room sofa

Ready for decorating tip #2? Here it is:  don’t be afraid to move artwork and accessories from room to room. What might not look that great in one room could be perfect in another.

Here is a shot of her living room with current artwork which she found for an unbelievable price at a secondhand store.  Isn’t it great?!  Again, keeping with the eclectic theme already established in the home and the African nature of the painting, it is perfectly suited to the space.

Living Room

Another thing I would like for you to take note of in the above photo is the rug.  Janie shopped for this after one of our sessions when we discussed room scale and colors.  Decorating tip #3:  always buy rugs to scale of the space. Most people purchase rugs that are too small for the room.  They end up looking like a postage stamp on the floor.  In this case, it was important to have a rug that encompassed all the seating in the space.  Great choice, Janie!

And while we are talking about rugs, I want to share one more photo with you.  The rug in the kitchen (shown below) was previously in the family room.  She loved this rug and knew she wanted to use it, but it was too small for the family room.  (See decorating tip #2 above.)  It fits perfectly here and helps tie together all the colors in the space.

Kitchen Rug works beautifully!

Here’s my final decorating tip of the day:  decorating doesn’t have to be expensive. You might be like Janie and just need a little guidance.  The first time we got together, we hung artwork and selected new paint colors.  The next time, we tackled the living room.  She later called back for help with the family room.  She did all the hard work herself.  On the other hand, you may not have time to run all over town looking for artwork, rugs, and the like.  Patsy Overton Interiors provides full-service decorating as well.  No job is too large or to small and we will always work within your budget.

If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, call Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.