One of the most versatile items to consider in your interior design effort is wood molding. Not only are there tons of uses for it but there are literally hundreds of different types of molding.

Adding it to your decor also increases the perceived value of the home. Why? Because molding is something that was added purely for esthetics and not as a necessity. Savvy real estate agents know that when a potential buyer spots molding in the home the usually exhibit positive buy signs.

Wood molding can be used in many different ways.

Door trim. Set your home apart by deviating from plain old mitered edges. Adding blocks to the corners will give a pleasing, upscale look to an otherwise plain jane doorway. And, instead of a single door trim, try adding an additional decorative molding for another look.

Baseboards need to be sturdy. The entire reason for having baseboards is to protect the wall. There are different synthetic materials you can get such as vinyl but nothing takes the place of solid wood.

A base shoe molding added to the baseboard provides additional transitioning from the flooring material to the baseboard.

Try dressing up your window casings. Just like doors, windows are usually finished off with a single plain trim and mitered edges. Try adding blocks and trim to match the doorways and you’re sure to please the eye.

Is your dining room or kitchen eating area a bit on the cramped side? If so, think about installing a chair rail. Just as the name implies, chair rails are designed to prevent damage to the walls. If the room for your table and chairs is somewhat cramped, sliding the chair back to get up from the table can create unsightly nicks, dents, scratches and sometimes even knock out the drywall. Installing a chair rail at the height of the backs of your chairs will provide a “stop” that prevents damage to the wall. Chair rail material is easily spruced up with a new coat of paint and is much easier to maintain then repairing and replacing drywall or other expensive finishes.

One of the best uses for wood molding is crown molding. Just as the name implies, crown molding gives a “crown” to your room. Placed at the top of the wall as a transition to the ceiling, wood crown molding is one of the best ways to add value and beauty to any room.

Wood molding can also be used as handrails in your stairwell creating beauty and safety to your stairs.

Another use for wood molding is as a top to wainscoting giving a “finished” look to any wall where you have opted to use wainscoting as a design option.

Another decorating tip is to use plain molding as a “frame” on a wall. The frame can act as a design element by adding a contrasting paint, wallpaper or finish to the area inside of the molding frame. This is a great way display your favorite art or other personal items such as a collection of sorts mounted to a backboard of simple, finished wood.

With just a little imagination you can definitely make the most of molding in your home!

Furniture is more of a necessity rather than a luxury, but much of the furniture we need comes with luxurious price tags. Still there is no reason to fret. You can still have your much needed furniture, save your hard-earned money, and customize it to meet your needs by making the furniture yourself.

Here are some of the things you need to remember when making your own furniture.

1. Window Shop!

Look around local furniture shops to get ideas before you start making your own furniture. Observe styles, patterns, materials, etc. This will give you an initial idea of what you do or do not like and may even give you a jumpstart idea of what you want to do.

You can also surf the internet for designs, as well as tips for making the furniture you like.

2. Make a furniture plan

No matter how bare a room is, furniture can give it character. That is why you need to plan first. Consider things like how you want the room to look, the functions that the furniture will serve, the things you need to customize, the size of the room in which you will place the furniture, and your lifestyle.

Drawing furniture plans may be exhaustive and will require certain skills: but there are computer programs available to aid you in making your furniture plan. You may also want to check the internet for free furniture plans.

3. Have the patience.

Most people get frustrated every time they commit mistakes. But in the process of making furniture yourself, it is an unavoidable occurrence especially if you are novice. Just remember that you’ll get better by learning from these mistakes.

4. Familiarize yourself with the tools and the materials.

If you really want to make the most of the furniture you will make, or if you are planning to make more, you must know what materials are suitable for the kind of furniture you plan to make.

You must also know what tools and equipment will be needed and how to use them.

Many reference materials are available about furniture making and it would be wise to obtain information from them. You must have the basic knowledge of the activity before starting a project so that you understand what you are doing.

These are merely practical tips, but they will “psych” you up about making your own furniture!

Paint is a very powerful tool in decorating and design: whether you are decorating a whole building, designing the walls and floors of your house, decorating an object, or coloring your face; paint always comes in handy and ready to help.

Paint can do a lot of things since it has the capability of making things look totally different. A once gloomy room can be brightened up by painting the walls with a light colors and adding some drawings or other decor. An object can look totally different after it is painted.

These examples mentioned are merely illustrations of ways to camouflage with paint. Camouflage can be defined in many ways; but essentially, it means trying to conceal the identity of something by blending it into the surroundings so that it becomes less noticeable.

Paint comes in different colors and shades – there are more than a thousand available to choose from. It is now easier for designers and their clients to pick the exact shade they desire. If the right color is not found, paint can always be mixed to achieve just the color.

With the right choice of color, designers are able to achieve solutions that create a mood, camouflage flaws, and enhance appearance

- When designers want to set the right mood for an area, the purpose of the area should be determined first. A sleeping room would require a different color choice than a work area.

- If painting a house, it is preferable that one color is used for the entire structure; the may be a contrasting color. This will create harmony and allows for continuity.

- Flaws are always present; they often cannot be avoided, but we can do something to hide them. This is when camouflage may be used. For example, if the ceiling of the room is too high, a darker paint will make it appear lower. If you want to create the image of a larger space in a small room, paint the walls with lighter colors. For large cold rooms, painting them with warm colors like orange, red or pink will make it appear warm and cozy.

Here are some more examples where camouflaging with paint can be used:

- If you are painting your bedroom, it is nice to blend the wall color with the linens and sheets that you use. You can also decorative paint patterns that match the prints or color of most of the linens but don’t over-do it because it might be distracting.

- If the floor has been damaged, you can paint it with a color that matches or contrasts with the current wall color. Add a faux tile design for a more realistic look.

- If the pieces of a dining set do not match, paint the table and chairs with a single cohesive color to create a unified effect

- Old frames can still be used by painting them with a color that blends with the color of the wall where they will be hung.

- Classic wood furniture can look new again by applying paint that matches the color of the room or a paint that is close to the shade of the original material.

- Camouflage is not just used when painting structures and their interiors. Some actors and performers use body paint on their faces and bodies to enable them portray a character; it can also be used as a mask itself, in lieu of wearing a mask.

- Some artists or painters use a human body as their canvass to showcase their work. An example of camouflage body painting is when a person is painted to blend with a background so he cannot be recognized at all.

There are many things that can be done with paint. Just be creative and think “out-of-the-box” so you can create fresh ideas every now and then. Do not be afraid to explore, or even be radical at times, because some of the most creative and beautiful work is accomplished when the artist’s willingness to explore is implemented.

Many people are often faced with the design dilemma of changing the look of an entire room without blowing the budget. This means that in effect, major changes in furniture, structural renovations to the home, and any other major overhaul, are out of the question.

However, if there’s one thing that do-it-yourselfers and professional designers agree on, it’ the capacity of fabric in various textures and colors to bring life to a room. Fabric, when incorporated properly, can define the theme for the season or the mood of the room, and can bring life to even the dullest spaces.

Here are some fabulous ideas to incorporate fabric in different places in the home:

Window Treatments

A window positioned anywhere in a room provides a dramatic statement, a focal point, or may even provide an opportunity to bring the outdoors inside the room. With window treatments, fabrics may be used in curtains and window valances.

In order to provide a dramatic statement in a room via the window treatment, you can make use of two extreme types of fabrics either heavy, rich-colored fabrics, or sheer draperies: or possibly a combination of both. Heavy, rich-colored fabrics make a dramatic statement with their strong colors and eye-catching patterns (like damasks, flower prints, stripes, etc.). Sheer draperies, on the other hand, bring a light, sunny feeling to the room by letting in just enough sunlight, yet allowing for a light and flirty curtain solution.

Used together, putting sheers behind the heavy fabric draperies, provides texture and color contrast. The heavy fabric draperies may be opened in the morning with the use of trimmings and tassels, allowing for sunlight to come through the sheer draperies. To create a more formal feeling, some of the heavy fabric draperies may be incorporated into a window valance.

The Sitting Area

In rooms like the living room and the dining area, the sitting area comprises much of the space. This means that most of the design that can be incorporated into the room must come from the sitting area, if it is to make a visual impact.

For the living room, fabrics are the best solutions to provide either temporary or permanent overhauls for the sofa or couch. Sofas that are badly stained or worn may be taken to a shop for re-upholstery. When re-upholstering the furniture, the extent of damage equates to the amount of repair that the sofa will undergo some may only need a small amount of repair while others need major repair: such as the foam completely changed or complete over-haul. Re-upholstery entails the permanent change of the outer skin or covering of the sofa using new fabric or a covering material such as faux leather. When choosing the fabric for re-upholstering, choose one that will blend in with various color schemes, as re-upholstery is permanent in nature.

For temporary punches of life, color, or even design themes, slipcovers are the better choice. Slipcovers are available ready-made in department stores, or you may have them custom-made especially for your sofa to assure a snug-fit. Slipcovers will allow for seasonal color changes of the room, and even for mixing and matching the sofa with other furniture or accessories to better suit the decor of the room.

For the dining area, the dining chairs or stools may be fitted with covers and skirts for a more decorative effect or to better continue a color scheme in the room.

Tables Around the House

Fabric table covers serve two important purposes they bring colors, patterns, and excitement to a room’s design, and protect the table from water or other corrosive materials that come in contact with it. When using fabrics on tables, you may experiment with various lengths – using long fabrics to cover the entire table for a formal effect, shorter fabric to fit the table top exactly to allow for storage under the table, or as a long, thin, table runner to bring drama to a table and emphasis to the table decor.

Fabric is used in these various scenarios is, primarily, to bring color or color themes into the room. The use of fabrics by themselves or in color and pattern combinations allows you to mix and match as you wish. The same colors used over and over again in a room poses no threat when working with fabric, because with fabric, you may use the same color in various shades, patterns, and fabric textures to avoid monotony.

Depending on its use, fabrics can bring unique moods to a room. Heavy, rich-colored and textured fabrics usually bring a more formal, ornate feel to a room, while sheer fabrics used in windows, made to hang over bare walls, or even just thrown over the back of a couch or an ottoman bring a fun, flirty feel to a room.

Used properly, fabrics achieve design changes at a cheaper price and with less effort. Fabrics take the place of added accessories and furniture, create as much impact as a new coat of paint or wallpaper, and allow for versatility of design by mixing and matching, and temporary solutions such as slipcovers at a fraction of the cost of permanent changes.

Designing a new house can be difficult, especially if that is not your area of expertise. There are several things to consider before finalizing a design layout. In the process of design implementation, there will be many revisions and modifications before the desired outcome is achieved.

Professionals in this area “interior designers and architects” have studied different techniques that can be applied when designing a particular type of structure or area. They can provide good advice concerning a particular theme or layout that you desire for your home.

Some of these design themes are the following:

1. Contemporary. This particular design theme is characterized by its smooth, curved shapes and lines that were popular during the 20’s and 30’s. Contemporary styles are usually associated with a touch of sophistication: usually take classical forms and reworking them to the point of minimalism and nearly absolute reduction. Doors of contemporary style reflect functionalism with the absence of applied ornamentation.

2. Cottage Style. This design theme is known for its vintage look and casual, romantic feel. Technically, cottage style is not really a style because it is actually a type of place in which to live; but cottage furnishings have become popular resulting in the birth of the cottage style.

Cottage style furniture is often recycled, collected from family members or purchased at flea markets. As long as the effect is charming and comfortable, any furniture can fit the style. Cottage decors are usually pieces of furniture adapted from one use to another; for example, a bench may serve as a coffee table etc.

Floors are often wood and usually informal and imperfect. Windows should appear airy and light.

Instead of using heavy drapes, lace would be a good option for a cottage style window. The windows may even be left bare if privacy is not really needed.

3. Modern Eclectic. Eclectic style is a combination of items from a different variety of periods, styles and sources brought together through the use of color, shape, texture and finish. This style has continued to increase its popularity because people maintain their freedom to choose depending on their taste.

In eclectic style, the palette of colors can vary, but staying with the more neutral ones is easier to tie all the elements together. When choosing furniture, take into account the finishes, materials and lines of the pieces being combined and look for ways to make them blend; whether it is with paint, fabric, or finish.

An eclectic look means that a multitude of fabrics that can be patterned or textured, or both. Start by using a neutral background, then add colored and textured solids to attain your chosen scheme.

4. Southwest Style. This style is popular throughout the United States, particularly in Arizona and New Mexico. Straight lines and square shapes define sturdy and primitively crafted elements of the style.

Abstract geometrical patterns are evident, as well as the influence of Aztec and Mayan patterns. Terracotta decorations, woven motifs, and leather furnishings are common elements of the southwest style. Door styles of this theme commonly use recessed panels with simple edge detail.

Some of these themes may sound a bit expensive; but there are always alternatives that used to minimize the expenses, yet still have the same effect.

Following the cottage style will not create a budget concern; as most of the elements of a cottage theme are recycled or used items – if not home-made. For the others, you just use your creativity and imagination to create the same sophisticated look without the high price.

Furniture, fabrics and other decorations can be purchased from certain shops that feature less expensive items. Check for ongoing sales and promotions in your neighborhood for good products at a bargain price. There are also flea markets, second hand stores, garage sales and other bargain shops that you can explore to find bargains for your home.

The real key is that you should have a creative mind and wild imagination when trying to stay within your budget.