| When it comes to decorating your home, forget about | | | | darker |
| the empty, lifeless | | | | complexions, yellows, olives, and tans can make |
| rooms you see in interior design magazines and | | | | people look great.Use textures that stimulate the |
| books. Instead, you | | | | sense of touch. Look for textures that |
| should concentrate on designing all of the rooms in | | | | are nice to caress, such as velvet, chenille, or satin. |
| your home as | | | | They'll create |
| backdrops for the people who will be living in those | | | | a feeling of being pampered.Always choose comfort |
| spaces.Here are a few easy home decorating | | | | over pretense. Just because a sofa looks great |
| techniques for designing dynamic spaces:Don't be | | | | doesn't mean it's comfortable. When you visit a |
| afraid to leave some empty spaces in your rooms. | | | | showroom, remember that |
| Empty space | | | | in order to truly test a piece of furniture, you need to |
| allows for breathing room and lets the most important | | | | sit on it for |
| items in the room | | | | awhile, until you feel totally rested. Only then will can |
| shine -- the people who live there!Avoid large patterns | | | | you get a |
| in your fabrics and wallpapers. As a general rule, | | | | realistic feel for its support and comfort level.Your |
| use no designs larger than your palm, because they | | | | home is meant to be a place for people, and if you |
| will interfere with | | | | always keep |
| the appearance of people in the room. Using smaller | | | | yourself, your family, and your guests in mind, you'll be |
| patterns on walls | | | | well on your |
| and furniture will mean that friends and family won't | | | | way to designing spaces that will be more |
| have to compete | | | | comfortable and emotionally |
| with bold patterns for attention.Use paint colors that | | | | appealing than the staged photos you see in |
| complement people's skin and eye colors. For | | | | magazines and books. |
| light skin colors, use yellows, pinks, and beiges. For | | | | |