The fireplace mantel offers the perfect area to display pictures, candles, artwork and other decorative accessories. It's a natural focal point that will draw the attention of anyone who enters the room. Homeowners can use this to their advantage by creating an attractive, well-decorated fireplace mantel that flows with the surrounding decor.

Don't Clutter It

One of the most common mistakes homeowners make when decorating the fireplace mantel is cluttering it with too many items. A typical mantel is fashioned in a similar way as a shelf, so it only makes sense to decorate it with small items. However, there comes a point where using too many items does more harm than good.

Rather than designing your fireplace mantel with dozens of small decorative accessories, stick with just a few larger ones instead. This will help guide your mantel down right path while reducing clutter.

Fireplace mantel: photo by shimelle.

Fireplace Mantel Decorative Accessory Ideas

Candles (choose colors that match with the surrounding decor)

Framed photos

Paintings

Artwork

Clay vases.

Glass vases

Houseplants

Fruit basket (real or fake)

Mirrors

Pretty much anything that's unique and brings character the environment

Choosing Accessories For Your Mantel

Hopefully, the list mentioned above will spark some ideas to help you decorate your fireplace mantel. Of course, it's important for homeowners to choose the right accessories for their mantel. Just because you have a large, open mantel doesn't necessarily mean you should fill it with a dozen different accessories.

Take a step back from your mantel and ask yourself: what do I hope to achieve by decorating it? Perhaps you want to compliment the colors used in a nearby braided rug, or maybe you want to create a more tranquil and relaxing environment. Regardless, you should identify your goals and objective and then choose decorative accessories to use on your fireplace mantel.

Keep It Clean

If you're going to decorate your fireplace mantel, you must get into the habit of cleaning it on a regular basis. Brushing it off with a basic feather duster will usually get most of the dust that's accumulated. On occasion, however, a more thorough cleaning may be required.

If a feather duster alone isn't doing the job, remove everything from the mantel and wipe it down with a lint-free microfiber cloth and a small amount of furniture polish. This should take care of any major buildups of dust, dirt and debris.

Some people have a keen eye for interior design, but others aren't so lucky. If you've ever walked into someone's home that's hideously decorated, you probably know what I'm talking about. To them, their home may look wonderful, but to the rest of the world it looks awful. This week, we're going to discuss some of the most common interior home decorating faux pas.

Plaid and Stripes

Just as plaid and striped designs clash in outfits, they also clash in home decor. There's certainly nothing wrong with using plaid or stripes in curtains, rugs or other home furnishings, but you should only use one or the other. Using them both in the same room just looks bad and is a major no-no.

Matching Everything

Another major interior decorating faux pas is matching everything. A homeowner may decorate their living room with beige couches, carpet and curtains. The massive amount of brown (assuming it's the same tone) creates a dull mood that brings the hurts the entire home.

So, how do you avoid this decorating faux pas? The answer is simple: incorporate different colors and/or shades into the decor. If you're going to use beige as your primary living room color, then perhaps you can also include darker shades of brown, such as chocolate brown or cherry.

Pillows, Pillows and More Pillows!

I'm a huge fan of throw pillows. When you get home from a long day at work, you can fall down on a couch full of throw pillows. But there's a point where too many throw pillows negatively impacts the decor. If you have to move pillows off a couch, love seat or recliner just to find room to sit, you probably have too many.

Wall Art That's Either Too High or Too Low

Lastly, avoid the faux pas of hanging of art either too high or too low when decorating your home. Whether it's a painting, vinyl wall art, framed photo or any other type of artwork, try to keep them around eye level. Doing so will help balance the decor while ensuring the room has good feng shui.

These are just a few of the most common interior decor faux pas. If you're planning on redecorating your home in the near future, don't make the mistakes we've talked about here.

Be sure to check out some of our previous blog posts here at BraidedRugsHut.com for more interior decorating tips and tricks.

In today's tough economic times, it's hard to justify spending thousands of dollars on brand new furniture. The high cost of new furniture forces many people to use their old, dated furniture for 5, 10 or even 20+ years.

While there's nothing wrong with stretching a little more use out of your furniture, you can still buy new pieces if you know where (and how) to look for it.

Avoid Department Stores

Let me first start off by saying that you should avoid the big-name department stores if you're trying to purchase furniture on a budget. Sure, they may offer a great selection of high-quality pieces, but it's simply not worth the cost.

You have to realize that department stores jack up their price to pay for all of their marketing and overhead expenses. That $1,500 loveseat may only cost $300 to produce.

Garage Sales

With the spring season right around the corner, more and more people are removing unwanted items from their home, and this means more yard and garage sales. You can find some excellent used furniture by shopping garage sales in your area. Of course, there's a little bit of luck involved with this process, but let's face it, spending an afternoon checking out garage sales is a fun experience.

Here are some tips for garage sale furniture shopping:

Remember, Saturdays and Sundays are the best days for yard sale and garage sale shopping.

Go early. Furniture is usually one of the first things people scoop up, so you'll want to show up early.

Unless you plan on tying the furniture to the roof of your car, borrow or rent a pickup truck.

Don't be afraid to negotiate a lower price with the owner. Nine out of ten times they'll agree.

Craigslist

Another great way to find furniture for sale on a budget is through Craigslist. I'm a huge fan of the site for a number of reasons; it's easy to use, millions of people check it on a daily basis, and it's the ideal solution for trying to sell large items like furniture.

There are certain carpeted areas inside a home that act as natural dirt magnets. Regardless of how hard you try to prevent it, dirt, mud and debris will accumulate here. So, how can homeowners avoid damage to their carpet caused by dirt and mud?

Identify "High-Traffic" Areas

First and foremost, you must identify the high-traffic areas of carpet inside your home. Typically, these areas are located in hallways, foyers, and around doors, as family members come and go through through here.

The natural foot traffic seen on these areas makes the vulnerable to stains and other damage. Taking a protective approach towards protecting your home's high traffic areas, however, will help prevent stains.

Doormats

If dirty carpet is a frequent problem inside your home, make sure there's a doormat placed by the front door so family members and guests can wipe their shoes before entering. I know this probably sounds like common sense, but you would be surprised to learn how many people overlook this key accessory

Use Runner Rugs In Hallways

Runner rugs are the perfect solution for long, narrow hallways in the home. If there's a particular hallway that you can't seem to keep clean due to high foot traffic, then perhaps you should try placing a runner rug down. It will act as a barrier of protection against dirt and mud, catching anything that guests or family members accidentally trek into the home.

Use Braided Rugs In Bedrooms and The Living Room

Of course, you'll need something larger than a runner rug to protect the carpet in your living room and bedrooms, which is where braided rugs come into play: they offer the perfect combination of style and protection for practically any room inside your home.

Whether it's your master bedroom, guest bedroom, living room, dining room, or game room, you can protect high-traffic areas of carpet in these location and more using braided rugs.

Other Tips For Protecting Your Carpet:

Try to get into the habit of leaving your shoes at the door.

Steam clean your carpet every couple of months.

Watch the drinks! One of the most common causes of carpet stains is spilled drinks.

Vacuum your carpet and rugs a minimum of once a week.

If you own a dog, chew to make sure their paws are clean before they come inside.

Whether you're looking to completely redecorate your entire home or simply bring a fresh new look to a room or hallway, you can't go wrong with vinyl wall art. The addition of a stylish vinyl decal will instantly improve the surrounding decor, but this is really just the tip of the iceberg. To learn more about the benefits of decorating with vinyl wall art, keep reading.

Endless Design Possibilities

There truly is a limitless number of design possibilities with vinyl wall art. You can find thousands of pre-made decals available for sale both in store and online, or you can make your own using a cutting machine like the Cricut. It's this level of freedom that attracts so many people to using them in their room or home.

Here are some examples of popular vinyl wall art:

Phrases such as "Live, Love, Laugh"

Your last name.

Your initials

Birds, turtles or other animals.

Trees

Bamboo

Floral arrangements

Geometric figures and shapes

Or pretty much anything else you can think of...

Vinyl wall art: photo by Wickerfurniture.

Easy To Use

To say vinyl wall art is "easy to use" would be an understatement. Assuming you are using traditional vinyl on a standard drywall surface, you simply peel the protective layer off the back and press it against the wall. There's no need to mess with tools, sprays or anything else. Just peel and press!

Doesn't Damage Walls

In our of our previous blog posts, we revealed a step-by-step technique for removing stubborn wallpaper. If you're ever attempted to remove the stuff before, you're probably well aware of just how time-consuming and difficult it can be. Over time, the glue melds to the wall and

Thankfully, vinyl wall decals peel right off without damaging the wall or leaving any residue behind. Just work your fingers around the edge of the decal and peel it back.

Put 'Em Anywhere!

Still need another reason to decorate your home with vinyl wall art? Here's one: you can apply them just about anywhere. Sure, their name suggests they should be used on the wall, but this doesn't necessarily mean that's the only place they should be used.

Vinyl wall art can be used on mirrors, staircases (see photo below), tables, laptop computers, trunks, refrigerators and kitchen cabinets. Have some fun with your decals and play around with different locations for them.

When a guest walks up to your home, the first thing they will likely notice is the front door. This can either help or hurt your home depending on how it's done. A poorly designed front door will send the wrong impression to guests -- even if the rest of the home is well decorated. However, an attractive front door creates a positive first impression that sets the tone for your interior design.

Don't Leave It Undecorated!

You should never leave the front door of your home undecorated. The 'blank canvas' look it adds to your home doesn't do it justice. Some homeowners feel lost and confused when it comes to decorating their front door, so they choose to leave it plain. Unfortunately, this only takes away from the home's natural beauty.

Decorating your home's front door doesn't have to be a difficult, time-consuming process.

There are dozens of ways to bring more life and vibrancy to your home's front door without investing a significant amount of your time and energy. If you're still scratching your head trying to figure out the best way to decorate your home's front door, check out some of the solutions listed below:

Undecorated front door.

Decorating Ideas For Front Doors

Add a couple of plants and flowers to the sides.

Paint it! A fresh coat of paint is bound to have a positive impact on your front door's appearance.

Create a festive front door decor that reflects current, and upcoming, holidays. For instance, you could decorate it with some pumpkins in October and a wreath in December.

Place a couple high-end pieces of outdoor furniture, such as wicker or teak, around the front door.

Place a welcome mat down by the front door.

Hang a decorative letter (the first letter of your last name, preferably) on the front door.

Remember, don't make the mistake of overdoing your front door!

How Does It Look?

Some homeowners and families prefer to follow the less is more approach when decorating the interior of their home. Rather than trying to fit as many colors, furnishings and accessories into a room as they physically can, they focus on core elements along with subtle accessories that really compliment the atmosphere. If this is something you are interested in doing to your home, keep reading for some tips on how to achieve a minimalist interior design.

Create a Cozy Furniture Arrangement

I always cringe when I walk into a living room where all of the furniture is pushed back against the wall. In small apartments this is perfectly fine, but "normal" sized living rooms won't benefit from this arrangement. In order to achieve a minimalist design that's both attractive and functional, you should pull the furniture in so it's more cozy.

Pulling your living room furniture towards the center of the room will not only create a more relaxing and cozy atmosphere, but it will also open up a new walking path for guests and family members to travel. Instead of walking in front of the furniture, they can walk behind it.

Minimalist living room with hanging garden: photo by davitydave.

Area Rugs

There's no easier or more effective way to define your living room space than by using an area rug. Once you've pulled the furniture closer to the center of the room, place an area rug on top of the arrangement. It's a subtle touch that will really amplify the room's design -- which is exactly what you should be trying to accomplish with a minimalist interior design.

Can't seem to find the perfect area for your living room? Be sure to check out our enormous selection of high-end braided rugs for ale here at BraidedRugsHut.com.

Don't Overdo The Walls

One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to achieve a minimalist home design is overdoing the walls. There's no rule stating that you must fill every square inch of exposed wall with a framed photo, painting or some other accessory. Instead of using dozens of decorative accessories on the walls, perhaps you can just use a couple larger accessories.

Tuscan is a modern style of interior decor that's becoming more and more popular throughout throughout the world. Just as the name suggests, it focuses on color schemes, furnishings and elements commonly found in Tuscany, Italy. However, don't let this fool you into thinking it's suitable for Mediterranean homes. With a little bit of inspirational help, you can transform your home into a beautiful, authentic Tuscan design.

Common elements found in Tuscan homes:

Neutral color palette consisting of dark brown, tan, taupe, beige, cream and similar colors.

Natural hardwood furnishings and accessories.

Wrought iron and/or cast iron furnishings.

Elegant light fixtures such as crystal chandeliers.

Open floor plans.

Candles sprinkled throughout the home/room.

High-end rugs with geometric shapes and designs.

Plants, plants and more plants!

Tuscan Living Room With Open Floor Plan

The first inspirational example of a Tuscan home that we're going to cover involves an open floor plan focusing on the living room. As you can see in the image above, it's a sophisticated, relaxing style that really emphasizes the home's natural beauty.

This particular example consists of several modern furnishings arranged with a focus on the coffee table. The homeowner didn't try to spread out the furniture by placing it against the walls, but instead he or she moved the furnishings in to create a more personal living room. Combined with the use of all the right accessories, this really turned out to be an excellent example of a what a Tuscan home should look like.

Tuscan Decorated Entryway

This is another excellent example of Tuscan home decor. It shows the entryway of a home decorated with Tuscan-themed furnishings and elements.

While some people may argue that too much is going on in this picture, it's actually a near-perfect embodiment of Tuscan decor. It features elegant lighting neutral colors, a couple houseplants and tiled floor, all of which play a role in creating the authentic Tuscan look.

How To I Create a Tuscan Decor In My Home?

There's nothing that compares to the stylishly sophisticated look of authentic hardwood furniture. Sure, it costs a little more than cheap particleboard or synthetic materials, but end result is well worth it.

Whether you're looking to purchase furniture for your living room, bedroom, dining room or anywhere else inside your home, you can't go wrong with hardwood. However, homeowners need to be aware of the effect humidity has on hardwood furniture.

Fact: Hardwood Is Extremely Porous

To the naked eye, hardwood appears to be flat on the surface. If you were to inspect it under the a magnifying glass, however, you would notice tons of small pores scattered throughout the surface. These pores are used by trees to absorb moisture in the wild, allowing them to withstand long periods of drought.

What Happens After The Hardwood Is Harvested?

Even after it's harvested for use in furniture or other projects, hardwood maintains its naturally porous surface. This creates a problematic scenario for individuals in humid environments. If there's an excessive amount of moisture in the air, the hardwood furniture will absorb it into its pores.

So, what kind of an effect does humidity have on hardwood furniture? When the surrounding atmosphere is humid, the furniture will swell and expand. Some swelling is perfectly acceptable, but too much can lead to warping, cracking or even rot in severe cases. On the other hand, overly dry atmospheres can lead to shrinkage.

Tips on How To Protect Hardwood Furniture From Moisture Damage

Never place your hardwood furniture in front of heaters, air vents, fireplaces or other sources of humidity.

Place a dehumidifier near your hardwood furniture in the winter.

Avoid moving your furniture in and of the home.

If you live in a region with fluctuating humidity, invest in a temperature/humidity monitor to use inside your home.

Hardwood nightstand

Moving Hardwood Furniture Into a New Home

Ever notice how the shape and physical characteristics of hardwood furniture changes when you move it into a new environment? This is the direct result of the humidity change. The change in humidity may cause the furniture to either swell or shrink.

Although spring is still a few months away, there's no rule stating that you must wait until then to clean your home. On the contrary, getting an early start on your spring cleaning will allow you to enjoy your home just a little bit more once the warm weather approaches.

Spring cleaning: photo by Zepfanman.com.

It's easy for clutter to build up in the home over the winter months. When you're forced to stay inside due to winter storms and bad weather, you'll naturally create some clutter. Small amounts of clutter probably won't have much of an effect on your home's decor, but allowing it to accumulate can and will take away from your home's beauty.

This is why it's important for homeowners to perform a thorough cleaning at least once a year. Investing your time and energy into cleaning will improve both the aesthetics and function of your home. And contrary to what some people may believe, there's always room for improvement when it comes to cleaning a home.

Spring Cleaning Tips

Consider throwing a yard or garage sale to get rid of unwanted furniture, clothes or home accessories.

Go through your wardrobe to remove clothes that you no longer wear. Again, you can either sell them at a yard store or donate them to charity.

Reorganize your closet to make use of this space. Perhaps you can consolidate several boxes into one so it leaves room for other items.

If you're struggling for space in your home, try installing shelving units, storage ottomans, or use trunks and chests.

Don't forget about the exterior of your home, as it plays a direct role in your home's overall appearance.

Give your furniture a thorough dusting followed by vacuuming (or sweeping) the floors.

I recommend looking on Pinterest for do-it-yourself home storage ideas.

Play around with your living room furniture arrangement to see what works and what doesn't

Spring Cleaning Is More Than Just "Cleaning"

Yep, there's more to this project than simply cleaning your home. Spring is a time of year that's characterized by the coming of new life and formation of bright colors; therefore, you should attempt to mimic this in your home. Transitioning from a dark or neutral color palette in your home to something more uplifting is the perfect way to start the spring season off on the right foot.

Ready for a decorative change in your home? Learn how to remove old, stuck-on wallpaper in just a few easy steps.

Removing wallpaper: photo by girl_named_fred.

Step #1) Prep The Room

Before you even think of trying to tear down your old wallpaper, you should first prep the room. This includes moving all of your furniture out, removing any paintings or photos on the wall, and laying out several drop cloths to cover the floor (trust me, you don't want to get wallpaper scraps stuck in your carpet). It's also a good idea to go ahead and set up several trash cans in the room to make post-project cleanup easier.

Step #2) Score The Wallpaper

Want to know the secret to removing old, stubborn wallpaper? It's to use a scoring tool. Scoring tools are small handheld tools with teeth-like indentions along the edges. As you run it over the wallpaper, it digs through the paper to create small holes.

You might be wondering why scoring is such a critical part of removing old wallpaper. Well, wallpaper glue literally melds to the wall after sitting for years on end, making it incredibly difficult -- if not impossible -- to remove using only your hands. Scoring it, however, allows access to the glue so  you can deactivate it.

Step #3) Spray The Wallpaper

The third step is to spray your scored wallpaper with a solution to help neutralize and deactivate the glue. Most home improvement stores sell wallpaper removal spray products, but I've found that good old fashioned vinegar works just as well.

Fill a spray bottle with half vinegar and half warm water and spray it on your wallpaper. The holes left behind from the scoring tool will allow the diluted vinegar to soak behind the wallpaper and into the glue. Allow the solution to sit for about 10-15 minutes before proceeding to the next step.

Step #4) Scrape and Tear 

The fourth and final step is to physically remove your wallpaper. I recommend using a wallpaper scraping tool along with your fingers to remove it. Hopefully, it will peel off in sections, allowing for a faster and easier removal. In some cases, however, the wallpaper might be stuck on the walls to the point where you must pick it off in sections.

When you're busy creating color palettes and choosing furnishings for all of the major rooms in your home, it's easy to overlook the small spaces. This includes (but not limited to) areas such as the foyer, hallways and side areas. Their small size creates an added level of difficulty when it comes to decorating, as you can't fit full-sized furnishings here.

Decorated small space: photo by Wickerfurniture.

Less Is More

So, how can you decorate small spaces inside your home? There are dozens of quick and easy decorating solutions for small spaces, nearly all of which are focused around the "less is more" rule. Filling these areas with half a dozen accessories and furnishings may lead to a cluttered, messy appearance that does your home no justice.

One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make when decorating small spaces is using too many accessories and furnishings. You must choose your decorations carefully to prevent a cluttered appearance. If something doesn't match of blend into the decor, leave it out.

Planning Tips

Measure the dimensions of your "small space"

Dust any nearby furniture and clean the baseboards

Pick up some paint swatches for color palette ideas

End Table and Lamp Combination

Whether it's the foyer, hallway or even an open wall, an end table and lamp combination is a sophisticated yet simple way to decorate small spaces.

A dark cherry or mahogany table is a stunning piece of furniture that's perfect for all styles of home decor. And you can emphasis the elegance of this magnificent piece of furniture by placing a small table lamp on top. When used together, these two items create a stunning focal point that really brings small spaces to life.

How Does The Surrounding Decor Affect The Small Space

When decorating a small space, you need to consider how the surround decor affects it. Let's say you want to decorate a foyer that's connected to the living room. To achieve a cohesive, flowing decor, you must decorate the foyer with colors and tones that match your living room. If your living room currently features a taupe walls with cherry furniture, then it's probably a good idea to use the same elements in your foyer.

The front porch creates the first impression on guests, so it's important to decorate it with a flowing, cohesive style that matches the rest of your home. Leaving your front porch plain and undecorated will only take away from your home's natural beauty. However, using the wrong colors and furnishings on your patio may also have a negative impact on the decor.

Back To The Basics

If you're struggling to achieve an attractive decor on your front porch, you should go back to the basics. Remove all of the furniture and furnishings and create a more detailed plan of attack. Whether your patio is small, large or anywhere in between, creating an attractive decor begins with a color palette.

Here are some question to ask yourself when choosing a color palette for your front porch:

Which colors match and flow with my home's exterior? (pay attention to both the siding and window frames/shutters)

How will these color affect the mood of my home?

Will these color show dirt easily?

Front porch decorated around a nautical theme: photo by Wickedfurniture.

In a previous blog post, we talked about nautical home decor. This fun and vibrant decor style is based around ocean elements, such as the seashells, ships-in-a-bottle, fishing lures, fishing net, etc. Well, you don't have to limit yourself to only using nautical decor inside the home; it works just as well outside the home, too.

Creating a nautical themed front porch is a fun way to brighten the mood with bright, bold colors and exciting elements. As you can see in the image above, it's a simple yet vibrant style that really pops with brilliance.

Accessorize Your Patio

You can't expect to create an attractive, well-decorated front porch without using the right accessories. Accessorizing your patio with items like an outdoor braided rug, plant, and a couple chairs or benches goes a long ways in completing the look. Of course, there's a fine line between decorating your front porch with attractive elements and going overboard, so try to keep your accessories to a minimum.

Country-style patio decor: photo by Wickerfurniture.

Bring the beauty of the ocean into your home.

Looking for fun and innovative way to decorate your home? While you can always take the modern/contemporary route with your home decor, a brighter and more enjoyable style is nautical. Just as the name suggests, this style of decor focuses on aquatic, 'beachy' elements to achieve a superior level of aesthetics combined with a sense of natural relaxation.

Nautical mural: photo by Patrick Feller.

Nautical Color Palette

Let's first talk about the color palette options for nautical home decor, as this can either make or break the entire look. There are a countless number of ways to color a nautical home decor, some of which include baby blue, yellow, white, cream, orange, brown and beige.

If you look at some examples of nautical home decor, you'll notice that most (not all) of them feature a bright color palette, so it's usually best to follow this same practice with your home. Opting for a light cream color on the walls with darker accessories and furnishings is an excellent way to contrast your home decor.

Nautical Wall Decorations

This is where nautical home decor really shines. Most styles of modern decor limit the homeowner to using generic, uninspired wall decorations; however, the nautical theme allows for a wide range of wall decorations, offering homeowners a greater amount of freedom over personalizing their own look.

Here are some nautical wall decoration ideas to consider...

Fish netting

Vintage fishing lures (remove hooks first)

Wooden ship steering wheel

Framed seashells

Wooden ship anchor

Nautical mural (see image above)

Decorative wall preserver

Wooden paddles

Metal or wire turtle artwork

Other Nautical Home Decor Tips

If you live near the beach, collect some seashells and place them inside a glass bowl or vase for an instant nautical accessory. Even if you don't live near the beach, you can bulk order basic seashells online for a relatively low price. Complimenting this item with a couple of authentic conch shells creates the perfect decorative item for your nautical-themed home.

The most important thing to remember when decorating your home around a nautical theme is to choose elements that you personally enjoy. If you aren't comfortable with any of the elements or decorative accessories, take them out and replace them with something else. Assuming you followed the tips listed here, though, you should have no problem creating a beautiful nautical-themed home.

Transform your unfinished basement into an attractive, functional part of your home. Here's how you do it...

Looking to decorate an unfinished basement in your home but don't know where to start? Some homeowners assume that unfinished basements aren't suitable for decorating simply because they are old, dirty, and possess minimal aesthetic value. After all, this area of the home typically suffers from mold and mildew, which is one of the reasons why homeowners tend to avoid. The good news is that you can decorate an unfinished basement, and it's probably easier that you realize.

Unfinished basement: photo by welshseahorse.

Is Moisture a Problem In Your Unfinished Basement?

If you answered "yes" to this question, you'll need to find out what's causing the moisture before proceeding to the next step. Allowing your basement to suffer from moisture or high humidity can result in damage to any furnishings, accessories or anything else you have stored down here.

One of the most common causes of moisture in the basement is from a poor runoff. If the side of your home slops inward, rainwater will collect at the foundation where it seeps into the ground before ending up in the basement. The side of your home should always slope outwards to prevent this from happening.

Decorated unfinished basement: photo by Bloomfield Construction.

Lighting

You can't expect to create an attractive, well-decorated unfinished basement without the appropriate lighting. There are dozens of different ways to approach lighting, one of which is to simply use floor lamps. Assuming the ceiling is unfinished, you won't be able to install large overhead fixtures in your basement.

The good news is that floor lamps work just as well (if not better) and they'll likely save you money on your power bill. Just place them in corners and other areas where they won't obstruct the normal flow of foot traffic.

Seating

Of course, seating is another essential element for unfinished basements. Most homeowners and families prefer to use their basement as sort of a game room and bonus room. The only way you'll achieve this is by creating a comfortable, relaxing atmosphere with the right seating.

Tall ceilings add another level of difficulty when it comes to decorating. If it's not done right, the additional vertical space will drown out the surrounding furnishings and decorative accessories. Even if the room features a proper color palette combined with attractive accessories, the tall ceilings can overtake the mood. So, how should you decorate a room with exceptionally tall ceilings?

Use a Large Light Fixture

The secret to properly decorating a bedroom with tall ceilings -- or any other room for that matter -- is to use a large a large light fixture. If you install and use a 'normal' sized light fixture, the tall ceilings will consume it. Sure, a normal-fixed fixture may offer enough lighting to meet your needs, but unfortunately it won't look right.

A smarter approach is to use a large, luxurious light fixture, such as a crystal chandelier. I know what you're probably thinking: aren't crystal chandeliers expensive? Certain types of crystal chandeliers sell for $2,000-$5,000, but there are also entry-level models which are just a couple hundred bucks. Don't assume that you have to spend an arm and a leg on a nice crystal chandelier. There are plenty of beautiful models which are reasonably priced.

If crystal chandeliers aren't your cup of tea, you can always use some form of supplemental lighting instead. Wall sconces, track lighting and even some of the larger floor lamps are all excellent choices for rooms with tall ceilings.

Bedroom with tall ceilings: photo by Linda N.

Use a Dark Wall Color

Another trick decorating trick I've learned when decorating rooms with tall ceilings is to paint the walls using a dark color. A good rule of thumb to follow when painting a room is to use dark colors in large, open rooms and bright colors in small, confined rooms.

Dark paint colors have the unique ability to create the sense of a smaller space. If you paint the room in a deep blue, taupe or beige, for instance, it will bring the walls in to make it 'feel' like a smaller area. Of course, it won't physically make your room smaller, but it will affect the overall mood and impression people have upon entering.

Looking to redecorate your living room but don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on brand new furnishings? Some people assume that major redecorating projects cost a fortune. While it's easy to burn through your budget when redecorating, there are other, more cost-effective solutions to this scenario. For a list of some innovative DIY living room decorating ideas, keep reading.

Driftwood Curtain Rod

This is one of my personal favorite DIY living room decor ideas. As you can see in the image above, it's a basic piece of driftwood that's fashioned into a curtain rod. Rather than using the same generic, boring curtain rods that are typically found in homes, you can take your living room decor into a truly unique and innovative direction using a piece of driftwood.

There are a few things you should know when creating a curtain rod from a piece of driftwood. For starters, choose a long and slender piece of driftwood that's going to cover the length of your window frame (slightly longer actually). You can either purchase the driftwood online or go and find it yourself. Just remember to dry and bleach it, followed by cutting off any unnecessary branches.

Coffee Table Pallet

Coffee table pallet: photo by eren {sea+prairie}.

Another innovative living room decoration is a coffee table made of wooden pallets. There are several different ways to create a coffee table using pallets, one of which is to simply attach wheels to the bottom (shown in photo above). As long as the nails are hammered down, this is a brilliant way to create a fun new piece of furniture for your living room.

You can also create a coffee table pallet by placing it on top of a couple concrete blocks. There's no construction or extra work required. Place the wooden pallet on top and voila, you have a unique coffee table!

The Bottom Line...

Of course, there are dozens of other DIY decorating solutions for the living room, so don't limit yourself to only using the ones mentioned here. Use your imagination and experiment with new designs, furnishings and styles to see what works and what doesn't.