This is the second in a series about “Weekend Warrior: Organizing and Taking Care of your Home and Car.”  This guest post is by Leslie Sarmiento, owner of Decorating Den Interiors, sharing ideas on updating, decorating and more for your home. 

 

Whether you are thinking about a decorating project for your home, or you already have one underway, it is always a good idea to stop and ask yourself the following questions:

•    Does the project – and the products you have chosen for it – reflect your lifestyle?

•    What kind of statement would the finished project or room make about you?

As an interior decorator, I truly believe that your home should say something about you and the kind of life that you enjoy. It should showcase your personal interests, the area in which you live, your culture, your talents, whatever it is that you love. In other words, your home should not look like a showroom in a furniture store. Your home should have signs of life – your life!

I also encourage you to keep up with the current trends and fashions in home décor. However, try not to follow the trends to the extent that you leave out any imprint of your own individuality from the design.

It is a decorating myth that good decorating must be limited only to one specific design style. That seems quite absurd if you consider that as an individual, you have many facets to your personality, and that an average household has two or more people living within the same rooms!

So if you are starting a project, give serious thought to your personal preferences, your lifestyle, and then set a budget. Prioritize your needs, and consider that upholstered pieces, floor coverings and window treatments will be with you for a long time. Buy the best quality that you can afford when it comes to these pieces. Accessories, such as pillows and decorative accents, can be trendier, as they do not have to be quite as expensive. As your style evolves, your accessories may be the first elements to reflect any change. And if you’re just not sure what style you prefer at this point, consider consulting with a professional decorator. He or she can start you on your way to finding your own personal sense of style.

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Leslie Sarmiento, owner of Decorating Den Interiors, is a speaker, author and interior decorator. Her business is 5 years old, but her love for design spans a lifetime. Her clientele includes homeowners who know the value of timeless, classic design, and appreciate fresh ideas for accessories and custom home furnishings.

She has been featured on numerous television talk shows, such as Fox 26 News and ABC 13 Houston, and is the author of the “Come on Over – Design Series,” which is a series of decorating guides. Loving to write, she is an ongoing writer for the Yahoo! Contributor’s Network. Her product line includes “The Decorating Dreambook,” a project planner designed to simplify the decorating process, which can be found online at www.DecoratingDreambook.com.

Leslie’s design philosophy is to keep it simple, easy and fun! As a full service interior decorator, she directs her creative energies toward taking care of every detail from inspiration to installation! She can be reached at (281) 686-9293 or online at www.LeslieSarmiento.com. Also be sure to visit her blog at www.MyUnfinishedRoom.com or her Facebook Page at www.Facebook.com/DesignIdeas.