Looking Interiors With Styles, Budgets & Do-It-Yourself Ideas

(ARA) - So many of us find ourselves in the same decorating boat - a home filled with a few family heirlooms, flea market or tag sale finds, and maybe even one or two treasures from a successful dumpster dive. You love them all, but how do you combine high and low design pieces to create a unified and polished look for your home?

First says Marjorie Marcellus, an interior design instructor at The Art Institute of California - San Francisco, forget about the cost of a piece. "A successful interior is not determined by the cost of its components. For a space to work, it needs to have balance and harmony," says Marcellus. Finishes and home furnishings should relate to each other as part of an overall design scheme, but "that doesn't mean they have to match, be of the same era, same price or quality," she explains.

For example, says Marcellus, "I placed an expensive slab of marble onto a salvage-yard industrial black metal stand and then added four black bargain stools from Pottery Barn." The similar finishes of the materials made it work. The result? "A custom kitchen table for my client's urban loft. Topped with a delicate antique vase, fresh wild flowers and colorful cloth napkins from IKEA, the outcome was unexpected and delightful," says Marcellus.

Suzanne Wilkins, an interior design instructor at The Art Institute of New York City, is another proponent of mixing both high and low design elements. A basic rule of thumb, says Wilkins, is to avoid having a less expensive item next to a more expensive similar item.

"Too many similarities invite comparison, and may make the less expensive things look cheap," she says. Instead, pair precious things with inexpensive finds by following two rules of thumb: keep it simple and clean lined, or keep it funky. According to Wilkins, simple clean lines naturally look expensive, and we associate clean lines with a more modern and expensive look.

On the other hand, she says, funky items can often stand alone and speak for themselves. But use them sparingly. For example, a nice grouping of African masks can add a lot of texture and color and can be found inexpensively in flea markets. To make it work, don't use more than three or four or in more than one location, says Wilkins.

Dan Noyes, chairman of the Interior Design department at The Art Institutes International, Minnesota, loves to combine modern pieces with weathered antiques, "to create a wonderful gypsy chic look." Whether high end or low end, an antique's patina and unique character flaws can set it apart from a great, modern piece of furniture, he says.

Furniture pieces themselves can combine the best of both high and low end design features says John Gambell, chairman of the Interior Design department of The Art Institute of New England. For a stylish-looking dining or end table, Gambell suggests taking a simple and inexpensive parsons-styled table (Ikea is a good source) and add a made-to-order stone top of either slate or marble. " A small 'reveal' between the base and the top wood appear to make the top float," says Gambell.

A few final words of wisdom about mixing high and low end design from the experts: When shopping at stores like Crate and Barrel or Pottery Barn, pick a few pieces from each instead of outfitting an entire room with one look. "Mix it up," says Wilkins. And remember, be patient and shop around. What makes a room look rich and expensive, no matter what the budget, is time.

Courtesy of ARA Content

How to Hanging Pictures & Wall Art at Your Home

View A Detailed Description of Wall Decorating & Arranging Wall Art

An arrangement of favorite, framed photographs, wall art, and collectibles can add personality and warmth to any room. When done correctly, wall art can change the focal point or the entire look of any room.

• Pictures should hang just above eye level. There is great debate over what "proper eye level" is. Some say "eye level" should be considered as if viewers were standing. Others say "eye level" should be considered as if viewers were seated. Still others say that "eye level" should be determined according to the primary use of the room. (This means, if most of the time people are standing in the space, like a hallway, then "eye level" should be directed at viewers who are standing. In a room where viewers will spend the majority of the time seated, like a living room, 'eye level" would be from a seated position.)

How and where should wall art be arranged? Well, ask yourself where you would like the "eyes" to focus.

• Creating a group of art or photos on a wall is an excellent way to create an interesting focal point. This task, however, requires extra planning. I would suggest that you map out the way that you would like to arrange your pictures on the floor, first. (This way, you can move them around without leaving nasty holes in the wall!) The secret to arranging art on the wall is simple...balance, balance, balance! Use a measuring tape to be sure that the distance between several pictures that will hang in a row is equal. Four small pictures on the left of a large picture can be balanced with two medium sized pictures on the right. (Remember: This only works with careful consideration to balance. Be patient, take your time, measure, and plan.)
  
• Consider lighting to emphasize your arrangement. When lighting is directed to the arrangement, it commands even more attention. Be careful of lighting that is bright. This type of lighting should be subdued and not produce glare.
  
• Add diversity to the arrangement. Use frames and mats that are different sizes and shapes, but compliment one another.
  
• Pay attention to "balance" in your entire room. Be careful not to put everything in one part of a room. Leaving the other walls bare will throw the balance of the entire room off.
  
   
• Helpful Articles:
  
  How to Hang Pictures
   
  Arrange Wall Groupings    Picture Arranging with Furniture

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Steps to Decorating a Living Room by Furniture Arrangement

You, too, can achieve a terrific great room that balances multiple activities with personal comfort and pleasing aesthetics. Here’s how:

• Plan a “zone” for each great room activity: cooking, dining, entertaining, media viewing, conversation, play, and, importantly, unobstructed passageways around and through the room that won’t disturb ongoing activities.

• Define functional areas through furniture arrangements, flooring, and carpets -- durable, food and drink-proof surfaces where children eat or friends gather around the cooking center; an area rug to set off comfortable seating; runners to define pathways; a throw rug to pull together a cozy reading nook with high-backed chair and ottoman.

• Position seating to take advantage of a focal point -- or several -- television, fireplace, and an appealing window view. Or create your own accent wall with modular components. The entertainment console from Nautica’s Modern Gatherings line is functional and stylish. Multiple components combine the beauty of furniture with custom accommodations for the latest media paraphernalia, storage, and lighted display of your favorite treasures.

• Consider the scale of the room when selecting furnishings, balancing the visual weight of pieces with the size and height of the room. Strong, simple fabrics and large pieces of art also anchor a room without adding visual clutter.

• Choose furnishings for function as well as beauty. Tables with drawers and shelves add valuable, convenient storage; a versatile ottoman topped with a tray becomes an impromptu cocktail table; one with a lift top can store a winter throw inside. A simple desk doubles for homework as well as entertainment planning and carpool scheduling.

• With so much going on in one space, it’s important to tie the room together visually. Select a neutral base cloth for major upholstery, adding one or two accent fabrics on a chair or throw pillows to bring in texture and color. Accessorize with fewer -- rather than more -- well-chosen pieces in scale with the room.