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A big part of any home is usually the guest room, because this is where family and friends stay when they come to visit. This room may also be the most difficult to furnish and decorate though, because the wide variety of people who may stay in this room means that the furnishings and decorations must appeal to many tastes and preferences. This also includes many age groups, so the guest room in your home must be comfortable and attractive, yet be designed so that everyone will enjoy staying in the room while they visit your home. Convenience is another factor that should be considered when you are considering how to arrange, furnish, and decorate the guest room. It should have plenty of storage space for clothing and personal items, so your guests can conveniently store their belongings while they are in your home.

Your ideal guest room should make guests feel invited and at home. Ideally there will be a private bathroom connected to the room, but this is not always possible and guests may have to share the main bathroom in the home. The first thing to consider is the flooring. Hard wood flooring can bring warmth and beauty to your guest room, and it can be very easy to clean and care for. If you live in areas where the winter months get colder, wood floors can get chilly at times though. This can be solved by using throw and area rugs strategically placed around the furniture. Thick carpet is another flooring option that can be very comfortable and feel luxurious, but carpeting may require frequent vacuuming and regular cleaning. You can also use tile or linoleum, but these options may also get cold during the winter months. A terrific way to really make your guest room heavenly is to add a fireplace, which can add warmth and a very inviting atmosphere. If you are going to make your guest room a home remodeling project it may be relatively easy and inexpensive to add a fireplace and make your room very memorable.

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The walls are another aspect of your guest room that can make a big impression. Choose lighter colors and pastels, and try to stick with colors that work well for all ages and both genders. Light colors will help brighten the room and reduce the need for large numbers of lamps and other sources of illumination. Borders and decorative banners can add color if you want to liven up white walls, so that you keep the brightness and add splashes of color. Paintings, artwork, and mirrors on the wall can also break up the monotony of plain colored walls, and make the room much more attractive and inviting.

The furniture you choose for your guest room should be comfortable and make your guests feel welcome. A large soft bed with a number of pillows and clean bedding can be a very nice way to drift off to sleep for anyone you invite to stay. Choose the bed size which fits well in the room without any crowding, making sure to leave ample room for any other furnishings. Bedding can be in neutral colors or in colors that match the rest of the room. A dresser, wardrobe, or chest of drawers will give your guests a place to put away clothing. Nightstands can be placed on either side of the bed as a place to set and store personal items, and these stands can hold lamps, knicknacks, and even vases or arrangements of flowers. This can help you make your guest room so inviting that your guests will not want to leave it.

A sitting area can be arranged in your guest room so that visitors have a place to relax and unwind. This can be as simple as a small love seat or couch, or even a recliner chair and a small stand. This shows your guests that their comfort is important to you. To really go the extra effort and make your guests feel at home, you can add personal touches. Try buying a few thick fluffy terrycloth bathrobes and hang them in the closet or bathroom. If you really want to give your guests a luxurious stay you can supply silk bathrobes instead. Toothbrushes which are still in the package, new tubes of toothpaste, bottles of luxury body wash, shampoo, and conditioner, and other amenities can really help make your guests feel special and wanted. You can make a gift basket of these items plus others, such as mints, chocolates, and other candies, as well as fresh fruit and other gourmet items. Place this basket on the dresser or nightstand, and include a wide variety of things that all your guests will enjoy.

In these times of economic woes it is hard to justify needless expenses for an interior decorator when you already know what you want -- right? There are various methods to simplify changing your home decor without it costing you a fortune so let's look at some decorating tips designed for those who think they are dummies when it comes to color coordination and choosing the right fabric or paint for a room. It can't be that hard!

For someone who already knows what they like or dislike when it comes to placing furniture or trying out a new color scheme in a room, then you already have a head start on learning the basics of interior design. Having an "eye" for what looks right or wrong is a good step in the right direction and often your basic instincts are best to go by. If you are constantly being complimented for your home decor when you have never had anyone help you with the design, then you are already a success!

With so many home decorator stores that provide you with many examples of different styles, colors and trends as well as websites with endless "how to" lessons on every aspect of interior design, you can teach yourself easily and perhaps even launch a new career in the process! Whether you are planning to decorate a new home or just redecorating a living or bedroom, you should keep in mind what the purpose of the room really is so you don't get caught up decorating in a way that creates a lovely look but is entirely unsuitable for the room purpose. For instance, if you put beautiful fragile piece of furniture in a living room that will get a lot of use from children and will more than likely end up broken, you have defeated your whole purpose.

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Whatever room is being decorated needs to have ample room for movement so that people will feel comfortable and at home. If you put large overstuffed furniture in a room that is too small or place a recliner in front of a television that will block access to the room, you make it comfortable for one person but a hazard for everyone else in the family! Here are some easy tips to use when doing your own decorating that will make it truly feel your own and that will reflect the personality of the residents in the home as well:

•  Choose a theme for a room such as a bedroom, perhaps a garden theme, and decorate your room around that theme. It could have a floral bedspread and colorful accents that you would find in a spring garden to pull it all together. Accent the room with pillows and plants as well.

•  Choose a color scheme either throughout your home or for individual rooms. You don't have to paint or wallpaper the whole room but could have one wall that is bright blue or coral and then you can accent that color by adding fabrics, flooring, paintings or lamps to tie it all together so when someone enters the room they will feel this is the Blue Room or the Yellow Room.

•  Select a special piece of artwork or antique or other memorabilia that becomes the focal point in the room so that all the supporting furniture, fabrics and objects showcase this item. This could also be a collection of things such as dolls or musical instruments so that everything is coordinated in the same theme.

•  Make a family room truly a family room by highlighting family photographs or travelogues from trips or things collected in their travels such as art or memorabilia. You could have a gallery of photographs on one wall to focus attention and arrange them in varying sizes and types of frames making an interesting display.

•  You don't have to purchase new furniture if your budget won't allow it -- just use that old chest in the garage and repaint it so that it can make a pretty chest of drawers for a spare bedroom.  If you don't have one -- go to garage sales and look for one or visit your local thrift stores -- you will be amazed at the bargains you can pick up in these places.

•  Make a room look larger with a decorative mirror or by downsizing the size of your sofa to a loveseat instead, thereby giving you extra room.

•  If you are in need of another room and have one that is oversized and only partly utilized, why not just use a room divider, thereby separating the space for two different purposes such as an office and computer room.

•  Artificial flowers and plants can brighten up a room tremendously with very little effort. Use a decorative vase from a yard sale or look through your closets or garage and you will more than likely discover something that will be ideal -- and an interesting conversation piece as well!

•  Add pillows or decorative quilts to cover worn furniture so you don't have to purchase another sofa you can just wake up the one you have.

•  A bathroom can be transformed just by changing the colors of the towels, adding a new shower curtain or a new throw rug or adding a small bouquet of dried flowers that have a lovely scent as well.

•  Recycle old pictures with a different frame or one that has been painted, giving it a new look and changing the whole appearance of a wall.

•  If you are handy with a needle -- or a sewing machine -- you can make your own curtains thereby saving money on draperies.

•  Garage and yard sales or bigger estate sales can provide a wealth of bargains that may include vintage items that can be transformed into little gems that add a touch of whimsy or just old-fashioned charm to any room, also you can take advantage of flea markets and thrift stores for a world of ideas.

Are you tired of the way your home looks and want to spruce it up a bit? Do you think you want to change your home's interior but aren't sure what you want or where to start? Do you have an idea of how to make some changes to your home but don't have a clue about how to go about it? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you probably need to hire an interior decorator.

But what does an interior decorator really do? Well -- some just come up with a plan design and then let you do the rest -- while others do everything starting with plan design, measurements, purchase of furniture and/or materials and completion of a room or rooms that they are responsible for. In general, interior decorators can be a wonderful asset to turning your home into your fantasy or the one that you saw in a magazine.

Most interior decorators have had some formal training in interior design and space planning giving them the expertise to take a client's wishes and turn them into reality while providing advice and recommendations on any modifications that might be necessary. Some states require that interior decorators must have a license or some other certification and might require a degree in interior design from an accredited college. Prior to becoming a full-fledged interior decorator, students may also need to complete an internship for a period of time before getting their final credentials.

An interior designer's schooling usually does not end with getting the license, as there are usually annual updates required by some states to keep up to date on latest fashion trends as well as laws governing zoning or building codes that pertain to the area that the home is in. They must keep up to date on all areas and must adhere to strict guidelines.

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At an initial meeting with a client, the interior decorator is given the specifics of the type of project that is desired with a discussion of style, budget, likes and dislikes. The interior decorator will then later present a plan design to the client that should include details of the scope of the project and the time and money to be spent. A written contract should be provided with a detailed schedule and budget of the work to be performed and the timing for each part of the schedule.

Budget is a key factor in negotiating with an interior decorator and they can be paid by the hour or with a flat fee for the project. While you might like the flat fee it sometimes makes the interior decorator use materials or a certain manufacturer or product that will benefit her -- either it is inferior to what you might want or the decorator is getting a commission or some other benefit from using a certain vendor. An hourly rate might sound more expensive but it gives you an easy out if you are unsatisfied with the work. Checking references is a must and seeing the work that they have performed for other clients that is similar to your project is critical.

Communication is a huge part of hiring an interior decorator as it is essential that you find someone that will transform your home into the image that you have in mind -- not the one that the interior decorator has in mind. As you discuss your needs and wants, you should be sure that the interior decorator you hire listens to you and will give you recommendations if choices you make are not appropriate or could be problematic. Your decorator should immediately communicate any changes or issues which arise that will impact your schedule or your costs -- such as a delay in delivery of fabric or flooring or other materials.

Whether the project is for one room or an entire home, the interior decorator will complete the plan design first and then start drawings of the planned furnishings with placement of furniture, types of materials to be used and all details of the project which is prepared for the client's approval. Once the client approves the plan or a phase of the plan, the interior decorator will purchase the materials and/or the furnishings, fabrics, draperies or wall and floor coverings and other miscellaneous items. Sometimes clients will shop with the interior decorator so that the decorator gets a clear understanding of what the client wants. Other clients prefer that the interior decorator handle this part of the job.

Some clients want to purchase parts of the project themselves, but might need the interior decorators help or advice with sizing or colors or fabrics. Frequently interior decorators are artistic and create sketches of rooms as they go along -- making changes as necessary or in the event that the client wants modifications.  Sometimes the interior decorator will have staff members who carry out pieces of the projects such as hanging of window coverings, painting, carpentry work or installation of light fixtures. Some clients want the interior decorator to keep them informed as the project progresses with informational updates on the selection of materials and on any other questions that might arise. Other clients let the interior decorator do the job from start to finish with little or no contact or communication. This would more than likely occur after someone is familiar with the interior decorators work and is confident that the job will be performed to satisfaction.

Ideally a client should keep themselves informed as a project is progressing even if they do not want to be involved with the process. Most clients however like to have a hands-on approach that allows them to monitor the schedule and milestones of the project to ensure that the project will be completed as outlined in the contract and within the stated timeframe.  If changes do occur -- and they most likely will -- it is important that communications are clear between the client and the interior decorator and that change orders are in writing so they are clearly understood by everyone.