Home ImprovementHome Design, Furniture and Improvement News

Everyone wants to have a home that draws “oohs” and “aahs” out of their company. Unfortunately, furnishing an apartment or house is becoming extremely expensive. There are some furniture companies that charge an arm and a leg for their products, and others that sell furniture that feels, and looks, cheap. How is a person to decorate their home beautifully when things have become so expensive?

There are ways to decorate a room, or an entire home, on a budget. The first tip is to not look at purchasing everything at once. Who says you need to buy a bed frame, two nightstands, a bureau and an armoire all at the same time? Instead, focus on what you need for the “now”. A bed frame is generally the first piece of furniture that is necessary for a home, followed by a bureau. After some time, when you’ve gotten a chance to save up a little more money, you can work on purchasing the nightstands and the armoire.

Who says all of your furniture has to match exactly? There is no rule or law that says that your dining room table and your chairs have to be a perfect match. You can often save money, in fact, when you do not purchase a matching set, and instead buy them separate. For instance, you may find a set of six chairs on sale, and a table on sale. As long as the table and chairs look good together, why not put them together? This way you’ve saved a bundle and are able to create a statement in your dining room.

Shop around! If you see something that you like in one of those expensive furniture magazines, start looking around. Chances are very high that you will find something that looks extremely similar for much less. Most furniture designs are not exclusive to the designer, so there is often a piece of furniture available somewhere else that will make you just as happy as the expensive one would have, except this time, your wallet will be happy too!

Remember that there are no rules when it comes to decorating. Yes, interior designers go to school for years learning how to put rooms together properly, but all that really matters is if you like the room. After all, you are the one that will be living in it, so you need to be comfortable and happy with it.

There’s more to tropical decor than a potted palm in a corner. Of course it is an integral part of the theme and can’t be done without. There is however a wide variety to choose from, the most popular being the Kentia Palm, Bamboo Palm, and the Lady Palm, each contributing to a different look by itself and an amazing ambiance in a group.

A tropical decor would call for lush greens and earthy browns, with as many natural products as possible thrown in. There is a kind of sparseness in spite of all the lushness which is what has to be borne in mind throughout. To achieve this remove all rugs, carpets, and throws. The curtains could be replaced with rattan, sisal or bamboo blinds that tame the strong sunshine and lets it enter in muted shades.

Wicker is the furniture of choice, but teak and mahogany or anything that looks similar would do as well. Embellish side tables, sofa tables and occasional tables with baskets, bowls or other objects made of bamboo, sisal, mat, or grass. Artifacts made of copper, brass, and iron lend a touch of panache to an otherwise earthy ambiance. Wrought iron in the form of candle sticks, wall art, or small pieces of furniture works well with the palms gracing a corner.

A large stuffed animal may work for some folks while others may prefer their German shepherd lounging around, for a touch of the majestic. Various ethnic elephant statues in festival finery, cute monkeys, and other animal art is a great way to extend the tropical beyond the ordinary. Wall art could include straw hats, hand held fans of rattan or straw, framed batik prints of tropical flowers such as the hibiscus, or fabulous figures that complement the decor.

A bowl of fruit is a normal occurrence for any kitchen or dining table, but for a tropical look, fill it with a pineapple, pawpaw, and some bananas. If you can lay your hands on an old table fan, set it up on a corner table.

Try combining the tropical beach look with some nautical decor. Substitute the animal theme with the marine. Display a large conch shell or a collection of small shells. White wicker and large blue cushions spell nautical with a capital N. A sailor’s cap or a life belt on the wall leaves no one in doubt as to your intentions. Another interesting display could be of empty liquor bottles of interesting shapes, sizes and colors. So just because you don’t live in the tropics doesn’t mean you have to do without it.