Often times, the worst nightmare for a home owner is when someone who is fussy about home decor visits. These are usually people whose homes would automatically be featured in top home magazines. If you are wondering where to begin in order to impress such a guest, here are easy tips to help you decorate your home to admirable standards:

New functions for the ottoman
If you own one of those large ottomans, turn it into a coffee table and place it in the family room. Place a cute tray on top to symbolize the table top. A book and decorative dish will complete the look.

Display your accessories
Arrange all the items that usually clatter the living rooms such as remote controls and magazines neatly on the lower shelves of a tiered table or bookshelf. On the upper shelves, display your antique collections/potpourri. Use the same technique in the bathroom. Arrange bath salts and a variety of guest soaps in the top shelves of a cabinet; and keep hand towels and wash clothes neatly folded in the lower shelves.

Some warmth for you feet
Spreading an area rug is one of the best ways to change the look of a room. It also keeps the floor warm. Place your rugs in areas you haven’t placed them before, such as entryways. Because entryways are high traffic areas, ensure that the rug is secured by a mat underneath or use tape to hold it in place. Aim to have a set of area rugs that can be swapped with ease. Be on the look out for rugs for sale, featured in most household stores and keep adding to your collection.

Enhance your lighting
Replace the standard lampshades you’ve been using with new ones that reflect the room’s color scheme. You will be amazed at how well they reflect and bring out the color combinations. Today, shades are available in a variety of shapes, giving you more options to experiment with.

Stock up on the pillows
New pillows will give the room an instant uplift. Use different sizes and shapes for an even greater visual effect. You can mix pillows in solid colors and print. The colors should harmonize the color scheme used in the room. The print should be of contrasting color to break the monotony.

Accent fabrics
Add trimming to your curtains, draperies and seat covers. This is easy to get from fabric stores and includes ribbons, lace, corded tie-backs, and rick racks. You only need to sew them on to the fabrics in an eye catching pattern and they will look new. Whether you want them on the borders, hems, top, middle or in criss-cross patterns is up to you

Books are not for the bookshelf only
Books can actually be used to accessorize a room. Simply place several of them, including a photo book if you have one, on a side or coffee table. If you do not own any books, you can buy some interesting copies cheaply at a second hand bookstore. It helps to have several of these as they are good conversation starters for book lovers.

Freshen and brighten up with lemons
Fill a fruit bowl with fresh lemons and place it on the dining table. The bright yellow will brighten the room. To keep the air fresh, cut up a lemon and squeeze the lemon in a number of corners.

Author Bio: Cassia likes hosting stylish dinners, but she was not sure exactly how to make her table settings as sophisticated as she would certainly like. At last, she placed table chargers at the two end of the long dining room table to create a graceful, old-world appearance.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: quick decorations,easy redecoration in minutes,tips for redecoration in minutes