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Step
5: Make the Rooms Relate
In decorating a house where rooms lead off an entrance hall
- or in an apartment where rooms lead off one another or can
be viewed from a central point - it is essential to formulate
a decorating plan for all the rooms. Even if they will not
be redecorated at one time, they need to be linked from a
design sense, using colors or patterns that will appear, in
some form, in all the rooms. Individual rooms, such as a kitchen,
child's bedroom, den or a bathroom, may be decorated in any
style without giving thought to their neighboring spaces,
if they are out of view of the main entrance.
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The
hallway gives the first impression of a house or apartment,
so this is a natural place to start a scheme. Since you
have already collected samples and pictures, you now know
the "look" you want to create and the elements required
to achieve it. Choosing a wallcovering to suit that style
is easy because the titles of wallcovering books will
lead you to patterns that represent particular styles.
Successfully decorated hallways often incorporate designs
that are "balanced", for example a patterned stripe, damask,
simple geometric or even the textured effect of linen
or grasscloth. |
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The
next room encountered is usually the living room. Here,
it is best to have a restful design on the walls, rather
than one that is busy and overwhelmingly bold. How do
you relate the living room to the entrance hall? One way
is to creatively mix a linen-look wallcovering in the
hall with a color-coordinated toile de Jouy, for example,
in the living room- or the reverse - thus tying the two
rooms together without using the exact same wallcovering.
You can use these same coordinating patterns in fabrics
for window coverings, upholstery and cushions to further
link the two rooms together. |
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In
many of today's homes, condominiums and apartments, the
L-shape living/dining room is a standard feature. While
the wall treatments in these areas should relate to each
other, it is not necessary to limit yourself to one pattern.
A coordinating wallcovering will visually define the rooms;
they are easy to select because coordinating coverings
are shown together in sample books. Table runners, placemats
and dining chairs sewn and upholstered from fabric that
coordinates with the living room wallcovering will further
unify the room. |
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In
homes with a separate dining room, wallcoverings can be
totally different in mood and color from those in the
living room, but should relate in some way to the hallway.
You can create a traditional look with a wallcovering-border
chair rail that divides the wall horizontally and features
different (but coordinating) wallcovering patterns above
and below the "rail." Or you could use handsome damasks
or simple documentaries, which decorate traditional dining
rooms with panache. If a contemporary dining room is your
choice, look for a striped, geometric or sophisticated
faux-finish wallcovering pattern. |
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Kitchens
have emerged as one of the most stylishly and boldly decorated
rooms, thanks to the vast number of scrubbable wallcoverings
available today. The choice of the design is usually determined
by the style of the cabinetry in the room. Kitchen-theme
motifs (fruits, vegetables and natural designs, such as
plants, leaves, botanicals) and linen-looks are all colorful
and interesting choices. |
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These
same scrubbable wallcoverings mean that bathrooms can look as luxurious
and lively as the rest of the house. Because you don't spend a lot
of time in these rooms, it is here that decorating rules can be overlooked.
This is particularly true in small powder rooms, where large-scale
designs can create tremendous impact - especially if the wallcoverings
are applied to the ceiling as well as the walls and if the window
coverings are sewn in matching fabric. If you feel compelled to tie
all these rooms with the hallway or adjoining room, consider painting
their baseboards and trim in the same color. |
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Bedrooms
are places for relaxing as well as sleeping, so the right
mood is very important here. You can choose a color that
you have used elsewhere in the house, even as an accent
or one that has appeared in a pattern. In the bedroom,
patterns should be cool, restful and fairly simple - neither
overwhelming nor frenetically busy. Blues and greens,
yellows and pinks, clean open florals, paisleys, simple
stripes or plaids, traditional chintzes or documentaries
are all good choices for the bedroom. |
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Other
rooms, such as a study, guestroom, sewing room or den/office,
are places where you can be bold and experimental. Patterns
can be mixed and matched on walls and ceilings. Foliage
designs can bring the outside in, along with wicker, bamboo,
and cane or trellis designs. |
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