Brighten up your home during National Decorating Month in April! A fresh coat of paint, stylish fabrics, and furnishings give a tired space a fresh look and make something old look new again.

It’s amazing what we can do with a few strategically placed items. Whether a decorator’s trained eye or a natural sense of color and space leads to a beautiful new space, the achievement is always satisfying.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to decorating projects around the home. No matter where you decide to update, be sure to do your research and prepare. The do-it-yourself handbook has been written multiple times. If you’re hesitant, help can be found in the form of videos, the service counters of hardware stores and decorators, too.

HISTORY

National Decorating Month originated in 1968 as National Home Decorating Month. The National Decorating Products Association (now known as the Paint & Wallpaper Association of America) in association with House and Garden Magazine launch the event.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Decorating Tips and Ideas

• Form a painting club. Each member gets a room painted by the club. An ideal size would be six members. If you paint one room every other month, everyone gets a room painted in a year. The member whose room is being painted provides snacks and painting supplies.
• If you smoke in your home and are trying to quit smoking, a great motivator is to paint the interior of your home. The freshly painted (and possibly decorated) home may be a deterrent from smoking in the home.
• If you’re uncertain of a color choice, purchase a small amount of the paint or swatch of fabric. Paint a small patch or leave the swatch in the room where it will be used.  Let the sun rise and set in that room so you can see how the color changes.  You will soon know if you love it or hate it.
• When choosing furniture for a room, be sure to measure more than just the space for the furniture when deciding on a piece. Measure the openings and corners leading into the room even if there are no stairs. If you cannot get the furniture into the room, you may have to return your new furniture.

Don’t settle for a plain square room. Add your personality to it with some expert advice or do-it-yourself redesign.  Use #NationalDecoratingMonth to share on social media.