Bits of color, texture, bring big changes

DEAR GAIL: I’d like to dress up my home and give it a bit more pizzazz. I’m not looking to buy any new furniture pieces or, honestly, invest a lot of money, but I would like to do a little something in each room. Do you have any ideas you can pass on? — Caren.

DEAR CAREN: There are so many things that you can do with a little bit of money and a lot of creativity.

Think about your basic black dress, all that you can do with it and how you can change the look by just changing your accessories. It can be made to look elegant with a string of pearls and black pumps or exotic with a chunky wood necklace and animal print boots. Your home is the same. You can take what is there and spice it up or down depending upon the look you want to achieve, without having to spend a fortune. What you want to do is to add color, texture and a little sparkle to each room for that pizzazz and different look.

You can add color, texture and sparkle to your window treatments with a pair of tassels, either as tiebacks for your panels or hanging from the ends of the drapery pole. Change out the finials with ones made from colored glass. If you have a swag treatment, intertwine decorative cording with the swags.

If you don’t have a fabric treatment on the window, add one. You can make very inexpensive and simple straight drapery panels. Look for fabric sales and buy one width of the fabric the length of your window to the floor plus another one-half yard for hems. Hem the four sides and then hang with ring clips from a fun rod. If you shop, you can find fabric for less than $5 a yard and poles for less than $10.

One of the easiest and funnest ways to change the look of upholstery and bedding is to add pillows. Pillows add color, texture and sparkle when they have beaded trim. Don’t buy all the same colors and styles, mix and match them.

Summer is here so bring the outdoors in with potted flowers. You can add an array of colors and textures with flowers and then use metallic containers for that bit of sparkle.

Put groupings on your kitchen and dining room tables or island. You also can move a sofa back table near a window to give the flowers more light. If you’ve been reading my column for a while you know that my thumb is pretty brown, but even I can keep small potted plants alive. So, give it a try before buying artificial.

But if you do buy artificial plants, make sure you buy colors that only Mother Nature makes and that they look real. Then, use real potting soil to plant them instead of artificial moss. It’s amazing how this little trick really makes them appear real.

One of the best ways to change your look for the least amount of money is paint. You don’t need to paint a whole room, just one wall will make a big difference.

A quick way to select a color is to pick the least dominate color out of a piece of artwork or fabric in the room. The color will act as a backdrop and accent, versus blending in. Pick the boldest color, don’t be afraid. Color brings every room to life and when you’re only painting one wall, it can be quickly repainted.

If you have any art niches, pot shelves or open bookcases, add your accent color there. In your kitchen, paint from the top of the backsplash to the bottom of the cabinets. This is one of my favorite places to bring color into a kitchen and a good place to go bold because once you put your counter appliances and canisters back, you really won’t see that much.

So remember Caren, when out shopping, think color, texture and sparkle to give your home a summer makeover.

Gail Mayhugh, owner of GMJ Interiors, is a professional interior designer and author of a book on the subject. Questions may be sent by e-mail to: gail@gmjinteriors.com. Or, mail to: 7380 S. Eastern Ave., No. 124-272, Las Vegas, NV 89123. Her Web address is: www.GMJinteriors.com.