Learn Interior Redesign from a Professional

Turn your design talent into a career. Take Anna Jacoby's professional Interior Redesign Training class in Fremont, Calif.

The course includes one week of hands-on instruction and a one-year membership in IRIS.

Learn more >

Decorating tips from “A” to restful “Zzzzzzzz”

Below I’ve compiled a collection of decorating tips from A-Z.

A- Accessories are what give a room personality. Display the things you love, but take care to keep the space from looking cluttered.
B- Budget: Have a realistic budget in mind when planning a project. Be honest about how much you can spend so the sales people can steer you to the appropriate materials.
C- Conversation area: Arrange your furniture to facilitate conversation. Pull furniture away from the walls and bring pieces closer together.
D- Dishes: I love dishes and own several sets in a variety of colors. Make utilitarian items like dishes part of your decor.
E- Enlist experts when decision-making gets confusing or overwhelming.
F- Furniture: Don’t buy the whole living room suite — it will probably be too much furniture for your room. Buy what you need, and choose coordinating, rather than matching pieces.
G- Global influence: Stores like Cost Plus, Pier One and even Target allow you to bring interesting furnishings from all over the world into your home.
H- HGTV: Gather inspiration from your favorite shows. Two of my favorites are Designer’s Challenge and Divine Design.
I- Illuminations: My favorite store for candles and candle accessories. It is worth a trip just to look at their beautiful displays.
J- Junk: You can’t have a nice home if it is filled with excess clutter and junk. Make it a priority to eliminate it.
K- Knobs: Update kitchen and bath cabinets with new knobs and pulls.
L- Lighting: Select interesting light fixtures. Try a chandelier in your bathroom and colorful pendant fixtures in your kitchen.
M- Mirrors: Make sure they hang where they are practical, or where they reflect something attractive.
N- Natural materials such as stone and hardwood are timeless and add value to your home.
O- Opposites: Use opposite colors and textures to create interest in a room. Some examples are metal with wood, and leather with fabric.
P- Pillows: Dress up your bed with decorative pillows. Odd numbers look best.
Q- Quiet: Create quiet and peaceful rooms by using a monochromatic color scheme.
R- Rearrange your furniture to give your rooms a different look and feel.
S- Solar tubes are excellent ways to bring more light into your home. We installed three solar tubes (we used Sola-Tube brand) when we remodeled — What a difference!
T- Time: Allow plenty of time when undergoing a home improvement project; things always seem to take longer than you expect.
U- Upholstery: Revive an old piece of furniture by having it reupholstered.
V- Valances can add a beautiful finishing touch to almost any window.
W- Wall Color: Select colors that accentuate and enhance your furnishings. Don’t be afraid to add color.
X- “X-Pensive:” Home improvement projects can be very expensive; be prepared to pay for quality.
Y- Yellow: For a beautiful yellow paint for your walls, try “French Sonnet” or “Clean Canvas” by Kelly Moore.
Z- “Zzzzzz”: Create a home that enables you to relax, rejuvenate and catch your Z’s.

This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper Group papers on Feb. 17, 2007.

Go back to the list of decorating columns.