Pepper Design Blog

Weekend Room Makeover: 3 {Easy!} Ideas to Try

We all know a well put together room when we see one – we might not know why it’s so pleasing to the eye, but there’s something about the movement, style and colors that draw us in.

In an effort to capture those little design elements that lie behind a well decorated room, I’m using today’s post to highlight three {quick!} fixes to offer ever so subtle modern updates. Perhaps this could turn into a full article on dressing a room top to bottom, but today’s purpose is get the mind whirling on what you might be able to fix this weekend, and not months in the future. So let’s dive right in!

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{Idea #1: Bring in Contrasting Colors}
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Take a look around your room and note the color theme. Perhaps it’s various shades of blue, tan or maybe red. To add an element of design that makes a pop, find an accessory in a contrasting color to add. If your living room is green, opt for fuchsia throw pillows, if it’s red, consider a plum or yellow rug, lamp or blanket draped over the couch.

Weekend mission: Throw pillows are easy-peasy, take your new search to your local design store or hit up eBay for some excellent contrasting finds.
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p{Idea #2: Reorganize Your Walls}

Well designed rooms incorporate well designed wall art. Pull all of your photos and paintings down from their current locations and reconsider your blank wall canvas. Now set up clusters of your favorite pictures at the base of your wall on the floor, and go about your daily business. Come back throughout the day and reorganize your photo/painting cluster until you finally have something that works well for your space and your photos. A simple rule that I like to follow is clustering in odd numbers and keeping larger photos towards the center. When your grouping looks appealing on the floor, mark out your new space with blank sheets of paper on the wall (one piece of paper represents one photo that is temporarily attached to your wall).

Weekend mission: Gather photos from all over the house and match frames that work well together for groupings (frames don’t actually need to match – I love the gold, ivory, brown frame combos, for instance – but you’ll know right away if one photo looks appropriate next to the other). If you don’t have wall art that includes brilliant black & whites of your family or brightly colored framed photos from travels, now’s the opportunity to hunt through drawers and order new, large prints from your favorite photo store – Costco photo, anyone?
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Follow the jump to learn more about patterns & texture, and for the rest of the article! Read more »

Weekend Project: Bookcase Makeover

I couldn’t think of a better idea for a quick bookcase makeover. Adding a fabric backing is so genius I’m starting on two projects in my own home! Can’t wait to post . Here are some nifty ideas for adding color and pattern to your bookcases — and a How-To after the jump from the fabulous blog The Nearest Future as well as some excellent inspiration from Decor 8 and Apartment Therapy!

It’s as easy as your favorite fabric, a staple gun and a few hours on a Saturday morning! This is by far the best way to quickly incorporate a color or pattern that won’t overwhelm your room, and that can be changed out as often as desired. Read more »

From Dated to New… a Complete Dresser Makeover

We surely all have a piece of old furniture lying around… and if you don’t, there are teams of antique and thrift stores to help you out on this one! Country Living provides a fabulous example of how easy it is to overhaul a dated dresser… into something modern and chic! You have to admit, this new dresser conjures up some great ideas on what’s lying around the house! If letter stencils aren’t quite your thing, check out our suggestions for stylish decals next week. The adorable (and very mod) handle pulls shown are from Anthropologie.