Frugal Decorating Styles Tips

Art Deco

Accessories - Mirrors, glass vases, anything shiny.

Colors - Lots of silver, black and green.

Shapes - Uses a lot of geometric shapes and curved surfaces.

Cottage Style

Accessories - Homemade items look best, such as needlecraft and quilts.  Pictures are usually botanical prints.

Colors - Lots of white.  Bold, cheerful colors, and lots of floral prints.

Floors -  Wood with area rugs.

Walls - Wallpaper is popular as well as stenciling, on both the walls and on furniture.

Country Style

Accessories - Pottery, baskets, homemade crafts, braided rugs, sconces, candles, anything from nature.  Fabric is a natural fiber, like cotton or wool, and stripes and checks are popular.

Colors - Tend to be muted, like the colors produced by our ancestors.  No shiny fabrics.

Floors - Wood with area rugs.

Furniture - Lots of wood furniture in casual wood tones with lots of grain and rustic appeal.

Feng Shui
See Feng Shui Decorating Tips

French Country

Accessories - Ironwork, roosters, herbs hung from the ceiling.

Colors - Blue and yellow, reds,  greens, and gold.

Furniture - Lots of wood, weathered and crackled, and upholstery with checks and toile. Lots of trim work fabric items in the way of tassels and beads.

Shapes - Elegant curved lines.

Italian and Tuscan

Accessories - Pictures of the lush countryside, tapestries, marble, stone, terracotta, ironwork, pottery

Colors - Warm earthy colors like yellow and gold, oranges and terra cotta, greens, browns, and deep red.

Furniture - Wood, leather and chrome.

Shapes - Rounded and arches, soft curves.

Oriental

Accessories - Lots of texture, water features, and other feng shui elements (see above)

Colors - Light neutrals

Furniture - Bamboo, wood, stone and metal

Shapes -  Horizontal lines

Shabby Chic

Accessories - Delicate accessories of varied materials, such as pewter, wicker, ceramics, iron, glass and wood.

Colors - Soft pastels with floral fabrics.

Furniture -  Things that are old or look old but have stood the test of time.

Shapes -  Straight and curved, but worn with no hard edges.

Victorian

Accessories -  Lace or velvet drapes, elaborate trim on drapes and pillows, marble table tops, sconces, oil paintings in gilded frames, candle holders, doilies, crystal, and frilly items.

Colors - Rich Jewel tones, such as burgundy and purple, as well as greens, and lighter shades of pink like mauve. 

Furniture - Ornate carved dark wood furniture with upholstered seats with velvet, brocade or embroidered fabrics.

Shapes -  Lots of curves