Fast Decorating Projects 2012 Ideas

Give your home decor a lift with these easy decorating projects that are fun, fresh, and fast!

Bench Seating

Dress up a dining spot with a charming bench seat. Pair an upholstered headboard with a seat-height bench to create this quaint settee with ease. Hang the headboard a few inches above the bench top so it's easy to toss on a comfortable cushion. Use anchor bolts to secure the headboard to the wall.

Decorative Memo Station

Turn a plain bulletin board into a decorative accessory that's functional, too. Display a bulletin board in a stylish frame  try a chunky black frame for modern decor or gilded molding to fit more traditional style. Then add a decorative wall decal on the cork to dress up the memo board.

Unexpected Bookcase

Turn a nonfunctioning fireplace into a practical and pretty storage space by outfitting it with shelves. Measure the opening and build a plywood insert to fit snugly inside. Cut shelves to fit across. Then paint the pieces and wallpaper the back of the insert. Screw the shelves in place and set the insert in the firebox.

Furniture Facelift

Turn a tired piece of furniture into a new treasure. Search flea markets and garage sales for old furniture with good bones. This charming desk was originally a vanity table. After the mirror was removed, the table was sanded, primed, and painted. Pretty papers decoupaged onto the drawer fronts and new knobs add decorative character.

Creative Dining Display

Think outside the box. In the dining room, try this creative alternative for a standard hutch or china cabinet. Hang a pair of bookcases horizontally on the wall, then slide a third on the floor below. Display favorite dinnerware and keep serving pieces handy in the cubbies. Install the middle bookcase at counter height so it serves double-duty as a buffet station or bar.

Pretty Wall Panels

Finding artwork to make an impact on a large, empty wall can cost a fortune. Instead, make your own for a custom look and fit. Choose sheer curtain panels to coordinate with your room's decor. Paint large stripes on the wall slightly wider than the panels. Mount short curtain rods at the ceiling to hang the curtain panels in front of the stripes.

Easy Access

Save money by repurposing old furniture. A paint job and a new set of casters turned this old bedroom shelving unit into a rolling kitchen cart. Its shelves are perfect for holding linens and dishes. The drawer, with its updated drawer pull, can stash takeout menus.

Classy Update

Transform a dresser with paint and wallpaper. Chic taupe paint and toile wallpaper highlight this dresser's traditional lines. Play with the position of the wallpaper until you're happy with the design, and then cut the paper to fit the drawer fronts. After painting the dresser, apply the wallpaper; protect it and the painted surfaces with an acrylic sealer .

Wallpaper Effect

Try this alternative to glue-on wallpaper. Use an oversize stencil to add pattern to your walls. Paint the stencil pattern from floor to ceiling for an overall wallpaper effect. Or stencil below a chair-rail or plate-rail height, or on just one accent wall. A mottled paint finish gives this damask stencil design more dimension and texture.

Easy to Assemble Table

Whip up a one of a kind side table in a jiffy. Choose an oversize decorative serving tray pick up a trendy one from a home decor store or repurpose a vintage flea market find. With a dab of construction adhesive, glue the tray to the top of an adjustable-height stool for a handy table you can raise and lower.

Make an Entrance

Transform a simple doorway into a pretty passage. Hang curtains in a standard doorway to add a soft, decorative touch to a room. For a sophisticated finish, top the curtains with a classic valance made from an architectural pediment. Paint the pediment and add wooden rope trim, if desired, for a traditional accent. Then screw hooks into the back of the valance to hang a tension rod for the panels, and screw the valance to the doorway molding.

Easy Artwork

Artwork doesn't have to be expensive or hard to find to be pretty and special. Gather a handful of floating frames to hang on a wall in an abstract arrangement. Fill the frames with beautiful letterpress cards, your grandmother's handkerchiefs, or anything that strikes your fancy and complements your decor.

Find the Bright Side

Don't let the inside of a wood-stained bookcase or hutch keep beautiful display pieces in the dark. Show off the contents and lighten the decorative mood of the entire room by painting the shelves' interior backing a lively color. Add even more personality by wallpapering the inside with a fun pattern.

Quick Custom Wainscoting

Add intricate architectural detailing with ease. This elegant wainscoting looks like the result of hours of elaborate work, but it just calls for a visit to a home center. The ready-made PVC latticework panels are mounted on the wall above the baseboard and topped with a chair rail made from 1x4 and 1x2 boards. Screen molding is nailed in place to hide the joints where the panels meet. Paint the raw wood pieces with white paint color-matched to the PVC.

2012 Headboards Decorating Ideas

From modern to traditional, an upholstered headboard is a crowning finish in these bedrooms.

Delicious Chocolate

Mocha tufted-silk upholstery on a wraparound headboard envelopes this bed with luxury and comfort. The simple textures of the fabric-and-wood frame contrast the grass-cloth-covered walls.

Pump Up the Volume

An extra-high headboard and luxurious folds of fabric create a sense of grandeur that makes this feel bigger bedroom. The oversize-square European-style pillows emphasize the height of the headboard.

Perfectly Patterned

In a room filled with gorgeous patterns and colors, a simple headboard can be just as much of a standout as an ornamented one. This subdued creamy-white headboard is trimmed in oversize nailhead for a distinctive finish .

Scale Matters

Scale and rhythm are key principles to successful pattern-mixing. In a space filled with pretty florals, an oversize-gingham fabric on the upholstered headboard and drapes offers a welcome contrast. The orderly pattern of green-and-white checks introduces a steady rhythm to the free-flowing florals on the walls and bedding. A larger-scale gingham pattern ensures that the fabric isn't lost among the room's elements the way a smaller pattern could have been.

Textural Neutrals

Layers of touchable textures mix and mingle around a basic natural-linen headboard. The vintage hooked-wool rug framed and hung above the bed inspired the collection of pillows that features quilted silk, tufted cotton, and crewelwork.

Cool Contrast

Blend rounded lines with straight edges. The circular pattern on the headboard and bed skirt creates a striking effect with the rigid lines of the rectangular headboard. The result is an eye-appealing balance that makes a big impact in this room.

Big Personality

Add style to a plain wall with an extra-high patterned upholstered headboard. The blue and green flowers on this print are perfect for the whimsical bedroom and make a statement on the light blue walls .

Headboards You Can Make 2012 ideas

Bearing a pretty silhouette, gorgeous fabric, intricate details, or all three, a headboard adds a certain flourish to your bedroom. Whether you make your own or purchase a piece, introducing a headboard to your bedroom is an instant update guaranteed to wow.

Window of Opportunity

Create an elegant headboard like this one by spraying two shutters with two coats of primer and 2 coats of metallic paint, then finishing with two coats of sealant. Allow the shutters to dry between coats. Measure the inside of each panel and cut fabric to fit each opening, adding 1/2 inch on all sides. Place batting inside the panel to cover the entire area. Cover with a piece of fabric and attach to batting along the edges with hot glue. Secure the corners and along the top with a staple gun. Use ribbon as a trim to finish. Repeat for each panel.

Tall Order

Create a custom headboard that rises to the occasion by covering an inexpensive artist's canvas with fabric. Just pull the fabric tightly across the frame and secure with a staple gun. Then prop the canvas behind your bed no power tools required. When it's time to change out your bedding, simply re-cover the canvas with new coordinating fabric for a fresh look .

Frame It

Inexpensive photo frames can be found at garage sales or thrift shops and make a magnificent headboard. Remove the glass from the frames and cut batting the same size as the frame back. Cut fabric to size, adding 3 inches on each side. Lay the batting on the frame back and cover it with the fabric, wrapping excess over the back. Pull taut and fasten with duct tape. Insert the back into the frame. Hang three frames side by side for a picture-perfect headboard

Re-treated & Refreshed

Revamp an old wooden headboard with a new treatment. Try sanding off the existing stain and refinishing the headboard with a glaze or whitewash.

Modern & Fun

Give old closet doors a new purpose as a headboard. Two closet doors mounted on the wall behind the bed create a sleek focal point in this midcentury-modern bedroom. Plus, the tall headboard gives the room a sense of height.

Home Center Headboard

For less than $100, you can make a headboard out of basics from your local home center. On a piece of medium-density fiberboard (MDF), draw a design that's as wide as the mattress and about 40 inches tall; cut out. Use wood glue to cover the MDF with a piece of beaded board cut into the same shape. Glue strips of veneer over the rough edges. Glue or screw trim to the top edge and a finial in the cutout. Paint the entire piece. When dry, mount the headboard to the wall with 1 1/2-inch spacers

Wallpapered Headboard

Scout out a large picture frame from a flea market or secondhand shop and repurpose it as a headboard. Paint the frame to match your decor. Cut a wallpaper piece to fit inside the frame. Apply the paper to the frame backing following the manufacturer's instructions.

Framed Fabric Headboard

Spice up a bedroom by creating a framed headboard from a graphic print. Stretch the fabric over heavy cardboard or foam-core board and secure on the back. Insert the panels into two inexpensive poster frames spray-painted a coordinating color.

Storage Headboard

Create a one-of-a-kind headboard with built-in storage using old dresser drawers. Search salvage shops and secondhand stores for cast-off drawers and old dressers. Plan your layout on the floor, using fillers (such as storage cubes) and leaving spaces where the wall can show through. Once you've perfected your design, secure the pieces together with screws. (We also cut plywood doors to fit a few openings and secured them with hinges.) To embellish your headboard, give it a few coats of paint and wallpaper the drawer backs and doors. Hang the headboard on the wall using a few 1x4-inch cleats

Vintage Headboard

Add a vintage country look to your bedroom with a feed-sack-covered headboard. A large feed sack provides enough fabric to cover a twin-size headboard. Staple two layers of batting over the front side of a piece of plywood, and then staple the feed sack on top of the batting. Pull the fabric taut as you add staples to the center of each side and then as you work your way to the corners. For a stunning finish, nail a piece of architectural salvage to the top of the upholstered headboard.

2012 Family Home Decorating Ideas

Splash of Color

Early on, Keiser suggested a palette of pale blue and wheat. But when the homeowners craved more color, Keiser added bright orange lamps and pillows to the living room, then repeated the cheerful accents throughout the house. Pale walls, neutral upholstery, bright orange accents, and see-through surfaces such as glass end tables keep the living room light and inviting.

Balance in Pairs 

Like the couple's life, the house flexed to meet the needs of the new baby. In the living room, treated fabrics take the worry out of messy fingers and muddy paws not to mention the occasional wine spill. "To make a room feel balanced, I like to do things in pairs," says designer Kelly Keiser. Damask wing chairs flank the fireplace, and twin ottomans serve as both seating and pull up tables.

Wall Art: Think Big

To achieve the impact of a large piece of art, the couple hung multiple small frames close together. In keeping with the light look of the space, small prints were used in the art display to give impact without being overbearing. The small butterfly prints don't fill the frames, leaving plenty of space within the frames for crisp white mats that give the wall art display a sense of airiness. Black frames add just the right amount of drama.

Grab and Go

A narrow trestle table serves as a landing spot for keys, mail, and grocery lists. The table fits neatly inside the front door, and its slender profile doesn't block traffic. Because the tabletop surface is minimal, it can only hold so much, which helps prevent a pileup of clutter.

Wall of Memories

Family photographs and mementos that had been gathering dust were turned into a meaningful wall display. The display tells the family's story so far and is flexible enough to allow for whatever changes life brings.

Comfortable Dining

Upholstered high-back chairs offer guests a comfortable place to linger for another glass of wine or coffee and desserts. If you fall in love with a fabric that isn't kid-friendly, send the entire bolt to be sprayed with a stain-resisting treatment such as Nano-Tex. To minimize wear and tear, Keiser had matching covers sewn to protect the parts of upholstery that get the most use, such as the top of an ottoman or the headrests of dining room chairs. These extra covers slip over the furniture and can be easily removed for laundering.

Convenient and Cute

In the kitchen, plans for a wet bar were scrapped in favor of an antique school bench. Located by the back door, it's a handy place to drop the diaper bag or groceries.

Outside Influences 

A glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge through the bedroom window suggested the reddish-orange color for bedding and draperies. The bay windows let in plenty of natural light, but layers of window treatments offer options for controlling the flow of light. Roman shades can be lowered to diffuse some of the light coming in from the outside, and drapery panels can be drawn to block the light even more.

Matching Patterns 

Unified patterns of different scales create an elegant, tailored look. In this bedroom, a small-scale circle pattern dots the window draperies, and a medium pattern does the same on the Roman shades. Bedding with a large-scale circular pattern completes a harmonizing trio of patterns. For serenity's sake, the walls were kept neutral, and for design's sake, they were given a subtle, yet special treatment. Cream colors the walls above the molding, and taupe colors the walls below the molding. The slight shift in color adds dimension and character to the space.

New Window Treatment Ideas From HGTV Dream Homes

Learn new stylish and functional ways to use window treatments and revitalize your decor with ideas from past HGTV Dream Homes.

Dramatic Drapes

The longer the curtains, the more dramatic and elegant the design. In this master suite sheer loose linen drapes frame the queen size bed as well as the bay window. When trying to design a casual and more informal space, try using shorter curtains.

Bold Colors

This brightly painted kids' room designed for HGTV Dream Home 2010 is both colorful and lively. The rustic red walls scream high energy alongside the two-toned sliding curtains. Placed on a track, the drapes can be easily extended at night to provide privacy, as well as insulation on cooler nights.

Stylishly Unique

With an endless array of patterns and styles, you can be sure to find a curtain design that fits your personal decor. In HGTV Dream Home 2008, a striped fabric is used for the curtain trimming as well as the kids' overhead bed treatment. Dressed in a mixture of patterns and textures, this bedroom is youthful and fun.

Drapes Make a Decorative Divide

Curtains make great room dividers and can be adjusted to your preference. They can be pulled back with ties, pinned apart or simply allowed to hang freely. In this master suite the cream-colored curtains make the perfect divide between the bed and meditation area. Use them as a simple way to define different areas of your home.

Enhance the Details

Drapes are not just for windows. In this formal foyer the drapes enhance the architecture while making a stylish statement. Placed alongside the architectural posts, the flowy cream curtains create a dramatic entrance, leading you from the front door into the family room and kitchen.

Decorative Designs

Curtains can be extremely decorative. Use them to add a touch of personality to your space. Long curtains, such as these lightly patterned neutral fabrics, will add height and bring drama to your decor. Simplistically designed, this dining room is styled with handcrafted furnishings and neutral fabrics and accessories.

How to Arrange Art : 2012 Ideas

Artwork is a great way to add interest to a room, but arranging art can be stressful. Relax -- with our expert advice on how and where to hang art (and how much to hang), your home will feel like a gallery in no time.
Veronica Toney

Above the Sofa 

"People have a tendency to hang art too high," says Linda Crisolo, Art.com director of merchandising. "The center of the image should be at eye level." In living rooms, people are usually sitting, so artwork should be lower. A good way to ensure you're placing artwork at the right height is to hang it one hand width above the sofa.

In Scale 

A common problem when hanging artwork above a sofa or sideboard is that it's not in scale. Having pieces that are too small or too large will make the whole arrangement look strange. "Make sure artwork is at least two-thirds the size of the sofa or sideboard," Crisolo says. "For example, a 9-foot-long sofa should have a 6-foot-wide expanse of art above it."

Add Visual Balance 

When you hang multiple pieces in a group, visual balance is very important. "In a group arrangement, keep heavy pieces to the bottom and left," says Crisolo. "It balances the weight of the items because the eye starts on the left. If you have an even arrangement, put the heaviest piece in the middle."

Mix-and-Match Gallery 

Gallery arrangements are easy solutions for blank walls. Give the display interest by including more than just framed art, such as the vase and plates used in this living room. Start by defining the dimensions of your display. Position the most prominent piece at eye level in the center and work outward. "If you're using different frames, spread them out to give a little breathing room between each piece," Crisolo recommends.

Level Arrangement 

Hanging multiple pieces around a room can be difficult, especially when walls, doorways, or windows separate the pieces. "When hanging multiple pieces around the room, don't try to make the bottoms or tops of frames level. Level the middles," Crisolo says.

In the Bedroom 

In the bedroom, choose personal art, such as family photographs or your own photography. If you're arranging the pieces in groupings, Crisolo recommends sticking with one color theme, either all black-and-white or all color photographs.

In the Kitchen 

In the kitchen, hang art in a place where it won't get damaged by water or heat. Consider placing art above an office space, near the dining table, or above open counter space.

Crisolo also recommends avoiding kitchen art in the kitchen. "I tend to shy away from pictures of asparagus in the kitchen," she says. "Vintage art with traditional frames works in a traditional kitchen. In a modern kitchen, try bright colors with stainless-steel frames."

Consider Size 

When deciding where to hang images in your home, consider the wall space available and the arrangement of the room. "Use small pieces between windows and doors," Crisolo says. "If small items are in a space too large, the pieces look lost. With larger pieces, allow room for people to step back and admire the work."

Layer Pieces 

"Above a mantel or fireplace is the perfect place to layer pieces," Crisolo says. "A house looks like a home when you can see layers of artwork and accessories."

Hang in Style 

Make sure your arrangement matches your decorating style. "Symmetrical arrangements are more traditional or formal. Asymmetrical is modern," Crisolo says. "Also look at the image and style of the frame. For cottage-style rooms, stick with vintage images or botanicals. In modern rooms, choose large and abstract pieces."

Prop It Up 

While blank walls are a natural choice for displaying artwork, there is another option. Prop artwork against a wall or piece of furniture for a casual display.