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Fine Home Furnishings

Home Decor

by Serena Berger

There is no single secret to selecting the perfect home decorations. There are tips, of course, that can help you make better choices--but they will only take you so far. It's one thing to know that an end table should be two inches shorter than the arm of your sofa or that a chandelier should have 30 inches of clearance over a dining room table, but that doesn't really help you choose the right one.

Add Value to Your Home

Something to keep in mind is that there are two basic types of decorative elements--furniture and other items that can be easily removed or changed, and architectural elements that become part of the building itself. The latter type add value to your home, which means that you are much likelier to get a return on your investment when you sell your house. If you want to improve your living room, for example, you should consider getting a beautiful fireplace mantle before getting a fireplace screen, because the mantle adds value to the house. Of course, if you love the screen and are certain you will want to bring it with you wherever you go, then by all means that trumps the fiscally prudent suggestion.

You can do something dramatic like adding a fireplace and mantle or building a porch, or you can add lovely little accents all over your home to make it feel revitalized. Carved wood corbels can liven up any wall space and provide small display shelves, or they can be used to make doors, archways, and cabinets more attractive. Molding can be used around the base, middle, or near the top of a room to create exciting textures and make multiple rooms seem to have a cohesive design scheme.

If you're not ready to make the decision, or don't want to assume that you will be leaving your home décor behind, you can leave your options open. A chandelier, for example, is a piece that you could leave to add value to the house, or you could bring with you if your new home has a place for it. Either way, you get to enjoy the beauty of your chandelier while you live in your current home with a positive outcome when you leave.

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