Just as each room of your home has its own unique purpose, so it can have its own character and personality when you give it its own motif or identity. Choosing a theme makes decorating a no-brainer. Use this concept for a long-term design scheme or to inspire the way you prepare a space for a party or for houseguests. Best of all, when you get bored you can always choose a new theme.
1. pick a theme
A room's motif can take its inspiration from anything. Use your imagination and think of a few of your favorite things, whether they be a photograph you love, a place you've vacationed at, or a book you’ve loved. You can let the purpose of the room guide you. For instance, try a harvest motif for the kitchen or a literary theme in the living room.
2. in living color
Pick a main color and, if you'd like, an accent color or two that complement it. The colors should take their cues from your theme (reds and golds, for instance, are perfect for the aforementioned harvest motif). How much color you bring into the room depends on your budget and the time you want to invest. For example, you can paint or wallpaper your walls (or maybe just one!) in the theme color. If you have the funds for a slightly larger redecorating project, you can reupholster furniture to match.
On a smaller scale, you can buy or make a slipcover or add a rug to the room. In the bedroom, throw some accent pillows on the bed in your chosen color, or add a piece of wall art in the kitchen or a brightly colored appliance. Even serving dishes that you display on countertops can work with your theme color.
3. accessorize
Get creative with how you execute your theme throughout the room. Shop for patterned fabrics for throw pillows, curtains and seat cushions. Look for wall art and decorative accessories that can be displayed on mantels, tabletops or shelves.
Don't limit yourself to what you find in stores—if you have a beach theme, for instance, place conch shells, model sailboats or wooden lighthouses on shelves or twist a length of decorative fish net for curtain tiebacks.
4. add some scent
Incorporate every sense into your theme, including the sense of smell. It's simple to do with
Glade® Automatic Spray. Choose from a variety of scents to complement your motif—
Hawaiian Breeze® could fit a beach or tropical theme,
Tough Odor Solutions Clear Springs® is ideal for an outdoor theme and
Apple Cinnamon rounds out a harvest theme in the kitchen. Because
Glade® Automatic Spray releases scent automatically (you can choose one of three time settings), having a fragrant space is simple.
5. don't forget the other senses
Once you've taken care of the senses of sight and smell, incorporate other senses, particularly when company's over. You can create music playlists that fit your motif, incorporate textural fabrics into some throw pillows or tablecloths, and even consider setting out nibbles that are in keeping with the atmosphere (cheese and baguettes would be so fitting in a living room that's decorated with a Parisian theme).
6. change the theme for variety
Don't be afraid to occasionally change the motif of a room whenever the whim strikes. It can be as easy as switching out pillows, a tabletop centerpiece and artwork in a frame. And because the
Glade® Automatic Spray unit is refillable, changing the scent to perfectly complement your new theme is easy!