Innovative and Creative Interior Design ideas

Obviously any room will seem larger if you paint a big piece of furniture the same color as the walls.

A minor room can be made to appear larger if you put mirrors on a wall to reflect the rest of the room.

To give a room a lax radiance, light objects in a room instead of the whole room. For example, spotlight a piece of art or a bookcase.

Hang shiny, metallic blinds vertically or horizontally to help reflect summer sun attractively. This works especially well in south and west windows where you can't construct awnings.

Decorative shades can make an attractive alternative to drapes-and may be a lot cheaper.

You can make a curtain panel from a bed-sheet by knotting the top corners around a bamboo pole.

Your old removable-slat wooden blinds can be renovated. Spread the slats outdoors on newspaper and finish with high-gloss spray paint or brush-on enamel.

To make a quick floor covering for a beach house, stretch natural-colored painter's canvas from wall to wall, stapling it to the baseboards.

If you use the same fabric on 2 different chairs, it will tie the decor of the room together.

To add color to matchstick blinds, weave rows of colored ribbon through them.

Give a floor an exciting new look: Paint it a bright color or paint on a stencil design.

A screen of hanging plants can be a great substitute for curtains.

For an uncommon window covering, attach wooden rings to a patchwork quilt and hang it from a wide, wooden rod. Don't do this, however, if the quilt is an antique that could fade or otherwise be damaged by exposure to sunlight.

Extra high-gloss vinyl flooring like that used on submarines and ships' decks makes fine flooring for lofts, darkrooms, and photo studios. You should be able to get it at an army surplus store.

If you want to make a large room seem smaller or cozier, choose a wallpaper with a large, bold pattern. However, don't choose a large pattern for a small room because it will make the available space seem crowded.

When selecting a wallpaper for a particular room, keep in mind the dominant colors already present in that room. One or more of those colors should be present in the wallpaper to tie the color scheme together.

Matchstick blinds can disguise a wall of hobby or utility shelves for a clean, unified look.

They also can be used to partition off a closet or dressing area where you would like a lighter look than a door provides.

In a beach house, use roll-down window blinds to make a door for a door-less room.

A mural-pattern wallpaper makes a small room appear larger.

No shelf space in your office? Hang slatted boxes for storage of scissors, envelopes, even a cassette recorder. Drape a shade-loving ivy in the topmost box.

If you have an Indian print bedspread that you don't use, hang it full-width across a window.

Open it slantwise across half the window and secure it with a tieback.

For a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to recover a chair, drape a twin-size sheet over the chair, and tie or pin the corners to fit.

Use mix-and-match wallpapers to simplify the problem of papering adjoining rooms without visual clashes.

A pretty or unusual blanket can substitute for a table cloth.

Mexican serapes and Indian bedspreads make colorful, inexpensive table cloths-great for picnics) too.

Fasten bright and colorful paper shopping bags to the wall for storage of art supplies and other lightweight items.

To make a high ceiling seem lower) paper it with a bold pattern. To make a low ceiling seem higher) paper it with a small print or a texture.

To brighten up the office) put pencils and pens in a flowerpot and use a music stand for a magazine rack.

You'll never have trouble tightening screws and bolts if you remember that) for most) right is tight and left is loose.