Accentuate the positive in your home

Monika Nugent, owner of Monika’s Furniture, has been in business in the CNMI for 30 years. (Bea Cabrera)

Whether a new or old homeowner, you always want to fill your home with that positive, happy and relaxing vibe. Monika Nugent of Monika’s Furniture shares with us some of her tips for creating a beautiful home you can be proud of.

1. Color is a main factor.

“Pick one color that you really like to paint your walls with and choose different shades of that color to accent your home. You can match the wall color with different shades of your sofa, couch, and curtains. They may be different colors but if they compliment each other, it’s very pleasing to the eyes and kind of ties everything together.”

According to HGTV, decorating a space in terms of color is as easy as 60-30-10. Take a look at some rooms in magazines or a designer’s portfolio. You’ll notice that the rooms you like the most are almost invariably divided into percentages of 60-30-10. Perhaps it is the human tendency to see an overall theme in the 60 percent hue, unifying the coloration. The 30 percent provides visual interest and the 10 percent, not unlike jewelry, provides that little sparkle.

So when decorating a particular room, divide the colors into percentages: 60 percent of a dominant color, 30 percent of a secondary color and 10 percent of an accent color.

2. Wall decors such as paintings are high impact.

“Paintings should not be confined to just one area in the house. You can put paintings anywhere you have a big space that is empty—over a sofa, over a bed, the dining area and hallway.

“It doesn’t have to be paintings. You can be creative and put wood carvings. Just do not put too many next to each other because it will look crowded.”

According to Carla Jones of www.carlajonesdesign.co.uk, If you have bought a new piece of art, put the piece in the room you’ve chosen for it for a few days before deciding to hang it. See how the light sits with the piece. Daylight, mood lighting, evening shade—all can really make a piece of art shine in a room. But don’t rush to hang it. See how light reacts to your artwork at different times of the day and then you’ll find the best place for it in your room.

If you have a few (or more) pieces of great artwork for a room, don’t be afraid to make a feature gallery wall! Show off all this beautiful artwork you have! On creating a “gallery wall” in your home it makes a real statement about your own style and also provides a great talking point for your guests to when they visit.

3. Use flowers to accentuate.

“Try to put fresh flowers in nice vases for your home. That is an easy fix to accentuate your home. Flowers are available everywhere, whether from the store or from your own garden,” Nugent said.

According to the flower decoration blog Arena Flowers, flowers should be a mainstay of decor at your home, spring or not. They bring warmth to even the dullest corner of the house. Put a single twig of rose in the teacup that you don’t use anymore and it becomes the center point of your décor. Not even your costly silver cutlery can match its sparkle and shine! Now imagine what a bouquet of fresh flowers could do to your living space! Monochrome or not, exotic tulips or classic marigolds, their bright colors and pleasant fragrance make home welcoming and awesome.

4. Lighting is very important.

“Most people have ceiling lighting but it is not intimate enough as they do not make the room or the atmosphere look and feel warm and cozy. In the living room, I suggest you put a floor lamp in one corner beside a reading chair.

“In the bedroom, you usually have lights on both sides of the bed, a light which makes it intimate and relaxing.

“In the dining area, a lot of homes here I noticed have the ceiling light which makes the room look cold and impersonal. Ceiling lights is good when you come into the house but once you’re inside, it is nice to turn on other lights that are warm to eyes,” Nugent said.

One of the easiest ways to transform the look and feel of your home is to promote natural light, according to Floor Coverings International.

A poorly lit home can create a negative, lethargic mood without you even realizing it. On the other hand, you’ll be surprised how much increased natural light can make your space energized, positive, and refreshing.

The most crucial way to improve the natural light in your home is to focus on your windows. You have to emphasize your windows in order to emphasize natural light. Replace your thick, opaque curtains with lighter, sheer options to let more light through.

If your windows have blinds, choose some that let you have control over the amount of light that comes into the room. This will infuse your home with much more natural light during the day. You should also take care not to block your windows with furniture.

For something more in-depth, you could expand the size of your existing windows or add new windows to your home.

5. Pillows, pillows, pillows

“Pillows are I think a good factor in accentuating a home. Put different pillows on the sofa with different design or texture For example, a light blue sofa can be accentuated by gray pillows instead of putting light blue pillows. The color contrast will look good. In a tropical place like Saipan, we can display shells on the coffee table to make the house more cozy.”

According to She Knows Home and Gardening, pillows are one of the easiest and most affordable ways to update your décor. They can lighten up a space or help bring together other home accessories in a room. And because they can be very affordable and are readily available in every size, shape and color imaginable, pillows are a “go-to” design component when planning your dream space.

Nugent encourages every homemaker to follow their style in decorating their homes but gives us a guide on how to go about it.

6. Do it over time.

“For a new home owner, I think it is expensive and unnecessary for people to put a house together or furnish a house all at once. You start with necessities first like dining sets, bedroom sets and go into the smaller things. After which, you can just add into it. I have a lot of customers who come to the store every month and get and buy another piece to add in their home. Even of its just a little piece, it can make the home much nicer. Sometimes a cheap lamp to be put at the corner of your house makes a big impact.”

7. Redo every 10 years

“For long-time homeowners, redecorating their homes would be advisable every 10 years and you can approach it in many ways like renewing your curtains or renewing carpets or sofa.
“It doesn’t have to be the whole house. I think changing one or two pieces in one room can change the look of it.”