what do you think makes a room look "good"?

[oheoh's momma]

I guess we came back and visited this one. I agree with vacuuming, feather dusting, pretty boxes to put clutter in their is one one every surface in my house. declutter every day and yes I have 6 pets and all I do is clean all day long after them. They set on every surface and get hair all over.they make it a home.

[Ali Lee]

Some things don't cost money. I can't get rid of anything nor am I adding. But this is what counts as a "pulled together" room.
Kitchen-a clean table with a tablecloth/runner & a nice centerpiece. That could be a simple salt/pepper shakers & napkin holder. Mine is a HM wooden bowl filled with plastic & glass fruit, it was my Mom's & it will be there forever.
LR-folded blankets, whisk broom the furniture, plump pillows, dusted window sills & a clean TV screen.
BR-clean stool & sink. A fresh towel-daily.
Bedroom-a made up bed.
I don't have a DR.
That's it. What ever you have, be proud of it-whether you need a paint job or new furniture.

[Pathetic20]

Well, what I would suggest doing is hanging stuff on your walls. Like, you could draw stuff. Even I, a not so great artist, love to do that! Then, I hang them on my wall.The best part is, you only need art supplies and paper for those! But, if you don't want to do that, then you should get posters! Posters are realitively cheap, so they're a great choice. You should get posters of your favorite celebs, or whatever you're into! That way, you're room will express you more!

Good luck!

[heather.hawkins1022]

Since we're selling our house, staging is continuous...quick fixes: open shades/curtains to let light in, arrange pillows on couch and loveseat, make sure floors are clean (spotless!), de-clutter - shoes go in closet, Emma's toys are arranged neatly, all bills, papers, etc are put away. I also dust, wipe and use a Pledge roller on the upholstered furniture (the Pledge roller is a must-have in our house!). It takes time, but we've had good feedback on the house. No offers lol, but everyone's said it's well maintained, etc.

[nuisance26]

~I'm going to answer before I read everyone else's thoughts.
1. Removal of clutter and obviously themed decor or collections, 90% clear surfaces- Really minimalistic but with stylish, loved pieces
2. Neutral colors- Can be intense neutrals but not brights or jewel tones, no accent walls or patterns on the walls
3. Furniture on angles and out from the walls-I really cringe when I see people still buying three piece furniture sets and pushing them up against the walls and at right angles with each other-Arrangement of furniture pieces is more important than any other aspect of decorating.
4. Items clean and in good condition
5. Something that reflects the person's personality. The person that is know to knit would have a homemade throw out or the person who paints would have one or two framed creations out. The person who loves the outdoors could have a few rustic touches in the room. It should be subtle though.

If you remove all the junk from a room and put only the things in it that make you happy, it should be pulled together enough for your tastes since most people tend to automatically pick things that compliment each other. The problems come in when you mix two people's tastes, keep junk because it's functional or sentimental, keep junk in general, try to make one area serve too many functions, decorate to look like a catalog or follow trends, decorate to impress others or simply keep things because they were cheap or free(end tables and lamps that came with your sofa maybe?).~

[SwirlyThing]

I think that first and foremost, the room needs to be clean and free of clutter. Not matter what else you do, a cluttered room is not going to look put together. There should be visible wall and floor space, but not completely bare walls. You should use a fairly small pallet of colors that compliment each other, and are not too bold. Items should be arranged in a functional and logical manner. And items should be either classical or at least not terribly outdated. If your couch and loveseat are in a burnt-orange big floral print from the 70's, get slip covers.

[forHISglory]

1. CLUTTER. I so agree with the eliminating of clutter. Our home is on the barebones side. We just don't have a lot of "stuff", and I find that I am uncomfortable in homes that are clutter, have lots of knick knacks, fill up all the all space with every photo possible, etc. But hey, that's just me.

2. COLOR. I also like some sort of color scheme, and not just random colors dropped in with no cause. Our family room, kitchen and sunroom all flow together. We have colors of terra cotta, and beige as the anchor, and then accents of black. Deliberate and not accidental use of color makes a room seem planned.

3. PERSONALITY. I like to include things that reflect our personality and interests. We love pottery and ceramics, and have some special pieces displayed. Some are just art, some were family pieces, and some are things we use daily.

4. FUNCTION. If a room is for sleeping, then I don't watch TV in there. If a space is for office work, then it's reserved for that. If a space is for conversing, then I make sure furniture is arranged to allow an easy flow of conversation. I know not everyone will agree with this.....

5. ARRANGEMENT. Using wall as space is important. When mom in law moved into a senior housing unit, floor space was quite limited. But shelves and tall book cases solved a lot of that problem. She also worked out innovative ways to arrange her closet and under bed space using suitcases, cardboard boxes, etc.

6. CLEAN. Dust makes everything look uncared for and unloved. Keep it clean (and less clutter will help that, too!).

7. COST. I am uncomfortable with anything that is too costly. I don't think I need to spend a bundle decorating just to impress people. All of the above items I have listed are important to us, but it's equally important to us have peace of mind financially. I do try to buy the best quality that I can afford, as I have found that good quality actually costs less in the long run. When we were younger we could not afford good quality, and ended up buying things over and over. Now we are able to afford better quality. But that's not an excuse for us to spend wildly. And because we tend to keep things pretty bare and simple, that's not a big problem. Some of favorite pieces are things that were given to us, handed down to us, found at yard sales, etc.

8. WELCOMING. We view our home as being open to friends and family. We have an open door policy. And we want our home to be welcoming. We want our hospitality to be evident, and for our guests to feel comfortable and at home. So any little touch that we can add (fresh towels, reading materials, etc) will make their visit seem planned, and not as a last minute intrusion.

Anyway, I guess my rambling here is more philosophical than nuts and bolts of design, but it's how we try to use our home.

[donnawatts]

If it is redoing your living room I would suggest changing the cushion cover and curtains. As simple as that. If that looks too expensive you can deck up your room using aromatic candles, removable wall stickers and colorful rugs. Rearranging the furniture can also make your room look "good".

[ladykemma2]

revisiting this thread -- bottom line i think a fresh coat of paint is a good place to start. blinding white ceilings (Refrigerator white - flat), color of choice on walls. i also think that a room without crown molding is like a face with no eyebrows. nice shiny white trim.

for the bedroom focus on the bed.
next, focus on the eating area (table)

i am a huge believer in thrift stores. if you are in Houston Texas there is a furniture salvation army on beechnut and hwy 6. i hate "matchy matchy" and clutter.

but a room that needs painting looks dirty.