Decorating your first apartment: African Style

Page 2 of 2 Be bold and imaginative to put your personality into your home. Designers agree that beautiful furniture, no matter how new, doesn't necessarily make a wonderful room. To put some vroom in your living room, be innovative and bold with colors, by far the easiest and least expensive way to change the look of a space, according to designers. However, many people, particularly the novice, are afraid of color. But painting shouldn't be intimidating. Follow the colors that are already comfortable for you. Experiment with tonal variations of the colors you love, the tans, the browns and the rusts. "Paint is something you can paint over. I tell my customers--paint is not permanent, " says Bressant-Kibwe. If tackling a wall with color is too intimidating, the designers recommend accenting woodwork and trim with a different color, or painting the ceiling a different color. Generally, the darker the colors, the more dramatic the room. Color can spruce up a space by accenting furniture with colorful pillows, designers say. Sofas and chairs can be renewed by simply adding new pillows or recovering old ones. An authentic kente fabric can also accent a large piece of furniture. Another way to add color to a room is by investing in rugs and artwork. "Those are investments that go with you wherever you go." She emphasizes good, framed artwork. "I have seen people who have a beautiful home and have the audacity to use a staple-gun to staple posters to the wall," Bressant-Kibwe says. Designers suggest purchasing a variety of prints and framing them yourself to save decorating dollars, but don't stop at prints. You can also frame such items as maps, postcards and old sheet music, designers suggest. "Basically if you keep things around because they have value, they're usually quite lovely to look at as well," Algotsson says. Making an apartment a home doesn't take much money, but it does take a very essential ingredient--personal attention. By using imagination, verve, color and style, you can have a very beautiful and very personal living space. "You don't have to have a lot in room, but if you have a couple of nice paintings, a sofa, a rug and lamp, then boom--you're finished," Bressant-Kibwe concludes. << Prev - Next < Prev   Next >