Inspired Home Decorating
Dream home decorating and interior design isn't about huge, luxury mansions. It's about the
So come on in, and learn from a London-based designer ...
- How to create the look you want for your home, using design tricks and shortcuts for easy, elegant interiors;
- How to make stuff that nobody else has.
Check out the Site Overview, or just cherry-pick a topic:
- Get the lowdown on original European interior decorating styles: Tuscan, French, Swedish, Swiss, and other European Country styles. (Europe is my specialty, I've lived here most of my life).
- 10 simple tricks to create a home that works for your lifestyle.
- Achieve beautiful interior design results on a budget.
- Use color to create the 'wow' factor.
- Develop your own, 'signature' home decor style.
- Show off your home remodel/makeover, and learn from others how to avoid expensive interior design mistakes!
My name is Renate; I earned my BA (Hons) in Design at the University of the Arts in London, UK. And I've seen - over and over - that the freshest, most inspirational designs often come from a limited set of options. Limitations boost our creativity!
If you're looking for something specific, try the search box in the top right corner.
You'll know right away if what you're looking for is on this site, and where to find it.
In other words, creative budget decorating is by far the most fun, satisfying form of interior design. There's always a way to get the look and create the interior decorating style you desire. You can definitely have a dream home, even on a shoestring.
On this site, I share the interior design secrets I've collected over the past 30 years, while traveling and working in different countries around the world ... countless ways to give your home that special touch!
If you would like to be kept up-to-date about this site (no e-mail necessary), you may want to subscribe to the
Dream Home Decorating Blog.
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Stylish Neutrals, a 26-page, richly illustrated FREE e-book.
(Check out the e-book here, and
the newsletter here!)
Lastly, if you have any interior decorating questions, or suggestions on new
interior design topics for this site, please do feel free to
contact me. I may not always be able to respond straight away, but you will
get a reply.
So where would you like to start? Here are a few ideas:
How To Use Color:
Browse through Great Color Combinations to find the best ones for your home.
Learn how to combine Interior Design Colors to build Room Color Schemes that really work.
Choosing Paint Color can be daunting, but if you stick to a few rules, success is almost guaranteed!
Check out the FAQ about Decorating Color Schemes - almost everyone has the same questions about home decorating with color. And if you would like to ask your own questions about Colors To Paint A Room, you're most welcome to do so!
Home Decorating Styles:
In Europe, we have a great variety of Interior Design Styles.
We love mixing urban chic and Country Decorating Ideas.
French Interior Design is a prime example of this; no one's ever surprised to find elegant furniture and 'aristocratic' looking accessories in French Country Decorating!
Skandinavian interior decor tends to mix sleek Contemporary Home Decor with Swedish Country Decorating and Zen Interior Design elements.
Swiss Country Decorating and Italian Country Decorating, on the other hand, really do have a more rustic feel.
Tuscan Decorating is similar to French interior decor in that it's mostly done in humble materials and shapes, and yet you'll find lots of elegant Italian Renaissance art & design references in Tuscan homes!
Kitchen Ideas:
Small Kitchen Design is an art, particularly if you're remodeling your kitchen on a budget.
You'll find plenty of inspiration for French Country Kitchen Design in these pages, as well as ideas to help you create the look of French Country Kitchens.
Tuscan Kitchen Design is less known internationally (and often confused with French country kitchen decor), but our readers have shared some lovely (and pretty authentic) Tuscan-style kitchen makeovers on this site - as well as several other great looking kitchen remodels.
Bedroom Interior Decorating:
Bedroom Interior Design can give you a soothing sanctuary, a seductive boudoir, a minimalist haven, the ultimate dream space - decorating choices are endless.
Even though you'll spend most of your hours here with eyes closed, you should use the effects of Bedroom Decorating Colors / Bedroom Color Schemes to develop a bedroom color scheme that looks & feels perfect for you.
Get inspired by French Bedroom Design, especially the gorgeous mix of modern and rustic decor you'll find in many Provençal bedrooms. Or, create a traditional-looking Tuscan Style Bedroom for dreamy, authentic Mediterranean flavor.
Generally, Country Style Bedroom Furniture will open a treasure trove of home decorating options, from rough-hewn to elegant handcrafted bedroom decorating pieces.
Bathroom Interior Design:
In the current trend towards smaller, more colorful bathrooms, the page about French Country Bathrooms shows a series of fanciful, fun and elegant spaces very unlike your average, white-on-white cleaning lab. And what's nice - the look is quite easy to copy!
For more home decorating ideas, check out our readers' bathroom makeovers, one in turquoise & mint, and another with exuberant Mediterranean accents (2 parts).
Living Room Decor:
The Living Room Ideas on this site range all the way from a tasteful Log Cabin Makeover in Canada to choosing Area Rugs for a white, contemporary Arizona condo.
Of course, Country Style Living Room Furniture, especially Country Style Sofa ideas, deserve a special mention here for their versatility and comfort (and because I just love that stuff).
Beyond furniture and accessories, Living Room Color Schemes can make or break a room - this topic is always worth your careful consideration.
Color Theory Made Easy:
The Color Wheel Chart is a much-used tool for picking decorating color combinations - learn what it can, and cannot, do.
When you understand the basics of Color Psychology, you'll find it easier to choose the 'right' home decorating colors for your rooms.
Window Treatment Ideas:
European Window Treatment Ideas can be superbly colorful, with painted shutters and lavishly planted windowboxes.
Exterior Window Treatments in Southern Europe are great for color scheme inspiration, even though most interior curtains, for example Tuscan Window Treatments, tend to be white.
Whilst you're in this section, also check out Country Window Treatments in the Alps and - in an entirely different home decorating universe - gorgeous, sassy French Country Curtains.
Before & After Home Makeovers
From drab to fab: Many readers have sent in photos and stories of their makeover projects.
So get inspired by your fellow Dream Home Decorators' redecorating and remodeling ideas for living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and two bathrooms (so far - more to come :-)
Christmas Decor, Crafts & Gifts
The Christmas Decorating Ideas on this site are a totally crafty affair. (A number of them were featured in a recent book, The Ultimate Christmas, by HCI, publishers of the legendary Chicken Soup series).
Create simple decorating items like Christmas Tree Crafts or Paper Lanterns, or try other Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas. Or, create some edible Christmas Table Decorations and make my Mommy's famous Rum Balls.
If you're not the crafting kind, you could always check out my GIFT SHOP for some personalized, monogrammed pressies!
And for a dose of Christmas nostalgia, here's my account of Christmas Traditions in Germany - starting with home decorating in Advent, it covers all the things that can make Christmas a time of wonder and magic for children everywhere.
Trends & Tips
Frugal living and thrifty home decorating is the order of the day for many people right now. So here's a number of pages on the topic of Cheap Home Decor, including Frugal Decorating Shortcuts and a collection of 30+ Frugal Interior Decorating Ideas.
Clutter is another big issue for almost everyone I know, so I've sketched out a Daily De-Clutter Routine that works really well and has garnered some rave reviews.
Home decorating books - which ones really deliver more than pretty pictures and some fluffy copy? Check out my Interior Decorating Book list for suggestions. (Also, have a look at the Recommended DIY Websites around the topics of home decorating, building and gardening. Oh, and do get my Free E-Book about Neutral Color Schemes.)
Site Info
Meet me on camera 3 ... but much more importantly, please read the Site Policies!
For a full table of contents, please visit the Site Map. And if you would like to contact me with any home decorating questions, here's my Letterbox!
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What others say
about this site:
Thanks to you I have the house of my dreams!
(Cheryl Riello, USA)
I will immediately recommend this website to my students!
(Wanasai Hunn,
Colour & interior design consultant
Hobart, Tasmania)
The times I've logged onto this site, I've found myself unable to log off for well over an hour. It really is inspirational - and such a pleasure - to be allowed into Renate Hering's creative headspace.
(Alessandra Boffi,
Designer
Italy/UK)
I've been browsing through your website and I think your information is just fantastic ... very useful and very helpful indeed.
(Lidia Folliot,
Student, RMIT
Interior Decorating
Melbourne, Australia)
They'll have to create a Chicken Soup for the Dejected Decorator's Soul, and this site should be their main source of inspirational material.
(Cynthia L. Kelly,
Santa Barbara, USA)
Congratulations on producing such an inspirational site, it is full of wonderful, exciting ideas. Thank you so much. I especially love your articles on colour. Your website is one that I will go back to again and again.
(Mila Baker,
Melbourne, Australia)