A primitive country focal point in a room can be compared with the active verb in a sentence - you need it for the room to be complete.

Once decided upon a focal point, you can then arrange the larger pieces and furniture in a way that will empower the accent or collection. In other words, when you are sitting in the room eyes will natually and easily be attracted to the focal point in a most natural and comfortable way.

Well talk about some some country decor focals and accents in a moment, bear with me, I just need to discuss the room at large first…

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Let’s talk about a few items you’ll want to have around for primitive country decor. This is especially so if you decide to take decorating other’s homes or rooms as a side line - for fun or for profit!

The Country Decorator’s Necessities

• Inspiration comes in many forms but decorating magazines keep you up to date on what’s current, trendy and desired in primitive country decor!
• A measuring tape.
• Paint color swatches in the most popular country colors (right now chocolates, pale blues, muted yellows and weathered reds are hot).
• Wallpaper, and carpet sample books. Keep them in your car.
• Business cards are must haves. Carry 20 around with you at all times and leave them everywhere! On bulletin boards, at friend’s houses, in paint and wallpaper shops, even on bus seats! Business cards can be purchased online for less than $20 a box - get 500 to start, use them up and they’ll more than pay for themselves in the decorating jobs you pick up.
• If you have photos of rooms or houses you’ve decorated country, carry them around in a case in your car. That way you can quickly and easily show people your primitive country ideas and rooms. (You never where your next client will turn up and you want to be ready to close the sale.)

Below is my list of some of the things that I quickly learned when I started my own decorating business to help you prepare for what’s ahead… read the rest…

Some people just seem to have the ‘knack’ for interior design or home decor…they make rooms like this, that seem to buck current trends, but you love to live in nonetheless!

A good friend of mine certainly does. Not only can she choose the colors that fit a room she also has an uncanny knack for knowing which combinations a person will love for years to come!

One night I sat down with her and a color swatch book for hours drinking coffee and talking about color, balance, mood. I learned a lot! Not stuff that you’d get in a classroom - just real talent pouring out to an interested ear.

You can follow along this path as well with your own decorating, then move yourself into an interior decorating business. It’s a great sideline if you like the work and enjoy people. read the rest…

Christmas gift giving is upon us and since we are a generation that seems to have everything we could possibly need already, I’ve been shopping and wracking my brain hard for distinctive gifts for friends and customers.

These gifts are a little trickier to buy because an accent has to fit the home or room of the recipient - and as a Christmas gift you’ll want them to be truly special and well thought out. Thankfully my range is wide because most of my friends and clients are into country decorating, so easy to mix the old with the new.

Accents, collections, distinctive pieces. They give a house personality, make a house a home. Accents can be furniture, rugs, blankets, statues, framed prints, and even lighting. The possibilities are endless when looking for an object that creates a unique and original ambiance.

Here are some creative ideas I’ve been toying with for a few close friends…
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What fun! I saw this and had to show it to you…

It fits right in with my latest western theme week. Look great in any cowboy’s room, den or rustic lodge living room. Not much more to say, the picture does it all!

You can see a larger image and get more information here.

Or, check this out if you’re looking for more fun cowboy decor stuff!

I’ve always loved how you can take an old dresser, even old kitchen cabinets, and completely change the look of a room with just a coat of paint and some new hardware.

Sometimes you don’t even need the paint! The new knobs, pulls and door knobs do all the work.

I have a friend who feels her bedroom needs a lift, but she doesn’t want to strip, paint, tape, and move furniture around. The room is already a rustic, cabin, woodsy decor, but she wants to make it a little more ‘ranch’, or ‘western’. This really isn’t hard to do and we can make the change in less than a few hours and $100 with the right accent hardware.

That’s why, over the next few days, I’ll be hunting down and displaying some really cool western, cowboy, Texan, or ranch - but still all down home country - hardware. And I’ll be showing you what I come up with as I go.

Be sure to leave me a comment if you have any thoughts, ideas or suggestions on any of the pieces I showcase! I always appreciate your help.