Things You'll Need:
- Decorating books and magazines for ideas
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Step 1
Look closely at your furniture and decide whether it's a certain style: Mediterranean furniture is usually large, low to the ground, uses carved wood at its base and jewel colors in upholstery. Mission-style furniture uses slats of plain dark wood to form the backs and arms of a sofa or chair, for example. Knowing what style your furniture resembles can give you lots of ideas for accessories.
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Step 2
Toss a tapestry throw over one or two pieces of upholstered furniture and consider adding a leather tabletop to your sofa table or coffee table for a real Mediterranean accent. Wrought-iron candle holders or wall sconces are great, and big terra cotta pottery jars in the corners with colorful flowers (real or silk) adds a warm touch, too.
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Step 3
Use big copper bowls and candleholders to accent your Mission-style furniture. Soften the very straight lines of this style with a thick rug underfoot, especially one with a border of simple leaves or elongated flowers. Lamps with simple wooden bases and opaque glass shades are perfect for setting on tiled-top end tables.
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Step 4
Add glass and chrome end tables and a stark white rug for bold contrast to your dark furniture.
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Step 5
Select two bold colors as accents throughout the room; blue and yellow, for example. Make the look a little bit country with yards of eyelet cotton for curtains, bright yellow daisies in vases and pillows in every shade of blue. Group several small country-themed pictures on a wall and then hang an oversized one in the same theme and style on the opposite wall to make the room appear smaller.
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Step 6
Choosing the accessories is the fun part of decorating! If your dark furniture has red upholstery, hang dark wood bead curtains from the ceiling all around a group of chairs and a loveseat, to make an intimate, yet open conversation area. Use brass lamps throughout and an old oriental rug plus tons of pillows for a room from Morocco.
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Step 7
Paint the wooden door and window frames in your room sky blue and add dotted Swiss sheer curtains at all the windows for a very different look. Put lots of bright floral-print pillows on all the furniture and add more Swiss accessories like an old milk can in the corner filled with a sheaf of wheat, or a painting of the Alps.
