Is it time for a little refresh on your home’s interior? While fashion comes and goes in twenty-year cycles, the same isn’t exactly true of interior design. If you haven’t updated your home decor since the first Bush administration ‒ or heck, even the second ‒ then you might be overdue for a little spruce up. Spring is naturally the time for new beginnings, so April’s National Decorating Month comes along just when we need a push to turn over a new *stylistic* leaf.
National Decorating Month timeline
- 2000 - Present
The Rise of Decorating Shows on Reality TV
“Trading Places” blazes the trail, only to be followed by “Queer Eye”, “Extreme Makeover”, and many more.
- 1986-1993
Designing Women Airs on CBS
Lead character Julia Sugerbaker runs an interior design firm and wins viewers over with her ever-so-flashy sense of style.
- 1976
Lead Is Banned from Paint
The Consumer Product Safety Commission passes legislation that takes all the excitement out of eating paint chips.
- Early 1900s
Interior Decorating Becomes an Occupation
Actress Elsie De Wolfe, a.k.a. Lady Mendl, becomes one of the first well known decorator/designers.
- Early 1500s
Wallpaper Is Born
Prints on paper begin to replace heavier and much more expensive hanging tapestries.
National Decorating Month Activities
Buy some local artwork
Picking out new decor gives you a chance to make a unique statement about who you are and what you like. Sure, you could find some new decorations at a big box store. But even better — you could use National Decorating Month as an excuse to check out some local artists and see what really speaks to you.
Add a splash of color
Bringing in a little color is an easy way to liven up the place. Giving your room a makeover can be be as simple as painting an accent wall or sprucing up your end tables with some colorful spray paint.
Feng Shui yourself
Shaking things up a bit doesn’t have to involve spending a single penny. You could bring some new life into your surroundings simply by eliminating the clutter of unneeded items or by rearranging a room.
Why We Love National Decorating Month
It’s about making a new statement
Look around your living space. Do your decorating choices reflect your current taste? A display of empty liquor bottles or a poster taped to the wall may have been apropos during your college days, but maybe now you’ve got a taste for finer things, like actual poster frames. National Decorating Month could be the push you need to make sure your surroundings reflect the classy new you.
It’s a chance to change the scenery
Life can feel a little drab if you’ve been looking at the same wall art or patterned bedspread for a full decade. A simple change of decor or a shift in color scheme can make you feel a renewed sense of excitement about coming home and hanging out in your freshened-up crib.
It’s about getting creative
Keeping things the same is safe. But since when did we decide to play it safe? Switching up your environment means you get to make fun choices about color, artwork, or even just choices about how to rearrange some furniture. National Decorating Month is a great opportunity to get the creative juices flowing.
Also on Mon Apr 1, 2024...
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