Soft Furnishings Material

Lucky Seven Easy Steps in Decorating and Furnishing Your Den

Some of us, very few, are thrilled by the idea of home improvement; others, the normal people, shiver at the sheer thought of the work and costs involved, and at the possible aggravations to face when the final product doesn’t match the plan . My lucky seven easy steps are here to let you love your den project from beginning to end. 

Are you ready for a fun roller coaster ride with smart ideas, great color schemes and intelligent furnishing choices? Let’s go!

1)      The den has to reflect the terrific lady or guy you are for you to comfortably enjoy your den . Your den, more than any other room in the house, can show how conservative,  moderate, free spirit, homebody or party tuned individual you are.

2)      If you’re a lady, dazzle with your femininity. If you’re a guy, show off your masculinity.

3)      Pick color schemes and lighting designs that make the voyage to “I love my den” reaction  a reality. Let’s start by introducing your favorite color as the base color. God bless your elementary school teacher who had your write about your favorite color! LOL.

4)      Work with room size, floor coverings and walls (paints, and papers)

5)      Select the furniture pieces and curtains your feel comfortable with.

6)      Complement your den with paintings, posters, photographs, and plants  that mean a lot to you or you like a lot.

7)      Add your personal touch, the signature of your distinct personality.

The Den Defined by Your Personality

If you’re conservative, then the choices you make will be conservative; same goes if you have a bubbling personality or you are moderate person in your tastes. Medium to dark colors if you’re conservative; otherwise, light to medium colors.

Bring Masculinity or Femininity into the Den

Emphasize masculinity with sports related items, a combination of materials such as leather, stone and iron, or wild western objects.  Show off femininity with flashy blacks/reds objects or soft/muted tones, flowers, plants, and handcrafted wood pieces.

Color Schemes and Lighting Designs

Harmony and contrast principles dominate color schemes by combining warm colors (reds, pinks, oranges, yellows) with cool colors (greens, blues, purples), and neutral colors (browns, beiges, grays, blacks, whites): warm neutral colors for ladies, cool and neutral colors for men.

The den, being a quiet and comfortable place in an informal atmosphere, won’t have bright lights. Wall lighting and standing lamps will be very effective.  For warm climates, a ceiling fan with lights may do it.

Room Size, Floor Covering and Walls

Small can be beautiful.  We just have to work around it by not overpopulating it with excessive items.

If you’re conservative, choose medium tone solid colors such as blue, green or violet for wall to wall carpeting and you are not allergic to mites; medium color ceramic tiles (gray or in the brown family) or hardwood floors (mahogany or walnut). If you have contemporary tastes, go for light or very light tones for wall to wall carpeting or ceramic tiles, yellow or red oak for hardwood floors. If you are a moderate person, you may pick temperate tones and or neutral colors in wall to wall carpeting and tiles, and light to medium colors for hardwood floors.

If the furniture you have or pick is dark, then you want to choose light to medium colors for the floor and the walls; otherwise, medium to semi-dark colors. I would not recommend wall paper because the den is informal, but if you love wall paper, then go ahead with it, just make sure the color/s blend in with the floor and drapes. Because the den has usually one wall populated by windows, it’s smart to sponge that wall (three colors – a base color and 2 colors for the sponging) for the windowed wall and as the solid color for the remaining walls.

Furniture and Curtains

Select colonial, country, traditional or contemporary style to suit your taste. A computer center, a bookcase, and a recliner may do fine if you’re a guy.  If you’re a lady, you may want to add different size and height tables for your favorite flowers and plants, and a sewing machine if you’re into sewing.

If you live in a hot climate, go for medium to semi-dark curtains to deflect the light and glare; otherwise, light to medium colors will do fine.  You may want to avoid layers  like you have in a dining room or bedroom where a lace light curtain is under a regular fabric curtain.  

Paintings, Posters, Photographs, and Plants 

Go wild! It’s your place. A guy is not less than a guy if he has a plant or two in the den, like a desert plant. The fish tank you have always wanted – put it there! Some painting, photographs and posters will look nice.  Sport memorabilia and rows of photographs on the fireplace mantle and hanging on the wall will look great.

Personal Touches

Here some ideas: an antique phone or coffee table, medieval items such as swords, knives, helmets, a favorite book on display, baseballs or footballs signed by your favorite player, beads, ocean shells, traffic signs hanging on the wall, a liquor cabinet, etcetera.

Now you have created your dream place, enjoy it! You worked hard and smart to make it look the way you like it. If your friends don’t like, they aren’t your friends. This is your  private retreat where you can let it all “hang out”. In this place, it is alright to wear that T-shirt or blouse, and pants with holes because fashion doesn’t belong in the den.

I’m proud of you.! You did it. Now just keep your spouse and kids out. LOL.

About the Author

Joseph Mangraviti, author of
Hooked on You (heart-felt poems), was born in Genoa, Italy. After completing high school in Messina, Italy, he came with only a pocketful of dreams to the States where he received a college education. The dreams became accomplishments in time. Mr. Mangraviti lives in New Jersey with his wife and kids. He has always enjoyed reading and writing poetry and, most of all, sharing it with family, friends and the public.

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