Yellow Lamp by Christine Brun on Creators.com

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Yellow Lamp

It is risky to be too trendy with design. While you might be in love with the colors of the moment, remember that no one wants a home that looks like it was decorated in 1972 swathed in orange, brown and gold. Someday you will not like the colors du jour! Just as mauve and gray accent color no longer looks very hip these days in a house with white washed oak cabinets, the popularity of your favorite color today will fade. I'd rather hear fingernails on a chalkboard than walk into a room with pink carpet, to be perfectly honest. Be careful about introducing the latest thing in your decor.

Professionals know effective ways to introduce spicy new accent colors that protect your budget while preserving the longevity of your most expensive home remodels. For example, when your carpet is shot and it's time to hunt for new flooring, stay clear of too much color on the floor such as a navy blue or a green. If you keep to a neutral tone that can go with a range of wall paint, you will have more choice available over a period of ten to twelve years. If your home is smallish, keep the different types of flooring in similar tone. That means keep them in the same range of lightness and darkness. This helps expand space.

In terms of making wise financial investments, know that you can easily add one or two accent walls of paint, wall covering for a specialty finish for interest. A floor-to-ceiling mirror is an addition that will hold its value and purpose for years. Good quality woodwork is another investment that holds value forever. Additionally, a unique accessory item can be very practical and portable. This contemporary, asymmetrical table lamp is not only bright and colorful, it's a conversation piece. Analyze the accessories that are necessary anyway — lamps, accent tables, bookcases, storage — and turn them into a special selection.

One lamp like this one is enough to add amusing color and pizzazz to a room if you repeat that same color somewhere else.

Textiles are another way to add personality. Special throw pillows are the most common way to bump up the personality of a room. Table runners and table scarves range from ethnic to modern. Placemats and dinner napkins also provide easy color and style. Permanent drapery side panels offer color and pattern, too. All of these are things are simply replaced without breaking the bank when you get tired of them, if they wear out or if they become damaged somehow.

When selecting a counter top material or the color of your kitchen cabinets, think about the longevity of the color scheme you love so much today. Choose a tone that you can live with for a decade or longer. Perhaps dial down the trend factor. Instead of copying a look exactly from a magazine, take just one part of the idea into your home. For example, accent tiles might come in a blend of travertine and glass tile and be intended to become a three-inch high backsplash accent. Instead, incorporate the one-inch by six-inch glass tile in a thinner and less highly stylized accent liner that is quieter.

The same is true when deciding on bathroom fixtures. Maybe white seems boring to you, but over a period of twenty years, white is the safest bet. Find another way to add interest to the room that is not a major part of the expense. Again, remember that paint is one of the least expensive materials available to the homeowner and something that you can actually execute on your own without hiring a pro.

Photo Credit: Home Goods

Christine Brun, ASID, is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of "Small Space Living." Send questions and comments to her by email at christinebrun@sbcglobal.net. To find out more about Christine Brun and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.