Looking at bare walls can be boring. Even the words look kind of similar - bare and boring - don't you think?

If your finances have been blown on a move, wedding, furniture, or other necessities, you have to get creative and make some of your own budget artwork.

If you already know what style of decorating you like, you're in luck. It will make it much easier to select subjects, colors, mats, and frames for your art. Read more

• Add Art to Your Home without Spend a Fortune

Photo: (c) Coral Nafie

Is your drapery treatment fine but the drapery hardware old and tired looking? Instead of changing out the whole window treatment when it's in good shape, freshen up the look by changing out the finials on the end of the rods.

Many homes have a simple round ball at the end of the drapery rod. This is a case where simple can be very boring. If you're changing your home to a Tuscan Style or French Country Style, just paying attention to your finials can bring a dramatic change to your room decor.

You can cover the rod with a tube of fabric or paint it in flat, dull black and cap it off with a black open wrought iron finial. Hang the stationary drapery panels from black wrought iron rings. Voila, an instant (and easy!) change. Read more

• How To Change the Look of Your Drapery Hardware with a New Finial

If you miss the look of the wallpaper in a bathroom - do you really? - you can go for an excellent alternative.

Stencils on the walls in a bathroom can be more practical than wallpaper, since the paint could not peel in even the most humid of environments.

You can get creative and try words on the walls to remind you of favourite quotes. You can choose inspiring words, energizing or relaxing, the sky is the limit when it comes to stencilling with words.

If you decide to use patterns, use stencils sparingly as each motif is important. Read more

• Decorate Bathroom Walls With a Mural or Stencils

To avoid a boring look, it is good to change your decorating style in the middle of a room. Consider adding one element of surprise in each space.

When you walk into a room that is perfectly decorated you get the feeling that things are just too perfect. And perfect can get very boring very quickly. Sometimes all that's needed is a little surprise - something that doesn't really belong there but adds a touch of whimsy.

In this type of situation, go for the unexpected. Read more

• How To Change Your Decorating Style in the Middle of a Room