Mood alterations: How to freshen up your rooms and furnishings

Psychologists will tell you that we all respond much more powerfully to our environment than we realize. That is why changing the color of your walls, adding happy paintings and photos to the walls, redecorating a room, adding something new or even rearranging the existing furniture can change one's entire outlook and give a needed boost to the psyche.

Andrea Odishoo, a designer in the Vernon Hills Steinhafels furniture store, concurs. She has helped numerous clients of all ages give themselves a lift by making subtle, inexpensive changes to the rooms in their homes.

“Lighting can often make a quick fix in a home,” she said. “Many tract homes come with unattractive lighting fixtures, especially in the kitchens. We have found that homeowners can totally change the look of their kitchens by installing pendant lights over their islands or a nice chandelier in their eating area.”

Similarly, they can add a large-scale chandelier fixture over the seating area in their family room for great lighting and a wonderful look. They add architectural detail to a space, which “can lights” do not do.

You can also transform a bedroom with lighting, Odishoo said. These can range from a romantic chandelier with lots of bling — and, of course, a dimmer — over the bed itself, to floor lamps in a seating area. Some people prefer the artsy ones that resemble sculptures, while others gravitate to the industrial tripod look. These can be used alongside the bed to allow for reading light, as well.

Another easy change you can make to bring new life to a room is to buy a can of paint in an exciting new color and apply it to the walls, Odishoo suggests.

“A new paint color is the easiest bang for the buck you can get. It is inexpensive since you can do the painting yourself and it will change the whole look of a room,” she said. “Gray is still the trending color and we don't see it ending anytime soon since it is so beautiful.”

Paint can also be used to change the look and feel of a kitchen — and not just on the walls.

“I tell my design clients who have dated oak cabinets in their kitchens to buy some white or soft gray paint and paint those cabinets, change out the hardware and quickly go from ‘dated' to ‘fresh,' ” Odishoo said.

Those who need at least one “fun” room with a dramatic wall color should probably choose their powder room for that, she advises. A powder room is an easy place to have a bit of color drama on the walls.

Once you have established your wall color, Odishoo recommends turning your attention to artwork.

“You want to have one large-scale piece of artwork for the main wall in your room as opposed to a grouping of small pieces. It will have much more of an impact on the viewer,” she explained, “and will become a focal pint for the room. It is also important that the colors in the art or the frame or even the subject of the painting relate to other things in the room.”

If you have a fireplace with a mantel, that is a good place to group varying sizes of smaller artwork that is somehow related, leaning against the wall.

Adding area rugs is another way to brighten up a room and bring in new textures, patterns, dimensions and colors, Odishoo said.

“It is even hot and trendy today to layer rugs on top of hardwood floors and to place accent rugs over wall-to-wall carpeting. Using area rugs is also a great way to cover up negative attributes like worn wood floors and damaged carpeting that you are not yet ready to refinish or replace,” she added.

When it comes to furniture, you can make a variety of changes that can be relatively quick and inexpensive. In the family room, replace the coffee table with a large ottoman. You can relax by putting your feet up on it. In addition, many ottomans offer storage within for blankets and other necessary accessories and you can buy a wooden tray to place on top that can accommodate drinks, snacks and the television remote control. It is worth noting, however, that coffee tables are still preferred in more formal spaces like living rooms, Odishoo advises.

And in that master bedroom you can consider breaking up a proliferation of wood by choosing or creating an upholstered headboard to soften the room and bring in a different look.

Finally, be sure to think about using and often alternating decorative pillows on your sofas and beds, Odishoo added. When it comes to the colors of the pillows, she recommended taking your cue from the color palette in your rugs and, if possible, tying them into the seasons. As for the sizes and shapes of those pillows, she urged that you choose a variety.

Steinhafel's is a fourth-generation family business that was founded in Milwaukee in 1934. Its only Illinois store is located at 569 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Vernon Hills. For more information, call (847) 281-0050 or visit www.steinhafels.com.