Thoughtful splashes needn’t cost thousands: Consider accessorizing rather than renovating. Low-cost, easy changes can enhance a home’s value and the pleasure in reveling in a unique and personal living space.

Many people often forget that new window treatments are the quickest fix for a room. They provide texture and an instant face lift
. Layering throws and pillows adds depth and comfort, and brightening a dining room with crisp table linens and stately candle accessories adds a touch of refined class. Of course, a simple fresh coat of paint can both cleanse and color any room.

When transitioning to furniture, pieces need to have hidden features that enhance value. Think lamps with adjustable height capabilities, nightstands and mirrors with built-in power strips for recharging those handheld devices that get us through the day, and dining-room tables with drawers to cleverly and neatly house placemats, napkins and other accessories.

“Homeowners don’t need to spend a fortune to enliven their living space,” says Jeff Allison, executive vice president of home at JCPenney. “Adding or switching out accessories and other small touches can certainly make a refreshing difference.”

JCPenney is listening to today’s time-crunched, style-conscious consumer looking for casual yet high-functioning home furnishings and, in response, is launching Linden Street, a new private brand of functional, attractive home furnishings and accessories now available at JCPenney stores nationwide, JCPenney Catalog and on www.jcp.com.

Here are some additional easy ways to refresh a room:
* Reframe photos: Attractive, well-made frames not only add class to a space but place special attention on precious memories.
* Consider an area rug: Small punches of color via an area rug — whether on a hardwood floor or low-pile carpet — add interest to any space.
* Re-arrange furniture: Simply moving the couch, armoire and coffee table makes for a whole new room.
* Eliminate clutter: A room can appear much larger — and more sophisticated — utilizing smart solutions like a storage ottoman.
* Bring the outdoors in: Plants and other greenery infuse instant life.

Steps

1. Sketch your floor plan.

2. Superimpose the Bagua Map, the essential tool of feng shui, over the sketch of your floor plan by aligning the bottom of the map with the front door.

3.   Place the item that represents your goal in the area where your goal resides.

• Lower left: Knowledge. Knowledge is the sector of your room involving wisdom. Naturally, one should place objects pertaining to wisdom; for example, books.

• Lower-middle: Career. If you’re not doing well in work, try improving this area by adding some trophies, certificates, or anything that reminds you of prior accomplishments in the work force.

• Lower-right: Travel and helpful people. Helpful people means everyone you interact with on a daily basis: it’s the driver to your right that let you in their lane, your barista, banker, everyone. When considering how many people one deals with every day, this sector is very important. Keep objects that promote good energy towards others in this area, like travel souvenirs. Helpful people is also a good area to have reminders of heroes and people of influence.

• Middle-left: Family and health. Harness this area for better relationships, since this also extends to coworkers. You can put pictures of your family or souvenirs from family vacations here, or anything special relating to your family.

• Center: Self. All other squares influence the overall concept of health and your personal well-being. You can put everything that is important to you and that has to do with your style here.

• Middle-right: Child. Child basically means “creativity” as well. If you do any sort of art, play a musical instrument, write poetry, etc., place it here to enhance it. If there is anything you made or did when you were younger that is important to you, place that here, too. Also, place anything you have made and worked hard on here.

• Upper-left: Wealth. If your finances are down the drain, look to your finance corner. Keep things neat and clutter-free. There are many tokens of luck and good fortune to place here– your piggy bank, receipts (if they’re in good order since if they’re not it will lead to spiraling finances) or ledgers.

• Upper-center: Reputation/Fame. Your fame and reputation is pretty crucial in the role it plays towards all other sectors. A good reputation leads to promotions, better relationship with the family, trust from others, etc. Place any medals, trophies, and other kind of stuff here. Brightness and lighting are important here.

• Upper-right: Relationships/Marriage. Place tokens of love here.

4.    Assess your room based on the five elements: water, earth, fire, wood, and metal.

• Water: Water resides in the career area (bottom center). Its shape is wavy. So, goldfish and fountains can be used to give this area a good boost. Although it is bad feng shui to have a water feature in located in the bedroom, as it brings energy of worry to the bedroom.

• Earth: Earth resides in the center of the room. Plants or flowers are great to place in this part of room. Never use fake flowers. In fact, don’t even use dried flowers since as beautiful as they can be, they’re still dead and bring bad energy.

• Fire: Fire is in the career and fame area of the room (top center). Candles, anything red, and anything triangular or in a pyramid shape is good for this area.

• Wood: Wood is in the family sect (left center). If you have a nice wood bureau or shelf, place it here.

• Metal: Metal is in the child/creativity area (right center). Its shape is circular, so any metal design that’s circular is great. Wrought iron designs can really help circulate chi and creativity. Metal picture frames are another suggestion.

5.   Mix and match the elements accordingly.

Based on the powers harnessed by the elements, some elements compliment each other while some elements counteract or destroy the power of other elements. Fire burns wood. Wood absorbs water. Water erodes metal. Metal destroys Earth. Earth dampers fire.

The elements can also compliment, or enhance the other. Water helps wood grow. Wood helps flames burn. Fire helps earth anew. Earth wields metal, and metal gives life to water.

Elements each have their own color and shape. Fire is red and pointy. Water is black and wavy. Wood is blue/green and tall/slender. Metal is rounded and white. Earth is square, boxed, and yellow.

Use at least some of these shapes, colors, and elements when designing your room.

Note:

These instructions for the placement of the Bagua Map are for the Black Hat Sect of Feng Shui. For other schools such as the Original Form School or the Compass School, you will have to reorient the map according to their rules.

Be very careful about where you place your bed. Your bed should never be directly facing the door, as that is highly unlucky and is the funeral position as well. The best placement of the bed is farthest from the door in a position where one can always see the entrance.

Don’t use feng shui as a miracle cure for any major life problem. Having good chi helps enhance your life and works as a good guiding force; ultimately, it is you alone that will do the actions necessary for life change.

Watch out for wooden beams and vaulted ceilings, since they bring bad chi. To remedy this, hang a crystal from the beam.

Never use wavy, cracked, or sub-par mirrors since they bring bad energy.
Do not get mad at others if they don’t believe in this stuff. They might call it hooey or something like that. If they do it enough to annoy you, just never invite them over again to keep bad forces out, and show them how much they offended you.

Things You’ll Need

* The Bagua Map
* A sketch of your floor plan
* An item that represents your goal in life

source: wikihow

The bedroom is where you stay to relax and unwind after a long day of work. As such, it is very important that the design of this room features a peaceful and calming ambiance. A beautiful and serene bedroom will allow you to get a good night’s sleep. You can make your bedroom more relaxing by redecorating it. This is an easy task which you can do on your own. Apart from this, it allows you to add a personal touch so that the room will reflect your personality.

The right wall paint can set the right atmosphere in the room so you better choose soothing soft colors. Continue working with the color scheme by using bed covers that belong to the same shade. Add small throw pillows with rich texture to create accent.
You can also color coordinate the room curtains by using fabric with the same color value. Choose pale colored drapes to make the room more interesting.

Decorate your room with simple yet beautiful items. Display small plants in your side table to add a touch of life to the room. Complete the mood by using dim and soft lights. Use a soft glow of yellow to create a cozy feeling.