Everyone loves quick tips to make their life easier. Here are a few to get you motivated with your home decor.

1. Every dining room table should have something on it. A tall vase of sunflowers, a low bowl filled with flea market napkins, candles in silver candlesticks…look around your house and find something you love. Create a display with it. Change your tablescape with the seasons.

2. In an empty room, use tape on the floor or large sheets of paper to create a mock up of your room design. It will give you a feel for how your furniture is going to fill up the room.

3. Do not be surprised by furniture that will not fit in the door or stairwell. Measure everything before you buy. Do a trial run of thinking how you will bring the furniture into your home. Make sure you line up moving help before you spend the money!

4. Show off your family history by displaying birth announcements, Girl Scout sashes, wedding invitations, eyeglasses, etc; along the wall with your pictures. Letters from camp or drawings from a child become more precious as the years go by. Ask your mother in law if she still has your husbands favorite baseball mitt. The list of possibilities is endless. Shadow boxes can be filled with favorite objects while frames hold the paper memories.

5. Swing arm lamps by your bed will free up space on your night stand. Try out different heights to see what works best for your needs.

6. It is okay to mix modern and traditional furniture. put it together and see if it feel right to you. Extreme cases of each genre may clash but most furnishing can be blended easily for a look that feels collected over time.

7. When having a party do not be afraid to mix your tableware. A buffet line with a stack of assorted plates makes it fun for the guests to see what they get to eat off of. Stay with a theme such as Christmas or vintage plates to tie everything together.

8. Put a small chair in an empty corner of the hallway. Place a stack of books, a piece of art or an interesting pillow in the seat. It turns the space into a focal point.

9. Old furniture and items from your attic or your neighbors garbage can be renewed with a little creative thinking. New paint, new fabrics and even structural changes can give it new life. An old dining table can be lowered to childs or coffee table height by cutting off the legs. Rewire and spray paint an ugly old lamp to give it a funky look. Look around your house to find unused items that you can redesign. If it does not work out you have not lost anything but a little time.

10. Did you know that fabric can be backed with a special paper to make it wallpaper? Tie your room together by using a print for an accent wall and then in the window treatments. The texture of the fabric will give richness to the room.

11. Do you have a room that seems too big for your gatherings? Break it down to smaller areas by using chairs and tables to create groupings. People interact better if they are closer.