 | Home Décor Buying Guide
| Famed cartoonist Charles Schulz once said that decorating your home “gives the illusion that your life is more interesting than it really is.” You don’t have to travel to Tahiti to create the feeling of the tropics in your living room—just add a decorative pillow here, light a coconut-scented candle there, throw a breezy slipcover on your old couch, and hang a colorful, botanical print on your wall. The possibilities for transforming your home with decorative accessories are endless. Follow these simple tips, tricks, and trends to make your home décor experience a success: |
Identify Your Home Décor Budget
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Identify Your Home Décor BudgetYour home décor budget can be as big or as little as your imagination allows. When figuring out how much you want to spend, first determine the mix and range of home décor items you need. Are you willing to splurge on one big-impact home décor item, such as a nice wool area rug, a grandfather clock, or maybe an old tapestry? Or are you looking for a few smaller items like throw pillows, picture frames, and colorful candles to give your room some spice? Are you trying to create cohesion in a room or among multiple rooms, which may require more home décor pieces and subsequently a bigger budget, or do you simply want to dress up your fireplace mantel? The good thing about decorative accessories is that you don’t always have to break the bank to create the look you want. Unlike a sofa, which can easily disappoint you after only a few sittings if it’s not well-constructed, or if it’s made of shabby materials, most of your home accents are just for your viewing pleasure, and only you’ll know how much you paid for them. At the end of the day, it’s not about how much you spend but how creatively you spend it. |
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Get the Top 10 Home Décor Tips
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Get the Top 10 Home Décor TipsAny good interior designer will tell you to start with a focal point in your room, around which your home décor items can flow. Once you’ve selected your focal point, collect a range of photos from magazines and home décor books for inspiration. Then, follow these top 10 decorating tips for a successful interior decorating experience: Pick a signature home décor piece: Select a big-impact item as a starting point. This piece can be a throw pillow with beautiful fabric, a poster, or painting, a floral arrangement, a vase, an area rug, or whatever suits your taste. This item should carry the style, theme, and mood you hope to create in the room and will help dictate your overall color scheme. Spread the color: Color, one of the most important elements of home decorating, adds cohesion to a space. Generally, a room contains three major colors in diminishing proportions: a main color, a secondary color, and an accent color. Repeat the accent color throughout your room in a number of ways (repeat it at least three times) with a few strategically placed home décor pieces. For example, throw a few red decorative pillows on the couch, bring in a patterned area rug with some red highlights, and add a few red candles to the fireplace mantel. Frame your pictures with red matting, include a red linen screen or room divider, and throw in some floral décor with red tulips, and you’ve made a nice, cohesive, colorful statement in your room. Find a home décor theme: Get creative and have fun! A good theme will say something about you and your interests and will help to greatly simplify your home décor shopping decisions. Whether your theme is nautical décor, Southwest décor, tropical décor, cabin décor, or Mediterranean décor, the home accents you choose are critical to creating the look you want. For instance, you can easily create a romantic beach décor theme with a few seashells in a basket placed by the fireplace, by adding some vintage floral throw pillows to a white slipcovered couch, by adding some wrought-iron, distressed candle holders, or by incorporating some nautical wall décor throughout your space. Clear the clutter: Eliminate room clutter to open up a room and better establish its overall look. For example, baskets clear the clutter while adding a decorative element. Fabric-lined wicker baskets found on eBay, such as those from Pier 1 and IKEA, are always popular for storing magazines, toys, or mail, as are seagrass baskets, wire baskets, and the ever-popular Longaberger baskets. You can also organize your clutter by adding shelves to your room and displaying items in various collections. There’s no better way to showcase your collection of tribal masks, for instance, than by placing them on a few shelves above your couch or on an opposing wall. Shelves come in a variety of decorative styles and materials, from wood to acrylic to wrought iron, and can help to draw the eyes upward and around the room. Enliven your mantel and fire up the fireplace: The fireplace is often the most important architectural element of a room and, therefore, the default focal point. Fireplace accessories, including fireplace screens and toolsets, come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and themes to suit your taste. To make a unique design statement with your fireplace, try filling it with candles of varying heights, colors, and textures. When decorating your fireplace mantel, or any shelf/ledge, always go with an asymmetrical arrangement of an odd number of home décor items, such as vases, in a range of scales and textures. Fireplace mantels also provide the perfect place for showcasing a collection. Gather the clocks, porcelain figurines, travel memorabilia, decorative boxes, or Tuscan pottery scattered throughout your home and put them on display together. The fireplace mantel is also great for reflecting the seasons with various holiday decorations. Lighten up: The lighting in a room is just as important as the colors you choose. Strategically placed table lamps, floor lamps, and candles can, in addition to shedding light on the space, add warmth and interest where you need it most. Opt for soft lighting over harsh, bright, or fluorescent lighting in rooms where conversation and entertaining take place. Whether grouped in your fireplace or placed throughout a room, candles offer another great way to add light to your space and they create a rosy, inviting glow. Scented candles can also help to evoke a particular season or theme. Freshen up with floral décor:
Floral décor—from wreaths and silk flowers, to silk plants, swags, topiaries, and opulent floral arrangements—can bring a fresh perspective to your room and really make it come to life. You can easily integrate flowers and plants in your room, whether it’s cottage style or contemporary. A single tulip in a simple ceramic vase placed on a fireplace mantel can have just as much of an impact as an overflowing silk floral arrangement adorning your dining room table. It’s all about adding a pop of color and vibrancy. Decorate and protect your furniture: Ready for a change? Add a slipcover to an old sofa or swap out your old couch pillows for some fresh, decorative pillows. You can really transform a room, depending on the color, pattern, and texture of fabric you choose. Pillows can add a lot of fun to your space—the choices are endless! Add a floral pattern for a cottage feel, leather for a Southwestern look, or tassels and trim for a country-inspired room. Two large decorative pillows can sometimes make a bolder, cleaner statement than a bunch of smaller pillows that may clutter up your space and distract from the overall look of the room. Decorate the walls: Consider your walls a blank canvas, regardless of the paint color. There are so many home décor items to adorn your walls, from paintings and posters to shelves, tapestries, sconces, and shadow boxes that it’s hard to know where to begin. Remember to stick with your theme or overall room style as a start. Acrylic shelves showcasing high-fashion model posters, for instance, reinforce a modern style while black and white photos in distressed wooden frames can create a cottage or country feel. To unify a group of pictures, frame them alike. To add whimsy or drama, get creative with frames and matting. Maximize your space by relating your wall art to the size of your wall and furniture. Use landscape paintings and posters featuring an open vista to open up a small room and create a “window” to the outdoors. Hone your personal decorating style: Don’t get too caught up in home décor shows or magazines that tell you how to decorate your home. Following the advice of design gurus could result in a room with no discernable style or a hodgepodge of conflicting style elements. Trust your taste and natural style instincts. Are you attracted to clean lines and geometric shapes? Then get the flokati rugs, bright graphic print poster, and aqua blue pillows reminiscent of the modern style that you’ve been eyeing. Is a peaceful Zen retreat more to your liking? Then go with the Asian style and bring in nature prints, a rice paper screen or room divider, and silk orchids. Listen to what your gut tells you and follow your instincts!
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Discover Home Décor Styles
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Discover Home Décor StylesChoose from a range of home décor styles to design the room of your dreams. Country décor: Always a popular style, country décor provides a lot of room for creativity. Although country can be a wide-ranging style, country décor generally includes rustic or primitive furniture and home accessories featuring muted colors, milk-paint and distressed finishes, and vintage fabrics. Gingham, stripes and checked patterns, as well as vintage florals, are commonly found in country décor. A trip to grandma’s attic, by way of eBay, can provide a treasure trove of home accessories such as candleholders, lamps, frames, and shelves made of hand-forged, wrought-iron, and distressed materials. Many country homes have a farm animal theme featuring roosters, horses, and cows on fabrics, old signs, or on decorative plates, bowls, and other pottery. French country décor: Though similar to country, French country has a style all its own. The French country color palette includes deep reds, vibrant yellows, greens, terracotta, and blues. Toile, small-print fabrics, and vintage lace commonly adorn French country-inspired homes. Painted furniture and accessories in distressed finishes, wrought-iron plate racks, and plant stands are also key parts of this décor. Southwestern décor: The Southwestern style, characterized by earth tones such as cactus green, adobe red, and desert-toned neutral hues, can also include shots of bright yellow, dusty orange, and turquoise. Look for fabric, leather, and suede-covered pillows and upholstery, painted ceramic pieces indicative of 16th-century Mexico, wrought-iron accessories, and burnished metal accents. If you like this style, hang woven tapestries on your walls as art. Western décor: Also known as rustic or cabin décor, the Western style uses earth tone colors, denim and bandana-inspired fabrics, rough-hewn furnishings, and cowboy-themed items. You’ll also find a lot of animal skin and leather upholstered pieces and accessories, as well as Native American fabrics sprinkled throughout this style. Other stand-out Western accessories include antler chandeliers and the use of hand-carved woods in everything from bowls to statues and candleholders. Tropical décor: Create the look and feel of the islands with tropical décor in colors inspired by the sand, sun, and water. A Balinese interior will have deeper, richer colors, while a home in the Caribbean may contain lighter, brighter hues. Fabrics with palm trees, hibiscus blooms, and abundant floral decor depict the tropical style as well. Tropical décor includes home accents, such as picture frames, baskets, mats, and rugs, made of natural materials, including seagrass, rattan, and banana leaf. Tropical plants in wicker baskets or seashells showcased in shadowboxes can also infuse a room with island style. Cottage décor:
Cottage décor uses botanical and beach colors such as light apricot, pale yellow, dusty pink, and shades of green. It may also have a Cape Cod influence with a palette of navy blues, whites, and reds. Look for iron, wicker, distressed wood, and whitewashed baskets, plant stands, picture frames, mirrors, and magazine racks. Also use wooden bowls to collect seashells, pine needles, and branches for a unique, natural tabletop decoration. Natural fiber rugs, such as jute or sisal, create a cottage feel. Contemporary décor:
Contemporary or modern home décor includes a highly reflective color palette of white-based greens, teals, and blues, as well as bright red and stark white. More about form and artistic impression than function, the modern style adds touches of color through big-print artwork, vases, and sculptures in basic geometric shapes. You can also accent your room with vibrant graphic throw pillows, oversized round chrome or acrylic accessories, and rectangular, patterned, or shag rugs. Traditional décor:
Traditional style homes create a warm, welcoming environment with peach and green tones. Balance colors with aubergine and tan and enhance colors with bronze accents and warm wood tones. Find fabrics with small prints and floral prints, damask fabric, and pillows adorned with trim, tassels, and fringe. Include key accessories such as gilt frames, still-life paintings, and prints and use silver candlesticks and silk flowers to accent your room. When pairing accessories, use symmetry. For example, position matching lamps on end tables placed on either side of a sofa. Arts & Crafts/Mission décor: The Arts & Crafts or Mission style of home décor focuses on craftsmanship in simple shapes, spare ornamentation, and strong lines. Colors defining this style include burnished brown and burnished gold. Accent colors include deep forest green, sapphire blue, and dusty rose. Metals, stained glass, painted tiles, and fabrics featuring simple floral motifs elaborate the look. Lamps featuring mica shades set in hammered copper or burnished brass with broad horizontal lines also represent arts and crafts design. Asian décor: Make a bold Asian décor statement with a Chinese-inspired interior accented with bright colors such as red. Accessories such as jewelry boxes, picture frames, and vases have dark wood tones with high-gloss or lacquered finishes. Large-scale tapestries, artwork representing Chinese culture, Chinese sculptures, and figurines can also adorn rooms. Japanese interiors use a softer color palette in shades of gray, brown, and green with accents in brighter hues, such as lavender and sea green. In Japanese homes you’ll find home décor elements such as water features, pottery, pillows with silk and embroidered fabrics, and rice paper screens. Tuscan décor:
Tuscan style has a rustic, earthy color palette that includes burnt sienna, terracotta, and navy blue. Tiles and mosaics adorn everything from picture frames to trays. Woven fabrics, wrought-iron accessories such as candle sconces and lamps, and painted ceramic objects such as vases, bowls, and plates reinforce this style. Tribal décor: The increasingly popular tribal style uses dark earth tones, including deep reds, yellows, greens, and browns, to convey a worldly, well-traveled look. Look for worn, woven fabrics, and beaded elements adorning accessories such as pillows. Weathered wood bowls, painted and beaded masks, and other accessories featuring leather, fur, brass, clay, feathers, and horse hair can also help you achieve a tribal look.
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Select the Right Home Décor Accessories
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Select the Right Home Décor AccessoriesWhen it comes to defining the style of your room, the home décor accessories you select have all the power. Use a few key accessories and keep your space uncluttered. Follow several rules of thumb when purchasing and decorating with home décor accessories. Candles can drastically alter the look and feel of a room, creating a subtle and warm glow. Unscented tapers add an elegant touch to the dining room while scented mood candles bring the benefits of aromatherapy to your bedroom or bathroom. Beeswax candles and candles made with multiple blocks of colored wax make a decorative statement. Candle holders make a big, decorative statement and embody your room’s overall décor. Candle holders come in every shape, size, and material imaginable. Purchase distressed wood pillar candle holders for your cottage home, wrought-iron candlesticks for your Southwestern home, and brass wall sconces for your traditional home. For a more formal look, try adding some silver candlesticks to your dining room table or maybe a candle chandelier dripping with crystals. Candelabras will add an air of drama to any room, and hurricane lamps create a casual, homey feel. Spice up your hurricane candle holders by filling them with marbles, sea shells, colored glass, pine cones, walnuts, or a collection of other colorful objects. During the holiday seasons, adorn your candle holders with fruits, nuts, and berries to make the season come to life. An area rug can act as the focal point of a room, tie a room together with its color scheme, or create cozy conversational spaces. When looking at rug materials, consider how much foot traffic an area receives. Synthetic rugs: Inexpensive synthetic fibers such as acrylic, polypropylene/olefin, and nylon can withstand heavy foot traffic. Wool rugs: Though pricier than synthetic rugs, durable wool rugs feel softer, hold color well, and you can easily clean them. Cotton rugs:
Cotton rugs feel softer than wool rugs, but are less durable. Jute rugs:
Jute, the softest of all natural fibers, may fade or darken in color over time. It may also disintegrate with prolonged exposure to moisture. Sisal rugs: Natural-fiber sisal rugs are more durable than jute rugs, but not as soft. They're static-free, color fast, and good for high-traffic areas.
To determine what size rug you need, measure the length and width of the area where you want to place the rug. For an entire room, leave an equal amount of floor space exposed as a border. If the rug will go under a table, measure the top of your table and add four inches to your measurements to ensure table legs will fit. Most dining room tables require at least an eight-foot wide area rug; 4 foot x 6 foot and 6 foot x 9 foot rugs are generally a good size for coffee tables, and 8 foot x 11 foot works well for most rooms as the main carpet source. Don’t forget to purchase a rug pad. Rug pads reduce wear and tear on the rug, help absorb sound, make vacuuming easier, and protect flooring from scratches. Aesthetically pleasing picture frames add an artistic element to your wall, mantel, or table. Picture frames and mats can also drastically change the perceived value of a piece of art. Consider the function and style of your room when choosing picture frames. Museum-type gold frames add sophistication and formality to a room. Colorful frames add a touch of whimsy and playfulness. Distressed wood frames provide a cottage or rustic look. Sleek silver or lacquered frames decorate modern and contemporary settings. Your prints, picture, and posters aren’t the only things that can be framed. Try framing an old map, an old board game, or collage of your own making. Also, use shadowboxes to display a collection or items from a special occasion. The glass you use for your frame or shadowbox should have a non-glare glass insert with sun protection. Visitors will have a better view of your work of art and you'll preserve the quality of your picture or painting over time. When hanging a frame, the pros suggest using two picture hooks as opposed to a nail. Place it on the wall at eye level (for an average-heighth person). If you have a large wall area, consider larger-scaled frames, or group several prints together to make a bigger impact. Wallpaper and wallpaper borders hide imperfections and allow you to quickly create a new look for a room. Wallpaper is available in a variety of materials, including flocks, foils, fabrics, embossed designs, vinyl, and grass cloth. Most stock wallpapers are made of vinyl, which is easy to hang and easy to clean. Stain-resistant wallpaper: Stain-resistant or scrubbable wallpaper works well in kitchens, hallways, and children’s rooms. Moisture-resistant wallpaper: Make sure bathroom wallpaper can hold up to constant moisture. Pre-pasted wallpaper: Just add water to apply pre-pasted wallpaper to your walls. Self-adhesive wallpaper: Self-adhesive wallpaper requires no supplies for preparation. Remove the wallpaper backing and apply it to your wall like a sticker. Removable wallpaper: When you're ready for a change, removable, also called strippable, wallpaper comes off your wall effortlessly. It's a good choice for people who can't make up their minds. Textured wallpaper: Textured wallpaper hides ugly wall imperfections.
When purchasing wallpaper, look at its pattern. Horizontal wallpaper patterns make a room seem wider. Vertical wallpaper patterns make the ceiling in a room seem higher. Drop patterns, which repeat diagonally across the wallpaper strip and require additional paper to match up, are a good choice for a room that isn’t perfectly squared. Clocks complete the mood or look of a room and can help define your personal style. From wall clocks and mantel clocks to desk clocks and grandfather clocks, these timepieces are always a decorative classic. Traditional or anniversary clocks add interest to an end table; wall clocks propped on an easel in the kitchen or on an end table add charm; and grandfather clocks in the entryway are a nice way to welcome your guests. In general, grandfather clocks have the greatest impact and come in every price range and style imaginable, including a wide array of contemporary designs. Grandfather/floor clocks have unequaled artistic craftsmanship with hand-painted details, intricate woodwork, and superior timekeeping abilities. Slipcovers quickly and easily make over a room, hiding unattractive, mismatched, or well-worn upholstery, at a low price. Use slipcovers on everything from “inherited” wing chairs and ottomans to plain folding chairs. They can also protect delicate or expensive upholstery from kids, pets, and houseguests. Slipcovers come in a range of fabrics, including cotton, denim, velvet, chenille, and even faux leather. They’re washable, easy to maintain, and can be used to dress up your room. For example, spice up a room around the holidays. Keep your slipcovers from drooping and slouching and give them a more tailored look by using a tucking tool. Tucking tools insert a plastic channel deep into the furniture’s corners to hold the fabric in place. Lamps say a lot about your style. They can act as a decorative accessory, serve a purpose, or create a striking effect. To add some dramatic lighting to your space, vary the height of the lamps throughout the room. Floor lamps: Tall floor lamps provide adjustable light without taking up table space. Table lamps:
Table lamps measure between 25 inches and 32 inches high. Use table lamps to light your living room, bedrooms, dining room, and family room. The base and lamp shade should be in proportion to each other and the rest of the furniture in the room. The shade should be at eye level when you’re seated, and the bulb should be out of sight. Desk lamps:
Desk lamps are typically 12 inches to 20 inches high and are used to light a specific work area. Accent lamps: Use accent lamps measuring less than 20 inches tall to provide extra lighting in bedrooms, bathrooms, hallways, and entrances.
When choosing a lamp shade, think about how much light you want the lamp to emanate. A transparent shade adds the maximum amount of light to a room. An opaque shade focuses light downward for task lighting, such as reading, writing, cooking, or grooming. Mirrors, a magical design accessory, can transform a room, making it appear brighter, lighter, and glamorous. Mirrors also can multiply the space in a room, adding depth and dimension by optically expanding the view. You'll find a wide variety of mirrors in different shapes and sizes on eBay. They can come beveled (meaning they don’t need a frame), frosted, bronzed, etched, antiqued, or tinted in a variety of ways. Bronze-tinted mirrors tend to make people’s reflections look softer and more appealing. A mirror framed with moldings should complement the rest of the accessories in the room. You can place mirrors in nearly any room of the house. Varying the shapes, sizes, tints, and frames of mirrors in your home will add interest. Lean oversized mirrors against walls to visually increase the room in a small space. Mount a collection of small mirrors to add vibrancy and sparkle to your walls. Before hanging a mirror, evaluate what it will reflect. While a mirror in your hallway may open up the space, it may not be the best location choice if placed across from a bathroom door. |
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Explore Today’s Home Décor Trends
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Explore Today’s Home Décor TrendsStick to your own personal taste and keep your home looking updated and fresh by incorporating one or two ideas from today's hottest looks into your current home décor scheme. Embrace color: Make a splash with citrus colors like orange, lime green, cherry red, and banana yellow. Chocolate brown, pink, and soft green are showing up in home décor pieces around the country as well. Try draping a pink throw blanket over your sofa for a fresh look or add some soft green slipcovers to your dining room chairs. Accessorize with silver: Get the softer look of brushed and distressed-finish silver, chrome, and stainless home décor items, such as lamps, frames, and vases. Let pillows talk: Replace your tiny little pillows with larger pillows in square, rectangular, and cylindrical shapes. Dressmaker touches are also making a comeback with silk tassels, fringe, and beads adorning decorative pillows. Make the most of mirrors:
Framed bath mirrors have really taken off. Today, it’s less about standard medicine chests and more about large framed mirrors that add big personality and presence to your bathroom. Also, Venetian mirrors are seeing a renaissance. They’re perfect for a powder room, entry hall, or dining room. Look at glass home décor products:
Glass lamp bases are lighting up homes everywhere. Coming in shapes that are short, tall, curvy, square, and conical, this clean look is a bright home decorating idea. Think big: Adding oversized items, such as vases, baskets, and decorative trays to your decorating scheme creates a big impact with little effort.
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Find Home Décor on eBay
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Find Home Décor on eBayNow that you know what to buy, narrowing down item listings to the pieces you want shouldn't take much time. From the Home & Garden page, click Home Décor, and choose the product type from the Categories list on the left. Rugs, Lighting, and Window Treatments all have separate categories under Home & Garden. Categories: Use the Categories list on the left side of the page to narrow listings to the specific product type you need. Keywords: Let eBay find items for you by entering the keywords you want to find into the search box. For example, if you want a new IKEA mirror, type "new IKEA mirror" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Visit eBay's Search Tips page for more advice about searching with keywords. Let Sellers Help: If you want to know about information not included in a listing, email the seller your question by clicking Ask seller a question under the seller's profile.
If you can't seem to find exactly what you want on eBay, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available. |
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Buy Home Décor With Confidence
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Buy Home Décor With ConfidenceBefore making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you. Carefully read the details in item listings. Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships. If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile. Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay protection programs. Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.
Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction. What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have? What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise? Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?
In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay and PayPal are there for you. Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $1,000. eBay Security & Resolution Center: Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.
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