Shopping Guide
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However, if you use a little taste when making high tech purchases, you can actually end up making
your home look more sophisticated. The key here, as it so often is in life, is balance. You can’t
overload your living room with video games, stereos, computers, and TV’s, and expect anyone except
a techno nerd to be impressed. Instead choose one or two attractive pieces per room, and try to
integrate them into the purpose of the space. A nice stereo adds to the ambience of a living room,
and a properly displayed computer can make a library seem more stylish and modern.
You are also going to have to use some basic decorating knowledge to pull off your gadget décor. For
instance, if you have a room with a nice black steel stereo, and you are shopping for a television
to accompany it, make sure that you pick a model which is also in a black steal finish. Even if it
costs you a few more dollars, the way it pulls your room together and makes it look ‘finished’
will be worth the added expense.
You probably don’t want to live in a romantically decorated home. But it is important to keep the
components of a romantic setting on hand. Have a box at the ready, full of candles (with candelabras),
incense sticks, romantic dishware, relaxing music CD’s, intimate ambient mood lights, and any
other accessory which might make your home feel a little cozier to that special someone.
A dining table allows you to have quiet dinners, where you stare longingly across the table at one another. Even if you don’t have a dining room, a bistro or bar table is an intimate setting for a romantic meal, that won’t take up much space. If you usually have several chairs grouped around your table, store away all but two, to create the impression that you are the only two people in the world.
You can’t sit at the dinner table forever, so you should have a couch, loveseat, or at least a futon where you can get more comfortable. A big fuzzy rug can also be a playful location for this. If you couple either of these with a fireplace, electric, gas, or natural and you have the makings for a truly special evening.
Sports posters are for little boys, and you’re an adult now. Instead of plastering cheap prints all over your walls, show your sophistication by displaying a few prized pieces of memorabilia. A signed photograph from a famous athlete, tastefully displayed in a desk frame, says more about your passion for the game than a bunch of cheap junk anyways.
There are other subtle ways you can show your zeal. Try decorating your home in your team’s colors? I am not talking about suddenly purchasing a bunch of logo imprinted pillows and other functional garbage. Instead choose normal furnishings, couches, rugs, and curtains, which mimic the colors in the team’s jerseys. However you have to be careful to convert the bright colors used to market a team, into more relaxed, subdued tones that are appropriate for a home. For instance, if your favorite team dresses in bright green and red, try restraining these colors using a forest green background with maroon accents, and possibly black or tan contrasting pieces.
Cleanliness really is the simplest and most important factor in creating an impressive home. There is absolutely no reason you should not keep things tidy, especially if you have forewarning that an important guest is coming over.
If you are having trouble with clutter, try reducing the number of items you keep out. Storage boxes which can be shoved under a bed or behind a couch, can keep all of your functional possessions out of sight, but easily in reach.
You can also try picking one day a week where you do a spot cleaning. Regular upkeep means that when it is time to do a major cleaning, like just before a date, you won’t have to clear your whole weekend.
If all else fails you can always get a maid. Or, of course, try to end up back at her place.