PPL! The Cheapest Design Elements For Your Home!

  

 Now what do those letters stand for? Paint, Plants and Light. "PPL" Remember those three letters as the cheapest decorating tools in your design arsenal.

I have found that those three items can change a look of a room more quickly, and less expensively than almost any other element.

Paint is always an obvious change in any room but lighting, and plants were a surprise to me.

This is how I discovered what a difference a plant could make in a room...........

 One day I took out two plants that I had in my living room to water them at the kitchen sink. As the plants were draining in the sink I walked by the living room and I actually gasped! 

The room that had looked warm and inviting now looked cold, and empty. What??!! How can two $10 plants make such a difference? Well trust me they did. 

I discovered that plants would then become one of the elements I could always afford  in my decorating arsenal.

Now for lighting, this is a vast subject so I will touch on the high points. Do you know how many light sources an average room should have?

 I read a little formula a long time ago that said  find your square footage (example 12ftx16ft = 192sq.ft) then multiply your square footage by 1.5 (192 x 1.5 =288) so that means your room will need 288 watts of lighting sources.An average room should have approx. 4-5 lamps.

 In my own family room that measures 17 x 20 I have 6 lamps,2 sconces and 2 uplights in the corners. 

Do you have enough lighting sources in your room? Most people don't so don't feel badly about that, just become a little more aware and it will help you see your rooms differently. I am going to show you a few rooms that have a good use of "PPL".

 The first picture is done by Brown Design Inc, now imagine this room painted in the wrong color, no plant, and maybe only the bedside lamps. Boring!

 Look at how many lights just in this one section of the room and the color of the paint keeps the room simple and fresh. 

Without that one plant and the bouquet of roses on the nightstand  the room might actually look bland. This is a great example of using "PPL"

In this next room the lighting is amazing. The over sized chandelier and the use of the strip lighting above the cornice molding absolutely breathtaking. Take away one of those lighting sources and the room is not nearly as spectacular.

 Notice the use of the plants, if those were not in the room the room would not have as much life to it. The subtle color keeps this room soft and inviting. I love the "PPL" in this room.

In this next room  we have an all white kitchen with some great old school lighting fixtures, perfect choice for the look of this room. 

The plants in this room come in the form of a beautiful floral bouquet and a bowl of crisp green apples on the counter top.

You see, bringing life to a room with plants doesn't always have to be the potted variety.

This is a bright and cheerful room with a lot of good natural light, but that did not stop them from putting two lamps on the console table, and a great overscaled lantern above the black table.

 The plant life here is of the potted variety but they are placed in just the right areas to make your eye travel around the room to the pops of the fresh green.

So remember PPL, Paint: is it time to make a change? 

Plants: Do you have any in your room? Lights: Do you have enough in your room?