What things should I be using to decorate for home to give a new look?

I just renovated my home, and I can give you a few ideas based on what I did.

I've painted my house before, and added new accessories like throw pillows and curtains, but nothing really gave my home a new look until I changed everything.

I had carpet on the floor, and it was several years old. We ripped it out and put in hardwood floors. You might not think you can afford them, but we found our hardwood at a local auction and got it for .50 per square foot.

Once you have your floor installed, decide on a color scheme. I took my living room colors from a slipper chair I had in blue and brown. I painted the walls a Benjamin Moore color in deep brown, and complemented everything with blue. Previously I only had a beige, and everything looked worn and washed out. A dark color really livens up a room, as does a very light color like white if you accessorize properly.

Once the painting was done, I replaced all of my photo frames and mirrors with new ones. I found some photos I really liked online and enlarged them as wall art. I added new throw pillows in blue and brown, in luxurious fabrics like velvet and silk.

The best advice I can give if you change your floor is to add a large area rug in your seating area. I found a blue/brown shag area rug like this Ragtime Rag area rug The squares really make it stand out, and its very comfy on the feet.

I redid the kitchen and all of the bedrooms as well, and now my six year old home has a new look.