Hide that Ugly Little Room in Your Home with Simple Decor Tricks

Most of us have lived in a house which had that one dark, unused room without any doors. Many people put curtains up to hide the room from visitors Others just apologize to visitors as they pass by or simply say nothing, hoping the room will go unnoticed. Maybe the room isn’t a large room – possibly a pantry or walk-in closet – but for those ugly rooms that no one wants to see, there’s a quick and easy way to beautify it.

Curtains are fine for hanging up over rooms where there’s no door, but if you’d like to do something a little more spectacular, try curtains in combination with other beautiful decor items. After hanging the curtains, pull them back on both sides – or one side – with tie-backs.

Dressing screens have long been popular and will go a long way towards beautifying that awful room. Stretch the screen out, a foot or so back from the curtains, to give depth to the area. This also allows you enough room to step behind the curtains and fold the screen up when necessary. The curtains serve to draw attention away from the room, but for those who still want to look inside as they pass by, they’ll see the screen rather than the room.

To further add mystery and beauty to the curtains and screen, try positioning a huge pot with plant in front of the screen. If you place it in the center, in front of the screen, you’ll still have enough room to step behind the curtain and move the screen when you need to.

Dressing screens can be expensive but you can make your own fairly easily. Since the screen won’t be used much you can make it from stiff pieces of cardboard. You’ll need three to four tall pieces of very thick cardboard to make the screen. Tape the backsides of the cardboard by placing one piece of tape across the place where two pieces of cardboard meet. Do this at the top, center and bottom to hold. Now cover the cardboard in fabric, wallpaper or other decorative choices.

You don’t need big bucks to spend on the potted plant, either. Craft and department stores now have huge plastic pieces that look like heavy objects after they’re painted. You’ll find paints that resemble marble, granite or stone that will look very impressive yet cost little. Even the curtains don’t have to be expensive. Cut flat sheets to fit and use fabric glue or machine to attach lace.

Sure, you’ll get around to redecorating that ugly little room one day, but in the meantime, don’t cringe every time someone walks past it. Hang the curtains, put up the screen, set your potted plant in place and welcome your company!