How wonderful and helpful people on this forum are.

That I am not alone in my CL,Goodwill hunting,thrift shop addiction,and that real people can sew good slipcovers. Which I will do when I am fully recovered from surgery.
oops thats 2. oh heck.

Definitely, the painted ceiling thing.

And Ellen Kennon paints!

Not to mention my fabulous living room redo courtesy of this group.

That color is not to be feared!

Ditto on the above: ceilings don't always have to be white, although I was too lazy to repaint them for now. Color is not to be feared even though my walls had 14 swatches painted on them.
Not all popular colors work in everyone's home (sadly Tobacco Road mishap)
I learned so much about undertones and lighting affecting paint color.
Overstock has good buys on area rugs
Ellen Kennon paints as well as Farrow and Ball
charcoal undercoat is better than red tinted for red paint

1) People are painting their walls red. Didn't previously know that.
2) Painting furniture white is common practice, not just for french country.
3) Wingback chairs are still stylish "and" can be slipcovered. With that revelation, I acquired "2".
4) Little needlepoint ottomans are stored under a chair when not in use.
5) Purple is a good color for painting outdoor furniture. Note: ask trailrunner how it holds up under intense sun.

The one thing that has always stuck in my head is that a room can be too 'leggy'. Don't ask me why it has stuck but it's something that I never noticed before until I saw it mentioned here about a rm. in a magazine and I went 'Oh yeah - it IS too leggy!'.

I will never have a leggy rm. now!

Can you show examples?

I fixed up my house to sell a few months ago using ideas gleaned from this forum. From painting the kitchen cabinets a creamy white & changing out the pulls and knobs to hanging drapes and woven wood shades way up towards the ceiling to visually raise the ceiling. I've learned about mixing fabric patterns/colors and grouping like-things together.

Our house sold in 4 days and now I've temporarily downsized from a 4 bedroom home to a tiny studio apartment - but let me tell ya, this little apartment looks pretty darn nice (IMHO) and is very comfy because I've incorporated the same ideas learned from all of the generous, talented ladies on this board.

Ditto on hanging draperies high. I just purchased new draperies for our great room, and they look SO great hung high, but I never would have thought to do that, were it not for this forum (I will post pictures soon!). In addition, it was with help from this forum that I was able to choose the perfect drapery fabric.

People here also helped me choose stools for our kitchen, fabric for the kitchen window treatment and decorative iron for use on the backsplash above the range, all of which I absolutely LOVE.

The images in this forum are extremely inspirational and useful visually. I love browsing through the posts to find images of others' homes, etc.

Thanks so much to everyone here! I have certainly received more than I've given, but my talents are improving, and I plan to respond more to posts in the coming year.

I love this place!

Jan

I've learned that everything doesn't have to be purchased in a suite or be matchy-matchy to look elegant and comfortable!

Just to add,
dark colors don't make rooms look smaller.

Thanks to all

Finz2left reminded me--I also have learned here to mix it up. I used to be all about symmetry, matching lamps and tables and so on.

The other day I was musing about what's in the house now and it ranges from Thomasville to Ethan Allen to Ikea to old family pieces. Photographs and posters and seashells and books and leather and matelasse and brass and sisal and...I've learned to be eclectic, by golly!

Thanks to so many creative and talented decorators here, who told me that it is better to mix than to match. My house is definitely the better for it.

Ann

I was very, very clueless when I found this place. We just moved in and I really didn't have many furishings or accessories. What I was trying to put together I knew didn't look right but I didn't know why. You guys taught me the basics and I'm still learning.

Some of the first things I discovered/learned here were about curtains. Just because they match in color doesn't mean they work. What they're made out of needs to work with your room! I love curtains way up at the ceiling now. Then it was onto the wonders of pillows and throws. After many threads and suggestions I finally split my entertainment stand apart and rearranged my LR. It's still not perfect since I wanted to keep certain things but it's so much better than what I originally had with everything backed against the wall.

My taste has changed so much since I came here. It used to be the more ornate it was the more I loved it. Now I think too much of one thing isn't always good. Some of that same stuff I don't even care for anymore. Just looking at photos and reading things has helped me to decide what I like and don't, what works and doesn't, for my own home.

I've made some expensive mistakes and am still changing some but you've also saved me from making a bunch more! Latest example: I wanted to add chunky (expensive) shelves from Ballard Design to my laundry room instead of cabinets. I think pretty much every person advised me to get cabinets. I'm sooooooo glad I did. Once I complete the room, I'll post some photos.

Just found this thread.

Top Things I learned on Garden Web.

1. How to paint kitchen cabinets

2. The latest trends from real people not magazines

3. Light in rooms and their effect on paint colors. I didn't know that it made a difference.

4. Sources online for a variety of things.

5. Links to all the beautiful internet decorating blogs that I frequent on a regular basis.

I like this thread reminds me of the ones on some of the other forums that say what you would do again and what you could do with out in a remodel or build.

Let's keep it going.

Wallpaper is out...wait! no it's not

Faux treatments are out...wait! no their not

Brass is out...wait! no it's not

If you really don't want an honest, dissenting opinion, don't ask the question

Kidding aside, I love this site and all the problems and solutions and ideas that get tossed around. Naturally, I can't think of any specific examples but I know I've quoted this site on many occasions.

I've been fascinated to learn how other people make decisions about their spaces. And since I've also lived in my space for so long and have no prospect of moving in the near term, it's also neat to vicariously get a sense of what it would be like to live in a different kind of space - one with closets, for instance (sigh). I really think my love affair with cramped old houses may be winding down and I might not have noticed that without learning about other people's houses.

I've learned that it's OK to do things just because they look good. This is a lesson I never learned even from reading decorating magazines. I have always subjugated form to function, and sometimes to authenticity or provenance or sentiment or inertia (I bought this from the native people on my trip to... or, my aunt gave this to me or, I have these curtains and they fit so I have to use them) but sometimes function or authenticity or what you already have aren't pretty - that making it pretty is an OK goal in itself and it doesn't have to make sense on any other level.

Finally, that beige can have personality, and can be the right decision, and that there are different beiges :-)

KarinL

That I am not the only person who thinks about decorating all the time.

Ive learned that real people can do amazing things with their homes without spending a fortune and ditto the slipcovers and the people who reupholster, amazing stuff.

I lurked for about a year before I joined. I was lucky enough to have a brand new slate since we built on a large room, and practically did a whole house make-over. So the sky was the limit in how I wanted to decorate.

The biggest thing I learned is Texture, Texture, Texture! At first I thought, "What the heck is texture?" lol. Funny because I've loved textiles all my life and never associated it as "texture" in a room!

The second biggest thing is I am now into needlepoint, thanks to Begoniagirl's BEAUTIFUL needle work she has throughout her home. I've done cross-stitch and quilting, and now I'm going to tackle needlepoint and add some beautiful "texture" to my room.

Begoniagirl, I hope you don't mind me giving the link to the topic I did which shows your work! Talk about inspiration!

Here is a link that might be useful: Begoniagirls Needlepoint

Great idea for a thread! I've learned so many things I can't even think of them all right now but I'll name just a few.

1) Cote de texas blog to top design element "curtains". My decorating life changed with that post.
2) That I don't have to make an expensive mistake. I can ask the folks on the forum and they will give it to me straight.
3) That I'm not alone in my decorating obsession! DH can only take so many decorating discussions...I needed another outlet for my obsession:-)
4) That others have the same decorating struggles as I do, time, money, self-doubt, etc.

Thanks for everyone on the forum for making this such a great place to share and exchange ideas!