Moving to a new home is exciting. The most enjoyable part of the process is deciding on a theme. There are thousands of themes to choose from:

Color themes: White, black, red, silver, gold
Culture themes: Country, European, Chinese, Japanese

Or you might find concepts like Ocean, Ranch or Hollywood appealing.

Yet, because you are spoilt for choice, you end up in a dilemma of colossal proportion. Perhaps, if you are like me in my first renovation, you settle for different themes for different rooms.

In their excitement, untrained and inexperienced homeowners often insist upon certain ‘must haves’ that their contractors should construct. Many a times, these ideas do not materialize quite the way the homeowners had pictured them in their minds. Unfortunately, they would have to live with the disappointing outcomes for a long, long time.

Renovations are not unlike weddings in that they do not happen too many times during an average person’s lifetime. So, if a slightly higher budget is not too much of a burden, it should make sense to engage the services of interior designers. You simply tell them the concept (or concepts) you are after, and let these professionals handle the rest.

Which include the contractors, who, by the way, do occasionally turn out to be nightmares. You see, contractors look to interior designers for future work assignments. You stand a better chance of work quality when they are appointed by your interior designer, rather than by one-off clients like yourself.

Now that the renovation is out of the way, you might want to consider in the longer term, how you could effect significant newness in your home without costing you an arm and a leg. How?

Well, the first things a visitor notices when they enter a house, or any room for that matter, are the pictures on the walls. Framed art pieces are important features because for one, they hang at eye level, and two, they convey the tastes of the homeowner.

But original art pieces are expensive. And unless you are a collector with spare rooms to stow these treasures, they are not versatile compared to decorative arts posters - which are way more affordable - when it comes to adding new freshness to a home.

One other advantage of artwork posters, compared to original art pieces, is that you can happily direct a glow upon them (to feature them), without worrying about damage.

Finally, speaking of glowing, please make sure you have adequate lighting in any room, even if your idea for home is a dimly lit cozy affair. Trust me, there will be plenty of moments at home when you will appreciate a brighter and cheerier space in which to flat out. Ask your interior designer for to provide for alternative lightings at areas designed for romantic dimness.

Resource Box: Splash! Posters is the latest online decorative posters gallery. You will find prints of European masterpieces by van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, and contemporary Asian works by Hokusai and Wu Minrong, to name a few. Scenery and Wildlife make the other exciting categories. There is a beautiful picture to adorn every tastefully furnished room. Come by www.splashposters.com