Be your own decorator

You don't have to shell out big bucks for professionals to beautify your home. Instead, take a page from their design playbook by gathering your favorite ideas on an inspiration board. Here's how it works.

 1. Collect

Gather fabric swatches, paint chips or magazine photos and pin them to a bulletin board. Include anything that appeals to you, even if it's not home-related.

 2. Edit

Step back and look at which styles and colors are most prominent. You should begin to see themes emerge. Weed out what doesn't belong.

 3. Execute

Now you're ready to translate your ideas into reality. Search Web sites and catalogs for images of the furniture and other home items that fit your theme.