Home Style: Resolutions for a stylish new year

When you're writing your New Year's resolutions, don't forget to add a few that will help your home be its stylish best in 2010. I asked a few of the designers I work with to join me in sharing their own decorating resolutions to help inspire you.

MARY CAROL: COMBAT CLUTTER

This year, I resolve to organize the clutter in my home. Since I can't seem to get rid of it, I might as well make it look pretty, right?

I've already begun my crusade by tackling Dan's towering mountain of newspapers and magazines. I found the perfect tool to get the pile of periodicals off the floor: a wall-mounted magazine rack. I first used this gorgeous black metal rack in a designer show home I decorated. I hung two racks, one above the other, in the home office and liked the look so much I did the same at home, next to Dan's favorite reading chair. The wall of periodicals reminds me of an English men's club and doubles as interesting artwork. Now, I'm ready to take on the rest of the clutter!

RICH: FRESHEN UP PAINT AND ARTWORK

For the price of three gallons of paint, Rich is going to transform the look of his living room and spare bedroom. In the past, Rich has chosen warm colors for his home, so this year he's going to try something new: shades of gray, from steel to oyster.

Once the walls are freshened up, Rich will rehang his artwork in brand new places. He's a big fan of switching out his artwork on a regular basis because that allows him to showcase a variety of pieces and experiment with different arrangements, from classically symmetrical presentations to kooky asymmetrical montages.

BETH: SPRUCE UP YOUR BEDROOM

Beth has worked hard to make every room in her home beautiful, but like most of us, she has neglected her own bedroom. So this year, she's resolved to make this tired room into a beautiful retreat.

Because fabulous bedding can take a bedroom from dull to dramatic, Beth wants her bed to be the focal point of the room. To make her existing bed more spectacular, she will affix curtain rods to the ceiling above the bed then hang luxurious curtain panels from the rods, achieving the look of a canopy bed on a shoestring budget. She's picked a color palette of white, cream and gray-beige fabrics for her bedding and is really going to mix up the textures. For instance, her dust ruffle will be rough burlap, which will provide an interesting contrast to her more refined monogrammed linen accent pillows.

BECKY: BREAK OUT THE CHINA