I've always admired people who decorate their house as though it were an art form. They don't necessarily follow all the rules and combine colors and styles in a creative, almost bohemian style of decorating. The result is a home that truly reflects the personalities of its owners. The hard part is accomplishing this and still having a house that is marketable from a resale standpoint.

One couple in particular comes to mind. They were both artists, who had mainstream jobs, but managed to use their home as a canvas. Every room was totally unique, peppered with treasures from hours of antique hunting, such as ornate carved sconces, original furniture, and re-used columns and doors selected for their architectural originality. The children's craft room had a 12 foot paper mache dragon suspended from the ceiling with huge, shining outstretched wings.

This is an extreme example of artful decorating, but there are some things the average person can do to spice up their home, and make the decor a little more original.

Don't be shy to display your collections. If you're a collector, you've probably spent numerous hours and money completing that set of bone china teacups or cranberry glass serving dishes. Whatever your theme may be, show it off. This means bringing out the special platters and dishes for dinners and not leaving them hidden away in cupboard.

Combine items by grouping items with similar uses, colors and shapes. It's much more dramatic to feature a collection of old medicine bottles in a group than placed individually, here and there. A collection of blue vases, in different sizes and shapes blend together when displayed together on a shelf or tabletop.

Items with similar themes, such as a bottle of wine with a couple of wine glasses on either side, can appear more interesting than if displayed separately. A collection of artwork with similar frames also can be hung as a grouping.

The fabulous look of fabric. Get out those vintage hats, shawls or unusual pieces of fabrics to be used as attractive accent pieces.

Recycle and reuse. Scour the architectural salvage companies for one-of-a-kind items such as, reclaimed columns, flooring, ornate gates, mantels and wrought iron. These types of pieces add character to your home and make for an interesting decor.

Above all, don't be timid; when it comes to artful decorating, you have to be willing to step outside of the box and explore new possibilities. Pour yourself a glass of wine, look around the room and begin your creative adventure!