Need decorating ideas? Feeling uncreative? If you find yourself in a decorating funk, here’s an idea that’s always available: decorate for a certain time period. This type of decorating is popular because it brings history alive in our everyday lives, the choices are abundant, and the décor can’t ever go out of style.

To begin, choose a time period that interests you most. Do you like the dark, dramatic décor of the gothic period; the artistic flare of the Roman period; the fun of the 1950s or the bright and flashy colors found in the 1960s? The time period that you choose is completely up to you. Here are ideas for a select few eras:

• To decorate within the colonial period, which was roughly from the time of American settlement to the mid 1800s, specialize in a simple English décor. This style shows off crown molding, windows with small panes, hardwood flooring, elaborate fireplaces, exposed wooden beams on the ceilings, mahogany wood furniture and an overall country atmosphere.

• To decorate in a gothic style, use lots of accessories rather than wall colorings. The walls should just be painted gray or blue, or with a faux stone apperance. Use lots of dramatic fabrics, such as velvet, silk and suede in bold colors. Stained glass, gargoyles and wood or stone flooring are all good accents.

• You can also decorate within a certain American decade. The roaring 1920s brought numerous changes to the household décor, which included rich colors in flooring, doors and window frames, oriental-style carpets and lamps, old-fashioned stoves, china tea sets and lots of built-in furniture.

• Decorating a room in a 1960s appearance means using bright, gaudy objects! Bright colored walls, metal furniture, patterned area rugs and artworks, floor lamps and neon lights with words or images all make acceptable attributes to a 60s room. Don’t forget a peace sign!

Use these tips to decorate one of your rooms in this time period, or just use them to get the creative juices flowing!