Legendary decorating guide offers tips for today's decor and window treatments

Before she was a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist for The Age of Innocence, writer Edith Wharton wrote a legendary decorating book that continues to guide decorators today.

RealSimple.com reports that when houses were still steeped in Victorian-style clutter in the early 1900s, Wharton espoused the beauty of clean and simple design. "Decorators know how much the simplicity and dignity of a good room are diminished by crowding it with useless trifles," she said.

While Wharton advised steering clear of overstuffed furniture and too much accessorizing, she was in favor of using fewer colors in a room for a more restful atmosphere. Colors that recede also allow furnishings and accessories to become the focal points of the room's design, the website reports.

A room painted in a tone similar to an area rug and moldings in a color or wood tone that echoes the colors in upholstery and window treatments would have been right at home in Wharton's estate, The Mount, which is now open to the public as a museum in Lenox, Massachusetts.

Wooden blinds are an attractive companion to natural wood moldings and bring a natural look to a room. They complement both traditional and contemporary decorating schemes.