When you enter your new home, how would you like to feel? Once you step inside, it may feel empty and uninviting. Even before you started laying down the foundations or purchased a home, you probably had that ideal image in mind of what your home should look like. Now that all the basics are built, along with some essential furniture and fixtures, it still needs that touch of individuality. A certain look, when seen by others, will immediately let them know that it’s your home.
Yes, there are interior designers but if you’re a hands-on person, wouldn’t you want to decorate on your own without having to consult someone? You can probably even get a better outcome relying on your inner artist/interior decorator.
To help you achieve your goal of well-decorated living space, here are 5 tips that will help make your home look like it was decorated by an expert interior designer.
1. Start with one room
It’s best to start the planning and decorating with the bedroom as this is the location in your house where you’ll be spending the most time. It should exude that relaxed and homey vibe to help you sleep without having to sacrifice elegance and sophistication.
Decorate your bed by adding a colorful frame or a sculptured piece. Use luxurious linens and add a pile of pillows.
Layer on a woolly rug on top of the carpet to add a pattern and a pop of color. They can also be a replacement for wall-to-wall carpets. You will surely ditch using slippers if you can rather step on a super soft rug after waking up in the morning. After all, your top priority for this room is comfort.
Try sticking to light wall colors. This will make the room wide and inviting. Add a light dimmer to avoid using harsh light in the bedroom especially before sleep time. Just be sure to choose lights and dimmers that complement each other.
2. Lighting
A house is best lit by natural light but you should also make sure that most parts of the house will be well lit to avoid wasting space. Rooms or spots in the home that are a bit dark tend to be overlooked by occupants as well as guests. Brightening up a room with lights, a lampshade, or bedside lighting to achieve proper lighting can even help the elderly have a safe walk inside the home.
Think about the lighting before proceeding to decorate the other areas of your home. Having glaring lights when you eat or watch tv can ruin your appetite or cause you eye strain. Consider the room color. Matching the shade of the lights with the room makes a huge difference in getting that elegant but cozy look.
3. Make your window stylish
Blinds or drapes are one of the quickest ways to change the look of a room. They also frame your view of the outside and give you instant ability to control incoming light. Adding curtains is inexpensive. Typically, you’ll want draperies to almost touch the floor. The width should at least have an excess of 12 to 24 inches on either side to have some gathering. Use cloth or materials that won’t easily catch dirt.
Adding some tint or frosting to your window, especially if your home location receives maximum sunlight for most days of the year gives you protection from harmful rays and reduces the temperature inside the house. If you live in an apartment or condo, this will add some privacy.
If you’ve gotten tired of using curtains, you can opt for privacy screens. They’re a great way to add privacy and also double as a décor for your window.
A frosted window will block the outsider’s view of the interior of your home but will let some natural light in. It also doubles as a decorative element.
4. High Contrast Décor
White on white or using mostly light colors used to be the standard of decorating a home. If you’ve already done that and want a change, you can try going with dark and light combinations of décor in the room.
Contrast is one of the essential components of the design. Besides harmony, some contrast may also do some good in some areas of a room. The presence of a visually striking area adds that needed zing but still manages to make everything look cohesive. The contrast makes a living space interesting and memorable.
5. Greenery
The color green relaxes the eye. Make sure to add some greenery to the patio as well as to some corners inside the house. You can add some plants on the mantle or an assorted basket of fresh, dried or faux flowers on the table.
There are many decisions and plans that go into making a new home beautiful. Prepping your home to become a cozy living space need not be expensive or complicated. It is not an easy task but if you can sacrifice some free time and give these expert tips a try, you might be able to get that expertly decorated home you’ve always wanted.
