Styling your home can be overwhelming, especially because there are so many home elements to consider. For instance, you have to figure out which wall color to use for which room, where to place your furniture, and what décor complements your home.
But whether you eat and breathe interior design or you have no idea where to start when it comes to styling your home, we know you could use some help.
So, we came up with ten styling tips that are sure to make your space pop. And before we get right into it, you can click here to explore sofa slipcovers that are useful home design items. Otherwise, read on and get styling!
1. Create a Focal Point
Each room in your house should have a focal point.
The focal point is the first thing your visitors see when they enter the room. It can be an interesting or beautiful piece of decor, a cute couch, a warm fireplace, or anything else that draws people’s attention.
Once you have come up with the focal point, build your furniture around it. You can also use lighting or a piece of art to enhance the focal point.
However, be careful not to over decorate the focal point as you don’t want it to overshadow other items in the room. Similarly, don’t have too many focal points in one room as your space will lack focus.
2. Pay Attention to Your Lighting
Poor choice of lighting can spoil a well-designed room. However, when done right, this element can make your design pop. Lighting affects the ambiance of your space, so it’s important to choose it carefully.
When choosing your lighting fixtures, consider the type of indoor lighting that you need. For instance, are you looking for ambient, accent, or task lights? The purpose of the room will also dictate which lighting layout to use.
Further, consider the ceiling height when choosing hanging lights. The type of light bulb you use with your lighting is also important if you want to save on energy costs.
Lastly, consider the size of the lighting fixture and ensure it complements the style in your space. Ensure you also layer your lighting to make the entire space interesting.
3. Measure Your Space
Many interior designers swear by the old advice of measure twice, buy once. If you haven’t heard of this mantra, it means that you need to measure your space and consider the scale of the room before you add any furnishings to it.
Taking proper measurements of your room’s width, length, and ceiling height allows you to determine the quantity and size of furniture for the room. It also makes it easy for you to decide on the layout to use for the space.
Another important aspect to measure is the access points in your home, such as the elevators, doorways, corridors, stairways, and hallways. This will help you buy furniture that can fit through the access points. You don’t want to remove a door just because your expensive dining table can’t seem to fit through the doorway.
4. Invest in Items You Love
It doesn’t make sense to decorate your space with pieces that don’t resonate with your sense of style. Choose pieces that make your heart sing and ones that make your house feel like home.
If you’re stuck on which accessories to buy, start by selecting an interior design style as this makes it easier to choose décor items. Different interior design styles are available, including minimalist, chic, industrial, farmhouse, Scandinavian, among others. Each style has its own color palettes, design elements, wall art styles, and even window treatments.
5. Remember Trends Come and Go
Any interior designer will tell you that you shouldn’t focus too much on trends. Instead, focus on buying items you love, and your home will stand the test of time. You should also buy pieces that you intend to own for a long time.
Moreover, when decorating your space, don’t focus too much on the dreamy styles that you see on Pinterest or other social media platforms. Rather, decorate with the actual life in mind. This way, you’ll buy items that are both functional and beautiful.
6. Be Careful With Your Color Choices
A good color choice can make a room stand out. Color also sets the tone of your home and affects your mood. The colors you choose for your space don’t have to match but should complement each other.
When choosing colors, don’t over mix color patterns to prevent them from over-competing. For instance, if you paint your wall a neutral color, add some colorful highlights to create balance.
Other tips that can help you select the perfect color for your space include:
- Start by selecting the color of your furnishings before you select the wall color
- Use a color wheel to help you choose a color scheme
- Test out your wall colors first by painting them on paper or small areas in your room
- Choose your lighting wisely as lighting can affect the color appearance
- Consider the use of the room and the atmosphere you want to create when choosing colors
7. Don’t Put Furniture Against the Wall
Contrary to common belief, putting your furniture against the walls makes your room appear smaller.
If you want your living room to appear bigger, pull the furniture away from the walls. This design tip also creates a sense of balance and further makes the living room more intimate, encouraging conversation.
8. Add Some Greenery
Easy to grow succulents add color to your home. Adding large plants to your interior can also make your space stand out, even when you’re on a budget.
Besides their aesthetic value, plants also have many health benefits as they improve the air quality in your room. Scientific studies have also proven that plants help lower the stress levels of patients who may be depressed.
Plants are also versatile in scale as you can get a small plant to accent your study table or a large one that adds life to your living room.
9. Consider Traffic Flow When Arranging Furniture
When arranging your furniture, ensure there is enough room for people to pass. You shouldn’t have to trip over furniture or zigzag around it to access different parts of the room.
Remember to follow the 3-foot rule when arranging your furnishings. According to the rule, you should leave three feet of walking space around the room. This rule should also apply for furniture with doors and drawers, as you should leave three feet of space for ease of opening them.
10. De-Clutter Then Decorate
Creating a beautiful home doesn’t have to be expensive. Sometimes, simple things like reducing clutter can make all the difference.
If you have piles of stuff in your home that you aren’t using, it’s time you got rid of them. Removing pieces that you don’t need makes your space roomier, calmer, and relaxing.
Besides, after subtracting the unnecessary items, you’ll find it easier to make better decorating decisions. Once you’re done donating or selling items that you don’t need, do a deep clean of your home as you put everything that’s left in its place. From here, you can invest in nicer home décor pieces that will work with what’s left.
Now that you have the basic design tips at your fingertips, go ahead and create your dream home. We’d also love to hear of any additional interior design tips that you think can make a home truly unique in the comments section below.
