I am by no means a professional when it comes to interior design, but it is something that I have always been interested in. I used to spend hours in college looking through Pinterest to build my dream home. Now that my fiance and I have a place to call our own, I have had an amazing opportunity to put my eye for design to good use. I’ve experimented a lot, and these are some tips and tricks that I have identified in my quest to make our house a home.
Keep your base color scheme light and bright
I have found that the best way to create a bright, warm space is to keep my base color scheme light, and accent with bright colors and darker hues. Depending on the overall look that I want for a room, I like for my walls to be a light creamy white, light grey, or a light powder blue. I like to accent with dark wood and black metal pieces, since it offsets the overall brightness of the room nicely. There is always a balance to strike when coordinating light and dark hues in a room. I have found that when a room is dark, it can feel heavy. When the room is too bright, it can feel sterile. This rule of thumb fixes that for me.
Embrace natural light
I love making windows and sources of natural light a focal point of a room. Vitamin D has been proven to reduce sadness and lethargy, so I love to let it flow in. I have found that keeping colors light near sources of natural light adds a sort of reflective quality that ends up adding a light, airy feel to the rest of the room. I’m also a sucker for pretty curtains to add a touch of color or incorporate a fun design element in living rooms and bedrooms.
Keep metal tones consistent
I, like many others, sometimes have conflicting tastes when it comes to design and style. With interior design, I sometimes like a farmhouse look but I’m also drawn to modern and industrial pieces. I have found that to be the case at times with my accent pieces as well. Paying attention to small details like metal tones in your accent pieces, though, can have an amazing impact on the overall feeling of put-togetherness in a room. My rule of thumb is to pair my accent pieces like I would pair my jewelry: yellow gold tones all day, every day.
Add a touch of green to dark or underutilized spaces
I absolutely love the way that plants look when they’re incorporated in design. If a space is feeling a little bit heavy, sterile, or plain, I have found that putting a potted plant (real or fake) does an amazing job of adding a sense of life to the room. Whether you’re into leafy green plants, succulents, cacti, or floral accents, you really can’t go wrong.
Don’t spend too much on trendy pieces
I approach this point like I do when I’m shopping for clothes. If something is super trendy, there’s a good chance that it will be out of style within a year or two. Hyper-trendy design choices can have an effect of stamping a date on a room, and pieces of the past can be hard to move on from when you spent a lot of money on them. I invest my money in staple pieces that coordinate well with one another, and are neutral enough to keep up with ever-changing design trends. For my trendy pieces, I like to pick them up for cheap from places like IKEA, HomeGoods, or Target.
Use empty wall space to your advantage
I have always personally felt that a room is never complete when there’s nothing on the walls. Mounting artwork or structural pieces on the wall is a fun way to incorporate your personality into a space, and it can also work along with other accent pieces to make a room feel less sterile. Hanging mirrors on the wall along with art pieces is also a great way to reflect the brightness of the room and ends up making the space seem bigger. We spend a lot of time looking at walls when you think about it, so I figure that they may as well make us happy!
Choose functional pieces
I am a firm believer in the idea that fashion and function do not have to be mutually exclusive concepts. I am someone who likes a nice, neat space, so I like to find furniture and decorative items that have drawers, compartments, or baskets built in for added storage. Things like blanket ladders, ladder shelves, and coffee tables with built-in hideaway storage are some great pieces that combine stylish and organizational capacities while still allowing you to display accent pieces freely.
Don’t underestimate the power of an area rug
I absolutely love rugs. They’re pieces that add a personal, warm, lived-in touch to any room. If you need to brighten a space, a white fluffy rug will do the trick. On the other end of the spectrum, area rugs can also be a great way to add a fun print or a pop of color to an otherwise plain space. They’re super easy to change out when they get tattered or you’re ready for a change, and they provide the bonus function of protecting your floors from scratches and wear!
Place decorations with symmetry in mind
I have found that attention to detail is key when adding decorative pieces to a space. Similar to the way that consistency in metal tones can make a room look put together, intentional, symmetrical placement of decorations effortlessly adds a finishing touch to a space. I have seen this concept work well in the context of color coordination as well as structural elements, and I have applied it myself with the placement of accent lamps, photos, wall art, and everyday knick-knacks in my home.
Use fun accent lamps and chandeliers instead of artificial overhead lighting
While overhead lights tend to provide more light to a room due to their placement and the number of bulbs involved, I tend to feel that artificial overhead lighting makes any space feel less inviting. (Not to mention that they sometimes make a faint buzzing noise. Does that drive anyone else crazy?!) To combat this issue, I have incorporated accent lamps, floor lamps, and/or chandeliers in my living room, master bedroom, guest bedroom, dining room, and office space, and we barely use the overhead lights in our townhouse as a result. Aside from providing a light source for a room, accent lamps are another great way to add a touch of color or an interesting structural aspect to a space.
So, there you have it! I hope these tips and tricks inspire you, and that your home ends up being a brighter, happier place as a result! Let me know what some of your favorite design tricks are in the comments - I am always looking for new ways to incorporate style and design in my home!
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