Interior designers and decorators have many secrets for making ordinary homes look amazing.
They are able to turn basic beige boxes into show stopping masterpieces.
Here are a few of their secrets that you can use in your own home to make it amazing.
photo courtesy of Brent Eckley flickr.com/photos/96831183@N08/29657742221/
Architecture
Look over the architecture of your home and see what you can do to upgrade it.
Consider painting all of your white doors black to add drama.
Another paint option is color drenching, where you paint your base boards and crown moulding the same color as your walls, but in a slightly more glossy finish.
If budget allows, replace your beige carpet with a wood floor to add warmth and character to your home.
You can also replace your basic fireplace mantel with an antique one.
Shop at architectural salvage stores to find decorative items to add character to your home.
A designer secret for increasing the size of your baseboards or crown moulding is to add another small piece of molding above or below it, allowing a few inches of drywall to show. Paint the new moulding and the drywall in between the same color as your baseboards or crown moulding to give the appearance of much more substantial mouldings.
Paint
If at all possible, avoid light beige or light gray paint.
You can paint your walls using the colors white, charcoal gray, or brown, but light beige and light gray has been overused so much that it should be avoided.
Paint all of your basic boring colored walls a rich color for drama or bright white for a more contemporary aesthetic.
Your ceilings can be painted to add character, which is especially important if you have white ceilings that blend into your crown molding.
A designer secret is to mix a small amount of your wall paint into your plain white ceiling paint to give your ceiling a bit of color that complements the color of your walls.
Texture
Designers know that texture is very important to make a home feel cozy and welcoming.
Use a mixture of textures, such as a soft and fluffy knitted blanket, a rough textured wicker basket, glossy books, reflective mirrors, dull ceramics, velvety curtains, worn hardback books, sleek metals, and fuzzy rugs.
Vintage and Antique
Many people have the exact same artwork, pillows, and other decorative items found at popular retail stores, which is very boring and predictable.
Instead of decorating your home with mass produced items, select vintage and antique items for an amazing looking home.
Antique and vintage items have been around for many years, so you can expect that they are most likely good quality.
Many older items have a bit of wear, which makes your home feel like it has history.
Using a mixture of vintage, contemporary, antique, and modern items together gives a wonderfully amazing contrast and creates a one-of-a-kind space.
Mix Different Styles
Designers know that a home does not have to be decorated exclusively in one particular style.
Mixing styles is much more interesting and shows off the personality of the people living in the home.
Don't be afraid to mix masculine deer taxidermy with a feminine crystal chandelier, elegant furniture with a rustic cow hide rug, or refined velvet curtains with rustic wood candle holders. You can also mix items from different styles or time periods.
Quality
When decorating your home, always get items of high quality for an amazing looking home.
Do not be tempted to purchase lesser quality items just because they are the correct size, colors, or price.
Your home does not need to be 100% decorated the week after you move in.
Consider looking online at places like eBay and Facebook Marketplace for used items of high quality if budget does not allow new.
A designer secret is to have an overall plan for decorating your home, but be patient and save your money to purchase high quality items that you love.
Size
Many people make the mistake of purchasing items that are too small.
When in doubt, decorate your home with items that are slightly larger than average.
One larger item almost always looks better than a collection of smaller items which can make a home feel cluttered and messy.
Lighting
Amazing looking homes have multiple sources of light in each room.
The 4 main types of lighting are ambient, task, accent, and decorative.
Ambient light is generally the overhead light in the center of the room. Many people do not like to use this light at all because it tends to feel rather harsh.
Task lighting is lighting in a particular area as needed, such as under cabinet lighting in a kitchen or a desk lamp.
Accent lighting is used to show off a particular item, such as an art light that illuminates a piece of art.
Decorative lighting is lighting is an art piece, such as a decorative chandelier.
Try to use at least 2 types of lighting per room.
Don't be afraid that you have too much light in a room because you can use dimmer switches to ensure the perfect level of light per activity.
A designer secret for lighting a dining room with a rectangular table is to use more than one chandelier for added drama and light.
