Design choices can be so overwhelming that having a basic list of the things a room needs is a great place to start. I've compiled these tips to help guide you in making home decorating decisions for just about any room.
One of my most favourite things about decorating or creating, in general, is that you can make something your own. I love to learn the rules and then love breaking them to suit my own personal style. So I encourage you to do the same, work with them and if you're just not feeling it then challenge those rules!
Many people have a difficult time selecting artwork. I usually base my choices on:
An old interior design theory is that every wall should have something on it (terrible for minimalists!) however personally I don't find that necessary.
Gallery walls have been very popular in recent times although there has been a shift to larger single pieces lately. Oversized artworks look amazing and on their own are a real statement piece. I prefer to keep family photographs to a minimum in bedrooms but pics of you and your partner can work well especially if you're going for a romantic vibe. Mirrors and shelving are also great options to use as wall decor.
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Anybody else notice how many people on Instagram have floor rugs in their bathrooms? Not daggy nana bath mats… actual living room rugs. I love seeing unexpected items in a room so at the moment I'm challenging myself to put a rug in the strangest location I can think of!
Don't have a large room? The floor rug doesn't have to be large, place a cute circular rug under an armchair or a narrow runner across a door or windows.
When selecting a rug consider:
This does seem a little obvious right? But I mean actually consider the lighting – what do you do in the room and what areas of the room will you need to light up over others?
I always try to incorporate at least one lamp in basically every room. Or in the case of bathrooms or even laundries, practical task lighting combined with a lovely pendant. With the exception of a toilet, it's uncommon for a room to require only one light source.
The main forms of lighting include:
Whilst the colour palette isn't a decor item (as with the aforementioned), it's still a very important aspect of every room. The topic alone could be written about for days.
Word of warning though, professionals will advise – don't get too caught up in the exact colour of paint straight away. With all of the possible mixes available it's so much easier to match a paint colour to a floor rug, piece of art or another statement piece in your room than having to match your decorator accents to your walls. So have an idea but find those other items first.
I know you're totally gorgeous and all but… no, your neighbours don't want to see what you're doing every minute of every day!
In terms of practicality window coverings can offer the following:
Curtains and some blinds will soften the room and are a great way to bring in texture (see Tip #6 below)
The placement of your curtains can also have an effect on the overall appearance of the room. A well known visual trick is to hang curtains higher above the window to give the appearance of a taller ceiling height (vertical). Stretching curtains beyond the window either side helps give the appearance of a wider room (horizontal).
Texture is one of those little secrets that helps to make a room feel complete. Even when you remove the colour from a room, a successful neutral room is so because of layers of texture. The key is to find a balanced mix of multiple texture types.
To get you thinking about where to find texture, here are a few suggestions:
Now you're thinking, ways in which you can incorporate texture include via:
Yeah! Who doesn't love an unexpected bonus?! This article covers physical items such as furniture and decorator accents. But a truly successful room has something only you got girlfriend…
I touched on this a little at the beginning of the article. A room will not pull together unless it has the owner's personality injected into it. I mean… display homes and hotels are nice but spend a little time in them and they're just not home are they?
It could be something such as a couple of family photo frames, art, something historic, a momento or curio of sentimental value. Often these pieces can be a great source of inspiration for decorating the room in the first place.
Personal items look really good when placed in vignettes. What are vignettes you ask? They're small displays of items you often see in places such as table tops, buffets and bookshelves. Whenever creating a vignette arrangement I always like to include accessories of various heights and some sort of plant or flower.
I would love to add a bunch more things that can really help to pull a room together. However, the aim of this post is to stick to the basics by providing some general home decorating tips.
You can check out the extended version, which details Secrets to Styling a Cosy Home Interior. It'll expand on what we spoke about today and have some additional tips on decorating.
Until then, what is the most important aspect of decorating a room to you? Listed here or otherwise?
Secrets to Styling a Cosy Home Interior
4 Instant Room Makeover Ideas
Choose an Interior Colour Scheme Like a Boss