5 Home Decor Tips that Will Instantly Improve ANY Space

If you’ve been wondering, no, there isn’t a secret handbook that is passed around to interior designers when they join the cult. (ha-ha, because it all seems like magic, how they do it right?). There are no hard and fast rules in design of any kind, it’s simply about sticking to certain basic principles and then exploring different styles according to the designer’s intuition. Some of these basic principles are the subject of discussion today, and the good news is that you don’t have to go to any school to learn them!

1. Your paint color comes last

Forget about selecting a paint color before moving in, so that you can come into an already painted house. Sure, it’s more convenient, but it’s a bad idea unless you know exactly what you’re going for. There are literally thousands of shades, textures and finishes you can get with your paintjob. In addition, the source and direction of light could make a shade that looked awesome in your old house un ideal for your new home. You want to ensure that the color you choose fits into the scheme of your furniture, upholstery and drapery perfectly, and the best way to know this is to place the stuff in the home first.

2. Do not overcrowd your spaces

Resist overcrowding a room. This is especially true if you’re moving to a smaller home than the one you previously had and if you are working with tight budget. Nobody said you have to fit all your old stuff into your new place, and living comfortably means being able to move around the house without knocking your pinkie toe into furniture all the time. If you’re getting furniture for the first time, invest in a few high-quality pieces instead of stuffing everything from the flea-market and your relatives into the space. If you’re moving to a smaller house, put some of the stuff in storage or post online on sites like EBay to make some money out of it.

3. Hang your art correctly

The average eye-level is 57-60 inches off the ground, which is why many galleries and museums hang their display pieces from this height. Even if you moved into residential properties with a high ceiling, relate the hanging height to the human scale, rather than the structure’s scale. If creating a cascading display across a wall, work it such that the pieces stand around this height.

4. Arranging furniture with a rug

You have three choices when arranging furniture on a rug:

· All on – when the rug is large enough to hold all furniture legs on it. This is a better idea if you have large rugs. Ideal rug placement is to have 12-18 inches of empty floor space around the rug

· All off – this is ideal if you have smaller rooms, but you should choose the size of rug carefully: too small and you have it getting lost under the furniture. This is best used if you’re laying a patterned rug over a much bigger textured or solid rug

· Front on – this places just he front legs of your seating furniture on the rug and it ties the arrangement together. It is also ideal for smaller rooms to create a well-defined space and create a feeling of openness in the space.

5. Keep themes to a minimum

Themes can form great foundations on which to base your creative ideas, but do it too much and you have tacky instead of elegant. Instead, use the theme to dictate where and what your focal point will be and then choose a few elements to complement the focal piece. Don’t have too many attention-grabbing pieces, or you’ll make the space look overdone.

6. Add layers of lighting

In kitchen area, the backsplash is lit, the artwork is highlighted and the cabinet interiors are filled with light. One central lighting fixture would not have had nearly the same dramatic result.