5 Decorating Rules I (almost) Never Break

I bet every morning when you get up you brush your teeth, get dressed and eat something for breakfast.  These things are rituals in your life not only because they are necessary but because they make you feel better and set the stage for a productive day.  Just like your daily rituals, there are design rules or rituals that I think are necessary to get the most from your home and your décor.  These are the little things that bring out the best in the features of your home, the flow of your home, the function of your home and the style of your décor.  Whenever I am designing or decorating for clients, I try to always follow these rules, because they work and because the end results are always good!

NEVER GO NAKED! 

With your windows that is!  I am a firm believer that most, if not all windows and the rooms they are in are enhanced by some type of window treatment.  Curtain panels add softness and can enhance the size of a room while valances, blinds or shades can add pattern, color and texture and that finishing touch that a room needs.  Straight curtain panels are my window treatment of choice and hanging them as high as possible is always the way!

for more window treatment ideas, check out my Curtain Call board on Pinterest

TAKE TIME TO REFLECT

And adding mirrors into your design mix is they way to do it.  I’ve said it time and again here on the blog that mirrors are a wonder drug when it comes to decorating.  Mirrors add light, they make small spaces look bigger, they enhance the good things in your décor and take the attention off the bad.  Adding a mirror opposite a window, above a mantle or on the wall across from artwork is a great way to reflect the beauty inside and out.

For these and other decorating ideas using mirrors, take a look at my Mirror, Mirror on the Wall board

ALWAYS PUT YOUR FEET UP

Yes I want you to create a comfortable home where you can put your feet up and relax but I also want you to make sure that the feet (front legs) or your furniture sits on the area rug that you have down.  This simple design principle will make your furniture arrangement feel more unified and connected and the will feel warmer and cozier too!

The Wrong Way…the sofa feels disconnected from the coffee table and the open space creates a visual barrier

The Right Way…

 COLOR INSIDE THE LINES

Just about every bookcase I work with, whether free-standing or built-in gets paint or a decorative treatment on the back wall.  Painting the backs of bookcases is an easy way to add color and drama to a room.  And it’s an inexpensive design treatment that packs a punch.  The rule of thumb I follow when painting bookcases it to paint the back wall only, not the side or the shelf.  The color on the back will draw the eye in and help the decorative elements stand out.

There are so many ways to decorate a bookcase and I’ve got all the inspiration captured on my Bookcase Beauties board on Pinterest!

ENCOURAGE A BREAK-UP

Some things like furniture sets are better alone than part of a group, so when you have the chance break-up the set.  While furniture stores create sets to make it easy for people to envision how the furniture will look in a room, their “set formula” doesn’t allow much room to create a unique personality for a space.  Often times a room decorated with a set of furniture comes off contrived and over powering. When I’m working with a client that is drawn to a set of furniture I focus on the piece (or two) that they like best within the set. Then I pull pieces from other sources and stores to work with those pieces, creating a more personalize look.  For a dining room, the table or the sideboard is usually the key piece to work around.  For a living room or family room, the sofa or coffee table can set the tone for the décor. For the most personality filled space it is also a good idea to break up the finishes that are used within a room.  A room with nothing but dark stained wood pieces will always look dark and heavy.  Try incorporating metal, fabric and painted finishes to change the vibe and lighten things up.

The Wrong Way…not only does the lack of color variation feel stale, but the design detail in the set is over-powering the other elements in the room.

The Right Way…

This bedroom still maintains its traditional style even with the addition of a more contemporary mirrored nightstand and metallic pouf!  These non-traditional elements add interest without disturbing the tone of the room.

 Texture, Variety, Interest

Breaking these rules in not harmful to your health but it can cause a mild case of design style deterioration!

Other Post you might like:

My Ten Commandments of Interior Design

Design Tips to Live By

Space Planning

If you’d like help creating a home you absolutely love, CONTACT ME about my design services!