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A lot of you sent me emails and told me how much you enjoyed the post 32 Fashion Tips That Never Go Out of Style so I thought I’d bring you another installation, this time all about Interior Design.
When it comes to design, there are so many ‘design rules’ out there and if you try to follow them all, decorating your home can become more challenging than you imagine. But it you take the time to understand and follow a few tried-and-true principles of design, decorating can be fun and inspiring.
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- Take the time to define you design style. Pull photos from magazines of rooms and design details you like and take the time to analyze what it is the draws you to the space. Understanding what you like in design will make the process of decorating easier.
- Take the time to plan out your furniture layout on paper. This step will give you an idea of how a room can layout before you start moving pieces around and help you maximize the space within a room. When planning a furniture arrangement, take into account the architectural details of a room and where you want the create a focal point within the room.
- Find a jumping off point for the colors and patterns you plan to use in a room. A statement piece like an area rug or piece of artwork can set the tone for a room and help you determine the accent colors to use.
- Paint is the easiest and most cost-effective way to change the look and feel of a room. Select paint colors that help to create the mood and atmosphere you want in a room and don’t forget that a painted ceiling can make a small room feel larger and more open.
- Use a combination of pattern styles to create visual interest within a room. A good mix includes a large-scale pattern, a plaid or check, a stripe and a geometric. As long as a single color or tone of color is repeated within each pattern the mix will work together.
- A neutral or solid colored sofa can be the best foundation for a room and will allow you to easily introduce other colors and patterns within a space. When selecting a sofa color, take in to consideration the lifestyle of your family and how you live in each room.
- Use accessories to add the personality to a space. Display your favorite collections, book and photos to make your home feel relaxed and personal.
- Organization is key to good design. Keep clutter under control and use decorative elements like baskets and bins for stylish storage.
via Oprah
- Avoid using small-scale furniture in a small room. Using larger pieces in a small room will actually make the space appear and feel larger than it is. Scale is important in every room.
- Layer your lighting in every room. Table lamps provide direct lighting for things like reading while over-head lighting can provide mood lighting. A combination of lighting styles will allow a room to function well and look great too.
- Greenery adds a sense of life and energy to a room.
- Hanging artwork at the right level and make a room feel right. In most cases, when hanging a piece of art, the center or the artwork should be at or slightly above eye level–57″ to 60″ from the floor.
- Position furniture so that the front legs sit on the rug. Put just the front feet of all your seating pieces on the rug to tie the arrangement together visually and create a well-defined space while lending a feeling of openness.
- Consider the sight-lines of a room and create your focal point with that in mind. In most rooms the focal point is directly across from the entrance of the room and is where a key piece of artwork or a statement piece of furniture should be placed.
- Vary the scale and proportion of the furniture and accessories used within a room to give the space depth and dimension.
- Always, always, always hang curtains as high as possible in a room to make the room feel taller and more open. If your room has crown molding hang the curtain rod under the molding. If there is no molding, then hang the rod a few inches below the ceiling line.
- Curtains are most attractive when they skim the floor and don’t puddle.
- Always add a touch of black to a room to help ground it and something that shines to give it a visual highlight.
- Decorate in the colors you love to wear as these are most often the colors that make you feel good. If a color is too bold for a piece of furniture, add it via a decorative accessory or pillow.
Jeffery Alan Marks via Pottery Barn
- You can never go wrong with a touch of animal print in a room. Animal prints are classic, timeless and can work with any decor style to infuse a bit of personality within a room.
- When it comes to rugs, the bigger the better. Nothing makes a room feel out of sorts like an undersized rug. When placing an area rug in a room, make sure to leave a least 12″ of floor exposed around the edges.
- Create a good flow within a space by making sure there is ample room to move around and within it. Have at least 15″ between the sofa and coffee table and 30″ of open space within walkways.
- Details make design! Pay attention to little things like the finishes on accessories and hardware, the trim on upholstery and the design of expose furniture legs and table tops.
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- Make sure you have at least 3′ of rug extending beyond the edge of your dining table so that the chairs will always be on the rug.
- Avoid arranging furniture along the walls of room. Pull furniture into the room to create a space that feels intimate and engaging.
- Books are a great home decor accessory. Use books to add structure and dimension to tabletop vignettes and to help give bookcases a true sense of style.
- Every room should have a ‘moment’. That moment could be a grouping of unique vintage accessories, a lush throw blanket or a statement chair–something that creates a memory for that room.
- If you don’t love it, don’t decorate with it. Life is too short to surround yourself with things that don’t bring you joy!
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Happy Decorating!
