One of the best parts of being a homeowner is being able to make your place reflect your own personal style and personality. From finding the right paint colors for your rooms to picking out furniture that will serve as a comfortable place to sit and entertain while looking stylish, there’s a lot to consider when decorating your home. Before you get started, here are a few tips that may help you during the decorating process.
Consider Patterns
There are some instances when mixing patterns can give your room a quaint yet put together look. However, if you aren’t careful, piecing too many patterns together into one room can make it look disjointed and even be stress inducing for people since there won’t be a place for them to rest their eyes. Unless you have extensive experience mixing and matching patterns, you should steer clear of trying this.
Mixing Materials
While it isn’t always a good idea to mix patterns into your decor, mixing up materials can be a safe alternative. In the past, people kept wood, steel, and furs separate for fear of causing confusion. However, it’s becoming more accepted and is actually trendy to casually throw a fur rug on a wooden floor then putting a metal table on top of it. This style, called hygge, comes from the Danish and embraces the idea of making your home into a cozy gathering place for family and friends.
Layer Lighting
Gone are the days of rooms having one overhead light that you operate from a switch plate. Now, people are taking advantage of multiple types of lighting in a room to create a relaxing atmosphere and even mimic natural daylight. Try adding a couple floor and table lamps to your room to create multiple levels of lighting. Having alternative lighting sources can also produce lighting that not as harsh on the eyes as traditional overhead lighting.
Manipulate Mirrors
Did you know that hanging mirrors in small rooms can trick the eye by making the room look bigger? If you have a small room take advantage of mirrors to give your room a larger, airy look. When placed strategically, mirrors can also be a focal point for sunlight to bounce off of, which spreads natural light throughout the room.
Understand Your Artwork
One of the best home decorating tips & ideas homeowners should heed is how to hang their artwork. Often, you’ll see people’s walls crammed with too many photos are pieces of artwork that aren’t the right scale for the size of the wall. People often think that hanging large artwork will make their home look gaudy, but it actually creates a focal point for your room and makes your walls look less cluttered than hanging multiple pieces. When hanging your artwork, make sure it meets at eye level and isn’t being hung too high.
Cut Clutter
Having too many knickknacks around your home can give your space a cluttered look. While it may be tempting to display all your favorite pieces, instead opt to put out a few of your most interesting decorations and store the rest. Every few months, rotate your pieces to keep your home interesting.
Buy Window Dressings
Having the right curtains or drapes for your windows can make a big difference in how your home looks. If you buy the wrong size, for example, it can make your windows look smaller. Many people hang their curtains tight to their windows, which is a major decorating faux pas. Give your windows room to breathe by purchasing curtains that are slightly taller and wider than your windows. Then, hang them above your window rather than right on top of them to create the illusion that your windows are bigger. This opens up your room and naturally draws the eye upward, which also makes your room seem larger as well.