Five Interior Design Secrets Shared!
“Want to know the secrets to decorating like an interior designer? I have a group of favorite rules that I use on every project know matter what the style. Whether you’re wondering how to pick your colors, to use your old accents or not, where to find amazing collectible items, here’s the insider scoop.”
1. Paint Comes Near Last– It is natural for one to want to run to the paint store right off the bat as soon as a project begins, but wait! You should always start with your largest items in the room first. Find those items, design your sofas and chairs and then match your paint. The right tones and perfect hues will be easiest for you to spot.
Color and Material Board for Manhattan Beach Home. Fabrics were selected first and paint was chosen to enhance the main materials in the room.
2. Less is Always More– Yes this is pretty much true for most things in life and it also applies to decorating. So don’t fill your bookshelves and other horizontal surfaces with knickknacks and pictures. Try analyzing your collectibles for just the favorites. Which items can be used together to create a theme? Display the objects together with ample space between so that the eye has a resting place before exploring the next item on the shelf. This goes for pillows, throws, books, magazines etc. Try grouping these items together and keep them neat so that they are seen, but do not block the eye from moving onto the next pretty item.
Three gold canisters on a black Paperstone counter with a white cabinet background makes for a beautiful accent which shows off the eclectic taste of the home owner.
3. Use Your Wall Space to Display High Impact Art & Accessories — Don’t be afraid to use your wall space to hang beautiful art, sculpture or found items in groups on walls. Contrary to belief, hanging art and pictures on walls will make the room feel larger by drawing the eye into the art. Without art, the walls will appear to move toward you, making the room feel smaller. In most homes, I also suggest curating the wall accents to the height of, or centered in doorway and window areas so that the eye is drawn upward to maximize the height of ceilings.
Pop culture art grouping creates a high impact display against a simple backdrop of concrete and neutral paint. Building was designed and built by Space Case Design.
4. Contrasting Choices Are Best for a Happy and Homey Space —And, I’m not just speaking of color. In the most visually stimulating rooms, you will notice that there is most always a use of contrasting elements. For example, in the living room, if you have chosen a soft canvas, cotton or linen sofa, it would be best shown off by a beautiful textured rug beneath. If you have decided on a rough and earthy stone to work with on the fireplace or kitchen backsplash, try setting that stone against a softer and more refined backdrop or surround. And, feel free to play with materials in the kitchen and in bathrooms. Counters are not always best when matching. Often contrast counters will add space to the room and direct the eye to objects in the distance–creating the illusion of extra space. Rather than use the same cabinet color as you have in the rest of your kitchen, choose a complementary color for the cabinets on the island.
Soft blue on island defines the sitting area of this Manhattan Beach kitchen so that the eye can see the functional kitchen area in background creating an illusion of depth of space.
5. Use Pattens and Flowers Sparingly– I am in no way saying not to use pattern and flowers–they are often used in the very best designs! However, in order to create the correct impact with these visual tools, they should be used sparingly and in combination with other textures and soft solids.
Floral pillow on sofa is set in a scene with tone-on-tone patterned satin pillows. The linen sofa is the perfect soft tone and texture for these pillows to sit in.
What do you think of my five interior design secrets shared? Do you have examples in your own home where you have successfully followed these ideas? Please share–I would love to hear from you.