11 Home Decor Tips You Need to Know

There, of course, is nuance when it comes to decorating your home. Everyone likes different things, everyone has a different style, and the way we decorate our homes is truly an extension of who we are as people. With that being said, there are some decor "rules" you may want to consider when starting the decorating process.

There is certainly something to the energy of a room, and how it feels when you're in it. Your brain can pick up on if something is too cluttered, out of place or a bit too chaotic, whether you consciously realize it or not. You can read more about that here.

Today we're going to dive in to the "rules" we try to follow when we're working with our clients. It always helps to create a more inviting, aesthetically pleasing and cozy environment.

1 - Lighting

Lighting can completely make or break a room. You always want to make sure you "layer" lighting. What do we mean by this? Of course you always want to make sure you're getting as much natural light as possible. When adding lighting to the space, you want overhead lights, lights on shelving, lights (or lamps) on side tables, floor lamps, under cabinet lighting, even lights on stairs or close to the floor can be a really nice touch. Simply having just the big overhead lights isn't always the best idea if you're going for ambiance and a cozy feeling. Those lights can actually take away from those feelings. The layered lighting adds texture and depth to a room. Plus, it's a great and easy way to create an aesthetically pleasing ambiance and gives you the ability to change the look of the room depending on which lights you choose to have on at certain times throughout the day. Layered lighting is also beneficial for functionality.

2 - Art

When it comes to art pieces that are being hung on your walls, always, always splurge on pieces that will be in the main area of your home, or in the spaces that have high traffic, or places that you love the most. Art pieces can either play up the space or take away from them. But the most important part here is that you hang them correctly. They need to be level, especially if you're hanging a 2 or 3-piece art piece. Rule of thumb, the center of your picture should be between 56 and 59in from the floor. Hanging a picture too low or too high can throw off the entire look of the room.

3 - Electronics

Never, ever, keep electronics in your bedroom. We know it can be super tempting to hang a tv at the foot of your bed to snuggle up and watch your favorite shows before you fall asleep, but there are reasons why this is a big no-no. Not only is it not super aesthetically pleasing to have a big black box hanging on the wall, but it's also a huge health hazard. Electronics emit electromagnetic frequencies that can actually inhibit your ability to sleep. Get all of your electronics out of the bedroom and watch your sleep get better!

4 - Curtains

Curtains add such a wonderful coziness to a space. We recommend layering, meaning having a blind or shade to actually cover the windows when you'd like them covered, and then layering curtains over top of those. It gives the room a cozy feel while also playing into the aesthetic. When hanging curtains, make sure you're hanging them all the way to the ceiling, or up to the crown moulding if you have that in said room. This helps to make the room and the window look larger and feel bigger. It's especially important in a small space. As for the bottom of the curtains, they must come to the floor. You want them to just barely kiss the floor. Pooling is an option, but not one we really prefer. Short curtains tend to make your room look small.

5 - Colors

Choosing colors for your rooms can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. If you want an airy, open space you'll want to choose light and simple colors. If you want a dramatic, intense space you'll want to choose dark and fierce colors. There is something called the "3 color rule" when designing a room. 60% of the room should be the main color you choose, 30% of the room should be a secondary color of your choice, and 10% of the room should be the accent color. If you follow this rule, your room will look fabulous regardless of if you go light or dark!

6 - Decor

When choosing decor for your home, the one thing that matters the most is that you love it. Don't choose items just because they match, you think they'll look good, or they "go" with the other items in the space. You want your space to be inspiring to you. Once you do find the decor you love, you'll typically want to follow the rule of "3's". It is much more pleasing to the eye when decor is grouped in odd numbers. 3 is a good place to start, but you can also decorate with other odd numbers like 1 or 5. It is not a hard and fast rule, and there are occasions where you can decorate in even numbers. However, odd tends to look better. Whether you consciously notice it or not, your brain will notice if things are not grouped well and it tends to make the room feel "off" or out of balance.

Tip #7 - Rugs

A rug is the piece that pulls the entire room together. It's like a piece of art that is placed on the floor, so it is important. The type of rug you choose depends on the room you're decorating. There is, however, one rule you want to make absolute sure you follow. The rug MUST be big enough. If you buy a rug that is too small for the space it can appear as though the furniture is falling off of it, or that the furniture is too big for the space. For a living room, you want to make sure there is about a foot of space around the edges of the rug. For a dining room, you want to make sure you can pull the chairs out from the table and all four legs of the chair still remain on the rug.

Tip #8 - Textures

Mixing and matching textures can bring so much visual depth to a room. You can also use textures to create "visual weight". Meaning, if there is a piece of furniture, or a space in the room you want to draw attention to, you can use textures to draw the eye to it. Using different textures can also help to create illusions (make things look different than the actually are) and it can bring a different level of interest to a space. For example, when you place a mirror on the other side of the room, across from a window, it can make the space look bigger. While also creating the illusion of another window on that side of the room. Or if you layer a fuzzy rug over a regular rug next to the couch, it can bring a warmth and coziness to the space. Things like this can make a big difference for the overall aesthetic of your room.

Tip #9 - White Space

Utilize white space!! You do not need to hang a picture on every square inch of every wall in your room. Rule of thumb is to pick two walls to hang artwork on. This helps to ensure there is equal distribution of your design elements while also incorporating empty spaces. It creates a balancing act and, as you know, the brain loves balance! Not allowing a room to have white space can make the room feel a bit overwhelming and chaotic.

Tip #10 - Plants

Whether real or fake, plants add a beautifully natural element to a space. Real plants have so many added health benefits. They have been proven to boost your mood, filter the air, help with creativity and concentration, reduce noise levels and release oxygen. They truly add life to the space you're in. But if real plants aren't your thing, you can always choose artificial plants. Back in the day, artificial plants weren't the prettiest, but these days companies do a GREAT job with making artificial plants look real. There is also the option of preserved plants. No water needed but are still "real" nonethless. Plants just adds such a nice earthy element and really warms up a room.

Tip #11 - Hardware

If you're going to splurge anywhere, splurge here. Hardware can make ALL the difference. Whether it's kitchen cabinets, an old cabinet you had just refinished, or a storage cabinet you just bought from IKEA- get nice hardware! It truly can transform the look of the entire room. Splurging on small items like hardware is usually the final piece to complete the room. It tends to be "jewelry" for the room. Remember, the eye notices the small details we may not be consciously paying attention to.

Choose What You Love

Ultimately, the goal here is to find the things you love and create a space you love with them. If you do that, and follow along with these few rules, you'll create a beautiful space that you enjoy and that is pleasing not only to the eye, but to the brain as well. These things really do matter. Whether you're consciously aware of how you feel when you're in a space, it does affect you.

We hope these tips helped! As always, we're available if you feel overwhelmed, want a room transformed, or just have some questions. Reach out! Otherwise, we're grateful you're here and look forward to hearing how your rooms turn out! Happy decorating!