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Interior design, particularly for a brand new home, can be exhilarating from a creative stand-point. Starting with a blank slate, however, leaves many buyers feeling a bit daunted. As an experienced home builder, Sheffield knows about the latest trends and can help you assess which ones to embrace and which are better left on your Pinterest board.
1. Add color or wallpaper to your walls.
Paint is an inexpensive way to add interest and personality to any room, and can be easily changed down the road as trends and taste evolve. Another option, wallpaper, has made a comeback in recent years and is available in a wide variety of styles, colors, and patterns that look nothing like the ones in your grandmother’s house. Though not as easy to transform down the line, wallpaper can make a powerful design statement in your home–even when used in a small area or on a single wall. Choose wallpaper and paint colors by starting with the fixtures in the room that are most expensive or difficult to change, such as furniture, fabrics, carpet, and tile.
2. Use lighting effectively and add layers of lighting.
Don’t overlook lighting as a key design element. While often an afterthought, lighting can highlight a particular feature in a room, or a piece of art. It can be used to set different moods, and the light fixtures themselves can add beauty and character to a room. Consider all the ways the space is used and incorporate different types of lighting for various activities and effects.
3. Personalize your home with art and decor.
The artwork you choose to hang and display makes your home uniquely yours. Displaying art that means something to you personally, or just captures your spirit, makes your home truly unique and showcases your personality. Whether you collect items from your travels or have treasures that have been passed down through your family, you can’t go wrong incorporating art that speaks to you.
4. Don’t overcrowd a room with furniture or clutter.
While furniture and decorative items set the tone for a room, negative space (areas with nothing in them) is just as important. Learn the value of having some margin in the form of cleared surfaces, allowing your carefully-chosen possessions to shine. Give yourself room to breathe, as well as to maneuver the room comfortably and safely.
5. Place rugs under your furniture.
Arrange your furniture on or around a rug for the greatest impact. If the room and the rug are large enough, place the furniture completely on the rug, but be sure to leave 8 to 12 inches of floor space all the way around the outside. If the room is smaller, consider positioning the furniture around the rug, but touching or close to the rug’s outside edge. Putting just the front legs of the furniture on the rug can also create a well-defined space.
6. Learn how to hang art properly.
The mid-line of artwork on the walls should be roughly at eye level, 57 to 60 inches from the floor. Even in a room with cathedral ceilings, this keeps the art at “human scale” and makes the room more comfortable.
7. Don’t be afraid to add color.
The right splash of color adds interest and personality and can tie the whole room together. Experiment with a bold color on a wall, in accessories, or on furniture. Throw pillows on a sofa are a straightforward and non-permanent way of adding color and texture to a room, with the added bonus that they are easily switched out as season, style, or tastes change.
8. Create a focal point.
Some rooms have a natural focal point, such as a fireplace or a large window, but one can also be created with decor. The focal point creates harmony and gives the room a sense of organization. Decide what the focus of the room is and arrange the rest of the room around that.
9. Offset boring with contrast.
Create contrast by varying the size, shape or color of objects in the room. Add a mix of lines (geometric and organic), textures, and tones (light and dark). Mix in patterns of varying scales, as well.
10. If you haven’t changed anything in years, shake it up a bit.
This can be as simple as moving things around and adding new accessories. Shop in your home before heading to HomeGoods; find items that have been in one room and move them to another location. Don’t assume that because a piece of art or furniture has been in one place for years that it would wouldn’t work equally as well or better in another location in your home. Switching things up can give a room new life and energy!
