How to Decorate Your Home Like a Professional

This post will introduce the basic elements of design and show you how to decorate your home like a professional. Of course, you can always hire a decorater, but if you would like to handle it on your own, these eight steps will help you stay focused and organized.

Steps to Decorate Your Home Like a Professional

1. Determine the mood you would like to have in that particular room. How do you want the room to feel? Remember, a well-decorated room is functional, harmonious, and feels good.
2. Decide on the colors you would like to use in the room. Light colors open up the room and make it feel larger-Dark colors make the room feel smaller and cozier. When selecting colors use the 60-30-10 rule. (60% for the primary color, 30% for your secondary color, and 10% for accents) Warm colors such as red, orange, and yellow are cozy and welcoming. Cool colors like blue, green, and violet are more subtle and sophisticated.
3. Focus your attention on walls, floors, ceilings, and countertops, and decide how these surfaces will work in your space. For walls and ceilings, your choices include wallpaper, moldings, and wainscoting. Paint is a low-cost way to change the look of a room quickly, and it comes in many finishes. There’s Flat/Matte for low traffic areas like bedrooms, living rooms, and dining rooms. Eggshell/Satin is best for medium to high traffic areas like kid’s bedrooms, laundry rooms, family rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms. Semi-Gloss is for trim, moldings, and interior doors. High gloss is for cabinets and main entry doors. For the floor, your choices are wood (Oak-Ash-Hickory-Cherry-Walnut-Maple) tile (Ceramic and Porcelain), stone (suitable for kitchens and baths), and laminate (water resistance quality perfect for kitchens and bathrooms). Other options for flooring are vinyl (low maintenance), cork (renewable tree bark and environmentally friendly), and carpet (short fibers work well in high traffic areas). For countertops, your choices include Stone (Granite, Marble, and Slate), Quartz, Concrete, Recycled Glass, and Laminate.
4. How you would like to store the items in the room? Do you want to use standalone or wall-mounted shelves, tall bookcases, or a horizontal unit? You can also use a combination of storage solutions. Ask yourself if you are more comfortable with having your items exposed, concealed, or a combination of both.
5. Decide on furniture pieces and layout. Position main furnishings (bed/nightstands, sofa/chairs) first, then place other pieces around the room.
6. Keep durability in mind when selecting textiles for upholstery and drapes. Synthetics are more durable, easier to clean, and less expensive. Examples of synthetic fibers are Nylon-wrinkle resistant and will not fade. Polyester is UV resistant and washable. Acrylic is stain-resistant and feels soft. Acetate looks like silk and easily damaged by the sun. Rayon looks like satin and Microfiber imitates suede and is very easy to clean. Natural fibers are more appealing to the touch and more unique. Examples would be Silk, which is good for drapes, but not furniture. Cotton & Linen is common for curtains and upholstery.  Wool is naturally stain-resistant and durable. Leather and Suede are the most durable and gets better with age. Select your upholstery before other fabrics.
7. Evaluate the lighting in the room. Use lighting to create a pleasant mood. Determine if a chandelier, pendant lights, recessed lights, table lamps, or standing lamps will meet your needs.
8. And last but not least, select unique and personal accents to finish off the room. Don’t use too many because then it will become clutter. Accents are wall art, mirrors, plants, books, trays, candles, throws, and pillows.

There You Have It!

You now have access to the same steps that a decorator would follow when they arrive to decorate your home. You are now on your way to creating the house of your dreams!

Did you find these tips helpful? Let me know in the comments below! 🙂

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• How to Arrange Accessories
• Select the Best Colors for Your Room
• Arranging Art on the Walls