How To Style Your Home Like An Interior Designer?

The services of a professional interior designer to help you achieve a stylish and harmonious look in your home are out of reach for many people. Many people who buy their own homes prefer to be the ones to make aesthetic choices and implement them. While we acknowledge the skill and effort put in by interior designers, we also recognise that many of you would enjoy achieving a designer look without the designer price tag. Following these guidelines for house decor should help you achieve your goal.

Learn the secrets of professional interior design and transform your home into a space you always dreamed of but believed only a professional could achieve. These suggestions are useful whether you're aiming to recreate the opulent atmosphere of a five-star hotel or simply want to spice things up a bit. It's our little secret that you did all the decorating yourself. People's desire for beautiful interior design is why Pinterest has so many active users. Most of us know by now that browsing online home décor resources may light a fire of imagination we didn't know we had. In case you haven't already started doing so, start collecting ideas for your home's design on inspiration boards right away. Get your dream house off the ground by doing this first.

Browse home design ideas on Pinterest, save inspiring pictures from design magazines, or use the "Collect This Idea" feature on MY MOVE to compile your inspiration board. When you've finished collecting photographs of innovative DIY interior design that inspire you, take a step back and evaluate the assortment to get a sense of your own style. Developing an own aesthetic may surprise you.

If you choose a monochromatic colour scheme, such as all white or all grey, texture is just as crucial as colour. At first glance, a space may appear to have a monochromatic colour scheme, but a closer inspection will reveal subtle colour variations and a wealth of fabric and textural variety.

Linen drapes, a plush velvet chair with shimmering silk cushions, rattan chairs with woven baskets, a nubby cotton sofa with a faux fur throw—all of these things can go in a white room. Together, these aesthetically pleasing and texturally varied additions produce an inviting and luxurious ambience. Textures, patterns, and a variety of colours may easily transform a drab space into one that reflects the owner's refined taste.

Think about what kinds of fabrics would work best for your routine. You probably don't want a light cotton sofa if you also have kids and pets, but you might prefer a darker leather or mohair sofa. High-end silk drapes and pillows are a great option if you're looking to splurge. DIY interior design may have a huge impact by just incorporating a wide variety of fabrics into the space.

3 Rules To Follow When Decorating With Your Home Design Style In Mind:

Now that you've taken our quiz and have a good idea of what kind of décor would suit your home, we'll share the three rules you need to know to decorate your place like a pro. You don't have to spend a fortune to make your house look like it was staged by an expert.

Rule #1: Know Your Design Style By Heart.

Let's face it, some interior design styles—hello, Minimalist and Scandinavian—are simple to confuse with one another. How then can you be sure that the design you're emulating accurately represents your own personal taste?

Step 1: Start With A Quiz About Home Aesthetics.

Find out where to begin with this quick and easy What's Your Decorating Style? quiz. It's entertaining because it's short, entirely visual, and easy to digest. Your final, ideal look may differ slightly from your original conception. In addition, it will provide you with the design terminology you need to refine your inquiry. If you're on the hunt for some new wall art for your living room, for instance, you might use the search terms "industrial," "coastal," or "boho" to narrow down your options.

Step 2: Take A Close Look At Your Surroundings.

After you've nailed down your own style, the next essential step is to take a close look at your actual living quarters. Is a complete overhaul planned? Maybe it'll be enough if you simply steal a few of the items to make it look like You put together a good outfit. How happy are you with each room in your house? Does having a lot of windows matter to you in terms of how bright your house feels? Maybe you just need some artificial light?

If you keep an accepting and adaptable attitude, you'll have a much easier time finding the things that make you happy in the long run.

Step 3: Get Inspired.

This is one of the favourite parts of the process. Just chill down and let your imagination run wild for a moment. Pinterest, your favourite home decor magazine, and even a good movie or TV series can all provide ideas for how to spruce up your dwelling.

Consider your surroundings as potential sources of creativity. Looking at pictures of people's actual houses can help you picture how your own house might look with the same kind of plan or design. Gather some inspiration visuals for an interior design project by saving and organising them. When you see a piece of furniture, a piece of artwork, or a fixture that a friend has that you absolutely adore, ask them where they got it.

Rule #2: Follow The Three Cs: Choose, Consider, Curate.

The second cardinal rule of do-it-yourself interior decoration is this: pick your elements with care, think about the specifics of your room, and curate with a view towards creating a positive emotional response in visitors.

Before anything else, choose out furnishings and accents that you can actually imagine yourself (and your loved ones) utilising and loving over the long haul. A home's usefulness and convenience are just as important as its aesthetic appeal in making it a place where its inhabitants can enjoy life.

As a second point, think about how things are lit, how things are measured, etc. You can find literally everything you want to represent your personal aesthetic. The problem is that not everything in the store will work in your house. Pick up paint colours and lights that will reflect the space's natural light, and think about how much of it you get at different times of the day. Measure the space you intend to put furniture in to ensure a proper fit.

Lastly, carefully select only those items that bring you joy to add to your home's decor. We also subscribe to the belief that clutter does nothing to improve anyone's mood. Reduce the number of decorative items in a room to create a bold statement. If you ask us, the best way to avoid having an overly designed environment is to add components gradually, one at a time.

Rule #3: Promise To Stick To Your Budget.

Most do-it-yourself designers will struggle with our final rule. Some people's excitement about planning their ideal home fades when the subject of finances is brought up. But sticking to your financial plan shouldn't be something you dread, and it shouldn't limit your imagination. This is how you can decorate your home the way you've always imagined it without breaking the bank:

Reuse Items You Already Have.

Maybe you already have everything you need. It's time to take stock of your present wardrobe and determine whether or not each piece still complements your desired look and serves its intended function. Do you have any products that totally deviate from the style you're attempting to achieve? Have a garage sale to raise money for a good cause.

Check Out Some Garage Sales Or Second Hand Shops.

You never know what hidden gems you might find among the trash of others. However, these businesses are a mishmash of every design era, making them difficult to focus on. Keep your sights set on the end goal.

Focus On Mixing Rather Than Matching.

Buying expensive items like a new set of furniture all at once may seem like a convenient method to get what you need. But it may end up costing you more in the long run and prevent you from making your place genuinely your own. Mixing and matching pieces, especially furniture, is a must if you want to design like a master. Retain a single statement piece and embellish around it with supplementary pieces.

Try Your Hand At Diy-ing Your Home Pieces.

Various types of industrial and shabby chic decor emphasise aged, well-used furnishings that can be recreated with time and effort. Do-it-yourself projects allow you to express your individuality while making one-of-a-kind decorative elements.

Home Decorating Tips For The Diyer In You

Home stagers are trained to highlight the positive aspects of a property while downplaying or concealing any negatives in order to attract the widest possible audience. Here are some of the best budget-friendly ways to give your home a new look, as recommended by professionals we spoke with around the country.

The Front Door Sets The Tone

Painting the entrance door with a bright, shiny colour is a surefire way to dazzle guests as they arrive at your home. The colour red is considered auspicious in a wide variety of cultures. In colonial America, a church with a red door signalling safety and refuge to weary travellers.

Orange and yellow are also popular colours right now. Both hues connote comfort and happiness, so get rid of that old screen door. You should either get rid of it or instal a storm door that has full-length glass that can be swapped out for a screened panel.

Paint Wall Colours Light And Neutral

When it comes to the ground level, where traffic patterns are most crucial, neutral colours like beige and grey are the way to go. Avoid abrupt changes as much as possible. In addition, you can experiment with different colour schemes simply by changing the accents on a neutral backdrop.

Where to Find More Information on Interior Designing for the Home:

Painting adjoining tiny rooms the same neutral colour makes them seem bigger. For a refined shift in atmosphere from room to room, try shifting up or down a paint strip's shades.

Living Area: Make Sure Your Sofa Talks to Your Chairs

Like in a pleasant hotel lobby, where the seating is placed in clusters to promote informal talk. Try to achieve the same sense of equilibrium and closeness when arranging the furnishings in your living room.

The most comfortable seating arrangements for a group of people to have a conversation are either a U-shaped grouping of a sofa and two chairs with the table in the centre, or an H-shaped grouping of a sofa directly opposite two chairs with the table in the middle.

Avoid the usual mistake of placing every piece of furniture along a wall. The misconception that doing so will make a room appear larger is common, but in actuality, the opposite is true: floating the furniture far away from the walls creates the illusion of a larger space.

Allow The Sunlight To Enter Your Kitchen.

A wall of windows without draperies is preferable to one with heavy, out-of-date ones. As much as possible, window treatments should serve a purpose while still looking beautiful: Consider a combination of sheer and opaque panels for your next outfit.

You should use bright colours that won't fade if the room gets a lot of natural light. Lightweight fabrics that drape beautifully, such as cotton, linen, and silk mixes, are prefered for panels.

Each Room Should Have At Least One Mirror.

When placed strategically, mirrors may reflect and disperse light, making a room appear larger and brighter. The only thing worse than not having one is putting it in the wrong place.

Hang mirrors across from windows on walls that are perpendicular to those windows. The light from a window can be reflected back into a room if a mirror is hung on the exact opposite wall.

Scale Artwork To Your Wall

Tiny pieces of artwork hung at an absurdly high height look out of place. A picture should be hung so that its centre is at around eye level. Calculate an average height by taking into account the shorter of the two individuals.

Consider size as well; a huge wall can accommodate either a single monumental piece or a gallery-style arrangement of multiple smaller works. Don't put too much distance between the photographs; 2 to 4 inches works well.

Layer Your Lighting

There should be three different types of lighting in every room: ambient, task, and accent. Ambient lighting provides general room illumination and is typically found in ceiling fixtures; task lighting is typically located over a work area, such as a kitchen island or a reading nook; and accent lighting is used for decorative purposes, such as to highlight artwork.

Minimum lighting requirements for a living room are 3 watts (42 lumens) per square foot. Simply one optical illusion Swearing with the aid of uplights (breining). Adding an uplight to the ceiling, such as from a canister or a torchiere placed in a corner, can make a space appear more spacious.

Anchor Rugs Under Furniture Feet

To properly care for an area rug, remember the following: As the focal point of the room, a living room rug should be large enough to accommodate all four legs of a sofa and chair set. The sofa and chairs' front two legs, at the very least, should rest on it.

A rug between 8 and 10 feet in length is recommended for even the smallest of living rooms, and a rug between 9 and 12 feet in length is ideal for the most comfortable placement of a seating area in any size living room. Everything will look out of proportion if the rug is too small.

Hire A Professional To Declutter

Long-term residents of a home are less likely to notice the accumulation of clutter as time goes on. There are moments, though, when a new perspective is necessary. Stagers report that bookcases and closets are frequently stuffed with twice as much material as they should hold, so it may be worthwhile to engage an organiser for a few hours at a rate of $35 to $150 per hour, depending on the location.

Advises cutting inventory by half. Then, intersperse decorative objects like bowls or vases, and place horizontal stacks of books throughout the vertical rows.

Use Visual Tricks to Raise The Ceiling

When you have low ceilings, a white paint job can make the area feel more open and spacious. Putting the curtain rods higher than the window sills will make the room seem higher. The normal length of a curtain panel is 84 inches, with some longer options available up to 96 inches. This allows for a maximum of three inches of excess length over the window casing.

You'll need to have bespoke drapes if you wish to raise the rod. Are you a fan of patterned glass? If you want your walls to look longer, try painting them with vertical stripes. You can also achieve this effect by leaning a tall mirror against a wall.

Give Old Finishes The Cinderella Treatment

Do you have old furniture and appliances? You can give them a new lease on life with some paint and a refurbishing kit that won't break the bank. By spraying it with hammered bronze or satin nickel, an old brass chandelier from the 1980s can look like new again.

A fresh coat of white paint and some shiny new knobs can make even the most antiquated kitchen cabinets look like new again. And if you've given up on Formica counters, you'll want to read this. A stone-look countertop coating that may be applied by the homeowner and used to update even the most hideous 1970s counter.

Now all that's left to do is replace any old, broken, or mismatched switch plates or outlet covers with new, uniform ones. A dated, almond-colored switch plate is the quickest way to bring down a newly redecorated room.