Tricks Professional Designers Use at Home
We can’t all be professional interior designers, but there are a few tricks that you can use to make your home seem like it always has that designer touch. We’ve picked some of the best tricks that real designers use to make their clients’ - and their own - homes look great! Just follow this advice, and you’ll be ready to impress all of your guests.
Layering
This is such a subtle tactic, but it makes a really big difference in how the home looks. Try to layer different types of textures. For instance, incorporate different types of textures in the furniture in the living room. If you have a leather sofa, pair with some textured pillows or a fuzzy blanket draped over the back.
You can also layer different types of textures on the walls. Tile backsplashes in the kitchen are popular because they add some texture to the walls. You could also have tiled walls in the bathrooms. Texture on the walls can also come from the artwork you choose. Look for three-dimensional artwork and/or oil paintings that show clear brush strokes.
Proportioned Palettes
The average person doesn’t always realize that there are actually rules when selecting a colour palette. Things will look best if you choose three colours, and use them in a 60-30-10 proportion, meaning that one colour - typically the one on the walls - makes up about 60 percent of the room, while the others make up 30 and 10 percent respectively.
There are different ways to choose colours, though. With a monochromatic theme, you would pick different shades of the same colours. You can also use colours at the opposite ends of the colour wheel for a nice contrast. The Spruce goes over some of the basics.
Consistency
Consistency is what separates a professionally designed home from one that’s put together haphazardly. This consistency is especially important when it comes to open-concept living areas, where you want everything to flow seamlessly. It’s easy to think about this in terms of colour but also consider it in terms of decor style. For instance, you wouldn’t want to have a traditional look in one room and a shabby chic look to another room. It clashes.
The one exception to this is with bedrooms, especially kids bedrooms. You want to give them the opportunity to design a room in a way that makes them happy. They shouldn’t have to conform to your preferred style.
Safe Choices
You might think that professional designers tend to go for the more bold looks, but this isn’t always the case. Designers know what a time-consuming and expensive ordeal it is to change up the look of a room, so they don't always create a design that’s incredibly unique.
Instead, it’s smart to stick with timeless and neutral choices for major things, especially the paint colour on the walls and the design of the kitchen cabinets. With a neutral background, it’s easy to change the look of the room with new art, furniture, or accessories. This allows you to have a dash of daring without a lot of extra work to change out the look.
Quality Furniture
You’re not likely to find pieces from the discount store in a professional designer’s home. They look for quality, whether that’s something from an antique shop or something that’s just from a high-end furniture store.
That can feel overwhelming to the average person.
You may not have tens of thousands of dollars to spend on decorating the interior of your home, especially if you just bought it. However, it’s smart to make a commitment to buy one or two high-quality pieces each year. Over time, you’ll start to build a nice collection.
Odd Numbers
When grouping small items to decorate (e.g. items on the mantel or small framed pictures on the wall), it’s best to create groups of odd numbers. Arranging three or five items rather than four or six creates more visual interest in the space. It goes against the instinct to create symmetry but will give your home a certain something.
You don’t have to be a professional designer to have a home that looks great. When you buy a home with Broadview, you get the advantage of having a designer help you get started with some of the basics, but our suggestions will help you choose the right furniture and accessories for each of your rooms. You can develop a better sense of what types of decorating styles you like by paying attention to home decor magazines or visual sites like Pinterest. When you do this, you’ll always be happy with how your home looks.
