Surely you’ve read plenty of magazine articles featuring tips for home decorating that suddenly weren’t still in style a couple of years later. While styles come and go and decades are marked by shag carpeting, wicker furniture, floral wallpaper or lava lamps, there are certain things that will remain true when it comes to interior decorating. Here are ten timeless tips for home decorating:
Hang curtain rods higher and wider than the windows
This is a go-to trick for making windows seem larger, which in turn makes a room also feel larger and brighter. Just mount the curtain rod four to six inches above the window frame and four to six inches to the side of the window frame. Voila!
Use the “Rule of Three” when placing decorative objects
Symmetry is good in certain situations, but when it comes to knick-knacks on your mantle, coffee table or nightstand, stick with odd numbers…and varying heights! So, if you have a tall object and a short object on the left side of your mantle, place a medium-height object on the right side of your mantle.
Anchor rooms with rugs
While open concept floor plans are all the rage for the spacious, open feeling they provide, it’s easy for spaces to blend together and for the space to look empty and uninteresting. Separate the rooms (and give the space some warmth) by placing rugs in the respective “rooms”. Stick one under the couch and coffee table, or one under the dining room table to anchor the space.
Move dish soap and hand soap into glass dispensers
It sounds crazy, but it’s amazing what a difference it can make when you don’t have brand name soaps sitting out on your counter tops. A simple fix makes the space look so much more put together.
Use fresh flowers
Fresh flowers can really add life and a pop of color to a room, not to mention some fresh fragrance. Place a bouquet on your dining room table or coffee table to bring the room to life.
Fill empty corners with houseplants
While less is more when it comes to decorations, an easy way to fill a space is with a good ole houseplant. Not only does it add character to a room, but is also great for increasing air quality and moisture – bonus!
Hang mirrors to make the room feel larger and brighter
Add a mirror to any space that you’d like to feel larger. Mirrors are a great way to create a focal point in any room, while simultaneously doubling the space, reflecting light, and serving as art in a minimalistic way.
Paint small rooms in light colors
Smaller rooms have a tendency of feeling cramped, but light colored walls give the illusion of more space, while darker colored walls can make a room feel boxed in. This, in combination with natural light a mirror or two, will make the room feel twice as big!
Mix textures
You know when you look at a room and can recognize that it’s decorated beautifully, but can’t quite put your finger on what made it that way? Often times, it’s the variety of textures. Decorate with a wicker basket, a glass vase, a fuzzy blanket, a wooden clock, a metallic lamp…it’s the variety that really makes a room come together!
Get creative with lighting
Light fixtures are a fairly cheap thing to switch out and change up a room. Whether it’s unique pendant lights above a kitchen island or dining room table, or a fun floor lamp or end table lamp, lighting is an easy way to modernize an outdated space.
So there you have it! Updating a room to be a space you want to spend time in doesn’t have to break the bank or involve gutting your entire home. Good luck!