Are you looking at before-and-after shots of renovated rooms, thinking what kind of magic do interior designers have that allows them to create such massive changes in a previously bland room? As it turns out, it isn’t magic but some basic rules that can help you transform any space into the space of your dreams. Whether you’re renovating your home from scratch or are looking to make a few small yet impactful changes, these eight expert-approved interior designing rules can prove to be extremely helpful for sprucing up your space!
Add an Element That Steals the Limelight
The very first rule for revamping any space is incorporating an element in the room that steals everyone’s attention, compelling them to look at it many times. Despite what many people assume, that element doesn’t have to be a big centerpiece placed somewhere in the middle of the room. You can choose a radiant abstract art, a furniture accessory with bold colors, an exquisite rug, or even an artful feature wall.
Rather than hurrying through the process, take some time choosing the hero piece. And yes, it should be something you fall in love with at first glance! However, make sure whatever you decide on must have some space to breathe, and it doesn’t overcrowd the room. Moreover, once you integrate that feature into the room, try using hints of the same theme throughout your room to make it all work.
Display Your Art Right
The difficult part isn’t to pick out beautiful paintings for brightening your walls. It’s rather the part where you’re figuring out exactly where to hang that wall art such that it aesthetically revamps the room. The right height can make all the difference as it can help create a sense of harmony throughout the room.
As a general rule, you should remember that your artwork should always be at eye level. From an average person’s perspective, that’s approximately 145 centimeters from the floor to the center of the painting. Many people like to surround their central art piece with smaller paintings, creating a feature wall. If that’s your case, we suggest placing your center artwork onto the wall using this rule. After that, you can hang the rest of the artworks based on the center one, giving at least an inch-or-two difference from all sides.
Don’t Stick with the Same-Shape Items
Have you noticed that most large furniture pieces are based on rectangular and square shapes? For instance, sofas, beds, dressing tables, sideboards, nightstands, and shelving units. This automatically gives your room a two-dimensional outlook, making it look boring after a few minutes of scrutiny.
However, you can make a significant difference by incorporating a few other shapes in the room. For that, you can purchase a round coffee table instead of choosing a rectangular one. You can also make use of a round or oval rug, multi-shape mirrors, a pair of round side tables, pyramid-shaped coffee table accessories – the options are endless!
Mirror on the Wall
Wall mirrors can be a spectacular addition to any room that needs a bit of additional lighting. Most interior designers make it a rule to incorporate a mirror or two for visually expanding the space if it’s an average or small-sized room.
Besides creating light and space, wall mirrors can also work as an excellent attention-grabbing yet practical element. However, we would suggest using the wall mirrors wisely and in a limited measure despite its various perks, as too much of anything is never a good idea.
Balance Your Brights with Neutrals (and Vice Versa)
Bringing some neutrals into the room and leaving some empty space is essential, especially if you’re big on colors. Let’s consider an example where you have several artful spots in the living room, such as bright hanging lights, colorful paintings, flowers, and funky bean bags. In such instances, it can be a great idea to balance the room by white-washing the walls and incorporate flooring using simple, non-patterned tiles.
Similarly, if you have a room based on interior designers like white, gray, and black, it is best to add some shades into the room by placing a couple of radiant flowers into a vase or hanging illuminating abstract arts.
Rugs Make a Mesmerizing Element
Unfortunately, several people don’t have rugs on their list of high-demanding home decor accessories. They would spend so much time, money, and effort to revamp a space without getting the results they desire when all that’s missing is a simple rug (not a wall-to-wall carpet) to anchor the room.
Rugs are great for adding color and soft textures into a room. The best thing about rugs is that they’re relatively inexpensive. Simply put, they can create a strong impact on any room’s look while letting you stay within budget. However, it would be best if you remembered the ultimate interior designing rule when selecting your rug’s size, i.e., leaving around 25 centimeters of visible floor around the rug.
Mix Different Heights
This is one of the best interior designing rules for decorating a room with low ceilings. You can create an illusion of room height to your liking by selecting low-profile furniture like sofas and coffee tables. To boost the effect to the next level, you can invest in tall, slim bookshelves and lamps that draw the audience’s attention upwards. These improvements will make the windows and walls appear taller. Moreover, mixing different heights is important for creating a relaxed yet modern vibe in your home that doesn’t require too much effort.
Layer Your Lighting Sources
Spaces with one type of lighting, like an overhead pendant, can make it look bland and two-dimensional no matter how fancy that light source is. However, multiple different height-and-shape lighting sources can elevate any room’s mood efficiently. You can try this one out by adding floor lamps, small table lamps, and sconces in addition to the overhead light source.
It’s time to put on your creative hat and use these eight interior designing rules to your advantage, creating the home of your dreams!
