Here are expert tips for decorating your home to help you decorate with ease. These practical, easy-to-implement decorating ideas will breathe new life into your living space.
I spend far too many hours daydreaming about decorating my home without the limits of time and budget. If you share my passion for interior design, you probably also have a home decorating wish list!
But even if you have an open checkbook, there are factors to consider and wise design rules to follow when decorating your home.
Factors to consider when decorating your home are your budget, creativity and taste, the home’s size, and preferred color palette. Top decorating tips are to update walls with paint and combine old, new, expensive, and budget decor for a unique style. Plants are a lovely addition to any room.
I almost envy people starting out in their first home: the excitement of painting, papering, and feathering your new nest. Still, home decorating is an ongoing joy as your family moves from season to season.
Let’s look at the best decorating tips interior designers recommend to keep your home looking gorgeous and welcoming.
7 Expert Decorating Tips for the Home
#1. Begin With a Budget
Yes, I know this isn’t the most inspiring advice, but overspending on home decor isn’t a good start. Decide how much you want to spend, which rooms to prioritize, and what to buy. Stick to one room at a time rather than having your home in total upheaval.
Also, don’t feel pressured to buy everything all at once. Once you’ve planned what you need (see the top tip below), take your time to find the perfect piece. There is absolutely nothing wrong with borrowing from friends or family or using affordable “temporary” items while you save.
Vintage, thrifted, or pre-loved furniture is an excellent option for the pocket and the environment. Make sustainable choices by upcycling – it’s an addictive hobby.
(Check out this post to learn the various affordable ways to make your home look luxurious).
#2. Be Confident in Your Creativity
Your home is your sanctuary, so follow your decorating instincts and create a space that makes you happy. If your priority is to have a quiet bolthole, indulge in a coastal Grandma vibe, with lots of cozy throws and a big blue sofa.
If you love hosting friends, focus on creating an entertainment area and save money on the other rooms.
What if you don’t know anything about interior design and have no idea of what you like? This is still no reason to slavishly follow trends. Begin by creating a mood board of fabric swatches, colors, furniture adverts, and pictures that you love.
Look beyond social media: be inspired by a postcard from a museum or the colors of fall leaves. You’ll soon discern common threads and get, if not a vision, at least an idea of what resonates and what brands and styles you gravitate towards.
#3. Create a Floor Plan
Avoid potentially costly errors by planning and measuring the shape and size of the rooms you are decorating. There are fabulous ways to plan furniture placement using free floor plan programs that allow you to play with furniture templates.
You can decide what furniture you need and where to place it, depending on the shape and size of the room and the function of the furniture.
Call me a decorating nerd, but there’s something satisfying about the old-school approach of taping out furniture and rug sizes on the floor.
Either way, know in advance what size sofa you need rather than buying it online and not fitting it through the front door.
#4. Decide on Colors
Another crucial factor when decorating is choosing – and sticking with – a color palette. There are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to color choice and the best advice I have is to choose colors you love and want to live with.
Generally, designers recommend a neutral anchor color for investment pieces (like a sofa), then two toning shades for accessories and accent pieces.
Other rules of thumb are painting light-starved rooms in paler colors and avoiding short-lived trends (except in affordable items like lampshades or pillows).
Otherwise, be inspired by an item you already own, whether an heirloom rug, a favorite painting, or that gorgeous quilt you bought on vacation.
#5. Go Big With Paint
Paint is relatively affordable and can transform the mood of any interior. It’s also a DIY task you can tackle yourself, so prioritize painting as part of your decor.
Boldly painted walls are the most cost-effective way to brighten up a dull room or update a neglected space.
For those nervous about painting any color other than white, start with a jewel-toned accent wall.
#6. Mix It Up
We’ve all read the recommendations about using accessories to add color and interest to an interior. I’ve got a couple of hacks to add: cut costs by combining cheap and cheerful accessories with higher-end items, and nobody will know the difference. You can find lovely mirrors, for instance, at budget prices.
Another idea is to display your new purchases next to vintage items. You don’t need to buy antiques (unless that’s your vibe). Instead, put out the silver framed picture of your parents, the beautiful glass jug your best friend’s mom gave you, and the charming old clock you inherited.
Surrounding yourself with personal items creates comfort, a sense of home, and an authenticity that mass-produced accessories can’t.
#7. Add Greenery
Incorporating live plants into your decor is a brilliant decorating hint. House plants are affordable, especially if you learn to take cuttings and propagate your own. With a little TLC, plants will thrive, adding color, texture, and natural beauty to any interior.
Plants are also a sustainable way to decorate, rather than buying cheap decor items that quickly look dated and wear poorly.
One bonus is that potted plants produce clean air, infusing your home with freshness and life. Another is that you can use homegrown herbs and veggies to flavor your meals.
Final Thoughts on How to Decorate Your Home Like a Pro
While it’s easy to decorate your own on the fly, with impulse purchases and trendy styles, planning your interiors is wiser. Create – and stick to – a reasonable budget, measure and create a floor plan, and choose a color palette before you go shopping. Start your decor journey with thrifted or pre-loved items, colorful paint, items evoking great memories, and lush greenery from house plants.
Related Article:
