## Getting Started with Home Decorating
When it comes to designing your dream home, the task can seem daunting. Whether you’re building from the ground up, renovating a historic home, or just trying to add some personality to a new space, the right interior design can make all the difference. But before you can start painting or picking out the perfect sofa, it’s essential to figure out what you like. Do you envision a regal, French country-style home, or a more laid-back farmhouse aesthetic? No matter what your home’s interior style, size, or budget, we’re here to provide you with the best quick and easy home decorating ideas, straight from expert interior designers.
Every detail, from the baseboards to the throw pillows on your bed, contributes to your home’s overall aesthetic. The best home decor ideas will help you hone your interior design style while adding personal twists to keep your home unique. We promise that your home can be both on-trend and timeless, and these interior designers have mastered the art. To get started, spark inspiration, or find clever solutions to common problems, we’ve gathered the best home decor ideas straight from designers.
## Creating a Cohesive Look
When using multiple colors, patterns, and materials, a room can quickly become overwhelming. Take inspiration from designer Meghan Shadrick, who keeps it balanced by using the same textile in multiple places. For example, the floral window treatment print also makes an appearance in the bedding, helping the room’s elements feel more tied together. Pro tip: Use a cohesive palette to create a sense of continuity in your home. Bonus tip: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different patterns and textures to add depth and interest to your space.
## Mixing Natural and Manmade Elements
In interior design, balance is crucial. Too much stone could make a space feel too cavernous, while too much brass can make it feel overly glam. However, the combination of these two materials can create a personalized and multidimensional area. Take a cue from this home bar, where the combination of stone and brass creates a unique and inviting atmosphere. Extra insight: Mixing natural and manmade elements can add warmth and character to your space.
## Having Fun with Functional Spaces
Closets often get no design love, but treating the space as intentionally as you do with the rest of your home can help it feel more cohesive. Plus, a candy-colored dressing area can help boost morale on dreary Monday mornings. Try a playful paint color and jewelry-like hardware, like designer MA Allen did in this walk-in closet. Pro tip: Don’t forget to add some personality to your functional spaces, like closets and laundry rooms. Bonus tip: Use functional spaces as an opportunity to express your creativity and have fun with design.
## Creating a Cozy Atmosphere
Canopy beds are one of the top bedroom trends, but for those lacking floor space or ceiling height, you can get a similar effect with drapery. Wrap window treatments around to adorn the wall behind the bed frame, and add a valance to hide the hardware. The look is cozy, chic, and a great solution for bare walls. Extra insight: Creating a cozy atmosphere in your bedroom can help you relax and unwind after a long day.
## Using Banquettes for Intimate Dinners
Banquettes are most commonly seen in breakfast nooks and eat-in kitchens, but in a dining room, the bench seating can make meals feel much more intimate. And if guest numbers fluctuate, a banquette can help squeeze in more loved ones without the need to pull up your office chair. Pro tip: Use banquettes to create a cozy and inviting atmosphere in your dining room. Bonus tip: Consider using a banquette in place of traditional seating for a unique and space-saving solution.
## Pattern-Drenching Awkward Angles
In any space with an oddly shaped ceiling, pattern-drenching can help disguise awkward architecture. The trend also makes a major impact. Designer Wendy Labrum loves the technique for its one-and-done approach. Extra insight: Pattern-drenching can be used to add visual interest to a room and distract from any awkward angles or architectural features.
## Combining Storage Types
Functional storage is key to any chef-worthy kitchen, and while open shelving is great, it doesn’t work for everybody. Having multiple kinds of storage can help keep you organized. Drawers, shelves, and baskets are all used here to keep appliances, accessories, and kitchen tools in their proper places. Pro tip: Use a combination of storage types to create a functional and organized kitchen. Bonus tip: Don’t forget to consider the style and aesthetic of your storage solutions when selecting them for your kitchen.
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## Rethinking Your Color Palette
Your first instinct with a bold wallpaper may be to pull out the dominant color to use as an accent hue throughout the room, but consider taking a different approach. Take inspiration from Serena Dugan, who took the deeper greens and browns from the print to highlight on this showstopping sink. Extra insight: Rethinking your color palette can help you create a unique and harmonious space.
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## Framing an Alcove
All-over wallpaper is a beautiful way to incorporate pattern and color, but the maximalist approach is not for everyone. Instead, try applying the print to only one section of the room. Accent walls and alcoves—like this bathtub nook—are great places to go bold with pattern without getting overwhelming. Pro tip: Use an accent wall or alcove to add visual interest to a room without overwhelming the space. Bonus tip: Consider using a bold pattern or color to create a statement piece in your room.
## Embracing Awkward Architecture
Rather than trying to flatten the charm of this unique turret, designer Alexander Reid transformed the space into a home library. By installing bookcases on each angle, the small room becomes a cozy gathering spot for the family. Extra insight: Embracing awkward architecture can help you create a unique and functional space.
## Playing with Lighting Shapes
Bathroom lighting is important, but it should also add to your overall design. Take home decorating inspiration from this Texas residence, where playful geometric shapes add whimsy to a shared bathroom. Pro tip: Use lighting to add visual interest and personality to your bathroom. Bonus tip: Consider using unique lighting shapes or fixtures to create a statement piece in your bathroom.
## Trying Different Layouts
This dining room, designed by Michael Ellison, was inspired by hospitality and restaurant design. The family can choose to have an intimate meal at a single table or push the two together for a dinner party vibe when entertaining friends. Extra insight: Trying different layouts can help you create a functional and inviting space.
## Painting the Floors
Walls and ceilings typically get all the love when designing a home, but don’t forget about your flooring. A simple wash of color over your hardwoods can really revamp the space. The blue tone in this North Carolina home helps to honor the coastal views the home has. Pro tip: Use paint to add color and personality to your floors. Bonus tip: Consider using a bold or unique color to create a statement piece in your room.
## Letting Character Shine
This Kansas City home boasts stunning, 100-year-old stained-glass windows that should never be covered up with drapery. Instead of window treatments, the owners chose to embrace the character-rich details their house offers, only adding to the personality of this bedroom. Extra insight: Letting character shine can help you create a unique and inviting space.
## Trying a Bold Palette
There are certain interior design color palettes that designers return to time and time again—blue and white, greens, and brown tones to name a few. But if neutrals don’t make you happy, don’t use them. Take a cue from this sunshine yellow mudroom, which is color-drenched head-to-toe in the cheerful hue. Pro tip: Don’t be afraid to try a bold palette to add personality to your space. Bonus tip: Consider using a bold color to create a statement piece in your room.
## Layering Rugs
Layer rugs to keep the texture and coziness going, as Apartment Therapy founder Maxwell Ryan did in the bedroom of his Hamptons home. It’ll feel lavish underfoot coming and going. A linen canopy also adds depth and warmth to the neutral color scheme. Extra insight: Layering rugs can help you create a cozy and inviting atmosphere in your bedroom.
## Making Your Bookshelf a Gallery
“The room doesn’t get a lot of light, so I decided to make it cozy and turned it into an English-style portrait room, which is ridiculous but fun,” says celebrity chef Alex Hitz. What’s cozier than a colorful floor-to-ceiling bookshelf surrounded by seating you can lounge on? Bookshelves that double as a gallery wall. Offsetting your books with artwork creates contrast and adds more personality. Pro tip: Use your bookshelf as a gallery to add visual interest and personality to your room. Bonus tip: Consider using a mix of frame styles and sizes to create a unique and eclectic look.
## Not Forgetting the Floor
If you have crisp white walls and neutral staples, like a sofa and coffee table, choose one statement item that brings in a punch of colorful energy. It can be anything from a vibrant piece of art on the walls to a bright carpet like the one in this living room designed by Leanne Ford Interiors. Extra insight: Don’t forget to add some personality to your floors to create a cohesive and inviting space.
## Letting Your Plants Shine
Your green thumb deserves to be in the limelight. Designer Elizabeth Cooper placed a lush citrus tree in the corner of this living room for an extra pop of life and color, then staggered topiaries on the windowsill. It’s the perfect way to invite nature into your living room with quirky indoor plants and trees. Pro tip: Use plants to add a touch of nature and personality to your space. Bonus tip: Consider using a variety of plant sizes and shapes to create a unique and visually interesting display.
## Clearing the Closet
Designer John Fondas turned a shallow closet into an out-of-the-way bar nook with tons of storage by removing the doors and building cabinets and shelves into the walls. The pineapple decor and aquatic touches are perfect for a Palm Beach party house. Extra insight: Clearing the closet can help you create a functional and unique space.
## FAQs
Q: What is the most important thing to consider when designing a home?
A: The most important thing to consider when designing a home is to determine what you like and what style you want to achieve.
Q: How can I create a cohesive look in my home?
A: To create a cohesive look, use a cohesive palette, and consider using the same textile in multiple places.
Q: What is the best way to add personality to a functional space?
A: The best way to add personality to a functional space is to use a playful paint color and jewelry-like hardware, and to consider using functional spaces as an opportunity to express your creativity.
Q: How can I create a cozy atmosphere in my bedroom?
A: To create a cozy atmosphere in your bedroom, consider using a canopy bed or drapery, and add a valance to hide the hardware.
Q: What is the best way to add visual interest to a room?
A: The best way to add visual interest to a room is to use a bold pattern or color, and to consider using a mix of frame styles and sizes to create a unique and eclectic look.
