Dec 26, 2017

Decorating tips for the best spaces

When you need to refresh your rooms make them feel more spacious or balanced, there a quite a few tricks to use.  

Furniture placement is everything.  With the right layout you'll have beautifully designed and functional spaces. Don't line your walls with furniture. Even in small spaces, bringing things towards the center of the room or angled will make your space feel bigger. Consider balance when arranging pieces. Put your largest or tallest piece on the biggest wall. Arrange furniture so you mix tall and short pieces around the room. It's smart to leave at least 18" between pieces of furniture so you can walk through and around easily. I prefer 24" however most people don't have that much space.



Use the best lighting possible. So many times we consider the ceiling fixtures installed by the builder as the only ones available. That often makes us not use a space because the lighting is poor. It's really easy to change a fixture from something dated to something cool and artistic.  You can even transform a recessed fixture into a pendant light. Don't forget to add fabulous table and floor lamps and consider tucking LED accent strips or up lights  in a dark corner. Adding wall sconces is easy and you can create a fabulous design statement with relatively inexpensive fixtures. The easiest fix....put your ceiling lights on dimmers so you can change the level of lighting and mood of your space as needed. 





Get rid of clutter. There is nothing more distracting than a room full of clutter. With the right storage container you can have what you need at your fingertips, yet hide away papers, toys and even the dog's leash when not in use. The right storage container can also make a design statement. IKEA makes wonderful wicker storage cubes that come in singles to stack, or with a ready-made shelving unit to tuck them into. Place your storage box under the coffee table, a console table, or stacked in the corner. When you install wall-mounted shelves you keep things off the floor and make your space feel much larger.


Hang artwork at the right height. Eye level is different for everybody. Too often you walk into a home with tall ceilings and find things hanging 5 feet off the floor. In rooms with high ceilings, that looks low and unbalanced. Go little higher. On the flipside, when you have a large piece over the back of the sofa, don't hang it so high that it appears disjointed. Place at approximately 1 foot above the sofa and it will feel cohesive and balanced.