Decorating a home can be an incredibly fun process—but it can also be a daunting one. After all, there are tons of decisions to make. There are walls to paint and rooms to furnish. And there's a fair amount of hardware, décor, and upholstery to pick out, too.
Thankfully, you're not alone in your quest to craft a stunning space. Whether you're giving your home a quick makeover or tackling a full-blown renovation, you're bound to find the inspiration you need to get started, take the next step, or finish up your project.
Statement-making pieces can take a home from simple to striking, but snag too many, and you may overwhelm your space. One rule of thumb to follow? Put a single showstopper in every room.
When laying out your furniture, be sure to give yourself and your guests plenty of room to move around—designers call this circulation.
“People always want their furniture to fit. But, you don't want a room to feel crowded or cause traffic jams,” Elyse Moody, kitchen design expert at Designer Appliances, says. “When you have sufficient circulation, a room just feels more comfortable to be in.”
One great way to add personality to a space? Do something surprising.
“To make a room stand out, add one unexpected item that gives a pop of interest,” Erin Coren, interior designer at Curated Nest, says. “That can be done with adding one piece of furniture that is of a different style, an oversized light fixture, or a focal wall of wallpaper.”
The first thing anyone will see when stepping foot in your home? Your entryway. So spend some time and effort making that first impression count.
“When you walk in, the sights you see should be welcoming to you and your guest,” Joe Cangelosi, interior designer and owner of Joe Cangelosi Design, says. He recommends pairing a striking table with a bowl for your keys—and a mirror you can use to check yourself out before leaving the house.
“If you put a little thought into it, function and beauty can co-exist harmoniously in your home,” he adds.
Looking for an easy way to transform your space? Invest in a few plants. "Every room needs to include at least one member of the plant kingdom," Bell says.
And if caring for plants isn’t your forte, remember that live plants aren’t your only option. Taylor recommends adding "fresh flowers, potted plants, branches—some nod to nature." That can mean a live plant, a dried one, or even a faux one.
The best advice, which I always give my clients, is to just choose what you love—for everything,” Witten says. “In almost every case, the pieces you are drawn to will all work together beautifully, even if they represent different styles of origin.”
And virtually every designer we spoke to agrees. “Fill your home with things you truly love, and it will always be beautiful,” O'Gara says.
