BEST INTERIOR DECORATING TIPS
In addition to organizing and plant design I decorate indoor and outdoor spaces.
Here are some fun tips I’ve compiled over the years. Interior decorating is fun and it can be expensive but it doesn’t have to be. Most people can’t afford to fill a room with priceless decor and furniture but if you’re clever you can find replicas and knock offs. No shame in that game.
You don’t have to be rich to have a nice home or apartment. You just need to allow space to move, invest in at least three sources of good lighting in every room to create dimension, add a plant or two, and vary up your selection of furniture and textiles. Keep your home clean and free of clutter, open the windows or create air flow with vintage fans. Stay away from trends, gimmicks, and plastic. There…I’ve done it again. You’re welcome! Enjoy my tips and please share this post with your friends.
WORK WITH THE BONES OF THE HOME.
Look at the architecture…focus on scale and proportions. A general goal is always make the room look and feel bigger than it is. There are ways to fake this, such as hanging curtains as high above the windows as they will go. The closer to the ceiling the bigger the room will feel. You can also add moldings to draw the eye up, fake ceiling height, and make it look more upscale.
PLAN THE LAYOUT BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING
Make sure the room has enough room to flow organically before purchasing furniture. Lay tape on the floor in place of would be furniture to make sure the size is right and the room flows and the layout is the best scenario out of all possibilities.
SPACE IS LUXURY
Make sure you leave room to move and think. It will help you feel sane. You should feel like you can stretch out and lay on the floor and jump around, and pace on the phone - it will keep you youthful and the energy high and bright. Don’t cram yourself in for the sake of having stylish decor - LESS IS MORE!
START EVERY ROOM WITH A RUG
I like to start a room design first by choosing a rug. A rug sets the tone and palette. A rug grounds a room, and everything else has to relate to it and work with it. It’s harder to add a rug after all the furniture has been chosen. I think the larger the rug in the room the better the room will look because it will make the room look twice as large. Cover the floor with as large of a rug that you can get away with. A large rug that covers most of the floor also provides more of an opportunity for different options of furniture placement. A large rug elevates the style of a room easily. If you have an open concept you can use rugs to separate zones, like a dining room and an open concept kitchen. Add rugs to kitchens and bathrooms to create a extra warmth and character. Place a rug between a wood table and wood floor to act as a buffer. All furniture legs should places on rugs.
SCALE IS KEY
If your room isn’t properly scaled the room will feel off. Big rooms need big furniture, otherwise it doesn’t make sense and will look like a furniture showroom. Don’t place furniture directly agains your wall if you can help it leave at least an inch or two - it will make your room feel more relaxed. Add a stand out piece in every room, like a large painting, sculpture, or mirror.
A small light would not look right in this space
BUY THE BIGGEST PIECE OF FURNITURE FIRST
Starting with the most prominent piece that's going to be used the most is a good idea. If it's a living room, it's the sofa. It's the bedroom, it's the bed. I begin with the key big-impact pieces and then work on the layers.
IF YOU HAVE KIDS DON’T BUY WHITE FURNITURE, AVOID BUYING “PRECIOUS” FURNITURE ALTOGETHER
Remember the scene in AMERICAN BEAUTY…how uptight Annette Benning’s character was about the couch. Don’t be her. Be chill. Life is messy. Let go. Don’t not drink or have sex on the couch because you’re worried about stains…be spontaneous and have sex on the couch! Don’t live stiff in confined space where you can’t fully relax. Covering your couch in plastic defeats the purpose of having a nice couch because you just ruined it by covering it with plastic - what an insane thing that was. Buy things that get better with age. It will make your home joyful and relaxing. Check out my “Where do interior designers shop” page with clickable links!
USE GLASS COFFEE TABLES IN SMALL SPACES OR WHEN THERE IS A LOT OF COMPETING FURNITURE
It will prevent the room from looking clunky.
I personally have this exact coffee table which I get compliments on. It’s a replica of a classic design.
Glass coffee table in this furniture filled room allows
it to feel airy
Cleverly there is still a place for the office guest or occupant to sit on the couch and relax without another chunky piece of furniture
DRAW FROM ART
Drawing design and decor inspiration from art is fun and exciting. You can enchance both the room and the art this way. No space feel complete without art. Art is the best way to showcase your personality and set a tone for the room. Read my blog post on the importance of art in interior design.
HANG ART AT EYE LEVE
Aka 57 inches off the ground. Invest in a good quality frame and create bredth with matting that is minimum 1.5 inches in width.
LIGHTING IS EVERYTHING
To have as many windows as possible is the goal. Good quality windows are expensive. A good view is even more expensive. I highly enjoy solving the problem of a bad view and lighting. Ideally, every room should have at least 3 different sources of light at different, which will help trick the eye into thinking a space is larger as you are creating more dimension. If you have little natural light mirrors are another trick to reflect the natural light and make a space feel bigger and brighter. If a room can’t help but be dark it is best to stay away from dark colors, textures and fabrics that will make it feel darker - unless you are trying to make it feel like a cozy den. Ultra white cold recessed pot lighting is my kryptonite - I’m not exaggerating when I say it I shrink and succumb to a depressive state when I am exposed to it. It is unflattering and unfortunately the choice of most general contractors. “At least make the bulbs a warm white,” I find myself constantly shouting. Pendants should hover roughly 3 feet above surfaces.
This gorgeous chandelier makes the room. Yes, I’ll come to dinner just to bask in this light.
Sexy light which I’m sure is on a dimmer. Scale is perfect and doesn’t compete with the oversized poster in the background.
HANG MIRRORS ACROSS FROM WINDOWS
Double the light and size of room instantly. Either match the size of the window or go bigger. Your home will feel so much bigger and brighter.
USE MATTE FINISH PAINT AND TEST ON YOUR WALL
Matt finish paint will create a softened glow and even light distribution. Test all paint before you commit and make sure you see it at every time of the day and night.
CLEAR COUNTERTOPS SO THEY ARE 80% NOTHING AND 20% USEFUL YET HIGH END TOOL
It makes a huge difference and it’s the number one thing I make sure to do when I go into someones kitchen. I always try to convert all ugly branded dish soap and hand soap bottles into clear decanted pretty glass bottles.
ADD PLANTS!
Plants make a room feel alive and fresh. They clean the air. They help divert your eye from clutter. Plants improve your mood. Good views and good light are the most important things. Nature is a simple luxury everyone should be entitled to. I’ve been to the best plant nurseries in and around California and install in both residential and commercial spaces.
Scale is fantastic. Color of the pot is perfect - not a bright unnatural white but a relaxing muted earthy tone that works nicely with the couches.
Right when you walk in the door you are struck by beauty and cheer. The ficus around the corner balances the small scale plants on display.
OPEN YOUR WINDOWS!
Air flow is important to make a home feel fresh and healthy. Stagnant homes feel stall. Never block doors and windows, that is what hoarders do.
EXTEND YOUR INSIDE OUTSIDE
Is there anything better than floor to ceiling windows or double french doors that swing open wide to a backyard paradise filled with all the elements to sooth all your biological needs: fire pit, water fountain, swaying trees, and bare feet on the earth to ground you? That long sentence was rhetorical! Being in nature is a need. Exterior design is my favorite kind of design. It’s a crime when my clients with large outdoor spaces never use them. Plant now because having mature trees on your property will increase the resale value. Tree or lack there of is the first thing I notice about a property.
STAY AWAY FROM TRENDS
It will end up costing you. Stay classic, stay classy.
ADD BLACK MIRRORS OR AT LEAST ONE BLACK OBJECT
Adding a black framed mirror or a black object is an easy way to add edge or make a room feel a contemporary. Every space looks better with a bit of contrast.
Without the black shades this room might seem a little too farm house. The shades make it unique and modern.
ADD POPS OF COLOR
I personally love a neutral canvas and enlivening it with pops of color. You can add color with art, decor, pillows, plants, flowers.
Fun corner because of these chairs. Brilliant balance of different textiles. Not enough pedestals in design anymore.
A VARIED YET COMPLIMENTARY ARRAY OF TEXTILES
It’s a delicate art and doing it right - finding the right balance takes time - can make a space really interesting. For example, if you have a neutral couch you can add volume with a similar yet different set of pillows for support, then add one or two pillows with a pattern, for an extra casual and cozy feel you can add a faux camel throw or lighter throw that picks up on some of the neutral of the couch.
MIX OLD THINGS THAT LOOK NEW AND NEW THINGS THAT LOOK OLD
My personal style is modern yet classic. I like old things that look new and new things that look old. Ideally furniture, plants, and objects should stand on their own as art. One high-end piece in every room (usually a light). Add at least one antique to every room.
DISPLAY UNIQUE PERSONAL ITEMS RATHER THAN FILLER DECOR
It’s fun to display proud moments or your art. One of my clients used to be a rodeo rider. I found his old spurs in box buried in a closet. I shrieked with joy knowing how happy it would make him to place them on the fireplace mantle effectively creating a talking point with him and his guests. it made him so happy and me by proxy - I LOVE MY JOB!
CLEAR CLUTTER AND TINY DECOR
It will look better and it’s easier to clean. Less is more. Step one before decorating is decluttering and organizing!
HIDE ALL ELECTRONICS AND CORDS
There is a reason you will never see one in a photoshoot. Cords draw the eye to mess and anxiety. Hide them! Tape them or use cord covers. Nobody needs a roomba! They are a blight and ruin the zen of any corner they sit in.
DRAW THE EYE UP - PAINT YOUR CEILING SOMETHING OTHER THAN WHITE!
I hope to be able to paint a ceiling of mine a shade of blue at some point. Love the aged creamy warm off white walls as a contrast.
It’s super fun!
BE WEIRD, TAKE CHANCES, AND INDULGE!
If you’re going to redo your bathroom dream big! A bathroom is a place of relaxation and refuge. Do something unique with an entryway.
My favorite interior designer, Paul Fortune