You don’t have to be wealthy to get that high-end look in your home that you see in magazines. There are little tricks and design hacks that you can use to create a sophisticated space. Incorporate these design tips and recreate your space to feel luxurious and elegant. It takes practice but soon you will be a pro!
Layered Pillows
Start with larger scale pillows such as euro pillows in the bedroom, then layer
forward with smaller pillows until you have a nice balance. You can mix sizes and shapes but remember, less is more. Don’t overdo it with too many pillows or it becomes busy. Make sure you find the fine line between making things interesting and adding comfort, and making them busy and chaotic. In case you haven’t noticed, we LOVE pillows, because it is an easy way to dress your space up for everyday or seasonally. We prefer less pillows versus more, but the key to success is coordinating colors, patterns, and scale. Also, don’t forget the power of texture. Texture adds dimension and is a great way to bring coziness to a space. On a sofa, a good way to start is to remember this trick. If the sofa is darker, start by using a larger scale pillow of about 22-24” with a lighter colour as contrast. Then continue to layer forward using the elements described. Do the opposite for a lighter coloured sofa. You can balance both sides of the sofa either using the same pillows on each end or you can mix and match resulting in asymmetry.
Layered Lighting
Some of the most put together rooms have varying forms of lighting for different tasks and moods. There is task lighting for when you are working, there is accent lighting for displaying artwork, feature walls or fireplaces, and there is overall ambient lighting. The trick is to make sure that the entirety of the room has a nice glow. You want to avoid hard shadows and strive for the level of brightness that is just enough, accompanied with pops of interest like decorative lamps, or featured artwork. The combination of pot lights, pendant lighting, chandeliers, and wall sconces can all work together when coordinated and used effectively for the three types of lighting. However, the most important rule is to make sure that all forms of lighting use the same temperature bulbs. If you go with warm bulbs, stay with warm bulbs throughout the room and vice versa.
Window Treatments
Don’t underestimate the power of fabric. This is another way to soften, add layers, and frame a window. Drapery is the all rage with stationary panels layered over functional window treatments such as honeycomb shades, roller and solar shades, natural shades, sheer shades and blinds. The same rules for colour, pattern, texture and scale apply to creating the perfect window balance. The goal is to add height and width to a window, so hang the rod close to the ceiling and extend the pole beyond the window so that the fabric is not encroaching too much on the window. We like to cover trim and come into the window about 3 inches. This optimizes light and again gives the illusion that the window is bigger than it is. Most importantly, bring the fabric to the floor. At maximum, we like to be up ½” from the floor. Please, please, please NO FLOOD DRAPERIES. This is like wearing your trousers 3 inches too short which for the record, looks bad.
The Classics
As fun as it is to stay up to date on the trends, we suggest you stick to the classics for the main items in your home and incorporate the trends in more subtle ways. You can change the entire look of a room with a few trendy tweaks on top of your classics so that there is no need for major room transformations. If you are going to splurge, go for classic items as they will still hold value and compliment the look for years to come. Also, as much as we love colour, we suggest going neutral in larger areas. Go neutral for furnishings, wall colours and light fixtures while incorporating colour, texture and patterns in fabrics and accessories. Remember to bring in personal items that have meaning, such as memorabilia from holidays, family photos, etc. These are the things that make a house a home and your home should be a reflection of you.
These little tricks of the trade will help you save money and give you the high-end look you are aspiring to achieve. There are many “decorating on a dime" ideas that will get you immediate and simple results that will inspire your decorating journey. Do your best and apply these tips gradually, and remember some rules are meant to be broken! After all, creativity and personality should always be present.
Blog provided by Made in the Shade Blinds & More
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