Looking for wall decor ideas to refresh your space? Those empty walls are filled with possibilities—and a few additions can make a house feel like a home. If you're ready to turn those stark, bare walls into stylish centerpieces, keep reading. No matter your style, we've got the tricks that can amp up your walls and bring out your personality and taste. Whether you’re an art collector, a nature enthusiast, or a book lover, your walls can be customized so that you can be surrounded by the things you adore. Discover 20 wall decor ideas that are sure to add style to your home.
Add Texture With a Weaving.
Those ’70s macramé wall hangings have come back in a big way. The weavings add texture and warm up stark walls. Shop for them on Etsy, or try your hand at making your own.
Add Removable Wall Art.
Minted has an incredible collection of grown-up, sophisticated removable wall art. The adhesive murals have a luxurious matte finish and come in a variety of styles. Removable wall art is perfect if you're renting and don't want to damage the walls.
Hang an Oversized Calendar.
A large calendar works especially well on an office or kitchen wall. Keep track of your events while also adding a standout element to enliven your room! Try bright and bold calendars with sans serif fonts to create a modern look and add a pop of color.
Add a Giant Whiteboard or Chalkboard.
A big board is a perfect functional addition to an office, playroom, or even kitchen. A chalkboard lends a rustic air to any room, while a whiteboard is the contemporary alternative—and you don't have to stick to just white (they're available in a variety of shades and prints). You can even take it to the next level and paint an entire wall with WriteWallPaint, which creates a writeable surface.
Create a Basket Wall
Bet you haven't considered this wall decor idea: Add baskets to your wall! Whether you want to go colorful or neutral, you can liven up any wall with an assortment of baskets in different sizes and textures.
Hang a Personalized Map.
Add a large word map to your room's decor. You can order a personalized map of a city, state, country, or the world in just about any color palette. You can make it ultra personal by adding pins to the places you've visited or plan to visit.
Mount Your Television.
Another way to go? Mount your television. Adding a flat screen to your wall can be a great way to free up space on top of your media cabinet, enhance your wall, and update the entire look of your living room or bedroom.
Add Shiplap Wall Paneling.
Shiplap paneling will infuse your space with a fresh coastal feeling—and it works in any room. Whether your dining room, bedroom, entryway, or even bathroom walls need a refresh, consider adding the wooden boards typically used as exterior siding.
Mount Your Bikes on the Wall.
Creating a stylish and sleek wall-mounting system for your bikes will give you more floor space and create an eye-catching focal point that will transform your blank wall. This is one of the most fun and functional wall decor ideas out there.
Use the Wall for Storage.
Short on closet space? Why not show off your finery and create a striking and practical display? Install hooks or a pegboard and hang hats in a cluster.
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Pastel colors are comforting and whimsical. Though they have been used in homes for years, pastel colors have become a popular color palette. Pastels are often used in a child's rooms or beach house, but they can be used in any room in your home. You can start by adding splashes of pastels, paint with them, or decorate with pastel furniture.
Method 1 Starting with Splashes of Pastel.
1. Look for pastel accessories. If you only want to add small touches of pastel to your home, then adding small accessories is the best way to do it. For example, in the kitchen you could put out a light blue butter dish. In the living room, look for light green coasters. In the bedroom, add a lampshade in a light pink or purple color.
For a bold look, choose all pastel accessories. Or, simply add a few here and there.
2. Add pastel pillows. A good way to add a touch of pastel to your home is to put pastel throw pillows on your couch, chair, or bed. Consider the colors that you already have in your room when choosing pillows. Choose colors that would pair well with the existing colors in the room. If you have a lot of neutral colors in the room, almost any color will work, like light pink, green, blue, or yellow.
Colors like light yellow and purple are great for creating a relaxing environment.
You could also put a pastel throw blanket on your couch or bed.
3. Put out pastel tableware. To add pastel to the kitchen, buy pastel plates and cups. This will add a touch of pastel to the kitchen without being too overwhelming. You can leave them set out on the table to show off at all times, or only set them out when a meal is being served.
Look for pastel tableware at any home decorating store, or at big-box stores.
For a feminine and glamorous feel, pair the pastels with metals like gold and brass.
4. Set out pastel planters. You can use planters to decorate both the inside and outside of your home. If you can't find pastel planters, you can paint them on your own. Set them outside of your door, or put your indoor plants inside of them. You can choose one color, or choose an array of colors for a cheery look.
Put a few planters in various sizes and pastel colors together for a fun, colorful vignette.
5. Buy a pastel bedding set. A pastel bedding set will add more than just a splash of color to your room, but it won't overtake the room if it is the only pastel. Look for a bedding set with a comforter (or duvet cover), sheets, and pillowcases. They can be in a solid color, or in a design, like stripes. If you don't want all of your bedding to be in pastels, just buy a comforter.
Pastels can add a soothing effect to your bedroom.
If you don't want the bedroom to appear to “girly,” you can choose pastel colors like light blue and green.
Method 2 Painting with Pastels.
1. Use stencils to create a pastel design. If you don't want to commit to painting your entire wall, you can use stencils to add traces of pastels. You can find stencils at many art and home improvement stores. Choose a stencil in the design of your choice. Buy a pastel paint in any color, like light purple or yellow. Hold the stencil up against wall and paint the color onto the wall.
Stencils are usually made of flexible plastic. Stencils in the shape of flowers and geometric patterns are especially common for walls.
Make sure not to get paint outside of the stencil.
You can stencil an entire wall, a single strip or section, or anything in between.
2. Choose a pastel color for the molding if you want a subtle look. Painting the wall molding in your home is another way to add some color to the room without painting the entire wall. You can choose to paint just the molding near the ceiling, or all of the molding in the room. Consider the color your wall is before choosing a pastel color.
For white or black walls, any color will do.
For blue walls, consider a light yellow.
For red walls, consider light blue or pink.
3. Paint one wall to create a focal point. Painting one wall in a room is a way to make the pastel very noticeable without taking up the entire room. The best wall to paint is the one that is directly in front of you when entering a room, or the wall that the couch side tables are in front of. Choose a color like light blue or green for a relaxing vibe. Choose light pink if there are reds in the room that you'd like to tone down.
4. Paint the room in pastel colors for a bold look. It is also an option to paint the entire room in a pastel color. If you do this, you should only have a few other pastel details or none at all. Too much pastel can take over the appearance of the room. That may, however, be your goal. Choose a color that can go with a range of furniture, like light blue or light yellow.
Painting a room in a pastel shade can make a small room appear larger.
Method 3 Decorating with Pastel Furniture.
1. Paint chairs for an accent feature. Update wooden patio or kitchen chairs with a fresh coat of paint. If you don't already have wooden chairs, you can look for some at vintage shops or yard sales. You can choose to paint all of the chairs one color, or use a different color for each chair.
Light green, pink, and purple would look nice together for patio chairs.
2. Paint cupboards to spice up your kitchen. Painting cupboards is a way to add an accent of color without a large commitment. You can update your own cupboard, or choose to buy one from a yard sale or vintage shop. If you're painting one that is wooden or a different color, make sure to use a white primer first.
3. Reupholster the furniture in solid pastels for an understated feel. If you don't have furniture that you can paint, it is an option to reupholster old furniture. You can reupholster on your own, or you can take it in to have it reupholstered. If you aren't sure how to reupholster furniture, then it is best to take it to a professional. If you are reupholstering on your own, make sure to purchase fabric made specifically for reupholstering furniture. It will only be a decorative piece of furniture if you don't.
You can find upholstery fabric at arts and crafts stores, like Jo Ann's, and at most fabric stores.
You can find upholstery fabric in several types of materials, like leather, wool, cotton, linen, polyester, and wool.
4. Choose printed pastel furniture for a fun look. If you don't want a solid shade of a pastel color, look for furniture that incorporates pastels into the design. You may want to look for a chair that is mainly light pink, but has black stripes. Or, you can look for a black chair that has yellow polka dots. If you're reupholstering furniture, look for fabric that has pastel shades in the design.
Another example of printed pastel furniture would be a couch with a paisley pattern in pastel colors.
If you don't want to change your furniture, you can add pastel ottoman in front of your chairs and/or couches in a pastel color, like light blue or green. The light colors, however, would be more likely to show dirt.
Tips.
Put out flowers in a light pink or yellow flowers to add a temporary, but noticeable touch of pastel to your home.
Using a lot of pastel colors can create a feminine look, which can be balanced out with dark, solid colors, if desired.
You can use pastel to tone down brighter colors in your own, or use it to contrast dark colors.
Warnings.
Using too much pastel can make the interior in your home look childish or like an Easter egg. Unless you desire this look, try to not use too much pastel in one room.
Designing and appointing the interior of your home can be a daunting prospect. The time and effort required is a major constraint, as is knowing how to coordinate pieces of furniture and décor to achieve a personal, cohesive look. Furthermore, hiring an interior designer can be inaccessibly expensive. To overcome this hurdle, you may want to learn how to be your own home decorator. Decorating your own home involves drawing inspiration from available resources and buying pieces that reflect your own personal style.
Steps.
Browse design blogs and magazines for inspiration. Fortunately, interior design inspiration is abundant. Pick up a few interior decorating magazines at the store and browse through some design blogs online. Bookmark, dog-ear, and save photos that appeal to you, whether they depict entire rooms or simply a single furnishing or piece of artwork.
Another source of inspiration is TV programming that focuses on interior design. The only drawback to this type of inspiration is that you cannot easily save photos drawn from it for later use.
Create a notebook to store your inspiration ideas. A great way to begin bridging the daunting gap between finding inspiring photos online and decorating your own home is by creating an inspiration notebook. Print appealing photos from design blogs and clip pictures out of magazines. Use paperclips or paste to secure these pictures into a notebook.
Work your new design ideas around your existing décor. Redecorating your home entirely from scratch is not generally feasible. The first important step when accommodating your existing décor is deciding which pieces to keep. Keeping large, basic pieces like sofas and tables will save you money, and their appearance can be changed dramatically through the use of accessories like throw pillows.
Furniture and décor in neutral colors can be accommodated in nearly any design scheme. Even a drab beige sofa can be livened up with brightly colored pillows. When a major piece like a sofa is brightly colored itself, this tends to constrain your design possibilities more.
Use your redecorating ambitions as an excuse to discard or give away any décor that you are tired of or don't like. Keeping too many of your old furnishings will hamper your ability to create a new space anyway.
Introduce new pieces into your space gradually. Avoid buying whole rooms full of décor at once; if you decide you don't like it, you'll have a tedious returns process on your hands. Rather, look to your inspiration notebook for some of your favorite pieces or motifs. Search for similar pieces online or at home décor stores, and begin introducing them into your room. As you work, decide what does and doesn't suit your taste, and which pieces work with your existing elements.
During this process of introducing new décor, you'll need to decide on a clear direction in which to take your style. Is it traditional or modern, subdued or lively, matching or eclectic, casual or formal, sparse or cluttered? When purchasing new pieces, ask yourself not only if you like them by themselves, but also if they'll fit well into your design scheme.
Work one room at a time. Note that each room of your home does not have to follow the same exact template; some rooms can be more formal than others or more sparsely decorated. However, you do want to consider some overarching theme that makes your entire home cohesive.
Tips.
If you are working with a limited budget, consider shopping for large, basic pieces at low prices and limiting your expensive splurges to small accent items.
Don't be afraid to shop at thrift, antique, and consignment stores for design inspiration. Mixing new and vintage pieces is an effective way to give your home a lived-in charm no matter what your overall style is.
Spending as much time in your home as you probably do, soothing home decor will make it easier for you to unwind and relax. You can use soothing furnishings, like plush furniture and items that imitate nature, to create this effect. You'll also need to select a soothing color scheme by doing things like choosing cool tones for your base color and toning down colors that are too bright. Last but not least, you'll have to account for existing factors in your home, by doing things like integrating your design with its intended function and balancing design choices with lighting.
Method 1 Using Soothing Furnishings.
1. Decorate with plush, inviting furniture. Hard, spartan furniture can look uninviting from the very first glance. Furniture that is elegant, well upholstered, and luxuriously stuffed will make you, your family, and visiting friends want to sit down and relax.
Some examples of plush furniture might include things like comfy upholstered chairs, well-stuffed couches, inviting love seats, fluffy ottomans, and so on.
These kinds of items can sometimes be expensive. If you're not ready to make this purchase, buy soft, cozy throw pillows to add to your furniture.
Many pieces of gently used furniture can be bought at a fraction of the price at secondhand stores, though you might have to patiently search these for these until they come in stock.
2. Use items that imitate nature. As appealing as sleek, futuristic designs can be, natural features encourage happiness, comfort, and well-being. To accomplish this, add some houseplants or a living wall to your home. Some other ideas for adding a natural vibe to your living space include:
Choosing wood-accented furnishings and decorations, especially dark colored wood. This will create a warm feel while adding contrast to the room.
Art from natural scenes can also add to the organic atmosphere of a room. Art can sometimes be pricey; find inexpensive art at secondhand stores and thrift shops.
3. Avoid too many sharp edges. Sharp edges give a clean, geometric, well defined impression to a room. It's only natural for the furniture of your room to have some edges, but too many of these can make a room feel aggressive, in a manner of speaking.
Furniture with flowing lines and rounded edges can really soften the character of a room and make it feel more relaxed.
Some examples of furniture without sharp edges might include rounded edged bookshelves, seating with softened edges (like couches and chairs that don't come to a point at the edges), coffee tables with blunted edges, and so on.
4. Account for lighting. Natural light has a direct positive effect on your mood. Use curtains that decorate your windows without cutting off too much natural light. Add mirrors to a room to encourage the spread of natural light throughout the space.
The "temperature" of lighting refers to its tone. Light that is very white is said to have a "cool" temperature, while light that is somewhat orange is said to be "warm."
Light that is too cool can make a room feel stark or clinical. Use warm temperature lighting to cozy up rooms you are decorating.
5. Install a water feature. Water is associated with a sense of calmness, clarity, and meditation. You can bring these feelings into your home when decorating by adding a water feature, like a small bubbling fountain or a trickling water wall.
If buying a brand new water feature is outside your budget, you might opt for a noisemaker that can make water effects or even a CD with water sounds playing in the background.
Similar to the regular, metrical noises water makes, the sound of ticking can also have a calming effect. If this is true for you, a clock may be a soothing alternative to a water feature.
Method 2 Selecting a Soothing Color Scheme.
1. Utilize cool tones in your color scheme. Cool tones are green, blue, and violet. These colors, and shades of these, generally promote a soothing feeling. By choosing one of these colors for the base of your color scheme, you can replicate this soothing effect. Avoid overusing too many cool tones, otherwise your room may feel cold and lifeless.
Use green as a base if, in addition to a soothing impression, you also want to convey a sense of rejuvenation or growth.
Blue, when used as your base color, will add a light and refreshing feeling, especially lighter shades of blue. Darker shades communicate a calm sense of dignity.
Violet is the warmest of the cool tones, giving it a vital feeling. It also carries the impression of serenity. Avoid overusing violet to prevent its warmth from detracting from its serene aspect.
2. Tone down bright colors according to your taste. Bright colors carry a sense of energy. Using bright colors is a good way to balance cool tones so that the overall effect isn't cold and drab. However, you may need to tone down some bright colors to prevent them from throwing off the balance of your color scheme.
When painting, you can soften colors that are too vibrant by adding a little white to them or dull them with some black. Be sure you only mix together the same kinds of paint. Different brands/types of paint may be impossible to mix due to their ingredients.
For example, you can create a cool, refreshing atmosphere with a base of cyan, dark blue, and black. Accent these with beige and a muted red. The red should give this color scheme an upbeat feel.
3. Accentuate a soft, open feel with pastel colors. Whereas bright colors can be softened with the addition of small amounts of white, adding a substantial amount of white creates a "washed out" effect in a color. This is the basis of pastel colors.
These soft colors create a wide open effect that's useful in smaller spaces. Pastels also impart a comfortable and airy atmosphere.
For example, in a child's play room, you might use a pastel blue as the primary color to give the sense of being under a soft blue sky, and then combine this with pastel green to add a vital feeling to the color scheme.
4. Create depth in your color scheme. Neutral colors, like white, gray, and black work with most other colors, when used as accents, and are great for adding definition to your color scheme. Earth tones, like beige, brown, and shades of umber and ochre are also sometimes considered neutral colors.
Earth tones tend to add sense of warmth to a color scheme. Beyond this, the natural sense evoked by these colors can bring with them a feeling of tranquility.
Method 3 Accounting for Existing Factors.
1. Balance design choices with lighting. Rooms that have good lighting will clearly reveal the colors used in it. For this reason, bright rooms might need to be toned down a little with darker colors. Soft, light colors, however, work better for darker rooms.
The direction the windows in the room face also can have an effect on lighting. For example, if a room only receives evening light, this will generally be deeper in color and have a golden tint. This can give colors a muted tone.
Shadows may be cast by trees or outdoor features into the space you are decorating. Generally, you can expect shadows to have a darkening effect on your color scheme. Use lighter cool tones in this case.
2. Integrate your design with its intended function. Matching your decorating choices to suit the function of a place can make them feel more fitting. For example, even though red isn't traditionally considered soothing, it stimulates appetite, making it an excellent color to add to restaurants, dining rooms, and so on.
Green and shades of this color are great for sitting rooms, family spaces, and even offices.
The natural, soft feeling given from earth tones make these a strong choice for places like bedrooms or rooms without windows.
Dark colors, like blacks, grays, and earth tones can add definition to a room without becoming distracting. These are great colors to use in an office or reading room.
3. Coordinate with the existing features of your home. You'll likely have to plan your interior decorating around some existing features of your home. For example, re-flooring your home might not be an option, so you'll have to make design choices that match well with your current flooring. Other features you may have to integrate with your design include:
Cabinetry, wall color, fixtures (includes outlets, sink fixtures, door knobs, and so on), countertops, sills, and more.
Eclectic interior designs are perfect for anyone who wants to put a fun, creative spin on their home decor. Eclectic means combining different time periods and styles. This results in unique décor, like colonial with a bohemian flare, rural meets modern, or Neo-classic with a trendy urban spin. But it can also be tricky to pull off. While there’s no set rules for eclectic homes, some tips can help turn this mismatched style into a cohesive, unified look.
Method 1 Buying Statement Pieces.
1. Search for one-of-a-kind furniture and knicknacks. Your furniture should help bring your different styles together. Look at different time periods for ideas, like furnishing your living room with a chintz armchair and a mid-century sofa. Hand-made pieces are perfect for eclectic rooms. Go with family hand-me-downs or something you can pick up at a garage sale. This feels creative and personal, which is exactly what eclectic style is about.
2. Make a focal point out of an eye-catching decoration. Maybe it's a painting, chandelier, antique, or special piece of furniture that gets guests talking. Only use one focal point per room. Any more is too confusing and distracting.
A statement piece can also help you to develop an eclectic style for a room. Choose your piece, and then build the rest of the décor around it.
3. Show off your interests and hobbies. Eclectic style is about your personality. If you’re a photographer, make a gallery of black and white photos. Bookworms can fill their rooms with bookshelves, or even use end tables made out of books. Hunters can mount deer heads on the walls. Whatever your hobby, find a way to make it part of your design.
Keep in mind that an eclectic home should look curated and collected. Use pieces that show off your style to achieve this look!
4. Decorate with objects that reflect your history. Your home can tell your story. Decorate with Mexican pottery from your vacation to Oaxaca, Celtic crosses to honor your Irish heritage, and potted cacti from your college years in Arizona. Blend these different parts together. Use family heirlooms like your grandmother’s antique lamp mixed with pop art from your favorite movie.
Even your main style can come from your history, like rustic chic in honor of your grandparents’ farmhouse.
Avoid lots of matching items and brand new pieces. Collect a variety of new, used, and reused pieces over time to make your home look eclectic.
5. Let your style say something about your values and personality. Throw in a splash of bohemian to reflect your free spirited side. If you’re forward-thinking, go with elements of modern style. If you enjoy the simpler side of life, go with a classic, Victorian, or a colonial theme. Your style should be based on who you are, and what you believe in.
Method 2 Unifying Elements.
1. Choose 2 or 3 styles so your design doesn't get too complicated. Eclectic doesn’t mean over the top. It’s easy to get caught up in blending so many styles and objects, but that can turn your home into a messy eyesore. Try sticking to 2 styles (3 max), usually with 1 dominant style and the other complimenting it.
For example, a vintage main style with a hint of rustic charm.
You can create an eclectic style using a minimalist or maximalist approach. Go with the approach that suits you!
2. Pick a single go-to color scheme to unite the room. Eclectic style only works if you connect the mismatched styles. Color schemes can pull a room or house together. Neutral colors are your best bet. Use a neutral like gray with gold or pastel colors to make the room look cohesive.
Don’t use too many different colors, or colors that clash. That's more gaudy than eclectic.
Opt for a single bold color, such as green, to unite the items in your room. Just make sure to be consistent with your color choice.
3. Furnish each room with a variety of textures. Different textures bring out different styles. Try combinations like a shag rug next to a metal coffee table, or a soft, modern sofa beside a hand-carved Victorian writing desk.
Keep a balance of soft and rough textures, with a few objects of each.
Choose art, rugs, and furniture in a variety of different textures to add interest to your space.
4. Chose a color palette, furniture, and decorations that fit the same mood. Think of how you want to feel in each room. You might want one room to unwind, and another to host parties. Keep that in mind when you decorate.
Keeping your furniture in the same general style allows you more freedom to change up your other décor, such as accessories, accent pieces, and art.
If you’re going for something whimsical, fill the room with plants, bright colors, and unique, bold patterns. For something more cerebral, go with bookshelves, vintage furniture, and calming colors.
Method 3 Arranging a Layout.
1. Buy practical furniture that fits your needs. Don’t get so caught up in style that you forget the actual purpose of the room. Remember that you’re living here, so it needs to be functional. A living room should be relaxing, and a breakfast nook should have space to cook. Pick furniture that fits those needs.
For example, get a dining room table that has space enough for your family, not just one that looks stylish.
Comfortable living room furniture is also very important. For example, you might find a really interesting sofa that would look great in your home, but you may regret this purchase if the sofa is not comfortable.
2. Spread out the furniture so the room isn't too crowded. Balance is the key to eclectic rooms. Too much furniture looks cluttered, especially if it’s all bunched together while the other half of the room is empty. Spread out the furniture evenly, so the room looks neat and smooth.
Clutter looks messy, not eclectic, and makes it hard to get around.
3. Remember to leave some empty spaces. You want your interior design to be unique, not overwhelming. Don’t overdo it. Keep it balanced with empty space. Empty space can help put the focus on the decorations that you want to show off. If one wall has a photo gallery, leave another one bare.
Spending as much time in your home as you probably do, soothing home decor will make it easier for you to unwind and relax. You can use soothing furnishings, like plush furniture and items that imitate nature, to create this effect. You'll also need to select a soothing color scheme by doing things like choosing cool tones for your base color and toning down colors that are too bright. Last but not least, you'll have to account for existing factors in your home, by doing things like integrating your design with its intended function and balancing design choices with lighting.
Method 1 Using Soothing Furnishings.
Decorate with plush, inviting furniture. Hard, spartan furniture can look uninviting from the very first glance. Furniture that is elegant, well upholstered, and luxuriously stuffed will make you, your family, and visiting friends want to sit down and relax.
Some examples of plush furniture might include things like comfy upholstered chairs, well-stuffed couches, inviting love seats, fluffy ottomans, and so on.
These kinds of items can sometimes be expensive. If you're not ready to make this purchase, buy soft, cozy throw pillows to add to your furniture.
Many pieces of gently used furniture can be bought at a fraction of the price at secondhand stores, though you might have to patiently search these for these until they come in stock.
Use items that imitate nature. As appealing as sleek, futuristic designs can be, natural features encourage happiness, comfort, and well-being. To accomplish this, add some houseplants or a living wall to your home. Some other ideas for adding a natural vibe to your living space include:
Choosing wood-accented furnishings and decorations, especially dark colored wood. This will create a warm feel while adding contrast to the room.
Art from natural scenes can also add to the organic atmosphere of a room. Art can sometimes be pricey; find inexpensive art at secondhand stores and thrift shops.
Avoid too many sharp edges. Sharp edges give a clean, geometric, well defined impression to a room. It's only natural for the furniture of your room to have some edges, but too many of these can make a room feel aggressive, in a manner of speaking.
Furniture with flowing lines and rounded edges can really soften the character of a room and make it feel more relaxed.
Some examples of furniture without sharp edges might include rounded edged bookshelves, seating with softened edges (like couches and chairs that don't come to a point at the edges), coffee tables with blunted edges, and so on.
Account for lighting. Natural light has a direct positive effect on your mood. Use curtains that decorate your windows without cutting off too much natural light. Add mirrors to a room to encourage the spread of natural light throughout the space.
The "temperature" of lighting refers to its tone. Light that is very white is said to have a "cool" temperature, while light that is somewhat orange is said to be "warm."
Light that is too cool can make a room feel stark or clinical. Use warm temperature lighting to cozy up rooms you are decorating.
Install a water feature. Water is associated with a sense of calmness, clarity, and meditation. You can bring these feelings into your home when decorating by adding a water feature, like a small bubbling fountain or a trickling water wall.
If buying a brand new water feature is outside your budget, you might opt for a noisemaker that can make water effects or even a CD with water sounds playing in the background.
Similar to the regular, metrical noises water makes, the sound of ticking can also have a calming effect. If this is true for you, a clock may be a soothing alternative to a water feature.
Method 2 Selecting a Soothing Color Scheme.
Utilize cool tones in your color scheme. Cool tones are green, blue, and violet. These colors, and shades of these, generally promote a soothing feeling. By choosing one of these colors for the base of your color scheme, you can replicate this soothing effect. Avoid overusing too many cool tones, otherwise your room may feel cold and lifeless.
Use green as a base if, in addition to a soothing impression, you also want to convey a sense of rejuvenation or growth.
Blue, when used as your base color, will add a light and refreshing feeling, especially lighter shades of blue. Darker shades communicate a calm sense of dignity.
Violet is the warmest of the cool tones, giving it a vital feeling. It also carries the impression of serenity. Avoid overusing violet to prevent its warmth from detracting from its serene aspect.
Tone down bright colors according to your taste. Bright colors carry a sense of energy. Using bright colors is a good way to balance cool tones so that the overall effect isn't cold and drab. However, you may need to tone down some bright colors to prevent them from throwing off the balance of your color scheme.
When painting, you can soften colors that are too vibrant by adding a little white to them or dull them with some black. Be sure you only mix together the same kinds of paint. Different brands/types of paint may be impossible to mix due to their ingredients.
For example, you can create a cool, refreshing atmosphere with a base of cyan, dark blue, and black. Accent these with beige and a muted red. The red should give this color scheme an upbeat feel.
Accentuate a soft, open feel with pastel colors. Whereas bright colors can be softened with the addition of small amounts of white, adding a substantial amount of white creates a "washed out" effect in a color. This is the basis of pastel colors.
These soft colors create a wide open effect that's useful in smaller spaces. Pastels also impart a comfortable and airy atmosphere.
For example, in a child's play room, you might use a pastel blue as the primary color to give the sense of being under a soft blue sky, and then combine this with pastel green to add a vital feeling to the color scheme.
Create depth in your color scheme. Neutral colors, like white, gray, and black work with most other colors, when used as accents, and are great for adding definition to your color scheme. Earth tones, like beige, brown, and shades of umber and ochre are also sometimes considered neutral colors.
Earth tones tend to add sense of warmth to a color scheme. Beyond this, the natural sense evoked by these colors can bring with them a feeling of tranquility.
Method 3 Accounting for Existing Factors.
Balance design choices with lighting. Rooms that have good lighting will clearly reveal the colors used in it. For this reason, bright rooms might need to be toned down a little with darker colors. Soft, light colors, however, work better for darker rooms.
The direction the windows in the room face also can have an effect on lighting. For example, if a room only receives evening light, this will generally be deeper in color and have a golden tint. This can give colors a muted tone.
Shadows may be cast by trees or outdoor features into the space you are decorating. Generally, you can expect shadows to have a darkening effect on your color scheme. Use lighter cool tones in this case.
Integrate your design with its intended function. Matching your decorating choices to suit the function of a place can make them feel more fitting. For example, even though red isn't traditionally considered soothing, it stimulates appetite, making it an excellent color to add to restaurants, dining rooms, and so on.
Green and shades of this color are great for sitting rooms, family spaces, and even offices.
The natural, soft feeling given from earth tones make these a strong choice for places like bedrooms or rooms without windows.
Dark colors, like blacks, grays, and earth tones can add definition to a room without becoming distracting. These are great colors to use in an office or reading room.
Coordinate with the existing features of your home. You'll likely have to plan your interior decorating around some existing features of your home. For example, re-flooring your home might not be an option, so you'll have to make design choices that match well with your current flooring. Other features you may have to integrate with your design include.
Cabinetry, wall color, fixtures (includes outlets, sink fixtures, door knobs, and so on), countertops, sills, and more.
Minimalism is one of the crowning architectural achievements of the 20th century. Spare and streamlined while still being inviting, minimalism is charming in almost any space. With less clutter to wade through and mentally process, the innate beauty of each piece of furniture or art in the home really starts to stand out.
Steps.
1. Change one room at a time. Unless you’re just moving into a place, it’s hard to simplify an entire house at once. Focus on one room, and let that be your center of calm. Use it to inspire you to simplify the next room, and the next. Then do the same outside!
2. Start with furniture. The biggest things in any room are the furniture, so it is always best to begin simplifying a room by looking at the furniture. The fewer pieces of furniture, the better (within reason, of course). Think of which furniture can be eliminated without sacrificing comfort and livability. Go for a few pieces of plain, simple furniture (here, an example of a minimalist coffee table) with solid, subdued colors.
3. Keep only the essentials. Whether looking at your furniture or anything else in the room, ask yourself if the item is truly essential. If you can live without it, get it out. Try to strip the room down to its essentials — you can always add a few choice items beyond the essentials later. Keep the whole design (house) on paper as simple as you can initially, with required components, and then slowly add décor as desired.
4. Clear floors. Except for the furniture, your floors should be completely clear. Nothing should clutter the floor, nothing should be stacked, nothing should be stored on the floor. Once you've gotten your furniture down to the bare essentials, clear everything else on the floor — either donate it, trash it, or find a place for it out of sight.
5. Clear surfaces. Same thing with all flat surfaces. Don’t have anything on them, except one or two simple decorations. Donate, trash or find an out-of-sight storage spot for everything else. It will make everything much more minimal-looking.
6. Clear walls. Some people hang all kinds of stuff on their walls. No-can-do in a minimalist home. Clear your walls except for one or two simple pieces of nice artwork.
7. Store stuff out of sight. This has been mentioned in the above tips, but you should store everything you need out of sight, in drawers and cabinets. Bookshelves can be used to store books or DVDs or CDs, but shouldn't have much else except a few simple decorations (not whole collections of things).
8. De-clutter. If you are clearing flat surfaces and the floor, and storing stuff in cabinets and drawers, you’ll probably want to de-clutter your storage areas too. You can do this in a later stage if you want.
9. Use simple artwork. To keep a room from being boring, you can put a simple painting, drawing or photo, framed with a subdued, solid color, on each wall if you want. Leave some walls bare if possible.
10. Use simple decorations. As mentioned in the above tips, one or two simple decorations can serve as accents for a minimalist room. A vase of flowers or a small potted plant are two classic examples. If the rest of your room has subdued colors, your accents could use a bright color (such as red or yellow) to draw the eye and give a plain room a splash of energy.
11. Prefer plain window treatments. Bare windows, or simple, solid colored curtains, or simple, wooden blinds are good. Too much ornate stuff around the windows is clutter.
12. Adopt plain patterns. Solid colors are best for floor coverings (if you have any), furniture, etc. Complex patterns, such as flowers or checkers, are visual clutter.
13. Make the most of subdued colors. You can have a splash of bright color in the room, but most of the room should be more subtle colors - white is classic minimalist, but really any solid colors that don’t stress the eyes are good (earth colors come to mind, such as blues, browns, tans, or greens).
14. Edit and eliminate. When you've simplified a room, you can probably do more. Give it a couple of days, then look at everything with a fresh eye. What can be eliminated? Stored out of sight? What’s not essential? You can come back to each room every few months, and sometimes you’ll discover things you can simplify even more.
15. Have a place for everything. In a minimalist house, it’s important that you find a place for everything. Where does your blender go? Aim for logical spots that are close to where the thing is used, to make things more efficient, but the key is to designate a spot and stick with it.
16. Sit back, relax, and enjoy. Once you've simplified a room, take a moment to look around and enjoy it. It’s so peaceful and satisfying. This is the reward for your hard work.
Question : I'm an 11-year-old girl and I'm trying to go minimalist, but my family are hoarders. What should I do?
Answer : You could just stick to maintaining a minimalist bedroom, but you might also try talking it over with your family. Maybe you could convince them to get rid of some stuff they don't need anymore, or at least put some things away in an attic, basement, or storage unit.
Question : What is the best color to paint a room that gets sun in the afternoon, to create a minimalist look?
Answer : A nice teal does wonders. It will brighten your room even when there's no sunlight.
Question : My room is bright teal. Should I paint it white?
Answer : That's up to you! If teal is getting old, then you can paint it white, but adding wall art and posters are also great ways to keep a room fun or just change things up. I suggest mandalas, because they are colorful and trendy!
Tips.
Accent decorations. A home completely clear of things could sometimes be a bit boring, actually. So instead of having a coffee table completely free of any objects, you could have a simple vase with a few flowers, for example. Or a clear desk might just have a family photo. An otherwise empty wall might have a tasteful piece of art. Modern minimalist home décor is not plain and empty, but rather is an attempt by the owner to produce home beauty with simpler or less ornamentation.
Clear surfaces. In a minimalist home, flat surfaces are clear, except for one or two decorations. There is not a mindless array of knick-knacks, and there are definitely no stacks of books, papers or other items.
Quality over quantity. Instead of having a lot of stuff in your home, you as a minimalist (or minimalist in training) would choose just a few really good things you love and use often. A really nice table, for example, is better than 5 pieces of press-board furniture.
A minimalist home is less stressful. Clutter is a form of visual distraction, and everything in our vision pulls at our attention at least a little. The less clutter, the less visual stress we have. A minimalist home is not only more calming, but also more appealing. Think about photos of homes that are cluttered (for example the A&E series Hoarders), and photos of minimalist homes. The ones with almost nothing in them except some beautiful furniture, some nice artwork, and a very few pretty decorations, are the ones that most appeal to us, even if only subconsciously.
A minimalist home is easier to clean. It's hard to clean a whole bunch of objects, or to sweep or vacuum around a bunch of furniture. The more stuff you have, the more you have to keep clean, and the more complicated it is to clean around the stuff. Think about how easy it is to clean an empty room compared to one with 50 objects in it. That's an extreme example, of course, as this article doesn't recommend you have an empty room, but it's just to illustrate the difference. Minimalist architecture uses the idea that less is more; ornamentation must be quality rather than quantity. The building (house) is stripped to the bare minimum leaving only necessary walls, simple large windows and a flat roof. This can produce the "great room" — the combining of the living room, kitchen and dining room that looks spacious. The style can use natural colours that can easily be seen in nature and the beauty of natural materials for finishes like real stone tiles, real metal and smooth wood panelling, etc. Such a style uses modern building materials and modern manufacturing processes, and not surprisingly, modernists may like the look and feel of such a home style.
Examples. The photo at the top of this article is a nice example of a minimalist home. Traditional-style Japanese homes (think wabi sabi for example) are another great example of minimalism.
Minimal furniture. A minimalist room would only contain a few essential pieces of furniture. A living room, for example, might only have a couch, another chair or love seat, a coffee table, a minimalist entertainment stand (not a huge one with a bunch of shelves), a television, and a couple of lamps. It could even contain less (couch, chairs, and coffee table, for example). A bedroom might have a simple bed (or even just a mattress), a dresser, and perhaps a night stand or bookshelf.
If it is difficult to start the process of clearing out clutter, try finding out what you use organically. For example, clothes - each time you wear something, turn the coat hanger around and after a certain time, you can see exactly what you don't wear. This will make it easier to clear once you see which clothes you don't need.
Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is celebrated every autumn in the northern hemisphere and every spring in the southern hemisphere. It usually falls between mid-October and mid-November. Celebrations may involve family feasts, colorful decorations in homes and temples, and prominent displays of light. Making or buying festive illuminations and decorations for your house is a great way to decorate your home for Diwali.
Adding Festive Decor to Your Home
Clean your home thoroughly before you decorate. Dust, sweep, do the laundry, clean all the rooms. It's customary to thoroughly clean your home to help welcome the Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and fortune, during the celebrations. Diwali also marks the start of the new year, so getting rid of old clutter and negativity feels like a fresh start for many.
Many Hindus and even non-Hindus also wait for Diwali to redecorate and paint their walls. To add some extra style without painting the whole house, you might sponge paint your room or just a single wall.
Usually, the guests and relatives are seated in the living room during celebrations. So you can take a little extra care to decorate your living room. Don't worry if your living room is not very big or fancy; having a clean, aromatic and well-lit room does the trick.
Use colored rice, sand, or painted materials to create rangoli. Rangoli, traditional art designs made on the floor during Diwali and other Hindu festivals, are traditionally made of colored granular substances, such as rice or sand. You can buy stencils to make rangoli on your own floor easily, or you can use chalk to draw the design for your own rangoli on the floor. Then use a funnel with a small opening to slowly pour the rice or sand on top of the design.
You can usually buy colored rice or sand at arts and crafts stores. However, you can also create your own colored rice by mixing 1 cup (240 mL) of rice, 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of vinegar, and 10 drops of food coloring in a container, covering the container, and shaking the ingredients together for 2 minutes. Make any pattern of your choice like flowers, the Goddess Lakshmi, a Mandala, etc.
If you’re on a budget or simply don’t want to deal with the hassle, simply paint elaborate designs on cardboard or pieces of wood and lay these on the floor as your rangoli. Make your wooden rangoli more elaborate by placing stones, mirrors, or beads on top of them to enhance the painted designs.
The general purpose of rangoli is to add decoration to your home and to bring good luck for your family. In some parts of South Asia, unmarried young women draw rangoli during the month of Margazhi to welcome the god Thirumal into their home and to hopefully find a husband in the near future.
Hang a colorful toran from your door. Buy and hang up prefabricated toran/bandankar or make your own out of greeting cards, craft paper, glitter, and beads. To keep with tradition, add marigolds or mango leaves to your toran and hang it across the outside of your front door for an auspicious and colorful piece of decor.
Most toran have flowers or leaves on them. However, if you don’t have any fresh flowers, you can also fold paper flowers or [[Fold a Paper Leaf|leaves out of decorative paper, or simply cut pieces of cardboard or craft paper into flower shapes and hang these from the toran.
Beyond simple decoration, toran also serve a religious purpose: they’re used to attract and welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, into your home.
Put up Tanjore paintings to brighten your prayer room. Many people take time during Diwali to add decorations to the prayer room in their house and make it exceptionally clean. To enhance your prayer room’s aesthetic, hang vividly colored Tanjore paintings in it and illuminate them with soft lighting.
For a more decorative look, hang paintings that also contain gold, glass beads, or precious gems.
Tanjore paintings are generally used as devotional icons. If you’re hanging paintings, especially for Diwali, they should ideally be compositions of Hindu gods, goddesses, or saints.
Decorate your walls with colorful paintings, murals, and designs. You don’t need to limit your wall decorations to your prayer room. If you have more paintings and murals, hang them on every wall in your house to make every room brighter and more colorful.
If you don’t have any paintings or murals, consider making your own wall decor out of old CDs, newspapers, greeting cards, craft paper, or just pieces of cloth.
Painting traditional motifs and designs on your walls is a great way to add vibrancy and color to your walls, as long as you’re willing to paint over them later!
Add color to your home by hanging garlands of flowers or pompoms. String together colorful bunches of flowers, pompoms, crepe paper art or any other vibrant and lightweight pieces of decor. Then, drape these garlands from the ceilings and across your household items to add a final bit of color to your home.
Any species of flower will do for your garlands, so long as they’re colorful! Get creative and make paper ring decorations and make shapes and patterns on the walls. These are cheap and easy to customize for your decor.
There are some species of flower that are believed to be preferred by certain Hindu gods. For example, Kali prefers red hibiscus, Lakshmi’s favorite flower is lotus, Lord Ganesha enjoys marigold, and jasmine is Lord Hanuman’s favorite flower.
The lotus is a symbol of spiritual liberation and knowledge. The Goddess Lakshmi carries it in her hand.. Make your home more inviting to the Goddess Lakshmi by making lovely paper lotus flowers and placing them near the light display so she sees them clearly.
Illuminating Your Home
Make plain candles festive with pressed flowers. Embed flowers in a plain white candle by placing a small amount of glue on them and pressing them flat against the candle. Then, heat some clear wax in a double boiler to 150 °F (66 °C), dip the candle in the wax for 30 seconds, then dip it into cold water and dry.
You should be able to achieve your desired thickness with 1 dip in the wax. However, you can repeat the process of dipping the candle in the hot wax and then dipping it in the cold water until you achieve the preferred amount of thickness.
Make sure you dip the candle in and out of the wax in a smooth motion to avoid making it lumpy.
The water you use doesn’t have to be ice cold; it just needs to be colder than room temperature.
You can use flowers of any shape, size, or species to press into your candles, so long as they’re colorful! If you’d like your candles to have more religious significance, some examples of flowers preferred by Hindu gods include red hibiscus, lotus, marigold, and jasmine.
Make this activity fun for kids by having them fingerprint a design on your candles.
Draw henna designs onto plain white candles. Use henna paste and a henna tattoo cone to create beautiful, auspicious designs on your candles. Leave the henna designs to dry for at least 1 hour or overnight for best results.
Your designs can be anything you wish. Traditional henna motifs include flowers, stars, water drops, spirals, and leaves, but feel free to make your own design as well!
Decorate with diyas. Diya oil lamps are a very common decoration during Diwali, used throughout the Indian subcontinent. You can easily buy cheap earthen diyas. Alternatively, you can try using fruit or seashells for easy homemade diyas, as long as they're sturdy. To make your own unique and original diyas, carve out the inside of a piece of fruit and place a candle inside it, or simply put a candle in a large seashell with a flat bottom.
For best results, use a fruit with a rind that is easy to keep together and manipulate, like an orange or an apple.
You can also use prefabricated diyas made of more traditional materials, such as clay or brass. These can be bought at most South Asian grocery stores. Try making oil lamps at home. You can make them colourful and use the scented oil of your choice.
Diyas are very significant in Hinduism; they symbolize knowledge, enlightenment, and one’s submission to a higher power. If you have a special design in mind or are keen to make unique diyas of your own, you can create beautiful patterns on plain diyas with colours, flower, stones or even try using recycled materials.
Create interesting light displays with lampshades and lace candles. You can use traditional string lights that suit your decor, or make your own lampshades. Draw floral patterns, stars, or other designs on the sides of a small cardboard box and cut them out. Then, place the box over a lightbulb to create festive displays of light. Alternatively, wrap lace around a mason jar and place a candle inside to produce a similar effect.
Experiment with different colors and designs of lace to see which best create the atmosphere you’re trying to bring about in your home. For Diwali, colorful lace works best!
If you have access to a colorful cardboard box, use that instead of a plain box to make your lampshade more festive.
If you’d rather not make your own lampshade, there are plenty of prefabricated lampshades with cutouts available online or in home decor stores.
Wrap cinnamon sticks around your candles to spice up your home. Tie a number of cinnamon sticks around a mason jar or glass. Then, place a candle inside the glass and light it. Cinnamon candles not only add a woody theme to your home, but the heat from the candle will also cause the cinnamon sticks to release their fragrance and fill the area with the smell of cinnamon.
If your candle is relatively thick, simply place your cinnamon sticks directly against it and wrap them together with a rubber band.
Hang colorful strings of light bulbs and paper cups. Place colorful paper cups, seashells, or doilies over light bulbs on a string and hang them across the tops of your walls for a dazzling display of light and color. Or, simply opt for colorful varieties of fairy lights and hang these for an easy yet effective light display.
Colorful paper cups and doilies can be purchased at any crafting store. You might also be able to find seashells in crafting stores, although you can also just find them along the seashore.
Place lights inside colored glass bottles or jars to make lanterns. Find any empty glass bottles or jars that are lying around your house, especially ones that are colored, and make sure their interiors are clean. Then, place candles or light bulbs on the inside to make beautiful colored lanterns.
If you have empty bottles or jars that aren’t colored, simply cover them with bright cellophane paper to give them some color. You can also create designs in the paper for added effect.
You can make Mason jar candles and scented candles to fill your home with delightful fragrances.
For the best aesthetic appearance, use Mason jars and glass bottles with unique or elaborate shapes to them.
If you’re on a budget, it might seem impossible to redecorate your home. After all, home furnishings and decor can be very expensive if you buy everything all at once. Luckily, though, there are plenty of ways to save money as you freshen up your home’s appearance. Try buying items a little at a time, and buy second-hand or find great sales whenever you can. Also, look for creative ways to repurpose items you already have, or even upcycle things you find while you’re shopping!
Method 1 Adding Personality with Small Details.
1. Display your favorite items out in the open. Showing off something you already have is a great way to decorate without spending any money at all. If you have a piece that always makes you smile, like a special heirloom or a painting you love, put it somewhere you spend a lot of time, like your bedroom, kitchen, or living room. As you’re choosing other items for that room, try to think of what will go with the pieces you love the most.
For instance, if you hang up a painting in your living room, look for throw pillows or a rug that have some of the same colors as the painting.
Get rid of items you don’t love and just display the decor that you really like. Your favorite items will become statement pieces, and you’ll appreciate what you do have more.
2. Choose brightly-colored items to draw attention to an area. If there’s a feature in your home that you really like, such as a mantle with interesting molding or a bookshelf where you keep your books, draw attention to it with bright colors. Your eye will automatically be drawn to the brighter shades, making that area really stand out.
For instance, you might put a bright glass vase on a shelf to add a pop of color, or you could hang a colorful painting on the wall above your fireplace to show it off.
Look through the things you already have to find bright colors, or buy accent pieces on sale or at secondhand stores.
3. Arrange items in odd-numbered groups. For some reason, people find odd numbers of items more pleasing to look at than even-numbered groups. As you’re deciding where to place decor around your home, you can elevate the styling by sticking to odd-numbered arrangements.
For instance, you might try stacking 5 books together on a shelf, flanked by 2 heavy bookends, or you could use an odd number of picture frames if you create a gallery wall.
You could also make a tableau out of different objects, such as a vase, a painting leaned against the wall, and a small bowl filled with pretty rocks.
This is a simple trick that you can use to freshen up your decor without buying anything new!
4. Buy sheets and bedding on sale to update your bedroom. Look for seasonal home sales throughout the year, and when you find a good one, buy new sheets, pillowcases, and a comforter for your bedroom. This small change can make your bedroom feel more luxurious and can pull the room together, and if you find a good deal, it doesn’t have to cost very much money.
If you have a sewing machine, you can even make your own sheets!
Just buy throw pillows or a throw blanket in a fun new pattern or color if you can’t afford to buy a whole set of bedding at once.
5. Buy or make new throw pillows for your couch to personalize your living area. Throw pillows make your couch seem more inviting and comfy, and they can also help pull the design of your room together. Choose pillows in a color that’s used somewhere else in the room, or find them in a design that goes with the theme of the room.
For instance, if your room has a nature theme, you might choose pillows with a design featuring leaves, trees, or birds.
You can even recover your old throw pillows to give them a new look. Buying pillow covers is cheaper and can change the look of items simply and inexpensively.
6. Make your own curtains to add a pretty touch to any window. Curtains add a touch of elegance to a room, but buying drapes can be very expensive. If you can’t find a good sale on curtains you love, try making your own. Just sew a pocket into the top of a long strip of fabric, hem the other end, and run a curtain rod through the pocket.
You can also make your own shower curtain to freshen up your bathroom! Just make sure you use a waterproof shower curtain liner so the fabric doesn’t get water-stained.
Shower curtains and sheets can be fashioned into curtains as well. If you find a pattern or color you love, don't hesitate to use these for drapery.
7. Update your cabinet pulls, faucets, and other small hardware. The knobs on your cabinets and drawers, the handles on our sink and bathtub, and the knobs on your appliances can all get grimy and dull over time. Replace them to freshen up the look of your bathroom and kitchen without spending a lot of money.
Tip: If you like the hardware you already have, but it’s seen better days, try giving it a good clean with melamine foam or oxygen bleach.
8. Add a touch of nature with houseplants, flowers, and fruit. Houseplants are calming, beautiful, and good for the environment, making them a perfect addition for indoor decor. However, if you’re afraid you don’t have a green thumb, you can fill a vase or a bowl with fresh flowers or fruit, and change it whenever they start to turn brown.
You can even use artificial plants or flowers, but remember to dust them regularly!
9. Make your own art with inexpensive picture frames. Framed art doesn’t have to be expensive to look amazing. Buy several inexpensive frames that are the same color, shape, or size. Then, frame photos of your loved ones, pressed flowers, old calendar pages, or even pictures you print out from online!
Group several frames together to create your very own gallery wall.
If you have small keepsakes you’d like to display, place them in a shadow box and hang them on your wall.
Method 2 Finding Cheap or Free Items.
1. Rearrange the furniture you already have in your house. The easiest way to refresh your home is to rearrange your furniture and move your decor around. Think about how you’d like your space to look when you’re finished decorating. Then, go from room to room, looking at each piece of furniture or decorative object. Try to imagine how you could re-use each piece, and you might be surprised what you can come up with!
Sometimes just moving a big piece of furniture, like your couch or your bed, can give you a whole new perspective on a room!
With a little imagination, you might find that the nightstand in your spare room would make an awesome TV stand, or an old trunk could become the perfect coffee table!
Try to keep as many of your current possessions as you can. You’ll spend a lot more money redecorating if you try to replace everything at once.
Use things that you wouldn’t normally use for different purposes - like an old trunk as a coffee table or a scarf as a wall hanging.
2. Ask your family and friends if they have furniture or decor they don’t want. Reach out to your network and let them know you’re trying to change things up around your house. Keep in mind, however, that you shouldn’t take anything unless you really like or need it. Otherwise, you’ll just be adding clutter to your home.
If you know anyone who is moving, they might be happy to get rid of some items and you could take them off their hands. Even they aren't perfect, you can paint items or change them up to fit your style.
You can even post on social media asking if anyone has a specific item that you’re looking for.
3. Shop secondhand to find pieces you love at a deep discount. If you’re shopping on a budget, thrift stores, secondhand stores, yard sales, flea markets, and estate sales can be a great way to find items you wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. Sometimes you can even find new or like-new items at a huge discount.
Secondhand shops tend to have a lot of turnover in their inventory, so you may want to visit the same shops a few different times through the redecorating process, especially if you like the kind of items they carry. If you need to, travel to shops in nearby neighborhoods to find a wider selection.
Shopping after the holidays and during the spring is a good idea, because people tend to clean out their homes then.
Don’t be discouraged from buying something that has chipped paint, a dent or is slightly worn - this can all be easily fixed and adds character.
If you notice that an item has been at a certain shop for a while without selling, ask the manager if they’d be willing to sell it to you at a discount. This can be especially helpful if you’re buying large furniture, since the store will sometimes be eager to reclaim their floor space.
Tip: Pay attention to the prices of items, even in a secondhand shop. Some shops, especially those specializing in antiques, can still be quite pricey.
4. Look for sales if you’re buying new items. Don’t feel that everything you buy needs to be secondhand. Many retailers offer big sales throughout the year, especially around holidays. Look in your local newspaper, watch for TV commercials advertising sales, or check the stores’ websites so you’ll know when a sale is coming up.
You can also sign up for emails from some of the stores you like so you can be notified when a sale is coming up. There are even websites that are dedicated to finding deals, and you can sign up for email alerts from them as well.
Check your favorite stores online - there is usually a discount for online shopping and it will save you time as well.
Also, don’t forget to check the clearance section once you’re in the store. Often, shops will put a steep discount on merchandise that’s left over from a seasonal promotion or an older collection. These sales are typically not advertised.
5. Refinish or reupholster furniture to give it a new look. When you’re shopping, especially if you’re looking at secondhand items, pay more attention to the shape of the furniture than the color of it. You can sand away the existing stain on wood furniture and restain it or paint it to give it a whole new look. You can also reupholster fabric-covered furniture, like couches, recliners, and dining chairs!
Sometimes, you can save a lot of money by buying unfinished wood furniture. That means the wood is still in its natural state, and it hasn’t been sealed or stained. Try looking online to find a store near you that specializes in unfinished furniture.
Try changing out the drawer pulls on a dresser to give it a fresh, updated look. Even better, you can buy inexpensive drawer pulls from a home improvement store for just a few dollars!
You can even replace the foam in worn-out cushions to make the piece seem as good as new.
6. Don’t try to redecorate everything at once. If you’re on a budget, it’s not practical to try to buy everything all at the same time. Instead, try to embrace the idea that redecorating your home is a long-term project. Make a little time on the weekends to hunt for a great deal or a unique treasure that you’ll love.
It might help to focus on one room at a time, but don’t let that keep you from buying something for another room if you see a great deal. If you're redecorating your living room first but you see the perfect comforter on clearance, for instance, you might want to buy it if you can.
If shopping isn’t your favorite thing to do, find a friend who’ll be happy to go with you. That will help make the experience more fun for you.
Don’t feel like you have to finish one space at a time. Especially if you're on a budget, it can be hard to wait for the perfect piece to go on sale or to find it second hand. Pick up things when you find a good deal and it will all come together eventually.
Method 3 Making Cheap Updates.
1. Paint the walls with a new coat of paint to freshen up a room. If you own your home or have permission from your landlord, painting is an inexpensive way to brighten everything up and make it look newer. Take everything out of the room that you can and cover the floor with a drop cloth. Then, cover the wall in 1-2 coats of primer, let those dry, and go back over the walls with your chosen paint color.
Light colors will make a room look larger, so avoid very dark colors in a small room.
Cool colors like blue and green are relaxing, so they’re a great choice for bedrooms. Warm colors are very inviting, so they’re great for living areas and kitchens.
You can even get creative by painting one wall a different color or by adding stripes,chevrons, or chalkboard paint to your walls.
If you love the look of wallpaper but don’t have room in your budget, use a stencil to paint a pattern on your walls instead!
If you have dark trim or wooden doors, you can paint those too for a fresh, updated look.
2. Change the light fixtures in a room for a quick upgrade. Dated or ugly light fixtures can bring down the look of a room, even if you don’t consciously pay attention to them. If you can find a good deal on a new light fixture, changing it yourself is usually pretty easy. Just turn off the power to the room at your circuit breaker, remove the old light fixture, and rewire the new one. Take care to match up the negative and positive wires, then attach the new fixture to the ceiling with the provided brackets and screws.
Don’t feel that you necessarily have to buy new light fixtures. Sometimes, all it takes it a good cleaning or a coat of spray paint to bring new life to the light fixtures you already have.
Adding a new shade or cover is inexpensive and can quickly update the look of older fixtures.
If you don’t feel comfortable working with wiring yourself, it might be worth it to save up and have an electrician do the job.
Tip: If you have a lot of lamps, try updating your lamp shades!
3. Cover the back of a bookcase with contact paper to give it a new look. Bookcases provide a lot of practical storage, so even if you’re not in love with yours, it might be best to keep it. Luckily, you can give it new life by covering the back walls with colorful contact paper, wallpaper scraps, or even fabric. This will brighten up the bookcase and will provide a nice contrast to show off whatever you’re displaying on the shelves.
You can also paint your bookcase, if you’d like. Paint it a different color from the walls to make it stand out, or paint it the same color if you want it to look like it’s a part of the wall.
4. Add architectural trim to your walls. Architectural trim, also called molding or decorative trim, can make a room look expensive, but it doesn’t necessarily cost a lot. Try installing it around your ceiling or floors, on your cabinets, or around your windows to create an upscale look on a budget.
You can even find stick-on molding, making this project easy and cheap!
To mimic the look of moldings, add trim 6 inches above your floor trim and paint the gap to match the trim. This will give you the look of architectural trim for less than half of the usual price.
5. Add rugs to bring warmth to a room. Carpeting and rugs create a cozy, warm feeling, but replacing your carpet can be very expensive. Instead, look for sales on area rugs that match your theme or color palette for each room.
If buying a new rug is too expensive, visit a flooring store and ask if they have vinyl remnants. These are pieces of vinyl left over from previous projects that are too small to re-use, but are often large enough to use as an area rug. To personalize the look even more, paint a design on the remnant with acrylic paints and seal with concrete sealer.
6. Hang mirrors to make a room feel larger. Look for large mirrors at secondhand shops and home improvement stores, then install them wherever you need more space. Mirrors help create an optical illusion that a space is larger than it really is, so wall mirrors are a great touch in smaller rooms or narrow hallways. In addition, the mirrors will reflect any light that’s in the room, making it look brighter.
If you like the shape of a mirror but not the frame, try painting it!
If you have an unframed mirror in your bathroom and can’t afford a new one, you can frame your mirror in by attaching moldings around all four sides.
Tips.
Look for DIY design ideas for fun projects to decorate your home that you can do yourself!
Warnings.
Whenever you're painting, priming, or sanding something, make sure the room is well-ventilated, and take regular breaks to get fresh air.
If you’re on a budget, it might seem impossible to redecorate your home. After all, home furnishings and decor can be very expensive if you buy everything all at once. Luckily, though, there are plenty of ways to save money as you freshen up your home’s appearance. Try buying items a little at a time, and buy second-hand or find great sales whenever you can. Also, look for creative ways to repurpose items you already have, or even upcycle things you find while you’re shopping!
Method 1 Adding Personality with Small Details.
1. Display your favorite items out in the open. Showing off something you already have is a great way to decorate without spending any money at all. If you have a piece that always makes you smile, like a special heirloom or a painting you love, put it somewhere you spend a lot of time, like your bedroom, kitchen, or living room. As you’re choosing other items for that room, try to think of what will go with the pieces you love the most.
For instance, if you hang up a painting in your living room, look for throw pillows or a rug that have some of the same colors as the painting.
Get rid of items you don’t love and just display the decor that you really like. Your favorite items will become statement pieces, and you’ll appreciate what you do have more.
2. Choose brightly-colored items to draw attention to an area. If there’s a feature in your home that you really like, such as a mantle with interesting molding or a bookshelf where you keep your books, draw attention to it with bright colors. Your eye will automatically be drawn to the brighter shades, making that area really stand out.
For instance, you might put a bright glass vase on a shelf to add a pop of color, or you could hang a colorful painting on the wall above your fireplace to show it off.
Look through the things you already have to find bright colors, or buy accent pieces on sale or at secondhand stores.
3. Arrange items in odd-numbered groups. For some reason, people find odd numbers of items more pleasing to look at than even-numbered groups. As you’re deciding where to place decor around your home, you can elevate the styling by sticking to odd-numbered arrangements.
For instance, you might try stacking 5 books together on a shelf, flanked by 2 heavy bookends, or you could use an odd number of picture frames if you create a gallery wall.
You could also make a tableau out of different objects, such as a vase, a painting leaned against the wall, and a small bowl filled with pretty rocks.
This is a simple trick that you can use to freshen up your decor without buying anything new!
4. Buy sheets and bedding on sale to update your bedroom. Look for seasonal home sales throughout the year, and when you find a good one, buy new sheets, pillowcases, and a comforter for your bedroom. This small change can make your bedroom feel more luxurious and can pull the room together, and if you find a good deal, it doesn’t have to cost very much money.
If you have a sewing machine, you can even make your own sheets!
Just buy throw pillows or a throw blanket in a fun new pattern or color if you can’t afford to buy a whole set of bedding at once.
5. Buy or make new throw pillows for your couch to personalize your living area. Throw pillows make your couch seem more inviting and comfy, and they can also help pull the design of your room together. Choose pillows in a color that’s used somewhere else in the room, or find them in a design that goes with the theme of the room.
For instance, if your room has a nature theme, you might choose pillows with a design featuring leaves, trees, or birds.
You can even recover your old throw pillows to give them a new look. Buying pillow covers is cheaper and can change the look of items simply and inexpensively.
6. Make your own curtains to add a pretty touch to any window. Curtains add a touch of elegance to a room, but buying drapes can be very expensive. If you can’t find a good sale on curtains you love, try making your own. Just sew a pocket into the top of a long strip of fabric, hem the other end, and run a curtain rod through the pocket.
You can also make your own shower curtain to freshen up your bathroom! Just make sure you use a waterproof shower curtain liner so the fabric doesn’t get water-stained.
Shower curtains and sheets can be fashioned into curtains as well. If you find a pattern or color you love, don't hesitate to use these for drapery.
7. Update your cabinet pulls, faucets, and other small hardware. The knobs on your cabinets and drawers, the handles on our sink and bathtub, and the knobs on your appliances can all get grimy and dull over time. Replace them to freshen up the look of your bathroom and kitchen without spending a lot of money.
Tip: If you like the hardware you already have, but it’s seen better days, try giving it a good clean with melamine foam or oxygen bleach.
8. Add a touch of nature with houseplants, flowers, and fruit. Houseplants are calming, beautiful, and good for the environment, making them a perfect addition for indoor decor. However, if you’re afraid you don’t have a green thumb, you can fill a vase or a bowl with fresh flowers or fruit, and change it whenever they start to turn brown.
You can even use artificial plants or flowers, but remember to dust them regularly!
9. Make your own art with inexpensive picture frames. Framed art doesn’t have to be expensive to look amazing. Buy several inexpensive frames that are the same color, shape, or size. Then, frame photos of your loved ones, pressed flowers, old calendar pages, or even pictures you print out from online!
Group several frames together to create your very own gallery wall.
If you have small keepsakes you’d like to display, place them in a shadow box and hang them on your wall.
Method 2 Finding Cheap or Free Items.
1. Rearrange the furniture you already have in your house. The easiest way to refresh your home is to rearrange your furniture and move your decor around. Think about how you’d like your space to look when you’re finished decorating. Then, go from room to room, looking at each piece of furniture or decorative object. Try to imagine how you could re-use each piece, and you might be surprised what you can come up with!
Sometimes just moving a big piece of furniture, like your couch or your bed, can give you a whole new perspective on a room!
With a little imagination, you might find that the nightstand in your spare room would make an awesome TV stand, or an old trunk could become the perfect coffee table!
Try to keep as many of your current possessions as you can. You’ll spend a lot more money redecorating if you try to replace everything at once.
Use things that you wouldn’t normally use for different purposes - like an old trunk as a coffee table or a scarf as a wall hanging.
2. Ask your family and friends if they have furniture or decor they don’t want. Reach out to your network and let them know you’re trying to change things up around your house. Keep in mind, however, that you shouldn’t take anything unless you really like or need it. Otherwise, you’ll just be adding clutter to your home.
If you know anyone who is moving, they might be happy to get rid of some items and you could take them off their hands. Even they aren't perfect, you can paint items or change them up to fit your style.
You can even post on social media asking if anyone has a specific item that you’re looking for.
3. Shop secondhand to find pieces you love at a deep discount. If you’re shopping on a budget, thrift stores, secondhand stores, yard sales, flea markets, and estate sales can be a great way to find items you wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. Sometimes you can even find new or like-new items at a huge discount.
Secondhand shops tend to have a lot of turnover in their inventory, so you may want to visit the same shops a few different times through the redecorating process, especially if you like the kind of items they carry. If you need to, travel to shops in nearby neighborhoods to find a wider selection.
Shopping after the holidays and during the spring is a good idea, because people tend to clean out their homes then.
Don’t be discouraged from buying something that has chipped paint, a dent or is slightly worn - this can all be easily fixed and adds character.
If you notice that an item has been at a certain shop for a while without selling, ask the manager if they’d be willing to sell it to you at a discount. This can be especially helpful if you’re buying large furniture, since the store will sometimes be eager to reclaim their floor space.
Tip: Pay attention to the prices of items, even in a secondhand shop. Some shops, especially those specializing in antiques, can still be quite pricey.
4. Look for sales if you’re buying new items. Don’t feel that everything you buy needs to be secondhand. Many retailers offer big sales throughout the year, especially around holidays. Look in your local newspaper, watch for TV commercials advertising sales, or check the stores’ websites so you’ll know when a sale is coming up.
You can also sign up for emails from some of the stores you like so you can be notified when a sale is coming up. There are even websites that are dedicated to finding deals, and you can sign up for email alerts from them as well.
Check your favorite stores online - there is usually a discount for online shopping and it will save you time as well.
Also, don’t forget to check the clearance section once you’re in the store. Often, shops will put a steep discount on merchandise that’s left over from a seasonal promotion or an older collection. These sales are typically not advertised.
5. Refinish or reupholster furniture to give it a new look. When you’re shopping, especially if you’re looking at secondhand items, pay more attention to the shape of the furniture than the color of it. You can sand away the existing stain on wood furniture and restain it or paint it to give it a whole new look. You can also reupholster fabric-covered furniture, like couches, recliners, and dining chairs!
Sometimes, you can save a lot of money by buying unfinished wood furniture. That means the wood is still in its natural state, and it hasn’t been sealed or stained. Try looking online to find a store near you that specializes in unfinished furniture.
Try changing out the drawer pulls on a dresser to give it a fresh, updated look. Even better, you can buy inexpensive drawer pulls from a home improvement store for just a few dollars!
You can even replace the foam in worn-out cushions to make the piece seem as good as new.
6. Don’t try to redecorate everything at once. If you’re on a budget, it’s not practical to try to buy everything all at the same time. Instead, try to embrace the idea that redecorating your home is a long-term project. Make a little time on the weekends to hunt for a great deal or a unique treasure that you’ll love.
It might help to focus on one room at a time, but don’t let that keep you from buying something for another room if you see a great deal. If you're redecorating your living room first but you see the perfect comforter on clearance, for instance, you might want to buy it if you can.
If shopping isn’t your favorite thing to do, find a friend who’ll be happy to go with you. That will help make the experience more fun for you.
Don’t feel like you have to finish one space at a time. Especially if you're on a budget, it can be hard to wait for the perfect piece to go on sale or to find it second hand. Pick up things when you find a good deal and it will all come together eventually.
Method 3 Making Cheap Updates.
1. Paint the walls with a new coat of paint to freshen up a room. If you own your home or have permission from your landlord, painting is an inexpensive way to brighten everything up and make it look newer. Take everything out of the room that you can and cover the floor with a drop cloth. Then, cover the wall in 1-2 coats of primer, let those dry, and go back over the walls with your chosen paint color.
Light colors will make a room look larger, so avoid very dark colors in a small room.
Cool colors like blue and green are relaxing, so they’re a great choice for bedrooms. Warm colors are very inviting, so they’re great for living areas and kitchens.
You can even get creative by painting one wall a different color or by adding stripes, chevrons, or chalkboard paint to your walls.
If you love the look of wallpaper but don’t have room in your budget, use a stencil to paint a pattern on your walls instead!
If you have dark trim or wooden doors, you can paint those too for a fresh, updated look.
2. Change the light fixtures in a room for a quick upgrade. Dated or ugly light fixtures can bring down the look of a room, even if you don’t consciously pay attention to them. If you can find a good deal on a new light fixture, changing it yourself is usually pretty easy. Just turn off the power to the room at your circuit breaker, remove the old light fixture, and rewire the new one. Take care to match up the negative and positive wires, then attach the new fixture to the ceiling with the provided brackets and screws.
Don’t feel that you necessarily have to buy new light fixtures. Sometimes, all it takes it a good cleaning or a coat of spray paint to bring new life to the light fixtures you already have.
Adding a new shade or cover is inexpensive and can quickly update the look of older fixtures.
If you don’t feel comfortable working with wiring yourself, it might be worth it to save up and have an electrician do the job.
Tip: If you have a lot of lamps, try updating your lamp shades!
3. Cover the back of a bookcase with contact paper to give it a new look. Bookcases provide a lot of practical storage, so even if you’re not in love with yours, it might be best to keep it. Luckily, you can give it new life by covering the back walls with colorful contact paper, wallpaper scraps, or even fabric. This will brighten up the bookcase and will provide a nice contrast to show off whatever you’re displaying on the shelves.
You can also paint your bookcase, if you’d like. Paint it a different color from the walls to make it stand out, or paint it the same color if you want it to look like it’s a part of the wall.
4. Add architectural trim to your walls. Architectural trim, also called molding or decorative trim, can make a room look expensive, but it doesn’t necessarily cost a lot. Try installing it around your ceiling or floors, on your cabinets, or around your windows to create an upscale look on a budget.
You can even find stick-on molding, making this project easy and cheap!
To mimic the look of moldings, add trim 6 inches above your floor trim and paint the gap to match the trim. This will give you the look of architectural trim for less than half of the usual price.
5. Add rugs to bring warmth to a room. Carpeting and rugs create a cozy, warm feeling, but replacing your carpet can be very expensive. Instead, look for sales on area rugs that match your theme or color palette for each room.
If buying a new rug is too expensive, visit a flooring store and ask if they have vinyl remnants. These are pieces of vinyl left over from previous projects that are too small to re-use, but are often large enough to use as an area rug. To personalize the look even more, paint a design on the remnant with acrylic paints and seal with concrete sealer.
6. Hang mirrors to make a room feel larger. Look for large mirrors at secondhand shops and home improvement stores, then install them wherever you need more space. Mirrors help create an optical illusion that a space is larger than it really is, so wall mirrors are a great touch in smaller rooms or narrow hallways. In addition, the mirrors will reflect any light that’s in the room, making it look brighter.
If you like the shape of a mirror but not the frame, try painting it!
If you have an unframed mirror in your bathroom and can’t afford a new one, you can frame your mirror in by attaching moldings around all four sides.
Question : Can I use a blanket as a rug?
Answer : If it is a tightly woven blanket it might work, but make sure it can be walked on without sliding around a lot. Also make sure it can be cleaned well and won't be torn or unraveled if used as a rug. There are certain bath mats that can be used for house rugs, too. It's great if it can be machine washable.
Tips.
Look for DIY design ideas for fun projects to decorate your home that you can do yourself!
Warnings.
Whenever you're painting, priming, or sanding something, make sure the room is well-ventilated, and take regular breaks to get fresh air.
Nothing transforms an ordinary room faster than adding some metallic. Not only does it brighten up your space, it instantly adds a touch of glamor and modernity. However, like with many trends, it’s important to keep from going overboard. A sophisticated room can turn into a funhouse with just a few too many metallic accents. If you’re interested in using metallic in your home décor, there are a few design techniques you should keep in mind.
Part 1 Adding Accessories.
1. Start small. If you’re new to this trend and haven’t played around with metallics before, don’t go big right away. Try adding a few small pieces to a room first, just to get a feel for how it works in your home – and to confirm you like metallic décor! Adding a metallic gold vase as a table centerpiece or hanging up a mirror with bronze trim are examples of ways you can add a bit of bling to your space without feeling overwhelmed.
2. Purchase versatile items. If you aren’t a professional interior decorator, you might not have a grand vision for your space. That’s OK! You can always buy a few items that can work in several places around your home, and you can play around with them. Look for pieces that can work in your bedroom or your living room, or the bathroom or the kitchen. You can move things around and experiment.
A metallic picture frame is a small touch that can add a lot to a space, but can also work in virtually any space. The same goes for metallic lamps, trays, bowls, and so on.
3. Try out things that aren’t permanent. If you aren’t ready to fully embrace this trend yet, why not purchase a few temporary metallic accessories? For example, consider using fun golds and silvers in your holiday or seasonal décor. You can find festive throw pillows, table settings, display trinkets, and so on. If you still love the metallic trend when the season or holiday ends, you can get some décor that is more permanent.
4. Use one metallic statement piece. If you don't want to fill your home with various metallic pieces, or simply only have one metallic piece that interests you, why not just use it solo to make a statement? Whether it's a metallic tea tray on your coffee table or one metallic piece of art on your mantle, one statement piece will draw the eye immediately. You don't need to add metallics to every corner of the room to embrace this trend in your home.
Part 2 Choosing your Metallics Wisely.
1. Consider the different types of metallics. After all, not all metallics are created equal. A shiny, smooth gold will create a different effect in a room than a hammered gold. Any metallic with an antiqued finish will look darker and older, and a metallic with a brushed finish will be more matte. If you’re not interested in traditional gold or silver, don’t overlook copper and bronze décor! Also, don’t be afraid to mix and match metallics to create a lot of interest.
Again, if you aren’t sure which one you’ll prefer over time in your home, try out a few smaller, temporary pieces! You can get an idea for your personal preference without committing to anything or shelling out a lot of cash.
Don’t buy a certain type of metallic simply because it’s recommended with your color palette or someone suggested it. Choose a metallic that you personally love, and you won’t get sick of it.
2. Gather inspiration from the professionals. If your space needs a makeover, try heading to Pinterest before heading to Home Goods. You can also find decorating ideas from interior design magazines and websites. Even if you have experience decorating your home, it never hurts to check out what other people are doing. You can see how the professionals are using metallics in homes, and you might discover combinations or ideas that you never considered.
3. Repurpose things you already own. Giving your own furniture or décor a metallic makeover is a great way to save a little money and extend the life of your belongings. Instead of tossing that plain wooden dresser you’re sick of, give it a makeover. A coat of black or white paint with some metallic knobs or accents will make it look like a whole new piece. The same goes for old chairs, tables, desks, and so on. You can find metallic spray paints in every hue at a home improvement store.
Part 3 Balancing Out the Space.
1. Pair metallics with soft fabrics. To bring balance to the room you’re decorating, it’s a great idea to pair opposites. In other words, try blending your metallic décor with soft fabrics. A vibrant gold bowl placed on a faux fur place mat creates a beautiful contrast. Adding a metallic throw pillow to a soft velvet armchair strikes that same balance.
Not only do these pairings create balance, but they also allow the metallic element to really stand out.
2. Use a neutral color palette. Using metallics to decorate your home is a pretty bold choice, and it’s typically best to let those elements be the focal point. In order to do this, try to keep the rest of the room fairly neutral. Pair your metallics with colors like gray, white, cream, black, and so on. Not only is this extremely modern and on trend, it’s also much more welcoming and “livable.”
Pairing some already flashy metallic décor with colors like hot pink or electric blue is certainly a bold choice, but you’re likely to get a bit sick of it after awhile.
3. Let the metallics have the spotlight. The other tips have alluded to it, but the key to using metallic in your home décor is to let those pieces have the spotlight. By keeping the rest of your décor neutral, soft, and simplistic, you’ll ensure that your space doesn’t become overwhelming. For example, if there’s a metallic coffee table that you love, go for it! Just keep the couch and rug neutral, and let that table have the spotlight.
The added bonus of keeping your spaces pretty neutral is that you will be able to swap different metallic pieces in and out as you like!
