Don’t let the word “transform” intimidate you. Although the phrase “dramatic change” is associated with it, the how-to of transforming your house into a home can be practical and realistic. Besides being fashionable using stylish slipcovers for sofas as well as utilizing different sofa brands, refurbishing space and picking up accessorizing, and so on, and so forth, there are several more designing must-dos few people know of.
Below are 7 best tips and practices from interior design experts regarding how to spruce up your ceiling-to-floor and wall-to-wall in a fun and creative way!
Best Tips For Redecorating And Redesigning Your Home
1. Wall Color. Crucial. But Don’t Overthink It
Wall pigment is among the variables that impact the “tone” of a room. Of course, ornamentation will speak volumes in this department, too. Yet there’s no doubt that wall color can shift the overall feel of a room in one way or another, depending on the shade you choose.
Experts say that neutrals are a safe approach if “safe” is what you’re aiming for. No frills. No drama. Minimalist. But if you want to color outside the box, so to speak, let one or two walls have a stand-out color, to give the room a sense of depth. It’s also an effortless means towards achieving a modern-chic look at the onset.
The trick to this is to choose a “light” color for a majority of the walls and then a contrasting one for said one or two sides.
2. Layered Lighting
You often hear that lighting is key to sprucing up a place. And it is. We totally agree. But besides making sure that an area is lit (in slang and in its literal definition), why not layer it? Layer lighting fixtures.
This entails using various designs and fixture types. Try not to stick to plain utility LEDs. Or perhaps you can, but not completely. Common rooms such as your living room, sitting corners, dining room are better off with a mix of both utility and unconventional ceiling lights. Semi-flush to flush lights, and pendant lights to inverted pendant lights. You name it.
For a modern-industrial vibe, track lighting and rail lighting are it. On the other hand, if you don’t want to chuck utility LEDs aside, go for indirect lighting using LEDs or have recessed lighting. In general, the point is to vary your lighting fixtures in sections of your home. (See number 3)
3. Ambient, Task, and Accent
Very closely linked to number 2 are these three words— ambient, accent, and task. These are 3 of the basic kinds of lighting you should have in every room (a callback to coordinating layered lighting).
Accent lighting is much more decorative than functional. Hence, we’ll leave selecting their design to you. Ambient lighting is mainly responsible for brightening the entire room. The third is the task lighting, it lights up certain areas (examples are reading lamps, stove lighting, etc.).
An extra tip? Here’s a formula: every square foot of main rooms should be illuminated by approximately 42 lumens. That’s equivalent to an estimated 3 watts per said square footage. The other lighting types and designs are your call.
4. Mirrors.
You might have heard already that mirrors are secret weapons in interior design. The question is, “how?” What exactly can you do to utilize them properly? The answer? One. One mirror per room or per division in your abode.
How about its size? Type? If you’re not all-in when it comes to mirroring up half to an entire wall, a framed mirror will work. In terms of length, it should take up at least half (or close to half) of the width of the wall it will be hung on. Width-wise, the wider the better. Or at least, its width should be equal to or greater than its length.
In case it will be hung atop a fireplace, it has to mirror the dimensions of the fireplace as much as possible. And mirror design? That’ll be up to you and how you’ll parallel it with the ornaments around the same spot.
Mirror reflections make a room appear wider than it really is. A definite win.
5. Rugs? More Like… Rug Size
Merely setting a rug on flooring won’t do. The pros say that there’s a trick to it. It has to be situated in the central area of a room. For instance, in a living room, the “central area” is usually where the main long and single couches are. The ones facing the coffee table. This is where the rug should be.
Now, at least one of the front legs of these central pieces of furniture has to sit atop the rug (emphasizing the sitting apparatuses here). Do not cramp them all together to achieve this. It’s about rug size. The more furniture you have in this domain, the wider the rug has to be. That’s in order to follow the guideline mentioned.
It will indirectly have you rearranging furniture in a freer, less confined manner. And a wide rug brings in warmth. It’s inviting. Plus, depending on the rug design you select, it can blend in with the rest of the place’s embellishments.
6. The High Ceiling Effect
Low ceilings? No problem. Paint them white. Secondly, it’s all about long curtains. What you can do is hang them close to the ceiling itself. Yes, this implies that there will be a solid 8+ inches in between the curtain’s topmost helm and the window’s topmost window sill. Also, let the curtain drape to the floor.
In fact, to really get that high-ceiling magic, install curtain rods right along the crease between the ceiling and the walls. In doing so, you may use the length of the entire wall as the basis for the length of the curtains. Curtains that are much longer than that of your windows will provide a kind of visual effect of a towering ceiling.
7. Eye-Level, Non-Miniscule Wall Artwork
Wall artworks are to be in an eye-level position. You can average them out from the tallest to the shortest persons of your home against the length of walls. That being said, and in the context of using them to restyle your home, mid-to-large-sized pieces will best make the difference.
While on the subject, leave the smaller artworks on lower levels (on mantles) and larger pieces on the mid-section of walls, and above.
