When it comes to creating the perfect home decor scheme – or the one that is perfect for you and your family anyway – starting with a great ‘foundation’ is a must, something that a home remodeling project of any kind can provide, as all interior designers will be happy to tell you.
However, once your remodeling contractor has provided you with the basics in the form of that remodeled bathroom, newly finished basement living space, brand new kitchen with great new flooring and the cabinets you always wanted, or whatever you commission it is then up to you to add the ‘finishing touches’ that will truly make the space your own. And this concept is also especially important to keep in mind if you chose to sell your home, as staging your Waterloo Region home for sale attractively is a must.
There is more to doing that than just picking out new furniture or choosing a paint color for the walls. Very often people find that the beautiful new furniture they just bought simply does not look right once it is installed in their own home. Which is puzzling, because when they saw it in the furniture showroom or even in an online picture it really did look perfect – so what went wrong?
What is missing in most cases is the expertise of the interior designers and stylists that furniture and home decor stores employ to ensure that their products are showcased in the very best way. And these clever folks can take a nice piece of furniture and using a few ‘tricks of the trade’ turn into a spectacular one, all without actually changing the item itself at all.
Fortunately, you can actually borrow some of those secret strategies for your home and they are easier to implement than you might imagine:
Flattering Lighting
Interior designers understand that the lighting in any room in the home needs to be about a lot more than just illuminating the space and preventing the home’s occupants from tripping up in the dark. They know that the right accent lighting can be used to draw the eye to the things you do want people to notice and also to soften its edges a little to give it the extra special look it had in the showroom (where that exact kind of lighting scheme was used)
To make the most of accent lighting you should consider options that go beyond a basic lamp. Decorative candles, either stand-alone pieces or smaller votives and tealights placed inside attractive lanterns can be very effective and if the idea of an open flame bothers you there are many LED ‘faux candle’ options available that are just as attractive but a lot safer, especially if there are kids and pets around.
Throws, Blankets and Pillows
Perhaps the most used, and easiest to implement, ‘trick’ utilized by interior designers when it comes to ‘dressing up’ furniture such as beds, sofas and chairs is the careful use of throws, blankets and pillows. These simple, and often very inexpensive, additions not only add extra interest but they practically invite relaxation as well, adding a welcoming element to the space with ease.
As such things can also be switched around and changed up whenever you please you have the chance to make seasonal changes to your decor to keep things fresh. Heck, you could even try a new look every week if you really wanted to.
Dress the Walls
Even the single most expensive piece of furniture in the world would lose a lot of its appeal if it was simply pushed up against a stark, blank wall. As interior designers know though you don’t have to crazy and build a mini art gallery in your bedroom though. From statement wallpaper patterns to wall decals or just one or two really striking framed pieces of art there are a great many different ways you can dress up your walls to complement both the room’s contents and your personal design preferences.
Little Finishing Touches
Last but not least, interior designers make great use of little things that actually make a very big difference to the overall look and feel of the space. For example, a very small tabletop fountain will not only add a little extra visual impact and interest but its flowing waters really can help impart a feeling of calm and relaxation, or a colorful abstract art vase can brighten up a neutrally decorated room and give it some extra personality.