If your home decorating needs a tune-up, it's beneficial to start with DIY interior designs. You can get the same results as professional interior designers within budget and with your own personal style flair.
Choosing the right color scheme for a living space can be tricky. If you're not sure where to start, seek out inspiration online or in interior design magazines. If you find yourself gravitating toward a particular shade, use it as your starting point. Then, choose two more colors to complement it.
One simple formula for using a tricolor palette is to choose two main colors to use on walls and large pieces like sofas. Use the third hue for accent pieces such as wall art, light fixtures, area rugs or an end table.
It's easy to fall into the trap of using too many small items in one room. While it might feel like you're saving space, an overabundance of smaller furnishings can make a small room cluttered and chaotic. Instead, use one or two large furniture pieces to inspire the rest of your design.
Try an enormous sofa, some low-backed loungers or a dramatic coffee table. Play with different furniture styles to add dimension and interest to a room, no matter the size.
Designers often use trays, decorative bowls and baskets to display collections or loose objects. Your dining room table is an excellent place to try this design trick. Try combining your favorite accents to create a vignette as a centerpiece.
Get creative and combine unexpected textures and shapes of objects. If you need a focal point to start with, an elegant candle is always a stylish choice.
Equally important for color is texture, especially when you are using an abundance of one shade, like white or gray. Usually, a space seems to consist of one color scheme, but often a close examination shows several shades of the same color used in various fabrics and other elements.
For example, a room with white paint can be enhanced with linen draperies, glossy silk pillows, rattan chairs and baskets. All these components add texture and create a warm, rich atmosphere and bring new life to "plain" white paint.
With a little creativity and work, you can become your own interior designer. Use these ideas as inspiration to bring the decor in your entire home to the next level.
Stephanie Englund Siegel is a successful Realtor with Compass. She was born and raised in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. Living in the city for over almost 20 years has given Stephanie the in depth knowledge of many neighborhoods. Stephanie feels that Chicago's culturally diverse residents are what contribute to the richness and quality of life in its neighborhoods. Before joining the Compass Family, she worked as a paralegal for a real estate attorney which gave her the knowledge about every step in a transaction. From the very beginning of the process all the way to the end, Stephanie is dedicated to her clients and the success of the transaction so both parties get a win-win. Stephanie serves real estate needs in the following neighborhoods: Lincoln Park, Gold Coast, Streeterville, Loop, West Loop, South Loop, Lakeview, River north, Lincoln Square, Wrigleyville, Ravenswood, Greater Chicago area and surrounding suburbs.
