With the New Year upon us, it's really a good excuse to spruce up your home by updating your interiors - even though you never really need any reason to do so! Bringing in something new could help in self-motivation and in having a good attitude about what lies ahead, all while fulfilling your interior design aspirations!
Having great interiors in your home can instantly brighten up your mood and helps you set a great tone to the start of your day, let alone the year! It's also a definite confidence boost when you do interior decorating by yourself! Just make sure you don't make any mistakes with these 7 things:
1. Undermining Lighting
Something as simple as lighting can hinder a beautiful room. Make your space more welcoming by softly adding touches of light at different heights (Hint: hanging, mounted, floor, desk), instead of one overwhelming source.
If natural light is limited, a great idea is to add some mirrors to a room, to make the light reflect across the whole area.
2. Picture (Not) Perfect
Don't hang photos at the wrong height. Make sure that the center of the whole framed photo is at eye level, or 57-58 inches from the floor where it's lower than expected.
If you aim to have a gallery wall, take into consideration how your layout will be too. Just make sure you properly mark where each one will go before you actually begin installing nails on the wall.
3. It's Not A Slumber Party
Keep in mind that although you'd host your friends at your place, it isn't a slumber party. With throw pillows, it's easy to get carried away. Just make sure that your guests still have a place to sit on the sofa, instead of the pillows taking up all the space.
Make it a rule to only buy a new throw pillow when you're about to toss an old out. Also, get rid of pillows that are more flat and tired than trendy.
4. Trying Trends
Using the new year's trends is definitely a great way to update the interior design of a room. But it's best to stick with a few trends rather than trying them all at once.
As PopSugar puts it, "Just as a with fashion, certain trends work better for certain people, so adopt and adapt as best suits your home and needs." Use accent pieces to keep up with the trend, so that it will be much easier to swap them for something more updated in the future.
5. Simplicity is Key
With a single bucket of paint, the possibilities are endless. But not all those possibilities could do you any good. Stencils and even brushes are a good use for some areas, just make sure you don't go overboard.
Anything decorative that involves paint should always be kept simple - after all, they're not that easy to get rid of when you want to make a change. Keep in mind that these kinds of decorative elements are meant to elevate the room, instead of overtaking it.
6. Helen the Hoarder
This is something everyone has the most difficulty with: parting with your stuff, especially those with sentimental value. But if they're not fulfilling their purpose in your home anymore, it's time to let go - take it from Yolanda Foster.
If you're not using them, get rid of them - simple as that. Remember the practicality of the things you keep, as well as the things you buy: keep in mind your budget and what is really needed in your home.
7. Planning With A Purpose
Each space will ultimately have its own style and vibe - which is why it's important to plan ahead before actually purchasing things to decorate with.
Planning ahead gives you an idea of how the room will look like, and if it will all pull together into one cohesive design. Not everything has to be planned to the tea, but having an idea of what you want to achieve will reap greater benefits.