Design Tips: Top Home Decor Bloggers’ Best Decorating Secrets

In this post: Looking for home design ideas to decorate like a pro?  A group of home decor bloggers shares their top home decorating tips to consider as you furnish your home.⇒ 

Do you have an underlying design theory that you return to any time you decorate a room?

Maybe you always use certain colors or have a stylistic tradition that you repeat over and over. Most people have at least a vague sense of what pleases them when it comes to interior decor.

As it turns out, many decorators and decor bloggers also have a firm set of principles that inform each decision they make. Sometimes they’re quite specific and other times might be just a loose feeling, but generally these ideas provide a foundation upon which to build their design visions.

Decorating Tips

Today I am joining with a group of top home decor bloggers to share with you our best decorating secrets and tips that influence a good portion of our decorating choices. These are all great over-arching principles for approaching home design and I think you’ll enjoy exploring them. You might think of them as our golden rules!

Add Natural Elements

From Ann at On Sutton Place

My best decorating tip is to always add natural elements to your space. Natural elements add warmth and life to any room. They can take a basic space and transform it into something wonderful. A few examples are preserved boxwood, a grocery store bouquet of flowers, or something clipped from your yard like branches, hosta leaves, or garden flowers. Place these natural elements in pitchers, bowls, or baskets, and layer them on trays or shelves. Natural elements say cozy and welcome. They immediately send out the message that you love and care about your home. That’s definitely a good thing! For more on the layered coffee table vignette, click {HERE.}

Add an Investment Piece

From Lory at Designthusiasm

One of the best ways to upgrade the look of your decor is to have one investment piece in each room. For me, that usually means a fabulous antique like a gilded mirror or an aged urn, but it can be any accent piece that fits your style. It could also be a smaller piece of furniture like a wonderful table or a statement chair, or a lovely piece of art.  The key is to have the item be a focal point in the room, while the surrounding players are more like a supporting cast. I aim for classic and understated for my bigger pieces, saving money where it makes a difference, then use these powerhouse pieces to add personality and style. There are certain decorative elements I return to over and over to make this kind of impact and you can read about the 6 defining style elements I use in the rooms in my home. Join me at Designthusiasm for more decorating ideas and tips for living your life with casual elegance.

Decorate with Soft Colors

From Janet at Shabbyfufu

If you’re looking to decorate a room with soft colors, there are several points for doing so without compromising your budget. Freshening up the walls with a coat of white paint will bring in instant light, no matter what the previous shade was! Once you think about putting the room back together, it’s time to add a soft shade of color via an area rug. Not only will a rug aid in defining your space but it will give you that feeling of warmth and ground the furnishings. Today’s area rugs are so affordable and available in just about any colorway! Bring in soft shades with a new piece of art and make it large enough to create a focal point. From this artwork, draw out key colors and accessorize with coordinating muted pillows and throws. The final touch to your pale palette can be a floral arrangement, and there you have it! Soft colors in a minimalist style that should reflect your own taste and without great expense.

Five Essential Textures Every Room Needs

From Sheila at Maison de Cinq

Wondering why you’ve bought furniture or re-done a room and yet it feels like something’s missing? Do you look at rooms in magazines or online and wonder what they have that yours don’t? Try adding texture! Decorating with texture is key to creating a space that has depth and interest, and something that we all see, whether we recognize it or not. In fact, texture can make a difference between an average room and one that really wows.

There are five essential textures that every room needs; antiques, wovens, metallics, glass or mirrors, and woods. Go here to see how they make a huge difference in any space, as well as why you absolutely have to mix your wood tones!

Add Architectural Interest to your Home

From Rhoda at Southern Hospitality

One of my favorite things to do in my home to give it a sense of age and create interest is to add architectural features. From real beadboard, to beadboard wallpaper, board and batten and other wainscot and millwork ideas, even if you don’t have a lot of moldings and trim work in your home, you can add them for very little money and some DIY planning. Take your space from plain to wow with just a few elements of architectural pieces. I’ve added them to both my houses in the past 6 years and it made a huge difference. Read more {HERE.}

Know Your Decorating Style

From Yvonne at StoneGable

Knowing your own unique decorating style is one of the most important things a home decorator can know. It will help you decorate a home that works with your lifestyle and feels beautiful and comfortable! And knowing your decorating style will help you know what furnishings will work in your home and also decor that will not! One of the big advantages of knowing your style is you will avoid lots and lots of costly decorating mistakes! Here’s a great way to think about the importance of knowing your decorating style. Just pretend you want to get a puppy. So you go to your local dog shelter and there are tons and tons of puppies!!! Who doesn’t love darling, cuddly puppies? And you love them all! They are all so cute and sweet. But you wouldn’t take them all home with you, right? That would be crazy!!!! They would make a mess or fight and they would be a whole lot of work! You would pick the puppy that works with your lifestyle and one that would be a wonderful addition to your family. Think of decorating the same way. You would not, or should not put everything you love into your home! Styles would fight, your rooms might look messy and disjointed and decorating will be a whole lot of work! Knowing your unique decorating style is the key to decorating a home you love! You can see HOW TO KNOW YOUR DECORATING STYLE HERE.

More Decorating Tips and Home Decor Secrets

• Start with a Plan: Create a cohesive design plan before starting any decorating project to ensure all elements work together.
• Balance and Harmony: Achieve balance by distributing visual weight evenly throughout the space, ensuring harmony in the overall design.
• Mix High and Low: Combine high-end pieces with more affordable finds to create a stylish yet budget-friendly look.
• Layer Textures: Incorporate a variety of textures, such as wood, metal, fabric, and glass, to add depth and interest to a room.
• Color Palette: Stick to a consistent color palette, using a mix of neutrals and accent colors to create a cohesive and calming environment.
• Statement Pieces: Invest in a few statement pieces, such as a bold artwork or a unique piece of furniture, to serve as focal points in the room.
• Proper Lighting: Layer different types of lighting (ambient, task, and accent) to create a well-lit and versatile space.
• Scale and Proportion: Ensure that furniture and decor are appropriately scaled for the room size to avoid overcrowding or underfilling the space.
• Personal Touches: Incorporate personal items and memorabilia to make the space feel uniquely yours.
• Functional Layout: Design a layout that maximizes functionality and flow, considering how the space will be used daily.
• Edit and Declutter: Regularly edit and declutter to keep spaces looking fresh and organized.
• Mix Patterns: Mix patterns with caution, keeping a consistent color scheme and varying the scale of patterns to avoid overwhelming the space.
• Greenery and Natural Elements: Add plants and natural elements to bring life and a sense of calm to the space.
• Reflective Surfaces: Use mirrors and reflective surfaces to create the illusion of more space and to enhance natural light.
• Art at Eye Level: Hang artwork at eye level for optimal viewing and to create a balanced look on your walls.
• Functional Decor: Choose decor items that are both beautiful and functional, such as stylish storage solutions.
• Focal Points: Create focal points in each room, whether it’s a fireplace, a piece of art, or a statement piece of furniture.
• Symmetry: Use symmetry to create a sense of order and stability, especially in more formal spaces.
• Comfort and Practicality: Ensure that comfort and practicality are prioritized, especially in spaces like living rooms and bedrooms where relaxation is key.
• Seasonal Updates: Refresh your decor with seasonal updates, such as new throw pillows, blankets, or floral arrangements, to keep your home feeling current.