Interior Styling Tips

To make a room appear larger, we must create the illusion of more space. In order to do this, we must create a sense of openness and movement by using tricks and techniques that will help the occupant perceive a room as larger than it actually is. Using colors, staging techniques, dynamism, and more will help you achieve the ultimate goal: create more space where there actually isn’t any.

Mirrors are your Friend

Anything that causes your eye to travel around a room in an intentional and orderly fashion will make it feel larger and mirrors are the best way to achieve this goal. Placing a mirror in a room, especially one that gets minimal natural light, will make the room feel like it expands beyond the actual square footage and add more light to the space, tricking the eye into perceiving more space. My personal favorite is the Cadence Frameless Mirror sold by Ballard Design – it’s versatility and size variants enhance any room beautifully. Check out my entire list of favorites and top rated mirrors of 2022 here!

Emphasize Horizontal Patterns

Whether that’s using board and batten, shiplap, or simply aligning your wall art in a horizontal fashion, emphasizing horizontal patterns will make your brain think the room is larger than it is.

Emphasize Vertical Patterns

Especially if you have taller ceilings, emphasizing vertical patterns will cause the space to feel bigger, training the eye to look up and down at the space rather than around the room in an un-orderly fashion. The sense of openness will increase simply by adding even one vertical element.

Less is More

When decorating a small space, less decor and furniture means less of a cluttered feel. Minimizing what you don’t need in the area is a great way to make the room feel more spacious. Pick larger decorative accents that serve as statement pieces rather than little knick-knacks.

White is Your Friend

The color white is like a blank canvas, you can make it as elaborate and detailed or as minimalistic as you’d like. In terms of enlarging a space, white makes a room feel airy and light, really opening up any small room. Painting the walls and ceiling the same shade of white will also help achieve this goal, blurring the lines between where one ends and one starts will essentially give the feel of higher ceilings. If you need help choosing the best whites for your walls, check out our post!

Minimize the Fabrics

The design is in the details but sometimes the details are too much for the design. Taking out decorative elements like window curtains and rugs will make the space feel more open.

Pay Attention to Negative Space

It’s important to create a flow throughout your room when trying to make a smaller room appear larger. It’s all about how the space makes you feel and creating a sense of openness and movement using the negative space in the room will help you achieve this goal.

Lower Your Furniture

Choosing lower furniture has it’s benefits! Having furniture like couches and beds that are the lower profile style will make the room appear larger simply because there’s more space between the furniture and the ceiling.

Light Colors Appear Larger

You want to aim for the “light and airy” feel no matter the design style you’re going for. Pairing light colors with darker furniture will create a beautiful contrast without defeating the ultimate goal.

Use Artificial Lights

If you rely on an overhead light to light up the entire space, try implementing a few lamps. It’ll create a more cozy feel and make the room appear more spacious, especially when you have limited natural light.

Curb appeal means the way your house looks on the outside, or exterior, and how it appeals to potential buyers and guests. It’s the very first impression your home makes which is why it’s so important – if it’s a mess on the outside, expectations won’t be that high for the inside. The good news is that there’s simple ways to enhance your curb appeal and most of them are easy, DIY solutions! From fresh paint to a little landscaping, transforming your exterior will pay off in the long run.

Paint Front Door

Adding a fresh coat of paint and switching up the color of your front door is a great way to enhance your curb appeal. It’s a way to add a different color to the front of your house and will be the something potential buyers and guests notice!

Add Window Boxes

Adding window boxes will make your property feel warmer and it’s a great way to add pops of color. They can be window boxes that you leave up all year long or changeable with the seasons. Either way, you can get really creative with window boxes and have a lot of fun with them!

Paint Garage

Another chance to add a different color to the front of your home, garages are a big focal point because of their size. Painting them is an easy solution to enhance your curb appeal, but investing a new garage door all together is definitely the best way to go.

Stain Shingles

Staining your shingles is an easy way to update the front, back, or sides of your home. They come in all sorts of colors making it easy to match your existing color scheme or switching it up all together. Make sure you’re fully prepped before staining, or else it could turn out not how you expected.

Paint Mailbox

Perhaps one of the easier enhancements, upgrading your mailbox can really make a difference. If replacing it isn’t an option, a fresh coat of paint that correlates to your color exterior color scheme will make it look brand new!

Landscape

Landscaping is an important factor when it comes to curb appeal, after all, nothing is homey about a large patch of dirt. Planting flowers will make the exterior feel warmer and more inviting!

New House Numbers

Another easy upgrade, replacing your house numbers can be an eye-catcher. Don’t overlook the small details!

Match Shades

Perhaps something that not many people think of, matching your shades can make or break the look of your home from the outside. If you have the same type of shade in your windows it’ll look cohesive and be appealing to the eye.

Add Planters

Adding planters to the side of your garage doors or front door is an easy way to enhance your curb appeal. If you’re not the best at keeping plants alive, artificial ones will work just fine!

Power Wash Fence

Upgrading your fence all together is a huge expense, but power washing your fence is an easy option. Check your local hardware store for rentals if you don’t own one! It’s amazing how satisfying watching a power washer work is, and while you’re at it, you can wash patio furniture, your gutters, deck, and so much more! Power washing really does wonders.

Need help upgrading your exterior? Contact us — we’re here to help!

Farmhouse style homes have been trendy for many reasons. One reason people gravitate towards the farmhouse style is because of how homey and comfortable the look feels. From the patterns to natural elements, the farmhouse design has proven it’s here for the long haul. So, how does one achieve the look? Follow this simple guideline to create your goal farmhouse aesthetic!

Natural Oak

Natural oak is a staple in the farmhouse design – from the floors to furniture to accessories, natural oak takes the win in terms of wood colors!

Farmhouse Sink

A deep farmhouse sink is a must-have in an authentic farmhouse design! Plus, it’s an efficient sink to invest in for your kitchen.

Barn Doors

Barn doors have gained popularity over the years because it’s both stylish and saves room in your home. Installing a barn door will give your home that farmhouse feel!

Iron

From pendants to bed frames, iron options are endless and a must-have in order to achieve a full farmhouse design. Visit an antique shop for unique pieces that’ll pull the room together!

Reclaimed Wood

Again, the options are endless. Reclaimed wood can be in the form of furniture, beams, lights, and more. Get creative and look into some DIY projects involving reclaimed wood!

Piles of Firewood

Have you ever walked into a farmhouse and not seen a pile of firewood, either as decoration or for actual use? Adding a pile of firewood will give your space a farmhouse feel!

Gingham Accessories

The staple pattern of the farmhouse – gingham. Towels, rugs, blankets, baskets, and more make great additives to any room!

Country or Rustic Kitchen

Natural wood, soft edges, large appliances are all ways to achieve the country and rustic kitchen feels, contributing to the overall farmhouse design.

Exposed Beams

Exposed beams can be a gorgeous focal point in itself, but adding exposed beams (especially using reclaimed wood) will make your home feel like a farmhouse in no time.

Built-in Pantry

A built-in pantry is useful and it’s a staple in the farmhouse design. Add a built-in pantry to your kitchen!

Open Cabinets

Not only is it more efficient to see everything in your kitchen, but open cabinets can also be designed beautifully to show off your farmhouse accessories!

Warm Hues

Farmhouse designs are all about comfort and feeling at home. Warm hues, such as reds, yellows, tans, and coppers, will all achieve this goal.

Chandeliers and Pendants

There’s so many chandeliers and pendants to choose from to make your farmhouse style come to life! Iron, wood, and glass are all beautiful finishes that’ll go with the farmhouse style.

Farm to Table

Accessories using “farm to table” decor for an authentic farmhouse design feel! Take it a step further and invest in some chickens and a coop for fresh eggs!

Exposed Brick

Whether it’s natural or painted, exposed brick is a must-have in farmhouses! Upgrade your fireplace but don’t get rid of that exposed brick for a farmhouse feel.

Styling your farmhouse?

I’ve designed a free farmhouse dining room, complete with links, pricing and descriptions!

Do you ever walk into a room and the colors make you feel a certain way? That’s because our brains are trained to associate different colors with various emotions. Color psychology is often used by interior designers all around the world! Using specific colors in interiors are no different, utilizing these hues in your rooms will influence the feelings of the people who occupy them.

Dark Blue

Blue is without a doubt one of the most popular colors used in various interior elements. From cabinets to walls, blue has withstood the test of time. Deep, dark, and bold hues of blue, such as navy and royal, portray the feeling of trust, peace, success, and loyalty. These darker colors of blue are also known to be associated with confidence, making it an attractive choice in interiors.

Light Blue

Lighter blues are often associated with coastal designs because they give the sense of calm and tranquility. Aside from coastal palettes, lighter blues are perfect for spaces you want to relax in – such as bedrooms, bathrooms, and living rooms.

Gray

Security, intelligence and solidity come to mind when talking about how the color gray makes you feel. Along with these qualities, gray can make the people within the room. Feel more calm and composed, making it perfect for energetic children! Gray is a trickier color because it requires the right hues to portray what you’re intending it to using color psychology.

Black

The timeless color black gives off the perception of sleek and sophisticated. It’s been a long time go-to because of it’s neutrality. Power, drama, and mystery can all be portrayed through the color black within the home.

Pink

Nurture, love, femininity. This gentle color is commonly used in little girls rooms but it can be used for so much more. When executed correctly, pink can be a gorgeous accent color in the living room or office. 

Yellow

Yellow is known for it’s vibrant, sunny hues and undoubtably remind us of joy, energy, and positivity. Commonly used the kitchen, yellow can also make us feel hungry and refreshed.  Bold statement pieces in yellow often work well in order to brighten up your space! Color psychology is strong with yellow hues.

Red

Red is fierce, dramatic, daring, and passionate which is why it’s so commonly used in homes all over the world. Red is a great office or creative space color option because it’s ambitious energy can come off as motivating.

Purple

Royal and luxurious are the associations that come with the color purple. While lighter hues have seen historically as feminine, darker hues can prove to be masculine. Purple is a good choice for rooms you want to make a statement in, such as an entryway!

Green

Green is one of the most popular interior colors because of its sense of balance, growth, and positivity. It reminds the human brain of the natural outside world and brings that sense of calmness inside. Refresh your bedroom, bathrooms, or living rooms by painting a green wall color or adding natural, green elements.

Brown

Brown influences thoughts of stability and support which can translate into feelings of comfort and relaxation. The cozy hues of the color brown prove to be useful in kitchens and dining rooms where family gathers, associating the feeling of comfort with family time. Brown can also be a great option for a more masculine interior style, working with wood and stone elements.

Orange

Orange is socially inviting and one of the favorites among extroverts, as it’s optimistic, cheerful and exciting! Used in interiors and paired with other warm hues, you can create a beautifully designed living room or entertainment area where friends and family gather.