Why do rooms done by interior designers look so perfect?

How can you decorate a room like an interior designer?

The 1st Interior Designer Secret Revealed – Hang your draperies high and wide.

Make sure that you hang your draperies on the wall space instead of on the window space.
When you hang draperies on the wall space you’re allowing all of the possible light to

stream into the room.

Who doesn’t want more light?

And you’re also making your windows look larger.

Designers know that the window is the real star of any room.

The 2nd Interior Designer Secret Revealed –

Look at any samples in the room that they’ll be used in.

Colors look very different in different lights,
at different times of day,
in different kinds of weather.

If you’re looking at paint colors,

it can be really difficult to tell from a tiny paint swatch what the whole wall will look like painted.

I always paint a full piece of poster board with the paint color.

Then I have the client tape it to the wall with painters tape.

I have them move it to different walls at different times of day.

That’s the best way to be sure you love the color.

Designers know that the color is what adds feeling to the room.

The 3rd Interior Designer Secret Revealed –

Area rugs should be at least large enough to fit under the front legs of the furniture.

If your area rug is only under your coffee table, it is way too small and it’s making your room look smaller too.
You’re not accenting the coffee table; you’re accenting the room.

If your area rug is under a dining room table it should be large enough so you can pull your chair out and it’s still on the rug.
You don’t want the chairs getting caught every time someone gets up from the table.

I’d be the embarrassed dinner guest tripping out of my chair.

Designers know that scale is one of the most important qualities in a rug.

The 4th Interior Designer Secret Revealed –

Furniture should be arranged for good conversation.

If it’s all up against the wall (I call this “under arrest”)
you’re probably not able to easily chat.

Nobody said you couldn’t have furniture floating in a room.

Pull it in.

Group it together.

If the room is large, make two seating areas, and then you can invite more friends.

Designers know that friends are what it’s all about 😉

The 5th Interior Designer Secret Revealed – Art should be hung at eye level
(because you want to look at it, don’t you?)

Generally speaking this is 60” from the floor to the center of the picture.

It should also be big enough to take up a good portion of the wall space where it’s hung.

If it isn’t large enough, be sure to group several pictures together.

Bigger IS better, right?

You don’t want the art to look like a postage stamp hanging on the wall.

Designers know that artwork can help pull a room together.

The 6th Interior Designer Secret Revealed – THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE! – Have some FUN!

Your room should have some life.

Add one fun, quirky item that shows people who you are.

If you have a pillow you bought on the streets of Paris, but you’re afraid it doesn’t match, throw it on the sofa anyway.

It’ll blend. It makes you happy when you look at it.

You really don’t want your room to look like it’s from a magazine. You want it to look like YOUR room!

Designers know that personal items add personality to a room.

Have you followed any of these rules?

Join the conversation on our Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram – link at top of page

How to Get Organized on a Budget4 Things Every Room Needs