4. Tell Your Story
You can have beautifully painted walls and shiny new floors, but most people need something more to look at and enjoy.
Break up your living room’s paint pattern by hanging shelves and filling them with framed photos and souvenirs that tell your family’s story.
In addition, hang canvas wall art; whether it’s a print of a Parisian café beside your breakfast bar, or triptych art of a galloping horse above your sofa, art can do more than transform your home’s décor. It can also tell guests about your values and transport you to another place and time.
5. Blend in the TV
Most homeowners have a TV somewhere in their home. Maybe the flat screen is not in the living room; perhaps it’s in a bedroom, den or basement. But one thing is certain: The TV usually is not the nicest thing in the room, particularly when it’s not in use.
In fact, a flat-screen can totally disrupt your carefully planned interior design unless you find a way to blend it in with surroundings.
One way to do this is to build a decorative wood frame for a wall-mounted TV. Such a frame is a great way to make the TV look like it belongs in a room with carefully curated, framed and matted photos, prints and paintings.
If you don’t want to build a TV frame, design around the TV by creating a gallery wall. The trick is to surround the TV with lots of paintings and framed photos — it’s even better if one of them is larger than the TV! — and your TV will soon blend in with your other works of art.
6. Change the Curtains
Curtains soften your window casings’ hard appearance; they enhance a room’s interior design and can accentuate light shining through windows.
In addition, opening curtains can make a space feel bigger, whereas closing curtains can make a space feel cozy and private.
But if you feel your curtains are too dark, maybe it is time you switched them to something light-colored for an airier appearance or a breezier feeling.
White curtains, for example, are timeless, breezy and look good near all wall colors and patterns.
7. Go Vertical
Your room can also feel off when the furniture looks too small in a room. One common reason for this is a home with high ceilings and small furniture, but another reason is just having too many blank walls!
You can make any room look in proportion by adding a few tall items and filling in the ‘gaps.’ This will add more visual interest to the room’s top half and get the eyes off the floor.
So, go ahead: Install some shelving units, tall plants and long mirrors — fill those blank walls.
Do you have ideas we haven’t mentioned? Share them in the comments!
Monica Gibson is a freelance writer.
