Many people wonder how to get their signature style in the rooms of their home. Let me tell you, it’s easier than you think!

First, start with an item you absolutely love. Be it a vase, a piece of artwork, a pillow, an area rug. Now, I want you to look at this item intently and figure out what it is about this item you adore. Do you love how the colors come together? Do you adore the pattern? Whatever it is about the item, seize upon it. For our blueprint, let’s say we have this piece of art. It shows a sandy beach with a tree, blue sky and fluffy white clouds and some gray rocks. It’s clearly relaxing and somewhere we would like to go on vacation.

Now that we have identified our favorite item, let’s pick the room we want to decorate. Let’s decorate our bathroom. Our bathroom first needs a color on the wall. What is the main color of our piece of art? Why it’s the blue sky. Blue is a perfect color for our bathroom, but not just any blue. Let’s find a soft blue. Perfect!

We will need to get some accessories on our bathroom counter top. So, let’s go with white just like those little seashells you would find strolling across the beach. Get a soap dispenser, toothbrush holder and cup in porcelain white with silver accents. This silver will remind you of the sun glistening off the ocean. You don’t want to go kitschy here; we want to evoke the feeling of this beach scene in the bathroom with hints, not telling people “YOU’RE AT THE BEACH, ENJOY IT!”

We will also need some rugs in here. Get some rugs in a deep brown that brings out the bark in the tree. Making it feel woodsy and natural. Speaking of natural, buy a bamboo waste basket. We will also need some towels. I know what would be perfect, we need fluffy white towels. Those remind us of those fluffy clouds, soft and light. If you see any other accessories while you are out shopping that have natural elements, get them.

As for ambiance in the space, put up a hook or two and hang up a soft white robe. Nothing makes you feel more relaxed than thinking of slipping into that nice and warm robe. Find some soft yellow candles to light that will give off the warmth of the sun. They would go perfectly on various size wood pillars.

As you can see just by the words I have written this tells you how to go about designing a perfect room for you! You can’t go wrong when you find that perfect piece for inspiration. It evokes the feelings in you that inspire you to make your dream a reality without even having to go to the beach!

Here is a list of some other tips and tricks to get that perfect room to be all about you…

Mix and Match - Don’t buy everything in a set. It isn’t good design to have everything matching; it will bore your eye.

Surprise - Put some item in that is uniquely you, but not expected.

Metals - Don’t mix your metals in a room. If you have silver accents, keep with it. Mixing metals can be disastrous and make it appear as if you weren’t paying attention to detail.

Candles - Candles add warmth to a space. Oh! If you just got new candles, light them once at least. This is a tip I learned while working in the model home industry, making your home looked lived in, even if you don’t want to burn these candles all the time.

Art - Art doesn’t have to be expensive. You can buy frames at a thrift store, and find pictures in magazines or better yet, use pictures that you have taken!

Paint - I know many people are afraid of painting colors that are too bold. Don’t be afraid, do something that people wouldn’t expect from you. If you have beige walls, pick one wall to make your accent wall, and paint it a bold color. Don’t pick something to similar to the original color or it will appear as if you got two different paint batches.

Mirrors - Use mirrors to accent your space. You can also dress up the mirrors in your bathroom with some molding to go around your mirror and make a frame!

Lighting - Never underestimate the use of lighting. You don’t want an under lit room. Add lamps to side tables, add up lights hidden behind cabinets or underneath plants.

Crown Molding – Add trim to any room will give it that designer touch for not that much money!

Color - When picking colors for you room, in regards to fabrics, don’t go with just one color. Mix it up with two or even three colors. For example, if you have a couch with 5 pillows, make 2 green, 2 more yellow, and the last pillow blue. Now, not those colors exactly, but you get my drift.

Collections- Collections are great! If you have a collection of vintage cameras, put them together on a table with a vintage handkerchief underneath. A perfect vignette!

Mistakes Not to Make:

• Don’t over stuff a room with large furniture and no room to move around! Measure first before you go shopping and buying multi-purpose pieces will cut down the number of pieces of furniture you will need in your room.
• Don’t hang the artwork to high. Artwork generally should be hung between 66″ to 72″ to the top of the artwork to the floor. Eye level is perfect!
• Don’t have bad lighting. One of the reasons people get so dissatisfied with their space is that it is poorly lit. Using a combination of floor and table lamps, chandeliers, track and recessed lighting will help so much!
• Get rid of the clutter! Clutter takes away from what you have designed and makes a space less attractive.
• Match your walls to your furniture, not the other way around. Paint is a lot cheaper than a piece of furniture.
• Try not to buy an entire set of anything! You can mix up anything that comes in a set. If you can try to keep a “common thread” between the pieces, it will work! I promise. – Not all the furniture has to be placed next to a wall. “Floating” furniture will add interest to the room.

Not to toot my own horn but…interior designer services are valuable. Costly mistakes can be made if you are redesigning, remodeling or renovating without the services of an Interior Designer. A few hours of consultation could save you thousands in decorating mistakes.

Ormolu

Every room must have a focal point. The eye needs a place to focus upon as the main feature of the room. Some rooms simply have no architectural focal point such as a fireplace or window with a view. To help you when your room is lacking a distinguishable focal point; use these tips to create a focal point in any room.

• Add a large mirror. Find a mirror that is large enough so that you can lean it against a wall. Place it opposite the door.

• Use an array of different pieces of artwork. Cluster them on the wall so they take up at least two-thirds of the wall. To make it more dynamic, paint a rectangle behind the art work that is different but complimentary to your wall color.

• Make your couch the center of attention. Dress up an ordinary couch with a slipcover. Add some colorful accent pillows and a throw.

• Paint an accent wall. If you have a large piece of furniture or couch, paint the wall behind it an accent color to draw your eye to it.

• You can make your bed into the main attraction by dressing it up to the nines. Add lots of accent pillows, starting with large pillows in the rear and gradually using smaller pillows as you add to the bed. Place a large piece of art of the bed to complete the look.

• Have a collection? Group the collection together whether it be a on a few shelves or in a bookcase.

• Don’t have a fireplace? You can buy an electric fireplace that are just as good as real ones for adding ambience to your space and draw your eye to them. They also make ones that are wall mounted to really spark the eye’s interest.

Using these tips will create a focal point in a room that was lacking. Just remember that your focal point must be balanced by all the other things in your room.