9 Interior Design Styling Secrets You Should Know | Design Hacks
Today I’m going to be sharing with you interior design and styling secrets that you should definitely know. These are designer tricks and hacks that designers use to really create a working space. So if you are trying to create that designer look in your home, I hope this blog gives you some ideas.
1. Pillow Perfection: The Ultimate Bedding Hack
My favorite little bedding hack is actually this pillowcase folding hack. This is going to make your pillow cases look like they fit that standard-size pillow every single time. A lot of bedding packages come in one size, so if you order a king-size sheet set, it’s going to come with king-size pillowcases, and a lot of the time you might just have a standard-size pillow. So if you have that overhang of pillowcases that’s dropping and making your bed look messy, then you can use this pillowcase hack.
You just put your pillowcase on like usual; you will have a lot of material left hanging on the side, so you lift one end to create a tent-like fold and fold the extra pillowcase inward. This is going to create something kind of like an envelope, and it’s going to seal that pillowcase close.
It’s quick, it’s easy, it looks neat and tidy, and it really creates a tight seal around your pillow. This is just that one extra step that you can incorporate to make a perfect-looking bed. This works every single time; it keeps things neat and tidy and makes your bedding look much more pristine.
2. Turning eyesores into intentional
Now here’s one of my favorite decorating and styling tricks that I use in almost every single makeover. If you have something in your space that’s kind of an eyesore, maybe it’s the color of your flooring, a light fixture, or a mirror. Maybe there’s something in that space that you don’t totally love. I’d say to add more of that finish to your space to make it look intentional, and it will bring your space together. I worked on an apartment makeover where the flooring was pretty red. By adding more of that finish to the space, it really makes it look intentional and like you chose it to be a designer finish.
So I actually think it’s very important to work with what you have and add to it. You can bring in furniture pieces, décor pieces, and frames that are really going to help balance out your space and bring in more of that finish that isn’t your favorite to really balance out your space. So it is kind of a weird trick; it is not the first thing you would think to do when you don’t like something in your house, but trust me, it really works, and it definitely helps make your space far more designer.
3. Art Magic: Affordable Arts with Peel and Stick Wallpaper
As many of you know, large artwork is very expensive and pretty hard to find. If you’re looking for a large piece for a huge wall in your home, maybe something to span your dining room or a long hallway, there’s actually a trick you can use that will give you the look of a large, extensive art piece and that peel-and-stick mural wallpaper. You can actually frame your wallpaper to make it look like an art piece on your wall.
It is affordable to do; it’s a nice DIY project that you can do, and it will allow you to achieve the look of a large art piece. You can just get a few panels to create the size that you want, cut them down to size, stick them on your wall, and then just frame them out with some trim. You can paint your trim the same color as the wall, you can integrate it into panel molding, and you can do an accent frame. Let me know now in the comments below if you have a space in your home that could really use this mural wallpaper trick.
Related: Timeless Interior Design Trends: 8 Styles You’ll Love Even 5 Years from Now
4. Decor Groupings on a Dime
Now, when it comes to styling surfaces around your home—shelving, coffee tables, console tables—it’s all about creating stackings and groupings.
These can be groups of décor pieces that range in height, size, material, and color to really create a nice arrangement. If you create these little vignettes and moments around your space, it will really tie your entire home together and make it look really well designed. Create heights and levels for your décor so that all together as a group look good together. I like using groupings of three. You can usually start with a large coffee table book or a thrifted book, and you can add in a little candle or a little candle snuffer.
Having these three different levels of height, size, and shape will really create a dynamic look. So those groupings are very important. You do not need to buy expensive décor to create that designer look. I’m always in and out of thrift stores to try and find the perfect pieces for these groupings, and I think it is the best and most affordable way to do it.
5. Spatial Illusion: Faking Square Footage with Flooring
You can pretty much fake the look of extra square footage just by continuing one floor all the way through. When it comes to tiling your bathroom floor, choose the same tile to go from the flooring into the shower so that it creates a long, seamless look. It is going to open up the look of your bathroom and make it look 10 times larger. The whole idea is to trick your eyes into thinking you have a curbless shower.
Curbless showers transition really smoothly from flooring to shower, and there is no distinct edge that’s really going to give you a large look in your bathroom, but if you don’t have the luxury of doing that, just make sure you continue that same tile choice from your flooring into your shower. You can even take it up the wall and really continue that space to open it up and not have a definitive start and end to that tile. So even if you don’t have this square footage, you can definitely fake it with your design choices; it will really trick the eye and make your space look and feel so much larger.
6. Wall Hooks: The Decorative and Functional Solution for Blank Walls
If you have a blank wall in your home that you have no idea what to do with, that’s when wall hooks come in. Wall hooks can add their own style of décor; they can add a 3D element to your space and add a ton of interest that makes your space look a lot more custom. You can get matching hooks to match elements around your space to tie it all together. These hooks are also going to give you the ability to hang décor, which is going to add a whole new décor element to your space that makes it look really interesting. Wall hooks really fill out space nicely and aren’t too busy, but they look intentional, they look functional, and they can really be decorative. So think about installing wall hooks in your home if you haven’t already.
7. Precision Planning: The Power of Painter’s Tape in Design
I like using painter’s tape, not just for painting. I use painter’s tape to plan pretty much every single thing that I put into a space. It really helps you sort out sizes, scales, heights, and placement of all of your pieces. It’s totally removable and really just a great planning hack for you to use in all areas of your home.
8. Throw Blanket Transformations: Styling Tips for Every Space
Now, I’d say an essential piece of décor that every home needs is a throw blanket or multiple throw blankets. They are more than just for cuddling up on your couch; I, of course, love to use them for that, but they are the easiest things to style around your space. You can style throw blankets in so many different ways to create different looks and add different kinds of texture, pattern, and color. If you have a shade sectional, always add that throw blanket to the end where your feet go.
That really helps finish off your sofa and makes it look designer. You can also line the back of your sofa with a throw blanket, line your arm chairs with chair blankets, and roll them in casually behind pillows to add some texture and movement. I also just love the look of a throw blanket on a bench to add color and pattern. That way, it will look amazing hung up and tucked in. There’s so many ways to style a throw blanket, and it will always create a different kind of look and feeling, so if you’re finding that your space looks a little bit bare and could use a little bit more detail, it can just be as easy as bringing in a throw blanket.
9. Designing with a View: Crafting Cohesive Spaces from Every Angle
Lastly, think about moments and views while you’re decorating.
Think about if you were to pull a camera out and take a picture at every angle of what you’d see and what you’d see past that space. I love looking down a hall and seeing into rooms and having all those spaces connect. You can tie your décor and styling together with fabric choices and paint colors; you can also do it with florals and lamps. Having that direct line of continuous lamp lighting really helps tie a space together as well. Decorate your space from all different angles, not just from one view. Also, think about what else you can see past that view and tie everything together. That’s really going to help bring your whole home together and make it look super cohesive.
So that’s all for my designer styling tricks. I hope you guys enjoyed reading, and I hope this gave you some ideas that you can use to better style your space. Let me know in the comments which of these styling tricks you think would make the biggest difference in your home.