Good morning and happy Monday!!! I wanted to welcome you all who are joining me from the talented Kellie's blog, Gratefully Vintage! Thank you so much for joining in on our blog hop!
I am so excited to share some of my favorite tips to brighten up your homes today. Being an interior designer I find that this is my most requested thing my clients wish for when hiring me to design their spaces. They want to brighten up their homes. It's easy to see why with the availablity to dream room pictures with pinterest, instagram and houzz. I see so many inspiration rooms my clients have saved, and those inspiration rooms are always much brighter then their current spaces. Sometimes it takes a full room design, but most of the time I can accomplish a room refresh with just a few tweaks. And I can't wait to share my few tips with you today...
The first thing that I can promise you will make such a different and ground your entire space is...
ADD AN AREA RUG TO YOUR SPACE
There are so many amazing options available out there, you'll be so happy you did!
This is an E-design I proposed to my client in California. They just moved into an older home that had been remodeled and they were stumped with their front room. They wanted a room to make a great first impression to their guests and also a room where they could be happy relaxing as a family. The thing my clients gushed over the most was this area rug. The rest of the design is great, but the area rug brings life into the room that couldn't have been accomplished otherwise.
I was so happy to see this design come together. This rug makes the space, and my client has recived so many compliments on this rug first and foremost.
The second thing I can suggest to brighten up your home is...
ADD WHITE TO YOUR SPACE
White is a trend in the design world right now. But the best part about it is its such a timeless design move. Your entire room doesn't have to be sterile looking, but if you add some pops of white like these shelves, or this white chair rail you will make your space so light and airy feeling. I remember when I proposed this dark charcoal color to my client. It looked SO dark on the swatch. She may have been a bit terrified. Thankfully she trusted me and balancing this dark color with the whites and lighter palette made the room have a bit of drama. She and I couldn't imagine this design any other way.
Or take this picture below... There is a lot of pattern play going on. But it works because the patterns aren't competing with a loud base color. The white nightstand and the lighter palette creates the right base to make the boldness of the prints work together beautifully.
The next thing I want to suggest is to...
INCOORPERATE COLOR INTO YOUR SPACE
I am in love with color. But, there is most definitly a right and a wrong way to do color. This blue chair is quite a bold choice... but notice the rest of the decor. It is all nuetral. By keeping the rest of the space in a nuetral setting it makes the chair not only stand out the way it should, but it makes the space a bit more soothing.
I just created this E-design for a client in New York. She requested a modern color palette but didn't want the room to seem too busy or too bold. The navy chair and the bright throw pillows and accessories add the right amount with out being too much. This room will still be soothing with out being too in your face. The perfect amount of color.
Next is my favorite thing to do when decorating a room...
ACCESSORIZE TO MAKE A ROOM HAVE PERSONALITY
From throw pillows to curtain panels, to accent lamps to art work and accessories... All of these little things are what will make your spaces come to life. I have had so many people hire me after they have purchased their big ticket items and they get stuck on how to accessorize their rooms.
Take the below pictures... This client did a fabulous job renovating and had their dining and living room sitting for over a year before they had me come and put the finishing touches on the space. Just adding this picutre gallery and some accessories on the table pulls the space together with out being stuffy or over styled. You don't need too much and my thoughts are always less is more when accessorizing.
It truly is amazing how these few accessories brightened up this dining room and added some much needed life to this space.
There you have it... some of my favorite ways to brighten up a space. I hope you find these tips and ideas useful when decorating your own homes!
Next up on the Blog Hop is the beautiful and crazy talented Summer from
Be sure to stop by her blog to get her favorite tips and tricks on how to brighten up your home!
Please visit my other friends' blogs for more lovely home pictures and great tips!
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