35 Pet Peeves Interior Designers Have About Your Home

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What you see when you walk into your home: a great place to get work done , hang out with friends, or rest your head at the end of the day. What an interior designer sees when they walk into your home: pictures hung wrong, furniture placed weirdly, and rugs so enraging they can hardly give them a second glance. To a trained eye, many of the design choices you’re making in your home are just flat-out wrong—but that doesn’t mean they’re unfixable. With the help of top interior design professionals, we’ve rounded up the biggest interior design mistakes you need to stop making immediately. And if you want to make your home more stylish, check out these 50 Elegant Home Design Ideas From Interior Design Experts .

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Those painfully bright overhead lights are doing your home no favors in terms of aesthetics.

“Bright and bad lighting can pull a room—and your mood—down,” says Christina Simon , a senior designer with Mark Ashby Design . If you want to strike the right tone, Simon recommends using low-voltage bulbs and adding lamps instead of relying solely on overhead fixtures. And if you want to refresh your space, check out these 40 Super Fun Ways to Decorate Your House This Fall .

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“If I had my way, I would eliminate can lighting all together,” says interior designer Alexis Garrett , who has her own San Diego-based boutique firm.

However, if you’re stuck with recessed lights for the time being, adding in pendant lighting, as well as incorporating some table or floor lamps, can soften the look.

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Don’t go out and grab any bulb off the shelf at your local Home Depot. “Bulbs matter!” says Kathryn Nelson , principal and interior designer with Kathryn Nelson Design of Dallas, Texas.

Nelson notes that, while trends like Edison bulbs can be fun, filling a space with them makes it hard to see. On the other hand, 5,000 Kelvin blue-toned lights, while appropriate for hospitals, give off an overly sterile vibe in home environments. Find the right balance for your home and stock up. And if you’re ready to transform your home, check out The One Easy Home Upgrade Interior Designers Recommend for Fall .

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You may think that painting your living room taupe and buying furniture and accessories to coordinate makes your space look cohesive, but in reality, you’re making it look drab.

“Doing so gives the room no interest or focal point,” explains interior designer and home stager Susan Young , owner of Color Joy Interiors LLC .

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While gray was once the go-to neutral for everything from paint to furniture, it’s become so ubiquitous that decorators are turning their backs on the trend. “Every house you go into looks alike after the realtors have encouraged sellers to paint the interior (and sometimes the exterior) gray and white,” says interior designer Leslie Saul of Leslie Saul & Associates . “Cookie cutter minimalist gray interiors have no soul.”

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While you might want to keep your home looking clean and serene by forgoing bright colors, doing so can actually lead to something worse. “It’s nauseating when everything starts to look the same,” says interior designer Danielle Relyea of Mill Road Design in Rhinebeck, New York. “A lack of patterns and colors makes everything feel super vanilla.”

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That all-white kitchen may look great to you, but don’t assume it gets the seal of approval from professional decorators. “I have a hard time looking at white cabinetry, white countertops, and white backsplash paired with generic chrome lighting,” says interior designer Julia Longchamps , who’s based in Kent Island, Maryland. “Yes, it looks clean, but reads flat and lifeless.”

Her suggestion? Add gold or polished nickel hardware or oversized rattan pendants to inject some visual intrigue and warmth into the space.

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If you have floating shelves in place of upper cabinetry in your kitchen, don’t be surprised if it looks seriously dated in just a few years. “This is a bona fide fad,” says interior designer David Schneider of Pure Home Design in St. Louis, Missouri.“This is not how most people live and will result in partial remodeling of thousands of kitchens over the next 10 or so years.”

Schneider’s main issue with this trend is that if you’re not fastidious about your cleanliness or organization , these shelves become a major source of visible clutter. “People live in their kitchens,” he says. “Most of us need to have a place to put all of our kitchenware, cookware, dishes, and serving pieces away.”

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While you might think a multicolored tile backsplash would brighten up your space, it’s usually just a busy mess when installed. “What looks good on a small sample can be horrific on a larger scale,” says Saul.

And since backsplashes are supposed to keep kitchens cleaner, they also don’t serve their purpose very well. “All that grout means they are harder to clean,” Saul explains.

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However, that doesn’t mean forgoing a backsplash altogether is any better. “A pet peeve I have is kitchens with no backsplash,” says designer Belyne Louis-Jacques of Jacques Home Design in New York City. “I think backsplashes in the kitchen are as important as the cabinet knobs and countertops.”

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Subway tile may have once been a unique addition to bathrooms, but it’s become so common that interior designers are quickly tiring of the trend.

“Subway tile is completely overdone at this point and I am hoping we will see less and less of it,” says Joe Murphy , an interior design specialist at The Shower Head Store in Cheyenne, Wyoming. “There are so many other interesting, unique, and beautiful tile options available!”

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While few people like the feeling of a cold floor under their feet, carpeting your bathroom isn’t the solution. “I totally understand that you want luxury on your feet, but adding carpet to a bathroom is never a good idea,” says interior designer Mark Cutler , principal designer at Los Angeles-based design firm Mark Cutler Design, Inc . “If you want luxury, put in a heated floor and call it a day.”

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While gold-toned hardware has had a recent resurgence, designers still cite brass fixtures as a major no-no. “The brass train has left the station,” says Cutler. “It no longer signals boho chic or Hollywood glamor or even ’80s retro—it now just looks a little like you embraced a fad and are left holding the bag.”

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Natural light makes your home look brighter and more welcoming—but putting furniture in the way of your windows can immediately transform your space for the worse.

“Always keep low-height furniture next to the windows. Low-height furniture makes your room look more airy and bright,” says Julia Turner , design director for home improvement company Ring’s End .

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You may want to freshen up your space with a few new items, but too many brand-new pieces can rob it of much-needed character.

“Layer in vintage finds to prevent your space from resembling a furniture showroom,” suggests interior designer Sarah Barnard , WELL AP + LEED AP, who notes that buying secondhand and vintage items is also a great way to stay on budget and keep your design choices eco-friendly.

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A few trendy pieces can liven up a space—a chevron pattern here or sheepskin rug there—but letting trendy items dominate your space is a major no-no.

“In a short time, this trend may die, leaving your house looking outdated,” explains design expert Jing Xue , co-founder and COO of DecorMatters . Instead, stick to trendy pieces as accents only, not the focal point of a room.

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Yes, Fixer Upper star Joanna Gaines seems to have made it her mission to include shiplap in every home she designs. But that doesn’t mean most interior designers feel the same. “It is not a look that belongs in most homes and it will become outdated after the Gaineses have faded from view for a year or so,” says Schneider.

Schneider points out that, before its contemporary resurgence, shiplap was typically only used for exterior walls in cheaply-constructed or unfinished homes. Ouch!

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While repurposing materials from old buildings is certainly eco-friendly , that doesn’t mean it’s always a great idea from an aesthetic perspective. “The application of the material to an interior finished wall leaves the home owner with a rustic appearance that does not fit in most environments,” says Schneider. “Think grandma’s basement or grandpa’s hunting cabin.”

What’s more, he notes that it’s hard to clean and may even present some health hazards. “It can also have old lead-based paint on it that, in some cases, has been [distressed],” potentially leading to lead poisoning if the dust is inhaled or ingested, according to Schneider.

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Gallery walls may make the most of small spaces, but that doesn’t mean designers think they’re a good look in most homes. According to home designer Bryan Stoddard of Homewares Insider , all that’s achieved by putting so many pieces on one wall is a look that’s “stuffed and suffocating.”

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“Every bare wall doesn’t need something on it,” says Washington, D.C.-based interior designer Darlene Molnar . “That just makes the eye jump all over the room.”

A single strategically-placed piece works better, she says.

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Before you so much as pick up that hammer, try placing your nail a little lower on your wall. “I feel like most art in this world is hung too high,” says Garrett. “My philosophy is that all art should be hung at eye level for the average person.”

Her recommendation? Put your art around five feet off the ground so people can see it easily without straining their necks.

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Those plantation shutters on your windows aren’t giving it as much charm as you think. “This is one of the only trends I know that costs a fortune, has been around for 30 years, and still makes people feel guilty about ripping them out,” says Garrett.

The shutters drastically reduce the amount of light a home gets, and “light is one of the most important aspects of a home,” Garrett says.

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“Nothing spoils good design more than window treatments that aren’t the right size or hung at the wrong height,” says Bevan Talbott , residential interior designer with Bevan & Company in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. “Curtain rods hung across the window frame, (or even worse, on the window frame!) are like a heavy eye brow and bring the ceiling height down and close in the window.” Her recommendation? Move the curtain rods closer to the ceiling to make the room feel larger.

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According to the experts, curtain grommets aren’t just cheap-looking—they also earn low marks in terms of functionality. “These are purely decorative,” explains Yaron Linett , principal designer of Formal Traditional in Warrenton, Virginia. “If you do try to pull on them to close them, they normally form a tension lock against the rod and move haltingly. And once you want to reopen them, you need to dress them by hand to set the spacing correctly.”

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However, leaving those windows uncovered will likely earn you plenty of ire from designers, too. “One of my biggest pet peeves of all is bare windows,” says interior decorator N’Ckyola “Nikki” Green , owner of design firm Xtraordinary by Design in Houston, Texas.

The only exceptions? When you have statement windows, like stained glass; you have a great view; or there’s plenty of privacy, either due to a property’s secluded location or tree coverage.

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When buying furniture for a large room, it’s important to invest in pieces of scale. Small pendant lights in mansions with standard-sized furnishings have a tendency to look sloppy, according to Nelson. “Grand interiors will eat up the scale of ‘regular’ furniture,” she says.

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Not every inch of space in a room needs something to sit on—and loading up small spaces with furniture is a pretty major design don’t. “Don’t overfill a room,” says interior designer Gwen Snyder Siegal, founder of The Nest Design . Instead, “define function in a space and furnish accordingly.”

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Who says that every piece of furniture needs to be pushed up against a wall? “Try floating furniture in a room instead of only using perimeter walls,” suggests Siegal. “There is always a solution for furniture placement that is not only functional to homeowners’ needs, but also visually pleasing.”

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While it may be convenient to buy an entire bedroom set, doing so won’t score you points with your decorator. “Your bedroom is your oasis. It should be a calming place of respite that reflects your style, not a furniture showroom,” says designer Pattie Kelly , president of Inspired Home Interiors . The one exception to the “no matching furniture” rule? Kelly says that she still recommends buying nightstands as a pair.

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Sure, that sectional is comfortable, but if you don’t have a huge room to accommodate the thing, it’s just going to look out of place. “They really limit what you can do design-wise in a space,” says Marty Basher , home design and organization expert for Modular Closets . Plus, he notes, the beiges and browns these couches typically come in are notoriously hard to complement with art and other textiles.

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They’re fun to pet, and they’re cute on kids’ clothing, but don’t even think about adding mermaid sequins to your home design scheme. “Please make it stop,” begs Nelson.

In addition to looking tacky, sequins pop off easily, and can make a huge mess. Oh, and they’re also extremely uncomfortable to lean against.

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Whether you’re opting for a Pendleton plaid blanket or a Missoni striped throw, patterns can add visual intrigue to your living spaces. However, you can definitely have too much of a good thing. “The cacophony of patterns creates a jumbled, confusing environment that never lets the eye rest, and does not allow for a sense of calm and wellbeing in the space,” says designer Vicente Wolf .

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So-called “lawyer foyers”—or double-height entryways—are an eyesore for interior designers. One of the biggest problems with these oversized entries is that they usually “do not have a good starting and ending point for paint or wallpaper, forcing you to use the same color or paper on the second floor,” says interior designer Shannon Connor of Shannon Connor Interiors in Princeton, New Jersey.

“Intimate foyers are a great place to create a vignette and take some decorative risks,” she adds. But double-height ones don’t allow for that.

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When it comes to rugs, go big—or don’t go home with them. “ Large rugs are really expensive, but putting a rug that is too small in your space actually makes your whole room feel small and badly proportioned,” says Cutler.

So, how do you know what size rug to get for your space? It should cover enough of your floor that your furniture sits at least partially atop it, not around it.

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Erika Frank , a Los Angeles-based interior designer, says that those standard-issue numbers you can buy at any hardware store are woefully outdated. According to her, the address number on your home is a “design element that doesn’t get enough love.”

“There are a lot of great options out there and interesting ways to ‘dress’ up your home address numbers, like using unique metals or lighting elements,” she says. Try wrought iron or painted metal instead of traditional brass to add some curb appeal . And if you want to liven up your space, check out these 17 Amazing Vintage Home Features That Are Too Charming for Words .

30 Next-Level Home Design Tricks from Celebrity Designers

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Sure, in the beginning, redecorating a space can seem like a fun endeavor. But without a helping hand (or two), you could quickly find yourself knee-deep in expensive renovations and clean out of clever storage ideas. And that’s when it comes time to call in the cavalry. Enter: the interior designer.

Of course, when it comes to designers—particularly big-name, marquee, celebrity ones—their services certainly aren’t free. Their advice, however, is. And if you’re looking to totally transform your home , good advice is as good a place as any to start. So, for those who have champagne decor tastes but perhaps not a champagne budget, read on: we’ve rounded up all the best decorating advice from the greatest designers in the field. Implement this sage wisdom, and you’ll have a magazine-cover-worthy home in no time.

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In most cases, when working with small spaces it’s important to remember that comfort should always come first, as Seattle-based designer Brian Paquette told One Kings Lane. “Forgo the need to fill the space with everything you think you need and focus on comfort and usage—a real dining table you can spread out on, a sofa rather than a love seat, comfortable accent seating, and plenty of lighting options,” he said.

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As it turns out, a more minimalist approach to your design scheme can open up the room and allow guests to focus in on the curated accents that you’ve worked so hard to incorporate into the space. And, according to Kendall Wilkinson , the Bay Area’s consummate celebrity designer, you should be approaching home design in the same way that you might approach your outfit ensemble. “Coco Chanel famously said that women, once dressed, should remove one accessory. I think that’s true for rooms as well,” she told One Kings Lane.

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While it may seem like an obvious piece of advice, choosing challenging or compelling colors can really liven up any space in your home, according to Yael Meromy of the home staging and interior design firm Studio D . “This might seem obvious, but a lot of people don’t realize that something as simple (not to mention inexpensive and totally DIY-able) as a fresh coat of paint can completely elevate and transform a space into a sleek, chic and shiny-new version of its former self,” he says.

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According to legendary interior designer John Saladino, your home’s interior should provide an emotional experience for every guest that steps into your home. “When you see a room for the first time, your blood pressure should go up. I like to create an emotional experience. A well-designed space doesn’t give out its secrets right away. It should never bore you or feel dated,” he told Elle Decor . Creating a truly compelling look is rather simple—just work to make every room a mixture of completely unique antique items and simple staples.

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As it turns out, the focal point of your room could exist on the walls—in the form of textured wallpaper or a brightly colored wall amidst a sea of neutrals, says Saladino. “One of my favorite wall treatments is brown-coat plaster, which is also called a scratch coat. It’s like the difference between bleached and unbleached flour,” he said.

And, as far as color goes, it’s perfectly acceptable to break the rules as well. “I do the opposite of what most people do: I paint north-facing rooms a cool color and put warmer tones in west or south-facing spaces,” he told Elle Decor . And for more home decor tips, check out these 30 Home Decorations No One Over 30 Should Own.

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When lighting your home , it’s also important to make every space feel light and open. According to Saladino, each kind of light has a different purpose, and you should be utilizing every single variety of light to suit your needs. “For ambient light, try a chandelier with little brown paper shades, which give a beautiful, warm glow, and table lamps for intimacy. You need practical lights for reading and to keep you from falling down the stairs,” he said. Plus, this influx of lighting has the ability to transform your space by providing a light to display those treasures that might have been hidden in the dark previously.

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While inspiration doesn’t have to necessarily come from the great outdoors, using outside sources for inspiration can serve you well when creating your ideal space, says celebrity interior designer and television personality Kari Whitman . Even something as simple as trying to incorporate the color of your favorite food into your space can be a novel way to imprint your own aesthetic on to your home .

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Meromy also stresses the importance of using artwork to complete—no matter what your decor may be. “Something as simple as thoughtfully considering the scale of your furniture art and accessories can make it look like you spent a lot of money on your home (even if you didn’t!). We love to use large-scale art and decor—like a massive canvas that takes up an entire wall, or a well-oversized thick-framed mirror that leans against the wall instead of hanging—to create a space that’s impactful, memorable and grand,” he said.

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As it turns out, you can effectively brighten a room without painting every wall a gleaming shade of white, according to Adam Rolston of Incorporated Architecture & Design . To maximize a room’s brightness that may not contain the adequate amount of outside light, simply attempt to keep the overall palette of the room light, while using accents like mirrors and reflective surfaces to catch the little amount of light currently streaming into the room. Antique mirrors can also be a great option for brightening a room since the glare from their surfaces won’t be as strong as the one from brand new mirrors.

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To save money on renovations, an easy trick to update a truly outdated room is to cover the walls in unique, eye-catching wallpaper. As Drew Stuart of the Carnegie Hill Project knows, colorful or retro wallpaper can completely transform an otherwise ugly room into one of warmth and style.

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According to celebrity designer Jeff Andrews, the trick to making small rooms seem larger (ideal for those living in cramped apartments) is to incorporate a healthy dose of “statement furniture” into the space—and steer clear of adding pops of color, as it will do no favors to creating a cohesive vision. “Just go with varying textures and little bits of print to make it really cohesive and feel larger. Stay away from the proverbial pop of color. I think it doesn’t work, especially in a small space,” he said.

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Just because the ceiling doesn’t receive as much attention as the other features in the room, doesn’t mean that it has to remain completely neglected, says Andrews. Even adding a simple white patterned wallpaper can elevate the style in your room, and provide yet another focal point for guests to admire.

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To create a look that truly stands the test of time (meaning that you don’t have to hit the design reset button every five or so years), Andrews recommends combining the contemporary with the vintage.

“Choose iconic designs and pieces that are recognizable. Have a good blend of styles to make it interesting. Things that are more contemporary, a couple things that are vintage, and maybe something meaningful like a family heirloom,” he said. If you decide to follow a trend and fail to incorporate any pieces to ground the design scheme than you’re likely to have to reevaluate that trend in a few years’ time.

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When done right, incorporating black accents into your home can actually add contrast and dimension—despite what many (inferior) interior decorators will tell you. The trick: keep these touches small in scale—use black curtain rods, lamps, or even just picture frames. Anything on a more grand scale may completely overwhelm the room.

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Fact: finding the perfect, design-forward sofa might be time-consuming, but it will be worth it in the end. Outside of your bed there is no piece of furniture that gets further use—and says more about your tastes.

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According to Stephen Shadley, the guy who designed residences for both Diane Keaton and Jennifer Aniston, your kitchen appliances should also work to play an important role in the design scheme of your kitchen. Investing in nice, stainless steel appliances will keep your space looking polished and tidy—a key component when attempting to showcase other focal points in the space.

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In order to avoid aging your design scheme, stick to a neutral palette that is filled in with more edgy and colorful accents. This way, when these trendy accents go out of style, as they nearly always do, you’ll easily be able to swap out the old trends for the new, and simply add them to your timeless neutral palette.

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Meromy is also quick to articulate the fact that, while instilling a sense of yourself into a space is important, it shouldn’t be done so without a nod to the overall design scheme. “Not everything needs to be bought brand new, or have a designer label on it. In fact, good design is all about balance; and sourcing from all different places and price points will ensure that your space—in all of its elegance and sophistication—feels authentic and inviting as well to all your guests,” he said. So, in short—you do you, but also make it work within your home.

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For those of you looking for an affordable way to update a space, look no further than your lampshades. Just one simple swap could bring a new bold and colorful accent into the space, according to Andrew Suvalsky, principal interior designer at ASD. “Chances are the ready-made lamp you choose comes with a basic, uninspired shade. The shade can really make or break the lamp. Therefore, opt for color or a cool fabric choice,” he told My Domaine. Further, choosing unexpected shapes can bring a dash of whimsy into a stuffy corner of any room.

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If you find that your nightstand only contains relics of your day-to-day life, like coffee mugs and scraps of paper, then you can easily transform your bedroom by instilling a bit of style into these pieces, says Suvalsky. “Nightstands don’t need much, but if you do want a clock, dish to throw your jewelry in, or some other personal items you must have bedside, then pick ones that are beautiful and worthy of spending the night with. Function should be dressed in style—always,” he said.

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Though ready-made draperies are incredibly easy to install, they often end up looking cheap and downplaying the natural architecture of a great window, says Suvalsky. “With a little research and not much expense, you can find drapery rods that come in variable sizes that will fit your windows perfectly,” he said. Further, instead of heading straight towards the white draperies, look instead to ones that can add a punch to the room—like those pictured above. Statement pieces can come in the most unexpected places.

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Especially for those tiny apartment-dwellers, learning how to make the most of every space in your home is the key to find a sense of functionality among the clutter. In the bedroom, for example, squeezing in an armchair or desk in the corner can add more depth to the room and provide an easy way to make it multipurpose, according to Suvalsky.

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As it turns out, your bed is never fully dressed without a smile—or, rather, things that make you smile, like textured blankets, luxuriously soft sheets, and wrinkle-free duvet covers. According to Suvalsky, failing to make your bed, or even invest in bedding that makes you feel more comfortable, is the first mistake when designing a cohesive space. “Most people tend to underplay the importance of dressing their bed and rely on the same rumpled duvets they sleep with nightly, [which are] barely pulled up during the day. This never gives a finished look,” he said.

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Especially right now, stark whites seem to be incredibly popular when it comes to home decor, but, according to Jennifer Lopez’s interior designer, Michelle Workman, this color can often create harsh contrasts that take away from the warmth of a room. Especially for those who are seeking a more feminine space, implementing too many stark white details can almost work to the opposite effect, making any room more hard and masculine. So, if you’re still adamant about including white details, do it in small bursts—like with bedding, curtains, or accents.

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If there’s one thing that Workman knows, it’s that working from your own aesthetic is the most important design trick in the book.

Speaking to Zillow, she recalled a time when a customer requested a design scheme like that of one of Lopez’s rooms—but Workman quickly discovered that this customer was only going with this aesthetic because it was trendy.

“She was very into fashion, so I asked her to send me some pictures of fashions that she was obsessed with—and her sense of aesthetic was opposite what she was asking for,” she said. So, follow this lesson and create a mood board containing items from fashion magazines or other bits of inspiration that can help give you direction when designing your space. Then, having a space that truly reflects your personal tastes will make it feel more at home than ever.

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As Anne DeCocco, a Raleigh-based interior design and owner DeCocco Design knows, every single detail in a home counts—including those touches underfoot. “While hardwoods are my favorite kind of floors, they often need to be warmed up (and protected) with area rugs. I think of them as artwork for the floor. You can use a lot of pattern and color in those rugs because they get quieter when laid down,” she told The Mercury News . Plus, investing in a wool rug gives you both the option of style and function, as it’s easily cleaned and resistant to staining.

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Rather than hiding all of your family heirlooms and souvenirs in drawers, take them and put them proudly on display. “My favorite travel souvenir is a piece of art to hang on the wall or place on a shelf. And don’t forget old family pieces—storing them in boxes is just too sad. Dust them off and find a place to feature them in your home,” said DeCocco. Learning to incorporate these parts of yourself can also instill your own aesthetic into any room in your home.

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When looking to redesign a space, swapping out old fixtures can make a huge difference, says DeCocco. Replacing a bulky ceiling fan with something smaller and sleeker has the ability to transform an entire room. In fact, even foregoing the fan completely and opting for smaller LED lights that take up less space can allow the visitor’s eye to travel to other fixtures in the room, and not that pesky ceiling fan.

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If you’ve decorated a room to the full extent that you can, and it still seems to lack a certain flavor that you’re after, DeCocco suggests adding architectural elements to add dimension and style. “Think arches, corbels, transoms…think beams. High-density polystyrene beams look incredibly real and are very easy to install on your ceiling (they cut like butter!). A couple of beams adds instant character to a room,” she told The Mercury News .

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While it can be tempting to line every room with your favorite furniture, interior designer and stylist Ryan Korban warns that, by doing this, you can make the rooms in your house inadvertently appear smaller.

“It leaves empty space in the middle of the room and lacks interest in traffic flow. The best trick is to work in the middle of the room,” he told Refinery29. Placing your furniture in the middle of the room is even a strategic way to make a smaller space seem larger, as it fills the room and leaves spaces alongside the wall that works to make the space appear larger.