Is that room of yours feeling dated?
Need a quick refresh without tearing the whole room apart? Let me share a few simple home trends and design inspiration that could help set you on the right path to sprucing up your abode.
Whether it’s your living room or your bedroom, these 6 timeless design tips may be just what you need to refresh your home and create that cozy living space. Best of all, they’re super easy to implement on your own!
1. Add a Touch of Green
Implementing a plant or two can help to promote a sense of bringing the outdoors in. Found in all classic designs, plants bring in new life to those bare shelves and empty corners. Simply put, having greenery in the home can really liven up a space.
Beyond the contribution of the organic movement of greenery, whether they be small potted plants, branches in a vase or taller indoor trees, the addition of any plant is a wonderful way to introduce harmony into any environment.
Pro Design Tip
Taller trees are perfect for adding height and visual interest in a bare spot in the room. Smaller plants or branches are ideal for dressing up a side table, console, coffee table or wall shelf.
While I love that live plants can naturally improve air quality, I myself do not have that green thumb! If you’re anything like me, I find that the easiest solution is to bring in low-maintenance succulents or even faux plants. Below are a few real and faux indoor plants that could work well in your home refresh!
Studio McGee 72” Artificial Tree
This is the faux tree used in our featured design project.
FUNARTY 5pcs Artificial Long Stems 37″ Branches
These are the faux branch leaves used on the coffee table in our featured design project.
Realead 5ft Artificial Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree
Relied 6ft Artificial Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree
MyGift Artificial Succulent Arrangement in Round Gray Cement Planter Pot
Perfect to set on the dining table or coffee table for every day decor.
Costa Farms Real Sansevieria Mid-Century Modern Planter Stand 12-Inch
A lovely addition to sit beside a stand-alone chair or near an entryway.
Costa Farms Succulent Garden Fully Rooted in Ceramic Décor Planter, 8-inch
A classic addition to break up a bookshelf!
2. Introduce Decorative Accent Pieces
Accent pieces have a way of making a room pop! These pieces could be decorative vases, candles, sculptural or even quirky objects. They accentuate a space! What’s most awesome is that these accents are such a great way to show off your personality and design flavor. If you desire a more modern look, try a sleek low-profile polished chrome bowl. Enjoy more of a vibrant eclectic feel? Maybe a fun and colorful balloon dog statue!
Pro Design Tip
When displaying your accent pieces, aim for grouping accessories together in threes of varying heights and sizes. For instance, on coffee table surfaces, I enjoy grouping together a vase and a candle sitting on top of books. On side table, a framed photo paired with a candle and some beads. Here are a few fun decorative accent pieces to consider. Keep in mind these are all very different options that I’ve used in different past projects. Meaning, they’re not all necessarily going to look fabulous together.
Ivya 58in Black Wood Bead Garland with Tassels
In addition to being featured on the coffee table of our featured project, I ended up purchasing a set for my own home!
Voluspa French Cade Lavender Candle | Large Glass Jar | 18 Oz
Another accent piece that I purchased for myself…love the color of the jar and the scent!
Elegance Hammered Metal Silver Bowl, 17” x 9”
Simplistic and modern, this works well on it’s own or filled!
Modern White Ceramic Vase, Set 2
A beautiful accent piece that works well as a set of 2.
2-Pack Gold Fluted Vase
These add warmth and texture to dull space.
Otang Balloon Dog Statue Collectible Figurines Art Modern Sculpture
For those looking for a statement or conversation piece of an accent!
3. Review Artwork
The right artwork has a way of tying together a room’s design elements. It’s amazing how artwork in a home can tell a story of the people who live in them. Like greenery, updated artwork is wonderful for brightening up empty walls or dressing up lonely fireplace mantles with a splash of color or a bit of texture.
When most think of art, wall art is what commonly comes to mind. A print, a photograph or a painting in some framed fashion. In addition to family portraits checking the box for artwork, let’s not forget about the other mediums of art- sculptures! A unique or sentimental piece of art, whether it be framed or a standalone sculpture, tastefully displayed is one that deserves the attention from your guests.
Pro Design Tip
Pay attention to the size of the artwork that may be hung on the walls or displayed on a shelf. Proportion is key and if an art piece is much too small in an area, it can feel skimpy and out of place. If found too large for an area, you risk overwhelming the space.
While my client had their own sculpted horse & jockey piece, we found a similar piece of art if it’s something that catches your attention! Artwork is very personal that should be catered to your own style. Below are a few examples of uniquely eye-catching art pieces.
SunBlogs Handmade Rustic Metal Horse Statue
Displayed on a shelf or mantle, a perfect art piece for horse lovers!
SIGNWIN Framed Pink Orange Dot Cheetah Pop Art
For those lovers of bright colors and felines!
Mixweer 3 Pcs Black Metal Wall Art
A much more feminine and elegant touch.
Modern 16×16 Inch Natural Agate Framed Wall Art 4 Inch
For the stone collectors and spirit seekers.
4. Bring in a New Pillow
No need to replace the sofa, freshen it up with a few new throw pillows! What I enjoy most about pillows is that they’re one of the easiest decorative pieces to change up in a single room throughout the year.
The color, pattern and texture of a throw pillow can really change the vibe of a space. A light colored, cozy pillow conveys a casual environment whereas a vibrant patterned, colorful pillow offers more energy in a space.
Pro Design Tip
There is such a thing as “over doing” the pillow situation! On larger sofas, I typically group no more than 3 pillows in each corner that have different sizes and colors and/or textures. This could look like a solid color 18” x 18” pillow, a slightly smaller faux fur pillow with a fun patterned bolster like pillow. Decorative pillows with fun fabrics really dress up those solid colored chairs. I also love a kidney or bolster pillow for a pair of chairs. Here are some of fave pillows that cater to many different design aesthetics!
Opalhouse™ designed with Jungalow Embroidered Dots with Pom-Poms Square Throw Pillow Cream/Black
This guy sits on the carved wooden hand chair and is one of my all-time favorite decorative pillows!
Cygnus Set of 2 Farmhouse Decor Stripe Patchwork Linen Throw Pillow Covers
Simplistic, yet visually balanced for a farmhouse-like living room.
Phantoscope Faux Fur Pillow Cover
Because who doesn’t love fuzzy!!
CASA BOHO Oversized Decorative Bohemian Pillow Cover Large
This pillow gives some fun punches of color without being too overwhelming.
5. Embrace Lighting
So there’s the decorative light fixture, aka your table lamp or chandelier, then there’s the actual bulb that illuminates the space. Lamps and chandeliers can serve as your decorative accents or even pieces or art! And while these fixtures may be fine themselves, it’s just a matter of updating the bulbs to ensure they give off the right glow and color temperature.
Typically, warm light has been known best for relaxing at the end of the day, while cooler light helps to evoke energy. The right color temperature in the home is what enhances all of the decorative elements you’ve put together in each space. If the color is too warm, it could make your light walls feel pinky. Too cool, and you could see a tinted blue glow or feel like you’re in a hospital.
Pro Design Tip
For light bulbs, I’ve always preferred staying between a color temperature of 2,700 to 2,000 kelvin. Otherwise known as “soft white”. This temperature is what offers a casual vibe, a tone that makes humans look a bit healthier (oddly true) and inspires a sense of relaxation.
I love placing taller floor lamps in tight areas that help to brighten up those darker corners. Table lamps are wonderful in between a pair of chairs or even next to a stand-alone side chair. Below are a few different options to consider for your lighting needs.
Sunco Lighting 12 Pack BR30 Dimmable LED Light Bulbs, 2700K Soft White
We switched out all of our recessed can lights with these bulbs for a more balanced soft white glow in our home.
Henn & Hart Simone 2-Light Floor Lamp with Fabric Shade in Matte Black/Brass/White
A similar design style to our our featured design project.
Lumiverse Dimmable E26 Vintage LED Edison Bulbs, 2700K Soft White
These “Edison Bulbs” are great for lamps or pendants where the bulbs are exposed.
Threshold™ Polyresin Mini Table Lamp with Circle Base
Love how the rounded base can add softness to a space.
6. Add a Throw
A throw, a blanket… tomAto, tomAHto. However you decide to say it, add one into your space. Perhaps it’s draping over an armchair in the office, or on the end of a chaise lounge in the family room. What’s terrific about a throw, or beautiful about a blanket, is that it serves such a wonderfully functional purpose of getting cozy in whichever space you might be in. AND they offer such visual warmth that they naturally make a space feel softer and inviting.
Pro Design Tip
For an intentionally “messy” look, I like to pinch the middle of the throws and then toss them on the ends of sofas. For a tidier feel, a nice fold can do the trick, then gently setting atop a chair with any fringe exposed- like what you see in our featured design project.
Because these are so great during the chillier times of the year, you might need more than a single throw blanket. A fun design solution to this is either incorporating a cute basked or even decorative ladder to hold your various blankets. Below are a few examples to get your design juices flowing!
FUIN Fully Assembled 5 Ft Wall Leaning Blanket Ladder in Brown
A fabulous space-saving solution to organizing your throws!
Inhand Knitted Throw Blanket with Tassel in Off White 50″x60″
Classic off-white throw with a bit of fringe can brighten and soften a space.
Chanasya Cotton Chevron Throw Blanket with Tassels, 50×65
A neutral find with a bit of texture.
Adyrescia Chunky Knit Blanket Throw in Harvest Yellow, 50″x60″
For a splash of cheer, this throw brings in the right amount of sunshine!
Well!? What do you say, friends? Are you ready to spruce up that space of yours? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Xoxo,
Megan
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