1. (Don’t) Go Monochromatic In Small Rooms
Use of a single hue for small rooms is one of the biggest home styling rules you can completely disregard the next time you launch a home makeover. However tiny, not a single room in your nest will look all that vaster for a monochromatic, all-white paint job – in fact, it will only come across as sterile. A neutral hue can be the primary tone for a small bedroom, but it should by all means be coupled with a secondary tone or a bright accent to avoid the lackluster, hospital-like ambiance.
2. Ceiling Should Not Bear Colorful Touches
Most interior designers cringe at the idea of a ceiling in any tone but brilliant white. Does this mean you have to abide by the time-honored convention? Definitely not: painting the ceiling a gentle or dramatic hue can in fact usher in a cozy feel, especially in spacious rooms with high ceilings and lots of windows. Still, if you decide to paint your ceilings in any color other than classic white, the walls should receive the same or similar paint treatment to avoid an over-the-top impression.
3. Wall and Floor Hues: To Mix or To Match?
The interior designer’s little black book is clear about wall paint and floor hues: for peak appeal, these have to be different. Or do they, really? Not if you’re creative. You can paint the walls and floors the same shade and achieve a suave visual effect: ivory, alabaster, and similar Nordic-style neutrals will do the trick just fine. You can also layer a handful of cheap rugs with inspiring prints and throw in a piece of statement furniture in a solid tone to spice up the atmosphere and add a touch of comfort and warmth to your nest.
4. Small Rooms Shouldn’t Pack Huge Furniture
You’ve probably heard that using king-size furnishings in pocket-sized rooms is a surefire way to ruin home aesthetics. Well, this isn’t always true: you can throw a few lavish-looking pieces into your matchbox-size bedroom without risking the Alice in Wonderland effect. As a matter of fact, a single statement piece will help create a focal point in a tiny room and infuse it with a precious dose of character, but make sure to balance it out using other furnishings in modest dimensions.
5. Sensitive Materials Don’t Belong in the Bathroom
Bathrooms are the most humid areas in a home, but this doesn’t mean you can’t use wallpapers or wood there. In fact, more and more interior designers are turning to sensitive materials when remodeling the shower room, and sophisticated blends of wood and stone are taking the world of bathroom design by a storm. The same is true of wallpapers: the advance of printing industry has produced a few dozen alternatives to classic wallcovers, and you can now have your favorite print in the loo – and all that in an easy-clean guise, too!
Your home is an extension of your personality, and as such, it can and should be all you want it to be. Don’t let design conventions stop you from dressing up the living area as you see fit: after all, home décor principles are more of a broad signpost than a set of unbending rules. Interior designers who dare to experiment and go against the norms are the ones who bring about fresh stylistic mixes and keep the industry’s wheels on the right and innovative track – and you, too, can now be one of them!