Apartment Advice

5 Easy Decorating Secrets That Are Room Changers

Last updated: Sep 20, 2023

Transforming a room from bland to inspiring is usually left to the professionals.

But wouldn’t it be great if you could dig into their brains and steal their decorating knowledge?

Well, these five interior decorator secrets can be used by anyone wanting to change a room dramatically, and they don’t take a design degree to pull off.

Read on to learn more:

1. Add Trimming

When all you have is four walls, a floor, and a ceiling, the room might feel too basic to make any grand changes. But, one easy trick to add some wow-factor to your room is to install trim.

With a few more angles or details on your walls, your room will have more visual interest.

Good examples of trimming styles that will change a room’s entire feel include crown molding, board and batten, and ceiling beam trim.

Granted, some of these options might not work well in your room, but the point is to step back and note how you can add something unique to the basic dimensions of a room.

You can find easy-to-install boards with pre-cut trimming at most hardware stores or lumber yards. You can even install peel-and-stick wainscoting without ever picking up a hammer.

If you would rather add some texture to your ceiling, you can install tin or vinyl ceiling panels with a neat design.

2. Pick an Accent Wall

When you need to bring a special feeling to a room, your best bet is to pick a wall and make it stand out. This is called an accent wall.

There are many different types of accent walls. Some are just bold-colored walls in an otherwise neutral room. If all the other walls are dark or bold, the accent wall can be a lighter, more neutral color.

If you want to take your accent wall one step further, you can add stripes or another geometrical design in paint or washi tape to the wall.

Why stop there?

You can make your accent wall a real show stopper by painting a mural or wallpapering it with an eye-catching design. What used to be a plain room will have an exciting draw when you’re done.

How do you choose which wall will be the best for an accent wall? A good rule of thumb is to choose the one that is the farthest from the entrance or has the most natural light hitting it. With more sun shining on it, your accent wall will truly shine!

3. Look to Lighting

Lighting can set the tone for the room’s entire atmosphere.

When you go with colored shades, you’ll add drama and warmth to the room. Bright lights change the mood again to a more lively and productive environment.

If you want a comforting and relaxing room, subdued lights can create a slower, more chilled-out vibe.

Having lights that point up to the ceiling can make a room feel bigger. Investing in a luxurious chandelier will bring a regular room up a couple of notches in the posh book.

String lighting goes well with bohemian decor and brings a whimsical ambiance to the room. Rustic lighting fixtures can industrialize a room, whereas pendant lighting will soften it.

You can manipulate the lighting in your room to control the atmosphere and create an environment that makes you happy.

4. Be Brave When You Mix

The bravest designers are the ones who get the most praise. When you pull off a design that most people would never have thought of, you can tantalize the senses in new and exciting ways.

Instead of sticking to the tried-and-true accompanying pieces and complementary colors, try to step out of your comfort zone and mix things up.

Things that don’t look like they match (but actually do) trick the eye and add visual interest. It will make your guests take a pause and appreciate your home like a work of art.

You can be brave with style, too. Try mixing modern pieces with antique pieces, classical with bohemian, and feminine with masculine. This will keep your room interesting and eclectic!

5. Deep Clean

You can fill a room with the best furniture, perfectly placed lighting, craftsman-level trimming, and a spectacular accent wall, but if it’s not clean, it won’t look right.

To transform a room, sometimes all you need to do is get in on your hands and knees and start scrubbing!

This is no ordinary cleaning.

You want to:

Wash the walls

Clean the windows and blinds

Polish your furniture

Vacuum out your vents

Shampoo your carpet or mop your floor

This handy little cheat sheet will ensure you don’t miss a speck of dust.

Once the room is spic and span, your next step is to declutter. Anything that has no functional purpose or brings no beauty to the room, get rid of it or put it in storage. The less cluttered a room, the more inviting it will be.

You should also organize the furniture for the best flow and feel. When it’s as clean as a whistle, even the most modest room can be beautiful.

Conclusion

Whether you have a big budget or a small budget, these room-changers are doable. You can easily find ways to add a unique spin to any of these ideas or pull one right off this article. We don’t mind.

If you’re looking for big changes in your home, these will certainly do the trick!