Do you ever wonder how interior designers make rooms in magazines look so perfect?  Well, this week on the blog I’m sharing my favourite interior designer secrets with you, so that you can make your home a little more perfect too.  Here are four of my favourite secrets, in no particular order…

Test Your Paint Colours

I never suggest committing to a paint colour from looking at a little chip.  Ideally, it’s best if you can prime all the walls and then test a few of your favourite colours by painting 24″ x 24″ sections on a couple of walls in your room.  If you can’t do that then I suggest painting a few large pieces of thick card stock and shuffle them around the room.  Live with things for a few days and have a look at the colours at various times during the day – Lighting changes how colours can look, so better to be safe than sorry.

Avoid Buying Furniture Sets

Try to never purchase a set of furniture where the sofa, love seat, and chairs all have the same upholstery.  It can look too matchy, whereas mixing your upholstery will give a much nicer and more layered look.  The same goes for the bedroom – Avoid buying a matching set and opt for a more curated look by selecting a variety of pieces and incorporating an upholstered bed.

Line Your Drapery

A lot of people buy ready-made drapery from big box stores and wonder why they don’t hang like they do in the photos from the home decor magazines.  Of course, custom drapery is going to fit and look much better, but if custom is not in your budget just be sure they are lined with a good-quality lining.  Lining adds the extra weight to the fabric that is needed to hang nicely.

Use Feather Pillow Inserts

Want your decorative pillows to be perfectly plump?  Be sure to use feather inserts that are a bit larger than your pillow cover.  Poly pillow inserts always look too stiff and never have a nice shape to them, and feather inserts are often not stuffed enough to give the right fullness.  By using feather inserts that are an inch or so larger than the cover, you’re sure to have magazine-worthy looking pillows.

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If you’d like to discuss your upcoming interior design project, please email us at hello@staciedwardsdesign.com to let us know a bit about your project, and we’ll schedule a call. Whether it’s a new build, renovation, or a simple refresh for your home, we’d love to hear from you. You can also visit our Services Page HERE to learn more about what we offer. Thank you!