Luxurious Decorating Tips

Having a luxurious home means having a home that is fit for royalty, from lavish spa like bathtubs to a bed that is fit for a king. Individuals that do not have an enormous bathtub or bedroom do not have to go with a modern or traditional theme, though. These decorating tips will add the perfect amount of luxury to any home, no matter how big or small it is.

Royal colours 

Royal colours are a must in luxurious homes that are fit to be a palace. Red and gold or royal purple and gold are idea, and guaranteed to impress guests. As a general rule of thumb, almost any dark colour paired with a metallic colour will have a look of luxury. Other examples include: black and silver, black and gold, navy blue and silver or gold, and a dark burgundy colour with gold.

Designer fabrics are often available in a variety of colours and designs. Designer fabrics can often be purchased in bulk as well, making it cheaper than ever to create your own coordinating bedroom set or to reupholster furniture.

Larger furniture 

There is something so luxurious and comfortable about overstuffed furniture. Instead of going with simpler platform beds and modern sofas that have almost no cushioning, opt for the overstuffed arm chair with a coordinating ottoman, or the sofa that has a wealth of decorative pillows. The same rule can apply to bedrooms, where a large king sized bed with a canopy will add a certain princess appeal.

Most furniture can easily add a comfortable look to any home, especially when overstuffed furniture is reupholstered using luxury designer fabrics. Budget friendly homeowners can usually purchase the designer fabric and then make their own decorative pillows and reupholster the furniture themselves.

Gold

Gold has a certain sense of elegance about it. Luxurious living rooms will look better once a few gold picture frames are added to the walls, and designer fabrics that have patterns with gold vines and flowers add a feminine touch to any room. Other options for adding gold to a home include: candle holders, wall art, clocks, and maybe a cute nicnac or two on the end tables.

This versatile colour also coordinates well with any other colour, making it a great choice regardless of what the current colour scheme is.

Wall art

Adding a bit of wall art to a home can instantly add a high end look to any home, regardless of the size of the home or location. A few pieces of canvas artwork can often be ordered online at a discounted price, and these come in almost every shape and style, making them the perfect addition to a home to make it more aesthetically appealing.

Homeowners that are new to re-decorating are advised not to overdo it when it comes to wall art. In this case, less is often more. The smaller a room, the less artwork there should be so it captures the attention and works as a great conversation starter instead of overwhelming the senses of the guests.

Re-decorating is usually either expensive or it looks cheap. With designer fabrics, every do it yourself project around the house will look as though it was professionally made. Material can be used to make everything from pillows and curtains to reupholster furniture. 

Homeowners that choose to purchase material in bulk can guarantee that their entire living room or bedroom has a luxurious look, and the colours will all perfectly coordinate with one another for a one of a kind look that will not be found anywhere else, making this one of the most popular ideas for luxurious redecorating.

Source: James Tubbrit

Top 10 expert decorating ideas

1. Be prepared. It’s worthwhile spending a few hours collecting all the materials that you’ll need. Having all your tools at hand will help simplify your painting project and save you time.
   
   
2. Quality matters. Steer clear of poor quality paint. Your walls will only need more coats and the finish can often look uneven.
   
   
3. Brush up. Invest in a good quality 2-inch (5cm) synthetic bristle brush for cutting in the edges.
   
   
4. Cut in with care. This means painting the corners, ceiling edges, above skirting boards and around any windows and doors before moving onto the main walls. You should repeat this process for each wall before moving on to the next to ensure the paint blends together properly.
   
   
5. Get rolling. You’ll need a 7-inch (17cm) medium pile roller for the walls and, if you have radiators or narrow sections that need painting, then it’s well worth having a small roller as well. If your roller is brand new, wash it in soapy water before you start painting to get rid of any fluff.
   
   
6. Eliminate drips. Worried about paint dripping from the brush? Dip the bottom half of your brush into the paint to load it up, and then tap firmly against the side of the tin to get rid of any excess paint.
   
   
7. Paint by letters. If you’re painting a large space with a roller, begin by painting a ‘W’ on the wall and then fill it in with an ‘M’ without lifting the roller. This will ensure you get an even coverage.
   
   
8. Leave windows for later. Don’t fret if you get a splash of paint on your windows. Just wait until it’s dry and remove with a paint scraper.
   
   
9. Keep brushes fresh. Keep your brushes and rollers in a bucket covered with a damp cloth when not in use to ensure that they won’t dry out.
   
   
10. Clean as you go. Keep a clean, damp cloth close by and wipe up paint splatters as they happen. Dry the area with paper towel to remove any excess paint film. Tidying as you go will help reduce the clean-up job at the end.
    
    
    
    
    Source: www.dulux.co.uk

12 Key Decorating Tips to Make Any Room Better

Get a great result even without an experienced touch by following these basic design guidelines

I hate to break it to you, but designers don’t follow a secret rule book. There are no hard and fast laws governing what we do. We are creative types by nature and love to imagine, dream and explore, following our intuition. That said, there are some rough principles that guide us to ensure a great result every time. They are just tried and true things that work. And these aren’t tricks or skills that take years to master. Anyone can do them from day one. Consider this a foundation for developing your own quirky, creative, rule-breaking intuition. 

White T Design

1. Pick the paint color last. 

I get calls all the time from homeowners who want to pick a paint color before they move in. I get the logic. Why not arrive to walls with a fresh coat of paint? Of course you can do it this way, but in my opinion it’s not ideal. 

There are thousands of paint colors with various tints, tones and shades. And each one looks different from home to home, because light sources vary, meaning what looks good in your current home might not in your new one. You want the color that best complements your upholstery, artwork, rug and whatever else. You can pick that color only if your stuff is actually inside your home.

2. Give your furniture some breathing room. 

Resist overcrowding a room. Gracious living means space to maneuver with ease. This is really great news if you are working with a tight budget. You don’t need to fill up a space with lots of furniture. Spend more of your budget on fewer but better-quality pieces, and your room will look better than if it’s stuffed to the gills with flea market finds. The high-backed chairs shown here, for example, stand out because they don’t have to fight for attention.

Nest Architectural Design, Inc.

3. Hang artwork at the right height. 

Galleries and museums hang artwork so that the midline (center) of each piece is 57 inches to 60 inches from the floor. (The average human eye level is 57 inches.) And you should do the same.  

In a room like this, where the ceilings soar, there might be a tendency to hang the art higher. But remember: It needs to relate to human scale, not the structure’s scale.

If you’re not sure, take a picture. It’s remarkable how much a photo can reveal. Print it out or use Photoshop or an app to draw on the photo. This can give you a sense of whether a larger or smaller piece of art is needed or a tall plant might be best to fill a vacant spot. 

KDW Home/Kitchen Designworks

4. Know how to arrange furniture on a rug. 

There are basically three ways you can arrange furniture on your rug. 

All on: The rug is large enough to place all of the furniture legs on top of it. This creates a more luxurious feel. For this, bigger is better. Just be sure to leave at least 12 to 18 inches of floor surface on all four sides of the rug’s borders. 

All off: If you have a small room, keeping all legs off the rug is a great cost-effective choice. You don’t want to pick too small a rug, though, or it may look insignificant, like an afterthought. The rug should appear as though it could touch the front legs of each of the seating pieces. This approach is best suited when you’re layering a pattern over a larger solid or textured rug.

Elizabeth Reich

Front on: Put just the front feet of all your seating pieces on the rug to tie the arrangement together visually and create a well-defined space while lending a feeling of openness. 

Blackband Design

5. Resist the urge to be too theme-y. 

For example, the Cape Cod look is a very popular request. You know the hallmarks: beadboard, a blue and white nautical palette, some sailboat paintings. But this has been done so many times, it lacks individuality. In this room the coastal vibe was achieved through a palette, artwork and materials that give the effect without drawing on the obvious clichés.

OLighting

6. Create a focal point. 

There are leading roles and supporting cast members in any production. The same holds true in design. Choose your star and make it the focal point to anchor a room. Allow other items to take a secondary role. Don’t ask everything to have a leading role; it will just result in visual noise. 

Your focal point might be a dramatic hood in the kitchen, a mantel and art piece in the living room or a headboard in the bedroom. Whatever it is, choose something that will draw attention. In this room the fireplace and the lighting work together as a collective focal point, bringing your eye right to the center of the composition and anchoring it there.

Julia Cutler Interior Design

7. Consider sight lines. 

Your focal point should be free and clear from one room to the next, so that it feels like you’re being drawn between them. That’s why the best spot for a focal point is usually directly across from the entrance to the room.

Jamie Laubhan-Oliver

8. Edit your collectibles. 

Don’t hang on to a piece that just doesn’t fit. I don’t care if your great-aunt Sally gave it to you. If it’s not working for you, then find a new home for it (maybe in a different room).

The unifying theme here is the use of black in the utilitarian pieces. The balance is almost perfect. It reminds me of something Coco Chanel said about accessorizing: “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” In design, know when to stop.

What to Let Go and What to Keep

Sutro Architects

9. Vary the scale. 

What looks good in the store may look like an elephant in the room when you bring it home. Or it’s too tiny to be of any significance. So always vary scale and proportion. 

The oversize sunburst mirror frame fills up the wall space nicely here, while the sand dollars make an interesting grouping below. They would be much too insignificant individually. Threes and fives make for more pleasing arrangements than even numbers.

Gast Architects

10. Add layers of lighting. 

In this kitchen seating area, the backsplash is lit, the artwork is highlighted and the cabinet interiors are filled with light. One central lighting fixture would not have had nearly the same dramatic result.

Professionals build layers of lighting to create interest, intrigue and variety. In a room where everything is lit evenly, nothing stands out. Pick a focal point and perhaps a secondary focal point and highlight those. Add general ambient lighting and some lower lighting, like table lamps, for interest.

STEPHEN FLETCHER ARCHITECTS

11. Be bold. 

Personality is what makes a space great. Make your own statement and have fun. The more you try, the more you will begin to see what works and what doesn’t. 

Incorporate unexpected elements for drama. The unconventional ottoman seats, library-style bookshelves and oversize chandelier here are all unexpected in a conventional living room, but the result has charisma. Eschew expected pieces and interpretations if you want a room that will really wow.

sarah & bendrix

12. Ignore all principles in favor of creativity. 

Having some guidelines gives people a good starting point for furnishing and decorating their home, even if some of them aren’t practical for a particular space.

Go with something personal that makes you smile and, above all, is comfortable. Overly designed rooms don’t really translate in modern life. A pillow collection and an art arrangement that are seemingly haphazard, as shown here, create a dressed-down look with plenty of style.

Source: Judith Taylor - http://www.houzz.com