Regardless if you’re a new homeowner, moving to a new home, or redecorating your space, we can all agree that before we fill the space with furniture and knick-knacks, we already have a dream space in mind based on the magazines we’ve browsed, Pinterest boards, and from inspirations we gather on TV and film.
Albeit we know what we want and don’t want in mind, it takes more than preferences when decorating/styling a home. A lot of factors come in that you should consider first such as proportion and scale before you purchase and bring in anything. Sure, you may afford that large leather sectional but if it’s too big for your living space, it won’t look good and it would look cheap.
Without further ado, here are the classic home decor design rules that you should take to heart. These should guide you in your home interior decorating journey.
Hang your curtains as it should be
Curtains do transform the mood and atmosphere of a space: sheer curtains allow light to travel for a brighter space, heavy drapes make for a dramatic mood, and the choice of color paints the room’s mood as well.
Given this, it suffices to say that dressing your home with curtains is the equivalent of dressing yourself in clothes—ill-fittings would be disastrous. Measure and mark your rod accordingly—never lower than the standard practice; higher than normal is okay so long as you have curtains that end just an inch above or exactly on the ground
Hang your artworks at eye level
A good rule of thumb when hanging pieces of art against the wall is it should be around eye level as it looks best at that point of view. And whenever you’re in doubt as to which size of art you should place above your living area, the larger it is, the better.
Of course, you can always hang a collection of art pieces with at least one focal point at the center. And when you feel like displaying artwork in an unconventional way, you can break this classic rule by laying the piece on the ground or on a console table, leaning against the wall. It is a good, relaxed look that translates to your space.
Get appropriately-scaled rugs
There’s nothing more off-putting and annoying than wrongfully-scaled rugs. This is, unfortunately, an understandably common. Unfortunate, since there is an apt and appropriate size to fit your space; and understandably, since rugs can be pretty expensive.
With this in mind, it’s recommended that you invest in a properly-scaled rug (no matter the size; the bigger it is the more costly it gets) than settle for something “temporary” at the moment.
Mind your lighting sources
Natural or artificial, lighting is your best friend and you should give all the spotlight to it whenever possible as it elevates the general atmosphere of any space.
If you have lots of windows in your home, embrace this. Put up sheer curtains or open it up to let the natural light warm and/or brighten up your space. If your space lacks natural lighting sources, place a floor lamp, table lamp, or any apt lighting fixtures needed to set the mood and brighten up the room. Lighting is a surefire way to enhance any space and to little or no cost.
Naturally, as homeowners, we have the liberty to follow, bend, or break these classic design rules as you please to let your personality shine. These should serve as your guidelines and from there, you can bend and put your own touch to your space. As you know, before you can run, you have to learn to walk.
About the author: Chie spends her downtime pinning home decor finds on Pinterest. She also writes for Wincrest Bespoke, a home builder in Sydney that is created for those who seek more than just a luxury home.


January 29, 2018