Have you ever finished arranging a room and thought, “something is missing”? Decorating a room requires a myriad of design elements to look and feel complete, so it’s not uncommon to forget an important piece here or there when you’re busy determining the seating arrangement or picking out the perfect wall color. If your room doesn’t feel quite finished, it could be because you forgot to add one or more of these finishing touches.
Soft furnishings
Decorative pillows and throws make seating more inviting and are a great way to bring pops of color and texture into your space. If your couch or chairs are empty, consider adding a pillow or two for visual interest. Just remember to keep soft furnishing to a minimum. Not every piece needs its own pillow or throw and more than three pillows on a couch tends to look cluttered.
Designer tip: Ditch the matching pillows that come with your sofa, choosing instead ones in complimentary colors and lush textures.
Hunter Douglas Designer Roller Shade
Window treatments
Blinds, shades, shutters and drapery play an important functional role in any space, providing privacy, light-filtering and visual interest. Soften your room with neutral window treatments that blend into surrounding décor, or choose a contrasting color or striking print to add a wow factor to your room.
Designer tip: Layer multiple types of window treatments for additional texture and visual interest.
Area rug
Don’t make your furniture swim in a sea of flooring. Anchor each piece to the room by placing a large area rug under your furniture. With a wide selection of prints, sizes and textures, you’ll have no trouble finding options to compliment your décor or flooring, whether its stone, tile, wood or carpet.
Designer tip: In a seating arrangement, each piece of furniture should touch or overlap your area rug.
Something on the walls
Bare walls are boring. And with the plethora of affordable art available these days, there is no excuse not to add a few striking pieces to your walls. For the biggest impact, choose a large-scale piece or arrange a few smaller ones, over your couch. Need tips for arranging your art? Check out this helpful guide.
Designer tip: Art not your thing? Opt instead for a gallery wall of family photos or a collection of unique decorative elements, like plates.
Books
Books are a great way to make a stark or sparsely decorated space look lived in, so if you’re decorating project is slow, add groupings of your favorite books around your room to help fill up the space.
Designer tip: Go beyond the traditional library-style stack and arrange your books in interesting ways. Check out these ideas.
Plants
Every room should include at least one living element from nature, whether it’s a potted plant or a beautiful flower arrangement. If your space is large, choose a tall tree with wide foliage. Or if you’re short on space, a potted succulent or whimsical terrarium will add greenery, but not overwhelm your space.
Designer tip: Make sure you choose the plant based on available light in your space.
Cover Photo: Photo: Hoi Ning Wong © 2014 Houzz – Hoi Ning Wong © 2014 Houzz
