1. Colour:

Painting your room is the most common way to inject colour into your décor palette.

As a rule, lighter colours will feel more open whereas darker colours give off a heavy feeling and can make you feel more enclosed. Neutral colours can feel very grounding and are very versatile for your furnishings. Warmer colours like red and green will help energize and increase appetites. Colder colours like blue and gray will relax the mind and decrease the appetite.

Choosing the right colour is crucial to setting the tone and purpose of a room. If you’re not ready to commit to a full repaint, use accessories and artwork to inject colour into your room. An area rug is also a great way to bring colour to a room and helps ground the furniture.

2. Use of space:

The options for how to arrange a roomcan seem endless.

Depending on how you arrange different forms of seating, the arrangement can create a cozy conversation or a private nook for reading. Within one room you can have designated areas for various activities by using the space creatively.

Establish the focal point of the room and arrange furniture around it. It could be a fireplace, a window, or even something you bring in like a television. Use the furniture to create conversations areas and don’t’ forget about the traffic flow into or out of the room. Leave room for people to walk around furniture.

3. Light:

Using light and shadow as primary design material will produce dramatic spaces

through the manipulation of both natural and artificial lights. Use curtains or sheers to diffuse natural light within the room as the lighting levels shift throughout the day.

As incandescent bulbs are being replaced with more energy-efficient LED bulbs it’s important to read the packaging to understand what type of light the LED will cast. Warm lighting makes for a more cozy space and bright white light is better for doing tasks in. Dimmer switches are a great way to control lighting levels in a room, many can now even be synched to your smart devices for remote or voice level activation. You can even use dimmer switches on table lamps to help create the right lighting level.

4. Feng Shui:

With origins in ancient China, Feng Shui design principles state that mimicking the outdoors in your home will put you in a permanent good mood,

optimize your health, and generally improve your life. Integrate natural elements within your home to reduce physical, mental and emotional stress. Follow these basic tips to start your Feng Shui journey.

1. Maximize natural light or mimic it.
2. Declutter to remove distractions.
3. Use plants in living areas to improve air quality.
4. Balance natural elements for more interest and depth.
5. Place tributes to your goals and add inspirational design to every object, colour and texture.

5. Personality:

Decorate with what you love. It's your space and you should tell your story.

Modern, contemporary or even traditional your furniture will always be what you use the most in a room so make sure you like what you’re starting with. From there layer in more personal touches like your favourite collectible or something from your history. Play with patterns and prints and mix them up.