Your home is your refuge. You spend time there, relax in it, and you’ve made it a reflection of all the things that are important to you. So why not make it look like it was designed by a professional? Here’s how.

Know The Needs of Each Room In Your House

The first step to decorating your home is knowing what it needs. This means knowing the actual functional needs of each room in your house and how you can meet them with décor. For example, if you have a bathroom that doesn’t get a lot of natural light, you might want to add a mirror with lights around it. If your bedroom is noisy, add soft close drawers to reduce the overall noise. If your living room doesn’t have much surface space for placing drinks and snacks when guests arrive, add in a few side tables or benches that can be moved out of the way when not in use.

To properly gauge the needs of your rooms, it’s a good idea to make a list of everything you want and need in each room. Then, go through the house and write down which rooms meet those needs and how they can best be met.

Add Accents To Each Room

One of the most important parts of designing your home is adding the correct accents to every room. For example, if you have a living room with lots of plants, adding an oxygen cleansing machine can help keep your air clean.

If you need to find different accents for your home, think about the different rooms and what their current accents are. Then, determine which ones might improve with a new accent or coloring of some kind. For instance, if you have a new couch in the living room, but it doesn’t really go with anything else in the room, adding a throw pillow or blanket of a different color can instantly make it stand out and become a focal point.

Curate Your Decorations

The real trick to making your home look like it was designed by a professional is curating the decorations. Think about what kind of room you’re trying to decorate, and then go out and buy appropriate decorations that match your needs. For instance, if you’ve chosen a living room with lots of nature themes and plants, make sure to only decorate with plants and other nature-themed accents. If you want to add a pop of color or accent that isn’t already in your home, do so sparingly and only use it as an accent.

Using this strategy will help you create a cohesive space throughout the entire house without having too many decorations clashing within each room.

Add Some Culture To The Mix

Your home should tell a story. This includes not only how you live your life, but also the culture that makes up who you are as an individual and a family. One of the best ways to do this is by adding cultural artifacts throughout your house. For instance, if you have a collection of African masks, hanging just one above your mantle can add some culture to the room while also acting as a conversation starter when entertaining guests.

If you don’t have any cultural artifacts yet, think about your family’s favorite trips that you’ve taken together or the different countries you hope to visit in the future. Think about the art (or photos) of these places and how they make you feel, and use this feeling to help you choose the best decoration for your home.

Use Lighting To Improve Moods

Different rooms can have different lighting needs. For instance, you probably don’t want bright lights turned on in the bedroom, what with it being nighttime and all. If you’re looking to create a relaxing atmosphere for your guests, dimming the lights might help set the mood better than other low-lighting options. However, if you want to inspire a sense of energy and excitement, you should consider turning the lights on bright.

When thinking about lighting for your home, start by going through what mood you want to set throughout the house. Then think about whether or not different lighting options will help accomplish those goals better than other options. In this way, it’s possible to improve the mood of each room with just a few switches.

When designing your home, think about the different rooms and what they need to be successful. Then, determine which rooms could benefit from additions or accents to make them stand out, as well as which ones might improve with a switch in lighting options along with some cultural artifacts. When you combine all these elements together, it’s possible to design a perfectly-styled home that looks like it was designed by a professional.