MomSkoop
Ever wondered how designers create those magazine-worthy rooms? Behind those perfect spaces are sneaky little secrets most pros keep to themselves. You don’t need to spend thousands on fancy furniture or hire an expensive decorator to make your home look amazing. These insider tricks will help you transform your space like a pro without breaking the bank.
1. Float Your Furniture Away From Walls
Professional designers rarely push all furniture against the walls. Moving sofas and chairs even a few inches inward creates breathing room that makes spaces feel larger and more inviting. This simple adjustment forms conversation areas that actually work for talking with friends.
Try pulling your couch forward 6-12 inches and placing a slim console table behind it. The space behind becomes useful while the room gains depth and dimension. This trick works especially well in small apartments where every inch matters.
The arrangement creates pathways for movement and prevents that awkward shouting-across-the-room scenario when entertaining guests. Your room will instantly feel more thoughtfully designed.
2. Master the Rule of Odd Numbers
Grouping decorative items in odd numbers (three, five, or seven) creates visual interest that even numbers can’t match. The asymmetry forces your eye to move around the arrangement, making it more engaging and dynamic than perfectly balanced pairs.
For maximum impact, vary the heights, widths, and textures within your groupings. A tall candlestick, a medium vase, and a small decorative box make a more interesting nightstand arrangement than matching items side by side.
This principle applies everywhere from bookshelves to coffee tables. When styling any surface, remember: odd numbers look planned rather than accidental, giving your home that polished, professional touch.
3. Hang Curtains High and Wide
The oldest designer trick in the book remains one of the most effective: mounting curtain rods close to the ceiling instead of directly above window frames. This simple adjustment creates the illusion of taller windows and higher ceilings, instantly making rooms feel grander.
Extend rods 10-12 inches beyond each side of your window frame too. When open, curtains will stack against the wall rather than blocking precious light. Your windows appear significantly wider, and the room gets flooded with more natural brightness.
Choose curtains that barely kiss the floor or puddle slightly for maximum elegance. The vertical lines draw eyes upward, creating that coveted designer look without spending a fortune on architectural changes.
4. Layer Your Lighting Sources
Relying solely on overhead lighting is the quickest way to make any room feel flat and unwelcoming. Professional designers always incorporate three lighting types: ambient (general illumination), task (focused light for activities), and accent (decorative highlights for atmosphere).
Place table lamps at different heights around living spaces. Add under-cabinet lighting in kitchens and floor lamps beside reading chairs. Install dimmer switches wherever possible to control intensity based on time of day and activities.
Strategic lighting creates depth, highlights architectural features, and transforms mood instantly. Even the most basic room becomes dramatic and sophisticated when properly lit from multiple sources at varying heights.
5. The 60-30-10 Color Formula
Professional designers rarely choose colors randomly. They follow the 60-30-10 rule: 60% dominant color (walls, large furniture), 30% secondary color (accent furniture, curtains), and 10% accent color (accessories, artwork). This balance creates visual harmony while preventing any shade from overwhelming the space.
Your dominant color sets the mood – often a neutral like greige, soft white, or pale blue. The secondary color adds interest without competing, while the accent brings energy through smaller items easily changed when trends shift.
This formula works with any palette from monochromatic to bold contrasts. The proportions create cohesion that makes even daring color combinations feel intentional rather than chaotic.
6. Use Mirrors as Secret Weapons
Mirrors do far more than just show your reflection – they’re powerful tools for manipulating how spaces feel. Placing a large mirror directly across from a window doubles natural light and creates the illusion of another window where none exists.
Position mirrors to reflect something beautiful rather than blank walls or clutter. A mirror that captures a garden view, a pretty lamp, or artwork multiplies your design investments. In dining rooms, mirrors reflecting candlelight create a magical evening ambiance.
Beyond wall mirrors, consider mirrored furniture for small spaces. A console table with mirrored panels practically disappears visually, adding function without bulk in tight hallways or entryways.
7. Scale Art Properly for Impact
Undersized art floating in vast wall space is a dead giveaway of amateur decorating. Designers choose pieces that fill approximately two-thirds to three-quarters of the available wall area above furniture. For sofas, this typically means art that’s about 2/3 the length of the couch.
Can’t afford large-scale art? Create a gallery wall with smaller pieces arranged close together so they read as one large installation. Or try framing inexpensive materials like fabric, wallpaper samples, or vintage scarves in oversized frames.
Height matters too – the center of the artwork should hang at approximately eye level (57-60 inches from the floor), except when positioned above furniture, where it should sit 6-8 inches above the piece.
8. Anchor Rooms With Properly Sized Rugs
Tiny rugs floating in the middle of rooms scream decorating mistake. For living areas, choose rugs large enough that at least the front legs of all furniture pieces rest comfortably on it. This creates a defined conversation area that feels intentionally designed rather than disconnected.
In dining rooms, ensure the rug extends at least 24 inches beyond table edges so chairs remain on the rug even when pulled out. Bedroom rugs should extend 18-24 inches beyond the sides of the bed, giving your feet a soft landing spot in the morning.
When in doubt between two sizes, always go larger. An oversized rug can make modest rooms feel more luxurious, while an undersized rugs make even expensive furniture look awkward.
9. Embrace Empty Space
Resisting the urge to fill every corner is what separates professional design from amateur decorating. Designers understand that negative space (empty areas) gives eyes resting places and prevents rooms from feeling cluttered or overwhelming.
Leave some shelves partially empty. Allow walls to breathe between art pieces. Keep tabletops from disappearing under collections of objects. These intentional pauses create rhythm and highlight your carefully chosen pieces.
This doesn’t mean rooms should feel sparse or incomplete. Rather, selective placement makes what you do feel more important and considered. Remember the fashion advice about removing one accessory before leaving home? The same principle applies to your spaces.
10. Mix Textures for Dimension
Rooms with matching textures fall flat, regardless of color scheme or furniture quality. Professional designers layer contrasting tactile elements to create visual and physical depth that makes spaces feel complete and inviting.
Combine rough jute rugs with sleek leather sofas. Place matte ceramic lamps on glossy lacquered tables. Add knubby throw pillows to smooth upholstery. These juxtapositions create tension that keeps rooms interesting rather than predictable.
Even monochromatic rooms come alive when filled with textural variety. A white-on-white space becomes rich and nuanced when it includes crisp cotton, plush wool, smooth marble, rough linen, and polished metal – all in the same neutral palette.
11. Create Unexpected Focal Points
Designers avoid the predictable approach of making televisions or fireplaces automatic focal points. Instead, they deliberately create unexpected visual magnets that reveal personality and create conversation starters.
Paint one kitchen cabinet in a bold contrast color. Install an oversized pendant light that demands attention. Place a sculptural chair in an otherwise simple room. These strategic surprises give spaces character beyond basic functionality.
The best focal points combine beauty with meaning – perhaps a vintage map marking family heritage locations or an oversized photograph from a special trip. These elements tell your story while simultaneously solving the design challenge of where to direct attention.
12. Fake Height With Vertical Elements
Standard eight-foot ceilings can feel limiting, but designers use vertical elements to create the illusion of greater height. Tall, narrow bookcases drawing eyes upward make far more impact than horizontal storage units in rooms with modest ceiling heights.
Vertical shiplap or wallpaper with subtle vertical stripes creates the same stretching effect. Even artwork can be arranged in vertical groupings that encourage upward glances. Plants with upright growth habits, like fiddle leaf figs or snake plants, reinforce this visual trick.
For maximum impact, combine several vertical strategies in one room. The collective effect can make an ordinary space feel significantly loftier without moving a single wall or raising the roof.
13. Balance Hard and Soft Elements
Rooms filled entirely with hard surfaces (wood, metal, glass) feel cold and unwelcoming. Conversely, spaces overloaded with soft elements (fabrics, cushions, rugs) can seem formless and lacking structure. Professional designers carefully balance these opposites.
For every hard architectural feature or piece of furniture, introduce a softening counterpoint. Harsh concrete floors? Add plush area rugs. Sleek modern dining table? Surround it with upholstered chairs. Sharp-cornered coffee table? Layer with soft-bound books and a cashmere throw.
This hard/soft balance creates rooms that feel simultaneously structured and comfortable – spaces that look impressive but actually invite real living. The tension between opposites creates visual interest while ensuring practical comfort.