6 Interior Design Tips You Need To Know

I’m just a girl who fell in love with interior design about 5 years ago. I’ve never taken any classes or had any formal interior design training, although I definitely see it in my future. With that said, I’ve learned a lot (especially over the past year in this house) and I’ve made some mistakes for sure. From colors to textures that don’t match or furniture that doesn’t fit – I wanted to share some of the lessons I’ve learned so that you guys can learn from MY mistakes and hopefully be on your way to a new looking space in the process  :).

Picture this: you’re walking through a favorite local home decor boutique and you spot the most perfect pillows (or so you think) but you are only 70-80% sure they will go with the vibe. Raise your hand if you’ve been here! One thing to remember: 

– Know that local stores/boutiques will often let you borrow items to try out and return (obviously this isn’t every store and there may be certain stipulations) if it doesn’t look right. And be sure to check the return policy when ordering items online — I would stick to items you can easily switch out unless you are 100% sure it’s right for the space. That way, you can eliminate the “oh shoot, it doesn’t look right and I’m stuck with it”

– MEASURE. MEASURE. MEASURE! I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard people say they get an item home and it doesn’t fit because they didn’t measure. If you’re like, ‘I’m sure it will fit”, chances are it probably won’t – so measure. I was guilty of this as well and was burned enough times to finally get it through my head: there’s no way around it. I measure EVERYTHING. Every single inch and more – and I keep the measurements in a “Home Measurements” note in my phone. Bottom line, it will save you money and energy if you just take the time to measure.

-You CAN make a rental your own. I know how frustrating it can be to live in an apt or rent house and have the desire to change more than you can. If you’re in a rental, switch out the light fixtures, add a bit of paint or removable wallpaper and new pillows for a completely different look. 

-Have a plan for your walls. Even if it’s vague. When it comes to a gallery wall, I’m not saying you have to plan each and every piece out right away, but having an idea of the types of prints/art you want is always nice. 

-Have photos ready. After so many scenarios finding the most “perfect item”, purchasing it, possibly getting sick of it or not having the actual perfect place for it, I’ve learned to think twice before I buy. I also keep several photos of the areas/rooms I’m working on or need to finish in a separate folder. That way, I can easily access my vision while I’m out and about.

photos by: Jordan Zobrith

– Utilize Interior Design Expert Resources! When all else fails, search on Pinterest, Google or Youtube. Chances are, you’ll find some sort of guide, blog post, video, etc. to help solve the problem. For example, if I’m looking for a good recommendation on curtain rods (from a designer I respect), I’ll head over to Pinterest and search ‘curtain rod sources’. 9 times of out of 10 I get a guide made by the talented designer and blogger, Studio McGee. This chick makes the BEST and most helpful interior design guides. But there are so many other great ID bloggers, too – I’ve found all of them through Pinterest searches.

Have you run into the same problems? I hope this helped! Let me know in the comments below đŸ™‚

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