Interior Styling Tips & Tricks!
What a journey! Our Design Team has worked over 30 projects in the past 2 years. Whether your property is your primary residence, investment property, or vacation rental, there is really no secret - these tips will certainly help to elevate and spice up your space. Read below!
Choose a theme and study it
Do your research, find inspiration photos, create a mood board (combine a collage of photos with the style and materials.) We often like to work around with these themes: Boho, Scandi, Luxe and Coastal. Sometimes mixing these themes could give a contemporary look to your space too.
Clean & declutter
Start with a clean and blank canvas! Before putting down any furniture or décors, remove everything. This way you will have a better sense of the space and it will help you visualize better with the planning. Our Superhost advice? Give your space a deep clean too, this is especially important if its a rental home - as you want to impress the Guest with cleanliness (plus, who doesn’t love a clean space?) Remember, five-star reviews are often given to spaces that are sparkling clean.
Learn to see the beauty of mixing high & low priced items!
Sometimes we may need a more luxury centrepiece to elevate the space. It may be costly, but finding deals to work around the centrepiece may look just as great! Our team has worked enough project to explore tons of items that are budget-friendly and long-lasting. Try to look for deals by searching into multiple channels. We do want to point out an important aspect: consider SAFETY & DURABILITY as priority when picking the furniture or décors!
Do your measurements right & leave enough “comfortable” space
A tape measure is our best friend when designing a space. In addition, green painter’s tape could also be helpful too. We recommend to narrowing down the big furniture first in the initial stage of every project. Once you know the measurement of the big item, (say, a king-sized bed) placing green painter’s tape on where the bed is will give you a better sense on the size of the nightstand. In addition, we always suggest to consider the leg room and foot space. Remember to make sure your furniture is not too tight as it may damage the wall, and to always leave enough space for your vacuum or mop to go in. Lastly, super important, when working with apartment, remember to measure the elevator thoroughly so you know what can fit inside!
Size matters
Similar to the last point, measuring the space will help you determining the right sized furniture. Think proportion! There are times where you might need to be creative too. If you have to work with a small living room, fitting a sectional may not be a good idea. Instead, consider a modular sofa, where the coffee table is the ottoman (and you could easily convert it into a sectional!) If you have a huge dining room, putting a small dining table would not enhance the space. Try a longer dining table with a sideboard (or if you love the booze, having a bar cart is always a nice luxury touch!)
Have some plants & florals
Plants and florals add character and enhance the space. They add liveliness, vibrance and often, patterns! There are times when the plant itself may look dull, but picking a well-designed pot or vase for it could add a lot of fun to it! Remember, less is more when it comes to interior styling. You don’t want to overwhelm the space by having multiple colours of flowers in one confined space. Try to stick to similar colours and be consistent. For vacation rentals, we usually work around with faux plants or dried plants. They look just as great and have zero maintenance!
Add ambiance with lighting
Lighting plays a critical role in interior styling. With the proper lighting, it could create a nice ambiance for the space. Things to consider when selecting a lighting fixture: size (proportion), style, and the lumens: soft white, neutral, bright white etc. (You never want to have bright white in a bedroom!) For rentals, we recommend adding at least two lighting sources to each room (for safety reasons.) If you have limited space in your room, consider wall scones. With the right selection, your fixture could easily become the centrepiece (ie: a gorgeous pendant in the dining room) or just a nice décor in the space too.
We hope you find this blog helpful!
Got more tips? Feel free to share them with us :)
