{"id":116997,"date":"2025-11-02T02:50:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-02T02:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/116997\/"},"modified":"2025-11-02T02:50:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-02T02:50:13","slug":"8-designer-approved-tips-to-instantly-upgrade-your-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/116997\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Designer-Approved Tips To Instantly Upgrade Your Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve been working at design-oriented magazines for two decades now, which means I\u2019ve interviewed and interacted with hundreds of extremely talented designers<\/a> and tastemakers during my career. <\/p>\n

For example, Heather Chadduck Hillegas<\/a> taught me not to overlook the ceiling, a.k.a. the fifth wall. Leanne Ford<\/a> and Grace Mitchell<\/a> inspired me to rethink the kitchen island<\/a>. And there are countless designers I\u2019ve talked to about how to embrace the modern farmhouse<\/a> look without feeling too trendy. <\/p>\n

While design is certainly (thankfully!) not one-size-fits-all, there are pieces of advice that I\u2019ve heard over and over again \u2013 advice that has remained consistent regardless of whether a designer\u2019s leanings are more maximalist<\/a>, minimalist, traditional or modern. <\/p>\n

Seeing that not everyone can enjoy the luxury of hiring a seasoned pro, I thought I\u2019d consolidate their collective wisdom – the things I\u2019ve heard designers say on repeat through the years – into a few actionable bits of advice. Do you have to follow it? Of course not \u2013 it\u2019s your home. <\/p>\n

What to Read Next<\/p>\n

However, if you\u2019ve been feeling that something is off or not quite complete in your space and can\u2019t put your finger on it, perhaps a few of these tweaks will help a room hang together in a way that’s more satisfying.<\/p>\n

Hang your art lower\"designer\"pinterest\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Brent Darby<\/p>\n

Many designers say the average homeowner hangs their artwork too high. Ideally, art should sit at eye level which – unless you\u2019re exceptionally tall \u2013 means the centre of the piece should be around 145 to 152 centimetres from the floor. When hanging art above a sofa or chest of drawers, aim for roughly 15 centimetres of space between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the frame. <\/p>\n

Size up on cushion inserts\"designer\"pinterest\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Photography by Max Attenborough. Styling by Marie Nichols.<\/p>\n

For plush pillows don\u2019t fill a pillow with an insert of the same dimensions. That 22-inch pillow cover will look better, and fuller, with a 24-inch inner. If you\u2019d rather not buy a new cushion inner, stylist Becki Griffin<\/a> recommends filling floppy corners of your not-so-plush throw cushions with a generous handful of Poly-fil. \u201cIt’s a small cost, but your cushions will look so much more expensive,\u201d she says \u2013 as seen on our Bamburgh<\/a> sofa from DFS here. <\/p>\n

Clip a few branches\"dinning\"pinterest\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Brent Darby<\/p>\n

If you feel like a room is missing something and want a fast fix before company comes over, head to the back yard with a pair of clippers. A large branch<\/a> tucked into a narrow-necked vessel such as a demijohn can have serious impact on a room. I also find branches can feel more sophisticated than flower arrangements and require less money and less effort.<\/p>\n

Swap out plain lampshades\"pink\"pinterest\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Belle Daughtry<\/p>\n

I always like to ask designers where they prefer to save and where they choose to splash out, and many often tell me they\u2019d rather buy a budget lamp base and invest in a statement lampshade than the other way round. A plain white shade can feel a bit basic, whereas one with pattern, texture or a decorative trim (like scalloped edging, for instance) instantly adds more character and charm.<\/p>\n

Rearrange your books\"helen\"pinterest\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Mark Bolton Photography<\/p>\n

Books don\u2019t have to all be positioned upright, as if you\u2019re manning the shelves of your local library. Most designers and stylists prefer to jig-jog between upright spines and stacks, with the latter often topped with a figurine or other decorative element. On a similar note, I\u2019ve been told to resist the urge to push books back flush with the wall and instead position them closer to the edge. <\/p>\n

Make your curtain rods wider than your window\"yellow\"pinterest\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Brent Darby<\/p>\n

Make your curtain rods extend past the edges of your window trim \u2013 about 6 to 8 inches on each side if space allows. This simple trick instantly makes your windows look larger and lets in more natural light when the curtains are open. It\u2019s a small adjustment with a big design payoff. <\/p>\n

Corral items on trays\"designer\"pinterest\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Photography Rachel Whiting | Styling Daisy Bendall<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a trick that comes in handy for kitchen counters, coffee tables<\/a>, nightstands… a few items corralled on a tray will feel more intentional and pleasing to the eye than those same few items scattered across a surface. For example, on a coffee table, consider corralling a few books, a decorative object and even the remote on a single tray. I especially love employing this tactic in the kitchen where counter clutter tends to congregate. <\/p>\n

Add a stripe\"designer\"pinterest\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Mark Bolton<\/p>\n

Homeowners often shy away from pattern mixing<\/a> because it can seem hard to get it right. Enter: stripes. The timeless pattern pairs well with checks, chintz, ditsy florals, block-prints, you name it. If you\u2019re looking to add another decorative layer to a room, whether it\u2019s a pillow, a blanket, a lampshade, or even an upholstered piece of furniture, you can\u2019t go wrong with stripes. <\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Rachel Hardage Barrett has written for and edited lifestyle publications for more than 20 years. As the editor-in-chief of Country Living, she has covered all things related to country life\u2014including design, gardening, food, travel, antiques, crafts, and country pop culture\u2014for more than a decade. Before Country Living, Rachel spent several years at Southern Living, where she served as Executive Editor covering travel, food, style, and features. Before Southern Living, Rachel was the Special Projects Director of Real Simple, where she wrote and oversaw books and special issues about food, travel, weddings, organizing, and parenting in addition to working on international editions and licensed products. Before working at lifestyle brands, Rachel started her magazine career at Glamour, where she wrote and edited relationship articles, celebrity interviews, as well as fashion and features content. When she\u2019s not working on the magazine, she can likely be found poking around an antiques shop, perusing country real estate listings, or dreaming of opening a general store.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I\u2019ve been working at design-oriented magazines for two decades now, which means I\u2019ve interviewed and interacted with hundreds…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":116998,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[307,304,305,306,1134,70190,308,1107,93,61,60,1135,70189],"class_list":{"0":"post-116997","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-artsdesign","12":"tag-content-type-default","13":"tag-contentid-4648734b-0b0b-41fc-9d83-bfcdee668973","14":"tag-design","15":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","16":"tag-entertainment","17":"tag-ie","18":"tag-ireland","19":"tag-locale-gb","20":"tag-shorttitle-8-designer-tips-to-instantly-upgrade-your-home"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116997","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116997"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116997\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}