Simplinteriors

 6 Stylists' Secrets to Make Your Home Look Great

The difference between the home you've spent so much effort redoing and those you've torn from magazines (beyond a seemingly limitless budget) might be a well-placed little bouquet. We didn't believe it either, until we were told to place a finger over the vases of flowers in photos. Poof! The room suddenly feels less pulled-together. 

 

Conduct a Brown Inventory

   Chances are, there's one color that's quietly overtaking your living room, because it goes with any color scheme and hides stains, but too much of it could be making the place look dated and, well, lair-like. "You shouldn't have more than three or four brown items in any room, including wooden floors or dark carpets, yet so many people do,"

Create the Illusion of Organization

 

 Lotion, soap, bacon-flavored tooth floss—there are certain items you use too often to hide away, which is why Naiman suggests decorating with them. "In the bathroom, trays are invaluable," she says. "It contains items, which makes them feel less cluttered. Plus, you can put your prettiest bottles in the front and add in a plant to make it seem more thought-through."

Try a No-Fail Pillow Combination

All too often, we fall victim to the adorable throw pillow trap and buy a bunch in the same size. That's why the sofa looks overwhelmed with cushions, instead of styled. Really, you only need three: one 20-inch by 20-inch, one 16-inch by 16-inch, and one 12-inch by 16-inch. "Those three sizes look good together no matter how you arrange them,"

 Find Your One Missing Color

Some people are drawn to cool tones, others to warm tones, but what most of us don't realize is how a pop of the opposite—say a few coral accents in a room of blues and white—can enhance our favorite shades

Balance Out the Big, Comfy Couch

Overstuffed sofas have gone the way of sponge-painted walls, but they're not as easy to get rid of. If you aren't ready to invest in a new sofa, take a look at the other items in your living room. You need just a few big pieces to even it out. "A coffee table in the same scale and a few sleek, modern pieces—maybe a side table or a floor lamp—can freshen things up, "Little accessories will only make this sofa seem bigger, and it'll make the items seem cluttered."

Rethink Your Trios

We've all heard how important it is to decorate in odd numbers, but it's not just the quantities of threes (or fives) that make things more pleasing to the eye. "You never want three of the same thing. I vary the texture, size and, sometimes, color, so the overall effect is collected but not matchy-matchy,"!!!!!