Design Tip #8

Design Tip:  Have clutter?  Get rid of items which are not essential to your space.  Organize such that everything has it's own place and space.  Places like the Container Store, Target, and Ikea carry great options for getting yourself organized and giving all your not-so permanent items a permanent home. 

Design Tip #7

Design Tip:  Small room?  Hang a mirror nearby to open the space up.  A mirror will make the room seem larger than it really is. 

Design Tip #6: Scale

Design Tip:  Remember scale is important.  Visually a 2' x 3' piece of art on 12' x 15' wall is like putting a postage stamp on an envelope.  The bigger your room or walls, the larger furniture and art it can accomodate.  Using a small work of art on a large wall allows the art to be overwhelmed by the space around it and causes it to lose it's significance in the room. 

Design Tip #5

Design Tip:  Adding accessories (lamps, rugs, pillows, window treatments) to a room is like adding jewelry to a woman.  It introduces sparkle.

Design Tip #4

Design Tip:  Want to preserve your wood furniture?  Cover furniture tops with 1/4" thick glass cut to size to protect against dust and moisture. 

Design Tip #3

Design Tip:  Old furniture? Dated cabinets? Transform them with new and interesting hardware.  Check out Anthropologie's selection for great ideas.

Design Tip: #2

Design Tip:  For larger upholestered furniture, I recommend using pieces in solid/muted colors.  Use accessories (pillows, rugs, window treatments) to bring in whimsy, color, or texture.  Larger furniture tends to anchor a room.  When you have a piece that complements most everything, it allows for endless possibilities in your room accents. 

I posted this tip to twitter last week and received this question in response:  "What type of accessories should you use if you have a muted sofa?"
Answer:  Use accessories that have bolder colors and patterns.  Allow your accessories to determine the paint color of your room. Pull a color that is represented in minor detail from your accessories and use it to tie the entire room together. 

Source:  Designer Erinn Valencich's portfolio, HGTV

Design Tip #1

Design Tip:  A sofa with a printed pattern can be a costly design choice. Depending upon the print, it may be difficult to find coordinating accessories (rugs, pillows, art, etc...) and may require the homeowner to purchase items that are far more expensive than what he/she planned to spend.  Also, the print may become too busy/distracting after living with it for some time.  If you're on a budget and plan to keep your sofa around for a while, stick with solid/muted colors.

Busy print may cause buyer's regret at a later time.

Solid and muted upholestered furniture open the door for numerous design possibilities.