Our Top 5 Most Impactful Interior Design Details
Many of us have been there. At that point in styling when you’re looking at your room, and it’s just… not quite there yet. Ugh!!! Even as designers, we occasionally get stuck! And you, friend, aren’t in a constant state of styling a store, a client’s home, your sister’s baby’s nursery while she’s in labor! So take a moment and give yourself grace for not getting it right the first (or tenth!) time. And you’re in the right place now! I have curated a list of my top 5 interior design details that really help elevate any space!
1. Small Lamps
We know we need overhead lighting for, like, deep cleaning day. But truly, no other day should have overhead lighting on at 100%. Yikes! And we know we want floor lamps and table lamps mixed in for ambient and functional purposes. Sure. But in order to really level up a space, let’s add a small lamp to a bookshelf, a corner of the stair landing console, the laundry room countertop. That cozy, warm glow will absolutely add that layer of Nancy Meyers intentionality and historicity that your space might be missing!
2. Small, layered art
Styling bookshelves can be tricky! It either looks like the Goodwill book section or the display of Harry Potter 1-7…and that’s it. First, you do not want to fill your shelves to the brim with books at all. Even if you’re an avid reader, this will result in a very flat and junky look. Instead, to add some detail and texture to your shelves, you are definitely going to want to layer in some art. Think of your shelves as having a front and a back. The front is for book spines… but what do we do with the back? Let’s put in some art, rotate our books so that some are stacked vertically, add in a storage box or plant, add in a picture frame—now we’re getting some life in there!
3. Living Plants
I don’t need a greenhouse, but one or two living plants in each room will really make your home feel cared for. These will need water—dead plants don’t communicate the same message! Pick a plant that is up to your level of commitment—a succulent might be more your speed! This will help your air quality in your home but also in communicating the general level of care you have for your space.
4. Mixed patterns on pillows
Many sofas have 2 blue pillows, 2 khaki pillows, the end period. I hope we can all agree that our sofa can have a little more personality than that! Try mixing sizes and patterns here. We’d generally recommend a 24” pillow for each of the ends, perhaps a solid or large-scale print here. Then we could go down to a 22” or 20” as we move further into the cushion/center of the sofa. The forward-most pillow should either be heavily textured or visually interesting with a pattern. Finally, we want our pillow fills to be larger than the stated pillow cover size by at least 2 inches. If your pillow cover is 24”, the pillow fill should be at least 26”.
5. Drapery Hardware
This will be a tiny change and you may be thinking “who cares” but it really will boost your thoughtful home game. Buy drapery hardware that has a distinctive finial. Not a solid metal ball. The difference that makes in making your drapes look intentional and thoughtful is truly night and day.
The best part about design is that it is 100% customizable based on your authentic style! These are the details that allow you that room to play, regardless of your interior design style. If you need a little help identifying which pieces fit within your design style, I want to point you to our style quiz and toolkits! Through these resources, you’ll be able to learn about the patterns and shapes that tend to speak to you, which really helps when you’re shopping for pieces you’ll love for a long time.
If you already have confidence in your style and the kinds of pieces you love, that’s awesome! And when you’re ready to come shop for your dream custom pillow, or the perfect artwork for layering, we’ll be here! We’re open Monday - Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM. To make it even better, we’re now open the first Saturday of every month! We hope to see you soon.
