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10 CleverInterior

DesignTricks By

Metro Groupto Transform

 Your HomeWhether you’ve just moved or are looking for a quic

k, little home pick-me-up, or perhaps something mor 

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e significant, there are some well-known interior des

ign tricks that designers employ that you too can easi

ly do with minimal effort and cost. Sometimes the s

mallest things make the greatest impact. It could e t

he addition of a mirror, a painting, a lamp or even a

 plant. !aye you want to soften your walls, righten

a room, or add some warmth to your living space. "a

ke a look at these clever design tips and see how the

y can inspire you#

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$. Paint smaller rooms in softer, lighter colours to

help make the room feel larger.

"he living room aove is a great e%ample of how toma%imi&e a small living space. ' room of this si&e h

as the tendency to seem cramped, ut the large wind

ows, light coloured walls and ample use of mirrors n

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ot only reflect the natural light pouring in from the d

oors and the windows ut the use of mirrors also giv

es the optical illusion of space, making the room see

m larger than it actually is. (onversely, darker colou

rs will make a room feel smaller. )ven with the aun

dance of natural light and the strategic placement of

the mirrors, this room in a darker shade would have

a more o%ed-in feel to it.

 *. Use decorative mirrors to add instant light to y

our living space.

's seen aove, mirrors can also e used to make a s

mall space feel larger. +or larger rooms, or any room

with a more limited amount of natural light, mirrors

 placed directly across from the windows, will add instant light. ecorative mirrors can also e used in lie

u of art to fill empty wall space. arge or small, mirr 

ors add light and dimension to your living space.

. Mix it up. Mix up patterns and textures. Mix u

p old and new, expensive and inexpensive.

"here’s nothing wrong with placing family heirloom

s alongside your modern couch. 'll good interior de

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corators will tell you that the most important aspect t

o decorating your home is that it reflects who you ar 

e, your personality and your style. "he antique (hip

 pendale desk that was your grandfather’s tells a story

. It tells the story of your past. "he modern couch yo

u fell in love with and simply had to purchase also te

lls a story, your present story, and there is no reason

why the present and past can’t co-e%ist eautifully to

gether. "he same can e said for art. /ow you might

not want to place a painting y Salvador ali on the

same wall ne%t to a !onet, ut there’s no reason wh

y they can’t e in the same room together. With fari

cs whether it e furniture, rugs or pillows, varied col

ors and patterns can ring warmth and te%ture into y

our living space.

 0. Slip into something a little more comfortable!

Slip covers often get a ad rap ut they are truly won

derful things. "hey can serve as a means of changin

g your furniture’s look to reflect the seasons. "hese e

asily removed coverings allow you to have a sophisticated look without constantly worrying aout people

dirtying or spilling on your furniture. Slip covers are

ideal for rooms used frequently y children. 'ove t

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he white slip-covered couches gives the air of a casu

al, comfortale, easy yet sophisticated elegance.

 1. icker baskets

 Wicker askets are an economical and elegant way t

o add storage to any room. 2askets can e used to st

ore and display ooks, architectural and decor maga&

ines, toys, towels and lankets to name a few. 3lace

a couple of small wicker askets on the counter-topsin your kitchen to eautifully display and store your

fruit and vegetales.

4. Use what you already have to decorate.

We all have items in our possession, proaly packed up in o%es somewhere and haven’t given them a s

econd glance. 5our home needs some accessories. In

stead of running to the store, take a good look at wha

t you already have. "rays, wooden, acrylic, metal or

silver can e placed on top of luggage racks, tea cart

s, trunks, edside tales and coffee tales for e%tra te%ture and dimension. 'rrange candles on them, fram

es or pile ooks on top of them. 3lates can e hung t

o create wonderful wall art. 'rt from children’s ook 

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s can e framed and hung in nurseries, children’s roo

ms or their athrooms. 5ou will e ama&ed at what y

ou can do with what you already have#

 6. dd a hanging pot holder to your kitchen.

7itchens are meant to e warm and inviting. We spe

nd much of our time in them whether it e for prepar 

ing meals, serving meals or entertaining. ' hanging

 pot rack is useful elegance. 7itchens are meant to feel as though they are in constant use and a hanging p

ot rack certainly makes one feel this way. In addition

to looking so wonderful, 8there are many si&es and st

yles availale9 additional cupoard space elow is n

ow freed up to store other items. Seldom has anyone

complained of having too much storage.

 :. "o green.

'dd plants to your living space. 'dd them to every r 

oom, small or large, few or many. 3lants are an ine%

 pensive means to accessori&ing your space and adding color and te%ture. /ot only are plants eautiful ut

many can clean household air and alance humidity.

"hey can asor pollutants and remove harmful gase

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s from the air. /o home should e without these won

derful greens#

;. Paint or wallpaper your bookcases.

"his instant pop of colour will righten and re-

energi&e any room# It’s ama&ing how something so s

imple as a coat of colourful paint can instantly energ

i&e and transform your space. "his uilt-in ookcase

would e simple and ordinary without the right lue interior. 3erhaps the simplest and most ine%pensive

way to transform a oring space is to apply a coat of

 paint somewhere une%pected. 2ookcases are an ideal

 place to start ecause you don’t need to paint a large

area. <ther fun places to add a pop of colour include

 painting fireplace mantels, the insides of closets, hallways and ceilings.

 $=. Use area rugs to soften hardwood floors.

"hrow rugs give warmth and can add great te%ture, c

olor and personality to your living space. >ardwoodfloors are eautiful and easy to maintain ut they lac

k the comfort that carpeted floors offer, especially in

the cooler months. 'rea rugs can add fun and functi

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onality to your living space. ?se several of varying p

atterns and farics together to showcase your charact

er. <r add several rugs of the same pattern and faric

, or different te%tures ut the same color. "he possii

lities are endless. 5ou can change your area rugs to r 

eflect the seasons using warmer tones and farics for

cooler months and lighter ones for the warmer days

of the year. "here are many lovely cotton, washale

area rugs which are ideal for those homes with childr 

en. "here really is no reason why a home with young

children cannot also e a stylish one.