Decorating tips you can use: favorite designer secrets

House Beautiful May issue.The May issue of House Beautiful is out and if you love having a beautiful home, run to the newsstand! 

The Designer Secrets issue is jam-packed with 101 tips that you can use (many right away) in your home. I love this issue because the "secrets" that we use as decorators and designers are really practical tips that are what help to make a room come together.

Today, there really are no decorating rules.  Almost anything goes.  However, there are a few tried and true secrets/tips that make a room work. Take a look at some that I find especially helpful and see how you might use these in your home.

Be sure to check out the issue for the remaining 91! Let me know your favorite tip after reading this.

"Never push furniture up against the walls.  By pulling your seating arrangement in (even just a few inches), you instantly warm up a space and create flow." Betsy Burnham

"If a great art collection isn't in your budget, hang a framed cutting of a beautiful fabric or wallpaper." Alexandra Angle

Beautiful decorative screen behind bed. Photo: Pottery Barn.

"A decorative folding screen can change the entire room.  Standing behind a bed, filling an awkward corner, dividing a living/dining area--it adds instant impact."  Nick Olsen

"Lighting is everything. It creates atmosphere, drama and intrigue in a room.  The easiest way to accomplish this is with a dimmer switch.  I always use dimmers, even in the powder room!" Martyn Lawrence Bullard

"The ideal height to hang your flat-screen TV is at eye level when you're in viewing position.  The ideal viewing distance is 1.5 times the size of your flat screen." Jean Larette

"I love using an antique table as a kitchen island.  It gives the room so much character." Chris Barrett

"Invest in lampshades, not in lamps. I can take a lamp from Christie's or Crate & Barrel and make it look glorious.  Use old saris, pieces of antique Chinese paper, box-pleated silk--anything you find attractive can be made into a lampshade." Jeffrey Bilhuber

Pops of bold color. Photo: House Beautiful. "I get bored without color in a room. Interesting, strong, clear colors are easier to live with in the long run than pale colors. People always think it is the opposite, but in actuality, soft colors get boring much quicker." Richard Keith Langham 

"Dining room chandeliers should hang 60" to 66" inches above the floor."  Betsy Burnham

"I keep my sofas at 6'6" to 7.' Any smaller and they look dwarfed.  Bigger and they look like an airport lounge."  Alex Papachristidis

"Never use a sconce over a mirror in the bathroom--it will cast unflattering shadows across the face.  Sconces that flank the mirror will give a more realistic and flattering light."  Rob Southern

"I recommend a height of 36" for a bathroom vanity instead of the standard 30.  It's much more ergonomic and comfortable all around."  Jason Bell

Want to turn plain rooms into Spectacular Spaces? I can help. Contact me!