25 Home Decor Ideas That Designers Swear

Cork is all the rage as of late, and it’s not hard to see why. The material is multiuse and adds just the proper texture and dimension in the right room. It’s perfect for damp environs like Miami (where this cork-covered bedroom by Charlap Hyman and Herrero lives).

What would otherwise be a simple, pared-back dining room in this 19th-century Connecticut home becomes a lively space due to a coat of green floor paint. Interior designer Jenna Chused coated the floor instead of the walls with the bright color, adding surprise and anchoring the neutral woods of the table, chairs, and ceiling light that dominate the rest of the room.

8. Install Curtains Behind Your Headboard

Pegboard is one of those materials so ubiquitous you forget how fabulous it can be. It calls to mind the quaint old general stores of times past but does double time when it comes to function. In the kitchen of their Ojai ranch, Eric Hughes and Nathan Turner use it to splendid effect.

The classic chair rail is sometimes thought traditional, but in Julie Polidoro’s Roman abode, it reads as starkly contemporary. For some easy visual interest and a rooting influence, try painting a portion of the bottom of your walls (or the top!) with a sharp clean edge and no additional adornments.

In the breakfast nook of this Los Angeles home, David Lucido subverted what would have otherwise been a very serious corner. Muted tones and art in the style of Georges Braque are given a cartoonish edge in the form of a toe sculpture. A dose of hilarity is a surefire way to keep a home humble.

High-end interior design clients sometimes ask for the craziest things, but perhaps we should all follow in their wake. In this extremely posh Paris apartment by Retrouvius, leather wrapped walls make a case for quiet luxury.

This Patrick Mele–designed Aspen manse is called Happy Hill—and for good reason. What is more joyful than a colorful pair of bookcases bursting with well-worn tomes? A mismatched medley of reading material is all any room needs to feel truly lived in. And when it comes to books, if you’ve got it, flaunt it.

When Ciaran McGuigan, creative director of the Irish furniture brand Orior, moved into his Brooklyn loft, he started with a mostly muted palette. Life was brought into each space with pops of bold color, including bold red hardware.

Don’t just thrift; get creative with what you bring home. In the dressing area of Stacey Hill’s chic Texan retreat, flea market finds are repurposed to cover up function with beauty. A vintage Chinese-style folding screen became a pair of cabinet doors and dressers placed back-to-back form a dressing table.

In her Toronto home, designer Montana Labelle says, “We opted for asymmetrical artwork on top of the bed as well as in the hallway to create more visual interest and layers in the room.”

In this midcentury Los Angeles home, designer Garrett Hunter worked with the original floor plan and architectural details like the exposed brick and ceiling beams. “We didn’t move walls, so our focus was really to enhance the existing architecture.”

If you have lovely views, flaunt them! Designer Lori Deeds of Kemble Interiors created a custom banquette and seating area to take advantage of the garden views of this Palm Beach estate.

In the primary bedroom area designer Augusta Hoffman used a colorful ikat wallcovering to add some interest and fun to an otherwise serene New York apartment.

If you’re looking to create a wow-worthy moment above your headboard, think beyond outsize artworks. Here, in his New York apartment, designer Todd Raymond featured a large tapestry as the focal point of the bedroom.

What do you get when you combine old-world antiques and sleek, modern touches? Instant chic! Just peruse designer Michelle R. Smith’s elegant New Orleans abode for inspo. Here, she contrasted a vintage crystal chandelier with a classic Vitsoe shelving unit.