Have you ever walked into another person's home and have wished that your home could look just like theirs? Some people have a natural flair for decorating while others need to call in the pros for some assistance. If you're one of the latter here are some design tips for you that the pros use to make homes look stunning, homey and elegant.

Decorating Your Home With Timeless Decorating Strategies

In order to ensure your design decisions have the biggest impact, be sure to follow these design rules that will help your home stay open and welcoming.

Choose Neutrals And Whites

If your decorating flair isn't what it should be, stick to white and neutrals as a base for your decor. Once you start extending yourself into bright colors you'll more often than not just do yourself in. Neutral colors are safer to work with and you won't end up clashing colors together that make your room look like an eyesore. 

Not all neutral colors are boring either. White, fluffy luxurious towels are a beauty to behold in any bathroom. When combined with light browns and cream colors you'll end up with a powder room that looks professionally decorated just by sticking to these neutral colors that can't do you any harm.

Keep Your House Bright

A dark room can get very depressing and no matter what you do to the room in terms of decorating, it will never seem to look just right. Make sure that you are lighting up the whole room and use accent lighting in the dark corners. Not only will your room benefit from added light but so will your mood!

Keep Things Simple

The less clutter the better. Every piece of furniture doesn't have to have something on it. Have a few pieces of furniture that are empty except for perhaps a lamp. This will help create space in the room and will help you to keep things clean. It's a lot easier to dust furniture that is mostly bare than it is to have to unload an overstuffed shelf to remove the dust and then load it back up again.

Move Your Furniture Away From The Walls

All of your furniture should be at least 6 inches away from the walls. This gives the room a more spatial appearance and you'll also be protecting the paint job this way. Try it and see for yourself what a difference it will make to the room using this one simple tip.

Encourage The Minimalistic Look

Your decorating should be focused on keeping things as simple as possible. Choose furniture that is slender and well-defined and stay away from bulky furniture. It just tends to lose its shape over time and end up looking sloppy. When you keep things simple with neutral colors, it will be easy to create a professional looking design for your home with very little effort. You'll also avoid the high costs of calling in a professional to make your house look beautiful and stunning.

Popular Design Trends in Calgary

It's a brand-new year and with it the 2013 design choices are starting to emerge. Here are some of the top trends that design manufacturers and pros say you can expect to see this upcoming year.

Wood Remains In Style

Has there ever been a time when wood hasn't been in style? Fortunately, wood has always remained as one of the stable design features that has been chosen throughout the years and can be used with certainty in any room in the house. Slate or reclaimed wood is expected to be one of the hottest trends for the year.

Welcome Back Wallpaper

While wallpaper was never really out, it was put on the sidelines for quite a few years. One of the reasons why it has been sidetracked is its reputation for being permanent. It used to be that attaching wallpaper meant that it would be there for years since it was so difficult to remove. Nowadays, however, there is state-of-the-art adhesive technology that allows you to peel off the backing and stick the wallpaper up easily. As well, this new type of wallpaper can be repositioned time and time again without losing its stickiness.

Green Is Still In

The push for environmentally friendly designs will continue throughout the year. Anything you can do to green up your space, even if it is something as small as adding extra plants to your home or switching to LED bulbs, will keep you on the riding wave of this design trend.

Design From The Outside In

This year you'll want to make sure that your exterior decor matches what can be found on the interior. For example, if you are leaning towards a warm earthy tone inside, the same type of ambience should be found on the exterior. Simple things like a wooden mailbox or a cedar chair on the front porch can set the atmosphere for the home from the outside in.

Begin Your Home Design Process Today

Designing an entire home with cohesion and an overall design theme can be a challenge for the average homeowner. However, if homeowners approach the process with planning and foresight, a beautiful and uniquely designed home will be sure to come and make the household happy for years to come.