When we think of interior design, most people typically go right to furniture. It’s all about the cabinets, countertops, beds, tables, chairs, desks, chests of drawers, and more. That being said, the elements of décor are often forgotten and left behind. While there are plenty of different themes of furniture styles – everything from modern to vintage to art noveau to rustic to industrial, just to name a small handful – the accessories play as a big a part in sticking to the theme of your home as much as the furniture items themselves do.  

1. Art

You don’t need to be a true connoisseur to appreciate the difference that wall art can make to the rest of your home. Truthfully, how you decorate your walls plays a huge role in the overall theme and design feel of your home. Aside from the content of the painting, print, or photograph, you should consider a few other aspects of the art. First, think about the size of the portrait. How much space it does or does not take up can either fill a blank space tastefully or result in a more crowded, cluttered feel. Next, consider the textures and colors of the medium. Is it bright and glossy? Or more neutral, matte and earthy? There are so many different things to keep in mind when picking things to hang up on your wall. 

2. Lighting

Knocking down your walls to put in larger windows or replacing a window with brick or siding can be a huge, expensive undertaking, so when you keep in mind the theme you want to pervade your home you mostly have to work with what you’ve got. A tiered chandelier can cast plenty of light on the space; light linen curtains will maximize natural light; LED white lights will give a much different look than typical yellow, frosted bulbs. Fluorescent lights can be either just what you need or much too harsh for your taste. Candles, faux or real, will give a different feel, as will decorative glass pieces that cast fun, iridescent lights all around the room. Lighting can be maximized with pale rugs, neutral wall paint, white ceilings, and more, or it can be toned down with heavier curtains, darker wall colors, and similar. 

3. Carpeting and Flooring 

Similar to the above point, carpeting, area rugs, and different types of flooring can make a room feel a lot more spacious (or, conversely, a lot smaller). A light, natural wood with a thin, pale rug will result in a much lighter look than darker wood or larger, thicker, patterned, tasseled, dark-colored area carpets. Of course, there is no right or wrong way to do design; it’s all a matter of personal taste! But while wall-to-wall carpeting might be perfect for one homeowner (consider getting a good vacuum if you plan to do this), the same room can look completely different with linoleum or hardwood floor.

4. Shelving

Going back to the above point about wall space, shelving can make a space feel more crowded or less cluttered, depending on how it’s done. Whenever possible, we suggest cutouts in the wall, inlaid shelving, or installed spaced-out shelves, rather than buying stand-alone shelving units or additional cabinets that protrude into the room. Aside from the size, these shelving units can come in all sorts of different colors and styles, some simple and plain and others more ornate and decorative.

5. Plants

While not technically furniture, plants can bring a lot of life (both literally and figuratively) into a room! You don’t need to be a professional gardener or anything of the sort to take care of some houseplants. Bringing the outside to the inside can be a fun way to spruce up even the most of urban homes or lend a more authentic feel to rustic or zen-themed homes. There are plenty of different houseplants to choose from, each with a unique look and feel. For instance, you could have a little grove of indoor palm trees, spaced-out vases or window boxes, cactuses, aloe pots, and more.

While we’ve only mentioned five different things to keep in mind, there are plenty of other little things for you to do in order to personalize your home. For example, we highly recommend emoji pillows found here: emfurn.com/collections/emoji-pillows.

From couch cushions to bathroom fixtures to picture frames and more, there’s no question that décor is a huge aspect of interior design, and that the same home can look completely different depending on what kind of designer is living there.