My Home Decorating Tips & Tricks

Posted by Kathryn Harris-Lowe on Feb 08, 2018

As some of you may know, I have a passion for home decorating. Not only do I watch too many HGTV shows, but I enjoy coming up with home decorating concepts myself.

I have come up with a list of home decorating tips and tricks based on current trends and my own personal preferences! These tips are general guide lines to creating a classic, yet stylish home.

Start with Light Grey Walls

While there are many other good wall colours to choose from, light grey is very in style right now, and it also allows you to choose, and regularly switch up, your choice of accent colours. Grey is a neutral, meaning that it goes with every other colour!

Personally, I like the idea of keep the majority of your walls the same, or similar colours. If you want to play with wall colours, choose a few feature walls to add colour to, or, pick some rooms off of your main entrance or main rooms and paint them a darker shade!

Here are some of my personal favourite shades of light grey:

Iced Cube Silver

While this shade is primarily cool, it does have a bit of warmth to it.

Marilyn's Dress

Personally, this is my favourite shade. It is definitely a cooler shade than many greys, but that is generally what I prefer.

Tundra

This shade is a tad bit warmer than Iced Cube Silver. It would really well with warmer and cooler accent colours!

Gray Owl

This is the warmest shade of grey on my list. It has a bit of a brown undertone. It will also have the biggest contrast with white trim!

Stone White

This shade is probably the coolest shade on my list. Personally, I think it will go best with blue accent colours.

Chalk White

This is the lightest shade of grey on my list. I would recommend choosing some darker shades of this colours for some parts of your home, to add some depth.

Get Neutral Furniture

While colourful furniture can be fun, neutrals will generally give you more longevity, and they will also allow you to change up your decor and accent colours more frequently. This means you can change up your decor by season or holiday or mood!

Depending on your personal style preferences, you may still want to choose some more colourful furniture. My suggestion, choose a select few items to be colourful and make sure it is a colour that you LOVE. You don't want to get sick of something that you spent a lot of money on after only a few years.

If you do have a colourful piece of furniture that you don't necessarily love the colour of any more, consider getting it recovered professionally, or buy a slip cover! A slip cover can also be a good way to temporarily add a pop of colour to an item of furniture.

Remember though, the most important thing when choosing your furniture is comfort!

Shop some of my favourite neutral furniture items:

Here's some slip cover options too!

Choose an Accent Colour

While you don't have to stick with just one accent colour, choosing one to be your primary colour can help make your home cohesive. If you have trouble matching colours, choose different shades of the same colour, or click the links for the colours below to see which colours go well with it.

Here are some suggestions for how you can use your accent colour:

Paint your kitchen island
Paint or choose a wall paper for an accent wall
Get some accent pillows and throws for your furniture
Choose some artwork for your walls
Get a table cloth or runner for your kitchen and/or dining room tables
Get a slip cover for an item of furniture

If you like to switch up your decor based on seasons or holidays, you will likely have to choose a more versatile accent colour or switch up your accent colour whenever you change up your decor. For the latter option, make sure your accent colour is only used in items that are easy to switch up, such as pillows, blankets, artwork, table runners, and table cloths.

Here are some accent colours that I am loving right now. Click on them to see different shades and colours that go with it.

Thunderbird

I love blues as accent colours and this is currently one of my favourites. Personally, I think this would look amazing on a kitchen island!

Rose Garden

Millennial pinks are really popular and personally, one of my favourite colours! It is fun and vibrant, and can easily be combined with other colours, such as the colour below, Big Country Blue.

Starry Night Blue

This deep blue is so rich and dreamy! While it would be overwhelming in large doses, pops of it can add an element of elegance or create a nautical vibe.

Flamenco

Reds are a pretty classic pop of colour but personally, I prefer a little more depth to my reds. This includes burgundy and maroon. These colours add an richness and elegance that bright red does not have.

Big Country Blue

This classic blue is timeless and really in style right now. It can also be mixed and matched with many other colours, such as pink, lavender, yellow, and green.

Kelly Green

Kelly green is a classic and fun colour. Not only does it add a pop of colour, but it also has an element of nature, since it is the colour of many plants. Pair it with a pink, such as Rose Garden, to get a fun floral vibe.

Don't Forget to Add Some Flair & Personality!

Most of what I have discussed so far has been a pretty basic and general guide to home decorating. Aside from the accent colours, we haven't talked about additions of flair and personality, both of which are important in making your home your own. Below are some of my suggestions as to how you can add these elements of flair to your home!

Throw Pillows: This is a pretty basic and simple way to add flair and personality. Throw pillows are fairly inexpensive and they are easy to change up!

Shop more Kat's Print Boutique pillows here.

Fun Flooring! For the main parts of your house, I generally think a nice hardwood is best, but in some areas it can be nice to add an element of flair. In areas such as laundry rooms, powder rooms, and master baths, it can be fun to add a fun tile! Personally, I love a good Moroccan inspired tile. Shop some of my favourite floor tiles below.

Wallpaper: Recently, wallpaper has been making a big comeback! You can use it to create a feature wall, accent a certain area of your home, or just to make a splash in a small space! My parent's recently repainted the main floor of their house and added some wallpaper to the kitchen nook to accent the area. See the image below.