How to Decorate Like a Pro: 11 Tips for Decorating Like a Designer

Have you ever walked into a beautifully decorated room and wondered how designers make it look so effortless and put-together?

Infusing personality into your living space and transforming it into something truly special is one of the most rewarding aspects of making a house a home. Yet, creating those effortlessly beautiful rooms you admire online or in magazines can often feel like a daunting task, leaving many of us stumped on where to even begin. You might assume it requires years of design experience or an unlimited budget to achieve that professional, polished look.

The good news is, that's simply not the case. It all comes down to understanding a few clever principles and smart techniques that designers use every day. In this guide, we'll reveal 11 powerful tips to help you master these techniques and create rooms that feel truly special and inviting. Let's dive right in!

01|. Plan Your Space Before Anything Else

Before you pick out paint colors or buy a single piece of furniture, a true professional designer always starts with a plan. This means taking precise measurements of your room, noting where windows, doors, and outlets are. More than just knowing the size, you need to understand the dimensions of any furniture you're considering. Will that new sofa fit through the doorway? Will it overwhelm the room or be too small and get lost? Just as important is thinking about how people will move through the room. 

This is called planning "traffic patterns." You want clear pathways, making sure there's enough space to walk comfortably around furniture and get to different areas without bumping into things. Sketching out a simple floor plan, even roughly, and marking where furniture might go can save you a lot of time, effort, and even money in the long run. It ensures every piece you bring into your home serves a purpose and fits perfectly within the overall flow.

02|. Choose a Cohesive Color Palette

When you're decorating like a designer, setting up a cohesive color palette is a crucial first step. This simply means picking a few colors that look good together and using them consistently throughout your home or a specific room. It instantly creates a sense of flow, making your space feel unified and like everything belongs exactly where it is. 

Think about selecting around five colors, then have fun playing with different shades and tones of those colors. For example, if you decide on blue as a main color, you can incorporate light blues, deep navy blues, and even subtle gray-blues to add depth. This smart approach makes all your future decor decisions much easier because you're always working with a clear palette. It also lets you move existing decor items between rooms, giving them a fresh look without having to buy new pieces.

Related: How to Create a Cohesive Color Palette for Your Home

03|. Layer Your Lighting 

Lighting can completely change how a room feels. Designers know that relying on just one overhead light isn’t enough to give a room depth and interest. Instead, they layer different types of lighting to create warmth and depth.

Think about having general lighting (like ceiling fixtures), task lighting (like a floor lamp for reading or a lamp on a desk), and accent lighting (like wall sconces placed to highlight a specific feature). Having at least three different light sources in a room makes it feel much more welcoming and allows you to adjust the brightness for different moods or activities. It’s also smart to choose light bulbs with a warm glow, around 3500 Kelvin, because they make a space feel cozy and inviting.

 04|. Rule of Three

To make your decor look instantly polished and professionally styled, try arranging items in odd numbers, especially threes. This creates a more dynamic, natural, and visually balanced arrangement compared to even groupings. Whether you're styling a coffee table, a bookshelf, a mantel, or even a countertop, applying this principle makes your displays feel intentional and artful, rather than just random objects placed together.

When you put these three items together, make sure to vary their visual qualities. Aim for different heights, textures, or shapes. For instance, you might pair a tall vase, a medium-sized stack of books, and a small decorative bowl. This variety guides your eye around the arrangement, creating movement and depth. It helps each item stand out while still feeling connected, making the whole display look much more sophisticated and thoughtfully curated.

 05|. Hang Wall Art at Eye Level

Many people hang their wall art too high or too low, which can make a room feel a bit off. A common trick designers use is to hang the midpoint of a piece of art at about 57 inches from the floor. This is considered average eye level, and it ensures the art is comfortable to look at. This rule applies whether it's a single large painting or a whole gallery wall. For a gallery wall, you’d aim for the center of the entire grouping to be at that 57-inch mark and then build out from there. Getting the height right makes your wall decor feel like a natural part of the room, not just something floating awkwardly.

06|. Pick Furniture and Decor with the Right Size

One of the biggest mistakes people make is choosing furniture or decor that’s either too big or too small for their space. Designers always pay close attention to the size and proportions of items in relation to the room they’re in. For example, a tiny rug in a large living room can make the room feel disconnected, just like a massive sofa in a small apartment can make it feel cramped. Before you buy anything, take measurements of your room and the piece you’re interested in. Make sure your curtains reach the floor, and your lamps are tall enough to make a statement. Picking items that fit well helps the room feel balanced and complete.

07|. Mix Textures and Patterns

To make a room feel rich, layered, and truly inviting, designers skillfully blend different textures and patterns. Texture is crucial because it adds a sensory dimension to a room. You can mix different textures by incorporating elements like a soft velvet throw, a chunky knitted pillow, or a smooth leather cushion. This variety prevents a room from feeling flat or one-dimensional. When it comes to patterns, the professional trick is to approach them with balance. Start by choosing one main, larger pattern that serves as a focal point – perhaps on a rug, drapes, or a prominent piece of furniture. Then, complement it with two smaller patterns that have different scales or motifs.

For instance, you could pair a bold floral with a subtle geometric print and a delicate stripe. The key is to ensure variety in their type and scale to prevent the look from becoming too busy or overwhelming. Thoughtful mixing adds incredible depth, sophistication, and a truly custom feel to your space.

08|. Choose a Focal Point

Every well-designed room has a focal point – that single area or object that immediately captures your eye and draws you into the space. Think of it as the anchor of the room, guiding attention and providing a sense of purpose. Without a clear focal point, a room can feel scattered or undefined, leaving the eye to wander without a clear destination. Designers intentionally create or enhance these points of interest to give a room structure and personality.

A focal point can be an existing architectural feature, such as a grand fireplace, a large window with a beautiful view, or a unique built-in bookshelf. If your room lacks a natural one, you can easily create one using a prominent piece of furniture like a dramatic headboard in a bedroom, a striking oversized piece of art, or even a bold accent wall in a captivating color.

The key is to make it stand out from its surroundings, whether through size, unique shape, contrasting color, or impactful lighting. Arrange your furniture to face or highlight this chosen spot, ensuring that it's the star of the show. A strong focal point makes the room feel pulled-together and thoughtfully designed, creating an inviting visual story.

Related: How to Create a Focal Point That Transforms Any Room

09|. Bring in Greenery and Natural Touches

Adding natural elements like plants, flowers, or even just some fresh stems can instantly breathe life into any room. Greenery brings a touch of the outdoors in, adding color, freshness, and a sense of calm. Plants also add texture and an organic shape that softens the hard lines of furniture. Even if you're not the best with plants, you can find many realistic-looking artificial ones and stems that will give you a similar look.  A simple vase of flowers on a table or a potted plant in a corner can make a huge difference in how alive and welcoming a space feels.

10|. Leave Negative Spaces

It’s easy to fill every available surface and corner with decor, but designers know the power of empty space. This "negative space" is just as important as the items themselves. It gives your decor, books, vases, and artwork room to breathe and allows your eye to rest. So instead of cluttering shelves or tabletops with decor, leave some areas clear. This makes the items you do display stand out more and keeps the room from feeling overwhelmed or messy. A little bit of empty space creates a sense of calm and sophistication.

11|. Mix Old and New  

A truly unique and lived-in home often comes from mixing different styles and eras. Designers frequently combine older, maybe even thrifted or antique, pieces with newer, modern items. This blend creates a space that feels collected and personal, rather than something that came straight out of a catalog. For example, you could pair a classic wooden desk with a modern chair, or hang a vintage painting above a contemporary sofa. This approach adds character and tells a story, making your home feel truly unique and full of personality, and it's also a great way to save money.