Elevate Your Home’s Style in a Weekend

A weekend assignment that will rejuvenate your spirit

By Amanda Stewart

With the start of school approaching, we are once again presented with checklists full of notebooks, pencils, scissors, and hand sanitizer to buy for our children. Once we’ve taken care of setting up our little scholars for future success, let’s infuse a little decorative flair into our lives! The new rhythms and shifting priorities that come with the new school year allow us some time to focus on ourselves and our homes. Here are some simple design suggestions that will elevate any room in your home, and can be accomplished in just a few hours or a weekend. Pick up supplies from the variety of home goods stores that dot the town centers of Aberdeen, Pinehurst, Southern Pines and beyond, and maybe supplement with a few Amazon Prime purchases; either way, this comprehensive checklist is one that will offer benefits all school year long!

Interior Design is an intensely personal affair, but there are some general rules that hold fast and true whether your penchant is for white kitchens, shiplap, or faux fur.

1. Color. Follow a 60-30-10 guideline for choosing colors in your space: Find an inspiration piece (painting, rug, etc.) and use that to pull three colors for the rest of the room: 60% one color; 30% another color, and 10% in the final color.

2. Patterns. Mixing patterns can be tricky for the novice home decorator. Try a tight, linear pattern mixed with an allover print. Start with two patterns for now, in the same color palette — one print can be small and tight, the other print larger and more spaced out.

3. Texture. Varying texture will add richness and depth to your space. Try a velvet pillow, quilted throw, faux fur rug, or linen curtains to mix things up and ramp up the coziness factor.

4. Shine. Elements will all lend an illuminating effect to your space. Try a mirror, a glass vase, metallic picture frame, iridescent candle holder, or lacquer side table.

5. Plant Life. Adding an indoor potted plant (or three or five!) brings life to your space and a sense of peace to your home. Try thesill.com for an easy way to have a plant delivered right to your doorstep-pot and all!

6. Breathing Room. Edit yourself! There is always one more book, painting or frame that you want to add to a room, but clean, empty areas are necessary to let your mind rest and your best pieces shine. Let spaces “breathe” by ensuring you have at least two empty walls in a room and at least 50% of a flat surface clear (such as a bookshelf or a coffee table).

7. Something Black. Black is the deepest and darkest of all colors, therefore it grounds a room and sets off the other colors in the space beautifully. Bring in black through painted furniture, black lampshades, black frames. Truly, anything black will work!