Home Decor Essentials

In this blog post, we will talk about the 6 home decor essentials that you need when decorating any room. In design, there are certain rules that help a designer achieve different effects. I believe it works the same with interior design and home decor as well.

You want your home decor to be a 360° package filled with intention and style. To achieve this you need layers and texture, a good ambiance, flattering lighting. You also need carefully selected decor that high-lights, frames and draws the eye of the beholder. On top of all this, it should still feel cohesive and relaxing. So where do you even start?

This is where the home decor essentials come in! I firmly believe that you always should start to decorate a room focusing on these 6 elements. I will also provide you with a useful home decor workbook at the end of this post to make these tips even more actionable for you. Let us dive right in!

1. Rugs and Carpets

• 

• 

A well-chosen rug can change the feeling of an entire room. It helps to define the room and can be used to separate different areas of a room. A rug under a sofa and side table helps to anchor the furniture in the room. In an open kitchen and dining area, a rug under the dining table helps to separate it from the rest.

So naturally choosing the right rug is a very important decision. You want to think about color, shape, size, and texture. There are a lot of things to take into account but at the end of the day, you should go for a rug that you really love. However, I still want to give you some helpful advice when purchasing a rug.

Color

A rug should be among the first things you invest in for a room. A large rug for the kitchen or living room should complement the rest of your interior. But don’t be afraid to try a colorful or patterned rug since it is one of the first things that goes into a room. A rug can really bring definition to your decor and you can always blend it in with other elements later. I love the Scandinavian and minimal interior style. I like neutral colors and soft patterns in a rug, I find that it elevates the rest of the room.

Size

The size of the rug is probably the most important thing to consider. It is when choosing the correct size of a rug most people go wrong. A rule of thumb is that bigger is always better. You want a rug that fits all the furniture pieces you want to frame with room to spear.

Big rugs can be very pricy, so you want to make sure to take down the exact measurements before you go shopping. Depending on your interior style you could also consider layering rugs to allow them to cover a larger surface.

Shape

The most common rug shape is the rectangular rug but when choosing a rug you want it to mirror the shape of the room. A rectangular rug in a rectangular room looks really good. But in a square room, it will look better with a square or circle rug. Going for round or uncommon shapes, like cowhides, can be a really good way to soften the edges of the room.

Texture

Lastly, you want to consider the texture of your rug. My best advice would be to look at what functionality you need from the rug. Though it might be tempting to always go for long soft fibers in every room. It might not be very functional. Rugs with shorter fibers will be a lot easier to clean and take care of. Another option is to go for rugs in materials like plastic or reed. Choose a rug with a texture that is the best match between luxury and maintenance.

2. Curtains

Choosing the correct curtains for your space is also very important. I really feel that curtains are essential to any decor because they can make your space feel instantly decorated. Curtains can make or break a space.

You should take a good look at your window and decide where you should place the curtain rod. If you place it to close to the window, the curtains might actually make the window appear smaller. You might want to consider moving the curtain rod all the way to the ceiling. This will make the window appear bigger.

Once you have your curtain rod in place, you want to measure the length from the rod to the floor. If you know your measurements you won’t risk buying the wrong length. The correct length will instantly look better, a too-short curtain will end up looking misplaced. As with rugs, the general rule should be that longer is better, you can always adjust the length later by sewing or using an iron-on-edge.

When it comes to the color and texture of the curtains there are really no rules. Sheer and light curtains will let in more light and might be better suited for a living room or kitchen. In the bedroom, you might want to consider a thicker fabric that blocks out the light instead. Go for curtains that feel cohesive with the rest of your home decor.

3. Lamps and Lighting

Nothing makes more difference than having good lighting in your home. If the lighting is too bright, in the wrong color, or just not efficient enough. It will make the rest of the room look bad no matter how good the decor is. If your existing light fixtures aren’t working for you, consider changing them straight away.

The ceiling light should be bright enough to let you go about your day with ease. In certain spaces like above a dinner table or a coffee table, you want to go for big statement pieces. Lamps and light fixtures are an excellent way to let your style shine through.

You should also consider adding decorative lamps for sensory purposes. You can use smaller table lamps, floor lamps or even string lights if you want. It is important to be able to adjust the lighting throughout the day. I find that I unwind a lot better in the evenings if I use table lamps instead of spotlights when it is dark outside.

4. Plants

Having plants at home improves both your home decor and your health. Plants are fairly inexpensive which also makes them great to decorate with.

When it comes to choosing plants consider your space and how much sunlight that filters into that space. Consider who much time you spend at home. There is no idea to buy plants that need a lot of water if you can’t be there to take care of them. If you live a busy life plastic plants are a good compromise, even though you might miss out on the health benefits. Another way is to use cut flowers, they might not be as affordable long-term but they definitely bring the same benefits.

Finding out what plants work for you and your lifestyle might take a while but I promise it will be worth it.

I personally prefer low maintenance plants like Succulents and Cactuses. I can also really recommend the plant called Peace Lilly. They are virtually impossible to kill and are perfect in a bedroom since they are really good at cleaning the air.

5. Artworks & Wall Art

I guess art is the ultimate home decor essential. Art might not have the same functionality that a rug or storage has. But art is absolutely essential to make space feel personal.

Different interior styles dictate different use or art. One general rule is to focus on a few statement pieces. You should also think about the space where you display art, it should feel intentional and balanced in size and form.

There are so many things that you can decorate with, posters, art prints, canvases, wall hangers. The options are endless. You can check out this blog post about how to find art you love if you need help getting started. Or you could check out this blog post about how to find art for every room in the house.

6. Decorative Storage

Lastly my personal favorite home decor essential, decorative storage. Almost all of us, despite how much space we have, are faced with the issue of clutter. Clutter is a homewrecker. It doesn’t matter how pretty your paintings or throw-pillows are and it won’t matter how many times you clean if there are things everywhere. Clutter instantly drops the overall feeling of a space.

I have first-hand knowledge of this because it took me years to figure out the difference between cleaning and organizing. Good organization means that you spend less time cleaning.

Decorative storage is a way to organize everything in a way that is more pleasing to the eye. As a storage junkie, my recommendations for decorative storage to start with would be baskets, boxes, trays, and plates. If you are starting from scratch you should focus on baskets and boxes first. That way you can hide the clutter and keep it organized at the same time. When your organization improves and the worst of the clutter is eliminated, you can move on to decorative trays and plates to make your space look more intentional.

Why are these items the home decor essentials?

These are my thoughts on the topic of home decor essentials. I like to keep things short and to the point. The list could naturally have been much longer, but this list is the items I keep returning to when I decorate. I have lived without all of these items from time to time. Now because I have tried a lot of different options, I feel like these are the things I refuse to live without. The home decor essentials are the things that have had the most positive impact on my home decor.

Make sure to grab your FREE Home Decor Workbook and to help you get started with your decorating project right now!

What do you think about the list? Did I miss anything? Please tell me what you think in the comments, I would love to hear your thoughts!

If you want to read more posts like this one you should check out my other home decor guides!

If you want to get an update when I post content like this, make sure to sign up for my awesome newsletter!

Have a great day superstar!