Holly Hollingsworth Phillips
The English Room
www.theenglishroom.biz

Dining Room chandeliers need to be 30”- 36” off the table. Chandelier size should roughly be based on doubling the width of your room in feet then converting to inches to determine the minimum width of your chandelier. Try an oversized fixture in the space.

In homes with children and/or pets, consider using treated, stain-proof and waterproof textiles especially on upholstery items. There is a plethora of Crypton, Sunbrella and various treated products that do not sacrifice style. 

Curtain panels should not only touch the floor but, break approximately one inch. Linens in particular can shrink slightly over time so err on the longer side to avoid unsightly high-waters. All window treatments should be mounted all the way up to the crown molding.NEVER purchase a suite of furniture.

A mix of styles and periods is what creates visual interest and elevates your design.Buy quality over quantity. Take your time to decorate with high quality pieces you love versus filling a home with mediocre items. “Buy the best and you’ll only cry once.”Miles Redd.  

Gray McElveen Walker, ASID
Gray Walker Interiors
www.graywalkerinteriors.com
 
Every room needs a piece that is fabulously unexpected. Creating drama and sparking interest via a “piece de resistance” keeps the energy moving in a space.A mix of materials is a must! Reflection, transparency and warmth produce a composition of mixed media for a room. Start with an upholstered sofa, add a lucite coffee table, lacquered end tables and glass lamps and you have it!
 
I am in love with the power of mirrors. Mirrors are the most functional weapon I have when I need out of a bad situation. Ugly fire surrounds be gone, tight spaces open up and mirrored screens can do wonders for a dead corner. I am thankful daily for mirrors. 
 
Get your lighting right. The lighting estimates are always the numbers that are tough for my clients to swallow. Good lighting is as important as good architecture. Bite the bullet, do it.... 
 
Pattern on the walls opens up a space and actually pulls rooms together. Don’t underestimate wallpaper... it is never out of style, neither is leopard skin! 
 
Beth Keim
Lucy & Company
 
It’s ok to mix metals. Brushed brass, at black, chrome – they can all work together and give you a more interesting overall look. If the style is somewhat similar, it makes a more unique feel.
 
Spend the time looking for the right art and lighting to accent it! Pieces that conjure up a special memory, trip or time in your life. Larger pieces and oversized lighting I say!
 
Kitchen backsplash tile. Take it to the ceiling rather than cutting it off at the bottom of the cabinets.
 
Get that sofa off the wall. There’s nothing that distracts me more when I see a room with all the furniture slammed up against the four walls. Not only do you have to shout across the room, but the feeling of intimacy is gone.
 
Your trim color does not have to be the same throughout the house, it shouldn’t. There’s nothing more cookie cutter than all white trim, with all white doors, with all white blinds. 
 
Amy Lee, ASID
Amy Lee Interiors
www.artistic-interiorsinc.com 
 
Add interest to your rooms with texture. Especially in today’s more neutral rooms, the way to achieve a designer look is to use various materials with texture differences. Combine different fabrics, linens, cotton velvets and leathers with various materials like wood, metal, glass and mirror.
White trim with colored walls is starting to trend out. Instead try adding moldings to your walls and painting the wall, moldings and trim all the same color.
 
Go gold! Antiqued and aged brass is the new metal to use and is expected to stay in style for quite a while. Oil rubbed bronze is out. Try using bronze fixtures, even though it seems to be the “go to” for most homeowners. If you’re looking for a dark finish for your hardware, go with black iron or aged pewter instead.
 
Make a statement with your lighting. Today’s lighting fixtures are sculpture in themselves. Use a bold, over-scaled light fixture to create a wow feature in your room.
 
Have an open-mind when working with a designer and be willing to step outside of your comfort zone a little. You never know what you may find that inspires you after all. 

Heather Smith
Circa Interiors
www.circainteriors.com

Edit. Get rid of all those things you don’t need and only buy what you love. Get help formulating an overall design plan and work towards it in stages. It’s not about filling spaces, it’s about surrounding yourself with objects of your own private world of memories.

Composition. The room is a three-dimensional space. Consider ways of layering window or wall fabric treatments, artwork, screens, ceiling treatments, and lighting to visually fill in the composition. Additional fabric softens the room, and wall sconces or low chandeliers bring a more intimate feeling.

Mood. Well-designed spaces don’t show everything at once - - they invite you in and allow you to keep learning. Emotion can be created with well-placed lighting on many levels to suit the occasion. Consider how the interior lights are seen from the outdoors. Multiple seating groups in moveable arrangements with unique personal objects keep the eye moving around the room.

Soul. Mixing antiquities with modern objects brings out the best in both. Seemingly incompatible objects complement each other. Introduce layers of textures, fabrics, and materials for a collected look. 

Beauty. Use elusive, natural colors that change with the light. Materials and elements are perfect in their most natural form – there is no need to improve upon their beauty. Strong colors and patterns can feel aggressive; they have nothing to do with serenity.

Lauren Clement
Lauren Nicole Designs
www.laurennicoleinc.com
 
Determine Your Goals. The first step in designing or renovating your home is to determine your goals. Ask yourself, what do you want your home to “feel like” when you walk in the door? Think about your style, the time involved and budget consideration.

Flow of Traffic. One of the most important parts of your home is traffic flow. You need to consider where people are walking and what makes sense in terms of function. Your home not only needs to look beautiful, but function for you and your family as well.

Create Your Color Palette. Browse Houzz and design magazines to get a feel for what colors you love. Create a board of your favorite color scheme to make sure they all work well together.

Edit. Take a step back and edit what you have selected. Taking time away and then coming back to it makes a huge difference. Make sure everything works well together by taking things away or adding them. You can always add, remember that!

Take Risks. Don’t be scared of trying something new and different. It’s your home! Your home should be a reflection of your personality and not look just like a magazine ad. Don’t be scared of bright and bold colors. Just because you’ve been doing something for a while, doesn’t mean you have to keep doing it.