Behind every effortlessly stylish home you see in your favorite design magazine is a hardworking interior designer. But you don’t need to hire a pro to evoke a similar look; you can simply borrow their tried-and-true tricks. From space-enhancing illusions to clever paint strategies, designers rely on a toolkit of small hacks that make a…

Here are 25 interior designer-approved ideas to take your home from mundane to magazine-worthy.

1. Use Repetition To Tie a Room Together

When a space feels unfinished, lean on a fundamental interior design principle: repetition. Echoing colors, patterns, or silhouettes within furniture and decor instantly creates cohesion.

Related: The Easiest Way To Make Any Room Look More Put-Together
Credit: Jon Stebbe/ Unsplash

2. Swap Area Rugs for Runners in the Bedroom

Instead of splurging on an oversized rug to fit under your bed, try a duo of runners on either side. You’ll get the same underfoot comfort (no cold floors in the morning) and a grounding look without the considerable expense and the hassle of an area rug.

Related: The Rug Trick That Elevates Your Bedroom for Less

3. Paint Trim and Doors the Same Color as the Walls

Commit to a single paint color across walls, trim, and doors for a high-end look in your living spaces. The result is seamless and elevated.

Related: This Simple Paint Fix Makes Your Home Look More Expensive

4. Apply Enclosure Theory for Instant Coziness

Spaces feel more intimate when they’re “enclosed.” For example, a lone chair can look awkward, but add a lamp and side table beside it, and suddenly it transforms into an inviting nook.

Related: How Enclosure Theory Makes Spaces Instantly Cozier
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5. Go Big With Artwork in Small Spaces

It may sound counterintuitive, but hanging a substantial piece of art in a small room can help it feel larger. It packs a big punch of personality and helps draw the eye upward and outward, all without cluttering your walls.

Related: The Wall Art Choice That Makes Small Spaces Feel Bigger
Credit:  Pekic/ iStock

6. Style Bookshelves With the Triangle Method

For the most visually appealing “shelfies,” use the triangle method. Arrange objects (such as books, framed photos, or trinkets from travels) either horizontally or vertically so they form a triangle when viewed as a whole.

Related: The Triangle Method Is the Key to Well-Designed Bookshelves

7. Try Color Drenching

Designers know that color drenching — painting walls, trim, ceiling, doors, and built-ins all the same shade — gives small spaces an expansive feel. The uninterrupted color establishes visual continuity, tricking your brain into thinking the room is bigger than its actual square footage.

Related: This Paint Trend Makes Rooms Feel Twice the Size

8. Nightstands Should (Almost) Be the Same Height as Your Mattress

Interior designers adhere to a simple measurement for balanced bed-to-nightstand proportions: Nightstands should be about the same height as your mattress when it’s on the bed, plus or minus 4 inches — no higher and no lower.

Related: A Designer’s Trick for Choosing the Right Nightstands

9. Lean Into Finishes You Don’t Like (But Can’t Change)

If you can’t stand the orangey finish of your hardwood floors but refinishing them isn’t in the budget, embrace the tone instead. Repeating the same tone elsewhere in the room feels cohesive and intentional. If left on its own, it stands out.

Related: This Design Trick Makes Any ‘Flaw’ Look Intentional
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10. Designate Zones in an Open-Concept Space

Open layouts can sometimes feel too expansive. If everything faces the same direction, the room risks resembling one long, undefined corridor. To better define these areas, orient large pieces of furniture, such as sofas and dining tables, so they are perpendicular to each other.

Related: A Free Way To Divide an Open-Concept Space
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11. Always Add a Focal Point

Every living space needs an eye-catching focal point, whether it’s a jewel-toned sofa, a dramatic piece of art, or a statement fireplace. Without that anchor, the eye has nowhere to land, leaving the room feeling incomplete.

Related: If Your Room Feels Off, It’s Probably Missing This

12. Refresh Greenery Seasonally

Nature evolves season to season, and so should your home. Swap out your greenery (and the vessels they live in) each season to bring rhythm and freshness into your home.

Related: This One Styling Trick Will Transform Your Space Every Season

13. Keep Floors Clear

Whenever possible, free up floor space. By incorporating elements such as wall-mounted storage, sconces, and floating nightstands, you lift visual weight off the ground. This simple shift makes a room appear more open and less cluttered.

Related: 12 Design Tricks To Make a Small Room Feel More Spacious

14. Choose the Right Light Bulbs

The perfect light bulb temperature is key to setting the mood. For a cozy, warm glow, go with 2700 Kelvin. Prefer a cleaner, softer white? Try 3000 Kelvin instead.

Related: Follow This One Designer Tip When Shopping for Light Bulbs
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15. Follow the Rule of Three

When styling decor, think in odd numbers — particularly three. Grouping items in threes (say, a taper candle, a small plant, and a framed photo) creates a balance that feels both intentional and visually engaging without overwhelming the eye.

Related: How To Use the Rule of Three To Decorate Like an Interior Designer
Credit: BongkarnThanyakij/ iStock

16. Install a Ceiling-Mounted Curtain Track

Leave it to IKEA to design an affordable, functional curtain system that elevates any space. Their VIDGA curtain track lets you drape an entire wall — or even an entire room, wall to wall — with floor-to-ceiling curtains for a dramatic, cocoon-like effect.

Related: This Curtain Hack Adds Instant Drama (and Height) to Any Room

17. Follow This Formula for Coordinated Throw Pillows

No need to overcomplicate your sofa styling. For a foolproof, designer-approved look, follow this formula: Place two solid-colored pillows on either end of the sofa, then layer one bold, patterned pillow in front of one of the solids.

Related: A Foolproof Formula for Perfectly Coordinated Sofa Pillows

18. Find a Cohesive Color Palette in Your Rug

Struggling to pull together a color scheme? The answer is right under your feet. Look closely at the room’s area rug, which is sure to feature coordinating (and perhaps unexpected) accent colors to use throughout the space.

Related: The Designer’s Secret to a Cohesive Color Palette

19. Fluff Up Pillows the Easy Way

No lumpy pillows on our watch. For full-looking throw pillows, toss the inserts in the dryer for 20 minutes with a couple of tennis balls. This will break up any clumps and evenly distribute the filling.

Related: How To Make Your Throw Pillows Extra Fluffy
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20. Skip Curtains With Grommets

Not all curtains are created equal. Designers recommend avoiding grommet-top styles, which can look tacky and mass-produced. Instead, opt for ripple-fold, back-tab, and pinch-pleat panels for a more tailored, high-end feel — often at similar price points.

Related: The Decor Mistake That Makes Your Home Look Cheap
Credit: Image courtesy of Design by Dawn Interiors

21. Layer Your Lighting

Designers swear by layering three types of lighting: ambient, task, and accent. Ambient sets the overall tone, while task lighting supports everyday activities, and accent lighting adds personality. Together they form a relaxing but customizable environment, whether you’re chopping vegetables or winding down at night.

Related: The Three Layers of Lighting That Every Room Needs

22. Hang Artwork at Eye Level

Before putting any holes in your wall, remember this rule of thumb: Center the artwork’s focal point at eye level for the average person. Typically, that means 58 to 60 inches off the floor.

Related: The Ideal Height for Hanging Artwork

23. Paint Ceilings a Shade Lighter Than the Walls

For instantly taller-looking ceilings, choose a shade of paint that is 20% lighter than the wall color. (Or, when in doubt, stick with crisp white.) This creates an optical illusion that naturally draws the eye upward.

Related: Use This Designer Paint Trick To Fake Higher Ceilings
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24. Don’t Exceed More Than Three Wood Tones

When mixing wood finishes, follow the 60-30-10 rule: 60% dominant wood, 30% secondary tone, and 10% accent wood. Just be sure to limit your palette to three tones, as any more feels chaotic.

Related: How To Mix and Match Wood Tones Like an Interior Designer

25. Use the Two-Leg Rule for Area Rugs

Choosing the right rug size is tricky. Anything too big or too small will throw off the proportions of the room. Shop for one large enough to touch all of the furniture in the area you’re trying to define. At minimum, the front two legs of each furniture piece should rest on the rug.

Related: The Designer Trick for Choosing the Right-Sized Area Rug
Credit: Design gallery01/ Shutterstock
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