Interior design tips for every room in the home

While you might not spend much time in your bedroom aside from sleeping, it's still an essential room of the house that should be the most comfortable space to retreat to. As a private space, it should also reflect you, your passions and your interests in a more personal way.

Choose your colours wisely

Picking the right paint colour for your bedroom is essential for setting the right tone. For most people, that means selecting colours that will make the room feel calming and relaxing. Classic white is an easy go-to which works well in smaller rooms, making them feel a little more open. Colour schemes that include light shades of purple, blue, green and yellow can also create a soothing atmosphere.

Be particular with your furniture

You don't want to create a cluttered look in your bedroom, so when choosing your furniture, make sure it's primarily functional and of high quality. The bed is usually the biggest investment in the bedroom so you’ll want to be sure you get that choice exactly right to ensure you get a good night's rest. Matching bedside tables, a chest of drawers and a tall standing mirror are other essentials worth including.

Related article: 12 fantastic bedroom decorating ideas

Turning your bathroom into a relaxing oasis can be done with a little forethought. If you're not physically renovating the room, there are more minor design elements you can include to liven up the place. As a traditionally small room, a little can go a long way.

Upgrade your bathroom cabinets

Bathroom cabinets suffer from a lot of wear and tear and replacing them can be a quick way to refresh a space. There might be a few upgrades you can make too with respect to getting it wall-mounted if it isn’t already, different finishes for your handles or converting it into a bathroom vanity.

Add accents and accessories

There are some great finishing touches you can add to your bathroom to enhance its overall feel. Bathroom accessories are a fantastic example of this which can act as little stylish accents throughout. Themed soap dishes and soap dispensers, for example, always look better than branded bottles from the supermarket. Toilet roll holders and toilet brushes in a premium finish are both excellent examples of giving aesthetic qualities to items of utility.

Related article: Modern bathroom ideas for 2024 and beyond

A kitchen, much like a bathroom, is a complex room to remodel, so if you're going for a whole new redesign, it's essential to consult an interior design professional to see the best layout for your space. However, there are many improvements you can make yourself that will have an impact.

Make sure you have sufficient lighting

A kitchen is a task-oriented space where people are frequently handling food, sharp utensil and hot pots and pans. For this reason alone, sufficient lighting is a must. It’s also an opportunity to layer your lighting to create a bit of depth and style. Ceiling lights, wall lights and under-cabinet lights can all be used together to create this effect.

Consider a new splashback

Updating your splashback is another way to add a new element of design to your kitchen. If you have a simple glass splashback, consider replacing this with a tiled option. There is an incredibly wide range of tiles available of varying sizes, shapes and colours meaning you can create any type of design you can think of.

Related article: The dos and don'ts of kitchen design - 11 great tips

A living room can have several uses depending on the layout of your home. Your living room can serve as an entertainment area, a space to socialise or a place where your kids play. It’s a versatile room which means you can plan your design in a few different ways.

Create a focal point

There are a number of ways to create a focal point in a living room which is a great way to establish interest and dynamism in a space. A feature piece of original art is great for those who want to up their designer credentials. Another option to consider is choosing a bold colour for an accent wall or even a uniquely patterned wall of wallpaper.

Include varied lighting

You will not always want full, bright lighting in your living space. For example, when you're watching TV, you may want to lower the lighting. Having multiple and varied lighting sources, like table lamps on your coffee table or wall sconces, means they can be turned on individually as needed.

Lower your artwork

You don't want your guests craning their necks to see the artwork you've chosen for the room, so make sure to hang any frames at eye level. This will be approximately 60-62 inches from the floor.

Related article: How to choose wall art that works in your home

This room may be one of the simplest to design and decorate because it only has one primary purpose: dining. Investing in a good quality dining room table is a wise move but is just one of many you can go with.

Pick your table accents carefully

Don't clutter your dining table with a multitude of table accents. Instead, choose one or two items that work together, like a table runner and an indoor pot plant. Less is often more in this respect as too much will be distracting, especially when trying to converse with family and friends.

Tie everything together

Since there aren’t many pieces of furniture in this room, concentrating on bringing everything together can make this room pop. For example, curtains that complement the room colour and on-theme glass and tableware.

Related article: 11 delightful dining room decorating ideas

One of the most fun rooms to decorate is your child's bedroom. Here you have a lot of wiggle room and a lot of space for creativity.

Choose bold and vibrant colours

When painting a children's bedroom, you can go all out and choose bold and vibrant colours that you otherwise wouldn't use in other rooms in your house. Children respond well to bright, colourful surroundings, and it's a nice and simple way to make them happy.

Maximise storage

Children have a lot of stuff. Books, clothes, toys and more - it's easy for their rooms to become cluttered. Maximise space by picking furniture with storage options that can serve multiple purposes. Children’s beds, for example, often come with storage compartments underneath which are very helpful indeed.

How you design and decorate this space depends somewhat on its purpose. If you work from home full-time you’ll need to think about your professional requirements. If it's a space for the kids to do their homework, then your needs will be quite different.

Choose a different layout

Decorating a home office can be rather dull, so think outside the box and avoid pushing all your furniture up against the wall or windows. A nicely centred desk can give the room an entirely different feel.

Prioritise task lighting

As a space where you’ll be concentrating on screens or documents, you’ll want to be sure you have ample lighting to avoid straining your eyes. Floor and desk lamps are excellent for this and are an extremely versatile choice being highly mobile and available in a wide range of styles. They will also brighten the space if there isn’t a lot of natural light during the day.

The laundry room is another small space in the home which has traditionally only been seen for its pure utility. With large appliances including the washing machine and dryer to accommodate, there are definitely some challenges to be aware of.

Paint your ceiling

If your laundry room ceiling isn't too low, you may want to give it a coat of paint. Choose a pattern or a bold colour to give the room a bit of punch. This method of decorating is great if you're on a budget.

Mix different textures

Mixing different textures can give a room visual interest, and a laundry room is perfect for that. Pop some plain wooden shelves on the wall and fill them with woven and wicker baskets in different sizes and textures. These serve as decorative items but are functional at the same time.

As you can see, these home interior decorating tips give you a great grounding from which you can develop your own ideas for your home redecoration. By working in a smart and efficient way, your home decorating project will stand the test of time.