Redesigning a space – be it your living room, bedroom, a kitchen or your office – can be more stressful than originally envisioned. Unless you have previous experience, it is rather overwhelming to think of a thousand little aspects: color schemes, wall art, furniture selection and placement, fabrics, natural light and on and on and on. To make your next project a little bit easier, we have put together a list of interior design tips that will save you some headache and your remodeling project a success.

Start by envisioning the color scheme for a room you are remodeling

Take a deep breath, close your eyes and imagine the space. Are you thinking of more peaceful neutral colors? Perhaps it’s a darker color scheme? Are there any color accents? After you figure out what main color suits you best, you can check online for color combinations that will work with the selected color.

Start with a minimalistic mindset.

Always start with the most important and largest items on your to-do list: furniture, wall color, floors, etc. Unclutter the space and mind. You can always fill-in the blanks later. Don’t get distracted by small items of decor. It is easier to find the right accessories than to make your couch or your floor tiles to fit in with all the details.

Invest in quality. It will pay off in the long run.

It is often times difficult to make the most out of an allocated budget and you have to make a choice between quality and quantity. We suggest to err on the side of quality. It will be smarter investment to purchase quality paint/furniture/wall art, but make those purchases in steps, than to purchase everything in one go but compromise on quality. You will end up spending more money by replacing items that wear off fast due to their low quality.

Small space – dead spaces are unacceptable

If you are working with a small room – a bedroom, a kitchen, an office – you have to plan and organize every inch of that space. Can you use the space under the bed for storage? Can you utilize the space under the sink? Small spaces, if organized without creative storage solutions, can feel claustrophobic.

Make neutral colors stand out by mixing textures.

A neutral color scheme, especially in the absence of a pop of color, can feel rather bland. You can solve that problem by getting creative with the textures. Mix and match to make various items of furniture and decor stand out.

Add subtle gold accents for a more luxurious feel.

Whether it’s a door knob, mirror frames or lamp design – add a few golden touches to the room. Make sure not to go crazy with it – instead of “luxurious”, it will feel kitschy.

Place art work 57-60 inches from the floor.

Wall art is a great way to bring your space together. It is also a statement of your tastes and interests. Make sure to hang it at the right heights as otherwise it will throw off the balance of the room. 57-60 inches from the floor is how art galleries do it.

Make it multifunctional, if possible.

How easy will it be to transform the purpose of the room? Can it be used as a living room AND a home office? Can it be easily transformed from a living room into a dining room? Try to consider various likely situations you’ll need to use the same room for. Is your attic empty? Turn it into a home office/guest room/family room.

Understand the flow of natural light in your space and work with it, not irrespective of it.

Natural light is an important component of any room. Think of where it is coming from and what part of your routine could benefit from it. For example, if you are creating a work station in your living room, it will be best to place it next to the window to take advantage of the natural light. Take this aspect into consideration when re-designing the space. Don’t simply ignore it.

Don’t focus too much on the latest trends.

Trends come and go in a matter of minutes. Don’t get stuck on the latest trend, which does not 100% agree with your notion of beauty. Unless the room reflects your tastes and your personality, you will get bored of the design soon enough. Invest in timeless pieces. When in doubt, go for simplicity. Get your basics right – the functionality, the space allocation – and then, if you really want to, accessorize the room based on the latest trends. It’s like the perfect little black dress – it never goes out of style and you can always add the accessories to make it match the latest trends.