Your home is well decorated, that much is true. Yet you still feel like something is missing. Unstick that feeling with one of these five fresh design tips.

You’ve gotten rid of the bare white walls. You've added an eye-catching focal point to every room. You receive endless compliments whenever you invite guests over for dinner.

But there’s a feeling you just can’t seem to shake — like something is missing.

You feel … stuck.

Before you impulsively decide to gut the kitchen or toss out the leather sofas, step back and take a breather!

You want a beautiful home. But you also don’t want to blow through your budget or begin a project you don’t have the passion to finish.

Now, here’s what you should do next:

Do you know the difference between mid-century modern and vintage? What about chic and contemporary?

If you answered “no,” it’s time to learn a bit more about interior design jargon.

Why Sticking to a Theme Matters

Picture a room with bright red walls, navy blue carpeting, antique furniture, and a gallery wall littered with beachy decor.

Did you cringe at the thought?

Each of those elements has its place in one interior design style or another. But even when pieced together seamlessly, feng shui and aesthetics go right out the window.

It’s headache-inducing, stressful, and not at all inviting.

Horizontal wall panels, teal carpeting, coastal grey sofas, and a nautical ship wheel mesh together much more smoothly.

Now that’s a living room you’re proud of!

It’s hard to buy decor and matching furniture if you don’t even know what style your dream room fits into.

Taking an interior design style quiz.

All you have to do is choose the room photos that pique your interest most. 

By the end of the test, you’ll learn whether the rustic farmhouse look is more your style. Or if a minimalist touch better suits your personality.

And when it’s time to buy decor, you’ll know whether to look for chic or urban.

Even redesigning a single room in the house can be expensive. And that’s especially true when you’re looking to swap out big-ticket items like sofas and dining sets.

The trick: Start small and then work your way up.

Look at your next room project and ask yourself, “What smaller changes can I make to improve the way the room looks?”

You might look at your bedroom wall color and say, “That has got to go!” Adding a fresh coat of paint is a quick DIY project that can sometimes cost less than $100.

Other small design changes you can make today include:

● Painting an accent wall

● Replacing the current focal point (for example, swapping out the geometric light fixture and replacing it with an aesthetic mirror)

● Repainting or staining the bookshelf

● Hanging (or removing) a piece of art

And here’s the thing.

You might discover that one minor change was all you needed to convert that hectic bedroom into your sleep haven.

You know you want to renovate the living room, and that’s a great start. But you have no idea where to begin or what you envision the end result even looking like.

Inspiration won’t always be the one to find you.

Here’s where you can look for inspiration:

Do you want to know what’s “hot” in interior design right now?

“Zillow” is your answer! 

Take an hour to scroll through the local Zillow listings and see what other modern homeowners are doing to spice up their interiors.

It’s even better if you find homes in your neighborhood with similar layouts as yours.

The easiest way to find inspiration specific to an interior design trend is by scouring the pins on Pinterest.

Search for a simple keyword like “vintage style living room” or “farmhouse style.”

There, you’ll find hundreds of images of fully-styled rooms. And you may even discover links to purchase the specific design elements and furniture pictured.

Skip the trip to the furniture store!

You may not realize what you want your kitchen to look like until you step foot into somebody else’s and say, “This is it!”

Spend the weekend visiting local open houses to experience new styles in the flesh. Just let the hosting real estate agent know you’re just looking around!

You think you want to paint your dining room pastel yellow — a dramatic change from the burgundy it is now. But mentally picturing such a drastic change is hard.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if you could build a mock version of your dream room before biting the bullet and making the changes?

Well, you can!

This is where online room design programs like Living Spaces come in handy.

You can design your new room layout with an easy-to-use 3D render, choose paint colors, and add furniture and decor that catches your eye.

Once you see it in 3D, you can be confident your newly-designed room will be precisely what you imagined!

Try out new furniture and colors and see what works (and what doesn’t).

And then make it a reality.

Nobody says that you have to overhaul a whole room in a day, let alone the entire house by the end of the month.

Look at your room redesign as a series of stepping stones rather than a giant leap.

Start with one room, and take it one step at a time.

For example, choose a paint color that matches your current assortment of furniture. Take a step back and look at the room … is it complete?

If not, another tiny change is in order!

Finding Inspiration as You Go Along

Give yourself weeks or even months to fill a room and finish off the look.

Take a photo of the room as it is now and keep it saved on your phone. 

Every time you visit the furniture store or roam the aisles at Target, compare the decor that you see to that picture on your phone.

Ask yourself:

Does it match?

Will it bring you closer to the point of saying, “This room is complete?”

 

Interior design is not something you should rush.

Nor is it something to force.

When you’re feeling stuck in a decorating rut, stop actively looking for inspiration and, instead, let it come to you!

A random Country Living magazine photo or a lone starfish on the beach may be all it takes to get those creative juices flowing.

Rest assured: You’ll have your dream space before you know it.

Adam Marshall is a freelance writer who specializes in all thing’s apartment organization, real estate, and college advice. He currently works with The Arch Troy to help them with their online marketing.