Hello, friends! Have you ever looked around your space and felt like it wasn’t quite home yet? Maybe you’re renting and feel stuck, or maybe you just don’t know where to start. Well, you’re in the right place.
For the last three years, we’ve been living in a rental lake house, and we’ve poured our hearts into making it ours. It has been a huge DIY transformation! I’m so excited to finally give you the full tour and share all of my best decorating tips to transform your home. These are simple tricks and ideas that you can use to bring your own space to life, one room at a time. Let’s get started!
1. Create a Cohesive Flow with Color
One of the best ways to make your entire house feel connected is to use a cohesive color palette. You don’t have to paint every room the same color! Instead, pick a few key colors and sprinkle them throughout your home.
For our house, it all started with a piece of art that had dark browns, blues, and a lovely muted sage green. That sage green became our hero color. We painted the front door with it, which gives a hint of what’s inside. Then, we pulled that same color into pillows in the living room and even found it in our area rug. This simple trick makes your home feel thoughtfully designed and pulled together.
2. Hide Clutter with Smart Storage
A calm home is a clutter-free home. But we all have stuff! The secret is to find clever ways to hide it. Every entryway needs a place where you can quickly hide shoes, bags, and mail.
We found a solution with a DIY home decor project. I took an old, plain IKEA cube unit and gave it a major upgrade. By adding doors and new hardware, it became a beautiful console table that hides all our shoes. People never know our clutter is hiding in plain sight!
| Before: The Problem | After: The Solution |
|---|---|
| An open, basic cube shelf | A stylish console with hidden doors |
| Shoes and clutter were visible | Everything is tucked away neatly |
| Looked like temporary storage | Looks like an expensive, built-in piece |
We used this same idea under our giant TV. Instead of one huge, expensive unit, we pushed three small, affordable cabinets from Amazon together. It creates one long, seamless look and hides all the messy cords and game consoles.
3. Use Moody Paint Colors for Drama
Don’t be afraid of dark paint! While white and bright is great, a moody paint color can make a room feel incredibly cozy and special. Our family room is tucked away, so I wanted to make it feel like a dramatic retreat.
We painted the walls, the trim, and the built-in shelves a deep, moody color called Intrigue by Benjamin Moore. It’s a beautiful mix of blue, green, and gray. This bold choice makes the room feel elegant and is perfect for snuggling in to watch a movie. It’s one of our favorite decorating tips to transform your home for a big impact.
4. Add Character with Wall Molding
Plain, flat walls can sometimes feel a little boring. A fantastic way to add character and a high-end feel is with picture frame molding. It’s a simple DIY project that makes a room feel more expensive and custom-built.
We added it to our family room to give the dark walls more depth. We also added it in our bright and airy breakfast nook. This is another way to create that cohesive home decor feel, by repeating a design element in different rooms.
5 humane DIYs for a High-End Look
You don’t need a huge budget to have a beautiful home. Some of our favorite pieces are the result of a little creativity. These rental decorating ideas and DIY hacks can save you a ton of money.
Our guest room bed is a great example. It was a very simple, basic wood bed frame from IKEA. To make it look more luxurious, I wrapped it in foam and covered it in simple linen fabric. Now, it looks like a fancy upholstered bed you’d see in a catalog!
6. Make Your Rental Feel Like Home
Living in a rental can feel limiting, but there are so many non-permanent things you can do.
| Rental Problem | Simple, Removable Solution |
|---|---|
| No privacy at the front door | Frosted cling window film |
| Ugly, old vertical blinds | Smart shades on a remote |
| Not enough storage on a wall | Individual floating hooks |
The frosted film on our front door sidelights gives us privacy but still lets light in. And the floating hooks in our entryway and bedroom add functional storage without drilling big holes. These small changes make a huge difference in how a space feels and works for you.
7. Let There Be (the Right) Light
Lighting is everything! We used a few tricks to make our home brighter and cozier. In our bedroom, which has no overhead lights, we placed mirrors on the nightstands behind the lamps. This bounces light around the room, making it feel much brighter.
In the moody family room, we installed battery-powered wall sconces. They add a warm, gentle glow without needing an electrician. It’s the perfect lighting for a cozy evening.
8. Style with Flexible Seating
For living room styling, think beyond just a sofa. We wanted our living room to be a great place for guests. We added two small ottomans that can be easily moved around. People can use them as a footrest, pull them up to the coffee table for a game, or use them as extra seats. This kind of flexible seating makes a room so much more useful.
9. Create a Personal Gallery Wall
Art makes a house feel like a home. But you don’t need to buy expensive original paintings. We created a beautiful gallery wall in our living room with art prints we found on Etsy! We just had them printed at a local shop and put them in affordable frames. It creates a stunning focal point that is full of personality.
10. Go Big with Mirrors
If you have high ceilings, embrace them! In our dining room, we leaned two giant mirrors against the wall. They are huge, and they make the entire open-concept space feel even bigger and brighter by reflecting the light and the view of the lake. Leaning them feels casual and less stuffy than hanging them perfectly.
11. Work with What You Have
Sometimes you can’t change everything, especially in a rental. In our guest room, we had mirrored closet doors that felt a little dated. Instead of trying to hide them, we decided to lean into it. I added more metallic finishes in the room, like the plug-in wall sconces. The trick is, if you can’t get rid of something you don’t love, add more of it to make it feel intentional.
12. Connect Your Indoor and Outdoor Spaces
If you have a patio or balcony, think of it as another room. We tried to make our outdoor patio feel like an extension of our living room. We chose outdoor furniture with a similar style and layout to our indoor seating. It makes the whole space feel larger and creates a wonderful flow from inside to out.
FAQs
What is the 3-5-7 rule in decorating?
This is a rule for grouping items. It says to use odd numbers. Groups of 3, 5, or 7 look best. Our eyes find odd numbers more interesting. This rule makes your decor feel natural. It looks less stiff and more balanced. Try three pillows on your sofa. Or use five items on a shelf.
What are the 7 basics of interior design?
There are seven key parts to good design.
Space. This is the area you are working with.
Line. Lines guide your eyes around the room.
Form. This is the shape of your furniture and decor.
Light. Light sets the mood of a space.
Color. Color creates feeling and emotion.
Texture. This is how a surface feels. Think soft, rough, or smooth.
Pattern. Patterns add life and visual interest.
What is the 70-20-10 rule in interior design?
This is an easy rule for choosing colors. It helps you balance your color scheme. 70% of your room is your main color. This is often your wall color. 20% is a secondary color. This might be your sofa or rug. 10% is your accent color. Use this for pillows, art, and small decor.
What is the 3-4-5 rule in interior design?
This rule is about creating visual triangles. It helps you arrange items in a pleasing way. Imagine points on a wall forming a triangle. This makes the layout look more dynamic. It helps your eyes move around the space. You can use it to create a gallery wall. It also works for styling shelves.
What is the 80/20 rule in decorating?
This rule helps you mix styles. It keeps your room from being one-note. 80% of your room should follow one main style. This could be modern or traditional. The other 20% can be a different style. This adds personality. For example, add a vintage lamp to a modern room. It makes the space feel unique.
Your Home Transformation Awaits
As you can see from our lake house tour, turning a house into a home you love is all about small, thoughtful choices. It’s about finding that perfect color that makes you happy, adding a DIY touch that makes you proud, and finding smart solutions that make your life easier.
By using these decorating tips to transform your home, you can create a space that is beautiful, functional, and completely you. It doesn’t happen overnight, but every little step gets you closer to the home of your dreams.
What’s the first tip you’re excited to try in your own home? Share your plans in the comments below
