20 best decorating tips

(InStyle.com) -- Bored with your décor? Glam up your house in a flash with these easy-to-achieve ideas from our design experts.

1. Control the light

Bamboo, tortoise and natural-reed blinds have a handmade feel and a warm, organic texture, says L.A. designer Schuyler Samperton. For very bright bedrooms, he says, combine sheer curtains with blackout shades. "The best of both worlds: light and privacy or complete darkness when you need it."

2. Frame the bed

Put a twist on the traditional headboard with a statement-making screen -- the room gets another great piece of furniture without sacrificing any space. Look at new and antique options, particularly ones with interesting all-over patterns or motifs (for more stability, they can be wall-mounted too). Check out examples of decorating tips »

3. Marry your prints

Matchy-matchy is a bore. Mix up textures (a ribbed velvet upholstered settee and a woven basket) and complementary but not exact-match patterns, as seen in the embroidered coverlet, silk pillows and the tone-on-tone graphic rug.

4. Make your bedside beautiful

Add photos, a grouping of books, flowers (a floating single gardenia bloom will stay fragrant for five days), and a lamp with personality. Stow moisturizers, lozenges and other personal stuff in the night-table drawer; keep magazines hidden but handy in a basket beneath.

5. Add some sparkle

A flash of glimmer keeps a room from feeling flat, says Jay Jeffers, a California interior designer. Hang a showstopping mirror as a focal point -- one in an unusual shape or of vintage mercury-glass. Display an assortment of colored-glass vases, silver pieces or rock-crystal quartz on a table or mantel. Include votives with the arrangement for more shimmer.

6. Curate a photo collection

Amassing a gallery-worthy grouping is easy, says Alan Tanksley, an N.Y.C. designer. Scout online sources like Associated Press (ap.org) or Winter Works on Paper (winterworksonpaper.com). Stand frames on a table or shelf so you can rearrange on a whim. Feel free to combine photos, paintings, drawings, etc. "A mix tells more of a personal story," he says.

7. Vamp up your coffee table

Replace clear glass with mirrored glass to instantly make a casual coffee table more sophisticated, recommends N.Y.C. interior designer Celerie Kemble. Or lay a mirror or cut marble on any tabletop to change its look. Says Kemble: "The new surface will freshen the mood of the entire room."

8. Refine your color palette

New York interior designer Rob Southern likes using neutral colors such as cream or chocolate brown for big-ticket items like upholstery, walls and curtains. Then he suggests incorporating one strong accent color -- tomato red, bright yellow or aqua -- in pillows, vases or an ottoman. Limiting the accents to one hue makes a room instantly more cohesive. And if you tire of them, these smaller accessories won't break the bank to swap out.

9. Contain yourself

Display an open tray or basket to drop essentials, says N.Y.C. designer Steven Sclaroff. It will neatly hold keys, sunglasses, iPods and more. If they always land here, they're less likely to be misplaced. Choose a shallow tray -- not too big and no deeper than 3 inches -- or you'll be tempted to fill it with too much stuff.

10. Add a mirror

A reflective surface makes a small entry feel bigger and airier. Choose a long mirror so as you head out the door you can check out more than just your lipstick. (Note: Oval or round mirrors won't call attention to crooked ceilings or asymmetrical walls.)

11. Light it up

Opt for a lamp with a small footprint, like a candlestick base, so it doesn't take up too much space on a table. Or skip a table lamp entirely and add drama with a hanging crystal chandelier or a sleek modern one. And paint the ceiling a warm shade (even if it's white) so it reflects a more flattering light.

12. Maximize storage

A table with a drawer keeps necessities like gloves and dog leashes nearby but out of sight. A trunk tucked underneath will hold shoes and boots and also double as a convenient seat.

13. Go for a strong statement

This is a great area for bold design choices that could overwhelm a larger room. Try a deep or bright paint color (warms like red or orange are kinder to skin tones than green and blue) or a patterned or vertical-striped wallpaper that can compensate for too few art pieces or furniture. And a graphic rug, like the zebra print here, ideally in a cleanable wool for this high-traffic area, will add impact underfoot.

14. Nix the expected

Think furniture, not bath furnishings, says N.Y.C. designer Steven Gambrel, who prefers a boldly framed mirror and a dresser-style vanity to make a more "real room" experience.

15. Bring outside in

Incorporate nature, but on a small scale. A duo of topiaries with tiny leaves won't overwhelm a room or get in the way.

16. Expand options

Ideally, separate the tub (meant for relaxing) from the shower (for getting clean quick). And clear -- not frosted -- glass shower walls will make the room feel bigger.

17. Go beyond white

Bisque sinks and subway wall tiles, colored marble for the counters and floor, and rich teak storage make the room feel comfortable and luxurious in a way that a white-and-chrome bathroom never will.

18. Display the basics

Store quantities of oft-used items (soap, cotton swabs, cotton balls) in clear Pyrex canisters. "It's amazing how pretty multiples of common items can look," says Gambrel.

19. Choose the perfect sofa

Bigger isn't better, advises Doug Meyer, designer of furniture Doug & Gene Meyer. A large sofa can easily overwhelm a room, so map out the space it will take up before you buy.

A length of 65" to 72" is a good size for a small room, while 81" to 96" suits a larger area. The best rule of thumb for height is 30" to 37". Decide if legs or a skirt are better for your space (legs are more modern). Finally, a solid color is easier to in corporate in a room than a pattern -- and is easily enlivened with print pillows.

20. Pick one bloom

A single color and type of flower gives you more bang for your buck, says Julia-Carr Bayler, owner of the Belvedere home store in Atlanta. An arrangement of peonies, anemones or tulips alone packs a visual punch that a varied-flower bouquet doesn't. "It's like Andy Warhol's multiple silk screens: One thing repeated grabs your attention." It also makes DIY arranging a piece of cake. E-mail to a friend

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Copyright © 2009 Time Inc. All rights reserved.

Terry Trucco contributed to this report.

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