In the world of interior design, trends come and go, but there are certain rules that remain constant. For classically trained interior designers, spacing and arrangement are just as important as picking the perfect art and furniture. If you're looking for ways to refresh your apartment, then you might want to reconsider rearranging your existing pieces before you go out and buy new furniture. A couple of spacing adjustments can sometimes make a bigger difference than a brand new couch or a new piece of artwork. And when rearranging, feel free to experiment with different layouts. You're just moving stuff around, so as long as you don't puncture a hole in the wall, nothing is permanent.
Area Rugs
Finding the proportionate area rug is the first step in furnishing any room. If you're trying to refresh your apartment, then try playing around with different rug combinations. Swap the rug in your bedroom with the rug in your living room, and see what sticks. Or try shifting an area rug 90 degrees, and rearranging your furniture layout. Center everything around your area rug, so that furniture snuggly fits around the perimeter. Check out how we placed this sectional couch and coffee table in this Upper East Side Luxury Condo.
Declutter
If you want to give your apartment a quick refresh, know that less is more. If a room feels crowded, then consider decluttering. Start by picking out the piece of furniture that gets used the least, and moving it to another room in the house, or just getting rid of it. Once you've narrowed your space down to the essentials, try different furniture arrangements until you find the one that fits. Check out the the drastic difference that decluttering made in this New Jersey home staging.
Rehang Art and Mirrors
Once you've decluttered your space and moved your furniture, then it's time to hang art and mirrors. Foyers can be one of the trickiest places to decorate in the home, and are a great place to hang a mirror. When trying to place artwork, start with the biggest stuff, and then work your way down. Center your largest piece on the wall behind your couch, like we did in this San Francisco Luxury Condo, and then hang up smaller pieces accordingly.
Move Your Side Tables
If your living room is short on space, then having side tables in addition to a coffee table might be redundant. Try repurposing your side tables as bedside tables, or even consider getting rid of them. The living room in this Scarsdale family home does without side tables, and instead uses a single large coffee table.
Switch Up Your Lighting
If you live in New York, then you probably don't have an abundance of room in your apartment. Although proper lighting is an absolute necessity in any room, it doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice precious floor space. Bedrooms don't require a huge amount of light, so you really just need lamps on your side table. And if you currently have a floor lamp, then consider replacing it with a pendent lamp, like we did in this SoHo duplex.