Interior Design and Décor are multi-billion-dollar industries.

Designing living and working spaces that inspire, comfort, engage, or excite is easy when you know how to do it. The snag there is that most people do not know how – not inherently anyway.

Everyone has their idea of what looks good, but not everyone is even close to being correct.

There is fine art to making interior spaces look their best, and you either have the eye or you don’t. The good news in the latter scenario is that with modern technology and shared insights, anyone can pretend to know what they’re doing – with a little help from those who are actually in the know.

If you need some guidance in this department, you’ve come to the best place because below are seven simple interior décor rules for your living area that are easy to follow:

1. Perception

Interior Design doesn’t have to be about spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on weirdly-shaped and futuristic furniture – unless that is your thing. Interior Design is about finding ways to express your personality and individual taste within your surroundings.

Choose looks that speak to your inner style guru, you can’t go wrong with choosing something that inspires joy from the inside. A golden rule to live by is to always have at least one old, antique piece to act as a conversation starter.

2. Spatial Awareness

Don’t cram your living room with so much furniture and décor that you end up not wanting to spend any time in there. Be aware of your surroundings always, that way you’ll be able to quickly realize when you have gone too far.

There are so many beautiful furniture and décor ideas out there that it would be easy to understand if you had a hard time choosing – but choose, you must.

3. Lighting

Lighting up your living room should be more about creating a warm and slightly moody atmosphere. Unlike the workspaces of your home such as your kitchen, laundry, or home office, your living room needs to be calming.

There is no need for bright and intrusive lighting options. Keep things gentle by choosing a few well-positioned lamps or wall sconces. A chandelier or grouping of pendants can also look amazing, just be sure to consider how much “walk room” you must play around with.

4. Furniture

Living rooms are brought to life by what you put inside them. Carefully consider your furniture options before deciding what to buy. Sofas are crucial, as are media units, coffee tables, and other smaller furniture items.

True style is always found in the details of the space, not the other way around. When styling your coffee table, always include a selection of coffee table books because they help tie design styles and intentions together.

5. Movement

The flow of the room is crucial. That might sound like unfounded nonsense but hear us out. In a kitchen, the all-important work triangle makes sense, right? The fridge, sink, and oven must come together to form the perfect triangle of logical movement.

The same thing applies to living rooms. The last thing you want is for your guests to squeeze past a coffee table on their way to their seats. Open the room before you start placing furniture and décor pieces.

If it helps, draw your ideal layout on paper before you begin. That will allow you to identify problem areas before you move heavy objects around.

6. Cleanliness

No matter how much money or time you invest into creating the perfect look for your living room, none of it will matter if the space is dirty or untidy. A clean home will give you a clean mind. It’s a well-known fact that clean places promote health, happiness, and well-being.

Learn to keep your living room tidy, which can be a challenge when you have kids running around, because it will make all the difference in the world to the overall look and feel of the space.

7. Mirrors

Mirrors have always been one of the best-kept secrets of design professionals. They open spaces, create illusions, add light, and enhance every area they are in. Choosing the perfect mirror for your living room isn’t rocket science, but there is some science to it.

There are plenty of trends surrounding mirrors, so all you need to do is choose one that best suits your living room. One of the designer’s favorite tricks is to group smaller mirrors, creating a gallery-like feel to a feature wall.

Regardless of the finer details, always put up at least one mirror. They work interior magic!