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If you need design inspiration, these are my top secrets. I use these as a Kansas City home stager. Some of these DIY design trends cost next to nothing!

Kansas City Interior Design Trends

If you’re looking for interior design inspiration in your home, these 16 tips will transform your house. Your home should tell a story and have a vibe. After all, you live there and spend a lot of time in your home so your home should make you feel a certain way.

If you want the bathroom to have a spa-like feel, it comes down to design. If you want your shower to look larger than it is, there’s a trick for that too!

These are great ideas whether you’re looking to update your home or you’re looking to sell. I use many of these interior design trends when I’m staging homes to sell!

Home staging works! 88% of staged homes sell at or above list price according to StagedHomes.com. That’s why I offer a free home staging service to all my clients.

Get those creative juices flowing!

kansas city design1. Bathroom design ideas

You likely start and end your day in the bathroom. So, a little design help can change your outlook every day!

Look for interesting and colorful, even nature-focused materials, for your bathroom. Place these on your floors, walls, and cabinets.

Experiment with unusual finishes like inlaid floor patterning and wainscoting to brighten up a small space.

Then add built-in cabinets for function and beauty.

2. Create a spa-like feel with houseplants

Plants are a great design piece. They add color to rooms, even if they’re green. Second, they enhance the other decor. Third, they change the mood. Finally, they may also improve the air quality! More on that in a minute.

The list of benefits goes on and on with houseplants. Think of the difference houseplants make in a bathroom. They instantly create a spa-like feel. In the bathroom, choose low-light and high humidity plants.

If you have breathing concerns or want to live a healthier life, some indoor plants improve the air you breathe. A NASA study even backs this up!

3. Mix and match old and new

No matter what space you’re designing, a design trend is to mix and match old and new.

Modern features and appliances combine with the vintage character of your home to create a look with richness and depth. Even if your home has modern-day finishes like granite, you can still incorporate antiques. Juxtaposing contemporary finishes such as granite with old-world architectural elements such as exposed brick brings warmth to modern design.

Transcend periods by mixing antique and vintage styles.

4. How high-back chairs change a room

One piece of furniture can make a difference. For example, a high-back chair in the living room adds elegance. It’s a beautiful accent for an informal or formal living space.

Match it with the color scheme in your living room to create warm harmony. You can also rebelliously contrast the colors.

Loose cushions allow for easy fluffing and long-lasting comfort.

5. Good design creates illusions for the eye

When I stage a home, I’m always looking to enhance a home’s features, and it means grabbing the buyer’s eye. You want them to see the best parts, and de-emphasize the drawbacks.

You do this by creating illusions.

If you’re looking for a permanent illusion that you can enjoy, tile your shower to the ceiling. It’ll make the space seem larger. The great thing about this trick is that it works in any size bathroom – large or small. Many of us don’t have the grand shower spaces shown in magazines, so this trick will make it seem like you do.

Also, declutter the space. That’s often the number one problem in a small area. Less is more!

6. How to design a narrow hallway

These design secrets will transform a narrow hallway. First, add mirrors in the middle of your hall. Use one large one or few smaller mirrors. That expands your sight lines and gives the appearance of more space.

Also, choose the color of your hallway carefully. A light color gives it an open and bright feel. You can also add color to your trim. That adds depth. Make sure the trim color complements the wall.

Third, use molding along the baseboard, ceiling or both. That defines the space and makes it look polished.

Are you looking for more design inspiration?

7. Layer accessories

When we’re staging a home, we layer accessories. The last layer is the most critical, but also the most difficult to execute correctly.

The goal when accessorizing is to give the space its unique personality that still looks effortless and complements the interior. Display a collection or place objects together that have something in common, such as color, texture, or theme.

8. Designing with candles

If you want to add a romantic ambiance to a room, like your bathroom or bedroom, use candles. It’s an inexpensive way to change up the feeling.

For instance, if you want vintage rather than romance, change up the style of the candle holder.

Decorative candles in attractive candle holders and creative candle centerpieces are the best home decor! They’re perfect for any room.

9. Choose a color theme

When you’re redecorating, choose a color theme. The Pantone color of the year is Night Watch. It’s a bold color! Described as a rich, luxurious, and classic shade of green. It’s dark green tone is supposed to empower you with the healing power of nature.

While this trendy color is not for everyone, a safe color is gray. There are lots of gray hues, and it’s considered a neutral color. So, complementary tones like yellow are always fashionable.

If you want to accentuate a room’s coziness, choose rich, intense hues.

If you want to be fearless, start small. Paint a bedroom or small area first where the investment is minimal. Go ahead! Pick a color you like and go for it!

10. Choose an accent color

Contemporary, modern, and eclectic interiors all lend themselves to having a wall with an accent color. Choose a dark or bold color for the accent wall. For the other walls, choose a complimentary light to medium neutral color. Coordinate pillows, upholstery fabric, draperies, and rugs to pull the colors together.

11. How to lighten up a room with new cushions

If you don’t have a high-back chair  (tip #4) and your budget is tight, make a small adjustment with the pillows in your living room. A simple change makes a dramatic effect. Look at the before and after on this couch.

It’s such a small investment, with a significant impact!

12. Paint your kitchen cabinets

You spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so add some color!

Choose kitchen cabinets in a vibrant color or mix and match kitchen elements in contrasting colors to create visual interest. Both will make your kitchen more stylish and add a concentrated effect.

What will you do to make your kitchen a bright and happy place?

13. Decor for the dining room table

Whether you’re hosting a holiday dinner party or gathering around the table for a weeknight meal, the dining room is where people come together. Display a great collection or unique piece on the table. It doesn’t all have to match, but make sure it all plays well together.

how to design a fireplace14. Decorate the fireplace

Make the fireplace a dramatic feature whether your style is contemporary or classic. A soaring stone fireplace is an impressive and rustic focal point in the living room.

You can also use it as a jumping off point for the room’s palette by selecting the hues of sage, stone, taupe, and caramel from the fireplace stones.

15. Use the rule of 3s, 1s, or 5s

One of my home staging staples is the rule of 3s. I use 3 items of various heights.

That draws the eye not only to the home decor but also what’s around it. For example, on a kitchen counter, 3 items arranged near each other draw your eye to a beautiful backsplash.

Incorporate this rule throughout your home as you give it a fresh look with these design ideas.

16. Textiles

These are a huge trend right now. Natural materials and neutral tones are always good when decorating because they go with everything. Textiles also add that wow factor and draw attention without going overboard.

I like to look for pillows, blankets, or even lamps to add to a room.

Play with Textiles

Kansas City interior design

Some of these design tips and tricks cost money. Others cost next to nothing. Both types dramatically transform your space.

When I stage homes in the Kansas City area, I use many of these ideas to inspire buyers to purchase my seller’s properties. Home staging sells homes faster and for top dollar. See the difference it makes in homes with before and after photos. We offer home staging for FREE to all our sellers.

Which interior design trend are you going to try?

Sally Moore

Sally Moore

Selling and buying homes is in my blood! I flipped and rehabbed homes for several years before finally becoming a Realtor®. From representing builders in new construction communities to staging and selling resale homes, I have devoted more than 18 years to helping my clients achieve their real estate dreams! My team of seasoned agents would love to help you, too! Let us show you how you can get “Moore” for your money with the Sally Moore Real Estate Team!