100 Decorating Tips From Best Interior Designers 5/10

100 Decorating Tips From Best Interior Designers 5/10

Part five of 100 very useful decorating tips from best interior designers gathered by HouseBeautiful.

Bleach the floors before staining them to avoid that zebra-stripe effect. Bleaching the floor first will kill the colour in the darker sections of the wood, and then when you apply the stain it will absorb more evenly – Sallie Giordano
Leather carpet borders always make a room richer – Campion Platt
The days of twin bed are over. When twin beds are required, first consider a pair of full size beds. They’re only 15’’ wider than twins and much more comfortable – Betsy Brown
A bench at the foot of the bed should be no less than 2’’ shorter than the mattress width – Tobi Fairley
Mood is everything, and who wants to dine in a bright light? 60 watts for the dining room. I want it bright when reading, so 75 to 100 watts for the living room. It’s nice to have options – if you don’t have dimmers, then have some variety from 40 to 100 watts, so you can change the mood for the occasion. The bathroom need overhead as well side lighting. Keep the overhead to 75 watts, with 60 watts on each side. The best lighting is at eye level, not overhead, which creates shadows. And the best light is diffused light from a white or off-white lampshade – Barbara Berry
I love using an antique table as a kitchen island. It gives the room so much character – Chris Barrett
Best dog-proof floor covering: Cowhide. Cannot beat it, cannot hurt it – Jill Sharp Brinson
I recommend a height of 36” for a bathroom vanity instead of the standard 30”. It’s much more ergonomic and more comfortable all around – Jason Bell
We locate light switches about 36” above the floor. That way they stay out of the way of the art on your walls. We put switches about 1 1/2 to 2” off the side of the door casing for the same reason – Gil Schafer
I always line curtains with a white or off-white fabric. It helps filter the light in a warm, natural way, and from the outside your house won’t look carnivalesque – Stephen Shubel