Decorating tips to make you feel at home

To help you turn your home into a warm and welcoming refuge, a haven of peace in a fast-paced environment, we've decided to share our best decorating tips with you. From ease of movement and soothing colors to sophisticated lighting, we've got all the secrets you need to transform your home into a protective paradise.

Often, for fear of making a mistake, we settle for a few basic colors that are very much in vogue in magazines. And they're plastered all over the walls of the house. Not only do you run the risk of creating a dull, featureless decor, but you may also find yourself feeling uncomfortable in your own home. Not surprising! The colors you choose are not those that reflect your personality. And since selling isn't on the agenda, we're not talking about depersonalization just yet!

So, if you're not a fan of neutrals like gray, beige and white, which are popular with those who love calm, serenity and relaxation, go for color. Use a color chart and see which color combinations work best with your favorite color. You can even download an application that lets you visualize the effect of your chosen color on your walls, live.

Because personalizing doesn't mean creating a cacophony of colors. Our first decorating tip is to please you while creating a beautiful harmony.

Second decorating tip: a pleasant space to live in is above all a tidy space. Don't pile up too much stuff at home, and take advantage of flea markets and garage sales to get rid of your clutter and all the things you never use. As for the rest, opt for clever, practical furniture that can be placed as you wish, with the constant aim of ensuring that each room is easy to move around in.

Indeed, it's essential to avoid bumping into a piece of furniture every time you move. That's why we recommend a minimum clearance of 60 cm per piece of furniture in a room.

3. Three key elements, no more

Wherever it is in your home, the eye shouldn't be overtaxed. It needs to be able to rest, which helps the body to relax and unwind. A practical decorating tip to avoid overtaxing the eye: use no more than three strong elements in your decor.

This could be, for example, a graphic wallpaper on one wall, sublimating an art deco console and a beautiful plant. The rest of the decor will be composed of more discreet elements. And, once again, put away the superfluous!

A room with the right lighting looks chic, offering the eye a rich reading of your interior design. Multiplying light points, switched on according to need and the mood you wish to create, always offers an extraordinary way of illuminating a space, as it encourages interesting contrasts.

Wall lights, pendants, table or floor lamps, you're spoilt for choice when it comes to creating the light that suits you.

After a long day at work, punctuated by endless traffic jams or unbearable jostling in the RER or metro, it's so good to be back home! But for the feeling of relief to be complete, it's essential to think about your entrance.

Indeed, it's in this airlock that separates us from the outside world, as we take off our coats and shoes, that we must also deposit our stress, fatigue and worries.

Is it small, large, square or long? Does it have a window? All these elements need to be taken into account in the design and choice of colors. Because, while everyone agrees that the entrance should be practical for us and our visitors, how do we organize our own?

Generally speaking, to create a welcoming entrance, you'll need a bench where you can sit to take off and put on your shoes, a shoe rack or, if you have a walk-in closet, a console that will be enhanced by a beautiful mirror or canvas, depending on your tastes. Place a coat hook on the wall. And choose a beautiful hanging lamp. And that's it!

In fact, this is the room around which the rest of the decoration is most often organized. To save space, place it on the wall. On the other hand, if your space is very large, don't hesitate to place it across the room, to create a natural separation for a reading or other corner. Make sure you maintain the necessary distance between your sofa and the TV, i.e. 2 to 3 times the diagonal of your screen with a horizontal viewing angle.

For the rest of the layout, think about your everyday life: everyone's habits, the children's play area, the dining area...

Don't overload the space and risk feeling oppressed, and think about storage...

As the ultimate resting place, parents' and children's bedrooms need to be particularly conducive to sleep.

Patchworks of flashy colors tend to demand attention, especially from young children. It is therefore strongly recommended to opt for very soft colors in these rooms, whose temperatures should always be cool to promote restful sleep and good physical comfort.

10. Headboard positioning

Another decorating tip we've been given by some specialists: it's important that headboards face the door, to satisfy our first reflex of knowing who's entering the room.
This is particularly reassuring for children.

Whether you prefer an open or closed kitchen - some still prefer it closed in on itself to avoid unpleasant frying smells in the living room - all kitchen designers understand that this room must have furniture that blends in with the decorating style of the entire home and meets the highest demands for practicality and storage.

So, choose furniture that is in harmony with the rest of your interior decoration if the space is open-plan, or decide to break with codes by adopting a chic industrial style to reinforce the character of this room where we like to spend hours. In all cases, opt for quality furniture that will stand the test of time, and that you can customize to your heart's content if you want to change the mood.

Another tip is to choose a worktop adapted to your space, where you can create an area sheltered from direct view for storing the coffee maker, kettle and toaster.