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  1. Real Simple
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  4. Our 20 Most Popular Decorating Tips

Our 20 Most Popular Decorating Tips

Real Simple Author
By Real Simple Editors Updated January 21, 2015
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Staircase painted with a teal gradient
Credit: Jonny Valiant
Over the years, Real Simple has shared dozens of décor tricks. Readers particularly loved these.
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Paint Ombré Stairs

Staircase painted with a teal gradient
Credit: Jonny Valiant

For an ombré effect, choose consecutive colors on the same paint strip. A small, angled brush is best for edges; use a larger brush to fill in. (From top: Icing on the Cake, Forget Me Not, Spectra Blue, Peacock Blue, Teal Ocean, $16 a quart, benjaminmoore.com for stores.)

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Group Like Objects

Wall hangings
Credit: Victor Schrager

Ornamental mirrors, especially dramatic on a dark wall, make a striking wall display.

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Do the Same on a Mantel or Shelf

Blue vases
Credit: Antonis Achilleos

Do you have odds-and-ends vases in the same color family? A compact arrangement will have visual impact.

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And Along a Staircase

Framed pictures along staircase
Credit: Frances Janisch

Notice how the juxtaposition of the photos and the cohesiveness of the frames (and sizes) upgrades the usual family-portrait display tactic.

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Bookcases? No, Everything Cases

Cube shelving unit
Credit: Dan Duchars/Ideal Home/IPC+ Syndication

Think outside the box: A shelving unit is equally at-home in a dining room, where it holds plates, linens, and, yes, books.

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Do as the Pros Do

Bookcase
Credit: Monica Buck

Paint the back wall of a bookcase a hue that’s a couple of shades deeper than the room color.

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Change Up a Coffee Table

Glass coffee table with colorful fabric under it
Credit: Lucas Allen

A length of fabric can completely alter the look of a glass-topped coffee table. Just wrap it around foam board and attach it under the table’s top.

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Deploy Wallpaper Strategically

Houndstooth wallpapered entryway
Credit: Chris Everard/Homes & Gardens/IPC+ Syndication

Wallpaper can be pricey, so remember: It doesn’t have to cover an entire room or even an entire wall. Consider adding it just above or below a chair rail, if your room has one.

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Then Make Use of the Leftovers

Wallpaper hung like a scroll
Credit: Ditte Isager

To create this scroll-like hanging, fold the top and bottom edges of a length of wallpaper over wooden rulers or dowel rods. Secure with tape and hang from a ribbon.

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A Bright Idea

Bench-styled sofa
Credit: William Waldron

Shopping for a floor lamp for your living room or den? Sixty-eight inches is the ideal height: The bulb will be concealed whether you’re seated or standing. Try a floor lamp on one side of the sofa and a table lamp on the other.

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Pause for Reflection

Repainted mirror
Credit: Mark Lund

Brighten up a darker entryway or hallway by positioning a mirror to catch any natural light. Paint the mirror a clean, crisp white for added brightness.

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Pick a Pattern

White room with patterned curtains
Credit: Simon Bevan/Homes & Gardens/IPC+ Syndication

A small-scale pattern on window treatments will add interest and texture to a room without overwhelming it.

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Or Pile Them On

Bed covered with pillows
Credit: Lucas Allen

A profusion of pillows adds ready-made coziness to a bed. Don’t shy away from mixing patterns. Combine large prints with small ones, florals with geometrics. Just keep your color theme consistent.

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Create a Pro-Style Art Gallery

Wall with gallery style framed art
Credit: Dean Kaufman

Start by choosing inexpensive frames with precut mats (here, black frames with white paper mats and silver frames with linen mats; Target and West Elm are good sources). Then print out favorite images to fill them at the size you need.

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One for the Amateurs, Too

Kid table, beanbag, maps, and books in basement
Credit: Jonny Valiant

An easy way to display your kids’ masterpieces: floating frames. Rotate what’s in them as new pieces arrive home from school.

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Picture This

Picture frames on shelves
Credit: Sang An

Another, very simple way to use frames, old or new: Group them on a mantel, on shelves, or even just propped up against a wall to create visually striking geometric patterns.

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Put a Pin in It

Desk with floral patterned pin boards on the wall over it
Credit: David Brittain/Ideal Home/IPC+ Syndication

Cover bulletin boards with fabric to create attractive artwork that doubles as a spot for holding reminders, notes, and more.

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Mix and Match

Grey and yellow dining room
Credit: Tom Leighton/Homes & Gardens/IPC+ Syndication

Forget the idea that your kitchen or dining room chairs need to be a set. Instead, mix up styles, but coordinate them—here, the yellow of the chair at the head of the table and in the slipcovers pulls everything together.

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Plate It

Plates in unexpected colors as wall decoration
Credit: Bob Hiemstra

Hang a collection of unused plates in an unexpected wall arrangement. Go for a variation of hues (within a family), sizes, textures. Put the most dramatic plate toward the center (lay out the plates first to experiment); attach wire plate hangers and hang plates on picture nails.

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Paint a Headboard

0408bed-headboard
Credit: Thayer Allyson Gowdy

Literally: For about $20 (in supplies), you can have the headboard of your dreams—by painting it on the wall. For how-tos, see Paint a Faux Headboard.

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    1 of 20 Paint Ombré Stairs
    2 of 20 Group Like Objects
    3 of 20 Do the Same on a Mantel or Shelf
    4 of 20 And Along a Staircase
    5 of 20 Bookcases? No, Everything Cases
    6 of 20 Do as the Pros Do
    7 of 20 Change Up a Coffee Table
    8 of 20 Deploy Wallpaper Strategically
    9 of 20 Then Make Use of the Leftovers
    10 of 20 A Bright Idea
    11 of 20 Pause for Reflection
    12 of 20 Pick a Pattern
    13 of 20 Or Pile Them On
    14 of 20 Create a Pro-Style Art Gallery
    15 of 20 One for the Amateurs, Too
    16 of 20 Picture This
    17 of 20 Put a Pin in It
    18 of 20 Mix and Match
    19 of 20 Plate It
    20 of 20 Paint a Headboard

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