Tips to improve your home decor: a guide by Architectural Digest

There’s no better time to breathe new life into your home than in the spring, a season that compels us to banish the hoarding of winter’s past and embrace a future full of interior design possibilities. Once you’ve got all of the cleaning and organizing under your belt, redecorating is the logical next step, whether that means a quick mantel refresh or a complete bedroom makeover. Today we present you the best suggestions from Architectural Digest!

Cocktail Table

The cocktail table is the centerpiece of most living rooms—it’s not just a functional surface for your five o’clock glass of wine, but a spot to show off your personality and house items to entertain fidgety guests. “Use pieces that you connect with, that bring you personal joy,” says Los Angeles designer Don Stewart. “Bring in cuttings from the garden—I often let them dry through the winter. If you find yourself fussing, walk away! Take a breather then come back with a fresh eye.” In Chrissy Teigen and John Legend’s L.A. home, a laid-back stack of books atop Daniel Pollack Juniper tables was the perfect touch.

“For me, decorating a space is a lot like getting dressed. Accessories are the element that will separate your room from anyone else’s and give it true individuality,” says New York interior designer Ryan Korban. “I don’t think surfaces should be too packed, but I am not into an empty surface. I like mixing styles but still keeping things organized. If you are stuck with too many small objects, then a tray is a good way to organize them. The goal is to make your accessories feel edited and well curated.” In this Manhattan apartment, Korban placed one great sculpture alongside fresh flowers.

Create a Layered Bedding Look

“To find the balance between matchy-matchy and clashing, it’s all about choosing an overarching color palette,” says Blakeney. “For me, that means establishing dominant and accent colors—or color families. And as you choose patterns, make sure that they fit loosely within your color story. If you can look at the bed and have it read, say, green with yellow accents, or cream and dusky pink, that’s going to really tie it together, no matter how ‘patternful’ things are. Or, keep all the patterns—no matter how contrasting—in a neutral palette, and it will still go together beautifully.”

Create a welcoming guest room

A designer of sumptuous private residences and hospitality hot spots such as the Carlyle in New York, the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, and the Gainsborough Bath Spa in England, Alexandra Champalimaud is well aware of the value of a truly appealing guest room. “Having an inviting bedroom is the most beautiful thing you can do for anyone coming to stay at your home,” says the New York–based designer. “It shows people you’ve prepared a really comfortable place for them.” To ensure our guest rooms are as welcoming as possible, we asked Champalimaud for her top design tips. There’s just one potential downside to following her advice: Your visitors may never want to leave.

Prepare a luxurious bed “The bed is the most important thing in the room, because everybody wants a good night’s rest,” says Champalimaud. Ensure the mattress is firm yet supple, top it with a mattress cover, and then add the highest-quality sheets you can afford. She prefers cotton in the winter (her favorite bedding is made by her daughter-in-law, Sandrine Champalimaud) and linen in the summer. Add a downy duvet in colder months and a lightweight blanket when it’s warm outside. “If you put out a duvet when it’s hot,” she notes, “it just looks like you forgot.”