Our Favorite Designer Secrets
03/20 Design Tips

Our Favorite Designer Secrets

Learn a couple of our favorite design tips and tricks.

There are lots of details that make a big difference in any design project, and it’s not easy to figure out by yourself.

We’re revealing our most used tips and tricks to make sure you don’t miss out!

1. Create your own paint color

You don’t have to stick with the swatch the paint store gives you.  For a softer, more muted color, you can reduce a color’s strength by asking for the color by percentages. We used Benjamin Moore “Sleigh Bells” cut at 50% for the master suite in our Windsong Project.

Our Favorite Designer Secrets

2. Buy inserts larger than the pillow cover

When purchasing pillow inserts, we always get them an inch or two larger than the pillow cover. This will give them a fuller look, making them easier to style.

Our Favorite Designer Secrets

From our Windsong Project

3. Line your drapery

Whether you have custom drapes or not, make sure they’re lined.  Your drapes will hang better and look more expensive.

Our Favorite Designer Secrets

From our Haddonfield Project

Our Favorite Designer Secrets

From our Country Club Traditional Project

4. Add a vintage piece

Adding one vintage item to a space is a must! Little pieces of history make a space look more collected and unique.  In our Modern Mountain Home we used a vintage runner in the kitchen to add some color, texture and character. We also added some vintage pieces in the build in to create a collected look.

Our Favorite Designer Secrets
Our Favorite Designer Secrets
Our Favorite Designer Secrets

From our Cove Street Project

5. Mix upholstery

We don’t ever use matching sofa sets when decorating indoors. Break it up by mixing style and upholstery! It makes a room much more interesting and customizable.  We love how this linen love-seat paired with a classic cognac leather sofa lightens up the Vineyard Street family room.

Our Favorite Designer Secrets
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11 Comments
Studio McGee
  1. Thank you, thank you for sharing these tips Shea! So much fun to learn a few tricks from such a talented team 🙂 Can’t wait to incorporate them into my spaces, too. Every time I see a new post on your blog, it truly brightens my day

  2. I just love your blog. Your "voice" and vision is refreshing! I never comment on blogs, so that is saying something. ?

  3. Thank you for sharing these great tips! I’m inspired every day by your designs and really enjoy your blog!

  4. Obsessed with everything in this post! Do you know where the grey bed frame in the top picture is from? And the black tufted ottoman?! Dying for both! Thanks!!!

  5. Hi I am curious to know why you chose to go with Black interior windows in the living room level but white interior windows in the bedrooms.

    Thanks

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