Make an Impact! Small Home Décor Ideas to Spruce Up Your Space

No matter what style your home is, some of the best spaces are styled with intention and meaning. Whether that’s picking the right candle scent for your space or creating a room that embraces patterns, there are many small home décor ideas that can instantly spruce up your home.

To help you get started, we’ve reached out to experts living in Toronto, CA, all the way to Knoxville, TN for their best design inspiration to make your home a welcoming and meaningful place to be every day. Check out 16 of their best simple home décor ideas that will bring new life to your home this summer and the rest of the year.

Think about scale to make an impact. Most people believe that if you are decorating a smaller space that you should use smaller furniture, or patterns and in fact the opposite is true. Larger scale patterns and pieces of furniture can actually make the space feel larger, and more substantial. It’s a really great way to decorate with intent and create a room that feels unapologetically amazing, regardless of its size. We always say that “oversize” is our favorite size. One of our patterns that embodies this ethos is our PARADIS pattern. It features several large scale birds and so many of our clients actually use this in smaller powder rooms with dramatic effect. – Carla Morano, Co-Founder, Chief Marketing Officer FINE & DANDY Co.

Showcase your candles for maximum dramatic visual effect. Try burning a candle in a glass lantern or hurricane decorated with seasonal items such as seashells or acorns. This not only adds visual appeal, but keeps burning candles safe for pets. Focus on scents such as mahogany, bergamot, amber or vanilla for a calming atmosphere, fruits and herbs for a more spring or summer vibe, or baked goods for a cozy, relaxing feel. – Joe & Ash, Loki & Layla Candle Company

Fireplaces are a wonderful way to create a design focal point. They add a sensory experience and also incorporate use of materials that add a layering element to your space. Hearth Cabinet Fireplaces are ventless, affordable, easier to install than a typical gas fireplace and have a realistic flame. I am even thinking about adding one to my own room. – Karen B. Wolf, Karen B. Wolf Interiors

Candlelight is a great way to bring ambiance into your home, no matter the size of your space. Grouping smaller, like colored candles in varying heights is a great way to bring a focal point to your space and for added glow place them on a mirrored plate or in front of a mirror. – Lindsay Dicks Penaranda, Founder & CEO Blue Glass Candle Co

Use mirrors. Strategically placing mirrors throughout your space can give the illusion of extra room while also bouncing natural (and non-natural) light around the space. This brightens things up and makes the square footage “grow”. They’re also very practical. Consider adding one big one or, if the space calls for it, multiple small ones. – Taylor Butta, Absolute Home Furnishings

Choose a fragrance that makes you inhale and feel peace, happiness and joy wash over you as you do. Milkhouse offers a wide variety of fragrances that are sure to match any mood. Check out our bright and cheery Limoncello or Pineapple Gelato fragrance for a fruity and uplifting scent. Our Eucalyptus Lavender, Citrus & Lavender or White Sage & Bergamot will help create a serene and spa-like atmosphere. Or warm things up in the kitchen with scents of Sticky Buns, Brown Butter Pumpkin or Coffee Break. These are sure to pique your taste buds. – Eric & Janet Sparrow, Milkhouse Candles

Timeless and classic finishes are key. My favorite way to design with intention is to design with timeless classic finishes that have stood the test of time. Vintage leathers, gorgeous marbles and unlacquered brass are just a few samples of materials that have been around forever, stood the test of time and only get better with age. The warmth & patina of these natural materials only adds to the timeless and loved feel your home should have. – Laura Aguilar, Laura Aguilar Interiors

Consider the space you’re decorating. When choosing the right candle scent for your home you should always consider what room you want to place the candle as well as the size of that room. You don’t want to put a stronger smelling scent like powder in a small room, that should be placed in a larger room because of how strong the scent is. A scent suggestion for your kitchen is “invigorating” lemon verbena. This scent is great for covering up unwanted smells and it’s warm and inviting. A scent like “Lush Linens” is a fresh laundry scent that you can enjoy all year long. – Ravin Scott CEO/Owner, Clean & Classy Candle Co.

Your spaces should be adaptable. We are seeing an increased interest in remodeling across numerous income brackets. People are seeking more pleasure and equanimity in their homes & that becomes a great driver of design. They want flex spaces that can adapt to circumstances. Ventilation and access to fresh air are important for family groups quarantining in close proximity. Windows, skylights, window walls letting in fresh air/light, and increasing outdoor/indoor flexibility are in demand. – FuTung Cheng, President & CEO, Cheng Design

Choose scents which take you somewhere. Christopher Pointdexter once said ‘nothing brings to life again a forgotten memory like fragrance’ and it’s so true – scents have the power to transport us to our favourite childhood holidays, a loved one’s home or, if we’re lucky, a place we’ve never before visited but always dreamed of. When you find a scent that unlocks that kind of nostalgia, fill your home with it so you can enjoy the experience every day. – Hannah Spinks, Commercial Director of Home County Candle Co.

Make it personal. Our best advice to incorporating candles into anyone’s space is to “make it personal”. Your space is a reflection of you. Your candle scent should also be a reflection of you. Don’t settle for “any” scent. Find one that resonates with your soul and you absolutely can’t go wrong. – Lisa Smith, Forage Candle

Every home has a story to tell. A candle should be more than a combination of wax, fragrance, and a burning flame. More importantly, a candle should be absolutely elegant, simple, and transform any atmosphere with sheer luxury and opulence. Discover some favorite spaces & places to create year round candle scents and create a world of enchantment. Be inspired and create sheer opulence and escape to a world of luscious sophisticated scents of Fig Tree, Grapefruit & Mangosteen, or Vik Beach, where your imagination runs wild and bursts with energy… whether it’s a Fragrant Friday or a Sunday Soak… fill each room with amazing aroma as you read an inspiring affirmation included on each candle. Invite the outside in with scents that capture the fresh outdoors with hints of Dark Cedar & Juniper or Birchwood & Black Pepper. – D. Harrison, Fireside Chat Inspirational Candles

Choose your candle fragrances to match your space. If a room is light and airy, opt for a fresh, green or botanical fragrance. A cozy, warmer room is well accentuated by a deeper, woodsy or salty based scent. Lastly, make a feature out of your candles, don’t tuck them away in a corner – and always burn safely. – Charlie Todd, President of Silver Dollar Candle Co

Decorative items should also inspire. At Kintsugi Candle Co., we believe that candles should reinvigorate your mood through their scents and their appearance. We love candles that double as not only decor, but also give inspiration when you need it most. Choose candles that are adorned with words or sayings that serve as motivation or provide reassurance. – Allison Mathis Jones, founder of Kintsugi Candle Co.

Spruce up your space with positive affirmations. Affirmations that are seen privately or publicly do the trick to solidify your intention. I write and read affirmations that turn into positive belief systems that assist me in manifesting my desires. Tip: Hide little notes in pillow covers (Hint – you know it’s there and what it says when you see the pillow), inside cabinet doors, medicine cabinets etc. I even go a step further and make homemade patches and sew them into my blankets. – Wendy Kleiner, Wendy Kleiner

Don’t save your candles for “special occasions.” Choose a scent that speaks to you directly, which doesn’t necessarily depend on seasonality so much as it reflects your tastes and gives your home a personality which welcomes you and wraps you in comfort. – Ruth Barnett, St. George Candle Co.

Originally published by Redfin