Whether you’ve just moved or are looking for a home pick-me-up, there are some well-known interior design tricks that you can do with minimal effort and cost.

Sometimes the smallest things have the greatest impact. The addition of new furniture, accessories or even a different colour scheme can change your whole interior and with these simple tips, your home can be transformed.

Paint smaller rooms in softer, lighter colours to make the room feel larger. Large windows, mirrors and the right colours can reflect natural light around any room and enhance the feeling of space. Placing mirrors directly across from the windows will add instant light and they can also be used in place of art to fill empty wall spaces. Remember to hang artwork at appropriate heights – you don’t want to be craning your neck to enjoy the piece. Also take note that what looks good in the store may not look right once home. Vary scale and proportion and also measure!

Mix up pattern, textures, old, new, expensive and inexpensive. There is nothing wrong with placing family heirlooms alongside your new couch. All good interior designers will tell you that the most important aspect of your home is that it reflects whom you are. There is no reason why the present and past can’t co-exist beautifully together.

Use what you already have to decorate. Trays can be placed on top of luggage racks, trunks, bedside tables and coffee tables for extra texture and dimension and why not arrange candles, frames or books on them. Plates can be hung to create wonderful wall art and you will be amazed at what you can do with what you already have! Likewise, adding plants to your living space is an inexpensive means to accessorizing your space, adding colour and texture.

Give your furniture some breathing room and resist overcrowding a room. You don’t need to fill up a space with lots of furniture so instead spend more of your budget on fewer but better-quality pieces, and your room will look better than if it’s stuffed with market finds.

It is important to create a focal point and stick with it – you might choose a dramatic hood in the kitchen, a mantel and art piece in the living room or a headboard in the bedroom. Whatever it is, choose something that will draw attention and allow the pieces around it to compliment it. Professionals build layers of lighting to create interest and variety. In a room where everything is lit evenly, nothing stands out. Pick a focal point and perhaps a secondary focal point and highlight those. Add general ambient lighting and some lower lighting, like table lamps, for interest.

Finally, having some guidelines may give you a good starting point for furnishing and decorating your home, but go with something personal that makes you smile and, above all, is comfortable.