2012 Luxury Interior Design Tips

Your home is your refuge, your happy place, your safe space. But most importantly it is yours. When making decorating decisions, you should be sure that your choices feel like you, represent you, and make you feel comfortable and happy. Whether you are decorating a new apartment or renovating a wing of an inherited family home, here are some modern ideas to make your home feel luxurious – whatever your tastes or budget!

It's not unusual for a beachside hotel to bring the ocean inside with aquariums in the lobby. You can do the same in your home. Try dividing a large open space with a floor to ceiling aquarium. Have fun picking out a variety of colorful fish, corals, and other pieces. But don't forget that aquariums require upkeep!
It's never been more popular or easy to go green with your interior design. Sustainable furniture and décor comes in a large variety of forms, including using reclaimed wood to build rocking chairs, countertops made with recycled glass, or low-energy lamps. With these kinds of purchases, you're not only making your home a better place, you're making the world a better one, too.
Leave the over-the-top gilded furniture to your grandmother. These days, minimalism conveys luxury. Stick to basic shapes and color blocking, mixing in patterns and busy pieces only for accent.
If you feel like doing something a little off-the-beaten-path, try using the space above your bed to hang something flat on the ceiling. Make sure you pick something large enough that you will be able to get the full experience from the distance of laying on your bed.
If you don't like the idea of ceiling art in the bedroom, try stenciling the ceiling in your bathroom. Pick a pattern that matches your bathroom's style (classic, modern, etc.) and colors that will work in the lighting.
Do you love soft lighting and want a bedroom that feels extra private? Try using wall panels in front of windows that will only allow light to come in from the sides.
Upgrade the vanity in your bathroom from drab to dramatic with textured wallpaper. Try a luxe snakeskin print over something understated.
Recreate the campfire feeling with a "conversation pit," a new design trend that uses an oversized, circular, sunken couch with a fireplace or coffee table in the middle. You'll need a large space in order to do this, but if you host a lot of parties, this is a great way to bring people together. And the bonus is that it works both indoors and outdoors!
For those that gravitate towards monochrome black and white, you can use this palette in a way that is both striking and elegant. The key is to mix in greys and browns, so that you don't overdo the black/white motif. Make sure you keep the light and dark elements well balanced for an upscale, chic look.
Keep things surprising by staying away from symmetry. Use a variety of shapes and lines, but stick to a limited color palette to avoid coming off as a design schizophrenic.
Using natural colors is nothing new, but if you stick to neutral colored furniture, play with the wall color and window dressings. Try a muted blue wall with bright orange curtains to make your beige furniture really pop.
So many of us love to use our bookshelves to display everything we've read, but so few take full advantage of the decorating potential of books. Try arranging your books by color – all the blue ones together, etc. – based on the color of their bindings. Mix up placement – have some standing up, others lying flat in stacks.

Try one of these or a few, the key is to make yourself feel at home.

About the Author: when Michelle isn't covering the best in class luxury beds and luxury mattresses, she is busy giving her readers the luxury style tips they are looking for depending on the season!