How Designing Forgotten Spaces Makes Your Home Feel Complete
by Evelyn Long
Your home may be a work in progress, or you thought you finished designing it long ago. Either way, you may feel as if something is missing. Every house has spaces homeowners tend to overlook, and applying your decorative skills to these areas can complete the style you're after.
Here's how home decor impacts your mood and the most commonly hidden places needing design.
How Does Home Decor Affect Your Mood?
If walking into a doctor's office feels off-putting, it might be because it needs more decor. The same could be said for feeling little inspiration at work or school when the walls around you are eggshell white.
Interior design can significantly affect your mood, especially at home. Paint, personal belongings, greenery, spaciousness and overall style all contribute to your happiness and contentment. Playing off of natural sunlight also enhances your outlook. According to one study, exposure to bright daylight increases concentration and reactivity, suppresses melatonin and awakens a higher consciousness.
Color benefits psychological well-being. For instance, you may feel invigorated in a room painted bright emerald green but relaxed in a space covered in saturated blue-gray. Likewise, bright red may make you angry or anxious.
Colors are either warm or cool and can induce similar feelings in a home's occupants. Yellows, oranges and reds are warm colors, while blues and greens are cooler. This is why people lean into red hues during winter and minty or turquoise shades in summer.
11 Overlooked Spaces to Revive and Make You Feel at Home
Designing your home just how you like it may take a long time. However, it's easy to miss opportunities to make it feel complete while in the throes of design. Here are 11 overlooked areas you may want to consider decorating.
1. Outdoor Entryway
Everyone tends to talk about curb appeal, which includes the front landscaping and your house's facade. The outdoor entryway is an important area, though, deserving attention and care. It's the first part of your home people see when they visit and should set the tone for the rest of your house.
Fixes to the outdoor entryway may be minor or significant — hanging a seasonal wreath on the front door makes your home more welcoming, while you might also decide to paint it another color.
According to a 2022 Zillow survey, a freshly painted black door could add $6,449 to your home value. However, a slate blue shade is most popular among homeowners and buyers. Ultimately, the best color is whatever makes you feel happy with where you live.
2. Foyer
The foyer is just as important a design moment as the outdoor entry. Incorporate a console table against the wall with decorations and a mirror — some people also like placing a round table in the center of the foyer to make a statement when someone walks in. A bowl or key rack is perfect for storing keys so you don't lose them.
You can also set up a small bench with decorative pillows for people to sit on when putting on or taking off their shoes. Finally, place a large plant in the corner to complete the room.
3. Hallways
Even a narrow hallway could benefit from design. Lay a runner on the ground to draw people's eyes and guide them into your home. This rug should seamlessly complement your house's aesthetic.
You can also hang photos on a gallery wall. Select your favorite pictures of you and your loved ones and frame them. These may all be the same size and color or vary. Deciding how to display the photos is another question. Do you want them in a collage or evenly dispersed on the wall?
4. Doors
Painting the front door is a great way to infuse your home with your personality. However, you can also paint the interior ones. Not everyone thinks of changing bedroom doors from white to colored paint, but it's a fun way to play off your style.
For instance, a coastal cottage may have white walls to keep it bright and airy, but why not paint the interior doors aquamarine? Add a few natural elements like shells and driftwood, and your home will become an extension of the beach.
Conversely, if you live in a historic house or collect antiques, you might paint your doors a shade of taupe.
5. Powder Room
The en suite and guest bathrooms may have been on your radar from the moment you moved in, but what about the powder room in the hall? Half baths have a toilet and sink but no shower or bathtub. These small spaces allow you to try something fun and quirky from the rest of your home.
For example, you may be inclined to spend more money on finishes if it's just for a small space. Install a unique lighting fixture, bold wallpaper print or patterned floor tile to make the powder room stand out. Adding floating shelves above the toilet is another way to maximize limited space and create function, such as displaying small plants and decor.
6. Behind the Couch
Decorative pillows and throw blankets are a great way to spruce a sofa. However, behind the couch is one area you may have forgotten about. A console table can change the look and feel in an open floor plan where the sofa is freestanding in the middle of the room.
Ideally, the console table should be at or below the backrest for a cohesive design element. Then, you can display decorative items, trinkets and family heirlooms on top. Just be sure to use the console for decor only, as it may become a place to throw your keys or mail on.
7. Ceiling
The ceiling is often a blank slate for you to stretch your design skills — a place you might forget about if you never look up. Consider painting it a different color from your walls or adding wallpaper. For instance, if the walls are white, why not paint the interior of a tray ceiling black or navy blue? You might also select a funky wallpaper print if your decorative tastes lean whimsical.
Designing the ceiling is an excellent space to infuse personality. It may also be a playful way to enhance a child's playroom or get the creative juices flowing in a home office.
8. Windowsills
When done correctly, decorating windowsills can make your home feel more complete. The trick is to avoid cluttering the space with nonsensical trinkets and instead add warmth with greenery.
Herbs are an excellent option for a kitchen windowsill. These easy-growing plants require about six hours of sunlight daily, which they can receive perched in the window. Basil, mint, chives, parsley and rosemary do exceptionally well indoors.
Otherwise, you can decorate your windowsills with succulents in various sizes, shapes and colors to add interest. Succulents are ideal for those who struggle to keep plants alive, especially since they require little maintenance and only need watering when the soil is bone dry.
9. Laundry Room
You might not think about decorating your laundry room, but it's a great space to incorporate a few design elements. Like the powder room, laundry rooms are typically small enough to explore decorative tastes and achieve a different aesthetic.
If your laundry room doubles as the mudroom, add bright and colorful wallpaper and select durable floors. Shelving and cabinetry are another way to enhance the area and create storage for laundry detergent and other accessories.
10. Patio or Deck
Homeowners use their outdoor spaces now more than ever before. According to Fixr.com's Outdoor Living Trends 2024 report, 48% of experts say backyards must be multifunctional for entertaining purposes year-round. You should be able to sit outside for a barbecue during the summer and cozy up around the fire pit in the fall.
Another 20% of respondents have noticed more people adding comfortable seating arrangements to their patios and decks. This generates more cohesiveness in indoor-outdoor living, making the space more inviting and enjoyable.
Luxury outdoor upgrades could include a built-in kitchen, pizza oven, or large-screen television for movie nights and sports viewing. Lush landscaping will further enhance the space and create natural privacy.
11. Outlets
Consider how often you turn the lights on and off during the day. The outlet cover plate is likely an overlooked space in your home. Standard versions are usually white plastic, placed over the switch to hide the electrical wires and ensure your safety — but they're not much to look at.
Depending on your decorative tastes, you can purchase inexpensive outlet cover plates in various colors, finishes and patterns. For instance, a contemporary or luxe home interior may pair well with a marble pattern cover, while niche beadboard-style plates may be ideal for a coastal cottage.
Outlet covers are also easy to replace on your own, usually requiring one or two screws to hold them in place on the wall.
Design Your Home to Your Heart's Content
Your home should always reflect you and be a haven to retreat in at the end of a long day. As such, every corner should bring you comfort and joy. Take a closer look at each space and decide how designing those areas can make it feel more complete.
Evelyn Long is the Editor-in-Chief of Renovated Magazine, where she writes on interior design and home organization content. She is passionate about making home styling easier for all homeowners and renters by writing about home interior trends. Subscribe to renovated.com/subscribe for more posts by Evelyn!
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