When taking on a home design project on your own there are many factors to keep in mind before moving forward with anything. These five decorating and design rules are worth checking out!

Let your seats communicate. Try laying out your seating so that every loveseat, armchair or couch has its own conversation partner. If the seating in your home doesn’t communicate, your friends and family won’t be able to either.

Float your furniture. Aligning every piece of furniture flat against the wall won’t make your room have more floor space. In actuality, “floating” the furniture, with space in between objects and walls, increases the appearance of space.

Find a focal point. Every room needs a statement piece to bring attention and create balance. This focal point should be the center of attention. Neutral colored furniture will make your space more open and inviting and draw attention to your centerpiece.

Cut the clutter. If you are having trouble funding your focal point then you probably have too much furniture already. Start evaluating every piece in each room and to see what fits and what does not fit. Time for spring-cleaning!

Take a photo. Snapping a picture can reveal a room’s hidden potential or weed out the bad decisions. A photo will help you appraise the room from an outsider’s perspective.