Before the Finishes

Be careful when choosing bold or dark colors of paint. Apply multiple swatches of the color to various walls in your home, and view them from different angles and at different times of the day before making a decision. “One mistake that most people make is that they see a color on the little tiny swatch and it ends up being a lot darker or a lot brighter when it’s up on the wall.”

Stick to an almost monochromatic color palette in order to optimize the illusion of space. “Keep flooring the same from kitchen to bathroom. Keep colors the same tone. It can really make the home feel a lot more spacious.”

To create the illusion of more space and a more open feel, try replacing windows with doors. “If you have the opportunity to put a set of doors off of the bedroom or living room, do it. A lot of old homes have just large plate-glass windows, and people don’t realize that doors really add to the space.”

Don’t be afraid to juxtapose styles. “I like modern lighting, even in old houses. A lot of people feel that you need to have lighting that is appropriate to the home’s time period, but I love mixing old and new.”